is made further clear, by considering that He still preserves and supports us; we are dependent upon His bounty for all that we have and require. So far, however, we are no more Christ's than are the fowls of the air, or even the flowers of the field. He feeds the young ravens that call upon Him, and clothes with beauty the lilies of the field. But, in a higher sense, Christ is our Lord: for He has redeemed us, He has actually bought us, He has paid down a large ransom for our deliverance: and therefore we are "not our own, but His, for we have been bought with a price." We were slaves, in a state of cruel bondage, subject to the tyranny of sin and Satan; but Christ has loosed the chains, with which we were tied and bound, and made us free. And therefore, because He has triumphed over our ruling enemy, and restored us to liberty, He is henceforth our Lord, and we are His subjects. He is not, however, a tyrant Lord, He is not a cruel and hard-hearted Monarch, like King Pharaoh; He does not require us to work for Him without finding us the materials; though indeed He might say to very many among us, “ Ye are idle, ye are idle." No, our Lord is a kind and indulgent and forbearing master. The Bible expressly tells us that "His commandments are not grievous;" and the Prayer Book teaches us that "His service is perfect freedom." Now when such is His character as our Lord and Master, what ought to be our character as : His servants and subjects? Ought we not to be thankful that he has called us into His service? and more especially so, when we know that He has promised to give us, in the end, a crown of glory; not indeed as wages for our faithful service, but as a free, undeserved gift on His part? But much more than thankfulnes is required from us. It is the duty of a subject to obey Him that is set over him,; it is the part of a servant to do his Master's bidding-" Ye call me Master and Lord; and ye say well for so I am. But why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" For "not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Obedience then to the whole will of God is our duty; the condition, as it were, upon which we are continued as hired servants in His Father's house. We are not to do our own will, follow our own work, or take our own pleasure. We are to do the Lord's will; and for this one reason, because we are His servants. And it is therefore our bounden duty to submit ourselves to His will and ways; to do what he orders us to do, aye, and to do it readily, well and cheerfully; to do it first and foremost, and before the promptings of sluggish ease and selfish inclination we are not to consider whether we like doing what is commanded us, or whether we cannot serve the Lord in some more acceptable way than He has pointed out. The good servant knows that it is his first duty and safest plan to obey his Master's orders most strictly and literally. And when he has obeyed them and done all that is required of him, then he may try to please his Master further by doing additional things. Now let me press this upon you, my little children: it is your duty to obey the Lord as closely as you possibly can. You know His commandments, and you must now keep them: and remember that He must have your whole time and thoughts. Remember that you are always acting in His presence, and have something to do for Him. Let it then be your desire to please Him by doing well and faithfully what He expects, and by giving up your hearts and thoughts and affections to the doing of His will. And above all remember, that you cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve the Lord and any one else at the same time. The Lord is a jealous God, and will not accept of a half and half obedience. No, He must have all your time and thoughts. And to those, who begin to serve the Lord early, to remember their Creator in the days of their youth, the work soon becomes easy and pleasant. As they grow older, they find that their Master's yoke is indeed easy, and His burden light: and they have not any relish nor enjoyment in minding earthly things. And therefore do you now pray and resolve to serve God from your youth upwards. You are not too young to serve and obey Him; for you know the difference between good and bad, between right and wrong. But when I bid you to give up all your time and thoughts to God, I mean that you should always act as in His presence; that you should do all things as unto Him, and not as unto men. And this will make you to be obedient to your parents, attentive to your teachers, kind to one another; it will keep you from using bad and filthy words, from envy and pride and sullenness of temper. Begin at once thus to serve the Lord with dutiful submission and obedience; and you will lay up for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come. There are many promises to encourage you to live and act after this manner. But I will name only one at the present time. Your Lord says, Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command yon." You will become the friends of Christ, if ye love, and fear, and obey Him: and the blessings and advantages of His friendship are more than I can speak of. He will receive and treat you, as Paul besought Philemon to receive his runaway slave Onesimus, " not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved." Yes, you will become, in a manner, the half-brothers of Christ; for His Father will be your Father also; and Christ will not be ashamed of you. "My little children, these things speak I unto you, that ye sin not." And may we all endeavour, each in our respective stations and |