THE boys and girls who came regularly to the Sunday-school were having their annual treat. About 200 rosy cheeked, merry-looking children, all dressed up in their best, with hymn-book in hand, were gathered together, and after some hymn-singing and prayer, one of the teachers spoke as follows:
“Now, I’m going to ask two questions to begin with, and I’ll expect both to be answered. The first one is for the boys; and the second for the girls. Now, he ready. Will any boy tell me whether it is bad boys, or good boys that God loves?” Before he had finished the question fifty hands were up, and as many voices shouted, “Good, good, GOOD!”
“Well, now, will any girl tell me how many good boys are here tonight?”
The girls took a look across the room to the boys’ seats, and then hung their heads. No one spoke. The boys seemed impatient to hear the verdict. Still no one answered a word. At last a little girl whispered.
“None,” and some of the boys got on their feet to see who the speaker was.
“How do you know that, my girl?” asked the teacher.
“Right. Now, you see, boys, if it be good boys and girls that God loves, there will be none to love at all, for this girl has told us there is none good. Neither Jim nor Tom are good in God’s sight, —nor Mary or Nellie either. All are sinners, and unless they be saved, they will never get to heaven. Every boy and girl in the world needs to be ‘born again’ to he converted—else they can never wear a crown up yonder in glory. Now, what is to be done?”
“Pray,” cried one little fellow.
“Well, my boy, what will you pray for?”
“To be saved and get to heaven,” answered the little chap.
“And are you sure that will take you there?” No answer.
“Can any girl tell me, Whom does God love?”
“Sinners,” answered a voice at the back.
“And who are sinners?”
“All of us.”
“That’s it. All are sinners—boys and girls, fathers and mothers, too. God loves all.”
“Now another question, Was it good children, or bad that Christ died for?” “Sinners,” was the answer.
“Ah, yes! you’re getting to understand it. And who is it that Jesus saves?” “Sinners who believe on Him.”
“Are there any here that believe on Him?”
“Yes,” answered a girl of twelve, “I do.”
“And are you saved?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because Jesus says, ‘Whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’”
The meeting came to a close. The teacher waited behind, and had a talk with the little girl who said she was saved, and found she had trusted in Jesus a Sunday or two before, while in the school, and she was happy, happy!
Dear young reader, God loves you: Jesus died on the cross to save sinful boys and girls. Will you, like this little girl, trust Him? If so, you shall be saved, and happy, too!
ML 01/27/1924