Advice to Children, Section 7 – Section 8
7. Duty, to love their Parents, and how they are to expreſs their Love.
7thly, Children ought to love their Parents; and to expreſs it by all thoſe Offices, which are in their Power to do for them; by ſerving them readily; by ſtudying ways how to make them well pleaſed: by ſympathizing with them in all their troubles; by aſſiſting them, and doing all they can to make their Lives joyful and comfortable; by ſhunning every thing that may grieve them, or make them uneaſie: They ought to refuſe no labour, nor pains to do them ſervice, eſpecially when they are ſick and weak, oppreſſed with the Burden of Old Age, or poor and indigent, under any ſort of neceſſity whatſoever; then ought Children to be very ready to help them, to comfort and to encourage them, to do what in them lies to make their lives eaſie to them, and to lighten their Burdens. This is called, 1 Tim. 1.4. A ſhewing Piety at home. It is an act of Religion and Worſhip, which God is well pleaſed with. We ſee how Joſeph nouriſhed his Father and his Brethren, and all his Fathers Houſehold with Bread, Gen. 47.12. How worthy of Praiſe was that Excellent Moabiteſs Ruth, who not only gleaned for her poor Mother-in-Law Naomi, but did alſo, when Food was given her by Boaz for her own Refreſhment, reſerve part of it, and give it to her Mother. See Ruth 2.18.
It was an old Roman Law*Senec. Controv. l. 1. Cont. 1.7. and 19.. Let Children relieve their Parents or be put in Priſon. Which ſheweth what was the Senſe of that wiſe People, concerning this Important Duty of Children towards their Parents; they lookt upon them as unworthy of Liberty to converſe amongſt Men, and to enjoy the common Priviledges of Society, who were ſo far void of Humanity, as not to relieve and aſſiſt their poor Parents. 'Twas likewiſe an Athenian Law, *Diog. Laert. in Solone.That if any did not relieve their Parents, they ſhould be eſteem'd baſe and ignoble.
How many Examples have there been amongſt the Heathens, of Eminent Piety towards Parents? Such was that Act of her,Valer. Max. l. 5. Cap. 4. who when her Old Father was condemned to be put to Death in Priſon, viſited him often, and gave him ſuck, and ſo preſerved him alive, who otherwiſe muſt have dyed of Famine.
The like inſtance we meet with in the ſame Author,Valer. Max. ibid. of a worthy Roman Daughter, who did in the ſame manner preſerve her Mother in Priſon, being Condemned to dye. When the Keeper of the Priſon, to whom the charge of putting her to Death was committed, found after ſome time, that her Daughter kept her alive by giving her ſuck, he was ſo affected with the greatneſs of the Daughter's Compaſſion and Tenderneſs to her Mother, that he made it known to thoſe in Power, who were likewiſe ſo mightily touched with ſuch an unuſual inſtance of tender Affection; that they pardoned the Mother, as the greateſt Reward they could beſtow on the Daughter for her marvellous Affection.
What can there be more juſt and reaſonable, than for Children thus to endeavour to requite their Parents, for their great care and kindneſs towards them, when they were not able to help themſelves? The time was, when their Parents were as Eyes, and Hands, and Feet to them; they did every thing for them, they not being capable to do any thing for themſelves: How ready therefore ſhould they be to ſerve their Parents, to aſſiſt them by all good Offices, when their condition requires it?
This is a Duty to which Children are ſo ſtrictly obliged, (to wit, the aſſiſting and relieving of their Parents) that no pretence is ſufficient to abſolve them from the Obligation thereof. The Phariſees thought they had found out an Exception from this Rule, which was this; that if Children gave away their Wealth to Pious and Charitable uſes, they were freed from the Obligation of relieving their Parents: They taught them in this caſe, to tell their Parents, It is Corban, that is to ſay, a Gift, by whatſoever thou mighteſt be profited by me, Mar. 7.11. And by ſaying this, they made People believe, that they were ſufficiently freed from all Obligations to take care of, and provide for their Parents. But our Saviour reproves them ſeverely, telling them, that this was no other than the making void the Commandments of God by their Traditions.
Againſt unkind and unnatural Children.We may ſee from this, what Judgment to make of ſuch unkind, undutiful, and unnatural Children, who do wholly neglect their Parents, eſpecially in their old Age, and in their poor and low Eſtate; who ſhew them no more pity, and expreſs no more love nor tenderneſs towards them, than if they were not their Parents; who grudge them the leaſt ſupply; and take all the wicked courſes that they can, to ſtarve them to death, that they may be rid of them; who wiſh and long for, and rejoyce in the Death of their poor Parents. O what a horrid Barbarity and Inhumanity is this! Shall not many Pagans riſe up in Judgment againſt ſuch Children, and Condemn them? How little do they deſerve the Name of, Chriſtian Children? Their true Name is, Ʋnchriſtian, and unnatural Children. As Solomon bid the Sluggard, go to the Ant; ſo may we bid ſuch hard-hearted and unmerciful Children, go to the Stork, of whom it is told, *S. Baſil. in Hexaemer. Homil. 8. Ambroſ. Hexaem. l. 5. c. 16.that when the old Dams cannot feed themſelves, their little ones feed and nouriſh them; when their Feathers fall from them, they cover them with their Feathers; and when they are not able to fly, they couple themſelves together, to carry them upon their Backs. Let uncompaſſionate Children go to this compaſſionate Creature, and conſider her ways and be wiſe; Let them learn from her, to be more kind and affectionate, and tender-hearted towards their Parents, and not any longer to harden their Bowels againſt them.
8. Duty, to pray for their Parents.
8thly, Becauſe all that Children can do is not ſufficient to requite the Love and tender care of their Parents; therefore they ought to pray to God, that he would reward them, and preſerve them, and keep them alive; that he would ſupply all their wants, and comfort them in all their troubles, and requite their Love, their tender care, and their great coſt and pains they have been at to bring them up, and to educate them. How happy are the Parents of ſuch Children, who are ſupplicants and interceſſors, at the Throne of Grace, for good things unto them? Such Children are the ſtrength of their Parents; they are a great bleſſing unto them.
Againſt Curſers of Parents.If it be the Duty of Children, thus to pray to God, in behalf of their Parents; what ſhall we ſay of thoſe, who neither pray for them, nor themſelves, but live like the Beaſts that periſh, and mind nothing that's good? And if their Crime is great, who do not at all pray for their Parents; how dreadful is their Guilt, who Curſe them? What dreadful Judgments may ſuch Monſters of wickedneſs expect? Prov. 20.20. Who ſo Curſeth his Father or his Mother, his Lamp ſhall be put out in obſcure darkneſs; that is, he ſhall be reduced unto a ſad, afflicted, and miſerable State; his proſperous condition (which is compared to Light, or to a Lamp) ſhall be turned into Adverſity and Miſery, and that very great, which is expreſſed by [obſcure Darkneſs,] he ſhall be made very miſerable; his ſtate and condition in the World ſhall become moſt uncomfortable; as it is for a Man who walketh in a way that is full of Light, where he beholds a great many Objects, which afford him pleaſure and delight, ſuddenly to be deprived of all this, and to find himſelf all alone in obſcure Darkneſs, without all help and comfort. By the Law of Moſes, ſuch ungodly and unnatural Children were without any pardon to be put to death. Exod. 21.17. He that Curſeth his Father or his Mother, ſhall ſurely be put to Death.