Evening journal., 1905-11-13
THE GOSPEL
OF THE KINGDOM
Seventeenth Study in Exposi-
ton of Book of Matthew
by Pastor Pettingill
SALVADOR OF LITTLE
CHILDREN EXPLAINED

pei, given on Sunday morning by Pas
tor William l.. Pettiugill, Of North
Baptist Church:
The grace OF God very often seems
TO be wasted. It is like falling sudden
~ from heaven to earth, to come from
the closing words OF the seventeenth
chapter Of Matthew to the opening
words OF the eighteenth. IN the former
passage the Lord Jesus. has shown us
something of the beautiful identihca-
tion of Himself with His disciples; and
as we turn to the latter passage. we
md the disciples occupied with things
purely heshly utterly selfish.
In the seventeenth chapter the Lord
Jesus led three of His followers up into
a mountain. and there they beheld His
glory as He was manifested in the
picture Of the coming Kingdom. on
His way down the mountain He said to
them. Tell the vision to no man until
the Son of Man be risen from the
dead. But before going up the noun
tain He had been heard to say There
be some of them that stand here which
shall in no wise taste Of death. Tin they
shall see the Son of Man coming IN His
Kingdom. Therefore the thoughts of
the disciples weree occupied with the
Kingdom. then. they an reasoned there
ought to be good position In that
Kingdom for them IL Is characteristic
OF the natural mind to think only Of
itnelf and its own selfish ends.
III .s gratifying to notice that Peter
ordinarily the spokesman of the disci-
pies. is not named in connection with
this dispute. Peter had been born
again and his experience had been won-
deTful Only just now, his Lord had
worked a mighty wonder TO produce a
shekel for the Tcmple-taN. snying.
'take. and give unto them for Me and
thee Thus Peter. az least for the time
WAS preserved from the unseemly dis
pute as TO who should be great In the
Kingdom. But il was just then--'in
that hour-that the disciples came un-
10 Jesus saying. Who then IS greatest
in the Kingdom Of Heaven ~. 1D
For answer. the Lord Jesus called to
Him little child and set him in the
midst OF them. and said. Verify ! say
unto you Except Ne turn. and become
as little children, ye shall in no wise
enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Cvs. 2. 3D. II was not yet question
90 greatness ia the Kingdom: IL was
cltcnr question Ga entering in. Some
OF these very disciples were In danger
of falling 20 get into the Kingdom at
all u is plain that the Kingdom in
manifestation is ion view here. In the
Kingdom in mystery form. its present
phase there Is mixture of true and
false good and had. wheat and tares
but when The King shall come back to
yet mp Davd's throne and reign. then
there win be "a sitting aud only the
wheat shall be garucred into the King
COM the tares viii be burned.
Regeneration is suggested by our
Lords words for in mo other way can
Sd man become like little child. The
aieumeni Is NE same as I'm the inter-
view With Nicodemus. whatsoever
therefore shall humble himself as this
little child. the same is the greatest in
the Kingdom OF Heaven (v. 49,
That regeneration is not merely a
figure OF speech in our Lords mind is
shown By His words I'M verses and
6. where He is speaking of those who
are born again. They are actually it,
lie children in His sight and they are
to Him as the apple of His eye: And
whose shall receive one such little child
in Ny name receiveth Me. but whose
shall cause one of these little ones
which believe on Me 20 stumble. il Is
profitable FOR him that "a great m .llstone
Loud be hanged about his neck and
That he should BE- sunk ia the depth of
the sea-. There viii be q long score
for some people 20 answer for in the
great Day, For though it pleases God
10 use the suneriugs of this present
time for the perfection of His little
ones. yet there is woe for the man who
causes these sufterngs. Woe unto
tho world because of occasions Of stum-
bllngi FOR il must needs be that the
occasions come; but woe to that man
through whom the occasion cometh.
(v. ID
'rhe disciples are warned that moth
ing is 70 be cherished that may hinder
their entrance into life and whatever
suffering they may be called upon to
endure is not worthy to be compared
With the glory Of the Kingdom. III thy
hand or thy foot causeth thee to stum-
BILE. cut it off, and cast it from thee: il
Is good for thee to enter into life maim-
ed or halt rather than having two
hands or two feet to be cast into the
eternal fire. And II thine eye causeth
thee TO stumble. pluck it out. and east
u from thee. il is good for thee 20
enter into life with one eye, rather ,han
having two eyes 10 be cast into the hell
OF FIRE. Tvs. s. 90
Then follows some precious teach
Ing about little children and their no.
sition In Gods great redemptive pro-
gam. The Lord Jesus had been USING
the little child before Film as a feau,
OF the newborn babe by regeneration
Now speaking of the little child itself
lie says See that ye despise not on,
of these little ones; for ] say unto you
that in heaven their angels do alway.
refold the fdce Of Ny Father Who d
f heaven. For the Son OF Man cam
TO save that which WAS lost (vs. ID
I'D l am aware that the words of tn
-c.-renth verse-'for the Son of Ma
c.mc to save that which was lost
aye omitted from the revised version.
hut there is considerable teXtuul an
tEo~ity for them and they seem yer
\fttmg here. II is significant that th
I,ard Jesus here cmits the word 'seel
Which, He used in connection with IA
salvation OF Zacchaeus In Luke 19. IL
lie came indeed 10 save the little chill
dren and they were lost but for Hi
coming, but Iis did not need TO seei
fhem. for thoy had not gone astray
Srhe word angels in this psssag,
inis puzzled many readers. and has hat
many Interpretations. 1t seems Ger.
tain that our Lord is not here speakins
OF guardian angels. but rather Of tho
spirits OF the little children who have
Dassed out of this life. The word AN
.IHH T.. ~.