Duty and advantages of-Duties of to parents.

CHEERFULNESS.

52. Duty and advantages of cheerfulness.

Neh. 8: 10 Neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Pr. 14: 30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones. [Ps. 119: 80.]—15: 13 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. 15 He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.—17: 22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Jn. 16: 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.

1 Th. 5: 16 Rejoice evermore. [See 296, 634.]

CHILDREN.

53. Duties of children to parents.

Ex. 20: 12 Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Lev. 19: 3 Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father.

Pr. 1:8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.―6: 20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. 22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.-13: 1 A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. -23: 22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

Mat. 15: 4 God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6 And honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Lk. 2: 51 He [Christ] went down with them, [his parents] and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them.

Disobedient children punished-Early piety.

Ep. 6: 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honor thy father and mother, (which is the first commandment with promise,) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Col. 3: 20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord. [See 10.]

54. Penalties for disobeying and abusing parents.

Ex. 21: 15 He that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death. 17 And he that curseth his father or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

Dt. 21: 18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: 21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you, and all Israel shall hear, and fear-27: 16 Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother: and all the people shall say, Amen.

Pr. 20: 20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. 30: 17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it. [See 494.]

55. Early piety exemplified and encouraged.

1 S. 3: 8 The LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called

the child.

2 Ch. 34: 1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign. 3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father.

Pr. 8: 17 I love them that love me: and those that seek me early shall find me.- -22: 6 Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Ec. 12: 1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.

Is. 28: 9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

2 Tim. 3: 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Christ's moral character-obeyed his Father.

CHRIST JESUS.

56. His holiness, righteousness, frankness, and disinterestedness.

Is. 11: 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Jn. 8:50 I seek not mine own glory.

Jn. 18: 19 The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. 20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. 21 Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.

Ac. 3: 14 Ye denied the Holy One, and the Just.

2 Cor. 5:21 He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin.

Heb. 4: 15 We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities: but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.-7: 26 Such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens, 27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

1 Pet. 2: 21 Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. [See 229, 630.]

57. Christ obeyed, pleased and honored God.

Ps. 40: 7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

Mat. 3: 17 Lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Jn. 4: 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.-5: 30 I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

6:38 I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me.- -8:29 He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. 49 Jesus answered, I have not a

His poverty, etc.- Deadness to the World - Love and Compassion.

devil; but I honor my Father, and ye do dishonor me.- -17: 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

58. Christ's poverty and self-denial.

Mat. 8: 20 Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Rom. 15: 2 Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. 3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

2 Cor. 8: 9 Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

Heb. 12: 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who, for the joy [Gr. Anti-instead of the joy] that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

59. How did Christ regard the world and its honors? Jn. 5: 41 I receive not honor from men. 16: 33 I have overcome the world.—18: 36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. [See 626, 743.]

60. Christ's love and compassion towards mankind.

Mat. 9: 35 Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness, and every disease among the people. 36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.—14: 14 Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.-15: 32 Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. 23: 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Jn. 13: 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.-15: 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue in ye my love.

A Pattern of Condescension.

Ac. 10: 38 God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Rom. 5:6 When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.—8: 37 In all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us.

Ep. 5: 2 Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.

[See 224-5, 228, and Invitations and Redemption.]

61. Christ a pattern of condescension.

Mat. 9: 11 When the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? 12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. -19: 14 Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. 15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.-20: 27 Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Lk. 22: 27 Whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

Jn. 13: 13 Ye call me Master, and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14 If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

Ph. 2: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Heb. 2: 11 Both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. 16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. [See 228.]