Make my obedience to my master on earth, like that which the holy angels pay to thee in heaven. When I am commanded to go, may I go; when I am required to come, may I come; whatsoever I am bid to do agreeable to thy will, may I do it heartily, as unto the LORD, and not unto men. But if at any time, O LORD, to try what is in my heart, thou shouldst permit me to be tempted to do any wickedness, O give me grace, as thou didst _Joseph_, patiently to submit to a prison, and to death itself, rather than sin against thee, my GOD; knowing that it is thank-worthy, if a man for conscience towards GOD, endure grief, suffering wrongfully. Enable me, O LORD, to shew good fidelity in all things committed to my charge. Do thou, who blessedst _Abraham_’s servant, when he went to take a wife for his master’s son _Isaac_, so bless me in all my master’s business, that he may see, as _Potiphar_ did, that the LORD maketh all that I do to prosper in my hands.
Keep, O LORD, also the door of my lips, that I offend at no time with my tongue; let a false tongue be far from me, and let me never lie unto my master, as _Gehazi_ did. O let no such unfaithfulness cleave unto me; lest by being a partaker with him in his crime, I partake also in his punishment. Bridle also my tongue from ever answering again: may all sullenness and peevishness of temper be put away from me, with all passion: may I learn of thee, O holy JESUS, to be meek and lowly in heart; O make me patient of reproof, willing to be taught, and subject with all fear and godly reverence, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. Or if ever, through the weakness of the flesh, I should offend in this point, as _Hagar_ did against _Sarah_, enable me, I beseech thee, immediately to repent and to return again to my obedience. Grant also, O LORD, I may behave holily and unblameably to my fellow servants: let no corrupt communication, nor foolish talking or jesting, which is not convenient, at any time come out of my mouth, but rather giving of thanks: may our conversation be always seasoned with the salt of thy holy word, and such as may tend to the edifying one another.
Endue us all with that charity, which hideth a multitude of faults; and if ever, O LORD, thy glory should call me to bring up an ill report to my master against any of my fellow-servants, which, I beseech thee, of thy mercies, I may never have occasion to do; grant it may be done with gentleness and compassion, not to insinuate myself into my master’s favour, but to prevent them sinning against thee, and thereby ruining their own souls. Keep us, we beseech thee, from striving among ourselves, as _Abraham_’s and _Lot_’s herdsmen did, about any of the concerns of this life; but grant we may be always provoking each other to love and to good works. Preserve us, we beseech thee, from envying one another, either the favour of our master, or any blessing whatsoever. Let us not seek our own, but each our brother’s welfare, as members of the same body, as disciples of the same LORD. When one of us suffers, let all suffer; when one rejoices, let all of us rejoice with him. Make us pitiful and tender-hearted to each other; and if at any time we should have a quarrel, enable us, O LORD, immediately to forgive one another, even as thou, GOD, for CHRIST’s sake, hast forgiven us.
Finally, O LORD, endue us with a deep humility, that we may in brotherly love prefer one another, and in lowliness of mind each of us esteem his brother better than himself. O hear all our prayers for our master, and grant that he and his houshold may faithfully serve thee, our LORD. O make him as devout as _Cornelius_, and us, like the soldiers that waited upon him, devout also. That thus adorning thy holy gospel in all things, we may, at thy second coming to judge the world, be rewarded according as we have improved the different talents which we have received from thee, O glorious Redeemer, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one GOD, world without end. _Amen_, _Amen_.
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_A Prayer for a poor Negroe._