I. -Doing fervice, as to the Lord, and not to man-Ephefians, vi. 7. AMONG all the evils of life, that of flavery is one of the hardest to bear. To be totally fubject to the will of fuch a mifchievous, capricious creature, as man, is certainly very grievous. In compaffion to this miferable part of the human fpecies, the apostle St. Paul is frequent in his advice to them. He tells them in general, that he was not authorized to make any change in the civil eftablishments of mankind. All he could do for them was to administer topics of confolation. Many of them, no doubt, -one, we know-he converted to christianity; and if he could not make them happy in one way, he did it in another. Among christians, the idea of service is changed; and (except in one inftance, which is a difgrace to a christian legislature) the fervant is as free as his master. But though the nature of fervice is changed; yet ftill, as there must be different 2 ! different ranks among mankind, there will be oppreffion and tyranny. The gofpel therefore has given us many precepts to enable us to bear the oppreffion of bad men with chriftian patience and in this light I know of none more effectual to a well-difpofed mind than the text; in which all mankind are taught to confider themselves as the members of one great family,, under God. As in a private family there are different stations; fo there are likewife in God's great family. And all people .fhould make themselves fatisfied with those stations, in which they are placed, by confidering themfelves as connected with a ftill greater master than their earthly one; and should look upon their stations, rather as employments under God, than as fervices impofed by man. And though many of these employments may be hard, yet it is a confolation to those who fuffer under them, that they have a great, and kind master in heaven, who beholds their patient fufferings with a ten der eye. The happiness, that would refult under this great principle of doing fervice as to the Lord, and not to man, might be confidered at large, both as it refpects mankind in general, and individually. II. The lamb flain from the foundation of the world.-Revelations, xiii. 8. THE fate of the world from the time of Adam to the time of Chrift; and likewise of that infinite number of human beings, fince that time, who have never heard of the gospel—has often excited the compaffion of good chriftians. They have bewailed the everlasting perdition of fo many millions of people. It is true, our Saviour gave a fhort answer to fome, who made an inquiry about a matter of this kind: Lord, are there few that shall be faved? Trouble not yourselves, faid he, with the cafe of others. Leave them in the hands of a merciful God. But let it be your care to attend to what concerns yourselves. Such paffages, however, as the text, of which there are feveral, feem to throw light enough upon this fubject to give us all the fatisfaction we want. We may be affured, that God will never punish men for what they cannot help': but will judge without law, thofe, that have finned without law. The |