It is marvelous, and yet not marvelous, to note the way in which Satan disputes every inch of the ground, in the grand question of Israel's deliverance from the land of Egypt. He would allow them to worship in the land, or near the land; but their absolute and complete deliverance from the land is what he will, by every means in his power, obstinately resist.
But Jehovah, blessed be His eternal name, is above the great adversary; and He will have His people fully delivered, spite of all the powers of hell and earth combined. The divine standard can never be lowered the breadth of a hair. "Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness." This is Jehovah's demand, and it must be made good, though the enemy were to offer ten thousand objections. The divine glory is intimately involved in the entire separation of Israel from Egypt, and from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. " The people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations." To this the enemy demurs; and to hinder it lie puts forth all his malignant power, and all his crafty schemes. We have already considered two of his objections, and we shall now proceed to the third.
3. " And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh; and he said unto them, Go, serve the Lord your God; but who are they that shall go? And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the Lord. And he said unto them. Let the Lord be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones; look to it, for evil is before you. Not so; go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord, for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence." Exod. 10:8-11.
These words contain a very solemn lesson for the hearts of all christian parents. They reveal a deep and crafty purpose of the arch-enemy. If he cannot keep the parents in Egypt, he will, at least, seek to keep the children, and, in this way, mar the testimony to the truth of God, tarnish His glory in His people, and hinder their blessing in Him. Parents in the wilderness and their children in Egypt would be A terrible anomaly—a thing wholly opposed to the mind of God, and utterly subversive of His glory in the walk of His people.
We should ever remember—strange that we should ever forget!—that our children are part of ourselves. God's creative hand has made thorn such, and surely what the Creator has joined together the Redeemer would not put asunder. Hence we invariably find that Sod links a man and his house together. " Thou and thy house" is a phrase of deep practical import. It. evolves the very highest consequences, and conveys the richest consolation to every christian parent; and, we may truly add, the neglect of it has led to the most disastrous consequences in thousands of family circles.
Very many—alas! how many—christian parents, through an utterly false application of the doctrines of grace, have allowed their children to grow up around them in willfulness and worldliness; and, while so doing, they have comforted themselves with the thought that they could do nothing, and that, in God's time, their children would, if included in the eternal purpose, be gathered in. They have virtually lost sight of the grand practical truth that the One who has decreed the end has fixed the means of reaching it, and that it is the height of folly to think of gaining the end while neglecting the means.
Do we, then, mean to assert that all the children of christian parents are, of necessity, included in the number of God's elect—that they will all be infallibly saved—and that if not it is the parents' fault. We mean to assert nothing of the kind. " Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world." We know nothing of God's eternal decrees and purposes. No mortal eye has scanned the page of His secret counsels.
What, then, is involved in the weighty expression, "Thou and thy house?" There are two things involved in it. In the first place, there is a most precious privilege; and, in the second place, a holy responsibility. It is unquestionably the privilege of all Christian parents to count on God for their children; but it is also their bounden duty - do we dislike the homely word?- to train their children for God.
Here we have the sum and substance of the whole latter—the two sides of this great question. The word of God, in every part of it, connects a man with is house. " This day is salvation come to this house." "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Luke 19; Acts 16) Here lies the solid basis of the privilege and responsibility of parents. Acting on the weighty principle here laid down, we are at once to take God's ground for our children, and diligently bring them up for Him, counting on Him for the result. We are to begin at the very beginning, and go steadily on, from day to day, month to month, year to year, training our children for God. Just as a wise and skilful gardener begins, while his fruit trees are young and tender, to train the branches along the wall where they may catch the genial rays of the sun, so should we, while our children are young and plastic, seek to mold them for God. It would be the height of folly, on the part of the gardener, to wait till the branches become old and gnarled, and then seek to train them. He would find it a hopeless task. And most surely it is the very loftiest height of folly, on our part, to suffer our children to remain for years and years under the molding hand of Satan, and the world, and sin, ere we rouse ourselves to the holy business of molding them for God.
Let us not be misunderstood. Let no one suppose that we mean to teach that grace is hereditary, or that we can, by any act or system of training, make Christians of our children. Nothing is further from our thoughts. Grace is sovereign, and the children of christian parents must, like all others, be born of water and of the Spirit, ere they can see or enter the kingdom of God. All this is as plain and as clear as scripture can make it; but, on the other hand, scripture is equally clear and plain as to the duty of christian parents to "bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
And what does this "bringing up " involve? What does it mean? In what does it consist? These, surely, are weighty questions for the heart and conscience of every christian parent. It is to be feared that very few of us indeed really understand what christian training means, or how it is to be carried on. One thing is certain—namely, that christian training means a great deal more than drilling our children into religion, making the Bible a task book, teaching our children to repeat texts and hymns like a parrot, and turning the family circle into a school. No doubt it is very well to store the memory of a child with scripture and sweet hymns. No one would think of calling this in question. But is it not too frequently the case that religion is made a weariness to the child and the Bible a repulsive school book?
This will never do. What is really needed is to surround our children with a thoroughly christian atmosphere, from their earliest moments—to let them breathe the pure air of the new creation—to let them see in their parents the genuine fruits of spiritual life—love, peace, purity, tenderness, holy disinterestedness, genuine kindness, unselfishness, loving thoughtfulness of others. These things have a mighty moral influence upon the plastic mind of the child, and the Spirit of God will assuredly use them in drawing the heart to Christ—the center and the source of all these beauteous graces and heavenly influences.
But, on the other hand, who can attempt to define the pernicious effect produced upon our children by our inconsistencies, by our bad temper, our selfish ways, our worldliness and covetousness? Can we be said to bring our children out of Egypt when Egypt's principles and habits are seen in our whole career? It may be we use and teach the phraseology of the wilderness or of Canaan; but our ways, our manners, our habits are those of Egypt, and our children are quick sighted enough to mark the gross inconsistency, and the effect upon them is deplorable beyond expression. We have but little idea of the way in which the unfaithfulness of christian parents has contributed to swell the tide of infidelity which is rising around us with such appalling rapidity.
It may be said, and said with a measure of truth, that children are responsible spite of the inconsistency of their parents. But most assuredly, whatever amount of truth there may be in this statement, it is not for parents to urge it. It ill becomes us to fall back upon the responsibility of our children in view of our failure in meeting our own. They are responsible, no doubt, but so are we; and if we fail to exhibit before the eyes of our children those living and unanswerable proofs that we ourselves have left Egypt, and left it forever, need we marvel if they remain? Of what possible use is it to talk about wilderness life, and our being in Canaan, while our manners, our habits, our ways, our deportment, our spirit, the bent of our whole life bears and exhibits the impress of Egypt? None whatever. The language of the life gives the lie to the language of the lips, and we know full well that the former is far more telling than the latter. Our children will judge, from our conduct, not from our talk, where we really are; and is this to be wondered at? Is not conduct the real index of conviction? If we have really left, Egypt, it will be seen in our ways; and if it be not seen in our ways, the talk of the lips is worse than worthless; it only tends to create disgust in the minds of our children, and to lead them to the conclusion that Christianity is a mere sham.
All this is deeply solemn, and should lead christian parents into the most profound exercise of soul in the presence of God. We may depend upon it there is a great deal more involved in this question of training than many of us are aware of. Nothing but the direct power of the Spirit of God can fit parents for the great and holy work of training their children, in these days in which we live, and in the midst of the scene through which we are passing. That word falls upon the heart with heavenly sweetness and power: " My grace is sufficient for thee." We can, with fullest confidence, reckon upon God to bless the very feeblest effort to lead our dear children forth out of Egypt. But effort must be made, and made, too, with real, fixed earnest purpose of heart. It will not do to fold our arms and say, "Grace is not hereditary. We cannot convert our children, If they are of the number of God's elect they must be saved, if not they cannot."
All this is one-sided and utterly false. It will not stand; it cannot bear the light of the judgment-seat of Christ. Parents cannot get rid of the holy responsibility of training their children for God, that responsibility begins with, and is based upon, the relationship; and the right discharge of it demands continual exercise of soul before God, in reference to our children. We have to remember that the foundation of character is laid in the nursery. It is in the early days of infancy that christian training begins, and it must be steadily pursued, from day to day, month to month, and year to year, in simple, hearty dependence upon God who will, most assuredly, in due time, hear and answer the earnest cry of a parent's heart, and crown, with His rich blessing, the faithful labors of a parent's hands.
And, while on this subject of training children, we would, in true brotherly love, offer a suggestion to all christian parents, as to the immense importance of inculcating a spirit of implicit obedience. If we mistake not, there is very wide-spread failure in this respect, for which we have to judge ourselves before God. Whether through a false tenderness, or indolence, we suffer our children to walk according to their own will and pleasure, and the strides which they make along this road are alarmingly rapid. They pass from stage to stage, with more than railway speed, until, at length, they reach the terrible goal of despising their parents altogether, throwing their authority entirely overboard, and trampling beneath their feet the holy order of. God, and turning the domestic circle into a scene of godless misrule and confusion.
How dreadful this is we need not say, or how utterly opposed to the mind of God, as revealed. in His holy word. But have we not ourselves to blame for it? God has put into the parents' hands the reins of governments, and the rod of authority, but if parents, through indolence, suffer the reins to drop from their hands; and if through false tenderness or moral weakness, the rod of authority is not applied, need we marvel, if the children grow up in utter lawlessness? How could it be otherwise? Children are, as a rule, very much what we make them. If they are made to be obedient, they will be so; and if they are allowed to have their own way, the result will be accordingly.
Are we then to be continually chucking the reins and brandishing the rod? By no means. This would be to break the spirit of the child, instead of subduing his will. Where parental authority is thoroughly established, the reins may lie gently on the neck, and the rod be allowed to stand in the corner. The child should be taught, from his earliest hour, that the parent only wills his good, but the parent's will must be supreme. Nothing is simpler. A look is enough for a properly trained child. There is no need whatever to be continually hawking our authority; indeed nothing is more contemptible whether in a husband, a father, or a master. There is a quiet dignity about one who really possesses authority; whereas the spasmodic efforts of weakness only draw out contempt.
We have found, through many years of experience and careful observation, that the real secret of successful training lies in the proper adjustment of firmness and tenderness. If the parent, from the very beginning, establishes his authority, he may exercise as much tenderness as the most loving heart can desire or display. When the child is really made to feel that the reins and the rod are under the direct control of sound judgment and true affection, and not of a sour temper and an arbitrary will, there will be comparatively little difficulty in training him.
In a word, firmness and tenderness are the two essential ingredients in all sound education—a firmness which the child will not dare to question—a tenderness which takes account of the child's every real want and right desire. It is a very poor affair indeed if the only idea which a child can form of parental authority be that of an arbitrary interference with his every wish, and a cold indifference to his every little want. This will never do. It is not thus that our heavenly Father deals with us; and He is to be our model in this as in all beside. If it be written, and it is written, " Children, obey your parents in all things;" it is also, in beautiful adjusting power, written, " Fathers, provoke not your children, lest they be discouraged." Again, if it be said, and it is said, " Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right;" it is also said, " Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." In short, the child must be taught to obey; but the obedient child must be allowed to breathe an atmosphere of tenderness, and to walk up and down in the sunshine of parental affection. This is our idea of christian education.
Most gladly would we dwell further on this great practical subject; but we trust sufficient has been said to rouse the hearts and consciences of all christian parents to a sense of their high and holy responsibilities in reference to their beloved offspring; and also to show that there is a great deal more involved in bringing our children out of Egypt, and taking God's ground for them, than many of us are aware of. And if the reading of the foregoing lines be used of God to lead any parent into prayerful exercise in this most weighty matter, we Shall not have penned them in vain.
4. We shall close this paper with the briefest possible reference to the enemy's fourth and last objection, which is embodied in the following words, " And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you." He would let them go, but without resources to serve the Lord. If lie could not keep them in Egypt, he would send them away crippled and shorn. Such is the enemy's last demurrer.
Butt mark the noble reply of a devoted heart. It is morally grand. " And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt-offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind: for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God; and," ponder these suggestive words! " we know not with, what we must serve the Lord until We come thither."
We must be fully and clearly on God's ground and at His stand-point, before ever we can form any true idea of the nature and extent of His claims. It is utterly impossible, while surrounded by a worldly atmosphere, and governed by a worldly spirit, worldly principles, and worldly objects to have any just sense of what is due to God. We must stand on the lofty ground of accomplished redemption—in the full orbed light of the new creation—apart from this present evil world, ere we can properly serve Christ. It is only when, in the power of an indwelling spirit, we see where we are brought by the death and resurrection of Christ—" three days' journey"—that we can at all understand what true christian service is; and then we shall clearly see and fully own that " all we are and all we have belong to Him." " We know not with what we must serve the Lord until we come thither." Precious words! may we better understand their force, meaning and practical application! Moses, the man of God, meets all Satan's objections by a simple but decided adherence to Jehovah's demand, " Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness."
This is the true principle, the true method, the true course, at all times, and under all circumstances. The divine standard must be maintained in all its integrity, at all cost, and spite of all objections. If that standard be lowered, the breadth of a hair, the enemy gains his point, and christian service and testimony are wholly out of the question.
May the eternal Spirit lead our souls into the wide field of practical truth indicated by the heading of this paper, " Jehovah's demand and Satan's objections!"
" Many were the chains that bound me,
But the Lord has loosed them all:
Arms of mercy now surround. me,
Favors these, nor few nor small:
Savior, keep me!
Keep thy servant lest he fall."