Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-03-19
little girl kneN by her bunk. When
she commenced to pray the old prayer

SncCOmnenCeu 10 pray the Olu pTdyeT-
Now lay me down to sleep.
pray the Lord my soul TO keep
and ended up that prayer with the
plea that God would bless the good
men who were looking after her, there
was not dry eye in that cabin. Many
of those rough, stalwart men. through
that child's example, were led to give
their hearts to God. AS a result OF
that little girls visit these rough min
ers built church. They brought to
that church minister. The minister
declared that in all his life he never
preached TO more imprcssionable nu-
dicncc than those rough men. who had
been brought into touch with that little
child prayer.
You assert that that child's gospel
influence is the exception? / know it
is not. l know that man never on
earth comes as near to heaven as when
his little baby boy or girl kneels by his
side and in trust and love says n baby's
evening prayer. God pity the man
who never knew that joy. God forgive
the father who has duiled his ear so
rs not to hear such message. who has
blinded his eyes to shut out such a
sight. which in angelic form can come
to him In bare feet. robed in little
white nightgown. Brother, do not tell
me that Naassons childhood was vast
ed years. DO not for moment sup
pose that although you may be an ordi-
nary man living an ordinary life In an
ordinary home your little cradle had
no gospel significance in the lives of
your Christian parents.
Nnasson Like Most OF Us.
Naasson's maturcd manhood teaches
that God provides for the humblest of
his children as we'll as for the greatest
Who was Naasson? He had a father
named Aminadab and a son. Salmon.
That is all we know Of his direct con-
nections. They were evidently as hum
BILE as himself. There was certainly
nothing extraordinary about this man.
History makes no mention of Naasson
leading n great army. Among all the
leaders of the Bible there is no record
ed speech spoken by his lips. Whether
he was in physique tall or short, wheth-
err he had light hair or dark, blue eyes
or black. broad or n narrow chest,
must he all left to conjecture. But this
fact is certain-whether he was the
humblcst individual who ever lived or
no. God took care of him, God fed him.
God clothed him. God saw him grow up
10 full manhood Then when his work,
however small, was done God took him
TO himself. In other words. Naasson
was like the most of us, who are with
out any particular talent or power of
leadership. Yet God is caring and feed
ing and clothing and housing us. just
as he feeds the bird of the air and
clothes the lily OF the field
o obscure man. in the humble walks
of life, do you not realize that In spite
of yourself you are preaching wherever
you 60 the protecting care of the love
Of God? 1t is not surprising that wiz
ard Of inventions like Thomas A. Edi-
son can earn his daily bread: it is not
surprising that Il gigantic intellect like
that Of Andrew Carnegie can accumu-
late n fortune when he can crowd the
Monongahela and Allegheny rivers
with his works, the long tunnels every
where at night shooting out their
flames until it makes the surrounding
regions OF Pittsburg look. as Rev. DR..
John Hall once expressed if. "as the in
fernal regions with the lid off; it is
not surprising that a lawyer like Scar
- Drnt1ticc ShnIl1 havn Ia
income when by his cloqucnce he could
charm not only the masses, hut also
such lcadcGs of this country as Rufus
Cboate, who turned to Daniel Webster
at the conclusion of one of his orations
and said, did you ever hear Il speech
more eloquent than that" Never"
answered Webster. except from Scar
gent $. Prentss himself" But that
a man of ordinary intellect and every
day abilities can at all times earn a
livelihood for himself and wife and
children is surely TO be explained by Il
revelation of the divine goodness. Why,
some people have not hardly enough
brains to tell their right hand from
their left, yet God cares for them, God
feeds them and clothes them, just as
he cares for that poor widow who is
left financially stranded with a large
number of children strapped to her
back. He feeds and clothes them just
as he cared for Naasson or as he has
been caring for US
Where Plain Lives Lead.
But | find another very suggestive
fact about Naasson's genealogical his
tory. 1t led TO mightier names. As
Joseph Parker once graphically and
tcrsely expressed it: You should re
member that long, fiat road may he
leading up to great mountain. There
are some very plain and uninteresting
miles out of Geneva, yet every one OF
them brings you nearer to Mont Blanc
! SO you do not know to what high hill
your life may be quietly leading up
Even If you yourself are nobody, your
son may be man Of renown or his
son may be a valiant and mighty man
/ Methuseah was the father Of Lamech
ana Lamech was the father of Noah
Yes, yes, that is the thought to which
hnan .