This remarkable saying occurs in a remarkable connection, and is used for a remarkable purpose.  The Apostle has been laying down the principle, that the effect of true Christianity is greatly to diminish the importance of outward circumstance.  And on that principle he bases an advice, dead in the teeth of all the maxims recognised by worldly prudence.  He says, in effect, ’Mind very little about getting on and getting up.  Do God’s will wherever you are, and let the rest take care of itself.’  Now, the world says, ’Struggle, wriggle, fight, do anything to better yourself.’  Paul says, ’You will better yourself by getting nearer God, and if you secure that—­art thou a slave? care not for it; if thou mayest be free, use it rather; art thou bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed; art thou loosed? seek not to be bound; art thou circumcised? seek not to be uncircumcised; art thou a Gentile? seek not to become in outward form a Jew.’  Never mind about externals:  the main thing is our relation to Jesus Christ, because in that there is what will be compensation for all the disadvantages of any disadvantageous circumstances, and in that there is what will take the gilt off the gingerbread of any superficial and fleeting good, and will bring a deep-seated and permanent blessing.

Now, I am not going to deal in this sermon with that general principle, nor even to be drawn aside to speak of the tone in which the Apostle here treats the great abomination of slavery, and the singular advice that he gives to its victims; though the consideration of the tone of Christianity to that master-evil of the old world might yield a great many thoughts very relevant to pressing questions of to-day.  But my one object is to fix upon the combination which he here brings out in regard to the essence of the Christian life; how that in itself it contains both members of the antithesis, servitude and freedom; so that the Christian man who is free externally is Christ’s slave, and the Christian man who is outwardly in bondage is emancipated by his union with Jesus Christ.

There are two thoughts here, the application in diverse directions of the same central idea—­viz. the slavery of Christ’s free men, and the freedom of Christ’s slaves.  And I deal briefly with these two now.

I. First, then, note how, according to the one-half of the antithesis, Christ’s freed men are slaves.

Now, the way in which the New Testament deals with that awful wickedness of a man held in bondage by a man is extremely remarkable.  It might seem as if such a hideous piece of immorality were altogether incapable of yielding any lessons of good.  But the Apostles have no hesitation whatever in taking slavery as a clear picture of the relation in which all Christian people stand to Jesus Christ their Lord.  He is the owner and we are the slaves.  For you must remember that the word most inadequately rendered here, ‘servant’ does not mean a hired man who has, of his own volition, given himself for