A Present for Servants, Title page – Table of contents
A PRESENT FOR SERVANTS, From their Miniſters, Maſters, OR Other Friends, Eſpecially in Country Pariſhes.
1 Cor. vii. 24. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.
Licenſed, Jan. 20. 1692.
LONDON, Printed by T. Warren, for Nath. Ranew at the King's Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1693.
TO All Maſters of Families in the Pariſh of Great Kimbel, in the County of Bucks.
Grace, Mercy, and Peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
Dearly Beloved,
HAving deſign'd to write ſomething for the uſe of your Servants, I could not do better than to put the little Book into your Hands, to whom God has committed the Charge of them; and I have herein the higheſt Example, even of God himſelf, who gives firſt his Commands to Maſters of Families, to be by them handed down to all in their Houſes: as, for inſtance, in the great Commandment about the Sabbath, he does not ſpeak to Servants immediately, but makes their Maſters the truſtees of his Will, ſaying, thou ſhalt do no manner of work, neither thou — nor thy Man-Servant, nor thy Maid-Servant, implying that they muſt cauſe them to obſerve the Commandment; and indeed for this cauſe were Families, as well as all other lawful Societies, or dain'd, that the Salvation, even of the loweſt members thereof, may be the better furthered under the Government therein. But alas, how little do men think, when they take on them the Government of Families, that God has committed to them a Charge of Souls? if they did, how durſt they take a Charge that they are not able to perform, by reaſon of their Ignorance, or never mind, by reaſon of their willfulneſs? if you did believe, that every Servant you take into your Houſe, will add to the dreadfulneſs of your account, if he periſheth through your fault and negligence, could you then be ſo indifferent in your choice of them, as too many be? I remember, David ſaith, His eyes were upon the faithful in the land, that they might ſerve him, Pſal. 101.6. but we have Maſters that chuſe Servants as they do their Horſes, if they be ſtrong and able for their work, they mind no more, though you would not bring in a ſcabbed Sheep into your Flock: yet are there not that bring in drunken, ſwearing Servants, with the plague of prophaneneſs upon them into their Houſes, and lay the infected Wretches with their dear Children and other Servants? Can you as eaſily perform your duty towards obſtinate ſtubborn Servants, as towards thoſe which are good, or at leaſt pliable and willing to be inſtructed and admoniſhed? Is not ſo great a Bleſſing or Curſe, as a good or bad Servant will prove to your Family, enough to make you pour out one Prayer for God to direct you in the choice? It is hard that you cannot enquire into the Education that they have formerly had, or at leaſt into their preſent inclinations to good or evil. Do not lightly take into your Families a Companion of Fools, whoſe cuſtoms and habits of ſin have been viſible in their former Converſations, unleſs you have good evidence or ground for hope of their reformation. But the miſery again of it is, when Maſters are as bad as the Servants: He cannot enquire after the Godly diſpoſition of Servants, that is about to bring them into a cold Prayerleſs Family; nor can He ask them whether they are willing to be inſtructed, who is himſelf ſo ignorant that He cannot, or ſo careleſs that He never intends to inſtruct them. But I am perſwaded better things of ſome of you, and things that accompany Salvation. And He that is devoted to God himſelf will engage for his Family too, as Joſhua, Ch. 24.15. As for me and my houſe, I will ſerve the Lord. God himſelf gives teſtimony of Abraham, I know him that He will command his — Houſhold after him. Chriſtian Families are frequently called Churches for the worſhip of God perform'd therein. Every Maſter is a Prieſt in his own Family, and I have often thought his obligation to teach and govern his Servants, is much greater than that of a Miniſter to any particular Family in his Charge. You have an opportunity to know their tempers and temptations, that we have not, and by your nearneſs to them, can take every Servant by himſelf, and deal with him as his caſe requires: by your conſtant continuance with them: and having the power of rewards and puniſhments in your hands, you may more eaſily perform your duty towards them, if you have hearts to it. I know you are counted Good Maſters in the places where you dwell; and I cannot ſay the contrary as to outward things, for ought I know, the moſt of you (if not all) give unto your Servants that which is juſt and equal, in neceſſary proviſion, both in health and ſickneſs, in faithful diſcharge of your Contracts in their Wages or Salary, in prudent ordering of their work and buſineſs. And it is not the hard labour of Servants that I pity them for, ſo that they are not unneceſſarily expos'd to cold or wet, that may endanger their health; or ſo tyred with the World as to be unfit for Family, or ſecret Prayer, or other duties. For indeed, it is for the Servants Souls that I am pleading with you. There is not any poor Boy or Girl that you keep, but has a Soul as pretious as Lords and Ladies, and coſt as dear a price. What have you done for the Souls of them that are under your Roof? Let Conſcience ſpeak, if you ſhould give your Servants no meat and drink, all the Country would cry ſhame on you; but is it not a worſe ſhame and greater Cruelty to ſtarve their Souls? Do you keep Servants with rational Souls, only like your Horſes, to eat, and to drink, and to work? If any of you are not able to inſtruct them, be deeply humbled preſently, and get others to inſtruct them. Ought you not to have required their attendances on publick Catechizing, and their ſubmiſſion thereunto? I am ſure the Church lays no leſs a penalty than Excommunication upon you if you refuſe; and is not your inſtructing them the way to increaſe in knowledge your ſelves? What if the poor ignorant Servants, that you made part of your Houſhold, ſhould follow you from place to place, from Houſe to Field, and cry after you to inſtruct them? What if they ſhould tell you with many tears, that they are likely to die without knowledge, and that they are convinced, that Chriſt is coming in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know not God— Would you not inſtruct them? And if you ſay, but my Servants have no ſuch ſenſe, no ſuch deſire: Why then, are they not the more miſerable? Have they not the greater need? And does not their caſe cry as loud for pity, as their voice can do? Have you no bowels of compaſſion, on periſhing Souls? If not, at leaſt have pity on your own, and let not their blood be on your heads. Family-Duties, and Inſtruction (if carefully minded) would have prevented much of that diſorder that is in almoſt all Pariſhes, which now is not ſo eaſily cur'd; but it requires all your care and diligence to reſtrain that wickedneſs, which ignorance has caus'd. What ſaith the Law? Deut. 22.8. When thou buildeſt a new houſe, thou ſhalt make a Battlement upon the roof, that thou bring not blood upon thy houſe, if any fall from thence. Family-Duties, Prayer, Reading, ſinging Pſalms, repetition of Sermons, Catechizing of Servants, &c. are like ſo many Fences, or Battlements on one ſide; Commands, Reproofs, Corrections, and Reſtraints from ſin, are Rayls, or Battlements on the other; and if you ſet not theſe Battlements on your Roof, woe be to you, if any fall from thence; and if you ſay, I do not puſh them down, I do not force them, or require them to take ſuch courſes, I would not have them fall. Nay, but this is not enough, you muſt ſet Battlements, to prevent their ruining themſelves: If you ſay further, but if I do ſet Battlements, they may climb over them, and do what I can, will run on to their deſtruction; why then, their blood will be on their own heads, and you have delivered your houſe from the guilt thereof. By all this you may ſee to how little purpoſe your complaint of wicked Servants has been. When your own Purſe is touch'd by unfaithful Servants, you feel it: You might have known it before, when you ſaw how averſe they were to knowledge, &c. that they that were not faithful to God, were not like to be faithful to you; that if you ſuffer'd them to haunt evil Company, and break the Sabbath, and to live in riotous Courſes; that theſe Extravagancies would call for Money, and where ſhould they have it but by defrauding you: And if your grief be indeed for the ſin of your Servants againſt God, I beſeech you look inward; it may be, your ſelves were Servants once, and you liv'd in careleſſneſs towards God, and unfaithfulneſs toward your Maſters, and now God is viſiting your ſin upon you: And what comfort can you hope for in your Families, till that guilt be remov'd? And if you are in earneſt, why are you as indifferent about the Servants you chuſe, ſince you have had this experience of their wickedneſs, as you were before? Nay, why after trial of their obſtinacy, do you not rid your hands of them? You know David's reſolution, Pſal. 101.7. He that worketh deceit ſhall not dwell in my houſe, he that telleth lies ſhall not tarry in my ſight. But if any keep a debauched perſon, a Drunkard, prophane Swearer, obſtinate againſt God, and Goodneſs, for a ſecond Year, becauſe it may be, he is ſtrong and able to do his work, I note that Man (as there are noted Families in the Apoſtles ſenſe, 2 Theſ. 3.14.) and aſſuredly your ſin will find you out. But if you will be zealous for God, and againſt ſin in your Families, how much may ſome of you do towards the promoting Religion in the Countrey, and what a Colony of young. perſons may from time to time go out of your houſes, to bear up the Name of Chriſt in the places where they dwell? What a bleſſing of the Lord will be within your Tabernacle? What comfort in your Relations? What joy in Afflictions, and even Death it ſelf? Your Houſe ſhall be built by Wiſdom, and eſtabliſhed by Underſtanding, Prov. 24.3. that this little Book may ſomething promote this main deſign of Family-Godlineſs, is the Prayer of
Your Unworthy Miniſter, and Servant for Jeſus Chriſt, Richard Mayo.
THE CONTENTS.
PREFACE. MAſters of Families have a Charge of Souls. Their Care in chuſing Servants, to inſtruct them, and reſtrain them from ſin. Bleſſing upon Godly Families.
CHAP. I. The Kind of Servants treated of. The Providence of God in appointing the Servant's Calling; the Ʋſefulneſs of it, not againſt Chriſtian Liberty.
CHAP. II. The Slavery of Souls by Nature. Of the Servants entring into the Service of Chriſt by ſolemn covenanting with him; their Carriage in that Service. Advantage of a Time of Youth, the Dreadfulneſs of the neglect of that Seaſon: Sins of Youth. Death-bed Repentance. What Families Servants ſhould chuſe. Of doing what they do unto the Lord.
CHAP. III. The Servant's Reverence to their Maſters. Of Fidelity to them, Of Eye-Service, Of cheating and defrauding. Of Obedience in harſh and unpleaſant things. Of doing what they do heartily. Not anſwering again.
CHAP. IV. Of Servants tempting each other to ſin. Sinful Familiarity of Servants of different Sexes. Of reproving and warning the unruly. Of Holy Conference. Of Servants helping each other, in their Work, and in Soul-Affairs.
CHAP. V. The careleſs Ignorance of ſome Servants, and danger of it. Of Catechizing, and Servants ſubmitting thereunto, and how. Of fervent Prayer for Knowledge. Of Knowing Chriſt.
CHAP. VI. The Hardſhips of Servants. Danger and Cure of Diſcontent. The Priviledges of Servants. The miſerable Condition of Slaves in other Parts. Of the Temptations of Servants of State in Great Places. Inconveniences of the Condition of poor Houſe-Keepers, the worſt Slavery of all. The Freedom of Godly Servants. The Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God.
CHAP. VII. Servants Want of Time. How Godly Servants gain Time. How Wicked Servants waſte their Time. Danger of it. Of the Lord's Day, and how Servants muſt improve it.