The Pulpit Commentary — Judges — Section 138

tial characteristics which fit us for the service of God are the same in all cases 80 that it is not necessary to know the exact form of service to which God will cafl a child, in order to lay the foundations of his character in the main principles which devotion to God's service in any form invoh•es. II. ABSTEMIOUSNESS IS FAVOURABLE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF VIGOUR. Self-in- dul~en~e is enervating. Self-restraint both husbands. and e1;1Iarges strength. That which. 1s apparen~ly most l~elpful to us may prove m reality to be a hindrance. Appetite and desire are neither to be regarded as mastel'l! nor as enemies but as servants. As wine excites rather than strengthens, so there are influences of ~ mental char~cter w~ich add nothing to ~mr power for work, although they appe1n to do so by rousmg excitement. The soul will not grow strong on the heating, but not nourishing1 diet of religious sensationalism. III. DEVOTION TO GOD REQUIRES PURITY OF LIFE. The Naznrite was to touch no unclean.thing. ~nhappily Samson w~~ satisfied with ~his ceremoni_al purity, and did not cultivate purity of soul, as the spmt of the Nazar1te's vow plainly required him to do ; hence his moral weakness and failure to attain perfect success. Samson "began to deliver Israel,'' he was not able to finish. Only the spotless One could say, "It is :finished." In proportion to our holiness will be our spiritual strength. Religious devotion without moral purity cannot be accepted by God (Isa. i. 11-15). IV. FCJLNESS OF LIFE BELONGS TO THOSE WHO LIVE TO GOD, No razor, no iron (the symbol of death), was to come upon the Nazarite. Consecration to God involves self-denial, but it brings a deeper joy and a fuller life than a self-seeking course will secure. 1. Religion does not require the destruction of any part of our true human nature, not even to the injuring of one hair of the head. 2. Religion requires the consecration of our whole being unmaimed, even to the not severing of one hair of the head from the perfect sacrifice. V. CONSECRATION TO Goo IS A SOURCE OF USEFULNESS TO MEN. Samson was a Nazarite; be was also a deliverer of bis people. God calls us not to the hermit's life of useless devotion, but to the servant's life of devotion practised in active good works. The religiousness which forbids useful work in commerce, in politics, in literature is a false sentiment. The Christian can best !lerve God by labouring for the good of his fellow-men.-A. Ver. B.-Tlie training of cliildren. 1. CHILDREN NEED TRAINING. 1. Children do not attain to the best character and conduct spontaneously, by natural growth and development. Left to themselves they would make little progress and many errors. But they cannot be thus left. If good influences are not brought to bear upon them, they cannot be entirely shielded from evil influences which will prove fatal unless they are counteracted. Training is necessary (1) to assist and promote the natural development of the good which is already in children, (2) to check and eradicate hereditary tendencies to sin derived from parents, e. g. the inclinations to intemperance likely to be felt by the children of the intemperate, and (3) to counteraot the effect of the temptations of the world. 2. Children do not attain to the best character and conduct witlwut care and efort. They need specific training. Jj:xample does much ; the atmosphere of a Christian society is also effective. Yet these general and vague, though real and powerful, influences are not sufficient without definite teaching and personal discipline. Christianity must be taught, and it cannot be learnt from any spirit of Christianity in the air. . II. THE TRAINING OF CHILDREN BIJOULD BEGIN EARLY. The danger accompanymg the process of intellectual forcing which results in unnatural precocity is not so great in moral training. The intellect need not be taxed with complex dogmas, nor the feelings stirred with unhealthy emotions, and yet children may be trained in integrity and unselfishness, in love to God and man-the great fundamental principles of the highest moral character. It is foolish to postpone this training. It is most easy when the mind is plastic. A natural economy would teach us that it is better that the whole life should be right from the first, than that there should be nn early time of mistakes and faults and a subsequent conversion to better things. III. Trrn SUPll'J:M.E END OF THE TRAINING OF CHILDREN SIIOULD DE TO FIT TIIEM cH. xm. 1-25.J THE BOOK OF JUDGES. 147