BY THE LATE REV. JOHN ROSS, BRUCEFIELD, ONTARIO.
* These notes were sent us by an esteemed friend in Chesley, Ontario, and are taken from a diary of the late Rev. John Ross, who was so highly esteemed by our people in Ontario,— Editor.
THE spirit in which the kingdom of God must be received is that of a little child. Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall not enter therein. This makes it quite sure that those who receive not the kingdom of God as a little child shall miss it and be shut out. They can have no part or lot in it.
(1) The kingdom of God means the gospel, or the state of reconciliation and favour with God into which the gospel introduces all who receive it. (2) It means that state of holy walk with God, and in His service to which He calls you by the gospel. (3) That state of glory and eternal happiness, riches, and dignity, which is the present hope of all who heartily receive the gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ is King over the kingdom of God, and all who enter into this kingdom submit to His will.
This kingdom is spiritual, altogether different from the kingdoms of this world. It is not in word but in power; not in meat and drink, but in righteousness and joy in the Holy Ghost. This kingdom is given to us, spread out before us, offered to us, and pressed upon our acceptance and it only remains that we receive it. It is given on God’s part, and when that which He has given is received by us, it is ours.
The spirit in which this is done is represented by that of a little child. Let us endeavour to understand in what respects we must receive the kingdom of God as a little child. (1) A little child believes readily. It has no established opinions and conclusions of its own which stand in the way of receiving as true with full faith what he is told. He does not consider difficulties and start objections and set up reasonings of his own, but without questioning he believes what he is seriously told by one who has never deceived him. As a little child we must receive the testimony of God regarding His kingdom, otherwise we cannot enter therein. We enter by faith, and he who holds his own opinions and sets up his own reasonings and hearkens to his own thoughts instead of receiving God’s testimony and relying upon it cannot believe, and so cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
(2) A little child is comparatively free of guile. There is a frankness and candour and openness about a little child that you do not find with grown-up people. In this also the little child represents the true Christian. Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile. There was no guile found in their mouth. The guileful spirit is offensive to God, and is a great obstacle to faith.
(3) The little child knows its own weakness, can do little for itself. He feels his need of support, care, help, guidance, protection, and this is also the spirit of all who receive the kingdom of God. They know they cannot put away their own guilt, illuminate their own minds, change their own hearts, subdue their own sins, defend themselves against Satan and the world, or do anything for themselves.
(4) The little child is easily weaned from all its cherished tastes. Its affections can be weaned from what it at present loves most, and it can place them on others. It is not so with the grown-up person. And in this also the little child is an illustration of the spirit in which men must receive the kingdom of God. They must transfer their affections from the world to Jesus Christ—to God. All other ties must yield to His claims. All idols must be thrown down and cast away. Your soul must become as a weaned child, weaned from your own ways, your own will, your own pleasures, your own thoughts, your own thoughts of God and of Christ, and of His truth, your own thoughts of yourself, your own righteousness, your own companions, and all that this world holds dear and precious. You must forget your own people and your father’s house, and go with the King. In this you must be like the child, weaned. It is a beautiful thing to be a little child in the hands of Jesus, in the hands of a gracious Father. If the kingdom of God must be received in this way, then it is not by working, by merit, by qualifying ourselves for it, working ourselves into it, thinking and reasoning ourselves into it. All this long preparation you are making to qualify yourself for Christ is labour in vain. You are building a Babel from which you must desist. Receive the kingdom of God as a little child, otherwise Christ has, in the words of the text, forewarned you that you cannot enter therein.
But you say—It is hard to become a little child. But it is what you ought to be. What are you before the infinite God? Paul said—”Though I be nothing.” Nebuchadnezzar said—”All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing.” And in the 40th chapter of Isaiah you read, “Behold the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the dust of the balance; behold, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing. All nations before Him are as nothing, and are counted to Him less than nothing and vanity.” Before this Glorious Being is it too much to become a little child, and when He makes to you a gift of His kingdom that you should receive it as a little child, and be a little child in His hand, confiding in Him and trusting in Him as a little child in his father and friend? Trust in His guidance as a little child trusts. Be open and frank with God like a little child. Put away your deceit and guile, and appear before God in your true character, owning what you are. Know your own weakness and helplessness, and that you need the grace of God for everything. Be humble and teachable like the little child. Be obedient like the little child, and be like the weaned child in renouncing all that is pleasant to you but offensive to God. Thus receive the kingdom of God, and you shall enter therein and find rest to your souls.
What considerations shall I present, then, to urge you thus to enter into the kingdom of God? Let the misery of your present state as a fallen being urge you to press into the kingdom; let the destruction to which you are exposed from the world urge you to lose no time in entering into this kingdom. Let the certainty that the kingdom of God has come nigh to you in very deed urge you to press into it. God has in very deed made an offer of His Son to you as a guilty sinner. That offer lies before you. Let the blessedness that awaits you in the kingdom of God make you press into it. Let the claims which God your Creator and Jesus Christ the Redeemer have upon you urge you to press into it. Let the shortness of life, the uncertainty of it, young man, urge you to press into the kingdom of God as little children. Lay down your proud weapons of rebellion and pride and mocking, and seek the kingdom of God. You will find in closing with Christ and yielding yourselves up to Him, a peace and joy and strength of a kind the world can never give you. Consecrate the days of your youth to God and to your gracious Redeemer. Young women, you, too, enter the kingdom of God as little children. Just as you are. Own Him as the only one who can do for you all you need. You can no more roll off your guilt than a child can roll away a mountain. You can no more cleanse your hearts than the Ethiopian can change his colour or the leopard his spots. The Lord Jesus the Saviour must do all. Nothing can be done without Him.
“Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall not enter therein.” From the very nature of the case he shall not enter therein. The nature of God’s kingdom makes it impossible. The actual state and temper of men’s minds towards the kingdom of God makes it impossible. The very end for which the kingdom of God is set up makes it impossible. But, oh! it is a becoming thing and a sweet thing to become as a little child in connection with such a matter.
Will God care for those whom His own grace and teaching has brought to become little children. If He sees them going astray, wandering, will He not bring them back? When He sees them in danger, will He not, at the sound of their cry, come to their rescue?
When He sees them loaded with heavy burdens, will He not say, “Give me thy burden, it is too heavy for thee?” Will He not train and teach them? Never fear that He will cast off any whom He has brought to confide in Him as little children. There is not a more beautiful text than this in all the Scripture. And there is no attitude of spirit more becoming in itself, or more pleasing to God, than that of little children towards Him. Towards whom should you be as little children if not towards Him who is love, perfect love, love that passeth knowledge, He who loved His people and gave Himself for them?
More than Christ I can neither wish, nor pray, nor desire for you. I am sure that the saints are at best but strangers to the weight and worth of the incomparable excellence of Christ. We know not the half of what we love when we love Him.—Rutherford.