I. IT AnnEBTS ATTENTION. Just as children are all a.live if we propose to tell them e. story, so the teacher o.nd the preacher at once brighten up their audiences when they give o.n illustration. Our Lord always secured attention because he was illustrative. '£here were no o.bstract statements in his teachings; they were all changed into pictures. His work" swarmed with figures of speech," and so it was that "the common people beard him gladly." II. 1T DISARMS PREJUDIOE. It is difficult for public teachers to warn a.nd reprove wisely. '!'hey may easily offend by direct and pointed a.pplica.tions. They can interest in a picture which excites no prejudice, and skilfully bring out applications that a.waken consciences, and set them ma.king their reproaches. III. 1'r EXCITES THOUGHT. Illustrate by the difference between history a.s a. ha.re record of facts, a.nd the philosophy of history, which concerns the relations of the facts, and the mutual influence of the characters. The psalmist here designs to present the old history in such ways a.s to compel thought concerning God's ways with man, a.nd man's ways with God. IV. IT REMAINS IN MEMORY, Only particular dispositions and trained intellects can remember abstract propositions. Everybody can remember stories, pictures, a.nd illustrations; and there is always the possibility that, holding the pa.ra.ble, they will hold-for use on occasion-the truth which it wa.s designed to teach.-R. T. Vers. 4, 5.-0ur mission to the coming generation. The interest of the Old Testament in children is seldom worthily recognized. The Divine confidence is felt in Abraham on this singular grounrl, "For 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 judg- ment" (Gen. xviii.19). The meaning of the most significant rite of the Mosaic system -the Passover-was to be carefully explained to the "children." The command is given concerning the holy la.ws, "Thou sha.lt tea.eh them diligently unto thy children, and sha.lt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou wa.lkest by the way, a.nd when thou liest down, a.nd when thou risest up" (Deut. vi. 7). The psalmist speaks thus of bis work: "This shall be written for the generation to come; and the people which sha.11 be created shall praise the Lord" (Ps. cii 18). And the prophets repeat after Isaiah, and say," The father to the children sha.11 make known thy truth" (Isa. xxxviii. 19). Dr. Horace Bushnell, in a very striking way, calls the religious teaching ofreligious families" the out-populating of the Christian stock." There is always hope for the new generation; but the foundation of that hope is the righteousness a.nd faithfulness of this generation. Then they truly work for the children who work to fit the parents for influencing the children. Our mission to our children is-if we follow the psa.lm- 1. To TEACH THEM GoD's DOINGS AND GoD's WILL. This mission is entrusted first to parents. Only as civilization involves pa.rental inabilities and disabilities, can the duty be delegated to servants, or to Sunday school teachers. The things we have to tea.eh our children are: 1. God in history. 2. God in covenant. 3. God in la.w. 4. God in redemption. Our power to do our work worthily depends on our own spiritual apprehensions. And they must not be left to pick up religious knowledge. God requires that we teach them. II. 'l'o HELP THEM TO BEGIN LIVES OF TRUST AND OBEDIENCE. (See ver. 8.) This we ca.n do: 1. By commending such lives in the grace and beauty of our <>Um, It is not enough to" allure to brighter worlds;" we can "lea.d the way." 2. By teaching them the lessons tha.t we may be able to draw from our own experience. 3. By enforcing the warnings which a.re suggested by the ancient histories (see ver. 9). 4. By patiently aiding them in the formation of good religious ha.bits. 111. To MAKE THEM FEEL THEIR RESr0NSIBILITY TO THE GENERATION FOLLOWING THEM. '£he object set before us, in teaching our children, is (ver. 7), "to the intent tha.t, when they come up" into their fatherhoods and motherhoods, " they might show their children the same." So our influence should be repeating itself, generation after generation. Our faithfulness to our mission may put a new and nobler impress on the coming generations (see Ps. cxlv. 4).-R. 'l'.
Ver. 9.-The bad example of Ephraim. The inciuent here alluded to is not known. 142 THE BOOK m' PSALMS. [PB. LXXVIII, 1-72.