Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/spurgeon/ps8.2

Text File | 1993-03-18 | 10KB | 178 lines

                           EXPOSITION.

        Nor only in the heavens above is the Lord seen, but the
earth beneath is telling forth his majesty. In the sky, the
massive orbs, rolling in their stupendous grandeur, are witnesses
of his power in great things, while here below, the lisping
utterances of babes are the manifestations of his strength in
little ones. How often will children tell us of a God whom we
have forgotten! How doth their simple prattle refute those
learned fools who deny the being of God! Many men have been made
to hold their tongues, while sucklings have borne witness to the
glory of the God of heaven. It is singular how clearly the
history of the church expounds this verse. Did not the children
cry "Hosannah!" in the temple, when proud Pharisees were silent
and contemptuous? and did not the Saviour quote these very words
as a justification of their infantile cries? Early church history
records many amazing instances of the testimony of children for
the truth of god, but perhaps more modern instances will be most
interesting. Foxe tells us, in the book of martyrs, that when Mr.
Lawrence was burnt in Colchester, he was carried to the fire in a
chair, because, through the cruelty of the Papists, he could not
stand upright, several young children came about the fire and
cried, as well as they could speak, "Lord, strengthen thy
servant, and keep thy promise." God answered their prayer, for
Mr. Lawrence died as firmly and calmly as any one could wish to
breathe his last. When one of the Popish chaplains told Mr.
Wishart, the great Scotch martyr, that he had a devil in him, a
child that stood by cried out, "A devil cannot speak such words
as yonder man speaketh." One more instance is still nearer to our
time. In a postscript to one of his letters, in which he details
his persecution when first preaching in Moorfields, Whitfield
says, "I cannot help adding that several little boys and girls,
who were fond of sitting round me on the pulpit while I preached,
and handed to me people's notes--though they were often pelted
with eggs, dirt, &c., thrown at me-- never once gave way; but, on
the contrary, every time I was struck, turned up their little
weeping eyes, and seemed to wish they could receive the blows for
me. God make them, in their growing years, great and living
martyrs for him who, out of the mouth of babes and sucklings,
perfects praise!" He who delights in the songs of angels is
pleased to honour himself in the eyes of his enemies by the
praises of little children. What a contrast between the glory
above the heavens, and the mouths of babes and sucklings! yet by
both the name of God is made excellent.

              EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

        Verse 2.--"_Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast
thou ordained strength_," etc. In a prophetic manner, speaking of
that which was to be done by children many hundreds of years
after, for the asserting of his infinite mercy in sending his Son
Jesus Christ into the world to save us from our sins. For so the
Lord applieth their crying, "Hosannah to the Son of David" in the
temple. And thus both Basil and other ancients, and some new
writers also understand it. But Calvin will have it meant of
God's wonderful providing for them, by turning their mothers'
blood into milk, and giving them the faculty to suck, thus
nourishing and preserving them, which sufficiently convinceth all
gainsayers of God's wonderful providence towards the weakest and
most shiftless of all creatures.--^John Mayer, 1653.

        Verse 2.--Who are these "_babes and sucklings_?" 1. Man
in general, who springeth from so weak and poor a beginning as
that of babes and sucklings, yet is at length advanced to such
power as to grapple with, and overcome the enemy and the avenger.
2. David in particular, who being but a ruddy youth, God used him
as an instrument to discomfit Goliath of Gath. 3. More especially
our Lord Jesus Christ, who assuming our nature and all the
sinless infirmities of it, and submitting to the weakness of an
infant, and after dying is gone in the same nature to reign in
heaven, till he hath brought all his enemies under his feet. #Ps
110:1; 1Co 15:27|. Then was our human nature exalted above all
other creatures, when the Son of God was made of a woman, carried
in the womb. 4. The apostles, who to outward appearance were
despicable, in a manner children and sucklings in comparison of
the great ones of the world; poor despised creatures, yet
principal instruments of God's service and glory. Therefore 'tis
notable, that when Christ glorifieth his Father for the wise and
free dispensation of his saving grace (#Mt 11:25|), he saith, "I
thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast
hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed
them unto babes," so called from the meanness of their condition.
... And you shall see it was spoken when the disciples were sent
abroad, and had power given them over unclean spirits. "In that
hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from
the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." This he
acknowledged to be an act of infinite condescension in God. 5.
Those children that cried _Hosanna_ to Christ, make up part of
the sense, for Christ defendeth their practice by this Scripture.
... 6. Not only the apostles, but all those that fight under
Christ's banner, and are listed into his confederacy, may he
called babes and sucklings; first, because of their condition;
secondly, their disposition. ... 1. Because of their condition.
... God in the government of the world is pleased to subdue the
enemies of his kingdom by weak and despised instruments. 2.
Because of their disposition: they are most humble spirited. We
are told (#Mt 18:3|), "Except ye be converted, and become as
little children," etc. As if he had said, you strive for
pre-eminence and worldly greatness in my kingdom; I tell you my
kingdom is a kingdom of babes and containeth none but the humble,
and such as are little in their own eyes, and are contented to be
small and despised in the eyes of others, and so do not seek
after great matters in the world. A young child knoweth not what
striving or state meaneth, and therefore by all emblem and
visible representation of a child set in the midst of them,
Christ would take them off from the expectation of a carnal
kingdom.--^Thomas Manton, 1620-1677.

        Verse 2.--"_That thou mightest still the enemy and the
avenger_." This very confusion and revenge upon Satan, who was
the cause of man's fall, was aimed at by God at first; therefore
is the first promise and preaching of the gospel to Adam brought
in rather in sentencing him than in speaking to Adam, that the
seed of the woman should break the serpent's head, it being in
God's aim as much to confound him as to save poor man.--^Thomas
Goodwin.

        Verse 2.--The work that is done in love loses half its
tedium and difficulty It is as with a stone, which in the air and
on the dry ground we strain at but cannot stir. Flood the field
where it lies, bury the block beneath the rising water; and now,
when its head is submerged, bend to the work. Put your strength
to it. Ah! it moves, rises from its bed, rolls on before your
arm. So, when under the heavenly influences of grace the tide of
love rises, and goes swelling over our duties and difficulties, a
child can do a man's work, and a man can do a giant's. Let love
be present in the heart, and "_out of the mouth of babes and
sucklings_ God ordaineth strength."--Thomas Guthrie, D.D.

        Verse 2.--"_Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings_,"
etc., That poor martyr, Alice Driver, in the presence of many
hundreds, did so silence Popish bishops, that she and all blessed
God that the proudest of them could not resist the spirit in a
silly woman; so I say to thee, "_Out of the mouth of babes and
sucklings_" God will be honoured. Even thou, silly worm, shalt
honour him, when it shall appear what God hath done for thee,
what lusts he hath mortified, and what graces he hath granted
thee. The Lord can yet do greater things for thee if thou wilt
trust him. He can carry thee upon eagles' wings, enable thee to
bear and suffer strong affliction for him, to persevere to the
end, to live by faith, and to finish thy course with joy. Oh! in
that he hath made thee low in heart, thy other lowness shall be
so much the more honour to thee. Do not all as much and more
wonder at God's rare workmanship in the ant, the poorest bug that
creeps, as in the biggest elephant? That so many parts and limbs
should be united in such a little space; that so poor a creature
should provide in the summer-time her winter food. Who sees not
as much of God in a bee as in a greater creature? Alas! in a
great body we look for great abilities and wonder not. Therefore,
to conclude, seeing God hath clothed thy uncomely parts with the
more honour, bless God, and bear thy baseness more equally; thy
greatest glory is yet to come, that when the wise of the world
have rejected the counsel of God, thou hast (with those poor
publicans and soldiers), magnified the ministry of the gospel.
Surely the Lord will also be admired in thee (#1Th 1|.), a poor
silly creature, that even thou wert made wise to salvation and
believest in that day. Be still poor in thine own eyes, and the
Lord will make thy proudest scornful enemies to worship at thy
feet, to confess God hath done much for thee, and wish thy
portion when God shall visit them.--^Daniel Rogers, 1642.

                       HINTS TO PREACHERS.

        Verse 2.--Infant piety, its possibility, potency,
"strength," and influence, "that thou mightest still," etc.
          The strength of the gospel not the result of eloquence
or wisdom in the speaker.
          Great results from small causes when the Lord ordains
to work.
          Great things which can be said and claimed by babes in
grace.
          The stilling of the powers of evil by the testimony of
feeble believers.
          The stilling of the Great Enemy by the conquests of
grace.