HONOR THE AGED by A. S. HUTCHINS

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 30, 1869

HONOR THE AGED.

By A. S. HUTCHINS

How reasonable and just the requirements of the Lord our God, “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary heads, and honor the face of the old man.” Lev. xix, 32. Yet oh! how men, women, and children, are inclined, in this fast and selfish age, to forget, neglect, and disregard this commandment. What a pity!

In this same text stands too the injunction, “And fear thy God.” How many who profess to fear God, yea, to love and obey him, remember that it is a duty clearly binding upon them to “honor the face of the old man?” How many “rise up before the hoary head,” and give them the respect due unto them as they come into their presence?

God notices our neglect in this direction, dear reader. He marks it. He wants us to repent of it. He wants us to reform wherein we have been faulty. Especially does he want those of us who are daily learning more and more of the sacredness of his holy law, and its obligations upon us as commandment-keepers, to be very circumspect in all our Christian duties.

One of the ten commandments, which we trust we have a growing regard for, teaches us to honor our father and mother. Do we do this? If not, if we find it hard to honor our parents, it will be difficult to heed the text first quoted. And if we do not obey the voice of the Most High here, how can we fear him? And if we fear not God, where is the wisdom which characterizes the Christian, the man of God? We must be void of it, for his word declares, “The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom.”

Dear brethren and sisters, have you parents? Then love them as you should. Are their bodies bending over with the infirmities of a long and weary life? Are their hearts pressed with care and sorrow as they realize that their mental and physical powers, once strong and active, are failing them? Has the grasshopper become a burden, and are “fears in the way?” Oh! stretch out your friendly hand to lead that aged man, that aged woman, that dear father or mother, down the declivity of time. You may not have them long. Soon they may be gone. Some of these parents have prayed for you. They pray for you now. But not long may you hear their prayers. Others, whom we love, whose venerable heads are crowned with hoary hairs, are yet living without hope in God. We feel for them, we pray for them, and weep for them. In tears, some of them beg an interest in our prayers. God help them to come now, while mercy lingers, and know the joy of salvation.

And may we so live, so fear God, and so respect the aged, so honor our father and mother, as to win those to Christ, if possible, who know him not. And may we finally meet where death can never sever, where there will be no tears, no sorrow, nor grief, but felicity and joy will fill the ransomed soul forever and ever.

A. S. HUTCHINS.