Commentary Upon Colossians, Sermon 28
The 28. Sermon.
COLLOSS. 3. V. 22. 23. 24. 25.
22 Seruants be obedient vntounto them that are your Maiſters, according to the fleſh, in all things, not with eyeſeruice as men pleaſers, but in ſingleneſſe of heart fearing God.
23 And whatſoeuer yee do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not vntounto men.
24 Knowing that of the Lord yee ſhall receiue the reward of the inheritance: for yee ſerue the Lord CHRIST.
25 But he that doth wrong, he ſhall receiue for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no reſpect of perſons.
THE Apoſtle commeth from the generall duty belonging to all Chriſtian men, to the perticular duties of men in the houſhold. And hauing ſpoken of the duties of huſbands and wiues, and of parents and children: hee commeth now to the laſt couple in the houſhold, of Maiſters and Seruants. As if hee ſhould ſay;
You ſeruants, from a minde ſubdued, obey yourVerſe 22. The Metaphraſe. Maiſters, whoſe commandement ouer you, is but for a time whiles you are in this fraile eſtate, and that in all things which may ſtand with the keeping of a good cōſcience. Now your ſeruice muſt not be alone when your Maiſter ſtands by and looke on, as ſeeking onelyonly to pleaſe your Maiſters: but in ſingleneſſe of heart as fearing God, whoſe eye is alwaies vponupon you, when your Maiſters eye is off.
Your ſeruice ought alſo to bee voluntary and cheerefull, as that which is due to the Lord, who loueth a cheerefull giuer, and not as vntounto man that cannot diſcerne whether it be done frankely.
Knowing that you ſhal receiue in reward from the Lord, life, as an inheritance which hee will freely, as vponupon his children, beſtow vponupon you: for it ought to vphold you in your dutifull ſeruice, that you ſerue not ſo much your Maiſters, which are but men, and therefore ſometimes vnthankefull and vnable to recompence; but the Lord, who is both able, and will recompence your well doing.
Remembring on the other ſide that whatſoeuer hee bee that doth wrong, whether Maiſter or ſeruant thereof hee ſhall receiue the puniſhment from the Lord: who accepteth neither the perſon of the ſeruant to pitty him, becauſe of his poore & baſe eſtate, nor of the Maiſter to ſpare him, becauſe of his dignity and high degree.
The ſumme is, the ſetting forth of the duty of the laſt pare and couple in the houſhold, id eſt, of the Maiſters and ſeruants.
But firſt wee are to ſpeake of that, which remaineth of the other Text; of Children and Parents.
Firſt, childrē are cōmanded to giuegive obedience to parents:Verſe 20. by obedience is meant all duties which children owe to their parents, which are diuers. And firſt of a duty, which belongeth to all them in the houſehold, husband, wife, parents, children, maiſters, ſeruants, viz. to pray perticulerly one for another, and more perticulerly then for others: for parents, that they are bound to it, we ſee it in Iob, that he prayedIob. 1. for his children being at feaſting, leaſt they ſhould let any ſinne ouerpaſſe them in their feaſting, wherein they might offend. And by the ſame reaſon children are bound to pray for their parents. And alſo by the commandement the ſubiects are commanded1. Tim. 2, 1. 2 to pray for their Princes. And ſo Princes to pray for their people, as Dauid doth in ſundry pſalmes wherein he maketh prayer for himſelfe and his people.
1. Kings 18. Salomon alſo doth the like in ſecond Chronicles 6. 21. But to come to more perticuler Particular duties of children,duties of children to their parents 1. Reuerence, viz. a ſpeciall reuerence, which they are to cary to their parents aboue others, ſecondly, louelove, a perticuler louelove of their parents, in regard alſo that they are ſet ouer them of God. Theſe are inward things. Outward, duties are firſt a reuerent behauiour in their countenance and cariage towards them, in their wordes and in their workes, to be ready to obey and do thoſe things, they are commanded, not contrary to God.
And therefore it is ſaid in all things, viz. not toNote. obey their parents in that which they themſelues like, but in all things, though hard and contrary to their owne liking, if it be not againſt the word of God.
And one ſpeciall duty of obedience, is to beare with all, and couer the infirmities of their parents, as Sem and Iaphet did to their father Noah.Gen, 9, 23,
Further, if the parents hauehave need, they are to relieue, and maintaine their parents, 1. Tim. 5. 4. for if the children be able to maintaine them, the Church is not to be burdened.
Amongſt other, a moſt notable duty is that, wherebyNote. children are to yeeld obedience to their parents in being beſtowed by their parents in their occupations and manner of life. And therefore we ſee that Adam beſtowed his ſonnes, one in tilling the land, the other in keeping cattle.
But more eſpecially in marriage, they are not to ſuffer themſelues to be beſtowed without their parents conſent: Where we ſee the wretched diſobedience of children, that will giuegive themſelues at their owne pleaſure, contrary to their parents conſent. And a wretched and fooliſh peeuiſhneſſe-crept intoNote. the harts of children, that they will take it in great diſlike, if their parents be ſpoken vntounto before themſelues, cleane contrary to the example of the Scripture, and euen contrary to the practiſe of heathen and naturall men.
As we ſee Iſmael would not marry, but by his mothers conſent: and contrariwiſe what a hart-breaking was it to Iſaac and Rebecca, that Eſaw marriedGen. 18. contrary to their conſent? So that this is a ſpeciall duty of children, both ſonnes and daughters, not to marry, or chooſe their husbands or wiues, without their parents conſent. So that their parents do match them ſo, as may be equall and fit for them, in regardNote. of age, eſtate, &c.
Whereas if parents force their children contrarie to reaſon for gaine &c. they deale wretchedly in that. And as parents are not to force their children, ſo children are not to diſobey their parents, when in age and condition they find out fit matches for them in any ſort.
And a reaſon, that parents are to be obeyed ofNote. their children in thoſe things, that are good, is becauſe they are obedient alſo in the ſame vntounto the Lord. And we know it is an eaſy matter, if with one whiting a man may paint two wals, it is more eaſy for him to paint one. But our obedience therefore muſt be in the Lord, viz. onelyonly in thoſe things, onelyonly wherein they command according to God. And thereforeIoh. 2. our Sauiour CRHIST, when his mother bid him change water into wine, refuſed, he denied her, becauſe the time was not come. But we may not ſpeake as he ſpake: for we muſt, if they command vsus contrary to the word of God, with all reuerence deny to do it, and not in any controlling or ſnappiſh faſhion.
In that he ſaith parents, he meaneth both father and mother, for children, becauſe the father hath more authority, and becauſe peraduenture the inheritance lyeth vponupon his diſpoſition, will obey their father, but they care not for their mother.
Howbeit obedience is commanded to both. AndEx. 10 12. howſoeuer it commeth oftentimes that the children are diſobedient by the too much tenderneſſe of the parents: yet the children are not to truſt to that, for if they leeſe their parents louelove through their wicked, behauiour, they can not aſſure themſelues of Gods.Note
A fooliſh ſonne ſaith Salomon doth ouerthrow his fathers eſtate, and driues away his mother, viz. both ouerthroweth and driueth away both, and maketh parents that they cannot abide the ſight of them.
As the hatred of brethren is ſtrong, becauſe theirA ſimile. louelove, which was great, is broken. So if parents louelove, which is farre greater, be broken, the hatred will be the more.
The duties of parents are diuers 1. To ſee theParents duties. diſpoſition of the children, and according to their fitneſſe to diſpoſe them in this or that calling; ſpeciallyEph. 6. 4. to bring them vp in the feare and information of the Lord. Secondly to lay vp for their children, 2. Cor. 12. 14.
And further, not to prouoke them by vndiſcreetƲerſe 21. correction, in not correcting them, according to their ſexes and ages, as when they correct their ſonnes and daughters, and all alike: which may prouoke them, or giuegive occaſion at the leaſt (for children ought to beare it patiently though they be iniuried) yet they may diſcourage their children by indiſcret and too hard correction.
And on the other ſide, parents are to take heed that they kill not their children by too much pampering them, which is oft times the cauſe of the death of their ſoule & body, as Dauid did his ſonnes, who when he was loath to diſpleaſe them, Abſolon ſought his kingdome, and his life, and defiled his Concubines.
Then he commeth to the next couple, of ſeruants and maſters. And ſeruants are commanded to beƲerſe. 22. obedient to their maſters in the fleſh. So called, firſt becauſe they are onelyonly for this life, and can reach no further; mitigating the ſharpneſſe of ſeruice in thoſe times, wherein ſeruants were bond-ſlaues, ſo that all, that was the ſeruants, was the maſters.
For otherwiſe, 1. Cor. 7. 22. The Apoſtle ſheweth that ſeruants be Gods free-men, as well as the maſters, if they be Gods children. Secondly, maſters of the fleſh, becauſe they cannot command their ſoules, but onelyonly their body.
The dutyfullneſſe of ſeruants conſiſteth in 2. things: firſt that it be done with faithfulneſſe, not with ey ſeruice, but as in the preſence of God. Secondly that it be done willingly, and freely, and frankely. For the1. Cor. 9. 7. Lord (2. Cor. 9.) loueth a chearfull giuer.
And therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, they muſt doe it,Ʋerſe. 23. as vntounto God. Examples we hauehave of Abrahams ſeruant, whoſe faithfulneſſe we ſee, who being ſent to fetch a wife for his maſters ſonne, when he came to theGen. 24. 12. place fell vponupon his knees, and prayed, and commended his buſineſſe to God. Which teacheth that ſeruantsNote. muſt not onelyonly be faithfull, but carefull by commending their buſineſſe vntounto God: and therefore they are to pray both for ſtrength, and wiſedome in their maſters buſineſſe.
Againe, we ſee in him a ſinguler diligence, in that comming to the place, ſet vp the camels, and ſaw them ſerued, before he would reſt, though he was a weary, & would not eate before he had his anſwer. And chapter. 31. in Iacobs faithfulneſſe to Laban his vncle.
In Iacob we ſee his diligence, and paynes, both in the heat of the day, and in froſt of the night. And as the greater and waightier the buſineſſe of his maſter is, by ſo much the more he is to commend his buſineſſe vntounto the Lord, and ought to be more carefull.
A reaſon the Apoſtle rendreth, that whereas if the ſeruant hauehave an vnkind, or a poore maſter, that cannot, or will not repay, nor recompence his paines, he is thereby made careleſſe, yet the Lord tellethƲerſe. 24. him, that if he be faithfull, he is the Lords ſeruant, and he will reward him with an inheritance, accounting him as a child.
He that doth iniury. This is brought as a reaſon both to the maiſter and ſeruant, that if the maſter be iniurious vntounto the ſeruant, the Lord willGod is no reſpector of perſons. not ſpare him, becauſe of his wealth and high eſtate, becauſe he is aboue his ſeruant: as earthly iudges will oftentimes be partiall. Nether will he ſpare the iniurious ſeruant, becauſe of pity to his pouerty and inferiority.
The end of the 28. Sermon.