Servile

“ I know, O God, thou didst empty thyself of thy eternal glory, and tookest upon thee the form of a servant. Thou who madest all men to serve and please thee, didst not please thyself, but wast the servant of all. Thou O Lord of the hosts of heaven and earth, didst yield thy cheeks to be smitten, thy back to be scourged, and thy hands and feet to be nailed to an accursed tree. ”

“ Eight or nine hundred folk kept pawing and buzzing like flies in treacle for two hours, while a pack of perfectly safe Serviles invades their mental and spiritual privacy, may be amusing to watch, but they are not pleasant to handle afterwards.'
Pirolo chuckled.
'Our folk own themselves. They were of opinion things were going too far and too fiery. I warned the Serviles; but they're born house-dwellers. Unless a fact hits 'em on the head they cannot see it. ”

“ You think, "A prince, or a magistrate, or a minister, that does his duty here, will be sure to receive his reward in heaven: but what capacity am I, a poor servant, in, of recommending myself to the favour of God." Why, God will as certainly reward thee for the meanest drudgery that is done from a sense of duty and with an eye to himself. And what can be said more proper either to engage or to encourage servants to their duty? ”

“ The Lord renders his servants masters of all he possesses, giving himself up to them, and giving all with himself, in order that they may, without weariness, and without anxiety, possess all things and rejoice with all the saints in eternal happiness. Blessed is the servant who watches when his Lord cometh. Fortunate is the servant who shall joyfully repose on the bosom of the King of Glory! ”

“ He taught us the contrary, both by example and in words, when He said that He came into the world not be be served, but to serve; and that whoever wishes to be Superior, ought to make himself the servant of all. Conform yourself, then, to this holy maxim, behaving towards those for whom you are sent to care, quasi unus ex illis----as one of themselves----and telling them, as soon as you arrive, that you have come not to rule, but to serve. ”

“ God and Nature bid the same, When he who rules is worthiest, and excels Them whom he governs. This is servitude, To serve the unwise, or him who hath rebelled Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee, Thyself not free, but to thyself enthralled; Yet lewdly darest our ministring upbraid. Reign thou in Hell, thy kingdom; let me serve In Heaven God ever blest, and his divine Behests obey, worthiest to be obeyed; Yet chains in Hell, not realms, expect: Mean while From me returned, as erst thou saidst, from flight, This greeting on thy impious crest receive. ”

“ O Thou Who art mighty and powerful! O Thou most kind Father! These servants have gathered together, turning to Thee, supplicating Thy threshold, desiring Thine endless bounties from Thy great assurance. They have no purpose save Thy good pleasure. They have no intention save service to the world of humanity. ”

“ For the rule is, that you must obey your masters in all things, and do the work they set you about with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart as unto Christ; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good-will doing service as to the Lord, and not as to men. ”

“ Behold me now, then, then, willing my salvation: in thy hands I place it; to thee I here consign my soul. I will to be of those who are thy special servants ; cast me not, then, away. Thou goest up and down seeking the wretched, to console them. ”

“ Hear, O man! servant neither good nor faithful, because, though by nature and condition a servant, thou wouldst not serve, but attempted to seize on liberty and equality with thy Lord. Hear and see that Christ, being in the form of God, not by robbery but by nature equal with God, because himself also almighty, eternal, and immeasurable, not only emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, and being made in the likeness of men, but also fulfilled the ministry of a servant, by humbling himself and becoming obedient to his Father even to death. ”

“ And since at the best we are unprofitable servants, and can do no more than it is our duty to do, enable us to do every thing which thou hast commanded us heartily, with good will, and true love to thy service.
O that we might ever approach thee with delight, and feel it the joy of our hearts, to think of thee, to praise thee, to give thee thanks, and to offer ourselves with absolute resignation to thee. O that mercy may always please us, as it pleaseth thee! That we may be strictly just and righteous! May chearfully pass by injuries, freely deny ourselves whatever is not for thy glory ”

“ There are dignities of God, and there are dignities of man. Charity of heart, duty towards one's neighbour, loyalty, and truth―these are the dignities of God. To be a duke, a minister of State, or a high official―these are the dignities of man. The men of old cultivated the dignities of God, and the dignities of man followed. ”

“ Father, let thy name be sanctified and glorified, and thy kingdom prevail, and thy will be done on this earth that is now alienated from thy service, as it is in yonder heaven that is entirely devoted to thy service. ”

“ Dear Friends, Servants and Children of the most High God, whom he hath called and chosen out of the World; be faithful all of you in his Counsel, wait his Power to guide you in all your Thoughts, Words and Works, in his pure fear in obedience, to will, I charge you in his Presence be valiant for your Freedom in dwelling in the Power of the living God, that may arm you against the fiery Darts of the Devil. ”

“ We are servants in Thy vineyard, spreaders of Thy religion, devoted worshipers of Thy countenance, humble towards Thy loved ones, submissive before Thy door, and imploring Thee to confirm us in serving Thy chosen ones, to support us with Thine unseen hosts, to strengthen our loins in Thy servitude and to make us submissive and adoring subjects communing with Thee.
O our Lord! We are weak, and Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful. ”

“ For verily Thou art worthy of all service, all honour, and praise without end. Verily Thou art my God, and I am Thy poor servant, who am bound to serve Thee with all my strength, nor ought I ever to grow weary of Thy praise. ”

“ Cleanse Thou by its means the hearts of Thy servants whom the evils of the world have failed to hinder from turning towards Thine all-glorious Name, and who have remained unmoved by the noise and tumult of such as have repudiated Thy most resplendent signs which have accompanied the advent of Thy Manifestation Whom Thou hast invested with Thy sovereignty, Thy power, Thy majesty and glory. These are the servants who, as soon as Thy call reached them, hastened in the direction of Thy mercy and were not kept back from Thee by the changes and chances of this world or by any human limitations. ”

“ Follow this and thy heart will become as beautiful as a garden, thine eyes bright, thy spirit happy and thy thought a comfort to souls.
Be a well-wisher of humanity and a servant of mankind. Thus the strength of the Kingdom will uphold thee and the avenues of revelation open to thee. Because today every servant is served and is an honorable lord and every maid-servant the queen of horizons. Grow in humility and meekness daily, until thou attainest eternal glory and everlasting grace. ”

“ Can there be a nobler service than to serve God, the highest Lord, to serve the highest King, who has bought and won us out of the hands of our enemies, of sin and Satan? Gladly and joyfully will we serve Him, our Savior and our Lord. ”

“ Deign’d to make known a mean, by which the welfare
Of Christendom, or of his holy church,
In some peculiar and especial manner
Might be promoted or secured, who then
Shall venture to rise up, and try by reason
The will of him who has created reason,
Measure th’ eternal laws of heaven by
The little rules of a vain human honour?—
But of all this enough. What is it then
On which our counsel is desired? ”

“ Your whole and best service is due to him, of strict right: what he demands of you is to serve him in all virtue and godliness of living, and particularly to respect and reverence yourselves; in a word, not to pollute yourselves with forbidden lusts. In this way ye are required to serve your new lord and master, who has the goodness to regard such service, as an honour and glory to himself. ”

“ Thou seest, O my Lord, how Thy servants are held captive by their own selves and desires. Redeem them from their bondage, O my God, by the power of Thy sovereignty and might, that they may turn towards Thee when He Who is the Revealer of Thy names and attributes is manifested unto men. ”

“ The service of God in this life is the school in which we learn obedience; we must learn to serve here, or we will not have the joy of service over there. “He that sitteth on the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them.” ”

“ Assist us with Thy grace, O Almighty God, that we who have taken upon us the priestly office, may be able to converse worthily and devoutly with Thee in all purity and good conscience. And if we are not able to have our conversation in such innocency of life as we ought, yet grant unto us worthily to lament the sins which we have committed, and in the spirit of humility and full purpose of a good will, to serve Thee more earnestly for the future. ”

“ If you will hearken to the counsel of your humble servant, you will say to the fields, the flocks, and the herds, to the gold and the silver, to the goods and chattels, to the tenements and the possessions, and to all the world—Stand aside, get away from my thoughts, for I am going up to worship the Lord. ”

“ For thou only art just, sinless, holy, of abundant mercy, plenteous beneficence, and repentest thee concerning the evils of men. Do thou thyself, O Master, who claimest thy servants, name, name, unite them to one another in love; give unto them the conversion of the publican, the tears of the harlot, and the confession of the thief, that, through repentance from all their heart, performing thy commandments in unanimity and peace, they may be counted worthy of thy heavenly kingdom. ”

“ Be exceedingly grateful to the maid-servant of God, Mrs......... who guided thee, led thee to the Kingdom of Glory and invited thee to the heavenly table, so that thou mayest attain eternal life and enjoy the happiness of the Kingdom.
Thou didst write: “How can I serve Thee?” The greatest service is thine own firmness and steadfastness and thy withstanding severe trials when they come. Through firmness thou wilt perceive the opening of the doors of grace. ”

“ Tell me, O Lord, which of those who worship and serve Thee, with earnest minds well-mastered, serve Thee most worthily and best? Which are on the best path, those who worship Thee as God in thy revealed form ”

“ Strengthen the hearts of us thy servants against all our corruptions and temptations: enable us to consecrate ourselves faithfully and entirely to thy service. Grant that, we may provoke each other to love and serve thee, and grow up together before thee in thy fear and love, to thy heavenly kingdom. ”

“ Remember that your servants are not slaves, to be governed by authority without reason—that they are not stoics, to be treated as though they had no feeling; but are your equals in relation to God, though your inferiors in relation to civil society—who have as strong a claim on your generosity, as you have on their fidelity, and who will in general reward your kindness and sympathy by their affection and grateful obedience. ”

“ So the menial servants are put utterly beyond the pale of grace;—unless indeed, they are to go to heaven through the sanctity of their masters, and possibly they might think even that, rather an uncertain passport. ”

“ I offer myself to serve Thee freely all my life, without desiring any other interest more than to serve Thee, for to serve God is to reign. And seeing Thou art my first beginning and my last end, give forthwith beginning to my new life, and aid me with Thy grace that I may attain to its final end. Amen.
2. This done, I will consider how ill I have pursued this end in my past life, living as if I had been created, not to serve God, but to serve my own lusts, and to seek honours, delicacies, and riches ”

“ In like manner, let a master who has a believing servant love him as a son or as a brother, on account of their communion in the faith, but still preserving the difference of a servant.
In What Things We Ought to Be Subject to the Rulers of This World.
XIII. Be ye subject to all royal power and dominion in things which are pleasing to God, as to the ministers of God, and the punishers of the ungodly. [8] Render all the fear that is due to them, all offerings, all customs, all honour, gifts, and taxes. ”

“ I do not believe, with some divines, that all our good works are but as filthy rags; the example which our great Master has set before us, of purity, benevolence, obedience, submission and humility, are virtues which, if faithfully practiced, will find their reward; or why has he pronounced so many benedictions upon them in his sermon on the mount? ”

“ But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching {229} whereunto ye were delivered; and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness unto sanctification. ”

“ Your servant does not despise either your goodness or your bounty; he considers that his master knows best, what is best for his servant; and he receives with gratitude whatever is bestowed. Your argument would have appeared to me more just, if, after fully understanding me, which I perceive, by the use you have made of the quotation from my sixth number, you now do, you had proved from well known facts, or from conclusive argument, the absolute necessity of the hope of a christian in order for the 'present welfare' of mankind. ”