The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-04-11
WRITTEN FOR 1.-THE UNION.
THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS.
BY GEORGE E. TACK.

| Doubtless many, if not all who reac
these words, have at some time thought
or sung the wish expressed in the
words of an old song we learned in oul
boyhood or girlhood days. I will
write them here:
"I think when read that sweet story of old,
| When Jesus was here among men,
How He called little children as lambs to his fold
should like to have been with them then.
| I wish that His hands had been placed on my
That His arms had been thrown around me,
And that might have seen His kind look wher
| He said,
Surely most commendable thing
to wish, is it not? And yet it some
times occurs to me that there is some
thing equally commendable, some
| thug more attractive to the human
mind and heart. What is it? you
ask, Why, to have been with your
Saviour and mine when He was a boy
and mingled with the boys of Naza-
reth, or sometimes followed the sap
dal-worn paths over the hills and
through fowery dells where the song
birds offered praise to Him. He was
their creator, you know, and perhaps
they recognized Him, for He was the
word made flesh, and His face was
full of God like character His man
ner gentle and kind. A noted writer,
Renan, once wrote of Jesus that al
though He was good man, He was
yet not perfect, and doubtless made
mistakes that were never chronicled
by His apostles. We, however, who
believe the record that God has given
us of His Son can never believe the
statement of the brilliant but mis-
guided .Renan. Rather let us believe
the words Of inspiration concerning
the flower that grew up amid the
mire of Nazareth that HE did no
sin, neither was guile found in His
mouth" He was the spotless lily of
the valley, and the fragrant rose of
Sharon, whose life exhaled only virtue
and the perfume of truth. To Him
sin was an abhorrent thing, and de.
ceit could not lodge on His holy lips.
And what charming companion
even 2gQgia5 a5llgEFfy ASf Haae BGt g MiE H5lsg P9alg
its wonderful influence upon our
young hearts. Imagine, if you can,
this boy of Nazareth and yourself on
bright spring morning standing
upon some hower-starred slope near
| His native town. Over the vale hangs
a gray mist, and the voices of earth
family ascend in a cadence of sweet
echoes. Suddenly the strong finger
of the sun touches an invisible spot.
and the curtain of night ascends far
above, revealing the emerald d-carpeted
earth below, where winding streams
sparkle and gleam like ribbons OF
silver.
The winds Artter past you laden
with the odor of fragrant flowers OF
the East, and the dewdrops roll and
sparkle upon the grass and leaves
like gems of rare value. And as you
stand and gaze at the beautiful scenes
and breathe the passing souls OF
flowers, this boy turns to you, with
holy Joy beaming in His radiant eyes,
and begins to tell you some of the
secrets of nature, and the great care
and love of his Father and himself
when in the ages past they stood al
the opening portals of Time and spoke
into existence the manifold works oi
creation. And from the fair scenes
of earth He leads your mind up to the
heavenly land where sinless beings
numberless as the sands along the
oceans shore raise their melodious
voices in holy songs to the Being:
that created them. And as you lis
ten you marvel that He, the mighty
Archangel and Son of the Highest
left all that glory and alteration o.
angels for your sake, and descending
to earth became the sweet babe o.
Bethlehem and your child and son.
Mine, you exclaim. Certainly,
reply. Don't you remember the
promise made ages ago, through ont
of the ancient prophets, that "untt
us child is born, unto US son il
given" If instead of making gen
eral application Of the words you ap
ply them to yourself, they will read
''unto me a child Is born, unto me
son is given" Yes, thank God, HI
is my child, and my son, my boy
this holy lad of Nazareth, who wa
pure and good, and whose life was a
fragrant as the lilies that bloom il
the paradise home above.
Perhaps, too, this boy would hav
guided our minds back to the starless
echoing chaos, before light penetrate
and swept away the awesome pres
ence of the universal dark. In soleml
contemplation we behold the chao
culver and grow into the radiant dawl
of order, and from the obedicnt earth
columned leafy- rooted cathedrals O
towering height, like the giant tree
of California, arise at the command @
the Creator. once read an artlcl
and saw some illustrations on tn
effect of breathing upon sand. Unde
the microscope there were rcveale
beautiful forms of plants, ferns an
flowers. Then I could better under
stand how the infinite God coul
create the flowers and forests tha
wave in the golden sunlight, for the
were created, and also the grea
worlds above, by ''the breath of HI
mouth" And this boy could tell a
about it, for He was there with Hi
, Father when the work was done. H
knew, even when a mere lad, that II
was the Son of God; for in the ten
pie when His parents mildly rebuke
Him for not accompanying thei
home, He said to them Know