The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-21

| the monks missing the dog. went out to seach for him and found him and found l the dog and the man both dead In the snow. If the man had only known that the dog was trying to save him he would have been thankful to him instead of kill ing him, and his own life would have been saved. But, you see, he did not know what friend the dog was. Now do not want you to make such a mis- take as that. I want you to understand that Christ Is your friend. the best friend you can have. for he can save you from dying eternally. So, I want you to welcome him and cling to him when he wants to help you and save you, not only from the sins of the schoolroom, but also from the sins of the great wide world at large.
 4 Little Child Shall Lead.
 But there is another reason. children why you should come to Christ and that is so that you can bring your father and mother. big brothers and sisters along with you to Christ. Oh, how many children there are here whose fathers never ask a blessing at the table or have family prayers by the home altari Oh, how many children there are here whose fathers and mothers and big brothers and sisters are drifting out Into life of sin merely because they have never answered the pleading call of Jesus and have not come and knelt at the Saviour's feet! Little children. do you not know that you perhaps better than anyone else can lead your fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters and uncles and aunts and big men and big women to Christ? Do you not realize. boys and girls, that as the Bible describes the day of millennium as the time when ''the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and a little child shall lead them" the greatest gospel mes- sengers who ever lived are the little chill dren who are leading the grown up people to the foot of the cross7
 Boys and girls, if you have a father who never goes to church, what a good thing 1t would be if you could bring him Sup pose you should go home from this service and chamber up into his lap and say:
 Papa, why do not you come to church? l Why do not you love Jesus?" How good ! a thing 1t would be If he should ut his arm around you and should say: "Yes, | darling, for your sake l will go to church | and learn to love Jesus" He would be doing Just as that great lawyer and state- man of Philadelphia did few years ago. He was at home from Washington for a l little while on a vacation. While he was | sitting in the parlor his little 6-year-old | daughter rushed into the room crying: | "Oh, papa, l have learned to read Would
 
 | and got Bible and opened 1t, and with her little fingers used for a guide she slowly read the sixteenth verse of the third chapted of St. John, For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son. that whosoever believeth In him should not perish but have ever lasting life" Before the little girl had finished her reading the fathers heart melted with repentance and he was cry np a nh q IrIe do you think your mother would do if you would climb up Into her lap and put your arms about her neck and ask her why she did not have family prayers? I tell you what she would do. Perhaps she would get down on her knees and put her arms about you and then and there con secrate her life and yours anew 10 the Saviour Oh. childrenl Oh. little chill dren, that Is one reason why l want you to respond to Christs invitation Suffer the little children to come unto me" l want you to come to Christ today to be saved, that you may also ask your big brothers and sisters. your fathers and mothers and all your little playmates to come along by your side.
 Parental Love.
 Having talked perhaps already far too long to the children would like to sneak few words In closing directly to the par ents and the grown up people here as- sembled. Fathers and mothers are vou to let an opportunity for your own salva- ton like this go amiss? When your little children are ready to surrender their | hearts to Christ. are you not willing to consecrate your lives to his service as never before? You know that the strong est ties we have on earth are those which 1 bind us to our children Are we to be spiritual stumbling block in their way? l never realized how much our children were 10 us until an incident which oc- l cured some years ago, when was pass l ing through one of the greatest crisis of my life. l was preaching at that time in the city of Pittsburg. It was a hot July l night Just before l arose to give ont my text a telegram was handed to me from my brother-in-law. It had these fatal words upon 1t: Come at once. Your | mother is dying" I took out my watch and found that the evening train had already left. The next did not 20 unti1 4 o'clock in the morning. I pulled mvseIf together and went on and preached my sermon. All that night I walked the floor. Then. with my wife and two littIo girls, both under three years of age we went to the depot. In the journey to New York the train was delayed six hours. When we entered the Philadelphia de- pot the milk had soured and hoth h,hte. were sick, and they had nothing to eat l went to the conductor Tn my dlrricultv
 He was rough, brusque man. I said to hnm Can you hold this train for five minutes? My babies are sick, the milk IS soured and they must have sometbing 10 eat. My mother is dying and I must go on. He looked at me and said: .No SIT l would not hold this train for inc fresident Of the United States. We are nVe hours late. and I would be discharged II did But. man." I said "ny mother dying, and my babies are very sick. cannot you help me? Have you no chil- e'sn ol your own, and cannot you just put yourself in my place?' The rongn man started as though he had been struek heavy blow He drew a long breath Then his eyes filled with tears as