Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-01-04
HONtR TO PARENTS.
The Fifth Commandment Discussed
by Rev. F. w. Merrell
An Int re sting Discourse in the series
at the First Methodist Church
East rning-OutIine Gf
the sermon.

church last evening. Tie Fifth Cons
mandment-HonOr to Parents" was the
theme from Exodus 20:12
Honor thy f7tEer and thy mother that thy days
may he long upoa the land wi Al the Lord thy Goo
Siyeth bee"
This commandment, said the pastor,
naturally divides into two parts. the
commandment proper, and the promise
The thought has doubtless arisen in many
minds why are duties enjoined upon
cbrildren in the 10 commandments and
not upon parents? l. would at first
thought seem that the reverse should be
the case. The answer is suggested in the
constitution of human nature. God has
implanted in the parants and especially
in the mother an instinct which prompts
to love, protect and care for the child
This instinct is universal. It's not pecul>
lar to human beings. This popularity
of nature was traced il the lower animal
creation.
Instinct was defined as that power
which impels suimals, including man. to
secure the welfare Cf themselves as indI~
viduals of their species and also to sub.
serve other wise purposes. without evi>
dence of an understanding on their part
of the wisdom of the course pursued.
This power of instinct is undoubtedly a
direct exhibition of he wisdom of God
through them, acting without individual
/ consciousness or reason. 1t is no {, ut
capable of being modified to some Slight
extent by their own Intelligence. IL can
also be changed by culture. It's chief
! characteristic is that it is evidently in
| tended for the resent good of the inii-
! vidual and his kind
! Man being embossed with the higher
! powers of reason, has less instinct than
any other animal. AS reason increases,
instinct decreases. Indeed. man has
only SO much instinct as is absolutely
| necessary for the preservation of the
| species. Among these few instincts is
/ the spontaneous unro asoDipg love of the
/ mother for the child. This attachment
/ soon ripeus into strong, probably the
! strongest of all love; a love which often
/ deiies all obstacles, physical and moral,
/ and is net even tXtln guishCd by the grave.
! What is so tender, So all embracing as n
mothers love- The father too, where
/ Gods own institution of he family is
! properly observed, shares in this attach
menJ so by the common consent of all
/ civilized people, the parents who do not
protect Christ and care for their offspring
/ are regarded as monsters. 1t YVES for
/ this reason doubtless that it was deemed
unnecessary TO incorporate in the deca-
/ logue = comm-ndmo mt for parents TO love
! and care for their children.
/ But children ere not ins,inctively
taught to love and honor their parents
| These feelings on the part of the child
are of slow growth. They may be Culti-
waited or repres-ed.
But this commandment is not addressed
to childhood primarily or principally.
Attachment to pare nts so long rs favors
are reCeivef from them is natural. But
| the honor to parents that continues when
| no more favors can be expected from
them when the inirmities of age gather
| about them, this 1t is that forms the
| burden of the Fifth Commandment.
There must be some profound reasons
for the incorporation OF this command
ment IN the decslOgue. Such a reason is
found in the fact that this commandment
| recognizes and di7inely sanctions mon
| ogsmy as an institution. 1t assumes
that the father and mother who are thus
to be hon ored by their children as long
as they live. are united for life by the in
| dissoiuble compact of marriage.
The bible expressly condemns poly
gsmy in so many words, and traces u e
ruin of families and governments to VIC
Iations of this rule. The strength of q
nation is in its home You may trace
this fact all through history. The bible
recognizes and sanctions the home where
one father and mother are the recogn ze6
an abiding head of the home. Intidelity
shows the coveu foot in striking at the
security and performance of the home.
Again, honor to parents is fundamental
to character. Abraham was chosen of God
to be the ftther of the faithful
because of his ability to command his
children after him TO keep Gods law
Els overthrow was for the opposite rea-
SON. because his sons made themselves
vile and he restrained them not" O5e-
dience is the foundation of religious
character. To send forth lawless one
to walk amid law is to sacrifice him tC
the demon of misrule. Obedience should
be impressed upon the child mind. 1t is
the royal roaG TO virtue, 10 Sood cltlZ"n-
ship-it is the only road.
This commandments to be obeved I'M
der strong trial Obedience to this com.
mandment affords a marked test to char
atcer.
On the other hand, parents should re-
member the sacred right on the part oil
the child to determine his own career
when years of maturity are reached ANY
interference with the self-determiniUG
power beyond certain limit is disastrous
But children should ever respect the ad'
vice and counsels and warnings OF pa
rental authority. 1t is a sacred relation
and cannot be disregarded with impunlty
Young men ano women, make your par
ents glad by your tenderness and consld
Grafton. You owe it to them as SACRED
duty.
A fragrant case of disobedience to tbi