LECTURE XCVII.

Matt. xix.

1-16.

DIVORCEMENT FORBIDDEN.

CHILDREN RECEIVED AND BLESSED.

MARK X. 1-16.

1. And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

2. And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

3. And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

4. And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

5. And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

6. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

7. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

8. And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

9. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

10. And in the house his disciples asked him again of the

same matter.

11. And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away

his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against

her.'

12. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

This is one of the cases which explains our Lord's own account of himself: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law and the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfil." The original will of God was that the woman should be a helpmate for the man, and the man for the woman: and that the marriage tie, united under God's sanction, should be dissolved only by the hand of God in death. And this law was as much made for man, as man for this law. It is the law of domestic peace, comfort, and harmony.

But an " enemy sowed tares" among the good seed. Sin had opposed the will of God. And Moses, for the hardness of men's hearts, had permitted a relaxation of the original law, and allowed in certain cases a bill of divorcement. The custom of the Jews had multiplied the causes, and shamefully increased the practice.

Jesus had now come to fulfil the law, to restore all things, to acquaint us with what God approves, and by the power of his grace to make men approve the same, and bring their thoughts and actions into agreement with it. And "his commandments are not grievous." Experience proves that they are "the ways of pleasantness and

peace."

4

Except in case of adultery. See the parallel passages, Matt. v. 32; xix. 9.

Luke xviii. 15-17.

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The disciples, however, had been bred up different school. They hardly yet perceived the beauty of the precept, "Let every one of you so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband." In the house they asked him again of the same matter. The Spirit of God made that clear to them afterwards which now they could not receive; and taught them to enforce the law, against which at first their hearts rebelled.

13. And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

14. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

15. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

16. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

Two very important inferences are derived from this passage. It acquaints us, by a vivid example, what is the nature of that character which shall enter into the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

This I pass by now, and consider the other subject arising out of the passage: : the encouragement which it gives us, relieving our just fears concerning our children, born as they are "to trouble," and what is far more serious, born as they are with Eph. v. 28-33.

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We are here instructed to hope, that "as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

The children here presented to our Lord, were not intended to be taught, but to be blessed by him. They were too young to profit by his teaching, and therefore the disciples rebuked those that brought them. They did not approve the interruption, or perceive the object it was to answer. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Doubtless he pitied these children, strangers as they were in an evil world, full of danger to the soul. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

Justly, therefore, does our Church insist on this, as a strong indication of his will respecting baptism. Justly does it encourage parents by the example of this incident; "Doubt ye not, therefore, but earnestly believe, that he will likewise favourably receive these infants; that he will embrace them with the arms of his mercy; that he will give unto them the blessing of eternal life, and make them partakers of his everlasting kingdom."3

At the same time we must not deceive ourselves as to the force of this example. We must remember that there were certain conditions connected with the blessing here bestowed. It was not here, as on a previous occasion, when Jesus took a child

In

which happened to be present, and set him in the midst, and made him an example of humility. this case the children were neither present accidentally, nor introduced in compliance with a formal practice; they were brought to Jesus by those interested in them, "that he might lay his hands upon them, and pray, " and touch them. They were brought, therefore, in reliance upon his power, in faith of the virtue which might proceed from him, and be a blessing to these children.

When a like faith is shown in a like manner, the conduct of our Lord gives reason to suppose that he will not withhold that blessing. He does not dismiss the parents and say, Were your children of an age to believe, it should be unto them according to their faith; but I have no blessing for those who cannot solicit it for themselves. But he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. Surely this action would be calculated to mislead us, if he meant us to consider the baptism of infants as a vain ceremony, or a mere outward rite, from which no spiritual benefit is to be expected or derived.

Still, if we expect the same advantage, the same mind must be in us which was in the friends of these children. We must come to baptism in faith, and not in compliance with a customary form. We must come, believing that our children, without Christ, are miserable, lost, and helpless; "being dead through the offence of one." We must come,

believing that "being justified by his blood, they shall be saved from wrath through him." We must

St. Matthew in the parallel passage, xix. 13.

Rom v. 15, 9.