nosegay betwixt our breasts according to that which is written in the Canticles My beloued is vnto me as a bundle Cant. 1. 12. of myrhe he shall lye betwixt nay breasts For what is the passion of Christ but a samplar and patterne of all piety wherein the Lord hath described and set downe for vs the very Images and formes of many good vertues needfull for the leading of godly and christian liues that we may learne thereby to be perfect as our father in heauen is perfect Mat. 5. 48. The passiion of Christ is as a book wherin wemay read many good sweet comfortable lessons it is a glasse wherein we may see our defects wants and wherin we come short of many good giftes and persections which are required of vs and wherein the Lord hath discouered vnto vs the wayes of life and the pathes of righteousnesse There we may see and learne humility obedience charity patience hatred against sin contempt of this world and of all the ritches pleasures and vanities therof there we may see how the eternall and naturall sonne of God he that was equall to the father and so equall that he thought it no wrong nor robbery to make himselfe equall vnto him because he was equall to him by nature Phil. 2. 6. and right how he humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen the death of the crosse which was the most shameful and reprochful death of all other and the lowest degree of humiliation that might be there wee may see a certaine admirable and miraculous loue wherewith he loued vs and so loued vs that hee layd downe his life for vs. For greater loue then this can no man haue then that a man dye for his freinds Iohn 15. 13 there we may learn patience in aduersity and how to suffer all the aflictions and miseries of this life to enter into heauen by many tribulations and to contemne this world which is altogeather set vpon naughtinesse For as a good father sayth the man Iesus suffered and indured all the euills and aduersities of this world that he might teach vs how they are to bee suffered and hee despised and contemned all the pleasures yea the best things of this life that he might shew vs how they are to be contemned that neither in the one we should seeke for our felicity nor in the other feare aduersity but euer with a stedfast and vnmoueable mind and a good courage go foreward to the end our hearts alwayes there fixed where our treasure is set vppon the cheefe and supreame good but the cheifest lesson that we may learne in this book is obedience For what is it that brought the sonne of God from heauen into the Virgine wombe from the wombe into the manger from the manger to the crosse from the crosse to the graue but obedience to do the will of his father the wil of him that sent him Wherevppon the prophet Dauid in the Psalme induceth and bringeth in the same sonne of God comming into the world taking our nature vpon him and speaking to God the father thus sacrifices and burnt-offerings thou wouldst Psal 40. 6. Heb. 10. 5. not but a body hast thou ordained me then said I loe I come that I should do thy will O Lord where the holy Ghost confesseth that the cheefest thing that brought Iesus Christ from Heauen to earth was obedience to apply himselfe to the will of God the Father in all thinges So his self confesseth in the Gospel And as my Father gaue me cōmandement so doe Ioh. 14. 15 I. Wherefore seeing that euery action of Christ is our instruction and as a learned father speaketh not only the words of the word Iesus Christ are our documents and lessons but the facts and deeds of the word are our examples also it followeth that the first and greatest businesse whereunto we are to apply our selues in this world is to know the will of God and to doe it And as our Lord and Master his selfe hath taught vs this lesson so his seruants and Apostles Peter 2. Pet. 3. 15 and Paul according to the wisdome giuen vnto them doe vrge and presse the same that as Christ obeied God the Father for vs so ought wee to obey the Lord our God in all things yea that in God and for God euery one in his place calling is to obey his superiors whom the Lord hath placed ouer him subiects must obey their Princes wiues their husbands children their parents and seruants their Masters with all feare And to this end they lay before vs this patterne and sampler the sampler that was shewed vs in the mount I meane the passion of Christ and his obedience to mooue and stirre vs vp thereunto euen as Antiochus the tyrant laied before 1. Matth. 6. the Elephants in the day of battaile the red and bloudy iuice of grapes and mulberies to make them fight more fearcely and valiantly The passion of Christ is such a thing if it be well considered of that nothing to a Christian man can be so bitter but it may be indured nothing so sweete but it may be refused I meane that nothing is so powerfull and able to withdraw a man from euill and to stirre him vp to good as is the passion of Iesus Christ our Sauiour And here in this Chap. ver 13. Peter beginneth with the duty and obedience of 1. Pet. 2. 13 subiects toward their Kings and Princes Submit your selues saith hee to all manner of ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it bee to the King as vnto the superior or vnto gouernors as vnto thē that are sent of him for the punishment of euil doers for the praise of them that do wel for so is the will of God that by well doing yee may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men Where the Apostle giueth vs two reasons why subiects must obey them that bee in authority first for that as hee saith so is the will of God God will haue it so it is Gods ordinance which can not bee resisted without sinne Secondly that yee may saith hee put to silence the ignorance of foolish men that whereas foolishmen doe ignorantly bely and slander you reporting you to bee traitors and rebels and enemies to the states and higher powers by well-doing that is by your obedience and orderly subiection yee may stop their mouthes and they haue nothing whereby iustly they may speake euill of you Indeed in the primitiue Church when the Christian faith first beganne many newly made Christians new borne babes as Peter calleth them hauing 1. Pet 2 2 scrupulous consciences doubted whether they beeing now become the seruants of Iesus Christ and entred into so holy a profession might and ought to obey such wicked idolatrous kings such as Nero others which succeeded him then were yea many seruants then also being vnder the yoke doubted after the same manner whether
present yet â— King 2. 6 when the time was come that he should dye and enter into the way of all the earth hee charged Salomon his sonne that for this and some other displeasures which hee had taken against this Ioab that hee should not suffer his hoary head to goe to the graue in peace albeit that this Ioab was his old Seruant his neere kinsman euen his owne sisters sonne Shewing thereby that it is a great heynous offence and almost not pardonable for a Seruant toward his Master or a subiect toward his King to vse any fraud and dissimulation and not to deale simply and singly with them in al things Seruants as they must serue their Masters in truth and fidelity so must they Ephes 6. 5. doe it in singlenesse of heart as vnto Christ all duplicity and double dealing as it is euill in all men so is it specially in euery inferiour toward his superiour whom the Lord hath commanded him to obey voluntarily and conscionably as to his owne selfe Secondly this Ioab was not a good seruant for that hee did not onely consent vnto his Masters sinne but was the worker and finisher of the same Fot whereas the King being possessed with the vnlawful loue of the wife of Vrias and lusting after her wrote vnto this his seruant Ioab 2. Sam 11. 6. to make away this innocent man hee as soone as he receiued the letters put it in execution set him in the most dangerous place of the battaile where hee was sure to be slaine which being effected he sent word to the King saying Vrias â— Sa. 13. is dead such were the seruants of Absolon euill seruants of an euill Master as ready to worke wickednesse and to doe euill as their Master was to command it For when as Absolon of a malicious and reuenging minde had bid them to smite murther and kill his brother Ammon at the table when hee and the rest of the Kings sonnes were merry and full of wine these swaggerers and hacsters made no bones at it but did so in deed boldly and bloudily they kill the sonne of a King in the sight and presence of the rest of the Kings sonnes and other of the nobility then and there assembled This world is full of such vngodly seruants whose feete beeing as the Prophet saith swift to shead bloud and their right hand a right hand of iniquity nothing can bee by their Masters so abominably commanded but it shal be by them with speed desperately attempted so must not seruants doe they must not doe euili vnder a colour and shew of good I meane of pleasing and obeying their Masters they must please and obey but in the Lord in all good honest and lawfull things so far as the Lord in his word doth will command or giue them leaue vsque ad Aras and no further All obedience must bee subordinate vnto the deuine obedience due vnto God If thy Master bid thee doe euill hurt thy neigbours cattell or steale his goods if hee command thee or giue thee example to cogge and lie to steale or vse any fraud or deceipt in buying or selling to sell that which is euill for good to exact more then a thing is worth to doe any thing which you would not bee content should bee done to you then say as Christ the Master of vs all said when one told him that his mother and his brethren stood without Mat. 12 48 to speake with him Who saith he is my mother and who are my brethren c. And as Peter and Iohn answered to the Senate of the Iewes when they for-bad them to speake any more in the name of Iesus whether it be right in sight of God to obey you rather then God iudge yee Act. 4 19. Thus much of euill Seruants that yee may learne what to auoide and to take heed of now looke ye vpon some good seruants that yee may see and know what to imitate and follow Iacob in his youth was a good seruant to his Master Gen. 31. 38. 39. and vncle Laban whom he serued a long time twenty yeeres together in much labour patience affliction and tribulation both of body and minde yea with all his might as he confesseth in the sixth verse of the same Chapter in the day time consumed with heate and in the night with frost euen so much that hee could not sleepe By which meanes God blessed Laban his Master and increased his cattle for Iacobs sake Yea this Iacob is a notable example and a patterne of a good godly and faithful seruant and cheefly for hauing a speciall care ouer his Masters goods and cattle which is a principal thing to be respected and required in a seruant for my seruant is to me alter ego another my selfe and is to haue a care of my goods in mine absence as I my selfe haue and I must do that by my seruant which I can not doe by my selfe It is said heere by his owne mouth that for the space of those twenty yeeres neither his Masters Ewes nor Gotes did cast their young ones nor went ouer barren none of his cattle perished to him If any were stolen by day or by night torne and deuoured of wild beasts hee supplied and made it good of his owne which although it were more then hee was bound to doe yet it shewed in him a meruelous loue to his Master and what a care and desire he had of his Masters profit and commodity more then of his owne And this was more then his Master did deserue at his hands for he dealt but hardly with him in many things For whereas Iacob serued him seuen yeers for Rahel he beguiled him with Lea bleare eyed Lea the worse for the better Ten times changed hee his wages euen so much that if the God whom Abraham and Isaac serued and feared had not bin with him and blessed him this good seruant Iacob had come away empty hauing little enough Where it appeareth that all this good seruice which Iacob perfourmed to his Master Laban hee perfourmed it for verie conscience sake that is because hee knew that it was the duty of a seruant so to do Heere then seruants may learne how to serue there Masters faithfully carefully and conscionably to refuse no paines no labours heate nor cold by day nor by night to bee carefull for their Masters profit studious and desirous to see them goe foreward and prosper in the world And this the must doe howsoeuer their Masters deale with them and although they deserue it not And yet this I say that if any man haue a good Seruant which doth well if he deale not kindly and friendly with him great is his sinne and shame But howsoeuer the Master dealeth let the Seruant doe wel in all things and then looke for the reward of recompence at the Lords hands Ioseph Gen. 39. the sonne of this Iacob was a good Seruant vnto the Egiptian
which bought him of the Ismaclâ—tes Who because his Master loued him and reposed a trust in him therefore he could by no meanes be brought to wrong him but made a conscience to doe or commit any thing against him especially to defile 〈◊〉 marriage bed for when his filthy and adulterous Mistresse did mooue sollicite and importune him thereunto hee answered her How can I doe this great wickednesse Gen. 39. 9. and so sinne against God it is a great wickednesse and sinne against God and against my Master God hath beene my good God and the GOD of my Father Abraham Isaack and Iacob my Master as thou knowest hath committed his house and all that hee hath into mine hands and hath reserued nothing to himselfe but thee onoly which art his wife how then can I doe it How can I doe that which is against the duety which I owe both to God and to my Master and also against this my resisting and reclaming conscience Many a bad seruant if hee meete with a Dame or a Mistresse as bad as his selfe will not say how should I doe this sinne and wickednesse but with the reprobates Come let vs bee pertakers of wantonnesse Wisd â— 9. let vs enioy the pleasures that are present let vs leaue some token of pleasure behind vs in euery place From which wicked resolution and vnlawfull loue there grow and spring many great and grieuous sinnes many thefts and adulteries and murthers The Dame must needs steale from her husband to maintaine her man to feed and nourish in them their vnlawfull lusts their gluttony drunkennesse chambering and wantonesse all which without cheere and charges cannot bee maintained but will wax cold As for soule adulteries filthy lusts and longings one after another and sinne that ceaseth not their eyes are full of them and of nothing else Moreouer by these euil meanes many an honest and innocent man is murthered I meane through the vnlawfull loue of the wife as many lamentable examples both of old and of late yea as the prisons and galloses can testifie and all by the vices of wicked and euill disposed seruants Abraham had good seruants one especially who in the Scriptures is commended Gen. 24. for his fidelity in seeking a wife for his Masters sonne Isaac Yea all his seruants were good and obedient and such as are not now to bee found in all the world For when as the Lord had commanded him to circumcise himselfe his sonne and all the male seruants of his Gen. 17. house whether borne in his house or bought with money that euery one should bee circumcised that is haue the fore-skinne of his flesh cut off round Abraham like a good man full of faith and obedience went home presently and put it in execution out of hand without delay First hee circumcised himselfe being ninty yeeres of age and nine then his young sonne Ismaell but thirteene yeeres old next and immediately all his seruants who as the text faith Euery one without murmuring or resistance obeyed the will of God and their Master Gen. 17. 26 The selfe same day was Abraham circumcised and Ismaell his sonne and all the men of his house And this if yee marke and consider well of it was a verie admirable and strange thing not onely that Abraham should so soone circumcise and cut himselfe and his sonne of whom hee had power but chiefely that his seruants would bee brought so quickly to so great a matter as to haue their skinnes cut in that place and after that manner being a thing not onely exceeding painefull but very strange and neuer before heard of since the world beganne they had no scriptures nor lawes so to command them no examples so to shew them and therefore their obedience was the more maruelous and commendable that they would so speedily conforme and resigne themselues and their wills to the will of God and their maister in a matter of so great importance I thinke if yee seeke all the world now ye shall find no such Seruants nay ye shall scant find any subiects that wil do so much at the commandement of their Prince much lesse shal ye find Christians which wil be so obedient to the will and word of the Lord their God But what was the cause that these Seruants of Abraham were so tractable and willing to be ruled Abraham himselfe was a good maister who had instructed them and trayned them vp to this knowledge of their duty toward God and man as himselfe doth testifie for him I know that Abraham will command Ge. 18. 19. his sonnes and his houshould after him that they keepe the way of the Lotd to doe righteousnesse and iudgement c nothing maketh good seruants so much as the goodnesse of the Masters the better and the wiser maisters bee in gouerning the better wil the seruants be in obeying and seruing as a wise man Seneca sayth melius imperanti melius paretur In like manner the Seruants of the Centurion were so ready and willing that if their maister had sayd but goe or come or do this forth with they hearkned and obeyed How came this to passe hee was a good man and a good maister and esteemed his seruants deare and precious vnto him When Iesus saith Saint Luke entred into Luke 72. Capernaum there was a certaine Centurions Seruant sick which was deare vnto him One cause that there be now so many bad seruants is that there be so many bad maisters which esteeme not neither make any accompt of their Seruants but only to serue their owne turnes as men do of their cattell and not for the good of the seruant but onely for their owne gaine and lucre nay there bee many men which respect not their seruants so much as they doe their dogges I haue knowne some men who when they haue beene all the day abroade swaggering and swearing hunting and whoring when they haue come home at night would aske carefullie what their dogges had and how they had beene serued and what was prouided for them which men I thinke verely in all their liues neuer once inquired of their seruants how they were vsed or what was prouided for their suppers although they had laboured neuer so hard all the day And hence it is that seruants for the most part are so bad and carelesse and such as doe not their worke for loue and for conscience sake as they ought to doe but onely for feare and fashion-sake with seruice to the eye as men-pleasers and to speake the truth seruants many times and in many places are so badly vsed that some of them forsake all seruice giue themselues to idlenesse become vagabonds rogues and theeues Wherefore let Masters in the feare of 2. Tim. 3. 16 God learne to know and performe their parts and duties in this behalfe and to this end let them search the Scriptures which are able not onely to instruct them but to make them perfect