The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 500

their children's highest go'.ld, and in family prayers and private ones it is remembered before God. But the energies of the will are never roused up to seek it 11s other and lesser things are sought. Would to God they were I Now, we say that if you have a case of real ungodliness in the children of the godly, it is to be 11ccounted for by the fact that either the parents were not able or else not really 11nxious to train them for God. More often the latter is tho sad truth. 2. But we ask, 11\so-,-- What is meant by ungodly? Do you mean those who for a while go astray, but after~ wards come back ? Of course, if the sin bo like Manasseb's, very flagrant and long- continued, then, even though there may be the after coming back, as there was in his case, it must be allowed that such are ungodly. But that stern word should generally be reserved for a life wholly without God, aud not be cast carelessly on those who, like so many of God's saints have done, may fall yet rise again ; still less on children because of their natural tbonghllessness and incapacity of thinking serkusly for a long time about anything. God forbid they should I But if the word "ungodly" be confined, as it should be, to those whose lives are wholly or for the most part. without God, then we affirm that such children do not spring from parents both able and really· anxious to train them for God. To affirm that they are would be to contradict: (1) God's word; e.g. "Train up a child . . . and when he is old he shall not depart from it;" "Ask, and ye shall receive;" and the many promises to answer prayer. Now, we know that the godliness of our children must be in accordance with the Divine will, therefore all these promises must be set aside if, etc. .And St. Paul bids parents train their children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord;" and he never hints that such training may after all be thrown away. What was the constant baptism of households but an indication of the apostolic and primitive belief that, as a matter of course, in the faith of the father the children would share? The promise was to them and their children. (2) Analogies. If there be real pains to train children in a given manner educationally, socially, morally-as there .is on the part of parents-success is gained nearly always. And so it would be in things spiritual. There is no slight done to the truth of the Holy Spirit's agency in this great matter, but all that is urged is that we obey lhe laws of the Spirit. (3) Facts .. No instance can be shown where there has been real solicitude and opportunity on the part of the parents that their children should be godly, of such children bavi111g been perma- nently ungodly. There has not been permanent failure, though there may have been temporary. It would be horrible to believe that God had drawn forth the earnest yearning of the parent's heart for the salvation of their children-a yearning attested by all loving and consistent endeavour in the way of example, education, influence, direct and indirect--and yet, after all, such desire to be miserably and for .ever dis- appointe<l. We will not believe it. And, on the other hand, there are innumerable instances which show that it is the rule that godly parents should have godly children. Nearly all the godly to-day arc the children of the godly.. Instead.of tbe fathers have risen up the children. Such is God's blessed order, and we should be slow to believe that he ever sets it aside. It is well for every father i;.nd mother to take it to helll't that H their children turn.out ungodly the fault is, in all probability, theirs. But now note the opposite case- II. Tli..!.T UNGODLY PARENTS SHOULD HAVE GODLY CHILDREN. We have referred above to such cases. .And they frequently occur. The chaff nourishes the wheat in its bosom. The ungodly home nurtures godly children. How is this? 1. Sometimes it is because ungodly parents are more careful than even others about the companion• ships of their childreu. They try to gain a good for their children which they know they have not for themselves. Many a bad parent wishes his child to be good. 2. Sometimes ibe children, seeing bow wretched sin makes their home, are led to seek "a more excelleut way" for themselves. 'l'he ways of godliness seem like parndise to the victim of the ungodliness of many a l,ome. How Sunday school children-many of them from terrible homes-love their school! 3. God willrng to show them that there is nothing too hard for the Lord. Can a man bring forth II clean thing out of an uuclean? Certainly not. But God can, and in these instances does. .And the reasons for such gracious action may be: (1) Pity for tho children. (2) Instruction to bis Church. They are to despair of none. (3) 'l'he glory of his Name. Hence ho snatches these, trophies a.a it wel'e, from the 1 cry gat~11 of hell; 1ilucks them 1111 liran.d~ ou. XXIJ. 1-30.J '1'.HE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. 507