SERMON IX.

DUTY OF RICH TO POOR.

PHILEMON, Ver. 16.

Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved.

THE Epistle of St. Paul to Philemon, consisting of a single chapter, is found in the New Testament immediately after the Epistle to Titus. Philemon it appears had a servant named Onesimus, who was, as most servants then were, a slave, the property of his master; one whom he had probably bought, and might sell to whomsoever he liked. This Onesimus, it appears, had greatly wronged Philemon; more especially by running away from his service. And having come to Rome, he had heard the preaching of St. Paul, and

become a Christian. The Apostle returned him to his master, who was also a convert, with this Epistle; in which he kindly intercedes for the returning fugitive, and teaches the injured Philemon, that, under the influence of the Gospel dispensation, he ought to receive his contrite and converted slave," not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved."

I

propose now from this text to enforce some of the chief duties which masters owe to their servants, employers to those that work under them, and in general the rich towards the poor; designing, in the discourse of the afternoon, to address to the attention of the poorer classes their own peculiar obligations. By which I mean not to question this important truth, that in most things we have all the same temptations to overcome, the same graces to attain. To be pure, and holy, just, and devout, humble, and charitable, these things belong alike to every Christian; in these, and in all other main particulars of religion, must rich and poor meet together, before the Lord the Maker of them

all. (See Prov. 22. 2.) But there are some things which men have to do or not to do, either because they are themselves under authority, or because they have others under them. Some duties which arise properly from their station as masters or servants, as rich or poor; and which, in those several stations, are specially enjoined them by the Gospel of Christ. And it is to these that I would on this day have your attention devoted.

First then it will be well to consider the ordinary condition of society at the time when this Epistle was written. All menial offices, all kinds of hard work, were performed, not as amongst ourselves by the voluntary assistance of hired servants, but by actual slaves; by persons who had often themselves, or their parents, been taken captive in war, and who were as completely the property of their master, as the horse in his stall, or the cattle in his field. No condition can be conceived more abject than this; no distinction between man and man more wide, no gradation of rank more distant, than that one should be the very possession of

another, and have not only his food and raiment, but his powers whether of body or mind, his liberty of person, and possession of goods, nay his very life itself, as was often the case, at the absolute disposal of another's will. Such was in the main the condition of Onesimus. And further, he had exposed himself, by his misconduct, to the most severe punishment his master might think fit to have inflicted. Yet does St. Paul exhort Philemon to receive him back again, after his conversion, "not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee both in the flesh and in the Lord." Now that both were become Christians, both had new duties to perform; the slave to serve no longer for fear, but for conscience sake, the master to use his services no longer as if he were his property, but to regard him as become a brother to St. Paul who had converted him, a brother also in two senses to himself, both in the flesh as being one of his family, and in the Lord as being one for whom Christ died. (See 1 Cor. 8. 11.)

I have said that St. Paul exhorted Philemon to this effect; though strictly speaking he does no more than suppose that it may be so. "For perhaps," says the Apostle," perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever; not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved." And it is worth our while to observe how gently, as well as affectionately, St. Paul here urges this point upon his convert. He writes not, as he might have done, with authority; but kindly suggests, by way of softening the resentment of Philemon, that through the slave's running away, which he calls departing for a season, it had been brought to pass, that he was converted to the Christian faith. In like spirit would I now try to instruct those of you, who have in this life wealth or authority, how to behave to the multitude and the poor; not excusing in them the many things they do wrong, but urging you to requite their very faults with kindness, and so to overcome evil with good.