The Ends of Family Institution, with observations on the Importance of
Education.
Malachi ii. 15.
"And did not he make one? Ye had he the residue of the Spirit. And
wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed.--"
Toward the close of the Babylonish captivity, religion revived among
the Jews. Several zealous and able reformers were raised up and
advanced to power, whose influence was blessed to call back that
people from their declensions, and prepare them for mercy. But the
effect of their labors was only temporary. When they were gone off
the stage, the people again apostatized, neglected the worship and
ordinances of God, and became vicious and corrupt. This prophet, who
lived several ages after their return to Canaan, was sent to reprove
their irreligion and the immoralities, which abounded among them and
had infected every order of men.
One of the sins then rife in Israel, was a family sin. Family
contentions, which frequently terminated in divorces, were
become common.
Divorces were permitted to the Hebrews, "for the hardness of their
hearts, but it was not so from the beginning."
Larger communities are all made up of families. Evils therefore which
affect the latter, cannot but affect the former. Were all the families
which compose an empire divided and unhappy, the empire would be so.
It is also worthy of notice, that the first rudiments of character,
which render good or bad, and cause people to be blessings or curses
in society, are commonly begun in those nurseries of our race. The
bias there given, seldom wholly wears off; it is generally carried, in
degree, through life. Probably many of the evils which afflicted the
Jews in the days of this prophet, had their origin in the cradles of
the nation. He was therefore directed to strike at the root of evils,
and by endeavoring to reform the smaller societies of which the larger
were composed, to reform the whole. With this view he led back the
minds of those among whom he ministered, to the origin of families,
and declared the merciful design of the Most High, in their
institution--_That he might seek a godly see._
Seeking a godly seed is not the only design. It is however a principal
design, and will be chiefly regarded in the following discourse.
One thing designed is the comfort and advantage of the several members
of these little communities. But to the attainment of these ends, they
must keep respectively, in their places, and act faithfully in them.
The heads must live together in harmony, and unite in ordering the
common affairs of the society; and the inferior members must submit to
their authority, and do the duties of their stations.
Human happiness greatly depends on the temper and conduct of those who
are connected in the nearest relations, and live together. Suppose
trouble abroad, yet if one hath peace and friendship in his family,
and finds order and affection at home, he will not be very unhappy. He
will often "retire to his secret chambers, and shut the doors about
him, till the evils are past." But the house divided against itself,
is a scene of confusion and trouble. Contentions there are like a
continual dropping.
The man who hath affluence and honor; who is respected or envied
abroad, is but a wretch, if his retirements are unquiet; if his family
connexions are peevish and disagreeable, and the inferior members rise
in rebellion and refuse obedience to his reasonable requirements, or
neglect the duties of their stations. Fidelity and affection in the
nearest relations, yields the greatest temporal felicity; the want of
them occasions the most pungent grief which is experienced in life;
that which arises from sense of guilt excepted.
The part acted by every member of a family, effects the whole. None
can rejoice or mourn alone. All participate in the joy or grief. All
are affected by the discharge, or neglect of relative duties: Joy and
sorrow keep pace with them.
Neither are the evils which arise from these abuses to be avoided by
celibacy, without incurring others of a serious nature. Man is formed
for society. An help meet was necessary even in Eden. To have remained
alone would have rendered an earthly paradise a tiresome place.
Therefore was a suitable companion given of God, to crown the joys of
innocence.
The comfort and advantage of the members is manifestly one design of
family institution; but where the duties of the several relations are
neglected, or counteracted, the ends are frustrated, and the blessing
changed into a curse. "It is better to dwell in the wilderness than
with a contentious and angry woman." And the woman, who instead of a
kind and virtuous companion, is joined to a tyrant, or a man of
Belial, must have sorrow upon, sorrow, till death comes to her relief.
But the design of family institution expressed in the last clause of
the text--_That he might find a godly seed, will be chiefly attended
to_.
We are here taught that God made one, and only one to be man's
companion and helper--_that he might seek a godly feed_. One is
necessary for this purpose; more would rather hinder than help. With
one there is a joint interest; more would cause divisions.
To answer the ends proposed, the connexion must be for life. It must
not be left to the parties or either of them, to dissolve it at
pleasure, as the Jews of that age contended. This liberty the prophet
shews to be contrary to the spirit and design of marriage. He observes
that though God _had the residue of the Spirit_--all power, and
could easily have made many, he made only one, to be the companion and
helper of man--that this indicated the design of marriage to be an
indissoluble connexion, which was ordained to continue till death.
This which is intimated in the text, is confirmed by our Savior in his
reply to the Pharisees who questioned him on this subject. *
* Matthew xix. 3-10.
In farther discussing our subject, _after a few desultory observations
on the importance of education, especially parental education, we
shall inquire in what ways, and by what means parents are required to
fed a godly seed_.
Much culture is necessary to man's attaining his proper rank in
creation. This should begin at an early period, and naturally devolves
on parents, who, by providential appointment, are guardians of the
infancy and childhood of their offspring.
Brutes need no instruction in order to fill the places designed for
them of the Creator. Neither do they need example. Instinct supplies
their places--teacheth all which they need to know; and teacheth
perfectly. The several kinds of beasts and birds, shut out from their
dams, and secluded from their own species, act according to their
natures in the same manner, as though brought up with them--discover
the same disposition--use the same methods of seeking their food, and
providing for themselves and their young--and express themselves in
the same language, or by the same notes. Nature left to herself,
respecting every thing which belongs to them, is a sufficient, yea an
infallible instructor. Some of the brutes may be taught to mimick man;
others to know and serve him; but these are foreign to their rank.
Everything, properly belonging to them, is taught by nature,
independent of man. Had man never existed, some of them might have
lived and filled their places in creation without him.
But man, the head of this lower world, requires particular attention.
His mind requires more than his body. Should man come forward to act
his part here, with only the same kind of attention which
nature teacheth the brute to bestow on her young, what would he be?
How would he appear? Suppose some savage horde to attend only to the
bodies of their offspring, during infancy and childhood, and then send
them abroad to follow nature!--Uncultivated nature! Living at large
like the brutal inhabitants of the forest! Can we form an idea of
ought more shocking? Surely such a people would be more brutal than
the brutes!
To prevent these dreadfuls, and render man the noble creature for
which he is designed, happy in himself, an honor to his Creator, and a
blessing among God's works, are the ends proposed in education.
These usually originate in that culture which is begun by parents. The
foundation of honor or infamy, usefulness or mischief, happiness or
misery, is commonly laid in the morning of life. The impressions then
made, are deep and lasting; the bias then given to the mind, goes far
to form the character of the man. We see therefore the goodness of God
in an institution which hath such important objects in view--which is
designed to plant in infant minds the seeds of virtue, and form
mankind for usefulness and honor.--_And wherefore one? That he might
seek a godly seed_.
This work would have been incumbent on man had he retained his first
estate. It would then have belonged to parents to cultivate the tender
mind and direct it in right ways. Marriage was instituted before the
apostasy, of which a principal design is that mentioned in the text:
For the prophet speaks of man in his original state. In innocence man
had his work assigned him--was made for action. Idleness would have
constituted no part of his felicity, had he remained upright. When he
came out of the Creator's hand, he was "put into the garden to dress
it and to keep it." His disposition to idleness may have been
occasioned by the fall. Had man retained his maker's image, it is not
probable that young minds would have received habits of virtue, and
been imbued with knowledge, without parental aid--that instinct would
have supplied the place of instruction, and superseded the use of it.
Had man remained upright his whole work have been diverse from that
which now employs him. The earth would have required little culture
--none which would have wearied its inhabitants. The mind, free from
every corrupt bias, would have been open to instruction, which would
have flowed from the parent and been received by the child, with
delightful ease and joy. Man devoted to the service of God, would have
devoted his all to God, especially his offspring. Then to have poured
knowledge, and especially the knowledge of God, into the placid docile
mind of the pious youth, what delight would it have given to the soul
glowing with divine love!
Since the apostasy, children are the joy of parents. With all their
depravity and perverseness, which greatly lower down the comfort
parents would otherwise occasion, they love them next to life, and see
their improvements with peculiar joy. Especially doth the godly
parent rejoice to witness in them good things toward the Lord--
religious dispositions--concern to know and serve God, and become _a
godly seed_. "He hath no greater joy than to observe his children
walking in the truth." Had man retained his first estate, his joy of
this kind would have been full. He would have trained up a holy, happy
progeny--"a seed to serve the Lord."
In the present state of human nature, the raising of _a godly seed_,
is more difficult, but no less necessary. Endeavors to this end may be
even more so. Man left from his childhood, uninstructed and
unrestrained, to follow his natural bias, would become a monster
among God's creatures! Therefore the importance of parental
faithfulness, as divine honor, and human happiness are regarded.
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