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Q. 129. What is required of superiors towards their inferiors?

A. It is required of superiors, according to that power they receive from God, and that relation wherein they stand, to love (i), pray for (k), and bless their inferiors (1), to instruct (m), counsel and admonish them (n); countenancing (o), commending (p), and rewarding such as do well (4), and discountenancing (r), reproving, and chastising such as do ill (s); protecting (t), and providing for them all things necessary for soul (v).and body (w),

(i) Col. 3. 19. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Tit. 2. 4. That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children.

(k) 1 Sam. 12. 23. Moreover, as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord, in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way.

(1 Kings 8. 55. And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel, with a loud voice. (m) Deut. 6. 6, 7. And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

(n) Eph. 6. 4. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,

(o) 1 Pet. 3. 7. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

(p) 1 Peter 2. 14. 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. Rom. 13. 3. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same.

(9) Esth. 6. 3. And the king said, what honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing Rom. 13. 3. For rulers done for him.

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are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same.

(s) Prov. 29. 15. The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. 1 Peter 2. 14. (See above, letter p.)

(t) Job 29. 12, 13. Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him, The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me.

(v) Eph. 6. 4. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the

Lord.

(w) 1 Tim. 5. 8. But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house,

and by grave, wise holy, and exemplary carriage, to procure glory to God (x), honour to themselves (y), and so to preserve that authority which God hath put upon them (x).

Q. 130. What are the sins of superiors?

A. The sins of superiors are, beside the neglect of the duties required of them (a), an inordinate seeking of themselves (b), their own glory (c), ease, profit, or pleasure (d); commanding things unlawful (e), or not in the power of inferiors to perform (f); counselling (g), encouraging (h), or favouring them in that which is evil (i); dissuading, discouraging, or discountenancing them in

he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

(x) 1 Tim. 4. 12. Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

(y) 1 Kings 3. 28. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the King had judged, and they feared the King: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

(z) Tit. 2. 15. These things speak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

(a) Ezek. 34. 2. Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds, Wo be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

(b) Phil. 2. 21. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

(c) John 5. 44. How can ye believe which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? (d) Isa. 56. 10, 11. His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying

down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs, which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

(e) Acts 4. 18. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus.

(f) Exodus 5, from verse 10 to the 18. And the task-masters

of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

(g) Mat. 14. 8. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.

(h) 2 Sam. 13. 28. Now Absalom had commanded his ser vants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnc, then kill him, fear not have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.

(i) 1 Sam. 3. 13. For I have told him, that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

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that which is good (k); correcting them unduly (1); careless exposing, or leaving them to wrong, temptation and danger (m); provoking them to wrath (n); or any way dishonouring themselves, or lessening their authority, by an unjust, indiscreet, rigorous, or remiss behaviour (o). Q. 131. What are the duties of equals?

A. The duties of equals are, to regard the dignity and worth of each other (p), in giving honour to go one before another (q); and to rejoice in each other's gifts and advancement, as in their own (r).

Q. 132. What are the sins of equals ?

A. The sins of equals are, beside the neglect of the duties required (s), the undervaluing of the worth (t),

(k) Col. 3. 21. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Exod. 5. 17. But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle therefore ye say, Let us go, and do sacrifice to the Lord.

(1) Deut. 25. 3. Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed : lest if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

(m) Genesis 38. 11. 26. Then said Judah to Tamar his daughterin-law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: (for he said, Lest peradventure he die also as his brethren did); and Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house. And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son; and he knew her again no more. Acts 18. 17. Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment-seat: and Gallio cared for none of those things.

(n) Eph. 6. 6. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the

nurture and admonition of the Lord.

(Genesis 9. 21. And he drank of the wine and was drunken, and he was uncovered within his tent. 1 Kings 12. 13, 14. And the king (Rehoboam) answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him. And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke; my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

CP) 1 Pet. 2. 17. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

(9) Rom. 12. 10. Be kindly affectioned one to another; with brotherly love, in honour prefer ring one another.

(r) Romans 12. 15. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

(s) Rom. 13. 8. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

(t) 2 Tim. 3. 3. Without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.

envying the gifts (v), grieving at the advancement or prosperity one of another (w); and usurping pre-eminence one over another (x).

Q. 133. What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment, the more to enforce it?

A. The reason annexed to the fifth commandment, in these words, That thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee (y), is an express promise of long life and prosperity, as far as it shall serve for God's glory and their own good, to all such as keep this commandment (z).

Q. 134. Which is the sixth commandment ?

A. The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill (a). Q. 135. What are the duties required in the sixth commandment?

A. The duties required in the sixth commandment are, all careful studies, and lawful endeavours, to preserve the life of ourselves (b) and others (c), by resisting all

(v) Acts 7. 9. And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt; but God was with him. Gal. 5. 26. Let us not be desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

(w) Numb. 12. 2. And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? and the Lord heard it. Esther 6. 12, 13. And Mordecai came again to the king's gate but Haman hasted to his house, mourning, and having his head covered. And Haman told Zeresh his wife, and all his friends, every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men, and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.

(x) 3 John 9. I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence

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(z) Deut. 5, 16. Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee, that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Eph. 6. 2. Honour thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise), v. 3. That it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long on the earth.

(a) Exodus 20. 13.

(b) Eph. 5. 28. So ought men to love their wives, as their own bodies: he that loveth his wife loveth himself. v. 29. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.

(c) 1 Kings 18. 4. For it was so. when Jezebel cut off the pro

thoughts and purposes (d), subduing all passions (e), and avoiding all occasions (f), temptations (g), and practices, which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any (h), by just defence thereof against violence (i); patient bearing of the hand of God (k); quietness of mind (1), cheerfulness of spirit (m), a sober use of meat (n), drink (0), physic (p), sleep (q), labour (r) and recreations (s); by

phets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.

(d) Jer. 26. 15. But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof.

(e) Eph. 4. 26. Be ye angry, and sin not let not the sun go down upon your wrath: v. 27. Neither give place to the devil.

(f) 2 Sam. 2. 22. And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? Deut. 22. 8. When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.

(g) Mat. 4. 6, 7. And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

(h) 1 Sam. 24. 12. The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee; but mine hand shall not be upon thee. 1 Sam. 26. 9. And David said to Abishai, destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?

(i) Psal. 82. 4. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. Prov. 24. 11. If thou forbear to deliver

them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain.

(k) James 5. 7. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

(1 Thess. 4. 11. And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.

(m) Prov. 17. 22. A merry heart doth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

(n) Prov. 25. 16. Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.

(o) 1 Tim. 5. 23. Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake, and thine often infirmities.

(P) Isa. 38. 21. For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover.

(1) Psalms 127. 2. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

(r) Eccl. 5. 12. The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much : but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

(8) Eccl. 3. 4. 11. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to

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