# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1880_S38 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) . Jaw and their daughters-in-law. You owe them, ‘The Lutheran Pioneer. (For the ,, Lutheran Pioncer’’.) The Fourth Commandment. honor, respect, and obedience; therefore you must ask and wait for their consent. God shows us how earnestly he wants all children, be they young or old, to honor their parents by adding a special promise to this commandment, while the other nine command- ments have but the general promise that God will show mercy unto thousands to them that love Him and keep His commandments. It shall be well with thee and thou shalt live long on the earth, if thou dost honor thy father and thy mother. It shall be well with thee in every way and in such a measure, as is good for thee and God sees fit. Thou shalt live as long, as is good for thee, and no Jess. But who deserves this reward? None! No, not one. God, how- ever, in mercy rewards the efforts of Christian children, both the young and the grown, as if they had, in all respects, honored their parents. Jesus, the obedient and dutiful son of Mary and Joseph, makes up for all their shortcomings by His holy obedience, and His Blood removes the punishment. Therefore, the fourth com- mandment also cannot condemn true Christians before God and He gives them what He prom- ised.—Let me tell you tkst you will never keep a particle of this commandment unless you are a true Christian. True Christians only truly fear and love God and that is necessary to keep the fourth commandment. Whosoever does not honor his parents for God’s sake and be- cause he loves God and loves to do His will, fearing to do anything that would displease God whom he truly loves, does not in the least honor his parents. Outwardly he may appear to do so, but what about his heart? If his heart is not right, nothing is right. F. B. “Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. What does this mean? > We should fear and love God, that we may not despise our parents and masters, nor provoke them to anger; but give them honor, serve and obey them, and hold them in love and eem. ” tre (Luther's Small Catechism.) God does not care, whether you are but one day old or sixty years old; whether you are of age or a minor; whether you are married or not; whether you are at home or living a thousand miles away—He wants you to honor your parents all the same. Nor does it make any difference with God, if your parents are wicked instead of pious, cruel instead of kind, careless instead of attentive parents; if they are poor and ignorant while you, perhaps, are rich and educated. He wants you to honor them notwithstanding. They always remain your parents. You never cease to be their children. And, as children are to honor their parents, you cannot be mistaken as to what is your duty. Let me show it. Honor thy father and thy mother in thy heart. Honor them by considering them to be such persons whom, next God, you should honor, respect and love most ofall men. Think highly of them, whom God has given to rule over you and care for you in the days of your youth. Respect them and their wishes and commands. Love them dearly and fear them; hate and dread to do anything that might displease your parents, whom you s0 dearly love. Honor thy father and thy mother in all thy words. In speaking to them, let none but respectful words pass your lips. Be silent when they speak. Answer their questions cheerfully and kindly. Speak no cross, angry, insulting, or mocking words to your parents. Never speak ill of your parents to others or tell their faults and sins. pai Honor thy father and thy mother in all thy actions. Willingly and quickly do what they ask of you without waiting for coaxing, praise, or reward. ‘Think, beforehand, of what will please them, or what they want done, and do it before they tell you. Never act against your parents’ wishes, unless you know that their wishes are against the will of God. Give them no pains or trouble by your conduct. Do not arouse their anger by your obstinate wicked- ness. Do not make them ashamed of you by disgracing yourself and your parents by your pad bebaviour at home and abroad. And as you grow older help to support them and your younger brothers and sisters. ‘Try to repay them in their old age what they did for you when you were young. If you wish to marry, remember that you are not to form an engage- ment with any one unless the parents of both of you, if still living, have consented. Parents have a right to say who shall be their sons-in- Aged Parents. By some, aged parents are considered a bur- den, of which they would gladly rid themselves. We often see these persons treat their parents unkindly, apparently forgetting the debt of love and gratitude which they owe to their father and mother. Ah, how ungrateful is the human heart! How apt it is to become cold and hardened towards those whom it once loved with the tenderest affection! O heartless chil- dren! Was it not your mother who watched over you in the hours of infancy? Was it not she who spent so many sleepless nights by your side as you lay in your little bed, suffering from disease which she feared might take the loved one from hersight? And, when the danger was past, knelt and offered a prayer of thanks- giving to God for his great kindness in sparing the life of her darling? She has prayed for you all through bygone years, and she prays for you still. It was she who taught you to say your simple prayer each evening as you knelt beside her knee. Oh, how you loved her then! Every childish care and sorrow was poured into her listening ear, and you ever found in her a sympathizing friend and counselor. And your father! Do you not remember when you used to stand at the window and . watch him coming from the field, or the work- shop, where he had labored hard all day long, that you might not want? And, when the evening meal was over, then he took you on his knee, told you pretty stories and called you his precious child? And that, when you came to be of the proper age, he sent you to school that you might obtain an education and pre- pare yourself to become wise and useful, and be an honor to yourself and to the world?» Have you forgotten all this? It cannot be. Stop and think what you do when you pro- nounce your father and mother burdens, and treat them as though they were not your parents. Consider that the vigor of life is gone, that they have become weak and dependent, and their poor old hearts need cheering by kind words and pleasant smiles. The shadows of their lives are lenghtening—their sun is about to set. Then be careful that you cause no cloud to settle and obscure the glory of that sunset. Your father’s growing old, His sight is very dim; He leans on his faithful staff, For he’s weak in every limb. His years are well-nigh told, His earthly hopes are fled; He soon will slumber cold Among the silent dead. Your mother’s old and weak, Her locks are thin and gray; Her aged form is bent, She soon will pass away. The one who loves you ever, You soon shall see no more, Until you cross the river, _ And stand on the other shore. Be kind to the old folks, then, They’ve done enough for you; They’ve braved the storms of life, With spirits strong and true, And now, when age has come, And earthly hopes have fied, Oh, share with them your home, And cheer their dying bed. T. C. A Christian Son. Richard Hurd, an eminent divine of England at the close of the last century, was a man of courtly manners, of great learning, who moved with distinction in the best society in the king- dom. King George III. pronounced him ‘“‘the most naturally polite man he had ever known.’ He, however, never failed to show the utmost respect for his mother, a farmer’s wife, of no education, but of sterling character. When he had large companies at his Palace he led her to the head of the table, ard paid her the greatest deference. The high born families who sat at the table reverenced his conduct, so becoming to a Christian son and gentleman. : ———+ o Goopis done by degrees as opportunity offers. Many who want to do a great deal of good at once, at some future time, will never do any. ———_2 +o oo THE opportunity to do good imposes the obligation to do it. :