Chapter 18

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.

4. Example is _another mean of seeking a godly seed_.

Good example is particularly incumbent on all who are exalted to rule, whether in larger, or smaller communities. In the history of Israel we observe the morals of the nation commonly agreeing with those of the governing prince. Nor was this peculiar to that people; it holds generally, in a considerable degree, of every other. The manners and morals of all who live in society, usually take a tinge from those of their rulers. This is particularly the case with smaller societies; especially with families. Children often imbibe the sentiments, learn the manners, and catch somewhat of the tempers of those with whom they live, as well as learn their language. _Do we seek a godly seed_? It concerns us to be careful what examples we set before the youth who attend us.

Youth watch and observe adults, especially those to whom they look up as friends, and whose love and kindness they daily experience. Adults are disposed to think favorably of those who shew them kindness. From the view of a child, it hides every fault. That a thing was done by a respected parent justifies it to a child, however criminal it might appear in another.

The temper and conduct, of a benefactor, make a deeper impression than his words, and have more influence on the judgment of those entering on life. Even little children feel the force of our Savior's rule of judging--"By their fruits ye shall know them." Every thing conspires to prejudice children in favor of parents, and to dispose them to follow their examples. Bad example is in them especially seducing. Children generally follow it, where it is set before them. Coinciding with their natural bias, precept and counsel are commonly lost upon them, if taught by parental example to do evil. It is therefore of the greatest importance, especially to the members of a family, that the head should "behave himself wisely in a perfect way, and walk within his house with a perfect heart."

5. Prayer, _especially family prayer is another means seeking a godly seed_.

This duty is important, as it tends to solemnize the heart, and produce a serious and devout temper; and as it tends to draw down the divine blessing on those who attend it.

When children witness a parent daily looking up to heaven, and fervently imploring the divine blessing on himself and them--when they hear him humbly confessing sin, and its demerits, and imploring pardon--when they observe him devoutly thanking God for existence, for continuance in life, and for all its comforts--when they hear him asking grace to help and divine direction and guidance--when they see him besieging the throne of grace for the Holy Spirit to renew and sanctify them, enable them to do every duty, fill them with love to God and man, enable them to bear injuries and requite them with kindness, yea, to be good and do good--to make them faithful unto death and then to receive them to the mansions of glory, and are called to join in these solemn addresses to heaven, What other lesson is equally instructive? What hath so dire a tendency to solemnize the heart and impress it with the most just and weighty religious sentiments? In this view, family prayer is of vast importance. If attended as every serious person may attend it, cannot be wholly without effect, and hath often the happiest effect.

It is not great talents, or showy gifts, but seriousness, solemnity and fervor, which render prayer prevalent with God and beneficial to man, as a means of exciting to other duties, and producing religious awe and reverence.

This duty is also important, as tending to draw down the divine blessing on the devout worshipper and on his connexions.

Every good gift cometh down from God; but his gifts are usually bestowed in answer to prayer--"Ye have not because ye ask not--Ask, and it shall be given you--for every one that asketh, receiveth." --Spiritual mercies are seldom given but in answer to prayer; and seldom long denied to earnest persevering prayer. This is the spirit of one of our Savior's parables, * and the purport of many passages in the word of God.

* Luke xviii. 1, &c.

And when a person hath omitted nothing in his power to make his children wise to salvation, what so natural, what so reasonable, as to bring them to God, and pour out his soul before him, for his blessing upon them? And what so prevalent with "him who heareth prayer?"

It is storied of Augustine, who lived in the fourth century, that though the son of an eminently pious mother, he was a very vicious youth--that a Christian seeing him pass in the street, spake of him as an abandoned character, with whom it was disgraceful to associate --which another hearing, observed, that he was the child of so many prayers, _that he could not believe that he would be lost_--nor was he lost. Those prayers were heard. He was called of God, and like Saul of Tarsus, made a chosen vessel to bear God's name to a scoffing world, and do much in the cause of the divine Redeemer. *

* Witherspoon's Sermon on Education.

The fervent prayers which godly parents offer up for their children, ascend like the prayers and aims of good Cornelius for a memorial before God. When sincere and persevering, they return not empty. They often draw down the divine blessing on those for whom they are offered up. If they fail through filial obstinacy and perverseness, they draw a blessing on themselves, to their eternal joy.

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These are some of the ways in which parents should seek a godly feed. But, alas! These duties are much neglected; therefore the declension of religion, and the prevalence of vice.

Those who enter into covenant with God, bind themselves to discharge these duties. Others are not devoid of obligation to do the same. They are duties which rise out of the parental relation, and are indissolubly connected with it.

Parents have a fondness for their children, and with their felicity. But do not some who believe them made for eternity, take care only for the mortal part, which after all their care must ere long become food for worms, and turn to dust! Are there not parents who neither dedicate their children to God, nor teach them his fear, nor walk before them in the right way, nor commend them to the divine mercy! Cruel parents! Unhappy children! How difficult, how dangerous their situation! By nature disposed to error--assaulted by subtil enemies, whose temptations fall in with their natural bias, and are strengthened by the conduct of those whom they love as friends and revere as guides! Little chance have such unexperienced and unsuspecting creatures to escape the snares which surround them! Dangerous, and almost desperate is their situation!

Perhaps the endless misery of some may be greatly chargeable on those who under God, gave them being! Affecting thought! It concerns parents to think on these things. If they consider, they must feel their obligation _to seek a godly seed_, and be afraid to neglect it.

And let pious parents be persuaded to labor and not faint in the discharge of the duties which they owe to God, and the young immortals committed to their care. Though their counsels may be condemned, and their prayers seem not to be regarded by him who hath power to change the heart, let them not be discouraged, but persevere. "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy." Though the seed lie long under the clods, it will not be lost, but some how, bring forth fruit.

The counsels, warnings, and examples of faithful godly parents commonly make some impression on the children who affect to disregard them. The most dissolute have their serious moments; their pangs of remorse and terror. At such seasons their parents' warnings, prayers and tears recur to their minds, and seem to rise up before them. This often happens after parental labors have ceased; and after the impressions they might have made, were supposed to have been effaced, they sometimes produce happy effects.

Few children who have been dedicated to God, taught to know and serve him, and the consequences which will follow their conduct here, and witnessed their parents' deep concern, and earned cries to God in their behalf can forget them--they must, they do, at times, affect them. While any thing of this nature remains, there is hope. Some, who in early life, scoff at warning and counsel, are afterwards brought to repentance: And such often testify, that impressions made by parental faithfulness in their tender years, were the means of their awakening and amendment. This should encourage those whose children give them little hope, to persevere in the discharge of duty.

"The Lord said of Abraham--I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, _that the Lord might bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him_." What? The richest and most lasting blessings--_because "he would command his children--to keep the way of the Lord_."

"It is not a vain thing to serve God. Then--(when he maketh up his jewels) shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked; between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not." In no other way can we serve him more acceptably than by following Abraham's example--"commanding our households to serve the Lord," and setting them the example. Whoso doth it, "shall in no wise lose his reward."

And happy the youth who second the endeavors of their parents to render them _a godly seed_. Such "will find life and obtain favor of the Lord." Here, they rejoice the hearts of those who love them, and smooth the rugged path of age. The years which to others have no pleasures in them, are not devoid of comfort to those who witness filial piety and hope to live again in a godly offspring. Such parents rejoice in death, and their _godly seed_, will rejoice with them forever, in heavenly mansions.

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SERMON XXIII.

The Blessing of God on Filial Piety.

Jeremiah xxxv. 19.

"Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Jonadab, the son of Rechab, shall not want a man to stand before me forever.'"

Israel were greatly depraved before the days of this prophet, who was sent to reprove and call them to repentance. The prophet faithfully discharged his trust; but labored to very little effect. The chiefs of the nation were offended at its warnings and predictions--rose up against him--shut him up in prison; yea in a dark dungeon, where he sank in the mire; and even sought his life! He was not, however discouraged.. He continued "to warn the wicked from his way, that he should turn from it. None of these things moved him."

This was not the only messenger sent of God to warn that people--he sent to them all his servants, the prophets; but they would not hear; The Jews of that age flattered themselves, that God would never enter into judgment with them. "He might pour his fury on the heathen; but they should escape--their place and nation would never feel the effects of his wrath, or become the theatre of his judgments--they were his people--necessary to his honor--he was their God; and would continue their God, whatever their character, or conduct."

The prophets warned them of their mistake--told them that the judgments of heaven hung over them--that their city and sanctuary would be destroyed, many of them perish in the war, and the residue he removed into strange lands, there to serve their enemies--"but they seemed to that degenerate people as those who mocked, and they believed them not."

There is a certain grade of depravity which scoffs at warnings and laughs at the shakings of God's spear! When this hath become the general character of a people, desolating judgments are near. Those who conceive mercy to be the only attribute of Deity; or the only attribute which he can exercise _towards them_, are commonly deaf to warnings. Sure evidence that they are given up of God--that his spirit hath ceased to strive with them. Rarely are those brought to repentance who entertain such views of God. Perhaps never, unless their views of him are changed. They have no fear of God before their eyes. If mercy absorbed every other attribute, there could be no place for fear. And of what enormity are those incapable who have lost the fear of God? Such corruption of principle is the bane of practice, and prelude of ruin and wretchedness. The history of the Hebrews, and the history of mankind, confirm the truth of this remark.

This prophet having long warned his charge to no purpose, is here directed to apply to them in another manner--to try to shame them into contrition, by setting before them the part acted by a particular family which dwelt among them--the Rechabites, who had for ages religiously obeyed the injunctions of one of their ancestors, left probably as his dying charge.

Some of that progenitor's requirements seemed rigorous, but being the order of a respected ancestor the family considered them as obligatory; nor could they be persuaded to violate them in any particular, though publicly invited to it by a prophet.

It _may be proper here to make some inquiries relative to these Rechabites--to the person whose charge they conceived so binding; and the nature and design of the charge_.

The Rechabites are said to have been a branch of the Kenites, and to have descended from Hobab, the son of Jethro, Moses' father in law. *

* Vide Henry and Brown's Dictionary.

While Israel were encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai, that Midianitish priest, or prince, visited Moses, bringing with him, Zipporah, the wife of Moses and her children, who had been sent to her father's as a place of safety, during the troubles in Egypt. Not long after, Hobab, the son of Jethro, appears to have been with Israel in the wilderness; and he was invited to go with them to the land of promise, and take his lot among them, and was promised an equal share of blessings with the seed of Jacob--"If thou wilt go with us, it shall be, that what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee." At first Hobab declined, but he eventually complied; as his descendants were among the Hebrews after their settlement in Canaan, and they continued among them, and remained a distinct family, down to the captivity.

One branch of these Kenites was denominated from Rechab, an illustrious chief of the house of Hobab; who had a son, or descendant, named Jonadab, or Jehonadab, as his name is sometimes written. Jonadab was renowned for wisdom and piety. He flourished in the days of Jehu, almost three centuries before the Babylonish captivity; and was so famed for sanctity and attachment to true religion, that only being seen in his company was a recommendation to the regard of its friends. Therefore was he treated with respect by Jehu, while he pretended a regard for the true God--therefore was he taken up by that prince into his chariot, and made his partner in the destruction of idolatry. Such was the man who left this charge to his descendants, which was so sacredly regarded by them, for so long a term.

This was a remarkable family. Another who have paid equal attention to the orders of a departed progenitor, and in which none of the members appear to have degenerated from his virtue, is not perhaps to be found in the annals of mankind! But our surprise will increase if we attend to the nature of the charge.

The prophet was directed to gather the whole family of the Rechabites --bring them into the house of the Lord--set wine before them and invite them to drink. He obeyed; offering them a treat, as a family known and respected in Israel.

This was not done to tempt them, but to reprove the Jews, who resorted in great numbers to the temple; though they had cast off the fear of the God there worshipped. God knew, and had probably informed the prophet, that the wine would be refused. It was refused, and the reason, assigned--"We will drink no wine; for Jonadab,--the son of Rechab, our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, ye, nor your sons forever, Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor have any: But all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days, in the land where ye be strangers."

Some of these may seem to be strange restrictions; but they speak the piety of him who laid them, and his regard to the eternal, if not to the temporal interests, of his posterity. The prohibition seems to have been the same with the law of the Nazerites. Wine is doubtless here used in a large sense, for every kind of strong drink. "Wine was given to make glad the heart of man." He is allowed to use it with temperance and sobriety: But so many abuse it to their own hurt, and to the injury of society, that it is rather a curse, than a blessing, to the world. Seeing the evils which resulted from the abuse--the devastation of men and morals, which it occasioned, this good man, from love to his offspring, warned them wholly to abstain from it. And what evils would many others have avoided, had they considered the counsel as given to them, and like this family, religiously regarded it? The ravages of intemperance, exceed those of the sword; and the moral evils it hath occasioned surpass description!

But why the other restrictions included in the charge? Why must the descendants of Jonadab be denied the comfort of warm and convenient dwellings, and reside in tents through every season of the year, to all generations? Why must they possess neither fields nor vineyards, which were allowed to others, and promised to Israel, as part of the blessing, when they should settle in Canaan?

Peculiarities unknown to us, might render it proper for them to submit to self denials to which others are not called. What they were we presume not to determine. *

* Mr. Henry undertakes to assign the reasons of all these injunctions; but as none can be assigned which are not merely conjectural, we choose rather to leave each one to make his own conjectures, as he may find occasion.

Mankind are exceedingly prone to set up their rest here, and promise themselves permanent dwellings on this rolling ball. Could this man of God persuade his posterity that this was not their home, and engage them to seek another country, that is, an heavenly, and lay up their treasure there, whatever self denials it might cost them, it must have been, on the whole for their advantage. This might be the general design of his counsel.

But whatever might be the design, admirable was the effect. The whole family seemed to have listened to his advice, and for many ages to have obeyed his voice! "Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab, the son of Rechab our father, in all that he charged us--and done according to all that he commanded us!"