Little Jacob's Thoughts Of Heaven.
LITTLE Jacob in the doorway,
Flaxen hair and soft brown eyes,
Age of only four short summers,
Yet, if judged by his replies,
Or his sage and wise reflections
As he stands there in the door,
With his hands thrust in his pockets,
You would think him doubly four.
I had told him of the Saviour
Only a short time before;
How he loved the little children,
How he blessed in days of yore:
That, if only good, our Jesus
At his coming would assign
To each one a robe of beauty,
Crowns, that as the stars would shine.
Turning from his deep reflections,
Jakey said, "If heaven's so high,
How can Jesus take us up there?
Will we, as the angels fly?"
And I paused ere I could answer,
I, so void of words and grace,
Glancing at the childish figure
At the little earnest face.
"Oh! I've thought now how He does it,"
Joyously I heard him cry,
"God can better come than Jesus;
Jesus stays there in the sky.
God comes down and gets the children,
Takes them in his arms, and then
Jesus with some ropes and pulleys,
Draws Him up to heaven again!"
I could scarce refrain from smiling
At the little dreamer's thought,
Yet withal its novel meaning
It to me a lesson taught,
That the way is not so easy,
But that we our strength must give;
We, ourselves, must hold the "pulleys,"
Guide the "ropes," if we would live."
MARY HOUSE