The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-09-23
Ministering to Others.

for August, presents some interesting
thoughts on the words in the miracle of
the Loaves-" He gave the loaves to the
disciples and the disciples to the multi
tude." He speaks of this necessity of
exercising that Office of priesthood" in
dispensing to others, to which all Chris
tians are called. The extract we give
below:
'And here again we have only an illus
tration on small scale of the blessed
results, which on scale of infinite
grandeur accrue to the Church herself
from her mediatorial labours.
Whenever she passes to the multitude
gift of Christ, she catches some OF
Christ's own spirit. In the exact pro-
portion of her generous labours does she
find the grace of heaven enter her, and
transform her nature to the likeness of
her Lord.
Perhaps it is not too much to say, that
of all the holy powers and engagements
through which the Holy Spirit works our
sanctity, there is none through which He
operates so largely and successfully as
the simple discharge of our mediatorlal
work. Through truth, He transforms
the soul. Like the light of day which
beauties all on which it falls, and gives
their hues to leaves of flowers, and plumes
of birds, and sky, and rock, and sea SO
the light of truth falling on a quick
ened heart, produces every hue of the
beauty of holiness. And hope purifes
the soul as Christ is pure. And adora
tion catches some of the light of the glory
on which it gazes. And when gratitude
rises on the wings of praise, though we
have been among the pots, our wings
are tipped with silver, and our feathers
with yellow gold. And prayer glorifes
the soul, for it is true of every Christian
as of Christ, that "as he prayeth, the
fashion of his countenance doth alter"
But perhaps none of these blessed in
Aqences and engagements are so power
full in the Spirits hand, to transform the
soul, and beget within it God-like
graces, as simply working together"
with Christ, and giving to the multitude
what He has given to US.
We cannot try to impart the slightest.
gift of God, without somewhat of the
divine love which bestows it entering our
heart 1t is thO great reward Of Christ
like labour, that it begets Christ-like
love. 1t is blessed to receive Gods gifts;
but cit is more blessed" even here, "to
give than to receive" For giving such
gifts is an axe striking at the root of all
the selfshness of our nature; is an exer-
else which requires and therefore begets
all heavenly graces. If it is the fruit of
human charity, it is the root of charity
like that of Gods. No Christian ever
yet, like Christ, "went about doing good"
without, like Christ, soon finding himself
"anointed to heal the broken-hearted,
and to set at liberty the bruised, and to
preach the acceptable year of the Lord. :"
And no Christian ever yet refused to
pass to others the gifts he had himself
received, without his soul sickening, his
power becoming feeble, his joy vanishing
away.
Do we sufficiently ponder this necessity
for priestly labour2 In endeavouring to
account for the low state Of piety through
out all the churches, do we give sufficient
prominence to this-that SO very few
Christians are fulfilling their priestly
functions? Is it only because preaching
is poor, and services unattractive, that
our churches are so poorly filled and our
worship SO poorly enjoyed? Or are We
at liberty to say it is because Gods grace
is withheld, that the tone of religious
life is so feeble; the piety of youth SO
void of enthusiasm, the devotion of man
hood so void of earnestness, and the faith
of age so deficient in serenity and hope?
Is it because the "river of God j" no
longer "full of water?" Is it because
his arm is shortened that He cannot
save? Or is there some degeneracy in the
race, which battles even grace itself in its
endeavour to make us thorough Chris
tians? To all these questions, We must
answer, No. The reason of our relig-
ious feebleness lies nearer home, and is
within our own control. 1t is not be-
cause the Gospel decayeth and waxeth
old; it is not because Gods grace is
withheld. But we are feeble because we
"stand all the day idle as if no man had
hired u.s." because the lips are closed
which should spread abroad the Saviour's
fame, and the hands are folded which
should SOW the seed of his kingdom. We
are forgetting that God resumes every
talent which we fold in a napkin of false
modesty. We are forgetting that He
who keepeth his light, as well as life,
shall lose it; but that He who giyeth it
shall keep it unto light eternal. We are
forgetting that man liveth not even by
the bread of life alone, but that our