8. A fourth duty which children owe to their parents, is the assisting them in their wants, of what kind soever they be, whether sickness or weakness of body, decay of understanding, or lowness of estate. In all these the child is bound to assist them, according to his ability. For the two former, weakness of body and infirmity of mind, none can doubt of the duty, when they remember how every child did in his infancy receive the same benefits from his parents. The child had then no strength to support, no understanding to guide itself. But the care of the parent supplied both these: and therefore in common gratitude, when either of these becomes the parent’s case, the child is to perform the same office again. Likewise, as to the relieving their poverty, it is but just to sustain thy parents, who formerly sustained thee. And that this is also implied in _honouring our father and mother_, our Lord himself teaches. For when he accuses the Pharisees of _rejecting the commandment of_ God, _that they might cleave to their own traditions_, he instances in this particular, concerning the relieving of parents. Hence it is manifest, this is a part of the duty, which is enjoined in the fifth commandment. And such a duty it is, that no pretence whatever can release us from the performance of it. This should be carefully observed. No fault of the parent can acquit a child of this duty. For as St. _Peter_ tells servants, that they must _be subject_, out of conscience toward God, not only to _good and gentle_ masters, _but also to the froward_: so certainly it concerns children, to perform every instance of filial duty, not only to kind and virtuous parents, but to the harshest and wickedest. For tho’ gratitude to a kind and tender parent, be a forcible motive to make a child pay his duty, yet that is not the principal, and much less the only ground for it. This is laid in the authority of God, who commands us to honour our parents. And therefore, were we to suppose a parent to have been so unnatural, as never to have done any thing to oblige a child, yet notwithstanding this, the commandment of God would remain in its full force: and what is prescribed therein we are bound to perform, whether the tie of gratitude be added or no.
Directions _to_ Servants.
1. ST. _Paul_ confirms his directions to _masters_ by that consideration, that they also _have a master in heaven, and there is no respect of persons with him_. He regards no man’s outward condition: the poor and the rich are the same to him, and the servant is as his master. And the apostle, it seems, had learned of him, to be _without respect of persons_. For he has the same care for servants as for their masters, and is as large in his advices to them: nay, much more so; probably considering, that they had fewer advantages of education, and fewer opportunities of instruction. He is therefore remarkably particular in his directions to these, which are given at large in the epistle to the _Ephesians_, and to the _Colossians_. He gives them farther directions in the first epistle to _Timothy_, and again in the epistle to _Titus_. If we add hereto the advices given them by St. _Peter_, we shall have a full account of the duties of Christian servants.
2. The great duty required of all servants is _subjection_ or _obedience_ to their masters. So St. _Peter_ (_1 Pet._ ii. 18.) _Servants be subject to your masters_; St. _Paul_, _exhort servants to be subject to their own masters_: and again, both to the _Ephesians_ and _Colossians_, (_Eph._ vi. 5. _Col._ iii. 22.) _Servants, obey your masters after the flesh_. Allowing that these are your masters only in a qualified sense, and only during this state of flesh and blood; allowing you have but one proper, absolute master, to whom you owe unlimited subjection: yet to these also, as being invested with a part of his power, you owe a limited obedience and subjection.
3. Indeed this obedience varies according to the various kinds of service wherein servants are connected with their masters. The sorts of servants most common among us are, 1. _Labourers_, or workmen, with whom we agree by the day, to do such work at such a price, and who accordingly _serve_ us during that time: 2. _Journeymen_, whom we agree with for a longer space, to assist us in our calling, on such conditions: 3. _Houshold servants_, who usually contract by the year, to perform, on the considerations specified, either some particular branch of houshold work, or (if there be only one servant) all manner of work whatever from time to time is needful to be done in the family. 4. _Apprentices_, who are engaged for several years, chiefly to serve their masters in their particular trade or calling. Now, how far are all or any of these obliged in conscience, to _obey and be subject to their own masters_?