Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1910-02-01
OUR DUTY TO THE YOUNG
Sermon By Rev. Allan Crabtree, Pas
tor of the First Congregational
Church of This City

fiot SoHSieSdlioHdl CuulCli, vi SuuN
day morning, January 90:
Text: Then were brought unto Him
little children, that He should put His
hands on them, and pray: and the dis
ciples rebuked them. But Jesus said:
Suffer little children, and forbid them
not to come unto Me: for of such is
the kingdom of Heaven" And He laid
His hands on them, and departed
thence. Take heed that you despise
not one of these little ones; for | say
unto you, that in Heaven their Angels
do always behold the face of My
Father who is in Heaven" But
whose shall offend one of these little
ones which believe in Me, it were bet
ter for him that a milestone were
hanged about his neck, and that he
were drowned in the depths of the
sea" -(Matt XIX:13-15, XVIII:1O,
XVIII:6.)
Dear Friends:
The ministers of Palestine have had
an understanding that every evangeli-
cal pastor in the city will preach this
morning upon some phase of Our
Duty to the Young" l have chosen a
large text, therefore it will not be nee
essary for me to preach long SER
mon, though the subject is worthy of
many sermons of great length, which,
no doubt, would prove profitable both
to the children and to the parents
alike The sermon this morning, how
ever, is not especially designed for the
children, but rather for the parents,
and for those who have failed to see
the emphasis that Jesus, Himself, has
laid upon this momentous question.
Just recently historical fact has
been brought to the attention of the
christian world, concerning the chill
dren of China. Two hundred and fifty
million graves are dug every thirty
years in China The whole country
side is one thickly sown cemetery, and
yet there are no tokens of burials of
children. Not a single monument or
tombstone marks the grave of a child.
What does it mean? Simply that Budd-
hiSm and Confucianism have nowhere
said, "Of such is the kingdom of
Heaven" The ancient paganism of
Greece and Rome passed the children
by. So, today the proud systems of
China and India never stoop to reckon
in the children. A child's life is too
small, too Insignificant Jesus alone
took the little ones up in His arms and
them HI, by II words and.
example gave the child the place it
holds in christian lands today. With
us our little ones are gifts from Jesus.
Away from us they are with Jesus,
for He died for them, and "Of such is
the kingdom of Heaven"
Notice from the text how simple
and yet how profound is the privilege
that children can be brought to Christ
for the laying on of His blessed hands
and for prayer that is truly heard in
Heaven. This, believe, is not only
the privilege, but it is the solemn duty
of every christian parent to bring the
children to Christ. The text, how
ever, affirms that the disciples re-
buked those who brought their chill
dren to Him. This has ever been
true from that day until now, that
Gods own people have stood in the
way of the children, thinking that they
are too young, or that Christ has not
the time to spare for them because of
the greater need of the hardened sim
ners, etc. The truth about it is that
no child IS too young to be brought
to Christ, as referred to in the text,
and the text also reveals that those
children who believe on Him, if they
are offended because of their desire
to worship and serve the Lord Jesus
Christ, it is woe unto the person who
is guilty of the offense. 1t is also
true that the salvation of a child is |
far more important than that of a |
grown person, because a whole life is |
often saved after the soul of a child |
is saved, while the life of a grown |
person, so far as it has been lived, is !
entirely lost and perhaps is the cause
for multitudes of others being forever
lost. |, myself, cannot escape the aw-
full condemnation in one sense, of |
ever knowing that my past life, be-
fore | was a saved man, by the mar
Felous grace of God in. Christ Jesus,
possibly forever many peo-
pie in such a way that their souls as
well as their lives will be eternally
lost, though they may be responsible
10 God for permitting it to be thus.
How this thought makes me shudder
wen now for those with whom | am
laily coming in contact. Dear friends,
we cannot afford to trifle and find
,anlt in this matter of bringing others
o Christ, even the children, though
we know the early disciples did so.
)ut Jesus severely rebuked them for
so doing. And remember that text
ilso reveals that their angels are wit
lesses in Heaven of these things, and