Christian Theology - Media Sabda Org

ingeth salvation to all men," Titus ii, 11, and go infalliby to the
kingdom of heaven.
Who can account for the continual preservation and support of little
children, while exposed to so many dangers, but on the ground of a
peculiar and extraordinary providence?
Youth is the time, and the time alone, in which learning can be
attained. I find that I can now remember very little but what I learned
when I was young. I have, it is true, acquired many things since, but it has
been with great labour and difficulty; and I find I cannot retain them as
I can those things which I gained in my youth. Had I not got rudiments
and principles in the beginning, I should certainly have made but little out
in life.
Hear, ye children: God has given us only ten commandments,
essentially necessary to our happiness in our religious, civil, and domestic
life; and one of the ten speaks of, and strongly recommends, obedience
to parents. Nature and common sense teach us that there is a degree of
affectionate respect which is owing to parents, and which no other
persons can properly claim. For a considerable time, parents stand, in
some sort, in the place of God to their children; and, therefore, rebellion
against their lawful commands has been considered as rebellion against
God. This precept, therefore, prohibits, not only all injurious acts,
irreverent and unkind speeches to parents, but enjoins all necessary acts
of kindness, filial respect, and obedience.
We can scarcely suppose that man honours his parents who, when they
fall weak, blind, or sick, does not exert himself to the uttermost in their
support. In such cases God as truly requires the children to provide for
their parents, as he required the parents to feed, nourish, instruct, support,
and defend the children, when they were in the lowest state of helpless
infancy.