say, "I will do anything for you, because you speak so kindly to me ;" and then, bending his broad chest against the load, he turned the cart down the narrow lane, and trotted on briskly, as though the load was a plaything. How powerful are kind words! THE HOLY CHILD, JESUS. WHEN Jesus, our blessed Saviour, was born into the world, He was made "under the law." He became a debtor to do the whole law, and this for our sakes. He, the mighty God, came down from heaven, and submitted to fulfil a law of his own appointment,-a law which God had given for man to obey,- that those who had sinned against that law, and broken its holy commandments, might be delivered from the curse of the law, and be made partakers of everlasting life. When a little child, the holy Jesus was obedient to his Father's will. With the first dawn of intelligence, He began to fulfil all righteousness; as He increased in stature, so did He increase in wisdom and holiness and favour with God. He was born into the world to feel like other children feel; to weep like other children weep. He could love what children love. Beautiful to him were the flowers which He had made; for He was God, and without Him was not anything made that was made. Pleasant to his ear was the voice of the singing rill, and musical to his infant heart was the soft, loved tone of his mother's voice. But He was altogether without sin. In his intercourse with other children at Nazareth, no angry word ever escaped his lips, no stain of passion defiled his spotless soul. When his companions were unkind to him, He bore it meekly, not rendering evil for evil, but being kind and forgiving to all. We read about the brethren of Jesus, who did not believe in him when He went about preaching the gospel; and we may suppose that when He was a child He did not escape their harsh treatment and angry words, for those who do the will of God, bring upon themselves the persecution and anger of those who do not live in the fear of God. But, oh! with what sweetness, what love, did He bear all! Though his heart was filled with sorrow, and his eye with tears, there was no resentment, no revenge, in God's holy child. How beautiful was his obedience to Joseph and Mary. He was subject to them- He obeyed them. He who made the heavens and the earth, to whom the mighty angels owed their being, He attended to the wishes of his mother, and cheerfully complied with her commands. Jesus is an example set before children, that they may copy him in all the holiness and beauty of his character. Let little children go to Jesus, let them see what He did, and let them ask God for grace that they may do the same. But Jesus was a holy child, not only that He might leave an example for children to follow in his steps; He was a holy child that he might be the righteousness of child Every ren. God requires of children perfect obedience to his law; but children have broken his law by sinning against it, and therefore cannot render that perfect obedience. Children break God's law every time they think an angry thought, or speak a passionate word; when they are way. ward and fretful, disobedient to their parents and teachers, and neglectful of the means God has provided for their improvement. vain thought which creeps into their mind during prayer; all their listlessness and inattention at church, this is sin,—and sin brings down the curse of God. Jesus never sinned. All He did was holy; and if we believe in him, God will impute, or reckon, his righteousness unto us. This holy child was obedient in all his thoughts, and words, and deeds, that his Father, being well pleased in him, may also be well pleased in those who believe in him. This is the righteousness we must seek to be the covering of our souls. No works that we can do can make us righteous and holy before God, for we are sinners, guilty sinners, and all that we do, is stained with sin but the purity of Jesus, the obedience of Jesus, that God will reckon as ours, if we belong to him as the branch belongs to the vine, and if we know what it is to have him for our Saviour. In the 61st chapter of Isaiah, this righteousness is called a "robe." white robe, in which we may stand accepted at the last, the judgment day. And is Jesus ready to put this robe upon little children? Will He It is a pure give them faith to see how pure, how beautiful it is? Oh, yes! He will. Children are precious to that dear Saviour, who was once a child himself. Though He is sitting at his Father's right hand with angels around him, He does not forget what He felt when He walked by his mother's side upon the hills of Nazareth, listening to the song of wild birds, and rejoicing in all things bright and beautiful around him. He has sympathies in his heart of love which connect that heart with the lowliest babe for whom his blood was shed. Dear children, while you are joyous and glad with all the happy feelings of childhood, watching the bright butterflies as they flutter in the sunbeams, and looking upward with rapture to the golden splendour of sunset skies, Jesus sees you; his eye is over you, beaming with love. He was obedient to the law for your sakes. He shed his blood to put away your sins. When you have any sorrows, go and tell them to him. Confide in him; trust in him. Never think to recommend yourselves to God by anything you can do, but plead the righteousness, the blood of your precious Saviour. Ask him to hide you in his bosom from all the evil and sin of life, to cover you with his robe, to grant you grace to be holy in childhood as He was holy; and at last He will gather you home to his safe and pleasant fold, where many children, young as you, are seeing him in his beauty, and singing to God their songs of glory and praise. J. H. Boetry. EVENING HYMN. Now we thank Thee, Heavenly Father, Thou hast fed, and clothed, and bless'd us, Father, hear us, While our evening hymn we say. Though Thou art so good and gracious, Through the day Thine eye hath seen: Wash our souls and make us clean. We are weak and helpless children, We may safely trust in Thee! Father! be Thou always with us, Pure and Holy in Thy sight. |