9 Sermon Illustrations on Child Salvation

I remember when out in Kansas, while holding a meeting, I saw a little boy who came up to the window crying. I went to him and said: "My little boy, what is your trouble?" "Why, Mr. Moody, my mother's dead, and my father drinks, and they don't love me, and the Lord won't have anything to do with me because I am a poor drunkard's boy." "You have got a wrong idea, my boy, Jesus will love you and save you and your father too," and I told him a story of a little boy in an Eastern city. The boy said his father would never allow the canting hypocrites of Christians to come into his house, and would never allow his child to go to Sunday-school. A kind-hearted man got his little boy and brought him to Christ. When Christ gets into a man's heart he cannot help but pray. This father had been drinking one day and coming home he heard that boy praying. He went to him and said: "I don't want you to pray any more. You've been along with some of those Christians. If I catch you praying again I'll flog you." But the boy was filled with God and he couldn't help praying. The door of communication was opened between him and Christ, and his father caught him praying again. He went to him. "Didn't I tell you never to pray again? If I catch you at it once more you leave my house." He thought he would stop him. One day the old tempter came upon the boy, and he did something wrong and got flogged. When he got over his mad fit he forgot the threats of his father and went to pray. His father had been drinking more than usual, and coming in found the boy offering a prayer. He caught the boy with a push and said, "Didn't I tell you never to pray again? Leave this house. Get your things packed up and go." The little fellow hadn't many things to get together--a drunkard's boy never has, and went up to his mothers room. "Good-by, mother." "Where are you going?" "I don't know where I'll go, but father says I cannot stay here any longer; I've been praying again," he said. The mother knew it wouldn't do to try to keep the boy when her husband had ordered him away, so she drew him to her bosom and kissed him, and bid him good-by. He went to his brothers and sisters and kissed them good-by. When he came to the door his father was there and the little fellow reached out his hand--"Good-by, father; as long as I live I will pray for you," and left the house. He hadn't been gone many minutes when the father rushed after him. "My boy, if that is religion, if it can drive you away from father and mother and home; I want it." Yes, may be some little boy here to-night has got a drinking father and mother. Lift your voice to heaven, and the news will be carried up to heaven, "He prays."

A little boy named Tommy was met by his pastor just before his death, and was asked if he had any request to make. He said, "When I am buried, I want to have my little Testament put in the coffin beside me. There are a great many large people, I am only a little boy, and I am afraid when Jesus comes he will forget me; but I will reach up my Testament and he will know that, and will receive me."

A little boy went to his mother, one morning, with a broken arrow, and begged her to mend it for him. It was a very handsome arrow, and was the pride of his heart, just then; so she did not wonder to see his lip quivering, and the tears come into his eyes. "I'll try to fix it, darling," she said; "but I'm afraid I can't do it." He watched her anxiously for a few moments, and then said cheerfully, "Never mind, mamma: if you can't fix it, I'll be just as happy without it."

Rosina, an orphan child, at a Moravian missionary station, in North America, being under the care of an old relation, said, the night before her decease, "Dear grandmother, I am baptized and cleansed in our Savior's blood, and shall now soon go to him; but I beg you to seek to be likewise washed, and saved from your sins, by the blood of Christ, that you may become as happy as I am; otherwise, when you go hence, you will not be with the Lord." This exhortation from a dying child made such an impression upon the old woman's heart, that she became anxiously concerned about her salvation, prayed for the remission of her sins in the blood of Jesus, begged for baptism, and was added to the church.

BED CONTRIBUTION.—A girl nine years of age united with the school in T—, in the summer of 1834. She had not the privilege of parental religious instruction. Her residence was two or three miles from school. On one Sabbath in August, when notice was given in the school that the next Sabbath would be contribution-day, she was present. But it was her last Sabbath. She went home under the influence of that disease which, during the week, hurried her into eternity.

While on her bed of sickness, she remembered the contribution-day, and spoke of the luxury of giving. Twice she had been present on the contribution Sabbath, and had put her cent into the box. She called for the cent which she had laid aside for the Sabbath, gave it to her mother, and told her that if she died before the next Sabbath, to carry it to her teacher, that it might be put into the Sabbath school contribution trunk. On the next Sabbath, her soul was in eternity; but her cent, like the poor widow's two mites, was cast into the treasury of the Lord.