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after. And this evil work sometimes begins very early in life; for as soon as we know what we do at all, we are doing good or evil. The first acts of disobedience, the first words of falsehood, the first pretences of being better than they are, may, perhaps, seem little matters to children, though they know they are wrong. But they are beginnings of great and sad mischief, for the same things soon grow to be common, and then the unhappy child is ready for what is worse.

Those who have the care of children, too, should remember this, for a foolish and worldly love of them, that sort of love that is gratified by merely indulging and pleasing them, may be worse for them than Herod's cruelty. He could but send them to a kinder Parent than they left on earth, while those who teach them to indulge themselves, or to give way to evil tempers, or to think little of sinning, are doing what they can to separate them for ever from His care, to keep away His holy Angels, that should minister to them, and to give them over to the evil one, whose servant Herod was, and who is ever greedy for their destruction. Let children remember this when they are corrected —it is for fear they should fall into his hands.

True it is that most of the evil we have

spoken of is done for want of considering what we are doing. But not very much is done for want of knowing. If no one did wrong except when he really knew no better, men would soon know and do all that they ought to do, or but little short of it. We want parents as thoughtful to save their children as S. Joseph was, who, when he was "warned of God, took the young Child, and Mary His mother, and fled into Egypt."b God gives warnings enough, if men would but heed them. Uncommon dangers, like that of Herod's jealousy, may need visions and especial warnings to make us aware of them; but the dangers we have most to fear from are common ones, and such as every one might avoid if they would but consider and take pains. And the more we follow the directions that God gives us, when He marks our duty clearly, the more easily we shall find them for the future, and the more we shall enjoy of His gracious protection against those dangers which we cannot foresee.

C

"His mercy is over all His works," and what happens to us from without, though it may seem never so hard or so terrible, can do us no real harm. We only can really

b S. Matt. ii. 13, 14.

c Ps. cxlv. 9.

hurt ourselves by giving way to bad thoughts and bad desires, and letting the evil one get hold of us. He can do nothing at all to us, guarded as we are by the grace of God, unless we please. God can and will protect even little children from him, if they have a good will, until He takes them out of the reach of all danger, like the blessed infants we remember to-day.

SERMON XXXIV.

THE INNOCENTS' DAY.*

Rev. xiv. 5.

"And in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God."

It is true that we are all by nature born in sin, and the children of wrath. But God has not left us without help, to take our own evil way and perish. He does not cast men into hell for the sin in which they were born, unless they, of their own choice, persevere in it. Christ offered Himself to God to take away original guilt, as well as the actual sins of men, and has redeemed all mankind.

And He allows little children to be brought to Him, and received into His Church by Baptism, and grants them remission of sin by His Holy Spirit, that they may henceforth be His children, and live to Him. And though the little children whom we commemorate to-day, whom Herod slew, when he wished to have slain the infant Saviour,

* Preached at Bradfield, at the School Feast.

were not baptized, yet we have no doubt that He received them to Himself, as His own redeemed children. For the command had not then been given to baptize. And these were Jewish children, and so in the covenant of circumcision made with Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob, as our children are received into the Christian covenant by Baptism. We cannot believe that God would not take care of them, as they could not take care of themselves, and their parents had done all that they could for them. So we doubt not that they are among the blessed company of Heaven, redeemed and made holy through Christ.

Now the words of our text seem to relate to some persons who were not only redeemed and saved, but also remarkably free from sin. Not but that they had been born in sin, else they had not needed to be redeemed. But they had not defiled themselves, and there was no guile found in their mouth. And we find that our Lord commends the innocency and meekness of little children, and bids those who would be His disciples be like them. They must become like those who have not learned to do wrong, nor made their hearts hard by disobedience, and they

» S. Matt. xviii. 3.

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