Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 2 · Verse 18
Verse 18. Servants, be subject to your Masters with all fear, not onelyonly to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
NOw of the duties of another sort of Inferiors to another kinde of Superiors, namely, of Servants (all Servants, whether Menservants or Maid-servants) to their Masters (Dames and Mistresses too) they must be subject to them; that is, not onelyonly content themselves with the place of Inferiority they are in, giving them the place of their Superiority, but to perform all duties to them which they may justly challenge, and that from a reverend respect of them and of their place; and that not onelyonly if they be good and gentle (of the best natures, and that use them well) but also if even they be froward, or such as use them ill.
Before I come unto the words in particular, note we two or three generals:
1. The exactness and absoluteness of the Word of God,Gods Word teacheth us in all things how to carry our selves. It teacheth us in all things how to carry our selves: No mans place so mean, no action so common (eating, drinking, sleeping, &c.) none so mean in the meanest calling, but the Word reacheth thereto, and giveth direction therein; Its a Schoolmaster, able to convince, teach, instruct, correct all; Its as an Apothecaries shop throughly furnished; Its like a pure Fountain, that sends water by pipes, not onelyonly into the chief rooms, but even into the meanest; It doth noth onelyonly instruct us in our duties towards God, but towards …o our Neighbors also, towards our Superiors, towards those that are set over us, though in an inferior degree.
This teacheth every man to search the Scriptures,Use. and to labor to be acquainted therewith, and to make them their Counsellors and Guides, A light and lanthorn to their feet; They must also hear them opened by Preaching, for their fuller understanding thereof: If any shall say, What shall I do at Church? I am a poor Wench in the Kitchin, I am a poor Plow-boy, its fit for my Master to go, &c. Know, that its fit and needful for thee also so to do, not onelyonly because thou hast a soul to save as well as thy Master, but that thou maist learn to become thy place, and do thy duty aright.
2. How Ministers ought to have a care of,Ministers must stoop to the lowest and meanest of their charge. and stoop to the lowest and meanest of their charge: The Apostle Paul, in the midst of all his great businesses, travels and cares, yet in no Epistle lightly forgets to teach Servants their duties towards their Masters, that so doing their duty, they may adorn the Gospel. Thus doth our Apostle here, and thus must we do in our places. A faithful shepherd will not willingly lose any of his sheep, but tender them all; and we must be so careful,Acts 20. 26. as to be free from the blood of every one.
True it is,Masters must not turn this off themselves. that Masters must not turn this off from themselves, and put it wholly on the Ministers; but do their duty to the uttermost, pressing upon them at home what they hear publikely taught, both which are little enough; yet must the Ministers also speak to the understanding, and apply themselves to the capacity of the meanest, accordingly taking care that they come not to the Sacrament hand over head.
3. That not onelyonly the Church and Common-wealth,Even particular families are to be well ordered and lookt to. but even particular families are to be well ordered and look'd to, as from whence will flow either good or ill: They that be good in their families, will be good abroad in what place soever they be set; if the Master be godly at home, he will be a good Parishioner, a good Subject, so their Children and Servants? Whats the cause of so much disorder abroad every where? even for that there be so few families in any good order and government. Thus in general.
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, &c.] Here three things are observable: 1. The duty to be performed. 2. The maner. 3. Towards whom; where's the removal of a secret Objection, shewing that Servants must be subject even to them that use them hardly, and deal most injuriously with them.
Touching the duty to be p…rformed,Servants must be subject to their masters. and the maner thereof, I have heretofore spoken at large, in handling the fifth Commandment: It proceeds from that reverent respect which they have of their Masters,See Eph. 6. 5. and the parties set over them by God in his wise and merciful providence:Col. 3. 22. If they do inwardly reverence them from their hearts,1 Tim. 6. 1. and see God in them, and the face and image of God in their face, they will also outwardly declare the same by their obedience, faithfulness, care, diligence, and the like.
1. This condemneth the monstrous insolency of youth in these our days,Use 1. which can abide no yoke of good Government, daily bewraying their want of inward reverence, by the fruits thereof, in their countenances, gestures, words, behavior, blazing abroad their Masters infirmities, and the like: How many even of professors, set light by their Masters, vilifying their persons, slighting their gifts, and use them basely, especially if they be poor?
2. Let Servants repent for this want of reverence,Use 2. & know, whatsoever is done against their Masters, is against God himself, whose Deputies their Masters are; yea let them amend this, and learn to reverence their Masters, so shall they perform all the other duties they owe them: have you failed: heretofore? make more conscience for the time to come, and do your duties chearfully without grudging; for your state is by far better, then their's to whom the Apostle wrote (of whom many were bondmen and slaves, whom their Masters might have almost used at their pleasures) or their's now in other Countreys, who besides their want of the means of Salvation, live in woful toil and misery: You have the means of Salvation, and for the most part outwardly live but at too much liberty; your lots have fallen in pleasant places, walk thankfully, obediently, and chearfully.
3. Let such as are Masters and Mistresses of families,Use 3. learn here what duties their Servants owe them, that they may the better instruct them therein, and look for their performance thereof: And if they have now ill, stubborn and unfaithful Servants, let them call to minde whether when they themselves were Servants, they were not such, that so they may repent thereof, in the mean time acknowledging Gods justice, in paying them in their own coyn, and deal with them, as they dealt with others.
4. For those that are yet yong and in their Parents houses,Use 4. let them mark these things, that when they shall go to service, they may not be to learn their duties; but ready and apt therein, skilful in the several branches thereof.
Not onelyonly to the good and gentle, The prevention of an objection.but also to the froward.] These words are a comparison between Masters, or the prevention of an Objection, that might quickly be made by some, to shift off the foregoing Exhortation: I would be content to do my duty, if I had a good Master, or served such a Master as some that I know; but my Master is so curst, that one cannot tell how to speak to him, and in correcting, cruel without all reason, and that as well for no fault, as for a fault, yea, sometimes I am beaten for well doing, and for my forwardness in serving God: Well, saith the Apostle, you must be subject, and do your duties in all points, even to such.
By good is meant liberal Masters (so indeed Masters ought to be to their Servants,What we are to understand by good, gentle and Deut. 15. 13. both while they be with them, and at their departure from them;) as by gentle, such as care not what they do to them by Law, but what they may do in equity and good conscience. By froward,Froward Masters. are meant such Masters which will be pleased with nothing,1 Sam. 25. 17. to whom (such was Nabal) one cannot tell how to speak; yea such as will afflict their Servants without cause, or colour of cause. Whatsoever they are,Servants must be subject even to their bad and froward Masters. Servants must be subject to them, must reverence them from their hearts, must obey them, serve them faithfully, and pray for them: They must thus do even to the worst Masters, of the very worst conditions, God will have it to be so, and they represent Gods person and place,Reasons. though they are of such bad qualites: Hereby they shall shew forth their Christianity in a work of such difficulty (for to serve and do duty to good, kinde and courteous Masters, is no great mastery) which is indeed worthy of a Christian: If they do not their duties to us, but be bad, we must not meddle with it, God will call them to an account, we shall not answer for their sin, but if we do not our duty, we sin also, and make our selves guilty; if in humility and patience we do our duties, God will take our part in his good time, as he did Jacobs, Gen. 31. 42.who served a churlish, harsh, and covetous Master twenty years together: If we do our duties, though they consider it not, nor deserve it,Col. 3. 24. yet do we it to God, who accounteth thereof, and before whom it shall not be forgotten: Are they froward? Its the cross God hath laid out for us in his providence, which we must take up and bear; to shake it off by unlawful means, were to resist the hand of God: It may be its greatly for our good, even to tame and subdue our stout, sturdy, proud and rebellious nature; knotty logs must have hard Beetles, and a rough horse, a rough rider. Besides, it may make us fitter to govern others another day; for as none prove worse then those that have been Cockneys, and have known no hardship, so they that have met with much, will be the better to others, as having loathed it so much when it was their case; yea, this may be a means in time to perswade the minde of such a Master to a better course, and make his heart to smite him,1 Sam. 24. 17. when he seeth his own unreasonableness, and his servants patience; as Saul, who upon this ground acknowledged, that David was more righteous then he.
1. This rebuketh the common sort of servants,Use 1. which if they meet with a little hardship this way, murmure, shake off the yoke, deal unfaithfully, or run away; What's their plea? Oh, my Master is such an unreasonable man, my Dame so unquiet, as that there's no living with them, &c. Well, well, your Master or Dame is unreasonable, who shall be Judge? If a number of servants (they are so lazy and illminded) that if their Masters do but call them to good duties, rebuke them for their ill speeches, or for their tarrying abroad at unseasonable times, and using bad company, few Masters but will be counted unreasonable, and such as are not to be endured; yea, to be held to their business, and kept in, with the licentious youths of these days will be counted unreasonable: But grant they be somewhat unreasonable, see whether you by your negligence, crossness, and unfaithfulness have not made them so (as some do) if so, you can do little if you cannot bear what you have deserved: But say they be unreasonable, and you have not deserved all you meet with, yet for all that, its your duty to remember your place, you must not sin for company; O who can do it? why, is God so unreasonable to require of you that which cannot be done? best charge God with unreasonableness by and by: True, its no easie matter, but servants must labor for grace,Phil. 4. 13. that they may be able to say as Paul, I am able to do all things; But alas, when we provoke servants to minde goodness, and to spend their time well, they think this unreasonable; they work hard, and they must have their pleasure, and they may be godly all in time, and so they be void of goodness: Hence arise such stirs in families, which were there grace in servants, might be prevented: Oh! no body can please them, say they; no careless body it may be, whereas a little more then ordinary diligence and carefulness would please indeed. But though servants must do their duties to such froward Masters, yet this is no justification of them that be so, or encouragement toothers to be such; for though their servants must put it up, God will be revenged of it, They have a master in Heaven: If therefore they shall abridge them of their necessary food, apparel or rest, hailing them to work beyond their strength, or shall curse and ban them, shall beat them without cause, shall be cruel in their correction, smiting them with what comes next to hand, throwing things at them to spoil them; or if with things fitting, cruelly, unmercifully, and without measure, not regarding the offence against God, nor the quality of the fault, not the best way to bring them to amendment, but following the rage and fury of their own hearts, God will call them to an account for the same: He forbiddeth cruelty against beasts, much more against those that are made according to his own image: They were or are the children of others, though now your servants, to whom being fatherless, you had need be the more merciful; and may not your children also be servants: Do you to other mens children, as you would others should deal with yours; are they not also your own flesh, and it may be as dearly bought with the blood of Christ as your selves? Though you are to keep a good strait hand over your servants, yet must it be with moderation.
2. If servants be bound thus to carry themselves towards bad Masters,Use 2. how much more then to the good and gentle? to such as are careful of their good every way, to such as give them good counsel, instruct them, bring them to good duties, give them that's fit for them, teach them their trade, and govern them with moderation? What shall we say then to the servants of our times, that have such Masters and Dames, and yet be unfaithful, lazy and negligent? Where shall these appear? assuredly, its no small favor to be under such Governors; the times we live in are grown to a strange pass: In times past, about twenty or thirty years ago, when the light, alas, was dim, what diligent and painful servants were there, who would tarry at least seven or ten years in an house, whereas now they are so unruly, that no house can hold them long? they finde fault for the most part when there's no cause: Formerly servants were careful to please their Governors, and glad if they could and would accept of their endeavors, and be pleased with them; but now, Masters and Dames are fain to please their servants, if they can do any thing, they be so teachy and masterly, as they may not be spoken to; belike the course of things must be turned, the order of nature perverted, Masters must be as servants to please, and servants as Masters to do what they list: Hath God honored the servants of these times with the Gospel denyed to former ages, and do they thus requite God, and profit by it? will it not be to their further condemnation? The monstrous pride of youths is the cause of all this disorder; the peace and plenty that God hath given us, hath so lift them up, as they have forgotten the ancient simplicity and plainnefs that was heretofore, and have their mindes so high set, as their study is to prank up themselves brave, and get gay clothes, to keep company, and have their swing; this they minde, and not their business: If they thus continue, they shall never be worth a servant themselves, or else shall be plagued with such as themselves were, nay, who knows whether for their pride and unconscionableness, they may not come to rags, and a bit of bread?
3. Now what is here required of servants towards bad Masters,Use 3. must also be performed by us to those we have any way to deal withal: Thus Subjects are to do the duties of Subjects towards their Princes, though they should be Tyrants, or deal hardly with them: Thus, though we live by neighbors that be untoward and contentious,Rom. 12. 18. we must live quietly; Thus must husbands & wives live together; We must not be overcome of evil, Rom. 12. 21.but overcome evil with goodness: God hath no where bid us do to others, as they do to us (that's the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees) but to love our enemies, Mat. 5. 43, 44.and to do good to them that hate us, &c. yet must not this hearten any to be bad, but every man must make his Neighbors yoke as easie as he can, not laying too much upon him: They must not say (as some husbands to their wives) they must do their duties to us, whatsoever we be: What! are you so cunning indeed? know you so well other folks duties, and your own no better? you should know your own duties best: How great then is their sin, that cannot live with good Neighbors? How great that wives, that having a kinde and careful husband, is ever fretting, complaining and vexing him? How great that husbands, that having a loving, dutiful, careful wife, doth not use her kindely, but hoggishly, yea it may be loveth others better? He that cannot live with bad ones, and do his duty, is scarce a good Christian; but he that cannot do his duty to good ones, is not so good as an Heathen and a Publican.