A WAYWARD AND INCONSISTENT GENERATION.
MATT. xi, 16—19. In pursuing his theme, Jesus likened that generation, or people of his age, to "children sitting in the markets," pursuing their sports, and continually chiding each other for not playing their parts in order. Then as now, the children of cities and villages were accustomed to gather in the markets and other places of public resort for amusement. It seems that they frequently diverted themselves by playing festival and funeral; that is, acting over the then fashionable proceedings at weddings, funerals etc., in imitation of grown-up people. This was but natural. Music and dancing were indispensable accompaniments of all festive occasions in those days, and funerals were solemnized by groups of hired mourners whose office it was to respond to each other in loud wailings and lamentations. The children aped their seniors. The pipers piped, and the rest were expected to dance. One group mourned, and the rest were expected to wail and lament. But the children are sometimes wayward, contrary, careless or tired in their sports, and fell to reproaching each other for not keeping up their respective parts. It was frequently so with those of Galilee and Judea, in playing festival and funeral. Hence Jesus likened the churchmen of his time to such children. They played religion, rather than lived it, and were continually grumbling at others for not suiting themselves to their formalities and caprices. John the Baptist was no player at religion. He was sternly in earnest. The popular religionists could not endure his abstemiousness and moral strictness, and splenetically said, "He hath a devil"—is a demoniac. But the Son of man suited them no better. He was no religious playactor. He too was in earnest: though without any of John's dietetic abstemiousness. What then was his fault? He was the friend of publicans and sinners. He ate and drank with them familiarly, and preached vehemently against self-righteousness, Pharisaical display, pride, covetousness, retaliation, vindictive punishments, hatred of enemies, and hard heartedness toward the perishing classes. These characteristics were quite as offensive to these grown-up children, as John's. So they said of him, "Behold a man gluttonous, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!"—a loose, bad man! Thus it is always with those who play religion—the traditionist, formalists, sanctimonialists and externalists. They see nothing and do nothing spiritually—nothing in the light of great principles. Nothing pleases them that differs from their established fashion of religion, or that requires them to make any radical change in their conduct, habits and characters. They have some contemptuous imputation, epithet or nickname in store for every earnest reformer. But,203as Jesus said, “Wisdom is justified of her children; that is, the truly wise, judge wisely and approve of truth and righteousness wheresoever manifested. They look thro’ more externals and incidentals at the substance, principle, spirit and intrinsic nature of things, and make up judgment accordingly, regardless of hoary prejudice, popular caprice, or their own personal convenience. Let us pray that the children of Wisdom may be greatly multiplied.—Pract. Christian.