the existence of little faith, or " despise the day of small things," or disdain to sow what could not be reaped for many years, well may his people cultivate the same benevolence, and exert themselves according to their measure in the same glo- rious cause.]
From this subject we may see,
1. How thankful ought children to be to their
instructors1!
[To you who are instructed from Sabbath to Sabbath it appears, that the teaching of you to read is the great object which your instructors have in view : but this is by no means the case : they desire to perform the same kind office for you which the parents in our text performed for their children ; they would bring you to Christ, that you may be received into his bosom, and be made partakers of his blessing. For this end they pray for you in secret, that God may render their labours effectual for your eternal good : and whilst they are instructing you, they often put up a silent prayer to Him who seeth the desire of their hearts ; and they actually put you, as it were, into the Saviour's hands, saying, ' Lord, give thy blessing to this dear child ! ' Let me then entreat you to have the same end in view, and to seek for yourselves his blessing upon your souls.]
2. What reason have they to be ashamed who
would keep men from Christ !
[The Disciples had some reason for discouraging the bringing of infants to Christ ; but what reason have they who would deter grown persons from coming to him ! Shall it be thought that there are few, if any, who would act so wicked a part? Alas! there are many: for, what is the tendency of that derision with which religion is treated, and of that opposition which is almost universally made to those who are zealous in its cause ? Surely, if our Lord was " much displeased''' with his Disciples, who really meant well, it is no little displeasure that he will manifest against the wilful despisers of his Gospel
We commend to their attention a fore-cited passage k,
and pray God that they may never know the force of it by their own experience.]
3. What encouragement have we all to apply to Christ for ourselves !
[If our blessed Lord was so condescending unto infants, what will he not be to those who come to him with understanding
1 This is proper to be noticed especially where there are Sunday Schools. This is also a fit subject for a Baptism. k Matt, xviii. 6.