III.  Lastly, note the glad obedience which transcends the limits of obligation.

‘If I do this thing willingly I have a reward.’  Paul desired to bring a little more than was required, in token of his love to his Master, and of his thankful acceptance of the obligation.  The artist who loves his work will put more work into his picture than is absolutely needed, and will linger over it, lavishing diligence and care upon it, because he is in love with his task.  The servant who seeks to do as little as he can scrape through with without rebuke is actuated by no high motives.  The trader who barely puts as much into the scale as will balance the weight in the other is grudging in his dealings; but he who, with liberal hand, gives ’shaken down, pressed together, and running over’ measure, gives because he delights in the giving.

And so it is in the Christian life.  There are many of us whose question seems to be, ’How little can I get off with? how much can I retain?’—­many of us whose effort is to find out how much of the world is consistent with the profession of Christianity, and to find the minimum of effort, of love, of service, of gifts which may free us from obligation.

And what does that mean?  It means that we are slaves.  It means that if we durst we would give nothing, and do nothing.  And what does that mean?  It means that we do not care for the Lord, and have no joy in our work.  And what does that mean?  It means that our work deserves no praise, and will get no reward.  If we love Christ we shall be anxious, if it were possible, to do more than He commands us, in token of our loyalty to the King, and of our delight in the service.  Of course, in the highest view, nothing can be more than necessary.  Of course He has the right to all our work; but yet there are heights of Christian consecration and self-sacrifice which a man will not be blamed if he has not climbed, and will be praised if he has.  What we want, if I might venture to say so, is extravagance of service.  Judas may say, ‘To what purpose is this waste?’ but Jesus will say, He ‘hath wrought a good work on Me,’ and the fragrance of the ointment will smell sweet through the centuries.

So, dear brethren, the upshot of the whole thing is, Do not let us do our Christian work reluctantly, else it is only slave’s work, and there is no blessing in it, and no reward will come to us from it.  Do not let us ask, ‘How little may I do?’ but ‘How much can I do?’ Thus, asking, we shall not offer as burnt offering to the Lord that which doth cost us nothing.  On His part He has given the commandment as a sign of His love.  The stewardship is a token that He trusts us, the duty is an honour, the burden is a grace.  On our parts let us seek for the joy of service which is not contented with the bare amount of the tribute that is demanded, but gives something over, if it were possible, because of our love to Him.  They who thus give to Jesus Christ their all of love and effort and service will receive it all back a hundredfold, for the Master is not going to be in debt to any of His servants, and He says to them all, ’I will repay it, howbeit I say not unto thee how thou owest unto Me even thine own self besides.’