The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-10-04

minister, with prudent economy, to live
in plain comfort to maintain without
embarrassment the rites of scriptural
hospitality; to educate his children, al d
even, to lay by something as provision
for times of sickness and disability. SO
far as Is known, too, these pastorates are
generally happy and profitable, but they
are the exceptions, for the ordinary con-
dltion of things amongst us is far differ
ent. 1t is an open secret that one of the
great barriers to the progress of religion
in many of our nominally self.support-
ing charges, is that their members are so
frequently handicapped with secular care
and anxiety. They deeply lament it and
are seriously wounded by it, but are. so
harrassed about their means of support,
and necessarily spend so much time in
petty economies and domestic drudgerv,
that they are hindered from giving their
strength to study or pastoral work, and
so do the best they can, feeling that they
are ever coming short of the usefulness
they ought to reach, and perpetually anx-
ious to remove to field in which they
may be relieved from these distractions.
Some of our noblest young men, who,
while in preparation for the ministry,
give evidence of. the possession of pow
ers which fit them for large service, when
they enter upon the active work are en-
compassed with such difficulties, that
their energies become impaired and they
utterly fail to meet the Just expectations
which were entertained of them. The
pastor of a large and important church,
noble brother in every respect, lately
fold Tho L -
insufficient that although he had lived
with the greatest ECONOMY, after years
of effort, he had not been able to save
money enough to enable him to purchase
Hodges Theology His church could
well afford to increase his salary, but
thoughtlessly and ruinously to him and
themselves, let him work year after year,
with bowed head, doing the best he could
IN enforced poverty and consciously fail
ing IN the measure of usefulness of which
he was capable. Nor is this SINCLAIR
case. On the contrary, it is not unfre-
quently the experience of our ministers.
For the want of an addition of few hun
dred dollars to their support (while in
many cases their people are abundantly
able to give it) many of them, who, by
natural endowment and special training,
are TIT to do great work for Christ are
SO discouraged and pauperized that they
will never be able to rise to the position of
usefulness after which they once aspired.
They have been sacrificed to the bad
economy of a niggardly support, and the
Church and the cause of Christ and pre-
cious, immortal souls, are the losers there
by.
How is it in Our Mission Fields
If the case is so bad in many self-sus-
teUU' rmaOllv WIN Ne Worse with our breth-
rem who labor in the really poor congre-
cations and in mission fields, and this
expectation will not be disappointed
Here, there is often real hardship and
sometimes total collapse. Let us take
some cases, the facts of which are known.
Case No. 1.-Two counties in the State
of - are occupied by an excellent
young brother, who is admirably adapted
to the work, and who has to undergo
much exposure and fatigue, and to en-
dure protracted absences from his family
in covering the ground allotted to him.
His labors are unceasing and acceptable,
but for the want of hundred or two
dollars more of support, he is often re-
duced to very great straits, and is much
worn and discouraged.
Case No. 2-The county of G - in
the State of -, was two years ago oc-
cupied by an active young minister, who
fully met the wants Of the field and was
doing first rate work for the cause of
Presbyterianism and Christianity. The
church was growing under his ministry,
Christians were edited and sinners were
brought to knowledge of the truth 1t
was hoped that his pastorate would be
permanent and that ere long another la
borer might be introduced to divide his
work. But for the want of enough to
live on, Just in the midst of his useful
ness, he found it necessary to seek an
other place, and now the county of G.. is
without minister, and the work is going
back
Case No. 3-The county of F - in
the State of -, was occupied for seve-
raj years by one of our ablest, most IN
firing, and devoted brethren: under his
ministry there was a most gratifying
moral and spiritual reformation wrought
the Presbyterian Church was largely in
creased, and the ordinances of worship
were maintained at many points. His
labors were among poor but excellent
people, so that while the church grew
much numerically it strengthened little
n