When Paul gave this account of himself, whose I am, and whom I ferve, did he mean that now and then he was employed in the fervice of the Lord, and that it was only his by-hand work? No, furely he aims at no lefs than that it was the great bufinefs of his life, and that he was as truly fixed to the service of God as his chief business, as ever fervant was to his master's work. Now, that God's fervice is the business of those who are the Lord's, is what I am to confirm. And therefore confider, 1. That the mafter's fervice is the business of a fervant as a fervant, fo that no person can be accounted a fervant of a person who does not make his service their business: Rev. xxii. 3. “And his fervants fhall ferve him." An hireling who works one day to one, another to another, and another to himself, is not accounted a fervant of his to whom he works. But the chief bufinefs of a fervant is his master's business, as long as he is in his fervice. Now, they who are truly the Lord's are really and properly his fervants; not only of right, but actually fo, fealed in their foreheads, Rev. vii. 3. abiding by his fervice as their proper business in the world; and those who turn afide from it were never properly his fervants: 1 John, ii. 19." They went out from us, but they were not of us: For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: But they went out, that they might be made manifest, that they were not of us.”. Confider, 2. That they who are his, are his fervants in a most strict sense, as being wholly and abfolutely his, and in no sense their own, or at their own disposal Whofe I am, and whom I ferve. They are not hired fervants, who may go away at a term; but bought fervants (by redemption), born fervants (by regeneration.) Such Solomon had : Ecclef. Ecclef. ii. 7. "I got me fervants and maidens, and had fervants born in my houfe." These are they we call fervants, who are wholly in their mafter's power. And this relation to God, David, though a king, powerfully pleads: Pfal. cxvi. 16. «O Lord, truly I am thy fervant; I am thy fervant, and the fon of thine handmaid: Thou haft loofed my bonds." But even thefe, among men, may be ranfomed and made free. So the Hebrew fervants were to be free in the feventh year, Exod. xxi. 2. Or if he would not be free, then, ver. 6. he was to serve for ever, that is, to the Jubilee, Levit. xxv. 40. But there is no term of service here, no ranfoming. Since they are then his fervants in this fenfe, how can it be otherwife, but that his fervice must be their business ?-Confider, 3. That they cannot continue his fervants, and yet have another master: Matth. vi. 24. "No man can ferve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or elfe he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot ferve God and mammon." They have chosen God for their master, they have renounced and given up with their old mafter the devil, they are kept by the power of God, that they can never again revive their old relation; and it is impoffible that they can ferve two contrary mafters at once; but having renounced the devil, they cleave unto the Lord. And therefore, fince every one makes either the service of their lufts, or the fervice of God, their business; and as they do not make the former their fervice, the latter muft of neceffity be it. -Confider, 4. That if it were not fo, then the Lord would fall fhort of the grand design of their redemption, and making them his own, which cannot be. He has redeemed them by price, yea, and alfo by power; power; and the end of both is, that they may ferve God as his fervants: Titus, ii. 14. " Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Luke, i. 74. "That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteoufnefs, before him, all the days of our life." When the Lord fent Mofes, to bring the children of Ifrael from the service of the Egyptians, it was not that they might live idly, and ferve no more, but that they might change their mafter, and their work Exod. iv. 23. "And I fay unto thee, Let my fon go, that he may ferve me." Thus it is alfo in the fpiritual delivery.-Confider, Laftly, That this making of God's fervice our bufinefs, is a distinguishing character of a perfon truly the Lord's. Of worldly men it is faid, Phil. iii. 19. " Whofe end is deftruction, whofe God is their belly, and whofe glory is in their fhame, who mind earthly things." But of the faints it is faid, ver. 20. " For our conversation is in heaven: From whence alfo we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jefus Chrift." What is a perfon's business, diftinguishes him from many others; and religion, being our business, diftinguishes us from the unconverted crowd, who are accounted workers of iniquity, though they be perfons not eftranged from religious exercises; because, though they do thefe duties, it is another thing that is their great bufinefs in the world, Matth. vii. 21. 23.-I come now, IV. To make fome improvement; and this, learn, VOL. II. H h (1.) (1.) That whoever are the Lord's, muft apply themselves to the Lord's work and service: Luke, vi. 46. "And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I fay?" You were all baptised into his name and service, and some, of late, have been dedicating themselves to him in the facrament of the supper. Think not that you are now at liberty, or that your work is over. No; you are to begin your work, and perform your vows, and make out your service; attend to it, then, with heart and hand, for he is a master who feeks and will have the heart.-We may learn, (2.) That the hearts of God's honeft fervants, are reconciled to his work and fervice. It is not a force put on them; but their choice, as that which they like the best. They are ready to refolve with Joshua, that they and their houses will ferve the Lord, chap. xxiv. 15. It is not only their duty, that they must do it; but their privilege and intereft, that they have to do it. They will value themselves more on being God's fervants, than they would on their being governors of a kingdom.--We may learn, (3.) That those who make not religion their bufinefs, are none of the Lord's. They may be his by an external covenant-relation, but they are not members of his family, by a faving relation. Many take on with the Lord as a master, but they flight the bargain, and never enter home, but continue with their old mafter, which appears in not making God's fervice their bufinefs, Pfal. lxxviii. 36. 37. God will pursue all fuch at fo` dreadful a rate, that it had been better for them, that they had never come under engagements to be his : 2 Peter, ii. 21. "For it had been better for them, not to have known the way of righteoufness, than than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them." This writes death upon many as none of his.-Such as, (1.) Those whose great business in the world is to ferve themselves. When felf-love is the predominant principle, felf-feeking will be the great bufinefs: 2 Tim. iii. 2. "For men fhall be lovers of their own felves, covetous," &c. Phil. ii. 21. "For all feek their own, not the things which are Jefus Chrift's." How unlike the fervice of God are they, who will drive over the honour of God, the good of their neighbour, and the duty they owe to him, to serve themselves. Thefe are narrow fouls, not enlarged by God's grace, who make themselves their chief end, and lay not out themfelves for the honour of God, and the good of their neighbours, as they have opportunity. (2.) Those who are fervants of men, inftead of ferving God: 1 Cor. vii. 23. "Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the fervants of men :" They fubject themselves to men's lufts, fubjecting their faith to other men's notions, and fuiting their practice to other men's lufts. Thus they make idols of them, putting them in God's room: Matth. xxiii. 9. « Call no man your father upon the earth: For one is your Father, which is in heaven." Thus perfons are time-fervers, turning with the wind, according as the times turn, who think it their wifdom not to follow truth too hard at the heels, left it dafh out their brains. And fuch are company-fervers, who will change themselves into any complexion in which the company is. (3.) Those who are fervants of fin: Rom. vi. 20. "For when ye were the fervants of fin, ye were free from righteoufnefs." The faints inHh 2 deed |
