It afflicts me, my brethren, that time commands me abrupt ly to break off this important subject, and leave it with scarcely the outlines of it drawn. May the few obfervations which have been now made, fink deep into the hearts and influence the practice of all. We fhould hereby diftinguishingly ferve our country and our God, we should have orderly families and pious congregations. It would exceedingly tend to promote morality, and virtue, and practical religion. "Ye fathers "provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

SERMON VIL

The Duty of Children to Parents.

Col. iii. 20.

Children obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleafing to the Lord.

AMONG all the branches which spring from religions root, none produces flowers more amiable and beautiful than docile and obedient children. The effects of religion wherefoever they appear, are always charming in the view of the pious mind, but in youth they fhine with a peculiar luftre. The fruits moft lovely to the fight frequently grow upon small trees; so piety affords a moft pleafing afpect, when it appears in tender years. How melancholy the thought to behold multitudes of amiable youth adorned with every agreeable qualification of mind and body, fo that did Jefus look upon them as he did upon the young man in the gospel, he would love them, yet in them there is one thing lacking? A well proportioned body and a beautiful fet of features, what are they? Like the flowers of the field they foon vanifh away. A well accomplished mind, what is it without religion? The former will quickly be too

loathfome for the fight, and the prey of worms, and the latter must be thrust down into eternal burnings, and be united with the accurfed company of devils and damned spirits, where the In few smoke of their torment shall ascend forever and ever. congregations can there be obferved a more lovely and beautiful clafs of youth than in this, but alas! how many are deftitute of the one thing needful? O! why, my precious children, will you act fuch a part against yourselves, and caft a gloomy cloud over all your excellencies, by neglecting to put on the attire of pure and undefiled religion, which would be the richest ornament of the whole? As the head is the ornament of the body, fo religion would be a crown more excellent than gold to all your other qualities, of which you are the subjects. O! that many could be perfuaded to give up their names to Chrift, to join themselves unto the Lord, and bring forth the fruits of piety in their hearts and lives. Could you be prevai led upon from the principles of love to God and faith in Jefus, to perform all the focial duties incumbent upon you, especially the exalted duty of obedience to parents, for this will be truly well pleafing to God.

The duty enjoined in our text is one of the first perhaps, of which human nature is capable. “Children obey your parents "in all things, for this is well pleafing to the Lord." Parents are among the earliest obje&s of a child's knowledge and attention; he becomes fooneft acquainted with them, looks to them with a fond affection, and seems to expect fupport and protection from them, leans upon and repofes confidence in them. Thus nature dictates the first lines of filial duty, even before a due fenfe of the connection is formed. When a child is fomewhat grown, acquired a few ideas, and arrived at fome measure of understanding, he must begin to be fenfible of the obligations he is under to his parents. When he can confider their tender and difinterefted affection, their inceffant care and labour, in

aurfing, educating, and providing for them, during that state in which he had neither difcretion or ftrength to provide for himself, the feelings of his own heart will declare to him, that he owes to them many peculiar duties. The facred oracles of God dwell much upon the dutifulnefs of children to parents, and greatly exhibit in ftrong colourings the angry displeasure of heaven against the refractory and disobedient. Peradventure no text more comprehenfive of this relative obligation, than the one selected for the fubject of this discourse. When the Holy Spirit expreffes fummarily the duties of children to their parents, the term obedience is generally employed. "Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right." The word obedience must be taken in the most extenfive latitude, comprising every thing contained in the term dutifulness. "Children be dutiful to your parents in all things, for this is "well pleafing to God." They muft in all things be dutiful; not merely in fome things or fuch as they please, which is the unhappy cafe with too many froward children, but in every matter commanded by the parent, which is not plainly contrary to the will of God. When parents are fo foclifh or wicked, as to iffue orders of this nature, then God is to be obeyed rather than man. No other filial disobedience is exBut when the child fweetly and cufable from fin but this. readily performs his duty in all things, it is well pleafing unto the Lord. Not only pleafing, but well pleafing unto him. It is a thing agreeable to the mind of heaven, and most acceptable to the Most High.

When God commands children to be dutiful to their parents, and they comply with the requifition, they not only obey their parents, but God; not only are they pleafing to their fathers according to the fleth, but well pleafing to the Father of their immortal fpirits. Hence this dutifulness hath a pecu.. liar promife annexed to it. "Honor thy father and thy mo"ther, which is the first commandment with promise, that it

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may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the ❝ earth."

All that fhall be attended to at prefent, will only be a few ob fervations upon fome of the branches of filial dutifulness. And O! that the children and youth of this flock may receive and understand the fame, lay them up in their hearts and continu ally practise them in their lives.

The firft branch I fhall mention, is that children fhould unfeignedly love their parents. Next to the Supreme God, none fhould poffefs a fuperior fhare of their efteem and affection. Remember what love you owe them in reason and justice for all their love, care and tenderness to you. How great has been their anxiety and trouble in your nurfing and education? How many have been the wakeful nights they have watched your fick pillow with tearful eyes and bleeding hearts, left you fhould die, and not live? They take your happiness of mife. ry to be in a great measure the happiness and mifery of their own lives. Let not children therefore deprive their parents of comfort, by their misconduct-let them not render them miferable, by ruining themselves. Tho' they fhould chide, restrain from, and even correct you for doing amifs, let not any of these things abate your affection to them. These are duties which God requires of them, and they are performed for your good, in order to form you for usefulness in the world, and to promote your happiness. It is an evidence of a froward child, that loves his parents the lefs, because he is rebuked for doing wrong, or reftrained from having his own perverfe will. Even though you fhould perceive many faults and infirmities in your parents, you must manifeft your du tiful affection by bearing with, and covering thefe failings and weakneffes. Children who act this part are a bleffing to their parents, and comfort and rejoice their hearts. Let children remark the awful judgements of heaven upon thofe who have