which they thus were placed, was righteousness—­strict, stern, impartial.  Nothing here of bias or antipathy.  Birth, wealth, station,—­the dust of the balance not so light!  Both master and servants were hastening to a tribunal, where nothing of “respect of persons” could be feared or hoped for.  There the wrong-doer, whoever he might be, and whether from the top or bottom of society, must be dealt with according to his deservings.

3.  Under this government, servants were to be universally and heartily obedient; and both in the presence and absence of the master, faithfully to discharge their obligations.  The master on his part, in his relations to the servants, was to make JUSTICE AND EQUALITY the standard of his conduct.  Under the authority of such instructions, slavery falls discountenanced, condemned, abhorred.  It is flagrantly at war with the government of God, consists in “respect of persons” the most shameless and outrageous, treads justice and equality under foot, and in its natural tendency and practical effects is nothing else than a system of wrong-doing.  What have they to do with the just and the equal who in their “respect of persons” proceed to such a pitch as to treat one brother as a thing because he is a servant, and place him, without the least regard to his welfare here, or his prospects hereafter, absolutely at the disposal of another brother, under the name of master, in the relation of owner to property?  Justice and equality on the one hand, and the chattel principle on the other, are naturally subversive of each other—­proof clear and decisive that the correlates, masters and servants, cannot here be rendered slaves and owners, without the grossest absurdity and the greatest violence.

“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; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:  knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.  And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening:  knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him."[59]

  [Footnote 59:  Ephesians, vi. 5-9.]

Without repeating here what has already been offered in exposition of kindred passages, it may be sufficient to say:—­

1.  That the relation of the servants here addressed, to their master, was adapted to make him the object of their heart-felt attachment.  Otherwise they could not have been required to render him an affectionate service.

2.  This relation demanded a perfect reciprocity of benefits.  It had its soul in good-will, mutually cherished and properly expressed.