Middletown transcript., 1874-01-03
LETTERS
To the Boys and Girls Of the Middle
town Academy, Delaware. f.
BY REV. JosspH WILSON.

| rc BY REV. JossPH WILSON. -.e s.l
No. A." HONOUR Thy FATHER AND
| ss ~ ~ MorHER." - fiHAtiast ne
In bringing the human race into being,
two modes were before the mind Of the
Creator--either, to create each individual
independent Of all the rest, or to establish
connection Of all with the first human
pair and with one another. For wise and
good reasons. God has persued the latter
course.
Whom Adam was formed, God said
1T is not good for man to be alone" and
therefore he formed woman from portion
Of the mans body, that she might be the
companion and hslpmate Of the man,
Hence resulted the endearing relations Of
husband and wife and parents and chill
dren. '' " 4@I'''sian'
These relations are as durable as life,
and SO should be the mutual affection flow-
ing therefrom. This relation Of parent
and offspring is the universal law regard
ing all animated beings on earth; but it
is only in the human family that its nature
and blssaedness are fully exempliisd.
| From the relation Of parent and child,
two important duties necessarily result,
which are clearly expressed and strongly
enforced in the Word of God Namely !:
that parents should love their children and
provide for their support and welfare; and
that children should love, honour and obey
their parents.
The fifth commandment Of the Deca-
logue is" Honour thy Father and Moth
er." The word honour in the law is hap
PLY chosen, for it necessarily includes
both love and obedispce, without which
no true honour can be shown. Assuming
it as true that you acknowledge it to be
your duty to honour your parents, let me
try to point out how you can perform that
duty while pcrsuing course of study in
the school or Academy or elsewhere.
If you reflect at all on the matter, q
first inquiry would seem to be-"Why do
my parents spend so much money on my
education, and why are they SO envious
for my improvement? The proper ans
wer to this would be-"Your parents love
you and wish you to be well Instructed.
that you may be we'll qualified for an hon
orable, useful and happy lifo." Such be-
ing the fact regarding your parents mo-
tive, docs it not follow that you are bsund
to be diligent in your studies that your
parents may be pleased and honored BY
your advancement in knowledge and vir-
tue? Should you be inattentive and re-
miss in your studies and employ much Of
your time in teasing and hindering your
classmates, will you not necessarily be-
come Ounce? and II so, will you not
dishonor and greatly grieve your parents ?
The idle girl or boy in school, is q robber
of father and mother; and the next thing
you may expect to hear Of such is that
they have been guilty of taking money
from a parents purse to spend in some
improper way on their own qualification.
would not willingly suspect this of any
of those whom now address ;. but having
had considerable experience in teaching,
know that there are such inconsiderate
youths. who dishonor their parents, are a
grief and plague to their teachers, and
who cannot be expected to be either hon
cred. useful or happy in life. sa+
The command and duty, to "honour
Father and Mother is applicable to very
great extent, to your teachers also. They
occupy the place of parents in the work Of
instruction and therefore should receive
: little less than parental honors from their
pupils. To them parents have not only
committed the work Of instruction, hut al
SO authority to chastise offenders, as well
as confer rewards on the studious and O.
bedisnt. ~
In the school-room and in the direction
Of ysur studies. your teachers are your
parents, and should be honored and obey.
, cd as SUCH .a &, t.s., ..ss
A good teacher feels q great interest in
the improvement of his pupils; and will
3 ingly labors hard to advance them in th.
i; path Of knowledge. He therefore should
receive all due honor, and as much en-
ccuragement in his arduOus work from hi'
pupils as they can give him by respectful
: treatment and persevering diligence il
: their studies.
A Mouth uhn uoara fhA laAaah atrla a