The temper and conduct, of a benefactor, make a deeper impression than his words, and have more influence on the judgment of those entering on life. Even little children feel the force of our Savior's rule of judging—"By their fruits ye shall know them." Every thing conspires to prejudice children in favor of parents, and to dispose them to follow their examples. Bad example is in them especially seducing. Children generally follow it, where it is set before them. Coinciding with their natural bias, precept and counsel are commonly lost upon them, if taught by parental example to do evil. It is therefore of the greatest importance, especially to the members of a family, that the head should "behave himself wisely in a perfect way, and walk within his house with a perfect heart."
5. Prayer, especially family prayer is another means seeking a godly seed.
This duty is important, as it tends to solemnize the heart, and produce a serious and devout temper; and as it tends to draw down the divine blessing on those who attend it.
When children witness a parent daily looking up to heaven, and fervently imploring the divine blessing on himself and them—when they hear him humbly confessing sin, and its demerits, and imploring pardon—when they observe him devoutly thanking God for existence, for continuance in life, and for all its comforts—when they hear him asking grace to help and divine direction and guidance—when they see him besieging the throne of grace for the Holy Spirit to renew and sanctify them, enable them to do every duty, fill them with love to God and man, enable them to bear injuries and requite them with kindness, yea, to be good and do good—to make them faithful unto death and then to receive them to the mansions of glory, and are called to join in these solemn addresses to heaven, What other lesson is equally instructive? What hath so dire a tendency to solemnize the heart and impress it with the most just and weighty religious sentiments? In this view, family prayer is of vast importance. If attended as every serious person may attend it, cannot be wholly without effect, and hath often the happiest effect.
It is not great talents, or showy gifts, but seriousness, solemnity and fervor, which render prayer prevalent with God and beneficial to man, as a means of exciting to other duties, and producing religious awe and reverence.
This duty is also important, as tending to draw down the divine blessing on the devout worshipper and on his connexions.
Every good gift cometh down from God; but his gifts are usually bestowed in answer to prayer—"Ye have not because ye ask not—Ask, and it shall be given you—for every one that asketh, receiveth." —Spiritual mercies are seldom given but in answer to prayer; and seldom long denied to earnest persevering prayer. This is the spirit of one of our Savior's parables, [79] and the purport of many passages in the word of God.
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. [80]
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.