Sad instances of this kind we sometimes witness in this degenerate age.  We sometimes see godly parents, who had labored before in vain to render their children truely religions, spend their last hours in urging them not to receive the grace of God in vain—­see them with deep concern, and with their dying breath, charging them to mind the things of religion, and not rest until they have found the Savior.  Though at first some impression seems to be made, it often soon wears off, and the warnings and counsels of those who loved them as their own souls, are forgotten and neglected!

Could these things be foreseen, sense of duty would only extort such admonitions from a pious parent, at the solemn period of his departure; for like a neglected gospel, they are “a favor of death unto death,” to those who hear them!

But this is not always the case.  No means have a more direct and powerful tendency to awaken the secure, and excite the attention of the careless, than the dying concern and counsel of the saints.  Perhaps no other means are oftener blessed to this end.  This leads us to observe,

III.  That the part we act here may have consequences, long after we shall have gone off the stage.  This venerable Kenite left a solemn charge to his posterity; but who could foresee the effect?  There was little reason to expect that his descendants would regard it, and be advantaged by it for centuries; yet it seems to have been the case!  His counsels, strengthened by his example, made an indelible impression, and were means of distinguishing his family for many generations!

This should encourage others to follow his example—­to charge their children to “keep the way of the Lord, and walk in his ordinances and commandments blameless.”  Who knows that his posterity may not imitate those of this man of God?  And for as long a term?  Who can determine that his good example, and counsels may not do good on earth, when his body shall be mouldering in the grave, and his soul rejoicing in the presence of his God.

On the other hand, there is more than equal reason to expect that a parent’s bad example will be no less extensively influential to mischief.  Many are seduced to their ruin by the contagion of evil example; nor is any other more perniciously prevalent than that of a parent, or progenitor.

Be it then the concern of all who fear the Lord to charge their children, to fear him, and to set them the example of “standing before the Lord.”  So to do, is to sow the seeds of virtue and piety.  A harvest may follow, even after expectation hath failed.  If no other advantage accrues, the faithful will deliver his own soul; he may be the occasion of delivering others; “converting sinners from the error of their ways; saving souls from death, and hiding multitudes of sins.” *

* James v. 19, 20.

IV.  The honorable mention made of the Rechabites, and the blessings promised them, should influence children to listen to the pious counsels of their parents, and attend the duties which they consider important, and charge them to attend, especially at the close of life.