godly by giuing vs a roome in their hearts causing them to loue vs and honour vs euen for Christ onely whom they discouer in vs by our loue to Christ and faith in his name and imitation of his vertues Secondly and hee graceth vs also amongst the wicked by protecting and acknowledging vs in times of greatest distresse and by washing out the blemishes which our own indiscretiōs at any time brought vpon vs by cleering our innocencies from their vniust aspersions The vse may be first for confutation of their folly and madnes that account it a course of abasement to follow Christ and leaue the vanities of the world Godly courses are honourable courses No man euer lost honor by cleauing to Christ and liuing so as might become the faith and loue of Christ. Secondly and withall wee may hence be informed that all the honour that is without Christ is but obscure basenesse no man can bee truely honourable without the faith of Iesus Christ in his heart Thirdly we should hence be resolued to make more account of the Godly because Christ is to them al honour they are the only excellent ones in the world Fourthly wee should labour also to bee an honour vnto Christ and to the faith and profession of his name and seruice wee must remember that he is our surety to God for vs and hath vndertaken for our good behauiour and therefore for that reason wee should be carefull of our duties and besides wee see that the disorders of great mens seruants leaue an imputation on their master and so it is with vs and Christ. If wee liue righteously and soberly and religiously wee honour Christ our Master but otherwise if wee bee scandalous wee dishonour Christ and therefore had need to looke to our waies And lastly we shold account Christ sufficient honour to vs and not regard the scornes and reproaches of the world but rather with Moses esteeme the reproaches of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Aegypt Thus of the consolation to the godly The terror to the vnbeleeuers is exprest first partly by charging vpon them their offence secondly and partly by describing their punishment Their offence is disobedience To them that are disobedient All vnbeleeuers stand indited of disobedience and that in three respects For first they are guilty of Adams disobedience For by the disobedience of one man many are made sinners Rom. 5.19 Secondly they are guilty of disobedience against the morall Law which they haue broken by innumerable offences and in respect thereof are liable to all the curses of God Deut. 28. Thirdly they are guilty of disobedience against the Gospell For there is an obedience of faith Rom. 1.5 and the Lord complaines that they obeyed not the Gospell Rom. 10.16 and for this disobedience God will render vengeance in flaming fire at the Day of iudgement 2. Thes. 1.8 Now men disobey the Gospel not onely when they are bewitched to receiue false opinions in religion Gal. 3.1 But also and chiefly when they beleeue not in Iesus Christ but liue in their sins without repentance Vses The vse should bee for humiliation vnto impenitent sinners they should take notice of their inditement make haste to humble themselues before the Lord lest Sentence come out against them and there be no remedy and the rather because God will aggrauate against them their disobedience Now there are many waies by which a sinner may take notice of the aggrauations of his disobedience as First by the number of his offences if he consider that he hath made his sinnes like the haires of his head To bee guilty of treason but in one particular should occasion feare but he that is guilty of many treasons hath great reason to bee extremely confounded in himself and this is thy case Secondly thy disobedience is the more grieuous because thou hast receiued abundance of blessings from God who hath by them wooed thee to repentance and this will heap much vpon thee Rom. 2.4 Esay 1.3 Thirdly thou must consider all the meanes thou hast had of amendment God hath planted thee in his garden the Church he hath commanded his vine-dressers to bestow the paines and apply the meanes of growth to thee If now thou be not fruitfull this will be pleaded against thee which art still a barren figtree Luke 13.6 Fourthly it increaseth thy disobedience that thou hast beene guilty of diuers hainous and fowle euils as if thou haue beene a drunkard a filthy person a blasphemer of the name of God a man of blood or the like Fiftly the continuance in sinne thou hast long abused the patience of God and this heapes coals of further indignation against thee Rom. 2. 4 5. and the rather because thy heart hath beene to sinne euer for there is in the heart of vnregenerate men a desire to sin for euer and it is a griefe to them to thinke that at any time they should not be able to liue in sinne still Sixtly thou hast offended against thine owne vowes and couenants and the promises thou hast made to God both in baptisme and the communion and in other passages of thy life Seuenthly it increaseth thy offence that thou hast dealt wickedly in the land of vprightnesse Esay 26.11 There thou hast offended where thou hast had the example of the godly to shew thee a better course It is ill to sinne any where though in Babel but it is worse to transgresse in Sion or Ierusalem euen in the glorious Churches of Iesus Christ. Eightly thy incorrigiblenes addes to the heap of sinne though the Lord hath afflicted thee yet thou hast not learned obedience by the things thou hast suffered but thou hast made thy heart like an adamant so as thou wouldst not returne Ierem. 5.2 3. Ninthly it is yet more that thou hast beene so farre from reforming thine owne life that thou hast scorned and reproched the good conuersation of the godly thou hast spoken euill of the good way of God Thus and many other wayes may the sinner charge his owne heart and thereby prepare himselfe to returne to the Lord while there is yet hope For if thou wouldest returne with all thy heart and take vnto thee words and confesse thy sinnes and pray for forgiuenesse and mourne before the Lord and turne away from thy owne wickednesse the Lord would shew mercy and the obedience of Christ would heale thy disobedience and God would loue thee freely and the bloud of Christ would cleanse thee from all thy sinnes Hosh. 14. Isaiah 55.7 1. Ioh. 1.7 and while it is yet to day the Lord sendeth to thee and beseecheth thee to be reconciled 2. Cor. 5.19 21. Consider that God hath been with thee all this while hauing sent many others to hell for their sinnes and there is hope of forgiueness the Lord hath receiued great offenders to mercie as the Israelites that often fell away from him Iudges 10. and Mary Magdalene and Peter and Dauid and
they should thereby bee made carefull to order themselues aright in bearing reproaches in a right manner as resolued to prepare for the triall of this affliction if they be not scourged with it for as the diuell when he gaue-ouer to tempt Christ is said to cease but for a season so if wicked men hold their tongues we must not think they will be quiet alwaies for till God turn their hearts they are apt to speak euill Now that a godly man may be rightly ordered in respect of reproaches hee must look to three things First he must be sure he bee free from this euill himself that hee help not the wicked against the righteous and by his owne intemperance raise euill fames by reason of which Religion is euill-spoken of for railing cursing slandering censuring and the like will make the very godly look like wicked ones yea like the diuell himself Shall it bee accounted a Paganish offense and shall a godly Christian bee guilty of it Especially such Christians should be extremely abased for their euill natures that raise euill reports of other Christians in cases where wicked men themselues are silent Secondly that hee carry himself in a holy manner when he is reproached and so he must remember two things 1. That hee render not reuiling for reuiling but if he finde himself stirred with Dauid to go to God and betake himself to praier Psalm 109.4 1. Pet. 3.9 2. That he striue to confute them by reall apologies and so he doth if hee endeauour to put them to silence by his good works and a carefull course of conuersation Thirdly because the godliest men may haue their passions and may bee stirred vp with such indignations as appears Ier. 8.18 21. hee must labour to fense his owne heart with store of arguments that may make him patient and comfortable vnder this crosse and thus it should comfort him to consider 1. That no reproaches can make him vile in God's sight how vile soeuer he seem to bee vnto men yet in God's eies he is honourable Esay 43.4 2. That thou art but as an euill doer not an euill doer It is not miserable To be as an euill doer but it is miserable To be an euill doer 2. Cor. 6.8 9. 3. This is not to resist vnto bloud Heb. 12.3 This is a farre lesse crosse than hath been laid vpon many of the best seruants of God they haue lost their liues in the defense of pure Religion 4. That howsoeuer it go with thee in this life yet in the Day of Iesus Christ thy innocencie shall bee cleared and thy faith and sincerity shall bee found vnto praise and honour and glorie thou shalt haue aboundant praise in that Day 1. Pet. 1.7 Thus of the vse that concernes either wicked men or godly men There is yet a vse that concerns all men and that is To take heed of receiuing euill reports against the godly for seeing it is so vsuall for ill-minded men to deuise divulge euill reports of them all men should be wary and take heed of receiuing the euill speeches that are bruited or spoken of any in the businesse of godlinesse The receiuing of false reports is forbidden in Scripture as well as the deuising or divulging of them Exod. 23.1 And it is made a signe of a wicked disposition To giue heed to false lippes and that man is himself a lyar that harkneth to a naughty tongue Pro. 17.4 And therefore GOD will plague in hell not onely lyars but such as loue lies Reu. 22.8 And a good man is said to haue this property that he will not receiue an ill report against his neighbour Psal. 15. And by receiuing euill reports a man becomes accessary to the slander and guilty of it for as it is true that the receiuer of euill-gotten goods is accessary to the theft so is it in the case of slander and somewhat worse for there may be theeues though there bee no receiuers but there can be no slanderers without some to receiue the slander Neither is there any great difference between the tale-bearer and the tale-hearer for the tale-bearer hath the diuell in his tongue and the tale-hearer hath the diuell in his eare Quest. But what should wee doo to auoid tale-bearers or if we do hear reproaches or slanders of other men Ans. As the North-winde driues away the rain so must thy angry countenance doo the slandering tongue thou must not any way shew any liking of his discourse but the contrary yea and further thou must as farre as thou art able make apology to the godly man that is euill-spoken of And the tongue of a godly wise-man should be in this sense healthfull because it should be ready to heal that wound which the tale-bearer hath made in the name of his neighbour Pro. 12.18 25.23 Thus of the second reason The third and fourth reasons are contayned in these last words viz. That they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation The reasons are because God may visit them and if he doo they will glorifie God vpon the remembrance of your good works But heer I purpose to handle the words as they lie in the order of reading them and so I haue foure things to consider of First of good works secondly of the beholding of good works thirdly of the glorifying of God fourthly of the day of visitation Good works Diuerse obseruations are implied heer First that Religion sets men to work there is labour in godlinesse He must work that will bee truely godly or religious God entertains no seruants but he sets them to work they are called to labour all the daies of their life Wee must work out our saluation without working we cannot be saued though our works be not the cause of saluation This point proues that the Gospell is not a doctrine of liberty religion doth call men to working not to liue as they list but as he lists that died for them and requires their seruice And secondly this doctrine shewes who is a true Christian. For as the Scripture is wont to describe a profane man by saying that hee is a worker of iniquity so doth it auouch that he is a godly man that worketh truth and righteousnes Psal. 5. Pro. 14.23 Iohn 3.21 Psal. 106.2 To be a worker of iniquity imports three things First grosse knowne sin secondly a daily custome in the practice of it and thirdly an estimation of sinne as the means of our happy life The wicked man liues by sin as the labourer doth by his trade So heer that man that will labour and that constantly about the works of a holy life making it his euery-daies care to doo God's will and accounts it the happinesse of his life to doo good duties that man is a godly man It is not talking of Religion will serue the turn nor the shewes of it but hee must work and endure the labour of godlinesse Iames 1.25 Acts 10.36 And further this should teach Christians often to remember their holy calling and examine themselues what works they haue done as such seruants as desire to giue a good account to their Master and the rather because no seruants can
family is the society of diuers men dwelling together in one house for preseruation and happines Where three things are to bee explicated First what are the persons that take vpon them to constitute this society Secondly what is the difference between this society and their humane societies Thirdly what is the end of this society First the persons that constitute a family or families society are to bee considered either as the family is perfect or vnperfect 1. A perfect family consists of a triple society first the one between man and wife secondly the other betweene parents and children thirdly and the third between Master and seruants 2. The vnperfect is when any of these societies are wanting as when there are not either children or seruants or wiues or husbands in it The Apostels directions heere do forme onely an vnperfect family For hee giues not directions about parents and children Secondly the difference of this society from others is in those words dwelling together in one house For thereby is imported that this is the first society of all others and the foundation of all the rest For a City comprehends many families a Country many citties a Monarchy many nations and the world many Monarchies Thirdly the end of a fraternity is preseruation and happines and so to speak distinctly there are three things requisite to make this society happy and to preserue it so namely first commodity secondly delight and thirdly Religion Vnto commodity is requisite possession of goods and the mutuall lawfull labour of the persons in the family vnto delight is requisite quietnes and loue vnto Religion is required the constant and right seruing of God If commodity bee wanting the family cannot bee at all If delight bee wanting it cannot bee well and if religion bee wanting it cannot bee for euer Thus of a family in generall and two things may be in generall noted from the Apostles charge about the family First that God himselfe doth bind all sorts of persons as strictly to the good behauiour in their owne houses or towards one another as hee doth toward those in his house Secondly that the conscience is bound immediately from God to nourish all good duties And this is so proued by the fift Commandement and Pro. 14.13 with many other places of Scripture There may be diuers reasons assigned why God giues Commandement to binde vs to domesticall duties First from his owne right For though there be many Administrators as of a Church a Common-wealth a Family c. yet there is but one Lord God is the Head of this society as well as of any other 1. Cor. 12. Secondly because this is the first society God brought into the world and therefore hee would haue it honoured and carefully preserued to the end of the world The first society in Paradise was this and Religion was professed for many hundred yeers by this society onely euen till the people came out of Aegypt Thirdly because the persons we liue withall in the family are the neerest companions of our liues and therefore wee should liue with all due respect one of another Fourthly because the family is the Seminarie both of Church and Common-wealth Fiftly because the family is the most vsual place for vs to practise our Religion in what wee learne at Church is for the most part to be practised at home Many haue little occasion of practice abroad Sixtly because the comfort and contentment of mans life lieth much in this How are the liues of many men made vncomfortable by disordred seruants wicked children idle froward vicious wiues God gaue the woman at the first as a speciall help to man to shew that at home the chief help of his life was to be had Vse The vse should be therefore to teach Christians in their seuerall places in the family to make conscience of their dealing both to knowe it and to doo it as euer they would haue God to come to them and dwell with them Psalm 101.2 and as they desire to bee no hypocrites in Religion for such as make no conscience of dooing their duties in the family whether themselues wiues seruants or children are not sound Christians they are but hypocrites They are not compleat Christians that are not good at home aswell as abroad they walk not in a perfect way Psalm 101.2 And besides till domesticall disorders be redressed the family will neuer be established Pro. 14.3 Secondly it is to be noted that Inferiours in the family are either only or first or with most words charged about their duties as heer seruants and not masters and seruants and wiues with many words and there may be diuerse reasons assigned of it 1. To preserue order God hath subiected the Inferiours to the Superiours and the Superiour in a family is God's Image the Lord is therfore carefull to preserue his authority The Superiours receiue lawes from God but not from their Inferiours The Inferiours are to learn their dutie without prescribing lawes to their Superiors 2. Because the disorders of Inferiors are for the most part most dangerous to the troubling of the family because the businesses of the family are done by their hands the Superiour prouiding for the common good by common instruments If the Master of the family be neuer so godly-wise yet oftentimes the family may bee destroyed by wicked seruants and vicious wiues Pro. 14.1 3. Because faults in the Inferiours are most scandalous against Religion especially where the family is vnequally yoked as if the Head of the family be an vnbeleeuer and the Members beleeuers disorder in the beleeuers is most extremely scandalous 4. Because if the Head of the family be disordred the orderly behauiour of the Inferiours may bring him into order and winne him both to Religion and good order at home A conuersation with feare in wiues may win their husbands chap. 3.1 2. of this Epistle 5. Because God would heerby shew that the Inferiours must alwaies doo their duties before they look after the duties of Superiors they must be first serued 6. By this course the Apostles did labour to intice the Gentiles to Religion by letting them see how carefull they were to breed goodnes and loue in their wiues seruants and children and the Apostles did wisely in so doing because it is a greater gain to Religion to gain one master than many seruants because such a master may do more good The vse should be therefore to interest the obligation vpon the consciences of wiues seruants and children and euen the more they see that God saith vnto them the more they should be carefull of their duties and euer the more desirous they see the Lord to bee to haue them liue without offence the more abominable they shold account it to dare to offend still and if they haue not masters or husbands they should striue to bee good themselues before they complain of the faults of their Superiours and should think with themselues If
I were a better wife or seruant I should finde my husband or seruant better to mee Thus in the generall The first thing then the Apostle giues in charge concerns seruants from verse 18. to the end of this chapter where obserue First the proposition enioyning seruants to be subiect to their masters verse 18. Secondly the exposition shewing both how they should be subiect viz. with all feare and to what masters viz. not onely to the good but to the froward verse 18. Thirdly the confirmation of it by three reasons viz. from the consideration 1. Of the acceptation of such subiection with God verses 19.20 2. Of their calling verse 21. 3. Of the example of Christ which is vrged 1. For the vse of seruants verses 22.23 2. For the vse of all Christians by digression verses 24.25 First then of the proposition where we are to consider first the persons charged Seruants secondly the duty imposed be subiect thirdly the persons to whom they owe it to your Masters Seruants Two things are to bee inquired into about seruants First the originall of their estate and secondly the bond that ties them to this subiection There are seruants of God seruants of sinne seruants of men It is the seruants of men that are heere meant seruants of men are not all of one sort neither For first such as apply themselues to satisfy the vnreasonable humors of men are said to bee seruants of men and condemned 1. Cor. 7.23 Secondly such as make themselues beholding to other men through their pride are forst many times to become their seruants Thus the borrower is a seruant to the lender Prou. 22.7 Thirdly such as imploy their estates or bodies for the honour or preseruation of their superiors are said to be seruants thus subiects serue Princes 1. Sam. 8.17 Fourthly such as imploy their labours and spend themselues for the common good are said to bee seruants thus Ministers are the peoples seruants 2. Cor. 4.5 1. Cor. 9.19 But none of these are heere meant Those seruants are domesticall seruants such as are vnder the yoke of particular Masters in a family Those seruants in the Apostles time were of two sorts some were bond seruants such as were bought and sould in the markets ouer whom the Masters had absolute and perpetuall power some were hired seruants that did seruice by couenant and contract as seruants doe now for the most part with vs. Concerning these it may bee inquired how it comes to passe that men that by creation haue the same nature with other men should in their condition bee abased to so low and meane an estate as to serue them that are in nature alike to them This seemes to bee a grieuous inequality and therefore first to be searched into for the originall and causes of it It is out of doubt that before the Fall if man had staied in his Innocency there had beene no seruitude because all men had beene made after the Image of God both for holines and glory and so had beene on earth as the Saints shall bee in heauen The first cause then of subiection and seruitude was the confusion and sinne of our first parents brought vpon the world the earth being cursed for mans sake A necessity of toylesome labour lay vpon men and so from the aduantages or disaduantages of particular mens estates did arise the freer or harder condition of some men besides this sinne had so confounded the very dispositions of men that through the inequality of naturall temper or care of education some men are made more fit to gouern and others to be gouerned Secondly as a monument of Gods Iustice it is obserued that som whole nations of men haue bin in their very naturall inclination onely disposed to bondage being destitute of all gifts to rule or gouerne as it is noted by the Muscouites and some other nations who for the most part at this day are seruants yea slaues by nature Thirdly in other nations many men become seruants not by nature but by necessity as being taken in mercy and thus among the Latines came vp the name of seruants being serui because they were seruati preserued from slaughter in war and mancipia because they were manu capta things taken by force of armes Fourthly the horrible sinnes sometimes of the Ancestors brings beggery and so seruitude vpon their posterity as the sin of Cam made Canaan a seruant of seruants Gen. 9.25 So doth treason whoredome riotousnes and prodigality of many parents vndoe their whole posterity and leaue them in a necessity of seruing Fiftly wicked children for their disobedience to their parents are many times brought not onely to bee seruants but as was noted before of Cam to bee seruant of seruants Prou. 17.2 Sixtly many men are brought to a morsell of bread by their owne disorder and wickednes of life sometimes open sins sometimes secret sinnes bringing this curse of God vpon them For men became seruants onely to gayne by their seruice the knowledge or state of som science art or trade as many apprentices doe Seuenthly sometimes God by his hand doth abase some men onely as a triall if they fall into pouerty and so to the necessity of working for others by no sinfull courses of their owne but by the ineuitable hand of God as by pyracy shipwrack fire theeues or the like and these are so humbled either to warne others and shew the power of God or to bring them to repentance or else for triall of God's grace in them Eightthly some men are brought to this misery by the cruelty and vniust dealing of other men and so that power the Masters tooke ouer their bondmen to dispose of their very liues was not of God or nature but meerely an oppression For why shold they haue power to take away life that could not giue it And so many a man is brought to pouerty and seruitude by oppression and cruell Landlords or by the fraudulent dealings of other men that falsify their trust or coozen them in bargaining Now the seruants brought to this condition by any of these meanes must bee subiect to their Masters and this is of diuine institution For God him selfe hath bound them to it by the first commandement and so the subiection of seruants is a morall and perpetuall ordinance Vses The vse of all this may bee diuers For First it should teach all sorts of men the more to hate and flee from sinne which hath brought these miseries vpon such multitudes of men Secondly it should teach Masters to vse their seruants respectiuely For tho they be seruants yet they are men made after the Image of God and they are the best part of their possession For other things they possesse are without life and seruants are the liuing instruments of their commodities Thus wise and godly men in Scripture were wont to account it the best part of their possessions that they had men seruants or maid seruants Thirdly it should
teach seruants especially two things the one is humility they should run a race fitted to their condition they should conquer pride and aspiring remembring that God hath abased them The other is they should keep themselues in their places and callings and not shake off the yoake by running away c. seeing God hath taken them bound to serue But the former is most proper to this place seeing they are but seruants they should be content with such diet apparell labour vsage as is conuenient to their condition Fourthly it may serue for great humiliation to such seruants as are wicked men These are of three sorts some of them are brought to this condition by their owne wickednes of life some of them are wicked seruants too as well as wicked men some are tolerable and sometimes profitable seruants though euill men all are in ill case For this is but the beginning of euill to them if they repent not For if they liue in their sinnes as they serue men now they shall serue diuels hereafter and so their bondage shall be inuested vpon them without end Quest. But seeing many godly men and women may bee seruants how may a godly Christian comfort himselfe in this estate of abasement Ans. Though it bee an outward misery to be a seruant yet there are many consolations to sweeten the bitternes of this abasement First because extremities of bondage are remoued from seruants with vs for the most part so as their seruice is but for a time and voluntary too to hire themselues to whom they will and Masters haue not power of their liues Secondly because their calling is acknowledged for a lawfull calling by God Thirdly because God hath bound Masters by his Word to vse them wel the Lawes of Princes prouide punishments for vnreasonable Masters Fourthly because Christ hath redeemed them from the spirituall bondage of seruing the Law and the diuell and Gods Iustice so as he is Christs free-man Fiftly because though his body bee subiect yet his soule is free and not subiect to any mortall creature Sixtly because their Masters are their brethren in Religion Seuenthly because God hath prouided by his vnchangeable Law that one day in seuen they shall rest from their labour Eightthly because before God there is neither bond nor free but all are one in Christ Gal. 3.28 Col. 31.11 Ninthly because all the benefits by Religion whether inward or outward belong to seruants as well as Masters 1. Cor. 12.13 Tenthly because the very work that seruants doe in their particular calling is accepted of God as obedience to him as well as the performing of the duties of Religion God accepts their daily labor as well as he doth praying hearing the Word receiuing the Sacraments reading the Scriptures fasting or the like Eph. 6.6 Eleuenthly because they are freed in that condition from many cares seeing they haue now nothing to doe in effect but to obey in what is appointed them which is a great ease to a minde that desires to see what he hath to doe to please God seeing now onely one thing is necessary which is to obey in what he is commanded and directed Twelfthly because he shall not onely haue wages from men but from God also Ephes. 6.8 Lastly because there shall be no seruants in heauen but in Gods Kingdom they are as free as their Masters and therefore should not thinke much of a little hardnesse or harshnesse in this life Thus of the originall of seruants Secondly we may hence note that seruants are bound by God himselfe in his Word vnto their subiection The Word of God doth belong to the calling of Seruants as well as to any other calling God hath included them within the doctrine of Scripture as well as any other men partly to shew that they haue right to the Scriptures as well as others and partly to shewe that the power of binding seruants is from God and God hath taken it vpon him by his Word to teach Seruants as well as other men and that for two reasons The one is because Seruants belong to the Kingdome of Christ and his Church as well as other Christians and therefore must be taught as well as they Secondly the other is because vsually Masters are negligent in teaching them and therefore God prouides that by his Word they shall be taught Men haue some care in teaching their children but little of their seruants and therefore God to shew that he is no respecter of persons giues order to his Ministers to see them instructed The Vse may be diuers Vses First Masters must learne from hence their duty For when they see that God takes care to teach their seruants they should not bee so proud or carelesse as to neglect their instruction Yea it shewes also that if they would haue them taught or reproued or incouraged they must doe it with God's Word and with their owne yea it also shewes the folly and wickednesse of diuers Masters that cannot abide their seruants should heare Sermons or much reade the Scriptures when they doe not only wickedly in restrayning their seruants from the meanes of their Saluation or comfort but doe foolishly also hinder them of that meanes which should especially make them good seruants Secondly Seruants may hereby bee instructed or informed and taught Informed that though neyther Master nor Minister will teach them yet they are not excused because they are bound to learne from Gods Word their duties And taught from hence they must bee to doe their duties to their Masters not for feare or reward but for Conscience sake because God hath bound them to his subiection Thirdly Ministers should learne and from hence be awakened to take notice of their charge both to Catechize in speciall and to teach seruants in generall as well as other their hearers If it be a part of the Commission of great Apostles to instruct seruants as well as other Christians then what accounts can they giue to God if it be found that they haue had no care of instructing the seruants of their parishes and charges Doct. 3. Thirdly the indefinite propounding of the word Seruants shewes that all sorts of seruants are equally bound to subiection hired seruants are as strictly bound as bond seruants The seruants of Princes are not free from the duty of seruants more then other seruants and so likewise poore mens seruants must be subiect and obedient to their Masters with as much reuerence and fear as seruants to great men Old seruants are tied to as much duty as such as come new to serue Religious seruants are bound to as much subiection and obedience as Pagans or rather their bond is the stronger because Religion should rather make them better seruants and so there is no difference of sexes men seruants are bound as well as women seruants neither doth birth office gifts or meanes priuiledge any seruant from the strictnesse of the bond of subiection Be subiect The duty then required
of seruants is subiection seruants must bee subiect It is not enough to weare their master's Cloth and to hire themselues to their masters they must make conscience of it to perform constant humble subiection to their masters And so they must bee subiect to their masters three waies First to their commandements and so they must obey them and yeeld themselues to them to be ruled and directed by them in all things Eph. 6.5 Col. 3.22 Secondly to their rebukes and corrections for if children need rebukes and corrections then doo seruants also Pro. 13.1 and 15.5 Seruants will not alwaies be corrected by words and therefore need blowes Pro. 29.19 Gen. 16.6 yea they must patiently suffer correction though it be inflicted vniustly as appears in the verses following this Text. Thirdly to their restraints Seruants must bee subiect to the appointment of their masters euen in the things wherein they restrain them as for instance in their diet It is a sinfull humour in them Not to be content with such diet as their masters appoint them though it be worse than the diet of their masters or the diet of the children of the family So likewise in their company they must auoid all company that may bee any way offensiue to their masters and so likewise in their apparell in such cases where seruants are to bee apparelled by their masters as also in respect of their going out of the house in the day-time when they haue not leaue but much more abominable it is To be out of their masters houses in the night without their leaue And as their subiection must bee performed in all these cases so the indefinite maner of propounding it shewes both that they must bee subiect in all things and in all the waies of shewing subiection for the manner of it they must be subiect in all things so as to beare with their masters for it is a sinnefull rebellion to crosse or disobey or leaue vndone any thing that is required of them to doo And besides it shewes that they must bee subiect in their very hearts and in their words and in their countenance and gesture as well as in the work to be done by them Vse The vse may concern both seruants and the parents of such seruants and the masters that rule them Seruants should hence from their hearts learn to yeeld themselues ouer to their masters with all good conscience to perform the subiection required yea such seruants as heare this doctrine may try their hearts whether they be indeed good seruants or no for a good seruant that makes conscience of his duty when hee heares the doctrine doth from his heart consent to it and will striue to fashion himself according to it Now the seruants that desire to bee such as is required may attain to it if they obserue these rules First they must carefully study the doctrine of seruants duties Seruants oftentimes fail through meer ignorance because they doo not lay before their mindes what God requires of them Secondly they must often iudge themselues for their faults wherin they haue displeased their masters or neglected their duties therefore many seruants mend not because either they will not see their faults or doo not humble themselues in secret for it Thirdly they must often meditate on the motiues that may perswade them to subiection And so there are fiue things that might bow their harts and breed in them a conscience of their duties First the Commandement of God it is GOD's will they should beare themselues thus humbly and obediently toward their masters Secondly the promise annexed to God's Commandement should moue them God will reward their work Eph 6.8 Col. 3.24 And in particular inasmuch as their seruice is required in the fift Commandement therefore if they be good seruants God will blesse them with long life Thirdly the threatning if they be not good seruants but bear themselues naughtily and stubbornly they shall not only receiue shame and punishment from men but God will plague them for the wrongs they doo to their masters euen for all the grief wherwith they haue vexed them and for all the losses they haue brought to their masters Col. 3. vlt. Fourthly the examples of such as haue born themselues full wel in Scripture should much moue them the piety of Abraham's seruant Gen. 24. and the painfulnesse and faithfulnesse of Iacob Gen. 31.38 c. and the readinesse of the Centurion's seruant Mat. 8. Yea it should much moue them that Christ Iesus himself was in the form of a seruant Phil. 2. Fiftly the care of the Religion they professe should much moue them if they bee carelesse and proud and stubborn the Name of God and the doctrine of Religion may be blasphemed 1. Tim. 6.1 And if they bee humble and carefull and faithfull they may adorn the doctrine of the Gospell as the Apostle shewes Tit. 2.9 10. Vse 2. Such parents as put their children foorth to seruice must take heed that they spoil them not by giuing care to the complaints of their masters or by allowing them any way in stubborn and disobedient courses Thirdly if masters would haue their seruants to please them by their subiection they then must learn how to rule and gouern them not onely by teaching and charging them what to doo but also by ouer-seeing them whereby many faults may bee preuented and accordingly by seasonable reprouing them and correcting of them betimes for the more wilfull offenses so studying to carry themselues gently towards them or that they lose not their authority by too much loue of their own ease and quietnes else it is iust that their seruants should prooue a continuall vexation to them Pro. 30.22 and 29.19 To your masters The parties to whom they owe subiection are their masters where three things may bee obserued First that though seruants are vnder subiection yet it is not to all men or to other men but onely to their masters which may warne men to take heed that they abuse not other mens seruants or speak basely of them for though in respect of their masters they are seruants yet in respect of them they are as free as themselues And in particular it should teach diuers to meddle lesse with other mens seruants by way of complaint to their masters It was Salomon's Rule Accuse not a seruant to his master lest he curse thee and thou bee found guilty Pro. 3.10 Hee giues two reasons of his aduice The one is that his complaining may so vex the seruants ouer whom he hath no iurisdiction that it may cause them in their impatience to vex him with their reproaches of him which an ingenuous minde should striue to auoid The other is that in such complaints most an end there is much mis-taking when men meddle with such things as belong to other mens families and then it is a foule shame to be found faulty To conclude this point wee should remember that of the Apostle
What hast thou to do to iudge another man's seruant he standeth or falleth to his owne master Rom. 14. Secondly that all masters haue authority ouer their seruants though the master be a poor man or an ignorant man or a cruell man or a froward man or a hard man yet the seruant must bee subiect to him and bear himself as reuerently and obediently as if he were the richest or wisest or worthiest master in the world and the reason is because the subiection is due not to the masters riches or gifts or greatnes but to the authority which God hath giuen him as a master and therefore seruants must look to this point and the rather because it will be the greater triall of their subiection and singlenesse of heart when neither feare nor reward nor any outward respect doth compell or constrain them but simply the conscience of God's Commandement and the masters authority Thirdly wee may heer inquire how masters come by this authority ouer seruants by nature they haue it not and therefore must haue it by law The lawes of men cannot make one man a seruant and another a master therefore it is by the Law of God Since it is by the Law of God if wee haue recourse to the tenne Commandements wee shall finde that it is the fift Commandement which giueth masters this authority and honor the exhortations of the Apostle being but interpretations of that Law And that this point may bee cleered two things must be searched into First what sorts of men are called fathers and mothers there and secondly why they are so called in the Commandement seeing the most sorts of them in the vsuall life of man haue other titles For the first This tearm Father wee shall finde in Scripture to be giuen first to such as begat vs Heb. 12.9 Secondly to Ancestors Ioh. 6.18 Thirdly to Tutors so Students are called Children of the Prophets Fourthly to such as beget vs in respect of grace as to our Ministers 1. Cor. 4.15 Gal. 4.19 Fiftly to Magistrates Gen. 41.43 1. Kings 24.12 Ezra 1.5 Sixtly to Elders in age 1. Tim. 5.1 Seuenthly to the Inuentors or Authors of any science art or trade Gen. 4.20 Lastly it is giuen to masters so Naaman's seruants called him Father 2. Kings 5.13 And from hence masters were wont to be called Patres familias as Magistrates were called Patres patriae For the second Magistrates Tutors Ministers Masters and all Superiours are called Fathers first because the father was the first degree of superiority and the fountain and seminary of all society Secondly God of purpose preserues this title in all superiority thereby to sweeten subiection to Inferiors and to make them think the seuerall dangers burdens labours and subiections in each condition to be not onely tolerable but meet to be born because they endure them vnder parents as it were and so such superiority for that reason should not bee resisted or enuied Thirdly that thereby Superiours may bee put in minde of their dutie to auoid insolency cruelty oppression and the too much respect of themselues God charging them by this title to remember that their Inferiors are to them by God's Ordinance as their children Thus of the proposition of the duties of seruants The exposition followes and so first he sheweth the manner how they must be subiect viz. With all feare Seruants must subiect themselues to their masters in all feare which being put downe indefinitely must be vnderstood both in respect of God and in respect of their masters Seruants must shew their feare of God in their places diuers waies First by auoiding such sinnes as are contrary to the will and commandement of God in their generall life such as are swearing lying slandering hatred of the godly drunkennesse whoredome and the like Psalm 101.3 4 5. Secondly by carefulnesse to doo God seruice as well as their masters not onely by spending the Sabbath in the duties of Religion but in redeeming the time in the week-daies as may be without hindrance of their work or offense to their masters to imploy themselues in praier reading conference c. and the reason is because as seruants must doo their masters work as they are seruants so they stand bound in the common obligation to do God's seruice as they are men and no man but is subiect to the Law of God who hath giuen all his Commandements to seruants as well as to masters Thirdly by dooing their masters work out of conscience respecting the will and commandements of God and therefore seruing their masters with all faithfulnesse as if the seruice were to bee done to God himself or to Iesus Christ Eph. 6.5 Col. 3.23 Fourthly by praying for their masters and for the good successe of their labours for their masters commodity thus Abraham's seruant is commended for his practice of the feare of God and left for an example to all seruants to doo likewise Genes 24. Fiftly by dooing their masters work without eye-seruice being as carefull and as diligent when their masters are absent as when they are present as remembring that the Lord sees them though their masters doo not Col. 3.22 The feare then toward their masters they may shew diuers waies First by auoiding what might displease their Masters such as is answering again Tit. 2.10 contention with their fellowes and all vnquietnesse Phil. 2.4 sullennesse Prou. 29.19 and all vnfaithfulnes shewed either by purloining in the least things Tit. 2.10 or carelesness in disappointing the trust committed to them as also masterfulnesse pride and haughtie behauiour when they will not abide it to be told or directed or doing what they list not what they be appointed Secondly by reuerent behauiour to be shewed by lowlynesse of countenance by giuing titles of honor and respect Iohn 13.13 by standing before them when they sit Luke 17. by auoiding rude behauiour or sawcy familiarity as accounting them in heart worthy of all honor 1. Tim. 6.1 one point of which reuerence is that seruants should not presume to deliuer their opinions easily in their Masters presence vnlesse it be required or may bee gathered by argument from the lesse Iob 32.6 7. Thirdly by their secrecy in all the affayres of their Masters especially they should take heede of discouering their Masters infirmities to others abroad out of the family Fourthly by auoyding inquisitiuenesse to meddle only with their owne businesse the seruant knoweth not what his Master doth Iohn 15.15 Fiftly by doing their work with all faithfulnesse and diligence in absence as well as presence that when the Master comes he may finde them so doing Math. 24. Thus of the manner of the duty â—he persons to whom they must thus submit themselues follow And so they must be subiect with all fear not onely to the good but also to the froward To the good and gentle For the sense we must enquire who are good Masters and who gentle Good Masters are discerned by diuers signes
First they seeke not only painefull and skilfull but religious seruants Psal. 101.1 6 7. Secondly they not onely licence but teach their seruants to keepe God's Sabbaths and to worship him Commandement 4. Genes 18.19 Thirdly they will not command their seruants to doe any thing that is sinfull or to lie as snares or defraud others for their profit Fourthly that receiue their seruants especially such as are Religious as their brethren Fiftly that are ouerseers as well of the manners of their seruants as of their labours being as carefull that their seruants be no worse to themselues than to their Masters Sixtly that vse their seruants well not onely praysing them for well doing but alwaies rewarding their seruice with liberall wages and when they part from them not suffering them to goe from them empty without portion c. Masters shewe their gentlenesse also diuers waies as First when they vse their Authority moderately or are not haughtie or violent towards their seruants Secondly when they passe by their infirmities and take not notice of all the ill they say or doe Eccles. 7.22 Thirdly when their seruants offend they chide them with good words and not reuile them But also to the froward Froward Masters are such as are bitter to their seruants hard to please that are apt to finde fault that vse their seruants hardly in words or deedes but chiefely such as are cholerick and passionate and peeuish in their carriage towards their seruants So that foure Doctrines may bee noted from these words and from the coherence Doct. 1. First that God takes notice of the faults of Superiours as well as hee requires duties of Inferiours he sees frowardnes in masters as well as disobedience in seruants and the reason is both because God is no respecter of persons and also because hee giues his Law to all men And therefore Superiours must make conscience of their duties for though in all things they are not to giue accounts to their Inferiours yet they must giue accounts of all they doo to God Col. 3.24 Doct. 2. That God sees and dislikes such faults as the lawes of man take not notice of If a Master should kill his hired seruant mens lawes would take hould of him but if he be neuer so froward with him he may escape mens lawes But though the lawes of men punish not frowardnes yet God will So wee see in the exposition of Christ giuen vnto diuers commandements Mat. 5. man failed in killing adultery purity c. not once thinking of anger lust filthy speaking reuiling c. yet God forbids euen these things also which serues to reproue the folly of such as iustify themselues for very iust men because they offend not the lawes of men but neuer consider that God can finde a world of faults in them that mens lawes cannot because God sees the heart and by his Lawes requires obedience of the inward man and condemnes all sweruing from the right temper of heart and carriage And therefore wee should all looke to our waies to approue our selues not onely to men but to God and so to confesse the imperfections of mens lawes as to admire the perfection of Gods Word Doct. 3. That frowardnes is a vice to bee auoided of all sorts of men It is not onely vncomely in seruants but in Masters too and so consequently in all sorts of men and it is to bee auoided for many reasons First if wee consider the nature of the vice either in it selfe or by comparison It is of it selfe a kind of madnes A froward person during the fit is in some degree a mad person Besides they are very foolish and absurd The month of the righteous saith SalomoÌ„ bringeth foorth wisdom but the froward tongue shall bee cut out In which words note the opposition The righteous mouth brings foorth wisdome but the froward mouth brings foorth foolish things and therefore shall bee cut out Pro. 10.31 Could froward and peeuish persons remember and consider what passeth from them in these fits they would be woÌ„derfully ashamed of themselues Againe consider how contrary frowardnes is to Gods nature He saith of His words that there is no frowardnes in them Prou. 8.8 to note that frowardnes is a thing altogether contrary to God so as the froward persons in their froward fits are not like God but rather like the diuell Secondly if wee consider the causes of this peeuishnes and frowardnes either in man or woman wee shall find that this ill humour is bred of vile causes sometimes it comes of drunkennes as is noted Prouerbs 23.33 alwaies it proceedes from ignorance and want of wit and discretion Prou. 2.11 12. and vsually it ariseth of idlenes and want of constant imployment and of pride arrogance and stomake Pro. 8.13 It sometimes ariseth from iealousy and suspicion sometimes it is raised by idle and vile hypocrisy while they striue more for reputation to be thought good then indeed to be such either as they would seem to be or should bee Thirdly if wee consider the effects of frowardnes For those are vile whether we respect the froward persons themselues or others or God First for themselues It is a vice most vnprofitable For it is like a disease full of anguish and vnquietnes it eates vp their owne hearts troubles their minds and robs them of al contentment besides it breeds a grieuous indisposition in them to all good duties both to God and men and brings vpon them many mischiefes It dares annoy their friends For they that are wise will make no frendship with the froward and in such as are tied to them that they must needs conuerse with them it much alienateth their inward loue and respect of them And therefore Salomon saith well Hee that hath a froward heart findes no good and hee that hath a peruerse tongue falleth into mischiefe Pro. 17.20 And againe Thornes and snares are in the mouthes of the froward Pro. 22.5 Secondly to others their peeuishnes is a great vexation and burthen Hence came the prouerb The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable that is a godly patient discreet man is exceeding pleasing to others in his words and carriage but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardnes that is a sinfull peeuish foolish person is in his word and carriage exceeding troublesome and vnpleasing for so the Antithesis imports Besides it breeds discord a froward mouth soweth discord Yea it many times driues such as conuerse with such persons into perplexities and amazednes that they know not what to doe to free themselues from their peruersenes according to that of Salomon The way of a man is peruerse and strange but as for the pure his work is right Prou. 21.8 And therefore Dauid when hee was to order his family is specially carefull that no froward person dwell with him For where frowardnes is there is confusion and euery euil work Iâ—rem 3.16 Thirdly if wee respect God It is a
〈◊〉 The excellencies of Kings aboue others 1. Tim. 1.12 Bernard Epist. 170. Who are branded for euill doers Wherâ—in it is vnlawfull to seeke the prayse of men 2 Cor. 12.11 Ioâ— 5.36 37 Helps to get praise from men Ier. 8.18 21 Vide Eph. 4 17 18 Signes of spirituall Iolly Prou. 17.16 Signes of spirituall madnes Wherein godly mâ—n sometimes shew folly Why t is so hard to cure Ignorance and silence ignorant men Speciall gifts of Christ bestowed on the godly Quanquam humantur non tamen damnantur From what a Christian is made free Electì sunt liberi à damnaetione legis et à dominatione regis peccati To what a godly man is made free In what respects we are but as free 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men may vse their liberties aâ— a cloke of maliciousnes fiue waies 2. Pet. 2.19 â—0 How Christian liberty is made a cloke of malice in things indifferent How we must serue God Rom. 12.45 Heb. 9.14 Who are reiected from the number of Gods seruants Deut. 2.847 Prerogatiues of Gods seruants By what waies wâ—e may express our honouring of men How wee shew our loue to the brotherhood In what respects godly men are brethren The Apostle doth especially vrge the inward worship of God The feare of God what it is It is twofold Fiue things in God wee are to stand in awe of Motiues to get the feare of God What kindes of men do not feare God Signes of Gods feare Pro. 31.30 Note What ae family is Three things required to make a society happy We are bound of God to the care of domesticall duties for diuers reasons Why Inferiors in a family are first and especially charged with their duties Seruants of men are of diuers sorts For what causes seruitude came in Gen. 12.16 and 32.5 Eccles. 2.7 How a godly seruant may comfor himselfe in that estate Seruants must be subiect 3 waies Helps for seruants to yeeld subiection The originall of masters The name father giuen to diuers sorts How many waies seruants shew the feare of God in their callings Signes of good masters Reasons against frowardnes Pro. 10.32 Pro. 16.28 Helpes against frowardnesse Reasons why men ought to be instructed about conscience What Conscience is Rom. 2.15 and 9.1 The proper work of Conscience These principles in the mind shâ—w a keeper they call Synteresis How Conscience is imployed in vs. Chirographia Dei Prerogatiues or properties of Conscience Kindes of Conscience Difference of euill in mens consciences Note The signes of an euil Conscience that is still Signes of an ill stirring Conscience Hurt of an euil conscieÌ„ce Foure ill effects of an ill Conscience Aggrauations of the misery of an ill Conscience What must be done to make an ill Conscience good Two things for the guiding of Conscience Signes of a good Conscience Acts 23.1 Benefits of a good Conscience How farre Conscience may be bound Vse Wherein vaine glory is seene 1. Thes. 2.6 Wherin true glory consists God calls men to suffer diuers waies Christ suffered for vs in diuers respects Ten things for vs to follow in the example of Christs sufferings In what things Christs example bindes not How far examples binde conscience A man is said to make sin many waies How Christ had no sinne Guile in words many wayes Guile in Hypocrisie many wayes What reuiling is Who are guilty of reuiling Esay 5.20 Motiues â—o patience In what cases it is not fit to complayne vnto the Magistrate In what cases men may lawfully seeke redresse from the Magistrate That God is a Iudge is terrible to wicked men and that in many respects But comfortable to godly men How God iudgeth righteously Vse Rules in committing our cause to God In what respects Christ bare our sins Christs sufferings fitted to the circumstances of sinne 1. Iohn 2.1 Rom. 3.26 Reasons why Christ suffered on a tree Men die diuers waies Natural men are said to be aliue to sin in diuers respects Great is the misery of such as liue in sin 2. Cor. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diuers things in Christs death that ought to be in our repentance Signes of true mortification The happines of such as liue spiritually Rom. 6.5 8 11. Vses A religious life is the best life for 6. reasons Signes that describe a righteous man in himself Six other signes of righteousnes as it groweth How the righteousnes of a godly man differs from that of the Scribes Pharises Why so many do not imbrace a righteous life Helps vnto a righteous life Phil. 3.3 1. Cor. 7.23 Defects of a righteous life of two sorts First in the parts of it And so either in respect of the first table Psal. 37.3 5 Pro. 26.3 Psal. 55.22 Psal. 16.8 Or else in respect of the second table 2 Defects in the manner of doing righteously and so 1 In generall 5. waies Many defects in Gods worship How the soul comes to be diseased The diseases of the soule are grieuous many waies Why many feel not the diseases of their soules Gal. 6.14 Rules for such as desire Christ to heale or help their bodily grieâ—es What is meant by going astray The misery of such as go astray appears in diuers respects Aggrauations of their misery Causes of mens going astray Esay 16.14 Iob 12.28 Signes of a lost sheepe Diuers things that giue hope of curing to such as bre out of the way Motiues to return Persons that need returning The time of returning False wayes to be auoyded in returning Aggrauations against diuers that returne not What number of lost sheepe doe vsually returne The meanes of returning The manner of returning Signes to knowe who are truly returned Hos. 6.3 Quest. Le ts of returning What attributes are giuen to Christ as a shepherd Christ is one Shepheard He is the true shepherd He is the good shepherd 1 Tim. 1.13 16 1 Cor. 9.10 11 And he is the great Shepherd and that in diuers respects The happiness of such as liue vnder this Shepheard appears in ten particular priuiledges Cant. 1.7 Zach. 11.9 10. Explanation of the tearm Bishop Christ excels all other Bishops in 10. respects Mat. 28. vlt. Such are happy that liue vnder the Charge of this Bishop Vse 2. Vse 3. Duties of such as bee vnder the charge of this Bishop
haue fairer work it is all good work and seruants were so ingaged to their masters nor did owe more seruice and because neuer was ther a master that gaue better wages than God doth to his seruants And therefore let euery Christian be daily carefull to look to his work that when his Master cometh he may finde him so doing Thus of the first point Doct. 2. Secondly that works do especially commend vs to the good opinions of men it is our works must iustifie vs before men by good works wee must winne testimony to our sincere Religion from men Faith iustifies vs before God and proueth vs to be true Christians as works doo before men proue vs to be so And therefore wee should striue by well-dooing to winne as much credit as wee can to our Religion among men Iam. 3.13 Doct. 3. Thirdly that the soundest way of confuting our Aduersaries is by our works we must make reall apologies we must put them to silence by well-dooing Now in that he calls the good works done by them their good works I might note diuerse things 1. The necessity of good works they must haue works of their owne the good works done by others auail not them nor iustifie them 2. The goodnes of God that vouchsafeth to call those works their works when yet they were wrought by him as hauing had their beginning from his grace and Spirit Esay 26.12 3. It is true that they onely can doo good works good works are onely theirs a wicked man cannot doo good works because his person is hatefull to God and his nature altogether impotent and though he may doo some actions which for the matter of them are good yet hee pollutes them with his sinnes of which hee hath not repented and cannot bring them forth compleat for matter manner and end Tit. 1. vlt. Mat. 6. But it is the goodnes of works which I especially intend to intreat of in this place Good works The goodnes of mens works may bee diuersly considered either according to the differences of works good from such as are not so or according to the forms of good works or according to the time of dooing works or according to the vses works are put to For the first Some mens works are neither good nor seem to bee so as are the apparant sinnes of men Some mens works seem good but are not as the almes and praier and fasting of the Pharises Some mens works are good but seem not so at least in the eies of some men and so the religious duties of godly Christians seemed to bee vain practices of Sectaries and Innouators Acts 28. and so Paul's zeal and knowledge seemed madnes to Festus Acts 26. Some works seem good and are so such are the open good works of the godly in the iudgement of godly men guided by charity For the second If works be tried by their form then those works are good works which are done with correspondency to the reuealed will of God in his Word they must bee commended in the Word and done according to the directions of the Word so that all works done besides or aboue the Law of God are sinfull and naught and the dooing of the works of supererogation or those works they call Counsels fall to the ground And yet wee confesse there were some works good which were not commanded in Scripture as Phineas his work in slaying the fornicators and Maries work in anointing Christ vnto the buriall for so it is called a good work Mat. 26.10 and Abraham's work in sacrificing his sonne and the like these were good works and had not warrant from Scripture but were warranted by extraordinary calling thereto and so they differ from the works of superstitious persons done without warrant ordinary or extraordinary For the third The time of dooing some works addes much to the consideration of their goodnes as for instance The charitable religious works done by men before their conuersion are not to be reckoned good works because the person that doth them is not reconciled to God and liues polluted in his sinnes Likewise the works of our calling done in the week-daies are good works but done on the Sabbath-day are euill workes So works done too late are not good as their prayers that would not answer when God called them Prouerbs 1. For the fourth If the vses of works be respected the outward works of wicked men that for the matter of them are required in the Word may be said to bee good works because they are good for men vnto whom they are done as the almes of a Pharisee is a good work in that it is good for the relief of the poor though it bee not good in the sight of God as failing of the right end which is God's glory Thus of the acceptation of the tearms The good works heer mentioned are such as are good in God's sight as beeing done in obedience to God's will and by persons that are godly Now concerning those good works I propound diuerse things profitable to be considered of First the rules of good works which doo tell vs what must bee had before a work can bee a good work Secondly the kindes of good works or what workes wee may account in the nature of good works how many sorts of good works there are Thirdly I would answer a question or two needfull to bee considered of about good workes and in the last place the vses of all For the first of those There are many rules to bee obserued before wee can doe works that God will account good And those rules are absolutely necessary and they are these First the person must bee reconciled vnto God in Iesus Christ or else all hee doth will bee abominable in Gods sight Hee must bee turned in Iesus Christ Eph. 2.10 Hee must bee pure or else his work is not right but polluted Tit. 1. vlt. Pro. 21.8 The people that doe good works must be purified vnto God being redeemed by Iesus Christ and so made a peculiar people Tit. 2.14 Hee must be purged and sanctified and so prepared to good workes 2. Tim. 2.21 Secondly his workes must bee warranted and required and prescribed in the Word of God he must walke by rule his patterne must be found in the Scripture Gal. 6.14 he must come to the light of the Word that his works may bee manifest that they are wrought in God Iohn 3.21 The Scriptures giuen by inspiration of God to this end that the man of God might bee perfectly directed vnto euery work that is good 1. Tim. 3.16 17. Thirdly hee must propound a right end in doing his works or else though the matter be good yet the worke is polluted as was
the lawes of Magistrates in things indifferent is in Gods account a sinne of malice partly because God reckons it as hateful as malice and partly because it flowes vsually from a heart that is not well-affected vnto the Magistrate but some way is wanting in that harty respect ought to be borne to the Magistrate Secondly in things indifferent that are left free to vse or not to vse and so Christian liberty is abused when it is vrged to defend such things as are scandalous or offend such as are weake and this is that which the Apostles in other Scripture so much vrge when they write of offending the weak brother Thirdly in things indifferent whether free or vnder the Ordinances of men There bee cases wherein Christian libertie may bee vilely abused As 1. When things indifferent are vrged as matters of necessity and with opinion of holinesse and merit Gal. 5.1 2. 2. When Christians doe bite and deuoure one another by quarrelling censuring back-biting one another and make diuisions about these things this is a reciprocall abuse about these things of Christian liberty and zeale ill spent seeing brotherly loue is the fulfilling of the Law c. Galat. 5.13 14 15. and the Kingdome of God stands not in garments gestures meate and drinke but in righteousnesse power and ioy in the holy Ghost Romanes 14.17 As the seruants of God These words are the reason why Christians must not neglect their obedience vnto the Magistrate nor abuse their liberty to licenciousnesse or maliciousnesse For though they be free by Iesus Christ yet they are entertained by God still in the nature of seruants and so are bound to do what he commands and hee doth command them to submit themselues to the Ordinances of the Magistrate For matter of Doctrine two things may be heer noted Doct. 1. God entertaynes none by Iesus Christ but he takes them bound to be his seruants All God's people are God's seruants And thus it is with men not onely in the new Testament but was so alwaies before Thus Abraham Iob Moses and Dauid are called God's seruants Vse The vse should be for instruction diuersly First seeing we are God's seruants wee should make Conscience of it to do his worke he hath by the Gospell hired vs to that end to imploy our selues in the workes of righteousnesse mercy and piety Tit. 2.12 Secondly since we belong to God who is so great a Master we should not onely doe his worke but do it in such a manner as becomes the seruants of the King of all kings God's seruants should serue him 1. Reuerently and with feare and trembling we must humble our selues to walke with God Psal. 2.11 Mic. 6.7 2. Zealously we should be zealous about this worke and so we should do it readily It is a shame for vs to bee dull and carelesse and prone to shifts and excuses the Centurions seruants goe when hee bids them and come when he calls for them and do this when he requires it and our zeal should bee shewne by our cheerefulness and willingness God's people should be a willing people and our hearts should be full of desires aboue all things to approue our selues to God we should make it appeare that we not onely are his seruants but loue to be his seruants Isaiah 56.7 and in matters of his worship or the meanes thereof the zeale of his House should eate vs vp 3. Wisely and discreetely Kings get the wisest men they can light vpon to serue before them and therefore the King of all kings will not be serued with fooles Since we serue GOD we should be circumspect and be sure we vnderstand what the will of God is Eph. 5.15 16. And therefore wee haue need to pray with Dauid that God would giue vs true vnderstanding hearts to search his Law Psalm 119.124 4. Sincerely Iosh. 24 14. And this sincerity in God's work wee should shew fiue waies First in seeking none but him Deut. 6.13 Wee must not be the seruants of men 1. Cor. 7.23 to satisfie mens humours or stand-vpon their liking or disliking Wee may not serue Mammon in our owne lusts No man can serue two Masters God refuseth vs for his seruants if we serue riches Luke 16.13 Secondly we should shew our sincerity in obeying him in all things there is no work hee requires that we should think our selues too good to do it we must not dare to neglect any thing he requires They are none of God's seruants that will do onely what they list in Religion Thirdly we should shew it in dooing all things that may bee best for his aduantage seeking his glory in all things 1. Cor. 10.31 We must not seek our owne praise or profit but his whom we serue Fourthly by dooing his will indeed without dissimulation 1. Chron. 28.9 Fiftly in newnes of spirit bringing new hearts to his work not trusting the old man to do any worke for God Rom. 7.6 5. We must doo his work constantly A seruant is not he that doth a daies work and so is gon but hee that works all the yeer nor hath God any seruants that hee hires not by life Hee hath none from yeer to yeer Psalm 119.17 Wee must finish his work and neuer giue-ouer till wee fulfill the task appointed vs Lukeâ— 74 Reu. 7.17 6. We must serue him with our spirits God is a Spirit and will be serued in spirit and truth If he may not haue the seruice of our hearts hee reiects the seruice of our bodies we must serue him with all our hearts and all our soules Deut. 10.12 Philip. 3.3 7. Confidently Seruants to ill or poor masters are fain to trust them for diet and wages how much more should wee relie vpon God and commit our selues wholly to him taking no care but onely to doo his work leauing all the rest to him Esay 43.11 8. With one shoulder or with one consent they must agree one with another Zephany 3.9 9. With all modesty Acts 20.19 without pride or self-conceits or conceitednes acknowledging that when we haue done all wee are vnprofitable seruants Luke 17.10 and with sorrow for our failings Acts 20. Luke 15.29 and the rather because God can finde faults in his best seruants Iob 4.18 Vse 3. Thirdly since God's people are God's seruants they should learn in all places to stand for the honour and glory of their Master and not suffer God to bee dishonoured by the seruants of a strange god Lastly since all God's people are his seruants and do his work it serues for the discouery of the miserable condition of multitudes in the visible Church who are heerby proued not to bee God's people because they are not God's seruants And so these sorts of men following are reiected as none of Gods people because they are none of his seruants First all prophane persons that aske what profit it is to serue God Iob 21.15 Malac. 3.15 and serue their owne lusts Math. 24.49 Secondly all worldlings
malicious courses and will not be intreated or perswaded to peace and loue Secondly when men suffer their malice to carrie them into sutes and quarells and open contentions Thirdly when men malice the Godly and such as feare God and loue the truth 1. Ioh. 3.15 Fourthly when they malice their friends and familiars the men of their peace To hate them that loue vs is abhominable so is that domesticall hatred betweene brethren Prou. 18.19 and between Man and Wife Parents and Children Masters and Seruants Fiftly when men hate those that reproue their sins Amos 5.10 as some do their Ministers Sixtly to hide hatred with dissembling lips and to lay vp deceit in his heart Prou. 26.24.25 and 10.28 Seuenthly to sowe discord among brethren this is one of the six things God hates Prou. 6.19 Eightthly to conceiue malice against whole states of men to hate whole Churches and Assemblies that professe the Name of Christ this is the diuelish malice of Hereticks and Schismaticks and the beginning of these loathings must be looked-to in such as yet haue not proceeded so far as to a separation If to hate one man be so ill what is this offence of base estimation inward loathing and distempered censuring of the Churches of Christ Ninthly and lastly it is one monstrous aggrauation of malice for a man to reioice in it boast of it account it his honour to contend and ouercome in contending to triumph in malice Secondly for instruction and so we should all learne all remedies and directions to auoide malice These remedies either concerne malice in our selues or malice in others For both we need rules to direct vs. Now for auoiding malice in our selues these rules are of excellent vse First Watch thine owne heart for pride and enuie and passion For from hence flowes all contention and hatred Prou. 13.10 Secondly Auoide three sorts of men and thou maist be free from malice The first is the tale-bearer Where no wood is the fire goeth out and where there is no tale-bearer strife ceaseth Prou. 26.20 The second is the scorner for Cast out the scorner and contention ceaseth Prou. 22.10 The third is the contentious man the froward person the man of imaginations he that is apt vpon euerie trifle to snuffe and contest For as coales are to burning coales so is a contentious man to kindle strife Prou. 26.21 Thirdly Doest thou mislike any thing in thy brother goe to him and reproue him plainly neuer hate him in thy heart but tell him of it plainly Manie times a godly reproofe cures both the reprouer and the reproued Fourthly Will not all this helpe then goe in secret and humble thy selfe before God for that vilenesse that cleaues to thy heart Many praiers and confessions before God wil make a great alteration in thy soule it will purge out this leauen wonderfully Fiftly Meditation of two things in Christ his Passion and his Second comming In his Passion consider a man infinitely iust suffering for the vniust and from the vniust Neuer so much innocencie neuer so great wrongs neuer worse enemies yet see he can forgiue euen vpon the Crosse when they tooke his life from him In his Second comming consider first that then there wil be an end of all wrongs thou shalt neuer be molested more Secondly That an exquisite reuenge shall then be executed vpon all that do thee wrong if they repent not Thirdly a retribution shall be giuen to thee in glorie for all the indignities thou hast patiently endured in this world And thus of malice in thy selfe For malice in others it must bee considered two wayes First how thou must doe to cause it to cease when it is conceiued against thee alreadie Secondly how thou maist auoide it still if thou liue free from it For the first if anie bodie hate thee obserue these rules 1. Render not euill for euill to any man at anie time Rom. 12.17 2. If thou haue anie way done wrong seek to be reconciled Matth. 5. 3. If the contention be secret complaine to no bodie but goe and debate the matter with thy neighbour himselfe and discouer not thy secret to any other Prou. 25.4 4. Be courteous and patient and tender hearted and readie to doe anie good to them speaking no euill of them without a calling Rom. 12.17 Eph. 4.3 Tit. 7.2 To keepe thee from other mens malice obserue these rules First Keepe thee from other mens strife meddle not with the strife that belongs not to thee Prou. 26.17 Secondly Wrong no man but follow that which is good both among your selues and toward all men 1. Thess. 5.14 Thirdly Sâ—riue to shew all meeknes and softnes to all men Titus 3.2 Iam. 3.13.17 Guile The second sin to be auoided is Guile The word heer rendred Guile is diuersly accepted in scripture Sometime it is taken in good sense and so there is a iustifiable Guile so Paul caught the Corinthians by craft he wonne them by his discretion and godly policy 2. Cor. 12.6 So Samuel by a godly policy giuing it out that he came to sacrifice did safely performe his cheefe business of anointing Dauid 1. Sam. 16. and so did Paul deale cunningly when in the broile hee cried out he was a Pharisie But most vsually this word is taken in ill sense and so sometimes it is all one with hypocrisy as Hosh. 11.12 Psal. 17.2 But so it is not taken heer by all likelihood because hypocrisies are mentioned in the next words sometimes it signifieth frawd and falshood in opinions either in the matter when the doctrine is strange and false and so the false Apostles were deceitfull workmen when they put in that for good stuffe which was counterfeit and diuelish 2. Cor. 11.13 Or when good doctrine is handled corruptly and deceitefully for wicked ends 2. Cor. 42. 1. Thes. 2.3 Sometimes it signifieth deceite in words and so flattery is Guile Psal. 12.2 3. And lying is Guile Mich. 6.12 Zeph. 3.13 And so is all false Testimonie Somtimes it signifieth deceite in workes and so false weights and balances and all fradulent dealing and cousenage in buying and selling is Guile Mich. 6.10.11 So there is Guile in Tything Malach. 1. vlt. And so al lying in waite to seeke occasion against others and all subtle dealing to oppresse others is Guile Psal. 105. 2. Cor. 11.12 13. Math. 26.4 Mark 14.1 and such Guile was in them that would make a man sinne in the word Isaiah 29. Briberie also is Guile Iob. 15 vlt. Now if any aske me why this sinne should bee auoided in them that desire to profit by the word I answere It is to be auoided as it is a sinne that much dishonors God and the profession of godlinesse It is a shamefull offence in any that would seeme to loue the word but more particularly the sinnes of deceite are a great impediment in hearing the word For first the guile of false opinions and strange doctrine is like
a poison to the sincere milk of the word and to be eschewed of all that follow the Truth Eph. 4.14.15 He. 13.7 Secondly a heart accustomd to deceit subtlety cannot be a plaine and honest heart and without a plaine honest and good heart men can neuer receiue with any fruitfulnesse the seede of eternall life Luke 8. Thirdly hee that is false to men will neuer be true to God he that will lie to men will lie to God Also hee that is not faithfull with men will compasse God about with deceit Hosh. 11.12 He will neuer be faithfull in the true treasure that is vniust in outward things Tuke 16. Fourthly it is a sinne that God in a speciall manner hates Psal. 5.7 Fiftly the sinnes of deceit vsually attend vpon some Idoll in the hearts of men which hath such command ouer the deceitfull person that hee cannot attend to the word of God or not haue leasure to practise it he is so mastered by this particular corruptition Ierem. 9. The vse of this may be threefold For Humiliation to all deceitfull persons that vse lying fraud subtlety and guilefull dealing in their trades and callings and course of dealing and conuersation with men they shall neuer prosper in spirituall things The Ordinances of God are blasted to them Morouer there are two cnosiderations which should wonderfully affright such as are accustomed to lying deceit First It is certaine they are wicked men and haue not the feare of God before their eyes they are the children of the Diuell and enemies of Righteousnesse as these places fearefully shew Psalme 36.1 3. 10.7 Rom. 3.13 1.29 Acts 13.10 Secondly the curse of God is vpon them God will weigh them in the balance Iob. 31.5 They are an abhomination to the Lord Prou. 11.1 20.23 The Lord will surely visit and his soule will be auenged on such persons Ierem. 8.26 27 29. They shall be destroyed Psalme 52.4 They shall not liue out halfe their daies Psal. 55. vlt. And as this is terrible to all deceiuers so especially to such as are guilty of the aggrauations of the sinne As 1. When deceit is couered with smooth words and a flattering stile Ierem. 9.8 Prou. 26.24 c. 2. When men delight in it and take a contemplatiue kinde of pleasure in their guilefull proiects as the voluptuous person doth in his lust When mens bellies prepare deceit Iob. 15. vlt. not their heads but their bellies Psalme 52.2 4. 3. When men make a trade of it giue their tongues to euill and will frame deceit Psal. 50.19 Bend their Tongues to lies and teach their tongues to speake lies and weary themselues to commit iniquitie Ierem. 9.5 4. When men thinke all time spent about Gods seruice too long they would haue the Sabbaths ouer that they might practise deceit Amos 8.5 5. When men Sweare deceitfully Psal. 24.4 6. When men boast of it Psal. 52.1 3. And as deceit is aggrauated by the manner so may it be by the persons vpon whom it is practised and so it is an aggrauation to deceiue ones neighbour and ones brother Ier. 9 5 and so it is to deceiue the harmlesse and quiet of the Land Psal. 35.20 And as by the persons so by the time It is an aggrauation when men imagine deceit as the Prophet Dauid saith all the day long Psal. 38.12 Now if the former terrors belong to deceitfull persons in the generall how much more to them that are guilty of deceit with all these or any of these aggrauations Some one might heer say We feel the sweetnes of it we growe rich by it and we see many men in the world wexed great by the same courses and if wee should not lie and deceiue wee might giue-ouer our trades c. For answer heerunto Let all such knowe that though it be true that some men are wext great and rich by such courses yea though they bee fat and shine yet the Lord will visit them and his soule will be auenged vpon them Ier. 5.28.29 For wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished Pro. 13.11 and the tabernacles of bribery and deceit shall bee desolate Mich. 6.10 to the 16. All such as conceiue with guile by that time they haue reckoned their moneths aright though they growe neuer so big shall bring forth nothing but winde and vanity Iob 15. vlt. What shall be giuen thee or what shall bee done vnto thee O thou lying and deceitfull tongue thou shalt be smitten with some strange and strong hand of God as with the arrows of the mighty so as thy stroke shall be incurable and deadly and thy destruction shall be as with the coals of Iuniper that is both fierce in respect of thy self and pleasing in respect of others For men are wonderfully well pleased when they obserue that ill-gotten goods doo not prosper This hand of God smels like the burning of Iuniper Some others might say We are seruants and we must ly and defraud others to satisfie our masters The Prophet Zephany reports that the Lord wil punish all those very seruants that fill their masters houses with violence and deceit the seruants I say as well as their masters But might some others say My courses are so secret that my deceit shall neuer be found out Let such men learn that the Lord found out this sinne in Ephraim Hosh. 11. and will punish it though Ephraim said he was grown rich and in all his labours they should finde none iniquity in him that were sinne He thought himself sure enough for being discouered and therefore he would contest vehemently and cry out vpon such dishonesty in men as to vse false words and waights besides it is worthy to bee obserued that God many times doth not onely discouer these secret fraudulent courses but discouers them openly so as their wickednes is shewed before the whole congregation Pro. 26.26 But others may say In other things I am just and besides I am forward in religion and therefore this offense is not so great Shall I account thee pure saith the Lord with wicked balances Mich. 6.12 as if hee would say All the shewes of religion in the world wil not serue the turn if sins of deceit raign in a mans dealing And therefore the consideration of all this should in the second place instruct vs and that three waies First to look to our owne carriage and as we desire to liue long and to see good daies to refrain our tongues from euill and our lips that they speak no guile in all our dealing to detest lying and deceit Psal. 34.13 and so to liue as we may be alwaies ready to put our selues vpon Iobs triall Iob 31.4.5 Secondly to lay to heart the consideration of the horrible inundations of deceit that hath ouerflowed all states and callings of men and so it should work in vs both lamentation and supplication before
take paines watching ouer vs for our goods Ierem. 26.8.9 18.18 Amos 5.10 2. Cor. 3.6.16 1. Tim. 4.10 Ierem. 15.10 1. Cor. 4.3.5 Seuenthly when we speake euill of father mother or such as are neerely knit vnto vs so it is also monstrous vncomely to see the wife speak euil of the husband or contrariwise Prou. 20.20 Leuit. 20.9 Mich. 7.6 Eightthly when we speak euill of godliness euen of the good way of God calling sweet sowre and good euil Esay 5 20. scorning Gods Sabbaths and deriding sanctification and reformation of life 1. Cor. 15 32.33 Acts 19.9 especially when wee doe it out of an inward hatred of holy duties Let such take heed of despighting the spirit of grace Heb. 10.29 Ninthly when men speake euill of God himselfe as doth the swearer and for-swearer the murmurer and such as reason Atheistically against the nature counsells or prouidence of God Comm. 3. Psal. 73.9 And as euill speaking may bee aggrauated by the persons against whom so may it bee by the manner For if it bee euill to speake euill in any fashion then is it much more euill First to raile 1. Cor. 6.10 mouth full of cursing Psalme 10 7. Rom. 3.14 Secondly to complaine in all places for slight occasions or trespasses Thirdly to hide hatred with lying lips Psalme 62.4 Prou. 10.18 Psal. 41.6 Fourthly to goe about to carry tales and slanders Leuit. 19. Fiftly to speake euill of others when wee are guilty of the same offences our selues or greater Rom. 2.1.2.3 Math. 7.1.3 Sixtly to reueale secrets this is slander Pro. 11 13. Neither are men free from this vice or guilt when they are whisperers and doe it secretly and as many doe with charge that they speake not of it againe yet them selues in the very next company will tel it out againe 2. Cor. 12.20 Nor when they ioine with their euill speaking the acknowledgement of their praises of whom they speak For many times their but tendes to a greater defamation and by praising them they only saue them selues from blame and intend thereby to enforce their defamation the more Nor is it an extenuation when they reuile their inferiors For Masters must not threaten their seruants Eph. 6.9 nor parents must not prouoke their children to wrath Eph. 6.4 nor husbands be bitter to their wiues Col. 3.9 Nor great men may Lord it ouer their poor tenants or people Prou. 13 8. Nor men that excell in gifts bee masterly in their wordes to their inferiors in gifts Iames 3.1 Nor when men reuile being reuiled For this is also prohibited vnto Christians 1. Pet. 3.9 Ther are also many reasons why wee should put away euill speaking First from commaundement Men are streightly charged by God to refrain their tongues from euill Psal. 34. and not to speak euill one of another Iames 4.9 to speak euill of no man Tit. 3.1 nor to render reuiling for reuiling 1. Pet. 3.9 we must blesse and not curse Rom. 12.14 Secondly from the consideration of our own persons and estates in Christ. We are called to blessing and are the heirs of blessing and therefore it is monstrous vncomely for vs that are free borne to vse such seruile and base language 1. Pet 3.9 Thirdly from example Michael the Archangell when hee contended with the Diuell durst not bring against him any railing accusation Iude 9. The Apostle sheweth their practice herein being persecuted they suffer it being reuiled they bless 1 Cor. 4.12 When Shemei cursed Dauid and called him a son of Beliall and a bloody man hee saied Let him curse because the Lord hath said vnto him curse Dauid It may bee the Lord will looke vpon my affliction and the Lord will requite mee good for his cursing this day Thus hee bore it though he continued cursing and cast stones and dust at him 2. Sam. 16.8.10.11.12.13 But aboue all wee should learne this of our Sauiour Christ In whome was found no guile in his mouth who when hee was reuiled reuiled not againe when hee suffered hee threatned not but committed him selfe to him that iudgeth righteously 1. Pet. 2.23 Fourthly from the causes of it Bitter speaking comes from a bitter root of a cursed disposition in our natures Heb. 12.14.15 It proceedes sometimes from enuy at the good of others sometimes from malice and secret grudge sometimes from guile and fraudulent purposes sometimes from Hypocrisy also For he that is much in iudging other men is seeldome without great store of Hypocrisy in his hart Well therefore is this sinne put last in the Catalogue as that which may bee engendred of any of the former Fiftly from the effects Effects I say both of restraining it and committing it If wee did restraine iudging reuiling backbiting and all bitternes How happy would our liues bee How comfortable would our conuersation bee Wee should liue long and see good daies Psalme 34.12 Besides it is a wonderfull praise of the gifts of God and signe of a large measure of grace to auoid euill speaking He is a perfect man that sinneth not in these customary sinnes of the tongue Iames 3.2 and it is alwaies a mans Honor to cease from strife Prou. 20.3 The effects of committing it are many and fowle and that both to others to them selues First to others and so first it greeues the spirit of God by which wee are sealed to the day of redemption For a bitter spirit is a wonderfull crosse to that meek spirit of Christ Iesus Eph. 3.31 secondly it is a singular iniury to men at whom wee cast our bitter wordes For wee trouble their peace and work much disquietnes and besides when men contend by euill wordes it can hardly be auoided but many will bee defiled yea many besides them selues as they are seuerally inclined to either party Heb. 12.14.15 Thirdly and it is certaine in Gods account and in mens too thou wert as good shoot arrowes at them as bitter wordes and runne them in with swords or cut them with sharpe razors as mangle their names and credits with thy censures or flanders or reproaches Secondly to them selues They bring much hurt to them selues that accustome them selues to ill language in any of these kindes For they make them selues guilty of a world of wickednes Iames 3.9 First they wrong the law of God For he that iudgeth his brother condemneth the law Iam. 4.9 Secondly they transgresse against the lawgiuer whose proper office is to iudge the waies of all men Iames 4.10 Thirdly they discouer also their owne folly and weaknes For it is a mans honor to cease from strife but euery foole will bee meddling Prou. 20.3 Fourthly they shame the profession of Religion For this is thank worthy if a man suffer euill for well doing 1. Pet. 2.19 But what a shame is it when thou suffrest as a busy body in other mens matters 1. Pet. 4.15 Fiftly besides it is certaine Euil wordes corrupt good manners thou losest so much of thy honesty and piety as
thou admittest of euill in thy tongue 1. Cor. 15.33 And if you bite and deuoure one another take heed you bee not consumed one of another Gal. 5.15 And if thou iudge thou shalt bee iudged Hee that is giuen much to censuring seldome or neuer scapes great censures him selfe Math. 7. Sixtly Besides also these courses will encrease vnto greater condemnation God may bee prouoked to take thee in hand and thou maiest be in danger to be plagued for it for euer in Hell Iam. 3.1 Seuenthly and if this euill vice growe in thee thou art fit to be cast out of the Communion of Saints men are charged to auoid thee and not to eat with thee 1. Cor. 5.11 And though that censure be not executed by the Church alwaies yet God many times makes such persons so lothsome that euery body auoids them as much as they can Eightthly further this very effect heer mentioned should perswade much with vs. It is a sinne that greatly hindereth the profit of the word bitter-tongued persons neuer grow much in religion For it is required that we should receiue the word with meeknes and lay aside all superfluity of maliciousnes such as this euill speaking in these kindes is Iam. 1.21 Lastly as men loue cursing so it shall come vnto them and as they loue not blessing so it shall be far from them Psal. 109.17 The vse should be both for Humiliation and for Instruction First for Humiliation It may greatly abase many Christians that are extreamly guilty of this sinne How hath this wickednesse preuailed in many places The way of peace few men haue knowne there is almost no meekenes but lying and flattering and censuring and rayling and slandering and reproach vpon reproach and back-biting euery where Yea what are the families of the most but as so many kennels of Curres such snarling and biting and prouoking one another Husbands bitter to their Wiues Wiues contentions like a continuall dropping Masters threatning their Seruants and Seruants answering again and cursing their Masters How are the liues of the most destitute of contentmâ—nt and their states of prosperitie euen by reason of this sinne But let all that feare God learne from henceforth to make more conscience of their words and refraine their lips from euill Quest. But what should a man doe to keepe himself free from this vice or that this fountaine of euill speaking may be dried vp Ans. He that would restraine himselfe from being guilty of back-biting iudging reuiling or any kinde of euill speaking must obserue such rules as these First He must learne to speake well to God and of godlinesse if we did study that holy language of speaking to God by prayer we would be easily fitted for the gouernment of our tongs toward men we speak ill to men because we pray but ill to God Secondly he must lay this rule vpon himselfe and watch to the performance of it he must studie to be quiet and meddle with his owne businesse and not meddle with the strife that belongs not to him resoluing that he will neuer suffer as a busie bodie in other mens matters 1. Thes. 4. 1. Pet. 4.15 Thirdly hee must keepe a Catalogue of his owne faults continually in his minde when we are so apt to taxe others it is because wee forget our owne wickednesse Fourthly his words must be few for in a multitude of words there cannot want sinne and vsually this sinne is neuer absent Fiftly he must not allow himselfe libertie to thinke euill A suspicious person will speake euill Sixtly he must pray to God to set a watch before the doors of his lippes Seuenthly he must auoide vaine and prouoking companie It may be obserued often that when men get into idle companie which perhaps they like not the very complement of discoursing extracteth euill speaking to fill vp the time especially he must auoide the company of censurers for their ill language though at first disliked is insensibly learned Eightly he must especially striue to get meeknesse and to be soft and shew his meeknesse to all men Tit. 3.1.2 Ninthly if he haue this way offended then let him follow that counsell Let his owne words grieue him Psal. 56.5 that is let him humble himselfe seriously for it before God by harty repentance this sin is seldome mended because it is seldome repented of Quest. But what should I doo to auoid euill speaking in others Ans. First liue honestly without offense and then though men be neuer so crooked and peruerse yet either they will be silent or in the day of Gods visitation they will glorifie God Phil. 2.15 1. Pet. 2. verse 13. Secondly if men will yet reuile learn of Dauid and Christ and the godly to be patient and not reuile again but rather blesse them 1. Pet. 3.5 and 2.23 1. Cor. 4.12 Thirdly if men be still vnreasonable and absurde betake thy self to praier and then either God will turn their hearts or quiet thine Psal. 104 2.3.4 Fourthly thou must not giue thy heart to all that men say but be sometimes as a deaf man that hears not and as a dumb man in whose mouth are no words of reproof Eccles. 7.23.24 Psalm 38.13.14 Fiftly if yet thou be pursued then remember this comfort The curse that is causelesse shall not com Pro. 26.2 and though they curse yet God will blesse Psal. 109.28 God will turn their cursing into a blessing and he will curse them that curse thee Numb 24.9 and if thy reproaches bee for the cause of religion and righteousnes blessed art thou that art accounted worthy to suffer for it For Great is thy reward in heauen Mat. 5.11 Acts 5.41 Thou hast cause to rejoice in such contumelies 2 Cor. 12.10 Hitherto of the catalogue of sinnes to be auoided The manner heer follows to be considered of and that may bee noted from the word laying aside and from the manner of expressing the sins Out of all there are briefly fiue things may be noted First that by nature we are all inclined to and clogged with these sinnes for that the word laied-aside imports For it shewes that by nature they hang vpon vs Tit. 3.3 which should teach vs to watch our hearts against these sinnes seeing they are so naturall to vs and to pursue the reformation of them with so much the more constancy and diligence by how much it is the more hard to shake off what is naturall to vs. Secondly it should teach vs to forbeare intemperate words and carriage toward others in whom wee discern these sinnes so far as they are infirmities but rather wee should bee soft and shewe all meeknes to all men considering that wee our selues also were infected with the same faults Secondly that the naturall man is daily guilty of these sinnes and vseth them as if they were necessary to his well-being He cannot be without them he wears them as his garments or betakes himself to them as to his weapons hee thinks he is
may be obserued is that Christ is the main Fountain of all grace and holinesse It is he that fils all in all things Eph. 1. vlt. All the treasures of wisdome and grace be in him in whom the God-head dwels bodily Col. 2.3 9. It is he that is made vnto vs of God wisdome righteousnes sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 10.30 He was long since acknowledged to be the Lord our righteousnes Ier. 23.6 The knowledge heerof may both inform instruct and comfort vs. First it may inform vs concerning the grieuousnes of our disease The nature of man is so farre past cure that vnlesse the Sonne of GOD sanctifie himself with vnspeakable holinesse we can neuer be sanctified Iohn 17.19 yea the Word it self is not auaileable without the grace of Christ as it appears in that seuenteenth of Iohn where both the Word and Christ are intreated of Secondly it may teach vs first to ascribe glory to Christ who in this respect is most worthy to be acknowledged the Head of all Principalities but especially the Head of the Church from whom commeth influence of all grace and goodnes Eph. 21 22.23 Secondly it should teach vs aboue all gettings to labor to get Christ crucified into our hearts It is Christ in vs that must be our riches and our hope of glory Col. 1. 27. yea this will bee vnsearchable riches to vs we should determine to knowe nothing saue Iesus Christ and him crucified 1. Cor. 2.2 Thirdly let him that glorieth glory in the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 1.4 7. And therefore God forbid I should reioice in anything but the Crosse of Christ whereby I am crucified to the world and the world is crucified to me Gal. 6.14 Thirdly it should bee a great comfort to the Godly both in respect of their vnion with him in regard their Head is so infinite in holinesse as also in respect of that supply and help that they may continually haue from him against all their infirmities and defects and lastly in respect of the hope of the full confirmation of their holinesse in the day of Christ. And thus of the generall Doctrine The first thing in the exhortation to bee considered is the Proposition in which two things are to be marked First what Christ is secondly what the Christian must bee in respect of Christ. There are fiue things in the description of Christ. First he is a gracious Lord that is imported in the first word To whom that is which gracious Lord mentioned in the end of the former verse Whereby the Apostle applies that to Christ which was before spoken of God generally as hee that is God with the Father and as that person in whom the Lord shewes his graciousnes to men Secondly hee is a liuing stone Thirdly hee is in respect of the world and the base respect and vsage of him once disallowed of men Fourthly he is elect of God Fiftly he is precious Now that which Christians must be and doo that they may receiue holinesse from Christ is that first they must come vnto him Secondly they must bee liuely stones Thirdly they must be built vp in him Fourthly they must become a spirituall house Fiftly they must bee a holy priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices vnto God such as may be acceptable in Iesus Christ. For it is to be noted that the word Are built vp may be rendred Be ye built vp howsoeuer it bee read The intent is to perswade them thereto Ye are built vp that is if you bee right that is a thing must not be wāting so the sense is the same First then of the description of Christ. And therein the first point of doctrine that offereth it self to our consideration is that Christ is a gracious Lord. He is a Lord and Master to all true Christians and such a Lord and Master as neuer men serued for wonderfull graciousnes That he is a Lord to the faithfull is euident by other Scriptures also 1. Cor. 1.2 He is said to bee a Lord to all that call vpon him in euery place Thus Dauid cals him My Lord Psalme 110.1 And great Apostles confesse themselues to bee his seruants Rom. 1.1 Iude 1. 2. Pet. 1.1 And that hee is most gracious the Apostle shewes when hee tels that all Ages haue cause to wonder at the maruellous kindnes that God hath shewed to men in Christ. The vse may be both for information instruction and consolation First we may hence be informed that Christ is God with the Father For the which the Prophet Dauid Psalme 34 whence the words of the former verse are borrowed Giue to God the Apostle applies heer vnto Christ and the reason of the application may in the second place inform vs that God is gracious to men onely by Iesus Christ. It is impossible euer to feel or taste of Gods graciousnes but in his Son And thirdly we are heer told as it were that Christ is God visible God is made visible and sensible to men by Iesus Christ This is that mystery of godlines God is manifested in the flesh Secondly Is Christ our Lord and Master then these things will follow 1. That we must liue and die vnto Christ Rom 14.7 8 9. we are not our owne men wee must liue to him that died for vs 2. Cor. 5. vlt. The loue of Christ must constrayne vs and all old things must be passed and all things must become new vnto vs. If Christ be our Lord where is his seruice he must rule vs and rule ouer vs. If we walke in the vanitie of our mindes according to the deceiueable lusts of our old conuersation we haue not yet learned Christ nor the truth that is in Iesus Eph. 4. And therefore let vs euery one looke to his waies as he that must one day giue account of himselfe vnto Christ which will bee Iudge both of quick and dead Rom. 14. 2. That euery knee must bow at the name of Christ and euery tongue must confesse his soueraignty to the glory of God Philip. 2.1 Rom. 14. We must all take notice of his supreme authority and forme in our hearts all possible reuerence toward him 3. We must not iudge one another For what haue we to doe to iudge another mans seruant He stands or falls to his owne Master Rom. 14.4 9. Thirdly it ought to be the singular ioy of our harts that wee serue so glorious a Master Neuer seruāts serued such a Lord as may appear by the enumeration of diuers particular differences As First other masters are not wont to die for their vassals Christ shed his blood for vs one drop of whose blood was more precious then all the bloods of all the men in the World and this he did onely to ransome and redeeme vs that wee might bee a peculiar people vnto him Titus 2.13 Secondly neuer Master had such power to prefer his seruants Christ hath all power in heauen and in earth Mat. 28. and all that to
enrich vs. Thirdly wee serue the best Master because wee serue him that is King of Kings and Lord of all other Lords Reuel 19. Fourthly In the seruice of other masters there is wonderfull difference of places and many of the seruants serue in the lowest and basest offices without hope of any gaine or respect But in Christ Iesus there is no difference bond and free male and female Iewe and Grecian c. in Christ are all one Col. 3.11 Fiftly other Lords may aduance their seruants to great places but they cannot giue them gifts to discharge them but Christ doth enrich his seruants with euery needfull gift for the discharge of their callings 1. Cor. 1.30 Eph. 1. vlt. Sixtly other seruants know that their Lords may and doe die and so they leaue their seruants vsually vnpreferd But Christ liues for euer as the Authors of eternall saluation to them that obey him Seuenthly other Lords may take offence and doe often put away their seruants But whom Christ loues hee loues to the end so as whether they liue or die they are still Christs Rom. 14.8 Eightthly no Lord can giue such sure protection to his seruants as Christ giues to his No man shall plucke them out of his hands Esay 4.5 6. Ioh. 10. and whatsoeuer wrong is done vnto them hee takes it as done to himselfe and therefore the afflictions of his seruants are called the afflictions of Christ 2. Cor. 1.4 Ninthly and lastly neuer Lord was so boundles in his fauour Christ makes his seruants his fellowes 1. Cor. 1.9 They sit with him there in heauenly places Eph. 2.5 6. Hee is not ashamed to owne them as his brethren Heb. 2. His seruants he makes sonnes and heires too yea heires with himselfe vnto God Rom. 8. Neuer man was so fond of his wife as Christ is of his seruants Rom. 7.4 all the book of Canticles shews it Finally they shal all raign with him and be partners with him in his glory after they haue laboured and suffered a little when he appeares in glory they shall be for euer glorified with him Secondly The second thing affirm'd of Christ is that he is said to be a liuing stone A liuing stone A stone and a liuing stone The holy Ghost is vsed in Scripture to liken God and Christ vnto a stone so Gen. 49.24 God is said to be the shepherd and stone of Israel and Reuel 4.3 God is likened to a Iasper stone and Psal. 118.22 Christ is said to be the stone which the builders refused and so in many other places Christ is said to bee a stone three waies First For he is either a rock or stone for refuge because in Christ men may safely rest against all the surges and waues of affliction in the sea of this world Psal. 18. Secondly Or else hee is a stone of stumbling as the Prophet Esaiah called him long since Chap. 8.14 and the Apostle Paul acknowledgeth the same Rom. 9.33 and this Apostle in verse 6. following Because wicked men take occasion from this doctrine of Christ to fall into sinne mischief because if Christ may not be the meanes of their saluatiton he will be an occasion of their falling but in neither of these sences is it taken heer Thirdly But Christ is heere likened to a foundation stone to signify that it is he vpon whom all the Church must be built This is that stone which was cut out of the mountain without hāds Dan. 2.45 that hard stone of which the Prophet Zachery speaks Chap. 4.7 10. He is said to be a liuing stone and some think to liken him thereby to a flint stone which being smitten the sparkles as if it had fire in it giue fire and light to other things It is true that Christ hath life in himselfe and doth giue the sparkles vpon the flames of life and light to other men But I thinke the stone heer doth not import so much by any likenes in it because it is a corner stone in the building which vsually neither is nor can be of flint But he is said to be a liuing stone to distinguish him from materiall stones and by that word liuing to shew what the metaphor stone cannot resemble For though a stone might shadow out the continuance and eternity of Christ by the lastingnes of it yet life is giuen heer to Christ not onely because hee liues himselfe and can doe no more Rom. 6.9 but because he is by effects life that is he makes life in the godly whereby they become liuing stones also The maine doctrine heer intended is that Christ is the onely foundation of the Church Ob. Dauid is said to be a stone and a hard stone of the corner Psal. 118. Sol. Dauid was so onely by way of type his life beeing somewhat like the state of Christ in respect of the oppositions of men and preferment from God and that that place doth specially belong to Christ appeares by the application of Christ himselfe Math. 21.32 Ob. But the Apostles are said to be the foundation of the Church Eph. 2.20 Sol. The place is to be vnderstood of the doctrine of the Apostles which treats in one maine point of Christ. Ob. But the Church is founded vpon Peter Sol. The Church is not builded vpon Peter but vpon the rock which was the confession of Peter and so the doctrine of Christ for the text doth not say super hunc Petrū but super hanc Petrā Vse The vse may be first for confuration of the Papists about their blasphemous doctrine in ascribing this glory of being the foundation of the Church vnto Peter and so to the pope which they doe most absurdly for that place Math. 16. 18. is not vnderstood of Peters person but of his confession And besides if it had beene true of Peter by what word of Scripture shall it be proued that it is true of the Pope who is not once named in Scripture except hee bee described as Antichrist Besides if the Church be built vpon Peter or the Pope then it will follow wee must belieue in Peter and the Pope else we cannot be founded on them which is extremely blasphemous but that it may be put out of all doubt let vs hear the testimonie of Peter himselfe who best knew his owne right and you see in this text Peter saies Christ is the liuing stone and not he This likewise imports the misery of all such as runne after other gods their sorrowes shall bee multiplied Psalm 16.4 They build in the sand quite besides the foundation and so doe the Papists that put their trust in Saints and Angels But especially this should teach vs as wee are heere exhorted to build all our faith and hope in Christ and to cleaue to him in all vprightnes of hart and life and the rather because this stone hath seauen eies and most perfectly viewes all and euerie part of this building that euery stone bee set right c. Zachar.
the duty of Superiours for in that new and tender world great care was to bee had that vnder pretense of Religion ciuill obedience either in the family or Common-wealth were not neglected And it is a truth to be known at all times that God would not haue inferiours too skilfull in the duty of Superiours that they might first learne to shew duty before they called for duty from their Superiours That may bee one reason why the duty of Masters is not heer handled and in other places of the Epistles but briefly for many times the description of the duty of Superiours is vsed but as a glasse by the Inferiours to pry into the faults of those that rule them and so growe carelesse and wilfully stubborne vnder pretence of the faults of their superiours But some one might say that by this meanes if the Magistrates did turne Christians they were left without rules of direction and so they should not know what to doe Answ. That inconuenience was long before preuented because the duety of Magistrates is fully taught in the old Testament which vnto a godly minde is of as great authority as the new Thus of the coherence and generall consideration of all the words The duty of Subiects followes to bee particularly considered of Submit Concerning Subiects here are fiue things to be considered of First the proposition of Doctrine in these words Submit your selues to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake Secondly the exposition of it in one case and that is the Persons to whom they were to bee subiect to all sorts of Gouernors to Kings or any other Gouernours Thirdly the confirmation by reason Ver. 14 15. Fourthly the answer of an Obiection Vers. 16. Fiftly the conclusion Vers. 17. In the Proposition consider 1. The dutie to bee done Submit 2. The persons must doe it your selues 3. The things to which they must be subiect Ordinances where is a double extent viz to euery ordinance and though they be ordinances of men 4. The manner or motiue For the Lords sake Submit The duty is to submit vnto Magistrates Rom. 13.1 2. For Explication two things are to bee considered Why wee must submit and How we must submit For the first wee must submit 1. Because God is the Author of magistracy Gen. 9.6 Deut. 16.18 Prou. 8.15 Dan. 2.21 Ioh. 19.11 Rom. 13.1 4 6. Obiect The Diuell is said to bee the Prince of this world and hee claimeth all the kingdomes of the earth Ioh. 12.31 Mat. 4.8 9. Sol. Hee is the Prince of this world by malicious vsurpation not by any right 2. Hee is so in relation to wicked men hee is their king but not of others 3. Hee speakes like himselfe that is like the father of lyes when hee claimes all the kingdomes of the earth for no part of the world is his because The earth is the Lords and all that therein is Obiect But God was angry with the Israelites for their asking of a King and therefore it seemes it was not his ordinance that there should bee Kings Sol. Hee was not angry with them for desiring Gouernours for they had Gouernours before sent of God and the very king they had afterward God gaue them him Hos. 13.8 but hee was angry for the cause of their request Their faith and hope was in a manner spent and they conceiued more hope in a King then in God that had beene such a King to them so many yeares 2. Men must be subiect because God hath taken mens consciences bound to subiection Rom. 13. 3. Because kings are heads of the people and therfore as members it is agreeable that they should submit and bee ruled and guided 4. In respect of the benefit men receiue by Magistrates both in outward things and in matters of religion For outward things men enioy publike peace and quietnesse and protection by the helpe of the power of the Magistrate And for matters of Religion earthly Common-wealths are as it were Innes to lodge the Church in and Princes power affords protection so as Christians may more safely follow their calling and if they bee godly Kings they are the very nurses of Religion And thus of the reasons For the second this Submission hath in it sixe things the first is obedience to their lawes and commandements Tit. 3.1 The second is honour Rom. 13.7 for they are principalities and powers as the Angels shine in heauen so doe Princes on earth yea they are called Gods and so in two respects first as they are Gods Deputies and Viceroies God executes a part of his Kingdome by Kings Secondly as they beare the image of God and his authority and soueraignety Now we must performe this honour by reuerence and by feare of them and by iudging the best of them and their actions without conceiuing suspicious of them nor receiuing euill reports against them nor daring to speake euill of those dignities and Rulers of the people and by all thankefulnesse for the good wee receiue by them acknowledging to the full all their praises The third is Loyaltie by which we resolue and endeauour to the vttermost of our powers to maintaine and preserue the persons rights prerogatiues crowns and dignities of Princes If wee must lay downe our liues one for another then much more for our King and Countrey The fourth is Piety wee must pray for them with all manner of prayer wee must make supplications for Gods blessing vpon them and deprecations for the remouing euils from them and if they should sinne and God bee wroth with them wee should stand vp in the gap and make intercession for them and wee should giue thankes for all the mercies the Lord shewes vnto them 2. Tim. 2.1 The fift is Maintenance tribute must bee paide Rom. 13.7 Christ himselfe submitted herein The last is Subiection to their punishments Rom. 13.4 yea to their iniuries as Dauid Christ and the Apostles did submit themselues to the iniurious dealing of Saul Pilate and the Tyrants when perhaps they could haue made resistance Vse 1. The vse may be first for terrour to the seditious great hath beene the vengeance of God vpon Traytors the earth swallowed vp Corah Dathan and Abiram for their rebellion Absolon was hanged vp by the haire betweene heauen and earth as vnworthy both of heauen and earth The words of our Sauiour Christ are in an high degree true in this case He that taketh vp the sword shall perish by the sword And S. Paul saith They shall bee damned that resist the power Secondly it should much humble the better sort of men for diuers faults that are too common such as are the receiuing of euill reports and speaking euill with two frequent intemperancy grudging at the paiment of tribute and taxations euill surmises of the actions of Princes and the aptness to fauour thēselues in the liberty of doubting concerning obedience to them in things indifferent Thirdly all good Christians should bee perswaded to make conscience of this
that worke about nothing more then he things of this life Luke 16.13 Thirdly all vnprofitable Christians that liue and doe no good will doe no work but spend their daies in spirituall idlenes and vnfruitfulnes making no conscience of the meanes or opportunities of wel-doing Math. 25.26 28. Fourthly all backward and dull Christians to whom it seemes euill to serue the Lord that account all religious duties to be tedious irksome and neuer from their hearts consent to obey but doe what they doe vpon compulsion from the lawes of men or feare of shame c. They are Gods seruants no otherwise then the diuell is For the diuell is forced to doe God some worke sometimes but it is alwaies against his will that God hath any glory by it Fiftly all ignorant Christians that are so farre from doing good workes that they vnderstand not Gods will nor are carefull to redeeme the time that they might get knowledge Sixtly all hypocrites that haue the forme of godlines but deny the power thereof promise to doe much worke but do it not These especially so many of them as know their Masters will and doe it not shall one day feele the weight of Gods hand Seuenthly all quarelsome contentious Christians that make diuision and cause offences contrary to the doctrine of Gods Word These the Apostle saith serue not the Lord Iesus but their own belly and by smooth pretences deceiue the simple Rom. 16.18 Vse 4. Lastly since Gods people are Gods seruants they are to bee much reproued that take liberty to iudge and censure other men for infirmities or things doubtfull or indifferent for what haue they to doe to iudge anothers seruant They are Gods seruants and must make their reckoning to him and therefore stand or fall to their owne Master Thus of the first doctrine Doct. 2. Secondly we may hence learne that it is an excellent freedome to be Gods seruant They are all freemen that serue God as the coherence shewes No freemen can enioy better priuiledges then Gods seruants doe and neuer were there any seruants that enioyed such prerogatiues as Gods seruants doe and this may appeare many waies for First all sorts of men are Gods seruants All his subiects are his seruants Psal. 135.14 yea all his sonnes are seruants yea Christ himselfe Esay 42. all his elect are seruants yea his friends are his seruants so Abraham that had the honour to bee the friend of God accounted it no desparagement to bee Gods seruant the Kings of the earth accounted it to bee the best part of their title to bee Gods seruants Psal. 36.1 All which proues that it is a most free and honourable estate to be seruant vnto God else those eminent persons would neuer haue sought them out such a seruice and this is the more euident because God accepteth not of persons but the poorest Christian may bee as well intertained of God as any of those States Gal. 3.28 Col. 3.11 Secondly Gods seruice may become any freeman in the world if we consider what kinde of intertainment God giues his seruants For First all his worke is faire work It is no disgrace for any man to doe it and hee requires no more of the meanest seruant hee hath then hee doth of the greatest Prince on earth after he hath retained him to be his seruant Secondly if it fall out that they endure any hardship or be put to beare any inconuenience it is no more then what the Master himselfe doth or hath endured Math. 10.25 Thirdly and that the difficulty of this worke may not dismay thee he powres out his owne spirit vpon his seruants Ioel. 2.29 and guides them so that in effect hee doth all their worke for them Esaiah 26. Psal. 90. Fourthly when they endeuour themselues to doe his worke in sincerity he accepts their seruice maruelous graciously hee is so well pleased with them that his countenance doth shine vpon them Psal. 31.16 yea he boasts of their seruice Iob 1.8 and 2.3 Fiftly if through ignorance or infirmity they misse it sometimes and so marre his work if they but come to him and confesse it hee is ready and easie to forgiue and plentious in mercy Psalm 86.4 5. Esay 44.20 21. Mal. 3.17 Sixtly no men are kept and entertained more comfortably than they are hee doth not onely finde them food but giues them gladnes of heart where a thousand of other men that haue meanes enough haue so many sorrows among that they bear their names as a very curse Esay 65.13 14. Seuenthly if by wilfull ignorance or carelesnes they offend him yet hee will correct in measure Ier. 30.10 11. and will quickly repent himself of his Iudgement concerning them Psalm 135.14 Hee neuer puts away any seruants Esay 41.8 9. If they should at any time runne away and be lost he will neuer cease seeking them till hee finde them and bring them home again Psalm 119. vlt. Eightthly he giues great wages none like him all his seruants haue a great reward Psalm 19.11 And in the end he bestowes vpon them great inheritances besides what free-holds he bestowes vpon them in this life Psalm 126.22 1. Pet. 1.3 Ninthly hee takes pleasure in the prosperity of his seruants Psalm 35.27 It is a ioy to him when they doo well and thriue Tenthly besides what they get for themselues they get great sutes for others also they beg many a pardon and obtain any of them yea great sutes Iob 40.5 Iohn 15.15 16. Eleuenthly when any thing ailes them his mercifull kindnes is a wonderfull comfort to them Psalm 119.70 And if they should fall into danger in respect of the debts of other men God becomes surety for them and sees all discharged Psalm 119. verse 122. Twelfthly no men haue such protections Their aduersaries are sure to come to confusion the men that striue with them shall certainly perish Esay 41.11 12 c. The hand of the Lord shall bee knowne towards his seruants and his indignation towards his and their enemies Esay 66.14 Thirteenthly they shall not lose what they haue wrought but God will establish their work hee will neuer forget them and their works shall bee had in euerlasting remembrance Esay 44.20 Psalm 90.16 17. Lastly God doth not onely thus extraordinarily prouide for his seruants but hee takes order and prouides also for the seed of his seruants which few or none of worldly masters doo Psalm 69.37 Vses The vse should be threefold First it should teach Christians to liue with contentation and in all things to giue thanks and to say alwaies with Dauid O Lord thou hast dealt well with thy seruant according to thy Word Psalm 119.65 Secondly it should make them take great delight to doo his work they should loue to bee seruants to such a Master Esay 56.6 Thirdly they should euery where speak of Gods praises that entertaines them so gratiously they should open their mouthes all the day long with the praises of such a
fearefull thing which Salomon saith Those which are of a froward heart are an abomination to the Lord but such as are vpright in the way are his delight Pro. 11.20 Fourthly if wee consider the condition of the parties that are ouer-growne with this disease of peeuishnes and frowardnes It is a terrible censure that God himselfe giues of such for the most part that they are wicked persons Prou. 6.12 He that walketh with a froward mouth is called a naughty person and a wicked man and though in charity wee may hope of men that they are not altogether destitute of true grace yet as the Apostle said of enuie and strife so may wee say of frowardnes that such as are guilty of it vsually are but as carnall at the best but babes in Christ 1. Cor. 3.1 2 3. To coÌ„clude Better is the poore that walketh in his vprightnes then hee that is peruerse in his lips though hee bee rich Pro. 28.6 Vse The vse should bee for admonition and instruction to such Masters husbands wiues or others that finde themselues guilty of this hatefull vice to labour by all meanes to get themselues cured of it remembring the counsell of the holy Ghost Put away from thee a froward mouth and peruerse lips put farr from thee Pro. 4.14 and to this end they must obserue these rules First they must become fooles that they may bee wise they must begin the cure at the deniall of themselues and their vaine conceits For if they trust to their owne discretion and naturall gifts they will neuer mend For naturall gifts can neuer make that which is crooked streight Eccles. 1.15 Secondly they must striue to breed in their hearts the sound feare of God and his displeasure for their frowardnes For the feare of God will take downe their pride and cause them to abhor all peeuish and froward waies Prou. 8.13 Thirdly they must constantly iudge themselues for their offences heerein and that both by daily confessing their frowardnes to God in secret and also by acknowledging their faults heerein vnto such as are guided by them Fourthly they must especially fly to Iesus Christ whose office is to make crooked things streight Esay 40.5 and 42.16 Luke 3.5 The last thing to bee noted out of this verse is that no faults in the Superiours can free the inferiours from their subiection for matter or manner as heere seruants must bee subiect yea with all feare to froward Masters so afterwards wiues must bee subiect to their husbands and with all feare too though they bee vnbeleeuers or carnall men Thus of the exposition the confirmation followes Verses 19. and 20. For this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe suffering wrongfully For what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults you shall take it patiently but if when yee doe well and suffer for it you take it patiently this is acceptable with God THe Apostle applies the reasons to that part of the exposition which might be most doubted and â—o giues three reasons why seruants should be subiect euen to euill Masters The first is taken from the acceptation of such subiection with God verses 19. and 20. The second is taken from their calling verse 21. The third from the example of Christ afterwards The argument from acceptation is laid downe verse 19. and auouched and made good verse 20. In the ninteenth verse then it is the drift of the Apostle to shew that though Masters should bee so froward as to beate their seruants causelesly yet they should bee subiect and indure it for conscience sake vnto God because this is a Christian mans case and a great praise when out of conscience to God hee doth his duty and suffers wrongfully The reason is so intended for the particular case of seruants so abused as it holdes in all cases of iniury for conscience sake In this verse then the Apostle intreates of suffering and wee may note foure things about suffering First what is to bee suffered griefe Secondly how it is to be suffered viz. wrongfully and with enduring Thirdly the cause of suffering it conscience toward God Fourthly the effect which is praise acceptation Doct. 1. In this world all sorts of men are liable to suffer griefe For though the Apostle in the scope intends to speak of seruants suffering griefe yet the Argument with the vses concerne all sorts of men In this world then wee must looke for griefe and how can it bee otherwise since first there are such mines in our own nature made by sinne and so many abominations round about vs to God's dishonour Secondly the creatures which we are to vse in this world are empty and vaine and so occasion much vexation in the vsers that are disappointed by them All is vanity and vexation of spirit saith the wise man Thirdly wee are liable to so many crosses and losses euery day hath his griefe and his crosse which must bee taken vp Mat. 6. vlt. Luke 9.14 Fourthly how can wee be long without griefe that liue in a world so full of sin and diuels and diuelish men Fiftly our own bodies often grieue vs being liable to so many paines and diseases What should I say Our own houses are full of causes of griefe if the disorders of masters husbands wiues seruants children be considered of and therefore wee should bee weary of the world and long for heauen wee shall neuer bee long together without griefe till wee come thither Doct. 2 Wee must not onely endure griefe but many times suffer it wrongfully Besides all the griefe befals men otherwise the world is full of wrong and iniury and the waies of doing wrong are so many as cannot easily be reckond Who can recount what wrongs are done daily by deceit violence oppression lying false witnes slanderings and other base indignities Which should teach vs not to think it strange if wrongs befall vs and withal it imports that woe shall be to all them that doe wrong That God that discouers them that doe wrong will repay them according to all the wrong they haue done Doct. 3. It may be heere noted too That vsually they suffer most wrong that are most careful to do their duties which ariseth partly from that fearefull Aâ—axie in mens natures that are falne into such distemperature of disposition and partly from that naturall malice vngodly men beare to them that are good partly such as are indeed godly will not vse such meanes of reuenge as others will doe and partly because the Lawes of men doe not reach to a sufficient way of correcting and reforming such indignities and especially it proceeds from the pride and vnthankfulnes and discontentments which raigne in the harts of froward corrupt minded persons And from hence we may gather the necessity of God's generall Iudgement because in this world it is ill many times with good men and there is no remedy seeing their wrongs are not righted heere
It must needs bee that there will bee a time appointed of GOD for the redresse and reuenge of all wrongs Secondly it should the more incourage such as suffer wrong to endure it patiently seeing it is the lot of the best Thirdly wrong should not measure the goodnes of mens cases or the badnes of it by the things they suffer For many times they suffer wrongfully Doct. 4. That God takes notice of the wrongs that are done to the meanest euen the wrongs that Masters doe to their seruants and so other Scriptures shew that if the poorest bee oppressed or defrauded GOD will require it at the hands of them that oppress or defraud them be they neuer so mighty or rich in the world And so if the weakest Christian bee wronged by scandall or otherwise it were better for those that giue the scandal or doo the wrong that a milstone were hanged about their necks and they cast into the sea And for that cause the Scriptures shew that God takes great notice of the wrongs done to widowes and orphanes that haue little means to help or protect themselues and there is reason for it for the meanest Christians are God's seruants and belong to him and therefore hee must protect them And besides God's Law is so powerful that it condemneth wrongs of all sorts to all men And further there is a cry in oppression or wrong that goeth vp to heauen which will not cease till God heare it which as it may be a comfort to such as are wronged that they haue so great a Patrone as God is so it should warn all Superiours to look to their behauiour for though man doo not punish them yet God will Doct. 5. That barely to suffer grief is not a praise but to suffer it in a right manner and for the manner this likewise tels vs of two things First that wee suffer not as euill doers iustly and secondly that we endure it that is continue with patience to abide it especially when outward and lawfull redresse may not be had in the world And therefore Papists are no Martyrs though they lose their liues when it is for treason Nor are wiues to bee regarded if they complain of their husbands that they are bitter to them loue them not so entirely when they suffer this for their pride or wilfull hardinesse or lasciuiousnesse or frowardnesse or contention or wastefulnesse or the like Nor are those seruants to be moned that suffer blowes iustly for their disobedience or wilfull negligence or vnfaithfulnesse Doct. 6. That whereas wrongs cannot be redressed by a lawfull meanes on earth they must be endured without vsing vnlawfull meanes and leaue the iniuries to the iudgement of GOD. Which condemnes seruants that being hardly vsed runne away from their masters as Hagar did from Sarah or else with wicked murmuring and reuiling backbite their masters and so it condemns the wicked practice of our Gentry in righting their wrongs by their owne priuate reuenges which case is abominable First because their wrongs may be righted by the Magistrate Secondly because the desired reuenge is far aboue the iniuries for they seek satisfaction in bloud for a supposed wrong in reputation Thirdly because it is a course directly against the Lawes of God and of Kings and hath been condemned in all well-gouern'd States Fourthly because it is neuer sought but by fools for it is a wise-mans honour and reputation To passe-by an offense but euery foole will bee medling or quarrelling saith Salomon Fiftly because oftentimes it prooues damnable to one of the parties who beeing slain in the act of malice must needs bee damned for euer besides the curse of God brought vpon the murderer making his life miserable and oftentimes his end fearfull Doct. 7. That it is conscience or meer necessity that makes any man suffer men endure no wrong by nature but either by necessity because they cannot right it or else for conscience sake because God hath so required it Which should warn Superiours to take heed that they doo no wrong for the persons wronged if they want conscience may so remember the wrong as somtimes to finde a desperate way of reuenge to the mischief of the wrong-doer though the party wronged doo euill in so dooing as followeth in the next doctrine Doct. 8. Inferiours beeing wronged euen in blowes by the Superiour ought not to resist but endure it seruants may not resist the correction of their masters nor strike again that is horrible and egregiously sinnefull Which shewes the grieuous pride and naughtiness of diuers seruants that boast or threaten that they will take no blowes their resolution shewes they are void of knowledge in the feare or conscience of God's will And so it is alike sinnefull in children wiues or subiects to resist or return blowes for blowes or euill for euill neither doth this embolden masters or other superiours to do wrong because as was heard before they shall receiue of GOD according to all the wrongs they haue done Doct. 9. To suffer grief and wrong is profitable for besides that it is all fruit to them when it makes them more humble and takes away their sinne it makes them iudge themselues before God for the sinnes they are guilty of and weans them from the world and breeds a greater desire of heauen and the like fruits Besides all these this Text tels vs of one commodity more that is praise or thanks it is an honourable thing To suffer wrongfully it winnes them a great deale not onely of compassion but also of reputation among men As it makes the euill more hatefull so doth it procure loue to him that suffers wrongfully It is a vertue worthy thanks yea the coherence with the next verse seemeth to import that GOD will giue him thanks that suffers wrong if hee endure it patiently not that God is bound to doo so or that such suffering merits any such thanks of God but God is so good and compassionate and he likes this vertue so well that he is pleased to crown this patience with that high degree of liking it It is thank-worthy not because it deserues thanks but because it declares the party to be such and so worthy in God's gracious acceptation that hee will of his owne grace yeeld him that encouragement Thus of the doctrines that may bee particularly gathered out of the words of this verse Before I leaue the verse there are diuers things to be considered of about Conscience For where this verse mentions conscience towards God it giueth vs occasion to think what that conscience should be and to inform ourselues in diuers things about it There are many reasons may bee assigned why men should be carefully instructed about Conscience it is a necessary doctrine for first we see by experience that of most things that concerne vs men knowe least about Conscience many men knowing little more of it than the bare vse of the word Conscience Secondly men through this ignorance
sort too yea such as are faulty so disliked and corrected yet will not be without something to glory in and that is as is heer supposed to be their patience in abiding blowes And this ariseth in man partly out of corruption of nature and pride that seekes to couer their faults with some thing they account to bee of praise and partly out of the force of some remainder of goodnes in their natures that are not destitute of all desire of vertuous actions Which may serue for vse to all men in their carriage one towards another to auoid as much as may be the dishonouring and disgracing one of another for no person is so meane but hee findes himselfe stung by disgrace And it may teach superiours to vse praise and glory as a meanes to prouoke and excite inferiours to obedience and care as being a motiue that will work vniuersally vpon all natures Doct. 2. Vsually men account that to bee glory which is not vainglory is taken for true glory by most men thus men mistake that place Their glory In Idols and pictures Hosh. 10.5 In Epicurisme and shamefull lusts Phil. 3.19 In the increase of meanes and power to sinne Hosh. 4.6 7. In the gifts and power of other men 1. Cor. 3.21 In Ruffian like pride or vaine and strange apparrell 1. Cor. 11.14 1. Pet. 3.5 1. Tim. 2.9 10. In mischiefe and malicious practices against the godly Psal. 52.1 and 94.4 In fraudulent bargaines Pro. 20.23 In a mans owne gifts of nature as wit strength memory c. Ierem. 9.23 In the common graces of Religion as knowledge zeale c. Rom. 2.27 1. Cor. 4.7 In the praise sought and giuen by himselfe Iohn 7.10 and 8.54 2. Cor. 10.18 In the merit of his owne workes Rom. 4.2 In the praise of men more then of God In strife contention and prouocation of others Iam. 3.14 Gal. 5.26 Phil. 2.3 In the falles of other men that are diuided from them in iudgement 1. Cor. 5.6 In earthly things as houses riches beauty honour pleasures c. 1. Pet. 1.24 Esay 48.16 So heere some men account it their glory to suffer patiently though they bee guilty and haue deserued all they suffer And therefore wee should bee warned and directed in studying that which is true glory and if any aske what were indeed glorious I answer that spirituall riches are the best glory and therefore our soules are called our glory by an excellency Psal. 3.4 The best glory is within Psal. 45.14 And in particular it is true glory To bee righteous and mercifull Prou. 21.21 To bee humble and feare God Pro. 22.4 To knowe God Ierem. 9.23 To liue so sincerely as wee may haue the testimony of a good conscience 2. Cor. 1.12 To bee exalted of God to the priuiledges and hope of his children Iam. 1.9 To haue interest in the crosse of CHRIST Gal. 6.14 To bee abased and truly humbled for our sins Iames 1. verse 9. To abound in labours and sufferings for the Gospel 2. Cor. 11. and 22.12 To defer anger and passe by a trespasse Prouerbs Chap. 19. verse 11. To suffer without fainting for Religion Eph. Chap. 3. verse 13. So heere to doe well and suffer for it and endure it patiently this is a glory with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinning Doct. 3. The words may bee rendred 〈◊〉 What glory is it if sinning and buffeted yeâ—â—â—ke it patiently The word rendered Sinning signifies properly to erre from the way or misse the mark and so it shewes vs the nature of sin which swarueth from the direction of Gods Word that agreeth not to the way there appointed Where God hath appointed a way not to walk in it or to goe besides it is sinne and in what things GOD hath not in his Word appointed a way there men haue liberty and they are to be reckoned indifferent and there are a world of such things Doct. 4. Wee may further note from the word sinning that where seruants displease disobey and vex their Masters and will not doe as they are bidden they sinne The holy Ghost vseth the same word to censure the fault of a seruant towards his Master which is vsed to censure the fault of any man towards God Doct. 5. Seruants that will not bee corrected by words may bee corrected by blowes they may bee buffeted Pro. 29.17 19. Doct. 6. Men many times inflict shamefull and sudden punishments for trespasses against them as heere they buffet their seruants And therefore how iust is it if God for sinnes against him powre out exquisite shame and confusion vpon wicked men that are impenitent Doct. 7. To suffer for our faults and not take it patiently is a detestable and hatefull vice in the iudgement of all sorts of men Doct. 8. It is no true glory to bee patient when a man suffers for his faults not but that patience is a dutie and praise-worthy in all sufferings but it is no glory comparatiuely with theirs that suffer and are not faulty and besides it is no glory at all so long as the fault is not repented of while it remaines a fault And so it doth whilst men doe not iudge themselues for it and reforme it it is no true praise to endure punishments For patience ariseth either out of a naturall defect of sence or iudgement or else it is forced by feare of men or is directed to vain ends as the applauses of men or the extenuating or hiding of their faults or the like Thus of the first part of the verse out of the latter part diuers things may bee also obserued c. Doct. 1. Such is this euill world that a man may suffer euill for doing well Doct. 2. Wee must not be weary of well doing though wee suffer for it Doct. 3. To suffer for weldoing may befall any sort of men as heere it is supposed to bee the case of seruants Doct. 4. It is by accident and not from the nature of weldoing or any necessity that is absolute that men suffer for weldoing It doth not necessarily follow that men must suffer alwaies or all sorts of men for goodnes It may befall them it doth not follow that it must befall them and therfore the Apostle faith If you suffer Doct. 5. To suffer for weldoing patiently is wonderfull glorious and acceptable before God Doct. 6. Many things may bee gracious with men that are no whit regarded with God Doct. 7. To suffer for weldoing when it is not patiently taken is not thank-worthy with GOD though the cause men suffer for be good yet they lose their praise when they vse ill meanes to bee deliuered or carry themselues impatiently Doct. 8. To know that God fauours vs or accepts of what wee doe will make a man endure strange things as heere seruants that were vsed many times little better then beasts yet endure it because it is at all times acceptable to God Doct. 9. Lastly it would heer be noted
in his exposition vpon the sixt Commandement Mat. 5. and therefore bitter words are compared to arrowes and swordes which are instruments of murther and reuiling godly men is tearmed blasphemy in sundry Scriptures in the originall It growes out of a bitter roote and is the very froth or scum of a naughty disposition or maliciousnes Heb. 12.14 15. Iam. 1.21 It is a vice altogether contrary to the Spirit of God which is a Spirit of meekenes And if a godly man suddenly fall into bitter words it makes the holy Ghost stir within him Ephes. 4.30 and euill words corrupt good manners 1. Cor. 15. Thou losest so much of thy honesty as thou vsest of reuiling Vse The vse is therefore First to perswade all that are godly to auoid this sinne and at home and abroad to reuile no man vpon any occasion Titus 3.2 and the rather because they are heires of blessing 1. Pet. 3.9 and haue the example not only of the godly in Scripture but of Christ himselfe as it is heere vrged Secondly it serues to reproue and shame all such as are guilty of so hatefull a sinne especially 1. Such as haue a mouth full of cursing and bitternes such as are many Masters and Mistresses or Dames that cannot speake to their seruants but it is with reuiling tearmes their vsuall speech to them is to find fault with reproach and so in any sort of men that are thus bitter-tongued Rom. 3.14 Iam. 3.9 It is the signe of an vnregenerate heart 2. Such as are giuen to it to complaine of their neighbours in all places euill-minded men that know little other discourse but by way of finding fault or reproaching this or that man and they cease not till they haue filled towne and countrey with reproches and slaunders Iam. 5.9 3. Such as reuile innocent men and speake euill of the iust and godly whom they ought to praise and honour 4. Such as reuile men for this very reason because they are good It is monstrous ill to reuile a good man but abominable vile to reuile goodnes and Religion it selfe to scoffe and reproach preaching and hearing of Sermons and praying c. Woe is to them that thus call good euill and the worst is when they set vp in stead of those things the prayses of drunkennesse good fellowship and lasciuious meetings and riotous disorders and so call bitter sweet and euill good 5. Such as raile at such as are in authority and speak euill of dignities Iude 2. Pet. 2. 6. Such as reuile their very parents and speak euill of such as God and nature haue so neerely bound them to And so is it monstrous vile for wiues to traduce their husbands and by backbiting to destroy their reputations as it is monstrous for the people to reuile their teachers that are godly and painefull men 7. Such as reuile Christ as the Iewes did of which afterwards and such are they that reuile God as swearers murmurers and blasphemers doe in their kinde as well as Pagans and Atheists that speak reproachfully of the doctrine of the duties or treaty of persons Thus of the sinne of reuiling Doct. 2. Christ himselfe was reuiled Hee that was so iust and innocent Hee that did so much good in euery place Hee that had power to bee reuenged on such as did reuile him This is the more remarkable if wee also consider by whom hee was reuiled euen by such as had their birth breath and being and all from him yea hee was reuiled of all sorts of men Iewes Gentiles Rulers the People learned Men and vnlearned And this was the more to bee wondred at too if we consider with what kinde of reuiling hee was reuiled and that was with most hateful aspersions as deceiuing working by the diuell blasphemy sedition treason c. The vse followes Vse Was Christ reuiled Then it is most manifest that the world hates goodnes incurably If that Iust one cannot scape reproach and slanders then may not any godly persons promise to themselues peace that waies Therefore carnall friends of such as suffer reproach for Religion many times say It must needs bee they are faulty some way or at least are not discreet whereas this instance of our Sauiour shewes that worldly-minded men will reproach such as are godly though they were neuer so discreet or innocent Besides this should teach vs patience vnder such indignities and wrongs CHRIST was reuiled and shall wee bee so troubled and disquieted Christ did not reuile again And the reason was partly because Reuiling is a sinne and partly because he suffred as our surety though he had deserued no such shame and we had and therfore holds his peace not onely from reuiling but many times from iust apologie confessing our guiltinesse by his silence The practice of our Sauiour is heer reported for our learning that all Christians might hence bee warned not to render reuiling for reuiling 1. Pet. 3.9 There are many reasons to perswade vs to patience and not to render reuiling for reuiling First the reproaches of vnreasonable men cannot take away thy innocency Secondly better men than we haue been as vilely abused Thirdly as Dauid said God may blesse thee for their cursing and honour thee for their disgracing of thee Fourthly because we are heirs of blessing and therefore such foule language as cursing and reuiling should not be found in our mouthes Fiftly though thou deserue not those reproaches from men yet thou art not innocent before God Sixtly heerin thou shalt bee conformed to the Pattern and Image of the Lord IESVS CHRIST not onely in suffering wrongfully but in forbearing reuiling for conscience sake He threatned not To threaten those that wrong vs is vsually a blemish and a fault First because vsually it ariseth of passion and desire of reuenge Secondly because oftentimes it is ioined with lying when such things are threatned as for matter or degree cannot be done or are not intended to be done Thirdly because by threatning so passionately we doo iniury to God to whom vengeance belongs This condemns the vsuall practice of all sorts of men that sinne fearfully in the customary practice of thwarting vpon all occasions of discontent and displeasure Who is he that suffers now and in his heart or words threatens not Especially how exceeding common is this sin in the most families where parents and masters can hardly tell how to speak of the faults of seruants and children but it is with foolish and passionate threatning contrary to the expresse prohibition Eph. 6.9 Masters vse not threatnings But all such as would haue the comfort of a sound conuersation and desire to carry themselues as Christ hath left them a pattern must striue to break off this wretched habit of threatning and if they bee oppressed by Superiours or wronged by the incurable faults of Inferiors they must learne of Christ to commit all to him that iudgeth righteously which is the affirmatiue part of the manner of Christ's