The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-08-21

jesus put his new Slduuoiu VI =
vice in Christian life in the words OF
which our text is a part. Jesus
causes the servants who had been
faithful to every detail Of their duty,
to say: I'VE are Improbable SER
wants, we have done that which was
our duty to do" Listen! Not profit
able servants because they had done
their whole duty. but Improbable be-
cause they had done only their duty.
What a transformation Of values was
that! No one ever heard such teach
ing before. The wise men Of all ages
and all races never said anything K
that. They all taught that duty was
the supreme thing. Nothing greater.
A man was to be commended when
he did his duty. But Jesus takes the
final step into the realm beyond the
point of daty, and bids US follow. we
are Improbable servants, for we
have done only our duty. What does
it meaa? It lean that a man is o
a mar unless he does his duty. 1t
means that the very least a man can
do and maintain his respect in the
sight of God and his W conscience
is to do his duty. That is, the least
a person can do according to the
teaching and life of Jesus: not the
most, as the worldly pagan Philoso-
pliers would have US believe-and
some Of the Christians also. For the
fulfllment of the obligations of home
and Of life, of morality, of brother
hood, Of religion and the church, nc
praise is deserved. These ere duties.
We are improbable servants If we
have done only what we are COM
PEELED to do.
Christian duty is not measured by
demand, or opportunity, or even by
ability. This is partially realized in
the world of business. The young
man who does only what is absolute
ly required of him, is not the one
who succeeds and wins the employ
er's commentator. He who does
more than his duty is the one who
FORCES ahead. He never gets very
far or becomes of great value to life
who does only what passing oppor-
tunity permits him to do. But he
who hustles to find opportunities,
and if they are not forthcoming
makes them, is the one who gives
worth to life. 1t is even thus in re-
ligious life and work. We are un-
profitable servants in the sight CT
God, If we have done only that which
it was our duty to do, and have never
tasted the depths Of sacrifice. Some
times we do not realize It; neyerthe-
less it is true that not even ability
limits duty. That seems strange. Is
a mar ever asked to do more than
apparently he is able to do? Yes.
Jesus did not limit duty by a poor
mortal's ability. The power of the
omnipotent God was the limit, and
that power is illimitable. Does It
seem impossible to break that habit,
that sin, which has been undermining
your moral constitution and throt-
Ting your spiritual life? You say
you are not able to do it. The obli-
CATION to do it still exists. Does it
seem impossible for the Christian
church to conquer the evil in the
world and bring the message Of the
Master to all mankind? Often we
hear Christians say, 1T cannot be
done" But the obligation Is still
there.
Christian duty Is measured by
human need. Wherever there is need
of help; wherever there is need Of
reform; wherever in this harsh world
there is need Of sympathy and love;
wherever strong hands are needed to
lift SHINING humanity from the
depths, and brave hearts to carry the
message of the Cross into darkness.
There is the duty of the Christian
church-at home or abroad, in pub
lie or in private life, it matters not.
1t avails nothing to say we are not
equal to such a herculean task. The
need is the measure Of Christian
duty, not what we think to be our
ability. Jesus said, Give the multi
tude something to eat, and He opened
the way. God said to Israel, Go for
ward across the sea, and the waters
parted. AS we grid ourselves to obey
the command of the infinite God to
go forward against the impossible,
there sounds in our Its those splen-
did helpful words, my strength -
sufficient for thee. 10, I am with
you always, even unto the end of the
world"
Fidelity to the Master means the
taking Of the step one point beyond
the limit of the ordinary conception
Of duty-even to the point of sacri-
fee. William Carey took that step
when he left his homeland and faced
the terrors of India into which no
white man had ever penetrated with
the Gospel. According to no stand
ard of conduct the world then recog-
nized was it his duty thus to throw
his life into jeopardy. Clara Barton
took it, as she staunched the flowing
blood upon the battle fields. John
Patton took it, when he faced the
cannibals of the South Sea Islands.
According to what standard of con
duct was it that hero's duty to re-
main among that beastly people after
he had seen five of his fellow mis-
%sionaries butchered and eaten: after
he had, with his own hands, close by
the corner of the house in the coral
beds, dug the grave for his dear wife
and little one, victims of the terrible
fever, according to what standard Of
conduct was it his duty to stand
alone among those heather peoples?
None that the world knew. All, but
the noble man, so lately gone to his
reward, vas living by the standard OF
that one who bore the worlds sin and
sorrow, and whose loving heart was
broken one gloomy night in Geth-
semane-Jesus of Nazareth, who
gave to life the new standard Of con-
duct. the new conception of duty,
rooted in love. Patton tells us in his
wonderful autobiography that it was
Gods strength alone made him suf-
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