you love me?"

"That is _one why_, mamma; but not the first one, or the best one."

"And what is the first, and best?"

"Why, mamma, can't you guess?" and the little girl's blue eyes grew
very bright, as they gazed earnestly into her mother's face. "It's
because you loved me when I was too little to love you back; _that's_
why I love you so."

And what a reason this is why we should love Jesus! He loved us when
we were too little to love him back. The Bible says--"We love him
because _he first_ loved us." He loved us before we knew him, or had
ever heard of him. He loved us before we were born. Before the world
was made Jesus thought of you and me, and loved us. This is what he
means when he says:--"I _have loved thee with an everlasting love."_
Jer. xxxi: 3. This means a love that never had a beginning, and that
will never have an end. This is very wonderful. And when we think of
it, we may well sing out our thankfulness in the words of the hymn:

"I am glad that our Father in heaven
Tells of his love in the Book he has given;
Wonderful things in the Bible I see;
This is the sweetest, that Jesus loves me.
I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves--_even me_"

And when we think of all the kind words and actions of Jesus, by
which he showed his interest in little children, the first thing that
we see in them is--great love.

_Now, let us take another look at this part of our Saviour's life,
and the second thing that we see in it is_--GREAT WISDOM.

It is wise to take care of the children and try to bring them to
Jesus when young, _because then they are easily controlled_.

Suppose we plant an acorn in a corner of our garden. After awhile a
green shoot springs out from it. We go to look at it when it is about
a foot high. We find it getting crooked; but with the gentlest touch
of thumb and finger, we can straighten it out. We wish it to lean in
a particular direction. We give it a slight touch, and it leans just
that way. Afterwards we conclude to have it lean in the opposite
direction. Another slight touch, and it takes that direction. It is
true, as the poet says, "Just as the twig is bent, the tree's
inclined." But, suppose we let it grow for twenty or thirty years,
and then come back to it. It is now a great oak tree. There is an
ugly twist in its trunk. We try to straighten it out; but in vain. No
power on earth can do that now. You can cut it down; or saw it up; or
break it into spli