vant is indeed a most respectable person, a most valuable member of the community; and they who do not endeavour to advance fuch a one from a low eftate to a comfortable competency, or to render his burthen easy in service, deserve not the bleffing which they enjoy.

But imagine not, that, in the relations of mafter and fervants, we mean to infinuate, that there are more duties incumbent on fervants than on mafters. By no means. Mafters are under ftrict obligations to treat their fervants kindly and juftly, and to promote both their temporal and fpiritual intereft; but it must be allowed, that masters, from the opportunities of a better education, from reading and various other fources of knowledge, are generally better acquainted with their duty than fervants. Happy are they if they act according to their better knowledge. As much is given to them, much will be required.

I have devoted these few hints of advice to fervants, with a fincere defire to promote their eternal happiness, as well as their prefent; and it appeared to me, that discourses have not been fufficiently often addreffed, in particular, to perfons in this low, but

useful

ufeful order.

But if Chrift came to preach the gospel to the poor, furely it behoves his minifters to imitate his amiable condefcenfion.

Indeed, it behoves us all to confider, that the distinctions of rank are but of fhort duration. Death will foon level the high with the low. He who is clothed in purple and fine linen, and fares fumptuously every day, shall foon wear a shroud, and lie down in the earth, no lefs a prey to corruption, than he who, in the livery of fervitude, was but the humble minister of another's pride and luxury. Let us then make it our chief care to behave well to each other during the short time of this mortal life, remembering, that high and low, rich and poor, meet together; the Lord is the maker of them.

It is not for us to defcribe the particulars of the heavenly ftate; but there is reason to believe (as we are told by our Saviour, that in his Father's house there are many mansions,) fome fuperior degree of honour will await those who are diftinguished by fuperior degrees of holiness in this life; fo that while bad masters may be degraded to low degrees, good fervants may be exalted, according to that rule, the first shall be laft, and the last first.

I will conclude, with exhorting those who are fervants of men, to remember, that they ought to be, at the fame time, the fervants of God; and to take care, that they are not the servants of fin, for the wages of fin is death.

SERMON

XVII.

On the Wickednefs and Mifery of ENVY and CONTENTION.

JAMES, iii. 16.

For where envying and frife is, there is confufion and every evil work.

TH

HE world was originally created in great beauty and order; but the disobedience of its inhabitants foon introduced that deformity and irregularity which every thinking mortal cannot but fee and deplore.

The natural state of things underwent a fad alteration for the worse at the fall of man, and fo alfo did the moral and intellectual. The heart, which was formed by its benevolent Maker for every tender fentiment, for love and humanity, became hardened to infenfibility, or alive to the malignant paffions of envy, hatred, and revenge.

Man,

Man, in his fallen ftate, was to be his own tormentor, and the inftrument of his own punishment. For this purpose his heart was opened to the entrance of pride and malice, which, confiftently with their evil nature, fting the bofom in which they are most warmly

cherished.

I dwell not on the common topic, that envy tortures the bofom in which it is harboured, because it is univerfally acknowledged; and those who are under the influence of the paffion, have felt a conviction of this truth more forcibly, than the most perfuafive language of the orator or philofopher have ever been able to inculcate it. I mean rather to confider envy and ftrife, as they tend, according to the text, to produce confufion and every evil work in fociety.

I shall review their effects in private families, in the intercourfe of a neighbourhood, in government, in the church, on whole nations, and on the eternal welfare of those who are habitually and incorrigibly under their malignant influence.

There is not perhaps, under the canopy of heaven, a more lovely fight, nor a happier ftate, than that of whole families connected by the bands of love, no less than of confan

guinity,