INDIVIDUALISM IN CHRISTIAN WORK. 409 "Each one tears, day and night. There was the secret of his power. of you." Preaching was only an introduction to personal, face-to-face, heart-to-heart, dealing with the people. Ah! I am sure that if, without preaching less to men in the mass, we could talk more to individuals face to face, we should reap heavily-laden sheaves where we have now but single half-filled ears! Never was the peril so great as now of forgetting individualism in work. The preacher exhausts himself in his public talk, and finds content in two sermons a week preached to large "audiences," and fails, too often, to create that personal relation betwixt himself and every hearer which is the condition of reaching the maximum of man-building power. The teacher is apt to think that the work is done when the lesson is over; really it is only just commenced, and requires to be followed up by a special care-taking for the amusements, the reading, the business, and the whole life of each member of the class. Public work is so abundant that it fills the whole vision, and blocks up the principal way to human hearts, the road used by God, of personal sympathy and practical help. Moreover, this individualizing of work is extremely difficult. It requires fearless courage, unerring tact, intense reality, great pains, a vigorous and well-fed spiritual life. Men of pretence, "seeking great things for themselves" cannot do it. Men who count their successes and do not weigh them as well, will not do it. Idle men dare not attempt it. In short, we all want to purchase our successes too cheaply. We are afraid of work that costs much, and consequently we miss our reward, and are for ever asking "how we shall reach the masses." It is far easier to preach the Sermon on the Mount than talk to the one woman of Samaria with such vivid and keen desire to lead her to purity and goodness as to forget the urgent craving for food; and it is far easier to do that latter thing than to keep hold of Judas, the betrayer, month after month, and seek to restrain him from his fatuous ways up to the moment when his hand grips the money which is the price of blood. Less spiritual life is required to harangue a multitude from the steps of the Tower of Antonia, than to win the soul of that corrupted slave, Onesimus, for Christ. Divine as the work of preaching to the people undoubtedly is, it fails of its supreme purpose if it is not followed by individualism in Christian work. Nor should we think that "talk" is the only weapon we have to use. It is not a proof of great courage or wisdom to ask the hackneyed questions, "Is your soul safe?" "Are you on the Lord's side?" A man may be an adept at that, and yet be an offence to his brothers and sisters, because he lacks all sympathy with the home worries and home cares, and will not bear his full part in the struggle of daily life. "Open-air preaching" is easier than unselfish watching by the bedside of the sick. Making sermons is more pleasant than putting a business into the hands of orphaned brothers and sisters. "Talk" about Christ is facile work compared with a little hard toil for the real welfare of a shopmate; and yet the best preaching is hollow as a big drum, and offensive as death, if these fruits of that love which suffereth long and is kind, which is not easily provoked, which beareth all things and hopeth all things, are not present in rich abundance. I sometimes fear that some Christians regard the church as having no other weapon than that of the tongue with which to conquer her enemies. A few grains of personal, practical, brother-helping love, are worth tons of the most elegant and sanctified "talk." his Still we must "talk" for Christ, and of Christ; and do it naturally, and without any airs of superior goodness; earnestly, and yet with a vivid appreciation of the different ways by which Christ leads us to the Father; we must speak of the things we have proved. But remember, thought is necessary as well as love. Do not some of us mis-read the "simplicity of the gospel," and treat it as though it were an excuse for painstaking in applying it to the special needs with which we have to deal? God has made souls free-has made men, not machines all after one pattern-individuals, not duplicates. No two of us are alike. And though we have all sinned, yet each has gone own way, and we must go after each along "his" way to bring him back again to the Bishop of souls. In preaching, the physician, at best, only gives general directions, applicable to the broad facts of all cases; in individual work, the prescription is drawn up for the special exigencies of the case. Any one may say, "Repent ye," "Believe the gospel;" but a man must think much and long if he is resolved, by God's help, to lead this particular person into the way of peace. He must know his case;" and study the gospel in its special relations thereto. Doctors, no doubt, do much good by treatises on the principles of medicine, but all actual cures are traceable to personal and individual attention. This is the way to usefulness. I find in my notes of a recent Sunday evening, "Five persons out of eleven who have spoken with me to night distinctly state that they owe their consecration to Christ to the wise words and unwearied attention of one friend. Two young men report that they were appealed to by another young man, and conducted by him to Christ and His salvation." Speaking with a church officer on this theme he said that he and many more owed their position in the world and the church to the personal influence of the teacher of a Bible class in one of our midland churches. I believe, from a long extended observation, that the link between Christ and souls is always formed by personal action. It is Andrew who brings Peter to Christ. Speaking of the visit of Messrs. Moody and Sankey, one who took a chief part in their meetings says: "It has been a problem which has long exercised my own mind, why there should be so much really faithful and scriptural preaching amongst us, and so little apparent result in the way of known conversions. I am sure the reason is, or at least one chief reason is, that we do not take our people one by one while the gospel message is still ringing in their ears, while their hearts are softened, and their consciences tender, and 'persuade' them to accept Christ. If this were generally done, I am satisfied we should see beneficial results. As it is, our congregations hear faithful sermons, are impressed, go away; then the 'cares of the world, or the deceitfulness of riches,' take possession of their hearts for the ensuing week; they go to church the following Sunday, are again impressed, again to be chilled by contact with the world. So they go on from month to month, it might be from year to year, and yet there is no decision for Christ. Let us not continue to make this fatal mistake." INDIVIDUALISM IN CHRISTIAN WORK. 411 Referring to the related subject of bringing Christians into the fellowship of the church, a friend who has had signal success in this direction says:— "We had several people in the congregation who had been regular and attentive hearers for many years, some as many as thirty. I believed they were Christians, and determined to watch for an opportunity of speaking to them on the subject of baptism and joining the church. About the same time I heard incidentally that one of them would like to commune with us. I saw them privately, one by one, and quietly and earnestly talked with three or four. I found one had been thinking of the subject, and wishing for an opportunity of joining the church thirty years; but had never before been suitably spoken to about or urged to it. Two others, husband and wife, I found equally ready. They had been members of the congregation over thirty years, and often before had wished to join the church, but had been hindered by one or other thing. Recently, however, events which happened in the family, together with my appeal and the decision of the gentleman referred to above, who was a personal friend, fully decided them to unite with us. The fourth was a middle-aged, intelligent man, who has worshipped with us six or seven years, and though long impressed, he was not induced to join the church till after a personal appeal. These four were baptized and joined the church together. I scarcely expected to succeed with all. For one had said more than once he should never be baptized. But little by little, and far more speedily than I anticipated, he consented to join his wife, and I had the joy of receiving them together into the fellowship of the church. "There are two or three more to whom I have spoken in the same way, though not yet with the same success. Still I am hopeful of them. The only witchery I have used, you will see, is that of holding people by the button while I speak a kindly and earnest word. Of course I followed or preceded this with a sermon bearing upon the subject of the privilege and duty of baptism and church fellowship. "The thing that has astonished me most has been the discovery that these people have scarcely ever been personally and pointedly spoken to about the subject before. And this leads me to fear that there are many standing upon the threshold of the church, who do not enter because they are not cordially invited by the ministers and members individually to do so. I speak with diffidence on this point, for I have had little opportunity of testing the condition of other churches than my own in this particular. I think, however, that if we could get the members of our churches, to feel and manifest a greater interest in their fellow worshippers, and judiciously invite them to unite with the church, we should see a long way into the practical solution of the problem respecting the unattached Christians in our congregations." Let each one of us begin to-day this individualism in work. Find out Onesimus, and do not leave him till you get him back again to his master. Accost "the woman of Samaria" so wisely that she may become a witness for Christ, the Saviour of the world. Look into the sycamore tree for Zaccheus, waiting in hunger for the bread of sympathy, and struggling in secret for the joys of salvation. Turn round and surprise, with a welcome, the anxious soul pressing forward to touch the hem of the garment of your Christian influence. Look within the circle of your own home for a child, a servant, a friend, who needs the truth of Christ, the truth you know. Yes: begin at once. And begin wisely. Mar not your work by undue haste. Win respect for your own character and sincerity and unselfishness first, and then for your message. Lay a good foundation in common sympathies, in brotherly help. "Shut thy door" and talk to thy Father in secret, and then come and talk to thy friend, and keep on working and praying and talking and helping till you see, as assuredly you shall, the "beauty of the Lord" gracing your work, and filling you with unutterable joy. INDIVIDUALIZE YOUR CHRISTIAN WORK! JOHN CLIFFORD. The Conditions of Real Christian Service.* 2 CORINTHIANS iv. 1, 2. PAUL the Apostle spake as a man to men. On the one hand, he had no apology to offer, for his theme was the highest-Christ Jesus the Lord; and on the other, he despaired not of the world, for he saw in it that for which the gospel was designed. Having discerned the Divine majesty in that "ministration of the Spirit" which had been committed to him, he proceeded upon the liberty found in the presence of the Spirit, to a fuller knowledge of, and larger share in, the glory of the the Lord, by which his appeal to men came with power. For that power he owed nothing to priestly assumption. He was so intensely human in his sympathies-as he was spiritual in his aims-that the precept of his Lord commended itself alike to his judgment and conscience. "One is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren." Regarding this passage in the light of the apostle's life, we notice : I. HIS CONSECRATION.-He sought after the truest manhood. He desired to attain the stature of a 66 perfect man in Christ Jesus." Though after the straitest sect of his religion he had lived a Pharisee, there were things in his life and character of which he might well be ashamed. These "hidden things of shame" he now for ever renounced. Henceforth his boast should be, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." Nay, more, though I suffer for that gospel, "nevertheless I am not ashamed." (1.) His motive was pure. He was amongst the very first to "examine himself." One of the first lessons he learnt in Christ's school was mistrust of self. Through this he was led to weigh every motive and adjust every principle, lest after having preached to others, he himself should be disapproved. He did not walk in craftiness, i.e., he did not live in double-dealing, or, more properly, in many dealings. There was no trickery about him. His motive was such as to forbid his resorting to mere expedient. He who could become “all things to all men," with a view to their salvation, who could even ensnare these same Corinthians in an act of liberality to further their * A Sermon preached at Praed Street Chapel, on Sunday, Sept. 30th, on the occasion of the commencement of Mr. W. J. AVERY's work as assistant pastor. REAL CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 413 spiritual interests, and say, "Beginning to be crafty, I caught you with guile," never made it the habit of his life to dissemble; nor was it in his renewed nature to be other than straightforward as his gospel, unbending as the right, and unflinching as truth. But his consecration is even more evident as we notice further the (2.) Honesty of his method. God's Word was his sword. In the conflict with evil he had many a hard struggle; but he never shrank from a bold denunciation of all sin. He let the truth speak for itself. It was not made to appear different from what it really was, so that men might be the less offended. "Not using the Word of God as a bait." Paul didn't dogmatise first, and then force Scripture to support his view. He hesitated to turn the weapon of his warfare so as to serve a selfish ambition, and determined to stain the sword he wielded in no other way than by fighting the enemies of his King. II. HIS COURAGE.-The difficulties with which the apostle had to contend were not alone such as sprang, on the one hand, from human opposition, and, on the other, from his own unrighteousness. There was also that he had in view when he wrote, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." He felt that his very gifts of mind and heart were a possible source of weakness. He trembled lest they might be abused or misapplied. Like some traveller on a mountain ledge, there was not only danger of his falling over the precipice, but also of destruction through the rocks of pride and vainglory, rising above him on the other side. But he was courageous for all that, and his courage was (1.) Grounded in experience. He had "received mercy." Paul was, as every Christian should be, the greatest wonder in the world to himself. He proceeded to argue "If I, the chief of sinners, have been saved, why not every man ? If the mission of Christ to me was so thoroughly successful, why should not His mission through me to the world also be successful? As I have received mercy, I cannot be fainthearted." Just as truly we may say his courage was (2.) Sustained by hope. This ministry to which the apostle refers was "the ministration of the Spirit," as contrasted with "the ministration of condemnation." If the glory of the latter was "so great that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses," how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious? That is done away, this remains, and "we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord." Paul had faith in his work, and as he remembered all through his career-no matter how sore the pressure put upon him— what this ministry really was, he could rejoice in hope of the ultimate triumph of righteousness over unrighteousness, and be courageous throughout. III. HIS INFLUENCE.-(1.) It was strictly personal. There was no mock modesty in the apostle. He never excused his own shortcoming to men, by whining out that he was "nothing in the presence of Christ," or that "he should be lost sight of behind the cross." He knew enough of human nature to have discovered, as you and I should have discovered by this time, that the world sees first only the man. If he recommends himself to the consciences of men, then it will be |