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
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
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
a Servant both happy and considerable in despite of the meanness either of his Birth or Fortune and happy must those Masters be who are serv'd by Persons of such Virtues Since therefore the Trust is so great which is repos'd in Servants since the Virtues necessary to make a good Servant are so many and great and since the fruit of their good Service is so extremely profitable to themselves and the Families they are Members of it doth naturally follow that they should with great Care and Pains be train'd up and fitted for Service Now this Duty of Preparation doth in the first place belong to such Parents who are of that Rank in the World that they have no better way of providing for their Children than by Service And next 't is the particular and immediate Business of such Children before they enter upon this state This Preparation in part the Duty of Parents First 'T is the Duty of Parents Every Parent is by the Law of God and Man bound to make provision for their Children and then sure they who can make no other provision for 'em are much the more bound to be diligent and zealous in their Education Motives to the Parents Care There are indeed some sorts of Skill necessary to qualifie Men for some particular sorts of Service which cannot be obtain'd without Charge the poorer sort may peradventure look upon themselves excus'd from bestowing this sort of Education upon their Children by its expensiveness but the Education I require of 'em consisting in the Fear of God Truth Industry Humility and such like is no way expensive the Poor as well as the Rich may resolve with Joshua * Josh 24.15 I and my House will serve the Lord. Good Example good Instruction and good Government does not cost much nor does it put 'em to any Charge to acquaint their Children frequently with Instances of God's Goodness and Power in providing for all those that depend upon him in these ways of Humility and Industry and if Examples of this sort be pickt out in the Neighbourhood such as their Children are well acquainted with men whom their own Industry and God's Blessing has raised from little this will be very apt to affect 'em and to teach 'em the Excellent Lessons of Contentment and Trust in God Parents by this Labour bestowed upon their Children will reap this great advantage their Children will be more serviceable and delightful to 'em their mean Condition will be more easie and honourable being freed from the two Plagues of Poverty Disorder and Sloth Their Children again will reap a double Advantage first in being fitted to encounter every Fortune and next this Piety and Religious Wisdom visible in the Family they are of will give them very great Credit and Reputation such a House will be lookt upon as a Temple consecrated to Religion and he that takes a Child from hence will believe that he receives a Guardian Angel into his Family or at least one whom God will bless in all that he does and for whose sake he will bless all that belongs to him Thus a good Edcucation is both a delightful and provident work 't is a good Estate to Children recommending 'em to the Favour both of God and Man and making 'em worthy of the best Fortune The Mischiefs which pursue the neglect of this Duty and able to bear the worst These are the Advantages which Parent and Child reaps from this sort of Education but this is not all the Motive to this Duty for there are as mischievous Effects which attend the neglect of it as there are good ones which attend the performance How can the careless Parent answer for his neglect to God to himself or to his Children since by it he betrays the Honour of God the Happiness of his Children and his own Peace and Comfort What shall those wretched Children do Whither shall they go who are as destitute of good Education and Virtue as of a Maintenance and Provision Whither shall they go to Service they are unfit for it and uncapable of obtaining it For who will receive into his Family one o'respread with the Leprosie of a Slothful and Vicious Education Shall they stay at home the shame and burden of their Parents Alas there they must perish through want of Bread or abundance of Idleness What remains then for 'em to do they must either betake themselves to unlawful ways to get a Maintenance or else miscarry through the Vices of their Education in lawful and good ones Who have these poor creatures to complain of in the day of their misery or of Judgment Shall they complain of God he gave 'em Health Strength and Understanding Shall they complain of themselves 'T is true they will have Reason for they preferred Ignorance and Idleness before the means and opportunities of Grace which have been provided for 'em in Publick at least but most of all must their Complaints be levelled against their Parents who suffer'd 'em to perish for lack of Knowledge who suffer'd 'em to fall into the bondage and mischiefs of sin before they were throughly instructed what sin was nay prompted 'em and I had almost said compelled 'em into both by the lewdness of their own Examples Let me speak to such Parents with what hearts must you if you have any sense remaining behold your Children lost to Virtue engaged in sinful and destructive Courses and finally plunged into the misery that attends them when you shall reflect and consider that they have been abandoned betrayed and debaucht into all this by you your selves With what face can you beg of God for 'em the assistance of his Grace which you have your selves bereaved 'em of or at least refus'd to contribute what lay in you to implant it in ' em Or how can you finally beg of God support and comfort under the Calamity which you have brought upon your selves Go wretches hide your selves from the sight of those Children which you have undone and if you can from the sight of God whose Trust reposed in you you have betray'd Having put Parents in mind of this Duty of Preparation The Childrens Duty in this point as far as it concerns them I must now address my self to Children and Young Persons of the Rank and Quality suppos'd all along for the Duty of Preparation is not so to be cast off from your selves upon your Parents as if no part of it lay upon you Motives to it As soon then as you come to years of Discretion your first business is to consider the Condition and Fortune of your Birth you are seriously to consider the narrowness of that Portion God has allotted you and with what pains and travail your poor Parents provide this you see you are not sent into the World to take your Pleasure and Pastime therein but you are born to take Pains and Care or else you must ever suffer the straits of Poverty the
as it ought not to be so slight as to reflect any disadvantage on the other so on the other hand it ought to be so moderated and temper'd that the Son be not to soon set up for a young Master and so soothed and fooled into Pride and Vanity and the Father forfeit his Authority by deriving too much of it upon his Son for a foolish Child is too too apt to assume and forget himself and take as his due what he possesses but of Courtesy I mean of his Father and a foolish Servant is too apt to forget his Reverence to his old Master out of Complement to his young one Care for their Morals 2dly Servants must express their Affection to their Masters Children by a tender Care for their Morals I do not mean that they should be Spies upon their Faults but Ministers and Assistants to their Virtues This your Aid is to be afforded according to the Age and Capacity of the Children they may instil into 'em early Instruction in their green years they may suggest to 'em their Duty and excite and perswade 'em to it as they grow up to Estate of Reason and all along they must take care that they be no example of any Vice to them neither of frowardness nor lying nor disobedience to those of Tender Years nor of Riot Intemperance Idleness Pride Prodigality and Wilfulness to those of Riper for all are much apter to imitate Vice than Virtue But in stead of performing this excellent Service to their Master it often happens that some Servants are the Corrupters of their Children's Youth they mislead 'em by their Examples and prompt and instigate 'em to Sin both by word and deed They fawn and flatter 'em into Arrogance and Self-conceipt they not only conceal but applaud their Errours they instruct 'em how to play the loose Gallant and the disobedient Child and are in a word ever ready to advise 'em not what is consonant to their good but to their humour and fancy But you will ask me how shall a Servant acquit himself if his Masters Child should take ill courses What shall he do If he oppose and resist the Child what in him lies in the Progress of his Sin he incurs his hatred if he favour him in it and aid him by secrecy and shelter or any other way he is unfaithful to his Master there is no upright man who measures his Obligation to a Duty by the Event and Success of it every man that will have a peaceful Conscience must do what becomes him and leave the Issue of it to God but however he must do it with all the discretion he can too and his Duty will direct him here how to perform another Duty which seems harsh and hazardous for Instance in this Case Charity to the Son will so regulate the Servants Faith to his Master that he shall not only do his Duty but do it with true discretion Thus Charity will direct him First as to the nature of the Childs offence that he is not to take notice of little frailties and inconsiderable defects much less to complain of 'em to his Parents for this were if not a peevish malignity of Spirit yet at least a busie and officious piece of Impertinence not without some mixture of defect of Charity but such matters wherein the Virtue the Honour the Health the Interest of the Child and consequently the happiness and comfort of the Parent is concern'd deserve the Servants Care and Faith but Secondly in Errours of this nature Charity will teach him to distinguish between a slip or fall and a setled depravity of mind or Vicious habit in the Child so that as he will not complain at all of little and trifling Errours so neither will he too soon of greater and in the last place when he shall be convinced of the Indispensible Necessity of making known the fault of a Child Charity will teach him that he should proceed in this with all imaginable mildness not aggravating or amplifying the Crime and that he should use all imaginable Caution both to prevent any mischievous effect of such discovery and to secure as much as in him lies the good success of it And here Charity seems to me to point out the way to this and to tell you that First you are to try what you can effect your self by a modest humble affectionate Representation to your young Master of the sin and hazard wherein he is engaged for if this may prevail it were not so Charitable to bring him into peril of his Fathers displeasure or disesteem but if this sort to no good end you cannot be bound by Faith and Secrecy to your Young Master to betray your Faith and Duty to your Old for this is in effect but to betray both You must therefore either make known the Son's ill Courses to his Father or if there be apparent Reasons to apprehend no good effects of this way but rather ill ones for want of a well poiz'd judgment or tolerable temper in the Father you must then put the business into the hands of some faithfull and discreet Friend whose Authority and good nature may so far mitigate the Violent Choler and sweeten the Implacable temper of the Father that the Son's Virtue may be repaired without the Ruin of his Fortune I have in this Advice insinuated that as a Servant ought not to be peevish and impertinent in complaining of trifling faults so neither ought he to be too forward in revealing greater much less ought he to exaggerate and exulcerate the Crime but my meaning is not that his Information should want any one grain or scruple of truth necessary to give the Friend or Father a right notion of the offence nor yet that he should delay the discovery of a fault where the concealment breeds Danger but if he cannot trust his own Judgment in this point and the Issue of his delay seem doubtful to him he must then consult some body else whose Judgment he may better relie upon and whose affection both to Father and Son he can be very confident of The Servant who behaves himself thus in this case acquits himself with a good Conscience towards God and Man he doth Both very considerable service for there can be nothing more acceptable to God than the converting a sinner from his evil way nor to a Father than the Preservation of a Child just on the brink of misery nor indeed to the Son than the restoring him to his Virtue the preserving to him that Honour and Fortune which were both ready to suffer wreck So that this Servant will hereby procure to himself the everlasting good-will of his Master and Child the Peace of his own mind and the Blessing and Favour of God James 5.20 * He that converteth a sinner from the Errour of his way shall save a Soul from Death and shall hide a multitude of sins Nor is he far remote from that blessed
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
THE DUTY OF SERVANTS CONTAINING First Their Preparation for and Choice of a Service Secondly Their Duty in Service Together with Prayers suited to each Duty To this is added A Discourse of the Sacrament suited peculiarly to Servants By the Author of Practical Christianity LONDON Printed for Sam. Smith at the Prince's Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1685. THE EPISTLE TO SERVANTS Good Fellow-Christians I Will not increase the Bulk or Price of this Book by giving the World an account of all the Reasons that mov'd me to publish it let it suffice to tell you that 't is a Design of great Charity for your Temporal and Eternal Interest I would as much as lies in me render your Estate easie profitable and at least not dishonourable which I shall certainly effect if I can persuade you to Contentment and a faithful discharge of your Duty in your Place for 't is not the Nature of Service but the Faults of Servants which render this state uneasie and contemptible the greatest Burthen and Dishonour of it being in truth to be imputed to the unreasonable Discontents to the negligent unfaithful or undiscreet behaviour of many Servants I would possess you therefore with such Virtues as may render you the Favourites and Confidents of your Masters dear to them as you ought to be next to their own Children and by being so you will become more considerable to all that know you and nearer every day to Advancement These Virtues are Contentment in your Condition Justice Truth Industry Humility the Fear of God and such like By the Practice of these you will convince the World that you differ from the Rich and Great only in outward Circumstances that you have true Honour and Goodness in your Souls and that you have nothing mean in you besides your Fortune These therefore cannot miss of making you worthy to be esteemed to be beloved to be trusted to be encouraged But this is not the utmost of my Design I would make you Happy and Glorious hereafter I would make you the Children the Heirs of God and Joynt-Heirs with Christ though the Servants of Men I would deliver you from the Bondage of Sin and Satan and make you partakers of the true Liberty of the Sons of God Now this cannot be done unless you can be prevail'd with to love and pursue after those Virtues which become your condition in the World and so discharge your Duties conscientiously for I must deal faithfully with you no man can be a good Christian who is not good in that station wherein God has placed him You cannot then be Obedient Servants of God unless you be Faithful Servants of Men nor yet do I confine the whole of your Duty within the compass of your Service to Man there is a Duty also which you owe to God which you are to perform in the first place not only because he is your Chief and Best Master I should rather have said your Good Lord and Father too but also because this is the best and most solid Foundation of your Duty towards Man and therefore easily conceiving that no good nay no wise Man will grudge you the time that is necessary for the Service of God since unless this be perform'd they can neither expect that you should serve them as you ought nor if they did that God would give a Blessing to your Service I have taken care to direct you also in this little Treatise how to imploy this time laying down such Rules as may be more peculiarly useful to you in Reading Hearing the Word Receiving the Sacrament c. The Method I have followed is very plain and I need give you no other account of it than what you have in the Title I have nothing more but to beseech you that you would joyn with me in hearty Prayers to God that he would bless this my Endeavour with success not only to your Advantage and Comfort but to the Peace and Interest of all Families which is nearly concern'd in your Behaviour that he would possess all of you with Virtues suitable to your Quality and Condition in the World with a Spirit of Meekness and Humility with a Spirit of Faithfulness and Industry with a Spirit of Love and Gratitude and with a Spirit of Fear of and Dependence upon him our God that so you may not only be considerable and useful in your Places but also Examples of an Excellent Virtue and by a necessary consequence happy here and glorious hereafter which is the sincere Desire of Your Affectionate Friend Richard Lucas The Contents PART I. Of Preparation for and Choice of a Service Ch. 1. Of Preparation for Service The Duty of Parents in this point The Duty of those who design themselves for Service Ch. 2. Of the Choice of a Service The Importance of this Choice Rules to be followed in making it PART II. Containing the Duty of Servants Ch. 1. Of the Servant's Duty towards God Ch. 2. Of the Servant's Duty towards his Master and Mistress Ch. 3. Of the Servant's Duty towards the Children of the Family Sojurners Strangers Ch. 4. Of the Servant's Duty towards his Fellow-Servants Ch. 5. Of the Servant's Duty towards himself with 6. The Conclusion of this part containing general Motives to the Servant's conscientious performance of his Duty PART III. Containing The Seruant's Preparation for the Sacrament PART I. Of Preparation for and Choice of a Service CHAP. I. Of Preparation for Service as 't is the Duty partly of Parents and partly of those Young People who resolve upon Service THERE is scarce any particular Work The Necessity of Preparation or any single Action that is well done unless by such who are train'd up to it or fitted for it either by an actual or habitual preparation how can it then be imagin'd that Service which is a state of Life of so great importance to the welfare of all the other members of a Family as well as that of Servants themselves should be wisely entred into and happily discharg'd without any Preparation Many and important are the Duties of Servants great is the Trust repos'd in 'em the Estate the Honour of their Masters and Mistresses the Peace the Happiness and Virtue too of the whole Family doth very often depend much upon 'em and can any one question whether such a Charge such a Trust as this does not require many Virtues and Excellent Qualifications and these cannot be obtain'd without due Preparation for as no man is happy so neither is any man wise or virtuous by chance The Qualifications of a good Servant Now the Qualifications which make a good Servant are such as these Fear of and Dependence upon God Contentment in their Condition Love of their Masters and Mistresses Humility Meekness and Patience Faithfulness Industry and Discretion These I confess are eminent Virtues and though they are necessary in this lower station they make men fit for and worthy of the highest These will make
is this they who would be extremely devout must be extremly pious they who would find the pleasure of transports in Prayer must be frequent in their Retirements strict in their Self-denial and Mortification devout if it may be even in their daily Conversation In a word they must be crucified to the World and delight in God and in Jesus above all things The Servants Duty as it respects their Obligation to and Preparation for the Sacrament shall be handled at large in the close of this Book I have insisted thus long upon these Duties because whoever conscienciously performs these will not be like to miscarry in any other I will now single out those other Duties which do seem to me more peculiarly to concern Servants for as there are some times so there are some stations which do more particularly require the practice of some Virtues as Adversity of Patience Prosperity of Thankfulness The station of a Magistrate requires the practice of Justice and the station of a Subject the practice of Loyalty and both the one and the other is bound to this out of Conscience towards God So is it in the station of a Servant tho' he must not look upon himself as dispens'd from any Duty common to him with others yet there are some wherein he must endeavour to excel and be eminent as being more immediately and directly necessary in his Imployment such are these three Fidelity to his Master dependance upon God The Servant's Fidelity to his Master a Duty owing to God and Contentment in his station First Fidelity to his Master I place this first because all his Prayers and Sacrifices without this cannot be accepted by God his diligence in reading and hearing the Word is without this Hypocrisie and his communicating of the Sacrament is without this but a bold and presumptuous prophanation of it And I place this here as a Duty towards God because I would have every Servant know that it really is so nothing can be plainer than that the * Eph. 6.5 c. Apostle thought so which you will readily acknowledge if you 'l read with impartiality that weighty and earnest Exhortation which he makes to Servants Eph. 6.5 c. Servants be obedient to them that are your Masters according to the flesh in fear and trembling with singleness of your heart as unto Christ not with eye-service as men-pleasers but as the Servants of Christ doing the Will of God from the heart with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free How could the Apostle more fully or more pathetically express your Obedience to your Masters to be a duty to God he tells you that the discharge of your Place is a good work that God owns it and will reward it as a Service done to him that it doth very much concern the Honour of your Christian Profession that the Rule by which you are to behave your selves is the Conscience of its being a Duty towards God a firm persuasion that you are to be accountable for it to Christ our Lord and Master and our Judge and for these Reasons you are to perform this Duty with fear and trembling that is not an apprehension of what you shall suffer in your Temporal Interest if you perform it not faithfully but a dread of dishonouring Christ and provoking God by it Those other Properties of the right performance of this Duty singleness of heart chearfulness c. as they respect your Duty towards your Master shall be treated in their proper place I am only here to mind you that they are here pressed upon you as Duties to God the Apostle intimating that where the Master's Eye could not there God's Eye would see regard and mark the behaviour of the Servant and that though his heart were not open to the inspection of his Master yet 't is to God's and therefore he must serve his Master from his heart too He that is acted by such a Conscience as this will certainly do his Duty for when he shall think that God overlooks him and fills every place which his Master cannot he cannot then easily be tempted to allow himself in murmuring or unfaithfulness or idleness Whatever he would not do or say if his Master's Eye were upon him that being govern'd by this Conscience he will not do how far soever he be absent for he will fear Damnation more than the loss of his Service and the displeasure of God more than that of Man A second Duty towards God which I would recommend to Servants is 2. Trust in God Trust in him or dependance upon him There is no state so secure or so fortunate as not to stand in need of God and consequently none wherein this is not a proper Duty But yet it seems most proper and indispensible for such as have fewest Friends fewest supports to relie upon and such are Servants they are therefore to endeavour to be eminent in this Grace there is no way by which they can more directly and immediately own God by which they can make a more publick and eminent Profession of their firm Belief of his Wisdom Power and Goodness The Servant therefore must learn to look upon God as his Father as his Patron as his Guardian as all in all to him to him he must resort for Counsel to him he must complain if wrong'd of him he must beg assistance and on him alone he must relie for a blessing in all he doth and for Provision He must learn to call upon him in all his Straits and praise him in all his Enjoyments From the conscientious practice of this Duty the Master will reap two great Advantages the first that his Servant will do his Duty with much better courage as aiming in all he doth to recommend himself not only to his Master whose power to requite him is it may be very little but most especially to God who he knows is a Patron that never wants either power or will to recompence those that apply themselves to him The second that God will bless him and all he has for his Servants sake This was the Advantage which Potiphar enjoy'd in the Service of Joseph and Laban in that of Jacob the Prosperity of those Idolaters being owing to the Religion of their Servants the Servant besides the contentment and satisfaction of his mind arising from his frequent Addresses to God and besides the actual blessings which God will one time or other certainly bestow upon those that trust in him will also find a good support a ready Antidote against all the real and imaginary Evils of his state For were but this Duty of Trust in God conscientiously practised Servants of ability and spirit would never want encouragement nor those of meaner Capacity satisfaction and comfort They who serv'd in hope would be able in despight of an
gratifie thy Covetousness and this is downright Idolatry in thee or thou must steal out of distrust and to secure thy self against thy Infidel fears of Poverty hereafter Unhappy creature who canst not relie upon God even when thou art provided for What couldst thou do worse than this if thou wert destitute of any provision How great a distrust of God how vile and impious a piece of Infidelity is this And how great is the sin of Distrust and Infidelity without any extraordinary aggravations * Revel 21.8 The fearful and unbelieving c. shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone Or Lastly Thou must steal to feed some other Lust such as Riot Uncleanness or the like and then in what a course of wickedness art thou engag'd Thou art then to satisfie not only the Extravagancies of thy own but of others Lusts and thou makest thy self a Slave to all that are thy Confederates in sin nay they are the Masters of thy Reputation thy Fortune and thy Life and when thou considerest what loose and debauched wretches thou dost trust these thy dear Concerns with thou canst not but think thy self as desperate a Fool as thou art desperately wicked So that as to this end of thy Theft the gratifying some wild and lewd Affections the more thou dost succeed in it the more desperate and deplorable is thy state The two other ends namely the satisfaction of thy Covetousness or thy security against future want are in all probability subverted and defeated by that very sin by which thou dost endeavour to attain 'em For thy Theft forfeits the favour and patronage of God thy distrust and this course it puts thee upon is an open renouncing and relinquishing the Care and Providence of God over thee so that though thy sin should be conceal'd from man thou canst expect no other than that thou shouldst be curst in all thou settest thy hand to and that thy fairest Hopes should be blasted but if thou art discover'd the least that can befal thee is the Restitution of thy Unjust Rapines and a brand or mark of Infamy fixt on thee which will render thee uncapable of any Trust and expose thee consequently to unavoidable and perpetual want and beggary Ah the wretched Life of an infamous and beggarly Theif forsaken and abandoned by God and Man I have said enough I hope to make any one sensible of this sin of Purloyning yet I am almost afraid lest my Design may be in some part defeated by the foolish Collusions and trifling Excuses of such who though they cannot deny Purloyning or Theft to be a damnable sin yet they commit the thing and deny it to be Theft just like men that acknowledge Rebellion a sin but will not own taking up Arms against the Supreme Magistrate to be Rebellion Give me leave therefore to tell you that when I make Theft to be the converting your Master's goods to your own use I understand by it all acts of yours by which your Master suffers detriment and wrong For Instance not only the deceiving him in what is in your own Trust or the pilfering what is in anothers or the taking to your selves any way unjustly what is his but also the giving away to others without his knowledge or contrary to his will any part or portion of his than which nothing I hear is more common Servants as well as Masters having their attendants and hangers on their Parasites and Flatterers who at once sooth them in their Pride and Vanity by fawning and flattering and cherish 'em in their Idleness by doing their business I must put you in mind further that I mean by your Master's goods whatever he possesses whatever it be wherein he can suffer or you commit wrong And in the last place I must put you in mind that you are guilty not only of the wrong and injustice which you personally commit but also of whatever is committed by any other if you consent to it and connive at it even though you should receive no benefit by it For thus far I conceive the Reproof of the Psalmist may be extended * Psa 50.18 When thou sawest a Thief thou consented'st with him which is there look't upon as an abominable wickedness and surely the commands of God Thou shalt not suffer sin in thy Brother but by any means reprove him and * Eph. 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove 'em do nearly concern a Servant in this case as he would avoid the guilt of the sin which he doth not reprehend for the neglect of Reproof is here a tacit approbation of the sin and tho' peradventure this sort of theft be not to be loaded with all the Aggravations of the former yet the least that can be said of it is that it is a down-right injustice a breach of trust and extream unfaithfulness towards the Master But you 'l demand of me how is a Servant to behave himself towards his guilty Fellow-Servant that he may in such a case as this acquit himself with a good Conscience towards God and Man If he conceal his fault he is unfaithful to his Master if he discover it he is unkind to his Fellow-Servant He must betray the one or the other if he do not reveal the wrongâ— he sees his Master suffers and what is more his Conscience must suffer too if he do he shall be hated and persecuted by his Fellow-Servants as an Informer nay peradventure what is worse than this he he that is accused shall out-wit him or shall be able to form a Combination against him and so find more credit with the Master and by consequence the good Servant shall by his Integrity and Justice forfeit his Place and it may be his Reputation or at least live uneasily persecuted by the vexatious Calumnies affronts and unkindnesses of those others that are combined against him To this demand take this answer I should never have fancied this Objection had I not been extreamly sensible of the frailty of Man for whence should any one doubt whether he should preserve his Faith and Duty to his Master or commit a sin to oblige a Fellow-Servant Whence should spring this question whether you should support and cherish a wicked Fellow-Servant in his Vice or whether you should preserve a Master to whom you ow Fidelity Truth and Love from injuries and wrongs How finally should a Man come to be troubled with this scruple Whether he should preserve his Integrity a good Conscience and the Favour and Blessing of God by doing his Duty or by deserting it run the hazard of the worst that the wit or malice of his wicked Fellow-Servant can bring upon him These you must readily acknowledge are doubts and scruples which do not become the sincerity and Faith of a good and honest Christian However you shall not want here the best advice that I can give you for I know
reward mention'd Daniel 12.3 They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to Righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever Whereas on the other side that Servant who either corrupts his Masters Children or affords 'em his Aid and Assistance his Shelter and Secrecy in their Vicious Courses betrays Man falsifies his Faith not only to his Master but his God he doth the drudgery of his Master the Devil who imploys all his Slaves in propagating sin and shall certainly one day receive the wages of his wickedness even that Death which is denounced against men of the most abominable Character men * Rom. 1.32 who not only do the worst of things themselves but also have pleasure in them that do ' em I have said enough to convince the Servant that he is to be careful of the Morals of his Masters Children but there are two Virtues which he ought to have more especial care of being those two which every Child should be eminent in which are in some sort the Foundation and Guard of all the rest namely a filial and dutiful Love of his Parents and hearty affection to his Brethren the Servant therefore if there happen any breach or interruption of this mutual and Reciprocal Kindness between Father and Son or Brethren must do all that he can to repair it and make it up But at leastwise if he cannot close he must not widen the Breach Peace-makers are blessed * Math. 5. and shall be called the Children of God But they who sow strife and contention are the Children of their Father the Devil 't is the Villanous Practice of some Servants to enkindle Emulation and Strife amongst Brethren and to take a side and party when they have created a Faction to over-value one Child to the disparagement of the rest and sometimes to fill their Ears with Lyes and Tales that they may alienate their Minds from their Brethren And sometimes the very same method is made use of to withdraw 'em from the Love and Duty which they owe their Parents by possessing 'em of the partiality of the Father and Mother amplifying their kindness towards one even to fondness and dotage and aggravating their unkindness to another even to coldness hatred One while they will not stick to insinuate the peevishness or jealousi'e of a Parent another while they will magnify the Fortune of the young Heir they will provoke him by laying before him the Liberty and Fineness of this or that Young Gentleman who is of a meaner Fortune than he they will impute the strictness and care of Parents to the Niggardliness of their Temper the narrowness and Antiqueness of their Education or to the natural Austerity of old age and thus they delude and betray the silly and unexperienced youth and make him cease to be a Child to his Father that he may be a slave to his Servant Now I would earnestly intreat Servants to lay this sadly to heart that these and such like Practices are an abomination to God that the more successful they are in 'em the more fatal they 'l prove to 'em for if they be not chastis'd in this world they will be damn'd for 'em in another Amongst those things which Solomon tells us the Lord hates and are an abomination to him you will meet a Lying Tongue Prov. 6.17 and verse 19. A false witness that speaketh Lyes and him that soweth discord among Brethren Nor is it to be wondred at that God should abominate such a sin as this is for the mischiefs that very commonly ensue upon such divisions and animosities between Brethren or between Parents and Children are not to be expressed St. James tells us briefly ch 3. v. 16. Where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work And he certainly who alienates a Child from his Parent thrusts him headlong into sin and Ruine and creates the Parent insufferable vexation and discontent But suppose God would not exact an account of you for this sin what is it a Servant can propose to himself from all this mischief He may flatter himself with strengthning his Interest or raising his Fortune but generally it happens quite otherwise for that dearness and Familiarity between a Child and Servant which is founded in the contempt of Faith and Truth on the one side and natural affection on the other can never be firm and steady any little accident will undo all Nature in the Child will return to it 's bent some little Obligation past upon him or wholesom advice insinuated in a fit season will awaken his natural affection and then he 'l make no scurple to redeem his Errour towards his Father or his Brother by the discovery that is the Ruine of a perfidious Servant But suppose this Combination or Conspiracy should hold some time how can a Servant rationally expect a constant Friendship from him who upon very slight and trifling pretences could be divided from his Father and his Brethren and tempted to forget the Duty he owed the one and the affection he owed the other I have spoken of the main care of the Servant towards the Children of his Master namely his care to secure their good Morals he that neglects this or what is worse ministers to the corrupting of Children is guilty of the most fatal unfaithfulness to his Master for he who betraies the Virtue of the Son destroys the happiness of the Father But he that performs this performs a service that can never be sufficiently rewarded not only because a Child is the greatest Blessing of a Father and Virtue the greatest Blessing of the Child but also because he has hereby laid the best Foundation of the Child's Honour and Interest Care for their Honour and Interest which puts me in mind of another care a Servant is oblig'd to namely for the Honour and Interest of his Master's Children whereever you can advance these you are to refuse no pains no hazard The least you can do is to conceal Their defects or excuse 'em to lay hold on every opportunity to speak honourably of what is Virtuous and praise-worthy in 'em to increase the number of their Friends and to be wanting neither in advice nor travail to promote their Interest Nothing therefore can be more repugnant to this Duty in a Servant than to entertain their acquaintance with spiteful stories of the silliness or viciousness of their Master's Children or to raise a suspition of faults in 'em where there are none apparent or to lessen by any suggestion whatever the esteem of their Virtue Parts or Person or the Credit and Reputation of their Estates but of all the mischiefs a Servant is capable of doing his Master's Son The Servant must not promote the secret Marriage of the Child there is none I think greater than the assisting him in a conceal'd Courtship or aiding him in carrying on a Marriage without the knowledge or