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

Chicago, June 1A-In this sermonic talk to the children, appropriate to the day. there Is message to the heart and life of every American boy and girl and to The parents also. The text is Matthew xix 14 Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto me"
 The second Sabbath of June is here. This is children's day. This Is the morn ing when the Sunday schools of America, headed by their superintendents 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 auditoriums are, for the most part fragrant with two kinds of flowers. Here are the flowers which were pro- dueed 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, my! Did you ever see so many beautiful flowers abloom all in one garden? 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 glances of the "blacl1-eyed susans.' If any one should ask me what I considered the most important day in the church year, without hesitation l would answer, children's day. This is the Sabbath morn Ing when parents not only bring their children to the churches where Christ Is preached, but when their own thoughts, believe, are rresstibly drawn toward the divine teachings, If father can not feelh his affections stirred with love toward God when his little girl is singing her Sayiours praise in the holy sanctuary, his heart must indeed be as dead as stone.
 This Is childrcns' day. I would talk with the children tor a little while about one of the sweetest scenes in all the Bible. There was q great crowd Jostling and rushing about Jesus Christ It was the time of the Saviours earthly popularity. Every one wanted to speak to Christ, as every ono would like to shake hands with the President of the United States at a White House reception. Among others there were in that crowd surround ing Christ great cumber of fathers and others who had children by their side end wanted Tesps to hless them, SD that their boys and girls might grow up to be as good as Christ WIS good. They want cd to do just as Washington Irving's nurse did when he was a little child She forced her way into the home Of the ftst President and sad: MT. Washing ton, l have little baby boy here who is ramed after you. I want him to be as Bood and great q nan IS you are. win you bless your little namesaKe. that many years from now, after you are dead l fao4 tell 1.f 1c @head and that he ought, therefore
 to be like you?" That baby after
 grew up to be George washington's
 eat biographcr
 Consider the Children.
 he crowd surrounding Christ
 ere also a lot of unsympathetic
 and women. They belong to that
 at class of people who think that @nildren are born nuisance and that they should never be seen and never heard in public places. They think, if they go and visit a married friend. that friend should have his children eat in the kitchen while they are there. or else have the children wait until the other folks are through and then so to the second table Now. do not believe that is the right way to bring up boys and girls. If my friends who visit my home are not willing to eat at the same table with my bebies they need not ome and visit me at all. l am just headstrong enough to believe that what is good for my children Is good enough for my friends.
 There were some men in that day, too, who followed Jesus wherever he went and were called his disciples. They knew lew precious every word he uttered was and how many sick and blind and deaf he was curing, and the did not want his time taken up with little children So these disciples told the fathers and moth- CTS not to bother Jesus with their children. They said, Here, fathers and mothers. what are you bringing those children here for? Why do you not take them home where they belong?" But Jesus. hearing the commotion, stopped snd asked the cause. Then when Christ teard that these men were driving the Tables from his side he turned and prsc- tcally said: "Ah that Is not right Do not push those little ones away. Open Q path and let the little children come to my arms and be blessed" Then he ut- tered the sweet words of my text, "Suf- fer little children. and forbid them not, to come unto me, for of such is the king dom of heaven"
 Christ gave this sweeping invitation to all children to be brought to his arms. Therefore, I shall try. children, in a few
 
 po1tant-. cry mportant-for you to come when show you that 1t Is important for you to come 10 Christ I would also try to show you that Christ is the best friend little child. young boy or girl can ever have. Yes. he Is even better friend than your father or mother. sister or brother. He is friend whose love is teyond your mental grasp whose love 'passeth all human understanding.
 Two kinds of Seed.
 Let me tell you what Jesus Christ can do Tor you. In every child's nature there are two kinds of seed. One of these is cspable of growing into tree of right eousness, and the other is capable of growing into a tree of wiclkedness and ain. Now, when Jesus takes charge of a child's nature it is the good seed that grows. and then the child's life starts we'll and when the child becomes a man or woman that life is a happy one and a tlessing to the world. Children, these words may be very hard for you to grasp.