any person being the servant of two masters, and declares the sole ground of that impossibility to be, the fact that the servant chooses the service of the one, and spurns that of the other.  “He shall hold to the one and despise (reject) the other.”  As though our Lord had said, “No one can become the servant of another, when his will revolts from his service, and when the conditions of it tend to make him hate the man.”  Since the fact that the servant spurns one of two masters, makes it impossible for him to serve that one, if he spurned both it would make it impossible for him to serve either.  So, also, if the fact that an individual did not “hold to” or choose the service of another, proves that he could not become his servant, then the question, whether or not he should become the servant of another was suspended on his own will.  Further, the phraseology of the passage shows that the choice of the servant decided the question.  “He will HOLD TO the one,”—­hence there is no difficulty in the way of his serving him; but “no servant can serve” a master whom he does not “hold to,” or cleave to, whose service he does not choose.  This is the sole ground of the impossibility asserted by our Lord.

The last clause of the verse furnishes an application of the principle asserted in the former part, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”  Now in what does the impossibility of serving both God and the world consist?  Solely in the fact that the will which chooses the one refuses the other, and the affections which “hold to” the one, reject the other.  Thus the question, Which of the two is to be served, is suspended alone upon the choice of the individual.

XI.  RICH STRANGERS DID NOT BECOME SERVANTS.  Indeed, so far were they from becoming servants themselves, that they bought and held Jewish servants.  Lev. xxv. 47.  Since rich strangers did not become servants to the Israelites, we infer that those who did, became such not because they were strangers, but because they were poor,—­not because, on account of their being heathen, they were compelled by force to become servants, but because, on account of their poverty, they chose to become servants to better their condition.

XII.  INSTANCES OF VOLUNTARY SERVANTS.  Mention is often made of persons becoming servants who were manifestly VOLUNTARY.  As the Prophet Elisha. 1 Kings xix. 21; 2 Kings iii. 11.  Elijah was his master. 2 Kings ii. 5.  The word translated master, is the same that is so rendered in almost every instance where masters are spoken of under the Mosaic and patriarchal systems.  Moses was the servant of Jethro.  Ex. iii. 1; iv. 10.  Joshua was the servant of Moses.  Ex. xxxiii. 11.  Num. xi. 28.  Jacob was the servant of Laban.  Gen. xxix. 18-27.  See also the case of the Gibeonites who voluntarily became servants to the Israelites and afterwards performed service for the “house of God” throughout the subsequent Jewish history, were incorporate with the Israelites, registered in the genealogies, and manifestly of their own accord remained with them, and “clave” to them.  Neh. x. 28, 29; xi. 3; Ez. vii. 7.