Influence of Family-Worship on Domestics
The religion of the family extends to every inmate, and embraces not only children, but servants. Just before the ruin of Sodom, God said of Abraham, “I know him, that he will command his children and his Itouseliold after him.“t On which that most delightful old commentator, Matthew Henry, remarks: “Abraham not only took care of his children, but of his household; his servants were catechized servants. Masters of families should
* Psalni lxxviii. 4. t Gen. xviii. 19.
instruct and inspect the manners of all under their roof. The poorest servants have precious souls that must be looked after.” It is for this reason that ve include domestics in the circle of family-devotion.
Few topics have been more largely or more angrily discussed in our day, than the relation of master and servant. We have had abundaikce of abstractions, and of unscriptural lamentations, but so far as we can observe, no real profit has accrued to the inferior persons. If the present current of opinion goes on, we shall soon arrive at the point at which there will be no such thing as a servant. Out of a false delicacy, an irreligious spirit of levelling, a yielding to pride, and a mistaken view of the character of labour, even good people have been willing to banish the very word from their diction, corrupting at once their language and their morals. The generation which is now growing up among us, is exceedingly slow to recognise any proper authority in the master, or any obligation to obedience in the servant. Those, however, for whom these remarks are intended, have been bred in a different and more old-fashioned school. They have learned that ‘’hj father and mother in the fifth commandment, are meant not only natural parents,” but “• such as by God’s ordinance are over us in place of authority, whether in family, church, or commonwealth.” They have further learned, that ‘’ it is required of superiors, according to that power they receive from God, and that relation wherein they stand, to love, pray for, and bless their infeftors; to instruct, counsel, and admonish them; protecting, and providing for them all things necessary for soul and body; and by grave, wise, holy, and exemplary carriage, to procure glory to God, honour to themselves, and so to preserve that authority which God hath put upon them.”
To exclude servants from Family- Worship is a tyrannical and unchristian act, which we have never known to be directly attempted. But so far as possible, the affairs of a Christian household should be so arranged that every domestic may unite in this service. In some houses, it is customary to make attendance on family-prayer a condition of service. This is often difficult in parts of the country where popish servants are employed. Nor should we be willing to press this rule too far, as the instances are numerous and increasing, in which the foreign domestic, though as yet unwilling to join in Protestant prayers, has been willing to receive instruction. In one case well known to us, Romish domestics have been attracted to the family-prayers, in spite of confessor and penance, solely by the charms of the psalmody; and in another, a servant- woman, who entered as a superstitious zealot, has been brought to the liberty which is in Christ Jesus. One thing, however, is to be maintained: the Christian householder is bound to use all lawful means to cause every servant in his house to be a regular attendant on the daily worship.
Every thing that was said in the foregoing chapter concerning children, may here be repeated, with slight change, concerning servants. The latter have, however, some special and peculiar interests in this institution. They are often ignorant and irreligious. They are often unable to read the Bible. Their necessities are, therefore, greater than those of children. They have more to learn; and this is the more seriously to be regarded in cases where they are inmates of a religious family for a short time only. It may be their
74 FAMlLY-WORSHir.
only opportunity in life of gaining the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Again, the labours of domestic service afford less time for the word of God and prayer, than the usual occupations of children. To many a servant the Family- Worship is the only means of grace. This, we are persuaded, is too much disregarded by us, in our ordinary mode of conducting the service.
To reside, even as a servant, in a family where the worship of God is duly observed, is an unspeakable privilege. This is one of the collateral methods of diffusing Christianity, which is silent, but operative. If our whole duty were performed in this respect, no domestic would ever leave our dwelling without some benefit derived from the daily service of God.
In a large portion of America, a portion also over which our church is widely extended, all labour is performed by bondmen. This opens to us an aspect of the subject too important to be overlooked; indeed by far the most important in this chapter. Having been born among these institutions, having lived among them, and having spent a portion of life in labouring among slaves, we feel impelled to Titter our thoughts on the subject; thoughts which, we are assured, will meet with response in the hearts of brethren at the south. For however the ignorant and unjust clamours of some may reiterate the contrary, we speak what we do know, and testify what we have seen, in asserting that pious householders at the south are accustomed to exert a direct religious influence on their servants. The master of numerous slaves has an access to them, and an influence over them, in regard to divine truth, such as no other man on earth has over an equal number of persons. That this influence is always exerted to the extent of the obligation, we no more assert, than we assert the same of teachers, shipmasters, and owners of factories, in New England, or in Europe. But that the way is open to an extraordinary extent, and that the eflbrt is conscientiously made in a large number of blessed instances, we not only believe, but do testify.
In no instance have we ever been so much impressed with the value of Family- Worship to the servant, as when we have seen a largre household of negro slaves, sometimes filling rooms and passages, gathered for this service, and filling the air with their peculiar melody. On one of these occasions, being struck with the intelligence, gravity, and decorum of the servants thus assembled, we learned, on inquiry, that no less than fiftij, of that plantation alone, were communicants in the Presbyterian church.
No enlargement is necessary, in order to show the immense value of such oral services to those who cannot read. Hearing, as many of them do, but small portions of the Scripture on the Sabbath, they are the more dependent upon what they receive in the house. It merits the consideration of all benevolent householders in the south, whether this is not of itself a strong argument for the necessity of Family-Worship. Pious masters might W’cll take counsel, as to the best method and order of reading, and even explaining, the Scriptures to their servants.
The fondness of the black race for music is proverbial. It is rare to meet with a negro who does not sing; and there are many whose organ is susceptible of extraordinary training. It is not uncommon to hear the negro, on some nightly walk through the forest, waking the echoes with a sacred song, and perhaps, (odd as it may seem) giving out the lines to himself. We have listened to a great variety of sacred music, vocal and instrumental, Popish and Protestant, in choirs and congregations, in concerts and oratorios; but if we were summoned to declare which of all seemed most like the praise of God, we should reply, The united voices of a thousand slaves, ascending to heaven in a volume of harmony. For this reason, divine praise should, if possible, always form a part of domestic worship, where black servants are present. No better vehicle of truth to these .minds could be * ought than an appropriate hymn, well suited to a pleasing tune. The writer begs the forbearance of the reader for a seeming digression, prompted by the earnestness of his desires on this topic, when he adds another suD;crestion. As the southern servants can seldom read, and therefore have no use of hymn books, the memory must be the sole depository of their sacred song. It is known that they largely frequent the assemblies of illiterate and enthusiastic persons, and catch up snatches of hymns, which are full of error, if not of absurd irreverence. Mio’ht not Christian householders show to their servants a more excellent way? and might not the daily worship be the means of doing so? Twenty good hymns, with as many simple melodieSy would he a treasure to the black servant. These should be carefully selected, so as to contain nothing beyond their capacity, and so as to include the chief exercises of an evangelical mind. They should be thus few, in order to be often repeated, and thoroughly committed to the memory. Each hymn should have its appropriate tune. From time to time, the hymns should be explained, until they should be fully comprehended by every mind. Stich a method, unless we are deceived, would draw to the Family- Worship many a servant who now stands aloof.
Providence has placed the master of African servants in a position where he can reach a great number of immortal souls; more accessible, we think, to religious impression, than any persons in the world. The first great duty is to give them the gospel, and to seek their salvation. Towards this end much may be done by the ordinary means of Family-Worship. But we most respectfully suggest the inquiry, whether the principle of this ordinance does not admit of an extension to a much wider circle. As the dependents and labourers of a wealthy proprietor are providentially increased to an unusual extent, so, it might seem, should his parental influence, as a Christian householder, be expanded in the same proportion. The carrying out of this principle, in its details, must be confided to the discretion and zeal of individual masters; but that in some way or other, the opportunity of worshipping God should be extended to the entire circle of inferiors, is too clear to need an aroument. Amonf? other methods, some plan might be adopted by which not only house-servants, but plantation-labourers should, at least from time to time, be brought to share in the worship of the family. And where estates are large, special provision might be made for some communication of stated instruction to every soul within their bounds. That something of this nature has already been effected, in a number of places, is known lo many of our readers. In the great day of reckoning, we doubt not that the silent, unobtrusive, self-denying labours of Dr. C. C. Jones, and his faithful coadjutors, will shine forth in colours of a brighter philanthropy, and will be acknowledged ?ts more full of love for the slave, than all the inflammatory harangues of a hundred misguided and disorganizing zealots.
Returning from a digression, which nevertheless is nearly connected with our topic, to the direct influences of Family-Worship on the household, we find new sources of benefit in this regard. As a common approach to God, in whose august presence earthly distinctions are obliterated, it tends to make the whole company coalesce into one body. The family-state, as a unity of organization, founded by God, as truly as church or commonwealth, was more distinctly apprehended by our fathers than it is by us. We have lost both truth and advantage by forsaking their ground. So far as domestics are concerned, the family has become a scene of vicissitude. Persons at service wander from house to house. Rarely do we find among hired domestics, one who has grown grey in the employment of the same family. In the same proportion the bond between the two parties has become less and less powerful and aflfectionate. The domestic servant has come to be regarded more in the light of a transient labourer, than in times when he was next to a child in respect and attachment. Hence the obligations on either side have been relaxed, and among the rest it has become too rare for the head of a family to feel any responsibility for the intelligence of his servants, or even for their morals, except in reference to his selfish interests. We should, therefore, welcome every means of rebuilding these stones which have fallen from the household wall; and as chief among these, the ordinance of family-prayer.
It must be evident that where domestics are brought in together with sons and daughters, to take an equal part in the daily worship of God, they will necessarily feel themselves to be more openly recognised as a part of the family. They will acknowledge the common interest. They will grow into sentiments, not only of respect, but of tenderness, for their superiors. The relation which may at times seem galling to pride, will partake of friendly and sacred regard. In a word, the happiness of the servant will be promoted. Thus the way will be cleared for other and higher impressions. The truths of
8 heavenly wisdom will flow more readily into hearts prepared by the softening influences of kindly emotion. Daily access to the throne of grace, on errands of earnest entreaty, will scarcely fail to issue in the conviction, conversion, and salvation, of a multitude of soills.