I accept this of your hand? faith the Lord. Amos viii. 5. When will the new moon be gone, that we may fell corn? and the Sabbath, that we may fet forth wheat? &c.

Q. 8. What is the first reafon annexed to this commiand?

A. The first reason is the fufficient, and large allowance of time God hath given us for our civil callings, and earthly business. Six days in the week is a large allowance.

Q. 9. What is the fecond reafon annexed to this fourth command;

A. The fecond reafon is God's fanctifying and feparating this day by a fpecial command and inftitution for his fervice; fo that to pro fane this time, is to fin against an exprefs divine command?

Q. 10. What is the third reafon annexed to this command?

A. The third reafon is God's own example, who refted the feventh day from all his works, and bleffed this day, by virtue of which bleffing we are encouraged to fanctify it.

Q. 11. Is it not enough to fanctify this day in our own persons ? A. No; if God hath put any under our authority, their profaning the Sabbath will become our fin, though we be never so strict in the obfervation of it ourselves.

Q. 12. May we continue our civil employment to the last moment of our common time?

A. Except neceffity or mercy urge us, we ought to break off before, and allow fome time to prepare for the Sabbath, Luke xxiii. 54. And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on.

Q. 13. What is the firft inference from hence?

4. That we have all great caufe to be humbled for our Sabbath tranfgreffions, either in our unpreparednefs for it, our want of delight and fpirituality in it, or the due government of our families as God requires.

Q. 14. What is the fecond inference from hence ?

A. That Chriftians on the Sabbath-day have a fair occafion and help to realize to themselves the heavenly state, in which they are to live abstract from the world, and God is to be all in all to them.

Quest. 63.

W

Of the fifth Commandment.

HICH is the fifth commandment?

A. The fifth commandment is, [Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.]

Queft. 64. What is required in the fifth commandment?

A. The fifth commandment requireth the preferving the honour, and performing the duties belonging to every one in their feveral places and relations, as fuperiors, inferiors, or equals.

Queft. 65. What is forbidden in the fifth commandment?

A. The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing any

thing against the honour and duty which belongeth to every one in their feveral places and relations.

Queft. 66. What is the reafon annexed to the fifth commandment?

A. The reafon annexed to the fifth commandment is, a promife of long life and profperity (as far as it shall serve for God's glory and their own good) to all fuch as keep this commandment.

Q. 1. What relatives are directly and more especially concerned in this fifth commandment?

A. All fuperiors and inferiors are concerned in it; especially, (1.) Political fathers and their children; that is, kings and fubjects; Mark xi. 10. Bleffed be the kingdom of our father David, &c. (2.) Spiritual fathers, and their children; that is, minifters, and their people; 1 Cor, iv. 15. For though you have ten thousand inftructors in Chrift, yet have ye not many fathers, for in Chrift Jefus I have begotten you through the gospel. (3) Natural parents, and their children; Eph. vi. 1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord. (4.) All civil fuperiors and inferiors, as hufbands and wives, mafters and fervants; Eph. v. 22. Wives, fubmit yourselves unto your husbands, as unto the Lord. And Eph. vi. 5. Servants be obedient to them that are your masters, according to the flesh, &c.

Q. 2. What is the duty of political fathers, or magiftrates, to their political children, or subjects?

A. It is to rule and govern the people over whom God hath fet them with wifdom; 2 Chron. i. 10. Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people. Juftice; 2 Chron. xix. 5, 6, 7. And he fets judges in the land, throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city. And he faid to the judges, take heed what ye do; for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you, take heed, and do it, &c. And piety; 2 Sam. xxiii. 3. He that ruleth over men must be juft, ruling in the fear of God. Carefully providing for their fouls in every place of their dominion; 2 Chron. xvii. 9. And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people. And for their common outward peace and safety; 2 Chron. xvii. 12. And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly, and he built in Judah caftles and cities of ftore. Q3. What are the duties of fubjects to their rulers?

A. It is to pray for them; 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2. exhort therefore, that first of all fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men: For kings, and for all that are in authority, &c. To honour them; 1 Pet. ii. 17.-Fear God, honour the king. To obey their just laws; Rom. xiii. 1. Let every foul be subject unto the higher powers, &c. And to pay them the tribute that is due to them; Rom. xiii. 7. Render therefore to all their dues, tribute to whom tribute is due, cuftom to whom cuftom, &c.

4. What are the duties of minifters to their people?

;

A. Their duty is, (1.) To feed their flock conftantly with wholefome food; 2 Tim. iv. 2. Preach the word, be inftant in feason, and out of season; rebuke, reprove, exhort, with all long-fuffering and doctrine. (2.) To be full of bowels of tender affection to them 1 Theff. ii. 7, 8. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately defirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own fouls, because ye were dear unto us. (3.) To pray for them, Eph. i. 15, 16. Wherefore I alfo, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jefus, and love unto all the faints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. (4.) To watch over them; 1 Pet. v. 2. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the overfight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, &c. And, (5.) To walk as an example of godliness before them; Tit. ii. 7. In all things fhewing thyfelf a pattern of good works, &c. All which duties require their refidence among them; 1 Pet. v. 2. Feed the flock of God which is among you, &c.

Q. 5. What are the people's duties towards their minifters?

A. Their duty is, (1.) To efteem and love them dearly for their work's fake; Theff. v. 12, 13. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonifh you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's fake. (2.) To attend on the word preached by them, as the word of God; I Theff. ii. 13. For this caufe alfo thank we God without ceafing, because when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God. (3) To pray for them, and the fuccefs of their labours; Heb. xiii. 18. Pray for us, &c. (4) Not to receive light and malicious reports against them; 1 Tim. V. 19. Against an elder receive not an accufation, but before two or three witneffes. (5.) To make a competent and comfortable provifion for them; Gal. vi. 6. Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

Q. 6. What are the duties of natural parents to their children? A. It is their duty, (1.) To be tenderly, but not fondly affectionate to, and tender over them; Ifa. xlix. 15. Can a woman forget her fucking child, that she should not have compaffion on the fon of her womb? (2.) To educate them for God; Eph. vi. 4. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (3.) To reftrain their fins by correction; Prov. xxix. 15. The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to fhame. (4.) To provide for their livelihood; 1 Tim. v. 8. But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own houfe, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. (5.) To pray daily for them; Job i. 5. And it was fo, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that

Job fent and fanctified them, and rofe up early in the morn, and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all for Job faid, It may be that my fons have finned, and curfed God in their hearts: Thus did Job continually. (6.) To encourage them with endearing language in the way of godlinefs; Prov. xxxi. 2, 3. The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. What, my fon? and what the fon of my womb? and what the fon of my vows? Give not thy ftrength unto women, nor thy ways to that which deftroyeth kings.

Q. 7. What are the duties of children to parents?

A. Their duty is, (1.) To obey them only in the Lord; Eph. vi. 1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord. (2.) To reverence and honour them; Lev. xix. 3. Ye fhall fear every man his mother and his father, &c. (3.) To fubmit to their reproofs and corrections; Heb. xii. 9. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flefh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. (4) To provide for them, if they be poor and needy, and we have ability; Gen. xlvii. 12. And Jofeph nourished his father and his brethren, and all his father's houfhold, with bread, according to their families.

Q. 8. What fhall children do when parents abuse their authority, by forbidding duty, or commanding fin?

A. In fuch cafes children are to obey God, rather than their parents; Acts iv. 19. But Peter and John anfwered, and faid unto them, whether it be right in the fight of God, to hearken unto you, more than unto God, judge ye. But yet to manage their refufals of obedience with all meekness and humility.

Q.9. What is the firft duty of husbands to their wives?

A. The first duty, on which all other duties depend, is cohabitation with them; 1 Pet. iii. 7. Likewise ye husbands, dwell with them, according to knowledge, &c. And nothing can make this duty void, but a lawful divorce for adultery; Matth. v. 31, 32. But I fay unto you, That whofoever fhall put away his wife, faving for the caufe of fornication, caufeth her to commit adultery, &c.

Q. 10. What is the husband's fecond duty to his wife?

A. True and hearty love to foul and body; Eph. v. 25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Chrift alfo loved the church, and gave himfelf for it. Evidencing itself in careful provision for them; 1 Cor. vii. 33. But he that is married, careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife. But efpecially to their fouls, in winning them to Chrift; 1 Cor. vii. 16 Or, how knoweft thou, O man, whether thou fhalt fave thy wife? And building them up in Chrift; 1 Pet. iii. 7. Likewife ye husbands, dwell with them according to know ledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker veffel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.

Q. 11. What are the duties of wives to their husbands?

A. It is their duty, (1.) to be in fubjection to their own husbands;

Eph. v. 22, 23. Wives, fubmit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord: For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church. (2.) To reverence them; Eph. v. 33. And the wife fee that the reverence her husband. (3.) To exprefs their reverence in fuitable words and actions; 1 Pet. iii. 6. Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, &c. (4.) To be faithful to them; Prov. xxxi. 12. She will do him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. (5.) To adorn their relation with meekness, and quietnefs of fpirit; 1 Pet. iii. 4. But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet fpirit, which is in the fight of God of great price. Q. 12. What are the duties of fervants to their masters?

A. It is their duty, (1.) To be faithful in all things committed to their charge; Tit. ii. 10. Not purloining, but the wing all good fidelity, &c. (2.) To honour them in all refpectful words and carriages; 1 Tim. vi. 1. Let as many fervants as are under the yoke, count their own masters worthy of all honour, &c. (5.) To bear patiently their rebukes; 1 Pet. ii. 18, 19. Servants, be fubject to your mafters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but alfo to the froward. For this is thank-worthy, if a man for confcience toward God endure grief, fuffering wrongfully.

Q. 13. What is the firft duty of mafters to their fervants?

4. The first duty is to rule over them with gentleness, and not with terror and rigour; Eph. vi. 9. And ye mafters, do the fame things unto them, forbearing threatening: Knowing that your Mafter also is in heaven, neither is there refpect of perfons with him.

Q. 14. What is the fecond duty of mafters to their fervants? A. To pay them their wages fully, and without delay; Deut. xxiv. 14, 15. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy ftrangers that are in thy land within thy gates. At his day thou fhalt give him his hire, neither shall the fun go down upon it, for he is poor, and fetteth his heart upon it; left he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be fin unto thee. And to provide food for them convenient; Prov. xxvii. 27. And thou fhalt have goat's-milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy houfhold, and for maintenance for thy maidens.

Q. 15. What is the third duty of mafters to their fervants? A. The third and principal duty is, to engage them as much as in them lies, to the ways of God, and duties of religion, as Abraham did; Gen. xviii. 19. For I know him, that he will command his children, and his houfhould after him, and they fhall keep the way of the Lord, &c. And Joshua, Jofh. xxiv. 15 But as for me and my houfe, we will ferve the Lord.

Of the fixth Commandment.

HICH is the fixth commandment?

Quest. 67.

VOL. VI.

A. The fixth commandment is,[Thou shalt not kill.]

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