To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Although God hath made his Gospel-Ministers Servants to the Chur∣ches for Jesus sake, 2 Cor. 4. 5. Yet it also is the will of God, that his People should not therefore despise, but obey, and honour his Mi∣nisters under imminent danger of God's displeasure. Tit. 2. 15. Let no man despise thee, 1 Thess. 4. 8. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not Man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit: 1 Pet. 5. 5.
Likewise ye Younger submit your selves to the Elder. Which consider∣ed with the scope, shews the duty, or submission of Christians to their Pastors, vers. 2, 3, 4. As Christianity teacheth the Governours of Churches to rule in Love and Humility: so it teacheth the Gover∣ned to obey, from the same Principles; Let all your things be done in Charity.
The carriage of Christians towards their Ministers should hold agreement with the deportment of wise Children to their Parents. For though we may neither call, nor account any man Father upon Earth, as God is our Father; yet in respect of that care which God hath committed to the Pastors, they are esteemed Fathers in the Churches of Christ; especially, those whose labours God hath Crown∣ed with success. When John writes to Fathers, young Men, and Chil∣dren, in a Christian State, we may not only understand those who had continued long; but withal, those who had the care of the Chur∣ches upon them. When Paul saith, 2 Cor. 12. 14. The Children ought not to lay up for the Parents, but the Parents for the Children: It is manifest, that he speaks it of the care which Christ's Ministers should have for the good of the Churches to whom they are related; after the Example of the Apostle, 2 Pet. 1. 15. I will endeavour that you may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.
The duty of Children then is to love their Parents. This grace was once excellent, in the Galatians towards Paul, Gal. 4. 15. I bear you Record, that if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes to have given them to me. Yea, there was a very great affection in the first Christians towards their Ministers, which eminently ap∣peared in that notable instance, Act 20. 37, 38. And doubtless their love was not to Paul alone, but to all Faithful Ministers of the Gospel of God. How greatly Peter was beloved of the Christians, appears by the constant Prayers they made to God for him when he was a Prisoner, Act. 12. 5. Would the Lord's Children duly pay this debt of Love to Christ's Ministers, it would certainly stand in the stead of many other Duties; or rather, be a motive to them all.
'Tis the duty of Children to honour and obey their Parents; and by all means to shun the things which grieve them. Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you, for they watch for your Souls, as they that must give an account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you.
Let all Christians therefore shew an obedient disposition towards God's Ministers, so as to follow their Faith; and to consider the end of their Conversation: yet, with this Caution, as they follow Christ: For further then that, the Apostle desires none to follow him. 1 Cor. 11. 1. Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. And thence he proceeds to teach those duties which become the Chri∣stian profession, in point of that Authority which God hath given to his Church: and the duties of Subordination as it concerns the members of the Body, in respect of their sex and qualities respective∣ly: of which we have spoken, Chap. 8. of this Book.
Let all Christians study to behave themselves reverently in Chri∣stian Assemblies, in the presence of God and his Ministers, whose office is to speak unto them the Word of God. For God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of his Saints, and to be had in reverence by all that are about him. Let Christian Women behave themselves in such a presence, with that modesty and shamefacedness, which is there signified by the vailing of their faces; and let Men beware they dishonour not God by effeminate deportments. Let all Christians be∣ware they discourage not their Teachers by a careless or slothful behaviour. When thou goest to the House of God, take heed to thy feet, and be more ready to hear, than to offer the Sacrifice of Fools: for they consider not that they do evil. It is near upon the matter, to reject the Minister of Christ, as not to regard what he speaks by Commissi∣on from him. He that cannot behave himself like a Christian to∣wards his Pastor, whiles he is ministring holy things to him, is not very like to do it at other times. Nor can it be thought that man can esteem very highly of his Teacher for the Works-sake, who is not affected with the Work it self.