Babes, thither caught from womb and breast, Claim’d right to sing above the rest, Because they found that happy shore They never saw nor sought before. And surely God has ordained the praise of his own grace in the salvation of children, and this will be confessed for ever by them, to the eternal confusion of those who live and die despisers of salvation by grace. Here, such enemies will be confounded in beholding the freeness, the sovereignty, riches, and victories of electing, redeeming, calling, and glorifying grace: for Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength, because of thine enemies. I humbly conceive this beautiful passage may, with propriety, be applied to the apostles, and first ministers of our Lord. This was a name he was pleased to them. The great head of the church having chosen his twelve apostles, it pleased him to call and appoint seventy disciples besides, in allusion to Moses choosing twelve princes and seventy elders in the wilderness. The Lord Jesus sent them out two by two, and giving them power to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick, they went forth and did as Jesus commanded them. Upon their return, and laying their labours at his feet, astonished at their success, that it exceeded their expectations, even to the casting out of devils. At that time Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes—even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. These ministers of Christ are called babes, weak, ignorant, and foolish, when compared with what they should be after the day of Pentecost, or when compared with the wise ones of this world, men of great natural gifts, wisdom, sagacity, penetration, and skill, in natural things; but these were babes in comparison to such knowing ones, and they were babes in their own esteem, weak, defenceless, impotent, dependent, and knowing little or nothing in their own opinion, yet humble, docile, and teachable, sitting at their master’s feet, and looking to him for divine teaching. It was out of the mouths of these persons God had ordained the gospel to be preached, and this is called the rod of his strength—the power of God to salvation in every one that believeth. Their testimony was plain and simple, but it did wonders in the world. Nor can there be a greater proof of the divine authenticity of the word of God, than the work it has accomplished, for in the hands of the holy Spirit, and by the preaching of it, proud, profane, prejudiced, and carnal persons, have been humbled, subdued, quickened, illuminated, made holy, saved. The wolf has been brought to lay down at the feet of the Lamb of God, the cow and the bear. The ministers of Christ, and a raging tyrant by nature, have walked together! yea, a little child has led those fierce characters into all truth! (Isaiah xi.) Instrumentally, such