The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1902-07-10
GODS LITTLE ONES.
Jesus Takes One of Them as th.
Text of a Wonderful Sermon.
Discourse by the "HiEhway and By.
way" Preacher on the Divine
Thought for Children and the
Responsibility of Adults
Towards Them.
Copyright. 1902, by A. N. Kellogg News
paper Coz

copyright, 1902, by A. N Kellogg News
paper Coz
Chicago, -..--
Text: "Take heed that ye despise not one
of these little ones; for 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-H.
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 We 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
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.
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
| 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. 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 esta blished. 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
|
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
| ~ sr{s ha ~ or Sv.
fly on the mountain side, or by the
ripping waters of the blue Galilee, OF
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
1t is the way the Lord would have it
More 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 fol
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 Hi,
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 O.
your own worldliness, and pride, ant
i. selfishness. and impatience, and fault
finding reflected in the child of you
daily care, or perhaps neglect, tha
He must needs turn from him to say
to you: "Whoso shall offend one O
these little ones, which. believei in: Me
it were better for him that millston
were hanged about his neck, and tha
he were drowned in the depth of tn
sea?"
Oh, sad it is that so soon is reflect
, ed in the innocent babe which Coz
, has given as a precious heritage tn
sins and petty vices of the misguid
ed parents. From the day that tha
little bit of Heaven begins to draw
its nourishment from the mother
breast and feel the touch of tn
fathers hand it begins to learn, ant
is as sensitive to record the dis
cordant note and angry mood as i
the wax cylinder of the phonograp]
|
the delicate needle to vibrating. Sa
. Ia is that not every child of to-da
: would draw the attention of the Mas
. ter as did the little one of the Scrip
ture before US. Notice that Jesus sc
/ | lected him because of his quiet
| sweet modesty, and held him up a
. an example of beautiful humilit,
{ You may polish your little one wit
: society politeness and ballrooI
! grace, you may tog him or her on
: in the latest finery, and help him t
find pleasure in the amusement ha
and theater, and educate him to rea
the Sunday newspaper by giving hil
, the funny inside, behind whose mas
Of alleged humor lies hidden til
: poison darts from the pit of hel
{ but be sure that your child will NJ
! be the one the Lord win select 40
: text from which to preach q wonde
J full sermon on humility the type {
true greatness