"husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is "the head of the Church. Therefore as the Church "is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their " own husbands in every thing." "Ye wives be in "subjection to your own husbands, that if any obey "not the word, they also may without the word be "won by the conversation of the wives, while they " behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear." (i) "The contentions of a wife are a continual dropping." " A prudent wife is from the Lord. The heart of her "husband doth safely trust in her: she will do him "good and not evil all the days of her life.. She "openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue " is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the "ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of "idleness. Her children rise up, and call her blessed; " her husband also, and he praiseth her." (k)

Parents and Children. "Ye fathers, provoke not " your children to wrath; but bring them up in the " nurture and admonition of the Lord; having them "in subjection with all gravity." "Train up a child "in the way he should go, and when he is old he will "not depart from it." "Chasten thy son betimes, " while there is hope; and let not thy soul spare for "his crying. For foolishness is bound up in the "heart of a child: but the rod and reproof give

(i) Proh quales feminas habent Christiani! said Libanius: -О! what excellent wives the Christians have!

(*) Col. iii. 19. Eph. v. 25-30, 31. 1 Pet. iii. 7. Eph. v. 33. 22, 23, 24. 1 Pet. iii. 1, 2. Prov. xix. 13, 14. xxxi. 11, 12. 26, 27, 28.

"wisdom: withhold not correction, and thou shalt " deliver his soul from hell." "The children ought "not to lay up for the parents: but the parents for "the children." " If any provide not for those of "his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is 66. worse than an infidel." "Children, obey your parents " in the Lord; for this is right. Obey your parents " in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord." "Honour thy father and thy mother (which is the "first commandment with promise) that it may be " well with thee, and that thou mayest live long on "the earth." " The eye which mocketh at his father, " and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the " valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall " eat it." (l)

Masters and Servants. "Masters, give unto your " servants that which is just and equal, forbearing "threatening; knowing that ye also have a Master in "heaven; neither is there respect of persons with " him." "Despise not the cause of thy man-servant, "or of thy maid-servant, when they contend with "thee. Did not he that made thee in the womb make "him? And did not one fashion us all in the womb?" "Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour, but shalt "fear thy God." "Servants, be obedient to them " that are your masters according to the flesh; not with " eye-service, as men-pleasers; but in singleness of " heart, fearing God." "Servants, obey your masters

(1) Eph. vi. 4. 1 Tim. iii. 4. Prov. xxii. 6. xix. 18. xiii. 24. xxii. 15. xxiii. 13, 14. xxix. 15. 2 Cor. xii. 14. 1 Tim. v. 8. Eph. vi. 1, 2, 3. Col. iii. 20. Prov. xxx. 17.

" in all things, and please them well; not answering

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again, not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity." " Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, "not only to the good and gentle, but also to the "froward: for this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience-sake towards God endure grief, suffering " wrongfully." "Be content with your wages." (m) Magistrates and Subjects. "The judges and

" officers that shall be rulers over you shall be able

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men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covet" ousness. They shall judge the people at all seasons, " and hear the causes between their brethren, and " judge righteously between every man and his brother, " and the stranger that is with him." " They shall " not wrest judgment; they shall not respect persons " in judgment: but they shall hear the small as well as "the great. They shall not respect the person of the "poor, nor honour the person of the mighty; neither "take a gift; for a gift doth blind the eyes of the " wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. They "shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the "judgment is God's." "It is an abomination to "kings to commit wickedness; for the throne is "established by righteousness." "The prince shall " not take of the people's inheritance by oppression, "to thrust them out of their possession." "Mercy " and truth preserve the king: and his throne is " upholden by mercy." "Take away the wicked Job, xxxi. 13, 15. Lev. xxv. 43 Tit. ii. 9, 10. 1 Pet. ii. 18, 19.

(m) Col. iv. 1. Eph. vi. 9. Eph. vi. 5, 6, 7, 8. Col. iii. 22. Luke, iii. 14.

"Let every soul

"from before the king, and his throne shall be " established in righteousness." " be subject unto the higher powers; for there is no "power but of God: the powers that be are or"dained of God. Whosoever, therefore, resisteth "the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and "they that resist shall receive to themselves "damnation: for rulers are not a terror to good "works, but to the evil. Wilt thou not then be "afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and " thou shalt have praise of the same; for he is the "minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do " that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not " the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, " a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth " evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only " for wrath, but also for conscience-sake. For this " cause pay you tribute also; for they are God's mes" sengers." " Submit yourself to every ordinance of " man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king,

as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that " are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and " for the praise of them that do well." (n)

You can scarcely fail to remark, that the exhortations to these and other relative duties are independent of character. We are commanded to be dutiful to parents, affectionate to children, kind to servants, just to subjects, obedient to magistrates and monarchs,

(n) Deut. xvi. 18, 19. i. 13, 16, 17. Exod. xviii. 21, 22. Lev. xix. 15. Prov. xvi. 12. Ezek. xlvi. 18. Prov. xx. 28. xxv. 5. Rom. xiii. 1, 2-6. 1 Pet. ii. 13-16.

absolutely; and not merely dutiful to tender parents, affectionate and communicative of instruction to dutiful children, diligent under the employment of kind masters, obedient to wise governors, and so on; which appears to me a mark of great wisdom in the deliverance of such injunctions. For, we thence learn, that though the extent of obligation to several duties may perhaps vary in some slight degree with the conduct of the individuals towards whom the respective sorts of behaviour are due, yet that the obligation itself results from the mutual relation subsisting between the persons, so that each particular duty must be performed, or we are criminal: whereas, if the relative duties were made to depend upon character, they would depend upon interpretation of character, which may often be erroneous; and a man's mind, nay, his fancy, would, in reference to his duties to others, become his law, his tribunal, and his judge.

There is an important class of reciprocal duties arising from the connexion subsisting between pastors or ministers of churches, and their flocks; but these diverge into too many separate branches to be adequately treated in small compass. I therefore proceed to notice, though with infinitely more brevity than is commensurate with their immense moment,

III. DUTIES TO GOD. In the Gospel we have imparted to us the noblest and most exalted conceptions of the Supreme Being; and the various relations in which he has been pleased to manifest himself as sustaining, in respect of his creatures and of his people, are amply revealed; while the corresponding duties