Christian Directions, Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII.
Of the Duties of Masters.
THe last Head of Family relations is Master and Servants.
The Duties of Masters in reference to their Servants, may be brought under two Heads.
1 Such as concern the Bodies of their Servants.
2 Such as concern the Souls of their Servants.
The Duties of Masters, in reference to the Bodies of their Servants, are.
1 To provide fitting raiment for them, such as may fence them against the extremity of the weather. I mean if by agreement they are bound to find them apparel, as is the condition of most Apprentices.
2 To give them wholsome and sufficient food. As their food must be wholsome for the preservation of their health, so sufficient for the encrease of their strength, that they may be the better enabled with cheerfulness to doe their Masters service.Prov. 31. 15 Solomons Housewife among other things is commended for her giving meat to her houshold, and a portion to her maidens. VVhereby is meant a sufficient portion and quantity of meat to her servants. Oh that all Huswives would imitate her herein, and not pinch their Servants bellies, which too many doe!
3 To afford them Physick when they are sick. For Masters are commanded to give unto their servants that which is just and equal. Col. 4. 1.And is it not just and equal that those servants who labour for their Masters in the time of their health, should be cared for by their Masters in the time of their sickness?Mat. 8. 6 The Centurions care for his sick Servant is left upon record for our imitation, who used the best means he knew for his Servants recovery; which was to goe unto Christ. The humanity of this Centurion being a Gent…le, may be a witness against the inhumanity of many Christians, who take little care for their sick Servants.
4 Not to oppress them with labour, by over-working them, requiring more of them than they are well able to perform. This would be cruelty in a man to his Beast, much more in a Master to his Servant. Indeed the Aegyptians dealt so cruelly with the Israelites, that they groaned under their burthens, Exod. 3. 7, 8whose groans ascended unto the ears of God, who thereupon came down to deliver them from their bondage. And let Gods hearing the cry of those oppressed Servants, and revenging them of their Oppressors, make all Masters beware of laying heavie burthens upon their Servants, requiring more of them than they are well able to perform, lest their groans ascend up unto God.
5 To pay them their wages when it is due, without delaying it, or defrauding them of any part thereof. Deut. 24. 14It is reckoned in Scripture as a crying Sin,Levit. 19. 13 to keep back and with-hold the Labourers, or Servants wages;Jam. 5. 4 a sin that crieth unto God for vengeance, who is the Poors avenger; and as he taketh special notice of their wrongs and oppressions, so will he take care to avenge the same.
II. The Duties of Masters in reference to the Souls of their Servants are,
1 To instruct and Catechise their Servants in the Principles of religion. For if it be a duty incumbent upon all Masters of Families to provide for the nourishment of the bodies of their Servants, how much more then should they be careful for the nourish-of their souls? yea let all Masters of Families know, that they are as expresly charged to teach and Catechise their Servants, as the Minister is to instruct his Flock;Deut. 6. 7 witness Gods command to the Israelites, Thou shalt talk of my Lawes when thou fittest in thine house, and when … walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And God hath manifested his approbation thereof,Gen. 18. 12 by commending Abraham for his practice therein.
2 To cause the Scriptures to bee frequently read in the Family. We read that under the Law the people of Israel were commanded to cause the words of the Lord to be written upon the Posts of their Houses,Deut. 6. 6, 9… to the end they might be frequently read by every one in the House. And saith the Apostle Paul, Let the Word of Christ dwell in you. By the Word of Christ, the Apostle meaneth the Doctrin of the Gospel,Col. 3. 16 which was published by Christ, and is contained in the Old and New Testament.Valt Doctrinam Evang… illis esse …. Cal. in loc. Let this word, saith the Apostle, dwell in you, i. e. be yee much imployed in the reading thereof, as in your Closets, so in your Families; or as Calvin interprets it, Make the Word familiar to you, by giving it household entertainment. But oh! what a stranger is the Word to most Families? how seldome is it read amongst them? If that house bee an Hell where the Scriptures are not read, as Luther said, Oh how many houses are there as so many hells, for want of reading the Scriptures?
3 To pray daily in and with their Family. To offer up a morning and an evening Sacrifice of prayer and praises unto God in their Family. For the better stirring you up to this much negle…ted duty of Family-prayer, I shall commend a few Arguments.
1 Taken from the practice of the faithful in all ages. Gen. 12. 8. & 13. 4. & 21. 33.Wee read it was Abrahams practice wheresoever hee came, to build an Altar to God, where God should be called upon joyntly by him and his family. Wee read likewise it was Iobs practice, as you shall finde, Iob 1. 5. And Ioshuahs, as appears by his protestation, as for mee and my family, wee will serve the Lord. Josh. 24. 15.In the New Testament it is recorded of Cornelius, Act. 10. ….That hee was a devout wan, who feared God with all his house, and prayed to God alwaies; which implieth hee kept a constant course in prayer. Now these things are recorded for our learning, that so we might write after their Copy, by following their Example in so excellent a duty.
2 Every Master in his Family is both a King, a Prophet, and a Priest. Hee is a King to govern his Family, a Prophet to teach and instruct his Family, and a Priest to offer the sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving, not only for himself, but also for all those who are committed to his charge. Let therefore all Masters of Families know, that it is their duty which God will require of them, not onelyonly to pray by themselves (and yet I would to God all did but that) but also to call together all their family, and to bee their mouth unto God in prayer, unto which they may be incouraged by Gods gracious promise,Mat. 18. …0. That where two or three are gathered together in Christs name, there hee will be in the midst of them.
3 A Master of a Family by his daily offering up a morning and evening Sacrifize of prayer and praise, will make his house an house of prayer, or little Temple, which God will fill with his presence. Yea a Christians house is hereby made Gods Church, by a constant performance of holy duties, which is a great honour unto a family.
4 Family-prayers are a special means to bring down Gods blessing upon the whole family,2 Sam. 6. 11. and upon all their lawful undertakings. As God blessed the house of Obed-Edom for the Arks sake: So will God bless those families in which his name is called upon; For godliness is profitable unto all things, as well in families, as in any other societies.
5 Another Argument may be taken from the danger of neglecting this duty of Family-prayer, for such do incur the danger of Gods wrath and fury.Jer. 10. 25. Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not upon thy Name, saith the Prophet Ieremiah. Which words contain a fearful imprecation against all prayerless-families. And it is observable, that such as neglect this duty of prayer in their family, are joyned with the Heathen; and truly very fitly, for wherein do they differ from the Heathens, who have not so much as a form of godliness in their families, upon whom God will power out his fury? Oh think of this all yee who make no conscience of praying daily with your families, consider it well, and lay it to heart! Are yee not under that Prophetical curse, and liable to the pouring forth of Gods wrath and fury, both upon your selves, and upon all that belong unto you? even your Wives, your Children, your Servants, yea and very wares and goods? It may well be written upon the doors of such houses, as one saith, Lord have mercy on us; for surely the plague of God is not far from them, but nigh unto them.
Obj. Mee thinks I hear some saying, they are convinced of the necessity of the duty, and fain they would do it, but oh they cannot, they know not how to pray.
Answ. I would advise such rather to read some good prayer, than altogether to omit the duty; for many Masters of Families who are not able to conceive a prayer of themselves, yet if they meet with a form of prayer answerable to their occasions, can pray heartily and earnestly. Yet I would not have them ever content themselves with reading a form of prayer, but to labour to pray of themselves without a book. And for your help therein, take these two Directions.
1 Carefully observe the prayers of others, their order and method.
2 Take notice of your own sins in particular, and of your particular wants, what graces you stand in need of, and desire. As also take notice of the particular blessings God bestoweth on you, and thereby you will be inabled in some measure to pray your selves, by confessing your sins unto God, and begging, as the pardon of them in and thorow the merits of Jesus Christ, so such graces as you stand in need of. And when once in any competent measure you can pray for your selves, then by degrees you may come to pray with your Family.