thing made for man was made to render him happy; and the Sabbath day, spent piously and rationally, never failed of making him so.

FIFTH COMMANDMENT.

"Honour thy father and thy mother, &c.” -(See Catechism.)

To honour your parents is to love and reverence them, and to obey all their commands, when they are consistent with the word of God; to conceal their weakness, and compassionate their infirmities; to defend their lives and characters; to comfort them in their afflictions; and to relieve their wants, as far as lies in your power, without encroaching upon such other duties as are imperative upon

you.

It is confirmed, by the evidence of ex

perience, that in the same manner children conduct themselves towards their parents, do their children conduct themselves towards them.

Honoring guardians, superiors, teachers, &c. is included in this command.

SIXTH COMMANDMENT.

"Thou shalt do no murder."

This prohibition extends to all mischief which we do to others against their persons or their peace; the latter being to man what the blood, mentioned in Scriptures, is to the beast," the life thereof."

Backbiting, slandering, and that monstrous, fashionable, execrable, and contemptible crime, called scandal, are forbidden by this command; to murder a man's reputation is, in many instances, a more cruel act than to deprive him of life.

Anger, hatred, malice, and revenge, are all forbidden by this command; with every

evil passion, which, like these, leads to the crime of murder, or destroying that which is the prop of the life of others.

SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.

"Thou shalt not commit adultery."

This command prohibits sensuality, impurity, unchasteness, lasciviousness, and immodesty of all kinds; not only in act, but also in word and thought.

"Whosoever," saith our Saviour, "looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."-St. Matt. c. 5, v. 28. Because, his mind being set upon the action, and he being only hindered by the absence of opportunity, it proves that he does not forego the crime from the want of inclination: such an one will God, who judges of the intention, condemn as guilty of

that which he meditates, and which he would commit if he were not prevented.

This proves how careful we ought to be of what kind of thoughts we indulge; for thought is the contriver of sin; and an evil thought once indulged creates a desire to perform a corresponding evil action; and desire, when favoured by opportunity, is rarely able to resist temptation. If the spring be impure, the water of the fountain will be adverse to health.

There are some pious Christians who are terrified at evil thoughts coming into their heads, which they hold in abhorrence, but which, nevertheless, will enter.

Evil thoughts will obtrude themselves into all minds occasionally; and timorous and uninstructed Christians, who are really pious, are sometimes dreadfully alarmed when such enter into their heads; imagining that they have, in intent, committed the crimes such thoughts would incite, however they may think they abhor them. But such have only to reflect that

the devil puts them into their heads; they are his thoughts; but the instant they begin to indulge them, they make them their own so when they are thus beset, let them try to dismiss such thoughts immediately; but if they continue, let them try to divert them by business, reading, diversion; any thing that is useful or innocent; and if that won't do, let them pray to God, and he will relieve them.

EIGHTH COMMANDMENT.

"Thou shalt not steal."

Thou shalt not despoil thy neighbour in any manner, nor deprive him of his right, be it whatsoever it may. Slander and scandal are also prohibited by this command; since a man may be robbed of his good name as well as of any other right or property. Overreaching another