mandment with Promife) that it may be well with . thee, and that thou mayeft live long on the Earth.

The Honour, and Obedience, which God requires Children to render to their Parents, fhou'd chearfully be performed by them, as a Part of that Conformity, which they owe to the divine Precepts, (God having appointed their Parents to be their Teachers, Guides, and Governors) and as fome. Return (tho' not equivalent) to the Obligations they are under for their Lives, their Maintenance, their Education, and for the tender Care of them under Sickneffes, and other Afflictions, and Troubles, and for their Expences, and Diligence to introduce them into a comfortable Way of Subfiftence for themfelves, and new Families, when they are grown up to fettle in the World.

But if Children are refractory, and disobedient, if they come to defpife, and mistreat their Parents, and inftead of adminiftring Comfort to them, they bring Difgrace upon them, and occafion heartbreaking Sorrows, and Griefs unto them; they fubvert the Order, God has established, they throw the Families to which they belong into Confufion, they are found in the Number of the Rebellious, and greatly provoke the Wrath of the Almighty, and are among rebellious Perfons.

The alwife, and righteous God pronounces fuch Children rebellious, and commanded that they fhou'd be put to death. In Deut. xxi. 18, 19. the fupreme Lawgiver faid, If a Man has a stubborn, and rebellious Son, which will not obey the Voice of his Father, or the Voice of bis Mother, and that when they have chaften'd him, will not bearken unto them: Then hall bis Father and his Mother lay hold on him, and bring bim out unto the Elders of his City, and unto the Gates of bis Place: And they fhall fay unto the Elders of his City, This our Son is stubborn, and rebellicus, he will pot obey our Voice, he is a Glutton, and a Drunkard.

And

And all the Men of his City, fhall stone him with Stones, that he die: So fhalt thou put away Evil from among you, and all Ifrael fhall hear, and fear.

It appears from thefe Paffages that a Course of wilful Difobedience to Parents, was by God's Appointment a capital Crime, a Crime to be punished with Death: And that altho' the Punishment has not for many Ages been inflicted by Men, and Children on this Account are more fearless of being guilty of the Crime, God is nevertheless provoked, and it may be reasonably apprehended (tho' the guilty are fuffered to escape Punishment among Men) that God will not fuffer them to escape, when he vifits a Land for the Iniquities of those that dwell in it.

As for those whom God has appointed to be fpiritual Guides to his People, Teachers, and Minifters of his Word, we have the following Laws to direct. our Behaviour towards them, viz.

In Theff. v. 12, 13. where St. Paul fays, We befeech you Brethren, to know them, which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you and to efteem them very highly in Love for their Works Sake.

In Heb. xiii. 7. it is written, Remember them which have the Rule over you, who have spoken unto you the Word of God: Whofe Faith follow, confidering the End of their Converfation. And in the 17th Verse of that Chapter it is faid, Obey them that have the Rule over you, and fubmit yourselves: For they watch for your Souls, as they that must give Account, that they may do it with Joy, and not with Grief: For that is unprofitable for you.

Thefe divine Precepts teach us the following Particulars, viz. 1. That it is our Duty to respect, and love the Minifters of the Gofpel, and to become acquainted with those of them whofe Labours we attend. 2. That fo far as they deliver to us the

Word

Word of God, it is our Duty to receive it, and to be obedient to it: But it is our Duty also to examine every Doctrine they teach, and every 'Inftruction, which (as a Matter of Practice incumbent on us) they inculcate: We are, I fay, to examine them by the facred Scriptures, and not to receive them merely because delivered by our Teachers.

The Word of the Lord plainly fhews, he would have us to take this Course.

When our bleffed Saviour preached to the Jews, he directed, and commanded them to fearch the Scriptures, fee John v. 29. he appealed to thofe facred Writings as a Proof of the Verity of his Doctrine, faying, they, are they which testify of me.

The Commendation given of the Bereans, (Acts xvii. 11.) on the Account that they fearched the Scriptures daily (to know) whether thoje Things (the Apostle preached) were fo; that is, were according to them, is an Evidence that God wou'd have us to examine by the Scriptures, the Things we hear preached.

And our doing this is a Matter of Importance, as we may reasonably conclude from the Injunction which Chrift gives to all People, Mark iv. 24. Take heed what you hear. This Precept imports, that it is the Duty of every one, that hears, to examine by the Scriptures what is fpoken, and thereby to judge, whether it is true, and fit to be received, or not.

Further, That we are thus obliged, appears from Ifa. viii. 19, 20. in the 19th Verse the Prophet fhews the People, that they ought not to be influenced by thofe, who would perfuade them to feek for Inftruction and Direction to them that have familiar Spirits, but fhou'd apply themselves to God, and his Word, if they wou'd know his Will, and their own Duty. Shou'd not a People feek unto their God? To the Law, and to the Teftimony: If they (if Men, or Angels from Heaven) Speak not according

to

to this Word (the Word of the Lord delivered by his Servants the Prophets) it is because there is no Light (or Truth) in them.

And again, 1 John iv. 1. it is faid, Believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits, whether they are of God: Because many falfe Prophets are gone out into the World.

But if any People fhall oppofe, or obftruct the Ministers of the Gospel in the faithful Performance of their Office, and in preaching, not their own private Opinion, but the Word of God, they are guilty of an heinous Sin, and hinder the Succefs of the Gospel Ministry, and greatly provoke God; and altho' they may not be liable to Punishment from Men, yet they have Reafon to fear the the Effects of the divine Difpleasure, when the Judgments of the Almighty are brought on a Land for the Iniquities of the People.

As for Kings and fubordinate Magiftrates, God by his Law requires thofe under their Authority to honour, and to obey them.

Kings, and Queens may be confidered as political, or civil Parents. Kings fhall be thy Nurfing-fathers, and their Queens thy Nurfing-mothers, it is faid in Ifaiab xlix. 23.

The great God has faid, Honour the King (1 Pet. ii. 17.) I counsel thee to keep the King's Commandment, and that, in Regard of the Oath of God. (It is written in Eccles. viii. 2.) That first of all, Supplications, Prayers, Interceffions, and giving of Thanks be made for all Men: For Kings, and for all that are in Authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honefty. For this is good, and acceptable in the Sight of God our Saviour. (1 Tim. ii. 1, 2, 3.) Curfe not the King, no not in iby Thought. Eccles x. 21. Thou shalt not revile the Gods (the Judges, as the Word is tranflated in the Margin) nor curfe the Ruler of thy People, (Exod. xxii. 28.)

The

The holy God by his Apoftle fays, Let every Soul be fubject unto the higher Powers. For there is no Power but of God: The Powers that be, are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore refifteth the Power, refifteth the ordinance of God: And they that refift, fhall receive unto themselves Damnation. Rom. xiii. 1, 2.

And therefore, they who refufe due Honour and Obedience to the lawful Magiftrate, have Reason to be afraid of the divine Wrath in the Day when God vifits a Land for the Iniquities of the Inhabitants. The Apostle adds, Wilt thou not then be afraid of the Power, &c. Te must needs be subject not only for Wrath, but also for Confcience Sake. For, for this Caufe, pay you Tribute alfo; for they are God's Minifters, &c. Render therefore unto all their Dues: Tribute, to whom Tribute is due, Custom, to whom Cuftom, Fear, to whom Fear, Honour, to whom Honour. See Rom. xiii. 3, 5, 7.

It is a Charge committed to the Minifters of the Word of God to teach the People the Duty they owe to their civil Governours; in Tit. iii. 1. Put them in mind to be fubject to Principalities, and Powers, and to obey Magiftrates.

And the divine Law fays to the People, Submit yourselves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's Sake: Whether it be to the King, as Supreme; or unto Governours, as unto them that are fent by him for the Punishment of evil Doers, and for the Praise of them that do well. 1 Pet. ii. 13, 14.

Fear thou the LORD, and the King: And meddle not with them that are given to Change. For their Calamities fhall rise fuddenly, and who knoweth the Ruin of them both. See Prov. xxiv. 21, 22.

It may well be obferved, that those who refift Magiftrates in the right Exercife of their Authorities, and rebel against their lawful Governours, not only expose themselves to eternal Damnation in the next C

World,