Samuel Hopkins · 24 of 48

Section III. On the Public Institutions y Ordinances and Worship oj the Church. · Part 6

There are many other passages of scripture which coincide with the idea of the covenant of grace, which has been now given; and serve to strengthen the evidence which has already been produced from the scripture, that it contains promises of saving good to the children of those who keep covenant, as it respects their offspring. Several of these have been mentioned, which contain declarations and promises of blessings to the children of those who love God, and keep his commandments; and that this shall take place, especially in the millennium, when parents shall in general be more faithful in keeping covenant. There are others of the same tenor, such as the following. “I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: All that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble: For they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.” “He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children; that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God; but keep his commandments.” In these words, it is represented, that according to the covenant and appointment of God, piety was to be handed down from parents to children, by the care and fidelity of the former, in educating and instructing the latter. The following passage has reference to the words in the decalogue, which have been considered, and confirm the meaning which has been given of them. “The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting, upon them that fear him; and his righteousness unto children’s children, to such as keep his covenant, and to those who remember his commandments, to do them.”

When the prophet Malachi foretells the introduction of the gospel dispensation, and of John the Baptist, the messenger who should prepare the way before Christ, and the effect and consequence of all this, he comprehends the whole in the following words, with which the Old Testament concludes. “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” These words do not only express the effect of the preaching of John, while he was on the stage of life; but the nature and effect of the christian dispensation which he should introduce, so far as it should take place. This effect took place, in some degree, in the days of John, and his preaching tended to promote it: And this is the natural tendency of christianity; it had this effect in the days of the apostles to a greater degree than in the days of John. And so far as christianity has been understood, and the true spirit of it has been imbibed, in any age and nation since that time to this day, it has tended to turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers. But when true religion shall flourish, and take place universally, to a greater degree than ever it has yet done, this prediction will be accomplished in a much higher degree, and more apparently, than ever before; to which the ministry of John, and all that has taken place since, may properly be considered as an introduction; and to which those words, therefore, have a principal reference; and the chief accomplishment of them will be in that day, which is yet to come.

By the heart of the fathers being turned unto the children, is not meant the exercise and increase of what is called natural affection; tor this is found in a sufficient degree, in almost all parents, at all times; and if it were increased, it would not alter their moral character, or answer any good end. It must therefore intend the exercise of a religious, pious affection towards them, leading them to a proper aid great concern for their salvation, and a zeal and engagedness to do their duty faithfully, and in all respects, as it concerns their children, and which has a tendency to promote their holiness and salvation, and to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord: Sensible of their covenant engagements to do this, and of the strong motives and great encouragement God has set before them, to be faithful and laborious in this, by the gracious promise he has given them.

The heart of the children is turned to their parents, when they are disposed to obey them in the Lord, and grow up in the exercise of piety and righteousness, or keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; following and imitating their parents in this, as the children of Abraham did. When they hearken to their pious fathers, saying, “My son, receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding. My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways:” Then the heart of the children will be turned to the fathers.

It is to be observed here, that the turning of the heart of the children to their parents, is in consequence of the heart of the fathers being turned unto the children, as being connected with it. This is agreeable to those scriptures which have been considered, as they have been explained; shewing that there is a constituted or promised connection between parents keeping covenant, and doing the duty towards their children, which they have promised, which is expressed by their heart being turned towards them; and the piety and salvation of the children, which is necessarily implied in their heart being turned toward their parents, hearkening to them, and obeying them in the Lord in all things.

It is here represented, that this shall take place under the gospel dispensation, which John the Baptist should introduce, in a higher degree than it had done before; and christianity, and true religion, should be propagated in this way, and handed down from parents to children; and that this shall take place, especially in the millennium, of which time the prophet speaks particularly, in the preceding part of this chapter; when christianity shall have its proper and genuine effect, to a much greater degree, than ever before; and which will therefore be, in the highest sense, the gospel day, the day of salvation; when the heart of fathers will be turned unto their children, in the sense above explained, to a vastly higher degree than they ever were before, and consequently the hearts of children will be turned to their fathers, more universally, in the high exercise of piety, from their youth. And in this view, these words coincide with those scriptures which have been mentioned, where God promises that he will then circumcise the heart of parents and of their children, to love the Lord, &c. That he will pour his Spirit upon the seed of his people, and his blessing upon their offspring. That his church shall be established in righteousness, and all her children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of her children. And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water-courses. “As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; my Spirit which is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth, and forever. 1 will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: All that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. And they shall be my people, and 1 will be their God. And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them. And 1 will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but 1 will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.”—“Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” By these words, it is represented that the only way, according to divine constitution and appointment, to keep up true religion in the world, and transmit it down to the end of it, and so to prevent mankind becoming totally corrupt, so as to be destroyed by the curse of God, as they once were by a flood, is to turn the heart of the fathers to their children, and the heart of the children to the fathers. And that this will take place, in an eminent degree, in the millennium, by which the everlasting covenant will be maintained, and appear in its full force and operation; by which means, the curse of God on mankind, by his terrible judgments, for their wickedness, in breaking the everlasting covenant, renouncing it themselves, and with respect to their children, not training them up for God, in the ways of true piety, but for the devil, in the ways of sin, shall have a stop put to it, and proceed no farther, as it otherwise must, and would, to the total extirpation of mankind. These words may perhaps receive some illustration by the following passage in Isaiah, which has been mentioned. “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof: Because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant; therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.” This chapter is a prophecy of the introduction of the millennium, and of the awful judgments on mankind, and especially on corrupt, nominal christians, previous to that, by which a great part of men shall be destroyed; as a testimony of the displeasure of God with them, for their great wickedness, aid not fearing God themselves, nor educating their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, but the contrary; training them up in sin, and the service of Satan; and thus transgressing the law, changing the ordinance of God, and breaking the everlasting covenant, which, if kept, would convey true religion down from generation to generation. But all mankind shall not be destroyed, because the remaining few, compared with the whole, shall be truly pious, and their hearts shall be turned to their children, and the hearts of the children to them, and so a pious race shall be propagated and multiplied, and fill the world; “for God will then pour his Spirit on them, and on their seed, and his blessing on their offspring; and they shall spring up as among grass, as willows by the water-courses.” This is represented in the following words, in this same chapter. “When thus it shall be, in the midst of the land, among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning of grapes, when the vintage is done. They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea.”

The reasonableness and importance of such a constitution and covenant between God and parents, with respect to their children; and the good ends this is suited to answer, will farther appear by the following observations; which will, at the same time, serve to strengthen the evidence, that the covenant of grace does contain a promise of saving good to the children of parents, who are faithful in keeping covenant, as it regards their offspring.

1. It appears from reason and the circumstances of the case, and from fact and experience, that the good education of children is of great importance, and necessary for their good, and the good of society.

Children are very much formed in their disposition and manners by their education. If this be bad, or wholly, or in a great measure neglected, and they be not governed and instructed, and have not good examples set before them, but the contrary; the bad effects of this are generally seen in them, and they become injurious to society, rather than a benefit. God has so constituted things, that if parents be wise and faithful in educating their children, they will have more influence on them, than any others can, and this has a great tendency, to form them to a good moral character and conduct. And the parents must have the first aid chief hand in teaching them, and forming their minds, and regulating their conduct; as they are under the best advantages to do this; and if it be wholly neglected by them, other means and advantages are never like to reach them, so as to do them any great good, according to the ordinary course of things. It is certain, that no instruction from any other quarter, or any means that can be used with them, can have an equal tendency to their benefit; and if parents neglect their duty to their children, other means used for their instruction and benefit are commonly useless, and in vain to them.

It is known, from experience, that the character of children is not only often, but commonly formed for life while they are in their minority, while they are under the care and education of their parents, or of others who are substituted in their room. And a foundation is generally laid then, if ever, for their piety and moral christian character, so far as we can judge from appearance and facts.

2. Therefore, this branch of duty, the wise and faithful education of children, is much insisted upon, and often strictly enjoined in scripture. This is frequently inculcated on the members of the church of Israel, as a very important part of their duty. “Ouly take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thine heart all the days of thy life: But teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons. Gather the people together, and 1 will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach them their children. These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them, when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” This is so important a command that it is repeated again. “And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

It is again and again enjoined in the following words: “Gather the people together, men and women, and children, that they may hear, and that they may learn to fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law. And that their children, which have not known them, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God.” “Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day; which ye shall command your children to observe, to do all the words of this law: For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life.” It was repeatedly enjoined upon parents to teach their children the great works God had done for them, and the deliverances he had wrought for his people; and to explain to them the meaning of the religious rites, which were instituted by God, and the commands and ordinances which he had given them.

God speaks of it as an excellent and important part of the character and conduct of Abraham, That he would command his children and his household after him, to keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment. The Psalmist mentions the command of God to instruct and educate children, as an important article, and as necessary to transmit true knowledge and piety to posterity. “He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children, that they might set their hope in God, &c.”

Solomon often speaks of the importance and advantage of the faithful and wise education of children, and inculcates it as a duty He says, “He that spareth his rod, hateth his son: But he that loveth him, chasteneth him betimes. Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it. Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. Withhold not correction from a child; for if thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. The rod and reproof give wisdom: But a child left to himself, bringeth his mother to shame. Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest: Yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.” And the nine first chapters of the Proverbs of Solomon are designed to express the concern parents ought to have for the spiritual good of their children; and their constant attention to them in this view, watching over them, instructing, admonishing and warning them; and through the whole exhibit the importance and necessity of the childrens’ hearkening and obeying their parents, in order to their good; and the happy consequence of this to them. And the awful consequence of slighting and disobeying parents is repeatedly mentioned in that book.

This is the first command in the second table of the decalogue, “Honour thy father and thy mother.” To which is annexed a promise of good: Which supposes the duty of parents to govern and instruct their children, and to exercise great and constant care in their education; and to conduct so, as to be worthy of love, respect, and honour from their children. And an awful curse is denounced upon those children who do not obey this command, “Cursed is he that setteth light by his father or mother.” And God made a law, which, if observed, did effectually prevent any disobedient children living in the congregation of Israel. For if parents had a disobedient child, they were commanded to bring him forth to the elders of the city, and witness against him, and he was put to death. This law was suited to awaken, and keep alive the feelings of pious parents towards their children, and excite a great concern and unremitting care and exertion, early and constantly to govern them, and keep up their authority in the wisest and best manner, suited to form them to love and obedience; and to instruct, admonish and warn them; and educate them in the best manner which shall tend to promote their obedience and true piety; having the awful event constantly in view, which might be the consequence of their neglect, and would certainly take place, if their children should grow up ungoverned and disobedient.

And this law had a mighty tendency to impress the hearts of children with a sense of the evil consequence to them, of disobedience to their parents: and to guard them against the least degree of a disposition to disregard and slight them; and to excite them to a constant care, and resolution to attend to the instructions, and admonitions of their parents, and strictly obey all their exhortations and commands. In what an important and interesting light does this law, and the other directions and precepts which have been mentioned under this head, set the wise and faithful education of children; and their obedience to the instructions and authority of their parents! It is suited powerfully to turn the heart of the fathers to the children; and the heart of children to the fathers.

And under the gospel dispensation, the faithful and pious education of children, and their obedience to parents in all things, are strictly enjoined. The command is, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right. Children, obey your parents in all things; for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: But bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” And no man who had a family could be an officer in the church unless he was “One that ruled well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity,” even faithful or believing children.

3. Since the faithful, prudent, and religious education of children, is of such vast importance, and so necessary for their good, and the good of the church, according to the natural course of things, which God has constituted; and since this is so strictly enjoined upon the people of God, and so much inculcated in divine revelation; it may hence be inferred, that God has set before parents the strongest motives, and the greatest encouragements to be faithful and laborious in their duty to their children, and to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and which will have the greatest tendency to animate them to engagedness and perseverance in this difficult work, in which they will meet with much opposition, and many discouragements, from themselves, the world, Satan, and their children. This may be reasonably expected, especially in the covenant of grace, or that gracious covenant which God makes with believers, as it respects their children, and their duty to them: For the greater the blessings are, which are promised to their offspring; and the greater the motives and encouragements are to do the duty enjoined, or perform the condition on which the blessings are suspended, the more grace is contained and exhibited in the covenant.

4. A promise that the children shall be blessed with spiritual blessings and salvation, on the parents’ faithfulness to them, and bringing them up for God, affords the strongest motive, and gives the greatest encouragement to pious parents, to be faithful and perform the condition of the covenant, as it respects their children, that can be thought of as possible; and renders the covenant, in ibis respect, in the highest degree, a covenant of grace.

If pious parents felt as they ought, and had exercises which might be reasonably expected tow aids their children, then- greatest concern would be that they might be sanctified and saved. This they would desire for them unspeakably above all other things. To have them live and die in sin, is, to such parents, infinitely dreadful. They had much rather have no offspring, than lo bring forth children for such a death, even eternal destruction. If their children may not be holy and saved, they have nothing to ask or desire for them; their existence, and all they can have and enjoy, is, on the whole, worse than nothing; infinitely worse! Therefore, that they may be holy and saved, is the great object of their desires and prayers. And what can be more agreeable and pleasing to such parents, than for God to take their children into covenant with them, and to say, “If you will be faithful to your children, and treat them as becomes pious parents, and bring them up for me, I will be their God, and they shall be holy and happy forever: Therefore, let all your concern for the good and salvation of your children, excite and animate you to proper exercises and faithfulness, with respect to them; for they are committed to you, to bring them up for me; and if you will do this faithfully, they shall be blessed, and saved?” What christian parent is there, whose views and feelings are in any good measure answerable to his character, who would not admire the condescension and grace of such a promise; and rejoice to enter into such a covenant and promise, through Christ’s strengthening him to perform the condition of the covenant, and give up his children to Christ, and have the seal of the covenant put upon them?

And upon this ground, the children of believers are holy, and numbered among the saints and the saved. Holiness and salvation are secured to them, by divine promise, on condition, the parents are faithful in the covenant, which they solemnly profess and engage to be. The church, relying on their profession and engagements, that they will be faithful and keep the covenant, as it respects their children, consider them, receive and look upon them, as holy, and those who shall be saved; so they are as visibly holy, or as really holy in their view, as their parents are.

But here several questions, which may be suggested, from what has been said, on this point, must be answered.

Question I. Is not this doctrine, that the covenant of grace contains a promise of the holiness and salvation of the children of parents, who are faithful in their duty to them, and in educating them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, contrary to known fact and experience, in that so many children of pious parents appear as destitute of holiness as other children, and are of a contrary character, when they are capable of discovering their disposition by their conduct; and many of them appear to live and die so: And there are many known instances of children, whose parents appear to be eminently pious, and careful to educate their children well, who yet appear to have no piety, but are openly and notoriously vicious, and appear to live and die so? And how can all the children of professors of religion, who enter into covenant with God, be considered, as really holy, or how can it be expected that they will grow up pious children, and be saved, when this does not appear to be true in fact, in so many instances; but the contrary.

Answer 1. It does appear from fact, that the education of children, if in any good measure practised, and so far as it has taken place, has a great influence on children in general; and many of them who have had any degree of a pious education, do themselves become professors of religion, and appear to be holy. How much greater and more universal might be the good effect of such education, if parents were more faithful and thorough in this branch of their duty, than they generally are, even as diligent and faithful, as might reasonably be expected, considering the importance of the case, and the motives and encouragements they have!

This leads to

Answer 2. Parents who have been professors of religion, and have entered into covenant with God, have been, in general, grossly negligent of their duty to their children, and have lived in the constant violation of the covenant as it respects their children. This will appear to every one, who will consider what is implied in bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, as it has been briefly stated above; and judge what might reasonably be required and expected of parents, in this important and interesting matter: And at the same time, will, in the light of this, observe how the children, even of the professors of religion, are in general educated. He will be sensible there is but little wise and prudent government, steadily and perseveringly maintained from the early days, in which children are capable of discipline and government, until they cease to be minors: And that much of the contrary generally takes place, which is suited to weaken all parental authority, and tends to ruin the children. He will find few instances, if any, of that careful, wise and constant instruction, assiduously endeavouring to instil into their young minds, the principles of true knowledge and wisdom, and watching over them, to guard them from wrong notions, en ors and delusions, in things of religion, which are most reasonable and important, and which we find so strictly enjoined in the Bible. And what bad examples, of evil speaking, and backbiting, of vain, trifling conversation; of passion; of covetousness, and worldliness; of great indifference, and neglects respecting the exercises and practice of piety, in reading and studying the Bible, and the worship of God, are to be found among professors in general, which have a great and destructive influence on the minds of children? And how few are there who are not greatly deficient in the example they set before their children, which could not take place, were they not grossly negligent in their duty to them, and had they a reasonable and proper concern for their good? How little is done or said by parents, in general, which is suited to excite and maintain a proper and faithful education of children, in all the parts of it? How little do they appear to regard or understand their covenant engagements, or the nature of the covenant into which they have entered, and the encouragements and promises made to faithfulness in keeping covenant; and the infinite importance of this to their children? And the churches take no care in this matter, to watch over one another, with respect to the education of their children; and to warn and exhort, and assist each other to do their duty in this respect; which is certainly a great neglect.