Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB
[graphic][subsumed]

46

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES AND SUCKLINGS THOU HAST PERFECTED PRAISE."

[graphic]

LEARN FROM THE CHILDREN.

N old man one day took a child on his knee and spoke to her about Jesus, telling her to seek the Saviour now, to pray to Him, and love Him. The child knew that the old man was not himself a Christian, and in her surprise, looking up into the old man's face, asked, "But why don't you seek God?"

The old man, affected by the question, replied with tears, "Ah, my dear child! I neglected to do so when I was young, and now my heart is so hard that I fear I never shall be able."

There was no reason why even then he should not have sought the Lord. Perhaps after all he did seek Him. But what a warning is in his words! "To-day, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." The earlier the easier.

A Christian widow, left with seven children to whom she had often pointed out how God provided for all their wants, was one morning much depressed by her poverty. Before they went to school she gave them the last bread she had in the house, saying mournfully, "I am sure I don't know when you will have any

[merged small][ocr errors]

The eldest, a boy of ten years old, looked at her in surprise, and exclaimed, "Mother, are you tired of trusting God?"

She felt rebuked for her want of faith; and when the children had gone, she confessed her sin-her want of trust in her God, thanking Him that the lessons she had tried to teach her children had returned to her in blessing. And ere the day closed she had to thank God for help sent to her in her need.

Some who have felt the power of a Saviour's love, and have given up their hearts to Him, would gladly give their service; but they think themselves too ignorant or too poor to do any good work for Him. Learn from the children; for there have been some who at a very early age have spoken for Jesus.

A small party, in which were a Welsh pastor and an English minister of the gospel, were one Saturday afternoon travelling and sketching among the rough solitudes and wild beauties of those Conway hills which lift their lofty heads in the north of Wales. While the company were resting beneath a mountainside, there passed along the road a little boy, carrying a big and heavy book under his arm. The English minister called after him, asking him what book he had got, and what he was doing with it there. But being a Welsh child, he seemed not to understand the questions, and without replying passed on out of sight. After a while, as the party were proceeding on their way, their ears caught

the sound of an earnest, childish voice, echoed from the rugged rocks above.

The Englishman said to his Welsh friend, "Let us climb up the hills and see who it is." They did so. And what a blessed sight met their eyes. Afar up the mountain-top was seated the little boy they had seen on the road, with the great book spread open on his knees. It was a Welsh Bible; and there he was reading and praying. He was asking God to bless the town of Conway, and save the people from being wicked. And then he prayed that on the morrow the Lord would bless His servants everywhere who went forth preaching in His name, and would convert many sinners through the gospel they proclaimed.

The two ministers who listened to the petitions of this devout child were greatly touched by his simple and earnest faith; and on that Sunday, and on many Lord's-days, as they stood up to repeat the story of a Saviour's love for the sinful and the lost, the recollection that this little one, and many other lambs of the flock, were praying in secret places for them, comforted and strengthened them in their labours for their Lord.

How many precious souls were saved, how many people were kept back from wicked ways, or helped and comforted in their sorrows through the blessing of this Welsh boy's prayers, he probably never knew. But in that day of reward when the good and evil are brought to light, and when secret things are made plain, it shall be seen how he was heard of God.

A little girl, during the late war in America, heard that a lady was going to visit in one of the American States where there was a hospital for the wounded soldiers. Having a great wish to do something for these men, she went to the lady and asked her if she would take from her a Testament for the suffering soldiers. The lady willingly complied. After the little girl had purchased the book, she wrote a little note with it, which was as follows:

"DEAR SOLDIERS,-I feel very sorry for you, and thought I should like to do something for you, but I am a little girl only nine years old. I have saved up my pocket-money to buy you the Testament that comes with this letter. I should like to come and nurse you, though I know I could do but little, still I could smooth your pillows; but as I cannot come, I send you this little note and Testament. Will you read it? I have nothing more to say, but do you say the prayers your mothers taught you when you were little boys?"

The lady, when she read the letter, was rejoiced to feel it had been blessed. One man, when she concluded it, burst into tears. Evidently it brought to his remembrance prayers learnt at a mother's knee. In the next bed, another poor soldier, with tears

in his eyes, said, "Tell her I will read it from one end to the other end, and may God make it a blessing to my soul."

There is no little child too small

To work for God;

There is a mission for us all

From Christ the Lord.

Father, oh give us grace to see
A place for us,

Where in Thy vineyard, we for Thee
May labour thus.

[graphic]

A MOTHER'S RESPONSIBILITIES. FEW years ago some gentlemen who were associated in preparing for the ministry, felt interested in ascertaining what proportion of their number had pious mothers. They were greatly surprised and delighted in finding that, out of one hundred and twenty students, more than a hundred had been carried by a mother's prayers, and directed by a mother's

counsels to the Saviour. Though some of these had broken away from all the restraints of home, and, like the prodigal, had wandered in sin and sorrow, yet they could not forget the impressions of childhood, and were eventually brought to the Saviour to be a mother's joy and blessing. Many interesting facts have, within a few years, drawn the attention of Christians to this subject. The efforts which a mother makes for the improvement of her child in knowledge and virtue are necessarily retired and unobtrusive. The world knows not of them; and hence the world has been slow to perceive how powerful and extensive is this secret and silent influence. But circumstances are now directing the eyes of the community to the nursery, and the truth is daily coming more distinctly before the public, that the influence which is exerted upon the mind during the first eight or ten years of existence in a great degree guides the destinies of that mind for time and eternity. And as the mother is the guardian and guide of the earlier years of life, from her goes the most powerful influence in the formation of the character of man. And why should it not be so? What impressions can be more strong and more lasting than those received upon the mind in the freshness and the susceptibility of youth? What instructor can gain greater confidence and respect than a mother? And where can there be delight in acquiring knowledge, if not when the little flock cluster around a mother's knee to hear of God and heaven?

There are, it is true, innumerable causes incessantly operating in the formation of character. A mother's influence is by no means the only influence which is exerted. Still it must be powerful,

the sound of an earnest, childish voice, echoed from the rugged rocks above.

The Englishman said to his Welsh friend, "Let us climb up the hills and see who it is." They did so. And what a blessed sight met their eyes. Afar up the mountain-top was seated the little boy they had seen on the road, with the great book spread open on his knees. It was a Welsh Bible; and there he was reading and praying. He was asking God to bless the town of Conway, and save the people from being wicked. And then he prayed that on the morrow the Lord would bless His servants everywhere who went forth preaching in His name, and would convert many sinners through the gospel they proclaimed.

The two ministers who listened to the petitions of this devout child were greatly touched by his simple and earnest faith; and on that Sunday, and on many Lord's-days, as they stood up to repeat the story of a Saviour's love for the sinful and the lost, the recollection that this little one, and many other lambs of the flock, were praying in secret places for them, comforted and strengthened them in their labours for their Lord.

How many precious souls were saved, how many people were kept back from wicked ways, or helped and comforted in their sorrows through the blessing of this Welsh boy's prayers, he probably never knew. But in that day of reward when the good and evil are brought to light, and when secret things are made plain, it shall be seen how he was heard of God.

A little girl, during the late war in America, heard that a lady was going to visit in one of the American States where there was a hospital for the wounded soldiers. Having a great wish to do something for these men, she went to the lady and asked her if she would take from her a Testament for the suffering soldiers. The lady willingly complied. After the little girl had purchased the book, she wrote a little note with it, which was as follows::

"DEAR SOLDIERS,-I feel very sorry for you, and thought I should like to do something for you, but I am a little girl only nine years old. I have saved up my pocket-money to buy you the Testament that comes with this letter. I should like to come and nurse you, though I know I could do but little, still I could smooth your pillows; but as I cannot come, I send you this little note and Testament. Will you read it? I have nothing more to say, but do you say the prayers your mothers taught you when you were little boys ?"

The lady, when she read the letter, was rejoiced to feel it had been blessed. One man, when she concluded it, burst into tears. Evidently it brought to his remembrance prayers learnt at a mother's knee. In the next bed, another poor soldier, with tears

« AnteriorContinua »