the Eye of the World but why should you think that Condition too mean for you which our dear Lord thought not too mean for him For he came in the form of a Servant Phil. 2. But if this trouble you I have shewed you before an infallible way of redeeming your selves from Contempt namely by a Religious and excellent Behaviour for true Virtue is much more honourable than Nobility of Blood or Ampleness of Fortune A Prayer for Contentment in your Condition O Eternal and gracious Lord God before whom a meek and humble spirit is of great price O God who givest Grace to the humble but resistest the proud keep me I beseech thee from pride and frowardness from discontent and murmuring and give me a meek and humble spirit Make me adore thy Wisdom and Goodness in every dispensation of thy Providence and chearfully submit to thy Will and follow thy Conduct O suffer me not to dispise or murmure at that state which my great Lord and Master honour'd by taking it upon himself for he came not to be ministred to but to minister Make me always thankful to thee for those Real Advantages which I enjoy in this state thou hast given me all the necessary Comforts of Life without the Cares and Troubles of it thou hast hedg'd in my ways and kept me from Idleness and Worldly and Carnal Lusts by my Necessities and indispensible Restraints of my Calling O never suffer me to break thorow all these to commit sin and die O grant that since my station has fewer Temptations to sin and more Encouragements to Virtue than that of others I may be so much more eminent and exemplary than others in all virtuous and holy living as knowing my offence more inexcusable So shall I ever have reason to bless thy Love for the meanness and necessities of my state when they shall have made me rich in goodness then shall I adore and magnifie thy Love for those Restraints and Confinements thou hast put upon me when they shall prove the meanest Instruments of my Eternal Preservation and Safety then shall I adore thy Mercy for the bodily hardships of my Service when they shall prove to me an excellent Discipline to train me up to Virtue and Glory Amen so be it blessed Jesus A Prayer for Fidelity to your Master and Trust in God O Holy and Righteous God whose Eyes are set upon the Righteous and thine Ears are always open to their Prayers who feedest those that fear thee and art a present help in time of trouble possess me I humbly beseech thee with such a sincere Faith in all thy Promises with such a firm persuasion of thy Wisdom Power and Goodness that I may ever trust and relie upon thee as my God and my Saviour and O let me never be ashamed of my hope in thee nor let my distrustful or fearful heart ever give thee occasion to be ashamed to be called my God And because O Lord the Sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to thee and the Prayers of the unjust a mere prophanation of thy holy Name therefore I beseech thee let thy fear be before mine Eyes and make me faithful and diligent in the station to which it has pleased thee to call me I know O Lord that thou art a holy and a righteous God and an Avenger of all Covenant-breakers O suffer me not therefore to fall into breach of Trust with Man lest I fall under the Vengeance of my God I know that my Duty towards my Master is one great part of my Religion towards thee O suffer me not by idleness or falshood to lose the Eternal Reward of my Service I know O Lord that all things are naked and bare before thee and that though my Master's Eye cannot yet thine does in all times and in all places behold me that thou mayest render to me according to my works O how fatal then must that Laziness prove for which I must be condemn'd to everlasting pain O how fatal must my frauds be since though I may deceive my Master I cannot thee Lord therefore inable me so to serve with fear and trembling and singleness of heart that I may have a good ground to trust and depend upon thee for protection and provision in this World and for reward in another through Jesus Christ our Lord. A Prayer for right performance of Instrumental or Relative Duties O Lord my God I know that my Lamp will soon go out unless there be Oil to feed it that my Graces will soon languish unless they be nourisht and refresht by thy Word and Sacraments I know O Lord that my spiritual life my corporal life cannot be upheld but by a daily supply a supply of thy Grace the life and strength of my Soul and I know that this is not in thy ordinary course otherwise to be obtain'd than by fervent Prayer awful Meditatation of thy Word and a devout and frequent Use of the Communion I beseech thee therefore O my God not only that thou wouldest imprint upon my heart a just sense of the necessity of these Duties but also that thou wouldest instruct and assist me that I may perform 'em devoutly and conscientiously and persevere in them constantly to my lifes end O do thou teach me to pray in contrite groans and transporting love O do thou open my heart that it may receive thy Word with true Faith and devout Affection O do thou raise in me such a grateful passion for the love of Jesus that I may not only commemorate his Death in joy and tears but meet him with ardent love and be inseparably united to him and he to me But O my God how often shall I fall short of this through my own default Ah how seldom shall I come up to it O therefore pardon pardon the infirmities of thy Servant Ah! pardon me my want of preparation to these Duties my heaviness and distraction in 'em and whatever mixtures of other frailties may cleave to them and however weak my performances may be let 'em not be wholly unprofitable let 'em at least beget in me Humility clearer Convictions of my spiritual Poverty and Weakness greater Watchfulness and new Resolutions for the time to come and all this I most earnestly and most humbly beg for the sake of Jesus Christ my Lord. CHAP. II. Of the Servant's Duty towards his Master and Mistress consisting in Obedience Faithfulness Love I Think Injustice or Uncharitableness in Servants implies a double guilt nothing can be more evident than that every Servant owes his Master and Mistress in the first place all those Duties at least which every Man owes another whether he be Friend or Enemy Neighbour or Stranger namely Truth Justice and Charity nay I believe all will readily confess that the transgression of these Duties in Servants towards their Masters and Mistresses has many more and greater Aggravations in it than any Errour of this kind in one Man towards another for
his Commandments are not grievous the same is true of the Service of Man the burden of it is very light if Love help to bear it for how natural is it for a Servant to obey when he is as fond of the Love of his Master as of his own Interest and how natural to be faithful when he loves his Masters Interest as his own He will abhor to see him wrong'd in his Goods or disturb'd or disquieted in his Mind since if he loves him he cannot but in every evil that befalls him suffer with him how sacred will such a Servant esteem the Honour of his Master How much will he be concern'd for the Virtue of his Children the good behaviour of his fellow-servants and the success of his Enterprizes in the World Such a Servant will not stand upon Punctilioes and nicely weigh his Duty by grains and scruples but he will think all his Duty whatever it be wherein he can serve his Master And whatever he does he will perform with that delight that care and chearfulness that one would think that he were like Eliezer to Abraham rather an Heir of his Master's blessing and his own labours than an hired Servant such a one will not stay to expect commands where his Master's interest requires his Service much less will he be solicitous which way he may be excused from his Duty for he accounts nothing more disingenious than to stand in need of an excuse Finally how easy will it be for such a Servant to receive direction humbly to bear any infirmity of his Master patiently to answer respectfully to remember heedfully to reform carefully and to do all out of singleness of Heart How many and great the advantages of this Virtue are both to the Master and to the Servant both in point of credit and delight both in point of Religion and Interest is very easy to be discern'd the Master will have his business done and that very prosperously he sees nothing miscarry under the hands of his Servant he hears no discontent nor contention in his Family he sees that his Servant is a good example and guide to his whole Houshold in a word he meets with nothing to displease him when at home nor is he disturb'd by any suspicions or fears when abroad for he can as entirely confide in his Servant's Faith and Affection as in himself how will such a man be ready like him who bought Diogenes to run out into the Exchange and Market to publish to the World that a Guardian Angel is come into his House Without any Amplification of the matter such a Master if he be not savage and insolent as well as stupid must confess that he enjoys a great blessing that he cannot set too high a value upon his Servant and by consequence he is in Honour and Justice bound not only to treat him with courteous words and kind looks but to reward him too and this cannot but tend to the honour and interest of the Servant which cannot but reflect advantagiously upon the Master for to have good Servants and to do well for 'em is I think in the opinion of judicious men no small argument of a good and wise man But to proceed not only the credit and interest but even the content and Religion of Families is highly concern'd in the love and Duty of Servants for Love is the Parent of Unity and Peace and it Nurses up the Children it brings forth it maintains and preserves the quiet which it procures and in a Family where Charity and Contentment reign where order and peace dwell how necessarily must Religion thrive and flourish They will watch over and assist one another they will affectionately give and meekly receive advice they will not want time for Religious Duties nor a sedate composure of mind to make the best use of that time no one 's Prayers and Reading will be rendred useless through discontent and distraction No one will be kept back from the Sacrament by confusion of business or disturbance of mind If all this be put together I need not trouble you with many motives or inducements to this Duty of Love for what greater blessings can a Servant desire than those are which this gives him 'T is a help to him in the performance of his Duty lightens the burden of his Service it gives him the love of his Master and the Family peace at home credit and reputation abroad both which are the most solid foundations of a Servant's interest imaginable unless it be the favour of God and this behaviour gives him a right claim to that too for whatever is a work of Religion as this indeed is whatever procures men more opportunities of grace and whatever prepares and disposes 'em for the best use of 'em must needs very much promote our Heavenly Interest and I have sufficiently made it out that all these are the blessed fruits of this Duty To all which I will add but one consideration more to convince you of your obligation to it which is this that you cannot without monstrous ingratitude be guilty of the contrary Do you think that you owe no affection to your Master and Mistress who have receiv'd you into their House reposed a confidence and trust in you who are very solicitous to inform and instruct you who not only bear long with your Ignorance but wink at many other infirmities in you who provide for you in your health and are tender of you in your sickness who are desirous to oblige and encourage you and rejoice when you behave your selves so as to deserve it Is there nothing due to 'em for their compassion for your Souls for their watchfulness over your manners for their care in providing for you spiritual as well as bodily food You cannot be guilty of hating or despising these who have deserved so well of you nay you cannot be guilty of what is less the not loving 'em but you must be profligately ingrateful you must be stupid and base to a degree that bruitish Creatures have never yet been guilty of For the Ox knows his Owner and the Ass his Master's Crib Nay there is no beast of the Field or of the Desart so fierce and salvage but he has been tamed and obliged too by repeated courtesies and benefits A General Prayer relating to the Duties of this Chapter O Holy and Just God I know that without Holiness it is impossible for me to please thee here or to enjoy thee hereafter I beseech thee therefore that my understanding may be so enlightened my Conscience convinced and my whole Heart enflamed with the love of Holiness that I may be Holy in all manner of Conversation Beget in me a most tender and lively sense of the great Duties of Obedience Justice and Charity which I owe to my Master that I governing my self by these in all my actions I may in my Station advance the Honour of God the Contentment and Interest of my
what is worse contrary to the will of his Father all the rest seem to be but single sins but this is a complication of all mischiefs together the Child's Virtue Honour and Interest are all betrayed at once whereas other instances of negligence or unfaithfulness did hazard 'em but single and alone otheâ— mischiefs are capable of a Reparatioâ— but this very seldom if ever A Chiâ—â— may be recover'd to the Duty aâ—d Virtue which he had forsaken â—â—…e may be restor'd to the favour 〈◊〉 his Father and the interest he haâ— forfeited the Honour which he â—ost by any single fault may be repaired by the Merit and service of his following actions but this an unhappy Marriage sticks fast like Hercules his poison'd shirt he may tear away his flesh but not the evil Not to aggravate the matter 't is a mischief very seldom retriev'd and no wonder for down what a precipice must a raw Youth tumble that renounces First his reason then his Duty that quits the Government of his Father and the conduct of God that sells his Inheritance his Father's and God's blessing to gratifie a dishonourable affection or it may be a Phantastick Passion or it may be something worse than both a dishonourable Lust What Bridewell nay what Gibbet doth not that Servant deserve â—â—t aids the poor Creature thus to â—â—â—o himself nay it may be not himseâ—â— only but his Father and his whole Faâ—â—ly too § I pass on now to the Duty of Servâ—nts towards Sojourners Sojourners Servants Duty towards Sojourners â—ho ' they are not natural branches as the Children yet seem they to be grafted into the same stock and to constitute one Family with them and therefore they have in their Place a Right to their proportion of all the advantages of the Family they have in their degree a claim to the love and care of the Master to the Brotherly Affection of the Children and to the Respect and Duty of the Servants I need not therefore repeat here all the Duties of the Servant which are all of 'em in their time place and degree due to these whom the Master hath Adopted into his Family and made members of that body whereof he is the Head so that 't is impossible that the Servant can wrong them but that the injury must reflect and rebound on the Master 'T is true there is great variety in the case and circumstance of Sojourners and by consequence in the Duty of Servants towards them so that 't is hard to fix a constant and general Rule by which it may be measur'd and regulated unless I should say that since whatever degree of Duty is owing 'em springs from their Union to the Family and Relation to the Master of it therefore the Service and Respect towards them is to be proportion'd to the degrees of that Union which is between them and the other Members of the Family and the dearness and tie there is or ought to be between them and the Master of it This Rule I think will generally hold good or at leastwise a very little discretion will inform any Servant what variation must be observ'd in this point But here to compleat the Servants Instruction I must put you in mind of two Rules more First That you must avoid all occasions of difference between you and the Servants of Sojourners contending rather in courtesie to ease and assist 'em than putting off what is your business and Duty or any part of it upon them and you must abhor to be any way instrumental to breed misunderstanding between Sojourners and your Master for this is the unkindest Office you can do both Secondly You must never go about to endear your selves to Sojourners by any Unfaithfulness to your Master that is by entertaining 'em with the faults or secrets of the Family or by preferring their Honour or Interest or Humour before your Masters For in all this you are ungrateful and unjust and will finally forfeit that esteem which you endeavour thus to raise For how can those which you caress at this rate believe that you 'l be kinder and trustier to Strangers than you have been to those to whom by the Law of God and Nature you owe Obedience Faithfulness and Love § 3. Besides these Boarders Servants Duty towards Strangers there are others which tho' they are not of the Family may be consider'd as having some Relation to it such are Visitants Guests Strangers now the Rule Servants are to observe here are such as concern discretion and good manners in the First place courtesie civility and respect towards all is an indispensible Duty of every Servant and reflects an Honour on the Government of the Master and the breeding of the Family but as to the degrees of these a discreet Servant should behave himself as if he were acted and inspir'd by his Masters Soul and moved by his affections shewing an extraordinary chearfulness and even zeal to serve those the Master calls his Friends civility towards his Acquaintance coldness tho' not rudeness towards Intruders and downright Aversion towards such as the Master looks upon as dangerous hangers on Spies Parasites Suckers and such like which are to a House what Moths are to a Garment they stain the Honour and consume the substance of it Secondly 'T is a piece of justice to right such as are traduced to your Master and to convey to him the knowledge of all either kind expressions courteous or generous actions which are design'd on purpose to pass an Obligation on the Master and so it is to represent any Errand or business truly and seasonably to him the neglect of which is not only a discourteous contempt of the Stranger but also Unfaithfulness and an affront to the Master But yet as to neglect an Errand or business you charge your selves with is unjust and discourteous so to obtrude your selves upon the affairs of Strangers or to lie in wait for the secrets of your Master or his Friends is insolence and immodesty and as great a folly as rudeness and commonly unfaithfulness is join'd with this and the Servant who takes pains to discover doth generally take as much to vent a secret and all finally tends as much to their own disgrace as their Masters disquiet There is but one thing more that I would mind you of on this occasion and that is your behaviour upon a day of any Solemn Entertainment Your Masters and your own credit as well as the satisfaction of his Guests are nearly concern'd in it the decency of your attire the diligence and chearfulness of your attendance the order and silence of the whole management being not only one of the fairest Ornaments of the Entertainment but also a good mark of your breeding and of your Masters prudence and good Government as well as an addition to the satisfaction of all entertain'd by him But above all nothing savouring of rudeness immodesty excess or any other immorality must be practised
Temptations of the Family you are in let not the Authority of great examples delude or deceive thee let not any prospect of Interest insnare thee let not the solicitations of thy fellow Servants perswade thee let no opportunity betray thee into sin for thou dost purchase thy profit or the favour of man at too dear a rate if by the loss of thy Virtue thy Soul thy Heaven thy God Never be ashamed of singularity where thou canst not be virtuous unless singular * Eccles 4.20 21 22. Observe the Opportunity and beware of evil and be not ashamed when it concerns thy Soul for there is a shame that bringeth sin and there is a shame which is glory and grace Accept no person against thy Soul and let not the Reverence of any man cause thee to fall For thou mayest assure thy self that Virtue is never more honourable than when it stands the shock of Temptations and despises the allurements of Opportunity and that whatever profit or honour sin may flatter thee with it will prove shame and bitterness in the latter end Thirdly besides the practice of Religion in private and the frequenting the Sacrament in publick as often as you have Opportunity you must conscientiously attend to Family-Duties for this peradventure is the only Rule by which your Master will measure your esteem for Religion and your esteem for Religion is the only thing or at least the main thing by which he will judg of your Truth and Faithfulness Not that this should be your first and chief motive to it for that must be not the opinion of others concerning you but the Honour of God and the improvement of your Soul There lies upon you more than common Obligations to these Duties for your absenting your selves from 'em is not only a slight put upon the Worship and Truths of God but also an Act of Disobedience to your Master In the second place the meaner your Education is the more ought you to covet these opportunities of instruction and the less your time for Religion is which you are often wont to pretend at least the more carefully ought you to embrace this time of Worshipping God Thus much of the First thing wherein the interest of a Servant doth consist which is his Credit or Reputation The Second is the affection which his Master and others bear towards him of which now And here 't is certain that the surest Foundation of this affection or love is the merit of your Service The Affection of the Master how attain'd a Faithful that is honest and careful discharge of your Duty but besides this there are some qualities that do more immediately tend to recommend and endear a Servant such are First an humble and chearful temper which always puts 'em forward even beyond the bounds of their indispensible Duty makes 'em ready to undertake even more than they are bound to if they think it tends in the least either to the interest or satisfaction of their Master and in doing this they must appear glad of the opportunity desirous of purchasing their Masters favour at any rate and this is such an obliging temper that 't is almost impossible to fancy a Master so stupid or ungrateful as not to take notice of Love and Reward such a Servant Secondly He that will win the affection of those he serves must make it appear that he loves 'em he must rejoyce in every good that befalls 'em and be afflicted in every evil he must be extreamly tender of creating 'em trouble or disturbance not so much out of the fear of any damage growing from it as out of a filial delight in their satisfaction and a filial affliction in their trouble besides all this he must always speak well and kindly of 'em he must look upon it as a lucky accident when ever he has opportunity to check the ingratitude of a Fellow-Servant towards 'em or to vindicate their Reputation against the calumnies of a Stranger and if he will take my advice he must not only speak well of his present but his former Master For I can hardly be persuaded that a Servant will speak well of me when gone from me who speaks ill of him whom he served before but if there be nothing good which he can speak of him yet at least let him never speak any ill of him unless he be unavoidably forced to it Nor let the Servant only speak well of his former Master but let him serve him to the utmost of his power for gratitude to a former is the Servants highest merit with his present Master Lastly That the Servant who desires to be belov'd keep at the greatest distance he can from all sorts of quarrels and contests in the Family let him never make any himself nor be a party in those made by others and let him be so far from insinuating himself into those things which his Superiors or any others would keep secret that on the contrary he must rather fly from the knowledge of a secret which others would disclose to him unless they have some good use to make of his trust all this that I have here directed I would have performed not with art and skill but sincerity for a Servant cannot counterfeit an obliging temper long if he do not endeavour to possess himself really of it He must endeavour to love his Master truly and heartily or else it will be very hard for him to make a good shew of that love which he has not and he must be finally endow'd with an humble and quiet spirit or else it will be a very difficult task for him to stand neuter amidst the quarrels of others and to close his Eyes and Ears against the secrets news and tattle which most are so naturally inquisitive after The third thing on which the interest of a Servant depends is the profit or gain of his Place The Servants Profit how advanced And here I need not tell you that a Faithful discharge of your Duty serves most to promote this for this as you have seen gains you affection at home and credit abroad and the Master will certainly give most countenance and encouragement as far as he is able to the Servant he loves best and every Member of the Family will favour and assist such a one as far as they can and if there be no ground for a rational expectation of reward from those he serves his own credit will in a little time open the way to it an extraordinary Virtue can be no more conceal'd than the Light the meanest and most private Imployment is Theatre enough to an excellent Person but what is most considerable of all he that serves faithfully in any Station has God for his Spectator and Patron There is therefore one thing only which I am to put you in mind of and that is that you be good Husbands of what you gain I mean that you do not wast and lavish it out in
THE DUTY OF SERVANTS CONTAINING First Their Preparation for and Choice of a Service Secondly Their Duty in Service Together with Prayers suited to each Duty To this is added A Discourse of the Sacrament suited peculiarly to Servants By the Author of Practical Christianity LONDON Printed for Sam. Smith at the Prince's Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1685. THE EPISTLE TO SERVANTS Good Fellow-Christians I Will not increase the Bulk or Price of this Book by giving the World an account of all the Reasons that mov'd me to publish it let it suffice to tell you that 't is a Design of great Charity for your Temporal and Eternal Interest I would as much as lies in me render your Estate easie profitable and at least not dishonourable which I shall certainly effect if I can persuade you to Contentment and a faithful discharge of your Duty in your Place for 't is not the Nature of Service but the Faults of Servants which render this state uneasie and contemptible the greatest Burthen and Dishonour of it being in truth to be imputed to the unreasonable Discontents to the negligent unfaithful or undiscreet behaviour of many Servants I would possess you therefore with such Virtues as may render you the Favourites and Confidents of your Masters dear to them as you ought to be next to their own Children and by being so you will become more considerable to all that know you and nearer every day to Advancement These Virtues are Contentment in your Condition Justice Truth Industry Humility the Fear of God and such like By the Practice of these you will convince the World that you differ from the Rich and Great only in outward Circumstances that you have true Honour and Goodness in your Souls and that you have nothing mean in you besides your Fortune These therefore cannot miss of making you worthy to be esteemed to be beloved to be trusted to be encouraged But this is not the utmost of my Design I would make you Happy and Glorious hereafter I would make you the Children the Heirs of God and Joynt-Heirs with Christ though the Servants of Men I would deliver you from the Bondage of Sin and Satan and make you partakers of the true Liberty of the Sons of God Now this cannot be done unless you can be prevail'd with to love and pursue after those Virtues which become your condition in the World and so discharge your Duties conscientiously for I must deal faithfully with you no man can be a good Christian who is not good in that station wherein God has placed him You cannot then be Obedient Servants of God unless you be Faithful Servants of Men nor yet do I confine the whole of your Duty within the compass of your Service to Man there is a Duty also which you owe to God which you are to perform in the first place not only because he is your Chief and Best Master I should rather have said your Good Lord and Father too but also because this is the best and most solid Foundation of your Duty towards Man and therefore easily conceiving that no good nay no wise Man will grudge you the time that is necessary for the Service of God since unless this be perform'd they can neither expect that you should serve them as you ought nor if they did that God would give a Blessing to your Service I have taken care to direct you also in this little Treatise how to imploy this time laying down such Rules as may be more peculiarly useful to you in Reading Hearing the Word Receiving the Sacrament c. The Method I have followed is very plain and I need give you no other account of it than what you have in the Title I have nothing more but to beseech you that you would joyn with me in hearty Prayers to God that he would bless this my Endeavour with success not only to your Advantage and Comfort but to the Peace and Interest of all Families which is nearly concern'd in your Behaviour that he would possess all of you with Virtues suitable to your Quality and Condition in the World with a Spirit of Meekness and Humility with a Spirit of Faithfulness and Industry with a Spirit of Love and Gratitude and with a Spirit of Fear of and Dependence upon him our God that so you may not only be considerable and useful in your Places but also Examples of an Excellent Virtue and by a necessary consequence happy here and glorious hereafter which is the sincere Desire of Your Affectionate Friend Richard Lucas The Contents PART I. Of Preparation for and Choice of a Service Ch. 1. Of Preparation for Service The Duty of Parents in this point The Duty of those who design themselves for Service Ch. 2. Of the Choice of a Service The Importance of this Choice Rules to be followed in making it PART II. Containing the Duty of Servants Ch. 1. Of the Servant's Duty towards God Ch. 2. Of the Servant's Duty towards his Master and Mistress Ch. 3. Of the Servant's Duty towards the Children of the Family Sojurners Strangers Ch. 4. Of the Servant's Duty towards his Fellow-Servants Ch. 5. Of the Servant's Duty towards himself with 6. The Conclusion of this part containing general Motives to the Servant's conscientious performance of his Duty PART III. Containing The Seruant's Preparation for the Sacrament PART I. Of Preparation for and Choice of a Service CHAP. I. Of Preparation for Service as 't is the Duty partly of Parents and partly of those Young People who resolve upon Service THERE is scarce any particular Work The Necessity of Preparation or any single Action that is well done unless by such who are train'd up to it or fitted for it either by an actual or habitual preparation how can it then be imagin'd that Service which is a state of Life of so great importance to the welfare of all the other members of a Family as well as that of Servants themselves should be wisely entred into and happily discharg'd without any Preparation Many and important are the Duties of Servants great is the Trust repos'd in 'em the Estate the Honour of their Masters and Mistresses the Peace the Happiness and Virtue too of the whole Family doth very often depend much upon 'em and can any one question whether such a Charge such a Trust as this does not require many Virtues and Excellent Qualifications and these cannot be obtain'd without due Preparation for as no man is happy so neither is any man wise or virtuous by chance The Qualifications of a good Servant Now the Qualifications which make a good Servant are such as these Fear of and Dependence upon God Contentment in their Condition Love of their Masters and Mistresses Humility Meekness and Patience Faithfulness Industry and Discretion These I confess are eminent Virtues and though they are necessary in this lower station they make men fit for and worthy of the highest These will make
Use and Necessity of those Virtues that qualifie 'em for it they do not feel the want of Spiritual and Inward Pleasures who are wholly taken up with Carnal ones they need not the support of Faith or the Belief of another World who are more than well enough content with this they see not the Use of Dependance upon God who have goods laid up for many years and are secure in their hearts as if their station were such that they could defie the common Events of Providence to reduce 'em to Necessity What business have they for Patience Industry Moderation where every thing not only obeys their Will but flatters their Fancy and their Wealth is sufficient to support Idleness and Riot too But in the condition of Servitude all is the quite contrary they cannot only not live happily in another World but they cannot live pleasantly in this without Virtue the Peace and pleasure of their Minds is necessary to compensate the Travail of their Bodies the belief of another Life to render this tolerable and easy Patience Meekness Industry is absolutely necessary in them to render them contented and satisfied in their station The Reason's plain without these they cannot be good Servants and every Service is a burden and slavery to an ill one So that Virtue is as needful to the Happiness of a Servant as his Food or his Wages his state is slavish unsupportable without it free and easie with it I will take upon my self the person of a Servant that I may the better express the force and strength of these Arguments which I have made use of to persuade Servants to become Religious I see my Condition my Parents are unable to serve me I have no Friends none that can or none that will be of any considerable use to me What shall I do I have but one way to render my self dear to God or valuable to Man and that is by living religiously and virtuously if I do otherwise God will cast me off I shall meet with Contempt from Man and what is worse I shall deserve it I shall ever be a slave and ever deserve to be so Pity and compassion is the highest honour and favour from Man that I must ever aspire to and when my strength for drudgery fails that it may be will do so too and then Beggery and Reproach must be the Portion of my decay'd Age. I can never think on these things but I am filled with blushes and disdain surely I have a Rational and Immortal Soul as well as the Rich and Wealthy and sure the Incense of Virtuous Actions and devout Prayers would smell as sweet to God if offer'd up by me as by a more Fortunate Man and if so what Reason have I to distrust but that God who is rich in bounty towards all would be so towards me too Well then I am stedfastly resolv'd that I will lead an unblameable life and whatever my Fortune be the World shall see I can deserve a good one and by this if I do not thrive and prosper and get in time into a better station I shall obtain this unspeakable Advantage that I shall render my present one both honourable and easie 'T is not a servile Birth nor servile Fortune but a servile Mind that makes a Man contemptible a Mind that has no Faith no Truth no Courage no Industry no Gratitude that is in one word no Honour in it But if I have all these and if together with all this Moderation so that I am my own Master though another's Servant I am in such case full of Honour no Cloud of Meanness can obscure or conceal me I am a Star visible by my own Light a Gem valuable for my own intrinsick worth I shall be beloved and respected wherever I am for Virtue how ever it be clad has beauty and majesty on its forehead nor is this all my station will be full of ease as well as credit for what should trouble me The Travail and Care of my Place Alas this is but pleasure to the industrious the displeasure of those I depend upon Alas I shall never fall under it or at least I shall never deserve it and then the peace and the satisfaction of my mind will more delight me than ever their weakness can disturb me Finally what can it be that can trouble me The uncertainty of a Servants station why while I live virtuously I can never want whatever betides me I have a God an Almighty God that cares for me and if the worst comes to the worst my trouble can be but short my Life and it will end at least together and then Glory and Eternity will receive me Thus I hope I have convinced Servants of the many Obligations they lie under to be Religious I have insisted a little largely upon this because I have ever found it a harder Task to persuade people to do their Duty than to teach 'em what it is But against all that has been said two things are wont to be objected First The meanness of their Capacity or at least Education And secondly their want of time or opportunity for Religious Duties Objection of the Servant's Incapacity answer'd but both these are mere shifts and pretences for as to the first their Souls are endow'd with the same Faculties and Capacities they have the same Reason Courage and Immortality with the Rich or Mighty as 't is evident from innumerable Instances of men who ascending from the lowest to the highest station have not only filled but adorn'd it too As to Education here I confess there is some difference between those of a higher and lower Rank but as 't is generally manag'd it consists in such poor punctilio's such trifling and slight Accomplishments that 't is not easie to say on which side the Advantage lies But omitting this I will put you in mind of one thing that will silence all excuses of this sort The Philosophy of Christianity which is the only true Wisdom doth not require a learned Education a poor Fisher-man now as well as formerly is as capable and fit for it as he that is bred up at the feet of Gamaliel The Belief of another Life depends not on niceties and subtilties of arguing but on the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead not the acutest Philosopher but the best liver has the fullest Convictions and the most lively and transporting Representations of Divine Truths * John 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of my Doctrine whether it be of God One thing further I am to put you in mind of that the Book of God is the great Rule and Standard of Discretion as well as Duty and that Religion naturally tends to make men wise as well as good There is no action of life so indifferent but it has in some part or other of it a Connexion with or Dependance on our Duty some degree or other of Service or Dis service to
our great End so that true Rules of Policy are no where more successfully to be sought than in that Book which contains all the wise Rules of every Imaginable Duty If these things be rightly consider'd there is no man can ever justly think himself excus'd for his Folly or Irreligion by the meanness of his Birth his Fortune or his Education there is not one Christian Servant but may prove an Epictetus or something much greater * 1 Pet. 2.9 a holy Prophet a Royal Priest He may in a word be truly wise and truly good 2 Objction want of time answer'd As to the second Objection want of time When I think upon Epictetus his Lamp and Cleanthes his Labour who wrought and earn'd by night what might maintain him in the study of Philosophy by day when I observe how indefatigable Ambition is how wakeful Covetousness how restless and obstinate all our Lusts and Passions are I cannot but blush to see how lazy our Religion is your Meals your Sleeps your Divertions your Talk and Chat for there are few Servants who spend not some portion of their days and nights in these last can lend you time for Reading and Devotion He can never want time who wants not Zeal for the Service of God But besides this I must tell you the Religion of all Christians in general if it be perfect consists more in practice than speculation and yours no less in the faithful discharge of the Duties of your place than in acts of Devotion towards God but I know how apt weak people are to run from one extream to another and therefore I will not insist longer on this Argument lest I should be thought to place the Religion of a Servant merely and solely in the Duties of his Service There are many ways by which Servants may redeem time and consecrate it to the Interest of their Souls and the Honour of God namely by exalting their minds to Heaven in frequent Ejaculations by Pious and Religious Discourses to one another by easing and assisting one another which will make the burden of the Family lie easier on all and gain time to each Having thus shew'd the Obligations Servants lie under to Religion and answer'd the little Pretences by which they endeavour to palliate their Coldness and Negligence I proceed to consider the Duties wherein their Religion towards God consists which are First such as may be called Instrumental or Relative as Prayer Hearing and Reading the Word and Receiving the Sacrament Secondly Trust in God Thirdly Contentment And Fourthly Fidelity to their Masters The Duty of Reading the Word I will begin with Reading the Word The Book of God is a Legacy of that value containing not only the Wisdom of God but the ravishing expressions of his Love too and in a word the only way to Life and Immortality that no one can be guilty of the neglect of it but at the same time he must be guilty of the most ingrateful Contempt of God and the most sottish Contempt of his own true Interest This therefore is the Book which the Servant must endeavour to be familiarly acquainted with with some portion of this he should begin the Morning and close the Evening Hence is that Wisdom to be learnt of whose manifold use * Prov. 6.22 Solomon speaks in those few but weighty words When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee No Guide no Guard no Company no Divertion is wanting to any one who is instructed as he ought to be in the Book of God Now if you would read profitably you must observe the Direction of St. Peter * 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby When you set your self to read endeavour to banish all unruly Lusts and Passions all worldly Cares and Distractions and to possess your Soul with an humble Awe and Reverence for the Word as the Word of God and with a devout thirst for it as the Word of Life Secondly Be not more fond of strong Meat than of Milk of Mysteries than of practical Truths chuse especially to read those parts of the Bible which are most plain most practical most moving and affecting Thirdly Propose this as the chief nay sole End of thy Reading that thou mayest grow thereby that is that thy Conscience may be more and more awakened that thy Resolutions of Obedience may be more and more strengthen'd that thy Heart may be more purified thy Affections more exalted and in a word thy Faith may be more confirm'd and thy Love of God thy Love of Jesus thy Love of Heaven and thy Love of Righteousness may be more and more quickned and enflam'd If your leisure will permit and you desire to joyn the reading of other Books with the Bible let 'em be but very few very plain and very practical and such if you can find 'em as concern more particularly the Duties of your station or the particular state of your Soul for 't is good Advice especially to persons in your circumstances in Spiritual as well as Temporal Affairs * 1 Thes 4.11 Study to be quiet and to do your own business The Catechism of Our Church is an excellent Abridgment of Christian Faith and Practice 't is a compleat System of all necessary Catholick Doctrines not as some others are of the Controverted Opinions of a Sect and Party I would therefore recommend this to you as being plain short and free from dispute and if well digested you will not want any necessary Instruction The same Rules The Duty of Hearing the Word with little variety are to be observed in Hearing which were prescrib'd in Reading the Word rising something the earlier on the Sunday that you may the sooner dispatch your necessary business and be the freer from any distraction retire and consider with thy self the great End to which God has dedicated that day namely to bless and praise him for the Redemption of the World by the Death and Resurrection of Jesus to commemorate that his bitter Death and Passion in the Holy Sacrament to prepare our selves for a Holy Death a glorious Resurrection and a Kingdom wherein dwells Righteousness to glorifie and honour God by a solemn and publick Worship of him that so his Name may be honour'd upon Earth and finally to hear and learn his blessed Will and to be strengthened and comforted in our Warfare upon Earth by his heavenly Truths and by his great and precious Promises and then earnestly beg of God to dispose thy heart into such an humble and grateful frame that thy praises and adorations may be acceptable to him to possess thee with such a due sense of thy wants and infirmities and with such a devout thirst after the Grace of God and his Truth that thou mayest pray with a steady fervency and hear the Word with pure
attention and devout affection Enter into the Church as into the House of God and the place of his more immediate Residence In hearing attend to the great End that is that thou mayest grow thereby that some Infirmity may be cured some Virtue improv'd some fresh Resolution form'd and in a word thy Soul rais'd into a more heavenly and holy frame being return'd home as soon as thou canst find an opportunity bless God that he has spoke to thy Soul that he has affected thee by his Word and his Spirit and endeavour by a solemn Review and Consideration of those things by which thou wast most affected to fix 'em better in thy memory I should have said in thy heart and then lay all thy Desires and Resolutions in devout Prayers before God and earnestly beg and depend upon his goodness for the obtaining the one and his grace for the performing the other In the evening the last thing thou dost call thy self to an account look back on every part of the day examine thy behaviour bewail thy defects bless God for all thy spiritual Advantages of the day and thou shalt find unspeakable comfort and peace thy delight in spiritual things will encrease and thy hopes will grow up thou wilt begin to relish and anticipate the joys and long for the possession of Heaven The Duty of Prayer Another Duty we owe to God is Prayer concerning which a Servant is to observe these three or four things First you must endeavour to awaken a steady Devotion in your heart by imprinting in it a holy Reverence and awful Dread of the Divine Majesty by these or the like thoughts O God thou art the Eternal God the Almighty Lord of Heaven and Earth all things are upheld by thy Power and filled by thy Goodness at thy Rebuke the foundations of the Earth will tremble and the Heavens at the Voice of thy displeasure all the Nations upon Earth are but as the Drop of the Bucket and the Grain of the Ballance before thee Oh what then am I a poor despicable sinful and extremely small part of ' em O suffer me not to forget thy Majesty suffer me not to forget my self Or thus O just and holy God thou art the Creator and Redeemer thou art the Judge of all Mankind thou art the Searcher of the Heart and Trier of the Reins O suffer me not to be cold or careless much less hypocritical in my Addresses to thee for not only * Eccl. 16.11 mercy but wrath is with thee and as thou art mighty to forgive so art thou too to pour out displeasure O suffer me not therefore rudely and inconsiderately to stretch forth my hands towards thine Ark the place where thine Honour dwelleth lest I be smitten like Uzzah and perish in my folly Or thus O Lord thou art MY God by thee have I been holden up ever since I was born thou art my God and I will praise thee I will love thee O Lord my God for thou hast redeem'd me O Lord thou God of Truth thou Rock of my Salvation my Soul thirsteth after thee open thou my mouth that I may praise thee in the joys and transports of my Soul enflame my heart that I may cleave to thee by the Embraces of Love that I may wrestle with thee by unfeigned Faith and devout Desire and not let thee go till I have obtain'd a Blessing for still I have many Infirmities that will separate between thee and me O let me never be divided from thee Lord save me or I perish Secondly See that thou do nothing that is repugnant to thy Prayers for 't is in vain to beg of God that which thou deniest thy self nay 't is extreme Hypocrisie to importune God for that Grace which thou dost manifestly resist or incapacitate thy self for by thy actions if God or his Prophet bid thee wash and be clean 't is mere presumption to expect the Cure of thy Leprosie without the use of the means prescrib'd Thirdly Mark the Issue and Return of thy Prayers that thou mayest be thankful as thou hast been importunate for a Blessing or if thou receive it not that thou mayest correct and reform what is amiss it may be thy Prayer wants Sincerity or it wants Faith or there is a Babylonish Garment and a Wedge of Gold hid in thy Tent some darling Lust conceal'd in thy bosom or thy Petition it self is a foolish Lust or wanton Passion and 't is well if it bring not down a Curse instead of a Blessing As to your Prayer I think it matters not much whether it be a form or a sudden Effusion provided it have in it a steady Faith and humble Devotion which is the Life and Soul of Prayer But as far as I am able to see good forms fitted to their necessities are most useful for Servants because mental Prayer e're it can be such as it ought requires good ability solemn preparation or at least an habitual exaltation of mind and takes up much time Particular Forms suited to particular occasions I have endeavour'd to provide in this Treatise for general ones Morning and Evening you may use these which follow A Prayer for the Morning O Lord my God thou hast preserv'd me this night which might have been my last and for this my Soul blesses thee Thou hast given me another day O give me Grace too to spend it so as if it were to be my last O let it not increase my guilt and the number of my sins but enable me to work in it the work for which thou hast sent me into the World for the night cometh wherein I cannot work The number of my sins is great enough already they would sink my Soul down to Hell if the blessed Jesus had not loved me and given himself for me and if thy Mercy were not as thy Majesty that is Infinite for I have forgotten thee too too often though thou hast given me my Being and hast provided for me when there was none other to help me I have forgotten thee though thou gavest me thine own Son to redeem me not only to free me from the punishment due to my sins but also to procure for me Life Eternal I have fear'd the displeasure of man whose breath is in his Nostrils more than I have fear'd thine O thou just and holy Judge of Mankind I have been more solicitous for the Bread that perishes than for thy Favour which is better than the Life it self and oh well were it for me if I had only omitted my Duty towards thee or perform'd it lifelesly or sluggishly but woe is me I have despis'd thy Goodness and Long-suffering I have harden'd my heart against thy Commandments I have dealt proudly and presumptuously and have done wickedly here mention those sins which most burden thy Conscience if thou hast any such and particularly those of thy Service and yet after all this vain and sensless Creature that I am I have repin'd
and murmur'd at thy Providence been discontent in my Condition and complain'd of thy Dealings towards me 'T is true O my God that thou of thine infinite goodness hast convinc'd my Conscience of sin affected my Soul with a sorrow for it and wrought in me Resolutions of amendment but oh how many have been my falls how many and grievous have been my Relapses how negligent have I been of the Covenant of my God! Oh how soon have the tears of my Repentance dried up how soon has the flame of my Devotion and Love slackened and even gone out O God thou holy God thou Witness of all my actions and Judge of all my thoughts and affections what would become of me if thou shouldest enter into strict Judgment with me how should I stand before thy Tribunal cover'd with the guilt and shame of so many sins But O thou God of Mercy O thou God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ I know that thou art always ready to pardon poor Penitents Lord I repent increase thou my Repentance trouble has taken hold of me my Soul is cast down and disquieted within me I am asham'd yea even confounded for I do bear the Reproach of the folly and ingratitude of my sins O be thou reconciled to me pardon me I beseech thee by the Merits and Intercession by the Agony and Passion and by all the painful Sufferings of thy Son pardon me O pardon me I beseech thee by thine own boundless goodness by those tender Mercies and Compassion which thou art wont to exercise towards Repenting sinners And Lord not only pardon my sins but deliver me I beseech thee from the Dominion and Power of 'em O assist me to break off those Chains of carnal Lusts and worldly Cares in which I have been held bound I have a false deceitful heart O give me Sincerity and Truth have a sluggish and drowsie body O enkindle in me fervency of spirit I am conscious to my self of great weakness and fraily O do thou confirm and strengthen me who alone canst make me a clean heart O O God and renew a right spirit within me give me a true Faith and enflame my heart with a holy Love that I may delight my self in thy Commandments that I may walk before thee in uprightness and fear diligently seeking thee constantly depending upon thee chearfully submitting to thy Will and doing the Duty of my place in singleness of heart as knowing that I shall be accountable to thee as well for those Duties which I owe Man as for those which are more immediately to be paid to thee O Lord keep me that my foot stray not out of the path of Justice O Lord keep me that I offend not with my Tongue and after I have done all O Lord suffer me not to fall short of my Reward through my pride or ingratitude but make me always thankful always humble neither defrauding thee of the Praise due to thine infinite Bounty and Mercy nor Man of the Thanks due to him for any act of kindness or charity towards me help me O my God to walk thus that my Soul may enjoy a true Liberty that my Life may be full of comfort my Death of peace and my Eternity of glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. And O my God bless not me only but this whole Family thou that art the God of Love the God of Peace sow in all our hearts the seeds of unfeigned Charity that we may all enjoy the comfort of a mutual Affection and of a mutual Assistance and Aid in our several places and Lord possess every Soul of this Family with a just sense of our Duty towards God and Man that all of us may be living Members of thy blessed Son and being protected by thy Providence directed by thy Word and assisted by the Influence of thy Spirit we may all at last meet in the Family of Heaven where we shall adore and praise thee love and enjoy thee to all Eternity through Jesus Christ our Lord. A Prayer for the Evening O My God my Strength and the Rock of my Salvation the Day is past and the Evening is come O give me grace to remember that this Life will one time be past and Death will come that I may live so that my work may be then finisht as 't is this day and I may have nothing else to do but go to my Rest where I shall be invested with Liberty and Glory Eternal Eternal O blessed Wages of a short Lifes service how does my Soul praise thee O Lord in Transports and even Extasies thou hast called me indeed to be a Servant but thou hast called me too to be a Son thou hast not indeed given me any great portion of the Wealth or Honour of this Life but thou hast given me the blessed Jesus to be my Redeemer and thy holy Spirit to be my Sanctifier O do but ever continue thus to me the Light of thy Countenance thy Grace and thy Truth and I shall never think my self to stand in need of any thing that the World admires but O my God how often are these my Comforts abated nay even interrupted how often is this blessed this chearful Light obscur'd and orecast by my infirmities and sins my sins the only causes that keep good things from me my sins the only real troubles of my Life Thus O my God though I renew'd my Covenant with thee but this morning though I devoted my self to thee vowing Obedience to thee and faithfulness to my Master yet have I prevaricated my Duty here mention the Errours and Infirmities of the day past have mercy upon me O Lord have mercy upon me and forgive me these and all other my offences and give me grace to keep my self upon my watch and guard against them Enable me sincerely to endeavour to repair and reform 'em as much as in me lies that I may every day grow and increase in goodness and be so much the fiter for Death the nearer I do every day approach to it and whenever it comes let it find me O Lord with my Loyns girt and my Lamp burning in a disposition and frame of spirit fit to die possessed with an unshaken Faith with an humble Resignation and Submission of Mind with a holy Contempt of Earth and a devout Love of Heaven In the mean time thou keeper of Israel thou who never slumbrest nor sleepest watch over me and this whole Family protecting and delivering us in our coming in and going out particularly let thine Angels pitch their Tents about us this night let us lie down securely and let our sleep be sweet to us for thou Lord shalt make us dwell in safety Amen Amen Blessed Jesus If any one expects from me Directions here for Mental or Extemporary Prayers I must tell 'em freely that little less than a Volume much bigger than I purpose this is sufficient for such an undertaking What I have to say in a word here
is this they who would be extremely devout must be extremly pious they who would find the pleasure of transports in Prayer must be frequent in their Retirements strict in their Self-denial and Mortification devout if it may be even in their daily Conversation In a word they must be crucified to the World and delight in God and in Jesus above all things The Servants Duty as it respects their Obligation to and Preparation for the Sacrament shall be handled at large in the close of this Book I have insisted thus long upon these Duties because whoever conscienciously performs these will not be like to miscarry in any other I will now single out those other Duties which do seem to me more peculiarly to concern Servants for as there are some times so there are some stations which do more particularly require the practice of some Virtues as Adversity of Patience Prosperity of Thankfulness The station of a Magistrate requires the practice of Justice and the station of a Subject the practice of Loyalty and both the one and the other is bound to this out of Conscience towards God So is it in the station of a Servant tho' he must not look upon himself as dispens'd from any Duty common to him with others yet there are some wherein he must endeavour to excel and be eminent as being more immediately and directly necessary in his Imployment such are these three Fidelity to his Master dependance upon God The Servant's Fidelity to his Master a Duty owing to God and Contentment in his station First Fidelity to his Master I place this first because all his Prayers and Sacrifices without this cannot be accepted by God his diligence in reading and hearing the Word is without this Hypocrisie and his communicating of the Sacrament is without this but a bold and presumptuous prophanation of it And I place this here as a Duty towards God because I would have every Servant know that it really is so nothing can be plainer than that the * Eph. 6.5 c. Apostle thought so which you will readily acknowledge if you 'l read with impartiality that weighty and earnest Exhortation which he makes to Servants Eph. 6.5 c. Servants be obedient to them that are your Masters according to the flesh in fear and trembling with singleness of your heart as unto Christ not with eye-service as men-pleasers but as the Servants of Christ doing the Will of God from the heart with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free How could the Apostle more fully or more pathetically express your Obedience to your Masters to be a duty to God he tells you that the discharge of your Place is a good work that God owns it and will reward it as a Service done to him that it doth very much concern the Honour of your Christian Profession that the Rule by which you are to behave your selves is the Conscience of its being a Duty towards God a firm persuasion that you are to be accountable for it to Christ our Lord and Master and our Judge and for these Reasons you are to perform this Duty with fear and trembling that is not an apprehension of what you shall suffer in your Temporal Interest if you perform it not faithfully but a dread of dishonouring Christ and provoking God by it Those other Properties of the right performance of this Duty singleness of heart chearfulness c. as they respect your Duty towards your Master shall be treated in their proper place I am only here to mind you that they are here pressed upon you as Duties to God the Apostle intimating that where the Master's Eye could not there God's Eye would see regard and mark the behaviour of the Servant and that though his heart were not open to the inspection of his Master yet 't is to God's and therefore he must serve his Master from his heart too He that is acted by such a Conscience as this will certainly do his Duty for when he shall think that God overlooks him and fills every place which his Master cannot he cannot then easily be tempted to allow himself in murmuring or unfaithfulness or idleness Whatever he would not do or say if his Master's Eye were upon him that being govern'd by this Conscience he will not do how far soever he be absent for he will fear Damnation more than the loss of his Service and the displeasure of God more than that of Man A second Duty towards God which I would recommend to Servants is 2. Trust in God Trust in him or dependance upon him There is no state so secure or so fortunate as not to stand in need of God and consequently none wherein this is not a proper Duty But yet it seems most proper and indispensible for such as have fewest Friends fewest supports to relie upon and such are Servants they are therefore to endeavour to be eminent in this Grace there is no way by which they can more directly and immediately own God by which they can make a more publick and eminent Profession of their firm Belief of his Wisdom Power and Goodness The Servant therefore must learn to look upon God as his Father as his Patron as his Guardian as all in all to him to him he must resort for Counsel to him he must complain if wrong'd of him he must beg assistance and on him alone he must relie for a blessing in all he doth and for Provision He must learn to call upon him in all his Straits and praise him in all his Enjoyments From the conscientious practice of this Duty the Master will reap two great Advantages the first that his Servant will do his Duty with much better courage as aiming in all he doth to recommend himself not only to his Master whose power to requite him is it may be very little but most especially to God who he knows is a Patron that never wants either power or will to recompence those that apply themselves to him The second that God will bless him and all he has for his Servants sake This was the Advantage which Potiphar enjoy'd in the Service of Joseph and Laban in that of Jacob the Prosperity of those Idolaters being owing to the Religion of their Servants the Servant besides the contentment and satisfaction of his mind arising from his frequent Addresses to God and besides the actual blessings which God will one time or other certainly bestow upon those that trust in him will also find a good support a ready Antidote against all the real and imaginary Evils of his state For were but this Duty of Trust in God conscientiously practised Servants of ability and spirit would never want encouragement nor those of meaner Capacity satisfaction and comfort They who serv'd in hope would be able in despight of an
God not Man Or can he ever have the impudence to expect a reward from God for this kind of Deportment What such a one has reason to expect he may learn from the Parable of the Lord and his Servants Matth. 25. where he is called a wicked and a slothful Servant and adjudged to outer Darkness who had not answered the trust committed to him who had only behaved himself idly and unprofitably tho' he had neither wrong'd his Master by fraud or theft or wast and riot Alas The unprofitable Servant must not flatter himself that he doth his Duty for care and industry are as essential and necessary parts of the Faithfulness of a Servant as truth and honesty and he that any time stands idle can never be excus'd unless he can plead what they in the Market-place did to that question Why stand ye here idle all the day long Because no man has hired us But you are hired you have no doubt work to do for no Master will purchase heedlesness and sloth at the rate of such a charge as a Servant puts him to Nor can I think that a Servant himself would judge this behaviour a good discharge of any man's Duty in any other Station Would he think that Master did his Duty who made no provision for his Family And yet care and industry is as indispensible a Duty of the Servant as provision or maintenance of the Master But I need say no more if nothing else will the effects of this ill demeanour may convince a Servant how great an evil this is for besides the loss and vexation which it creates the Master it begets perpetual quarrels and discontents in the Family for the Fellow-Servants of a sluggard are not only bereav'd of that assistance which they should receive from him but also oppressed by that burden of which he eases his Shoulders the Drone himself is forced upon many Lies and Shifts to excuse his omissions and errors and finally after some time spent in the displeasure of his Master the contempt and hatred of his Fellow-Servants He is at last reproachfully cast off and branded with such a character as makes all that know him shut their Doors against him as unwilling to receive such a trouble and incumbrance into their Families There is a Third vice Of Consumption and Wast which Servants are too often guilty of where the Fortune of the Family can allow it and that is Consumption Wast whether by wantonness and delicacy whether by riot and excess whether by junketting and drinking amongst themselves or also by drawing in others into the Club and Association it matters little 't is a downright injustice committed against the Master 't is every jot as bad as theft much worse than the common theft of poor people for the poor steal to relieve their necessities but these rob to feed their gluttony and wantonness nay 't is every jot as bad as theft in a Servant the guilt of which has been sufficiently display'd to you before for what difference is there either in respect of the guilt of the Crime or in respect of the effects of it towards a Master whether a Servant steal from him out of Covetousness or fear of future want or whether he rob and plunder him out of Luxury and Riot if so then you may be sure that if the wrong be the same in respect of the Master and the guilt the same in respect of the Servant the Temporal ill consequences of it in this Life and the punishment of it in another will be much the same for such Servants must finally without Repentance and Amendment be abandoned and forsaken by God and Man And accordingly 't is generally observ'd and I have mark't it my self that such as have been extreamly Prodigal Wanton and Wastful in their Master's Houses have been afterwards reduced to extream Poverty even to the want of a Morsel of Bread and that which adds to their misery in this state is commonly this that such as have been sharers with 'em in the wast of their Master's goods have been the most apt to reproach their former Pride and Wantonness and to despise their present Poverty and the only Persons from whom they could expect relief have been those very Masters and Mistresses whom they had before abus'd and wrong'd Besides this Duty of Justice in Deed there is another sort of Justice in Word which a Servant owes his Master which is Truth but because this is a common and avow'd Duty between Man and Man I think 't is not needful to dwell upon it here there is no body can be ignorant of the wickedness of this sin which makes one of the greatest Prerogatives of Mankind that is Speech an Instrument of the greatest Mischiefs which is 2dly An Argument of a mean base Spirit and destitute of the Faith and Fear of God which is 3dly The Product and Effect of some sin or other for Virtue never needs the Service or Protection of a Lye which Lastly Prevents Repentance for sin for as soon as men have obtain'd a great slight and dexterity in Lying they grow hard and confident in their faults because they find they can without any difficulty conceal or excuse 'em by a Lye And as no one can be ignorant of the evil of this sin so neither of the evil which will punish it Who knows not how many plagues are denounc'd against it by God What infamy attends it from Man What secret shame and disquiet it tortures the mind with and finally how it certainly involves the Lyar in Temporal and Eternal Ruine Let the Servant therefore as he would avoid all this alwaies keep up to strict Truth in his words if he have committed a fault let him not go about to excuse it by the commission of a greater that is by Lying let him rather chuse to try the goodness of his Master by an humble and honest confession than tempt him to suspicion by frivolous Excuses or barefaced Untruths however if he should think his Master stupid enough to be imposed on by any idle Tale yet let him remember that he has a Master in Heaven who may be conquer'd by Confession and Repentance but cannot be imposed upon or mockt by any slight or artifice of words I have now spoke sufficiently of the Duty of Faithfulness and will therefore pass on to the Third and last great Duty of Servants 3dly Of Love of Masters and Mistresses The Love of their Masters and Mistresses This is a Virtue which is extremely necessary in Servants it being a very difficult matter to do their Duty without it but if this be once implanted in their hearts if the Master be lookt upon as a Father one whose Affection and Esteem for 'em they value as their greatest worldly happiness there will need no other motive either to their Obedience or Faithfulness For what St. John observes concerning the Service of God Eph. 5. that to them who love him
ours you are become one with him and he with you and with us all for in Jesus Christ there is neither bond nor free you all sit equal guests equal favourites at this table O let not the humility the condecension the love of Jesus be slighted and despis'd by you ah how trifling a favour in comparison of this conferr'd upon you by your Master or any body else wherein you value as supposing him rich and great would transport you into all the heats of thankfulness and put you upon any task how hard or how mean soever by which you might do him honour I 'le insist no longer on this point I 'le only mention the little and mean objections against this Duty Objections Answer'd with which you are nevertheless wont to content your selves you have you 'l say so much business so much work that you have no time to prepare for the Communion You do then serve not only a very hard but a very foolish Master so foolish that I can scarce believe there is any such for who can be such a sott as to be unwilling to give you time wherein you may give him the greatest security the surest pledge of your Fidelity Industry Humility and all other Virtues of a good Servant that his heart can desire Can any man be such a sott as not to give a bad Servant time to reform in or a good one time to repeat his Vows and Resolutions of his perseverance and to fortifie himself in his Duty by fresh engagements And this benefit certainly every Master reaps by his Servant's conscientious frequenting the Communion and yet after all let your Master be never so unreasonable towards you or ungrateful towards God for he is both in this I must tell you to your comfort no Servant is rendred unfit for the Communion by doing the Duty of his place the discharge of your Duty towards man is a part of your Religion towards God this peradventure may render your preparation less solemn and laborious but never less acceptable a sincere sigh or groan from you in such a case as this if such a one can be supposed shall be admitted for as good satisfaction as the most solemn confession consisting in a particular enumeration of every sin and an act of sorrow appropriated to each when perform'd by others who are Master's of their own time a Devout Ejaculation shall be accepted from you as well as the most careful trimming of their Lamps the most studious dressing of their Souls from others But here let me beseech you that you do not abuse that unto a plea for your negligence and security which I have taught you only as a comfort under the necessity of your circumstances For when you have time for more solemn preparation you must not out of presumption or laziness content your self with this but this I must leave to your own consciences and to God the searcher of hearts to determine this then that you have no time is a vain excuse but you 'l say you are ignorant and unlearned and do not understand the nature of this Duty why do you not then consult those that do Is it so that there is no good Christian in the Family Is there no Pastor in the Parish Is it possible that in these days of light any though the meanest of the people should perish for lack of knowledg But you are unworthy to approach that table and are you resolv'd that you 'l ever continue so If by unworthiness you mean any course of sin break it off speedily lest you perish in it peradventure this call to the Sacrament may otherwise be the last Invitation to Repentance the last tender of mercy that shall be ever made you but if by unfitness you mean Frailties and Imperfections Defects and Weaknesses if this should make us unfit who then could be fit If this should make us unworthy who then could be worthy Sin and folly would be a qualification for the Communion if none were fit for it but such as were arrogant enough to think themselves so for that in this sense of fitness were to think themselves void of defect and frailty which were flatly repugnant not only to Humility but Truth too But you 'l lastly say you are conscious to your selves of great weakness and are afraid of entring into Engagements which you have much ground to fear you shall not be able to perform If you prove unable it will not be your sin but misfortune but I am afraid you mean which you shall not be always willing to perform And if so I must confess I fear you are not fit for the Communion for this insinuates that your Heart at present is not sincere that your meaning is not right and that you have some darling sin or at least some remainder of sin which you cannot yet be fully perswaded to part with If it be otherwise the weaker you are the more need you have of that Sacrament by which you will be confirm'd and strengthen'd if you are sincere you are always safe PART III. CHAP. II. Directions for the Servants Worthy Receiving the Lords Supper Contemplations tending to stir up a Devout Conviction of this Duty in the Soul OUR Savour's Institution of this Sacrament is thus related Our Lord Jesus the same Night that he was betray'd took bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and gave it to his Disciples saying Take eat this is my body which is given for you do this in remembrance of me Likewise after Supper he took the Cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to 'em saying drink ye all of this for this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins Do this as oft as ye shall drink it in remembrance of me Out of these words our Church forms that excellent Prayer Almighty God our Heavenly Father who of thy tender mercy didst give thy only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our Redemption who made there by his one oblation of himself once offer'd a full perfect and sufficient Sacrafice Oblation and Satisfaction for the sins of the whole World and did institute and in his Holy Gospel command us to continue a perpetual memory of that his precious death until his coming again hear us O merciful Father we most humbly beseech thee and grant that we receiving these thy Creatures of Bread and Wine according to thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ's Holy Institution in remembrance of his death and passion may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood On the parts of this Prayer you may descant thus O my God and my Father didst thou give thine onely begotten Son to suffer death upon the Cross for my Redemption what then was my state that it was capable of no lesser Redemption than the bitter death of thy Son A state of sin and misery a state of bondage