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THE 
 
 COMMANDMENT 
 
 PROMISE.- 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR OF 
 THE WEEK," and " THE GUILTY TONGUE" 
 
 HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER, WHICH IS THE FIRST 
 
 commandment with PROMISE."— Ephesians vi. 2. 
 
 T*Teto*¥orft : 
 
 GENERAL PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION ; 
 
 Depository, Press Buildings, No. 46 Lumber-Street, 
 
 in rear of Trinity Churcn. 
 
 Printed at the Protestant Episcopal Press, 
 No. 46 Lumber-Street. 
 
 1830. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/commandmentwithpOOchea 
 
THE 
 
 COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Incidents at a youthful party. — Ready obedience the 
 true mark of love to parents, and the safest way 
 of showing them our love. 
 
 A party of young people having been permitted to 
 spend the day with me as a sort of holiday, I thought 
 it best to leave them to amuse themselves, whilst, taking 
 a book, I sat in the same room, to be ready either to 
 promote their happiness, should they require any help, 
 or to check any purposes which might be mischievous. 
 
 I took a chair near the window, and drawing a little 
 table before me on which to rest my book, endeavoured 
 to abstract my mind from their conversation. They 
 passed rapidly from one subject to another, each con- 
 tributing their share by relating the things they had ei- 
 ther learnt or seen, and being soon absorbed in the study 
 of my own book, I had become insensible to their 
 engagements. A sudden pause in the sound of voices 
 had the effect of recalling my attention to them, when I 
 observed the eldest girl exhibiting to the admiring eyes 
 of her companions a miniature picture, which was in a 
 red morocco case. 
 
 " See, cousin Mary," she said, " I brought it on pur- 
 pose to show you, that you might be convinced what I 
 told you was true. Now, is not my papa a handsome 
 man ?" 
 
 1* 
 
6 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Mary. If he is like that picture, Anna, he must be 
 handsome. 
 
 Anna. If he is like, Mary ! Do you think what I say 
 is untrue 1 
 
 Mary. No, Anna, I did not mean to say I thought 
 so ; but I have heard my mamma say, that pictures in 
 general flatter very much. 
 
 Anna. Well then, Mary, I must say this picture does 
 not flatter; for beautiful as these eyes and mouth are, they 
 are not half so beautiful as his ; and when papa gave it 
 me, he said he would have it set in pearls and put a gold 
 chain to it, that so I might wear it whenever I liked 
 round my neck ; and I am sure he looked so beautiful 
 just then, you would say as I do, that this picture is not 
 half so beautiful. 
 
 Mary. I believe it, Anna ; for a living face is much 
 more beautiful than a painted one ; and I dare say when 
 I see my uncle, I shall think as you do. 
 
 This seemed to satisfy Anna's ambition for the admi- 
 ration of her father ; some minutes were occupied in 
 passing the picture round the little circle for their in- 
 spection, and as it was returned by one of the gravest 
 of the party, Anna inquired of her — 
 
 " Have you a picture of your papa, Isabella?" 
 
 Mary started when the question was proposed, and 
 hastily placing herself between Anna and Isabella, pre- 
 vented a reply by saying, in a particularly sweet and 
 soothing tone of voice — 
 
 " Come with me, and I will show you my mamma's 
 picture, which hangs in the next room." 
 
 Isabella gave her hand in the instant to Mary ; but I 
 saw her bosom heave as if she had suffered a momenta. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 7 
 
 ry agitation, which Mary's prompt interference had 
 calmed whilst it had arrested a tear in her eye. 
 
 On this proposal of Mary's, they generally moved, as 
 if to accompany her, but one more observing than the 
 others checked them by a significant glance, and when 
 they were withdrawn, she said — 
 
 " Did you not remark that Isabella is in deep mourn- 
 ing ; and I believe her papa died not long ago." 
 
 This cast a shade upon the party for a little while, but 
 Anna, conscious of having a superior possession to the 
 rest, resumed the subject, by putting the question — 
 
 "Who, besides me, has a picture of their papa?" 
 
 " I have no picture," Maria said ; " but I have a lock 
 of my papa's hair. See, here it is, tied. with a piece of 
 blue ribbon ; and I love it so, I always wear it within my 
 frock upon my heart." Saying which, she took it from 
 her bosom, opened it with care, displayed it a moment, 
 kissed it, and then quickly returned it to its place. 
 
 At this moment a poor girl from the village came up 
 to the house with some fruit I had ordered for the en- 
 tertainment of the young people, and Mary with Isa- 
 bella returned into the room, bringing the girl with the 
 basket in her hand. 
 
 " I have brought the fruit just as it is," said Mary, 
 " for Jane has packed it so nicely, I think it looks better 
 in her basket than in any way we could dress it up." 
 She then took the basket and placed it en the table, The 
 picture was laid down, whilst they all surveyed the bas- 
 ket, and Jane's attention was arrested by the sight of 
 the picture. 
 
 Anna, delighted to observe her favourite possession 
 had so unexpectedly attracted notice, addressed herself 
 to the girl— 
 
8 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 " Don't you think that is a beautiful picture V 9 
 
 " Yes, Miss," the girl replied with a curtsey. 
 
 Anna. It is my papa! 
 
 Jane. Your papa, Miss ? 
 
 Anna. Yes ; would you not like to have such a pret- 
 ty picture of your father ? 
 
 Jane. I don't know. 
 
 Anna. Don't know ! to be sure you would ; look 
 here, I shall wear it just so, round my neck ; (at the 
 same time holding it to her breast, as if already sus- 
 pended to the promised chain.) 
 
 The girl's interest seemed to have abated after the first 
 gaze of curiosity, which a sight so new to her had oc- 
 casioned, and she was busy in helping to put away the 
 spare leaves with which she had covered the fruit. 
 
 A look of disappointment passed over the countenance 
 of Anna ; but she made one more effort, saying — 
 
 " You know if you had a picture of your father, you 
 could never forget him." 
 
 The girl was quick in replying, " O Miss, I can't for- 
 get my father." 
 
 Anna. Why, child, do you know what coloured eyes 
 he has, what sort of a nose he has, what kind of a mouth 
 he has ? 
 
 Jane. I can't say, Miss. 
 
 Anna. Then, you foolish girl, would not a picture 
 help you to know and to remember him ? 
 
 Jane. Very likely, Miss; but he is so good to me, 
 and I love him so dearly, that I can't forget that. 
 
 Anna looked at her a little, as did all the others ; but 
 making no more observations, the little girl, asking if 
 she should call the next day for her basket, curtseyed 
 and withdrew. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 9 
 
 This little incident naturally awakened in my mind 
 some reflections on the nature of filial love, and the va- 
 rious reasons which operate on the mind to draw it into 
 real or apparent expressions of devoted attachment. Nor 
 was it the first moment this subject had been presented 
 to my mind ; for it is obvious to common observation, 
 that the gracious disposition of love and duty to parents 
 is seldom shown as springing from true principle ; and 
 yet the Lord has in mercy given a most solemn and per- 
 suasive call to this duty by the obligation of the fifth 
 commandment, which stands next in order to those du- 
 ties we owe to God himself. He has corroborated this 
 his will by most express revelations in the no less con- 
 straining terms of the Gospel. I have looked round the 
 whole circle of my acquaintance, poor and rich, for the 
 real demonstration of filial love and duty ; and often has 
 my heart sickened at the too obvious evidences that it is 
 scarcely an existing principle in the society of mankind; 
 and as its importance is second only to that of duty to 
 the Lord, I have longed for the opportunity of repre- 
 senting it, in some of its true characters, to the attention 
 both of parents and children. With this influence on 
 my mind, I desired that Mary would follow the little 
 fruit-girl, and tell her to come again the next day with 
 another supply of fruit, when she should have her bas- 
 ket. 
 
 This matter settled, the young people sat round the 
 table to enjoy the treat which Mary had provided them; 
 and Tsabella, who had seated herself close to Mary, 
 began to ask some questions of her concerning the little 
 girl. 
 
 Mary. Her name is Jane ; she is a very dear little 
 girl, and lives with her father, who is a gardener ; her 
 
10 Till: COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 •mother is lame, and can do very little of active business, 
 therefore she takes in plain work ; she has one sister and 
 two brothers, and they are such a pretty family ; you 
 would like to know them, I am sure. 
 
 "Very pretty, are they?" inquired Anna. 
 
 Mary. If you thought I meant pretty in the face, I 
 must answer, I do not think them any thing particular 
 ill beauty ; but they behave so prettily, they love each 
 other so much, they are so industrious, and neat, and 
 clean ; that is what I meant by pretty ; and that little 
 Jane is like a mother to her brothers and sisters. 
 
 Isabella looked much interested, and said, " As I am 
 going to stay with you to-night, Mary, will you take me 
 to see them in the morning ? " 
 
 Alary. With pleasure, Isabella, and if we rise an 
 hour sooner, I shall have time after I have learned my 
 lessons. 
 
 The conversation then became very general, and the 
 time being come when the young people were severally 
 to return to their homes, the party was quickly broken 
 up. 
 
 They, however, left me ruminating on the best prac- 
 tical method I could devise of laying before those on 
 whom I might possess some influence, the peculiar duties 
 of the fifth commandment ; and committing my desire 
 to providential direction, I walked the next morning 
 across the fields to the house of my friend the father 
 of Mary. 
 
 He was a man well disposed, and earnestly desirous of 
 conducting his family on the strictest principles of moral 
 duty. His wife was of the same mind ; and they had 
 the blessing of seeing their only child, Mary, walking in 
 the most orderly course of regular attention to their de- 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 11 
 
 sires. They set the example of order and method in all 
 they themselves did, and they were happy in the good 
 consequences of their example on their whole house- 
 hold. But there was still a want which I had often de- 
 plored, and had frequently endeavoured to point out, 
 without ever having had the success to convince them 
 that anything more could be wanted, than was produced 
 by the constant observance of the duties before them, in 
 their retired situation in life. 
 
 I arrived just as the usual course of the morning in- 
 structions were ended, and found Mary, with her young 
 guest. Isabella, busy in putting away their books. 
 
 After the little movement of friendly salutation was 
 over, I inquired of Mary if she had been able to fulfil 
 her desire of visiting little Jane's family ; to which she 
 replied — 
 
 " Oh, yes ; but we were not wise in the time we chose 
 for our visit; they were all so busily engaged that Isa- 
 bella could not get a sight of them all together." 
 
 Isabella. I saw Jane and her father together, Mary, 
 in the garden ; but I was disappointed ; they looked so 
 grave and busy, and were talking so seriously all the 
 time. I thought that if little Jane loved her father so, 
 she would have been hanging about him, and saying 
 tender things to him. I never liked to let my dear 
 papa's hand go j«it of mine, and he used to pat my cheek 
 and look at me so sweetly ! but now, I cannot hold his 
 hand any " 
 
 A rising sob stopped the' utterance of the last word. 
 
 Mary, who was an affectionate girl, was affected by 
 these words of her friend, and went up to her to kiss 
 away her tears ; and her father remarked — 
 
 " You should not give way to such strong feelings, my 
 
12 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 dear Isabella ; remember, the test of love is obedience. 
 I had rather Mary obeyed all her rules, than that she 
 should be spending her time in useless expressions." 
 
 This remark put a check upon the flow of feeling. 
 Isabella turned away her head to avoid further observa- 
 tion, and Mary, as though called to recollection, return- 
 ed to the engagement from which I had interrupted her; 
 but a change of complexion, which rapidly passed over 
 her face, from a sudden blush to a pale hue, indicated 
 that it was not without a struggle that the emotion was 
 so immediately subdued. Her father, however, looked 
 satisfied; and her mother, rising from her chair, said — 
 
 "Now, my dear girls, if you are not tired with your 
 early walk, you may go out with me into the garden." 
 
 The proposal gave pleasure, as an evident relief of 
 mind, and whilst they were preparing, I said to my 
 friend — 
 
 " As you have been confined some hours with your 
 young pupil, you would most probably enjoy the air 
 yourself, and to me nothing is more agreeable than to 
 be out." 
 
 Father. I thank you, if you really prefer it, as it is-" 
 my custom at this time to walk, I will avail myself of 
 your permission. 
 
 Being agreed, we were all together in the garden at 
 once, and drawing most at that time to the company of 
 the young people, I took one in each arm, and endea- 
 voured to communicate a little cheerfulness to them, by 
 setting off down one of the wide walks with a brisk step. 
 
 " O, stop '." said Isabella, " let us stop here ; I am out 
 of breath ! O, what a delightful smell here is ! What 
 does it come from? O, I see, that beautiful woodbine 
 which is running up that lilac tree." 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 13 
 
 Our attention being directed to this object of admira- 
 tion. I took an advantage from it, saying — 
 
 " Observe it well, Isabella ; how it twines, about the 
 brauch that supports it." 
 
 Isabella. I do : I always admire the woodbine. 
 
 Au. What is it like ? 
 
 Isabella. Ah ! it is like me and my papa ; (dropping 
 her voice as she made the comparison, seeing Mary's 
 parents drawing near.) 
 
 Au. Isabella, it is worth your minute inspection ; 
 trace- its windings from the root upwards. 
 
 She began to do so. " It is difficult," she said, " it is 
 so intermixed with the branches of the lilac ;" and put- 
 ting her hand to it, she continued, " I actually cannot 
 distinguish it here from the lilac. Oh," she exclaimed, in 
 an extasy of sentimental feeling, " how like to me and 
 my dear papa ! they are like one !" 
 
 Au. Do not stop there, Isabella ; observe further. 
 
 Isabella. Oh, it now begins to be less luxuriant ; here 
 are a few fine young twining branches without support, 
 but the head of the piant is thick, and short, and bushy. 
 
 Au. You perhaps do not see the reason. Observe, 
 there is, above this strongly united part, an evident de- 
 cay of both the lilac and the woodbine. They have 
 twined lovingly together, but the end will be the de- 
 struction of one or both. Now remark, there is no sen- 
 timent or true love in this strict union. The woodbine 
 seeks that which is naturally needful for its own support, 
 whilst its shoots are young and lender ; but then they 
 strengthen and thicken, and whilst increasing, it occu- 
 pies the room necessary for the growth of the branch 
 on which it hangs itself, till they each penetrate into the 
 other, and mutual decay ensues. 
 2 
 
14 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Isabella. Then it is no longer like papa and me ! 
 
 Au. Isabella, what must be done to save the life of 
 these trees ? 
 
 Isabella. Untwine them. 
 
 Au. You cannot, now — they are one. 
 
 Isabella. It should have been done sooner. 
 
 Au. It should ; and had the gardener been attentive, 
 he would not have suffered it to have remained so long 
 undone. By untwisting the shoots occasionally, and 
 disengaging them when they are too close, they will 
 strengthen of themselves, and yet remain in the kindly 
 shelter and support of the stronger tree, without injury 
 to either ; and by pruning away some superabundant 
 shoots, the health and luxuriance of both will be pre- 
 served. 
 
 Isabella. But that does not now apply to me ; (she 
 said, sighing ;) my papa is taken away, but my heart 
 will always be entwined about his memory. 
 
 Au. Isabella, learn a lesson. Such love is idolatry, 
 and the thing so loved is the idol. Your Heavenly Fa- 
 ther, perhaps, designed to save you both by taking away 
 one ; perhaps you were each to the other an idol, and 
 then were you both idolaters, and then would you each 
 have been the destroyers of the other, and of yourselves. 
 My dear girl, listen as to a lesson from God, with rever- 
 ence and silence. What must be now done for the 
 woodbine? We must cut down the branch of the lilac, 
 below the cause of the mutual disease. 
 
 Isabella. Oh, do not give me such a pain at my 
 heart ! 
 
 Au. Not wantonly, Isabella. There is this comfort; 
 Whilst the woodbine is preserved by this stroke, the li- 
 lac has a life in the root, which will make it spring up 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE 15 
 
 again. Look, my dear Isabella, to that blessed hope, 
 that if your dear papa was taken away from the evil 
 to come, and sleeps in Jesus, he shall rise again to eter- 
 nal life. 
 
 She fixed her eye steadfastly upon me, and I pro- 
 ceeded — " You have yet a mother — see once more the 
 woodbine; it grows between two lilacs; it has inclined 
 all its shoots to one, and the other stands desolate, with- 
 out the ornament of the beautiful fragrant flowers which 
 decorate the other." 
 
 She coloured deep, and her hand trembled. 
 
 Au. My dear child, now turn to your hitherto for- 
 gotten mother, and be willing to let the great Gardener 
 lead your young shoots that way, and direct them to 
 your mutual comfort and support; be willing that He 
 should untwine you when you tend to idolatrous love ; 
 and teach you carefully to watch your tender mother's 
 happiness, who never refused your endearments. 
 
 Our whole party had become intensely interested, 
 and there was a silence of some minutes. At length my 
 friend said — 
 
 " / can also teach a lesson from the garden. See, 
 here is a plant which is always inclining to grow crook- 
 ed, and spoils the order of the shrubs. I put beside it 
 this strong stake, which I call Order; and I tie it up 
 straight to it with these bands, which I call Discipline; 
 and the plant will then lean neither to one side or the 
 other." 
 
 This comparison did not exactly suit the tone of feel- 
 ing which had been excited. The lesson was good, but 
 from being so abrupt and ill-timed, failed to call forth a 
 pleasing sympathy. A smile passed over the faces of the 
 young people, but it was not from the heart, and faded 
 
16 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 away into the softer expression of intelligent conviction 
 which had before animated them with deepest interest. 
 
 As I found by the hold which Isabella and Mary again 
 involuntarily took of my arm, that I had gained some 
 little interest in their feelings, I drew them on a little 
 further, continuing the strain of conversation on the 
 right-placing and direction of the heart's affections, with 
 the necessity we all have to watch both the spring and 
 motive from which they act, and then took leave. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Constant obedience; an example of it.— Different 
 motives for obedience. 
 
 As I returned homewards I endeavoured to form some 
 plans, which by the most easy and unaffected incidents 
 might lead on to the illustration of the duties of children 
 to parents ; and to this important object determined to 
 devote myself for some time, trusting to be led into such 
 scenes and circumstances as might aid my purpose. And 
 as in all these things I find the poorer classes afford me 
 more immediate opportunities, both from the easy access 
 we can gain to their domestic scenes, and from the dis- 
 guises of natural character being less systematic, I turn- 
 ed my thoughts to trace out a few families in my neigh- 
 bourhood, among whom I expected to find the full de- 
 velopment of my object. The reflection to which I Was 
 led on these indelible words of the enduring command- 
 ment of God, " Honour thy father and thy mother, that 
 thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 17 
 
 God giveth thee." made me feel as though they were 
 " written on the palms of my hands," and I felt my 
 heart commenting upon them in the words of the Apos- 
 tle, Eph. vi. 1 — 3., " Children, obey your parents in 
 the Lord : for this is right. Honour thy father and 
 mother; whieh is the first commandment with promise ; 
 that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long 
 on the earth." My mind was thus fully occupied until 
 the arrival of little Jane, according to appointment, was 
 announced. I desired that she might bring in the fruit 
 herself, and that the other basket might be ready for her. 
 
 She came in, and looked surprised at not finding the 
 same party of young people for whom she had brought 
 the frurt the evening before. 
 
 Au. Come here, Jane; tell me when you gathered 
 this fruit ? 
 
 Jane. Very early this morning, Sir. 
 
 Au. Oh ! you should have brought it quite fresh. 
 
 Jane. If you please, Sir, my father ordered me to 
 gather it before the dew was off, because the fruit is al- 
 ways better for being gathered before the sun is on it. 
 Look, if you please, Sir, (she said, turning aside some of 
 the leaves,) the bloom is on it now. 
 
 Au. Was your father with you when you gathered it? 
 
 Jane. No, Sir, he told me what to do last night ; he 
 had to go out very early this morning before the time, 
 and when he came back it would have been too late. 
 
 Au. Then you did not forget your father's desires? 
 
 Jane. No, Sir. 
 
 Au. Why? 
 
 Jane. I don't know, Sir — because I remembered it. 
 
 Au. Would he have been angry if you had forgot- 
 ten it ? 
 
 2* ■ 
 
18 THE COMMANDMENT WITH TROMISE. 
 
 Jane. He wouldn't have been pleased, Sir. 
 
 Au. Why would he not? 
 
 She seemed surprised at my question, but after a pause 
 said, " He expects us to do what he orders, when he's 
 away as well as when he's at home." 
 
 Au. Would you have been displeased with yourself 
 if you had forgotten ? 
 
 Jane. Yes, Sir, I should have been very sorrowful. 
 
 Au. Why would you ? 
 
 Jane. Because my father would have been so sor- 
 rowful. 
 
 Au. Because the fruit would not have been so nice 
 for his customers ? 
 
 Jane. Yes, Sir, but not all for that. 
 
 Au. For what besides ? 
 
 Jane. Because he thinks we do not love God when 
 we do not do as father bids us, and then he says, we can- 
 not love him. 
 
 The empty basket was now brought in, and the ser- 
 vant said, " If you please, Sir, this case was thrown in 
 the basket amongst the dead leaves." 
 
 It was Anna's morocco case, and on opening it I found 
 the picture within. 
 
 Au. You saw this picture yesterday, Jane ? 
 
 Jane. Yes, Sir. 
 
 Au. That young lady has forgotten it ; what will 
 she do now to remember her father ? 
 
 Jane. She can remember her father without it, Sir. 
 If you please, may I take my baskets, Sir '? 
 
 Au. Are you in a hurry, Jane ? 
 
 Jane. Yes, Sir, if yoii please to excuse me, my mo- 
 ther wants me back as soon as I can. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 19 
 
 I immediately took out the fruit, and giving her back 
 her basket, said, " Make haste, then, my little girl." 
 
 She dropped a curtsey as she said, " Yes, Sir, thank 
 you, Sir;" and I saw her from my window running 
 homewards, looking neither to the right hand nor the 
 left; and I could not help saying, "Certainly, Mary is 
 right in calling this little girl a dear little girl." 
 
 The morocco case seemed to point out an opportuni- 
 ty, and as there was still time, I put it in my pocket, in- 
 tending to take it to its owner, and on my way called 
 on Maria to accompany me in my visit ; her parents 
 cheerfully granted her to my care, and we proceeded. 
 
 We found Anna deeply engaged with her mother in 
 examining a box of curious things, which seemed to be 
 a new possession, and she called us to the table to exa- 
 mine them with her. As she unwrapt the several arti- 
 cles, she said — 
 
 " Papa was disappointed thathe could not reach home 
 so soon* as he expected, and he has sent me all these 
 things to please me till he does come ; see, Maria, what 
 pretty things they are!" She ran on for some time in 
 terms of admiration ; but she was evidently looking for 
 some other thing, which did not meet her eye ; at last, 
 in a pouting disappointment, she struck the side of the 
 box with her finger, saying — 
 
 " Provoking papa ! he has not kept his word !" 
 
 Maria was engaged in examining some shells, and ap- 
 pealed at that moment to Anna — " This is a very beau- 
 tiful shell ; do you know its name?" 
 
 " O, never mind the shell," she answered ; " I have 
 no pleasure at all now in any thing ; it was very pro- 
 voking of papa to forget what he promised !" 
 
 " Perhaps he will bring it with him," Maria answered. 
 
20 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Anna. I shall not care about it then. 
 
 Maria. No, you will have your papa himself. 
 
 Anna threw herself down in her chair ; " O, I don't 
 care for any thing now !" 
 
 Maria. No, but you will then, Anna. 
 
 Anna. No, I shan't ; I dare say he has forgotten it 
 altogether. 
 
 Maria looked somewhat shocked, and, as if to recal 
 good feelings, she said, " Oh ! you had better look again 
 at your beautiful picture, and when you see those eyes, 
 and that mouth that smiled so sweetly, you will think of 
 nothing but your dear papa !" 
 
 Anna rather started — " My picture ! O that's true, my 
 picture ! what have I done with it?" 
 
 " You have it in your breast, most likely," said Maria. 
 
 Anna. My breast ! no. What have I done with it ? 
 It will be very ridiculous if I get the chain and have lost 
 the picture ; what can I have done with it ? " She empti- 
 ed her work-box, turned over her writing-desk — all in 
 vain. "What can I have done with it? I will go and 
 look in my drawers ;" and she went out in great haste. 
 
 "Poor Anna!" exclaimed Maria, "what will she do 
 if she has lost her papa's picture ? I wish I could help 
 her to find it ;" and addressing herself to Mrs. Aston, 
 said, " Would you give me leave to follow Anna, to help 
 her to search?" 
 
 Airs. A. Certainly, My love ; you know the way. 
 
 Mrs. Aston and I were now left alone. She had a 
 countenance of painful anxiety, and sighing, said to me, 
 
 " Anna is a very good child on the whole, but there 
 is a disposition in her I cunnot correct. We can never 
 obtain her obedience to our desires for her instruction, 
 but by some artifice in the way of a bribe ; promise to 
 
 l 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 21 
 
 give her anything-, and she will then do anything-; and 
 having now found our anxiety by our indulgence, she 
 fails not to make her advantage of it. That picture she 
 seems to have lost, was given to bribe her to apply her 
 mind to overcome a difficulty she met with in arithme- 
 tic ; no persuasion could prevail to make her try to work 
 out a sum in long- division, until she extorted the pro- 
 mise • and the gold chain was to be given in order to in- 
 duce her to learn a piece of music of which her father 
 is extremely fond, 1 begin to think our system is a bad 
 one ; and as she has not perfected herself in the music, 
 I requested her father not to send the chain ; he has 
 complied with this, but you perceive he has endeavour- 
 ed to soften the disappointment by a profusion of other 
 presents ; and i do think, if the truth were known, that 
 he did not like to return without the chain, and encoun- 
 ter the refractory behaviour of his own child." The 
 tears flowed from her eyes as she spoke, and a bitter 
 sigh expressed the feelings of her heart at the thought 
 of her child's disobedience. 
 
 At this moment the two girls returned. 
 
 Anna. I can't find it anywhere, mamma. 
 
 Mrs. A. I am sorry for it. 
 
 Annd. What shall I do? 
 
 Mrs. A. Perhaps, if you wait a little patiently, you 
 may remember where you last had it. 
 
 Anna. Do you think papa will bring the chain? 
 
 Mrs. A. I do not know. 
 
 Anna. How vexatious ! Well, never mind, (she con- 
 tinued—with an air that expressed her determination to 
 shake off the disagreeable recollection,) when papa 
 sees me so very sorry, he will buy me something else to 
 
22 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 hang upon it ; perhaps a garnet cross ; Amelia had a 
 beautiful garnet cross." / 
 
 " Oh," said Maria, " that would not be papa's picture ! 
 The chain would be good for nothing without the pic- 
 ture of your papa ; if you do not find the picture you 
 will not want the chain." 
 
 Anna. I do not know that, Maria ; a gold chain is a 
 pretty thing of itself, and you know it is always ready 
 for anything. 
 
 Maria. Anna ! for anything ! Well, I had rather 
 have this lock of my papa's hair, wrapt up in this bit 
 of paper, taking it out of her breast, and kissing, and 
 then returning it, than I would have anything on a gold 
 chain. 
 
 Anna was silent, and looked rather ashamed. 
 
 I thought it a good opportunity to prolong the pre- 
 sent interview, by proposing to Mrs. Aston to accompa- 
 ny me and Maria as far as her home ; adding, " I think 
 it will help to dissipate the melancholy Anna feels from 
 the loss of her papa's picture." 
 
 Anna felt that I had a meaning not favourable, but 
 was glad to put it off by readiness to be of the party ; 
 and Mrs. Aston seemed to meet the proposal as an alle- 
 viation of the oppression which weighed upon her own 
 mind. 
 
 The evening was fine and the breeze refreshing, after 
 a hot day, and we were soon at Mrs. Bennet's, who was 
 strolling in the grounds, waiting for the return of her 
 daughter, and we all sat down on a rural seat that was 
 near. 
 
 The young people did not seem desirous to leave us, 
 for they had somehow lost the feeling of congeniality ; 
 and Anna had evidently not risen in the estimation of 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 23 
 
 Maria, of whose character wishing to ascertain some 
 proof, I ventured to ask her a few questions. 
 
 Au. Do you know, Maria, that many people may be 
 doing the same thing, and yet all have very different 
 motives for doing it 1 
 
 Maria. I do not exactly understand you. 
 
 Au. For instance, suppose men were digging differ- 
 ent parts of that piece of ground, they would be all do- 
 ing the same thing ? 
 
 Maria. Yes. 
 . Au. But suppose one was doing it for hire, at a 
 dollar a day, to be paid for his work ; another was doing 
 it for the profit of the crop that should be produced ; 
 another was doing it to destroy the weeds ; another to 
 ameliorate the soil ; another merely out of love for the 
 owner; and another simply because it was the right and 
 usual way of managing the ground : — these are different 
 motives : but which motive do you like the best ? 
 
 Maria. Oh ! for love, to be sure. 
 
 Au. When you learn your lesson, and do the thing 
 your mamma bids you do, what is your motive ? 
 
 Maria. Oh ! love, to be sure, all for love ! (saying 
 which, she sprang to her mamma and embraced her in 
 a kind of rapture, which met the return of her mother's 
 embrace, and a kiss on her forehead.) 
 
 Anna looked at her with surprise. 
 
 " Why did you ask me that question ?" Maria said ; 
 keeping her station by her mamma's side. 
 
 Au. I will tell you openly. Because I have been re- 
 flecting lately on the duties of children to parents, which 
 duties I am enabled to inquire into on the foundation of 
 the fifth commandment, " Honour thy father and thy 
 mother," and in the light which is thrown upon it by 
 
24 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 other Scriptures, especially by the Lord Jesus, and by 
 the Apostle Paul in Ephesians vi. 1—3. 
 
 Maria seemed to have her heart unlocked by this liber- 
 ty to disclose her motives ; and she said, " I know the 
 fifth commandment is very good, because it is God s 
 commandment; but I always think (forgive me if I say 
 wrong) that ' honour' sounds so cold." 
 
 Au Perhaps, my dear, if you understood it, you 
 would not find it so cold ; and Anna may perhaps think 
 it sounds unprofitable, but if she understood it, it would 
 be found to convey some hope of gain; for (turning to 
 Anna ) it is a commandment with promise— ■" it shall 
 go well with thee ;" and another little girl I know would 
 be satisfied, because it is written, " Honour thy father and 
 thy mother, for this is right." 
 
 « I should like, then, to understand that command- 
 ment," Maria answered; " I did not know it contained 
 
 so much." 
 
 Au I make a proposal, then, to you and your pa- 
 rents to meet once a week at my house, for the purpose 
 of coming to an understanding of the fifth command- 
 ment; and if the Lord givesus his grace and blessing 
 I think you will all love to "honour your father and 
 mother •" and your father and mother will love the com- 
 mandment which maketh wise the simple, and correcteth 
 the heart : — will you consent ? 
 
 All but Anna said, " Oh ! yes, gladly !" 
 Au. Consent also, Anna ; it will agree, you will find, 
 with ornaments and chains. 
 
 "Very well," she coldly replied. And as it was evi- 
 dent that some conviction had entered her mmd I drew 
 the morocco case out of my pocket ; her eye glistened 
 
 i 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 25 
 
 at the unexpected sight, but mortified feeling taught her 
 to disguise her pleasure. 
 
 Au. Take it, Anna ; this reward for a sum of long 
 division will do to hang on a chain when it is earned by 
 the lesson of music, until you have done something else 
 to earn a garnet cross, which will sparkle more brilliant- 
 ly than the eyes of this picture. 
 
 She dropped her head in confusion; whilst Maria 
 gazed at her with intense earnestness, and Mrs. Aston 
 whispered, " O, friend, spare her!" 
 
 " My dear Mrs. Aston," I replied, « it is a moment 
 worth more than a world : follow it up ; from this time 
 cease to offer bribes to your child, and wait until she 
 will find the delight of duty to be its own reward. You 
 arc all wrong. Human, selfish, idolatrous motives rule ; 
 and no love of God in Christ is set before your chil- 
 dren as the spring, and motive, and end of love and obe- 
 dience." 
 
 Mrs. A. Ah ! my dear friend, I begin to catch a 
 glimpse of my error, and thankful shall I be to see my 
 child well directed, and to be myself instructed. 
 
 Mrs. Bennet said, " I really do not know what to 
 think ; for my own part, I have always thought love the 
 best principle to inculcate ; I have found it answer my 
 purpose so far, and can desire nothing better than the 
 effect produced." 
 
 Au. Love is the best principle ; so far you are right; 
 but on what that love is to be supremely fixed, and 
 whence derived, would take us further, my dear Mrs. 
 Bennet, than you are perhaps prepared to go. 
 
 Mrs. B. I do not understand you. 
 
 Au. You would understand when you had to expe- 
 rience that you must, in important circumstances, per- 
 3 
 
26 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 haps, have to give place 1 — to be second only, in your 
 child's estimation — provided an imperious claim were 
 put upon her by a superior affection. 
 
 Mrs. B. You speak in a kind of mystery ; perhaps 
 I may comprehend you better after a few of our weekly 
 meetings. At present, I confess, my aim and my ambi- 
 tion are, that my husband and myself may be the first 
 and principal objects of regard in the hearts of my be- 
 loved children ; for this end we devote ourselves to 
 them, and adapt ourselves in every possible way to be 
 their friends, companions, and even playfellows. They 
 are satisfied with us alone, and never appear to have 
 been so happy anywhere as with us, always returning 
 from any little visit, to their parents and their home as 
 to their joy. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The origin and causes of disobedience in children. 
 
 I now found myself launched on an important duty, 
 through which I felt it would require the aid of the Holy 
 Spirit to guide me with discretion, integrity, affection, 
 and success. The extensive power and influence of the 
 holy will of God in the relative duties of parent and 
 child, filled me with contemplation; and, in imagination, 
 I had run through generation after generation under its 
 influence, until I had pictured before me a world full of 
 inhabitants with whom it was " going well." In the 
 midst of this reverie I was interrupted by a voice of vo- 
 ciferous anger, and the scream of terror which burst 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 27 
 
 from a little boy who was, it appeared, endeavouring to 
 run away from his father. 
 
 " I will, I will !" he exclaimed, and the man was an- 
 swering him, as he struck him some sharp strokes over 
 the shoulders with a rope. 
 
 "I'll teach you, you young rascal, whether I'll be 
 obeyed or not." 
 
 They were soon out of sight, entering their cottage 
 door, and closing it instantly. Thus I was brought back 
 from imagination to painful reality, and was again ex- 
 ercised in reflecting on the origin and causes of the pre- 
 valence of disobedience amongst children. 
 
 By the time I reached my own home I was impress- 
 ed with the Scripture, "Thou that teachest another, 
 teachest thou not thyself?" It awakened a review of 
 the past, from my earliest recollections ; and in tracing 
 the impressions of my own mind, the windings of my 
 ways, the consequences and effects, I had many a pang 
 of self-conviction, and many an illustration of the na- 
 tural heart, and, blessed be God, many a token of the 
 benefit of an early training to the love of my parents in 
 the love of the Lord. 
 
 These retrospections are often among the most valua- 
 ble operations of the Holy Spirit, working within, and 
 disclosing to us, from past experiences, the mysteries of 
 sin, and the unwearied faithfulness of God. I was thank- 
 ful for this counsel within my own heart, and felt both 
 more earnest and more humble in the calling before me. 
 I felt, too, that my way was opening, and I had now to 
 bring in the other friends with whom we were intimate- 
 ly associated, to make our object as generally useful as 
 possible. I thought it best to call upon them, and open- 
 ly to explain my intention, for I desired a voluntary at- 
 
28 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 tendance, wishing that, at the same time that I present- 
 ed it in an engaging manner to win their consent, it 
 should also be in such a way as to convey its serious im- 
 portance. I expected to find difficulties, but would not 
 on that account be deterred. 
 
 My first call was on Mary's parents, and when I pre- 
 sented my plan, her mother (Mrs. Conway) smiled, and 
 said — 
 
 " You have imposed upon yourself an extraordinary 
 task, I fear, and not perhaps likely to produce the end 
 desired ; for unless people will confirm precept by prac- 
 tice, little can be expected." 
 
 "True," I replied, " but in cases where the precept is 
 unknown, we are sure the practice can never be founded 
 on it." 
 
 Mr. Conway then said, " My dear friend, I do not feel 
 myself in any need of such instruction ; I have what I 
 want, the perfect obedience of my child. If at any time 
 she is tempted to express any reluctance, a look from me 
 is sufficient to establish my authority. She knows I 
 never waver ; once having said, ' Do,' she knows very 
 well it must be done ; and I have been the more parti- 
 cular on this subject, because she is our only child, and 
 I determined she should never have to blame her parents, 
 as too many only children have." 
 
 Mary was present, and listened with great attention. 
 The thing I most feared was, that her father should once 
 refuse compliance, as I knew it would then be fruitless 
 to endeavour to induce him to retract. 
 
 " At all events," I said, " you will allow the purpose 
 to be good, and being undertaken with a desire of good, 
 we may hope for a blessing. There are not many who 
 know the just use of discipline, and fewer still who 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 29 
 
 know the power of the Word of God. You would, per- 
 haps, at least be interested in seeing the effects we may- 
 expect on different characters ; and if no success were 
 to be granted, we should have this comfort, ' It was well 
 that it was in thy heart.' " 
 
 The riea of being a spectator for others, rather than 
 a hearer for himself, was a more persuasive plea ; and 
 Mary, seeing her father's countenance relax, and his 
 strong eyebrows rise, ventured to come close to me, and 
 said — 
 
 " I should like to be one of the party, papa, with my 
 companions." 
 
 Mr. Conway. Well, well, we will agree, and provided 
 I find nothing happen tending to weaken my authority, 
 we will be regular in our attendance. 
 
 " Very well," I answered, " I wish for no more. Now, 
 may Mary accompany me to Isabella's mamma, and we 
 will ask the same of her." 
 
 This request being granted, we went out, and on our 
 way, Mary asked, 
 
 " What do you mean to do ; are we to say our Cate- 
 chism ? " 
 
 Au. The Catechism may be found useful to us ; but 
 we will draw our instructions from the fountain of wis- 
 dom—the Word of God— and I trust you will find it 
 pleasant and improving. 
 
 Mary. Is it to teach us to obey our parents, that you 
 mean ? 
 
 Au. v Yes, and to honour them, and to love them. 
 
 Mary. 1 think I do obey. 
 
 Au. I am glad to see so much obedience ; but why 
 do you obey ? 
 
 Mary. Oh ! because I dare not do otherwise. In- 
 3* 
 
30 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 deed, I cannot, for my papa and mamma would soon 
 oblige me to do it. I know it is for my good, though 
 sometimes I feel it painful ; but you know I ought to 
 obey; and once when I was crying in my room, about 
 something I did not like to -do, mamma's maid Hannah 
 came so kindly to me, and showed me a ver&3 in the 
 Bible, " Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for 
 this is right;" I have never forgotten it, and then I was 
 happier, and never cried any more about that thing. 
 
 Au. Then if all your obedience were put upon that 
 ground, you would find but little occasion to cry for any 
 thing that it was your duty to do. 
 
 We were now at Mrs. Dennis' door, and Isabella, who 
 had seen our approach, flew down stairs to receive us ; 
 she took my hand, saying — 
 
 " How glad I am that you are come : mamma and 
 brother William are up stairs. Come in." 
 
 Mrs. Dennis was listening to the conversation of Wil- 
 liam as we entered. She rose to receive us with an at- 
 tempt to smile a welcome, but the sorrow of her heart 
 refused to enable her. The extreme sensibility of her 
 feelings was expressed in her pale countenance, and her 
 languid eyes, which were suffused with tears that could 
 not flow. In her widow's garments, and her two chil- 
 dren with her, she at once formed an object peculiarly 
 interesting, as respected especially the right training of 
 her darling treasures, the constant mementos of the fa- 
 ther they had lost. I felt some difficulty in intruding 
 upon her my design, but Isabella's interest and her own 
 happiness were so intimately involved in it, that I took 
 courage to make the proposal. 
 
 She paused a few moments for reflection, and at 
 length said — 
 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 31 
 
 " For my personal attendance I must beg to be ex- 
 cused ; I have neither spirits nor health at present ; and 
 for my children, I do not know what to say. I certainly 
 should not like any new ideas to be presented to them 
 that would weaken their attachment to me." 
 
 Au. I should hope you have nothing to fear on that 
 head, but rather perhaps to hope for an increase of filial 
 love and duty. 
 
 She sighed deeply, and answered, " It was my first 
 ambition to fix their chief love on their now departed 
 father. It used to give him pleasure when they express- 
 ed that their strongest love was for him. When their 
 friends used to ask them which they loved best, papa or 
 mamma, I delighted in teaching them to answer, 'Papa, 
 to be sure .' And since he is gone, I love to hear them 
 bemoan his loss in accents of complaint; but I must 
 confess, I now chiefly desire to draw their love over to 
 myself; they make now my only solace. Still I fear I 
 have myself weaned them from me too much, so that I 
 shall scarcely possess the fervour of their affection." 
 
 " Mamma, dear mamma ! " said Isabella ; " he taught 
 me a lesson yesterday that makes me love you more 
 than I ever did." And she was going to throw her arms 
 on her mother's neck, when a conscious recollection of 
 the entwining woodbine stopped the impulse. 
 
 I was much affected ; and going to her, raised her 
 arm, and laid it over the shoulder on which she longed 
 to lean. 
 
 This action gave unexpected confidence to her mo- 
 ther, and she said — 
 
 "I think, then, I must not refuse the request; and, at 
 least for a w r hile, I will permit them to attend; beg- 
 
32 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 ging you not to consider me pledged to an unrestricted 
 grant." 
 
 The manner in which my request was granted did 
 not affect me ; gaining the concession at the first, I took 
 it as an earnest that I should be allowed to prevail fur 
 the future. Isabella thanked her mamma, and said, 
 " I am very glad William is to be one of the party." 
 
 There was still another family in the neighbourhood 
 which I was anxious to gain ; but their life was so com- 
 pletely spent in the gaieties of this world, that I feared 
 obtaining any influence there would be difficult, as my 
 known habits of enforcing Bible consistency upon every 
 one called Christian, had excited the repugnance so con- 
 stantly exhibited by the lovers of pleasure towards the 
 disciples of the cross. I was sorely tempted not to make 
 a trial, but the word, " Whatsoever ye ask in my name 
 / will give it you," directed me first to apply by suppli- 
 cation to Him who gave the promise, and then to deter- 
 mine upon making my request at once, in that name, to 
 the parents of the children so greatly needing to be in- 
 structed in the will and way of the Lord. 
 
 Having returned Mary safely to her parents, I pro- 
 ceeded, and found a ready admittance. I was ushered 
 into a room where was already assembled a party ot 
 young people, who, by an extraordinary imitation of the 
 manners of their seniors were engaged with all the for- 
 mality of a grown-up party of the world. Refreshments 
 of cake, and fruit, and wine, were handing round, and I 
 was pressed to partake with them. 
 
 " With pleasure," I replied, as I accepted the offer ; 
 " and what will you say to me, if I make a request that 
 you may be allowed to join a little weekly party at my 
 house ? " 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 36 
 
 "At your house!" exclaimed a boy about fourteen 
 years old ; "that is something new; you have never 
 before made a party for us.' 
 
 Au. If the circumstance is new, I must not conceal 
 that the object also is new. It is simply this, to invite 
 young people, denominated Christians from their bap- 
 tism, to meet together for Christian conversation and 
 instruction. 
 
 There was a general gaze from all the young people, 
 and the smile of pleasure gradually changed into an ex- 
 pression of disappointment. 
 
 Mrs. Evans, the lady of the house, said, " Oh ! I un- 
 derstand you ; you have a longing desire to increase the 
 number of Methodists ; but the proposal from you on 
 any motive is so unexpected, that for the novelty's sake 
 I am inclined to give my permission, if the young peo- 
 ple think it will be any pleasure to them." 
 
 Silence from them indicated, that they would rather 
 have been helped to an apology. 
 
 Au. I I will not press my suit : I have freely made my 
 request, and freely say it is for Christ's sake ; and those 
 among you, my dear young friends, who think they love 
 that name, will, I doubt not, afford me the pleasure of 
 seeing them. 
 
 There were not many faces that were not immediate- 
 ly overspread with a conscious blush ; though there was 
 a little variety in their different countenances, expressive 
 of different kinds and degrees of feeling. 
 
 Turning to Mrs. Evans, I said, " I have no more to 
 add, my dear madam, at present; I have explained the 
 object of my call, and will not obtrude any longer ;" and 
 taking leave, I returned homewards. 
 
 Comforted by the success so far obtained, I ruminated 
 
34 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 much, on my way, and longed extremely to blend with 
 my party some of my brethren of low degree, but, on 
 reflection, I thought it best to commence in the way of a 
 distinct class, until 1 had won a little on my friends to 
 understand the importance of the command, in its influ- 
 ence on all ranks of men; for it is to man that God has 
 adapted his holy laws. He is no respecter of persons ; 
 he has brought all into an equality in his sight, first, by 
 showing the whole world to be guilty before him, and 
 then, in the adoption by Christ into the family of God. 
 He has thus spoken to them who are in him : " Let the 
 brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, and 
 the rich in that he is made low." James 1. 9, 10. 
 
 I expected a visit from my sister, and hoped she would 
 be in time to make one of the party at its commence- 
 ment. She was one who had endeavoured to irame her 
 conduct towards her family upon the counsels of the 
 Word of God, and with the view to his holy command ; 
 and though of modest and retired habits, I hoped to in- 
 duce her to take some part in my plan. Her young fa- 
 mily was an interesting specimen of the blessing of this 
 plan of education, and manifested the power of early 
 religious instruction on the conduct of those children 
 who are trained up in the way they should go ; though 
 their dispositions were various. I was therefore truly 
 happy to find that she had arrived during my absence. 
 Her sweet children were watching my return, from the 
 window, and were soon clinging around me, seeking my 
 caresses and expressing their own pleasure. My sister, 
 though not so rapid in her movements, was shortly one 
 with us, and the children gave way by a general impulse 
 until their mother had received my welcome ; and whilst 
 the youngest boy took my hand, the daughter attached 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE 35 
 
 The next morning I had the early assistance of mv 
 young relatives in making preparations Z 7fc Y 
 
 of our expected ^ ^S^SS^ 
 
 Dartv'Th. f ' What Sha11 r d0 »> so large a 
 
 nv Tor w f ^. ta ' acc »«°™ed to such a cola 
 , ny, for we live so retired, that I really shall „„, 7 
 i how to behave." y not know 
 
 "You will naturally behave as you ought to do m „ 
 
 I ness of others." Promote tne happi- 
 
 AwfeA Yes, mamma, I am aware of that • h„# 
 
 whom I shall be mixed th ° Se Wlth 
 
36 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 difficult If you unaffectedly desire to be no more than 
 you are, you will be devoid of a care which would en- 
 snare you. Seek not to please others by conformity to 
 them: first ascertain to whom they are conformed, and 
 be you conformed to the one pattern set before us in the 
 Word of God. 
 
 Louisa. True, mamma, I know the advice is good, 
 and though I still feel a fear of difficulty, I will en- 
 deavour to bear it in mind, and will try to put it in 
 
 practice. 
 
 7V/ rs . . As your uncle's niece, you will be ex- 
 pected to show attention to all the party. Be, therefore, 
 courteous, be kind, as the Apostle exhorts ; but be steady 
 and consistent to the principles you have imbibed; re- 
 member to whose service you are dedicated. 
 
 Louisa received the advice with attentive observation, 
 and it was evident that she was a girl who was accus- 
 tomed to hear the instructions of her father, and to for- 
 sake not the law of her mother. The lesson did not ap- 
 pear to impose any restraint upon her ; she received it 
 as the word of wisdom and of love, in which she per- 
 fectly agreed ; though she felt the natural workings of 
 the heart; and perceiving that her mother had conclu- 
 ded her remarks, she looked at her with a smile of affec- 
 tionate confidence, without continuing the subject. ' 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 37 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Incidents at the first evening's meeting.— Author's 
 views of the scope and application of the Com- 
 mandments; and of the duty of very early attention 
 to forming religious character of children. 
 
 My party was now fast forming, and my sister agree- 
 ing to receive the young people, I was the more at liber- 
 ty to attend to the seniors, all of whom assembled ; and 
 Mrs. Evans introduced her friends, Mr. and Mrs. Gra- 
 ham, saying, " I have taken this liberty, as my friends 
 arrived unexpectedly. Having named to them the no- 
 velty of the engagement this evening, they declared they 
 would not detain me at home, but would much like to 
 be admitted here; and besides, it will answer your pur- 
 pose, as they have a fine family of children." 
 
 My welcome was sincere to all, and I offered coffee 
 early, that we might have a more uninterrupted evening. 
 Mrs. Evans seemed full of curiosity, and addressing a 
 lady near her, said — 
 
 " I feel a little as if I had come to school • I declare I 
 have a kind of fear that the papas and mammas are to be 
 lectured as well as the boys and girls." 
 
 " I should not be sorry were it so," she replied, " for I 
 really feel my own deficiencies." 
 
 " Oh ! but really, I hope at least," she said, laughing, 
 J? we shall not be catechised ; absolutely, I do not know 
 whether I could repeat one of the commandments cor- 
 rectly ; and as to understanding them, you know, that 
 belongs to people of a certain turn of mind, who see 
 4 
 
38 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 in them so much spirituality, as they call it, that they 
 make the whole a mystery." 
 
 " May I," I said, " be permitted to remark upon your 
 observation?" 
 
 Mrs. Evans. O yes, (shrugging her shoulders,) cer- 
 tainly. 
 
 Au. I do first assure you, my dear madam, I intend 
 not to catechise ; but you observed something which im- 
 plied a difficulty in understanding the Commandments ; 
 I really think, did you reflect upon them without prejudice 
 against the spiritual meaning, you would find them very 
 ' intelligible to plain common sense : every one of them 
 is expressed in the simplest language; the reason of the 
 difficulties which appear to some so very great, is to be 
 found in the ignorance of the natural mind of its own 
 state : therefore it is that the prohibitions appear hard or 
 useless, and the positive injunctions either easy or indif- 
 ferent. For instance, we will take the fifth command- 
 ment, as it is on that subject we are particularly inter- 
 ested at present. " Honour thy father and thy mother, 
 that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord 
 thy God giveth thee." Here is a simple command that 
 children should show a dutiful and respectful deference 
 to their parents. What can be more simple ? its literal 
 sense is easily comprehended ; how many hundred times 
 have we all repeated or heard it, and never questioned 
 the plain meaning, but we have for the most part heard it 
 in vain. We esteemed it, perhaps, easy and indifferent, 
 and so we never made an endeavour to give an example of 
 it, by framing our conduct after its rule. Then there is a 
 promise attached, which is seldom attended to, of long 
 life in the land given by the Lord our God. Why do 
 we not attend to it ? We naturally love long life ; are na- 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 39 
 
 turally desirous to dwell long in our land } but we for- 
 get the Author and Preserver of life, and live as though 
 our days were our own; and the land which the Lord 
 giveth, we esteem not as peculiar ; or if we do, as only 
 peculiar to the Jews, and then reason that the promise 
 belongs not to the Gentiles. There is a strange pro- 
 pensity in human nature, to retain the command, and 
 cut off the promise ; but if by faith we are engrafted 
 into the true Israel's stock, we partake of their privileges 
 both of law and promise, I mention this, only to show 
 that the literal and obvious meaning are perfectly com- 
 prehensible to our minds, but the objection against them 
 is their constraining authority. 
 
 u Whatever objections to their authority we may our- 
 selves have felt," said Mr. Conway, " I think we should 
 all like our children at least to be sensible of it, and to 
 reap the advantage in their obedience." 
 
 Au. Doubtless, for without obedience where is the 
 authority ; and without authority and obedience, where 
 is the happiness of a family ? or where is the hope of 
 the promise ? It should be a very affecting consideration 
 to parents who desire the blessing and happiness of their 
 children, that, if they are running a course of disobedi- 
 ence and disrespect, they not only transgress the com- 
 mandment, but forfeit the application of the promise. 
 
 Mr. Conway. I confess I have considered the neces- 
 sity of obedience singly, as right and proper, without 
 attaching any importance to the promise : I see it is an 
 error. 
 
 Au. A great one : for enforced authority, merely on 
 human motives, for present expediency, is a selfish act- 
 ing ; consulting, perhaps, chiefly our own present com- 
 fort, and mere worldly morality. 
 
40 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Mr. Conway. I should like to have a little explana- 
 tion of that idea. 
 
 Au. I think we ought well to consider all the respon- 
 sibilities belonging to a parent, to open out to his child 
 all the revelation of God, concerning their nature and 
 the end proposed by their birth into this world ; to lead 
 them on to a preparation for an eternal existence in an- 
 other world ; to show them their sinful nature ; to point 
 out to them the redeeming blood of Jesus ; to declare 
 the power of the Holy Ghost ; and thus manifest the 
 love of the Father ; to teach them, that while all things 
 here are temporal, yet that they have essential and im- 
 portant duties belonging to them ; and that, on earth, 
 we are to be as pilgrims, seeking for a better country. 
 
 Mr. Conway. You are proposing instructions only 
 calculated for mature and reflecting minds, and which 
 would be very difficult to give, in their juvenile days. 
 
 Au. I beg pardon, they are just as simple as the com- 
 mandment ; we need not shackle ourselves, and rob our 
 children, by ideas of our own invention, which they can- 
 not understand: adapt your language, if you please, to 
 the capacity of your child ; but, I believe, you will al- 
 ways find the plain scripture words the easiest to be un- 
 derstood. By early teaching them to look to God in 
 Jesus, you perform one great parental duty, which is 
 that of loosing them from this world, and fixing their 
 attention at least on that which is to come. 
 
 Mr. Conway. But what has this to do with obedi- 
 ence? 
 
 Au. Much ; for you give them the highest object for 
 obedience, so constraining where it is duly impressed, 
 that the commands from you which they would be in- 
 clined to resist, are enforced upon their consciences by 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 41 
 
 the scripture admonition of the Lord, " Children, obey 
 your parents in the Lord ;" and that they are led to 
 bend unto, and implicitly obey as right; 
 
 Mr. Conway. It appears to me, that you put the au- 
 thority of the parent too much in the back ground. 
 
 Au. I put it second to that of God ; and whatever 
 parent will desire to be the supreme authority to his 
 child, will find, to his discomfort, that he will be beneath 
 every rising passion of the child. If a parent makes 
 self supreme, there is at once a rivalry between him and 
 the child, each taking the same god, self; the conten- 
 tion is endless and hopeless ; and then, when forced to 
 try, as another method, and merely as secondary, the 
 authority of God, the child looks upon it as a scheme, 
 adopted for a present purpose, and as a sure indication 
 that it has gained a point. Be, therefore, yourselves 
 subject to the authority of God, refer your children con- 
 stantly to the same, and you preserve an eternal, un- 
 changeable principle and motive, established and settled 
 in the Lord. 
 
 Here Mrs. Aston asked, "How early would you begin 
 this system with your children ? " 
 
 Au. Before I reply to this inquiry, I would ask one 
 question :— How early do you begin to train your chil- 
 dren for the station you expect them to fill in the world? 
 
 Mrs. Aston. I can scarcely say, because we do not 
 always, perhaps, make up our minds what they shall be, 
 at the same period. 
 
 Au. A thought has often been presented to my mind, 
 by the evident delight a parent takes in observing the 
 different traits of character in his child. A father, for 
 instance, has, perhaps, a predilection for some particu- 
 lar profession for his boy ; he has interest in some way 
 4* 
 
42 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 which he hopes to realize : then, if his son is designed 
 for the sea, or the army, with what pleasure he notices 
 his inclination to climb, calls him a "sailor," a "jolly- 
 tar," &c. ; how he promotes his inclinations by buying 
 him toys suited to inspire correspondent feelings; he 
 gives him guns and cannons, a red coat ; commends a 
 military air ; talks of marching, sailing, fighting. If for 
 sedentary professions, how he urges his plodding over 
 his book. If for trade, how he inculcates the necessity 
 of all the rules of calculation and money-getting. Then 
 see a mother : if her daughter is designed to move in a 
 genteel sphere, how carefully she supplies her with one 
 or two nurses or attendants ; how attentive to her dress ; 
 how watchful for lady-like manners, for polished accent 
 of speech ; she desires she should be a rich, a great lady, 
 and studies to adorn her with every accomplishment, 
 repressing all inclinations derogatory to her fancied dig- 
 nity ; and labours to inculcate ideas suited to the station 
 she expects her to fill. This is true — is it not ? 
 
 " O yes, quite true, certainly," proceeded from every 
 mouth. 
 
 Au. If I ask how early this begins, you, perhaps, can 
 answer me. I believe it will be generally acknowledged 
 to be from the cradle, and, I would add, before they are 
 cradled, before they breathe the air of the world into 
 which they are about to enter. I think it, though a 
 pleasing sight, yet an affecting one, when I see a mother 
 making her preparations for her expected offspring. 
 With what extreme interest she prepares all its little 
 habiliments ; how she delights to ornament them by eve- 
 ry execution of the needle ; how she contemplates them ; 
 how she imagines them filled with the little body; pic- 
 tures its head in the little cap, and its arms in the little 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 43 
 
 sleeves ; till she almost realizes its presence, and in the 
 fondest feelings anticipates its life. 
 
 "All this, you know," said Mrs. Bennet, "is quite na- 
 tural, and as it ought to be." 
 
 Au. Quite natural ; and so much as it ought to be, 
 that the animals will not yield the superiority to you in 
 this respect, God himself having endowed them with 
 the same instinctive fondness for their progeny, and the 
 same careful desire to provide for them. The dens of 
 the beasts— the nests of the birds — their labour and self- 
 denial for their provision, all display the wonderful wis- 
 dom of God, and are a lively specimen of, perhaps, the 
 purest natural affection : but, let it be remembered, these 
 fulfil the whole of their duty ; they are creatures with 
 nothing but natural life; for man's transgressions they 
 are become subject to death, and in consequence perish; 
 they have no other duty than to protect and bring up 
 their young, until they are able to care for themselves. 
 That this is the whole of their duty, is shown by the 
 wisdom of God having ordained that thenceforward they 
 are loosed from any sense of natural ties ; the parents' 
 care ceaseth, and the dependance of their offspring also 
 ceaseth, knowing each other no longer in this connec- 
 tion of nature. 
 
 Mrs, Aston. What do you mean to convey to us by 
 this reference to the animal creation 1 
 
 Au. That however you may please yourself with the 
 notion of superior love to your children by this expres- 
 sion and display of care, you cannot boast of more than 
 what the inferior creatures evince; and if we put you in 
 comparison, you fall greatly short, for they perform 
 their whole duty ; but if you go no further than this, 
 you leave the principal part of your's undone. 
 
44 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Mrs. Aston. What is that principal part 1 
 
 Au. I wish parents would reflect upon the nature of 
 their offspring — that their component parts are body, 
 soul, and spirit— that the body is mortal for sin, and that 
 the soul is immortal from the breath of God— that the 
 body, therefore, should be subject, to the interests of the 
 soul, for, by the deeds of the body, shall it be judged. 
 Therefore, the first and principal part of your duty is, 
 to promote the safety of the soul, and to endeavour to 
 make provision for that as the grand object and end of 
 all your solicitude. The final well-being of the body is 
 dependent on the well-being of the soul ; and let parents 
 who boast their love, remember how fatally they will 
 fail to prove it, if they neglect this pre-eminent evidence 
 of having taught them whom to fear, even Him who 
 hath power to cast both body and soul into hell. 
 
 Mrs. Evans, who seemed exceedingly uneasy at this 
 turn in the conversation, rather abruptly broke the 
 thread, by saying, " I think we have wandered from the 
 subject, which, if I mistake not, was the obedience of 
 children, and not the duty of parents." 
 
 Au. My dear madam, it is with the distinct view of 
 the original subject that I have thus diverged a little into 
 the duty of parents, in order to show how intimately 
 they are connected, and what a preparation may be made 
 by the parent towards the great object of the fifth com- 
 mandment of God : and I believe we may learn much 
 from considering one peculiarity in the commandment, 
 which is, that whilst there is one commandment espe- 
 cially directed to children, there is not one specifically 
 named as belonging to parents. We should, therefore, 
 remember, that to each it is binding. The age has no- 
 thing to do with it. It belongs to all, of whatever age 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 45 
 
 or station, to honour their father and mother; and the 
 preceding commandments, directing our individual 
 duty to God, if attended to by the seniors, will be the 
 best security for their being blessed to their children. 
 " 1 am a jealous God," saith the Lord, " visiting the 
 sin of the fathers upon the children unto the third 
 and fourth generation of them that hate me, and show- 
 ing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and 
 keep My Commandments." A lively interest in God 
 in your own bosoms, would lead you to fear his wrath 
 on your children, and to covet his mercy for them. I 
 would be understood to contend for this one thing, that 
 the parent's care for his children should begin in devo- 
 tion to God, and surely I should ask no unreasonable 
 thing, that it should begin as early at least as the pre- 
 paration for the comfort of their bodies. 
 
 Mrs. Aston. But how is this to be done ? 
 
 Au. By dedication of yourself to God. By bending 
 the suppliant knee at the throne of grace, imploring for 
 the child about to be born into this wicked world, a pre- 
 paration of grace. By beseeching the Lord to take it 
 into his gracious charge, to instruct you in wisdom and 
 holiness, to train up the child in the way it should go. 
 To aspire to its being an heir of heaven, and imploring 
 the riches of Christ to prepare and adorn it in a readi- 
 ness for the glorious privilege, coveting nothing earthly, 
 but earnestly wrestling for heavenly blessings. Making 
 the everlasting salvation of your children your intense 
 desire, and proving it to be so by the care, example, 
 education, and direction of them, when born and given 
 into your arms. Whilst hanging on ihe breast, let them, 
 as it were, draw in the internal sigh of your bosom for 
 pardoning mercy and sanctifying grace; and provide 
 
46 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 for them, as they grow in years, whatever instruction 
 or holy helps may tend to fix their minds on the high 
 destination of the children of God ; enriching their souls 
 with the word of God, and teaching them to pray for 
 the enlightening grace of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 " Really, my dear sir," Mrs. Evans again interrupted, 
 " you appal me by your language, but yet, I confess, 
 you interest me ; only it is anything but amusement." 
 
 Au. If it be profitable, we can lay by amusement, for 
 a little, without much loss. 
 
 Mrs. Aston. I should like to know if any mother has 
 ever done thus ? 
 
 Au. I have the unspeakable pleasure of knowing 
 some who have ; few, indeed ; but I have w r atched the 
 case for many years, and know its blessed results ; but 
 we can turn immediately to some scripture examples. 
 If you read the history of the promise of a son to Ma- 
 noah and his wife, Judges xiii., you will find an ex- 
 ceedingly interesting illustration of the subject; one to 
 which I would always wish to direct the attention of 
 every parent. With the promise there was given a di- 
 rection from the angel of the Lord, how Manoah's wife 
 should conduct herself: "Now, therefore, beware, I pray 
 thee, that thou drink not wine nor strong drink, and cat 
 not any unclean thing." This enjoined, through typical 
 observances, the watchful circumspection of the mother, 
 and renunciation of all sin, and that particularly not only 
 on her own account, but on account of the son she 
 should bear. The child's destination, too, was declared 
 to be that of a Nazarite from the womb, that is, devoted 
 to God. When she relates the circumstance to her hus- 
 band, in the 7th verse, she marks that she was duly im- 
 pressed with her duty to obey the injunction j neither 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 47 
 
 does she forget to relate the destination of the child. 
 Then Manoah entreated the Lord, and said, " O my 
 God, let the man of God, whom thou didst send, come 
 again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the 
 child that shall be born." And again, in the 12th verse, 
 " How shall we order the child, and how shall we do 
 unto him?'''' which draws again the duties of the mother 
 forth, with this solemn conclusion : " All that I com- 
 manded her, let her observe." And in the 24th verse 
 we are told, the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. 
 In the first chapter of Samuel, we read of Hannah's 
 conduct ; her earnest desire for a child was presented to 
 the Lord, in his place of worship ; she said to Eli, " I 
 have poured out my soul before the Lord ;" and Eli 
 said, " Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thee thy 
 petition that thou hast asked of him." And when she 
 bore a son, she called him Samuel, "because I have 
 asked him of the Lord." And she bore in mind her 
 promise to give him up unto the Lord all the days of 
 his life : and when she had weaned him, she said, " I 
 will bring him that he may appear before the Lord, 
 and there abide for ever." And she took him up to 
 the Lord with her offerings, and said, " For this child I 
 prayed, and the Lord hath given me my petition which 
 I asked of him, therefore, also, I have lent Mm to the 
 Lord : as long as he liveth he shall be lent unto the 
 Lord: and he worshipped the Lord there." There are 
 some other instances in scripture, from which we learn 
 the same; as in the case of Jeremiah ; in that of Eliza- 
 beth, the mother of John the Baptist ; and, above all, of 
 the Virgin Mary ; their retreat being, doubtless, that of 
 devotional preparation of soul for the great maternal 
 privileges to which they were appointed. 
 
48 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Mrs. Aston. But, you must confess, these were all 
 very particular cases, where the offspring were evidently 
 appointed of God to peculiar offices. 
 
 Au. That is very true. But why should not every 
 mother seek to be highly honoured in being the blessed 
 instrument of bringing a child of God into the world, 
 and of receiving into her own bosom the hope of it, by 
 earnest prayer to the Lord, who giveth liberally and 
 upbraideth not ; and why should they not continually 
 say, " Lord, teach us what we shall do to this child V 
 li How shall we order the child?" 
 
 Mrs. Aston. Then, it seems, you would make the 
 child's obedience dependent on the parent's devotion. 
 
 Au. Not dependent ; there is no dependence but in 
 God, for this pious disposition ; but it (as a means) must 
 be greatly facilitated by a proper direction of the mind, 
 and reference to God ; and it is an arduous thing for a 
 child to learn to honour those in whom he sees not the 
 principle calculated to inspire him with respect and 
 honour. If you would have your children honour and 
 obey you, you should seek to exhibit before them that 
 which is honourable, and to lay upon them those com- 
 mands which are agreeable to the mind and will of God. 
 There is a promise to parents who so act : " Train up a 
 child in the way he should go, and when he is old he 
 will not depart from it." Nevertheless, the duty of the 
 child is imperious ; he is to honour and obey in the 
 Lord, as father and ?nother, for there is sufficient claim 
 in all to this duty, on the ground of the natural right 
 they possess, and the natural protection they extend. 
 
 " I am glad," said Mrs. Conway, " you have come to 
 this conclusion, as it brings out the practical part of the 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 49 
 
 duty, and engages me more to look into the other argu- 
 ments you have used." 
 
 Au. I too am glad that you feel so engaged ; but let 
 us all recollect the faith and grace it requires to apply 
 the precept, in hope of the promise, to a practical effect 
 on our own hearts. But we are forgetting the flight of 
 time ; we must not neglect our engagement to the 
 young people in the other room. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Author's conversation with his little party about obey- 
 ing" as a proof of love to Jesus ; — about the Law 
 and the Gospel ; — and the meaning of " honouring 
 our father and mother." 
 
 When we entered the room, we found a fine assem- 
 bly of children of different ages, from about six to fif- 
 teen years. They had just finished their refreshments, 
 and were beginning to arrange themselves according to 
 their own fancy, choosing their seats near to their own 
 favourite companions, and it was not a little curious to 
 see how, by this means, they had unconsciously classed 
 themselves. They all rose at our entrance, and showed 
 the exterior mark of respect for their seniors, whether 
 it were prompted by innate feeling, or inculcated by 
 education. 
 
 " Welcome, my dear young friends," I said, as I ap- 
 proached them ; "but let me survey my little flock, and 
 endeavour to know each particularly. This is the Good 
 Shepherd's plan, as we read in the tenth chapter of 
 5 
 
50 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE, 
 
 John: — 'I am the Good Shepherd, and I know my 
 sheep, and am known of mine.' So let us, in the name 
 of that Good Shepherd, know each other. I see William, 
 and Isabella, Maria, Anna, Mary, Louisa, and her bro- 
 thers Charles and George. I think, too, I see all the 
 party I invited at Mrs. Evans', one, two, three, four, five, 
 six, seven, eight ; and, besides, some countenances new 
 to me; may I beg them to be introduced ?" 
 
 Mrs. Evans stepped forward, and said, " These are 
 three children of my friends, Mr. and Mrs. Graham." 
 
 " So I have just nineteen. Now observe, I count you 
 like young sheep ; I know you each by name, and a 
 shepherd always desires to keep up his flock ; to lose 
 none ; desirous to give in his account, presenting them 
 to his master. How beautiful is that assurance we have 
 in Scripture, that the Lord Jesus will keep his own. 
 He laid down his life to keep them, and therefore he 
 will say when he presents them to the Father, ' Behold 
 I and the children whom thou hast given me.' ' Of all 
 that thou hast given me have I lost none.' 
 
 " In His name may we be assembled and held toge- 
 ther, for the sacred purpose of learning how to manifest 
 true love to Him ! " 
 
 (This easy address calmed the agitation which was 
 visible in some, fearing they knew not what; and those 
 with whom I had before been acquainted, looked pleased 
 to be thus welcomed.) 
 
 " In the fourteenth chapter of John, at the fifteenth 
 verse, Jesus thus speaks to his disciples : — " If ye 
 love me, keep my commandments." With this persua- 
 sive plea, how sweet do the commandments of the Lord 
 appear ! They are thus laid by the Gospel on the basis 
 of love. Obedience is named as the proof of love to 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 51 
 
 Jesus. Now, my dear Maria, does not this accord with 
 your motto, *' All for love ?'" 
 
 She smiled, and said, " Yes." 
 
 Au. And though you thought that "Honour thy 
 father and mother" sounded so cold, you see it is a 
 commandment to be kept for love. 
 
 She smiled again. 
 
 Au. We may now turn to the twenty-first verse, and 
 we shall see a further explanation, which is to put our 
 love to the proof. We cannot keep anything, you know, 
 which we do not possess ; we must first have it ; and we 
 cannot attempt to keep a command of which we know 
 nothing — we must first know it. So we read, " He that 
 hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that 
 loveth me." When we love the Lord, we shall inquire 
 after his! will — what he would have us to do. We shall 
 receive our instruction, and we shall endeavour to keep 
 it. It is a proof of the Lord's grace to us when he 
 gives us his commands, and acquaints us with his will ; 
 and it is a proof of our love to him, when we receive 
 and keep his gifts. You wear in your bosom, Maria, a 
 token of your own and your father's mutual love. I 
 dare say you asked for it ; he gave it, and you keep it : 
 but if, like Anna, we receive a gift, and lose it, it is not 
 like true disinterested love. The commandments of God 
 are a kind of picture of our God ; he is holy, just, 
 and good, and they are holy, just, and good ; and when 
 we lose them, and would substitute any other thing in 
 their place, we are at once proved to be without love ; 
 for it is written in the twenty-fourth verse, " He that lov- 
 eth me not, keepeth not my sayings." 
 
 Now, there is another thing in love — it cannot be sa- 
 tisfied without a return ; therefore, it is promised to them 
 
52 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 that love the Lord, in the twenty-first verse, ( He that 
 loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love 
 him.' Here is a rich promise, repeated in the twenty- 
 third verse : ' If a man love me, he will keep my words, 
 and my Father will love him, and we will come unto 
 him, and make our abode with him.' But I will ask 
 Louisa a question : — 
 
 Is this love to God natural to us? 
 
 Louisa. No, uncle, for St. John says, " Herein is 
 
 Au. True, the source of love is God. " God is love." 
 And it is written in the second chapter of I John, " Who- 
 so keepeth his word, in him, verily, is the love of God 
 perfected. Hereby know we that we are in Him." 
 What I desire, my dear young friends, to convey to you 
 in this view, is, that we have the blessed privilege of be- 
 ing under the law to Christ, (1 Cor. ix. 21.) whom to 
 serve is perfect freedom ; all whose commands are in 
 love ; and who giveth the principle of love as the spring 
 of the obedience of faith. 
 
 Tell me, now, dear Mary, what is the fifth command- 
 ment ? 
 
 Mary. " Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy 
 days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God 
 giveth thee." 
 
 Au. Where was it given ? 
 
 Mary. At Mount Sinai, in the wilderness. 
 
 Au. To whom was it given ? 
 
 Mary. To all the children of Israel 1 
 
 Au. And at what time ? 
 
 Mary hesitated, not being ready with a reply ; and 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 53 
 
 €harles modestly said, " Just after they had been deli- 
 vered from Egypt." 
 
 Au. Do you remember what the land of Egypt was 
 called by the Lord ? 
 
 Mary. Do you mean, uncle, at the time he gave the 
 ten commandments ? 
 
 Au. I do. 
 
 Mary. " The house of bondage," do you mean ? 
 
 Au. Yes ; by which I mean to show, that when the 
 ten commandments were given, the Israelites were in a 
 state of redemption, and that the law was given to them 
 as to a people freed from the bondage of Egypt ; the ten 
 commandments being prefaced by this declaration — " I 
 am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the 
 land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." And they 
 were no sooner put under the law than they had, be- 
 sides, the types of the Gospel in Jesus, through the 
 blood of the slain lamb. So the terrors of the strictness 
 of the law were softened by the provision of the typical 
 sacrifice without spot or blemish, offered as an atone- 
 ment; so that even then, they who had faith might be 
 said to be under the law to Christ, which it is said, 
 {Gal. iii. 19.) was ordained by angels in the hand of a 
 Mediator. 
 
 If the law was given to the children of Israel, why do 
 we, as Gentiles, take it to ourselves ? 
 
 "Because," Charles answered, "we are children of 
 Abraham by faith ; we are grafted into the olive-tree of 
 the Jews, and partake of the fatness of the olive." 
 
 Au. It is so ; and, moreover, when we believe, we are 
 
 redeemed from out of the wicked world — out of the 
 
 house of bondage ; for Egypt, which was a literal plaee 
 
 of bondage to the Jews, is a typical representation of the 
 
 5* 
 
54 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 world, which is our place of bondage ; Satan being the 
 prince of this world, and he that puts hard yokes on 
 the necks of those who dwell in it. 
 
 Do you remember how the children of Israel were de- 
 livered ? 
 
 George said, " With a high hand, and a stretched -out 
 arm, and with great power." 
 
 Au. Yes, George; and, moreover, with blood. The 
 Lord redeemed them, saving them from the destroying 
 angel. They were ordered to slay the Lamb for the sa- 
 crifice, of the passover — to sprinkle the blood on their 
 houses, which was the token of the salvation by which 
 they were sanctified to the Lord, and separated from 
 the Egyptians. They were to eat of the Lamb with 
 their loins girt and their staff in their hand, ready to set 
 out on their pilgrimage. They were then brought out, 
 led through the Red Sea, and were in a state of peculiar 
 and distinguishing privileges, by the blood of the cove- 
 nant, when the commandments were given to them, 
 They were under the promise which was given to Abra- 
 ham, and under the same covenant ; but the law was 
 added — do you know why? 
 
 George. Yes, uncle ; it was added because of trans- 
 gressions. Gal. iii. 19. 
 
 Au. What is the use of the law ? 
 
 George. By the law is the knowledge of sin, Horn. 
 iii. 20. 
 
 Au. Has the law any other office ? 
 
 George. Yes ; as a schoolmaster, to bring us to 
 Christ. Gal. iii. 24. 
 
 Au. True ; when the Lord saith by the law, " Do 
 this and live," we find out the sin which prevents our 
 doing it, and hinders our living by it j then we are led 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 55 
 
 to lament our sin, and say, " O wretched man that I am I" 
 Feeling that there is an inward bondage, from which 
 we need to be made free, we are led to inquire, Who 
 shall deliver me from this body of death — a death more 
 fearful than that which was seen in Egypt, when the 
 first-born in every house was slain, but from which the 
 children of Israel were delivered. This is not a destroy- 
 ing angel, but the very body of death — the sin in our- 
 selves. The Lord brings us to the knowledge of this, 
 and also brings us to lament and inquire, as the Apostle 
 did, "Who shall deliver me?" Bom. vi. 24. Then 
 comes the application of Jesus' grace, and we find our 
 deliverance in him : " I thank God, through Jesus 
 Christ our Lord !" I do not know whether you un- 
 derstand my reason for introducing this argument. Can 
 you tell me what you understand by it, Charles ? 
 
 Charles seemed, by his countenance, which he stead- 
 fastly fixed on mine, as if he were endeavouring to ga- 
 ther up the thread ; and all the others looked towards 
 $um, waiting his reply. At length he said — 
 
 " Is it for the purpose of teaching us to look at the 
 £aw without dread ; seeing that, though by it is the 
 knowledge of sin, yet it, as a schoolmaster, brings us to 
 Christ Jesus, who delivers us from the curse of the 
 law?" 
 
 An. Yes, that is one purpose. What is the curse of 
 the law ? 
 
 Charles. Death for breaking it. " Thou shalt die." 
 
 Au. How did Jesus Christ deliver us from this 
 curse 1 
 
 Charles. By dying for us. He was made sin for ue; 
 he bare our sins in his own body on the tree. 
 
56 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Au. But Christ also delivers us from the bondage 
 of the law. What is the bondage of the law ? 
 
 Charles. \ do not think I can clearly tell you. 
 
 An. The bondage of the law is the condition it pro- 
 poses for life, " Do this and live." That is the bond- 
 age of the law. Does the Lord Jesus ever direct us to 
 such conditions'? 
 
 " No," said Louisa; " He once answered the Pharisee 
 according to these words, Matt. xix. 16 — 22; but that 
 was to convince him of sin, and to leave him without 
 excuse, when he had asked, ' Good master, what shall / 
 do to inherit eternal life ? ' " 
 
 Au. In what way, then, does the Lord Jesus pro- 
 pose life to us ? 
 
 Louisa. O, very differently, uncle. He says, " Who- 
 soever believeth in me hath eternal life." And He says, 
 at the same time, why we shall die, in that scripture, 
 John iii. 36. And I have often thought how different it 
 is from the conditions of life and death in the law. " He 
 that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life ; and 
 he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the 
 wrath of God abideth on him." 
 
 Au. Thank you, my dear Louisa, for communicating 
 your thoughts. We are now come to a clear point of 
 understanding as to the proper use and application of the 
 law ; which is very important to us, as I desire so much 
 to fix one of the commandments of the law at this time 
 so particularly on your attention ; namely, the fifth — 
 " Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may 
 be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." 
 Therefore you will all, I hope, my dear young friends, 
 bear in mind, that I do not impress it on you as a con- 
 dition of life, but as a proof of love to the Lord Jesus 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 57 
 
 — " If you love me, keep my commandments." Indeed, 
 it would be an absurdity so to do, for he that loveth the 
 Lord is loved of God, and has already received the 
 principle of eternal life from the gift of God himself. 
 
 Mary, who appeared to gather a little confidence from 
 seeing the easy manner in which my sister's children 
 answered my questions, in a very diffident tone of voice, 
 said, " But is there not a condition of life belonging to 
 the fifth commandment, when it says, ' that thy days 
 may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giv- 
 eththee?'" 
 
 Delighted to find her mind engaged in discriminating 
 the subject, I could not help showing my pleasure by an 
 involuntary smile, which raised a blush for a moment, 
 from consciousness of the encouragement. 
 
 Au. Your question will soon be answered, my dear 
 Mary, by referring to the Apostle's description : he calls 
 it, the first commandment with promise. Reflect now 
 on the difference between a condition and a promise^ 
 and I will try to help you to distinguish them. 
 
 All the commandments had the condition, " Do this 
 and live ;" but it is peculiar to the fifth commandment 
 to have a promise annexed to it, such as is not given to 
 the others. It is written, God is not unrighteous to for- 
 get our work and labour of love. He has a reward of 
 grace ; he suffers our obedience to be regarded as a proof 
 of love and grace, and grants that the works of the 
 saved shall follow them. Rev. xiv. 13. But they are no 
 conditions by which we live, or for which we live ; had 
 it been so, it had been no more a 'promise. He in His 
 own grace is pleased to hold out a promise, which is His 
 own free offer and gift, to which we have no right nor 
 claim of ourselves. Besides, it is not the life that is in 
 
58 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Jesus, which is here promised upon our attention to the 
 fifth commandment; that is secured to us on another 
 foundation, even Jesus himself. We find the Lord fre- 
 quently setting promises before us for fruits of grace and 
 faith. The promises are the earnests of the inherit- 
 ance which we possess in Christ Jesus, and the fruits 
 of grace show to us the character of the people who are 
 to be inheritors. Do you understand the distinction 
 better ? 
 
 Mary. I think I do. 
 
 Au. You must be always careful to distinguish a pro- 
 mise from a condition. If you seek to keep the law as 
 a condition, you will either be an ignorant Pharisee, 
 supposing yourself righteous in your own works; or 
 you will be cast down in despair, in finding how far you 
 come short of the righteousness of the law. If you re- 
 member the commandment as one of love and promise, 
 you will be free in your obedience ; and encouraged to 
 perseverance, by a fear of disregarding the promise. 
 There is much more to be said on this subject, but at 
 present I will go no further. 
 
 Then, after a little pause, I looked round on all my 
 little company, for some of them seemed a little over- 
 powered by this long reasoning. "Now tell me, my dear 
 young people, do you not already feel drawn to love the 
 fifth commandment •? especially as you may consider it 
 so closely connected with your daily, hourly duty to 
 your own dear earthly parents ; whom you ought to love 
 and obey, and who love you so intensely, that they al 
 ways seek your benefit and happiness, according to their 
 persuasion of what shall most contribute to them?" 
 
 There appeared a general assent to my appeal, some 
 whispered a little "Yes," others raised their eyes to seek 
 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 59 
 
 the countenances of their parents who were present, 
 and others appeared to be reflecting on the application 
 of the question. . 
 
 Au. It will, however, be well to give your minds a 
 little preparatory direction to the meaning of the duty 
 enjoined by the word " honour." It is a term used to 
 imply respect, deference, attention, obedience, gratitude 
 — and these feelings can only be shown by actions. 
 When, therefore, the Lord commands you to honour 
 your father and your mother, you must bear in mind 
 that it lays upon you these obligations : — that you take 
 no undue liberties with them ; that you submit to their 
 commands, not opposing your own inclinations, but 
 yielding them to their superior wisdom; that you pay 
 constant attention to their wishes ; that you obey their 
 injunctions ; and that you be grateful for the tender care 
 and instructions you daily receive from them. Tell me 
 now what you mean by the honour you are to pay to 
 your parents ? 
 
 Some of them answered separately — 
 " To respect them." 
 " To give up my wishes to theirs." 
 " To pay every attention to their desires." 
 " To obey all their injunctions." 
 " To be grateful for all their kind care." 
 Au. Very well ; remember these simple rules as 
 some explanation of honour, and when you fail in them, 
 recollect you are not honouring them ; and when you 
 endeavour to honour them, may it be as the proof both 
 of love to the Lord Jesus, and that you do not despise 
 the promise of God. 
 
 Thinking this little instruction sufficient for a first in- 
 terview, and calculated to induce some further thought 
 
60 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 on the subject during the week, I then proposed that we 
 should conclude, saying — 
 
 " As we are now directed to look to the Lord, whose 
 name is Love, we will not separate without commending 
 ourselves to him in a short prayer. Remember, there- 
 fore, how near the Throne of Grace we are, through 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have access to 
 the Father by the Holy Spirit. At the foot of that 
 throne let us bend our knees, and implore from the heart 
 that the Spirit of grace may be granted to us, to love 
 the Law of the Lord ; and let us pray that that law may 
 be written on the tables of our hearts, by the same Spirit, 
 that we may keep it in the love of Jesus," 
 
 When we had concluded, there was a little bustle 
 amongst the party, in preparing for their departure, and 
 some of the parents expressed their sentiments to me on 
 the subject of the evening, in a way that gave me a hope 
 I had obtained an interest. 
 
 I saw many little indications amongst the young peo- 
 ple, of the necessity of urging their attention to this 
 duty ; one resisting the care of the mother, in wrapping 
 her up for fear of cold ; another, disrespectful in man- 
 ners; a third, totally indifferent to the injunctions given 
 to be steady and careful, whilst others were silently at- 
 tentive and conforming to the wishes of their parents. 
 
 Louisa had received the charge of her mother to ren- 
 der all the little services in her power, and she was bu- 
 sily engaged in the courtesies and kindnesses the occa- 
 sion demanded. 
 
 Very soon we were left to our own party, and natur- 
 ally continued our conversations on the subject which 
 had been engaging us ; suggesting plans for our future 
 meeting. In pursuance of which, I engaged my ne- 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 61 
 
 phews and niece to accompany me the next morning, 
 if spared, to make some researches among our poorer 
 neighbours. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Author's visit to the cottage of little Jane's father. — 
 Methods of winning obedience from children. 
 
 We bent our steps, early in the morning, to the gar- 
 den of little Jane's father, who civilly permitted his 
 friends to walk in it occasionally. We found them all 
 busily commencing their morning work in the garden ; 
 Jane and her two brothers were ready, with their little 
 woollen aprons on, and coarse baskets in their hand ; 
 Thomas, their father, had a spade, rake, and hoe, over 
 his shoulder 5 and a little girl, about five years old, was 
 standing at a little distance, as if not quite so ready in 
 mind as the others to proceed to her occupation ; she 
 was pouting with an air of discontent. Jane looked at 
 her and said — 
 
 " Corae, little Sarah, go gather the gooseberries." 
 
 Sarah shook her elbows as if refusing, without ad- 
 vancing a step. 
 
 The father looked at her, and she hung her head 
 ashamed, but still did not move. 
 
 " Come, little Sarah," again said Jane, " go gather the 
 gooseberries." 
 
 " Let her alone, Jane, said Thomas, " I have told her 
 what I expect her to do." 
 6 
 
62 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Jane looked wistfully at her, as if she would persuade 
 her. 
 
 " Come on, my children," Thomas cheerfully said, 
 "we must make the most of time." Jane and her 
 brothers moved briskly after their father, and were soon 
 at the far end of the garden, and entered on their duty, 
 following their father's spade, gathering out stones and 
 large weeds a*s he threw them out in digging. 
 
 Little Sarah began to move, and with slow, unwilling 
 steps, at last reached a gooseberry tree, and after waiting 
 a minute or two, as if debating between her conscience 
 and her will, she sat down at the foot of the tree, and 
 very deliberately began to pull the fruit, one by one, into 
 the basket; she then began to cry, having pricked her 
 finger with a thorn. 
 
 We went up to her : " How many gooseberries are 
 you to gather. Sarah?" 
 
 " To fill my basket," she replied, sobbing. 
 
 Au. The sooner the better, then, Sarah. 
 
 Sarah. It pricks my fingers ; father knows it pricks 
 my fingers ! 
 
 Au. Be careful, and then you will not prick your 
 fingers. 
 
 Looking at her fingers, she said, " It bleeds, it does ! " 
 
 Au. Must I go and tell your father ? 
 
 Sarah. No, he won't take any notice. 
 
 Au. What will you do, then. 
 
 She made no answer, but looking at her finger with 
 some self-pity, drew the back of her hand over her 
 eyes, to wipe off the tears, and began her work again 
 with caution. 
 
 An. Why, Sarah, do you go on gathering when you 
 prick your fingers ? 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 63 
 
 ■Sarah. Father bid me. 
 
 Au. Will you fill your basket ? 
 
 Sarah. Yes, Father bid me. 
 
 Au. You will be very long about it. 
 
 Sarah. I'll make haste. 
 
 Au. Who are they for ? 
 
 Sarah. For mother— father bid me take 'em to 
 mother. 
 
 Au. Does she want them for herself? 
 
 Sarah. Nay, she sells 'em. 
 
 We remained by her, interested to observe whether 
 she would accomplish her task ; she was soon arrested 
 to contemplate two gooseberries particularly large ; she 
 then plucked a strawberry leaf which was near her, and 
 putting it on one side the basket, placed the two goose- 
 berries in it. 
 
 Au. What are you going to do with these fine large 
 gooseberries ? 
 
 Sarah. One's for father, and one's for mother. 
 
 Au. Take care of them, then, and make haste to fill 
 your basket. 
 
 Sarah. Yes, I will. 
 
 We moved on, and Louisa said, " Do you not think, 
 uncle, this little girl has taught us a very good lesson 
 this morning?" 
 
 Au. I should like to have your sentiments upon it, 
 my love. 
 
 Louisa. Really, I think I saw the natural dislike to 
 obey; and the objection to the work set her because it 
 was not agreeable to herself ; but the respect for her fa- 
 tner's command induced her to go on. She complained 
 as if she thought her father unreasonable when she hurt 
 herself, but then the command of her father impelled 
 
64 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 her to persevere; it was all because "father bid me ;" 
 and at last she began to delight in the opportunity of 
 taking an offering to her father and mother, in such a 
 pretty spirit of love, as gave a new motive for exertion. 
 I think this is to " honour thy father and mother." 
 
 Au. It is a very pretty interpretation of the feeling 
 of the littJe girl, and I do think a true one; it is, how- 
 ever, evident that the child is well trained ; we will go 
 on, and see if any other incident will afford us instruc- 
 tion. 
 
 We took our station near Thomas and his children ; 
 he touched his hat as we approached, and the boys fol- 
 lowed his example; Jane also made her curtesy; the 
 children were a little tempted to gaze at my young par- 
 ty, but as Thomas said — 
 
 "Don't be rude, children — mind your work;" they 
 renewed their application, and as they filled their bas- 
 kets, emptied them into two barrows, one for the stones, 
 and the other for the weeds. 
 
 Au. You are right, Thomas, to bring up your chil- 
 dren to habits of industry. 
 
 Thomas. It is my duty, Sir, and it is part of the 
 training we ought to bring them up in, if we would de- 
 sire them to be useful members in society, or happy ei- 
 ther ; there's none so miserable as idle people, and 
 they're sure to be ungodly, too. 
 
 Au. How do you manage with them to make them 
 so industrious ? 
 
 Thomas. I can hardly say, Sir ; I think it comes 
 naturally, as a part of the duty they owe to their pa- 
 rents. 
 
 Au. Do you take the fifth commandment as a motive, 
 to present to your children ? 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 65 
 
 Thomas. Why, Sir, as far as regards the mother 
 and me I do, at least I try to do it ; only telling them 
 that it is the will of the Lord ; so that they may under- 
 stand it is not a rule of my own making. 
 
 An. How then do you teach them to know the exact 
 duties they owe? You must excuse my asking you, but 
 my young friends and I are just now particularly en- 
 gaged in the consideration of this commandment. 
 
 Thomas. I ask your pardon, Sir, I've but little to 
 say, I think it is all in that explanation in the Catechism ; 
 (he looked kindly at my companions, and added,) " to 
 love, honour, and succour, my father and mother ;" — I 
 think they must mind these three things, and our Lord 
 explains it something in the same way, from which, I 
 take it, the explanation in the Catechism is framed. 
 
 Au. Do you try to fix these principles in their 
 minds 1 
 
 Thomas. Yes, Sir, I do, and I find, it as great a les- 
 son to myself, as to them ; for I think to myself— How 
 can they love me, if I do not behave so as to win their 
 love ; and how can they honour me, if I do not show 
 them that the principles I act on are honourable; and 
 how can they succour me, if I do not make them like 
 little partners in all that concerns us, so that they lend 
 a helping hand in everything : in short, Sir, I find the 
 work must begin at home. 
 
 The children frequently looked at their father whilst 
 he spoke ; as if it was a principle of reasoning which 
 they were accustomed to hear, and in which they 
 agreed. 
 
 Turning to Louisa, I said, " I think we can trace these 
 principles to have been operating in little Sarah's mind. 
 6* 
 
66 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Do you know, Thomas, that your little girl has been ga- 
 thering the gooseberries?" 
 
 Thomas. I did not know it, Sir; but I thought she 
 would go in time ; she's very apt to be fondling about 
 me, and would spend her time in talking about loving 
 father and mother, but I always tell them, love must be 
 proved ; and for that reason, I set her to gather the 
 gooseberries, to teach her what I mean by practice, and 
 she has minded the rules. But, Sir, if you would like 
 to hear a man of God talk about the duty of children, 
 I think you'd be pleased to hear my old father tell you 
 what he thinks. I owe my instruction to him, and he 
 greatly helps me to discharge my duty to my own. He's 
 old and infirm now, but his grey hairs are full of godly 
 wisdom. 
 
 Au. Where does he live ? 
 
 Thomas. Oh ! ever since my mother died, he lives 
 with my wife and me, and a blessing we find him ; he 
 often hears my children read in the Bible, and it's a 
 sight I love to see, when he puts on his spectacles, and 
 opens our large Bible, and gets the young ones round 
 him, and talks to them of God's word, and of the love 
 of Jesus. 
 
 Au. If you will allow me, we will come another day; 
 at present we will make our way home through this path- 
 way of the garden, which will take us round through 
 the village, with a little variation in our walk. 
 
 Thomas. Whenever you please, Sir, you'll always 
 find him at home. 
 
 " Uncle," said Charles, as he walked on, " what do 
 you think of Thomas ? " 
 
 Au* Why, my dear Charles ? 
 
 i 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 67 
 
 Charles. Do you not think he loves> honours, and 
 succours his father ? 
 
 Au. Indeed I do ; it is quite evident he knows in his 
 own heart the principles he wishes to inculcate on his 
 children ; and what an advantage does this give him, for 
 the children cannot fail to behold the practice of the pre- 
 cept he teaches, and they must be persuaded of the truth 
 of his lessons. 
 
 " Look, uncle," said George, " there is a boy hard at 
 work j only listen to the clinking of his loom, how quick 
 he must throw the shuttle." 
 
 Au. The poor allow us the privilege of looking in 
 upon them ; we will go and talk with the boy. 
 
 You are working hard, my boy; how much, at this 
 rate, can you weave in a week ? 
 
 Boy. I always gets my web out on Saturday night, 
 (he answered, without stopping his hand.) 
 
 Au. Then you are able to help your father and mo- 
 ther? 
 
 Boy. Yes, I pays them so much for my board and 
 lodging, and for my washing; and I finds myself with 
 clothes, (going on with his work.) 
 
 The mother, who was knitting at one corner of the 
 room, was induced to draw near, and seemed much 
 pleased that we had noticed the boy. 
 
 Au. Your son seems very industrious ; it is a com- 
 fort to you, no doubt ? 
 
 Mother. Ay, Sir, that it is ; he's a good lad now, and 
 he's found the sweets of working hard ; but you see, 
 Sir, its only of late that we've got him to work, he used 
 always to be idling about, and we couldn't get him to 
 earn ought to help us, and when he grew such a big 
 lad, he took a deal of supporting out of my husband's 
 
68 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 wages. I'm knitting these stockings for him, and he'll 
 pay me for doing it. 
 
 Au. What changed him to this industrious habit 1 
 
 Mother. Why you see, Sir, my husband hit on this 
 experiment, as a bit of encouragement for him, and told 
 him he should have all he could earn for himself, and 
 pay us out of it for his meat and washing, and such like. 
 So he fell to working, and the first week's wages he got 
 into his own hands, he jumped about like a mad thing 
 with delight ; only he's this fault, he grudges a bit giv- 
 ing me enough for his meat, for now he's so big he takes 
 a deal more keeping, and besides working so makes him 
 more hungry. 
 
 Au. Do you think this is a good plan ? 
 
 Mother. Why yes, I do, Sir, many of our neigh- 
 bours does the same ; you see it makes 'em feel a bit in- 
 dependent, and puts a bit of spirit in them, and it's one 
 way of making 'em help us, you see. 
 
 Au. I doubt whether you'll find it a good plan in the 
 end ; have you ever taught him his duty from the fifth 
 commandment 1 
 
 She hesitated a minute ; at last with a little curtsey, 
 she said — " I ask pardon, Sir, but I've clean forgot which 
 is the fifth commandment. I could say my catechism 
 well when I was a girl, but its all gone out of my head." 
 
 Au. That's a pity; but that the commandment of 
 God should have gone oi>t of your mind is a sin, and a 
 dreadful one too ; it shows that you do not think of God 
 as your Lord and Maker. I do not wonder you could 
 not get your boy to work without your experiment. — 
 Tell me, my boy, do you know the fifth commandment? 
 (He pretended to be busy tying a knot in the thread, and 
 did not answer.) 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 69 
 
 I see it is not a rule in this house, but I will leave you 
 without excuse, by repeating it for the instruction of you 
 both — " Honour thy father and thy mother : that thy 
 days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God 
 giveth thee." Now see, if you had taught your lad this, 
 he perhaps would have worked out of love and respect 
 for you and his father, and have learnt to delight in suc- 
 couring you. But now it is all selfish, for his own gra- 
 tification, to throw off all dependence on his parents, 
 and to look upon you as under an obligation to him, in- 
 stead of his feeling his obligation to you. You will find 
 out the mischief of this system sooner or later. As you 
 seem a woman who can calculate consequences, and 
 which way advantage or gain may be sought, I will re- 
 quest you to think of this, and whether you have not 
 given your son a wrong motive for his industry ; and 
 when you find things going wrong with him, ask. 
 yourself if it has not been owing to this fault in bring- 
 ing him up. 
 
 Mother. Why, Sir, may be your advice is good, but 
 at present I don't seem to have much to fear. 
 
 Au. Only remember what I say, and perhaps I shall 
 see you again. 
 
 What's your name, my boy ? 
 
 " Dick Johnson," he answered, in a bold and some- 
 I what resentful tone. 
 
 Au. Well, Dick, I wish you may remember the word 
 of God spoken to all sons and daughters : ' k Honour thy 
 faiher and thy mother." 
 
 My young companions again made their remarks, and 
 
 ; showed themselves so well grounded in the sense of the 
 
 commandment, that they Were able to detect the false 
 
 principle of training which was here adopted ; but we 
 
70 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 were interrupted in our conversation by drawing near to 
 a group of big boys and young men who were engaged 
 in throwing quoits, and had evidently been stopped in 
 their game by a squabble among themselves, as to the 
 right award of victory. They were vociferating, "Fair 
 play ! fair play ! " and there seemed a contention be- 
 tween two parties. Just at that time an elderly, decent 
 looking man came out of his house, attracted by the 
 noise ; his countenance was full of anxious inquiry, and 
 going up to one of them, he said — 
 
 " Ah, John ! you'll never mend, you're always at this 
 work, gambling and quarrelling, and idling and wasting 
 your money." 
 
 " What's that to you?" he answered ; " my money's 
 my own ; what I've earned I've a right to spend as I 
 please." 
 
 Father. I wish you'd leave such ways, and come 
 home to your mother and me. 
 
 John. Nay, liberty's sweet, and as long as I can earn 
 my own bread I'll keep it. 
 
 Father. A time will come, when perhaps thou'll be 
 glad to have a father and mother to come to. 
 
 John. May be, but that's not now. 
 
 The man uttered a kind of groan that seemed wrung 
 from his bosom by inward anguish; and as if in despair, 
 turned away, and re-entered his house. 
 
 This was a scene and dialogue that struck my young 
 friends with horror, and they seemed scarcely able to 
 endure it. 
 
 "Wicked wretch!" said Charles, in a burst of indig- 
 nation. 
 
 " Poor man !" said George, " let us go in and speak 
 to him." 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 71 
 
 u I wonder what his poor mother feels V 1 said Louisa. 
 
 Au. We will go in for a moment. 
 
 We tapped at the door, which was opened to us hy a 
 very respectable looking elderly woman j she curtsied 
 as she inquired — 
 
 " What do you please to want, Sir ? " 
 
 Au. To speak a word to your husband, if you please. 
 (He was gone into an inner room, but hearing our de- 
 sire, he came to us. His eyes were red with the scald- 
 ing tear of anguish, but he endeavoured to wait calmly 
 our business.) 
 
 I am sorry to say, we have just been the witnesses to 
 your distress, and I would wish, if it were possible, to 
 help you to some remedy. 
 
 " What remedy !" he exclaimed, yielding to the feel- 
 ing which overpowered him. " My son's lost, and no- 
 thing moves him." 
 
 The woman turned to set by some chairs, with the in- 
 tention of hiding the tears that flowed down her cheeks 
 at this declaration. 
 
 Au. He is indeed very bad; all the sin of his heart 
 seems at work, and it is no slight proof of it when such 
 disobedience is manifested. Have you tried to bring him 
 up in the fear of God ? 
 
 Father. When he was young and tractable, I took 
 him to Sunday school, and to church, and always set 
 him a good example ; but he's followed wicked lads, and 
 turned out as you see ; he grew so stubborn and high- 
 minded, we could not manage him, and at last he left us 
 quite. 
 
 Au. How came he to be able to leave you 1 did he 
 not depend on you for his support ? 
 I 
 
72 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Father. No ; he's been able to earn his own bread 
 ever since he was twelve years old. 
 
 Au. Have you any other children 1 
 
 Father. Yes, two, a boy and a girl. 
 
 Au. Are you bringing them up in the same way? 
 
 Father. I don't know what better to do ; but I dare 
 not let them see their brother much, for fear they should 
 turn out the same. 
 
 Au. I would not wish to add to your trouble, but per- 
 haps you'll take it as a friendly warning, if I say, that 
 they are very likely to be the same. 
 
 He started, and said, " Why, Sir, do you know aught 
 amiss of them % " 
 
 Au. No, I do not know them, but I know somewhat 
 amiss of you. 
 
 Father. What, pray, Sir ? 
 
 Au. That you have neglected your duty to your 
 children ! 
 
 Father. How, Sir ? 
 
 Au. I think you have taught them neither the love of 
 the Lord Jesus, nor the commandment of God. 
 
 Father. You're wrong, Sir, for I've taught them the 
 Commandments and all the Catechism. 
 
 Au. You mean to say, that you have made them 
 learn them like parrots, to repeat word by word ; but 
 you have not taught them how to observe them ; you 
 have not taught them to love, and honour, and succour 
 you and their mother ; you have put them upon caring 
 for themselves, after the principle of this selfish world, 
 and if they have no better motive, they will each please 
 themselves according to the different turn of their dis- 
 positions, and you and their mother will be quite out of 
 the question with them, because they understand not 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 73 
 
 that the will of the Lord is, that they should in word 
 and deed honour their father and mother. You teach 
 them to serve themselves 5 their own pleasure and their 
 own belly is their god, and they will seek after them as 
 after idols. I advise you seriously to think of this be- 
 fore it be too late. 
 
 He seemed to ponder my words, but not clearly to 
 comprehend them ; however, as I saw he was a reflect- 
 ing man, I led away my young friends, and left him to 
 weigh and inquire what was the purport of them. 
 
 There were two young girls walking our way, and 
 they seemed engrossed in deep conversation; one of 
 them opened a paper very carefully, showing the con- 
 tents to the other, who exclaimed — 
 
 t 
 
 " Oh !" in a tone of wonderful admiration. 
 
 " It's not pink, it's rose colour. Isn't it a bonny rib- 
 bon ? I saw Miss Lucy Grey's bonnet with such a co- 
 loured ribbon, and I determined with my next money to 
 buy such an one ; the man in the shop told me this was 
 off" the same piece, and he said they call it rose colour. 
 I've sent my Sunday bonnet to be cleaned, it will cost 
 me two shillings, but I don't mind, I shall earn what will 
 pay for it. Mother said, I'd best buy a new petticoat, 
 but you know that is not seen /" 
 
 "Oh, Nanny!" the other said, "I wish my mother 
 would let me have my own earnings ; I'd work so hard 
 if she would, and then I'd buy a ribbon like it ; but she 
 buys everything for me, and she likes such old fash- 
 ioned things," drawing up her frock, " see, I've this 
 'thick, stuff petticoat, and black stockings, and a pair of 
 strong shoes, and another such a pair for Sundays ; she 
 never buys me smart things." 
 7 
 
74 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 " Oh ! it's best to have your money for yourself, and 
 then you can do as you like." 
 
 We all listened to this conversation, and as they stopt 
 to talk further on the subject, we passed on and hastened 
 home, and were quite ready for refreshment ; during 
 which, the children related all the occurrences of the 
 morning to their mother, accompanied with very dis- 
 criminating observations, and my own mind was fur- 
 nished with a key to some species of disobedience to 
 parents, which had often surprised me before, and now 
 especially engaged my attention. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Cheerful submission to parental authority. — Allow- 
 ance to children. — Corban. — Grateful and measur- 
 ed love, honour, and support, to parents. 
 
 The next morning Louisa reminded me of the old 
 man, by saying — 
 
 " Remember Thomas' old father, uncle." 
 
 Au. With pleasure ; if your mamma will permit it, 
 we will go this morning. 
 
 Louisa. Will you consent, mamma ? 
 
 Mrs. . Defer it till the evening, my dears, for I 
 
 do not like you totally to neglect your usual avocations. 
 
 " But perhaps it may rain in the evening," Charles 
 said. 
 
 Mrs. . I shall be sorry if you should be disap- 
 pointed, but we will trust to the event. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 75 
 
 " I am sure it will rain," George said, with a little 
 tone of impatience, " for the sky has clouded in." 
 
 Mrs. . If it should, my dear George, you will, I 
 
 hope, know how to bear a disappointment of your own 
 will, which would arise from two causes that are not 
 only good, but, also, beyond your control. 
 
 George. What two causes, mamma? 
 
 Mrs. . First, the will of God, who sendeth the 
 
 rain ; and second, the will of your mother, who desires 
 your regular instruction. 
 
 My sister had a particularly happy mode of blending 
 an affectionate manner with a firmness of purpose, so 
 that while her children felt her authority, they were sen- 
 sible of her kindness. 
 
 Not another attempt was made to change the mind of 
 their mother, and even the little pet which had assailed 
 George, wore off, and they were soon busily and cheer- 
 fully engaged. 
 
 I took the opportunity of throwing together my re- 
 flections upon the incidents of the morning, and of in- 
 vestigating the operation of that system of independent 
 labour, which has grown into such general use amongst 
 the labouring classes of society. I could not help think- 
 ing, that however plausible the plea for industry sound- 
 ed, it sprung from a corrupt principle of greediness for 
 gain in the parents, which substituted a selfish, worldly 
 motive as a stimulus, instead of a godly and dutiful 
 principle, prompted to action by a spirit of love. It 
 seemed to proceed from a covetous disposition in the 
 parents, desiring to make a gain of their children, and 
 producing the same feeling in them. For of course, 
 their industry would be tainted with a lurking covetous 
 desire, and their minds occupied with the calculation 
 
76 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 how to apportion out what they would allow their pa- 
 rents for their support, so as to pay at the cheapest rate. 
 The parent and child thus become barterers with each 
 other for personal advantages, derived from those mutu- 
 al acts of duty and relationship, which should be suffer- 
 ed to flow spontaneously in the channels of filial and 
 parental love. The present system of labour, and state 
 of society, has doubtless suggested this plan. In instan- 
 ces where the first principles of love to God are laid, 
 there may not be so much danger of corrupting the 
 finer feelings of the heart, because it will still be subser- 
 vient to the duty to which the love of the Lord prompts ; 
 but where this is wanting, the system must undoubtedly 
 be of bad and prejudicial influence ; it is found to foster 
 the worst of feelings. 
 
 I know a man who is able to earn a good livelihood 
 by his own labour, but being a drunkard, he shows that 
 disposition which ranks him, in the Apostle's view, as 
 worse than an infidel ; not providing for his own, afford- 
 ing neither clothing nor food to his children, leaving 
 them to earn what they can, independently of him, and 
 they are often in circumstances of absolute want, with- 
 out moving the feelings of this unnatural father. It is 
 no uncommon case for the parent to lay aside all sense 
 of obligation to his child, so soon as he is able to earn 
 his own bread, and of course the child disowns all bond 
 to his parent ; thus the family bond of mutual interest 
 is broken, and in early life a child is set free from the 
 parental restraint, so needful at that age ; and vice, and 
 selfishness, and dissipation, and licentious freedom, 
 bring them into the bondage of sin and death. Alas ! 
 how many houses, which should be the dwellings of 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 77 
 
 harmony and love, are the bitter scenes of dissension 
 and misery. 
 
 I believe this system has its influence also in the fami- 
 lies of the opulent, who are fond of giving their young 
 children the idea of an independent income, by appor- 
 tioning to them a kind of allowance, out of which they 
 are to provide themselves with certain articles of dress, 
 &c. &c, stipulated by the parent. A better feeling 
 would be inculcated by a liberal supply out of the gene- 
 ral stock, coming as daily acts of love, and received as 
 such by the child, from the hand of a kind parent. The 
 supplies should be liberal in proportion to the circum- 
 stances, so as to unite confidence with dependence ; 
 openly showing them, at the same time, that they are 
 considered as entitled to a share in all the parent's pos- 
 sessions. In the other case, they take as a right the 
 sum allotted, and are in danger of losing that sweet sense 
 of oneness in the interests of home, which enlarges the 
 affections to each other. I know there may be many 
 arguments alleged for the other system ; but it would be 
 well to investigate the principle with some minuteness, 
 and see whether they be not of human policy and world- 
 ly origin, without any regard to the prime test of all — 
 whether they will consist with the obligation of the fifth 
 commandment. 
 
 I proposed these ideas to my sister during a moment 
 of leisure ; and she said — 
 
 " I have had the same kind of reflections, though I do 
 not know that I ever deliberated much upon them. I 
 am of opinion that the plan is not a good one, being at 
 variance with those filial and attached dispositions which 
 we ought to endeavour to cultivate. We desire to be as 
 liberal to our children as our circumstances will admit, 
 7* 
 
78 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 both in the supply of pocket-money, and in the proper 
 apparel for their station ; wishing in these respects to 
 establish a kind of equality, only preserving the recol- 
 lection that it comes from the hand of their father." 
 
 Au. What do you mean by equality ? 
 
 Mrs. . Perhaps I did not use a good expression, 
 
 but I shall give you a better idea of my meaning, if I 
 point out to your observation the profusion of decoration 
 or dress which a mother will sometimes adopt for her- 
 self, with little attention to the proper habit of her child; 
 while sometimes, on the contrary, the lavish supply 
 given to decorate a child, will transgress the consistency 
 of station or religious moderation. I do not think, in 
 our children, there is a feeling of any other kind on this 
 subject, than the dependence of love, and their father 
 always endeavours to impress upon their young minds 
 the observation of his dependence on our Father in 
 Jesus Christ. I hear him sometimes say, " I am able 
 to give you this, my children, because it has been given 
 to me ; I possess nothing but what I have received ; I 
 ask our heavenly Father for our daily bread, he gra- 
 ciously gives it to us, and I can thus share it with you ; 
 He supplies the young ravens-with food, and clothes 
 the lilies of the field, doth he not much more feed and 
 clothe us 1 " 
 
 Au. You remind me of Thomas' remark, that he 
 makes his children like little partners with hhn. 
 
 Mrs. . It is true that children ought to be allow- 
 ed to feel that they possess the privileges and interests 
 of their parents' house. The prosperity or adversity 
 of a day, equally affecting each member of the house- 
 hold, because all are alike under the same providential 
 dispensation of the Lord. Thus we participate in each 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 79 
 
 other's feelings, and the interests of their hearts are in 
 their home, looking up unto the Lord. 
 
 I once observed this particularly manifested in the 
 conduct of a sweet girl, the daughter of an intimate 
 friend. She, upon a sudden reverse of fortune, was ex- 
 plaining to the child the necessity of using economy to 
 a greater degree than was customary ; when she said, 
 " Oh, mamma, we can soon do that ; I am glad you did 
 not buy me that new frock, for you shall see how nice I 
 will make my old one by new hemming it at the bot- 
 tom." It soon happened, that by another providence, 
 such as the Lord in his goodness sometimes bestows, 
 an unexpected accession of income was given ; I was 
 there at the time, when this dear girl's eyes sparkled 
 with gratitude, as her mother communicated it, and she 
 exclaimed, " How good the Lord is ! Now, dear mam- 
 ma, you can afford to go to the warm baths for your 
 health, and papa will be made happy to see you better;" 
 then she modestly added, " and perhaps you can let me 
 have those slates and books I wished for, for my little 
 school." This is the kind of equality and partnership I 
 would wish to have between me and my dear children. 
 
 It is a plan, doubtless full of comfort, and seems to in- 
 culcate the three things Thomas spoke of, love, honour, 
 and succour, towards the parent. 
 
 My sister's three children had not been inattentive to 
 this conversation, and having put away their books, they 
 drew around us as if desiring to partake in this privi- 
 lege also ; I therefore showed my readiness to meet their 
 wishes, by addressing Charles. \ 
 
 Au. What do you think on the subject, Charles? 
 
 Charles. Oh, I am so happy in my father's plan, that 
 I do not wish for any other ; my cousin Frederick has 
 
80 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 often spoken to me about his allowance, and said that I 
 ought now to be put upon an allowance. I cannot un- 
 derstand the particular pleasure he feels in it, for he 
 says he never can make it do, and he always has to get 
 his debts paid by his father, who, he says, is generally 
 very angry, and calls him extravagant; but notwith- 
 standing, when the anger subsides, he balances all, and 
 begins again free. 
 
 Au. This is a shocking plan, for it engenders many 
 bad feelings and habits. If he so exceeds his allowance, 
 he becomes an extortioner on his father's purse. He 
 learns to be extravagant without compunction. He in- 
 curs a burden of debt, which he places on his father's 
 shoulders ; and he becomes discontented with the por- 
 tion allotted to him. 
 
 " Uncle," said George, " shall I tell you what I thought 
 of, when that Dick Johnson talked of what he allowed 
 his mother ?" 
 
 Au. Pray do. 
 
 George. You know that part of the Gospel, where 
 our Lord speaks about the Jews making void the law 
 by their tradition ; who said to their father and mother, 
 " It is a gift, by whatsoever ye may be profited by me." 
 
 Au. That passage deserves our careful consideration, 
 George, and I am glad you have introduced it ; turn to 
 the passage, and read it. 
 
 He took up a Bible, and opened at the fifteenth chap- 
 ter of Matthew, and read the third verse — " But he an- 
 swered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress 
 the commandment of God by your tradition ? for God 
 commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother; 
 and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the 
 death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 81 
 
 or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest 
 be profited by me ; and honour not his father or his 
 mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the com- 
 mandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 
 
 An. Read the parallel passage, in Mark vii. J 1, 12. 
 
 " But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mo- 
 ther, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever 
 thou mightest be profited by me ; he shall be free. And 
 ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his 
 mother." 
 
 Au. It is a remarkable thing, George, that to this 
 day that tradition governs them ; for they disregarded 
 these admonitions of Christ, whom in no way would 
 they have to reign over them. I am told, that so early 
 as at eight years of age, both boys and girls are permit- 
 ted to act upon this plan, nay, even compelled to do so, 
 and that, as soon as by begging or selling any wares, 
 they can bring a small sum to their parents, they say, 
 " It is Corban, or a gift ; I am free" — and the parent ac- 
 cepts it as Corban, and thenceforth the bond of duty and 
 obedience is broken. The parent chooses to suppose the 
 child able to support itself, and the child is taught to 
 suppose that he owes no further allegiance to father or 
 mother. The consequence is evident before our eyes, 
 in the wretched depravity, and ignorance, and degrada- 
 tion of the poor Jews : who wander in the streets of the 
 metropolis, and over every part of the world, destitute 
 of the rights of parental care, and destitute of that sense 
 of duty which should subsist on their part towards their 
 parents. 
 
 George. Will you tell me exactly, uncle, how to un- 
 derstand that which they add, "by whatsoever thou 
 mightest be profited by me." 
 
82 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Au. In this way, my dear George : It is a formal re- 
 nunciation of the duties of children to parents, and 
 shows most expressly that they neither love, honour, 
 nor intend to succour their parents ; they thus discharge 
 themselves from all obligations of conscience, to per- 
 form the duties of children. " It is a gift,'"' say they, " by 
 whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;" which im- 
 plies, " You have no claim on me, no right to any help 
 from me. What I give to 3 T ou, henceforth, will be out 
 of my own bounty, and whatever benefit I render to 
 you, will be a gift, and not a duty." So they not only 
 loose the bond for the future, but they acknowledge no 
 sense of gratitude or obligation for the past. It is affect- 
 ing to see the methods adopted by sinners to evade the 
 law of God, which law knows no period at which the 
 children's duty shall terminate — it exists as long as the 
 relationship stands. 
 
 "Honour thy father and mother," saith the law, and 
 saith the Gospel too. It proceeded out of the mouth of 
 Moses, by whom came the law, and also out of the 
 mouth of Him by whom came grace and truth ! By 
 " Corban," they make the commandment of God of none 
 effect, and they draw very near to that point, from 
 which, perhaps, they think they stand clear : — " He that 
 curseth father or mother, let him die the death." It is 
 remarkable that the Lord combines these two points, 
 Mark vii. 10, "For Moses said, Honour thy father and 
 thy mother ; and. Whoso curseth father or mother, let him 
 die the death." He knows the heart of man, and that a 
 child once losing the sense of duty, love, and honour, 
 towards its parents, is in the awful way of cursing them ; 
 for what is it for a child to disown the parental claim, 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 83 
 
 but to say that they are willing to leave them to what- 
 ever miseries may overtake them ? 
 
 How dreadful is such a state ! 
 
 Beware, my dear children, and watch yourselves, lest 
 in any way your hearts be deceived in this important 
 matter ; remember in how many ways you are permitted 
 to succour your father and mother ; your ready obedi- 
 ence, your diligent study, your kind attention, your fili- 
 al love, are all methods by which you may continually 
 succour them, making the care and toil of your educa- 
 tion light, remembering their injunctions, and not trou- 
 bling them to repeat often the same lesson of admoni- 
 tion. When you conform to their orders or rules, as 
 with a forced compliance, then you say, "Corban!" 
 When you think much of your own obedience, then you 
 say, " Corban !" not having the generous and delightful 
 sense of respect and love for their desires, which 
 prompts the obedience of the heart. The Jews, by their 
 tradition, said, when they had offered their gift, or Cor- 
 ban, that they were free, as though the bonds of duty 
 were a chain of slavish servitude. But the Lord re- 
 minded them of what the law said, " Let him die the 
 death" — let him receive the wages of sin. 
 
 Here my sister observed, " You recollect, Charles, do 
 you not, that the fifth commandment is with promise ?" 
 
 Charles. Certainly. 
 
 Au. Then observe how the Jews forfeited that 
 promise, how they were cut off from the land of Pro- 
 mise, how short their lives were in that land, for it is 
 evident how they departed from the law of their father; 
 and, having also made the commandment still of none 
 effect, having filled up the measure of their sins in the 
 rejection of Jesus, they were utterly cast out of the 
 
84 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 i „* nf nromise It is still, however, a land of pro- 
 Zse ffi into which, through mercy and grace, 
 fhey shah be 'gathered again; when they ^re- 
 
 * Bnfdear George, to return to your first observation 
 on the conduct of Dick Johnson, I agree with yo, .that 
 though not by a tradition, yet it is by a scheme of ta- 
 
 commandment of Go of none effect. You aw that 
 the commandment was out of the question; it had no 
 effect on their hearts or on their practice, and with the 
 vtn of a spirit of konour, there is most ^ly a pre- 
 paration for a spirit of hatred in the breast of that boy 
 towards his mother. . , f 
 
 Just as I had concluded this ^mark a Jivid flash o 
 lightning shot across the room, succeeded by a tre 
 
 au. An," 6 j R lest t ^e command- 
 
 aasss. »jsa* - - * 
 
 nreToirrel°In e sU, but with a beautifully open 
 
 sire to fawuwr you !" . pleasure 
 
 The glistening eye of his mother spoke a p 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 85 
 
 boy, formed on the love and law of our God and Fa- 
 ther in Jesus Christ ; we are bound to each other, 
 and we feel our yoke easy and light, because it is the 
 yoke of Jesus. 
 
 Charles. It will rain all night, brother. 
 
 " I believe it will," he cheerfully replied, " and per- 
 haps all to-morrow, too." 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Second visit to Thomas'' cottage. — The two truants. — 
 Parents should mean what they say. — Love the ful- 
 filling of the Law. 
 
 It was with peculiar pleasure that I opened my eyes 
 the following morning upon a clear and brilliant day. 
 All nature seemed in animation ; and I felt myself rous- 
 ed to an unusual activity, which, when we met at the 
 breakfast table, I betrayed by proposing the question to 
 my sister, " If she would permit us to go that morning 
 to the gardener's cottage?" 
 
 She smiled, but made no answer. 
 
 Louisa and Charles looked towards their mother, 
 waiting her reply ; but George took up his roll and be- 
 gan to cut a slice off from it. He was, however, soon 
 conscious that all eyes were turned on him. 
 
 He looked up at his mother with perfect confidence, 
 saying, "Just as you please, mother, / will not be 
 1 free,' and, if you prefer it, will wait till the evening." 
 
 Many mothers would have instantly been induced to 
 consent to the morning walk, as I expected she would ; 
 but she answered — 
 8 
 
86 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 " Very well, George, then we will defer it until the 
 evening." 
 
 " Very well," he readily answered. 
 
 I own I was surprised at her determination, but soon 
 perceived its wisdom ; she thus put the profession of 
 her boy to the proof whether it were principle, and she 
 also did that which was very important — proved her own 
 confidence in his sincerity. 
 
 As matters stood, I found I should not have my com- 
 panions until evening, and determined to spend my 
 morning in calling on my friends and seeking opportu- 
 nity for further conversation on our interesting subject. 
 On my way I passed through the village, and met two 
 boys, who scarcely seemed advancing, so slow was their 
 tardy step. I soon understood why, by seeing a man 
 look out of his cottage door, who, gathering up a bit of 
 dry dirt from the ground, threw it after the boys, saying, 
 in a tone something like what is used to dogs — 
 
 " Get away, you idle dogs, get away to school." 
 
 They moved a degree quicker, without looking back, 
 but as soon as they came to a corner they turned to see 
 if their father was watching them ; and finding them- 
 selves unobserved, instead of turning to the right, which 
 would have led to the school, they crossed quickly to 
 the left and went into the fields. 
 
 I was impelled to follow them ; they ran quickly along 
 the field, and getting through a gap in the hedge, with 
 which they seemed well acquainted, I lost sight of them. 
 It was not long, however, before I came up with them, 
 for they had seated themselves under a tree, and were 
 sitting in silence. One was pulling up the grass by the 
 roots, and the other, with a little pocket knife, was chip- 
 ping out pieces of the bark of the tree. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 87 
 
 " You are hard at work, my boys," I said : " who set 
 you to these jobs?" 
 
 Boys. Nay, nobody. 
 
 Au. Why, then, do you work at them? 
 
 Boys. We're not working at 'em. 
 
 Au. No ! what then ? 
 
 (They made no reply, but proceeded in their employ- 
 ment, as if rather ashamed, and yet unwilling to be con- 
 strained to cease.) 
 
 I'll tell you what, lads : You see this field belongs to 
 me, and I may as well set you your work. Now do you 
 go on and clear all this spot round the root of the tree 
 of every bit of grass that is growing there ; and you, 
 cut out this bark half way round the tree a yard high, 
 and dress off all these small branches which are grow- 
 ing in the way. 
 
 (No sooner had I said it, than they both changed their 
 employment : the one began to cut the skin off his 
 hand, and the other to twist the piece of grass he held, 
 as though he were intending to form it into some useful 
 thing.) 
 
 Why do you stop ? Go on. 
 
 Boy. You don't mean what you say. 
 
 Au. Is that the reason you stop ? 
 
 (They looked to the right and to the left, as if they 
 longed for an escape.) 
 
 I believe it is one reason, but I can tell you another — 
 .because you did not like to do anything called work. 
 And I can tell you something else — it was for these two 
 reasons you did not go to school. You thought your 
 father did not mean what he said, and you do not like 
 work. This is both folly and wickedness. That em- 
 ployment was no hardship so long as you were doing it 
 
88 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 to please yourselves ; and what would your father say 
 if he knew you were playing truant ? 
 
 Boy. He wouldn't say aught, he only wanted us out 
 of the way because uncle Tom was come. 
 
 Au. But what would he have said after, when you 
 went home ? 
 
 Boy. Nought — he wouldn't ha' asked where we'd 
 been. 
 
 Au. Suppose I tell him ? 
 
 Boy. Nay. 
 
 Au. Why? 
 
 Boy. 'Cause he'd thump us. 
 
 I was struck by this reasoning, so without rule or 
 principle, and betraying such an inconsistent and care- 
 less bringing up. 
 
 Au. Now answer me three questions. You ought to 
 love work ? 
 
 " Yes," they unwillingly said. 
 
 An. You ought to think your father meant what he 
 said? 
 
 Boys. Yes. 
 
 Au. You know you deserve to be thumped ? 
 
 (No answer.) 
 
 Let us try if you cannot mend your ways. Come 
 along with me and I will take you to school. (I took 
 hold of their hands, but they stiffened their elbows so 
 strongly that I could not raise them easily.) 
 
 Come, boys, if your ideas were but changed to think 
 that it was meant you should go, and to like work, you 
 would be much happier there than under the tree, in 
 school-time. 
 
 One point I gained ; they found / did mean what I 
 said, and though they would not give their hand, I took 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 89 
 
 them by the shoulder, and thus constrained them to 
 move on the way they should go ; and I could not help 
 thinking of the necessity for parents to exert this kind 
 of constraint to overcome the perverseness of disobedi- 
 ence, and the proneness to discredit the purposes of 
 their commands. 
 
 Just at that moment my friend Mr. Conway, with 
 his daughter Mary, joined me; they were on their way 
 to my house, but, seeing my engagement, they accom- 
 panied me. 
 
 We were soon at the school door, and I felt the 
 shoulder of my boys shrink from under my hand, as if 
 very desirous to quit the grasp, which they were con- 
 vinced, however, by the trial, could not be effected; 
 therefore we were soon in the presence of the school- 
 master, and within the half circle formed by the school- 
 boys, who were at that moment rehearsing the Church 
 Catechism. 
 
 The master, who was a sensible man and accustomed 
 to my occasional visits, with a respectful bow, put the 
 book, from which he was questioning the boys, into my 
 hand, signifying his desire that I should take his place; 
 and a bow of the head from all the boys expressed their 
 respectful readiness to acknowledge the authority de- 
 puted me. 
 
 Au. Before I commence, let me see these two boys 
 put in the place which belongs to them in the class. 
 
 " I wish, Sir," the master said, " that they had a place 
 they could call their own ; but they are in the habit of 
 neglecting school, and they always contrive to be absent, 
 upon some lame excuse, on the day for the catechism: I 
 do not think they know a word." 
 
 Au. Then, as they have no place in the general class, 
 8* 
 
90 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 we must leave them to their own particular distinction, 
 of standing alone. (And very awkward and ashamed 
 did they look when they found themselves separated 
 from the little flock, and made so conspicuous for their 
 fault.) 
 
 " Will you allow me," I said to the master, " to ne- 
 glect the usual order of the questions, and to select a few 
 for the present occasion ?" 
 
 Master. By all means, Sir. 
 
 Turning to the class, I asked, " What is yom duty to 
 your neighbour?" 
 
 They answered in the manner in which they were 
 taught, not by one taking the whole, but by severally 
 taking up, by turn, as they stood, the different members 
 of the answer, thus: My duty towards my neighbour is 
 — To love him as myself — To do unto all men as I would 
 they should do unto me — To love, honour, and succour 
 my father and my mother — To honour and obey the 
 king,* and all that are put in authority under him — To 
 submit myself to all my governors, teachers, spiritual 
 pastors, and masters — To order myself lowly and rever- 
 ently to all my betters — 
 
 Au. Stop there, and I will ask you some questions. 
 
 Do you know to what commandment this explanation 
 of duty belongs ? 
 
 Scholar. Yes; to the Fifth, " Honour thy father and 
 thy mother." 
 
 Au. Observe, it is called your duty to your neigh- 
 
 * In England, where these children went to school, they have a king 
 to govern them, which they think the best : — we have another kind of 
 government which seems to us the best : — and as it is right for those in 
 England to teach their children to honour their ruler ; so we teach ours 
 x> " honour and obey the civil authority" of our country. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 91 
 
 hour, because every relative human connection is in- 
 cluded in the term neighbour ; that is, all others beside 
 yourself— father, mother, brother, sister ; king, and all in 
 authority, such as magistrates, public officers, rulers, 
 governors, teachers, spiritual pastors, and masters — 
 they are all, in the Scripture sense, neighbours, our 
 fellow creatures in different stations of life, and all hav- 
 ing a claim upon us for that behaviour towards them 
 which is due to their station, or which we owe them 
 upon the great Scripture principle, Love. 
 
 How do you know that Love is the first principle ? 
 
 A fine boy, who stood at the head of the class, an- 
 swered — 
 
 " Because, when the Pharisees asked our Lord Jesus, 
 { Which is the great commandment in the law V he an- 
 swered so as to show that Love was the great principle, 
 both towards God and towards our neighbours.' 
 
 Au. Repeat the passage. 
 
 Boy. Matt. xxii. 37—40. u Thou shalt love the Lord 
 thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and 
 with all thy mind. This is the first and great command- 
 ment ; and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love 
 thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments 
 bang all the law and the prophets." 
 
 Au. Why is the second like unto the first ? 
 
 Boy. Because of its principle, which is also Love. 
 
 Au. Why do all the law and the prophets hang on 
 these two commandments ? 
 
 Boy. Because " Love is the fulfilling of ,the law." 
 Rom. xiii. 10. 
 
 Au. It is called " the royal law," James ii. 8. Royal 
 means kingly, sovereign, that which bears the rule ; so 
 if we have love then it will act in royal power over all 
 
92 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 our hearts, and subdue all to itself, all rebellious pas- 
 sions. It is worth your while, dear boys, to remember 
 what is this royal law, because then you will under- 
 stand what is to govern you in all your conduct towards 
 your God and towards your neighbour. 
 
 Do )'ou remember what it was by which the Lord 
 convicted the Pharisees of coming short of the law ? 
 
 Boy. Yes. " Ye pass over judgment and the love of 
 God." Luke xi. 42. 
 
 Au. Whence comes Love into the hearts of the chil- 
 dren of God ? 
 
 Boy. From God. " God is Love," 1 John iv. 8. ; 
 " Love is of God,"* 1 John iv. 7. ; and in Rom. v. 5. it 
 is written, " The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts 
 by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." 
 
 I turned to the second boy, and said, " How much are 
 you to love your neighbour ? " 
 
 2nd Boy. To love him as myself. 
 
 Au. How are you to make proof of that love? 
 
 2nd Boy. To do unto others as I would they should 
 do unto me. 
 
 Au. Now take notice of these several parts we ought 
 to perform in this our duty to our neighbour. I begin 
 with your betters, as they are called ; which means all 
 your superiors of whatever station. If you yourself 
 were among the class of superiors, or betters, how 
 would you think it right that others should behave to 
 you? 
 
 (He di 1 not answer, being a little puzzled, but a quick, 
 intelligent boy, lower in the class, said,) 
 
 * And so we pray God, in the Collect for the viith Sunday after Trini- 
 ty, that he will "graft in our hearts the love of his name;" and so "in- 
 crease in us true religion." 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 93 
 
 3d Boy, Lowly and reverently. 
 
 Au. Right, that means respectfully and dutifully ; 
 then as you know how you would they should do to 
 you, therefore do you so to them. Elders and old men 
 are to be considered as among your betters, on account 
 of their age and experience. Have you any Scriptures 
 to direct you ? 
 
 3d Boy. Yes ; Lev. xix. 32, " Thou shalt rise up be- 
 fore the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man." 
 1 Peter v. 5, " Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves 
 unto the elder ; yea, all of you be subject one to another, 
 and be clothed with humility." 
 
 Au. Suppose you were a master, how would you 
 desire to be behaved to ? 
 
 They had caught the idea I wished to convey to them, 
 and several answered at once — 
 
 " To be submitted to." 
 
 Au. What Scripture have you to prove that servants 
 ought to submit to their masters ? 
 
 Boy. 1 Peter ii. 18, " Servants, be subject to your 
 masters with all fear ; not only to the good and gentle, 
 but also to the fro ward." Eph. vi. 5, " Servants, be 
 obedient to them that are your masters according to the 
 flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, 
 as unto Christ." And also Titus ii. 9, 10. 
 
 Au. Then if you are a servant, remember by this 
 rule how you are to behave to your master, even as 
 you would it should be done unto you. 
 
 But suppose you were a spiritual pastor, that is, a 
 minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, appointed as a 
 shepherd to a flock, how would you desire that the flock 
 should behave to you ? 
 
 Boy. The same — to be submitted to. 
 
94 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Au. Have you any Scripture to prove this to be 
 right ? 
 
 Boy. Yes ; I Cor. iv. 1, " Let a man so account of us 
 as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards, of the mys- 
 teries of God." And the Apostle teaches us in 1 Thess. 
 v. 12, 13, " to know them which labour among you, and 
 are over you in the Lord, and admonish you ; and esteem 
 them very highly in love for their work's sake." 
 
 Au. Remember, then, by these rules, how you ought 
 to behave to your spiritual pastors, the ministers of 
 Christ. 
 
 And suppose you were a teacher how would you be 
 behaved to ? 
 
 Boy. The same — submitted to. 
 
 Au. Yes, but you observe by the Scripture rules you 
 give me, that there is a particular kind of submission 
 to be rendered, according as each station or office re- 
 quires. Have you any Scripture to direct you in this 
 instance 1 
 
 They were not ready with an answer : I encouraged 
 them, therefore, with a little help. " That may be ap- 
 plied," I said, " to this case which is written in 1 Tim. 
 v. 17, ' Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy 
 of double honour, especially they who labour in the 
 word and doctrine.' For if you look to 1 Cor. xii. 28, 
 you will see that God himself sets teachers in the 
 Church, amongst the other offices; and if you turn to 
 Proverbs v. 12, 13, you will see an affecting expression 
 of lamentation for evil that is sure to come on them that 
 do not submit to their teachers: ' How have I hated in- 
 struction, and my heart despised reproof; and have not 
 obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear 
 to them that instructed me ! ' That you may not have 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 95 
 
 this bitter lamentation to make, remember, dear boys, 
 in the days of your youth, to submit yourselves to your 
 teachers." 
 
 Au. But there is still another office, that of govern- 
 ors: How would you that others should behave to you, 
 were you a governor ? 
 
 Boy. The same — to be submitted to. 
 
 Au. Governors, in this place, means : — those who have 
 the authority over you in particular, such as your pro- 
 tectors, instructers, rulers ; for each child is in the situ- 
 ation of having some one who has the chief government 
 over him — such as the stewards who may be placed over 
 them, masters of apprentices, guardians to Whom they 
 may be committed, the governors and governesses of 
 schools, or of asylums, or of societies, of charities, of 
 hospitals ; that is, the persons who are in the supreme 
 authority for these temporary purposes. To these you 
 must submit. I will give you a text for your direction. 
 Turn to 1 Pet. ii. 13, " Submit yourselves to every or- 
 dinance of man for the Lord's sake." 
 
 The next branch of your duty to your neighbour is 
 to all who are in places of authority in the government 
 of your country. 
 
 If you were a ruler, a President, or a Governor, for 
 instance, how would you that men should do unto you ? 
 
 Boy. Honour and obey me. 
 
 Au. If, being a ruler, you had put others in authori- 
 ty under you, how would you desire that men should 
 show they honoured and obeyed you ? 
 
 Boy. By honouring and obeying them. 
 
 Au. If you were not chief ruler, but one put in au- 
 thority by the chief ruler how would you that men 
 should do to you ? 
 
96 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Boy. Honour and obey me. 
 
 Au. Do you remember how the Centurion described 
 the honour and obedience he received from them that 
 were under him ? 
 
 Boy. Yes, Matt. viii. 9, "/ama man under autho- 
 rity; having soldiers under me ; and I say to this man, 
 ' Go,' and he goeth ; and to another, ' Come,' and he 
 cometh ; and to my servant, ' Do this,' and he doeth it." 
 
 Au. True, it was on a particularly interesting occa- 
 sion when the Centurion related this, to show how he 
 understood that diseases and all things were under the 
 authority of the Lord ; but it serves to show us the obe- 
 dience due to authorities. You can, perhaps, give me 
 some other text ? 
 
 Boy. Titus iii. 1, " Put them in mind to be subject to 
 principalities and powers, to obey magistrates." 
 
 Au. What does the Scripture say of our duty to the 
 king ? * 
 
 Boy. 1 Peter ii. 17, " Honour the king." 
 
 Au. I would have you remark, that that text is preceded 
 by other branches of this duty, and the duty to God ; it 
 stands thus, " Fear God, honour the king." And I be- 
 lieve it adduces the fear of God as the motive for 
 honouring the king ; because, if we look at Rom. xiii. 
 1, 2, we see how the duty to earthly superiors is enjoin- 
 ed. Read it. 
 
 Boy. " Let every soul be subject to the higher pow- 
 ers. For there is no power but of God. The powers 
 that be are ordained of God. Whosoever, therefore, 
 resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God j 
 
 * That is, "the chief power of the land," " the higher power," "the 
 power that is," whatever it may be calkd. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 97 
 
 and they that resist shall receive to themselves damna- 
 tion." 
 
 Au. I gave yon a part of a text in 1 Peter ii. 13 ; 
 if you give me now the whole, you will find it to sum 
 up all these duties according to the same rule. Read it. 
 
 Boy. " Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man 
 for the Lord's sake : whether it be to the king, as su- 
 preme ; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent 
 by him, for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the 
 praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God." 
 
 Au. Now you see, dear boys, I have been working up- 
 wards, beginning with the lower degrees, and coming up 
 to the higher, and thus I have proceeded from the master 
 to the sovereign ruler. But there is a higher still, which is 
 that of duty to parents, second only to that we owe to 
 God, and which the Lord places immediately after the 
 four commandments which relate to our duty to him. 
 The fifth commandment stands simply thus, "Honour 
 thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long 
 in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." It is 
 a branch of our duty to our neighbour, which the Lord 
 calls the second commandment, on account of its follow- 
 ing the first duties to God. 
 
 If you were a father, how would you that your chil- 
 dren should do unto you? 
 
 Boy. Love, honour, and succour me. . 
 
 Au. " As ye would that it should be done unto you 
 do ye even so." Now I have these two boys standing 
 here, who, by their conduct this morning, seem neither 
 to love, nor honour, nor succour their father and mother. 
 (They reddened at this unexpected application to their 
 case. I looked toward them, and said it was very wick- 
 ed.) You know enough to understand you deserved to 
 9 
 
98 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 be " thumped? but if you will listen a little now, you 
 will perhaps learn what you never knew before, espe- 
 cially as you have not submitted yourselves to your 
 governor, the master of this school, in order to being 
 taught. I shall be very glad if you learn so as to be- 
 come obedient boys. 
 
 Now, remark, how engaging the duty of children to 
 parents is made by these terms. It is not put upon bare 
 submission, like your duty to other ranks ; it is not mere- 
 ly that honour and obedience which you owe to the rulers 
 of your country, as the principal rank of men ; but it is to 
 love, to honour, and to succour them. You are to love 
 all men, but you are to have double love for your pa- 
 rents ; they are entitled to love as neighbours or fellow- 
 creatures, but they are also entitled to further love as 
 your parents. They stand in the manifold capacities 
 of master, teacher, governor, and of parents also ; there- 
 fore, the honour due unto them in, reverence and sub- 
 mission is double. You are appointed to do good unto 
 all men ; but you are especially to succour your parents, 
 in whatever way they require it, and according to the 
 means within your power. 
 
 Have you any Gospel rules which confirm and esta- 
 blish this fifth commandment of the law ? 
 
 Boy. Yes, Matt. xv. 4, and Mark vii. 10 ; in which 
 passages our Lord Jesus says, " God commanded, say- 
 ing, Honour thy father and thy mother;" and in Matt. 
 xix. 19, and Luke xviii. 20, " Honour thy father and 
 thy mother :" and, " Thou shalt love thy neighbour as 
 thyself." 
 
 Au. Have you any more 1 
 
 Boy. Yes ; the Apostle Paul, in Eph. vi. 2, writes, 
 " Honour thy father and thy mother, which is the first 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 99 
 
 commandment with promise ;" and Col. iii. 20, " Chil- 
 dren, obey your parents in all things, for this is well- 
 pleasing to the Lord." Heb. xii. 9, " We had fathers 
 of the flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them 
 reverence?'' 
 
 Au. Turn also to Lev. xix. 3, " Ye shall fear every 
 man his mother and his father ;" and Prov . i. 8, " My 
 son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not 
 the law of thy mother." 
 
 This fifth commandment is then fully confirmed to 
 you throughout the Scriptures ; and much more might 
 now be said in further proof of it, but this is enough for 
 the present. 
 
 Let me put a question to your consciences, which I 
 desire you to attend to, and answer in your heart to 
 God. Have you endeavoured to fulfil this command in 
 your duty to your parents ? or have you been heedless 
 of it, and behaved like those who will have nothing 
 to do with the Lord ? By bad conduct, living like 
 children, who trouble, despise, and hate their father 
 and mother 1 
 
 (I paused some time, and then said,) If your heart 
 condemn you, God is greater than your heart, and 
 knoweth all things ! If your heart is moved with desire 
 to honour them, seek the love of God, and then you 
 will love, honour, and succour your father and mother ! 
 Look unto Jesus, who, in the days of his flesh, was 
 subject unto his parents. See how he loved, honoured, 
 and succoured his mother, even when he hung on the 
 cross, and secured her earthly comforts beyond that pe- 
 riod, by giving her to the care of his beloved Apostle, 
 John, forming them in the bonds of son and mother ! 
 Can you repeat the passage 7 
 
100 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Boy. John xix. 26, 27, " When Jesus therefore saw 
 his mother and the disciple standing by whom he loved, 
 he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son ! 
 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother ! and 
 from that hour that disciple took her unto his own 
 home." 
 
 Au. I have now only this more to say at present. 
 Remember it is the first commandment with promise, 
 and that obedience to parents is well-pleasing to the 
 Lord. Therefore, "children obey your parents in the 
 Lord, for this is right j" (saying which, I looked at 
 Mary, who smiled to have the lecture closed with her 
 rule.) 
 
 The morning was now spent, and we withdrew, leav- 
 ing my two truants to such reflection as might be sug- 
 gested by the occasion, setting them all at liberty to re- 
 turn home and be put to the proof whether they did 
 love, honour, and succour their father and mother ; and 
 inviting my friend and his daughter to join us in the 
 evening to converse with the gardener's old father, we 
 severally went on our way. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The first principle of Education. — Effects of set- 
 ting before children wrong jnotives for obedience. 
 — Old Thomas'' plan of Education. 
 
 On my return home, I found my neighbours, Mrs. 
 Aston and Mrs. Bennet, both waiting my arrival, and 
 with them their two daughters, Anna and Maria ; they 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 101 
 
 were in the midst of conversation with my sister, who 
 had received them in my absence, and were much pleas- 
 ed at my appearance. Mrs. Aston immediately address- 
 ed me without any of the usual introductory formalities, 
 saying, " We are deep in the subject, my dear friend, 
 which you have presented to us in so serious and inter- 
 esting a manner, and I hope I have gained much in- 
 struction from what your sister also has said, that it is 
 a first principle of education to direct our children to 
 God." 
 
 An. May I take the liberty of correcting the form 
 of your observation, by changing the little indefinite ar- 
 ticle into the definite, and instead of saying, a first prin- 
 ciple, that you should say, the first principle. There is 
 but one first principle, and on that our minds ought to 
 be simply fixed. If we uprightly acknowledge but one, 
 we shall then be guarded against the vain intrusion of 
 any other in its place. When the mind of the parent 
 wavers in the leading motive, or first principle, her 
 counsels will be uncertain, and her child will not be es- 
 tablished. 
 
 Mrs. Aston. Thank you ; I wish you would always 
 take this liberty ; for by this friendly promptness to seize 
 the occasion, you may strengthen and instruct me ex- 
 ceedingly : this remark will not be lost. 
 
 The young people requested permission to go together 
 into the garden whilst our visiters remained, which be- 
 ing granted, we had the opportunity of canvassing the 
 state of Anna and Maria. 
 
 Mrs. Aston, whose heart was full, said, "Now I will 
 tell you how I have proceeded with Anna; for I have 
 found there was no time to lose. Her habits of selfish- 
 ness and indolence were increasing to such an alarming 
 9* 
 
102 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 height, that if not, by timely remedy, corrected, she will 
 be a misery to herself and all connected with her. On 
 our way from your house, we were both silent. My 
 heart was filled with conviction and anxiety, and I think 
 if ever I prayed to God for help for the future and par- 
 don for the past, I did so during that. time. How Anna 
 was affected I do not know ; it was natural she should 
 be silent, seeing my mind occupied, and feeling, herself, 
 perhaps, under a sense of something wrong. She com- 
 plained of fatigue, and wished to retire to bed. I accom- 
 panied her to her room, and opened my mind fully to 
 her on the subject, and as near as I can recollect, I will 
 relate our conversation. 
 
 " ' My dear Anna, it will not be many days before you 
 will, if it please God, be thirteen years of age, and my 
 mind is filled with distress when I reflect on the num- 
 ber of years which have passed since the Lord's mercy 
 gave you into my arms, without my having performed 
 my duty to God in attending to my duty to you, and 
 teaching you your duty in the Lord. I begin, my dear, 
 with condemning myself, that you may see I desire to 
 be humbled before God, and that I take all the blame 
 of your misconduct, which so constantly distresses me, 
 on myself. It is a fit punishment, if, through mistake 
 or ignorance, I have neglected to give you the right 
 principle of obedience. 
 
 " ' Anna. I don't know, mamma ; but I think it is 
 very hard if I am always to be thought wrong, when 
 you know how often papa and you have rewarded me 
 for doing well. 
 
 " ' Mrs. Aston. That is one of our great faults, that 
 we have bribed you to do things by promised gifts, in- 
 stead of teaching you to do them, as to the Lord, in 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 103 
 
 obedience. You, in consequence, are become greedy of 
 gifts, and covetous, and selfish, and we have been the 
 unhappy instruments of making you so, and of robbing 
 you of nobler motives of action. 
 
 " ' Anna. Mr. Harris talked a great deal about love, 
 but I am sure I always loved you when you gave me so 
 many pretty things, and though I wanted the gold chain, 
 it was not that I did not love papa's picture. 
 
 "' Mrs. Aston. No, Anna; but did you love papa 
 when you found the gold chain was not in the box 1 
 Did you honour him when you found he had disap- 
 pointed you ? 
 
 " c Anna. It was only just then that I was vexed ; I 
 honour and love him now. 
 
 " \ Mrs. Aston. I shall think you do so, Anna, so soon 
 as you attend to your studies and our wishes, for the 
 desire of pleasing us by your good conduct, without 
 wanting any other reward. 
 
 " ' Anna. It is very hard, mamma, and if Mr. Harris 
 had not made any remarks, you would never have 
 thought anything about it. 
 
 " ' Mrs. Aston. We owe him much for these remarks, 
 and I hope, my dear child, it will not be long before you 
 will learn to feel how much we owe him. All I mean 
 to say now, is to prepare you for a complete change of 
 conduct ; and whilst I ask for help from the Lord, I will 
 pray for a blessing on you ; I see it is to him only we 
 must look.' Thus we parted for the night. 
 
 " The next morning she was backward to commence 
 any study, though I reminded her several times; at last 
 she said, ' Will you take a walk with me when I have 
 done?' 
 
 "'I make no engagement, Anna,' I said, c dependent 
 
104 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 on your duty. You know what I have determined on 
 that point.' She took up some of her books, and did a 
 little, and at the usual hour put them all by. 
 
 " This morning was something of the same reluctant 
 spirit. She practised her music, but I observed that 
 piece which was to earn the gold chain was entirely ne- 
 glected. I have been so far firm, and I wish to try what 
 she will do. I fear she expects to re-establish the old 
 system when her father returns. It is a relief to my 
 mind that Mrs. Bennet's call enabled me to accompany 
 her here. Now, will you favour me with your advice ? 
 
 Au. It is my duty so to do, and it will be my plea- 
 sure, provided I may be assured of one thing. 
 
 Mrs. Aston. Is it anything dependent upon me? 
 
 Au. Yes, it is this ; Will you not only say you allow 
 me the privilege of stating fully my mind on the whole 
 subject, but will you also hot feel offended if, in endea- 
 vouring to counsel you to correct your child, you find 
 these counsels connected intimately with the correction 
 of your own heart ? 
 
 Mrs. Aston. I will endeavour to feel what I now say, 
 that I will be thankful for whatever you may address to 
 me of this description. 
 
 Au. Very well ; to this I trust. You are both in a 
 very critical moment. You are pledged to her and to 
 God to change your whole S3^stem, and she is in a sus- 
 pense whether really that system is to be wholly chang- 
 ed. It is not easy to make and to establish a complete 
 change of principle and motive, especially when that 
 change is to be of a religious nature. The whole bent 
 of the natural mind will be against it, and you will both 
 require a renewed mind. The right training of a child 
 must begin with the right feeling, purpose, and appre- 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 105 
 
 hension of the parent ; and you will perceive, therefore, 
 that as you have hitherto been without them, you have 
 now, in the first instance, to seek them for yourself; and 
 you must be careful whilst you desire to expel the bad 
 principles, that you. endeavour to occupy with good. 
 The heart swept, and even garnished with some new 
 decorations, is in a desolate and dangerous state, unless 
 it become inhabited by tire Lord, and ornamented by 
 the graces of the Holy Ghost. Spirits more wicked 
 and subtle than the first may take possession, and the 
 last state be worse than the first. And if you should 
 take up this duty from human feeling only, using the 
 plea of a religious motive merely as a help to obtain a 
 selfish end, and your child should acquiesce meiely 
 because she cannot resist it, then you will gain no solid 
 or permanent advantage j selfishness will always seek 
 its rest in self. 
 
 Mrs. Aston. Then how must I act ? 
 
 Au. Watch your child's feelings ; at present she is 
 in the situation of the man who lamented, " You have 
 taken away my gods, and what have I left?" She is 
 sullen and reserved, her stimulus for exertion is taken 
 away, and she has not that love and honour for you 
 which would compensate the loss. 
 
 Mrs. Aston. But again I ask, how must I act? 
 
 Au. You must endeavour both to feel and communis 
 cate the love of God j especially inculcate his love to us 
 as manifested in Jesus ; take every opportunity afforded 
 by passing circumstances, or by the perusal of your Bi- 
 ble, to illustrate and exhibit it ; and show that you are 
 sensible of that love by frequent acts of prayer to Him, 
 which will demonstrate that you are persuaded of it — 
 and by constant reference to His will in all you do for 
 
106 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 her, or direct her to do. In one word — Let all you do 
 be in the Lord, and then your labour will not be in 
 vain. 
 
 Mrs. Aston. I am certainly aware that this has not 
 been my system, or rather, I am ashamed to say, my 
 intent. I have endeavoured to carry on some religious 
 instruction in a general way; but even this could net be 
 done without bribery. • 
 
 Au. The worst effect of bribery is that of suffering a 
 child to suppose itself entitled to reward on the ground 
 of merit. This is the first principle of Pharisaism, and 
 ought to be for ever crushed by the scriptural truth, 
 constantly brought forward — that even had we done all, 
 we still remain unprofitable servants, have done nothing 
 more than our duty. The inward pleasure of a happy 
 conscience will grow up out of the blessed habit of en- 
 deavouring to serve the Lord. Presumption will be 
 checked by the revealing of sin in our manifold short- 
 comings ; and confidence and peace will spring up from 
 the knowledge of the efficacy of the blood of sprinkling; 
 and then the meaning of that sweet expression is learnt, 
 " Thy commandments have I loved," and, " In keeping 
 of them there is great reward." 
 
 Mrs. Aston. Alas! I fear this is a long and tedious 
 work to accomplish. 
 
 Au. To see the full accomplishment, we must needs 
 wait with the patience of hope, and begin without loss 
 of time to redeem the past, and set ovt, at least, in the 
 way we should go ; the path is clear and direct, and as- 
 suredly leads to the blessed end. "Enter ye in," saith 
 the Lord, " at the strait gate which leadeth to everlasting 
 life." 
 
 Mrs. Aston. I do not doubt that I shall find a double 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 107 
 
 blessing in the resolve ; and may it be granted that my 
 child and her parent may walk together. 
 
 Au. In this you will find a blessing. In proportion 
 as you can lead your Anna into the knowledge and love 
 of God, such will be the proportion of her love and ho- 
 nour of her parents. You will be able to judge of the 
 power of the principle by its effect in practice. 
 
 The conversation was now interrupted by Mrs. Ben- 
 net, who said, " The time wears away fast, and I fear to 
 lose my errand , which was to say, that I think it a great 
 pity you should have appointed our meetings at your 
 house so distant as weekly ; for we have now an acces- 
 sion to the usual circle of our friends by the visiters that 
 are in the neighbourhood; and I have heard them ex- 
 press so much feeling on the subject of our last inter- 
 view, that I could not help wishing they might be fol- 
 lowed up a little quicker." 
 
 Expressing my readiness to meet her wishes, she un- 
 dertook to collect the party, and to engage them for the 
 next evening. 
 
 We then parted, our friends being joined by their 
 children, Anna and Maria. 
 
 When the evening drew on, our young people re- 
 minded me of my engagement at the gardener's cottage, 
 and inducing their mamma to accompany us, we all set 
 out ; being joined, as we had appointed, by Mary and 
 her father, who were waiting in readiness for us. 
 
 " Let us go by the way of the village," said George, 
 " that we may inquire after Dick Johnson." 
 
 Our way being thus marked out, we soon drew near 
 his dwelling. 
 
 George. There he is, leaning against the door. 
 
 He saw us approaching, and went in as if to avoid ob- 
 
108 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 servation ; but we tapped at the door, and asked if we 
 might be admitted ? 
 
 " By all means, Sir, come in," the mother said. 
 
 Au. I came to ask if you or your boy have thought 
 any more of the fifth commandment % 
 
 Mother. I can't say what he has done, but I know 
 he was desperate angry when I told him of it this 
 morning. 
 
 Au. Angry ! to be told of God's word, Dick ! how did 
 this happen ? 
 
 Dick. She wanted to come over me ! 
 
 Au. In what way ? 
 
 " You see, Sir," interrupted the mother, " when I'd 
 knitted him his stockings, he grumbled to pay me my 
 due, and said neighbour Matty would have done them 
 cheaper. Now you see, Sir, it's here — I paid 2\d. an 
 ounce for the worsted, .and it takes eight ounces to a 
 pair of his stockings, for you see he's a stout leg like, 
 and the regular rule is to pay for knitting as much as 
 worsted costs, and that made 'em come to 3s. Ad. ; so he 
 said he wouldn't pay it, any how. I know Matty would 
 do it for less; but then the worsted is a palfpenny an 
 ounce less, and that makes a difference: and when I told 
 him so, he went to call me a liar : — so, Sir, I thought of 
 f Honour thy father and mother,' and I told him on't ; 
 and then he blustered and swaggered, and talked o' 
 shifting his loom, and going somewhere else." 
 
 Au. Indeed ! and how will you settle this dispute ? 
 
 Mother. Nay, he's like to have his own way for 
 aught I see; but I know if he'd honoured his mother he 
 wouldn't have bargained about a few halfpence. 
 
 Au. You say very true, he would not ; but how do 
 you think you are to get that honour from him now, 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 109 
 
 when the first time you talked to him of the command- 
 ment of God, it was neither for love of his soul, nor for 
 the honour of God, but for the profit of some halfpence, 
 and for resentment at his abuse of you. If you expect 
 to induce your son to honour you, you must first let 
 him see that you reverence the Lord ; and if you expect 
 him to love you, you must show that you love him. 
 
 Mother. Why, Sir, I'm not so unnatural as not to 
 love my own flesh, as my boy is — (and her voice be- 
 came impeded by a choking in her throat occasioned by 
 the rising feelings of natural love and vexation of spirit — ). 
 Many's the time that I've worked night and day for him 
 for nought : when he'd the small pox he was six days 
 and nights on my lap ; and its only thirteen weeks come 
 Saturday next since he got better of a fever that had 
 kept him to bed a whole month. 
 
 Au. It's a sad thing that you should have to repeat 
 these instances of your care of your son to remind him 
 of his obligation to you ; and that he should not know 
 that Scripture which exhorts children to learn first to 
 show piety at home, and to requite their parents; " for 
 that is good and acceptable before God." I Tim. v. 4. 
 But you know that, though he ought to remember them, 
 you ought not to lay them up in your mind as if they 
 were a store of extraordinaay good works ; you would 
 not have been worthy the name of mother, if you had 
 not cherished your own child in his sickness. If he has 
 forgotten his own duty, depend upon it he knows that 
 this was your duty. 
 
 Dick. She's always flinging that in my face, and 
 father too; though he makes me pay so much for my. 
 board and lodging, he's none so careful to make his own 
 10 
 
110 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 share, for he wastes his money in the public house ; he 
 works hard enough, but that's no better for us. 
 
 Au. Oh, wretched people ! without God in the 
 world ! What can we expect from a son so brought up, 
 but disobedience and selfishness, with nothing to attract 
 his heart to his parents, nor a sense of duty to the Lord 
 to bind him to duty towards his father and mother. How 
 sadly do you neglect the Scripture which teaches pa- 
 rents to bring up their children in the nurture and fear 
 of the Lord. 
 
 I did not feel that T could at that moment reason with 
 them to any profit ; all their passions were awake ; and 
 they seemed bent on recrimination of each other. I 
 therefore turned to my own party, and proposed to go 
 on to the gardener's. 
 
 " Ah, you'll see very different things there," said the 
 mother; "Thomas' children know how to honour their 
 father and mother." 
 
 I was glad to hear this remark, as it proved at least 
 some discrimination. 
 
 I hastened on, fearful of being stopped by any other 
 incident, and we were speedily at the cottage door. 
 There was a small flower-garden in front, and little Sa- 
 rah was busy tying up some bunches of stocks, to sup- 
 port them under the weight of the seed -pods, which 
 were near ripening. Old Thomas was seated at the 
 door, on a knotted piece of wood, placed there for a seat, 
 leaning on his stick, and watching Sarah's progress. 
 His hands shook from an affection of palsy. When he 
 saw us he endeavoured to rise, but his knees shook so 
 as to disable him from standing steadily at first. Little 
 Sarah, seeing him move threw down her string and 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. Ill 
 
 scissors, and ran to him, saying, " Grandfather, put your 
 hand on the top of my head to steady you." 
 
 " Yes, my little prop," he said, laying his trembling 
 hand on her flaxen-hair'd head, which for a moment 
 was shaken by the involuntary motion of his hand ; but 
 she raised her hand and put it upon his, and so held it 
 steady. 
 
 It was a pretty picture — he leaned on his stick with 
 the other hand ; his bushy white hair was tucked behind 
 his ears, a stray lock crossed his forehead, and his hat, 
 which from age had lost its form, slouched a little over 
 his face. But when he lifted it up to bid us welcome, 
 he discovered a countenance full of peacefulness and 
 benignity, though his face was thin, and furrowed with 
 the lines of age. Knowing already the character of the 
 old man, I could not help saying in a low voice to our 
 children, " See ! the hoary head is a crown of glory, if 
 it be found in the way of righteousness." Prov. xvi. 31. 
 
 He waited to know our errand, and I at once told him 
 our motive for calling. 
 
 Au. See here, Thomas, three children, my nephews 
 and niece, and their mother, my sister ; we are come to 
 converse with you, if you will allow us, on the impor- 
 tant duties connected with the training up children in 
 respect to the fifth commandment, and the blessings they 
 are likely to experience in attention to its dictates. 
 
 Old Thomas. There should be none better qualified 
 than I, Sir, to speak on that subject, and if you con- 
 descend to go into our small cottage, I'll talk with you 
 with all my heart ; only I cannot, you see, Sir, stand 
 long ; my knees are feeble, and remind me of the ap- 
 proach of that time when I shall "be sown in weakness, 
 but raised in power." (As he said this, a beam of joyful 
 
112 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 hope shot across his serene face, which gave it a pecu- 
 liar animation.) 
 
 " Oh ! " I said, apart to my sister, " how true it is, that 
 parents must show forth their own hope and dependence 
 of faith, in order to inculcate the true principle on the 
 minds of their children!" 
 
 Louisa sprang forward to open the door for old Tho- 
 mas; and though he paused for us to go in before him, 
 not one would move until he led the way : it was very 
 pleasing to me to see this token of innate respect for old 
 age. 
 
 We found Jane busy helping her infirm mother to 
 shell pease, which they were engaged, we heard, to take 
 that night to a family in the neighbourhood. She with 
 quickness took the bason off her mother's knee, and 
 though she was quite neat enough, took a clean apron 
 out of a drawer, and tied it on her mother, in place of 
 the one she had on ; and then, after placing chairs for 
 us all as well as she could, turned down an empty flow- 
 er-pot which was in the corner, to make a seat for her- 
 self, so that she could go on with her employment. 
 
 I could not help reflecting for a moment on the uni- 
 versal influence of a fixed and consistent principle ; how 
 every minute movement of a family, well-ordered in the 
 Lord, expresses the correctness of the spring by which 
 they are put in motion. 
 
 Being all accommodated — Sarah standing by her 
 grandfather, but engrossed in looking at us all in turn — 
 we waited a few minutes to see the old man settled. 
 
 Au. Now, my friend, it seems rather an abrupt ap- 
 plication to make to you on this great subject ; but as I 
 perceive the way in which this little family is taught, 
 and heard the godly feelings of your son, and am di- 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 113 
 
 rected by him to you, to learn from your experience 
 and wisdom, I am anxious to hear your sentiments, 
 and, if possible, to gather the plan on which you have 
 proceeded. 
 
 " Sir," he answered, " excuse an old man, if I speak 
 in my own way. The truth is, I can hardly say whai 
 plan I have had ; but this I know, I desired of the Lord 
 wisdom to bring up and govern my family, for I thought 
 this as great a concern to me, as it was to king Solo- 
 mon to have wisdom to govern the people of Israel. I'll 
 tell you how the Lord gave me wisdom, I think — bless- 
 ed be his holy name — because I've no learning much 
 about worldly wisdom. I can read my Bible well, thank 
 the Lord, and out of it he gave me wisdom to be sin- 
 gle-eyed with regard to my family ; showing me by his 
 Word that it was my duty to " train up a child in the 
 way he should go," and showing me the promise, that 
 he should not depart from it when he is old. So, instead 
 of toiling and troubling myself about cares to make 
 riches, I believed it was best to seek first the kingdom 
 of heaven, and to trust that all things else should be 
 added unto us. We prayed for daily bread ; we work- 
 ed for daily bread ; we always had enough, and some- 
 times a bit to spare ; and though we've nothing laid up, 
 we've treasure in heaven. My old age has been sup- 
 ported by my son, and his old age will be supported by 
 his sons, if they live ; and if not, we live in the ' Lord,' 
 who ' will provide.' It is His Name, you know, Sir." 
 (Jehovah-Jireh. Gen. xxii. 8. 14.) 
 
 Au. True, Thomas ; but did you try to impress the 
 fifth commandment on the minds of your children? 
 
 Old Thomas. Yes, Sir ; you know I said I must be 
 forced to talk in my own way. You see what I've been 
 10* 
 
114 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 saying has more to do with that, than it may be you 
 think, because it had to do with what the Scriptures call, 
 being single-eyed. It made my son know that I put my 
 trust in God himself, and then they must be sure I 
 honoured his word, because it was all I had to go by ; 
 so when I told them of God's Word respecting them, 
 they knew that I was directing them by the light that I 
 wished to walk in myself. 
 
 Au. Can you give me any idea of the maimer in 
 which you taught them ? ■ 
 
 Old Thomas. I dare say, Sir, I talk very confused, 
 but you know, Sir, I asked your excuse. I used to do 
 this way — and, indeed, I do the same way with my 
 grandchildren. I did'nt fright them with the command- 
 ment of God, as if it was a terrible thing, but I showed 
 it to them in all the word of God, for it is all over the 
 Bible ; and I showed them how Jesus, who loved us so 
 as to lay down his life for us, talked of it ; and how af- 
 fectionately it was always spoken of; for even at Sinai 
 it had a promise given with it ; and it is always named 
 with a blessing of some sort. So I said, " You see what 
 God teaches, that you honour your father and mother. 
 It is not me that orders it ; but I tell you it, because 
 God has commanded it, and has given me a right. I 
 must be honoured, because I am your father ; God 
 has made me your father, and put us together of his 
 own will, that you should honour me." They knew I 
 did not say this in pride, nor think highly of myself, 
 because they heard me confess myself a sinner, and pray 
 for the grace of the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus. 
 But, perhaps, Sir, I have said too much ; I know it is an 
 old man's fault to talk too much. 
 
 Au. No, indeed, Thomas, it was to hear you talk that 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 115 
 
 we came, and we are much obliged to you ; for we de- 
 sire that you should talk freely. 
 
 Old Thomas. Well, you see, Sir, an old man can 
 tell more than a young one, because he has lived to see 
 the goodness and truth of the Lord. And if fathers 
 and mothers would but believe God, they wouldn't 
 spend all their care for their children about the things 
 of this world. It is right, and our duty, to labour with 
 our hands, but if we would but remember the promise, 
 " that the seed of the righteous shall never be forgotten, 
 nor seen begging their bread," we should first desire to 
 see our children made the children of the Lord. 
 
 An. Did your children, from the flrs^ imbibe the love 
 of the Lord and of his commandment ? 
 
 Old Thomas. Blessed be the Lord, the giver of all 
 grace, they did, I had but two sons: one is gone to 
 heaven; the other, Thomas, my first-born, you know, 
 Sir. I think I may say, as I endeavoured humbly to 
 bring them up in the way of the Lord, they have not 
 departed from it. You mustn't think, Sir, because I say 
 so, that they never did anything that is wrong ; that 
 couldn't be in sinful nature, such as we all have : they 
 had their tempers and their temptations ; but they knew 
 where to take them for correction ; they knew the 
 cleansing blood of Jesus, and the sanctifying of the 
 Holy Ghost. I always watched their tempers and 
 pride, and told them of it directly they showed it ; and 
 many's the time I've seen the bitter tear stand in their 
 eyes, till my own has started to think they had got sins 
 to struggle with through me their father ; for whenever 
 these young ones do wrong and sin, I remember, with a 
 sigh, that they were born in sin. 
 
 Au. Then, I perceive, you taught them the com- 
 
116 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 mandment blended with a view of their sinfulness ; but 
 did not this make them fear the commandment ? 
 
 Old Thomas. I can't say ; I think this is it ; — that if 
 you can first teach them to love the Lord himself for 
 his goodness, then they don't feel his commandments 
 grievous. You know, Sir, it was that Apostle that knew 
 so much about love that said, " For this is the love jf 
 God, that we keep his commandments, and his com- 
 mandments are not grievous" 1 John v. 3. 
 
 Au. But you know also that It was the knowledge of 
 the law, and of sin by fhe law, that made St. Paul cry 
 out, " O wretched man that I am!" 
 
 Old Thomas* It did, Sir, (he quickly replied,) but 
 when he saw his deliverance in Jesus Christ, he was 
 directly freed from fear, because he said, " There is, 
 therefore, now, no condemnation to them that are in 
 Christ Jesus." Bom. viii. 1. 
 
 Au. Then did they feel satisfied because they were 
 doing all they could ? 
 
 He looked earnestly at me for a minute, as if to get 
 at the full meaning of my question, and then said, " No 
 Sir, no. Don't the Scriptures say, ' Christ is the end 
 of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.' 
 Thank God, I've been taught that holy doctrine ; else, 
 Sir, I don't know how I should have dared to look so 
 close at the commandment. It clings to my heart, 'He 
 shall be called the Lord our Righteousness,' Jer. xxiii. 
 6. I will not let it go." 
 
 Au. You have, been taught, I see, the doctrines of 
 righteousness in all their application ; and this has been 
 a great privilege. 
 
 Old Thomas. Yes, it has, Sir. I'd a faithful guide 
 in my youth, and well I remember his instructions on 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 117 
 
 the two passages, Jer. xxiii. 6, and xxxiii. 16 ; and the 
 Lord graved it on my heart, as with a pen of iron. 
 
 Au. Then you instructed your children in the whole 
 truth ? 
 
 Old Thomas. To be sure, Sir, as far as T knew it. 
 You can't well help it, you know, Sir, when you read 
 the Scriptures to them, because all comes in its turn, and 
 if God in his wisdom lets his word stand so, why should 
 I "shun to declare the whole counsel of God ?" God 
 reveals his truth by the Holy Ghost ; and you know, 
 Sir, it was a matter of rejoicing to Christ, when in 
 the flesh, that it was " revealed to babes? 1 
 
 Au. Was your wife of the same mind ? 
 
 The old man did not answer immediately, as he was 
 long in raising his palsied hand to wipe the tear off his 
 eyelid. 
 
 Old Thomas. She was, blessed be the Lord. I 
 knew enough, when I sought a wife, to seek a help-meet 
 in the Lord. I asked her of the Lord, and he gave me 
 such a one. (Then assuming a more cheerful tone, he 
 continued.) Son Thomas Walked in his father's steps, 
 and he has such a one ; there she sits ; with all her in- 
 firmities of body she is strong in faith, and a help-meet 
 for him. 
 
 We all naturally looked towards her, and Jane for a 
 moment stopped her work to look in her mother's face 
 with an expression of love." This general observation 
 caused a feeling of modest confusion, which was indi- 
 cated by the change of complexion in her pale face, and 
 which had the effect of obliging us all to turn away our 
 eyes again. 
 
 I felt sorry that our time obliged us now to leave old 
 Thomas. We rose and thanked him for his kind com- 
 
118 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 munications. On our way home again, my sister 
 said, "Does not the conversation of old Thomas remind 
 you of David's words, Ps. lxxi. 17, 18. ' O God, thou 
 hast taught me from my youth, and hitherto have I de- 
 clared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old 
 and grey headed, O God, forsake me not, until I have 
 showed thy strength unto this generation, and thy pow- 
 er to every one that is to come.' " 
 
 My friend, Mr. Conway, and his Mary, parted from 
 us where the road divided, saying, " Thank you, my 
 friend, I and Mary will hope to be the better for this; I 
 begin to see things as I never did before." 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Old Thomas. — An instance of devoted filial piety. — 
 Grounds of the duty of parents. 
 
 At breakfast next morning, we endeavoured to form 
 a plan for the evening conversation, and Louisa's ex- 
 pression of a desire that old Thomas should be of the 
 party, suggested the idea that it might not be impossible 
 to have him ; but his infirmities led us to fear he could 
 not bear the fatigue of coming. 
 
 "Oh!" said Charles, "there is the little cart and po- 
 ny, and I should be glad to be the driver to fetch old 
 Thomas." 
 
 Au. It is no bad plan, Charles, and if your mother 
 sees no reason to object, we will settle it so. 
 
 My sister was pleased with the proposal, and we had 
 only to advise that he should be brought as early as 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 119 
 
 possible, in order to let him have time to rest ; and Lou- 
 isa proposed that his grand daughter, Jane, should come 
 to take care of him. Our arrangements were soon made; 
 and whilst the young people devoted a few hours to 
 study, I again went forth to what I conceived to be my 
 calling at the present period ; and thinking it rather re- 
 markable that Mrs. Bennet should have been the person 
 to solicit more frequent meetings, I thought I might en- 
 deavour to learn on what particular ground she was in- 
 duced to do it; for she had declared such complete sa- 
 tisfaction with her own plans, that I felt rather surpris- 
 ed. Undertaking to call at the gardener's, in order to 
 engage the old man and Jane, I went that way. 
 
 Old Thomas thanked me for the honour I did him, as 
 he said, but pleaded his age and infirmities as an excuse 
 for declining the invitation. I told him how easy we 
 would endeavour to make it; and then he pleaded his 
 want of knowledge how to behave in such a company 
 of ladies and gentlemen ; but in the end, when I urged 
 that he might be a. help to me in setting forth the duties 
 of parents and children, he overcame his reluctance, and 
 said; that "if the Lord gave him strength he would try 
 to meet my wishes." 
 
 We had just finished this business, when a fine look- 
 ing, modest girl, about sixteen, came rather abruptly into 
 the room, but on seeing me, started, and immediately 
 ran back. 
 
 " I fear I have frightened that young woman," I said; 
 "let her be called back, for I am going." She was, how- 
 ever, too quickly out of sight to be recalled. 
 
 " It's a pity," said old Thomas, " for she's in great dis- 
 tress just now." 
 ; Au. Is it in anything wherein I can help her ? 
 
120 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Old Thomas. No, Sir ; I think she'll get over it in 
 time, by the blessing of God. 
 
 (There was something in the appearance of the girl 
 that had pleased me, and induced me to* ask what was 
 the nature of her distress.) 
 
 She would be sorry to have it known, but this is the 
 case: — She is the eldest of her family ; her mother is a 
 quiet, industrious woman, but her father is a man of bad 
 character, violent, unruly-tempered, and given to bad 
 company ; he's a great gambler, especially a cock-fighter; 
 and this is the third time that he's brought himself to 
 ruin. He hates this girl, though she's the only one of 
 all the family that loves the Lord : he can't bear her reli- 
 gion , because it condemns him; though she behaves 
 dutifully to him, and whenever she takes courage to 
 warn him of his sin, does it like one who knows what's 
 due to him as her father. 
 
 Au. What would she be wanting with you now 1 
 
 Old Thomas. Oh ! what she can do another time ; 
 it's only to put some money into my hand to pay over 
 to her Christian friend, a young lady, who has been her 
 instructer in religion ever since she was five years old. 
 
 Au. What does she pay the money for ? 
 
 Old Thomas. She's bent on paying her father's 
 debts, and she's kept the bailiffs out of the house by her 
 promise to work it out, but she daren't let him know 
 what she's about ; and he hides himself to keep out of 
 the way, and though he donH work^ his idleness is bet- 
 ter than gambling. 
 
 Au. How will she pay it ? 
 
 Old Thomas. For the last three weeks she's been 
 at work by four in the morning, till past twelve at night; 
 her window's right opposite our back room, where I 
 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 121 
 
 sleep, and I've heard her sing her morning hymn while 
 she's been at work, by four o'clock. I'm sure my heart 
 has sung with her. It comes so sweet across with the 
 wind, as it blows ! 
 
 Au. Why does she pay the money to the lady? 
 
 Old Thomas. Because she always takes counsel of 
 her ; and she lodges it with her till she's got the money 
 up : and one of her sorrows is, that it robs her of time 
 just now to attend her instructions ; but this quickens 
 her, I dare say, to get at liberty soon. 
 
 Au. Will not her father's heart be moved towards 
 her when he knows of this ? 
 
 Old Thomas. No, not a bit ; I believe he'd rather 
 have owed it to anybody than her. You know, Sir, 
 what the Lord saith, " I came not to give peace, but di- 
 vision ; to set father against son, and mother against 
 daughter;" and so it is — Jesus is the Prince of Peace, 
 but that is only when he reigns in the heart. 
 
 Au. Has the young lady a school ? 
 
 Old Thomas. Yes ; and the Lord makes her a 
 blessing to all the young people under her instruction. 
 She teaches them regularly — all Bible instruction. 
 
 Au. Where is the school ? 
 
 Old Thomas. In the next market town, about a 
 mile and a half off. Now, Sir, I think she could tell 
 you something about the fifth commandment. I'm sure 
 she's taught Martha to honour and succour her father 
 and mother ; and it must be a true principle of love to 
 God, when such fruit is seen. Besides, she bears some 
 persecution from her neighbours, that don't know her 
 reasons, who call her covetous, and say, she's working 
 herself to a skeleton from the love of money : but she 
 bears it all. 
 11 
 
122 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Au. Thank you, Thomas, for telling me of this 
 proof of filial duty. I hope you will be well enough for 
 the afternoon. 
 
 Ruminating on this instance as I went on my way to 
 Mrs. Bennet's, I was there sooner than I expected ; and, 
 recollecting my errand, sent in my name. I was in- 
 stantly admitted, and she said in haste — 
 
 " I hope you are not come to postpone our engage- 
 ment." 
 
 Au. No ; I should be sorry to do so ; but I wish to 
 know if you have really appointed all our party. 
 
 Mrs. B. O yes ; all. Some have deferred other en- 
 gagements for the sake of your's. 
 
 Au. Maria is not here at present, I see. Will you ex- 
 cuse me (as we have only the best intention) if J ask 
 you, why you are desirous for these meetings ? 
 
 Mrs. B. I will be candid. You have presented to 
 my mind some considerations, which have made me 
 more keen-sighted to deficiencies in Maria's manners. 
 The love she expresses, is, I believe, quite sincere ; but I 
 confess there is, at the same time, a want of that respect 
 which I begin to think is essentially a part of that honour 
 which the Lord commands. For instance : — If I am in 
 earnest Shout something I wish her to do, she puts it off 
 by a kind of familiar liberty, snatching my hand, per- 
 haps, and saying, " Oh, mamma, not so serious, not so 
 serious ! you know, All for love." She will even, some- 
 times, contradict me rudely; and if I look a reproof, 
 she forces it away with "All for love !" And I heard 
 her say, this morning, "I cannot bear to be ordered ; 
 if it is not for love, I can do nothing." And I perceive 
 I am in danger of seeing another kind of selfishness 
 than that of Anna's grow up, unawares, in my Maria, 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 123 
 
 and she will become self-willed, and self-seeking, under 
 the specious profession of love. Thus she comes to dic- 
 tate terms of obedience, suitable to her disposition. A 
 little while ago, when I had become weary of an en- 
 gagement in which she had engrossed me too long, she 
 expressed her disappointment in this flattering language: 
 " If it was for love, mamma, you would not be tired." 
 In fact, I am myself in danger of being a slave to this 
 prevalent plea. 
 
 Au. Did you endeavour to place the command be- 
 fore her ? 
 
 Mrs. B. Yes ; but she said, in the moment of pique, 
 " I still cannot help thinking honour is too cold." I be- 
 lieve, though, there was some conviction, for she instant- 
 ly left the room, and I have not seen her since. Shall I 
 ring the bell, and let her know you are here ? 
 
 Au. No; I think not, at present : I will rather leave 
 you, and she will be a little prepared, perhaps, by reflec- 
 tion, for the evening. 
 
 On my return, my mind again adverted to the account 
 of Martha and her instructress, wishing, if by any means 
 I could obtain it, an introduction to the young lady ; but, 
 for the present, my time was likely to be fully occupied 
 by the engagement before me. 
 
 The hours flew swiftly away, whilst I was engaged 
 with my young inmates in making preparations, as be- 
 fore, for the reception of our guests ; and Charles hav- 
 ing not failed to go in good time for old Thomas, we 
 soon saw the cart with its venerable burden drawing up 
 to the house. He had made him a comfortable seat with 
 bundles of straw, and contrived to prop him steadily, 
 while Jane, sitting beside him, held one of his hands. 
 His son, Thomas, was walking on one side, at the head 
 
124 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 of the horse, and Charles sat as charioteer, in the front. 
 We went to receive them ; and Charles said, as he de- 
 scended from his place, " There, Thomas, I told you you 
 need not be alarmed, we have come the whole way with 
 scarcely a single jolt." 
 
 Thomas smiled, and replied, " Very true, Sir, you 
 have been a careful driver ; but I could not feel easy 
 without being by, for fear of anything happening to hurt 
 my old father ; you'll excuse me, Sir, and if you please 
 to let me come in the evening, I'll take him home again 
 without troubling you." 
 
 Old Thomas. Ah ! you had rather, Thomas ; you 
 are still afraid ; but you shall do as you like. 
 
 With care and patience, the old man was soon seated 
 in a large arm-chair, in a comfortable corner ; and for 
 little Jane, we placed a stool near to her grandfather. 
 
 It was not long before our party was in full assem- 
 blage, and the countenances of all my senior guests ex- 
 pressed a pleasure at our meeting, which was evidently 
 sincere. 
 
 A few cursory remarks filled the time until all were 
 seated ; when I prepared the way for conversation by 
 saying — 
 
 " Allow me to express the feeling of satisfaction which 
 this token of your interest excites ; and I trust we may 
 anticipate that good shall result from the blessing of the 
 Lord, to both parents and children." 
 
 Mrs. Evans, who seemed always most ready to speak, 
 immediately said, " My friend, Mrs. Graham, wishes 
 much to propose a question — will you permit her to do 
 so?" 
 
 Au. Most gladly; (looking towards her and waiting 
 her inquiry.) 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 125 
 
 Mrs. G. It is this : — I think you said, in our last con- 
 versation, something to this effect — that though there is 
 a commandment specially directed to children, there is 
 not one specially directed to parents. 
 
 Au. We have a sufficient number of constraining 
 commands, relative to parental duties, in innumerable 
 parts of the sacred Scriptures ; but there is not one in 
 the code of the ten commandments especially to parents. 
 The reason, I presume, is to be gathered from the seri- 
 ous import of the second commandment, which points 
 out to parents the consequences flowing from their con- 
 duct towards their children, and which helps to establish 
 one of my most important principles — the personal duty 
 of the parent towards God as the first object, if your 
 sins are visited upon your children. Then how do 
 you show love to your children by continuing in sin, by 
 neglecting to seek the cleansing of your own sins, by 
 failing to observe how they are lighting on your Chil- 
 dren, both in the judgments that are in store, and in 
 present kind. Pardon me, my dear friends, if to prove 
 my point, I make an application which may appear per- 
 sonal. Will you ? 
 
 Mrs. G. Surely. 
 
 Au. Then you are pledged not to be offended. In 
 the first place, I believe we are all agreed upon the 
 Scripture truth, that sin is the nature of man from gene- 
 ration to generation. We will take the twelfth verse of 
 the fifth of Romans, as sufficient for our decision : — 
 V Wherefore, as by one man, sin entered into the world, 
 and death by sin ; so death passed upon all men, for that 
 all have sinned :" and we see the fatal development of 
 this truth in the manifestation of sin in the very first 
 days of a child. In the same way that we often see the 
 11* 
 
126 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 very resemblance of parents, in feature, person, temper, 
 manner, habits, so do they also imbibe the character. 
 Whatever you are, your children are most like to be, 
 because you naturally cultivate them according to the 
 same inclinations and pursuits to which yourselves are 
 habituated. The consequence is, except in some parti- 
 cular instances, that they take the character; and this 
 is implied in that commandment prohibiting idolatry, 
 the threatening being, to visit the sin of the fathers upon 
 the children. We make that an idol, to the service of 
 which we dedicate ourselves and our children, when we 
 set up any motive or object in the place of God. Thus 
 self-love, pleasure, indifference, selfishness, covetousness, 
 are the character or sin of the parent, and are inculcated 
 on the children ; for I think we may take it as a gene- 
 ral rule, that whatever the parent proposes to the child 
 as a motive for obedience is the prevailing motive 
 with himself. 
 
 (I waited a few moments : for I discovered a general 
 sensation through my party.) 
 
 It may appear a very peculiar and minute application, 
 but I believe it is true. I could enlarge much upon this 
 subject, but time will not admit. I throw it out as a 
 hint to be improved upon. You are severally suffering 
 under the obstacles you find : trace them back to their 
 origin, and you will find them in yourselves, therefore 
 they are in your children. Correct them in yourselves, 
 and then you will find them corrected in your children. 
 Here, then, is a constraining consideration, equal in 
 weight to any command. The love of a parent to a 
 child is so strong that he would willingly, perhaps, be 
 the sacrifice for its preservation. Should not, therefore, 
 the consideration of their sins devolving upon their 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 127 
 
 children be a powerful argument with them to put away 
 sin? 
 
 Mrs. Evans, turning to her friend, said, " I think you 
 will not now find your excuse out of the ten command- 
 ments." 
 
 Mrs. Graham looked exceedingly uneasy, and I ven- 
 tured to ask her why she had put the inquiry? 
 
 Mrs. G. If I must say it, 1 flattered myself with a 
 kind of self-justification, thinking I had no particular 
 responsibility, if I, as I do, committed my children 
 wholly to the care of others, in whom I could place 
 confidence. 
 
 Au. In many instances, it may be necessary, and 
 sometimes preferable ; for it is better that they should 
 foe under the care of conscientious and good instructers, 
 than under the charge of a mother that would neglect 
 her duty through ignorance, indolence, or impiety. But 
 ithe mother in no case can discharge her own particular 
 .obligations through a substitute. But let us turn to a 
 more winning consideration ; for we seem to have run 
 ;a little into the terrors of the law. Let us see it holy, 
 just, and good in that special support of mercy, with 
 which a parent who loves the Lord may sustain even a 
 drooping spirit. Love the Lord ; let that be the first 
 principle, and let mercy unfold what mercy will bestow : 
 " I will show mercy unto thousands, of them that love 
 me and keep my commandments." 
 
 Mrs. Evans again remarked, " Do let us turn to that 
 part of the subject ; for I think that if we did not hope 
 in the mercy of God, we should be always miserable, 
 and every hour of our life be embittered ; but I always 
 trust in his mercy." 
 
 Au. My dear madam, it is because of the unbounded 
 
128 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 mercy of God that we, any of us, have the hope of life 
 set before ns ; but it is an attribute of such a holy na- 
 ture as to preclude us from any hope of deriving bene- 
 fit from it, save through the infinite propitiation for our 
 sins in the blood of Jesus. It is not a light and trifling 
 thing ; and we must lay our own hand on the head of 
 the sacrifice, or we receive not the mercy of reconcilia- 
 tion and peace. Be so good as to remember the charac- 
 ter of those upon whom mercy is shown — them that 
 love the Lord ; and remember also, that one remarka- 
 ble effect of mercy is to produce fear: " There is mer- 
 cy with thee that thou mayest be feared." But we will 
 not depart from our first subject: Mrs. Graham's inqui- 
 ry suggests one which will perhaps follow in order, as 
 well or better than any other, which is, the nature and 
 number of commands which actually do attach exclu- 
 sively to parents. 
 
 I think, by a few minutes' recollection of God's Word, 
 we shall be supplied with many. In the tenth of Deu- 
 teronomy, verses six and seven, we have this : " These 
 words which I command thee this day shall be in thine 
 heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy chil- 
 dren, and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in 
 thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and 
 when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." And 
 in the seventy-eighth Psalm, fifth verse, the Psalmist, 
 declaring that he will not hide the sayings of God from 
 the children that come after, adds a constraining rea- 
 son : " For he established a testimony in Jacob, and ap- 
 pointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fa- 
 thers that they should make them known to their chil- 
 dren, that the generations to come might know them, 
 even the children that should be born • who should arise 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 129 
 
 and declare them to their children ; that they might set 
 their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but 
 keep his commandments." Here are two passages of 
 imperative command ; and if parents would but dwell 
 upon the importance of them, they would be earnest in 
 appealing to the Lord for the blessing of their sons and 
 their sons' sons. 
 
 Whenever we see a parent deficient in his duties, we 
 cannot but look with awful anticipation, to the conse- 
 quences upon his child ; and whenever this becomes a 
 general neglect in a country, it may be considered the 
 commencement of that departure from the Lord, which 
 ends in an apostate nation. In Deuteronomy the fourth, 
 and ninth verse, there is the same command, with this 
 additional injunction: " Only take heed to thyself, and 
 keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which 
 thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thine 
 heart, all the days of thy life." How intimately, there- 
 fore, do we see the interests of the parent and the child 
 interwoven in duty and love to God ; and surely we 
 may say with Moses, " Those things which are revealed, 
 belong unto us, and to our children for ever, that we 
 may do all the words of this law." Deut. xxix. 29. And 
 the way in which we can fulfil the command is stated in 
 Prov. xxii. 6. : " Train up a child in the way he should 
 go." But we may pass on from the Old Testament to 
 the command as it is contained in the New. 
 
 " That is the interesting point, to train up a child ; I 
 confess I feel it a most difficult duty," said Mrs. Aston. 
 
 Au. Again I would impress on your minds the ne- 
 cessity of being yourselves devoted to God ; then, 
 though the responsibility seems the same, the difficulty 
 will be less. In Ephesians vi. 4, we see the whole sim- 
 
130 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 plified by the word of God : " Bring them up in the 
 nurture and admonition of the Lord." This is a com- 
 mand which, whilst it enforces your duty, shows you 
 at the same time the way ; which is learnt in the bless- 
 ed word of truth, the Bible, the only directory to that 
 nurture and admonition which is of the Lord. The 
 conjunction of these two duties in the Lord, is a holy 
 and gracious lesson ; admonition belonging to the au- 
 thority of the station, and nurture to the tenderness 
 and love of the parent. It is quite necessary to observe 
 the tioo, that neither the strictness of discipline may 
 frustrate the operation of love, nor the show of love 
 loosen the bonds of discipline. The Lord has implant- 
 ed the tender love of the parent with his own hand. He 
 hath made you the natural nurses of your own children, 
 and has appointed you to be their spiritual nurses also. 
 All the supply that can be rendered them, is administer- 
 ed by his wise provision through your hand ; and in 
 the same way he ordains your duty to administer what 
 he supplies to you for their souls. They need the ten- 
 derest care, watchfulness, diligence; they want the dai- 
 ly bread for the soul, and the cultivation of a spiritual 
 mind, as well as the charges, and restraints, and re- 
 proofs, and counsels of authority; and it is essentially 
 necessary that it be in the Lord. Let them know, and 
 see, and hear, whence you derive all you give ; that 
 all is from and of the Lord, and their confidence, and 
 dependence, and obedience, will more readily follow. 
 
 But I fear to weary you with what must appear rather 
 a formal lecture ; excuse me if my earnestness has led 
 me to trespass on your patience. 
 
 " Oh, do not apologize," said Mrs. Aston ; "my heart 
 is too much bent on the subject to be soon tired." 
 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 131 
 
 Au. We will, if you please, change the scene a little, 
 by joining our young friends. 
 
 They all rose to accompany me, and we were soon in 
 the midst of the interesting circle. We found them lis- 
 tening with much attention to the details my sister's 
 children and Mary were giving, of the various incidents 
 which they had witnessed since their last meeting. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Reverence for the aged. — Love and Promise. — His- 
 tory of old Thomas. — Inquiries of children on re- 
 ligious subjects to be satisfied, and the habit che- 
 rished. 
 
 Au. You look so happy, and so well engaged, my 
 young friends, that I almost fear to be felt an intruder. 
 
 " Oh, no ; Louisa has been giving us most interesting 
 accounts ; but we should not have felt them so, perhaps, 
 if we had not had your instruction before, and we shall 
 all be quite happy if you will do the same again." 
 
 (I was pleased to find this remark proceeding, with 
 some animation, from the boy who had expressed so 
 much surprise at my invitation.) 
 
 Au. Henry, I am glad to hear you feel an interest in 
 the subject; then you can think these parties for religious 
 instruction are capable of giving pleasure ? 
 
 Henry. I do, indeed ; but we are all quite anxious to 
 see old Thomas, for Louisa has described him so inter- 
 estingly, that I wish we might be permitted to have him 
 in the room. 
 
132 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Charles came to me with quickness, and receiving my 
 instructions, went out to bring him in. In the mean time 
 I asked George if he knew any Scripture that would 
 teach the young people how to receive the old man ? 
 
 George. Yes, uncle ; I know what you mean, 
 " Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour 
 the face of the old man, and fear thy God." Lev. xix. 32. 
 
 Au. Thank you, George ; this reverence for the old 
 man, remember, is a part of the duty of the fifth com- 
 mandment; and it is remarkable how the Lord strength- 
 ens the command by adding, " and fear thy God," re- 
 minding us that it is one testimony of our regard to his 
 word. And if you show him this token of respect, let 
 me enjoin you to do it with attention, and quietly, for 
 fear of agitating the old man, who has not been used to 
 such a party. 
 
 " If you please, uncle," said Louisa, " as I hear him 
 near, we will rise in readiness, that he may be less dis- 
 composed." 
 
 Au. Do so, my dear girl. 
 
 She rose, and they all followed her example, every 
 eye being turned to the door, to see him enter. Fearful 
 it might alarm him to have the view of them all at once, 
 I placed myself so to receive him as to intercept the 
 sight of half the room, and placed him in a chair near 
 the entrance, which was ready for him. My fears were, 
 however, groundless ; for except the palsied motion of 
 his limbs, he was calm and unmoved, looking round him 
 with the benignity of an aged saint, engaged in desiring 
 blessings for the dear young people. Jane kept close 
 beside him, rather frightened ; but I made her easy, by 
 reminding her of her duty to take charge of her grand- 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 133 
 
 father. And when old Thomas was comfortably seat- 
 ed, the whole party was soon settled. 
 
 I immediately began conversation, to prevent any 
 awkward embarrassment arising, and said — 
 
 " We welcome you, Thomas, as a pilgrim on the way 
 to heaven, an example we would desire to follow." 
 
 " Sir," he answered, " it has been of special mercy that 
 I cannot say, as old Jacob said, ' Few and evil have been 
 the days of my pilgrimage,' I have had so many bless- 
 ings granted to me ; but still, if the way through this 
 world was not the pathway to the kingdom of Goo and 
 his dear Son, I should think it a dreary way." 
 
 Au. Yes, Thomas ; sin is a burden, and a corrupti- 
 ble body is a clog to the soul. 
 
 Old Thomas. Ah, Sir, but we shall put off corrup- 
 tion, and there shall be no more sin. 
 
 Then, turning to my young friends, I said — "I think 
 our last conversation ran chiefly upon the love of God, 
 which rendered his commandments sweet to the soul, 
 and made the duty of honouring father and mother a 
 privilege in the Lord. We also spoke a little on the 
 distinction between a condition and a promise; I think, 
 therefore, this evening we will follow the doctrine of 
 Love, with that of the Promise, two things combined, 
 which we might almost say, in David's language, are 
 " as honey and the honeycomb." 
 
 George, will you repeat the text in Eph. vi. 1, 2. 
 
 George. " Honour thy father and thy mother, which 
 is the first commandment with promise." 
 
 Au. Now I wish you may be able, my young friends, 
 to place before us as many texts as you can recollect, 
 which bear upon this subject, connected with a promise 
 or encouragement. 
 12 
 
134 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 There was a pause of a minute or more, some being 
 totally unable, from their ignorance of the Word of God, 
 and others backward from modesty or bashfulness. 
 
 I looked to Louisa, and she said — 
 
 " Col. iii. 20, * Children, obey your parents in all 
 things : this is well-pleasing unto the Lord,' " 
 
 Then Charles said, " The principal promise is that 
 which is connected with the commandment, ' Honour 
 thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long 
 in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.' " 
 
 Louisa. Prov. i. 8, 9, " My son, hear the instruction 
 of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother ; 
 for they shall be as ornaments of grace upon thine head, 
 and chains about thy neck." 
 
 When Louisa had repeated this text, I looked to Anna, 
 and said, " See, my dear Anna, what a way this is to 
 attain ornaments and chains, ' The instruction of thy 
 father, and the law of thy mother.' " 
 
 Au. Do you remember the text to the same point in 
 Prov. vi. 20—22? 
 
 Charles, after a moment's recollection, said, " ' My 
 son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not 
 the law of thy mother; bind them continually upon 
 thine heart, and tie them about thy neck : when thou 
 goest it shall lead thee ; when thou sleepest it shall 
 keep thee ; and when thou awakest it shall talk with 
 thee.' " 
 
 Au. I cannot help making a little interruption here, 
 to point out how it is the constant plan of the Scripture 
 to combine both father and mother as alike entitled to 
 the attention and honour of the child ; for some children 
 are apt to feel more deference for one than the other ; 
 and are even foolishly brought up to make a preference: 
 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 135 
 
 a sure method of sowing the seeds of discord in a family. 
 But you must observe, that the Lord makes them inse- 
 parably united in this command ; and this points out 
 another important instruction, which is, that the parents 
 should be united in the duties they owe to their children. 
 They should be undivided in purpose and principle ; 
 the instruction of the father, and the law of the mother, 
 must be of the same nature, and tendency, and origin — 
 of, in, and to, the Lord ; so that it is remarkably appli- 
 ed as if they were one. The instruction of the father, 
 and the law of the mother, being it, that shall lead, and 
 keep, and talk with them— their guide and counsellor ! 
 
 (\gain addressing Anna, I added,) Never should I 
 think you so well ornamented, my dear Anna, as when 
 I saw, by your obedience and respect to the wishes of 
 your parents, that you had taken them to be the medi- 
 tation, the counsel, and guide of your way in the Lord. 
 It is easy, my dear young friends, to observe the differ- 
 ence between these essential and internal ornaments, and 
 those vain, costly, but indifferent, exterior decorations, 
 which are bought with the mammon of this world, and 
 are the gifts of mere fondness, and, perhaps, the offer-* 
 ings of bribery. The one fostering every foolish and 
 hurtful passion of pride, self-esteem, and vanity; the 
 other cherishing those gracious feelings which shall be 
 esteemed by the Lord himself as ornamental. There- 
 fore, be attentive to these sweet precepts of the Word of 
 God, and let the instruction of thy father, and the law 
 of thy mother, be the ornaments of your head, and the 
 chains about your neck; and let parents take care that 
 they are of that intrinsic kind which are dug out of the 
 rich mine of the Scriptures, and are more precious than 
 the gold of Ophir ! 
 
136 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 There is another kind of promise attached to this com- 
 mand, and if George had pursued his text, Eph. vi. 1—3, 
 to the proper period, he would have repeated it. Do you 
 know the whole connexion, George? 
 
 George. Yes, uncle ; but I did not think of going to 
 the end : I will now. " Children, obey your parents 
 in the Lord, for this is right ; Honour thy father and 
 mother, which is the first commandment with promise, 
 that it may be well with thee, and thou mayestlive long 
 on the earth." 
 
 Au. You observe the change made by the Apostle in 
 the application of the promise. It is supposed it was on 
 account of its being addressed to the Gentile Church, 
 who had not the promise of Canaan, as the land which 
 the Lord promised them. And as the Jews were about 
 to be driven out of the land, on account of their disobe- 
 dience to this and other commandments of God, it was 
 not applicable to them in their situation at that time : 
 though the command still stands, with all its promise, to 
 be hereafter fulfilled to them, when they shall turn with 
 their whole heart to the Lord. Long life is the pro- 
 mise, and when we live in Christ it is a blessing in- 
 deed, as we may be permitted to glorify him. There 
 are temporal blessings granted to an obedient spirit ; we 
 observe them continually running through the Scripture; 
 and of this particular duty between parents and children 
 it is frequently added, "that it may go well with thee 
 and with thy children," Deut. xii. 28, "when thou doest 
 that which is good and right." And we perceive that 
 the Apostle has combined them in one view; " This is 
 right ;" " That it may be well with thee," and " that 
 thou mayest live long on the earth." And perhaps 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 137 
 
 Charles can supply me with a text that will corroborate 
 this truth, that obedience in the Lord is godliness. 
 
 George. Thank you, uncle, for directing my mind 
 by the last connexion of your question. It is this, you 
 desire to have, " Godliness is profitable to all things : 
 having promise of the life that now is, and of that 
 which is to come." 1 Tim. iv. 8. 
 
 Au. Louisa, there is a disposition of grace which is 
 marked by obedience as one of its features. Do you 
 know what it is ? It has a promise even beyond living 
 long on the earth. 
 
 Louisa. The disposition of meekness: the Lord 
 says, in Matt. v. 5, " Blessed are the meek, for they shall 
 inherit the earth." 
 
 Au. These promises may be carried far, but it would 
 not suit our present purpose to enlarge. The Proverb 
 x. 27, says, " The fear of the Lord prolongeth days, 
 but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. Bless- 
 ed is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in 
 his ways ; happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with 
 thee." 
 
 ([ thought it was now time to indulge the young peo- 
 ple with some of the pious conversation of old Thomas, 
 and therefore addressed him.) 
 
 You see, my friend, the nature of our engagement ; 
 and I think it will accord well with the nature of your 
 ideas of the importance of training up children in the 
 Lord. 
 
 Old Thomas. It does, Sir ; and to that there is a 
 promise, which every father and mother should lay 
 hold of, because it is a stay many a time when the heart 
 would fail : " Train up a child in the way he should go, 
 and he will not depart from it when he is old." And 
 12* 
 
138 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 children ought to think of this when they dislike any- 
 thing at present, that it is for their good after, even to 
 their old age ; and they should remember, too, what a 
 difficult case they put their father and mother in, when 
 they won't obey willingly. 
 
 Au. I dare, say, Thomas, if you would take the trou- 
 ble to relate to us the way in which you were brought 
 up, it would afford us great instruction. 
 
 Old Thomas. I don't know, Sir. I can tell you tru- 
 ly how it was ; and the truth of one case often hits ano- 
 ther, and in that way it may be useful. The ladies and 
 gentlemen must pardon my plainness of speech. 
 
 Au. Truth wants no ornament, Thomas. 
 
 Old Thomas. Well, Sir, it's not the first time I've 
 traced the goodness of God from the beginning, and so 
 I'm the more ready to answer your desire. 
 
 I remember well, one Sabbath day, going down to 
 church with my father. We'd got up early in the morn- 
 ing, and dug up some small plants which were wanted 
 by a gentleman, for we've been gardeners from genera- 
 tion to generation, and my father said, ; ' We'll take them 
 to the gentleman, and then we'll go to church." He 
 tied the plants in a silk handkerchief, because he said it 
 wasn't decent to carry a basket on a Sunday ; so giving 
 me the bundle to carry with one hand, and he himself 
 taking hold of the other, we set off. I was about nine 
 years old. We hadn't gone far before we overtook two 
 like ourselves, father and son, but they were differently 
 engaged. My father, liking company, fell into the same 
 pace ; and I remember the boy's voice and questions to 
 this day. He was asking — 
 
 " But, father, why do you go to church ? " 
 
 " Father. To worship God, John, to be sure. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 139 
 
 " John. And why do you worship God, father ? 
 
 "Father. Because God is very good; and he has 
 been gracious to us, and redeemed us from sin, and 
 brought us out of darkness and misery into light and 
 happiness." 
 
 The boy was silent a little, and then said, "Tell me, 
 father, again, how Jesus redeemed us." 
 
 " Father. Yes, my boy, I'll tell thee again and again, 
 in God's own words : He redeemed us with his own 
 blood. He was taken by wicked hands and nailed to 
 the cross ; they put a crown of thorns upon his head ; 
 they pierced his side. It was done by wicked hands, 
 but he gave himself for us. 
 
 (I remember looking in the boy's face, and seeing 
 tears in his eyes.) 
 
 " John. Then, father, did the blood of Jesus 
 flow? 
 
 " Father. Yes ; his head, his hands, his feet, his 
 pierced side, all bled for sinners — for wretched sinners 1 
 
 " John. For me and you, father? 
 
 " Father. Yes, my boy ; for me and thee, and for 
 thousands and tens of thousands that are redeemed with 
 his precious blood. 
 
 " John. Father, I love the Lord Jesus ! 
 
 " Father. Will you serve him, John ? 
 
 11 John. You'll teach me how to serve him ? 
 
 " Father. Yes, John ; it must be with all your 
 heart, and all your soul, and all your mind, and all your 
 strength." 
 
 Often, Sir, have I heard my father tell this conversa- 
 tion ; and he said it made a cold chill run through him; 
 he said he felt as if he had fallen in with spirits from 
 
140 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 another world, and could hardly help fancying it was 
 not real. 
 
 They got over a style that was in the by-way to 
 church ; but as we had to go on our business, we kept 
 the highway that took us by the gentleman's house. I 
 remember my father didn't speak a word all the way ; 
 and when he delivered the plants, the servant asked if 
 he was ill; but he said, " I'm rather sick, but it's going 
 off." 
 
 We went to church, and I was entertained by all I 
 saw ; for you'll perceive, Sir, I hadn't been trained in 
 the way I should go. I saw the boy and his father in 
 the next pew, but was surprised to see him looking in 
 his father's book, and singing the psalms with the con- 
 gregation. There was this difference between him and 
 me— Tie was doing something, and / was looking at 
 other people's doings. 
 
 When the clergyman got up into the pulpit and gave 
 out his text, the father found it in the Bible, and showed 
 it to his boy. 
 
 When service was over, my father sat still as if he'd 
 forgot to go; so I took him by the hand, and said, 
 " Come, father, let's go away ;" and so we walked back 
 home. I was surprised my father didn't speak, but 
 amused myself by whistling tunes. I'm more particular 
 in telling you all this, Sir, because it was the beginning 
 of that bringing up he gave me afterwards. It came on 
 a rainy evening, so nobody came in to talk, and my fa- 
 ther, and mother, and brother, and sister, were all at 
 home. My mother began to order sister Sally to put 
 off her fine Sunday clothes, as we should not see any- 
 body, and she refused to obey, saying, " she shouldn't." 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 141 
 
 my mother flew into a passion, and then my father stopt 
 her by saying — 
 
 " What signifies being in a passion 1 it's your own 
 fault ; we'ye never taught her better." 
 
 " What is there better than to do as I bid her 7'Vsaid 
 my mother. 
 
 My father bid us all sit down quietly, till he told us 
 something. And then, in a very grave way, he told us 
 what had passed in his mind, saying, " I'm convinced 
 we neither know how to do our own duty,' nor to teach 
 the children their's, and I'll seek out that man, and beg 
 him to teach us." 
 
 My mother said, " she didn't want her house to be 
 turned upside down, and us all to be made Methodists." 
 
 But my father did what he said ; and next day he took 
 us near to him, and confessed his sin to us all, for his 
 great neglect of us ; and said, " Now take notice, children, 
 from this day I begin a new course, and God help me to 
 worship and serve him, and to teach you to do so too !" 
 
 They none of 'em fell in with his plan but me. Poor 
 brother John died soon after of the small pox he caught; 
 and sister Sally married a soldier, and after a hard life 
 died in America. Many's the tears my father shed for 
 them, always repenting himself before God, that he had 
 left them so long to get hardened in ungodliness. I was 
 the youngest, and God gave grace and a blessing to fix 
 my heart on my father's new way. But my mother re- 
 belled against it sadly, for a long time ; so that many a 
 hard thing happened to me ; for the " instruction of my 
 father, and the law of my mother," were quite differ- 
 ent, and it was like having to serve two masters. My 
 father always watched me ; for my temptation was to 
 despise my mother, because she didn't take the same 
 
142 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 rule. But he rebuked me sharply for that, and made 
 me always explain what she wanted, and then made 
 me confess, if the thing was a right thing, I must do 
 it, and honour her as my mother, though the reason 
 why she ordered it might be different from the reason 
 he might have ; and, except when it was anything that 
 interfered with my duty to God, he always made me 
 obey 3 and often gave up his own wishes, when contra- 
 ry to hers, provided duty did not forbid it. 
 
 He was very intimate with our godly neighbour, and 
 took his counsel in everything, and John and me grew 
 great friends. The Bible came to be our delight, and 
 we loved each other in the Lord ; and, by degrees, eve- 
 rything that my father ordered me to do, or taught me, 
 was by Bible rules: and even my poor mother got 
 subdued in time, and so our house was a house of 
 peace, for Jesus, the Prince of Peace, was our Lord 
 and our God. 
 
 Now you see, Sir, here is an example of what you 
 said about the promise of all things going well with 
 thee, which shows the blessing on the duty of parents 
 to children ; and if master Charles would look at the 
 sixth chapter of Deuteronomy, and read from the twen- 
 tieth verse, he will see how our godly friend fulfilled the 
 direction of God to his son, and by that means became 
 a blessing to my father and me. 
 
 Those who had Bibles with them instantly turned to 
 the passage as directed by Thomas, and Charles read 
 aloud : — 
 
 " And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, say- 
 ing, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and 
 the judgments which the Lord our God hath com- 
 manded you, then thou shalt say unto thy son, We 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 143 
 
 were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt ; and the Lord 
 brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and the 
 Lord showed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon 
 Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, be- 
 fore our eyes, and he brought us out from them, that he 
 might bring us in to give us the land which he sware 
 unto our fathers; and the Lord commanded us to do 
 all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our good 
 always, to preserve us alive, as it is this day." 
 
 An. This reference (I said, turning to the elder part 
 of my company) is one that has always been most in- 
 teresting to me, and by it I have many times been di- 
 rected, when young children have made inquiries of a 
 religious nature, to be full and explicit in answering 
 these inquiries. I have often heard parents say, with a 
 mixed kind of expression, "Really, my children some- 
 times ask me questions which it puzzles me to answer." 
 The pride they feel in displaying the acuteness of their 
 children's understanding, deceives them into the expo- 
 sure of their own ignorance and culpable negligence in 
 not being prepared to answer them. I have often, too, 
 seen them teased and perplexed with the multiplicity 
 of their questions ; and through absolute indolence, re- 
 fuse to satisfy their minds. How the Lord vindicates 
 his own goodness, by showing the power of iniquity in 
 the minds of children ; and it is remarkable, I think, 
 that they are particularly inquisitive on religious sub- 
 jects. Satan himself hinders them not, knowing too 
 well, doubtless, the culpability of parents on this head, 
 and that they either will not satisfy their children, or 
 cannot, or treat them with a kind of indifference, as if 
 their questions had no real importance, and thus they 
 easily train them to infidel carelessness and hardness. 
 
144 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 " Sir," said old Thomas, " don't you think that the 
 blessing which Jacob gave to the sons of Joseph, his 
 grandchildren, was a beautiful proof that he had told 
 them all the goodness of God, and that they knew what 
 he meant ? Often does my heart burn within me when 
 I think of it. i God, before whom my fathers, Abraham 
 and Isaac, did walk, the God which fed me all my life 
 long unto this day, the Angel who redeemed me from 
 all evil, bless the lads !' David, too, tells of the teach- 
 ing of his fathers. ' We have heard with our ears, O 
 God ; our fathers have told us what works thou didst 
 in their days, and in the times of old? Now, Sir, if I 
 may speak my mind, this is fit conversation for parents 
 with children." 
 
 Au. It is so, Thomas. And let those who are here 
 be encouraged to cultivate this holy communion con- 
 cerning the wonderful works of God, and his redeeming 
 love ; for these things are not done in a day. Let me 
 urge you , my dear young people, to make inquiries of 
 this nature, and ask your fathers what they mean by 
 their religion, and their profession, that you may not 
 grow up like mere imitators of actions, without under- 
 standing their end and object. Many have no better 
 reason to offer why they go through certain formalities 
 of religion, than " I do it because my father did it be- 
 fore me." They know nothing of the reason why their 
 father did it, or of the meaning of their profession of re- 
 ligion. It would also be a means by which you would 
 learn more to honour your father and mother, seeing 
 the testimony of their high calling of God in Christ 
 Jesus, and that they were leading you in the way of 
 everlasting life. And may you strive to be heirs toge- 
 ther of the same glory. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 145 
 
 We must not fatigue our venerable friend too much ; 
 and if he is not the worse for the trouble of this evening, 
 perhaps we may induce him to join us again. 
 
 "O, do! do!" sounded from almost all the young 
 people. 
 
 Au. Now, Charles and little Jane, resume your office, 
 and take care of our friend ; let him have refreshment, 
 and wait quietly till his son Thomas comes for him. 
 
 Charles went to him immediately, saying, " You will 
 promise, Thomas, to come to-morrow?" 
 
 Old Thomas. My dear master Charles, " Go to now, 
 ye that say, to-day or to-morrow we will do this or 
 that ;" if the Lord will, I shall be very glad, for it is a 
 cordial to my heart to meet in the name of the Lord. 
 
 He was slow in rising, and was evidently greatly fa- 
 tigued in body, though full of energy of mind ; and all 
 the young people rose up again before the hoary head, 
 and seemed " to honour the face of the old man, and to 
 fear God." 
 
 Charles offered his support, and he was soon out of 
 the room. 
 
 Whilst the party was preparing to depart, Mary came 
 up to me, and said, " I wish you would tell me what will 
 be the subject for to-morrow evening." 
 
 Au. Why, dear Mary ? 
 
 Mary. Because I should like to see if I could find 
 any texts ; not to say, but to try whether I shall be right 
 or not. 
 
 Au. I think, perhaps, as we have proceeded upon 
 
 Love and Promise, we must now look to the threatening 
 
 against Disobedience; for you know, Mary, we must 
 
 take the whole Word, and not select such parts only as 
 
 13 
 
146 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 we think agreeable, but to teach as God teaches ; this is 
 " right? is it not ? 
 
 She smiled, and said, " Yes ; I think I know more of 
 the threatenings than I did of love and the promise ; but 
 I am very grateful to you for showing me these." 
 
 Au. Be upright, then, my dear girl, in seeking this 
 sweet principle of grace, and you shall receive the Pro- 
 mise, and be saved from the punishment. 
 
 Just at that moment, I saw Anna make a refractory 
 movement against some counsel from her mother, and I 
 went up to her. 
 
 Au. Anna, let the "law of thy mother lie as chains 
 on thy neck," a golden chain to bend you to her in the 
 obedience of love. 
 
 She submitted instantly, but coloured deep. 
 
 I wanted to say a word to Maria, and she soon gave 
 me the opportunity. Her mamma was tying a handker- 
 chief round her neck, to guard her from the cold ; but 
 she forced away the hand, and quickly pulling off the 
 handkerchief, threw it familiarly over her mamma's 
 shoulder, and then kissed her hand passionately. 
 
 Au. Is that " all for love? Maria, tell me truly? 
 
 (She looked as if conscious of detection.) 
 
 I think it is for love, but it is the worst kind of love, 
 which is that of self. It will be for love, if, honouring 
 your mamma's kind motive, you take the handkerchief 
 and tie it on. 
 
 Anna. Oh ! yes, I will tie it on, mamma. There now, 
 mamma, take care of yourself. 
 
 Au. That's not where your mamma desired to 
 have it. 
 
 Anna. No ; but / do not want it ; I shall not take 
 eold. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 147 
 
 Au. You have no promise that it shall be well with 
 thee, unless you do with it as your mamma wishes. 
 
 She looked at me, and observed the expression of my 
 eye; she saw it determined upon the point, and draw- 
 ing the handkerchief off her mamma, said — 
 
 " Oh, I can carry the handkerchief, but I do not want 
 it on my neck." 
 
 Au. No j but your mamma does. (Seeing her ob- 
 stinate, I said,) Come, I will tie it on for you ; and I am 
 sorry to say, that whilst / save you the trouble, I also 
 prevent you from showing the proof of true love, which 
 would be to obey your parent in the Lord. 
 
 The point was gained : she looked softened, her eye 
 fell, and she was evidently self-condemned ; though the 
 pride of her heart made it also evident that she felt the 
 soft silk handkerchief like a yoke. 
 
 The party was soon dispersed, and, as before, our 
 own young people talked over among themselves the 
 whole subject of the evening. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Reverence for the Command of God and the love of 
 his Promise, the only security for cheerful and 
 uniform obedience in children. 
 
 Pursuing my engagements, I was out early the next 
 morning ; and it was not long before, passing a cottage 
 door, I heard a woman, in a complaining tone of voice, 
 say — 
 
 " Take the child, then, do ! now then, Hannah, I wish 
 
148 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 you'd take the child !" The door was wide open ; and I 
 saw a girl, of about eight years old, standing and indo- 
 lently tapping with the back of an old spoon on the seat 
 of a wooden chair. 
 
 " Hannah, then, why don't you take the child ? I wish 
 I could make you come, and take it : I am tired to death, 
 and all my washing's to do." 
 
 The girl came to the door, and taking up an old knife, 
 she began to cut a bit of stick and to scatter the chips 
 all about the entrance. 
 
 " I shall tell father of you, when he comes in from 
 his work, and you'll see then !" 
 
 The girl looked back into the house; then threw down 
 the knife and stick, and walking into the road, began to 
 dip her foot into a channel in which some water had 
 stood, as if to try how deep she could go without letting 
 the water enter into her shoe at the top. 
 
 The action of the girl led me to imagine that she was 
 the Hannah whom the mother from within was talking 
 to ; and going up to her, T asked her name. 
 
 Girl. They call me Hannah Joblin. 
 
 Au. Do you live there 1 (pointing to the house.) 
 
 Hannah. Yes. 
 
 Au. Is your mother at home ? 
 
 Hannah. Yes. 
 
 Au. Has she a baby? 
 
 Hannah. Yes. 
 
 These short answers were given without the smallest 
 token of respect, she staring in my face. These indica- 
 tions were sufficient reasons for my endeavouring to 
 make acquaintance ; so taking the girl by the hand, I 
 said, " Come, go in with me." She did not seem very 
 willing ; but as I led the way, she was constrained to ac- 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 149 
 
 company me. I tapped against the door to prepare the 
 woman for my visit, and then went in. 
 
 She was setting on a low stool, by the fire, trying to 
 get the baby to sleep, with a cross and fretful counte- 
 nance. The breakfast things were all scattered about on 
 the table and chairs, and the whole appearance indicated 
 little management or order. 
 
 She rose, with her child in her arms, and said, in a 
 fretful voice — 
 
 " I'm sorry, Sir, you're come when I'm so untidy. 
 Make haste, Hannah, <Zo, and put away the things, and 
 wipe down the table." 
 
 (Hannah only stood staring with the utmost indiffer- 
 ence.) 
 
 " Oh ! dear me ! you're such a lass ! sit down, then, 
 on the stool, and take the child till he's asleep." 
 
 Hannah vouchsafed to sit down, and without making 
 any attempt to take the baby, suffered her mother to put 
 it on her lap, and she held it on without any intention to 
 nurse it. The mother, mean time, emptied a chair, 
 wiped it, and then setting it at a little distance from the 
 table said, " Pray be seated, Sir. If you please, Sir, did 
 you want my husband ? " 
 
 Au. No; to tell you the truth, I had no other busi- 
 ness than to bring your Hannah in to take the baby. 
 
 She looked surprised. I continued, " I should suppose 
 you have some difficulty in managing your children ; 
 Hannah does not appear to be obedient to her mother?" 
 
 Wishing, like many foolish mothers, to conceal the 
 true state of the case, she began to gloss over matters, 
 by saying, " Why, Sir, you see she's but a child yet, I 
 makes excuses for her ; she's very good sometimes ; but 
 when she's a bit stupid she wants her own way," 
 13* 
 
150 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 She looked at her, and so did I ; and the girl looking 
 into her mother's face with bold steadfastness, as if to 
 say she would watch all she said, began, however, to 
 betray strong feeling of some kind; for the colour rose 
 in her cheeks, which continued deepening, until it was 
 perfect crimson. 
 
 Au. I heard you threaten that you would tell her fa- 
 ther ; I fancy you did not really intend to tell him ? 
 
 Mrs. J. Why, you see, Sir, I oft is obliged to threaten 
 her ; but I don't like to tell her father, he is so very an- 
 gry that then he beats her; and I don't like to see him 
 beat her ; you see, Sir, men strikes a deal harder than 
 they think. 
 
 Au. Then you do tell him sometimes? 
 
 Mrs. J. Why yes; but then, you see, if he's about 
 to beat her, I gets between 'em, and sometimes I gets 
 the stick out of his hand. 
 
 Au. Then she never obeys you? 
 
 Mrs. J. Oh ! yes, sometimes she does. 
 
 Au. I think I could say with certainty, that she 
 never does ; for when she happens to do the thing you 
 want, it is not because you want it, but because she her- 
 self likes to do it. 
 
 Mrs. J. Why, Sir, may be ; but it's all the same thing 
 if she does it. 
 
 Au. By no means the same thing; for if she did it 
 to please you, and because it was her duty, she would 
 always do so ; but if it's to please herself, then it is just 
 as it may happen, and I should suppose that it very sel- 
 dom so happens, as she is better pleased with knocking 
 a chair, or cutting a stick, or dipping her shoes in wet. 
 I saw, just now, four things she liked to do better than 
 to attend to your wishes. I wish for the child's sake as 
 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 151 
 
 well as your's, that you had a better plan of teaching her 
 her duty. Do you teach her her duty to God ? 
 
 Mrs. J. Her father takes that part ; and he takes 
 pains to instruct 'em, though he isn't learned. 
 
 Au. Does he teach her the law of God, and the law 
 of Jesus ? 
 
 Mrs. J. He often talks to her about it. 
 
 Au. Has he ever taught you the fifth commandment, 
 Hannah: " Honour thy father and mother ?" (She did 
 not answer.) Did he ever teach you the Word of God, 
 which says, " Children, obey your parents ?" (Still no 
 answer.) From your mother's account, I suppose he 
 has. Then how do you fulfil his instructions, or show 
 your love or fear of God ? See what a sinful child you 
 are, who love your own perverse will better than your 
 father's instructions, or than the word and law of God. 
 
 Do you know, (I said to the mother,) that you have 
 a right given you from God, to command the obedience 
 of your children % 
 
 Mrs. J. I suppose so, Sir. 
 
 Au. But how hard you make it for a sinful child to 
 obey, when you don't claim your right, but only speak 
 to her as if it was for her to choose whether she will or 
 will not obey. You should keep her in the right way 
 by commanding what God commands, and not say — 
 " I wish you would" — or ask, as if it was a favour — 
 " Do, Hannah" — or let her take her own indolent way. 
 She cares not for your saying, " Come, and do," be- 
 cause she knows, however you may wish it, you will 
 not enforce it. She cares not for your threatening to 
 tell her father, because she knows by experience that 
 you do not mean what you say. She cares not for her 
 father's anger, because she knows that you yourself, 
 
152 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 whom she has offended, will interfere to stop the chas- 
 tening, and to prevent her being punished. And she 
 cares not for God, at all, because she is a sinful child, 
 and you do not prove to her that you either love, or 
 serve, or fear God yourself. If you did but think of it 
 rightly, you would see that,, you are bringing up your 
 child by a system of lies ; and then, even, when you 
 know, and she knows, how wicked she is in her disobe- 
 dience, before her very face you make a lying excuse 
 for her ; and that is a strange way of gaining the honour 
 and obedience of your child. 
 
 Mrs. J. Why, Sir, I can't help thinking you make a 
 serious matter of a very little thing. It was but about 
 nursing the baby. 
 
 Au. You will feel the consequence of this method, 
 if you do not change it. The act of disobedience is the 
 same, whether in great or in little things ; but you only 
 look at the consequences to yourself, which are differ- 
 ent; so you are as selfish as she is. And when your 
 child shall be running headlong in all the sins of her na- 
 ture, do you think she will then turn when you say, "I 
 wish you would, Hannah" — "Do, then, Hannah, do?" 
 Or will she think of disobedience as a sin, when you 
 offer excuses and say, " Oh ! when she's not a bit stupid, 
 she'll be better ?" Foolish woman, remember the word 
 of God : "A child left to himself, bringeth his mother 
 to shame." I should like to see your husband ; when 
 will he be at home ? 
 
 " At dinner time," she answered. 
 
 Au. Tell him, when he comes in, that I -wish to speak 
 with him, if he will keep in the way ; but not to wait, 
 if I should be prevented by anything from coming. 
 
 " Very well, Sir," she answered ; and I took leave. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 153 
 
 I thought I might be allowed the liberty of speaking 
 a little seriously to Mrs. Evans, as she had taken an in- 
 terest in our conversation, and with this hope directed 
 my steps to her house. She received me very courte- 
 ously, even in a friendly manner, and immediately sent 
 a servant to inform Mrs. Graham that I was there. 
 
 " You find us quite alone this morning," she said ; 
 " we have sent all our young people on an excursion of 
 pleasure, which will keep them out the whole day ; and 
 Henry is to be the father of the party. I have made 
 this use of our instruction, and invested him with au- 
 thority for the day ; they all promising obedience to 
 him, and he promising to observe all the directions I gave 
 him by which to conduct them, and I really hope this lit- 
 tle manoeuvre, in a playful way, will be of use, and they 
 will all return home safe, and happy, which is not often 
 the case in these parties of pleasure." 
 
 Mrs. Graham entered the room, and seemed pleased 
 to see mo, 
 
 Mrs. G. I will tell you how I was engaged when I 
 was informed of your visit ; I was actually endeavouring 
 to make memorandums of the subjects which interested 
 me most at our last meeting, and sending them in a let- 
 ter to my friend. 
 
 Au. As their importance consists in their being ac- 
 cording to the counsels of God, I am happy to find you 
 are so engaged. At the moment you entered I was lis- 
 tening to the method Mrs. Evans has adopted this morn- 
 ing for the safety and happiness of the young party, and 
 I could not help being struck forcibly with its analogy 
 to the ways of God himself. 
 
 Mrs. Evans looked exceedingly pleased, and with a 
 
154 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 sort of expression of self-satisfaction, as if she received 
 the remark as a high compliment, she said, 
 
 ; ' Oh ! yon will see, when you know us better, we are 
 not so ungodly as you supposed ; I know you think we 
 are all sad sinners !" 
 
 I gravely said, " It is too true ; but as I include myself 
 in the sad number, you will not be so much offended 
 that I confess the truth." 
 
 She shrugged her shoulders, and with a half smile 
 said, "You are at present a sort of privileged man, 
 therefore I shall make no answer." 
 
 Au. May I inquire how you will feel, supposing you 
 find in the evening that Henry has failed in his delegated 
 authority, and the young people have all disobeyed the 
 rules laid down, and have fallen into the mischief likely 
 to ensue, of accidents, as they are called, wearied bodies, 
 torn clothes, colds caught, and a thousand nameless evils, 
 all resulting from want of obedience ? 
 
 Mrs. E. Oh ! very justly, I should be exceedingly 
 indignant, both with Henry and the whole party, for 
 turning what was meant for pleasure and happiness into 
 an event of pain and distress. 
 
 Au. Enough ! I have obtained a concession from 
 yourself, which is sufficient for our present purpose. 
 You, my dear madam, stand exactly in the situation of 
 Henry. Your authority is a delegated one, given for a 
 temporary period, and you will have to appear at its 
 close with your charge ; the state in which it will be pre- 
 sented will speak much for the method in which you 
 have endeavoured, or not endeavoured, to discharge the 
 responsibilities laid upon you. It is for you that Henry 
 is expected to act. It is in reference to your charge 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 155 
 
 upon him, that the young people are expected to obey, 
 and it is to you they are all to return. 
 
 Mrs. E. You are so quick, my dear Sir, in turning 
 these things to your own advantage, that it is in vain to 
 think of making an escape. 
 
 Au. But, dear madam, I entreat you to suffer the per- 
 petual desire you have for that turn in conversation 
 which shall tend to amusement, to be subjected at pre- 
 sent to the most serious and important application I wish 
 to be permitted to make. Compare your own situation 
 with that of our young friend Henry. You are a real 
 mother: the Lord himself has given you the authority 
 of your station ; upon his own supreme authority he 
 has deputed you the guardian, instructer, and protector 
 of your children, giving you certain positive rules in his 
 written Word, by which to discharge the duties of your 
 appointment. I fear you have not thought of this as 
 you ought, but finding yourself a mother, are contented 
 to occupy the station without regard to its peculiar du- 
 ties, as respects the Lord, not reflecting whence you 
 derive it, for what purposes, or to what end. Should 
 you continue so to neglect it, what can be the conse- 
 quence, but a deplorable return of you and your chil- 
 dren to the Lord, without the benefits obtained which 
 are pledged on promise, and with all the superadded 
 miseries of personal transgression upon the sin of your 
 natural condition ? 
 
 Mrs. E. My dear Sir, pardon me ; but you forget 
 we have the intercession of Jesus Christ, to whose 
 mercy I trust. 
 
 Au. Alas ! it is a sad evidence of our interest in that 
 blood, when it is not sought in its sanctifying effects, for 
 the gracious purpose of walking in His ways, and train- 
 
156 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 ing your dear children in the way they should go. Lei 
 me entreat you to combine in your view of the mercy 
 of God, privilege, grace, and duty ; and to bear in mind, 
 that as you designed that your children, in this day's 
 grant, should find pleasure and happiness, so hath God 
 himself shown us how all our paths may be pleasantness 
 and peace. 
 
 She was silent, and Mrs. Graham, as if to relieve her 
 friend, took part in the conversation, by saying, " I do 
 assure you that you have awakened in my mind some 
 alarming reflections concerning my own responsibilities; 
 and some heavy pangs we are now suffering from the 
 froward conduct of one child and the almost reprobate 
 turn of my eldest son, have sharpened those convictions 
 with a double edge." She sighed in bitterness of soul. 
 
 " I have often told you," Mrs. Evans said, " that your 
 plan was a bad one ; you have always left your children 
 to others, and I knew they would never love you. For 
 my part, I have always kept mine at home, and sought 
 their pleasure in everything; and so they know that it 
 is through me that they derive all their pleasure. I dare 
 say this is not exactly what our friend would approve, 
 but it is the better plan of the two. 
 
 Au. We can make no favourable comparisons, when 
 in both plans the will and command of God is left out 
 of the question. In such Cases, sooner or later, the 
 misery must come. 
 
 Mrs. G. I have opened my case to many friends, 
 whom I thought capable of advising or comforting me, 
 but I get no other comfort than that which is afforded by 
 the detail of their own sufferings from the same causes ; 
 and in fact, I believe, if we knew the secrets of other 
 families there are few that are not suffering in the same 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 157 
 
 way, or preparing suffering for the future, by their bad 
 method of bringing up their children. 
 
 " The fact is," I said, ft that the love of a child to its 
 parent has not the same instinctive origin with that of 
 the parent towards his child. It must arise either from 
 high moral feeling, or from a religious principle ; the one 
 serves beautifully for a present purpose of time, the 
 other for the eternal purpose of time and eternity. Both 
 are to be cultivated, though the dispositions are from 
 God ; and that cultivation should commence from the 
 first, whilst the children hang dependant upon the pa- 
 rent, and before they can reflect for themselves on the 
 necessity and duty of it; and the superiority of the reli- 
 gious training to that of the moral is such, as to lay the 
 deep charge of guilt on the head of that parent who does 
 not so consult for the good of his child as to adopt that 
 which is of God. These things account for the estrange- 
 ment of children from their parents ; and that while the 
 parent's heart yearns with perpetual anxiety after the 
 child, the child can forget the parent who fostered it in 
 its earliest years. The heart of the parent is naturally 
 always going after the child, but the child's heart is, 
 alas ! too often going away from the parent. How ne- 
 cessary, then, is it, that the parent should lose no time 
 or opportunity to lead the affections of their children, 
 first, by grace towards the Lord, and then in him to 
 themselves. 
 
 Mrs. G. Oh, it would be happy, indeed, if our chil- 
 dren loved us as we love them ! 
 
 Au. May I draw your attention to this once more. 
 
 They are not likely to love you as you do them ; but if you 
 
 will seek the true Spirit of Love in the Holy Ghost, 
 
 and love them with the love that is of God, then you 
 
 14 
 
158 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 may indulge a hope that they shall love you as you do 
 them, even in the Lord. 
 Mrs. G. What shall we do.? 
 
 Au. Begin anew ; relinquish all the false principles 
 you have hitherto acted upon ; explain to them why ; 
 pray, read, and teach, taking the counsel of God, seek- 
 ing the grace of Jesus, and the enlightening and strength- 
 ening influence of the Holy Ghost. 
 Mrs. G. But how can I draw my children in ? 
 Au. Such a revolution in your house and in your 
 plans will attract their attention. The example of your 
 love and obedience to God will operate on them; and 
 they will, perhaps, submit to the sway of that King 
 whom you show them that you have placed on the 
 throne of your heart. At least, these are the means : 
 Trust to the Lord, be consistent, and steady j and 
 wait for the blessing. 
 
 I rose to go, and with a heavy sigh Mrs. Graham gave 
 me her hand, whilst Mrs. Evans politely wished me 
 good morning. 
 
 I arrived at Joblin's cottage just as he had finished his 
 dinner. Hannah was nursing the baby attentively, and 
 the mother was putting all away. 
 
 He got up from his seat to receive me, and offered me 
 a chair. 
 
 Au. I will lose no time, my friend, in telling my er- 
 rand : — it is to talk with you on the bringing up of your 
 children, and to press the necessity of training them up 
 according to God's Word. 
 
 Mr. J. Sir, it's all my desire ; if they are but the chil- 
 dren of God, I'm happy about all else. 
 
 Au. May I ask, Do you endeavour to do it, as well 
 as desire it? 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 159 
 
 Mr. J. I do, Sir ; but I've sad hindrance. I've my 
 work to mind ; and when I'm away I'm forced to leave 
 'em to their mother, and she grieves me sore in this, 
 that we're not of one mind ; and she don't see, nor I 
 can't make her see, how needful it is that we be agreed ; 
 so as fast as I gets a hold o' the children, she undoes it 
 all again. I'm sure I'm clean beat ; and my heart's sad 
 and sore, many a time, to think on't : for I know the end 
 of unruly children — that God's curse must come on 'em. 
 It's hard, Sir, to think of bringing children into the 
 world to see 'em run headlong to destruction. 
 
 Au. It is, indeed ; but what's the reason your wife 
 don't see what is best ? 
 
 "I know not," he said, with a sigh; "but she frets 
 and frelf , and teazes and teazes ; the children can never 
 please her — either they do nought, or they don't do 
 right. She scolds from morning to night, and yet ne- 
 ver makes 'em do aught as she'd have 'em ; and they're 
 all unhappy together ; and it makes me miserable. If 
 they're to be thrashed, I'm to thrash 'em : and then, 
 when I'd make 'em do, she won't have 'em touched ; 
 and though the children would do aught / tell 'em, she 
 never gets 'em to mind her." 
 
 Au. This is a sad evil. 
 
 Mr. J. Yes, it is, Sir ; and makes me so that I've no 
 pleasure in my home. The children are always crying, 
 or else they're saucy; and she goes maunder, maunder 
 — grumble, grumble — fretting and teazing, day in, and 
 day out. 
 
 Au. I wish I could engage you to think (I said, turn- 
 ing to the mother) of the necessity of changing these 
 bad habits. Do endeavour to be of one mind with your 
 
160 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 husband, and resolutely bring up your children in the 
 fear and love of God, and in obedience to you. 
 
 Mrs. J. I wish I could make 'em obedient ; John 
 knows that's all I want. I complain only because they 
 won't do as I'd have 'em. 
 
 Au. I tell you what I suspect ; — first, that you never 
 think of God in this matter ; you neither desire to make 
 your children serve him, nor do so yourself; — and next, 
 that you are exceedingly indolent, and do not like the 
 trouble of training them in the right way. 
 
 Mrs. J. I don't know, Sir; but I'm sure I beat 'em 
 oft myself, and tell 'em what to do. 
 
 Au. But you beat them, I suspect, not so much for 
 their own fault as for your own vexation, when you can 
 bear no longer: and, after all, I dare say, do rtt)t make 
 them do the thing you contend about. And when chil- 
 dren get into that habit of disobedience, they do not care 
 for the beating, in comparison with the wicked pleasure 
 of having their own way. 
 
 What makes Hannah nurse the child now so well? 
 
 Mrs. J. Oh, because her father's here ; she knows he 
 will have it done as he says. 
 
 Au. And therefore she obeys. But, Hannah, how 
 much happier it would be if you always obeyed both 
 father and mother, because the Lord has ordered you 
 to do so. Why, my child, do you not lay it to heart, 
 that it is written in the word of the Lord, " Honour thy 
 father and thy mother." I do not doubt you see the 
 fault of your mother, because you take advantage of it; 
 but if you would remember your own duty, and for the 
 honour you bear your mother, would obey her desires, 
 counting the wishes of your mother equal to commands, 
 yoa would soon find how much happier you would be, 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 161 
 
 and how it would tend to improve your mother's tem- 
 per and manners. Will you promise me to try one 
 thing ? 
 
 (She was attentive, but did not reply.) 
 
 Will you promise me to try, when your mother says, 
 " J wish" and, " do now, Hannah," to consider it the 
 same thing as if she ordered you with the same autho- 
 rity as your father. It is your duty to obey mother as 
 well as father :— Will you try ? 
 
 She whispered " Yes." 
 
 Au. And will you try another thing? To remember, 
 when you are naughty, and your mother threatens to 
 tell your father, though you think she will not ;— Will 
 you remember, that God knows without telling. He 
 sees and knows all things ; his eye is upon you while 
 you are doing wrong ; and it is an awful thing to sin 
 against God. He has commanded you to honour and 
 obey your father and mother, and when you do not, 
 you sin against God. 
 
 (As I saw I had gained her attention, I continued — ) 
 You may remember, also, that God sees you when you 
 are obedient, as well as when disobedient ; and he 
 watches children's conduct, because he has made a pro- 
 mise, " It shall go well with thee," if thou obeyest thy 
 father and mother. And he delights to fulfil his pro- 
 mise. How pleased I should be, Hannah, if the next 
 time I came this way, I should hear that you have tried 
 to honour your father and mother. The Lord Jesus, 
 who loves children, will |uffer you to go to him, and 
 ask him for grace to teach you how to obey, and to make 
 you able. (I encouraged her by patting her on the head, 
 and a kind look, and then left them.) 
 
 When I arrived at my house, I found my young peo- 
 14* 
 
1G2 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 pie just at liberty from their morning studies ; and they 
 came around me to demand an account of all that had 
 passed in my ramble. I related all that was adapted to 
 their instruction, and concluded by reminding them of 
 the great blessing which had been bestowed upon them 
 by the goodness of the Lord, in giving them parents 
 whose business and delight it was to be found doing the 
 Lord's will, in training them up in the way they 
 should go. 
 
 " I cannot tell you, my dear uncle," said Louisa, 
 "how much this blessing has been discovered to me 
 since we came to you ; and I shall never be sufficiently 
 thankful that it was providentially ordered, that you 
 should be so engaged when we came. I knew enough 
 to know that we owed to our dear father and mother 
 more than we can express ; but a comparison with the 
 state of others, has increased the value of it in my mind 
 a hundred-fold. Oh ! my dear mother," she said, turn- 
 ing to her, and taking her hand with a tenderness of 
 filial love, " may you have the reward of the promise 
 of God, that we shall never depart from the way in 
 which you have trained us." 
 
 My sister's heart was touched by this address from 
 her dear daughter; but endeavouring to overcome her 
 flow of feeling, she answered sweetly — 
 
 " Amen ! my child, and may the honour and glory 
 be the Lord's ! Bear constantly in mind, my dear chil- 
 dren, Who maketh you to differ. It is the goodness of 
 the grace of God, to whom alone, you, and your father, 
 and I, owe the advantage and blessing of the precept 
 and the grace of the practice, so far as we may have 
 walked according to it. But we still fall short, my dear 
 children. When I consider the extent and importance 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 163 
 
 of my trust, I can only feel comfort in looking to the 
 ground of our acceptance in the perfect sacrifice — the 
 Lamb of God, without spot or blemish, and in the se- 
 curity that your keeping is in the faithfulness of Him 
 who never leaves nor forsakes his dear children. 
 
 These remarks gave a turn to our conversation which 
 was deeply serious, and which engaged us during the 
 whole of our walk in the garden, until it was time to 
 return to the house. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 How far we may reason with children in asking 
 their obedience. — Chastisement plainly enjoined in 
 Scripture. — The curse against disobedience. 
 
 Our party being once more assembled, the conversa- 
 tion seemed to be suggested by a remark of my friend, 
 Mr. Conway, whose love of discipline was frequently 
 manifested by the nature of his observations. 
 
 "I will freely confess to you, my dear friend," he 
 said, " that you have given me altogether a new view 
 of the duties of parents, and in doing so, have turned 
 my mind into very serious reflection on that dependence 
 we ought to have on the Lord, and which I have hitherto 
 little understood : my only wonder is, how I have had 
 so much success with our dear girl, whose obedience 
 has been of that prompt and uniform nature that it might 
 never raise a question whether it were from love." 
 
 Au. It makes me happy to hear these sentiments, my 
 friend, because it proves the very thing to be working in 
 you for which I have so often longed ; and as to your 
 
164 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 dear child, she is one of those few characters, which 
 we may in Scripture terms, call " upright." She has 
 imbibed, from your example, a respect for discipline 
 and a conscientious desire to do right ; but she has had, 
 I trust, seed of grace beyond this, which made her heart 
 restless for something else; and I think you will find, 
 henceforth, a tone and manner in her obedience of a 
 much higher cast, because of being graciously taught 
 the love of God, and that the delight of duty is in that 
 love. She is one of those instances in whom we see 
 the Scripture verified, — ; ' he that will do the will of the 
 Lord, shall know of the doctrine." She has had, be- 
 sides, another great advantage in that uniformity of pre- 
 cept and example which subsists between you and your 
 wife. She has had a uniform system ; the obedience to 
 one parent was obedience to the other, and thus she has 
 been strengthened in habits of duty by the double care 
 of both. 
 
 Mrs. C. I must confess again that I am a friend to 
 discipline, and should be sorry if this addition of love to 
 honour should be found to weaken its effect. 
 
 Au. That it never can, if it be the love of God. There 
 is, perhaps, a remarkable proof, in that which is said of 
 Abraham, whose love of God was so fully displayed, in 
 Genesis xviii. 10 ; the Lord says of him, " For I know 
 him, that he will command his children and his house- 
 hold after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, 
 to do justice and judgment ; that the Lord may bring 
 upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him." 
 There can be no stronger discipline than such as is here 
 described, and yet this love, we know, was of that in- 
 tense kind, which would not withhold any thing from 
 God. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 165 
 
 Mrs. Conway observed, " I think I see a new system 
 of education springing up amongst us ; and it has caused 
 me much reflection, — because I am not thoroughly per- 
 suaded whether to approve or condemn it. May I be 
 permitted to point it out ?" 
 
 Au. We shall be grateful for any observations which 
 may tend to give us clearer ideas on this important 
 subject. 
 
 Mrs. C. It is this : I find among many of my friends, 
 a determination not to exact from their children any 
 act of . obedience, but by the power of reasoning 
 with them. I have seen them spend an hour at a time, 
 perhaps, to convince a child that it ought to do what is 
 desired, for such and such reasons, ultimately to issue 
 in advantages to itself. I certainly have seen the child 
 yield in the end, — but I have also seen a pertinacious 
 adherence to the first feeling which prompted a refusal. 
 I have watched the effect, and it appears to me that it 
 does not succeed in obtaining that kind of obedience 
 which is due from a child to -a parent. 
 
 Au. I quite agree with you ; for I also have been an 
 observer of this system, and the fact is, that by it the 
 parent's authority is altogether put into the back- 
 ground, and the child's reason set up as the idol; and 
 where the reason fails to co-operate with the desire of 
 the parent, most assuredly the point is yielded to the 
 desires of the child. It is a most dangerous and alarm- 
 ing system, tending to put down all authority and all 
 rule, and training up the child to a height of self-esteem 
 and self-will, to be controlled by no authority, human 
 or divine ; and soon the child takes his own course, act- 
 ing altogether according to his own mind, be it right or 
 be it wrong ; for even the right and the wrong, come 
 
166 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 to be put under the judgment of his own reason. How 
 can a child be thus trained to honour his parents? for 
 he feels his parents subjecting themselves to him. If 
 he yields, it is because he thinks it right, and if he does 
 not yield, it is because he is not persuaded it is right, 
 and that he acknowledges no authority. The Scripture 
 directs no such plan : command, restraint, nurture, ad- 
 monition, are the rules, but they must be in love. Ho- 
 nour, obedience, submission, are the duties of children, 
 and they must be in love, because all the law of God is 
 
 love. 
 
 Mrs. C. And yet one wishes to see children under- 
 stand rationally that what they do is a right and a pro- 
 per thing. 
 
 Au. And so they will ; the very habit of obedience, 
 once obtained, brings out such obvious benefit and hap- 
 piness, that it becomes a certain knowledge of a certain 
 result, and as reason strengthens it will reflect upon 
 these things, more especially if trained to form the true 
 judgment from the word of God. Men forget that rea- 
 son, however fine, is like all our other gifts of nature, 
 corrupted by sin. Reason itself wants tuition, and it 
 should be formed to judgment by experience, and by 
 the- precepts of the word of God. Besides which, before 
 it can be submitted to God, it must be under a sancti- 
 fying operation of the Holy Ghost, for by the affec- 
 tions of the heart and the reason of the mind, the will 
 is formed. To be a right will, it must therefore be re- 
 newed in grace, and without that, it will be either al- 
 together perverse or mistaken : for the natural or carnal 
 mind " is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed 
 can be." Rom. viii. 7. A child wants education in every 
 department and in every faculty. It comes into the 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 1G7 
 
 world with the natural powers of mankind, but those 
 powers want directing, either by moral tuition, or, what 
 is the absolute duty of all concerned, by a religious in- 
 struction; that they may be turned not only to moral 
 duties between man and man, but also to holy duties be- 
 tween himself and God. " Herein do / exercise my- 
 self," said St. Paul, " to have always a conscience void 
 of offence towards God and towards men." Acts 
 xxiv. 16. 
 
 " As Mrs. Conway has set the example, will you per- 
 mit me," said Mrs. Bennet, " to propose another ques- 
 tion ?" 
 
 Au. With the greatest pleasure. 
 
 Mrs. B. I fear you will think me wrong, but I sub- 
 mit my feeling for correction : — I wish to speak of the 
 natural revolting I feel in my heart against the severe 
 measures which seem to be directed to parents in the 
 Scriptures, especially in the Proverbs. The reasoning 
 of my heart always seems to contradict these injunc- 
 tions; and I believe it very probable that it is erroneous;- 
 because averse to the injunctions of infinite wisdom. I 
 once heard a friend say, that those laws for parents 
 were written as suitable to a state of society not so re- 
 fined as our present generations, and that they seemed 
 to indicate a kind of barbarity in that age. 
 
 Au. It is really extraordinary how the pride of man 
 devises schemes to justify himself in his judgment of the 
 Word of God ; and like the system of exalting reason 
 to the supreme authority, the same is done by their pre- 
 sumptuous and unwarrantable liberty with the Word of 
 God. There is, perhaps, one distinction to be made, — 
 to consider the application of those passages to the dif- 
 ferent ages of our children, adapting them accordingly : 
 
168 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 but I believe there is more wisdom in that timely cor- 
 rection which is there enjoined, than most men under- 
 stand ; and more kindness and mercy too, than is gene- 
 rally apprehended. A timely stroke, judiciously appli- 
 ed, may save days and years of labour wasted in any 
 other method. 
 
 Mrs. B. I remember admiring much the advice giv- 
 en me, never to strike my children ; it was added, " Why 
 treat them like animals, when you may address their 
 
 reason 
 
 fin 
 
 Au. It all sounds very fine ; but we may suspect the 
 soundness of the principle, when it is in direct opposi- 
 tion to the Word of God. Prov. xxii. 15, " Foolish- 
 ness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of 
 correction shall drive it far from him." This one Scrip- 
 ture at once undermines the two false principles, and 
 tells you of the foolishness of the child, and the neces- 
 sity, on that account, for the rod of correction. At the 
 same time, I admit the shame and cruelty of that prac- 
 tice you see in some, of continual correction of this sort. 
 In such cases it "generally proceeds from a brutal and 
 passionate nature, giving way to inordinate anger and 
 wanton tyranny. The fact, however, is, I believe, that 
 children are partly animal and partly rational ; and they 
 require to be treated suitably to their composition ; 
 above all, remembering the immortal nature, formed 
 for an eternal existence before the unveiled glory of 
 God. >Sbme system of correction must be adopted, 
 however parents may flatter themselves ; and if they 
 avoid those prescribed in Scripture, they are compelled 
 to resort to some of their own devising, such as pro- 
 tracted displeasure, fasting, confinement, disgrace ; all 
 of which, perhaps, tend more to injure the dispositions 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 169 
 
 of the child than to improve them. My opinion, after 
 much experience, is, that the correction should be 
 prompt and short, that the child may understand it is 
 the offence which calls for chastisement, and not itself 
 that is obnoxious. Besides, there is much instruction 
 conveyed to a child by the example thus exhibited of the 
 principle upon which the correction is administered ; 
 and a sin which is palpable against the Lord himself, 
 should be more rigorously marked than any of a nature 
 relative to men. I have been ready to groan within my- 
 self when I have seen the hot and quick resentments 
 expressed against any 'personal disrespect, whilst ab- 
 solute sins against God have been overlooked, or 
 slightly remarked upon. What a false estimate this is 
 calculated to give them of the nature of offences ! And 
 again, that irritable temper which some parents give way 
 to, is most injurious, because it is obvious to the keen 
 observation of a child that it is selfish and unprincipled, 
 and frequently altogether misplaced. This is a wise ex- 
 hortation of the Apostle's : " Fathers, provoke not your 
 children to wrath, lest they be discouraged ;" Eph. vi. 4. 
 for it is a consequence almost fatal to proper authority, 
 when the resentments of a child are awakened upon 
 what he may esteem just grounds ; and thus the parent 
 is put under the condemnation of the child. 
 
 Mrs. B. I have sometimes thought that this severity 
 belonged only to the Old Testament times, and that the 
 Gospel is milder in its treatment, as well as in its aspect. 
 
 Au. Where the Gospel graces of love, gentleness, 
 goodness, meekness, faith, have been the prevailing 
 and peaceful foundations of instruction from earliest in- 
 fancy, it is to be expected, as a blessed result, that the 
 mildest forms of correction would probably be sufficient ; 
 15 
 
170 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 but we must not forget the sinful nature, which is cor- 
 rected by nothing but the effectual operation of God 
 alone in the heart. Sin will ever revolt from the law 
 of holiness and obedience; and sin it is which requires 
 the strong corrective and the coercive system. Be- 
 sides, we have the dealings of God with our souls illus- 
 trated by the example of human parental correction. 
 That beautiful passage in Heb. xii. 6 — 10, should be laid 
 up in the heart of every Christian parent and child ; and 
 it corresponds with Deut. viii. 5, " As a man chasteneth 
 his son, so the Lord chasteneth thee ;" which proves 
 the analogy of the dealings of the attentive parent with 
 the dealings of God with our souls. But we may, per- 
 haps, refer the further consideration of the subject to the 
 elucidations which may be drawn forth from our young 
 people themselves, in the next room, as it so happens I 
 had proposed to take into considerntion this very point 
 on which we find ourselves engaged. 
 
 It was soon agreed that we should join the juvenile 
 party. We found all our interesting flock assembled, 
 and in the agreeable engagement of listening to some 
 of the wise counsels of old Thomas, whom Charles had 
 taken care should be one with them, and had placed in 
 the midst. He looked full of animation, and his dutiful 
 little grand daughter standing by with eyes sparkling 
 with delight and intelligence, happy in seeing the hap- 
 piness of her aged parent. 
 
 " I am afraid," I said, " my dear young friends, that I 
 am scarcely so welcome as usual, for I shall interrupt 
 the pleasure you are giving and receiving." 
 
 " Oh, no !" they all answered ; and Henry again said, 
 " It is to you we owe all the pleasure." 
 
 An. But, then, what will you say when you know 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 171 
 
 my subject? The Apostle, in 1 Cor. iv. 21, makes this 
 appeal : " What will ye ? Shall I come unto you with a 
 rod, or in love, and the spirit of meekness?'''' 
 
 " I think," Henry said, " you have sufficiently proved 
 that love is the best and sweetest ; therefore, I say, love ; 
 and I believe all will join in that preference. Though, 
 to speak the truth," he continued, " during the time of 
 my authority, I think I should have found a rod rather 
 useful." 
 
 I was fearful, from the tone of Henry's voice, that he 
 might impart an influence of lightness to this important 
 subject; and therefore replied — "It is, however, of a 
 nature so serious and sacred, that we must neither omit 
 the consideration, nor throw off its application. Have 
 you learnt, my dear young friends, that your nature is 
 sinful, that it is an arduous duty laid on your parents to 
 train you up in the way you should go ; and have you 
 not discovered the perverseness of your own minds, 
 which do, from sinful inclinations, prefer the crooked 
 ways of self-will, to the strait and narrow path of obe- 
 dience?" 
 
 Henry's volubility was at once arrested ; and I receiv- 
 ed no answer. Silence, however, spoke conviction. 
 
 Au. "When love fails to operate — when duty fails to 
 impel — when the promise fails to persuade — when 
 honour fails to act — when obedience fails to be render- 
 ed — what must be done ? Obedience must be enforced, 
 for the well-being of the child and the comfort of the 
 parent ; and there is but one thing more to resort to. 
 What must it be ? 
 
 As I was not likely to receive an answer from any 
 but such as were already instructed, I looked to Louisa, 
 and she answered — 
 
172 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 " Correction." 
 
 Au. Is it a method commanded in the Scriptures? 
 
 Louisa. Yes, frequently. 
 
 Au. In both the Old and New Testaments? 
 
 Louisa. Yes. 
 
 Au. Give me some texts in proof that it is so. 
 
 Louisa. In Proverbs there are many: xiii. 24, "He 
 that spareth his rod hateth his son ; but he that loveth 
 him chasteneth him betimes." xix. 18, " Chasten thy 
 son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for 
 his crying." 
 
 Whilst Louisa was repeating these texts, Mary was 
 engaged in turning to the places, and I saw her now 
 open to a passage marked by herself, I therefore called 
 upon her to repeat it. She coloured, and would gladly 
 have escaped this notice ; but as all waited for her, she, 
 closing the Bible, in a soft whisper and rather tremulous 
 voice, said — 
 
 " Proverbs xxiii. 13, 14, ' Withhold not correction 
 from the child, for if thou beatest him with the rod, he 
 shall not die ; thou shalt beat him with the rod and shalt 
 deliver his soul from hell' " 
 
 Au. George, have you a text ? 
 
 George. Proverbs xxix. 15. 17. " The rod and re- 
 proof give wisdom ; but a child left to himself bringeth 
 his mother to shame. Correct thy son and he shall give 
 thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul." 
 
 Au. We will pause here for a moment, lest we lose, 
 in the number of the texts, their particular application. 
 You perceive, dear children, that you have been repeat- 
 ing Scriptures which declare the duty of your parents, 
 and explain to you the authority with which they are 
 entitled to correct you, for sin or disobedience. You 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 173 
 
 see correction is not without necessity, as enjoined by 
 the Word of God ; and you see the ends to be answer- 
 ed by it. Can you trace them back ? 
 
 " That the child shall not die." 
 
 " To give rest and delight to the soul of the parent." 
 
 " That the child may not bring his mother to shame." 
 
 " To redeem his soul from hell." 
 
 Au. You see, then, how wise it is to chasten a son 
 while there is hope ; and how true an evidence it is of 
 the real nature of the feeling of the parent. " To spare 
 the rod is to hate his son ; but he that loveth him chas- 
 teneth him betimes." 
 
 Charles, tell me if this is like the dealings of God 
 with us for our souls' sake ? 
 
 Charles. In Heb. xii. 6 — 11, there is a clear compari- 
 son of God's ways with the ways of a parent; but it is 
 a long passage. Must I repeat it all? 
 
 Au. Do, Charles ; nothing is so edifying as the word 
 of God. 
 
 Charles. " Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, 
 and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If you en- 
 dure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons ; 
 for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? but 
 if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, 
 then are ye bastards and not sons. Furthermore, we 
 Tiave had fathers of our flesh which have corrected us, 
 and we gave them reverence ; shall we not much moie 
 be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live 1 for 
 they verily for a few days chastened us after their own 
 pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be par- 
 takers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the pre- 
 sent seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless 
 15* 
 
174 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteous- 
 ness unto them which are exercised thereby." 
 
 Au. As it is so long a portion we will make the same 
 reference to it as to those in Proverbs. First : we see 
 that the chastening of the Lord is the proof of his love : 
 " Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth." And now 
 you will tell me some of its benefits ? 
 
 " It is the proof that we are sons." 
 
 " It is for our profit." 
 
 Au. Tell me what is the profit 1 
 
 " That we may be partakers of His holiness." 
 
 " That it may yield the peaceable fruit of righteous- 
 ness to them that are exercised thereby." 
 
 Au. Can you give me another text, Mary ? 
 
 She answered, " Louisa showed me one in 1 Cor. xi. 
 32. : ' But when we are judged we are chastened of the 
 Lord, that we should not be condemned with the 
 world.' " 
 
 Au. You see, then, my dear young people, that the 
 correction of children by their parents is quite in agree- 
 ment with the dealings of the Lord with his people ; 
 and this last reason assigned is one of great interest, 
 which should teach us how to value his correction; name- 
 ly, u that we may not be condemned with the world." 
 " This is all the fruit, saith the Lord, to take away their 
 sin :" and so we can understand well that word of the 
 Lord, in Rev. iii. 19, " As many as I love, I rebuke and 
 chasten." We learn, therefore, that obedience will bear 
 a further trial ; even to submit to correction, and not to 
 rebel against it ; nor yet, as some do, to harden our- 
 selves against it, but to endeavour to look for the pur- 
 pose — what it is meant to correct, and what to pro- 
 duce. It is written in Job v. 17, " Behold ! happy is the 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 175 
 
 man whom God eorrecteth, therefore despise not thou 
 the chastening of the Almighty." I knew a little girl 
 so affectingly endowed with this filial submission under 
 correction, that she used, whilst the tears rolled down 
 her cheeks, to seize the hand that struck her, and kiss it 
 whilst in the act of correction. There is a text in Deut. 
 xxi., which is an ample proof of the condemnation of 
 God, directed against a rebellious or disobedient son; 
 and I should be glad if any of you can repeat it, for 
 whilst we consider the commandment with Promise, 
 we have no right to overlook the judgments which must 
 come on those who are incorrigible, or will not submit 
 to the authority of their parents. 
 
 " If you please, uncle," Louisa said, " I will read it, for 
 it is long ; it is from the 18th to the 21st verse. ' If a man 
 have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey 
 the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and that, 
 when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto 
 them ; then shall his father and his mother lay hold on 
 him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and un- 
 to the gate of his place: and they shall say unto the elders 
 of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious ; he 
 will not obey our voice ; he is a glutton and a drunkard. 
 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, 
 that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among 
 you : and all Israel shall hear and fear.' " 
 
 Au. Observe, my dear young friends, what a dread- 
 ful responsibility was thrown upon the parents in that 
 law delivered to Moses ; and it was doubtless designed 
 to operate as a strong precaution to both parents and 
 children ; that parents, to avoid, if possible, this fatal 
 end, should begin betimes to correct, and that children 
 should early learn to obey. By such a testimony, we 
 
176 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 can see how they should be delivered from death and 
 hell ; and so it is also between God and us. Continued 
 rebellion will provoke Him to swear in His wrath that 
 we shall not enter into His rest, and to cut us off in our 
 sins. There is another Scripture, also, of awful import 
 against disobedient children, in 2 Tim. iii. 2, which 
 ranks them in the number of the reprobate; whose 
 crimes shall be the sign by which we shall know the last 
 and perilous times : — " Disobedient to parents ! ! " 
 
 There was an air of great seriousness in all the party, 
 and I thought it would be better to pursue the subject 
 even beyond its present point. I therefore said, "I 
 would now, my dear children, carry your observation 
 of God's word further, as respects the judgment on re- 
 bellious children, by desiring some text to be brought 
 forward, which will prove that particular punishments 
 are allotted to particular degrees of the offence : for re- 
 bellion may grow on to that state of wickedness, which 
 will totally extinguish all feeling of love, honour, or 
 duty, or obedience, or desire to succour ; and become 
 such a spirit of hatred, as, next to the blasphemy against 
 God, to produce the deepest sin towards men, and that 
 is, even to curse their parents." There was a general 
 sensation of horror in the children, and I added, " It is 
 so monstrous that even the word of God speaks of it 
 thus: 
 
 " \ There is a generation that curseth their father 
 and doth not bless their mother.' My dear children, 
 much as you may suppose it impossible that such should 
 be the extent of sin to which you might be brought ; 
 yet, as God declares there is such a generation, and 
 that generation is to be found amongst the sons of fallen 
 Adam, it would be well that you should examine the 
 state of your own hearts, and consider well the sort 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 177 
 
 of tempers which arise out of them, when any of the 
 restraints or commands of your parents are distasteful 
 to you, and especially in instances where there is an 
 impossibility for you to resist, however averse your 
 minds may be to obedience or concession ; then it is 
 that the spirit manifests itself. The inward morose 
 grumbling of an evil temper,— the violent accusations 
 which are poured out, — the impatient expression of 
 vexation, all show the dreadful spirit that could, if it 
 dared, and often indeed does, commit the deadly offence. 
 
 " Now, Charles, prove to me the fact that there is 
 such, a generation, by repeating some of those Scripture 
 denunciations which are directed against this sin." 
 
 With an oppressed voice, which denoted a painful 
 heaviness of soul, Charles said, in a low and deeply 
 serious tone, 
 
 " In Leviticus xx. 9, it is written, — ' For every one 
 that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put 
 to death : he that hath cursed his father or his mother, 
 his blood shall be upon him.' 
 
 " Proverbs xx. 20. ' Whoso curseth his father, his 
 lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.' 
 
 " Proverbs xxx. 17. l The eye that mocketh at his 
 father and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of 
 the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall 
 eat it.' 
 
 " Exodus xxi. 15. 17. ' He that smiteth his father, or 
 his mother, shall be surely put to death : and he that 
 curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put 
 to death.' " 
 
 Au. Extraordinary as some of these denounced judg- 
 ments may appear, you must recollect how exactly and 
 literally they would be fulfilled, if by any violent death, 
 
178 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 or any shameful execution, the body should be left with- 
 out burial, " as dung on the face of the earth," or lifted 
 up in disgraceful exposure to hang on the gallows. It 
 is a sentence denoting the utmost ignominy. How many 
 a body is exposed by the various providences of this 
 mortal life, and we know not but in many cases it may 
 be in express fulfilment of these awful denunciations. 
 
 (I paused a few moments, and then said,) I wish, now, 
 my dear young friends, to contrast the two considera- 
 tions of the Promise and the Curse. The Promise is 
 Life, and the Curse is Death. Life is promised to them 
 that honour their father and their mother. Death is de- 
 nounced on them that despise their father and their mo- 
 ther. " The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God 
 is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." 
 Romans vi. 23. In Deuteronomy xxvii. 16, there is an 
 awful requirement made upon the Israelites, that on the 
 denunciation of the Curse, the people should, as it were, 
 set to their seal that this sentence is just. " Cursed be 
 he that setteth light by his father or mother ; and all the 
 people shall say, Amen." But whilst we fear and trem- 
 ble at the judgments of God, let us turn to the blessed 
 hope of the Promise, and know that it shall be realized 
 to them that love God ; because it is His own gift, whose 
 gifts and calling are without repentance, for he changeth 
 not. Therefore, let me address parents and children in 
 one voice, by the word of God, which thus solemnly 
 speaks, Deut. xxx. 19, 20, "I call heaven and earth to 
 record this day against you, that I have set before you 
 life and death, blessing and cursing : therefore choose 
 life, that both thou and thy seed may live : that thou 
 mayest love the Lord thy God. and that thou mayest 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 179 
 
 obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him ; 
 for He is thy life, and the length of thy days I /" 
 
 I will now direct your attention to one more point, 
 and show you what you are to understand by the term 
 Fool, which the Scripture applies to disobedient children. 
 It is a word that expresses their sins, and proves indeed 
 that it is a Fool only who can choose Death rather than 
 Life, and take to himself the Curse rather than look 
 for the hope of the Promise. Can you, George, give 
 me any text, whereby you can prove that disobedient 
 children are called fools ? 
 
 George. Proverbs xv. 5, " A fool despiseth his fa- 
 ther's instructions ; but he that regard eth reproof is pru- 
 dent." 
 
 Proverbs xvii. 25, " A foolish son is a grief to his fa- 
 ther, and bitterness to her that bare him." 
 
 Au. How true, then, is that word, Proverbs xvii. 21, 
 " The father of a fool hath no joy !" 
 
 The word of God, thus presented, seemed to fasten 
 in the hearts of my interesting party like a sure arrow 
 from the Lord, and nad shed a cast of serious reflection 
 over every face. I did not, therefore, wish to turn their 
 minds from the meditation, but said we would close our 
 evening by referring ourselves to Him who pardoneth 
 iniquity, transgression, and sin ; and with heartfelt, 
 adoring praise, say, in the language of David, " Blessed 
 is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is cover- 
 ed. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth 
 not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." To 
 him let us all turn with the humble prayer, " Purge me 
 with hyssop, and I shall be clean ; wash me, and I shall 
 be whiter than snow." " Create in me a clean heart, O 
 God, and renew a right spirit within me." 
 
180 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 There was a particular stillness in the departure of 
 my guests, and they left me and my domestic circle, 
 with the addition of old Thomas and Jane, his son hav- 
 ing not yet come to fetch him. When all was settled, 
 old Thomas said — 
 
 " Sir, I hope and believe you will have a blessing in 
 this engagement." 
 
 An. If the Lord be with us, we shall, Thomas. 
 
 Old Thomas. Yes, Sir, and it is of very great con- 
 sequence ; for bad as I find my own class of people, in 
 this sin of never thinking of the fifth commandment ; 
 and no excuse is to be made for them ; yet I do believe 
 that the example of the rich does them a deal of harm. 
 If you remember, Sir, that most of our poor fathers and 
 mothers have been servants in rich families before they 
 married and had children of their own, you will see how 
 many bad and careless ways they've learnt from mas- 
 ters, and mistresses, and children. I oft think that if 
 they'd been in godly families, where they brought up 
 their children in the fear and love of God, it would be 
 like an apprenticeship for them to learn that great mat- 
 ter for themselves. 
 
 Au. It is a very just observation, Thomas; and it. 
 ought to inspire us with additional desires to attend to 
 the°se important duties, when we reflect upon the classes 
 under our influence ; and of how much benefit we may 
 be to them, or of how much injury, by our example. 
 
 Old Thomas. Sir, if you'd kindly give me leave, I'd 
 gladly come again, if God spare me, and all be well, for 
 it's a pleasure to an old man to see the young people 
 of another generation training up for God ; that so from 
 generation to generation they may be able to say, as the 
 wise man to his posterity, Proverbs iv. 1—4, " Hear, 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 181 
 
 ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to 
 know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, 
 forsake ye not my law. For I was my father's son, 
 tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He 
 taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart re- 
 tain my words: keep my commandments, and live." 
 
 " Grandfather, here's father ! I see him coming up for 
 you," said little Jane. " Take hold of my hand, and 
 take care ! " 
 
 So we had to part that evening, with the hope of meet- 
 ing again the following. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Family piety.— Fatal neglect of parents to enforce 
 the Divine Commands. —Domestic divisions spring" 
 not from religion but the want of it. 
 
 We were much surprised, early the next morning, by 
 receiving a visit from Mary and her father. There was 
 an evident pleasure in the eyes of our young people, at 
 the sight of Mary ; a secret attraction was growing be- 
 tween them, and it was delightful to observe that it was 
 grounded on love in the Lord. 
 
 Mary went close up to Louisa, and said, " I hope you 
 will forgive me for coming so soon, but mamma has 
 such a bad headach, that my father thought I might come 
 and join in your engagements this morning." 
 
 On hearing this, I said to my sister, " As this is the 
 case, will you permit me to appoint them some work?" 
 
 Mrs. • With pleasure. 
 
 16 
 
182 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Au. Then it is this , Sit down for an hour or two 
 and select me some examples from Scripture, of the 
 blessedness of families who are unitedly devoted to the 
 Lord ; and in the evening, you shall propose these se- 
 lections for consideration. 
 
 The plan seemed pleasing to all, and I proposed that 
 my friend should accompany us in a ramble, in search 
 of evidence of the state in which the families in the 
 neighbourhood were brought up. 
 
 As we set out, he said, " Discipline is out of the ques- 
 tion in this inquiry, for never did I yet see a poor fami- 
 ly brought up with any due attention to it." 
 
 Au. It is, indeed, rarely to be met with ; but I know 
 some beautiful instances, one of which is old Thomas' 
 family : and in some other cases, I have seen the want 
 of discipline supplied by the grace given to the children, 
 who, instructed by the Spirit of God, have been taught 
 to love, honour, and succour their parents, even through 
 difficulties that would appear insurmountable to any 
 other principle. 
 
 We had crossed some fields, and found ourselves at 
 the back part of the village; and just as we approached 
 a cottage, a girl, in a bonnet and shawl, was lifting the 
 latch to go in, but seemed surprised to find it fast ; she 
 rattled the latch, and tapped at the door, but no one 
 came to let her in ; I saw her then try the window, 
 which she slided back, and called, "Father! Father!" 
 She waited, and then called, " Mother, can you let me 
 in?" We went up to her, and when she turned to an- 
 swer our inquiry, " if her father might not be gone out," 
 I saw it was the girl about whom I had been so much 
 interested by old Thomas' account. 
 
 " I don't know, Sir," she answered, curtseying, with 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 183 
 
 a modest air ; but there was an expression of alarm in 
 her face. 
 
 Au. You are frightened ; have you been doing any- 
 thing wrong ? 
 
 In a hesitating voice, she answered, " No, Sir ; but — " 
 
 Au. But what ! young woman. If all is right, you 
 need not be afraid. 
 
 " Oh, no, Sir, all isn't right ; my mother ! my mother ! " 
 She seemed in an agony. 
 
 Au. Why, you do not think anything has happened 
 to her, do you ? Shall I break open the door ? 
 
 " Oh, no, Sir," she said, hastily pulling me back by the 
 sleeve; and then, as if a sudden thought had occurred 
 to her, she ran round the corner of the house, and we 
 lost sight of her. 
 
 The door of the house was soon opened, and a surly 
 looking man, evidently in liquor, though so early, had 
 the arm of the girl in his grasp, and turning her out 
 with violence, and saying, " Next time you come in here, 
 you shall come in the right way," pushed her away, and 
 shut the door. 
 
 The girl was not turned out without a hard struggle ; 
 and in an agony of tears, she exclaimed, " Who'll take 
 care of my mother !" 
 
 The violence with which she had been forced out, had 
 thrown her against the side of the door, and we heard 
 the sound of something breaking. This increased the 
 flow of tears: "Oh! the physic's all spilt!" She sat 
 down on a large stone which was near the door, and re- 
 gardless of our presence, bent her head upon her hands 
 on her knees, and sobbed aloud. 
 
 " Poor girl," I said, " what is the matter? Something 
 
184 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 very sorrowful, I fear, shall / knock at the door, and 
 see if I can get your father to take you in?" 
 
 Girl. Please not, Sir ; I'll wait here, and, may be, in 
 a little time he'll be better. 
 
 Au. I fear your father's a wicked man. 
 
 (She made no answer, but sighed gently.) 
 
 Is he given to liquor ? 
 
 (No answer.) 
 
 Is he unkind to your mother? 
 
 (This question made the tears flow faster.) 
 
 Have you any brothers or sisters within ? 
 
 Girl. I took them to school when I went out. 
 
 Au. What will you do ? 
 
 Girl. I'll wait a bit here. 
 
 Recollecting that old Thomas was her friend, I pro- 
 posed that we should leave her, and go to acquaint him 
 with the circumstance. We soon walked round to his 
 house, and when we entered I was a little disappointed 
 to see a young lady there, as I thought it might prevent 
 my communicating immediately my errand. 
 
 She instantly rose to go. I desired that we might 
 withdraw, rather than intrude; but in a grave and kind 
 manner she said — 
 
 " By no means, I have quite finished my business ;" 
 and wishing old Thomas " Good morning," she offered 
 her hand to Jane's mother, and patting little Sarah on 
 the head as she passed, left the house. 
 
 The manner of the young lady gave me a presenti- 
 ment that she was the very teacher I had wished to 
 know ; but I could not at that time take the liberty of 
 endeavouring to form an acquaintance. However, my 
 pressing anxiety for the distressed girl, made me quit 
 these thoughts, to inquire what I could do for her. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 185 
 
 After relating all we had seen, Becca's heart seemed 
 quite overpowered with sympathy, and she said, " Poor 
 girl, the Lord tries her, but he supports her too." - 
 
 " It seems very remarkable,'" said old Thomas ; " for 
 this very morning she came here to meet that young 
 lady, her friend, who brought her her money that she 
 had saved up, and a bottle of physic for her sick mo- 
 ther." 
 
 Au. We've seen the end of the physic ; what has she 
 done with the money ? 
 
 Old Thomas. She paid it, before she left this house, 
 to the man her father owed it to, The young lady 
 thought it best, so she appointed the man to meet her 
 here ; for Martha hasn't much time to leave her mother, 
 she^s so ill that she can't help herself. 
 
 Au. Poor Martha, indeed, we might say, if we look- 
 ed only to her sorrows ; but she has a witness of her 
 filial piety, who will not be unmindful of her. You 
 know her well, Thomas ; how will she behave towards 
 her father ? 
 
 Old Thomas. Why, Sir, you see her natural temper's 
 very passionate and hot ; but she's been taught so long 
 the sin of it, and she's found so clearly by experience the 
 mischief of it, that I think on that account she behaves 
 milder and gentler than a meeker natural spirit would. 
 There's this in it, that she's obliged to seek for grace, 
 and throw herself on God, or else she couldn't do as 
 she does. I remember she said to me once, after she 
 had been telling me of the subject of the lesson they'd 
 had on the fifth commandment, " Oh, Thomas, it's very 
 hard to learn to honour my father when I see him so 
 wicked ; but my teacher said I must honour him as my 
 father, and for that reason must obey him in all things 
 16* 
 
186 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE, 
 
 that were not contrary to God's word. ' Hate his sins,* 
 she said, ' but try to turn him from them; pray for him 
 and honour him as your father.' It's very hard, Tho- 
 mas ; but I'll try, by God's grace, to do it." 
 
 Poor girl ! many a time she has run in here to hide 
 the rising of her passion, and to try, by talking of God's 
 word and her duty, to get the better of it ; and then she's 
 gone away like a meek, lamb-like child. 
 
 Au, Cannot we do anything for her, in this strait that 
 she is in just now? 
 
 Old Thomas. I believe, Sir, it's best to let her alone ; 
 she's experienced in these things, and she says the Lord 
 often softens her father's heart when she thinks it the 
 hardest: she'll take some opportunity of getting in when 
 the door is opened for somebody else. Perhaps he'll fall 
 asleep with liquor, and she'll get in at the low window 
 if he's at the other side of the house. 
 
 Au. It is a pain to me to leave her so; but if you 
 think it best, we will not return that way. 
 
 Old Thomas. I believe it would be best, Sir ; for she 
 suffers a deal of pain when her father's exposed ; and 
 he's often doubly outrageous if he thinks any one in- 
 terferes. 
 
 As this was the case, however unwilling we felt, we 
 did not trouble her by any more observations; and go- 
 ing another way, we met a number of children of differ- 
 ent ages, at play in a very rude manner, and quarrelling 
 at the same time about something that had taken place. 
 Amongst them I was very sorry to see the two school- 
 boys with whom I had been before engaged ; they re- 
 cognized me immediately, and pulling another boy by 
 the sleeve, made signs to get away over a gate by the 
 road-side. 
 
 ' 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE 187 
 
 " Help me," I said to my friend, " spread out your 
 arms, and let us stop the way." We did so ; and 1 de- 
 manded to know how they all came to be there at 
 school-time. They in general looked bold and indiffer- 
 ent to my inquiry. I shook my head at my two former 
 acquaintances, who only feared that the same thing 
 might take place as before. We questioned them all in- 
 dividually, as to their names and places of abode, and 
 on getting the answers we let them go, after having rea- 
 soned with them on their conduct ; and then I proposed 
 that we should go to their parents to see if we could 
 trace out the true causes of this indolence and bad 
 habit in the children. 
 
 The first house we came to was that of John Tomlins ; 
 he was a cobler, and we found him at work. 
 
 Au. John, I came to tell you that we met your two 
 boys and their little sister all playing truant; for I sup- 
 pose you ordered them to go to school. 
 
 Tomlins. Why yes, Sir, I told them to go; but 
 they're not fond of school, and this fine weather, you 
 see, is a bit of a temptation. 
 
 Au. But you don't approve of their disobeying your 
 orders, do you ? 
 
 Tomlins. Why no, Sir ; but it's not quite disobey- 
 ing ; they know when I'm in earnest; I tells them, Sir, 
 you see, but I winks like at their not doing it ; I remem- 
 bers being a lad myself. 
 
 Au. But that's a bad way of bringing them up ; to 
 tell them to do one thing, and then to wink at their do- 
 ing another. 
 
 Tomlins. I don't know, Sir ; but if they make as 
 good a man as their father, they'll get on in the same 
 fashion. 
 
188 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Au. I do not pretend to say what sort of a man their 
 father is, as this is the first time I have seen you ; but 
 I think it might be as well if they were better men than 
 their father. 
 
 "May be, Sir," — he said, tapping the sole of the shoe 
 he was mending. 
 
 Au. You seem rather indifferent about their im- 
 provement ? 
 
 Tomlins. Nay, I think I "shall be able, through in- 
 terest, to get 'em into a Charity to put 'em out 'prentices. 
 
 Au. But what sort of 'prentices will they make, if 
 you have never taught them to serve God, or to be obe- 
 dient to you ? 
 
 Tomlins. Oh ! it will all come in good time, Sir, I 
 warrant. 
 
 I saw the character of the man, and that he was one 
 of those that do not care to hear reason, and as we had 
 little time, we did not stay. 
 
 The next house was Betty Dobson's. We went in ; 
 she was just sweeping up the hearth and making the 
 room tidy. 
 
 Au. We are come to tell you, Betty, that we met 
 your little girl playing truant with some other children. 
 I dare say you thought she was at school ? 
 
 Mrs. D. Thank you, Sir, for telling me. I wish my 
 girl would do better; but she's like to please herself; 
 she must take the course she likes best. 
 
 Au. That is being very cruel to your child; for chil- 
 dren do not know what is best for them. 
 
 Mrs. D. Why, Sir, I never puts no constraint upon 
 her, and then she can't quarrel with me. 
 
 Au. Do you always let her please herself? 
 
 Mrs. D. I finds it best, and then we've no words 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 189 
 
 and all goes on quietly ; for if I offers to control her, 
 there's such an uproar, and riot, that all the neighbours 
 would think I was killing her. 
 
 Au. Do you think your reasons are good ? Surely 
 it is your duty to teach your children to honour and 
 obey you ? 
 
 Mrs. D. Why, one may teach 'em, but one can't 
 make 'em do it. 
 
 Au. But if you endeavoured, in the name of the 
 Lord, to do it, you might find that he would help you ; 
 and he would lead them right. 
 
 Mrs. D. You see, I should be very glad for some 
 things ; but it makes our house in such a tumult when 
 her passion's up, that to keep quietness it's better to let 
 her alone. 
 
 Au. But are you not afraid of the consequences? 
 What sort of a house will you have when she grows 
 bigger and stronger, and all her bad passions and idle 
 ways grow stronger too ? 
 
 Mrs. D. Sometimes I'm a bit afraid, but one puts off 
 the evil day ; and if I can get her out to place before 
 she's very big, she'll get a bit broke, if I could get her 
 with a spirited mistress. 
 
 Au. Oh, what sad arguments are these with which 
 you deceive yourself? (I then endeavoured to set be- 
 fore her her duty to her child, according to the Lord's 
 appointment ; but I fear with very little impression.) 
 
 As we walked on to the next house, my friend said — 
 " You see what I told you was right : no discipline ! no 
 discipline!" 
 
 Au. Because no love of the law of the Lord, and 
 no desire for the welfare of the souls of these poor 
 children. 
 
190 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 We were now at ihe cottage of Tobias Calcot, and to 
 our surprise saw the boy and girl we had left in the 
 group of truants. 
 
 " So ! " I said to the mother, who was standing listening 
 to something they were relating, " I see we .need not tell 
 you our errand 5 for you know already, by the return 
 of your children, that they are not at school." 
 
 Mrs. C. Oh ! yes, Sir 3 they've been here more than 
 ten minutes. 
 
 Au. Then you are displeased they are not at school? 
 
 Mrs. C. Why. Sir, it would ha' been as well if they'd 
 been there; but they've no mind to go to-day. 
 
 Au. Is not that a pity, when they understand it's for 
 their benefit ? They should be regular in all their in- 
 struction; they will never improve if they are not. 
 
 Mrs. C. I know folks oft tell me I shall rue it after a 
 bit ; but I lets 'em do as they like. If anybody can per- 
 suade them, they may; but they're welcome to go and 
 they're welcome to stay. I pay three shillings a quarter 
 for them, and so they've entrance whenever they like, 
 and it's not my fault if they're not learned ; the master 
 and mistress complain, but I say if they've got the mo- 
 ney that's all we agreed for. 
 
 Au, Had you no view to your children's instruction 
 when you agreed to pay this three shillings a quarter I 
 
 Mrs. C. Yes, I meant it for that, to be sure, Sir ; but 
 if they won't take the advantage they won't. 
 
 Au. Do you think that you have discharged your 
 duty to them by paying three shillings a quarter for 
 them ? 
 
 Mrs. C. Why, I've done my best , you know, Sir ; 
 I works hard for it, and I pays it cheerfully for their 
 benefit. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 191 
 
 Au. What benefit do they obtain by your paying the 
 money, unless you oblige them to "take the advantage," 
 as you call it 1 
 
 Here again we had to endeavour to set before a mo- 
 ther the duty she owed her children, and to tell her that 
 which God has recorded in the Bible, and which every 
 parent may read. What a dreadful condemnation rests 
 upon the heads of ignorant, careless, ungodly parents ! 
 
 As we pursued our way, my friend and I conversed 
 upon the neglected condition of the greater part of chil- 
 dren in the world ; the lamentable fact that their own 
 natural protectors and instructers should leave them to 
 grow up hardened in sin, without making them ac- 
 quainted with the law laid upon them by the Lord. It 
 is melancholy to reflect that whilst the parent is thus 
 heaping sin upon his own head, he is also loading the 
 heads of his children ; for nothing can clear the children 
 from their personal responsibility to obey. Whether 
 they do or do not obey, the commandment stands, 
 f Honour thy father and thy mother ;" and how hard it 
 is for them to learn obedience when no exercise of the 
 principle is called for by their parents, or any direction 
 or charge given them by which to practise the command. 
 How can we wonder that so many mothers are brought 
 to shame, when so few children are taught to obey ! 
 
 "Now," said my friend, " I will open my mind to you 
 on another subject, which I confess has been the occa- 
 sion of my imbibing strong prejudices against what is 
 called a spiritual bringing up of children ; by which I 
 mean, according to a peculiar religious influence, which 
 I know is intended to go much further than the general 
 observance of religious ordinances. This is what I have 
 observed : that the peace of some families is quite bro- 
 
192 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 ken up through the difference of opinion on this subject, 
 and a division takes place, which appears to me often to 
 produce a direct breach of the fifth commandment." 
 
 " My dear friend," I replied, " you are touching on a 
 subject of such importance that it cannot be discussed 
 in so short a time as we have now at our disposal. But 
 it may help to prepare your mind for a just understand- 
 ing of the cause of this evil, if you will consider a few 
 striking passages of Scripture. Jesus is the Prince of 
 Peace ; and where he reigns he produces peace : but 
 it is only where he reigns. Thus, Is he the Lord to 
 whom a nation bows ? — there is peace. Is he the Lord 
 whom a household serves ? — there is peace. Is he the 
 King ruling in the heart of any one ? — there is peace. 
 But we must remember that it is not in every subject 
 of a nation, nor in every member of a household, nor 
 in every heart that the Lord reigns. And when it hap- 
 pens in a family that he becomes the Lord and Master 
 of one individual and not of another, there is immedi- 
 ately a difference, so great, in every principle, thought, 
 word, and deed, that they can no longer be agreed, and 
 never are, until the other members are brought to sub- 
 mit to the same Lord. 
 
 " Thus saith the Lord : c Suppose ye that I am come 
 to send peace on the earth ; I tell you nay, but rather 
 division : for from henceforth there shall be five in one 
 house divided, three against two, and two against three ; 
 for the father shall be divided against the son, and the 
 son against the father ; and the mother against the 
 daughter, and the daughter against the mother; and the 
 mother-in-law against the daughter-in-law, and the 
 daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law ; and a man's 
 foes shall be they of his own household.' See Luke xii. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 193 
 
 51 — 53. and Matt. x. 34—39. wherein Jesus declares, 
 1 1 came to send a sivord? The division is occasioned 
 by the difference of the Lord and Master who is served 
 by each ; but the sword is occasioned by the hostility 
 of those who, rejecting Him whom the believer serves, 
 war against the believer also. The child of peace is for 
 peace, but the other is for war. And the Lord puts it 
 in the strongest possible position, in order to enforce 
 upon his disciples a preparation for this experience, and 
 a perception of the superior nature of their love to him 
 to all other considerations or relative natural connexions. 
 These passages both account for the division and justify 
 the effect. If the disciple walks faithfully, he is the 
 sufferer, and the others are the enemies and persecu- 
 tors. The sufferings which I have seen a child endure, 
 under these circumstances, are beyond the apprehension 
 of those who know not the trial. From day to day, and 
 hour to hour, they occur, and it is, as the Scripture calls 
 it, a cross, and that of no little suffering, combining 
 with the duty of honour, love, and obedience, still re- 
 maining due to the earthly parent, the supreme love, 
 honour, and obedience due, above all, to the Lord. 
 But this is a cross which must be borne ; for the Lord 
 has said, ' He that taketh not his cross and followeth 
 after me is not worthy of me? How all this might be 
 hushed into peace were they all of one mind in the 
 Lord ! But, it is the Lord alone " who maketh men to 
 be of one mind in a house !" 
 
 Mr. Conway. I believe it is so. 
 
 Au. We will not here pursue the subject ; for I be- 
 lieve we shall find, in the evening's conversation, suffi- 
 cient to elucidate this fact to our fullest satisfaction. 
 
 My friend went with me to the house, for the purpose 
 17 
 
194 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 of taking his dear girl home to her mother, with the pro- 
 mise of being with us in the evening, if permitted. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 United devotion in families. — The first family. — 
 History of Patriarchal families considered. 
 
 On my arrival at home I found a note from Mrs. As- 
 ton, to the following effect: — 
 
 " My dear friend — I have the pleasure to inform you 
 that Anna's indulgent father is returned home, and I am 
 exceedingly anxious that he should, if possible, be drawn 
 to consider the subjects on which we have of late been 
 engaged, with the serious attention they demand ; for I 
 am persuaded that, in order to acquire that ascendant 
 influence over our dear child which is essential to her 
 right instruction, it is quite necessary that both father 
 and mother should be of one mind. He has brought 
 the gold chain, and I have had some difficulty in dis- 
 suading him from showing it to Anna. Help us, my 
 dear friend, with counsel, that we may, though late, 
 learn, even yet, how ' to order the child.' 
 
 " Your's, gratefully, A. A.' 
 
 This note led me to reflect upon the method to be 
 adopted for the evening ; but after thinking how to 
 change my plan, I at last considered it better that it 
 should remain as was intended ; and that perhaps it 
 would be more likely to draw attention than one more 
 formal. 
 
 My party was scarcely assembled when a message 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 195 
 
 from Louisa called me out of the room: She was waiting 
 to speak to me, and said — 
 
 " Dear uncle, they have all sent me to solicit you to 
 be altogether with us this evening ; we have informed 
 them of the proposed subjects, and they seem exceed- 
 ingly eager to have as many of them as possible within 
 the time." 
 
 I promised to join them as soon as I could; and after 
 a little indifferent conversation, and the introduction of 
 Mr. Aston, I presented the petition of the juvenile guests. 
 
 Mr. Aston smiled, as if he thought himself introduced 
 to an uncommon kind of entertainment, and appeared 
 to feel it a kind of condescension : there were, however, 
 too many seniors, to keep him in countenance, to allow 
 him to think of excusing himself. 
 
 When we went into the room there was a universal 
 expression of pleasure, and they were in the act of greet- 
 ing old Thomas. I was pleased to see such an apparent 
 interest in our approaching engagement, and only beg- 
 ged to remind them, that though the subject might ap- 
 pear amusing, as little histories, these histories were of 
 most serious import, for God himself had recorded them 
 for our instruction. We will lose no time, and Louisa, 
 as the eldest, shall make the first choice of the subject. 
 
 Louisa. If you please, uncle, I would wish to name 
 what old Thomas was proposing just as you entered, 
 and which had not occurred to us. But he will tell you 
 of it himself. 
 
 Old Thomas. O, Miss, I'd rather you hadn't men- 
 tioned it ; but, like an old man, it was very natural that 
 I should begin with the oldest story — the two first chil- 
 dren in the world. 
 
 An. Cain and Abel ? 
 
196 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Old Thomas. No, Sir ; Adam and Eve ; they were 
 both, you know, the children of God in a particular way, 
 and they were created in perfect uprightness. 
 
 Au. Yes, certainly, Thomas, and in perfect maturi- 
 ty, so that they needed not to be trained up, if we may 
 so apply it, in the way they should go, for they were 
 prepared to go right. 
 
 Old Thomas. I have often thought, Sir, of them in 
 the way of children with God. "What a state they were 
 in ; their father the Holy Father ; and yet, when he had 
 made man upright, they found out many inventions, 
 and sinned against their Father and God. And so we 
 know, very well, that God hath visited the sins of the 
 fathers upon the children, from generation to generation. 
 
 Au. Thank you, Thomas, for placing this before us; 
 and let us apply the consideration a little to our purpose, 
 to show to us the power of temptation to lead astray 
 even these, the first earthly son and daughter. Had 
 they hearkened to the voice of their God and Father, 
 and resisted the voice of the tempter and destroyer, they 
 would have left the, inheritance of the blessing of God 
 upon the children of them that love him, instead of the 
 curse of them that hated him. You may remember, 
 my dear children, that one of the first lessons we had, 
 ran upon the words of our Lord — " If ye love me ye 
 will keep my words." And it is a certain indication of 
 an approaching fall when we suffer the word once com- 
 mitted to us to be taken away. Of the forbidden fruit, 
 God said to these, " In the day that thou eatest thereof, 
 thou shalt surely die." They did not keep this word, but 
 let Satan take it from them, by saying, " Thou shalt not 
 surely die." But how often do we find Satan taken in 
 his own snares ! God, their father, had a way prepared 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 197 
 
 by which, notwithstanding the curse, they might still 
 live. He banished them from the garden of Eden, 
 where grew the tree of life, the type of Jesus the Life of 
 men, lest they should take of the fruit , but he promised 
 and gave a sacrifice for sin, that through reconciliation 
 by blood man might live. Life is the gift of God. It 
 was first given to Adam. Adam forfeited life by sin, 
 and then he could not take it again : his presumptuous 
 hand could not redeem forfeited life ; a flaming sword, 
 in the hand of an angel, kept the tree of life from his 
 approach. Life must again be the gift of God in his 
 own way ; and Jesus is the life, as the gift of the Fa- 
 ther, and as laying down his life to redeem ours. John 
 xiv. 6. 
 
 " Now then," said George, " If you take my subject 
 next, I think it will fall in best with our instructions." 
 
 Au. What is it, George ? 
 
 George. The family of Adam and Eve. Gen. iv. 
 (He read the chapter to the 15th verse.) 
 
 Au. This is an affecting subject, my dear George, 
 because it brings so immediately into notice the sin of 
 the parent, and the sin of the child. 
 
 " Yes, uncle," George quickly said, as if to vindicate 
 his choice ; " but you know it shows us the remedy also, 
 for Abel brought the sacrifice." 
 
 Au. True, my dear George ; there is light and dark- 
 ness, sorrow and joy, death and life, sin and grace, to be 
 seen in Adam and Eve's family ; but do you see how 
 sin brought a division into the family, which otherwise 
 would have been all light and life, and joy and peace, 
 without a shade ? 
 
 George. Yes, I do, uncle. 
 
 Au. We have, however, a full testimony to the duties 
 17* 
 
198 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 fulfilled by Adam and Eve towards their family. They 
 had been the unhappy instruments of bringing in all 
 the evil, but they had. evidently taught their sons from 
 whence came all the good; It is quite plain they had 
 taught them that God is the giver of every good thing; 
 the fruits of the earth, and the peace-offering with hea- 
 ven ; for these lessons had been learnt by the children. 
 Cain, indeed, was satisfied with the earthly good, and 
 acknowledged it to be the gift of God by the offering 
 he brought. But Abel's soul was turned to reflect on the 
 sacrifice, and he brought a lamb, which showed that he 
 esteemed the heavenly good — the gift of Him who was 
 a Lamb, slain from before the foundation of the world. 
 There must have been a great difference between the 
 brothers, if, as is most probable, the grace of God was 
 early manifested in Abel. There had been no care, per- 
 haps, to Cain, until he had this proof either as to the 
 difference of the offering, or the difference of God's 
 acceptance of the offering. And when he saw the token 
 of life, through blood, exhibited to Abel, and of death 
 without blood, expressed by the Lord's refusal of his 
 own offering, then he was wroth, and, like Satan, who 
 was a murderer from the beginning, he sought the de- 
 struction of Abel. From the moment of this proof of 
 God's acceptance of Abel, there entered into Adam's 
 family, division, one of the most grievous consequences 
 of sin ; and brother was set against brother : and Cain's 
 countenance fell ; he brooded on deeds of darkness, and 
 his eye no longer lifted up itself to God. The Lord 
 looks into the secrets of families, and often thus re- 
 monstrates with him that hateth his brother: " Why art 
 thou wroth, and why is thy countenance fallen?" It ap- 
 pears as if the voice of the Lord had prevented, for a 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 199 
 
 time Cain's evil feelings from being brought to their aw- 
 ful developement ; but he walked not in the same way 
 with Abel — he brought no Lamb, no " firstling of a 
 flock, with the fat thereof;" he sought not peace by 
 blood ; he offered no sacrifice for sin; and at length it 
 came to pass, that Cain rose up against his brother and 
 slew him. 
 
 Do you remember a scripture that tells you the rea- 
 son why Cain slew his brother ? 
 
 George immediately gave the text, in 1 John iii. 12, 
 ".Because his own works were evil, and his brother's 
 righteous." 
 
 Au. It is a history which marks the nature of sin, 
 and its progress to its height, more fully, perhaps, than 
 any other. From, perhaps, an orderly life of formal at- 
 tentions, and from an acknowledgment of the Lord as 
 giver of earthly good, he grew to be a murderer and an 
 infidel ; his services being, in the first instance, those of 
 •a mere worldling, in the spirit of a Pharisee, and with- 
 out faith in the blood of sprinkling. It is plain, I think, 
 4hat this murder of Abel was with the idea of defeating 
 the Lord's purpose to bless him, not understanding the 
 difference between spiritual and natural life ; for when 
 God inquired, "Where is thy brother Abel?" he an- 
 swered, in the language of infidelity, " I know not ; am 
 I my brother's keeper ? " Thus he mocked Jehovah, 
 the keeper of his people ; and he received his righteous 
 sentence : — The earth in which he delighted was not to 
 yield its strength to him ; he was to be a fugitive and a 
 vagabond on the earth — for ever flying from vengeance — 
 for ever wandering without rest— and the terrors of death 
 instantly took hold on him ; for you see how he feared 
 to be slain. He neither sought nor asked that life 
 
200 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 which he believed not to be the gift of God. The Lord 
 protected him from the murderous hand of men, because 
 he seemed to desire it ; but he desired not to be pro- 
 tected from the death of sin. Oh, unhappy Adam and 
 Eve ! to see their sin visited on their children — to see 
 their instruction in the way of redemption thrown away 
 by their first-born son : but blessed again to see that by 
 the training of their children to look to the blood of the 
 Lamb, they might behold them rejoicing in salvation — 
 the Lord having respect to their offering. " By faith 
 Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than 
 Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was right- 
 eous, God testifying of his gifts ; and by it, he being 
 dead, yet speaketh." Heb. xi. 4. O, unhappy brother! 
 to be divided in spirit, and not able to walk with a be- 
 liever in peace. But blessed Abel, who chose the way 
 of life, and who was an example of the truth spoken by 
 the Lord — " He that will lose his life for my sake shall 
 find it." 
 
 Now, my dear children, let me take you a moment to 
 the commandment which was added because of trans- 
 gression. We see the law written in the heart of Abel ; 
 we see Cain without excuse, because the " eternal Power 
 and Godhead" were manifested to him, by " the things 
 which could be understood." To honour their father and 
 mother must have been an obvious and manifest duty 
 and law of God. They were peculiarly circumstanced 
 too, for they saw their parents, though in fallen nature, 
 yet as lords of the earth, creatures being subject to them, 
 and, of course, themselves put under them. Abel 
 proved that he honoured his father and mother, for he 
 " heard the instruction of his father, and forsook not the 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 201 
 
 law ol His mother ;" he served in faith the God and Sa- 
 viour of his father and mother. 
 
 Let us now ask Louisa for the character she has se- 
 lected. 
 
 Louisa said, "My intention was to have named Abra- 
 ham and his family; but, perhaps, uncle, you would 
 prefer to have them in more order ; and in that case, I 
 think Noah's family would come next." 
 
 Au. In tracing the genealogy of Noah, we find him 
 the tenth from Adam, and that, on account of the great 
 longevity of the first race, Adam was living above fifty 
 years after the birth of Lamech, the father of Noah. It 
 is an interesting consideration, because we see this 
 goodly company, cotemporaries, or all living during 
 some part of their lives at the same time. I mention 
 this cotemporaneous existence of the first fathers, to 
 show you how they must have been useful to each other 
 in handing down the instruction of Adam, and the 
 knowledge of the true worship of God, to Noah, who 
 therefore enjoyed peculiarly great privileges, and he was 
 the only one, at length, that was left in the earth, who 
 found grace in the eyes of the Lord ; and when the de- 
 structive flood came he was kept alive in the ark, which 
 God had commanded him to make. A godly father is 
 a great blessing to children. Noah was permitted, and 
 even commanded to take his children with him, his wife, 
 and three sons and their wives ; eight souls were saved 
 in the ark. By this they were all taught salvation by 
 Christ, but we see, after this preservation, the differ- 
 ent character of the sons, by their conduct to their fa- 
 ther ; two honoured him, Shem and Japhet ; but Ham 
 mocked him ; and though the fifth commandment was 
 not then given in form, yet it is evident that it was mani- 
 
202 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 fest to them, what was the law of God. A promise was 
 given to Shem and Japhet, on that very occasion of their 
 respect for their father, and the curse denounced on 
 Ham for his disrespect. It speaks as plainly as though 
 it were written, " Honour thy father and thy mother, 
 that thy days may be long in the land, that thou mayest 
 live, and that it maybe well with thee;" and, " He that 
 curseth father or mother, let him be put to death." 
 There was a division made in Noah's family; Shem and 
 Japhet, the progenitors of the Jewish and Gentile Church, 
 were blessed with the blessings of the covenant, but 
 Ham was cursed, and the curse was denounced on his 
 son Canaan. Here, again, my dear children, you see 
 how the interests of parents and children are interwoven; 
 another strong example to us that parents should seek 
 to communicate right instruction, and that children 
 should beware how they despise their instruction, or 
 mock or deride their parents. 
 
 After this history of Noah and his sons, do you ob- 
 serve what a state the whole earth was in ? The infideli- 
 ty which had grown up amongst men ? That instead of 
 seeking salvation in the Lamb, and cleaving to God, 
 they thought to save themselves by a high tower, and 
 to defy the vengeance of God against sin ! But we read 
 of Shem again, and of his sons, generation after genera- 
 tion, from amongst whom we find Abraham born ; but 
 even these had become corrupt, and had forgotten God, 
 and were idolaters in the earth. And yet God forgets 
 not his Promise to them. Shem's posterity shall be 
 saved ; and therefore was pleased to called Abraham. 
 
 Do you remember, Louisa, where we are told of the 
 state of idolatry into which even the descendants of 
 Shem had fallen ? 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 203 
 
 Louisa. Yes, in Joshua xxiv. 2, " Thus saith the 
 Lord God, your fathers dwelt on the other side of the 
 flood in old time, even Terah the father of Abraham, 
 and the father of Nahor ; and they served other gods." 
 
 Au. No wonder that when the Lord took Abraham, 
 he should say, " Get thee out from thy country, and 
 from thy kindred, and from thy father's house." When 
 God calls his children, he commands them to come out 
 and be separate. This is the trial of love to God, 
 " Whosoever loveth father or mother more than me, is 
 not worthy of me." Here again was a division in a fa- 
 mily, but it is generally supposed that Terah, assenting 
 to the call of his son, accompanied him out of Ur, to go 
 with him'unto Haran ; and if so, we find the blessing of 
 a son to a father : Abraham acquainting him with the 
 call of God, and his determination to obey ; in doing 
 which they forsook the gods of the nations, and became 
 the servants of the one only true God. This is a beau- 
 tiful example ; for in most cases of this kind, when a 
 child leaves the gods of his father, and turns unto the 
 Lord, the father becomes the hater and persecutor of 
 his child. It also shows that when a child is called of 
 God he should avow it, and should openly declare the 
 persuasion of his heart to follow the Lord. This open- 
 ness prepares the way for peace, when the motives and 
 the power of the claims are understood ; and in all in- 
 stances, the child's conduct is more likely to be viewed 
 in a right light, when there is this upright candour, and 
 confession of the Lord. Besides which, it may be that 
 by the grace of Him to whom all things are possible, 
 the parent may be persuaded to cast his idols to the 
 moles and to the bats, and with his child to turn to the 
 Lord. I may assume this, perhaps, as a proof that 
 
204 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Abraham honoured his father ; but at least we have full 
 proof that he honoured his heavenly Father, for he 
 obeyed his voice, as we see also in Heb. xi. 8. The won- 
 derful history of Abraham is in every part deeply in- 
 teresting, but as we have chiefly the intention of draw- 
 ing such instruction from these characters as relates to 
 the conduct of children to parents, we must pass over 
 much ; only bearing in mind how he was leaning by 
 faith on God. The great proof, for our purpose, we 
 derive from that trial of Abraham, when commanded to 
 take his son whom he loved, and to offer him up to God 
 as a burnt-offering. His obedience to this solemn and 
 affecting call, proved the reality of his faith, for as he 
 had not loved his father more than God, so did he not 
 love his son more than God. He was sustained by faith 
 in the promise, and counted that God was able to raise 
 up Isaac from the dead. Heb. xi. And we may perceive 
 how he taught his son Isaac, and how Isaac embraced 
 the faith of his father, whilst he obeyed his voice ; for 
 though the answer to Isaac's question, " My father, be- 
 hold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb?" 
 appeared ambiguous — "My son, God will provide him- 
 self a lamb for a burnt-offering" — yet they went on to- 
 gether. And when Abraham had built an altar, and laid 
 the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid 
 him on the altar, would he not know that he himself was 
 to be the burnt-offering ? But he made no resistance to 
 the act of his father, because it appeared to be the will 
 of God ; no, not when Abraham stretched forth his hand 
 and took the knife to slay his son ! My dear children, 
 there is but one history that exceeds this. It is the most 
 certain token of the true fellowship of Abraham and his 
 son Isaac, in entire and full devotion to the Lord their 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 205 
 
 God. Did not Isaac honour his father? They doubtless 
 both relied on the promise, but it appears that they had 
 no idea they should receive it through disobedience to 
 God. Great as was the trial, they believed that obedi- 
 ence to the utmost must be rendered to God, and that 
 he would not fail in his promise, which must be immu- 
 table. Blessed Isaac, who had such a father ! and bless- 
 ed Abraham, who had such a son ! They went both of 
 them together, as it is affectingly described, in the path 
 of trial, in the act of obedience, and in the dependance 
 of faith. Here was no division; the God and Father 
 of Abraham was the God and Father of Isaac, and they 
 both served him in faith, reminding us of the text in 2 
 Cor. xiii. 11, "Be of one mind, live in peace, and the 
 God of love and peace shall be with you." 
 
 " Oli ! I thank you, uncle, for showing us the faith and 
 obedience of Isaac," said Louisa, with tears of sacred 
 feeling dropping on her cheeks. 
 
 An. My dear Louisa, you will recollect that this 
 transaction was a type of that still higher act performed 
 for our redemption; and as it was so, I believe that 
 Isaac's will was given up to that of his father, in a 
 measure of that spirit, which said, "Not my will, but 
 thine be done," — so entirely, that the act of the two was 
 as the act of one. This shows us with what confidence 
 children may yield obedience to the will of a parent, 
 who loves and believes the Lord, and that however try- 
 ing, in appearance, the thing which is ordered maybe, 
 it will end in enlarged blessings. God will provide him- 
 self a lamb, and we shall be delivered. 
 
 " But," said George, " you know, uncle, Abraham had 
 another son, Ishmael." 
 
 An. I do, George, and it will be useful to show how, 
 18 
 
206 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 through that son, there was division in the house of 
 Abraham, until he was cast out according to God's com- 
 mand ; for there were particular purposes in God's pro- 
 vidences, in the banishment of Ishmael ; and Abraham's 
 obedience had passed through that trial also, of casting 
 him forth, according to God's word ; receiving at the 
 same time promises for him of a temporal nature. You 
 see always what is the cause of division. " He that is 
 born after the flesh, persecuteth him that is bom after 
 the spirit," Gal. iv. 29. " And Tshmael mocked Isaac," 
 Gen. xxi. 9. Take it as a warning, my dear young 
 friends ; it is not impossible that among you, one of 
 a family may be turned to the Lord, and another 
 may be tempted to persecute, and be an Ishmael or a 
 Cain. Beware of such a feeling, and remember that it 
 is a dishonour done to God, and to him who is the father 
 of you both. 
 
 " Will you be so kind, uncle," said Charles, " as to go 
 on with the descendants of Abraham, and show us how 
 Isaac and Jacob lived together ; for I am sometimes sur- 
 prised at that history, seeing what a beautiful character 
 Isaac's is." 
 
 Au. The spirit of Isaac seems to have been one of 
 peculiar filial piety. His sorrow for his mother's death, 
 which is intimated, and his entire submission of himself 
 to the direction of his father, even in the selection of a 
 wife, are full evidences of his honour of his father and 
 mother. But human nature is not perfect even in its 
 state of grace, and we lament to see in such a character, 
 a kind of indulgence of appetite which became a snare 
 to him, to his wife, and to his sons. There was a divi- 
 sion in Isaac's family. He had two sons, Esau and Ja- 
 cob. Jacob was the child in whom the promise was 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 207 
 
 vested, and who highly regarded that promise. Esau 
 was not a child of God. But Isaac seems not sufficient- 
 ly to have remarked this difference. Esau made savoury 
 meat, such as Isaac loved ; and Isaac, regardless of the 
 declarations which God had solemnly made, that Jacob 
 was the chosen child, had intended to give the blessing 
 to Esau, though Esau had despised his birthright and 
 sold it for a mess of pottage. Appetite had assimi- 
 lated Isaac and his son Esau together, who were other- 
 wise so opposite ; but Jacob was the favourite of the 
 mother. Esau administered to his father's appetite, but 
 did not honour either father or mother. The blessing 
 was to be administered after having eaten of the savoury 
 meat, and Esau was despatched to take the venison and 
 prepare it. The eagerness of Rebekah to obtain and 
 secure the blessing for her favourite son, induced her to 
 form a deceptive scheme to obtain by subtlety that which 
 God had promised. How unlike was all this to the 
 faith of Abraham ! Jacob feared to enter into his mo- 
 ther's plan, lest, being discovered, he should bring a curse 
 upon himself, and not a blessing ; but he forgot the great 
 observer, the Lord of the blessing ! He brought the kids 
 to his mother ; she made the savoury meat, such as his 
 father loved ; he submitted to be covered with the skins, 
 and went in to his father with a lie. He availed himself 
 of his infirmities of body, blindness, and natural appe- 
 tite ; he obeyed his mother in that in which he ought 
 not to have obeyed, and he did not honour his father ; 
 he coveted the blessing, but without seeking it in the 
 way of uprightness, and in the waiting of faith. We 
 might be ready to exclaim, " Can this family be the de- 
 scendants of faithful Abraham?" Yes; but they are de- 
 scendants; too, of fallen Adam ! Isaac blessed Jacob with 
 
208 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 all the blessing that God had designed, and which he 
 had inspired him to utter, though he thought he was 
 putting them on Esau's head. When the discovery was 
 made by Esau's return, the bonds of the family were 
 broken up : Esau determined to take the life of his bro- 
 ther, and Jacob was obliged to flee for safety. It is an 
 instructive history, teaching us the necessity of union 
 in the Lord, and the dangerous effects of yielding to 
 any inordinate inclination of the appetite. Who would 
 think, on the first creeping inclination, that a mess of 
 pottage, or a dish of savoury meat, could become the 
 hindrance to spiritual blessings, and the means of mani- 
 festing forgetfulness of God's will ? The two sons erred 
 in their concession to their parents, in the things they 
 desired them to do contrary to God's will, and they 
 ought to have known how to have respectfully declined 
 the fulfilling of their desires; they would thus have 
 shown true honour of their parents, by showing them 
 the evil, and saving them from the distresses which en- 
 sued. Do you wish, Charles, to follow Jacob, and look 
 to the state of his family when he became a father ? 
 
 Charles. I think it would be improving to us, be- 
 cause we see the truth of that which you have taught us 
 from the Word of God, that the state of the parent has 
 a great effect upon the children, according to what is de- 
 clared in the second commandment ; — but I know what 
 a painful picture Jacob's family will give. 
 
 Au. It does, indeed, but still there is light in the dark- 
 ness. We first behold Jacob, after his deception of his 
 father, and his yielding to the temptation offered by his 
 mother, a fugitive from his father's house, seeking his 
 repose in the open air, and resting his head on a stone. 
 The Lord chasteneth for sin, but in the midst of anger 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 209 
 
 he remembereth mercy ; and though he was now lead- 
 ing him into scenes of trouble and trial, that he might 
 see what was in his heart, he graciously vouchsafed to 
 instruct him by a vision, and to teach him on whom to 
 depend, and to whom to look. Jacob had earnestly and 
 sincerely desired the blessing of God, and to possess the 
 promise; in so much it was well, had he not sought to 
 obtain it by wicked means, like unto those who say, 
 " Let us do evil that good may come." His respect unto 
 the promise was acknowledged by the Lord, when he 
 in mercy renewed it to him, though his presumptuous 
 scheme for seizing upon it was punished by the chas- 
 tisements which followed. And all the miseries which 
 came upon him through the sins of his children, had 
 their origin in his own sin ; for he was deceived, and his 
 children became his scourgers. His favourite son, 
 Joseph, was hated by his brethren, and they brought 
 affliction after affliction upon their father, in various in- 
 stances, proving how little they honoured him, and how 
 they preferred their own ways ; having wickedly robbed 
 their father of his beloved Joseph, and sold him into 
 Egypt as a bond-servant, they deceived him by his rai- 
 ment. In short, the conduct of all the children of Ja- 
 cob, except Joseph and Benjamin, was rebellious, cruel, 
 and&ungodly ; and in no case do we see greater deve- 
 lopement of sin than was exhibited in this family. He 
 was overpowered by their rebellion and strife, and his 
 grey hairs were nearly brought down in sorrow to the 
 grave. But God reserved comfort for him in the won- 
 derful providences attendant on Joseph, and, before his 
 death, reconciled the family, placing them all under the 
 protection of the brother whom they had hated. When 
 they began to feel their sins, and to confess them, the 
 18* 
 
210 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Lord gave forth his token that he forgave them ; and 
 then Jacob, in the fulness of his grateful heart, could 
 call the Lord " the Angel who had redeemed him from 
 all evil," and seek nothing better for Joseph's children 
 than that He should " bless the lads." 
 
 The history of Joseph is a striking illustration of the 
 three duties due to parents; for he honoured, loved, and 
 succoured his father. 
 
 I cannot, my dear Charles, go through the particulars 
 of this history ; we have not time But what I desire is, 
 to direct the minds of you, children, to such a discrimi- 
 nation of character and of the consequences of sin, that 
 you may be able to discern the precise duties belonging 
 to the fifth commandment, and be taught to seek grace 
 to avoid the sins of undutiful and ungodly children ; by 
 which grace alone you can truly honour your parents, 
 or hope for the promise. 
 
 Old Thomas here remarked. " I think, Sir, it is very 
 affecting to look into another family, which is David's. 
 It is very like to Jacob's ; he had many sons, but except 
 one, Solomon, they all went their own way, and brought 
 shame and suffering on their father. I know this was 
 the mode in which God, in just judgment, punished Da- 
 vid for his dreadful sin, but that does not make the 
 wickedness of the sons less. How well nigh had Absa- 
 lom broken his father's heart ! He was an open rebel, 
 and wanted to take his father's crown and his life too. 
 
 Au. It is indeed affecting to think that two such 
 men should have been so visited for sin, and may our 
 dear children lay these things to heart. How many 
 more instances we have in Scripture, by which to learn 
 the same truths. But I fear to tire you, dear children, 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 211 
 
 and we had, perhaps, better defer them to our next 
 meeting - . 
 
 Mary looked me in the face, and said, " You have not 
 had mine yet, and I think we should all like it." 
 
 Au. Let me know, Mary, what your selection is. 
 
 Mary. It is the family of Moses. I don't mean his 
 children, but Moses himself, and his brother and sister. 
 I think there must have been something very beautiful 
 in that family. 
 
 Au. It is a very interesting selection, my dear Mary, 
 and shows, to us, perhaps, the most perfect picture of 
 union we can have in this life, because both father and 
 mother appear so devoted to God, and to have been so 
 humbly trusting to the Lord. In the second chapter 
 of Exodus we read, that when the mother saw that Mo- 
 ses was a goodly child, she hid him three months, to 
 conceal him from the executioners of Pharaoh's cruel 
 law, to kill all the male children of the people of Israel. 
 And when she could conceal him no longer, she made a 
 little ark of bulrushes, and laid him by the river's brink, 
 setting his sister Miriam to watch what should become 
 of him. In this act she committed him to God j and the 
 father was of the same mind : for it is said, in Heb. xi. 
 23, " By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hid three 
 months by his parents, because they saw he was a pro- 
 per child, and they were not afraid of the king's com- 
 mandment." I mention the parents with a view to show 
 you that they loved the Lord. The extraordinary pro- 
 vidence of the Lord separated this family, Moses being 
 taken by Pharaoh's daughter; but, in process of time, 
 the children were reunited, when of mature age, and 
 prepared j&or God's purpose : and it is indeed beautiful to 
 gee Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam, all serving the Lord 
 
212 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 in such eminent stations. During which appointment 
 we see their graces eminent, but their sins also discover- 
 ed ; for there is none good but one, that is God. Of 
 their conduct as children, however, we have no infor- 
 mation, except that of the watchful, ready obedience of 
 Miriam, when obeying her mother's charge, to watch 
 what would become of the infant Moses, and which she 
 was permitted so successfully to manage. But as bro- 
 thers and sister, they are a sweet and instructive ex- 
 ample. 
 
 " There are three others something like them in the 
 New Testament," said old Thomas ; :; Lazarus, Martha, 
 and Mary. It is beautiful to see how they loved each 
 other, and all loved the Lord Jesus ; and you know it 
 is written, ' Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and La- 
 zarus.' John xi. 5. Sir, we have seen, in the other his- 
 tories, sad divisions for want of being of one mind in 
 the Lord ; but in these two sisters, and their brother, 
 we see what a strong bond of union the believing in 
 Jesus forms." 
 
 Though I had not appeared to notice Isabella much, 
 I had observed her daily; she had taken her seat, with 
 her brother William near her, close by Mary. She often 
 met my eye whilst I was speaking, with a grave and at- 
 tentive countenance, and frequently looked into her 
 young brother's face when anything seemed suitable to 
 their case. She bent one of these intelligent glances 
 towards him now, called forth by the allusion to the 
 affection of brothers and sisters ; and it led me to ad- 
 dress her. 
 
 An. Isabella, I think that the honour of a parent 
 may be powerfully expressed by children, in their love 
 to each other. It is one of the proofs our Lord requires 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 213 
 
 of our love to him, that we love our brother also : " This 
 is my commandment, that ye love one another." What 
 does St. John say of those who say they love God, and 
 yet hate their brother? "If any man say, I love God, 
 and hateth his brother, he is a liar." 1 John iv. 20. And 
 in the 21st verse, he adds, " And this commandment we 
 have from Him, that he who loveth God, love his bro- 
 ther also. And you know we have borne in mind the 
 analogy there is between our duty to the Lord and our 
 duty to parents. There are so many histories I should 
 like to bring before you on this subject, had we the com- 
 mand of time, that I feel sorry to shorten the considera- 
 tion of them. I think, however, that we might ask Isa- 
 bella to choose one history before we close the evening. 
 
 She coloured, and looked much confused at being so 
 unexpectedly called upon, and, instead of speaking to 
 me, spoke something in a low voice to Mary : — 
 
 Mary. Isabella wishes me to speak for her. 
 
 Au. Do, then, Mary. 
 
 Mary. She wishes for the history of Ruth and 
 Naomi. 
 
 I was struck with the selection made by her, so suita- 
 ble to her natural temper ; and smiling, said — 
 
 " Certainly, my dear Isabella ; it is an instance not to 
 be passed over, for it is one of peculiar interest, and a 
 great evidence of the power of filial love and duty. I 
 have an idea that a great part of the interest you feel in 
 it is, perhaps, drawn from the first description of them. 
 Ruth loved her mother, and expressed her love by her 
 actions. It is a touching picture which the description 
 of Naomi represents. The widow of Naomi having de- 
 termined to return from Moab to her own country, her 
 two daughters-in-law, whose husbands were dead, re- 
 
214 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 solved to accompany her. We must remember, that 
 these daughters-in-law were of the people of Moab. and, 
 of course, had been brought up idolaters. But Naomi 
 was a Jewess, and had been brought up to worship the 
 Lord God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. She had, 
 with her husband, left her own country because of a fa- 
 mine ; but when she heard that the Lord had visited 
 his people in giving them bread, she resolved to return 
 tc the land of Judah. While she and her daughters-in- 
 law were on the way, Naomi addressed them ; probably 
 reflecting how unlikely they would be to be happy, and 
 how unsuitable it would be for them to dwell among a 
 people who served the Lord, while they themselves 
 were serving the false gods of Moab. Therefore Naomi 
 said to her two daughters-in-law, ' Go, return each to 
 her mother's house ; the Lord deal kindly with you as 
 ye have dealt with the dead, and with me: the Lord 
 grant that ye may find rest each of you.' Then she 
 kissed them, and they lifted up their voice and wept ; 
 and they said unto her, ' Surely we will return with 
 thee unto thy people.' And she said, ' Turn again, my 
 daughters; why will ye go with me? Turn again, my 
 daughters, go your way ; for it grieveth me much for 
 your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out 
 against me. And they lifted up their voice, and wept 
 again : and Orpha kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth 
 clave unto her.' And she said, ' Behold thy sister-in-law 
 is gone back to her people, and unto her gods : return 
 thou after thy sister-in-law.' Ruth said, ' Entreat me 
 not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: 
 for whither thou goest, I will go ; and where thou lodg- 
 est, I will lodge : thy people shall be my people, and 
 thy God my God. Where thou diest, I will die, and 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 215 
 
 there will I be buried : the Lord do so to me, and more 
 also, if aught but death part thee and me.' And when 
 Naomi saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with 
 her, then she left speaking to her. And they two went 
 until they came to Bethlehem. 
 
 " Now, my dear Isabella, tell me if you do not see a 
 very distinct principle of attachment in these two daugh- 
 ters-in-law to their mother. Orpha had a love for Nao- 
 mi, or she would not have set out to accompany her. 
 She wept as well as Ruth ; and she as well as Ruth said, 
 1 Surely we will return with thee to thy people.' But 
 when Naomi continued to entreat them to return, though 
 she wept again, yet she kissed her mother-in-law and 
 left her. Her love was nothing more than natural love ; 
 and she was easily persuaded to return to Moab : and 
 Naomi saw what she really preferred, her own people, 
 and her own gods. There was no principle of union 
 between them ; a few tears and a kiss were the tribute 
 for a moment, and they easily parted. In Ruth we see 
 a different character ; her love for Naomi was one of 
 principle and reflection. She said no more, but whilst 
 Orpah departed, she clave unto Naomi, besides taking 
 up an appropriation of the people and the God of Na- 
 omi to be her God and her people. She further ex- 
 tended her view to the last moment of life, intimating 
 that even after the death of Naomi she would remain 
 amongst her people, and in the service of her God. 
 1 Where thou diest, I will die, and there will I be buried ;' 
 and then, referring herself to the Lord, declared, that 
 nothing but death should part them. These arguments 
 are beyond mere natural love; they showed her soul 
 fixed on Naomi's God, and her mind steadfastly pur- 
 posed. Naomi knew how to appreciate these principles 
 
216 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 of attachment, and the union was established in the 
 Lord. O that every daughter, and every daughter-in- 
 law, and every son, could so cleave unto their parents 
 in the indissoluble bonds of the love of God. 
 
 " We will make a reflection here. It is evident that 
 Naomi had not left her daughters-in-law ignorant of the 
 great difference between them in the important point 
 of religion ; that she had instructed them in the differ- 
 ence of her people and the Moabites, and the difference 
 of the worship of the one only true God, and that idola- 
 try which enslaved the Moabites. She had not only 
 taught them, but had won their esteem ; and she had, 
 doubtless, glorified her Lord and God by the good 
 works she had been able to show to them. This was 
 the mother's duty ! The effect on both was great: even 
 Orpah's mind seemed affected and attracted ; but it was 
 not the effectual work of a gracious conviction. But 
 Ruth's soul was turned to Naomi's God, and the con- 
 version of her heart and mind were fully evinced. You 
 observe, therefore, my dear Isabella, that natural love 
 is a slight and transitory thing, liable to change ; but 
 spiritual love is deep, strong, and lasting, because its 
 foundation is sure : its origin is in God, and its princi- 
 ples vital. Ruth, then, honoured her mother, and the 
 Promise was with her." 
 
 Isabella fixed her eyes on me with a grateful look of 
 affection, and evidently applied the lesson afforded her 
 from her own selection. 
 
 Au. I think we ought to ask our little Jane for a 
 character ; and I think I will tell her of one quite suita- 
 ble to the privilege she enjoys. It is that of Timothy — 
 2 Tim. i. 5. — who was trained up by his grandmother, 
 Lois, and mother, Eunice. You see, Jane, the faith that 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 217 
 
 dwelt firstin thy grandfather ', and then in thy father ; 
 and I think we may add, " we are persuaded in thee 
 also." But remember the exhortation of St. Paul to 
 Timothy: " Stir up the gift of God which is in thee: 
 hold fast the form of sound words, in faith and love 
 which is in Christ Jesus." And happy for you, my 
 dear girl, that you may "obey your parents in all 
 things in the Lord." 
 
 This little application to Jane gave pleasure to all ; 
 and the old man raising his trembling hand laid it on 
 her head, repeating Jacob's words : " The Angel that re- 
 deemed me from all evil, bless my child 1" And soon 
 after this we all parted for the evening. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Note to the teacher. — Necessary separation between 
 pious and irreligious persons. — Religion in busi- 
 ness. — Duty to parents and God. — Visit to the 
 School. — Influence of religious education. 
 
 The next morning I acquainted my sister with the 
 great desire I felt to obtain, if possible, an interview with 
 the young lady, the teacher already mentioned, for the 
 purpose of making some inquiries relative to her expe- 
 rience of the effect of religious instruction on the con- 
 duct of children towards their parents ; and asked if she 
 thought she could in any proper way accomplish it. 
 
 This question seemed to excite much interest among 
 our young people, who all seemed particularly anxious 
 to see her. 
 
 19 
 
218 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 After a moment's consideration, my sister said, " I 
 think, that in all such cases, where the purpose is so 
 distinctly to obtain a spiritual benefit, it is best to make 
 a direct application to the persons concerned, stating the 
 reason ; and it is not probable that any difficulty would 
 be thrown in the way. This prevents any undue liber- 
 ty, and any intrusion at a time when visiters might not 
 be acceptable. If you like, I will write a note to the 
 young lady, and Louisa shall be the bearer of it." 
 
 Louisa sprung from her chair with delight, and 
 Charles said — 
 
 "You will think it right, my dear mother, that I 
 should accompany my sister?" 
 
 " Not on the present occasion, my dear Charles." she 
 said ; " I will order my maid to attend your sister, as I 
 would wish to avoid every appearance of improper in- 
 trusion : and Louisa, my dear, you had better send in the 
 note, and say you will wait the answer at the door of 
 the school-room ; and even if you are invited in, I 
 should recommend that you politely decline accepting 
 the invitation." 
 
 The note was soon written, in the following terms : — 
 
 "My dear Madam — Though an entire stranger, I take 
 the liberty of requesting the favour of an hour's con- 
 versation on the subject of the religious instruction you 
 afford to so many young people, being desirous to reap 
 the advantage of your experience in this interesting en- 
 gagement. I would beg also to be permitted to intro- 
 duce my own children, and to ask at the same time if 
 you would allow my brother to accompany me, who is 
 at present prosecuting an inquiry on one branch of 
 Christian duty in particular, in which he conceives it 
 most probable that he might be considerably aided by the 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 219 
 
 observations you might be able kindly to communicate. 
 With much esteem, I beg to subscribe myself, 
 
 " Very sincerely, your's, 
 
 " L. Forbes." 
 
 Mrs. Fi You shall lose no time, my dear Louisa, 
 and if you can obtain an answer, we shall perhaps be 
 able to gratify your uncle and ourselves to-day. 
 
 Louisa was soon on her way, leaving us seated at the 
 table, conversing on such subjects as were presented 
 to us. 
 
 Charles began, by saying, "There are a great many 
 characters in the Scripture, uncle, from which we may 
 derive great instruction respecting the conduct of chil- 
 dren to parents, besides those we did consider yesterday 
 evening." 
 
 Au. Yes, Charles ; I might have applied St. Paul's 
 words : " But what shall I more say, for the time would 
 fail me to tell of Hophni, and Phineas, and Gideon, and 
 Micah, and Samson, and Jonathan, and Herodias." 
 
 " Oh, uncle ! " exclaimed George, who, whilst he lis- 
 tened, had nodded his head to each of the names as they 
 were mentioned ; " what a mixture of bad and good !" 
 
 Au. Yes, George, it is a mixture of light and dark- 
 ness ; only you will remember that they have no fel- 
 lowship with each other. 
 
 George. No ; it is division : it reminds me that God, 
 from the first, divided the light from the darkness, "and 
 God called the light, Day ; and the darkness he called 
 Night." 
 
 Au. That is a good lesson for us, George ; let us ap- 
 ply it to our hearts, and remember how, in their natural 
 state, they are darkness and sin ; and if the Lord gives 
 
220 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 us light, we must see that it divides from, the darkness. 
 We may be given up to darkness, or we may be illu- 
 minated with the light of life. " If thine eye be evil," 
 the Lord says, " thy whole body shall be full of dark- 
 ness ; but if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall 
 be full of light." LuJce xi. 34. And so St. Paul, address- 
 ing the Thessalonians, says, " Ye are all the children of 
 the light, and the children of the day ; we are not of the 
 night, nor of darkness." 1 Thess. v. 5. 
 
 With this idea, my sister said, " How beautifully does 
 it refer us to Jesus, who is called the Day-Star, the Day- 
 spring: 'He is the Light that lighteth every man.'" 
 
 As it would be some time before Louisa could return, 
 we agreed to separate ; and I went out to call on my 
 friend, Mr. Conway, who immediately commenced a 
 conversation on the subject of the divisions in families, 
 and said — 
 
 " I should much like to go with you to talk to a fami- 
 ly in my neighbourhoood, with the view of ascertaining 
 what is the real reason of the unhappiness there, and 
 which is the blameable party, the father or the son. The 
 complaints of the father are bitter, and I have always 
 thought it impossible that a father could feel so severely 
 against his son without some strong provocation. 
 
 Au. I have an hour or two at my disposal this morn- 
 ing, and I will with pleasure accompany you • perhaps, 
 too, we may be so happy as to be peace-makers. 
 
 Mr. C. I begin to suspect the difference is on account 
 of religion. 
 
 Au. If so, the office we would desire to fulfil will 
 prove very difficult, if not impossible ; for they have, in 
 that case, two such opposite springs of thought, word, 
 and deed, that they must for ever dissent from each 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 221 
 
 other. Nature possesses the carnal mind only, and 
 grace receives a spiritual mind ; all the movements of the 
 heart, all the motives of action, all the ends in view, are 
 " diverse one from the other ;" and they are irreconcila- 
 ble one to the other. The natural mind may have ami- 
 able intentions and feelings ; but being only natural, it 
 cannot discern or understand the principles of the gra- 
 cious mind ; therefore they are continually mistaken, 
 and wrong motives ascribed to them. These are two 
 unbending principles, nor can congeniality be produced 
 but by the overpowering grace of God, operating upon 
 the heart of the unconverted, and letting in that light 
 upon the soul which can enable it to discern spiritual 
 things. No wonder, then, that where this difference ex- 
 ists, there should be division. But there is often a la 
 mentable and needless aggravation of this evil from the 
 want of wise conduct on both sides. 
 
 " Here is the house," said my friend ; " the father is a 
 respectable kind of a man, and engaged in a little trade, 
 by which he makes a decent provision for his family. 
 We will go in and make some purchase." 
 
 Though the civility of the tradesman naturally threw 
 an expression of pleasure on his face, there was an evi- 
 dent care on the brow, which, in the intervals of recom- 
 mending his goods, seemed the predominant aspect. 
 
 " How is your son ?" inquired my friend. 
 
 Tradesman. Well, I thank you, Sir. 
 
 Mr. C. Is his conduct more pleasing to you of late? 
 
 Tradesman. I cannot say, Sir ; I have this morning 
 been exceedingly grieved with him. 
 
 Mr. C. May I ask the cause ? 
 
 Tradesman. It is very vexatious to a father, when 
 he wants to promote the interest of his son, to be always 
 19* 
 
222 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 thwarted by perverse, refractory ways ; and he is of 
 such an obstinate nature, there is no bending him when 
 once his mind is made up ; for this reason, I have tried 
 what I can do by stratagem to get my own way, but he 
 inspects particulars so minutely that I cannot succeed. 
 
 Mr. C. What is the present disappointment ? 
 
 Tradesman. It is this, Sir : A few days since I had 
 an offer from a gentleman in a great way of trade, to 
 take my son into his counting-house : he had seen him 
 and thought he was a promising youth. Now, Sir, you 
 may be sure that, as it was natural for a father, I was 
 rejoiced at such a prospect ; it would have been the 
 making of him, and set him on his legs at once. He 
 himself seemed pleased at first, but then he began to in- 
 quire into the nature of the business, and the charac- 
 ter of the gentleman ; and when he found it to be one 
 said to be not very honourable, and that the gentleman 
 himself did not worship God in his way, he said he 
 could not consent : and I have been hard at work these 
 three days to endeavour to overcome his prejudices. 
 
 At that moment some other person came into the shop, 
 and the man ringing a little bell, it was answered by the 
 appearance of a youth about eighteen years old, to whom 
 he gave a signal to go to the other counter, and attend 
 to the customer. He went, and in a quiet way supplied 
 their demands. 
 
 Tradesman. That's my son, Sir; he's a promising 
 looking youth : it's a thousand pities he's so self-willed. 
 And you see, Sir, (he continued,) he has no spirit in 
 business. He will not, all I can do, learn to commend 
 the goods, and endeavour to persuade people to buy. I 
 believe he lets many a customer slip away ; and yet, as 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 223 
 
 I tell him, it's all to his own disadvantage, for the less J 
 make, the less heHl get. 
 
 As the customers were soon supplied, I went to the 
 other side to enter into a little conversation with the 
 youth. He had the appearance of great unhappiness, 
 but there was a calmness in his countenance which gave 
 a peculiar interest to it. 
 
 Au. Are you bringing up to your father's business? 
 
 Yng. M. I can hardly say, Sir ; I am naturally help- 
 ing my father, but I don't think he means me for this 
 kind of business. 
 
 Au. What are his intentions for you ? 
 
 Yng. M. I believe he wishes to put me in a way more 
 likely to advance my temporal interest. 
 
 Au. But sometimes when we look to the temporal, 
 we forget the spiritual interests. Do you wish to com- 
 bine the two ? 
 
 Yng. M It is on this point, Sir, my father and I have 
 some little difference ; for whatever becomes of the tem- 
 poral, I hope never to forget the spiritual interest. Like 
 a kind father, who believes all the good that can be de- 
 sirable is to be obtained through temporal prosperity, he 
 naturally fixes his mind on that only. He means it for 
 my good, I know, Sir, and that makes it harder to seem 
 to reject his kindness. 
 
 My friend, seeing me enter into conversation with the 
 youth, contrived to draw the father with him over to my 
 side of the shop ; and I instantly took the advantage, by 
 saying to him, " I am talking to your son, about his fu- 
 ture prospects." 
 
 "Ah, Sir!" he said, with a severe tone, "that's a 
 matter we are at variance about. I have had three good 
 opportunities for him, but he has refused them all : and 
 
224 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 if he wants to hang on with me in an idle way, he's 
 mistaken." 
 
 " Dear father," said the young man, u only provide 
 me an honest way of getting my livelihood, where I can 
 serve God and my master, and you shall see I want no 
 idleness." 
 
 Tradesman. It's such a stupid way of talking he's 
 got, as if he could not serve his master, as his master, 
 and, surely, he can serve God like other people. He 
 may say his prayers night and morning, and there's 
 Sunday for church-going, as if he couldn't take care of 
 his soul like other people ; but (taking up a bit of paper, 
 twisting it hard, and throwing it down again on the 
 counter, with an expression of violence) / know who I 
 have to thank for this turn. 
 
 The young man's face, before calm, now flushed as 
 though a feeling had been touched too acute to be kept 
 in its full restraint ; his mouth half opened to reply, but 
 he closed it again without a word. 
 
 " I fairly tell you, then," the father continued, " that 
 if you persist in refusing to accept this offer, you may 
 turn out and shift for yourself." 
 
 Yng. M. Father, I own I should feel it hard, but I can 
 submit to that in obedience to your will, though I can- 
 not, I must not, submit to the other condition. Oh ! 
 Sir ! (he said, appealing to me in an accent of heart-rent 
 distress,) what would I give that my father could see my 
 true reason for seeming to slight his kindness ! 
 
 Tradesman. I'll tell you what, John, if it wasn't 
 the same in everything I propose, I should think you 
 had some good reason for this ; but since it's in every- 
 thing, I know it's your bad, obstinate temper. But it is 
 in vain, gentlemen, to think of turning him ; I can't 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 225 
 
 make him feel : I might as well try to persuade this 
 counter as to turn him. 
 
 That he made him feel now was too evident; for, 
 taking his handkerchief out of his pocket, he hastened 
 out of the shop. 
 
 Tradesman. Now you see, gentlemen, that's al- 
 ways the end, and I can make no more of him than 
 that, till I declare I know not what to do; it would per- 
 plex any one. 
 
 Au. But you are quite well acquainted, it seems, 
 with his reasons. 
 
 Tradesman. His reasons, Sir! You see they are 
 such reasons ! as if he would make a religion of his own, 
 and tell his father that he didn't know what serving 
 God meant. 
 
 His spirit was getting much exasperated, by the opera- 
 tions of his own mind, and I said, 
 
 " I think a young man is to be respected for his rea- 
 sons, if they bear upon his duty to God, and you should 
 be very careful how you reject them, for they may come 
 from a higher source than you suppose. At least he 
 shows wisdom in making his calculation upon grounds 
 reaching further than temporals ; there is a time when 
 they shall end, and eternal things only remain. You are 
 calculating for his good ; you are willing to let him go 
 away from home to be provided for a period beyond the 
 present : the difference is, that he makes a longer cal- 
 culation than you do, and it appears to me that his plan 
 has the most wisdom in it." 
 
 Tradesman. O, Sir, I see you are on his side, and so 
 you cannot enter into my feelings. 
 
 Au. I will not deny that I am on his side, but I do 
 not agree that I cannot enter into your feelings. I have 
 
226 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 this advantage over you, that having been by nature of 
 the same way of thinking as you, and being now by 
 grace in the same way as your son, / can understand 
 you both; and I wish, for that reason, that you would 
 allow me to advise you. 
 
 With a tone that implied great incredulity, he said, 
 " Good advice would be very acceptable." 
 
 Au. I would then advise you to reflect well upon the 
 principle which operates on your son's mind, and I think 
 it appears to be a sense of his duty to God. 
 
 Tradesman. Perhaps it may be ; but his duty to 
 God should teach him his duty to his parents. 
 
 Au. Very true, it should, indeed ; but what is to be 
 done if the parent, for want of proper understanding of 
 the truth, should propose anything to his child contrary 
 to his duty to God ? 
 
 Tradesman. But that's not my case, Sir ; I want no- 
 thing but his advantage. 
 
 Au. Temporal advantage, even though it be at the 
 expense of eternal advantage. Now, however natural 
 it is for a parent to desire present good things for his 
 child, yet if they be found to interfere with his future 
 well-being, he ought to renounce them utterly, and sa- 
 crifice the present for the future. Your son is setting 
 you the example ; you cannot suppose that present ad- 
 vantages are indifferent to him, but he can sacrifice them, 
 rather than risk the injury of his future happiness. 
 " Deny thyself," is the lesson of the Lord, and a lesson 
 of the cross, without which, he cannot follow Jesus. 
 Do you think it gives him no pain to have to decline 
 your wishes ? It is evident he suffers daily from this ne- 
 cessity, and that the whole cause of the difference be- 
 tween you is because you cannot enter into his mind. 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 227 
 
 Had you placed him with one master, and another came 
 to him to demand his attentions, which were, besides, 
 of a quite opposite nature to those in which he was en- 
 gaged with the first, would you blame him if he refused 
 the one, and held to the other? 
 
 Tradesman. But what has that to do with this case, 
 Sir? 
 
 Au. That he is engaged to serve one master, even 
 the Lord, and you propose to him to serve another, 
 who is contrary to the Lord. Blame him not that he 
 refuses to serve the one, and adheres to the service of 
 the other. If you have not the same principles, let him, 
 act according to his own, which you dare not deny to 
 be right. Seek a master for him who will himself be in 
 the service of the same Lord, and then you will find his 
 ready compliance with your will — then you will under- 
 stand that whilst he honours you as his father, he can 
 obey you in the Lord. 
 
 Tradesman. It would all lead to this, Sir: — that his 
 will, not mine, is to be obeyed. 
 
 Au. But you forget that his will is directed by the 
 Lord's will, which is supreme — " whether we must 
 obey God or man, judge ye." I think you would be 
 spared much unhappiness if you would calmly endea- 
 vour to understand the cause of the differences which 
 arise between you ; and perhaps in so doing, your own 
 heart might be lifted up in praise to that Lord and Mas- 
 ter, who, without your asking him, has engaged your 
 own son in his gracious service. Remember how it is 
 written, " What will it profit a man to gain the whole 
 world, and lose his own soul." Mark viii. 36. But it is 
 also written, " Godliness with contentment is great 
 gain." 1 Tim. yi. 6. May I prevail upon you to re- 
 
228 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 spect your son's motives, and to permit him to act as a 
 young man ought to do, on conscientious principles to- 
 wards God ? You may still differ in sentiment, but you 
 would at least not be putting violence on the gracious 
 disposition of the youth. Why should you be angry 
 that his soul aspires after the greatest happiness, in serv- 
 ing God ? 
 
 I turned to my friend, and proposed to return home. 
 
 As we went out of the house— "I see how it is," he 
 said ; " and if my Mary is to be one of those who will 
 prefer the will of God to mine, may I find grace to re- 
 sign my will to his!" 
 
 Au. Then, my friend, will she be the happy girl that 
 can obey her father in all things; for this will be ac- 
 ceptable to the Lord, and " rightP 
 
 We parted once more, and on reaching my own door r 
 I found Louisa. arriving just at the same time. With a 
 cheerful voice, she said — 
 
 " I bring an invitation for us all, uncle ; the lady had 
 not a moment to write an answer, but she spoke to me 
 herself, and desired me to say that she would be happy 
 to receive us in the school-room at two o'clock." 
 
 Au. I am glad you have been a successful messenger; 
 we will make instant arrangements for our visit. 
 
 Accordingly at the appointed hour we were all there. 
 
 The lady received us with friendly courtesy, and en- 
 tirely prevented any apologies by her immediate accom- 
 modation of the party with chairs. She was surrounded 
 by about thirty girls, who were all engaged in repeating 
 texts of Scripture in answer to questions proposed. We 
 begged we might not interrupt the business of the 
 school. 
 
 Lady. If you will excuse it, I will finish this exa- 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 229 
 
 mination, which is near its conclusion, and then they 
 will sit down to their writing, which will leave me at 
 liberty. 
 
 The manner of the children was very pleasing : their 
 faces expressed a love for their teacher, and at the same 
 time they behaved with respect and attention. We felt 
 quite at ease, and as soon as the writing commenced, ad- 
 verted to our object, by saying — 
 
 " We are pressing an inquiry at present into the influ- 
 ences of a consistent religious education over the con- 
 duct of children to parents, and it is always an advant- 
 age to have living examples ; but I find the prevalence 
 of disobedience so great, that I am sorry to say, it is not 
 easy to find many proofs to exhibit, in order to illus- 
 trate the power of an education which is directed by 
 God's law." 
 
 Lady. I can bear testimony to its power by some 
 examples, which, though in humble classes, will perhaps 
 answer the end you have in view ; for, wherever the re- 
 ligious instruction has its due influence, there we see a 
 manifest effect on the life and conduct, in the private 
 scenes of home ; especially of children to parents, and 
 many severe trials is principle put to by the ignorance 
 and ungodliness of the parents. I have many cases of 
 difficulty to direct; and others which bring a delightful 
 acknowledgement of the peace and happiness diffused 
 through a cottage by the example and lovely obedience 
 of a Christian child. 
 
 Au. Do you find these instances prevail where there 
 is most knowledge of the Word of God ? 
 
 Lady. Knowledge and grace are distinct gifts: know- 
 ledge alone does not effect a change of conduct ; know- 
 ledge without grace is like " faith without works, dead, 
 20 
 
230 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 being alone." In some cases where there is a readiness 
 to acquire knowledge, there is not a disposition to receive 
 grace; then they are high-minded, and under a pretext 
 of religion, assume a dictatorial manner, often despising 
 their parents, and taking the liberty to throw off re- 
 straint. And yet in many other cases, knowledge is of a 
 constraining nature, for they find a condemning sentence 
 against sin, and an encouraging promise to an upright 
 walk ; whilst grace without much knowledge will gov- 
 ern the conduct of the child in an obedient submission. 
 But grace with knowledge is the state in which we see 
 the most minute attention to the duties of their station, 
 and the honour due from a child to a parent. 
 
 Au. It would be instructive to these young people 
 if you could favour us with some account of some such 
 instances. 
 
 She smiled, and said, " There is a girl of the last de- 
 scription who has stood in a remarkable situation. Her 
 mother died when she was young; her elder sister mar- 
 ried ; and she was left to be the housekeeper, and ser- 
 vant, and child, and friend, all in one, of her father. 
 And her father was a man without a sense of religion, 
 of bad conduct, and morose temper, wasteful of his lit- 
 tle property, and objecting to work, except when com- 
 pelled by absolute necessity. The girl, whose name is 
 Bella, soon felt the heavy weight and responsibility of 
 her arduous situation, and the necessity of applying, for 
 her direction, all the precepts of the word of God. Many 
 friends advised her to leave her father, and to let him 
 feel her loss, that he might be induced to promise better 
 conduct ; but to this she could never yield, except when 
 tempted to think of it by the bad company he sometimes 
 brought into the house. She worked hard at a little 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 231 
 
 trade which she had learned, and often, through her own 
 earnings, has supported both of them, and the respecta- 
 bility of their station, for months together without any 
 aid from her father. She not only felt her responsibility 
 for his bodily comforts, and her duty to conceal his in- 
 firmities and sins as much as possible from observation, 
 but she felt his soul to be her charge, and she watched 
 over him with exhortation, remonstrance, persuasion, 
 and precept ; and sometimes her own soul has been en- 
 livened with hope, when she has seen a tear of convic- 
 tion in his eye, or heard a word of promise from his lips. 
 
 " From time to time she has been sustained by these 
 little rays of comfort, and when he has afterwards re- 
 turned into his usual bad habits, she has chided herself 
 for being cast down, yet hoping in God ; and from year 
 to year has gone on in this way desiring to honour her 
 father, loving his soul, and succouring him in every way 
 in her power, praying for him earnestly that he might 
 be converted and live. 
 
 " Besides this, his health broke, and he became sickly 
 and diseased ; he required nursing night and day, and 
 she redoubled her exertions to meet the increased claims 
 upon her duty. Every time there was a little amend- 
 ment, he threw himself back by some act of intemperate 
 indulgence ; and though her trouble was thus always re- 
 newed, she with unwearied patience resumed the duty 
 which was again called for. 
 
 " At length her father thought by taking lodgers into 
 the house, he might gain a little income without personal 
 exertion ; she submitted, and fulfilled the increased du- 
 ties this plan brought upon her without a complaint ; 
 until he became so inattentive to her comforts, and to 
 the conduct due from a parent to a daughter, that, re- 
 
232 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 gardless of character or consequences, he received into 
 his house a set of people which rendered it not only dis- 
 tasteful to her pious mind, but also dangerous to her 
 character. She now paused upon the step proper for 
 her to pursue. Here was a breach which interrupted 
 her duty to God, and rendered her liable to the painful 
 circumstance of being made to administer to sin, even 
 of the most flagrant kind. She therefore first affection- 
 ately and solemnly warned her father, laid before him 
 all the consequences, acquainted him with the necessity 
 it would lay upon her to leave him, and with tears en- 
 treated him to change his conduct, and make it possible 
 for her to remain in the situation of taking care of him; 
 and if not, stating her determination to accept the offer 
 of a situation, which for his sake she had declined for 
 many years. 
 
 " He was outrageous at this remonstrance, and at the 
 impending consequences to himself, as he knew the loss 
 he should sustain; but as he determined to make no 
 change, she, in her duty to God and her own soul, took 
 her resolution — she left her father. The wages she earn- 
 ed she saved up, sending, from time to time, such assist- 
 ance to him, in small sums, as helped to support him. 
 In a few months his health again failed, his lodgers for- 
 sook him, he had no friends, and he lay destitute: then 
 the dutiful Bella resigned her happy situation, hastened 
 to her father's sick bed, and in unremitting attention 
 nursed and supported him, night and day, until she 
 closed his eyes. And this, for long, without the cheering 
 hope of his soul's conversion, and without the grateful 
 accents of parental love. But at length the watchful ea- 
 gerness for her presence, the ready reception of medi- 
 cines from her hand, the tender tokens of love by the 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 233 
 
 pressure of her hand between his, indicated that he felt 
 her dutiful services, and acknowledged them. She com- 
 forted her 'soul by hoping that he acknowledged, as the 
 spring of all mercies, and sought a refuge in, Jesus, the 
 Saviour of sinners!" 
 
 The lady paused a few minutes, and then proceeded : 
 " I have watched this dear young woman with a solici- 
 tude and admiration not easy to describe, and beheld 
 how the Lord glorified his grace by this instance of filial 
 piety, through the power of that Spirit he in such a 
 measure granted her. The whole of her conduct was 
 founded on her love to the Lord, and a sense of the duty 
 it became her, as a child, to endeavour, for His sake, to 
 fulfil to her father ; and earnest have been the meltings 
 of her soul for sufficient portions of His grace to carry 
 her on from day to day with strength according to her 
 need ; and the Lord himself was sufficient for her." 
 
 " Oh ! how beautiful !" exclaimed Louisa. 
 
 The lady, seeing the young people much interested, 
 and appearing to understand my intention to be chiefly 
 their benefit, seemed willing to gratify us with another 
 anecdote ; and as our silence denoted our readiness to 
 hear, and the fixed gaze of the young ones marked a 
 great degree of expectation, she again addressed them 
 with a countenance of peculiar sweetness. 
 
 " There is a little girl who has imbibed much of the 
 spirit of Jesus, and has a constant thirst for religious in- 
 struction; she is of a rather peculiar turn of mind, and 
 seems most to delight in being taught the practical evi- 
 dences she can give of her love to the Lord. Her pa- 
 rents were kind and quiet people, but without the know- 
 ledge of God ; they never attended any place of wor- 
 ship, never read the Bible, never spake of God, and per- 
 20* 
 
234 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 haps never prayed to him. The child, of course, was 
 in entire ignorance of the simplest precepts of religion ; 
 but the Lord opened her young heart to receive the 
 Word. Whatever she learnt she seemed to try to prac- 
 tise, and her first attentions were directed to her parents. 
 She used to take a little stool at night, when they were 
 finishing their labours of the day, and, seated beside 
 them, endeavoured to relate all she had learnt at school, 
 and she generally concluded by saying, ' Father, you 
 ought to do so,' or, ' / will try to do so.' As she grew 
 older, and began to discriminate more the faults of her 
 parents, her lesson used to end in, ' Father, you ought 
 not to do so.' Then she began to read well enough to 
 take the Bible and read a chapter, and then say, ' Father, 
 how Jesus loved poor sinners.' She then, when learn- 
 ing her proof texts ready to repeat them, used to say, 
 'Now hear, father, if I can say them ;' and when she 
 had said them, ' Now, father, you can say them,' and 
 induced him to repeat them. She soon learnt to sing 
 hymns, and her father, having a natural turn for music, 
 was much delighted ; he could play on the flute a little, 
 and he used sometimes to play light airs and song tunes, 
 and she used to tempt him to change them for hymn 
 tunes, and say she would sing with him if he would join 
 in the praises of God. All this time, she was not only 
 teaching, but endeavouring to practise ; and this little 
 girl, from five to eight years old, so diligently pursued 
 this course with her parents, that she seemed to make 
 them her children, and to train them in the nurture and 
 admonition of the Lord. The consequence is, the 
 blessing of God upon the family, and the parents and 
 child walking one way ; they acknowledging, with grate- 
 ful hearts, the blessing of such a child, and the child 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 235 
 
 looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our 
 faith." 
 
 The lady again paused, and finding we were not will- 
 ing to interrupt her, continued: — "I find, almost inva- 
 riably, when the children are simple and open in telling 
 their parents what is proceeding in their own souls, and 
 accompanying that confession with dutiful attention 
 and an obedient spirit, that they win upon their parents 
 at least to admire and approve them, and sometimes to 
 follow them ; though there are other instances where no- 
 thing can reconcile the parent to take any interest in 
 their example. I have seen other children, who have 
 been undutiful, headstrong, rebellious, so as to be the 
 misery of their parents, become quite altered under the 
 power of religion, and be the joy and comfort of home ; 
 and have had fathers and mothers come to tell me, with 
 tears of thankfulness, the blessing which they experience 
 in their children's change of conduct." 
 
 Au. You, doubtless, sometimes meet with ingratitude, 
 both from children and parents ? 
 
 Lady. O yes, that is to be expected ; but I take 
 comfort in reflecting, that at least they have been taught, 
 and the seed sown may be seen to spring up hereafter. 
 Only this day, I was told by the mother of one child 
 who had been five years under the instruction of the 
 school, that she owed me nothing ; that I never gave 
 her anything; and that the child had never got any- 
 thing by me yet. Poor people ! I cannot help pitying 
 their state, so blind to the great gain of early religious 
 instruction ! Sometimes I have seen these very children 
 brought to a death-bed, when all the instructions have 
 come back to their souls with power, and taught them 
 to whom to go. So it is God himself that giveth the in- 
 
236 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 crease ! But such parents are a melancholy hindrance 
 to their children, when, instead of seconding their in- 
 struction, they throw an unholy slight upon them; so 
 that they fail to make application of the word of God, 
 and desire not to do the will of God. 
 
 The writing lessons of the school-children seemed 
 now over, and the movement made by them reminded 
 us we should perhaps intrude by staying longer. We 
 therefore rose to go ; and with sincere thanks for the 
 kindness shown, ventured to ask if we might occasion- 
 ally renew our visit. Permission was given and we ra- 
 ther unwillingly took our leave. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Final visit. — Consistency in parents. — Truth in a 
 family. — Power of example. — Parable of the two 
 sons. — Christ the perfect example of a child. — 
 Conclusion. 
 
 As I was informed that many of my new friends were 
 about to leave our neighbourhood, the term of their visit 
 being nearly concluded, I was desirous to render our 
 next meeting as generally useful as I could ; hoping to 
 fix some principles in their minds which might serve as 
 directing beacons for their way. They manifested their 
 own desire by assembling sooner than usual, and I was 
 happy to see Anna's father making one of the party. 
 
 He came up to me with a friendly air, and said, "Mrs. 
 Aston is so anxious to adopt your system of training up 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 237 
 
 our child, that she absolutely refuses to set me at liberty 
 this evening; and as I find the subject of divisions in a 
 family of such serious importance, I have felt it my duty 
 to accompany her." 
 
 There was evidently a little feeling of pride, which 
 induced him to assign a reason why he had again at- 
 tended ; but knowing the human heart, and its natural 
 difficulties in overcoming those feelings, I did not appear 
 to notice it, only saying " that I hoped they would al- 
 ways endeavour to be of one mind in every object which 
 related to our duty to God." 
 
 Mrs. Graham said, " I am sorry we are obliged to re- 
 turn home so soon ; gladly would I have prolonged my 
 visit, but the attentions required by the other branches 
 of my family compel me to go. I hope, however, to 
 take back with me much that I may find useful, and shall 
 endeavour to retain and profit by the recollection of what 
 1 have been permitted to hear. I am anxious for every 
 minute direction, and would entreat you not to spare." 
 
 Au. I would, then, beg to point out a very essential 
 point ; if it please God, that, by his grace, you determine 
 upon adopting a better plan, and that a r-eligious one, 
 for your children's training, bear in mind that con- 
 sistency should prevail thoughout. There is no other 
 way of convincing your children that you are governed 
 by principle, and unless they see it the operating spring 
 of all your duty, they will fail to believe it a true one j 
 and under the idea that it is adopted only as an expedi- 
 ent method to break them into submission, they will be 
 tempted both to despise and to revolt from it. 
 
 Mrs. G. Give me an idea of your full meaning by 
 some example. 
 
 Au. I will give as an example, the necessity of ar- 
 
238 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 ranging and ordering your whole household according 
 to the system, so that you shall give proof that your in- 
 tention is, as far as your influence may extend, that you 
 and your house shall serve the Lord. For this reason, 
 be careful what acquaintance you cultivate ; what con- 
 versations prevail in your association ; and what ser- 
 vants you select. It is an oversight.which appears to 
 me next to madness in some persons, that they pay no 
 regard to the character of a servant, as respects their re- 
 ligious conduct. If they obtain a general testimony for 
 honesty, cleanliness, and ability for their worldly call- 
 ing, it seems all they require ; and whilst they would 
 reject a servant for a defect in business, they never re- 
 gard the greater defects which are too common in their 
 principle of heart. If a servant is careless, breaks the 
 furniture, spoils the paint, and paper, and carpets ; if 
 they fail to wait well, or to pay the outward respect de- 
 manded, they are instantly rebuked or dismissed: but 
 if they fail to respect the souls of your children, or if 
 they contaminate their minds with evil thoughts and 
 words; if they break your rules, and spoil the obedience 
 of your children — these are faults not noticed, not in- 
 quired into, not expected to produce any evil; and many 
 a child is taught, in the nursery, to throw away the in- 
 struction of its parents, and defilements are added to their 
 natural sinfulness by the evil communications which come 
 out of the mouths of servants. Now I would subvert 
 this system. I would, if you cannot get servants fully 
 capable of all the minutiae and niceties of their appoint- 
 ment, at least determine to have none but those who 
 would be under the governing principle of religious 
 conduct and obedience ; for a want of this, I would dis- 
 miss them most certainly ; and if they tampered with 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 239 
 
 the principles of my children, or wilfully suggested any 
 evil to their mind, instantly discard them as treacherous 
 to me and my children, and dishonest in the sight of 
 God. To bear and forbear, to be gentle and kind to 
 them in all things respecting their worldly employ- 
 ments ; but not to suffer a moment's negligence in the 
 duty which the moral and spiritual interests of your 
 children requires should be minutely attended to. 
 
 Mrs. G. According to this plan, I fear I shall have a 
 change to make throughout. 
 
 Au. I suppose so ; not having reflected upon it as 
 essential, of course, your household is made up of those 
 who are at least indifferent to this subject. — Another 
 thing I would beg to point out, which is, the absolute 
 consistency of truth in your house. When the manners 
 of the world prevail, and the pleasures of it are sought, 
 there are innumerable temptations to the breach of truth, 
 not only in imposing upon servants the hateful obliga- 
 tion to tell palpable untruths for your convenience, un- 
 der the guise of false excuses, but in the many false- 
 hoods uttered with your own lips, in the prevarications, 
 and flatteries, and innumerable offences of the lip in con- 
 versation, and of the pen in correspondence. In my 
 youth I was intimate with a family where I was a fre- 
 quent visiter, and have often been sitting with the young 
 people, my companions, when company has been seen 
 coming. If it was at the moment inconvenient, or the 
 persons not agreeable, immediately the lady of the house 
 began to express her dislike of the intrusion ; but no 
 sooner did they enter than she found out innumerable 
 expressions of pleasure and gladness to receive them. 
 Sometimes my companions had been faulty in their les- 
 sons, or had committed some offence which had pro- 
 
240 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 voked great anger, and, perhaps, it was shown by the 
 mother's total silence towards them, or by incessant re- 
 proof; but when company arrived, their works, draw- 
 ings, &c, and often those very productions which had 
 given occasion for the displeasure, were all exhibited, 
 tokens of approbation given, and all the flattering ex- 
 pressions of the visiters received ; and then when they 
 were withdrawn, all the reserve of disapprobation was 
 resumed. What can children think on these occasions ? 
 Either that there is no principle of action ; or that there 
 is no sincerity in the profession of it. They of course 
 imbibe the same uninfluential pretence, and find it diffi- 
 cult to honour those who expose so much deliberate sin. 
 
 Mrs. G. I fear these are prevalent offences in the 
 world. 
 
 Au. Yes; and it is written, "Wo unto him by whom 
 the offence cometh ! It were better for him that a mill- 
 stone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into 
 the sea, than that he should offend one of these little 
 ones." Luke xvii. 2. Be select in the associates of your 
 children, choosing the intimacy of such young people 
 as are trained in the same way ; and if these are not with- 
 in your range, teach them to be content and happy 
 without any. Another prevalent inconsistency I must 
 name : which is, the uncertainty which children, in 
 some cases, must have, of what god their parents desire 
 them to serve. 
 
 Mrs. G. What god, did you say? 
 
 Au. Yes ; in some cases the mind of the children is 
 directed to Pleasure ; in others, to Ambition ; in others, 
 to the World in general ; in others, to their Appetites and 
 Passions. This is marked by these several things being 
 held out as the objects for which they are to strive, or 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 241 
 
 which they are to serve. A fit preparation for an infidel 
 state, or for an ungodly life. Of such, the Apostle says, 
 " Whose god is their belly — who mind earthly things." 
 
 Children are watchful, inquisitive, discriminating, and 
 imitative : therefore, there is another point to name, 
 which is, the power of example. Let them see in 
 you what you desire them to become. Break down 
 the evil inclinations and habits flowing out of a love 
 of self— follow after holiness — lean on the Lord, and 
 devote yourselves to him ; showing yourselves in earnest 
 by the diligence with which you seek the Holy Spirit 
 for your guide and helper. 
 
 We now joined our young people, and were pleased 
 to see that our old friend had again been able, under the 
 care of his little grand-daughter, to make one of the 
 party. It was a pretty sight; they had all surrounded 
 hiin, and were listening with eager pleasure to the in- 
 structions of age. I made signs to them to keep their 
 places, and continue their attentions to the old man, a 
 permission they appeared gladly to accept. 
 
 " Charles." said Mary, "do ask little Jane to repeat it ; 
 I should like to hear her." 
 
 Charles immediately said, " Jane, I think it is your 
 turn to repeat the Scripture, and we wish you would." 
 
 Jane looked a little diffident, and, turning to her 
 grandfather, seemed to appeal to him to excuse her; 
 but he said — 
 
 " My child, fear not to repeat God's word, but give it 
 out with reverence." 
 
 Her young voice trembled when she began, but she 
 soon forgot her fear in the repetition of the portions 
 which had been selected. 
 
 Jane. Matt. xxi. 28. " A certain man had two sons, 
 21 
 
242 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day jn 
 my vineyard. He answered, and said, I will not : but 
 afterwards he repented, and went. And he came to the 
 second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, 
 I go, Sir ; and went not. Whether of them twain did 
 the will of his father? They say unto him, The first." 
 
 " Sir," said old Thomas, looking over the heads of the 
 children, "we were thinking that this portion of Scrip- 
 ture seemed very suitable to apply to this party of young 
 sons and daughters, before they break up this pleasant 
 engagement, to return to their own homes." 
 
 Thomas' appeal signified that he wished to throw the 
 conversation upon me; the young people, with delicate 
 discernment, saw it, and immediately opened out the 
 circle with which they had surrounded him, and all took 
 their several seats. 
 
 Au. It is true, Thomas; and I trust, by the blessing 
 of God, it may prove a word in season. Let us first 
 consider the commandment, given by one who is meant, 
 in the parable, to represent the Lord. The command 
 was, to work in his vineyard; signifying not only the 
 employment, but also the place of employment ; and we 
 must bear in mind that this is always the Lord's me- 
 thod. We are to work, and that in his service. He did 
 not say, " Go to a vineyard ;" but, " Go to my vineyard." 
 He did not appoint the place without appointing the 
 duty — " Go work in my vineyard." He did not leave it 
 to their option to delay, but said, Go to-day, " Go work 
 to-day in my vineyard." This command was given to 
 sons, and shows us that the children of God are to be 
 diligently occupied in the service of their Father in his 
 possession or heritage. Now, my dear young people, 
 if you are sons of God, you are appointed by him to 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 243 
 
 your several occupations : you are to work, and that 
 work will be directed according to what you are able ; 
 and a ready obedience is your duty. But you see the 
 faults of these two sons ; one answered, " I will not ;" 
 and the other answered, u I go, Sir." Attend to this, 
 and say what is the feeling in your hearts who have 
 now heard the word of God. and his direct command, 
 " Honour thy father and thy mother." This is your 
 present duty in which you are to be engaged. Whose 
 heart rebels against this command 1 Who, in the secret 
 of his mind, is saying, with disobedient self-will, " I will 
 not V You may think the inquiry too close ; but know- 
 ing the sinfulness of the heart, I know it is not without 
 its application, and notwithstanding the strong and un- 
 deniable evidence of the duty, from the command of 
 God, you may be setting your hearts against it, and say- 
 ing, " I will not." Remember, this is a very sinful state. 
 It is rebellion against God, and an obstinate choice of 
 remaining without the evidence of being his faithful and 
 dutiful children. It appears that the nature of the sin 
 was felt by the son, and that upon reflection and con- 
 viction, he saw and acknowledged his sin ; for it is said, 
 " afterwards he repented and went." His determina- 
 tion of mind was now not one of self-will, or of a mere 
 act of reasoning that it would be better to obey upon 
 selfish grounds — but arose from a grace of repentance. 
 Sorrow for his offence against his father produced the 
 full evidence of his gracious 'change, by his act of obe- 
 dience: he " repented and went." Let this example 
 sink into your hearts, as an instruction to overcome the 
 self-will and disobedience natural to a sinful creature, 
 and to seek that grace and strength from the Lord, who 
 commands to make you willing to obey; then there will 
 
244 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 not be that strife of resistance, but a humble, dutiful de- 
 pendence on the Lord, and towards those whom he has 
 in mercy invested with authority over you, and with a 
 right to be honoured, loved, and succoured by you, their 
 own children, in the Lord. 
 
 Look next to the other son, who, with ready tongue, 
 said, " I go, Sir," but with reluctant heart failed to fulfil 
 his duty, and " went not." He despised the command 
 in his heart, and broke the engagement of his tongue. 
 If, among you, my dear children, there are those who 
 rise in instant stubborn rebellion, there are also, perhaps, 
 those who with deceived heart and flattering profession, 
 say they will obey, and yet, when obedience is to be 
 given, will not render it. Examine your own hearts, 
 and see where the fault lies — in a wicked and sinful na- 
 ture, desiring to make a " fair show," but without any 
 intention or determination to give the true evidence. 
 Perhaps at this moment you are making comparisons 
 amongst yourselves, and, in self-estimation, saying, " I 
 am not as this my companion, who says, ' I will not f " 
 never considering that you have still to give the proof 
 of your sincerity, by your actions ; and that after all, 
 however sinful the first act of rebellion may be, they 
 may at last evince their obedience better than you : 
 " Whether of them twain," saith the Lord, " did the will 
 of his Father?" The answer is, " The first." Now give 
 me a text, Louisa, to strengthen this lesson. 
 
 Louisa. " Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, 
 Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he 
 that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." 
 Matt. vii. 21. 
 
 An. How shall we receive strength and grace to 
 doit? 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 245 
 
 Louisa. " By looking unto the Lord, who worketh 
 in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Phil. 
 ii. 13. 
 
 Au. And, dear children, when you are overcome of 
 sin, remember to seek the grace of repentance, that not 
 only your minds may be convinced, but your hearts 
 sorrowful with a godly sorrow. Remember the Prodi- 
 gal Son, in Luke xv. 11. whose mind was convinced 
 of his sin and folly by the things which he suffered, be- 
 ing so reduced as to feed on the husks which the swine 
 did eat. He felt keenly, with all the natural feeling of 
 distress ; he reflected, too, on what he had lost : his 
 thoughts reverted, with bitter comparisons of that with 
 his present state : — " In my father's house there is bread 
 enough and to spare!" But what would all this distress, 
 and misery, and reflection, and comparison have done, 
 if it had ended there ? and he had even died saying, 
 "In my father's house there is bread enough and to 
 spare !" The proof of grace was seen in his determina- 
 tion to " arise and go" unto his father, to confess his 
 sin, and to desire to be received, even as a hired servant 
 " He arose and went." And his father saw him ; and, 
 when he was yet a great way off, ran to meet him, and 
 fell on his neck, and kissed him, and took him home, 
 and rejoiced over him ! From this history, learn how to 
 act towards your earthly father. Be always confident in 
 the unchangeable love of a father, and seek it in repent- 
 ance and submission, as the way in which you may find 
 your restoration to the bosom of a father : and as re- 
 spects God, remember what is written in 1 John ii. 1,2,' 
 " If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, 
 Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation 
 for our sins." . * ■ 
 
 21* 
 
246 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 Beware, dear children, of a spirit of hypocrisy ; be 
 open, be honest, be ingenuous in your behaviour to your 
 parents, that they may know what you really are, and 
 be able to apply their instruction suitably to your several 
 states and dispositions. When you are sensible of sin, 
 confess your sin, and seek the aid of your dearest friends 
 to direct you aright ; and when they see it necessary 
 to correct you, do not rebel. " He that hardeneth his 
 neck shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without re- 
 medy." Prov. xxix. 1. 
 
 You have read the awful end of the two sons of Eli, 
 Hophni and Phineas, how the judgments of God were 
 upon them, and how their being cut off in their sins af- 
 fected their aged father, and occasioned his death : and 
 the Lord charged Eli himself with guilt, because, when 
 he knew their sins, he restrained them not. You see, 
 therefore, that your parents' exercise of restraining au- 
 thority, however your mind may dislike to yield to it, is 
 absolutely necessary to remove the guilt of your blood 
 from their heads, and to save you, if possible, from the 
 wrath and judgments of God. When they thus show 
 their solicitude for the welfare of your souls, you ought 
 to be grateful with the fullest feeling of love. Did you 
 ever remark in the Gospel, the eager desires of parents 
 for their children ? 
 
 Louisa. Yes, often, for all diseases of the body, un- 
 cle ; but how few seemed to think of their souls ! 
 
 Au. Tell me, Louisa, how you discriminate. 
 
 She answered, " I think it is evident by their bringing 
 them to be cured of fevers, of lunacy, of devils, of sick- 
 nesses — but they never said, 'Lord, heal their souls V 
 ' Lord, forgive their sins !' " 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 247 
 
 Au. You said , few seemed to think of their souls ; 
 Who are the few ? 
 
 Louisa coloured a little, arid said, " Perhaps, dear un- 
 cle, I am mistaken, but I always liked to think thus of I 
 those who brought young children to Jesus, that he 
 might touch them : they seemed only to want his bless- 
 ing — it was for no bodily disease. And then how gra- 
 ciously he took them, as if he were pleased with the act ; 
 ( He took them up in his arms, and put his hands on 
 them, and blessed them.' Mark x. 16. Oh ! uncle, I of- 
 ten think my own dear father and mother did that for 
 us, when we were young children, and that the Lord 
 did do as they desired : He blessed us." 
 
 Au. What makes you think He did bless . you, 
 Louisa ? 
 
 Louisa. Because He has given us so many " spiritual 
 blessings," as the Apostle says, " in heavenly places." 
 " He has cast our lot in a pleasant place ;" where, though 
 it be still in the wilderness, there is the heavenly manna 
 •.round about our tent, and springs of living water ! 
 
 Charles looked at his sister as she spoke, and his heart 
 -seemed to swell with the same grateful feeling of ac- 
 knowledgment of the goodness and mercy of God j but 
 he did not speak a word. 
 
 This animated burst of filial tribute, from the lips of 
 Louisa, affected all that were present, and the parents, 
 especially, involuntarily turned their eyes towards Lou- 
 isa's mother. 
 
 My sister's feelings were naturally of quick sensibili- 
 ty, but she had been so much in the practice of bringing 
 them into subjection to the Lord, that though her coun- 
 tenance showed the inward emotion of her heart, she was 
 able to preserve a calm and quiet manner, saying—- 
 
248 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 " What can be so grateful to a mother's heart, as to 
 see the Lord graciously answering her desires, and 
 awakening her children to a sense of spiritual blessings ! 
 What a safeguard from the temptations of the world 
 and of sin, that they should find the Lord their portion, 
 and their exceeding great reward !" 
 
 " Pray, Sir," said old Thomas, " may we look once 
 more to the Scriptures, and take out the perfect example 
 of a Son, in Jesus, our Lord, the Son of the Father." 
 Au. That is just what I wished, Thomas. 
 The Lord Jesus, in his humiliation, becoming son 
 of man, exhibited, in that character, perfect obedience 
 to father and mother, which is fully implied by that ex- 
 pression, he " was subject unto them ;" and so in all the 
 full developement we see him also as the Son of God. 
 His delight being to do the will of the Father, Ps. xl. 8. 
 the will of Him that sent him ! Constantly referring 
 all to the will of the Father : " This is the will of Him 
 that sent me ! " And though his undertaking our redemp- 
 tion was his own will also, he delighted most to call it 
 the will of the Father. " I came clown from heaven, 
 not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent 
 me." Johnvl 38.; and so "though he were a Son, yet 
 learned he obedience by the things which he suffered," 
 Heb. v. 8., and was obedient even unto death. In this 
 we see how he was typified by Isaac, when Abraham 
 would have offered him up, only He, far beyond the 
 type, not only intended, but did fulfil to the full, in the 
 infinite perfection of all obedience. " He was obedient 
 unto death, even the death of the cross /" Phil. ii. 8. 
 
 Remember, dear children, this infinitely holy charac- 
 ter of obedience in Christ, and that what he did for 
 our salvation, was done by him, as in obedience to the 
 
THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 249 
 
 Father. The honour and glory of the Father were 
 made his great object, that in redeeming sinners, he 
 might satisfy all His demands, and manifest the un- 
 changeable perfection of all the truth and attributes of 
 God the Father. And so he said, " Father, I have finish- 
 ed the work thou gavest me to do :" " I have glorified 
 thee on the earth." John xvii. 4. " That the world may 
 know that I love the Father ; and as the Father gave me 
 commandment, even so I do? 1 John xiv. 31. 
 
 Remember, moreover, dear children, that it is through 
 that finished work of our redemption from sin and death, 
 that we are brought into the privilege of entering into 
 the paths of holiness and peace : That through that 
 finished work the Holy Ghost and the Father are 
 propitiated : and we receive the sanctifying of the Holy 
 Sririt, through the reconciled love of the Father, as 
 well as the cleansing and atoning blood of Jesus. Thus 
 the provision for our obedience is made. Let us ask, 
 as we are permitted, the Holy Spirit for our guide and 
 support; for our heavenly Father will give the Holy 
 Spirit to them that ask him ! 
 
 We are now about to separate : — May this little privi- 
 lege we have enjoyed be amongst those things which 
 shall be recorded on high, as done in the Lord ! If it 
 has been given and received in his name, it will not be 
 in vain. May such a blessing come down on you from 
 the Lord of love, as to raise your hearts to him, and by 
 the Holy Ghost given you, make you seek that con- 
 formity to the image of Christ, which shall lead you to 
 desire to do the will of your heavenly Father, and to 
 glorify him on earth, according to the measure of your 
 grace, by delighting in his Commandments ; for by this 
 shall all men know that you love the Lord, when you 
 
250 THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE. 
 
 keep his Commandments, pressing after the attainment 
 of the Promise. 
 
 I There were now many tokens of regret, that onr little 
 meeting was at an end ; but being urged by my friends 
 to think of them often, and to become the steady spirit- 
 ual superintendent of their families, I was glad to have 
 the prospect of continued usefulness amongst them, and 
 the permission to watch over the young disciples with 
 constant attention. This prospect seemed also cheer- 
 ing to them, and we parted, commending ourselves in 
 all our various interests to the Great Shepherd of the 
 sheep. 
 
 Not one left me without taking my hand, and the af- 
 fectionate pressure which they gave, spake many things; 
 the expression was different according to the different 
 characters, and I thought I could discern some tokens 
 which were indicative of the purposes of the heart, that 
 they would honour their father and their mother, that 
 their days might be long in the earth ; and that all the 
 promises might be sought, that they should do that 
 which is well pleasing unto the Lord, and right, and 
 that it might go well with them. 
 
 THE END. 
 
C 251 ) 
 IIDEX. 
 
 This most instructive and useful practical work will be found, 
 by parents, among the most useful, if not the most useful, illustra- 
 tion of the duties imposed by the Fifth Commandment, in our 
 language. And in order that the portions adapted to particular 
 cases may be turned to readily, as there may be occasion, an Index 
 to each chapter has been added to the American edition, and is 
 here summed up. 
 
 Page. 
 
 I. CHAP. — Incidents at a youthful party. — Ready obedience 
 
 the true mark of love to parents, and the safest way of 
 showing them our love, 5 
 
 II. CHAP. — Constant obedience ; an example of it. — Differ- 
 
 ent motives for obedience, 16 
 
 III. CHAP. — The origin and causes of disobedience in chil- 
 dren, 26 
 
 IV. CHAP. — Incidents at the first evening's meeting. — Au- 
 thor's views of the scope and application of the Com- 
 mandments ; and of the duty of very early attention to 
 forming religious character of children, 37 
 
 ,V. CHAP. — Author's conversation with his little party about 
 obeying as a proof of love to Jesus; — about the Law and 
 the Gospel ; — and the meaning of "honouring our father 
 and mother," 49 
 
 VI. CHAP. — Author's visit to the cottage of little Jane's fa- 
 ther. — Methods of winning obedience from children, 61 
 
 VII. CHAP.— Cheerful submission to parental authority. — 
 Allowance to children. — Corban. — Grateful and mea- 
 sured love, honour, and support, to parents, 74 
 
 VIII. CHAP.— Second visit to Thomas' cottage.— The two 
 truants. — Parents should mean what they say. — Love the 
 fulfilling of the Law, 85 
 
252 INDEX. 
 
 Page. 
 
 IX. CHAP. — The first principle of Education. — Effects 
 of setting before children wrong motives for obedience.— 
 Old Thomas' plan of Education, 100 
 
 X. CHAP. — Old Thomas. — An instance of devoted filial pie- 
 
 ty. — Grounds of the duty of parents, 118 
 
 XL CHAP. — Reverence for the aged. — Love and Promise. — 
 History of Old Thomas. — Inquiries of children on reli- 
 gious subjects to be satisfied, and the habit cherished, 131 
 
 XII. CHAP. — Reverence for the Command of God and the 
 love of his Promise, the only security for cheerful and 
 uniform obedience in children, 147 
 
 XIII. CHAP. — How far we may reason with children in ask- 
 ing their obedience. — Chastisement plainly enjoined in 
 Scripture. — The curse against disobedience, 163 
 
 XIV. CHAP. — Family piety. — Fatal neglect of parents to 
 enforce the Divine Commands. — Domestic divisions 
 spring not from religion but the want of it, 181 
 
 XV. CHAP. — United devotion in families. — The first family. 
 
 — History of Patriarchal families considered, 194 
 
 XVI. CHAP. — Note to the teacher. — Necessary separation 
 , between pious and irreligious persons. — Religion in busi- 
 ness. — Duty to parents and God. — Visit to the School. — 
 Influence of religious education, 217 
 
 XVn. CHAP. — Final visit. — Consistency in parents. — Truth 
 in a family. — Power of example. — Parable of the two 
 sons — Christ the perfect example of a child. — Conclu- 
 sion, 236 
 
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