^ Can you picture it at all ? The church is built by the natives — walls of nipa palm spines, and thatched roof of palm leaves, floor of bark — two doorways on each side, and one at each end, and plenty of square openings for windows. ' We have no church members here yet, but we think of the Moffats, and feel encouraged. They were fifteen years working at one station and not one member, and yet she asked a friend to send her a communion service, and directly after it arrived they needed it.^
(3) It means follow with the will. — Our wills must be in this following, or it means nothing. All true obedience begins, not in the outward action, but in the inward spring of all activity ; that is, in the will. We must will to do His will, if we would follow Christ. We become obedient within^ before we are obedient in the outward act. The moment for action may not have arrived, but the time for willing to be obedient is always present.^
^ The wish to disobey is already disobedience ; and although at this time I was really doing a great many things I did not like, to please my parents, I have not now one self-approving thought or consolation in having done so, so much did its suUenness and maimedness pollute the meagre sacrifice.^
2. Notice how difficult it is. Against us are the efforts of our great spiritual adversary. He is constantly on the watch with a view to hindering God's children in their progress. But this, let us never forget, is not without God's permission. It is His will that our following of Him should be, not apart from obstacles, but in the midst of them, in spite of thero..
1 James Chalmers, 337. * E. H. HopkinB.
• Ruskin, Praelerila, i. 424.
ST. JOHN XXI. 22 443
% The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult ; and left untried.^
(1) There are alluring attractions — earthly objects and pursuits that appeal to our natural inclinations. Some of them are perfectly harmless in themselves, but when they are yielded to, we discover afterwards that they have lowered our spiritual tone, and robbed us of our strength. And so we have been impeded in our progress.
^ Progress is marked by stations left behind. If we follow Jesus, we go somewhere, which means leaving some place. Journeying with the breast to the East means with the back to the West. The disciples left their boats and nets when they followed Jesus. What has our following cost us ? What selfish plans, worldly projects, doubtful amusements, dangerous com- panionships, are behind us for the King's and the kingdom's sake ? We sing, " Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee," but another hymn brings the thought to a sharp point, " Have I left aught for Thee ? " 2
^ " As for the pleasures of this Life, and outward Business, let that be upon the bye. Be above all these things, by Faith in Christ; and then you shall have the true use and comfort of them, — and not otherwise." How true is this; equal in its obsolete dialect, to the highest that man has yet attained to, in any dialect old or new ! ^
(2) Then there are perplexing prohlems. — Perhaps we are troubled as we look around upon the sufferings of our fellow- creatures. We think of the multitudes living in darkness and degradation, not only in heathen lands, but in our own Christian England. We are unable to fathom the mysteries these questions suggest. Or, it may be, we are perplexed by the objections of sceptics to the truth of Holy Scripture. We are unable to find an answer to these things. What is the remedy ? Look to the Master, who says, " What is that to thee ? Follow thou me." We must rest in His wisdom, we must confide in His faithfulness, and, without waiting to question or to speculate, we must be prompt in our obedience, and follow Him.
^ G. K. Chesterton, What's Wrong with the World. 2 fil. D. Babcock, Thoughts for Every-Day Living, 25. ' Carlyle, CrsmnmlVs Letters and Speeches, ii. 136.
444 THE INDIVIDUALITY OF DUTY
^ All the great mysteries are simple as well as unfathomably deep ; and they are common to all men. Every Christian feels them less or moie}
(3) Then there are distracting cares — the things that belong to the ordinary business of daily life. Some of these are very common matters, and perhaps very trivial, but God's children, when they carry them, find them a serious hindrance to their progress. It is quite possible to be so overburdened by care that we cease to follow Christ. We must learn the secret of commit- ting all into His hands daily if we would know what it is to follow the Lord fully.*
^ " Acts of obedience are not perfect, and therefore yield not perfect Grace. Faith, as an act, yields it not ; but ' only ' as it carries us into Him, who is our perfect rest and peace ; in whom we are accounted of, and received by, the Father, — even as Christ Himself, This is our high calling. Best we here, and here only." Even so, my noble one ! The noble soul will, one day, again come to understand these old words of yours.^