Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-09-17

SIaYehoIding GO>pel.

The Rt Rev. VIM Meade, Bishop of the Diocese
of Virginia, has published book of sermons, tracts
and dialogues for masters and slaves which he recon-
mends to all masters and mistresss to be used in their
families
| will give you an extract
On pages 81 and 95 he says.
Besides when people die, we know of but
two places they have to go to, and that is heav-
en- or heII SO that '0hOeOfr misses the one, must
30 to the ether. Now heaven is place of great
happiness, which God hath prepared for all that
are good, where they shall enjoy rest from their
labors, and blessedness which shall never have
an end. And hell is place of great torment
and misery, where all wicked people will be
shut up with the devil and other evil spirits, and
be punished forever, because they will not serve
God If therefore, we would have our souls
saved by Christ; if we would escape hell and
obtain heaven, we must set about doing what he
requires of us, that is, to serve God
That is, the slaves are taught that if they will not
serve God they will be punished IN hell foreoer-
How then are they to serue God?
Having thus shown you the chief duties you
owe to your great Master in heaven, now come
to lay before you the duties you owe to your
masters and mistresses here upon earth. And
for this you have one general rule, that you
ought always to carr in your minds, and that is,
to do all service for them as If yoH did it FIR
God himself Poor creatures you little consid-
er, when you are idle and negIectful of your
masters business, when you steal, and waste,
and hurt any of their substance, when you are
saucy and impudent, when you are telling them
lies and deceivng them or when you prove
stubborn and sullen, and will not do the work
YOU are set about without stripes and vexaton :;
you do not consider, | say, that what faults you
are guilty of towards your masters and Mistress
es are faults against God himself, who hath set
your masters and mstresses over you in his
stead, and expects you will do for them, lust as
you would do for Him. And pray do not think
that | want to deceive you, when | tell you that
your masters md miStreSScS are God's oUersecrs;
and that if you are faulty towards them GOd
himself 'oW punish goa severely .tor it in the
"e9t worM unless you repent Of it and strive to
make amends by your fithfnlness and diligence
for the time to come, for God himself hath de-
clared the same.
Now from this general rule, namely, that
you are to do all service for your masters and
mistresses as if you did it for God bimsef there
arises several other rules of duty towards your
masters and mistresses, which | shall endeavor
to lay out in order before you
And in the first place, you are to be 0bcdi-
cnt and subject to your masters in all thiagS--
Ard Christian ministers are com
manded to exhort servants to be obedient unto
their own masters, and to please them we'll in
all things, not answering again, or gainsaying.
You see how strictly God requires this of you,
that what ever your masters and mlstresses order
you to do, you must set about it Immediately,
and faithfully perform it, without any disputing
or grumbling, and take care to please them well
in all things. And for your encouragement he
tells you that he will reward You for it in heav-
en- because while you are honestly and (lithfuI-
ly doing your masters business here, you are
Serving yOar Lord and Master in heaven. You
see, also, that you not to take any exceptions
to the behavior OF your masters and misresses,
and that you are to be subject and obedient, not
only to such as are good, and gentle, and mild
towards you, but also to such as may be froward
peevish, and hard. For you are not at liberty
to choose your own masters but into whatever
hands God hath been pleased to put you, You
must do your duty, and God will reward you for
it,
That is, the slaves serve God by serving their
masters and if they are remiss in their service towards
their masters they sin against Gods commands, and
He will punish them INCREASINGLY ther efor unless they
repent and do otherwise
And again on page 1l6;
'AU things whatsoever ye would that men
should rio unto you, do ye even so unto them
that is, do by all mankind just as you would de-
sire they should do by you, if you were in their
place and they in yours.
Now to suit this rule to your particular Cir
cumstances; suppose you were masters and mis-
tresses and had servants under you, would you
not desire that your servants should do their
business faithfully aud honestly, as we'll when
your back was turned as while you were look
ing over them! That they should behave them
selves with respect towards you aud yours, and
be as careful of everything belonging to you as
you would he yourselves? You are servants
do therefore, as you would wish to be done by,
and you will be both good servants to yOur mas.
ters and good servants to God, aOho requires this
of you, and will reward you well for it, if you
do it for the sake of conscience, in obedience tt
his commands