IN MEMORY OF Samuel Moyerman, Esq. Lawyer and Bibliophile LIBRARYFour Steps. Page 12.FOUR STEPS: A SHORT WAY TO JESUS. PHILADELPHIA: AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY, No. 1420 CHESTNUT STREET.WERE the Lord Jesus Christ on the earth now, he would as kind to little children as he was when he said, “ Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven !” And we know how kind he was to them. He loved them, laid his hands upon them, and blessed them. His disciples were not kind to them; for when parents and friends brought their children to Jesus, these disciples were displeased, and said 5“Do not trouble Jesus, our Master, about your children; he does not want to see them; he has nothing to say to them: therefore take them home asrain.” But the Saviour was angry; not with those who brought their little ones to him, but with the disciples, for trying to keep them away. And then, turning his face to fathers and mothers, who, perhaps, were afraid that he would not bless their children, he said, with a sweet voice,—“ Suffer them to come unto me.” These words are still the words of Jesus. He loves children. He invites them to come to him. And I want you to come to him. You may come. You ought to come. You ought to come now. I shall, therefore, tell you what it is for children to come to Jesus. Were Jesus now upon earth, and onlya few miles off, it would be easy for you to go to him. And I daresay you would like to see him, and hear him. Would you not! Yes, I am sure you would. But, perhaps you are saying to yourselves, how can we go to Jesus now ! Is he not in heaven! The Bible tells us that he was carried up into heaven; and we read that Stephen saw him standing on the right hand of God. But, though you are on earth, and though Jesus is in heaven, yet you can come to him. You cannot come to him with your bodies, and I am not now speaking of this. I am speaking of your minds and hearts, and with these you can come to him. Do you wish to know how! If you are attentive, 1 will tell you. Coming to Jesus is a little journey, consisting of four steps, each ofwhich steps your minds and hearts must take, or you will never either sit down at the Saviour’s feet as scholars, or be folded in his bosom as lambs. Coming to Jesus is a little journey; and if I can help you on in this journey, by guiding and encouraging you, I shall be very glad. But of how many steps, or stages, did I say that this journey consisted! Four. And must you take each and all of these steps! will not one or two of them do! No. You told us we must take them all. And so you must. If you want to go to a place five miles off, will going four miles take you there! No. For, in that case, we should still be a mile off.Yes, just so. So in coming to Jesus, you can only get to him in a certain way, or by doing certain things. Now, of the steps that you must take, the hist is— THOUGHT. To come to Jesus is to think about him. This is the first step. And the youngest child here can take it. You can all think. All of you do think. You think about places and persons. You think about what you have seen and heard. You think about your parents, your brothers and sisters, your aunts and uncles, your companions and school-fellows. And I hope you have thought a little about death and the grave, and about heaven and hell. And can you not think about Jesus 1 Yesindeed you can. Will you try? If you try, you will succeed. Sound, or noise, travels very fast. Light moves much faster than sound. And thought moves faster still. So that though Jesus is in the high heaven, by thinking about him, you will come to him, and that very soon. I hope you will begin to think about him at once, and think about him as our Saviour. Before Jesus was born, the angel said to Joseph, “ Thou Shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins.” Jesus, therefore, means Saviour; and a Saviour is one who saves another from danger, or destruction. The following fact, which took place some years ago at the sea-side, will show you what it is for one man to save another; and it will also give you someidea of what the Lord Jesus does, as a Saviour. A person was bathing; and as he could swim a little, he thought he would swim out from the house in which he had undressed, and return again. But he went rather too far. The tide was going down very fast, it became too strong for him, and he was in danger of being carried round the entrance to the harbor, and of being drowned. Just at that moment a gentleman was walking on the sands, with his dear little boy in one hand, and with his mamma leaning on the other arm. This gentleman was a very kind man, and a good swimmer. And what do you think he did"? He saw the danger the person was in, and he pitied him, and said to himself, “Cannot I save him ? 1 will try.” So hepulled off his hat, his neckcloth, his hoots, and his coat and waistcoat, and plunged into the sea, swam toward the poor man who was battling with the waves, overtook him just in time to save his life, caught hold of him, and brought him to the shore in safety. How kind this was! I daresay the little boy was afraid his papa would be washed away, and perhaps his fears made him for the time very unhappy. But how rejoiced he must have been when he saw his dear papa swimming back, and how thankful that he had been the means of saving a man from a watery grave! And do you think that the person thus saved could ever forget his deliverer 1 No. He would surely remember him, often talk about him to his family and friends, and be very, very thankful to him.Now, dear child, I want you to remember that Jesus is a Saviour—the only Saviour of sinners. lie was born in Bethlehem, he lived thirty-three years on the earth, and then he died on the cross to save sinners. And he did all this to save the young as well as the old. Little children, will you not think about Jesus, the Saviour'? Try. To come to Jesus, is to DESIRE him. This is the second step; and if you do not take this step, you will never come to Jesus. It is possible for you to think about him, without desiring him. Unless, therefore, you do something more than think about the Saviour, you will not come to him. Some children think, and even talk about Jesus, but they do 2not wish Jesus to save them. All those whom he saves, whether young or old, desire his salvation. Desire is hunger— the hunger of the heart for that which it really wants. After you have been to school, and have for two or three hours worked hard at your lessons, you are generally very hungry. And you are hungry, too, after a nice long walk, or a good hearty game of play, or a ride through the country, whether on a pony or in a chaise. To be hungry is a proof of health; and having food to eat, I hope you are thankful to God for it. He feeds you. You ought to love your parents for their care and kindness. They think about you, and work hard to provide all that is good for you. But your best thanks are due to God; for without his blessing on the exertions of yourfriends, they would not be able to feed and clothe you. Now, as the body hungers for food, so does the heart hunger for Christ. To hunger, or thirst, is the same thing. It means to crave or desire. David compares his desire for God to the longing °1 a hart or deer for water in a hot country, and on a very hot day. Hear what he says,—“ As the hart panteth for the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?” Psalm xlii. 1, 2. This is what he said. And he meant that he saw beauty in God; and that he could not be happy without God. And little children when they seek the Saviour, cannot have peace till they find him. They have desires forChrist, which Christ only can satisfy. They love the Bible, which makes the Saviour known, and they prove their love by reading it, and by trying to un- derstand it. A Christian, addressing a minister of the gospel about a pious sister, says, “My earliest recollections of dear Rachel are connected with the de-light she showed in the study of the Scriptures. I think I can now see her with her Bible full of marks; and I remember wondering whether my Bible would ever be as precious to me, as I knew hers was to her.” Another friend, speaking about the piety of a child, who died at eight years of age, “declares, 4 Long before he could read, he loved the Bible as the best of books, reverenced it as the word of God, and delighted to hear its pages read.” Of another child it is said, “ She loved the word of God. She had read many other books; few, perhaps, who have been removed at so early an age have read so many ; but she deemed the book of God the best.” I trust, my dear child, that you will value the Word of God; if you areseeking the Saviour, I am sure you will. The next step is— PRAYER. To come to Jesus is to pray to him. This is another step, and a most important step it is; for you cannot come to the Saviour, if you do not pray to him. A prayer is a very simple thing indeed. It is asking another to give us something, or to do something for us One child wants a book; another wants money for the Publication Society; another, perhaps, wants a ride; and another may want some article of clothing. And they ask for what they want. Asking is praying, and praying is asking. “ A certain lame man,” the Bible tells us, “ was carried and laid every day atthe gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful;” and as the people went up to worship God at the hour of prayer, he asked alms of them, or begged them to give him money. This was one kind of prayer. A poor widow sometimes knocks at the door, and asks for a piece of bread for her suffering and fatherless children. This also is a kind of prayer. And when Jesus was upon earth, the blind, the sick, and other diseased persons, asked him to give them their sight, and to cure their diseases. This also was prayer. But the prayer that will take you to Jesus, is prayer for his Holy Spirit, and for a new heart. And what a pleasing sight is that of a dear little child on its knees, praying to be pardoned, and to bemade fit for heaven! A new heart, is a heart that hates sin and that loves God. And Jesus only can give this heart. And those that feel their need of it, will pray for it; and if they pray for it really and truly, they will have it. For Jesus says, “ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find.” That you may know what I mean by real, true, earnest prayer, I will mention an anecdote which was related by a speaker at a missionary meeting, a fewyears ago. “ A boy who had been liberated from a captured slave vessel, was landed at Sierra Leone, and placed under the care of a schoolmaster, named Thompson. On one occasion, the boys not being in school, and the door being shut, Mr. Thompson, on passing, heard a murmuring: he listened, and discovered that this boy was engaged in prayer. His petitions were to the following effect:— ‘ My Lord Jesus, me tank thee that wicked man come and catch me; and that good King George’s big ship come and catch wicked man’s ship, and bring me here, and Massa Thompson teach me read, and teach me know thee. Me one very great favor to ask: send more wicked man, catch father and mother, and send good King George’s big ship, and Massa Thompson teach them read,and them know thee; and we all go to heaven together.’ “Some might say, What a prayer! The boy t^ld what he wanted, and in the words which his wants suggested. Mr. Thompson then went and spoke to him, and asked him whether he thought Jesus Christ would hear such a prayer; to which he replied, that he (Mr. T.) had said Christ would hear prayer. In the evening of that day, Mr. Thompson was walking on the beach, and there saw little Tom. On asking him what he was doing, he replied, he had come to see whether Christ heard prayer. He continued frequently to visit the beach, and one evening returned dancing and clapping his hands. Mr. Thompson inquired a the reason: He answered, * Prayer answered ; father and mother come;’ andleading Mr. Thompson to the beach he pointed out two aged negroes—his own parents, who had just been saved from a slaver by a man-of-war. Thus Tom exemplified not only the spirit of real prayer, but showed a waiting spirit, anticipating the reception of the blessing asked.” And if you, dear children, pray to Christ for his mercy and love, with the sincerity and earnestness of this poor African boy, he will hear and answer you. Coming to Jesus by prayer—drawing near with your heart to him, he will bless you. The next step is— FAITH. To come to Jesus is to believe in him. This is another step in the heart’s journey ^ to Jesus. To believe in Jesus, or onJesus, or to have faith in Jesus, is the same thing. Faith sometimes has to do with the word of Christ, and sometimes with the work of Christ. To believe what Christ says, is to be assured in our minds that what he says is true. To believe in, or on, the work of Christ, is to depend on what he has done to save us. And faith is explained by coming, and coming by receiving him. “ He came unto his own, and his own received him not; but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” John i. 11, 12. Here you see, that to believe in Jesus, is to receive him; and that to receive him, is to believe in him. And to make this plain, let me ask you a question ci two. If you were in trouble, and coulnot help yourselves, and a friend, who was both kind and able, were to offer and promise to save you, would you not believe his word] Yes, that you would. Supposing you were to fall into a river— I hope you never will—but if you were to do so, either by carelessness or accident, and if a person, standing 011 the bank of the river, or rowing in a boat, were to see your danger, and throw out a rope to you, saying, My dear child, take hold of this rope; hold it fast, and I will draw you out of the water—would you not take hold of the rope ? Yes, I am sure you would. And why? because you would be drowned if you did not, and because you would believe that the Kind friend who had thrown out the rope intended to save you, and that hewould save you, if you did what he told you to do. Now, although this is faith in a fellow-creature, yet it serves to show what it is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to the salvation of the soul. Jesus says, he came to seek and to save that which was lost, and you must believe what he says. He also tells you to look to him, and to trust him; and you must do what he commands you to do. And if you do indeed follow his counsels, he will save you. Faith brings the heart and Christ together. A writer says, “ I once saw a lad on the roof of a very high building, where several men were at work. He was gazing about with apparent unconcern, when suddenly his foot slipped and he fell. In falling, he caught by a rope, and hung suspended in the mid air,v\ here he could neither get up nor down, and where it was evident he could sustain himself but for a short time. He perfectly knew his situation, and expected that in a few minutes he must drop, and be hurt, if not killed. “ At this fearful moment, a kind and powerful man rushed out of the house, and standing beneath him with extended arms, called out, ‘Let go the rope, and I will receive you. I can do it. Let go the rope, and I promise you shall escape unhurt.* “ The boy hesitated a moment, and then quitted his hold, and dropped easily and safely into the arms of his deliverer.” My dear child, this was a simple act of faith. And if you cast yourself into the arms of Jesus, as this poor boy did into the arms of the man under the rope, he will—indeed he will—save you,Remember, then, that coming to Jesus is a little journey of four steps. What is the first! Thought. What is the second 1 Desire. What is the third 1 Prayer. . What is the fourth 1 Faith. So that to come to Jesus, you must think about him, desire him, pray to him, and believe in him. And as you know what the steps are, I shall at once proceed to encourage you to take them. The first thing I have to say to you is, you may come to Jesus. Jesus permits you to come to him. He might forbidyou to come. He might say, “ You are too young, or too foolish, or too naughty, to come to me.” But he does not say so. As you have sinned against him, he might command you not to draw near to him. But so kind is he, and so great is his love, that he allows you to come to him now and at all times When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they were driven out of Paradise, and an angel, with a flaming sword in his hand, was placed in the way, so as to render their return impossible. But there is no such angel to prevent your coming to Jesus. You may com9 to him, and if you do come, he will not cast you out. The next thing 1 wish to say is, that Jesus commands you to come. He calls you. He bids you think about him.desire him, pray to him, and believe in him. And you cannot refuse to do what he tells you to do, without sinning against him. He is everywhere—in all places—-at the same moment. So that persons in all parts of the world may go to him. 'The little Negro slave girl and the Sunday-school child may bow together, and come to Jesus. Jesus fills heaven and earth with his presence. You cannotsee him nor hear him, nor touch him. But he is about your path and about your bed. His eye is upon you always, and in every place. He waits to be gracious. Hour fathers should buy houses and lands, telling you, at the same time, that when you were old enough to manage and take care of them, they should all come into your possession, you might be called rich children. But worldly riches are not always blessings. Sometimes they are snares and sources of great trouble. And when the rich die, they are obliged to leave all their riches behind them. But the riches Jesus gives are spiritual, and will last forever. And if you come to him, he will make you rich both for this world and for the next. Then, Jesus takes all those little chil-dren that come to him, to heaven, when they die. Yes, “for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” And with their happy hearts, their white robes, their crowns of gold, their palms of victory, they must be happy indeed! Will you not come to Jesus now, that you maybe with him, and with all the holy angels forever? Come to Jesus, little child, Come to Jesus Christ to-day; Jesus Christ is meek and mild, Come to Jesus, angels say. I Come to Jesus, little boy, Jesus waits to hear your prayers; Tell the Saviour, little boy, All your troubles and your care*. Come to Jesus, little girl, Jesus loves to hear your cry ; Love the Saviour, little girl, He’ll receive you when you di«.Come to Jesus, little child, Sing his praises, love his name, Think of Jesus little child. Spread abroad his wondrous fame • Jesus Christ is very near thee, He can save thy guilty soul; Jesus Christ can teach and keep thee Trust with him thy needy soul. Come to Jesus, little child, Come, with all your wants, to-day; Jesus calls you, little child, Come to Jesus, angels say— Then how happy you will be— Then how holy—oh, how bright 1 Then the Saviour will conduct thee To the realms of perfect light Como to Jesus, Christians say— kittle children, come to-day. THE END.