“OH my dear little boy, what mischief you are getting into! See what you have done! "said a loving mother one day as she entered her parlor, and found that her bright-faced, curly-headed little son of about four years of age had just succeeded in spoiling some useful article of hers, which, of course, he ought not to have touched.
“Oh, mamma dear, I am so sorry: was it naughty?" and the blue eyes wore for a minute or so a sort of half-penitential look, while his mamma added—
"You know it is naughty, dear, to meddle with papa's or mamma's things. You must have forgotten how often we have told you not to do so, for they are not yours to play with like your own playthings. You should not have touched it, then you would not have broken it.”
"Do you think, mamma, that the Lord Jesus saw me break that pretty thing of yours?" asked the little fellow, suddenly, some time after.
"Yes, dear, of course He did, because He sees everything, and knows everything," was the reply.
“Oh, then He knows that I really didn't mean to break it; so that's all right," the child cried out joyfully, and, with a great sigh of relief, all the shadows vanished instantly from the merry, sunshiny face, upon which none could ever linger long.
How perfectly beautiful is the sweet, trustful simplicity, the unshaken confidence of a very little child!
Happy little Percy knew that his kind, gentle mother would not dream of punishing him for an accident, although his mischievous little fingers had led him into naughtiness, yet he had not intended to do more than meddle, so was freely forgiven. But the active young mind went even higher and further still, till it rested in the thought of the perfect knowledge, and therefore perfect justice which the ever-loving. Lord Jesus of whom he had so often heard, would show and feel towards him.
“He knows all, He knows the truth about me; so He won't be angry with me," was the little one's thought, and it made him perfectly happy again.
Let me ask you, dear young readers, would the same thought give you comfort and happiness? "Thou God seest me." "O Lord, Thou knowest." Do these texts give you a sweet sense of peace, or are you inclined to feel afraid when you think of them? E. G.