Then if you are a servant, remember by this rule how you are to behave to your master, even as you would it should be done unto you.

But suppose you were a spiritual pastor, that is, a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, appointed as a shepherd to a flock, how would you desire that the flock should behave to you? The same to be submitted to.

Have you any Scripture to prove this to be right?

Yes, 1 Cor. iv. 1, "Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God." And the apostle teaches us in 1 Thess. v. 12, 13, "to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and esteem them very highly in love for their works' sake."

Remember, then, by these rules, how you ought to behave to your spiritual pastors and ministers of Christ.

And suppose you were a teacher, how would you be behaved to?

The same,-submitted to.

Yes, but you observe by the Scripture rules you give me, that there is a particular kind of submission to be rendered, according as each station or office requires. Have you any Scripture to direct you in this instance?

They were not ready with an answer; I encouraged them, therefore, with a little help. That may be applied to this case which is written in 1 Tim. v. 17, "Let the elders that rule

well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine." For if you look to 1 Cor. xii. 28, .you will see that God himself sets teachers in the church, amongst the other offices; and if you turn to Proverbs v. 12, 13, you will see an affecting expression of lamentation that is sure to come on them that do not submit to their teachers: "How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; and have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!" That you may not have this bitter lamentation to make, remember, dear boys, in the days of your youth, to submit yourslves to your teachers.

But there is still another office, that of governors; How would you that others should behave to you, were you a governor ?

The same, to be submitted to.

Governors in this place means those who have the authority over you in particular, such as your protectors, instructors, rulers; for each child is in the situation of having some one who has the chief government over him,-such as the stewards who may be placed over them, masters of apprentices, guardians to whom they may be committed, the governors and governesses of schools, or of asylums, or of societies, of charities, of hospitals; that is, the persons who are in the supreme authority for these temporary purposes. To these you must submit. I will give you a text for your direction. Turn to

1 Pet. ii. 13, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake."

The next branch of your duty to your neighbor is to the king, and to all that are put in authority under him.

If you were a king, how would you that men should do unto you

?

Honor and obey me.

If, being a king, you had put others in authority under you, how would you desire that men should show they honored and obeyed you? By honoring and obeying them.

If you were not a king, but one put in authority by the king, how would you that men should do to you?

Honor and obey me.

Do you remember how the centurion described the honor and obedience he received from them that were under him?

Yes, Matt. viii. 9, "I am a man under authority; having soldiers under me; and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

True, it was on a particularly interesting occasion when the centurion related this, to show how he understood that diseases and all things were under the authority of the Lord; but it serves to show us the obedience due to authorities. You can, perhaps, give me some other text?

Titus iii. 1," Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates." What does the Scripture say of our duty to the king?

1 Peter ii. 17, "Honor the king."

I would have you remark, that text is preceded by other branches of this duty, and the duty to God; it stands thus, "Fear God, honor the king." And I believe it adduces the fear of God as the motive for honoring the king, because if we look at Rom. xiii. 1, 2, we see how the duty to earthly superiors is enjoined. Read it.

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of GoD. The powers that be are ordained of GOD. Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of GOD; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation."

I gave you a part of a text in 1 Peter ii. 13; if you give me now the whole, you will find it to sum up all these duties according to the same rule. Read it.

"Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto govenors, as unto them that are sent by him, for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God."

Now you see, dear boys, I have been working upwards, beginning with the lower degrees, and coming up to the higher, and thus I have pro

But

ceeded from the master up to the king. there is a higher still, which is that of duty to parents, second only to that we owe to GOD, and which the Lord places immediately after the four commandments which relate to our duty to Him. The fifth commandment stands simply thus, "Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." It is a branch of our duty to our neighbor, which the Lord calls the second commandment, on account of its following the first duties to God.

If you were a father, how would you that your children should do unto you ?

Love, honor, and succor me.

As ye would that it should be done unto you, do ye even so. Now I have these two boys standing here, who by their conduct this morning seem neither to love, nor honor, nor succor their father and mother. They reddened at this unexpected application to their case. I looked to them, and said it was very wicked. You know enough to understand you deserved to be "thumped," but if you will listen a little now, you will perhaps learn what you never knew before, especially as you have not submitted yourselves to your governor, the master of this school, in order to being taught. I shall be very glad if you learn so as to become obedient boys.

Now, remark, how engaging the duty of children to parents is made by these terms. it is not put upon bare submission, like your duty to