him to grant them an afylum at Mizpeh.

Let my

father and my mother," fays he," I pray thee, come "forth and be with you, till I know what God will ❝ do for me. And he brought them," it is added, before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the hold *.??.

The next inftance to be mentioned, and which we have already adverted to, is Solomon. From the great refpect he paid to his mother, when he was grown to man's eftate, and had ascended the throne of Ifrael, it may be fairly concluded, that he held all that duty we have been explaining and enforcing in the greatest reverence. And his dutiful carriage to his parents was one ftriking proof of that wifdom, for which he is fo much celebrated in facred writ. The particular I refer to was his behaviour to his mother when the demanded an audience of him. It is faid, "the king "rofe up to meet her, and bowed himfelf unto her, "and fat down on his throne, and caufed a feat to be "fet for the king's mother; and the fat on his right • hand +."

The obedience of the Rechabites to the commands. of Jonadah their father, and in inftances too of a very felf-denial nature, is held up by the prophet Jeremiah to the view of the Jews, in order to expofe the exceeding great undutifulness of their carriage towards God, who had acted the part of a father towards them. Jonadab had folemnly forbidden their drinking wine all their days, and building houfes, and cultivating vineyards and fields, for reafons too particular to be here explained. They were obedient, no temptation 3 could prevail on them to violate their father's com

*

■ Sam. xxii. 3, 4.24 † 1 Kings ii, 19 J

mands.

mands. Wherefore this message is sent them by the prophet, in the hearing of the Jews." Because ye "have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your fa

ther, and kept all his precepts, and done according ek unto all that he hath commanded you; therefore thus "faith the Lord of hofts, the God of Ifrael, Jonadab "the fon of Rachab fhall not want a man to ftand "before me for ever *" : zlibros bal dit ad bas

66

We might mention other ftriking examples both in the Old and New Teftaments, but that of our Lord Jefus Chrift fhall fuffice. It is faid of him, when he was twelve years old, that "he went down "with his parents from Jerufalem to Nazareth, and was fubject unto them. And he increafed in wisdom "and ftature, and in favour with God and man †.” And the affectionate attention he paid to them through the whole of his life, may be easily imagined from the tender words which dropped from his lips in the very article of death. Seeing his mother and the difciple whom he loved, ftanding by the crofs on which he was expiring, he faid to her, “Woman, behold "thy fon!" and then to the difciple, "Behold thy "mother!" meaning thereby to commend them to each others cordial regards. And the facred historian immediately adds, "From that hour that difci"ple took her unto his own houfe t." How admirable an example this! and what a deep fense must our Saviour have had upon his mind of the importance of filial duty, thus folemnly to enjoin it, in effect upon us all, with his expiring breath!

Thus have we urged upon children the duties they owe their parents, by arguments drawn from the light

of

* Jer. xxxv. 18, 19. † Luke ii. 51, 52. ‡ John xix. 25, 26, 27.

of nature the exprefs command of God-and the examples of perfons eminent for wisdom, virtue, and piety. Weigh these arguments, children, we beseech you, and resist the force of them if you can. Should you however be infenfible to them, you will forfeit all claim to humanity and good fenfe, as well as religion. On the contrary, fhould you feel their force, and be difpofed cordially to obey your parents in the Lord, we are authorized by the word of God to affure you, that it shall be well with you in this world, and in that which is to come.

Servants, be obedient to them that are your mafters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in fingleness of your heart, as unto Chrift: not with eyefervice, as men pleafers, but as the fervants of Chrift, doin the will of God from the heart; with goodwill doing fervice, as to the Lord, and not to men ; knowing that whatfoever good thing any man doth, the fame fhall be receive of the Lord, whether be be bond or free.

H

AVING confidered the duties of parents and children, we proceed to explain and enforce thofe of masters and fervants. Previous to this it will be neceffary to inquire into the true origin and grounds of this relation. The difcuffion of this queftion will throw a light upon our fubject, and prepare us to receive the apoftolic inftructions in our text.

Here then we shall lay down the following pofitions, which have an evident connection with and dependence on each other-Men, as men, are equal—

Their condition in life is various and unequal--They are not fufficient to their own fupport, and therefore ftand in need of one another's affiftance-But effectual affistance can only be rendered in a way that requires authority on the one part and obedience on the other-Authority and obedience are, however, the refult of voluntary agreement-And, where thefe are properly adjusted, there will be a pretty equal distribution of happiness.

I. Men, as men, are equal.

What I mean is, that we all poffefs one common nature, and therefore the rights and duties of humanity are common to all. Every individual, whether a prince or a peafant, derives from the fame ftock, is compofed of the fame conftituent parts, is born into the world after the fame manner, is nourished alike by the produce of the earth, is alike liable to death, and in the end reduced alike to dust and corruption. We are all formed on one plan, poffeffed of the fame faculties and paffions, capable of the fame joys and forrows, fubject to the fame wants and cafualties, and are all alike amenable at the tribunal of God, who is no refpecter of perfons, but will deal with men according to their moral and religious character, and not their external dignity, power or wealth. He hath made “ of one blood," fays the apoftle to the Athenians, 66 all nations o of men, for to dwell on all the face of "the earth *." To the like purpose Solomon tells us, The rich and poor meet together, the Lord is "the maker of them all t." So Job, when fpeaking of the humane treatment his fervants had met with at his hands, adds, " Did not he that made me in the "womb, -L..p: 9180302 th M *Acts xyii. 26.

+ Prov. xxii. 2.