154 .. An Expojition upon the ly what is requifite for their corporeal Good, but mnch more for the1r fpiritual; in as much as their Souls an~ muc~ more 'Yorth lhan their B~ies ; and therefore they ought to obferve conftant Fam!ly-DutJes, and .make choice of honeft a11d religious Sen·ants, and as far as in them lies, keep out the lnfect:ion of evil Company from entring within their Doors, as carefully as they would the Plague. And w hilft they thus live, and thus love, they have good reafon to believe, that as they are joined in a near Relation each to others, fo they are both joined in a near Relation to the Lord jefus, who is the Husband of the Church, and all the Faithful in it; and when Death fua\1 diffolve their Marriage-Union, and feparate them one from the other, it is only to bring them to live for ever with that Husband from whom they can ne~ ver be feparated nor divorced. And thus much for the mutual Duties of Husbands and Wives. Let us in the next place proceed to confider the Duties of another Family-Relation, and that is between Mafters and their Servants; for thefe alfo are comprehended under this Commandment, Honour thy Father and rhy Mother, fince there is a confeJfed Superiority of the one over the other; and upon that account (as I not longfince told you) Servants have honoured their Mafterswith the Stile andCompellation of Father: Thus, 'l. Kings 5· 1 3· \Vhen thofe prudent Servants fought to mitigate the Rage of proud Naaman, \'lho thought hisGreatnefs too much flighted by the Prophet, in that he would only cure, and not complement him; they reverently call him Father; hisServantscame near and fpake unto him, and fa id, My Father, &c. And here, not to difcourfe of Dominion and Servitude, whether the Original and Foundation of either be in Nature anG Inftitution, nor of the Difference of Servants by War, Purchafe, or Compaa; I fuall only fpeak of what is more immediately pertinent to my SubjeCt, and what may be more inftruCt:ive and profitable to you, 11iz.. The mutual and reciprocal Duties that Mafters and Servants ought to perform each to other. The Duties that equally concern them both, confift in the general, either in the right chufing, or in .the right ufing one another. l !hall begin with the Servant's Duty, and that firft as to the choice of this Mafter. He ought where his choice is left him free, to chufe a faithful Mafler, fuch an one as fears God, and will be willing to promote the fpiritual Good and Salvation of his Soul; with fuch certainly he !hall bdl: ferve, who do themfelves ferve God; where he Jhal1 have nothing but reafonable and bwful Commands to obey, and pious Examples to imitate. Many poor ignorant Souls have had caufe for ever to blefs God, that his Providence bath caft them into fuch Families, where they have received the firft Knowledge, and the firft Savour of Godlinefs. But if the Servant be before· hand knowing and religious, what comfort can it be to him tq live where there is a conftant NegleCt of Holy Duties, nothing but Excefs and Riot, and Prophanenefs, and abufing of the Name of God, and fcoffing at his Service and Servants? Certainly Neceffity Jhould hardly induce him, much lefs Choice lead him to be a Servant in a Family where the Devil is the Mafter of it. The Pfal:nift forely complains, that he was forced to take up his Abode among wicked and ungodly Men, P[at. 120. S· lVo is me that I fojoum in Mejcch, that I d1vel/ in the 'rents of Kedar. And as it cannot but be exceeding burthenfom and tedious to thee, and cut thy Soul to the very Quick, to be at the command of thofe who Rebel againfl: thy God, to hear his holy Name blafphemeq, his ~ays, an~ ~orfl1ip, and People derided, Which are clearer to thee than thy very Ltfe; fo ts It very dangerous, and full of hazard. It is hard to keep Zeal, and the fparks of Grace and Divine Love alive when thou haft the greatefl: Helps to it that can be adminiftred : How wilt thol; then prefcrve them alive, when thou ha[l: fo many quench-coals about thee, when the Floods of Ungodlinefs lball compafs andfurround thee about? Either thou muft diJfemble thy Piety, (and th<it is the ready way to lofe it, for Grace is like Fire; ftifl.e and keep it clo~, and it will certainly die) or elfe thou muft put thy felf upon the fore Temptation of being mocked and fcorned for it: Thou knoweft not how far thou rnayft for fake God, and thy firft Ways, for compliance fake. It is the hardefl: thing in the World to be religious alone, and to keep up Zeal and AffeCtion for God, ~hen all that we co_nverfe ~vit~ are Wicked and Ungodly. Vice is the moft contagtous Plague that ts; and 1t wtll be a very great wonder if thofe with
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=