fully as I can, propose to them the terms on which the glorious Reedemer will espouse them to himself, in righteousness and judgment, favour and mercies for ever; and solicit their consent to his proposal and overtures; then I would proceed to do what may be expected from a tender parent for them, in their temporal circumstances.

From these parental resolutions, how reasonably, how naturally, may we pass on to say,

CHILDREN, the fifth commandment confirms all your other numberless and powerful obligations often to inquire" Wherein may I be a blessing to my parents?" Ingenuousness of disposition would make this the very summit of your ambition, to be a credit and a comfort to your parents; to sweeten, and it may be, to lengthen the lives of those, from whom, under God, you have received your own. And God the Rewarder, usually gives to such a conduct, even in this life, a most observable recompence. But it is possible, you may be the happy instruments of more than a little good to the souls of your parents. Yea, though they should be pious parents, you may, by some delicate methods, be the instruments of their growth in piety and preparation for the heavenly world. Happy, thrice happy children, who are thus favoured! Among the Arabians, a father sometimes takes his name from an eminent son, as well as a son, from his reputable father. Truly, a son, may be such a blessing to his father that the best sirname for the glad father would be, "the father of such a one."

MASTERS, yea, and MISTRESSES too, must have their devices, how to do good to their servants; how to make them the servants of Christ, and the children of God. God, whom you must

+

remember to be " your Master in heaven," has brought them to you, and placed them under your care. Who can tell for what good he has brought them? What if they should be the elect of God, fetched from different parts, and brought into your families, on purpose, that by means of their situation, they may be brought home to the Shepherd of souls! O that the souls of our servants were more regarded by us! that we might give a better demonstration that we despise not our own souls, by doing what we can for the souls of our servants! How can we when we do no more to Verily, you must give cerning them. If they your negligence, what answer can you make to "God, the Judge of all?" Methinks, common principles of gratitude should incline you to study the happiness of those, by whose labours your lives are so much accommodated. Certainly, they would be the better servants to you, more faithful, honest, industrious, and submissive, for your bringing them into the service of your common Lord.*

pretend to Christianity, christianise our servants! an account to God conshould be lost through

I have somewhere met with a paper under this title, the RESOLUTION OF A MASTER; which may be properly inserted in this place.†

I. I would always remember, that my servants are, in some sense, my children; and by taking care that they want nothing which may be good for them, I would make them as my children;

In the original work, some observations are made in this place with respect to the usage of slaves; but as the subject has happily no connection with our country, the passage is here omitted.

The modesty of the author thus expresses, probably, his own production.

and, as far as the methods of instilling piety into the mind, which I use with my children, may be properly and prudently used with my servants, they shall be partakers in them. Nor will I leave them ignorant of any thing, wherein I may instruct them to be useful to their generation.

II. I will see that my servants be furnished with Bibles, and be able and careful to read the lively oracles. I will put Bibles and other good and proper books into their hands; will allow them time to read, and assure myself that they do not misspend this time. If I can discern any wicked books in their hands, I will take away from them those pestilential instruments of wickedness. They shall also write as well as read, if I may be able to bring them to it. And I will appoint them, now and then, such things to write, as may be for their greatest advantage.

III. I will have my servants present at the religious exercises of my family; and will drop either in the exhortations, in the prayers, or in the daily sacrifices of the family, such passages as may have a tendency to quicken a sense of religion in them.

IV. The article of catechising, as far as the age or state of the servants will permit it to be done with decency, shall extend to them also. And they shall be concerned in the conferences in which I may be engaged with my family, in the repetition of the public sermons, If any of them, when they come to me, shall not have learned the catechism, I will take care that they do it, and will give them a reward when they have accomplished it.

V. I will be very inquisitive and solicitous about the company chosen by my servants; and with all possible earnestness will rescue them from the snares of evil company, and forbid their being the" companions of fools."

VI. Such of my servants as may be capable of the task, I will employ to teach lessons of piety to my children, and will recompence them for so doing. But I would, by a particular artifice, contrive them to be such lessons as may be for their own edification too.

VII. I will sometimes call my servants alone, talk to them about the state of their souls; tell them how to close with their only Saviour; charge them to do well, and " lay hold on eternal life;" and shew them very particularly how they may render all they do for me, a service to the glorious Lord; how they may do all from a principle of obedience to him, and become entitled to the "reward of the heavenly inheritance."

To these resolutions I add the following passages as an Appendix:

Age is nearly sufficient, with some masters, to obliterate every letter and action in the history of a meritorious life; and old services are generally buried under the ruins of an old carcase. It is a

barbarous inhumanity in men towards their servants, to account their small failings as crimes, without allowing their past services to have been virtues. Gracious God, keep thy servant from such base ingratitude!:

But then, O SERVANTS, if you would obtain "the reward of the inheritance," each of you should set yourself to inquire-"How shall I ap

prove myself such a servant that the Lord may bless the house of my master the more for my being in it?" Certainly, there are many ways in which servants may become blessings. Let your studies, with your continual prayers for the welfare of the families to which you belong, and the example of your sober carriage, render you such. If you will but remember four words, and attempt all that is comprised in them

OBEDIENCE-HONESTY-INDUSTRY—and PIETY, you will be the blessings, and the Josephs of the families in which you live. Let these four words be distinctly and frequently recollected; and cheerfully perform all your business, on this consideration that it is an obedience to heaven, and from thence will have a recompence. It was the observation even of a Pagan, "that a master may receive a benefit from a servant;" and, "Quod fit affectu amici, desinit esse ministerium""What is done with the affection of a friend, ceases to be the act of a mere servant." Even the MAID SERVANTS of the house may render a great service to it, by instructing the infants, and instilling into their minds, the lessons of goodness. Thus, by Bilhah and Zilpah, may children be born again; thus, the mistresses, by the travail of their handmaids, may have children brought into the kingdom of God.

I proceed-Humanity teaches us to take notice of all our kindred. Nature bespeaks what we call a "natural affection" to all who are a-kin to us; to be destitute of it is a very bad character; it is a brand on the worst of men, on such as forfeit the name of man. But Christianity is intended to improve it. Our natural affection is to be im