Tricoenivm Christi in nocte proditionis suæ The threefold svpper of Christ in the night that he vvas betrayed / explained by Edvvard Kellett.

PAR. 13.

A Reason why we should stoope our soules, downe to humility is added, Veri∣ly, Verily, the servant is not greater than his Lord; neither he that is sent, greater than he that sent him, vers. 16.

Other-where Christ varieth this thus; The Disciple is not above his Master, nor the Servant above his Lord, It is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master, and the servant as his Lord, Matth. 10.24, 25. ver. Againe, Every one that is perfect shall be as his Master; or Every one shall be perfected, as his Master, Luk. 6.40. Iohn 16.20. Remember the word I sayd unto you, the servant is not greater than the Lord: whence he inferreth a kinde of equall participation, In troubles; if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you, and in blessings; If they have kept my sayings, they will keepe yours also: all these termes of equality, and likenesse, are but incentives unto hu∣militie; that Masters might not domineere too much, nor servants be too much de∣jected; for servants are fellow-brethren to their Lords, and Masters. In our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. S. Paul in his Epistle to Philemon, vers. 16. com∣mendeth to Philemon his repentant servant Onesimus, Not now as a servant but a∣bove a servant: a brother beloved especially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord?

Yet to shew that the Lord is indeede, and in civill conversation among men, ought to be above the Servant; not onely the inference is pregnant, Mat. 10, 25. If they have called the Master of the house Belzebub, how much more shall they call them of his houshold? But the doctrine drawne from their confession in the pra∣ctise Luke 17.7. & 8. verses. Which of you having a Servant plowing, or feeding cattell, will say unto him, by and by when he is come from the field, goe and sit downe to meate? and will not rather say to him, make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thy selfe, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eate and drinke. And in the 9. verse, Christ denyeth thankes to be given, as due to that servant, who did the things that were commanded. Here is a lawfull superiority of the Master above the servant in all civill, morall, and Oeconomicke affaires.

S. Peter goeth one steppe further: Servants be subject to your masters with all feare, and not onely to the good and gentle, but also to the froward, 1 Pet. 2 18. And in the verses following argueth; It is their duty to take things patiently, though they suffer wrongfully, for hereunto ye were called; because Christ suffered for us, leaving us an Exam∣ple to follow his steppes, &c. here are foote-steppes of inequality; that the Master is above the servant, lest servants should grow proud, and lazie, or stand upon termes of comparison.