Spouses should regard children as a gift from God

Parents should love their children; though this need not be presented to them as a commandment, for it is already in their nature, and I doubt very much whether there are people who do not love their children. But parents should regard their children as a special gift from God, as Psalm 127: 3 says, and thank God for them. For the birth of children is not the work of the husband and wife, but of God, who created them. They are only intermediaries through which God creates and works. But when this gift of God is so universal and every day before our eyes, it is held in almost no value, much less this great miracle is admired. Therefore, parents should not consider it their own merit when God bestows children on them. For it is often seen that young, strong, and healthy people establish a home; they have plenty of money and goods, yet they are barren. This is what God is doing to show us that children are not the fruit of human power, but the products of His blessing. There are other spouses again who can hardly avoid starvation, and yet they have a room full of children. Therefore it is right to say, "God has given us a child"; but few are truly those who marvel at such a blessing, or understand it correctly. For this blessing is obscured by so many lusts of shameful flesh, so much by lamentation, pain, trouble, and work, that it cannot be properly comprehended, so that children are often regarded as trouble and misery rather than blessing. Yes, I believe you when you say that children often travel with great distress. For either the mother is sore for the sake of the children, or the children are sick and disobedient, and sometimes the father and mother are seen to die and leave behind the poor clefts. But notice at the same time how much joy you have from the children, and the great benefit that will come from them once. Doesn’t it urge you to suffer that little pain? The Bible also tells us to turn our attention away from that misery, and wants us to suffer all these resistance. But here we are so ungrateful and impatient that one damage grieves us more than a hundred times happiness delights us; just as, for example, if someone is driving in an otherwise healthy body, he has more pain from driving than the joy of the health of his whole body. Therefore, you must turn your eyes away from that trouble and regard your child as a gift from God. For just as we value the gifts of great lords and princes, no matter how small in themselves, and look more to the grace of the giver than the value of the gift itself, even though God has given you a meager livelihood that you can support your family, however, you will be content with this gracious will of your good Lord, and remember that He has not hitherto allowed you or your relatives to starve. So, what do you think, you parents, who are so unhappy that God has given you many children, or do you mock others who have a child after another? What am I saying to you other than that you are all unworthy of this blessing of the Lord? In the old days, however, people understood this matter better, and criticized this good work of God better, praising the happy man who had very many children, who, unlike the wife, who had no children at all, was hardly held in high esteem. For it is true, however, and you remain that Kuta the more children, the more blessing. For it is not a trivial matter to raise many and good children; and greatly we will err if God does not richly reward so much effort and concern.