12 SERMON UPON MARK 11. 17.
5. There must be an unfeigned purpose and endeavour to forsake them: Pro v. xxviii. 13, 'He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy ; ' Ezek. iii. 11, 'As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die, 0 house of Israel ? ' Hosea xiv. 8, * Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols ? ' Isa. XXX. 22, ' Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold; thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth ; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.f
SEEMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2.
Out of the mouths o/bahes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and avenger. — Ps. viii. 2.
The scope of this psalm is to glorify God for the singular dignity he hath put upon man above all his works. The expressions literally and apparently refer to God's works of creation and providence about him ; but in a divine and more spiritual sense the mysteries of redemp- tion are intended, and secretly couched under them, as appeareth by the frequent quotations of this psalm in the New Testament. There is a double honour put upon mankind —
1. That God hath ordained man, that feeble and weak creature, to subdue and conquer his enemies.
2. That God hath made him lord of all his other creatures ; both which concern not only man in general, but especially Jesus Christ, God made man, and therefore both are applied to him. The first when the children welcome him with the acclamations proper to the Messiah: Mat. xxi. 15,16, ' When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, Hosanna to the son of David, they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say ? and Jesus saith unto them. Yea ; have ye never read, Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise ? ' The other in many places, especially Heb. ii. €-8, * But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him ? or the son of man, that thou visitest him ? Thou hast made him little lower than the angels ; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands ; thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet : for in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him.' So that man is both his champion and his deputy. He is his deputy : ver. 6, ' Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands ; thou hast put all things under his feet.' His champion, in the text: 'Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength,' &c.
In explaining these words, I shall inquire — (1.) Who are these babes and sucklings ? (2.) Who is the enemy and avenger ? (3.) What is the miracle and wonder that raised the prophet's admiration, and moved him to praise God for this ?
I. Who are these babes and sucklings ?
14 SERMON TJPON PSALM VIII. 2.
1. Man in general, who springeth from so weak and poor a begin- ning as that of babes and sucklings, yet is at length advanced to such power as to grapple with and overcome the enemy and the avenger.
2. David in particular, who being but a ruddy youth, God used him as an instrument to discomfit Goliah of Gath.
3. More especially our Lord Jesus Christ, who assuming our nature and all the sinless infirmities of it, and submitting to the weakness of an infant, and after dying, is gone in the same nature to reign in heaven, till he hath brought all his enemies under his feet, Ps. ex. 1 ; and 1 Cor. xv. 27, ' For he hath put all things under his feet ; but when he saith he hath put all things under him, it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him.' Then was our human nature exalted above all other creatures, when the Son of God was made of a woman, carried in the womb as long a time as other infants are, Luke ii. 6 ; sucked as a babe, and afterwards died, and was received unto glory.
4. The apostles, who to outward appearance were despicable, in a manner children and sucklings in comparison of the great ones of the world, poor despised creatures, yet principal instruments of God's ser- vice and glory. Therefore it is notable that when Christ glorifieth his Father for the wise and free dispensation of his saving grace, Mat. xi. 25, he saith, ' I thank thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid those things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes;' so called from the meanness of their condition. Compare the parallel places, Luke x. 21, and you shall see it was spoken when the disciples were sent abroad, and had power given them over unclean spirits : * In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.' This he acknowledged to be an act of infinite condescen- sion in God.