"Forbid Them Not."

  

DEAR CHILDREN: Did you ever inquire why

  the kind Saviour said, "Suffer little children

 to come unto me," instead of saying, "Suffer

them to bring their little ones to me?" I believe

he knew just how little faith parents and 

ministers had, and would have, in respect to 

children's joining to Jesus. He knew, too, that

 their young and tender hearts would feel that

 they were sinners, and that they needed a

 Saviour; and if not hindered by the coldness or

 neglect of others, would come to Jesus and be

 blest. 

In the course of a "revival," a company

of young persons had assembled at our house

for prayer. While thus engaged, my little boy five

years old, came to me and said, "I want to pray."

I thought nothing of it, but bade him go and pray,

as his custom was, while I engaged again in

 prayer for the penitents. After some time I

 observed that he was still at my side, and 

weeping. I asked what was the matter. Said he, 

"I want to pray." Thinking it possible that some 

unusual influence was upon him, I retired with 

him and prayed, after which he prayed for a new

 heart. He seemed satisfied, and we retired to

 the kitchen, I to my work and he to his little

 rocking-chair. He seemed unusually happy, but

 was silent. Lifting my eyes from my work, I saw

 the tears trickling down his cheeks, and asked

 again, What's the matter? As if his heart was

 ready to burst with joy, he exclaimed,

"I'm blest! "His countenance lit up with

a heavenly joy, and attested the reality of the

blessing. His father coming in soon, repeated

the question, to which he returned the same

 answer, with the same evidence that he was

 really blest.

For months he literally breathed the breath of

prayer and praise. One pleasant day in winter he

rode to the woods, and became so cold he was

obliged to return to the house before the team,

and was in such pain that he could not refrain

from crying. This was his first sorrow after the

blessing. I said to him, "You can't praise the

Lord now, can you?" He looked up, and smiling

through his tears, replied, "I said, Bless God, 

when I was coming through the meadow."

Now, children, ask your parents what ought to

have been done with that little lamb. Ought he to

have been gathered into the fold and fed with the

milk of the word? Or for fear he would escape

 from the fold, should he have been left without,

 exposed to cold and tempests, and wild beasts 

that devour?

Jesus says, "Suffer them to come," and, "Feed

 my lambs." Children, come to Jesus, and he will

 receive and bless you evermore. Amen.


S. WHITNEY.

"Suffer Them to Come unto Me."  So

says the kind and gentle Saviour to all those

children who will listen to the voice of the

good Shepherd. Jesus says to little children,

"Come unto me," for he knows they can be

safe no where else. To come to Jesus, means to 

do his will and go with his people.

How pleased I was a few days since when I saw

a timid, sweet little girl eight years of age, rise

 up in the prayer meeting and tell the people she

 was going to be a Christian. That is just the way

 to  come to the Saviour. Get up in the social 

meeting as this child did, and you will then have

 courage to do other duties which will bring 

greater blessings.

God wants all the children to do right, to be 

baptized, and be saved.

Children, will you come to the Saviour? Will

you come now?

 




YI