verse: dissoluble strictness, in the marriage union, which existed under this modification of the original law, was itself a diminution of the blessing. What disappointment and disgust, what weariness of life, what hardships and persecutions, what fear and timidity, and jealousy, and disquietude are stamped upon the very face of this needful, but mournful permission. And we may observe how extensively the evil had wrought, and how much the minds of men had become accustomed to undervalue the blessings of holy matrimony. This appears from the remark of the disciples in the tenth "His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry." What! not good to marry, because it is no easy matter to undo the marriage bond? Oh, how deeply thankful should we be for that better and brighter view of this blessed estate, which is revealed to us in the pages of the Gospel! It "is an honourable estate, instituted of God in the time of man's innocency, signifying unto us the mystical union betwixt Christ and his church; which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified by his presence, and first miracle that he wrought, in Cana of Galilee; and is commended of St. Paul to be honourable among all men." See Eph. ginal will and law of God; not only vindicating it from the false glosses, and the cavils or objections, of men, but even recovering it from a temporary obscuration which it had suffered under the law of Moses. Let Christ be the teacher of every married pair, and they cannot but be happy. Blessed indeed are they whom God has joined together, not only by the law of marriage, but also by the participation of his grace. "This is that," says Archbishop Leighton, "which most strongly binds their hearts together and makes them one. If each be reconciled unto God in Christ, and so an heir of life, and one with God, then are they truly one in God with each other; and that is the surest and sweetest union that can be. Natural love hath risen very high in some husbands and wives; but the highest of it falls very far short of that which holds in God. Hearts concentring in him are most excellently one. That love which is cemented by youth and beauty, when these moulder and decay, as soon as they do, fades too. That is somewhat purer and so more lasting, which holds in a natural or moral harmony of minds; yet, these likewise may alter and change by some great accident. But the most refined, most spiritual, and most indissoluble is that which is knit with the highest and purest spirit. And the ignorance or disregard of this is the great cause of so much bitterness, or so little true sweetness, in the life of most married persons; because God is left out, because they meet not as one in him. But happy those persons, in any society of marriage or friendship, who converse together as those that shall live eternally together in glory. This is indeed the sum of all duties." into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; let them thus offer and dedicate them to the service of their God and Saviour, and implore his blessing on their heads; let them afterwards commit them continually to his care, with faith and prayer;-let them see that they be taught, what a solemn vow, promise, and profession has been made on their behalf, and that they be virtuously brought up to lead a godly and a Christian life; earnestly believe, that Christ will favourably receive the infants whom they faithfully present at the baptismal font, that he will embrace them with the arms of his mercy, that he will give unto them the blessing of eternal life, and make them partakers of his everlasting kingdom. Jesus said, suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.-See ch. xviii. 3.-How beautifully and significantly is the act of Christ's blessing little children connected in the Gospel history with his discourse concerning marriage! Surely Christ--and then let them not doubt, but ian parents cannot but find here a cheering encouragement to dedicate their offspring to the blessed Saviour, in full confidence of his favourable regard on their behalf. Nor can we be mistaken in considering the circumstance here recorded as a token of approbation in favour of the Christian practice of Infant-baptism. Notwithstanding the rebuke of the disciples, Jesus encouraged those who brought unto him these little children,―these very young children, as the word in the original intimates. And while we know, from the practice of circumcision, that an infant of eight days old is capable of being taken into covenant with God, how can we for a moment suppose that such are incapable of being taken into the Christian covenant, -a covenant which has for its foundation the person and the work of him who has thus emphatically said, "Suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me."-Let parents, then, place their young children within the bonds of the covenant of grace, by the solemn act of baptism He laid his hands on them, and departed thence. Thus may his hands be laid on all those in whose baptismal dedication to God we may have taken any part! "Let thy fatherly hand, we beseech thee, ever be over them; let thy Holy Spirit ever be with them; and so lead them in the knowledge and obedience of thy word, that in the end they may obtain everlasting life!" HYMN I. Lo! Israel's gracious Shepherd stands "Permit them to approach," he cries, Christ instructeth the young man how to attain eternal life, and how to be perfect; telleth his disciples how hard it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdom there is none good but one, that is, God but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the command ments. 18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, "Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother and, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, 'go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions. 23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That' a rich man shall of God; and promiseth reward to those hardly enter into the kingdom that forsake anything to follow him. 16 ¶ "And, behold, one came and said unto him, 'Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? of heaven. 24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? 26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but "with God all things are possible. 27¶Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, " we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 2 upon 29 "And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 30' But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. n Mark x. 17. Luke xviii. 18.-0 Luke x. 25.-p Ex. x. 17-31, and Luke xviii. 30.From St. Luke we learn that the young man who came to our Lord on this occasion was "a ruler,” i. e. probably, a ruler of a synagogue ; and St. Mark tells us that he came running,-and that he fell upon his knees, by way of respectful salutation. The latter Evangelist also mentions the affecting circumstance that "Jesus, beholding him, loved him;" that is, was pleased with his amiable manners, even while, as a teacher of truth, he declared his moral delinquency, and guilt in the sight of God. It may be observed that, by saying to this young man "Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God," our Saviour probably intended to give him an opportunity of declaring his conviction of the Messiahship of him to whom he had given that title. He might have justified his style of address, by saying, "Yea Lord, but thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!" It appears, however, that he had not formed any correct idea of the real nature and dignity of the person whom he was addressing; he regarded him as a mere human teacher, or prophet; and consequently, the appellation "good," though not too much for Christ to xx. 13.-Deut. v. 17.-9 ch. xv. 4.- Lev. xix. 18. ch. receive, as being himself God as well as man, was yet too much for this young man to bestow, as being ignorant of his divinity. He gave, xxii. 39. Rom. xiii. 9. Gal. v. 14. James ii. 8.-s ch. vi. 20. Luke xii. 33; & xvi. 9. Acts ii. 45; & iv. 34, 35, 1 Tim. vi. 18, 19.- ch. xiii. 22 Mark x. 24. 1 Cor. i. 26. 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10.-u Gen. xviii. 14. Job xlii. 2. Jer. xxxii. 17. Zech. viii. 6. Luke i. 37; & xviii. 27.- Mark x. 28. Luke xviii. 28.-y Deut. xxxiii. 9. ch. iv. 20. Luke xviii. 28.-y Deut. xxxiii. 9. ch. iv. 20. Luke v. 11.-2 ch. xx. 21. Luke xxii. 28, 29, 30. 1 Cor. vi. 2, 3. Kev. ii. 26.-a Mark x. 29, 30. Luke xviii. 29, 30.- ch. perhaps thoughtlessly, to one whom xx. 16; & 21, 31, 32. Mark x. 31. Luke xiii. 30. Reader. We find the substance of this narrative repeated in Mark he supposed to be no more than man, that honour which belongs to God alone. And our Lord saw fit to administer a reproof accordingly. The expression (ver. 24) "for a camel (or elephant) to go through the eye of a needle," is a common oriental phrase to denote any thing impossible or extremely difficult. A reading, which has been sometimes adopted, whereby the Greek word for "a cable" has been substituted for that denoting "a camel," appears to have originated in mistake, probably on the part of some transcribers who were ignorant of the form of speech employed by our Saviour on this occasion. A commentator, well versed in oriental literature, reminds us that there is an expression similar to this in the Koran, (Surat vii. ver. 37);-"The impious, who in his arrogance shall accuse our doctrine of falsity, shall find the gates of heaven shut; nor shall he enter there till a camel shall pass through the eye of a needle. It is thus that we shall recompense the wicked." And he adds that, "it was also a mode of expression common among the Jews, and signified a thing impossible." Hence this proverb, "A camel in Media dances in a kabe," a measure which held about three pints. Again, "No man sees a palm tree of gold, nor an elephant passing through the eye of a needle;" because these are impossible things. "Rabbi Shesheth answered Rabbi -Amram, who had advanced an absurdity, Perhaps thou art one of the Pambidithians who can make an elephant pass through the eye of a needle;—that is, says the Aruch, who speak things impossible." The words of the 28th verse may require some explanation. It is commonly supposed that the phrase "in the regeneration" means "at the restoration of all things," when the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and there will be new heavens and a new earth,-when the order of the universe, which has been disturbed by sin, shall be restored. And the entire promise to the Apostles, conveyed under the figure of an earthly monarch and his deputies, implies that they should receive eminent dignity in the kingdom of Messiah. Perhaps it is not possible to determine the meaning of this promise more closely; it may be sufficient to regard it as a grant of peculiar honour to be hereafter bestowed upon those who were peculiarly zealous and laborious in their master's cause. READER. One came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?-What was the character of this young man?-His address and general deportment appear to have been extremely amiable; and he seems to have manifested some seriousness in religious matters. But we discover those moral defects, which betray, it must be feared, a heart not right with God. Perhaps, at the foundation of that question, "What good thing shall I do?" there was a proud desire to work out a path to eternal life in the way of merit. He wished |