OBLIGATIONS

     Church membership always carries with it obligations and responsibilities. No one has the right to partake the benefits of religious association and organization without helping, according as ability has been given, in bearing the burdens and furthering the ends of the organization with which he is connected. But, alas! how many there are in all ecclesiastical bodies who seem to feel little or no responsibility in these directions. They sing,

"Help us to help each other, Lord,

Each other's cross to bear:

Let each his friendly aid afford,

And feel his brother's care,"

     and then go their way to live as indifferently in regard to the burdens and crosses their brethren are daily bearing as if they themselves were so many heathen men and women. Their doctrine, when reduced to practice, is largely that of Cain, who summed up his ethical code in the single question, "Am I my brother's keeper?"

     These things ought not so to be, in any religious organization, and especially among the people who are called Methodists. They, above all others, should obey the injunction, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Above all others they should compel the unbelieving world to say, "See how these Christians love one another." We who belong to various departments in the great army of Methodism are bound by peculiar ties and obligations to be loyal, and in every possible way helpful, to the body we represent, and to all who are associated with us therein. We are called, not only to declare the doctrine, but to exhibit the grace, of "Perfect Love." Unless we are sensible of and faithful to the obligations resting upon us as a people called "to spread scriptural holiness over the land," we shall give objectors to the doctrine and experience we seek to promote the right to challenge us as to our calling, profession and experience, and to say of us, "What do they more than others?"

     There are peculiar obligations upon all members of Methodist churches in their relation to the class-meeting. It has already been noted that the class-meeting was the germinal form of religious association and worship from which Methodism as a whole was developed, and that no other one thing connected with the Methodist movement from the beginning has sustained a more vital relation to the general welfare of the various Methodist bodies in every way than this; also that its relation to the spirituality and efficiency of the church is of as vital importance today as ever. In view of these facts none of us can be indifferent to the class-meeting, or willingly neglectful of it, and at the same time be loyal to the church and faithful to the obligations we voluntarily assumed in uniting with it. Whether, as in English Methodism, attendance upon the class-meeting is a condition of membership in the church, or, as in most branches of American Methodism, attendance is less compulsory, makes no real difference. The moral obligation is upon every member to attend class and contribute in every way possible to the success of the work for which the class exists, and for which class-meetings are held.

     Particularly, every member of a class is under obligation, both natural and moral, to co-operate with the Leader and other members in advancing the spirituality of the class, and of the church as a whole. This is the chief end for which classes, as known in Methodist economy, exist, and have existed from the beginning. The culture of the spiritual life is their fundamental idea. They minister to this end in many ways, but chiefly through promoting "that fellowship of the Spirit" which is absolutely essential to any high degree of individual or collective spiritual life. We are all so constituted that we can not live on high spiritual planes in isolation from our brethren in Christ. Communion with God is enhanced through communion with His people. "I believe in the communion of saints" is a part of the creed of all Christians. It is said that a girl, being catechized by an English clergyman, was asked, "What is the communion of saints?" and astonished him greatly by answering, "A Methodist class-meeting, sir." The girl was right, provided the class-meeting be one of the genuine kind. A good class-meeting affords a means of such inspiring and helpful communion among brethren as makes it a kind of foretaste of heaven.

"Mid scenes of confusion and creature complaints,

How sweet to the soul is communion with saints!

To find at the banquet of mercy there's room,

And feel in the presence of Jesus at home."

     "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do" (1 Thess. 5:11). "This language of St. Paul is good authority for the class-meeting," says the Rev. John Atkinson, M. A: "for that is simply a means by which the end he proposes is secured. It is a regular and very available method for mutual comforting and edifying. It makes this the specific work once at least, each week, of the members of the church." ^[1]

     Quite in line with this is the following also from Coke and Asbury in their "Notes on the Discipline," as quoted by Mr. Atkinson: "Christian fellowship cannot be carried on to any considerable advantage without stated times of assembling. The meetings held for this purpose must have a name to distinguish them. We call ours class-meetings. Here we must notice that it is the thing itself, Christian fellowship, and not the name which we contend for."

     The class-meeting exists for purposes of mutual instruction, comfort and edification. These ends require faithful attendance, and also constant co-operation on the part of all the members. No matter how wise, holy, and untiring in his labors the Leader may be, he cannot make his class and class-meetings what they should be without the hearty and continued interest and help of his members. Nor can faithfulness on the part of some of the members so far make up for the negligence of others that the church and work as a whole will not suffer from the dereliction of the negligent ones. We can fulfill our obligations to the class-meeting only as we "stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" (Phil. 1:27).

     It is the duty of the members to co-operate with the leader and with one another not only in the class-meeting exercises, but also in the way of doing all they can outside of the class-meeting for the awakening of interest in the work. In the ideal class, leader and members are all constantly working for the conversion of sinners and the sanctification of believers; in ministrations to the poor, the sick, the troubled, the sorrowing; in untiring efforts to build up the church as a whole, and to increase its power and fruitfulness as an evangelizing agency. Along all these and many other lines the individual members of every class not only may, but should, devote themselves, so far as circumstances will allow, to earnest and prayerful service for Christ and His Church. They should be "all at it, and always at it." The members should not only attend class and take a lively part in its exercises, but should invite others, especially those who are desirous to flee from the wrath to come and such as are groaning to be made perfect in love, to attend, and should do all in their power to make the leader acquainted with such cases and enable him to minister to them wisely and helpfully. "Let him that heareth say, Come."

     Then, too, there are financial obligations upon every member of a class which none can honorably ignore. We have already noted how, in the beginning, class-meetings were established as an economic measure, and how, in their later history, they have been a means of distributing the financial burdens incident to the great work of Methodism among the entire membership of the church more evenly than could as well be done otherwise. While nurture of the spiritual life is the more important end for which class-meetings are now held, they are still important channels through which the church's treasury is to be replenished, and every member is under obligation to pay his or her "class-money" regularly, in weekly, monthly or quarterly installments, as may be best suited to each one's circumstances. To ignore this obligation is not only to be disloyal to the class and church, but to suffer grievous spiritual loss as well.

     "Now concerning the collection for the saints, ... upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come," was Paul's advice to the Corinthian church, and the class-meeting affords one of the best means ever devised for carrying out both the spirit and letter of this apostolic direction. We close this chapter with the following extract from Mr. Wesley's pen, showing how he looked upon the obligations of those belonging to the early Methodist classes, and also how he endeavored to enforce observance of those obligations:

     "Whoever misses his class thrice together thereby excludes himself; and the preacher that comes next ought to put out his name. I wish you would consider this. Halt not between two. Meet the brethren or leave them. It is not honest to profess yourself of a society, and not observe the rules of it. Be therefore consistent with yourself. Never miss your class till you miss it for good and all. And when you meet it, be merciful [liberal] after your power; give as God enables you. If you are not in pressing want, give something, and you will be no poorer for it. Grudge not, fear not; lend unto the Lord, and He will surely repay. If you earn but three shillings a week, and give a penny out of it, you will never want. But I do not say this to you who have ten or fifteen shillings a week, and give only a penny! To see this has often grieved my spirit. I have been ashamed for you, if you have not been ashamed for yourself. Why, by the same rule that you give a penny, that poor man should give a pepper-corn. Oh, be ashamed before God and man! Be not straitened in your own bowels. Give in proportion to your substance. You can better afford a shilling than he a penny. This is more to him than that to you. Open your eyes, your heart, your hand. If this one rule was observed, throughout England, we should need no other collection. It would soon form a stock sufficient to relieve all that want, and to answer all occasions. Many of these occasions are now exceeding pressing, and we are nowise able to answer them; so that the cause of God suffers, and the children of God, and that without remedy." ^[2]

1 "The Class Leader, His work and How to Do It."

2 Methodist Magazine, 1837, quoted by Tyerman.