SERMON VIII.

CHILDREN EXHORTED.

1 John 5. 21.

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen."

No less than seven times in this epistle, St. John addresses all the disciples, to whom he writes, as "little children.' This was an expression of his tender affection for the people of God. It would signify to them his sense of their weakness, his conviction of their depending upon God for help. It would remind them of how great need they had to be humble, teachable, submissive. And it would incline them, instead of counting themselves to have already attained, to press towards the mark for the prize of

their high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (See Phil. 3. 14.) But though these passages, and this whole epistle, were written to converts of full age, though grown up men and women, being but as children in God's sight, are so addressed in the words of the apostle, yet the words are also justly applicable to Christians who are not as yet grown up. And in the hope that I may bring them home to the hearts of the young amongst my hearers, I propose now to apply the text more especially to them. "Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen."

You know, dear children, what idols are; namely, images which are worshipped instead of the true God, by those who know no better. The temptation to do this is very great, for this reason, that we all naturally love to walk by sight and not by faith; we are all naturally much led by the senses of the body, by the things which we see, and hear, Now "no man,' no man," as St.

and handle. John tells us,

at any time."

cause men cannot see God, they find it hard to follow where God leads, to mind what God says. And so they think that it will help them to attend, if they make an image, and set it up, and look at it, and worship it. And then it soon comes to pass that they set their hearts upon the image instead of upon God. And then God, who is jealous of his honour, gives them up, for their idolatry, to all sorts of foolishness, to all manner of iniquity.

You have read of this, dear children, and have heard of it. And you know how foolish and miserable a thing it is, to give to idols the honour due to God. But let me tell you further, that there are other idols besides images. Let me warn you, that if you set your hearts on any earthly vanity, instead of loving God with the whole of your affection, you are little better than idolaters. Let me beseech you, that you now lay to heart the danger you are in, from idols such as these, which I now tell you of, namely, riches, fine clothes, sensual pleasures, the mastery over each other, and regard to

man in preference to God. And especially let me remind you, first of all, that there is only one sure way to keep yourselves from idols; and this is, if you believe in the true God, and serve Him devoutly with all your hearts.

First then I desire to shew you the way of safety. I would teach you to keep yourselves from the false idols of this world's vanity, by quickening your faith in the true God. I would impress you with a lively sense of his presence, his power, his goodness, his love towards yourselves. And for this purpose, I cannot do better than rehearse to you the words of St. John next before the text: "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ." (Ver. 19, 20.)

The apostle says, "we know." Do you know, do you understand, little children, you feel assured? Are you aware that

do

you are of God? that He has chosen you, and taken you in Christ Jesus, out of this wicked world? that He has set you apart to be his children? that He has admitted you to the privileges of his children? that you are invited to approach Him even as you would approach a kind and forgiving parent? that you are enabled, or might be through his grace, to live in constant communion with God, to love Him, and to obey Him, and to glorify his name? Know these things I beseech you; understand them; feel assured of them. Think of them frequently. Act upon the strength of them perpetually. Oh how thankful will you then be to God. for his goodness! How sensible of his love! Oh how greatly will this help you to keep yourselves from idols, when you know that you are of God, redeemed, separated, saved out of a world which "lieth in wickedness!"

But further, St. John says, "We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true, and we are in him.