The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-07-25

| A man was to be commended when
| he did his duty. But Jesus takes the
final step into the realm beyond the
| point of duty, and bids US follow We
are Improbable servants. for we
+ have done only our duty. What does
IL mean? It means that a man is not
a man unless he does his duty. 1t
means that the very least man can
do and maintain his respect in the
sight of God and his own conscience
is to do his duty. That is. the least
person can do according to the
teaching and life of Jesus: not the
most. as the worldly pagan philoso.
piers would have us believe--and
some of the Christians also. For the
fulfllment of tie obligations of home
and of life, of morality. of brother
| hood. of religion and the church, nc
praise Is deserved. These sre duties.
We are Improbable servants IL we
have done only what we are com.
PEELED to 20.
Christian duty is not measured by
/ demand, or opportunity, or even by
ability. This is partio .iy 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 COMMUNICATION. He who does
more than his duty is the one who
forges 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. II is even thus in re-
llgious 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; neverthe-
less it is true that not even ability
limits duty. That seems strange. Is
man 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 1t
seem impossible to break that habit,
that sin, which has been undermining
your moral constitution and throt-
tling 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 ip 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, 1t matters not.
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-
Ace. William Carey took that step
I 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 1t his duty thus to throw
l his life into jeopardy. Clara Barton
J., took it, as she staunched the flowing
{ blood upon the battle fields. John
+, Patton took 1t, when he faced the
b. cannibals of the South Sea Islands
e According to what standard of con-
e duct was it that hero's duty to re-
= main among that beastly people after
J. he had seen five of his fellow mis-.
! slonaries butchered and eaten; after
t he had, with his own hands, close by
4 the corner of the house in the cora
: beds, dug the grave for his dear wife
I and little one, victims of the terrible
a fever. according to what standard Of
conduct was II his duty to stanC
= alone among those heather peoples
y None that the world knew. All, bu
It the noble man, so lately gone TO hi
> reward, was living by the standard o
If that one who bore the worlds sin ant
d sorrow, and whose loving heart wa
h broken one gloomy night in Geth
Is semane-Jesus of Nazareth, VIII
b gave to life the new standard of con
l. duct, the new conception of duty
Il rooted in love. Patton tells us in hi
l. wonderful autobiography that II wa
h Gods strength alone made him suf
e fcient for these things, In his owl
y words, But for Jesus and the fel
a lowship He vouchsafed me there,
l. must have gone mad and died besid
r, that lonely grave"
d Christian duty is made. potent b
n the will OF man, and by the power o
"a God. The human will plus the Di
IL vine power makes it possible to TAX
le that step. Not, What ! can, will
le but, What I will, can. You remem
10 Der when James and John were max
~ ing their requests OF the Master
le Jesus inquired Of themif they though
y they could be baptized with the bar
ts tism of His life. They said, We car
" Jesus said, Ye shall.
=, Thus 1t is for Christians TO sa!
se when sin threatens In the persona
- life when the work of the Master fo
a His church and for humanity, need
al their help: Yea, Master, you ca
~ count on me. l will; l can.
ra Face to face with the vision of tn
NJ ideal of what we ought to be an
an do, II Is a noble person who says,
n Will, I can. To such one shall
- added the words of the Master, Y
ly shall. When we perceive what "
~ ought 10 do, and make up our mind
s- we will do 1t, the power for its a.
as complishment will come, even as
si- came TO Israel by the Red Sea, an
US 10 the 5000 on Galllees shore.