A Christian Family Built by God, Section 16 – Section 17
SECT. 16.
2. MAſters muſt give unto their ſervants that which is juſt and equal. Maſters Col. 4. 1.muſt make it their firſt care to chuſe ſervants aright. How watchful was David for this, when he ſaid, No deceitful perſon ſhall live in my ſight; he that telleth lies ſhall not abide before Pſalm 101.me? Truely, ſo ſhould it be with all maſters. This will bleſſe their ſtate as we ſee in Jacob, and Joſeph; and the contrarie will poyſon children, and all the comforts of our Families. I heartily pray, that men may be as warie to chuſe them as they are to chuſe ſheep, and ſwine, and dogs, and horſes, according to their races.
And having choſen them, that they would.
1. Give them that which is iuſt.
2. Give to them that which is equal.
1. Maſters muſt give to them that which is juſt, that is▪ what is due to them by poſitive lawes.
This they muſt perform both,
1. In Thought.
2. In Words.
3. And in Deeds.
1. In Thought, not thinking to exerciſe abſolute dominion over them, but ſuch as they muſt account for to God; therefore the Apoſtle Eph. 6. 9.uſeth this motive, knowing that ye have a maſter in heaven.
2. In words, both in commands, and inſtructions. Pia, poſsibilia, proportionalia.The maſters commands muſt be pious, poſſible, and proportionable. They muſt be pious, that is, things agreeable to Gods will: not as Sauls was to Doeg, to fall upon 1 Sam. 22. 18. 2 Sam. 13.the Lords Prieſts; nor as Abſolons to his ſervants to kill Amnon. They muſt be poſsible of things feazable. Therefore when Eliezer ſuſpected the poſſibilitie of his doing after Abrahams command, he ſaid, what if the woman will not follow me? Abraham replied, Gen. 24. 8.then thou ſhalt be clear. They muſt be proportionable, when they command them labour, but not above ſtrength. The poor Iſraelites were ſervants in Egypt, and the Taskmaſter Exod. 5.cauſed them to gather ſtraw, and make their old tale of brick; this was above ſtrength, and ſo unjuſt. But God ſaith, over your brethren Levit. 25. 46.you ſhall not rule with rigour or crueltie. They muſt alſo do juſtice in inſtructions. Servants muſt ſerve their maſters as Chriſt, and this they cannot without inſtructions firſt. Abraham armed all his trained ſervants, that is, his Catechized ſervants, whom he had ſo Gen. 14. 14well inſtructed, that they would follow him through all dangers; and Hezekiah made the ſervants copy out part of Solomons Proverbs Prov. 25. 1.for their rules to follow. If maſters take not this courſe, their ſervants cannot adorn the Doctrine of Chriſt.
3. In deeds, as maſters muſt be careful for their ſervants health, if in their ſervice they be ſick, as that good Centurion was, who Matth. 8. 5, 6.went to Chriſt for his help; and in providing ſufficient meat and drink for them, as Solomon did for his workmen, and the good houſewife 2 Chr. 2. 10 Prov. 31. 15. 1 Cor. 8. 9.for hers according to the equitie of that rule, Thou ſhalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe which treadeth out the corn, and in providing due puniſhment for them according to Law, when they do amiſſe, by which means maſters ſhould be better ſerved: ſo by juſtly paying them their wages. This maketh up a Deut. 15. 13, 14.ſweet harmony betwixt maſters and ſervants, according to that expreſſion of Chriſt, He agreed with them for a penny, they make a ſweet Matth. 29. 2 foreign James 5. 4.ſymphonie or harmonie betwixt them; but the contrary makes a fearful jarre and crie, which God hears.
2. Maſters muſt give to their ſervants that which is equal, which is due by Charitie, and Chriſtian meekneſſe. For equal doth not comprehend equal honour, and equal offices of love, that is, ſuch as the ſervants performe to the maſter; for this is a good rule; To Inaequalibus dare aequalia, inaequale eſt.give equal things to unequal perſons is unequal. But it is to be referred to the mind and manner of doing, that as the ſervant performs his dutie equally, ſo the maſter muſt perform his. The ſervant obeyes as to the Lord, the maſter rules as the Lord piouſly. The ſervant obeyes from the heart willingly; the maſter rules with a mild and fatherly affection.
Now, this equalitie comprehends foure Job 31. 15. Phile. v. 16. Habent cutem communem licet non veſtem. Job 31. 13. 14.duties. 1. To account that ſervants are of the ſame mould; yea, and partakers of the ſame grace of Chriſt. They have a common skin, though not a common covering: 2. To hearken to them and yield to them when reaſon, and truth is on their ſide. 3. To have reſpect to humane infirmities, as ſickneſſe, age, and paſſions. 4. To give well deſerving ſervants more then is due to them by Covenant and bargain. If they be better then ſervants, it is but equal that we be better then maſters.
Oh that all maſters would labour to be ſuch! I ſhall give you but three motives. 1. Our ſervants are fellow ſervants with us to God. If the Angel ſaid to John, I am thy Apoc. 19.fellow ſervant, much more may the maſter to the ſervant. 2. Death will level us all; yea, it may be will make the ſervant above his maſter, if he be above him in grace: for there the ſervant is free from his maſter. 3. Maſters have a Maſter in Heaven, that is God, He is Job 3. 19.Omniſcient, and it were impudencie to deal wickedly when he looks on. He is Holy and Iuſt, and will not wink at iniquitie, though indulgent maſters will, and doe. He is Omnipotent, and able to puniſh all iniquitie he hates. The very thought of theſe things ought to make better ſervants, and better maſters.
SECT. 17.
THus I have brought Gods building in a Family from the Rule to the Timber, from the Timber to the Framing, from the Framing to the Foundation, from the Foundation to the upper Building, even to the Roof. We are come now to Gods Finiſhing of a Family, which is by an orderly government under a good father and mother of a Family.
Queſt. You may aske me, why doe you ſay an orderly government? For, may not diſorderly perſons be in a good Family? You ask not of (may) as lawfully, approvedly, but (may) as poſſible, and then I anſwer, They may.
Anſw. It was holy Auguſtines caſe; therefore he writes to the miniſters, ſeniors, and the whole Citie of Hippo, that they would not faint in Epiſt. 137. quamtumlibet vigilēt diſciplina domus m…ae, …omo ſum & inter homines vi…. Nec mihi arrogare audeo ut domus mea melior ſit quam Arca Noae, &c.their courſe, or judge hardly of him for it. Although ſaith he, the diſcipline of my houſe be quiet, and vigilant, yet am I a man, and live amongſt men; neither dare I arrogate to my ſelfe that my houſe ſhould be better then the Ark of Noah, the houſe of Abraham, Iſaack, Jacob, and of Chriſt. Thus may it be alſo with many a good man. Yea, there have been no worſe men in the world, then they that have the beſt means of grace in the beſt Families.
In Adams family there was a murthering Cain; in Abrahams, a perſecuting Iſhmael; In Noahs, a ſcoffing Cham; in Iſaacks, a profane Eſau; in Davids, an undutiful Abſhalom; in Mephiboſheths, a faithleſſe Zibah; and in Eliſhahs, a lying Gehazi. Neither may we wonder at it, becauſe Religion deſcends not by inheritance, for Adam begat a child in his Gen. 5. 3.own likeneſs, a ſinner like himſelf. Yea, Religion is the work of God, and he hath other Rom. 9. 17. 1 Sam. 2. 25.ends, in means of Reformation, then Converſion, as we may ſee in Pharaoh, and in Elies ſons.
Yet what then? Shall not therefore a good father and mother of a Family ſtrive for an orderly government? Yea much more. Ye know what a people God told the Prophets Jeremy and Ezechiel that they ſhould preach Jer. 1. 19. Ez…ch. 2. 5. 7. & 3. 7.unto, even as bad as briars and thorns; yet he did it not to cool their affections, but to make them more zealous: ſo I preſent what poſſibly may be to whet you to put to all your ſtrength for orderly Families.
Thus did Adam and Evah, whoſe religious Family was called The face of God. Thus Gen. 4. 14. Gen. 18. 19 Joſh. 24. 15. Acts 10. 2.did Joſhuah, David, Cornelius, or elſe ſuch high praiſes of them would never have been left recorded for our imitation.
Conſider therefore ſeriouſly,
1. What all Governours of Families muſt doe to this end?
2. What either of the Governours muſt doe?
1. In general, all Governours of Families muſt be carefull to looke to themſelves. If they ſhine not before the reſt, but lie rotting in the dunghil of nature; ye …all have a den of ſwearers, drunkards, lyars, whoremongers, cheaters, and the like, in a Family. For Jeroboam will make Iſrael to ſinne, Auguſtus will fill his Court with Schollars, Tyberius with diſſemblers, and Julian with Apoſtates.
They muſt care again, to be ſuch at home as they ſeem to be in the aſſemblies of Gods people, that is, truely religious. David prayes that his people may be corner ſtones, and poliſhed; ſo doe I pray, that all Governours of Families may be ſuch. They muſt care (as they can) to draw into their Families ſuch as be gracious, or at leaſt ſubmit to gratious courſes. Though a Family may be named Good, from the better part, yet it is beſt when the Canaanites are kept out of it.
But now ſecondly to come unto particulars, ſee what either of the Governours of a good Family muſt doe for their parts.
1. The Father of a Family.
2. The Mother of a Family.