The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-18


The want of means for the work of the
church is sore evil; but the damage to the
spiritual life of Gods people, and the un-
checked dominion of covetousness resulting
from the neglect of this means of grace, is a
more alarming evil The one is deficiency
in one branch of fruit, the other is gnaW-
ing worm at the root of the tree. The last
Assembly, in the report on Evangelistic La
Dor, says, "The great and crying need just
now is money" If you should go into
large orchard and find it unpruned and
choked with briars, one fourth of the trees
not having produced peck of fruit in a
score of years, and should hear the owners
say, "The great and crying need just now
is apples, you would be very apt to retort
upon him, "The great and crying need just
now is that you should prune and cultivate
your trees" The Assembly, to have been
consistent with its utterances in the paper
We are now discussing, should have said'
&c The great and crying need just now is
piety"-The grace of giring,-that "to their
power and beyond their power Christians
might be willing of themselves. Make
the tree good and the fruit will be good.
Ecclesiastical machinery, like the agricultu-
raj " Reaper" is useful in its place. But
when the grace of giving is in the heart, the
simplest machinery will be sufficient to gather
the fruits; and if the "grace" is wanting,
systematic plans for collections however rig
idly enforced, will not bring the fruits
1t is an old and homely maxim, " You may
lead the horse to the trough, but you can
make him eat" If the horse does not eat
it is evidence that he is diseased. The man
would be counted both foolish and cruel who
would attempt to make the horse eat by re
peatedly leading him to the trough, and oc
casionally administering fogging, while III
neglected to use appropriate means to restore
mis- appetite Equally foolish and futile Ii
the attempt to induce a people to give wh'
have no heart for it, by ecclesiastical rule
and castigations, while the appropriate
means are neglected to restore healthy ap
petite. A healthy horse will not only eat
but he will go to the trough himself. So
healthy Christian, according to Paul, is ''wil
ling of himself, praying US with much en-
treaty that we would receive the gift an
take upon us the fellowship of ministerinj
to the saints" Better, therefore, at the out
set of this discussion that ministers leave gu
of view the wants of the church, and tur
the minds of their people in upon themselves
and endeavor by patient teaching and earn
est expostulation, under the blessing of Goo
TO arouse their consciences to sense OF thel
sin in robbiug God and their own souls
neglectiug this duty. Christians will neVe
: oct their be clouded vision clear as to the
personal concern in this duty, till they ar
brought to contemplate this point alone, an
aside from the needs of money. They hav
: been accustomed to look at this subject froi
one standpoint where they have failed to Sc
its most important aspect. They must b
: placed in another position, where they wi
get distinct view of the other side, fire
from their former warped impressions, an
disarmed of their accustomed excuses.
Take another example of defective Bib
instruction. In the able sermon of DR.. Gin
ardeau at the opening of the last Assembly
he says, "The public worship of the church
in a wide sense, includes the reading of tn
scriptures, preaching, prayer, the singing
praise, the administration of the sacramento
contribution of our substance to the serVic
of God, and the pronunciation of the benz
diction. In stricter sense its elements ar
PRAYER and singing" The DR.. at som
length and with much ability discusses an
enforces these two acts of worship, as en-
bracing its intrinsic elements. Now VIVA
authority has DR.. Girardeau for saying, L
t stricter sense the elements of worship ar
prayer and singing" ignoring " contribute
of our substance to the service of God,
when the scriptures as positively enjoln tn
} act of worship as they do prayer and praise
"Honor (worship) the Lord with thy sui
| stance" "None shall appear before m
empty" And besides, offerings constitute
the essential act of divine worship for Ger
turtles before either prayer or praise is mer
toned. These were doubtless not wantin
as necessary accompaniments, but the Offer
iag as a nucleus, appears so essential tina
when withheld, it leaves prayer aud prais
as heartless forms. What is the prayer
Thy kingdom come, worth, from tn
/ mouth of him who contributes nothing
" the meat in Gods house?" What mock
cry to sing
I" We're the whole relm OF nature mine,
That were a present far too small; i
when the wor8hipper is habitually rot
Ding God !" Is not DIR. Girardeau OF
noxioul to the charge of putting a8unde
what God hath joined together" His SO
emn admonition upon this very point ma
be appropriately turned upon himself
''Verily, it becomes the teachers of religion
as they would not be found at last to hav
spent their strength for naught, not only
Law Alright the doctrinal foundation, but
attend to the sort of superstructure whic
5 tt ey rear upon it. The standard of buil(
ine is in their hands-the judgment whic