which was, and is, and ever shall be? Is it not of supreme importance that we should be loyal subjects of the King of the universe, the immortal, invisible, only wise God?

Oh, let all of us see that our relations to him are in a safe and satisfactory state! Have we acquainted ourselves with Him as he has manifested himself "in the face" of his only Begotten, his visible image, the great revealer of the unseen, the invisible One, and are we at peace with him? It once was otherwise; we were at war with him. Mad, impious rebellion! Has the manifestation of his authority and grace quelled the rebel principles within, brought every high thing down into subjection to him, and sweetly constrained us to cast from us the weapons we had so foolishly, so wickedly, wielded against him? If not, the sooner such a change takes place, the better; for "HE beareth not the sword in vain.”

If this all-important change has taken place, let us prove that it has taken place by submitting cordially to his authority, as administered by HIM whom he has "set on his holy hill of Zion." Let us "serve him without fear, in righteousness and holiness, all the days of our lives." Let us "walk in all his ordinances and commandments blameless;" let us" count his precepts concerning all things to be right; let us hate every false way;" and let us show our supreme regard to his authority, by cheerfully doing every thing which our civil rulers require of us, however disagreeable to us, which is not inconsistent with his law, because he has commanded it; and obstinately refusing to do any thing which they command us, however deeply it may involve our worldly interests, which is inconsistent with his law, because he has forbidden it.

It is, indeed, inward subjection to HIS authority, that alone can secure high principled and duly regulated subjection to every lawful inferior authority. It has been justly remarked, that when the spirit of the high-minded sinner has

1 Luke i. 6, 74, 75. Psal. exix. 128.

been brought down by the gospel, and he has bowed with a broken and contrite heart to the sceptre of the Saviour's grace, the humble subjection of his conscience, which then takes place, involves in it a meek and humble spirit of submission to all the authority which that God has vested in any of his creatures. The obedience which he yields as a child, as a servant, as a subject, being yielded from religious principles, becomes obedience to God; and "whatsoever he does" henceforward, " he does it heartily to the Lord, and not to man." And hence it is that the Christian minister feels that he never acts more the part of a good citizen, never employs means more fitted for improving the whole scene of domestic and social and political life, than when he urges on men," repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ;" and beseeches them, on the ground of the great atonement, to be reconciled to God."

1 Col. iii. 23.

2 The whole subject of this discourse is more fully discussed by the author, in his treatise entitled "The Law of Christ respecting Civil Obedience, especially in the Payment of Tribute."

DISCOURSE XI.

THE CONDITION AND DUTY OF CHRISTIANS "AS FREE," YET "AS THE SERVANTS OF GOD."

1 PET. ii. 16.—As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God, a

course.

THESE words contain in them a very instructive view of the condition and duty of Christians, to the illustration and improvement of which I design to devote the following disThe CONDITION of Christians is described as at once a condition of liberty and subjection. They are "free," and yet servants, "the servants of God." The DUTY of Christians is stated with a reference to their condition: they are to conduct themselves agreeably to their condition, as free, and as the servants of God; they are to assert and use their liberty; they are not to abuse their liberty; they are to exemplify or act out their subjection. Such is the outline which I shall attempt to fill up in the sequel.

I. THE CONDITION OF CHRISTIANS.

§ 1. They are free.

Let us then, in the first place, attend to the account contained in the text of the condition of Christians. They are "free," yet "the servants of God." Christians are a peculiar people. They are freemen among slaves, the servants of God among the servants of the wicked one. This was not

a See note A.

always the case. The common condition of the race was originally theirs. They were slaves both in condition and in character. But the Son has made them free, and they are free indeed. The determined rebel has become a loyal subject. "If any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new creature," and to him there is a new creation. "Old things have passed away, and all things have become new." Christians are free free in reference to God; free in reference to man; free in reference to the powers and principles of evil. Let us shortly attend to these various aspects of the Christian's freedom.

(1.) Free in reference to God.

First, they are free in reference to God. They are "the Lord's freemen." 1 By this we do not mean that they are not under the strongest obligations to conform their minds and wills to the mind and will of God, and to regulate the whole of their temper and conduct according to the revelation of that mind and will contained in his word. They are not free in the sense of being "without law to God;" to be so would be the reverse of a privilege; they "are under the law to Christ." Yet still in a very important sense they are free, both as to condition and character, in reference to God; and these two forms or species of freedom are closely connected, the latter being the result and manifestation of the former.

The relation in which a Christian naturally stood to God in consequence of sin, was that of a condemned criminal; and the character by which he was distinguished was that of a sullen slave, conscious of having exposed himself to punishment for his indolence and unfaithfulness, and equally hating his Master and his work. "All have sinned, all have lost the approbation of God," all have incurred the condemning sentence of the divine law; and

"Chains are the portion of revolted man

Stripes and a dungeon.”4

1 Cor. vii. 22.

21 Cor. ix. 21.

3 Rom. iii. 23.

Acta.-John v. 41-44.

4 Cowper.

They are, as it were, shut up in prison, reserved for punishment, and bound by the fetters of guilt, which no created power can break, no created ingenuity unlock.

In this state, of which no sinner is entirely unconscious, the disposition towards God is, must be, not that of an affectionate child or a loyal subject, but that of a slave punished for disobedience, cherishing a grudge toward his master, as if the unreasonableness of the task assigned him, rather than his own wilful neglect and disobedience, were the true cause of the evils he feels or fears. He is an entire stranger to the love of God, so that free voluntary obedience is a moral impossibility; and if at any time he assume the appearance of submission, and do those actions which the law requires, such conduct springs entirely from the principles of servile fear or mercenary expectation. This is the natural condition and character of all men in reference to God. This was once the condition and character of every Christian.

But the condemned criminal has become a pardoned, accepted child; the slave has obtained both the state and the disposition of a freeman. The prison doors have been thrown open, the fetters of guilt have been unloosed, the prisoner has gone forth. Love has taken the place of dislike, confidence of jealousy, joyful hope of "the fear that had torment;" and while the pardoned, renewed sinner, "keeps God's precepts," "he walks at liberty."

The manner in which this change is produced, must be familiar to the mind of every one who properly understands even "the principles of the doctrines of Christ," "the first principles of the oracles of God." It is by the faith of the truth as it is in Jesus, that man, the criminal and slave, is introduced into the state and formed to the character of a spiritual freeman. Christ Jesus, the only begotten of God, has by the appointment of his Father, moved by sovereign love, done and suffered, as the substitute of man, all that was necessary to make the salvation of sinners perfectly con

1 Heb. vi. 1; v. 12.