reliance on the righteousness of Christ, in order to justification, than it is with the existence and progress of sanctification. Whatever tends to destroy a sense of the divine favour, must be inimical to holiness. Hence the necessity of keeping a conscience void of offence ; and of maintaining uninterrupted our union with Christ, as our sacrifice and advocate, V. 14, &c.
2. Those Christians are under a great mistake, who suppose that de- spondency is favourable to piety. Happiness is one of the elements of life. Hope and joy are twin daughters of piety, and cannot, without violence and injury, be separated from their parent. To rejoice is as much a duty as it is a privilege, v. 14, &c.
3. Sinners are slaves. Sin reigns over them ; and all their powers are delivered to this master as instruments of unrighteousness. He secures obedience with infallible certainty ; his bonds become stronger every day, and his wages are death. From his tyranny and recompense there is no deliverance by the law ; our only hope is in Jesus Christ our Lord, vs. 12, 13, 16, &c.
4. Christians are the servants of God. He reigns over them, and all their powers are consecrated to him. He, too, secures fidelity, and his bonds of love and duty become stronger every day. His reward is eter- nal life, vs. 12, 13, 16, &c.
5. It is of God, that those who were once the servants of sin, become the servants of righteousness. To him, therefore, all the praise and gra- titude belong, V. 17.
6. When a man is the slave of sin, he commonly thinks himself free; and when most degraded, is often the most proud. When truly free, he feels himself most strongly bound to God ; and when most elevated, is most humble, vs. 20 — 22.
7. Self-abasement, or shame in view of his past life, is the necessary result of those views of his duty and destiny which every Christian obtains, when he becomes the servant of God, v. 12.