National Republican., 1883-06-11
Suffering Little Children To Come Unto Him
and FOrbidding Them Not
Birds and Flowers Assisting in the
Worship Of God.
The Churches Given Up For Day 10 Services
Especially For the Little Ones
How the Day Was Observed with Sermon
and Song.
THE UN1vERsALrsr SERVICES.

was performed the service belonging to chill
dren's Sunday by Rev. Alexander Kent, the
pastor assisted by Rev. A. b. Grosh, who bop-
tised the PASTORS youngest son, one of the five
small children who were dedicated to the ''re-
membrance and worship Of God" The
church with its elaborate and tasteful decora-
tions of flowers and singing birds, presented
the appearance Of n beautiful garden, and re-
flected great credit on the ladies having the
delightful task in charge
Mr.. Kent's sermon was especially directed
TO tho children, the text being from Mark, K,
IA: "Suffer little children TO come unto me,
and forbid them not, for of such is the king
dom of God" He spoke of the many years
that have passed since those words fell from
the lips of the Master, and of the great
changes that have taken place in the condi-
tion and character of mankind, and he said
that he did not know how he could better
convey the idea of the condition of little
children at tho time the Master uttered those
beautiful words, than by saying that at that
time parents all over the civilized world held
their little children, and their larger ones too,
very much as they held their slaves, their
horses or any sort of property, for their own
convenience and comfort and when they did
not thus serve. they were privileged to dis
pose of them as they pleased, even to the put
ting of them to death. What frightful pic
ture2
He said that it did not follow from those
facts that all children were cruelty treated,
or that even the majority OF the children
were badly neglected, for then, as now,
great many parents were good parents and
loved their children, and love, real genuine
affection Of the heart, never needs any law to
make il do right. Love is o law unto itself,
and makes better provisions for its subjects
than any law which any legislature can
all att tbaN Una had han
rupt in the highest as well as in the lowest
grades. There were 60,000,000 slaves through
out the Roman empire, and where there are
10000, 900 slaves there must be great deal of
corruption.
The speaker continued: "History testifes
that all this was so, and that vice reigned
more supreme even in the upper classes than
IL did in tho lower. And SO it came about
that many who lived in the grandest palaces,
with everything about them for their COM
fort, so disliked the care of their little ones
that they had them put to death rather than
to rear them up. The great multitude Of poor
people, with this system of slavery, and
many of them vicious, did not care
about their little ones, and so thousands
and thousands were put to death, in
many cases directly by tho father and
mother, but the more common way was that
called the "crime Of exposition" Fathers
and mothers sent their little ones to the pub
posed to the elements or to the charity of the
cold world. And such was the condition of
Greece and Rome that there was no real pro-
test against it. 1t went on from generation,
to generation and 80 it came about that many
men engaged in the trade of little children
They went to these places and bought them or
picked them up, and educated them or brought
them up as slaves, and sometimes devoted
them to a great deal worse use. What hor-
rible condition of society Yet that was the
condition when Jesus rebuked his dis
ciples and said "Sutier little children to
come unto me and forbid them not, for of
tuch is the kingdom of God" That was the
declaration of independence for little
children that was the proclamation of
emancipation" that was then sounded, and
that has been sounding all through the ages
ever since. From that day forth there was
an influence in the world in behalf Of little
children, which has been more and more
protecting them from the passions Of bad
men and women, and shielding them from
the cruel customs and laws that had existed
heretofore. =
One of the first things that Christianity did
was to deepen tho sense of the sacredness Of
human life and quicken the sense of the
atrocity of infanticide. When these atroci-
ties were practiced in Greece and Rome there
were many people who protested against it,
but their protests had very little influence,
and almost went for nothing. Their protests
were very much like the protests on the part
of good people to-day all over our land against
intemperance. Thousads of young men and
women are ruined by intemperance, notwith-
standing the protests of many people against
it. Under the influence of Christianity
the protests grew louder and louder, and
were more and more felt, and when Chris
tian emperors came upon throne there
were laws enacted for the protection of
little children and institutions founded for
the care of them; and so the work has gone
on up to the present time, when the destruc-
tion of little child by its father or mother
horrifies the whole community-indeed, it
rarely takes place unless the parent is insane,
perhaps through the influence of false re-
ligious teaching. But then the community is
thrilled TO think that parent should imbrue
its hands in the blood of its own child.
What q great change Christianity has
wrought! To-day children in every sober
home, whore reason sits upon the throne, are
safe from the brutality which existed in those
days. Christianity gave parents different
conception of fatherhood and motherhood.
II made them feel a greater responsibility
for the little ones, even the smallest and most
helpless, that God had intrusted to their care
for them to bring up the admoniton of the
Lord that they would make good men and
women That was great change, but IL has
not reached its height to-day.
In the time referred to in Rome and Greece
the people were engaged IN cOnHlct, ana
wanted strong mon and women, aud laws
were passed requiring the destruction OF
weak, helpless children. Because they
could not be of any use to society
they were put out of the way. To-day
all over our land there are institutions which
have for their special object the care OF
manned, deformed, helpless orphan children,
such as then would have been put to death.
Suffer little children to come unto me"
said the Master, and to-day in all the Chris
tian churches all over tho land the little ones
are being brought to be baptized early in life
in the Christian church, and it is the business
of the church and the household to train them
up in the service of their fellow man.
How much there is in that text! FORBID
them not" Many parents there are who by
the tone aud temper of their conversation
and sordid spirit of their lives, forbid the lit
tie ones to come TO the Master. In many
households the whole atmosphere is such as
to keep the little children out of the King
dom of Heaven. But the injunction of the
Master is let the little ones come unto mo
hinder them not" He says it were better
that milestone were tied about ones neck
and that he were drowned in the middle OF
the sea than TO offend one of these little ones
such was the estimation in which Jesus held
little children, and such is the providence Oi
God over them as we'll as over us. Let me
say TO you, parents, do not hinder the little
ones from coming into relation with Sunday
schools and with Christian churches-intC
that kingdom of righteousness aud peace aud
Joy through which alone thoy can find the
true life.
Children are worry quick TO measure with ac'