The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-12-06
A Sunday Sermon.
DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES.
George H. Hepworth.)

George III. Hepworth)
Wherein We greatly rejoice, though now
for season We are in heayiness through
manifold temptations.--I. Peter, IS.
1t is curious fact that in the New Tes-
lament, which is a revelation of God to
man and equally a revelation Of man to
himself, the word duty should appear only
twice.
In the popular conception of religion,
there is one great mistake mistake
that has done much to disturb our filial
relations with the Almighty and to make
the religious life a tiresome routine, a sort
of days hard work for the sake of the wit
ges to be received at sunset Nothing
could be further from the heart Of the
Christ, and nothing could more effectually
check the generous ardor with which tried
and troubled souls should seek the divine
presence for advice and succOr.
If religion is not Il satisfactory thing
in itself just as a cooling breeze is sat
sfactory in August or a blazing fire on
the heartstone in January, then its value
is very seriously diminished. And if one
does not feel that the practice Of religion
brings its own reward here and now with
out reference to the future, then he mis-
nterprets the purpcR Of God and all
his wine is turned to water.
The word duty means obligatory service,
and seems TO imply that it is not our
choice to render it, but that we must do
SO for fear of consequences. The man
a ho obeys for any such reason is living on
a very low plane. His conception of God
is more or less that Of task-master rath-
er than of father who notes even the fall
Of a sparrow, So long as we view reli-
gion from that standpoint we shall live
beyond earshot Of heaven, clinging to the
present and dreading the future.
We are called the children of God. / do
not imagine this to be figure of speech,
but the statement Of a literal truth. Wei,
to draw an illustration from home life,
would you say that it was the duty of u
boy to love his mother? Or for daughter
TO olar ehevraf ethr cmfwyp cmfwypcm
to love her father? Should the boy feel
that while he ought to love his mother it is
very difficult to do SO, because if he fol
lowed the bent of his nature he would be
indifferent to her?
Would it be possible to say that it is Il
mans duty to be grateful for some great
benefit which is conferred upon him? The
word duty seems to be peculiarly out of
place under such circumstances, for ii
contains libel on human nature. He can
not help being grateful, for he is Sc consti-
.suted that gratitude rises to the surface
without an effort, and if he were not
grateful he would be something less than
q man.
In like manner, it is not mans duty ID
love God; it is his inalienable right and
ms inestimable privilege From the mo-
ment when he appreciates Gods love for
him his heart goes out in unrestrained con.
idence and trust, and that confidence and
trust are the cornerstones of the temple
in which he worships And when h.
comes to see what this life is for, and how
the Almighty has SO arranged events that
he can weave them into wedding gar
ment to wear in heaven. then he has the
religion which Christ preached, and his
gratitude, SO far from being an irksome
duty, is as irresponsible as the water that
bubble from the spring on the mountain
side
While in our relations with God there
are no duties, but only privileges, in our
relations with ourselves and with our fell
lowmen there are many of them, and it Of
ten requires an effort to perform them.
For example, it is a duty to love our
enemies, and that is hard; it is a duty to
bless them that curse us, and that is not
easy, and it is a duty to resist the tempta-
tons which creep into the soul to corrupt
it. 1t is something of task to keep
oneself unspotted from the world for
the spirit Of evil knocks at the door with
gay impudence and makes thousand
tr,4
any one of them.
But even these duties would be trans
formed into privileges if we lived on
higher religious plane. Christ alone pos
sessed n perfectly rounded system of re
ligion. He had the whole, while we only
enjoy a very small part. 1t was not an
iIksome task for him to pray, Father,
forgive them, for they know not what
they do"-not in any sense a duty. His
nature was such that he could not have.
done otherwise He lived spiritually on
the mountain top, while we are in the val
ley. Our religion, beautiful as it is, has
still an element Of the barbaric in it. God
is near us, always near us, but we have
not yet invited him to occupy our house,
We can be grateful when He does what
we think He ought to do, but when he
de1s what contravenes our wishes our
state Of mind is peculiar and forbidding.
The ideal religion! II the first gray
streaks OF dawn are SO inspiring, what
will be the perfect day? When universal
love of God gives rise to universal love Of
man and real religion first checks, then
destroys, the selishness which is our
bane, enables us to cling to Him with
even profoUnder flial affection when dear
ones are being borne to the churchyard,
or when misfortune robs us of the com
forts Of life-and that time is surely com
ing-then duties will be altogether abol,
shed, and we shall do His viii simply
and only because it is better than our own
will, and do it gladly.
When we exchange our plan for His
plan it will be like dropping a pebble TO
pick up diamond, like laying aside our
untuned harps to listen to the music of the
angel choir. God knows best! TO believe
that is to be perfect even as your Father
II heaven is perfect