The Lord's Coming. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. IIMackintosh, Charles Henry
Religion
The Lord's Coming. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. II
Mackintosh, Charles Henry
Theology
actings, and neither indeed should any morally honest heart, or
upright mind, understand them. I should have no other principle,
portion, or prospect for my children but what I have for myself; nor
should I train them with a view to any other. If Christ and heavenly
glory are sufficient for me, they are sufficient for them likewise;
but then the proof that they are really sufficient for me should be
unequivocal. The tone of the parent's character should be such as to
afford not a shadow of a doubt as to the real, deep-seated purpose and
object of his soul.
[9] It will be said that there cannot be any analogy between the
actual removal of people from one country to another and the training
of our children. I reply, the analogy only applies in principle. It is
perfectly evident that we cannot take our children to heaven in the
sense in which the Israelites took theirs to Canaan. God alone can fit
our children for heaven, by implanting in them the life of His own
Son; and He alone can bring them to heaven, in His own time. But then,
although we can neither fit our children for, nor bring them to,
heaven, we can, nevertheless, by faith, train them for it; and it is
not merely our _duty_ (a poor, cold, and unworthy expression), but our
high and holy _privilege_ so to do. Hence, therefore, if the principle
on which, and the object with which, we train our children are
manifestly worldly, we do, virtually, and so far as in us lies, leave
them in the world. And on the other hand, if our principle and object
are unequivocally heavenly, then do we, so far as in us lies, train
them for heaven. This, my beloved reader, is all that is meant in this
tract by leaving our children in Egypt or taking them to Canaan. We
are responsible to _train_ our children, though we cannot _convert_
them; and God will assuredly bless the faithful training of those whom
He has graciously given us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account