ON

Mutual SUBJECTION.

1 St. PETER V. 5.

Yea, all of you be fubject one to another.

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HE Apoftle having, in many Parts of this Epistle, given Directions to Chrifti

ans concerning the Duty of Subjection or Obedience to Superiors; in the several Instances of the Subject to his Prince, the Child to his Parent, the Servant to his Mafter, the Wife to the Hufband, and the Younger to the Elder; doth here, in the Words of the Text, fum up the Whole, by advancing a Point of Doctrine, which at firft may appear a little extraordinary; Yea, all of you, faith he, be fubject one to another. For, it fhould feem, that two Perfons cannot properly be faid to be fubject to each other, and that Subjection is only due from Inferiors to those above them; yet T 2

Saint

Saint Paul hath feveral Paffages to the fame Purpose. For he exhorts the Romans, in Honour to prefer one an

Rom. xii. 10.

Phil. ii. 3.

Ephef. v. 21.

other; and the Philippians, that in Lowliness of Mind they fhould let each esteem other better than themselves; and the Ephefians, that they fhould fubmit themfelves one to another in the Fear of the Lord. Here we find these two great Apoftles recommending to all Chriftians this Duty of mutual Subjection. For we may obferve by Saint Peter, that having mentioned the feveral Relations which Men bear to each other, as Governor and Subject, Master and Servant, and the reft which I have already repeated, he maketh no Exception, but fummeth up the Whole, with commanding, All to be fubject one to another. From whence we may conclude, that this Subjection, due from all Men to all Men, is fomething more than the Compliment of Course, when our Betters are pleased to tell us, they are our humble Servants, but understand us to be their Slaves.

I know very well, that fome of those who explain this Text, apply it to Humility, to the Duties of Charity, to private Exhortations, and to bearing with each other's Infirmities; and, it is probable, the Apostle may have had a Regard to all thefe: But, however, many learned Men agree, that there is fomething more understood, and fo the Words in their plain natural Meaning muft import; as you

will obferve yourselves, if you read them with the beginning of the Verfe, which is thus: Likewife ye Younger fubmit yourfelves unto the Elder: Yea, all of you be fubject one to another. So that, upon the Whole, there must be fome kind of Subjection due from every Man to every Man, which cannot be made void by any Power, Præ-eminence, or Authority whatever. Now, what Sort of Subjection this is, and how it ought to be paid, fhall be the Subject of my prefent Discourse.

As God hath contrived all the Works of Nature to be useful, and in fome Manner a Support to each other, by which the whole Frame of the World, under his Providence, is preferved and kept up; fo, among Mankind, our particular Stations are appointed to each of us by God Almighty, wherein we are obliged to act, as far as our Power reacheth, towards the Good of the whole Community: And he who doth not perform that Part affigned him, towards advancing the Benefit of the Whole, in Proportion to his Opportunities and Abilities, is not only an ufelefs, but a very mifchievous Member of the Publick; because he taketh his Share of the Profit, and yet leaveth his Share of the Burden to be borne by others, which is the true principal Cause of most Miferies and Misfortunes in Life; for, a wife Man who doth not affift with his Counfels, a great Man with his Protection, a rich Man with his Bounty and Charity, and a poor Man

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with his Labour, are perfect Nuifances in a Commonwealth; neither is any Condition of Life more honourable in the Sight of God than another, otherwife he would be a Refpecter of Perfons, which he affureth us he is not: For he hath propofed the fame Salvation to all Men, and hath only placed them in different Ways or Stations to work it out, Princes are born with no more Advantages of Strength or Wisdom than other Men; and, by an unhappy Education, are ufually more defective in both than thousands of their Subjects. They depend for every Neceffary of Life upon the meaneft of their People: Befides, Obedience and Subjection were never enjoined by God to humour the Paffions, Lufts, and Vanities of those who demand them from us; but we are commanded to obey our Governors, because Difobedience would breed Seditions in the State. Thus, Servants are directed to obey their Mafters, Children their Parents, and Wives their Husbands; not from any Refpect of Perfons in God, but because otherwife there would be nothing but Confufion in private Families. This Matter will be clearly explained, by confidering the Comparison which Saint Paul maketh between the Church of Christ, and the natural Body of Man; for the Tame Refemblance will hold, not only to Families and Kingdoms, but to the whole CorRom. xii. 21. poration of Mankind. The Eye, faith he, cannot say unto the Hand,

c. xxiii. 26.