capacity both perſonal and relative z in every motion a Chri- ftian may do all ſo, as to find acceptance with God. p And rizat 15 in his expreihons and aRings, viz. comprehending his in- ternal as well as external operations; his reaſonings and reſolu- tions within, as well as his motions without 3 the thoughts of his heart, as well as the words of his tongue, and the works of his hand, to take care as much as poſſible that all be i» the name of ie Lord Feſus ; elſewhere writing the ſame thing, the Apott'e ads Chriſt; ſee Eph. 5. 259, Plato could ſay not only every word, but every thonght ſhould take its beginning from God, vut he underftood nothing of the Mediator, of the love of him and the Father :; but Chriſtians know as there 1s $.1tvation an 1 other name, As 4. 12. ſo there is no acceptance of their perſons and performances in any other name than in _his in whom they b-lieve, Phil, 2. 10. Heb. 10. 19, 29. I Fobn 5, 12, and there- fore in all their deſires they are to reſpett him, Fob? 14, 13, 14+ & 15,2, 16, & 16, 23, 26, looking tor his authority and War- rant, Mat, 18. 18, 19, 20. Mark 11. 9. 1 Fohn 5.14. following his example, Mar, 11. 29, & 16. 24. Fobn 13, IS. I Pet. 2. 22, 24. IT Fohn 2.6, in all they ſet about; deſiring ftrength rom him, Pjal. 91..16, As 4. 6, 7, 10. 1 C0r. 15. 10. Phil, 4. i2. 2 111,2, 7, living by faith upon him, Gal. 2, 20. 2 Pet. 1. 2, % #7:b, 10, 33. waiting apon him, worſhipping and ſerving of him according to his preſcription, Mzc, 4. 5. Mat. 28, 19, 20» Ads 2, 42, 43. 2 Tim. 2. 19. for his ſake, Mat. 19. 29, & 24» 9. Aits 9. 16. Rev. 2. 3, 13. & 3. 8. to his honour and glory, Tſal, 31. 3. 1 Cor, 10. 31. Rev. 4. 9, 11. & 5. 12,13. & 11, 13» 7 Endcavouring to render hearty thanks unto God the Father, , e. to God the Father ; the Syriackand Arabick do omit the Conjun- tion copulative, however it is to be underſtood expoſitively of God the Father of Chrift, and our Father, who doth embrace us as his Children, / By or through Chriſt, Eph. 5. 20, Heb. 13: 15. the only Mediator,
18 Wives, ſubmit your ſelves unto your own husbands ?, as it is fit in the Lord #.
: The Apoſtle entring upon an Exhortation to Relative Duties, begins firſt with that which Wives owe to their Hus- bands to whom they are Married, by reaſon this Relation is the firſt in nature, and the fountain whence the reſt do flow, Gen. 2. 22, Tjal. 127. 3. & 123, 3. Prov. 5. 15, 16, That which he Tequ:ires is ſe]f-ſubmiſhon in every thing, ſee Eph. 54. 22. Exprefiing a ſubjeRion with reverence, v. 24. 33. I Pet, 3. I The God of Order made the Woman inferiour, Gen. 2. 83, 22. & 3.16, 1 Cor, 11, 7.9. 1 Tim. 2. 13. Tit, 2. 5. yet her ſub- mithon is not to be ſervile, as that of an Hand-maid, but con- jugal, as ofa meet Companion. w Suitable to God's Inftitution in a becoming manner, agreeable to the mind of Chriſt, As 5. 29. 1 Cor, 7.29. Eph. 6. tk, 5.
19. Husbands, love your wives w, and be not bit- ter againſt them x,
w The Husbands duty is Jove, which the Apoſtle doth ever inculcate from the moſt obliging Conſiderations when he ſpeaks of this Relation ; ſes Mat, 19. 6. 1 Cor. 9. 2. with Eph. 5. 25, 32. to ſweeten on one hand the ſubjettion of the Wite, and to temper on the other hand the authority of the Husband, x Who, that upon his authority he may not grow inſolent, the Apoſtle forbids him frowardneſs with his Wife, thereby require-
ing a converſation with her, full of ſweetne's and amiry : wrath |
and bitterneſs is to be laid afide towards all others, V. 8. with Eph. 4. 31. much more towards his own Wife, in whom he 1s to joy and delight, Prov. 5, 15, 18,19, I Pet. 3. 7»
20 Children y,obey your parents = in all things a, for this is well-pleaſing unto the Lord b.
y By Children he underſtands both Males and Females. 7 Whom he requires to yield humble ſubje&ion to thoſe that brought then! forth, or have juſt authority over them z lee Exod. 20. 12, Eph. 6. 1. paying reverence to them, Lev. 19. 3: Heb, 12, 9. obſerving their holy and prudent preſcriptions, Luke 2, $1, ſhewing piety and kindneſs to them in all grateful Offices, 1 Tim. 5. 4. and ſubmitting to their Parental diſcipline, Fer, 35. 6. Heb. 12. 9s 4 In whatſoever is agrecable to the mind of the Supream Governor, who is abſolute Sovereign, Acts 4+ 19. & 5, 29. b And this upon the moſt cogent realon 1ma- ginable, becauſe 'tis not barely pleaſing, but well-pleaſing, or very acceptable 10 the Lord, who arms Parents with authority 0- ver their Children, Eph. 6. 1, 2, 3.
21 Fathers, provoke not your children to angey c, leit they be diſcouraged 4.
c And to moderate the Parental authority, that they may exerciſe it Chriſtianly, he allows not. Parents to do that which i> '2 adireCt tendency to irritate or move the paſſions of their Ciiidcen meerly for their own pleaſure, without a principal re- 2:4 to God's glory and their Children's profit, Heb, 12, Io. Indeed, he ſeems here more ftriatly to guard Fathers againſt Mule-adminiftration of their power in this extream than he doth cliewhere, when writing upon the ſame ſubje&t, Eph. 6. 4. con- fidering the original word h2 here -puts the negative upon, to Eg2ge them to lay aſide rigour- in their Government (as well as u1warrantable indulgence) and that upon a very weighty rea/on drawn from the end, viz, 4 Left ſome Children who . might with a moderate hand be reduced to obedience, ſhould be (43 ;t were) diſpirited, by the roughnels of their Father's dilci- pline, and even pine away with grief, or grow deſperate,
in, 22 *Servantse, obey in all things your Maſters according to the fleſh f; not with eye-ſervice g,
n $ ) 2
COLOSSIANS.
235 men-pleaſers hþ, but in ſingleneſs of heart 7, fear- ing God. | |