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153 have nothing of their own to give them. Thus children are to provide for their parents, when they are sick - when they are deprived of reason, or when it is not in their own power to make their life comfortable or the World forsake them. The comfort of aged people depends much upon the duty & tenderness of their children towards them. This is more to them than all the World besides & next to the comforts & joys of religion, or that pleasure that arises in the mind from the favor & love of God.
We have an instance of remarkable filial love & duty in the two daughters in Law of Naomi, & disposition to comfort & provide for their afflicted parents, particularly in virtuous Ruth. She said to her Mother whether thou goest, I will go, & where thou lodgest I will lodge, they people shall be my people & thy God, my God; when thou diest, I will die - there will I be buried, & nought but death shall part me & thee. The duty of providing for helpless parents, extends to children in law & to grand children. Of the grand Son of Naomi it is said, "he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life & a nourisher of thine old age; for thy daughter in Law which loveth thee, who is better to thee than 7 Sons hath born him. Children ought to put the most favourable construction upon the words & conduct of their parents to vindicate their reputation - to defend them from injuries & not willingly see or hear anything to their disadvantage. The two Sons of Noah, when their father overtaken with wine, exposed his shame, took a garment & went backward & covered him & saw not the nakedness of their father, for which filial piety they were blessed & prospered.