Lu~S·4, s Afls S '9 Ob. I Cor. 7· 2J Sol. Eph. 6. 6, 7 1 Sam , 8, 7 f.;,.•; ro jfamtlp·liDnttc~. Cbap.Io.Sett.)S. his)udgement he yields unto the Kings pcrempt<ky cpmmand , 'T_he Kings wo,·dprt~ va&led againjl Joab. Look as Feter, when Chnfi btdhtm lanch out mto the deep, and let down his net for a draught, He afl[wercd and Jaid, M lij/er ,·we haw toihd a/! the night, and haw tiik.;n nothing; neverthelej[e, at thy word I wilt let d01v.n the ntt, So mull: fcrvants fay, -when they have a peremptory command, though comi·ary to their own j~dgements, this or that, in all humility, I fuppofe, or I propound to you, N everthehffe, utyPHr word· I•~i/llet down thenet, I will do as you plcafe. . 2 •. But what if God and Mafl:er fhould command contrary things ?---In fuch a-cafe the ApolHe fees down an excellent limitation,in thefc four phrafes, [1. A sunto Chrijf: 2 . As theferwmts of Chrift: 3· Doing the will of God: 4· As to the Lord:] All thefe imply, That i[ Mafl:ers command their ferv~nts. any thing contrary to Chrifl, they may not yteld to tt : Upon thts ground the Mtdwtves of the H ebr<w women, would.nor kiU the Hebrew children, They feared God (faith the Text) and did not{U the Kinu com– manded them. It this cafe Jofeph is commcnded in not hearkning to his Millris"'; and the fervants ofSaul arc commcnded, for refufing to flay the Lords Prl~s at their Ma-· flers command. When Mafl:ers'command or forbid any. thing againft God and Chrifl:, they go therein beyond their commi(fion, and their autho'rity ceafeth ; fo that fe(vants may fay, We oughttoobey God rather then men, 3· But fome Anabaptifts object, That a/1 l!Jen are alik5, 11nd that there isnoJueh dif– fcrmce M betwi.:t.:t Maffers and Servants, nay it is exprejly forbiddtf!. ID beJervsmtsof mo1. l-an-lwer, tdbe afervant, in that place, is not limply to be in fubjeClion under another, but to be fo obfequious to man, as to prefer him before God: Hence the Apoftlc elfc– where in'the Duties of fervants, !ayes down this Antithefis, Not as men-piMfm, but d.; tileftrvant~ofChrift; again, doingfervice as to the Lord, and 11ot to men: The meaning is, That.wc muft do Dmy ti>' a )Wafter, not as meedy to·a man, but as to one in Chrijt< ftead ; Mafl:ers by vertue of tlieir office and·place bear the image of Chrill: ; Chrill: communicates his authority unto them, and fo fn performing Duty' to Mafters; we p~r. formDuty to Cnrifl; and in denying DHty to Mafters, we deny Duty to Chrifl: : Thus the Lord faid to Samuel, when the people rejected his Government, They have not re-. jeHed thu, but they have rejelled me, that I .foould nat'reign aver them• Ct\nfider rhis, all ye that are Servants , though Mafters fhould neither reward your good fervice, nor.– revenge your ill fervicc, yet Chrill: will do both : This is your prerogative that fear God abov·e all other Servants ; others may ferve their Mall:ers with fear a'r!d trcmblinf, in finglenefs of heart, and with good will; but onely Chriftians and Saints do fervice ;;, to Chrift, and this makes them net content themfelves with doing.the thing, but to endeavour to do it after the bell manner they can, fo as God and Chrift may accepl ~~ . I have now run through the Family, and informed you of the :Dmi'esboth of Cover-. ti•urs 11nd CJoverncd. Chrit1ians, look within you, look about you, that man i; not~ goodman, that is not good in all his relations. The fame eiod that requires-us to ferve· hih1 as private perfons , requires us to ferve him in our relations : And therefore. . though you be never fo careful ofyour Duty in the former refpect, yet ')'OU may go td hell for neglecting your Duties, as Mafters, Servantt, H mbands, Wives, l'arcnrs, oY Children; nay, I'te fay a title more, that though you would be good in one relation, yet if you endeavour not to be good .in every relation, you !hall never go to heaven : for the fame God that comm1mds you to ferve him as a Mafter, commands you to ferve him as a Father, as an Huiband,&c. And he thAt k.!eps the whole Law, and ujfmdl inont point, uJ.llilryofall.
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