daughter He raised from the dead; for the weeping man whose boy was possessed of the deaf-and-dumb spirit, which ofttimes cast the child into the fire and into the water to destroy him; for the mother of Phoenicia, and for the widowed mother of Nain. Thus, full of sympathy for parents, He is, inevitably, as full of tenderness for their children. Nor, probably, were the children ignorant of this fact. They drew to Him, and in them was "perfected praise." When, hearing the shouts of the multitude who had escorted Christ into Jerusalem, they sang, not in the street, but in the temple itself, “Hosanna to the Son of David!" their song sorely displeased the envious rulers, but to Christ their youthful efforts foretold the coming time, when "Infant voices shall proclaim Their early blessings on His name." We are told that certain persons brought children to Christ. Those thus brought are spoken of as "young children," which, no doubt, they were, from the fact that Mark says, "He took them up in His arms." Luke tells us that the wish of these mothers was that "He would touch them." Mark also alludes to the same desire. Matthew says that their request was that "He would put His hands on them and pray." Now, we need not fancy that these were feeble children, brought to be cured, as were older people, by the Master's touch; it seems plain enough that they were brought in ordinary health, and to procure some spiritual rather than material benefit. Their mothers had long witnessed the goodness of Christ, and they had confidence in His ability effectually to help their offspring. They asked a blessing from this great Prophet, for such, undoubtedly, they believed Him to be. They thought of Jacob and of Joseph, when the patriarch blessed Ephraim and Manasseh "The Angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the lads." So they came, anxious that He who was Jacob's "Angel" might lay His hands on their precious charge. No doubt, this confidence in our Lord's power and willingness to bless, had degrees, alike of strength or intelligence. But when they entrusted their little ones to the gaze and touch of this Teacher, they proclaimed their full belief in His utter goodness, and in His power to do theirs good. Probably, also, they had but little doubt that Christ would receive their children; for, while the reports and instances of His goodness were various and numerous, no story was ever circulated, even by His enemies, of a harsh or of a cold refusal to confer a kindness. His disciples might repel an applicant, but such as met with churlishness from them had only to ask in order to receive mercy from their Lord. Let us note them, then, as they approach Christ, and hear them as, by their spokeswoman, they ask that He would lay His hands on these bared young heads, and pray, as He did so, for these young hearts! The disciples had been rebuked, Christ was indignant with them; and now, smiling as He looked on the unusual visitors, He did, for the fluttered mothers, even more than they expected. He did not coldly touch the infants; He did not merely pray for them all; but, that none might be grieved or forgotten, one by one, He took them up in His arms, and pressing them to His bosom, blessed them. To us who do chiefly think of Christ as He sits at the right hand of God the Father, this most human scene is full of especial comfort. Of such tender citizens the kingdom of God is full; and this earthly acceptance of them was typical of what we believe to be the fact, that young spirits occupy many of the seats allotted to the human family in the upper assembly. Huge is the host which dies in childhood, and with such is His palace peopled. Some have spoken as if the result of the atonement was as yet comparatively little to the eye; and, perhaps, it is so; there is, however, a gain, incalculable although invisible, a gain which no arithmetic but God's can compute, when we know how prodigious is the number of the irresponsible young who pass out of time before probation begins, and who, as we rejoice to believe, all through Christ taking them, go to make up that multitude which no man can number, who see His face, and are ever before His throne. If these are for ever with the Lord, the sum of adult unbelief, even were this more universal than it is, loses much of its force. The adult belief which exists, combined with a universal infant acceptance, constitute a crown for the Redeemer, which neither the apostasy of hell nor the stubbornness of final antagonism can dim. The cross has wrought a great salvation. What became of the particular children whom Jesus thus lifted up individually and blessed? What was their future story? Was any one of them old enough, and if so, did this one sing His praises in the temple? Was any one old enough, and if so, did this one cry, Crucify Him," with the multitude, as they coerced Pilate? In later life, did they believe on Him? later life, did they refuse Him, and suffer in the ruin In of their country? Did they, when they grew older, value His blessing as the breathing of God's Son, or scorn it as the idle talk of a detected and crucified impostor? At all events, they met Him, and whether they received Him ultimately, as the Lamb slain and the final High Priest, or not, one thing we know, that theirs was an especial privilege, which He who conferred it, doing nothing vainly, could never forget. A few more years, whatever was the choice of each and all the members of that little group passed onwards to God's bar, some young, some more ripe, and some in maturer years, but all destined to gaze again on Christ, not now as the sweet, sad Prophet, sore marred, but as the triumphant Mediator, who had become either their prosecutor or their intercessor; recalling that early meeting, and intensely realising this later one, how varied and conflicting their emotions! Happy those who, in this hour of judgment, could trace back God's saving grace, pulsing all through and for ever influencing their lives, and say, that it began to act when Jesus embraced them! Very direct was their afflatus. And yet, how many little ones have since been safely folded, who never saw His face until, in the first effluence of their conscious immortality, they knew Him in the mild radiance of the better land. Christ has said, "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones, for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven." Now, it may be that there is a reference here to the inconspicuous good; it will hardly be denied, however, that there is also a reference to the class represented by the little child whom "He called unto Him, and set in the midst of them." There may be, further, some difficulty in ascertaining the precise character of that vision of God, which angels representing children do, for those they represent, especially enjoy; of the fact, however, that these beings are concerned for the young of our race, there is no doubt. Christ says it is so, and He knew. Thus, we rise from the scene we have been contemplating, and the world we are familiar with, and looking into one where our fellows enjoy a blessed immortality, we find that there, as they have been here, children are still the objects of Divine regard. Exalted creatures, who care for their good, have, with the Eternal, especial audience. As in other instances, so in this, angels obey Christ, and minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation. "How oft do they their silver bowers leave, To come to succour us that succour want! And their bright squadrons round about us plant; And all for love and nothing for reward: Oh! why should Heavenly God to men have such regard !” The interest Christ felt for the young appeared even on the way to Calvary. At such a moment "these little ones" could hardly have expected His care. Then, however, He turned to the women who bewailed and lamented Him, and, foreseeing the horrors which were to befall them and their offspring, He exclaims, "Weep not for Me, but for yourselves and for your children." And the thought of the tortured |