shall neither slumber nor sleep." The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade on thy right hand. "The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night." The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul." "The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."

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SERMON XVI.

HUMILITY THE ROAD TO GREATNESS.

MATT. xviii. 2, 3, 4.

" And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them.

“ And said, verily I say unto you, unless ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

" Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

THE disciples had put a question to our Saviour upon a subject which seems to have occupied their minds very often. It appears, however, from the other evangelists, that they were driven to do so, by his having first asked them, "What they had disputed by the way." They were not very willing to explain themselves ; but being aware that he knew their thoughts, they at length plainly enquired, "Which of them was to be the greatest" in the kingdom which he was about to establish? No doubt it was an earthly kingdom which they had in view; and each of them, on his own ground, conceived himself to be entitled to the highest place in it; so that the dispute originated in mistake and worldly ambition; and increase of grace, and the glories of the world to come, had no place in their thoughts as subjects of enquiry.

Our Lord's reply, however, had reference to these things. He was going to establish a spiritual kingdom, and qualifications were necessary both for admittance into it, and for advancement to its posts of honour, very different from any which had occurred to their minds under their very mistaken views of the nature of it. If the proud ambitious spirit, at present too visible in their demeanour, should not be brought into better subjection, there would be little evidence of their conversion to God; and in that case they could not so much as enter into his kingdom, much less be exalted above their brethren who should be found there: but he would do better than tell them which should be greatest; that is, whether it should be John, or James, or Matthew, or Peter, or any other : he would tell them what those dispositions of the heart were, which would infallibly lead to greatness; and inasmuch as they wanted a pattern, he would set one before them, by the following of which any of them might attain to all that a holy and pious ambition could aspire

after.

"Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them;" and whilst they doubtless wondered, and were much puzzled to think what could be his meaning, he shews them that such a poor, little, lowly thing as that child, was the very best type or emblem which could be exhibited of the character and qualifications of those who should attain to honour in his kingdom. They must be like that child. Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." "Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

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The words, no doubt, are a call to conversion; but they set it before us under a special aspect, and therefore I shall confine myself to that single view of it. In order for a man to enter into the kingdom of heaven, and be a disciple of Christ at all, such a change must pass upon his heart, as shall bring him to the temper and disposition of a little child: and if he would grow in grace, and advance in the kingdom of heaven, it must be through advancing in this self-same child-like spirit: this, I believe, is the doctrine of the text.

I. Let us take the former part of the doctrine first :-In order to a man's entering into the kingdom of heaven, in order to his being a disciple of Christ at all, such a change must pass upon his heart as shall bring him to the disposition and temper of a little child.

In explaining this, a mistake must be guarded against in the outset. Jesus (as we have said) placed a little child before his disciples, and told them, that except they were converted, and became as little children, they could not enter into the kingdom of heaven: and, in another place, he is related to have rebuked certain persons, who would have kept little children from him, declaring, that " of such is the kingdom of God."* These expressions of his, however, do not imply any contradiction of the doctrine of human corruption: he does not declare in them that children are innocent, in the strict sense of the word, or not born in sin. His words have no bearing upon this point at all; he is