years, to soothe them under the disconsolate moments of advanced age, and to support them under the pressures of natural infirmities. Thus will you resemble our blessed Redeemer, who bore his mother's welfare on his heart, and provided for her future subsistence, even when he was carrying our sorrows, and sinking under the load of human guilt. Having thus enlarged on the duties of children, I proceed to shew that the fear of the Lord in young persons will render them,

III. Good servants to their masters.

I now, then, address myself to you who are servants. If you fear the Lord, you will consider yourselves as placed in your present situations, for the purpose of serving and glorifying him. The following is St. Paul's exhortation upon this point. "Servants be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eye service, as men pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men*.' In these verses you observe, that servants are to attend to the duties of their station, with a view thereby to please and honor God.

* Ephefians, chap. vi. ver. 5, 6, & 7.

The service that is performed for the advantage of their masters, is to be done in singleness of heart as unto Christ :-that is, with a pure and disinterested motive to glorify and obey him by such conduct. And when a servant has thus the glory of God in view, he will be as diligent in business during his master's absence, as in his presence. He will not be an eye-servant, as a mere manpleaser; but he will act as seeing him who is invisible, and look for his reward from his great Master in heaven. Here allow me to ask you, who are servants, whether your conduct is like this? It is indeed essentially necessary that this should be the case. For if it is not, you are not God's servants, and consequently you can expect no reward from him hereafter.

Another branch of duty to which servants who fear the Lord will attend, consists in submission and obedience to their master's will. The passage already quoted, exhorts servants to be obedient to them that are their masters. And St. Peter gives the following exhortation :-"Servants be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward*. It is the master's province to command and govern, and consequently the servant's to obey. The master's judgment is to deter

1 Peter, chap.ii. ver. 18.

mine what is to be done, and of course the servants are to act accordingly. The commands of God, the propriety of the thing itself, and the mutual agreement between master and servant, require this to be the case. If indeed a servant's opinion_respecting any thing which he is ordered to perform, seems to him materially to oppose his master's interest, he may and ought to mention it in a respectful manner; but after this, he should readily attend to the decision of his employer, whatever that decision may be. There are, it is true, certain cases, in which a servant is justifiable for disobeying his master. These are when his commands are contrary to the commands of God. If therefore a master requires any of you who are servants, to be guilty of falsehood or dishonesty in transacting his business-to break the sabbath by attending to his worldly concerns on that sacred day, or in any other way to transgress the laws of God, you must boldly refuse to obey him, adopting the language of St. Peter, "We ought to obey

God rather than man."

Here suffer me to remind you, of the propriety of obeying your masters in reference to your leisure time. Servants too frequently think, that their leisure hours ought to be at their own disposal. And the conduct of many, alas! at these opportunities, sets their master's authority at defiance. "I have

done my work,' say they," and what business has he with me now? What is it to him where I go, how I spend my time, and what company. I am in ?" My dear young friends, I must here remind you, that such a conduct is glaringly inconsistent with the rules of morality and religion. The Almighty God enjoins you to obey your masters in all things that are not contrary to his positive commands. He has invested them with authority to enforce this obedience upon you. If therefore you resist, you resist not only man, but God also. Besides, your masters are the best capable of judging for you. They know the dangers to which you are exposed on such occasions; they are aware that youthful lusts exceedingly pervert the judgment, and that numbers have had to ascribe the ruin of their property, their character, and their all, to an improper way of spending their leisure hours. Surely, then, I need not say any more to induce you, on all future occasions, to be obedient and submissive to the authority of your masters!

I observe, lastly, that the servant who fears the Lord will be an honest servant. The fear of the Lord will necessarily produce an honest and upright disposition, in every heart where it has obtained an ascendency. Hence a servant who is under its influence may be always depended upon. He will consider his master's property as

sacred, and never take an advantage of the most favourable opportunities of applying any portion of it to his own use. Nor will he act the dishonest part by doing his business superficially. He will shew all good fidelity in the performance of his duty, and he will be particularly careful lest he rob his master of his time and services by an indulgence in idleness. He will consider that his labour is paid for, and consequently that it is an act of dishonesty to consume much time in doing but little work. As an honest servant, he also feels it to be his duty to promote his master's interest as much as if it were his own; and to the utmost of his power he prevents others from injuring him.

Thus, my dear young people, I have endeavoured to point out your duty, as children and servants. Let me indulge the pleasing hope, that this attempt to do you good will not have been made in vain. You are not, I am persuaded, so careless about your own welfare, as to take no notice of what has been now said. Be assured, if you pursue such a conduct as I have described, you will be highly respected and esteemed by your fellow-creatures, and give evidence that you are approved of by the blessed God. I must remind I must remind you, however, that you stand in need of his Holy Spirit, to strengthen you for the performance of every part of your duty. And since you have