2. Now Christianity is not a sum of isolated observances. It is the hallowing of all human interests and occupations alike. Worship is a very small fragment of devotion. The Christian does not offer to God part of his life or of his endowments in order that he may be at liberty to use the rest according to his own caprice. All life, all endowments, are equally owed to our Lord, and equally claimed by Him. Every human office in every part is holy. Our conduct — our whole conduct — is a continuous revelation of what we are. At each moment we are springs of influence. Virtue goes out of us also — or weakness. Our silence speaks. We who profess to be Christians must from day to day either confirm or disparage our Creed. Our faith — our want of faith — must show itself. It is finally the soul that acts. The body is but its instrument.
1 B. Jowett.
3o8 MAN'S CHIEF END
TJ The sense of being God's minister gives to any life that noble pride which is our birthright, and which we ought carefully to cherish. Do we not see on a lower level how fond people are of linking their name and calling with royalty ? " Purveyor to His Majesty." We sometimes wonder how these petty hucksters came to possess this sounding title. No doubt the distinction often rests on a slender charter; a mere gossamer thread binds the obscure counter to the throne ; yet the privilege is sedulously guarded, and throws a coveted lustre upon the village shop. But how truly grand to relate all life to God, even in its lowliest phases ! Nothing is then common or unclean. Everything is on the altar; all is sacramental. Every service is as royal as the golden crowns cast on the jasper pavement. This gives to the ordinary life infinite honour and content.1
Teach me, my God and King, In all things Thee to see; And what I do in any thing, To do it as for Thee.
Not rudely, as a beast, To runne into an action; But still to make Thee prepossest, And give it his perfection.
A man that looks on glasse, On it may stay his eye; Or if he pleaseth, through it passe, And then the heav'n espie.
All may of Thee partake; Nothing can be so mean, Which with his tincture "for Thy sake" Will not grow bright and clean.
A servant with this clause Makes drudgery divine: Who sweeps the room as for Thy laws Makes that and th' action fine.
This is the famous stone That turneth all to gold; For that which God doth touch and own Cannot for lesse be told.2
1 W. L. Watkinson. a George Herbert.
i CORINTHIANS x. 31 309
II.
A Test of Action.
It is surprising how difficult the duties of men sometimes become, when opposite rules are set against one another, or when they have to be reconciled with differences of character. It is surprising how simple they grow when they are considered by the light of great principles ; when, dismissing tradition and custom and the opinions of men, we are able simply to ask: "What is the will of God?" If you can say that there is no will of God about this trifling ceremony, about this small dispute (for God does not interfere in such matters, but only in the greater things of righteousness and temperance and truth), the question is already answered : " An highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it ; the wayfaring man shall not err therein."
U People are perpetually squabbling about what will be best to do, or easiest to do, or advisablest to do, or profitablest to do ; but they never, so far as I hear them talk, ever ask what it is just to do. And it is the law of heaven that you shall not be able to judge what is wise or easy, unless you are first resolved to judge what is just, and to do it. That is the one thing con- stantly reiterated by our Master — the order of all others that is given oftenest — "Do justice and judgment." That's your Bible order; that's the Service of God, — not praying nor psalm- singing. You are told, indeed, to sing psalms when you are merry, and to pray when you need anything; and, by the per- verseness of the evil Spirit in us, we get to think that praying and psalm-singing are " service." If a child finds itself in want of anything, it runs in and asks its father for it — does it call that doing its father a service ? If it begs for a toy or a piece of cake — does it call that serving its father? That, with God, is prayer, and He likes to hear it ; He likes you to ask Him for cake when you want it ; but He doesn't call that " serving Him." Begging is not serving : God likes mere beggars as little as you do — He likes honest servants, — not beggars. So when a child loves its father very much, and is very happy, it may sing little songs about him; but it doesn't call that serving its father; neither is singing songs about God, serving God. It is enjoying1 ourselves, if it's anything, most probably it is nothing; but if