Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-01-10
From The S. c. Herald.
A MASTERS DUTY TO HIS SERVANT.

Christian Brethren Among the many
important and agitating subjects which pre-.
sent themselves 10 the Christian Church,
especially in these United States, that of
the relation which Muster sustains to his
servant or slave, is very conspicuous. We,
that have property in human beings called
slaves, have the following question to an.
swer to our country, conscience, and GOD,
aWhat is my duty TO my serrant p A
question of very grave importance. But
he that pretcnds to be follower of Christ,
has the disposition which the Apostle Paul
had when he cried, "Lord 'ctat vih thou
hare me to do ?" Lord how am to do that
which is just and equal to my servants
And though the Lord may give an answer
to this question involving very difficult du-
ty, yet the Christian aims at perfection in
duty, and therefore dare not stand back be-
cause of difficulties. True religion in the
heart will provide righteousness in the life,
and this righteousness will extend itself to
every relation in life.
All things are God's-all creatures, of
course, are God's-wc are not our own,
but bought with price-not set in this
world to manage for ourselves SO as to
please ourselves, but 10 manage all things
so as to stand approved to our Heavenly
Master. He orders US "to occupy till |
come, so that may receive mine own with
usury." A Christian, therefore, who un.
derstands his duty, will not suffer the ener.
gies even Of good land to 90 to waste
although in legal sense it is his opn, yet
he feels accountable to God for the manner
in which he uses his good creatures. He
mus! "guide all his affairs with discretion. "
Does God commit a beast of burden,
such as an OK, or ass, to the Christian, he
will use this beast so that while he serves
himself with him, yet still he will remember
Gods law, which bids him to show mercy
to his beast, and to regard the life of his
beast. Now a question, How can you
shew mercy to your beast, and yet serve
yourself with ii? especially as you will
sometimes be compelled 10 resort to scvere
measures, and compel your beast to serve
you? The answer may be, | must only re-
quire reasonable labor of my beas,-pro-
portion rest with labor-carefully feed, pro-
tect from weather, from enemies, &c. ;
when am compelled to use force in order
to secure obedience, | must be reasonable
in this, and only carry this to necessary
extent, guarding against gratifying re.
rengeful feeling, &c. something like this
may be your duty to your beast. Now
what light does this shed on my duty to my
serrant? Surely you must be as mercJul
to your servant as to your beast. But may
we not assume that our servant has higher
claims on US than our beast! Now we have
Jus. seen that both Scripture and common
sense require US TO be reasonable in our
demand of labor from beast-to feed,p
tect, mingle rest with labor, &c.-athough
his esprit at death goeth dovnward.'
What then, think you, is our duty to our
servant, who is an immortal being, and
whose spirit at death goeth upward No
rejecting Christian, we take it, will deny
but we must do more for our servant, than
for our beast. What then does that word
"more" include? To feed, c!otl!e, p!otec!.
I,.,t