Parental Duties considered and urged.
Malachi ii. 15.
"And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the Spirit. And
wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed."
Some general observations on the importance of education, especially
parental education, were made in the preceding discourse. We are now
to consider the ways and means by which parents, are _to seek a godly
seed_.
Only general directions can here be given. Much will be left to the
discretion of those concerned.
Some of the principal parental duties are, _Dedication of their
children to God, followed by instruction--restraint--good example, and
prayer_.
We shall treat on each of these briefly in their order.
1. Of _dedication of children to God. By a godly seed_, children
consecrated to the service of God, and set apart for him, is commonly
intended, This implies some rites of consecration. These there have
been, probably, from the beginning; though we have no information what
they were, till the days of Abram.
Before the flood we read of "sons of God" who married "the daughters
of men;" a sad union which led to the universal degeneracy of mankind.
The "sons of God" are supposed to have been the descendants of Seth;
"the daughters of men," to have been of the family of Cain. But why
the distinction of "sons of God, and daughters of men?" It arose, no
doubt, from external differences. The former had the seal of godliness
set upon them, whatever that seal might be; and were trained up to
attend the worship and ordinances of God--they were visibly of the
household of faith; none of which were the case with the latter. *
That the former were all renewed, and children of God by regeneration,
is not probable--they are termed sons of God, on account of their
covenant relation to him.
* Tenders of pardon and life were made to the whole human race,
through a Mediator, and the church at first included the whole family
of Adam; but this did not long continue. Cain, enraged that his
offering was not accepted, slew his brother, and "went out from the
presence of the Lord"--left his father's house, in which God was
worshipped, and where his ordinances were administered--cast off
religion, and taught his children to disregard it. His progeny were
not deficient in worldly wisdom. They cultivated the arts of life, and
made improvements in them, as appears from the sketch of their history
given by Moses. + But they were without God in the world; having cast
off his fear, and the apprehension of his presence, and their
accountableness, which often follow the dereliction of the divine
institutions.
+ Genesis iv. 17-22.
So the posterity of Jacob were called "the children of God--the
people of God--a holy seed--a royal priesthood," because of their
external, nominal distinctions. These appropriate terms continued as
long as they remained God's visible people, and had the seal of his
covenant set upon them, though they had so corrupted themselves as to
be even worse than the heathen. And Jerusalem is called the _holy
city_ even after it had filled up the measure of its wickedness by
murdering the Lord of glory. *
* Matthew xxvii. 53.
From the days of Abraham, we know the seal of God's covenant, and how
parents have been required to dedicate their offspring to him, as a
visible sign of their being consecrated to his service, and as a bond
on parents to train them up in his fear. And those who have been of
the household of faith, and been duly instructed, have considered
themselves obliged to discharge these duties; nor have they neglected
them.
2. Dedication _must be followed by instruction_. Parents must
cultivate the tender mind--instill the principles of virtue--infuse
the knowledge of God, and of the duties due to God and man. This is a
matter of the greatest importance. If youthful minds are not imbued
with knowledge and virtue, they will not remain blank; the void will
be filled with that which tends to mischief, and leads to woe
and infamy.
When we look among pagans and savages, we are struck with their vices
and follies, which raise our disgust, or excite our pity. But who hath
made us to differ from them! Is it not that divine Sovereign who
"divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons
of Adam," who cast our lot among the civilized and enlightened, who
having been taught, of God, taught us the way of happiness? Had we
been born among heathens, we should probably have been heathens; if
among savages, should not have differed from them--should have
gloried, perhaps in those refinements in cruelty, which they consider
an accomplishment, but which we shudder to hear related. It is not
probable that we should have had native discernment sufficient to have
raised us above our fellows--to have enabled us to discover their
delusions and the absurdity of their views. Had we been denied
revelation, we should probably have been ignorant of our fallen state
and need of a Savior, and might have "perished for lack of vision."
How far God might have pitied our necessary ignorance, we know not;
but we can now discern no way of salvation, except by faith in Christ,
with repentance from dead works. Now, the knowledge of these, and the
necessity of holiness of heart and life, we have received, not by
immediate revelation, but from our fellow men. And most of those who
receive them, to saving effect, receive the first impressions in early
life; receive them from those with whom they are conversant in
their tender years. The forming mankind to virtue, and rendering them
_a godly seed_, depends much on the means _then_ used with them, and
the bias then given to the mind.
3. Restraint is _also necessary in the morning of life_. BY nature man
is inclined to evil. This disposition originated in the apostasy and
descends to the whole race, rendering them untractable and
unreachable--easily susceptible of bad impressions and indisposed to
good ones. It appears and operates at a very early period of life.
"The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as
they are born speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a
serpent; they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear."--
Such declarations are not indeed to be understood literally. None are
equal transgressors, before they are capable of moral action, which is
the state of the new born infant. He cannot speak lies who hath not
yet attained the power of speech. The poison of human depravity may,
however be compared to that of the serpent, which begins in its
formation, and discovers itself when first capable of action. We see
the effects of depravity in the child, while reason is yet weak and
only budding forth. It is one of the first appearances in the progress
of a human being from infancy to manhood. When these are discovered,
restraint should begin. Parents who seek _a godly seed_, should no
longer delay to counteract the corrupt disposition, and endeavor to
give the young creature, committed to their care, another and a better
bias.
But, alas! Parental affection too often degenerates into weakness, and
giving way to natural perverseness, suffers it to take its course; the
consequences of which are often fatal to peace and honor in after
life; perhaps in that also which is to come. It is of primary
importance that restraint should hold back the young agent from that
which is evil; and as far as may be, prevent him from associating with
the vile, who disregard the voice of conscience and harden themselves
in sin.
Suitable correction to impress an early sense of the evil of sin, and
praise to encourage and allure in the paths of virtue, are also acts
of kindness to the unexperienced creature who is entering on the war
of life, and coming forward to act its part among enemies and
temptations, and thus to prepare for honor or infamy, joy or misery
eternal. Though no fruit of this kind attention may immediately appear
beneficial consequences commonly follow; though sometimes at a later
period than was expected; yea after expectation hath ceased.