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in them as a member of civil society. Lay this to heart, and surely the judgments of God on the land will lay you low. You will cry for mercy for yourself and the people. The law will drive you to Christ. There you will find relief, pardon for the past, and grace to walk in God's laws for the future. Do this, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall be with you.

SERMON XL.

GALATIANS iii. 24.

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

IN several discourses from these words I have been opening the commandments before you for examination; and am now to conclude what is required in the fifth commandment. The precept of honouring parents is of very extensive latitude, taking in all relative duties; the principal of which have been already spoken to. You have heard the respective duties of parents and children, masters and servants, husbands and wives, ministers and people, magistrates and subjects. I have now only to add, that there is a mutual duty arising from various other distributions of distinctions, which God has settled in the world between one man and another. These divide themselves into three heads :

First.-Outward distinctions.

Secondly.-Natural gifts and acquisitions.
Thirdly. Spiritual attainments.

First.

There are outward distinctions God has distributed in the world, which, as God's providential appointments, do require observance and reverence in inferiors, and faithfulness and humility in those who are distinguished by them. Now these outward distinctions arise from a difference in quality, wealth,

or age.

First. There is a difference in quality among men. Some are high, others are low. So it is in all states, the few are distinguished by birth and rank from the many who are of less consideration. But who has made this difference? 'It is the Lord that maketh poor, and maketh rich; he bringeth low, and

lifteth up.'* And if it be God's doing to put others in the world over your head, you must be sure to see God's hand in it, and to own God's allotment herein by reverencing those whom he hath advanced in the world above you. You must on no consideration destroy what God has established; adopt a levelling principle, because you think yourself wiser or better than your superiors; indeed you may be so, and therefore think yourself upon equality with the foremost, and disdain to set your foot behind them: for, after all that can be said, they are still your superiors, and God has made them so, and it will be your duty to honour and reverence them as such. There are still some outward remains of this reverence preserved in our corner of the land. People of a lower class are generally wont to uncover themselves to those of higher appearance, even though they be strangers. The usage is commendable and decent; and, as it is a proper acknowledgment of reverence to God in the persons of our superiors, as well as expressive of the different relations we bear one to another under God's government, so would it be well if it served to put us in mind of that inward honour which every superior in rank has a title to from us by God's appointment.-But then, on the other hand, has God set some in station and rank before others? With what design, I pray you? What, for their glory, or his own? Surely he means not that their inferiors should be their slaves; nor has made the distinction to gratify pride. Yet distinction in station is a great temptation to a corrupted heart. What a deal of pride on this consideration may be seen in the world! what a lawlessness is it apt to give to our hearts in treating with those beneath us! how little apt are we to bear with them, and to be gentle towards them! what liberties are we ready to use with them, their characters and conduct! how forward to be hasty and peevish with them, to rate and scold them; and all through a proud abuse of our superiority over them. I say there is not a man in the world who has not more or less mistreated his inferiors because they are such; behaving in such manner to them as to have betrayed the pride of his heart, and a want of a due sense of the Author of that distribution which alone has set him in a state of eminence above others. Nabal's tem

* 1 Sam. ii. 7.

6

per is that which is natural to our hearts, and his language is expressive of a deportment we are but too apt to fall into to wards our inferiors; Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? There be many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master.'* And then, besides this matter of mistreating inferiors, what a swelling and boasting has there always been in the world upon family and extraction, manifested in a secret disdain of such as are of lower birth, and in a haughty carriage towards them! And, on the whole, how far short have all come of that courtesy of conduct and unfeigned condescension to those of the lowest rank, which would denote a heart duly sensible of the majesty of that God from whom this distinction was received, and for whose glory it was bestowed ?— They are very few, indeed but one in this kingdom, that are not inferiors in respect of others above them; and there ́ are not many who have not some under them; so that this head may afford matter of examination to the most of us on both the parts; and concerning both I may venture to lay it down as a certain rule, that as far as we have been stubborn inferiors we' have been haughty superiors; as, on the other side, whoever bears it with a high hand to those beneath him, can never brook reverently and humbly to stoop unto those above him. Secondly.-Wealth makes another difference among men, and obliges to honour and reverence. Riches come of God,'+ the Scripture assures us; and, if they do, God does by them mark out for respect those to whom he gives them. Now God means that we should honour those whom he himself honours. Say the worst; say a rich man uses his riches covetously, luxuriously, selfishly, proudly; yea, say he uses them oppressively, to crush and do wrong to those who are poorer; yet, when you have said all, you have only said it is a difficult matter to respect such an one because of his riches; still God has made him rich, and therefore he must be respected. The rich must be respected because they are rich, not because of the use they make of their riches. If they make a right use of them they have a title to our reverence in another character, and we must respect them not only because they are rich, but also because they are good. The deceit, iniquity, and pride of our hearts, do in no+1 Chron. xxix. 12.

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* 1 Sam. xxv. 10.

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thing show themselves more plainly than by the pretences we are ready to make for bearing no inward honour and reverence toward superiors of every kind. How ready the plea is, He does not do his duty, he is a bad man, one cannot have any honour for him. True, not as a man, not as a Christian; in that light you cannot reverence him; but, as one whom God has distinguished, you may and must honour him; it is no excuse that he is a bad man; the point is, God has honoured him by giving him distinction in his government of the world, and therefore you cannot withdraw your reverence without denying God's hand in the matter, and rejecting his authority.—As the rich must be honoured by others, so it is their duty to honour themselves by an humble temper of mind, and a sincere endeayour to use their riches to the glory of God. You may see the whole of the rich man's Christian temper and conduct in that direction given to Timothy; Charge them who are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.* Let all who are rich in this world examine themselves by this passage. Have they not been high-minded, puffed up on their wealth? The heart is ready to suggest, in such circumstances, Now I am somebody; to swell and grow big upon it; to look down upon others; and to make little account of the gifts of such as are poorer. • The rich man is wise in his own conceit,'t saith Solomon, as if money did necessarily bring wisdom along with it. Have they not trusted in their riches?' not trusted in them instead of God? I am sure we are naturally apt to trust in anything rather than in the Lord, for it is only when we have found by experience there is help for us no way else that we shall trust in him. And how peculiarly difficult not to trust in our wealth, when we see it affording us all the supports, comforts, and conveniences of the world, and to appearance delivering us from the possibility of want? Have they done good with their money? For this reason have they valued and in this view have they used * 1 Tim. vi. 17, 18, 19. + Prov. xxviii. 11.

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