till they become clear to the weakest understanding, to be patient, laborious, and compassionate, and thus to reap the fruits of a growing intelligence and increasing virtue in the characters of those who are placed under his control.

SECTION C.

MASTER AND SERVANT.

The relations between master and servant, the employer and the employed, have next to be considered. The duty of the employed is to yield obedience to the employer, to discharge his trust with all fidelity, industry, and promptness, so that the most perfect satisfaction may be given to the master. The duties thus devolving on the servant also imply the necessity of cheerful obedience and strict integrity. A faithful man will not dole out his labour and time to the assumed value of his wages, and yield them reluctantly; a reflecting man will not conceal from his master the conduct of others which may injure his prosperity; a wise man will not betray the secrets of his master's trade, but will offer labour, time, and skill as a cheerful tribute of

affection and respect, and conduct himself with such fidelity as will lend dignity to his character, and elevate him to higher positions of influence and trust.

The history of Joseph furnishes us with a beautiful illustration of these truths. Potiphar, his master, was an idolator and heathen; his practices were, therefore, most offensive to a pious Hebrew; still Joseph discharged his duties as a servant with such fidelity that he quickly won his esteem, and secured his confidence so fully that the whole arrangements of his household were confided to his care.

SECTION CI.

The duties of the master are equally important; to treat his servants with respect and kindness, not to overtax their powers, nor to reproach them with harshness or severity, to allow intervals of rest and of refreshment undisturbed; to remunerate for labour and skill according to their productiveness, without either abatement or delay; to rebuke kindly and patiently, to point out the evils and dangers of misconduct or ne-. glect, and to endeavour to reform the character and win

back the erring man, and in connection with these the duty of rendering aid to the employed in times of sickness or calamity.

If by their aid we have ascended the hill of prosperity and accumulated wealth, riches have their obligations too; to restore a portion in aid of suffering and in defence from poverty appears to be one of the most indispensable of these.

The Scriptural precept is, "And when thou sendest him, the slave, out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty; thou shalt furnish him liberally of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy wine press; of that wherewith the Lord thy God has blessed thee, thou shalt give unto him."

SECTION CII.

DUTIES OF ECCLESIASTICS AND WARDENS.

In the exercise of the sacred mission entrusted by Providence to the priest, his actions and words should be free and not guided by individual influence; therefore he should not accept gifts or presents which would, indirectly and even against his will, bribe and incline

However

him to favour the opinion of the donors.

wise, just, and conscientious he may feel himself to be, he should yet ponder the words of the sacred law, declaring, "And thou shalt take no gift, for the gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous ;" and as a gift given to him who is not in need cannot be called charity, it must be classified under the category of bribe. He who does not attend to this prohibition, neither his words nor his actions will influence his flock, and his judgment in private or in public affairs will always be mistrusted, since only he who is free and independent is able to obey the precept, "Thou shalt not wrest judgment, thou shalt not respect persons." It is a particular duty of the priest to respect the poor alike as the rich, and to admonish and preach freely what is right and good, and to expose what is wrong and evil, without fear, lest one party, by their ignorance or erroneous notions, consider him a sceptic, or another party, blinded by credulous desire, regard him as leaning too much to orthodoxy. He has also to teach the people, that they may know which are the precepts and prohibitions of divine origin, and which are enacted by human authority, or only

pious practices; and again, which prayers are instituted by the great Synod, and accepted by the Jewish nation at large, and which have been, in after ages, prescribed by single individuals, and were only accepted by some congregations, and rejected by others. Such instruction may prevent that which is often the case, figuratively speaking,-the throwing away of the kernel and holding the shell.

There are many other duties incumbent on the priest, which we think superfluous to enumerate, because the candidate for such an office should have acquired a full knowledge thereof, and should be inspired with such a high moral sense as to have no need for such an admonition.

SECTION CIII.

The warden of a congregation has also many most important and arduous duties to perform; we will only hint at a few. In the election of a minister, or other official, there should be no other motives but to select the best and the fittest person, without regard to private influence; and the elected should be so placed as to be independent of all those around him.