ONE day a mother was searching through a large box in her nursery, which contained many things that had been laid aside for a time. Of course, curiosity drew all the little ones quickly around her, eager with their questions.
Presently, among many other things, a tiny shoe was found, a shoe which had only been worn for one short week, and then its little wearer had been suddenly gathered to his Saviour’s bosom. The tiny feet had, as it were, but just touched life’s dusty highway, when the Good Shepherd had lifted the tender, helpless lamb to His own kind arms, and thus had in His love spared it all the roughnesses of the way.
“Oh, mamma, is that one of the shoes our dear little brother used to wear?” asked one child.
“What a big boy he would be if he were alive now, wouldn’t he?” said another.
“Oh, I should like to have him here now to play with me in this nursery,” said little Willie.
“He wouldn’t like to come down again, would he, mamma?” said Mary, “because he is so much happier up there in the ‘happy land’ where the dear Lord Jesus is, ‘above the bright blue sky.’”
“I wonder if God has given little Freddie a lot of nice new playthings to play with,” said Willie, who was not four years old; “has He, mamma? Do you think he has got a nice big horse like mine, only not broken?”
A moment before, the mother’s heart had been aching sorely as she thought of her precious little one, lost to her for a time, but Willie’s childish question sent a thrill of joy into her heart as the answer seemed given: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” Cheerfully could she now answer her little boy―
“Yes, dear; God has given your darling little brother many new and beautiful things, so many and so beautiful, that the Bible says we can’t even imagine them; that is, we can’t begin to fancy at all what they are like, only we know that they are none of them broken, or soiled, or spoiled in any way, because nothing but what is perfectly pure and lovely can be where God is, but in His presence ‘there are pleasures for evermore.’”
“Oh, I wish I was up there, too,” sighed the little fellow, but the mother as she left the nursery with lightened heart, prayed that, if the Lord still sees fit to tarry; her boy might be spared, if it be the Lord’s will, to grow up to know and serve Him here below before entering upon the joys of the Father’s house above. Have you ever, dear children, thought much on this subject? Would it not be nice for you to take your Bibles and give a few quiet moments to finding out from God’s own word what really is said about the things “which shall be hereafter,” and which God hath prepared for them that love Him? But in the very first place let me ask, “Do you love Him?”―for all this untold happiness is prepared for those who love Him, and for those only! Oh, then, what an important question this is for every one of you to answer. Pray put it to yourselves, each one of you, very solemnly, as in God’s sight. If you have sadly to answer, “No; I fear I do not love God,” tell Him so, and beg of Him, for Christ’s sake, to teach your heart by His Spirit to love Him. If, on the other hand, you do already love Him, seek to live so as to let others know that you do, and thus “glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Now I will just add seven things (of course there are many more) which God’s word say: are to be found in the Father’s home above and which we shall all be so glad to leave behind us forever, and seven things which will all be sources of endless enjoyment. You can find out for yourselves the chapters and verses where they are mentioned, or from which they can be gathered.
No More Curse. Love.
No More Death. Light.
No More Pain. Peace.
No Sorrow. Purity.
No Crying. Perfection of Beauty
No Night. Fullness of Joy.
No Hunger or Thirst. Glory and Honor.
“Old things passed away.” “All things new.”
Above all―
“GOD HIMSELF shall be with them, and be their God.” E. G.