'the marks of the Lord Jesus.'

IV. And now, lastly, the immunity from any disturbance which men can
bring, which these marks, and the servitude they express, secure.

'From henceforth let no man trouble me.' Paul claims that his apostolic
authority, having been established by the fact of his sufferings for
Christ, should give him a sacredness in their eyes; that henceforth
there should be no rebellion against his teaching and his word. We may
expand the thought to apply more to ourselves, and say that, in the
measure in which we belong to Christ, and hear the marks of His
possession of us, in that measure are we free from the disturbance of
earthly influences and of human voices; and from all the other sources
of care and trouble, of perturbation and annoyance, which harass and vex
other men's spirits. 'Ye are bought with a price,' says Paul elsewhere.
'Be not the servants of men.' Christ is your Master; do not let men
trouble you. Take your orders from Him; let men rave as they like. Be
content to be approved by Him; let men think of you as they please. The
Master's smile is life, the Master's frown is death to the slave; what
matters it what other people may say? 'He that judgeth me is the Lord.'
So keep yourselves above the cackle of 'public opinion'; do not let your
creed be crammed down your throats even by a consensus of however
venerable and grave human teachers. Take your directions from your
Master, and pay no heed to other voices if they would command. Live to
please Him, and do not care what other people think. You are Christ's
servant; 'let no man trouble' you.

And so it should be about all the distractions and petty annoyances that
disturb human life and harass our hearts. A very little breath of wind
will ruffle all the surface of a shallow pond, though it would sweep
across the deep sea and produce no effect. Deepen your natures by close
union with Christ, and absolute submission to Him, and there will be a
great calm in them, and cares and sorrows, and all the external sources
of anxiety, far away, down there beneath your feet, will 'show scarce
so gross as beetles,' whilst you stand upon the high cliff and look down
upon them all. 'From henceforth no man shall trouble me.' 'I bear in my
body the marks of the Lord Jesus.'

My brother! Whose marks do you bear? There are only two masters. If an
eye that could see things as they are, were to go through this
congregation, whose initials would it discern