I.

Doing fervice, as to the Lord, and not to man.-Ephefians 6. vii.

A

MONG all the evils of life that of slavery 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 apoftle 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 establishments of mankind. All he could do for them was to adminifter topics of confolation. Many of them, no doubt-one, we know—he converted to chriftianity; and if he could not make them happy in one way, he did it in

another.

Among chriftians the idea of service is changed; and (except in one instance, which is a difgrace to a christian legislature,) the fervant is as free as his mafter. But tho the nature of fervice is changed;

yet

yet ftill, as there must be different ranks among mankind, there will be The gospel therefore has

oppreffion and tyranny. 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 ftations; fo there are likewife in God's great family. And all people fhould make themselves fatisfied with thofe ftations, in which they are placed, by confidering themfelves as connected with a ftill greater mafter than their earthly one; and fhould look upon their stations, as parts given them by God, rather than as employments under man. And tho many of thefe 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 sufferings with a tender eye.

The happinefs, 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.

The

II.

The lamb flain from the foundation of the world.-Revelations 13. viii.

HE fate of the world from the time of Adam

THE

to the time of Chrift; and likewife of that infinite number of human beings, fince that time, who have never heard of the gofpel-has often excited the compaffion of good chriftians. They have bewailed the everlafting 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 fall be faved? Trouble not yourselves,

faid he, with the care of others.

the hands of a merciful God.

Leave them in

care to attend to what concerns yourselves.

Such paffages however, as the text, of which there are several, 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 man for what they cannot help but will judge without law, thofe, that have finned without law.

The

The mind of man however is always agitated. Having gotten rid of one difficulty, it raifes a fecond often upon the folution of the firft.-If then all the unchriftianized parts of the world, which live up to the lights they have received, fhall be faved through the merits of Chrift-what occafion is there to advance the gofpel farther? That the great, and gracious atonement fhould be made at fome time, we can easily conceive: but when it was made, was not all done, that was necessary to be done? If men may be faved as well through the merits of Chrift in a state of nature, as in a state of grace; why fhould the apoftles be fo earncft in propagating the chriftian religion themselves, and in their injunctions to all fucceeding minifters to follow their example?

This, I own, is more of a difficulty than the other; because this carneftnefs has the appearance, as if the fouls of men were really concerned. I fhall endeavour to folve it.

Some have endeavoured to folve it by fuppofing chriftians to receive, at the end of their labours, a greater reward than other men. I think we have no authority for taking upon us to portion out God almighty's favours. We are told indeed that the dead in Chrift, fhould rife first. But fuch ex

preffions