5. Those children that cried hosanna to Christ make up part of the sense. Mat. xxi. 16 ; for Christ defendeth their practice by this scripture, when he was condemned by the wisest and greatest and proudest men in the world, such as were the scribes and pharisees at that time, he was praised and welcomed as the Messiah or son of David by the children.
6. Not only the apostles, but all those that fight under Christ's ban- ner and are lifted into his confederacy may be called babes and suck- lings— (1.) Because of their condition ; (2.) Their disposition.
[1.] Because of their condition. God is pleased often to make choice of the meanest and lowest : 1 Cor. i. 27, 28, ' But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty ; and the base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen ; j-ea, and tilings which are not, to bring to nought things that are ; ' that is, God in the government of the world is pleased to subdue the enemies of his kingdom by weak and despised instruments.
[2.] Because of their disposition ; they are most humble spirited. We are told, Mat. xviii. 3, ' Except ye be converted, and become as
SERMON UPON PSALM VIII. 2. 15
little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of God.' As if he had said, you strive for pre-eminence and worldly greatness in my kingdom ; I tell you my kingdom is a kingdom of babes, and con- taineth none but the humble, and such as are little in their own eyes, and are contented to be small and despised in the eyes of others, and so do not seek after great matters in the world. A young child knoweth not what striving or state meaneth ; and therefore, by an emblem and visible representation of a child set in the midst of them, Christ would take them off from the expectation of a carnal kingdom.
II. Who is the enemy and the avenger ? In the letter Goliath, in the mystery the devil and his agents and instruments. He is 6 i)(6p6<;, the enemy of God and man : Mat. xiii. 39, ' The enemy that soweth them is the devil ;' and with him all the seed of the serpent, Gen. iii. 15. These are wicked men: John viii. 44, ' For ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do ; ' 1 John iv. 4, 'Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.' The war is carried on between two heads and two seeds.
III. What is the miracle and wonder that raised the heart of the psalmist to praise God ? It lieth in three things — (1.) That God hath ordained strength ; (2.) That this lieth in their mouth ; (3.) That this strength is sufficient to still the enemy and the avenger.
1. That there is strength in such weak creatures. Christ himself to outward appearance was a mean and despicable person, scorned, scourged, crucified, yet made perfect through sufferings, and crowned with glory and honour : Heb. ii. 9, 10, ' But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour, that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of our salvation perfect through sufferings.' And he hath strength enough to remove the impediments of our salvation, and doth powerfully conquer and subdue all his and our enemies. Christians are in them- selves weak creatures, but there is strength ordained for them to do and suffer all things that belong to their duty, or may befall them in the way of their dut)^ As Phil. iv. 13, 'I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me,' and 'When I am weak, then am I strong,' 1 Cor. xii. 10. And this strength is said to be ' ordained,' or * founded,* because it standeth upon a good foundation, the everlasting merit of the Son of God, who came out from God's bosom to reduce and call us to the dignity of his servants. The angels, those glorious creatures, when they fell by pride, were never restored, but are be- come the enemies of God and mankind. They usurped the honour due to God, and plunged man into their apostasy, but God hath ordained strength to recover man out of this thraldom, and vindicate his own glory, that mankind might not be wholly lost to him. Col. ii. 15, ' Having spoiled principalities and powers,' that is, spoiled them of their prey, on his cross. And afterwards by the power of his grace rescueth man : Col. i. 13, * Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.
2. That this strength cometh out of the mouth ; that is, it is not