Part 1 (1/2)

Morning Bells.

by Frances Ridley Havergal.

Most of the readers of this little book will have already read _Little Pillows_. Those were given you to go to sleep upon night after night; sweet, soothing texts, that little hearts might rest upon.

But in the morning we want something to arouse us, and to help us to go brightly and bravely through the day. So here are ”Morning Bells” to waken up the little hearts, and to remind them that we must not only rest in Jesus, but walk in Him. If the motto of ”Little Pillows” might be ”Come to Jesus,” the motto of ”Morning Bells” might be ”Follow Jesus.”

May He who loves the little ones bless this tiny effort to help them to follow Him day by day.

1. First Day.

Christ's Childhood.

”Thy holy child Jesus.”--Acts iv. 30.

If I asked, ”How old are you?” you would give an exact answer. ”Eight and a half;” ”Just turned ten;” ”Eleven next month.” Now you have thought of G.o.d's ”holy child Jesus” as a little baby, and as twelve years old in the temple, but did you ever think of Him as being _exactly_ your own age?

that He was once really just as old as you are this very day? He knows what it is to be eight, and nine, and ten years old, or whatever you may be. G.o.d's word has only told us this one thing about those years, that He was a _holy_ child.

What is ”holy”? It is everything that is perfectly beautiful and good and lovable, without anything to spoil it. This is just what He was when He was your age. He was gentle and brave, and considerate and unselfish, n.o.ble and truthful, obedient and loving, kind and forgiving,--everything you can think of that you ever admired or loved in any one else was all found together in Him, and all this not only outside, but inside, for He was ”holy.”

Why did He live all these holy child-years on earth instead of staying in heaven till it was time to come and die for you? One reason was, that He might leave you a beautiful example, so that you might wish to be like Him, and ask for the Holy Spirit to make you like Him. But the other was even more gracious and wonderful, it was ”that we might be made the righteousness of G.o.d in Him.” That is, that all this goodness and holiness might be reckoned to you, because you had not any of your own, and that G.o.d might smile on you _for His sake_, just as if _you_ had been perfectly obedient, and truthful, and unselfish, and good, and give you Jesus Christ's reward, which you never deserved at all, but which He deserved for you.

He took your sins and gives you His righteousness; He took your punishment and gives you His reward; it is just changed over, if you will only accept the exchange!

”I'm glad my blessed Saviour Was once a child like me, To show how pure and holy His little ones might be.

And if I try to follow His footsteps here below, He never will forget me, Because He loves me so.”

2. Second Day.

Our Great Example

”Even Christ pleased not Himself.”--Rom. xv. 3.

Do you really wish to follow the footsteps of the Holy Child Jesus? Have you asked G.o.d to make you more like Him? Are you ready to begin to-day?

Then here is a motto for to-day, ”Even Christ pleased not Himself.” Will you take it, and try to imitate Him? You are sure to have plenty of opportunities of acting upon it, and thus proving not only to others, but to your dear Saviour Himself, that you mean what you say, and mean what you pray.

Perhaps it seems a rather melancholy ”morning bell” to you, tolling instead of chiming! But if you really wish to be like Christ, you will soon find that its music is as sweet as any, and that its quiet chime will come to you again and again with a wonderful sweetness and power, helping you over all sorts of difficulties, and saving you from all sorts of sins and troubles.

You can not tell, till you have fairly tried, how happy a little girl can feel, who has cheerfully given up to another, for Jesus' sake, something which she would have liked for herself; nor how happy a boy can be when of his own free will, and by G.o.d's grace, he has chosen to do what his conscience tells him would please the Lord Jesus instead of what would have pleased himself.

If you have never tried it yet, begin to-day, and you will find it is quite a new happiness.