refused, is become the headstone of of Jesus sending the disciples to the correr. This is the day which fetch the colt, and their spreading the Lord hath made; we will re. their garments on it, and placing joice and be glad in it. Save Jesus thereon. We have heard of now, I beseech thee, O Lord; ( the prophecy of Zechariah thus Lord, I beseech thee, send now fulfilled. We have heard of the prosperity. Blessed be be that songs and praises of the assembled cometh in the name of the Lord.” multitudes, and their strewing

Observe, children, how many branches of trees in the way. We proofs there are of Jesus being the have seen the blessed Jesus stop, as Christ ! How delightful it is for he came within sight of the city, young people to read the Old Tes- and weep. But now we come to tament, and compare the prophecies what more directly belongs to you, in it with the fulfilment of them in my young hearers, the children the New. What a sight it must singing Hosannas to Christ ; for have been, to behold the multitudes we read, that when our Lord came spreading their garments, and strew into Jerusalem, “he went immeing the palm-branches in the way, diately into the Temple,” (his and singing songs of praise to Jesus Father's house, where he had sat in the very words of their own among the doctors at twelve years prophets. And all this is more of age) “and cast out all that sold striking, because we are told by St. or bought in the Temple, and then John, that “these things under healed the blind and the lame" that stood not his disciples at the first; flocked around him there. Next, but when Jesus was glorified, then we are told, that "the chief priests remembered they that these things and scribes were sore displeased, were written of him, and that they when they saw the wonderful things had done these things unto him.” that he did, and heard THE CHIL"

4. The next point in the story DREN CRYING IN THE TEMPLE, and before us is our Lord's weeping over saying, Hosanna to the Son of Jerusalem. For, in the midst of David.” these shouts and praises of the Observe how unexpectedly this crowd before and behind bim, we last circumstance is mentionedread, that “when Jesus was come the children's songs and praises. near, and beheld the city"-when We might indeed have supposed it burst upon his view-see him that some young ones were mingled stand still—and what does he do? with the multitude, and joined in He weeps over it, saying, “If thou the cries of their parents and hadst known, even thou, at least in elders; for children follow where this thy day, the things that belong their friends lead, and soon imitate unto thy peace. But now they are them in what they do. But we hid from thine eyes.” Never was should have known nothing certhere a compassion so tender. God tainly about this, if the chief priests grant that every child before me, and scribes had not been sore dismay know the things that belong pleased at them, and led our Lord unto its peace, before it be too late to defend them. By this means we

5. And now we come to the fifth come to know that there were and last part of the history,—The little children in the Temple, and children singing praises to our Lord that they caught the hymns of the in the Temple, which is what I wish multitude, and were singing those to set before you, as the ground. remarkable words, “Hosanna to work of the lesson's we are to con- the Son of David.” sider under our second head. As We are told by the Jewish yet we have heard nothing of chil- writers, that it was usual for children in the history. We have heard dren to sing Hosannas at the feast

of Tabernacles. But the surprising who Jesus Christ is. You know thing was, that the children should that he is the Son of God; that he sing this song at this moment, to was born of the Virgin Mary; that the humble Jesus, to him whom he was crucified for the sins of men. the Jews rejected and spurned, and You know the prophecies which whom no one could acknowledge were delivered by Moses, and to be the Messiah, without being David, and Isaiab, and the other put out of the Synagogue.

prophets, concerning him-That We do not wonder, then, that the Jesus Christ should enter Jerusalem Jews were sore displeased at these as its king, riding upon an ass's little heralds of the Saviour. The colt. That he was to be “ led as a voice of praise sounded harshly in sheep to the slaughter; and that as their ears; they expected a tempo- a sheep before his sbearers is dumb, ral Messiah. They were filled with so he opened not his mouth.” Thus envy and hatred against the lowly you know who Jesus Christ is. Jesus ; they knew the meaning of You are not like the heathen's some of the parables which he had children, who never heard of the spoken; they had heard his bold name of Jesus Christ, but are reproofs of their hypocrisy and brought up to worship gods of wood cruelty. In this bad state of mind, and stone. nothing could convince them. In ii. Again, you are sinners, and stead of considering Christ's mira need Jesus Christ as a Saviour. You cles and doctrines, and being the came into the world sinners. Adam first to welcome bim and sing his ate the forbidden fruit in the garpraises, they are filled with anger den of Eden, and thus broke God's at the little children. A mixture law, and lost his favour. Thus of contempt and rage possesses “by one man sin entered into the their minds; and they say to Jesus, world, and death by sin ;” and we “ Hearest thou what these say?” are all sinful creatures. Do not implying, that our Lord ought to your own hearts tell you that you rebuke them, and put them to are sinners? Have you not often silence.

been disobedient to your parents ? But Jesus Christ defends them, Have you not often been sullen and and takes their part in the strongest out of humour when you have been manner, saying unto the chief corrected for your faults? Have priests, “ Yea, have you never you not quarrelled with your read, Out of the inouth of babes brothers and sisters ? Have you not and sucklings thou hast perfected broken the Lord's-day by play, by praise ? " This is a prophecy vanity, thoughtlessness and dislike spoken by David in the 8th Psalm. to God's service ? Have you not Our Lord sends them to their own often said bad words, and used the scriptures. He asks them if they holy name of God lightly and irrehad not read the passage, not men- verently? Let conscience speak. tioning the book or the place, You know you are sinners, and have because the Jews were familiar with been sinners from your earliest the Old Testament; but merely years, in these and other respects. quoting the words from the trans- But yet more particularly, are lation which they were most fami. you not conscious of much selfishliar with.

ness, of having often desired your II. THE CHIEF LESSONS WHICH own ease and pleasure, without due YOU MAY LEARN FROM THIS HIS regard to the comfort and rights of

. others; of having wished for the 1. Jesus Clirist calls on little largest and the best portion of artichildren to sing his praises.

cles of dress or other things; of i. For you are capable of knowing seeking to rule and domineer over SEPT. 1829,

2 U

TORY.

others, and to have every thing been long destroyed—but they may done for your own ease and humour? go to the church and public house

I ask you, again, whether you of prayer, wbich is the Christian have not often been artful and temple. They cannot follow the deceitful? Whether you have not blessed Saviour in his journey as often concealed part of the truth, the multitude did when he was on like Ananias and Sapphira; or made earth; but they may follow him excuses like Adam and Eve; or spiritually to the places of which he told lies like Gehazi ?

has said, “Where two or three are Then attend to another thing. gathered together in my name, You must be conscious that your there am I in the midst of them.” minds are set against God and what They cannot sing the exact words is good—that there is a bias and of the disciples on the same occatendency to what is worldly and sion as they did ; but they may sing vain and sinful, in your hearts-that those very parts of the Psalms, as there is a backwardness in you, a well as many like parts, with the dislike to what is holy and spiritual. same faith and love and joy; and This wrong bias of the mind is most may still say, “Hosanna to the sinful before God.

Son of David, Blessed is be that iii. But you not only know who cometh in the name of the Lord: Jesus Christ is, and need him as a Hosanna in the bighest.” Saviour; but you have been brought And how pleasing it is to hear a up in the great truths and duties number of little children singing of his religion. You have been their psalms and hymns in public taught from your infancy the crea- and private to the honour of their tion of man, the fall of Adam by Saviour. The praise of Christ is a eating the forbidden fruit, the most delightful part of public worcorruption of man's nature, the ship, and most like to the joys of redemption of Jesus Christ, the heaven, whatever wicked men may merits of his death, the regenerat- think ; as one of your hymns says, ing and renewing grace of the Holy

Children a sweet Hosanna sung, Spirit, the doctrine of the Holy And blessed their Saviour's name; Trinity, the duties of prayer, of They gave him honour with their tongue, keeping holy the Sabbath, of read

While Scribes and Priests blaspheme, ing God's word, of self-denial, of And it is not only by your voices separation from the world, of walk that you may sing Hosanna to ing in the precepts of God's moral your blessed Saviour, but by your law. These first principles of lives and conduct. Holy faith and Christianity you have been brought love, imitation of Christ's blessed up in. The light of the gospel has pattern, obedience to his will; love shone around you, like the sun in to his cause and kingdom in the the heavens, 'And, therefore, you world; prayer to Him for the are bound to love and serve Jesus advancement of the gospel at home Christ. He calls for your hearts; and abroad-are ways of setting he bids you repent and turn to him; forth the praises of Jesus. The he bids you, believe in his merits word " Hosanna” is a prayer, as I and death; he bids you pray to him have said. It means,“ Save, 0 for His grace. And if you do this, Lord, I beseech thee; Send prosyou will soon learn to praise him perity, O Lord.” So that every like the children in the temple. prayer for the coming of Christ's

iv. For there are many ways in kingdom, every act of love in prowhich the youngest before me may moting his cause, is fulfilling the show forth Christ's praises. They same kind of duty as the infants in cannot, indeed, go into the temple, the text-it is coming around Christ for that was in Jerusalem, and has with joy and praise- it is singing

“ Hosanna to the Son of David; may sing, as the school children blessed is he that cometh in the of the Jews' Society do at the anniname of the Lord.”

versaries, • Hosanna to the Son of There are two things in which David ? Christian children, like you, bave 2. But I must go on to show a great advantage over the Jewish you as a second lesson from this little ones in the text. You live history, That Jesus Christ will under the full light of the gospel, approve of little children and defend which the Jewish children did not them, if wicked men find fault with You know much more of the his- their love to Him. tory of Jesus Christ, of his birth, For some will blame, some will his life, his doctrine, his grace, the find fault, some will be sore diswhole way of salvation by Him, pleased at children who are serious than ever the Jews did. “Blessed and conscientious, and follow Christ are your eyes," my dear young their Saviour. hearers, " for they see, and your No one can serve Jesus Christ ears, for they hear; for I say unto in a wicked world without meeting you, that many kings and righteous with difficulties and opposition. men have desired to see the things If we live like others, and swim which you see and have not seen with the stream, the world will not them, and to hear the things which take offence; but as soon as a you hear and have not heard them."* sinner repents and turns to Jesus

The other advantage is, that you Christ, and tries to live to His were born in a protestant country, praise, and to sing hosannas to his and in a day when missions to the name, the world will find fault. Jews and heathens are at work ; so Such a good child or man, is like that the youngest may give their one who swims against wind and small subscriptions to send the tide. gospel abroad. Thus you may be Now, Jesus Christ approves and the means of converting the hea. defends those who serve him, then children, and teaching them though wicked children or men to love and serve your blessed may find fault. When the chief Saviour. And should you not wish Priests and Scribes called on Christ to set forth Christ's praises in this to forbid the little songsters who way? Should you not, also, wish were crying Hosannas to Him, He to bring the Jewish little ones who vindicated them as we have seen, are living in unbelief, to know who and quoted the words of the Holy your Saviour is, and that he is Psalmist to show that God apthe true Messiah, and that the proved of them. So also does prophecies were fulfilled in him? Jesus Christ, now that he is in Should you not desire their con- heaven. He does not defend them version, that all the Hebrew youth in the same way as he did when he

was upon earth; but he protects * Bishop Horne makes the following and comforts them by his Provibeautiful remark on the superior know. dence, by his Holy Spirit, by his ledge of children in a Christian country, over the wisest heathens :

ministers, by the testimony of their " In the beginning God created the own consciences. Jesus Christ doth heavens and earth.” A child easily repeats what he will in heaven and earth. and understands these words of Moses.

He can change the hearts of wicked But the child who does so is at once in possession of a truth which heathen

men. He can overturn their dephilosophy, for ages and generations,

signs. He can deliver his people sought in vain : none could then, with from their power. ' any degree of certainty, determine by Be not afraid, dear young hearers, whom the world was made; whether it were made at all; whether there were

of singing Hosannas to Jesus Christ. many Gods, or one."-Vol. II. Sermon 29. Let not a naughty school-fellow, or brother or sister, or companion, to repent and turn from our sins, frighten you from your duty. Ish- and to love Jesus Christ our mael mocked Isaac; and Joseph's Saviour ? brethren envied him, and sold him I will tell you, by showing you, to the Ishmaelites; but God was as I promised, with them both.

3. That Jesus Christ will give Thus will God defend you you such inward strength as to against wicked persons, whether enable you to go on and praise him young or old, who would mock and more and more. ridicule religion. He knows how This is clear from the text. The to deliver the godly out of tempta- prophecy which our Lord quotes tion. Trust in Him. Go on to from the Old Testament, expressly love your Saviour. Let no one declares, that “out of the mouths frighten you away from him and of babes and sucklings" (the very drive you to do what is sinful. youngest children just coming to Satan is " like a roaring lion, the use of reason)" God will orgoing about seeking whom he may dain strength” or “perfect praise," devour,” and he uses bad children that is, He will cause praise to sound as his instruments to destroy the forth with strength and power. He souls of men. But Jesus Christ is will manifest his grace and goodstronger than Satan and the world ness, by making weak and inextogether. He will defend and pro. perienced babes the heralds of his tect you.

praise. Nothing sets forth God's Only be on your guard not to mercy more than his tenderness to bring trouble and opposition upon children. Jesus Christ never apyourselves by ill conduct. If you pears more truly to be the good are disobedient, or ill tempered, or shepherd than when he “gatbers idle, or deceitful, and suffer punish- the lambs in his arms, and carries ment for it, you must not lay this them in his bosom, and gently to the account of religion. This is leads those that are with young." the fruit of your own sins. But He thus shows his gentleness and " if you do well, and suffer for it, power, more than in any thing this is acceptable with God.”

else. God's praise would be inBut, I will hope, that there are complete, unless, amongst other few before me who are opposed voices, the voices of children were and hindered by their friends and heard. families in the praises of Christ. i. Now God perfects praise in I trust most of you are encouraged children chiefly by the grace of his in being good and in doing your Holy Spirit, which is like the duty to God and the Saviour. I gentle dew falling upon the earth, only say what I do, in case any, softening it, refreshing it, and like the chief Priests and Scribes, making it fruitful. The heart of a should be sore displeased at the child is all hard and barren as a piety of infants-lest any should rock, till Christ makes it soft by take offence at this sermon preached his grace. Then it begins to bear to you, or at tracts and books fruits meet for repentance. You written for your instruction, or at must pray continually for this the little subscriptions you give to blessed grace of the Holy Spirit. religious societies. If men are This will teach you to sing with a angry at these things, you must loud voice the praises of your Salook up to your Saviour to defend viour and Redeemer. and make good your cause.

ii. By the same blessed Spirit, But you may say, How can we God will put strength in you. He little children do all this? How will “ strengthen you with strength can we have the power and strength in your souls." You shall find