es, contribute to her cheerfulness, encourage her virtues, discover a fatisfaction in her difcreet behavior, and joyfully accept her friendly affiftance in the government of the family, and in the management of their common concerns. In cafes of mifcon. duct, he ought not to upbraid with severity, but to expoftulate with tenderness. And in cafes of difference in opinion, he ought not to oppose with haughtiness, but either to convince by reason, or diffent with moderation.

The happiness of a parent depends much on the virtuous manners of his children; and their virtue will greatly depend on union in the heads of the houfehold. This union can be preferved only by a mild and difcreet carriage toward each other. If the hufband is the head of the wife, the peace of the family will chiefly lie with him. If he expects fubmiffion from her, let him fill his fuperior ftation with fuch virtue and wifdom, as to obtain it without controverfy. Submiffion is then moft cafily gained, when it is moft obviously merited. If there is no prudence, dignity or virtue in the conduct of the man, he has little reafon to expect, and lefs right to claim a cheerful obedience from his wife. -The man who acts worthily in his place at the head of a family, will feldom need to enter into a debate for fuperior authority. It will ufually be yielded without reluctance.

The fimilitude, which the Apostle here, and in divers other places, draws between a family and a church, fuggefts to us that religion, in every fami ly, fhould be an object of principal regard; for without this the resemblance will not hold. It is only the religious husband who governs his family, as Chrift governs the church. It is only the religious wife, who obeys her husband, as the church obeys Chrift. Where the spirit of religion reigns in both, the union will be eafy, and their joint government will have efficacy.

As a family fhould resemble a church, so it ought to be fubordinate to the church; and the church should assist in the government of it.

Parents fhould early dedicate their children to Chrift; for he has faid, "Suffer little children to come to me, and forbid them not, for of fuch is the kingdom of heaven." They fhould educate their children for him and feek his bleffing upon them. They should instruct them in his religion and exemplify it to them in their own daily converfation, They should affift their children in their devotions, and require their attendance on the stated worship of the family. And, when they arrive to proper age, parents fhould encourage their approach to the ordinances of Chrift in his church, that thereby they may be fanctified and made meet for the church which is above.

If families were as little churches, the church would receive from them continual acceffions; new members would be added to it, and Christ's house would be full.

The decline or revival of religion will ufually keep pace with the neglect or support of family or der and difcipline. And the maintenance of family religion depends on nothing more than the union of the heads. If with them there is ftrife and contention, the house will be filled with confufion and every evil work. If they are divided in their opinions, and embittered in their feelings; if they look on each other with jealoufy and diftruft; if they frequently fall into paffionate altercations and difputes; if the wife pays no regard to her hus. band's pleasure, and he puts no confidence in her discretion; prayer will be hindered, or performed without devotion. For how can they unite in prayers and praifes to God, who unite in nothing elfe, and are become more diftant in affection, than if they never had been made one flesh. How can they command obedience from their children, who

appear to have no government of themfelves ?How can they form their domeftics to virtue, who exhibit an example inconfiftent with virtue, and fhew themselves to be wanting in a moft capital branch of religion?

Let us, then, who ftand in this connexion, by reciprocal love and good offices honor our profeffion and promote each other's happiness, as being heirs together of the grace of life. Then our prayers will not be hindered.

SERMON XLV.

EPHESIANS vi. 1, 2, 3, 4

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promife, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayeft live long on the earth. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

IN thefe words the Apoftle ftates the duty of children to their parents, and the duty of parents to their children.

We will confider them diftin&tly. First.

The Apoftle addreffes himself to children in an exhortation to obey and honor their parents. "Obey your parents in the Lord;" or in compliance with the command of the Lord, which fays, "Honor thy father and mother." To enforce this exhortation he reminds children, that the command to "honor their parents," is diftinguished from the others by a particular promise of the divine favor. "This is the firft commandment with promife."The promife is, "Thou fhalt live long on the earth." This promise the Apostle interprets, not as confined to temporal profperity, nor yet as abfolutely infuring long life; but as fignifying in

general, that "it fhall be well with them; "or that God will beftow on them fuch things, as his perfect wisdom fees to be best for them. "Obey your parents for this is right." It is plainly reafonable in itself and acceptable to God, that children. who are young and inexperienced, weak and dependent, fhould honor and obey those who naturally care for them, who are charged with their fupport and education, and whose fuperior wisdom and riper experience, enable them to judge for their children better than children can judge for themfelves.

The obedience and honor; which children owe to their parents, comprise several things, which are of great importance in this relation.

1. Children owe to their parents an inward af fection and regard.

Their obedience fhould flow from love, gratitude and esteem.

Without a correfpondent principle in the heart, external tokens of honor are of little value. The love which parents bear to their children entitles them to reciprocal affection.

Confider, you who are young, in what various ways your parents have expreffed and continue Aill to teftify their regard for you. They have fupplied the wants of your helpless infancy ;watched over the motives of your heedlefs childhood, and guided the fteps of your giddy and unthinking youth. They have fpared no pains to inform your minds and regulate your manners, to rear you to manhood, and mould you to virtue.— They have anxioufly attended you in times of fickness, and trembled for you in hours of danger. And your happy return to health and fafety has filled their hearts with joy, and their mouths with praife. You, who have feen a brother or a fifter wrapt in the funeral (hroud, have, at the fame time, witneffed the anguifh of your parents. Such