SER M.ty and Good-Will And in the Latter part XV. of the chapter, he recommends to them

the Relative Duties of life; the Duties of Hufbands and Wives, of Children and Parents, of Mafters and Servants, of Superiors and Inferiors in all Relations. Children, abey your Parents in all things; for This is well-pleafing unto the Lord: Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, left they be difcouraged: Servants, obey in all things your Mafters according to the Flefb.

IN difcourfing upon thefe words; fhall, First, diftin&tly take Notice of the feveral Particulars contained in the Text: And, Secondly, I fhall thence deduce this General Obfervation; that the due Performance of the Relative Duties of Life, is a principal Means of obtaining both the Bleffings of the prefent World, and the Happiness of That which is to come.

1. IN the First place, That which ftands first and most obviously obfervable in the Text, is this Precept; Children, obey your Parents. In his epiftle to the Ephefians, the fame Apoftle expreffes this Precept Thus Children, obey your Pa

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rents in the Lord; for This is Right: Ho-SER M, nour thy Father and Mother, which is the XV. firft Commandment with Promife, ch. vi. 1. In which expreffion, there is an allusion to the Order or Placing of the Commandments in the Law of Mofes; This being the First in the Second Table, the First of thofe Commandments which declare our Duty towards Men; the First to which is annexed exprefly a particular Reward; the First Commandment with Promife. The natural obfervation arifing from which particular, is, the reasonableness and goodness of the Great Commandments of God both in the Law and the Gofpel. God begins where Nature itself does; making the fame things to be the prime Foundations of His Law, which in the nature of things themselves, without Any Law, were most reasonable to be practifed. The Gofpel carries indeed This and all other Moral Precepts to a much bigher degree of improvement, requiring us to extend our Love towards all men, and our Defire of doing good even unto Enemies themselves. But the prior obligation, is That of Gratitude to Bene

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SER M.factors; and of making juft Returns to XV. Thofe, from whom we have received the Benefits of Life. Nevertheless, as clear as this Obligation is, both in the Nature of Things and in the Command of God; yet not Irreligion and Atheism only, but Superftition alfo has found means to evade This, in like manner as it does all other moral and eternal Obligations. God, (fays our Saviour, Matt. xv. 4. God) commanded, faying, Honour thy Father and Mother: But Ye fay, Whofoever shall fay to bis Father or his Mother, it is a Gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by Me, (that is, 'tis given to the Service of the Temple, or to fome other of what they then called pious Ufes,) he shall be free; he' fhall be discharged from all Obligation to relieve his neceffitous Parents. Thus (fays our Lord) ye have made the commandment of God of none Effect by your Tradition. Notions fomewhat of the fame nature have, in All Ages of the World, prevailed over fuperftitious and corrupt Minds; teaching them to value things that promote outward Pomp and Show, and Diftinctions of Men under Party-Denominations,

nominations, more than Obedience to the SER M. eternal and unchangeable Duties of God's XV. Moral Law.

2dly, THE Next thing proper to be taken notice of in the Text, is, that the Particulars here mentioned of the Duty of Children and Servants, are Only Infances of the General Exhortation, defigned to extend proportionably to perfons in All Relative Stations and Circumftances of Life whatsoever. As Rom. xiii. 7. Render to All, their Dues; Tribute, to whom tribute is due; cuftom, to whom custom; fear, to whom fear; honour, to whom bonour. To Magiftrates, there is due from the Subject Obedience according to the Laws of the Country, in matters not opposite to the Law of God; Peaceableness and Quietness under Government, and a willing Contribution towards the Support of it. To Teachers, or Spiritual Superiors, there is due from the People Such Respect, as to Stewards of the Mysteries of God, appointed to exhort Men continually to the Practice of Virtue, and to affift in all the Adminiftrations of Religion : Towards Thefe, there ought to be in men

SER M. a Willingness to hear and be informed by XV. them, and a readiness to obferve and prac W tise what they teach; not blindly and im

plicitly, (which is the Doctrine of Rome,) but in all things which they can show to be the Doctrine and Commands of God. To Mafters, there is due from Servants Diligence and Industry, Honesty and Fidelity, Submiffion and Obedience, according to the direction in the Text; Servants, obey your Mafters according to the Flesh; not with eye-fervice, as men-pleafers, but in fingleness of Heart, fearing God; And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto Men. In like manner, Eph. vi. 7. With good Will (fays he) doing Service, as to the Lord, and not to men; Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man does, the fame fhall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. The only difference here to be observed, is, that whereas the Servants mentioned by the Apostle, were, in those days, Slaves, under the abfolute Power of their Mafters, without Any Relief under the greatest opppessions; (for which reafon St Peter exhorts Such to be patient under the

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