doe it not principally because his master commands but because God commands not because his Maisters eye is vpon him but because Gods pure eyes behold him either to punish him if he doe not his dutie or to reward him if he doe it faithfully This is the cheese point at which seruants must ayme Commandement Ephes 6. 5. In singlenesse of your heart as vnto Christ And there is a reason why one must cheefly seeke to please God and not man for if one doe so this will follow that one shall not doe it in eye seruice that is this when the Maister lookes on to be so nimble and readie to doe as much as two or three but no sooner the Maisters eye is turnd away but all is giuen ouer and the time spent idle and nothing is done or if it be t is naughtily and negligently But where this is not that one chiefly respects God his obedience can neuer be constant it is but by sits and starts and hangs vpon the masters eye take away that and all is done Secondly if one serue not God then he is streight discouraged at vnkindnesse here 's no rewarde for ones paines no respect had of ones labour indeede if oneserue his master only he may truely say so of times but if one serue God and do it in obedience to God he cannot at anie time say here is no consideration had of ones diligence t were impious to say so to make God a lyar vnfaithfull but there is sufficient consideration and reward if one serue God for then if his master doe not recompence him he whome he serueth will As the example of Iacob shewes He serue a coueteous maister one that made no conscience of his promise to a poore man as this is alwaies the tricke of a couetous man he cares not what promise he breake to a poore man Yet Iacob made conscience of his dutie and endured his couetousnesse for twentie yeares space and serued him to with all his might so that hee was pnicht by heat in the day by cold in the night and if sleepe departed from his eyes and if euer any thing were spoild by wilde beasts he made it good yet Laban all this while did nothing but seeke to eate him vp and to rauen all frō him that he could Then God comes and tels him that though Laban was thus churlish yet he could haue wages enough and because he serued God God will pay him though man doe not and so hee did and that throughly and fully for by Gods owne hand and prouidence most of Labans best cattle were turned to Iacob and so he grew far more welthy had a larger recōpence then euer he looked for So that if on serue two maisters he shall commonly haue double wages For God will incline the heart of his maisters to fauour him when he is faithfull and himselfe also will fully reward him with abundant blessing in his soule and bodie and conscience and name and posteritie after him For no man euer serued God in a calling but hee may as well pray for Gods blessing and as surely looke for it be the worke neuer so meane and base that he goes about as the minister when he preacheth or prayeth or administreth the sacrament or doth any worke of his calling The last dutie of seruants is to pray for their gouernours and for good successe vpon their labours in their gouernours businesse This is commanded 1. Tim. 2. Where it is commanded that not euery place of authoritie one is in the inferiour should pray to God for him if he be bad to conuert him be mercifull to him if good to strengthen him and giue him continuance and increase of these graces Likewise when seruants goe about matters of weight concerning their maister they must pray to God for direction and successe as when Abraham trusted his seruant with a great matter namely to fetch a wife for his sonne he goes about with prayer to God to direct him and giue him a good proceeding and euent and where God had blessed him he giues thankes to God and prayseth him as hee would not trust his own strength but cals to God for assistance so hauing obtained assistance he lets God haue the praise and then when he was intreated to stay ten daies and might haue had all courteous and liberall intertainment yet he would not but tels them that seeth God had blessed him and his maister expected his comming they should not nowe hinder him and nothing could containe him from his Maister that looked for him This confutes those that neuer pray God to giue a blessing to their gouernours and to bestow grace vpon their masters and hence it iustly comes to passe that they want many good things from their masters which they shoud haue because they performe not all the duties of a good seruant in that they call not vpon God for their master And those are also reproued that will be desirous to be employed in their masters affaires and to haue dealing in businesses committed to them but they are so presumptuous in a carnall confidence of their owne abilitie that they runne boy strously and rudely vpon matters not entreating the helpe of the great God in things of great moment and then it is iust that God should crosse them because they take away that he neuer sanctified and if they will not aske a blessing is not it righteous that he should turne their wit into folly and though they goe about it prudently crosse and ouerturne all their policy because they trust more in policie then in his blessing The seruant therfore must craue Gods assistance that he may vse good meanes after a good manner and with good successe And an other vse heere is to be made of those which haue beene seruants but now are not this is their dutie euen to goe backe and see wherein they haue fayled in any of these things and for that aske mercie at Gods hand and craue pardon else they shall be lyable to these two euils First that God may iustly plague them now for their former sinnes and secondly that as they failed in their dutie to their masters so their seruants shall faile in dutie to them whereas if one haue repented he may looke and haue some hope that God in mercy will so order his seruants hearts as that they shal not recompence his owne euill vnto him because the blood of Christ hath washed it away But such as will pilfer deale wickedly with their masters not repent for it and make some repentance it is most iust from God that they themselues should be spoyld and robd without any amends Thus much concerning the duties of seruants the duties of the master follow For as God binds the inferiour to his duty so he requires that the superiour be carefull in his place and calling too Now the masters duties consist in two maine points Namely in chosing them with wisedome and
sabboth day when he comes home either his master or dame allow him in it or else they bee mute and say nothing to him or if they doe begin to reprooue him it is done so coldly so careleslie with so little vehemencie that the seruant may well perceiue it comes from the teeth outward his master is not greatlie sorrie within it neuer vexeth his hart for the matter and therefore hee cares not for such chiding hee will to it the next sabboth againe Then secondly this serues for the instruction of all householders that desire to bee indeede as well as to bee accounted christians that they should haue an eie to their seruants in the keeping of the sabboth Euen as one the weeke day they will call them vp and see that they bee readie to their businesse so on the sabboth cal them vp in the morning see that they be readie for the worke of God especially sith the works of their calling bee such as they may doe without any great preparation A man may rise out of his bed and goe straight and hold the plow or driue the cart as well as if hee had an houres consideration but vnlesse one haue sometime to disburden his hart of worldly thoughts and to fit himselfe by prayer holie meditations to heare the word hee can neuer doe it well nor so as the word will bee profitable vnto him therefore they must bee stirred vp that they may haue time to make readie their harts that they come before God with a quiet an emptie minde Now in this dutie many of Gods children faile that euen themselues and their whole family take libertie to sleep out a great part of the morning and thinke it inough to rise and goe to church not regarding any time of preparation and hence it is that the exercises be so vncomfortable and vnprofitable to them And then secondlie the maister must bee careful to haue his family come with him in good due season to the house of God with the whole congregation not as many doe that are so negligent as much is past before they come The wife comes at the second lesson he drops in at the end of praier and the seruants follow when halfe is done They would not doe thus to haruest worke but he would make them get all things readie that they goe together to get in his corne and not come dropping one now and another anone why should not one therfore be as carefull for the foode of his soule and to eate of the bread of life in the house of god to come joyfullie himselfe and his wife and bring their familie with them that they may be at the beginning and tarrie out till the ending that they may haue the whole fruit and not as some doe bee gone before the sermon end or at least runne away before the praier be made for a blessing and the blessing pronounced by the minister which shewes they neuer felt the goodnesse of the blessing they are so loth to tarrie the ministers prayer because they want the spirit of prayer themselues and cannot tell the benefit of a faithfull prayer for if the sweetnesse of gods blessing had distild vpon their soules or they had neuer felt the comfors that follows a prayer made in the holy ghost they would be more desirous of these things then they be and not hast so from them as if it were a curse not a blessing and some things tending to their hurt not a supplication to God for their good And as they must call them vp in the morning so an other dutie is to examine them after and call them to account how they haue profited as if mens seruants be sent to the market they will not let them goe without takeing account how they haue done their businesse and what markets they haue made so when they come from the church they come from the market of their soules they should question with them to see what good bargaines they haue made for their soules what profit they haue had by comming to Gods ordinances and thus laying their store together to help one another This serues also for the instruction of seruants that sith God hath layde such a charge vpon their superiours to looke that they keepe his sabboth therefore they should willingly be ruled and suffer themselues to be guided by them in this point and as well obey them in the sabboth to be diligent in the works of God as in the weeke daies to obey them for matters of their owne calling They must not say as many prophane seruants will if they call them and will instruct them in religion they will none of that but you hired me say they to doe your work and take my wages and there an ende what needes all this doe about keeping the sabboth and comming to the sermon let mee looke to that my selfe Nay but if they be Gods seruants and you Gods seruants your masters hired you to doe Gods work and in the Lord to doe their work therfore this is a prophane answere and these be ill seruants But much more vilde are they that will runne abroad to wickednesse to dauncing to swilling to wantonnesse c. making that their sabboth daies work which is vnlawfull at any time to plow and to cart be things lawfull and profitable in fit time but to daunce and follow wantonnesse is naught euery day but much more vilde and abhominable vpon the sabboth day Therfore such seruants must by force be constrained not to violate Gods sabboth or if no meanes will serue a christian master must not haue his house pestered with such open rebells against God Thus much God shewes the duties of christian housholders that they must themselues and see that their seruants abstaine from all the works of their calling and doe onely works of pietie and mercie which works of mercie they must not doe vpon the Lords day in loue to their owne commoditie but in obedience to God and compassion of the creature Now the Lord goes further to shew what course must be taken with men of an other religion saying Nor the stranger that is within thy gates HEere hee shewes that if a stranger come within our iurisdiction that are christians though we cannot command him to come to the exercises of religion yet the magistrate must not suffer him to doe any seruile worke to pollute the sabboth for by the gates heere the Lord meanes authoritie and jurisdiction because in former time the place of judgement and where authoritie was exercised was in the gates Hence then in that the magistrate must looke to forreyners this generall doctrine may bee gathered that it is our dutie being christians not onely to keepe the sabboth our selues and to looke to those that are belonging to vs but so farre as we can euen to strangers or to any other And this is that which is commended in Nehemiah that when the men of Sidon that
drawne as a beare to the stake let him make account that the preacher will bait him trouble his conscience for comfort hee can looke for none Therfore if we would haue a blessing by the sabboth let vs keepe it cherfullie knowing that God loues a cherfull giuer Secondlie one must labour to doe all the duties of the sabboth those that must bee done before the sermon and those that must be done after let no ordinance scape vndone vse meditation on Gods word and works heareing reading praying singing psalmes conference workes of mercie of euerie thing something so farre as we haue abilitie and opportunitie But if we will performe them scambling lie doe this and leaue that vndone either make no preparation before or no application after either no publique or no priuate then it may bee he shall finde some blessings but the fewer of these hee performeth the fewer blessings he shall haue he that doth the work of God by halfes shall and it is just he should find the comfort and benefit of them by halfes Thirdlie as one must doe all the duties and that with delight cherfullie so he must keepe the whole day he must doe all the duties and also spend all the time in these duties hee must continue from the beginning to the ending As in Psal 92. 2. To declare Gods louing kindnesse in the morning and his truth at night So that the sabboth must bee spent both morning night and all the daie in holie duties One must forbeare worldlie businesse yea worldlie thoughts the whole foure and twentie houres for if one giue his thoughts libertie to run after matters of the world in the night he breakes the sabboth in one part sleepe one may lawfullie but his sleepe must bee sweetned with holie exercises and so sanctified vnto him as in it hee must also keepe an holie rest And heere manie faile that out of the Church wil be talking with their neighbours musing with themselues about earthlie businesses affaires thinke they haue made a good hand if they spend the most part of the daie till after the euening exercises in workes of religion and then they make no question to take their recreation or to goe about their businesses if occation bee But hee that commands to keepe it in the church bids vs keepe it in the house as to heare him and speake to him in publique so to speake to him out of our harts in priuate not to giue our selues leaue to thinke the least thought of any worldlie businesse Now then wee if seeme to make conscience of the sabboth and yet doe want that blessing which we doe looke for let vs looke to our selues we shall see that wee are halting in some one of these either wee keepe the sabboth lumpishlie and heauilie that it seemes as a tedious burden vnto vs or else wee doe some one or two duties leaue the rest vndone or else if we doe all the duties to be done we want heere that we obserue not the whole day but keep some part of it from god to our selues accordinglie as any man comes short in any of these duties so hee commeth short of the fruit of the sabboth But if one labour with joy to doe all the duties of the sabboth the whole day hee shall finde in his owne soule that it is in truth a day of blessing and brings more joy and comfort yea and a greater blessing with it then all the weeke besides And so much for this fourth commandement of the sabboth and the reasons of it The summe of the fifth Commaundement is to shew what duties we owe one to another in respect of their and our place The persons in this commandement are eyther with authoritie eyther priuate eyther further from equalitie as parents and children masters and seruants nearer equalitie as husband and wife publike in Church Commonwealth without authoritie in age gifts Exod. 20. 12. Honour thy father and thy mother c. HEtherto the duties of pietie to God out of the first Table haue bin handled Now follow the commandements of the second table concerning the duties of righteousnes to our neighbours This is the first commandement of the second table vpō which al the rest do depend as in the first table the keeping of all the commaundements following did depend on the keeping of the first commandement of the table so heere if this first commandement be well obserued both of gouernours and inferiours there could be no disorder against any other of the commandements following For all disorders in the other commandements of the second Table doe flow from hence that eyther superiours are negligent in performing their dutie of gouerning or else inferiours are proud and stubborne and refuse to obey their superiours The words contayne a commaundement and the reason of it The commaundement in those words Honour thy father and mother The reason in the words following That thy daies may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee Because the benefit of obedience is not so great to the superiours which are obeyed as to him that doth for conscience sake obey them they shall not be gainers so much as himselfe for he shall gaine to himselfe a long and happie life Honour To honour is to reuerence in heart and performe all outward duties Father That is all superiours in what place soeuer set aboue thee Thy father This is the first reason whereby God would moue inferiours to obey because he is thy father In that God makes this his reason why the childe should obey his father because he is his father We gather this doctrine That the chiefe motiue to obedience must be Gods ordinance If God haue made him the instrument of thy life and maintenance and haue set him ouer thee thou must for this cause performe all dutie of honour vnto him So in the Prouerbs Honour thy father that begat thee and thy mother that bare thee as if he had said honour thy parents and bee duetifull vnto them not because they be rich or in great place or for any other respect but this because they bee thy parents bee they father and mother how euer rich or poore thou must be duetifull vnto them So the Apostle speaketh to wiues Wiues obey your owne husbands Vsing this as a reason if they be your husbands If God hath set them ouer you as your head and gouernour you must submitte your selues to them for this cause and in obedience to Gods commaundement howsoeuer they be otherwise froward and foolish if they be yours then you must performe your duetie vnto them So for seruants the poynt is not whether hee bee a poore man or rich a simple man and ignorant or wise and discreete but is he a master hath God made him a gouernour then for the time that one is a seruant he stands in the place of Christ in his family and is to be obeyed as if hee
well was verie seruiceable and by it painefull trauell brought in much profit vnto the master if he be diseased by some sore or sicknesse he will let him haue rest and looke carefully to him that he want nothing and take the counsell of some one that is skilfull in such matters for some drench or medecine that may helpe his horse or oxe restore his health Thus men will deale with a beast but what master almost can be found that doth not plainely proue that he loues a beast more for his commoditie sake then he doth a man for Gods sake for he that will be content to be at cost and charges and some trouble also with his diseased and sicke horse his sicke seruant may lie and die and he will neuer come at him nor seeke any remedie for him but rather encrease his paines by murmuring and grudging that he eates and he drinkes and doth nothing but spend and burthen the familie And when Gods hand hath restrained him from working and not his owne negligence and ofttimes when he gets his weakenesse by faithfull and painefull seruice done to him then some are so cruelly and miserably coueteous as that they will abate so much of their wages as the time of their sicknesse comes to And when he suffers paine and griefe enough by his sicknes then he that should looke to healing of him doth not onely neglect that but also gleanes from him and robs him of his wages which is a double sinne and iniurie So much for the duetie of masters to their seruants that dwell with them Now when they part the masters duty is to looke that he send not his seruant away emptie but doe something for him according to the blessing of God vpon him by his seruants labour according to his owne abilitie and looke how much longer time the seruant hath beene with him and howe much more faithfull seruice he hath done to him by so much more must he be franke and bountifull in respecting and beleeuing him Contrarie to this is the dealing of those shisters that must haue new seruants euerie yeare for that either they be so bad themselues as none will stay with them longer then needes they must or els they intertaine such vngodly persons into there familie as it is not sit that they should tarrie long in any place And those that take in such manner seruants as deserue noe recompence because they imploy their labour about such things as the familie hath no benefit by them but are fit only to serue their Maisters lust in vanitie and foolishnesse for such it is iust that though they dwell manie yeares in a place they should haue no reward giuen them because their labour hath brought no good to the familie no bodie hath beene a gayner or bettered by it but here was a great fault on both parts for both the Master was a foole to giue harbour to such vnprofitable companions and the seruant was a foole to spende his time and paines about such base seruice as could be benefit to no bodie and here it is iust that both should be loosers But when one hath had a seruant that hath beene with him a longe time and done him faithfull seruice so imploying his labour and spending both his daies and strength as that some profitte and commoditie redownds to the familie And the maisters estate hath beene better by his carefull diligence now by continuance of time and by this profitable societie they had the seruant should grow to be vnto him as a child and he if he will seeme to be one of a good nature vpō so long experience of his faithfull and louing cariage should put on the affection of father to him For indeede nature shewes that it is a shame for one to put away his old seruant that hath worne out his bodie in his seruice without bestowing his liberalitie vpon him in some measure according to his owne abilitie and his seruants labours But it is the custome of most men now a dayes so wretchedly couetous are they growne that they deale with their seruants as one would deale with an horse when he grows old and can doe nothing any longer that may bring profit euen pull his skinne ouer his eares and cast his bodie to the dogs and thus brutish are vnnaturall men to their seruants ofttimes toyle them while they can labour consume their strength and spend them out then age will come and the bones will growe weake and the bodie waxe feeble and faint one cannot be alwaies young and strong and what then Then turne them out of dores poore and helpelesse into the wide world to shift for themselues as they can and they must either beg or steale or sterue and thus it comes to passe that manie become theeues and vagrant beggers through the masters base niggardlinesse that would not doe his dutie in bestowing some proportionable and competent releefe vpon them So much for their duties that bee further of from equalitie in the familie as parents and childe Masters and seruants Now those that are more equall are the husband and wife whose duties are either common to both or more particuler to either of them The common duties are these First they must loue one an other with a pure heart feruently This dutie both husband and wife must performe naturally one to an other Which that they may the better striue for let vs consider of some excellent cōmodities that will proceede from this loue and wich indeede will shew in their practise whether their bee this loue or not First this benefit will certainly ensue where there is loue betweene man and wife they will be chast and true hearted so farre as they loue one the other truely they are garded from all strange lusts euen in heart that they will not allowe any vnchast desire much lesse any vnchast looke or action For so in Prouerbs 5. 19. 20. Delight in thy wife and reioyce in her loue for why shouldest thou goe after strange women As if he had said sure enough if thou doe not loue thy wife thou wilt follow a whoare or at the least art in daunger to doe it but if thou loue thy wife truely thou art strengthned against a stranger And so may it be saide of the woman concerning her husband For it is not the hauing of a wife that makes a man chast and keepes him from filthinesse but the louing of his wife that will keepe him and so it is not the hauing of an husband that makes a woman honest and preserues her from adulterers but it is the louing of her husband which will doe it For many married men and women liue filthilie and impurely but if they did loue one an other they were safe from that fault This then is one benefit it is a most sure defence of ones chastitie to loue each other An other benefit that constant loue will bring is that they shall be verie patient
this disordred confusion as if the Pilot would both hold the sterne and hoyst vp the sayle and be vpon the hatches and sit vpon the neast and labour at the pumpe and od all himselfe it must needs goe ill with the ship and that is in continuall danger of sinking But those gifts that God hath giuen the wife the husband must see them employed and then she shal be a fellow-helper vnto him and bring a blessing vpon the family by her labour And so much for the duties of husband and wife which I doe not so speake as though is were in the power or nature of any man or woman to performe these duties nay by nature men be inclined to the contrarie The wife is naturally disobedient and stubborne prone to conteme and dispise her husband and he is prone to be wandring abroad and take more delight in any ones company then his owne wiues and if he be with her at any time he is so destitute of all true sauing knowledge as that he is readie alwaies to be eyther light or foolish or else sowre and churlish and to doe her hurt by his example and make her worse rather then better and both of them are destitute of all true and spirituall loue one of the other But God shewes these duties in his word to the end that we seeing our sinnes and our weaknes might bewaile our wants before God and beseech him that requires these things at our hands to worke these things in our hearts and as he hath giuen vs these good commandements to giue vs grace to make our hearts good to keepe the commandements And he that makes this vse of the law he profits by the doctrine But if any be so blinde and so vnacquainted with the wickednesse of his owne heart as that he dreame of some strength in himselfe to doe these duties it is certaine he neuer did performe any of thē in truth nor shall euer till he do lament his wants with vnfained griefe before God desire him to make him obedient as well to giue him a charge of obedience And thus much concerning the duties of priuate persons As namely of parents and children of masters and seruants of husband and wife The duties of publike persons follow Which are eyther in Church as Minister and People Commonweale as Magistrate and Subiect For the minister and people It is euident that the minister is a father It is plaine 1. Cor. 4. Where Paule though you haue many teachers yet I haue begotten you vnto Christ And Paule cals Timothie and Titus his children because as their naturall parents were instruments of God to beget them to a naturall life so he was Gods instrument to beget him to a spirituall life Now the duties of the minister and people are eyther common or speciall The common duties which mutually belong to them both are to pray one for another and to giue thanks one for another That the minister ought to pray for the people the continual example and practise of Paule almost in all his Epistles doth declare as to the Philip. Coloss Thess for whom he writes that he giues thanks to God and praies day and night for their encrease in all good graces By Paules example then ministers must learne to pray to God in secret for the flocke committed to their charge that God would pardon all their sinnes and heale their natures and make his doctrine effectuall to worke grace and saluation in their hearts And then if God haue heard his prayer and blessed his preaching to conuert the hearts of his people to saue their soules he must not let this slip but marke and obserue and returne thanks vnto God for it So 1. Sam. 12. 23. The people being affrighted with Gods fearefull signe and seeing their sinnes then they come vnto Samuel the prophet of God as commonly it is the practise of men in time of prosperitie to set light by the minister and not to regard him at all but in time of aduersitie where miserie pincheth it is often seene that men will send for him and be content to heare him and craue his direction so in affliction they come to Samuel and earnestly desired him to pray for them Then his answere is God forbid that I should sinne against God and cease praying for you shewing that it is a great sinne against God in the ministers if he be not frequent in prayer for his people So that though the minister studie diligently preach painefully and walke religiously in all good conscience yet if he doe not pray to God and beseech him earnestly to amend those faults that he sees in them and to conuert their soules vnto him and doe not also giue thanks when he perceiues any good thing wrought in them and pray for the continuance and encrease of it hee doth sinne against God and faile in a speciall dutie that he owes to his charge For all planting and watering is in vaine vnlesse God giue the encrease And how can he respect any blessing of God vnlesse he doe both often and earnestly seeke for it and render most heartie thanks for it as he findes it granted For the people that it is their dutie to pray to God and be thankfull for their minister it is plaine Heb. 13. 18. where this commaundement is giuen Pray for vs for we are assured that we haue a good conscience c. And Paule to Philemon saith That he hopes through their praiers to be giuen vnto thē and 2. Thes 3. 1. He wils them to pray for him that he may haue free passage and that he may be deliuered from vnreasonable men And to Timothie 2. 1. he wils that prayers be made for all in authoritie that as God hath set them ouer vs as gouernours so he will gouerne their hearts and order their proceedengs aright This confutes those people that a long time haue liued vnder a minstry but all that space cannot say that they haue once offered vp a true and hartie prayer to God for their pastor that he might be furnished with gifts for the faithfull discharge of so great and waightie an office neuer spoken to God in his behalfe to giue him a dore of vtterance to deliuer aright and deuide the word of truth to be with his meditations and direct his tongue that he might to their consciences and for their edifying And againe if at anie time God haue powred downe more plentifull grace vpon their minister that he hath beene better stird vp to teach them and hath spoken with more power and zeale then ordinarie more earnestly reprouing their sinnes and exhorting them to repentance yet they take it but as an ordinarie thing and let it passe without any notice as though it were not any mercie of God to prepare the ministers mouth to speake to their conscience And because they be thus slacke in desiring and negligent in thanksgiuing for so great a fauour God doth iustly depriue