masters, but the Lord Christ; let them be assured that their obedience will honour Christ, and be acceptable to him; let them give Christ the chief place in their service; let them be persuaded that the free and most gracious reward, not of merit, but of inheritance, a free gift, the fruit of adoption into God's family, will await them. What encouragements are here!

25. But he that doeth wrong, shall receive for the wrong which he hath done; and there is no respect of per

sons.

This implies that grievous wrongs were commonly inflicted on the poor helpless slaves. It implies, also, that the christian convert was still to persevere in his obedience; in his "fear and trembling;" in his "singleness of heart;" in "his good-will," and cheerfulness of submission; in his avoiding the sins to which his position principally exposed him; in doing everything with all his heart and soul, “as unto the Lord and not to men ;" and in looking for the blessed inheritance of heaven; and that in thus acting, he would have the consolation to remember, that as to the injustice done him, there was a day coming when whoever did wrong, however high his authority for this brief moment of life, would receive for the wrong which he did from that Almighty Lord and Judge of all, with whom there was no respect of persons. Before that impartial tribunal, the misconduct of the poor slave would not excuse the cruelty

and injustice of the master; nor the idolatry, wickedness, and cruelty of the master exempt the slothful, dishonest, and disobedient slave from punishment; but " every one would be judged according

to his works.”

Ch. iv. 1. Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in

heaven.

Or, as in the parallel Epistle, " And And ye, masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening; knowing that your Master, also, is in heaven ; neither is there respect of persons with him."

How admirable these injunctions, founded on the authority, dominion, and commands of the glorious and sovereign Lord of all! How precisely adapted to the dangers to which masters are most exposed in the performance of their duties to their inferiors! They are to give to their servants or slaves "that which is just and equal;" that measure of support and recompence for their labours which their contract with them or the natural laws of God required; that care of them in sickness; that provision in old age; that proportionate reward for extraordinary fidelity and exertions; in a word, all that considerate, reasonable, and affectionate attention, which they, in like circumstances, would wish their servants to render to them; "forbearing threatening," and remembering that they also had a Master in heaven; and exercising, therefore, their authority with huma

nity and gentleness, not only without inflicting rigorous punishments, as it was too common for masters to do, but also forbearing to menace and terrify their servants, or to express any haughty or excessive anger at them even when faulty. For though the law of man might give them great power, yet they were accountable to the great Lord and Master of all for their use of it; who would deal with men according to their conduct to their inferiors as well as others; and who expects his people to copy the example of his own divine mercy and lenity.

The wisdom of the inspired apostle in these directions is most observable. He enters not abstractedly upon the subject of slavery in the existing state of the world; but requires implicit obedience from the servants to their masters; enjoining, at the same time, on the masters equity and mildness, and not the absolute manumission of their slaves. The apostle left it to the gradual influence of Christianity to produce that change in the judgment of individuals, of families, neighbourhoods, and nations, which would lead to the abolition of that monstrous evil. It was by working in this unobtrusive way,—in making good husbands, good wives, good children, good servants, good magistrates, good rulers, good sovereigns, that Christianity was to produce its stupendous effects. Had the Gospel proclaimed open war with slavery as slavery, the outcry against it on the part of the governments of the earth would

have been infinitely greater than it was, and rebellion amongst the slaves have been probably excited.

It is the same as to forms of civil government. Christianity is the religion of peace; enjoins loyalty to the powers that be; forbids all rebellion, sedition, and unlawful resistance to authority; and is content gradually to improve kings and governments by the progress of individual piety and truth-which it has been insensibly but surely doing from the time of its promulgation.

How beneficial, then, is the holy religion of Christ! Add these relative duties to the tempers and graces before enjoined on the new man, verses 10-15; and both to the mortification of every vice which the apostle had previously required, verses 5-9; and you have the most undeniable internal proofs of the excellency of the true religion. And when, in connexion with these morals, the redemption of Christ is considered; his incarnation, his atonement, his mediation, the work of the Holy Spirit; the promises, the hopes, the joys of faith, and the anticipations of a future state of glory, you have a system as full of God as it is adapted to all the necessities of man; as complete as it is simple and glorious; and which is only marred by the clumsy inventions of men, intermeddling with its doctrine or rules of duty.

LECTURE XXXII.

PERSEVERANCE IN PRAYER-SPIRITUAL WISDOMCHRISTIAN CONVERSATION.

COL. iv. 2-6.

2. Continue in prayer and watch unto the same with thanksgiving.

THE third main division of our apostle's discourse is closed. We enter now on the fourth and last, containing his conclusion of the whole Epistle. This consists of two parts, an exhortation to some special spiritual duties, and his usual salutations.

Having briefly, but most pointedly, enforced the several offices of domestic life, our apostle, in concluding his Epistle, returns, in the verses we are about to consider, to some spiritual duties, general and particular, which he intermingles with references to the great mystery of Christ.

1. These duties either relate to the temper of the Colossians' minds, and their intercessions with God for him and the progress of the Gospel; and may be classed under the head of prayer, verses 2-4; 2, or else to their conversation with their brethren in the midst of the impending dangers, against