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194 THE MIZANU'L HAQQ

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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