Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1913-06-05

His fold.
l should like to have been with Hin,
then"
In this chapter OF Matthew he takes
little child and sets him In the
midst Of his disciples. not merely 10
teach those disciples a lesson In
humility. but for the child's sake as
well as their sake. He has something
to teach them concerning the child
which they never knew. and could not
have known except for him He tells
them such little ones are not to be
despised or set at naught, for the
most transcendent Of reasons. name
ly. that the Son OF Man came into
the world to save them. and that II
is not the will of his Father that one
Of them should be lost
Christianity and the Child.
The world cared nothing for little
children before Jesus came and was
Graded in a manger In splendid
Rome. childhood had no rights other
than those which the sentiment Of
the father might ftfully concede to
it. He might abandon his child or
murder II as he chose. Greece set
the example to Rome in this respect.
since Spartan children we're some
times beaten at the altar OF Diana
until their lifeblood ran out upon Its
steps. II was not until Christianity
had begun to affect the Roman empire
that love for little children found ex.
preston In literature. or that care for
them became the custom of the great
There is great encouragement to Us
Christian parents in the fact that the
soul Of a little child Is as precious
In the sight OF God as that OF its par
emit II was Jesus who taught US this
and to his holy name should be the
praise. Let US act on this encourage
ment and bring our children to the
Lord that they may be saved.
Let US remember that our children
need salvation. for they were shapsn
in iniquity and conceived in sin. The
Fffty-hrst Psalm teaches us this. Il
was not personal disobedience on
their part that thus exposed them to
divine Judgment. but that which pre-
eeded II. that which vas hereditary
and common to all the race That
such sin is I'm their being from their
very birth 10 proven by the lives they
live when they come to moral con
sciousness- Are they not selfish from
a very early age. and is not selfish
ness sin? Are they not disobedient.
and is not disobedience sin. Do they
not take things which belong to 9th
ers7 And is not this theft, Do thev
not covet and falsify? Do they not
show wrath and hatred? And is no,
this the spirit OF murder, There Is
need OF the regeneration OF the Holy
Spirit in the child as truly as in the
parent OF the child. OF course we are
not speaking Of very little infants
about whom the word of God SAYS
nothing specifically. We hope and he
lieve that they are not excluded from
the application OF the atonement Of
CHRIST when they die before the pc
riod OF moral consciousness. Rut
when they know the difference be-
tween right and wrong and are cap
able OF apprehending the elementary
principles OF the Gospel. the case Is
different. In other words. canno,
believe that child had gone u
Heaven just because he is a child
but there should be seen in him or
her the evidence Of the new life
through faith in Jesus Christ.
The Responsibility Of Parent.
We parents have very much 10 dc
with the salvation OF our children
First OF all we can set a guard abou,
them. on the principle that an oune,
Of prevention is better than A pound
OF cure" We can keep our children
innocent Of many things BY wardins
on the approach Of evil II should
rot be necessary for the state &c
make such encroachments upon the
functions OF the home as it is nos
doing
In the second place. We can set an
example to our children, an example
OF seif-denial and piety and obedience
TO divine law VIII a child reverence
God who is never worshiped In fl.
own home9 Can Gsd be exalted in the
esteem OF little children when his
name is profanely used by their par
ents7 VIII children be likely TO "a
TO church or Sunday school whose
elders seldom do so, Will they love
purity where the opposite Is before
them In the amusements and read
ing matter OF the nbuseholdf w.u
they be honest. who hear money and
gain continually exalted around the
family table and at the Preside, VIII
they speak the truth who witness az
aggeration and falsehood in those
they are supposed to honor, In the
gospels We read that parents broush,
their children to Christ. they did NO,
send them. and we. by example must
do the same.
In the third place We can nraaen
the gospel to our children and low.
ingly and faithfully talk with them
about their sin and about the Saviour
who died to take away their sin. We
can urge them to confess Christ and
pray for them. and better yet. pray
with them that they may be saved
This is the period OF the year IN
which our churches keep what is call
ed children's day. and when decisions
are urged for Christ But why wait
for that decision to be urged IN
church or Sunday school: Why not
let 1t be urged at home? Let us re-
member that parents and not the
church or Sunday school are respond
Bile to God for their children. As 80
hope to meet our little ones above
and also give an account Of ou
stewardship with joy TO God. let rs o.
faithful in all those ways that arr
open to US that they whom God hail
Eiveh rs. NAV be recouciled to him