208

Children are exhorted to honour their Parents,

2 Honour thy Father and

Mother, (which is the firft

Commandment with Pro

Sect. 12. neral are more capable of directing their
Children, than they are of governing them-
Eph. VI. 2. felves. And as it is proper and expedient
in itself, fo it was alfo exprefsly commanded
by GOD in that fhort Summary of Moral mife,)
Precepts, which he uttered on Mount Sinai,
and engraved with his own Finger on the
Tables of Stone; where you know it was
faid, Honour thy Father and [thy] Mother,
enjoining you to regard them as your Supe-
riors with all Duty and Obedience, and
chearfully to afford them Relief and Main-
tenance if they should stand in Need of it;
which by the Way you may obferve, is the firft
Commandment that is attended with a special
3 Promife (a);
For it is added there, that
may be well with thee, and thou mayft be long-
lived upon the Earth (b); which Words ex-
prefs the peculiar Care of the Divine Pro-
vidence for the Continuance and Comfort
of the Lives of those who should obferve
this Precept, the Benefit of which those
Children might generally expect who were
dutiful to their Parents: And though under
the Gospel the Promife of Temporal Blef-
fings be not fo exprefs and peremptory, yet

it

even

3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayeft live long on the Earth.

(a) Which is the firft Commandment with Promife.] The Church of Rome would from hence argue, that the fecond Commandment, which forbids the Worship of Images, having a Promife added to it of GOD's fhewing Mercy to Thousands of them that love him, and keep his Commandments, can be no longer obligatory under the Gospel, fince this, which relates to honouring Parents, is faid to be the firft Commandment with Promife. But it is eafy to difcern the Fallacy and Weakness of this Argument, as what is annexed to the fecond Commandment apparently relates to the whole Law, and is a general Declaration of the Mercy GOD would fhew to those who kept, not only that, but all his Commandments; while this of which the Apostle fpeaks, is really the first and only Precept of the Decalogue, that has a particular Promife annexed to it, peculiar to itfelf.

(b) That thou mayft be long-lived upon the Earth.] It is obferved by Dr. Whitby and others, that the Apoftle does not fay,upon the Land which the Lord thy GOD giveth thee, that he might not encourage a vain Hope in the Jews of continuing in the Land of Canaan. But when it is confidered, that those whom he was writing to were chiefly Gentile Converts, the Claufe would very properly be omitted in this View, as it must better fuit the Case of the whole Church to exprefs the Promise in a general Way.

and Parents to be careful in educating their Children.

4 And ye Fathers, provoke' not your Children to Wrath but bring them up in the Nurture and Admo

nition of the Lord.

209 even now it may be chearfully expected, Sect. 12. that God will blefs fuch Children in a very vifible Manner; and he affuredly will do it, Eph. VI. 3. fo far as Temporal Profperity may on the whole be fubfervient to their trueft and highest Interest.

And on the other Hand, ye Parents, and more efpecially, ye Fathers, let me befeech you, that ye provoke not your Children by a rigorous Severity, and be particularly careful not to exasperate their angry Paffions by an over-bearing and tyrannical Behaviour, left by this Means you fhould excite them to fuch a fecret Indignation, as may make it difficult for them to reftrain thofe Expreffions of Wrath, which in fuch a Relation would be very indecent; and among other ill Confequences of fuch a Conduct, there is great Reafon alfo to conclude, that it would naturally prejudice them against Christianity, and thus would bring upon yourfelves a Share in the Guilt of their Difobedience and their Ruin: But on the contrary, let me exhort you to educate them in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord (e), under fuch Discipline and Instruction as may lead them to the Knowledge of the Religion of Christ, and most effectually difpofe them to profefs and practise it; which it is certainly of great Importance that you fhould attend to in their earliest

Years,

(c) In the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord.] By the Word waida, which we render Nurture, as diftinguifhed from edecia Kupie, the Admonition of the Lord, fome think may be intended fuch a Knowledge of Books, Men, and Things, as may fit them to appear in Life with Honour and Ufefulness. But as they ftand connected, and the Word Kuple may refer to both, it feems more reasonable to explain these Terms of fuch a Course of Difcipline and Inftruction, as properly belongs to a Religious Edusation, which ought to be employed in forming them for the Lord, by laying a ReAraint upon the first Appearances of every vicious Paffion, and nourishing them up in the Words of Faith and of good Doctrine; (1 Tim. iv. 6.) in which Refpect, I cannot but take this Occafion to fay, Catechifing has been found to be of excellent Ufe, though it be now fo much neglected.

VOL. V.

D d

(d) Not

4

210

Servants are charged to be obedient to their Mafters,

Sect. 12. Years, and before ill Habits render them ftubborn and intractable.

Éph. VI. 5.

6

There is yet another Relation between Mafters and Servants, concerning which I fhall proceed to advise you: And as I would not neglect those of the lowest Character in Life, on whofe Conduct much of the Credit of Religion may depend; I would exhort you therefore who are Servants, whether of the meanest Rank, fuch as Bondmen and Slaves, or in the Station only of hired Servants, that ye be fubject and obedient to thofe who are [your] Mafters and Proprietors, though they be only fo according to the Flesh; while there is ftill a fuperior Lord of your Spirits, whofe Authority is to fet Bounds to theirs, and never muft in any Cafe be violated to please them, to preferve your own Lives, when moft in their Power: But in all lawful Things whatever, fee that you maintain a becoming Subjection to them, performing what they order you with Fear and Trembling, as thofe who would be cautious of giving Offence, or of bringing a Reproach on your Profeffion, by any Unfaithfulness or Negligence in their Affairs; difcharging your Duty to them in the Simplicity and Uprightness of your Heart, as unto Chrift, with that Sincerity and Uniformity of Conduct which a Regard to Christ will require and produce: Acting in all

5 Servants, be obedient

to them that are your Maf-
ters according to the Flesh,
with Fear and Trembling,
in Singleness of your Heart,
as unto Chrift:

Ser

6 Not with Eye-service,
Things, not with Eye-fervice only, without as Men-pleafers, but as the
attending to their Bufinefs any further than.
while their Eye is it
upon you, as intere
your only Aim to be Men-pleafers (d), and

to

(d) Not with Eye-fervice, as Men-pleafers.] Grotius takes Notice of the Elegance of the compound Words made Ufe of here in the Original, (un nar ofanoderma as ar Sparapo,) which our Tranflators have endeavoured to imitate. But as the Greek abounds more in fuch compound Words than any other Language, fo the Apostle Paul has frequently introduced them in his Writings with a peculiar Elegance and Beauty, of which it is apparent that the best Translation muft in many Inftances fall very

fhort.

L

and to perform their Service as to the Lord.

Servants of Christ, doing the Will of God from the

Heart;

7 With Good-will doing Service, as to the Lord, and not to Men:

8 Knowing that whatfoever good Thing any Man doth, the fame fhall he receive of the Lord, whe

ther be be bond or free.

9 And ye Mafters, do the fame Things unto them,

for

211

to fecure the Favour of your Mafters; but Sect. 12.
as thofe who are the Servants of Chrift by
your Chriftian Profeffion, and required by Eph. VI. 6.
him to ferve your Mafters with Fidelity,
doing the Will of GOD from the Soul, with
a fincere Defire above all Things of approv-.
ing yourselves to his All-feeing Eye.
And 7
thus let it appear that you make Confcience
of your Duty, and apply to it with a wil-
ling Mind; performing all the Business of
your Station with a chearful Readiness and
Good-will, and doing Service with a benevo-
lent Alacrity, in fuch a Manner as to fhew
that you refpect and love your Mafters,
and have their Intereft at Heart, as being
ultimately influenced by a View to the
Approbation and Honour of the Lord, and
not by a Regard to thofe Tokens of Favour
you may receive from Men:
Knowing 8
affuredly, and making it the governing
Maxim of your Lives, that whatfoever Good
any Man doth, in one Station of Life or an-
other, he shall receive a proportionable,
though infinitely gracious Reward for the
Jame, from the Hand of the Lord as his final
Judge; and this, whether [he be] a Slave,
or a Freeman, whether he be the meanest
Servant, or the greatest Prince: For he is
the universal Guardian and Protector of his
People, and esteems Men, not according
to their Stations in the World, but accord-
ing to their Behaviour in those Stations,
whether high or low.

And on the other Hand, ye that are Lords
and Mafters, let me exhort you, that ye do
the fame to them, and always act on the fame
equitable Principles, not only with Respect
to those who are your hired Servants, but

fhort. Compare Rom. ii. 11. 2 Cor. vi. 14. Col. ii. 4. ii. 15. Gr. and fee Blackwall's Sacr. Claff. Vol. i. pag. 239. Dd2

even

I Tim, i. 6. 2 Tim. i. 6.

(e) For

9

212

Mafters fhould be kind and gentle to their Servants.

alfo is in Heaven, neither is there Refpect of Perfons with him.

Sect. 12. even to them that are your Slaves, and be- forbearing Threatening long to you as your abfolute Property, fo knowing that your Mafter Eph. VI. 9. that according to human Laws you may difpofe of their Perfons and their Lives as you please: But howfoever mean and low their Station be, remember the common Bond of Humanity, by which you are united to them; 'remember the peculiar Obligations of Chriftians to diftinguifhed Benevolence and Goodnefs, to all with whom you have to do; and therefore govern them with Moderation and Gentleness of Temper, forbearing, not only cruel and dangerous Blows, but all fevere and rigorous Threatening (e), and every Thing of an over-hafty and tyrannical Conduct; and treat them in the fame generous and upright Manner as you would have them act towards you, as knowing that ye yourselves alfo have a fuperior Lord and Mafter in the Heavens, whofe Authority over is much you and more greater abfolute, than yours over any of your Fellow-Creatures: And whatfoever Difference there may be in your Stations, there is no Refpect of Perfons with him, but he will adminifter the moft ftrict and impartial Juftice, and fhew that he remembers the Cry of the Oppreffed, though Men may confider them, on Account of the Inferiority of their Circumftances, as below their Regards.

I cl

IMPROVEMENT.

is Matter of thankful Acknowledgment, that GoD condefcends in his Word to give us particular Inftructions, fuited to

the.

(e) Forbearing Threatening.] To explain this, as fome have done, as if it only fignified remitting the Evil threatened, falls far thort of the Apoftie's Meaning, if I at all understand it; as a Charge given to Charge given to forbear all paffionate and menacing Expreffions towards their Servants, is of a more extenfive Nature, and calls for greater Generofity and Mildness, than not to punish them fo feverely as they before had threatened them.