to God's glory, and with least temptation to their own souls. The parent is not to make indeed the leaving his children a competency an excuse for his own covetousness, and for not giving to the poor out of that wherewith God hath blessed him but then neither is he to neglect making provision for them through sloth, nor to squander their portion in extravagant living. The proverb; that charity begins at home, seems founded in the thing now before us. A man must give to others with a more sparing hand till provision be made for his own household; and then he must open his hand more largely in acts of liberality. But what is a competency for a child? The answer is easy, that which will enable him to live agreeably to his station. But how shall I know what that is, seeing people of the same station live very differently? This must be determined by the practice of prudent and serious people.

Ninthly. I will just add a word upon the point of marriage, concerning which, as this at least is clear, that children ought not to marry without their parents' consent; so it will lie in the parents' power, and is the indispensable duty of parents, to prevent their children's marrying to graceless persons; for so the rule is, Let them marry only in the Lord.'* Grace is the first qualification; and therefore if the parent, biassed by interest, gives his consent where the person to marry his child is graceless, he betrays the trust God has put into his hand, and shamefully sins against God's glory and the soul of his child. So far is clear. But is this the whole of the parent's duty in the point of marriage? I find the patriarchs in Scripture seeking wives for their sons: and if parents did not leave so great a matter wholly to their children, as is commonly done, but would at a proper time of life seek out suitable persons for their children, proposing them to their inclinations without force or constraint, they would tread in the steps of Abraham, Isaac, and other Scripture examples, and not at all step out of the way of their duty to their children. But,

Tenthly, and lastly.-Have you been constant and importunate at the throne of grace for the spiritual welfare of your children? that in all these things God would direct you and bless them? Have you prayed for the grace of God to be poured into * 1 Cor. vii. 36-39.

their hearts; and for that beyond all things? Are there records of such your daily intercessions written in the book of God's remembrance? And will it be found there at the judgment-day?

But I have done. Such is the duty of parents. You see how spiritual as well as important it is. You will prove yourselves by it, as many as have been in that relation. I refer the duties of children to our next meeting, when I especially wish all young persons may be present to hear on their part what a charge God has laid upon them respecting their parents by this fifth commandment.

SERMON XXXIV.

GALATIANS iii. 24.

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

THE relative duties required by the fifth commandment are now under examination for the purpose expressed in the text, that seeing ourselves condemned by the law we may humble ourselves and come unto Christ. The relation of parents and children was entered upon when we last met. Then I showed you how God had put authority into the hands of parents; that his design therein was his own glory in the religious education of children; and that consequently it was the duty of parents to use their authority over their children with the simple view of educating them in the knowledge and practice of Christianity, which was branched out into several of the most important particulars in the duty of parents. I am now to speak,

Secondly. Of the duty of children towards their parents. In this relation we must all have been; and therefore the present subject will be of more universal concernment than the last. We have all had parents. Have we done our duty toward them? Here some perhaps will hold themselves guiltless, because their parents died when they were young: indeed in that case the obligations which are purely natural ceased; but the obligations which arise from this commandment did not: for, according to this commandment, the authority over such children, as well as the duty of a parent, devolved upon those who had the care of them, and stood in the place of parents toward them so that the point now under consideration is of universal concern to us all.

The word of commandment is this, Honour thy father and

mother.' Observe, it is not said, bear a natural affection toward thy father and mother, but honour and reverence them. Natural affection there will be, till children grow altogether reprobate but there may be much of this, where there is little or nothing of the reverence here commanded. A child, who is very wicked toward God, may have much natural affection for his parents. But to honour and reverence them, as bearing God's authority, and from a sense of duty to God, this is the main point, and the only mark of a truly dutiful child. Our business therefore is to see what is meant by this word honour thy father and thy mother, which will lay open to us the whole duty of children to parents. Now to honour has been said to be to acknowledge the dignity there is in another. Consequently to honour our parents is in all suitable ways to acknowledge that dignity and authority God has put upon them. And this acknowledgment must be two-fold.

First. There must be an inward acknowledgment of their dignity and authority upon the heart.

Secondly. There must be an outward expression thereof in a becoming behaviour. But, because where the one of these is the other cannot fail to be, I shall consider them together.

To honour parents implies an acknowledgment of that dignity and authority God has put upon them both, both father and mother. And where this is there will not be wanting suitable outward expressions of it. I say both father and mother, for the commandment mentions both, and requires the one to be honoured as well as the other. It requires both of them to be honoured, not for the sake of any natural accomplishments of sense and parts, or for any worldly distinctions of wealth, honour, and station, but because God's authority is put upon them equally and in common: and so the one must be honoured as well as the other, and neither of them the less because they may be without any considerable either natural or acquired endowments. Now this honour must needs imply all such things as do acknowledge God's authority in the persons of our parents, and do correspond with God's design in giving parents that authority. For though God has put authority in the parent's hand, it is plain nevertheless that neither God's glory nor the child's spiritual benefit is therein promoted, any further than the

child has regard to God's authority in the persons of his parents, considering them as set over him under and for God. From hence it is evident that the

First duty of children to parents, and that also without which they can do no part of their duty to them upon a right principle, is to reverence them as immediately appointed by God to direct their education. This is in the strictest sense to honour parents. Honour them; have regard to their authority over you. Respect that authority as God's appointment. Now, children, have you considered your parents as God's deputies, and in that view have you had a becoming reverence on your heart toward them? What! has it been the main thing causing you to reverence them, that God bid you do so? And have you indeed reverenced them, and always done so? and both of them, your mother as well as your father? Whatever has been their condition in life, whether poor or rich; whatever has been their conduct in general, and toward yourself, still have you reverenced them; not thinking yourself, by any conduct or circumstances of theirs, or by any advantages of knowledge, grace, sense, wealth, station, you may have attained beyond them, discharged in any degree from that honour which God requires you to have and bear on your heart toward them ?-The opposite to this is irreverence, setting light by father or mother; making no account of them any further than we need them. This is a common fault and sin in many children, they have no reverence of their parents in their hearts; and they show none in their expressions toward them. They may perhaps fear them, while they are younger; and when they are grown up may have some respect to them through natural affection, or for the sake of what they may expect from them; but to respect them with a godly reverence they know not. Yet the commandment doth not say Honour your father and mother because they begat you, because you live in their house, and are cared for by them: it doth not say, Honour them, while you have your dependence upon them, and then you need not honour them any longer nor doth it say, Honour your father because he is a wise and experienced and wealthy man; honour your mother, because she is very fond of you, and is ready to let you do as you please but it saith, at large, without regard to circum

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