[3.] The fear of God is necessary, and a great help to this duty.
(1.) Partly to tame that natural fierceness that is in the heart of man, that we may not refuse the yoke ; as Nabal was ' such a son of Belial, that a man could not speak to him,' 1 Sam. xxv. 17. Some are so harsh and churlish, that they will not admit any debate of the cause, or stand so stiffly on their right that they will not bate an ace, say they. Put is this becoming the fear of God, or that lenity which christians should use one to another ?
(2.) To check our pride, that we may not be ashamed to serve our neighbour in love. It may be they are vile, and of low esteem in the world ; but they serve a great God, therefore offend them not ; Mat. xviii. 10, ' Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones ; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.' The meanest of God's servants are above our contempt ; therefore do not neglect the good and advantage ■of any, the meanest person. The angels of God are their guardians upon earth, yet have continual frequent recourses to God's glorious presence, to make requests or complaints on their behalf. Therefore those that are so high in God's favour, though little in their own and the world's account, ought not to be despised by you.
(3.) To bridle and curb excess of power. There is a curb and bridle upon the beasts, though they excel men in strength and power, and so they are contained in their subjection and obedience to man : Gen. ix. 2, * The fear of you, and the dread of you, shall be upon every beast of the earth,' that they may not harm you. So is the fear of God a re- straint upon man. Nehemiah ' did not eat the bread of the governors, because he feared God,' Neli. v. 15. So Job despised not the cause of his servants, because he and his servants were equally subject to God : Job xxxi. 14, * What then shall I do when God riseth up ? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him ? '
III. I am now to prove that this is an unquestionable duty.
1. It is required in scripture : Gal. v, 13, ' By love serve one another.' Py God's providence some are masters, some are servants ; but by God's injunction all are to serve one another in love : 1 Peter v. 5, ' Likewise ye younger submit yourselves unto the elder ; yea, all of you be subject one to another.' So that besides the subjection of inferiors, there is a mutual submission and subjection required of all christians, whereby
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tliey are bound to stoop and do good to others, even to them of the lowest degree.
2. I prove it by example. I shall first produce the example of our Lord Jesus Christ : John xiii. 3-5, ' Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God ; he riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments ; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded ; ' that is to say, Jesus knowing the dignity of his person, and that he was the eternal Son of God, and wa& about to return to his glory, to take possession of all power in heaven and earth, after the manner of a servant or waiter of the meanest quality, in all humility sets himself to wash and wipe the feet of his own disciples. By the magnificence of the preface, a man would think he had been about to work some great miracle, or give some notable instance or demonstration of his divine power, but the only instance to be seen was that of humility and love. We keep &tate and stand upon our terms, think it much below us to do any mean office of kindness and love to inferiors ; but Christ would exercise the greatest humility when he had the highest thoughts of his own glory ; to take down our pride, and to show us that greatness should not hinder us from conde- scending to the necessities of the meanest people. None is too high to do good, and to humble himself when he may profit others. Well, then, should we not submit ourselves one to another, when Christ hath given us such an example, and urged it upon us for our imitation : John xiii. 13-15, ' Ye call me master, and Lord : and ye say well ; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet ; for I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.' My next example shall be of the apostle Paul : 1 Cor. ix. 19, ' For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.' This was the condescension of this blessed apostle ; though obliged to none, he made himself a servant to all. Bondmen and slaves were wholly in the power of their masters, without giving them any wages or reward ; to this he alludeth. Paul was a free man, yet he made himself their slave and servant to gain them to Christ, without any respect to his own profit. My next instance shall be of Job : chap, xxxi. 13, 'If I did despise the cause of my man-servant, or of my maid-servant, when they contended with me.' Though servants and bond-slaves had no power to enter into judgment with their masters, yet he gave them free liberty to plead their cause against him ; that is, he would hear their complaints of his carriage towards them, and did endeavour to satisfy them, as justice and equity did require ; and used no kind of insolency tow^ards them that were his inferiors, even his own servants.