Blessing Children. Concerning Childlikeness.

  ^b 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and ^c called them unto him, saying, {^b said} unto them, ^c Suffer the little children to come unto me; forbid them not: ^a for to such belongeth the kingdom of heaven. {^b of God.}

  ^c 17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein. [See Section 73.]

  ^b 16 And he took them up in his arms,

  ^a 15 And he laid {^b laying} ^a his hands on {^b upon} ^a them, ^b and blessed them, ^a and departed thence.

[They were brought that he might lay his hands on them and bless them, and that is what he did for them. The command therefore that they be suffered to come to him should not be perverted into a precept directing that they be brought for other purposes. Those who have construed this as commanding or even permitting either infant baptism or an infant church membership, have abused the text. They are indebted for these ideas, not to the Bible, but to their creeds. The incident told in this section is a fitting sequel to the discourse on divorce. The little children, the offspring of happy wedlock, and a source of constant joy and pleasure to faithful husbands and wives, serve by their presence to correct false impressions as to supposed inconvenience of an indissoluble marriage bond. The sight of them in the arms of Jesus could not fail to leave a good impression with reference to the married life.]

  ^a 15 And he laid {^b laying} ^a his hands on {^b upon} ^a them, ^b and blessed them, ^a and departed thence.