ther tliat thy days may be lonj^." Nothing sooner sliortens life than disohcdience to parents. Absalom was a disobedient son Avho sought to deprive his father of his life and crown, and he did not live out half his days ; the mule he rode upon, as being wearv of such a burden, left him hanging in the oak betwixt heaven and earth, as not fit to tread upon the one, or to enter into the other. Obedience to parents spins out thy life, — " that thy days may be hmg." Nor doth obedience to parents only lengthen life but sweeten it : therefore it i'ollows, " that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God givetli thee." To
live long, and not to have a foot of land, is a misery ; but obedience to parents settles land of inheritance upon the child. " Hast thou but one blessing, O my father ?" s^iiid Esau. Behold, God hath more blessings for an obedient child than one ; not only shall he have a long life, but a fruitful land ; and not only shall he have land, but land given in love, — " the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." Thou shalt have thy land not only with God's leave, but with his love. All which are cogent argu- ments to make children honour and obey their parents.
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ExoD. XX. 12. Honour thy Father-
Use 1st. IF we are to honour our fathers on earth, then much more our Father in heaven : Mai. i. 6., " If then I be a father, where is my honour ?" A father is but the instrument of conveying life, but God is the original cause of our being, Ps. c. 3., " It is lie that hath made us, and not we our- selves." Honour and adoration is a pearl which belongs only to the crown of heaven. And,
L We shew honour to our heavenly Fa- ther, by obeying him. Thus Christ honour- ed his Father, John vi. 38., " I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me." This he calls honouring of God, John viii. 29., " I do always those things that please him," v. 49., " I honour my father." The wise men did not only bow the knee to Christ, but presented him with " gold and myrrh," Mat. ii. IL : so we must not only bow the knee, give God adoration, but bring him presents, give liim golden obedience.
2. We shew honour to our heavenly Fa- ther, by appearing adv^ocates in his cause, and standing up for his truth in an adulte- rous generation. That son honours his fa- ther who stands up in his defence, and vin- dicates him when he is calumniated and re- proached. Do they honour God who are ashamed of him? John xii. 42., " Many believed on him, but did not confess him," They are bastard-sons who are ashamed to
own their heavenly Father ; such as are born of God, are steeled with courage for his truth, they are like the rock which no waves can break, — like the adamant which no sword can cut. Basil was a chamjnon for truth in the time of the emperor Valens ; and Athanasius, when the world was Arian, appeared for God.
3. We show honour to our heavenly Fa- ther, by ascribing the honour of all Ave do to him, 1 Cor. xv. 10., " I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of (iod which was with me." If a Christian hath any assistance in dutv, aiiv strength against corruption, he rears uj) a pillar and writes upon it, " hitherto hath the Lord helped me." As Joab, when lie had fought against Rabbah, and had like to have taken it, sent for king David, that he might carry away the honour of the victory, 2 Sam. xii. 27., so, when a child of God hath any conquest over Satan, he gives all tJie honour to God. Hypocrites (whoso lamp is fed with the oil of vain-glory) while they do any eminent service for Go<l, seek themselves ; and so their very serving of him is a dishonouring him.
4. We show honour to our heavenly Fa- ther, by celebrating his praise, Ps. Ixxi. 8,, " Let my mouth be filled with thy ])raise, and with thv honour all the day." Rev. v. 13., " Blessing, honour, glory and ])()wer, be unto him that sits upon ll:c throne"
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or THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT.
Blcssiiifj God is lioiionrinn^ of God ; it liKts him 111) in the eyes of others; it spreads Iiis faiTie and rcnosvii in tlie world. In this manner the anj>els, the choristers of heaven, are now honouring (jod, they truni[)et iorth his praise ; in prayer, wc act like saints, in praise liUe angels.