you, see that ye walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Let dying love and pardoning mercy constrain you to obedience. Continue contrite and submissive, and hold fast the beginning of your confidence stedfast unto the end. Thus, while you increase in fruitful branches upwards, you shall strike root deeper and deeper downwards in humility. And, should any of you, with your last breath, be only able to say again, "God be merciful to me a sinner," you shall be heard, you shall find mercy of the Lord in that day, and shall be exalted to glory, and honour, and immortality.

Are there any of you who are to be contented to go down to your houses unjustified? Then you are to go with the wrath of God abiding on you. But, what if you should never be able to come up to the temple to pray again? Would it not be the safer, the only safe way, to make sure of carrying away the blessing of justification with you now? In order to this, it is necessary for you to understand the nature, and to comply with the method, of justification as stated in Scripture. The substance of its information on this subject may be thus condensed: Justification in the sight of God is pardon of sin, and full acceptance; it comes in this life, and it brings with it a title to eternal life, which can never be lost. Its moving cause is the free grace of God; its meritorious cause is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ; and its instrumental cause is faith: "being justified freely," says the apostle, "by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood." The Lord is now saying to you, Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness; I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry." A complete justifying righteousness is provided for your immediate acceptance. "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved." Receive him, and you receive all. Then, though you may have come hither under the curse, you shall depart under the blessing; though you may have come to this house in a state of condemnation, you shall go down to your own houses justified, each of you being dismissed, by the Saviour, with the gracious words, "Thy faith hath saved thee: go in peace."

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LECTURE XCV.

LUKE XVIII. 15-17.

"And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 17. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein."

THERE are to be seen beautifully harmonizing in the person, character, and actions of the Lord Jesus Christ, the apparently opposite, but perfectly consistent and most engaging, qualities of majesty and gentleness, dignity and condescension. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah; and yet he is the Lamb of God. He is in the form of God, and thinks it not robbery to be equal with God; yet, "he made himself of no reputation, and took on him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." He is "the Prince of the kings of the earth;" "he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords;" and yet, he was the lowliest of the lowly. He is the fellow of Jehovah; yet he condescended to hold familiar intercourse with men, and to notice babes and children. He whose eyes are as a flame of fire, whose voice is as the sound of many waters, and whose countenance is as the sun when he shineth in his strength, smiled kindly, and pronounced blessings on the little ones of Judea. This is one of the most touching and most pleasing actions which are recorded, even of the Redeemer. Many a time has it been told, as soon as they were in any degree capable of understanding it, to children in subsequent ages of the Church; and many of them has it won to the love of the Saviour, of whom some have been spared for years to serve him on earth, and others have been early taken home to his arms, to enjoy all the blessedness of his visible presence. While we now meditate on the record of this beautiful action, may

the Comforter, whose office it is to take of the things of Christ, and show them to his people, cause us all who are present, whether young, or old, or middle-aged, to feel its softening, winning, and sanctifying efficacy.

We find an account of this transaction in Matthew 19th chapter, from the 13th verse; and in Mark 10th chapter, from the 13th verse. The turning points in our Lord's progress to and from Jerusalem, are not so distinctly marked as to be universally agreed on by commentators: it is the common opinion, however, that, a short time before this, he made one journey up to Jerusalem, to attend the feast of tabernacles, and another soon after, to attend the feast of the dedication of the temple. Having been up at this latter feast, he turned again into Galilee. A glance at the 19th chapter of Matthew shows that the event before us took place when Christ had "departed from Galilee, and come into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan." "Great multi

tudes followed him, and he healed them there. The Pharisees also came tempting him," on the subject of divorce. "Then," or at that time, "were there brought unto him little children."

There were brought unto him "little children," according to the words just quoted from Matthew; in the parallel passage of Mark, "young children," according to our ver sion: the Greek word, however, is the same in both these evangelists. "And they brought unto him also infants," says Luke, employing a different word, in the Greek, from that of Matthew and Mark. Both these Greek words, however, are used to denote both infants, strictly so called, or children who are lately born, or so young that they cannot speak, and also children who are much more advanced. Indeed, both the words are used in this passage of Luke; so that, corresponding to these two words in the original, those who are called "infants" in the first verse, are called "little children" in the next verse, the words being, in fact, here employed as synonymous. We are to suppose, then, that there were now brought to Christ children of different ages, of whom some were so young as to be unable to walk, and were, therefore, borne in their mothers' or nurses' arms; and some who were led by the hand, or conducted, and who were capable of understanding and remembering the solemn transaction.*

* Matthew and Mark use the word waidia; Luke uses both ßgn and radia: The word waidov is used for a new-born infant in Matthew ii. 8,

These infants, or children, were brought to Jesus “that he would touch them;" or, as more explicitly in Matthew, "that he should put his hands on them, and pray." The act of the imposition, or solemn laying on of hands, appears, in its strongest meaning, to have been a sign of dedicating or setting apart persons to God, and of imparting to them spiritual gifts. It was used of old at the ordination of priests, as it is still at that of ministers. It was used in prophetic and authoritative blessings; and, no doubt, also in cases where the benediction was merely an earnest prayer for a blessing. Thus, when Jacob blessed his two grandsons, under the influence of divine inspiration, he laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, and his left on Manasseh's.* Somewhat similar was the act of lifting up the hand, or hands, in blessing; thus, "Aaron lifted up his hand towards the people;" and thus, Christ, at his ascension, "lifted up his hands, and blessed" his disciples. The parents and friends of these children, in bringing them to Jesus, testified a regard for him themselves, and intimated, at the least, their expectation that his prayers and his blessing would cause their children to thrive as to health and outward things, and especially, promote their spiritual and eternal welfare; for, whatever may have been the imperfection of their views, they considered him as a prophet.

It might have been thought, that a movement which showed so much respect in the people, and promised so much good for their children, and which was so very honourable to the Redeemer, would have filled the disciples with delight, and have met with every encouragement on their part. So defective, however, were their ideas of Christ's condescension and kindness, that, when they saw what the people were doing, "they rebuked them,"-they signified, with some sharpness, their disapprobation of their conduct, and their wish that they should desist. Perhaps they thought that the people were using too great a liberty with him, that their applications would be teazing and unpleasant to him, and that it was foolish to expect that infants, or children, could derive any benefit from being brought to him. This 9, 11, 13, 14, 20, 21; Luke ii. 17, 21; John xvi. 21: for a child somewhat advanced in Matthew xviii. 2, 3, 4, 5; Mark ix. 24: and for a girl twelve years of age, in Mark v. 39, 40, 41, 42. The word geos is used for a new-born child in Luke ii. 12, 16; Acts vii. 19; 1 Peter ii. 2: and for a child so far advanced as to be capable of knowing something of Scripture, in 2 Timothy iii. 15.

* Gen, xlviii, 14.

+ Lev. ix. 22; Luke xxiv. 50.

was certainly inconsiderate and unkind. Somewhat in the same way, as we read towards the end of this chapter, the multitude rebuked the blind man for crying to Jesus, and desired him to hold his peace. In like manner, those who are coming, in the spiritual sense, to Christ themselves, or endeavouring to bring others to him, may generally expect opposition, and that not only from persons who are altogether worldly, but sometimes even from Christians, who are influenced, at the time, by a mistaken and excessive caution; but let them not be discouraged-He whom they seek after has his eye on them all the time, and those who come to him he will in no wise cast out. It is implied, in the sequel of the history, as given by Luke, but it is expressly stated by Mark, that "when Jesus saw it"—when he observed the interference of his disciples-" he was much displeased." The Lord is displeased even with his own, when they speak or act in an undutiful manner. When Peter presumed to rebuke and oppose Jesus on his intimating how he was to be put to death, he "rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men." And when James and John proposed to call down fire from heaven to destroy the inhabitants of a village who would not receive Christ, "he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." If, then, we do really love him, let us study to avoid whatever would offend him, and to "keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."

Jesus had much more condescension and kindness than his disciples had, and than they supposed him to have; and he said to them, as "he called" the children unto him,

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Suffer little children," or, the little children, for this is a particular case, universally applicable in its principle, "suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God." Let us consider what is implied in this doctrinal declaration, which is here introduced as the reason why children should be brought, or come, unto Christ.

It implies, First, That children, even mere babes, may be regenerated, and truly holy. "The kingdom of God," as usual, here signifies, being the subjects of true religion, or the prevalence of the gospel on earth, and that as a preparation for eternal happiness above. Now, regeneration is absolutely necessary in order to this. Except a man be

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