South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-28
OUR WHOLE Duty.


The will Of God must be the standard
Of our actions. So far as our duty to
heaven is concerned, no law of church
or state is binding on us, except the
law = in harmony with the mind of
God. our first concern is, What doth
Jehovah require of thee?" II is i'm
portant to be acquainted with the re-
quirements Of our church and with
the laws Of the land. but the chief
thing for us TO know is the will of
God. To grant that il is our duty TO
know the will of Jehovah is 10 say
that there is a way by which we may
find out that will, for every event in
life; il Jehovah did not make it pos
sible for us TO know his will in every
case. IL would be unjust of him to
expect us TO do it but seeing there
is a way by which we may know the
will of God, we are under obligation
to do that will. The Bible. the
church, the state, the opinion of 9TH
ers, the experience of the ages, are
all a means by which we may find out
the general will of heaven, but in the
particular, and in the last analysis,
the question is. What doth Jehovah
require of thee?" and so far as the
heavenly Father is concerned we
may find out that will by asking him.
,. God Requires Us TO BE just
sonable and right. as it is dictated
by infinite love. If a matter is in
doubt, as to whether it is the will OF
God, one true test of its origin is
whether it will stand the test of dis
interested love; whether 1t is just and
right. There are ten thousand details
in every mans life that come under
certain general principles, and first
in order is that we must "do justly"
in the vernacular of everyday life,
we must give every man "a square
deal" Parents must be just to their
children. and children TO their par
ents. Employers must be just TO their
employees, and employees must be faith
full to their masters: must give an
honest days work. must not destroy
their property, and must render unto
them that which Is just and equal.
! Business men must be truthful in de-
scribing their goods; a merchant who
marks and sells goods for all wool
that are half cotton, is "A thief. In
all matters in dealing with our fell
lows Jehovah requires that we prac-
tice the golden rule.
,. God Requires That We Should
Be Kind. There are times when we
must deal with our neighbor, and with
our fellows generally beyond the re-
quirements Of strict justice, when 1t
| is our duty to be mercifully kind;
Z
as creditors, to forgive those who may
be indebted TO us; when to force pay
ment of our legal rights would be, in
! the sight of God, SIS bad as robbery.
We are to deal with our fellows in
the same spirit of loving kindness as
God deals with us, in fact, il is our
duty to be as God to those who are
in need of help, and he causes his
sun to shine upon the evil and upon
I good u q
forces his legal claims, or demands
his pound of flesh" is going contrary
to what Jehovah requires of him, and
is also SHINING against his own soul
/ We must always be kind TO the poor
and unfortunate, we must follow in
the footsteps of Jesus who went about
doing good. Jehovah requires us to
be sympathetic with all men, and to
be glad when we have the opportu-
nifty to lend a helping hand to those
who are i'm need. Christianity sub
Ordinates justice to loving kindness.
/ II God were to deal with us in strict
/ justice none would be fit for heaven,
/ but in his love the heavenly Father,
! through Jesus Christ, our loving Sa-
viOur, has forgiven us our sins.
! 4. God Requires That We Fellow
ship With Him. Forgetting God, and
| idOlatry generally, are the most griv-
| Gus sins which we can commit. The
/ LOIu, dS our falneT. Graves the dIIec-
ton and fellowship of his children.
I the same as earthly parents desire the
love and cOmpanionship OF their chill
dren. Jehovah has made il our duty
and privilege to walk with him; the
highest honor which heaven can pro-
nounce on man is to say that he
walked with God. Now walking with
God implies that we recognize his
constant presence with us. that he
goes where we go. and stays where
we stay. that lin him we live and
move and have our being" and that
We delight to have il so. Others try
TO forget that God is with them. and
therefore walk away from him, rather
than with him. To harmonic with
and keep Gods commandments. is to
walk with him. This is a life of com
plete victory over sin, the flesh and
the devil; life of implicit trust This
Is what Jehovah requires of me. and
Of YOU, my brother. and it is blessedlN
possible for the weakest of us to I'M
dertake this constant walk and fellow
ship with God. We read of many mer
in the Scriptures who attained TO thi:
experience.