2. His soul shall be mighty upon earth; that is to say, successive generations of God-fearing people will have dominion. The true seed of the righteous are those who follow them in their virtues, just as believers are the seed of Abraham, because they imitate his faith; and these are the real heroes of their era, the truly great; their lives are sublime, and their power upon their age is far greater than at first sight appears. If the promise must be regarded as alluding to natural descendants, it must be understood as a general statement rather than a promise made to every individual, for the children of the godly are not all prosperous, nor all famous. Nevertheless, he who fears God and leads a holy life is, as a rule, doing the best he can for the future advancement of his house; no inheritance is equal to that of an unblemished name, no legacy can excel the benediction of a saint; and, taking matters for all in all, the children of the righteous man commence life with greater advantage than others, and are more likely to succeed in it, in the best and highest sense. The generation of the upright shell be blessed. The race of sincere, devout, righteous people is kept up from age to age, and ever abides under the blessing of God. The godly may be persecuted, but they will not be forsaken; human curses cannot deprive them of the blessing of God, for the words of Balaam are true, “He hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.” Their children also are under the special care of heaven, and as a rule it will be found that they inherit the divine blessing. To fear God and walk uprightly is a higher nobility than birth can bestow.
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