truth in the present life—would lead to glory and honor in
Him. Christ died to save them, and Christ ever lives to give them peace.
Dear children, John was well aware of these things. He had learned them by experience. He saw this lady's children likely to be happy in this world—so no wonder he rejoiced.
4. Lastly, John rejoiced because he knew that walking in truth in the present life—would lead to glory and honor in the life to come.
The life to come is the life we should all think most of. Many people seem only to care for what happens to them in this life. But they are sadly mistaken. This life is very short—it will soon be over. The oldest man will tell you, that it seems only a few years ago, that he was a child. The life to come is the life of real importance—it will have no end. It will be never-ending happiness—or never-ending pain. Oh, what a serious thought that is!
Children, I doubt not that John was thinking of the life to come when he rejoiced. Our Lord Jesus Christ had often told him of the glorious rewards prepared for those who walk in truth. John thought of the rewards laid up in Heaven for these children, and was glad.
I doubt not John looked forward in his heart to that day when Jesus shall come again. I dare say he saw in his mind's eye, these dear children clothed in robes as white as snow, having golden crowns on their heads, standing at Jesus Christ's right hand, enjoying pleasures forevermore. He saw them and their beloved mother meeting again in Heaven—meeting in that blessed place where parting and sorrow shall be known no more.
Dear children, these must have been sweet and pleasant thoughts. I do not wonder that John rejoiced.
And now I have finished what I have to say about our text. I have done what I promised. I have told you what it is to walk in truth— that is one important thing. I have told you why John rejoiced so much to find this lady's children walking in truth—that is the other important thing. Let me now wind up all, by saying something which, by God's help, may fasten this sermon in your minds. Alas, how many sermons are forgotten! I want this sermon to stick in your hearts, and do good.
Ask yourselves then, everyone, "Would John, if he knew me at this time, rejoice over me? Would John be pleased if he saw my ways and my behavior, or would he look sorrowful?"
O children, children—do not neglect this question. This is no light matter. It may be your life. No wise man will ever rejoice over bad children. They may be clean and pretty, and have fine clothes, and look well outwardly—but a wise man will only feel sad when he sees them—he will feel they are wrong inwardly. They do not have new hearts—they are not going to Heaven! Believe me, it is far better to be good—than to be handsome boy. It is far better to have grace in your hearts, than to have much money in your pockets, or fine clothes on your backs. None but children who love Christ—are the children who rejoice a wise man's heart.
Beloved children, hear the last words I have to say to you. I give you all an invitation from Christ, my Master: I say to you in His name, Come and walk in truth!
This is the way to gladden the hearts of your parents and relations. This is the one thing above all others, which will please your ministers and teachers. You little know how happy you make us, when you try to walk in truth. Then we feel that all is well, though we die and leave you behind us in this evil world. Then we feel that your souls are safe, though we are called away, and can help you and teach you no more. Then we feel that you are in the right way to be happy; and that you are prepared for troubles, however many may come upon you. For we know that walking in truth gives peace now, and we are sure that it leads to Heaven hereafter.
Come, then, this night, and begin to walk in truth. The devil will try to make you think it is too hard—that you cannot do it. Do not believe him—he is a liar! He wants to do you harm. Only trust in Christ, and follow Him—and you will soon say that His way is a way of pleasantness, and a path of peace. Only pray for the Holy Spirit to come into your heart, and you will soon feel strong. He can guide you into all truth. Only read the Bible regularly, and you will soon be made wise unto salvation. The Bible is the word of truth. Read and pray. Pray and read. Begin these habits, and keep them up. Do these things, and before long you will not say it is impossible to walk in truth. But come—come at once!
Children, I find Jesus Christ saying, in the third chapter of Revelation, "Behold I stand at the door and knock." Who knows but this may have been going on tonight? Who knows but Jesus may have been knocking at some of your hearts all through this sermon? If it is so—do not keep Him waiting any longer. If it is so—go to Him this night on your knees in prayer—go to Him and ask Him at once to
come in. Ask Jesus to come and dwell in your heart, and take care of it as His own. Ask Him to enable you to walk in truth.
Oh, think how many children in the world have never been invited as you are!—how many boys and girls have never had the chance of being saved that you enjoy—how many, perhaps, would leap for joy, and walk in truth at once, if they were invited. Beloved children, take care. You, at least cannot say that you were not invited. Jesus invites you—the Bible invites you—I, the servant of Christ, invite you all tonight. Oh, come to Christ! Come, and be happy. Come and walk in truth!
Little and Wise
"Four things on earth are little, yet they are extremely wise:
Ants are creatures of little strength—yet they store up their food in the summer;
conies are creatures of little power—yet they make their home in the crags;
locusts have no king—yet they advance together in ranks;
a spider can be caught with the hand—yet it is found in kings' palaces."
Proverbs 30:24-28
Dear Children,
I would like you all to be very wise. Wisdom is far better than money or fine clothes, or grand houses, or horses and carriages. People who are not wise, seldom get on well. They are seldom happy. My best wish for any dear boys and girls that I love—is that they may grow up very wise.
"But how are we to be wise?" some of you will ask. "What are we to do in order to get this wisdom, which you tell us is such a good thing?"
Dear Children, if you would be wise, you must pray to God to make you so. You must ask Him to put His Holy Spirit in your hearts, and give you wisdom. This is one thing.
Besides this, you must read God's holy book, the Bible. There you will find out what true wisdom is. There you will see what kind of things wise people do. This is another thing.
And now let me talk to you about the four verses in the Bible which I have written out for you. They are verses which tell us about wisdom. I hope they will do you much good.
There you see that God tells you to learn a lesson of four little creatures—the ant, the cony, the locust, and the spider. He seems to say that they are all patterns of wisdom. They are all poor little weak things. An ant is a little creeping insect, that everybody knows. A cony is a little creature very like a rabbit. A locust is like a large grasshopper. A spider is a thing that the least child need not be afraid of. But God tells you that the ant, the cony, the locust, and the spider are very wise. Come then, dear children, and listen to me,
while I tell you something about them. Some of you are but little now. But here you see it is possible to be little—and yet wise.
I. First of all, what are you to learn of the ANTS? You must learn of the little ants to take thought to prepare for the times to come.
"The ants," says the Bible, "are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer." God has made the ants so wise and thoughtful, that they go about gathering food in the harvest time. They are not idle in the fine long days, when the sun shines. They get all the grains of corn they can find, and store them up in their nests. And so, when frost and snow come, the ants are not starved. They lay snug in their nests, and have plenty to eat.
The butterflies are much prettier to look at than the ants. They have beautiful wings, and make a much finer show. But the butterflies, poor things, are not so wise as the ants. They fly about among the flowers, and enjoy themselves all the summer. They never think of gathering food for the winter. But what happens when the winter comes? The poor butterflies all die, while the ants keep alive.
And now, dear children, I want you each to learn wisdom of the ants. I want you, like them, to think of time to come.
You have each got within you—a soul that will live forever. Your body will die some time. Your soul never will. And your soul needs thought and care as much as your body. It needs to have its sins pardoned. It needs grace to make it please God. It needs power to be good. It needs to have God for its best friend in order to be happy.
And, dear children, the best time for seeking pardon, grace, and the friendship of God—is the time of youth. Youth and childhood are your summer. Now you are strong and well. Now you have plenty of time. Now you have few cares and troubles to distract you. Now is the best time for laying up food for your souls.
Ah, my beloved children, you must remember that winter is before you! Old age is your winter. Your frost, and snow, and rain, and storms—are all yet to come. Sorrow, pain, sickness, death, and judgment—will all come with old age. Happy are those who get ready for it early. Happy are those who, like the ants, take thought for things to come!
Those are wise boys and girls who read their Bibles, and learn many texts by heart. Those are wise boys and girls who pray to God everyday to give them His Holy Spirit. Those are wise who mind what their parents and teachers tell them, and take pains to be good. Those are wise who dislike all bad ways, and bad words, and always tell the truth. Such boys and girls are like the little ants. They are laying up store against time to come.
Dear children, if you have not done so before I hope you will begin to do so now. If you have done so, I hope you will keep on doing so, and do so more and more. Do not be like the foolish butterflies. Be like the ants. Think of time to come—and be wise.
II. But let us now go on and see what you are to learn of the CONIES. You must learn of the little conies to have a place of safety to flee to in time of danger.
"The conies," says the Bible, " make their houses in the rocks." The conies are afraid of foxes, and dogs, and cruel men who hunt and kill them. They are poor weak things, and are not strong enough to fight and take care of themselves. So what do they do? They make their holes among stones and rocks whenever they can. They go where men cannot dig them out. They go where dogs and foxes cannot follow them. And then, when they see men, or dogs, or foxes coming —they run away into those holes, and are safe.
The wolf can run much faster than the cony, for it has much longer legs. The deer is much bigger than the cony, and has got fine antlers. But the wolf and the deer have got no holes to run into. They lie out on the open fields. And so when men come to hunt them with dogs and guns, they are soon caught and killed. But the little cony has a hiding-place to run to, and in this way he often escapes.
Now, dear children, I want you to learn wisdom from the little conies. I want you to have a place of safety for your souls.
Your souls have many enemies. You are in danger from many things which may do them harm. You have each of you a wicked heart within you. Have you not often found how hard it is to be good? You have each a terrible enemy, seeking to ruin you forever, and take you to Hell. That enemy is the devil. You cannot see him. But he is never far off. You are each living in a world where there are many bad people, and few good. Dear children, all these things are against you.
You need the help of One who can keep you safe! You need a hidingplace for your precious souls. You need a dear Friend, who is able to save you from your evil hearts, from the devil, and from the bad
example of wicked people. Listen to me, and I will tell you about Him.
There is One who is able to keep your souls quite safe. His name is Jesus Christ. He is strong enough to save you, for He is God's own Son. He is willing to save you, for He came down from Heaven and died upon the cross for sinners. When He was upon earth, He took children up in His arms and blessed them.
Dear children, those boys and girls are wise—who put their trust in Jesus Christ, and ask Him to take care of their souls. Such boys and girls will be kept safe. Jesus Christ loves them. Jesus Christ will not let them come to harm. He will not allow the devil, or wicked people, to ruin their souls. Jesus is the true rock for children to flee to. Boys and girls who trust Him will be cared for while they live—and go to Heaven when they die. Jesus is the only true hiding-place. Boys and girls who love Him will be safe and happy.
Dear children, I hope you will all try to have your souls kept safe. Do not put off asking the Lord Jesus Christ to take care of them. Do not say to yourselves, "Oh, we shall have plenty of time by and by!" Who knows what may happen to you before long. Perhaps you may be sick and ill. Perhaps you may lose all your kind friends, and be left alone. Oh, go and pray to Jesus now! Be like the wise little conies. Get a safe hiding-place for your soul.
III. Let us now see what you are to learn of the LOCUSTS. You must learn of the locusts to love one another, to keep together, and help one another.
"The locusts," says the Bible, "have no king, yet they advance together in ranks." They have nobody over them to tell them what to do. They are poor little weak insects by themselves. One locust alone can do very little. The least boy or girl would kill a locust, if he were to tread on it. It would be dead at once.
But the little locusts are so wise that they always keep together. They fly about in such numbers that you could not count them. You would think they were a black cloud. They do not quarrel with one another. They help each other. And in this way the locusts are able to do a very great deal. They make the farmers and gardeners quite afraid when they are seen coming. They eat up the grass and grain. They strip all the leaves off the trees. And this is because they help one another.
Dear children, I want you to learn of the little locusts always to love one another, and never to quarrel. You should try to be kind and helpful to other boys and girls. You should make it a rule never to be selfish, never to be spiteful, never to get angry, never to fight with one another. Boys and girls who do such things are not wise. They are more foolish than the locusts!
Dear children, quarreling is very wicked. It pleases the devil, for he is always trying to make people wicked like himself. It does not please God—for God is love. Selfishness and quarreling are most improper in Christian children. They should try to be like Christ. Christ was never selfish. He pleased not Himself.
Think what a great deal of good, boys and girls might do, if they would be like the little locusts, and love one another. Think how useful they might be to their fathers and mothers: they might save
them much trouble and help in many little ways. Think what a great deal of money they might collect to help the missionaries go to the poor heathen. If every child in England was to collect ten dollars a year to help the missionaries, it would be a very great sum. Think, above all, what good boys and girls might do if they agree to pray for one another. How happy they would soon be! Such prayers would be heard.
Dear children, as long as you live—love one another. Try to be of one mind. Have nothing to do with quarreling and fighting. Hate it, and think it a great sin. You ought to agree together far better than the little locusts. They have no king to teach them. You have a King who has promised His Spirit to teach you—and that King is Christ! Oh, be wise like the locusts, and love one another!
IV. And now, last of all, let us see what you are to learn of the SPIDER. You must learn of the spider—not to give up trying to be good because of a little trouble.
"The spider," says the Bible, "can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces." The spider is a poor little feeble thing, you all know. But the spider takes great pains in making her web. The spider creeps into grand houses, and climbs to the top of the finest rooms. And there she spins her web. There seems no keeping her out. Your mother comes and brushes the web away. The spider sets to work at once, and makes it again new. No insect is so persevering as the spider. She does her work over and over again. She will not give up!
I remember a story of a great king who got back his kingdom, by taking example from a spider. Poor man! he had been driven away
from his kingdom, like David, by wicked rebels. He had tried often to get his kingdom back. He had fought many battles, but had always been beaten. At last he begun to think it was no use—he would give up and fight no more. It happened at that time that he was lying awake in bed very early one summer's morning, when he saw a spider at work. The spider was trying to make a thread from one side of the room to the other. Twelve times she tried in vain—twelve times the thread broke, and she fell to the ground. Twelve times she got up, and tried again. But she did not give up: she persevered, and the thirteenth time she succeeded!
Now when the king saw that, he said to himself, "Why should not I persevere too, in trying to get back my kingdom? Why should not I succeed at last, though I have so often failed?" He did try again—and he succeeded. He conquered his cruel enemies and got back his kingdom. Dear children, this king's name was Robert Bruce. He got back his kingdom in Scotland by copying the spider!
Now I want you to make the spider your pattern about your souls. I want you, like the spider, to persevere in sticking to what is good. I would like you to determine that you will never give up. I want you to keep on trying not to do what is evil—and trying always to do what is good, and pleasing to God.
Ah! dear children, it is a wicked world, I am sorry to say; and there are many will try hard to make you wicked as you grow up. The devil will try hard to make you forget God. Bad men and women will tell you there is no need for you to be so good.
I beg you not to give way. I beseech you to persevere. Keep on praying every day; keep on reading your Bibles regularly; keep on
regularly going to church on Sunday. Alas! there are many boys and girls who give up everything that is good, as soon as they leave school. While they are at school they use their Bibles, and prayerbooks. When they leave off going to school, they leave off using all their books too. They often get into bad company; they often take up bad ways; they often go idling about all Sunday. They seem to forget all that has been taught them. Alas! this is not persevering. This is being more foolish than the little spider! It is wicked and unwise!
Dear children, there is a glorious house in Heaven, where I hope I shall see some of you. There is a palace there, belonging to Jesus Christ, which is far finer than any palace on earth, in which all Jesus Christ's people shall live and be happy forever and ever. Dear children, I hope I shall see many of you there.
But, remember, if you and I are to meet in this glorious palace, you must persevere, and take pains about your souls. You must pray heartily. You must read your Bibles regularly. You must fight against sin daily. You must say when bad people entice you to do wrong, "I will not give up my religion! I will try to please Christ." Oh, let the little spider be your pattern all your lives! Persevere and be wise.
And now, dear children, I will finish by asking you to think of what I have been telling you. I have told you of four little creatures, which are very wise—the ants, the conies, the locusts, and the spiders. I have shown you that the ants are a pattern of wisdom, because they think of time to come. The conies are a pattern of wisdom, because they make their houses in safe places. The locusts are a pattern of wisdom, because they help one another. The spiders are a pattern of wisdom, because they persevere. Dear children, I want you to be like
them. Some of you may possibly never live to be men and women. But one thing you may be, even now—you may be wise.
Be wise like the ants. Consider these two verses of the Bible and learn them by heart. "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth." (Ecclesiastes 12:1) "Prepare to meet your God!" (Amos 4:12)
Be wise like the conies. Consider these two verses of the Bible and learn them by heart. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ—and you shall be saved." (Acts 16:31) "You are my hiding-place. You shall preserve me from trouble!" (Psalm 32:7)
Be wise like the locusts. Consider these two verses of the Bible and learn them by heart. "By this shall all men know that you are My disciples—if you love one another." (John 13:35) "He who loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God, whom he has not seen?" (1 John 4:20)
Be wise like the spiders. Consider these words of the Bible and learn them by heart. "Ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and you shall find." (Matthew 7:7) "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." (Hebrews 12:1, 2.)
Dear children, think on these things. This is the way to be both happy and wise. Never forget what God says in the Bible, "Better is a poor and wise child—than an old and foolish king." (Ecclesiastes 4:13) "The wise shall inherit glory." (Proverbs 3:35)
No Crying
"God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." Revelation 21:4
Beloved Children—A Bible text stands at the top of this page. I would like you to read it twice over. I am going to tell you something which, I hope, will make you remember that text as long as you live.
I am going to tell you about three places, of which the Bible says a great deal. It matters little what we know about some places; but it matters much to know something about the three places of which I am now going to speak.
Firstly: There is a place where there is a great deal of crying.
Secondly: There is a place where there is nothing else but crying.
Thirdly : There is a place where there is no crying at all.
Now, attend to me, and I will tell you a few things worth knowing.
I. First of all, there is a place where there is A GREAT DEAL OF CRYING.
What is that place? It is the world in which you and I live. It is a world full of beautiful and pleasant things. The sun shining by day and the stars by night; the green hills looking up to Heaven, and the rolling sea ebbing and flowing; the broad quiet lakes, and the rushing restless rivers; the flowers blooming in the spring, and the fields full of grain in autumn; the birds singing in the woods, and the
lambs playing in the meadows—all, all are beautiful things! I could look at them for hours and say, "What a beautiful world it is!" But still it is a world where there is a great deal of crying. It is a world where there are many tears.
There was "crying" in Bible times. Hagar wept when she thought Ishmael was dying; Abraham mourned when Sarah died; Joseph wept when his brothers sold him into Egypt; David wept when Absalom was killed. There was weeping at Jerusalem when good king Josiah was slain in battle. There was weeping at Bethlehem when Herod killed all the little children who were under two years old. These things, and many like them, you will find in your Bibles.
There is "crying" now all over the world. Little babies cry when they want anything, or feel pain. Boys and girls cry when they are hurt, or frightened, or corrected. Grown up people cry sometimes when they are in trouble, or when they see those die whom they love. In short, wherever there is sorrow and pain—there is "crying."
I dare say you have seen people come to church all dressed in black. That is called being in mourning. Some relation or friend of these people has died, and therefore they dress in black. Well, remember when you see people in mourning, that somebody has been "crying."
I dare say you have seen graves in churchyards, and have heard that when people die, they are buried there. Some of them are very little graves—shorter than you are. Well, remember that when those graves were made, and little coffins were let down into them, there was "crying."
Children, did you ever think where all this crying came from? Did you ever consider how crying first began? Did you ever hear how weeping and tears came into the world? God did not make crying— that is certain. All that God made was "very good." Listen to me, and I will tell you how "crying" began.
Crying came into the world by reason of sin. Sin is the cause of all the weeping, and tears, and sorrow, and pain, which are upon earth. All the crying began when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit— and became sinners. It was sin which brought into the world pain and sickness and death. It was sin which brought into the world selfishness, and lying, and unkindness, and quarreling, and stealing, and fighting. If there had been no wickedness, there would have been no weeping. If there had been no sin, there would have been no "crying."
See now, my beloved children, how much you ought to hate sin! All the unhappiness in the world came from sin. How strange and astonishing it is—that anyone can take pleasure in sin! Do not let that be the case with you. Watch against sin. Fight with it. Avoid it. Do not listen to it. Take the advice of the apostle Paul: "Hate that which is evil." Take the advice of King Solomon: "When sinners entice you—do not consent!" Say to yourself every morning, "Sin caused crying—and so I will hate sin!"
See, again, my beloved children, how foolish it is to expect perfect happiness in this world. It is expecting what you will not find. This world is a place where there is much "crying," and where things do not always go on pleasantly. I hear many boys and girls talking of pleasures they will have when they are grown men and women. I am
sorry for them when I hear them talking in this way. I know they are mistaken. I know they will be disappointed. They will find when they grow up, that they cannot get through the world without many troubles and cares. There are no roses without thorns. There are no years—without dark and rainy days. There is no living on earth— without "crying" and tears!
I will now speak of the second place about which I promised to tell you something.
II. There is a place where there is NOTHING ELSE BUT "CRYING."
What is this place? It is the place to which all bad people go when they are dead. It is the place which the Bible calls HELL. In Hell there is no laughter and smiling. There is nothing but "weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth!" In Hell there is no happiness. Those who go there, cry all day and all night without stopping. They have no rest. They never go to sleep and wake up happy. They never stop crying in Hell.
Beloved children, I am sorry to tell you—that there are many people going to Hell. "For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to Hell, and many enter through it!" I am afraid that many children are going to Hell. I see many boys and girls who are so naughty and illbehaved, that I am sure they are not fit for Heaven. And if they are not fit for Heaven—where will they go if they die? There is only one other place to which they can go. THEY MUST GO TO HELL!
Dear children, it makes me sad to say these things. I cannot bear the thought of boys and girls going to that dreadful place where there is
nothing but crying. My heart's desire and prayer to God for you—is that you may not go to Hell. But I want you to know some things which you must mind if you would not go to Hell. Listen to me now while I ask you a few questions.
For one thing, I will ask you—Do you love Jesus Christ? You ought to love Him. He died for sins upon the cross—that He might save people from Hell. He allowed Himself to be shut up in the dark prison of the grave, that sins might be forgiven, and that people might not be chained in Hell forever. Dear children, think about this! If you love nothing but playing and eating sweets, and fine clothes and story-books—and do not love Christ, you are not in the right way! Take care! When you die, you will go to Hell—the place where there is NOTHING BUT "CRYING."
I will ask you another thing—Do you try to please Christ? You ought to do so. I read in the Bible that Jesus Christ said, "If you love Me—keep my commandments." "You are my friends—IF you do whatever I command you." Dear children, think about this! If you are selfish, or angry, or tell lies, or quarrel with one another, or do not obey as you are told—you are not Christ's friends. Take care! When you die, you will go to Hell—the place where there is NOTHING BUT "CRYING."
I will ask you another thing—Do you pray? You ought to do so. God will never be a friend to you—if you do not speak to Him, and ask Him to take care of your soul and make you good. If you never pray, or say your prayers without thinking—your heart will soon be full of mischief and sin. It will never stay empty for a day. I once heard of a boy who had a little garden full of flowers, given to him. But he did
nothing for it. He never raked it or weeded it. And after a few weeks, the weeds came up so thick that the flowers died. Dear children, think of this! If you do not ask God to put the Holy Spirit in your hearts, the devil will soon fill them with sin! Take care! When you die, you will go to Hell—the place where there is NOTHING BUT "CRYING."
I will ask you one more question—Do you read your Bible? You ought to do so. That beautiful book is able to keep you from Hell and save your soul. If you use the Bible rightly—you will not be hurt by the devil. I once heard of a little boy in Africa, who was sleeping with his father in the open air, near a fire. He awoke in the middle of the night and saw a great lion close to him, looking as if he was going to seize him. The little boy took up a burning stick out of the fire, and put it in the lion's face—and drove him away. Dear children, think of this! The devil is "a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." But he cannot harm you—if you make a right use of the Bible. If you would drive him from you, you must read your Bible. If you can read, and yet neglect your Bible, you are in great danger. Take care! When you die, you will go to Hell—the place where there is NOTHING BUT "CRYING."
Beloved children, remember my four questions. Think of them often, and test your own hearts by them. I am not afraid about children who love Jesus, and try to please Him, and pray and read their Bibles. I am not afraid that they will go to Hell if they die. But I am afraid about children who care nothing about these things. I think they are in great danger of going to Hell!
I will now speak of the third place about which I promised to tell you something.
III. There is a place where there is NO CRYING AT ALL.
What is this place? It is HEAVEN. It is the place to which all godly people go when they are dead. In Heaven, there all is joy and happiness. There no tears are shed. There sorrow and pain and sickness and death can never enter in. There can be no crying in Heaven, because there is nothing that can cause grief.
There will be no more work in Heaven. People will no longer need to labor for their food. The head will no longer have to ache with thinking. The hands will no longer be painful with toiling. There will be an eternal rest for all the people of God.
There will be no sickness in Heaven. Pain and disease and weakness and death will not be known. The people who dwell there shall never say, "I am sick." They will be always well. There will be nothing but health and strength forevermore.
There will be no sin in Heaven. There will be no bad tempers, no unkind words, no spiteful actions. The great tempter, the devil, will not be allowed to come in and spoil the happiness. There shall be nothing but holiness and love forevermore.
Best of all, the Lord Jesus Christ himself will be in the midst of Heaven. His people shall at last see Him face to face, and never leave His presence! He shall gather His lambs into His bosom, and wipe away all tears from all eyes. Where He is—will be fullness of joy, and at His right hand, shall be pleasures forevermore.
Dear children, would you not like to go to Heaven? We cannot live always in this world. A day will come when we must die—like the old people who have died already. Children, would you not like to go to Heaven when you die? Listen to me, and I will tell you something about the WAY by which you must go to Heaven.
If you would go to Heaven—you must have your sins forgiven, and your hearts made new and good. There is only One who can do this for you. That one is the Lord Jesus Christ. God has appointed Him to be the Friend of sinners. He can wash away your sins in His own precious blood. He can make your hearts new by putting the Holy Spirit in them. Jesus is the Way and the Door into Heaven. He has the key to Heaven in His hand. Children, if you want to go to Heaven, you must ask Jesus Christ to let you in.
Ask Jesus in prayer to get ready a place for you in that world where there is no "crying." Ask Him to put your name in His book of life and to make you one of His people. Ask Him to cleanse you from all your sins, and to put the Holy Spirit in your heart. Ask Him to give you power to fight His battle against sin, the world, and the devil. Ask Him to give you grace to make you good while you are young, and good when you grow up, that so you may be safe while you live, and happy forever when you die.
Children, Jesus Christ is ready to do all this, if you will only ask Him. He has done it for many people already. He is waiting to do it for you at this very time. Do not be afraid to ask Him. Tell Him you have heard that He was very kind to people when He was on earth, and ask Him to be kind to you. Remind Him how kind He was to the poor dying thief on the cross. Say to Him, "Lord Jesus, remember me; I
want to go to Heaven. Lord, think upon me. Lord, give me the Holy Spirit. Lord, pardon my sins, and give me a new heart. Lord Jesus, save me!"
And now, children, I have kept my word. I have told you of three places. I have told you of a place where there is nothing but crying. I hope none of you will go there. I have told you of a place where there is no crying. I hope you will all go there. I have told you of a place where there is a great deal of crying. That place is the world in which you are living. Would you like, last of all, to know the best way to be happy in this world? Listen to me, and I will tell you.
The happiest people in this world are those who make the Bible the rule of their lives. They read their Bibles often. They believe what the Bible says. They love that Savior Jesus Christ of whom the Bible speaks. They try to obey what the Bible commands. None are so happy as these people. They cannot prevent sickness and trouble coming to them sometimes. But they learn from the Bible to bear them patiently. Children, if you would get through the world happily —make the Bible your best friend.
Shall I tell you a story that I once heard about a little boy and the Bible? Perhaps it will help you to remember what I have just been saying. I want the words I have just written to stick forever in your minds.
"Father," said this little boy one day, "I do not see any use in reading the Bible. I do not see that it does people any good." Little Johnny said this in a rather cross and cranky way, and his father thought it best not to begin reasoning with him. "Johnny," he said, " put on your hat and come out, and take a walk with me."
Johnny's father took him first to a house where there was an old woman who was very poor, and he talked to her about her poverty. "Sir," said the old woman, "I do not complain. I have read in the Bible these words, 'I have learned in whatever state I am, therewith to be content.'" "Johnny," said the little boy's father, "hear what the old woman says."
They went on to another house, where there was a young woman who was very ill, and never likely to get better. Johnny's father asked her if she felt afraid to die. "No!" she said, "I find it written in the Bible, 'Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for You are with me.'" "Johnny," said the little boy's father again, "hear what the young woman says."
Children, when Johnny and his father came home that afternoon from their walk, his father asked him one question. "Johnny," he said, "do you think it is of any use to read the Bible? Do you think reading the Bible does people any good?"
And now what do you think Johnny said? I will tell you. He held down his head, and said nothing. But his face got very red, and he looked very much ashamed.
Children, from that very day Johnny was never heard again to say, "It is of no use reading the Bible."
Beloved children, remember my parting words. The way to get through the world with the least possible crying, is to read the Bible, believe the Bible, pray over the Bible, and live by the Bible.
He who goes through life in this way will have the least "crying" in this world. And best of all, he will have no crying at all in the world to come.
The Happy Little Girl
Dear Children, Would you like to know who was the happiest child I ever saw? Listen to me, and I will tell you.
The happiest child I ever saw was a little girl whom I once met traveling in a railway carriage. We were both going on a journey to London, and we traveled a great many miles together. She was only eight years old, and she was blind. She had never been able to see at all. She had never seen the sun, and the stars, and the sky, and the grass, and the flowers, and the trees, and the birds, and all those pleasant things which you see every day of your lives; but still she was quite happy.
She was by herself, poor little thing. She had no friends or relations to take care of her on the journey, and be good to her; but she was quite happy and content. She said when she got into the carriage, "Tell me how many people there are in the carriage: I am quite blind, and can see nothing." A gentleman asked her if she was afraid? "No," she said, "I am not frightened; I have traveled before, and I trust in God, and people are always very good to me."
But I soon found out the reason why she was so happy; and what do you think it was? She loved Jesus Christ—and Jesus Christ loved her; she had sought Jesus Christ, and she had found Him.
I began to talk to her about the Bible, and I soon saw that she knew a great deal of it. She went to a school where the teacher used to read the Bible to her; and she was a good girl, and had remembered what her teacher had read.
Dear children, you cannot think how many things in the Bible this poor little blind girl knew. I only wish that every grown up person in England knew as much as she did. But I must try and tell you some of them.
She talked to me about sin: how it first came into the world, when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, and how it was to be seen everywhere now. "Oh," she said, "there are no really good people! The very best people in the world have many sins every day, and I am sure we all of us waste a great deal of time, if we do nothing else wrong. Oh, we are all such sinners! There is nobody who has not sinned a great many sins."
And then she talked about Jesus Christ. She told me about the agony in the garden of Gethsemane—about His sweating drops of blood— about the soldiers nailing Him to the cross—about the spear piercing His side, and blood and water coming out. "Oh," she said, " how very good it was of Him to die for us, and such a cruel death! How good He was to suffer so for our sins."
And then she talked about wicked people. She told me she was afraid there were a great many in the world, and it made her very unhappy
to see how many of her school-fellows and acquaintances lived. "But," she said, "I know the reason why they are so wicked: it is because they do not try to be good—they do not wish to be good— they do not ask Jesus to make them good."
I asked her what part of the Bible she liked best. She told me she liked all the history of Jesus Christ, but the chapters she was most fond of were the three last chapters of the Book of Revelation. I had a Bible with me, and I took it out and read these chapters to her as we went along.
When I was done, she began to talk about Heaven. "Think," she said, "how nice it will be to be there! There will be no more sorrow, nor crying, nor tears. And Jesus Christ will be there, for it says, 'the Lamb is the light thereof,' and we shall always be with Him; and beside this, there shall be no night there. They will need no candle nor light of the sun."
Dear children, just think of this poor little blind girl. Think of her taking pleasure in talking of Jesus Christ. Think of her rejoicing in the account of Heaven, where there shall be no sorrow nor night.
I have never seen her since. She went to her own home in London, and I do not know whether she is alive or not; but I hope she is, and I have no doubt Jesus Christ has taken good care of her.
Dear children, are you as happy and as cheerful as she was?
You are not blind—you have eyes, and can run about and see everything, and go where you like, and read as much as you please to yourselves. But are you as happy as this poor little girl?
Oh, if you wish to be happy in this world, remember my advice today —do as the little blind girl did: "Love Jesus Christ, and He will love you; seek Him early, and you shall find Him."
Seeking the Lord Early
"I love those who love Me; and those who seek Me early shall find
me." Proverbs 8:17
Children, I am going to talk to you about Jesus Christ and your souls.
I want to make you happy. But I know that people are never really happy unless their souls are happy; and I am sure that people's souls cannot be happy, unless they love Jesus Christ. And that is the reason why I am going to preach to you now. I want to tell you something about Jesus Christ and your souls.
Dear children, I hope you will all pay close attention while I talk to you. I pray that the Spirit of God may come into your hearts, and make you able to do so. Try to listen to me; try to understand what I say; try to remember and carry away something in your minds. I wish to do you all a great deal of good. Do not forget I am preaching to you—not to the grown up people—but to you, only to you.
Now just think what a pleasant text we have here. It is said, "I love those who love Me; and those who seek Me early shall find me."
These are sweet words indeed; and who do you think says them? They are said by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. He is called "Wisdom" in this chapter. But we know it means Jesus Christ, for there are things said about Wisdom in this chapter which cannot be said truly about any one but Jesus Christ Himself.
Come, now, and let us see what Jesus Christ says. Listen, dear children, for this is very important.
I. He tells us, "I love those who love Me." Now what can we make out of this?
First of all, do you not think it is very pleasant to hear that there are people whom Jesus Christ loves? You know we all like to be loved in this world. Only think how disagreeable it would be for you and I—if there was nobody alive who loved us. Suppose that no man or woman cared a bit for us. Suppose that everybody neglected us, and left us alone. What would we do? We would be wretched, and miserable, and unhappy! I am sure we all like to be loved.
Well, then, just consider what a blessed thing it must be to be loved by Jesus Christ—by the Son of God Himself!
You know that sometimes people love us in this world, and yet can do nothing for us. Your dear fathers and mothers love you, but perhaps they are poor, and cannot buy what you need; or perhaps they are sick, and very old, and can do nothing to help you.
But, dear children, these are things that can never happen to Jesus Christ, and I will tell you why.
Jesus Christ is very great. He is King of kings, and Lord of lords. He is Maker of all things. He is God Himself. He is Almighty. He is able to do anything that He likes.
Oh, what a thing it must be to be loved by Jesus Christ!
And again, Jesus Christ is very rich. He has got everything to give away which you can need, either for soul or body. He keeps the keys of Heaven. He has got an endless store of blessings in His treasure house, far more than I could describe.
Oh, what a thing it must be to be loved by Jesus Christ!
And again, Jesus Christ is very good. He never refuses any one who asks Him favors in a proper way. He was never known to say, "No!" to any person who made a prayer to Him with a meek and humble heart.
Oh, what a thing it must be to be loved by Jesus Christ!
Dear children, consider these things. Do you want a great friend? Do you want a rich friend? Do you want a kind friend? Is this the sort of friend you would like? Then be sure there is no friend in all the world like Jesus Christ. There is no love so well worth having—as the love of Jesus Christ.
Blessed and happy are those whom Jesus Christ loves. I could not tell you a tenth part of all the great things He does for their souls.
He pardons all their sins. He forgives all the bad things they do. He washes them in His own blood, and makes them whiter than snow,
so that not a spot of sins remains! Dear children, I think that is just what you and I need. We have all sinned many, many sins.
Besides, He gives them power to become good. He puts His Spirit in their hearts, and makes them love God's ways, and like to walk in them. Dear children, that too, is just the thing you and I need. We have very bad, wicked hearts by nature. We never love God's ways of ourselves.
Besides this, He takes care that none whom He loves shall be lost. He keeps them as a shepherd keeps his sheep. He will not allow either wicked men or the devil to destroy their souls. Dear children, that, too, is just what you and I need. We are all very weak foolish creatures; we would never be safe if left to ourselves.
And lastly, He is getting ready a place in Heaven for those whom He loves. He has a glorious house for them there, far away from sin, and sorrow, and trouble. Dear children, that, too, is good news for you and me. Is it not pleasant to think He has prepared a home for us—so that whenever we leave this world we shall go to a place of peace and rest?
All these things the Lord Jesus Christ does for those whom He loves. Only look at them! What mighty things, what glorious things they are! He cleanses them from all their sins. He gives them power to be good. He takes care that they are not lost. He gets ready a house for them in Heaven.
Dear children, this is love indeed; this is love worth having. Did I not tell you truly, that there is nothing in all the world to be compared to Christ's love; that there is nothing like being loved by Jesus Christ?
II. But let us see next—WHO are those whom Jesus Christ loves. He tells us in our text. He says, "I love those who love Me."
Now, how shall we know whether we love Jesus Christ or not? This is indeed an important question. Are there no marks or signs, perhaps you will say, by which those who love Him may be found out? Yes, dear children, I think there are; and what those marks and signs are, I shall now try to show you.
Remember, then, for one thing, those who love Jesus Christ, believe whatever He says in the Bible.
The Bible says we are all sinners—lost, perishing sinners; full of wickedness and deceit; deserving of nothing but God's anger and wrath. Many people cannot quite believe this. They cannot bring themselves to think they are so bad. They dislike to be told of it. Not so with those who love Jesus Christ. They believe it all. They are ready to say, "It is true, true, quite true."
Again, the Bible tells us we must come to Christ, and trust only in Him, if we would be saved. It says that nothing but His blood can wash away our sins; that it is only for His sake that anyone can be forgiven. Many people will not believe this either. They cannot think their own goodness will not help to get them to Heaven. But those who love Jesus Christ believe it all. They take the Lord at His word; they leave off trusting in their own goodness, and are ready to say, "None but Christ—none but Christ is my Savior!"
Dear children, no one can love Jesus Christ who does not believe what He says. Think what a sad thing it would be if you and I could not get our relations to believe us. Only fancy how hard and unkind it
would seem if they were to say, "We do not depend at all on what you tell us, we cannot trust your word." I am sure we should suppose they no longer loved us. This, then, is one mark of those who love Jesus Christ—they never doubt what He tells them, they believe every word.
Remember, for another thing, those who love Jesus Christ try to please Him. You know when you love people—that you try to please them. You try to do what they tell you, and to behave as they wish you, and to remember what they teach you, and to mind what they tell you—and why do you do so? Because you love them.
And besides this, you try to please them, not only before their faces, when they can see you—but also when they are gone away, and out of sight. True love makes you always think, "What would my dear friends like me to do?" If your father and mother found you doing naughty things—doing what they told you not to do, might they not well say, "Child, child, I am afraid you do not really love me!" Yes, indeed they might. True love will always cause true obedience, and the Bible says, "Even a child is known by his doings." (Proverbs 20:2)
Now, dear children, just as you try to please your friends, if you love them, so do those who love Jesus Christ try to please Him. They are always trying to do His will, to keep His laws, to live after His commandments, to obey His precepts. They do not think any of Christ's commands grievous; they never say that His laws are hard, strict, and disagreeable. It is their delight to walk in His paths.
Dear children—no man, or woman, or child, can really love Jesus Christ, if they do not try to obey Him. "You are my friends," He says, "if you do whatever I command you."
This, then, is another sure mark of those who love Jesus Christ—they try in all things to please Him.
Now we have got through one part of our text. Sit still and think for a moment about what you have heard. Each of you ask your own heart this little question, "Do I love Jesus Christ or not? Do I believe what He says, and do I try to please Him?" Those who can answer, "Yes," are the children He especially loves. Oh, remember what He says: "I love those who love Me."
III. But let us look next to the other part of our text, and see what we may learn from it. I really think this part is almost as pleasant as the first, for it contains a sweet promise: "Those who seek Me early— shall find Me."
Dear children, how are you and I to seek Jesus Christ? He does not live upon earth like one of us; we cannot see Him with our eyes; we cannot reach Him and take hold of Him with our hands; and yet He says, "Those who seek Me—shall find Me." What can this mean? Let me try to tell you.
First of all, you must seek Jesus Christ in His own Book. The Bible is Jesus Christ's book, and all who want to know Him must be very diligent in reading their Bibles. He says to everyone of you, "Search the Scriptures," and He will give the Holy Spirit to those who seek Him in the Scriptures, and teach them all about Himself.
Dear children, be regular readers of the Bible every day. Let the Word of God dwell in you richly, and then you will be truly wise. Read it daily, read a great deal of it, try and remember it, learn texts by heart. I remember a little girl in my first church, who could learn
seventy verses of the Bible in a week. How pleasant it is to find the Apostle Paul reminding Timothy, that from a child, he had known the Holy Scriptures. Now, why should not all of you be like Timothy in this? I would like to hear that you were all Bible-reading children —children who read the Bible at home, as well as at school.
This, then, is one way to seek Jesus Christ. You must seek Him in the Bible.
Secondly, you must seek Jesus Christ in His own house. Jesus Christ has many houses in this country, where people meet together to pray to Him, and to hear about Him. This Church is one of them; and wherever two or three are gathered together in Jesus Christ's name, the Lord Himself is really present, though we cannot see Him with our eyes.
Dear children, I hope you will all regularly go to Jesus Christ's house as long as you live. I hope you will never do like those foolish people who keep away from it. Oh, what sad harm they are doing to their poor souls!
And when you go, try to obey all you hear, and to get good from it. Do not stare about, and make noises, or talk to other children—but listen well to all that is read or preached. Jesus Christ is there, and sees how you behave. He loves to see little children coming to His house, and behaving well; and if you persevere in so doing, you may be sure He will put His Spirit in you, and fill you with all knowledge.
This, then, is another way to seek Jesus Christ. You must seek Him in His house.
Thirdly, you must seek Jesus Christ on your knees in prayer. You must ask Him with your own mouth to give you everything that your soul needs. You must ask Him to cleanse you from all your sins in His blood—to give you His Spirit—to make you good, obedient, gentle, kind, truth-speaking children—to keep you from being selfish, idle, greedy, angry, deceitful, or ill-tempered. You must tell Him all you are afraid of, and all you feel, and all you wish to have for your soul. This is prayer.
And you need not be afraid of Him at all when you pray. He would like you to tell Him all in your own simple way—just as you tell your own mothers when you need anything. He loves children very much. He was once much displeased with His disciples, because they prevented people bringing their children to Him, and He said, "Allow the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not." And He is just the same now—as He was then.
Dear children, I would like you all to be praying children—children who tell the Lord all your needs, and are not afraid to speak to Him. Prayer is the surest way to seek Him, and without prayer your souls will never prosper.
Never mind if your prayers seem very poor and weak. Only let them come from your hearts, and the Lord hears them.
The Lord Jesus hears every prayer that is sincerely prayed to Him. The least prayer of a little child on earth—is loud enough to be heard plainly in Heaven above. Heaven seems to be a long way off, but you may be sure the very moment the prayer is spoken—that it is heard there. A little key will often open a large door. Prayer is a little key of that sort. It can open the door of Heaven, and take you up to the very
throne of God Himself. Blessed are they who delight in prayer, and call much upon God.
This, then, is the third way to seek the Lord Jesus Christ. You must seek Him in prayer.
Dear children, I have told you how to seek the Lord. Ask yourselves, each one of you, before you go any further, "Do I really seek Him?"
IV. But our text tells us something about those who seek Jesus Christ, and what is it? It says that they shall find Him.
The Lord promises "those who seek Me—shall find Me." How sweet it is to hear that. Think how disagreeable it would be to seek and seek all our lives, and never find Him. But the Lord says, "they shall find Me."
Now I want to tell you what this "finding" means. We shall not see Him with our eyes, for He is sitting at God's right hand in Heaven, and not on earth, and yet we are told we shall find Him. How can this be? Let me tell you.
You will find the Lord's presence in your own hearts and minds. You will feel something within you, as if the Lord Jesus Christ was sitting by you, and taking care of you, and putting His arm round you, and smiling upon you, and speaking kindly to you. Just as a blind person feels brighter and happier when the sun is shining pleasantly on him, though he cannot see it, so you and I, if we seek Jesus Christ in earnest, shall soon feel our hearts lighter and happier, and something within us will make us know that we have found Him.
Dear children, it is sweet and comfortable indeed when we feel that we have really found Jesus Christ. Oh, that you may never give up seeking—until you have found Him! and you will find Him, I know, if you seek on, for He is not far off. He is very near every one of us. He is waiting for us to call upon Him.
When you have found Him, you will feel as if you had got a sure Friend in whom you can trust. A Friend who will always love you, always watch over you, always take care of you, always be good to you, and never fail you.
When you have found Him, you will feel as if you had got strength and power to walk in God's ways; strength to keep yourself from bad words and bad company; strength to do things which please God.
When you have found Him, you will feel as if you had a pleasant Comforter living in your heart. You will be far more happy, and cheerful, and content, than you were before. Little things will not upset you, as they used to do. You will not be afraid of sickness, or pain, or death.
Dear children, how delightful it will be to feel all this. Try, all of you— do try to find Jesus Christ.
V. And now there is only one thing more in our text that I want to talk to you about. Only one little word. But that little word is so very important, that I dare not pass it over. It is the word "early." "Those who seek Me early," the Lord Jesus Christ says, "they are the one who shall find Me."
Dear children, that world "early" was meant particularly for yourselves. Seeking Jesus Christ early, means seeking Jesus Christ when you are quite young, and that is just what I want you all to do.
Children, the Lord sends a message to you this very day by my mouth. He says He would like you to begin seeking Him at once.
Now, do remember, all of you, you cannot begin seeking Jesus too soon.
Seeking early is the safest way. Children may be young and healthy; but no children are too young and healthy to die. For death is very strong—he can soon make the healthiest of you pine away, and make your rosy cheeks pale and sickly. And death is very cruel—he does not mind whom he takes away out of families, and he will not wait for anyone to get ready; he will take you just when he pleases. I think quite as many young people die as old ones. I see the names of quite as many young people as old people, on the grave stones. Children, you would not like to die without having sought the Lord at all. Oh, remember, seeking early is the safest way.
And then, besides this, seeking early is the happiest way. Surely, if it is so pleasant to have Jesus Christ for a friend—then the sooner you have Him for a friend, the better. You cannot think how happy a child's life goes on when his ways please the Lord. Everything seems bright and cheerful; lessons seem more easy, and play seems more pleasant; friends seem more kind, and trouble seems less troublesome; and everything in life seems more smooth. Dear children, I want you to enjoy all this. Then make haste and do not delay to seek the Lord.
And last of all, seeking early is the easiest way. When you and I have a great deal of work to do, you know there is nothing like beginning early. Now this is just what you should do about your souls; you should begin early, to seek Him who alone can save your soul. People that have got work to do that must be finished before dark—take care to get up early in the morning. So should you do, dear children, in working about your souls. You should seek the Lord in the morning of life, and get your work done before the night of death comes, when none can work. Every year you put it off—you will find it harder work—more to be done, and less time to do it. Every year you will find your hearts more stubborn—more unwilling to do what is right. Now your hearts are like young trees—so soft and tender, that by the Lord's help you may bend them any way. In a few years they will be like strong thick trees—so tough and well rooted, that nothing but a mighty wind can shake them. Dear children, begin to seek the Lord at once. I want you to have as few difficulties as possible, in your journey to Heaven.
Consider these things—consider these things well; and begin early to seek the Lord. It is the safest way, the happiest way, the easiest way. Try to be like Obadiah, who feared the Lord from his youth. Try to be like our blessed Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who grew up "in favor with God and men."
Think of the day when Jesus Christ shall come again to this world. He will come again with power and great glory. He will come very suddenly, in an hour when no man thinks; like a thief in the night. He will gather together all who love Him, and take them home to His Father's house, to be forever happy. He will leave behind all the idle, and wicked, and unbelieving people, who have not sought Him—to
be wretched and miserable forever. Dear children, Jesus Christ might come very soon. We do not know how soon. How sad it would then be to see others taken up to Heaven, and ourselves left behind! How dreadful to feel, "I might have been taken up too—but I would not seek the Lord!"
Think, too, of the great day of judgment; when all of us shall stand before God, and give account of our works. Some of the people who are saved, will say then, "I never began to seek Jesus Christ until I was forty years old, and I wasted away more than half my life." Others will say, "I never began to seek Him until I was twenty, and I wasted many years of my life." But some will be able to say, "I sought the Lord when I was quite young. I can hardly remember the time when I did not love Him."
Dear children, how pleasant it will be for those people to think this! How sweet to feel that they gave the earliest days of their lives to Jesus Christ! How glorious they will appear who have loved their Savior in the beginning of their life, as well as in the end. The Lord grant that many of you may be found among them. Oh, seek the Lord early! Seek Him while He may be found.
And now, dear children, it is time for me to leave off and let you go. Perhaps I shall never see you all together again in this world; indeed, I am almost sure I shall not—but we shall all meet at the last day of judgment. I do hope you will think of what I have told you about Jesus Christ and your souls. Remember, I want you all to be happy children, and in order to be happy—you must love Jesus Christ!