IT WAS a lovely summer evening and 600 or 700 had assembled at a gospel meeting. Most of them were children, but there were those present of every class and age.
There were lots of dear little children — five, six, seven and eight years old, and plenty of big children — twelve and fourteen; while a great number of young men and ladies, fathers and mothers, and even aged white-haired people, had come to hear what was said to the children and listen to the sweet singing.
And oh on that calm summer evening the singing was indeed sweet! How the boys especially delighted in that chorus—
Pull for the shore, sailor, pull for the shore,
Heed not the rolling-waves, but bend to the oar;
Safe in the lifeboat, sailor, cling to self no more,
Leave the poor old stranded wreck, and pull for the shore.
And with what earnestness the hundreds of voices joined in the second verse—
“Trust in the life boat, sailor,
all else will fail.”
—after it had been explained what the meaning was—
“Trust in the Saviour, sinner,
all else will fail.”
And what a thoughtful look spread over many young faces when the hymn was announced—
“I need Thee, precious Saviour.
For I am full of sin;
My soul is dark and guilty,
My heart is dead within.
I need the cleansing fountain
Where I can always flee;
The blood of Christ most precious,
The sinner’s perfect plea.”
But perhaps the sweetest thing of all was to hear the little tiny ones singing alone in the faintest whisper, while the people seemed to hold their very breath—
If I come to Jesus,
Happy shall I be;
He is gently calling
Little ones like me.
I think a good many had to brush away the tears that would come into their eyes, and I have no doubt that some little ones—and some big ones too—did come to Jesus that night.
We did not spend all the evening in singing, but several nice stories were told the children, and a short prayer offered. Then a friend opened his Bible to Romans 3:22,2322Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:22‑23) and read, “For there is no difference; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
He gave a most earnest address and showed how the Word of God distinctly says rich and poor, old and young, children as well as grown-up people are all alike sinners!
And just as the children in the sinking ship would be in danger of going down to the bottom of the sea, so the children of this sinful world, which is very much like a wrecked ship, are in as much danger of being lost as their parents; just as the children who jumped from the sinking ship into the life boat would be safe, so sinful boys and girls who trust themselves to the loving arms of Jesus will be quite safe.
Afterward a young girl, Ann, came to the front and asked very earnestly, “Is it true?”
I turned to Romans 3 and read slowly “there is no difference; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” I told her she could not enter the holy and beautiful city unless she came to the sinner’s Saviour, to be cleansed from all her sins in His precious blood.
All the crowd had gone home and just Ann and I were left. We bowed in silent prayer and Ann told the Saviour that she wanted all her sins forgiven and would trust Him alone to save her. The next day when I saw her she had such a happy peaceful look on her face which seemed to say, “It is all true —The Lost Doggie ONE afternoon when Debbie was walking home from school she looked around and saw a little pup following her. He looked so lonesome that she took pity on him and when she stopped to pet him, he wagged his tail and licked her finger. “You better go home,” Debbie told him and started on her way again. But when she looked back, there was the pup still following her.
The puppy was lost, and did not know which way to go. He followed Debbie right to her home. She warmed some milk and poured it into a dish for him. His little tummy grew round and firm as he lapped up the warm milk.
Then not knowing what to do with him, she put him in the shed. A little later a small boy knocked at the door and asked Debbie if she had seen a little puppy. “Someone said they saw a pup following you home from school,” said the boy.
Debbie was glad to take the boy out to the shed where a very sad looking and lonely doggie greeted them. When he saw the boy he barked and wagged his tail with delight and licked his hand. Moments later the boy was going down the sidewalk with the pup at his heels.
Many boys and girls, like the little pup, are LOST! — lost in sin — and do not know which way to go. Now the Lord Jesus loves little children, and He “came to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10).
When the lost sinner and the seeking Saviour meet, how wonderful it is. The Lord Jesus died to put our sins away to bring us back to God. He brings us into His house of love and light, warms us, feeds us, takes care of us, and makes us happy. This happiness will go on forever, for those who follow Him on earth will spend eternity with Him in heaven. Can you say, dear young reader, I was lost but Jesus found me?
ML-05/20/1973