speeches; "Though I should work myself to death my master would not care," and "This is what I get for my labour." Indeed if we serve earthly masters only, this may be often said truly enough; but if we serve God in our calling of servants, it can never be said, "Here is no consideration had of my diligence." The true servant of Christ knows better than to say that for, as he does not seek a reward from man for his services, so he is sure he shall not lose his reward from the hand of him whom he serves, his Master in heaven; and hereupon is not discouraged by those hardships or unkindnesses put upon him by his master on earth. Jacob was a good servant under Laban, a covetous and hard master. Yet Laban's severity did not cause Jacob to remit of his diligence. For twenty years together he went on serving Laban with all his might: as he says, By day the drought consumed him, and by night the frost, and sleep departed from his eyes ;'* he was up early and late, and minded no weather. And what recompense did he get from Laban? Why, "If anything was torn, Jacob bare the loss of it; and whatever was stolen by day or night poor Jacob must stand to it." That there are many Labans in the world may not be questioned; but I fear there are few Jacobs, who serve God in their calling with his faithfulness, diligence, and zeal for his master's interest, and that too under so many discouragements, and so much ill treatment, as Jacob met with in return for all the services he had done Laban. The too common language is, My master does not like me; why, then, let things go as they will; what care I how much is lost and squandered?Now, servants, prove yourselves by this. What answer will you give to this question, Have you been serving God in your calling? If you have altogether failed here, there is a heavy account lying against you before God for your constant transgression of his fifth commandment. But suppose you had some general eye to God in your service, hath that continually attended you, so that for God's sake you have been always diligent, faithful, patient? There is no inquiry so important to servants, who would think well of their estate towards God through Jesus Christ, as this now before us. For as service is their talent, so only by resolving this inquiry can

* Gen. xxxi. 40.

they be determined whether they have used it to the glory of God or not. And with regard to the matter of salvation, I must observe, it is of equal moment to you that you be found serving God, in your calling of servants, as it is to me that I be found so doing in my calling as a minister of the Gospel of Christ. What I have been advancing on this head is the foundation, and that without which it is impossible to be a good servant for conscience toward God must needs be the ground and support of all our duties, which God requireth from servants to their masters. But where there is this conscience towards God in servants, there will not be wanting either reverence towards their masters, or a showing that reverence by obedience and honesty, together with prayer for them, and for the success of their master's business in their hands; which are the remaining duties of servants, and which I come now more directly to lay before them for examination. Wherefore,

The second duty of servants is to reverence their masters. This reverence is twofold, inward and outward.

First.-Inward. Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling."* Be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.'t Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour.' You see God puts authority upon the master, and requires servants to respect and reverence it. As it was in parents, so here in masters, God's authority rests upon them; and for the sake of that they must be reverenced. If you should reverence your masters because they are wise and wealthy, this would not be the thing; for then you would not reverence them at all if they were poor or ignorant: and this I suppose is a common case with servants; while they are in families where their masters are rich and great, and keep up some authority, they will have some respect towards such masters: but do they come under such as are lower in the world, or have not so much discretion and weight with them, truly they have no respect for them at all. Yea, and in the same house you shall commonly see a kind of reverence had of the master, and very little of the mistress. In such cases it is plain there is no regard had to † 1 Pet. ii. 18. + 1 Tm. vi. 1.

Ephes. vi. 5.

God's authority; to which, and not to the wisdom or wealth of the master, the reverence is due. I say, it is God's authority puts honour upon the masters; and that whether the master be rich or poor, wise or foolish, nay, good or bad. Even in bad masters God's authority must be honoured; for when St. Paul saith, Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed,' he is speaking of unbelieving and Heathen masters, as appears from what he adds in the next verse, And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren; by which he shows that the masters he was before speaking of were infidels; while at the same time he intimates it is no less difficult to reverence such masters as are truly good and Christian. It is as if he should have said, "Servants, I know it is a hard matter for you to reverence your masters; if they are without religion, you will be ready to think, must or can I have any reverence for such a wicked master as this? And if your master be a real disciple of Christ, you will be apt to forget he is your master, because as a Christian all are upon a level as brethren: but whether bad or good, a disciple of Christ, or of Belial, bear an honour toward him on your heart, because God has put his authority upon him. It is a great matter, and that by which servants do a great deal of honour to Christianity, that they esteem and reverence their masters in their hearts, whatever they be as by a contrary conduct they bring disgrace on the name of God, and the Gospel of Jesus is evil-spoken of and blasphemed."

Secondly. This inward must, and where it is will be accompanied by outward reverence; which lies chiefly in a reverent speaking and behaving to their masters, and a reverent speaking of them. Servants must not speak or act irreverently to their masters and mistresses; must not answer again,* saith the Apostle; must not show a proud, sullen, undutiful spirit. But how little is there of this Christian conduct among us? Do not the most of servants, if they be in families of higher station, show the irreverence of their hearts by a discontented sullen countenance, and an angry sturdy manner of going about their work, when in anything they are blamed, or put out of

* Titus ii. 9.

their own way? And in families of a lower degree, is not the servant's word as good as the master's or mistress's? Are not their servants continually ready to come to terms of debate with them; and the masters often obliged to give up the matter for peace-sake? Such servants bewray the ungodliness and irreverence of their hearts by such behaviour; and indeed have not the least regard to God's authority in the persons of their masters and mistresses. And as servants must not behave or speak irreverently to their masters, so they must not speak irreverently of them. It is a very bad part in a servant, to come like a spy into a family, to watch and observe everything that passes, and then to go whispering it about here and there, without any other end to be answered than that of indulging a wanton licentious tongue and a very wicked irreverent heart. Yet it is a most ordinary thing for servants to speak too forwardly of their masters when behind their back; to proclaim their faults and weaknesses, and so to blast their reputation. And this I have observed to be a very usual thing, after servants are passed from one family to another, their new masters and mistresses encouraging them in it, out of a vain and sinful curiosity, and not considering that they themselves are laying a foundation for a like misusage of themselves, when such graceless servants shall have been gone from them to others.

Servants, obey

The third duty of servants is obedience. your masters in all things; that is, in all things that are lawful: for if your master command you to lie, swear, steal, break the sabbath, or in anything to transgress the law of God, he must not be obeyed. In all things must needs reach to all such things as fall within the calling of a servant. Though the master's authority doth not reach unto any that is a matter of conscience in the servant's judgment of it, as whether his servant shall be a Papist or a Protestant, and the like, yet it absolutely reaches to all that is the proper business of a servant living in the family. While a servant is in a family he must submit to all the orders and regulations of it, regarding religion and prudence; for instance, he must attend such family-worship, and observe such hours, as the master of the family has seen fit to establish. And, with regard to the matter of work, the servants must do as they are bid; must not be impatient of direction;

nor murmur and grow peevish if reproved. Servants must do what they are bid cheerfully, considering, that not they, but their masters, are to guide the house. A conceited temper in servants, leading them to do just what they will, and nothing else, without being out of humour; causing them to treat their masters' and mistresses' orders with slight and indifference, to do what they will and when they will, to act as if there were none in the house fit to govern but themselves, and carelessly to forget in a manner whatsoever is required of them: such a temper shows very little sense of duty to God, or reverence to masters. Servants, judge for yourselves if this has not been in a greater or lesser degree your temper and conduct. Have you been possessed with such a sense of your duty to God and your masters as has caused you to obey them in all things? Have you not been self-willed, impatient of direction, taking your own way, oftentimes out of humour when your masters would not allow you to do as you pleased; making very light of what you were bid to do, and heedlessly forgetting what was required of you? Forgetting, you say! what, is there any sin in that? Yes surely, if it be out of heedlessness: for that plainly shows a want of reverence. Consider if you have not been of this conceited disobedient spirit: and be convinced that, as far as you have, you have contracted the guilt of breaking the fifth commandment.

I must speak a word here particularly to apprentices, who perhaps have not looked on themselves as servants, though they call those who are over them masters; and may possibly judge themselves unconcerned with the duties of reverence and obedience here spoken of. Is not this too frequently the language of their heart, and what their conduct but too evidently speaks? "What care I for my master? What has he to do with me? when I have done his work, he can demand no more after that of me. I will go where I will, and come when I please; shall he tell me? I am old enough to govern myself, and do not want his directions. What is it to him how much money I spend, or what company I keep? It is not his business how I spend the Sunday, or where I pass the evenings. He has threatened to strike me, I wish he would, I would-." My dear young friends, if there be any such as I have been describ