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thy fervant, that thou layeft the burden of all this people upon me? have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou fhouldeft fay unto me, Carry them in thy bofom, as a nurfing father beareth the fucking child? The fenators of Rome were always addreffed by the name of Fathers: and the Emperors did more frequently receive, than deserve, the title of the fathers of their country. Chriftianity makes no alteration in thefe duties, on either fide; but only enforces them more ftrongly; and disposes men better to the discharge of them; by turning their thoughts from thofe objects, which occafion competitions and jealoufies among worldly minded perfons, to the city of the living God, the Hebr. xii. heavenly Jerufalem, to an innumerable company of Angels, to the general affembly and church of the first born, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all.

Even age alone gives a kind of fuperiority; and, as fome little balance to many

M 2

22, 23.

many disadvantages, carries an allowed

Gen. xlvii. claim to refpect.

9.

Pharaoh faid unto Jacob, How old art thou? And Jacob faid, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are

an hundred and thirty years: And Jacob Hebr.vii. bleffed Pharaoh. And without all contra7. diction, as the Apostle argues, the lefs is Levit.xix. blefed of the better. Thou shalt rise up, 32. fays the law of Mofes, before the hoary

head, and honour the face of the old man. Pet. v. 5. The Apostle Peter commands, ye younger, fubmit yourselves unto the elder. And the Roman Poet tells us, that in the vir tuous times of that common-wealth, it would have been efteemed a capital crime not to rife up with reverence to an aged perfon.

Lastly, there is also a refpect and reverence due, as well as maintenance, to the minifters of the church. Minifters they call themselves, and they are willing to be not only the minifters of God, as magiftrates are ftyled, but even

your

your fervants alfo for Jefus fake. But the Cor.iv.5. people, on the other hand, will look

17.

15.

upon them, as indeed they are named in Scripture, as rulers and fathers.-This is 1 Tim. v.. a fubject, which appears to disadvantage Cor. iv. in our hands. Let this be the only com-john ii. petition between us, who fhall be the 1. most fubmiffive, and most serviceable. Yea, all of you be fubject one to another, and 1 Pet.v. 5. be clothed with humility: for God refifteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

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15.

HERE no law is, there is no tranf. Rom. iv. greffion: For fin is the tranfgreffion of 1 John iii. the law. But it is by no means neceffary, 4. that this law should be pronounced in. audible founds by the mouth of God, or engraved in ftone by his finger. It may be woven into the frame of our nature,

and written in fleshly tables of the heart; 2 Cor. iii,

3.

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