miglitily to God for grace to assist us in the performance of them: for "who is sufficient for these things^?" ]
But the duties to which they bind us are highly reasonable —
[We universally consider children as bound to obey their parents, and servants their masters : but what parent has such a claim upon us as God, since from him we derive our whole existence and support ? " in him we live and move and have our being :" or what master is entitled to such an unreserved compHance with his will, as God, whom all the angels in heaven obey? God himself founds his claim to our allegiance ujion these very principles ; " A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master : if I then be a Father, where is mine honour ? and if I be a Master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of Hostss." And indeed the most unrestricted devotion of all our faculties to his service is expressly called by him, not only an acceptable, but a reasonable serviced]
These duties are binding upon us independently of any vows which we may make respecting them —
[They arise from our very relation to God as his creatures, and more especially as his redeemed people. The potter is undoubtedly entitled to the use of the vessels which his own hands have formed. Even if our services were ever so painful, we should have no right to complain : "the thing formed could not, under any circumstances, presume to say to him that formed it. Why hast thou made me thus^?" But, as we have before observed, the whole of what we have taken upon ourselves is a truly reasonable service : and therefore it w^ould be the height of im^jiety to hesitate for a moment in giving up ourselves luu-eservedly to God.
But God has redeemed us also, and that too by the blood of his only dear Son ; " We are not our own ; we are bought with a price ; and therefore we are bound from this considera- tion also to glorify God with our bodies and our spirits, which are his." It is not optional with us, whether we will surrender to him what he has so dearly purchased : we cannot alienate it, we cannot withhold it ; whether we make any vow respecting it, or not, we are equally bound to cmj)loy all our fticulties for God : and the only reason we wish you to take these vows upon you is, not to increase your obligations to serve him, nuich less
f It would be easy to divide this subject into three or four ; closing the first at this place ; making the remaining part of this head into a second ; forming the second head into a third sermon ; and the concluding address into a fourth.
e Mai. i. 6. i' Rom. xii. 1. i Rom. ix. 20.