The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-11-17
DEATH OF LITTLE CHILDREN.


DEATH OF LITTLE CHILDREN.
The hand of afiliction has been heavy upor
our people in this section, Charlotte, N. G +,
during the last few weeka. Many, very
many, sweet little ones have been removed
from their temporary abodeg, under the
guardianship of loving friends, to the eterna
home of their Heavenly Father. They have
been taken from this gin stricken world
where sighing and soIrow, aia and suffering
trial and temptation would have been their
lot and portion, and have been translated to
that bright land where sailing and woe are
unknown and where peace and purity, holi.
ness and happiness reign forevermOre.
Our hope of the ssI.s,s.e Of the little ones
is based upon the SsNsdrs tenderness to-
ward them and his loving treatment Of them,
when presented to Him by their parents
We give Matthew's account Of that most in.
teresting incident:
"Then there were brought unto him little
children that He should put his hands upon
them, and pray and The disciples rebuked
them. But Jesus said: Suffer little children,
and forbid them not, to come unto me; for
of such is the Kingdom of Heaven"
The first three evangelists relate in SUBJ
stantially the same words the incident, the
rebuke by the disciples and the reply of Je-
sus. All three speak of the occurrence as
having taken place after the contest among
the disciples, as to which Of them should be
the greatest in the Kingdom, which they
supposed their Master was about to establish
on earth. Matthew tells us that he decided
the contest by setting little child between
them and saying: Whosoever, therefore,
shall humble himself as this little child, the
same is greatest in the Kingdom Of heaven"
Mark tells us that after blessing the chill
dren, who were brought to Him, Jesus add
ed: Verify say unto you, whosoever
shall not receive the Kingdom Of God as a
little child, he shall not enter therein" 1t
is plain then that when Jesus blessed the
children, He repeated his former rebuke to
the disciples for their worldly ambition, and
once more warned them to be humble. A
comparison of the three evangelists reveals
other important truths. Matthew and Mark
tell of the bringing of children to Him, just
after He had denounced the Jewish law of
divorce and had laid down his own law in
regard to the sacredness and inviolability of
the marriage relation. 1t is reasonable then
to suppose that the children presented to the
Saviour were brought, as children of the
covenant, by affectionate parents, who loved
each other and abhorred the false and wick
ed teaching in regard to divorce.
Luke, who is the evangelist for the poor,
the lowly, the humble and the patient, re-
lates the incident of blessing the children
just after recording the parable of the Phar
isee and the publican. This parable (Which
Luke alone gives teaches that God abhors
sanctimonious pride, as much as he loves
lowly penitence. Matthew and Mark have
regard to the chronology of events and there.
fore tell of the blessing of the children just
after the enuncation of the true doctrine
in regard to marriage. Luke has respect to
what we may call the chronology Of doctrine,
and regards the blessing of the children as
continuation of the instruction in regard
to humility. All three concur in this that
only those shall partake of the inheritance
of the saints, who have the meekness, the
lowliEess, the humility and the trustfulness
of little children-and therefore we may hope
that all the dear lost ones having these quail
tiles are pardoned, through the blood Of
Christ and purified by the Spirit from all
taint of sin. In fact Matthew tells US that
Jesus said Even SO it is not the will Of
your Father, which is in Heaven, that one
of these little ones should perish" The
Father is not willing that single one should
perish and therefore, not a single one will
perish Our grief, then, as parents for our
dear lost one is selfish, though natural
We are thinking of our loss and not of their
gain. We are thinking of our bereavement
and not of their entrance upon their glorious
inheritance. We a1sth:nking of the decay.
ing body and not of the glOrifed spirit. We
are thinking of
The knell, the shroud, the coffin and the grave,
The deep damp vault, the darkness and the worm
and not of the golden harpS and the min.
strelsy of Heaven. -tSouthern Home.
The HISTORY OF CHURCH PEws.-In the
early days of the Anglo Saxon and some Of
the Norman churches, stone bench running
| j IL . ;.4o.;or of tho church avoon+ tbr