meaning of which is, ‘Pray that blessings may come upon those who call down curses upon you.’ And when Jesus blessed the children which were brought to Him, He commended them by prayer to the compassion and favour of His heavenly Father. This is all that we can legitimately conclude from what is here said. Jesus manifested the same kindness of heart towards the rich young ruler, mentioned immediately afterwards; when “beholding him, He loved him;” though this object of His love went away from Him, and there is every reason to fear that his riches proved the cause of his ruin. The same disposition of benevolence which led the Lord Jesus to pray for the children that were brought to Him, led Him also to pray for His murderers; for while hanging on the cross, He cried, “Father, forgive them.” But, were all that were engaged in putting Him to death really forgiven? Did not many of them continue in impenitence and unbelief? Undoubtedly they did. It is impossible, therefore, to conclude _absolutely_ that even these children which were brought to Christ were _eternally saved_, whatever _hope_ and charitable opinion may be entertained on the subject. But He farther said respecting them,—“Of such is the kingdom of God.” What then did He mean by this declaration? It is to be observed, that this was said by Jesus of these children, _not after_ they had been brought to Him and blessed by Him, but _before_ they were so brought, and _as the reason why they should be brought to Him_: “For of such is the kingdom of God.” Now it is evident that Christ does not say this of children as they are _by nature_. He Himself had before described the heart of man, that is, the nature of man, as full of all evil. (See Mark vii. 26.) And though these children might have been circumcised, yet _this_ does not appear to have been contemplated by Christ when He spake of them: and we know from what St. Paul says, as well as from other Scriptures, that the outward circumcision was by no means always accompanied with the circumcision of the heart. Nor does there appear to have been anything _peculiar_ in this case, to which Christ’s observations were confined. If so, _we_ should have nothing whatever to do with it. It seems to be of children, _as children_, that He here speaks;—not of _children brought to Him_, (as already noticed) but of _children in general_: “Of such is the kingdom of God.” These words, _strictly taken_, would intimate, that they were in the kingdom of God already; for He does not say this of them _after_ that they had been blessed by Him, but He says it of them _before_. It was not, therefore, _His reception of them_ which caused Him to speak thus concerning them. The true view of the subject seems to be this;—that, while the whole transaction wears a kind and gracious aspect toward man’s helpless offspring, Jesus had special regard in it to _the dispositions found in children_;—for by reason of infantile weakness corruption is then unable