"John answered and said, 'A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven.' " (Jno. iii, 27.)

What gives firmness and comfort and power to the servant is the consciousness of doing the Lord's will. Self-complacency of fleshly zeal easily deludes, but nevertheless the path of communion with God and obedience is open to every one of us; it is a reality. There is great comfort in John the Baptist's reply, "A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven," when questioned about his service. There is that which I am sent to do. Outside of that, nothing is required of me; I am freed from vain attempts of self-will. But in that to which God has called, there is the power of God and rest of heart, joy in the soul and blessing in ministry. And the power and blessing are not to be measured by the sphere of service. The whole power of God is with the least as with the greatest true service for Himself, as the smallest stream runs by His power as well as the mightiest river. " As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth:that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (i Pet. 4:10.)

To know what is one's path of service is not self-occupation. On the contrary, it is what alone excludes it, and brings soberness and the fear of God:"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." No man could work in the making of the tabernacle except as God gave ability:"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ' See, I have called by name Bezaleel, . . . and I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, … to devise cunning works, . . . And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, . . . and in the hearts of all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee." (Exod. 31:) " Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise-hearted man in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded. And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab and every wise-hearted man in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it." How vain and irreverent for any man to have put his hand to the work without wisdom from God! And with the wisdom was needed the true heart-" even every one whose heart stirred him up." (Ex. 36:) It was a work of obedience, but in liberty; from a heart devoted to the Lord and His service, and to His people. They served gladly and freely, but in no other work than the Lord had appointed and fitted them for.

In that, there is the whole power of God in the humblest life and service. It is the whole power of God:how great a power! and there is none other. "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it." Of the two evils common in the church,-holding back from service, and too great forwardness, the latter is a pressing evil. Often a ministry of this character rests as a weight upon God's assembly. But the two evils are found together, and the responsibility for a ministry, and life (for the two are united) without power is upon the whole assembly in measure:"Thou sufferest that woman Jezebel," and "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicholaitanes," shows the principle. How humiliating to consider it! but how easy to groan under the evil without realizing either our responsibility as regards it or the power of God for deliverance. The absence of the power of God in an assembly allows the work of the flesh to come in, as the lack of fruit-growing and cultivation in the garden leaves room for the weeds; and the richer the soil, the ranker the growth. The same lack of communion that leads one to over-activity may be the cause in another of self-indulgence that shrinks from responsibility, or weakly leans upon another, and leaves things to man. A subtle evil, because a spirit of indolence so easily indulged, with little thought of how carnal a state it is, and how great the responsibility.

It is a serious evil to use the word of God in ministry without corresponding inward exercise. Gift is from God, and the power to use it for edification at any moment is from God, whether in public or private ministry. This is no doubt a common evil among us. We may often weary one another with the truth known and easily repeated, but the reality not enjoyed in the soul. The power of our ministry will not be above our daily life. And the power of our testimony in daily life is not a mere absence of wrong conduct before man. It is not a negative thing, but a positive power of the Holy Spirit in inwardly enjoyed communion with God, and the outward result must follow-the rivers of living water. A stream cannot rise above its source. Let us beware of burdening our brethren and injuring our own souls through lack of watchfulness and prayer. "Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire." But it is to Mount Zion we are come, the place of His delight-the fullness of His favor in Christ. " For the Lord hath chosen Zion. . . . this is My rest forever. … I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy." In such a blessed and holy presence we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God that worketh in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. E.S.L.