vern, direct, and guide-that the work we have to do is of his appointment-all our powers and faculties belong to him-and his commands must be obeyed. But, at the fame time, we confider him as our Mafter and Lord, and ourselves his fervants and subjects; we are to recollect that our ruler is not a tyrant, nor our fervice flavery. Our Lord hath fully inftructed us as to this, by calling himself our father and our friend; by denominating us his children; and by saying, "Henceforth I "call you not fervants, but friends." And, moreover, from this confideration, that all his commands and injunctions are given in love; they are calculated for our own honor, profit, and happiness, and not to advantage himself; the more diligently we attend to them, the more abundantly are we bleffed; his fervice is perfect freedom, in keeping his commandments there is great reward, and to be fubject to the Lord is to be completely, and everlaftingly happy.

Permit me then, my chriftian hearers, to recommend a willing, a cheerful, and unreferved obedience to fuch a friend and master. If we ferve not him, we are under more cruel tyrants than the fable flaves of Africa; and our fervice is a more hard and dreadful flavery than theirs. If we are fubject to our own lufts and paffions, our evil difpofitions and propenfities, we are actually in the moft awful bondage; the harder we toil, and the longer we labor, the greater will be our difap

pointment, the more poignant our pain, and the keener our woe. If we are the fervants of the world, and striving to gain it all from the love of it, we are at enmity with God, and enfuring the lofs of eternal felicity, riches, and honor. If we are fubject to infernals, and influenced by their deceitful fuggestions and temptations, to every evil and criminal indulgence, they are all the while concerting our ruin; and will never leave us until we fink into that mifery and forrow, in which they themselves are for the wages of fin is death; and we cannot serve God and mammon. But if we willingly and faithfully ferve our divine mafter, our best friend, our heavenly father, we fhall find all his fervice perfect freedom, his work pleasant, his commands easy, and his reward infinite and eternal. We were created to ferve no other master-redeemed to obey no other Lord-and we are fpared in life, that we may return to him, become his fubjects, and be happy in his kingdom.

The faculties and powers of our minds are too noble for the fervice of fin, the mean degrading flavery of infernals, or for fubjection to sensual lufts, and depraved difpofitions-an immortal spirit should defpife the filthy drudgery of fin and vice-an heir of a celeftial kingdom fhould rise above fenfuality, earthly-mindedness, and infernal influence-a heaven-born foul fhould yield obedience, and be in fubjection to no ruler and lord, but the eternal Governor and King of heaven himself!

But,

But, to be a little more particular upon the words. It is faid, "One is your father, which is in heaven; "and one is your master, even Chrift." By the letter, fome might imagine that the father and the mafter are two distinct beings, or perfons; efpecially as men are so much confirmed in the idea of more Gods than one, or of more divine perfons than one in the deity;—but this is not the cafe. By father, is here meant the divine love of Jehovah, dwelling in the interior of the mind; for divine love is the real and effential life of a regenerate man. And by Chrift, is fignified divine truth; for it implies the fame as Messiah, Anointed, and King—and all thofe names denote divine truth. Therefore the internal meaning of the words is as follows:-call no man your father on earth, viz. let no earthly, fenfual, evil, and infernal love, be the life of your mind; be not the children of this world, or of Satan; let not your ruling, your life's love, be any thing less than heavenly; the love of felf, of dominion, of the world, and of evil, are all infernal and vile loves; if you are in any of these they are your life-all your affections, defires, and difpofitions, proceed from fuch love, as from a parent; and, confequently, whatever belongs to fuch an one, and proceeds from him, is of the fame nature and quality with that predominant love, which is his life.

But our divine Lord fays, "Let it not be thus "with you, my difciples. Let one be your father "which is in heaven, viz. let my love abide in you,

as

"as a living principle, from which will proceed all "that is good, and heavenly, and pure. Continue

ye in my love-abide in my love; as the branch "cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the "vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me."

Hence it is plain, that this divine love, dwelling as a living principle in the mind, is as a parent producing and begetting whatever is good, holy, lovely, and heavenly. And then by Christ, as our master, is fignified, divine truth, united with divine good (or love) in the internal; and therefore, our Lord fays, "Be not ye called masters;" viz. let not the doctrines, traditions, and opinions of men-the laws, rules, and orders of men, be your guide, direction, and rule, in what refpects religion and your fouls. Be not governed and influenced by these ; but remember, one is your master, even Christ; that is, divine truth alone must be your mafter and lord. It is to this you are to be obedient-by this you are to be ruled and governed-for divine truth furnisheth us with every pure and found doctrine, every juft and good rule, every heavenly command, and every encouraging motive to pure undefiled religion. And when pure heavenly love is the life of the will, and pure divine truth the life of the understanding; or, in other words, when goodness and truth (or love and wisdom) are united in the internal of the mind, then one is our father, which is in heaven; and one is our master, even Christ. The love of felf, and of dominion, will

be

be trodden under foot-the love of the world, and of evil, caft out-love to God, and charity to man, be the life of the foul-and divine truth, lead, guide, and direct us in all that is good, true, and heavenly.

But as our time will not allow me to enter upon the other two verfes, we will leave them for another opportunity, and conclude with a few reflexions.

First, then, we are taught by these words to guard against all felf-exaltation, pre-eminence, and fuperiority over others. Whatever our station, character, office, or abilities, we are only BRETHREN—. we are not lords and mafters. Therefore whatever honor belongs to the office, or character, that must be referred to the Lord alone, to whom it is due; -our place is to be humble, lowly-minded. He that is greatest among you fhall be your fervant.

Secondly, we are to confider that no man, or body of men, however learned, good, eminent, and wife, are to be our guides and rulers in matters of faith and practice. We are not to look up to them, but to the Lord alone, and his word: they may err, and without defign lead us wrong; but the Lord cannot err, nor his word deceive us. And, therefore,

Thirdly, The Lord Jefus Chrift alone must be our father and our master; his love the life of our minds, and his truth the rule of that life. Then whatever is begotten by, and proceeds from that divine love and truth, will be holy, pure, good, and heavenly. And, fourthly, We learn from hence, that whatever is good and true in us, and whatever is good N.

and