Deut. 27:16. Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother: and all the people shall say, Amen. Exod. 21:15. And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death. Eph. 6:2, 3. Honour 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. Col. 3:20. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Rom. 13:7. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. Heb. 13:17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Matt. 22:21. Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. Rom. 13:1. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Lev. 19:32. Thou shall rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD. READING.--Joseph and his Father, Gen. 47:1-12. ILLUSTRATIONS.--_Despising and displeasing parents_: Jacob's sons, Gen. 37; Eli's sons, I Sam. 2:22-25; Absalom, II Sam. 25. _Honoring them_: Jesus, Luke 2:51. * * * * * CHAPTER IX. THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT. HUMAN LIFE. Thou shall not kill. _What is meant by this Commandment?_ We should so fear and love God as not to do our neighbor any bodily harm or injury, but rather assist and comfort him in danger and want. * * * * * Human life is sacred. It is man's most precious earthly possession; for without it he cannot enjoy any other. This commandment is meant to guard it. We dare not shorten another person's life, nor our own. God gives life, and He alone has the right to take it away. This commandment _forbids_ us to kill or injure other persons or ourselves. It _commands_ us to assist and comfort our neighbor in danger and want. I. WHAT is FORBIDDEN. We must not 1. KILL OR INJURE OTHER PERSONS. _Murder_. To destroy any human life, even if it be very young or yet unborn, is a great crime. He who commits murder is to be punished with death. [Gen. 9:6+] Among the motives which prompt to murder are anger, hatred, [Gen. 4:1-8] envy, [Gen. 37] jealousy, revenge, [Matt. 14:3-11, Rom. 12:19+] frivolity, avarice, robbery, and a desire to hide past sin. [II Sam. 11] We must be on our guard against all that would ever tempt us to this great crime. _Duels_. It is foolish as well as sinful to pretend to establish the right or wrong of a question by a duel. _Unjust Wars_ are wholesale murder. Rulers must do all that they honorably can to prevent war. Yet as a last resort to maintain the right, war is justifiable.