§. 45. Of vnkinde dealing with good ſeruants. to §. 49. Of Gods impartiall reſpect of all.

§. 45. Of vnkinde dealing with good ſeruants.

Vnworthy they are of good and kinde ſeruants who are of a contrary minde: as many maſters are For

1. Some make no difference betwixt ſeruants: but eſteeme of bad and good all alike: they thinke that the beſt ſeruants doe but their duty, therefore no extraordinary reſpect is to be borne towards them. But it is a point of wiſdome ſometimes to account a duty as a kindneſſe: eſpecially when good will of heart is ioyned with outward performance of duty.

2. Others thinke it policy to take no notice of any ſeruants extraordinary faithfulneſſe and diligence to praiſe and reward the ſame, leſt it puffe them vp too much. But there is much more feare of ſeruants fainting, and waxing weary of doing good if they haue no incouragement, then of growing inſolent by incouragement.

3. Others will be more ready to checke and rebuke ſuch for euery ſlip, and for failing in any thing, then others: becauſe others leſſe regard their rebuke: whereby they ſhew want of wiſdome in well managing their authority.

4. Others when their ſeruants are about to goe away, or to marry, or to ſet vp, will ſeeke ſome occaſion or other to fall out with them, of purpoſe to ſend them away empty. Many will carry a faire face toward profitable ſeruants till the time of recompence commeth, and then beginne to frowne, as Laban did. Yea ſo farre are ſome maſters from ſeeking the proſperity of faithfull, wiſe, diligent, skilfull ſeruants, as they will hinder them in what they can, and keepe them downe: fearing leſt as their ſeruants riſe, they themſelues ſhould decay and fall. Theſe are both vnkinde, and vngratefull maſters. Would maſters be ſo dealt with by their ſuperiours? Thou oughteſt ſo to liue with thy inferiour, as thou wouldeſt haue thy ſuperiour liue with thee.

Hitherto of maſters duties. The reaſons to moue them to performe their duties follow.

§. 46. Of the ſubiection vnder which maſters are.

Epheſ. 6. 9.

Knowing that your maſter alſo is in heauen: neither is there reſpect of perſons with him.

There is in generall but one reaſon alledged by the Apoſtle, to prouoke maſters to doe their duties, but it is ſo laid downe as it compriſeth other forcible reaſons vnder it.

The principall reaſon is taken from the ſubiection wherein maſters are.

The other reaſons are taken from the deſcription of that authority vnder which maſters are: for it is ſuch an authority, as,

1. In relation to it there is no difference betwixt maſter and ſeruant.

2. It is farre ſurpaſſing all dignities on earth.

3. It is moued with no outward reſpect of any thing.

The firſt reaſon which declareth the ſubiection of maſters, in that they haue a maſter ouer them, putteth them in minde of that account which they are to make, and reckoning which they are to giue of the well vſing of their authority, and of their cariage towards ſuch as are vnder them. For they are but as ſtewards ouer fellow ſeruants: euery one of them therefore ſhall heare this charge, giue an account of thy ſtewardſhip.

In this reſpect this reaſon is both as a ſpur, and as a curbe vnto maſters.

As a ſpur, to pricke them on forward conſcionably to performe all thoſe duties which are required of them: for they haue a maſter that will take notice thereof, and reward them for it. As they approue, and recompence the good ſeruice which their ſeruants doe: ſo much more will their maſter approue and recompence them if they doe well. Doe maſters therefore looke that their ſeruants ſhould performe their duty? let them then performe theirs: for there is the ſame reaſon of both. Let this be applied to all the particular duties before mentioned.

It is alſo as a curbe, to reſtraine maſters from doing any thing

to their ſeruants but what they can be able to iuſtifie vnto their owne maſter. With this curbe did God hold in the Iſraelites, ſaying, Thou ſhalt not rule ouer thy ſeruant with rigor, but ſhalt feare thy God. Ioſeph was held in with it, when he ſaid, This doe and liue, for I feare God. And Nehemiah, when he ſaid, The former Gouernours were chargeable to the people, but ſo did not I becauſe of the feare of God. And Iob, when he ſaid, If I did deſpiſe the cauſe of my ſeruant, when God viſiteth, what ſhall I anſwer him? Thinke of this ô maſters, when you are about to exact any thing of your ſeruants that is not lawfull or meet, when you are incenſed and in paſſion ſtirred vp to ſtrike your ſeruants vniuſtly or cruelly, when you detaine from them any thing that is their due, when you lay more on them then they are able to beare, when any way you wrong or oppreſſe them: thinke and ſay with your ſelues, can this be iuſtified? how ſhall we be able to hold vp our head to our maſter when he calleth vs to account? What ſtronger motiue to doe all dutie? what ſtronger reſtraint from all iniuſtice and rigour? The conceit which many haue that they are free, vnder none, to giue no account, maketh them both negligent of their owne dutie, and inſolent ouer others; as Pharaoh, who ſaid, Who is the Lord that I ſhould obey him? and Sennacherib, who ſaid, Shall your God deliuer you out of mine hands? and Nebuchadnezzar, who ſaid, Who is that God that ſhall deliuer you out of mine hands? Note the iſſue of this inſolency. Pharaoh after many extraordinarie plagues laid on him and his people, was drowned in the red ſea with all his hoſt. Sennacherib after his hoſt was deſtroied, was ſlaine by his owne ſonnes. Nebuchadnezzar became a very bruit. But to let theſe abominable blaſphemers paſſe, there be many maſters who, though they vtter not with their mouthes ſuch execrable blaſphemies, yet by their carriage towards their ſeruants ſhew themſelues to be little better minded, in that they make their owne will a rule to their ſeruants, and will haue them doe ſuch things as are vnmeet and vnlawfull, vſing their ſeruants as ſlaues, or rather as beaſts. Let all ſuch maſters know that they haue a maſter.

§. 47. Of the equality betwixt maſters and ſeruants in relation to God.

The ſecond reaſon in this particle alſo (your maſter alſo) declareth an equality betwixt maſters and ſeruants in relation to God. As God is the maſters of ſeruants, ſo he is the maſter of maſters alſo. As ſeruants are the Lords freemen, ſo maſters are the Lords ſeruants. In this reſpect they who are made rulers, and they who are vnder them, are called fellow ſeruants. For howſoeuer in outward dignity there is great difference betwixt maſter and ſeruant, yet as the ſeruants of God they are of a like condition, and in many things may be accounted equall: eſpecially if both be of the ſame faith, and ſo brethren in Chriſt. This is another ſpur and curbe too.

A ſpur in that God will the more kindly accept that goodneſſe which maſters doe to their ſeruants, becauſe it is done to Gods ſeruants.

A curbe, in that ſeruants ſhall be heard before God as well as maſters, for he is the maſter of both.

Many thinke that all the kindneſſe which is ſhewed to ſeruants is loſt, becauſe they are ſo meane as they are able to make no recompence. But their maſter is able.

Others thinke, their ſeruants can neuer take any reuenge of them, and thereupon vſe them as they liſt. But the maſter of ſeruants, who is alſo the maſter of maſters, can take vengeance, euen ſuch as ſhall make maſters ſorely repent all the wrong they haue done.

If maſters did duely weigh this point, that, howſoeuer in regard of outward gouernment there be ſome difference betwixt them and their ſeruants, yet before God they are as fellow ſeruants, would they be ouer-rigorous and cruell? would they not be kinde and gentle?

§. 48. Of Gods being in heauen, how it is a motiue to prouoke maſters well to reſpect their ſeruants.

The third reaſon (taken from the place of God, in heauen) declareth the ſurpaſſing excellencie of that great maſter, who is the common maſter of maſters and of ſeruants: and it addeth an edge to the former motiues.

1. It ſheweth that though the wrong which maſters doe to their ſeruants be within the walls of their houſe, ſo as no mortall eye can ſee it, yet God who is in heauen ſeeth it: and though ſeruants cannot be admitted into the courts of men to make their complaint, yet heauen is open to them; to that great maſter that is in heauen they may haue acceſſe when they will. That which made the euill ſteward deale hardly with his fellowes, was the conceit which he had of his maſters abſence. But no ſuch conceit can they haue of this great maſter, who know that he is in heauen, and that as heauen is ouer euery place, ſo the eyes of the Lord are in euery place, and behold the euill and good: he ſeeth all the good, and all the euill that maſters doe to their ſeruants.

2. It ſheweth that the kindneſſe which the Lord will repay, and the vengeance which he will inflict, is infinitely greater then the good or euill that maſters can doe to their ſeruants, euen as heauen i, higher then earth, and as he that is in heauen is greater then they that are on earth. Doeſt thou therefore, who art a maſter on earth, reioyce, or grieue the ſoule of thy ſeruant? God in heauen can much more make glad or ſad thy ſoule. Doeſt thou therefore deſire the fauour, or feare the frownes of thy maſter in heauen? ſhew fauour to thy ſeruant on earth, and forbeare threatning. Remember the infinite diſparitie betwixt thy maſterſhip and Gods, and this will the more moue thee to deale with thy ſeruant, as thou wouldeſt haue God deale with thee.

3. It ſheweth that there is much more reaſon we ſhould take notice of our ſeruants, of their paines, of their diligence, and of their faithfulneſſe, then that God ſhould take notice of ours: and leſſe reaſon that we ſhould ſcorne, or neglect our ſeruants, then God ſcorne or neglect vs. For there is far greater difference betwixt God and vs, then betwixt vs and our ſeruants. We and our ſeruants are all of the earth, of the ſame mould, nature, and diſpoſition, ſubiect to the ſame paſſion, and to the ſame diſſolution. (The heathen obſerued as much.) But God is in heauen, eternall, vnchangeable, euery way ſurpaſſing glorious. How can we then looke to be reſpected of this maſter, if we reſpect not our ſeruants? O maſters, in all your dealings with your ſeruants, remember your maſter is in heauen.

§. 49. Of Gods impartiall reſpect of all.

The fourth reaſon (in theſe words, neither is there reſpect of perſons with him) declareth Gods iuſt and equall manner of proceeding with all men, of what ranke and degree ſoeuer. God will doe the ſame things to all ſorts of maſters that they doe to their ſeruants. To the conſideration of this impartiall iuſtice of God doth the Apoſtle call maſters, both becauſe of that outward power which they haue ouer their ſeruants, and alſo becauſe for the moſt part maſters are backt with the power and authority of magiſtrates on earth, who in matters of difference betwixt maſter and ſeruant are ordinarily partiall, reſpecting maſters more then ſeruants.

But let maſters here learne to caſt off all ſuch fond conceits, and fooliſh hopes. Though they be higher in place, haue more wealth, and better friends then their ſeruants, and though men who haue carnall eies may thereby be much moued to reſpect them, yet will not God goe an haires bredth from iuſtice for the whole world. If the greateſt man that euer was in the world ſhould haue a ſeruant that were the meaneſt that euer was, and a caſe betwixt that maſter and that ſeruant ſhould come before God, God would not any whit at all leane to that maſter more then to the ſeruant. If the greateſt that be abuſe the meaneſt, they ſhall not eſcape. Wherfore, O maſters, giue no iuſt cauſe of complaint to any ſeruant.

The Apoſtles manner of ſetting downe theſe points, noted in this word (knowing) implieth that ignorance of God, of that authority which he hath ouer maſters, of that equality which in relation to God is betwixt maſters and ſeruants, and of Gods heauenly excellency, and impartiall reſpect towards all, maketh maſters to abuſe their power, by neglecting all dutie, and inſulting & tyrannizing ouer their ſeruants: wherefore you that haue heretofore beene ignorant of theſe points, now take knowledge of them; and you that know them, oft call them to minde: and doe that which becommeth good maſters, Knowing that your maſter alſo is in heauen, neither is there reſpect of perſons with him.

FINIS.