Our present life is marked by change and vicissitude. At its beginning all is bright and beautiful and hopeful. "The rosy cheek, the light step, the merry laugh, the buoyant energy, the unwearying strength," give a charm to existence. No clouds are seen in our sky and, we live in a garden of roses. To many it is given to pass the early years of life free from care or pain. But if we are thoughtful we do not live long until we see all around us trouble and sorrow and disappointment. It is soon pressed upon us that many [302] heartaches are in the world. On every side we meet troubled ones. Sometimes great burdens of sorrow are placed even upon little children, and sometimes old age, decrepit and helpless, is left without friends and without support.

      We are often perplexed by these problems, because we are materialistic in our interpretations of life. We forget the spiritual life. With many the higher nature receives small consideration. We think only of the present good. It is often true that the pains of life, the tears and the sorrows, are the means used of God to develop the better life. Many illustrations of these truths might be given, but to-day we must confine ourselves to that phase of the subject suggested by the work of the National Benevolent Association. Its mission is to care for the fatherless child and the aged, indigent disciple. Surely if there is any cause among us that is fragrant with the presence of Jesus, it is this one. Ever since that night when angels sang above his birth and kings came out of the east bringing to him rich treasures of gold and aromatic spices, the disciples have seen above the head of every child a halo of glory. That was coronation day for the child. A sense of its sacredness has now taken possession of the world. We are not surprised that he gathered the little ones in his arms and laid his hands upon them, saying, "Of such is the kingdom of heaven." Truly, Heaven's benediction rests most richly upon the home blessed with their presence. They bring with them joy and sunshine and fill the heart with gladness.

      That they cause us some trouble we know. They must be watched over and cared for night and day, and on their account parents are often kept from social functions, from places of amusement and journeys of profit. We must therefore confess that in some homes they are not wanted. "'Tis true, 'tis pity; and pity 'tis, 'tis true." I have known homes in which there was a dog where there ought to have been a baby, and the affection which belonged to the baby was bestowed upon the dog. Upon entering a home on one occasion my wife and I were greeted by two ugly cur dogs that jumped from the bed and barked at us. The woman explained by saying, "You know we must have something to love, and these dogs are all that we have." At that moment there were about her scores of orphan children without homes or any one to love or care for them.

      A friend of mine, standing in the lobby of a hotel, heard a woman near by say, "Come on, dearie: mamma is waiting for you." He looked around to see the baby, but to his surprise saw a dog--a pug dog, ugly, fat and asthmatic. It passed out through the lobby sneezing, snorting and snoring. That dog was this woman's sweetheart, her darling, her pet. She called herself its mamma. A dog is a good thing in its place, but you will bear witness that that dog was out of place.

      What such a woman needs is a baby whom she can love and whose love she

W. T. HILTON.

may enjoy in return. And yet would the officers of our National Benevolent Association be willing to trust a child with her? She calls that ugly pug dog baby and sweetheart. She calls herself its mamma. Truly, if her affections are puppy size, we do not want to entrust one of our children to her keeping. From her standpoint, the dog is not so troublesome as a baby would be. When she is going to a social function she can leave it in her bedroom, possibly without a nurse, or, if she prefers, she can put a ribbon about its neck and take it to the party or reception and know that it will be well received. A baby could not be left at home alone, and, if taken to the party, it would likely cry and be troublesome. It is generally conceded that a baby at a party is out of place.

      Some good Christian friends were without children. The only thing they had to love was a parrot. They sought my advice about the adoption of a child. I urged them to do so, and in a short time the baby came. It had been [303] neglected and was puny and sickly. But they loved it, bought it beautiful clothes, gave it good food, a soft bed and regular baths, and in a short time it was a new baby. Its cheeks took on the rose, its little arms filled out like butter-balls, and it cooed and crowed and laughed. And that good man and his wife laughed with it. It brought into their hearts and their home a beam of sunshine that had never been there before. Old things passed away. All things became new. They loved one another more tenderly, and it was with a new heart that they contemplated the world of men and women about them.

      We pity the orphan; I am so glad that we do. Thank God for the orphan!

      What, thank God for the orphan? No, not that any child is left alone in the world, but, since there are orphans, thank God for the opportunity of helping them. Suppose there were no orphans to pity. How much would we miss. If such appeals did not come to us, our hearts would be as adamant.

      A ministry like this does very much for the man who has part in it. It means growth--spiritual growth--an increase of heart power. What draws us so constantly and so strongly to Jesus? Why do we love him? Not because he was a great teacher; not because he was a worker of miracles. These things have much to do with establishing his claims--by them we recognize his authority. But we love him because he loved us so. He never turned away from any one. If it were possible to separate Jesus from his labors of love, his deeds of mercy, from his tears of sympathy and his words of comfort, you would take from him that which makes him the fairest of ten thousand and the one altogether lovely. And so, if one call himself a Christian and turn a deaf ear to the cry of the orphan; if one can sit with stolid face and cold heart, when the story is told of fatherless children and suffering innocence, that one is to be more pitied than the children themselves. His heart is of stone. He is far removed from the Christ whose follower he professes to be. Admiration of Jesus is not enough; defending him in heated debate, writing beautiful essays or making eloquent speeches in his behalf--this is not enough. No! There must be in us his heart of compassion.

      Among the Saxons the custom prevailed of burning the Yule log at the Christmastide. A selfish man who had plenty of money, but no sympathy, was keeping his Christmas all alone; and out of deference to the day he kept a little log burning with a very slow fire. As he shivered in the chilly atmosphere of his desolate room, he fell asleep and dreamed. In his dream he heard a voice which drew his attention to a beautiful child which stood near him and said, "Jesus is cold." With an impatient move the selfish man stirred the fire a little and said, "Why don't you go to the farmhouse down the road? You will be warm enough there." "Yes," replied the child, "but you make me cold, you are so cold." "Then, what can I do for you?" "You can give me a gold coin." With a great deal of reluctance the money-chest was opened, and a gold coin was given to the child. He took it. Instantly the dingy room became bright and cheerful as the child hung up some laurel and holly, saying, "These are for life;" and placed two candles on the shelf, saying, "These are for light;" and stirred the fire, saying, "This is for love." Then the door was thrown open, and a poor widow and a sick man and an orphan child were brought in and seated at a bountiful repast, while the child kept saying, "Jesus is warm now," and the selfish man found that he was also enjoying the scene, so that he presently confessed, "I think that I am warmer, too." Then the child suddenly disappeared, and in his place there was a divine presence, and solemnly the words were pronounced, "Although I am in heaven, I am everywhere; for everywhere is heaven if I am there. I can not suffer as I once suffered, but wherever my children are cold or hungry or persecuted or neglected, I suffer with them; and wherever they are warm or sheltered and fed, I rejoice with them; so that Jesus is often warm and Jesus is often cold."

      At this moment there are hundreds of orphans in our various institutions looking to us for sympathy and care. There are thousands knocking at our doors that can not be admitted because [304] there is no room. Whether we have a million dollars or a hundred, it is our privilege to help answer their cry. Do you live in a home that is childless? In God's name, open your heart and your home to one of these little ones. Its love would fill your heart. Its care would take your thoughts off of yourself. Its presence in your home would give you a vision of life you have never known. The National Benevolent Association will be happy if it can gladden your home with one of these children.

      In a Western city two little brothers, Teddy and Lee, were wandering among the graves of the cemetery. Many were placing flowers on the graves of loved ones, and the two little boys watched the decoration with peculiar interest. In their stroll they came to one little grave that had no slab at its head and no flowers were placed on it. Teddy, the younger brother, hastily looking about to see that no one was watching, slipped over to a grave that was covered with costly roses. He selected two beautiful flowers, and, holding them under his coat, crept up to the neglected little grave and tenderly placed the flowers upon the tiny mound. The boys hurried away. Not a word was spoken until they were outside the gates. Then the younger said, "That wasn't stealing, was it?" Promptly the reply came, "Course it wasn't. Don't you suppose that little baby had just as much right to a flower as some of them grown folks?" Beloved, it will not be stealing from your own if you take some of the flowers out of their lives, especially when they have so many they can not appreciate their beauty, and use them to brighten the lives of others who are friendless and lonely. Often we spend upon our own more than they need and more than is good for them. We should let them know that there are children who are cold and hungry and naked. Awaken their sympathy in behalf of such and teach them to share their good things with these unfortunates.

      The National Benevolent Association was organized to serve these little ones and to provide homes for aged, indigent disciples. Is such a ministry worthy of our consideration? We have made notable progress in many directions during the hundred years past, but we are just beginning to awaken to the claims of this beautiful service. Our slogan has been, "Back to Christ and the Apostles!" but, oh, my brother, how far short we have come in the matter of apostolic benevolences. Apostolic? Apostolic indeed! Has not an apostle said that "pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction"? Did not Jesus say, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of these, my brethren, even these least, ye have done it unto me"? I care not how clamorous we may be for an apostolic baptism or an apostolic creed or an apostolic name; until the care of these fatherless ones becomes a burden upon our consciences, we can not rightfully claim to be apostolic.

      But, thank God, we have brethren who have not passed this work by. Through their generosity we now have eleven institutions. These consist of six orphanages, three homes for the aged, and two hospitals. Time would fail to tell of the thousands of orphans and widows and aged disciples that have been helped. I can not even tell as I would like to of some who out of the goodness of their hearts have made generous contributions to this work. But let us remember that the possibilities of doing good on the part of the National Benevolent Association are measured only by the funds at its disposal. Why should this Christlike ministry be in need of money? Have you seen how in many States the Masons, Oddfellows and other fraternal organizations erect and maintain beautiful homes for their orphan children? Shall they excel the church of Christ in such a ministry? God forbid.

      I close as I began. In the unfortunate, God has given us a precious heritage. What kind of men and women would we be if our hearts did not respond to such need? The world would call us hard-hearted and cold-blooded, and properly so. The help we give may call for sacrifice. I hope it does. We have but little joy when we give but a pittance out of our abundance. Only the gift that is a sacrifice makes the heart of the giver glad. General Booth, of the Salvation Army, desired to send a Christmas message to his colaborers [305] throughout the world. How should the message read? What language could he use that would bring his thought within the smallest compass and at the same time tell the vision of his heart? Well, he put that message into one word. The word was "others." It was enough. It was the Master's word, and its significance was understood by every one who received it. It is the word for us to-day--the word that should dominate our lives-"not your own, but another's, good." Yet it is true that in seeking another's good we ourselves are blessed above all that we could ask or think. Would you be rich? "Others." Would you be happy? "Others." Would you be filled with the Spirit? "Others." Would you possess the mind of the Master? "Others." Jesus for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame. It is ever so with us. God has placed joy before us, but we can make it our own only as we travel the road of self-denial and service. "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins." How true this is of all life. Without the shedding of blood there is nothing. There was not for Jesus. There can not be in the service we render. "Give, and it shall be given unto you." We give thought, time, effort, money and blood itself. In return God gives the peace that passes understanding, the joy that is without alloy, the consciousness of his presence. Jesus shed his blood and atonement was made. We can not atone, but we can bless. In his name we can serve these little ones, knowing that his promise will be sure unto us--"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of these, ye have done it unto me." [306]

[CCR 303-306]