eyes are first put out,* lest they should discover the turpitude and danger of the service; and then they are hurried on in the way that leadeth to everlasting destruction: for "the God of this "world blindeth the minds of them that believe "not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of "Christ, who is the image of God, should shine "unto them." How happy are those, who are delivered from this captivity, and are become servants to God! who have "their fruit unto "holiness, and the end everlasting life!" To angels and saints made perfect, God's service is perfect freedom;" freedom from those uneasy sensations which all the ungodly experience in the performance of religious acts,the torments of fear and the loathings of disgust. Therein part of their happiness consists; so that whatever be the service in which God employs them, in that they find their heaven. To believing sinners on earth, so soon as they believe in Jesus, and enjoy communion with God in the path of duty, "His service is perfect freedom." If any fears remain, if any weariness oppress them, they arise not from the nature of the service, but from the imperfection of the present state. This they happily know, and are looking forward with longing desire to the arrival of that period, when the service of God shall be as much the source of delight to them as it now is to their elder brethren; who, being freed from the burden of the flesh, are safely landed on the blissful shore, where the servants of God rest not, day or night, in their Master's work. But

*The prodigal son is represented by our Lord, as deprived of reason, till he formed the resolution of returning to his father; and then he is said to "come to himself." Luke xv. 17.

do the generality of our worshippers prove the service of God to be freedom in any respect? Rather is it not perfect bondage to them? Is not the sabbath to them the least pleasurable day of the seven, and the work of it less gratifying than any worldly engagement? Must they not own, that the more spiritual the service is, the more disgusting it proves to them? Do they not long for the termination of it, that they they may return to that, which is more congenial to their inclinations? How can such persons join in our liturgy, and call "God's ser"vice perfect freedom!" Out of their own mouths they are condemned, as declaring with their lips what their hearts deny.

The persons, who in this excellent collect address the Author of peace and Lover of con"cord," profess themselves to be His "humble "servants.' If they speak the language of truth, they have given up their hearts to God, and devoted themselves to Him. While they confess themselves unworthy of the meanest office in the service of such a Master, they feel in their hearts that "it is better to be a door"keeper in the house of God than to dwell in "the tents of ungodliness." As God has declared Himself willing to receive them into His service, they willingly take His yoke upon them, and prove that "His yoke is easy and His bur"den light." How awful it is to consider, that any persons, who daily prove themselves to be the slaves of sin, should come and avow themselves God's "humble servants." O that such could be brought to attend to the awakening questions suggested by the Psalmist, "He that planted "the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed "the eye, shall He not see?"*

* Ps, xciv. 9.

The servants of God, while in the present world, are in an enemy's country. They are exposed to a thousand evils in mind, body, and estate. Their tenements of clay are liable to various calamitous accidents and diseases almost without number. Their property, if they possess any, may, at any moment, make to itself wings, and fly away. But these are not the obi jects, which principally employ a believer's concern. To him the most important interest is that of the immortal soul. And to what tremendous perils is that, every day, hour, and moment, exposed! When he considers the enemies, which are in league against him, the devil, the world, and the flesh, each of whom is stronger than Goliah; his heart is ready to fail through fear. When he reflects that Adam fell from a state of innocence; that David, the man after God's own heart, was seduced from the state of obedience; and that Peter, in a moment of temptation, denied his beloved Lord; he trembles for himself. He discerns the excellence of the petition which our church has here taught us to adopt: "Defend us Thy humble servants " in all assaults of our enemies." What could Jonah do for himself in the belly of the fish, when, to use his own emphatic expressions, "the waters compassed him about even to the "squl, the depth closed him round about, the "weeds were wrapt about his head; when he "went down to the bottoms of the mountains, "when the earth with her bars was about him, "when his soul fainted within him?" what could he do in such circumstances, but "remember "the Lord, and look again towards His holy temple?" Equally hopeless and helpless is the situation of every child of God, with respect to

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aid from any resources of his own, or of his fel low-creatures. As Saul said to David, "thou "art not able to go against this Philistine to "fight with him, for thou art but a youth, and "he a man of war from his youth:" so every believer knows himself to be a bruised reed, which every foot may easily crush; and his spiritual enemies to be more in number than the hairs of his head, each of whom hath slain its thousands. What can he do but look to the mighty God of Jacob for help, since he knows that, every day in which he is upheld in the exercise of the functions of the Divine life, he is a monument of almighty grace and power; and that his continuance in the faith and hope of the Gospel is as great a proof of omnipotent interference, as though a mill-stone were suspended in the atmosphere without a prop, or a spark of fire were kept alive in the very midst of the raging sea. Surely, if the reader perceive not the necessity of a daily and importunate use of this petition, it is because he is a stranger to himself and to his true condition; because he is not yet engaged in the spiritual warfare against the devil, the world, and the flesh; because he is living in amity with the enemies of his soul's salvation. He may be compared to the Syrian army, which, being smitten with blindness, was led by the Prophet into the midst of Samaria, and fancied themselves in perfect security, when they were surrounded by the walls and weapons of their enemies, and wholly in their power. * Very melancholy is the situation of such persons. A poisonous serpent is cherished in their bosoms, Gu deshub Then a

01 Joogiar bu2 Kings vi. 18, &c.

and they are strangers to fear. Their house is on fire, and they are insensible to danger. The cordial use of the prayer before us is a striking. characteristic of a Christian, which distinguishes him from all others. The unawakened mind is edmind conscious neither of danger without, nor of weakness within. If duty be proposed, it thinks itself equal to the undertaking, it discerns none of the difficulties of the Christian life, and therefore it can go on securely from day to day, without any lively aspirations after pardon for the past or grace for the future. Whereas the, genuine believer sees his danger, and knows his own imbecility; and therefore, like the Canaanitish woman, he cries," Lord help me!" When he rises in the morning, or commits himself to rest at night; when he engages either in worldly business or religious duty; in short, when he is placed in any supposed situation whatever, he knows his own inability to think and act right but so far as he derives help from above..

We are taught to pray, not for absolute de-. liverance from all assaults of our enemies, but for defence in them; because it is oftentimes for: the glory of God and the profit of His servants that they should be assaulted. Such assaults. are graciously permitted for the trial of their faith," which being much more precious than "of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with "fire, will be found unto praise, and honour, "and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ."" Trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, and various kinds of adversity, are necessary for the purification of the children of God; and therefore it is written, that "whom the Lord loveth He' "chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom