ONE day a minister was walking down a street of the small town in which he resided. when he met a little girl whom he knew. After speaking to her, she looked up into his face, and with a sweet smile said, “I can say a text to you, sir,”
“Can you, my dear? Well, I shall be pleased to hear it.” And as the gentleman replied, he took the child’s tiny hand in his, walked beside her a short distance, and listened while she repeated the beautiful words, so well known to most children. Christ’s own words they are, spoken so many, many years ago, but still so precious to Christian parents and teachers. “Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
“Thank you, my dear,” the gentleman replied, “I am glad that you can say the verse so nicely. I hope that you will never forget that that verse speaks to you, and that you will obey the invitation. The words are very sweet, do you not think so?”
“Yes, sir,” the child replied, with another smile, and after saying good-bye, she ran towards home.
And do you think the words are sweet too, dear little reader? You remember on what occasion they were spoken. Some kind, anxious mothers and friends took their little ones to Jesus, hoping that He would put His hands on them, and bless them.
The mothers carried some of the children in their arms, others they led by the hand, they went nearer and nearer to the place where Jesus was, talking to the grown-up people, and as they drew near, the disciples saw them, and thinking their Master was too much engaged to notice such young children, they rebuked those who brought them. We are not told which disciples wished to send them away; perhaps Peter whispered to some of the others, “Just tell those women not to bring these children to the Master, He cannot be troubled with them.”
Of course we only say, perhaps it might have been he; if it was he, he must have thought of it when, sometime afterwards, Jesus gave him that loving charge, “Feed My lambs.”
But whoever gave the word of rebuke we know the Lord was much displeased with them for so doing. And after He had spoken the precious words of the text above named, He took the little helpless creatures up in His loving arms, put His hands on them and blessed them. How glad those dear mothers must have felt when they saw darling Mary or Ruth, or John or James, in the Saviour’s arms. And how delighted the children themselves must have been, we mean those who were old enough to understand. Surely they never forgot that happy day, they would think of His sweet smile, His gentle touch, His loving words, and how the remembrance of those things must have cheered and helped them, when they grew up to be men and women. As some of you read this, are you not reminded of the hymn:
“I think when I read that sweet story of old,
When Jesus was here among men,
How He called little children as lambs to His fold,
I should like to have been with Him then.”
But remember, dear children, though you cannot see Jesus, as the little children did, when He was upon earth, and walked among them, and talked to them, yet He still loves you, and notices all you do and say. And He cares as much for you as He did for the children of Jerusalem, and other places, where He lived and taught. For though the Lord Jesus is now in heaven, we know the word of God says He is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” So you may make the words of another verse of this hymn your own, and say:
“Yet still to His footstool in prayer I may go,
And ask for a share in His love;
And if I now earnestly seek Him below,
I shall see Him and hear Him above.”
ML 07/30/1922