Ralph Erskine writes a Gospel sonnet that seemed appropriate for Tax Day:
To Caesar what is Caesar’s should be giv’n,
But Caesar must not have what’s due to Heav’n”
So duty should have duty’s room ‘t is true,
But nothing of the glorious Husband’s due.
While means the debt of close attendance crave,
Our whole dependence God alone must have.
If duties, tears, our conscience pacify,
They with the blood of Christ presume to vie.
Means are his vassals’ shall we without grudge
Discard the master, and espouse the drudge?
Paying taxes, it is our duty! and occasionally our drudge:) It is not our happiness, our all in all, and certainly not our husband. Taxes are but a means/duty for the privilege of enjoying the gift of citizenship.
Do we approach Christ the same way? Do we discard the master, and espouse the drudge?
When we faithfully execute our Christian duties, take seriously our holiness and give close attendance to following Christian principles, these are means, these are our duties. With these means we do not get Christ. Our happiness is not dependent on executing our duties, or looking self-righteously to our holiness. Christ our master, is our end.
The hypocrite, the legalist does sin,
To live on duties, not on Christ therein.
He only feeds on empty dishes, plates,
Who doats on means, but at the manna frets.
Let never means content thy soul at all,
Without the Husband, who is all in all.
Cry daily for the happy marriage hour;
To thee belongs the mean, to him the pow’r.
Ralph Erskine, Gospel Sonnets: Or Spiritual Songs (p. 137), 1844
Our duty is not our happiness! Our joy is in Christ! And in Christ is power and joy! Let us never be content with means, content without the Husband, content without Him, who is all in all.
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