and expect to conquer and get a complete victory at first: and indeed they are taught by those who are not well skilled in this spiritual warfare, that this work is done in an instant, and the habits of grace and virtue are infused into men at once; and if men give back, all they had done is lost, and that they are in a worse condition than if they had never begun whereas usually it is quite otherwise, and the habits of goodness are acquired, as other habits are, by slow degrees at first, and with a great deal of conflict; and it is a good while before a man comes to that confirmed state, that he may be said to have conquered; but if he persists in his resolutions, and when he hath received some foil, take heart again, he is in the way to victory; and though he be not in a perfect state of acceptance with God, yet his endeavours have the acceptance of good beginnings, and he hath no reason to be discouraged at what he had reason to expect when he began this work, if he calculate things aright; and they that tell men otherwise, have taken up false notions in divinity, but do not consult human nature, and the usual progress of God's grace in the conversion of a sinner, and reclaiming him in a wicked course, and have not taken sufficient care to reconcile their notions of divinity with the nature of things, and the certain and undoubted experience of mankind. There fore let no man be faint and discouraged upon this account, and think the thing is not to be done, because he doth not meet with perfect success at first; for this seldom happens, and therefore ought not to be expected: but let him still go on and reinforce his resolutions, and the opposition and difficulty will abate, and the work continually grow easier upon his hand, and the "God of peace will at last tread down Satan under his feet." THE END. SIMMONS & BOTTEN, Printers, 4a, Shoe Lane, E.C. Robertson of Brighton: With Some Notices of His Times and The Letters of George Sand. Edited, and with a Biography Folk and Fairy Tales. By Mrs. BURTON HARRISON. Crown 8vo. Old Court Life in France. By Mrs. FRANCES ELLIOT, author of The Diary of an Idle Woman in Sicily." Royal 8vo. With Twenty Whole-page Engravings. 78. 6d. Court Life under the Georges. By J. FITZGERALD MOLLOY. Royalty Restored; or, London under Charles II. By J. FITZ- Victor Hugo: His Life and Work. By GEORGE BARNETT SMITH. Russia under the Tzars. By "STEPNIAK." Crown 8vo. 68. Gladstone's House of Commons. By T. P. O'CONNOR, M.P. Japanese Life, Love, and Legend: A Visit to the Empire of Philosophy in the Kitchen: General Hints on Foods and 12, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON. bondage they were in under the law: so that there was great need in reference to the Jews, as well as the heathen world, of a clearer light, and more perfect revelation, to free the minds of men from the servitude of ignorance and error. And this was a bondage indeed, worse than that of Egypt or Babylon, because they were in love with this slavery, and fond of their fetters; and when "light came into the world, they loved darkness rather than light." So that it was one of the hardest things in the world to convince them of their ignorance, and to make them patient of instruction, and willing to be set free from those violent and unreasonable prejudices against our Saviour and His doctrine, which they were possessed withal; insomuch, that the apostles found it an easier work to gain the heathen world than the Jews. For though the heathens had less knowledge, yet their pride and prejudice were not so great; they were in a thicker darkness than the Jews; but when the light came, they were more willing to entertain it, and did not shut their eyes so wilfully against it; when the prison doors were open, they were glad to come out, and accept of liberty; but the Jews were so obstinately fixed in their prejudice, that they would not let "the truth set them free." When this jubilee, this acceptable year of the Lord," was proclaimed, they refused the benefit of it; and, like those who were of a servile disposition among them, they were contented to have "their ears bored through," and "to be servants for ever." But yet it was a great liberty which the Gospel offered to them. had they been sensible of it. For how easy is the mind of man, when it finds itself freed from those errors and prejudices, which it sees others labour under! And how does it rejoice in this liberty! Certainly one of the greatest pleasures of human nature is the discovery of truth, yea even in curious speculations, which are of no great concernment to us. How was Archimedes transported upon a mathematical discovery, so that he thought no sacrifice too great to offer to the gods by way of acknowledgment! but surely the pleasure is justly greater in matters of so great moment and consequence to our happiness! The light of the sun is not more grateful to our outward sense, than the light of truth is to the soul. By ignorance, and error, and prejudice, the mind of man is fettered and entangled, so that it hath not the free use of itself: but when we are rightly informed, especially in those things which are useful and necessary for us to know, we recover our liberty, and feel ourselves enlarged from the restraints we were in before. And this effect the saving truths of the Gospel have upon the minds of men, above any discoveries that ever were made to the world. Christianity hath set the world free from those chains of darkness and ignorance it was bound withal, and from the most dangerous and pernicious errors, and that in matters of greatest consequence and importance. This is the first kind of freedom, which we have by the doctrine of the Gospel, freedom from the bondage of ignorance, error, and prejudice, in matters of greatest moment and importance to our happiness. And though this liberty be highly to be valued; yet the other, which I am going to speak to, is more considerable, and that is, : (II.) Freedom from the slavery of our passions and lusts, from the tyranny of vicious habits and practices. And this, which is the saddest and worst kind of bondage, the doctrine of the Gospel is a most proper and powerful means to free us from; and this is that which I suppose is principally intended by our Saviour. For when the Jews told Him that they did not stand in need of any liberty, that they were Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any, our Saviour declares what kind of bondage and slavery He meant; "He that committeth sin, is the servant of sin." Wickedness and vice are the bondage of the will, which is the proper seat of liberty and therefore there is no such slave in the world, as a man that is subject to his lusts, that is under the tyranny of strong and unruly passions, of vicious inclinations and habits. This man is a slave to many masters, who are very imperious and exacting; and the more he yieldeth to them, with the greater tyranny and rigour they will use him. One passion hurries a man one way, and another drives him fiercely another; one lust commands him upon such a service, and another calls him off to another work; so that a man under the command and authority of his lusts and passions, is like the centurion's servants, when "they say to him Come, he must come; and when they say, Go, he must go; when they say, Do this, he must do it; because he is in subjection to them." The Stoic philosophy of all the ancient systems was the best and purest yet it failed to regenerate a corrupt society. No system has ever succeeded in doing that effectively, except Christianity. How does a man lose the power over himself by any inordinate passions! How do anger and revenge hurry a man into rash and mischievous actions, which he repents of commonly as soon as they are done! How do malico and envy torment the mind, and keep it in continual labour and uneasiness! What a slave and drudge is he, who is possessed with an inordinate love for the world, and desire of riches! How does the tyranny of ambition thrust men upon dangers, and torment them with disappointment! What a bondage is it to be under the slavish fear of death! And how does every lust and vicious habit domineer over a man! So that though he desire and many times resolve to do otherwise, yet he is not able to assert his own liberty, and resist the weakest temptations when they come in his way. And that which makes their condition the worse, is, that every man is wholly at first, and afterwards in some degree, consenting to his own bondage. In other cases most men are made slaves against their wills, by the force and power of others: but the wicked man chooseth this condition and voluntarily submits himself to it. There are very few to be found in the world, that are so stupid and senseless, so sick of their liberty, and so weary of their happiness, as to put themselves into this condition but the wicked "sells himself to do wickedly," and parts with that liberty which he may keep; and if he would resolve to do it, and beg God's grace to that purpose, none could take it from him. And, which is an aggravation of his servile condition, ho makes himself a slave to his own servants, to those that were born to be subject to him, his own appetites, and inclinations, and passions. So that this is the worst kind of slavery, so much worse than that of the mines and galleys, as the soul and spirit of a man are more noble and excellent than his body. Now the doctrine of the Gospel is the mest proper and effectual means in the world to free us from this servitude; by presenting us with motives and arguments to rescue ourselves from this slavery, and conferring upon us strength and assist |