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
reproach of Sloth and the Plagues of Nastiness and Ignorance When you have laid this to heart consider too the infinite kindness of God who fills or is ready to fill all things living with his Goodness Consider his Alsufficiency and Power that 't is he * Psal 75.7 who pulleth down one and setteth up another There is no Cottage so retired which God does not look into and regard no Condition so desperate so destitute of Friends and all means that God cannot redress and relieve it He that called his People out of the Brick-kills and from between the Pots and chose Herdsmen and Shepherds for his Prophets and Princes this God can never want means to raise or provide for such who call upon him and serve him Thus if you lay to heart your Quality and Condition in the World if you demand each one of himself Who am I What am I born to What Station has God assigned me in the World This will soon convince you that you have nothing to trust to but God and your own Virtue And if you lay to heart in the next place the Goodness and All-sufficiency of God you 'l easily conclude that they who have him for their Friend and Patron can want no Encouragement no Assistance that they who serve him and depend upon him * Psal 34. shall lack no manner of thing that is good and so all together will put you upon the practice of Virtue and a dependence upon God in which consists almost the whole Preparation I am treating of Having advanced thus far Children must accustom themselves at home to the Duties they must practise in Service your next business will be to learn and accustom your selves to those Duties as far as you can in the Family of your Parents which you must practise afterwards in that of your Masters Above all practise those Virtues which you shall find useful and necessary wherever you shall come such are Industry Humility Contentment and the like First Industry for why should you not ease and assist your poor Parents who with much Affection Care and Trouble nurst and succour'd you when unable to help your selves Or why should you indulge your selves in Idleness who cannot live but by taking pains Secondly Humility for why should you not pay that Respect to those who are your Parents which you are to do to those who will be your Masters to those whom the Law of Nature has set over you which you must to those whom your Necessities will set over you Or how will you learn the Humble and Respectful Language or Demeanours of a Servant who accustom your selves to nothing but Rudeness Disrespect and Undutifulness towards your own Parents whom though you which you ought not it may be fear less yet sure you love more or ought to do so Lastly Contentment in your state for you are unfit to be Servants if you are wanton and discontented Children your Dyet it may be and such other Circumstances may be better'd by the exchange of a Father 's for a Master's House but there may be other things which may be more insupportable than your Parents Poverty something every where must be borne with and therefore inure your selves betimes to Contentment in the meanest Condition without which you shall never be happy in the best In a word if you would prove good Servants you must first prove good Children look upon your Parents not only as your Father and Mother but Master and Mistress too Let not the meanness of their Estate tempt you to slight 'em 't were a sin in a Neighbour or a Stranger to despise them for their Poverty but 't is a Crime a Crying wickedness in you their Children Make no use of the Indulgence and Fondness of your Parents but only this to inform your selves of 'em more freely what you are to do and more carefully avoid doing amiss and more chearfully to reform what is amiss for if you have no sense upon your minds of Duty and Kindness you will never make better than Eye-Servants whom God as well as Man detests Thus prepar'd The Resolution fit for such as are entring into Service as soon as you are invited to or have your selves found a fit Service fortifie and confirm your selves in this Resolution that you will perform the utmost that you undertake at least and whatever more you can that you will do your Duty with Chearfulness and with all your Might and with all imaginable Faithfulness and singleness of Heart as doing Service to God not Man Look upon your Master and Mistress as your Adopted Parents resolve to love and serve 'em as such and never to be persuaded that your own Interest can be divided from theirs Ah! would you but go thus qualified to Service you would find it indeed a state of True Liberty not Slavery you would not be driven to poor and dishonourable shifts ever and anon you would grow up and thrive in the Affections of your Masters and Mistresses and your Interest would ripen with their Affection and Value for you they would be your Adopted Parents you their Adopted Children as necessary and dear to 'em as their Feet their Hands their Eyes Fraught with these Virtues and Arm'd with these Resolutions enter into the World and prosper having first begg'd your Parents Blessing and Advice and devoted that little time between your being hired to and entring upon Service to Prayer and the consideration of these things A Prayer to be used by Parents fitted to this Duty O Almighty God Father of the Family of Heaven and Earth possess my Soul with a tender sense of the Duty of a Parent that I may not be bereaved of the Peace and Satisfaction which springs from a faithful discharge of it nor of the Pleasure and Advantage which Wise and Virtuous Children bring their Parents nor of that Blessing which thou dost bestow upon all such as train up their Children in thy Holy Faith and Fear O suffer me not instead of all these Advantages to fall into that wretched state wherein my Conscience shall be tortur'd and my Soul afflicted by the sense of my Childrens Ruin my own Guilt and thy heavy Displeasure Suffer me not O Lord to imitate that wicked One the Devil who delights to betray his Children into Sin and Ruin but make me to imitate thee my Heavenly Father who dost fill all things with thy Goodness whose merciful Providence is over all thy Works who providest for all thy Children both spiritual and bodily food and art most infinitely kind and gracious even to the undutiful and ungrateful O Lord open thou my mouth that I may pour forth Instruction O Lord purifie and sanctifie me that if I be slow of speech and unlearned they may yet learn from my Life more than they can from my Tongue But above all O Lord pour forth thy Grace in their hearts that they may be meek and teachable industrious and dutiful devout and
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
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
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
Master the Peace and Virtue of the Family and my own both Temporal and Eternal Happiness I know O Lord that no acts of injustice or unfaithfulness between Man and Man shall go unpunish'd I know that for these things sake the wrath of God is reveal'd from Heaven O what then must be my punishment if I heap upon the guilt of injustice and uncharitableness many others namely of Ingratitude Unfaithfulness Lying Perjury O preserve me therefore O my God from all falshood and wrong and suffer me not to forfeit thy favour and destroy my Soul for the sake of those things that perish O let me be fully convinced that the ways of Righteousness are ways of Pleasantness and that all her paths are Prosperity and Peace that so I may delight my self in the Law of my God and may find comfort and a blessing in the discharge of my Duty Teach me O Lord Humility and Obedience Faith and Truth Care and Industry Charity and Meekness that I may adorn the Doctrine of God my Saviour win others over to a love of Virtue and after an humble and contented tho' laborious life here may enter into Rest and Glory hereafter through Jesus Christ our Lord. A Prayer for Obedience O Glorious and Eternal Lord God who dwellest with those who are of a meek and lowly Spirit behold me I beseech thee and pour into my Heart that Virtue of Humility which is so highly esteemed by thee O Lord my Heart is too too apt to be filled with Pride and Vanity O do thou convince me every day more and more of my own vileness and worthlesness that I may be preserved from self-conceit and wilfulness O give me Grace often to consider the Humility of my Lord and Saviour that I may learn of him and obtain the peace which flows from a meek Spirit and Humble Obedience And O my God because I am to give an account to thee who art the searcher of the Heart and the tryer of the Reins the Judge of my most secret Thoughts as well as my most secret Actions teach me therefore to do my Duty chearfully and in singleness of Heart make me to abominate all Lying shifts and pretences as well as all proud wilfulness and sluggishness Make me careful to learn my Duty sincere in the performance of it patient under reproof and diligent in reforming whatever is amiss thus O my God whilst every part of my Duty towards Man shall prove an instance of my Obedience towards thee I shall enjoy the peace of a good Conscience and the hopes of an Eternal Reward Hear me and answer me O Lord for thy Mercies sake and thy Son Jesus Christs Sake A Prayer for Faithfulness O God thou God of Truth Right and Just art thou and there is no iniquity with thee fill my Heart I beseech thee with the love of Truth and Faithfulness make me true in all my words and upright in all my deeds O teach me to take heed to my ways that I offend not with my Tongue teach me to keep my Mouth as it were with a Bridle while the ungodly are in my sight O make me to abhor the sin of Unfaithfulness and let no such cleave unto me Let no slander or detraction no mischievous accusations proceed out of my Mouth nor suffer me ever to stretch forth my hand to iniquity O let me not fall through Covetousness or Distrust in God and let me never commit injustice to maintain my Pride or Riot or Idleness adding sin to sin If sinners entice me suffer me not to consent to 'em permit me not to have any Fellowship with the Unfruitful Works of Darkness but give me courage and discretion to reprove 'em that so my Righteousness may be as the Noon-day and thou mayest make me to prosper in the Land and I may at last obtain the Blessing Well done good and faithful Servant enter thou into thy Masters Joy Amen Amen Blessed Jesus A Prayer for Love O Thou God who art Love give me thy Grace that I may practise more abundantly that Charity which I owe all Mankind towards those of the same Family give me a grateful sense of the benefits which I enjoy under this Roof of the care and kindness of my Master towards me in providing for me both spiritual and bodily Food that so I may make returns to him in the Fruit of Love Obedience and Faithfulness Lord let his interest and his honour let his quiet and content be dear to me as my own that I may not only serve him with Justice but Zeal too And O my God diffuse the gift of Charity through the Hearts of this whole Family that we may all live in Godly love and peace together that our Prayers be not hindred nor we kept back from thy Holy Table or approach it unworthily But that we all enjoy thee our God in the beauty of Holiness enjoy one another in the beauty of Charity and enjoy those Temporal Blessings which thou hast richly bestow'd upon us in the beauty of order and virtue and and all things may finally and uniformly tend to thy Glory and our Comfort through Jesus Christ our Lord. CHAP. III. Of the Duty of Servants § 1st Towards their Masters Children consisting of Affection due Respect Care of their Morals Care of their Honour and Care of their Interest § 2dly Towards Sojourners § 3dly Towards Strangers What the Servant owes his Masters Children WHatever it be that Servants owe the Children of the Family 't is only the result of that Duty which they owe their Master Children are as it were parts of their Parents their Blood and Birth gives 'em a just claim as to the care and love of their Parents so to a proper share of th' Affection and Service and all other advantages of the Family First Therefore a Servant owes the Children of his Master a sincere Affection Affection which will easily be granted if it be but consider'd that 't is impossible for a Servant to bear Faith and Love to his Master and have neither for his Children for Children are the dearest interest and most valuable Treasure of their Parents Children are the joys and hopes of their Fathers they double the pleasure of his prosperity by being sharers in it and ease the toil of his labours by being the Heirs of ' em How therefore can any one pretend to love his Master who hates or despises what is dearest to him Now this affection of the Servant must express it self towards his Masters Children 1st In a due Respect 2dly In his care for their Morals 3dly In a sincere Zeal for their Honour and 4dly For their Interest 1st In Respect Due Respect This their birth Challenges every slight or neglect offer'd the Children by a Servant is some diminution of the Reverence which he owes his Master for the Father must needs suffer in the contempt of the Son and yet this Respect ought to be wisely regulated for
against which more judgments more curses are denounced or which is represented more detestable to God than Lying Lips a Lying Tongue a spiteful and a malicious Heart There is indeed a sort of Lying by way of Recrimination and Self-defence which is generally thought to have something of extenuation in it and something indeed it has but not enough to excuse it for the best that can be said of it is this it may sometimes have something less of Malice and habitual Rancour but it has never less of falsehood and injustice and therefore is vile and dishonourable in the sight of Man and damnable in the sight of God One sort of Injustice more I must just touch upon and that is Envy weak and base minds are extreamly subject to this such as are too sluggish to have any Merit and too self-conceited to see their want of it these and these only are apt to be envious and such a one will count every excellence in his Fellow-Servant a disparagement to himself and every favour vouchsafed another an injury to him And this stirs him up to detract from anothers good Service and to supplant anothers interest by all imaginable Arts which shews the hainousness of this Crime consisting in the utmost contradiction to Justice and Charity but this sin is so great a Plague and Torment to ones self that methinks there needs few motives to persuade men not to entertain it or to get rid of it Thus much I thought necessary to speak of this Duty of the Justice of Servants towards one another and were this well observ'd this would lay a sure Foundation for Charity and this again for Mutual Assistance and Concord for if you would not wrong one another either in word or deed all occasions of debate and contention would be cut off It were very happy for you your selves and for your Masters and Mistresses if you could advance thus far if you could come up to the pitch of honest Heathens but this is not enough to make you perfect Christians there 's something more requir'd of you if you 'l be the Disciples of our dear Lord and Master than meerly not to do wrong I will proceed therefore to the second Duty of Servants towards one another namely Charity I need not insist on the necessity of this grace in general Mutual Charity between Servants you well enough know you cannot be saved without it the heart that is void of love is void of God for * 1 John God is Love if you be destitute of Charity you cannot be the Children of God or the Disciples of Christ 1 John 4.20 If a man say I love God and hateth his Brother he is a Lyar. And our Saviour saith hereby shall I know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another This is an irresistible motive to every one that believes and weighs it but there are others which being more peculiar to your state ought to prove strong engagements to it for instance how uncomfortable must strife and hatred render your service it must needs be extremely troublesom to be condemn'd to the company and conversation of those you cannot endure nor will this only bereave you of the pleasure you would take in one another but of the assistance you would afford each other if you did love as Brethren nor is this all your discontents do generally rebound upon those above you and you grow by degrees as uneasy and unacceptable to your Masters and Mistresses as you are to one another nay any discreet man tho' he could brook the trouble of your quarrels and discontents yet to deliver himself from the disparagement scandal of 'em will judge himself obliged to discard all peevish contentious Servants what over other good qualities they may have And then another ill consequence is you lose your good name and lie under such odious characters that being cast out of one house no other will receive you for who can be fond of noise and mischief This little if it be seriously consider'd is sufficient to convince you of your obligation to Charity and Brotherly affection towards one another I will now go on to shew you in what instances you must express this affection having first only put you in mind that your Charity must be real and not feigned that you must love not in word but in deed and in truth for Hypocrisie and Dissimulation is as sinful and mischievous and in common account at least more odious and despicable than professed hatred or open contention Having premised this I proceed there are two waies by which you are to express your mutual Charity First by the mutual assistance you are to afford each other Secondly by preserving constant peace and unity amongst your selves 1. If you be possessed with Charity towards one another it will shew it self in the good turns you will do one another in the assistance you will yield to each other and here sure the Soul of your fellow-Servant deserves your aid in the first place if he be ignorant unacquainted with Religion and not only so but incapable through the meanness of his education to inform himself in it by reading for if he be not ignorant but what is worse viciously inclined if he know God but do not fear nor glorifie him as he ought you cannot do God or him a more eminent service than by endeavouring to instruct and inform him reading to him and teaching him to read or by endeavouring to convince his Conscience of his Duty and to make him sensible of the necessity and happiness of a Religious and holy life Next to the ignorance of Religion and Immorality a Servant's ignorance in his business requires your compassion and aid and what help you afford him in this is a work of excellent Charity in you and ought to be acknowledg'd not only by your fellow-Servant but your Master too as an obligation for 't is a Real benefit to both To be brief if you 'l behave your selves with that goodness gentleness and sweetness that may evidence your love to one another you must in a literal sense bear one anothers burthens you must pardon and forgive one another's infirmities you must excuse and conceal one anothers Errours unless they be such as imply manifest unfaithfulness to your Master in which case they are no longer Errours and Frailties but Crimes Concord which was the second instance of Charity I recommended to you is the natural result of all this For these mutual Assistances and Obligations can never miss of preserving a right Understanding and nourishing a sincere Friendship between you but yet because Concord must be preserv'd where Friendship sometimes cannot and you must wish well to and carry your selves fairly towards some Servants whom you cannot fancy whom you cannot take any complacency or delight in therefore I will say something of this I need say nothing more to convince you of the necessity of Concord than
indeed to thee but comfortable and happy to us thou didst not only make an Oblation and Satisfaction for the sins of the whole World if they would believe and repent but also purchase for 'em an Eternal Kingdom I do therefore desire in this Holy Sacrament to make a publick Confession of my Faith in thee I am not asham'd of the Gospel of Christ for 't is the power of my God unto Salvation I am not asham'd of thee my Crucified Saviour for I know there is no other name given unto Man by which he may be sav'd but only the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I do therefore most earnestly desire to be made partaker of the benefits of thy Death and to have the assurance of my Redemption by thy Blood seal'd to me for I have O Lord a weight of sin that hangs upon my Soul from which unless thy Death deliver me it will sink me down into the lowest Hell therefore with impatience doth my Soul desire to approach this comfortable Sacrament where I may give thee the sincere assurances of my Faith Repentance and Love and may receive from the assurances and pledges of my Redemption wrought by thy Cross and Passion But Lord I know that they only can draw near with comfort to this Sacrament who with hearty Repentance and true Faith turn to thee I do therefore desire to place my self first as in the presence of God and under the awe of his all-seeing Eye to examine and try my Life and my Heart and to enter into the most sincere purposes of reforming what is amiss in me and help thou me O my God that I may do this as I ought to do give me that just sense of the weight and importance of this work that I may do it with care and vigour convince me so of the indispensible necessity of sincerity that I may neither hide nor disguise any sin in my Examination nor make any the least reserve for any in my Resolution of amendment And O my God if through the necessities of my Imployment or through the straitness of my time or through the ignorance or prejudice of my Education any thing shall escape me O impute it not to me but have compassion upon the Frailties of my Nature and the Infelicities of my State and upon whatever weaknesses unknown to me are grown upon me Secondly The Exercise of Repentance O Almighty God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Maker of all things and Judge of all Men thou Holy All-seeing and Impartial Judge I present my self before thee in the Humility of my Soul in the grief and bitterness of my Heart to confess and bewail my sins and actually and sincerely to renounce ' em Here consider first the course of your past Life in general Thus how you have behav'd your selves towards your Parents when under their Government I mean not the particulars of your actions which 't is impossible to recollect but such generals as these Whether you have been notoriously disobedient whether you have notoriously neglected the means and opportunities of your Education or by any other way procur'd the grief affliction or shame of your Parents Then consider your course of Life since you came into Service as whether you have lived carelesly and coldly towards God in an habitual neglect or it may be contempt of Religion whether you have been a Faithful and good Servant or on the contrary whether you have liv'd in the custom and habit of Disobedience or Unfaithfulness to your Master And lastly as to your selves consider whether you have lived in a habit of Drunkenness Gluttony Uncleanness Pride and Wilfulness now if upon Examination you find your selves to have been guilty of any of these things in your past lives it will be necessary to confess and bewail your error altho' you have now long ago renounc'd it broken off your sin and liv'd a new Life and it will not be amiss to consider what aggravations are to be found in these your sins for example what convictions you have resisted and stifled what restraints you have broke through what inconveniences you have suffer'd by your sins what extraordinary Mercies and Deliverances you have had what extraordinary Chastisements God has inflicted upon you what Opportunities of Grace you have slighted these and such like considerations serve to render the Soul more Humble and Contrite and to quicken the sense of Gods Goodness and Loving-Kindness towards you When you have thus examin'd what the State of your Life past has been you are secondly to examine what the present State of your Soul is and here you are to consider First Whether you are now under the dominion and power of any sin and this your Conscience if it be not sear'd will soon inform you for it cannot but tell you that it has accus'd you for the Commission of this or that sin But lest you should deceive your selves you may examine your selves in the former manner upon those several Heads of your Duty treated of in this Book as you stand related to God to your Parents to your Master and Mistress to their Children to your Fellow-Servants to your Neighbours in general and to your selves Weighing your present behaviour and affection towards each in this as you did your past in the former part of this Examination If upon this view of your selves it appears to you that you live in any sin you must not only bewail it and resolve against it but you must also make Restitution if you have wrong'd your Master your Fellow-Servant or any other if you have wrong'd 'em in their goods you must restore it if you can if you cannot you must confess the wrong and beg their pardon If you have wrong'd 'em by Lying you must discover the truth and take the shame to your selves If you have griev'd disturb'd and troubled 'em by rudeness contumelious Language or any such way you must make 'em what amends you can by confessing your error promising Reformation and begging Forgiveness If you have been injurious to the Souls of any you must be as industrious to reclaim 'em when you have done all this I would not have you make too much hast to the Sacrament But first make some trial of the Truth and Sincerity of your Repentance but in giving this Rule I would be understood to speak either of sins of habitual Omission or else of those notorious transgressions of Gods Laws which the Scripture calls the works of the Flesh the wickedness in which the Gentile World lay the filthiness of Flesh and Spirit for as to defects and frailties tho' we must strive against 'em we shall never be free from 'em As to Lukewarmness Stupidity or Lifelesness in Religion if you mean by it a form of Godliness without the power that is that you profess to believe and live civilly but the Duties that you perform are done heedlesly and perfunctorily without any seriousness or any relish and the whole