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to say, "It is the LORD: let Him do what seemeth Him good" (I Sam. iii. 18). He
remembers that, though living in the world, he does not belong to the world, for, like
Abraham, he seeketh "the city which hath the foundations, whose builder and maker is
God" (Heb. xi. 10. See also Ps. xxxvii. 5; 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18; Heb. xii. 5, 6).
The true Christian worships God in sincerity and truth (John iv. 24). He desires ever
to remain in the consciousness that he is always in God's presence. At all times he turns
to God as a child to a loving father, knowing God's care for him. When a child asks his
father for anything, he does so naturally, and not in any special form of words. So the
Christian is not obliged to use any special formula, or indeed any one sacred language,
for he knows that God is ever more ready to hear than man is to pray, and that God's gifts
are more than we can either desire or deserve. God knows our needs before we ask, and how
ignorant we are of what is best for us. Therefore the true Christian asks for all worldly
things which he needs, only with the proviso, "If it be Thy will, O God." But
for heavenly things and spiritual blessings he may freely ask without any condition,
knowing that these things are good for him and that God is waiting to be gracious to him.
If a man has received new and spiritual birth (John iii. 3, 5) and has thus been
enlightened by God's Holy Spirit, he will always be singing to God in his heart, and
praising Him for His goodness, and holding spiritual communion with Him. Whatever such a
man does, he does to God's glory. Knowing that God searches men's hearts and that from Him
no secret is hid, he strives to bring every thought into loving subjection to Him.
Trusting himself and all his dear ones to God's love and mercy, he enjoys rest and peace
of heart and spirit (Matt. vi. 5-15; Luke xviii. 1-8; John xvi. 23; Phil. iv. 6, 7; I
Thess. v. 17, 18; I John v. 14, 15; Jas. i. 5-8).
In addition to private prayer, Christians generally
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have prayers in their own houses, when the father of the family gathers his wife and
children around him to join him in prayer for forgiveness and blessing, and to read the
Word of God together. Moreover, in churches and chapels, at fixed times, especially on
Sunday, the day on which Christ rose from the dead, Christians assemble for public worship
and to listen to the reading of the Bible and to the preaching of the Gospel by men
specially called by God and carefully trained for that office and ministry. Some
communities of Christians prefer in public worship to have fixed forms of prayer, thinking
these most helpful to the congregation. Others prefer that prayer should be extempore. As
God knows all the languages of men, no tongue, not even Greek or Hebrew, is more
acceptable to Him for worship than any other. What is necessary, however, is worship in
sincerity, in spirit, and in truth. All places are alike holy, if such heartfelt worship
as this is offered in them. This only is commanded in the Gospel (John iv. 24), not any
rite or formula or special posture or place for worship.
A true Christian recognizes all men as his brethren. He desires their well-being as he
does his own, and strives to bring it about by doing them all the good he can, in both
spiritual and temporal matters (Matt. vii. 12; xxii. 39; I Cor. x. 24). Christ has taught
him the Golden Rule (Matt. vii. 12), obedience to which on the part of all men would
almost of itself make this earth a Paradise; hence he strives to do to others, not what
they do to him, but what he would like them to do. If they are sick, he tends them, if
starving, he feeds them, if ignorant of God, he teaches them what Christ has taught him
(Matt. xxviii. 19, 20). He loves all men, but especially those that are of the household
of faith (Gal. vi. 10: compare Matt. xxiii. 8; John xiii. 34, 35). Even his enemies and
persecutors he will love (Matt. v. 44; I Thess. iii. 12; 2 Pet. i. 5-7), knowing that they
are among those for whom Christ died, that some of the bitterest opponents of the Gospel
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