Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-06-14
rs LITTLE CHILDREN.
BY Rev. george r. Taylor.

y
kingdom of Heaven. Matthew Xviii:3.
When Jesus said of little child, "Of
such is the kindom of Heaven" it was Il
revelation. In it was the strange and
heavenly lesson which the Christian
world has never yet fully learned; that
there is a childhood which we have TO
leave behind, before we can enter into
fnllness and sweetness of pure Chris
tian life.
We are surrounded by professional
piety. As nation We are religious Our
government is strict in its enforcement
of Christian morals. How has our re-
ligion affected our life? What influence
has il had upon the lives OF others: From
the pulpit we had had for 1900 years
beautiful doctrines of love and charity;
while the laws of business ana the laws
governing social requirements have come
down TO us, almost unchanged and in al
most unbroken succession. from brutal
pagan times.
Over and above the perfunctory morals
and prescriptivc church duties. how much
then, have we grown spiritually as a peo-
pie! How much have we developed into
the higher life personally? Have we the
spirit of the Christ. the genius OF his
gospel|
When, by sober thought. we take in the
full import Of the Masters declaration
that. unless we become as little chill
dren" We shall not enter the Kingdom
OF Heaven" we must see with dism1y
how little is the advancement We have
made in the spiritual Ife--the best of us.
How many of rs processing godliness
have, according to this qualification. ever
entered the kingdom of Heaven?
1t is Il momentouS question to us all.
Are we, in the abundance OF our rclg-
ion, becoming childlike? We are ever
disposed to measure ourselves by what is
conspicuous, and tells in our favor with
others. Jesus teaches MS to measure our
selves by what is childhke. All the effort
we may put forth to add to our religious
stature does not imply growth. but par
takes more of the nature of spiritual
pride One quaint old English writer de-
clares that the Christian grows tall by
STOPPING; that the heaviest wheat is not
found upon the most upright stalks, and
| so the growth in the divine life is not
marked by imposing greatness.
The statement is imperative: we must
become as little children. or We most
surely miss our spiritual opportunities,
and our claim to godliness becomes a
mere professional piety, vacuous and
comparatively worthless, perfunctory
and negative in its nature, while the af
hrmatiye which alone gives life and inn
| pulse to the soul is lacking
Ob sweot nanny loving cbildboodi /,
Il nossiblo for ne 70 ever taste H. swoet
nase bora On Garth ocaing To many al
nc tho baautirrl sunlit DAYS Of childhoof
ara hpt a sweet memory The Golden
ootoe of Youth have .Iope, since. clnsod bo
hid nc Its ,,lomours ana fair, scene.
NO n,st No r,,i,y of H. sir,- costlne
tbo droorv wrecks of onr human homes
orn oronnd ms. we arc in tho grin ot
storr o,d r,,c,cod roaIitios 1,ha world
i etr;nnnd Of H. syaot illusions throuoh
which Ivn ,vorn wont 70 soc if and oftnr
IN o,r sad baorts arc echoed tho to,ch
inc iipas
backward, now backward, tide Of the
years.
am so weary or TON ana OF tears
LUIS ".t"o"' ''oh'P'"s'' ""'S az J."
-, AN ,.,,
rake mem ana give lAe my 'n"uNooo
AGAIN
And the sweet sad tears fall as we
look back to the happy days Of childhood
long ago. Most of us are wearied men
and women. Our lives are marked by
sorrow and anxiety. We are pilgrims and
strangers. some of us journeyng through
an unfriendly world; and we are too often
| burdened by the thought that now. in the
midst of cares and the Affections incident
TO this life. we may look for no more
abiding happiness here; and thus we find
no fruit TO our religion. and miss IN"
grand central principle Of personal picty.
And now comes the declaration Of the
great Teacher. Except We be converted
and become as little children. We cannot
enter into the kingdom of heaven with
its CLEAN Of heavenly light, revealing to
the weary and heayy-laden that sweet
or. SUMMER childhood than any Of US
have known here is within the reach Of
all, If we but place ourselves in CORE
spondence with right conditions by turn
ing from all that is gross and sordid. sin
ful and selfish.
We all scorn mean actions. and arc civ
on ia imnulses Of tho constitutional good