He has given a proof of obedience to the Gospel, of submission, of patience and long suffering, of implicit compliance with the rules of Christ, which excite my Christian emulation.

My endeavor shall be to imitate Onesimus as he has imitated Christ, and to surpass him in likeness to that Lord who is meek and lowly in heart.

The bonds which hold Onesimus to me are no stronger than those which bind me to him.
(Great sensation and much emotion.) Can I ever treat this servant in an unfeeling manner?
Can I recklessly sell him?
Can I deprive him of comforts?
Can I fail to provide for his highest happiness?
God do so to me and more also, if I prove deficient in these particulars.
"'Let me ask, What would be the state of things among us if the benign influences of Christian love pervaded every case of slave-holding as, by the grace of God, I hope it will in my case?
We must have a serving class; our customs and laws ordain the relationship of involuntary servitude, property in the services of others, by purchase of their persons.

While this is so, suppose that every servant is an Onesimus and every master such as I ought to be, under the influence of the Apostle Paul's directions! It is plain that in no way can we better promote the spiritual and eternal good of certain men, as the times are, than by standing in the relation of Christian masters to them.

This is the great thing with Paul.