e The Apoſtle knowing how hard the condition of ſervitude was both under the Fews and Genril-s, jeſt any Believers in :hat mean condition ſhould diſguſt ſo ftrict a ſubjeftion, eſpeci- ily to unbelieving Maſters, and caſt of the yoke by breaking, their Covenants to the diſturbance of human Society, and the liſparagement of the Chriſtian Inſtitution, he takes a ſpecial care to ſweeten the harſhnelſs of it to all thoſe indefinitely whole lot it was, by recommending the duties of it to them, from the confideration of the acceptablenels of them to God, who of his unconftrained grace wotnd vouchſate to them the nobleſt reward, ft Wherefore Chriſtianity requires that Servants of all ſorts [hould readily receive, and chearfully execute a/ the commands, ſee v. 20. in things lawful and honeſt, of thoſe of both Sexes whom God in his wife Providence hath given a jt authority over them accordirg to the fleſh, ſee alſo Eph. 6. 5, which Ex- preſhon is not only for diſtinftion from the Father and after of Spirits, Zeb. 12, 9. but for mitigation of their ſervitude, in that their Earthly Maſter's power reacheth only things corporeal and temporal, not the conſcience and things that are eternal, which might be ſome comfort that the ſervitude would not laſt long, and in the mean time they were God's Free-men. 1 Cor. 7. 22, Whom they might ſerve with the Spirit in the Goſpel of his Son, Rom. 1. 9. g Yet their Maſters after the fleſh in thoſe civil things wherein they had power to command, were not lightly to be reſpeCted or ſerved to the eye, or only to be ob- ſerved whiles their eye was upon them, Eph. 6. $, h As if regard were to be had to the pleafing of Men, and not to the pleaſing of God who ſearcheth the Heart, and by his Goſpel, (which they ſhould adorn) expett they ſhould remember his eye is ever upon them, 7it, 2, 9. 1 Per. 2,18, # And expetts that in an holy awe of him, they ſhould do all that is incumbent on them, in the ſincerity of their Souls, ſee Eph. 6. 5, 6. with more regard to God than Man,
23 And whatſoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men k.
k Yedo couragiouſly and chearfully from the very Soul, not conſtrainedly and murmuringly, though they be froward and
| their commands harſh ; making account it is Jeſus Chriſt ( who
hath power over Soul and Body, Mat. 10. 28.) not mortal Men only, or in and for themſelves whom ye ſerve, ſee Eph. 6. 7. have
an eye unto this Sovereign Lord, in the feryile office your Ma- ſters on Earth do employ you.
2.4 Knowing , that of the Lord m2 ye ſhall receive the reward of the inheritance #: for ye ſerve the Lord Chriſt o. |
1 Being fully perſuaded of this undoubted Truth, m That of the Lord, who ſuperintends all your ſervices (not for any merit of yours) Eph. 6, 8. the recompence which your Maſter -in Heaven hath purchaſed, Eph. 1. 14, 18. ſhall be freely ſetled upon you whom he hath adopted into his Family, v. 5. Kom. 8. 17. Gal, 4. 7. for in theſe duties you Chriftianly perform to Maſters of the lame mold with your ſelves, he really looks upon you as his own Servants, ſee Eph. 6. 6. yea and Freemen, 1 Cor, 7. 22, lo that as Onefimus, Philem, v. 10, ye may more chear- fully ſubmit to your Maſter's yoke, according to the command and for the ſake of Chriſt, who reckons what you dG upon that: account as done to himſelf, Mat. 25, 40. and will inftate you in that eternal inheritance, to which neither you nor any mortal Man had naturally any Right at all.
25 But he that doth wrong gq, ſhall receive for the wrong which he hath done r - and * there is no re- « ; pe, x; ſpect of perſons /. I7,
Þ But if the reward will not engage to a right diſcharge of theſe relative Duties, the injurious Perſon whether be be bond or free, Eph. 6. 8, an inferiour Servant, or a domineering Maſter, who doth violate the rules of right, agreeing with che Law natural and eternal. r Shall have the juſt recompence of that injury, whereby he wrongs his Co-relate ; the penalty appor- tion'd ro his fault, Kom. 2,6, 2 Cor, 5. 10, 2 Pet. 2. 13. {From the impartiality of divine juftice, there 7s no reſpet of perſons with God, Kom. 2, 11, or with Chriſt, in the place parallel to this, Eph. 6. 9. who is ſo righteous a Judge that he is not ſwayed by the outward circumftances and qualifications of Men, whether K potent or poor, Lev. 19. 15. fob 34. 19. he (ceth not as Man leeth, he looketh not on the outward appearance, but on the heart, I Sam, 16, 7- in the diltribution of juſtice, he will put. no difference betwixt the mightieft Monarch, and the moſt en- ſlaved Peaſant; the purloining Servant and oppeſſing Mafter [hall certainly receive anſwerable to their doings from his im- partial Hand :; the mean one who is at preſent abuſed without relief, and the great one who doth tyrannize without control, ſhall one day have right, and be reckoned with by the righteous ſudge, 2 Tim, 4. 8. who will ſhew to all the world that he will honour thoſe that honour him, and lightly efteem thoſe that de- ſpiſe him, 1 Sam, 2, 30. and that he is the avenger of all thoſe that are wronged, 1 Thef, 4. $, 2 Thefſ, 1. 6;
CHAP,
1
Chap. IV.
SAT. IV.
The Duty of Maſters towars their Servants, 1, And of continuance
T. walk and ſpeak wiſely among them which are without, 5, 6, He commends to them Tychicus and Oneſimus, 5 —— 9. And jalutes them in the name of Ariftarchus and others, zealous for them, 14, Commands them to ſalute the Bretkrcn im Laodicea, and let them read this Epifile, and to bid Archippus fulfil bis
2 Preys, 2. Alſo for him in the Work of the Goſpel, 3, 4+
IO
iS,
Miniſtry z and concludes with his $alutarion, 15 x
have a maſter in heaven d.
That this Verſe doth rcfer to the foregoing Chapter, and