The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-01-08

any other department of ministerial duty.
The last particular is the promise an
nexed to this command, "And 10, am
with you always, even unto the end of the
world. This promise is evidently con-
ditioned on our obedience to the precepts,
"Go We and teach all nations And
dare we now retire from the work of For
eign Missions? What would this be, but
saying to our adorable Redeemer, eve
can dispense with thy favorable pres
ence?" Moreover, the promise, being
connected with the command, necessarily
implies threatening in case of disobedi-
ence. When our Saviour says, $50 and
teach all nations, and 10, am with you, :"
he virtually says, eff you do not go and
teach all nations, l viii not be with you"
Now. bearing this in mind. to what con
clusion must we come, when we consider,
on the one hand, how little we are doing
for the propagation of the Gospel among
the nations, and on the other, how small
is the success which attends the preaching
of the Gospelin our own country? o, Mod
orator, is there not reason to think that
we are at this moment laboring under the
frown-I had almost said, laboring under
the curse-of the Great Head of the
Church for our remissness in the work of
Foreign Missions? One thing is certain,
if we either revere His authority, or de-
sire His blessing, We must apply ourselves
with fresh zeal to this sacred enterprise.
Tell me not about the want of funds.
The real obstacle lies, not in the want of
funds, but in the want of heart in the
work. 1t is far too common to assume
in practice, that convenience is the mea-
sure of duty; and just here is the root
of the whole difficulty about funds
Many professor of religion satisfies his
conscience with the plea that he gives
for religious purposes as much as he can
Conveniently afford-that is, as much as
he can give without feeling it-as much
as he can give without making himself
sensibly the poorer, and without any
thing worthy of the name of self denial.
Of what, on this principle, be finds it
Convenient to give, much more than half
is expended in the particular congrega-
tion of which he is a member; the re-
mainder he divides in about equal pro-
portions between several benevolent en-
terprises-for example, Publication, Edu-
cation, Sustentation, and Foreign Mis-
sions. That is, of all that he thinks it
-eonvenient to giyf.~morsu u,hass-nsllff nslff IS de-
voted to tl,,.-cii-st benefit of himself, his !
family, and near q rteighbors, and about one
fourth of the remainder to the eternal
salvation of about ee-fourths of our
worlds population. Now, if this system
is to prevail, how long will it be before
the Gospel is preached to every crea-
ture?
Moderator, in determining what We are
to do in matter like this, the consider
alton of convenience is entitled to no
weight whatever Millions of our fell
low-sinners are perishing for lack of
knowledge-passing on, with the rapidi-
ty of time, to the horrors of an undone
eternity. Shall we talk about convent
ence, when the question is, what shall we
do for their rescue? Think of the deep
humiliation of the Son of God, of his
untold agonies, of his ignominious death,
of the death from which he has ransomed
us, of the glory and blessedness he has
purchased for us-and now the question
is, How far shall We exert ourselves to
do his will-to advance the honor of his
name-to spread the knowledge of his
salvation? Is it enough to do as much
as we can do without putting ourselves to
any inconvenience?
Besides, there are no limits to this
plea of convenience. Its demands are
Unsuitable. They grow by indulgence.
First, it is found inconvenient to enlarge
our operations; next, it will be found In
convenient to maintain them in their pre-
sent condition; they must be reduced;
next, the foreign field must be abandoned
altogether-we have enough to do at
home; next, we shall be told that our
people have sufficient calls for the exer-
else of their Christian hberalty, each
within the bOuEds of his own congrega-
ton; and at no great distance of time,
they will find themselves so poor as to
have nothing to give for any religious
purpose whatever. This is the natural
result, because covetOusness is never
cured by indulgence, and so long as we
give at all, cOvetousness will always say
that we give more than is convenient.
Convenience, then, is not the standard
of duty. But what is the standad?-
To determine this point, permit me to
quote some texts of Scripture: "Ye are
not your own; for ye are bought with
price; therefore glorify God in your
body, and in your spirit, which are
Gods" whether, therefore, ye eat,
or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to