Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-01-10


him." MY brother, you know Just what
| mean. You know how children vary.
Most of them seem to be made Of tho
same stuff you are made Of, but there
is one child who Is different from all
the rest She liz so gentle, so kind. so
helpful. so loving, so filled with the
Christ life, that she seems to he the
gospel leaven which leavens the whole
home. Oh, yes, within It's own
sphere there Is no influence greater
than the influence of the Christian
child And yet, putting aside the
monkish legends and traditions about
the Saviour's infancy, of all he did and
said during his childhood there Is re-
liably recorded hardly word
A Beautiful Legend.
The great Dean Stanley illustrated
the influence Of the Christian child life
in this beautiful way: MANY years
ago there lived a huge heather giant.
He was mammoth bunch of muscles;
but, though he was great In physical
strength. he was a spiritual pygmy.
He wanted to serve God, and he want
ed to pray, but he did not know how.
At last this heather giant came to a
deep river, where he met an old man,
md he told him his hearts warnings.
The good man said, My friend, you
may not know how to pray, but YOU
can help those poor travellers who want
to pass over this river SO. day after
day, the heather giant dwelt upon the
river bank. When the poor wayfarers
came along, he would shoulder them
upon his back and carry them over
this swift running stream. one stormy
night he heard a child piteously cry
ing The boy wanted TO be carried
over. SO the giant lifted the lad and
rtarted. The waters surged about the
giants feet. The tempest blew over
head. While he was struggling in the
swift current the giant felt the weight
of the child grow heavier and heavier.
Then the giant looked mp at the child.
and. 10, supernatural glory shone in
his face. The child said. Friend. thou
art laborng under this heavy burden
because thou art carrying one who Is
bearing the sips OF the world Then
the giant knew that he was carrying
Jesus. and he bore him to the bank
and fell down and worshiped him.
That was only a legend. But it was
n legend which has had its duplication
in many lives. We had grown to
manhood. We wanted to worship
Christ, but somehow we did not know
how Then there came into our homes
little child. Oh, that hltlc girl seem
cd so small When the nurse first
placed her in our arms we We're almost
frightened We were afraid Of drop
ping the puny thing upon the floor.
But as we kept carryin" the child and
watching her, with her gentle, trustful
ways, we began to be like the leg
endary giant. Through that little child
life we learned how to trust and be-
lieve on Jesus Christ. Oh, the marvel
Gus influence OF Il Christian child in
the home. Have you ever stopped for
one instant to think what must have
been the Influence of the child Jesus
in the Nazareth carpenter shop upon
his father aud mother and brothers and
sisters? Are you and ! willing TO be
led to reconsecrate our lives to the
cross through the Influence of the con-
secrated actions OF our little children?
/ turn the leaves of the four gospels
and look In vain for any record of
what Christ did ns a young man. From
the age of twelve to thirty absolutely
nothing authoritative Is written. And
yet those were very important years
in Jesus life. They We're the years
al,;i 4
ish things. Then he not only thought
as a man and worked as Il man, but
he had the responsibilities of the home
flung upon him when he was yet a
mere boy. He was like one of those
little children we often see in our poor
er districts. While they are yet babies
themselves by the cruel. incxorahlc
laws Of poverty they are compelled to
take care of some younger brother and
sister. But during all these years of
Christ's life there Is not a word writ
ten; no. not one word
what Jesus Did Not Do.
How precious to US would have been
a genuine record showing how Jesus
acted when his foster father joseph,
died. Joseph, the carpenter, stood in
the same relationship to Jesus as Lud-
wig Guyer did TO his stepson, Richard
Wagner or as David Swings stepfn-
Their did TO him. Joseph, the carpenter,
was the divine boys brealwinuer and
human protector. When suddenly this
strong carpenter was stricken down,
we can see Mary, his wife. and her
brood of little ones. with their stained
faces, standing about the pale corpse.
Now, what do You suppose Jesus. the
boy, did at that time; DO YOU sup
pose he turned to Mary and said:
Mother, l am willing to look after
you, but not after the other boys and
girls. We have not the same father.
and therefore | am not responsible for
their daily bread" No; | do not be-
lieve that is what Jesus, the young
man. did. Neither do | believe he
went up to that bier and began to Ia.
ment, saying: What am | to do?
wanted to study, to be great rabbi
like Hllel Now | have no father to
pay my way through school" No;
do not believe Jesus did that. 1t Is an
unwritten life. All this tragedy of the
home Is covered up.
From what we know Of his manhood
\ 4