,transcriber's ,notes - ,this book is written by a seminary professor to his students and others considering work in pastoral ministry4 - ,detailed information on the ,transcriber's changes are listed after the text4 ,,the ,,pastor3 ,,his ,,qualifications ,,and ,,duties4 ,,by ,h4 ,,harvey1 ,d4,d41 ,,professor ,,in ,,hamilton ,,theological ,,seminary4 ,,philadelphia3 ,,american ,,baptist ,,publication ,,society4 #agja ,,chestnut ,,street4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ ,entered according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahgi1 by the ,,american ,,baptist ,,publication ,,society1 ,in the ,office of the ,librarian of ,congress1 at ,washington4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ ,published ,february1 #aijd ,to ,the ,memory of ,,william ,,colgate1 ,,the ,,enlightened ,,and ,,munificent ,,friend ,,of ,,ministerial ,,education1 ,,whose ,,counsel ,,and ,,sympathy ,,guided ,,and ,,cheered ,,the ,,writer',s ,,earlier ,,studies1 ,,this ,,volume ,,is ,,gratefully ,,dedicated4 ,,preface4 ,the nature and duties of the pastoral office form a subject of great practical moment4 ,the thoughts suggested in this volume are largely results of the writer's personal experience in the ministry and of his observation of pastoral work in our churches4 ,the literature of the subject1 however1 has of late become specially rich and valuable1 and the hints which a careful study of this furnishes have also been freely used4 ,the experienced pastor1 for whom some of these suggestions will be needless1 will remember that they were originally embodied in lectures delivered to the classes in the ,hamilton ,theological ,seminary1 and prepared for young men who1 for the most part1 were as yet inexperienced in the pastoral care4 ,with the earnest prayer and hope that the work may receive the approval of the ,master and may contribute in some humble measure1 to the higher effectiveness of the ,gospel ministry1 it is now submitted to the ,christian public4 ,h4 ,h4 ,,theological ,,seminary1 ,hamilton1 ,n4 ,y41 ,oct4 #cj1 #ahgi4 ,,contents4 ,,section ,i4 ,,the ,,divine ,,call ,,to ,,the ,,ministry ,proofs of the necessity of a ,divine call2 ,modes in which this call is manifested3 #a4 ,the internal call2 #b4 ,the call of the church2 #c4 ,the call of ,providence4 ,,section ,,ii4 ,,settlement ,,in ,,the ,,ministry #a4 ,choice of a field2 #b4 ,obligations assumed in becoming a pastor2 #c4 ,ordination4 ,,section ,,iii4 ,,public ,,worship ,objects to be sought3 ,unity of thought2 ,sustained interest2 ,religious impression4 #a4 ,pulpit ,decorum4 #b4 ,the ,service of ,song3 ,sympathy of pastor with choir2 ,selection of hymns2 ,devotional singing4 #c4 ,reading of the ,scriptures3 7#a47 ,the selection2 7#b47 ,the reading2 7#c47 ,comments4 #d4 ,public ,prayer3 7#a47 ,the form2 7#b47 ,the matter2 7#c47 ,the order2 7#d47 ,the manner4 #e4 ,preaching4 7#a47 ,sermons3 ,doctrinal2 ,experimental2 ,practical4 7#b47 ,exposition3 ,advantages2 ,methods4 ,,section ,,iv4 ,,social ,,devotional ,,meetings #a4 ,prayer-meetings2 #b4 ,the covenant-meeting2 #c4 ,the inquiry-meeting2 #d4 ,meeting for examination of candidates for the church2 #e4 ,meeting for the officers of the church2 #f4 ,church meetings for business4 ,,section ,v4 ,,administration ,,of ,,ordinances ,preparatory instruction2 ,administration--#a4 ,of ,baptism2 #b4 ,of the ,lord's ,supper4 ,,section ,,vi4 ,,the ,,pastor ,,and ,,the ,,sunday-,,school ,interest in ,sunday-school essential to pastoral success2 ,methods of pastoral work in the school4 ,,section ,,vii4 ,,pastoral ,,visitation ,the duty of visitation3 #a4 ,its limits2 #b4 ,the method2 #c4 ,its advantages2 #d4 ,the visitation of the sick4 ,,section ,,viii4 ,,revivals ,,of ,,religion ,nature1 sphere1 and necessity of revivals2 ,methods of promoting them2 ,evils to be avoided4 ,,section ,,ix4 ,,cultivation ,,of ,,social ,,life ,,in ,,the ,,congregation ,necessity of pastoral direction of social life2 ,suggestions as to methods4 ,,section ,x4 ,,the ,,pastor ,,as ,,an ,,organizer ,importance of organizing power2 ,necessity of the study of the people2 ,methods of organization2 ,development of intellectual gifts and stimulus to higher education2 ,development of gifts for the ministry4 ,,section ,,xi4 ,,funeral ,,services ,necessity of simplicity and brevity2 ,eulogies of the dead to be avoided2 ,subject-matter of funeral address2 ,services at the grave2 ,attentions to the bereaved4 ,,section ,,xii4 ,,cultivation ,,of ,,the ,,missionary ,,spirit ,importance of the missionary spirit2 ,methods of promoting it3 #a4 ,regular missionary contribution2 #b4 ,stated missionary sermons2 #c4 ,the monthly concert4 ,,section ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,pulpit ,,and ,,the ,,press ,the press made to subserve the pulpit4--#a4 ,by a religious newspaper in every family2 #b4 ,by the circulation of books and tracts2 #c4 ,by the education of the judgment and sentiment of the people4 ,,section ,,xiv4 ,,relations ,,to ,,other ,,denominations #a4 ,cultivation of friendly intercourse2 #b4 ,mutual recognition of sincerity of character and intention2 #c4 ,occasional exchange of pulpits2 ,union meetings4 ,,section ,,xv4 ,,change ,,of ,,field #a4 ,evils of change2 #b4 ,inadequate causes of change2 #c4 ,valid reasons for change4 ,,section ,,xvi4 ,,ministers ,,not ,,in ,,the ,,pastoral ,,office ,first1 ,evangelists3 #a4 ,foreign missionaries2 #b4 ,home missionaries2 #c4 ,revivalists4 ,second3 ,teachers4 ,third3 ,licentiates4 ,,section ,,xvii4 ,,pastoral ,,study #a4 ,the ,method2 #b4 ,the ,subjects3 7#a47 ,general ,culture2 7#b47 ,biblical and ,theological ,culture2 7#c47 ,sermon ,preparation4 ,,section ,,xviii4 ,,pastoral ,,responsibility ,what it includes2 ,limitations of it4 ,,section ,,xix4 ,,the ,,pastor',s ,,outer ,,life #a4 ,business ,relations2 #b4 ,political ,relations2 #c4 ,social ,character2 #d4 ,personal ,habits4 ,,section ,,xx4 ,,the ,,pastor',s ,,inner ,,life ,power with ,god the condition of power with men2 ,the promise of the ,holy ,spirit2 ,means of maintaining an inner life endued with power from on high3 #a4 ,the habitual practice of secret prayer2 #b4 ,the habitual self-application and self-appropriation of ,divine truth2 #c4 ,habitual self-surrender and consecration to ,christ and ,his work2 #d4 ,an habitual looking above for the reward4 ,,the ,,pastor4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,section ,i4 ,,the ,,divine ,,call ,,to ,,the ,,ministry4 ,a special call from ,god is essential to the exercise of the ,christian ministry4 ,reason itself would suggest that ,he1 as a sovereign1 would select ,his own officers and send ,his own ambassadors2 and the ,divine call of the ancient prophets1 the analogous office in the old dispensation1 creates a presumption of such a call in the ,christian ministry4 ,none were permitted to intrude into the prophetic office4 ,god said3 ,the prophet which shall presume to speak a work in ,my name1 which ,i have not commanded him to speak1 shall die 7,deut4 xviii4 #bj72 ,behold1 ,i am against the prophets that steal ,my words 7,jer4 xxiii4 #cj2 see also ,isa4 vi42 ,jer4 i4 #d-aj74 ,the proof of this is seen in the following considerations3 #a4 ,ministers1 in the ,new ,testament1 are always spoken of as designated by ,god4 ,this is obviously true of the apostles and of the seventy1 but it is seen also in the case of the ministry in general4 ,the elders of ,ephesus were set over the flock by the ,holy ,ghost 7,acts xx4 #bh74 ,archippus received his ministry in the ,lord 7,col4 iv4 #ag74 ,paul and ,barnabas were separated to their work by the ,holy ,ghost 7,acts xiii4 #b74 #b4 ,the ministry constitute a special gift from ,christ to the church2 for ,he gave some1 ,apostles2 and some1 prophets2 and some1 evangelists2 and some1 pastors and teachers2 for the perfecting of the saints1 for the work of the ministry1 for the edifying of the body of ,christ 7,eph4 iv4 #aa1 #ab74 ,the gifts for these offices are bestowed by ,god1 and the men are sent forth to their work by ,god ,himself1 in answer to the prayers of ,his people4 7,see ,rom4 xii4 #f1 #g2 ,luke x4 #a1 #b47 #c4 ,the nature of the office1 as implied in the terms used to designate it1 requires a personal ,divine call4 ,they are called ambassadors for ,christ1 speaking in ,his name2 they are stewards of ,god1 entrusted with the ,gospel for men4 ,the ministry1 then1 is not chosen as a man chooses a profession1 consulting his inclination or interest4 ,it is entered in obedience to a special call from ,god1 and the consciousness of this is essential to personal qualification for the work4 ,the emphasis which the ,scriptures place on the ,divine vocation of the minister implies a distinction between a call to the ministry and the ordinary choice of a profession4 ,this distinction1 in one important element at least1 may perhaps be thus expressed3 ,in the case of the minister the work is one to which the conscience obliges2 he feels that he ought to engage in it1 and that he cannot do otherwise without guilt4 ,but in the case of one choosing another profession it is a matter of aptitudes1 tastes1 interest2 he feels that it is right and wise thus to choose1 but there is no sense of imperative obligation1 so that it would be morally wrong to do otherwise4 ,in the one1 there is the sense of positive obligation as expressed in its strongest form by ,paul3 ,necessity is laid upon me2 yea1 woe is unto me1 if ,i preach not the ,gospel 7#a ,cor4 ix4 #af72 in the other1 there is a sense of the rightfulness of the choice made and a consciousness of the ,divine approbation in making it1 but the contrary choice would not necessarily be morally wrong4 ,as to the manifestation of this call1 two opposite errors are to be avoided4 ,on the one hand1 the call is conceived as consisting in a mere preference for the work of the ministry1 and the result is that men influenced only by literary tastes or unhallowed ambition rush unbidden into the sacred office4 ,on the other1 it is regarded as a supernatural manifestation1 like a voice from heaven1 attended with intense mental struggles2 and1 as the result1 men who ought to enter the ministry are1 in the absence of such manifestations1 deterred from entering it and mistake their true mission in life4 ,evidently1 this duty is to be ascertained in the same manner as any other duty4 ,the call1 indeed1 is a ,divine act1 but so also is regeneration2 yet in neither case is the manifestation necessarily or ordinarily supernatural4 ,the evidences of it are found in a prayerful examination of one's own experience compared with ,god's ,word4 ,christian young men1 therefore1 should be urged to ponder carefully the question whether ,god is not calling them to the ministry4 ,a pastor's utmost wisdom and discrimination should be employed in inspiring and guiding young men to right thinking in regard to their life-mission4 ,many a life-failure might thus be prevented1 and many a noble man whose life otherwise had been devoted to secular pursuits would be saved for effective service in the pulpit4 ,this call1 ,i conceive1 is manifested in the heart of the individual1 in the convictions of the church1 and in the providence of ,god4 ,i4 ,,the ,,internal ,,call4--,the elements of this are3 #a4 ,a fixed and earnest desire for the work4 ,this is a true saying1 if a man desire the office of a bishop1 he desireth a good work 7#a ,tim4 iii4 #a74 ,there must be desire2 for no man will succeed unless the work enlists the whole enthusiasm of his being4 ,this is more than a love of declamation1 a glow in the work of composition1 or a taste for the studious1 literary life of a pastor3 it is a quenchless enthusiasm for the work as the proclamation of ,god's message and the means of saving men4 ,it springs from love to ,christ and love to the work itself4 ,paul said3 ,none of these things move me1 neither count ,i my life dear unto myself1 so that ,i might finish my course with joy1 and the ministry which ,i have received of the ,lord ,jesus1 to testify the ,gospel of the grace of ,god 7,acts xx4 #bd74 #b4 ,an abiding impression of duty to preach the ,gospel4 ,the apostle ,paul said3 ,necessity is laid upon me2 yea1 woe is unto me1 if ,i preach not the ,gospel 7#a ,cor4 ix4 #af74 ,not always1 indeed1 will this inward impulsion to the work be so distinct and imperative1 but it will always be felt1 and with greatest force as the soul draws nearest to ,god and the true nature of the ministry is most clearly perceived4 ,hence1 in determining the question of vocation much prayer is necessary1 and the convictions which predominate in the soul1 when most consciously in ,god's presence1 are to be most carefully considered4 #c4 ,a sense of personal weakness and unworthiness and a heartfelt reliance on ,divine power4 ,this1 indeed1 is not an infallible test1 for youth is naturally self-confident1 and in the case of some most useful ministers a reliance alone on the ,divine ,arm has come only after long and bitter experience of self-failure4 ,but a self-confident spirit should certainly suggest the fear of self-deception1 since it can only spring from a false self-estimate and from wholly inadequate views of the work4 ,paul said3 ,such trust have we through ,christ to ,god-ward2 not that we are sufficient of ourselves1 but our sufficiency is of ,god1 who also hath made us able ministers of the ,new ,testament 7#b ,cor4 iii4 #d-f74 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,call ,,of ,,the ,,church4--,this is the expressed conviction of the church1 after sufficient acquaintance with the candidate1 that he is called to preach the ,gospel--a conviction resulting from evidences of his qualifications1 such as the following3 #a4 ,sound conversion4 ,this qualification is vital and central4 ,a defect here is fatal--fatal to the minister himself as almost certain to result in his living and dying unconverted1 and fatal to the people as placing their souls under the guidance of a spiritually-blind1 godless pastor4 ,few positions have in them so many elements of danger as that of an unconverted pastor1 since1 though officially laboring for the conversion of others1 his very office places him beyond the scope of all the ordinary means employed by the churches to lead men to ,christ and furnishes the strongest incentives to yield to self-deception4 ,no man should enter it of whose conversion the church with which he is connected has doubt2 regard alike for the soul of the candidate and for the souls of men demands that in respect to this primary qualification the case should be absolutely clear so far as man may judge4 #b4 ,a superior order of piety4 ,he is to be an example of the believers in word1 in conversation1 in charity1 in spirit1 in faith1 in purity 7#a ,tim4 iv4 #ab74 ,he must needs be1 in some respects1 a model1 and must therefore be in advance of the people in experience and life4 ,no brilliancy of intellectual or literary or rhetorical qualification can atone for the absence of a devotional spirit and a pure life in a ,christian pastor4 #c4 ,soundness in the faith4 ,he is both to hold fast the form of sound words 7#b ,tim4 i4 #ac7 and to speak the things which become sound doctrine 7,tit4 ii4 #a74 ,a man who is unsettled in his convictions of religious truth1 or who palters to the love of novelty by a perpetual straining for that which is strange and startling in doctrine has no rightful place in the pulpit1 however popular his address or large his following4 ,the ultimate result of his work is almost always disastrous to the cause of truth4 #d4 ,adequate mental capacity and training1 and scriptural knowledge4 ,he is to show himself approved unto ,god1 a workman that needeth not to be ashamed1 rightly dividing the word of truth 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #ae74 ,as the chief work of a minister is public instruction1 it is plain he must possess the mental force and knowledge requisite to make his ministry instructive4 ,moral and spiritual qualifications cannot be made a substitute for intellectual1 for the preacher's work is to unfold and enforce truth in the pulpit as well as to illustrate it in holy living4 ,piety1 therefore1 essential as it is1 if not accompanied with mental gifts and discipline1 is not evidence of a ministerial call4 ,some good men have made a life-mistake by taking on them the responsibilities of public instructors when deficient either in natural abilities or in the discipline and knowledge which are essential to meet the continuous and exhaustive draft of the pulpit4 #e4 ,aptness to teach4 ,god's ,word is to be committed only to faithful men1 who shall be able to teach others also 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #b7--men apt to teach1 patient1 in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #bd1 #be74 ,great abilities and learning do not suffice2 there must also be the special gift of teaching1 the power to gather and interest and hold the people4 ,the ablest sermon fails unless the people are awake and attentive4 ,paul and ,barnabas not only preached the ,gospel1 but they so spake that a great multitude1 both of the ,jews and also of the ,greeks1 believed 7,acts xiv4 #a74 #f4 ,practical wisdom and executive ability4 ,nowhere are these qualities more important than in a pastor1 whose good sense1 tact1 judgment1 power to organize and set at work all the moral forces of his church1 are in constant requisition4 ,a large part of the pastor's power depends on the possession of certain practical qualities2 in the absence of these1 men of great mental abilities and spiritual worth have failed in the pastorate4 #g4 ,finally1 a good report of them which are without4 ,a minister cannot escape opposition4 ,if faithful to ,christ1 he may experience1 as thousands have experienced1 bitter persecution2 but in purity and integrity of personal character he is to have a good report 7#a ,tim4 iii4 #g71 giving none offence1 that the ministry be not blamed 7#b ,cor4 vi4 #c71 but commending himself to every man's conscience in the sight of ,god 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #b74 ,without this acknowledged purity of spirit and life1 his work as a minister is necessarily a failure1 for otherwise he cannot keep the consciences of men on his side4 ,now1 the call of the church is founded on evidence in the candidate of these qualifications1 either in their germ and promise where the character is immature1 or in their fully-developed form where age and experience have matured the man4 ,this conviction in the mind of the church is ordinarily an essential evidence of a ,divine call2 for plainly1 since the individual himself is not the proper judge as to his possession of these qualifications1 the church is the natural medium of the call1 and its decision ought ordinarily to be accepted as final4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,call ,,of ,,providence4--,circumstances may absolutely forbid entering the ministry1 but it is obvious that all difficulties are not to be interpreted adversely to a call1 for such obstacles may be1 and often are1 simply a discipline educative and preparatory to the highest success in the sacred office4 ,the strength and symmetry of character which have afterward given eminence in the ministry have often been acquired by means of the struggles encountered in the preparation to enter it4 ,but ,god has distinctly promised direction to those who ask ,him3 ,the steps of a good man are ordered by the ,lord 7,ps4 xxxvii4 #bc72 ,if any of you lack wisdom1 let him ask of ,god1 that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not1 and it shall be given him 7,james i4 #e74 ,to the man of prayer1 the call of ,providence comes in the events of his life1 which1 as interpreted by the ,spirit's guidance1 are finger-boards at every turn1 saying1 ,this is the way1 walk ye in it4 ,no man ought to enter the sacred work without this distinct consciousness of a call from ,god4 ,for1 #a4 ,without this he obtrudes himself into the office of an ambassador without a commission1 and incurs the guilt of presumption4 ,god has not sent him and has given him no message1 and as he stands up to speak in ,god's name not one of all the promises of ,god to ,his accredited servants belongs to him1 but he is exposed to all the threatenings against those who speak without command4 #b4 ,without this also he cannot speak consciously1 as an ambassador for ,christ1 in ,christ's stead 7#b ,cor4 v4 #bj71 and he of necessity lacks the courage and boldness of him who is conscious of bearing a ,divine message4 ,true ministerial boldness in the pulpit depends on this consciousness of being ,god's servant1 bearing ,god's message2 in the absence of this he cannot speak with authority4 #c4 ,nothing but this consciousness of a ,divine call is adequate to inspire for the toils of the pastor's office and sustain in its trials4 ,disappointments and discouragements come1 in which he must fall back for support and comfort on the great primary fact that he is ,god's servant1 specially called to that office and that work2 and if this fail him1 all the true sources of courage and strength are wanting1 and his condition is pitiable indeed4 ,therefore1 as ,luther says3 ,every minister of ,god's ,word should be sure of his calling1 that before ,god and man he may with a bold conscience glory therein1 that he preached the ,gospel as one that is sent2 even as the ambassador of a king glorieth and vaunteth in this1 that he cometh not as a private person1 but as the king's ambassador4#a ,,footnotes3 #a ,luther on ,galatians1 p4 #cb4 ,,section ,,ii4 ,,settlement ,,in ,,the ,,ministry4 ,i4 ,,choice ,,of ,a ,,field4 ,the choice of a field1 especially of the first field1 is a matter of much moment1 as it is sometimes decisive in its influence on subsequent development and usefulness4 ,a young man1 however1 should beware of undue anxiety respecting it4 ,a ,divine call involves not only an appointed work1 but also an appointed field of work4 ,the subject should be made1 therefore1 a special matter of prayer1 and the opportunities ,providence may open for making the acquaintance of churches should be faithfully improved4 ,the ,lord will then direct by the leading alike of ,his ,spirit and the heart and of ,his providence in external events4 ,several suggestions1 however1 may here be important3 #a4 ,carefully consider the question whether duty does not call to a missionary field4 ,no one should evade a full1 fair consideration of this1 for success and comfort in one's life-work depend1 not on obtaining what is termed an eligible settlement1 but on occupying the post ,god has assigned us4 ,all parts of the world are now opening to the ,gospel1 and in our own country vast populations are gathering from other lands1 sent hither to be evangelized4 ,evidently1 many of the young men now called to the ministry must be designed by the ,master for work among the destitute4 ,eminence among ministerial brethren is a proper object of ambition1 but it is a mistake to suppose that the choice of a mission-field1 either ,east or ,west1 will prevent this4 ,a much larger proportion of our foreign missionaries rise to eminence in their work than of ministers at home4 ,the men who are recognized as ,christian leaders in the ,west are mostly men who went there to struggle with the difficulties of a new country and a small salary4 ,by roughing it at the outset they developed manhood and power4 ,some of the ablest and most eloquent men of this age developed in pulpit power at the ,west4 ,it is true in the ministry1 as everywhere1 that he who for ,christ's sake will lose his life shall save it4 ,a sacrifice and a struggle for ,christ in earlier life give development and momentum to all the elements of power in a man4 ,there is here wide room for a venturesome faith2 and nothing is more certain than that many1 by seeking at once great things for themselves1 dwarf their after-life4 #b4 ,if different fields offer1 that is ordinarily to be preferred which affords the highest incentives to exertion and the widest room for expansion4 ,few things are more chilling to a young man than to find his church hemmed in1 with no possibilities of future growth4 ,this is often the fact in old and decaying communities overcrowded with churches4 ,seek1 therefore1 not so much an old church or a large salary as a center where population is gathering1 so that the field will grow with your growth4 ,this was the ,apostles' plan4 ,they went where the people were1 and gave their lives to the work where the largest numbers could be reached4 ,still1 duty may call to a field where these elements do not exist4 ,in that case1 do not fear4 ,a man's gift1 faithfully used1 will make room for him4 ,in any field it will take time to grow so as to fill it1 and the experience will be valuable2 and when one has grown to the full measure of his field1 and is still advancing in power1 other and wider fields will be sure to open before him4 #c4 ,the call should ordinarily be unanimous1 at least so far as to ensure that no important influences are opposed to it4 ,on this account sufficient time1 if possible1 should be spent with the church to study carefully the elements of which it is composed and form an intelligent judgment of its characteristics and tendencies4 ,many mistakes might be avoided by care to secure a thorough acquaintance between the candidate and the people before a call is accepted--mistakes which are sometimes most unfortunate alike to the minister1 in rendering his pastorate a failure and embarrassing him in forming another relation2 and to the church1 in hindering their union and weakening their effectiveness4 ,,transcriber',s ,,note3 ,this next point includes the word niggardly1 which is a fine word1 meaning stingy1 grasping1 or miserly1 but1 to those who are unfamiliar with the word or who are not paying strict attention1 it can sound like a racial slur4 ,when presenting this material1 please strongly consider the substitution of a synonym4 #d4 ,the salary should be adequate for a comfortable support1 and should be fairly proportioned to the pecuniary ability of the congregation4 ,the minister will be expected to live in a manner at least equal to the average style of life among the people1 and the salary should enable him to do so4 ,a donation1 as a part of the payment of ministerial service1 is to be avoided if possible4 ,it is perhaps a necessity in some localities from long-established custom2 but it is essentially unjust to the minister1 because it calls that a gift which is really a debt1 and its effect is to foster in the people false ideas of ministerial support4 ,the ,new ,testament declares that the laborer is worthy of his hire 7,luke x4 #g71 and it is injurious alike to the self-respect of the pastor and to the respect of the people for his office to make his support a matter of gratuity4 ,it is better1 in my judgment1 to accept a smaller salary1 the payments of which are fixed and regular1 than to insist on a larger one1 a part of which comes in the uncertain form of a donation4 ,in the matter of salary1 however1 a true pastor will always tenderly regard the circumstances of his people2 and in a congregation composed chiefly of the poor1 or in times of financial depression and disaster1 he will be ready to suffer with them1 cheerfully accepting a smaller stipend and practicing a more rigid economy4 ,a selfish1 niggardly1 parsimonious spirit is nowhere more offensive than in a ,christian pastor4 #e4 ,all business arrangements with a church should be made with business definiteness4 ,it may not1 indeed1 be necessary or desirable to insist upon a formal written contract1 but it would save many a painful misunderstanding if the chief features in the agreement were always in writing4 ,properly1 the call of the church should specifically state the chief points agreed on2 but1 whether this is done or not1 the letter of acceptance should specify them distinctly4 ,the points to be thus specified are3 the time at which the pastor will enter on his work1 the amount of salary and the times of payment1 and the vacation to be allowed4 ,this should ordinarily not be less than four weeks and should be understood as fully releasing the pastor during that time from all responsibility for the pulpit and from all pastoral service4 #f4 ,the minister1 in all his relations with a church1 should exhibit a delicate sense of honor4 ,he may not encourage a call when there is no serious probability of its acceptance4 ,a church call and its declination may gratify a man's vanity and give him a temporary publicity1 but such ministerial coquetry is destitute of ,christian honor1 and in the end reacts disastrously on him who practices it4 ,it is no light thing thus to trifle with a church of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and to dishonor the ministerial office before the world4 ,,ii4 ,,obligations ,,assumed ,,in ,,becoming ,a ,,pastor4 ,in accepting a call to the pastorate of a church1 the following things are understood3 #a4 ,that the pastor accepts as scriptural the doctrine and practice of that church1 and places himself under obligation to teach and defend them2 for this is obviously a chief duty in the office of a pastor4 ,if his convictions do not permit him to uphold the doctrine and practice of the church1 he is untrue to himself and to it in accepting the office4 ,and if1 while occupying the pastorate1 his views of doctrine and practice undergo a change1 he is1 indeed1 entitled to full freedom of personal conviction and action1 but he is under obligation to resign his office2 for an essential condition on which it was conferred on him has ceased to exist1 and every consideration of honor requires him to withdraw from it4 ,it is difficult to conceive a more dishonorable position than that of a pastor who1 after having accepted the sacred office of teacher and defender of the doctrine and practice of the ,gospel1 as understood by the church1 and having subsequently undergone a change in his own convictions1 shall still retain that office only to subvert the doctrines he had placed himself under solemn obligation to defend4 #b4 ,it is understood1 also1 that he accepts the care of the souls of that congregation as a sacred trust from ,christ1 to devote himself without reserve in labor and prayer for their salvation4 ,the one great work of his life1 to which all the faculties of his being are to be consecrated1 is the salvation of those souls and the edification and perfection of that church4 ,if he accepts the office for its emoluments1 for the literary position it gives him1 or the stepping-stone to some other position2 or if he shall1 while pastor1 allow himself to become absorbed in other interests1 so as to divert his chief energies from this sacred trust in the care of these souls1 he is false to the pledge involved in assuming the pastorate1 and is guilty of a dishonorable act4 #c4 ,it is further understood that he will maintain his post amidst the adversity as well as the prosperity of the church1 as the shepherd to whom ,christ has entrusted the care of that flock4 ,our ,lord makes fidelity to the flock in danger the test of a good shepherd3 ,the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep4 ,but he that is a hireling1 whose own the sheep are not1 seeth the wolf coming1 and leaveth the sheep and fleeth2 and the wolf catcheth them1 and scattereth the sheep 7,john x4 #aa1 #ab74 ,the trials which may meet a church1 so far from justifying the pastor in leaving it1 may be only an additional evidence of his duty to remain4 ,he may not abandon1 in a time of perplexity and danger1 the flock the ,lord committed to him4 ,,iii4 ,,ordination4 ,church officers1 according to ,new ,testament usage1 are chosen from members of the church4 ,no church1 therefore1 can properly call a ,council to ordain until the person to be ordained is a member of it4 ,hence1 the first step1 after a contract of settlement1 is the transfer of membership4 ,when the ,council is organized the candidate is expected to relate his ,christian experience and his call to the ministry1 and to submit a statement of his views of ,christian doctrine1 of church organization and discipline1 and of the ordinances4 ,this statement may be either written or unwritten4 ,in any case1 it should be clear1 orderly1 and full4 ,the manner of its presentation should be arranged between the moderator and the candidate4 ,it is usually found expedient to make the statement complete1 without interruption1 and at its close submit to such questions as the ,council may have noted and may propose1 the moderator calling up each topic separately and in order1 for that purpose4 ,the candidate should also be prepared to submit to the ,council1 if called for1 his license to preach1 his certificate of graduation from the seminary1 and any other papers that may show his standing and attainments4 ,those who officiate in the ordination are usually nominated in part by the church and candidate and in part by the ,council1 but all receive their formal appointment from the ,council4 ,for the sermon and such parts of the service as require elaborate preparation1 a previous designation perhaps ought ordinarily to be made by the church or the candidate1 if the ordination immediately follows the examination4 ,in selecting persons to officiate it is evidently appropriate1 as well as desirable1 that most of those chosen should be pastors of churches in the vicinity1 with whom the person to be ordained will be most nearly connected in his work4 ,ordination constitutes one of the chief epochs in a minister's life4 ,it should1 therefore1 be preceded and attended with much self-examination and prayer1 and to be marked as a point of new and higher consecration to ,christ and ,his church4 ,the obligations then assumed in the care of souls are the weightiest that can rest on man1 and the vows then taken are made not only to man1 but also to ,god4 ,,section ,,iii4 ,,public ,,worship4 ,the interest and value of worship1 as conducted in most churches1 depend chiefly on the pastor4 ,the service is almost wholly led by him4 ,it is1 therefore1 of the highest moment not only that the sermon be thoroughly studied1 but also that his spirit be prepared to lead and elevate the souls of the people in acts of devotion2 for instruction is not the only object of the service3 it is intended to inspire and lead souls in true1 spiritual worship1 such as will be acceptable to ,god and profitable to the people4 ,three things are here specially to be sought4 #a4 ,unity of thought4 ,each occasion of worship should ordinarily have one leading1 pervading1 governing thought which shall individualize that occasion and distinguish it from others4 ,by this it is not meant that the subject should always be advertised in the hymns and ,scriptures and prayers that precede the sermon2 this might be unfortunate1 as interfering with the purpose of general worship4 ,but all parts of the service should be consistent with the subject of the discourse1 and should flow naturally into it2 if possible1 nothing should be allowed to enter which may divert from it4 ,the assembly should be dismissed filled with one subject and bearing away one great thought4 ,on this account it is usually better to exclude all other subjects1 both during and immediately following public worship1 and when a subject out of the usual order is to be presented1 such as some benevolent object1 to give up the entire service to that and concentrate attention on it4 #b4 ,sustained interest4 ,the interest should rise with the progress of the service1 and find its highest point at the close2 otherwise1 the good impressions made in the earlier part are lost in the weariness and apathy of the later4 ,failure in sustaining interest to the end may result from several causes3 7#a47 ,imperfect preparation1 so that the matter of the service is commonplace and uninteresting4 ,in this age of intense mental activity1 a want of freshness1 vigor1 and variety of thought is at once felt by the people1 and the attention is lost4 7#b47 ,defective1 monotonous delivery1 which often destroys the force of the best thought4 ,for this the only remedy is persistent training1 taken1 if possible1 under a good elocutionist2 and where such a defect exists1 to apply this remedy seems clearly the imperative duty of a man whose success in his work depends on power in public speech4 7#c47 ,wearisome protraction of the exercises4 ,few sermons hold the interest of a congregation beyond half an hour4 ,the effect of the first thirty minutes is in most cases destroyed by seeking to force attention through another fifteen or twenty4 7#d47 ,too great exhaustion of the physical and nervous force of the preacher before the service in preparing for it4 ,the pastor should secure thorough rest of body and mind before the ,lord's ,day services1 so as to come to them fresh and strong4 ,it is better to leave the sermons unfinished than to fail of this4 ,preserve at all hazards a high tone of physical vigor and a healthful1 elastic nervous organism2 otherwise1 the speaking will lack force and magnetism1 and the most able and elaborate sermon will fall flat and powerless4 ,some of the most successful preachers avoid all severe study on ,saturday1 making that a day of rest and recreation1 that they may come to their ,lord's ,day work with full nervous and physical vigor4 #c4 ,religious impression4 ,this is the chief design of religious worship1 so far as it is intended to influence men2 and however much an assembly may be interested in a preacher1 the thoughtful and judicious always feel a painful lack if the service has not stirred their deeper religious nature4 ,the pulpit may be able1 eloquent1 intellectually stimulating2 but if it does not touch these inner springs of the soul1 it has fatally failed1 and the great object of public worship has not been secured4 ,i4 ,,pulpit ,,decorum4 ,the spirit and bearing of a pastor in the pulpit have a marked influence on the tone of public worship4 ,if he is devout and reverential1 as conscious of being in the house of ,god and of bearing a message from ,god1 his manner will inspire in the congregation a like reverence for the sacredness of worship4 ,the whole service will receive tone from the spirit of its leader4 ,here ,i suggest3 #a4 ,a careless manner in the pulpit is to be avoided1 either in the posture or movements of the body1 or in handling the hymn-book and ,bible when preparing for service2 as also is the opposite fault of a manner studied and artificial1 whose stiffness and formality repel sympathy and give an icy chill to worship4 ,against both of these faults a devout1 reverential heart thoroughly pervaded by the spirit of worship will be the best safeguard4 #b4 ,in the pulpit the pastor should be1 and should appear to be1 absorbed in his work and his message2 any act on his part which creates a doubt of this destroys the value of the service to the people1 and is to be carefully avoided4 ,thus1 if1 before the opening of the service or during its progress1 he is listlessly gazing around the congregation as if occupied in mentally commenting on them1 or is engaged in conversation with some brother-minister seated with him1 the impression is inevitable that the service does not absorb him1 and his power with the people is weakened alike in his devotional exercises and in his preaching4 #c4 ,as far as possible1 all arrangements should be previously made1 so as to avoid1 during the service1 any necessity for consultations with officers of the church2 and all notices to be given should be required to be handed in to the pastor before the services begin and should be reduced to the minimum in number and length4 ,for any diversion of the attention from the service itself is ordinarily an evil4 ,in all this1 however1 it is evident that a devout1 reverent spirit1 thoroughly entering into the true idea of worship1 is of far higher moment than any formal rules2 for such a spirit will instinctively feel the proprieties of the sacred time and place and will perpetually seek to realize its own ideal of public service4 ,cowper has well said3#a ,would ,i describe a preacher1 such as ,paul1 ,were he on earth1 would hear1 approve1 and own1 ,paul should himself direct me4 ,i would trace ,his master-strokes and draw from his design4 ,i would express him simple1 grave1 sincere2 ,in doctrine uncorrupt2 in language plain1 ,and plain in manner2 decent1 solemn1 chaste1 ,and natural in gesture2 much impressed ,himself1 as conscious of his awful charge1 ,and anxious mainly that the flock he feeds ,may feel it too2 affectionate in look ,and tender in address1 as well becomes ,a messenger of grace to guilty men4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,service ,,of ,,song4 ,this is one of the most difficult1 as it is one of the most important1 parts of public worship4 ,much diversity exists in the method of conducting it4 ,whether the singing should be congregational or restricted to a choir2 whether1 in the former case1 it should be led by a choir or by a precentor2 whether an instrument should be used or only human voices1--all these questions have been differently answered4 ,my own observation is that the method adopted is of far less importance than the spirit with which the method is pursued4 ,an inferior method carefully and enthusiastically pressed will give better results than the best method poorly followed4 ,in singing1 as in preaching1 the men rather than the method determine its effectiveness1 and in any church suffering from defective singing ,i should seek rather to infuse enthusiasm and the spirit of musical culture in the singers than to change hastily any method to which they had become accustomed4 ,here1 then1 ,i suggest3 #a4 ,the pastor should feel and should manifest a hearty sympathy for the singers and an appreciation of their work2 the lack of this is a frequent cause of discouragement and disorganization in choirs4 ,he should consult with them in regard to the musical interests of the congregation1 should recognize their work as an important service done to ,christ and the church1 should express1 in public and private1 his appreciation of whatever is excellent in their performances1 and should use his pastoral influence to secure from the congregation the necessary means for such books and instruments as may be important to their success4 ,a good choir1 besides contributing the results of long previous training1 spend much time each week in practice for the service of the ,lord's ,day1 and no true pastor should fail1 or allow his congregation to fail1 in an appropriate expression of appreciation of the work thus done4 ,such a spirit in pastor and people will seldom fail to secure a well-trained and enthusiastic choir and will make the service of song a power and a blessing in public worship4 #b4 ,in the selection of hymns special adaptation to the subject of the sermon is important chiefly in the one which follows it2 the others1 especially the first1 while fittingly leading to the sermon1 should be adapted to the purposes of general worship4 ,when the singing is congregational1 regard must be had to the tunes as well as to the hymns2 for in most congregations the range of tunes in which the people can or will unite is comparatively narrow1 and the best hymn will fail with an impracticable tune4 ,the pastor1 therefore1 should carefully note the tunes which the congregation readily sing1 and make his selection within this range4 ,a few months' observation1 with careful noting of results1 will enable him to select wisely4 #c4 ,singing in public worship should be devotional4 ,it is not a musical recreation nor an artistic musical display1 but an act of worship offered to the ,most ,high4 ,the language of sacred song is often directly addressed to ,god in praise1 thanksgiving1 and prayer2 it is1 therefore1 of doubtful propriety to call for singing1 while a collection is taken up or business is transacted1 merely to occupy the time4 ,nor should the preacher1 during the singing1 allow himself to be occupied in conversation1 or in the study of his sermon2 rather he should1 if possible1 himself participate devoutly with the congregation in this act or worship1 and thus by his example recognize the devotional nature of the service4 ,,iii4 ,,reading ,,of ,,the ,,scriptures4 ,the reading of the ,bible should form a part of public worship1 both because it is the fitting recognition of ,scripture as the ,word of ,god and the church thus presents itself as reverently seeking instruction from ,him1 and because the omission of this would imply that the words of man are of higher moment than the words of ,god4 ,the ,scriptures should have a large and reverent use in the pulpit1 as the fountain of all instruction and the sole standard of faith and practice4 #a4 ,the selection4 ,here several suggestions may be made3 7#a47 ,the passage should be adapted to the purposes of devotion4 ,thus1 a selection from ,leviticus giving minute regulations in regard to leprosy1 or one made from the long genealogical lists of ,chronicles1 however instructive to the student of the ,mosaic system or ,jewish history1 might not be the most helpful to devotion in a ,christian congregation4 ,the primary end in any selection is instruction adapted to inspire devotion4 7#b47 ,the passage should be1 in its character and tone1 in harmony with the subject of the sermon1 but it need not be the passage from which the text is taken4 ,if the text has an extended connection--and an understanding of this is important to the force of the sermon--then this may be selected1 unless1 as would rarely be the case1 it is unfitted to aid devotion4 ,often1 however1 a related passage presenting and illustrating the subject of the text may be a wiser selection1 and sometimes a devotional passage having no special reference to the text may be of more interest and value4 7#c47 ,some read a selection from both ,testaments4 ,in such case the passages selected should harmonize in general teaching and tone4 ,this method has the advantage that1 while it reverentially recognizes the ,old ,testament1 it often strikingly presents the harmony between the ,old ,testament and the ,new1 and thus shows the essential unity of the ,bible as in all parts the utterance of the one ,spirit4 7#d47 ,the length of the passage selected must depend1 to some extent1 on the subject of it1 for it should1 at least in some measure1 have completeness4 ,the reading service should always occupy such prominence as to show a true reverence for ,god's ,word4 ,any abridgment of it1 such as might suggest that the preacher thought his sermon of higher moment1 would obviously be unfortunate4 ,the pastor himself1 when he knows the ordinary limit for the whole service1 can best determine the amount of time to be occupied by this part of it1 and especially as he marks the extent of the interest of the congregation in it1 for no part of worship should reach the point of weariness4 #b4 ,the reading4 ,effective reading of ,scripture in the pulpit is a comparatively rare attainment4 ,many able preachers fail in this--a failure which probably arises from an undue concentration of interest on the sermon1 and consequent want of care in preparing for this service4 ,this1 however1 is undoubtedly a mistake4 ,a correct expression in reading is the best commentary on ,scripture and is often the most effective way of developing and enforcing truth4 ,no minister should allow himself to fail of power in this4 ,the following remarks may here be of value3 7#a47 ,the passage should be carefully studied1 so that its true meaning1 not only in its general scope1 but also in the connection of its separate thoughts1 be thoroughly understood4 ,without this the emphasis will often be misplaced and the truth thus be obscured4 7#b47 ,it should be so studied that its thought shall fully permeate the mind of the reader and enlist his sympathy1 for only thus will the modulations and tones of his voice give a natural and clear expression of the passage4 ,without this sympathy a practical elocutionist may indeed develop the thought1 but his emphasis and tones will of necessity be artificial1 and he must fail to make the thought a power to touch the springs of emotion and conviction in the hearers4 7#c47 ,true expression in emphasis and tone will often be attained simply by attending to the above suggestions2 but in some instances1 false habits in reading have become so fixed that only thorough elocutionary drill can break them up4 ,in this case the duty of the young minister is plain3 he should take all possible means to remove such an obstruction to his pulpit power4 #c4 ,comments4 ,on the question whether the minster should make a running commentary on the passage while reading1 there are several points to be considered3 7#a47 ,it is doubtful whether such an interjecting of man's words among the words of ,god1 though elucidating possibly here and there an obscure point1 does not on the whole mar the impression of the passage as the ,word of ,god1 and whether the simple reading of the ,bible1 with just emphasis and expression1 is not more instructive and impressive than a reading thus broken up into fragments by interjected comments4 ,i confess that this doubt grows on me with added observation and experience1 and my impression is that in most cases the majesty and power of the ,scriptures will be most distinctly presented in a careful reading1 without commingling the words of man with the words of ,god4 7#b47 ,besides1 such comments require time1 and the practice thus tends to an undue protraction of public worship1 seriously interfering with the ,sunday-school when1 as in many places1 it immediately follows the service4 7#c47 ,few men possess the gift for such an exercise4 ,spurgeon1 indeed1 has it in an eminent degree1 and makes effective use of it4 ,this is true1 perhaps1 of some others1 but most men fail2 and if there is a failure1 it is here a most serious one4 ,my advice1 therefore1 is that1 unless a minister have special aptitude for it1 he should not attempt this form of exposition1 but in the public reading of the ,scriptures make his best effort to develop and impress ,god's thoughts in the simple1 right reading of them4 ,,iv4 ,,public ,,prayer4 ,public prayer is the worship of the church presented audibly through its representative or leader4 ,the minister gives vocal expression to the devotions of the assembly4 ,but it is more than this4 ,the public prayer not only gives a voice to the devotions of the people3 it stimulates the thoughts and desires of the assembly1 and gives direction and form to them1 so that their hearts are quickened and borne heavenward by the prayer of the leader4 ,it is here the pastor's heart touches most directly the hearts of the people1 and all the spiritual forces of his nature are felt1 inspiring1 guiding1 and helping souls in their approach to ,god4 ,power here1 therefore1 depends1 not so much on the observance of any special rules1 however judicious1 as on a soul habitually living in the ,spirit1 and thus profoundly realizing spiritual verities and sympathizing with the experiences and necessities of men4 ,a few suggestions1 however1 may be of value1 and we consider-- #a4 ,,the ,,form4--,it should ordinarily be unwritten4 ,liturgical forms are to be rejected for several reasons3 they have no example in the ,scriptures2 they did not come into use until the general corruption of worship2 they serve to repress and fetter a devotional spirit both in the minister and the people2 and they cannot be adapted to the varied1 special exigencies of the congregation4 ,but prayer1 though extemporaneous in form1 is not necessarily unpremeditated4 ,the mind should1 if possible1 be lifted into the sphere of devotion and filled with the subjects of petition by previous reflection4 ,too often the pastor is anxious only for the sermon1 and leaves the prayer1 both in matter and form1 to the moment of utterance2 and an ordinary result is the repetition of solemn commonplaces which fail to inspire and lead the devotions of the congregation4 #b4 ,,the ,,matter4--,the best materials for prayer are derived from the following sources3 7#a47 ,the devotional parts of ,scripture1 made familiar by constant study4 ,bible thoughts in ,bible imagery are best1 because so sacredly linked with the experiences of all ,christian hearts4 ,these never grow old1 and they afford endless variety and freshness4 ,the mind should be thoroughly imbued with their spirit and stored with their forms of expression4 7#b47 ,secret prayer1 constantly maintained1 with a deep and rich personal experience4 ,more than any other exercise1 public prayer is the outflow of the minister's inner life4 ,his holiest experiences1 gathered on his knees in secret1 here find unpremeditated expression1 and elevate and enrich and spiritualize the acts of public devotion4 7#c47 ,a full1 heartfelt sympathy with the life of the people1 in their temptations1 their sorrows1 their hopes1 and their dangers4 ,their pastor's life should touch the life of his people on every side1 and his heart beat in perpetual sympathy with them4 ,only thus can he truly lead them in presenting their hearts' desires before ,god4 ,the mere recluse whose life is with books and not with men1 who deals with ideas and not with experiences1 may utter an elegant1 and even an eloquent1 prayer2 but he has no power to inspire and lead souls1 in these acts of public devotion1 to come with all their needs to the ,throne of ,grace4 ,in respect to the matter of prayer1 the following cautions are to be observed3 ,avoid1 7#a47 ,frequent references to self4 ,the minister is the medium of the devotions of the people2 whatever1 therefore1 cannot properly be uttered by the assembly should not1 ordinarily1 be uttered by the pastor4 ,any intimations in the prayer respecting the pastor's health or the pressure of his work1 intended as an apology for a poor sermon or as deprecating an unfavorable criticism of it1 indicate an unmanly weakness which is unworthy of the pulpit and is quickly felt by the discerning4 ,a petition asking ,divine help for the pastor in his work is indeed eminently fitting1 for in this the assembly may naturally unite2 but when associated with an apologetic purpose1 looking only to the ear of the people1 such a prayer savors of impiety4 7#b47 ,personalities4 ,cases of deep affliction do indeed occur1 which move the sympathy of a whole community1 and in which the person or family specially afflicted may properly be directly alluded to in prayer2 and this is true1 also1 of any cases in which special request has been made for the prayers of ,god's people4 ,but beyond these limits it is seldom wise to pass4 ,compliment or criticism in public prayer is especially to be avoided4 ,the temptation to this is often great when another has preached for you2 but plainly the time and place alike make it unbefitting thus to publish the pastor's estimate of a brother-minister's character or sermon4 7#c47 ,all admonition or scolding4 ,this1 though it is clothed in the language of prayer to ,god1 is1 and will be felt to be1 intended for the ear of man2 and1 as in the preceding cases1 it is an offensive form of hypocrisy4 ,but in this case1 there is ordinarily the added element of moral cowardice2 for the man utters in prayer to ,god what he would fear1 when looking his people in the face1 to speak directly to them4 7#d47 ,a didactic1 doctrinal method in prayer4 ,this is improper alike in that it assumes the tone of instructing ,god1 and in that it is contrary to the nature of prayer4 ,for prayer is not a sermon2 it is the outflowing of religious emotion and desire toward ,god4 ,it is1 indeed a means of instruction1 but it teaches through the medium of the emotional rather than the logical faculties4 ,prayer1 therefore1 should never take the logical form1 but should ever be an expression1 not dominantly of the intellect1 but of the heart4 #c4 ,,the ,,order4--,order in the topics has many advantages4 ,it concentrates attention on one subject at a time1 thus increasing the interest of both minister and people4 ,it aids the memory1 thus avoiding the omission of necessary subjects1 and leaving the mind unconfused in recalling them4 ,an unarranged1 confused prayer1 in which the mind utters at haphazard whatever may first enter it1 must always fail of the true ends of public worship4 ,a natural and common order is this3 invocation1 adoration1 thanksgiving1 confession1 petition1 and intercession4 ,invocation recognizes dependence on the ,divine ,helper1 the ,holy ,spirit1 and implores ,his presence and aid4 ,in adoration the character1 perfections1 and works of ,god are celebrated1 usually employing largely for this the language and imagery of the ,scripture1 which in variety and beauty has here a wealth simply inexhaustible4 ,thanksgiving naturally comprehends the whole range of providential mercies which attend our earthly life1 personal1 local1 and national1 and also all those spiritual blessings which spring from the ,gospel in the experiences and hopes of the personal life1 and in the associations and helps and prospects of the church of ,god4 ,confession presents alike the individual soul1 the church as a body1 and the community in the attitude of penitence1 acknowledging its sins and failures and humbly recognizing the rectitude of the ,divine judgment4 ,petition is prayer offered in behalf of our own needs1 imploring for the individual soul and for the church1 not only providential favors1 but also ,divine illumination1 penitence for sin1 faith in ,christ1 victory in temptation1 support in trial1 growth in all the graces of ,christian character1 and success in all the efforts of ,christian labor4 ,intercession relates more distinctly to those without us--the families represented in the congregation1 the ,sunday-school and its work1 the afflicted1 the unconverted1 other ,christian congregations in the vicinity1 the community with its varied interests1 the nation and its rulers1 and the great missionary work in its various departments and spheres of effort4 ,each of these topics furnishes within itself a wide range of subjects for prayer1 and the pastor whose soul is in living sympathy with his people and his work1 if he makes proper preparation1 may give to this part of worship an endless variety and make it an exercise of immense power4 ,no one order1 however1 should be invariable1 for it leads to sameness of thought and language1 and thus has all the disadvantages of a stereotyped form1 with none of the advantages of a liturgy4 ,the order1 with the selection of leading subjects in it1 should be a matter of careful premeditation1 so that there may be variety in the general plan of the prayer1 while yet there is no omission of necessary topics and no confusion4 ,within such a general plan of prayer1 mentally prearranged1 there will still be the amplest scope for those impromptu utterances which the heart or the occasion may suggest4 #d4 ,,the ,,manner4--,this is not less important than in preaching1 and should be carefully considered1 for the danger of false habits here is even greater than in the sermon1 because in prayer the mind is less disposed to be self-critical4 ,and here3 7#a47 ,as to the posture of the body4 ,the ,scriptures sanction both standing and kneeling4 ,it should be an attitude of reverence4 ,ordinarily there should be no gesticulation4 ,the eyes should be closed1 the countenance natural and serious4 ,the speaker should remember that all eyes before him are not closed1 and any distortion or mal-expression of his countenance1 however innocent on his part1 is sure to be observed and provoke thought and comment4 7#b47 ,the language should be simple1 devout1 and scriptural4 ,all rhetorical flourishes and attempts at eloquence2 all terms of endearment and familiarity with ,god2 all accumulation of the ,divine names in one expression1 or use of frequent interjections1 as oh6 ah6 etc42 and all vulgarisms and oddities of expression1 are to be carefully avoided2 they destroy the spirit of worship4 ,the vulgar and thoughtless may applaud1 but the judicious and prayerful will be grieved2 and all such characteristics in prayer weaken the moral power of a minister and lessen his usefulness4 ,reverence1 naturalness1 simplicity1 are essential in public devotion4 7#c47 ,the tone of voice should be the natural expression of supplication4 ,the faults especially to be avoided here are such as these3 a boisterous tone1 which1 while it adds no force to the petition1 wearies both minister and hearer2 an arrogant1 commanding tone1 which is suggestive of irreverence2 and a whining1 complaining tone4 ,these false tones often originate in an unnatural position of the head1 which is thrown back1 with face turned upward2 or forward1 with face down1 and the organs of the voice thus injured4 ,throat disease among ministers is due very largely to the unnatural use of the vocal organs in prayer4 ,great care should be exercised that the position of the head and the tone of the voice be perfectly natural4 ,it is obvious that in public prayer a spirit imbued with ,divine influences is higher than all rules2 it instinctively recognizes the true proprieties of prayer2 and this1 therefore1 is chiefly to be sought4 ,nor do ,i forget that the mental and spiritual idiosyncrasies of the man must here1 as in preaching1 largely influence the manner1 and may sometimes justify in one what in another would be offensive4 ,but success in this service is so vital to the interest of public worship1 while failure is so frequent1 that a pastor should exercise constant self-scrutiny1 often reviewing his prayers to detect their defects1 and often timing them so as to know their length4 ,the young pastor1 especially1 should select some judicious1 confidential friend in his congregation who will faithfully point out defects1 and should thus1 by a rigid process of self-discipline1 secure at the outset of his ministry right habits of prayer4 ,for then while body and mind are yet plastic1 the power of a false habit may be broken1 and the man may be molded anew2 but a few years' persistence will fix the habit beyond possible change1 and ensure its weakening1 perhaps fatal1 power through life4 ,v4 ,,preaching4 ,christ is the one great theme of the pulpit2 around this all other themes gather as to their center and end4 ,paul said3 ,we preach ,christ crucified 7#a ,cor4 i4 #bc74 ,he states the message of the ministry3 ,god was in ,christ1 reconciling the world unto ,himself1 not imputing their trespasses unto them2 and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation4 ,now then we are ambassadors for ,christ1 as though ,god did beseech you by us3 we pray you1 in ,christ's stead1 be ye reconciled to ,god4 ,for ,he hath made ,him to be sin for us1 who knew no sin1 that we might be made the righteousness of ,god in ,him 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ai-ba74 ,all true preaching1 therefore1 however wide the range of its topics1 has a real relation to ,christ2 and no topic is fit for the pulpit which does not lead to ,him4 ,the themes of the preacher are essentially the same in all ages1 for the human heart1 in its depravity and needs1 does not change with changing years2 and ,god's remedy1 the simple1 primitive ,gospel1 remains ever the same4 ,the facts1 the doctrines1 the duties1 the promises1 the threatenings1 of the ,bible are the subjects for the pulpit2 none are needed beyond those supplied in ,god's ,word4 ,the effective preachers in all ages have adhered to the same great truths2 they have differed only in modes of illustrating and applying them4 ,the idiosyncrasies of the preacher and the circumstances of his times necessarily modify the form of presentation1 but the subject-matter of the ministerial message is unchangeable4 ,,sermons4 ,the ,gospel furnishes an exhaustless supply of topics4 ,every minister should1 however1 use great care to secure copiousness and variety of matter and illustration4 ,the best means are such as these3 #a4 ,the constant1 careful study of the ,bible itself4 ,its words are the words of ,god1 living and powerful4 ,they are spirit1 and they are life 7,john vi4 #fc72 and the pastor who makes this ,divine book his chief study has a mind filled1 not with the feeble1 evanescent thoughts of man1 but with the quickening1 eternal thoughts of ,god4 ,the difference is world-wide between a sermon filled with ,god's thoughts and delivered as ,god's ,word--a ,divine message to men--and one which is a philosophical discourse wrought out of the preacher's own mind1 and resting its authority on the mere force of human reasoning2 and this difference is not simply in the unspeakably greater power of the former to stir and save the souls of the hearers1 but also in the ever-increasing power of the preacher in sermon preparation1 arising from the absolute inexhaustibleness of the materials for such a sermon4 ,some able and laborious men early exhaust themselves and fail of richness and power in the pulpit because their sermons are spun out of their own brain rather than from ,god's ,word4 ,they draw from the finite instead of the infinite fountain1 and the waters necessarily fail4 #b4 ,a rich personal religious experience4 ,all hearts are essentially alike1 and he will best know other hearts who most truly knows his own4 ,the power of a pastor depends largely on his knowledge of the heart and its experiences under the influences of the ,gospel4 ,this is more than a knowledge of human nature as delineated in ,shakespeare and works of fiction1 valuable as this is2 it is a knowledge of the human soul under the power of sin and of the ,holy ,spirit1 as its experiences are delineated in the ,bible and in the religious life and are realized in his own soul4 #c4 ,an intimate acquaintance with the religious state of the individuals composing his own congregation in their special tendencies1 temptations1 and experiences4 ,almost every religious conversation will suggest new topics of living interest for sermons4 #d4 ,habitual reading of the best religious authors1 especially works on theology1 exegesis1 and experimental religion4 #e4 ,a careful preservation of texts1 subjects1 trains of thought1 and illustrations1 by noting them down as they occur4 ,these are continually presenting themselves in the social meeting1 in pastoral visits1 in reading1 and in reflection4 ,no man can afford to lose these4 ,they should be preserved to enrich and make effective the work of the pulpit1 and so preserved as to be readily utilized2 for one may have large accumulations of such materials1 but if they are not grouped under appropriate headings and made easily accessible1 they may be comparatively useless1 because eluding the search at the moment of need4 ,the subjects of the sermon have been divided into the doctrinal1 the experimental1 and the practical2 but1 in preaching1 the end is usually best attained by blending these1 or rather by presenting each truth in an experimental and practical manner4 ,this division1 however1 is correct1 as made according to the dominant1 leading idea of the sermon4 #a4 ,doctrinal sermons4 ,much is said in regard to preaching ,christ1 and not doctrine4 ,but how is it possible to preach ,christ apart from doctrine8 ,christ is not an abstraction1 but a living1 personal ,being4 ,if1 then1 we preach ,him1 we must preach ,his ,divinity1 ,his humanity1 and ,his mediatorship between ,god and man4 ,if we preach what ,he has done1 we must declare ,his humiliation1 ,his death1 and the atonement ,he has therein made for sin4 ,if we preach ,him as ,he is1 we must proclaim ,his enthronement in heaven1 ,his intercession with the ,father1 and ,his ,headship of the church1 with all the laws and ordinances ,he has instituted for it4 ,and if we preach ,him as ,he shall be1 we must affirm the final triumph of ,his ,gospel1 ,his second coming1 the resurrection and the judgment1 and the glory to which ,he will raise ,his people with ,himself4 ,it is not possible to preach ,christ apart from doctrine2 for ,his incarnation and vicarious death presuppose the ,fall and depravity and guilt of men1 and the need of regeneration1 justification1 and sanctification2 and ,his resurrection and glorification equally involve the resurrection and glorification of ,his church4 ,all the doctrines of ,scripture thus center in ,christ1 and we preach ,him only as we preach them4 ,here1 therefore1 is the true power of the pulpit4 ,only as the sermon lodges these great truths in the soul is it a living force for the salvation of men4 ,they constitute the sole foundation of genuine experience and practical appeal4 ,a merely hortatory ministry is of necessity a failure1 since it lays no basis for experience and ,christian life in the convictions of the people4 ,in presenting the doctrines the following cautions should be observed3 7#a47 ,beware of doctrinal one-sidedness4 ,every mind has its special theological tendencies2 there is thus danger of pushing a single truth1 or a class of truths1 into too great relative prominence4 ,a one-sided and1 in its whole impression1 a false view of the ,gospel may in this way be presented4 ,seek rather to unfold a well-proportioned system of truth1 where every doctrine is not only true in itself1 but also stands in its just relations1 alike of position and prominence1 to all other truths4 ,for it is possible1 while preaching nothing but the truth1 to put a truth in such false relations as to give it practically all the effect of error4 7#b47 ,avoid1 ordinarily1 the controversial form in presenting subjects2 its tendency is to put the mind of the hearer in an attitude of antagonism4 ,indeed1 a controversial sermon1 however well reasoned1 will often suggest more doubts than it removes4 ,doubtless1 controversy is sometimes necessary1 as in defense of some imperiled truth or principle2 but the controversial form1 as an ordinary characteristic of preaching1 is most seriously to be deprecated4 7#c47 ,a dry1 formal1 metaphysical method is also to be carefully avoided2 it is entirely unadapted to a popular assembly4 ,the sermon is not a theological essay2 and the preacher1 therefore1 in dealing with hungry souls1 should ever remember1 as ,john ,newton suggests1 the important distinction between bones and meat4 #b4 ,experimental ,sermons4 ,here it is vitally important to make a clear discrimination between the genuine and the spurious in religious experience4 ,the welfare and comfort of souls depend much on this1 but it is one of the most delicate and difficult parts of a pastor's work4 ,experimental preaching is sometimes decried as tending to turn the minds of the people inward upon their own hearts1 rather than upward upon ,christ1 and as thus creating a habit of morbid introspection and weakening the power of ,christian hope and ,christian life4 ,undoubtedly1 there is a real danger of this where the preaching is predominantly of this character2 and a pastor1 especially if his own spiritual tendency is intensely subjective1 must be on his guard lest he present this side of truth in undue proportion1 and thus hinder instead of helping the souls of his charge4 ,but no minister should fail to preach experimental sermons2 for nothing is more obvious than the large place experience has in ,scripture1 and the urgency and frequency of its exhortations to self-examination4 ,self-knowledge is of primary moment1 and the pulpit should be helpful to this4 ,the presentation of objective truth1 apart from the subjective1 tends to self-deception and ends in ,antinomianism4 ,the ,bible is wonderfully rich and full in its delineation of character2 and a careful study of these ,divine pictures of life will greatly aid in the work of skillful discrimination4 ,the ,psalms1 the ,prophets1 the ,gospels1 and the ,epistles abound in statements defining true and false experience1 discriminating between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the ,spirit4 ,such books also as ,edwards on ,the ,affections1 ,fuller on ,the ,backslider1 ,doddridge's ,rise and ,progress of ,religion in the ,soul1 and ,hodge's ,way of ,life are of value1 often suggesting important lines of discrimination4 ,added to these1 the study of his own heart and an intimate knowledge of the experience and character of his people will prove eminently helpful to the minister in such sermons4 ,on this ,i suggest3 7#a47 ,the spiritual principles by which the true and false experience may be distinguished should be made clear and distinct4 ,a common fault in such discourses is that they state and insist on certain exercises as characteristic of ,christian experience1 but do not show why they are so4 ,the hearers are not put in possession of the principle which makes such characteristics essential4 ,or there is a denunciation of certain exercises as not ,christian without developing the principle which demonstrates their spuriousness4 7#b47 ,avoid any attempt to make all experiences fit into the same mold4 ,religious experience has endless diversity in form1 while yet in all persons it has certain well-defined common characteristics4 ,the consciousness and acknowledgment of sin as the one hope of acceptance1 the trust of the soul in ,christ1 the submission of the will in a complete self-surrender to ,god1 then will appear with greater or less distinctness in all regenerate souls4 ,thus also1 in the experiences of the ,christian there is endless variety in form1 in special doubts and fears1 special temptations1 special tendencies to sin1 special manifestations of self-will1 pride1 self-righteousness1 and self-indulgence2 and in like manner faith and love1 hope and joy1 and every ,christian exercise have various forms of manifestation in different souls4 ,here1 then1 the point to be emphasized is that1 in discriminating between the true and the false in religious experience1 the thing of vital moment is the nature of the exercise1 and not the form or manner of its manifestation4 7#c47 ,it seems hardly necessary to add that frequent reference to self1 as setting up one's own experience as a standard1 is not only in bad taste1 but is also of bad tendency as directing from the true standard found alone in ,god's ,word4 #c4 ,practical ,sermons4 ,the symmetry and beauty of ,christian character1 and the consequent power of ,christian life1 much depend on the wisdom and fidelity with which the pulpit presents the duties of religion4 ,the ,new ,testament reveals a sublime system of ,christian morals which1 clearly unfolded and properly pressed1 will elevate and ennoble the life of the church4 ,here the pulpit has one of its widest and noblest fields of effort4 ,the education of the ,christian conscience is one of its primary and most imperative functions2 for an orthodox creed and a regenerate heart may be very possible where1 from lack of moral instruction and culture1 the life is sadly defective4 ,the soul is indeed regenerated1 but the new life is not developed in the conscience by the enlightening of the moral judgment and quickening of the moral sensibilities4 ,true ideals of ,christian living have not been formed1 and the outward character1 instead of being a magnet radiant with the beauty of holiness and attracting men to ,christ1 is marred by moral blemishes which reproach the ,gospel and repel men from ,christ4 ,the widespread demoralization of late in business life1 manifest1 too often even among ,christian men1 in the absence of integrity and of fidelity to trust1 should at least suggest the question whether the pulpit has adequately set forth and enforced the morality of the ,gospel4 ,i suggest the following hints3 7#a47 ,in presenting a duty the grounds of its obligation should be clearly unfolded1 that the conscience1 thus enlightened1 may be awakened to full power in pressing its discharge4 ,no permanent obedience will be secured until the conscience distinctly perceives the ground of obligation or the moral principles on which the duty rests2 nor does the performance of the duty1 apart from this clear recognition of the moral grounds of it1 serve to purify and elevate the character4 ,it is the enthronement of an ethical principle within the conscience1 and not the mere blind performance of an outward act1 which enlarges and ennobles the man4 7#b47 ,the motives urged should be evangelical1 not legal1 drawn from the ,christian's relations to ,christ1 appealing not to fear only or chiefly1 but to love4 ,the moral helplessness of a ,christian soul1 when acting under the impulsion only of legal fear1 is vividly portrayed by ,paul in the seventh chapter of ,romans1 where with graphic power he depicts his own fruitless strivings for the good when impelled by the law1 and the utter defeat and despair to which he was reduced4 ,christ alone is the life1 and only faith in ,him brings victory to any soul in the conflict with sin4 ,his character is the great ideal set before a ,christian soul1 and ,his love the impulsive force in seeking to realize it3 ,the love of ,christ constraineth us 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ad74 ,a true ,christian life is the outflow of grateful1 adoring love to ,him4 ,motives drawn from the soul's relations to ,him1 therefore1 alone move the ,christian heart and have permanent power to impel to ,god and holiness4 7#c47 ,ministerial fidelity doubtless requires a plain presentation of duties and a fearless exposure of sin1 but it is seldom wise to employ the style of denunciation4 ,a cheap reputation for boldness and fidelity is sometimes thus obtained among the unthinking1 but most men know that at this day denunciation from the pulpit requires no moral courage and will be likely to regard it as a sensational bid for popularity4 ,true boldness shows itself not so much in the manner as in the matter of the sermon4 ,it consists in exposing clearly and fearlessly popular forms of error and wrong1 and applying to them1 in all plainness and sincerity1 the principles of the ,gospel4 ,here1 while real boldness in manner should never be wanting1 true persuasiveness in manner should always be preserved1 thus avoiding needless irritation4 ,in the selection of subjects1 ,i suggest3 7#a47 ,the subject should be1 as far as possible1 adapted to the existing state of the people4 ,this requires an intimate1 vital relation between the life of the pastor and the actual living of the people1 for the isolated recluse will waste much of his pulpit work on subjects which do not touch the real experiences and life of his hearers4 7#b47 ,every subject should be selected with earnest prayer for ,divine guidance4 ,god alone knows what are the real needs of those who will hear2 and a theme thus chosen is delivered with authority as a message from ,him1 for a sermon is a growth with the preacher's soul1 possessing vitality and power as the product of the ,holy ,spirit2 and when thus obtained from ,god by the inworking of the ,spirit1 it becomes to the hearers a ,divine message such as should be borne by ambassadors for ,christ4 ,,exposition4 ,this method of preaching has of late years gone into disuse1 partly because success in it is really difficult to attain1 and partly because1 the ,bible having ceased to be the chief reading of the churches1 the popular interest in exposition has decreased2 but when rightly followed it has advantages1 both to minister and people1 beyond those of any other form of preaching4 ,,advantages ,,to ,,the ,,preacher4--,it promotes exegetical study and acquaintance with the original ,scriptures1 the neglect of which is fostered by an exclusively topical method4 ,the process is an ever-enriching one1 constantly widening the range of biblical and theological knowledge4 ,it ensures against sameness4 ,instead of growing stale1 the preacher becomes more rich and varied in his range of thought and illustration with every added year4 ,it gives1 moreover1 familiarity with the forms of ,scripture thought and expression1 and thus adds simplicity and force in addressing the ,christian heart4 ,above all1 it brings the preacher's soul into constant1 living communion with the spirit of the ,bible1 and the study becomes in this way a fountain of religious life ever flowing into his heart1 and out of it into the hearts of the people4 ,,advantages ,,to ,,the ,,congregation4--,it is obvious that such a method of preaching would serve to remove many of the popular doubts and difficulties with the ,bible which are at this day so greatly weakening its hold on the masses4 ,it would enable the preacher to put before the people the results of modern historic1 archological1 and geographical investigation which have thrown so great light on the ,bible and so greatly confirm its truth4 ,such treatment of the ,scriptures in the pulpit would also lead to a discriminating use of them1 as well as familiarity with them1 among the people ,it would necessarily develop the principles of interpretation1 and thus educate the people in right methods of using the ,bible1 making it of far higher value to them4 ,and1 more than all1 it would accustom ,christians to rest their faith1 not on the mere dogmas of the pulpit and the creed1 but on the very words of ,god1 and would furnish a basis of religious confidence which can never be shaken4 ,the modern pulpit1 from its neglect of the ,bible1 is singularly narrow1 exhibiting little of the vast wealth and variety of ,divine truth4 ,it leaves by far the larger part of the ,bible a sealed book4 ,its types1 its poetry1 its prophecies1 its parables1 its presentations1 as in the ,epistle to the ,romans1 of the truths of the ,gospel in their connection as one grand1 comprehensive system of salvation--how little of all this wealth of ,scripture is presented in the pulpit6 ,the result is1 and must necessarily be1 the absence of depth and fulness of ,christian life in the church and the complaint of a loss of power in the pulpit4 ,,hints ,,on ,,method4--#a4 ,the pastor should select for exposition such parts of ,scripture as are susceptible of intelligent explanation to a promiscuous congregation4 ,the symbolic visions of ,ezekiel and of ,revelation might awaken curiosity1 but except under extraordinary circumstances could hardly be profitable for such an exercise4 #b4 ,divide the selected portion into sections1 each sufficient for a sermon1 and as far as possible let each have a single general topic4 ,this secures unity in the discourse4 ,for example1 the first chapter of the ,sermon on the ,mount might be divided thus3 ,i4 ,vs4 #a-ab4 ,the beatitudes3 ,happiness1 its source not external1 but internal2 not material1 but spiritual4 ,,ii4 ,vs4 #ac-af4 ,relation of the disciples to the world3 ,christians ,god's medium of saving influence and spiritual knowledge among men4 ,,iii4 ,vs4 #ag-bj4 ,relation of ,christ to the ,old ,testament3 ,christ not the destroyer1 but the fulfiller1 of the ancient law4 ,,iv4 ,vs4 #ba-dh4 ,the law as interpreted by ,christ3 ,sin1 not in the overt act only1 but also in the secret thought4 #ast example 7vs4 #ba-bf73 ,the law of murder4 #b;d example 7vs4 #bg-cb73 ,the law of adultery4 #c;d example 7vs4 #cc-cg73 ,the law respecting oaths4 #dth example 7vs4 #ch-dh73 ,the law of retaliation4 ,the first three of the above divisions and the four examples under the fourth would each furnish a fitting passage for a sermon with a single and well-defined general theme4 ,much of ,scripture is susceptible of equally distinct division1 so that the preacher will rarely fail of unity in his discourse4 #c4 ,develop the general theme by explaining the several parts of the passage1 so as to unfold the special phase of the truth which the ,holy ,spirit there presents4 ,take1 for example1 ,rom4 v4 #a-aa4 ,here1 in the progress of the apostle's argument1 the general theme is3 ,the effects of justification by faith in the believer4 ,these effects are four3 7#a47 vs4 #a1 #b1 the perfect adjustment of his relation to ,god4 7#b47 vs4 #c-e1 the transmuting of earthly trial into blessing4 7#c47 vs4 #f-aj1 the absolute certainty of his eternal salvation4 7#d47 v4 #aa1 a delight in the ,divine character as ,god is revealed through ,christ in the atonement4 ,the several points made in the passage itself thus constitute the inspired development and illustration of the main theme and indicate the direction and method of the exposition4 #d4 ,having thus developed the theme by an analysis and exposition of the passage1 deduce the inferences as to doctrine and duty1 and make a practical application to the heart and conscience4 ,the inferential development is often very important1 as affording manifold and vital applications of truth to character1 to ,christian experience and life1 and to the various forms of error and sin4 ,nowhere is the value of expository preaching more manifest than in the wide range and the special power of its practical application4 #e4 ,avoid in exposition verbal criticism1 parade of learning1 allusion to commentators1 or reference to different views of the passage2 it impairs the interest and weakens the moral effect4 ,the critical apparatus should be carefully used in the study1 but it has no place in the pulpit4 ,it is mere scaffolding1 which should disappear when the structure is finished4 ,in the sermon the work of the study should appear1 not in its processes1 but only in its results4 ,the citing of conflicting opinions on a passage will1 as a general fact1 only perplex the people4 ,ground your interpretation on thorough and conscientious study1 and then present clearly and strongly the results4 ,a doubting manner awakens doubt2 and the pulpit1 therefore1 while avoiding an offensive dogmatism1 should be positive in its presentations of ,god's ,word4 ,a good expository sermon costs far more labor than any other1 but it is also of far higher value to preacher and hearer4 ,without thorough preparation no one should undertake exposition2 for1 superficially done1 it is sure to fail4 ,but success in this highest form of preaching is an achievement worthy of the preacher's highest effort and is of unspeakable importance4 ,the mightiest pulpit power of ,chrysostom and ,augustine1 of ,luther and ,calvin1 was in their expository sermons4 ,chalmers and ,andrew ,fuller were powerful in exposition2 and this form of the sermon is still a chief characteristic of the ,british pulpit1 as illustrated in many of its most illustrious preachers4 ,dr4 ,william ,m4 ,taylor1 of the ,broadway ,tabernacle1 ,new ,york1 gives one sermon each ,lord's ,day to exposition1 and makes it a blessing and power4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,task1 b4 ii4 ,,section ,,iv4 ,,social ,,devotional ,,meetings4 ,the practical success of a pastor greatly depends on the effectiveness of the social meetings1 yet much tact and constant attention are required in conducting them4 ,the impressions of the sermon here become deeper and often reach definite results in conversion1 while here also the gifts and spiritual power of the church find development4 ,the pastor who devotes himself only to the pulpit1 and makes this department incidental1 whatever he may become as a preacher1 is likely to prove a pastoral failure4 ,i4 ,,the ,,prayer-,,meetings4 ,in reference to these ,i offer the following suggestions3 #a4 ,the pastor himself should ordinarily conduct them if they are general meetings of the church2 no other can so fully understand the condition of those present1 or so wisely adapt the exercise to their needs4 ,besides1 the instruction and spirit of the prayer-meeting should be kept in harmony with the teaching of the pulpit1 so as to supplement it and develop its results2 one mind1 therefore1 should direct and inspire both4 ,where the meeting is intended for a special class1 as for the young people or for the ,sunday-school teachers1 it may be proper1 if there is a suitable leader1 for the pastor to be relieved and the care of it to be entrusted to another4 ,careful preparation of thought1 but of especially of spirit should be made for the meeting4 ,no man should trust to the inspiration of the occasion either for the thought which shall give the keynote to the meeting or for the quickened spiritual life which1 existing in the leader1 shall touch and quicken the life of the church4 #b4 ,be punctual in opening and closing at the appointed time2 nothing so effectually secures a prompt attendance1 and the neglect of it will prevent many from coming1 especially females1 because they cannot know how late may be the hour of dismission4 #c4 ,be brief in your own exercises1 showing yourself a pattern1 and insist on brevity in others1 whether in prayer1 remarks1 or singing4 ,let your opening remarks be suggestive rather than exhaustive1 so that when you sit down the people1 instead of feeling that all has been said1 will find the subject opening before them and be inspired to carry out the thought into other phases and applications4 #d4 ,avoid uniformity and monotony4 ,to secure natural variety1 give each meeting its own keynote1 now of thanksgiving and praise1 now of confession and humiliation1 now of ,christian hope1 and again of some great truth or some practical duty4 ,if it becomes evident1 as it sometimes will1 that you have struck the wrong key and thought and feeling are running in another channel1 throw yourself heartily into that and make the most of it4 ,if a pause occurs1 be ready with a passage of ,scripture1 a hymn or remark1 or call on individuals either to pray or relate experience1 or to state some interesting fact you may know they possess4 ,a pastor in vital relations with the people1 by his knowledge of the experiences and condition of the individuals before him1 will be able to give perpetual variety to the meetings by evoking in various ways their experience and utilizing their power4 #e4 ,in regard to the presentation of special cases for prayer1 my judgment is that this should be encouraged2 since1 even apart from the power of prayer with ,god in behalf of such cases and the answer of blessing it brings1 the special presentation itself serves to give directness and fervency to supplication and adds freshness and power to the exercise4 ,it is possible1 however1 to have too much machinery in a prayer-meeting1 making its movement mechanical and destroying spontaneity4 ,expression of interest in the subject of personal religion by rising or other forms may be so often repeated as to be worse than useless and become justly offensive4 ,in calling1 therefore1 for an expression1 great care must be taken not to overdo1 and not to do it at all unless there is good reason to expect a response4 ,a failure usually chills the interest of a meeting4 #f4 ,use all exertions to bring the gifts of the church into full exercise2 there is always a large amount of latent power which it should be the special care of the pastor to develop and make effective for ,christ4 ,this will not be done by scolding and complaining1 but rather by the diffusion of a spirit1 an atmosphere1 in the meeting--an all-pervasive1 homelike feeling--which will banish embarrassment and draw them out4 ,the timid and backward may also be helped by an occasional question1 the answering of which will accustom them to their own voices and induce spontaneous expression4 ,something also maybe done in private personal words of encouragement4 ,above all1 place distinctly before all minds the fact that in the prayer-meeting the main thing1 next to prayer1 is the interchange of ,christian experience1 and what is required1 therefore1 from each one is1 not a homily1 an exposition1 or an exhortation1 but a simple statement of what he has thought and felt amidst the experiences of life2 and1 as every soul has its own peculiar life1 it has an experience of real value as helpful and comforting to other lives4 #g4 ,make careful arrangements for good spirited singing1 but usually not more than two or three verses at a time4 ,to secure this1 if you do not yourself sing1 arrange with one or more good singers to lead whenever a pause occurs4 ,indeed1 if you are a singer1 it is often best not to take on yourself the responsibility of leading2 the care is too much1 and by distracting and exhausting your force it may diminish your power in the general guidance of the exercises4 ,do not fail to have good books1 with hymns and tunes1 in sufficient number to give all opportunity to join in the singing4 #h4 ,great care should be taken1 if the room is not full1 to have people sit together and near the leader4 ,no meeting will ordinarily be social1 in any proper sense1 where a few people are scattered in a large room4 ,attention should also be given to the ventilation and temperature of the room2 otherwise1 the meeting may fail from purely physical causes1 in spite of the best efforts of pastor and people4 ,right physical conditions are simply attempts to conform to ,god's physical laws1 and are absolutely essential to the highest success in social religious meetings2 no pastor1 therefore1 should deem them unworthy of careful and persistent attention4 ,finally1 it should be remembered that it is a social meeting4 ,divest it of all formality1 stiffness1 or sameness4 ,make it cheerful1 familiar1 homelike1 as a gathering of ,god's children in their ,father's family4 ,if this is done1 old and young will be attracted to it1 and will alike feel free to share its services4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,covenant ,,meeting4 ,this was originally called the covenant meeting because it was intended for the solemn renewal by the members of their vow of consecration to ,christ and the church1 and the church covenant was formally read in it while the members stood to express their adhesion to it4 ,of late years1 however1 the meeting is less fully attended than formerly1 and the reading of the covenant is often deferred to the opening services of the ,lord's ,supper1 that the church may be more largely represented in the act4 ,the entire omission of its reading1 as is sometimes the case1 is unfortunate1 since many thus enter the church without a full understanding of the obligations thus assumed1 and the church fails of the important stimulus to duty which this solemn reading and renewal of the covenant is adapted to furnish4 ,the following hints may be of value3 #a4 ,in a large church it is not possible1 nor is it desirable1 that all the members should speak at one meeting3 any attempt to secure this will ordinarily result either in a wearisome protraction of the service1 or in so abbreviating the communication of each as to render the exercise1 as an interchange of experience1 of very slight value4 ,some ministers lay special emphasis on the number of speakers they have succeeded in compressing into an hour2 but it is evident that if each has not had adequate time to make a true expression of his experience1 the usefulness of the exercise is seriously impaired1 if not destroyed4 ,it is not the number1 but the quality1 which gives value to the experiences related in a covenant meeting4 ,as far as possible1 however1 arrangements should be made that those not called on at one meeting may be called on at the next1 and on every occasion the meeting should be thrown open before the close1 so as to give any specially-burdened heart opportunity for expression4 #b4 ,encourage frankness and brevity4 ,if members indulge in stereotyped expressions and prosy speeches1 break up the habit by pointing out its evil4 ,many excellent ,christians whose experience1 if really presented1 would prove rich and valuable have no correct idea of what should be spoken1 and utter mere commonplaces when they might speak words of gold4 ,suppose that1 before calling on them to speak1 you address them somewhat in this way3 ,brethren1 we have met to renew our covenant with ,god and with each other4 ,we want1 therefore1 to know your heart-history since we last met at the ,lord's ,table--that is1 so far as it is proper to be known1 for some of it belongs between you and ,god alone and should not be spoken here4 ,but you have had experiences which will help and cheer us4 ,temptations have come to you--something1 it may be1 separated you from the consciousness of ,christ's presence4 ,we want to know how you got back to ,him4 ,you have had special mercies in deliverance from disease or accident1 in prospered fortune1 in friends raised up for you4 ,will you tell how these mercies affected you8 ,you have passed through trial in sickness1 in disappointments1 in the death of loved ones1 in losses and sufferings4 ,we would know how you felt under trials1 and how ,god helped you to bear them4 ,you have had special seasons of communion with ,christ1 and have received special answers to prayer2 you have found some passages of ,scripture truth or promise specially opening to you2 you have some personal friend or friends for whom you are deeply interested that ,god may save them4 ,these are the things we want to know--just what your heart has felt of late2 and if in this family gathering in our ,father's house you will tell these1 you will help us and will bring all hearts into sympathy with you4 ,such suggestions1 occasionally made1 will repress tendencies to stereotyped thought and expression1 and will educe those heart-experiences which give life and power to the meeting4 #c4 ,when there are candidates for baptism1 encourage them to speak fully and freely1 and secure1 if possible1 that they shall be heard by all4 ,after the experiences have fully come before the church1 the candidates should withdraw while their cases are under consideration1 that the investigation of each case may be unembarrassed and full opportunity be had for inquiry or objection4 #d4 ,matters of business and of discipline are1 as a rule1 to be avoided at the covenant meeting4 ,they usually divert attention from the special object of the exercise1 and often dissipate the spiritual impression4 #e4 ,do not protract the service4 ,an hour and a half is usually as long as a profitable interest can be maintained4 ,too often the benefit of the meeting is wholly lost by its tediousness4 ,a prompt beginning and an equally prompt ending are essential to sustained life in any exercise4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,inquiry ,,meeting4 ,the weekly inquiry meeting should constitute a part of the system of pastoral work4 ,it accustoms minister and people to seek and expect immediate results from preaching and ,christian labor2 and the value of this to both1 as an ever-present inspiration1 is incalculable4 ,under every earnest ministry there are always thoughtful1 anxious souls2 but it requires tact and wisdom to bring them out and come into close1 personal contact with them4 ,few ministers are aware of the extent of this latent conviction among the unconverted under faithful preaching1 or realize the importance of systematic1 effective means for developing it4 ,here ,i suggest3 #a4 ,let the meeting be held1 if not on the ,lord's ,day1 as soon after it as practicable1 that the impressions made by its services may not have time to wear away4 ,this is a point of great moment4 ,some pastors hold a meeting for prayer and inquiry immediately after the evening sermon1 while the impressions are still vivid and fresh4 ,this has sometimes proved very effective1 especially as serving to develop the conviction and make known the persons under it1 so that the pastor and church may afterward devote special labor to them4 ,at such a meeting1 however1 little more could ordinarily be done1 in personal conversation1 than a few earnest words and the noting of the address of inquirers1 with the view of following up the cases2 and this1 therefore1 would not supersede the necessity of a meeting where more deliberate conversation could be had4 #b4 ,christians should be instructed and urged to bring thoughtful persons to the inquiry meeting--the parent1 his child2 the ,sunday-school teacher1 his pupils2 the young convert1 his friends--and to regard this as a part of regular ,christian work4 ,in places where the inquiry meeting is a novelty1 its full1 effective establishment may require time2 but1 once thoroughly established1 the inquiry room will seldom lack inquirers4 #c4 ,various methods of conducting the meeting are adopted4 ,one method is to meet all the inquirers in one room and converse with them in the presence of each other1 as in a ,methodist class-meeting4 ,to make this successful1 the pastor must have ready tact and large resources1 or he will repeat himself and the meeting fail from staleness4 ,but it has this advantage3 inquirers in such a gathering are drawn into a disclosure of their anxieties in the presence of others1 and this committal of themselves to the subject is sometimes of great value in fixing impressions and leading to a decision4 ,another method is to meet them singly1 or1 if specially related to each other1 in groups1 and let the conversation be private4 ,this1 when practicable1 is generally more satisfactory1 as it gives opportunity to probe the heart more fully1 and to say much you cannot so freely say before others4 ,it is often of great value not only to pray with an inquirer1 but also to induce him to pray with you4 ,sometimes1 if you have set before him distinctly the way of salvation1 he will1 in such a season of prayer immediately following1 then and there cast himself on ,christ and make a full surrender to ,him4 ,perhaps1 however1 no one method will be adapted to all circumstances1 and the judgment of the pastor must be exercised in fixing on one suited to himself and the special exigencies of his position4 #d4 ,the pastor should be discriminating and faithful in dealing with inquirers1 for failure in this may result in a superficial experience and a false hope4 ,in such conversations he should never content himself with a mere1 vague exhortation to come to ,christ2 what the inquirer needs is definite instruction as to what it is to come to ,christ4 ,probe thoroughly1 so as to be sure that there is a genuine sense of sin1 a reliance alone on the righteousness of ,christ1 and an actual submission of the will to ,god4 ,the pastor should prepare himself1 therefore1 for the exercise with fervent prayer1 and gather1 and have at ready command a variety of ,scripture passages adapted to different religious conditions1 and of simple1 clear illustrations of the nature of repentance and faith4 #e4 ,let your conversation with an inquirer ordinarily be confidential1 so that he may not feel1 when conversing with you1 that he is talking to the town2 otherwise1 you deter many from coming1 and even with those who come you may prevent what is important to your success--a full disclosure of the heart4 ,as a rule1 also1 it is not wise to encourage an inquirer to seek conversation with many different persons3 the varied advice given confuses him and tends to dissipate impressions4 ,finally1 it is obvious that success in this exercise will greatly depend on the tact1 geniality1 and approachableness of the pastor himself4 ,if he is cold1 stiff1 and repellent in manner1 it will be difficult for him to secure the attendance and confidence of inquiring souls4 ,there may be real and deep religious anxieties1 but they remain latent from lack of power in the pastor to develop them4 ,,iv4 ,,meeting ,,for ,,examination ,,of ,,candidates ,,for ,,the ,,church4 ,no candidate should ordinarily come before the church without a previous examination by the pastor2 and notice1 therefore1 should be given when and where he will meet persons desiring to unite with the church4 ,hints4--#a4 ,the time should be sufficiently early to give ample opportunity for making inquiries respecting an applicant1 where the circumstances and character of the individual are not known4 ,in the case of minors1 consult the parents or guardians when practicable2 it is a courtesy due to them1 whatever their religious character or relations1 and is often desirable in order to a full understanding of the character of the candidate4 #b4 ,let the examination be thorough and faithful4 ,the purity of the church1 as well as the welfare of the candidate1 demands this4 ,it is far easier to arrest an application at this point than after it comes to the church4 ,the absence of knowledge even of the fundamental principles of the ,christian religion1 on the part of many who are hurried into the church1 is one of the alarming features of our time4 ,certainly1 ,christian experience is not a matter of mere blind emotion2 and we have no ground for supposing its existence apart from distinct convictions respecting ,god and ,christ and the foundation-truths of the ,gospel4 ,we are born again by the ,word of ,god2 and there can be no repentance toward ,god and faith toward our ,lord ,jesus ,christ without some definite idea of sin1 of repentance1 of faith1 of ,god1 and of ,christ4 ,it is never proper1 therefore1 to assume the fact of a ,christian experience where there is no definite ,christian knowledge4 ,the duty in such cases is to instruct1 not to baptize4 #c4 ,see that the candidate understands not only the general principles of ,christianity1 but also the distinctive doctrines and usages of the church and the specific obligations assumed in becoming a church member1 so that his profession may be made intelligently4 ,for this purpose1 have your ,articles of ,faith and ,covenant in printed form1 and place a copy in the hands of every candidate4 ,this will often prevent misunderstanding and subsequent difficulty2 and the intelligence with which the step is taken will add much to the value of the profession4 #d4 ,it is well1 when practicable1 and especially when any considerable number are to be examined1 to associate the officers of the church or some experienced brethren with you in this preliminary examination1 that the responsibility may not all fall on you4 ,for this1 though informal1 is ordinarily the decisive examination2 the church very rarely rejects a candidate understood to be approved by the pastor4 ,in some churches1 whenever a name is proposed1 a committee is appointed to hear the experience of the candidate and make necessary inquiries1 and the candidate comes before the church only after their favorable report4 ,this has the disadvantage of making public the name of an applicant and thus embarrassing the rejection1 should that be desirable2 but it has also the advantage of dividing the responsibility of the examination and relieving the pastor4 ,if a committee is appointed1 however1 ,i think it should be a standing one1 with the pastor at its head1 and the names of candidates should be presented to it before being presented publicly to the church4 #e4 ,beware of an ambition for mere numbers3 a small body of well-instructed1 earnest disciples is worth far more to the cause of ,christ than a heterogeneous multitude undistinguished in spirit and life from the world4 ,seek in this1 not newspaper publicity and laudation1 but the approval of ,christ1 building the temple of ,god1 not with perishable material1 wood1 hay1 and stubble1 but with imperishable1 gold1 silver1 precious stones1 which shall endure when the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is4 ,v4 ,,the ,,officers' ,,meeting4 ,the officers of the church are the cabinet of the pastor1 and the responsibilities and labors of the spiritual watch-care should be shared with them4 ,a wise use of these assistants will relieve him of many a burden which otherwise he would needlessly bear and will secure a much more general and effective supervision of the spiritual interests of the church4 ,for no pastor can accomplish all that needs to be done2 and if left to the church generally1 very little effective watch-care is exercised4 ,such consultation with the officers will often save the pastor from mistakes1 while the division of labor greatly simplifies and relieves his work4 ,it affords1 also1 a sphere of real usefulness for the deacons1 and serves to develop their gifts and augment their religious power4 ,hints4--#a4 ,have a regular meeting at convenient intervals--say once a month or once in two months--and let each officer be invited and made to share equally in the counsels and responsibility1 thus avoiding jealousies4 ,prepare thoroughly the business to be brought before them1 so that there may be no delay4 #b4 ,after the opening season of prayer1 read carefully the list of church members1 and let each member needing special care be definitely assigned to some one or more of the officers to give at once the necessary attention4 ,by this means any member requiring a kindly suggestion or whose position is not understood may be at once quietly reached2 and1 if in danger1 may be saved before the case has gone so far as to be beyond help4 ,if this is faithfully done1 nearly all public discipline may be avoided and the tone of church-life may be kept high and vigorous4 #c4 ,let the general condition and welfare of the church and plans for ,christian labor and church extension be here carefully considered2 for here methods for advancing ,christ's cause through the church most naturally originate and may be most wisely matured4 ,great care should be taken1 however1 that the meeting does not lose its religious tone and degenerate into a mere clique for church management4 ,it may be made1 by right guidance1 a center of religious interest and power in the congregation1 while to the pastor it secures the hearty confidence and co-operation of the trusted counsellors and leaders of the church4 ,,vi4 ,,church ,,meetings ,,for ,,business4 ,these are properly classed among devotional meetings1 because the transaction of church business should always be done in a devotional spirit and be connected with devotional exercises4 ,hints4--#a4 ,the pastor is1 ex officio1 the presiding officer in all meetings of the church1 and should ordinarily preside4 ,ruling1 presiding1 is a function distinctly assigned in the ,new ,testament to the pastoral office 7#a ,thess4 v4 #ab2 #a ,tim4 iii4 #d1 #e2 ,heb4 xiii4 #ag7--;a function which would seem clearly to include that of presiding in the assemblies of the body4 ,he should be familiar with the established rules of order in deliberative bodies2 but in applying them he should not make a parade of parliamentary rules nor ordinarily put them in the form of law4 ,an easy1 quiet1 prompt manner in presiding should be carefully cultivated3 it makes great difference in the effectiveness and despatch of business and the comfort of the church4 #b4 ,unanimity is to be earnestly sought2 but when it cannot be attained it is usual to accept the decision of the majority4 ,the reception of members1 however1 should be unanimous--certainly so far as the question relates to ,christian character2 otherwise1 members would enter whom a part of the church do not fellowship4 ,ordinarily1 objections to an applicant may be avoided by proper care in previous inquiries respecting him2 but if made1 the case should be deferred1 and a committee appointed to receive and examine the objections4 ,if the objections are evidently made in a wrong spirit1 the church should overrule them1 and the objectors1 persisting1 should be put under discipline4 ,it is evident that the careful pastor1 foreseeing such a result1 would dissuade1 if possible1 the applicant from presenting himself1 and thus avoid discord in the church1 unless this course would inflict injury on the candidate and cover up wrong in the church4 #c4 ,secure1 if possible1 a full attendance of members1 and make the meeting thoroughly religious in its tone and spirit4 ,the contempt into which church disciplinary action sometimes falls is often due to the fact that few members are present1 and the moral power1 therefore1 of the church is not behind their action1 and that the manner1 if not the spirit1 of their proceedings befits rather the secular character of a political gathering than the seriousness and dignity of a church of ,christ4 ,especially should the reception1 the discipline1 the exclusion of a member1 or the election of a deacon or a pastor be an act of solemnity1 and1 as far as possible1 be done by the whole body4 ,,section ,v4 ,,administration ,,of ,,the ,,ordinances4 ,the nature of the ordinances1 as well as the obligation of them1 should be often and carefully explained to the people4 ,this is the more necessary1 since in the popular mind superstitious ideas so largely enter into the conception of them4 ,in doing this1 several different methods have been adopted4 ,some have a preparatory lecture in the course of the week preceding the administration3 others preach on the subject either on the previous ,lord's ,day or just before the ordinance2 and others depend mainly on addresses on the occasion4 ,whatever be the method1 instruction should be carefully given1 that true views of the ordinances may prevail4 ,for want of this many church members never derive much benefit from these sacred institutions1 while some1 doubtless1 are injured by them4 ,the principles respecting the ordinances which we1 as distinguished from other denominations1 hold as biblical should not be ignored or kept in the background4 ,the restoration of these ,divine symbols to their primitive significance and form is a matter of the highest moment1 and the pastor who is silent neglects duty4 ,so far as my observation extends1 the spiritual success which has attended the ,baptists has always been connected with their fidelity to the mission ,god has given in respect to ,his truth concerning the church and the ordinances4 ,the most signal manifestations of the ,spirit in our churches1 whether at home or abroad1 have been made where the great principles ,christ has committed to us have been most faithfully proclaimed4 ,but in presenting these controverted subjects1 statements should always be made with care4 ,whatever the provocation1 we should be careful to maintain a ,christian spirit and uniform courtesy2 to be just and candid to those who differ2 and to avoid all imputation of evil motives4 ,indeed1 it is usually better to avoid the controversial form in presenting the biblical view of the ordinances1 especially at the time of administration2 but if controversy is necessary1 let it rather be presented in sermons on other occasions4 ,a distinct course of sermons on the ordinances1 carefully prepared1 is sometimes of great value for the instruction of the church and the diffusion of right views in the community4 ,i4 ,,administration ,,of ,,baptism4 ,as the act is a symbol1 the correctness of its form is essential to the representation of the truth symbolized4 ,the greatest care1 therefore1 should be used to bring out distinctly the symbol and fix all thought on that2 any defect in the administration which mars the symbol is to be deprecated4 ,the vital spiritual fact of regeneration1 or a death to sin and the rising to a new life in ,christ1 is most vividly set forth before men by the impressiveness of the symbol when properly rendered4 ,here ,i suggest3 #a4 ,care should be taken that all necessary arrangements be made for the ordinance1 in the preparation for the place for the baptism1 and the appointment of judicious committees to attend the candidates4 ,this should be done in ample season1 so that there be no haste or confusion at the administration4 ,the pastor should be promptly prepared for the service1 using garments appropriate to baptizing1 so as to be undisturbed by the water4 #b4 ,in administering1 be deliberate in movement1 leading the candidate slowly into the water with the solemnity becoming so holy an ordinance4 ,special care should be taken that the water be of such depth as to make immersion easy and effective4 ,pronounce the formula reverently1 then immerse1 taking care that the whole person is covered4 ,beyond the formula1 it is often best to say nothing during the administration2 the ordinance itself is speaking to the conscience and the heart in a voice more eloquent and impressive than human speech4 #c4 ,above all1 as you pray for wisdom and power in the right use of words to set forth regeneration by the sermon1 so ask for wisdom and power in the use of the symbol to set forth that vital truth in the ordinance1 and that ,divine ,helper whose presence you feel in the pulpit will be equally present with you in the baptismal act4 ,,ii4 ,,administration ,,of ,,the ,,lord',s ,,supper4 ,in some churches it is customary to preach what is termed an action sermon1 designed to bring vividly before the mind1 just previous to the ,supper1 the events connected with the sufferings and death of our ,lord2 and it often proves a service of great power and value4 ,with us the ordinance is more commonly preceded by a simple address designed to fix thought upon the great event symbolized4 ,whatever the method adopted1 all subjects should be excluded which may divert the mind from the one great thought of the occasion4 ,the ,lord's ,table1 therefore1 is not the place to bring up items of business1 or to reprove the church for special derelictions in duty1 or even to consider plans for church work4 ,the pastor is often tempted to use it for such purposes1 because then the members are more generally together and are alone4 ,but ,i think it is rarely done without loss1 for in this sacred service the ,lord designed that the thoughts of every soul should center on ,him4 ,the necessary acts in their order are these3 #a4 ,take the bread1 give thanks1 break1 give to the disciples1 pronouncing the words of institution4 #b4 ,take the cup1 pouring the wine1 give thanks1 give to the disciples1 pronouncing the words of institution4 ,the service is usually closed with singing1 but whether it was originally a part of the ,lord's ,supper1 or only one of the hymns prescribed in the ,passover service1 we have no means of determining4 ,the question is not important1 but a closing hymn is certainly appropriate1 and it is better to observe the custom4 ,observe the scriptural order of the acts carefully1 for any deviation will divert attention and is always painful4 ,in prayer avoid forms of expression that may convey false ideas of the ordinances4 ,thus1 we sometimes hear3 ,bless so much of this bread1 or so much of this wine1 as may be used1 as if blessing made a change in the elements1 and the administrator feared too much would be changed and the blessed elements might thus be wasted4 ,such phrases1 which have come down from the ages of superstition1 are adapted to foster among the people false ideas of the ordinance4 ,do not talk much during the administration but leave silent moments in which each heart may commune with itself and with ,christ4 ,too much talking is the common fault4 ,when ,god is speaking through the symbol1 let man keep silence4 ,this will be the more obvious if we remember that the ordinance consists of two essential parts--the presentation of the symbols of ,christ's body and blood by the administration1 and the act of partaking as the symbol of an inward act of faith on the part of the partaker4 ,if the attention1 therefore1 is held by remarks of the administrator1 the value of the ordinance may be lost to the participant from lack of opportunity for silent communion between his soul and ,christ4 ,above all1 enter yourself as fully as possible into the great idea of the ordinance1 and use all means to fix thought on that to the exclusion of all else4 ,rightly administered1 the ,lord's ,supper is one of the mightiest forces ,god has given to inspire and purify the heart and elevate the life of the church4 ,,section ,,vi4 ,,the ,,pastor ,,and ,,the ,,sunday-,,school4 ,no pastor can be permanently successful if not in sympathy with the young4 ,he must be the pastor of the children1 accessible and attractive to youth1 and must give a cordial recognition and a kindly word as he meets them4 ,as an aid in this1 make a register of their names and a careful study of their faces1 so as readily to recognize them2 and carry with you cards with ,scripture mottoes or other little souvenirs of a pastor's love and interest to leave with them4 ,the most successful ministers of the present age are1 as a rule1 active ,sunday-school workers4 ,of several eminent pastors it was written some years ago3 ,the venerable ,dr4 ,tyng1 as is well known1 attributes his great success largely to his long-continued and unwearied personal attention to his ,sunday-school4 ,he is never absent from his home school4 ,rev4 ,s4 ,h4 ,tyng1 ,jr41 uniformly conducts the closing exercises of his home school1 and also the ,friday-evening meetings of the teachers of all his four schools1 thus by indirection reaching the twelve hundred children who in turn are taught by these teachers4 ,dr4 ,howard ,crosby takes up the lesson on ,wednesday evening1 and preaches regularly to the children on ,sunday afternoons4 ,dr4 ,richard ,newton1 who has an almost world-wide reputation as a children's preacher1 takes up the ,sunday-school lesson at his weekly service1 attends his teachers' meeting1 and preaches regularly to the children of the parish4 ,dr4 ,john ,hall goes each ,sunday morning into his home school and believing in 'hand-shaking as a means of grace1' takes each teacher and scholar cordially by the hand4 ,he lectures each ,wednesday evening on the ,sunday-school lesson to a well-filled church1 the audience having long since outgrown the lecture-room4 ,he conducts in person a monthly review in his home school1 questioning each class on the lessons of the preceding month4 ,he presides at the monthly or bi-monthly sociable of the teachers of his four schools and conducts on ,saturday afternoon a ladies' ,bible class which the lecture-room is too small comfortably to hold4 ,these are1 indeed1 rare men1 but they show the wonderful power that pastors may wield by sympathy with the young1 and by wisely-directed ,bible study among them4 ,indeed1 the preparation of a ,sunday-school sermon1 by compelling simplicity of statement and aptness of illustration1 is a valuable discipline for the preparation of ordinary services4 ,hints4--#a4 ,in public address or prayer let your appreciation of the ,sunday-school as a sphere of church work and religious power be always manifest4 ,make it prominent among the subjects of prayer both in the pulpit and in the prayer-room4 ,exhort and instruct the church respecting the necessity of securing for it cheerful1 attractive rooms and an ample apparatus in music1 library1 papers1 maps1 etc4 ,the interest and liberality of a congregation in this depend greatly on the interest manifested in the pulpit4 #b4 ,use careful effort to form the adult members of the congregation into ,bible classes1 and thus connect them personally with the school4 ,this can be done to a much larger extent than is supposed1 and the results are of the highest value4 ,it enlarges the biblical knowledge and enriches the experience of the adult part of the church4 ,it brings to the school the moral support and influence of this class4 ,it is a means of holding the young as they become men and women and preventing their abandonment of the school as having become too old for it4 ,and it secures a permanent1 living sympathy between the church and the school1 thus avoiding that isolation of the school which1 in many instances1 makes it practically a separate interest outside of the church rather than within it4 #c4 ,the pastor should let his presence and personal influence be constantly felt in the school2 but if he have two sermons on the ,lord's ,day1 he should neither superintend it nor1 if possible to avoid1 consent to take a class in it4 ,it will exhaust him often before the second sermon1 and in the end may destroy his nervous power4 ,but he should be often present in the school1 talk to it occasionally1 and make the personal acquaintance of teachers and scholars1 moving among them as a friend and helper4 #d4 ,the pastor should1 if possible1 meet the teachers weekly for instruction and counsel1 carefully studying with them the lesson for the ,lord's ,day4 ,the teachers' meeting will afford opportunity for the consideration1 not of the lesson only1 but also of all the interests of the school4 ,as a preparation for this he should make himself familiar with the best methods of ,sunday-school work1 that he may wisely inspire and direct improvement4 ,or if it be thought that the helps for the study of the lesson given in papers accessible to the teachers are sufficient1 the pastor's instruction in the teachers' meeting might take a wider range1 embracing courses of lectures on the ,christian ,evidences1 the ,introduction to the ,books of the ,bible1 the ,scripture ,doctrines1 ,sacred ,geography1 and kindred subjects4 ,in this case the sphere of the meeting might be enlarged1 making it also a normal class1 in which the more advanced scholars1 as well as the teachers1 might be prepared for the teacher's work4 #e4 ,great care is to be exercised respecting the books introduced into the library2 for1 while much advance has been made in the style and adaptation of books for the young1 there are many which are not merely trashy but are positively pernicious4 ,the ,sunday-school library is an instrument of great power in forming the tastes1 the opinions1 and the habits of the people1 and it is of the utmost moment that the books be pure in doctrine and healthful in moral and religious tone4 #f4 ,the ,sunday-school concert1 in which the exercises are prepared chiefly by the school itself1 will be of great value if wisely conducted2 but care is needed to exclude exercises introduced for sensational effect which may not befit the ,lord's ,day4 ,indeed1 it is all-important that the exercise should not be degraded into a mere exhibition1 awakening on the part of teachers and scholars only a desire to produce a popular sensation and draw the crowd1 and on the part of the people a desire to be amused4 ,the devotional spirit should always be dominant4 ,but in addition to such exercises1 it will be profitable to preach a sermon statedly--once a month1 or at least once in three months--expressly to the ,sunday-school1 adapting the whole service to the young4 ,it brings the pastor and school together publicly and directly and recognizes the relation of the pastor to it as its chief instructor and guide4 ,but in the sermon1 as in every ,sunday-school address1 he should be careful that in attempting to be simple he does not become childish2 the former is necessary to success1 the latter is a common and fatal mistake4 ,finally1 the hearty co-operation and sympathy1 above suggested1 of pastor and people with the school will ordinarily avert all difficulty on the question of the relation of the ,sunday-school to the church2 for any school1 whether home or mission1 which finds itself thus enclosed within the living sympathies of the church will instinctively recognize its position as belonging to the church and under its watch-care and guidance4 ,nor will the other evil1 so widespread and unfortunate1 of the non-attendance of the school on public worship be likely to be experienced2 for the scholars1 won by the pastor's personal interest in them1 will be attracted to him and to his ministrations in the pulpit4 ,,section ,,vii4 ,,pastoral ,,visitation4 ,the care of souls is the radical idea of the pastor's office4 ,he is a shepherd to whom a flock has been committed to guide1 to feed1 to defend2 and the ,divine command enjoins3 ,take heed to all the flock1 over the which the ,holy ,ghost hath made you overseers 7,acts xx4 #bh74 ,he is to be the personal religious guide1 the confidential ,christian friend1 of his charge4 ,our ,lord1 in ,his description of the ,good ,shepherd1 said3 ,the sheep hear ,his voice2 and ,he calleth ,his own sheep by name1 and leadeth them out4 ,and when ,he putteth forth ,his own sheep1 ,he goeth before them1 and the sheep follow ,him2 for they know ,his voice 7,john x4 #c1 #d74 ,each member of his flock is a soul entrusted to his care by the ,lord2 and if true to his trust1 he is one of those who watch for souls as they that must give account4 ,paul1 when in ,ephesus1 taught not only publicly1 but from house to house2 and in his farewell charge to the elders of that city he said3 ,watch1 and remember that1 by the space of three years1 ,i ceased not to warn every man night and day with tears 7,acts xx4 #ca74 ,dr4 ,cuyler1 one of the busiest and most effective pastors in ,brooklyn1 says3 ,young brethren1 aim from the start to be thorough pastors4 ,during the week go to those whom you expect to come to you on the ,lord's ,day4 ,in the morning of each day study books2 in the afternoon study door-plates and human nature4 ,your people will give you material for your best practical sermons4 ,after an effective ,sunday work go around among your flock1 as ,napoleon rode over the field after a battle--to see where the shot struck and who were among the wounded4 ,dr4 ,taylor1 of the ,broadway ,tabernacle1 ,new ,york1 addressing theological students1 says3 ,you will make a great mistake if you undervalue the visitation of your people4 ,the pulpit is your throne1 no doubt2 but then a throne is stable as it rests on the affections of the people1 and to get their affections you must visit them in their dwellings4 ,i used to look upon my visitation as a dreadful drudgery1 but it has now become my joy1 so that whenever ,i am tempted to despond ,i sally forth to visit my flock2 and as ,i look back upon those early years in which ,i had no such gladness1 ,i am earnestly desirous to save you from blundering as ,i did4 ,dr4 ,john ,hall1 of ,new ,york1 speaking to a similar audience1 said3 ,pains should be taken that nothing prevents your making pastoral visits4 ,it is very necessary for you to know the people in their homes1 and for the people to know you4 ,the little children and the young people should know you4 ,the men should know you4 ,it is only in this way that you can get a distinct idea of the wants of your people1 and so be enabled to adapt your preaching to them4 ,do not begrudge the time thus spent4 ,in freely conversing with humble people you will get side-lights1 or particular testimony1 that will make you a stronger man and a better minister for many a day to come4 ,bishop ,simpson1 alluding to the timidity often felt by young men in regard to pastoral visitation1 gives this bit of experience3 ,i had much of this timidity when ,i entered the ministry4 ,the palms of my hands sometimes burned at the very thought of going out to visit4 ,but ,i felt ,i must go2 the church bade me go2 ,i had promised ,god ,i would go2 and as the soldier in the army walks forward timidly1 yet determinedly1 into the thickest of the fight1 so ,i went in my ,master's name4 ,if ,i could1 ,i took with me some experienced ,christian friend4 ,i spoke to the people kindly2 drew out of them their religious condition and experience2 found many a wandering one and tried to comfort many a sorrowing heart4 ,such visits made me better1 taught me to feel for the people1 and to break for them the bread of life with more fitness4 ,in a revival which followed1 out of nearly three hundred who came to the altar for prayer there were very few with whom ,i had not previously conversed1 and ,i knew how to enter into their sympathies and to point them to the ,lamb of ,god4 ,the late eminent ,president ,francis ,wayland1 in closing an earnest plea to pastors on this subject1 said3 ,if1 at last1 it be said that all this is beneath the dignity of our profession1 and that we cannot expect an educated man to spend his time in visiting mechanics in their shops and in sitting down with women engaged in their domestic labor to converse with them on the subject of religion1 to this objection ,i have no reply to offer4 ,let the objector present his case in its full force to ,him who1 on ,his journey to ,galilee1 'sat thus on the well' and held a memorable conversation with a woman of ,samaria4 ,pastoral visitation1 therefore--this personal care of souls--is an essential part of the pastor's work2 and no minister meets the responsibilities of the sacred office who neglects direct individual religious contact with his flock4 ,for the performance of this duty1 however1 it is obvious no rules of universal application can be given4 ,men differ in their characteristics and modes of working1 and each pastor will ordinarily succeed best with his own method4 ,churches differ in their circumstances and modes of life1 and a method adapted to one field may not be at all feasible in another4 ,the main points here to be kept in view are that the pastor in some way come into personal religious relations with his flock1 and that this be done by a fixed plan4 ,the suggestions made1 therefore1 will be of only a general character1 and will relate to the limits of this duty1 the method of performing it1 and the advantages of its faithful discharge4 ,i4 ,,its ,,limits4 ,in the pastor's plan of work1 how large a place should be given to pastoral visitation8 ,the pulpit1 without doubt1 has the highest claim4 ,the pastor is there surrounded by his whole flock1 and stands forth before the world as ,god's ambassador1 the accredited expositor and defender of the ,gospel4 ,no private duty can rise to the dignity and responsibility of this great public work1 and no plea of pastoral exigencies or pastoral usefulness can excuse an habitual neglect of thorough preparation for the sacred desk4 ,this is primary and essential4 ,but in the pastor's plan he should also aim to secure the visitation of every family and1 as far as possible1 every person in his congregation4 ,in most churches this could be done at least as often as once a year2 in some1 doubtless1 more frequently than this4 ,by employing system1 laying out the work carefully1 and rigidly devoting fixed seasons for its prosecution1 a large congregation can be readily visited4 ,suppose that1 in addition to those made in cases of sickness and special urgency1 six visits in regular course are made every week1 even this1 small as the number is1 in half a year would reach more than a hundred and fifty families--a number above the average of households in our congregations4 ,for this two or three afternoons each week would ordinarily be ample1 and the pastor1 by thus placing himself in living sympathy with the life of his people1 would gain far more than that for his study by the increased facility with which his sermons would be prepared and their individual adaptation to the needs of the congregation4 ,dr4 ,john ,hall says3 ,i think a minister in good health1 and doing his work easily and naturally1 should visit some on at least five days in the week4 ,i have done that for months together4 4 4 4 ,a few hours a day spent in visiting gives exercise1 bodily1 intellectual1 and moral4 ,one studies better for it4 ,there are1 indeed1 positions in the ministry in which1 from the extent of the church and the pressure of outside duties1 the pastor can do little in this department beyond the visitation of the sick and cases of special religious perplexity4 ,but these instances are rare and exceptional1 and in such churches provision ought always to be made to supply the lack of pastoral visitation either by an assistant to the pastor1 devoted to this work1 or by delegating it to competent committees charged with its accomplishment4 ,when the ,baptist ,tabernacle of ,new ,york1 then worshipping in ,mulberry street1 numbered over a thousand members1 widely scattered over that large city1 the late venerated ,deacon ,william ,colgate organized a plan by which the congregation was divided into convenient districts1 each placed under the care of a competent brother1 and it long proved a most effective organization for church watch-care and visitation4 ,there is here a further inquiry3 ,does the pastor's duty of visitation extend beyond the limits of his own congregation8 ,the answer to this must depend on the number of his flock1 his special aptitudes1 and the amount of his own strength4 ,the ,lord does not require impossibilities4 ,but whoever carefully considers that even in the rural districts of ,new ,york more than one-half the population attend no evangelical church1 ,i think1 will anxiously ask how this mass of neglecters of the ,gospel shall be reached2 and the pastor who looks down ,sunday after ,sunday on a half-filled church may well inquire whether it might not be crowded if1 instead of waiting for these careless souls to come to him1 he should go to them and carry the message of the ,gospel1 with the urgencies of an earnest1 prayerful heart1 into the bosom of their families4 ,or if this is not possible for him1 ought he not to train and organize ,christian workers in his church to make this aggressive movement on the mass of indifferentism around him8 ,the inspiring and organizing of such aggressive ,christian labor as faithful visitation from house to house are among the most important duties of the pastor1 and no form of ,christian activity is more fruitful in blessed results1 both in the higher ,christian development of the visitors and in the awakening and conversion of those who are visited4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,method4 ,here no single method can be suggested that will be adapted to all positions in the ministry1 but the following general views may be considered4 ,the pastor's visits should be distinctly understood as designed for religious conversation4 ,there are other occasions for visits of mere courtesy and personal friendship1 but here his object is to place himself in religious contact with his people--to learn their experiences1 to remove their perplexities1 to comfort their sorrows1 to stimulate their religious activities--and thus1 as one entrusted with the care of souls1 to help them heavenward4 ,the minister who passes from house to house conversing only on topics of mere secular interest neglects the great business of his life1 and in the eye of the ,master fails in the care of souls committed to his charge4 ,the visit should be religious1 but it ought to be divested as far as possible of stiffness1 formality1 sameness4 ,a sour visage and a formal style are not necessary to religious conversation4 ,the pastor comes as a ,christian friend deeply1 tenderly interested in the religious welfare of the family1 and while dealing with their souls in all fidelity1 he should use a natural1 genial1 winning manner such as to put them at ease and invite their confidence4 ,he is to study character1 and to employ his utmost tact and judgment in adapting his words to those addressed4 ,some pastors have a few stereotyped questions and exhortations which recur in every visit4 ,a process so stiff and unnatural lacks all moral power2 it is soon felt to be mere formal professionalism4 ,no duty is more delicate or tasks more fully the minister's resources than the successful management of a pastoral visit1 so as to leave a strong religious impression1 and yet secure from old and young a hearty welcome for its repetition4 ,in visitation the pastor should overlook none4 ,domestics and children1 as well as the heads of the family1 should share his attention and be made to feel that he cares for their souls4 ,nor should any family or person be overlooked or passed by1 but the visit should be strictly impartial1 made alike to the rich and the poor1 the converted and the unconverted4 ,for this reason1 it is better to have a regular course in visitation4 ,then all know that there is no favoritism1 and in their turn1 they will alike share the regards of their pastor4 ,ordinarily1 the visit should be short4 ,circumstances will necessarily to some extent control this1 but long visits almost inevitably lead to the introduction of secular topics and weaken or destroy the religious impression4 ,thoughtless persons will often importune the pastor for a half-day visit1 to be followed by a festal dinner or supper4 ,but let him beware of yielding to such importunities2 it is fatal to his work in the study1 and fatal to the religious force of the visit4 ,no earnest minister will waste his time and powers in the gossip of such a visit4 ,as a rule1 a brief visit--genial1 but to the point--followed1 when practicable1 by a brief prayer specifically bearing the individual needs of the household before the ,throne1 is the most effective1 and it leaves time to visit the whole congregation without distracting from thorough pulpit preparation4 ,a pastoral visit should be confidential4 ,no minister has the right to invite disclosures of the religious state of his people in the privacy of their families1 and then go forth to retail these conversations through the community4 ,it is the violation of a sacred trust4 ,many a pastor has thus destroyed his influence and barred against himself access to the confidence of his people4 ,if he would be trusted as the confidential adviser and friend of his charge1 let him be true to the trusts reposed in him in these visits4 ,above all1 the pastor must remember the injunction1 ,instant in season1 out of season4 ,he should make the most of opportunities4 ,in the store1 the office1 and the shop1 on the farm1 the roadside1 and the car--everywhere--he is to seek to lead men to ,christ4 ,wisely1 indeed1 he will observe the proprieties of time and place1 but he should neglect no real opportunity of conversing on vital personal religion4 ,the care of souls is his life-work1 his solemn charge1 and concern for their salvation ought continually to reveal itself in his conversation4 ,especially must he seize on opportunities to speak the earnest1 kindly word to the unconverted4 ,ordinarily1 this is better done when alone with them1 as they are then more accessible1 and the appeal comes with greater power4 ,the lack of this personal dealing with souls is one of the saddest defects than can mar the life of a minister4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,advantages4 ,the personal religious growth of the pastor is greatly aided by this direct contact with the souls of his charge4 ,in a minister's life the danger is that he may degenerate into mere professionalism4 ,he may come to study ,god's ,word and its great truths1 not with personal application1 but with respect only to the preparation of his sermons and their application to the people4 ,he may lose a vivid consciousness of his personal relations to ,god and read and think and pray with reference only to others4 ,many a pastor actually advancing in general knowledge of the ,bible and in professional power as to the composition and delivery and mental richness of his sermons is1 after all1 only retrograding in his inner personal life as a ,christian4 ,but the direct contact with individual souls in pastoral visitation brings religion before him less as a theory1 more as a living1 personal reality4 ,he deals here with religion in the concrete rather than the abstract4 ,he is the witness of its actual power to comfort in sorrow1 to strengthen in temptation1 to guide in perplexity1 to triumph in danger1 and his own soul thus enters into a more full realization of it as a living fact4 ,how often when seeking to guide another to ,christ does he himself find new access to ,him1 or when administering consolation to a dejected1 afflicted spirit do new courage and hope spring up in his own heart6 ,it develops within him broader1 purer sympathies and makes him a truer1 nobler ,christian4 ,visitation also affords the best means of studying the people in their actual life1 their characters1 opinions1 temptations1 afflictions and sins4 ,the successful preacher must be a student of men1 especially a student of his own congregation4 ,many a recluse pastor wastes the greater part of his force because his preaching lacks adaptation and practicalness4 ,his sermon1 it may be1 is faultless in its rhetoric and logic and learning and orthodoxy1 but it fails to move the people1 because it does not come within the range of their experiences4 ,it removes none of their perplexities2 it touches none of their special sins2 it discusses no questions vital in their life2 it is not ,ithuriel's spear1 to touch and expose the masked tempter charming and deluding their ears4 ,the preacher is not in sympathy with the actual life of the congregation1 and the sermon1 however abstractly true and beautiful1 does not move and bless them4 ,it is with the actual life the minister has to deal2 and the study of it in all its manifold phases1 as developed under the power of sin and grace1 is essential to the highest power in the pulpit4 ,an old ,divine used to say3 ,the preacher has three books to study--the ,bible1 himself1 and the people4 ,nor should ,i omit to say here that pastoral visitation is a mentally enriching process4 ,in the study of life and experience1 as a pastor meets them in passing from house to house1 he is ever gaining new insight into character4 ,in these conversations1 new vistas of truth open before him1 and from these visits he comes back to his study with new texts and subjects for sermons and new illustrations of experience and doctrine4 ,these pastoral visits1 moreover1 establish personal religious relations between the minister and the congregation1 and thus greatly add to their interest in his sermons4 ,they alter the standpoint of the hearer in reference to the preacher4 ,the man with whom you have wisely and tenderly conversed on vital1 personal religion cannot turn a cold1 critical ear toward you on the ,lord's ,day2 nor does he--what is equally fatal to spiritual benefit--listen as a mere admirer of your pulpit performances4 ,he has a deeper feeling4 ,he turns to you1 not merely his critical and intellectual1 but his religious1 nature1 and the words you speak1 as the utterances of one sincerely seeking his eternal welfare1 come to him with a religious power4 ,this is1 without doubt1 the secret of many a successful pastorate1 even where there has not been the aid of brilliant pulpit eloquence4 ,the pastor has established personal religious relations with his hearers1 and to them even his least elaborate sermons are clothed with sacred power4 ,brilliant sermonizing may secure popularity1 but only this personal religious contact between pastor and people secures confidence2 and a pastor's real power in producing spiritual1 eternal results is dependent on the religious confidence of the people in him4 ,these visits also enable him to meet many whom the pulpit could never reach4 ,in every community there are the aged1 requiring the supports of religion in their declining life2 the sick and sorrowing1 craving the words of ,christian consolation and hope2 and the careless1 needing the kindly invitation and warning4 ,the pastor is ,god's commissioned messenger to such1 and in these personal interviews he may adapt instruction1 encouragement1 comfort1 and admonition to each4 ,finally1 pastoral visitation is a chief means of blessing and cementing the pastoral relation4 ,of late years pastorates have become of short duration4 ,hardly is a minister settled and fairly at work before the question of a change begins to be agitated4 ,may not the decline of pastoral visitation1 so faithfully done by many of our fathers in the ministry1 be in part an explanation of this8 ,the pastor's personal religious life is not brought into contact with his people2 as the result1 their religious confidence is not won1 and his ministry is not in sympathy with their needs4 ,the only bond between them is the pulpit2 and when the novelty of his voice and manner and modes of thought has passed away1 they are tired of him and seek a change4 ,besides1 when the pastor is not faithful to the souls of his people in private1 they instinctively feel that he is not sincere--at least1 not thoroughly in earnest--in his public preaching4 ,on the ,lord's ,day he comes before them proclaiming the most solemn truths and pressing these truths with the strongest urgency1 but in the week1 he meets them and has no words of kindly invitation and warning4 ,he solemnly warns the impenitent from the pulpit of their imminent peril of everlasting burnings but meets them in their homes or on the street1 perhaps year after year1 without one word expressive of his interest for their eternal welfare4 ,such inconsistency makes religious confidence impossible1 and there is no adequate bond to bind pastor and people together4 ,but the relation of pastor and people1 as ,god ordained it1 is most sacred and enduring4 ,charged with the care of souls1 he is to move among his flock as their spiritual guide and friend4 ,the confessional1 terrible as its power for evil is1 was after all in its origin only a perversion of the pastoral institution1 based on a real and universal need--the longing of troubled souls for guidance1 help in getting back to ,god4 ,this need the pastor must meet as the confidential counsellor and helper of the individual members of his flock2 and if true to this sacred trust1 his resources of power are ever increasing1 and new bonds of sympathy hold him more firmly year by year in the hearts of his church4 ,,iv4 ,,visitation ,,of ,,the ,,sick4 ,this is one of the most responsible and difficult duties of the pastor1 for it often devolves on him the spiritual guidance of souls on the verge of eternity1 when what is said must be said at once and words fitly spoken are of supreme moment4 ,i have1 therefore1 reserved this subject for special suggestions4 #a4 ,the people should be instructed to notify the pastor when cases of sickness occur1 for he is often blamed for neglect in visiting the sick when in fact he did not know of the sickness4 ,he should make public request1 therefore1 that notice be sent to him of such cases1 with the fullest assurance of readiness on his part to respond to such a call at all hours and in all places4 ,of course1 in cases of known sickness among his own people1 a pastor will not wait to be invited1 but will call as an understood part of his pastoral duty4 #b4 ,it is always prudent to visit the sick in a rested rather than wearied state of body1 and with a full rather than an empty stomach2 the liability to contract disease is thereby lessened4 ,in contagious diseases a medical adviser should be consulted as to the best means of avoiding danger1 and disinfectants should be carefully used after the visit to avoid endangering others4 ,whether in such cases it is duty to visit no rule can be given2 the decision must be left to the convictions of the pastor and the relations and circumstances of each4 ,the words of ,van ,oosterzee1 in his ,practical ,theology1 deserve here1 however1 careful consideration3 ,the negative answer1 favored by the theory and practice of some1 finds an apparent justification in the natural desire for self-preservation and in the teacher's relation to his own family4 ,in opposition to this1 however1 stands the consideration that even the ,christian is bound to lay down his life for the brethren1 how much more the shepherd of the sheep6 and that1 in this sphere also1 loss of life in the service of the ,lord is the way to the preservation of life4 ,without doubt1 fulfilment of duty in this case may cost a painful sacrifice4 4 4 4 ,nevertheless1 the ,lord and his congregation have unquestionably the right to demand that duty take precedence of everything2 as accordingly ,luther1 in #aebg1 during the prevalence of the plague1 remained with ,pomeranus and two deacons at ,wittenberg1 and in this way answers the question formally raised by him in his tractate1 ',whether we may flee before death8' ,when1 in #aegd1 the question here put was expressly deliberated at the ,synod of ,dort1 the answer was given1 'that they should go1 being called1 and even uncalled1 inasmuch as they know that there will be need of them4' ,with what right shall the physician of souls withdraw from a task from which even the unbelieving medical man does not too greatly shrink8 4 4 4 ,the risk incurred on that occasion finds its abundant compensation in the gratitude of the flock1 the approval of our own conscience1 and the ever-renewed experience that the ,lord supports ,his servants in this school of exercise also1 and not seldom manifestly preserves them4 ,of course1 belief in ,his power and faithfulness can release no one from the duty of taking those measures of precaution prescribed under such circumstances by experience and science4 ,the question is sometimes one of the most difficult in a pastor's life1 and without doubt there is much danger that he may take counsel of timidity rather than of that faith which becomes a servant of ,god4 #c4 ,careful preparation should be made for such visits by previous study and prayer4 ,in this he is to seek a spiritual frame of mind1 to select and familiarize ,scripture passages adapted to the different spiritual conditions and needs of the sick1 to elaborate fitting trains of thought1 and to acquire brief1 simple1 and apt illustrations of the way of salvation1 thus fitting himself for the different phases of spiritual condition in the sick4 ,i hardly need add that at the basis1 as underlying all preparation1 there must be a sound judgment and a heart in genuine sympathy with the afflicted1 so that the pastor comes into the sick-chamber as a wise and sympathizing friend and is felt as such4 #d4 ,in manner it is important to be self-possessed and natural1 sympathetic and cheerful1 putting the sick at ease and inspiring confidence4 ,the voice should be tender and subdued1 but not falsely keyed and whining4 ,the visit1 except in unusual circumstances1 should be brief4 ,a neglect of these things will destroy the advantage of the interview1 and in some cases will exclude the pastor from the sick4 #e4 ,in regard to conversation with the sick1 no fixed rules can be given1 since the cases present phases so varied2 the good sense and tact of the pastor will suggest the best method in each case4 ,plainly1 the matter of first moment is a clear1 thorough1 and accurate understanding of the spiritual condition of the patient1 for without this the pastor's words may be misdirected1 or may even be wholly misleading4 ,he may administer consolation where the heart is in rebellion against ,god and needs rather kindly warning1 or he may encourage hope where the heart is self-deceived1 and ,god has spoken only condemnation4 ,an interview alone1 if it can be arranged1 will sometimes secure from the sick a more full disclosure of the heart1 and will enable the pastor to speak with greater directness and freedom4 ,if the sick person is a ,christian1 the question then becomes1 ,is he at peace1 submissively1 restfully trusting all in ,god's hand8 ,if not1 ascertain what is preventing this1 and if possible1 help the soul back to ,god4 ,if he is not a ,christian1 seek to know what prevents him from becoming one1 and lead him if possible to ,christ4 ,but use a careful discrimination1 distinguishing clearly between the true and false in religious experience1 and avoid mere loose exhortations to come to ,christ1 which leave unexplained what ,christ is1 and what ,he has done1 and what it is to come to ,him4 ,in all cases1 whether to saint or sinner1 ,christ is to be presented in ,his fulness of grace and power as the one ,hope and the one ,helper for the humble1 penitent soul1 and the thought of the sick is to be lifted and turned to ,him as a living1 present ,savior and an almighty ,friend4 #f4 ,prayer1 when practicable1 should always be offered in the sick-room4 ,in severe illness it is sometimes advisable to do nothing more than offer prayer1 and in such a case1 where the sufferer may be near eternity1 how fitting and weighty ought to be these words of petition6 ,how tender1 earnest1 direct1 should be the prayer1 bearing the case with all its priceless interests into the presence of ,god6 ,vinet strikingly says3 ,expect much from prayer--,i mean not only from its power with ,god1 but from its immediate effects on the sick4 ,we may say everything in prayer2 under the form of prayer we may make everything acceptable2 with it we may make hearts the most firmly closed open themselves to us4 ,there is a true charm in prayer2 and this charm has also its effect on us1 whom it renders more confident1 more gentle1 more patient1 and whom it puts into affecting fellowship with the sick man1 whoever he may be1 by making ,god present to us both4 ,these seasons of affliction furnish a pastor the surest access to the homes and hearts of his flock2 and rightly improved they greatly add1 not only to his pastoral usefulness1 but also to his personal hold on the affection and confidence of the families of his charge4 ,neglect of the sick and sorrowing on the part of a pastor1 or a heartless1 perfunctory manner in performing his duties to them1 violates the most sacred obligations1 and is justly felt alike by the religious and the irreligious as a reproach to him3 it must in the end destroy the power of his work in the pulpit4 ,he should use great care1 therefore1 to keep himself informed as to the sick and afflicted1 to visit them promptly and frequently1 and to come to their homes1 in the spirit of his ,master1 with the tender1 earnest sympathy of a ,christian friend1 and with the rich resources for ,christian help and consolation with which he is entrusted by ,god as a minister of the ,gospel4 ,,section ,,viii4 ,,revivals ,,of ,,religion4 ,the history of ,christianity is a history of revivals by which the work of redemption has been advanced among men2 there is all reason to suppose that it will be so to the end4 ,men dream of the ,gospel advancing with even1 steady pace to its triumph1 without the vicissitudes of decline and revival but the thought finds ground neither in the ,bible nor in church history4 ,the great revivals in the past have been epochs in which the ,christian world has risen to clearer apprehensions of ,divine truth and a higher elevation of ,christian life4 ,they have constituted the ,divine process by which the ,gospel has burst through the errors and sins of men and has found a more complete development in the consciousness and life of the churches of ,christ4 ,no careful student of church history will undervalue revivals of religion4 ,by it no means follows that a pastor is to seek success only1 or chiefly1 in these special manifestations of spiritual power4 ,for a revival ordinarily supposes a previous declension1 which it was the design of the ministry to prevent2 for they are given for the perfecting of the saints1 for the edifying of the body of ,christ 7,eph4 iv4 #ab74 ,fidelity and wisdom in the pastor may keep the spiritual forces in a church so inspired and organized that its life will not decline1 but develop and strengthen1 and its condition consequently be one of continual growth and progress4 ,such is the fact in ,mr4 ,spurgeon's church4 ,as one mingles in its assemblies and observes its manifold and thoroughly organized activities1 the preaching and devotion1 the spirit and life1 resemble what is seen in a powerful revival of religion4 ,the ,holy ,spirit is continually present1 and there is no cessation in the work of conversion4 ,toward this ideal a true pastor will be always working2 and where it is attained a revival will mean1 not a recovery from declension1 but an acceleration in spiritual advancement and a mightier display of the ,spirit's power in the conversion of men4 ,but in the ordinary manifestations of ,christian life religious declension is often a marked and painful fact1 and the pastor should seek the best methods for promoting a revival4 ,here it is of primary moment to remember that a genuine revival is the result of the presence of the ,holy ,spirit3 without ,him there may be excitement1 but there can be no spiritual movement4 ,it is not by might1 nor by power1 but by ,my ,spirit1 saith the ,lord 7,zech4 iv4 #f74 ,a deep sense of this is essential1 and all thought and feeling should be turned to the invocation of ,his presence2 but the ,spirit works through human agencies and according to the laws of the human mind4 ,the use of appropriate means1 therefore1 is also essential4 ,here ,i suggest3 #a4 ,christian life in the people will seldom rise above the spiritual level of the pastor2 it is1 therefore1 of primary moment that the minister's own soul be in the ,spirit--humble1 fervent1 and believing4 ,noise and zeal and declamation and management can be no substitute for the ,holy ,spirit in the soul4 #b4 ,as a revival of life in the church is ordinarily the condition of an awakening among the unconverted1 the preaching at first should be specially adapted to search the experience and life of ,christians1 and lead to increase in personal holiness and personal activity4 ,the church is the light of the world 7,matt4 v4 #ad71 and the power of the ,gospel on the world depends on the clearness with which this light shines4 #c4 ,seek to promote faithful personal conversation on the part of ,christians with their unconverted kindred and friends4 ,it is sometimes useful to organize committees to visit religiously from house to house in the congregation4 ,it is obvious1 however1 that great care should be taken both as to the personnel of such committees and as to the method of their work4 #d4 ,meetings should be multiplied as the interest manifested will justify4 ,continuous meetings concentrate attention on the subject of religion1 fix impressions which otherwise might be evanescent1 and lead to religious decision4 ,the block may seem unaffected by a single blow1 but a succession of blows on the same point cleaves it4 #e4 ,the mode of conducting special meetings must be determined by the existing indications of the ,spirit and providence of ,god4 ,if gifts abound in the church1 it is often better not to have additional preaching1 but to continue social meetings1 taking care to give variety1 in their tone and form4 ,if preaching is necessary1 the question whether an evangelist is to be sought1 or help obtained from neighboring pastors1 or the pastor himself should preach1 must be determined by the circumstances4 ,all these methods have proved useful4 ,if assistance is sought1 care should be used to secure a man of right spirit and practical wisdom4 ,the question may arise3 ,ought a series of meetings to be commenced when there is no special religious interest apparent8 ,i reply3 ,it seems to me that certainly equal reasons exist for the appointment of continuous meetings to awaken interest in the subject of religion1 as for the appointment of such meetings to awaken interest in temperance1 politics1 or science4 ,the same mental law is invoked in all such cases--viz41 that continuous attention to a subject causes the mind to become interested and absorbed in it and rouses the will to act respecting it4 ,now1 as the ,holy ,spirit works in the soul1 not contrary to the constitution ,god has given to the mind1 but in accordance with it1 the interest thus awakened by continuous attention to the religion of ,christ would seem to furnish the natural conditions for the ,spirit's work4 ,and as the ,gospel of ,christ is the most important subject to which the attention of men can be called1 there would seem to be the highest reason for the application of this mental law by appointing continuous meetings in order to fix men's attention upon it4 ,in protracted meetings1 however1 there are sometimes serious evils1 which a pastor should carefully avoid4 ,of these ,i mention3 #a4 ,a mere man-made excitement1 in which the effort is rather to inflame the religious feelings than to enlighten and strengthen religious conviction4 ,such an appeal to the emotional1 apart from the rational1 nature results ordinarily in a disastrous reaction in the direction of indifferentism and skepticism4 ,many a field has been burnt over by these pseudo-revivals1 and they constitute the most difficult fields for ,christian labor1 because religion has thereby been put under contempt4 #b4 ,a protracted meeting entered on for secondary ends1 as to pay off a church debt or to strengthen the position of an unpopular pastor4 ,where a revival is sought without dominant regard to the glory of ,god and the salvation of souls1 the effort is a failure4 #c4 ,a tendency to dependence upon protracted meetings to the disparagement of the ordinary means of grace4 ,great care is needed to guard against this1 as it is destructive to the tone and effectiveness of church-life4 ,the pastor1 in prayer and sermon1 should be careful to keep prominent before the people1 not the revival as the great hope of ,christian life and progress1 but the right us of the usual1 constant means of grace4 ,some ministers habitually speak as if the work of ,god in conversion and sanctification were restricted to seasons of revivals1 and the effect is pernicious4 ,to avoid this false reliance on special services1 it is well not to appoint them at any stated intervals1 or to push them in any way into special prominence4 #d4 ,in the reaction which occurs after the extreme nervous tension of a protracted meeting1 guard against relapse in the converts4 ,in the life of a plant the period of greatest peril is when it is transferred from the hot-bed to the ground1 for1 missing the warmth and protection of the bed1 and exposed to the cold and storms of the open field1 it will inevitably droop and wither and die1 unless carefully tended4 ,the most difficult and arduous work of a pastor is after a revival in the care and instruction of converts1 when the unusual stimulus to ,christian activity is withdrawn2 and it is just here that the evils exist which are commonly charged on revivals and evangelists1 but which in reality result from remissness in the pastor and church4 ,the converts should be introduced at once into the ,sunday-school or ,bible class1 and should be made personally acquainted1 as far as possible1 with the members of the church4 ,where the number of converts is large1 the pastor might privately request some judicious experienced members to give them special attention1 quietly handing to each a list of those thus specially commended to his or her friendly notice and care4 ,a place and a work for each of the converts should also be sought2 this is very important to their comfort and development4 ,,section ,,ix4 ,,cultivation ,,of ,,social ,,life ,,in ,,the ,,church4 ,the development of a true ,christian life in the church depends much on the social influences which1 like an atmosphere1 pervade and envelop it4 ,these1 therefore1 the pastor should seek to inspire and control4 ,as far as possible1 the membership should find their society within the church--not in a spirit of clannish exclusiveness1 but on the principle that the higher bond of spiritual affinity1 which binds them as a church to one another and to ,christ1 involves1 as a natural consequence1 the lower bond of social affinity1 so that the church is the natural sphere of the soul's activities1 social as well as spiritual4 ,to make the social life of the church strong1 healthful1 enriching1 such as render it a magnet to attract other souls1 is of primary moment in a pastor's work4 ,i suggest two ways in which this may be done4 #a4 ,personal effort to promote mutual acquaintance in the congregation by introducing strangers1 and by securing for them those attentions which will naturally draw them to the church as a home4 ,see that they meet a cordial welcome at the public meeting1 and also socially by the calling of members at their homes1 and by extending to them social courtesies and kindnesses4 ,a watchful pastor may do much to secure this by personal suggestion4 #b4 ,social gatherings in the church1 in which the people shall have opportunity for acquaintance and for the exercise of the social feelings4 ,these differ in plan4 7#a47 ,they are sometimes purely social1 in which the object is conversation1 music1 and such forms of recreation as may be innocent and healthful4 ,the tact of the pastor will here be required to give the right tone and spirit to the gathering1 to promote general acquaintance and sociability1 and to guard against doubtful forms of amusement4 7#b47 ,they sometimes add to the social the literary element1 and a part of the time is occupied with readings1 recitations1 essays1 poems1 and the discussion of subjects in history1 biography1 general literature1 and science4 ,these1 when carefully managed1 are often of great value in advancing the general culture and intelligence1 and in calling out1 especially in the young1 talents which would otherwise be undeveloped4 ,the successful working of such an organization of course presupposes broad intelligence in the pastor and not a little careful thought and labor4 7#c47 ,sometimes the object is not only social and literary1 but also missionary1 and the exercises consist in part of reports on missionary work1 home and foreign1 correspondence with missionaries1 and essays on the lives of eminent missionary characters and topics relating to the missionary enterprise4 ,the organization might also engage in different forms of actual mission work1 such as mission ,sunday-schools1 religious meetings at destitute points1 and personal labor1 young men among young men1 young women among young women1 to bring them to church and otherwise help them in entering and prosecuting a ,christian life4 ,the social element is so mighty a force that no pastor can afford to ignore it2 nor should he imagine that it will take care of itself1 for1 left unguided1 it will almost certainly take a false direction and destroy much of his work4 ,his true position is as its inspiring leader1 thus linking its power to those forces which shall ensure his success4 ,hints4--#a4 ,the pastor1 ,i think1 should ordinarily hold no official position in these organizations1 but should stand related to them simply as pastor1 and as thus the general head of all church organization2 and he should be felt not so much 7if at all7 in the assertion of his authority as in the way of quiet suggestion and inspiration4 #b4 ,in all social life there will necessarily be different social centers1 caused by naturally differing social affinities1 and it is unwise to attempt to break this up4 ,but care should be taken that these social centers do not take on the exclusiveness of cliques with party spirit and jealousies1 and that the aristocratic element does not develop itself to the discomfort or exclusion of the poorer classes4 ,these tendencies1 always present1 should be carefully held in check4 #c4 ,every house of worship should have a church parlor1 or some room which can readily be converted into one4 ,this should be furnished attractively1 and supplied with musical instruments1 pictures1 and other means of culture4 ,if a reading-room and library can also be connected1 it adds much value in the increase of intelligence among the people4 ,a church will readily furnish funds for this purpose if properly instructed2 for parents1 aside from the advantage they personally derive from such an arrangement1 will feel the advantage to their families of a church social life so strong and attractive as to draw and hold the children to the associations of the church in preference to the associations of the world4 ,,section ,x4 ,,the ,,pastor ,,as ,,an ,,organizer4 ,one chief function of a pastor is to develop and utilize the spiritual1 mental1 and social forces of the church4 ,there is in every congregation much latent force1 which needs to be developed1 alike for the growth and usefulness of those who possess it and for the results it might secure for the church and the world4 ,the minister is1 in this respect1 a general to whom troops are entrusted2 his work is to train and organize and lead4 ,the troops are to fight3 he is to inspire and direct the battle4 ,some hardworking pastors take on themselves burdens which it were far better to lay on the people--better for the pastor1 in leaving him free for other work1 and better for the members1 in calling out their gifts4 ,indeed1 one of the strongest bonds which bind a church together is the consciousness of being mutual workers1 each having a post of duty and a share of responsibility4 ,no member should be left in a purely receptive attitude--a mere attendant and listener--but each should have a place and a work assigned him4 ,that church attains the truest and highest growth in which every member is a worker under the stimulus of a consciousness of responsibility and of a useful sphere of activity4 ,much of the imperfection of church-life is due either to the fact that this latent force is undeveloped1 or1 if developed1 is misdirected4 ,here ,i suggest3 #a4 ,a pastor should carefully study his people with the view of ascertaining and utilizing their special aptitudes and gifts4 ,the prayer-room1 the ,sunday-school1 the teachers' meeting1 and the pastoral visit all afford constant opportunities for this4 ,one may show aptitude for teaching and may be entrusted with a ,sunday-school class4 ,another has the weight of character and the tact of leadership which fit him for conducting a neighborhood prayer-meeting4 ,another has the solid judgment and clear discernment of character which will make him useful on a committee of discipline or finance4 ,another1 though possibly not marked in exhortation or prayer1 may have social qualities such as admirably qualify him for managing the details and arrangements of the social gatherings of the congregation4 ,a pastor who will constantly act on the motto1 ,a place and a work for every member1 and will press this motto on those who conduct the different departments of work in his church1 will soon find himself at the head of an active1 living1 and ordinarily happy people while yet he is not personally overburdened with the details of church-work4 ,in some instances of eminent pastoral success1 the chief secret has been in this power of developing and utilizing the gifts of the church4 #b4 ,the organization of associations within the congregation for different departments of work is another means of developing and utilizing the spiritual forces in the church4 ,i have spoken in another place of literary and missionary organizations1 but ,i may here add that an association for ,christian work composed of young men in a church1 and a similar one for young ladies1 may often prove of great value--the one to act among young men1 to attract and hold them to the church2 the other for like service among young women4 ,to such associations might be entrusted also mission ,sunday-schools and distinct spheres of missionary effort4 ,in a large congregation it is often desirable to organize committees for the care of the sick and the poor1 and the visitation of strangers needing to be invited and welcomed to the congregation1 and of erring and sinning ones needing to be won back to holiness and the church of ,god4 ,in most places it is useful to have committees for the general visitation of the field occupied by the church1 each committee being entrusted with a distinct district in it and made responsible for its cultivation4 ,in neighborhoods remote from the church much good is often secured in local prayer-meetings placed under the supervision of some judicious person4 ,a thoughtful pastor1 thoroughly supervising his field1 will find constant work1 and manifold forms of it1 in which he can utilize either individuals or organizations in his church2 and in doing this there is a double blessing--that which comes to the workers1 in making them larger and happier ,christians1 and that which comes to those for whom they labor4 ,two things1 however1 are here to be observed3 7#a47 ,organizations should not be so multiplied as to conflict with the general meetings of the church or with each other4 ,each should subordinate its arrangements to those of the church1 and each should have its own separate1 distinctly-marked sphere4 7#b47 ,they should be kept under the pastor's supervision and subject to his guidance4 ,it will be readily seen that this supposes care and tact on the part of the minister4 #c4 ,it is important that in this development of the forces in a church the pastor should mark those cases among the young in which special promise of intellectual ability appears and should inspire and direct them toward a higher education4 ,intellect is a gift of ,god3 it is criminal to leave it undeveloped4 ,be thoroughly alive to this fact and impress it on the people4 ,you will see young men and young women in your congregation who might1 with adequate intellectual culture1 occupy positions of power in life1 and carrying into those positions a ,christian character as well as a cultivated intellect might exert a wide and beneficent influence for ,christ in the world4 ,it seems to me one of the highest duties of a pastor to foster in such minds a desire and purpose for an education1 and to facilitate in every possible way the attainment of that end4 ,he should perpetually stimulate the people to a larger and higher intelligence1 and never be satisfied unless numbers of the youth of his church are in higher institutions of learning4 ,a failure to develop his people intellectually is a discredit to any minister4 #d4 ,another important end to be secured is the development of ministerial gifts4 ,the prayer-meeting1 the ,sunday-school1 and the general work of the church will commonly1 but not always1 make these manifest4 ,sometimes a very diffident young man may possess them1 but only encouragement will develop them4 ,a pastor should be on the watch and should take occasion to call out the latent power4 ,a few kindly words of encouragement have often developed a man of ultimately wide usefulness4 ,besides this class1 there is much talent in the church that could be utilized in lay-preaching1 where men of good speaking and spiritual knowledge1 without relinquishing business pursuits1 might be employed at destitute points to proclaim the ,gospel4 ,a pastor's care is needed in seeking out and setting at work these gifts for lay-preaching1 and thus multiplying the agencies for evangelization around him4 ,,section ,,xi4 ,,funeral ,,services4 ,funeral services bring the pastor into most tender and influential relations to the families of his congregation1 but they are also among the most perplexing and difficult parts of his work4 ,warm sympathy must here be combined with wise discretion1 or he may destroy at the funeral the effect of his most faithful teaching in the pulpit4 ,here ,i suggest3 #a4 ,ordinarily1 it is better to avoid a formal sermon at funerals4 ,it unnecessarily protracts the service1 often to the serious discomfort of the people1 while it overtasks the minister both in the preparation required and in the performance of the duty4 ,in case of the death of some person occupying public station or official position in the church a sermon may be proper1 but even then1 it is usually better to deliver it on the following ,sunday in the church4 ,sometimes also1 in districts remote from the place of worship1 where the people seldom hear preaching1 there may be an advantage in a full sermon4 ,but commonly a service at the house1 brief1 simple1 tender1 will secure the best results4 ,this usually consists of the reading of a selection of ,scriptures1 an address1 and a prayer4 ,singing is added1 if desired by the bereaved family and singers are available4 #b4 ,eulogies of the dead should be very sparingly indulged and should in no case be made a prominent feature4 ,for much eulogy1 even of confessedly good qualities in the deceased1 will almost always provoke remembrance of any opposite qualities he may have had1 and will thus fail of its object4 ,besides1 if eulogy forms a marked feature in a minister's funeral addresses1 the omission of it1 when ministering at the funeral of one whom he cannot conscientiously eulogize1 will be embarrassing to him1 and will often give offense to the friends4 ,an analysis of the character of the deceased at such a time is a very delicate and difficult task1 and it should not be undertaken except in those comparatively rare cases where the character has been so conspicuous for its high qualities that the moral judgment of the community instinctively recognizes it as a fitting model4 ,great care should be exercised1 also1 in regard to expressing1 in the address or prayer1 an opinion as to the spiritual character and destiny of the deceased4 ,a minister1 in the fervid sympathy evoked by the occasion1 is sometimes betrayed into forms of expression such as only ,omniscience may rightfully use4 ,it is1 indeed1 his right1 at the interment of one whose ,christian character has been well attested1 to assume that ,god's promises have been fulfilled1 and to speak gratefully and joyfully of the blessedness of the pious dead2 but in so doing he should speak rather with the confidence of hope than with the assumption of an absolute knowledge of the secrets of the heart4 #c4 ,the subject-matter of the address will often be suggested by the special circumstances connected with the deceased or the occasion4 ,apart from these1 many general lines of thought will suggest themselves to the thoughtful pastor4 ,of these the following may serve as hints3 ,the fulness of power in the ,gospel to prepare for death1 in its renewing1 justifying1 and sanctifying grace2 ,the blessedness of the ,christian beyond death1 as admitted into the immediate presence of ,christ and into the purity and associations of that holy place where ,he dwelleth2 ,the glorious resurrection of the dead as the completing act of redeeming power and the ultimate goal of the ,christian course2 ,the certainty of the ,christian's hope1 as based on the promises of an unchanging ,god1 contrasted with the uncertainty of all earthly expectations4 ,or special phases of truth and sources of consolation may be presented in the informal development of some passage of ,scripture4 ,thus3 ,the sympathy of ,christ with the sorrowing1 as seen at the grave of ,lazarus and on other occasions2 ,the certainty that affliction is not accidental but is ordered in the infinite love and wisdom of ,god2 ,the compassion and tenderness of ,god1 as seen in that ,he doth not afflict willingly2 ,the high and blessed results ,he intends in affliction2 ,the brevity of earthly sorrow and the eternity of heavenly joy4 ,subjects adapted to such occasions will continually suggest themselves to a pastor who is in living1 personal sympathy with his congregation2 and it is wise to note them down as they occur and carefully preserve them4 ,at the funeral of an unconverted person the selection of a subject is sometimes difficult2 for here the minister1 while he must needs be a son of consolation to the bereaved1 is also under obligation to be faithful to the ,gospel and to the souls of men4 ,he may not suggest1 even by implication1 a hope respecting the deceased which neither his sober judgment nor the truths he preaches allow him to feel2 nor may he pursue a line of remark adapted to weaken a conviction of the solemn truth that a personal acceptance of ,christ and a humble following of ,him in this life are absolutely essential to salvation2 for in so doing he would be inconsistent and untruthful4 ,it is equally evident1 also1 that in such a service1 where he stands as a minister of consolation1 it is not his duty to aggravate the sorrow of the bereaved by specially emphasizing the fearful doom of the unbeliever4 ,perhaps the general course of thought for such occasions would be found in topics which relate to the brevity and uncertainty of life2 the way of salvation in the ,gospel2 the rectitude and tenderness of ,god's providence2 the refuge for the afflicted in the sympathy and salvation of ,christ--topics which1 while necessitating no allusion to the spiritual character and state of the deceased1 yet afford ample scope for presenting the nature and urgencies of the ,gospel and the true sources of consolation for the bereaved4 ,whatever the topic1 the spirit and manner should be dictated and pervaded by a genuine sympathy for the sorrowing1 and a hearty appreciation of whatever was excellent in the character and life of the deceased4 ,though not a ,christian1 he may have been a valuable citizen1 a just and generous man1 a true and unselfish friend1 a good husband and father4 ,if any personal remarks are made1 such characteristics may properly be recognized on such an occasion as honoring his memory and rendering his death a loss to the world4 #d4 ,the service at the grave should ordinarily be brief1 as the people are standing1 and the circumstances of the place render an extended service undesirable4 ,some pastors use here some one of the printed manuals of burial services1 others read from ,scripture1 or repeat from memory1 a selection of passages relating to death1 the grave1 and the resurrection1 and others make a brief address4 ,whatever the method adopted1 the service should be carefully prepared1 and should vary in its form1 in order to secure in this1 as in all services1 variety and adaptation to the occasion4 ,the service is closed by the apostolic benediction1 prefaced sometimes by a few words of prayer4 #e4 ,it is desirable to visit the family in which death has occurred before the funeral services1 both to express your sympathy in the affliction and to learn any facts respecting the deceased and the arrangements for the funeral that may be necessary for you to know4 ,the pastor should here have the character of an adviser and friend4 ,in all arrangements for the funeral it is better1 in general1 to conform to the customs of the community2 but so far as he may use influence in regard to these1 it should be in favor of inexpensive simplicity and against ostentatious display4 ,costliness and display at funerals constitute in many communities an evil of such serious proportions and consequences that the ministry should decidedly set their face against it2 for1 established as an inexorable custom1 it often augments and perpetuates the sorrow of a death in the family by creating debt and pecuniary embarrassment which remain for years to come4 ,it is also important to visit the family soon after the funeral to administer further consolation1 and to follow up any good impressions which affliction has made4 ,this is often one of the pastor's best opportunities1 as the heart is then tender and susceptible to religious influences4 ,it is in these dark hours of adversity that the ,gospel is felt in its saving1 consoling1 helping power in the soul1 and the pastor here should work with ,providence1 carefully improving the opportunity4 ,,section ,,xii4 ,,cultivation ,,of ,,the ,,missionary ,,spirit4 ,the importance of a deep1 all-pervading missionary spirit in the church can hardly be overrated4 ,its value is not to be estimated only in the work done and the money raised for the spread of the ,gospel1 but also in the enlarged and enriched life of the church itself1 and the higher and nobler type of ,christian character it thus presents to the world4 ,a pastor who fails in this is failing at once to make his church a power for ,christ in the world1 and to secure within it the fulness of life which ,christ intended it should possess4 ,to develop and foster a missionary spirit in the church requires1 as a first necessity1 the presence of such a spirit in the pastor himself4 ,without this no method1 however excellent1 will be likely to succeed2 but with it the spirit of missions will not appear merely on special missionary occasions1 but will pervade all his public utterances in the pulpit and the prayer-room4 ,it will diffuse itself as an atmosphere of life through the whole congregation1 and1 inbreathed1 it will impart vitality and power to the whole body4 ,but1 added to this general influence1 a fixed method of labor for this is desirable1 and in regard to this ,i make the following suggestions3 #a4 ,a regular system of contribution for benevolent objects1 taken either by subscription paper or by public collection or in boxes conveniently placed for receiving the funds4 ,it is the custom of many churches to divide the year into four or six periods1 devoting two or three months1 as the case may be1 to each of the benevolent objects2 and this has often proved successful4 ,whatever plan is adopted1 it should secure regularity of contribution1 and should reach the whole congregation1 old and young1 rich and poor2 otherwise1 only the few will contribute1 and the blessing connected with self-denying giving will be lost by the mass of the people4 #b4 ,a missionary sermon at least as often as the recurrence of these periods4 ,in these sermons the great principles of benevolence should be developed and enforced1 and the leading facts in the different departments of ,christian work spread before the people4 ,it is not necessary or desirable to preach a begging sermon with sensational incitements to give4 ,in fact1 our ,lord's great principle1 ,it is more blessed to give than to receive 7,acts xx4 #ce71 suggests that giving should be presented1 not as a duty chiefly1 but rather as an exalted privilege whose reward is in itself4 ,properly prepared1 the missionary sermon may be made a most attractive feature in the pastor's public work2 and if steadily kept in view and materials carefully preserved for it as they occur in his reading and reflection1 the preparation will not be difficult4 ,a special note-book1 preserving thoughts and illustrations for missionary sermons1 will rapidly fill up with a pastor who reads with method and care4 #c4 ,the monthly missionary concert of prayer4 ,this is of vital importance1 because here the missionary spirit of the church finds devotional expression4 ,the pastor makes a serious mistake who fails to maintain this or allows it to be regarded as of minor moment4 ,no meeting is capable of being made more effective for his home work than the monthly concert1 properly conducted4 ,in regard to this ,i offer the following hints3 7#a47 ,it is not necessary to restrict the sphere of the meeting to foreign missions1 but there are important advantages in allowing it to embrace all departments of evangelization1 home and foreign1 through the different branches of work--in the pulpit1 the school1 and the press4 ,thus one evening might be devoted to the condition of the freedmen at the ,south and the work in progress among them1 educational and missionary2 another to the work of home missions on the frontiers of civilization at the ,west1 developing the leading facts respecting the vast immigration into those new regions1 the needs of ,christian workers there1 and the kind of work there to be performed2 and another to the ,karens or ,assamese or ,chinese1 or other division of the foreign work4 ,the meeting would thus be highly educative by the whole range of its information1 and would promote a broad intelligence in the membership1 while the breadth of the field would afford an unfailing variety of vital subjects to interest and hold the people4 7#b47 ,in opening1 the pastor might present a brief survey of the whole field1 selecting only events of special interest and incidents adapted to impress them4 ,this might be followed by one or more papers or statements1 from selected members of the church or congregation1 on the special field chosen for the evening1 or on some prominent laborer in it1 the time of the speaker or reader being carefully limited4 ,this would leave ample time for prayer1 which is the main purpose of the meeting1 and for such spontaneous utterances as might be made by the assembly4 ,the hints above suggested are necessarily imperfect and general1 for every church has its peculiarities1 and the pastor must often adapt his methods to theirs4 ,but the object to be attained1 the missionary development of the church1 is of the highest moment1 and he should study methods with the fixed purpose of reaching1 in some way1 that end4 ,,section ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,pulpit ,,and ,,the ,,press4 ,in the olden time the ,bible formed the chief reading of ,christian congregations1 and the pulpit occupied the place of power in popular instruction4 ,this is now changed4 ,the newspaper1 the magazine1 the popular novel1 the multitudinous products of the press1 crowd the ,bible from its former place even in religious families1 and the platform and the press rival the pulpit as vital educative forces in guiding and controlling popular thought4 ,it is useless to declaim against this2 it is one of the great facts of providence connected with our age and life2 but the wise pastor will carefully consider what he can do to control this inevitably potent force of the press1 and make it a help instead of a hindrance to his work2 for with proper supervision this vast power may be made a most beneficent auxiliary to the pulpit4 ,here ,i suggest3 #a4 ,the pastor should aim to secure in every family a good religious newspaper4 ,this is a matter of primary moment1 for such a paper is an ever-present force1 educating religious thought and feeling and enriching and elevating practical life4 ,most pastors would be startled1 on making the inquiry1 to find how few families in their congregation take a religious paper1 and how many are taking only trashy and often morally poisonous publications1 the habitual reading of which must utterly neutralize the instruction and influence of the pulpit4 ,the magazine and newspaper are the habitual reading of the family circle2 and the pastor who fails to exercise watchful care in regard to the character of this reading will often find it one of the most destructive forces at work among his people4 #b4 ,the intelligent and thoughtful minister1 in his public and private work1 will often call the attention of his people to good books1 and use his influence to introduce them4 ,his people1 pressed under secular care and toil1 are most of them not in a position to judge of the value and tendency of the literature offered to them2 and they rightfully look to him1 as an intelligent and studious man1 to guide their judgment in the selection of reading4 ,the ,sunday-school library also should be carefully selected under his eye and secured a wide circulation4 ,in a large congregation it may sometimes be of advantage to have a reading-room and a circulating library1 placed under the care of some association2 and over this also the pastor's watchful supervision will be required4 ,he should also provide himself with tracts--brief1 simple1 pungent1 clearly setting forth sin1 redemption1 repentance1 faith1 and ,christian duties--such as may awaken the careless1 guide the inquirer1 and press to duty the hesitant ,christian4 ,these little winged evangels are most valuable auxiliaries in his pastoral work and should be kept for judicious circulation in the inquiry meeting1 in pastoral visitation1 and in seasons of revival4 ,as issued by our ,publication ,society1 they are now of such wide variety and high value1 and of such slight cost1 that no pastor should allow himself to neglect a means so important to his success4#a #c4 ,the subject of reading and books should also be presented in the pulpit that the great importance of care in this may be felt1 and the purity of the homes of the people be guarded against a pernicious influence of a poisoned literature4 ,many a ,christian parent has never been aroused to the real peril in which he is placing his family by the reading he thoughtlessly admits to the home circle4 #d4 ,a pastor should also seek to inspire and elevate the public sentiment of the community where he is located in regard to schools1 lyceums1 libraries1 and public lectures1 so as to secure pure and ,christian influences at these important fountains of public opinion and character4 ,as an educated man and a ,christian minister1 this duty naturally devolves on him2 and his influence1 rightly and quietly used1 may often determine the question whether the schools shall be under ,christian or non-,christian instruction1 or whether the lecture-course shall be filled by men who revere ,god's ,word or by those who hate and traduce it4 ,no minister ought to be indifferent to the public sentiment around him2 for it is the intellectual and moral atmosphere in which his people live1 and which must needs tend either to poison or to purify their souls4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,it would be well were every church to see that the pastor is furnished with a sufficient supply of such publications4 ,some churches are accustomed to make regular provision for this object4 ,they believe that the soldier should not be expected to purchase his own ammunition4--,,editor4 ,,section ,,xiv4 ,,relations ,,to ,,other ,,denominations4 ,the pastor's position and work bring him into contact with other ministers and churches in the community1 and his comfort and usefulness will to some extent depend on the esteem and confidence with which he is regarded by evangelical ,christians outside of his own church4 ,he will find many of the noblest ,christian men and women in churches differing in name from his own1 and he should seek to maintain with them the most frank and cordial relations4 ,this is especially important as regards the pastors1 since1 when relations of mutual affection and confidence exist1 the ministry in any community can be eminently helpful to each other1 and by combining their counsels and influence can often greatly advance the religious interests of the whole people4 ,i suggest1 therefore3 #a4 ,do not isolate yourself1 standing aloof from the general ,christian community1 but seek the acquaintance of all good men4 ,show a friendly1 cordial spirit and a readiness for all offices of kindness1 alike in the relations of social life and on those public occasions when all ,christians gather for united counsel and worship4 ,in such a course you will find the love and sympathy of the ,christian community attracted to you1 greatly augmenting your comfort and influence1 and giving added power to your public work4 #b4 ,such friendly relations among ,christians of differing views involve of necessity a full recognition of their common ,christian character and a hearty accord1 each to the other1 of sincerity and purity of motive in their church position4 ,this a just self-respect requires you to insist on for yourself1 and this1 in the spirit of genuine charity1 you should freely accord to others2 such a position is consistent with the most full and free expression of your denominational sentiments and the most earnest defense of them4 ,it simply requires that amidst the different opinions of ,christian men there should be a charitable judgment of each other's character1 and a careful abstinence from language that might reflect on the motives of those who differ4 ,it is1 ,i think1 the common fact that the genuine respect and confidence of any ,christian community are most fully secured by that pastor who1 while always decided and earnest in the expression and defense of his denominational convictions1 is also always careful1 in the spirit of true charity1 to recognize the sincerity and integrity of those whose convictions may be opposed4 #c4 ,an occasional exchange of pulpits by the evangelical ministers in the community has many advantages4 ,it is a public recognition of the substantial unity of ,protestant ,christendom4 ,it gives to the minister a wider audience than if always limited to his own congregation1 thus enlarging his acquaintance and tending to secure for him the interest and confidence of the whole people4 ,it is sometimes a relief1 enabling him to make use of former pulpit preparations when specially pressed by the exigencies of pastoral work4 ,in such an exchange it is obvious that courtesy and comity require that the minister should conform to the usages of worship observed in the congregation where he is thus officiating1 and that the subject presented should belong to the ,gospel as held in common by evangelical ,christians1 and not to matters controverted among them4 ,in this1 as in all relations with other pastors and churches1 the minister should observe with scrupulous delicacy the requirements of courtesy and honor4 #d4 ,union meetings are sometimes held by churches of different denominations for the promotion of a revival of religion1 during the progress of which each church is expected to waive its distinctive peculiarities and all unitedly press on men the claims of the common ,gospel4 ,such a union of effort has undoubtedly proved useful among feeble churches and in neighborhood meetings remote from large centers of population2 for there1 from the paucity of numbers and gifts1 all the ,christian forces must needs be concentrated in order to maintain the interest4 ,in such meetings every consideration of honor requires that the subjects presented should be restricted to those common truths of the ,gospel in which all are united2 a departure from this is always to be deplored4 ,among strong churches1 however1 where gifts abound1 the utility of such a union is more doubtful2 indeed1 it is questionable whether there are not positive disadvantages4 ,for1 7#a47 ,the members of the participating churches in such a meeting are placed under unusual circumstances which often serve to repress rather than develop their activity1 and thus the labor falls on only a few more prominently gifted persons2 whereas1 a meeting in which the responsibility rested on only one church would have drawn into active work the mass of its members1 and secured to it the blessing which such general activity brings4 7#b47 ,according to the ,baptist faith1 the ordinances of the ,gospel vividly set forth ,divine truth before men1 and in the experience of our churches their administration is commonly attended by the convicting power of the ,holy ,spirit in the consciences of those who witness them4 ,but in a union meeting these cannot be administered1 or even alluded to1 without impropriety1 and this element of power is lost4 7#c47 ,it is not unfrequent1 at the close of such meetings1 that the efforts of such churches to secure members from the converts result in friction and unkind feeling--an evil sometimes more than counterbalancing the good done in the temporary union4 ,while1 therefore1 it is not denied that union meetings have sometimes been useful1 as a general thing they are not desirable4 ,a church will ordinarily develop more effectively its own gifts and its own spiritual power by working alone and in accordance with its own principles and methods4 ,it allows its light to shine most fully and clearly only when it steadily teaches and defends whatever of truth it has learned by the teachings of the ,word of ,god4 ,at the same time1 its relations to the other churches in the community will1 in the long run1 be far less likely to be embarrassed and embittered4 ,,section ,,xv4 ,,change ,,of ,,field4 ,instability in the pastoral office is the common fact and every pastor1 sooner or later1 meets the question1 ,shall ,i change my field8 ,one cause of this is to be found1 doubtless1 in the restless spirit of the age1 which is impatient with the old and ever clamoring for the new4 ,this is specially the case in our country and is one of the natural results of rapid growth and a widely-diffused spirt of enterprise4 ,i4 ,,evils ,,of ,,change4 ,the evils of a change of field are many and serious and only the most imperative reasons will justify a pastor in making it4 ,for1 #a4 ,it involves a serious loss in the pastor's working capital1 for the confidence and love of a congregation1 which a true minister acquires1 constitute a chief element in his power4 ,these1 however unlike mere popularity1 are only slowly acquired2 but1 once secured1 they add immensely to the value of his public and private work4 ,but this advantage is all relinquished on leaving the field1 and must be again slowly acquired at another post4 ,a pastor's power also to benefit a people by a wise adaptation of his work to their character and needs must depend largely on his knowledge of them2 but in making a change this is lost1 and can be regained only by similar study of a new congregation4 #b4 ,few ministers widen their range of original investigation after their first pastorate4 ,at the first post they are compelled to push out into new lines of thought1 but in a new field the temptation to use old subjects1 if not old sermons1 often proves irresistible1 and their life-thinking is likely to move round in the same narrow range4 ,pastoral change often thus checks intellectual and theological growth4 #c4 ,this restless expectation of change also discourages broad1 comprehensive plans for the instruction and development of the church1 and tempts the minister to aim exclusively at immediate results4 ,hence1 his sermons are largely sentimental or sensational1 confined within a limited range of topics1 and the development of church-life is correspondingly dwarfed4 #d4 ,the marked decline in public respect for the ministry is probably in part a result of this feverish restlessness1 which weakens confidence in them as men of high1 unselfish purpose1 and compels a community to regard the minister no longer as a permanent force in its life1 but rather as a transient sensation4 ,,ii4 ,,inadequate ,,causes ,,of ,,change4 ,many causes operate to unsettle a pastor which ought not to produce that result2 indeed1 some of them1 if rightly interpreted1 would have served rather to strengthen than to dissolve the pastoral relation4 ,thus1 #a4 ,mental depression4 ,a sedentary1 studious life often induces abnormal nervous conditions1 and the hypochondriac misinterprets the feelings of the people and underestimates the results of his ministry4 ,a change is in consequence resolved on1 which subsequent developments show to have been wholly unnecessary4 #b4 ,the loss of popularity4 ,this is often due to real defects in the character and work of the pastor1 and its true remedy is not a change of field1 but a correction of his faults4 ,imperfect preparation has1 perhaps1 made his sermons commonplace and his pulpit a failure4 ,or he has failed to cultivate executive1 pastoral1 and social power1 and1 as a result1 the church is not in effective working condition1 and no bonds of personal sympathy and affection bind pastor to people4 ,or there are imperfections in his spirit and life1 and these forbid confidence and respect on the part of the congregation4 ,in all such cases a loss of popularity does not indicate so much a change of field as a change in the spirit1 plan1 and work of the pastor1 for these defects would in any field soon lead to the same result4 #c4 ,difficulties in the church4 ,such trials enter more or less into every minister's lot1 but they may be no indication of duty to change4 ,the trial may be sent as a discipline1 designed to develop1 through faith and patience1 a nobler character and higher power in the pastor4 ,change in this case is only a cowardly running away from duty1 and consequent failure to gain an intended blessing4 ,many a disruption of the pastoral tie1 it may be feared1 is thus only a shrinking from trial and intended discipline and results only in loss to pastor and people4 #d4 ,ambitious seeking for distinguished position4 ,there is an unhallowed ambition which1 unsatisfied with advancement through natural growth1 is ever restlessly seeking1 by newspaper notoriety1 sensational sermons1 and influential friends1 to secure prominent places in the ministry4 ,a vacant pulpit in a conspicuous church is usually beset by many such ambitious aspirants for place and notoriety4 ,it is hardly necessary to suggest that such a spirit is at the farthest possible remove from the genuine spirit of the ,christian pastor2 and in the end it reacts disastrously on the reputation of him who indulges it1 for self-seeking and pretense are sure1 sooner or later1 to be exposed4 ,,iii4 ,,valid ,,reasons ,,for ,,change4 ,a change of field is doubtless sometimes the duty of a pastor1 and the providence and ,spirit of ,god1 which guided him in forming the pastoral relation1 will make equally plain the obligation to dissolve it4 ,some of the reasons which may require a change are the following3 #a4 ,growth in pulpit and pastoral power beyond the scope of the field4 ,a young man has settled1 perhaps1 in a circumscribed field4 ,fidelity in study and labor has developed him1 so that his capacity plainly fits him for a wider sphere4 ,if this is made evident by the judgment of his brethren and the providence of ,god1 he is required by duty1 alike to his own life-usefulness and to the cause of ,christ1 to enter the wider field opened before him4 #b4 ,the necessities of health in himself or family4 ,the severity of the draft made in this age on the intellect and nerves of the minister may sometimes compel change so as to obtain relief by the more free use of previous pulpit preparations4 ,this1 though unfortunate for the intellectual growth of the minister1 is still to be chosen rather than broken health4 ,or the climate may prove unfavorable1 and on this account a change be demanded4 #c4 ,inadequate salary4 ,the pecuniary support may be insufficient for the growing needs of the pastor1 and a new post with larger salary may be opened to him4 ,here1 however1 great care must be taken in scrutinizing motives1 for a wealthy church and a large salary have glittering attraction and appeal strongly to mere selfishness4 ,the need of a larger income must be real1 not fancied4 #d4 ,permanent discomfort and embarrassment in his work4 ,a minister1 even after the most conscientious discharge of his duties1 will sometimes find controlling influences in the church arrayed against him1 or his cherished plans of church work defeated by counter-counsels2 so that the pastor and permanent and influential members of the church are in relations wholly incompatible with comfort or efficiency4 ,now1 if these relations cannot be altered1 it would seem clearly his duty to leave1 and to enter a field where his relations will be congenial and his labors unobstructed4 ,finally1 ,i suggest3 ,a pastor must expect trials in any church1 and commonly1 in a change of place1 he will only find a change in the form of trial4 ,it is a serious question whether in most instances of change a simple faith in ,god1 a patient forbearance1 and a persistence in faithful work would not have avoided the necessity and added much to the strength of the pastor in the higher development of all the forces of his intellectual1 moral1 and spiritual nature1 and in the enlargement of his influence as a minister of ,christ4 ,certainly1 the unrest so widely seen now in the ministry argues a great wrong somewhere1 either in pastors or in churches1 and is serving to deteriorate the character and weaken the influence of both4 ,,section ,,xvi4 ,,ministers ,,not ,,in ,,the ,,pastoral ,,office4 ,all ministers are not called to the pastorate2 and it is sometimes the duty of those who were once called to that position to leave it and enter a different department of ministerial work4 ,in the ministry which the ascended ,christ gives ,his church1 besides pastors1 there are evangelists and teachers--terms designating important classes of ministers permanently existing in the kingdom of ,god4 ,a brief characterization of these1 and of the functions with which they are charged1 may properly be presented here4 ,,first1 ,,evangelists4 ,of this class1 ,philip1 ,barnabas1 ,apollos1 ,timothy1 and ,titus are examples in ,scripture--men having no permanent1 local charge1 but commissioned to preach and administer the ordinances of the ,gospel wherever the ,spirit and providence of ,god might call4 ,these men were engaged1 for the most part1 in work analogous to that of our foreign and home missionaries--preaching the ,gospel where it was not already preached1 organizing churches1 and supervising them in their incipiency while yet feeble and struggling4 ,it is probable1 also1 that at times their work resembled that of those men called1 in a narrower sense1 evangelists--men engaged in assisting pastors and churches in special services for the promotion of revivals of religion4 ,possibly1 ,barnabas1 when sent by the church at ,jerusalem to labor in the great awakening at ,antioch1 may be conceived as acting in such a capacity1 as also ,timothy when left in ,ephesus by ,paul to hold in check certain heretical tendencies in that city 7,acts xi4 #bb-bd2 #a ,tim4 i4 #c1 #d74 ,evangelists1 therefore1 may be considered under the following classifications3 ,i4 ,,foreign ,,missionaries4--,in considering the question of duty to enter the foreign field1 the first inquiry necessarily relates to qualification1 since without this no mere desire or emotion in regard to the work can have any weight4 ,as among the more obvious requisites for the missionary work the following may be mentioned3 #a4 ,a sound body4 ,most of our mission-fields are in the ,east1 in an enervating climate1 and under conditions such as severely test the vigor of the physical constitution4 ,no person already enfeebled by disease or seriously predisposed to disease should venture into the foreign field1 as the probabilities would all be against his ability to labor there4 ,on this point1 it is obvious1 skilled medical advice should be sought4 #b4 ,common sense4 ,the practical administration of the affairs of the mission1 temporal as well as spiritual--its building1 its finances1 its business contracts and relations1 the whole management--usually falls upon the missionary1 and requires large practical tact and sagacity4 ,in a new field he has no reliable advisers and must depend on his own judgment in deciding on all the temporal concerns of the mission4 ,in the older fields1 while some of the business cares may be devolved on native helpers1 he must still move among the native churches as a practical and influential adviser1 guiding their affairs1 settling their difficulties1 and correcting their mistakes4 ,an unpractical1 visionary mind1 however scholarly and brilliant1 is obviously unfitted for such a position4 #c4 ,facility in learning to speak in a foreign tongue4 ,a foreign language1 and most of all an ,oriental language1 is difficult to acquire1 especially so as to use it readily and fluently in common speech4 ,some men of good abilities have here failed in the foreign field1 and1 though useful perhaps in other departments1 have never been effective in preaching4 ,there should be1 at least1 an ordinary aptitude for language sufficient to ensure that with persevering effort the man will be able to master and use the vernacular of the people4 #d4 ,power as a preacher4 ,preaching1 among the heathen as elsewhere1 is the grand means of evangelization1 and the conditions of power in it are everywhere essentially the same4 ,the missionary must be apt to teach1 with a ready command of his faculties for argument and illustration1 and a mastery of the art of putting things4 ,in the conversational method of preaching in heathen lands1 he is often obliged to meet in popular argument acute and profound reasoners1 when his defeat before the people might prove a serious check to the ,gospel4 #e4 ,faith1 energy1 and perseverance4 ,at these outposts of ,christianity a timid1 wavering spirit1 faint-hearted and irresolute1 will be sure to fail4 ,courage1 determination1 energy1 alone will achieve permanent results4 ,carey and ,judson waited years with unfaltering confidence for the first convert1 and without substantially the same elements of character no man will succeed in pioneer work4 ,in deciding on the qualifications of a young man1 however1 it is to be remembered that he is as yet1 in many respects1 undeveloped1 and qualities now present only in the germ and tendency will often in the actual work reveal themselves in marked power4 ,abroad1 as at home1 circumstances and emergencies develop the man4 ,no young man1 therefore1 may hastily dismiss the question of a personal call to the foreign field on the ground of disqualification4 ,rather1 he should carefully study his own character1 and seek counsel of those best fitted to judge his capabilities1 that in deciding a question of such moment he may act deliberately1 with a full and impartial view of all the considerations1 and with a clear conscience1 always recognizing the danger that unconsciously to ourselves our selfishness is likely to magnify the reasons adverse to a missionary life and underestimate the force of those in favor of it4 ,the nature of the missionary work and the manner of its prosecution ,i shall not here consider3 these will be found very fully presented in the work of the late lamented ,rev4 ,m4 ,j4 ,knowlton1 ,d4,d41 ,the ,foreign ,missionary1 and in that of ,rev4 ,dr4 ,rufus ,anderson1 entitled1 ,foreign ,missions1 their ,relations and ,claims4 ,the position of a missionary is in some respects one of great delicacy1 and requires on his part the most careful circumspection4 ,here may be mentioned3 #a4 ,his relation to the ,missionary ,board at home4 ,charged with the administration of the funds entrusted to them by the churches1 the ,board must of necessity exercise a certain measure of supervision and guidance in the conduct of the foreign work4 ,the exact line of demarcation between the authority of the ,board and the independence of the missionary in directing movements is not always easy to discover1 and without a spirit of gentleness1 forbearance1 and concession the most serious complications may arise4 ,in the expenditures of the mission1 also1 the keeping and rendering of an exact account are of the utmost moment1 so as to avoid even the suspicion of wastefulness or malappropriation4 ,the rule of ,paul is here1 as in all financial trusts1 the only safe one3 ,being careful of this1 that no one should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us2 for we provide for what is honorable1 not only in the sight of the ,lord1 but also in the sight of men 7#b ,cor4 viii4 #bj1 #baa74 #b4 ,his relations to the native pastors and churches are also of great delicacy4 ,in the older missions the work of the missionary is largely that of general supervision of the native churches4 ,but in this the missionary may not exercise an arbitrary power4 ,he is not a bishop with authoritative episcopal power1 subjecting the pastors under control and ignoring the independence of the churches4 ,rather1 his power is moral1 and his work is to train the churches and pastors for the independent exercise of their respective functions4 ,he should1 therefore1 carefully guard against an arbitrary spirit or any methods of procedure which could militate against the just independence of pastors and churches4 ,it is a distinguished proof of the high character of the noble men who have gone out as missionaries that1 while in these and other respects their relations are of such delicacy1 difficulties between them and the home ,board have so rarely arisen1 and the churches they have trained so fully exemplify in their character1 organization1 and working the simplicity and independence of the churches of the ,new ,testament4 ,,ii4 ,,home ,,missionaries4--,most of these are pastors of new or feeble churches1 and their position differs from that of ordinary pastors only in the fact that their support is derived in part from some missionary organization1 and that they are under consequent obligation to render a report of their work to the body which thus aids in sustaining them4 ,some of them1 however1 are engaged in purely itinerant ministerial work in the waste places of our cities1 or in newly-settled or unevangelized parts of our country1 visiting from house to house1 preaching as ,providence may give opportunity1 organizing ,sunday-schools1 and forming churches4 ,few positions demand more force of character1 soundness of judgment1 intellectual ability1 indomitable energy1 and self-sacrificing devotion4 ,among the men occupied in this work are some of the noblest and most devoted servants of ,christ4 ,their duties1 however1 being in most respects the same as those of ordinary pastors1 do not need here a separate treatment4 ,,iii4 ,,revivalists4--,in all ages gifts have been bestowed specially adapted to the awakening and conversion of souls4 ,these gifts may not1 and sometimes do not1 fit the man for the pastoral office1 but as supplementing a pastor's gifts they are often of high value4 ,the revivalist may not always possess the learning and teaching power of the settled pastor2 he might perhaps fail in the qualities essential to the continuous guiding1 organizing1 and governing of a church2 but in power to make vivid the truths and impressions already received by the people1 to develop hitherto latent conviction1 and to press men to a definite and avowed religious decision1 he may be specially gifted4 ,some pastors eminent in teaching and pastoral qualifications lack the awakening power1 and thus it is often true in the spiritual work that one soweth and another reapeth4 ,in such cases the revivalist comes as a reaper1 with special gifts for ingathering1 where the long and patient toil of the sower and cultivator has preceded him and has already prepared in the souls of the people the ripening spiritual harvest4 #a4 ,the relation of the evangelist to the pastor1 in special religious services1 is always one of great delicacy4 ,the most frank understanding and cordial co-operation between them is of the highest moment4 ,much care1 therefore1 should be taken not to encroach on the prerogatives of the pastoral office1 or to lessen the estimation in which the pastor is held by the people4 ,there is sometimes danger of this4 ,the sermons of the evangelist1 limited as they are in number and frequently repeated1 not only have the attraction of novelty to the people1 but are often spiced with a fulness of anecdote and delivered with a freedom and force which the pastor's cannot possess1 by reason of the different and wider range of subjects which he must discuss and the far heavier and more extended draft made on his resources4 ,the less thoughtful hearers will contrast what seems to them to be the comparative dullness of the pastor with the freshness and spice of the evangelist1 and the pastor unjustly suffers4 ,among the converts also there is often a special attraction to him who had been the immediate agent in their conversion1 while the long and patient toil of him who had probably prepared the way for that final step is overlooked or disparaged4 ,plainly1 it is the duty of the evangelist to recognize and hold in check these tendencies1 and to strengthen in every possible way the pastor's position in the convictions and affections of the people4 ,he may thus render his work a permanent blessing in the churches by making it the means of cementing the relation of pastor and people4 #b4 ,a young pastor will naturally defer in the arrangements for the meetings to the judgment and experience of the evangelist1 but it is doubtful whether1 under any circumstances1 an evangelist should seek the control of them1 or a pastor should concede it to him4 ,especially should the pastor maintain the control of those meetings in which candidates for admission to the church are examined2 for here the pastor1 apart from the official duty ,christ has laid on him in this vital matter1 has by his acquaintance with the people much better qualifications for judging character1 and is far less likely to mistake than a stranger4 ,indeed1 the temptation to seek the clat of a large accession of converts may enter as an unconscious influence in the case of both evangelist and pastor1 leading to undue haste and neglect of just discrimination in the admission of members1 and resulting in great ultimate injury to the church4 ,no point1 therefore1 needs to be more carefully guarded4 #c4 ,the object of the evangelist is the awakening of souls and the revival of religion2 his subjects1 therefore1 are properly adapted in their nature and in the manner of their presentation to secure that result4 ,the range of topics is thus necessarily limited1 and the manner is naturally stimulating and exciting4 ,from this comparative narrowness in the range of his theme and of his biblical and theological investigation1 there is danger of one-sidedness in his views of truth4 ,seeking as he does1 also1 immediate results1 he is liable to fail in perceiving and estimating at their just importance ultimate results in the permanent life and power of the church4 ,measures have sometimes been adopted in the midst of a religious excitement which the calm after-thought of the people could not approve1 and the result has been a reaction in the public judgment1 condemning the work and seriously injuring the church4 #d4 ,eccentricity in the evangelist1 when it is natural as a part of his individuality1 may possibly be an element of power1 at least as awakening curiosity and calling the people to the house of ,god1 but when assumed and cultivated with a view to popular effect it is always unfortunate4 ,sensational subjects1 slang phrases1 vulgarisms1 overcolored anecdotes1 exaggerated statements1 oddities of manner1 though for the moment exciting the attention1 and possibly the applause1 of the audience1 inevitably in the end react to the disadvantage of the speaker and his cause2 the sober after-thought of even the irreligious will condemn them in one who is dealing with souls in the great concerns of religion4 ,he that negotiates between ,god and man1 ,as ,god's ambassador1 the grand concerns ,of judgment and of mercy should beware ,of lightness in his speech4 ',tis pitiful ,to court a grin when you should woo a soul2 ,to break a jest when pity would inspire ,pathetic exhortation2 and t' address ,the skittish fancy with pathetic tales ,when sent with ,god's commission to the heart4#b ,the evangelist1 perhaps1 is in special danger of seeking the temporary advantage which eccentricity brings1 because for the time it gathers the multitude to his preaching2 and1 leaving soon1 he fails to see the disastrous reaction which afterward it is sure to bring4 #e4 ,some of the most eminent evangelists have used substantially the same subjects through their entire career1 at each repetition of them adding to their clearness and force of argument vividness of illustration and effectiveness of appeal4 ,rev4 ,jacob ,knapp1 whose work has perhaps been surpassed in extent and power by no preacher of the present century1 adopted this method4 ,the writer was with him in three series of meetings1 the first near the opening of his remarkable career1 the last about thirty years after1 near its close1 and in each of these that distinguished revivalist used1 for the most part1 the same subjects4 ,but the advance in all elements of power was immense1 especially in the last repetition of his course4 ,few persons in the vast multitude which gathered daily for six successive weeks to listen to this1 which proved the closing series of his life1 can ever forget the compactness and force of his reasoning1 the graphic power of his illustration1 and the wonderful effectiveness in his application of truth to the conscience and the heart4 ,he had gathered into that series of seventy-five or one hundred sermons the richest results of his life-thinking and experience and had made most of them marvels of power4 ,this concentration of the whole force of the man on a few sermons gives the evangelist great advantage in the pulpit and would seem to be the dictate of true wisdom4 #f4 ,in his personal religious life the evangelist1 while possessing great helps1 has a possible danger on the side of spiritual pride4 ,moving constantly in the midst of revivals1 he is liable to forget that for the most part he is simply reaping where other men have sown1 and that conversion is but the culminating point in a long series of influences of which his was only the last2 and in the grateful affection of revived ,christians and of converted souls1 which sometimes rises to spiritual adulation1 he may fail in that genuine humility which recognizes all spiritual effects as the work of the ,holy ,spirit1 and may unconsciously assume an air of spiritual superiority painfully in contrast with his obvious weaknesses4 ,power with ,god is thus lost1 and with it1 power with men4 ,there is no ministerial office of higher responsibility or greater usefulness than that of the evangelist4 ,it has been filled by some of the noblest and ablest men in the church of ,god--men full of the ,holy ,ghost and of faith1 whose names are fragrant in the memories of multitudes as heralds of salvation4 ,ordinarily1 only experienced men should enter it2 for it requires a purity and strength of character1 a soundness of judgment1 and a largeness of faith and patience1 of practical wisdom and knowledge of men1 such as extended experience only will give4 ,,second1 ,,teachers4 ,the word teachers is employed in the ,new ,testament as the designation of men in churches whose special work was public religious instruction4 ,it is so used #a ,cor4 xii4 #bh--;,god hath set some in the church1 first ,apostles1 secondarily prophets1 thirdly teachers--where the word1 while doubtless including evangelists and pastors1 evidently extends to all whose official work is ,christian teaching4 ,probably1 also1 in ,eph4 iv4 #aa--;,he gave some1 ,apostles1 some1 prophets1 some1 evangelists1 and some1 pastors and teachers--the word has like breadth of meaning1 designating men not pastors who publicly taught the ,word4 ,there are many endowed with teaching power whose gifts the churches1 according to ,new ,testament example1 utilize in positions other than the pastoral office4 ,they are called to various departments of work as secretaries and agents of missionary and benevolent organizations1 as instructors in institutions of learning1 as authors and editors engaged in creating and diffusing a ,christian literature1 and as laborers in other positions in which there is occasion for the exercise of ministerial functions2 and they are1 therefore1 often ordained to preach and administer ordinances4 ,on this class of ministers1 we submit the following remarks3 #a4 ,teachers1 like evangelists1 have no official authority as governing officers in the church4 ,they are members with all the rights and duties of membership and differ from others only as empowered to preach and to administer ordinances4 ,they are amenable1 as others1 to the discipline of the church1 except that those who have received ordination through the action of a ,council should not be divested of the ministerial office except by another ,council4 ,they have no right to ignore the ordinary obligations of church membership in pecuniary support1 attendance on meetings1 and personal devotion to church-work1 but rather1 from their conspicuous position1 they are required to be in these things examples and leaders in the church4 #b4 ,this class of ministers in a church always stand in relations to the pastor of peculiar delicacy4 ,though without official authority1 their character and gifts often give them great influence in the church and in society4 ,much care1 therefore1 should be used to avoid any intrusion on the prerogatives of the pastor4 ,for example1 in marriages and funerals within the bounds of his own church it is ordinarily proper that the pastor should officiate2 only very unusual circumstances will justify a minister in allowing himself to set aside the pastor in such services4 ,in the public and social worship of the church he should beware of taking too prominent a place or of occupying too much time1 or of obtruding himself into the business and discipline of the church in such manner as to embarrass the pastor4 ,in all relations in the church and in social life he should accord the pastor the just precedence which belongs to his official position1 and his influence should be scrupulously used to encourage the pastor's work and strengthen the pastor's hands4 ,resident ministers may thus become to the pastor a source1 not of discomfort and embarrassment1 but of blessing and strength4 #c4 ,in the absence of the pressure of obligation which a pastoral charge brings1 the minister is in danger of a secularized spirit1 which weakens in him the sense of spiritual realities and impairs his power in the public ministration of the ,gospel4 ,to prevent this1 he should earnestly cultivate in his own soul the ministerial spirit and should avoid all social or business entanglements which may either militate against his own spiritual life or may weaken his influence as a minister in the community4 ,the secretary or agent whose work calls him from home has need of special care lest1 in the constant changes incident to travel1 he loses habits of personal private devotion and of biblical and theological study4 ,it is possible thus to retrograde in spiritual character and power1 even when pleading the holiest of causes4 ,indeed1 in such an itinerant life1 the mind1 thus in constant contact with the churches and the ministry1 may well be on its guard lest it allow itself to be filled with the current ministerial and church gossip1 and yield to the temptation to pass from church to church bearing this rather than the fullness of the blessing of the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,few positions afford such large opportunities to carry blessing to pastors and churches as that of the secretary or agent of our benevolent societies4 ,in counselling the young or the perplexed pastor1 in healing divisions in churches and removing misunderstandings between pastors and their people1 in inspiring and guiding the action of ,associations and other public bodies1 their position gives them great power1 and opens before them a wide field for beneficent influence4 ,such men were ,alfred ,bennett1 ,john ,peck1 and many others in the past--men whose presence was felt as a benediction in the churches1 and whose words gave everywhere an impulse to the spiritual life2 and such also are many of those who now fill that responsible office4 ,,third1 ,,licentiates4 ,there are many persons whose gifts qualify them for usefulness in the occasional or the stated preaching of the ,word1 but whose age or attainments or needs do not make it expedient to ordain them4 ,to such it is usual to give a license1 authorizing them to preach either within the bounds of the church1 or1 more widely1 wherever ,providence may open the door4 ,this confers no authority to administer ordinances2 the only ministerial function it authorizes is that of preaching and conducting public worship4 ,here ,i suggest3 #a4 ,it is evident that such a license should be given only with wise discrimination4 ,a man of unsound judgment1 of defective knowledge of the ,scriptures1 or of doubtful moral and religious character should never be accredited as a preacher of the ,gospel1 however strong may be his personal impressions of duty or attractive his address in the eyes of the multitude4 ,in the end he will be likely to injure rather than aid the cause of religion4 ,the want of caution in hastily or thoughtlessly granting a license has often resulted in introducing to the sacred office men whose career has been calamitous to themselves and to the churches4 #b4 ,no man should1 ordinarily1 venture to preach without a license or some form of authorization from the church4 ,every ,christian1 it is true1 is required1 in his sphere1 to publish the ,gospel2 but this surely does not empower him to assume the office of the public ministry4 ,a call from ,god in the soul of the man is1 it may be admitted1 the matter of prime moment in a call to preach2 but an inward impression of duty to preach certainly gives no right to the ministerial function1 unless it be confirmed by the church1 the ,divinely-constituted judge of qualification4 ,to enter on the public work of the ministry self-moved and self-appointed has no warrant in ,scripture or in reason and is an act of assumption and disorder which can only result in evil4 #c4 ,churches and pastors1 while using a wise discretion1 should carefully seek out and develop ministerial gifts4 ,much power doubtless remains latent which with proper care might be developed and utilized in ministerial work4 ,many a ,christian life now left undeveloped1 might be greatly enlarged by being thus placed in its true sphere of activity2 and many a waste place within the bounds of our churches1 under the culture of a licentiate1 might be made to glow with spiritual life and beauty4 ,it is surely one of the highest duties of a church to recognize and make effective the gifts ,christ has bestowed on it2 and among these none are of greater moment than the gift of ministerial power4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,new version4 #b ,cowper ,task1 book ii4 ,,section ,,xvii4 ,,pastoral ,,study4 ,study is an oft-repeated injunction on the ,christian ministry3 ,meditate upon these things3 give thyself wholly to them1 that thy profiting may appear to all 7#a ,tim4 iv4 #ae72 ,study to show thyself approved unto ,god1 a workman that needeth not to be ashamed1 rightly dividing the word of truth 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #ae74 ,the reasons for this are obvious4 ,knowledge is everywhere power4 ,the ministry1 from their position1 are the natural leaders in religious thought4 ,to command respect1 they must be men of mental grasp and activity1 and must be in advance of the thinking of those around them4 ,besides1 no other profession is so heavily tasked for brain exertion4 ,the ,senate1 the ,bar1 and the ,platform only occasionally demand the highest efforts of the intellect4 ,but the pulpit requires weekly its elaborate sermons4 ,they must have freshness1 originality1 force1 or the pastor loses his hold on the people4 ,and this exhaustive drain on his resources continues steadily year after year4 ,no man can meet such demands without constant1 earnest study4 ,he must be ever growing4 ,his mental processes must be ceaselessly active1 pushing into new realms of investigation1 gathering new materials for thought1 increasing his discipline1 and making him a broader1 richer1 deeper man4 ,in the life of a pastor two extremes are to be avoided4 ,on the one hand1 he is not to be a mere book-worm1 secluded in his study1 with no practical1 living contact and sympathy with life around him4 ,some ministers of large literary culture have been comparatively useless from want of living connection between their thinking and the real needs of the busy actual world in which they lived4 ,on the other hand1 a minister may not be a mere desultory man1 a gossip from house to house1 occupied with newspapers and magazines1 skimming the surface of popular thinking in ephemeral books that may attract his fancy1 but neglecting the severer processes of self-culture essential to mental growth4 ,instability in the pastoral office is often a result of this4 ,freshness1 originality in thought and expression1 is lost1 and the people1 weary of repetitions and empty platitudes1 cease to respect and love the pulpit4 ,the grand object to be sought1 then1 is to combine the student and the pastor--a mind growing in knowledge and power by habitual work in the study and growing in executive ability and social force by constant activity in the church and contact with the people4 ,to secure this there must be a system--a system wisely formed and steadily pursued4 ,what shall this system be8 ,in answering this ,i propose to pursue two lines of suggestion--the method of study and the subjects of study4 ,,first1 ,,the ,,method4 #a4 ,be a student everywhere4 ,the pastor's business is to deal with the human mind and the actual experiences of men2 he should1 therefore1 go through the world with his eyes and ears open1 thoroughly studying men and life around him4 ,in the street1 in society1 in the social meeting1 the mind is to be ceaselessly at work1 observing character1 studying phases of experience and life1 and gathering materials for mental work4 ,many of the best trains of thought1 most interesting views of ,scripture1 and most effective illustrations will be suggested in conversations and in the prayer-room4 ,no man can afford to lose these2 for1 springing as they do from direct contact with the people1 such trains of thought are most likely to meet the wants of the congregation and deal with the questions most vital to them4 ,the studious pastor who preserves these texts and thoughts and illustrations as they occur will be surprised to find how rapidly they accumulate1 and how fresh and rich they often render his thinking and instruction4 #b4 ,have a book always on hand4 ,every life has its spare moments1 and much may be added in culture and knowledge by a right use of them4 ,most of the current literature of the day1 and much in standard biography1 history1 science1 poetry1 and art can be read in this way1 if the right book is at hand4 ,a half1 or even a quarter1 of an hour each day will accomplish the reading of a large number of volumes in a year2 and if these are well selected1 they will greatly add to the minister's breadth and intelligence1 while they will refresh rather than exhaust his mind4 #c4 ,consecrate a specific part of each day to severe systematic work in the privacy of the study4 ,the habit of general observation and reading1 before suggested1 can be no adequate substitute for this4 ,the time thus appointed for hard study should be sacredly devoted1 and no ordinary occurrence be allowed to interrupt4 ,the advantages of this are obvious4 7#a47 ,a habit once fixed is an ever-increasing power4 ,the mind acts with greater rapidity and force when the habit of study at fixed1 regularly recurring periods is formed4 ,instead of spending hours in vain attempts to fix attention and concentrate thought on the subject in hand1 the mind enters at once with full energy into work4 ,the more fixed and long continued the habit1 the more easy1 rapid1 and powerful the mental processes4 ,this is one secret of the immense amount of brain-work performed by some men3 by fixed habits they instantly concentrate mental force1 and work at white heat4 7#b47 ,if these hours are once fixed1 and are fully understood by the people1 they will ordinarily be free from interruption4 ,the congregation will conform to the pastor's plan and will respect his fidelity in preparing for their instruction on the ,lord's ,day4 ,what part of the day should be selected for the study cannot be determined by any rule2 it must depend partly on the minister's habits1 and partly on the necessities of his position4 ,ordinarily1 the morning is best4 ,the liability to interruption is less1 and it leaves the afternoons and evenings free for visitation1 meetings1 and social life4 ,let me add1 nothing but a high ideal of the ministry and a fixed purpose to realize it will enable a pastor to persist in such a course of study4 ,he must believe in it as a solemn duty he owes his ,god1 his people and himself1 or he will fail4 ,indolence is often fostered by a false dependence on genius or on the spur of the occasion to give effectiveness and brilliancy to public utterances4 ,unthoughtful hearers1 also1 will often praise the off-hand1 unstudied sermons and discourage elaborate preparation4 ,besides this1 there are obstacles to study in the pastor's work4 ,he has cares connected with the sick1 the afflicted1 the erring2 executive work in the organization and discipline of the church2 and duties he owes society in the varied relations of life4 ,these are often pressing1 and the danger is that they crowd into the hours for study4 ,many a man circumscribes his own intellectual growth and pulpit power1 making himself permanently a narrower and weaker man1 by allowing these outside cares to destroy his processes of mental discipline and growth4 ,here nothing will overcome but a profound conviction that study--persistent1 regular1 life-long study--is the solemn1 first duty of every man who ventures to stand up in the pulpit as an instructor of the people4 ,let other duties have their place1 but the first1 the most imperative duty of him who teaches others is to teach himself4 ,,second1 ,,the ,,subjects4 ,let us suppose that the pastor has fixed his hours and made them sacred to severe1 thorough mental labor2 what shall he study8 ,i answer3 ,not his sermons only4 ,a grave mistake is often made here4 ,the whole time is devoted to sermon preparation1 leaving no room for general culture1 biblical investigation1 or theological studies4 ,as the result1 the mind becomes empty and barren4 ,it lacks material for thought4 ,the man is perpetually pouring out1 but never pouring in1 and the vessel becomes empty4 ,he faithfully grinds at the mill but puts nothing into the hopper4 ,some conscientious1 hardworking thinkers in this way fail as preachers4 ,they have no freshness4 ,the mind runs perpetually in the same grooves and moves always in the same narrow circle1 whereas1 if they were reading1 investigating1 looking on subjects from new standpoints and receiving the mental impulses which contact with other thinkers gives1 the mind would be ever growing1 ever enriching itself1 and the sermons would be full of fresh and interesting views of truth4 ,three objects are to be sought in the study3 general culture1 biblical and theological investigation1 and sermon preparation4 ,i4 ,,general ,,culture4 ,by this ,i mean studies adapted to the development of the whole man4 ,the pastor is not to be1 in the narrow1 technical sense1 a mere theologian4 ,he should seek to be a man of broad culture1 developing his nature on every side and forming a full1 symmetrical manhood4 ,to accomplish this his studies must take a wide range1 and open to him all those great realms of truth which science1 philosophy1 poetry1 and history reveal4 #a4 ,the sciences4 ,the pastor should not1 indeed1 turn aside from his sacred work to become a devotee to science4 ,but in this age of scientific investigation1 when the problems of science are so largely occupying public thought and so vitally touching the profoundest questions in religion1 and the applications of science are so marvelously transforming our whole civilization and life1 surely1 at such a time1 the man who stands up weekly to instruct the people1 assuming to lead public thought1 ought not to be ignorant of the results that science has reached1 although he may not stop to pursue the processes of scientific inquiry4 ,astronomy1 geology1 botany1 chemistry1 each open a new world of truth1 pouring light on the interpretation of ,god's ,word and abounding in richest illustrations of the sacred themes of the pulpit4 ,standard works on these and related sciences are within the reach of every pastor1 and even one on each of them1 carefully read1 would greatly enrich and enlarge his thinking4 #b4 ,philosophy1 or the science of the mind4 ,the preacher undoubtedly mistakes when he aspires to the character of a philosopher1 and turns aside from his direct and earnest work for souls to lose himself in dialectics or the mazes of metaphysical speculation4 ,but his work as a minister is to deal with the human soul--to influence the mind by reasoning1 by persuasion1 by the array of motives2 and mind1 therefore1 in its power and the methods of influencing it1 may well constitute one of his life-studies4 ,it is here he comes in contact with the master-spirits in the world of thought--minds which have controlled the thinking of the ages--,plato and ,aristotle1 ,descartes and ,bacon1 ,leibnitz and ,locke4 ,in the pressure of a pastor's life all these cannot be read1 but a few choice1 standard works on mental science1 such as ,hamilton1 ,mansel1 ,mc,cosh1 and ,porter1 may surely be read and carefully digested4 #c4 sthetic ,culture4 ,god has not made us mere logical machines1 but beings of taste1 imagination1 sensibility1 to be moved by objects of beauty4 ,much of ,god's book is in poetry addressed to the imagination1 and the universe around us is crowded with endless forms of the beautiful4 ,where a cold1 impassive logic fails1 truth often comes with resistless power through the imagination and the sensibilities4 ,the cultivation of this side of our nature is essential to the development of a full manhood and is important alike to pastoral and pulpit power4 ,for this1 one of the best means is the careful reading of the greater poets1 the mighty creative minds whose works have stood the test of ages4 ,among the last occupations of that magnificent man1 the late ,dr4 ,wayland1 was the re-reading of ,shakespeare and ,milton2 and these wonderful creations of genius afforded his ripened mind the richest instruction and keenest enjoyment4 #d4 ,history and general literature4 ,historical study should1 without doubt1 find no small place in this general culture4 ,it enlarges the whole range of thought1 shedding light on ,god's vast plan of providence and grace1 and thus interpreting the ,bible2 while in all its wide extent it is filled with illustrations adapted to enforce the truths of the ,gospel4 ,nor should the higher class of works in fiction be excluded1 for they often have great value1 both for their delineations of character and life and for the culture they give to the imagination4 ,now1 in respect to this general culture1 the points ,i here emphasize are1 that it should be systematically and earnestly prosecuted1 and that on all the subjects studied only the standard1 thoroughly-tested authors should be read4 ,such a plan of reading1 steadily pursued year after year1 will make an ever-growing mind1 developing symmetrically on every side into a noble1 intellectual manhood4 ,it only requires conscientious earnestness and persistency4 ,the time wasted by some ministers in mental dissipation over newspapers and ephemeral literature would suffice to put them into communion with those master-minds of the ages1 and secure the culture and wealth found in these highest realms of thought4 ,,ii4 ,,biblical ,,and ,,theological ,,culture4 ,the great work of a pastor is instruction in the truths of the ,bible2 and wherever else he may fail1 he must at least be a master in the ,gospel4 ,ignorance on some of the topics already mentioned1 though unfortunate1 may still be tolerated1 but in the man who ventures into the pulpit as a public instructor in the ,bible1 a want of biblical knowledge and the utterance of crude1 undiscriminating statements of truth can never be excused4 ,no mere rhetorical power or seeming earnestness can atone for a want of thorough mastery of the themes of the pulpit4 ,biblical and theological investigation should1 therefore1 have a large place in the pastor's plan of study4 #a4 ,here1 first of all1 and most important1 is the direct study of the ,bible1 bringing the mind into living contact with ,god's ,word4 ,as students in the ,hebrew and ,greek1 let a part of each day be given to careful1 critical study of the ,scriptures in the ,divine originals as they were indited by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,no translation1 however perfect1 can possibly give one the whole impression of the original4 ,a little careful work each day in reading the original ,scriptures will soon make the process easy and delightful1 and its value is above all price4 ,but1 whether in the inspired original or in a version1 the ,bible should be carefully studied4 ,it is ,god's own ,word1 the great instrument of ,his power1 the sword of the ,spirit4 ,the ,holy ,spirit works only through ,divine truth1 and that must ever be the mightiest pulpit which most fully and clearly unfolds these living words of ,god4 7#a47 ,as accessory to biblical interpretation1 ,i suggest the study of the geography and history of ,bible lands4 ,the power to localize the characters and events of ,scripture and place them in their historical surroundings is of the highest importance4 ,thus1 in reading the ,pentateuch and earlier historical books1 how much more vividly are the events conceived if you are familiar with the localities in ,egypt1 the desert1 and ,palestine2 or in reading ,ezra1 ,nehemiah1 and ,daniel if you have clear ideas of the place and history of ,assyria and ,babylon2 or in the ,new ,testament if you have studied the condition and localities of the ,roman ,empire1 then dominant6 ,for this such works as ,smith's ,old and ,new ,testament ,history1 ,rawlinson's ,five ,ancient ,monarchies1 and ,milman's ,history of the ,jews or ,stanley's ,jewish ,church1 would furnish the historical information1 while a good biblical atlas1 kept always open before you1 would give the needed maps4 ,full historical and topographical discussions will be found in ,smith's ,bible ,dictionary1 ,robinson's ,biblical ,researches1 or ,thompson's ,land and the ,book4 7#b47 ,the ,bible1 ,i also suggest1 should be studied in its unity4 ,the book of ,god1 from ,genesis to ,revelation1 is one whole1 from first to last unfolding1 by successive steps1 one system of truth and method of redemption4 ,it is not a mere fortuitous collection of sacred writings1 but one grand revelation from ,god1 each part related to every other and essential to the whole4 ,the types and prophecies and symbols of the earlier ,scriptures contain the germs of the later ,gospel1 and no man will thoroughly understand the one ,testament without a careful study of the other4 ,this interior1 vital unity in the several parts of ,scripture is developed in such works as ,fairbairn's ,typology and the ,philosophy of the ,plan of ,salvation4 7#c47 ,the books of the ,bible should be studied in their chronological and historical connection4 ,suppose one is studying the prophecy of ,isaiah3 he will ascertain its meaning far more clearly if he have carefully studied the period when ,isaiah lived1 the reigns of ,uzziah1 ,jotham1 ,ahaz1 and ,hezekiah as given in ,kings and ,chronicles4 ,or suppose he is reading the ,epistles of ,paul3 their interpretation will be far more clear if he have studied the character of ,paul and the circumstances under which he wrote as they are developed in the ,acts and the ,epistles1 aided by such a work as ,conybeare and ,howson's ,life and ,epistles of ,st4 ,paul4 7#d47 ,the ,bible should also be studied analytically4 ,a cursory reading of the ,scriptures does not interpret them2 they must be carefully analyzed if one would penetrate into their full meaning4 ,for example1 one is reading ,romans2 he begins1 ,paul1 a servant of ,jesus ,christ1 called to be an ,apostle1 separated unto the ,gospel of ,god1 which ,he had promised before by ,his prophets in holy ,scripture1 concerning ,his ,son1 ,jesus ,christ1 our ,lord2 who was made of the seed of ,david according to the flesh1 but declared to be the ,son of ,god with power1 according to the ,spirit of holiness1 by the resurrection from the dead4 ,now analyze or extract the propositions here contained4 ,it is affirmed here of ,paul1 #a4 ,that he is a servant 7doulos7 of ,jesus ,christ2 #b4 ,that he is a ,divinely-called ,apostle2 #c4 ,that as an ,apostle he is set apart unto the ,gospel of ,god4 ,it is said of the ,gospel1 #a4 ,that it was foreannounced by the prophets in ,holy ,scripture2 #b4 ,that its subject-matter is concerning ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,it is declared of ,christ1 #a4 ,that as to ,his flesh1 or human nature1 ,he descended from ,david2 #b4 ,that as to ,his spirit of holiness1 or ,divine nature1 ,he was clearly shown to be the ,son of ,god by the fact of ,his resurrection4 ,now1 the man who will patiently1 steadily work out such an analysis of ,god's ,word as he studies it will penetrate the heart of it1 and its richness will astonish him4 ,the great thoughts of ,god will be laid open to his view as they never can be to the careless1 superficial reader2 and if1 with such biblical work in the study1 the pastor devotes a part of the ,lord's ,day either to expository preaching or to a lecture in his ,bible school1 this direct connection of the work of the study with that of the pulpit will add interest and force to both4 #b4 ,in the study of the ,christian doctrines it is1 first of all1 important to have a system4 ,this plan of work should be so arranged that in a course of years1 taking one subject at a time1 the pastor may make a thorough investigation of all the leading topics4 ,as the basis take such a work as ,hodge's ,outline of ,theology1 or any good compendium of theology1 and1 following the order of subjects1 work in each until its main points have been mastered4 ,for illustration1 suppose the subject is the doctrine of inspiration4 ,first work out carefully the questions in your chosen text-book1 and read some of the best authors on the subject1 as ,lee1 ,woods1 ,gaussen1 and ,hodge4 ,all the points involved will thus be brought distinctly before the mind4 ,then collect the leading passages of ,scripture bearing on it and examine each critically and patiently and note down your own impressions4 ,follow this by writing a full and careful statement of your own view as the result of the investigation4 ,or suppose the subject to be that great central doctrine of the ,gospel1 the atonement4 ,after working out the questions as presented in your text-book and reading the best authors accessible to you1 so as to become master of the vital points1 then examine the priesthood and sacrifices of the ,old ,testament1 the predictions of the atonement in prophecy1 and the passages bearing on this doctrine in the ,new ,testament4 ,having thus before you the elements of a decision1 write out fully your own view4 ,such a process of theological investigation1 steadily pressed year after year1 and connected as it would be with the reading of the great masters in theology1 could not fail to make the pastor a clear1 strong religious thinker and his pulpit a power in leading religious thought4 ,let me also urge the study of the history of doctrines in connection with such a course of theological investigation4 ,take such a work as ,hagenbach's or ,shedd's ,history of ,doctrines1 in which the course of theological thinking on each of the great truths of the ,bible is traced through the ages1 and the varying phases of the doctrine through successive periods1 and the forms in which it has been held by the world's profoundest thinkers are presented4 ,such a study is wonderfully stimulating to thought and affords a broader basis for the formation of opinions4 ,if also1 in direct connection with this investigation of a great truth1 the pastor should preach on the leading points involved in it1 he would greatly add to the definiteness of his own views1 while the work of the study would thus come into the work of the pulpit1 enhancing the interest and power of the sermons4 ,,iii4 ,,sermon ,,preparation4 ,the preparation of sermons should doubtless fill the chief place in these hours of private study4 ,this subject1 however1 belongs to the department of homiletics1 and will be found amply treated in works specially devoted to it1 such as ,broadus on the ,preparation and ,delivery of ,sermons1 ,shedd's ,homiletic and ,pastoral ,theology1 and the several courses of ,yale ,lectures on ,preaching4 ,i will1 therefore1 on this topic only emphasize the importance of high ideals of sermonizing and pulpit preparation4 ,the sermon is the embodied result of the pastor's culture and reading1 the public expression of his whole spiritual and intellectual manhood1 and he is bound to show himself a workman who needeth not to be ashamed1 rightly dividing the word of truth 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #ae74 ,he dishonors ,christ and ,his ,gospel if he habitually preaches without thorough study4 ,the sermon is the message ,god sends by him to the people4 ,it unfolds high and holy themes1 into which angels desire to look1 and on which the profoundest minds of the ages have dwelt with wonder and awe4 ,it deals with the souls of men and the great interests of eternity4 ,surely1 the man who ventures to stand up and speak carelessly and thoughtlessly on such themes and amidst such interests has failed to grasp the primary idea of his great office as a ,christian pastor4 ,,section ,,xviii4 ,,pastoral ,,responsibility4 ,the pastor1 in a true and important sense1 is entrusted with the care of the souls of his congregation2 he is1 therefore1 under obligation to use his utmost power for their conversion and sanctification1 warning every man and teaching every man1 that he may present every man perfect in ,christ ,jesus 7,col4 i4 #bh74 ,paul said to the ,ephesian elders3 ,take heed to yourselves1 and to all the flock over the which the ,holy ,ghost has made you overseers1 to feed the church of ,god1 which ,he has purchased with ,his own blood 7,acts xx4 #bh72 and in exhorting the people on their part to obey the ministry1 he urges as a reason1 for they watch for your souls as they that must give account 7,heb4 xiii4 #ag74 ,this responsibility plainly includes3 #a4 ,a personal life such that it may constitute a fitting example4 ,the pastor is to be an example of the believers in word1 in conversation1 in charity1 in spirit1 in faith1 in purity 7#a ,tim iv4 #ab74 ,thus1 ,paul ever referred to his own life1 not as perfect1 but as publicly exemplifying the ,christian character1 saying to the ,philippians 7,phil4 iv4 #i73 ,those things which ye have both learned and received1 and heard1 and seen in me1 do2 and the ,god of peace shall be with you2 and to the ,thessalonians 7#a ,thess4 ii4 #aj71 ,ye are witnesses1 and ,god also1 how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe4 ,a defective1 irregular life in the pastor neutralizes the ablest efforts in the pulpit and may become a pre-eminent means of the ruin of souls4 #b4 ,wise and faithful dealing with the individual souls of his charge4 ,paul went from house to house1 from soul to soul3 he ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears1 and he proposes this as an example of ministerial fidelity1 requiring the pastor to be instant in season1 out of season4 ,evidently1 he did not regard the work of the minister as done when performed only in the study and the pulpit3 it included personal dealing with souls4 #c4 ,earnest effort to become an able minister of the ,new ,testament4 ,the most solemn urgencies press on the pastor the duty of seeking the highest possible intellectual and pulpit power4 ,the themes he unfolds are the grandest that can engage the thought of man or angel4 ,the end to be secured--the salvation of souls--is the most momentous ever committed to a finite being4 ,god will not hold guiltless the indolent1 reckless minister who causes the ,gospel to be despised and imperils the souls of his people by a careless1 unstudied presentation of the message ,he has entrusted to him4 #d4 ,the faithful declaration of the whole counsel of ,god4 ,he is to show distinctly the threatenings as well as the promises of the ,gospel1 and the danger as well as the hopes set before the soul4 ,no subject is to be avoided because unpopular or distasteful4 ,no personal considerations are to prevent the plain1 distinct enunciation of all the words of ,god4 ,jehovah says to the watchman3 ,if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way1 that wicked man shall die in his iniquity2 but his blood will ,i require at thine hand 7,ezek4 xxxiii4 #h2 iii4 #ag-ba74 ,pastoral responsibility1 however1 has its limitation4 ,christ does not require of ,his servants impossible labor2 but as they have received their talents1 so they are to use them1 each according to his several ability4 ,if faithful to his trust1 the pastor is unto ,god a sweet savor of ,christ1 in them that are saved1 and in them that perish 7#b ,cor4 ii4 #ae-ag71 and it is his right to feel he has delivered his soul and is pure from the blood of all men 7,acts xx4 #bf1 #bg74 ,such was the ministry of ,paul1 a mere man1 aided in this only by such ,divine help as is promised to every other servant of ,god4 ,it is fidelity1 not success1 which constitutes the limit of responsibility4 ,success belongs to ,god4 ,paul plants1 ,apollos waters1 but ,god gives the increase4 ,jeremiah spoke with the earnestness and tenderness of lips inspired1 but he was unpopular1 and1 as men would measure1 unsuccessful2 nevertheless1 his name stands high among the ancient worthies1 because in that degenerate age he was faithful to his trust and work4 ,besides1 a minister's power is not measured by the immediate1 outward result4 ,the powerful revival in which hundreds are gathered into the church finds its occasion1 indeed1 in the peculiar gifts of some popular preacher1 but its real causes often lie hid in the quiet1 patient toil of other men differently gifted4 ,every man has his special adaptation and work--one sows and another reaps--and only in the great harvest at the end of the world will the actual results of each man's work appear4 ,hence1 ,christ says to every servant of ,his3 ,be thou faithful unto death1 and ,i will give thee a crown of life 7,rev4 ii4 #aj74 ,fidelity1 then1 is the limit of responsibility2 and the earnest pastor1 who1 with heartfelt loyalty to ,christ1 has to the extent of his ability and opportunity faithfully fulfilled his calling1 may know assuredly that he has the approval of the ,master1 and that awaiting him at the end is the sure reward of the faithful4 ,,section ,,xix4 ,,the ,,outer ,,life ,,of ,a ,,pastor4 ,the ,scriptures require in the pastor a model life4 ,he is to be an example of the believers1 in word1 in conversation1 in charity1 in spirit1 in faith1 in purity 7#a ,tim4 iv4 #ab74 ,as the leader of the flock his outward life will be expected to evince a higher moral tone and furnish a more marked exemplification of ,christian principles than that of the private ,christian1 because his office constitutes him an example1 and the prominence of his position renders defects in him especially conspicuous and hurtful4 ,hence1 ,scripture is here explicit and emphatic3 ,a bishop1 then1 must be blameless1 the husband of one wife1 vigilant1 sober1 of good behavior1 given to hospitality1 apt to teach3 not given to wine1 no striker1 not greedy of filthy lucre2 but patient1 not a brawler1 not covetous2 one that ruleth well his own house1 having his children in subjection with all gravity 7for if a man know not how to rule his own house1 how shall he take care of the church of ,god873 not a novice1 lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil4 ,moreover1 he must have a good report of them that are without1 lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil 7#a ,tim4 iii4 #b-g74 ,i4 ,,business ,,relations4 #a4 ,make no debts3 ,owe no man anything 7,rom4 xiii4 #h74 ,in all purchases for personal and family purposes the pastor should pay as he buys4 ,it cultivates a just economy and avoids debts1 which often prove a heavy burden on a minister's life and a most serious drawback to his usefulness4 ,no man is thoroughly independent in the pulpit who is facing a number of unpaid creditors4 ,ordinarily1 this avoidance of debt is entirely feasible1 and when understood to be a rule with the pastor it has a beneficial influence in promoting promptness in the payment of his salary4 ,the people will respect such a course in their minister4 ,at the very outset of life1 then1 let him fix it as a principle never to run in debt4 ,a strict adherence to this will sometimes involve inconvenience and self-denial1 but these are more than compensated in the exemption from the anxieties and humiliations of debt1 in the sense of independence1 in the respect and confidence of the community1 and1 above all1 in the clear conscience which observance of this rule secures4 ,only the most absolute necessity should ever set aside this rule1 for the neglect of this is too frequently a cause of failure in the pastoral office4 #b4 ,use great care and all the proper forms in making business engagements4 ,the pastor is tempted to neglect business forms on the supposition that as a minister he ought to rely on the honor and consideration of those with whom he deals1 and as the result1 even where there is no dishonesty1 there is often misunderstanding1 out of which grow heartburnings and disputes4 ,all business transactions1 therefore1 should be conducted in a business way1 leaving no room for misapprehensions1 and then all engagements should be met with promptness and honor4 ,a pastor should be delicately sensitive to his reputation in this1 for any failure1 though it be only an apparent one1 in fulfilling a business obligation is sure to provoke unfavorable comment and militate against usefulness4 #c4 ,live within your income4 ,a pastor may not be reckless in regard to the probable future needs of himself and of those dependent on him4 ,such a course is justified neither by ,scripture nor by ,providence4 ,the ,lord ordained that they who preach the ,gospel should live of the ,gospel 7#a ,cor4 ix4 #ad74 ,a minister1 therefore1 should find a life-support in his income from his work1 and should so use his salary that a part be laid aside for coming days of need4 ,if the salary is small1 he should rigidly cut down expenses that some of it may be reserved4 ,special exigencies in life1 will1 indeed1 sometimes prevent this1 but ordinarily it is feasible1 and in the case of the head of a family it is plainly a most sacred duty4 ,the neglect of care to make provision for those dependent on us is not faith1 but recklessness4 ,here1 however1 a pastor must beware of covetousness4 ,instances sometimes occur in which this just and necessary regard for future need degenerates into a selfish greed for accumulation which narrows and belittles the minister of ,christ4 ,he compromises his dignity and independence by seeking in various ways gifts from his people1 and thus the man is sunk in the mendicant1 or he degrades his office by descending to petty meannesses1 driving close bargains in business and shirking his just share in the contributions for church-work and benevolence4 ,nowhere is the love of money more offensive than in the ,christian minister4 ,,ii4 ,,political ,,relations4 #a4 ,a pastor should always himself exercise the elective franchise and should encourage ,christians to do so2 in no other way can we have a ,christian government4 ,on this continent the great experiment is in progress of a government strictly by the people1 and in the absence of religion and virtue it must prove a failure4 ,christian men should not neglect their duties as citizens2 it imperils the life of the nation and the welfare of the ,christian cause4 ,the pulpit1 therefore1 should press on the church the duty of seeking the elevation of good men to official station4 #b4 ,as a pastor the minister is bound to refuse all party obligations and all partisan use of pastoral influence2 for he is pastor of the whole church1 chosen and supported without reference to political distinctions among the members4 ,but as an individual he is entitled to his political preferences and his just political influence2 with this the church has no right to interfere4 ,at the same time1 it is wise for the pastor to avoid excited political discussions1 especially in public places1 and quietly to exercise his political rights and perform the duties of a citizen4 #c4 ,when public questions have a strictly moral side1 ,i think the pulpit should not be silent1 but should seek1 as on moral questions in general1 to give direction to public sentiment in favor of honesty1 truth1 and virtue4 ,occasional sermons1 therefore1 presenting the obligations of citizens and applying the moral teachings of ,christianity to questions on which ,christian citizens are called to act1 are the duty of the pastor2 but the time and manner and spirit of such sermons require the exercise of the most careful judgment4 ,,iii4 ,,social ,,character ,,and ,,relations4 ,two extremes are here to be avoided--the one1 in which the pastor lives a recluse life1 isolated from the life of the people and unfelt in directing the currents of thought and feeling around him2 the other1 in which he maintains a loose1 familiar intercourse with all society1 lounging about in public places1 a hail-fellow-well-met with everybody4 ,avoiding these extremes1 a pastor should never allow himself to be a cipher in social life but should make himself a vital force controlling and elevating it4 ,the gravity of his character and work1 however1 requires him to use special care in regard to deportment and associations4 ,he is1 indeed1 to be and to act out himself1 but1 while true to his own nature as a man1 he is so to control it as never to forget his character and office as a minister of ,god4 ,here ,i offer the following suggestions3 #a4 ,the minister should be1 always and everywhere1 the unaffected ,christian gentleman1 showing all courtesy to all men4 ,it is here some fail1 and either through a neglect of the courtesies and amenities of social life render themselves repulsive1 or by a stiff and artificial manner of observing them1 without geniality and warmth1 make themselves unapproachable4 ,men ordinarily and justly regard manners as an index of character4 ,good manners1 therefore1 cannot be put on from without2 they spring from a sense of the relations we bear to others and a disposition to act in accordance with them4 ,a kindly1 unselfish heart1 a quick1 keen sympathy1 a sensitive regard for others' rights and feelings2 a ready1 generous appreciation for the excellences of others1 and a tender charity for their faults and foibles--in short1 a well-developed ,christian manhood1 with refined sensibilities1 noble1 pure1 upright1 transparent1 touching life on every side1 and fitted to bless whatever it touches1--this is the only real basis of correct manners4 ,the cultivation of such a character1 therefore1 is the prime necessity1 for in this will exist all the instincts of the true gentleman from which the gentlemanly manner spontaneously results4 #b4 ,in the matter of dress4 ,i do not know that any law of propriety requires the minister to be distinguished either in the cut or the color of his garments4 ,many1 however1 prefer some kind of ministerial costume as a matter of convenience to indicate everywhere their vocation1 and this is1 of course1 a subject to be left wholly to individual preference4 ,the principle to be insisted on as important is that the dress be not such as to arrest special attention1 as suggesting foppishness and fastidiousness on the one hand1 or carelessness and slovenliness on the other4 ,the man1 not the dress1 should arrest and hold attention4 #c4 ,in conversation he should be genial1 courteous1 affable1 avoiding that tone and manner of condescension which carries in it an implied sense of superiority1 and exhibiting that breadth of intelligence and culture which will secure respect for his views in general society4 ,slang phrases1 vulgar anecdotes1 boisterous discussions1 idle gossip1 and scandal1 it is hardly necessary to say1 ill become a pastor1 and will in the end seriously militate against his usefulness4 ,coarseness1 indelicacy1 and all that is suggestive of impurity should be scrupulously avoided2 such words1 when uttered by a minister1 live and fester in the memory1 and are destructive of all pastoral influence afterward over those who hear them4 ,an obscene story1 a lewd double entendre1 a filthy joke1 a questionable word or gesture1 a sentence that would make a pure woman blush in public or in private1 in select or in mixed company1 is a burning shame and scandal to any minister of the ,gospel4 ,nor should his chief distinction in society be that of the wit or mimic4 ,wit and humor1 when natural1 are often elements of real power1 as giving sparkle and flavor to speech1 but in the pastor their place is subordinate2 when they appear as his chief characteristic1 they inevitably injure his influence4 ,attractive social qualities1 such as enable the pastor to exercise a leading and governing power in society1 are to be most earnestly sought2 their effect on pastoral usefulness can hardly be overstated4 ,the minister1 when a guest1 enjoying the temporary hospitality of a family circle1 should bring into it the blessing of a genial1 sunshiny spirit1 showing always a thorough appreciation of kindness received and avoiding all unnecessary trouble to the hosts4 ,if other ministers are present1 beware of that ministerial clannishness which centers conversation on topics adapted only to ministers or makes it consist of ministerial criticism1 gossip1 and scandal adapted to lower the estimation in which other ministers are held4 ,in the freedom and abandon of ministerial society there is often much temptation to this1 but words thus thoughtlessly spoken sometimes do incalculable injury1 both by lowering the ministerial character in the eyes of the household1 and by inflicting an incurable wound on the reputation of those made the subjects of gossip4 ,the injunction of ,scripture cannot be too carefully heeded3 ,let your speech be always with grace1 seasoned with salt 7,col4 iv4 #f72 for thus the spirit you breathed and the words you spake will remain a benediction with that household and make your memory fragrant there for ever4 #d4 ,in his amusements and recreations a pastor should indulge only in such as are not only in themselves innocent but are not commonly offensive to the ,christian conscience4 ,the grand principle of self-denial enunciated by ,paul as the rule of his own life is here1 undoubtedly1 the guiding principle of ministerial duty4 ,he says3 ,give none offence1 neither to the ,jews1 nor to the ,gentiles1 nor to the church of ,god3 even as ,i please all men in all things1 not seeking mine own profit1 but the profit of many1 that they may be saved 7#a ,cor4 x4 #cb1 #cc74 ,he relinquished self-gratification1 even though innocent1 rather than put a cause of stumbling before others and hinder their salvation4 ,recreation is doubtless a necessity--the bow always bent loses its spring--but recreation should never be taken in a form which may give offence to ,christian souls1 or which may set an example such as1 if followed by others1 might work their injury4 ,a pastor's influence also may be impaired by undue absorption in any form of recreation4 ,there is no wrong1 it may be1 in using a good horse1 in playing a game of ball or croquet1 in fishing or hunting1 or many other forms of recreation2 but the pastor who is specially distinguished for his interest in fast horses or for his sporting habits1 or as a devotee of amusements1 violates most seriously the proprieties of his position1 and sinks in the estimation of all thoughtful people4 #e4 ,a minister's associations or special intimacies should not be with bad or loose or irreligious men2 the taint will necessarily tarnish and injure his own reputation1 even if it does not corrupt his character4 ,he is to be a lover of good men1 sober1 just1 holy1 temperate 7,tit4 i4 #h74 ,he should show all courtesy and kindness1 indeed1 to even the worst men around him1 but his special friendships should not be sought there1 nor his habitual associations4 ,some ministers have here made wreck of their influence with the better classes in the community1 while their association with the loose and irreligious class1 so far from winning them to ,christ1 has only the more hardened them in rejecting ,him by lowering in their eyes the character of ,his servant4 #f4 ,the pastor's relations with the other sex should not only always be pure in fact but should also be such as to avoid even the possibility of misconstruction4 ,no point needs to be more carefully guarded1 for even the suspicion or thought of wrong in this1 however ill-grounded1 is commonly fatal to usefulness1 and often follows him through the remainder of life4 ,,iv4 ,,personal ,,habits4 ,the pastor is expected to be a model ,christian gentleman1 showing the refinement1 delicacy1 and culture which the ,gospel inculcates and produces1 and improper habits1 therefore1 in him are more prominent and influential for evil than in other men4 ,now and then a minister exhibits a foolish bravado of public opinion by affecting brusque1 uncouth1 eccentric manners and indulging in questionable habits under the mistaken supposition that1 in thus setting at defiance the common sentiments of mankind in regard to the proprieties of ministerial life1 he is showing moral courage and manhood2 nor are there wanting equally foolish people who will applaud this contemptible exhibition of personal vanity4 ,but1 apart from such exceptional cases1 the ministerial life is always beset by strong temptations to unbecoming habits4 ,thus3 #a4 ,intemperance in eating4 ,the studious life1 as ordinarily pursued1 often tends to dyspepsia and an unnatural craving for food4 ,the bodily and mental vigor is often thus destroyed1 while the obvious absence of self-restraint degrades the man in the eyes of others4 ,the dullness of the pulpit and the ill-health of ministers are not seldom traceable to an overloaded stomach4 #b4 ,the use of tobacco4 ,the highest medical authorities now agree that this is one of the common causes of nervous prostration and early mental decay4 ,the late ,prof4 ,moses ,stuart says3 ,i do not place the use of tobacco in the same scale with that of ardent spirits4 ,it does not make men maniacs or demons4 ,but that it does undermine the health of thousands2 that it creates a nervous irritability1 and thus operates on the temper and moral character of men2 that it often creates a thirst for spirituous liquors2 that it allures to clubs and grog-shops and taverns1 and thus helps to make idlers and spendthrifts2 and finally1 that it is a very serious and needless expense1--are things which cannot be denied by any observing and considerate person4 ,and if all this be true1 how can the habitual use of tobacco as a mere luxury be defended by any one who wishes well to his fellow-men or has a proper regard to his own usefulness8 ,the duty of self-conquest in regard to such a habit is evident especially in the minister1 whose very office adds emphasis to his personal example2 and the principle involved is strongly set forth by ,paul when he says3 ,all things are lawful for me1 but ,i will not be brought under the power of any 7#a ,cor4 vi4 #ab74 ,he accounted it an unworthy and dangerous thing for a ,christian to come under bondage to any bodily appetite4 ,but he adds3 ,every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things3 now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown2 but we1 an incorruptible4 ,i therefore so run1 not as uncertainly2 so fight ,i1 not as one that beateth the air3 but ,i keep under my body1 and bring it into subjection3 lest by any means when ,i have preached to others1 ,i myself should be a cast-away 7#a ,cor4 ix4 #be-bg74 #c4 ,the use of stimulants4 ,the pressure of intellectual work on the pastor often requires of him the most important public efforts when worn and depressed1 and thus at times the temptation to stimulate is very strong4 ,the fact of bodily weakness pleads for a stimulant as a medical necessity4 ,once indulged1 stimulation readily passes into a habit1 and the importance of the occasion is made an effectual plea for it as an alternative to failure4 ,now1 in all such cases1 the consciousness of self-indulgence1 as it weakens self-respect1 must needs also weaken the moral power of the minister4 ,he feels himself enslaved and cannot speak with authority4 ,while consciously and deliberately yielding to self-indulgence1 how can he preach to others the moral teachings of the ,gospel8 ,such an indulgence1 moreover1 places the man in fearful peril1 for it creates the necessity of repetition1 and forms an appetite which in many instances has destroyed the man4 ,some of the most brilliant men in the ministry have here made an utter and terrible wreck of life4 ,right habits are1 therefore1 of primary moment4 ,a man can respect himself and secure the respect of others only as he exercises habitual self-control1 holding passion and appetite in thorough subjection2 without this the pastor lacks that consciousness of independence and that true manhood in which alone resides genuine moral power2 and his defects1 made conspicuous and influential by his sacred office1 may be disastrous in their influence on those around him4 ,,section ,,xx4 ,,the ,,pastor',s ,,inner ,,life4 ,ancient asceticism1 in demanding for the ministry a hidden life of communion with ,god1 gave voice not only to one of the profoundest intuitions of the ,christian consciousness1 but also to one of the clearest teachings of ,scripture4 ,the men who deal with spiritual things must themselves be spiritual4 ,our age1 while rightly rejecting a perverted asceticism1 is tending to the opposite error4 ,it is intensely practical4 ,action6 is its watchword4 ,this practicalness often becomes mere narrowness and shallowness4 ,it overlooks the profounder laws of the ,christian life4 ,spiritual force comes from within1 from the hidden life of ,god in the soul4 ,it depends1 not on mere outward activities1 but on the ,divine energies acting through the human faculties1 ,god working through the man1 the ,holy ,ghost permeating1 quickening all the powers of the preacher1 and speaking by his voice to the souls of the people4 ,the soul's secret power with ,god thus gives public power with men1 and the mightiest influences of the pulpit often flow from a hidden spring in the solitude of the closet2 for a sermon is not the mere utterance of man3 there is in it a power more than human4 ,its vital force comes from the ,holy ,spirit4 ,jesus said3 ,it is not ye that speak1 but the ,spirit of your ,father that speaketh in you 7,matt4 x4 #bj74 ,its spiritual energy springs from something deeper than logic and rhetoric4 ,as ,bushnell has well said3 ,preaching is nothing else than the bursting out of life which has first burst in or up from where ,god is among the soul's foundations4 ,such was the teaching of ,christ4 ,in ,his farewell words to ,his disciples ,he promised another ,comforter--one who should take ,his place among them and abide with them for ever4 ,as ,he had walked with them an ,instructor1 ,friend1 ,helper1 so after ,his departure the ,holy ,spirit should dwell among them1 teaching1 inspiring1 guiding them1 a true and living ,divine ,presence ever with them and mighty to help4 ,blessed as ,his own bodily presence had been1 the presence of the ,holy ,spirit was of still higher moment1 for ,he declared that it was better for them that ,he ,himself depart and the ,spirit come2 for the ,spirit1 whose office it is to take of ,christ and show ,him1 should reveal the ,christ-presence within them in accordance with ,his promise3 ,he that loveth ,me shall be loved of ,my ,father1 and ,i will love him1 and will manifest ,myself to him 7,john xiv4 #ba72 ,i will not leave you comfortless2 ,i will come to you 7,john xiv4 #ah74 ,without this ,divine ,helper ,he expressly forbade their entrance on the ministry1 and as ,his last charge before ,he ascended ,he said1 ,tarry ye in the city of ,jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high 7,luke xxiv4 #di74 ,at the ,pentecost the ,holy ,spirit descended1 and how marvelous was ,his power6 ,plain as had been the words ,jesus spake1 the apostles yet utterly misconceived the most vital truths2 but when the ,spirit of truth came1 the ,gospel1 in its grandeur and power1 stood clearly revealed before them4 ,the men who before had timidly cowered in the presence of danger now rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of the ,lord ,jesus 7,acts v4 #da74 ,they whose selfish ambition had aspired to be greatest in the kingdom of heaven now forgot their mean rivalries1 and were inspired with single-hearted consecration to the ,master2 and the multitudes who before had despised and rejected their words1 now convicted of sin1 of righteousness1 and of judgment1 bowed before this unseen1 mighty ,power1 and cried out1 ,men and brethren1 what must we do8 7,acts ii4 #cg74 ,now1 it is plain that the ,holy ,spirit1 this special power from on high1 was promised1 not to the ,apostles only1 but to the ministry in all ages4 ,in the ,new ,testament period ,he dwelt1 a living1 quickening ,divine presence1 in all the servants of ,christ1 revealing truth1 inspiring faith1 and making their words the power of ,god unto salvation4 ,they prayed in the ,spirit2 they spake in the ,spirit2 they lived in the ,spirit4 ,the promise of ,jesus was fulfilled3 ,lo6 ,i am with you alway 7,matt4 xxviii4 #bj72 for the ,christ-presence was continually revealed in them--a revelation of ,him1 not1 indeed1 to the eye1 but to the soul1 and unspeakably more blessed than had been ,his bodily presence when on earth4 ,not the ,apostle only1 but every servant of ,god1 could say3 ,i live1 yet not ,i1 but ,christ liveth in me 7,gal4 ii4 #bj72 and in the hour of peril1 when all men forsook him1 the ,christian confessor triumphantly affirmed3 ,notwithstanding1 the ,lord stood with me and strengthened me 7#b ,tim4 iv4 #ag74 ,in every subsequent age the indwelling ,spirit of ,god has been the fountain of power in the ministry2 and the mightiest men in the pulpit1 renouncing self-sufficiency1 have confessed1 with ,paul3 ,our sufficiency is of ,god1 who also hath made us able ministers of the ,new ,testament 7#b ,cor4 iii4 #e1 #f74 ,conscious of need1 they have turned their souls upward to ,god1 and this ,divine ,helper has entered and filled them2 and all the faculties and culture of the man1 intellectual1 moral1 and spiritual1 have been transfused1 elevated1 enlarged1 by this invisible but mighty ,power4 ,it has been truly said3 ,the virtue of an electric wire is not in the wire1 but in its connection with the voltaic battery4 ,the power of the minister is not in the polish of his style1 the pictorialness of his illustrations1 the fervor of his manner1 the order and arrangement of his discourse1 but in his living connection with ,god and his capacity to act as a connecting-link between ,god and the human soul4 ,it is ,god in the soul which is the secret of true pulpit power4 ,how1 then1 shall the pastor maintain an inner life such that he shall be endued with power from on high and ,god shall speak through him to the souls of men8 ,in answer this ,i suggest as a means of chief importance3 ,i4 ,,the ,,habitual ,,practice ,,of ,,secret ,,prayer4--,for prayer is the bond which links the ,divine power with the human4 ,it is the channel through which ,god pours ,his life into the soul4 ,it is the uplifted hand of man's weakness taking hold on ,god's strength4 ,it calls down from heaven the sacred fire1 which alone may kindle the preacher's sacrifice4 ,it has the most vital relations to the character and work of a pastor4 #a4 ,the relation of secret prayer to the spirit and purpose of the ministry4 ,special dangers beset the pastor4 ,the most sacred services1 from their frequent recurrence1 may come to be performed in a perfunctory spirit1 and his life may thus degenerate into mere professionalism4 ,unconsciously he comes to meditate1 read1 and even pray with a view only to others and its effect on others4 ,the sense of his personal relation to ,god is lost4 ,as a public speaker a desire for popularity may unduly influence his preaching1 and conspicuous position tempt his ambition1 obscuring his vision of the great end of his ministry--the honor of ,christ and the salvation of souls4 ,the very respect which his office secures may foster spiritual pride and make him insensible to his defection in heart from ,god4 ,few men are environed by such subtle and powerful seductions to a false life as a ,christian minister1 and against these only a vivid consciousness of his high calling is an adequate safeguard4 ,he is ,god's ambassador1 receiving his commission and his message1 not from men1 but from the ,sovereign of heaven and earth4 ,the souls of his congregation are entrusted to him1 and the words he is charged to speak are the words of ,god's saving power4 ,in them that are saved he is a savor of life unto life1 but in them that perish a savor of death unto death 7#b ,cor4 ii4 #ae1 #af74 ,if faithful to his trust1 he shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and as the stars for ever and ever 7,dan4 xii4 #c72 if unfaithful1 the blood of souls will be found on him in the day of ,god's inquisition4 ,now1 only a distinct realization of these responsibilities as an ever-present1 living force pervading his spirit will hold the minister in his inmost life true to ,christ and to his work4 ,it is here prayer has its mightiest reflex power4 ,it gives a vital sense of ,god and of spiritual realities4 ,it lifts the life above the control of lower motives to a loftier moral elevation1 with a purer atmosphere and a broader horizon4 ,the whole man is elevated1 ennobled1 transfused with ,divine life1 as he holds communion with ,god4 ,when ,moses had been with ,god in the mount1 his face shone with a glory such that ,israel could not steadfastly look on it4 ,it was when ,jesus was praying that he was transfigured1 and ,his face did shine as the sun1 and ,his raiment was white as the light 7,matt4 xvii4 #b74 ,god imprints ,his own image on the soul that comes face to face with ,him4 ,the inner life of a preacher always stands revealed in the pulpit2 it transfuses itself through his preaching4 ,no mere declamation1 no arts of rhetoric1 no dramatic simulation of emotion1 can conceal the absence of spiritual life4 ,moral earnestness can never be assumed2 it is the attribute only of a soul profoundly feeling the power and reality of ,divine truth4 ,the man1 therefore1 who would speak ,god's ,word with the pungency and fervor of a ,bunyan1 a ,baxter1 a ,flavel1 or a ,payson must1 like them1 be constant and fervent in prayer4 ,the springs of spiritual life opened in the closet will pour forth never-failing streams of life in the pulpit4 ,luther said3 ,prayer1 meditation1 and temptation make a minister4 ,he himself is said to have spent three hours daily in prayer1 and those mighty words which thrilled the heart of ,christendom were the utterances of a soul thus glowing with the flames of devotion4 #b4 ,the relation of secret prayer to the apprehension of spiritual truth4 ,spiritual truth is revealed only to the spiritual mind3 ,the natural man receiveth not the things of the ,spirit of ,god2 4 4 4 neither can he know them1 because they are spiritually discerned 7#a ,cor4 ii4 #ad74 ,spiritual susceptibility is the essential condition of apprehending spiritual truth4 ,a soul instinct with ,divine life1 sensitive to ,divine impressions1 in sympathy with ,divine things--this1 and this only1 can enter in to a realization of those great truths which constitute the ,gospel4 ,without this the very message the pastor is charged to preach he himself will fail to apprehend4 ,he may1 indeed1 see the ,christian doctrines through the eye of an impassive logic1 but such a lifeless intellectualism1 even when abstractly correct1 has no power4 ,the theology of the pulpit is a theology vitalized by prayer and glowing in the heart as a great1 living reality4 ,the hearts of men are most surely moved by living truths vividly realized in the speaker's soul4 ,the love of ,god in the incarnation and death of ,his ,son1 the guilt and danger of the souls of men1 the glories of the saved and the miseries of the lost1--these are not matters of cold intellection4 ,to him who lives in the atmosphere of prayer they stand out as vivid realities4 ,such men1 like ,paul1 believe1 and therefore speak2 and in words of burning fervor they utter these great truths and press them on the souls of men4 ,payson1 on his death-bed1 said3 ,prayer is the first thing1 the second thing1 the third thing1 necessary for a minister4 ,whitefield spent hours of each day on his knees with ,god's ,word open before him1 and it was from the audience-chamber of heaven he went forth to speak those marvelous words of power which stirred the souls of the multitude4 ,these eternal truths thus passed in him beyond mere intellections2 they took possession of the whole man1 and he could but speak with tender pathos and holy boldness1 as he saw light in ,god's light1 and the spiritual world was thus all ablaze with light around him4 ,jesus ,himself1 the ,chief ,pastor1 lived a life of ceaseless prayer4 ,pressed under the burden of souls1 he waked while others slept4 ,sometimes ,he spent the whole night in prayer2 at others1 rising up a great while before day1 ,he sought communion with the ,father4 ,cold mountains and the midnight air ,witnessed the fervor of ,his prayer4 ,and if ,he1 the ,sinless ,one1 the ,god-man1 must needs thus pray1 if prayer was essential even to ,his inner life and to ,his power in the work assigned ,him1 how much great necessity must press on ,his weak1 sinful servants6 ,if communion with ,god filled so large a place in the life of the ,chief ,pastor1 it surely should not have less place in the life of the under-shepherds4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,habitual ,,self-,,application ,,and ,,self-,,appropriation ,,of ,,divine ,,truth4--,the habit of viewing truth objectively in its relation to other truths or to other souls1 rather than subjectively in its relation to one's own soul1 is one of the greatest dangers of the minister1 because his work tends directly to keep uppermost in his thinking the needs of others4 ,he may thus come to conceive vividly and to present strongly the most affecting and stupendous truths of the ,gospel without the least thought of their relation to himself and their bearing on his own life and destiny4 ,nor is he in this necessarily insincere4 ,he has an actual and strong conception of the truth and of its pregnancy with weal or woe to others1 and in pressing it he is true to his present conviction2 but his conception of it is purely in its relation to others1 and secures no application to his own spiritual wants4 ,now1 ,god's only way1 so far as we know1 of saving and sanctifying an intelligent soul is through the truth2 and this not truth conceived in the intellect as a mere object of thought1 but truth conceived in the heart1 entering into the center of a man's being1 and acting as a life-force in his deepest moral convictions and affections4 ,born again by the ,word of ,god1 which liveth and abideth for ever 7#a ,pet4 i4 #bc71 ,sanctify them through ,thy truth1 ,thy ,word is truth 7,john xvii4 #ag71 are passages which indicate an unvarying law of the ,gospel4 ,all spiritual life comes from the ,holy ,spirit1 acting through ,divine truth received into the soul4 ,to this law ,god has not made the minister an exception4 ,the measure of religious life in him1 as in every man1 is determined by the extent of this believing appropriation of ,divine truth and its consequent living power in him4 ,he may be1 therefore1 a learned theologian1 holding in his intellectual vision a wide range of truth1 while yet1 from failure in heart appropriation of it1 he is a dwarf in vital spiritual development1 because ,christian life grows not from mere knowledge1 but from truth believingly appropriated4 ,the pastor1 therefore1 should cultivate the habit of applying and appropriating to his own soul the truths he preaches4 ,he should habitually look at them in their relation to himself and take them into his own life by a distinct act of faith1 which believingly1 joyfully1 appropriates them as belonging to him4 ,every truth thus received will become in him an added element of life1 deepening and enlarging his religious consciousness and imparting a richer and more blessed experience4 ,then1 from this fountain of life within1 thus ever enlarged and enriched1 he will present in the pulpit1 not a dead system of doctrines1 but a living ,gospel which shall come with fulness of life to the people4 ,,iii4 ,,an ,,habitual ,,self-,,surrender ,,and ,,consecration ,,to ,,christ ,,and ,,his ,,work4--,selfishness1 in its more insidious forms1 endangers the life of a pastor4 ,outwardly1 by office1 he is consecrated to the service of ,christ1 and for this very reason he is less likely to detect1 deep down at the springs of his living1 the presence and power of a self-love1 in the form of pride1 envy1 self-will1 self-indulgence1 and ambition1 which may be1 after all1 the controlling force in his inner life4 ,the danger is here the greater because1 its growth having been unperceived1 the man is unconscious of its control1 and because1 with all the deceitfulness of sin1 it lurks stealthily1 but all the more potentially1 within the sacred forms and associations of a consecrated office4 ,hence the necessity of frequent and rigid self-examination4 ,a man must interrogate himself1 and with careful introspection seek to detect the real forces that control his life4 ,there should be pauses in his career when he will stand alone in the presence-chamber of the ,omniscient ,one1 and cry1 ,search me1 ,o ,god1 and know my heart2 try me1 and know my thoughts2 and see if there be any wicked way in me1 and lead me in the way everlasting 7,ps4 cxxxix4 #bc1 #bd74 ,the best lives have found great value in such special seasons privately set apart for fasting1 prayer1 and self-examination1 as the navigator1 in the perils of his voyage1 stops to take observation of the sun and stars and make certain what is his position and whither the winds and currents are bearing him4 ,then1 with vision thus clarified1 and in full view of his real position1 he should make a distinct renewal of self-dedication to ,god1 giving up himself1 with all he is and has1 unreservedly to ,him4 ,without this self-renunciation and self-devotion to ,christ1 as an habitual fact1 the inner life will be without spiritual power4 ,jesus1 in ,his promise of the ,holy ,spirit and of the ,christ-presence1 makes this the one1 essential condition3 ,if ye love ,me1 keep ,my commandments1 and ,i will pray the ,father1 and ,he shall give you another ,comforter 7,john xiv4 #ae1 #af74 ,a true consecration of self to ,christ1 therefore1 assures the presence of the ,holy ,spirit as the revealer of ,christ within the soul4 ,this was the habitual attitude of the apostle ,paul4 ,he says3 ,the life that ,i now live in the flesh1 ,i live by the faith of the ,son of ,god1 who loved me and gave ,himself for me 7,gal4 ii4 #bj74 ,self was nothing1 ,christ everything2 for when confronted with peril of death1 he said3 ,none of these things move me1 neither count ,i my life dear unto myself1 so that ,i might finish my course with joy1 and the ministry1 which ,i have received of the ,lord ,jesus1 to testify the ,gospel of the grace of ,god 7,acts xx4 #bd74 ,thus self-dedicated1 he received the promise3 ,the ,spirit wrought in him mightily1 filling him with ,divine life and power4 ,so utter was his self-abnegation1 and so all-absorbing his love of souls1 that1 like ,moses of old 7,ex4 xxxii4 #cb71 he could wish1 were it right and would it secure their salvation1 to be himself accursed from ,christ for them 7,rom4 ix4 #c74 ,with like self-devotion to souls1 ,rutherford1 the eminent ,scotch minister1 while assuring his flock that they were the objects of his tears1 care1 fear1 and daily prayers1 said ,my witness is above1 that your heaven would be two heavens to me1 and the salvation of you all as two salvations to me4 ,a ministry thus self-forgetting is of necessity a ministry of power2 for ,god ,himself works in it1 as all history has shown4 ,,iv4 ,,an ,,habitual ,,looking ,,above ,,for ,,the ,,reward4--,godliness has promise of the life that now is 7#a ,tim4 iv4 #h72 and nowhere1 perhaps1 is that promise more fully realized than in the pastorate in the present age4 ,in social relations1 in opportunities for culture1 in friendships formed1 in means of influence1 in popular estimation1 and even in temporal support1 few positions in life have higher advantages or more agreeable surroundings4 ,but1 with all this1 life1 even in a faithful ministry1 is1 on its earthly side1 rarely other than a disappointment2 and the pastor who seeks reward in human applause or in any form of earthly hope1 not only thereby excludes the ,holy ,spirit from his life but is also sure to find unrest and failure as the ultimate result4 ,the rewards of the faithful pastor are from ,god and are of special magnitude and blessedness4 ,the rewards come1 in part1 in the present life4 ,a faithful minister finds them alike in a clear conscience and a sense of the approval of ,god1 and in his work itself and the blessed results following it4 ,with all its care and toil1 the ministry1 to the man who knows his call of ,god to the work and devotes himself to it without reserve1 is the happiest work on earth4 ,sorrowful he is1 yet always rejoicing4 ,henry ,martyn said3 ,i do not wish for any heaven on earth besides that of preaching the precious ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ to immortal souls4 ,i wish for no service but the service of ,god in laboring for souls on earth and to do ,his will in heaven4 ,dr4 ,doddridge3 ,i esteem the ministry the most desirable employment on earth1 and find that delight in it1 and those advantages from it1 which ,i think hardly any other employment on earth could give me4 ,rutherford3 ,there is nothing out of heaven1 next to ,christ1 dearer to me than my ministry4 ,brown3 ,now1 after forty years' preaching of ,christ1 ,i think ,i would rather beg my bread all the laboring-days of the week for an opportunity of publishing the ,gospel on the ,lord's ,day than without such privilege to enjoy the richest possessions on earth4 ,such is the testimony of godly ministers in all ages1 even in periods of bitter persecution4 ,the conscious presence of ,christ2 the blessed privilege of declaring to guilty men ,god's rich and free mercy2 the delight in the work of saving souls and of ministering comfort and strength and hope to the sorrowing1 the weak1 and the despairing2 the joy of communion with saints1--all these enter into the minister's experience1 and give to his work even on earth an unspeakably rich reward4 ,but the highest reward of the ministry is reserved in heaven4 ,there they will shine as the brightness of the firmament and as the stars for ever and ever 7,dan4 xii4 #c74 ,he that reapeth receiveth wages1 and gathereth fruit unto life eternal 7,john iv4 #cf74 ,every soul won to ,christ here will there be an occasion of eternal joy4 ,paul said3 ,what is our hope1 or joy1 or crown of rejoicing8 ,are not even ye in the presence of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ at ,his coming8 7#a ,thess4 ii4 #ai74 ,glorious beyond our thought is the reward set before every faithful ,christian3 he shall receive a crown of righteousness 7#b ,tim4 iv4 #h71 a crown of life 7,james i4 #ab71 an eternal weight of glory 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #ag7 and shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of ,god 7,matt4 xiii4 #dc72 and all this intensified shall be the reward of the true pastor1 according as he is faithful to his high calling from ,god4 ,let the pastor1 then1 seek most of all to be faithful to ,christ and ,his work4 ,let it be to him a very small thing that he be judged of man's judgment 7#a ,cor4 iv4 #d7 and let him ever cherish as of chief moment a clear conscience1 finding his highest comfort in the sweet assurance of ,god's approval4 ,be it his to have respect unto the recompense of the reward1 and so endure as seeing him who is invisible 7,heb4 xi4 #bf1 #bg74 ,thus1 will his life approximate that grandest of merely human lives--the life of him who declared1 ,as we were allowed of ,god to be put in trust with the ,gospel1 even so we speak1 not as pleasing men1 but ,god which trieth our hearts 7#a ,thess4 ii4 #d71 and at the close of which it was said1 ,i have fought a good fight1 ,i have finished my course1 ,i have kept the faith2 henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness1 which the ,lord1 the righteous ,judge1 shall give me at that day 7#b ,tim4 iv4 #g1 #h74 ,when of old1 at the ,sea of ,galilee1 the ,lord reinstated ,peter after his fall1 ,he thrice with solemn emphasis proposed the question1 ,simon1 son of ,jonas1 ,,lovest thou ,,me8 ,he thus taught for all the ages that personal love to ,him is the primal condition for the sacred office4 ,without this as the central1 fontal principle in the soul the pastor's life will fail of spiritual power1 but with this as its impulsive force he will be like the faithful minister seen by ,bunyan's pilgrim3 he had eyes lifted up to heaven1 the best of books in his hand1 the law of truth was written upon his lips1 the world was behind his back2 he stood as if he pleaded with men1 and a crown of gold did hang over his head4 ,transcriber's ,notes4 - ,note about paragraph identification3 ,the first new paragraph on a page is paragraph one4 ,if a paragraph continues from the prior page1 it is paragraph zero4 - ,page #e1 preface1 second paragraph1 apply ,reverential ,capitalization 7,,rc7 to ,gospel4 - ,page #g1 ,,toc1 ,section i41 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,the break between pages #g and #h is in a unit that style indicates should not be broken3 #e4,preaching4 ,the whole unit was moved to the earlier page4 - ,page #h1 ,,toc1 section iii41 point #e 7#b471 change the semi-colon after ,exposition to a colon4 - ,page #aa1 ,,toc1 ,section xx41 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,his4 - ,page #ac1 ,section i41 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,he1 ,his 7twice71 ,divine1 ,my 7twice71 and ,apostles4 - ,page #ad1 paragraph zero1 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,he1 ,apostles1 ,himself1 and ,his4 ,point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine1 ,his1 and ,gospel4 ,paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,gospel4 - ,the break between pages #ad and #ae is in the word consciousness3 consciousness4 ,in this and all subsequent cases the whole word was moved to the earlier page4 - ,page #ae1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,word4 - ,the break between pages #ae and #af is in the word enthusiasm3 enthusiasm4 - ,page #af1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 change wo to woe2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 - ,page #ag1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,christ4 - ,page #ah1 paragraph zero1 point #e1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,gospel4 - ,page #ai1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,him4 - ,page #bj1 paragraph zero1 add comma to prayer the4 ,paragraph one1 point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,his4 ,point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,word4 - ,page #ba1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,section ii41 part ,i1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,his 7twice74 ,point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,the break between pages #ba and #bb is in the word evidently3 evidently4 - ,page #bb1 point #b1 change centre to center2 apply ,,rc to ,apostles4 - ,page #bc1 in-line note on niggardly4 - ,page #bd1 paragraph zero1 change practising to practicing4 ,point #e1 remove comma from weeks1 and4 ,point #f1 change practises to practices4 - ,page #be1 point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #bg1 paragraph zero1 add comma to order for4 ,paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,his4 - ,the break between pages #bg and #bh is in the word service3 service4 - ,page #bh1 point #b1 add comma to activity a4 - ,page #bi1 point #c1 add comma to failed and4 - ,page #cj1 paragraph one1 remove comma from place1 and4 - ,page #cb1 point #a1 remove comma from choir1 and4 - ,page #cc1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,him4 ,point ,,iii #a 7#a471 add comma to ,thus a4 - ,page #cd1 paragraph zero1 point 7#d471 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #ce1 paragraph zero1 remove comma from ,scripture1 and4 ,point 7#c471 add comma to instances false4 - ,page #cf1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,the break between pages #cg and #ch is in the word expression3 expression4 - ,page #cg1 paragraph one1 change exigences to exigencies4 - ,page #ch1 paragraph one1 point 7#a471 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #ci1 paragraph zero1 point 7#c471 add comma to case there4 - ,page #dj1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,divine1 ,his1 ,gospel1 and ,divine 7twice74 - ,page #da1 paragraph one1 point #d 7#b71 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #db1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dc1 paragraph zero1 change moulded to molded4 ,point ,v1 change centre to center2 apply ,,rc to ,himself1 ,he1 ,him 7thrice71 ,gospel1 and ,word4 - ,page #dd1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel ,point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine1 ,word1 ,divine1 and ,word4 ,point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #de1 paragraph zero1 remove comma from life1 and4 ,paragraph two1 point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,him1 ,his1 ,divinity1 and ,his 7twice74 - ,page #df1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,he1 ,his 7twice71 ,he1 ,him1 ,he1 ,his 7thrice71 ,he1 ,him1 ,he1 ,his1 ,gospel1 ,his1 ,he1 ,his1 ,himself1 and ,his4 ,capitalize ,fall4 ,apply ,,rc to ,his 7twice74 ,change centre to center4 ,apply ,,rc to ,him and ,gospel4 - ,the break between pages #df and #dg is in the word possible3 possible4 - ,page #dg1 paragraph zero1 point 7#b471 change defence to defense and imperilled to imperiled4 - ,page #dh1 paragaph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 change skilful to skillful4 ,point 7#b471 change mould to mold4 - ,page #di1 paragraph zero1 add comma to also in4 ,point 7#c471 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #ej1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 ,point 7#b471 apply ,,rc to ,him and ,his4 - ,the break between pages #ej and #ea is in the word adoring3 adoring4 - ,page #ea1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,him 7twice74 ,point 7#c471 remove comma from courage1 and4 ,apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,paragraph one1 add comma to subjects ,i4 ,point 7#b471 apply ,,rc to ,divine1 ,him1 and ,divine4 - ,the break between pages #eb and #ec is in the word discriminating3 discriminating4 - ,page #ec1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,gospel4 ,paragraph one1 capitalize ,sermon on the ,mount4 - ,page #ed1 point 7#d471 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 remove comma from theme1 and4 - ,page #ee1 paragraph zero1 point #e1 apply ,,rc to ,word2 remove comma from effort1 and4 - ,page #fa1 paragraph zero1 remove comma from alone1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,him4 - ,page #fc1 paragaph zero1 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,him4 - ,the break between pages #fc and #fd is in the word perhaps3 perhaps4 - ,page #fd1 paragraph zero1 change exigences to exigencies4 - ,page #fe1 paragraph two1 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,word4 - ,page #ff1 paragraph zero1 add comma to purpose have4 - ,the break between pages #ff and #fg is in the word stubble3 stubble4 - ,page #fg1 paragraph one1 remove comma from bear1 and4 - ,page #fh1 paragraph zero1 point #c1 change centre to center4 - ,page #gj1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,his4 - ,page #gb1 paragraph zero1 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,paragraph one1 change centre to center2 apply ,,rc to ,him4 - ,page #gc1 paragraph zero1 capitalize ,passover4 ,remove comma from administration1 but4 - ,page #gd1 paragraph one1 remove commas from school1 and1 believing4 - ,the break between pages #gd and #ge is in the word well-filled3 well-filled4 - ,page #ge1 paragraph zero1 remove comma from schools1 and4 ,paragraph one1 point #b1 remove comma from women1 and4 - ,page #gg1 paragraph zero1 remove commas from trashy1 but and directly1 and4 - ,page #gh1 section vii41 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,divine1 ,his 7twice71 ,he1 ,his1 ,he1 ,him1 and ,his4 - ,page #hj1 paragraph zero1 remove comma from one1 and4 ,paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,him and ,his4 - ,page #ha1 point ,i1 paragraph two1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 change exigences to exigencies4 - ,page #hc1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #hd1 paragraph two1 add comma to reason it4 - ,page #he1 paragraph zero1 add comma to turn they4 ,paragraph one1 add comma to rule a4 - ,page #hf1 paragraph zero1 add comma to accessible and4 ,point ,,iii1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,word2 remove comma from ,god1 and4 - ,page #hg1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,him4 ,paragraph one1 capitalize ,divine1 referring to a churchman4 ,paragraph two1 add comma to conversations new4 - ,page #hi1 paragraph two1 add comma to week he2 remove comma from burnings1 but4 - ,page #ia1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,his 7twice74 - ,the break between pages #ia and #ib is in the word circumstances3 circumstances4 - ,page #ib1 paragraph one1 point #c1 remove comma from friend1 and4 - ,page #ic1 paragraph zero1 add comma to possible help2 apply ,,rc to ,he1 ,him1 ,his1 and ,him2 change ,saviour to ,savior4 - ,the break between pages #ic and #id is in the word everything3 everything4 - ,page #id1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,section viii41 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #ie1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice71 and ,gospel2 remove comma from men1 and4 - ,the break between pages #if and #ig is in the word religious3 religious4 - ,page #if1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,him1 ,my1 and ,his4 ,paragraph two1 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #ig1 paragraph one1 remove comma from it1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #ih1 paragraph one1 change scepticism to skepticism4 - ,page #aja1 paragraph two1 point #b1 change centres to centers 7twice74 - ,page #ajc1 paragraph one1 point #a1 remove comma from teaching1 and2 add comma to success the4 - ,page #aje1 paragraph one1 point #c1 remove commas from appears1 and and fact1 and4 ,paragraph two1 point #d1 remove comma from watch1 and4 - ,the break between pages #aje and #ajf is in the word relinquishing3 relinquishing4 - ,page #ajf1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,section xi41 paragraph two1 point #a1 add comma to then it4 - ,page #ajg1 paragraph one1 point #b1 remove comma from indulged1 and2 change offence to offense4 - ,page #ajh1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,he2 remove comma from accidental1 but2 apply ,,rc to ,he 7twice7 and ,gospel4 - ,the break between pages #ajh and #aji is in the word acceptance3 acceptance4 - ,page #aji1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,him and ,gospel 7twice74 ,paragraph one1 point #d1 add comma to standing and4 - ,page #aaj1 paragraph one1 point #e1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #aaa1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,the break between pages #aaa and #aab is in the word contribution3 contribution4 - ,page #aab1 paragraph two1 point #c1 remove comma for this1 or4 - ,page #aae1 paragraph zero1 remove comma from work1 and4 - ,page #aaf1 paragraph one1 point #d1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,the break between pages #aaf and #aag is in the word eminently3 eminently4 - ,page #aag1 paragraph two1 point #b1 change defence to defense 7twice74 - ,the break between pages #aag and #aah is in the word evangelical3 evangelical4 - ,page #aah1 paragraph zero1 change exigences to exigencies2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,paragraph one1 point #d1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 change centres to centers2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #aai1 paragraph zero1 point 7#b471 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,divine4 ,point 7#c471 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #abj1 paragraph one1 remove comma from country1 and4 - ,page #abb1 paragraph zero1 point #c1 remove comma from discipline1 and4 ,point #d1 change pretence to pretense4 - ,page #abc1 paragraph one1 add comma to ,finally ,i4 - ,page #abd1 paragraph zero1 remove comma from necessity1 and2 add comma to certainly the4 ,section ,,xvi1 apply ,,rc to ,his4 - ,page #abe1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #abf1 paragraph zero1 remove comma from advisers1 and4 ,point #d1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #acj1 paragraph zero1 remove comma from him1 and4 ,paragraph one1 point #a1 change dulness to dullness4 - ,page #acc1 paragraph zero1 remove commas from experience1 and and pulpit1 and4 ,paragraph one1 point #f1 add comma to it power4 - ,page #acd1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,apostles 7twice7 and ,word2 add comma to ministers we4 - ,page #ace1 paragraph zero1 remove comma from membership1 and4 - ,page #acf1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 add comma to this he2 remove commas from spirit1 and and life1 or2 change he lose habits to he loses habits and fulness to fullness2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #acg1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,divinely-constituted4 - ,page #ach1 paragraph zero1 remove comma from reason1 and4 ,section xvii41 paragraph one1 add comma to respect they4 - ,page #aci1 paragraph one1 remove comma from study1 and4 - ,page #ada1 paragraph zero1 remove comma from plan1 and4 - ,page #adb1 paragraph one1 remove comma from mill1 but4 - ,the break between pages #adb and #adc is in the word standpoints3 standpoints4 - ,page #adc1 paragraph three1 point #a1 change marvellously to marvelously2 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #add1 paragraph two1 remove comma from manhood1 and4 - ,page #ade1 paragraph one1 point #d1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,paragraph three1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 and add comma to ,bible a4 - ,the break between pages #ade and #adf is in the word undiscriminating3 undiscriminating4 - ,page #adf1 paragraph one1 point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,word1 ,divine1 ,word1 ,his1 and ,divine4 - ,page #adg1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #adh1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,apostle1 ,gospel1 ,he and ,his 7twice74 ,of ,paul1 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely-called and ,apostle4 ,of ,paul1 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,apostle and ,gospel4 ,apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,of ,christ1 point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,his and ,he4 ,of ,christ1 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,his1 ,divine1 ,he1 ,his1 and ,word4 - ,page #adi1 paragraph zero1 remove comma from it1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 remove commas from text-book1 and and thought1 and4 - ,the break between pages #adi and #aej is in the word formation3 formation4 - ,page #aej1 paragraph two1 apply ,,rc to ,his and ,gospel4 - ,page #aea1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,he and ,his4 ,point #a1 change ch4 iv4 #i to ,phil4 iv4 #i for concreteness2 change unblamably to unblameably2 remove comma from pulpit1 and4 - ,the break between pages #aea and #aeb is in the word proposes3 proposes4 - ,page #aeb1 paragraph zero1 add comma to evidently he4 ,point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,he4 ,point #d1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 change doest to dost to match ,,kjv quotation4 ,paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,his4 - ,page #aec1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,his4 - ,page #aee1 paragraph two1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice72 change exigences to exigencies4 - ,page #aef1 paragraph two1 point #a1 remove comma from franchise1 and4 - ,page #aeg1 paragraph one1 remove comma from life1 but4 - ,page #aei1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,paragraph one1 change centres to centers4 - ,the break between pages #aei and #afj is in the word ministerial3 ministerial4 - ,page #afj1 paragraph zero1 remove comma from household1 and4 ,paragraph one1 point #d1 remove comma from innocent1 but4 - ,the break between pages #afj and #afa is in the word amusements3 amusements4 - ,page #afa1 paragraph one1 point #e1 apply ,,rc to ,him and ,his4 ,paragraph two1 point #f1 remove comma from fact1 but4 ,paragraph three1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #afb1 paragraph one1 point #a1 change dulness to dullness4 - ,the break between pages #afb and #afc is within a unit 7a scripture reference71 #a ,cor4 vi4#ab4 ,the whole unit was moved to the earlier page4 - ,page #afc1 paragraph one1 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #afd1 section xx41 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,the break between pages #afd and #afe is in the word bursting3 bursting4 - ,page #afe1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,his 7twice71 ,he1 ,his1 ,he1 ,his1 ,divine1 ,his1 ,he 7twice71 ,himself1 ,him1 ,his1 ,me1 ,my1 ,myself1 ,divine1 ,he1 ,his1 and ,he 7twice74 ,paragraph two1 change marvellous to marvelous2 apply ,,rc to ,his and ,gospel4 - ,page #aff1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,apostles1 ,he1 ,divine1 ,him1 ,his1 ,apostle1 and ,divine4 - ,page #afg1 paragraph two1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,his4 - ,page #afh1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,divine1 ,his 7thrice71 and ,him4 - ,page #afi1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,word4 ,paragraph two1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7thrice71 ,gospel1 and ,his4 - ,page #agj1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,word2 change marvellous to marvelous4 ,paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,himself and ,he 7twice74 ,poem1 apply ,,rc to ,his4 ,paragraph two1 apply ,,rc to ,he1 ,his 7twice71 ,him1 and ,his4 - ,page #aga1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 change centre to center2 apply ,,rc to ,word1 ,thy1 ,thy ,word1 ,gospel and ,divine 7twice74 - ,the break between pages #aga and #agb is in the word applying3 applying4 - ,page #agb1 paragraph zero1 remove comma from himself1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,paragraph one1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,his4 - ,page #agc1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,him4 ,paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,his1 ,me1 ,my1 ,himself1 and ,gospel2 add comma to self-dedicated he2 capitalize ,the after the colon1 because a whole sentence follows the colon2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #agd1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,himself4 ,paragraph one1 point ,,iv1 remove commas from life1 but and ,god1 and4 ,paragraph two1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,his4 - ,page #age1 paragraph zero1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,his2 remove comma after #b ,cor4 iv4 #ag reference4 - ,page #agf1 paragraph one1 apply ,,rc to ,his2 add right double quote after small thing2 remove comma after #a ,cor4 iv4 #d reference2 add comma to thus will2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,paragraph two1 apply ,,rc to ,he and ,him4