Not Good Enough Just Now.
By Congregationalist
"WELL, he is a good man," said the pastor, a little sadly. "Yes," replied the deacon, "but he is not good enough just now." They were talking confidentially of a fellow-member of their own church, a man of high character, free from noticeable evil habits, regular in religious observances, and an intelligent and interesting Sunday-school teacher. But there were signs of the Spirit's special presence in the congregation. Here and there the voice of inquiry after the way of salvation had been heard already. It was plain that, if the church would rouse itself to realize and use its opportunity, a genuine, and perhaps a considerable, revival would follow. But he of whom his pastor and the deacon were speaking, seemed to be unconscious of the situation. There was no fault in particular to be found with his life, but when it would have been natural for him to be all alert with eager activity, especially in prayer for and labor with his own Sabbath-school class, he seemed amiably unconscious that any special duty rested upon him. The deacon had just been lamenting this when the pastor apologetically replied as above, and received the deacon's apt and truthful reply, "Yes, but not good enough just now." The words contain a suggestion worth general heed. To be a live Christian is not merely to accept the gospel truth, and to conform the conduct thereto as a habit. It is also the keeping ourselves alive to the needs of the hour; the being not only good but also good for something, good for whatever Christ would have us be doing for him. It is being loyal to him not merely in refusing to ally ourselves with his enemies, nor even in engaging in his work heartily enough to escape the charge of indifference, but also in making a business of doing for him immediately and with all our might any duty which he wishes done at once, and which we are competent to do. Just at present, in scores of churches, it is the bestirring ourselves to pray and labor for souls, in the belief that now is a harvest time, and that prayer, instruction, and appeal, and every form of co-operation with fellow-Christians, and of effort for the consecration of the impenitent, may be expected to secure immediate and large results.—Congregationalist.