a fearful end. Within a few short years or months, every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, may be hewn down, and cast into the fire.

SERMON VIII.

LUKE Vii. 35.

But wisdom is justified of all her children. THIS remark is not of the plainest kind, and taken by itself may seem hard to be understood. When connected, however, with what Jesus had just before been saying, it will probably appear in a more intelligible light. A short review of the preceding verses may enable us, without much difficulty, to apprehend it. And having been thus introduced, it will serve to suggest a few suitable reflections on the leading views and principles, which we should be ready to adopt, and walk by, in the world.

Be it remembered, then, that an arrival of some messengers from John the Baptist, who was at that time in prison, had put our Lord on speaking with the people about the personal habits and character of that holy man; and He had thence proceeded to affirm his high commission, declaring that there had been no greater merely human prophet. Yet, though both

John and Jesus were from God, or certainly commissioned by Him, the great body of the Jews rejected both, assigning, for a reason, their respective modes of conduct. But these differed from each other; for Jesus lived not after the manner of John, upon locusts and wild honey in the wilderness, nor did He, to the best of our information, afflict His flesh with raiment of camel's hair. Accordingly, their reason was no better than a false pretence. The same people found fault with John for fasting, and with Jesus for not fasting; with John, because he lived apart from the world, and with Jesus, because He frequented it's society. So here was an undeniable proof of their insincerity, and that they were keeping back their true reason, as one too shameful to be advanced. This we may justly suppose to have been, a strong dislike of the doctrine according to godliness, that all men should straightway repent, and be converted, proclaimed almost indifferently by both. Nevertheless, Jesus chose, on the present occasion, rather to take them at their word, than to lay bare and expose their dishonesty. Instead of reproving them, as men in malice, He derided them as babes in understanding-as children, too unreasonable and perverse to know their own minds, or to be wrought upon by any note of

invitation. The Lord said, "Whereunto shall I "liken the men of this generation? and to what "are they like?" On which He proceeded, alluding to some childish sports of that period, which might perhaps be taking place within His sight, "They are like unto children sitting "in the market-place, and calling one to an"other, and saying, We have piped unto you, "and ye have not danced; we have mourned "unto you, and ye have not wept. For John "the Baptist came neither eating bread nor

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drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. "The Son of man is come eating and drinking; " and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a “wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sin"ners! But," He then subjoined in conclusion, "but wisdom is justified of all her children.” (Luke vii. 31.)

This, we may hence easily perceive to have been spoken, as it were, on the contrary part by our Lord. Having exemplified the foolish perverseness of the pharisees and lawyers, who were truly "a rebellious people, lying children, chil"dren that would not hear the law of the Lord" (Isaiah xxx. 9.) from any lips, but rejected the counsel of God by whomsoever, and in whatever way declared, having held them up to the derision which they were deserving, He naturally adverted to men of the opposite sort.

From remarking on the children of folly, He turned for a moment to the children of wisdom, of whom some were then hearing Him, and consoled His spirit with reflecting, that wisdom was justified of them, and of all possessing a like mind. By wisdom, Jesus evidently intended "the manifold wisdom of God" in the habits and doctrine of Himself, and of John. Whilst many were still offended at it, alleging the most inconsistent and even contradictory objections, He observed these the children of wisdom to be frankly approving and commending it, as worthy of universal acceptation. And who were these children of wisdom? of what class or description in the land? Were they men who had spent years in study, and become more deeply learned than their fellows? When persons who are already, in a degree, wise, will do this, they may probably make great increase of their wisdom; but true wisdom is not thus to be obtained: "the fear of "the Lord," a disposition towards Him of reverence and humility, "is the beginning of "wisdom" (Psalm cxi. 10.) unto man. cordingly, the children of wisdom contemplated by Jesus, were generally common people of such a mind, with a mixture among them of publicans and sinners. These were too desirous of hearing what the Lord God

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