The Blessing of a Numerous Progeny
Lewis Atterbury. Deuteronomy 1:9-18 And I spoke to you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:… I. THAT CHILDREN OUGHT TO BE ESTEEMED BLESSINGS, and that he who has a numerous offspring ought to be thankful to God for them. This is a blessed tiling, for — 1. Such a man is a public blessing to the kingdom in which he lives; for the riches of a kingdom consists in the number of its inhabitants. 2. A numerous offspring is a valuable blessing with respect to private families, and that mutual comfort and support which those who came originally out of the same loins yield to one another. These bonds are inseparable when the same interests are bound by natural affection. 3. A numerous offspring is a valuable blessing to the parent himself, The Jew looked forward to the Messiah being born of his family; the Christian can see a new heir of righteousness. There is joy in their birth; there is pleasure in their after-life if the child is trained aright. II. GOD IS THE SOLE AUTHOR AND DISPOSER OF THESE BLESSINGS (Psalm 127:3). This blessing is called an heritage. An heritage is an estate got by ancestors, and descends to us lineally without our painstaking. God is our Ancestor, from whom we enjoy all favours. Three lessons are gathered from the subject of this verse. 1. Let those who have no children learn from hence to wait with patience the Divine pleasure, to continue in prayer and alms deeds, and to be fruitful in good works; and if they have not children after the flesh, they will have a multitude who will call them blessed, and who in the endless ages of eternity will be to them as children. 2. Let those who have a numerous family of children be thankful to God for bestowing these blessings on them, and use their utmost endeavour to make them blessings indeed, by grounding them in the principles of religion, and bringing them up soberly and virtuously to some lawful calling. 3. Those who have had children and are deprived of them, either by natural death or, which is worse, by any unfortunate accident, may hence learn to resign themselves to the will of God, and entirely to depend on His good providence. (Lewis Atterbury.) Parallel Verses KJV: And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone: WEB: I spoke to you at that time, saying, "I am not able to bear you myself alone: