Having premised these two particulars, I now proceed to shew in what sense we are really to understand the words, that we must be converted and become like little children. The Evangelist tells us, “that the disciples at this time came unto JESUS, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” These disciples had imbibed the common prevailing notion, that the LORD JESUS CHRIST was to be a temporal prince; they dreamed of nothing but being ministers of state, of sitting on CHRIST’s right-hand in his kingdom, and lording it over GOD’s people; they thought themselves qualified for state offices, as generally ignorant people are apt to conceive of themselves. Well, say they, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Which of us shall have the chief management of public affairs? A pretty question for a few poor fishermen, who scarcely knew how to drag their nets to shore, much less how to govern a kingdom. Our LORD, therefore, in the 2d verse, to mortify them, calls a little child, and sets him in the midst of them. This action was as much as if our LORD had said, “Poor creatures! your imaginations are very towering; you dispute who shall be greatest in the kingdom of heaven; I will make this little child preach to you, or I will preach to you by him: Verily I say unto you, (I who am truth itself, I who know in what manner my subjects are to enter into my kingdom; I say unto you, ye are so far from being in a right temper for my kingdom, that) except ye be converted, and become as this little child, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven, (unless ye are, comparatively speaking, as loose to the world, as loose to crowns, scepters, and kingdoms, and earthly things, as this poor little child I have in my hand) ye shall not enter into my kingdom.” So that what our LORD is speaking of, is not the innocency of little children, if you consider the relation they stand in to GOD, and as they are in themselves, when brought into the world; but what our LORD means is, that as to ambition and lust after the world, we must in this sense become as little children. Is there never a little boy or girl in this congregation? Ask a poor little child, that can just speak, about a crown, scepter, or kingdom, the poor creature has no notion about it: give a little boy or girl a small thing to play with, it will leave the world to other people. Now in this sense we must be converted, and become as little children; that is, we must be as loose to the world, comparatively speaking, as a little child.
Do not mistake me, I am not going to persuade you to shut up your shops, or leave your business; I am not going to persuade you, that if ye will be christians, ye must turn hermits, and retire out of the world: ye cannot leave your wicked hearts behind you, when you leave the world; for I find when I am alone, my wicked heart has followed me, go where I will. No, the religion of JESUS is a social religion. But though JESUS CHRIST does not call us to go out of the world, shut up our shops, and leave our children to be provided for by miracles; yet this must be said to the honour of christianity, if we are really converted, we shall be loose from the world. Though we are engaged in it, and are obliged to work for our children; though we are obliged to follow trades and merchandize, and to be serviceable to the commonwealth; yet if we are real christians, we shall be loose to the world; though I will not pretend to say that all real christians have attained to the same degree of spiritual-mindedness. This is the primary meaning of these words, that we must be converted and become as little children; nevertheless, I suppose the words are to be understood in other senses.