Three Sermons and Prayers | Page 2

perform that part assigned him towards advancing the benefit of the

whole, in proportion to his opportunities and abilities, is not only a
useless, but a very mischievous member of the public; because he takes
his share of the profit, and yet leaves his share of the burden to be
borne by others, which is the true principal cause of most miseries and
misfortunes in life. For a wise man who does not assist with his
counsels, a great man with his protection, a rich man with his bounty
and charity, and a poor man with his labour, are perfect nuisances in a
commonwealth. Neither is any condition of life more honourable in the
sight of God than another; otherwise He would be a respecter of
persons, which He assures us He is not; for He hath proposed the same
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
usually more defective in both than thousands of their subjects. They
depend for every necessary of life upon the meanest of their people;
besides, obedience and subjection were never enjoined by God to
humour the passions, lusts, and vanities of those who demand them
from us; but we are commanded to obey our governors, because
disobedience would breed seditions in the state. Thus servants are
directed to obey their masters, children their parents, and wives their
husbands, not from any respect of persons in God, but because
otherwise there would be nothing but confusion in private families.
This matter will be clearly explained by considering the comparison
which St. Paul makes between the Church of Christ and the body of
man; for the same resemblance will hold not only to families and
kingdoms, but to the whole corporation of mankind. "The eye," saith he,
"cannot say unto the hand, 'I have no need of thee;' nor again the hand
to the foot, 'I have no need of thee.' Nay, much more those members of
the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary; and whether one
member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be
honoured, all the members rejoice with it." The case is directly the
same among mankind. The prince cannot say to the merchant, "I have
no need of thee," nor the merchant to the labourer, "I have no need of
thee." Nay, much more those members which seem to be more feeble
are necessary; for the poor are generally more necessary members of
the commonwealth than the rich; which clearly shows that God never
intended such possessions for the sake and service of those to whom He

lends them, but because he hath assigned every man his particular
station to be useful in life, and this for the reason given by the Apostle,
"that there may be no schism in the body."
From hence may partly be gathered the nature of that subjection which
we all owe to one another. God Almighty hath been pleased to put us
into an imperfect state, where we have perpetual occasion of each
other's assistance. There is none so low as not to be in a capacity of
assisting the highest, nor so high as not to want the assistance of the
lowest.
It plainly appears, from what hath been said, that no one human
creature is more worthy than another in the sight of God, further than
according to the goodness or holiness of their lives; and that power,
wealth, and the like outward advantages, are so far from being the
marks of God's approving or preferring those on whom they are
bestowed, that, on the contrary, He is pleased to suffer them to be
almost engrossed by those who have least title to His favour. Now,
according to this equality wherein God hath placed all mankind with
relation to Himself, you will observe that in all the relations between
man and man there is a mutual dependence, whereby the one cannot
subsist without the other. Thus no man can be a prince without subjects,
nor a master without servants, nor a father without children. And this
both explains and confirms the doctrine of the text; for where there is a
mutual dependence there must be a mutual duty, and consequently a
mutual subjection. For instance, the subject must obey his prince,
because God commands it, human laws require it, and the safety of the
public makes it necessary; for the same 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 not.
On the other side,