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DƲties of Servants to their Masters, are either
1. The inward Duty is Fear: Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, and account them worthy of all honor: So proper is this fear to a Servant, as where it is wanting, there is a plain denyal of his Masters place and power: If I be a master,
where is my fear? said God: observe, I mean not an excessive, slavish fear; as when a servant fears nothing but the revenging power of his Master (such was the fear of that unprofitable ser∣vant, who could say to his Master, I knew that thou wert an hard man,—and I was afraid) but I mean an awful fear of provoking his Masters wrath, so as it makes him cast every way, how he may please his master, and such a fear draws him on chearfully to perform his Duty.
2. Outward Duties which issue from this fear, are
1. Reverence, which is manifested in speech and carriage. Thus servants must give reverend titles to their Masters, as Father, Lord, and Master, &c. They must yield obeysance to them; as The children of the prophets, when they saw that the Spirit of Elijah rested on Elishah, they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
2. Obedience, which hath respect to the Commands, Instru∣ctions, Reproofs and Corrections of their Masters, 1 Pet. 2.18, 19, 20. But here's a case or two of Conscience:
1. How far they must obey; or what is the extent of servants obedience to Masters?— The Apostle answers, Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh: It is not sufficient that servants perform well their Duties in some things; they must do it in all things, yea in things that may be against their own minde and liking, if their Masters will have it so: This is clear in the ex∣ample of Joab, the King commands him to number the people; Joab declares himself, that he thinks it a very unmeet thing, Why doth my Lord the King delight (saith he) in this thing? yet against his judgement he yields unto the Kings peremptory command, The Kings word prevailed against Joab. Look as Peter, when Christ bid him lanch out into the deep, and let down his net for a draught, He answered and said, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net. So must servants say, when they have a perempto∣ry command, though contrary to their own judgements, this or that in all humility, I suppose, or I propound to you, Never∣vertheless, at your word I will let down the net, I will do as you please.
2. But what if God and Master should command contrary
things?— In such a case the Apostle sets down an excellent limi∣tation in these four phrases, 1. As unto Christ: 2. As the ser∣vants of Christ: 3. Doing the will of God: 4. As to the Lord:] All these imply, That if Masters command their servants any thing contrary to Christ, they may not yield to it: Upon this ground the Midwives of the Hebrew women, would not kill the Hebrew children, They feared God (saith the Text) and did not as the King commanded them. In this case Joseph is commended in not hearkning to his Mistris; and the servants of Saul are com∣mended, for refusing to slay the Lords Priests at their Masters command. When Masters command or forbid any thing against God and Christ, they go therein beyond their commission, and their authority ceaseth, so that servants may say, We ought to obey God rather then men.
3. But some Anabaptists object, That all men are alike, and that there is no such difference as betwixt Masters and Servants, nay it is expresly forbidden to be Servants of men. I answer, I answer, to be a servant, in that place, is not simply to be in subjection under another, but to be so obsequious to man, as to prefer him before God: Hence the Apostle elswhere in the Duties of servants, lays down this Antithesis, Not as men-pleasers, but as the servants of Christ; again, doing service as to the Lord, and not to men: The meaning is, That we must do Duty to a Master, not as meerly to a man, but as to one in Christs stead. Masters by vertue of their office and place, bears the image of Christ; Christ com∣municates his authority unto them, and so in performing Duty to Masters, we perform Duty to Christ, and in denying Duty to Masters, we deny Duty to Christ: Thus the Lord said to Sa∣muel, when the people rejected his Government, They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. Consider this, all ye that are Servants, though Ma∣sters should neither reward your good service, nor revenge your ill service, yet Christ will do both: This is your prerogative that fear God, above all other Servants; others may serve their Ma∣sters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, and with good will, but onely Christians and Saints do service as to Christ, and this makes them not content themselves with doing the thing, but to endeavor to do it after the best maner they can, so as God and Christ may accept of it.
I have now run through the Family, and informed you of the Duties both of Governors and governed. Christians, look within you, look about you, that man is not a good man, that is not good in all his relations. The same God that requires us to serve him as private persons, requires us to serve him in our re∣lations: And therefore though you be never so careful of your Duty in the former respect, yet you may go to hell for neglect∣ing your Duties, as Masters, Servants, Husbands, Wives, Parents, or Children; nay, Ile say a little more, that though you should be good in one relation, yet if you endeavor not to be good in every relation, you shall never go to heaven: for the same God that commands you to serve him as a Master, commands you to serve him as a Father, as an Husband, &c. And he that keeps the whole Law, and offends in one point, is guilty of all.
1 Pet. 2.18.
1 Tim 6.2.
Mal. 1.6.
Mat. 25.24, 25.
2 Kin. 2.15.
Col. 3.22.
2 Sam. 24 2, &c.
Luke 5.4, 5.
Eph. 6.5, 6, 7.
Exod. 1.17.
Acts 5.29.
1 Cor 7.23.
Eph. 6.6, 7.
1 Sam. 8.7.
Iam. 2.10.