Of Domestical Duties, Treatise 1 · Section 1 – Section 2
§. 1. Of the Apoſtles tranſition from generall duties to particulars.
AS there are two vocations whereunto it hath pleaſed God to call eueryevery one; one Generall, by vertue whereof certaine common duties which are to be performed of all men, are required, (as knowledge, faith, obedience, repentance, louelove, merciemercy, iuſtice, truth, &c.) the other Particular, by vertue whereof certaine peculiar duties are required of ſeuerall perſons, according to thoſe diſtinct places wherein the Diuine Prouidence hath ſet them in Common-wealth, Church, or family; ſo ought Gods Miniſters to be carefull in inſtructing Gods people in both kindes of duties; both thoſe which concerne their generall, and thoſe alſo which concerne their particular calling. Accordingly S. Paul (who, as aNum. 12. 7.Moſes, was faithfull in all the houſe of God) after he had ſufficiently inſtructed Gods Church in ſuch generall duties, as belong to all Chriſtians, of what ſex, ſtate, degree, or condition ſoeuer they be, proceedeth to lay downe certaine particular duties, which appertaine to particular callings and conditions: among which, he maketh choiſe of thoſe which God hath eſtabliſhed in a family. With excellent Art doth he paſſe from thoſe generals, to theſe particulars: laying downe a tranſition betwixt them, in theſe words, Submitting your ſelues one to another in the feare of God; which words hauehave reference both to that which goeth before, and alſo to that which followeth after. The forme and manner of ſetting downe this verſe, with a participle thus, ſubmitting, ſheweth that it dependeth on that which went before, and ſo hath reference thereunto. Againe, the word it ſelfe being the very ſame which is vſed foreign, ſubmitting. foreign, ſubmit.in the next verſe following, ſheweth, that this verſe containeth the ſumme of that which followeth, and ſo hath reference thereunto, as a generall vntounto particulars. This manner of paſſing from one point to another, by a perfect tranſition which looketh both wayes, both to that which is paſt, and to that which commeth on, as it is very elegant, ſo is it frequent with this our Apoſtle. Whereby he teacheth vsus, Note.ſo to giuegive heed to that which followeth, as we forget not that which is paſt: as we muſt giuegive diligent attention to that which remaineth, ſo we muſt well retaine that which we hauehave heard, and not let it ſlip: otherwiſe, if (as one naile driueth out another) one precept maketh another to be forgotten, it will be altogether in vaine to adde line vntounto line, or precept vntounto precept.
§. 2. Of ioyning ſeruice to men with our praiſing of God.
As this verſe hath reference to that which was deliuered before, concerning our dutie to God, it teacheth vsus this leſſon:
It is the dutie of Chriſtians as to ſet forth the praiſe of God, ſo to be ſeruiceable one to another. For this purpoſe in the Doct.Decalogue to the firſt table, which preſcribeth that duty which we owe to God, is added the ſecond table, which declareth the ſeruice that we owe one to another: and he that ſaid, bMatt. 22. 38, 39.The firſt and great Commandement is this, Thou ſhalt louelove the Lord, &c. ſaid alſo, The ſecond is like to this, Thou ſhalt louelove thy neighbour, &c. whereupon the cHeb. 13. 15, 16.Apoſtle declaring what thoſe ſacrifices be wherewith God is well pleaſed, ioyneth theſe two together, to giuegive thankes to God, and to doe good to man. The ſeruice which in the feare of God we performe one to another, is an euident and reall demonſtration of the reſpect we beare vntounto God. dPſal. 16. 2.To God our goodneſſe extendeth not. eIob 22. 3. & 35. 7.He is ſo high aboue vsus, ſo perfect and compleat in himſelfe, that neither can we giuegive to him, nor he receiue of vsus. But in his owne ſtead he hath placed our brother like to our ſelues; to whom, fIob 35. 8.as we may doe hurt, ſo by our faithfull ſeruice we may doe much gPſal. 16. 3.good: in doing whereof God is much honoured.
This diſcouereth their hypocriſie, who make great pretence 1. Vſe. A note of hypocriſie.of praiſing God, and yet are ſcornfull, and diſdainfull to their brethren, and ſlothfull to doe any ſeruice to man: Theſe mens religion is vaine. By this note did the Prophets Iam. 1. 26. Iſa. 58. 3 &c. Mic. 6. 6. &c. Matt. 23. 14. 1 Ioh. 4. 20.in their time, and Chriſt and his Apoſtles in their time alſo, diſcouer the hypocriſie of thoſe among whom they liued: and ſo may we alſo in our times. For many there be, who frequently in their houſes, and in the middeſt of the Congregation ſing praiſe vntounto God, and performe other parts of Gods outward worſhip, but towards one another, are proud, ſtout, enuious, vnmercifull, vniuſt, ſlanderous, and very backward to doe any good ſeruice. Surely, that outward ſeruice which they pretend to performe to God, doth not ſo much wipe out the ſpot of prophaneſſe, as their neglect of dutie vntounto man brandeth their foreheads with the ſtampe of hypocriſie.2. Vſe. Put not off one dutie with another. Matt. 23. 23.
For our parts, let vsus not vponupon pretext of one dutie, though it may ſeeme to be the waightier, thinke to ſhift off another; leſt that fearefull woe which Chriſt denounced againſt the Scribes and Phariſies fall vponupon our pates. As God is carefull to inſtruct vsus how to carrie our ſelues both to his owne Maieſtie, and alſo one to another, ſo let vsus in both approue our ſelues to him: remembring what Chriſt ſaid to the Phariſies, Theſe ought ye to hauehave done, and not to leaue the other vndone. The ſame Lord that requireth praiſe to his owne Maieſtie, inioyneth mutuall ſeruice one to another; the neglect of this, as well as of that, ſheweth too light reſpect of his will and pleaſure: What therefore God Matth. 19. 6.hath ioyned together, let not man put aſunder.