The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-04-07
A Sunday. Sermon
The Friend of Helpless Children.

The Friend of Helpless Children
"sUFFER THE LITTLE chill COME UNTO
AND FORBID THEM NOT; FOR OF SUCH is THE
eoD"-MARK x, "a.
JESUS gave to the child its place in the worlds
With all power of divine authority He built around
the feeblest among US wall that has protected them
through the ages.
Before His day the child existed only by sufferance 1t
had no rights.
It was but a counter an infnitesmal atom It was con-
sdered simply the property of the parent Its father had
power Of life and death it. The homeless dog that
the streets today effectively shielded from
cruelty than the fendess child before Jesus came
live and to die for the weak and poor
The law had said:
The parent is ruler of the child and may dispose of
il as he sees fit"
But Jesus said-and these the most beautiful and
affecting words in all the moral law of the world:
"Taks heed that ones;
for say unto that In their always
hold the face my $ Observation-Disclosures
xvIII TO-
No threats 50 terrifying as those aimed at men who
should harm little children:
ait for him hanged
about his neck,
ssa."-Msthsw
is impossible to conceive the horrd indifference
to chdhoods rights which preceded the birth of Chris
tanity. i, , --r.es
Infanticide the exception settled custom
So much that in Rome the exposure of children in
desert places almost virtue since gave the child
some slight chance of surviving.
Not few but thousands and tens of thousands of chill
dren were thus exposed They fell prey wild beasts
or to the human beasts still ferocious who took the
children to make slaves or criminals of them.
Every man should study with awe and reverence the
sad lonely misunderstood life of Jesus the friend of chill
fdNAnu Ne hoI, ho-~a
Bile fishermen to whom He spoke in simple parallels as to
children.
"The foxes have holes he have
ns's but the Son Of Man h lay head"
Matthew Will
1t was this chdless homeless Man that ever used His
marvellous power to protect children.
It He who gave children their definite share in
the kingdom of God
Before His coming the wisdom of the world was devoted
10 telling the child its duty.
But Jesus explained to grown men their duty toward
children.
! The family life was His ideal
All men were His brothers and with Him, Of God.
The loving kindness shown by God toward helpless
and women they should show to helpless children
Neither the rights nor the '0Sdom of children must be
despised
81 thank thee Father Lofsatheaven nd earth
thou hast hid prudent
hast revealed Father;
sssnss good in thy sght"-Luke x ri.
Wherever Jesus went, children followed Him. and the
est Little SOUL in its mothers totterng along in
wfiesyed curiosity, could His loving attention
9w beautiful is the picture that the Bible story pre-
sssztsto the mind
Saus Is at Capernaum the sunny shore of the Sea
II Saisee
Tie Disciples-smple honest men, often excited
Preceee and filled with deep longing stand first in the
Master esteem-ask Him:
"Hho greatest N kingdom of hesven1"-Ma.-
xviii, I.
Around them gathered the typical Oriental group and
many olive-skinned women, with their children:
"And called a child unto md i'm