home is held by them only in trust. It belongs to them in the same sense in
which a household belongs to a steward. It is not at their absolute
disposal. It is the "household of the Lord," and they are to live and rule
therein as the Lord directs. They are to appropriate it and dispose of its
interests according to the known law and will of their divine Master, and
in this sense, yield, with their whole household, a voluntary subordination
to His authority.

As a stewardship, God has entrusted the Christian home with important
interests. He has committed to her trust, body and soul, talents and means
of grace. He has entrusted to the parents the training of their children
both for time and for eternity. These children are the heritage of the
Lord; they are not at the absolute disposal of their parents; but merely
entrusted to their care to be educated and dealt with according to the will
of God.

There is one great peculiarity in this stewardship of the Christian
family,--the absolute identity of interest between the Master and the
steward. The interest of the former is that also of the latter; and the
latter, in promoting the interest of his Lord, is but advancing his own
welfare. Such is the economy of the gospel, and it is this which makes the
servitude of the Christian so delightful. Faithfulness to God is
faithfulness to our own souls. Parents who are thus faithful to God must be
faithful to themselves and to their children. Thus, then, the interest of
God in our families is the welfare of all the members. When we act towards
our children as God directs, we are but promoting their greatest welfare.
This is one prominent feature of God's mercy towards us in all His dealings
with us. He identifies His interest with the interest of His people. This
is a powerful incentive to parental integrity, and is beautifully
exemplified in the mother of Moses. When the daughter of Pharaoh said to