The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1911-08-11
SATURDAY NIGHT
6NXANSERMONS
,W1S1 BY
3 AEySAMuEL
THE MOTHERHOOD OF GOD.

did not understand said to me. TITS
Just the same, even God is a manl'
But she was mistaken. We only call
God "him" for lack Of a better term
There Is no sex with God nor with IN
gels nor with us In the world to come.
However, ] can understand how crav-
ing Of human heart yearns for mother
hood in religion. ] can readily COM
prehend the grip which a great church
has on tho masses by its veneraton Of
1.-THE Virgin Mother" She's the en-
bodiment Of divine grace and compass
sion. To the understanding heart the
Word Of God is a warm letter Of affec-
ton from q mother to her child. Does
It point to Gods sheltering lover Then
II shows tho hen and her flock Of little
ones. There's sound Of alarm to the
scattered brood. Dangers near. There
is a quick call, futtering Of tiny
wings, a pattering Of feet to trusted
refuge. There's q picture for the sim
ner flying for refuge, a symbol Of open
gates of heaven for human soul when
terrors Of night Of eternity are coming
on.
Why az . Mother7
Oh, because a mothers love Is 80 diff
ferentl I've seen nurses at children's
hospitals cuddle up their little charges.
Beautiful, but not quite mother love.
They weren't their own. When regi-
ment was leaving Buffalo for the Span
ish-American war saw ut the armory
woman step out and kiss q stalwart
young fellow. AS they marched or the
little woman swooned away. THAT
was Bills mother" Bill died In the
fever camp Mt Chickamauga. Every
time left for college my widowed
mother stood at the doorstep ana
waved goodby till was out Of sight
Sort of provoked me. No use making
such fuss. Don't be impatient with
me, my boy. You're all have In the
world to live for" Twas a mother
saw sitting by the prisoner at the law
yer's table all day long. 1t was she
who sat with dry eyes and agonized
face when the jury brought in its YER
dict Her lips the last to kiss him
through grated bars before his execu-
ton. Poor mother! She brought him
into the world, nursed him at her
breast, mothered him through every
spell of fevered sickness. She knew
him better than any one else. No won
der she would believe in him against
every lawyer, judge and jury in the
world. That's like God. "He knoweth
our frame; he remembereth we are but
dust" 1.-THE mercy Of the Lord is
from everlasting to everlastingf' oh,
the motherhood OF God!
Seeking aud Forgivins.
The crowd gathers on the street cor
ner. Big policeman has little sobbing
child in his arms. rs she hurt?"
"Was she run over2" NAV, nobody
hurt. She's lost. Her nAther III be
along in a mint" "HerSa a penny,
baby" No penny wantad. 81 want
my muvverr' Suddenly aswoman hur-
ries into the crowd That's my babyW
Every ones heart thumps. The big
policeman pushes her of coolly. How
do ! know that?" "How? guess &C.
tons will tellp Baby arms are out
flung. "Oh, mamma" the curly head
cried, II fought had losted you"
"Can you tell now7" II guess youth
do" beams the officer. The crowd
cheered and laughed and cried little
the fathers and mothers in 1t. Hum!
What did that woman sayF ACTIONS
will tell" Say, brother. can the world
tell whether you belong to God or not7
Ever read the parable Of the good
shepherd and the lost sheep3 That's
God seeking men. And Gods forgive
ness is like a mothers. Boy goes
wrong, disgraces family. Father says:
LET him 60. He's made his bed; let
him lie in It" He's lost his Job; his
friends cut him on the street; his ia
Their will not let his name be mention
ed in the house. Who is It gives him
food and money secretly Who Is II
holds no grudge and forgives as freely
last time as firstf Ever read the b.
BILE. my hayward friend? TIN grip
your heart in the tenderest place.
Him that cometh unto me will in
nowise cast out" Though your sins
be as scarlet"-that sounds like a
mother saying, mo matter what you
do or where you are. remember your
old mother is your friend"
Forgetting Mother and God.
have sat in parlors when my heart
ached Mothers busy" could hear
the football Of that poor drudging
mother. Never mind Some day pill
grim shoes will be loosed from those
tired feet. The shadows will gather In
that home, It's mighty doubtful II
the angels will count the number Of
expensive floral designs when the
crowd has left the cemetery. Is your
mother deadf Now in heavenf Moth
erless foreverf Remember how she
pinched and scraped for your mo, /
still have her." Then 60 homo and
put your arm around her. Give her a
real. living, warm kiss. Tell her that
you love her. that she's the greatest
mother God ever made. Insist on her
having a nice bittbf pin money every
week. It's only part Of what you owe.
Some day you'll give your good right
arm to have the chance. And her Godi
Well, you can AFFORD to tie up to your
mother'a Cod ynu,Il x,,a ~ a. ~ t.k