III. Lastly-The Wings for Service.

'With twain he did fly.' That is the emblem of joyous, buoyant,
unhindered motion. It is strongly, sadly contrary to the toilsome
limitations of us heavy creatures who have no wings, but can at best run
on His service, and often find it hard to 'walk with patience in the way
that is set before us.' But--service with wings, or service with lame
feet, it matters not. Whosoever, beholding God, has found need to hide
his face from that Light even whilst he comes into the Light, and to
veil his feet from the all-seeing Eye, will also feel impulses to go
forth in His service. For the perfection of worship is neither the
consciousness of my own insufficiency, nor the humble recognition of His
glory, nor the great voice of praise that thrilled from those immortal
lips, but it is the doing of His will in daily life. Some people say the
service of man is the service of God. Yes, when it is service of man,
done for God's sake, it is so, and only then. The old motto, 'Work is
worship,' may preach a great truth or a most dangerous error. But there
is no possibility of error or danger in maintaining this: that the
climax and crown of all worship, whether for us footsore servants upon
earth, or for these winged attendants on the throne of the King in the
heavens, is activity in obedience. And that is what is set before us
here.

Now, dear brethren, we, as Christians, have a far higher motive for
service than the seraphs had. We have been redeemed, and the spirit of
the old Psalm should animate all our obedience: 'O Lord, truly I am Thy
servant.' Why? The next clause tells us: 'Thou hast loosed my bonds.'
The seraphs could not say that, and therefore our obedience, our
activity in doing the will of the Father in heaven, should be more
buoyant, more joyful, more swift, more unrestricted than even theirs.