made choice of the service of
God, and became a Christian. I refused to come to Christ, but made
choice of the world and sin. And now, you are a happy and honored
minister of the gospel, while I am a wretched outcast. I have served
ten years in this penitentiary and am to be a prisoner here for
life."

Jesus knew what blessings would follow to those who were early
brought to him, and we see that there was great wisdom in the words
that he spake when he said--"Suffer the little children to come unto
me."

_In the next place there was_--GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT--_in what Jesus
did and said about children_.

If a company of boys or girls should try to get into the presence of
a monarch, some great king, or emperor, they would find it a pretty
hard thing to do. At the door of the palace they would meet with
soldiers or servants, the guards of the queen or king. They would say
to the children--"what do you want here?" And if the children should
say, "Please sir, we wish to go into the palace and see the queen,"
the answer would be: "Go away; go away. The queen is too busy. She
has no time to attend to little folks like you." And the children
would have to go away without getting to see the queen.

But, Jesus is a greater king than any who ever sat upon an earthly
throne. He has more to do than all the kings and queens in the world
put together. And yet he never gave orders to the angels, or to any
of his servants to keep the children away from him. On his great
throne in yonder heavens he says still, what he said when he was on
earth--"Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them
not." And he says this on purpose to encourage the children to come
to him. And the thought that Jesus loves them and feels an interest
in them has encouraged multitudes of little ones to seek him and
serve him. Here are some illustrations of this:

"Learning to Love Jesus." "A little girl came to me one day," said a
minister of the gospel, and said, "'Please sir, may I speak to you a
minute?' I saw that she was in some trouble; so I took her kindly by
the hand, and said, 'Certainly, my child. What do you wish to say?'

"'Please, sir,' said she, as her lip quivered and tears filled her
eyes, 'it's a dreadful thing; but I don't love Jesus.'

"'And are you not going to love him?' I asked.

"'I don't know; but please sir, I want you to tell me how.' She spoke
sadly, as if it was something she never could do.

"'Well,' I said, 'St.