First, Peverence in speaking to parents : children must speak to parents respectfully, and in decent language, 1 Kings ii. 20., " Ask on, my mother," said king Solomon to his mother Hatlisheba.
Secondly, Reverence in speaking of pa- rents : children must s|)eak of their parents : honourably, — they ought to speak well of 1 them, if they deserve well, Prov. xxxi. 28., I *• Her children rise up, and call her bless-
OF THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT.
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cd." And, in case a parent lunvniys wral<- ness and indiscretion, the child shonhl make the best of it, and, by bis wise ajxdo- gicvS for his father, cover his fatlier's naked- ness.
(2.) In q-cstnre. Children are to sliew their reverence to their parents by snbniis- sive l)cha\ ioiir, — hy uncoveiiii^ the head, — bending the knee. Josej)h, though he was a great prince, and his father grown poor, yet lie bowed to him, and behaved himself as humbly, as if his father had been the prince, and he the ])oor man, Cen. xlviii. And king Solomon, when his mother came to him, rose off his throne, and " bow- ed himself to her," 1 Kings ii. 19. Among the Lacedemonians, if a cliild bad carried himself arrogantly or saucily to his father, it was lawful for the father to appoint whom he would to be bis heir. O how many cliildren are far from thus giving re- verence to their parents ! They despise their ]iavents ; they carry themselves with that pride and malapertness towards them, that they are a shame to religion, and bring their parents' grey hairs with sorrow to the grave. Deut. xxvii. 16., " Cursed be he that setteth ligiit by bis father or bis mother." If all that set light by their parents are cursed, bow many children in our age are under a curse ! If such as are disrespectful to their parents live to have children, they will be thorns in their sides, and God will make them read their sins in their punish- ment.
A. 2. The second way of shewing honour to parents, is in careful obedience : Col. iii. 20., " Children obey your parents in all things." Our Lord Christ herein set a })at- tern to children, Luke ii. 52., be was sub- ject to his parents. He to whom angels were subject, yet was subject to his parents. This obedience to parents is shown three ways :
(1.) In bearkening to tlieir counsel, Prov. i. 8., " Hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother." Parents are, as it were in the room of God ; if they would teach you the fear of the Lord, you must listen to their words as o- racles, and not be as tlie deaf adder to stop your ears. Eli's sons hearkened not to the voico of their father, 1 Sam. ii. 2.')., but
lliey w e called " sons of belial," ver. |2, And chihhen must hearken to the counsel of their ])arents, as in sjtiritual matters, so in other alfairs which relate to this l.fe ; as in the choice of a calling, and in case of en- terins: into marriajie. .Jacob would not dispose of himself in marriage (though b,i was forty years old,) without the adxiee and consent of bis parents, Cien. xxviii. I, 2. Children are as it were the parents' proper goods and possession, and it is high injustice in a child to give away herself without the parents' leave. \{' jiarcnts should indeed counsel a child to a match with one that is irreligious or ]>opish, I think the case is plain, and many of the learned are of oj)inion, that here the child may have a negative voice, and is not ob- liged to be ruled by the parent. Children are to " marry in the Lord," I Cor. vii. 3i). — Therefore not with persons irreligious, for that is not to marry in the Lord.
(2.) Obedience to parents is shown in subscribing to their commands. A child should be the parents' echo : when the fa- ther speaks, the child should echo back o- bedience. The Recbabites \vere forbidden by their father to drink wine ; and they did obey him, and were commended ft)r it, Jer. XXXV. 6. And chiUlren must obey their parents in all things, Col. iii. 20. Things that are more against the grain, and which they have most reluctance to, yet they must obey their parents. Esau would obey his father, when he commanded him to fetch him venison, because it is probable he took pleasure in hunting ; but refused to obey him in a matter of greater concern- ment, namely, in the choice of a wife. But though children must obey their ])arent8 ' in all things,' yet rcs/ri/ujifur ad Itcita ct lioucsto, — it is with this limitation, ' things just and honest.' * Obey in the L(trd,' Epb. vi. 1., that is so far as the commands of parents agree with, and are consonant to (lod's commands. If they commaiui a- gainst God, then they lose tlieir right of being obeyed, but in this case we must un- child ourselves.
(3.) Honour is to be shewn to parents, in relieving their wants. Joseph cherish- ed his father in his old age, Cun. xlvii. 12. It is but }>aying the just debt. Paients have
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OF THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT.