Permit me, my fellow chriftians, to earnestly caution you all against the fmallest degree, the leaft taint, of this most abominable evil. What is it to us, if we HAVE buman applaufe, through our deceit and guile? What! if all the world thought us angels? Is their applaufe any more than a puff of wind? Will it avail us in death, or follow us into eternity, and make us happy there? When all external appearances will be thrown off, every vail and mask taken away, and we appear before God, angels, men, and devils, JUST WHAT WE REALLY ARE when all guile and artifice is discovered, and the painted fepulchre laid open-then where is our honor, our applause, our praife? Gone! for ever gone! And in their place are found fhame, contempt, confcious guilt, and everlasting woe! O! let us guard against religious hypocrify and guile. Our hearts, our affections, our designs and purposes, are all open to the Lord every moment: he knows what we are, and there is nothing hid which fhall not be made manifeft, neither any thing kept fecret but what fhall come abroad and be known.

But we obferved, that the love of dominion, a defire to be great, even the disciples of our Lord had a very ftrong propenfity to; infomuch that they disputed among themfelves, which should be greatest:-and the two fons of Zebedee fent their mother to requeft of Jefus, that he would fet one of them on his right hand, and the other on his

left,

AND AUTHORITY CONDEMNED. 169

left, in his kingdom. This evil propenfity, I am perfuaded, we have all experienced too much of. Every man has a desire to be great, honored, to rule over others; that his will may be his law. And this luft of dominion, this love of dignity, honor, and rule, is not confined merely to men of the world, and worldly things; but it appears in the church, amongst men of religious character. The chief feats in the fynagogue are thirfted after, the highest places in the church are defired; and where this love of dominion and greatness reigns, no bounds can circumfcribe it-the layman would be a prieft, the priest a doctor, the doctor a bishop, the bishop a pope, and the pope a God. Such is the nature of ambition, and love of rule; against which we have as much reafon to guard, as against hypocrify and guile.

But, we will proceed to notice the words of our text-in doing which, we will confider them in the order they stand; and then make a few reflexions upon the whole.

And firft, our Lord fays, "Call no man your "father upon the earth." By which we are not to understand, that we are not to acknowledge, honor, and love our natural parents; this is a duty incumbent upon all, a duty which no law can fet afide, and which the laws of chriftianity commend and enforce-" Honor thy father and mother, that thy

days may be prolonged in the land which the "Lord thy God giveth thee." And it would be

well

well if all children did so honor, love, and acknow, ledge their earthly parents-if afflicted, that they would fuccor and aid them-if poor, that they would help and relieve them-if aged and infirm, that they would comfort and cherish them-and in all cafes manifeft the duty and love of children.

But by calling no man father upon the earth, fomething very different from the above is fignified. Our Lord's words had always a fpiritual and celeftial meaning in them, as well as a natural or literal one; and in this paffage (as well as others in the word) by EARTH is meant, the church of the Lord on the earth, and not the ground itself, or the whole of its inhabitants; and, therefore, by calling no man your father upon the earth is meant, that no one in the church is to be regarded as the head of it, to whom we owe implicit obedience in matters of confcience and religion, this being the fole prerogative of our God and father, who is in the heavens. However eminent and useful men may be in the church of the Lord, ftill they are but men-but mere inftruments in the Lord's hands for good. As inftruments in his hands we may refpect and value them; but they are not our Spiritual parents, any more than the pipe which conveys water to our houses, is the Spring or fountain by which we are fupplied.

All who are true and living members of the Lord's church, are begotten, born again by the Lord alone, through his word; and therefore he only is our father. Indeed the apostle Paul fays, in his

firft epiftle to the Corinthians, ch. iv. ver. 15, that "HE had begotten them through the gospel;" but he muft only mean, that through divine truth they were begotten, or born again, and that he was the inftrument of conveying that truth:-if he had meant any thing further, he must have been exceedingly wrong. While, therefore, we pay a due regard for, respect and love to, those persons in the church, who are employed to difpenfe the word, to teach and preach, and to be eminently inftruments in the Lord's hands for good; let us, at the fame time remember, that one is our father, even the Lord that to him alone we are indebted for every thing that is true and good-that our regeneration, our spiritual life, falvation, and happiness, are from him only-that we are his children, bound to honor, love, and serve him all the days of our life, and for ever.

But, fecondly, our Lord adds, "Neither be ye "called masters; for one is your master, even "Christ." By which we are to understand that no one, however exalted, learned, or whatever his abilities, is to lord it over the confciences of others, to ufurp authority, to rule and govern, to command and order, as a mafter does his fervant: nor must they affect human or religious honor, dominion over the faith of men, nor to be stiled masters, as if upon their own authority they fet up for guides and leaders; but they must own one mafter only, that is CHRIST, whose word alone must be their rule, whilst

whilst they, as brethren, arrogate no fupremacy over each other; being all alike fubmiffive to their common head, mafter, and Lord, Jefus Chrift.

I am not fuggesting here that there are to be no diftinctions of character and office in the church of the Lord; no, by no means. God himself hath ordained them—they are neceffary and important. But then, whatever are the distinctions, the characters and offices, every one who fills them is to refer the honor and dignity thereof to the Lord, and not to himself. The higher his office, the more ferviceable ought he to be; the greater his dignity, the more useful his life; and as all fervice and usefulness are from and of the Lord alone, therefore to him alone is the praise and the honor to be afcribed. But when men in office and dignity in the church, affume to themselves fuperiority and honor, on account of the office they fill, or the fervice they perform, then it is that they are in the love of dominion, rob God of the honor due to him, and are fond of being called mafters, rulers, and Lords over God's heritage.

Such perfons confider not that one is our mafter, even Chrift; and that all the real members of his church, whatever their ftation, office, or employment, are only brethren of one family, fervants of one master, and subjects of one Lord. one Lord. By the Lord Jefus being our master, we are taught, that to him alone are we accountable in all matters of religion and confcience-that he has an indubitable right to go