Judg. xiii. 8.

In every minute particular.

Learning—clothing, &c.  1 Sam. ii. 19.  Prov. xxxi. 21, 23.

Contrast the dirty, unmended clothes of the poor, uncared-for child, with the clean and neatly mended garments of him whose childhood is guarded by the watchful eye of a mother.

III.  Watch them in times of sickness and death.

No eye so quick to discover a hidden ill.

2 Kings, iv. 19, 20.  John, xix. 25.

IV.  Above all watch over the precious soul.

Never lose sight of the soul, in care for the body.

1.  Watch, as those that must give account.  Heb. xiii. 17.

2.  Watch, to detect sin, and check its growth.

Mark first sign of the plague spot.

3.  Watch, for opportunity to lead to Christ.  Prov. xv. 23.  Deut. vi. 6, 9.  Mark, x. 13.

XIV.  THE HASTY MOTHER.

I.  How common!  Yet the Bible commands us not to be hasty.  Eccles. vii. 9.

A woman’s ornament should be a meek, and quiet spirit (1 Pet. iii. 4), and a nurse is mentioned as being especially gentle to the little ones.  1 Thess. ii. 7.

II.  Observe the angry woman,

How foolish!  Prov. xiv. 29; xxix. 20.

How provoking!  Prov. xv. 1.

How wearing!  Prov. xix. 13; xxvii. 15; xxi. 19.

Drives the husband from his fireside.

Sets an evil example to the children.

Often does in her haste, what she heartily repents at leisure.

III.  Therefore,

1.  Put away anger.  Eph. iv. 31.

Do not be soon angry.  Prov. xiv. 17.  Jam. i. 19.

‘Meekness gives smooth answers to rough questions.’

2.  Exercise self-control.  Prov. xxv. 28; xvi. 32.

3.  Teach it to your children.

III.  Remember, a hasty temper is a fault, not a misfortune.  Accustom yourself, and your children, to view it in its right light.

IV.  Ask help from God to subdue it, for temper is hard to conquer, and meekness is a fruit of the Spirit.  Gal. v. 22.  Matt. v. 5.

You need help, for there is much to provoke a wife, and mother.

You need help, for you are very weak, but you can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth you.  Phil. iv. 13.

XV.  THE WEARY MOTHER.

Many things below make a mother weary.

The blessing of rest is chiefly future.

Notice various things that often make mothers weary, and the remedy for them.

Do you know where to go for rest?  Jer. vi. 16.  Or are you wandering hither and thither in vain, having forgotten your resting-place?  Jer. l. 6.  Remember, it is only to those who are in Christ that these promises of rest apply.

It is only His own sheep who can say, ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.’

To others there is no rest here, or hereafter, for, ‘The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest. . . .  There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.’  Isa. lvii. 20, 21.

XVI.  THE CARELESS MOTHER.

Isa. xxxii. 9–13.

Motherless children are often uncared for.  No one ‘naturally cares for their state.’  No child with a mother ought to be so.  But too often mothers are careless about—

I.  Their minds.

No schooling—no teaching—no training—no Sunday School.  Cares not whether in time, or too late—regular or truant, &c., &c.

II.  Their respectability, and associates.

Will take in bad lodgers, hire bad characters to help at the wash-tub because they can be had cheaper than the respectable, forgetting that ‘a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.’  Prov. xxii. 1.  Eccles. vii. 1.

What guilty carelessness!

III.  Their happiness.

What misery here awaits a neglected child!

What woe hereafter!

IV.  Their souls.

To a parent guilty of this carelessness, it is said, ‘His blood will I require at thine hand.’  Ezek. iii. 18, 19; xxxiii. 6.

Have you ever lost a child, for whose soul you never cared?  Pray Ps. li. 14.

This arises from want of real religion.

You do not know the immense value of a soul.

Would you be thus careless of an earthly treasure?  Would you not watch it—lock it up—guard it with a jealous eye?  Your child’s soul a treasure passing all price.  Yet you allow Satan to steal it—bad companions to corrupt it—ruin it yourself by neglect.  A thing neglected is ruined.

Keep in view the judgment day.

Will your child then say, ‘No man cared for my soul’—‘even my mother cared not that I perished!’

XVII.  THE CAREFUL MOTHER.

I.  Careful in her house.