* 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.

* * * * *

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.