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For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

SECT. 4. And administer necessary reproof and correction to them.

The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. The commandment is a lamp, and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life". Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. He that spareth his rod, hateth his son; but he that loveth him, chasteneth him betimes". A fool despiseth his father's instruction; but he that regardeth reproof is prudent. Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way, and he that hateth reproof shall die. The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul; but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding'. Chasten thy son while there is hope. We have had fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth noth? Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea he shall give delight unto thy soul'. A wise son maketh a glad father; but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother*.

SECT. 5. That honour and obedience are due from children to their parents.

Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee1. Ye shall fear every man his father, and his mother, I am the Lord your God". A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master. Hearken unto thy father that begat thee; and despise not thy mother when

c 2 Cor. xii. 14. § 4. Prov. xxix. 15. d Prov. xiii. 24. Prov. xix. 18. * Prov. x. 1. § 5. Exod. xx. 12.

b Prov. vi. 28.
• Prov. xv. 5.
Heb. xii. 9, 7.

b Lev. xix. 3.

* Prov. xxii. 15
f Prov. xv. 10,31,32.
1 Prov. xxix. 17.

e Mal. i. 6.

she is old. Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right: Honour thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth'. Children obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord. If any widow have children, let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite their parents; for that is good and acceptable before God".

SECT. 6. Disobedience, disregard, and doing injury to parents, are crimes of the deepest dye.

In the last days, perilous times shall come; for men shall be lovers of their ownselves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, from such turn away *. There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. Inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents; without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection: they that commit such things are worthy of death. Why do you transgress the commandment of God by your tradition; for God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and thy mother; and he that curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, whosoever shall say to his father or mother, It is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, and honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your traditiona. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother, making the word of God of none effect.

He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach'. The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley

d Prov. xxiii. 22.
8 Col. iii. 20.

§ 6.2 Tim. iii. 1, 2, 3, 5.
d Matt. xv. 3-6.

e Lev. xix. 32.

h 1 Tim. v. 4.

b Prov. xxx. 11.
• Mark, vii. 12, 13.

f Eph. vi. 1, 2, 3.

• Rom. i. 30, 31, S2. f Prov. xix. 26.

shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it. And he that curseth his father or his mother, shall surely be put to death". Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, it is no transgression, the same is the companion of a destroyer'. Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness*. For every one that curseth his father or his mother, shall be surely put to death: He hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him'. If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them; then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of the city, and shall say, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, and will not obey our voice; and all the men of the city shall stone him with stones that he die; so shalt thou put evil away from among you". Cursed be he that setteth light by his father, or his mother: And all the people shall say, Amen".

SECT. 7. That it is of the greatest importance to young persons to be attentive to the instructions of wise and pious parents, and to conform to them in their early days.

My son, if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandments with thee, so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding, Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. If thou seek him he will be found of thee, but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever. My son forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments; for length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck, write them upon the table of thine heart, so shalt thou

g Prov. xxx. 17.
k Prov. xx. 20.
"Deut. xxvii. 16.

§ 7. Prov. ii. 1, 2, 5.

h Exod. xxi. 17.
1 Levit. xx. 9.

b 1 Chron. xxviii. 9.

i Prov. xxviii. 24.

Deut. xxi. 18-21.

find favour and good understanding in the sight of God. My son, let not them depart from thine eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion, so shall they be life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck, then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumbled. Hear, Ŏ my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom, I have led thee in right paths; when thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go, keep her, for she is thy life. Doth not wisdom cry? Unto you, O men, I call,-I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me; for whoso findeth me, findeth life, and shall obtain the favour of the Lord; but he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul; all they that hate me love death'.

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them". Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it". For thou art my hope, O Lord God, thou art my trust from my youth; thou hast taught me also from my youth. Now also when I am old and grey-headed, O God forsake me not, until I have showed thy strength unto this generation,' and thy power unto every one that is to come. While Josiah was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father, and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord*. Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, make thee wise unto salvation'. lusts", which war against the soul".

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which are able to Flee also youthful Hear me now there

• Prov. iv. 10-13.

h Prov. xxii. 6.

2 Tim. iii. 14, 15.

fore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth, lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel, lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, and thou mourn at the last when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, and say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; and have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me°? His bones are full of the sins of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust". A certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me; and he divided to them his living. And the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in the land, and he began to be in want, and he went and joined himself to a certain citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat; and no man gave unto him. Wisdom crieth without, she uttereth her voice in the streets. How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof. Because you have set at nought all my counsel, and would have none of my reproof. I also will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh. When your fear cometh as desolation, when distress and anguish cometh upon you: Then they shall call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me. They would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices'.

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• Prov. v. 7, 9-13. * Job, xx. 11.
* Prov. i. 20, 22-31.

9 Luke, xv. 11-16.

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