VII. SERM. Suffer little children to come unto me, and for- These are the accounts, which the Evangelists have given us of this matter. I shall endeavor to make an emprovement of this historie by confidering these several particulars : I. Who were now brought to Chrift. II. For what end they were brought to III. The reception, he gave them: which IV. The declaration made concerning I. The first particular to be confidered by us is, who were now brought to Christ. In St. Matthew they are stiled little children. In one place of St. Mark we have, in our verfion, young children. But in the original it is still one and the fame word: which there 1 therefore throughout those two Evangelists SERM. should be uniformly rendered little chil- VII. dren. In St. Luke they are called infants: a word, which, as the critics in the Greek language say, comprehends any children from the time of their birth, till they are four years of age. It is the same word, which we have in another text: Knowing, that from a child thou hast known the holy fcriptures. That these were little children may be inferred from a circumstance mentioned, in St. Mark, that Jesus took them in his arms. " Their tender age may be argued likewife from hence: that it is not faid of Christ, that he taught them, or asked them any questions. I choose not to argue from the expreffion, of their being brought to Chrift: not thinking it sufficient to prove, that they were carried in arms. For the phrafe may be used of such as are led, conducted, guided to a place, or person. Upon the whole, we may conclude, I think, that they were what they are called by the Evangelifts, little children, or infants. None 2 Tim. iii. 15. SERM. None of them were arrived to the full exVII. ercife of reason: and some of them might be carried in the arms of their friends. II. The next particular to be confidered by us is, What views they had, who brought these little children to Jefus : or, for what end they were brought to him. It does not appear, that they were brought to Jesus, to be healed by him of any ficknesse, or weaknesse, which they were afflicted with. For there is nothing of that kind hinted in any of the Evangelifts, though no less than three of them have recorded this historie. And, if that had been the cafe, the disciples, it is likely, would not have rebuked the persons, who came with these children. For before now there had been fuch applications made to our Lord by many perfons, not only for themselves, but for others alfo: for their friends, or their children, or their fervants. For what end and purpose, then, may some say, should these little children be brought to Jesus? who were so young, as to have little or no exercise of reason and un derstanding, derstanding, and must therefore have been SERM. uncapable of receiving instruction. VII. That we may the better answer this enquirie, we should attend to the Evangelists expressions. St. Mark says, they brought little children to Jefus, that be should touch them : St. Luke: they brought unto him alfo or even infants, that he should touch them. But in our text, in St. Matthew, it is: that he Should put bis hands on them, and pray. And it is likely, that this is the meaning of all the Evangelists: it having been common among the Jews, to lay the hand upon those, whom they blessed: or for whom they prayed to God, that he would bless them. So, when Gen. Jacob blessed the two fons of Jofeph in xlviii. Egypt, a little before his death, he laid his hands upon each of them. These persons therefore, here spoken of, brought these little children to Jesus, that he might lay his hands upon them, and bless them. They had a high opinion of the piety of Jefus, and of his interest in the divine favour. Probably they were disciples, or believers, fuch as took Jesus for a Prophet, and even the great Prophet, who was to come, the Meffiah. And they were defirous, that their SERM. children should receive a blessing from him. VII. Some may be apt to think, this must have been a fuperftitious, and fond conceit of these persons. To which I would answer, that, probably, it was not entirely so. For in that cafe Jesus would not have shewn them fuch regard. It cannot be thought, that our Lord would countenance an action, that was altogether unreasonable, and quite destitute of all good foundation. And supposing, that there was a mixture of some wrong views in this conduct, the Lord Jesus was more gracious, than to reject these perfons, or condemn their defign upon that account. The twelve disciples had not been perfectly disinterested, or free from all secular views, in coming to him, and following him. Yet he was well pleased Luke xxii. with their attendence on him: and he pro28...30. mised them a reward for it, if they continued to act as disciples, with fincerity: though they still wanted a finless perfection, and had not a wisdom void of all defects. III. The third thing is the reception, he gave these children: which at the very first |