THE GUARDIAN: A Magazine Devoted to the Interests of Young Meu and Ladies. VOL. VIII. NOVEMBER, 1857. No. 11. THE APOSTOLIC GREETINGS. BY THE EDITOR. THERE are certain parts in the Scriptures which you pass over when you read and meditate; you think they are useless. You wonder why they are in the Bible Leviticus and Chronicles are such parts in the Old, and the genealogical tables and the apostolic greetings in the New Testament. Perhaps you make a mistake in doing this. Let us have a word together on the subject-especially in regard to the greetings, which you as a plain man, not given to compliments, regard as manifesting an almost unnecessary amount of the formalities of friendship and politeness. In the natural world, those parts which a careless or superficial observer regards as useless, are in truth most important of all in the order of earth, and an earnest eye discovers that on the uncomely parts a wise God has actually given more abundant honor. The mountains not only send forth rills and streams to water and fructify the valleys and plains, but stand as monuments of divine power and glory. Barren wastes awaken in the human spirit the sense of awful desolation, which in contrast with fruitful valleys and smiling plains, enlarges and elevates our sense of God's goodness and love. Rolling oceans, while they divide nations, as families, that they may dwell in peace apart, at the same time unite them in the friendly and profitable interchanges of commerce. Like the natural world in this respect is the broad and varied face of God's word. Those parts which seem dry and dreary to a careless reader are indispensable to the glorious whole-not only interspersed with golden stores of truth, even as the richest gems are found in watery or desert wastes, but as a mighty whole in the system of revealed truth, even as mountains, oceans, and deserts, are mighty in the general features and uses of earth. Without the ceremonial details of Leviticus the whole New Testament could not be understood. Without the minute details of the Chronicles, consisting ofttimes of whole chapters that are mere lists of names, the whole chain of the history of divine revelation would be broken, and it would be impossible either to trace or verify the unfolding of God's glorious plan of redemption. These unite generations, and dynasties, and as the bark preserves the life of the tree, preserve the life and the divine purposes which have formed them and which run through them towards their glorious fulfilment in the "fulness of times," in which all Old Testament history has its meaning and termination. Without the genealogical tables given by Matthew, from Abram to Christ, and by Luke, from Christ, to Adam, all the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament would be disconnected and powerless as a rope of sand; the history of the promise could not be traced, and the whole chain of evidences which-not sundered, but as one and united-proves Jesus to be the Messiah, would be hopelessly broken. Such as have regarded the parts of Scripture alluded to, as useless, have felt the same in reference to those chapters, or portions of chapters, in the Epistles, which are made up of greetings, or what would now be regarded as mere personal social compliments. But as greetings, and in what they imply and reveal beyond this, how important and instructive are they! Take as an instance the sixteenth chapter of Romans, made up, as it is, almost entirely of greetings How precious to a heart given to devout reflection. It reminds one of a soil, however apparently barren, full of shining oars, and these to the most careless eye but ill concealed. How much do these greetings reveal of the inner social life and love of the first saints! Here they speak at home! What a familiar and natural view is here afforded us of the most childlike christian affection! How transparent here their very hearts! We are permitted to look in upon them in their most unrestrained moments of intercourse, and to behold the every-day workings of their pure and simple lives and loves. What a group of spirits, the loftiest and the simplest, the most familiar and the purest, of which the world was not worthy, is here brought together. Phebe " our sister," a servant of the church, a succorer of Paul and of many. Priscilla and Acquilla, helpers in Christ Jesus, the happy and earnest christian pair, who with the cailing of tent-makers -Acts 18: 2-united personal efforts for the salvation of souls, and who for the spiritual good of their workmen, had a "church in their own house."-1 Cor. 16: 19-who for Paul's life, ou one occasion, were willing to lay down their own necks, to whom, on this account not only Paul, but all the churches of the gentiles give lasting gratitude. Here is Epenetus, "my well-beloved," the first soul converted to Christ in Achaia. Here is Mary, "who bestowed much labor on us." Here is Andronicus and Junia, who were on one occasion in the same prison with Paul, who also "were of note among the apostles, and who, he says, were converted to Christ before him. Here is Amplias, his beloved in the Lord. Here is Urbane, "our helper in Christ;" and Stachys "my beloved." Here is Appelles "approved in Christ," because he had given good proof of his firmness and faithfulness. Here is the pious household of Aristobolus. Here is Herodian, a converted Jew. Here are the family of Narcissus, "which are in the Lord " Here are Triphena and Triphosa, two holy women, who labor in the Lord." Here is the "beloved Persis," who even exceeded these, for 1857.] The Apostolic Greetings. 323 she "labored much in the Lord." Here is Rufus, "chosen in the Lord," and his mother, who was also was as a mother to Paul. Here are the excellent brethren Asynchritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, and Hermes, and other brethren which were with them. Here are Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which were with them. All these crowded around the holy apostle in thought; and his love, his well-wishes, and his blessings poured themselves out into their hearts. Then, at Corinth, while he wrote, what a circle crowd around him to send fondest christian love and greeting to these excellent saints at Rome. Timotheus, "my work-fellow," and Lucius, and Jason, and Sossipater, and Tertius, "salute you in the Lord." Gaius, "mine host, and of the whole church-a rich saint who not only entertained Paul, but whose hospitable doors were open to all traveling saints free of charge" saluteth you." Erastus, the treasurer of the city, and a child of grace, "saluteth you ;" and so also Quartus, "a brother." In short, all, all, send greeting; for "the churches of Christ salute you." What love and what sympathy are hers! Many of them had perhaps never seen each other's faces in the flesh; but their names had been heard as laborers and sufferers for Christ; and now they send each other words of love and God-speed, assuring one another of fellowship in love and hope. Is this nothing? Verily it is much. O, it is something to be remembered by congenial ones even at a distance from us to know that we are not alone in our struggles, and labors, and sorrows-to hear from each other in the holy war the animating battle cry, and the shout of victory from afar. In this is cheer, and strength, and hope, and the power to overcome. I love to know that not alone I meet the battle's angry tide; That sainted myriads from their throne Mine is no solitary choice, See here the seal of saints impressed; The prayer of millions swells my voice, Not only do these greetings reveal to us the deep, child-like affection which these saints cherished and expressed toward each other; but they show also the sympathy between the holy apostle and those to whom he ministered. How their memory lingered in his heart even in absence; and with what simple-hearted fondness, and abiding gratitude were his name and his labors for them cherished in his separation from them. He never could have employed such endearing language toward them, had he not been incited to it by their kindness. Their love to him drew it forth. No one, not even a minister, can fondly love the unkind and ungrateful, no more than a vine can grow around an anaconda, which breaks its tendrils and repels its embraces, by its restless, unloving, serpent nature. Paul could not love Alexander the coppersmith, who did him much evil; nor could even the loving John feel any endearment toward the mischief-making Diotrephes who prated against him, and was an enemy to the brethren. For such they prayed, but to them they never sent greetings. How cheering for the apostle to labor with and for these noble spirits who loved him for his work's sake more than they loved their own lives; who not only stood around him, as a spiritual body guard, at home with works of faith and words of kindness; but bore his name in their grateful, praying and sympathising hearts when absent. Who thought of him while he was in labors abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons oft, in stripes forty save one, beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked, a night and a day in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of his own countrymen, in perils of the heathen, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness; and besides these things from without, that which came on him daily, the care of all the churches. Amid these, to know that there is one circle, where the pulsations of noble hearts are beating with his, is cheer such as nothing else can give. To know this-and Paul knew it-made him feel like a victor instead of a captive. The soldiers, in the battle in Egypt, were directed by their general to the mighty pyramids, in whose shadows they fought, with the exclamation: "The glory of ages looks down upon you!" How much more animating to Paul in his trials, the soft memories wafted to him in the silence of every pause: "The saints-the favorites of Jesus Christ-the heirs of eternal glory, are loving you! Their hearts feel the strokes that fall upon you-they, the gems in your own crown of martyr glory, shine with new radiance around you, for every toil and tear, for every trial and triumph in that tribulation which is to you, and to others, the path to high, eternal rewards! The holy apostle afterwards spoke from his own experience, when he exhorted the Hebrews to treat their pastors with such kindness and consideration that they might carry forward their ministry among them with joy and not with grief. We sometimes wonder how Paul could bear up under all the weight of his cares. We need not wonder when we remember that in addition to God's sustaining grace from heaven, he was surrounded and sustained by such a circle of noble christian spirits. The strength of a public man, under God, is in the sympathy and support of the people. A pastor's spirits are borne up by the kindness and sympathy of his people. Their attention, appreciation, and especially their practice of what he preaches, aids him in his preaching; even as a general's strength is in the obedience and courage of his soldiers. In all the details of his duties he is aided by the christian spirit and sympathy of his people. According as they sustain his ministry with spirit and in love, does he go forth with joy or with grief. Paul was a man of like passions with all men; and it is morally impossible that he should have been able to give council, comfort, and sympathy to the froward, unkind, and ungrateful, with the same joy, as to those noble, kind, and faithful ones whose names he mentions with such affectionate tenderness. Whatever he had to perform towards the ungrateful and unworthy, were duties performed, not with joy, but with grief. Beyond all that has been said, of the meaning of these greetings, there is one thing more to be noticed-no less, perhaps more, important 1857.] The Apostolic Greetings. 325 We see here the wonderful amount of lay-help enjoyed by Paul; and we see how common, extensive, and important it was in the early church. These noble spirits whom Paul greets did more than love him, and treat him with grateful kindness. They did more than sympathise with him and receive his ministry with profit to themselves. They helped him in his ministry. They did part, and no unimportant part, of the work. Consider how he characterised them in his greetings. Reflect what is implied, and revealed in the words applied to them: "Servant of the church"-"succorer of many, and of me also"-"my helpers in Christ Jesus"-"who have for my life laid down their own necks”—“unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the gentiles" -"the church in their house"-" who bestowed much labor on us"— "my fellow prisoners"-"who are of note among the apostles"-“our. helper in Christ”—“ approved in Christ"--"who labored in the Lord" -"who labored much in the Lord"—"my work-fellow"-"mine host, and of the whole church.” What does all this language reveal in regard to those to whom it is applied? Does it merely imply that they came to hear Paul, contributed to his support, treated him with civility, appreciated his sermons, prayed for the success of his ministry, and submitted to the ordinances as he dispensed them. Does it mean only this, or more? More, verily more. They labored as really, as earnestly, and as much as they did in their temporal labors. They bore the church and souls on their hearts and hands, with more zeal than they did their temporal business. There is enough in what is said of Priscilla and Aquilla to assure us that tent-making was to them a matter subordinate to building up the church and winning souls to the truth. These, moreover, let it be remembered, were all lay-men and laywomen, every one except Timothy. What a power must the churches at Rome and Corinth have possessed in such lay-help. Need we wonder at Paul's joy and courage, as pastor among such spirits, that he ex claims, with a full heart, "I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ: that in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you; so that ye come behind in no gift." This lay-agency is the strength of the church-its absence is its weakness. It is on lay-help that the church must depend in many particulars that pertain to its true peace, prosperity, and efficiency. By it must the church and its ministry be kept from begging their way; by it must pastors be kept free from temporal anxieties and cares, which burden the heart, subject him to disrespect and discredit with waiting creditors, and induce him in dark moments to regard negligence towards his actual wants as dissatisfaction with his ministry, and as a most uncourteous hint that his services would be willingly dispensed with-which is itself enough to take away all his comfort in his people and his work. It is on lay-help that the church must depend for much of the outdoor ministry-bringing the world under the influence of the word— bringing the careless back-slider back to his duty-preparing the pastor's way to such as are in a condition to be reached-making known. to him cases of affliction-carrying forward benevolent operations a |