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the doctrine of the text: for, where there is a mutual dependence, there must be a mutual duty, and confequently a mutual subjection. For inftance, the fubject muft obey his prince, becaufe God commands it, human laws require it, and the safety of the public makes it neceffary. For the fame reasons, we must obey all that are in authority, and submit ourselves, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward, whether they rule according to our liking or no. On the other fide, in those countries that pretend to freedom, princes are subject to those laws which their people have chofen; they are bound to protect their subjects in liberty, property, and religion; to receive their petitions, and redress their grievances: fo that the best prince, is, in the opinion of wife men, only the greateft fervant of the nation not only a fervant to the public in general, but, in fome fort, to every man in it. In the like manner, a fervant owes obedience, and diligence, and faithfulnefs, to his master; from whom, at the fame time, he hath a juft demand for protection, and maintenance, and gentle treatment. Nay, even the poor beggar hath a just demand of an alms from the rich man; who is guilty of fraud, injustice, and oppreffion, if he does not afford relief according to his abilities.

But this subjection we all owe one to another, is no where more neceffary, than in the common converfations of life; for, without it, there could be no fociety among men. If the learned would

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not fometimes fubmit to the ignorant, the wife to the fimple, the gentle to the froward, the old to the weakneffes of the young, there would be nothing but everlafting variance in the world. This our Saviour himself confirmed by his own example; for he appeared in the form of a fervant, and washed his difciples' feet, adding thofe memorable words, Ye call me Lord and Mafier: and ye fay well; for fo I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, wash your feet, how much more ought ye to wash one another's feet? Under which expreffion, of washing the feet, is included all that subjection, assistance, love, and duty, which every good Chriftian ought to pay his brother, in whatever ftation God hath placed him. For the greateft prince and the meanest flave, are not, by infinite degrees, so distant, as our Saviour and those difciples, whofe feet he vouchfafed to wash.

And, although this doctrine of subjecting ourfelves to one another, may feem to grate upon the pride and vanity of mankind, and may therefore be hard to be digefted by those who value themselves upon their greatnefs, or their wealth; yet it is really no more than what moft men practife upon other occafions. For, if our neighbour, who is our inferior, comes to fee us, we rife to receive him, we place him above us, and respect him, as if he were better than ourselves; and this is thought both decent and neceffary, and is ufually called good manners. Now, the duty required by the apoftle, is, only, that we fhould enlarge our minds, and that,

that, what we thus practife in the common courfe of life, we should imitate in all our actions and proceedings whatfoever; fince our Saviour tells us, that every man is our neighbour, and fince we are fo ready, in the point of civility, to yield to others in our own houses, where only we have any title to govern.

Having thus fhewn you, what fort of subjection it is, which all men owe one to another, and ́in what manner it ought to be paid; I fhall now draw fome obfervations from what hath been faid.

And, first, A thorough practice of this duty of fubjecting ourselves to the wants and infirmities of each other, would utterly extinguish in us the vice of pride.

For, if God has pleafed to intruft me with a talent, not for my own fake, but for the fervice of others, and, at the fame time, hath left me full of wants and neceffities, which others must fupply; I can then have no caufe to fet any extraordinary value upon myself, or to defpife my brother, because he hath not the fame talents which were lent to me. His being may probably be as ufeful to the public as mine; and, therefore, by the rules of right reafon, I am in no fort pre

ferable to him.

Secondly, It is very manifeft, from what has been faid, that no man ought to look upon the advantages of life, fuch as riches, honour, power, and the like, as his property, but merely as a

truft

truft which God hath depofited with him, to be employed for the ufe of his brethren: and God will certainly punish the breach of that truft, though the laws of man will not, or rather indeed cannot; because the truft was conferred only by God, who has not left it to any power on earth to decide infallibly, whether a man makes a good ufe of his talents or no, or to punish him where he fails. And, therefore, God feems to have more particularly taken this matter into his own hands, and will, moft certainly, reward or punifh us, in proportion to our good or ill performance in it. Now, although the advantages which one man poffeffeth more than another, may, in some sense, be called his property, with respect to other men; yet, with respect to God, they are, as I faid, only a truft; which will plainly appear from hence: If a man does not use thofe advantages to the good of the public, or the benefit of his neighbour, it is certain, he doth not deferve them, and, confequently, that God never intended them for a bleffing to him; and, on the other fide, whoever does employ his talents as he ought, will find, by his own experience, that they were chiefly lent him for the fervice of others; for, to the fervice of others he will certainly employ them.

Thirdly, If we could all be brought to practise this duty of subjecting ourselves to each other, it would very much contribute to the general happinefs of mankind. For this would root out en

vy

vy and malice from the heart of man; because you cannot envy your neighbour's ftrength, if he make use of it to defend your life, or carry your burden; you cannot envy his wifdom, if he gives you good counfel; nor his riches, if he supplies you in your wants; nor his greatnefs, if he employs it to your protection. The miseries of life are not properly owing to the unequal distribution of things; but God Almighty, the great King of Heaven, is treated like the kings of the earth, who, although, perhaps, intending well themfelves, have often moft abominable minifters and ftewards; and those generally the vilest, to whom they intruft the moft talents. But here is the difference, that the princes of this world fee by other mens eyes; but God fees all things: and, therefore, whenever he permits his bleffings to be dealt among those who are unworthy, we may certainly conclude, that he intends them only as a punishment to an evil world, as well as to the owners. It were well, if those would confider this, whofe riches ferve them only as a fpur to avarice, or as an inftrument to their lufts; whofe wisdom is only of this world, to put falfe colours upon things, to call good evil, and evil good, against the conviction of their own confciences; and, laftly, who employ their power and favour in acts of oppreffion or injustice, in mifreprefenting perfons and things, or in countenancing the wicked, to the ruin of the innocent.

Fourthly, The practice of this duty, of being fubject to one another, would make us reft contented

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