The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 109

t0 tl,<'m is another ·way of honouring them, i.e. by living so that they can fool proud 0r what t.h<'ir children are, quite apart from what they do. If n father can say, "My son nr,·cr gave me an uneasy thought about him," that is such a test.imony ns a son might well wish him to be able to bear. 5. Ily guarding very jealously the sacredness and punty of England's family lire, the commandment may be obeyed. We may honour 0ur parents by honouring that holy marriage tic which made them what they were lo us. 6. Dy guarding and handing down to others the holy faith in which they have trained ns (Ps. lxxviii.1-8; 1 Chron. xxviii. 9). \Ve may well desire to honour them b~- taking on onr lips that dear Name which gladdened them in life and sustained them in death. 7. There is anolher way of honouring parents which we would there were no occasion to name. Ilut there is a drift clearly to be discerned in some directions of English life, which makes a warning imperative (sec Matt. xv. 1-!J). The Jewish rn bhis put their Church and their rabbinical rules between a child and his parents. l\fodcrn (so-called) priests arc doing the same now. Hence this rule: Honour your parrnts by refusing to let any priest edge his way in between you and them. In Divine institutions, the priest is nowhere compared with the parent. And under the Christian C'conomy he has no right to be. He is humanity's pest nnd placrue. "Honour thy father and thy mother," and never allow a priest to tamper with the ~ncrcdness of home! JI. BY WHAT SPECIAL AilGUME1'TS MAY A CHRISTIAN TEACHER ENFORCE TIIIS DUTY? 1. Here let us set in the front a reason given by Pan! in Eph. vi.1," It is right (li11ccuo11)." There is another word which is usually translated "right," viz. •v8us, which is the C"quivalcnt of "straightforward." llut the word here used is" just." Obedience to parmts is simply a piece of bare justice. For, consider how much we owe them. When we first came into being their care and watchfulness guarded and supplied us long ere we knew aught. They thought us, perhaps, something wonderful, when no one else thought anything of the kind, save in the reverse sense. Ought not all this to be repaid ? 2. It is well-plea.sing to the Lord. He bas in this " set us an example, that we should follow his steps." 3. There is a specific promise made to the obedient and loyal, as such, "That it may go well with thee," etc. In the culture of home obedience will be found a strong safeguard of character. Vicious excesses will not e:s:haust. Insuborclination and recklessness will not blight life's prospects. Hence cret. par. such a life, being the purest and happiest, will also be the longest. 4. Such home ,irtue is a contribution of no mean Yalue to the stability of a state. The reference of Moses is to the weal of the nation as well as to that of the home. The downfall of Israel's glory is attributed to two evils: neglect of sabbaths, and making light of father and mother. No nation can prosper without purity in the home. 5. Such virtue brings great joy. "A wise son maketh a glad father." There is joyousness on both sides. This is the beauty with which God's blessing makes the plants of virtue to bloom. It is like the fragrance exhaling from a bed of violets quietly blos- soming in a shady lane. 6. The neglect of this will ensure many unavailing regrets on both sides in after life. "A foolish son is the heaviness of his mother." Many an undutiful son, when laying his parents' remains in the gra,·e, would give all he has if he could but call them back, if he could atone for his sin, or could cancel the past! Disobedience treasures up sorrow. God may and will forgive the sin, when repented of, but the penitent will never forgive himself; he will often moan out, "Thou makest me to po~sess the iniqnities of my youth!" 7. The curse of God will rest on those who are loose and disloyal at home. Richard Knill so regarded this fifth commandment, that he would not even go out as a missionary without his mother's consent. He said, "I know that God never smiles on a boy that brealcs his mother's heart." (See Prov. x:s:x. 17.) .And who does not know bow often it is proved true, "With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again"? Jacob deceived bis father, and his sons deceived him. Can any observant man reach middle life withont having had oft to make such notes as these: "A" honoured his parents, and honour has attended him. " Il" dishonoured his parents, and his lamp has gone out in darkness? 'l'hough the judgment has not yet come, yet there is a judging process of God's providence con- tinually at work. 8. The observance of this rule is the best possible preporation for serving our generation according to the will of God. He who is a blessing in the home will never be a curse out of it! The habits of self-restraint, of courtesy, of respect to Euperiors, well learnt and practised at home, will not be thrown off when outsiqo ils OU, V, 1-88,] 'l'HE DOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. 97