ing; an earnest Defire of pleasing; and a general Conformity to what they know are the fecret, as well as declared Intimations of their Master's Will; are the great Lines and Characters of every Servant's Duty: And, for their Comfort and Encouragement herein,

Let it be confidered, that, how mean and miferable foever a State of Servitude may be deemed, yet there are fome Ingredients in it that make it eafy, if not defirable. Servants, indeed, may have more of the Labours of Life; but then they have lefs of the Cares than other People. Their Concern is only in one Matter, to do the Work that lies before them; whereas others have a World of Things to think on. Their Masters they have only to please; but their Masters, perhaps, have all they deal with to court and humour. Themfelves, for the most Part, are all they have to provide for ; but their Masters have Wives, Children, and Relations to maintain at a great Expence. Whatever public Mischiefs, whatever Changes of Government, whatever Scarcity or Dearness happen, they find but little Alteration: They pay no Rates or Taxes, lofe no gainful Employments, fuffer nothing by the Malice or Infolence of Parties, and, in a Word, feel lefs Hardships and Misfortunes than their very Masters: And yet they have the Ufe of ftately Houses and Gardens to live and walk in, their fragrant Flowers and rich Furniture to please their Smell and Sight, without ever confidering what they coft.

These are Conveniencies that generally attend Servants of the loweft Condition: But then it must be confidered, that an honeft and faithful Discharge of their Duty will gain them the Favour and Efteem of all People; will make their Service useful and acceptable, and, confequently, very eafy and delightful to themfelves; will raise them, very probably,

bably, above the Condition they were born to, and lay a good Foundation for their own Self-fubfiftence, when once an Occafion fhall offer. But, however this happen, they are to confider, that there is an unspeakable Pleasure and Satisfaction in having done their Duty, and that the Reflections of a good Confcience are a continued Feast; that they ferve not Men only, but God, who fees all their Diligence and Industry, all their Faithfulness and Honesty, though removed from the Eye of their earthly Mafter, and will reward them openly; that the Time is coming when of the Lord they fhall receive the Reward of the Inheritance; and, from being Servants, fhall be made happy in the glorious. Liberty of the Sons of God: And then, whatever Hardships or Uneafinefs they undergo, whatever Want of Neceffaries and Conveniencies they fuffer, whatever Severities or cruel Inflictions they endure here, by the undue Rigour of their Masters or Superiors, they are confident that there will be an ample Amends made them by that God, who judgeth righteously, and with whom there is no ReSpect of Perfons.

5. Between Friend and Friend.

F all the Relations, wherein we stand towards one another, there is none more ftrict and binding, none more neceffary and beneficial, than that of Friendship. For human Nature is imperfect; it has not Fund enough to furnish out a folitary Life; and the moft delicious Place, barred from all Commerce and Society, would be infupportable. Befides, there are so many adverse Accidents attending us, that, without the Communion of Friendship, Virtue itself is not able to accomplish its End; because the best good Man, on feveral Occafions, often wants an Affiftant to di

rect

rect his Judgment, and quicken his Industry, and fortify his Spirits. A Brother, indeed, as the wife Man obferves, was born for Adverfity, but there is a Friend, that ticketh closer than a Brother; and therefore he that has found this precious Treasure has laid up a good Foundation against the Day of Trouble; because every true and real Friendship will be an Alloy to his Sorrows, an Eafe to his Paffions, a Sanctuary to his Calamities, a Relief of his Oppreffions, a Repofitory of his Secrets, a Counfellor of his Doubts, and an Advocate for his Intereft, both with God and Man. And yet, as neceffary and beneficial as this Relation is in all Conditions of Life, there is no one Thing wherein we mistake ourselves more. Men ufually call them their Friends with whom they have an Intimacy, though that Intimacy, perhaps, is nothing elfe but an Union and Combination in Sin. The Drunkard, for Inftance, thinks him his Friend who will fwallow Wine in Bowls, and keep him Company in his Debauches; the proud Man, him his Friend who will blow up the Bladder, and indulge his Vanity with fulfome Flattery; and the deceitful Man, him his Friend that will aid and affift him in carrying on his Schemes of Fraud and Difhonefty: But, alas! this is fo far from being Friendship, that it deferves a very different Appellation, and is, indeed, too near a Resemblance of the Practice of the Prince of Darkness, who is a Worker, together with Mens Paffions, for the Destruction of their Souls. A true Friend loves his Friend fo that he is very zealous for his Good; and certainly he that is really so will never be the Inftrument of bringing him into the greatest Evil. How far foever, then, a Refemblance in Humour or Opinion, a Fancy for the fame Business or Diverfion, may, on fome Occasions, be a Ground of Affection; yet this is generally allowed, both by Moralifts and Divines, that Virtue is the

only

only proper Foundation of Friendship, and that none but good Men are capable of it: And, among thefe, it may not improperly be defined to be

An induftrious Purfuit of our Friend's real Adσε vantages, or obliging ourfelves to do unto him "all the good Offices that our Fidelity and Affift૬૯ ance, our Advice and Admonition, our Candour "and Conftancy can effect."

1. Friendship, both in the Latin and Greek Languages, takes its Denomination from Love: And as Love is every-where the fame, fo there is no Principle more faithful, and what lefs confults the Arts of Diffimulation. A Friend therefore will pursue the Advantages of thofe he truly loves, as if they were his own; because there will be no great Difference between the Power of Self-Love, and the Love of a Perfon, whom, by the Laws of Friendship, he is bound to love as well as himfelf. From this Principle he efpoufes his Intereft, whether the Opportunities of doing him Service be known to him, or not: He maintains his Honour and Right, though invaded by the most potent Adverfary, or ftruck at by the moft clandeftine Malice. And as he fuffers none, he can hinder, to injure his Character or Fortune; fo he is efpecially careful himself, to avoid all ill-bred Familiarities in Company, or mercenary Incroachments upon his Good-nature, as very well knowing, that Friendship, though it be not nice and exceptious, yet muft not be coarfely treated; and that the Neglect of good Manners therein is the Want of its greatest Ornament. Above all, he is continually upon his Guard, to keep the Secrets, which his Friend has reposed in his Breast, with the most facred Taciturnity; because a Discovery of these, in the Opinion of the wife Son of Syrach, who well understood the Laws and Punctualities of Friendship, is an Offence, of all others, the most provok

ing,

ing, and the most unpardonable. For whofo difcovereth Secrets, lofeth his Credit, and fhall never find a Friend to his Mind. Love thy Friend, and be faithful to him; but, if thou bewrayeft his Secrets, follow. no more after him: For as one letteth a Bird out of his Hand, fo baft thou let thy Friend go, and fhall not get bim again. Follow after him no more; for he is too far off: He is as a Roe, efcaped out of the Snare. As for a Wound, it may be bound up, and, after reviling, there may be a Reconciliation; but be, that bewrayeth Secrets, is without Hope.

2. How far the Measure of mutual Affiftance ought to extend among Friends, is not so easy a Matter, in each Particular, to determine; but this we may fay, in general, that, as far as Opportunity, Difcretion, and former Pre-engagements will give us Leave, we may be allowed to go; and that to break upon the Score of Danger or Expence is narrow-fpirited; provided the Affiftance may be given, without Ruin to ourselves, or Prejudice to a third Perfon, without Breach of Honour, or Violation of Confcience. Where the Thing is unlawful, we must neither ask, nor comply. All Importunities against Juftice are feverish Defires, and must not be gratified. He that would engage another in an unwarrantable Action, takes him for an ill Person, and, as the Motion is an Affront, ought to be renounced for the Injury of his Opinion. But, where this is not the Cafe, we ought to treat our Friend as far as Prudence and Juftice will permit, with all the Frankness and Generosity imaginable; to counfel him, when he wants Advice, to chear him, when he wants Comfort; to give unto him, when he wants Relief; and, even with fome Hazard to ourselves, to rescue him, when he is in Danger: And, in doing of this, we fhould confider his Occafions, and prevent his Defires, and scarce give him Time to think, that he wanted our Affist

ance;