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(Mark10 : 14)
UNDER the influenceof false doctrine, this passage is often quoted in the endeavour to provethat infants go to heaven at death. This abolishes "faith" as a conditionof salvation, puts a premium on ignorance, and compels us to discount thevalue of the Gospel. "The just shall live by faith" (Rom. I : 17; Gal.3: 11; Heb. 10 : 38). "But, without faith it is impossible to please him;for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he isa rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Heb. 11 :6). "Alienated fromthe life of God through ignorance" (Eph. 4: 18). "The gospel of Christis the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom. I: 16). If infants are saved in ignorance and, "without faith," and go toheaven at death, then these things are not true, and it is a great pitywe did not all die in infancy, and not grow up to maturity, perhaps tolearn the Gospel only to disobey and be lost! An interpretation that leadsto such conclusions must be wrong. The root of the error is a wrong doctrineconcerning human nature, which of necessity upsets Christ's doctrine of"the Kingdom of God" (v. 15) and the relation of children thereto.
CHILDREN CONSIDEREDMERELY AS CHILDREN are nothing in the sight of God; yea, "All nations beforehim are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity"(Isa. 40: 17). They are but the mortal descendants of our first parents,who were condemned to die because of sin (Gen. 2: 17). "That which is bornof the flesh is flesh," says the Lord Jesus (John 3: 6). And "the fleshprofiteth nothing" (John 6: 63). Adam and Eve were expressly cut off fromaccess to the tree of life, lest they should "eat and live for ever" (Gen.3: 22): "Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" (verse 19) wasthe sentence. And since they did not live for ever, but returned to dust,their progeny could not and did not inherit immortality from them, butreturned to dust likewise.
As a matterof fact, the first baby turned out to be a murderer: "Cain was of thatwicked one, and slew his brother." (I John 3: 12). In after times, Godcommanded the destruction of many "infants and sucklings". "Go and smiteAmalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; butslay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, cameland ass" (I Sam. 15: 3). And the sword of the Lord destroyed the sucklingsof Israel also when they too transgressed (Deut. 32 : 25; Jer. 44 : 7).Not because they were responsible transgressors, but on the same principlethat men not only destroy all adult serpents that come in their way, buttheir thread-like progeny also. It is true that Paul speaks of "holy" childrenin I Cor. 7 : 14; but the word here simply means legitimate as against""unclean"'or illegitimate: for the question under consideration was marriagewith unbelievers, as forming part of the larger question of marriage ingeneral. "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin" (Rom.5: 12). "Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had notsinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression" (v. 14); that is,over the multitude of infants and sucklings that died before they had timeto become transgressors. How many such would be swept away in the Deluge!
JESUS AS ACHILD-AND AFTERWARDS
Jesus was "holy"in a special sense (Luke I : 35), because begotten by the Holy Spirit,and not by the will of man (John 1 : 13). He was the "seed of the woman"promised in Eden (Gen. 3: 15). "God so loved the world that he gave hisonlybegotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,but have everlasting life" (John 3: 16). He said this with reference tohis being "lifted up" like the serpent in the wilderness (v. 14); thatis, crucified. He himself was saved "through death" (Heb. 2: 14; 5: 7,8). Of his infancy we hear very little-almost nothing; and not much moreof his youth. "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour withGod and man" (Luke 2: 52). When he was but twelve years of age, the doctorsin the temple "were astonished at his understanding and answers" (v. 47).Then he was "subject unto" his parents at Nazareth (v. 51) until his baptismin Jordan, when he was "about thirty years of age" (Luke 3: 23). Afterthis, he was tempted in the wilderness, and "returned in the power of theSpirit into Galilee" (Luke 4: 14); and thenceforward went forth preachingthe Gospel of "the Kingdom of God" (v. 43), and declaring those to be hisfriends who "cotinued in his.. word" (John 8: 31), and did whatsoever hecommanded (John 15: 14). This is the way of salvation: and there is noother.
THE DESTINYOF INFANTS: "Death reigns" over those that die in infancy (Rom. 5:14). They lie stilland are quiet. "Why died I not from the womb?Why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? ... For nowshould I have lain still and been quiet. I should have slept. Thenhad I been at rest" (Job 3:.11 Thus, though infants cannot be glorifiedin heaven they certainly are not tormented for ever in "hell." They "liequiet" in the Bible hell, that is in the grave, unconscious of any loss,for there there is "no knowledge" (Eccl. 9: 10); but "thoughts haveperished" (Psa. 146: 4). "If I make my bed in hell" (Psa. 139: 8), thisis my portion, though God can redeem me thence. David was, sadly exercisedover the destiny of an infant (2 Sam. 12 : 14). The Lord said: "The childshall surely die." (It was a punishiment - not a blessing.) David prayed,saying, "Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the childmay live?" (v. 22). But God was not "gracious" to that extent, and thechild died. Then David ceased mourning, and his servants were surprised."But," said he, "now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? CanI bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not returnto me" (v. 23). It is not heaven (Acts 2: 34), but hell, or the grave,that is in question. There David has "gone to him", for "ALL go unto oneplace; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again" (Eccl. 3: 20;see also Acts 2: 29; 13: 36). But David will "awake" from his "bed in hell"(Psa. 17: 15).
"THE CHILDRENOF GOD": The gracious action of Jesus had reference to the fittingof children (and adults) to become "the children of God" in "the Kingdomof God." When he said, "Of such is the Kingdom of God", he did not meanthat it was peopled by saved infants. He immediately added: "Whosoevershall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein" (v. 15). Perhaps Peter's words are the best illustrationof his- meaning here: "As new- born babes desire the sincere milk of theWord, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Pet. 2: 2). Again, Paul says,"Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children,but in understanding be men" (I Cor. 14 : 20). And Christ says, "The goodseed are the children of the kingdom" (Matt. 13: 38), because they haveheard "the word of the kingdom", understood it, and with simple child-like faith obeyed it.
On another occasion,Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of his disciples,who had become exercised on the question, "Who is the greatest in the kingdomof heaven?" And he said, "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted,and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom ofheaven. Whosoever there-fore shall humble himselfas this littlechild, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18: 3, 4). Christ's gospel of the kingdom" is so simplethat children soonapprehend it, and thus "come unto him." In obeying the truth by being "baptizedinto Christ" (Gal. 3: 27), they become "children of God by faith in ChristJesus" (v. 26). When this is done in all humble sincerity, whether in youthor mature life, it is "receiving the Kingdom of God as a little child";and if that frame of mind be faithfully and obediently maintained to theend, "an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlastingkingdom of our Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. I : 11).
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