conscience toward God, and that whether their masters be good or bad,
Heathens, (in fact, if not in name) or Christians. For the character
of the master, while he is such, does not vacate the duty of the
servant. Suppose they are mere Heathens, men that neither love nor
fear, nor serve God, (a very possible case even in what we call a
Christian country) still _let as many servants as are under the yoke_
(for the service of these is a _yoke_ indeed) _count their own masters
worthy of all honour¹_. Tho’ they are unbelieving and unholy, yet in
consideration of the place which God has assigned them, for his sake,
and in obedience to his appointment, _count them worthy of all_ the
_honour_ above described. Pay them all the reverence in your heart,
and shew them all that outward respect, both in word and action,
_that the name of_ God _and his doctrine be not blasphemed_ by those
ungodly men, who would not fail to lay the blame of your neglect, on
the religion which you profess. On the other hand, _as many as have
faithful masters_, real believers in Christ, let not this administer
any pretence, for less exactness in their duty. _Let them not despise
them, because they are brethren._ Let them not on this account abate
any thing of the inward reverence they owe, or of their outward
respect and obedience. _But rather do them service_, observe the
preceding directions with regard to them, more earnestly and exactly,
_because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit_:
enjoying the same communion with God on earth, and looking for the
same inheritance in heaven.
¹ 1 Tim. vi. 1.
17. But besides these general ones, there are several particular
directions given by the apostle to all Christian servants. As 1. _Be
honest, not purloining_, (Tit. ii. 10.) not _secreting_, or privately
_keeping back_ any thing for yourself: not taking, using, disposing,
or giving away the least thing belonging to thy master, without his
leave, without his knowledge and consent first asked and obtained.
To do otherwise is no better than plain theft, and cuts off all the
pretensions to honesty. Equally dishonest it is to hurt or waste any
thing, or to let it be lost thro’ their carelessness or negligence.
Whatever therefore your fellow-servants do, keep yourself pure: and
let not the custom of the world, but the word of God be the rule of
all your actions.
18. Secondly, _Be true_, not barely, tell no willful lie, either to
your master or your fellow-servants, but let _all your conversation
be in simplicity, and godly sincerity_. Even if you are overtaken
in a fault, use no deceit, no equivocating or prevarication to hide
it, or to excuse either yourself or any of your fellow-servants, or
prevent anger that may ensue. Herein also St. _Peter_ observes, Christ
_left you an example, that you might tread in his steps. He_ not
only _did_, committed, _no sin, but there was no guile found in his
mouth_. Let there be none found in yours: in spite of all temptations
to the contrary, _speak the truth from your heart_, and whatever
inconveniences spring herefrom, God will turn them all into blessings.
♦19. Thirdly, _Be faithful_: as St. _Paul_ expresses it, _shew all
good fidelity_, Tit. ii. 10. This is _good_, beautiful, honourable
in all men. It ennobles the lowest station, and causes it to shine in
the eyes of God and man. Be faithful, 1. With regard to your master’s
goods. Preserving, yea, and increasing them to the uttermost of your
power. Whatever is committed to your trust, whether within doors
or without, so carefully preserve, that it be not lost, spoiled, or
impaired under your hands. If you see any damage done to your goods,
redress it yourself, if you can: if you can’t immediately make it
known to your master, that he may find means of redressing it. And not
only preserve, but do all that in you lies, to increase your master’s
goods. The talents which were committed to the faithful servants,
were by their industry increased to as many more. So that it is not
sufficient, not to lessen your master’s substance, but you should
labour to better it. Study his interest as you would your own, and
promote it by all possible means. Regard not your pleasure, your ease,
nor any thing but your conscience, in comparison of it. Be faithful,
2. With regard to his reputation. Conceal his faults and infirmities
as far as possible. Some of these you can hardly avoid observing,
being continually under his roof. But whatever you observe of this
kind, keep it in your own breast. Let it go no farther; reveal it not
to strangers, no, nor even to your fellow-servants. Never make either
his supposed or real failings, the subject of your discourse. Beware
you do not wound him behind his back, nor suffer others to do it in
your presence. Endure no tatling or tale-bearing concerning him in
the family, but prevent or stop it with all diligence. Whenever you
can do it consistently with truth, and so far as you can, defend him.
And in every point, be just as tender of his character as of your
own. To this head may be referred faithfulness in keeping the secrets
of your master. Many of these you cannot but know, by reason of the
close connexion which is between you, your continually abiding so near
together, and the many employments he has for you. All these therefore
you are carefully to conceal, provided they tend not to the dishonour
of God, or to the danger of the church or common-wealth, or indeed of
any private person. For _Jonathan_ is commended for discovering the
mischief which _Saul_ had secretly intended against _David_, _1 Sam._
xx. 12. Be faithful, 3. with regard to his soul. With all plainness
which your station allows, and yet with all respect and humility
_rebuke, and suffer not sin upon him_. The time, the manner, and the
other circumstances relating to this difficult task, God will give you
to chuse aright, if your eye be single, and you seek his direction by
earnest prayer.
♦ ‘19.’ omitted from text
20. Fourthly, _Be patient_. In your patience _possessing your souls_,
♦steadily follow the preceding directions, and _be_ thus _subject,
not only to the good and gentle_ masters, but also to the froward: to
those who are neither good nor gentle, who have neither religion nor
good-nature, that it may appear you do your _service unto the_ Lord,
_and not unto men_. But it may be proper in the mean time to observe,
that the state of _English_ servants, is widely different from the
state of those to whom St. _Paul_ and St. _Peter_ wrote. Many of
those, perhaps the greater part were slaves, who by the miserable
constitution of their country, were the absolute property of their
master, as much as were his sheep and oxen. Therefore it was not in
their power to leave or change their master, but they were constrained
to stay with them till death. Consequently, those directions were
peculiarly necessary for those who were in such a situation: _This
is thank-worthy, if a man for conscience toward_ God, _endure grief,
suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted
for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But if when ye do well,
and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with_
God, 1 Pet. ii. 19, 20. But to those who are born under an happier
constitution, undoubtedly the first advice should be, _If thou mayst
be free_, from a froward, ill-natured man, then use it rather. Do not
bind yourself at all, if you can honestly avoid it (as you generally
may) to any, who you have reason to believe is an unjust or an
unmerciful man. And if you are bound to such an one already, yet if
you should _suffer wrongfully_ from him, _if you do well_, and suffer
notwithstanding, it is by no means your duty to endure it. Rather it
is your duty to appeal to the magistrate, who _is the minister of_ God
_to thee for good_, and to desire of him such a remedy, as the laws
of your country allow. In this manner _commit yourself_ and your cause
_to him that judgeth righteously_. But even in this case, till you are
free from the unrighteous man, remember the example Christ has left:
_Who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he
threatened not_. How much more should you _tread in_ these _his
steps_, with regard to things of smaller moment, with regard to those
inconsiderable instances either of injustice or unkindness, which are
to be expected almost in every family, and for which even our laws
provide no remedy? Here undoubtedly you are called to suffer: and see
that you do so with all meekness and gentleness. Not only _when_ you
_are reviled, revile not again_, but _answer not again_, Tit. ii. 10.
Open not your mouth, unless silence might have the appearance of
sullenness or disrespect: and then do it in as few words, as the
matter will bear, and with all the softness you are master of.
♦ ‘steddily’ replaced with ‘steadily’
21. Before he closes the subject, St. _Paul_ does not fail to remind
you, what great encouragement you have, to persevere in all these
duties of your station, whatever difficulties you meet with therein.
For hereby you _may adorn the gospel of_ God _our Saviour in all
things_. So strong an expression is scarce to be found in all the
writings of the apostle; when he speaks to persons of the highest rank,
as he here uses to men of low degree. You therefore are peculiarly
called of God, to be an honour to your profession, your general
profession of Christians; to shew what manner of men they are who
_serve the_ Lord Christ: see then that you in particular _walk
circumspectly_, accurately, exactly: that either your unbelieving
masters _may be won_ by your conversation, or at least believers
confirmed and comforted.
22. Still further encouragement you have in _knowing that of the_ Lord
_ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance_: that inheritance
reserved for you in heaven, which is of infinitely greater value,
than any which your master now enjoys, or any which you can receive on
earth. You know that the day is coming when your common Master will
descend in the clouds of heaven: and you are assured, in that day,
_Whatsoever good thing a man_ hath _done_, while he was _serving_ God
_in his generation, the same shall he receive from the_ Lord, _whether
he be bond or free: The same_――That is, a reward proportionable
thereto, in an additional degree of glory. Therefore, let nothing be
wanting now. _Work your work betimes, and in his time he will give
you your reward._ Now be honest, be true, be faithful, be patient. Now
_obey your masters with fear_, yea, _with fear and trembling_. Do them
service with _singleness of heart, with good-will, with your_ whole
_soul_. Do this for the honour of the gospel, for the glory of God
your Saviour, for the present good of your own soul, and for the
increase of your eternal inheritance.
An Extract from Mr. LAW’s
TREATISE
On CHRISTIAN PERFECTION.
CHAP. I.
THE wisdom of mankind has, for several ages, been enquiring into the
nature of man, and the nature of the world in which he is placed.
The wants and miseries of human nature, and the vanity of worldly
enjoyments, have made it difficult for the wisest men to tell, what
human happiness was, or wherein it consisted.
It has pleased the infinite goodness of God to satisfy our enquiries,
by a revelation made to the world by his Son Jesus Christ.
This revelation has laid open the great secrets of providence from the
creation of the world. It has explained the present state of things,
and given man all the information that is necessary, both to give him
rest here, and to lead him safely to everlasting happiness.
It is now only necessary that the poor wisdom of man do not exalt
itself against God, that we suffer our eyes to be opened by him that
made them, and our lives to be conducted by him, in whom _we live,
move and have our being_.
II. As happiness is the sole end of all our labours, so this
revelation aims at nothing else.
It gives us right notions of ourselves, of our true good and real evil;
it shews us our true condition, both our greatness and meanness, our
happiness and misery.
*Before this, man was a mere riddle to himself, and his condition
full of darkness and perplexity; a restless inhabitant of a miserable
disordered world, _walking in a vain shadow and disquieting himself in
vain_.
*But this light has dispersed the anxiety of his vain conjectures. It
has, by adding heaven to earth, and eternity to time, opened such a
glorious view of things, as leads men, even in this world, to a _peace
of_ God _which passeth all understanding_.
III. *This revelation acquaints us, that we have a spirit within us,
which was created after the divine image; that this spirit is now in a
fallen condition; that the body in which it is placed is its sepulchre,
where it is enslaved to fleshly thoughts, blinded with false notions
of good and evil, and dead to all taste of its true happiness.
It teaches us, that the world in which we live, is also in a
disordered, irregular state, and cursed for the sake of man; that
it is no longer the paradise that God made it, but the remains of a
drowned world, full of marks of God’s displeasure, and the sin of its
inhabitants.
That it is a mere wilderness, a state of darkness, a vale of misery,
where vice and madness, dreams and shadows, variously please and
torment the short, miserable lives of men.
Devils also, and evil spirits have here their residence, promoting the
works of darkness, and wandering up and down, seeking whom they may
devour.
So that man, in his natural state, is like a person sick of variety
of diseases, knowing neither his distemper nor his cure, and inclosed
in a place where he can hear or see, or feel, or taste of nothing but
what tends to enflame his disorders.
IV. *But Christianity puts an end to this state of things, blots out
all the ideas of worldly wisdom, brings the world itself to ashes,
and creates all anew. It calls man from an animal life and earthly
societies, to be born again of the Holy Ghost, and be made a member
of the kingdom of God.
It crushes into nothing the concerns of this life, condemns it as a
state of vanity and darkness, and leads man to a happiness with God in
the realms of light.
It proposes the purifying of our souls, enlivened with the divine
spirit: it sets before us new goods and evils, and forms us to a
glorious participation of the divine nature.
This is the one end of Christianity. It does not leave us to grovel on
in the desires of the flesh, to cast about for worldly happiness, and
wander in darkness and exile from God: but the sole design of it is,
to lead us from all thoughts of rest here, to separate us from worldly
tempers, to deliver us from the folly of our passions, the slavery
of our own natures, the power of evil spirits, and unite us to God,
the true fountain of real good. This is the mighty change which
Christianity aims at, to reform our whole natures, renew our souls
in the image of God, and make them the inhabitants of heavenly and
immortal bodies.
V. The manner by which it changes our whole state is equally great and
wonderful.
_I am the way, the truth, and the life_, saith our blessed Lord, _no
man cometh unto the Father but by me_.
As all things were created by the Son of God, and _without him was
not any thing made that was made_, so are all things redeemed and
restored by the same divine person.
As nothing could come into being without him, so nothing can enter
into a state of happiness but by him.
The dignity of this redemption at once confounds the pride, and
relieves the misery of man. How fallen must he be from God, that
should need so great a mediator! And, on the other hand, how full of
comfort is the thought that so high a method, so stupendous a means
should be taken to restore him to a state of peace and favour with
God!
VI. *This is the true point of view, in which every Christian is to
behold himself. He is to overlook the poor projects of this life, and
consider himself as a creature, thro’ his natural corruption, falling
into a state of endless misery; but by the mercy of God, redeemed to
a condition of everlasting happiness.
All the precepts and doctrines of the gospel are founded on these two
great truths, the deplorable corruption of human nature, and its new
birth in Christ Jesus.
The one includes all the misery, the other all the happiness of man.
It is on these that the whole frame of Christianity is built,
forbidding only such things as fasten us to the disorders of sin,
and commanding only those duties which lead us into the liberty of
the Sons of God.
So that if we think and act as Christians, we act suitably to these
terms of our condition, fearing and avoiding all the motions of our
corrupted nature, cherishing the secret inspirations of the Holy
Spirit, opening our minds for the reception of the divine light, and
pressing after all the perfections of our new birth.
All Christians are continually to behave themselves conformable to
this double capacity. We are to fear and watch and pray, like men that
are always on the brink of eternal death; and to believe and hope,
labour and aspire, like Christians that are called to fight the good
fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life.
VII. This knowledge of ourselves makes human life a state of
infinite importance, placed upon so dreadful a point betwixt two such
eternities.
Well might our Saviour say to one that begged first to go and bury his
father, _Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead_.
For what is all the bustle and hurry of the world but dead shew, and
its greatest actors but dead men, when compared with that real life to
which the followers of Christ are redeemed?
Had we been made only for this world, worldly wisdom had been our
highest wisdom; but seeing we are redeemed to an intirely contrary
state, worldly wisdom is now our greatest foolishness.
It is now our only wisdom, to understand our new state, and conduct
ourselves by the principles of our redemption.
VIII. The nature of our Christian calling is of that concern, as to
deserve all our thoughts, and is indeed only to be perceived by great
seriousness and attention of mind.
The Christian state is an invisible life, supported, not by sensible
goods, but the spiritual graces of faith and hope: so that a man
busied in earthly cares and enjoyments, perceives nothing of this
great and heavenly calling.
The changes which Christianity make in the present state of things,
are all invisible: its goods and evils, which are the only true
standards of our actions, are not subject to the knowledge of our
senses.
In God _we live and move and have our being_; but how unseen, how
unfelt is all this!
Christ _is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, the true
light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world_. He is the
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of all things. The whole
creation subsists in him and by him. No person is in any favour with
God, but by this great Mediator. But how invisible, how unknown to all
our senses is this state of things!
Christians are temples of the Holy Ghost, consecrated to God, members
of Christ’s mystical body, of his flesh and his bones, receiving life,
spirit and motion, from him their head.
But our senses see no farther than our parents and kindred according
to the flesh, and fix our hearts to earthly friendships and relations.
Well then may this life be deemed a state of darkness, since it thus
clouds and covers all the true appearances of things, and keeps our
minds insensible and unaffected with matters of such infinite moment.
IX. *Would we therefore know our true condition, we must search after
_a life that is hid with_ Christ _in_ God. We must consider ourselves
as parts of Christ’s mystical body, and as members of the kingdom of
heaven. In vain do we consider the beauty and strength of our bodies,
our alliances with men, and the distinctions of this world; for these
things no more constitute the state of human life, than rich _coffins_
or beautiful _monuments_ constitute the state of the dead.
We justly pity the last poor efforts of human greatness, when we see
a breathless carcase lying in _state_. It appears so far from any
real honour, that it rather looks like ridiculing the misery of our
nature. But were religion to form our judgments, the life of a proud,
voluptuous, sensual man, tho’ shining in all the splendour of the
world, would give us no higher an idea of human dignity, than a poor
corpse laid in state.
For a sinner, when glorying in the lust of the flesh, the lust of
the eye, and the pride of life, is a more shocking sight of misery
ridiculed, than any pageantry that can expose the dead.
X. We have an apostle’s authority to say, that _he who liveth in
pleasure is dead whilst he liveth_.
This shews us, that when we enquire what our life is, we must think
of something higher than the vigour of our blood, the gaiety of our
spirits, or the enjoyment of sensual pleasures: since these, tho’
the allowed signs of living men, are often undeniable proofs of dead
Christians.
When therefore we would truly know what our life or happiness is, we
must look at nothing that is sensible or temporal. We may as well dig
in the earth for wisdom as look at flesh and blood to see what we are,
or at worldly enjoyments to find what we want, or at temporal evils to
see what we have to fear.
We must therefore, if we would conceive our true state, our real good
and evil, look farther than these dim eyes of flesh can carry our
views. We must, with the eyes of faith, penetrate into the invisible
world, the world of spirits, and consider our order and condition
among them; a world which, as St. _John_ speaks, _hath no need of the
sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of_ God _doth
lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof_. For it is there, among
eternal beings, that we must take an eternal fellowship, or fall into
a kingdom of darkness and everlasting misery.
XI. *Christianity is so noble in its ends, so extensive in its views,
that it has no less subjects than these to entertain our thoughts.
It buries our bodies, burns the present world, triumphs over death by
a general resurrection, and opens all into an eternal state.
It never considers us in any other respect than as fallen spirits, it
disregards worldly distinctions, and proposes nothing to our fears but
eternal misery, nothing to our hopes but an endless enjoyment of God.
This is the great, the important condition, in which Christianity
has placed us, above our bodies, above the world, above death, to be
present at the dissolution of all things, to see the earth in flames,
and the heavens wrapt up like a scroll, to stand at the general
resurrection, to appear at the universal judgment, and to live for
ever, when all that our eyes have seen is passed away and gone.
XII. *Take therefore upon thee a temper suitable to this greatness
of thy condition. Remember that thou art an eternal spirit; that thou
art but for a few months or years in a state of flesh and blood, only
to try whether thou shalt be for ever happy with God, or for ever
miserable with the devil.
Thou wilt hear of other concerns and other greatness in this world.
Thou wilt see every order of men, every family, every person pursuing
some fancied happiness, as if the world had not only happiness, but a
particular kind of happiness for all its inhabitants.
But when thou seest this, fancy thou sawest all the world asleep: the
prince no longer a prince: the beggar no longer begging, but every
man sleeping out of his proper state; some happy, others tormented,
and all changing their condition, as fast as one foolish dream could
succeed another.
When thou hast seen this, if thou wilt, thou mayst go to sleep too,
thou mayst lie down and dream. And this is all; for be as happy as
the world can make thee, all is but sleeping and dreaming: and what
is still worse, it ♦is like sleeping in a ship, when thou shouldst be
pumping for life, or dreaming thou art a prince, when thou shouldst be
redeeming thyself from slavery.
♦ ‘it’ replaced with ‘is’
XIII. This is no imaginary flight of a melancholy fancy, but the real
nature of things.
*For if thou art that immortal nature, that fallen spirit which
religion teaches us; if thou art to meet death, resurrection, and
judgment, as the forerunners of an eternal state, what are all the
little flashes of pleasure, the changing appearances of worldly
happiness, but so many sorts of dreams?