A Golden Chain, Chapter 24
CHAP. 24. Of the fifth commandement.
HItherto we hauehave spoken of the commandements of the first table: nowe followeth the secōd table, which concerneth the louelove of our neighbour. Rom. 13.9. Thou shalt not commit adulterie, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steale, thou shalt not beare false witnes, thou shalt not couet: and if there be any other commandement, it is briefly comprehēded in this saying, namely, thou shalt louelove thy neighbour as thy selfe.
Our neighbour is eueryevery one, which is of our owne flesh. Esa. 58.7. When thou seest the naked couer him, and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh.
The manner of louing is so to louelove our neighbour as our selues, to witte, truly and sincerely: when as contrarily, the true manner of louiug God, is to louelove God without measure.
The second table containeth sixe Commandements: whereof the first, &, in the order of the ten commandements, the fift, concerneth the preseruation of dignity and excellencie of our neighbour.
The words are these:
Honour thy Father and thy mother, that they may prolong thy daies in the lande, which the Lord thy God giueth thee.
The Resolution.
Honour] This Word, by the figure, signifieth all that dutie, whereby our neighbours dignitie is preserued, but especially our Superious. This dignitie proceedeth of this, that eueryevery man beareth in him some part of the image of God, if we respect the outward order and decency, which is obserued in the Church and common wealth. In the Magistrate there is a certaine image of the power and glory of God. Dan. 2.37. O King, thou art a King of Kings, for the God of heauen hath giuen thee a kingdome, power, and strength, & glorie. Hence is it, that Magistrates are called Gods. Psal. 82. 1. In an olde man is the similitude of the eternity of God: in a father, the likenesse of his fatherhood. Math. 2….9. And call no man your father vponupon the earth: for there is but one, your Father which is in heauen. In a man is the image of Gods prouidence and authoritie. 1 Cor. 11.7. For a man ought not to couer his head, because he is the image of the glory of God: but the woman is the glory of her husband. Finally, in a learned man, is the likenesse of the knowledge and wisdome of God. Nowe therefore that person, in whome euen the least title of the image of God appeareth, is to be be honoured and reuerenced.
Thy father] By a figure, we must here vnderstand, all those that are our superiours: as, Parents, and such like of our kindred, or aliance which are to vsus in stead of Parents: Magistrates, Ministers, our Elders, and those that doe excell vsus in any gifts whatsoeuer. The kings of Gerar were called Abimelech, my father the king. Gen. 20.2. Gen. 45.8. God hath made me a father vntounto Pharaoh, and Lord ouer all his house. 1. Cor. 4.15. For though ye hauehave ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet hauehave ye not many Fathers: for in Christ Iesus I hauehave begotten you. 2. King. 5.13. But his seruants came, and spake vntounto him, and said, Father, if the Prophet had commanded thee a great thing… wouldest thou not hauehave done it? 2. King. ….12. And Elisha sawe it, and he cried, My Father, my Father, my Father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
And thy mother] This is added, least we should despise our mothers, because of their infirmities, Prou. 23.22. Obey thy father which hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother when shee is olde.
Here we are put in mind to performe due honour to our stepmothers and fathers in law, as if they were our proper and naturall parents. Ruth. 3. 1. and 5. Afterward Naomi her mother in lawe said vntounto her, My daughter, shall not I seeke rest for thee, that thou maiest prosper? And shee answered her, All that thou biddest me, I will do. Exod. 18.17. But Moses father in law said vntounto him, The thing which thou doest is not well. 19. Heare nowe my voice, I will giuegive thee counsell, and God shall be with thee. 24. So Moses obeied the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said. Mich. 7.6. For the sonne reuileth the Father, the daughter riseth vp against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in lawe.
That they may prolong] Parents are said to prolong the liues of their children, because they are Gods instruments, whereby their childrens liues are prolonged: for oftentimes the name of the action is attributed to the instrument, wherewith the action is wrought. Luk. 16.9. Make you friendes with the riches of iniquitie, that when ye shall want, they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations. 1. Tim. 4.16. For in doing so, tho… shalt both saue thy selfe and them that heare thee.
But Parents doe prolong the liues of their children in commanding them to walke in the waies of the Lord, by exercising iustice and iudgement, Gen. 18.19. For beeing become godly, they hauehave the promise both of this life, and the life to come. 1. Tim. 4.8.
Further, they effect the same thing by their praiers made in the behalfe of their children. Hereby it plainely appeareth, that the vsuall custome of children saluting their parents, to aske them their blessing, is no light or vaine thing.
Moreouer, in these words, the reason to mooue vsus to the obedience of this commandement, is drawne from the ende, which reason is also a promise, yet a speciall promise. Eph. 6. 2. Honour thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandement with promise, (I say, speciall) because the promise of the second commandement is generall, and belongeth to all the rest of the commandements.
And God promiseth long life not absolutely, but so farre as it is a blessing. Eph. 6.3. That it may be well with thee, and that thou maiest liue long on earth. For wee must thinke that long life is not alwaie a blessing, but that sometime it is better to die then to liue. Esay 57.1. The righteous perisheth, and no man considereth it in heart: and mercifull men are taken away, and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come.
But if at any time the Lord giueth a short life to obedient children, hee rewardeth them againe with eternall life in heauen, and so the promise faileth not, but changeth for the better.
The affirmative part.
Preserue the dignitie of thy neighbour.
VnderUnder this part is commaunded:
First, reuerence towards all our superiours: the actions whereof, are; reuerently to rise vp before any man which passeth by vsus. Leu. 19.32. Rise vp before the hoorehead, and honour the person of the old man, and dread thy God: I am the Lord. To meete him that commeth towards vsus. Gen. 18.2. And he lifted vp his eies, and looked: and loe, three men stood by him, and when he saw them, hee ranne to meete them from the tent doore. 1. King. 2. 19. When Bethsheba came to speake to king Solomon, the king rose to meete her, and bowed himselfe vntounto her. To bowe the knee. Mark. 10.17. And when he was gone out of the waie, there came one running, and kneeled to him. Gen. 18.2. He ran to meete them, and bowed himselfe to the ground. To stand by those that sit downe, Gen. 18.8. And he tooke butter, and milke, and the calfe that he had prepared, and set before them, and stoode himselfe by them vnderunder the tree, and they did eate. Exod. 18.13. Now on the morrowe, when Moses sate to iudge the people, the people stoode about Moses from morning vntounto euen. To giuegive the cheife seate. 1. King. 2.19. And he sate downe on his throne, and he caused a seate to be set for the kings mother, and shee sate downe at his right hand. Luk. 14. 7,8,9. He spake also a parable vntounto the guests, when he marked how they chose out the chiefe roomes, and said vntounto them, When thou shalt be bidden of any man to a wedding, set not thy selfe downe in the chiefest place, least a more honourable man then thou be bidden of him, and he that bade both him and thee, come and say to thee, GiueGive this man roome, and thou then beginne with shame to take the lowest roome. Gen. 43.33. So they sate before him, the eldest according to his age, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marueiled among themselues. To let our Superiours speake before vsus. Iob. 32.6,7, 17. To keepe silence in courts and iudgement places, vntill we be bidden to speake. Act. 24. 10. Then Paul after that the Gouernour had beckened vntounto him that he should speake, answered. To giuegive them such their right and iust titles, as declare our reuerence when we speake vntounto them. 1. Pet. 3.6. As Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord: whose daughters ye are, whiles ye doe well. Mar. 10. 17. Good Master, what shall I doe, that I may possesse eternall life? 20. Then he answered, and said vntounto him, Master, all these things hauehave I obserued from my youth. 1. Sam. 1.14, 15. And Eli said vntounto her, How long wilt thou be drūken? Put away thy drunkennes from thee: then Hannah answered and said, Nay my Lord, but I am a woman troubled in spirit: I hauehave drunke neither wine nor strong drinke.
Secondly, towards those that are our superiours in authoritie: and first, obedience to their commandements. Rom. 13.1. Let eueryevery soule be subiect to the higher power.
VVe are to be admonished to obedience: because eueryevery higher power is the ordinance of God, and the obedience which we performe to him, God accepteth it as though it were done to himselfe and to Christ… Rom. 13.2. Whosoeuer therfore, resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist, shall receiue to themselues iudgement. Col. 3.23. And whatsoeuer ye doe, doe it hartilie, as vntounto the Lord, & not vntounto them. 24. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward of the inheritance: for ye serue the Lord Christ. Obedience is to be performed to our superiours with diligence and faithfulnes. Gen. 24.2. Abraham said vntounto his eldest seruant of his house, which had the rule ouer all that he had: put now thy hand vnderunder my thigh, and I will make thee sweare by the Lord God of heauen, and God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife vntounto my sonne of the daughters of the Canaanites, amongst whome I dwell. 10. So the seruant tooke ten Camels of his master, and departed. 12. And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I beseech thee send me good speede this day, and shew merciemercy vntounto my master Abraham. 33. Afterward the meate was set before him, but he said, I will not eate, vntill I hauehave said my message: And Laban said, Speake on. 56. But he saide, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my iourney: send me away that I may goe to my master. Gen. 31.38. This twentie yeares hauehave I beene with thee, thine ewes and thy goates hauehave not cast their young, and the rammes of thy flocke hauehave I not eaten. 39. Whatsoeuer was torne of beasts, I brought it not vntounto thee, but made it good my selfe: of mine hand diddest thou require it, were it stollen by day, or stollen by night. 40. I was in the day consumed with heat, and with frost in the night, and my sleepe departed from mine eyes.
Furthermore, we must yeelde obedience to our Superiours: yea, although they be cruell and wicked, but not in wickednesse. 1. Pet. 2.18. Seruants, be subiect to your masters with all feare, not onelyonly to the good and courteous, but also to the froward. Act. 4.19. Whether it be right in the sight of God, to obey you rather then God, iudge ye.
Subiection in suffering the punishments inflicted by our Superiours. Gen. 16.6. Then Abraham saide to Sarai, Behold, thy maide is in thine hand, doe with her as it pleaseth thee: then Sarai dealt roughly with her: wherefore shee fledde from her. 9. Then the Angel of the Lord said vntounto her, Returne vntounto thy dame, and humble thy selfe vnderunder her hands.
And although the punishment should be vniust, yet must we suffer it, vntill we can get some lawfull remedie for the same. 1. Pet. 2.19. For it is thanke-worthie, if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe, suffering wrongfully. 20. For what praise is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye take it patiently? but and if, when ye doe well, ye suffer wrong, and take it patiently, this is acceptable to God.
III. Thankfulnes in our praiers. 1. Tim. 2.1, 2. I exhort you therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giuing of thankes be made for all men, for kings, & for all that be in authoritie, that we may lead a quiet & a peaceable life, in all godlines and honestie. 1. Tim. 5.17. Elders that rule well, are worthie of double honour. Gen. 45.9. Haste you, and goe vp to my Father, and tell him, Thus saith thy sonne Ioseph, God hath made me lord ouer all Egypt, come downe to me, tarie not. 10. And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen. 11. Also I will nourish thee there, for yet remaine fiue yeares of famine, least thou perish through pouertie, thou and thy houshold, and all that thou hast.
Thirdly, towards those that excell vsus in gifts: our dutie is to acknowledge the same gifts, and speake of them to their praise. 1. Cor. 8.22,23.
Fourthly, toward all our equals: to thinke reuerently of them. Phil. 2.3. Let nothing be done through contention or vaineglorie, but in meeknes of minde, let eueryevery man esteeme other better then himselfe.
In giuing honour, to goe one before an other, and not in receiuing it. Rom. 12. 10. Submitting your selues one to another in the feare of God. To salute one an other with holy signes, whereby may appeare the louelove which we hauehave one to another in Christ. 1. Pet. 5.14. Greet ye one another with the kisse of louelove. Rom. 16. 16. Salute one another with an holy kisse. Exod. 18.7. And Moses went out to meete his father in law, and did obeysance and kissed him. Ruth. 2.4. And beholde, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said vntounto the Reapers, the Lord be with you. And they answered, The Lord blesse thee.
Fiftly, the duties of all Superiours towards their inferiours: to yeeld to them in good matters, as to their brethren. Deut. 17. 20. That his heart be not lifted vp aboue his brethren, and that he turne not from the commaundement, to the right hand, or to the left. Iob. 31.13. If I did contemne the iudgement of my seruant, and of my maide. 2. King. 5.13. And his seruant came and spake vntounto him, and said. 14. Then he went downe, and washed himselfe seuen times in Iordan, &c. To shine before their inferiours by an ensample of a blamelesse life. Titus 2.2. That the elder men bee sober, honest, discreete, sound in the faith, in louelove, and in patience. 3. The elder women likewise, that they be in such behauiour as becommeth holines, not false accusers, not giuen to much wine, but teachers of honest things. 1. Pet. 5.3. Not as though ye were Lords ouer Gods heritage, but that ye may be ensamples to the flock. Phil. 4.9. To shewe forth grauitie ioyned with dignitie, by their countenance, gesture, deedes and wordes. Tit. 2. 3,4,5,6,7. Iob. 29.8. The younge men saw me and hid themselues, the aged arose, and stood vp.
Sixtly, towards inferiours in obedience, that is, toward their subiects. 1. To rule them in the Lord, that they doe not offend. 1. Pet. 2.13. Submit your selues vntounto all manner of ordinance of man, for the Lords sake, whether it be vntounto kings as vntounto superiours, 14. or vntounto gouernours, as vntounto them that are sent of the king, for the punishment of euill doers, and for the praise of them that doe well. Deut. 17.19. And it shall be with him (namely the booke of the lawe) and he shal read therein all the daies of his life, that he may learne to feare the Lord his God, and to keepe all the wordes of this lawe, and those ordinances to doe them. Col. 4. 1. Ye masters doe vntounto your seruants, that which is iust and equall: knowing that ye also hauehave a master in heauen. 2. To prouide such things as shall be to the good of their subiects, whether they belong to the bodie or to the soule. Rom. 13.4. For he is the minister of god for thy wealth. Esa. 49.23. And kings shall be thy nursing Fathers, & Queenes shall be thy nurses. Psal. 132.1. Lord remember Dauid with all his troubles. 2. Who sware vntounto the Lord, and vowed vntounto the mightie God of Iaacob, saying, 3. I will not enter into the tabernacle of mine house, nor come vponupon my pallet or bed, 4. nor suffer mine eies to sleepe, nor mine eie lids to slumber, 5. vntil I finde out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob. 3. To punish their faults, the lighter by rebuking, the greater by correction, that is, by inflicting reall or bodily punishment.
There is an holy maner of punishing the guilty, whereunto is required: I. After diligent and wise examination be had, to be assured of the crime committed. II. To shewe forth of Gods word, the offence of the sin: that the conscience of the offender may be touched. III. It is conuenient to deferre or omit the punishment, if thereby any hope of amendment may appeare. Eccl. 7.23. GiueGive not thy heart also to all the words that men speake, least thou doe heare thy seruant cursing thee. 24. For oftentimes also thine heart knoweth, that thou likewise hast cursed others. 1. Sam. 10. vers. 27. But the wicked men said, Howe shall he saue vsus? so they despised him, and brought him no presents: but he held his tongue. IV. To inflict deserued punishment, not in his owne name, but in Gods name, adding the same holily and reuerently. Iosh. 7. 19. Then Ioshua said vntounto Achan, My sonne, I beseech thee, giuegive glorie to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession vntounto him, and shew me nowe what thou hast done, hide it not from me. 20. And Achan answered Ioshua, and said, Indeede I hauehave sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus hauehave I done. 25. And Ioshua said, In as much as thou hast troubled vsus, the Lord shall trouble thee this day: and all Israel threwe stones at him, and burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones. V. and lastly, When thou punishest, aime at this one onelyonly thing, that the euill may be purged and amended, and that the offender by sorrowing for his sinne, may vnfainedly repent for the same. Prou. 20.30. The blewnesse of the wound serueth to purge the euill, and the stripes within the bowels of the belly.
Seuenthly, and lastly, there is a certaine duty of a man to bee performed toward himselfe, which is, that a man should preserue and maintaine with modestie, the dignitie and worthinesse, which is inherent in his own person. Phil. 4.8. Furthermore, brethren, whatsoeuer things are true, whatsoeuer things are honest, whatsoeuer things are iust, whatsoeuer things are pure, whatsoeuer thinges pertaine to louelove, whatsoeuer things are of good report, if there be any vertue, or if there be any praise, thinke on these things.
The negatiue part.
Diminish not the excellencie, or dignitie, which is in the person of thy neighbour.
Hither are referred these sinnes:
First, against our superiours: I. Vnreuerent behauiour and contempt of them. The sinnes hereof, are, deriding our superiours. Gen. 9. 22. And when Ham the Father of Canaan sawe the nakednesse of his father, he told his two brethren without. Prou. 20.17. The eie that mocketh his father, and despiseth the instruction of his mother, let the rauens of the valley picke it out, and the young eagles eate it. To speake euill of, or reuile our superiours. Exod. 21.17. And he that curseth his father or his mother, shall die the death.
II. Disobedience, whereby we contemne their iust commādements. Rom. 1.30. Disobedient to Parents. 2. Tim. 3.3. No striker, but gentle, no fighter. The sinnes hereof, are, To make contracts of mariage, without the counsel & consent of the Parents. Gen. 6. 2. Then the sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire, and they tooke them wiues of all that they liked. Gen. 28.6,9. And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan displeased Izhac his father, then went Esau to Ishmael, and tooke vntounto the wiues which he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abrahams sonne, the sister of Nabaioth, to be his wife. The eie seruice of seruants. Coloss. 3.22. Seruant… be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, in all things, not with eie seruice as men pleasers, but in singlenes of heart, fearing God. Eph. 6.6. Not with seruice to the eie, as men pleasers Answering againe, when they are reprehended. Tit. 2.9. Let seruants be subiect to their masters, and please them in all thinges, not answering againe. Deceitfulnesse and wasting their Masters goods. Titus 2. 10. Neither pikers, but that they shewe all good faithfulnesse. To flee from the power of their superiour. Gen. 16.6. Then Sarah dealt roughly with her, wherfore shee fled frō her. To resist the lawful authoritie of their Superiours. 1. Pet. 2.20. To obey them in things vnlawfull… Act. 4. 19. To extoll themselues aboue their betters: this is the sinne of Antichrist. 2. Thess. 2.3, 4. Which (man of sinne) exalteth himselfe against all that is called God. Lastly, the freedome of the Papists, whereby they free children from the gouernment of their parents: and subiects from the authoritie of their Princes: so that they make it lawefull for them to pretende and procure their death. 1. Sam. 26.8,9. Then said Abishai to Dauid, God hath closed thine enemie into thine hand this day: now therefore I pray thee, let me smite him once with a speare to the earth, and I will not smite him againe: And Dauid said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can lay his hand on the Lords Annointed and bee guiltlesse?
III. Ingratitude, and want of a louing affection towards Parentes. Matth. 15.5,6. But ye say, whosoeuer shall say to father or mother, By the gift that is offered by me, thou maiest hauehave profit, though he honour not his father or mother, shall be free. 1. Tim. 5.4.
Secondly, we offend against our equalls, in preferring our selues before them, in talking or in sitting downe. Matth. 20.20. Then came vntounto him the mother of Zebedeus children, with her sonnes, worshipping him, and desiring a certaine thing of him. 21. And he said, What wouldest thou? And shee said to him, Graunt, that these my two sonnes may sit, the one at thy right hand, and the other at thy left hand in thy kingdome. 24. And when the other ten heard this, they disdained at the two brethren.
Thirdly, toward our inferiours: I. Through negligēce in gouerning them, and prouiding for their good estate. Hagg. 1.4. Is it time for your selues to dwel in your fieled houses; and this house to lie wast? Dan. 3.28. This condemneth those mothers, which put forth their children to be nursed, hauing both sufficient strength and store of milke themselues to nurse them. 1. Tim. 5.10. If shee hauehave nourished her children. II. By too much gentlenes and lenitie in correcting thē. 1. King. 1.5. Then Adonijah the sonne of Haggith exalted himselfe, saying, I will be king. 6. And his father would not displease him from his childhood, to say, Why hast thou done so? 1. Sam. 2. 22. So Eli was very old, & heard all that his sonnes did vntounto all Israel, and howe they lay with the women that assembled at the doore of the Tabernacle of the congregation. 23. And he said vntounto them, Why doe ye such things? for of all this people I heare euill reports of you. 24. Do no more, my sonnes for it is no good report that I heare, namely, that ye make the Lords people to trespasse. 25. Notwithstanding they obeyed not the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them. III. By ouermuch crueltie and threatnings. Eph. 6.4. And ye fathers prouoke not your children to wrath. 9. And ye masters doe the same things vntounto them, putting away threatnings.
Fourthly and lastly, a man offendeth against himselfe, when through his naughtie behauiour, he doth obscure and almost extinguish those gifts which God hath giuen him. Math. 25.2. 16. Or contrarilie, when he is too wise in his owne conceit. Rom. 12.3. For I say through the grace that is giuen vntounto me, to e…ery one that is among you, that no man presume to vnderstand, aboue that which is meete to vnderstand.