New England Religious Herald

every good work,"

Do Christians remember that they are, as a matter of fact, a necessity—always ready unto some kind of work, good or evil? God has a great work, to be done in this world. Satan is doing a great work, in this world. God's work is ever ready, and at the door of every Christian, continually. Satan's work is all ready, and inviting. And Christians are at every hour, in actual readiness for employment, in one field or the other. Christians too, are the most desirable, and effective laborers, in either field. God prefers one faithful believer, in his service, to scores of impenitent worldlings. And Satan can do more mischief, with one conspiring saint, than with several atheists or infidels. Both God and Satan, therefore, are ever on the lookout, for Christians, to employ them, each in his respective work. But, as we said, every Christian, is at every wakeful hour, ready for employment, in one field or the other. Look at David, on his housetop, viewing the wife of Uriah. He is ready for employment, in the Devil's work. And that watchful Author of Mischief and Sin, is not long, in finding out the man whose cooperation can, then and there, do more evil, in the City of David, than that of any other man. The king of Israel, in a state of heart ready unto some evil work, is at once enlisted, and employed in a deed, which, leading in its train other enormous and public crimes, at length fills the City—with surprise and grief, or with exultation and blasphemy. So much, for being ready unto some evil work. The Devil knows the value of such a Christian, and is sure not to overlook him. He has been too long engaged in mischief; and too often defeated in his plans: to be heedless of such advantages as these. When David was just there, on that housetop, and in just that state of heart, it was with Satan, the time of times. By a single blow, struck there and struck with skill,—more evil could be done, in a day than ordinarily at other times, in months. Alas for the Christian! alas, for the cause which the Christian loves! when a saint becomes ready to any evil work. What an emphasis, does this one view give, to that text which Paul sent to Titus—“Put them in mind to be ready unto every good work.”

But there is another housetop, pointed out in the Scripture narrative. We find it in Acts 10. Peter has retired thither to commune with God, and thus bring his heart ready unto every good work. But God has thoughts of mercy, and salvation, to the house of the Roman Cornelius. A great and good work is now to be done in the hearts of the Centurion and his friends. And somebody must be found to go and do the Lord's work in Cesarea. Peter, at first, knows nothing of God's plans and wants. Nor is it needful that he should. Let Peter only be ready unto every good work: and Peter's Lord will provide work in sufficient amount, and in good time. Peter is on the housetop, and is ready unto every good work. And God, who has ever on hand, good works in abundance, saw this devout servant, and said to Cornelius—“Send men to Joppa, and let them look out the house of one Simon, a tanner. It is by the sea side.—Let them call there for Simon.” What if Peter had been in the state of heart, in which David was, when on the housetop, as we see him in 2 Sam. 11:2? What a blessing to himself; to Cornelius; to the church: what a source of joy and gratulation in Heaven even now: that Peter was there, and there ready unto every good work! And what a burden of meaning and of emphasis, in the words, from which Titus was told to preach, "Put them in mind to be ready unto every good work." Much is written and said, in one way and another, about the present desolation of Zion, and dearth of Revivals. We would suggest, to all our ministerial and Christian readers, these two very important queries—1st, Has God no good work on hand, at present? 2d. Are God's people ready unto every good work, in these days? A negative, to either of these queries, will explain the cause of the existing dearth on Christian fruitfulness, and the stagnation of Christian progress.

W.C.