Yer. 16.-11rue freedom. The change was great which even an enlightened and rions Jew passed through when he received Jesus as the Messiah. Finding in Chris• tian doctrine and privilege the substance of which he had so long been conversant with the shadow, his mind expanded and his best feelings were touched with a brio-htness of joy and hope. The moral horizon widened around him. Human life mu;t have seemed a grander and more glorious thing. Much more must this have been the case with a heathen, who, if sincere, had been encompassed with the chains of a ceremonial religion. Both to the Jewish and the Gentile convert the predominant experience in Chr1stiau faith and fellowship must have been an experience of liberty. It wae a justly founded delight which they thus came to share, Yet it was not without its dangers, as the Apostle Peter well knew. Hence his admonition to his readers to take and practically to adopt a fair and balanced view of the new liberty upon which they had entered. I. 'I'HE CHRISTIAN'S SPIRITO AL FREEDOM, 1. He enjoys freedom in relation to God. Apart from the great redemption, man is, as sinful, exposed to the Divine displeasure and righteous condemnation. From this he is delivered, i.e. set free; and that by an act of God's own clemency and interposition. 2. He is emancipated from the slavery to whicb sin formerly subjected him. The Scriptures everywhere represent the service of sin as serfdom, not as honourable and worthy of such a being as man. And experi• ence shows that this view is jnst, that the servant of sin is the slave of sin. Now, from this bondage Christ liberates his people. Sin has not dominion over them, No created power could effect this great enfranchisement; it is the work of the Divine Saviour clothed with the omnipotence of Heaven. 3. He is also freed from subjection to the authority of man. As the soul recognizes the right of Deity, the power claimed by humanity recedes and diminishes. Another and a higher standard than human authority claims profoundest reverence; and, where there is a conflict, the Christian spirit realizes freedom from the created yoke. IL THE CHRISTIAN'S RENUNCIATION OF THE COUNTERFEIT OF LIBERTY, No doubt many, under the guise of Christianity, have adopted antinomian principles; it was so in apostolic days; it is so now. Against this error Peter faithfully warns those lately emancipated from bondage to sin and death. We are warned in this language: (1) that it is possible for men nominally Christian to be in bondage in respects in which they ought to be free; and (2) to be exercising freedom where they ought to submit. to restraint. The history of Christendom assures us that there is a tendency, on the part of those who realize their new and sacred privileges, to despise the safe way of scrupulous and watchful obedience. And on the other hand, it is found that traditional chains are retained and cherished which should be cast off with indignation and hatred. Ill. THE CHRISTIAN'S sPmITUAL BONDAGE. All the while that he is free, the Chris• tian is the true servant and bondman of the Lord Christ, Of this service it may be said that it is: 1. Voluntary, because adopted and accepted deliberately, upon a con• sideration of the claims of Christ, and the true duty and interest of his emancipated ones. 2. Practical, being the service not only of the heart, but of the, bodily nature and outward life. 3. Honourable. In the slavery of sin is disgrace; but to serve Ghrist is higher honour than for a miuister of state to serve a good and mighty king, than for a pupil to serve a master of power and genius. 4. Happy and advantageoua. The Christian does not serve for the sake of the reward; but he does not serve without a reward. Ghrist has it in his power to recompense, and he exercises this power for the benefit of his faithful adherents and friends. There is no joy like that of serving Christ, and no recompense such as that which he does and will confer. In a word, it is the experience of the Christian that true service and true liberty are united in hie life, and in his life alone.-J. R. T.
Ver. 17.-" Honour all men." The common tendency of mankind is t-Owards rendering honour to the great, those possessing political power, those endowed with liignal gifts of body or mind, those possessed of vast wealth. Much of baseness in human character, of meanness in human conduct, may be attributed to this tendency. en. n. 1-25.J THE FIRST EPISTLE GENEltAL OF PE'fER. 101
Christianity sets itself to oppose this current or opinion and action as is most remark- ably proved by this inspired admonition, "Honour all men." ' I. TIIE GROUNDS UPON WHIOH HUMANITY IS TO BE HONOURED. 1. Natural grounds. All men are creatures of God's almighty power. Not only so; all are made in the image of God, however that image has been defiled and partially effaced by sin. Hence the capacity for great things, for a holy and self-dP-nying life, for fellowship with God, 2. Supernatural grounds. The revelation of God's love an,] pity is for the benefit of mankind at large. God is "the Saviour of all men, specially of those thit believe." Christ died for all, and, as the Son of man, partook the common nature, lived the common life, died the death which is the common lot, that he might "draw all men unto himself." The provision of the gospel, the grace of the Holy Spirit, are for all, irrespective of nation, of rank, of any adventitious distinction. How, then, can the Christian do other than honour those for whom God himself, the Foun- tain of all honour, has done so great things? II. THE WAYS IN WHICH HUMANITY IS TO BE HONOURED. 1. By a watchful cherish- ing of a spirit respectful and considerate, and by the avoidance of a contemptuous disposition. 2. By a sympathetic demeanour towards fellow-Christians, whatever their position in society. 3. By efforts for the enlightenment and evangelization of men of every nation and every condition in life.-J. R. T.