The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1902-06-14
GODS LITTLE ONES.
Jesus Takes One of Them as the
Text of a Wonderful Sermon.
Discourse by the "Hixhv.x ana n
way" Preaches on h Divine
Thought for Children and the
Responsibility of Adults
Towards Them.
Copyright. 1902. by A. N. Kellogg News
paper Coz

A1ab
Text: Take heed that We despise not one
OF these little ones; for l say unto you That
IN heaven their angels do always behold
the face of My Father Which is in Heaven,
Matt. 1910. Read Matt. 1S:1-14.
The Dispute Beside the Way.-Mark
tells us that the disciples had been
engaged in such a spirited and lengthy
discussion among themselves while
they were journeying with their Lord
TO ~Capernaum that it had attracted
His attention. With hat marvellous,
Divine patience which Jesus always
displays towards His erring, self-srk-
ing disciples, He wisely forbears break
ing into the discussion, but waits I'M
til Peter. and James and John, and
Andrew, and the rest have exhausted
their arguments, and when they are
come into the house, in His quiet,
searching way, He asks them: what
was it that ye disputed among your
selves by the way?" A ~shamefaced
confession IN their part follows. In
stead of talking with their Lord by
the way, they had talked ''among
themselves" and as a result became
involved in a useless and silly discus
sion. They realize now how the time
had been worse than wasted. How
often is it so among the disciples of
Jesus Christ. Their way, their meth
DDS, their ideas, their position in the
work of the Lord, as they suppose,
so occupies their attention that they
forget all about the Lord who is pa
tiently and silently walking beside
them, and instead Of turning to Him
for light and help they excitedly argue
with one another until the precious,
dying souls all about them are for
gotten and all the light and joy of
Christian services are driven away.
Then it is that Jesus m and gently
seeks from us a confession and longs
to teach us the supreme lesson of
Christian service and true greatness.
A Little Child in Their Midst.-With
that impressive and solemn silence
which the soul feels when it has con-
fessed its fault to the Lord and awaits
the learning of the lesson which His
wisdom always drives home if
the soul is submissive and teachable.
Jesus turns from the group of now
silent disciples, and, calling a little
child unto Him, sets him in the midst
Of them. Here is his text. 4 little
one to illustrate Divine truth. A lit
tie one in the Masters arms helping
Him speak some of the p~rofoundest
principles upon which His Kingdom
was to be established. Here is a pic
ture for Gods ministers of to-day to
contemplate. A little one in the midst
of the modern day congregation. with
its innocent prattle, is too often
frowned upon, and instead of furnish
ing a text for the preacher makes him
both his text and his m
so disturbs his peace of mind as
unfit him for the delivering of Gods
message. A little child in the midst
If them is nearly always the setting
which Scripture gives to the audiences
to whom Christ preached. The artist
n painting the scenes of Jesus activ-
ty on the mountain side, or by the
waters of the blue Galilee, or
n the villages where He healed and
taught, has almost never failed TO
place the little one there. and we find
hem very near to the Masters side.
It is the way the Lord would have it.
little ones in the midst of the
modern day congregations would bring
more of the presence Of Jesus into the
assembly, and give greater hope for
he future of the rising generation.
The Masters Selection of a Little
'hild.-lf your child had been there
hat day would it have been he whom
he Master would have called to His
ide' and of whom He could have said:
'Whosoever therefore shall humble
himself as this little child, the same
S greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven"
)r would He have seen so much of
our own worldliness, and pride. and
elfishness, and impatience. and fault
hiding reflected in the child Of your
ally care, or perhaps neglect. that
must needs turn from him to saw
o you: Whose shall offend one of
little ones, which. believei in Me.
were better for him that a milestone
we're hanged about his neck, and that
e were drowned in the depth of the
Oh, sad it is that so soon is reflect.
. in the innocent babe which God
as given as a precious heritage the
ms and petty vices of the misguid-
d parents. From the day that that
tile bit of Heaven begins to draw
IS nourishment from the mothers
aud feel the touch of the
hand it begins to learn, and
as sensitive to record the dis
ordant note and angry mood as is
he wax cylinder of the monograph
catch the sound waves that set
delicate needle to vibrating. Sad
is that not every child of to-day
ould draw the attention of the Mas
IT as did the little one of the Scrip
Ire before us. Notice that Jesus Sc
him because of his quiet,
yeet modesty, and held him up as
example of beautiful humility. (
on may polish your little one with ,
'ciety politeness and ballroom c
race, you may tog him or her out G
the latest finery, and help him to {
nd pleasure in the amusement hall