spiritual things, and what we have heard. 5. That when we are necessarily detained from the public ordinances, our hearts should be there.-Psal. Ixiii. 1, 2.

THE DUTIES WHICH WE OWE TO MAN-CONTAINED IN THE LAST SIX COMMANDMENTS OF THE LAW.

The Fifth Commandment.

The Fifth Commandment is, "Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”

Exod. xx. 12; Deut. v. 16.

Duties Required.

The Fifth Commandment requireth the preserving the honour, and performing the duties belonging to every one in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,—

1. That there are several stations in society which are ordained by God. Rom. xiii. 1.-"The powers that be are ordained by God."

2. That we are required to preserve the honour due to every one in their several stations. 1 Pet. ii. 17.-" Honour

all men."

3. That we are required to preserve the honour due to our superiors. Lev. xix. 32.-"Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God; I am the Lord."

4. That we are required to preserve the honour due to our inferiors. Rom. xii. 16.-"Condescend to men of low estate."

5. That we are required to preserve the honour due to our equals. Rom. xii. 10.—“ Be kindly affectionate one to another, with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another."

6. That we are required faithfully to perform the duties which belong to every one in their several stations. Rom. xiii. 7.-"Render therefore to all their dues."

7. That we are required to perform the duties which we owe to our superiors. Rom. xiii. 1.-"Let every soul be subject to the higher powers." See also Eph. vi. 1, 5.

8. That we are required to perform the duties which we owe to our inferiors. Eph. vi. 9.—“ And ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening; knowing that your master also is in heaven." See also vi. 4.

9. That we are required to perform the duties which we owe to our equals. Eph. v. 21.-"Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."

10. That all our social duties must be performed with a due regard to the authority of God. Eph. vi. 7.-" With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men."

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 235.-There are various stations and relations among mankind in this world.

This must be evident to every one; and it is the work of God, who alone is the supreme Sovereign of the universe. Had it pleased him, he could have made all equal; and could have so ordered things, that this equality should have continued for ever. But as this was never designed by him, so it is impossible that this should take place in the world. The inequality, however, which exists, is no deformity in the creation of God; nay, it is the reverse, for it constitutes one of the beauties of the universe, and is much calculated for the purposes of external peace and order. As all the members of the body have not the same office, so all the members of the family, of the church, or of the state, have not the same office; some are superiors, and others are inferiors, for the purposes of mutual good.

The consequence of this inequality is, that there are various duties incumbent on men in their respective stations and relations. And it is only by the performance of these duties that they can be said to answer the end for which God has fixed them in certain relations in the world.

Obs. 236. The general scope of the Fifth Commandment is, the performance of those duties which we mutually owe to one another, in our several relations, as superiors, inferiors, and equals.

By father and mother in this commandment, we are to understand, not only natural parents, but all superiors in age and gifts, and especially such as are, by the ordinance of God, over us in places of authority, whether in the family, or in the church, or in the state. And superiors are so called, both to teach them, in all duties towards their inferiors, like natural parents, to express love and kindness towards them, according to their several relations; and to lead inferiors to a greater willingness and cheerfulness in performing their duties to their superiors, as to their parents.

All men stand related to one another in the relation either of superiors, inferiors, or equals.

1. Superiors are all those who are above us in station, office, dignity, or gifts; and their duties to their inferiors are these-1. To adorn their superiority by a holy and an exemplary conversation.-Tit. ii. 1-3. 2. To take every opportunity of warning and instructing them, and of recommending to them Christ and his religion. 3. To bear their infirmities, and thus to encourage them.-Rom. xv. 1.

2. Inferiors are all those who are under us in station, office, dignity, or gifts; and their duties to their superiors are these-1. To give them due honour and respect.-Lev. xix. 32; 2 Kings ii. 23. 2. To desire earnestly their counsel and instructions, and to submit to them readily.-1 Pet. v. 5. 3. To imitate them in that which is good.-James v. 10, 11; 1 Cor. xi. 1. 4. To judge favourably of them in those things in which they have a greater liberty than themselves.--Rom. xiv. 3.

3. Equals are all those who are of like age, station, or condition in the world; and their duties to one another are these:-1. To cultivate the most affectionate love and peace with one another.-Rom. xiv. 19; and 2 Cor. xiii. 11. 2. To prefer one another in honour and esteem.-Rom. xii. 10; Phil. ii. 2, 3. 3. To be courteous and affable to one another, and to be ready to promote and to rejoice in the welfare of one another.-1 Peter iii. 8, and iv. 8; Rom. xiv. 19; Eph. iv. 32; Rom. xii. 15; 1 Cor. x. 24. 4. To reprove and warn one another faithfully.-Lev. xix. 17; Psal. cxli. 5; 1 Thess. v. 14; Gal. vi. 1; Matt. xviii. 15. 5. To vie with one another in tender sympathy under trouble.--Gal. vi. 2; Matt. vii. 12, and xxv. 36; Heb. xiii. 3. 6. To provoke one another to love and good works, and to a holy and circumspect behaviour.-Heb. x. 24.

It may here be remarked, that we are not left to perform these duties according to the dictates of our own minds. If we allow ourselves to be ruled by this opinion, we shall perform none of them, at least none of them in a right manner. But we are laid under an obligation to perform them from a variety of considerations; and the right performance of them is a great evidence of that holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Accordingly, they are enjoined in the New Testament on Gospel principles,—viz., faith in the authority of the Lawgiver, and love to his service. And we may farther remark, that they who are wanting in the performance of relative duties, or in the practice of relative religion, cannot be called religious; for this is the grand test of the sincerity of love to God, and of the reality of faith, which, if real, will work by love in the practice of relative duties. 1 John iv. 20.-" He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen," saith the beloved disciple, "how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" See also verses 7, 8, 12, 21.

Besides the duties of superiors, inferiors, and equals, above mentioned, we may notice more particularly the duties which belong to the several relations among mankind; such as husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and servants, ministers and people, and magistrates and subjects.

Obs. 237.-The Fifth Commandment requireth the performance of the various duties which husbands and wives owe to one another. The duties which belong to husband and wife are these :1. To love one another most tenderly and affectionately.— Eph. v. 28, 31, 33; Tit. ii. 4.

2. To adhere with the strictest fidelity to the marriage covenant.-1 Peter iii. 7; 1 Cor. vii. 15; Heb. xiii. 4.

3. To desire to please one another.-1 Cor. vii. 33, 34; Gen. xvi.

4. To use every means to preserve domestic peace.-Matt. v. 9.

5. To use the utmost care that they be not a disgrace to one another. This includes a regard to propriety of conduct, in whatever circumstances they may be placed.—1 Peter iii. 4; Prov. xxxi. 28.

6. To sympathize with one another amidst all the ills of life, and to share in one another's joys.-1 Sam. i. 8.

7. To watch over one another's souls.-1 Pet. iii. 7; 1 Cor. vii. 16.

8. As the husband is the head of the wife, he is bound to defend her from every harm and danger to the utmost of his power; and the wife must place herself under the guardianship of her husband.

9. As the wife may stand in need of direction in a variety of things, she must consult her husband; and he must be willing to impart to her that instruction of which he is capable; and both must walk in the fear of the Lord.1 Cor. xiv. 35.

10. To provide for the family is a very important part of the duty of the husband, who is the head of the family,1 Tim. v. 8; and with this the duty of the wife is intimately connected,-Prov. xxxi. 27.

11. Both husband and wife are equally concerned in the religious instruction of the children of the family, and of servants. For this Abraham was highly commended by God. See Gen. xviii. 19.

Obs. 238.-The Fifth Commandment requireth the performance of the various duties which parents and children owe to one another. The duties of parents to their children are these :

1. To pray for them before they are born; for if they are sinners in the womb (which they are, if we believe the Scriptures), their sanctification ought to be pleaded with God, and likewise their interest in the everlasting covenant. And this should be more attended to by parents than it generally is, seeing we read of some who were sanctified from the womb. 2. To bless the Lord for them, seeing every child is a gift from God.-Luke i. 64.

3. To pray for them when they are born, and to plead the promise of the covenant for them, taking God as their God, and the God of their seed, according to his promise-" I will be your God, and the God of your seed;" and "the promise is to you and to your children."

4. To take all possible care of them by day and by night, in their helpless state, that they may show their regard for the gifts of God.-Isa. xlix. 15.

5. To make suitable provision for them when their reason and understanding begin to appear, and while they are immediately under their care.-1 Tim. v. 8.

6. To maintain that authority over them which God has given them.

7. To correct and reprove them when necessary.—Prov.