The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-01-12

some for conversion, some for edifcation.-
The same preacher may be blessed sometime
in reaching one of these results, and some
times in another. If the useful pastor shoulc
become an evangelist he would do as tn
evangelist does, select certain of his ser
mons, which have been used by the Spirit tt
awaken, and preach them at every plac,
which he might visit At home he mus
pursue different course. He is bound Il
do what in him lies to promote the growth il
grace of Christians. Sanctifcatiop, in its
place, is as important as regeneration; and
regeneration is unto sanctiGcation. Without
sanctifcation the Church is powerlesa to con.
vert. 1t may be added that in many cases
the gifts of the evangelists are exclusive. He
would never succeed as pastor. If it pleases
God to send him to his brethren in the pas.
toral work, to do FOR them that part of the
work for which they are not so well gifted,
while he is as little gifted for the other parts,
the evangelist should not be pulled up, nor
the pastor discouraged. 1t becomes neither
to be careful as to the credit among men Of
the fruits that may be gathered. He that
soweth and he that reapeth should rejoice
together. If there be any jealousy let us
study l Cor. xii, eff the whole body were
an eye, where were the hearing, if the whole
body were hearing, where were the smell.
ing?" "But now hath God set the mem
bers every one of them in the body, as it
hath pleased Him" Sand the eye cannot
say to the hand have no need of thee; nor
again, the head to the feet, l have no need
of thee"
Take an extreme case of what is consid
cred pastoral inefficiency in the conversion
of souls. We mourn over field, perhaps,
where learned man, and a good preacher
who never awakens anybody, has seemed SO
long to labor in vain. But how often it comes
to pass, that congregation under such
training for long time, at length under
the labors of an evangelist, or jealous
young pastor, following the old man after he
has been laid aside, yields rich and delightful
fruits, in which you can plainly trace the
impress Of him under whose ministry there
we're so few additions. The old stock is
found somehow to possess remarkable vi
tality, and the young branches that, under
a different hand, put forth fresh and vigor-
GUS limbs, are at last discovered to have been
quietly, in the long dreary years, acquiring
remarkable preparatory growth, under
those dry, but solid theological dissertations.
Who can trace the secret ways of influence,
or follow the subtle path by which truth, in
the progress of time, leads the human mind
to state of salvationg Wao then cap Judge
of the part which another may bear in pro-
noting the blessed end? None but He to
whom all things are naked and open, and
who shall say to all, who have done what
they could, "well done thou good and faith
full servant"
In closing this article as an illustration of
the views here presented, we quote the fol-
lowing remarks, which were offered hv DR..
David Brown, of Aberdeen, at conference
on the state of religion, held by the last Free
Church General Assembly Of Scotland, in
which "reports from all parts of the country
testified, with remarkable unanimity, to the
prevalence of a widespread work of grace" 4"
&C., due, in a manner at least, to the labors
Of the American EVangelists. Referring to
the remarks of previous speaker, DR.. Brown
said:
GAS to the suggestions of Mr.. Howie, he
had jealousy in regard to that subject; and
he would indicate his meaning by narrating
conversation he had with DR.. Duncan,
when he was going to prayer meeting with
him, near Ballater. There was vacancy in
one of the Established churches, and they
were exceedingly anxious that it should be
filed with the same spirit as the man who
had preceded him, who wrought with them
in evangelistc work There were two men
spoken of, and DR.. Duncan was asked if he
knew them, and he said be did-that one Of
them was a reviyalist. "We revivalists," he
said, care like sky rocket-God gives us
two or three truths-they are the biggest
truths, but they are only two or three, and
we turn them round about like kaleido
scope, and they are full of beauty. There
is very little in US revivaists; but God brings
hundreds to hear US, and the hot, burning
words hiss like sky rocket, and much GOOD
is done; but set any reVivalist down in one
place, and leave him there three months, and
he will run out in very short time; the
other man is thoroughly spiritual man, anC
also thorough pastor, and he will build uI
his people" Tne application Of that wa
just this. He believed that evangelisti'
work was absolutely different from pastora
work, but that both were necessary, and j
was the part of ministers to bind them to
gether 80 as not to make the one oyerpowe
the other. Pastors were apt not to be sutfi
GENTLY alive to the Importance of laborinl
to save souls at the present time; and evan
geists were obliged to leave to others tn
1pbuilding work. He believed that the tru
remedy for the fliculty was not to devot
the afternoon of the Sabbath to evangelist
work, but to make their preaching more sim
pie and expository, and thus build up tn
people in Bible knowledge; but he wiahe'
that they might not be carried away to-
much from pastoral work by evangelist
work"
7 BLESSINGS long desired are sweeter whel
: they come; if soon given they lose much Q
their value. God reserves for thee tina
q uh;ch He 10 slow to give thea that vou ma