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I. In the first place, your duty is, to be engaged "in well-doing;" that is to say, in doing well, in doing good, in doing that which is just and approved in the sight of God. But this is not the meaning of the word in the common and popular sense of it. If you say a man is doing well, you mean to say that a man is increasing in his wealth, his influence, or his connections. Brethren, it is true with regard to the world, "so long as thou doest well to thyself, men will speak good of thee;" it is true with regard to God, so long as you do well in His sight, shall you have His sanction and His smile.

1. In the first place, it refers individually to ourselves — doing well, or doing good, with regard to ourselves. Now mark, brethren, what the text says, — "Let us not be weary in well-doing." Then the assumption is, that we have begun "well-doing," because he who has not begun to do well, can never be said to be in any risk or danger of being weary in it.

2. Having, then, assumed this, that we have learned to care for our own souls, and to regard our own immortal interests, the next point to be considered is, that we are bound to engage in "well-doing" for our fellow-creatures; for it is especially to this that the text refers.

(1) And in the first place, we are bound to regard the bodies of our fellow-creatures. The human body is, as well as the soul, the purchase of the blood of Christ. The human body, therefore, must be regarded. It is the casket which contains the most precious of all jewels.

(2) But we must not exclude man as a responsible and immortal being. To be engaged in doing good is to sympathize with the feelings, and to imitate the conduct of all God's saints on earth. Listen to what Job says: "When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.

II. The second thing to regard is, the manner in which this duty is to be performed; that is to say, unweariedly: "Let us not be weary in well-doing." There is good and solid reason why we should be so admonished. We often feel our unfitness and our unworthiness to be employed in doing good. We are too ready to suppose that our exertions for the present and future benefit of our fellow-creatures are utterly without success, because we do not see the success. Zeal is sometimes without knowledge, and zeal is often without patience; we look for the oak, without giving the acorn time to germinate; we desire to gather the cool and delicious fruit, forgetful of the preliminary processes of vegetation. We are too ready to be "weary in well-doing," because we observe the apathy, the obstinacy, the carelessness, the ingratitude of those whom we seek to benefit.

III. In the third place, the text furnishes us with most encouraging motives for perseverence: "In due season we shall reap, if we faint not." We know from experience, that perseverance, either with respect to earthly or heavenly things, is scarcely ever without success. Patience, industry, and perseverance: are the three great elements of success in life. We find Jacob wrestling with the wondrous angel of God's covenant through the entire night, and prevailing not till the morning began to break. We find St. Paul praying thrice that the thorn in the flesh might be extracted, before he received that answer which caused his soul to thrill with holy joy. We find Daniel, in the reign of Cyrus, saying — "In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks; I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled." At length his faith, his patience, and his submission received their rich reward: "behold, a certain man clothed in linen" appeared to him and said. — "Fear not, Daniel; for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard." Again: unwearied continuance in "well-doing" has the distinct promise of success.

(G. Weight, M. A.)

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KJV: And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

WEB: Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don't give up.