Exodus 2:9 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages… I. First, let us look at THE CLASS OF CHILDREN WHO ARE SPECIALLY COMMITTED TO OUR CARE AND CONCERN. It seems a truth sufficiently obvious from analogy, that the strong ought to take care of the weak, and the rich ought peculiarly to regard the poor. 1. God especially regards the poor. 2. The souls of the poor are as valuable as the rich. 3. God has selected from among the poor many of the most eminent characters both in the Church and in the world. II. Now let us glance at another point of the doctrine, and that is — THE TRAINING WE ARE TO GIVE THEM. "Take this child, and nurse it for Me." We are to nurse them and train them for God. Here I would lay great emphasis. Education is an engine of great moral power. It enlarges the mind; it ennobles the individual; it furnishes him with a fund of enjoyment; it capacitates him for usefulness; it directs his energies to proper objects. But let it be well and thoroughly understood that if education be not founded on religious and on scriptural principles, you put a weapon into the hand of an individual to do more evil — to do it secretly and effectually. You render him a more expert agent to fight against God and to oppose the reign of holiness. III. But there is another point which ought to be touched upon: and that is — THE REWARD WE MAY EXPECT. "I will give thee thy wages." Not "apples of gold"; not "pictures of silver"; not honours that shall adorn our brows, achieved by the victories of the noble and the wiles of the great. Not literal "wages." But still there is a reward; good, and blessed and large. And what is this reward? Wages far higher than money can bring. Is there no reward in doing good? No reward, that "when the ear hears you, then it blesses you; and when the eye sees you, it bears witness to you"? No reward, to see those dear children growing up to fill important stations in life by your instrumentality? No reward, to reflect that you have been turning many in your generation to serve God, and to serve their generation? No reward, to think that you are acting out true patriotism, and training children who shall serve their country and bless the age in which they live? But especially, is there no reward, when the Master, whose glance is life and "whose favour is better than life," shall at the last day say, "Inasmuch as ye have done it," etc. (J. Sherman.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. |
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