parents. It appears to have been classed amongst the worst of crimes,
and death was the penalty. "Cursed be he," (said Moses on Mount Ebal,)
"that setteth light by his father or his mother." "Every one that
curseth father or mother, shall die the death." The children of Israel
were commanded to "stone a stubborn or rebellious son to death." "Honor
thy father and thy mother, that thy days maybe long in the land, which
the Lord thy God giveth thee," is one of the commands which was
delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai. Here is a command with a promise of
long life annexed to it on condition of obedience, and it is but a
fair inference, that those who disobey the command, will be cut off in
the prime of life. It appears that the punishment for disobedience to
parents, is the same under the gospel dispensation; for St. Paul says;
"Honor thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee, and
that thou mayest live long upon the earth." The language of Moses and
St. Paul suggests some solemn reflections, and I entreat my juvenile
readers to observe well the language; it is the voice of God that
speaks. Beware, lest you are brought to an untimely end, and the curse
of a sin-avenging God falls upon you. I cannot dwell on this subject,
but I entreat you, my young friends, to pause for a moment, and
reflect on the awful, the calamitous consequences of disobeying, or
otherwise dishonoring your parents. I must pass on.

We have no reason to believe that Noah was moved by resentment to
denounce the curse of slavery on the posterity of Canaan, in
consequence of the disrespect shown toward him by Ham. We have no
reason to suppose that there was any abatement of parental solicitude,
for the future welfare of this ungodly son and his posterity. He was
moved by the Holy Ghost, and uttered but a prophecy, which entailed
slavery on the posterity of Ham, as a consequence of wilful
disobedience of God's just and righteous laws. He uttered but a fact