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dom is not of this world. No allegiance to the in stituted powers of the world, such as human gov ernments, is in the least impaired by the setting lip of his kingdom. Nor has the legitimate ad ministration of the governments of the nations of the earth anything to do with his kingdom. To those who are called by grace to enter, by the new birth, and duo allegiance to the King of Zion, the spiritual kingdom, the King has, by his apostle, officially proclaimed, “ Art thou called being a ser vant, care not for it; but if thou may eat be made fee, choose it rather. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s free man : likewise also he that is calleJ, being free, is Christ’s servant. Ye are bought with a price, be not ye the servants of men.” 1 Cor. vii. 21-23. It is evident that their calling to be servants of Christ did not annul their relationship ; but if thou mayest be made free, choose it rather: nor does the apostle mean that they are not to bo servants to their mas ters as formerly ; but in this redemption with a price they are redeemed unto God ; and religiously or in spiritual things, the disciples are to call no man on earth master, but to serve their Master in heaven with singleness of heart. That this is clear ly the meaning of the apostle, he adds in the next verse, “Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.” Nothing can be more plain than the instructions which this same apostle has given to servants; and as we have many thousands of our brethren in the United States, who are called being servants, under the yoke, and many of them who take our paper, as we recognize such in a spiritual relation as brethren in our common Lord, and heirs together with us of the grace o's life, as we regard your spiritual welfare, we charge you before God to read carefully what he has ad dressed to you in 1 Tim. vi. I—s : “ Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own roasters worthy ol all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them,” (or be any the less dutiful, respectful, or obe dient to them,) “because they are brethren ; but rather do them service,” (the more service, or serve them the more cheerfully and faithfully,) “because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the ben efit.” “ These things,” (Paul directs Timothy to) “teach and exhort,” (and the writer of this article is under the same command, and so are all the true ministers of our Lord Jesus Christ.) “It any man teach otherwise,” (alas! what multitudes at this day do,) “ and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (as Paul was inspired by the Holy Ghost, these words are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ,) “ and to ihe doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about ques tions and strifes of words, whereof ccmeth envy, strife, railings, evil surmising?, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute oi tne truth, supposing gain to be godliness. From such with draw thyself.” Have we not seen the truth of the apostle’s words exemplified, and do we not see it to an alarming extent, in the strife, contention, envy, railings, perverse disputing? of the same de- SOUTHERN BAPTIST MESSENGER. scription of proud know nothings , who are contin ually doting about words, whereof all this clamor and fanaticism proceeds. Here the duty of servants under the yoke, or called by grace, being servants, is plainly laid down. There were many servants which were under the yoke in the church in the apostle’s days. Under the Roman laws, the captives taken in war, wheth er black or white, were frequently sold into slave ry, and in a slavery to which nothing in our coun try can compare; for the masters and owners of servants were allowed to abuse and torture, and even to put them to death. But still the apostles con stantly exhorted the servants to patiently submit, and to count their masters worthy of all honor. — / In giving Titus instruction to speak the things which become sound doctrine, Paul says: “Exhort servants to be obedient to their own masters, and to please them we 11 in all things, not answering again, not purloining, hut showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Sa vior in all things.” Titus ii. 9, 10. Again, in wri ting to Colossians, Paul, after exhorting wives and husbands, parents and children, to a faithful obser vance of all their relative duties, says: “Servants, obey, in all things, your masters, according to the flesh, not with eye service.” That is, not requiring to be watched ; but let your masters see that you, as Christians, are just as conscientiously honest, dutiful, diligent and obedient in their absence, as though you were all the time in their sight—“ not with eye service as men pleasers,”—(you have a higher, holier ca’ling ; your business is to please God, by doing your duty faithfully to your mas ters, according to the flesh,) —“ but with single ness of heart, fearing God,” (knowing that he re quires this of you.) “ And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men.” That is, you do it heartily, because God in his holy prov idence has assigned to you, in this world, the po sition and duties of a servant, for his glory and for your own good, and therefore as you love and fear God, faithfully serve your masters after the flesh, “ Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance ; for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wronor which he bath done, and there is no re spect of persons.” Col. iii. 22—25. No respect of persons —the wife, the husband, the parent or child, and the master and servant alike are ac countable to God, and all shall receive of his hand for the wrong which they do. The same exhortation is also given in Eph. v. and vi. chaps, to the saints in all the various conditions and positions of life. “ Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters, according to the flesh with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as unto Ohirst.” The fear and trembling here evi dently means, in reference to Christ, as those who fear the Lord tremble at his word, and render their obedience to him with fear and trembling, lest through the deceitfulness of our corrupt nature we may fail to honor him as our Lord. The servant may have all confidence in his master, love him and respect him, but is not required ter dread him, if obedient to the apostle’s admonition, “ Not with eye service as men pleasers,”—(or as those who vainly suppose that if they can make their masters believe they are diligent and faithful, that that is all they need care for; but remember when the eye of your earthly master is not watching, the eye of God is upon you : “ Thou, God, seest me;”) —“but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.”—Eph. vi. 5, G. Peter, also, by the same apostolic authority com mands, “ Servants, be subject to your roasters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward ; for this is thank-worthy, if a man for conscience toward God, endure grief, suffeiing wrongfully; for what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye take it patiently ? But if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it pa tiently, that is acceptable with God.” 1 Peter ii. 18 —20. There are some masters who are not good and gentle, as there are some servants who are unruly. But tecause a Christian, who is a ser vant, has even a froward, hard, severe, or wicked master, still he is, by the law of Christ, bound to respect, honor and obey him nevertheless, and for their encouragement they ate assured that with their patient submission, God is well pleased. What higher, holier or more desirable incentive can a child of God, whether bond or free,have than this? 0, to know that God is pleased, we can well afford to breast the fiercest storm and endure the sharp est affliction. We have presented some of the duties which the gospel enjoins on servants that are under the yoke. We feel an assurance that such of our African brethren and sisters who are under the yoke will appreciate our candor and faithfulness in calling their attention to what God has said upon the sub ject. While hypocrites may flounce, and specu lating demagogues, who care not the snap of the finger for their welfare, but wish to stir up strife, to sow the seeds of discontent among them, may rave and blaspheme, we know our African breth ren of the Old School Baptist communion at the South too well to apprehend that they will, wil lingly or knowingly, disregard the admonitions which their Lord and Master Las given them through bis inspired apostles. One word further to those who are under the yoke. Dear brethren in Christ, the writer of this article has traveled extensively in twenty-three of the States of our blessed Union, and speaks that which he does know, and testifies that which he has seen, when he assures you that your condition, as God in his all-wise providence has placed you, is far preferable to the condition of any of your race in any of the Northern States, or in the Canadas; and you are far more happy, free from care, from suffering and want, and enjoy religious as well as temporal privileges to a far greater extent than you could have anywhere else than where God, in his hcly providence, has placed you. Remember, then, that godliness with contentment is great gain. Our third and last division of the subject calls on us to show, from the holy Scriptures, what is the 157