Caprice and Inconsistency
Matthew 11:16
But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like to children sitting in the markets, and calling to their fellows,…


Our Lord clearly charges upon those to whom He personally preached, that they were childish in their treatment of religion.

I. HOW INCONSISTENT AND CAPRICIOUS ARE MANY OF THE OBJECTIONS TO CHRISTIANITY. They assume contradictory forms. Look at some of these objections.

1. "A Divine revelation," say such men, "ought to exhibit a Divine power." Is it reasonable to say that Christianity has no power because its work has not been completely finished in eighteen centuries? Then he does not believe in any superhuman power which rises above the laws of nature. The very man who said the gospel wanted power!

2. You find the same principle in regard to the way in which such men treat the evidence on which Christianity is based. Men do well to look to foundations. They object to evidence of religion in books, and cry for something to affect the moral nature; but if you point him to characters changed by religion he says that he " does not believe in a religion that depends for proof on inward experiences."

3. But nowhere is this determination not to be pleased so apparent as in their judgment of the personal character and conduct of Christians. Fidelity to truth may not please men, but, by God's blessing, it will save them.

II. CHRISTIANITY ADMITS OF VARIETY IN INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER AND WORK.

1. Variety in experience.

2. In doctrine, too, Christianity admits of variety.

3. In Christian work the religion of Jesus admits of great variety of individual peculiarity.

(Bishop Cheney.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,

WEB: "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions




An Unfavourable Estimate of a Generation
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