Có n, 5... The Duties ofMafter.c andServants Chap.5. 3 5 t tyranny ofothers. And the Jews fay, that the great number ofServants that Abra- bam had, carne tohim by this means: for they .teeing the equityofhis Government, and comparing it with the'harfh dealingof thofe Lords they were fubje& to, came Willingly to him, and became ofhis Family. And this proved to be a great benefit to them for when he himfelfhad received the Peal ofthe Covenant, theSacrament ofCircumcifion, the very fame day he made all his Servants partakers ofit. So that though their bodies were in fubje&ion, their Souls were made free, and were letat liberty by it; and therefore it was a good ex- change for them. And in this refpe& it was, that it was prohibited the Jews, to take any bond- fervants ofthe Ifraelites, but out of the Heathen, that thereby more might be brought into Gods Covenant. Afterwards this kind of Service was e fiablithed upon other refpe&s, which drewgodlymen to it, and made it lawful for though that other fervitudeby War, wherebyone is forced tobe a Servant, may be uniuff, fo that fuch Servants, if theycan efcape, they may with a fate Con- fcience, efpecially when they are taken in an unjuft War and have not bound themfelves by a freePromife, as thole that are flares to the Turkr: yet no doubt but a man may by his voluntary Covenant makehimfelf a Servant, and this Cove- nant binds him, as Jacob was by Covenant to ferve Laban (even years for his Wife, and (even years for Sheep and Cattel. Thus in cafe ofpoverty a man may make him- felfa Servant, that hemay have a fubtiftence, and in cafe ofignorance he may ferve to learn an Artor Trade ( it being all one as was faid before tohave an Art, and to have a Portion ) and thus did God allow Servants among the Jems, even of their Deut. r5. rs. Brethren. And thus came Service into the World, fiat by the Juflice ofGod as a punifh- ment of fin though afterwards this ma'amin by Gods Goodnefsbecomea be- nefit, and ufeful for Mankind, and therefore God hash takenorder for Duties tobe, performed both by Matters and Servants. in general the Apoflle fpeaking of Ser- vants, requires every man to abide in that Vocetionwherein be is called ; and at the 2 t. Verfe he comes to fpeakof Servants, and gives this Rule ; Art thou called'being a Cor. 9: 2oi a fervent ? care notfor it, but if mayett be madefree, life it rather ; yet let it not trouble thee, be willing to bear theyokeof this Service. 'A Servant, ifhe be a Chrillian is the Lords Freeman, r Cor. 7.22. And Jew and Gentile,bondand freeare all one inCbriff, Ga1.3.28. They that do Service to their Mattersin the Lord, therein ferve the Lord who hath placed them in that Calling, yea though the Mailers were not believing, yet they muff think them worthy tall honour and obedience. Yet in the a Tim. 6. r. Epifite to Philemon, Saint Paul having lentOnefimur ( whom he hid converted ) back to his Mailer Philemon, whole Servant he was, and from whom he had run a- way, heexhorts his Mailer toreceive himnow, not as afervent,but above afervent, as aBrother beloved, &c. Shewing the unfitnefs and inequality of that fervitude(in- Philem: 16. troducedat fief} by War ) among' Believers ; and hence it was, that as theGot pet prevailed in any Kingdom, becaufeChriffians were all Brethren, and among the Jews none were forced to bebondmen to their Brethren ; therefore this Hate of Bondmen began towear out and vanilh among Chriftiairs, though the other two fervices, by Nature and Covenant, frill remained. Now for the particular Duties of Matter and Servant, and firfi of the Matter. The fitti is, that he have artemimperandi, Skill in governing, are to enjoyn his EPhef 6, ¢o Servants what they thould do. This Skill the Fathers haveplaced and limited to thefe four Heads. HisCommandments mutt be, r. Lawful, 2.' Pofltble, 5..Profi- table, .1... Proportionable to their ability. r. They mutt be lawful,according to the Will ofGod, as the Apottle (peaks. No Obedience mutt be commanded prepofìerous : for as there is Pater inCulis, as well as inTerris, a Heavenly and an Earthly Father; fo there is aptot zuvd raped and'tiari ae:titre, Mailers, according to the flefh,and accordingtotheSpirit, as Saint Paul di- ftinguifhes, a Matter in Heavenas well as Matters on Earth, a fpiritual as a temporal Matter : and the laft ought not to command any thing derogatory to the firft ; for if he depart out of his line, his ferie:, therein he is not to be obeyed; we have an example of this in Jofeph, whoxefufed to perforrd the Commend of his Miliris *hen the temptedhim to lie withher ; How can I do this andfin againft God? not Gen. 39.!, againft
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