Sacred scenes...

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CHRIST BLESSING LITTLE CHILDREN.

FROM THE FRENCH OF

NAPOLEON ROUSSEL.

I. Jesus Blessing Little Children

My dear children, there are three things that you dearly love ; stories, true histories and pictures; and to these very things, I now invite your attention. The gospel is a history ; there is no history in the world so true, and with these gospel stories I shall show you some engravings, that will make you understand them better. These pictures are the most correct and faithful that I have ever seen. In looking at them, you seem to be in Palestine in the very midst of oriental architecture, and surrounded by the ancient Jews.

He, who designed these beautiful sketches, had probably traveled in the East : for I assure you, that the costumes, the features and all parts of the picture represent truly, what might still be met with in those countries. Come then, let us imagine ourselves in the Holy Land, at the time when the Saviour lived on earth. Let us journey with him in that beautiful country, and listen to his blessed words. First, let me point him out to you. See him standing in front of that portico, surrounded by a crowd of little boys and girls. How sweetly mild his aspect. With what kindness he presses to his bosom that little child ; and you can almost see the blessing, he pronounced upon the little group, painted in that upward glance. He has never seen these children before. They were brought to him now for the first time ; and even now, he loves them, already he blesses them. If you, my dear children, had been there, he would also have taken you kindly in his arms and blessed you. Who then is this Being, so good, so kind ? My children, it is Jesus Christ, the Son of God : God himself under a human form. His greatness contrasted with your weakness, should only the more make you feel his love. He, who created the heavens, and the earth ; He, who is holy, just and all-powerful ; He, who loves you ; you, who are so feeble, born but a few years ago ; you, who are neither holy, just nor good.

The disciples of Jesus thought these children of too little consequence to attract the notice of the Son of God, and they endeavor to discourage those who brought them. How natural are such fears to feeble man. We are apt to imagine, that, because God is so great, he is interested only in those things that appear great to us ; as creating worlds and gilding the stars — just as if God could not at the same moment, regard a world, and take care of an atom ; notice the monarch, and uphold the little child. Can any thing be called great or small in the eyes of God ? And has not the little child an immortal spirit, as well as a king or an angel ?

Then Jesus reproved his disciples, and said to them ; " Suffer little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. " He meant by this that those, who are humble and simple minded as children, are the persons whom he loves and will save.

You know, my dear young friends, that there are some wicked, ungovernable children, and probably some of this character might have been found among the number presented to Jesus. You well know, that Jesus does not wish you to resemble these. At the same time, he loved those poor, naughty children. It was for them that he raised his eyes to heaven, and prayed. It was of them, that the apostle speaks, when he says : " He blessed them." The more wicked children are, the greater need have they, that God should pity them and make them better.

And, my children, when your young friends do wrong, you should never return evil for evil, but show 2 them that you are sorry for them, and pray for them, that God would change their hearts, and make them good little companions for you.

In the group around Jesus, besides his disciples and those children, you see many females, and already I presume you understand that they are the mothers of those little children. Probably, you think that those little boys and girls would not have come of their own accord, to seek the blessing of the Saviour ; for you know that you yourselves would seldom think to read the Bible, to pray, or to go to church, if your mother did not first say to you: "My children, come read the word of God ; my children, kneel down and pray." Well, mothers in all ages have been the same. Always tender towards their children.

These mothers, whom you see, have heard, that one sent from God, is passing through their country. They have heard, that he can by a word restore health to the sick, and by his touch cause the blind to see. They have heard too, that his blessing makes children wise, good and happy. Immediately, these good mothers leave their occupations ; each, takes her son, or daughter by the hand, and hastens to see this wonderful man. How their countenances beam, as they hear from divine lips, the blessings poured upon their beloved children. They are happy in their happiness. They are not come to seek some good thing for themselves, but for their children. When they arrive, the multitude so crowd around Jesus, that they cannot approach him. They are anxious, and urge forward their larger children, while they carry the smaller ones in their arms.

They crowd forward, and, that so eagerly, that the apostles rebuke them. Every one exclaims at the vehemence of these women. But no matter ; they perceive it not ; they are not afraid. All their thoughts are concentrated upon those cherished ones, and they maintain their ground. At length, Jesus commands that they shall be suffered to approach freely. It was then, that the Saviour stooping, took up one of the little ones in his arms, and its mother, trembling with joy at the sight, falls upon her knees, joins her hands, and beseeches him to bless her child.

Oh, my young friends, if you knew how much a mother loves her child, if you knew how tenderly your own mother loves you, you surely would not grieve her so often by your disobedience.

But, while the mother thus devoutly prays for her little one, what is the child himself doing. He nestles in the Saviour's bosom, and plays with the curls of his long hair. It is often thus that children are far from feeling the seriousness and importance of religious things. Sometimes, when their parents or Sabbath school teachers, labor with great solicitude to make them comprehend the truths of the Bible, which they place in their hands, they amuse themselves in turning over the leaves of the book, and thinking of every thing else, rather than the meaning of the words addressed to 2*

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them. Even in prayer, play seems to be their only thought.

My dear children, there is a time for sport, but there is also a time for serious thought, even for children. For you all have precious souls, and young as you are, you may die. As you see how very condescending Jesus was to notice little children as well as older persons, you ought to think much about Jesus. Now, I will read you the passage in the Bible which describes this scene.

" And they brought young children to him that he should touch them ; and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God.

" Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." Mark 10 : 13—16.

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II. The Shepherds At Bethlehem

My dear children, when you were born, they placed you in a little cradle, in a warm and quiet apartment ; yet, you were only the children of an humble Christian. When the son of a king comes into the world, a palace is his birth-place ; they lay him in a cradle of precious wood, hung with silk curtains, fringed with gold, and the noise of the cannon spreads through the kingdom, the news, that a royal infant is born. Nevertheless the son of a king is only the child of a mortal. If they treat so well the child of a simple

Christian and of a king, how ought they to honor the birth of the only Son of God ? What cradle would be precious enough for him ? What place sufficiently splendid to receive him ? We should expect to see Jesus welcomed into a temple, glorious with light ; and kings, princes, and emperors hastening to do him homage. All this certainly, would not have been too much for the Saviour of the world. Well, was it thus he was treated at Bethlehem ? No, my children ; Jesus was born in a stable ; for a cradle, he had a handful of straw ; his first cries were mingled with the bleatings of the lambs around his couch ;- and his first visitors were the poor simple shepherds.

Nevertheless, Jesus was the Son of God. My children, this shows you that rich apartments, cradles of precious wood, with hangings fringed with gold, are nothing in the sight of Him, who considered it no dishonor for his only Son to be born poor and laid in a manger. Do you know then what God esteems ?

It is the faith of that woman, whom you see by the side of Jesus ; of that Mary, who believed the promise that God made to her, that she should have a son. God esteems also the submission of that man, standing at the right of Mary ; of Joseph who has resolved to remain and cherish her, even after he had once determined to separate himself from her. God loves also the confidence of those simple shepherds, who at once abandon their flocks that they may come and adore Jesus, a poor, little child in appearance ; but in reality the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. Observe how respectful they seem. The youngest stops at the door, as though he dared not approach ; but, standing on tip-toe, gazes upon the scene. The most venerable of the Jewish shepherds prostrates himself before the infant. Every thing about him denotes his astonishment and awe. His crook has fallen from his hand, his gaze is fixed upon the new-born child, his hair even stands up on his head. He cannot comprehend how He, whom the prophets spoke of, as the Saviour of the world, as the Prince of Peace ; He, who was to change the aspect of all things, can be this same child that he sees so feeble, trembling and scarcely breathing, this infant humbly cradled in a manger.

But soon, this Being, growing in stature and wisdom, healing the sick, 3 challenging even his enemies to find any sin in him, will teach the poor shepherd that he must not understand the prophecies in a gross sense in which the words grandeur, glory, power, signify gold, silver, palaces, luxury and pride ; but that he ought to interpret these by the Spirit of God, and know that in the mouth of Him, who is holy, just and good, the words grandeur, glory and power, mean love, justice, holiness ; indeed every thing that is truly great and glorious. Gold and silver are not, in themselves, precious things ; for the moth and the rust consume them, and the thief may steal them from us ; but the love of God for us, purity of life, nobleness of soul, all that is really glorious, w 7 ill endure in the heavens, where the rust cannot corrupt, nor the thief enter to steal.

By the side of those shepherds, who are so interested in Jesus, see those animals, sleeping and eating quietly. What a contrast between these two classes of beings ! These men are all attention, all eyes, all ears. Their faculties seem absorbed in profound adoration. These animals, on the contrary, are completely indifferent to what is passing around them. A goat, lying down, turns away his head from the scene ; an ox is quietly chewing the cud, while another reaches after the hay in the rack. It is not strange that these creatures, without reason, should not think and act like' reasonable beings ; but it is strange to see, every day, reasonable beings, thinking and acting almost like brutes.

Look around you, and how many men and children of your own age, do you see who care no more for Jesus and his promises, than if they did not exist ; who, when they ought to adore God and purify their lives, think only of eating and drinking and amusing themselves. Oh, my children, these beings are greatly to be pitied. God wishes them to be like Himself, but they wish to live like the brutes ; to eat and drink, and then die. Do not imitate these persons, for in fact you would thus be imitating those brutes in the stable.

Now, my children, that you have impressed upon your minds the scene of the visit of the shepherds, you will read with interest, the account, as it is given by the apostle.

" And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from

Caesar Augustus, that all the world

should be taxed. (And this taxing

was first made when Cyrenius was

governor of Syria.) And all went to

be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee,

out of the city of Nazareth, into Ju-

dea, unto the city of David, which is

called Bethlehem ; (because he was of

the house and lineage of David :) to be

taxed with Mary his espoused wife,

being great with child. And so it

was, that, while they were there, the

days w r ere accomplished that she

should be delivered. And she brought

forth her first-born son, and wrapped

him in swaddling clothes, and laid him

in a manger ; because there was no

room for them in the inn.

" And there were in the same

country shepherds abiding in the field, 3# i keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo ! the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them ; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not : for, behold ! I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you ; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And, suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men ! And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to

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another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them." Luke 2 : 1—20.

III. John The Baptist In The Desert

Here is a new and strange scene my children. A man clothed with a shaggy skin, a long staff in his hand, seems to be earnestly addressing a crowd of soldiers, rulers, and people, who all listen eagerly. Can you tell how this man, so miserable in appearance, should be able to attract the attention of those soldiers, generally such scorners ; of those learned rulers, so proud ; of that crowd of people, commonly so careless ? You think perhaps, that he is telling them something very agreeable. No, for he calls them a race of vipers. Do you suppose then that this man is some great philosopher, whose eloquent discourses charm his hearers ? No, for he says of himself, that he is nothing. He compares himself to a voice, a sound which passes away. Perhaps then you imagine that he is some great lord or prince, the king, perhaps of the desert, and that he promises treasures, offices and honors to those who listen to him. Not at all ; for Jesus tells us that John was not one who dwelt in princely mansions.

How then could he, being poor, without eloquence and of low origin, draw after him such a crowd of the learned and the soldiery ?

It was because he spoke under the influence of the Spirit of God. The Spirit also inclined those hearts to

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listen, and then, notwithstanding the feebleness of the speaker, and the pride of the hearers, persuades and converts them, by the word of him, who w r as but a voice crying in the wilderness. But what did he say to them ? Before telling you I wish to give you some little account of the persons in the picture.

John the Baptist was the son of the priest Zechariah, and Elizabeth his wife. He was sent by God before Jesus, in order to prepare the people to receive the good news of pardon through the Son of God. This is the reason why John the Baptist has been called the forerunner of Christ. Those soldiers whom you see upon the left, are Roman soldiers, who at that time held possession of Judea. These men have heard that John, a messenger from God, comes to announce remission and pardon of sins. Immediately these soldiers, accustomed to a life of tumult, disorder and vice, usually strangers to all religious sentiments ; these soldiers feel themselves pricked in their hearts. They dare not speak of God or of religion in the presence of their companions in arms and licentiousness ; but serious thoughts have gained access to their hearts, and as soon as they can escape from the notice of these mockers, they hasten far from the city of Jerusalem, into a desert, to listen to pious instruction, and say to John the Baptist : " And we, what shall we do ? " It is often so ; those who appear far from all religious emotions, still have in their hearts desires to be reconciled to God. If they conceal and stifle these 4 feelings, it is because they fear the ridicule of their companions, or because they love pleasure more than God ; but, at the same time, there is a struggle within, and in the midst of their noisy mirth, they must suffer the remorse of conscience.

The man whom you see standing in the foreground of the picture, by the side of one who is seated, is a Pharisee, or one of a religious sect, among the Jews, most scrupulous in their observance of the law. But you must learn in what this observance consisted. They fulfilled exactly all the outward ceremonies of worship ; they w r ent often to the temple, made long prayers, and fasted twice in a week. But, at the same time, the Pharisees neglected the most important duties. They were proud, avaricious, unjust, revengeful and even cruel. Jesus, in order to show them that although their external conduct might seem pure, yet, that they were no less corrupt within, said to them : " Ye make clean the outside of the cup, and platter, but within are full of extortion and excess. Ye are like whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of all uneleanness." Look at the brow of that man, you will see there a broad fillet, upon which some passages of the law are written. Do you know why ? I will tell you, and then you will understand better how they fulfilled the duties of their religion. Moses had commanded their fathers, when he gave them the law from Mount Sinai, to preserve this law in their hearts, to write it upon their doors, to bind it upon their foreheads. He meant evidently, to teach them that they should practice, in all circumstances, the duties that this law required. Well, see how the Pharisees thought to fulfill this command. They take bands of parchment, and write upon them the words of the law, and bind them upon their foreheads. They seem not to suspect, that they ought to put this law in their hearts, and observe it in their conduct.

You will see that their manner of obeying the command was very easy, but very ridiculous and hypocritical. John the Baptist said to them : " Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" This means, why are you afraid since you imagine that you have fulfilled all the law ? Ah, it is your consciences that warn you, that all these hypocritical observances will not please God. You wish to be baptized ; but my baptism will not make you pure. You must repent, and do works meet for repentance. You think because you are the descendants of Abraham that you are the children of God, and you are proud of it. But do you not know, that God is able from these stones, to raise up children unto Abraham.

My children, we do not now find any persons who are called Pharisees, but there are many Pharisees in heart. Thus, all those who think themselves better than others ; those who think it will suffice to attend church, without loving God ; those who make long prayers in order to seem religious, or give their property for the poor, that

they may have praise from their fellow 4* men ; all these are Pharisees in the hearts. See then, my children, if in any of these respects, you are not little Pharisees.

He whom you see seated, having a tablet upon his knee, is a Scribe. Those were called Scribes, whose business it was to write; they were the doctors, the learned men. It is astonishing that a Scribe should come to be instructed by John the Baptist. But I ought to tell you, that these learned men did not occupy themselves so much w T ith the word of God, as with books of traditions ; so that, instead of being enlightened by the Scriptures, they were bewildered by their own reasonings. Thus Jesus reproaches them, with having taken away the law of God, and imposed the commandments of men.

They asserted in opposition to the Bible, that there would be no resurrection of the dead. You see that pride of understanding, in this class, produced as much evil, as pride of character among the Pharisees.

Fly then this hateful pride, which disguises itself in so many ways, and which, under the appearance of knowledge, virtue, and even humility, glides into the heart and renders us insupportable to man, and hateful in the sight of God.

A little farther back, behind the Pharisee, you see a woman leading forward her little boy, that he may hear the good words which the prophet speaks. Mothers are always eager to secure instruction for their children. See how devoted this one was : John preached in the desert ;

the crowd came from Jerusalem to hear him ; they must take a long journey ; nevertheless this feeble woman, has taken this fatiguing journey that she might benefit her child. She would not have come probably, merely for her own good : for, you see that she is the only female in the crowd. The others have perhaps fallen back overcome with fatigue. But a mother can endure much for her child, for him she is ready to devote her time, her toil, and even her life. And do these children always nobly repay a mother's devoted love ? Are they not sometimes obstinate, rebellious and ungrateful ? Oh, my children, if you knew how such conduct pierces a mother's heart, you would surely spare her such anguish, as a thankless child inflicts, and, from love to her, strive to make some return for all her anxieties for you.

On the other side of the preacher you see a river, an axe, and a tree. This river is the Jordan in which John baptized ; that tree bears no fruit, and the axe is placed at its roots, as if ready to cut down its useless trunk. These are emblems by which to make you better understand religious truths. That tree without fruit represents a man without virtue and usefulness ; the axe signifies the justice of God ; the whole is a lively image of this truth : as the axe, in the hands of the woodman, cuts down the sterile tree, that it may be burned up, so likewise the justice of God will destroy those, who are of no service in his vineyard.

We have not yet said any thing of the most important person present in this scene. You may not even have perceived him.

Look far up the mountain, and in the distance see Jesus Christ himself, coming to be baptized by his servant John.

If you, my children, had been in the place of John the Baptist, would you not have felt proud to see Jesus coming to receive baptism at your hands ? In the presence of this crowd of witnesses would you not have felt a secret pleasure in fulfilling this honorable office ? Very probably. But John was very far from any such thoughts ; he judged himself so unworthy of the honor, that, at first, he refused, saying: "I need to be baptized by thee, and dost thou come to me V Yet when Jesus commanded him, he accepted, through obedience, an honor that he had refused on account of his humility.

What a contrast between the Pharisee and John ! What pride, and what humility ! Without doubt, my children, in your hearts you condemn the one and approve the other.

Well, you must remember, that, when you endeavor to gain the admiration of others by the exhibition of foolish pride, you are imitating the Pharisee, and will probably meet only ridicule and contempt.

Now, that I have finished the description of the picture, will you read over carefully the beautiful passages which describe the scene ? You will find them in Matt. 3 : 1—11 ; Luke 3 : 10—16; Matt. 3: 11—17.

IV. Jesus, Healing The Sick

This scene, my children, is easy for you to understand. You have probably already recognized Jesus, not only by his noble and divine figure ; but by the gracious manner with which he receives those poor, sick persons; I presume you know also, why, this crowd have come near to the Saviour. Each resorts to him, perhaps, for the cure of a different malady, and yet there is one disease of which none wish to be healed. Not that they are all free from it, on the contrary, all are afflicted with it, but they do not know it.

What then is this disease from which all suffer, but of which all are ignorant ? I will tell you directly ; for a moment however let us see what requests are made by this throng around Jesus.

At his feet you see a little infant in a cradle. Its mother placed it there, and throwing herself upon her knees, her hair disordered by her grief, she supplicates for the healing of her loved child. In the midst of the crowd, you see another woman, bringing her child in her arms to Jesus. Here we see again the love of mothers for their children.

Before Jesus, on the contrary, are two sons bringing to him their aged and infirm parent, and not satisfied with this act of affection, one of them kneeling, beseeches the Saviour to heal

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him. Near him is a poor paralytic, who cannot support himself. His wife sustains him, reclining upon her knee, that he may the more easily see and hear Jesus. She raises him with one hand, and extends the other, as if to impose silence on the crowd, and to attract the attention of the Master ; and she listened with eager ear, for the words which shall fall from the lips of the heavenly physician.

Behind this woman, you see a poor blind man. He has only a little boy and a staff to guide him. He has never seen Jesus, but has heard, that he can cause the blind to see, and comes that he may receive his sight.

In the distance you see a crowd of persons, returning joyfully to their homes ; for they have been healed ; and others, hastening to secure a similar blessing. Among them are the lame, the dumb, and the blind. Can you imagine what must have been the feelings of these afflicted ones, at the moment when Jesus pronounced them whole ? For many long years, some of them had been sufferers.