of their families that are with you,
which they begat in your land; and they shall be your possession.
"And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you,
to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen forever;
but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one
over another with rigor." (Lev. xxv, 45, 46.)
Why? Because they are not as good as you will buy of the heathen
roundabout.
Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
"If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve; and in the
seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
"If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he were
married, then his wife shall go out with him.
"If his master have given him a wife, and she have borne him sons or
daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he
shall go out by himself.
"And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and
my children; I will not go out free.
"Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring
him to the door, or unto the door-post; and his master shall bore his
ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him forever." (Exod. xxi,
1-6.)
This is the doctrine which has ever lent itself to the chains of
slavery, and makes a man imprison himself rather than desert his wife
and children. I hate it.
Now, listen to the new testament, the tidings of great joy for all
people!
"Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the
flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto
Christ.
"Not with eye-service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ,
doing the will of God from the heart." (Eph. vi, 5, 6.) trembling, in
singleness of your heart, as unto Christ.
"Not with eye-service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ,
doing the will of God from the heart." (Eph. vi, 5,6.) Splendid
doctrine.
"Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the
good and gentle, but also to the froward.
"For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure
grief, suffering wrongfully." (1 Peter ii, 18, 19.)
"Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh."
He was afraid they might not work all the time, so he adds:
"Not with the eye-service, as men pleasers, but in the singleness of
heart fearing God."
Read the twenty-first chapter of Exodus, 7 to 11.
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