ordered, that you may know that when you do what you are
bidden, it pleases God.

God does not look to the work, how small it is; but to the heart that
serves him in such little things. But in this it happens as in other
matters: what God has commanded, no one performs; what men enact and
God does not ordain, every one complies with.

But, say you, "Ah! how is this? What if I have such a strange and
irritable master as no one can thankfully serve, for many such may be
found?" To this St. Peter answers, "Are you a Christian and desirous
to please God, you are not to inquire as to that matter how strange
and froward your master is, but ever direct your eyes to this, and
observe what God bids you." So that you are to reason after this
manner: "I will in this way serve my Master, Christ, who requires it
of me that I be subject to this froward master." If God should
command you to wash the devil's feet, or those of the merest wretch,
you are to do it; and this work would be just as much a good work as
the highest of all, when God calls you to it. Therefore you are to
have no regard to the person, but only to what God requires; and in
this case the least work is more to be preferred in God's sight, when
rightly performed, than all the popes' and monks' works in one heap.
But whomsoever this does not incite, that it is God's will, and is
acceptable to Him, the work will be of no avail to him. Better than
it is you cannot make it, worse than it is you cannot leave it. And
therefore this is to be done _with all fear_, (as St. Peter says,)
that it may be rightly proceeded with, since it is not the command of
men, but of God.

And here St. Peter speaks particularly of servants according to the
circumstances of those times, when they were held as property, such
as are to be found still in some places, and are exchanged like
cattle, who are ill-treated and beaten of their masters; and the
masters had such license that they were not punished although they
put their servants to death. Wherefore it became necessary that the
Apostles should carefully admonish and comfort such servants, that
they might serve their hard masters, and endure it, though suffering
and injustice were imposed upon them. Whoever is a Christian must
also bear a cross; and the more you suffer wrongfully, the better it
is for you; wherefore you should receive such a cross from God
cheerfully, and thank Him for it. This is the right kind of
suffering, that is we