The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-03-02
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
FILIAL RESPONSIBILITY.

to children. The Scriptures already quoted
make it imperative both on sons and daugn-
ters to consider their parents as their SafeS'
and best cOunsellOrs.
The tender relation they sustain to you'
their high regard for your welfare, their ricn
experience, and their better Judgment all
concur in urging you to take no step IN HE
of any consequence, without consulting tnem'
Their views should be known and deVoutiy
considered respecting your companions
books, recreations, professions and even
marriage.
Children should obey their parents. This,
as you have already seen is required by the
law of God. Young people are exposed to
ruinous mistakes on this subject. In their
folly, they esteem it servile, mean and de-
grading to submit even to parental authority.
And yet, there is no order, no harmony in
any part of Gods dominions without the
submission, according to fixed laws, of one
part to another. What would the army, the
navy, the school, the family, be without
this? There is no alternative between sub
mission to wholesome authority, and to the
widest anarchy.
Let the child then early learn to obey
the earlier, the better. The younger the
child is the more he needs counsellor,
guide, ruler, and the sooner he begins, the
easier and the more certain will be his sue
cess.
This obedience should be universal. "In
all things is the phrase employed in the
sacred Scriptures. The only exception is
when the command of the parent obviously
conflicts with that of God. The youth, ca
pabIe of discerning between good and evil,
must "obey God rather than man." Even
here refusal to comply must be expressed
with meek and quiet spirit, and in Ian
guage kind and respectful.
1t should be cheerful Constrained and
reluctant obedience is rebellion in principle:
God loveth a cheerful giver, and so does man.
A child retiring from the presence of the
parent, sullen, muttering, murmuring, is one
of the saddest spectacles on earth. Many
young lady laid the foundation, when a child,
of bad temper and an ugly face in this
very way.
This obedience should be ,tnJforna, habitu-
al. Thus only can it ever become easy and
agreeable: and to this end cherish with all
fidelity and perseverance sincere and ar
dent love for your parents:
"'Tis love which makes our willing feet,
In swift obedience move"
Where this love exists, obedience becomes
delightful and disobedience painful. The
one makes happy the other miserable
child. And hence the child will obey just
as promptly and firmly in the absence as in
the presence of the parent, and he will not
only shun but despse the mean, the das-
tardly spirit which prompts its poSses8Or to
watch and to hope for the fathers departure
that it may perpetrate behind that fathers
back, what it would not dare to do before
his face.
If am asked, how long should this sub
mission to parental authority continue? 1
reply no answer can be given. This much
is certain. Where it has been wisely exer
cised aud duly regarded from early child
hood, it never will entirely cease-or else,
the cessation will be so gradual as to be i'm
perceptible. The son at fifty years of age,
scarcely knows when he ceased to submit,
and the father at eighty, when he ceased to
command. From a Chinese work entitled
"Family Jewels" the Rev. Walter NJ. Low
ry has given us some suggestive extracts.
One of these is this: IF your parents treat
you with unkindness, or do what you con-
slider wrong, you must still, with the utmost
ouetness, submit. And if they will not
hear your attempts to correct their errors,
you must not become angry and scold them,
but bear it in silence" Much more in the
same strain may be found in the same book.
And now, in conclusion, consider the mo-
tiyes which enforce the duties imposed by the
flial relation.
God commands this course. The language
of the Scriptures, as you saw in the first
article, is imperative. You also saw that
the word of God abounds with instructions,
warnings and invitations designed and fitted
to encourage and enforce filial piety. The
lives of the Hebrew Patriarchs are drawn up
so as to exhibit and recommend this virtue.
The Prophets frequently alluded to it, and
the Book of Proverbs abounds with injunc'
tions respecting it.
The acknowledged excellence of this con
duct is motive to its performance. 1t com
mends itself to all wise and good people,
The obedient child is always applauded; the
disobedient always cen8ured and stunned
There is a lustre about the character of such
a child which insureS responsibility and sue
cess in life. The parents of other children
seek to know him, and encourage tbeil
children to cultivate his acquaintance.
This trait is eminently useful in the for
nation of the general character. A due re
gard to parental authority is the first stel
in becoming modest and humble. The chile
which does not duly love and reverence hi
father and mother is bold, conceited and i'm
pudent. Accustomed to take unbecomini