- Primary Source: - Thomas Bacon, Four Sermons, Preached at the Parish Church of St. Peter, in Talbot County, in the Province of Maryland, vis; Two Sermons to Black Slaves, and Two Sermons fo and Education of Orphans and Poor Children, and 1r the Benefit of a Charity Working School, in the Above Parish, for the Maintenance ae Negroes, Bath: R. Crutwell, 1783, pp. 30-41 IL. Having thus thewn you the chief you owe to your great matter in cn, I now come to lay before you he duties you owe to your majters and nifireffes here upon earth, And for this, you have one general ule, that you ought always to carry in our minds; and that is, to do all fervice rues, as sf you did it for GOD bimfelf. ‘oor creatures} you Jittle confider, when jou are idle and negleétful of your mafter’s uifinefs,—when you freal, and wafte, and urt any of their fubftance,—when you are aucy and impudent,—when you are telling hem ies, and deceiving them,—or when jou prove flubbern or fullen, and will not jo the work you are fet about without ripes and vexation; you do not confider, fay, that what faults. you are guilty of wards your matters: and. miftreffes, are ults done againft Goo himfelf, who hath tc your mafters and miftreffes over you, p his own ead; ‘and expeéts that you ill do, for thes, jut ‘as"you would do ir him. And: pray, do-not' think that I Want to deceive you, when I tell you, that syour guy rs and nif les are Go's Ovr, " you are faulty towar » Gov himielf will punith you fevere , for it in the next world, unlels you repest, of it, and ftrive to make amends, by your, faithfula and diligence for the time 40 come; for Goo himfélf hath declared the fame. And you have, at the fame time, this comfort, that if any of your owners fhoull Prove wicked overszeRs, and ufe yo who are his under fervancs here, as th ought not todo; though you mutt fubmit to it, and can have no remedy in | world ; yet, when Gop calls you and the together face to face before him in th next world, and examines into thefe matt- ters, he will du you ftriét juftice, an punith thofe that have been bed fteward| and overfeers over you with the greate feverity, as they had more of this worl entrafted to their care: And that what ever you have fuffered nnjuftly here, Go will make you amends for it in Heaven, I will now read over to you the rule which Gop hath given you, in his ows pords, thas. you may fee what I fay i ruth, Servants,C a: ] Servants, be obedient to them thatare your reaflers actording to the flelb, with fear and tpenbling, in finglenefs of your beart, as unto ‘righ: Not with eyz-fervice; as men-pleafers, jt as the fervants of Chrift, doing the witl GOD from the heart... With goud will loing fervice, as to the Lord and not td men, nowing, that whalfoever good thing any jan docth, the fame fall be receive of the ord, whether he be bond or free. Anu ye «afters, do the ime things unto them, for- swraring (or moderating) sbreatning; know- nbg that your mafter alfo is in Heaven ; neither there refpett of perfons with bin. Now, from this great general rule, namely, that you are to do all fervice for rr mapters and mifireffes, as if’ you did it 4or GOD hbimfelf, there arife feveral other rules of duty towards your mafters and mifrcfes, which I fhall endeavour to lay in} ovder before you. 1. And in the firlt place, you are to be dient and fibjell te your mafters_in_all Things For the rules which Goo hath left up in the Scriptures-are thefe;—— * Sebvants, obey in alt things your mafters cording to the 4 1, Nok with eye-Jervice as "Ci 28) 34 34n je men C33 J 5 ono lense saen-pleafers, but in finglene)s of beort, fea ing GOD: And whatfeever ye di, do 4 heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men knowing, that of the Lord ye hall receive tht reward of the inberitance, for ye ferve th Lord Chrift. But be that doeth wrong oa receive for the wrong be bath done and sher is mo repel? of perfons. + Servants, be Jub Jef bo your mafters, with all fear, not only 1 the good and gentle, but alfo to the froward} And Chriftian Minifters are commarided to fexbort fervants to be obedient unto thei own mafters, and to pleafe them well in all sbings, not anfwering again, oF murmuring, or gainfaying. of you, that- whatever your mafers an mifire is order you to do, you muft fe about it immediately, and fully per: form it, without any difputing or grum bling, and take care to pleafe them well in all things. And, for your encouragement, he tells you, that he will reward you for it in Heaven, becaufe, while yeu are honeftly and faithfully doing your mafter’s bufinets here, you are ferving your Lord and maf- ter in Heavei de Petii. a8, UTit. ii. y. YouCo J You feé alto, that you are not to take is to the behaviour of y _milfrefles, that you are jubject and obedient, not only to uch as are good, and gentle, and mild to- ards you, but allo to fich as may be ward, peevifo, and bard. For you are por at liberty to chufe your own mallers, o whatever hands Gov hath been leafed to put you, you muft do your jury, and Gov will reward you for it. nd if they negleé to do theirs, Goo will unifh them for its For there is no re- ‘There is only one cafe in which you may iefule obedience to your owners; and that ik, if they fhould command you to do any thing. As Jofeph would not hearken his miltrefs, when fhe tempted him to ie with her, So that if any matter could be fo wicked js to command you to fleal, to murder, to 4 a neighbour's boufe on fire, to do harm to ny body's goods, or cattle, or to get drunk, r to curfe and fear, or to work on Sundays, lunlefs it fhould be in -a cafe of great Heceffity). or to do any thing that Gov ath forbidden, there it is your day, e refule C ss J vefule thems becaufe Gon is your te Master, and you muft not do any thin which you know is contrary to his will Nuc in every thing clfe you sutt ob i} your owners, and Gow requires it of you, 2. You are notto be ge-fervauts, No| eve-/ervants are fuch as will work bard, a feem mighty diligent, while they thin that any body is taking notice of them but when their mafters and miflrefies backs are turned, they are idle, and neglect their bufinefs. Tam afraid that there are a Great man| fuch eye-fervants among you, and that yo do-not confider how great a fin it is to bb fo, and how feverely Gop will punith yok for it. You may ealily deceive your owner: and make them have an opinion of yo that you do not deferve, and get the prai of men by it. But remember, that yo cannot deceive Almighty Gov, who fe your wickednefs and deceit, and wil punith you accordingly. For the rule is untC 36 ) unto Chrift, not with eye-forvie Healers, but as the fervants of Chrift, doing the will of GOD from the beart: Ihith good If then, you would but think, and fry ithin yourfelves,— My matter hath tec me abouc this work, and his back is turned, fo. that I may loiter and idle if I pleafe, for he does not fee me. But there is my Great Master in Heaven, whofe overfeer my other matter is, and his eyes are always upon me, and taking neice of me, and [ cannot get any where out of his fight, nor be idle with- out his knowing it, and what will be- come of me if Fiove his good-wi , and make him angry with me.” If, I fay, you would once get the way of thinking and faying thus, upon all oc- chfions, you then would do what Gon cbmmands you, and ferve your mafters ith SsNGLENESS OF HEART,—that is, with mefly and fincerity; you would do the fork you ao c So with fear fe tren Afing, not for fear of your mafters and “Ailkteffes upon. earth (lor you may eaily cheat them, and make them believe you are { C37 J are doing their bufinefs when you do not) but with fear and trembling, lett Gov, your HEAVENLY MASTER, Whom yau cannot de-| ceive, fhould call you ¢o account, and punith [en in the nese world, for your deceitfulnafs and eye feruice in this. 3. You dre to:be faithfid and bone? to your mafters and miftre hf eng’ (or wafting their goods ot fubitance) Jus Soewing all goed fidetigy,in all things, If ry were to rob or feel &om others, you kadw that it would, be. wvery bad thing, -and how. faverely che Jlaw, would punith you for it. Bue if_your matter is robbed, of what, belongs to him by your wattefulnefs..or negligence, da not you think that. i¢ is.ax wicked and as bad as if you were to ficql his goods and give them. to other people? For, pray what is the difference to me, when my fubltance is gone, whether a thief took it away from me, or whether I am robbed of it by my fervants’ negligence? ‘The lofs is the fame, and they will have: it equally to anfwer far. - . How then, can many of you be fo care- Tefs about your. mafter’s bufinels? How a eTC 38 J cho you be fo unfaithful and wicked, as to f¢e their fubftance perith and be loft, when little of your timely care would prevent the lofs? 1s not this.a very common cafe among you? And do not moft matters ¢pmplain, with great jultice, that unlets they happen to fee into every-thing them- s¢lves, their fervants will take no care? jay, even when they are told of it, and okdered to do it, they will ftill neglect, ahd let the goods perith ? . Do not your matters, under-Goo, pro- ;vide for you? And how fhall: they be j.able to do this, to feed and to cloath you, |ujnlets you take honelt care of every thing | that belongs to-them? Remember that ‘op requires this of you, and if you are ot afraid of fuffering for it here, you Chnnot efcape the vengeance of Almighty ‘op, who will judge’ between you and Your matters, and make you pay feverely Pp the next world for all the injuftice you them bere, And though you could atage fo cunningly as to efcape the eyes ‘t ds of man, yet think what a dread- g it is, to fall into: she bands of the /Hving GOD, who is able to caft both foul and bbdy into bell, a 4. You { 39 J 4. Yoware to ferve your maflers wit chearfulnefg, and reverence, and humility. You are to do your mafters’ fervice tate good will,'doing it as the will cf GOD, frow the beart, without any faucineli, o anfwering hgain. How. many of you d things quite otherwife,.and, inftead o going about your work with a good wil and ft heart, difpute and grumble r give fficyPanfwers, aid behave-in a furl manne .There .is fomething fo becoming ani engaging in a modett, chearlul; ood. natured behaviour, that a little work, dun in thac manner, feems better dune, and gives far more fatisfaétion, than a great eal more that muft bedone with fret} ting, vexation, + over you. It alfu gains the good will ani love of thofe you belong to, and make: your own life pafs with more eafe an Pleafure. Befides, you are to confider that this grumbling and ill-will docs not affleck your majfters and wifirefes only They have ways and, means in their hand: of forcing you to do your work, whethe: you are willing or not. But your mar- muring and grumbling is againft Gov, whi Ke hath{40 J ‘hih placed you in that fervice, who will unith you feverely in the next world for efpifing his commands. me Thus I have endeavoured to thew you, hy you ought to ferve Gon, and what juty in particular you owe to him: Ihave fo thewn you, that while you are ferving ur mafters and miftreffes, or doing any ing that Gop hath commanded, you : at the fame time, ferving him; and Ssnane tive endeavoured to fhew you what duty fervice you owe to your owners, in lbedience to Gop, and that in foplain z anner, as, 1 hope, the greavefl part of u did well underftand. ot tee The other parts of your duty,’ and the wards which Gop hath promifed.¢p f you will honeftly fet about doing if} J hall endeavour to lay before you at pyr Ajext meeting here for that purpole. In the mean time, confider well what jath been faid. Think upon ic, and talk: pout ic one witi another, anti ftrjve to 44x it on your memoties. ‘| And may Gop, of his infinite mercy, gant: that it may fink deep into your arts, and, taking root there, may bring fortl 39 n} | > a= tad forth in you the fruit of good living, ¢ the honour and_praife of his holy name] the fpreading abroad of his gofpel, an the eternal falvation of your precious fouls through our Lord and Saviour Jesu: Curist; to whom, with the Father an the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory world without end. Amen. Ey " SERMOD