up for their reputation, fupplying their wants, if they be poor, refreshing and comforting their forrows, eafing and removing their burdens, doing them all the pieties and honours of children, while they are living, and following them to their graves with all requifite decency and folemnity. which are fo much the dictates of reason and nature, that we could not but difcern the character of a duty in them, if it had not been renewed by the injunctions of Chriftianity. All 2. A reverence is due from fervants to their mafters; and this alfo by the common reason and practice of all mankind, confirm'd by the laws of our religion. St. Paul has fully enough determin'd this in his first epiftle to Timothy; * Let as many Servants as are under the yoke account their own mafters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blafphemed. Honour here (though it includes obedience) I take to imply chiefly and primarily refpect and reverence, an e fteem of their mafter's perfon, a readiness to protect and defend him from injuries, a tenderness and zeal for his reputation, and a behaviour of humility and good manners towards him upon all occafions; not pertly and faucily answering again, or contradicting them; but fhewing all duc fubmiffion, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the fro ward. And this meeknefs is the more neceffary, (according to the text firft cited) that the chriftian religion be not evil fpoken of, that there be no pretence to charge it with abolishing so reasonable a point of decency and good order, or encouraging fauciness and pride, and fetting fervants upon a level with their masters. 3. A reverence is alfo due from wives unto their bufbands; for notwithstanding this is a relation of 1 Tim. vi. I. Tit, ii. 9. +1 Pet. ii, 18. F the > ་ the nearest endearment of any other in the world, it leaves ftill fome inequality; the husband is to be efteem'd the head, and upon that account, to have the reverence and refpect of a fuperior: this St. Paul exprefly commands, when having obliged the husband to love his wife, he concludes with this reciprocal duty of her to him, *Let the wife fee that fhe reverence her husband. In order to this, I fuppofe, it is, that St. Peter recommends to all christian women, the ornament of a meek and quiet fpirit, which will certainly fhew it felf, in bearing with the husband's paffions and infirmities, in forbearing all reproachful, bitter, or provoking language to him, in reprefenting him to the best advantage abroad, and treating him with the mildeft and most affectionate carriage at home, putting a favourable interpretation upon all his actions, fubmitting to his judgment, as the more able to advife, and being contented with the state of life and provifion which he is able to make. (2.) To confider now the meeknefs of obedience in all these relations; and, 1. IN the first place, that of children to their parents. Children, fays St. Paul, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. And that we may not think this 'Ev Kupio, [in the Lord] is fuch a restraint of the natural duty of obedience, as to leave room for any captious pretences of liberty to the disobedient, the fame Apostle elsewhere delivers the precept thus; + Children, obey your parents in all things; for this is well pleafing to the Lord. Thefe two texts interpret one another; for children are to obey their parents in the Lord, fo as that they make not ufe of that limitation to excufe them from a general and hearty obedience to the utmost of their power; and yet they are only * Eph. v. 33. † Eph, vi. I. Col. iii, 20. fo fo to obey their parents in all things, as is confiftent with their obedience to the other laws of God; and not to make this precept a pretence for committing any known fin, or neglecting any neceffary duty, upon command of a parent. An obedience in children, thus temper'd, is of fo high acceptance and reward with God, that St. Paul takes notice that it is the first command to which there is an◄ nex'd a promife, * That it may be well with thee, and that thou mayft live long upon the earth. 2. THE obedience due from fervants, to their mafters, and this alfo we fhall find exprefly commanded. Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh not with eye fervice as men pleafers, but in fingleness of heart, fearing God. And whatfoever ye do, do it heartily as unto the Lord, and not unto men. The very fame precept we have, and almost in the fame words, in the epistle to the Ephefians, Servants, be obedient to them that are your mafters, &c. 3. AND laftly, There is an obedience alfo due from wives to their husbands. And this is clearly the doctrine of the Apoftle, Wives, fubmit your felves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord; for the bufband is the head of the wife, even as Chrift is the head of the church: therefore as the church is fubject unto Chrift, fo let the wives be to their own bufbands in every thing. And in another place, Wives, fubmit your felves to your own bufbands, as it is fit in the Lord. St. Peter alfo requires the fame, † Likewife, ye wives, be in fubjeation to your own bufbands; and goes on inculcating upon all of that relation, the ornament of a meek and peaceable spirit, as being thofe, who though they have a right to govern the rest of the family, * Eph. vi. 2, 3. † Col. iii. 22, 23. Eph. vi. 5, 5,7. Eph. v. 22, 23, 24. * Col. iii. 18. ti Pet. iii. 1. 4 CHAP. III. are yet themselves to be govern'd by their hufbands. [2.] WE are now to confider another rank of men, our equals, to whom this grace of meeknefs is to fhew it felf in our behaviour. And these I fhall confider under a threefold diftinction of them, as friends, as enemies, and as ftrangers or persons indifferent towards us. 1. OUR firft enquiry therefore fhall be, what acts of meekness our friends may juftly expect from And these are, us. (1.) COMPLIANCE with their humour, in things which are innocent at least, though not convenient; abftaining from what we know will provoke them, or probably may do fo; and when they happen to be uneafy, wifely and charitably bearing with their infirmities; not violently and rafhly oppofing our paffion to theirs. And this compliance or condefcention is the very cement of all friendship, without which it would diffolve, or be foon broke to pieces. For the tempers of men, their appetites and inclinations, are different, their judgments may be oft mistaken, and their apprehenfions wrong; the paffions and defires of fome men are not fo cafily govern'd as they fhould be, and by many concurring difadvantages they are expofed to great errors, and to great failings. For which reafon 'tis neceffary their friends fhould fo far exercife this grace of meeknefs towards them, as, where the matter is not great, to wave infifting upon their own opinion against theirs, though perhaps they know themselves to be in the right; to deny themfelves the employments they moft delight in, when it may oblige and ferve their friend, and to govern themselves in many other little circumftances fo as may be moft agreeable, or at leaft, not difagreeable to him. But in matters of great confequence they must reprove him, they are mildly 瘥 and and at a proper season, to represent to him his fin committed, or diffuade him from committing it; but not imperiously and paffionately to reproach him, or exafperate and confirm him in the purfuit of it by an ill-manag'd contradiction. For he who takes this rough and furly course with his friend, if he defign to profit him by it, mistakes in the means, and if he do not, fails in the intention. THE fecond office of meeknefs toward our friends, is fubmiffion to their rebukes and admonitions. It is the duty of one friend, faithfully and directly to reprove another, and that both by the law of Mofes, and of Chrift. Thou shalt in any wife rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer fin upon him, fays the firft; and the other (deliver'd us by St. Paul) enjoins, that if any man obey not the word of God, we should note that man, and admonifh him as a brother. Now in making this a duty of friends and equals one to another, God has admirably teftified his own good-will to us, by providing us with living monitors, familiar, and of the fame condition with our felves, kind, faithful to our intereft, and every other way obliging, and who might be the likelieft perfons to prevail with us, to fecure our own eternal happiness, and leave the paths of hell and deftruction. And becaufe friendly reproof is so profitable to this purpose, it is affirmed by Solomon to be better, even when it is bold and open, than that filent fecret love which like a falfe glass presents no fpots, no errors or infirmities. But that it may be effectual, and do the good that is defign'd by it, the rebuke muft fall upon a willing breaft, and be received like fhowers upon the foft mould, without noife and without recrimination. Thofe drops of rain which fall upon ftones and hard bodies, are dafh'd in pieces and fcatter'd into little and unuseful portions: So are the reproofs of a friend which fall upon a stubborn F 3 and |