have; but we neither have, nor can have, " a Spirit of adop- tion, emboldening us to call him Father :" for "the Holy Spirit can never bear witness vsdth our spirit, that we are the Lord's''," till we are made his by faith in Christ Jesus'^. But when we are become his children, then we must go in and out before him with holy confidence, exactly as duteous children before
a loving parent To walk thus before him was the
perfection of Abraham's attainments^; and it is that which is held forth to us also as the summit of a Christian's duty and privilege '^ ]
2. A sense of duty to him, as our Master —
[This is united with the former by God hunself : *' A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master : if, then, I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear^?" Now, what is the conduct of a good servant? When he rises in the morning, he asks himself, ' What have I to do for my master ? ' and through every part of the day, even to the close of it, the same question recurs to his mind, and calls forth suitable exertions for the discharge of the duties requu'ed of him. And if, when engaged in executing his mas- ter's commands, he were solicited by any one to embark in some other pursuit, he would immediately reply, as our blessed Saviour did, " I must be about my Father's business :" nor could any consideration tempt him to neglect his duty. He would, under all circumstances, regard his master's work as claiming a just preference at his hands, and his master's appro- bation as that which, above all, he was anxious to obtain. Let it be thus, then, with you in every situation of life ; and make it your one business to approve yourselves good servants of Jesus Christ.]
3. A sense of responsibility to him as our Judge —
[Never are you to lose a sense of this. It is quite a mis- take to call this legal. St. Paul, and all the Apostles, acted with a direct reference to the future judgment; and sought so to demean themselves that they might welcome the second coming of their Lord, and stand with boldness before him at that awful day**. This will secure the obedience of the heart: for in that day shall " the secrets of men's hearts be disclosed," and, " their inmost counsels be made manifest :" and, to secure his approbation then, you must be upright, and without any allowed guile. Let every place then bear, as it were, this in- scription, "Thou, God, seest me;" and take heed to your
c Rom. viii. 15, IC. 'i Gal. iii. 26. e Gen. xvii. 1.
f Eph. V. 1. g Mai. i. 6.
»' 1 Cor. ix. 20, 27. 2 Cor. v. 9, 10. Jam. v. 8, 9. 1 Pet. v. 1—4.