THE DUTIES OF SUBJECTS TO THOSE IN AUTHORITY. ished, and well-doers may be encouraged. (Ps. lxxii. 4, 7. Rom. xiii. 3, 4.) The sin of magistrates consists in carelessness in performing those former duties. 323 The duties towards The duty of subjects to their magistrates, is, 1. To pray for them, that God would rule their hearts by his Holy Spirit, that of subjects under them we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godli- their magisness and honesty. 2. To help them with our goods: paying trates. willingly all customs, taxes, and tribute due to them, (Matt. xxii. 17,21. Rom. xiii. 6, 7.) which condemneth the popish clergy that detract this tribute. 3. To adventure our lives for them, in war and peace. (2 Sam. xxi. 16, 17; xxiii. 15, 16.) 4. When they do us wrong, not to rebel, but endure it patiently; for it is better to suffer for well doing, than for evil. 5. To be obedient and dutiful unto them, and to obey their laws in the Lord. For as far as their laws are agreeable to the laws of God, they do bind the conscience, but otherwise they do not. For there is but one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. (James iv. 12.) Whence we learn, that drunkards, thieves, murderers, &c. break both this commandment, and that other under which those sins are principally contained; as also that the papists are to be condemned, who hold that the pope's laws do bind the conscience. The sins of subjects, as such, are, 1. Disobedience and rebellion; and 2. Refusing and repining to pay dues. mandment. fifth com The helps of the obedience of this commandment are either of the helps common to all, or proper to inferiors and superiors. In regard and means enabling us to those common to all, there must be an endeavour to nourish to keep this and increase natural affection, (Rom. xii. 10.) humility, (Rom. xii. 16.) and wisdom to discern what is fitting for our own and others' places. (Rom. xiii. 7.) It is proper to the inferior, that he see God in the place and authority of his superiors, (Rom. xiii. 1, 2,) setting before his eyes the dreadful threatenings and examples of God's vengeance on the seditious and disobedient. (Eccl. x. 8, 20. Prov. xxiv. 21, 22.) And it is proper to the superior, that he be the same to his inferior, that he would have Christ to be unto himself; (Eph. vi. 9.) remembering the tragical ends of tyrants and usurpers. The hindrances of these Hindrances duties are, 1. Self-love, which maketh men unfit, either to rule to the or to obey. (2 Tim. iii. 2—4.) 2. Partial inquiry into the duties commanded. of others towards us, joined for the most part, with the neglect duties here 324 Of the rea son annexed command ment. OF THE REASON ANNEXED TO THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT. of our own, (Eccles. vii. 23, 24.) 3. The fury of the Anabaptists. 4. The company of seditious persons, and despisers, of government, (Prov. xxiv. 21, 22.) The reason annexed to this commandment is, That thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. (Deut. v. 16.) Wherein is taught that God moveth the hearts of superiors to promote the good estate of inferiors, for so also do the words sound, (Exod. xx. 12.) that they may prolong thy days: besides the providence of God to the obedient, which is far above all experience of men's provision. The sum of this promise is the blessing of long life and prosperity, to such as by keeping this commandment, shall shew that they regard the image and ordinance of God. (Ephes. vi. 1—3. Rom. xiii. 1, 2.) The other commandments have not this promise, at least expressly, which sheweth, that a more plentiful blessing in this kind followeth from the obedience of this commandment, than of the others that follow. Hence it is called by the apostle, the first commandment with promise, (Eph. vi. 2.) it being the first in order of the second table, and the only commandment of that table that hath an express promise; and the only commandment of the ten, that hath a particular promise. And this promise is truly performed, although some wicked men live long, and the godly are taken away in the midst of their time; for, 1. The Lord performeth all temporal promises, so far forth as it is good for us: and mise of long therefore, the godly are sure to live so long as it shall serve for life, and how God's glory, and for their own good; but the wicked live to their further condemnation. (Isa. lxv. 20.) 2. It is enough that the promises of this life be performed for the most part. 3. What loseth the obedient child, and what injury is done unto him, who being taken out of this life, is recompensed with a better? or what breach of promise is in him, that promiseth silver, and payeth with gold, and that in greater weight and quantity? As for the wicked, they gain nothing by their long life, receiving (by means thereof) greater judgment in hell. We find, too, that the Lord oftentime revengeth the breach of this commandment, even in this life; 1. Upon the parents, unto whom having been ungracious themselves, he giveth ungracious and disobedient children. 2. Upon the children themselves, who are sometimes Of the pro performed. OF THE GENERAL DUTIES IN THE COMMANDMENTS FOLLOWING. immediately stricken from heaven, and sometimes punished by the hand of the magistrate. So much of the fifth commandment concerning all special duties to special persons. The general duties in the commandments following, are either such as concern the person itself of our neighbour in the sixth, or such as concern the things that belong to his person; as his chastity in the seventh, his goods in the eighth, and his good name in the ninth commandment. 325 CHAPTER XXVII. The sum and meaning of the sixth ment. THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT, OF THE PRESERVATION OF THE THE words of the sixth commandment are these, "Thou shalt not murder." (Exod. xx. 13.) The sum and meaning of which command- is, that the life and person of man (as bearing the image of God) be by man not impeached, but preserved, (Gen. ix. 5.) and therefore that we are not to hurt our own persons, or the person of our neighbour, but to procure the safety thereof, and to do those things that lie in us, for the preservation of his and our life and health. (1 Tim. v. 23.) There is then forbidden in this commandment, all kinds of evil tending to the impeachment of the safety and health of man's person; with every hurt done, threatened, or intended, to the soul or body, either of ourselves, or of our neighbour; while there is required in this commandment all kind of good tending to the preservation of the welfare of man's person; that we love and cherish both the soul and body of our neighbour, as we would and ought to do our own. (Heb. iii. 13. James i. 27. Phil. ii. 12. Eph. v. 29.) For some of the duties here enjoined concern our own respecting persons, some the person of our neighbour. Those duties that do concern our own persons, are either such as ought to be performed by us in our own lifetime, or when we are ready to depart out of this world; the former of which respect either the welfare of our souls, or of our bodies. The duties that respect specting our the welfare of our souls, are, 1. To use the means of grace. (1 Peter ii. 2.) 2. With diligence to work out our salvation, (Phil. ii. 12.) and to make our election sure, by the fruits of faith. (2 Peter. i. 10.) 3. To reject evil counsel, and approve that which is good. (Psalm i. 1. Prov. i. 10-15.) 4. To imi The duties our own persons. Duties re souls. OF THE DUTIES RESPECTING OUR OWN PERSONS. 327 trary vices Duties respecting our bodies. tate the example of good men, and not to take scandals given by The conothers. 5. To follow our vocation diligently. The contrary forbidden. vices forbidden, are, cruelty to our own souls, by, 1. Rejecting the food of spiritual life, by not hearing, (Prov. xxviii. 9.) or not obeying the word. (James i. 22.) 2. Corrupting or perverting it, by itching ears, (2 Tim. iv. 3.) or unstable minds. (2 Pet. iii. 16.) 3. Want of knowledge, (Prov. iv. 13; viii. 35, 36. Hosea iv. 6.) especially when people have had the ordinary means appointed of God for obtaining the same, either of their own, or of others, which they might have been partakers of. 4. Sin, especially gross sins, (Prov. vi. 32; viii. 36.) and obstinacy in sinning. (Rom. ii. 5. Titus iii. 11.) 5. Following of evil counsel, and evil examples, and taking of scandals. 6. Neg lecting of our vocation. The things that respect the welfare of our bodies, are, 1. Sober and wholesome diet. (1 Tim. v. 23.) 2. Help of physic, when need is: so that it be after we have first sought unto God. (2 Chron. xvi. 12.) 3. Using honest recreation, whereby health may be maintained. (Judges xiv. 12.) 4. Preventing unnecessary dangers. 5. Giving place to the fury of another, as Jacob did to Esau, by his mother's counsel. (Gen. xxvii. 43, 44.) The contrary sins forbidden, are, 1. Immode- The conrate worldly sorrow, which (as the apostle saith,) worketh death. (2 Cor. vii. 10.) 2. Malice and envy, which maketh a man a murderer of himself, as well as of his neighbours. For (as the wise man noteth,) Envy is the rottenness of the bones. (Prov. xiv. 30.) 3. Neglect either of wholesome diet, or of exercise or honest recreation, or of physic to preserve or recover health. For we must not think, that there are no more ways to kill a man's self, but with a knife, &c. 4. Drunkenness and surfeiting, eating and drinking out of time: (Prov. xxv. 16. Eccles. x. 16, 17.) or spending one's self by unchaste behaviour. (Prov. v. 11; vi. 26; vii. 22, 23.) All which are enemies to the health and life of man. 5. Lancing or whipping our own flesh, (1 Kings xviii. 28. Col. ii. 23. Eph. v. 29.) as idolaters use to do: or otherwise wounding ourselves. 6. Capital crimes. (1 Kings ii. 23.) 7. Unnecessary dangers. 8. Not giving place to the fury of another. 9. Refusing the means of life. 10. Self-murder. (1 Sam. xxxi. 4. 2 Sam. xvii. 23. Matt. xxvii. 5. Acts xvi. 27, 28.) At the time of our departure out of this life, we must, 1. trary vices forbidden. Duties respecting the departure. time of our |