Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n
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A41600
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Instructions for apprentices and servants·
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Gother, John, d. 1704.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing G1329EA; ESTC R223704
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19,351
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57
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taken away must be charg'd to them as occasion'd by their Neglect Tho' all Servants are in some degree or other concern'd in this yet none more than Apprentices who have the Care of a Shop left to them and therefore if these by Carelesness or by talking with Companions or by leaving the Shop are the Occasion of their Master being defrauded or robb'd they must answer for the Wrong done since the Care of Goods being entrusted with them 't is the same thing to the Master whether he be robb'd by his own Servants or by such as are invited and encourag'd by their Carelesness Fourthly They are oblig'd to be just in all Accompts of Money so as neither to take Money from those whom they serve nor set down to their Accompt any more than has been laid out by their Order In this they ought to be very Just notwithstanding the fairest Opportunities of defrauding the Master without any Possibility of his coming to the Knowledge of it As they are not to wrong him by taking Money so neither by keeping what is his in their Hands unknown to him And therefore nothing of this can be done without an evident Injustice which tho' hid from Man is known to God and will be severely punish'd by him even more than common Theft since the Trust repos'd in Servants makes their Crime worse than that of Robbers Fifthly They are oblig'd to be Just in whatever Money they lay out for their Master and never to make such Bargains in which they themselves may be Gainers by their Master's Loss They must not therefore by the Encouragement of Bribes be perswaded either to give more for what they Buy or take less for what they Sell than they would do were the Concern altogether their own They must not Buy at a Shop which allows them something for their Custom when they might buy either better Goods or better Cheap at another Place which gives no such Encouragement If by their Industry or Art they have made a better Bargain in Buying or Selling than their Master expects the Advantage is to be their Master's and not their own If he will reward them for it he may but they must not reward themselves by either setting down more than what the thing cost in Buying or reserve any part to themselves of the Price receiv'd in Selling. Q. Are Servants then to have no Encouragement for being Industrious A. This must depend wholly on the Master And if he should be so hard as not to give them so much as good Words for what they do in his Service yet still they are to be Industrious in all they do for him to the best of their Skill and Power The reason is because 't is their Duty to be Faithful in their Service this God requires of them and it is to be done for his and their own sake tho' the Master may seem not to deserve it For they are to do their Service with good Will as to the Lord and not as to Men. Whence those Servants have a great Account to give who being put out of Humor by the undue or severe Reproofs of their Master are upon this Careless in his Service neglect their Duty and matter not how much they mis-spend his Money or waste his Goods For in this they are wanting in that Fidelity which God demands of them and is therefore due not only to the Gentle and Meek who give Encouragement and seem to deserve it but likewise to those of the most Harsh and Froward Temper Q. In relation to what you have said above pray tell me May not Servants take any thing which is usually given by those Shopkeepers where they are Customers all the Year A. If such Shopkeepers rate their Goods accordingly and make the Master pay what they are to give to their Servants it is not then fair dealing on either side But if Servants are Industrious to examin the Price of things and do not keep to a Shop but where things are as Good and at as low a Rate as they can buy any where else then I see no Reason but they may take what is given them But this is a Point in which Servants ought to be very Jealous of themselves because in the Business of Money every one is apt to judge too favorably of what is for their own Interest And therefore if they do not often try the Price of things at other Places I fear the Hopes of their own Gain will lessen their Industry and make them pay in their Master's Wrong SECT IV. Of Obedience due to Masters Q. VVHat is the Obedience Servants owe their Masters A. S. Paul declares this Duty Colos 3. 22. Servants obey in all things your Masters according to the Flesh not with Eye-Service as pleasing Men but in Singleness of Heart fearing God And whatever you do do it heartily as to the Lord and not to Men knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the Reward of the Inheritance For you serve the Lord Christ But he that does Wrong shall receive the Wrong he has done for with God there is no Respect of Persons Here you see the full Duty of Servants as to this Point First That there is an exact Obedience due from Servants to Masters in all that is not Sinful 2 dly That this ought not to be done upon the Motive of Human Respect of Hypocrisie Flattery or Interest but Sincerely in Submission to the Order of God 3 dly That they are to consider the Authority of God in him whom they serve 4 thly That they are not to regard the Failings Weaknesses or Ill Humors of their Master but the Authority of Jesus Christ whom they serve in him and by whose Authority he commands 5 thly That whatever they do upon Command they be mindful to do it in Obedience to God and in such a manner as to hope for a Recompence from him Lastly That if the Master deals unjustly with them they are to desire no Revenge but remit their Cause to God who will punish Injustice whether in Master or Servant without Distinction of Persons In this Direction given by S. Paul who shews what is to be the Obedience of Servants you may observe First That Servants offend God by disobeying their Masters and by so doing are guilty of Sin 2 dly That if they grumble and express an Unwillingness to comply with their Master's Commands they fall short of what S. Paul requires of them which is To do their Service with Good Will 3 dly If they do not what he commands heartily and as serving God notwithstanding all the Morose and Peevish Humors to which he may be subject they wrong their own Souls and cannot expect the Reward promis'd to those who do all their Service heartily as to the Lord. Q. Is there no Exception in this Obedience due to Master What if they require that of Servants which they never undertook and in Reality belongs not to them to do A.
possible they should escape being in a perpetual Fret within and a perpetual War without The Case therefore of Servants is not so particular in this Point but it belongs to other States all having this Hardship to bear in some degree or other And this many Servants find who changing their Condition in hopes of being reliev'd in their present Complaints see themselves oblig'd to another fort of Compliance such as makes them think all their past Uneasiness to have been a Happiness in comparison of what they now suffer Q. Then you recommend Silence as a General Rule for Servants under all manner of Reproof A. There must however be some Exceptions as when a Master presses a Servant to give an Answer for thus it may prove that there may be as great a Direspect in this Stubborn Silence as there is at other times in being too forward in answering It may likewise be allow'd them in any Reproof to make their Plea in short by declaring the Truth and if this be not accepted then to submit in Silence and Patience rather than justifie themselves by Passion It cannot likewise be disapprov'd in Servants to speak when they can do it in a Respectful manner and Masters seem easie in the Liberty they take All therefore that I discourage here in Servants is only such Speaking such Replies and such Answers as are not becoming their Condition but having something of Disrespect in them are to be condemn'd as Offences against the General Duty of their State And this being a Duty which God has impos'd on them they are bound to comply with it as they desire to be his Servants If it be troublesome it is a Trouble which may be overcome by watchful Endeavors their own Interest obliges them to take Pains in this Victory that they may have Peace here and hereafter SECT II. Of Fidelity in duly performing what they undertake Q. WHat is the Fidelity belonging to Servants A. 'T is a Duty by which they are oblig'd to be Faithful in all whatever belongs to their Charge Q. In what does this chiefly consist A. It consists chiefly in two Points that is in duly performing what they undertake and in managing with Care whatever is entrusted with them Q. How are they to satisfie the first Part of duly performing what they undertake A. S. Paul tells them how Ephes 6. 6. They are to do all Not with Eye-Service as pleasing Men but as the Servants of Christ doing the Will of God from the Heart Doing their Service with good Will as to the Lord and not as to Men knowing that whatever Good thing Man does the same he shall receive of our Lord whether he be Bond or Free Q. What does S. Paul teach Servants in these Words A. He teaches them several things First That they ought to look on themselves as the Servants of God 2 dly That in whatever Service they perform they are to endeavor not only to please the Eye of Men but do all with that Care as to please the Eye of God 3 dly That the Motive in all they do ought to be to comply with the Will of God 4 thly That the Comfort of all their Labors is to be that the most difficult Labors are due to God that God will be the Recompence of whatever is done faithfully who has no Respect of Persons but will reward the Servant according to his Works as well as the Master Now if Servants are to do all things not as pleasing the Eye of Men but as pleasing God it is very plain that Servants are not only to be Careful and Exact in what they do when their Master's Eye is to examin their Work but likewise when they have no Eye over them to commend their Diligence or reprove their Neglect Because the Work they undertake is their Duty and ought to be done for Duty sake and because God always sees them This is the Fidelity belonging to Servants as to this Point and is the Meaning of S. Paul's Words when he bids them do all not with Eye-Service as pleasing Men but as the Servants of Christ and doing the Will of God from the Heart And if they follow his Direction they may be sure besides the Yearly Wages from their Master they will have God to reward them Whence 't is very evident those Servants are wanting to their Duty and commit a Sin who are then only careful when they have an Eye over them or know what they do will be seen but in other Circumstances when they have no Witness and apprehend no Reproof of their Neglect do their Work carelesly or leave it undone for these are only Eye-Servants they forget that they are the Servants of God and instead of a Reward will find him the Punisher of their Neglect SECT III. Of Fidelity in managing what is entrusted with them Q. HOW are Servants to satisfie the other part of Fidelity which is that Of managing with Care whatever is entrusted with them A. They satisfie this by being so Careful and Just in all they undertake that their Master be not a Loser in any Way thro' their Fault By this then Servants are oblig'd First To be so careful of whatever Goods are under their Charge that they be not injur'd lost or stoln by their Sloth or Neglect You know how many things require the Care of Servants as in all belonging to Furniture Cloaths to Eating and Drinking c. Without this due Care some of them are very much prejudiced others become wholly Useless and the Masters are often great Sufferers by Servants not being diligent in what they undertake and is their Duty to do Secondly They are oblig'd to see there be no Waste of any thing under their Charge but must manage all with as much Care and Frugality as if it were their own I need not here mention Particulars they who know what belongs to a Family know likewise there is scarce any thing in it but what is subject to Waste and that tho' the Concern seems not much yet at the Years end 't is a great Expence to the Master if in the Use and Care of every thing there be not that due Management in Servants which is necessary to prevent the Waste of them Thirdly They are oblig'd to see that nothing under their Care be mis-spent broken or lost And they are to reckon all that mis-spent which is not employ'd according to their Order whom they serve Whence it cannot be allow'd them either to give away or to treat Companions or Friends with what belongs to their Master any further than they have his Order or have sufficient Reason to presume of his Consent And as they are not to do this themselves so neither are they to give Opportunity to others of doing it thro' their Neglect by carelesly leaving the Keys of things under their Charge in publick or by letting Doors or Boxes be open which they ought to keep lockt For whatever comes thus to be