A Christian Family Built by God, Section 15
SECT. 15.
THe laſt paire are as rafters in Gods building, when it comes to the higheſt; and are,
1. Maſters, and
2. Servants.
1. Servants muſt be obedient to their maſters Eph. 6. 5.according to the fleſh. By Maſters you may not underſtand thoſe that uſurp authoritie over the conſciences of men: for this none muſt doe, and none muſt ſuffer according to Pauls rule, Be not the ſervants of men: but 1 Cor. 7.thoſe that are Maſters according to the fleſh, that is, who rule over the body.
By Servants, you muſt underſtand thoſe that by Covenant cannot diſpoſe of their ſervice as they pleaſe, but muſt be at the command of thoſe that hire them. Now, theſe muſt be obedient, of which they muſt weigh,
1. The Ground,
2. The manner,
3. The reaſon of it.
1. The ground is that ſubjection which is due from the ſervant to the maſter. By this he ſtoops under the authoritie of his maſter, and it muſt be diſcovered three wayes.
1. By inward reverence, his maſter bearing the Image of Gods ſoveraigntie; in which reſpect God ſaith, If I be your maſter, where Mal. 1. 6.is my fear?
2. By out ward expreſsing of it in ſpeech and Luke 17. 7.geſture, as that wearie ſervant, when he came from the field, did not refreſh at his pleaſure, but waited upon his maſters leiſure.
3. By patient bearing of rebukes though bitter, and unjuſt; as Peter ſaith, ſervants be ſubject to your maſters with all fear, not onelyonly 1 Pet. 2. 18 19.to the good and gentle, but alſo the froward, for this is thank worthy.
Queſt. But hath a ſervant no remedy if he be wronged?
Anſw. God forbid, for the Magiſtrate beareth not the ſword in vain.Rom. 13.
If that cannot be had he may withdraw for the preſent, till the ſtorm be over, as David from Saul, and the Egyptian from the Amalekite, and then come again.
2. The manner of his obedience is,
1. Readily.
2. Pleaſingly.
3. Silently.
4. Faithfully.
5. Diligently.
1. Readily, having their eyes alwayes to their maſters to be directed by a word, or a Pſ. 123. 2.nod. Thus did the Centurions, when he ſaid Matth. 8. 9.to one goe, he went, to another come, he came; to another, doe this, and he did it: when it was otherwiſe with Jobs ſervants, Job 19. 16.according to his complaint, I called my ſervant and he gave me no anſwer, I entreated him Quoad Reverentiam Dominorum; quoad Judicium Domini.with my mouth in vain, it was for want of fear, in reference to reverence to their maſter; and for want of trembling in reference to the judgement of the Lord.
2. Pleaſingly, pleaſing their maſters in all Tit. 2. 9. Tit. 2. 6.things, ſaith Paul, not as men-pleaſers with eye ſervice, but with ſingleneſſe of heart as in Gods ſight, as good Jacob did to churliſh Laban. If you ask wherein they muſt pleaſe them? God ſaith, according to the fleſh in all lawfull and honeſt things.
The maſters are over the fleſh, not the ſpirit: therefore ſlaves are called bodies, becauſe Apoc. 18. 13 foreign.commands of maſters reach onelyonly to the body. The ſervants muſt obey onelyonly in outward things. As the dominion of maſters is Col. 3. 22.limited, ſo is the obedience of ſervants.
3. Silently, not anſwering again, ſaith Paul, Tit. 2. 10. Sit ſervus monoſyllabus Domino.therefore that rule is good. Let the ſervant ſpeak in one ſyllable to his maſter.
Yet I ſhall ſhew you two things.
1. Wherein ſervants may ſpeak?
2. Wherein they may not ſpeak?
1. They may ſpeak in three caſes; Firſt, when juſt occaſion is offered by queſtions: for they are condemned who when they underſtand will not anſwer.Prov. 29. 19
Secondly, when they receive wrong from their maſters, they may with humble reſpect clear themſelves, as David did of treaſon, by 1 Sam. 24. 10, 11.ſhewing his innocencie by three ſignes, the lap of Sauls garment, his water pot, and ſpeare.
Thirdly, when wholſome and good advice may doe their maſters good, as you ſee not onelyonly in Naamans ſervants when they adviſed 2 Kings 5. 13. Job 31. 13.him to follow the Prophets counſel though it ſeemed but mean unto him, and alſo in Job when he was in his proſperitie.
2. They may not ſpeak in two caſes. Firſt, by private mutterings and grumblings againſt the command of their maſters.
Secondly, by open croſſing and thwarting them by perverſe and ſnarling words, to provoke them to anger and diſpleaſure.
4. Faithfully, as, Jacob obeyed Laban, by bearing the heat of the day, and burthen of Gen. 38. 39 40.the night for his good; and Joſeph obeyed both Potiphar, and the Jaylor, who looked not to any thing under his hand, ſo faithfull was he. This faithfulneſſe ſtands in two things.
1. In ſeeking to encreaſe their maſters good to their lawful power: for talents are Matth. 25. 27. Tit. 2.put out to the ſervants for the maſters gain.
2. In not diminiſhing them. They muſt be no pickers and ſtealers, ſaith Paul.
Object. They will ſay, I may make bold with a little which hurts not my maſter.
Sol. But I ſay, crack conſcience (for a little) which doth a little hurt, and who will truſt thee in more? If Achans toung of gold lye before thee thou wilt not ſpare. God delights to ſay to a good ſervant, Thou haſt been faithfull Matth. 25.in a little.
Object. But haply thou wilt ſay, my maſter is hard and this provokes me to do otherwiſe then I would.
Sol. I ſay, it matters not, thou goeſt by this way, from the ſervice of an hard maſter, to the ſervice of an harder, The Devil, and what gainſt thou by that?
5. Diligently. He that waits on his maſter Prov. 27. 18. 1 Kings 17. 1. 2 Kings 5. 16.ſhall be honoured, ſaith Solomon. For this cauſe ſervants are ſaid to ſtand before their maſters, to be alwayes at hand upon every occaſion: and Heathens painted ſervants with their hands full of tools to imply their diligence about any work that their maſters ſet them about.
Queſt. But you may ask me whether ſervants are never free from this obedience to their maſters?
Anſw. I anſwer, they are not free from the habit of it, ſo long as they are under Covenant. Yet they are from the acts of it at three times, when they are the Lords priſoners by ſickneſſe in truth not pretended: when they are to reſt in the night except in extraordinarie caſes; and when they are bound, according to good orders of the Family, to ſerve the Lord either privately with their maſters, or publikely upon the Lords day.
Now thirdly, the reaſons why ſervants muſt thus obey are theſe. 1. Becauſe thus they honour Chriſt. They are more Chriſts then their maſters; therefore they obey as the Eph. 6. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 19, 20. Col. 3. 24. 1 Pet. 2. 21.ſervants of Chriſt. 2. Becauſe this is acceptable to God, and he will pay better wages then men; for they ſhall receive the reward of inheritance. 3. Becauſe thereunto they are called, and heartned by Chriſts example, who ſerved to the uttermoſt for our good.
Oh that all ſervants would learn to be better ſervants then they are or have been, according to theſe directions. I am ſure, if they doe not, at the laſt they will lie down in ſorrow. Oh that they would carefully ſtudie the leſſons of ſervants as they are laid Col. 3. 1 Pet. 2. Tit. 2, Eph. 6.down in the good word of God! Oh that the patterns of noble ſervants in the Scripture lay before them, as of Eliezer Abrahams ſervant, that faithful, praying and diligent man: and of Jacob when he was a ſervant to Laban, and of the Centurions ſervants, who were at ſuch a punctual beck. Oh that they would never forget Pauls motive, That you Gen. 24. Gen. 31. Matth. 8. Tit. 2. 10.may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things! Oh that they would think what a diſgrace it is for unworthy ſervants to live under the bleſſed beams of this Goſpel of light, and life. Certainly, if God ſet theſe things home, they would alter their courſe, and be obedient according to Chriſts will.