Well now, can we say without insincerity-This is our aim, our desire, our study, our endeavor? We fain would come after Christ; deny ourselves; take up our cross, and follow him? We are not afraid to tread in his steps; we are only afraid of following too far off; afraid of denying him in any respect; afraid of seeming to be ashamed of him; of giving any other object the preference to him? Can we say-We wish all that he dislikes in us may be crucified, and that our whole souls may be drawn after him? We wish to feel a stronger degree of this heavenly attraction, that we may run in the way of his commandments, with enlargedness of heart? We cannot be satisfied till we are with him to behold his glory, and are completely conformed to his likeness? They who now deny themselves for God, shall enjoy themselves for ever; or rather, shall enjoy him for ever. They shall enter into the joy of their Lord, and participate of the blessedness of the infinitely happy God.

LIX.

THE CHILDLIKE SPIRIT OF A CHRISTIAN.

MATT. Xviii. 3.

Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

THE occasion of these words being spoken by our blessed Lord, was a dispute which arose among his disciples, who should be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. But though he certainly meant to rebuke them for their ambitious temper; yet, he did not design to suggest, that they were absolutely graceless or unconverted when the reproof was given. See Chap. xvi. 17. of this same Gospel. "Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which in heaven." Nor did our Lord mean to ascribe real moral excellence to little children, any more than to doves or sheep; nor yet to propose them as examples in every thing but he intended to inculcate the universal necessity of the new birth, and at the same time to illustrate some of its genuine effects, respecting our temper towards God and man. Though

these dispositions are not found perfect in any new-born soul, any more than in the apostles; yet they who are truly the subjects of divine grace do correspond to this description, in proportion as grace prevails. There is not a man but needs conversion, even such a conversion as shall make him a new creature. Whoever will see heaven, must needs be born again. All have been perverted, and must be converted. All have been turned aside into a wrong way, and must be brought back to the right way, to God's way. All are proud, and must be deeply humbled; yea, they need this more and more.

The Doctrine is this:-The temper of a little child may afford an emblem of the disposition of a gracious soul.

FIRST: A man must be converted from a spirit of selfrighteousness, and all notions of human merit. He must receive the kingdom of heaven as a little child, i. e. as a free gift, and not earned by him. Mark x. 15. “Verily, I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter therein." Little children have no idea of having obtained large estates by their own labor: they come to them only by gift, after having been originally procured by the labor of some other person. So are Christians confessedly indebted to Christ alone. Nor do little children pride themselves in their estates, when given or left to them; as though they had deserved them, and might despise others.

SECONDLY: A man must be converted from self-sufficiency; and brought into a state of continual dependance on God, for his spiritual sustenance, and for the daily supplies of his manifold necessities. As a child depends on his father, not only for a future inheritance, but also for the supply of his present wants; so do believers feel and own their dependance, both on the providence and grace of God.

THIRDLY: A man must be converted also from selfconfidence; and resemble a little child in looking to a superior power for protection. As a little child is afraid of the appearance of danger, and dares not encounter enemies in his own strength, but at the first alarm runs to his father for defence; so it is with the true convert: he is afraid

especially of moral evil, and dares not trust to his own strength or wisdom to keep him from temptation.

FOURTHLY: A man must be converted from self-will, and be made to resemble a little child in docility, or readiness to be taught. Little children cannot pretend to know much; they readily yield to the judgment of others. So true Christians, though they call no one Master on earth, yet are not disposed to make a man an offender for a word, are willing to be instructed, and to examine all by the word of God; and readily yield to the authority of Christ. Children are not prejudiced, stiff, and self-willed: they are used to stand in awe of superiors, are easily melted into grief at a father's displeasure, fearing his frown more than a hardened slave would fear his blows. So it is with the Christian, especially with the most eminent in grace.

FIFTHLY: A man must be converted from guile, hypocrisy, and by-end in religion; and become as a little child in ingenuous simplicity, not artfully feigning one thing and meaning another. Little children are comparatively artless; you may easily see their real disposition; they cannot hide their views, and carry on long intrigues. So it should be with the Christian.

SIXTHLY A man must be converted from a spirit of selfishness, malice, and revenge. "In malice be ye children." 1 Cor. xiv. 20. Little children are gentle, sympathetic, affectionate, and of a forgiving spirit; their quarrels are soon over; they do not harbor long resentments, nor bear malice towards those that have offended them. So will it be the case with Christians, especially eminent Christians. We are not indeed bound to think alike of all, nor to delight in all, nor to confide in all. But we are strongly bound to love all. The spirit of a Christian is benevolence to all mankind, and special delight in all the family of God. Nothing is more opposite to the temper of Christ than a revengeful, malignant disposition. We who need so much forgiveness, whose whole dependance is on sovereign mercy, who are so indebted to divine compassion and pardoning grace, are bound to be merciful and forgiving. How can our profession be true, if it do not make us ready to forgive others?

What a sad spirit is often shown by unconverted men! How proud and self-sufficient are they! self-willed, full of guile, subtlety, selfishness, and malice! What a contrast should Christians manifest to these vile tempers! Old things must be done away, and all things become new. How suspicious is our conversion if it be not thus discovered!

What room have some professors to fear that they were never converted! Well regulated worldly principles may indeed disguise such tempers; but grace alone will truly mortify them, and make us desirous of their utter suppression. Be, however, stricter on this head with yourselves, than with others. As to others, remember, that in order to judge of what the grace of God has done for a man, you should try to estimate what he would have been without it. As to yourself, treat your tempers at least as you would your bodily diseases; watch against that of which you are most in danger.

How excellent a thing is true conversion! Let us be concerned to evidence that we have really experienced it. May we aspire after more of a Christian temper. We certainly need it. As we grow in grace, we shall become more like little children all our days. We have little religion, if we have but little humility.

LX.

SELF-SUSPICION ENFORCED.

MATT. XXVI. 22.

And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?

SUPERFICIAL observers, when they read the account of Judas Iscariot, may be ready to wonder at our Lord's putting him among the number of his apostles; when he, as the Searcher of hearts, must certainly have known the original defect of his character, and foreseen the act of treachery which he would perpetrate at last.

But not only was this circumstance previously foretold, and almost necessary to our Saviour's suffering that death

which the determinate counsel of God had ordained; but it also served strongly to mark the innocence of the character of Jesus, when one, who had had every opportunity to observe him in the closest manner, and whose interest it was to asperse it, could impeach him of no crime whatever; though disappointed covetousness led him to abandon his cause, and to betray him into the hands of sinners.

Judas being numbered for a time with the apostles, and yet at last proving himself a devil, is also a useful specimen of the deceitfulness of sin, and may justly warn us to beware of the treachery of our own hearts.

Some, indeed, when they think of the atrocity of his crime, may suppose that there is little danger of their imitating it. And true it is, that it never was in all respects equalled; nor can any of us have an opportunity of acting precisely the same part. If, however, we suppose the only reason is, the superior native goodness of our hearts, we only evidence our ignorance and conceit, and show that we have greater confidence in ourselves, than all the rest of the apostles for when our Lord forewarned them, they all began to say, "Lord, is it I?" We therefore may learn

from this passage, the following instructive lessons :

FIRST: It is possible, that among the nominal disciples of Christ, who have enjoyed the best means of instruction, some may be found, who will eventually prove traitors to him, and children of the devil.

:

If there was one among the apostles, surely there may be some among ordinary disciples: if one among twelve, there may be more among one, or two, or three hundred church members if one among them that attended Christ's personal ministry, who was like a refiner's fire; it may be so among those who attend inferior ministers, who are not near so searching in their preaching. If one among those who followed our Lord in the day of his humiliation, did not enter into the spirituality of his kingdom, and thus became offended when he found there was so little to be got by him; it may more likely be the case, now a general profession of Christianity is so common, and a more particular one is attended with so little risque. Judas saw Christ in the flesh. Judas