brought up children when they were young, and cliildren ouglit to nourish their parents when they are okl. The young storks, by the instinct of nature, bring meat to the old storks, wlien by reason of age they are not able to fly, Pliny. Lex pdargica. The memory of Eneas was honoured, for carry- ing his aged father out of Troy when it was on fire. I have read of a daughter, whose fatlier being condemned to be starv- ed to death, she did in prison give him suck with her own breasts, which being known to the governors, procured his freedom out of pi'ison. To blame are such, shall I say children or monsters, who are ashamed of their parents when they are old, and fallen to decay ; when parents' tears and lean cheeks may plead pity, yet children have no compassion ; when they ask for bread, they give them a stone. Wh^n houses are shut up, we say the plague is there : when children's hearts are shut up against their parents, the plague is in those hearts. Our blessed Saviour took great care for his mo- ther ; when he was on the cross, he charg- ed his disciple John to take her home to him as his mother, and see that she wanted nothing, John xix. 26, 27. The reasons wliy chikh'en should honour their parents, are,
1. It is a solemn command of God, " ho- nour thy father," &c. As God's word is the rule, so his will must be the reason of our obedience.
2. Tiiey deserve honour, in respect of that great love and affection which they l)ear to their children ; and that love is evi- denced both by their care and cost. (1.) Their care in bringing up their children ; a sign their hearts are full of love, be- cause their hearts are so full of care. Pa- rents often take more care of their children than for themselves. They take care of them when they are tender, lest like wall- fruit they should be nipt in the bud. And as children grow older, so the care of pa- rents grows greater ; they are afraid of their children falling when young, and of worse falls Avhen they are older. (2.) Their love is evidenced by their cost, 1 Cor. xii. 14. They lay up, and they lay out for their children ; they are not like tlie raven or ostrich, Job. xxxix. 14., which are cruel \
to their young. Parents sometimes do im- poverish themsehes to enrich their chil- dren : all this calls for honour from the children. Children can never parallel or equal parents' love ; parents are the instru- ments of life to their children, children can- not be so to their parents.
3. To honour parents, " is well-pleasing to the Lord," Col. iii. 20. As it is joyful to the parents, so it is pleasing to the Lord. Children, is it not yoiu- duty to please God ? In honouring and obeying your parents, you please God, as well as when you re- pent and believe. And, that you may sec how well it pleaseth God, he bestows a re- ward upon it, " That thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thv God siveth thee." Jacob would not let the angel go till he had blessed him ; nor God would not part with this commandment till he had blessed it. Here is tlie blessing, " that thy days may be long in the land," &c. St. Paul calls this " the first commandment with promise," Eph. vi. 2. The second commandment hath a general promise of mercy ; but this is the first commandment that hath a particular promise made to it, " That thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." Long life is mentioned as a blessing, Ps. cxxviii. 6., " Thou shalt see thy children's children." It was a great favour of God to Moses, that though he was an hundred and twenty years old, he needed no spec- tacles ; " his eye was not dim, nor his na- tural force abated," Deut. xxxiv. 7. God threatened it as a curse to Eli, that there should not be an old man in his family, 1 Sam. ii. 3L Since the flood, life is much abbreviated and cut short ; some, the womb is their tomb, — others exchange their cradle for their grave, — others die in the flower of their age,— death serves its warrant every day upon one or other. Now, when deatli lies in ambush continually for us, if God satisfy us with long life, Ps. xci. 16., " With long life will I satisfy him," this is to be esteemed a blessing. It is a blessing that God gives a long time to repent, and a long
long
time to eu-
time to do service, and a joy the coni forts of relations ; and upon whom is this blessing of long life entailed, but obedient children ? " Honour thy Iof*
OF THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT.
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