r, if we refuse to take Christ as
our Ruler, there is nothing left for us but to have Satan as our
master. These are the only two masters we can have. We must make our
choice between them. If Jesus is not our Master, Satan must be. If
Jesus is our Master here, he will share his glory with us hereafter.
If we serve Satan here, we must share his punishment hereafter. This
is one of the solemn lessons that Jesus taught on Olivet. He is
speaking of the day of judgment. He represents himself as on the
judgment-seat. Two great companies are before him. On his right hand
are those who took him for their Master. To them he says--"Come, ye
blessed children of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you,
from the foundation of the world," St. Matt, xxv: 34.

On his left are those who took Satan for their master. The awful
words he speaks to them are:--"Depart from, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." St. Matt.
xxv: 41.

This is our first lesson from Olivet--the lesson about the Master.

_The second lesson from Olivet is the lesson about_--THE SERVANTS.

We are told that before this nobleman went away to the far country,
he called to him "his own servants." The nobleman here spoken of
means Jesus, our blessed Master. And now the question is--who are
meant by "his own servants?" He has three kinds of servants. The
first kind is made up of those who serve him _ignorantly_. This takes
in all those things that have no knowledge or understanding. There,
for instance are the sun,--the moon,--the stars,--the mountains,--the
hills,--the plains,--the valleys,--the rivers,--the seas,--the wind
that blows,--the rains that descend,--and the dews that distil; these
all serve God, without knowing it. He made them to serve him, and
they do it; but they do it ignorantly. "His kingdom _ruleth over
all_," and it makes all these things his servants. They do exactly
what they were made for, but they do it ignorantly.

And there is another class of our Lord's creatures who serve him
_unwillingly_. This is a very large class. It takes in all the wicked
men, and the wicked spirits who are to be found anywhere. They do not
wish to serve God, and yet, in spite of themselves, they are obliged
to do it. We see this illustrated, when we think of the way in which
the crucifixion of our blessed Saviour was brought about. Satan
stirred up the Jews to take Jesus and put him to death. God allowed
them to do it. They