Fifth Commandm~m. (as h is grown a common Cufiom to ma.ke di~m a By-w?rd, a v~ry ~co_fF1 and Song, ot rhe Drunkards,) do nor fo much defp1fe them, as Chnlt who lent them. He that tlejpijf1h ycu, difpijf1h me, lairh ou r S1viour, Luke to . r6. And God ~ill riot leave this Sin wDpunifh'd; y~a, b~ ipeaks of 1t as almoft a~ unp~rdonable Cr_r~e,_ 2 Chro'!. 3 6. 1 6. They mocked rhe l'tleffingcrs of God, and defpifcd hu Words, ani! mifufed bit Prophur until the Wrathoj God toar Pgnrnfl bu Ptflple, and there uur no Remedy. Secondly, They .pwe unto them t~e Honourof_Mainren_ance. So _Gal. 6, 6. Ltt.him thdl it taught jiz the Wo~d, commum_c_ar~ unto btm that Uat'bnb, r'!. ~11 good !!}Jng!. And there is ~ood Realon for it; for V we have[own un~o you Spzr~tua!Tkmg_r, t.r it agreat Tbmg if wejha/1 reap )'Our Carnal Tbmgr? Satth the Apofile, 1 Cor. 9. 1 1, What you give.them is nor a Matrci,of Bounty, a.~d ~eer volun_r~ry BeneyO· lence. and the Mintfier who fo accounts or recetves u underval~es li1s Authomy; and ~rongs bis Hig~t; but it is you_r Duty, and his D~~· He mut:t h1Vc ~ . compe~ tcm and liberal Mamrenance, nor fbnted ro the bne S1ze ofNeceffity; but Ir fbould be Affluence, filch as may inahle him to relieve the Neceffides of orhers, eo provide com!ortably for his own Family, and to ufe Hofpitality in his Houfe: This is his Due; and be owes you no more Thanks for rendering ir, than you do him for reCeiving it. Not here to difjmte the Divine Right of rh e. Tenth Part, (which yet was not 11l that was due to the Minifters under the Law, for th 'Y had a confiderable Accellion by OHi:rings and Sacrifices:) I think ir certain thJt rh~ lncouragement of Miniiten under rhe Gofpel fhould equal, if not exceed, rheirs1 inafmuch as our Labour~ far greart::r; and our Mini!try more excellent, than thei!s· Bur they ~~o think it fi~ r.o keep Miniflers poor and dependanr, may well be fufpeaed to d~ 1t tn favour of therr own Vices: For how !hall he dare to reprove them, who IS afratd of lofing parr of his Stipend, or the Bo:nefir of his Par.ron's Trencher~ But whilft rbe Gentleman in BIJck mull fit below the Salt, and after Dinner converfe with the better Sort of Serving-men, there is no danger lhat he !hould be fo audacious as w find Faults; or if he lhould, no great heed will be taken to what fo defpicable a Thing as he can fay. Thus much for the Duties of Minillers and People. . . . The Fitfl Head of mutual Duties between Superiors and Inferiors that I !h:ill i.rifilt on, is between rhofe who difftr in the Gifrsof Divi'ne Bounty. And thefe may be conlidered, ehher as the Gifts offpcdal Grace, or ofcommon Providence; of whicb. brieHy. Fit fl, God doth !ndow fome with an Excellent Meafure of Sanaifying Grace, and is pkafed to !hew the World by a few Rare and Choice lnftances h?w wond~rfully he can f~bhme our corrupted Nature, and hoW near he can exalt Hum1nc Fratlty to' an AngelicaI Per!eaion. This indeed is the moll Excellent of all his Gifrs, and that which we ought moll earnellly to cover and defire: For although other Gifts, as Knowledge, Wifdom, Power, f.:! c. do in fame imperfc:t\: Manner affimulate us unto God, yet Sanairy and Holinefs dorb far uanfcend all thefe, both becaufe it liamps upon us the Refembbnce of rhe Divine Nature, in rhat Attribute which is its greareft Glory, (whence God affumes ir to his Stile, that be is Glorious in Holinefs,) and likewife, becaufe God bath highly honoured, and given it the Dignity and Prerogative ro· be the only Means of bringing us to theCompleat and Eternal Fruition of our Felicity. Now tbofo whom God bath thus blelfed with an Eminent Degree of this his lieft Gilt ought, Fir]/, To beware that they do not fecietiy defpife their weaker Brethren in their Hearts, nor with a cenforious Au!!ctiry rejearhofe whom God bath received. It is of. ten feen that Fellow· Servants are more inexorable each 10 other than their comrilon Lotd and Maller; and that tbofe Errors and Infirmities, which are tat~er the Slips of lntogiranc;r,_ than the Pr;>duas of a refolved Will, can ha~dly ;>htain Pardon among Men, rho God bath forgtven and forgotten them. Now thts anfeth fiom a Spiritual Pnde, which makes us envious towardsthofe who excel us, and fcornful towards thofe \\ho nil lhort. For when Men grow conceited of their own Excellencies and Attainme?"•. they will ~e ready to condemn. oth~r Men1 Durie1 as Formal Hypocrifie, and theu Stns as Total Apollafie; they wtll mtftake the fmoakingFlax fora ieeking Dunghtl, and he forward impetiou!ly to call them out ofGod's Family though themfelves Y"ere bu[ lately re~ei~ed iryto ic out of meerCbarity. Certain.ly this is a ~pirit, (tho" u too much prevails m thiS broken and !battered Age, where~n every one rhinks fo Y y much 2: i .
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=