Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-06-19
TAL.NaAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,,
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby-
terisn Church, Chicago

Cnlcago, june 14.-fn this sermonic
talk TO the children, appropriate TO the
day. there is a message to the heart
and life of every American boy and
girl and to the parents also. The text
is Matthew xix, IA. suffer little chill
dren, and forbid them not, TO come un-
to me-"
The second Sabbath OF June is here.
This Is children's day. This is the
morning when the Sunday schools of
America, headed by their superintend-
ents and teachers, have made a grand
charge and captured the pulpits and
pews and choir lofts of all Protestant
churches for their own sacred service.
This Is the day when the church audi
forums are, for the most part, fragrant
with two kinds Of flowers. Here are
the flowers which were produced in the
greenhouses and the back yards and
the front yards and the wild country
hillsides and the meadow lands. Here
are also the human buds which were
gathered out of the nurseries of many
homes. Here they are, these human
flowers, in clusters of many classes.
My, myl Did you ever see so many
beautiful flowers abloom all in one gar
den? We know not which TO admire
most-the pale lilies in the cheeks, the
red roses in the lips. the goldenrod
dancing among the yellow curls or the
roguish glanccs of these ''black eyed
Susans." IL any one should ask me
what considered the most important
day in the church year, without besita-
hion I would answer, children'S day.
This Is the Sabbath morning when par
ents not only bring their children to
the churches where Christ is preached,
but when their own thoughts. believe,
IRE irreslstbly drawn toward the di-
vine teachings. If father cannot feel
his affections stirred with love toward
God when his little girl is singing her
Saviours praise in the holy sanctuary,
bis heart must be indeed as dead as a
stone.
Thls Is chIldren's day. I would talk
10 the children for little while about
pne OF the sweetest scenes in all the
Bible. There was n great crowd jos
kiing and pushing about Jesus Christ
nc was the tine OF the Saviour's earth
~ popularity. Every one wanted to
sysak 60 Chrspt. as every one would
NE 10 sbaks bonds with the president
~ ene pekset States et White House
seeaptteo- Among others there were
IN mat crowd surrounding Christ q
great nsmber of fathers and mothers
whe had children by their side and
nreBted Jesus TO bless them, so that
their boys and girls might grow up TO
be good as Christ was good. They
wanted to do Just as Washington Irv-
tng's nurse cid when he was a little
child. She forced her way into the
home of the first president and said:
Mr.. Washington. have little baby
boy here who is named after you. 1
want him to be as good and great
man as you are. VIII you bless your
little namesake, that many years from
now, after you are dead, l may tell
him that your hands touched his fore
head and that be ought. therefore. TO
try to be like your That baby after
wand grew up to be George Washing
toms first great biographer.
Consider the Children.
But in the crowd surrounding Christ
there were also lot OF unsympathetic
men and women. They belonged to
that great class OF people who think
that children are born nuisance and
that they should never be seen and
never heard i'm public places. They
think, II they so aud visit n married
friend, thar friend should have his
children eat in the kitchen while they
are there. or else have the children
wait until the older folks are through
and then 80 TO the second table. Now,
do not believe that is the right way
20 bring up boys and girls. II my
friends who visit my home are not
Willing TO eat at tho same table with
my babies they need not come and visit
me ut all. L am just headstrong
enough TO believe that what is good
enough for my children Is good enough
for my friends.
There were some men that day, too,
who followed Jesus wherever he went
and were called his disciples. They
knew how precious every word he ut
tered was and how many sick and
blind and deaf people he was curing,
and they did not want his time taken
up with little children. So these dis
ciples told the fathers and mothers not
TO bother Jesus with their children.
They said: Here. fathers and mothers,
what are You bringing those children
mere for? Why do you not take them
homo, where they bcloagY But Jesus,
nearing the commouon, stopped and
asked the cause. Then when Christ
neard that these men were driving the
babies from his side he turned and
practically said: "Ah. that is not right.
Do not push those little ones away.
Open path there and let the children
come TO MY arms ana be blessed"
When he uttered the sweet words of
my text, Suffer little children, and
torDid them not, to come unto me, for
OF such is the kingdom of heaven"
Christ gave this sweeping invitation
70 all children 90 be brought to his
arms. Therefore i shall try, children.
In few plain. simple words to tell
why 1t Is important-veryi important
Tor you TO come TO Christ while you
Are young. And when show you that
~ Is important for you TO come to
Ssffs I would also try 70 show you
sAss Chsist b tbs best friend little
fhaa ysSng boy OF girl, can ever
t3@s. xc< he is even q better friend
Aan your fathes or mother, sister or
brother. He is q friend whose love is
beyond your mental grasp. whose love
''passeth all human understanding"
Two Kinds of Seed.
Let me tell you what Jesus Christ
can do for you. In every child's ma
ture there are two kinds of seed. One
OF these is capable of growing into a
tree of righteousness, and the other is
capable OF growing into tree of wick
edness and sin. Now, when Jesus
takes charge of n child's nature it is
the good seed that grows, and then the
ehild's life starts well, and when the
child becomes a man or woman that
life is happy one and blessing to
the world. Children, these words may
be very hard for you to grasp, but |
think can explain my meaning by O
very simple illustration. / hold in my
hand an apple. Where did it come
.