UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

248 KEY TO UNCLE TOMS CABIN.
And Christian ministers are commanded to "
and to please them well in all things,not
answering them gainsaying." again,or You see
how strictly God requires this of you, that whatever
hort servants to be obedient unto their own masters,
your masters and mistresses order you to do, you
must set about it immediately, and faithfully perform
and
grumbling,
take care to please them well in all things. And
for your encouragement he tells you that he will
it,without any disputing or
reward you for it in heaven ; because,while you
are honestlyand faithfully doingyour master's
business here,you are servingyour Lord and
Master in heaven. You see also that you are not
to take any exceptions to the behavior of your
masters and mistresses ; and that you are to be BishopMeade,as quotedby Brooke, pp.
subject and obedient,not only to such as are good, 34,35,
and gentle,
thus expatiates
and to slaves on the advantages
mild,towards you, but also to
of their condition. One would
such as
may be froward,peevish,and hard. For
you are not at liberty to choose your own masters ; reallythink, from reading this account,that
but into whatever hands God hath been pleasedevery one ought to make haste and get
to
put you, you must do your duty, and God will
reward you for it.
# # # # #
You are to be faithful and honest to your masters
and mistresses,not purloiningor wastingtheir
goodsor substance, but showing all good fidelity in
all things Do not your masters, under
God,providefor you? And how shall theybe
able to do this țo feed and to clothe you, unless
that
you take honest care of everything belongsivillof God, who hath by his "providencemade you
to them ? Remember that God requiresthisof you ; servants,because,no doubt,he knew that condition
and,if you are not afraidof suffering for ithere,
would be bestfor you in thisworld,and help you the
you cannot escape the vengeance of Almighty God, better towards heaven,ifyou would but do your
who willjudgebetween you and your masters, and dutyin it. So that any discontent at your not
make you pay severely in the next world for all the
injustice you do them here. And though you could
manage
so cunninglyas to escape the eyes and
hands of man, yet think what a dreadful thingit
is to fall into the hands of the livingGod, who is
able to cast both soul and body into hell !
You are to serve
your masters with cheerfulness,
reverence, and humility.You arc to do your masters'
service with good will,doingit as the will of
God. from the heart,without any sauciness or answering
again. How many of you do thingsquite
otherwise,and, instead of goingabout your work
with a good will and a good heart,disputeand
grumble,give saucy answers, and behave in a
surlymanner ! There is something becoming
keepsthem from us, it is the greatestmercy and
and engaging a modest,cheerful,good-naturedkindness he could show us.
behaviorțhat a littlework done in that manner You may perhapsfancythat,if you had riches
seems better done,and gives far more satisfaction, and freedom, you could do your duty to God and
than a great deal more, that must be done with an with greaterpleasurethan you can now.
fretting, vexation,and the lash alwaysheld over But, pra}?, consider that,if you can but save
your
you. It also gainsthe goodwilland love of those souls,through the mercy of God, you will have
you belongto,and makes your own life pass with
A very awful query here occurs to the
mind. If the poor, ignorantslave,who
wastes his master's temporalgoodsto answer
some of his own
presentpurposes, be exposed
to thisheavyretribution, what will become
of those educated men, who,for their temporal
convenience, make and hold in force
laws which rob generation aftergeneration
of men, not only of their dailyearnings, but
of all their rights and
beings?
The Rev. Mr. Glennie,
privileges as immortal
in one
of his sermons,
as quotedby Mr. Bowditch, p. 137,
assures his hearersthat none of them will
be able to say, in the dayof judgment, " I
had no way of hearingabout my God and
Saviour."
himself sold into slavery, as the nearest
road to heaven.
Take care that you do not fretor murmur, grumble
or repineat your condition ; for thisivillnot only
make your life uneasy, but ivillgreatlyoffendAlmighty
God. Consider that it is not yourselves,
it is not the peoplethat you belongto, it is not
the men that have brought you to it,but it is the
beingfree,or rich,or great, as you see some
others,is quarrelling with your heavenlyMaster,
and finding fault with God himself,who hath
made you what you are, and hath promisedyou
as largea share in the kingdomof heaven as the
greatest man alive, if you will but behave yourself
aright, and do the business he hath set you about
in this world honestly and cheerfully Ṛiches
and power have provedthe ruin of many an unhappy
soul,by drawing away the heart and affections
from God, and fixingthem on mean and
sinful enjoyments; so that, when God, who knows
our hearts better than we know them ourselves, sees
that they would be hurtful to us, and therefore
spent your time to the best of purposes in this
more ease and pleasure Ḅesides, you are to world ; and he that at last can get to heaven has
consider that this grumblingand ill-willdo not performeda noble journey, let the road be ever so
affect your masters and mistresses only. They ugged and difficult. Besides, you reallyhave a
have ways and means in their hands of forcingreatadvantageover most white people,who have
not onlythe care of their daily labor upon their
you to do your work,whether you
are willing or
not. But
your murmuring and grumbling is hands,but the care of looking forward and providing
againstGod,ivho hath placed you in that service, necessaries for to-morrow and next day,
who willpunish you severelyin the next world for and of clothingand bringingup their children,
despising his commands.
and of getting food and raiment for as many of
you as belongto their families,which often puts
them to great difficulties,
and distracts their
minds so as to break their rest,and take off their
thoughtsfrom the affairsof another world. Whereas,
you are quiteeased from all these cares, and
have nothingbut your daily
and, when that is done,take your needful rest.
labor to look after,