cloud now hides his Father's face from the believer's anxious eye. "The Lord was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me."*

2. Christians are delivered from the power of Satan.

Man, in his first act of rebellion against heaven, sold himself to the prince of the fallen angels. He bartered the blessing for the curse-the image and the favour of God for the similitude and the servitude of the devil.

The carnal mind approves of the exchange; and readily conforms to the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. The prince of the power of the air consequently has dominion over unregenerate man. This is a lamentable fact asserted expressly in the volume of inspiration. The history of our race corresponds to the testimony of scripture; and philosophy offers no objection to this part of our belief. Philosophists, who pretend to think freely, speak ignorantly, when they deny the possibility of the fact. We are not chargeable, brethren, with celebrating an imaginary deliverance, when we rejoice in freedom from the power of Satan as a part of our Christian liberty.

Mind converses with mind through bodily organs; and most assuredly the want of body cannot prove a hindrance to the intercourse of spirits. An unembodied spirit may have access to a mind connected with body, in a manner which we cannot explain: for we cannot explain the manner even of our own perceptions. We may trace the impression made by external objects to the nerves, and from thence to the brain; but how matter can affect spirit, even then, is as great a mystery as ever. How matter can affect mind is, certainly, a secret as inexplicable as how spirit can converse with spirit without the intervention of matter. It is not necessary, as unbelievers affirm, to clothe Satan with the attributes of omnipresence or omniscience, in order to make him the enemy of virtue and the leader of rebellion against the divine authority. A man of ambition and intrigue may rule an empire, and carry his own spirit into the councils of the remotest provinces. The number moreover of fallen angels is great. Their powers are superior to those of the human mind; their experience is long, and their observation extensive. Intent upon wickedness, and unwearied in industry, they have for nearly six thousand years studied the course of Providence; and the laws of the physical and moral world. * Psa. xviii. 18, 19.

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Engaged in a conspiracy against virtue, what injury must they not be capable of doing to the spiritual interests of mortals? They are able also to make repeated visits, of but short intermissions, to the quarter in which their malicious views may be promoted. Matter, though naturally inert, travels, when impelled by sufficient force, with astonishing velocity. A ray of light, or an electric spark, moves with a rapidity which would soon make the circuit of the globe. The activity of spirit is confessed. When, from an eminence, we take a view of an extended plain several miles before us, we give millions of different inclinations to the optic axis in the course of a moment of time; and a distinct act of the will is necessary to each inclination.* Neither consciousness nor recollection, serve in contemplating these actions; because such a minute exercise of those powers would only embarrass and in no case answer the purposes of present usefulness or comfort. These things are taught by philosophy: and serve to defend against sophistry the Christian doctrine, in admitting the possibility of the agency of evil spirits on the human mind.

Devils numerous, malicious, and active, hold an empire over ungodly men, who have willingly given themselves over to slavery-who have been committed by the justice of God, on account of their crimes, to the power of the roaring lion, that constantly goeth about seeking whom he may devour.

The grand adversary is the "god of this world, who hath blinded the minds of them which believe not." He is the prince of this world, who, infuriated by the apprehended destruction of his kingdom, attacked with all his might the Redeemer of men. It was not in vain that Jesus suffered

from the power of darkness. The serpent bruised the heel of the Seed of the woman; but he bruised the serpent's head. That same Jesus, who gave deliverance from the guilt of sin and the curse of the law, "Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us, nailing it to his cross;" did also set his people at liberty from the dominion of Satan. "Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them, openly triumphing over them."‡

The strong man armed can no longer keep the house. A stronger than he dispossesses him; and the Spirit of adoption witnesses to the ransomed their liberty from this tyrant. To him they shall never hereafter be subjected, although he may +2 Cor. iv. 4. + Col. ii, 14, 15.

often much annoy them. They have obtained their liberty, although they have not as yet attained to a state of perfect peace and glory.

Christians, in the present world, have many conflicts with Satan. If he finds a believer in a decayed state, he marks him for his prey. He diverts his attention from practical religion: he provides other objects to occupy his mind; he enervates the whole soul; and renders it as unfruitful as possible. A barren wind destroys all remaining verdure; and blasts from hell threaten to pull the tree from its roots. If he finds a professor of religion pursuing with too much eagerness any of the tempting objects of worldly gratification, he inflames the passions; he throws a mist around the eyes, which unduly magnifies the object; he allures him from the path of righteousness; and embraces every opportunity of throwing him agitated and disappointed, headlong into the pit which he had digged for him. To the mourning and trembling Christian he also joins himself. He studies his constitution, and the cause of his alarm. The wounded conscience he makes to bleed afresh; and brandishing the threatening of the divine law over the terrified soul, he fills the mind with horror. Happy for us the adversary can proceed no farther. Jesus commands the devils, and they must, though unwillingly, obey. He has the keys of hell and death. He suffers the enemy partially to prevail, that we might apply to him who rebukes the devourer; but he shall prevail no farther than shall turn out to our advantage. So much grace is provided for the soul, as shall be sufficient to sustain it, while the messenger of Satan continues to buffet us. And the Redeemer shall constrain our worst enemy to be the occasion of increasing our sanctification. Paul the apostle was instructed in humility by the instrumentality of the Father of pride. "There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure."* "Mine enemies would daily swallow me up. All their thoughts are against me for evil-They hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul. In the Lord will I praise his word. For thou hast delivered my soul from death; wilt thou not deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?"† 3. Christian liberty implies deliverance from undue human influence. "The fear of man bringeth a snare: But whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe."; "I will walk * 2 Cor. xii. 7. † Psa. Ivi. 5, 6, 10, 13.

† Prov. xxix. 25.

at liberty, for I seek thy precepts."* Independence of mind, and courage in Christian behaviour, are desirable objects. He who attains to them, puts his trust in God, and does not fear what man can do unto him. Our religion does not teach us to act disorderly. It requires us " to preserve the honour, and perform the duties belonging to every one in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, and equals:" but it does not admit, that we should weigh names and numbers against truth, or follow a multitude to do evil. It marks out the happy medium between anarchy and slavery, between servility and impudence; and it teaches us to walk in the path of virtue with modesty and magnanimity. God is ever present with us. This inspires us with reverence for his authority, and for all his institutions, whether civil or ecclesiastic. It makes us bold to profess ourselves his servants, although the whole world should wonder after the beast. In matters of right and wrong, the Christian claims to himself, and allows to others, the right of private judgment; but he neither claims to himself, nor guarantees to another, the liberty of contravening in a single instance, the commandment of his God. The rights of conscience cannot be understood, where there is no conscientious disposition; and where there is such a disposition, it submits implicitly to the divine authority.

Christianity, brethren, is the only perfect law of liberty. Its influence upon the heart is the only protection from bondage to human inventions. Those who are industrious to invalidate the authority of scripture, are themselves in bondage, and are endeavouring to reduce others to a similar condition; and the slavery of mind to error or to passion is more dangerous than any other. Those who think it more honourable to invent fiction than discover truth; under the pretence of evidencing genius are slaves to a most dangerous passion, a passion which, having once obtained the ascendancy, will employ the understanding as a patient drudge to serve its cause. It is by the authority of the names of such persons, that infidelity is attempted to be promoted; and while its advocates offer you liberty, they are themselves subject to bondage.

Of the same species, is that which is commonly called liberality, and which, under pretence of opposing bigotry, is offered as a substitute for zeal in contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. This is no more than total indifference to the appointed order of the house of God,

and this indifference seems itself to have become a strong passion which hurries its possessors into bondage. Strange as the assertion may appear, this passion participates of malevolence, for the bigot to liberality despíses and hates me if I am not as liberal as he. But wherever Christianity prevails, in reality, as well as in name, there, in spite of opposition, shall true liberality prevail. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

In the present life, we are made to taste the cup of our deliverance; but our enjoyment of it is incomplete until at death we enter into glory. Christ delivers his people, at last, both from the world and all its imperfections. They shall triumph over death, and him who has the power of it. They shall be presented faultless unto their God. They shall enter into heaven, where they shall more fully understand their liberty, from the wrath of God, the curse of the law, the power of sin, the influence of Satan, the fear of man, the imperfections of the present state, from death itself, and from the pains of hell for ever. They shall be completely blessed in the full enjoyment of God to all eternity. Let us, therefore, serve our God, without fear, all the days of our life. Standing fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, let us use it not for a cloak to licentiousness, but as a strong incitement to fear God, and to keep his commandments.

III. Consider the expressions which we are enabled by the Spirit of adoption to utter-" Whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Both these words signify the same thing. Father is familiar to you. Abba is a Syriac word, derived from the Hebrew AB, a Father. It was commonly used by the Jews in their addresses to God. Christ, during his sufferings in Gethsemane, uses this form of expression in his prayer. "And he fell on the ground, and prayed, and he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee."* Besides the declaration of my text, the apostle Paul in another place represents the Holy Spirit teaching believers the use of this address. "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."†

A solemn expression, thus used by our Head and Lord, and dictated repeatedly to the children of adoption by the Holy Ghost, we must not consider as needless tautology. The same thing, expressed in the language of the Jews, and in that of the Greeks, teaches us the union of Jew and Gen