p. 69 | I MAGNIFY MINE OFFICE by H. A. ST. JOHN

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 2, 1876

FromThe Review and Herald, Review and Herald, Vol. 47, No. 9.

“I MAGNIFY MINE OFFICE.”

By H. A. ST. JOHN

“For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office.” Rom. 11:13. Thus wrote the great and good apostle Paul. From a Jewish stand-point, perhaps no more degrading position could be thought of than that of being a servant or minister to the Gentiles. But the apostle Paul, feeling that he was called of God to this office, could say from a full heart, “I magnify mine office.”

Of late, while trying in great weakness to fill a very responsible place in the cause of God, and while endeavoring to impart instruction and encouragement to others called to fill official positions, I have been forcibly impressed with the above statement of the apostle. Without doubt, very many persons are puffed up with vanity, and spoiled, by being called to responsible places, and all are in danger. I am satisfied that the danger is not properly or wisely avoided by carelessness or negligence in the performance of duty. I would understand the apostle that the right way is to magnify the office we are called to fill, by exerting ourselves to the utmost to be diligent and faithful. Our duties and responsibilities should so fill our souls and hands that we should hardly think of ourselves. Mark, the apostle does not say that he magnified himself, but he magnified his office. Quite a difference, certainly.

As we look abroad in this world of sin and vanity, we think we see many persons who magnify themselves in their office, with only occasionally one who magnifies his office. What a pitiful spectacle is that of a man so puffed up and swelled out with his office, that the real duties, and importance of the work belonging to him are almost entirely lost sight of in the man.

But I will come to the cause and church of God. Here are offices of trust and labor, from the evangelist all the way down to the local church clerk and s. s. treasurer. But it is a sad fact that, with many, instead of their offices having looked large and important, they have grown small and insignificant. How many clerks and treasurers, and others, too, who, instead of learning and inquiring, and being exceedingly anxious to do their work well, and better, and still better, have let it go down, down, down, until it has dwindled to almost nothing. Such persons have not magnified their office, but just the contrary. That person that will let even a partial list of his duties pass by without noting them, can hardly be said to magnify his office.

Shall we awake to the importance of this matter? Do you say that your office is a small one? You should remember that it is small things that more especially require the magnifying glass, and that in little things there is the greatest danger of being negligent, and if we are careless in small matters, we are almost certain to be in things of greater importance. It is only by little victories that we gain the great victory at last.

It is very gratifying to see a spirit of inquiry arising among church officers. “How shall I do this?” and “How shall I do that?” is beginning to be heard. To me, it is a very encouraging and hopeful omen, and I desire that it may become more general and more intense. One s. s. treasurer came to me after having made his first entry in his new book, to see what I thought of it, and when answered that it was well done, his very countenance told me that he was going to magnify his office. May the Lord richly bless both reader and writer, enabling us to be small in our own estimation while we greatly magnify our office. H. A. ST. JOHN.