hired servants. 1 need scarcely attempt to prove this point; but you recollect that parable of our Lord, in the twentieth chapter of Matthew, where the householder goes into the market place to hire servants for his vineyard, and he hired them for " a penny a day." You observe too, in the first chapter of Mark, and the twenty-first verse, "And straightway He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the ship, with the hired servants, and went after Him." And in the parable of the prodigal son you remark the touching remembrance that was brought to his soul-" how many hired servants of my father have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!" Many of them were hired servants; their state was much the same as that of servants in the present day. But there were vast numbers of slaves among them. And these slaves were of various sorts: some were home-born slaves-slaves born of slaves; such as were born in the family. Observe, in the book of Genesis, the fourteenth chapter and the fourteenth verse, we find that Abram had three hundred and eighteen of them that were "born in his own house." Some, then, were born slaves, the children of slaves. And some of these slaves were captives taken in war, and then sold, and they became the property of those who bought them. And some of them had sold themselves in their poverty; they were self-made slaves. Yet they all come under the denomination of "servants," as here described. Ah! beloved, we little know what the state of some of these slaves was. The Jew was bound by his compassionate God to treat his slaves with kindness and tenderness; there were especial immunities granted to them; but the Gentile master had his slave as his beast; he treated him as if he were not a man,ļas if he had no soul; he treated him as his beast, and sometimes worse than he treated his beast. Now, these here addressed were the servants of Gentile masters, whether they were hired or whether they were slaves; and this precept is addressed to them as such; it takes them all in, one with the other.

And it is remarkable, too, beloved, that there are more precepts addressed to servants, than there are to any other persons in any other relation that binds man to man. I find the precepts more frequent in God's Word regarding them, and more at length as it respects them. Let me call your attention to some few Scriptures on this point. We find Paul, in the seventh chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians, and twentieth and twenty-first verses, addressing them to abide in their vocation: "Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art thou called, being a servant? care not for it but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.” Observe, again, in the third chapter of Colossians, the twenty-second verse: "Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye service, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he

that doeth wrong, shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons." One precept for masters, as in the first verse of the fourth chapter; four precepts for servants, from the twenty-second verse to the end of the third chapter! Again : turn to the sixth chapter of the first epistle to Timothy; you will find there an exhortation addressed to servants: "Let as many servants as are under the yoke, count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit"-the benefit, that is, of salvation. And again, in the second chapter of Titus, the ninth and tenth verses: "Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again, not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things." And especially in the first epistle of Peter: I will not now read all the verses; you can read them at home, at your leisure, and with prayer. Observe, in the second chapter and the eighteenth verse how he closes with an address to servants.

Now why is all this stress laid upon the duty of servants? Is suppose it is, because there are so many breaches of the obligation. I always so interpret an abundance of precepts: when they frequently refer to the same point, it arises from the need there is of them. It is because the precept is so often broken, that it is so frequently re-. peated. And there may be another reason-because the tie is so much weaker than that between father and child, and husband and wife; and by being so much weaker, and the inducements so much fewer, therefore it is, that readiness to break it is so much the easier. Then, I conceive, there is another reason for the frequency of the precept; that is, that the Jews were an insubordinate people, especially when under Gentile masters, Gentile emperors, and Gentile governors. They had that in them, that stood up against submission to Gentiles; and, therefore, there was need for especial warning upon warning, and precept upon precept, that they should obey their

masters.

But now let me regard (and I shall do it as briefly as I may,) the precept itself. It is remarkable, beloved, that in every precept addressed to servants, the first thing is, "obey"-" be obedient"" be subject." If you turn to the epistle to the Colossians, and compare it with that to the Ephesians, or if you turn to the epistle of Peter, or to the epistle to Titus, you find that the precept always begins with the command to "obey." You may be assured, that there is more wisdom in the Holy Ghost's unfolding it, than your or my listening to it; and it is needed, and especially needed; never was there greater need of it, than at the present day. The first command given to Christian servants is, that they should "obey." This is God's lesson.

But what sort of obedience? Oh! if I turn to the epistle to Titus, I see what obedience it is; it is a ready, cheerful, obliging obedience. Observe, in the ninth verse: "Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things." To "please them well!" My dear hearers, there may be obedience, there may be the subjection of the foot, there may be the subjection of the mouth, there may be the subjection of the hand; but the heart is the chief thing in subjection. And this is especially noticed here. "Pleasing them well:" not merely doing it, but doing it out of the readiness of a cheerful, obliging spirit. It looks like the Gospel; as I speak of it, I seem to see something of Christ. It is that sort of obedience, that I perceive in the 123rd Psalm; where the eye of the servant is to the hand of his master, and the eye of the maiden to the hand of her mistress." Waiting for the first intimation; not waiting for hard words and repeated commands, but doing it readily, and watching every movement of the hand. This is the Gospel. And to whom is it? To the gentle, to the well behaved, to the kind, to the tender-hearted, and to the tender in speech only? I do not see that in the Word of God; but I find the command given to Christian servants on a far higher principle. Look into that second chapter of the first epistle of Peter, the eighteenth verse: "Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward." Not to man only, because I love him; but to God, because it is commanded of me.

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Observe, too, in answering the question, What is the order of the obedience? It is the obedience of respect. There is reverencerdue from Christian servants to their masters. Does it need proof? Look at that first epistle to Timothy, the sixth chapter, and first verse: "As many servants as are under the yoke, let them count their own masters worthy of all honour." Oh! beloved, how little do these manners mark even Christian servants, who are regulated by the rules of the Gospel! How little do they remember that the Lord Jesus commands His disciples to regard their own masters I worthy of all honour!" And how it forbids them to speak against them, to speak disrespectfully to them and of them! This is the Word of God; and it commands them to esteem their masters "worthy of all honour." And remark, too, in that second verse how jealous the apostle is on this very point; lest of those believing masters having believing servants, the servants should say Oh! they are brethren; there is no need of this respect. So says not the Word of God; this is man's wisdom, or rather man's folly. God's wisdom is, that on no account shall the amount of this respect be diminished, but rather increased: "they that have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather do them service." On the contrary; let them not be losers, but gainers, as all should be by the Gospel, which is full of good, because it is from God: "Rather do them service, because they are faithful, (believers,) and beloved, and are partakers of the benefit"-which if

you and I are not partakers of, it were better for us that we had never been born.

And remark, too, in the epistle to Titus, the second chapter, there is an especial exhibition of this principle—“ not answering again." Ah! beloved! ye children of God! ye Christian servants! this is but an epitome of Christ; all His precepts are only representatives of what He is! Oh! that ye may see Him in this precept! This is your rule" not answering again; not purloining"-not wasting goods that do not belong to you; not wasting time, that belongs to your masters; not conniving at it in others; not joining with them, but rather hindering them, by every means in your power, from doing such things.

Observe, too," showing all good fidelity." Is the master present ? if not, it is all the same. “All good fidelity." Oh! see what Christianity is! Oh! see what that free grace, of which we have been singing, teaches a man! Men accuse it of unholiness; it is the very element of heaven, it is the very element of God.

But observe, beloved, on what principle it is that the apostle bases it all. To recur to this epistle; remark, he addresses them all as "servants of Christ." It is by this motive he works; it is by this principle he moves; it is by this argument he persuades-" Ye are His servants;" His by the electing love of God; His by the redeeming blood of the Lamb; His by the effectual calling of the Holy Ghost; His by your own determinate choice. Ye have chosen Him to be your master in time; He has chosen you to be His servants in eternity. Ah! beloved, what an ennobling thing is the Gospel! It signifies not who the man is, nor what he is. Is he a servant? It may be, that he is a man who is counted mean; it may be, pitiful and contemptible, of little esteem; small he may be in the eyes of the world; but, says the apostle, Remember, "ye serve Christ" in it; ye are the servants of Christ. However painful, however displeasing to flesh and blood it may be, (it may be as the least of all things, it may be the thing most painful to you,) remember, " ye are the servants of Christ;" "He pleased not Himself," and you ought to be like Him.'

Remember, too, ye who serve your earthly masters, that ye serve Christ as ye are serving your earthly masters. Oh! how much most men confine their ideas of religion merely to religious services-to the public ordinances, or perhaps, to the secret retirements! Confining it to them! It must begin there; but, beloved, the true spirit of the Gospel lies here-to take a man out into the world, and to sanctify all his enjoyments and all his engagements. We s the Gospel gives a dignity, a moral dignity and worth, to the thing that occupies us, whatever it may be; so, however mean our earthly service may be, yet there is a dignity in it, because we serve Christ in it. Take heed, therefore, says the apostle, to remember, that

e say,

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you serve Christ" in it. Though the eye of your master is not upon you, (do not serve "with eye service, as men-pleasers,") remember, His eye is always upon you, He is always present, He always sees you; serve with a single eye to Him, with a readiness of heart, and a swiftness of foot to obey His will. Oh! beloved! see what the Gospel is. He is the happiest man who hears me, who is the holiest man; who knows how to take the things of God into the things of common life; who knows what it is to go about his ordinary avocation, his employ, and find in it the anointing to soften, to humble, to lay him low and to lift him up, to give joy, to give spirituality, to give strength; he makes it, as it were, a continued religious service to him.

If there be one here-I hope there is not-but if there be an infidel here (and I believe that there is a large race of men who dare not say that they are infidels—there are but few such-but I do conceive that there are numbers that are tainted with infidelity, and influenced by it; they are practical infidels in their hearts :) oh! look at these precepts; just compare them with the maxims of the world. Read some of Franklin's dogmas; see what he thought to be his wisdom, and just compare it with the wisdom of these precepts. That, how earthly, how low, how carnal, how selfish! But this, how dignified, how glorious, how unearthly, how spiritual, how heavenly, how worthy of God! The thing carries its own demonstration with it. If a man has eyes to see what the precept is, he must acknowledge that earth is not its birth-place, this world is not its place of abode. It sprung from heaven, it came down from heaven to earth.

Perhaps you may say-' But when may I see an exhibition of it?' Ah! my poor brother, the precepts are but imperfectly wrought out by the saints of God. You must know a saint of God well, before you can know the materials of a saint of God, and the influencing power of his motives. Yet here I see him daily wrought on by these principles, influenced by them, and powerfully sanctified by them too. But I must take you up to the great Pattern, the great Exemplar, to see the beautiful and perfect exhibition of them, even the Lord Jesus Christ. And of all of them too; for there is not a single precept but He has wrought it out. And as a man is enabled to look at Christ, he seems to rise above the precept, and he sees more of beauty in His conduct, than ever he saw in the precept itself.

There is one point in our Lord's exemplification of them, that I would just close this head of my sermon with. It is in the second chapter of the first epistle of Peter. It is in the article of patient suffering. "Be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, 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. For even