The Duty of Mafters to Slaws in the Plantations. 557 houfe may fare the worf; for ir: And when Judar groweth familiar with the Pharifees, he will be feduccd by them ro betray his Mafler. You cannot be accountable for your fervants if yqu fufft:r them to be much abroad. §· S. Direct. 8. Go brfore thtm aJ <xamplt1of holimji and rvifdom and all thoft virtueJ aNd dutieJ Dire{!. 8; which you worfld teach them. An ignorant Or a [wearing~ curling, railing, ungodly Mafler, doth actually reach his fervants to be fuch: and if his words teach them the contrary, he can expect but . little reverence or fitcct:fs. 9· 9· Direct. 9· ratiently bear wit!J tho[e tolerable frailties rvlticb their U1U~!lfnlnefr or bodily ttm· Dirdl. 9• perawre or otl)tr iltfirmity mak,.e them ly:~bte ~0 ~g:JiJt/f their wi~J. A willing mind is an excuft: for many fraihies : mucl1 muft: be put up, when It 1s not from wt/fulne/i or groji ntglcfJ : make not a grearer matter of every infirmity or fault than there is cauG:. Look not that any Chou!d be per· feet upon earrh: Reckon upon ir, that you mull have fervants of the progeny of Adam, that have corrupted m.mres, and bodily w~akn.effc5 ; and many things that muH be born with. Confider hmv faultily you ferve your Heavenly Mifler; and how much he daily beareth with that which is amifs in you; and how many faults and overfights you are guilty of in your own employment, and how m 1 ny you fuould be overtaken with if your were in their fiead. Eph. 6. 9· And ye M4jfers, do the fame thing! to them, forbearing threatning1 k_,;towi?g tbat your mJjler alfo is i1~ H~a~en, neitlur is there refptll of prr{onl with bim. Col. 4· r. Majfer1 gu.1c unto)QUr [crvants t[J# wbzcb 11 ptff. and tqtt~l, &c. • 9· 10 • Direct. re. Stt thattbty btbave t!Jtmftlves wtU totbm feUow {ttvantJ: of whtch I Jh•U JPrak.. Dsreli. IO• anon. Tit. 2. 'DireE!ions to thoje Majters i11 foraigll Plantatio11s Jvha haw Negro's and other Sla-ves ; being a jolutio11 of je1>eral [afes about tbem. Direct. 1• uNderfiand well how far your Power over your fl.a.ves cxtendeth, and what limits DireB. H God hath fet thereto. As, 1 • Sufficiently difference between MeH and Bruits. Ret.llember that they are of as good a kind as you; that is, They are reafonable Creatures, as w'etl as you ; and born to as much natunl Jiberty. If their fin have enflavcd them to you, yet N1ture made them your equals. Remember that they haveimmortal fouls, and are equally capable of falvation With your (elves. And thert:fore you have no power to do any thing which !hall hinder their falvation. No pretence of your bufinefs, ne· ceffiry, commodity or power, can warrant you to hold them fa hard to work) as not to allow [hem 8ue time and feafons for that which God hath made their duty. 2 • Remember that God is their abfolute Owner, and that you have none hut a derived and li· mittd Propriety in them. They can be no funher yours, than you have Gods confcnr, who is the Lord of them and you. And therefore Gods lnterefl in them, and by them mull be ferved firfl. 3· Remember that they and you are <qually under the Government and Laws of God. And there– fore aB Gods Laws mufl be firll: obeyed by them, and you h1ve no power to curr.mand them to omit any duty which God comrnandeth them, nor tocommit any fin which God f0rbiddcth them : Nor can you without Rebellion or Impiety expect, that your work or commands Chould be preferred bc– forcGods. 4 . Remember that God is their Reconciled tender F.rher, and if they b< as good, doth love them 1s wc:B as you : And thcrefore you mufl ufe the meanefi of them no otherwife, than befccmeth the Beloved of God to be ufed; and no otherwif< than may !land with the due fignification of your Love to God by Loving thofe that arc his. 5· Remember that they are the Redeemed ones of Chrifl ; and that he hath not fold you his title to them: As he bought their fouls at a price unvduahle, (o he hath given the purchafe of his blood to be abfolutely at your difpofal. Therefore fo ufe them, as to preferve Chrifls right and in– tercfl in them. Direl\-. 2· Remer:nher that you are Chrifts Trufiees, or .the Guardians of their fouls; and that the Dir~lio z• greater your power IS over them, the greater your cbar~e ts of them, and your duty for them. As you owe more to aChild_than fO a D.ty ~lbourer or a hired Servaqt, bec.mfe being more your own, he is more entruflc:d to your care: fo alro by the fame reafon, you owe more to a jl.Jve, becaufe he is more your own: And power and obligatim go together. As .Abraham was to Circumci[e all his fervants that were bought with money, and rhe fourth Commandment requirerh M11lers, to fee that aB within their gates obferve the S.tbbath day ; fo mull you exercife both your Power and Love to bring them to the Knowledge and faith of Chrifl, and to the jufl obedience of Gods corn. mands. Tho[e therefore that keep their Negro's and fh.vesfrom hearing Gods word, and from b'ccornina Cht!fH.ans, becaufeby the Law, .they (~all then be either made free, or they flull lofe part of rhci~ ferv1ce, do openly profefs Rebcl11on aga1nfl God, and conttmpt of Chrill the Redeemer of fouls, and a ·contempt of the fouls of men, and indeed they declare that their worldly profit is their rreafure and their God; lf
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