Christian duty

“ This passage supplies a clear view of Christian duty under afflictive dispensations. As faith recognises an Almighty Father’s will in the appointment, and His hand in the direction of events, the believer refers equally national and individual prosperity and adversity, mercies and visitations, to Him, “whose power ruleth over all.” ”

“ How often is the Christian prompted to holy actions, drawn to his duty, restored, quickened, persuaded, in such a manner, that he would be unjust to the Spirit of God to question his agency in the whole! Yes, on my soul! there is a Supreme Being, who governs the world, and is present with it, who takes up his more special habitation in good men, and is nigh to all who call upon him, to sanctify and assist them! ”

“ Then our Lord applies the general principle of seeking only God’s approval to the three great branches of human conduct. Christian, and indeed human conduct generally, looks in three directions. There is a duty to God, there is a duty to one’s neighbour, and there is a duty to one’s self. And each of these great departments of human conduct has one typical form of action, one form of action in which it specially expresses itself. Our duty to God expresses itself particularly in prayer. Our duty to man expresses itself in works of mercy, or alms. ”

“ Who is to be the judge of what is possible - God, or man? Who is to judge what and how much shall be required - Jesus Christ, or his disciples? Are we to set at nought a duty because it seems to us difficult of performance? Are we to doubt that God's grace is sufficient for the weakest of his trusting children, to enable them to perform any duty HE may lay upon them? Are we to accommodate divine truth and duty to the convenience of our fellow men, in order to multiply superficial disciples? ”

“ If the Christian virtues be destitute of solidity, and produce no effect which reason can approve, we shall find nothing more estimable in a multitude of incommodious, useless, and often dangerous practices, which Christians consider as their sacred duties, and by means of which they are confident of obtaining the pardon and favour of God, and an eternal abode with him in unspeakable glory and felicity.
The first and most essential duty of Christians is prayer. To continual prayer their religion attaches its felicity. ”

“ The moral discernment is to be filled and animated by the religious spirit, so that the moral training may be carried on and completed together with the development and consummation of the Christian life. Thus the form of the appeal is: "Be ye holy, for I am holy." "Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." In a high and peculiar emphasis all duty is required to be done as unto God. ”

“ There is such a thing as ‘coming to the help of the Lord,’ though that phrase seems to reverse altogether the true relation. It is the duty of every Christian, partly because of loyalty to Jesus, and partly because of the responsibility which the very constitution of society lays upon every one of us, to diffuse what he possesses, and to be a distributing agent for the life that he himself enjoys. ”

“ Thirdly, Christians must not only do the duty of their place, but they must do it with vigour, and according to the best of their abilities. The nature of a Christian's work, which is high work and hard work, the goodness and kindness of the Master, and the excellency of the reward, all require that our endeavours should be serious and vigorous, and that whatever we are called to do for the honour of God and the good of others we should do it with all our might. Fourthly, In all the duties and services of life we should aim at the glory of God as our chief end ”

“ But I think that our Lord’s own words show us that this is one lesson. That, however pious we are, however enlightened we are, however useful we wish to be; in one word, however much we are, or fancy ourselves to be, children of light, our first duty as Christian men is the duty which lies nearest us—that of which it is written: “If a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?” ”

“ There is no duty to be performed, no services rendered which the doctrine of the Christian revelations requires of its devotees, of its accepters, but that enjoins the administration of mercy and forbearance, and long suffering, and gentleness, and tenderness, and meekness, and brotherly kindness, and all those excellencies and virtues which grace the character of an exemplary Christian. ”

“ Surely it is something blessed that the hard, cold, and to such a large extent powerless conceptions of duty or obligation shall be changed into pleasing Jesus Christ; and that so our hearts shall be enlisted in the service of our consciences, and love shall be glad to do the Beloved's will. There are many ways by which the burden of life's obligations is lightened to the Christian. ”

“ Thus, in the natural duty of the citizen, as well as in the compound nature of man, is contained a reminder of the Christian's relation to the Church, and a picture and ensample of the Church's authority. ”

“ The Christian’s duty towards God, when His judgments are abroad, is a recognition of, and submission to, His chastening hand: to his country, unwearied exertion for the removal of the evils which appear p. 11to have called down the Divine vengeance: to his neighbour, friendly assistance, religious exhortation, and spiritual consolation: and to himself, through Divine grace, humiliation, repentance, amendment, and daily preparation for death and judgment. ”

“ It certainly is the duty of every true Christian, to esteem himself a stranger and pilgrim in this world; and as bound to use earthly blessings, not as means of satiating lust or gratifying wantonness, but of supplying his absolute wants and necessities. ”

“ Christianism emblemed the Law of Human Duty, the Moral Law of Man. One was for the sensuous nature: a rude helpless utterance of the first Thought of men,—the chief recognized virtue, Courage, Superiority to Fear. ”

“ But, then faithful preachers of the gospel, in urging duty and obedience upon the people, will be sure to remind them of their utter insufficiency of themselves for so much as a good thought, and the necessity of an entire dependence upon the Spirit and grace of the Lord Jesus, for assistance and acceptance in every good work. When these things are duly observed, duty cannot be too much urged, but the pressing of duty without them a most criminal neglect of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and a piece of cruelty to poor sinners ”

“ Even reason teaches that your lives must conform to your business; each is in duty bound to obey him whom he serves. As Christians you are obliged to render another service than that you gave when under the dominion of sin, and obedient to it; when you were unable to escape its power and to do any work good before God. You have now come out of bondage and are relieved from obedience to sin, through grace, having devoted yourselves to the service of God, to obeying him. ”

“ For your own souls' sake, for the sake of your best interests, for the sake of the parents who love and hope in you, for the sake of your country, for Christ's sake, deal gently with yourselves. Remember, the only true manhood is Christian manhood. No restraints which the church can throw round you will ensure your safety against temptation; no strength of resolution on your part will keep you pure, if you be not the children of Christ. ”

“ All, therefore, who have a disposition to live a life and piety and Virtue, to perform the duties thereof, and to walk in the fear of the Lord all their days, may, and ought to approach the holy ordinances of the Gospel.—
In the review of what hath been offered, we infer the indispensible duty of partaking in divine Ordinances. It is as much our duty, as professed Christians, to remember the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ to atone for sin, in his own appointed way, as it is to practice the moral virtues of compassion, honesty, or truth. A positive duty is absolutely binding. ”

“ A volume of the most carefully prepared sermons, or a copious moral treatise, from the hand of a master of spiritual and moral science, could alone do justice to the demands of such a theme. The question to be answered, and it is one which harasses many a heart and conscience, is, How shall one live and govern his household amid the abundance of temporal goods, so as to make his state in life subserve the great end to which a Christian must direct all his thoughts and actions? ”

“ Persons of this character could not in the least serve themselves from his discourses; in every one of which he so preached faith in Christ, as to establish the law, in its true sense, that is, to secure all the interests of genuine holiness, both in heart and life; all the fruits of righteousness; the most rigorous regard to mens duty to God, their neighbour, and themselves. ”

“ All that we have to care about in relation to these matters is, that we, individually and collectively, do our duty; that, we maintain our integrity before God; that we honor our Priesthood and our calling; that we pursue a course that shall at all times receive the smiles and approbation of the Most High, and then as to the result we care not for we know what the result will be. ”

“ For besides those interior dispositions of soul necessary for rightly offering prayer to God, it is also needful that they should be accompanied by actions and by words befitting the Christian profession—first of all, and chiefly, the exemplary observance of uprightness and justice, of pitifulness for the poor, of penance, of peace and concord in your own houses, of respect for the law—these are what will give force and efficacy to your prayers. ”

“ Personal and relative duties must be done in obedience to his commands, with due aim at pleasing and honouring him, from principles of holy love and fear of him. But there is an express and direct duty also that we owe to God, namely, belief and acknowledgment of his being and perfections, paying him internal and external worship and homage,—loving, fearing, and trusting in him,—depending on him, and devoting ourselves to him,—observing all those religious duties and ordinances that he has appointed,—praying to him, praising him, and meditating on his word and works. ”

“ Setting aside therefore all inducements of either love or fear, all arguments of gratitude or generosity, all the reasonableness and justice of serving God, and living in obedience to his laws, all the pleasures of religion, and the present advantage of it both to our souls and bodies I say, tho’ we should set aside all these considerations, yet there is a prudential consideration, sufficient to engage every wise Christian to do his best, and to be as holy as he can, viz. ”

“ So let not the Christian think that he deserves credit and praise for any thing he may do, or that he thus gains a right to heaven. God does, indeed, condescend to accept our services, and to use us as instruments of doing good, but it is he who gives us both the inclination and the ability to serve him ”

“ Finally, let us all scrupulously attend to the nourishment and exercise of the catholic principle. Let us impress upon our minds the necessity of 'keeping the heart with all diligence, for out of it' arise 'schisms' and 'strifes.' Let us watch over ourselves, and guard against every circumstance that may diminish candour, pervert the judgment, or poison the affections. As Christians, let us war with what separates man from God; as dissenters, with what separates Christian from Christian. Let us seek the nearer approximation of church to church, and the ultimate recognition and union of all. ”

“ How great then, are the obligations lying on man, to embrace, and follow Christ! Obligations of duty, gratitude, interest, and of every consideration, unite to enforce this duty, with indescribable weight. Words are infinitely inadequate to this subject. ”

“ So when the Christian quietly goes on his circle of duties, ever seeking, by the help of God's grace, to do the will of his Lord,—he shows to the world a living example of the power and truth of religion; he does good not for the look of the thing, but because the love of Christ constraineth him to act as conscience directs. ”

“ And they overlook another fact, which is, that the positive and unequivocal precepts and commands of God, contain the sum of our duties to him and our fellow men, and only when we perform these duties in obedience to him, we do the will of our Heavenly Father, and then, and only then, do we work righteousness—the righteousness of God in Christ. ”

“ There should be good-will to their masters, good-will to the families they are in; and especially a readiness to do their duty to God. Observe, Service, performed with conscience, and from a regard to God, though it be to unrighteous masters, will be accounted by Christ as service done to himself. ”

“ What is the position, then, that we ought to occupy—every man, woman, and child? Do our duty before God—honour him, and all is right. And concerning events yet to transpire, we must trust them in the hands of God, and feel that "whatever is is right," and that God will control all things for our best good and the interest of his Church and kingdom on the earth. If we live here and prosper, all right ”

“ If, however, we can conscientiously say that duty—not inclination, not pleasure, not business—detains us here, are we labouring in prayer for these helpless ones as we might do? Are we using our influence and means as largely as they might be to help forward their salvation? In short, are we seeking first, for ourselves and for them, the kingdom of God and His righteousness, leaving to God to add other blessings? ”

“ Being made free from sin, having become servants unto righteousness, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end life everlasting. Freedom, Righteousness, Holiness—these are the steps on the way to the coming glory. The more deeply we enter by faith into our liberty, which we have in Christ, the more joyfully and confidently we present our members to God as instruments of righteousness. The God is the Father whose will we delight to do, whose service is perfect liberty. The Redeemer is the Master, to whom love binds us in willing obedience. ”