The National tribune., 1895-01-31
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
A Study Of the International Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for Feb.
10, 1895. TT

10, 1895. m
tEI
| Subject: What Child May Teach Us, st.
Matt. IS :1-6.
| Zone reading these notes should first carefully
| study the paragraph frotn the Holy Scriptures as
indicated aboyc.i O. y
INTRODUCTION.
| Every moment spent in the study Of the Holy
| Scriptures makes one just SO much stronger. A
| late President of Brown University, Francis
| Wayland, ID. d., once wrote of the Bible the
| following: considered simply as an intellect
ual production, who will compare the poems of
Homer with the Holy Scriptures of the Old and
| New Tcstamcnts? Where in the Had shall we
| fiad simplicity and pathos which shall vie with
| the narrative of Moses. maxims of conduct
! to equal in wisdom the Proverbs of Solomon, or
| sublimity which does not fade away before the
| conceptions of Job or David. Of Isaiah or ST.
| John? But l cannot pursue this comparison.
| | feel that it is doing wrong to the mind which
dictated the Iiad and to those other mighty
intellects on whom the light OF tho holy oracles
never shined."
SUBJECT: HUMILITY AND TOLERATIoN
TAUGHT AND ILLUSTRATED BY CHRIST.
This lesson is specially interesting to tho
Sunday school. 1t deals with child It re-
verses relations, presenting child as teacher
instead OF as a learner. Christ himself appears
in the lesson rather in the simplicity of iHno-
cence than in the majesty Of authority. We
see nothing of tho p0hipOusness of the egotist;
nothing of the lawlessness Of the tyrant. There
is tenderness even in deserved rebuke. The
pride of haughtness and the coldness of selfish
ness wholly wanting. Undue ambition is
depressed, tolerance is taught. and bigotry de-
nounced. Old and young have much to learn
from the paragraph. May its study make US
more chiIdlike in our trust, more obcdent 10
our Heavenly Father. and more charitable to.
ward all persons and institutions.
/. Time
We find ourselves in the year A. d. g. and
probably in the month Of June. Hence We
carried back 1867 years 1t was about one year
before Christs death. He was in his 33d year
of life and the third of his ministry.
q Place
The scene OF the lesson is located in Caper-
nanm. We find from SO il was in house.
Very likely Christ and his associates were at
the residence Of ST. Peter. tSt. Matt, 8: II; st.
Mark. 1: 29.) The NEST of the ministry of our
Savior was spent in Capernauin. 1t was indeed
favored city, and should have shown grand
results 1t was exalted to heaven in privilege.
3. Data.
We have three accounts--St. Matthew, 10: l.
6: st. Mark, Q: 1912: st. Luke, 8: 1850; II: /.
2. The account by st. Mark is at the basis Of
all aud must be studied closely. The accounts
all written in about the year 60 A. d.,
and hence after an interval in each case of
about 30 years from the events Sts Matthew
and Mark wrote at Rome aud st. Luke in
Achaia. t1-I
4. The Little Child.
To illustrate Christ called child to his side.
The child must have been quite small, for Jesus
took him in his arms while calling attention to
the childiike qualities worthy Of imitation on
the part Of adults. This is an object lesson.
A small child was in the room. Jesus beckoned
it to come to him.
1t is said the child referred to became the
famous Ignatius. or The0phorus. Bishop of An
tioch from the yeHf 81 A. d. to 107 The Ro-
man Emperor Trajth came to the throne and
Ignstius died a martyr.e Ignatius was led to
Christ through St. John the Evangelist He
was torn to pieces Ivy wild beasts in the arena
at Rome. il is said the name Jesus WAS found
impressed upon his heart, and he there
fore named Theophorus. which means God
bearer. We may be sure he was lot the Aner-
can boy of our age, the burly, unruly. noisy
child; but he was exceptionally docile and
mild aud modest. Ignatius was just at that
point in life when, unconscious of the distnc-
tons of wealth and rank. he saw no difference
between royalty and rosticity, the master and
the slave. Christ would have his Disciples
reach that simplicity and unselfshness which
produce contentment and relieve from the agi- |
taton and pain of undue ambition. Luther |
said, True greatness consists in perfect lowli-
ness"
IL is plain Christ must have had love for
children. We remember he told st. Peter, |
Feed my lambs" distinguished philoso-
pher once said, 81 love God and every little |
child"
We are TO suppose Christ referred to child |
we'll reared by parents who were wise. Not
all children are models for adult Christians TO |
initiate. Then, il is not claimed we should be
like children in all respects but there are GER |
tain traits of character which are worthy our
effort TO resemble. We may suppose the par
ticuIar child was of specially good qualities.
Mere childlikeness would not be sufficient for |
many little children are exceedingly disagree |
able peevish, uBrnly, selfish.
The child selected for this object lesson was
not one of those distortions of childhood which |
illustrate the young America idea. nor a
burly, bullying, brutal specimen, such as we
occasionally fHd among the abodes OF vice;
but it was a model child in the matter of |
childish humility. 1t had probably, by some |
little act, just shown the sweet innocence and |
simplicity of true childhood. Seeing this, !
Jesus calls the child, seats it beside himself. !
takes it in his arms, commends its simplicity |
and meekness."
s. The Child an Example for Adults.
There are certain respects in which Christ |
would have adults resemble children. John !
Ruskin wrote: at is the character of children |
we want. and must gain at our peril" No one |
should feel consequential as not TO be will |
ing to be taught certain commendable points |
even by a child.
There are certain good features about child |
hood which are characteristic and exemplary. |
Children are little aware OF the bitter jealousies
OF society. the unpleasant emu ations the pain |
full distinctions. They are totally dependent, |
and look up to their parents. They are obliged |
rather TO be 0bedientt than regal. Though they |
may quarrel and dispute among themselves,
they quickly forget and forgive. They are |
rather cheerful than disconnected. They arc |
used to asking for favors.
6. Irritable Child characteristics.
/. A child is thought to be suggestive of in
nocence. 1t certainly has not, the start, per-
soual guilt II cannot be questioned that it |
inherits evil tendencies which, if not checked
on the start will make it exceedingly offensive
and lead ultimately 10 degradation. But our
ideal OF childhood Is associated with purity of |
thought and siniessness of act
2. child is controlable-easily led to act in
given d rectiOns; disposed TO obey commands
dependent on being told how and what to do.
g. A child is not grasping for money. 1t has
present wants, aud is satisfied if they be sup
piled. The poet Saadi, lin the Boostan, says:
"Thc hearts of infaRts being free from avarice,
what care they for handful of dust?" a |
child is geDerous-ean easily give even valua-
bles to another. 1t does not covet what it sees
in others possession. and make itself miserable
because it does nOtitsef own the desirable OBJ
L