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the unhumbled pride of their hearts, who, instead of showing gentleness, mildness, and forbearance toward those, who must in a manner bear whatever treatment their masters and mistresses see fit, do behave toward them with severity, roughness, and cruelty.

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Fourthly. It is the duty of masters to be honest and kind towards their servants, which is but an equal return for their faithfulness and service to them. I say the service in point of honesty entitles to the wages, and steady exemplary faithfulness to somewhat more. But I will mention them both under the same head, because kindness seems to be but a sort of honesty towards a good servant. Masters must be honest towards their servants, paying them their wages, and that in due time. There are so many passages in Scripture on this head, as plainly to show that, whatever may be the case now, yet there have been times when servants have been grievously oppressed this way. Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire: ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.'* Why, what is the cause of all these dreadful declarations of wrath? It follows in the next verse: Behold, the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.' Such another declaration I find in Malachi, God will be a swift witness against them that oppress the hireling in his wages.' And in Jeremiah, Woe be to him that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work." Masters therefore must needs give unto their servants that which is just and equal. Now what is that? Their wages without dispute, and that in due season, and willingly, not causing their servants to sue for what they have honestly earned, as if they were claiming what they had no right to. But what besides wages? It is just and equal that servants have wholesome provisions, and such as is sufficient for them. It is just and equal also they have suffi+ Malachi iii. 5.

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* James v. 1—4.

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Jer. xxii. 13.

cient time for sleep, and some time for relaxation; and as I said before, convenient space daily for private exercises of worship. But is this all? doth justice and equity require no more? at least, doth the duty and law of kindness demand no more? You shall judge for yourselves. I find the story in the Gospel, that a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick and ready to die. Hearing of Jesus, the centurion sends to him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. You may see in the history how pressing they were upon the occasion; and that himself would have come, but he did not judge himself worthy; for it was that alone, and not want of love to his servant, that detained him at home. Yet observe, he was a man of no small consideration; he was very wealthy, and had built them a synagogue, and one that had many at his command. Now judge you did this centurion well in taking this care for his sick servant? Doubtless you say he did. Why then you confess it is just and equal you should take what reasonable care is in your power of your servants, when they are in sickness. And what then shall we think of such masters as grudge their servants what they eat and drink at such seasons, and murmur that now they are nothing but a burden, and perhaps unmercifully stop their wages; and all through a miserable covetousness ?-But is this all? Is nothing due to those who have been long and faithful servants to their masters, and are now worn out in their service? Indeed now-a-days it is but rarely there is any such thing. Servants are shifted and changed so often, that no affection grows on the one part or the other, which is a thing very unbecoming. But where lies the blame of it? Masters say in the servants, and servants say in the masters. I suppose they are both in the right, and that both are in fault; while on each side the one has contributed to make the other worse. Nevertheless this is not always the case: there are those who grow old in the service of the same master: and what is due to them ? Methinks they are grown into a kind of nearer relation than that of servants; and have a very fair title to their master's liberality, when they have painfully and faithfully worn out their strength in his service. It was ordered

in the law, that at the seventh year, when servants were discharged, the master should not send his servant away empty,

Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy wine-press of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.'* And this you will own is a worthy pattern for Christian masters to follow. But,

Fifthly and lastly.—It is the duty of masters to watch over their servants' souls. This is a principal duty of masters, however little it may be regarded. God says of Abraham, as a principal branch of that believer's character, I know that he will command his household, that they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment.† Like a good master he would use his authority over his servants to engage them in God's ways. But was this all? Would he not instruct them, think you, what these ways of the Lord were? And would he not carefully observe their behaviour, whether they were walking in these ways or not? And when at any time he saw them going out of these ways, would he not warn them of it, and, as need was, reprove and correct them for it, and take all the pains and care he could to bring them back again into the right way? Yes, you say; else he had shewn no zeal for God, nor true love for his servants. But now, masters, what was Abraham's practice, is not the same also your duty? But have you walked in the steps of faithful Abraham? Have you used all your authority over your servants to lead them into God's ways? But, moreover, have you instructed them as Abraham did in the ways of godliness? Why should you not? You are not greater nor richer than was Abraham. Or say you are, you cannot be too great to serve your Master which is in heaven. It was an old custom with masters and mistresses themselves to teach their servants the principles of the Christian religion, by hearing, and explaining to them, the Catechism at all convenient seasons; and then also to question them upon their return from church concerning what they had been doing and hearing there. This was acting like Abraham but have you been at such pains with your + Gen. xviii. 19.

* Deut. xv. 14.

servants? And have you also carefully observed their behaviour; warned them of what you saw amiss in it; and, as need was, reproved them sharply, showing yourself more displeased at them for their sins than for everything besides; and, in a word, used all the means you could to do them ser vice in their most important interests? To do this is to act like a father of a family; and whoever hath laboured herein hath not repented, I am confident, of the pains he hath taken this way.

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Thus now I have set before you the duty of masters. It remains only to sum up the inquiries as to your discharge of it. See, masters and mistresses, have you, as you ought, served God in your place and calling? Laying aside selfish and by-ends, have you always and in every case acted with this view, that might glorify God in the use of that authority he hath put into your hands over your servants? Have you also at all times been mild and reasonable with them, not indulging your own will in the exercise of your power over them? And have you shown them not only all manner of honesty, but of kindness, in dealing by them as was just and equal? Withal, have you watched carefully and as a father over their souls, instructing, reproving, admonishing them? What master will say, All this have I done from my first hour of my being in that relation? What master will not rather say, In this duty I have been exceedingly deficient, negligent, and blameworthy? And if so, should not such a matter be laid to heart, the curse of the law be apprehended, and the blood of Christ, according to the design of the text, be applied to for cleansing from such guilt? If we were not guilty there would be no need of Christ; but since we are, we must either perish or come to him, crying, I have sinned, Lord, have mercy upon me.

Nor is this all. The law is a rule, as well as a schoolmaster; and an humble endeavour through faith in Christ's blood, and by his Spirit, to conform to it as a rule, is our bounden Christian duty, and what will certainly be expected at our hands at the day of account. To as many masters therefore as are really walking according to this rule of their duty now laid before them, with a sense of their imperfection therein, real sorrow for that im

perfection, and humble dependence on the righteousness of Christ for pardon thereof, I may truly say, Peace be unto them, for they are of the true Israel of God; and may exhort them to abound therein more and more, to the manifestation of God's glory, to the furtherance of the salvation of souls, and to the increase of their joy in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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