Baptist Courier

[For the Baptist Courier.]

CHRISTIAN ENCOURAGEMENT.

"Encourage him."—Deut. 1:38.

Perhaps no truth, connected with the Christian system, is less frequently
brought forward and commented on than that of our dependence one on the other. If it were not a direct law of our being, this dereliction might not seem so strange; but when it unquestionably enters into the very first ebullitions of life, and continues to life's latest moment, the failure to give it the proper prominence is certainly to be regretted, if we use no more emphatic term.

Who that served in the army can ever forget the "elbow touch," the current which
bounded through his frame at the thought
that comrades were on either hand; and
that, supported by hearts which were
beating in sympathy with his, he was
marching to meet the solemn emergency
of battle? And what of this Christian
life we are living? No seasons when our
souls are cast down within us, and when
the sweetest comfort, next to the dear
Lord's own promises, would be some human voice whispering in our ear, "Hope
thou in God?" Let those answer who
have had the richest experience in this
regard—for while in every Christian life
there are vales of "Baca," and hills
"Ulgaz," there are some as conspicuously
fruitful above others as that some mountain peaks rise up in apparently unapproachable distinction. These can best
affirm the power there is in encouragement, "the word spoken in season," and
therefore pre-eminently good on that account; and which, to their dying day, they
will never cease to appreciate. God said
to Moses concerning Joshua, "Encourage
him;" and in connection, also, with the
absolute decision, "He shall cause Israel
to inherit it." What does this teach, if
not that the certainty of his successful
leadership did not preclude the necessity
for the encouragement of the retiring
leader? To all intents and purposes, such
encouragement was a factor in Joshua's
success—just as much as if he could with
him have crossed the Jordan, entered side
by side into every battle fought with the
idolatrous inhabitants; and shoulder to
shoulder wielded his blade with the warrior Judge of Israel. Who can estimate
the stimulating power of Moses' words to
Joshua? the coat of mail which was thus
afforded, and the more than ordinary play
of even a stout and well proportioned
physical development? Granted it is,
that he was the Lord's appointee for this
work, and that in this respect he would
never fail to put the enemies of Israel to
dire confusion—he could not have dispensed with the appointed encouragement.

The same wisdom which placed the responsibilities of leadership upon him annexed the encouragement of Moses, and
in this sense, as a divine command, one
was as important as the other. Of course
we do not say that God cannot cause the
Christian successfully to prosecute his
heavenward course without human encouragement—for the power which makes
laws has the undoubted right to suspend
them: but that is not God's course as revealed in the Bible; and that while he has
placed his people upon the track of a
solemn and momentous existence, he has
made them dependent (under his grace,
of course) on the sympathies and encouragements of those who journey with
them. We hold to it as one of the most
comforting of all the laws which govern
the spiritual existence, and which cannot
be regarded in any less distinctive light,
than that "we live, move, and have our
being."

But, say some, what is the use of encouraging others? Where is the practical
benefit to be attained in this particular?
The most we can do is to cause a pleasant
sensation to pass over a wearied mind, to
be dispelled, perhaps, the next minute
by some of the many rude blasts which
make the sad aggregate of human existence. If we could transport others, by
kind expression, into an atmosphere of
continued joy, well and good: but as this
is impossible, what is the use of our employing energy which, however well intended, falls short of any really valuable
result. But such is not the case. A kind
word was never yet spoken in vain, and
however limited human encouragements
must necessarily be, they have never yet
been so insignificant as to fail to accomplish good. What though our burdens
can never be effectually removed until we
reach the end—they have been, and
will continue to be, wonderfully modified
by Christian encouragement. Just as the
rain in its beneficent mission helps on the
plant to its proper development, so will
the encouraging word help on his road
the Christian traveller—be to him "the
brook in the way," and a sweet breath
from the hills of Canaan.

But, say others, it is not everybody who
can bear encouragement. Take preachers, for instance, and tell us if we do not
run a serious risk in saying a word of
commendation to them. It seems to us
that they ought to be kept humble; and
if their congregations will only keep them
poor, they shall certainly be attended to
in other respects. If they preach a particularly effective discourse, the devil tells
them about it before they leave the pulpit; and it were practically to supplement
Satanic work, to give any evidence of our
appreciation. Let them, in this regard,
as in others, "through much tribulation"
accomplish their work, and "enter into the Kingdom of God." Well, all we have to say about this matter is, that while we do not claim any particular exemption from the infirmities of life for
preachers, it is not true that one, fit to
carry a head on his shoulders, would be
injuriously affected by a word of commendation. Like their fellowmen, "they
are fed by the same food, hurt with the
same weapons, subject to the same diseases, and cured by the same means." If
you prick them, they will bleed; if you
tickle them, they will laugh; and if you
kill them, they will certainly die. (Not
exactly as Shakspeare has it, Mr. Editor,
but near enough for all practical purposes.) Is it strange, then, that being
proper subjects for all other human influences, they should be gratified by what
undoubtedly causes pleasure to others?
Where is either the unreasonableness or
the danger connected with it? and it were
virtually to place them in any other
position than that to which they have
been divinely assigned, to practically affirm that that will do them harm which
only in a beneficial way affects everybody
else. Oh, if there was nothing but this to
keep the minister humble, what a poor
representative would he be of the gracious
Lord! and how hopeless would be his
work for the salvation of others! Nay,
withhold not that which is due when
thou hast it by thee, and if by a sympathizing expression you can help God's servant to work more effectively in his
solemn position, "it will do him good, and
not evil, all the days of his life."

But another objection comes in the
form that all are not constituted to afford
encouragement. That is, beyond a doubt,
true—or, to be more definite, they have
permitted themselves to become so
warped and put out of all proper shape
by a despondent disposition, that it is now
out of their power to impart to others
what they do not possess themselves.
Why, we are constantly meeting people,
and in other respects, good people, who
seem to take so much satisfaction in gloomy contemplations, that you would think
they felt themselves called of God from
all eternity to discourage others. All that
is discouraging in the church or the Sunday school or the community, they talk
about, while the many causes for encouragement they pass over as more "in the
moon" than their own precious fancies.
And as for speaking an encouraging word
to others, they would almost as soon listen
to "the trump of judgment" as make the
effort. It is a very sad reflection that
there are so many of this class of Christians in the world; and if, while they
block up our road and surround us with
their icebergs, we are sometimes tempted
to wish they were safe in heaven, "the
Lord pardon thy servant in this thing."

But the fact is that God's work is greatly impeded by such. The moral condition of multitudes is heart-rending, and the divine requirement in
this moral "Trafalgar" is, that "Heaven
expects every Christian to do his duty."
Christian encouragement is a capital commissary, and on its strength we can make
many a weary march, and do much effective work. God help us all to give it
its proper position in our hearts and minds—to cheer along, if we do not bear the standard: and to be crowned at last as those
whose happy and encouraging Christianity wrought mightily for God, and won
souls to Jesus.

F. JONES.

Beaufort, S. C., June 24, 1879.