Newport weekly independent., 1902-06-13
GODS LITTLE ONES.
Jesus Takes One of Them as the
 Text of a Wonderful Sermon.
DiscOurse by the "Highvay and Rx way" Preacher on the Divine Thought for Children and the Responsibility of Adults
 Towards Them.
(Copyrght, 1902 by A. N. Kellogg News
 paper Co)

Text: "Take heed that ye despse not one of these little ones; for I say unto you That z 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 spirited and lengthy discussion among themselves while they were journeying with their Lord to Capernaum that it had attracted His attention. With that marvellous, Divine patience which Jesus always displays towards His erring, self-seek- ing disciples, He wisely forbears break ing into the discussion, but waits un- 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 on their part follows. In- ' stead of talking with their Lord by the way, they had talked "among \ tn hemselves," and as a result became Involved in a useless and silly discus ABsion. They realize now how the time had been worse than wasted. How @often is it so 1mong the disciples of < Jesus Christ.
 A Little Child in Their Midst.-With that impressive and solemn silence < which the soul feels when it has con x fessed it's fault to the Lord and awaits 8 the learning of the lesson which His < loving wisdom always drives home if < the soul is submissive and teachable. Jesus turns from the group of now \ silent disciples, and, calling little \ child unto Him. sets him in the midst of them. Here is his text. A little one to illustrate Divine truth. A lit . tie one in the Masters arms helping < Him speak some of the profoundest principles upon which His Kingdom was to be established. Here is a pie ture for Gods ministers of to-day to contemplate. A little one in the midst of the modern day congregation, with it's innocent prattle, is too often drowned upon, and instead of furnish ing a text for the preacher makes him forget both his text and his sermon, and so disturbs his peace of mind as to unfit him for the delivering of Gods message. A little child in the midst of them is nearly always the setting which Scripture gives to the audiences to whom Christ preached. The artist in painting the scenes of Jesus activ- ity on the mountain side, or by the ripping waters of the blue Galilee, or in the villages where He healed and taught, has almost never failed to place the little ones there and we find them very near to the Masters side. It is the way the Lord would have it. More little ones in the midst of the modern day congregation would bring more of the presence of Jesus into the assembly, and give greater hope for the future of the rising generation.
 The Masters Selection of Little Child.-If your child had been there that day would it have been he whom the Master would have called to His side, and of whom He could have said: "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven" Or would He have seen so much of your own worldliness, and pride, and
  finding reflected in the child of your daily care, or perhaps neglect, that He must needs turn from him to say to you: "Whoso shall offend one of these little ones, which. believed in Me, 1t were better for him that millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea?"
 Oh, sad it is that so soon is reflect. ed in the innocent babe which God has given as precious heritage the sins and petty vices of the misguid- ed parents. From the day that that little bit of Heaven begins to draw it's nourishment from the mothers breast and feel the touch of the fathers hand it begins to learn, and is as sensitive to record the dis cordant note and angry mood as is the wax cylinder of the phonograph to catch the sound waves that set the delicate needle to vibrating. Sad it is that not every child of to-day would draw the attention of the Mas ter as did the little one of the Scrip ture before us. Notice that Jesus se- lected him because of his quiet. sweet modesty, and held him up as an example of beautiful humility. You may polish your little one with society politeness and ballroom grace, you may tog him or her out in the latest fnery, and help him to find pleasure in the amusement hall and theater, and educate him to read the Sunday newspaper by giving him "a fIIn