Exposition of the Shorter Catechism, Question 63 - 66
Of the fifth Commandment.
Quest. 63. WHich is the fifth Commandment?
A. The fifth Commandment is, [Honour thy Father and thy Mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.]
Quest. 64. What is required in the fifth Commandment?
A. The fifth Commandment requireth the preserving the Honour, and performing the Duties belonging to every one in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors or equals.
Quest. 65. What is forbidden in the fifth Commandment?
A. The fifth Commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing any thing against the honour and duty which belongeth to every one in their several places and relations.
Quest. 66. What is the Reason annexed to the fifth Commandment?
A. The Reason annexed to the fifth Commandment is, a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for Gods glory, and their own good) to all such as keep this Commandment.
Q 1. What Relatives are directly and more especially concerned in this fi…th Commandment?
A. All Superiours and Inferiours are concerned in it: Especially (1.) Political Fathers and their Children; that is, Kings and Subjects: Mark 11.10. Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, &c. (2.) Spiritual Fathers and their Children; that is, Ministers and their People: 1 Cor. 4 15. For though you have ten thousand instr…cters in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Iesus I have begotten you through the gospel. (3.) Natural Parents and their Children; Ephes. 6.1. Children obey your parents in the Lord. (4.) All Civil Superiours and Inferiours, as Husbands and Wives, Masters and Servants; Ephes. 5.22. Wives submit your selves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. And Ephes. 6.5. Servants be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh. &c.
Q. 2. What is the Duty of Political Fathers or Magistrates, to their Political Children or Subjects?
A. It is to rule and govern the people over whom God hath set them with Wisdom; 2 Chron. 1.10. Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people. Justice, 2 Chron. 19.5.6, 7. And …e sit judges in the land, throughout all the fenced cities of Iudah, city by city. And he said to the judges, Take heed what ye do; for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you, take heed and do it, &c. And Piety, 2 Sam. 23.3. —He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. Carefully providing for their Souls in every place of their dominion; 2 Chron. 17.9. And they taught in Iudah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Iudah, and taught the people. And for their common outward peace and safety; 2 Chron. 17.12. And Iehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly, and …e built in Iudah castles and cities of store.
Q. 3. What are the Duties of Subjects to their Rulers?
A. It is to pray for them; 1 Tim. 2.1, 2. I exhort therefore, that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men: For kings, and for all that are in authority, &c. To honour them, 1 Pet. 2.17. —Fear God, honour the King. To obey their just Laws, Rom. 13.1. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers, &c. And to pay them the Tribute that is due to them, Rom. 13.7. Render therefore to all their d…es, tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, &c.
Q. 4. What are the Duties of Ministers to their people?
A. Their Duty is, (1.) To feed their flock constantly with wholesome food, 2 Tim. 4.2. Preach the word, be instant in season, and out of season, rebuke, reprove, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine. (2.) To be full of bowels of tender Affection to them, 1 Thess. 2.7, 8. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cheri…heth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the Gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. (3.) To pray for them, Eph. 1.15, 16. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Iesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. (4.) To watch over them, 1 Pet. 5.2. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof not by constraint, but willingly, &c. And (5.) To walk as an Example of Godliness before them, Tit. 2.7. In all things shewing thy self a pattern of good works, &c. All which Duties require their residence among them, 1 Pet. 5.2. Feed the flock of God which is among you, &c.
Q. 5. What are the peoples Duties towards their Ministers?
A. Their Duty is, (1.) To esteem and love them dearly for their works sake, 1 Thess. 5.12, 13. And we beseech you, Brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake. (2.) To attend on the Word preached by them, as the Word of God, 1 Thess. 2.13. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God. (3.) To pray for them and the success of their labours, Heb. 13.18. Pray for us, &c. (4.) Not to receive light and malicious reports against them▪ 1 Tim. 5.19. Against an elder receive not an accusation but before two or three witnesses. (5.) To make a competent and comfortable provision for them, Gal. 6.6. Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth▪ in all good things.
Q. 6. What are the Duties of Natural Parents to their Children?
A. It is their Duty, (1.) To be tenderly, but not fondly affectionate to, and tender over them, Isa. 49.15. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? (2) To educate them for God, Ephes. 6.4. And ye fathers provoke not your chi…dren to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (3) To restrain their Sins by Correction, Prov. 29.15. The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself, bringeth his mother to shame. (4.) To provide for their livelyhood, 1 Tim. 5.8. But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. (5.) To pray dayly for them, Iob 1.5. And it was so when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Iob sent and sanctified them▪ and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all: For Iob said, it may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts: Thus did Job continually. (6.) To encourage them with endearing language in the way of Godliness, Prov. 31.1, 2, 3. The words of King Lemuel, the prophesie that his mother taught him. What, my son! and what the son of my womb! and what the son of my vows! Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy wayes to that which destroyeth kings.
Q. 7. What are the Duties of Children to Parents?
A. Their Duty is, (1.) To obey them only in the Lord, Eph. 6.1. Children obey your parents in the Lord. (2) To reverence and honour them, Levit. 19.3. Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father, &c. (3.) To submit to their Reproofs and Corrections, Hebr. 12.9. Furthermore we have had fathers of our …flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. (4.) To provide for them, if they be poor and needy, and we have ability, Gen. 47.12. And Ioseph nourished his father and his brethren, and all his fathers houshold with bread, according to their families.
Q. 8. What shall Children do, when Parents abuse their Authority, by forbidding Duty or commanding Sin?
A. In such cases Children are to obey God rather than their Parents, Acts 4.19. But Peter and Iohn answered▪ and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken unto you, more than unto God, judge ye. But yet to manage their refusals of Obedience with all Meekness and Humility.
Q. 9. What is the first duty of Husbands to their Wives?
A. The first …uty, on which all other Duties depend, is cohabitation with them. 1 Pet. 3.7. Likewise ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, &c. And nothing can make this Duty void, but a lawful divorce for Adultery, Matth. 5.31, 32. —But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery, &c.
Q. 10. What's the Husbands second Duty to his Wife?
A. True and hearty love to Soul and Body, Eph. 5.25. Husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. Evidencing it self in careful provision for them, 1 Cor. 7.33. But he that is married, careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife. But especially to their Souls in winning them to Christ, 1 Cor: 7.16. —Or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? And building them up in Christ, 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 hindred.
Q. 11. What are the Duties of Wives to their Husbands?
A. 'Tis their Duty, (1.) To be in subjection to their own Husbands; Eph. 5.22, 23. Wives submit your selves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord: For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church. (2) To reverence them; Eph. 5.33. —And the wife see that she reverence her husband. (3.) To express their Reverence in suitable Words and Actions; 1 Pet. 3.6. Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him, Lord, &c. (4.) To be faithful to them; Prov. 31.12. She will do him good and not evil, all the dayes of her life. (5.) To adorn their Relation with meekness and quietness of Spirit; 1 Pet. 3.4: But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
Q. 12. What are the Duties of Servants to their Masters?
A. 'Tis their Duty, (1.) To be faithful in all things committed to their charge; Tit. 2.10. Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity, &c. (2.) To honour them in all respectful Words and Carriages; 1 Tim. 6.1. Let as many servants as are under the yoke, count their own masters worthy of all honour, &c. (3.) To bear patiently their rebukes; 1 Pet. 2.18, 19. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thank-worthy, if a man for conscience toward God, endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
Q. 13. What is the first Duty of Masters to their Servants?
A. Their first Duty is to rule over them with gentleness, and not with terrour and rigour; Eph. 6.9. And ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing …oreatning: Knowing that your master also is in heaven▪ neither is there respect of persons with him.
Q. 14. What's the second Duty of Masters to their Servants?
A. To pay them their Wages fully and without delay▪ Deut. 24.14, 15. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is peer and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates. At his day thou shalt give him …is hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it, f…r he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it, lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee. And to provide Food for them convenient; Prov. 27.27. And thou shalt have goats-milk enough for thy …od, for the food of thy houshold, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.
Q. 15. What's the third Duty of Masters to their Servants?
A. The third and principal Duty is to engage them as much as in them lies, to the wayes of God, and Duties of Religion, as Abraham did, Gen. 18.19. For I know him that he will command his children, and his houshold after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, &c. And Ioshua, Josh. 24.15. —But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.