Of Domestical Duties, Treatise 1 · Section 6 – Section 7
§. 6. Of limiting all dutie to man, within the compaſſe of the feare of God.
Againe, as this clauſe (In the feare of the Lord) declareth the manner of ſubmiſſion, it ſheweth, that
No ſubmiſſion is to be performed vntounto man, but that which Doct.may ſtand with the feare of God. Whereby we ſhew that we hauehave reſpect to God, and labour aboue all to approue our ſelues to him. Thus Dauid is commanded to rule in the 2 Sam. 23. 3.feare of God: and other Magiſtrates to performe their dutie 2 Chro. 19 9.in the feare of the Lord: which Nehemiah that good Gouernour Neh. 5. 15.was carefull to doe. So alſo ſubiects are to obey in the feare of the Lord, which the Apoſtle implieth by prefixing 1 Pet. 2. 17.this precept, Feare God, before that, Honour the King; as if he had ſaid, ſo honour the King, as in and thereby you may manifeſt your feare of God: let not this latter croſſe the former. Seruants likewiſe are commanded to be obedient vntounto their Maſters with this prouiſo, fearing the Lord. Such Coloſſ. 3. 22.phraſes as theſe, For the Lords ſake, As vntounto the Lord, In the 1 Pet. 2. 13.Lord, As ſeruants of Chriſt, with the like, being annexed to Eph. 5. 22. & 6. 1, 6.the duties of inferiours, doe imply as much.
Great reaſon there is that all ſeruice ſhould be limited 1. Reaſon. God the higheſt Lord.with the feare of God: for God is the higheſt Lord to whom all ſeruice primarily and principally is due: whatſoeuer ſeruice is due to any man, high or low, is due in and for the Lord. The Lord hath ſet ſuperiours in the places of eminencie, wherein they beare the image of God. The Lord alſo hath ſet inferiours in their places, and commended them as his charge to the gouernment of thoſe who are ouer them. He that obeyeth not thoſe who are ouer him in the feare of God, ſheweth no reſpect of Gods image: and he who gouerneth not thoſe who are vnderunder him in the feare of God, ſheweth no reſpect of Gods charge.
Beſides, God is that great Iudge to whom all of all ſorts, 2. Reaſon. God the Iudge of all.ſuperiours and inferiours are to giuegive an account of their ſeruice. Though by our ſeruice we hauehave neuer ſo well approued our ſelues to men, yet if we hauehave not therein had reſpect vntounto God, and approued our ſelues to him, with what face may we appeare before his dreadfull iudgement ſeat? 1. Vſe. The folly of all thoſe who feare man more than God.Can the fauour of thoſe whom we hauehave pleaſed in this world, protect and ſhelter vsus from the fury of Gods diſpleaſure?
Behold the folly of ſuch Gouernours as wholly apply themſelues to the fancie of their people, yea though it be againſt the Lord and his word. This was Adams folly, who Gen. 3. 6.at his wiues motion did eat of the forbidden fruit. This was Aarons folly, who to pleaſe the people, erected an Exod. 32. 1.Idoll. And this was Sauls folly, who againſt Gods expreſſe 1 Sam. 15. 21.prohibition ſuffered his people to take ſome of the ſpoile of the Amalekites. The like may be ſaid of Ioaſh, who 2 Chro. 24 7.hearkned to his Princes to ſet vp Idols: and of Pilate, who Marke 15. 15.to pleaſe the people, againſt his conſcience, deliuered Chriſt to be crucified. The fearefull iſſue of this their ſubmiſſion, not ſeaſoned with a feare of God, but contrary thereunto, may be a warning to all ſuperiours, to take heed how they ſeeke to pleaſe them that are vnderunder them, more than God who is aboue them. The iſſue of Adams, Aarons, Sauls, and Ioaſh his baſe ſubmiſſion, is noted by the Holy Ghoſt in their ſeuerall hiſtories. Of Pilate it is recorded, that being Euſcb. hiſt. Eccl. lib 2. cap. 7.brought into extreme neceſſitie, he laid violent hands vponupon himſelfe.
Neither is it to be accounted folly only in ſuperiours to ſubmit themſelues to their inferiours againſt the Lord, but alſo in inferiours to their ſuperiours: for thereby they ſhew that they feare man more than God, which Chriſt expreſly Luke 12. 4, 5.forbiddeth his friends to doe. The captaines which went 2 King. 1. 9, &c.to fetch Eliah, obeyed their king therein; but what got they thereby? was the king able to ſaue them from the fire which God ſent downe from heauen vponupon them? The women Ier. 44. 19.reproued for offering incenſe to the Queene of heauen, did it not without their husbands, yet were they not excuſed thereby. The children and others in the familie Numb. 16. 32.ſubmitted themſelues to Dathan and Abiram in ſtanding in the doore of their tents at defiance againſt Moſes; but becauſe it was not in the Lord, but againſt him, they were not exempted from the iudgement. Wherefore let all of all ſorts ſet the feare of God as a marke before them to aime at in all their actions. Let ſuperiours aNumb. 11. 29.neither doe any thing to giuegive content to their inferiours: b1 Sam. 24. 8. & 26. 9.nor ſuffer any thing to be done for their ſakes by their inferiours, which cannot ſtand with the feare of God. And let inferiours cGen. 39. 10.nor doe, 1 Sam. 22. 17.dAct. 4. 19.nor forbeare to doe at the will of their ſuperiours any thing ſweruing from the feare of God: but eueryevery one ſubmit themſelues one to another in the feare of God.
§. 7. Of performing the duties of particular callings.
EPHES. 5. 22.
Wiues ſubmit your ſelues vntounto your owne husbands, as vntounto the Lord.
FRom that generall direction concerning mutuall ſubmiſſion, the Apoſtle commeth to certaine particulars, by which he exemplifieth the ſame: and teacheth vsus, that
It is not ſufficient to performe generall duties of Chriſtianitie, Doct.vnleſſe alſo we be conſcionable in performing the particular duties of our ſeuerall callings. A conſcionable performance of thoſe particular duties is one part of our aEph. 4. 1.walking worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called: and therefore the Apoſtle, for illuſtration and exemplification thereof, doth reckon vp ſundry particulars, both in this and bCol. 3. 18, &c. 1 Cor. 7. 1 Tim. 3.other Epiſtles: and ſo doe c1 Pet. 2. & 3.other Apoſtles. And dTit. 2.Titus is charged to teach them. God himſelfe hath giuen a patterne hereof in his Law: for the maine ſcope of the fifth Commandement See more of this point in The whole armour of God, Treat. 2. part 1. §. 4.tendeth to inſtruct vsus in the particular duties of our ſeuerall callings.
Hereby much credit is brought to our profeſſion, and the eTit. 2. 10. 1 Pet. 3. 1, 2.doctrine of God our Sauiour is adorned. And much good is hereby both mutually communicated one to another, and receiued one from another: for our particular places and callings are thoſe bonds whereby perſons are firmely and fitly knit together, as the members of a naturall body by nerues, arteries, ſinewes, veines, and the like, by which life, ſenſe and motion is communicated from one to another.
Let therefore notice be taken of the particular callings Uſe.wherein God hath ſet vsus, and of the ſeuerall duties of thoſe callings, and conſcience be vſed in the practiſe of them. He is no good Chriſtian that is careleſſe herein. A bad husband, wife, parent, childe, maſter, ſeruant, magiſtrate or miniſter, is no good Chriſtian.