October, 1940
896
TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
mingled with his own thinking, and ex pressed in his own words.” Truth, while it is the common property of us all, must yet be dressed in the garment of our own individuality. A renowned writ er has defined the distinction between the theft of the scribbler and the loan of the compiler by saying, “The lighting of a candle at a neighbor’s fire does not affect our property in the wick and flame.” The conclusion of the .whole matter is, gather ybur tallow from every source, but make your own candles! Sinful Jealousy As preachers, we should stand in fear of jealousy, seeing that it sent the Lord Jesus to His cross. For envy the Jews crucified Him! And, alas, it crucifies many a preacher. Take down your Bible concordance and hunt up what jealousy has produced, and you will come to dread it as you would a malig nant disease. The Bible and human ex perience add their confirmation to the declaration of Solomon that “jealousy is cruel as the grave.” Doubt it as we may, the fact remains that the ministry is riddled with jeal ousy. A jealous mind has robbed many a preacher of spiritual power. And what damage a jealous-minded preacher' can cause, when he allows his tongue to be the agent of mischief and hurt! My friend, if another has outstripped
For in the person of His Son I’m just as dear as He.”
PERILS OF THE PREACHER [ Continued, from Page 367] a kidnaper. And that there are clerical thieves or kidnapers is only too evident. “It is the privilege,” says John Foster, “ the exclusive privilege of genius, to light its own fire.” Few of us, however, have genius enough to light our own fire. The biographer of F. W. Robertson, of Brighton, who was nothing if not orig inal, quotes the preacher as having said: “I cannot copy, nor can I work out a seed of thought developing it myself. I cannot light my own fire, but whenever I get-my fire lighted from another life, I can carry the living flame, as my own, into other subjects, which have been illumi nated in the flame.” With a multitude of books around him, the preacher must guard himself against the peril of a wholesale kid naping of the exact thoughts and words of others, and the passing off of such as his own. How far we-are justified in borrowing is a point hard to settle. Our safety, it would seem, lies in fol lowing the advice of John Foster: “You will appropriate the most valuable thoughts not for mere repetition, in the words of their author, but they will be adopted by the student’s own judgment,
How little is this great truth appre hended among God’s people! We have an idea that God pities us, that He has compassion upon us, that He is benevo lently interested in us; but the great and wonderful fact is that the Lord of life and glory is in love with us, and longs to have us realize what He calls “ the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Eph. 1:18). Not, mark you, our inheritance in Him, which is truly wonderful, but His inheritance in us. We are “God’s heritage” (1 Pet. 6:3, A.V.; cf. Eph. 1:11, R.V.)., Now, observe the practical result of all this in the believer’s experience. “ That life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.” Our faith is in Him, and not in our selves. He who hath begun a good work in us may be trusted to carry it on to the end. Power belongeth unto Him, and He cannot fail. “Being justified by faith”—being reckoned righteous by faith—“we have peace” (Rom, 5:1). “ The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever” (Isa. 32:17). And, “when he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble?” (Job 34:29).
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