Genesis 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD… I. We are to consider, WHO THEY ARE THAT COMPOSE A FAMILY. Some families are smaller, and some are larger than others. Families are usually composed of parents and their children, which are sometimes less, and sometimes more numerous. But parents may have other children and youths committed to their care and instruction, and those equally belong to their family. Besides their own and other children, they may have those whom they employ in their service, and who reside in their house; and these all belong to their family. They may also have some persons whom they invite to reside with them gratuitously. These likewise belong to the family. In a word, all whom they permit to enter under their roof for pleasure, entertainment, protection, or relief, belong to their family for the time being. Parents are heads of their families, whether larger or smaller, and whether they are composed of persons of different ages, characters and conditions, or not. Their parental authority extends to every individual of their family. II. WHAT IS IMPLIED IN PARENTAL AUTHORITY, OR WHAT IT GIVES PARENTS A RIGHT TO DO IN RESPECT TO THEIR CHILDREN AND HOUSEHOLDS. And here it may be observed — 1. That it gives them the right of dedicating them to God. 2. Parental authority gives parents the right of instructing their children, as well as the right of devoting them to God. 3. Parental authority gives parents a right to restrain, as well as to instruct their children and households. Children and youth are naturally inclined to vanity and vice, from which they need to be guarded and restrained, not only by instruction, admonition and advice, but by proper authority. III. THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISING PARENTAL AUTHORITY. This will appear, if we consider the great and happy consequences which family government tends to promote. 1. Family government directly tends to promote family religion. 2. The proper exercise of parental authority is highly important, as it tends to propagate religion from generation to generation, throughout the world. 3. The proper exercise of parental authority directly tends to promote both temporal and spiritual prosperity.Improvement — 1. If it be so important, as has been said, that parents should properly exercise parental authority over their children and households, then it is highly important that they themselves should be pious. 2. If it be so important that parents should duly exercise their parental authority over their children and households, as has been said, then they are entirely inexcusable and guilty, if they neglect to do it. 3. If the proper exercise of parental authority be so important as has been said, in order to promote and perpetuate religion, then we may discover the primary cause of the declension of religion in any place where it has prevailed and flourished. It must be primarily and principally owing to the neglect of parents in exercising their parental authority over their children and households. 4. If the proper exercise of parental authority be so important, as has been said, to promote and perpetuate religion, then we may discover the primary cause of the prevalence of religious errors at this day in this land. 5. We learn from this subject, to whom it primarily and principally belongs to bring about a reformation in piety and virtue. It certainly belongs to parents in particular. And is there a pious or sober parent, who will not acknowledge that a reformation is necessary? (N. Emmons, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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 judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. |
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