had done well in resisting the authority that would have kept them from honouring the true God, or have compelled them to transfer his honour to any created object. And the Apostles, when forbidden to preach in the name of Jesus, did well in answering, " Whether it be right to hearken unto you, more than unto God, judge ye1." The same liberty is transmitted to us alsom : and from whatever quarter a command may come, to omit what God enjoins, or to do what he forbids, our answer must be, " We ought to obey God rather than men11." But we must be careful not to make this liberty of ours " a cloak for wickedness,0" and, under pretence of asserting our Christian liberty, to withhold from our civil governors that reverence which is their clue. This is an observation of vast importance. There is in the human mind a restlessness and impatience of controul : there is also a pi-oneness to enlarge or contract the bounds of duty, and the consequent demands of conscience, according as interest or inclination may bias our minds. Who does not see this as exhibited in others? and who has not rea- son to suspect this, as harboured in himself? I am well aware that this is a delicate subject, and especially when promulgated amongst persons who live under a free constitution, and have been taught to venerate the very name of liberty with an almost idolatrous regard. But the caution is the more neces- sary, on that very account : for, in proportion as we are tena- cious of liberty, we are in danger of transgressing the bounds which God has prescribed, and of deluding ourselves with an idea, that we are only exercising the rights of British subjects, when we are, in fact, indulging a restless and factious spirit; a spirit, which, if it ivere opposed to us, we ourselves should be the foremost to condemn : for there are no persons more ready to cry out against the exercise of liberty in others, than those who are most clamorous for the maintenance of it in them- selves. Let the Apostle's caution, then, be well received, and duly attended to. We are all concerned to " know what spirit we are of," and to do that only which God himself will approve : and let me not be thought to be advocating the cause of a party, whilst I declare what is really and truly the mind of God. We are greatly exposed to self-deception in this matter. And we have seen it prevailing, to a very awful extent, in this kingdom, not only at the time of the French revolution, but at more recent periods. We have seen religious persons uniting with those who were openly regardless both of God and man, and with an unhallowed zeal countenancing the most lawless
1 Acts iv. 19.
m That Christians are free from guilt and condemnation, and from the power of sin, is all true ; but nothing to the present purpose. n Acts v. 29. ° icactac.