There are many children in God's family, but, alas there are many who are not in all things obedient. Those who do not believe God and obey His gospel are called " the children of disobedience" (Eph. 2:22Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (Ephesians 2:2)), and God enjoins His children not to be like them. Jesus was the obedient One, and we should seek to follow in His steps. He was obedient to His Father in heaven, and He heeded the wishes of Joseph and His mother Mary. He "was subject unto them." (Luke 2:5151And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. (Luke 2:51).) And God would have those who belong to the Lord Jesus to act as obedient children." (1 Peter 1:1414As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: (1 Peter 1:14).)
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." (Eph. 6:1-31Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2Honor thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. (Ephesians 6:1‑3).) That is a sorrowful day in the child's life when he or she first begins to disobey father or mother. Very little children find a pleasure in obedience; but, alas! as they grow older, a will of their own often works against the wishes of the parents. Bad beginnings lead to bad endings, and a life begun by disobeying a parent will end bitterly:-
DISOBEDIENT ROBERT.
IT was a bright summer morning in the month of June, many years ago, that the Sunday-school began to assemble in the quiet village of Portstewart. The children were generally regular and punctual; and amongst the pupils, of whom Robert Kelly was one, there were signs of deepening earnestness. Robert was a fine, intelligent lad, "the only son of his mother, and she was a widow."
That morning, as usual, he left his mother's cottage a little before school-time; he had just received from her a new gilt-edged Bible, together with her blessing and a parting kiss: but school was opened and closed, and still Robert's place remained vacant.
Robert was soft and pliable, easily influenced by others; hence it fell out that, on the Sunday morning in question, he was carried away by the temptations of a set of lads who had determined to spend the Lord's-day in pleasure, and joined them in a sail upon the river Bann.
Doubtless there was a struggle between conscience and inclination, but the end was that Robert turned his back on the Sunday-school, thrust his Bible under the bridge close by, that he might find it on his return home, and, with loud laughter and eager hope, hastened off with his companions.
It was long past noon, and the village congregation had assembled as usual, and Robert's pious mother was there. Several times did she glance towards her son's wonted seat, and observing that one or two other boys were also absent, she feared that Robert was playing truant.
The writer of this narrative was in the pulpit on that day, and the congregation were listening with their usual attention, when the church-door opened stealthily, and a man, pale and agitated, whispered something in the ear of one, who immediately hurried out. Soon another and another followed; and when the cause of the excitement was known, it was found that the little sailing-boat, that had gone out so merrily, had been upset, with all the lads on board. Hastening to the spot the writer was shocked at the sight before him. The bodies of the poor lads were stretched on the green turf, and as the parents of each recognized their child, who can describe their piercing cries of sorrow?
Robert's mother alone was calm; no cry broke from her lips, no tear flowed from her eye. In silent agony, with clasped hands, and on bended knees, she looked upward toward heaven, and then on the cold, fair face of her boy. It was a sore thought to her widowed heart, that she should have been called on to part with him so suddenly, and, worst of all, in an act of disobedience.
It was agreed by the bereaved parents that all the funerals should take place on the same day; and those who witnessed the sad scene cannot easily forget it. Some unable to control their sorrow bewailed in wild cries the death of their beloved ones, while in others broken sobs gave expression to their grief. Robert Kelly's mother seemed dumb, she wept not, spoke not, but gazed steadfastly on the coffin of her boy.
In a solitary nook in the churchyard of Portstewart are two graves side by side. A weeping-willow overshadows the lesser one, and in the early summertime it is adorned by flowers that were planted by a mother's hand. Need we tell the young reader whose graves they are?
For some weeks the lonely mother resorted almost daily to the quiet resting place of her beloved boy, but gradually her visits became less frequent, and the neighbors remarked that she grew weaker and weaker. At her own request, she was buried near her poor disobedient Robert, near him whose sad end had brought down her " gray hairs with sorrow to the grave." S. M.
Obedience should be prompt. Unless when called the child answers quickly we may fear that the command is but half obeyed. Loving obedience is always swift. How many times in the Bible do we read of God's people answering His call at once, saying, "Here am I"? Why did not Adam at once answer God's call? He was afraid. The love of God was not in his heart. He had sinned.
OBEY AT ONCE.
Little Daniel was particularly fond of having his own way, and though not on the whole disobedient, he had a habit of not doing what he was told at once. Thus if he were looking at pictures in a book, and his mother called him, he would answer, "Yes, mamma," but would not come until he had finished looking over the pictures. He did what he wanted first, and what his mother wanted by-and-by. Daniel had been told many times that this was wrong, and at last he began to try and leave it off, and to obey immediately; and it was well for him that he did, as you shall hear.
He was staying at Ilfracombe, in Devonshire, on the sea-coast, and one day he went with a kind friend to a pretty little bay where the sea runs into a hollow in the land, and where all round the water there are high cliffs. The flowers and grass grow on the top of the cliffs, and you may walk almost to the very edge before seeing the water underneath. When Daniel came to this place, and saw the smooth green grass sloping down like a beautiful lawn, he thought it would be a nice place for a run, and off he set skipping and racing, and in a few minutes more he would have run right over the edge of the cliff and, have fallen into the sea.
The lady he was with, called loudly to him to stop, which he did at once, and waited for her to come up. She then gently led him to the edge of the precipice, and little Daniel was amazed and terrified when he saw the deep water far below where they were standing. "Now," said he, "if this had happened six months ago I should have been killed, because, instead of stopping at once when you called, I should have said, 'I will just have my little run first, and then come back.'"
S. M.
If you have done wrong own it.
"Why that sorrowful face, Henry?" said we to a little fellow of some three years of age, who was running to his mamma, with the tears rolling down his cheeks.
"I have eaten some currants in the garden, and I am going to tell mamma," he sobbed.
He had disobeyed his mother's word, which was never to touch the fruit in the garden; but he loved her too well to deceive her, and so he was running in to tell her he had been naughty.
It is far better to have a broken heart over wrongdoing, and the wrong confessed and told out of, the heart, than to have a sealed-up heart with the unconfessed wrong burning within. Indeed, it would not be possible for a "dear" child who had done wrong not to confess it. Children who love their parents may be overtaken in a fault, but such children cannot help coming to their parents and owning their faults. And so it is with God's children when their hearts really are in the spirit of love.
DISOBEDIENCE AND HAPPINESS IMPOSSIBLE.
Harriett lived at the seaside. A favorite spot of hers was a long, narrow causeway, formed of small pebbles, which was left dry at low tide, and which was called "The Bridge."
One day, two little girls, friends of Harriett's, came to ask if she might go out with them for a game of play on the beach, where stretched out a line of rocks beyond "The Bridge," and Harriett, very delighted, ran to ask her mother's leave.
"Yes, you may go," said her mother, "but remember, if you play on 'The Bridge,' you must not go beyond it. You must not run about among the St. Julien Rocks.'"
"Very well, mamma, I will not forget," said Harriett, and off she went with her young companions.
When a parent gives a command to a child, that command should be obeyed without questioning, " I wonder why mamma told me to do this," or " I wonder why papa would not let me do that."
Mrs. B. knew that when the tide was rising it would be dangerous for the children to be near these particular rocks, while she felt it would be quite safe for them to be on "The Bridge," as there they could plainly see the gradual rise of the tide.
Harriett and her friends amused themselves for some time in various ways, till one of the two, who were sisters, proposed playing at "Hare and Hounds," and soon one of them started off as the "hare." Away she went, all along "The Bridge," her own sister and Harriett running after her, both very desirous of being the fortunate "hound" to catch her. On and on went the " hare " till she had reached the end of "The Bridge;" there were the rocks before her, the "St. Julien Rocks," so exactly suitable for helping her to hide from her pursuers, for she could dart away from them, in and out, along the narrow passages formed between the rocks.
Now, Harriett did not forget her mother's orders, but, alas! she disobeyed them. It was so delightful to run in this wild, exciting way, surely it could not matter if she went a little farther than "The Bridge; " then, too, she had not told her friends that she was forbidden to go among the rocks, and they would be so surprised if she were to stop; besides, she was determined to catch the "hare," and if she paused to consider she would lose all chance of doing so.
She yielded to the temptation, took the wrong step, and expected still to enjoy her game; but all enjoyment was gone! She had now an uneasy conscience, and that is always enough to spoil any pleasure.
Do you remember that when sin came into the world, and death by sin," Adam and Eve were no longer happy, after they had eaten of the fruit of the tree?
Perhaps you are expecting to hear that the tide rose so rapidly that naughty little Harriett was drowned, and never saw her mother's face again; but such was not the case. God, in His mercy, did not cause her to die then, for she did not know the love of the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior; but He has allowed her to live until the present time, and now she is a believer in Him who died upon the cross for sinners.
Harriett's merriment passed away as soon as she had committed the act of disobedience, and all real fun being at an end, the children retraced their steps along "The Bridge," across the shingly beach, and went away to their homes.
At tea-time, and after tea, Harriett felt so miserable that her little sister even failed to attract her notice, and she dreaded the hour of bed-time. It was Mrs. D.'s custom to help her little daughter Harriett to undress every night, and to see her comfortably in bed before she left her. But now Harriett's heart was full, and she could scarcely restrain her tears; instead of being a cheerful, lively child, as usual, chattering away freely to her mamma, she did not speak a word while she was getting ready for bed, and she felt that she could not look into her mother's eyes. She was not at all afraid that her mother would hear of her disobedience from anyone else; no question had been asked her about her afternoon's ramble, and the fact that her mother trusted her made her feel all the more guilty. And then how dreadful to be alone in the dark, with this unhappy secret!
Just as she was going to step into bed, and to give her mother a kiss, she could bear it BD longer, but burst out crying, confessed all, and earnestly begged for forgiveness. Mrs. D. took the sobbing child on her lap, and, perhaps, she cried a little too. She was much grieved, as any loving mother would be, that her child had disobeyed her; but she freely forgave her, and did not go downstairs until Harriett's head was on her pillow, and her tears were dried up.
This little story is written as a warning to children who may be tempted to disobey or deceive. Such conduct always leads to unhappiness, sooner or later, and it is a sad and sinful thing to disregard the wishes of a parent. Adam and Eve tried in vain to hide themselves among the trees of the garden of Eden, and no one can at any time hide sin from God. He sees everybody, everywhere, and at all times. Even if a wrong action is concealed from human eyes, God knows all about it.
H. L. T.
A Sunday-school teacher inquiring of a Christian parent whether she observed any fruit from the instruction her children received, obtained this reply-
" There is a great change in Anna; she is now very anxious to obey me, and sometimes says, I do not think it right to do this or that,' and very often comes to me in tears, because she cannot get her young companions to believe what she tells them of the love of the Lord Jesus."
The first fruit of sin was disobedience to God; the first fruit of faith is obedience, and faith works by love.
LOVE THE TRUE MOTIVE.
A little girl, who was naturally untidy, allowed her drawers to remain in great disorder. Being anxious to overcome her bad habit in order to please her mother, she wrote on a piece of paper, " To be kept tidy for mamma's sake," and placed it in her drawer, so that whenever she went to it she might thus be reminded of her mother's wishes. And keeping this before her, she soon kept her drawers in neat order. We should do well if we stamped on everything we do, " To be done in the best possible way for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake."
E. L.
As disobedience to God's word was the beginning of all sorrow upon this earth, and as sin is lawlessness, that is doing what we like, we need not be surprised at the number of temptations to disobedience which surround us.
Great is the blessing of having the shelter of a Christian home, and the loving watchfulness of Christian parents' eyes. But as you will all have to fight your way in the world, and to mix more or less with different kinds of persons, learn by a simple story an old lesson.
CHARLIE AND THE APPLES.
Little Charlie had one great fault, which much grieved his pious father-he often spent his play-hours with boys his father did not wish him to be with. He enjoyed their games and fun, and could not believe this word of God-" Evil communications corrupt good manners."
One afternoon his father, instead of punishing him for being with the naughty boys, bade him go the garden and pull three of the very best apples which he could find. This was an errand which any little boy would cheerfully run, and Charlie was not long before he came back with three fine rosy ones.
"Put them down upon the table, my son," said his father, "and now fetch me the worst apple you can find, and, mind it must be quite rotten."
Away ran Charlie, and soon came back with the bad apple, wondering what his father could mean. "Now take the three good apples, my boy, and put the bad apple along with them upon the shelf in the cupboard."
"No, father," cried Charlie, "it will spoil the others-don't say so," for it grieved him to think of the beautiful juicy apples being rendered good for nothing in such a way.
" Do as I bid, my boy," said his father, so Charlie obeyed.
A few days after Charlie's father called him and told him to open the cupboard and look at the apples, and there, just as the little boy had thought, were the four apples, quite rotten; indeed you would not have known again the three beautiful apples which Charlie had plucked from the garden; they were quite worthless, and only fit to be thrown away.
Before his little son had time to exclaim and say as children often do, "I said it would be so, father," the good man explained to Charlie his parable.
One bad apple placed by the side of three good apples had first tainted them, and then corrupted them all. The three good apples had not made the one bad apple good, but they had all caught its badness and become like it. And if one bad apple could spoil three good apples, what effect would many bad boys have upon his little son? Indeed, had there not been in little Charlie something bad, he would never have played with children whom his father wished him not to play with.
And a great many other lessons did the good man draw from the apples. He showed his little son that it is the pride of our hearts, which says the bad boys cannot do me any harm; that there is something in our hearts which soon makes us as bad as the worst if we go near the evil, just as there is something in a good apple which quickly makes it become a bad one when it is near the bad one. This something is sin. There is sin in our hearts, and it loves the sin which is in other people's hearts.
True and loving obedience will even go beyond observing the bare letter of the command. A loving child will soon learn not only the words, but the wishes of his parent. The child who lives near his parent's heart will know his parent's pleasure. And, "My father, or my mother do not like this," will guide him in many a difficulty. The child whose heart is open to his parents' words will be the obedient child.
Our Lord and Master tells us, " If ye love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:1515If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15).) And He also speaks of keeping His sayings. We sometimes find when a child of God wishes to do something Very much, that he will say, " The Bible does not tell me not to do this thing, therefore I will do it." Such a spirit is not that of loving obedience to the wishes-or we may say-the words of the Lord are not treasured in that child's heart. May you so value the love of the Lord that you shall be anxious to obey Him. The happiness of God's children lies in their obeying their Father.
Let us close this chapter with some of our Lord's own words respecting obedience to Him self.
My God! my Father! while I stray
Far from my home in life's rough way,
Oh, teach me from my heart to say,
"Thy will be done!"
If Thou shouldst call me to resign
What most I prize; it ne'er was mine:
I only yield Thee what is Thine,
"Thy will be done!"
Should pining sickness waste away
My life in premature decay,
My Father, still I'll strive to say,
"Thy will be done!"
Then when on earth I breathe no more
The prayer oft mixed with tears before
I'll sing upon a happier shore,
"Thy will be done!"