GET THE MESSAGE AND THEN CARRY IT.
"How I pant to be doing good," says some young man. "You are right, but you must not be impatient. Go you among the teachers and learn a bit. You cannot teach yet, for you do not know; go and learn before you think of teaching. Hot spirits think that they are not serving God when they are learning; but in this they err. Beloved Mary at Jesus's feet was commended rather than Martha, cumbered with much service. "But," says one, "we ought not to be always hearing sermons." No, I do not know that any of you are. "We ought to get to work at once," cries another. "Certainly you ought, after you have first learned what the work is; but if everybody that is converted begins to teach, we shall soon have a mess of heresies, and many raw and undigested dogmas taught which will rather do damage than good. Run, messenger, run! The King's business requireth haste. Nay, rather stop awhile. Have you any tidings to tell? First learn your message, and then run as fast as you please. There must be time to learn the message. If our blessed Lord waited thirty years, he is an example to eager persons who can scarce wait thirty minutes. See how fast light things will travel! How eager are those to speak who know nothing! How swift are those to speak who do not know, and to testify what they have never seen. This cometh not of wisdom, but is the untimely fruit of folly.—Selected.