1. A Christian servant is not satisfied to please his earthly master, unless at the same time also he may please his supreme Lord, namely Christ. 2. Whatever work and external compliance may seem laudable; yet it is counterfeit and hypocritical when it is referred to a bad end. 3. In all the duties of our vocation we must study rather to preserve a good conscience, than to obtain human approbation. 4. A defect in all the observances of men towards men, arises from a defect of fear and reverence towards God. 5. They alone are judged truly to fear God, who are employed among men in a single and honest heart; on the contrary, they who carry themselves subtily and deceitfully towards men, are impious and treacherous against God. To conclude therefore; This is the manner of Christian obedience, that a faithful man so act in all the duties of his vocation as if there was no other being in this world besides himself and God; for when he hath his eyes so fixed in every work on God, he will not dare to obtrude those compliances upon men which he knows to be odious. and disagreeable to God the searcher of hearts. much concerning the precept and the manner of obedi ence. Thus Vers. 24, 25. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ: But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. In these two verses are contained two incentives to the aforesaid obedience, derived from those considerations by which mankind are especially moved; namely, from the reward, and the punishment: that is to say, from the pro nise of a reward, in the former verse; from the threat of a punishment, in the latter verse. As to the former verse, we have in it, 1. The promise of the reward itself; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance. 2. The confirmation of the reward promised; for ye serve the Lord Christ. In this promise we may observe, first, the Author or Bestower of the reward promised, namely, Christ; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive. The Apostle rightly and prudently would have those servants to expect a reward from Christ. For earthly masters give food and clothing to their slaves, whether bought or taken in war: they thought not any other reward to be due to them more than to their beasts. Food is the slave's wages, says Aristotle, Oecon. i. 5. The Apostle, therefore, consoles these servants,* that although they are neglected by their earthly masters, yet they have a heavenly master a munificent rewarder, who will not suffer them to be destitute of a reward, if from the heart they obey their masters, and as it becomes pious men and Christians. Therefore he joins that word adores, knowing, or taking it for certain: because it is wicked even to doubt concerning the reward which Christ himself has undertaken to bestow : for however men are accustomed to withhold and deny the reward engaged for, yet Christ neither ever will do so, nor can he. Thus much of the Author or Promiser of the reward. Secondly, let us observe the quality of the reward signified by this addition, ἀνταπόδοσιν τῆς κληρονομιας, the reward of the inheritance. These things seem to be incongruous: for a reward is paid to labourers; an inheritance is given to children. But the Apostle would indicate, that he is not speaking of any temporal reward, which should correspond in equal value to their work; but of that eternal reward of blessedness, which surpasses far and wide all the worth of human works or duties. • The reader will bear in mind, that the word servants is used here for slaves, dovno, in conformity with the authorised version of the Bible. This celestial reward, therefore, is called merces, hire or wages; not because men are able to merit it by the excellence of their works, but because it bears a resemblance to a reward in certain other circumstances. 1. As hire is not given except to labourers and workmen; so the heavenly kingdom is not given to the indolent, but to those striving in their vocation. 2. As hire is not wont to be given except after the works are finished; so life eternal is not bestowed unless after the course of this life is ended. Now in two other respects the heavenly reward is unlike hire. 1. Hire is given according to the merit of the workman; but the heavenly reward is given from the grace aud liberality of the bestower, Luke xvii. 10. 2. Hire is proportioned to the labours for which it is bestowed; but the heavenly reward hath no proportion to our services for which it is a reward; for finite hath no proportion to infinite. Therefore this same reward is called an inheritance, because it pertains to the pious and faithful by right of sonship. And by this word he comforts Christian servants: For as they could not receive any reward from their earthly masters, who looked upon them as slaves; yet they are to receive an inheritance from God, who accounts them as sons: and it behoves them to expect this reward of the inheritance. Concerning this inheritance due to believers by right of adoption, the Apostle thus speaks in Rom. viii. 15, Ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba, Father. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; vers. 17. Corollaries. 1. No vocation is so mean and abject, to which a reward is not promised by God, if only men conduct themselves piously in the same. We are not, therefore, to consider how honourable our vocation may be; but labour rather, that whatever in truth it may be (so that it is lawful and honest) it may be discharged well by us, and with a good conscience. Hence that counsel of the Apostle, 1 Cor. vii. 20, Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called; For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's free man; vers. 22. 2. It is not proper to fix the eyes or the mind upon those light rewards which are promised by men to those doing well; but it behoves us always to regard that eternal reward which God the Father has promised to his obedient children. Thus Paul in discharging his vocation, regards not the reward of human favour or glory, or of earthly gain, but that Crown which the Lord shall give to all those loving his appearing, 2 Tim. iv. 8. 3. They sin who leave off to do well, or at least act languidly and remissly, on account of the ingratitude and iniquity of men: for it is sufficient for the godly man to know that he shall receive the reward of the inheritance from Christ; with which he ought to be content, although in the mean while he is neglected and evil intreated by men. 4. They also err who attribute this reward of blessedness to their merits. For although it is given to the labourers, yet not for the excellence of their works, but by right of adoption, as was before said and proved. But now adoption excludes merit, if it be rightly defined by Lawyers. Adoption, says Durandus, lib. 3. dist. 10, qu. 2, is the gratuitous taking of a person to a participation of an inheritance, to which inheritance he had no right. And thus much concerning the promise of the reward: The confirmation of the promise follows. For ye serve the Lord Christ.] This concerning their reward being received from Christ himself avails to confirm. the hope of servants. For the work and the reward are related; Therefore, equity demands that for whom the work is done, from him the reward should be expected. It will seem scarcely credible, that they who discharged the meanest offices among men here on earth, should be said on this very account to serve Christ himself, who sits in the heavens most glorious and by no means needing human service. But the reason is manifest (as we have largely explained in the foregoing verse,) namely, that whatever duties are performed to men according to the direction and Corollaries. 1. No service is dishonourable in which men conduct themselves well and faithfully: for they who are such, serve Christ himself, which is the height of dignity and honour. 2. No honour, no authority screens a wicked man from ignominy and disgrace: for they who are of that character serve the devil, which is the abyss of infamy and misery. 3. They who, being placed under the rule of others, are unwilling to serve, are not only rebels against men, but against God and Christ. Hence that reproof of God himself against the Israelites wishing to shake off the government of Samuel, They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, 1 Sam. viii. 7. 4. We ought not to obey any mortal among those who are opposed to the will of Christ: For it is unjust and foreign to reason that those should be obeyed against the will of Christ, whom we obey for Christ. And thus much of the former incentive, derived from the promise of a reward: It remains to treat of the other, taken from the threat of punishment. |