A Present for Servants, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Of the Kinds of Servants, and of the lawfulneſs of the Servants Calling.
THERE is ſcarce any general Name of a Calling, that contains under it, ſuch different kinds of Perſons, as this of a Servant. Some Service being ſo high and honourable, that there is no Subject ſo great, but that glories in being Entitled the King's Servant, in the various Offices of his Houſhold; and ſome Service is ſo vile and miſerable, that the pooreſt Perſon in a Free Land is happy in being delivered from it. There are three ſorts of Servants that I ſhall name, tho' it be only for the laſt of them that I have intended this Diſcourſe.
1. There are Servants of State, that make up the Retinue of Great Men and Nobles, who living in Eaſe, Pleaſure, and Worldly Delicacies, have no agreement with thoſe that I am concern'd with, ſave in the bare Name.
2. There are Slaves and Vaſſals, ſunk in the loweſt ſtate of miſery in the World, being under the ſole diſpoſal of the uncontrouled Wills [and Luſts] of their [often barbarous] Owners. And theſe are ſo either juſtly, being condemn'd for ſome Capital Crimes, and in Mercy Repriev'd, and ſpar'd as to Life, but deprived of their Liberty, and many Comforts of Life; or elſe unjuſtly, by a violent Captivity, or by unrighteous Sales and Contracts. But I leave theſe (under God) to thoſe who are acquainted with their Circumſtances, and Temptations, and have opportunity to help them in the way to Heaven. And ſhall apply my ſelf to,
3. A Third ſort of Servants, in a ſtate of Life between the two former, and which are moſt uſual amongſt us, as making up a part of every Family; and they are ſuch as by reaſon of Poverty, or a meaner condition in the World, have voluntarily ſubmitted themſelves, by Contract, for a certain time, to the diſpoſal of others, according to the Word of God, and Laws of the Realm: And this Calling is founded upon the Will and Providence of God in theſe two things,
1. In eſtabliſhing Property, and thereby a ſeemingly unequal diſtribution of the good things of this Life. Without this the Relation of Maſter and Servant could not ſtand. Prov. 12.7. The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is Servant to the Lender. This inequality is not by chance, but by the Soveraign Diſpoſer of the Lord of all, 1 Sam. 2.7. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich. Perhaps in Innocency (if that ſtate had continu'd) all things might have been in common; the Corn and Trees as free to all, as the Light and Air are now. But to ſuppoſe it ſo with us, is to make a perpetual War, many quarrelling about the ſame thing; as when one Bone is caſt amongſt ſeveral Dogs. And therefore that Community of Goods, which we read of, Acts 4.34. was extraordinary, and laſted but a very little while: ſo that now all have a right to the things that they do lawfully poſſeſs, whether by Inheritance, Donation, or as gotten by honeſt labour and induſtry; and as all Laws of Juſtice and Charity depend upon this, ſo does this Relation of which we are ſpeaking.
2. His Will and Providence is further ſeen in rendering all perſons in this inequality of their Conditiöns mutually helpful to each other, yea neceſſary to one another in this lapſed ſtate; and the beauty and order of God's Government of the World is much to be obſerved, that each ſhall ſtand in need of his Brother's help towards his own convenient ſubſiſtance in the World; that as it is in the natural (and, as the Apoſtle ſaith, in the myſtical) ſo it is in the political Body, 1 Cor. 12.21, 22. The eye cannot ſay to the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again, the head to the feet, I have no need of you; nay much more thoſe members of the body which ſeem to be more feeble, are neceſſary. The Rich cannot ſay to the Poor, We have no need of you. For whence then will they have their Servants? And how can they miſs the help which they daily receive by them? As the Hands need the Head for Guidance and Direction, ſo does the Head need the Hands for Work and Service. And indeed by this means, the ſeeming inequality in the diſtribution of worldly things is made up. That as it is in matters of Charity, as the Apoſtle doth eſtabliſh it, in an equality, that your abundance may be a ſupply for their want, that their abundance may alſo be a ſupply for your want, that there may be equality. As it is written, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack, 2 Cor. 8.14, 15. Even juſt thus it is in matter of juſtice; in an equality, that your Money, Wages, and Proviſion may be a ſupply for their indigency, and their Work and Service a ſupply for your inability to diſcharge your buſineſs without them; and ſo all things are ſet right, one has nothing over, and the other has no lack. And perhaps amongſt the variety of places, no Servants are more neceſſary than thoſe in Country-Villages; others wear finer Liveries, feed higher, and lie eaſier: But the labour of the Country Servant is of moſt excellent and general uſe: The profit of the Earth is for all, the King himſelf is ſerv'd of the field, ſaith Solomon, Eccleſ. 5.9. and tho' he muſt rub through many hardſhips, yet he may comfort himſelf in this, that the moſt drudging part of his Service is of neceſſity to the Common-wealth: and when many other Callings are apparently unlawful, and not a few exceeding doubtful; The Servant's Calling, if not abus'd, is unqueſtionably lawful. It is true, there is a Text that ſeems to oppoſe the Servants Calling, and the lawfulneſs thereof; it is, 1 Cor. 7.23. You are bought with the price, be ye not the Servants of Men. With which agree our Lord's Word, Call no Man Maſter upon Earth; and poſſible it is, that in the Apoſtles Days, ſome hearing of the liberty purchaſed by Chriſt; might begin to caſt off their Service, eſpecially to unbelieving Maſters: and therefore we find the Apoſtles Paul, Peter, and John, ſo frequently calling Servants to their duty, and inſtructing them better in it. And though we are told, that Believers are all one in Chriſt Jeſus, Gal. 3, 28. Yet it muſt be underſtood of the ſoul, or inner man, and of the means of grace, in order to the Salvation thereof; for as to the outward Man, they are ſtill bond and free, and abide Maſter, and Servant ſtill. And ſo when he bids them to be no more Servants of Men, he has reſpect to the inner Man, or Conſcience, which none can Command but God. And tho our Lord has purchaſed a liberty for our Bodies, as well as for our Souls; yet we attain but to the firſt-fruits of it now: There remains a Reſt to be enjoy'd after Death, then the weary are at reſt— ſaith Job, and the Servant is free from his Maſter. But we are not now freed from all Moleſtations, Troubles and Inconveniencies in any ſtate, and ſo not from that of Service, when called thereunto. I ſhall therefore endeavour to ſet down,
1. The Duties of Servants, and how they may be beſt perform'd. And then,
2. The Temptations, and Inconveniences of their Calling, and how they may beſt be prevented, or remedy'd by them.