540 CHARACTER OF A sosNn, flesh. If he be rich, and it inclines him most to sloth, he maketh small conscience of living in idleness, under the pretense of his gentility or wealth. But if the flesh incline him more to covetous- ness, he will be laborious enough ; but it shall not be to please God by obedience, but to increase his estate,. and enrich himself and his posterity, whatever better reason he pretend. XLVII. 1. A Christian indeed is exactly conscionable in the duties of his relation to others in the family-and place ofhis abode. Ifhe be a husband, he is loving, and patient, and faithful, to his wife ; ifhe be a father, he is careful of the holy education of his children ; if he be a master, lie isjust and merciful to his servants, and careful for the saving of their souls ; ifhe be a child or ser- vant, he is obedient, trusty, diligent, and careful, as well behind his parent's or his master's back, as before his face. He dare not lie, nor steal, nor deceive; nor neglect his duty, nor speak dishonorably of his superiors, though he were sure he could concealit all. For he knoweth that the fifth commandment is enforced with a special promise ; .Eph. vi. 2. 5: 9. And that a bad child, or a bad servant, a bad husband or wife, a bad parent or master, cannot be a good Christian ; Col. iii. 18, 19, &c. iv. 1. 1 Pet. ii. 18. 2. But weak Christians, though sincere, are ordinarily weak in this part of their duty, and apt to yield to temptations, and carry themselves proudly, stubbornly, idly, disobediently, as eye-servants that are good in sight ; or to be unmerciful to inferiors,and neglect- ers of their souls ; and to excuse all this from the faults'of those that theyhave to do with, and lay all upon others, as if the fault of husband, wife, parent, master, or servant, wouldjustify them, in theirs, and passion and.partiality would serve for innocency. 3. And the hypocriteordinarily showethhis hypocrisies by being false in his relations to man, while he pretendeth to be pious and obedient unto God. He is a bad master and a bad servant, when his filthy interest requireth it, and yet thinketh himself a good Christian for all that. For all men being faulty, it is easy to find a pretense from all men that he doth abuse, to cover the injury of his abuse. Cain, Ham, Eli, Absalom, Judas, &c., are sad exam- . ples of this. XLVIII. 1. A Christian indeed is the best subject, whether his prince be good orbad ; though, by infidel and ungodly rulers-he beoft mistaken for the worst. He obeyeth not his rulers only for his own ends, but in obedience to God ; and not only,for -fear of punishment, but for conscience sake. He looketh on them in their relations as the officers of God, and armed with his authority, and therefore obeyeth God in them. He permitteth not dishonorable thoughts of them in his heart ; much less dare he speak dishonora- bly of them ; Exod. xii. Prou. xxiv. 21. 1 Pet. ii. 13, 17. Prov.
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