The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-02-23
A Rich Church.

NO uOuoI youT Ieduelo WIZ p0 ga" W hSotsr
about it. There is such an cutlery az pre-.
sent over "want of money" hard times"
"failures," that something in the opposite
strain will be pleasant relief. You ought
to have some rich churches in your thriving
city, but venture to say that none of them
can compare with the church which | am
about to speak of. Of the members of this
church it is written that "neither was there
any among them that lacked" You will
find the full account in Acts, 4th chapter.
! Whether money was as scarce then as with
us or not, it is certain they had all they
needed and wanted, and therefore were rich
er than any church l know of among our
selves.
The world, of course, must and will be
poor. We see around us multitude of peo-
pie who spend what they have foolishly, and
then complain of the money pressure. The
other day 1 asked some one from great
metropolis whether there was any sale now
as formerly for silks, jewelry, silver plate,
&c. To my surprise, learned that these
things were considered among the neces-
saries of life And many cry out as if
starving when they cannot buy them! Alas,
wordlings are poor indeed There is not
one of them but lacks many things. We
are not surprised at it.
That church should be poor, however,
is something strange. What, is not the
Master as able as ever to keep His disci-
Piles? Has the terrible state of the national
finances affected His resources? All, we
have only to do as did the members of the
rich church of which have spoken, and we
too shall be rich.
They consecrated everything to the Lord.
This was the secret of their wealth, and of
their happiness And for what are our
troubles designed but TO make US learr-this
same secret? The pressure of poverty will
bring to the surface whatever of distrust
there may be within. The Almighty turns
this dreadful screw tighter and tighter, as if
determined to extract the last drop of self
from US.
There is nothing we are more ignorant of
than the Deficiencies of our consecration.-
And our poverty, our bereavements, our in
firmities, and the unfairness of others, are
intended TO show us these DEFICIENCIES. Such
{ things disturb us only so far as we are not
given up to the Lord And it is His set
purpose to disappoint and bring us to moth
ing, until He succeeds in bringing US to HIM
self.
Let us then seek wealth il higher con-
secration. All that is necessary in order to
such conservation, is the discovery of bound
less and available resources in our Master
AS travellers over the desert empty out and
throw away the water they have brought
with them many weary mile, when they
reach spring. so we will find it easy to for
sake self, when we learn the worth and suf.
fciency of Jesus. But some one may tell
us that he has seen good people in great dis
tress. 1 answer that have seen good peo-
pie who appear never to have learned that
4 they were not their own.
+ Another may be afraid that if he gives up
all, Jesus will not return to him according
to his wants. My dear reader, hare conf
dence in Him who has already done so much
for you. If in your present immaturity,
poverty will make you better, and so hap.
pier than wealth, will it not be an advan-
f tage to have the wealth postponed a little
E while? The Lord did His work all the bet
n ter for not having where to lay His head,
|. ant perhaps He sees that We can do our
|. work all the better for being situated like
q Himself in this respect.
q Have your readers ever heard of pastor
II H. Perhaps his church is the richest
q modern church. Every member of it, they
say, lives wholly for Christ and His cause
:. IF this be so, doubt not but that Hermans.
- burg, where that church is, is the happiest
= and brightest spot on the globe.
The remedy for all trouble then, is the
1t simple resting of the soul upon the truth
d and worth and excellence of Jesus.
,fl Observer & Commonwealth.