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(b) That they are not to provoke their children to wrath 1.

(c) That they are to provide for their own families 2. The duties enjoined are

(a) To endeavour by all means to give children a true spirit of piety, and to correct all their faults(b) to treat them with kindness, and not by undue severity to alienate them from their natural advisers and protectors(c) to provide for their comfortable subsistence, or to enable them, by a proper education, to gain subsistence for themselves.

9. Duty of the Civil Magistrate to the People. The New Testament commands us

(a) That whatsoever we do, we do all to the glory of God 3.

(b) That rulers are the ministers of God for good

to men.

(c) That they are to praise those who do well.

(d) That they are not to be a terror to good works but to the evil-and not to bear the sword in vain against the evil doers o.

The duties enjoined are

(a) To observe God's commandments by abstaining from all violence, oppression, exaction, and injustice

-(b) (c) to promote God's cause in the world-by their good example-by earnest endeavours to maintain and promote the cause of religion (d) to check and suppress vice and immorality by every means in their power, and, if need be, even by just punishment of the offenders.

1 Eph. vi. 4; Col. iii. 21. 4 Rom. xiii. 3.

31 Cor. x. 31.

2 1 Tim. v. 8.

5 Ibid. ver. 4.

6 Ibid.

10. Duties of Spiritual Pastors to their people. These duties are already set forth fully in p. 140, et seq.-and are

To have the heart affected with an ardent love of Christ, and a zealous concern for the salvation of souls

-to apply seriously and constantly to the study of the Holy Scriptures; and to teach nothing as required of necessity to eternal salvation, but what may be concluded and proved by them-to give diligent heed to instruct the people committed to their charge in the principles and duties of Christ's holy Religionto live suitably to the sacredness of their character, that they may be wholesome patterns to the flock of Christ.

11. Duty of Masters to Servants.

The New Testament teaches us

(a) That masters are to do what is just and right to their servants, remembering that they have a Master in heaven 1.

(b) That, as servants are to do service, as to the Lord, and not to men, so their masters are to do the same things to them, and forbear threatenings 2.

The duties enjoined are

(a) Not to lay too much work on servants, nor to expect too much from them-(b) to be just to them both in temporals and spirituals; i. e. not to defraud or abridge them of what is due to them, as wages or recompence for their service.- -not to defraud them of the time which is necessary for them to do their duty to God, but to remind them of that duty-not to expose them to temptation, nor to encourage them to

1 Col. iv. 1.

2 Eph. vi. 9.

3 See especially James v. 4.

sin by a bad example, but to remember that masters are responsible to God, their Master, for their conduct to those under their authority, and to endeavour to lead them, both by example and good advice, to the ways of holiness(b) to be kind and gentle to servants, both in speech and manner.

12. Duty of Husbands to wives.

The New Testament, in addition to the injunctions (a) in p. 233, teaches us

(b) That husbands are to love and cherish their wives'.

(c) That they are not to be bitter against them 2. (d) That they are to dwell with their wives according to knowledge, giving honour to the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life'.

The duties enjoined are

(a) To be faithful to the wife- (b) to love and protect her(c) to be kind to her in manner and speech, to bear patiently with her faults, and carefully restrain all tendency to anger or bitterness against her

(d) to endeavour by instruction, advice, and exhortation, to give her right views of religion; that so, under God's blessing, their union may be a means of fixing the thoughts of both on the life to come, and of leading them to prepare for it.

13. Duty of Superiors to Inferiors.

The New Testament teaches

(a) That the rich should not be high-minded'.

1 Eph. v. 28, 29. and 33,

31 Pet. iii. 7.

2 Col. iii. 19.

4 1 Tim. vi. 17.

(b) That they should condescend to men of low estate, and not show disrespect to any poor man 1. (c) That God is no respecter of persons.

(d) That they should not shut up their compassion from their brethren who have need 2.

The duties enjoined are

(a) Not to behave arrogantly to the poor- -(b) not to despise them for their poverty and meanness, but to treat them as brethren- (c) to remember that the rich and poor are of the same esteem in God's eyes

(d) to assist their poorer brethren, and freely to impart to them the good things of the world which it has pleased God to give to themselves.

Questions concerning our obedience to God's Commandments.

Am I persuaded that all these commandments of God are holy, just, and good; and that I am indispensably obliged to observe and walk in the same all the days of my life?

Do I believe that God hath appointed a day, in which He will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, Whom He hath ordained to be the Judge of the quick and the dead?

And that I shall then personally appear before the awful tribunal of Christ, to give a strict account of all my thoughts, and words, and actions?

And that I shall be adjudged to everlasting happiness, or to everlasting misery, according to my good or ill behaviour in this life?

Has it been my sincere desire and endeavour to

James ii. 6; Rom. xii. 16.

21 John iii. 17.

live conformably to this persuasion; so as always to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men?

Where I am conscious that I have acted in any way contrary to my duty, have I humbled myself before God for all such my misdoings, and repented of them unfeignedly, and from the bottom of my heart?

Have I used my utmost endeavour to call all my sins to remembrance, and to affect my heart with a godly sorrow and contrition for them?

Have I seriously considered, and am I truly sensible, what an evil and bitter thing it is to sin against God?

What extreme folly and absurdity I have been guilty of in departing from the infallible rule of God's commandments, to follow the blind leadings of my own depraved will, and the corrupt customs of a wicked world?

What unaccountable stupidity in neglecting the most important concern of my life, and doing what in me lies to make myself miserable for ever?

What wretched madness in rendering myself obnoxious to the heavy displeasure of Almighty God, and to all those miseries that are implied in an eternal separation from His blissful presence?

What vile ingratitude in sinning against so good, so gracious a Master, and so liberal, so bountiful a Benefactor?

Against the riches of the Divine goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, which should have led me to repentance?

Against the infinite goodness and mercy of God the Father, Who made me, and has bestowed so many blessings upon me?

Against the incomprehensible loving-kindness and condescension of God the Son, Who redeemed me from everlasting death with His own blood; and has prepared for me endless and unspeakable joys in another world?

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