The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-08-06
Gods Thought Of a Child.

BY THE REV. o. II. TIFFANY, ID. ID.
What is the influence of child,
even with our low and imperfect con-
ception of its relation to the kingdom
of God? What tremendous power
there is in childhood What feeling
of interest always is gathered in its
presence The rudest and the coarsest
man that any of our communities can
furnish will take off his heavy brogans
and leave them at the foot of the steps
when he climbs up to reach the cham
Der where his child lies sick. l had a
singular illustration once myself of The
power of childhood. 1t was on the
lower part of Broadway, in the city of
New York. / was very anxious for
some reason to cross the street, and
darted into the middle of it when it
was full of vehicles and teams. The
first thing I knew man swung out
his whip and cracked it over my head
and said "Get out Of the way" |
passed by safely, but with some little
difficulty reached the other sidewalk,
and by the time I got across / noticed
a great commotion. The man who
had snapped his whip at me had ar
rested his team, and the other teams
were all stopped. Broadway was
blocked for business, and the people in
the stores and Offices were looking out
in perfect wonder and amazement. I
turned to see what was the matter, and
there was little thing about so high
1.-TWO feet) attempting to toddle across
Broadway.
Every thing stopped. The child
had power to arrest it all. They did
not crack their whips at that child.
They did not speak of it in terms OF
disrespect. The child had power to
stop the teams and still the hearts of
the drivers Of the teams and of the
multitudes passing by. What tremcn-
dous power in a child
There is an immense bridge between
Brooklyn and New York. [ am told
that when night is still, so small an in
fiuence as the football of little child
passing that bridge will make it Vi
brate. 1 know it is scientifically posi-
BILE; I am told it IS actually true and
so l firmly believe that the feeble
breath of prayer sent up by some pure
Tipped and clean-hearted child, "in the
kingdom" may "move the plume of
Gods calm angel standing in the sun" !"
and 20 beyond that and touch the
heart of God himself. Why not?
lam not unprepareu to believe that
Gods thought of a child includes lead
ership of His militant host, that just
as the children shouted "Hosanna"
when Christ came in triumph unto Je-
rusalem, so they shall fill the echoing
arches of the empyrean with their
shouts of welcome as Jesus is recogniz-
ed King of kings and Lord of lords.
I was asked this afternoon by lady
friend what was my idea of heaven. l
hardly remember what told her, but
my thought of heaven is that it is the
home of children and the child-like.
I think of the two extremes of human
llfe-of its beginning and of its con-
summation and 60 back to the first
garden, where see every thing in ma
ture lovely and beautiful-forest and
shade, flowers and spring, beauty and
brightness, freshness and love every
where. But find no tender little feet
pressing the violets and running to
play hide.and-seek from Mother Eve
among the branching trees. And as |
see no children there look again and
see sin enter. Then 1 look to the other
end of human life, and 10 and behold,
city, with streets full of boys and
girls playing, and see that into that
city no sin can enter. Let the purify
ing power of all love of child get in
to the heart of coarse-grained man,
and it will refine him. Let the devout
love of a pure longing for Christ get
into our hearts, and let the children
who are of His kingdom be pressed
close to our breasts and shielded in our
arms, and instructed by our knowledge
of Gods word, and we shall find that
little child shall lead us into the
kingdom of God.
Northwestern Presbyterian.