Portion of Time for our own Affairs, and taken so small a Part of it to be employ'd in his Service: that is, having given us fix Days in the Week, and referv'd but one for himself, it must be monftrous Ingratitude to deny him that, and to mifimploy that Time upon our Lufts, which he hath fet apart for the Celebration of his own Honour. Had it been propounded to us to allow the Proportion of Time for God's Service, could we in reafon affign a less than himself hath done? He hath given us the odds of fix to one, and fure we cannot without Shame and Blufhing withhold that from him: which is fufficient to convince us of the great Guilt of violating this Law by profaning the Lord's Day.

Neither is the Danger less than the Evil of this Practice; for this Sin has frequently inkindled the Wrath of God, and drawn down the doleful Effects of his Difpleasure. We read under the Old Law, how God commanded the Breakers of the Sabbath to be cut off, and punish'd the Violation of this Commandment with a fignal and swift Deftruction. The Man that gather'd Sticks on the SabbathDay, was order'd by God himself to be put to death: The Congregation gathering together, fton'd him with Stones till he died; Numb. 15. 35, 36. And as the Lord promised to reward the Obfervation of the Sabbath with all forts of Bleffings, fo he threatens to punish the Contempt of it with the foreft Evils: Jer. 17. 24, 25, &c. If ye diligently hearken unto me, faith the Lord, to bring in no Burden thro' the Gates on the Sabbath-day, but hallow the Sabbath day to do no Work therein; then shall there enter into this City, Kings and Princes fitting on the Throne of David, and the City fball remain for ever: But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the Sabbath-day, then will I kindle a Fire in the Gates thereof, and it shall devour the Palaces of Jerufalem, and fhall not be quenched.

Neither is God lefs follicitous about the Obfervation of the Lord's Day under the Gospel, than he was of the Jewish Sabbath under the Law; and they that profane the one, fhall fare no better than they that polluted the other: For as great, if not a greater Portion of Time is to be devoted to God under the Gospel, than was requir'd of the Jews under the Law; fince the great Mercy, upon which their Sabbath was founded, is common to us, and our Obligations fince are become much greater. For if the Creation of the World, and God's Reft from it, were a juft Motive

Motive to confecrate that Day as Holy to the Lord on which he refted, fure the Refurrection of our Bleffed Saviour, on which all our Hopes depend, may justly exact the fame Tribute, and confecrate the Day on which he rofe and confequently to neglect or profane that Day fo devoted to him, is at once to provoke God, and affront our Saviour,

Thus we fee what is requir'd in this Commandment; namely, to keep one Day in feven Holy unto the Lord, by refting on it from all worldly and bodily Labour, and devoting it to the publick and private Exercises of Piety and Religion to which we are encourag'd by the Example of God himself, whom to imitate is our greatest Glory and Happiness; and likewife by his folemn Dedication of this Day to thefe Purposes. Moreover,

We fee alfo what is forbidden in this Law; namely, the Abuse and Profanation of this Day, either by neglecting the facred Offices of Religion, or proftituting it to finful and fecular Purposes.

It remains then that we remember the Sabbath or Lord's Day to keep it Holy, in the way and manner describ'd; and as carefully avoid all Neglect and Profanation of it: that fo refting from our Labours on this Day, we may fhortly reft from all our Labours, and be receiv'd into that everlasting Reft which remains for the People of God.

Honour thy Father and thy Mother, that thy Days may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

H

AVING finifh'd the four Commandments of the
First Table, which more immediately refpect our
Duty to God;

I proceed to thofe of the Second Table, which more particularly relate to our Duty to Man. The

First whereof is contain'd in thefe Words, Honour thy Father and thy Mother, &c. where we have a Precept, Honour thy Father and thy Mother; and a Promise annex'd to it, That thy Days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee: call'd therefore the firft Commandment with Promife. In handling these Words, I must begin with the Precept; and therein enquire,

First, Whom we are to understand here by Father and Mother? And,

Secondly, What is the Honour we are requir'd to give them? For the

First, By Father and Mother here we are to understand, ift, Our Natural Parents that begat us, not excluding our Grandfathers and Grandmothers that begat them, and from whom we mediately derive our Being: thefe are call'd Fathers of the Flesh, and both in Scripture and common Ufe are generally ftyl'd Fathers and Mothers.

2dly, Kings and Queens are in Scripture Diale&t frequently fo ftyl'd; and all that are in any Temporal Authority over us are often call'd by the Name of Fathers, because they fucceed in that Power and Authority, which Fathers originally had over thofe that defcended from them. Thus Adam, Noah, and the reft of the Patriarchs, were both Fathers and Kings to all their Pofterity; having the Power of Life and Death, and in all things ruling and reigning over them. The Kings of the Philistines were generally fyl'd Abimelech, which fignifies the King my Father, as we read Gen.20. and Princes are ftill call'd Patres Patria, Fathers of their Country. The Prophet Isaiah ftyles Kings nurfing Fathers, and Queens nurfing Mothers, from that tender Care they have, or fhould have, in foftering and defending the Church.

3dly, By Father and Mother here we understand likewife our fpiritual Fathers, that begat us again unto God; fuch are the Bishops and Paftors of the Church, by whofe Bleffing and Inftructions we are born again to a lively Hope : hence St. Paul declares himself a Father to the Corinthians, because he had begotten them again unto Chrift thro' the Gospel, 1 Cor. 4. 15. and elsewhere he calls the Galatians his Children, for the fame reafon. In the Old Teftament, Jofeph is faid to be a Father unto Pharaoh, Gen. 45. 8. And Elifba calls the Prophet Elijah his Father, 2 Kings 1. 12.

And

And we know the Name of Fathers is continu'd to the Bishops and Paftors of the Church to this Day.

4thly, The Mafters and Miftreffes of Families, are in Scripture fometimes ftyl'd Fathers and Mothers; and that not only with refpect to their Children, but likewife to their Servants, of whom they have the Care and Overfight. Hence the Mafter is ftyl'd Pater-Familias, the Father of the Family; and Naaman the Syrian is call'd a Father by his Servants, 2 Kings 5. 13.

Lastly, All Superiors in Age, Wisdom, and Knowledge, are here compriz'd under the Titles of Father and Mother: thus the Antients are ftyl'd Fathers, and we are bid to rife up and reverence the grey Hairs of venerable Antiquity. The Senators of Rome were call'd Patres Confcripti, and the younger were requir'd to reverence them: all that excel'd in the Knowledge of any Art or Science, or taught them to others, were call'd Fathers. Thus Fabal is faid to be the Father of all that dwell in Tents, and Jubal the Father of all that handle the Harp or Organ, Gen. 4. 20, 21. because they first invented and inftructed others in the Use and Knowledge of them. And St. Paul advifes Timothy to intreat the Elder Men as Fathers, and the Elder Women as Mothers, 1 Tim. 5. 1, 2.

In fhort then, all Parents both Natural and Civil, all that are any way above us in Place, Parts, Power, Age, or Office, are here comprehended under the Style of Fathers and Mo thers. From whence I proceed,

Secondly, To confider the Honour here requir'd to be paid to them: And this in general imports all that decent and becoming Behaviour which is to be fhewn to all that are in any of those foremention'd ways above us; for this Commandment being an Abstract of our Duty to Superiors, the Honour here enjoin'd muft comprize the whole of our Duty towards them. And this may be reduc'd to these two Heads:

(.) An honourable and befitting Efteem of them in our Mind. And,

(2.) A decent Demeanour towards them with our Body: the one is the inward, the other the outward Honour, that is to be given to them.

(1.) To honour Father and Mother, is to think honoura bly and worthily of all our Superiors; for fo the word Honour in the Original fignifies, not to account lightly of a

thing, but to efteem it of weight and moment. To esteem lightly of a Perfon, is to defpife him; and to fet a Value upon another, is to honour him: accordingly we are here commanded to have our Superiors in great account, to fet a due price and value upon them, and to have them in veneration. And indeed the Excellency ftamp'd upon them, by which God hath made them our Superiors, may challenge this from us, to look upon them as rais'd above the common Level, to be vefted with fome Authority over us, and to be regarded accordingly. Now this inward Honour includes Love, Fear, and other Affections of the Mind, according to the different Nature, Quality, and Degrees of Superiority they may have over us. Befide which, we are,

(2.) To exprefs this inward Honour of the Mind by the outward Reverence of the Body; rifing up to our Superiors, as Solomon did to his Mother Bathsheba, uncovering the Head, and bowing the Body to them; fpeaking honourably of them upon all Occafions, giving them the Cap and the Knee, and all other outward Tokens and Signs of Honour. This is in general the Honour here commanded, and is due to all our Superiors.

More particularly, Children are to honour their Natural Parents;

1. By loving them with a fincere and intire Affection, as thofe from whom they receiv'd their Being.

2. By fearing and reverencing of them; for fo it is requir'd, Levit. 9. 3. Ye shall fear every Man his Father and Mother.

3. By obeying of them and hearkning to their Counfel and Inftructions; fo the Apostle directs, Children obey your Parents in all things, for this is well pleafing unto God; Col. 3. 20.

4. By rendring them all Gratitude and Retribution: Let Children fhew all Piety at home, and requite their Parents, for this is good and acceptable before God; 1 Tim. 5. 4. Confidering the tender Care of Parents in their Breeding, Maintenance, and Education, before they could help themfelves, they ftand oblig'd to relieve, fuccour, and support them under all their Wants and Weaknefs; this Nature itfelf prompts us to, and all civil Nations have ever own'd and practis'd it.

Again, we are to honour our Civil Parents and Governors;