There are some particulars where domestics feel that their employers have no right to control them, and on these points I hope you will allow me, as a friend, to offer a little advice.

You perhaps may feel that it is your own concern what company you visit, and who visit you, and that, after your work is done, you have a right to go where you please without asking leave of your employers.

But here I wish you would try yourselves by “the golden rule.” Suppose you to look forward to a time when you are the mistress of a family, and hire persons to help you do the work, would you not in such a case feel thus: I have hired these persons and pay them for their time, and they have agreed to do my family work at the time and in the way I wish. Now they cannot know, without asking, when I can spare them and when I shall need their help. There are always times when, if the regular work of the day is done up, some extra work, or some sickness, or other causes, may make it needful for them to stay at home. Therefore, I think it right to expect that those I hire will not either go out, or invite company to come and see them, without first inquiring of me whether it will be convenient. Do you not think you should feel and think thus? Now, therefore, whatsoever ye would that others should do unto you, do ye the same unto them. In obedience, therefore, to this law of Christ, I would advise you never to go out anywhere, and never to invite persons to visit you, without first inquiring of the mistress of the family whether it will be convenient to her.

In regard to selecting your companions, remember the Word of God, “He that walketh with the wise shall be wise, but the companion of fools shall be destroyed.” There is nothing that so much influences our character and happiness, as the companions we associate with, and therefore it is of the utmost consequence that you find your associates among the most respectable, amiable, and conscientious persons, and that you shun the society of the gay, thoughtless and unprincipled.

There is another point where domestics feel that their employers have no right to control, and this still more demands your attention, in order that you may do what is right and best for yourselves. I refer to the frequent attendance on evening meetings, and the late hours which are sometimes the consequence of this. Now what I wish you to reflect on, in reference to this, I can best exhibit by relating another story.

A Story.

Once there was a very good king, and he had a large residence at some distance from his court. At this residence there was a large household of servants, whose business it was to keep it in constant readiness, so that whenever the king wished, he could go there and find every thing in order.

Now these servants were very apt to be careless and negligent of their business, and often became so engrossed in their own amusements, that they forgot entirely the business they were placed there to do. In consequence of this, the king used often to send messengers to them, who would strive to keep them in order, and who wrote down in a book the rules that should guide them in the performance of every duty. But there still continued great havoc, waste and misrule. At last the only son of the king, who was a very tender-hearted prince, and loved these servants very much, came among them; for he feared that unless something was done, when his father arrived, they would all be turned away, and become miserably poor and wretched. So this excellent prince came and staid a long time with these servants; he worked with them himself, and showed them by his own example, the right way of doing every thing; and then he wrote down the rules in a book, and placed it so that every one could go to it and learn their duties.

But it was not a long time after the prince returned to his father’s court, before all the servants were divided up into parties about the proper way of doing the work. All agreed that the prince told them that his father would soon come, that he would come suddenly and unexpectedly—and that it was his will that every part of the house should be cleansed, and every thing put in order. There was no dispute about this.

But the parties were divided in this manner: A large portion of them maintained that the most important thing to be done was to have the water for cleaning house kept very hot, and that it must be hot all the time—and so they spent most of their time in getting fuel and blowing the fire—and they would sit up sometimes half the night to make fires and keep the water hot. And they considered themselves as the best servants in the house for their care and diligence in this respect, and upbraided their companions for allowing so much coldness to get in the water they were to use.

Then there was another portion that were very much excited about the manner in which the water was to be used.

They seemed to think it was indispensable that it should be poured on all over the floor, so as to cover every part of it, before commencing the use of the mop or floor cloth. They insisted on it that this was the way the prince directed them to use it—that he had it put on in this manner himself, and that, in the book of directions, he was very exact in stating that it must be used thus. And they insisted upon it, as one of the most important of all their duties, that the water should be used in this particular way, so that their thoughts and efforts were much taken up with this matter.

Then there was another party, and they thought that it was of the greatest consequence that the servants should understand who were to be their overseers to direct in the way the work was to be done. They maintained that the young prince had expressly directed who should be overseers and who should not, so that even if a man was well qualified to direct, and his fellow servants were willing to be directed by him, it would not do to go on so. And they spent a great deal of time and labour and feeling, in arguing with their fellow-servants to try to convince them that most of the overseers were not put in their place in the proper way, and did not direct others in the proper manner.

Then there was another large party, who insisted that it was indispensable, that their fellow servants should believe every thing that was written in the Book of Directions, exactly according as they understood them. They maintained that if men did not believe right they never could work right. They were sure that they themselves did understand and believe the Book of Directions, just as the prince intended, and they spent a great deal of time in arguing and contending about what was to be believed. And they insisted, that before any man went to work in their part of the house he should declare what his belief was, and how he understood the meaning of the directions in the book.

Now all these things no doubt were important. It certainly was needful to have the water hot, and it was desirable that it should be put on the floors in the way directed by the prince, and it was important that the proper overseers should direct the rest, and that they should do it in the proper way, and it was very important that the Book of Directions should be understood and believed, in the sense intended by the young prince.

But the difficulty was, that they became so much engrossed about the particular points where they differed, that they were in danger of forgetting the great thing about which they all agreed, viz. the cleaning of the house. And some of them got into such contentions about these matters, that instead of cleaning the house, they really made it more disorderly and unclean.

But there was a considerable number in all these parties, who looked at these things more wisely. And they managed matters in this way. They concluded, that as it was needful to have the water hot, they would not hinder those who were heating it, but get all the warm water they could from them, or from any one else, and go to cleaning the house with it. They concluded that as they could not all agree as to the proper way of putting on the water, that each should put it on in the way he believed the prince had taught, and not quarrel with the rest, who thought another way was right. They thought it was important to have the right overseers, and to have them direct the rest in a proper manner, but as they could not bring this about, they concluded to go to any place where they could do the most work, and put themselves under the overseer who was there, and do as well as they could.

They also concluded, that though it was exceedingly important that all should understand and believe the directions written in the Book, yet as all did not agree in every thing, it was best to join together in the point where they all did agree, viz. in cleaning the house. And they comforted themselves in thinking of the promise of the young prince, “If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine.” So they concluded that the best way to satisfy their own minds and to convince others of the proper way of doing the work was, to do it so diligently, so orderly, and so well, that others would be convinced “by seeing their good works,” and so would follow their example.

And it was these servants who really cleaned the house, and, so far as they could do it, had every thing in readiness. And when their Lord and King arrived, they met him without fear, while he blessed them with a benignant smile, and said unto them, “Well done, good and faithful servants, enter ye into the joy of your Lord.”

Now, my friends, this story illustrates what I wish to explain to you, about religion and religious meetings.

We are placed in this world to form a character like that of God, to become holy as he is holy, for this is the only way to be happy. Jesus Christ is “God manifest in the flesh,” and “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,” and one great object he had in coming into this world was, to show us what the character of God is, that we may know how to become like him.—And while here, he set us an example of the way in which we are to “cleanse our hearts” from all evil, so that he and his Father can come and make their abode with us. He did every thing which we shall be called to do, as a perfect example for us, and when he returned to his Father’s court, he left a Book of Instructions for us all to use, that we may learn how to cleanse our hearts and lives from all sin.

Now, we find that there are many parties among the servants of Christ, that differ a great deal about the best way of doing this great work. Some think it is very important to have a great many meetings, and to read and pray and sing a great deal, in order to keep our feelings warm, and this they think is more important than any thing else.

Others think it is very important that we should be baptized in the proper manner, and at the proper time. Others think it very important, that those who are rulers and overseers in the church, should be ordained in the proper manner, and that they should direct their people aright, as to the forms and rites of the church.

Others think it very important to believe in the right doctrines of religion, and that it is best to take great care, not to have any belong to their particular church, who do not believe the doctrines of the Bible as they do.

But they all agree, that the great work to be done, after all, is to cleanse the heart and life, by following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.—He taught us to live not for ourselves but for Him—and to make it (as he did) our meat and drink to do the will of our Father in heaven. He taught us to deny ourselves daily, by restraining all harmful passions and desires, and, as he did, to go about doing good, in the humblest sphere in which we may be placed. Now, there is no dispute at all about this great duty. And all agree, that the things they differ about, are of no importance, except as they tend to promote a conformity of heart and life to the character and example of Christ. Those who spend the most time in religious exercises and meetings, consider that it is important to do so, only because it tends to make them more like Christ—and those who think so much of baptism, and ordination, and of believing the true doctrines, suppose that these things are important, only because they will lead us to become like Christ. There is not any minister of any denomination, who, if you ask him about these things, will not tell you, that I am right in all I have said about this matter. Now, if this is true, then we have a rule for judging how much it is proper to go to meetings and to attend to religious exercises.

We go to such meetings, and attend such exercises, to warm our feelings and excite our minds, in order that we may do all our duties better. There is no merit in reading and singing and hearing, nor is there any use in great enjoyment or great feeling, unless these things tend to make us more gentle, meek, humble, faithful and diligent in our duties to God and men. And if we are baptized in the right way, and have the right ministers, and the right services, and the right doctrines preached, it is all of no value to us, unless we improve them so as to become more and more like Christ. Remember, then, that your object in reading and praying and in going to meetings should be, that you may become more faithful, kind, obliging, industrious, and exemplary in all respects.

I fear a great many people pray, and read the Bible, and go to meetings and try to get up a great deal of feeling, and think that this is being religious. But this is no more being religious than heating water is cleaning a house. It is only a course of means appointed by God to enable us to accomplish the great object of life; which is to form such a character as prepares us for Heaven; or in other words, to become like Jesus Christ.

I would advise you, therefore, when you are deciding whether you shall go to a meeting, and how long you shall stay, to inquire, Will this best prepare me to be patient, long-suffering, meek, industrious and faithful in all my duties?

And if you think, that by going, you shall run the risk of injuring your health, and so of lessening your usefulness, or that you shall stay so late as to be tired and sleepy next morning, or unfitted in any way to perform your duties well, I pray you not to go. And if you think that religious privileges do not tend to make you more and more like Christ, I beseech you remember the dreadful condemnation of those who are exalted by privileges even to Heaven, only to be thrust down to Hell.

Now I hope you will not misunderstand what I have said. I do not say that you or any body else go to meetings too much, or think too much of religious teachings, singing and prayer. I am afraid that most of us do not value these blessed means enough. But I am afraid that there are many of you who look upon these things as religion, when in reality they are nothing but the means God has appointed, in order to lead us to become religious. A true Christian, a really converted person, is one who is making it the chief interest and aim of life to become like Christ, and all these religious means are of no use, except so far as they tend to produce conformity of heart and life to the precepts and example of Christ.

If this be the case, then persons who go to meetings to meet companions, or to while away time, or to get their feelings wrought up to a high state, and do not use their religious privileges as means to make them more humble, submissive, gentle, kind, industrious and faithful in every duty, are making their blessings a curse.

And when you take time from your ordinary employments, or time from the hours usually given to sleep, I hope you will always ask yourselves this question: “Am I going to this meeting in order that I may come home and be more and more like Jesus Christ?” And if you do not find that this is your reason for going, beware lest the awful condemnation that awaits those who abuse and pervert religious privileges, fall upon your guilty head.

And here I would add, that no rule can be given as to how much we ought to attend religious exercises. Some persons are reflective, and serious, and remember and feel what they hear a great while. Others are light, trifling and forgetful, and very soon lose any serious impressions. The first class do not need such frequent instructions and opportunities as the last class. And every person must judge for herself, how much time and attention is needful for her to give to religious duties, and not be censorious on others, who think it best for them to take another course.