The Grenada sentinel., 1903-06-20


all that it cost that lad to bravely fol-
low Jesus, and be where Jesus could
find him and use his little offering,
we would be ashamed of our coward
ice and selfishness, when we stay away
from Jesus because of the ridicule of
our associates, and because we selfish
ly want for ourselves what Jesus
would be so glad to bless and use for
Others We need boys to-day, and
girls, too, who can be found. Boys
and girls whose actions and words are
right and clean, even though mother
and father, and teacher or employer
are not around to see and hear. One
of the greatest things that can be said
of any boy or girl is that it is known
where he or she may be found. The
boy is HERE! The girl is HERE!
pY reading between the lines we may
u know what kind of a boy this lad
was. He was a thoughtful boy, or
else he would never have been the only
one in all that vast company of peo-
pie who had been provident enough
to bring something to eat. He was
a generous boy, else he would not
have been so willing to give what he
might perhaps with good reason have
said he needed and must have for his
own use. He was modest lad, for
he stood in the background until
called out by Andrews words. He
was an obedient boy, for it is certain
he was prompt to respond to the call
and to yield to the request made Of
him. And, as we have already sug-
gested, he was a brave, dare-to-be-a-
Daniel boy. He dared to do right, he
dared to stand alone. We know what
kind of a boy he was at home, on
the playground, on the street, in the
schoolroom, everywhere. He was a
dependable boy. He was not playing
hockey that day. He was not idly
roaming in disobedience to parents
and to the neglect of his duties. l
have no doubt that he had been up
very early in the morning that he
might get his chores out of the way
and have clear conscience when he
started on this trip to the mountains
where Jesus was. He was boy
mother and father were proud of.
Sisters and brothers looked up to
him. He held the good will and opin-
ion of his associates, even though they
sometimes poked fun at him and tried
to make him believe that he was tied
to mothers apron strings.
A ND this lad Of our text grew to be
II a man, no doubt. And it is not hard
to tell what kind of man he made.
Did you ever see sturdy young oak
tree turn out to be gnarled briar
bush when grown? Did YOU ever see
a wheat field turn to useless tares, as
it developed into maturity? Did you
ever see a brave-hearted, clean-lfved
boy, who lived near Jesus, grow up
t O be wicked, bad man? It's the boy
that makes the man. It is the rule
that the good boy makes the good man,
and the bad boy the bad man. There
are exceptions, of course, in both di-
rections. But it is almost inevitably
the case that what the boy is to-day
the man will be tomorrow. So it is
safe to conclude that our lad became
a good and useful citizen. He did not
become a Peter or Paul, occupying a
prominent place in the service of God.
Scripture never refers to him again
that we know of. But we know he was
not idle in the service of his Master,
Whom he helped on the mountain side
that day to confer such blessing upon
that vast multitude Of people. During
the year following the incident of our
text, tidings came to the Galilean home
of our little lad from Jerusalem Of
the tragic events there; of the arrest,
trial and crucifixion of Jesus And
gears later, when the deadly persecu-
ton settled about the disciples at Je-
rusalem, and they were driven out into
Samaria and Galilee. he learned the
full meaning of Jesus death, and His
glorious resurrection. A lively hope
was kindled within his breast as
he came to know that Jesus was not
dead, but living, and working nightly
through His disciples. A new pur-
pose stirred within his heart. He be-
gan to understand the spiritual mean
ing of the feeding of the multitude and
the declaration OF Jesus that He was
the Bread of Life, and he went ont to
help spread the glad Gospel story.
Thus did the service of his youth
strengthen and equip him for fuller
and better service in his maturer years,
and SO will it ever be. The faithful
ness, and kindly, generous service Of
childhood will as surely become tho
medium Of better, truer, fuller living
when youth has given place to man
hood. Here is the lesson Of hopeful-
ness for every boy and girl. How