Com.S. Mutital Duties ofSstperioitrs aizcll)iferio irs. Chap.3 32) order is taken for giving Honour to our Governours, by impartingourfub/lance, by way of grateful Retaliation for their careand pains for our good ; Honour the Lord, Prov. 3. faith the Wifeman,avitb ihyfubJtance andgoods, s'c. and fo by confequent, this kind ofHonour is due to thofe, to whom God hath given the Government over us ; we mutt i6771$47t py it with the Stork: And our Saviour makes this a part of the Honour due to Father and Mother, when he reproves thofe that taught the people, that by confecrating their Goods to the Temple, they were free from the Obligation ofMar.7.11,1 s. this Law, ofmaintaining and relieving Father and Mother. Therefore the Apoltle requires that we render to higher Powers their dues, Tribute andCrijtòme , to.'the* that our felves are not only ready in our Perfons, but our goods too, at their Corn- Eon'. t;. 9: mands. The 'aft part ofObedience is to the other part of theLaw ; forthe Law hath two parts, theone directive, and the other coercive or correttive: fo that if we deny our Obedience we mutt frbmit toCorret`dion, and yet withReverence, as the Apatite Heb.ia. 9, fpeaks ; we muft honour the Magif rate, though we be correóled. Thus far for the AOr commanded, now for the manner ofPerformance. The fecond thing to beçonfidered, is the manner how all thefe Duties muff be performed; and this confitts in three things. r. Theymull bedone in Confcience, and from theHeart, not with Eye-ferviee as unto men, but with f rtglenefr of heart, as fearing God, as the Apoltle (peaks. Colo(. 3. i t, ti. They mull be donealacriter, chearfully, and readily, not with grudging, mur- muring, and repining ; whatfoever yedo, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not as to -a- men. 3. They mutt be doneperfiveranter, withcontinuance andperfeverance, yea,though we fuffer unjuftly by them : for this, faith S. Peter, is thank-worthy, if a man fir ooitfcience towardrGod,endaregrief, rinds, ifhe endureand holdout,though t Per. 2. 1q. he fuller wrongfully. And becaufe we are not naturally givento perform thefeduties ofObedience and Subjection, efpecially inahis manner,. therefore Expofitors yield fixReafons drawn from the Duty, as it is expreffed & inbreed in Scripture,to induce men thereunto. I. Becaufe God hath placed this Commandmentbefore that ofour Goods, yea, And Qfour Life : to thew that the maintaining ofAuthority ought to be dearer tdus than Gòods, or Life it felt. ì. Becaufe the name ofFatherand Mother, is full of Love and Reverence, info- much as force unreafonable beaffs perform this Duty moreexafly than many men: Therefore God includes all Superiours here, as Kings, Lords, Mailers, &c. under thefe amiable Names ofFather and Mother. 3. In regard ofthe long Life annexed to the trueperformance of this Duty, long. Life being a thingdefirable, and Death a thingmoll repugnant to the nature ofman. To live long, and to profper,.is all that men defire upon Earth. Therefore the A- poftle-urges this Commandment from the Promife fpecially annexed to it above the ref(: That it may be well with thee, andthat thou magi live longon the earth. Ephef. 6.3. ¢. Becaufe (as the Apoltletells us) it isa thinggoodand acceptableto God; and in another place, it is well-pleaftng to God ; he is efpecially delighted, and highly 6oÌ12.3. ó. pleafed in it. It is both ,attar, good ; m1 vector, acceptable; and dearer, Well-pleating unto God. what can we defire more,than to be good, acceptable,and well-pleafing to God in our actions. . g. TheApoltle goes further, and faith it is healer, a juts thing, Tura yb Vat hider, It is due by the Rule of7ulice toSuperiourr, fo that it cannot be forborn without in- Ephef. 6.1. jury-and injuftice to Authority : we cannot keep this Honour and Obedience from themwithout injury. And therefore it is that Chrift faith to the Pharifees,Reddite CeJari, auefont Ceraris ;Renderunto Cefar the things which are Cefars. He ufes the word Wm, reddite, Render, or ReJlare, to thew, that it is his'own : God hash im- parted it, if you keep it back, ifyou give it him not, you do injuftice, and wrong to him. 6. The Taft is, in regard of the expedience of it, for your owngood, expedit vo- bis, it fiends you in handfo to do. The Apoltle faith, They watch'over your Scads. Nowwhere Honour is detrafied and withheld, there the careofPrefervation is alfa Heb. i3. r7. diminifhed : and by reafon thereof; the power ofwickednefs, and theimpudence of P t naughty
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