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<p>&quot;<strong>Once you were slaves of sin!</strong>&quot; Romans 6:17<br />
    <br />
    What a picture does this draw of our sad state, while <br />
    walking in the darkness and death of unregeneracy! <br />
    <br />
    The Holy Spirit here sets forth <strong>Sin as a harsh master</strong>, <br />
    <strong>exercising tyrannical dominion over his slaves!</strong> How <br />
    this portrays our state and condition in a state of <br />
    unregeneracy—slaves to sin! <br />
    <br />
    Just as a master commands his slave to go here and <br />
    there—imposes on him certain tasks—and has entire <br />
    and despotic authority over him—so <strong>sin . . .</strong><br />
    had a complete mastery over us, <br />
    used us at its arbitrary will and pleasure,<br />
    drove us here and there on its commands.<br />
    <br />
    But in this point we differed from physical slaves—<br />
    that we did not murmur under our yoke—but gladly <br />
    and cheerfully obeyed all sin's commands—and <br />
    never tired of doing the most servile drudgery!<br />
    <br />
    Thus <strong>some</strong> have had sin as <strong>a very vulgar and <br />
      tyrannical master</strong>, who drove them into open acts <br />
    of drunkenness, uncleanness, and profligacy—yes, <br />
    everything base, vile, and evil. <br />
    <br />
    <strong>Others</strong> have been preserved through education, <br />
    through the watchfulness and example of parents, <br />
    or other moral restraints, from going into such open <br />
    lengths of iniquity—and outward breakings forth of <br />
    evil. <strong>But still sin secretly reigned in their hearts</strong> . . .<br />
    pride, <br />
    worldliness, <br />
    love of the things of time and sense, <br />
    hatred to God and aversion to His holy will, <br />
    selfishness and stubbornness, <br />
    in all their various forms, had a complete mastery <br />
    over them! And though sin ruled over them more <br />
    as a gentleman—he kept them in a more refined, <br />
    though not less real or absolute slavery! Whatever <br />
    sin bade them do, that they did, as implicitly as the <br />
    most abject slave ever obeyed a tyrannical master's <br />
    command. <br />
    <br />
    What a picture does the Holy Spirit here draw of <br />
    what a man is! <strong>Nothing but a slave!</strong>—and sin, as <br />
    his master, first driving him upon upon God's sword, <br />
    and then giving him eternal death as his wages!<br />
    <br />
    &quot;<strong>He has</strong> <strong>rescued us from the dominion<br />
      of darkness—and He has brought us into <br />
      the Kingdom of His dear Son!</strong>&quot; Col. 1:13
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