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PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 



THE PASTOR 



IN THE 



VARIOUS DUTIES OF HIS OFFICE. 



BY 

THOMAS MURPHY, D.D., 

PASTOR OP THE 

FRANKFORD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 
PHILADELPHIA. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 

1334 CHESTNUT STREET. 



V,- 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877 by 

THE TRUSTEES OB 1 THE 

PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 




WESTCOTT & THOMSON, 
Slereotypers and Electrotypes, Philada. 



PREFACE. 



AN additional book on the subject of Pastoral Theology is 
needed at the present time, because of the many changes which 
have of late occurred in the modes of carrying on the work of 
the Church, because of the great enlargement of that work, and 
because new and important branches of the subject have been 
developed within a comparatively few years. The field of minis 
terial operations has become wider, fuller of instrumentalities 
and more intensely active. The work of the Sabbath-school, the 
great schemes of benevolence which are in operation for build 
ing up the kingdom of Christ, and the various new agencies 
which are being matured for the extension of the blessings of 
the gospel, may be taken as samples of pastoral duties which 
could not have much place in older books on this subject, be 
cause they were scarcely in existence when such books were 
written. It is mainly with a view to meeting this want that 
the present work is undertaken. 

It is becoming that I should state the chief reasons which 
may justify me in attempting a task which is so responsible and 
difficult. My own experience as pastor for more than a quarter 
of a century of a large and growing church has brought me into 
personal and frequently repeated and anxious contact with nearly 
every practical question that can ordinarily arise in the minis 
terial work ; and my church and presbytery, being composed of 
families of both city and country, have afforded peculiar facilities 
for becoming acquainted with the duties of the pastor in their 
full variety. Then during all these years the subject of Pastoral 
Theology has been a favorite study, on which I have endeavored 

3 



4 PREFACE. 

to learn, not only from my own observation and experiment, but 
also from conference with many successful pastors, and from a 
treasury of scraps of recorded wisdom concerning the sacred 
office which I have long been accumulating and arranging for 
my own private use. There is one exceedingly valuable fountain 
of instruction pertaining to the subject from which I have been 
able to draw abundantly. When preparing for the ministry I 
enjoyed the very great privilege of listening to lectures and 
familiar conversations on the character, duties and responsi 
bilities of the pastoral office by the Rev. Dr. Archibald Alex 
ander, who from his pre-eminent Christian wisdom, learning 
and experience was able to give such counsel on the subject as 
was of the highest importance. These lectures, unfortunately, 
were not written out so fully by the venerable author that they 
could afterward be published. Had they been, they would 
have proved to be amongst the most valuable of all the con 
tributions made by that great and good man to the literature 
of the Church. While listening to these lectures I took very 
copious notes, which I have preserved as a sacred treasure, and 
by them have now been enabled to enrich these pages, some 
times using formal quotations, but more generally introducing 
their spirit and substance, and applying them either to correct 
or verify observations of my own. Advised by friends whose 
opinions I could not disregard, and justified, as I supposed, by 
such considerations as these, I set about this work, which has 
been one of great labor, but also of great pleasure. 

My object from first to last has been a very simple one. I 
have not attempted to discuss questions of doctrine or order, or 
merely to theorize about subjects of any kind ; but my single 
aim has been to present the duties of the pastor with as much 
fullness as possible, and to furnish such suggestions as might 
help toward their most successful performance. I have dwelt 
only on those things which are peculiar to the pastoral office, 
and which the young minister especially, though not exclusively, 
might need as aids in undertaking his great spiritual work. I 



PREFACE. 5 

ha 7e endeavored to present whatever experience teaches to be 
valuable as guides to success or incentives to earnestness in a 
work which pertains to the most momentous of mortal interests. 

In carrying out this undertaking, in which I am sadly con 
scious of having come far short of my own ideal of what it 
should be, I have consulted everything on the subject of Pas 
toral Theology that was within my reach, but have also relied 
very largely upon my own observation and experience as com 
pared and corrected by the teaching of others. I have endeav 
ored to learn from my own many failures, shortcomings, mis 
takes and omissions in the pastoral work, which I have had no 
difficulty in working up into lessons that might be profitable to 
others. As the teachings of Pastoral Theology must necessarily 
be made up to an important extent from the experience of many 
workers in the ministerial field, I have quoted largely from the 
writings of eminently useful and devoted ministers, living or 
deceased, in order that their names might add the more weight 
to principles which their lives have helped to define. I have 
endeavored to touch upon all points of duty which are likely 
to come up before the pastor in ordinary circumstances. Upon 
those which are of most importance I have dwelt more fully ; 
to others but brief attention has been given. I have not inten 
tionally shrunk from taking up any subject which my own ex 
perience has taught me the pastor is likely to need or to find 
of much importance. 

Though I am a Presbyterian, and have necessarily looked 
upon every question treated from the standpoint of that system, 
yet it is believed that nearly every duty indicated or counsel 
given is just as applicable to pastors of other denominations. 
Some nomenclature had to be used ; but, with that exception, 
the subject as it lay before me demanded scarcely anything 
but what was common to the duties of the ministry of all com 
munions. 

In the treatment of some of the more important subjects a 
considerable number of rules or counsels are given, not with the 



6 PREFACE. 

expectation that all of them should be put in practice by each 
pastor, but with the hope that, while some of them may be 
adopted, they may all be suggestive and lead to something use 
ful. Amongst the various plans which are indicated for the 
management of such important subjects as " conducting prayer- 
meetings," " the care of young converts," and " making collec 
tions for benevolent objects," each minister can select such aw 
are suitable to his own judgment and opportunities, or he can 
experiment upon them all, or he can adopt as many of them 
as are practicable. Sometimes I have simply endeavored to 
open the subject of some practical questions, so that each pastor 
may study it for himself in both its aspects, and then determine 
which to adopt, or modify it as he chooses, or correct extreme 
views, or decide upon some middle line of opinion or action as 
he may judge best. Among such subjects, the sections on " Hind- 
erances and Helps to Pastoral Piety," " Written or Extemporane 
ous Preaching," and " Management of Voluntary Associations " 
may be named. 

If my work, which is now finished, shall be so blessed by the 
kind providence of the Great Head of the Church as to find its 
way into the hands of a goodly number of those who are al 
ready in the gospel ministry or who are expecting soon to enter 
that sacred office ; if it shall help them to a riper preparation 
for the pastoral work ; if it shall cheer them ever so little under 
their many discouragements and help them to solve some of 
their many difficulties ; if it shall assist in making their toils 
more easy and pleasant ; if it shall aid in giving greater efficacy 
to the efforts which they may put forth in the cause of human 
redemption ; especially if it shall contribute anything through 
them to the promotion of the glory of Christ our King, if it 
shall accomplish these objects, even in the smallest degree, then 
there will be more than a recompense for the years of labor and 
of prayer which have been devoted to its pages. 

THOMAP MURPHY. 
PHILADELPHIA, May 25, 1877. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 

PAGK 

What is Pastoral Theology? 13 

History of Pastoral Theology , 15 

Sources of Pastoral Theology 17 

Necessity of this Study as a Branch of Training for the Christian Ministry. 22 

Importance of the Office, and of this Preparation for it 24 

Mode of Treating the Subject 29 

How the Subject should be Studied 34 



CHAPTER II. 

THE PASTOR IN HIS CLOSET. 

The Piety which is Needful for the Pastoral Office 37 

Importance of Eminent Piety in the Pastor 40 

(a) From the Names applied to Ministers in the Word of God 40 

(6) The Greatness of the Work to which he is Called 43 

(c] The Conversion of Souls and the Prosperity of the Church depend 

on the Degree of the Pastor s Piety 47 

(d] The Real Power of the Pastor is in his Earnest Godliness 49 

(e] Devoted Piety will make all the Work of the Pastor Easy and 

Pleasant 54 

(/) The Pastor is Appointed to be a Living Example of the Gospel 

which he Preaches 57 

(g) Eminent Piety is Expected of the Pastor 59 

(h] The Pastor is Warranted in Looking forward to Eminent Glory 

in the Heavenly World.. 62 

7 



8 CONTENTS. 

PAGB 

How the Piety of the Minister can be Cultivated 04 

(a) By Constant Prayer <> 4 

(6) Piety to be Cultivated by a Morning Hour of Devotion 71 

(c) Piety Increased by the Devotional Beading of the Scriptures 76 

(d) The Pastor should Cultivate his Piety by Preaching to Himself... 79 

Hinderances in the Way of Ministerial Piety 82 

Helps to the Piety of the Pastor 85 



CHAPTEE III. 

THE PASTOR IN THE STUDY. 

Close Study Indispensable 92 

Thorough System 99 

The Pastor should keep Ahead with his Work 107 

Incessant Study of the Bible 110 

Practical Suggestions for the Study of the Bible 115 

Committing Scripture to Memory 127 

The Study of Hebrew and Greek 129 

Preparing Sermons 135 

Heading and Books 141 

Newspapers and other Periodicals 147 



CHAPTEE IV. 

THE PASTOR IN THE PULPIT. 

Preaching the Minister s Chief Calling 152 v/ 

What to Preach 155 

(a) The Word of God 155 

(6) Nothing but the Word to be Preached 164 

(c) Christ to be the Sum and Substance of all Preaching 167 

(d) Doctrines should be Preached 175 

Courses of Sermons 180 

Manner of Preaching 188 

(a) With Deep Earnestness 188 

(6) Preaching should be with Tenderness 194 

(c) Preaching should be in Sympathy with the Wants of the People.. 198 

(d) Aiming Directly for Conversions in Preaching 200 

(e) Sensational Preaching 205 

Public Prayer 207 

Preparation of the Mind for Entering the Pulpit 215 

Written or Extemporaneous Sermons 218 

May Sermons Sometimes be Eepeated? 220 



CONTENTS. 
CHAPTER V. 

THE PASTOR IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 

PAGE 

Pastoral Visiting 224 

How often should Pastoral Visits be Made? 229 

How should Pastoral Visiting be Conducted? 233 

Visiting the Sick 237 

Visiting those who are in Sorrow 248 

Visiting the Aged 251 

Ministering to Awakened Souls 253 

Administering the Sacraments 256 

Attending Funerals 260 

Circulating Books and Tracts 263 

Circulating Religious Newspapers 266 

The Pastor should Identify himself with his People 269 

CHAPTER VI. 

THE PASTOR IN THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 

Activity in the Church Indispensable 276 

Every Member of the Church to be a Worker 280 

Devising Plans of Work 287 

Elders Work 288 

Woman s Work 290 

(a) Female Prayer-meetings 291 

(b) Pastors Aids 292 

(c) Visiting the Aged, Sick and Poor 294 

(d) Dorcas Societies 296 

Attention to Strangers 297 

(a) There should be some Agency for Making the Acquaintance of 

Strangers 298 

(b) Hospitality to Strangers in the House of God 299 

Prayer-meetings 302 

(a) Conducting Prayer-meetings 303 

(6) Cottage Prayer-meetings. 316 

(c) Not too many Prayer-meetings 318 

Missionary Enterprises 319 

Voluntary Associations 322 

Temperance 323 

CHAPTER VII. 
THE PASTOR IN THE PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 

Progress Essential 326 

Special Efforts to be Sometimes Made 326 

2 



10 CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Revivals 330 

(a) Revivals of Inestimable Value 330 

(6) The Pastor himself should do Most of the Preaching 335 

(c) Meetings with Inquirers 338 

(d) The Pastor to be Informed who are Awakened 339 

(e) The Awakened should be Visited at their Homes 340 

(/) Books and Tracts should be Used 342 

(g) Danger of Reaction 344 

(h) Care for Young Converts 346 

Conversions to be Expected at all Times 354 

A High Type of Christian Life to be Cultivated in the Church 356 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE PASTOR IN THE SABBATH-SCHOOL. 

Importance of the Sabbath-school 361 

The Sabbath-school a prominent part of the Pastor s Work 363 

The Sabbath-school and the Family 367 

Relations of the Sabbath-school to the Church 373 

(a) The Church as such should Conduct the Sabbath-school 375 

(6) Difficulty of Harmonizing the Control of the Church and Freedom 

of the Teachers 376 

The Province of the Sabbath-school 378 

Direct Aims of the Sabbath-school 382 

(a) The Conversion of the Scholars 382 

(6) The Indoctrination of the Scholars 383 

(c) The Training of the Children in Benevolence 386 

Conducting the Sabbath-school 387 

(a) Exciting Interest in the Bible 387 

(6) Aiming Directly for the Conversion of the Scholars 391 

(c) Catechetical Instruction 392 

(d) Cultivating the Benevolence of the Children 398 

(e) The Sabbath-school to be kept in Sympathy with the Church 403 

(/) Improvements in Sabbath-school Work 406 

(g) Promptness in Everything 410 

(A) The Library 411 

(i) Prayer-meeting Before or After the Exercises of the School 413 

The Pastor s Personal Work in the Sabbath-school 414 

(a) Regular Attendance 415 

(6) General Supervision 416 

(c) The Pastor s Bible-class 419 

(d} Preaching to the Children 421 

(e) Promoting the Interests of the Sabbath-school throughout the 

Congregation 425 



CONTENTS. H 

CHAPTER IX. 

THE PASTOR IN THE BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. 

PAQK 

Christian Beneficence the Great Practical Question of the Age 427 

Information Concerning the Benevolent Work of the Church 432 

(a) The Pastor should keep himself well Informed 432 

(6) He should Communicate this Information to the People 434 

Collections should be Taken up for each Benevolent Cause of the Church. 435 
(a) The United Wisdom of the Whole Church, surveying the Entire 

Field, has fixed on these 430 

(6) The More there is contributed to the Boards, the More will be 

given to one s own Church 437 

(c) Collections should be given to the Church s own Established 

Boards 440 

Systematic Giving 442 

Plans for Making Contributions 444 

Monthly Concert 447 

Woman s Missionary Associations 448 



CHAPTER X. 

THE PASTOR IN THE SESSION. 

A Large Session Desirable 451 

Work of the Elders 452 

Plan of Sessional Work 45-5 

A. Division of Sessional Work 455 

B. Oversight of the Families of the Congregation 457 

C. Meetings of Session 458 

Discipline 459 

Church Strifes 463 

The Pastor s Personal Difficulties 465 

The Pastor and the Finances of the Church... .. 469 



CHAPTER XI. 

THE PASTOR IN THE HIGHER COURTS OF THE CHURCH. 

Attendance upon the Higher Church Courts 472 

The Pastor s Individual Responsibility in Church Courts 474 

Assuming the Duties assigned in Ecclesiastical Meetings 475 

The Presbytery should take p:trt in every good Work 477 

The Presbytery a Missionary Organization in its own Territory 478 

(a) The Territory of Presbytery to be regarded as its special Mission 
ary Field... .. 47 S 



12 CONTENTS. 

(6) If its own Territory is not Cultivated by Presbytery, it will not 

be by Others 480 

(c) Constant Outlook for New Localities 480 

(d) What Presbytery can Do in such Locations 481 

Speaking in Ecclesiastical Meetings 483 

Brotherly Kindness in Ecclesiastical Assemblies 484 

Writing Letters as a Presbyter 487 

Outlook for Young Men for the Ministry 489 



CHAPTER XII. 

THE PASTOR IN HIS RELATIONS TO OTHER DENOMINATIONS. 

Friendly Intercourse with other Denominations 492 

Exchanging Pulpits 493 

Proselyting 495 

(a) When Wrong 495 

(6) When Right 497 

A Neighborly Spirit to be Cherished with All 498 



PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 



CHAPTER I. 

NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF PASTORAL 
THEOLOGY. 



WHAT IS PASTORAL THEOLOGY? 

THAT department of study whose object is to assist 
the Christian minister in applying the truths of the gos 
pel to the hearts and lives of men is called Pastoral 
Theology. It is " theology " because it has chiefly to do 
with the things of God and his word. It is "pastoral " 
because it treats of these divine things in that aspect of 
them which pertains to the pastor. It is practical be 
cause it relates to the work of the pastor as he is ap 
pointed to influence men by applying to them the 
teachings of the Holy Scriptures. In its more strict 
and definite form it occupies a peculiar field of its own ; 
and it is well to keep clearly in view what that field is. 

The special province of this study is not systematic 
theology, or the exegesis of Scripture, or ecclesiastical 
history, or the sacraments, or homiletics, or even the 
theory of the pastoral office as an institution of divine 
appointment. It takes for granted that all these 
branches of ministerial training have already been cul 
tivated, and endeavors to teach how they may be best 
brought to bear upon the all-important work of gathering 
men into the fold of Christ and nourishing them there 

13 



14 PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 

by the food provided by the great Shepherd. Assum 
ing that the pastor has been called of God to the sa 
cred office; that he has had his mind furnished with 
the science of theology as a system of doctrines; that 
he has learned the methods of properly interpreting the 
word of God ; that he is skilled in the laws appointed 
by Christ for the government of his Church ; and that 
he has studied the art of sacred rhetoric, assuming all 
this, it would assist him in the great practical work of 
bringing all his preparation to bear upon the edifica 
tion of the Lord s people and the salvation of men. Its 
aim is not to make ministers thorough scholars, or even 
to guide them in the pursuit of ordinary literature and 
science ; but, regarding them as men already well edu 
cated, it would aid them in the sacred art of bringing 
souls to Christ and training them for the glory of God. 

In its broader sphere pastoral theology might include 
the art of preaching. That, however, is a department 
eo great and important in itself that it has been made a 
distinct branch of ministerial training. Hence pastoral 
theology deals with sermonizing only in its most gen 
eral aspects, and at the point of its immediate contact 
with the hearts of men. 

The pastoral office is one of such overwhelming import 
ance and sacredness that it cannot be successfully ex 
ercised unless it enlists the heart of the pastor. His 
heart, his whole heart, glowing with love to God and 
men, is one of the chief ingredients of its power. The 
cultivation of his heart, then, his personal piety, is the 
first thing that must be studied in this science of the 
gospel ministry. 

Such, then, we may consider a general description of 
the subject of pastoral theology. It places the pastor 
immediately face to face with his work, and teaches him 



ITS NATURE AND IMPORTANCE. 15 

how to keep his heart in a suitable frame for its solemn 
duties. It shows him how he may best succeed as an 
ambassador of God to men, as a teacher of the holy 
oracles, as a leader in the sacramental host, as a ruler in 
the house of God, as a guide and comforter to troubled 
souls, as a watchman on Zion s walls, and as strictly re 
sponsible in all the relations and duties of his office. 



HISTOEY OF PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 

This branch of preparation for the gospel ministry 
has always been considered most deeply important. In 
the best days of the Church it has been made very 
prominent. It was so at the first. When our Lord called 
his disciples to follow him, and then, during the years 
of his public ministry, educated them for their great 
mission, he laid special stress upon this part of their 
training. As he sent them out to their work he gave 
them special directions for their guidance. These in 
structions are recorded in the tenth chapter of Matthew, 
where they were doubtless placed to be of use for all 
ministers, as well as for the disciples in their first work. 
Afterward, when, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, 
the apostles framed the order of the Christian Church, 
there was no part of it which received more attention 
than this. Three of the Epistles are taken up, mainly, 
with instructions to pastors in their sacred work. The 
immortal teachings in the Epistles of Timothy and 
Titus must ever be the model and the substance of all 
pastoral theology. It is most significant, and gives 
great prominence to this study, that so much of God s 
own word is directly devoted to it. 

And so it has ever been in the writings of those who 
have had most of the mind of Christ and most love for 



l(j PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 

his Church. They have endeavored to give the gospel 
its greatest success by making its ministers skillful in 
their momentous calling. Books of casuistry, books of 
practical piety, books of scriptural commentary, and 
books expressly devoted to the duties of the pastoral 
office have come from multitudes of pens enriched with 
wise and holy counsels for those who are to be the 
heralds of life to their fellow-men. 

Moreover, this study has always occupied a very 
prominent position in all plans that have been adopted 
for the education of the ministry. For a long time 
candidates for the holy office received a very useful 
training by living in the families of active pastors. 
There they had an opportunity of learning by wit 
nessing and taking part in the e very-day work of the 
ministerial life. This was an education that had many 
advantages. It was eminently practical. It was easily 
pursued, and made impressions that were very perma 
nent. It was particularly adapted to give great skill 
in the department of pastoral theology. But there were 
difficulties in the way of this plan. Not all active 
pastors were suitable either as models or as teachers. 
Besides, this system of educating ministers was suited 
only to times when churches and candidates for the 
sacred office were few. When they had multiplied 
greatly, and when the duties of acting pastors had 
largely increased, then this old method had to give place 
to the present one. 

Now, almost universally, our ministers are educated 
in theological seminaries. This plan has the advantage 
of securing the instructions of those who, from their own 
eminent piety and talents and learning, are best quali 
fied to prepare others for the work of the gospel. Be 
sides, the efficiency of such teachers of the rising min- 



ITS NATURE AND IMPORTANCE. 17 

istry must be greatly enhanced by their being able to 
give their undivided time and thought to a profession 
which is the most noble of all human callings. In this 
way, moreover, there is provision made for the training 
of the largest number of young men. No matter how 
many of them are seeking the gospel ministry, they can 
all equally receive this ripest and best of teaching. 

In all institutions of this kind great stress is laid 
upon pastoral theology as a branch of study. It is felt 
that no young man can be well fitted for the ministry 
until he is trained in the rules and the art of bringing 
the gospel practically home to the hearts and the lives 
of men. However pastors have been prepared for 
their great work, this branch of their preparation has 
always been regarded as of vital importance. 

SOURCES OF PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 

Whence are the facts to be gathered upon which a 
system of pastoral theology can be founded ? What 
principles are to be our guide in the pursuit of this 
study ? From what sources are the rules to come by 
which the Christian minister is to be guided in his 
great life-work ? There ought to be a clear under 
standing of these points. It will not do here to depend 
upon fancy or mere untried conjectures. On a subject 
with which such momentous interests are involved, and 
whose chief value consists in its direct applicability to 
some of the greatest duties of life, we must have guid 
ance that we know to be reliable. What, then, are the 
principal sources of information on which we can de 
pend in pursuing this study ? 

1. Manifestly, the word of God must be the chief and 
authoritative teacher of the rules that are to guide the 



18 PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 

Christian minister. In it are specified the great duties 
which must ever devolve upon him. What some of 
these duties are may be seen in 1 Tim. iv. 12-16, in 
2 Tim. ii. 22-25, and in the whole of the second chap 
ter of Titus. For instance, we find laid down such 
general principles as these : " Preach the word ;" 
" Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doc 
trine ;" "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doc 
trine ;" " Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to 
all the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made you 
overseers." These are examples of the many maxims 
announced in the inspired word for the instruction of 
the sacred office. It will be seen at once that these 
principles are very general and comprehensive in their 
character. They declare much, and they imply more. 
They are germs from which springs out a vast growth 
of wisdom for pastors. " Preach the word." This tells 
of the Scriptures, and nothing but the Scriptures, as the 
source from which the preacher must draw his subjects. 
" Take heed to thyself." What multitudes of duties 
as to personal piety and culture are included in this ! 
" Take heed to the flock over which the Holy Ghost 
has made you overseers." This lays open the whole 
field of pastoral, parochial duties. Such are the com 
prehensive principles which the Spirit has given. They 
are also permanent. Whatever the circumstances of the 
times and places may be, these are applicable. And, 
coming from the great Head of the Church, they are 
of supreme authority. No rules of man must set them 
aside. All other plans for the guidance of the pastor 
must be shaped in accordance with these. 

2. The general nature of the Scriptures and their 
great doctrines must determine the way in which they 
are to be applied to the hearts of men. If the word of 



ITS NATURE AND IMPORTANCE. 19 

God were a mere theory, or system of philosophy, or 
announcement of ordinary historical or mathematical 
truths, then a cold intellectual presentation of it might 
do. But when it is regarded as a light sent down from 
heaven, as a life to quicken the soul, as a power to 
shape the whole moral being and everlasting destiny, 
as the grand instrumentality for saving men, then it 
must be seen that no ordinary method of bringing it 
home to the mind will do. Its infinite importance de 
mands that strenuous and varied efforts should be con 
trived for awaking to it the deepest attention. The 
pastor is an ambassador from God to his fellow-men. 
The nature of the Master who has commissioned him, 
of the message that he bears, and of the objects he 
strives to accomplish, must all shape his character and 
his work. From the general information of the Scrip 
tures, too, there is light thrown on this subject by the 
examples of pastoral work therein recorded. We see 
how men who were directly inspired of God for this 
work discharged their duties, and their example be 
comes our guide. With almost the force of direct pre 
cept it comes to tell us what the Christian minister 
should ever be. 

3. The character of that human nature with which the 
pastor has to do must also suggest the best methods 
of reaching it. The various aspects of that nature 
its ruin, its corruption, its blindness, its prejudices, its 
longings, its aspirations, its susceptibilities, its sympa 
thies, its strange varieties amidst certain common and 
abiding qualities, these are elements which must be 
considered by him who would influence it through the 
principles of the gospel. The rules for the pastor s 
guidance must be shaped in view of the wonderful 
nature with which he has to do. The more thoroughly 



20 PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 

he is skilled in the workings of that nature, the greater 
will be his power in reaching it. 

4. The accumulated experience of other workers in the 
same general field is a vast storehouse from which the 
pastor can draw instruction in reference to all his duties. 
Indeed, this experience, classified and framed in accord 
ance with the teachings of the Scriptures, is itself a 
system of pastoral theology. Men of sound and dis 
cerning minds, men full of the spirit of Christ, men 
whose lives have been spent in the most unwearied 
activity, have filled the office of the gospel ministry. 
They have given earnest attention to every department 
of their beloved calling. Whatever plans were likely 
to give success to their work they have tried. It would 
probably be very difficult to conceive of any scriptural 
method of building up the kingdom of Christ on 
which they have not experimented. Long lives of 
thought, of wisdom and of toil have been spent in 
striving to make the ministry more effective. What 
one man or generation of men has attained to has been 
made the starting-point from which others have gone 
on in efforts to improve in doing the Lord s work. 
Even mistakes and failures in devising and executing 
methods have proved of great value in adding to the 
general store of knowledge on the subject. All this 
experience, whether written or unwritten, has accumu 
lated into an invaluable fund for the ministry. When 
it is sifted, and tested by the sure precepts of God s 
inspiring, and classified, it forms a system of rules by 
which the workman in the ministry may safely be 
guided. No wise pastor will neglect this help of 
experience derived from all those who have gone 
before him. He can no more neglect it than the ar 
tist or the mechanic can neglect those rules which 



ITS NATURE AND IMPORTANCE. 21 

the skill of centuries has wrought out for his assist 
ance. 

5. The laws Lnd customs of the denomination with 
which he is connected must give some shape to the min 
ister s study and work. The different modes of worship 
must influence the peculiar preparation to be made for 
them. The different forms of church government will 
open the door into different classes of duties. The very 
spirit and doctrines of the denomination will necessarily 
give some direction to the life of its ministers. Differ 
ent modes of performing the same great work, or even 
different kinds of services, may result from these denom 
inational peculiarities. 

6. The circumstances of the times are another element 
which must be studied in constructing a system of pas 
toral theology. " Knowing the time, that now it is 
high time to awake out of sleep," is a scriptural inti 
mation which must guide us here. The peculiar cha 
racteristics of the period in which we live are a deeply- 
important subject for the minister to investigate. The 
great principles of the gospel are ever the same ; these 
cannot change or be improved. But there is change in 
man, and change in the obstacles which are ever rising 
up in the way of the truth. Each age of the Church 
has its own work to do and its own important questions 
to solve. There are times of peculiar errors, such as 
Arianism, Popery and Ritualism ; times of the preva 
lence of special sins, such as intemperance and Sabbath 
desecration ; and there are times of dominant fashions 
and customs that are detrimental to godliness. There 
are states of society which are characterized by great 
ignorance, and others by special enlightenment. There 
are periods which are distinguished by particular tend 
encies of thought and aim, such as skepticism or util- 



22 PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 

itarian worldliness. There are also certain forms of re 
ligious activity and benevolence that prevail in each 
age. The Sabbath-school, at the present time, calls for 
a class of ministerial duties that were formerly un 
known. Modern enterprises of benevolence make de 
mands upon the pulpit which were not heard of in past 
ages. All these things must be carefully observed by 
him who has been placed as a watchman in Zion. He 
must look far and near, and learn from all the move 
ments of both friends and foes. 

There may be other sources of pastoral theology, 
but these are the principal ones, and these should be 
very diligently studied for the guidance of the minis 
ter s life-work. An intelligent view of what that work 
is, and of the principles upon which it rests, will con 
tribute greatly to success in the discharge of its duties. 



NECESSITY OF THIS STUDY AS A BRANCH OF TRAINING 
FOR THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 

Pastoral theology comes to the help of the young 
minister, and spreads out before him the teachings of 
Scripture, the accumulated experience of ages, and 
all other information that may have a bearing upon 
the successful pursuit of his calling. This knowledge 
it lays before him in a systematic form, so that he can 
easily find information on whatever point he chooses. 
In this way there is needful guidance furnished him 
before he has had opportunity of making experiment 
for himself in the various branches of his work. He is 
not left to go unaided through the whole process of in 
vestigating what is scriptural and what unscriptural ; of 
trying what is wise and what unwise, and of proving 
for himself what is practicable or impracticable. If 



ITS NATURE AND IMPORTANCE. 23 

each young minister were under the necessity of work 
ing out this tentative process for himself, there would 
necessarily result innumerable mistakes and failures. 
Then there would be discouragement, and perhaps 
serious evils that otherwise might have been avoided. 
This study comes, chiefly to the inexperienced, as a 
comparatively safe guide. Aided by it they need not 
work in the dark, but with the light of Scripture and 
experience beaming around them. They can go upon 
ground that has been tried and proved to be substantial. 

Moreover, plans and experiences are here accumulated 
and presented to the minister which he might not him 
self have thought of, and which it might have taken 
him many years to discover. In this study are unfolded 
successful methods of spiritual and mental culture, of 
sermonizing, and of performing other work of the gos 
pel ministry. It points out scriptural plans that have 
proved effectual in awaking interest in divine things ; 
helps that many have found reliable are indicated here. 

No less important are its warnings of what should be 
avoided. The mistakes into which others have fallen, 
the failures and the causes of failure, are among its 
instructive lessons. Proved means of overcoming dif 
ficulties, or of avoiding them, are here suggested for the 
relief of the overwrought pastor. This vast store of 
experience ought not to be lost. When it is spread out 
before the minister at the commencement of his life- 
work, and diligently studied by him, it will prove of 
incalculable value. 

All possible helps should undoubtedly be furnished 
the pastor, that he may thereby work to the greater 
advantage. If his work is toilsome, and is thus made 
more easy ; if it is trying, and may in this way become 
more pleasant ; if it involves the greatest interests, and 



24 PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 

these things may make it more successful, then surely 
such helps cannot be too diligently used. The same 
amount of pastoral labor may thus be made to accom 
plish greater results. And in this way, too, time may 
be economized. And when it is considered that the 
work of the minister is to cultivate the heart, to cultivate 
the head, to preach, to lecture, to visit the sick and sorrow 
ing, to attend to the aged and the young, to assist in ec 
clesiastical affairs, to be busy outside and inside of his 
church, and to discharge many other duties, then it will 
be seen how important it is to use all means to make his 
time go as far as possible. He should have every help 
in a work so complicated and so momentous. 

The lawyer, the physician, the teacher, the artist, the 
farmer, the machinist, all have their books of instruc 
tion to assist in the practice of their calling, and the 
study of these leads to the higher proficiency. Un 
doubtedly, they become far more successful by the use 
of these aids. How much more needful is it that this 
art, the highest arid most important of all, be studied 
and guided by well-matured rules ! It is a holy art, 
and its results will be eternal how can it be too care 
fully cultivated ? 



IMPOETANCE OF THE OFFICE, AND OF THIS 
PREPARATION FOR IT. 

The nature of the office of the gospel ministry is 
such that its duties cannot be too thoughtfully regarded. 
It is an office which was established by Christ himself, 
the great Head of the Church. Its commission is held 
from the authority of Heaven, and its duties are con 
nected with the kingdom of God. Would it have been 
ordained by this special appointment of our Lord for 



ITS NATURE AND IMPORTANCE. 25 

any other than the most important ends ? What dig 
nity it receives from the consideration that it has not 
come from the contrivance of human wisdom, but that 
it emanated directly from Jehovah ! Do we know of 
any other office, held by mortals, that can be compared 
with it in grandeur ? 

Then the objects for which it was established are 
such as to claim for it the highest consideration. Its 
grand aims are to exalt Jehovah, the Creator, Redeemer 
and Judge of the world ; to overthrow the power of 
Satan, the prince of all evil ; to save mankind from sin 
and hell ; to banish vice and all other evil from the 
earth ; to bring true happiness to the lost children of 
Adam ; to build up a glorious Church amidst the ruins 
which sin has wrought ; and to prepare citizens for the 
heavenly world who shall behold and share the infinite 
blessedness of the Son of God. Surely it must be a call 
ing of no ordinary importance which God has appointed 
for such ends. Who can describe its solemn grandeur ? 

The interests committed, in a most important sense, 
to this office are such as may well lead him who holds 
it to seek every possible help in the discharge of its 
duties. These interests are unspeakably momentous. 
They pertain to Christ s kingdom and to the honor of 
Christ himself. They have to do with human destiny 
and with the eternity of human souls. They involve 
time and eternity, earth and heaven. 

The fact that God has committed these interests pre 
eminently to the Christian ministry clothes the office 
with an importance and responsibility that are most 
solemn. He does not conduct them directly by his own 
omnipotence. He has not seen fit to commit them to 
the hands of angels. He does not chiefly prosecute 
them by any supernatural agencies, but by the ministry 



26 PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 

of men whom he has ordained to that office. He has 
appointed men to be his heralds to their fellow-men. 
Then what overwhelming importance does this give to 
the thorough training of ministers for their great 
work ! What emphasis is there in the startling asser 
tion of the devoted McCheyne : " A word to a minister 
is worth a word to three or four thousand souls some 
times"! How unbecoming to undertake such an office 
as this without all the assistance that can be derived 
from the word of God and from the wisdom and ex 
perience of the most devoted of men ! 

Who is sufficient for such a work as this ? This ques 
tion must become the more solemn to the minister when 
he considers the many defects that are found within him 
self. His unbelief, his infirmities, his ignorance, his 
sloth, his cold-heartedness, his many temptations, all 
rise up as hinderances in the way of his progress in the 
spiritual work of Christ. These demand of him the 
most diligent preparation and the most efficient aids. 

Then we must also consider the obstacles that he will 
meet with from the world, and from those whom he has 
been appointed to influence by the self-denying truths 
of the gospel. How shall he be prepared to meet them ? 
He will have to do with hearts that are hard, and cold, 
and blind, and utterly insensible. In the exercise of 
his ministry he will have to encounter sweeping currents 
of worldliness. He will be surprised in his work by 
meeting with stupidity of heart, the deep enmity of sin, 
dark Satanic influences, and with the most desperate 
opposition to God and everything pertaining to God. 
Would it not be foolhardy to enter into such encounters 
without the most careful training ? For all this need 
there not to be weapons drawn from the armory of 
God, weapons brightly polished ? 



ITS NATURE AND IMPORTANCE. 27 

This work is too urgent for each pastor, as he enters 
it, to be under the necessity of going through a long 
process of experimenting for himself. It is too great 
and arduous for any one to undertake it without all the 
help that may be gathered from the teachings of those 
who have gone before. It is too momentous not to 
awaken a desire for all the assistance that may be ob 
tained from men, from experience, from the past, from 
Scripture, and, above all, from the Divine Spirit of all 
wisdom and strength. 

A very high appreciation of his office is one of the 
first qualifications for him who would be an efficient 
pastor. Without this there will not be that thorough 
practical preparation for its duties that is requisite. 
And it may be safely said that it is not possible to 
over-estimate the grandeur of this calling. It is an 
office that may be little thought of among men, but 
it is highly esteemed by God and by angels, and its 
results extend away into everlasting brightness. It is 
the highest and grandest office in the world. It is an 
office which an angel could not hold a calling which 
constitutes man a helper with God. It is an office the 
faithful discharge of which is, of a truth, to be followed 
by the brightest crown, and which has a sure promise 
of a place near the throne of the glorified Immanuel. 
As the minister appreciates the work to which he is 
called, so will he fall down before God for help in 
its duties, and so will it call forth all his energies, 
and so will he strive to equip himself for the under 
taking. As he prizes it, so will he become imbued with 
its spirit, and love it, and find its avocations growing 
into his greatest pleasure. A man who has but a low 
estimate of the work of the ministry, or who looks 
upon it as a mere profession, should never enter the 



28 PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 

holy office, or, if he be already in it, should leave it. 
A high estimate of the importance of this calling is a 
necessary qualification for holding it. Whoever has 
this will strive to be thoroughly skilled in every depart 
ment of the work which he considers the most exalted 
of all human vocations. 

It may be added that this subject demands special 
attention in this practical and active age of the world. 
The present is emphatically an age of restless energy. 
Men are not satisfied to rest in mere theorizing, but 
everywhere the tendency is to carry out ideas into 
operation. The whole tendency of human thought and 
energy is to advance, to add to the conveniences of life, 
to awaken every power into activity. There probably 
never was such an age of energetic progress. Every 
thing indicates it. All are awake to it. In arts, manu 
factures, mechanism, government, science, agriculture 
in everything there is intense motion. There is no 
standing still. It requires wakeful observation merely 
to keep up a knowledge of what is going on in the 
world. 

A similar activity exists in the Church. It is one of 
the most hopeful signs of the times that the people of 
God are becoming more and more alive and diligent in 
the work of Christ. Denominations seem to be emu 
lating each other in active zeal for the progress of the 
kingdom. In enterprises of benevolence, in reforms, in 
missions, in plans of evangelistic work arid in efforts 
to spread knowledge and save souls, there is more and 
more vigor. 

Now, this active spirit of the age must be carried into 
the work of the gospel ministry. The pastor must par 
take of it in order that he may keep up with the grand 
movements that are in progress, that he may be success- 



ITS NATURE AND IMPORTANCE. 29 

ful in his office, and that all his powers and influence may 
be exerted in keeping that restless activity leavened with 
the truth of Christ. He must work hard, and work with 
the advantage that all possible helps can give him. Amid 
the keen rivalries and activities of the age he must 
know how to work, and how to keep up with the rapid 
currents of human life. 

And all the more need is there for thoughtful at 
tention to this subject at the present time, when young 
men are trained for the work of the ministry, not amidst 
the activities of pastoral life, but in the retirement of the 
theological seminary. Very loud is the call for the 
seminary to redouble its efforts in this part of the train 
ing of its young men. It must not allow them to go 
out unfurnished in this respect into a world seething with 
motion. It must see to it that no part of their training 
be more thorough than that which prepares them to 
meet an intensely practical age. In the seminary stu 
dents should be prepared to exercise great skill, not 
only in the Book of God and the book of the human 
heart, but also in the pages of a living world. The 
more fully the work of training is in the hands of 
seminaries, and the more stirring the times and fierce 
the battle for the kingdom, the more diligently should 
such institutions apply themselves to the work of fit 
ting their students for immediate and intense activity 
corresponding with the spirit of the age and of the 
Church. 



MODE OF TREATING THE SUBJECT. 

In constructing a system of pastoral theology it 
should ever be kept in mind that the object is not to 
afford assistance in the usual branches of culture. It is 



30 PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 

not to make young men more accomplished in the ordi 
nary amenities of life. It is not to train them up to a 
riper scholarship. It is not even to make sure of their 
Christian character, calling and devotion to the work 
of the gospel. All these are indispensable as prerequi 
sites for entering upon the office. They are taken for 
granted. 

1. Not these, but all those things that are peculiar to 
the character and necessary to the highest success of the 
pastoral office, are the subjects of which it should treat. 
Everything that might animate and guide and assist 
the pastor in bringing home the truths of the gospel to 
the hearts and lives of men is its appropriate theme. 
The subjects on which it should endeavor to throw light 
are such as these What is the great and direct work 
of the pastor? What can be done to enkindle or 
intensify his own heart s zeal in that work? What 
rules can be adopted to give the greatest success ? What 
things should be avoided? What opportunities should 
be improved? What agencies should be used? What 
holy arts should be tried ? What principles should be 
adopted as a guide? In what manner should its duties 
be performed ? Everything of a practical nature that 
can tend to make the minister of the gospel a more 
perfect workman should find its place in a system of 
pastoral theology. 

2. Only such plans of work, rules for study and prin 
ciples of ministerial life as have been well tried and 
proved wise should be inculcated. Mere guesses, specu 
lations and theories should be avoided. The work of 
the young pastor is too pressing for him to spend time 
in plans which may very soon prove worthless. Too 
many principles of the sacred calling are settled to 
make a resort to those which are doubtful necessarv. 



ITS NATURE AND IMPORTANCE. 31 

Fancy might easily be indulged here to any extent, but 
it would probably be found a waste of time and energy. 
The young minister wants to know with some certainty 
what it is practicable and necessary for him to do. His 
own experience will doubtless teach him much after 
ward. But what he looks for in the instructions of 
pastoral theology is that guidance which is reliable, not 
mere conjectures or unproved opinions. 

3. The rules suggested for the guidance of the pastor 
should always be as definite as possible. Mere general 
ities do not amount to much in so practical a subject 
as this. They mean scarcely anything. What is wanted 
is something exact and precise something so clearly 
defined that at once it can be attempted. A mere general 
statement of the importance of a certain course disap 
points him who asks what he is actually to do. Some 
times the indefiniteness discourages him from under 
taking anything. Hence the instructions should specify 
exactly, if possible, what is to be done. If I am told 
that it is highly important that I should visit my peo 
ple very often, I do not know precisely what that means. 
But if I am advised to visit them twice or three times 
a year, then I am impressed, and will be likely to take 
the advice. If I am counseled in the general to 
preach series of sermons, I am not likely to give the 
thought much attention ; but if certain series are de 
scribed and the subjects enumerated, then my attention 
is fixed, and possibly my purpose formed. I will see that 
the thing is quite feasible, and probably adopt the plan. 
If I am told simply that my visits to the sick room 
should be very brief, I am left in uncertainty ; but if 
an exact length of time is suggested as a guide, then I 
have something tangible and satisfactory. Of course, it 
is not always possible to give such precise directions 



PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 

nor is it possible, in all circumstances, to adhere to the 
same exact rules. Peculiarities of persons and occa 
sions will necessarily lead to variation. Still, it is highly 
important that some medium standard should be set up. 
Then the principles will be better understood, and the 
course advised far more likely to be entered upon. 

4. The directions given for the guidance of the pas 
tor should also be practicable. If they are not, they are 
valueless. They are to be carried out into real opera 
tion or they are nothing. What may actually be done 
done without unreasonable exertion, and done by 
persons of ordinary talents and opportunities is what 
may wisely be laid down as a general code for the pas 
toral office. Men of great powers, or in churches of 
large wealth and influence, or in other circumstances 
which are peculiarly favorable, may carry out plans of 
usefulness which to others would be utterly impossible. 
But the aid of pastoral theology should be general, 
adapted to all, and susceptible of being put in practice 
by those who have but ordinary advantages as well as 
by those who are more highly favored. The design of 
the study is not to speculate upon what might possibly be 
accomplished, but to indicate clearly what is feasible, 
and should therefore be attempted in ordinary cases. 

5. Moreover, too much should not be asked in treating 
of this subject. To demand too much, or to undertake 
too much, is a course which is almost certain to result 
in nothing. If the standard is so high that it mani- 
ifestly cannot be reached, then there is danger of such 
discouragement as will keep back from any effort. Or 
if too much is undertaken, and life becomes an inces 
sant race to keep up with duties, and every hour is bur 
dened with a load that presses heavily, then it is to be 
feared that a recoil will come, the burden be shaken off, 



ITS NATURE AND IMPORTANCE. 33 

and, because all cannot be done, scarcely anything will 
be attempted. How often have we all seen utter fail 
ure in life as the consequence of attempting too much ! 
The true course, then, is to indicate what may commonly 
be done without overcrowding or overtasking. Then 
there will be some encouragement to enter upon duties 
which are within reach, and which it is possible to over 
take with ordinary care and toil. 

6. That it must be up to the demands and peculiari 
ties of the age is another thing which should be observed 
in treating of the subject of pastoral theology. This is 
the chief element in the Christian system in which 
there can be any change. There can be no change in 
the principles of the way of life. Truth is truth, and 
it cannot alter or be improved. Salvation is ever the 
same, the Bible is the same, and the depravity of the 
heart is the same; but the modes of applying the truths 
of the gospel to the heart, so far as human agency is 
concerned, are constantly changing. As the heart is 
better understood, and experience teaches how it may 
be better reached, and views of the whole work of the 
gospel become clearer and broader, then the modes of 
carrying it on must be modified. New agencies will 
constantly arise, and old ones will be remodeled. As a 
matter of fact there are now in existence great plans 
for promoting the cause of Christ which were in other 
days unknown. We may instance the Sabbath-school, 
the great schemes of benevolence in the Church, the 
seminary for training young men for the ministry, and 
the evangelistic work of the press. These are new 
agencies which must necessarily influence the work of 
the pastor, and of which pastoral theology must take 
notice. As a system it will not do its work fully unless 
it comes up to all these and other modern modes of 



34 PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 

thought and action. On this account there must be 
new works on the subject from age to age. All that is 
valuable and unchanging in the past must be retained ; 
all the experience of the passing years must be added ; 
and all that is stirring in the present and looming up 
in the future must receive its carefully discriminating 
attention. 



HOW THE SUBJECT SHOULD BE STUDIED. 

This is a point which must here receive a passing 
notice. 

1. Ministers, especially younger ones, should regard 
the acquisition of knowledge as to the duties of their office 
as one of their most important pursuits. It is an indis 
pensable preparation if they would be efficient workmen 
in the gospel. Its study should therefore be entered 
upon with the conviction that it is a real and moment 
ous subject. It should not be thrust into a corner as if 
it were some merely incidental matter added to fill up 
the curriculum of ministerial training. Most promi 
nent should be its place, most earnest the thought given 
to it. The Spirit of God lays great stress upon it when 
he urges upon the pastor, " Take heed to the ministry 
which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill 
it." If God himself has put upon it this stamp of divine 
approbation and urgency, we must regard it as a sub 
ject not to be slighted. Undoubtedly, it will give great 
advantage in his work to the pastor who studies it care 
fully. On every account its study should be entered 
upon with earnestness. 

2. It ought to be studied with all the thoroughness 
to ivhich hope of success in the most blessed work would 
lead. Success will ordinarily be in proportion to the 



ITS NATURE AND IMPORTANCE. 35 

skill and zeal with which the duties of the office are 
undertaken. The pastor s own happiness and honor 
require him to be thorough in this as well as all other 
branches of preparation. The interests at stake in his 
work are of such transcendent moment that no amount 
of preparation for wisely conducting them would be too 
great. Nor is he left at liberty whether or not he 
will make this preparation. The great Head of the 
Church demands it of him. The obligation under 
which he rests is, " Study to show thyself approved 
unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, 
rightly dividing the word of truth." No part of this 
preparation is so insignificant that it may be safely 
overlooked. Everything that is carefully treasured now 
will come into use on some future occasion. Thorough 
study of this subject now will greatly help to prepare 
the way for an easy, happy, continued and useful min 
istry. 

3. Then this study should be pursued with the full 
purpose of putting it into practice just as soon and as 
fully as opportunity may permit. This is eminently a 
practical branch of study. Its whole aim is to influence 
the active work of life. Its directions must be put into 
operation or they have been given in vain. And their 
use is to commence the very hour the pastor sets his foot 
upon his field. He may afterward discover for himself 
certain more appropriate methods of thinking and work 
ing, or he may improve upon those which his system of 
pastoral theology suggests, but he cannot wait. He is 
in the field, and must put his hand to the work to-day. 
Life is too short for ministerial work to be done in an 
unnecessarily defective manner. The pastor should study 
to do his best at once. And there are some things, for 
which instructions are given in this study, which it will 



36 PASTORAL THEOLOGY. 

not do to delay. The catechising of the young, the per 
sonal improvement of memorizing Scripture, the study 
of the original languages, the daily consecration of self 
to God and his service, and many other such things, are 
matters which cannot be put off one day without loss. 
They should be understood and entered upon at once in 
order to yield their full benefits. Even little matters, 
that might easily be overlooked, will have great influ 
ence upon the whole of the minister s life. His work 
is so unspeakably momentous, for the glory of God, for 
the welfare of souls and for his own happiness, that 
its very first hours should be filled with the greatest 
efficiency. 



CHAPTER II. 
THE PASTOR IX THE CLOSET. 



THE PIETY WHICH IS NEEDFUL FOR THE PASTORAL 

OFFICE. 

IT should be laid, down as our first principle that 
eminent piety is the indispensable qualification for the 
ministry of the gospel. By this is not meant simply a 
piety the genuineness of which is unquestionable, but 
a piety the degree of which is above that of ordinary 
believers. It is meant that there should be a more 
thorough baptism of the Holy Ghost, a more absolute 
consecration of all the powers and faculties to the ser 
vice of God, a more complete conformity to the likeness 
of the Lord Jesus, a greater familiarity with the mind 
of the Spirit, a nearer approach to the perfect man in 
Christ Jesus, in those who take upon them the privileges 
and the responsibilities of the pastor, than are commonly 
expected even in true Christians. The pastor should 
not be satisfied with reaching the general standard of 
spirituality. He has devoted himself to a high and 
holy office to which he believes himself called, and 
hence he has need of a very high tone of piety. As 
a minister appointed to serve in the sanctuary and wait 
upon souls, how deep should be his humility ! His 
great aim is to save men, and it will not therefore suffice 

37 



38 THE PASTOR 

for him to have merely the ordinary sympathy with the 
suffering and the lost. He is to be a leader in the 
spiritual host of God ; must he not go before others in 
spiritual attainments ? To draw men up to a more and 
more elevated standard of piety and devotedness is the 
appointment he holds from the great Head of the 
Church ; surely he must himself rise still higher ? 

It is beyond all question that this eminent piety 
is before everything else in preparation for the duties 
of the sacred office. It is before talents, or learn 
ing, or study, or favorable circumstances, or skill in 
working, or power in sermonizing. It is needed to give 
character and tone and strength to all these, and to every 
other part of the work. Without this elevated spirit 
uality nothing else will be of much account in pro 
ducing a permanent and satisfactory ministry. All else 
will be like erecting a building without a foundation. 
This is the true foundation upon which to build the 
idea which is to give character to all the superstruc 
ture. Oh that at the very beginning this could be 
deeply impressed upon the hearts of young ministers ! 
Oh that they would take and weigh well the testimony 
of the most devoted and successful of those who have 
served God in his gospel ! A man with this high tone 
of piety is sure to be a good pastor ; without it success 
in the holy office is not to be expected. 

The first thing for the young minister to consider is 
how he may attain to this high degree of holiness in heart 
and life. How often do other things occupy the mind ! 
How much more anxiety there generally is about other 
branches of preparation! But this should be before 
them all, and at the root of them all, and ever present 
to give character to them all. As all other believers do, 
the pastor should strive to be filled with the Holy Ghost, 



IN THE CLOSET. 39 

but in view of his holy office he should strive far more 
earnestly. The one thought should be ever before him : 
" This is no ordinary profession that I hold ; it is some 
thing more sacred, more heavenly, more Christ-like than 
the common callings of men, and therefore I must be 
more holy." There is no part of the training for the 
gospel ministry which requires so earnest and constant 
attention as that which pertains to the personal piety of 
those who are called to its duties. 

We dwell long and minutely upon this branch of our 
subject because of its superlative importance. There is 
no other point in the whole subject that needs to be so 
thoroughly impressed as this. It must not be over 
shadowed by the consideration of other things, even 
though they too are necessary in preparing for the prac 
tical duties of the minister. We would have it so con 
spicuous and so deeply impressed on the heart and con 
science that it may give complexion to all our other 
studies on this subject. This self-culture culture of 
personal piety is a branch of pastoral theology, and a 
most important one. It is especially noticed among the 
inspired rules laid down for the conduct of the min 
ister. "Take heed unto thyself" is definitely com 
manded. The pastor s own heart is the place in which 
the work must begin. His closet is the armory in which 
he must equip himself for the service that may require 
great hardness. It is the mount where he may tarry in 
the presence of God, and thence come down with glory 
beaming in his face. It is the upper room in which he 
may commune with Christ and obtain that burning love 
that will ever sweetly constrain. It is the mercy-seat, 
made so by the divine presence, where the Holy Spirit 
may overshadow him and imbue him with a wisdom and 
a might that will be irresistible. It is the secret place 



40 THE PASTOR 

in which he may find his God, and then go out fortified 
to a work from which he might otherwise well shrink, 
saying, " Who is sufficient for these things?" 



IMPORTANCE OF EMINENT PIETY IN THE PASTOR. 

This subject has been already brought forward, but 
we would dwell much longer upon it, that, if it be pos 
sible, we may awaken the most profound attention to it 
in the hearts of those who are already in the office or 
who have it in prospect. We would make our convic 
tion of the necessity for this eminent piety appear as 
emphatic as it is in our power. By dwelling upon the 
details and entering into some of the particulars we 
would show that it is not possible to exaggerate its im 
portance. A few of the considerations which must 
press it home most solemnly appear : 

(a) THE NAMES APPLIED TO MINISTEKS IN THE WORD 

OF GOD. 

These names are not given inconsiderately or for 
some mere rhetorical purpose by the Holy Ghost. They 
are full of the most weighty meaning. They are fig 
urative, but highly indicative of the nature and duties 
of the office. It is not possible to read them without 
feeling that the calling to which they relate is a most 
exalted one, and the character they suppose a character 
of great sacredness. We can enumerate only a few of 
them. 

Prominent among the names applied to this office is 
that of pastor shepherd ! the very name which Christ 
takes to himself when he says, " I am the Good Shep 
herd." How Christ-like should those be to whom he 
applies the same title ! Those who are appointed to 



IN THE CLOSET. 41 

feed others in the green pastures should they not 
themselves know well where and what those pastures 
are? Those who are to lead others in the paths of 
righteousness should themselves be familiar with those 
paths. Those who would guard others from straying 
must surely be themselves well fortified by the strength 
and the watchfulness that come from the Omnipotent 
Spirit ! 

Ambassador is another of those names which the 
Scriptures give. Does not this name tell of him who 
bears it as having stood near to God, as being entrusted 
with messages from heaven, as being clothed with au 
thority from on high ? Does it not tell of a loyalty of 
heart that should make him true to his heavenly Mas 
ter? And does it not give a place of solemn dignity 
before all other creatures ? The very name shows that 
his business is one of tremendous importance, even that 
of bearing terms of peace from the court of infinite 
justice to men who are in open rebellion. A view is 
thus opened to us of the responsibility of him who 
has been honored so highly as to be made an ambas 
sador of God to men. Oh, does he not need, if any 
creature in this world does, the very spirit and charac 
ter that prevail around the throne ? 

Another of the names applied to ministers is that of 
stewards " stewards of the mysteries of God." They 
are admitted near to the presence of the Lord our Sa 
viour, have his heart opened to them in confidence, 
and have his interests committed to their trust. Is 
not this a high and sacred honor ? But they are re 
sponsible for the management of the high trust re 
posed in them. Oh, what manner of persons need they 
to be! 

Still other names which the Scriptures give them are 

6 



42 THE PASTOR 

lights, and teachers, and witnesses. They are to bear 
witness of Christ and his great doctrines ; arid they are, 
in their own life and character, to be living witnesses 
of the renewing and sanctifying and exalting power 
of the gospel of Christ. Can they sustain all these 
offices and discharge all these duties unless they are 
very highly imbued with the graces of the Holy 
Spirit? 

It should also be remembered that the great business 
to which they are appointed is the very same business 
that occupied so much of the thoughts and of the time 
of the Son of God while here on earth. He came to 
preach as well as to redeem by his death. He came to 
the earth with this as one of his purposes. His heart 
was set upon it. Behold the zeal which he manifested 
concerning it : " And he said unto them, Let us go 
into the next towns, that I may preach there also : for 
therefore came I forth. And he preached in their 
synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils." 
What, then ! the true preacher is a co-worker with 
Jesus? We have divine warrant for the assumption. 
It was in the apostle s mind when he said, " We then, 
as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye 
receive not the grace of God in vain." What dignity 
does this give to the ministerial office ! With what 
sacred ness should it be regarded ! Since preachers are 
represented as standing by the side of Christ in this 
great field of work, oh how holy they should be! How 
assiduously they should cultivate the very same mind 
that was in him ! 



IN THE CLOSET. 43 

(6) THE GREATNESS OF THE WORK TO WHICH HE is 

CALLED. 

This demands of the pastor most thorough conse 
cration of heart and life. There is no other work so 
sacred, so momentous, so identified with the highest in 
terests of the world, so dear to the heart of God. What, 
then, should those men be to whom this work has been 
entrusted ? 

God has called them, and sent them to speak to 
their fellow-men in his name. He has laid the obliga 
tion on them to take his messages as they are found 
written out in the Holy Oracles, and proclaim them 
aloud to the whole world. Their business is to lay 
open before men the very heart of the infinite Jehovah. 
They are to explain the communications which God 
sends, to deliver his instructions, his threatening^ his 
promises, his warnings and his grand motives. To 
these things they are to awaken attention. They are to 
keep them before men, and to press them home with 
all the urgency that fellow-feeling and sympathy can 
arouse. 

Ministers are the chief earthly instruments in the 
hands of God for saving their fellow-men. By preach 
ing he has ordained that the gospel is to be brought 
home and applied. And this preaching he has made 
the great business of all his ministerial servants. 
Hence, in a most important sense, he has constituted 
them his agents for the rescuing of sinners from their 
lost estate. Though men themselves, they have been 
sent to grasp their fellow-men and hold them back from 
going down into the pit. They are appointed to go and 
stop the lost rushing rapidly on the way to perdition. 
The high commission has been given them to gather in 



4t THE PASTOR 

seals, that they may be redeemed and treasured up for 
the blessed mansions of Jesus. 

Coming, then, in the name of the Lord and delivering 
the message which he has put in their mouths, it cannot 
be but that their words shall have a most serious influ 
ence for weal or for woe upon those to whom they are 
delivered. This was felt by the apostle when, as a 
preacher, he exclaimed, " For we are unto God a sweet 
savor of Christ, in them that are saved and in them 
that perish ; for to the one we are the savor of death 
unto death, and to the other the savor of life unto 
life. And who is sufficient for these things?" Is it 
any wonder that he should thus cry out, " And who is 
sufficient for these things ?" Each proclamation of the 
gospel by the minister either leads souls toward life im 
mortal or sends them downward toward a deeper hell. 
It softens hearts or it hardens them. It brings men 
upward toward Jesus, or it will justify God in consign 
ing them to the regions of deepest woe. Is it not, then, 
an awful thing to preach ? Who shall attempt to do 
it until his heart is bathed in the atmosphere and the 
blood of Calvary ? 

In a certain and most momentous sense ministers are 
appointed to be mediators between God and their perish 
ing fellow-men. They are to plead with God that he 
would be reconciled with men. So pleaded that faith 
ful minister the apostle Paul as he said, " For God is 
my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel 
of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of 
you always in my prayers." The old prophetic obliga 
tion still rests upon them : " Let the priests, the ministers 
of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and 
let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord !" Thus are 
they to stand before God on behalf of men. But they 



IN THE CLOSET. 45 

are especially to plead with men that they would be 
reconciled unto God. Perpetually their cry to the 
perishing is to be, " Now, then, we are ambassadors for 
Christ ; as though God did beseech you by us, we pray 
you, in Christ s stead, be ye reconciled to God." Their 
awful position is that of standing between dying men 
and the living God, who is just, holy, and yet forgiving. 
With the one they are to plead the infinite merits of 
Christ ; to the other they must point out the blood, the 
blood that cleanseth from all sins. Their messages are 
most solemn as coming from the lips of God. They are 
awfully solemn, since men must heed them or go down 
into everlasting burnings. Oh, how much they need 
the Holy Spirit every moment ! 

They are leaders in the great sacramental host. That 
host of the living God, blood-washed and called to the 
highest destiny, is increasing in numbers every day. It 
is gathering men from every clime, and is bound to 
gether by the most sacred of ties. The object before 
it is to rescue this world from the dominion of Satan 
and to crown Christ its King. This is the grand enter 
prise of the world, to which everything else must be 
subordinate and must contribute. There are in it posts 
of toil and responsibility for private Christians, but 
ministers are the heaven-ordained leaders. Christ is 
the Head, and from him come the authority and the 
power, but they are the responsible captains. What 
manner of men must they be ? Theirs is the post of 
danger and responsibility, but it is the post of honor 
too. How blessed those who have grace to be faithful ! 
The work of the minister is the grandest and most 
important work in the world. The estimation in which 
God holds it God, before whom all the callings of men 
are open may be learned from the glowing words of 



46 THE PASTOR 

the apostle: "How then shall they call on Him in whom 
they have not believed ? and how shall they believe in 
Him of whom they have not heard ? and how shall they 
believe without a preacher? and how shall they preach 
except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are 
the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and 
bring glad tidings of good things !" Thus does God re 
gard it, and thus especially should it be looked upon by 
those who are placed in it. The following language in 
reference to it is not too strong : " What an office is that 
of the minister! The world cannot show such another 
work. It is the great, the greatest, in which a man can 
be engaged. Moses s leading forth the tribes from 
Egypt, and Joshua s conducting them into Canaan, 
sink into insignificance when compared with it. Time 
begins and time will end all other works in which a 
man can be engaged, but eternity alone is the boundary 
and endurance of this. All others are the works of 
man; this is pre-eminently the work of God. A never- 
dying God is his employer, never-dying souls his em 
ploy on them and in them to undo all that Satan and 
sin have effected, renew them after the image of Christ, 
and bring them back to God and his glory. To teach 
the philosophy of human redemption, the science of 
God s great salvation, the stupendous plan of divine 
mercy, and to bring back the sinner from the brink of 
perdition to the paradise of heaven ; to prophesy to 
the dry bones that they live ; to open the eyes of the 
blind, and turn them from darkness to light, and from 
the power of Satan unto God ; to quicken to a new life 
the dead in trespasses and in sins ; to awaken the dreamy 
sleeper and to convert the sinner, this is the paramount 
design of the gospel ministry. To effect this, how abso 
lutely necessary the presence of God !" 



IN THE CLOSET. 47 

The more we reflect upon it the more we must feel 
that we have neither thoughts to imagine nor words to 
express its greatness. It is not possible for us to over 
estimate its importance or the importance of the deepest 
piety in those who are called to its sacred duties. 

This solemn grandeur of his work should be kept 
before every pastor, younger or older, to animate him in 
a calling which has its many trials. It should ever be in 
his mind to make him faithful in duties from which the 
flesh naturally shrinks. He should never forget it, that 
it may especially be an ever-present motive to lead him 
to a most thorough consecration of his whole being to 
the cause of the Master. 

(*.) THE CONVERSION OF SOULS AND THE PROSPERITY OP 
THE CHURCH DEPEND ON THE DEGREE OF THE PAS 
TOR S PIETY. 

This is saying much, but due reflection will make it 
appear that it is no exaggeration. We have an illus 
trious scriptural example of it in the case of Barnabas. 
The noble record of him is, " He was a good man, and 
full of the Holy Ghost and of faith ; and much people 
was added unto the Lord " " He was a good man, and 
full of the Holy Ghost and of faith ;" and hence " much 
people was added unto the Lord." May we not believe 
that much people will always be added unto the Lord 
under the ministry of men of such character ? 

As is the love of Christ in his own soul, so will be 
the minister s zeal for the perishing souls of those com 
mitted to his care ; so will he long for the glory of 
Christ ; and so will he pray and work and strive in his 
heavenly calling ; and so ordinarily will be his success 
in that calling. There is nothing else in this wide world 
that can properly constrain him to put forth the efforts 



48 THE PASTOR 

that are needed. It was this which the apostle Paul 
said constrained him, and so it must be with every one 
who would follow in the successful course of the 
apostle. All other motives will soon lose their impel 
ling energy, but this will grow stronger and stronger. 
It will find means for removing or overcoming obstacles, 
and still hold its onward course. Hence, in the quiet 
seclusion of his closet, when the pastor s heart is warm 
ing through communion with God, there is the best pos 
sible preparation going on for the conversion of souls. 

Then the piety of the church will generally rise 
about as high as that of its minister. A cold, worldly- 
minded pastor is sure to have a cold church. A liv 
ing pastor will have a church in which life and joy 
and prayer will abound. How can it be otherwise, since 
his ministrations permeate the whole life of the body ? 
He is the appointed agent for edifying the people of 
God in their most holy faith, and their spirituality can 
not be expected to rise higher than his. There doubt 
less are exceptions, but the general rule is, that the 
measure of devotedness in any particular church may 
be gauged by that of the pastor s heart. Should he 
rest satisfied while there is any coldness there ? 

And who can tell how much depends on the life and 
prosperity of the Church ? In it are involved the 
honor of God, the comfort of believers, the destiny of 
souls, the spread of the gospel, the purity of those who 
are the appointed lights of the world, and the interests 
that awaken all heaven and for which the Lord of glory 
died. How God regards the state of the Church may 
be seen in those great prophetic messages to the seven 
churches of Asia which were appointed beacons for all 
ages. The condition of the Church which the Lord 
Jesus redeemed with his own most precious blood must 



IN THE CLOSET. 49 

be very near and dear to his heart. And is it true, most 
solemnly true, that the measure of that Church s godli 
ness depends upon that of the pastor s heart? Then 
hie heart is the place in which must begin a revival 
in the Church. There is the place from which the 
Church s devotedness to God must begin to rise into 
a higher and higher sphere. One minister with his 
heart properly alive, properly sprinkled with atoning 
blood, properly consecrated by the Holy Spirit, must 
be a great blessing in the whole community. A few 
such in the bounds of the Church would soon change 
its whole aspect yea, would soon affect the moral tone 
of the whole country. Blessings for thousands are im 
pending when the minister is on his knees pleading for 
more and more grace. 

(d) THE REAL POWER OF THE PASTOR is IN HIS EARNEST 

GODLINESS. 

This is his power with God ; it is also his power 
with men. Though other branches of preparation are 
absolutely necessary, yet this it is which above every 
thing else will make him an able workman. His call 
ing is such that his heart is needed in it at every point, 
It is the heart alone, and the heart glowing with love to 
God, that can give him strength and energy and perse 
verance and success. With it he will be irresistible, 
without it his ministerial life will be a failure. 

Where there is such an unction of the Holy Ghost 
it will, as a matter of course, impart a high and holy 
character; and a character without a spot and beyond 
suspicion must ever be the right arm of a minister s 
efficiency. It is in fact indispensable to his real effi 
ciency. In this the calling of the pastor is different 
from most other callings amongst men. Worldly wis- 

7 



50 THE PASTOR 

dom or professional skill or artistic proficiency may give 
a high degree of success in these callings without any 
aid whatever from moral or religious character. But 
not so with the minister. Christian integrity is that 
which must penetrate and give tone to all that he does. 
What skill is to the artist, what logical acumen is to 
the lawyer, what far-seeing wisdom is to the statesman, 
that is reliable probity to him. It is the tower of his 
strength among men. It is his most attractive orna 
ment. Rob him of that, and he becomes the most de 
spised of mankind ; give it to him in its richness, and 
no man is more honored and beloved. 

And the heart is the true source of such exalted cha 
racter. Where there is devoted godliness in the heart 
it will be seen in the life. It cannot be hid. It is not 
ostentatious, but it must necessarily work itself out into 
the light of day. Moreover, it cannot be counterfeited. 
If the genuine work is not within, no efforts to imitate 
it will be successful. But where it really is, life, lips, 
acts will all reveal it, even when it is not so intended. 
The heart which is elevated by communion with Christ 
will show itself on the countenance and in the daily 
intercourse with men. Hence, whatever character we 
would bear with our fellow-men we must attain to in 
the depths of our own hearts. Whatever standing we 
would maintain before the world we must first reach in 
our secret intercourse with God. 

Then devoted piety will almost inevitably disarm op 
position, and even envy itself. There is in it such a 
charm of humility that enmity cannot stand in its pres 
ence. It has a gentleness of love that could not be 
hated. As a matter of fact, it may be generally seen 
that the men who live nearest to God are the ones who 



IN THE CLOSST. 51 

have the least annoyance from opposition. The good 
man will have but few adversaries, excepting among 
such as were adversaries to Him who was goodness in 
carnate. Because piety disarms opposition it must give 
power as well as peace to him who is most deeply im 
bued with its spirit. 

Moreover, to have the heart true to God and true to 
men through the effectual working of the Holy Spirit 
is the only way to obtain that abiding confidence from 
men which is so essential to the gospel minister. That 
confidence cannot be retained unless it has its source 
in a deep fountain of truth within. But that will 
secure it. Who can doubt the reliability of him who 
evidently lives under the power of heavenly motives ? 
And such confidence is an armory of power for the 
minister. Much as it is needed in most earthly call 
ings, in none of them is it so important as in his. 
When men have reason to rely upon him fully, his mo 
tives will be rightly construed, even when they cannot 
all be seen, and all his efforts in the gospel cause will 
have double weight. He will then have an influence 
among his fellow-men that will itself be a very great 
power. There are men whose reputation for high integ 
rity makes them giants moral giants for good in the 
world. For this reason, even if for none better, should 
that highest of integrity, the integrity of true godliness, 
be assiduously sought after. It will give such weight to 
the minister s words that none of them will be lost. 
Coming, as they manifestly do, from an honest and 
earnest heart, they will be received, and weighed, and 
remembered. It will be seen that he holds communion 
with God, and so men will be induced to listen to him, 
as otherwise they would not. The respect which his 
manifest godliness inspires will compel them to honor 



52 THE PASTOR 

his message. And then his preaching will inevitably 
be clothed with double power. 

That true sanctity which becomes the gospel minister 
will keep him near to God, the source of all real 
strength and success. He cannot retain any measure 
of spirituality unless he walks with God. But from 
that holy presence he will go out amongst his fellow- 
men clothed in a might that no human training or 
talents could give him. Then may his soul beam with 
a glory like that which irradiated the face of Moses as 
he came down from Sinai. He would carry with him 
an indescribable atmosphere of sacredness that would 
tell effectively on all his ministry. With almost the 
authority of the Master could he speak. From the 
source from which he received communications of grace 
would he also receive communications of power, and 
as he ministered in the name of the Lord, would the 
strength of that name go with him, and bring forth re 
sults that would be the crown of his rejoicing. 

An eminently pious minister will almost inevitably 
be successful in his blessed work. The pity which he 
has learned to feel for souls, his unquenchable love for 
Jesus and his all-absorbing zeal for the glory of God 
will impart to his working an earnestness that can 
scarcely fail of success. Clothed with the power of the 
Holy Ghost, which comes down to him in answer to his 
effectual fervent prayer, he will be sure of seeing the 
cause of Christ prospering in his hands. If he be a 
profound theologian, a ripe scholar or an eloquent 
speaker, his communion with God will hallow each gift 
and make it still more effective. If his attainments be of 
the most ordinary character, still the holy unction that 
accompanies his efforts will make them tell. This will 
make up wonderfully for other defects. Yea, it will 



IN THE CLOSET. 53 

often accomplish for the minister what no mere earthly 
advantages could. McCheyne well said : "A heated 
iron, though blunt, will pierce its way even where a 
much sharper instrument, if it be cold, cannot pene 
trate. So if our ministers only be filled with the Spirit, 
who is like fire, they will pierce into the hardest hearts 
where the sharpest wits cannot find their way." It was 
also a saying of his, " A loving man will always accom 
plish more than a merely learned one." Other of his 
rich aphorisms were, " It is not great talents that God 
blesses so much as great likeness to Christ. A holy 
minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God." 

The names of multitudes of pastors could be given 
which would prove that those who are the most 
godly are the most highly blest in saving souls and 
spreading that righteousness of which they are them 
selves bright examples. Their work is not that which 
merely dazzles for a moment and then leaves deeper 
darkness behind it. It is abiding, and sends out great 
streams of influence for good that will cease neither in 
time nor in eternity. 

It is hoped that these emphatic reiterations of the 
fact that the pastor s deep piety is his real power will 
not be looked upon as platitudes. They may possibly 
be regarded by some who have not had much experience 
as commonplace truisms not needing mention. They 
have been repeated so often, and by so many, that here 
perhaps they may arrest scarcely any attention. But 
they cannot be thought of too profoundly. They are 
the words of truth and soberness. No true pastor but 
will understand their great importance more and more 
as his experience increases. It cannot be repeated too 
often, nor made too emphatic, that the pastor s great 
power is in his vital godliness. Nothing in this wide 



54 THE PASTOR 

world will make up for the want of it. Let experience 
be heard. This is the testimony of all those who have 
been the most highly blest in their ministerial work. 
One such testimony may be given ; it is that of one of 
the princes of Welsh preachers, Christmas Evans : " The 
pulpit orator falls infinitely too short of answering the 
desired effect unless the fire within him is kindled by 
the influence of the Holy Ghost of God, for which he 
must pray in the name of Jesus, firmly believing in 
God s promise that he will give the Holy Spirit to those 
that ask him. This is the mystery of the art of elo 
quence of the man of God. He must be clothed with 
the power from on high. Here is the great inward 
secret." In this work of the ministry, as in everything 
else pertaining to the gospel, God s great rule is, " Them 
that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me 
shall be lightly esteemed." Let no one pass this point 
by until it has arrested his attention, sunken into his 
heart and fixed his life-purpose. 

(e) DEVOTED PIETY WILL MAKE ALL THE WOKK OF THE 
PASTOR EASY AND PLEASANT. 

This is another consideration upon which great stress 
should be laid. Such piety is unspeakably important, 
not only for God ; s glory and the benefit of souls, but 
also for the pastor s own comfort. It is in this, and not 
in superior talents or cultivated taste, or in a pleasant 
charge or attractive social relations, that his real enjoy 
ment is to be found. 

Without that warm love to God and his work the 
ministry must prove but a life of drudgery and hypocrisy. 
The mistaken man who holds it must constantly assume 
an interest in spiritual things which he does not feel. 
He must speak with an emotion which he has to force. 



7.V THE CLOSET. 55 

He must even strive to maintain a character that is 
not natural to him. It is a humiliating thing to be 
such a minister as this. It is to toil on and on in a 
work in which there is no heart and no pleasure, and 
scarcely any good to be expected. 

All other motives than the constraining love of Christ 
in the heart soon lose their influence. There are no 
doubt other incentives, such as ambition, love of learn 
ing and desire for social influence, that may carry for 
ward a minister for a while with apparent pleasure. 
But they will not stand the wear and tear of years of 
drudgery and trial. If the pastor who is chiefly 
actuated by these is successful, they will soon satiate ; 
if he is not as successful as he expected to be, he be 
comes discouraged and disgusted with his office. If 
there is nothing more than these, the ministry soon 
becomes a miserable failure. 

But when the love of Christ reigns in the heart 
supremely, it gives an impulse to the whole life that is 
ever steady and joyous. The wear and tear of toiling 
years will not wear it out. Sometimes there may appear 
only little success, but it has a faith that lays hold of 
the promises and is not discouraged. Through prosperity 
or adversity, among friends or enemies, in failing or con 
tinuing health, it moves steadily forward, impelled by 
an inward affection that cannot be quenched. Instead 
of years and trials wearing it out, it only grows stronger 
and stronger with the lapse of time. It constantly in 
tensifies as more and more is seen of the love of Christ 
and the value of souls. 

When earnest godliness reigns within it turns the 
whole life of the minister into a work of love. Souls 
then seem so precious that too much cannot be done to 
save them. Christ is so dear that everything which can 



56 THE PASTOR 

possibly be contrived for his glory is a delight, There 
can be no rest unless something be undertaken for him 
every hour. Even hard duties then become a pleasure ; 
or, rather, there are no hard duties, for supreme love to 
Christ makes duty and pleasure to be identical. 

Thus it is that by supplying the holiest of motives, 
by giving a keen perception of what should be done, 
by quickening the faculties, and by imparting a lively 
sense of the Holy Spirit s aid, devoted godliness makes 
all the work of the sacred office easy and prosperous. 

In fact, the calling of the pastor is the happiest and 
most noble calling in the world when his piety is of 
this elevated character. There may be apparent draw 
backs to his comfort arising from poverty, or opposition 
of unreasonable men, or want of honor from the world, 
but all is more than made up by his hidden springs of 
spiritual joy. The minister who is imbued with a heav 
enly unction is blest with the honor that cometh from 
God, and with the assurance of the divine friendship. 
Good men will do him reverence, for they are gifted 
with the same spiritual instinct. The approbation of 
conscience will be to him a perpetual feast. He may 
see the appalling evils of sin wherever he turns, but he 
will have the indescribable pleasure of helping to re 
move or alleviate those evils. When the same mind is 
in him that was in Christ Jesus, then his life-work will 
consist in doing that which he loves best that which he 
knows will be for the glory of his best Beloved, his 
heavenly Friend. His work on earth will prove the per 
petual delight of laying up treasure in heaven. In 
reality, his life on earth will be but the beginning of 
his heavenly happiness. And all ministerial biography 
shows that the men who have been the most holy have 
also been the most happy in their work. When, like 



IN THE CLOSET. 57 

Rutherford, they have lived under the influence of a 
constant unction from on high, they have also breathed 
the very blessedness of the upper sanctuary. The more 
devoted, the more joyous they have been. The whole 
life of such eminently pious ministers is a joy. To 
make the attainment of this ministerial happiness an 
object of pursuit is not unscriptural, for even Christ 
charged his disciples : " Ask, and ye shall receive, that 
your joy may be full." 

(/) THE PASTOR is APPOINTED TO BE A LIVING EXAMPLE 

OF THE GOSPEL WHICH HE PREACHES. 

This places the necessity of his being an eminently 
godly man in a very strong light. The solemn charge is 
imposed upon him of demonstrating by his daily walk 
and conversation the truth and the power of the doc 
trines of the gospel. From this responsibility no pos 
sible argument will release him. The divine law which 
has been laid down for his guidance is this: " A bishop 
then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigi 
lant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt 
to teach ; not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of 
filthy lucre; but patient; not a brawler, not covetous ; 
one that ruleth well his own house, having his children 
in subjection with all gravity (for if a man know not 
how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of 
the Church of God?) ; not a novice, lest being lifted up 
with pride he -fall into the condemnation of the devil. 
Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are 
without ; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the 
devil." The reputation for holiness which the pastor is 
to sustain is here described with some minuteness, that 
there may be no mistake. 

This appointment of the minister to teach by example 

8 



58 THE PASTOR 

must be carefully studied. All his other learning will 
be in vain without it. All other preparation for his 
office will be lost if this does not receive the chief atten 
tion. Of ministers emphatically it may be said that 
they are Christ s living epistles sent out into the world 
in order that men might read in them the transforming 
efficacy of his gospel. To them especially is the direc 
tion of Christ given : " Ye are the light of the world. 
. . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may 
see your good works and glorify your Father which is 
in heaven." To pastors the particular charge is given 
that they strengthen the Church by their own example: 
" Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the 
oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly ; not 
for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind ; neither as being 
lords over God s heritage, but being examples to the 
flock." And this example is to be set by them in all 
the Christian graces : " Let no man despise thy youth, 
but be thou an example for the believers, in word, in 
conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 
In this way they are to illustrate all kinds of good works 
and to disarm all opposition : " In all things showing 
thyself a pattern of good works ; in doctrine showing 
uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that 
cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary 
part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of 
you." There is no law of the whole pastoral office that 
is more fully and explicitly enjoined than this. 

Those who hold this office are not only to describe to 
men the effects of religion upon the life, but they are 
also to show them in their own practice. This is some 
thing that can be better understood and will be more 
deeply felt. Holiness of life, the pure and noble charac 
ter that is reached by daily communion with God, when 



IN THE CLOSET. 59 

seen in the minister, will convince men of the truth and 
power of the gospel as nothing else short of God s om 
nipotent Spirit could do. Men form their opinions of 
Christianity not so much from what they read in the 
book of God as from what they read in the book of the 
lives of its professors. When this book is fair and 
beautiful, they will be attracted ; when it is blurred, 
they will be driven away. Example will break down 
opposition and produce conviction when nothing else 
will. An eminent man of God has said, " Be assured 
of this, brethren, there is no preaching like the preach 
ing of ministerial sanctity." Hooker used to say that 
" the life of a pious clergyman is visible rhetoric ;" and 
Herbert, that " the virtuous life of a clergyman is the 
most powerful eloquence." And what will give this 
sanctity of life but the unction from on high ? What 
but the possession of the very mind of Christ will so 
purify and ennoble the life as to make it a fit example 
to illustrate the gospel and attract to the cross ? The 
life of the pastor should be one of such heavenly- 
mindedness that he would not only bear witness of 
Christ, but also be a living witness to him ; that his 
example would give a high tone to the piety of the 
Church; that, in boldness, with the devoted Paul he 
could say, " Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of 
Christ."" 

(g) EMINENT PIETY is EXPECTED OF THE PASTOR. 

Hence he cannot be too diligent in its cultivation. 
It is true that very often there is too much expected of 
him. He is but man, and the struggle against sin and 
imperfections must constantly be carried on in him as 
well as in other men. And sometimes he is most un 
justly, even cruelly, criticised. Enemies do this be- 



60 THE PASTOR 

cause, through him, they wish to injure the cause ; 
friends do it from want of thought or want of know 
ledge. His motives cannot be all seen. As a public 
man he must act, and his reasons for acting are not 
always understood. Many things he must do which 
are encompassed with difficulties, and these difficulties 
alone are looked at and exaggerated, and he is censured 
for them, whilst everything else is overlooked. 

At the same time, it is true that high-toned principle 
and consistency are expected of him. And it is right 
that they should. Everything in the heart-experience 
which he is supposed to have passed through, in the 
profession which he has made, in the sacred office to 
which he is called, in the superior advantages for sanc 
tity which he has had, and in the holy influences which 
he is appointed to disseminate, all these justify the ex 
pectation that he will be a man of more than ordinary 
godliness. If he comes short of that expectation he 
is disgraced. What cowardice would be to a soldier, 
what weakness would be to an athlete, what dishonesty 
would be to a steward, that will a low degree of piety 
be to him. It will be to his dishonor, and the world 
will see it and know it, and hold him in corresponding 
disdain. No man is more highly honored than a de 
votedly consistent minister; none is more despised than 
he who is faithless and inconsistent. 

It is to be sorely lamented that occasionally there are 
men to be found in this office who have very little in 
deed, if any, of its spirit. Here is one of an irascible 
temperament who is constantly embroiling himself and 
his church in the most lamentable strifes. Here is an 
other who is unstable, ever devising, trying and aban 
doning projects, so as to forfeit all confidence. Here is 



J^ THE CLOSET. 61 

another eminently worldly, so as to have no claim to be 
regarded as a steward of the mysteries of God. Here 
is another hopelessly imprudent, ever doing that which 
is unwise and sadly inconsistent with the high reputa 
tion he ought to bear. And occasionally there is one 
bearing the ministerial name who is still worse. Either 
because he has no grace in his heart, or because he 
allows himself to tamper with temptation, he falls into 
gross sin and causes a shudder throughout the kingdom 
of Christ. 

Who can estimate the injury which such an unholy 
minister does ? His crime will be noised abroad from 
east to west. It will be told of beyond the seas. Its 
history will be translated into other languages. It will 
be gloated over by the enemy through Western settle 
ments. Its disgusting details will be read by wonder 
ing girls in the log cabins of Canada. And nowhere 
will it be repeated without causing pain or injury. It 
will grieve the pious, harden the impenitent, furnish 
argument for the opposer, blight the spirit of devotion, 
encourage others to sin, and cause nameless mischiefs 
that nothing but the omnipotent Spirit of God can 
counteract. Oh that those who hold the ministerial 
office, or are looking forward to it, would duly consider 
this ! Oh that those who have no heart for its becoming 
spirituality would leave it ! Oh that all would study 
well their tremendous responsibility ! Oh that they 
would get very, very near to Christ, and cling to him 
with the full conviction that only by his side are they 
safe ! Oh that they were willing to deny themselves 
many things which might seem right enough in them 
selves, but which might easily be misunderstood and 
tend to the dishonor of the cause ! Oh that they would 
all strive for a godliness of the most elevated character, 



62 THE PASTOR 

which would keep them far above reproach or even the 
suspicion of wrong ! 

(h) THE PASTOK is WARRANTED IN LOOKING FORWARD TO 
EMINENT GLORY IN THE HEAVENLY WORLD. 

If even " Jesus, for the joy that was set before him, 
endured the cross, despising the shame/ how much more 
should his ministers endure any toils in view of the 
great heavenly joys before them ! 

That there are peculiar joys in store for the faithful 
pastor is taught not very obscurely in the Scrip 
tures. What other meaning can we attach to the words 
of Christ : " And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and 
gathereth fruit unto life eternal : that both he that sow- 
eth and he that reapeth may rejoice together " ? Did 
not the apostle foresee that peculiar glory when he 
thought of those whom he had been instrumental in 
saving, and said, " For what is our hope, or joy, or 
crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence 
of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?" And another 
prophet in still more glowing language exclaimed, 
" They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the 
firmament ; and they that turn many to righteousness, 
as the stars for ever and ever." After a very careful 
study of the whole subject, Dr. Killen records this 
cheering conclusion : " To every devoted pastor, in ref 
erence to the people among whom he labors, it may be 
said in the words of our Lord himself, They cannot 
recompense thee, for thou shalt be recompensed at the 
resurrection of the just. Nor does he himself design 
either to pay or put such off with the wealth and hon 
ors of time, but he has in store for them abundant 
recompense at the resurrection of the just. Having 
turned many to righteousness, they shall then not only 



IN THE CLOSET. 6-3 

shine as the brightness of the firmament, but be made 
pillars in the temple of onr God. 

All true pastors are preparing for that pre-eminent 
glory of the future. Surpassingly great is the bliss 
which they may lawfully keep in view in all their 
ministerial work and trials. To this they are appointed, 
and for this they are getting ready according to the 
measure of their fidelity. 

What eminent godliness should now be theirs ! What 
heavenly-minded ness they should now have, in pros 
pect of such distinguished seats of bliss in the celestial 
world ! It is not unbecoming for them to keep stead 
fastly in sight the portrait of the faithful minister as 
described by Bunyan. It was the picture of a grave 
person hanging up against the wall : " It had eyes lifted 
up to heaven, the best of books in his hand, the law of 
truth was written upon his lips, the world was behind 
his back ; he stood as if he pleaded with men, and a 
crown of gold did hang over his head." When all is 
regarded as given for Christ s sake, then it is not un 
warranted for the pastor to be incited to the effort for 
eminent piety by the motives so strongly stated by Dr. 
J. W. Alexander : " Each instant of present labor is to 
be repaid with a million of ages of glory." 

We have thus dwelt at much length upon the tran 
scendent importance of deep-toned piety in pastors, 
because of our clearest possible conviction that it lies 
at the foundation of everything hopeful in the office. 
We cannot present this conviction as emphatically as 
we feel it. At the present age of so much superficial 
religion we feel that this subject is one of immense im 
portance. What is needed in the ministry now is com 
plete consecration of heart and head and hands to 



64 THE PASTOR 

Christ. With ministers more than with any other per 
sons alive the supreme motive needs to be the glory of 
God. In all their studies and ministrations, in every 
element of their being, their moving impulse should be 
love to Christ. 

Oh that every pastor could be made to believe and 
feel, and keep before him the conviction, that nothing 
else but this devoted godliness will make his ministry 
either pleasant or profitable! Can ministers not be 
persuaded to rely upon this as true ? Would that they 
might all form the solemn purpose not to rest until this 
degree of godliness was reached ! This is within the 
power of all. Great eloquence or popularity it may be 
impossible for many to reach, but great devoted ness to 
Christ is attainable by all who will strive for it. And 
when this is reached, then a successful ministry is made 
sure. If our ministers, young and old, would set out 
for this, the whole face of the Church, and of the 
country too, would very soon be changed. How much 
is dependent upon our pastors laying this matter to 
heart ! 

HOW THE PIETY OF THE MINISTER MAY BE CULTIVATED. 
This is a point of vital importance to every pastor. 
No subject should receive from him more anxious 
thought. There is none to which he should give closer 
attention from the beginning of his ministry to its close. 
The following suggestions may be of use to those who 
are earnestly set on higher attainments in this first 
qualification for their sacred office : 

(a) THIS PIETY TO BE CULTIVATED BY CONSTANT PRAYER. 

We have written fully of the attainment of a high 

type of piety by the pastor, because we feel profoundly 



IN THE CLOSET. 65 

its importance. And now the very momentous ques 
tion comes up, How can it be reached? By what 
means can the heart be so cultivated as to arrive at this 
blessed experience ? That such elevated piety is attain 
able should be laid down as a maxim at the very be 
ginning. And that every pastor should set his heart upon 
it, and never rest until it is experienced, we would press 
home as our first and most important advice. Then the 
most effectual method for reaching it we would emphat 
ically declare to be constant prayer. It is hardly neces 
sary to mention this to those who have themselves been 
called into the ministry, but it may be wise to stir up 
their minds to a vivid sense of the great practical truth. 
If we can say anything that will awaken more earnest 
attention to it, the effort will not be misdirected. 

It is well known that every degree of piety in the 
heart must be the work of the Holy Ghost. By him 
it is that piety is first implanted through the renewing 
of the nature that was once all corruption. That nature 
needs to be sanctified more and more, the obstacles in 
the heart and in the world have to be overcome, the 
motives drawn from Christ and his gospel have to be 
brought home with such power as to impress the mind. 
But to do all this is the special office of the Holy Spirit, 
and by no other power in the world excepting by him 
can it be effected. By the death of Christ his power 
was secured, and he was sent into the world for the 
express purpose of sanctifying redeemed men and pro 
ducing in them the holy likeness of Christ. 

He effects this change by taking Christ and the 
things of Christ, and impressing them vividly upon the 
hearts of those who are the subjects of renewing grace. 
He shows Christ as our personal Saviour, and opens the 
eye of faith so that he can be seen and trusted in. 

9 



66 THE PASTOR 

Then, by this operation, the conscience becomes pacified 
through atoning blood, and that blood he applies day 
by day, so that the soul is kept in peace and animated 
to aspire after higher degrees of holiness. Besides, the 
work is carried on with the greatest success by the 
Spirit holding up Christ as our model after whom we 
are to copy in heart and life. Nor is he presented as 
our pattern only, but as our motive also as the glorious 
object of our love, the worthy object to which our whole 
being ought to be consecrated. Thus through Christ 
the Spirit sanctifies. He takes men hour by hour to 
the cross by which sin was once effectually conquered, 
and by which it is yet to be utterly banished from the 
hearts and the habitations of men. 

Then the encouraging thing for us, and the point we 
would now urge, is that this Spirit is given in answer to 
prayer. He is with his Church and with his people 
already, but the larger measure of his sanctifying 
power which ministers especially need is that which 
we are now considering. This undoubtedly may be 
obtained by earnest and persevering prayer. The most 
emphatic promise in the whole Bible is given in refer 
ence to this very thing : " Ask, and it shall be given 
you ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be 
opened unto you ; for every one that asketh receiveth ; 
and he that seeketh findeth ; and to him that knocketh 
it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom 
if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if 
he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent ? If ye then, 
being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your chil- 
ren, how much more shall your Father which is in 
heaven give good things to them that ask him !" Ac 
cording to Luke, who records the same promise, the 
blessing desired is the gift of the Holy Ghost. Let us 



IN THE CLOSET. . 67 

linger for a moment on this promise. Observe, he does 
not simply say, "Ask and ye shall receive ;" that, coming 
from the lips of perfect Truth, would be enough. But 
to make the promise more impressive, he repeats it three 
times: "ye shall receive," "ye shall find," "it shall be 
opened unto you." Nor is that all. To make it still 
more emphatic, he repeats it three times again : " every 
one that asketh receiveth ; and he that seeketh findeth ; 
and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." In the 
very acts of asking, seeking, knocking, the blessing is 
received. Nor is even this all, though the promise has 
been repeated six times. That it may sink the more 
deeply into every heart, he uses one of the most touch 
ing arguments : " Or what man is there of you, whom 
if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone ? Or if 
he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent ? If ye then, 
being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your chil 
dren, how much more shall your Father which is in 
heaven give the Holy Spirit (as Luke has it) to them 
that ask him !" Was there ever such a promise as 
this ? Was ever any engagement of God so positively 
ratified ? If prayer, to be successful, must be for things 
agreeable to the will of God, can there be any question 
about this prayer for the Holy Spirit ? Is not his whole 
heart set upon granting us this ? 

Not a day, then, should pass without the pastor car 
rying this petition before the throne, and wrestling for 
the Holy Spirit to come and baptize him afresh, and 
baptize him thoroughly, with his sanctifying influences. 
In urging this petition he should never become weary 
or discouraged or satiated, or so familiar with the request 
that it will lose its fervency. When he is praying for 
the influences of the Holy Spirit, he is praying for more 
holiness of life, for more of the mind of Christ, for 



68 . THE PASTOR 

more of the image of God, for more power with men, 
for everything which as a Christian and Christian min 
ister he should desire. 

The importance of prayer in the ministry is so very, 
very great that we will strive to impress it by showing 
how it lay before the minds of men whose own eminent 
godliness enabled them to understand it as others could 
not. This is not the opinion of one or two, but of the 
many, and that of those who had most of the mind oi 
Christ. We would repeat their testimony over and over 
again, that the great truth may be fixed the more in 
delibly. It has been tersely said, that " a ministry of 
prayer must be a ministry of power," and all experience 
goes to prove the truth of this saying. It has been 
reasoned in this way : " Above all things, prayer must 
blend itself with all ministerial labors. Nothing makes 
a thought derived from others more certainly our own 
than the attempt to make it the subject of serious and 
earnest prayer. This gives a new and somewhat original 
cast to the thought itself, and it flows from the mind and 
the tongue with a mild yet winning force which few 
hearts are able to resist. To a preacher who thus com 
bines study and devotion, though he may give no signs 
of extraordinary genius, the hearers listen, they know 
not why, and are impressed by his preaching in a man 
ner they can scarcely understand. The secret of hig 
influence is that God is with him and makes whatevei 
he does prosper." 

The great Welsh preacher, Mr. Williams of Wern 
one of the princely trio of that land of great preachers. 
John Elias, William Williams, and Christmas Evan? 
left this testimony : " The old ministers were not much 
better preachers than we are, and in many respects they 
were inferior, but there was an unction about their min- 



IN THE CLOSET. 69 

istry, and success attended upon it now but seldom wit 
nessed. And what was the cause of the difference ? 
They prayed more than we do. If we would prevail 
and have power with men, we must first prevail and 
have power with God. It was on his knees that Jacob 
became a prince, and if we would become princes we 
must be oftener and more importunate upon our knees." 
Dr. Griffin remarked of a young man, a pupil of his who 
had just commenced preaching, " He has an active 
mind and superior talents. The only question I have 
about him is, whether he will pray down the Holy Spirit 
while he preaches." The probability of any minister s 
success is in the question, " Will he pray down the Holy 
Spirit f" Very valuable was the dying testimony of the 
great and godly Andrew Fuller : " I wish I had prayed 
more for the assistance of the Holy Spirit in studying 
and preaching my sermons." The exhortation of the 
noble French preacher, Massillon, cannot be too atten 
tively studied : " Accompany your labors with your 
prayers. Speak of the disorders of your people more 
frequently to God than to them. Complain to him of 
the obstacles put in the way of their conversion by your 
unfaithfulness more frequently than of those which 
their obstinacy may present. Blame yourself alone at 
his feet for the small fruit of your ministry. As a 
tender father apologize to him for the faults of your 
children, and accuse only yourself." Innumerable other 
such declarations could easily be cited from the writings 
of the most devoted and successful of ministers. The 
transcendent importance of prayer is the voice of the 
best, the greatest, the most highly blest of those who 
have labored in the cause of Christ. 

Above all other Christians, the pastor must be a man 
of prayer. All others need to be daily at the throne 



70 THE PASTOR 

of grace, but he more. He has to do with such purely 
spiritual things that nothing but the Spirit can qualify 
him for his exalted work. In the cause committed to 
him such tremendous interests are involved that he 
needs constant guidance from on high. Of himself 
how can he reach such hard and impenitent hearts as he 
has tc do with ? His vocation requires him to stand so 
near to God that he must have the purifying of the 
Holy Spirit for that awful presence. It is his to inter 
cede for others as well as to pray for himself, and how 
can he do that unless he has the aid of that Intercessor 
who inspires groanings that cannot be uttered? Emi 
nently is he to be a temple of the Holy Ghost ; oh how 
holy, how holy doth it become him to be ! Even Christ, 
the divine Shepherd, spent whole nights in prayer ; how 
much more do those who are mere men, though in the 
most sacred office, need to tarry long, long in that exer 
cise ! Among other ends he had in view in praying so 
often, and in causing that fact to be recorded, did he 
not intend to set an example to his under-shepherds in 
all time? Ah, prayer should be their daily breath. 
Emphatically should it be true of them that they " pray 
always." 

Every one of their ministerial acts yes, all that 
they do should be consecrated by prayer. They are 
liable to err and make grievous mistakes ; how can they 
be safe without the guidance of the Spirit? All that 
they do and say may be so momentous in its results that 
they should not rely upon their own understanding, 
but hold constant fellowship with God. It was this 
dwelling with God that made Whitefield so great. " So 
close was his communion with God before preaching 
that it was said he used to come down to the people as 
if there were a rainbow about his head. " Constant 



IN THE CLOSET. 71 

praying will make the whole work of the minister safe 
and happy. He will then be preparing for the pulpit 
and other duties every day and hour. Quaintly has it 
been said, " They who have been made fishers of men 
mind their business both when they are fishing and when 
they are mending their nets." In everything should 
the minister wrestle in prayer, because God is so willing 
to hear and to help him, because it is so safe to rely 
always on the infinite understanding and infinite power, 
and because this carrying every act before the throne 
will turn the whole life into an unbroken service of 
God. 

(6) PIETY TO BE CULTIVATED BY A MORNING HOUR 
OF DEVOTION. 

In all the counsels which we purpose giving for the 
guidance of the pastor we want to be as specific as pos 
sible. We do not intend to rest in mere general obser 
vations, which might be important, but would not lead 
to the practical results we desire. Our suggestion now 
is, that the pastor set apart the first hour of every day 
for uninterrupted communion with God. We would 
have the first and best of the minister s time rigidly 
devoted to the divine service. Most pastors, by a little 
arrangement of duties and by a little self-denial, could 
carry out this important rule. Those with whom it 
would be absolutely impossible might set apart some 
other hour of the day, but the first hour is the best. 
We will not dwell on the other benefits that would ac 
crue, such as the economizing of time and the establish 
ing of regular habits, but we would say that the spir 
itual benefits could scarcely be exaggerated. A whole 
morning hour spent in reading the word of God, in 
prayer and in spiritual meditation, what an influence it 



72 THE PASTOR 

would have upon the life ! How could the direction of 
Christ be better obeyed, or the resulting blessing more 
certainly secured? " When thou prayest, enter into thy 
closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy 
Father which is in secret ; and thy Father, which seeth 
in secret, shall reward thee openly !" Let the first hour 
of the day, then, before food, before family, before daily 
avocations, be made sacred to the Lord. 

In the life and work of the minister especially it is 
all important that there should be specific and long 
periods of devotion. He should observe the rule to be 
in the spirit of prayer always, but there should be a 
definite and considerable time for it daily. He should 
have such a period every day, when the world would be 
resolutely excluded, when the mind would dwell long 
and intently on spiritual things, when the divine word 
would be read and applied to self very deliberately, 
when the soul would be kept in prolonged communion 
with God, when the realities of the spiritual and eternal 
would be made more impressive, and when the mind 
might be toned up to a braver grappling with the trials 
and the duties of life. 

The importance of this morning hour of communion 
with God will be seen when the responsibility of the 
minister s office is considered. He has a great work to do, 
and every day which he spends is so much taken from the 
aggregate of time given him for that work. He never 
commences a day that will not bring him something 
in which he will need divine guidance. Every day 
with him has its own work a work to which he was 
never called before, and will never be called again. 
During any day upon which he enters he may be sore 
ly tempted, or he may be called to the awful duty of 
ministering to persons nigh unto death, or to counsel 



IN THE CLOSET 73 

the inquiring, or to preach a sermon that will be the sa 
vor of life unto life or of death unto death to some soul, 
or to decide questions of duty in critical emergencies ; 
or he may have opportunities of influencing by words 
fitly spoken, or of setting an example that will help 
souls forward on the way of life. Every day he lives 
his soul may make progress in grace and in the expe 
rience of heavenly love. Day by day the pastor is to 
stand as an intercessor before the throne of grace, bear 
ing the names of the flock committed to his charge. 
How can a pastor enter upon any day of such solemn 
responsibility without making sure of divine help dur 
ing every moment ? 

The practice of spending the first hour of the day in 
secret prayer is recommended by the highest example. 
It is said of one of our most eminent statesmen, at a 
time when most responsible duties to the country rested 
on him, that his morning hour was always spent in im 
ploring the help of the great Ruler of the nations. A 
distinguished judge acknowledged his success in his 
profession as owing to the hour he daily spent with 
God. General Havelock, though burdened with the 
care of the army during the terrible mutiny in India, 
managed to keep sacred for prayer a long time in the 
morning of each day. Other honored names might be 
added, as those of Bacon, and the great astronomer 
Kepler, and the historian De Thou, of whom it is re 
lated that every morning " he implored God in private 
to purify his heart, to banish from it hatred and flattery, 
to enlighten his mind, and to make known to him the 
truth which so many passions and conflicting interests 
had almost buried." This also was the custom of one 
guided by the Divine Spirit, for David s resolution was, 
" My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord ; in 
10 



74 THE PASTOR 

the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will 
look up." The testimony of that most godly man, 
Philip Henry, speaking of one of his studying days, 
was, " I forgot, when I began, explicitly and expressly to 
crave help from God, and the chariot- wheels drove ac 
cordingly. Lord, forgive my omission, and keep me in 
the way of duty!" What higher example and encour 
agement could we have for this practice ? 

It is recommended that the morning hour be set apart 
for devotion, because that hour can more generally be 
commanded, and because the mind is then clearer and 
better fitted for communion with God. Most pastors 
could so arrange their daily duties as to have that hour 
statedly to themselves. Then they would not be inter 
rupted by any of the ordinary claims of the day ; the 
mind would be refreshed and calm, and the world would 
not often intrude. It could easily be an hour kept 
sacred to God and the soul and the profound interests 
of eternity. 

The influence of this morning hour of undisturbed 
fellowship with God would be felt all the day. Not 
simply would its prayers be answered, but a tone of 
spirituality would spring out from it and pervade all. 
The presence of Christ would be felt in every hour and 
every act, and this would save from innumerable mis 
takes and perplexities. A blessed restraint would be 
imposed from the remembrance of the hour when the 
heart burned with love, and from the anticipation of 
again meeting with Christ in the sweet morning devotions. 
An elevated tone of Christian life would thus be im 
parted to the whole day. Duty would be turned into 
pleasure, trials would be moderated and every true en 
joyment would be rendered doubly sweet. The con 
sciousness that the day was devoted to God would keep 



IN THE CLOSET. 75 

it all a scene of worship and make this life but the com 
mencement of heaven. Oh it would be a most blessed 
thing for every pastor to make sacred this morning hour 
of prayer ! Thoughtfully has one written of it : " Prayer, 
prayer, prayer, the first, second and third elements of 
the Christian life, should open, prolong and conclude 
each day. The first act of the soul in early morning 
should be a draught at the heavenly fountain. It will 
sweeten the taste for the day. If you can have but ten 
minutes with God at that fresh, tranquil and tender 
season, make sure of those minutes. They are of more 
value than much fine gold. But if you tarry long so 
sweetly at the throne, you will come out of the closet as 
the high priest of Israel came from the awful ministry 
at the altar of incense, suffused all over with the heav 
enly fragrance of that communion." 

This habit, once formed, will become an invaluable 
element of the pastor s strength. It may require 
some effort arid some self-denial at first, but soon it will 
grow easy and prove that hour the most attractive of all 
the hours of the day. It will be looked forward to as 
the time of sweet refreshment of the soul. When one 
has learned to relish this hour of devotion he has ac 
quired a great element of power in his ministerial work. 
The practice cannot be recommended too strongly. We 
beg that the recommendation be not looked upon as vis 
ionary or trivial. Let time be given for communion 
with God before the ordinary duties of the day are 
entered upon. The pastor with a work for eternity 
staring him in the face cannot afford to do without any 
thing that would help him certainly not without such 
a grand agency of spiritual power as this. 



76 THE PASTOR 



(c) PIETY INCREASED BY THE DEVOTIONAL READING OP 
THE SCRIPTURES. 

Ministers are liable to get into the habit of studying 
the word of God simply that they may be the better 
prepared to teach others. It is all important, however, 
that they should do more than this. They should not 
read the Bible merely for others, nor simply as a book 
of science, or history, or geography, or profound wis 
dom only, but that they may also bring it home and 
apply it to themselves. The faintest impression that it 
is not intended for their own personal benefit should 
never be admitted. Their hearts should be so applied 
to it that they may themselves be brought nearer to God 
They should listen to it that they may hear God s voice 
addressed to their own souls, and that for themselves 
they may see his glory beaming upon every page. For 
their own personal benefit, as if there were no others in 
the world who needed it, for their spiritual strength 
and instruction and comfort, they should meditate upon 
it profoundly every day. 

This is a very important duty for every Christian. 
The word is the great instrument by which the Spirit 
increases holiness in the hearts of believers. It is by 
faith in that word that men are ordained to be sanctified. 
Christ teaches the necessity of the truth when, in his 
great intercessory prayer, he made sure of its efficacy by 
the petition, " Sanctify them through thy truth ; thy 
word is truth." The Spirit will honor his own truth, 
and will make it effectual. It is by Christ, the Bread 
of life, that the soul is to be nourished ; and Christ is 
to be found chiefly in the Scriptures. From the Scrip 
tures come light, and heat, and strength, and impulse, 
all of which are important elements of true godliness 



IN THE CLOSET. 77 

in the soul. Not only to the young man, but to all who 
ask a similar question, " Wherewithal shall a young 
man cleanse his way?" comes the inspired answer, "By 
taking heed thereto according to thy word." Oh how 
the devout study and personal application of the Scrip 
tures enrich the soul ! A simple passage devoutly med 
itated upon makes the heart better. Then the growth 
in piety which is produced in this way is not ephemeral 
or spurious in any sense ; it is healthy, and will be per 
manent in its results. All the books on personal piety 
that were ever written are not to be compared in wis 
dom, in authority, or in efficacy with the Bible. 

Now, there is special need for the devotional study of 
the Bible by the pastor. His piety should be of the 
most elevated type. His own spiritual wants, as well as 
those of the people to whom he ministers, demand that 
it should also be progressive ever rising and expand 
ing as his work becomes more solemn, and nothing 
will meet these requirements but a piety that is truly 
scriptural. No type of piety but that which is wrought 
out from the word of God will do for him whose ex 
ample is largely to give form and character to the re 
ligion of hundreds. Then the more thoroughly the 
minister studies the Bible for his own edification, the 
better will he understand how to bring it home to 
others. And no spirituality but that which the Holy 
Ghost teaches in his word will rightly equip or steady 
pastors in their great work for God, for souls and for 
eternity. 

For the minister especially it is very important that 
his soul be put in direct contact with the word of the 
Lord. He should get just as near as it is possible to 
the mind of the Spirit. The very thoughts of that 
Spirit he should endeavor to think over in his own 



78 THE PASTOR 

heart. The soul will generally become assimilated to 
Him whose inspired utterances are kept constantly and 
impressively before it. We shall grow holy by the 
adoring contemplation of Him who is holiness itself. 
" But we all, beholding as in a glass the glory of the 
Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to 
glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." The word 
is pure, and its effect is always to purify. We do not 
sufficiently appreciate the supernatural influence of the 
Scriptures in sanctifying those who are kept under their 
influence. Wisdom worthy of profound reflection is 
contained in the remarks of Dr. Archibald Alexander 
on this point : " There is something wonderful in the 
power which the word of God possesses over the con 
sciences of men. To those who never read or heard it 
this fact must be unknown, but it is manifest to those 
who are conversant with the sacred volume or who are 
in the habit of hearing it expounded. Why should 
this book above all others have the power of penetra 
ting, and, as it were, searching the inmost recesses of 
the soul, and showing to a man the multitude and enor 
mity of the evils of his heart and life ? This may by 
some be attributed to early education, but I believe that 
if the experiment could be fairly tried, it would be 
found that men who have never been brought up with 
any sentiment of reverence for the Bible would expe 
rience its power over the conscience. The entrance of 
thy words giveth light. 

To every pastor, then, would we say, Study the Bible 
with constant and close self- application. Make its 
chapters and verses familiar, not merely by the effort to 
gain an intellectual understanding of them, but by the 
blessed comfort you have found from them in your own 
souls. Adopt some rule of systematic devotional read- 



TN THE CLOSET. 79 

ing, and let it not be intermitted for any trivial consid 
eration. Let your study of the word be profound, so 
as to get down to its very marrow and sweetness. Let 
your meditations be constant, so tbat all the day long 
you may have some Scripture before the mind. Let it 
be with you as his biographer says of McCheyne, that 
" he fed on the word, not in order to prepare himself 
for his people, but for personal edification. To do so 
was a fundamental rule with him." And let all this 
devotional study of the word be mingled with prayer, 
that the same Spirit who inspired it would give it life 
and power in its effects upon your own soul. 

(d) THE PASTOR SHOULD CULTIVATE HIS PIETY BY 
PREACHING TO HIMSELF. 

"Thou, therefore, which teachest another, teach est thou 
not thyself?" is the scriptural rebuke for neglecting this 
duty. When the preacher delivers the message of God, 
he should never separate himself from his audience as 
if he were not addressed. He needs the communications 
of grace just as much as his congregation does. His 
own experience of wants, of sins, of trials and of bless 
ings should be wrought into his discourses. His own 
faults should be kept in view, and rebuked as sharply 
as those of his audience. Diligently should he listen 
for the voice of God as addressed to his own particular 
case, and then reiterate that voice from the sacred desk. 
This rule, given by another, should ever be his guide : 
" In your preparations for the pulpit endeavor to derive 
from the subject on which you are about to preach that 
spiritual benefit you wish your hearers to receive." 

It is well for the minister to study his own particular 
wants in every sermon that he preaches. He should 
question himself, What are my most grievous short- 



80 THE PASTOR 

comings? What are my besetting sins? What are 
the deficiences in my Christian character ? What hin- 
derances do I find to my progress in grace ? To what 
higher degrees of spirituality am I desirous of attain 
ing? What more good might I do in the kingdom? 
These and similar questions to self would give far more 
directness of aim to his discourses. He may depend on 
it that his own wants and those of his people are very 
similar. Then, if his discourses arise out of his own 
experience, and are shaped so as to meet his own wants, 
they will assuredly also be applicable to the great body 
of his Christian people. 

The soul of the minister will almost necessarily 
grow in grace under such a process. Its own great in 
terests will not be neglected through exclusive care for 
others ; its prevailing maladies will be detected ; it will 
be kept alive, and the proper spiritual nourishment will 
be given it, When every sermon is faithfully brought 
home to the preacher s own heart, he must advance in 
purity, in vigor, in knowledge and in every other grace. 
Perhaps not perceptibly, but very surely, will he make 
progress from year to year. 

Nothing could have a better effect in preserving from 
a perfunctory mode of preaching than this self-applica 
tion of the sermon. As in every other profession, the 
minister is in danger here. To see a man preaching 
as a mere thing of rote is a very sad sight indeed. 
There is nothing more heartless or repulsive. It is 
scarcely possible for such preaching to do any good or 
not to disgust. But when the preacher keeps his own 
case vividly before him in what he is saying, then he 
must be interested, and consequently interest others. 
Then he appears riot as one above them. He is not 
patronizing, but he is one with his audience, and enters 



IN THE CLOSET. 81 

with them into all their troubles for sin and into all 
their joys for deliverance through Christ. 

This habit will without doubt intensify the earnest 
ness of one s preaching. It must quicken the sensibili 
ties, and awaken to keenness of thought about the great 
spiritual wants of the soul. Then in the proclamation 
of the gospel the pastor will have all the ardor that 
can be produced by the serious thought that his own 
interests are at stake. He cannot be indifferent with 
the conviction pressing upon him that life or death is 
the issue he cannot be cold and formal. 

The thought is well presented by the devout Leighton : 
" It is a cold, lifeless thing to speak of spiritual things 
upon mere report; but they that speak of them as 
their own, as having share and interest in them, and 
some experience of their sweetness, their discourse of 
them is enlivened by firm belief and an ardent affection; 
they cannot mention them but their hearts are straight 
taken with such gladness as they are, forced to vent in 
praises." Then the preacher must preach in sympathy 
with the people, and his sighs and his tears and his 
joys mingle with theirs. 

The pastor should look upon this rule of preaching 
himself in all his sermons as one of very great 
moment. It is important for his own sake, it is im 
portant for his people s sake, that he should preach 
every sermon to himself as one of the chief auditors. 
He should do this even when he is addressing the im 
penitent, for their hearts and his are by nature alike, 
and the gulf from which he would draw them is the 
gulf from which he has only narrowly escaped himself. 
After preaching, the sermon should rest deeply in his 
own thoughts, and its influence upon his spiritual life 
be anxiously looked for. " In what am I better or 
11 



82 THE PASTOR 

more resolved in my Christian calling?" is a question 
he should very thoughtfully ask. The minister cannot 
do without this preaching to himself, for ordinarily he 
has no other to preach to him, and his soul will suffer 
without this culture. 

HINDERANCES IN THE WAY OF MINISTERIAL PIETY. 

There are certain things which are in danger of im 
peding the progress of the clergyman in holiness. 
There are temptations which are peculiar to him and 
which arise from the nature of his office. His very ad 
vantages and means of usefulness sometimes become a 
snare when they are not properly guarded. Sometimes 
when he appears to be the strongest he needs to be es 
pecially watchful. These dangers should be carefully 
studied, for they are insidious, and it is only when they 
are clearly seen that they lose their power. It is well 
that a few of them, should be here exposed. 

1. The minister is in danger of imperceptibly falling 
into the habit of looking upon spiritual things simply as 
a profession. It is his business to work for the salvation 
of souls ; he is called to interpret the Bible as a profes 
sion ; he goes to visit the sick officially ; he calls upon 
men to glorify God because it is his duty to do so; and 
he gradually falls into all these duties as a mere habit. 
He is in danger of coming to look upon them simply as 
a profession, and not as matters involving everlasting 
interests. If he is not careful he will soon find him 
self performing them in a merely perfunctory manner. 
The great interests which he handles become so familiar 
that they may excite within him scarcely any feeling. 
This tendency is seen in all the professions. And there 
is great cause for the minister to be alarmed lest it comes 



IN THE CLOSET. 83 

to be with him that he has no heart in a work which is 
most solemn in its issues. How careful should he be 
lest in dealing so constantly with other souls he should 
come to neglect his own ! 

2. The pastor must be watchful, or soon he will find 
that all his studying of the Bible is intended for others. 
The word of God is the great instrument with which he 
is to work, and in that light simply he will soon find 
himself regarding it and making it familiar. How to 
make it plain to others and how to interest them in it 
may soon become the ever-present question with him. 
And so much absorbed does he become with this that he 
does not search it for the blessings with which it might 
enrich his own soul. Bishop Simpson has well por 
trayed this danger : " The very word of God that the 
minister studies may do him less good than it does the 
non-professional reader. Why is this? I take my 
Bible ; my heart is sad and I seek some precious promise. 
I bend over the page ; my heart leans for a moment on 
that precious passage: Let not your heart be troubled; 
ye believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father s 
house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have 
told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go 
and prepare a place for you, I will come again and re 
ceive you unto myself, and just as the heart is begin 
ning to grasp the sweetness and the fitness of the pas 
sage there springs up the thought, That will be a fine 
passage to unfold to my congregation, and ere I am 
aware I am preparing a sermon for my people, instead 
of resting my soul upon the riches of the promise." 
Many a minister while feeding others has thus starved 
himself. 

3. Because he holds the ministerial office and has 
devoted his life to divine things, the pastor is liable to 



84 THE PASTOR 

take it for granted that all is well with his own soul, 
without giving that question the constant attention which 
its awful importance demands. He has a sort of ha 
bitual impression that that question is of course 
settled, and so he may hardly ever think of his own 
spiritual state. It is not a matter of pressing daily 
duty with him to make his calling and election sure. 
His incessant ministering to other makes the impression 
of his personal safety the more settled, and thus he 
comes to neglect his own salvation ; at least there is very 
great danger that he will so neglect it. This was not 
the way with the great apostle, though he had so many 
evidences of his acceptance. His anxious course he thus 
describes : " But I keep under my body, and bring it 
into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have 
preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." 
The great danger here is that if the minister should be 
self-deceived he might go on and on and never awake 
to the realization of his deplorable condition. 

4. There are special temptations to which, from its 
peculiar nature, the ministerial office is exposed. It is 
a sacred office, and that very thing draws after it certain 
dangers that should be candidly admitted. Very often 
the peril of the pastor is to be unfaithful in delivering 
the whole counsel of God for fear of awakening the 
enmity of his hearers. Envy of others who are sup 
posed to have a superior place or success is a strong 
temptation in the way of many. Some are liable to be 
led away by spiritual pride, and then to become impa 
tient of opposition, and even to show a domineering 
spirit that is most offensive. Even the great confidence 
reposed in the minister, and the love with which he is 
cherished, give promise of an impunity in yielding 
that makes certain temptations far more formidable. 



IN THE CLOSET. 85 

Slothfulness is one of the besetting sins of this office, 
and that because of the habits of seclusion and the 
possibility of postponing duties, and because there is 
very often no other pressing impulse than the voice of 
conscience. These are some of the peculiar dangers to 
which the minister is exposed, and they should be very 
carefully studied, especially in the light of their enor 
mity when yielded to by him who is an ambassador of 
Jesus Christ. 

5. The pastor has no counselor whom he ordinarily 
likes to consult about his own soul. Other persons have 
their spiritual guide, and they may be greatly benefited 
by unburdening their hearts to him and seeking his 
advice in their inward struggles. But he has no one, 
in fact, who stands related to him as a friend and 
adviser in sacred things. It is not supposed that he 
needs such assistance. There is a sort of impression 
that his attainments in divine things are, or ought to 
be, so high that it would be an unworthy exposure for 
him to condescend to seek the aid of others. And so, 
neither asking nor being offered the assistance of any 
earthly minister, his sins may remain covered, his spir 
itual sores fester, and if great grace is not granted him 
he may become hard and insensible and slide very far 
from the spirit he should possess and manifest. 



HELPS TO THE PIETY OF THE PASTOR. 

Having spoken of the hinderances, we would now 
enumerate some of the helps, to a deeper spirituality 
which this office furnishes. It carries with it certain 
advantages for the promotion of personal piety ad 
vantages which are not possessed by any other calling 
in life. These should receive the closest attention by 



86 THE PASTOR 

him who holds the sacred office. He should also im 
prove them to the uttermost. His piety should be of a 
more elevated type than that of other Christians, because 
he has many things to help him upward which they 
have not. He will be unfaithful to his God, to his 
office and to himself if he does not lay these things to 
heart and derive from them their fullest benefits. 

1. From the nature of their office and studies minis 
ters must have the clearest knowledge of the way in which 
eminent piety may be reached. This very thing is the 
great study of their lives. It is at once their duty and 
their privilege to know as fully as men can know what 
are the most important means of grace, what are the 
advantages of devoted piety, how the Spirit ordinarily 
sanctifies the hearts of men, and how great is the weight 
of the motives urging on to godliness. God s ordained 
method of reaching that desirable end lies plainly before 
them, so that they cannot well mistake or wander from 
it. This knowledge is always fresh with them, because 
the duties of their office require that it should be con 
stantly in their thoughts. Indeed, the subject can never 
escape from their notice, but presses home upon them 
with all its weight in everything they do. 

2. The pastor has every possible motive for cultivating 
the graces of the /Spirit. Pie is urged forward to it by 
his love to Jesus and desire for the glory of God, by 
pity for poor dying souls, by anxiety for his own hap 
piness and by all his affection for the Church of Christ, 
especially for his own particular branch of it. He 
has all the motives of ordinary Christians for seeking 
after devoted godliness, but he has also peculiar mo 
tives of his own. His personal reputation is at stake. 
With him success in life s calling depends upon the 
measure of his sanctity. Fidelity to the charge en- 



IN THE CLOSET. 87 

trusted to him requires that he should ever be actuated 
by the highest spiritual motives. The pressure of re 
sponsibility calls upon him to become more and more 
holy. Every conceivable motive urges him urges him 
constantly upward and onward to a fuller experience 
of the sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost, 

3. His sense of the importance of consistency must act 
as a peculiarly healthful restraint upon the pastor. He 
is conscious that in consequence of his solemn ordina 
tion vows it becometh him to be eminently holy ; that 
far more is expected of him than of other men ; that 
he is an ambassador for God, a minister of the Lord 
Jesus and a pastor of a portion of the redeemed flock ; 
that he, with other ministers of the gospel, is " made a 
spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men ;" 
and that because of his sacred profession his failings or 
crimes would do unspeakable harm to religion. All 
these considerations are like a hedge around him. He 
cannot break through them without a struggle, without 
shame and without doing sore violence to his conscience. 
The restraint may sometimes seem a painful one, and 
perhaps for the moment he would wish it removed, 
but it is most salutary in the end. Many a time the 
consciousness of what he is keeps back the minister 
from indulgences that would injure his soul and grieve 
his Saviour. Many a time it constrains him to dis 
charge duties from which he would otherwise be tempted 
to shrink. Many a time it impels him forward toward 
higher attainments in grace and greater conformity to 
the pattern of his divine Lord. 

4. The mind of the minister is constantly engaged on 
holy things, and it is almost inevitable that it should be- 
come more and more spiritual. His daily study per 
tains to the word of God, the nature of Christ, the 



88 THE PASTOR 

mind of the Spirit, the importance of salvation, the 
conversion of souls, the spread of the gospel, the edifi 
cation of believers and other kindred subjects ; and 
how can he be constantly busied about these sacred 
things without his soul being made more sacred by 
them ? In studying, in preaching, in prayer, in the 
Sabbath-school, every day, if not every hour, his thoughts 
are bent upon eternal things, arid it is natural that what 
is so much thought of should appear in ever-increasing 
magnitude. And these things are too momentous to 
lose their impressiveness because of familiarity. The 
heart cannot help taking the hue of that upon which it 
is constantly fixed. Just as the views, the gait, the 
tones and the manners of one whom we admire and 
with whom we associate imperceptibly become impressed 
upon us, so it is that the mind grows gradually like 
that with which it is most steadily engaged. Thus it is 
that ministers must almost necessarily become spiritual 
from their constant intercourse with spiritual things. 

This advantage of the minister is clearly presented 
by Dr. Shedd : " Not only does the ministerial calling 
and profession require eminent piety, but it tends to 
produce it. By his position the clergyman is greatly 
assisted in attaining to a superior grade of Christian 
character. For, so far as his active life is concerned, 
his proper professional business is religious. The daily 
labor of the clergyman is as truly and exclusively re 
ligious as that of the farmer is agricultural or that of 
the merchant is mercantile. This is highly favorable 
to spirituality. Ought not one to grow in grace whose 
daily avocations bring him into communication with 
the anxious, the thoughtful, the convicted soul, the re 
joicing heart, the bereaved, the sick and the dying ? 
Ought not that man to advance in the love and know- 



IN THE CLOSET. 89 

ledge of God whose regular occupation from day to 
day is to become acquainted with the strictly religious 
wants and condition of the community, and to minister 
to them ? If the daily avocations of the mechanic have 
a tendency to make him ingenious and inventive, if the 
daily avocations of the merchant tend to make him en 
terprising and adventurous, do not the daily avocations 
of the clergyman tend to make him devout? The in 
fluence of active life upon character is in its own place 
and manner as great as that of contemplative life. A 
man is unconsciously moulded and formed by his daily 
routine of duties as really as by the books he reads or 
the sciences he studies. Hence a faithful performance 
of clerical duties contributes directly to spirituality." 

5. The minister is continually in the midst of scenes 
which must keep fresh the impression of the importance 
of true godliness. He is called to visit the dying, the 
suffering, the sorrowing, the hoping, the rejoicing. 
The nature and results of sin in their horrors and of 
piety in all its blessedness he sees exhibited in living 
reality. Sometimes he almost beholds the woes of the 
lost ; sometimes almost the joys of the ransomed. Such 
scenes are passing before his eyes nearly every day. He 
sees them in all their various aspects. He is admitted 
to the confidence of hearts that are almost breaking. 
His soul would need to be of adamant if these things 
did not move it deeply. As no other person he has op 
portunities of witnessing the transcendent value of the 
gospel of Christ for assuaging the woes of men. The 
earnestness of life and the nearness of eternity must 
impress him with the thought that there is nothing but 
the religion of which he is a minister that is of real im 
portance to the world. And this is the school in which 
he is ever learning the value of eminent godliness. 
12 



90 THE PASTOR IN THE CLOSE! 

6. The prayers of his godly people are ever going up 
for the pastor. As a power for promoting his piety this 
cannot be overestimated. These prayers are offered in 
public and in private. Often when he little dreams of 
it they are ascending to the throne. They are very con 
stant from one and another or many of his congregation, 
and the pastor should seek for them most anxiously. 
Such supplications cannot be offered up so frequently 
and so earnestly and yet be in vain. Undoubtedly they 
are among the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous 
which avail much. Though he may not recognize them 
at the time, they do bring down the power of the Spirit 
upon him when he is studying, when he is preaching, 
when he is visiting the sick and in other of the solemn 
duties of his office. These prayers are deeply import 
ant for the piety of the minister and for the prosecu 
tion of a work the most solemn that can be committed 
to the hands of man. 

Such are some of the peculiar advantages which the 
pastor can rely upon in striving for that eminent degree 
of piety which becomes him. Great are his trials, but 
greater far are his blessings. These things compensate, 
and more than compensate, for all the sacrifices he may 
have to make. Happy, happy man is he in being priv 
ileged to hold such a noble office under Jesus the King ! 
How high it is possible for him to rise in the attainment 
of holiness and of happiness ! How devoted may be 
his godliness ! How much of the spirit of heaven he 
may attain even here ! How much of the very charac 
ter of Christ the Son of God it is his privilege now to 
manifest before the world ! 



CHAPTER III. 
THE PASTOR IN THE STUDY. 

THERE are two places where, unseen by the world, the 
pastor receives strength and equipment for that moment 
ous work to which he has been ordained ; they are the 
closet and the study. We place them in the order of 
their relative importance first the closet, then the study. 
First the cultivation of the heart, then the cultivation 
of the head, is the rule of life from which the minister 
of the gospel ought never to depart. The two classes 
of preparation for his work which are involved, in many 
points intermingle and are dependent on each other ; 
still, for the sake of making each as impressive as pos 
sible, they may be considered apart. We have dwelt on 
the preparation of the closet ; our business is now with 
that which is to be made in the study. In his study, 
away from the eye of man, the pastor is to furnish his 
mind and train its powers so that he may go forth and 
do efficient service in the great work of the Master. 
Here the beaten oil is to be prepared that will send 
forth a sweet savor in the courts of the Lord. The im 
portance of the study as lying at the foundation of 
ministerial success and its proper management are ques 
tions which must be well pondered. How to become en 
amored of the study so as to be much in it, how to 
select the employments that are most important for it, 
how to systematize its work, and how to economize its 

91 



92 THE PASTOR 

hours so that they may tell most effectively, are consid 
erations which are of vital importance to every pastor, 
young or old. 



CLOSE STUDY INDISPENSABLE. 

The duties of this office are such that it is impossible 
to discharge them effectively without a life of close study. 
A mere random preparation, when everything happens 
to suit, for some important public occasions will not do. 
There must be close and continued cultivation of the 
mind and storing it with new funds of thought. Mere 
genius will not give permanent success here. The Spirit 
of God will not inspire a man without his own efforts, 
for the Spirit works through the diligent use of human 
means. Nothing will take the place of laborious and 
persevering study for the faithful discharge of the duties 
of this office. This is the indispensable condition of use 
fulness, of comfort and of success. Let this be received 
as a well-established maxim, all other assertions, prom 
ises, boastings and imaginings to the contrary notwith 
standing. 

It should be firmly settled by every pastor that close 
study is to be one great business of his whole life. We 
would not establish a comparison between this and the 
other great duties of his calling, because this so inter 
penetrates them as to become a constituent element of 
them all. That his life is to be one of incessant study, 
he should fix upon as a fact from which there is to be 
no escaping if he would serve God in the gospel. He 
should become reconciled to it. He should make all 
his arrangements with reference to it, and he should 
give himself up to it with his whole heart and purpose. 
To study on and on he should consider as no incidental 



IN THE STUDY. 93 

thing with him, but as the great business of his life and 
as an indispensable part of every duty to which he is 
called. His study is not to be as a mere preparation for 
the ministry, to be dropped, or even remitted, when its 
active duties are entered upon, but is to be the incessant 
occupation of his life. It is not to be relaxed with years, 
but to go on filling and enriching the mind upon whose 
stores there will be such incessant draughts. This work 
of replenishing and strengthening the mind is funda 
mental in the ministerial office, the sphere of whose 
duties lies so much in that which is mental and spiritual. 
The pastor should be earnest in it. In this, as in other 
things, he should make full proof of his ministry. He 
should meditate upon these things, give himself wholly 
to them, that his profiting may appear to all. 

The pastor must study, study, study, or he will not 
grow, or even live, as a true workman for Christ. The 
want of this is the cause of innumerable failures which 
are seen in the ministry. Here is a young man who 
enters upon the office with fine talents, a fair amount of 
preparation, an encouraging field of labor and every 
prospect of success. But the promise is not fulfilled. 
He does not come up to the expectations which were 
excited, and which he himself entertained. On the 
contrary, his preaching decreases in interest, his congre 
gation falls away and his whole work declines. The 
reason is, that he has not kept his mind polished up 
by constant study, or continued to replenish it with the 
rich stores of thought which he might have gathered 
from other sources. This process is well described by 
Vinet in his admirable work : " We must study to excite 
and enrich our own mind by means of other men s. 
Those who do not study find their talents enfeebled 
and their minds become decrepit before the time. In 



94 THE PASTOR 

respect to preaching, experience demonstrates this most 
abundantly. Whence comes it that preachers much 
admired in the beginning decline so rapidly or remain 
so much below the hopes to which they had given birth ? 
Most frequently it is because they did not continue their 
studies. A faithful pastor always studies to a certain 
extent ; besides the Bible he constantly reads the book 
of human nature, which is always open before him ; but 
this unscientific study does not suffice. Without inces 
sant application we may make sermons, even good ser 
mons, but they will all more and more resemble each 
other. A preacher, on the contrary, who pursues a 
course of solid thinking, who nourishes his mind by 
various reading, will always be interesting." John 
Wesley also depicts the evil of the habit of not study 
ing in an exhortation to one who had fallen into it : 
" Your talent in preaching does not increase ; it is about 
the same as it was seven years ago ; it is lively, but not 
deep ; there is little variety ; there is no compass of 
thought. Reading alone can supply this, with daily 
meditation and daily prayer. You wrong yourself 
greatly by omitting this. You can never be a deep 
preacher without it, any more than a thorough Chris 
tian. Oh, begin ! Fix some part of every day for private 
exercises. You may acquire the taste which you have 
not. What is tedious at first will afterward be pleasant. 
Whether you like it or not, read and pray daily. It is 
for your life ; there is no other way, else you will be a 
trifler all your days and a petty, superficial preacher. 
Do justice to your own soul ; give it time and means to 
grow ; do not starve yourself any longer." 

Nothing but close study will do for the pastor who 
will live and grow in the duties of his profession. He 
must study God in his word and in his works and in 



IN THE STUDY. 95 

his providences ; he must study the great writings of 
human piety and wisdom which a ricli religious litera 
ture furnishes ; he must study man in his varied charac 
ter, in his history and in his prospects; he must study 
everything that would enrich his discourses, draw men 
to Christ and glorify God. 

It is impossible for any preacher to keep up that 
variety which is necessary in order to interest a congre 
gation unless he is perpetually gathering together stores 
of thought, and contriving how to present them so as to 
attract attention. Christ, and him crucified, is the great 
theme of preaching, and must be the burden of every 
sermon. To present this one subject two or three 
times a week, and that year after year, without tiresome 
sameness, is the great difficulty which every conscien 
tious minister must feel. The thought of this was what 
excited the amazement of the great English statesman, 
John Bright, when he said that it was a perfect mystery 
to him how a minister could preach even tolerably on 
the same subject week after week and year after year. 
And here is the very place where multitudes of ministers 
do fail. Their preaching ceases to interest because it 
gradually grows into a reiteration of the same thoughts 
in almost the same order and well-nigh the same words. 
No congregation can be kept together where there is 
such repetition in the sermons. But it is not necessary 
that there should be such sameness, even though the 
great central theme never varies. This one grand, all- 
absorbing truth may be presented in ten thousand dif 
ferent aspects, each of which shall be new and each 
thrillingly interesting. It ha,s in it a variety that never 
can be exhausted. These diversified phases of the car 
dinal thought of the gospel, however, must be thought 
out. They must be very diligently sought for. They 



96 THE PASTOR 

are contained in the Scriptures, in Christian experi 
ence and in the nature of the subject, and they may 
be found in rich variety by him whose thoughts are 
fixed persistently on their discovery. They may always 
appear fresh, though the one old story has been told 
over a thousand times. Here is the minister s bound 
less field of study. Yea, it is a blessing and a glory 
to us that we must study and study on, and ever be 
rewarded with the richest discoveries of heavenly know 
ledge. 

In almost all instances the pastor will lose his influ 
ence and position of usefulness when he is not diligent 
in the labors of the study. It is nearly inevitable that 
it should be so. In innumerable cases the secret of the 
decline in the popularity of ministers is to be found 
here. The fact cannot be concealed from the people 
when their pastor is habitually negligent in his prepa 
ration for the pulpit. They will see it and feel it, even 
though they may never cast a glance inside the study. 
They will perceive it in the crudeness of his discourses, 
and in the repetition of the same thoughts, the same 
Scripture quotations, the same stories and the same illus 
trations month after month. And can they be blamed if 
their interest flags and they soon grow weary ? They are 
not fed; they learn nothing; there is nothing for them 
to learn ; and their attention must soon be gone. Many, 
many ministers should look to this as the cause of their 
unpopularity, and not to the unreasonableness of their 
congregations. If they would make diligent preparation, 
not only for each particular sermon, but also for the 
general work, by incessant thought and gathering of 
material, it is not often that the people would lose their 
interest in either the preaching or the preacher. 

Pre-eminently with those who hold the sacred office 



IN THE STUDY. 97 

should it be the rule that they would not serve God 
with that which cost them nothing. There was a great 
principle, a heaven-revealed principle, in the resolu 
tion of King David : " Neither will I offer burnt-offer 
ings unto the Lord rny God of that which doth cost me 
nothing." To offer that to Jehovah which cost no sac 
rifice or effort, or is of no value, is unworthy his glori 
ous majesty and the benefits we have received from him. 
And does not the clergyman violate that principle 
every time he goes into the pulpit and professes to serve 
God whilst preaching a sermon that has cost him no 
time or toil or thought? It is an affront to his congre 
gation to preach such a sermon, but is it not a far 
greater affront to that glorious Being in whose name he 
speaks and who sees and knows all ? For the preacher, 
who proclaims the words which God has given him, to 
slight his message is to slight the Author of that mes 
sage ; but to study it diligently, to give it deep thought, 
to throw his whole heart into it, is to exalt the Master 
by whom he is sent. He thus shows the world what 
he thinks of the King who sent him, as well as of the 
message which he bears. And the more we study our 
adorable Father in heaven the greater will he appear in 
his sublime Deity, in his word and in his works. 

It is a dangerous thing for any clergyman to get into 
the habit of relying upon his ability to preach in a 
purely extemporaneous manner. There are many min 
isters who can do so indeed, most persons who have 
been for some time in the ministry could occasionally 
deliver a sermon without almost any preparation. And 
in certain emergencies it may be necessary to do so. 
But to rely upon that ability, and resort often to it, as 
some do, is a habit that will soon prove ruinous. No 
preacher, no matter how great his native talents, can 

13 



98 THE PASTOR 

long rotain even a respectable position if he pursues this 
course. If it leads to such a superficial practice the 
power of easy extemporaneous speaking becomes a very 
perilous one. The great danger is that the conscious 
ness of being able to make a fair appearance without 
premeditation may keep from that persevering study 
without which no preaching can continue to be edifying. 
There may be fine words and smooth utterance and 
tolerably rounded periods, but the thoughts arid words 
will be the same over and over again. There will 
be enough that is old, but very little that is new or 
instructive. We could name many ministers of fine 
talents and superior powers of utterance and self-com 
mand before an audience, but who have failed in con 
gregation after congregation because they have relied 
upon their native powers, and neglected that deep and 
never-relaxing study which, we would over and over 
again repeat, is indispensable to the really successful 
pastor. 

The warning cannot be made too emphatic that one 
of the greatest dangers of the ministry is that of falling 
into the sin of sloth fulness. The secluded habits of the 
office, the possibility of getting through many of its 
duties tolerably without much special preparation, and 
the fact that ordinarily conscience must be the only 
prompter, are all liable to be so perverted as to lead to 
a sluggish and procrastinating course of life. It is a 
lamentable fact that so many ministers allow their useful 
ness and comfort and influence to be blighted in this 
way. It should not be overlooked that this is a great 
sin. The solemn vocation of the office and the interests 
at stake, and the ordination vows which have been en 
tered into, show it to be a crime in the sight of God 
before which any thoughtful man must tremble. And 



IN THE STUDY. 99 

ultimately it will be ruinous. It blights the prospects 
of him who indulges in it ; it will necessarily be seen 
by the world, and the minister of Christ who allows 
himself to become the victim of habits of sloth fu In es.s 
will be despised. Again then do we say, study on, 
that this habit, and all that is kindred to it, may be 
prevented or overcome. 

THOEOUGH SYSTEM. 

There is peculiar need for a well-arranged method in 
the discharge of the duties of the ministry, and especial 
ly for conducting the exercises of the study. In no 
calling of life is there more need for thorough system. 
So great is the number, and so varied the nature, of the 
duties pressing upon the pastor, that if they are not 
carefully arranged and proportioned in time it will be 
utterly impossible for him to overtake them all. It is 
his vocation daily to search the Scriptures diligently, to 
cultivate his own heart, to preach the gospel in public 
or from house to house, to visit the sick, to attend fu 
nerals, to write letters, to conduct ecclesiastical business, 
and to perform many other duties ; and in order to do 
all this there must be a plan of work carefully matured. 
He needs to have his time systematized in order to per 
form all these duties with any measure of justice to 
them. The ease with which some of them might be 
postponed, or even omitted altogether, and his constant 
exposure to interruptions from various quarters, are 
temptations which make it exceedingly important that 
the pastor should have his work laid out by a system 
that will call up each part of it in its place and propor 
tion, and so give completeness to it all. This system 
should not be so rigid as to amount to a drudgery, 



100 THE PASTOR 

but it should be so well defined and understood as to 
bring up each duty in its time and place. It should 
extend to the times of devotion, to the hours and subjects 
of study, to the great duties of the office, and to all its 
private and public callings. Each of these duties and 
calls should be assigned its appropriate place in the 
work of the day or week, and the arrangement of all 
should be as strictly adhered to as varying events will 
permit. 

It is surprising how much more can be accomplished 
when a thorough method of duty has been established, 
and each part of it is entered upon with promptness at 
the fixed minute, with the powers of the mind fully 
concentrated upon it. The remark of Dr. Archibald 
Alexander, that " more than half one s time can thus 
be saved," is probably within bounds. The same thought 
was forcibly presented by Cecil when he said, " Method 
is like packing things in a box : a good packer will get 
in half as much again as a bad one." The order of 
duties, and number of hours or minutes to be spent in 
each of them, being fixed by rule, there will not be 
time wasted at each turn in considering what to do next. 
Much time, very much, will be gained by having the 
appointed duty always ready for present action, and 
ordinarily the most profitable thing to be done at any 
given hour will be that which has been fixed by the 
pre-established system. It is not left then for present 
impulse to follow its promptings whether best or not. 
In this way also time will be gained and space will be 
fixed for doing many things which otherwise would be 
utterly neglected. In the little fragments of time that 
could be economized many a volume may be read, many 
a study pursued, many an article written, many a val 
uable thought treasured up. 



IN THE STUDY. 101 

When a system of duties is carefully planned and 
rigidly adhered to in practice, it soon grows into a habit 
and becomes easy and pleasant. There is nothing more 
disagreeable than to be vacillating at every point as to 
what should be undertaken next. There is no more 
effectual method of squandering time. But when the 
system has grown into a habit, then its rules as a sys 
tem are forgotten, and the promptings of duty alone are 
heard. It becomes natural then to take up each part 
of the day s work as its hour arrives. A fixed order 
of duties is far more agreeable in the end than to take 
them up at random as the whim of the moment might 
dictate. There is no thraldom in thorough system ; it 
rather oils the wheels of daily work and makes them 
to run more smoothly. 

To adopt some system in the study and other engage 
ments of the ministry not only economizes time and 
makes the work move on more pleasantly, but it also 
saves from the omission of many duties which might 
seem to be insignificant, but which, in the aggregate, are 
very important. The system, grown into a habit, brings 
up such duties as a matter of course, and so they are not 
passed by or forgotten. Such things as writing letters, 
visiting aged persons and speaking to inquirers are very 
liable to be neglected unless there is some fixed plan by 
which they are brought to notice at the proper time. 
There are small matters, such as keeping books and 
papers in order, making a record of marriages, of bap 
tisms and admissions of members to the church, and 
acknowledging favors received, which are liable to be 
overlooked as of no importance, but which, in their 
aggregate, have a positive bearing on one s comfort as 
well as on his influence. These must be arranged in 
some order or they will inevitably be neglected in a 



102 THE PASTOR 

life which is filled with so many and such varied duties 
as is that of the clergyman. 

In order that our counsels may be as explicit as pos 
sible, we will give a scheme of daily ministerial work 
which has been long tried and proved practicable. Its 
general outline is to spend the forenoon up to two o clock 
in study, the afternoon in visiting, and the evening in 
reading and correspondence. More specifically : two 
hours and a half are first employed on the study of the 
Sabbath morning sermon, then an hour or an hour and 
a half on general Bible or other studies, and then from 
half an hour to an hour on the sermon for Sabbath 
evening. In the afternoon about two hours arid a half 
are spent in the various duties of pastoral visiting. In 
the evening, or parts of evenings that can be commanded, 
the time is nearly equally divided between correspond 
ence and general reading. Other smaller matters, such 
as have been already named, are dovetailed into the little 
fragments of time which lie between. We do not pro 
pose this as a plan for all, for each one must have his 
own system, framed according to his circumstances, tastes 
and objects of pursuit. But we give it as an illustration 
of the method which should be adopted by all. It may 
also, at least in its general outlines, serve as a model ac 
cording to which the younger minister may construct 
some scheme until, by experiment, he has found out 
what is best for himself. 

How many hours a day should be devoted to study? 
This is a question which is asked by most earnest young 
men as they enter the ministry, and it is a question 
which experience ought to strive to answer at least so 
to answer as to fix some boundaries that may serve as a 
guide. We have already spoken of the necessity for 
very diligent and persevering study, and now need but 



IN THE STUDY. 103 

add that just as much time daily as prudence will allow 
should be spent in it. But we would also say that the 
other extremity should be avoided. There should not 
be too much undertaken, either here or in any other 
branch of the ministerial work. If too many hours are 
spent in mental work, other duties will be neglected, the 
health will be endangered, the vigor of the mind will 
not be so great, and the wearying effects of overwork 
may so discourage as to create a dislike that will alienate 
from all mental effort. We would therefore recommend 
that only a reasonable and profitable length of time be 
allowed daily to the work of the study. 

We would venture to suggest as a rule about five 
hours a day, or from eight o clock in the morning until 
two, with a recess of an hour. Our programme, then, for 
the ordinary day s work would be one hour of devotion 
before breakfast ; five hours of study ; two hours and a 
half of visiting ; and in the evening one hour and a 
half for reading and correspondence ten hours a day 
for these various duties of the office. Considering the 
variety afforded by the different engagements, this would 
not be too much. And if this length of time daily for 
five days in the week were devoted to earnest work, it 
would accomplish as much as any minister should ever 
undertake. 

But these short hours in the study should be spent in 
real work. There should be no dreaming, no frittering 
away of minutes, no languid spaces spent in getting 
ready for work. The business in hand should be 
plunged into at once, and the whole powers toned up 
vigorously till the allotted period is ended. And little 
fragments of time should be most diligently utilized. 
These are what may be made a minister s treasury of 
improvement. As in some matmfaefeoriea the sweepings 



104 THE PASTOR 

or the shavings, when carefully gathered up, are the real 
profits, so it is that by improving the fragments of time 
the minister may accumulate great mental and spiritual 
wealth. 

We have said that this daily routine we propose is 
only for five days in the week. On the Sabbath the 
minister should have nothing to do with any other 
mental efforts than those of his public exercises. All 
preparations should be fully made before the Lord s Day 
arrives. On every account the slovenly habit of finish 
ing sermons on the sacred day should be most strenu 
ously avoided. We would also earnestly recommend 
that Monday be observed as a day of mental and bodily 
rest. The minister must have his resting day as well 
as other men, or he will suffer the consequences. His 
physical constitution demands it. If it is denied, in 
time he will break down in health, as hundreds are doing. 
Nor must it be supposed that devoting one day of the 
week to absolute rest will be a loss of time in the end. 
No ; the work of the other days will be more vigorous, 
the physical and mental tone will be kept up, and at the 
end of the year far more will be accomplished. One 
day of wakeful, energetic work is worth three or four 
spent in half dreaming and forcing one s self to unat 
tractive tasks. 

The thorough system we are now urging requires that 
there should be great promptness and punctuality in the 
discharge of every. duty. Very much depends upon this, 
taking it in its broadest sense. What may be consid 
ered little duties should be most diligently attended to 
just as they arise, for in the aggregate they are far from 
being little. Every duty should be taken up in its time 
and finished with vigor. What claims to be done just 
now should be done at once and done well. How im- 



IN THE STUDY. 105 

portant for the minister s usefulness and credit and com 
fort that he should not keep continually hanging over 
his head a cloud of delayed duties ! How different 
his life from that of the one who is strictly prompt in 
all his undertakings ! We would place great emphasis 
on this point. To help the impression, we will quote a 
few energetically written sentences from Sir Thomas 
Fowell Buxton : 

" I do not mean the merely being in time for lectures, 
dinners, etc., but I mean the spirit out of which punctu 
ality grows that love of accuracy, precision and vigor 
which makes efficient men and women ; the determina 
tion that what you have to do shall be done in spite of 
all petty obstacles, and finished off at once and finally. 
When Nelson was on the eve of departure for one of his 
great expeditions the coachman said to him, The carriage 
shall be at the door punctually at six o clock. A quarter 
before/ said Nelson ; I have always been a quarter of 
an hour ahead of my time, and it has made a man of me. 

" The punctuality which I desire for you involves and 
comprehends the exact arrangement of your time. It 
is a matter on which much depends. Fix how much 
time you will spend upon each object, and keep all but 
obstinately to your plan. Ponder well what 1 have 
said, and call upon God to help you in arraying yourself 
in the qualities which I desire. If you mean to be ef 
fective, you must set about it earnestly and at once. No 
one ever yawned it into being with a wish ; you must 
make arrangements for it, you must watch it, you must 
notice when you fail, and you must keep some kind of 
journal of your failures." 

In the ministerial office, where there are so many dif 
ferent kinds of work and so many minute though not 
insignificant objects of attention, it is of vast importance 

14 



106 THE PASTOR 

that each duty should be taken up promptly and dis 
charged with energy. There is no other way of filling 
up its various parts with any measure of completeness. 

The habit of being rigidly punctual in attendance 
upon every meeting and in every other object calling 
for his attention is an invaluable one for the clergy 
man. A sense of the importance of his work, the de 
mands of veracity and the influence of his example, 
all require that he should be inflexible in fulfilling every 
engagement, and that at precisely the appointed time. 
It is amazing how some ministers will make appoint 
ments appointments which to others may be of great 
moment and then for some trivial reason fail to 
perform them. To do so is certain not only to disap 
point those by whom they were expected, but also to 
impair the confidence of men in them, and to encourage 
a looseness of sentiment as to moral obligation. One 
should know precisely what he is doing when he enters 
into an engagement, and then consider himself abso 
lutely bound to fulfill it. Never, unless from causes 
which are unavoidable, should he disappoint in any 
promise he makes. His word should be as his bond. 
In this way he will make for himself a character for 
fidelity to his promises, for promptness and for punc 
tuality that will be an invaluable source of power in 
the great work of his ministry. 

All these points have been brought under the general 
head of system in the duties of the ministry in order 
that the subject may be made as emphatic as possible. 
No minister should drop it until his mind is impressed 
and his purpose formed. It may be safely said that the 
great difference in the efficiency of ministers is largely 
owing to the observance or neglect of method in their 
work. The man who carefully systematizes his duties, 



IN THE STUDY. 107 

and abides by the scheme he has planned, is sure to do 
more work, and to do it better, and to do it with far 
more satisfaction, than he otherwise could. He gains 
from men a confidence and respect that are a great 
power ; he makes far more out of life ; he stretches it 
out into works of usefulness more numerous and more 
effective. There may be extraordinary geniuses who 
can abide by nc fixed plan, but must do everything by 
the impulse of the hour. Such cases, however, are rare 
they are not the rule. The great fact which should 
be deeply pondered is, that he who begins life with a 
carefully-planned method, perfecting it from time to 
time by his experience, is certain to make that life bet 
ter and more full of usefulness than those who neglect 
all system. Without system life is in great danger of 
being wasted. Of two pastors commencing life with 
equal piety, equal talents and equal zeal, but one with 
and the other without a minute plan of duties, the 
methodical one is sure in the end to do more for the 
Master, more for the world and more for himself than 
the other. 



THE PASTOR SHOULD KEEP AHEAD WITH HIS WORK. 

Every pastor should adopt the rule of having some 
provision stored up beforehand for the performance of 
every duty to which he is likely to be called. It is a 
miserable plan to put off preparation to the last allow 
able minute. It is to live from hand to mouth. It is 
to make the life of the pastor one of slavish drudgery. 
A better plan, on every account, is to keep ahead with 
one s work. This rule should be observed in prepar 
ing sermons, in pastoral visiting, in appointments for 
special services, and in all the other numerous avoca- 



108 THE PASTOR 

tions of the ministry. There are many advantages in 
being ready beforehand with everything one has to do 
of having a store prepared at all times for the 
future. 

1. The knowledge that one is ahead with his work 
puts him at his ease and gives him a feeling of satisfac 
tion. It imparts a consciousness of independence which 
those who procrastinate to the last moment in every 
thing that they do can never enjoy. In this way one 
may be master of his own movements, instead of ever 
being under the lash of pressing duties. He will have 
comparative tranquillity, and be saved from much of 
that worry which, rather than hard work, breaks down 
many a minister. He will also be saved from much of 
that censure which a procrastinating habit is sure to 
incur. It will inspire confidence in him when the peo 
ple see, as they inevitably will, that his diligent fore 
sight keeps him ready for every work. 

2. The habit of being beforehand with one s work pre 
vents the necessity of hurry, with all its evil effects. An 
admirable rule once laid down by a wise and experi 
enced pastor was never to be in a hurry. The tend 
ency of this rule would be to make life longer, to fill it 
with more happiness, to extend it out into more delib 
erate usefulness, and to save from innumerable mistakes 
and perplexities. To be ever so much in haste does no 
good. There is no need for it, even with the busiest 
pastor, provided only his work be well regulated. The 
true plan for the clergyman is not so to waste time and 
postpone duties as that he will be forced to be in a 
hurry. There are ministers who are always pressed for 
time, always fuming in haste ; they have no leisure for 
friends or social enjoyment or the minor courtesies of 
life, and yet they do not accomplish much. You will 



IN THE STUDY. 109 

look in vain for the great results which surely may be 
expected. There are others, again, who are never in a 
hurry ; they are never behindhand ; they are always at 
their ease ; they have time for everything, and in the 
end they accomplish far more than the others. The 
grand secret is, that they keep a little ahead with their 
work, and that always. 

3. When he is beforehand in the chief duties of his 
office the minister is always prepared for unexpected in 
terruptions. Every pastor knows how liable he is to 
these every day and at any hour. From the nature 
of his calling it cannot well be otherwise. He never 
can predict the moment when he may be summoned to 
attend a funeral, or to spend hours with one who is 
drawing nigh unto death, or to counsel with an inquirer, 
or to perform a marriage ceremony, or to receive visitors 
coming upon ecclesiastical or other business. Sometimes 
these casual demands upon his time are most imperative ; 
they cannot possibly be avoided or postponed. Then 
the Sabbath perhaps is near at hand, and he must be 
ready for it, or the address for an installation or some 
other special service cannot be deferred. What is the 
perplexed pastor to do ? How is he to escape the flurry 
that is often actually distressing? Only in one way, 
and that is to be ahead with all his preparations, so that 
he may be ready, come what may. 

4. This practice will lead to far more being done, 
and also better done. When one is beforehand with 
his work he will be able so to arrange his time as to 
find some space for every duty. It will be possible 
for him then to lay out his plans for preparing sermons, 
for general reading, for study of the Bible, for visiting, 
for correspondence, for helping in the work of the 
Sabbath-school, for pursuing private studies, as well ;<,- 



110 THE PASTOR 

for recreation, and possibly for writing for the press. 
The plan is simply to command time for all by being 
beforehand in every work. 

And then, too, everything will be done better. There 
will be no posting through work imperfectly from lack 
of preparation. What is undertaken in a calm and self- 
possessed manner can be thoroughly finished. There 
will be no slighting sermons through a haste which 
other imperative duties enforce. The true method is to 
be beforehand in every undertaking ; then the heart will 
be in it ; and because the heart is in it, it will be more 
pleasantly and perfectly accomplished. 

INCESSANT STUDY OF THE BIBLE. 

This is a duty which must be placed amidst the very 
first of all the duties that devolve upon the pastor. We 
must come back to it again and again and again as we 
treat of his all-important calling. In that holy office 
he must study many things, but this most yea, more 
than all other things put together. We would endeavor 
to impress this point as strongly as possible. The min 
ister must study the Bible for his own heart-culture ; he 
must study it for all his official duties ; he must study it 
until he grows to love the study ; he must study it until 
he gets his mind saturated with it ; he must study it to 
keep up freshness and variety in his preaching ; he must 
study it every day ; he must study it until his dying 
day. 

The pastor may depend upon it that a thorough know 
ledge of the oracles of God would prove to be the right 
arm of his strength. It would give vigor to his faith. 
It would impart robustness to his Christian character. 
It would clothe his preaching with irresistible power. 



IN THE STUDY. Ill 

It would furnish him with the best preparation in his 
attendance upon the sick, the inquiring, the young, in 
ecclesiastical affairs and in every other branch of his 
work. What skill is to the mechanic, what eloquence 
is to the orator, what taste is to the artist, what wisdom 
is to the statesman, that, and still more necessary, is a 
profound knowledge of the Scriptures to the minister. 
All experience proves this to be so. From the very 
nature of the case this must make him strong ; without 
it, he cannot but be weak as an ambassador of God. 
The testimony of all devoted and successful pastors es 
tablishes this truth beyond a question. 

A few sentences from the pen of that great and good 
man, Dr. James W. Alexander, will serve as specimens 
of what is reiterated thousands of times by those who 
have had the ripest experience : " Constant perusal and 
re-perusal of Scripture is the great preparation for preach 
ing. You get good even when you know it not. This 
is one of the most observable differences between old and 
young theologians. Give attendance to reading." In 
another connection he says : " The liveliest preachers 
are those who are most familiar with the Bible without 
note or comment, and we frequently find them among men 
who have had no education better than that of the com 
mon school. It was this which gave such animation to 
the vivid books and discourses of the Puritans. As 
there is no poetry so rich and bold as that of the Bible, 
so he who daily makes this his study will, even on human 
principles, be awakened and acquire a striking manner 
of conveying his thoughts. The sacred books are full 
of fact, example and illustration, which, with copious 
ness and variety, will cluster around the truths which 
the man of God derives from the same source. One 
preacher gives us naked heads of theology ; they are 



112 THE PASTOR 

true, scriptural and important, but they are uninterest 
ing, especially when reiterated for the thousandth time 
in the same naked manner. Another gives us the same 
truths, but each of them brings in its train the retinue 
of scriptural example, history, a figure by way of illus 
tration, and a variety hence arises which is perpetually 
becoming richer as the preacher goes more deeply into 
the mine of Scripture. There are some great preachers 
who, like Whitefield, do not appear to bestow great labor 
on the preparation of particular discourses, but it may 
be observed that these are always persons whose life is a 
study of the word. Each sermon is an outflowing from 
a fountain which is constantly full. The Bible is, after 
all, the one book of the preacher. He who is most 
familiar with it will become most like it, and this in 
respect to every one of its wonderful qualities, arid will 
bring forth from his treasury things new and old." 

The minister who has laid hold, as a living fact, of 
this one thought of the pre-eminent importance of 
being deeply imbued both with the letter and the 
spirit of the word of God is already mighty for his 
work. 

Look at the Bible. The pastor has to do with it at 
every point of his work. He must come to it in every 
thing he undertakes. He is nothing without it. It is 
all in all to him in his office. It is more to him than 
any than all other books that were ever penned. 
The Bible contains his credentials as an ambassador of 
Jesus Christ. It is the message which he is appointed 
to reiterate with all fervor to his fellow-men. It is the 
treasury from which he can ever draw the riches of 
divine truth. It is the Urim and Thummim to which 
he has constant access, and from which he can learn the 
mind of Jehovah with all clearness. It is the audience- 



IN THE STUDY. 113 

chamber where he will be received into the presence of 
the Lord and hear words of more than earthly wisdom. 
It is the armory from which he can be clothed with the 
panoply of salvation. It is the sword of the Spirit be 
fore which no enemy can possibly stand. It is his book 
of instructions wherein the great duties of his office are 
clearly defined. The chief rules of his sacred art are 
here. There is nothing which it is essential for him to 
know but is revealed here either in express terms or in 
inferences which are easily studied out. It is a mine 
of sacred wealth for the clergyman, the abundance of 
which he can never exhaust. The deeper he goes, the 
richer and more unbounded will its treasures appear. 
Well was it said by Dr. W. E. Schenck : " That volume 
alone contains the warrant for the sacred office he bears. 
In it alone is found the record of his great commission 
as an ambassador of God. It alone authoritatively ex 
hibits and defines the official duties he must perform. 
It alone tells him of the glorious rewards he may expect 
if he be found faithful. Nay, more, it contains the 
subject-matter for all his preaching and his other pro 
fessional labors." It is a shame for a preacher not to 
be a master in the knowledge of the Book of books, 
which is everything to him. 

It is well that we should strive to impress this great 
duty and privilege of the minister by the authority of 
eminent workers in the sacred office. Their expe 
rience and testimony should be deeply studied. " The 
study of the Bible is the special duty of every indi 
vidual who would understand the truth of God and be 
prepared to make it known to others. Burnet, speaking 
of ministers in his own times, says, The capital error in 
men s preparing themselves for that function is that 
they study books more than themselves, and that they 



15 



114 THE PASTOR 

read divinity more in other books than in the Scriptures. 
This, it is to be feared, is as true now as it was then ; 
and if so it must be attended, inevitably, with very 
injurious consequences both to the ministry and the 
Church. For as the Bible is the source of divine 
knowledge, so it is of spiritual strength, and every holy 
affection and purpose. 

" Melanchthon recommended, as the first requisite in 
the study of theology, a familiarity with the text of 
the sacred Scriptures, and in order to this that they 
should be read daily, both morning and evening. The 
daily devotion of Luther to the sacred text is well 
known, and it was this that made him strong in the 
Lord, and in the power of his might/ 

" Dr. Campbell, in his treatise on systematic theology, 
says, Devoutly study the Scriptures themselves if you 
would understand their doctrines in singleness of heart. 
The only assistance which I would recommend are those 
writings in which there can be no tendency to warp 
your judgment. It is the serious and frequent reading 
of the divine oracles, accompanied with fervent prayer ; 
it is the diligent study of the languages in which they 
were written ; it is the knowledge of those histories and 
antiquities to which they allude. 

" President Edwards, as the result of his own experi 
ence, said, I find that it would be very much to my 
advantage to be thoroughly acquainted with the Scrip 
tures. When I am reading doctrinal books or books of 
controversy, I can proceed with abundantly more con 
fidence and can see upon what foundation I stand. 

It has been truthfully said : " When scholars furnish 
themselves with stores of other writers, besides the 
Scriptures, and being little conversant in the Scriptures 
draw the Scriptures to the authors whom they most af- 



IN THE STUDY. 115 

feet, and not their authors to the Scriptures, their di 
vinity proves but humanity, and their ministry speaks 
to the brain, but not to the conscience, of the hearer. 
But he that digs all the treasures of his knowledge and 
the ground of all religion out of the Scriptures, and 
makes use of other authors, not for ostentation of him 
self, nor for the ground of his faith, nor for the prin 
cipal ornament of his ministry, but for the better search 
ing out of the deep wisdom of the Scriptures, such an 
one believes what he teaches, not by a human credulity 
from his author, but by a divine faith from the word. 
And because he believes therefore he speaks, and speak 
ing from faith in his own heart, he speaks much more 
powerfully to the begetting and strengthening of faith 
in the hearer." 



PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR THE STUDY OF THE 

BIBLE. 

It helps very much in any undertaking to know pre 
cisely what is to be done. And in the matter before us 
we want something more definite than the general state 
ment of the importance of the study of the Bible. How 
is that study to be entered upon ? What plans can be 
adopted so as to carry it on with the greatest efficiency? 
In answering this we shall not attempt to go over all 
the rules that might be given to the general student of 
Scripture. Some of the most obvious ones we shall 
omit because they are so manifest, and confine ourselves 
to those which are peculiarly applicable to the ministry. 
And of these we shall speak only of such as are cer 
tainly practicable, and so may easily be adopted by al 
most any minister. 

1. When any text is selected for a sermon or lecture, 



116 THE PASTOR 

its whole context should be carefully studied out. One 
should not be satisfied by merely getting enough of the 
meaning to serve for the present discourse, but there 
should be pains taken to investigate it thoroughly, and 
to trace its connection with what goes before and with 
what follows after. One passage well understood will 
help to throw some light over the whole field of Scripture. 
Its careful study will not only help the sermon on hand, 
but will serve also as a method of enlarging one s whole 
comprehension of divine truth. Besides, the large num 
ber of passages thus investigated will, in the course of 
years, form a most important fund of biblical knowledge 
treasured up in the mind. This plan of biblical study 
should be diligently persevered in, as in addition to other 
advantages it will economize time, the same research 
serving for the current discourse and for the permanent 
improvement. Not only when sermonizing, but when 
from any cause the attention is aroused to any particular 
passage, the meaning of that passage should be studied 
out at once. Then it will be more likely to fix itself 
permanently in the memory. 

2. The location of a few prominent places, compre 
hending the body of biblical geography, should be fixed 
distinctly in the memory. To have a clear perception 
of the place where any scriptural event occurred will 
give a wonderful interest and impressiveness and full 
ness of meaning to that event. To this end, the phys 
ical and general geographical features of the Holy Land 
should be fully comprehended at the outset. They 
should be mastered so as to be accurately understood and 
always ready to be applied. Palestine proper is but a 
small country not as large as the two small states of 
Maryland and Delaware together and consequently its 
geography can be easily learned. The plan we sug- 



IN THE STUDY. 117 

gest is that a few of the most prominent places, repre 
senting the various parts of the land, be selected and 
fixed indelibly on the memory. Their physical peculi 
arities, their distance and direction, say from Jerusalem, 
and some great historical event for which they were each 
noted, might be studied, and this would help to give 
them distinctness. Then every other place could be lo 
cated in its proximity to one or other of these. They 
would serve as landmarks, so that in reading any trans 
action of the Bible we should know exactly where we 
were. This would give an indescribable vividness and 
charm to the book. 

To be still more explicit, we would name the follow 
ing nine places as suitable for such landmarks : 1. Beer- 
sheba ; 2. Hebron ; 3. Samaria ; 4. Capernaum ; 5. Dan ; 
6. Tyre ; 7. Acre ; 8. Joppa ; 9. Rarnoth-gilead. These 
places may be fixed in the memory by the following 
numbers and historical associations ; the distances and 
directions are not given with exact accuracy, but in 
numbers near enough and that may be more easily 
remembered : 1. Beersheba, forty-two miles south-west 
of Jerusalem, the old home of the patriarchs, on the 
borders of the desert; 2. Hebron, sixteen miles south 
of Jerusalem ; here Abraham purchased the cave of 
Machpelah ; 3. Samaria, thirty-eight miles north of 
Jerusalem, capital of the kingdom of Israel, with its 
wicked kings ; 4. Capernaum, eighty-one miles north of 
Jerusalem, the scene of so many of our Lord s miracles 
and discourses ; 5. Dan, one hundred and nine miles 
north of Jerusalem, on the northern extremity of Pales 
tine ; here Jeroboam set up the golden calf; 6. Tyre, one 
hundred and six miles north of Jerusalem, the great 
commercial city of antiquity ; 7. Acre, eighty miles 
north-west of Jerusalem, " the key of Syria," famed in 



118 THE PASTOR 

many a war ; 8. Joppa, thirty-five miles westward from 
Jerusalem, and the port of that city ; 9. Ramoth-gilead, 
forty miles north-east of Jerusalem, one of the cities of 
refuge, and the place where king Ahab was slain. If 
these leading points are imprinted permanently on the 
memory, and all scriptural incidents associated with one 
or other of them or with Jerusalem, then an important 
key has been furnished for opening the sacred treasury. 

3. The prominent epochs of scriptural history should 
be clearly understood and firmly fixed upon the memory. 
This will apply chiefly to the Old Testament, as the 
whole of the New Testament history is comprised with 
in a comparatively small space of time. God has seen 
fit to convey the knowledge of his will to us largely 
through history. This was no doubt the best way. 
Accordingly, in the Bible we have the history of the 
way in which salvation was wrought out for men, of 
God s providential dealings with both good and bad 
men, of the condition of the race when its Creator was 
discarded, and of the world both with and without 
religion. History often conveys lessons as authoritative 
as direct commands, and sometimes more impressive. 
Hence the student of the word of God ought to make 
himself most thoroughly acquainted with the history 
contained in it, both with its great outlines and connec 
tions and with its minute incidents. 

A wonderful assistance in doing this will be found in 
grasping its important epochs. The great salient points 
which mark the government of God over men from the 
creation to the advent of Christ, as they are recorded 
in the Bible, should be kept prominently and indelibly 
in the memory. They will serve as stages by which to 
measure the progress of the life-journey of the race. 
All the other events of the centuries can be arranged 



IN THE STUDY. 



119 



around these, and their positions remembered from their 
proximity to them. This will give the whole march of 
the history distinctness, order and impressiveness. 

We would suggest the following schedule of chrono 
logical epochs. We give the name of the epoch, its date 
before Christ and the space of time between each and 
the following one. We also present it in a tabular 
form in order that it all may be taken in at one view, and 
thus the memory be assisted: 



EPOCH. 


B.C. 


NAME OF PERIOD. 


LENGTH 

OF 

PERIOD. 


1 Creation 


4004 
2348 
1921 
1706 
1491 
1451 
1095 
975 
587 
397 
00 


Antediluvian Period 


1656 
427 
215 
215 
40 
356 
120 
388 
190 
397 


2 Deluge . .. 


3. Call of Abraham 


Noachian Period 


4. Descent into Egypt 


Patriarchal Period . .. 


5 Exodus 


Egyptian Period 


6. Passage of the Jordan 
7. Establishment of Monarchy. 
8. Division of the Monarchy... 
9. Capture of Jerusalem 
10. Close of Old Test, History... 
11. Birth of Christ... 


Wilderness Period 


Period of the Judges 


Period of United Monarchy... 
Period of Divided Monarchy. 
Period of the Captivity 


Period of the World-powers... 



It will take but a very short time to memorize these 
ten dates, and it is recommended that they be repeated 
hundreds of times, if necessary, so as to become perfectly 
indelible and familiar. The assertion is ventured that 
whoever does this will be astonished and delighted 
at the assistance it will afford in understanding the Bible 
history, at the order into which it will reduce the 
various events, and at the light it will throw over the 
whole book. 

4. The Bible should be studied constantly with the 
aid of the best commentaries. The vague outcries which 
are often heard against the use of commentaries are very 
inconsiderate if not foolish. There may be a slavish 
dependence on them that is injurious, but we can 
hardly think that earnest ministers are much in danger 



120 THE PASTOR 

of that. The light which the labors of good men have 
thrown upon the Scriptures has ever been growing 
brighter from age to age ; language, archaeology, trav 
els, geography and other kinds of research, have all been 
contributing their aid in elucidating the divine record ; 
no other book in the world has received so much 
thought from the best of minds ; and is all this to be 
thrown away and each one to go over the whole process 
for himself? The proposal would be one of foolish 
egotism. The greatest preachers such men as Robert 
Hall, who spent hours daily in reading the commentary 
of Matthew Henry never indulged such self-conceit. 
No, a proper conception of the grandeur and depth of 
the word of God will lead the prudent minister to use 
every possible aid in striving to reach its fullest mean 
ing. The very best commentaries should be secured 
it is waste of time to use any others and then they 
should be consulted, not merely for isolated passages, 
but they should be read and studied like any other 
books. All the light they can shed upon the sacred 
pages should be sought. Some system should be adopted 
for the regular study of the Bible in this way. 

There are certain commentaries which should be 
read through. Full justice will not be done them and 
their real benefit will not be reached in any other way. 
We would name a few of these to show the kind of ex 
positions we mean. On the New Testament we would 
recommend such works as The Life of Christ, by Far- 
rar, Alexander on Acts, and Hodge on Romans. On 
the Old Testament we name Murphy on Genesis and 
Exodus and Psalms, Fairbairn on Ezekiel, Auberlin on 
Ezekiel and Revelation, and Moore on The Prophets 
of the Restoration. Then the pious and most sug- 
ges^ive commentary of Matthew Henry should be read 



IN THE STUDY. 121 

through during the life of every minister, for whoever 
studies it closely will have his piety deepened, his power 
of analyzing strengthened and his mind stored with the 
riches of the word of God. 

5. Scripture should be compared with Scripture in 
order that the mind of the Spirit may be more fully 
reached. This is a plan of studying the Bible which 
is very highly recommended by all those who have 
practiced it sufficiently to understand its great benefits. 
There is a real delight enjoyed when one follows on from 
passage to passage and finds a new ray of light here, an 
additional depth of meaning there, a striking view of 
divine truth in another place, and everywhere something 
fully to reward his research. A certain truth will be 
found announced in didactic language in one place ; in 
another it will be set forth by some historical fact ; in 
another it will be revealed by a type ; in another it will 
sound forth again in the sweet words of a psalm ; and in 
each case it will have a special phase of importance and 
beauty. A truth announced in one place may appear 
far clearer in another, because of the connection in 
which it occurs. What does not make an impression 
in one place may be most striking as seen in another. 
What is obscurely hinted here may be plainly revealed 
elsewhere. Part of a doctrine may be taught by one pas 
sage, part by another, and other parts by still others; and 
it is only by following up and putting them all together 
that the full rounded truth is reached. There is an 
indescribable charm in searching out how exactly the 
teachings of the Spirit fit into each other, wherever, or in 
whatever connection, they are found. It is surprising 
how clearly one comes to understand the Scriptures by 
perseverance in this kind of research. The very exercise 
gives an important familiarity with the various parts 

16 



122 THE PASTOR 

and connections of the inspired Book. There is no 
better method of building up a sermon than this process 
of taking a text and following it on and on through 
other Scriptures which fortify, illustrate, explain and 
expand it into a broad and beautiful manifestation of 
the mind of God. 

6. A " /Students Bible " should be kept for the pur 
pose of preserving interpretations or illustrations of 
scriptural passages which may be casually met with in 
reading, in conversation or in any other way. Such in 
cidental expositions of Scripture are peculiarly valuable. 
How often is the regret felt that, having been once in 
the mind and seen to be deeply important, they were 
not preserved, but are now gone and cannot be recalled ! 
In the course of ordinary reading an admirable expla 
nation of a passage will sometimes be met with ; in con 
versation an impressive remark upon the meaning of 
some text will be heard ; or a forcible illustration will 
be suggested in the midst of daily business ; or the mean 
ing and force of a Bible truth or a plan for opening 
it up into a sermon will sometimes flash unexpectedly 
upon the mind. These should be nailed for future use 
by being put on record. They should be saved from 
oblivion, especially what has originated in one s own mind, 
for that will be the most valuable. When such casual 
explanations are thus preserved they grow into a very 
precious treasure in time. Hardly any of them but at 
some future day will come into use. 

There is one caution which should be given as to the 
use of a " Students Bible." It is that too much be 
not put in it. Only really valuable explanations or 
illustrations should find a place on its pages. When 
there is too much, reference to it becomes a drudgery, 
and a part at least of the superabundance is likely to 



IN THE STUDY. 123 

be of so little importance that in time the book may 
come to be utterly neglected and all its treasures prac 
tically lost. 

7. A whole book of tlie Bible should be read continu 
ously, and, if possible, at one sitting. There is very 
great advantage in taking some book and reading it 
through at once without regard to the divisions of chap 
ters and verses. As the Scriptures are ordinarily read 
in broken-up portions, the connection is liable to be lost 
and the general drift of the writer left undisclosed. 
What injustice would we think done to any other book 
were it read in this fragmentary manner ! If we want 
to reach the full and broad meaning of the word of 
God, we must read each of its books continuously. It 
is only thus that we can get at the richer bonds of 
thought that unite its parts in one sublime whole. 
The time required for going through a book thus, 
as to most of the books, would not be very great, and 
it would more than repay the effort. Says Dr. James 
W. Alexander : " To-day I took up my Greek Testa 
ment, and, as I walked about the floor, read the Sec 
ond Epistle to Timothy, pausing in thought on certain 
striking places. I saw many new excellencies, had 
some new rays of light, and was more than ever con 
vinced of the excellency of this way of Scripture study; 
especially when, after a number of rapid perusals, one 
goes over the ground with more and more ease every time." 

8. It is an excellent plan for a minister to have con 
stantly on hand some book of the Bible for special study 
and analysis. He should take up some book and work 
on it until, as far as it is in his power, he has mastered 
its contents. It should be read over and over and 
over until its matter lies fully before the mind. Then 
there should be thorough research as to the history, mis- 



124 THE PASTOR 

sion, character and peculiarities of the writer, as to 
the time, circumstances and object of writing the book, 
and as to the place it holds in the canon of Scripture 
or the niche it occupies in God s plan of revelation. 
This study should be continued until interest is aroused 
and the heart enlisted. Down, down into the rich 
veins of divine truth should the research be carried. 
The book should be analyzed so fully that not only the 
general object of the whole, but the special object and 
relation of each part, shall be distinctly seen. The 
study should be so exhaustive that the subjects of each 
chapter would be impressed upon the memory, and so 
made ready for use. One book of the Bible thus care 
fully studied will certainly be an invaluable addition to 
a minister s spiritual and mental wealth. When one 
book is finished another should be taken up. The en 
riching process should be continued through life. 

9. The study of the word of God should be continued 
until it has worked itself up into a fascination. So long 
as it is carried on in an intermitting and superficial man 
ner there will be no attraction. But research into this 
most wonderful of all books may be carried to a point 
where its meaning shall be so clearly seen, and the 
aroma of its perfections shall be so sensibly enjoyed, 
that one shall be allured to its deeper study as to a 
feast of pleasure. There may be a very great delight 
found in it. And when any minister has reached this 
attainable point of great enjoyment in the study of the 
Scriptures, he has reached one of his greatest possible 
achievements. Indeed, there is the most weighty truth 
in the remark once made in a company of experienced 
and successful pastors, and endorsed by every one of 
them, that the attainment of a captivating love for the 
Bible should be the first and great aim in the studies of 



IN THE STUDY. 125 

the clergyman, and that the teacher of pastoral the 
ology who had found the secret of awaking it had found 
the secret of raising the office to a far higher plane. 
This would unquestionably be the testimony of all those 
who have had much experience and success in the min 
istry. They would urge upon every minister, young or 
old, to study daily, to dig deep, to contrive every pos 
sible plan by which to awaken in themselves an absorb 
ing love for the word of God. They would press it 
home upon the conscience that there should be no 
pause until that point is reached. 

Let two of the wisest and best workers in the minis 
try be heard in order that the great importance of this 
subject may be more deeply felt. The first is Dr. Archi 
bald Alexander; he wrote : " It has been said that every 
thing a minister studies should have a reference to the 
word of God. Through whatever fields of science or of 
literature he may rove, he should come back with superior 
relish to the Bible. In the varied regions of philosophy 
and taste he is permitted to rove, but the Bible should be 
his richest banquet. Make it a rule always to prefer it. 
If at the hours of devotion you are strongly drawn to 
ward some new and interesting publication, if you are 
tempted for this to omit the regular study of the Scrip 
tures, regard it as a temptation, and resist it accordingly. 
You recollect the resolution of the pious Henry Mar- 
tyn. He never would allow himself to peruse a book 
one moment after he felt it gaining a preference to the 
Bible. As long as he could turn to his Bible with a 
superior relish, so long he would continue reading, and 
no longer. Go thou and do likewise. If you commence 
with this resolution, you will find the advantages of it 
in your daily experience. The word of God will grow 
constantly in your estimation, and you will be ready to 



126 THE PASTOR 

exclaim with David, Oh how I love thy law ! It is 
sweeter to my taste than honey and the honeycomb. 

" My own experience convinces me that the oftener 
and the more diligently you peruse the Scriptures, the 
more beautiful will they appear and the less relish you 
will have for light and superficial reading. There is in 
an intimate, in a daily, conversation with the Scriptures 
something sanctifying, something ennobling. A satis 
faction is felt in perusing them which no human com 
position can excite. You feel as if you were conversing 
with God and angels. You breathe a heavenly atmo 
sphere. The soul is bathed in celestial waters. It im 
bibes a sweetness and composure which shed over it 
unearthly attractions." 

The other quotation we make is from Archdeacon 
Law. His weighty words were : " Brethren, unless we 
are content to totter, we must take our stand on an in 
spired Bible. We really have such treasure. We 
should know, we should maintain, its value. Here 
prayerful students may drink pure truth from God s 
own lips, even as Israel s leader on the mount. There 
is no wisdom in the sneer that there may be idolatry 
in the love and study of these pages. The speaker is 
more than man ; we should draw near with awe. The 
innate power is more than man s ; we should devoutly 
court its action on our hearts. He is the wisest among 
earth s sons who is best taught in it. He is the happiest 
who draws most deeply from its spring. He is the 
heavenliest who is framed most strictly by its model. 
He is the ablest minister who uses these materials most 
skillfully. He reaps the largest harvest who scatters 
this seed most widely. That flock is the most favored 
whose constant teaching flows in the grand channel, 
Thus saith the Lord ! " 



IN THE STUDY. 127 

COMMITTING SCRIPTURE TO MEMORY. 

The memory of every clergyman ought to be well 
stored with the word of God. Especially those passages 
which are of the greatest importance should he have 
treasured up in the very words which the Holy Ghost 
inspired. Many such passages will have fixed them 
selves in the memory without an effort, in consequence 
of the continual hearing and reading of the Bible from 
infancy. But the pastor should add largely to them by 
the determined purpose and plan of learning by heart 
others and still others. He should fix upon some sys 
tem by which he would be constantly increasing his 
stock of available utterances from the sacred oracles. 

The subjects in respect to which scriptural quota 
tions should be ready in the memory are innumerable 
and deeply important. The minister should be ready 
to speak with inspired words concerning the nature and 
attributes of Father, Son and Holy Ghost ; concerning 
the foundations of all the great doctrines of the gospel ; 
concerning the moral precepts and the leading duties of 
religion; concerning the fruits of the Spirit; concerning 
the warnings, the promises and the consolations which 
God has so abundantly given ; concerning the imagery 
in the Bible by which the soul may be elevated to heav- 
enly-mindedness ; concerning the great events of human 
history; and concerning the predictions which point out 
the grand future of the Church of God. Such passages, 
stored up and ready for use, the minister will find inval 
uable in prayer, in preaching, in attending funerals, in 
visiting the sick and afflicted, and in other duties. 
They will suggest themselves as texts, illustrations and 
proofs in sermons. They will be ready for extemporane 
ous addresses. They will prove mighty weapons by which 



128 THE PASTOR 

to meet adversaries of every kind. In hours of solitary 
meditation they will rise up before the soul, and en 
rich it, beyond all conception, with the very thoughts 
of God. They will make the preacher mighty in the 
Scriptures. 

The remarks of Dr. Wm. E. Schenck on this point 
are most pertinent: "One important text once fairly 
lodged in the memory becomes in some sort a part of 
one s self. It is thenceforth ready for use in preaching, 
in praying, in conversing anywhere and at any time. 
It helps to make one * mighty in the Scriptures. A 
large store of texts and choice passages thoroughly 
committed to memory will give invaluable help in all 
pulpit preparation, and will greatly strengthen for any 
sudden draft or any emergency of ministerial duty/ 

A plan for such memorizing of Scripture which has 
been long tried and found perfectly practicable and easy, 
and really delightful, may now be described : A blank 
book is procured, and in it are written down from time 
to time such passages, longer or shorter, with chapter and 
verse, as it is determined to learn by heart. These pas 
sages are numbered from one upward. Then the first 
one is taken up and repeated by memory about fif 
teen times a day for a fortnight. The second one is 
then taken and submitted to a similar process, while at 
the same time every day the first one is reviewed once. 
And so the process goes on, every fortnight a new 
passage being taken up, and in connection every day 
of that fortnight all the passages that have gone before 
in their numerical order, with chapter and verse repeated. 
When twenty-five is reached, then the first one. is 
dropped altogether, and so afterward the second and 
the third. The permanent process thus becomes the 
repeating of the current passage fifteen times a day, 



IN THE PULPIT. 129 

with a review of the twenty-five previous passages at 
the same time. 

This scheme may seem to be very mechanical, but it 
soon grows into a pleasure ; it occupies not more than 
fifteen minutes a day, and can be carried out while 
walking the floor during some interval of change from 
one duty to another, and so prove a recreation. 

And look at the advantages. Each fortnight a new 
and important passage of Scripture is laid up in memory 
for use in all time to come. It has been repeated over 
hundreds of times, and so wrought into the mind that it 
can no more be effaced than can those verses that have 
come down with us from childhood. Every such passage 
is a new treasure in the mind. It makes one richer in 
the word of God. Every fortnight makes its addition 
to this mine of wealth. And into what a vast stock 
this will accumulate in a few years! How richly it will 
fill the mind with God s most precious utterances upon 
all those subjects which are the most deeply important 
for man to know! Let it be remembered, too, that the 
Scriptures thus committed are not only so fixed in mem 
ory that they can never be forgotten, but that they 
become so familiar as to be a part of the mental fur 
niture, ready for use on all occasions. 

This plan may seem too complicated and artificial for 
some, but most pressingly would we urge upon every 
pastor to devise some plan by which he will be con 
stantly filling his memory with portions of God s word. 



THE STUDY OF HEBREW AND GREEK. 

It is to be feared that most pastors, as soon as they 
leave the theological school and enter upon the hard 
work of the ministry, drop the study of the original 

17 



130 THE PASTOR 

languages. At the very time when they are ready to 
enjoy the reading of the sacred word in the tongues in 
which it was first written, and to profit by it, and to 
go on improving in the exercise, they lay it aside, in 
very many cases to be taken up no more. By so doing 
they lose, in a great measure, the advantages of an im 
portant study of the previous years. The commence 
ment of one s ministry is the time, and the only time, 
for averting this danger. The knowledge already ac 
quired should be carefully kept up. It should be 
increased until the sacred languages could be read with 
ease and pleasure. Some plan for persevering in this 
study should be adopted in the beginning. 

It need not take much time. Want of time arising 
from the pressure of other duties is generally the great 
obstacle. But there need not be many hours spent in 
it. One hour a week devoted to the Hebrew and one 
to the Greek will serve to keep up that knowledge of 
them already attained, and even to make a little progress. 
One unbroken hour in the week is better than the frag 
mentary plan of fifteen or twenty minutes a day for each 
of the studying days of the week. The knowledge 
which is at first fresh is easily retained, and then, if ever 
so little is added to it from week to week, it will grad 
ually grow into a grand attainment in years. The sys 
tematic study may be very much aided by the careful 
examination in the original of each text with its context 
which is taken up for sermon or lecture. Some minis 
ters keep up their knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek 
fairly in this way. 

The slowness of the progress, and the imperfect know 
ledge of these languages already attained, very often at 
first discourage from attempting further effort. It is 
so tedious to search out the interpretation of a passage, 



IN THE STUDY. 131 

there is so little satisfaction in the operation, and there 
is such a mountain to be overcome before the task will be 
much easier, that it is frequently given up in despair. 
But is it not much if, even with difficulty, a passage can 
be traced back into the very language in which it was 
written by men inspired of God ? And if present diffi 
culties should be ever so great and present improve 
ment ever so slow, yet what will not steady progress at 
length achieve ? What will not an hour a week, of 
even the slowest advance, amount to in ten years? 
The rule should be to keep up what has been already 
attained, and aim after some improvement, no matter 
how little. 

The advantages to the minister of being acquainted 
with the original languages of the Scriptures are very 
great. 

1. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Bible can 
be better understood through the aid of this knowledge 
than it can possibly be without it. There are shades of 
meaning in the first language which no other language 
will convey. There are a force and a beauty in the id 
ioms of the original tongues which cannot be felt when 
translated. We can often obtain a better insight into 
the mind of the writer by catching the import of his 
identical words than we could possibly reach by the use 
of any commentaries. By the study of the original we 
get into the modes of thought and feeling that were prev 
alent in the times of the writers. We are able to touch 
their hearts to sorrow, rejoice, hope and understand 
as they did. By reading the word of God in these 
grand old languages our attention is awakened ; we 
break through the rote into which the constant use 
of the English has degenerated, and we are as it were 
perusing a new book. 



132 THE PASTOR 

2. W? get nearer to the mind of the Spirit in this way. 
Every version must necessarily be a remove from it. 
In the original tongues we have the truth as it came 
fresh from the lips of God through his inspired servants. 
Here it is that we have the least possible of a human 
medium between the mind of the Spirit and the mind 
of man. What a rich blessing it is that in this way we 
can go so near to him ! 

3. Out of all the possible languages of the world 
these were the ones which were providentially chosen for 
conveying the will of God to man. How honored 
and blessed are we that by any process, however la 
borious, we may reach the fountain-head and read the 
divine Mind in the very words in which it was 
first made known ! This getting close to the thoughts 
of God is the great object of all exposition of Scrip 
ture. 

4. It mud be an unspeakable pleasure to get at the very 
terms which were written by inspired pens, the very sounds 
that were uttered by Jehovah and heard from his lips 
by his highly-favored servants. By this study we can 
get at the precise language which the Holy Ghost dic 
tated, and which holy men of old penned in the highest 
raptures of communion with the Deity. In this way 
we can read the very words with which Abraham sa 
luted Melchizedek, which were written with God s own 
fingers on the tables of the Law given to Moses on Sinai, 
in which David sung the sacred lays of Israel, by which 
Isaiah uttered the raptures of his soul as he soared in 
sublime vision, through which Ezekiel received his awe- 
inspiring revelations by the banks of Ulai, which Paul 
used on Mars Hill, which was spoken to John in his 
sublime Apocalypse, and which was heard in heavenly 
accents around the throne of God. Surely the reading 



IN THE STUDY. 133 

of such words must touch the deeper and more sacred 
chords of the heart! 

5. To be skilled in these languages gives one an inde 
pendence in interpreting the Scriptures and an authori 
ty in expounding them which cannot be too higJily valued. 
Then we can go to the fountain-head at once, and see 
for ourselves the meaning and force of the original, and 

O cD 

judge of the version, without depending on others to 
tell us whether it conveys accurately the spirit of what 
God has spoken. Our explanations will then be listened 
to with more attention and received with more confi 
dence, because they are known to have come from the 
exact words that were at first written. 

6. Some of the best modern commentaries on the Scrip 
tures cannot be used to full advantage without a know 
ledge of these languages. They are founded upon the 
original it is difficult to see how there can be an expo 
sition of the highest excellency that is not so founded 
and require at least some acquaintance therewith in 
order to be clearly understood. Certain it is that the 
exact force and impressiveness of their explanations can 
not be otherwise appreciated. Very often the truer 
and richer meaning of passages depends on shades of 
language that cannot be translated. 

7. Ministers should keep up and increase their ac 
quaintance with the original languages, because some day 
they may themselves undertake to prepare commentaries, 
and then find that this knowledge is indispensable. 
Every minister should aim at preparing something for 
the press, something that may go farther and wider 
than his voice could reach, something that rnay live 
when his voice can be heard no more on earth. The 
press is too important an agency for disseminating truth 
to be neglected by those who have the heart uid head 



134 THE PASTOR 

to use it. And what more natural for a teacher of the 
divine oracles to write than explanations of those oracles ? 
It might not be a commentary on a whole book of the 
Bible, but on some part of a book, some chapter or 
some shorter passage, that was undertaken. Whatever 
it might be, it would be rendered far more valuable by 
the clearer understanding and the authoritativeness it 
would receive from an acquaintance with the original. 
Without this there can hardly be a profound and inde 
pendent commentary written. The riches of the in 
spired thought can hardly be brought out without a 
knowledge of the inspired language. 

How much it is regretted by multitudes of older pas 
tors that in the beginning of their ministry they did 
not undertake and rigidly pursue this study ! for they 
see the importance of it now as they could not be made 
to see it then. What skill they once had in the sacred 
languages is nearly all gone, and it is too late for them 
now to begin the study, which would be almost a new 
one. Sometimes they are deterred from undertaking 
certain literary work through want of ability to use 
these languages. They feel the great want at every 
turn in their studies, and mourn that they had not 
understood it at an earlier day and provided against it. 
Their advice to all young ministers would be most em 
phatic : " Keep up and increase your knowledge of the 
Greek and Hebrew." 

A much-needed caution should here be given to all 
preachers: it is, to avoid the habit of correcting the 
ordinary English version of the Scriptures in the pulpit. 
There are some ministers who are constantly doing this. 
Sometimes the conviction can hardly be avoided that 
it is done as a display of learning ; and a poor weak one 
it is. Sometimes, no doubt, it is honestly done to im- 



IN THE STUDY. 135 

part a clearer understanding of the word. But it is 
nearly always unwise, hardly ever in good taste. It is 
always unwise if not done in a very guarded manner. 
Its tendency is to weaken, and ultimately destroy, con 
fidence in the Bible as it is in our hands. Instances 
could be given where preachers have assailed the English 
version so often that some of the best of their hearers 
have declared that they did not know what to receive, 
for they could not tell whether any particular passage 
was correctly or incorrectly translated. It should be 
made a matter of conscience not to trifle in this way 
with the word in its present venerable form. Its mean 
ing may be explained to the fullest extent, but the 
version should ever be touched with a very delicate 
hand. 



PREPARING SERMONS. 

This subject comes under another branch of prepara 
tory study for the gospel ministry, and we shall not take 
it up now to any extent. It belongs to Homiletics, a 
science of such wide range as to require a whole volume 
of itself. But there is one counsel concerning the work 
of sermonizing so important and so comprehensive that 
it should not be omitted in a treatise on the general 
subject of pastoral theology. 

The one advice which we would give to ministers 
here is, to aim at doing the very best in each sermon. It 
is easy to get into the habit of slighting work here 
of feeling that the present is not a subject of sufficient 
importance to call forth all one s strength to yield to 
a sense of lassitude and haste for this once to put off 
the exertion of full effort to some other and more im 
portant occasion. Against all this we would very earn- 



136 THE PASTOR 

estly advise. The aim should be to do the very best 
that is in one s power on the particular sermon that 
is now on hand. The strength should not be reserv 
ed for another time ; the best should be done now. 
The subject claiming the present moment should be 
treated in the clearest and most impressive manner, 
so that men may be moved by it toward God and 
holiness. 

But when we say that the best should be done on 
every sermon, it is not intended that a great amount 
of time should be spent on it. That would not often be 
possible in the busy life of a minister. But it is not 
necessary that a very long period should be consumed 
in the for inputting of one s best efforts. It is better 
not to spend too much time on a sermon, nor to attempt 
doing so, for then there will be danger of falling into 
a slow, dreamy and languid habit of study danger 
of letting the life of the subject and the animation of 
one s thoughts evaporate. It is better to go at the sub 
ject with a strong sense of its importance, with a quick 
ened attention, and with a determination that it shall 
be treated as fully and as impressively as it is in our 
power. There is great force in the opinion of the cele 
brated Dr. Samuel Johnson, that if one sits down dog 
gedly and persistently to write, whether at the first he 
is in the spirit or not, he can work himself up to fervor 
and force. This is the state of mind one should strive 
after every time he undertakes the preparation of a 
sermon, and he will grow into the habit of doing his 
best always. 

As a motive to this it should be remembered that 
preaching is the minister s first and greatest duty. It 
was not to baptize or to wait upon tables that the apostle 
Paul felt himself called, but he felt that a woe was 



IN THE STUDY. 137 

hanging over him if he did not preach the gospel. It 
is the same with all ministers who have much of Paul s 
spirit. They may slight anything, they may slight 
everything else, but they cannot slight the sermon. 

The importance of any sermon which the pastor may 
preach demands that he should lay out his strength 
upon it. The sermon now on hand is the present duty 
upon which the powers of the mind and heart should 
be concentrated. This is the particular message which 
is now to be received from the mouth of God, and care 
fully arranged so as to be fastened upon the attention 
of men. It is to be a fresh proclamation of mercy made 
in the name of the great Head of the Church. It may 
prove a savor of life unto life or of death unto death, 
and the results of it may extend away into the endless 
ages. The subject on which one is now preparing a 
sermon is a subject, perchance, on which he has never 
preached before, and may never preach again ; how im 
portant that it should be thought out once for all ! How 
important that the people who come to hear the word 
of God on any particular Sabbath should not be put off 
with anything less than the very best that can be pre 
pared for them ! 

It should be remembered that any sermon that is 
preached may be the means, in the hand of God, of the 
conversion of some soul or souls. The minister never 
rises to deliver the message of God but there may be 
some one present who is inquiring on the very subject 
treated in the discourse some one who at that partic 
ular time may be helped forward in the half-formed 
determination to close with the offers of Christ some 
one to whom the Holy Ghost may apply that very ser 
mon and make it the medium through which he will 
see himself pardoned and saved. It may be that the 

18 



138 THE PASTOR 

sermon now on band will be one tbat sball be thought 
of through time yea, in eternity as the message that 
brought healing and eternal life to souls. What solemn 
interest should these considerations throw around a ser 
mon ! How they would save from preparing it in a 
careless manner, and lead to putting forth all the powers 
of the heart and soul and mind in making it most clear 
and impressive ! These things should be thought of in 
every sermon. In every one there should be a determi 
nation to save souls if possible. A sermon is a moment 
ous thing, and ought never to be treated with levity. 

In the preparation of a sermon it is not improper to 
reflect that it may determine some person to become a 
constant attendant upon one s ministry. At the delivery 
of that sermon there may be some one present whom it 
would be very desirable to secure to the congregation 
some one who will that day decide the question whether 
or not he will make that church his home. Suppose the 
minister sees some such person present, and is conscious 
that his sermon has been carelessly prepared or scarce 
studied at all ; he will feel embarrassed, and even come 
short of his ordinary acceptability in the pulpit. This 
will be a cause of great mortification and sorrow to him. 
The preparation should be so thorough not, of course, 
in a mean, sinful, man-pleasing spirit as to give com 
fort in the pulpit and provide for such emergencies. 

To do his best in each sermon is the true way for 
the pastor to make progress in the art of sermonizing 
and to see progress in the attendants and attendance 
on his ministry. Every minister should establish it 
as his incessant aim to make some improvement in 
preaching, which is the great work of his office. It 
is absurd to talk of great care in the preparation of 
one s sermons as detrimental to personal piety. Oh no ; 



IN THE STUDY. 139 

the solemnity which leads one to exercise the greatest 
care in presenting the truth in the most impressive 
manner must tone up the heart to a more thorough 
consecration to God and his cause. It is a law as inva 
riable as our human nature, that if one does not im 
prove he will deteriorate. It is so in the great work of 
preaching ; hence, "forgetting those things which are 
behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are 
before," should be the motto here. If one attempts to 
do his best in the preparation of each sermon, the pro 
cess becomes an intellectual discipline, the powers be 
come strengthened by it, the mind is improved, and 
successive efforts grow better and better ; the perfections 
of a sermon are more distinctly understood and the 
modes of approaching them become plainer and easier. 
Besides, the congregation will inevitably feel the influ 
ence of this careful preparation on the preaching of 
their minister. They will be instructed in the truth ; 
they will be fed with the nourishment which God has 
provided ; their taste for the things of Christ will im 
prove ; their knowledge will be greater ; and so they 
will be attracted to the sanctuary and draw with them 
others in increasing numbers. 

A sermon which a minister prepares carefully will 
always afford him far more pleasure. He will have a 
satisfaction in its preparation which will abundantly 
repay the greater effort it may have required ; all the 
hard work will be turned into a joy instead of a drudg 
ery, and by the deeper study there will be opened new 
views of truth that, by their variety, will afford rich 
gratification. There will be pleasure also in the deliv 
ery of such a sermon a pleasure that will assist in pre 
senting the carefully-matured thoughts so forcibly that 



140 THE PASTOR 

they will find admittance to taste, to mind, to conscience 
and to heart. 

Such sermons will tell upon both preacher and con 
gregation in a few years. If there be ever so little im 
provement from week to week in the preaching as 
some there must be with such constant effort or if 
there be ever so little weekly increase in the interest 
of the people, in time the increase will be appreciable. 
The minister himself will feel that he is advancing in 
the better grasp with which he is able to lay hold of a 
subject, in the more impressive manner in which he is 
able to bring it before his people, and in the increasing 
gratification his work affords. The congregation will 
give evidence of the effects in the closer attention 
they yield, in the spiritual profiting they manifest, 
and in the growing numbers that will be found in the 
sanctuary. 

When a minister does his best in preparing his 
sermons they will be worthy of being preserved for 
future use or reference. They ought, by all means, to 
be put in such a form that they can be so preserved. If 
they are not written out in full, they ought to be put 
down in such ample skeleton that they can easily be 
recalled. Every subject that is studied out carefully 
studied out once for all, and put in such shape that it 
can be preserved becomes a part of a minister s treasure 
which he can lay up as invaluable. A remark worthy 
of much attention was once made by an excellent pas 
tor, aged, profound, studious and devoted, that there 
was not much in his past, long ministry that he regret 
ted more than that he had not written down and pre 
served his sermons. In his earlier days he had prepared 
sermons which had life and beauty and force, and which 
he might now, when his powers were waning, use occti- 



IN THE STUDY. 141 

sionally to great advantage. But they were gone, and 
could be recalled no more. Such thoroughly-studied 
sermons could be brought in occasionally when age and 
infirmities were creeping on, when some peculiar cir 
cumstances in the church might render the repetition 
of any of them desirable, when the preacher might, 
perchance, have removed to another congregation, when 
there was an exchange of pulpits with a brother-minis 
ter, or on some other of the special occasions of preach 
ing to which ministers are frequently called. They 
might also prove valuable for reference when at any 
time the subjects might again come up for considera 
tion. By all means, all the powers of heart, mind and 
conscience should be thrown into the study of each 
sermon. 

BEADING AND BOOKS. 

Upon the general subject of reading, which is so vast 
and important, we cannot here enter. It comes not 
within the province of pastoral theology. We allude 
to it simply for the purpose of noticing a few things 
that are specially important for the ministry. It will 
be taken for granted that the pastor will read much, and 
that most of his reading will of course be on religious 
subjects. The importance of this should be very deeply 
impressed upon the mind of every minister. 

Reading is a duty so important for the ministry that 
there is a special charge concerning it given by the 
Holy Ghost. " Till I come give attendance to reading," 
was the precept enjoined on the young minister Timo 
thy, and through him upon all ministers. The pastor 
is constantly drawing upon the stores of his mind in his 
sermons and other ministrations, and he must fill it up 
again by gathering from other sources. lie must keep 



142 THE PASTOR 

his mind enriched by the thoughts of other minds the 
greatest of minds that are so abundantly treasured up 
in books. He must strive to have his powers quick 
ened by contact with the most splendid intellects and 
by suggestions that can be found plentifully in the best 
authors. The richest literature in the world proba 
bly is the religious literature of the English language. 
All this is open to the pastor to the extent that he has 
time to peruse it. He should cherish the keenest appe 
tite for the abundant feast. Every minister should con 
stantly have on hand some book that he is diligently 
perusing. Some works like those of the seraphic Howe 
should be carefully studied and wrought into the very 
texture of the minister s thoughts. How to select the 
books that will be the most profitable, and how to read 
them to the best advantage, are questions which should 
receive very thoughtful attention from each pastor for 
himself. 

In the course of reading an Index Rerum should be 
kept, in which to note down for future reference thoughts 
suggested, facts stated, arguments developed, subjects 
treated, explanations of Scripture, themes for sermons 
or anything else that should evidently be preserved. 
The riches gathered from great authors are too precious, 
of too much value to a minister, to be trusted to the 
memory alone. They should be treasured away so sys 
tematically that they can be found and used to advan 
tage at some future day. Too much matter, however, 
should not find its way into such a book of reference, 
lest it should prove like storing away useless lumber, 
and so prevent its ever being used in the future. Only 
that which is really striking and likely to be of import 
ance should be thus written down. 

On every account it is highly important, especially 



IN THE STUDY. 14:] 

for the young pastor, to find out and read the best 
authors on the various branches of his studies. Both 
time and money will be wasted unless care is taken on 
this point. None but the best authors should be read 
by him who must economize time, and whose aim it 
should be to enrich his mind by familiarity with the 
noblest thoughts. The Rev. Dr. Shedd has presented this 
subject impressively. Speaking of the intellectual cha 
racter of the clergyman and his studies, he says : " These 
may all be reduced to one namely, the daily, nightly 
and everlasting study of standard authors. l Few, re 
marks John Foster, have been sufficiently sensible of 
that economy in reading which selects almost exclu 
sively the very first order of books. Why should a 
man, except for some special reason, read a very infe 
rior book at the very time that he might be reading one 
of the highest order ? A man of ability, for the chief 
of his reading, should select such works as he feels be 
yond his own power to have produced. What can other 
books do for him but waste his time and augment his 
vanity? 

" Choice and high culture is the fruit of communion 
with the very finest and loftiest intellects of the race. 
The preacher must love the profound thinkers and med 
itate upon them. But these are not the multitude ; they 
are the few. They are those who make epochs in the 
provinces in which they labor. As we cast our eye 
along the history of a department, be it poetry or phi 
losophy or theology, a few names represent and contain 
the whole pith and substance of it. Though there are 
many others who are respectable, and many more who 
are mere sciolists and pretenders, still, an acquaintance 
or unacquaintance with them all would not materially 
affect the sum of his knowledge who should be thoroughly 



144 THE PASTOR 

familiar with these standard writers. The clergyman, 
therefore, must dare to pass by all second-rate authors, 
and devote his days and nights to the first-rate." 

In order to give some assistance in the selection of 
books, we would name a few upon the respective branches 
of ministerial study. We pass by general reading and 
culture, for it is with the minister in his special calling 
as pastor that we are now concerned. We give only 
a few authors as many as may serve at the beginning 
of the ministry a sort of indispensable apparatus for 
commencing the great work. At least, the pastor s 
library should be stocked with most of these as soon 
as circumstances will allow. The books we name have 
been well tried, and are recommended by persons whose 
judgment is worthy of confidence. 

1. Books of general reference. Webster s or Worces 
ter s English Dictionary this should be a constant com 
panion ; Roget s Thesaurus of English Words ; some 
good general Encyclopaedia if possible. 

2. Interpretation of Scripture. Cruden s Concordance ; 
Smith s Dictionary of the Bible, Hackett s edition ; Sim 
mons Manual ; Wheeler s Analysis and Summary of Old 
Testament History ; Whitney or Barrow s Sacred Geog 
raphy ; The Land and the Book. 

3. Commentaries. On the whole Bible, Henry s 
Commentary ; Critical and Experimental Commentary 
by Jamieson, Faussett and Brown ; Lange s great Bible 
work is a thesaurus of scriptural exposition which 
may be secured as the wants of the pastor require. 
Many of the best expositors have written on only one 
or a few books of Scripture. A detailed list of some 
of the most useful of these may now be given : On 
Genesis, Murphy, Jacobus, Bush ; on Exodus, Murphy, 
Jacobus, Bush ; on Leviticus, Bush, Bonar ; on Numbers, 



7^ THE STUDY. 145 

Bush, Keil and Delitzsch ; on Deuteronomy, Keil and 
Delitzsch ; on the whole Pentateuch, Calvin ; on Joshua 
and Judges, Bush, Keil and Delitzsch ; on Ruth and 
Samuel, Keil and Delitzsch ; on Esther, McCrie ; on 
Job, Barries ; on Psalms, Barnes, Calvin ; on Proverbs, 
Bridges, Stuart ; on Ecclesiastes, Bridges ; on Song of 
Solomon, Newton; on Isaiah, Barnes, Alexander; on 
Jeremiah and Lamentations, Henderson ; on Ezekiel, 
Fairbairn ; on Daniel, Barnes, Auberlin, Stuart ; on 
the minor prophets, Henderson ; on Haggai, Zechariah, 
and Malachi, Moore ; on the four Evangelists, John J. 
Owen; on Matthew and Mark, Alexander; on John, 
Hutchison ; on Acts, Alexander, Hackett, Jacobus ; on 
Romans, Hodge, Turner ; on Corinthians, Hodge ; on 
Galatians, Luther ; on Ephesians, Hodge ; on Philip- 
pians and Colossians, Eadie ; on Thessalonians, Timothy, 
Titus and Philemon, Barnes ; on Hebrews, Stuart, Owen ; 
on James, Barnes, Pattison ; on Peter, Barnes arid 
Leigh ton ; on John and Jude, Barnes ; on Revelation , 
Stuart, Barnes and Auberlin. 

4. Theology. Systematic Theology, by Hodge ; Hill s 
Divinity ; Dwight s Theology ; Dick s Theology ; Out 
lines of Theology, by A. A. Hodge ; Pictet s Theology. 

5. Church History. Mosheim s Ecclesiastical His 
tory ; Shedd s History of Doctrines ; Kurtz s Sacred 
History ; Schaff s Apostolic Church ; McCrie s Life of 
Knox ; History of the Church in Chronological Tables, 
H. B. Smith ; The Ancient Church, by Dr. Killen ; 
D Aubigne s Histories. 

6. Church Government and the Sacraments. Miller 
on the Christian Ministry ; Miller on the Ruling El 
der; Primitive Church Officers, J. A. Alexander; 
Hooker s Ecclesiastical Polity ; Coleman s Primitive 
Church. 

19 



146 THE PASTOR 

7. Sermons. This field is a boundless one, and we 
give only a few books which are known to be of stand 
ard value : South s Sermons ; Robert Hall s Sermons ; 
Sermons of John M. Mason these should be read by all 
means ; Davies Sermons ; Archibald Alexander s Prac 
tical Sermons ; Gospel in Ezekiel, Guthrie ; Principal 
Cunningham s Sermons, amongst the best in the lan 
guage; Spurgeon s Sermon s; Bishop Horsley s Sermons, 
among the best. 

8. Practical Piety. Russell s Letters ; Rutherford s 
Letters ; A Kempis ; James s Earnest Ministry ; Wins- 
low s Precious Things of God ; Baxter s Reformed Pas 
tor; Daily Meditations by Bowen ; Owen on the Glory of 
Christ a work of pre-eminent value ; Owen on Spiritual- 
Mind edness Dr. Alexander said this should be read 
once a year ; Howe s Delight in God ; Flavel s Keeping 
the Heart. 

9. Christian Biography. Lives of McCheyne, 
Simeon, Henry Martyn, Haliburton, Archibald Alex 
ander. 

10. Great Puritan Writers. John Howe all of his 
works. Says James W. Alexander, " A little reading in 
the pages of great thought will sometimes set one think 
ing, as if by a happy contagion. Such pages are those 
of John Howe." Owen, especially on Hebrews Dr. 
Mason used to say all his theology was from this. Some 
of his most valuable productions are on " Spiritual- 
Mindedness," on the " Glory of Christ," on " Forgive 
ness of Sin," " Indwelling Sin," and " Mortification of 
Sin ;" Baxter, especially his " Saints Rest " and Re 
formed Pastor;" Leighton s works ; Flavel s works 
highly recommended ; and Charnock on the " Divine 
Attributes." 

11. On Sabbath-school Work. "Sunday-School Idea" 



IN THE STUDY. 147 

(Hart); " Sabbath -School Index" (Pardee); "Preparing 
to Teach " (Presbyterian Board). 

The minister who has secured most of these books is 
furnished with the best of reading for many a day, and 
with authorities on almost all subjects that can come 
before him in his profession. Of other authors he will 
find out the value in the progress of his ministry, and 
purchase them as new wants arise. It was an excellent 
advice of Dr. Archibald Alexander that ministers should 
buy books only as they are actually needed, and not to 
be stored away on the shelves of the library for future 
use. Our last advice is to be sure of getting only the 
standard and very* best authors. 



NEWSPAPERS AND OTHER PERIODICALS. 

The active pastor cannot afford to dispense with the 
current periodical literature of the day. He will find 
it necessary to devote considerable time and attention to 
its perusal. This kind of literature is one of the pe 
culiarities, one of the great wonders, of the age. There 
is scarcely a prominent subject of human thought or ac 
tivity to the interests of which a journal is not devoted. 
There are all classes of periodicals, from the cheap daily 
newspaper up to the massive quarterly magazine. On 
the pages of the current press is to be found a resume 
of the seething, rushing, complicated life of the world. 
Some of the greatest minds of the age put forth their 
strength in this direction, and some of the best writing 
is found in the religious and secular journals which 
the great mass of men are reading. All this must 
receive due attention from the minister. 

There are grave questions of the times which it will 
not do for him to be ignorant of, or to understand only 



148 THE PASTOR 

ill a vague manner. What are the chief phases of re 
ligious thought in the world, its errors, its dangers, its 
hopes and its prospects ? What are at present the most 
urgent wants of mankind ? What are the great move 
ments going on in the Church ? What are the most 
effective methods of working for the upbuilding of 
Christ s kingdom ? What are now the developments 
of God s providence? In what direction is he leading 
the world ? W T hat is the progress of the cause of truth 
and righteousness ? On these and similar subjects it is 
vital to the ministry of the present day to be well in 
formed. 

This kind of literature must be perused by the pastor 
as an aid to him in his preaching. Not that he is to 
carry the substance of the newspaper into the pulpit 
from Sabbath to Sabbath a most miserable practice, 
and one that degrades the pulpit. But there are living- 
issues which the pulpit must take up ; there are present 
wants that it must meet ; there are current thoughts in 
religious and other periodicals which should stimulate 
the heart and mind of every preacher. There are great 
events of the passing times which can be used to illus 
trate and enforce the truth. The grand old gospel 
themes should be brought home in the earnest spirit 
of the age, and show themselves adapted to every want 
of man as it arises. 

Then, again, as a guide to the pastor in the activities 
of the Church, he must make himself somewhat famil 
iar with the news of the day, both religious and secular. 
No true minister or church can afford to stand still while 
there are such active movements going on in the world 
both for and against the kingdom of Christ. But what 
is to be done ? How is our energy to be put forth to 
the greatest advantage ? Care should be taken that the 



IN THE STUDY. 149 

enterprise be not rushed into blindly, that the zeal be 
according to knowledge. The close study should be, 
What are the most pressing wants of men ? what meth 
ods of working are the most promising of success ? how 
can the great gospel enterprises be most effectively carried 
on ? Most important information on all these subjects 
can be gathered from the periodical press, and for that 
reason, as well as to assist him in his personal, social and 
civil duties, it should be read by every pastor. 

The minister must keep himself posted in the news 
of the day in order to retain the respect of well-in 
formed men. The age is seething with every kind of 
activity ; all are reading, all are thinking, and if he is 
not at least tolerably familiar with what is going on in 
the world, he will inevitably suffer in the esteem of 
others. In all the social intercourse of life, in all the 
necessary mingling with society, the topics of the day 
will come up, and the clergyman should study to be 
able to converse on them with more than ordinary in 
telligence. 

It is very important that the pastor should keep him 
self and his work up with the times. To do so will 
give him an influence and a power which can be turned 
to the very best advantage. And this should be done. 
All lawful use should be made of times and circum 
stances by which to promote the cause of salvation. 
This was the habit of the apostle Paul, that noble 
model for the ministry. He tells us : " Unto the Jews 
I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews ; to them 
that are under the law, as under the law, that I might 
gain them that are under the law ; to them that are 
without law, as without law (being not without law to 
God, but under the law to Christ), that I might gain 
them that are without law. To the weak became I as 



150 THE PASTOR IN THE STUDY. 

weak, that I might gain the weak ; I am made all things 
to all men, that I might by all means save some." The 
minister must mingle with the world and feel its cur 
rents, and he ought to use them as best he can for the 
promotion of the noble work to which he is called. He 
should study to subordinate all the movements of the 
age that are not sinful to the interests of the kingdom. 
Yea, it should be his aim to the extent of his ability to 
make the progress of the cause of Christ felt as the 
greatest of all the movements by which society is agi 
tated. And all this presupposes that he keeps himself 
well informed as to what is going on in the world. 

It is, then, almost essential that the pastor should 
take a few of the very best newspapers and other period 
icals, and read them. He should also keep a "scrap- 
book," for the purpose of preserving many valuable 
things met with in the course of such reading. With 
out this, multitudes of facts, sentiments, arguments, im 
portant and well-expressed truths, that could be used 
afterward most profitably, will be lost. How often is 
one tried by the dim recollection of such things as these 
that float in the mind, but will not come into definite 
and available shape ! Really valuable matter, therefore, 
ought to be preserved in a " scrap-book," carefully in 
dexed, so that it can be found when needed by him who 
must use every proper method for reaching the under 
standing and heart and conscience of men. 



CHAPTER IV. 
THE PASTOR IN THE PULPIT. 

WE now pass from the private to the public duties 
of the pastoral office. We leave the closet and the 
study, where, in obedience to the divine mandate, "Take 
heed unto th self," the pastor carries on the work of his 
own spiritual and mental equipment, and go out with 
him to that other great department of his work, where 
he comes in direct contact with men and brings all his 
training to bear upon their hearts and consciences. The 
heart and head being prepared, we would consider how 
that preparation may be made to tell most effectively. 
How his zeal, awakened by the love of God, his powers 
strengthened by diligent training, and his stores of truth, 
arranged and ready for use, can be brought to bear with 
most weight upon the souls of his hearers, is a vital 
question for the study of every pastor. 

Though preaching, as a sacred science, is not now 
specifically before us, yet in a treatise concerning the 
great duties of the pastor it must receive some, and 
very thoughtful, attention. Some cardinal principles 
must be indicated in reference to that duty, which is 
the very central one of the whole ministerial office. 
What to preach, how to present the truth so that it 
will most deeply impress, after what objects to have a 
direct aim, how to get and keep the mind in the best 
tone for preaching, to these and kindred points the 

151 



152 THE PASTOR 

pastor must give close attention if he would be a suc 
cessful workman in the gospel. 



PREACHING, THE MINISTER S CHIEF CALLING. 
The pastor has many other duties assigned him by 
the ordination of God and the appointment of his 
Church, but this is chief of all. As a minister of the 
gospel nothing else can make up for the omission or 
neglect or slighting of this paramount service. He 
may not be eloquent eloquence, in the ordinary mean 
ing of the word, may not be possible for him but he 
is responsible for using the powers that he has to the 
very best advantage, and when he does so use them he 
will be eloquent in the best sense. Powers of head and 
heart, ordination of God, experience of others, most dil 
igent preparation, hope of usefulness, the cry of per 
ishing souls, the unspeakable glory hanging over the 
head of the faithful minister, and every other power 
and motive, may well be concentrated on a work so 
grave and momentous as that of proclaiming God s 
pardon to guilty, dying men. This was the great busi 
ness of apostolic men. How earnestly did Peter pub 
lish salvation ! How constantly did Paul proclaim the 
gospel ! Yea, with what divine simplicity and power 
did Jesus himself proclaim the riches of the kingdom 
which he had come to establish ! Do not these in 
spired examples tell us of the pre-eminent importance 
of preaching ? Do they not tell us of the wisdom of 
God in ordaining that the power of public speaking 
over an audience should be his great instrumentality for 
publishing his offers of mercy through Christ crucified ? 
And the Scriptures confirm this doctrine of the tran 
scendent importance of the ordinance of preaching. In 



IN THE PULPIT. 153 

one place they tell us that God " hath in due time man 
ifested his word through preaching." In another place 
we read, " How then shall they call on Him in whom 
they have not believed ? and how shall they believe in 
Him of whom they have not heard ? and how shall they 
hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach 
except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are 
the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and 
bring glad tidings of good things !" In order to deepen 
this impression, and lead to a more thorough discharge 
of the duties involved, we should dwell very thought 
fully upon this great duty of the pastor. 

Let it be borne in mind that the ministry was ap 
pointed chiefly for the purpose of preaching. Christ 
himself preached, as the great Pastor and Leader in 
this work. How instructive it is to read of him that 
when he " had made an end of commanding his twelve 
disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in 
their cities"! He also sent out his disciples to the same 
work, laying this charge upon them : " And as ye go 
preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand." 
Then to all his followers, that it might sound down 
through all the ages, he gave the abiding command, 
" Go ye therefore into all the world, and preach the 
gospel to every creature." That this is an established 
ordinance of God is very plainly asserted : " For after 
that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew 
not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching 
to save them that believe." Then the command to the 
ministry is explicitly given : " Preach the word." God, 
in his infinite wisdom, saw what was the best method 
of reaching the souls of men with the truth ; and this 
was the plan he chose. And because it is God s plan 
we may depend upon it, beyond the shadow of a doubt, 
20 



154 THE PASTOR 

that it is the best plan. Sacraments, printed pages, pri 
vate instructions and other agencies, though they have 
a very important mission, can never take the place of 
the preaching which God has ordained. This he has 
appointed, because it brings glowing hearts into sym 
pathy with other hearts, and so intensifies and fastens 
the truth. 

To preach is to deliver God s messages of mercy and 
love and instruction to men. This is the essence, the 
sum and substance, of all true preaching. The preacher 
is "to seek the law at God s mouth," and then repeat it 
to all who will hear him. God is to be heard, and his 
words then published abroad. This is the minister s 
highest calling, his imperative duty and his truest pol 
icy. When he does this, then no tongue can exaggerate 
the dignity of his work as a herald to proclaim the 
communications of Heaven to a lost world. When he 
speaks simply what God has told him to say, then his 
words can well be with authority and boldness. It is 
this that makes the calling of the preacher sublime 
this that must enlarge and ennoble his own heart. 

Everything else in the life, studies and other duties 
of his office should be made to centre upon this his most 
momentous work. So it was with the inspired Paul ; 
he regarded all other things as subordinate to his 
preaching ; this he felt was his first calling. " Christ/ 
said he, " sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gos 
pel ; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ 
should be made of none effect; for the preaching of 
the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us 
which believe it is the power of God." All previous 
preparation, all the culture of head and heart which 
is so essential to good preaching, all daily and nightly 
study of the Scriptures, all quickened observation in 



IN THE PULPIT. 155 

search of illustrations, all visiting from house to house, 
intended to ascertain wants, to secure attention and to 
attract to the worship of the sanctuary, should have the 
ministrations of the pulpit in view. The great study 
should be how all these can be brought to lend their 
aid in making the preaching more effective. 

The minister ought, by all means, to cultivate a very 
high appreciation of the importance of preaching, and 
to concentrate on it all his energies. The hour in the 
pulpit he should look upon as the harvest hour of the 
week. He should cherish a growing assurance that his 
ministrations there will tell most powerfully upon men, 
and that to proclaim the messages of God to man is the 
most noble and solemn thing to which a man can be 
called. Such exalted estimate of what it is to preach 
would help to the better performance of the service, and 
often prevent it from being slighted. The preacher 
should strive to work himself up to admiration and 
love for this greatest duty of his office. 



WHAT TO PREACH. 

The pastor should have settled principles on this 
point. It will contribute much to his success and com 
fort to have a definite understanding of what he is to 
proclaim to men. To assist him the following thoughts 
are suggested : 

(a) THE WORD OF GOD. 

The duty of the Christian minister on this point is 
most unquestionable, and he should understand it and 
determine positively upon its performance at once. The 
Holy Scriptures contain the message that he is to de 
liver, furnish models of the manner in which it is to be 



156 THE PASTOR 

delivered, and contain the true excitement to his zeal. 
The matter of all true preaching is to be found in the 
Bible, and out of its sacred pages the mind of the Spirit 
is to be searched and then delivered from the pulpit. 
Every sermon should be carefully wrought out from 
the text ; every point advanced should be proved by a 
" thus saith the Lord ;" passages bearing on the subject 
in hand should be quoted, or at least their substance 
presented ; and the whole discourse should be saturated 
with the word of God. This adherence to the Scrip 
tures should not be merely incidental, but it should be 
studiously aimed at. The Bible should be made the 
substance of all preaching. Not only the matter of 
preaching, but the manner of presenting the truth also, 
should be guided by the inspired pages. From this 
sacred storehouse illustrations should be gathered ; its 
imagery and sublime utterances should be used, and its 
poetry should adorn the preacher s words. The whole 
discourse should be animated and impressed by the 
spirit of the holy oracles. The truths of the Bible 
should be preached just as they are found upon its 
pages. The whole of the divine word should be pre 
sented ; none of it should be intentionally kept back ; 
there need be no fear of preaching it all. The grand 
rule of the preacher should be to search out the mind 
of God as revealed on the sacred pages, and then sim 
ply to publish it to his fellow-men. 

The solemn command rests upon the minister to 
preach the word which God has revealed, and nothing 
else. This point is clear. " Preach the word," is the 
charge which must ring constantly in the pastor s ears. 
" Preach the preaching that I bid thee," is the mandate 
which comes as imperatively upon him as it did upon 
the prophet of old. " If any man speak, let him speak 



IN THE PULPIT. 157 

as the oracles of God," is the rule which has never 
been revoked. The practice of the first, the inspired, 
preachers comes to us with all the force of a command. 
The rule with them was thus described : " Which things 
also we speak, not in the words which man s wisdom 
teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth ; comparing 
spiritual things with spiritual. " A fine instance is that 
which is recorded of the apostle Paul : " And Paul, as his 
manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days 
reasoned with them out of the Scriptures." This settles 
the matter of duty with all true ministers as to what 
they ought to preach. They are responsible for preach 
ing the whole word of God, and not for the effects of 
that word. If they come short intentionally of deliver 
ing the whole counsel of God, they are guilty of a great 
sin of omission. If they preach something else than 
what God has commanded, their guilt and danger must 
be very great indeed. 

The word preached is God s ordained instrumentality 
for the conversion of souls and the sanctification of 
believers. Out of all possible means which might have 
been adopted for that purpose, he has chosen this, and 
we have but to follow in the path he has opened. His 
plan for the conversion of men is distinctly announced : 
" So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the 
word of God." No less plainly is his method for the 
edification of his people indicated in the prayer of Jesus : 
" Sanctify them through thy truth ; thy word is truth." 
Now, will not God honor and prosper his own clearly- 
announced agency more than any other? Are we not 
bound to follow this, and this alone? Any other 
preaching than that of the Scriptures is not the 
preaching which God has appointed. There is noth 
ing so obligatory, so safe, so honorable, as to deliver 



158 THE PASTOR 

God s messages just as we gather them from his own 
words. 

Because God has appointed the Scriptures for that 
purpose we may rest assured that to preach them is 
the best possible way to lead men to the blessings of 
salvation. Human wisdom might imagine otherwise. 
But does not God know best? Does he not know best 
how men may be instructed in divine things ; how the 
heart which he has made may be the most effectively 
reached ; how the knowledge of his will may be most 
thoroughly imparted, and through what channels it 
is his purpose to convey the blessings of his Spirit? 
Does not he alone know what the truth is ? Then is it 
not better to trust in his wisdom, and to follow his plan, 
than it is to follow our own fallible and changing con 
jectures ? Remember that in preaching we have to do 
with divine things, and hence we can have no reliable 
information concerning them excepting from Him who 
is divine. 

.We can expect the blessing of God on our efforts to 
influence men only when we use the Scriptures for that 
purpose, but when we do so use them we may look 
confidently for that blessing. The great thing which 
we need in preaching is the power of the Holy Ghost, 
without which our words will be utterly lost. Then 
we should remember that the Scriptures are the Spirit s 
own weapon for conquering men. The word is the 
sword of the Spirit. It is the sword which the Holy 
Ghost has forged, which he has given to be used by his 
servants, which he uses himself in the dispensations of 
providence, and which we may be positive he will bless. 
When we are preaching the word we are using the very 
weapon which the Holy Ghost has put into our hands; 
and will he not make its strokes effective? Is there 



IN THE PULPIT. 159 

any other weapon that can be compared with it? In 
fact, the Spirit himself is using the sword of his word 
when he leads us to use it. This is the way in which 
he conducts his dispensation. It is not outside of men, 
but in them and through them that he maintains and 
builds up his kingdom. Then the Spirit is with us 
when we preach the word, and because it is his word it 
cannot fail of its effects. 

The Scriptures are true, and therefore they may well 
claim to be the burden of all preaching. They are not 
only true, but the truth itself the truth of God, the 
truth that needs to be known for our highest well-being, 
the truth that must ever be taken as the standard of all 
truth. Hence, when the word is proclaimed in the 
pulpit there need be no vacillation or hesitancy. It 
may be pronounced with positiveness and pressed home 
most urgently. In preaching its plain utterances there 
will be no mistake made, there will be no harm done to 
cause after-regrets. The constant proclamation of the 
truth of God must strengthen and elevate the preacher 
himself, as well as convey spiritual and intellectual 
benefits to the hearers. 

While ministers preach the word of God they can 
speak with authority, they can press home their mes 
sages, and they can demand in the name of its Author 
that it be listened to. This gives them very great 
power. If they deliver simply their own opinions, 
men may dispute with them ; if they adduce alleged 
facts, the reality or the pertinency of those facts may 
be questioned ; but when they come out squarely with 
a "thus saith the Lord," their words must be listened 
to and received. Such a message cannot be gainsaid : 
it will be thought of in hours of reflection. When 
known to be the truth of God, it will command at- 



160 THE PASTOR 

tention and be laid up in the memory for future and 
possibly saving thought. This convincing power of the 
Scriptures has been well described: "There is a power 
in the plain teachings of the word of God such as is 
found nowhere else. Men may affect to despise it, but 
if they will not listen to Moses and the prophets and to 
Christ and the apostles, neither would they be convinced 
though one rose from the dead. There is a power in its 
simple statements with which nothing can be compared. 
Armed with a thus saith the Lord who could success 
fully resist the prophets of the old dispensation ? And 
when the new was to be founded, this was the great 
weapon. Man will not hesitate to argue with man, to 
contradict his statements, to dispute his conclusions ; 
but who will dare to make God a liar ?" In fact, there 
is nothing but the proclamation of the word of God 
which will give to the pulpit its proper influence, and 
continue to it the dignity which is its right. It is only 
this message from heaven that can properly be pressed 
home upon the attention of men with the fervor which 
God demands of his ministers. 

All experience the experience of the most godly 
and successful ministers proves that it is the preaching 
of the word which does the true execution. Those who 
have not studied the matter, or tried it, may think other 
wise ; they may think that men could be more success 
fully attracted by flights of fancy, or by startling nov 
elties, or by dreamy imaginings, or high-wrought senti- 
mentalism, or lofty oratory. But this is a great mis 
take as a mere matter of policy. All else but the truth 
of God will prove ephemeral, will fail to produce sound 
edification, and will not even attract for any length of 
time. The best and most permanent work will undoubt 
edly be done by the heaven-ordained instrumentality. 



IN THE PULPIT. 161 

The testimony of the eminent Dr. Charles Hodge as to 
its efficacy is worthy of being well considered : " This " 
(the Bible) " is sharper than any two-edged sword. It 
is the wisdom of God and the power of God. It has a 
self-evidencing light. It commends itself to the reason 
and conscience. It has the power not only of truth, but 
of divine truth. Our Lord promised to give to his dis 
ciples a word and wisdom which all their adversaries 
would not be able to gainsay or resist. In opposition 
to all error, to all false philosophy, to all the sophistries 
of vice, to all the suggestions of the devil, the sole, sim 
ple and sufficient answer is the word of God. This 
puts to flight all the powers of darkness. The Chris 
tian finds this to be true in his individual experience. 
It dissipates his doubts, it drives away his fears, it de 
livers him from the power of Satan. It is also the ex 
perience of the Church collectively. All her triumphs 
over sin and error have been effected by the word of 
God. So long as she uses this, and relies on it alone, 
she goes on conquering, but when anything else, be it 
reason, science, tradition or the commandments of men, 
is allowed to take its place or to share its office, then the 
Church or the Christian is at the mercy of the adver 
sary. Hoc signo vinces the apostle may be under 
stood to say to every believer and to the whole Church." 
The Holy Ghost also testifies as to the power of the 
word over the heart : For the word of God is quick 
and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, 
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit 
and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the 
thoughts and intents of the heart. Let the history 
of all great and truly successful ministers be examined, 
and it will be found that they drew their force and in 
spiration from the sacred volume. This was true of the 
21 



162 THE PASTOR 

great preacher, Paul, for lie says, " And my speech and 
my preaching was not with enticing words of man s 
wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of 
power." 

As we are appealing to experience, we must still quote 
from it. The eminently devoted John Brown of Had- 
dington declared : " So far as I ever observed God s 
dealings with my soul, the flights of preachers some 
times entertained me, but it was Scripture expressions 
which did penetrate my heart, and that in a way pecu 
liar to themselves." Dr. Nicholas Murray bore his tes 
timony to the same truth, as learned from his own long 
and successful ministry. The following is the result of 
his observation : " Spiritual religion is best promoted 
by the preaching of the truth. It was by the preaching 
of the truth that the apostles uprooted the deep preju 
dices of the Jews, and dispersed the assembled deities 
of Olympus and gave the mythologies of Greece and 
Koine to the winds of heaven. So it was by the preach 
ing of the truth that the Reformers turned Europe up 
side down, and unbound the angel which has ever since 
been flying through the midst of heaven to give the 
gospel to every creature. And in whatever country or 
community the Church has left its first love and fallen 
into a formal state, it has been revived by the preaching 
of the truth. It was so in England in the days of 
Whitefield, in Scotland in the days of Chalmers, in 
America in the days of Edwards. And we find the 
same true as to communities. The towns in Britain and 
America noted for churches alive to their responsibilities 
and possessing the spirit of Christ are those which have 
been favored by a succession of ministers who faithfully 
preached the distinguishing truths of the gospel. And 
it may be laid down as a general rule that the pastors 



IN THE PULPIT. 163 

most blessed in their labors in the American churches 
were those most clear and discriminating in their pres 
entation of truth and most strict in their adherence to 
the order of the gospel. The preaching of the truth, 
simply, affectionately, earnestly, is the best means of 
the spiritual improvement of a people. He that goetli 
forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless 
come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with 
him/" 

Most pastors long in the ministry have found out for 
themselves how much better it is to preach the Scrip 
tures than anything else. The most devoted of them 
would promptly confess that they are ashamed of all ser 
mons on other subjects which they have ever preached. 
They do not want to preserve such sermons ; they are 
never willing to repeat them. Young pastors should 
take the experience of those who have gone before, and 
begin with preaching the word, and that only and that 
always, until they can say unto God with the Psalmist, 
" How sweet are thy words unto my taste ! Yea, sweeter 
than honey to my mouth." 

By his preaching, by his example and by all other 
means the pastor should strive to lead the people to love 
the Bible in this age when it is by so many utterly 
neglected. There is now so much reading of other 
kinds, and so much that is unfriendly to the close study 
of the book of God, that the watchmen of Zion need to 
guard very closely at this point. It should be the de 
liberate and persevering aim of ministers to keep up 
in their congregations a high appreciation of the word 
of God. It can be done. There are some churches in 
which the Bible is studied far more than others, and 
that largely through the influence of the pastor. A love 
for the Bible can be promoted by the minister constantly 



164 THE PASTOR 

honoring it, by his pointing out its excellencies, by his 
explaining and preaching it, by his reproducing its his 
tories in the forms of life, and by contriving various 
plans to have it studied. That pastor has accomplished 
a great work who has, by his preaching and other efforts, 
trained his people to love the Bible. 

(b) NOTHING BUT THE WORD TO BE PREACHED. 

This caution is so much needed that it ought to be 
dwelt upon very thoughtfully. It can scarcely receive 
too much attention from the preacher who would be 
faithful to God and faithful to souls, and who would 
magnify his holy office. The rule should be adopted, 
and adhered to rigidly, that nothing but God s own 
truth as found in his written word should be introduced 
into the pulpit. Other things may sometimes be admis 
sible as illustrations or proofs of the teachings of the 
Bible, but as themes for discourses, as the prominent 
things to be dwelt upon, or as in any way overshad 
owing the subjects which the Spirit has revealed, they 
should be promptly excluded. 

Very great care should be taken that one be not grad 
ually led off into preaching something else that may be 
(or may not be) true and important, but certainly is not 
the word of God. Multitudes of preachers, neglecting 
attention to this matter and forgetting their commission 
to preach the word only, plunge into secular subjects 
and throw themselves into the current of whatever may 
happen to be popular at the time. They are not satis 
fied with applying the rule of divine truth to the topics 
of the day, but make those topics upon which they 
cannot speak with any authority the themes of their 
discourses. The important rule to be adopted by the 
minister is, that he will not be led away from his great 



IN THE PULPIT. 165 

business jf preaching the written word by other sub 
jects because they may happen to be more popular at 
the time, or because they are more novel, or because they 
may seem more beautiful and attractive, or because they 
may be more congenial to the unrenewed hearts of men. 
To be so carried away is to be unfaithful to the charge 
which God has given, and untrue to the infinite import 
ance of the word; and it is unwise as a matter of policy 
in those who would be permanently useful and eminent 
in the highest and best sense. 

It is at once the pastor s duty and interest, and should 
be his delight, to preach the truth as it is found on the 
sacred pages, and not mere morality, for morality will 
not change the heart or reconcile with God. The truth 
should be preached, and not philosophy or science, for 
these are too cold to meet the sympathies and deep long 
ings of the soul. The plain truth should be preached, 
and time and strength not taken from the momentous 
themes of God and the soul and eternity in striving 
after mere ornaments and flowers. These have their 
place, but it is a very subordinate one. The eminent 
old writer Charnock has well said : " No man is renewed 
by phrases and fancies ; these are only as the oil to make 
the nails of the sanctuary drive in the easier. Words 
there must be to make things intelligible, illustrations 
to make things delightfully intelligible, but the seminal 
virtue lies not in the husk and skin, but in the kernel. 
The rest dies, but the substance of the seed lives and 
brings forth fruit. Separate, therefore, between the husk 
and the seed. The word does not work as it is elegant, 
but as it is divine as it is a word of truth. Illustra 
tions are but the ornaments of the temple ; the glory 
of it is in the ark and mercy-seat. It is not the engrav 
ing upon the sword that cuts, but the edge; nor the key, 



166 THE PASTOR 

as it is gilt, that opens, but as fitted to the wards. Your 
faith must not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the 
power of God. It is the juice of the meat, and not the 
garnishing of the dish, that nourishes. Was it the word 
as a pleasant song or as a divine seed that changed the 
souls of old, made martyrs smile in the midst of flames?" 
A good illustration of this point was also given by the 
eminent Robert Hall : " To my ear, it should be any 
thing but commendation should it be said to me, You 
have given us a pretty sermon. If I were put upon 
trial for rny life, and my advocate should amuse the jury 
with tropes and figures or bury his arguments beneath a 
profusion of flowers of his rhetoric, I would say to him, 
* Tut, man ! you care more for your vanity than for my 
hanging. Put yourself in my place, speak in view of 
the gallows, and you will tell your story plainly and 
earnestly. I have no objections to a lady winding a 
Bword with ribbons and studding it with roses as she 
presents it to her hero-lover, but in the day of battle he 
will tear away the ornaments and use the naked edge 
on the enemy." 

It is the truth of God that will stir the heart at last, 
and stir it as nothing else will. It has a power of its 
own that is peculiar and irresistible. That power is pen 
etrating and abiding. The mightiest weapon that can 
be used is the sword of the Spirit. It disarms opposi 
tion; it subdues, it brings captive to Christ. The word 
of God is the source of true eloquence in the pulpit. 
Well has it been said of it that " The only way to be 
eloquent in the pulpit is to banish every thought of 
self, to forget everything but God and duty. The tri 
umphs of true eloquence, touching, grand, sublime, 
awful as they sometimes have been, are seen, it has been 
remarked, only when the orator stands before you in 



IN THE PULPIT. 167 

the simple majesty of truth, and, overpowered by the 
weight of his convictions, forgets himself and forgets 
everything but his momentous subject. 4 It is amazing, 
says Goldsmith, to what heights eloquence of this kind 
may reach. This is that eloquence the ancients repre 
sented as lightning bearing down every opposer ; this 
is the power which has turned whole assemblies into 
astonishment, admiration and awe that is described by 
the torrent, the flame and every other instance of irre 
sistible impetuosity. 

(c) CHRIST TO BE THE SUM AND SUBSTANCE OF ALL 
PREACHING. 

We have already shown that the Scriptures, and 
nothing but the truths of the Scriptures, should furnish 
the matter that is brought into the pulpit. We now go 
further, and say that the one great theme which the 
preacher must ever bring out from the word of God and 
present in the diversified forms it receives from all scrip 
tural truth is Christ and him crucified. As Vinet has 
most aptly expressed it, " In every sermon we must 
either start from Christ or come to him." This will 
result necessarily from the deep study and preaching 
of the Bible, for Christ is the burden of all Scripture ; 
hence he laid the obligation upon his followers: "Search 
the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal 
life: and they are they which testify of me." The 
preachers of olden times made this the substance of 
their messages ; for we read, " Of which salvation the 
prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who 
prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 
searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of 
Christ which was in them did signify when it testified 
beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that 



168 THE PASTOR 

should follow." So it was with Paul, whose noble res 
olution was, " For I determined not to know anything 
among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." Such 
also was the message of Christ himself, for it is recorded 
of him after his resurrection that, " beginning at Moses 
and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the 
Scriptures the things concerning himself." Whatever 
text or theme, then, is taken by the preacher, it ought 
to look to Christ. He should be the great burden of 
every sermon. His name need not necessarily be men 
tioned as that which is to be the subject, but the tone, 
spirit, life, deep undercurrent and steady aim of every 
discourse should pertain to the person and work and 
infinite blessings of Christ. 

Christ, and him crucified, was the one theme for the 
preaching of which the ministry was appointed. There 
is no other conceivable object which was worthy of the 
establishment and perpetuation of such a sacred office. 
And it is with us either the preaching of Christ or noth 
ing. We have no title to our ministry excepting what is 
involved in this. The Scriptures are perfectly unequiv 
ocal as to the paramount obligation of this duty. The 
great commission which Christ laid upon his apostles 
was contained in these words : " Ye shall be witnesses 
unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in 
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." 
And in accordance with this it is recorded of them that 
" daily in the temple and in every house they ceased 
not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." Then Paul tes 
tifies of himself and of his brethren, saying, " For we 
preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord ; and 
ourselves your servants for Jesus sake." And still 
more fully he says again, " God hath given to us the 
ministry of reconciliation, to wit, that God was in Christ 






IN THE PULPIT. 169 

reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their 
trespasses unto them ; and hath committed unto us the 
word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors 
for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us : we 
pray you in Christ s stead be ye reconciled to God." 
Then, just as we have the apostolic spirit, just as we 
would follow the inspired apostolic example, and just 
as we would fulfill the object of our commission as gos 
pel ministers, we shall preach always, in every sermon, 
Christ and his great salvation. If we do not preach 
this, our ministry is nothing. It is without authority, 
without spirit, without power, without an adequate ob 
ject, and will be without any substantial results for good. 

A sermon which does not in some way contain the 
salvation of Christ cannot with any propriety be called a 
gospel sermon. It may be so impressive as to awaken 
deep interest, or so beautiful as to please, or even of 
such a high moral tone as to cultivate and refine, but 
it is not the gospel, for the publishing of which all 
preaching was appointed. 

It is not meant that the death of Jesus in the place 
of sinful men should be the announced subject of every 
sermon, nor even that his name should be in every 
point that is handled ; this might not always be pos 
sible, nor would it always be best. But what is meant 
is, that the salvation of Christ should be the drift, the 
centre, the substance, the aim should give tone and di 
rection and impulse to every discourse. This can be 
done in perfect consistency with keeping up a proper 
variety and interest. The whole word of God leads to 
Christ and centres in him, but that through thousands 
of different avenues. This was finely illustrated by an 
incident related by Mr. Spurgeon : " Don t you know, 
young man," said a Welsh minister, " that from every 

22 



170 THE PASTOR 

town and from every village and from every little ham 
let in England, wherever it may be, there is a road to 
London ?" " Yes." " Ah," said the old divine, " and 
so from every text in Scripture there is a road to the 
metropolis of the Scriptures, that is Christ. And, my 
dear brother, your business is, when you get to a text, 
to say, Now, what is the road to Christ ? And then 
preach a sermon running along the road to the great 
metropolis, Christ. And," said he, " I have never yet 
found a text that had not a road to Christ in it ; and if 
ever I do find one that has not, I will make one. I will 
go over a hedge and ditch but I will get at my Master, 
for the sermon cannot do any good unless there be a 
flavor of Christ in it." 

We have only to reflect upon the real wants of men, 
and upon the perfect provision which is made for them 
all in the Lord our Righteousness, to be satisfied that we 
need go no farther than these either to awaken interest 
or to offer the highest blessings. Men are lost, they 
need a Saviour ; they are wretched, they need peace ; 
they are corrupt, they need purity ; and the remedy for 
all is in Christ, and in Christ only. Oh, preachers of 
his gospel ! tell your hearers who Christ is ; tell them 
how worthy he is of all their confidence ; tell them 
why it is that those who know him best can never say 
enough in his praise ; tell them how it is that he saves 
men ; tell them how willing he is to save them ; and tell 
them, and continue telling them, what they must do to 
be saved. 

Worthy of being deeply pondered are the following 
thoughts upon this subject : " Elegant dissertations upon 
virtue and vice, upon the evidences of revelation, may 
entertain the prosperous and the gay, but they will not 
mortify our members which are upon the earth ; they 



IN THE PULPIT. 171 

will not unsting calamity, nor feed the heart with an 
imperishable hope. When I go to the house of God 
I do not want amusement. I want the doctrine which 
is according to godliness. I want to hear of the remedy 
against the harassings of my guilt and the disorder of 
my affections. I want to be led from weariness and 
disappointment to that goodness which feeds the hun 
gry soul. Tell me of that Lord Jesus who himself bore 
our sins in his own body on the tree. Tell me of his 
intercession for the transgressors as their advocate with 
the Father. Tell me of his Holy Spirit, whom they 
that believe on him receive to be their Preserver, Sanc- 
tifier, Comforter. Tell me of his chastenings, their 
necessity and their use. Tell me of his presence, his 
sympathy and his love. Tell me of the virtues, as 
growing out of his cross and nurtured by his grace. 
Tell me of the glory reflected upon his name by the 
obedience of faith. Tell me of vanquished death, of 
the purified grave, of a blessed resurrection, of the life 
everlasting, and my bosom warms. This is gospel ; these 
are glad tidings to me as a sufferer, because glad to me 
as a sinner. They rectify my mistakes, allay my re 
sentments, rebuke rny discontent, support me under the 
weight of moral and natural evil. These attract the 
poor, steal upon the thoughtless, awe the irreverent, 
and throw over the services of the sanctuary a majesty 
which some fashionable modes of address never fail to 
dissipate. When they are habitually neglected or lightly 
referred to there may be much grandeur, but there is no 
gospel." 

Though Christ crucified is to be the one great bur 
den of every sermon, it does not necessarily follow that 
there must be a tiresome repetition. It may be that some 
preachers are often driven by the fear of this to seek 



172 THE PASTOR 

other subjects. But this supremely important subject 
has an infinite variety of aspects. In Jesus dwells all 
the fullness of wisdom, all the fullness of grace, all the 
fullness of the Godhead an ocean boundless and fathom 
less. The wonders of his nature and work are so vast 
that even the angels, with their celestial minds, strive to 
understand them. No preacher can ever exhaust the 
fullness of Christ, or need be compelled to repeat the 
same thing about it from want of variety. The study 
should simply be to present the one great theme in its 
new and various aspects. This of course will require 
constant study and quickened attention, and love to 
Him who, in the whole gospel, must ever be all in all. 
Besides, men need to be told the old story over and 
over and over again that it may penetrate their minds 
and hearts and whole spiritual being. The preacher, 
then, must strive to bring forth things new and old 
as, year after year, he preaches nothing else but Christ, 
and him crucified. 

It is this only that can give real power and dignity 
to preaching. What are all other things, such as 
morality or education or politics or science or current 
novelties, compared with it? What power have they 
to heal a corrupt nature or comfort a sorrowing heart ? 
Here only, in the cross, is there power to effect a radical 
reformation in depraved man ; here only is there true 
life for the spiritually dead ; here only are there motives 
adequate to excite and bear up the immortal soul ; here 
only is there a theme the theme of Immanuel that 
is of infinite variety and infinite grandeur. Preaching 
without this must be a poor, lifeless thing. Well did 
Bishop Home say of it, " To preach practical sermons, 
as they are called that is, sermons upon virtues and 
vices without inculcating those great Scripture truths 



IN THE PULPIT. 173 

of redemption, grace, etc. which alone can incite and 
enable us to forsake sin and follow righteousness, what 
is it but to put together the wheels and set the hands 
of a watch, forgetting the spring which is to make them 
all go?" So also wrote Cunningham, that great thinker: 
" A religion without a Saviour is the temple without the 
Shekinah, and its worshippers will all desert it. Few 
men in the world have less pretensions as a preacher 
than myself my voice, my look, my manner, all of a 
common kind ; yet I thank God there is scarcely a cor 
ner in our little church where you might not find a 
streaming eye and a beating heart. The reason is that 
I speak of Christ ; and if there is not a charm in the 
name, there is in the train of fears and hopes and joys 
which it carries along with it. The people feel they 
must listen/ Such testimony as this should be carefully 
treasured in the heart of every preacher. 

Nothing, absolutely nothing, should tempt the am 
bassador of Christ from this divinely-appointed theme. 
He should not be tempted by policy, as if by preaching 
something else he could draw hearers to his ministry ; 
nor by imagined weariness of iterating the old subject ; 
nor by despondency of ever doing good by it, as the 
prophet of old when he cried out, " Who hath believed 
our report ?" nor by envy at the success of others who 
have a name for a day through a vapid sentimentalism 
without Christ ; nor by the fascination of novelties by 
which so many are led away from the cross. The man 
of God should allow none of these things to tempt him, 
but he should adhere obstinately to the message he has 
received from heaven, and trust God for success. His 
heart should be so set upon it that he would feel bound, 
like the apostle, to say, " Necessity is laid upon me; 
yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel !" 



174 THE PASTOR 

We would very strongly emphasize this point, for it 
is greatly to be deplored that so much of the preaching 
of the present time has very little in it of the death 
of Christ. The thought may be impressed by the words 
of one of the most successful of modern preachers, 
Rev. J. Angell James. He says : " It is my sad and 
serious belief that if the evangelical pulpit is losing its 
power, it is just because it is losing sight of its object and 
aim. The cultivation of the intellect and the advance 
ment of knowledge in the present day are lifting both 
preachers and hearers above the plain and simple gospel 
of Christ. Sermons are with many persons no longer 
heard as the word of God, but as the word of man ; not 
as means of grace and aids to salvation, but as intellect 
ual exercises on religious topics for the gratification of 
taste, intellect and imagination on Sunday. And it 
must be confessed that the preachers of them are, by 
their artificial and excessive elaboration and the intro 
duction of new topics, teaching their hearers so to regard 
them, and are teaching them thus to be a kind of ama 
teur hearers of sermons." 

This danger should rest upon the heart of the preacher; 
he should be warned by it; and he should guard against 
everything in his sermons that would keep out or obscure 
Christ, and him crucified. He should be vigilant on this 
point, and when he finds any tendency toward the dan 
ger he should take the alarm. 

If the Holy Ghost, in the Scriptures, dwells upon 
Christ as the one great subject of revelation, surely his 
ministers may well do the same. This he does ; for, as 
it was promised of him, he receives of the things of 
Christ and shows them unto men. Does he not know 
what things they are which it is of the greatest import 
ance that men should be informed ? Is he not a safe 



IN THE PULPIT. 176 

guide to be followed by every minister of the gospel ? 
Is it not an evidence of true humility when, instead of 
leaning upon our own understanding, we persistently 
tread in the path over which he leads ? The more we 
have of this Spirit s influence, the more shall we do just 
as he did take of the things of Christ and show them 
plainly to men. Oh that we may be able wholly to 
give ourselves up to the Spirit for guidance, for impulse 
and for trust in final success ! 

(d) DOCTRINES SHOULD BE PREACHED. 

There is in the minds of many persons a very unjust 
and unthinking prejudice against preaching the doc 
trines of religion. It is taken for granted that the ser 
mon in which there is much doctrine must necessarily 
be dry, unspiritual, full of sectarianism and almost 
necessarily incomprehensible. It is possible that doc 
trines may be preached in this repulsive manner, but 
it is not necessary that they should be ; they may be 
presented so as to awaken the deepest interest ; and 
they must, by all means, be brought into the sermons 
of him who would be a faithful ambassador of God. 

A little consideration will show that in fact there can 
be no preaching without doctrine. What are doctrines 
but the great principles, facts, opinions which God has 
taught, and directed his servants to teach their fellow- 
men ? But if all these are taken away, what have we 
left to preach ? Upon what else can warnings, promises 
or invitations be based ? What is the gospel but a vast 
system of doctrines which have been communicated to 
the world by the great Teacher? The attributes of 
God, the mysteries of the Trinity, the fall of our race, 
the incarnation, life, death and ascension of Christ, sal 
vation by his blood, faith, conversion, the Church, the 



176 THE PASTOR 

resurrection, judgment, heaven and hell, what are all 
these but doctrines ? The sovereignty of God, his eter 
nal decrees, justification by faith, the perseverance of 
the saints and the millennium are no more doctrines 
than the other great principles of the gospel are. Now, 
it is manifest that the minister must absolutely close his 
mouth if he does not preach these. He must preach 
the doctrines if he preaches at all. He must preach 
the whole scope of the doctrines if he would keep up 
any variety and fullness in his ministrations in the 
pulpit. 

1. The doctrines should be distinctly announced and 
dwelt upon by the gospel teacher, because they are 
clearly presented in the Bible. It is always safe and 
wise to follow that inspired rule. We cannot improve 
upon the plan which God has ordained in his word. 
And his plan is to build up his people through his pas 
tors " with knowledge and understanding." On the 
pages of the Scriptures we find what are called the very 
strongest doctrines, and those which are the most repul 
sive to the natural heart, taught plainly and in various 
forms. We are even warned that we shall there find 
"some things hard to be understood." What are the 
Epistles mainly but doctrines stated, explained, vindica 
ted, gloried in and drawn out into the blessed influences 
they should have upon the life of the renewed man? 

2. The knowledge of all the doctrines of the gospel is 
vastly important, and therefore none of them should be 
intentionally kept back. On this point we are specially 
cautioned : " All Scripture is given by inspiration of 
God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for cor 
rection, for instruction in righteousness ; that the man 
of God, may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all 
good works." The doctrines of the gospel are valuable 



77V THE PULPIT. 177 

in themselves, for each contains some of the precious 
truth of God. They are all indispensable in their rela 
tions to one another as parts of the one glorious system 
of redemption. They are important in the estimation 
of God, who caused them to be put on the pages of his 
word, in the deeply-momentous instruction they convey 
to us, in the light which they shed over the path of duty, 
in the comfort they carry to the weary soul, and jn the 
glory they are calculated to bring to our blessed God 
and Saviour. Not one of them could be spared. If 
they were not needed they would not have been re 
vealed. 

3. The doctrines of the gospel should be preached 
fully, because the heart is affected through the under- 
standing. All experience proves this. The more fully 
the truth is known, the greater will be its influence upon 
the life. The better God is understood in his various 
perfections, the more thoroughly will he be loved and 
trusted ; hence the inspired admonition : " Acquaint now 
thyself with him and be at peace ; thereby good shall 
come unto thee." The more fully duty is compre 
hended, the more will its obligations be felt. The more 
deeply the enormity of sin is studied, the more it will 
be shunned. The more clearly privileges are seen, the 
more eagerly will they be improved. The better in 
formed the conscience is, the keener it will grow. The 
wider and more comprehensive the view through the 
mysteries of redemption, the more deeply must the 
mind be overwhelmed with wonder and adoration. And 
the study of these sublime things must elevate and ex 
pand the whole being. 

4. The people should be instructed in reference to all 
the doctrines, that they may be assisted, in maintaining the 
truth in its never-ending contest with error. The doc- 

23 



178 THE PASTOR 

trines of the Bible are assailed from every quarter ; they 
are misrepresented either from ignorance or design ; the 
people are daily coming in contact with this opposition. 
From the pulpit they should be assisted in preparing to 
tell why they believe, to explain and to defend the truths 
of God. Each op-eat doctrine is linked in with every 
other one, and there must be some knowledge of all in 
order to have an intelligent comprehension of the whole 
system. The clear understanding of any one point will 
throw some light over the whole round of truth and 
confirm confidence in it all. People will not be driven 
away from the sanctuary by the scriptural and judicious 
presentation of the doctrines of the gospel. If they are 
not built up in the truth, they will gradually lose their 
interest and drop off from the nerveless preaching, and, 
it may be, fall a prey to some form of error. 

5. If the pastor would build up in his hearers a stable 
Christian character, a character that is not to be " car- 
ried about by every wind of doctrine" he must train 
them in the great, comprehensive dogmas which are 
laid down in the Bible. That solidity of character, in 
both theory and practice, which you always know where 
to find is based upon a foundation of doctrinal truth. 
This alone can produce a well-rounded, harmonious 
Christian life. The men who most beneficially influ 
ence their fellow-men are those who can give a reason 
not only for their hopes, but also for the various great 
truths which they see centring in Christ. If only feel 
ings are appealed to in preaching, the type of Christian 
character formed will not be stable ; if only practice is 
the theme, it will not be strong. The fuller the know 
ledge of the doctrines of the Bible, the stronger will be 
the faith and the love and the hope, and the more abid 
ing the principles. 



IN THE PULPIT. 179 

6. As in the study of the Bible we would fix upon 
certain places and certain dates around which other 
places and dates may be grouped, in order to give dis 
tinctness to the understanding and to assist the memory, 
so also the great doctrines should be fixed as centre* 
around which the various utterances of God may be 
clustered. This plan may be made of very great value 
in the study of the Scriptures. The doctrines are noth 
ing more or less than the leading subjects according to 
which the teachings of the word may be classified ; and 
the process of classifying will help in a wonderful de 
gree to make familiar with the Scriptures, to understand 
their import, to remember their words, and to impress 
the beauty and harmony which they must have as the 
revelation of the infinitely perfect God. The doctrines 
cannot be properly preached without making the hearer 
stronger and stronger in the Scriptures. 

We would say, then, emphatically to every pastor, 
Preach the doctrines. Preach them incidentally when 
they manifestly arise out of some other line of thought 
which is being pursued. This is a favorite method of 
Mr. Spurgeon of London. Sometimes preach them for 
mally, but use as little of mere technicalities as possible. 
Preach them fully ; there is no danger in following the 
Scriptures. Preach even the strong doctrines occasion 
ally, but be sure to follow them out into the practical 
influences with which the Scriptures associate them. 
Preach them systematically, if possible, that they may 
be seen in their logical relations and influences upon 
each other. Preach them as the Bible does not for 
controversy, but that all the grandeurs of redemption 
may be seen, that God may be glorified, and that be 
lievers may be helped onward in the process of becom 
ing perfect men in Christ Jesus. 



180 THE PASTOR 



COURSES OF SERMONS. 

Every preacher of much experience knows how very 
important it is for the cause he pleads, for the edification 
of the people and for his own comfort, that the subjects 
of his discourses be wisely selected. Very often there 
is scarcely a choice in this matter, as the exigence of the 
hour or church or current providential events indicate 
clearly what the subjects must be. But after making 
this deduction it will be found that by far the greater 
part of the time the preacher must go deliberately to 
work to search out the text for the next Sabbath s ser 
mon. We would recommend, then, that several com 
prehensive courses of sermons, embracing the whole 
compass of scriptural doctrine, duty and history, be 
kept on hand, to be taken up in turn when there are 
no other considerations indicating the suitable topic. 
We suggest some of the advantages of this plan. 

1. The whole field of Christian doctrine and duty, and 
of Scripture history, may thus be covered in the course of 
one s ministry. The field is very large, embracing the 
vast scope of doctrines that pertain to God and man, 
the present and the future all the duties arising from 
the complicated relations we sustain and the deeply- 
instructive histories that crowd the pages of holy writ. 
It must necessarily take a long time to reach all these, 
and call for care that none of them be overlooked. 
They are all deeply important, or they would not have 
found a place upon the precious pages of the word of 
life. What God has seen fit to reveal ought not, either 
from intention or oversight, to be passed by in the 
preaching of his servants. What we may think of but 
little importance may not appear so in the sight of God, 
and in the diversity of minds to which we address our- 



IN THE PULPIT. 181 

selves there may be one or more to which the point han 
dled is exactly adapted. Moreover, it will be improving 
to ourselves to be compelled by such system to go over 
the whole field of divine truth. Certainly, in this mat 
ter as in all others, it is far better for us to follow the 
leadings of God s word than to lean upon our own 
imperfect understandings. 

2. Subjects that we might not otherwise have thought 
of will thus be brought up for our study and the people s 
edification. It is almost inevitable that in such a vast 
multitude and variety of subjects as are contained in 
Scripture many would be passed by, unless some such 
system is adopted to bring them up in their order. 
Even important topics are almost sure to be over 
looked. Rich veins of divine truth will lie untouched 
through one s whole ministry, grand themes will re 
main hidden in corners that we never dreamt of, unless 
they are forced upon us by a well-contrived system of 
selecting our themes. The plan we recommend will 
open rich avenues of the gospel. In following it there 
will be constant surprises at the precious and inexhaust 
ible veins of truth that will be found, and the field of 
research will become more and more vast and sublime 
as one advances. 

3. Something of the relations and proportions of the 
truths of the gospel as they are found in the Bible may 
be preserved in our sermons by this plan of arranging 
them in series. The doctrines, duties, histories, threat- 
enings, promises and invitations may thus be presented 
according to their relations and comparative importance. 
There are some great truths of redemption which the 
Bible is constantly reiterating. Others are but seldom 
introduced. So it should be in our preaching. Then 
the great doctrines will also be better understood and 



182 THE PASTOR 

more deeply felt when they are brought up in their log 
ical order ; as sin first, then redemption, then the appli 
cation of that redemption, and then its results. Besides, 
it must be best to present the gospel scheme just as the 
Scriptures do. They set forth redemption, now in 
the history of the chosen nation, now in types, now in 
the life of Christ, now in the doctrines of the apostles 
and now in the fortunes of the Church, past or future. 
All these important elements in the presentation of the 
truth can scarcely be observed unless there be a care 
fully premeditated plan of presenting its subjects. 

4. This plan will almost certainly lead to the important 
result of keeping up variety in preaching. Every minis 
ter who preaches weekly, year after year, to the same 
audience knows how difficult this is. It is almost inev 
itable that the cast of one s mind will lead him perpet 
ually to the selection of similar favorite themes for his 
sermons. As a matter of fact it is observed that most 
ministers do insensibly fall into the habit of dwelling 
mainly on their favorite topics. But the scheme of 
prearranging courses of sermons will force one to take 
up new subjects systematically. A preacher who pursues 
this course will soon be known as one who keeps up va 
riety. Not only the different series of discourses, but 
also the different discourses of each series, will be like 
ly to lead to new fields of exploration. Sameness will 
necessarily be avoided. This will probably prove the 
very best plan for preserving freshness and consequent 
interest in the ministrations of the pulpit. 

5. By this arrangement there will always be a subject 
ready as soon as the minute arrives for commencing 
the study of the sermon for the week. There is no task 
of the study more unpleasant than to be compelled to 
search for a subject or text. It is always felt to be time 



TX THK rULPIT. 183 

wasted. And a theme for a sermon which is thus sought 
out purposely is rarely entered upon with vigor or pur 
sued with pleasure. It is generally unsatisfactory. Our 
plan of having courses of sermons arranged beforehand 
would prevent all this. It would have the appropriate 
theme ready to be taken up at the instant without anx 
iety or delay, and with all the zest that would be excited 
by the prospect of entering upon a new and appropriate 
field of research. 

Such would be the important advantages of arranging 
series of sermons early in one s ministry and following 
them up persistently for years. The exact plan we rec 
ommend may be illustrated by one which has been adopt 
ed by a hard-working pastor, and carried out very 
pleasantly and profitably for years. Several compre 
hensive courses have been framed framed with a view 
to embrace the principal points of scriptural history, doc 
trine and practice. There was no anxiety to limit the 
number of courses or subjects in each, as it was intended 
to lay out the work of years. All the courses were car 
ried on simultaneously, a sermon of each being taken up 
in turn, so that proper variety was provided for. No 
intimation was ever given to the congregation that any 
such arrangement was determined on, in order that the 
pastor might not be bound to follow it out in any par 
ticular order, or to continue it at all if it were found to 
be impracticable. It was not intended that these pre 
arranged subjects should be taken every Sabbath nor at 
any definite intervals, but that when no other subjects 
indicated by the exigence of the day were at hand then 
these should be brought in. Perfect freedom was al 
lowed to intermit the series for one Sabbath or several 
Sabbaths if deemed advisable, for the sake of present 
ing subjects of present importance. Indeed, no restraint 



184 THE PASTOR 

was allowed which would make adherence to the fixed 
plan irksome. It was felt that to do so would soon 
cause it to be abandoned. 

As we want to impart very full information on this 
matter, we will give the courses in the order in which 
they were taken up alternately. They were six in 
number, carefully devised so as to embrace the main 
points of Old and New Testament teachings. They 
were: 

A. Leading Events of Old Testament History this 
is needed for the general study of the Bible ; B. The 
Chief Doctrines of Theology the importance of this 
is obvious ; C. Leading Events in the Life of Christ 
this could not be dispensed with ; D. Great Duties of 
Religion " that the man of God may be perfect, thor 
oughly furnished unto all good works;" E. Leading 
Events in Apostolic History needed to instruct about 
the Church in its inspired institutions ; F. Jewish Insti 
tutions and their Teachings these reiterate the bless 
ings of Christ in a most impressive manner. 

The subjects of each course, in detail, were : 

A. Leading Events of Old Testament History. These 
were: 1. Creation; 2. Fall; 3. Murder of Abel; 4. 
Translation of Enoch ; 5. Wickedness of the World ; 
6. Deluge; 7. Covenant with Noah ; 8. Babel; 9. Call 
of Abraham ; 10. Abraham and Melchizedek ; 11. Abra 
ham constituted Father of the Faithful ; 12. Overthrow 
of Sodom and Gomorrah ; 13. Offering of Isaac; 14. Life 
of Isaac; 15. Jacob s Vision at Bethel ; 16. Jacob Wrest 
ling with God ; 17. Joseph Sold ; 18. Promotion of Jo 
seph ; 19. Migration into Egypt ; 20. Job s Strange His 
tory ; 21. Oppression of the Hebrews ; 22. Plagues of 
Egypt ; 23. Passover ; 24. Crossing the Red Sea ; 25. 
Giving of the Law at Sinai ; 26. Wandering in the Wil- 



IN THE PULPIT. 185 

derness ; 27. Brazen Serpent ; 28. Death of Moses ; 29. 
Conquest of Canaan ; 30. Sun and Moon standing still ; 
31. Victory of Deborah and Barak ; 32. Samson, a 
Type of the Jewish Nation ; 33. Ruth s Affection ; 34. 
Ruth s Reward ; 35. Mission of Samuel ; 36. Saul made 
King ; 37. Suicide of Saul ; 38. David the Man after 
God s own Heart ; 39. David the Psalmist ; 40. David 
the Warrior ; 41. David s Sin and Sorrows ; 42. Solo 
mon the Builder ; 43. Solomon the Author ; 44. Solo 
mon in all his Glory ; 45. Revolt of the Ten Tribes ; 
46. Elijah and the Prophets of Baal on Carrnel ; 47. 
Translation of Elijah ; 48. Jehu the Avenger ; 49. Jo 
nah s Mission; 50. Hezekiah the Reformer; 51. Cap 
tivity of the Ten Tribes ; 52. Destruction of the Assyr 
ian Army ; 53. Recovery of good Hezekiah ; 54. Jeru 
salem burnt and its Inhabitants captured ; 55. Daniel 
interpreting Nebuchadnezzar s Dreams ; 56. Shadrach, 
Meschach and Abednego in the Fiery Furnace; 57. 
Nebuchadnezzar humbled; 58. Death of Belshazzar; 
59. Daniel in the Lions Den ; 60. Rebuilding of the 
Temple ; 61. Esther made Queen ; 62. Feast of Purim. 
B. Chief Doctrines of Theology. 1. Being of God ; 
2. Inspiration ; 3. The Bible the Only Rule of Faith 
and Practice ; 4. Canon of Scripture ; 5. Spirituality 
of God ; 6. Eternity of God ; 7. Immutability of God ; 
8. Omnipresence of God ; 9. Omniscience of God ; 10. 
Wisdom of God; 11. Omnipotence of God; 12. Ho 
liness of God ; 13. Justice of God ; 14. Goodness of 
God ; 15. Truth of God ; 16. Trinity ; 17. Divinity 
of Christ ; 18. Personality, Divinity and Work of the 
Holy Ghost ; 19. Decrees of God ; 20. Creation as a 
Doctrine; 21. Angels; 22. Providence; 23. Original 
State of Man; 24. Covenant of Works; 25. Sin, and 
that of Adam; 26. Original Sin; 27. Covenant of 



186 THE PASTOR 

Grace; 28. Person of Christ; 29. Mediatorial Office 
of Christ ; 30. Atonement ; 31. Exaltation of Christ ; 
32. Intercession of Christ ; 33. Mediatorial Kingship 
of Christ ; 34. Effectual Calling ; 35. Regeneration ; 36. 
Faith; 37. Union of Believers with Christ; 38. Re 
pentance; 39. Justification; 40. Adoption; 41. Sanc- 
tification ; 42. Perseverance of Saints ; 43. Death ; 44. 
Intermediate Condition ; 45. Resurrection ; 46. Second 
Ad vent of Christ; 47. Judgment; 48. Heaven; 49. Hell; 
50. Sacraments; 51. Baptism, subjects; 52. Baptism, 
mode ; 53. Lord s Supper ; 54. The Church, a Divine 
Institution ; 55. The Ministry appointed of God. 

C. Leading Events in the Life of Christ, classified 
according to the nature of his works. 1. Mission of 
John the Baptist ; 2. The Two Genealogies ; 3. Birth 
of Christ ; 4. Visit of the Wise Men ; 5. Christ in the 
Temple with the Doctors ; 6. Baptism of Christ ; 7. 
Temptation of Christ; 8. Christ calling his Disciples, 
Matt. iv. 18-22; 9. Sermon on the Mount; 10. The 
Journeys of Christ, Matt. ix. 35 ; 11. Christ s Command 
over Nature representative case, Stilling the Tempest, 
Matt. viii. 23-27 ; 12. Christ casting out Devils rep 
resentative case, Demoniac of Gadara, Mark v. 1-20; 
13. Christ forgiving Sin representative case, Curing the 
Paralytic, Mark ii. 1-12 ; 14. Christ ever doing Good 
representative case, Blessing Little Children ; 15. 
Christ ever doing Good representative case, Feeding 
Five Thousand; 16. Christ healing representative 
case, One born Blind, John ix. ; 17. Christ raising the 
Dead representative case, Lazarus ; 18. Christ preach 
ing representative case, Luke iv. 16-22; 19. Christ 
teaching representative case, John x. ; 20. Parables of 
Christ representative case, Prodigal Son; 21. Christ 
a Prophet representative case, Destruction of Jerusa- 



IN THE PULPIT. 187 

lem, Matt. xxiv. ; 22. Apostles sent out, Matt. x. , 23. 
The Transfiguration ; 24. Christ s kingly Entrance into 
Jerusalem ; 25. Lord s Supper instituted ; 26. Christ s 
consolatory Discourse to his Disciples ; 27. Mediatory 
Prayer of Christ ; 28. Agony in Gethsemane ; 29. Ar 
raignment of Christ before several Tribunals ; 30. Con 
demnation by Pilate ; 31. Crucifixion ; 32. Burial of 
Christ ; 33. Christ s Resurrection ; 34. Various Appear 
ances of Christ after his Resurrection ; 35. Christ s As 
cension after Commissioning his Disciples. 

D. Great Duties of Religion. 1. Supreme Glory to 
God, First Commandment; 2. True Worship, Second 
Commandment ; 3. Singing in Worship ; 4. Thanks 
giving ; 5. Hearing the Word ; 6. Attending Prayer- 
meetings ; 7. Reading the Scriptures ; 8. Secret Prayer ; 
9. Backsliding; 10. Family Worship ; 11. Third Com 
mandment; 12. Fourth Commandment; 13. Fifth Com 
mandment ; 14. Duties of Parents to Children ; 15. 
Sixth Commandment, Anger ; 16. Brotherly Love ; 
17. Seventh Commandment, Purity of Heart; 18. Care 
of the Thoughts; 19. Eighth Commandment, Hon 
esty ; 20. Ninth Commandment, Truthfulness ; 21. 
Charity versus Slander; 22. Tenth Commandment, 
Contentment ; 23. Humility ; 24. Visiting the Sick ; 
25. Helping the Poor ; 26. Supporting Benevolent 
Objects. 

E. Leading Events of Apostolic History. 1. Election 
of an Apostle in place of Judas; 2. Descent of Holy 
Ghost ; 3. Three Thousand converted ; 4. Death of 
Ananias and Sapphira ; 5. Election of Seven Deacons ; 
6. Martyrdom of Stephen ; 7. Conversion of Paul ; 
8. Dorcas raised from the Dead ; 9. Baptism of Corne 
lius and other Gentiles; 10. Herod Agrippa murders 
James; 11. The Governor of Cyprus converted; 12. 



188 THE PASTOR 

The First Synod at Jerusalem ; 13. The Jailer of Phi- 
lippi converted; 14. Paul Preaching at Athens; lo. 
The Mob at Ephesus ; 16. Paul Arrested at Jerusalem ; 
17. Paul before Felix ; 18. Paul s Appeal to Agrippa ; 
19. Shipwreck of Paul; 20. Paul a Prisoner at Rome; 
21. John in the Island of Patmos. 

F. Jewish Institutions and their Teachings. 1. Tab 
ernacle and Temple ; 2. Altar of Burnt-Offering ; 3. 
Laver ; 4. Altar of Incense ; 5. Shew-bread Table ; 0. 
Golden Candlestick ; 7. Ark of the Covenant ; 8. Mercy- 
seat; 9. Cherubim; 10. Shekinah ; 11. High Priest 
and other Priests ; 12. Ephod ; 13. Robe of the Ephod ; 
14. Breastplate; 15. Mitre; 16. Burnt, Sin and Tres 
pass Offerings ; 17. Peace-Offerings, Ordinary and Free 
will Oblations ; 18. First Fruits ; 19. Tithes ; 20. Pass 
over; 21. Pentecost; 22. Feast of Tabernacles; 23. 
Feast of Trumpets ; 24. Great Day of Atonement ; 2o. 
Jubilee, with Sabbatical Year. 



MANNER OF PEEACHING. 

Very much depends upon this. It should be made a 
careful and incessant study by every minister. The fol 
lowing reflections may assist in attaining to higher pro 
ficiency in an art which is the most sacred and exalted. 

(a) DEEP EARNESTNESS. 

Every motive arising from his office, his trust, his 
character and his hope of success demands of the pastor 
that he should be fully in earnest in that which is his 
greatest work. He cannot preach aright in any other 
way. It is not meant that there must necessarily be 
much noise in the pulpit. Very often the highest emo 
tion will subdue, and so prevent, noise. But what is 



IN THE PULPIT. 189 

meant is, that in preaching the heart should be enlisted 
the whole heart the heart inflamed by a sense of the 
importance of the subject the heart filled with the 
strongest desire of effecting the objects for which the 
gospel is preached. This earnestness cannot be assumed 
or counterfeited ; it must be genuine. It must spring 
from a sympathy with God and souls which has been 
produced by the Holy Ghost ; and in every sermon the 
first care of the preacher should be to get his heart in 
flamed with it. He should pray and read the word and 
meditate until it is reached. It is the fundamental prep 
aration for faithful and successful preaching. 

What earnestness do we find characterizing the 
preachers of the New Testament ! They were in earn 
est when in one place we hear them crying, " Now, 
then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did 
beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ s stead, be ye 
reconciled to God." Paul was in earnest when he could 
exhort, saying, " Therefore watch and remember, that 
by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every 
one night and day with tears." Apollos was in earnest, 
since we read of him, " This man was instructed in the 
way of the Lord ; and being fervent in the Spirit, he 
spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord." 
These and other cases form a model which should be 
imitated. 

The slumbering conscience of unrenewed men de 
mands the greatest fervency in the preacher. There is 
a terrible insensibility about spiritual and eternal things 
which it often seems as if no motives could penetrate. 
And this stupor is found everywhere. Now, it is true 
that the Holy Ghost alone can break through this ob 
stacle and arouse the heart to its danger and refuge ; 
but it is also true that the Holy Ghost ordinarily works 



190 THE PASTOR 

by means, and that by the means that are naturally the 
best adapted to accomplish the desired end. And what 
so likely to awaken the slumbering conscience as the 
preaching which flows from an ardent heart ? What, in 
fact, has proved so effective as this divinely-appointed 
agency ? The preacher, then, should apply his whole 
soul to awaken men. He should not be afraid of enthu 
siasm in a work so deeply important and so hard to be 
accomplished. If men see him awake and in earnest, 
and perseveringly so, they must be affected. If they 
see him indifferent, they will sleep the sounder. 

How is it possible to preach of the awful realities of 
heaven and hell, of the soul and the everlasting ages, 
and of the death of Christ for the salvation of the lost, 
without the deepest emotion ? Hell is a terrible reality. 
The prospect of its unutterable anguish, of its eternal 
torments, is dreadful. Then the thought that all the 
unconverted are posting on steadily and surely to its 
woes is appalling. But it might be escaped through the 
blood of the Son of God, and then would come a heaven 
of indescribable bliss and everlasting glory. Can we 
think of these things and not be overwhelmed at the 
thought? Can we speak of them without our hearts 
and words burning with the very deepest feeling ? Can 
we preach of them in any other tone than that of the 
devoted McCheyrie ? He said : " Souls are perishing 
every day, and our own entrance into eternity cannot 
be far distant. Let us, like Mary, do what we can, and 
no doubt God will bless it and reward us openly. But 
an inch of time remains, and the eternal ages roll on 
for ever but an inch remains for ever but an inch on 
which we stand and preach the way of salvation to the 
perishing world." Equally fervent was the purpose of 
Cecil : " Hell is before me, and thousands of souls shut 



IN THE PULPIT. 191 

up there in everlasting agonies. Jesus Christ stands 
forth to save men from rushing into this bottomless 
abyss ; he sends me to proclaim his ability and his love. 
I want no fourth idea. Every fourth idea is contempt 
ible ; every fourth idea is a grand impertinence." 

To preach in a cold, unfeeling manner, to preach 
without earnestness, is sinful. It shows in the preacher 
a heart that is hard. It reveals an amount of selfishness 
or thoughtlessness or levity, or all of them combined, 
that ought to humble and alarm. The existence of 
such a state of mind should set us to inquire most 
anxiously how it is with our own souls. It should drive 
us quickly to the cross of Christ for pardon, and for the 
spirit of Him who felt so much for us that he died 
in our place. Deep is the guilt of handling the word 
of God in an unfeeling manner ! The souls of all 
preachers should be awakened by the stirring appeal 
of Baxter : " How few ministers do preach with all their 
might, or speak about everlasting joy or torment in 
such a manner as to make men believe that they are in 
great sadness ! It would make a man s heart ache to see 
a company of dead and drowning sinners sit under a 
minister, and not have a word that is like to quicken 
or awaken them. To think with ourselves, Oh if these 
sinners were but convinced and awakened they might 
yet be converted and live P But, alas ! we speak so 
drowsily or gently that sleepy sinners cannot hear. 
The blow falls so light that hard-hearted persons can 
not feel it. Most ministers will not so much as put out 
their voice and stir up themselves to an earnest utter 
ance. But if they do speak out loud and earnestly, 
how few do answer it with earnestness of matter ! And 
then the voice doth but little good : the people will take 
it for but mere bawling when the matter doth not cor- 



192 THE PASTOR 

respond. It would grieve me what excellent doctrine 
some ministers have in hand, and let it die in their 
hands for want of close and lively application. What 
fit matter they have for convincing sinners, and how 
little they make of it, and what a deal of good it might 
do if it were sent home, and yet they cannot or will 
not do it ! Oh, sirs, how plain, how close and earnestly, 
should we deliver a message of such a nature as ours 
is ! When the everlasting life or death of men is con 
cerned in it, methinks we are nowhere so wanting as in 
this seriousness. There is nothing more unsuitable to 
such a business than to be slight and dull. What ! 
speak coldly for God and for men s salvation ! Can we 
believe that our people must be converted or condemned, 
and yet can we speak in a drowsy tone ? In the name of 
God, brethren, labor to awaken your hearts before you 
come ; and when you are in the work, that you may be 
fit to awaken the hearts of sinners. Remember that 
they must be awakened or damned, and a sleepy 
preacher will hardly awake them." 

In each sermon we ought to deliver the message of 
God as if it were the last time we were to preach. Any 
sermon may be the last one for the preacher. It may 
be the last one for him ; it may be the last one for some 
of his hearers ; it probably will be the last one to some 
of them. This thought should stir up the whole heart. 
Oh how we should preach in view of it ! How earnestly 
we should preach, since we are sure that we shall not 
often stand before exactly the same audience to warn 
and exhort them ! It should be with us always as it 
was with Cecil on his dying bed : " Knowing he was 
about to die, he expressed a desire to live longer. He 
was asked, Why ? That I might preach Christ. But 
you have done this through your ministry. But, oh/ 



IN THE PULPIT. 193 

said he, * I would do it stronger, much stronger, than 



ever/ 



We should not be afraid of enthusiasm here. Enthu 
siasm is surely excusable when life and death and the 
souls of men and the glory of the Son of God are at 
stake. The apostles were enthusiasts in their preach 
ing. Hear the enthusiasm of Paul : " God forbid that 1 
should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto 
the world." In the preaching of the awfully solemn 
things of religion is the proper field for enthusiasm. 
It should be cherished here, and anything less should 
be considered cold-heartedness. A consuming zeal is 
needed in this age of worldliness and shallowness in 
religion, and at this time when the hearts of men are 
so desperately callous. 

The great preachers who have made their mark upon 
their age have been in the highest sense enthusiasts. 
" Richard Sheridan used to say, I often go to hear 
Rowland Hill, because his ideas come red hot from the 
heart/ Dr. John M. Mason was asked what he thought 
was the forte of Dr. Chalmers. After a moment s con 
sideration he replied, His blood-earnestness. The 
biographer of Baxter says: "In preaching, Baxter s 
heart burnt within him, and while he was speaking a 
live coal from the altar fired his sermons with seraphic- 
fervor. Into the pulpit he brought all the energies and 
sympathies of his entire nature. He had a large mind, 
an acute intellect, a melting heart, a holy sou), a kindling 
eye and a moving voice, and he called on all that was 
within him to aid him in his preaching. Being deeply 
earnest himself, he wished his hearers to be earnest. 
Himself being a burning light, he wished to flash the 
hallowed fire into the hearts of others. He seems never 

25 



194 THE PASTOR 

to have studied the action or the start theatric/ The 
only teacher that gave him lessons in action and attitude 
was feeling, real, genuine, holy feeling, and this taught 
him how to look, how to move, how to speak. ]n 
preaching, as well as everything religious, he believed 
with Paul, that it was good to be always zealously af 
fected/ and consequently that earnest, fervent preach 
ing is truly apostolic." There is great force in the 
remarks of Olin : "Success in religion depends on zeal, 
fervor. Cold preaching never does any good. Cold 
prayers are not answered. Cold efforts effect nothing. 
On the contrary, the simplest ministry of God s truth 
if fervent is powerful. A fervent people are always 
prosperous. Their deep sympathies melt the hardest 
heart. God s most honored instrumentality is such a 
people. Preacher and people together burning with the 
love of Christ and of souls constitute the favored in 
strumentality. This is irresistible ; it makes the word 
irresistible through the Spirit." 

(6) PREACHING SHOULD BE WITH TENDERNESS. 

A large part of the audiences to which we preach con 
sists of persons over whom is resting the sentence of 
condemnation to death eternal. They are all sufferers. 
At the same time they are our fellow-beings, our kin 
dred, men, flesh of our flesh ; they have the same nature, 
feelings, susceptibilities, hopes and fears with ourselves. 
For their deliverance from all the miseries and dangers 
of sin did Christ die as well as for ours, and that be 
cause his heart was moved with deep pity for us all. 
Their souls are at stake in the message we deliver them 
from the lips of God. It will prove the savor of life 
unto life or of death unto death to them. A dry, cold, 
unfeeling delivery of that message to them would be 



IN THE PULPIT. 195 

cruel heartlessness. We should feel for them in our 
inmost souls, and let that feeling influence every tone 
and every word we utter. Our tenderness should be 
like that of the apostles, who could write, "But we 
were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her 
children ; so, being affectionately desirous of you, we 
were willing to have imparted unto you not the gospel 
of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were 
dear unto us. For ye remember, brethren, our labor 
and travail, for laboring night arid day, because we 
would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached 
unto you the gospel of God. Ye are witnesses, and 
God also, how holily and justly and unblamably we 
behaved ourselves among you that believe, as ye know 
how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one 
of you, as a father doth his children." 

Why did God appoint men rather than angels to be 
his ambassadors to a lost world ? He might have sent 
angels, or he might have conveyed the truth to each 
soul in a miraculous manner, or he might have used 
other methods, but he chose men to be the heralds of 
mercy to their fellow-men. Was not this because they 
could feel for those who were sinners like themselves as 
no other creatures could ; because they could speak from 
experience when they pressed home God s gracious offers; 
because they could interest them as those who had the 
same wants and longings; because of that deep sympa 
thy which binds them in a common brotherhood ? And 
because God has made this arrangement we should ever 
proclaim his messages with the warmest sympathy toward 
our kindred according to the flesh. 

There is something in affectionate tenderness that 
goes directly to the heart and calls forth its responsive 
kindness. It awakens attention, convinces that the 



196 THE PASTOR 

speaker is sincere in his appeals, breaks down all oppo 
sition of the mind to the truth, and touches sympathetic 
chords which thrill out from speaker to hearer. As be 
weeps or smiles or hopes or fears or is filled with awe, so 
they also are moved and their hearts warm with his. 
This tenderness will melt them when neither arguments 
nor threatenings nor warnings nor invitations nor any 
thing else would have any effect. This is the way to 
get at the hearts of the audience, and hold them and 
influence them by the grand motives that are furnished 
in the gospel. 

To speak in an unfeeling manner is sure to repel the 
hearers and close up their hearts. It leaves the impres 
sion that the speaker is not sincere in what he utters. 
It sets men to finding faults and objections to the dis 
course. It positively hardens and renders the mind 
insensible to what appears to it the merest platitude. 
Either these are the effects of heartless preaching or it is 
not listened to at all, but men turn from it as if religion 
were of little account. To deliver to men the messages 
of God, in which life and death are at stake, in an 
unfeeling manner is as cruel as it is sinful. 

The nature of the message we bear, the identity of 
our interests with those of our fellow-men, the conscious 
ness of our own many, many imperfections and the suf 
fering condition of our hearers, all demand that we 
should preach to them in the most tender manner. 
With great truth and force has this thought been pre 
sented by an able writer : " There is something in an 
affectionate statement of gospel truth which is peculiarly 
calculated to find its way to the heart. Christianity is 
a religion of sympathy. It is founded on the principle 
of human wretchedness. It meets man in every species 
of sorrow and affliction. It takes him by the hand 



IN THE PULPIT. 197 

when deserted by human supports. It pierces the 
clouds which throw a melancholy gloom over the path 
of life and opens before the wayworn traveler a hope 
full of immortality. Let us reflect upon this peculiarity 
of our holy religion and consider what an advantage it 
gives us in our public addresses. By far the greater 
part of our congregation is suffering in one way or an 
other. We cannot enter a family and be permitted to 
know what is passing within it without perceiving that 
there is a worm corroding the root of their comforts, 
some poisoned arrow drinking up their spirits, some in 
tolerable burden subduing their strength. To such how 
suitable is the invitation of the compassionate Saviour, 
4 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, 
and I will give you rest ! How appropriate is the cha 
racter of the great High Priest who is touched with the 
feeling of our infirmities ! To such, how adapted are 
the consolations of the Spirit, the promises of the gospel 
and the resting-place of the saints ! To overlook such 
circumstances, and to discuss abstract truths in a cold 
and formal and heartless manner, oh, what a loss of 
opportunity ! what a mockery of human misery ! what 
a dereliction of duty ! what a prostration of office ! what 
a fearful responsibility ! Let us pray for the heart of a 
shepherd, for bowels of compassion. Let us take the 
sufferer by the hand and conduct him to the Saviour. 
Let us lead him to the wells of salvation. Let us pour 
the healing balm into his bleeding heart, and assure him 
that there is One who sympathizes with his sorrows and 
who is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto 
God by him/ " 

The experience of all really successful ministers agrees 
with this. " We may talk," says Nettleton, "of the best 
means of doing good, but, after all, the greatest difficulty 



198 THE PASTOR 

lies in doing it in a proper spirit, speaking the truth 
in love in meekness instructing those that oppose 
themselves with the meekness and gentleness of 
Christ/ I have known anxious sinners drop the sub 
ject of religion in consequence of a preacher address 
ing them in an angry tone." " I was never fit," says 
Pay son, " to say a word to a sinner except when I had 
a broken heart myself, when I was subdued and melted 
into tenderness, and felt as though I had just received 
pardon to my own soul, and when my heart was full of 
tenderness and pity." 

(c) PREACHING SHOULD BE IN SYMPATHY WITH THE WANTS 
OF THE PEOPLE. 

We should study not to feel above those to whom we 
minister, not to stand aloof from them, not simply to 
patronize them. We should strive rather to remember 
that they have the same nature, the same feelings, the 
same susceptibilities, the same trials, hopes and fears, 
with ourselves that we are suffering under the same 
disease of sin and need the same remedy that they do. 

We should strive to get into sympathy with the feel 
ings, the wants, the trials, the temptations, the aspira 
tions, the doubts, the fears, the hopes, the joys by which 
they are affected. We should deeply study those mo 
tives which are bearing upon them. We should bring 
them home to ourselves and weigh well the influence 
they would be likely to have upon us. How should 
we feel and act if situated in every respect as they are ? 
In such circumstances what motives would be likely to 
have the greatest influence upon our lives ? These are 
questions which we should bring home very closely. 
This is a difficult, but most important, element of suc 
cess in preaching. The old divine, Thomas Adam, 



IN THE PULPIT. 199 

uttered these weighty sentences : " How much better 
would it bo if, instead of censuring and bitterly in 
veighing against the ignorance, perverseness and cor 
ruption of rny neighbors, I exerted myself in good 
earnest, according to the duty of my station and the 
talents which God has given me, to instruct and reform 
them ! Perhaps many a one has long been waiting at 
the pool of Betheeda for some friendly hand to help 
him in, and I pass by them with a stupid unconcern 
and leave them groaning under their misery. ... I 
find it very difficult, if not impossible, through my self 
ishness, to sink myself into the common mass of man 
kind, so as to take my full share of their guilt, to sym 
pathize, to pity, to have a fellow-feeling of their wants, 
joys arid sorrows, and be truly concerned for the tem 
poral and spiritual welfare of all." 

There are peculiarities of thought and feeling in every 
human breast, and also those which lodge deeply in the 
hearts of classes of society. There are national feelings 
which make his country dear to the patriot and the 
exile far from his home ; the poor have a fellow-feeling 
in their trials ; youthful affection has its strong and 
endearing ties ; the inebriate sees strange charms in the 
intoxicating cup ; men of business are held by bonds 
not easily broken ; even fellowship in sin lays hold of 
the deep springs of the heart. It would be the preacher s 
wisdom to try to understand these feelings, to get near 
to them, to sympathize with them, and to use them in 
his efforts to bring the truth home to the conscience. 
He should put himself in the place of those to whom 
he preaches and get his heart to beat in unison with 
theirs, and thus influence them by the motives of the 
gospel. 

This getting into the feelings of the people and sym- 



200 THE PASTOR 

patliizing with them, and so addressing them, is one of 
the secrets of successful preaching. It is certain to cap 
tivate men. It must be earnest, for how can we feel 
deeply for our hearers and not be fervent in our appeals 
to them ? We have but to get at this, and our preaching 
must tell. It will certainly draw men to the sanctuary 
and fill the house. There is much food for thought in 
the following remarks : " The great preachers of the 
world have been those who were in direct sympathy 
with human life and who had an end to gain with the 
men before them. The end of preaching is not a good 
sermon, but a holy heart. Fine sermons have nearly 
ruined good preaching. If ministers cared more for 
their people and less for their own sermons, they would 
be more useful. Learning, rhetoric, eloquence, are good 
as collateral influences, but no man will win souls who 
does not feel the throbbing pulse of his whole congre 
gation, who does not know their wants, who does not 
study their lives, who does not understand how to take 
the primary truths of Christianity and apply them to 
the consciences of men in their daily business-life. Such 
preachers, and only such, will be certainly efficacious, 
and such preaching is necessary to the filling of the 
churches. Were such preaching universal in our time, 
not only would our churches be filled to overflowing, but 
thousands would have to be built ; for, you may depend 
upon it, there is never a man who preaches intelligent 
truth, and preaches it with a living sympathy with men, 
that people do not flock to hear." 

(d) AIMING DIRECT LY FOR CONVERSIONS IN PREACHING. 

It is true that in the ministrations of the pulpit we 
are to sow the seed which may spring up and pro 
duce a harvest in the future we are to lay foundations 



IN THE PULPIT. 201 

that will sustain a noble structure, it may be, in years 
far hence. But we must also calculate on the conver 
sion of souls at once, for " now is the accepted time, be 
hold, now is the day of salvation." In our preparations 
for the pulpit and in our preaching we should have ever 
before us the solemn obligation of now making an effort 
to bring some of our audience to the salvation of Christ. 
The sermon which fails in this fails in one of its most 
important objects. So prominent should this aim be 
with us that after every sermon we would look anxious 
ly to see who had been impressed, who had been moved 
to take one step toward the cross. We would inquire 
as to the spiritual wants of the impenitent who hear us, 
ascertain their difficulties, and then shape our discourses 
so as to meet them. 

This is the great design of the Christian ministry. 
There are other deeply important objects, such as the 
edifying of believers, but this is the chief. " If souls 
are not saved, whatever other designs are accomplished, 
the great purpose of the ministry is defeated." Look 
at the preachers of the New Testament. They sought 
directly to save men, and they were successful ; for con 
sider the thousands converted on the day of Pentecost, 
and the occasions when we read, " When the Gentiles 
heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of 
the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal life, 
believed." On this their hearts were set, as they showed 
by such language as this : " Now then we are ambassa 
dors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us ; 
we pray you in Christ s stead, be ye reconciled to God." 
This was implied in the great promise made to them : 
" Fear not, from henceforth thou shall catch men." So 
also in the commission and promise : " And he said unto 
them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel 

26 



202 THE PASTOR 

to every creature. He that belie veth and is baptized, 
shall be saved ; but he that believeth not, shall be 
damned." Indeed, this is explicitly declared to be the 
great object of preaching : " It pleased God by the 
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." 
So the voice of infinite wisdom encourages us : " He that 
winneth souls is wise." 

Men are in crying need of the benefits of salvation. 
They are lost ; they are suffering ; they are posting 
steadily and rapidly down, down to endless woe. Then 
a way of saving them has been provided, and it is all 
ready for as many as can be induced to enter upon it. 
The proclamation has been made from Heaven that they 
may be pardoned and received back into the favor of 
of that God against whom they have rebelled. It is 
ours, as preachers, to take that offer and carry it home 
to them, and reiterate it and explain it, and show the 
infinite mercy it contains, and persuade men with all 
urgency to accept its priceless benefits. This is to be 
with us a great object in every sermon. The caution 
of McCheyne should ever be before us : " Never forget 
that the end of a sermon is the salvation of the people." 

This direct aim after conversion must have a very 
great influence upon our preaching. We are aiming 
after immediate results ; then we shall necessarily be 
far more interested in our discourses, we shall preach 
with more earnestness, our words will be clothed with 
more directness of aim at the heart. Souls are now at 
stake ; how importunate we should be with them, that 
now they may be rescued before it be too late ! Christ is 
now to be offered, and accepted or rejected ; how critical 
the moment ! The heart is now to be reached and made 
soft by divine grace, or it will grow harder; how tender 
should we be ! Treasure can now be laid up in heaven ; 



IX THE PULPIT. 203 

oh how diligently we should strive for such eternal 
riches ! 

When our hearts are set upon saving souls at once, 
our preaching must necessarily he far more effective. 
Without this aim there will not be that earnest pre 
paratory prayer upon which so much depends, nor will 
there be deep study as to the best way of securing ac 
ceptance for the saving truths of Christ. When the 
preacher s own heart becomes inflamed with a sense of 
the need and the hope of men being converted imme 
diately, his words will have an increased force. The 
true fervor in the pulpit will not be reached until it 
is felt that souls must be snatched at once as brands 
from the burning. This it is that gives a glowing 
importunity which cannot be withstood. The heart 
yearning to glorify Christ by the immediate salva 
tion of men is the heart which the Holy Ghost blesses. 
Where this is found the preaching must have power and 
efficacy. 

Then, as it has been well said, " Nothing short of 
positive success can satisfy a true minister of Christ. 
His plans may succeed smoothly, and his external 
machinery may work steadily ; but without actual fruit 
in the saving of souls he counts all these as nothing. 
His feeling is, * My little children, of whom I travail 
in birth again until Christ be found in you/ And it 
is this feeling which makes him successful. Ministers/ 
said Owen, * are seldom honored with success unless 
they are continually aiming at the conversion of sin 
ners. The resolution that in the strength and with 
the blessing of God he will never rest without suc 
cess will ensure it. It is the man who has made up 
his mind to confront every difficulty, who has counted 
the cost, and, fixing his eye upon the prize, has de- 



204 THE PASTOR 

termined to fight his way to it it is such a man that 
conquers." 

The preacher, then, should have his mind constantly 
fixed upon the direct conversion of souls the souls of 
individuals whose names he ever keeps before him, the 
souls of all the impenitent in his congregation. Of this 
important interest he should never become oblivious. 
He should carry it with him into the closet, into the 
study and into the pulpit. The ever-recurring questions 
with him should be, How shall I reach and overcome 
the great difficulties that stand in the way of perishing 
souls ? How shall I make the truth so clear that those 
who need it most must see it ? How shall I place the 
offers of salvation in such a form that they will be ac 
cepted by those who must receive them now or be lost 
for ever ? He should seek day and night for conversions. 
He should look for them with a patience that is never 
exhausted and with a faith that cannot be disappointed. 

Instances innumerable could be given of the good re 
sults of this direct aim after conversions in preaching. 
Here is the testimony of the Rev. J. A. James : " I am 
now on the verge of old age and the subject of not a 
few of its infirmities. It is now some consolation to 
me to recollect that amidst innumerable defects which, 
if affection has concealed them from the notice of my 
friends, are humblingly known to myself I have in 
some measure ever kept in view the conversion of sin 
ners as the great end of the Christian ministry, and 
therefore of mine. I started in my preaching career 
while yet a student with this before my eyes as the 
great purpose for which I entered the pulpit." His 
biographer relates of Rev. R. Knill that "his specialty 
as a preacher seems to have been the directness of his 
aim at the conversion of souls, and besides the multi- 



IN THE PULPIT. 205 

tudinous instances of individual success there was reason 
to believe he had been the instrument of converting 
one hundred persons who in one way or another became 
preachers of the gospel." 

(e) SENSATIONAL PREACHING. 

There is a kind of preaching, sometimes too prevalent 
and in some communities too popular, against which a 
most emphatic protest should be entered. Its aim is to 
awaken curiosity by presenting fantastic thoughts in a 
grotesque manner, or to entertain by a tissue of sickly 
sentimentalism, or to startle by absurd paradoxes, or 
even to curry the popular favor by flings at orthodoxy 
and the vital truths of religion. It announces its sub 
jects in some silly phraseology. Sermons have been 
announced under the names of " Spiders," " Main 
Street," " Limpers," "The Greatest Liar in Town," etc. 
These may be extreme cases, but they will serve to 
illustrate the wicked absurdity of the whole thing. 
Then plain thoughts must be expressed in flippant, 
new-fangled language, and subjects must be treated in 
some unheard-of manner that will cause the hearers to 
stare. 

It is difficult to find language strong enough by which 
to condemn this wicked and foolish practice. Where in 
this world is buffoonery so much out of place as in the 
pulpit ? What sacrilege it is to trifle with sacred things 
and prostitute the very gospel that was established by 
the blood of Christ ! If such impiety must be indulged 
in, surely it ought not to receive the name of Christian 
preaching. It ought to be taken into some other place 
than the pulpit, and those who practice it should, in all 
reason, drop the name of ministers of that gospel which 
they seem ashamed to present in the form and language 



206 THE PASTOR 

that the Scriptures and piety of the Church have hal 
lowed. 

The origin of this sinful and absurd manner of en 
tertaining an audience on the Lord s day most generally 
is in a desire to copy after some erratic, or possibly un 
principled, preacher, who, by his recklessness as to the 
way of handling the truth of God and by his genius, has 
risen to a temporary popularity. It aims to gain ap 
plause for originality, to awaken curiosity and wonder, 
and that even if it mocks both God and man by its 
maudlin nonsense; and then it justifies itself by the 
plea that in this way alone can the interest of an audi 
ence be excited or retained. 

Now, in reference to this whole style of preaching we 
would say that to good taste it is loathsome, to true piety 
it is sinful, and to sound sense it is impolitic. Can it be 
otherwise than disgusting to hear preachers of the gos 
pel, in the sacred desk, on the Lord s day and with the 
the most solemn responsibility resting upon them, tri 
fling before an audience of dying men with mawkish 
conceits? What a shock does it give to every right 
feeling to conceive the idea of the apostle Paul preach 
ing in this mariner, or to think of a chapter of God s 
book being devoted to such sensationalism ! Then it 
is nothing less than blasphemy to caricature the word 
of God, as is often done by this kind of preaching, to 
bring it into ridicule, to trifle with God and truth and 
souls, and to treat the whole matter of religion as if it 
were a good joke. Besides, it is utterly futile ; it does 
not in the end accomplish what it aims at. Hearers 
may be attracted and startled for a short time, but soon 
the relish will be gone and be followed by disgust. The 
effort to be like some brilliant star in the pulpit will soon 
prove a miserable failure. Sensational preaching will 



IN THE PULPIT. 207 

not attract long. There are multitudes of noble models, 
living and deceased, to prove that the preaching of the 
mind of God, just as it is found in the Scriptures, and 
in the language that will carry it home most directly to 
the heart, is the preaching that will most surely attract, 
most permanently edify, do the most good, produce the 
most permanent results and most certainly be blessed 
by the God of the gospel. 

The things of God and the soul and eternity are too 
solemn to be trifled with. The preacher who is really 
in earnest in his work will not turn aside from the eter 
nal interests on hand to amuse the people, to startle 
them or to gain their applause by his ingenuity and 
flights of fancy. His heart will be so set upon deliver 
ing the message of God that he will have no eye, no ear, 
no taste for anything else. One thing even the glory 
of God in the conversion of souls will he ever keep 
before him, and that will cut off all that is sensational 
or selfish or unbecoming in his discourses. He will 
have no heart but to preach the gospel in the most 
direct and emphatic manner. 



PUBLIC PRAYER. 

This is one of the leading duties of the minister in 
the pulpit, and must therefore receive some attention 
in this place. It is a subject which is worthy of very 
careful study from every pastor much more study and 
preparation than it often receives. Its very great im 
portance will be felt when we consider, (a) that pub 
lic prayer forms so large a part of the worship of the 
sanctuary ; (b) that it is intended to be joined in and 
followed in spirit by all the congregation ; (c) that its 
aim is to express the wants of all the people assembled ; 



208 THE PASTOR 

(d) that it is an appointed vehicle for bringing down 
the blessings of the Holy Ghost ; and (e) that it will 
inevitably form a model after which all the prayers, 
both public and private, of the praying people will be 
formed. Our aim now shall be simply to indicate some 
leading points concerning it which ought to be studied. 
We offer a few comprehensive suggestions which can be 
thought out more fully : 

1. Public prayer should receive its tone and spirit from 
a sense of the divine presence. In it we come especially 
near to God, and all its meaning and value depend upon 
his presence, recognized and felt as a reality. This state 
of mind in offering public prayer will help to banish 
worldly thoughts, will bring spiritual and eternal things 
very near, will give a felt reality to the services, and 
will produce that importunity at the throne of grace 
which is so essential. It will inspire the .proper rever 
ence when the assembly gather around the footstool of 
God. What is more unbecoming than irreverence or 
levity in the presence of Jehovah, and while appealing 
to him for mercy, pardon and acceptance ? This sense 
of the divine presence, when strong in the mind of the 
preacher, will disseminate itself through the whole au 
dience and produce a salutary influence upon all. When 
it pervades the prayer at the commencement, it will go 
down through all the rest of the services, giving them 
elevation, solemnity and power. The aim of the min 
ister, as he engages in this service, should be to get his 
mind filled with the impression, " God is now present, 
Christ the Mediator is here, the Holy Ghost is now, at 
this very moment, helping our infirmities." It is pos 
sible to attain this state of mind, and no effort should be 
spared until it is reached. 



fZV THE PULPIT. 209 

2. The public prayer of the pastor should be compre 
hensive. However it may be with private or social 
prayer, the prayer of the sanctuary should be made to 
cover at least the leading wants of the whole assembly. 
This is its object, and this is expected of it. It is 
obvious that it should contain praise for the infinite 
perfections and glories of God, thanksgiving for his 
boundless mercies, confession for sins of every name, 
prayer for the supply of all wants, and intercession for 
blessings upon others. These are general objects which 
manifestly should be embraced in the prayers of the 
house of God. But besides these there should be a 
large comprehension of other wants which are common 
to all. Thus prolixity of expression will be avoided, 
and variety will be secured in this part of the public- 
worship. But a far more important object will be 
reached in meeting the diversified wants of the people 
of God and of his Church. Think of the various wants 
which must be pressing upon the hearts of a whole con 
gregation of men and women. Some have their doubts 
and fears, some their repentings for recent sins, some 
their peculiar temptations, some their afflictions and 
{>erplexities, some their business troubles, and some their 
anxieties about their impenitent relatives and friends. 
The petitions in public prayer should embrace all such 
cases. They will thus often prove grateful to troubled 
hearts whose sorrows are little known to men. Then 
the vast interests of Christ s kingdom must also, of 
course, be included in the prayer of the sanctuary. 
" Thy kingdom come " is a petition of vast scope which 
must never be forgotten. The particular church of the 
worshipers, the blessings of revival, the circulation of 
the word, the progress of missions, the work of the 
Sabbath-school, the dissemination of the printed page, 

27 



210 THE PASTOR 

and the sending forth of a godly ministry, with other 
subjects pertaining to the welfare of Zion, must find their 
place in this deeply-important part of public worship. 
How wide, then, should be its scope ! how comprehen 
sive its view of all the wants of the people of God and 
of the Church, which is now struggling with such des 
perate enemies ! 

3. In public prayer the petitions should be as specific 
as possible. They should not only be comprehensive, as 
embracing the vast scope of the Church s wants, but 
they should also be definite as to the things which are 
sought. Vague generalities do not ordinarily amount 
to much in this service. They do not arrest the atten 
tion, they do not call forth the importunity, nor do they 
awaken the desire that are essential qualities of accept 
able prayer. When we have a specific thing for which 
we plead, then we plead in earnest we become importu 
nate, and our sincerity is made manifest. Hence there 
should be definiteness in the petitions which we carry 
before God in his sanctuary. We should not rest with 
vaguely asking that the evils of sin might be removed 
from the world, but that infidelity and injustice, and 
dishonesty and intemperance and Sabbath desecration 
and other great sins might be done away. We should 
not be satisfied with general petitions for the afflicted, 
but we should remember the sick, the sorrowing, the 
embarrassed and other sufferers. It is not enough that 
we pray indefinitely for the young, but our hearts should 
go out in earnest desires that they might be kept from 
temptation, that they might be converted, and that they 
might be made useful in their lives. The petition is 
not discriminative enough when we merely ask that the 
various agencies for the spread of the gospel may be 
blessed ; but we should also ask distinctly for the cir- 



IN THE PULPIT. 211 

culation of the Bible, the raising up of a sanctified 
ministry, the success of missions, and other specific 
objects. In this way our prayers will have more point, 
more variety, more earnestness, and undoubtedly will 
be more effectual. All these and other specific objects 
of course cannot be introduced into each public prayer, 
but there should be careful attention that they all be oc 
casionally remembered, some of them should find a place 
in the worship of every Sabbath. In following this 
counsel theie must be good judgment used. There 
might be such an enumeration of minute and trivial 
details as would almost bring ridicule upon the exercise 
an evil against which a proper sense of the dignity of 
the presence and place and worship will be the best 
preservative. 

4. In public prayer the petitions should be direct in 
aim and simple in language. The first thing is to have 
in the mind a clear and distinct perception of what is 
wanted, and then to ask for it in words which are the 
most natural and the least circuitous, and that convey 
our thoughts most directly. The simple expression of 
our wants to God is the true idea of all prayer. For 
this reason we should not hesitate to use the imperative 
mood as if it were an unwarranted boldness. Its use is 
not irreverent. We find it freely used in that model of 
prayer which we have been taught by our Lord. "Give 
us this day our daily bread " is the form in which we 
find its expressions. We may follow this pattern boldly. 
The Lord s Prayer should also be our model in its grand 
simplicity and directness. It uses no roundabout, no 
inflated, no labored language, but each petition is of 
fered in fervent and most natural words, and then it 
passes on to the next. It is a great abuse of public 
prayer to use it for preaching to the audience or for 



212 THE PASTOR 

rebuking them, or even, as is often done, for giving 
information to the Lord. All these things are out of 
place in it. Never should it be forgotten that its great 
object is to carry before God the diversified wants of 
the whole congregation and of the kingdom of Christ, 
and that in the most direct manner in our power. This 
manner of prayer will intensify our sense of the reality 
of the position we occupy as suppliants struggling at the 
throne of God. Then it is only when our prayers are 
uttered in this simple manner that the people can fol 
low us, as they should, in all our petitions. Moreover, 
it is only this simple, child-like, reverent deportment 
that is becoming the majesty of Him before whom 
we appear. God s presence is no place for verbosity. 
Effort after rhetorical figures or inflated language, or 
an utterance that is merely calculated to please men, 
is greatly irreverent before Jehovah. Our only effort 
should be to express our wants in the most direct and 
earnest manner. 

5. Brevity should be carefully studied in public 
prayer. This is a point worthy of attention by most 
ministers of very much attention by some. When the 
exercise is continued beyond a reasonable length, it in 
variably becomes prolix in thought and verbose in ex 
pression. Then all the subsequent parts of the service 
must suffer must either be hurried over in an unsatis 
factory manner, or be joined in by the audience in such 
a state of mind and body that but little benefit can be 
expected. It is expected that in the prayer of the min 
ister the whole congregation should follow in spirit, mak 
ing its petitions their own, and expressing their wants 
thereby. But when it is lengthened out to weariness 
they cannot follow ; they either become drowsy, or they 
grow impatient, or they even fall into a state of irrita- 



7,V THE PULPIT. 213 

tion. Of course all good impressions are driven away 
from their minds when there is so little consideration on 
the part of the minister. In this way multitudes of 
prayers are ruined, so far as their influence upon the 
audience is concerned. Instances could be given where 
the hearers have been almost exasperated by them, 
where a spirit of impatience instead of devotion has 
been produced, and where the whole subsequent ser 
vices have been spoiled. What good effect can prayers 
have upon the minds of the people when they are weary, 
listless or irritated? But if prayer be brief it will be 
more to the point and more interesting, and when it is 
finished the people will be hungry for further commu 
nion with God, and in a right frame of mind to join in 
the remaining services of the hour. The Lord s Prayer 
is very brief. The public prayers of the most successful 
preachers, such as Spurgeon, are remarkable for their 
conciseness. We would venture to suggest that the 
prayer of public worship should not, under ordinary 
circumstances, exceed eight minutes in length ; five, in 
many cases, would not be too short. This matter re 
quires study and preparation. It is difficult for many 
preachers to believe to what extent they do lengthen 
out their prayers. It is no easy task to be both brief 
and comprehensive in this part of the worship of God. 
6. The prayer of the sanctuary should be thoroughly 
saturated with scriptural thought and expression. The 
language of the Bible is that which the Spirit prompted, 
and which must therefore be most in accordance with 
the mind of God. For the same reason it must be Bible 
language which is best calculated to express those devo 
tional feelings which are the work of the Spirit in 
the heart. If the Spirit maketh intercession for us with 
groanings which cannot be uttered, the language which 



214 THE PASTOR 

he teaches must be the best adapted to express spiritual 
wants. Moreover, scriptural expressions are those with 
which the people are most familiar and which they can 
most easily follow. They touch chords in the heart 
which no other forms of utterance can reach. It is on 
this account that we often find laymen, whose whole 
phraseology is taken from the word of God, leading in 
this service to the greatest edification. Then, what is 
there so well calculated to excite devotional feelings as 
those hallowed utterances which the Holy Ghost indited, 
which the most godly of men have been using for ages, 
and which are associated with all that is devout and 
heavenly? Besides, the use of scriptural language in 
public prayer honors the word of God and fixes it more 
deeply in the memory and affections of the people. 
Only one caution should be given here : that is, not to 
use scriptural expressions in prayer as a mere formal 
ity, as mere stereotyped phraseology, in the use of which 
neither mind nor faith nor feeling is moved. This 
should be carefully avoided. The meaning of the Bible 
words which are used should be distinctly comprehended 
and their glowing thoughts poured out of a full heart. 
To pray in this manner will require that the devotional 
expressions of Scripture be carefully stored up in the 
mind and ready for use in the sanctuary. Every min 
ister should plan and toil to have this store become richer 
and richer. 

7. The public prayer of the pastor should be an echo 
of the deep earnestness which he has learned in the closet. 
In the closet, alone with God, with the world shut out, 
is the proper place to get the mind and heart into the 
proper tone for conducting the public devotions. There 
is the place to cultivate that all-important sense of the 
divine presence without which there can be no real 



IN THE PULPIT. 215 

prayer. There, in closest communion with our Lord 
and Saviour, we may attain to a deep impression of our 
own and the Church s wants ; there we may reach the 
necessary feeling of reality in the service ; there we may 
get the earnestness that will awaken every faculty, the 
wrestling that will not be shaken off, the importunity 
that will take no denial. There we may have poured 
out upon us " the Spirit of grace and of supplication," 
and there we may seek and obtain the divine assistance 
which is so much needed in conducting the devotions of 
God s people. From that mount of blessed intercourse 
with God we might come down with face beaming, heart 
glowing and faith so strong that the people would feel, 
whilst we led in their supplications, that we stood with 
them at the very gate of heaven. That minister who 
is but seldom in his closet, and but cold when there, will 
certainly be weak in public prayer, but the one who is 
mighty in private with God will also be mighty in 
public. 



PREPARATION OF THE MIND FOR ENTERING THE 
PULPIT. 

This may seem a small matter, but it is in fact one 
of very great importance, not only to the preacher him 
self, but also to his whole audience. It is not enough 
that the sermon should be prepared and ready to be 
preached, but there should also be such a state of mind 
as would impart unction to it and to all the other parts 
of the service. This point is worthy of much attention ; 
the preacher s own comfort is involved ; the success of 
the sermon in finding its way to the hearts of the hearers 
is at stake. In fact, the tone of devotion that is to per 
vade the whole congregation is closely connected with 



216 THE PASTOR 

that which fills the preacher s heart as he enters the 
sacred desk. If his heart is cold, his thoughts dis 
tracted and his mind filled with lower cares, then the 
whole service will almost necessarily be destitute of spir 
itual power. It may not be possible for him to have 
perfect command over the state of his mind when enter 
ing upon the worship of the house of God, but by dil 
igent attention he may approximate that happy frame 
that will make his ministrations a delight both to his 
audience and to himself. To this end he should strive to 
have his mind freed from everything distracting, filled 
with the Spirit, impressed with a sense of the great 
importance of the duties before him, glowing with love 
and fresh from blessed communion with his Saviour. 

Before going into the pulpit there should, of course, 
be some length of time spent in secret prayer with ref 
erence to the particular service about to be entered on. 
In such preparatory devotion of the closet the mind 
should be elevated and filled with the spirit of adora 
tion. That is the place to get near to God, to obtain 
the unction from on high, to make sure of the Spirit s 
presence from the beginning to the end of the approach 
ing public worship. But besides this secret prayer pre 
paratory to entering the pulpit, and besides the premed 
itated effort to have the mind in a high devotional frame, 
there are certain precautionary hints that should receive 
attention. 

1. The mind should be kept as free as possible from 
anxiety concerning the sermon about to be preached. If 
the preparation for it is felt to be too imperfect, or if it 
be not yet finished, or if there be too much solicitude 
about getting through it, or about the impression it may 
make, then the mind is sure to be agitated, and so far 
disqualified for the duty of the hour. To avoid this the 



IN THE PULPIT. 217 

sermon should be conscientiously studied out, its prep 
aration completed in due time, and then the whole 
matter trusted to the providence of God, with the mind 
perfectly calm. 

2. The portion of Scripture to be read and the hymns 
to be given out should all be selected beforehand qnd 
carefully gone over, so that their contents may be fully 
known. It is sorely distracting to be compelled to search 
for hymns in the pulpit or to turn over the leaves of the 
Bible for some chapter half remembered, and perhaps 
not at all appropriate to the subject on hand when found. 
All this should be guarded against by previous prep 
aration. 

3. The minuter should set himself resolutely against 
hearing anything that might worry or agitate him as he 
enters the pulpit. There are often well-meaning but 
thoughtless persons, and more frequently habitual fault 
finders, who will waylay him there to tell him of some 
trouble that is brewing in the church, of some members 
who are walking unworthily, or of some duty which is 
calculated to perplex. This is simply cruel ; it is tor 
turing the minister when there is most need for his 
mind to be settled. Surely, the Lord s Day, and espe 
cially that important moment of it, should be spared to 
him. All his ingenuity should be exerted in devis 
ing methods for freeing himself from this sore an 
noyance. 

4. The notices which are handed him to be read in the 
pulpit often disconcert the preacher at the commencement 
of public worship. Sometimes they pertain to matters 
of which he does not approve, sometimes to outside re 
ligious meetings to be held at the same hours with some 
of his own stated services, sometimes to things which are 
purely secular. Then the conflict between his sense of 

28 



218 THE PASTOR 

duty, or the dictates of his judgment, or even his per 
sonal feelings and his desire not to give offence, is often 
painful as well as perplexing. He must decide prompt 
ly, for there is no time for deliberation ; and thus his 
mind may become so distracted as to be unfitted for the 
subsequent duties of the hour. Probably the best way 
to overcome this difficulty is to have all notices, other 
than those of the ordinary services of the congregation, 
go into the hands of a committee of the session, and let 
it be responsible for their being read or not read. Then 
the preacher, upon the state of whose mind so much 
depends, will be saved from what might mar the whole 
exercises of the day. 



WEITTEN OR EXTEMPORANEOUS SERMONS. 

This is a practical point which meets every preacher 
at the commencement of his ministry, and it must receive 
attention at once. On this account, although it prop 
erly belongs to the subject of Homiletics, it must not be 
overlooked when the general work of the pastor is under 
consideration ; and it may as well be acknowledged at 
once that no positive decision can be given as to which 
plan, in all cases, is the better one. Some preachers can 
succeed better in the use of the one method, and some 
in the other. Some men have such ready command of 
language and such self-possession that it is better for 
them to use no notes in the pulpit ; but some are so me 
thodical in the presentation of their thoughts, so slow 
in the selection of their words and so easily disconcerted 
before an audience, that it is far better for them to use 
the manuscript. Then it is certainly advisable for each 
one ordinarily to follow the plan which he finds, upon 
fair trial, to be the better one for him. As a matter of 



IN THE PULPIT. 219 

fact, we find that some of the greatest preachers of the 
world have carefully written and read every word, while 
some just as great have not taken a line into the pulpit. 
Each plan undoubtedly has its advantages, which should 
be carefully considered. 

Some of the advantages of the plan of writing ser 
mons are these : It secures more accuracy in stating 
gospel truths and doctrines, and more correct quotation 
of Scripture. When sermons are deliberately written 
out there is better opportunity of studying variety a 
fact which Dr. J. W. Alexander has well presented : 
" It has been observed that preachers who rely upon 
their extemporaneous powers are very apt to fall into a 
very great sameness. They repeat the same thoughts 
and the same trains of thought, and at length almost 
the same sermons; and this they do without being con 
scious of it. ... Mere writing is not a certain prevent 
ive of this evil, but it has an excellent tendency to pre 
vent it, as ensuring an excellent amount of fresh study, 
and by keeping the mind, for longer periods and with 
greater deliberation, in view of the truth." In this 
way, too, there can be more conciseness in the present 
ation of truth. Moreover, the habit of writing sermons 
so accustoms one to writing that he is prepared to con 
tribute something as every minister should to the 
press. Besides, sermons that are carefully written can 
be preserved for future use, and perhaps prove invalu 
able, it may be, in old age, when mental vigor shall have 
declined. One thing the preacher should carefully ob 
serve when he uses written sermons that is, to make 
himself beforehand thoroughly familiar with his man 
uscript, going over it at least four or five times, so that 
he may deliver the sermon with the utmost freedom. 

Extempore preaching also has its advantages, among 



220 THE PASTOR 

which we may enumerate the following : It can be made 
very direct and impressive. It affords an opportunity 
for introducing new and striking matter that may pre 
sent itself at the moment. It helps, by the peculiar 
preparation it demands, to store the memory with di 
vine truth. It economizes time by doing away with the 
drudgery of writing. It gives ability for extemporane 
ous speaking in church courts, on the platform or on 
any other occasion when much preparation would be 
impossible. Then the ability for this kind of preach 
ing can be gained in almost all cases where there is 
persistent effort for it. The grand secret of reaching it 
is to know exactly, by previous diligent study, what is 
wanted to be said, and then trust to the moment for the 
language. 

Considering, then, that each plan has its own manifest 
advantages, the general conclusion is obvious, that for 
most ministers it is advisable sometimes to use the one 
method and sometimes the other. Each has some train 
ing process or some other benefit to confer upon him 
who practices it ; the two need not be antagonistic to 
each other ; they may rather be made supplemental, and 
help each other. We would recommend that in ordi 
nary cases both plans be used occasionally. When there 
are two services on the Sabbath it is a most excellent 
rule to write one of them and to conduct the other in 
an extemporaneous manner. In this way the advan 
tages of both methods may be secured. 



MAY SERMONS SOMETIMES BE REPEATED? 

In respect to this matter there are two extremes, both 
of which should be avoided. Some ministers indulge 
in the habit of repeating sermons so frequently as to 



IN THE PULPIT. 221 

wrong their audience and seriously injure themselves in 
many ways. Others, again, are too scrupulous. When 
a sermon has been very carefully prepared on an im 
portant subject, and preached to the great edification 
of the people, why should they not in some future year 
have the same benefit from it ? It is acknowledged that 
a sermon may sometimes be preached a second time to 
the great profit of a congregation. Hearers are occa 
sionally censorious about this matter without reason, and 
certainly without reflection. Sometimes preachers them 
selves are far more cautious about it than is for the ad 
vantage of either themselves or their hearers. On the 
other hand, where it is very often done done so as to 
excite just criticism among the people the effect must 
be evil. Its tendency is to foster habits of slothfulness 
in the preacher himself, and to prevent that freshness 
and appropriateness in his discourses which are so de 
sirable ; to awaken dissatisfaction among the hearers, 
and to give an advantage to any who might be un 
friendly, and so to greatly injure the preacher s use 
fulness. 

It is well, therefore, to establish some general prin 
ciples according to which only the repetition of sermons 
will be allowed. It is not wise to trust the matter to 
the casual feelings of the day. When, then, is it allow 
able that sermons should be preached again to the same 
congregation ? The following rules may be suggested : 
A sermon ma} 7 be repeated after some time when it has 
been prepared for a class of persons who were not pres 
ent at its first delivery ; when it was carefully prepared, 
but, the weather being unfavorable, there were at first 
but few present; when unexpected calls upon the min 
ister s time render a new preparation utterly impossible; 
when, being very carefully prepared, new circumstances 



222 THE PASTOR IN THE PULPIT. 

in the congregation promise great good from its repeti 
tion ; when judicious persons in the church earnestly 
request that it should be preached again. Only, let not 
a duty of such vast importance as that of preaching 
be performed in a spirit of slothfulness. Let not the 
people have reason to think that their pastor could be 
tempted by a motive so unworthy. Let not this or any 
other of the duties of the pulpit be discharged in a 
spirit unworthy of the awful Presence and of the mo 
mentous results that must follow. 



CHAPTER V. 

THE PASTOR IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL 
WORK. 

PREACHING is the chief work of the ministerial office, 
but it is not by any means the only one. There are 
many other duties, of a less prominent but of a deeply 
important nature, which devolve upon the pastor in his 
relations to the particular flock over which the Holy 
Ghost hath made him overseer. In the present chapter 
we would treat of such of these parochial duties, other 
than that of preaching, as belong to him personally 
duties which either cannot be performed by any other 
than the minister or are justly expected of him. Like 
the Great Master, it is the calling of the ministerial 
servant to go about doing good. It is an elementary 
principle of his office as a pastor that he is to watch over 
the flock committed to his care. Most solemn is the ob 
ligation resting upon ministers to watch for souls as 
those who must give account. These less conspicuous 
duties of the ministerial office are indispensable. With 
out due attention to them no man can be either faithful 
or successful in the sacred calling. Great preaching- 
power will not do without this. A man may be a great 
preacher, but through neglect of the other pastoral 
duties come far short of the good he might otherwise 
have accomplished. On the other hand, it is often the 
case that a minister of but moderate power in the pul 
pit will do much for the cause of Christ by his tact and 

223 



224 THE PASTOR 

industry and fidelity in the other parochial duties. This 
is a holy art which should be carefully studied and dil 
igently practiced by every ordained workman in the 
vineyard of the Lord. 



PASTORAL VISITING. 

A prominent part of the pastor s work is to go from 
house to house and see all the families of his congre 
gation at home. It is expected of him, and justly, 
that he should occasionally enter into every household, 
carrying with him the spirit and the message of the 
gospel. This duty of the minister is indispensable. It 
is indispensable that he should visit the families of his 
congregation, and it is also very desirable that he should 
see other families and seek to interest them in the great 
concerns of their souls. No faithful pastor can or will 
neglect this work of pastoral visiting. It was sanctioned 
and made obligatory by apostolic example. Paul could 
say to the Ephesians : " I kept back nothing that was 
profitable unto you, but have showed you and have 
taught you publicly and from house to house." We 
read also of the apostles that " daily in the temple and 
in every house they ceased not to teach and to preach 
Jesus Christ." 

This visiting of the pastor is necessary in order that 
he may know and keep up acquaintance with the people 
of his charge. It would be a cold business to preach to 
an assembly of people when they were not even person 
ally known. The pastor must become acquainted indi 
vidually with his hearers in order to exert the proper 
influence with them. It is particularly important that 
he should know, by name if possible, every one of the 
children. That minister possesses a great source of in- 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 225 

fluence who knows every youth and child of his congre 
gation and can call them by name, as well as take them 
by the hand, when he meets them. But it is no easy 
task to keep up this acquaintance with every one, young 
and old, in a large congregation. It requires painstaking 
to do it. And there is no other way in which it can be 
done so well as by seeing the families and becoming ac 
quainted with them at home. 

Unless the pastor is in the habit of calling frequently 
upon the people of his charge it is difficult to see how 
he can keep up a proper interest in them. How can he 
have the necessary pastoral attachment to them if he 
never sees them excepting casually on the Sabbath ? 
Moreover, how can he so well show his interest in them? 
It is obvious that a pastor should cultivate the affections 
of his people. He should endeavor to draw them to 
himself in order that he may thereby be enabled to 
draw them to Christ. And nothing will contribute so 
powerfully to this good- will between pastor and people 
as visiting them at their homes. This will prove to 
them that their minister cares for them. The resulting 
attachment and confidence will more than repay for 
all the trouble that may have been taken. Even when 
visiting is not directly beneficial in spiritual things, it 
will produce this kindly feeling. It will prove a bond 
of friendship. The people will listen more attentively 
to the words of the minister whom they love ; he will 
have far more influence with them, and they will help 
him more cordially in every work for the upbuilding of 
the kingdom. 

It is necessary that the pastor should go amongst his 
people in order that he may become acquainted with 
their spiritual wants and trials and temptations in order 
that he may sympathize with them in their joys and 

29 



226 THE PASTOR 

sorrows. There are sorrows of soul, troubles and per 
plexities of spirit, about which many long to consult 
him who is their spiritual guide and friend. Deeply 
important to the pastor are the questions, Who of his 
dear people are doubting ? Who tempted ? Who al 
most giving up in despair ? Who inquiring the way 
of life ? Who almost in the kingdom ? Who needing 
but a word from him to bring them to a happy decision 
for Jesus ? These wants can be found out only by his 
going amongst the people and seeing and hearing from 
themselves. The pastor will find that there are always 
those who are just waiting for him to open a conversa 
tion with them about their eternal interests. 

This work of helping individual souls in their spirit 
ual conflicts, helping them to find Christ, or helping 
them to a closer embrace if they have already found 
him, is one of the most blessed avocations of the pastor. 
He should go from house to house, with a word of coun 
sel or comfort to all who will listen or open their hearts 
to him as pastor and friend. He should give instruc 
tion as to innumerable points which may not ever be 
reached in the pulpit. He should comfort the sorrow 
ing, the embarrassed and the sorely tried. He should 
assist in solving doubts and taking away false confi 
dences. He should minister in all those peculiarities 
of spiritual wants which can be reached only by com 
ing near to the souls of individuals in the sympathy 
of Christ. 

In mingling with the people, going from house to 
house among them, hearing their views, learning their 
aspirations, ascertaining their wants, knowing their trials, 
sympathizing with them, participating in their joys and 
sorrows, and learning to love them, we have an eminently 
valuable method of gathering both matter and motive for 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 227 

preaching. We may learn from the godly of them a re 
ligious experience that will be fresh and precious. From 
the wants that we meet we may know what to preach, 
and how to shape our discourses so that they may be 
the most profitable. Then the love for the people 
which we gradually acquire by associating with them 
will compel us to preach with an earnestness that is bent 
on their spiritual welfare. We will then plead with 
them as with friends who are dear to our hearts, and 
as no others could plead with them. This will give liv 
ing fervidness to our discourses and clothe them with a 
power that will be irresistible. 

The fact is, that in order to perform the duties of his 
calling with any measure of fidelity the pastor must 
come near to his people nearer to them than he can 
possibly get in the pulpit near to them as individuals. 
In the pulpit he must treat them in the mass, but never 
will he be able to influence them as he should until he 
gets into personal communion with them. Dr. John 
Hall has presented this thought in an impressive man 
ner : " The experience of the Church is that that pastor 
effects the most in the end who comes into closest per 
sonal contact with his charge. No amount of organiz 
ing, no skill in creating machinery and manipulating 
committees, is a substitute for this. Who feels the 
power of a tear in the eye of a committee ? The min 
ister who would be like the Master must go, and like 
him, lay the warm, kindly hand on the leper, the dis 
eased, the wretched. He must touch the blind eyes with 
something from himself. The tears must be in his own 
eyes over the dead who are to be raised to spiritual life." 

It has been objected against much family visiting 
that it takes away too much of the time of the min 
ister from his study. But surely this objection is not 



228 THE PASTOR 

well considered. It certainly would never be urged by 
those who have much experience in the active work 
of the pastor. It should be remembered that the 
business of the minister is not simply to be a student, 
but it is to bring the truth into contact with the minds 
and consciences of men. Can it interfere with that 
work to go amongst men and learn their wants and 
susceptibilities, to get near to their hearts, gain their 
affection and open the way for the reception of God s 
message ? Is not this one of the best possible methods 
of learning how to preach and how to study ? Besides, 
let it be remembered that it cannot possibly be a waste 
of time for a pastor to engage in that which is one of 
the most important elements of his calling, even the 
personal oversight of the flock which the Great Shep 
herd has committed to his care. 

This deeply-important work of pastoral visiting can 
often be conducted to the great profit of the people by 
ministers who have not great power as preachers. Some 
times persons who may not be able to attract in the pul 
pit can make up for the deficiency by their success in 
preaching from house to house. Then, not one pastor 
in a hundred can be eminently successful, and continue 
so, unless he visits his people. The attendance will not 
keep up when this duty is neglected. When it is faith 
fully discharged its effects will immediately be seen in 
bringing to the house of God those who had grown cold 
and begun to absent themselves, and in the occasional 
presence of some who had hitherto utterly ignored the 
sanctuary. When a minister does not visit his people 
he will not know them, there will be no attachment 
between him and them, he will be ignorant of their 
spiritual wants, he will lose one of the best guides and 
spurs to a faithful presentation of the gospel, and his 



JN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 22J 

whole ministry will be destitute of one of the best 
elements of its usefulness and one of its sweetest 
charms. 



HOW OFPEN SHOULD PASTORAL VISITS BE MADE? 

Before attempting a direct answer to this question a 
preparatory consideration or two will be in place. A 
duty of so much importance as this in the calling of 
the pastor ought manifestly to be performed in a sys 
tematic manner. There is no branch of the ministerial 
work in which system is more necessary than in this. 
Very much of the well-known failure of ministers to 
satisfy their people in this thing undoubtedly arises 
from its being usually performed in a casual, unmethod 
ical way. If it is not done according to a prearranged 
plan, it will almost necessarily happen that some families 
will be frequently visited, while others will be wellnigh 
utterly neglected. Then too there will usually be accu 
mulated a mass of unperformed duty in visiting, the 
thought of which will keep the minister in a state of 
constant discomfort. Very much of this difficulty may 
be avoided by system by having a carefully-ordered 
plan of the work a plan that will enter into all its 
minutiae. 

An important step toward such system is to make out 
a correct catalogue of all the families and parts of fam 
ilies composing the congregation. If there is not such 
a roll carefully kept, it will be almost certain that some 
families will be omitted in visiting; but it will show at 
a glance where to go where to go first, which it is often 
a matter of difficulty to determine. It will stir one up 
to visit a family or families that have been too long 
neglected. It is, in fact, the only way by which all the 



230 THE PASTOR 

families of a congregation can be kept before the atten 
tion. It is of course necessary if there is to be any 
system whatever in visiting. This register should be 
often consulted ; it should be made very familiar, so 
that the families upon it may be kept constantly before 
the mind of the pastor. 

A catalogue of this kind which has been long in use 
may be described. For the sake of convenience in 
finding the names, the large congregation is divided 
into seven or eight districts, and the families of each 
district recorded on a separate page of the book kept 
for the purpose. Opposite the list of names there are 
perpendicular lines, about a quarter of an inch apart, 
drawn from the top to the bottom of the page. The 
date of the visit to each family is placed in the space 
between these perpendicular lines in the form of a frac 
tion, the denominator being the number of the month 
and the numerator the day of the month. In this way 
the page presents the exact time of the last visit to each 
family in the district. As soon as the whole congrega 
tion is gone through with, which will be shown by the 
filling up of all the spaces between the first two perpen 
dicular lines, the catalogue is corrected and the process 
begun anew. 

It is also necessary that the time devoted to visiting 
from house to house should be carefully economized. 
If this point is not closely watched, it will soon be found 
that an hour or two will go but a short distance in the 
work. Irrelevant conversation, casual chats here and 
there on the streets, and calls that are not needed will 
consume most of the allotted portion of time unless 
there is close attention. But by cutting off everything 
superfluous, and following strictly the list of visits pre 
viously planned out, as much again can be accomplished 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 231 

as when it is done in a haphazard manner. The fam 
ilies to be visited during one afternoon should be selected 
in the same street or neighborhood, so that as little time 
as possible may be spent on the way from house to house. 
Whilst occasionally a visit may occupy some length of 
time because of special interest or special wants, ordina 
rily the time spent at each house need not be long not 
longer than about twenty minutes. It is better that 
visits should not be protracted. By attention to these 
and other such small matters it will be found that much 
time can be saved, and much more, and just as profit 
able, visiting can be accomplished in the end. 

Now we are prepared to offer an answer to the ques 
tion, How often should pastoral visits be made? And 
the answer we suggest is, that in all ordinary cases the 
minister should adopt the rule of visiting each of the 
families of his charge three times a year. If the visits 
are more frequent than this the work may become a 
drudgery to the pastor, and his calls grow to be not 
quite so highly valued by the people. If they are less 
frequent, the desirable acquaintanceship and friendly 
intercourse and spiritual supervision can scarcely be 
kept up. It is important that a definite rule about this 
matter be observed in order that the pastor may know 
the work before him and arrange for it, and so not 
come short through inadvertency. 

But can this be done ? Can pastors, in the average 
of congregations, visit all their people three times each 
year ? Can this be done without encroaching too much 
upon other duties? Can it be done without becoming 
a toil and a burden from which most ministers would 
ultimately shrink ? Can it be done without compelling 
them to put forth an unreasonable amount of effort? 
We answer emphatically, Yes. It can be done easily. 



232 THE PASTOR 

It can be done from year to year without wearying. It 
can be done so as to be a comfort and recreation, as well 
as a profit, to the pastor. 

It might seem to be difficult, perhaps impossible, to ac 
complish so much ; but there is a plan by which the 
difficulty may be overcome a plan by which all this 
work, formidable though it may seem, can be got 
through with easily. For twenty-five years a pastor 
devised schemes and tried experiments by which to 
satisfy both his people and himself in visiting, but soon 
wearied of them all. At length a scheme more simple, 
more natural and more easy than any of them presented 
itself to his mind, and the problem was solved. The 
key was found. All that was before so formidable in 
the duty was gone ; henceforth it was plain and easy. 
The plan cannot be recommended too highly to every 
working pastor. It is predicted that it will prove almost 
like a charm in a branch of his calling which is to many 
ministers so irksome. 

The plan is simply to calculate how many visits a 
week it will require in order to go through all the fam 
ilies of the congregation three times in a year, and then 
rigidly adhere to the rule of paying just that number 
of visits in the early part of each week. This plan will 
take one through the congregation, and through it and 
through it again, almost without his knowing it. It is 
surprising how light this rule, strictly carried out, makes 
the work. Supposing the congregation to be one of 
moderate size, consisting of one hundred families, then 
it will require only six visits a week no more than 
could be paid in a single afternoon to go through it 
three times in the year. Suppose it were a larger con 
gregation, containing one hundred and fifty families, 
then only nine visits a week would be needed. Sup- 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 233 

pose it to be one of the very largest congregations, hav 
ing a membership of over five hundred persons, or two 
hundred and fifty families ; even then only fifteen visits 
a week would be wanted to go through it three times a 
year. All that is requisite is to fix upon the weekly 
quota of visits and let them be promptly performed. 
The task for each week is so light that there needs to 
be no shrinking from it or falling behind in the work. 
It is recommended that the visits be made early in the 
week say on Tuesday and Wednesday and then there 
can be freedom from all care as to that duty all the rest 
of the week. The minister can then study with more 
composure, feeling that that branch of his week s work 
is done. The rest of the visiting time of the week can 
be deliberately devoted to the sick, to strangers and to 
the interests of the Sabbath-school. Then, though the 
people may find fault that their pastor does not visit 
enough, the weekly work going steadily on, gives him 
composure and the assurance that it will come out well 
in the end. There is hardly anything that will yield 
more satisfaction and comfort to the life of a pastor 
than the adoption, and persistent carrying out, of this 
plan. It will not then be any task for him to visit all 
his families three times in each year. 



HOW SHOULD PASTORAL VISITING BE CONDUCTED? 

There are many things which make it difficult to 
give such counsel on this subject as will be applicable 
to the generality of ministers. There is great diversity 
in ministers themselves, some of them having no diffi 
culty whatever in introducing religious conversation, 
others from natural diffidence or other causes finding it 

30 



234 THE PASTOR 

almost impossible to ask for admission into the sacred 
precincts of other hearts. There is also great difference 
in families as to their accessibility in spiritual matters. 
Then the circu instances under which pastoral visits are 
paid, and the times and places, are all so unlike that it 
seems impossible to lay down very exact rules for con 
ducting them. No definite rules can perhaps be wise 
ly established or should be rigidly adhered to. After 
much reflection, and consultation with experienced pas 
tors, it is thought best merely to indicate a few general 
principles which should govern in this important pas 
toral duty, where love to God and souls and good sense 
and sanctified tact are so much needed. 

The old plan of pastoral visiting was to announce 
from the pulpit the Sabbath previous the districts or 
families to be called upon during the respective days 
of the week, and then, generally in company with an 
elder, to hold formal personal religious exercises in 
each household and with each individual. This plan 
gave a character of religiousness to the visit that was 
very important. It opened the way at once for conver 
sation about spiritual interests. In some communities 
it may still perhaps be carried out to advantage. But 
it is doubtful whether at the present time it is gene 
rally practicable. There is not now that influence of 
pastoral authority that would ensure the assembling of 
the family at the day and hour assigned. Many mem 
bers of families could scarcely be induced to meet and 
converse with their pastor at any appointed hour. Some 
would rather make the expectation of his coming an 
occasion for being absent from home. Neither would it 
generally be advisable to hold close personal conver 
sation with parents before children, or with children 
before parents, or with almost any in presence of others. 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 235 

The very formality of the plan would militate against 
its good results. 

The general counsels, then, which we would give 
about the whole matter are these : 

1. There should be as little formality in the visit of 
the pastor as possible. A call that is simply official, and 
that is made in a professional manner, will not be highly 
esteemed or secure the confidence of either old or young. 
When it is conducted in a functional manner it will lose 
much of its value, and be positively repulsive to many. 
But when the pastor goes to see his people as their 
friend, the young will not shun him, his words of coun 
sel or instruction will have more weight, and he will 
be likely to gain such confidence as will lead them to 
open their hearts and let him know their spiritual wants. 
It is far better in most cases to converse about their souls 
with individuals alone. There will be less reserve and 
more freedom when parents or children or brothers or 
sisters can be seen unembarrassed by the presence of 
others. On this point the advice of Baxter was : " In 
general, take each person alone and discourse with him 
out of the hearing of the rest ; for some do not like to 
be questioned before others, and cannot answer you with 
freedom. However, let none be present but those of 
the same family, or those with whom they are familiar. 
I find by experience that, in general, people will bear 
plain and close dealing about their sin, their misery 
and their duty when you have them alone better than 
when others are present." 

2. The pastor should watch the circumstances of the 
occasion, and be guided by them in each visit he makes. 
If events are carefully observed, in almost every case 
some incident will open the way for religious conversa 
tion, for words of comfort, for instruction in divine 



236 THE PASTOR 

things, for rebuke or for prayer. Circumstances will 
generally indicate when to speak, whom to address and 
what to say. When the truths of the gospel are intro 
duced in this way, they come more naturally and they 
make a deeper impression, for they are seen in an unex 
pected light, and there is no repulsion stirred up in the 
heart against them. We have the best example, the 
highest authority and the sweetest motive for this plan 
of addressing individuals in the case of our Lord and 
the woman of Samaria. This example should always 
be kept in view by us. In all our family visits, from 
first to last, we should watch the circumstances and let 
them open the way for our gospel message. 

3. It should be the settled purpose of the pastor in 
each visit he makes to leave some good impression upon 
the family. He should never forget that he is an 
ordained minister of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not 
becoming for him to be continually obtruding his min 
isterial character, but neither should he hide it. Most 
careful should he be neither in word nor act to do 
anything inconsistent with the sacred office he holds 
and the precious interests committed to his trust. He 
should neglect no opportunity of saying a word for 
Christ, or of doing something that will recommend 
religion, and so should he make every interview prof 
itable. Never should he close a visit without the per 
suasion that something has been done, by word, deed, 
or prayer, that will help the great cause. If he has 
not this conviction that some good impression has been 
made, he should be sorely dissatisfied with himself. 
This is probably the very best rule of pastoral visit 
ing that can be adopted. To carry it out, tact, good 
sense and a quickened heart will be needed, but it is 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 237 

of so much importance that the holy art should be 
persistently cultivated. 



VISITING THE SICK. 

This is one of the most trying and responsible duties 
to which the pastor is called. It is no wonder that the 
youthful minister often trembles when he is summoned 
to stand by the bedside of a dying man and guide the 
soul that must soon launch out into eternity. There 
is nothing that tries him so much as this. A man can 
scarcely be placed in a more solemn position than to be 
called to minister to the weak, the suffering, the dying, 
perhaps the self-deceived, the hardened, the ignorant 
and the impenitent, or to the awakened whose minutes 
for finding pardon are almost closed. Who is suffi 
cient for the solemn task of directing a soul that is 
tottering upon the brink of eternity, when a wrong 
word may be fatal or a right one may be the means 
of immediately opening the gates of endless glory ? In 
nothing is the pastor in more need of prayer for the 
direct help of the Holy Ghost. Never should he enter 
upon this duty without special supplication that he may 
have that help. 

There should be a distinct understanding in every 
congregation that the minister is to be informed by their 
friends when persons are sick. Ministers are often un 
justly censured about this matter. They cannot be ex 
pected to know of every case of sickness to know it 
because persons are out of their places in church or be 
cause their illness is generally known in the neighbor 
hood. Neither can ministers be expected immediately 
to see every case of slight indisposition of which they 
may accidentally hear in a large congregation. It should 



238 THE PASTOR 

be published from the pulpit with emphasis that it is 
the duty of friends to apprise the pastor of every case 
of illness to apprise him, not in a roundabout, inci 
dental way, through which he may happen to get the 
information, but directly and purposely, so that he may 
know without mistake that he is wanted. The pastor 
should insist again and again that this information be 
given him. He should announce that if it is not he is 
not to be blamed for neglecting the sick. He should 
have it distinctly understood that the responsibility will 
rest with the friends. For the sake of the sick, for the 
sake of Christ who may be glorified in them, he should 
plead with people to send for him in as direct a manner 
as they would for the physician. Nevertheless, it will 
not do for one to wait for such information. After 
all that can be said or done, people will be strangely 
neglectful about this matter. There should be con 
stant attention to ascertain where visits to the sick are 
needed. 

Patients ought, beyond question, to be seen by a spir 
itual adviser. If Christians, the minister should see 
them to strengthen them, comfort them and receive their 
testimony as to the excellency of Christ and his salva 
tion. If impenitent, every conceivable effort should be 
made to snatch them as brands from the burning. It 
would be cruel to neglect them. No apprehension of 
exciting, and so injuring them physically, should prevent 
the minister from seeing them. It has been clearly 
shown by Dr. Archibald Alexander and others, from 
actual instances, that the judicious ministrations of a 
pastor may help the patient in body may even help 
in restoring him to health. But even at the risk of the 
body the immortal interests of the soul should receive 
the first attention. Besides, the time of sickness is an 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 239 

admirable one for the minister to illustrate in himself 
the benevolence of the gospel by showing its sympathy 
with the suffering. And he may now attach to himself 
and his ministrations the families of the patients more 
firmly than he could in any other manner. Vinet has 
put this point very forcibly : " The success or zeal only 
of the pastor in this part of his ministry is one of the 
most appropriate means of his becoming popular. Every 
one is sensible of the merit of this work, even without 
appreciating sufficiently its entire object and results." 
This is the minister s splendid opportunity for imitating 
the example and manifesting the spirit of Christ. The 
providential opportunity of sickness in any of his fami 
lies must be diligently improved by every faithful pastor. 
He must see the sick and be faithful to them at any 
sacrifice. 

It will be seen that on this branch of ministerial duty, 
which is of such grave importance, and the discharge 
of which is likely to cause so much embarrassment to 
the youthful pastor, there should be much pains taken 
to present the teachings of experience. Help is needed 
here by the minister if anywhere. We would therefore 
throw out a number of suggestions which may be made 
of practical value, some of which can be applied at 
one time and some at others, and all of which should 
be pondered by the pastor and so modified, if need 
be, as to suit his own temperament and circumstances. 

1. Visits to the sick ought ordinarily to be brief. 
When persons are prostrated by weakness or suffering 
pain they cannot bear to be long taxed by the presence 
of any other than their ordinary attendants. A long- 
continued visit excites and often seriously injures them ; 
and when the pastor protracts his remarks so as to pro 
duce such nervous exhaustion, little that he says will be 



240 THE PASTOR 

closely attended to or remembered. Besides, when a 
patient is frequently visited and a long address is made 
each time, the appropriate subjects will soon be exhausted 
and have to be repeated again and again. Moreover, 
long visits to several patients will draw seriously upon 
the time of the minister, which needs to be economized. 
But when the visit is brief, the remarks made will be 
more pointed, and when the minister takes his leave he 
will be cordially invited and welcomed to come again. 
It is far better, then, in almost all instances, that the 
visits should be short but frequent. It would not be a 
bad rule to adopt that about fifteen minutes should be 
spent in each of them. This rule was recommended by 
the richly-experienced Dr. Samuel Miller. Of course 
there will be occasions when more time than this will 
be absolutely necessary, while often the visit will have 
to be very brief indeed. When patients are very ill 
it is better that the conversation with them should be 
exclusively about spiritual things. There will ordina 
rily be neither the time nor the inclination for anything 
else. 

2. The utmost tenderness should be used in praying 
and conversing with the suffering. This does not mean 
that a whining tone of sympathy is to be kept up in 
our intercourse with them. That would cast a chill 
over them, and the very presence of the minister would 
bring a gloom with it to the sick-bed. But we should 
not needlessly alarm them. They are, of course, very 
sensitive, and every word and hint and look is closely 
watched. A word may go like a dagger to their hearts, 
and result in dampening all their hopes and perhaps 
impairing the prospect of their recovery. It is cruel to 
be harsh or needlessly severe with those who are already 
suffering in body and depressed in mind. We should 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 241 

in reality sympathize with them, and when fidelity re 
quires that they should be warned of the near approach 
of death, it should be done with all the tender consider 
ation our hearts can contrive or our words utter. We 
should strive to put ourselves in their solemn place and 
deal with them accordingly. Great must be our tact 
and judgment and love to be at once cheerful and 
faithful with those who are growing weaker and 
weaker, even unto death. 

3. It is often best that patients should be seen alone. 
The minister can be more free in questioning and coun 
seling them when he is not trammeled by the conscious 
ness that others are listening and scrutinizing every 
word. The irrepressible sorrow of surrounding friends 
often excites patients and renders calm conversation 
with them impossible. Then, the sick will generally 
open their hearts more fully to the minister when 
others are not present. They will sometimes tell him 
what they woul d not utter if restrained by the presence 
of other listeners. Sometimes, as Dr. Archibald Alex 
ander wisely suggested, when their consciences are bur 
dened by the memory of special sins, it is necessary to 
see them alone. Where the visit is with elderly per 
sons, with persons who have been prominent in society, 
or with the impenitent, it is important that, at least oc 
casionally, no others should be present. Of course, it 
is not always possible that all attendants should be 
excluded, nor is it always desirable that they should. 
When it is important that patients should be seen alone, 
the minister should enter into that understanding with 
the family before going into the room. 

4. The pastor should strive to become clearly acquaint 
ed with the state of the patient s mind. As the physician 
makes his diagnosis, so should he ascertain the nature 

31 



242 THE PASTOR 

of the case with which he has to do. He should ask 
the sick as to their spiritual views and hopes ; he should 
draw out of them the exact state of their hearts toward 
God ; they should be encouraged to tell their hopes and 
fears, and their reasons for them ; they should be al 
lowed, without interruption, to detail, as they often will, 
their experiences and their views. The minister should, 
if possible, gain their confidence, so that they may open 
their hearts to him very freely. It will do them good 
thus to unburden their hearts to a Christian friend ; and 
sometimes a proper confession of sins awfully, though, 
the doctrine has been abused helps to soften the heart 
and lead the way toward conversion. The knowledge 
of the state of the patient s mind is of special value to 
the minister, because it will serve to direct him in his 
conversation and prayer. Then the remarks can be 
made in a pertinent manner, difficulties of the mind 
can be removed, false hopes can be exposed, ignorance 
can be instructed, the way to light and life can be 
pointed out, or unnecessary fears can be overcome; 
promises can be urged, comfort can be given and the 
soul made happy and peaceful even in death. 

5. The Scriptures should often be read or passages 
quoted in these visits. When it is considered that the 
word is divine, that it is appointed of God for the con 
version of sinners and edification of believers, and that 
it is the Spirit s own instrument for affecting the heart, 
then the importance of this counsel will be felt. There 
is a pertinency and power in the inspired teachings upon 
which we may well rely. Even when patients are very 
weak, we should read the word, quote it, repeat so as to 
impress it, emphasize and explain its rich instructions. 
Through many examples given by Dr. Archibald Alex 
ander and others, it has been proved that the simple 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 243 

teachings of God s book, presented to the minds of even 
skeptical and doubting patients, is often far better than 
any process of argument that can be entered into with 
them. To read or quote passages of Scripture will fre 
quently be a great relief to the pastor when the case is 
so serious and pressing that, of himself, he is utterly at 
a loss what to say. Indeed, this is often almost all that 
can be done, when the patient either cannot or will not 
speak, and when we are scarcely sure that any words 
are heard. It is well, therefore, for ministers to have a 
large store of passages suitable for the sick laid up in 
memory and ready for use. There should be deliberate 
and continued preparation for this, as it is a matter 
which we cannot afford to overlook. 

6. It is a good plan to preach little sermons sometimes 
when patients are in such condition that they can listen. 
This was a frequent practice with Rev. R. Murray 
McCheyne. The plan will be of much advantage 
when the same person has to be visited often, and 
when, therefore, it is found difficult to present the ap 
propriate truth with sufficient variety. It will suggest 
new points of interest and be a guide to the minister s 
own thoughts and language. Very often patients will 
scarcely utter a word or will answer only in monosyllables; 
then the pastor is thrown upon his own resources, and 
it is a great relief for him to take some appropriate text 
and dwell upon it and let it direct his words. The 
patient gives him no clew what to say, but in this way 
he may have a clew from divine wisdom; and very 
often the Scripture text will guide him to the exact 
point which the patient needs. Preaching is God s own 
method of imparting truth, and it may be relied on in 
this as in all other cases. It is well, of course, to think 
of some passage beforehand and have it ready. 



244 THE PASTOR 

7. Much should be made of prayer in pastoral visits 
to the sick. Whatever else is done or not done, we 
should always pray with them. We must rely upon 
prayer as the most effectual thing we can do for bring 
ing down the needed divine blessings upon the sufferers 
and for the aid of the Spirit in our intercourse with them. 
But besides that, prayer may have an important direct 
influence upon them ; through it valuable instruction 
may be conveyed, even when the patients are too low 
to converse; through it they may be more deeply im 
pressed than in any other way; and by it their own 
heartfelt desires may be carried up to the throne. Oh, 
how importunate and how tender ministers should be 
when they are wrestling with God for the souls of those 
who are probably very soon to be in eternity ! How 
they should get near to the Divine Presence and carry 
the patients with them, and commune with God as 
those who are deeply in earnest and who will take no 
denial ! 

Vinet s remarks on this subject are worthy of much 
thought : " Expect much from prayer ; I mean not only 
from its power with God, but from its immediate effect 
on the sick. We may say everything in prayer ; under 
the form of prayer we may make everything acceptable; 
with it we may make hearts the most firmly closed open 
themselves to us. There is a true charm in prayer, and 
this charm has its effect also upon us, whom it renders 
more confident, more gentle, more patient, and whom it 
puts into an affecting fellowship with the sick man, who 
ever he may be, by making God present to us both." 
In another place his language is : " Let us hope against 
hope ; let us wrestle with God to the last moment ; let 
the voice of our prayer, let the echo of the words of 
Christ, resound in the dying man s ear even in his 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 245 

dreams. We do not know what may be passing in that 
interior world into which our views do not penetrate, 
nor by what mystery eternity may hang on one minute 
and salvation on one sigh. We do not know what may 
avail, what one ejaculation of a soul toward God may 
embrace at the last bound of earthly existence. Then 
let us not cease ; let us pray aloud with the dying man ; 
let us pray for him with a low voice ; let us commit 
without ceasing the soul to its Creator; let us be a 
priest when we can no longer be a preacher. Let the 
office of intercession, the most efficacious of all, precede, 
accompany, follow all others." 

8. In entering upon visits to unconverted patients we 
should determine to save them if it be possible. The 
sufferer may be near to death, and so the time when 
anything can be done for him be almost over. It is 
the last opportunity. The poor soul is upon the brink 
of eternity; if it be not rescued immediately it will 
soon be in hell. The case is terribly urgent. We 
should plead with God for him wrestle, wrestle with 
all our might, for soon the opportunity will be gone. 
We should plead for him, not only in the presence of the 
patient, but also in secret; and we should get others to 
plead for him. We should intercede as priests at the 
altar yea, as standing between the living and the dead. 
And we should plead with the patient to be deeply in 
earnest to give all up and fling himself into the arms 
of the Saviour. Nothing should be left undone that 
gives any promise of saving the soul that otherwise is 
just about to perish for ever. Plans should be devised 
that might be likely to succeed, and the case should be 
carefully studied day and night yea, hour after hour. 
Everything else should yield to the work of striving 
to save that dying man or woman. If necessary, even 



246 THE PASTOR 

efforts almost hopeless should be made, since the case is 
growing desperate. Never, never should we give up 
until the last breath is drawn, for we know not but that 
God, even at the last, may snatch the soul as a brand 
from the burning. His mercies are infinite, and he can 
save unto the uttermost. 

9. In conversing and praying with the sick the pastor 
should aim to benefit others also who may providentially 
be present. Friends and acquaintances gathered around 
a sick-bed will usually be very attentive to what is said 
to the patient. It is a good opportunity for making an 
impression upon them when their hearts are opened and 
made tender by the circumstances. In the remarks he 
makes, and in his prayers, the minister ought not to 
forget these. The susceptible state of their feelings 
should be wisely improved. They will listen then and 
reflect, and take home truths which at any other time 
they would hardly suffer to rest for a moment upon their 
minds. Then the impressions which may be made by 
the scene before them and by the words and prayers they 
hear should be followed up afterward so as to be made 
abiding. The opportunity of drawing toward the Sa 
viour those of them who are impenitent is an exceed 
ingly valuable one, and the most should be made of 
it. The providence which prepares them to hear with 
eagerness the comforting sounds of salvation should be 
watched and improved to the utmost. 

10. It is a good plan to leave little books and tracts 
with invalids when they are able to read them. Pages 
which contain truths just applicable to them will often 
be perused in their long hours of languish men t, and the 
appropriate instruction found in them will be pondered 
over and over again. Then the silent message from the 
printed lines can be received without the excitement or 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 247 

perturbation which the visit of even the minister will 
often produce. Sometimes the little volume of gospel 
comfort will be most welcome as a help to cheer the 
weary hours. If the patient himself is not able to read, 
generally some Christian friend will be glad to read for 
him, and so convey the words of life to the hungry soul. 
It is well for ministers to find out what little books are 
suitable for invalids in various states of mind, and so be 
prepared to furnish them when they are needed. A 
supply should always be kept on hand, for they will 
be found more valuable than might appear at first 
thought. 

11. In cases where patients are suffering from linger 
ing diseases it is advisable for ministers to make their 
arrangements for visiting them periodically. This plan 
should be adopted when the ailment is consumption or 
paralysis or nervous prostration or feebleness from age, 
or any other complaint that is slow in its progress. It 
will save such patients from the liability to neglect if 
the rule is adopted of visiting them once a week, or once 
a fortnight, or once a month, according to the imminence 
of the disease. By it, moreover, the minister would have 
his mind relieved from a constant burden of anxiety 
lest he should not give them attention enough ; the pe 
riodical visit has been paid, and so far his responsibility 
is ended ; his mind may be free from care as to that duty. 
And still further, the common complaints of invalids 
and their friends that they are neglected by their pastor 
can be effectually met by pointing to the times when 
they have been actually seen. 

12. Little meetings of Christian friends should occa 
sionally be held with persons long confined to sick-beds, 
To those who are providentially deprived of the privi 
lege of going to the sanctuary of the Lord it is a great 



248 THE PASTOR 

comfort and benefit when the ordinances are carried to 
them in this way. It is very profitable for others also 
to attend the little social gatherings for prayer and 
praise and devout meditation, when all is made solemn 
by the presence of sickness and the probable approach 
of one of the number to eternity. The pastor then has 
no trouble in finding themes appropriate to the occasion. 
The songs of praise at such times are peculiarly sweet, 
for they call up dear associations of the past, stir the 
soul with deep tenderness to Christ, and awaken blessed 
thoughts of coming glory. It is very appropriate that 
the Lord s Supper should at times be celebrated at these 
social meetings with invalids. It will be a comfort to 
them, help to strengthen their faith, and give them an 
other opportunity of showing forth their love to their 
dear Saviour. It may also prove to them a precious 
pledge of the fast-approaching time when they shall 
feast with Jesus at the glorious banquet of his Father s 
kingdom. 



VISITING THOSE WHO ARE IN SORROW. 

It was said of the Great Shepherd that the Lord sent 
him " to comfort all that mourn," and " to appoint unto 
them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for 
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise 
for the spirit of heaviness ;" and in performing that mis 
sion he left the eminent example which it is at once the 
duty and the honor of every one of his under-shepherds 
to follow. The house of mourning will ever be one of 
the chief places to which the faithful pastor will resort. 
In every congregation and at all times there are to be 
found many of the sons and daughters of affliction, and 
even the people of God are not exempt, for it is still 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 249 

true of them that " many are the afflictions of the right 
eous." Sorrows caused by the death of beloved relatives, 
painful anxieties about worldly prospects, perplexities 
and losses in business, griefs from the blasting of long- 
cherished hopes, woes planted in the heart by the mis 
conduct of the nearest kindred, these will be revealed to 
the pastor with sad frequency as he circulates through 
the families of his charge. To all these he should be 
prompt to listen and to yield the sympathy of a warm 
Christian heart. When he hears of afflictions of any 
kind coming upon households, he should not wait to be 
sent for, but should hasten to them with the rich con 
solations he gathers from the gospel. 

Seasons of sorrow in families are opportunities which 
ought to be carefully improved by ministers. The prov 
idence of God is then preparing the sufferers for the 
cordial reception of the blessings of the gospel. Their 
hearts are softened, the attractions of the world are di 
minished in power, their need of unearthly help is felt, 
and the importance of salvation as a great healing 
remedy for the soul is seen. Then the words of the 
pastor will be welcomed and listened to as conveying 
the most important information that can be received. 
As a matter of experience, most pastors can testify that 
very many persons are actually brought into the kingdom 
through afflictions. Such seasons are the minister s har 
vest-times when he should spare no pains. Griefs have 
prepared the soil under the direction of the heaven 
ly Husbandman; it is for us to cultivate it with a judg 
ment and an assiduity that must succeed in making it 
productive. 

It is of great importance that in our attempts to com 
fort those who are suffering from sore griefs we get into 
sympathy with them. We should not affect to make 

32 



250 THE PASTOR 

light of their sorrows, or rebuke the manifestation of 
them. We should not be cold in speaking of them, or 
deal with them in a mere official or perfunctory manner. 
We should bring home in imagination to ourselves the 
trials which they are passing through, and conceive 
what reflections would be most consoling to our own 
hearts in similar circumstances, and then bring the same 
consolations to bear upon them. We should bear with 
even their whims and fancies while they are so much 
pressed down by griefs. It was remarked by Dr. J. W. 
Alexander : " We must copy the physician, who often 
has to condescend to the nervous and whimsical. The 
gentleness of Paul and Paul s divine Lord should be 
always before us." The true method by which we may 
reach their hearts and help them is " to weep with them 
that weep," and that riot because we affect to sympathize 
with them, but because we really do feel for their sor 
rows. Then there are little acts of consideration, such 
as sending a note or lending a book or making a kind 
inquiry, which will show that they are thought of, and 
will be warmly appreciated, and help to heal the wounds 
of their hearts. 

The afflicted ought to be carefully attended to by the 
pastor, even if it has to be done at considerable sacrifice 
of time and toil. They should be visited from time to 
time until the days of their mourning shall be ended. 
To prevent such visits from being overlooked or 
neglected, it would be well to arrange for their being 
made periodically. Not only at the time when families 
are afflicted, but long afterward, their griefs should be 
remembered. We should take pains by our kind at 
tentions to show that we do not forget them. Even if 
we must work harder before or afterward, we should 
find time to see them often. Whatever else is neglected, 

o 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 251 

they must not be. And even if it is not a pleasant duty 
to be so much among the sorrowing, it is so Christ- like 
to be found there that we must not shrink from it. As 
pastors of the flock of God we cannot afford to neglect 

I O 

the opportunities which sorrows in the families of our 
congregation furnish of conferring benefits upon others, 
of manifesting the spirit of our holy religion, of imi 
tating the example of our Master, and of gathering souls 
into the kingdom. Such opportunities, in most cases, do 
not come frequently to the same family ; when they do 
come our hearts should be set upon their highest im 
provement. 



VISITING THE AGED. 

In these days of Sabbath-schools the attention of 
Christians is largely turned to the religious training, the 
improvement and the happiness of the young. This 
is well, for no amount of thought or expense or toil 
is too much to be bestowed upon that cause ; but the 
aged ought not to be neglected or overlooked ; their 
comfort amidst the decay of wordly pleasures and the 
increase of bodily infirmities, and their safety in the 
inevitably near approach to eternity, should be a sub 
ject of lively interest, especially with the pastor. There 
is danger of their being overlooked, as if there were lit 
tle attractive in their years of decay, as if riot much 
could be done to add to their comfort, or as if it were 
not worth while to spend efforts on those whose stay on 
earth must soon be ended. As a matter of fact it is to 
be greatly lamented that the aged are so much neglected 
by those who are passing through their more active 
years. On this account, as well as for the other rea 
sons, the pastor ought to give special attention to them. 



252 THE PASTOR 

They are a part of his charge which he is in danger 
of overlooking, but which at the same time should 
receive special care. In his unwearied attention to 
those whom others are so prone to slight he may rec 
ommend the spirit which should always distinguish 
the sacred office he holds. 

If a person who is in declining years is also without 
the consolations of religion, his condition is one which 
is calculated to excite the deepest sympathy. With 
him most of the attractions of this life are gone; his 
powers of enjoyment have all become enfeebled ; he has 
no hope in the future to cheer him ; perhaps he has 
become utterly callous as to all spiritual things ; eternity 
must be very near to him ; and, as he is, there is nothing 
before him but a speedy doom of sorrow. Everything 
conceivable should be done, by pastor and other Chris 
tian friends, to save that hoary sinner. But supposing 
the aged man to be a devoted Christian, he should still 
receive unremitting attention from his spiritual coun 
selor and friend. He needs to be strengthened while 
nature is wearing out all his powers ; he needs to be 
comforted by the consolations of religion when other 
comforters are leaving him ; the minister ought often 
to be with him to see and then to tell, with still more 
emphasis, how faith can make even one enfeebled by age 
strong strong in the Lord. 

It is manifest, then, that the pastor ought to give very 
special attention to those who are in old age. Though 
there may be no manifestation of it, yet they often do 
feel it very keenly when they are neglected. On the 
contrary, any interest manifested in them is peculiarly 
grateful. They have not many pleasures to tranquillize 
their declining years; this would be one, and surely the 
minister, at least, should yield it to them. It would be 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 253 

a good plan for him to visit them periodically ; with 
those who are very aged and feeble a call once in a 
month would be time well spent. 



MINISTERING TO AWAKENED SOULS. 

Those persons are in a deeply-interesting state of 
mind who have been brought by the Holy Ghost, 
applying the word and the providence of God, to see 
that they are in a lost and unhappy condition, that they 
need some way of deliverance, that they ought to be 
Christians, and that if they are not saved soon they 
must be wretched for ever. They have been awakened. 
They are under conviction of sin. The Spirit of God 
is striving with them. Undoubtedly there are always 
persons in this state of mind in congregations where 
the gospel is faithfully preached and fervent prayer 
offered. The promise of God that his word should not 
return unto him void makes this certain. And they 
need Christian counsel. Their case is critical, and they 
must be guided by the wisdom and piety and experi 
ence which the Christian minister is supposed to pos 
sess. To guide them to the Lamb of God is one of his 
most responsible duties. 

All those who have already found Christ, and are 
themselves in the Church, should be made to feel that 
they are responsible for promptly informing the pastor 
of every case of spiritual awakening. There are undoubt 
edly such cases in the congregation at all times. It 
should be taken for granted that there are, for why 
should there not be when the word and the ordinances 
and the Spirit are all enjoyed? But the pastor can 
not be expected to know of himself who are awakened. 
He should be always watching for them, yet he cannot 



254 THE PASTOR 

possibly know all. Others will know of them relatives, 
friends, neighbors, Sabbath-school teachers and they 
should at once communicate the tidings to the pastor. 
More welcome messages there could not be delivered 
to him. The intelligence should be imparted promptly, 
for the impressions of the awakened one, if not carefully 
heeded, may soon pass away. 

Then the pastor should see them as speedily as may be, 
and if possible at their homes. Any opportunity should 
be embraced to help them forward in the way over 
which the Holy Ghost is urging them, but to see them 
in the uninterrupted retirement of their homes is best. 
There they can be seen with more promptness and less 
formality than elsewhere, and there they can generally 
be seen alone, which is almost necessary with those who 
are as yet so backward about revealing the secret work 
ings of their souls. 

Great now is the responsibility, and very often diffi 
cult is the task which lies before the minister. He is 
the chief human agent for directing that inquiring soul ; 
and how much he needs special, earnest prayer for the 
guidance of the Holy Ghost ! 

He should begin by ascertaining as fully as he can 
the exact state of the inquirer s mind, the process by 
which he was awakened, his convictions of sin, his 
doubts and fears, his views of God and Christ, the 
nature of the efforts -he is making, and whatever else 
may be necessary to guide the counsels to be given. 
The natural hesitation of the awakened to open their 
hearts should be overcome by showing them that these 
interests are common to us all, that there are no good 
reasons for concealing their feelings, and by warning 
them that their immortal welfare is at stake and that 
everything should be done to make it sure. The re- 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 20o 

marks of the pastor should of course be shaped accord- 
ing to the discovered state of the inquirer s mind. The 
minister who is well furnished for his work will be pre 
pared by previous study and observation for every case 
that can ordinarily come before him, for in most cases 
their doubts and wants and hinderances and objections 
have been experienced in innumerable other instances. 
The best plan is to open the Bible and take the awa 
kened soul to the fountain-head of truth, and show him 
God s own words exactly adapted to meet his case. The 
mind should be stored with suitable passages which can 
be promptly quoted at such times. Sometimes, when 
there is great reticence, though evidently some feeling, 
it is well to preach a short informal sermon appropriate 
to the occasion. It will almost certainly touch the case 
at some point. Various plans should be tried, that, if 
it be possible, the inquirer may be brought to the cross 
before the impressions pass away. 

Then, the case should not be given up as hopeless 
even though interview after interview may seem to have 
produced no effect. It is impossible for us to tell what 
may be going on in the hearts of others, so widely do 
men differ in their natures, and hence in their manifesta 
tions of the working of the Spirit. We should bear with 
an ignorance so great that we can scarcely understand 
it. We should have patience with the obdurate, for 
how much patience has our Lord exercised toward us ! 
Sometimes persons, to soothe the voice of conscience, 
will feign an indifference or a hopelessness which they 
do not really feel. But our great incitement is to reflect 
that the Spirit of God is surely striving with them, and 
that his power is infinite to break the hardest and melt 
the coldest heart. We should remember, too, the prize 
of infinite value which is at stake, even the soul that 



256 THE PASTOR 

must soon be a saint in glory or a victim of demons in 
despair the soul for which the Son of God bled and 
died. It may take a long time before the inquirer is 
brought to the peace of Christ ; sometimes the process 
is very slow and discouraging. But the heart is reached 
at last, and it is often the case that those who struggle 
long and almost hopelessly are the most decided when at 
last they are brought into the clear light of the Sun of 
Righteousness. 



ADMINISTERING THE SACRAMENTS. 

One of the most characteristic and impressive ele 
ments of the sacred work to which the pastor is called 
is that of administering the sacraments. As well as 
from other considerations, it has a dignity connected 
with it from the fact, acknowledged on all hands, that 
it is the exclusive prerogative of the minister. He it 
is who has been divinely appointed to break the bread 
and pour the wine, as well as baptize in the name of the 
Father, Son and Holy Ghost, The importance of the 
sacraments to the pastor may also be seen in the fact 
that they set forth in sensible emblems the same great 
truths that he preaches from the sacred desk, so con 
firming them and making them more emphatic. Be 
sides, the solemnization of these ordinances furnishes 
ministers with both occasions and themes for their most 
impressive discourses. And so it comes to pass that in 
no place is the ambassador of Christ so much honored 
as when he stands serving at the Lord s table or when 
he applies the baptismal water. In fact, it would not 
be extravagant to say that the observance of the sac 
raments and the ministerial office must stand or fall 
together. 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 257 

Pastors should make much of the sacraments ; they 
should exalt them to a very great eminence in their 
own estimation. In public addresses and private con 
versation they should be frequently alluded to, and their 
value should be impressed deeply. The times of their 
celebration should be looked forward to and anticipated 
with gladness, and benefits expected from them. Their 
solemnization should be engaged in as a great event in 
which heart and hopes should be elevated, the Divine 
Presence felt and a foretaste enjoyed of the heavenly 
banquet. The sacraments, in fact, may be made so much 
of as to prove a very great help to the pastor in his work 
of edifying the people of God. They may be made to 
tell most beneficially upon the Christian life of the 
Church. Then, above all, through them great honor 
may be made to redound to God in Christ, who is their 
Author, their Object and their Life. 

Especially should the Lord s Supper be turned to the 
most profitable account. In addition to the other man 
ifest advantages which may flow from it, it ought to be 
made a standpoint in the progress of the church and 
of each of its members, from which there would be an 
honest survey of the past and an earnest planning 
for the future. It should be the fixed epoch in the 
church s life, around which its hopes and projects and 
activities may cluster. 

An excellent plan of a wise and successful pastor, the 
Rev. Dr. G. W. Musgrave, was to make all his preach 
ing of the intervening months have a bearing upon the 
approaching communion season. He laid out the sub 
jects of his discourses with the definite object of having 
them culminate in the great ordinance that would set 
forth Christ, and him crucified. This was making much 
of that sacrament ; it was keeping a distinct point in 

33 



258 THE PASTOR 

view in all the preaching, and it was making everything 
cluster around the infinitely important, central fact of 
redemption. 

It is advisable occasionally, say once in each year, to 
prepare the way for the observance of the Lord s Sup 
per by special services during all the days or evenings 
of the preceding week. This is calculated to awaken 
deeper attention to the things of Christ, the impres 
sion of which is liable to become dim ; it exalts the 
estimation of the ordinance, making it more prized ; it 
brings persons who have been long halting to a deter 
mination that they will espouse the cause of Christ; 
and it is likely to revivify and strengthen the life of the 
Church. 

Sometimes, especially in a large congregation, it is 
better to omit the sermon before the communion service. 
The advantages of so doing are that there can be more 
deliberation, and consequent comfort and profit, in the 
administration of the ordinance. There needs, then, be 
no hurry on the one hand or weariness on the other. It 
is believed that these advantages will more than make up 
for the omission of the "action" sermon. Experience 
has in fact proved that this plan is better, more edify 
ing and gives more satisfaction to the body of commu 
nicants. 

When members of the church are, for a length of time, 
deprived of the privilege of attending upon the public 
ordinances through the infirmities of age or sickness, it is 
well to celebrate the Lord s Supper with them occasion 
ally at their homes. The pastor, with an elder or elders 
and a few other Christian friends, can join in the service 
and form a little congregation with which the Master 
will undoubtedly meet. Such seasons are very precious. 
They are a great comfort to those for whose benefit they 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 259 

are especially held, feeble perhaps in body, but strong 
in faith. All others who are present must feel the 
sweet and solemn influence. And the dear Lord who 
first met at the table with the twelve rejoices in the 
confidential tokens of a love which will soon be made 
perfect in glory. 

Children should be baptized at the time of public 
worship on the Lord s day. An arrangement for the 
observance of this sacrament which has long been car 
ried out, and proved to be profitable and acceptable, is 
this : One Sabbath morning of the quarter, the first 
Sabbath of the month previous to the communion, is set 
apart for preaching to the young and baptizing the 
children. On the Sabbath previous notice is given, and 
parents and others are urged to bring all the children 
and youth with them. No part of the church is ap 
propriated specially to the young, for they are expected 
to mingle with the ordinary congregation. After sing 
ing and reading the Scriptures, parents present their 
children for baptism ; then after singing again, a short 
sermon is preached to the children, and the whole ser 
vices of the morning adapted to their capacity and 
wants. This plan has several obvious advantages. It 
is liked by both parents and children, and having been 
continued for years, has been proved to be practicable. 

It is very important that pastors should keep a cor 
rect list of the communicants of the church and of all 
the children, as well as adults, baptized. The names 
should be put down on the day when they are received, 
so that they may not be forgotten. It is only after one 
has been long in the ministry, and finds by experience 
how much is involved in being able to find the names 
and the dates, that the importance of this thing is 
realized. 



260 THE PASTOR 



ATTENDING FUNERALS. 

One of the most trying duties to which the pastor is 
habitually called is that of officiating at funerals. 
Very generally he is not consulted as to the time when 
the services are to be held, and must go whether it be 
convenient or inconvenient, whether he has other engage 
ments at the same hour or not. Much of his time has 
often to be wasted in waiting for the arrival of friends 
of the deceased and on the way to and from the place 
of interment. His addresses must necessarily be in the 
same general train of thought, and that no matter how 
often he has to officiate, and so he has to be watchful 
that his services do not degenerate into mere ceremony. 
Then the sights and sounds of sorrow which he is 
under the necessity of witnessing are frequently of the 
most painful character and harrow up all his feelings. 
And still worse, he is sometimes under the necessity 
of making addresses and striving to offer consolation 
while he is conscious that there is not one ray of hope 
in the death that is being lamented. These are the 
trying aspects of the service ; but there is also another 
view which may be taken of it, and which may reconcile 
us to its trials. It must be a blessed thing for a benev 
olent heart even to try to assuage the bitterness of sor 
row. Then the funeral service affords the minister an 
opportunity of manifesting the benevolent spirit of the 
gospel. He may follow the example of Christ, who 
was so often found alleviating the sorrows of mourners. 
This may be the means of drawing the afflicted to the 
Saviour, and may so attach the friends of the deceased 
to the minister that he will obtain a permanent influ 
ence over them for good. Sometimes the funeral ser 
vice gives the preacher an excellent opportunity of tell- 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 261 

ing how blessed a thing it is for the Christian to fall 
asleep in Jesus. 

A few suggestions in reference to the addresses to be 
made on these occasions may be of use to those who have 
not had much experience: 

1. It is a great mistake to make such ^addresses too long. 
The persons assembled are ordinarily placed in such an 
uncomfortable manner, many of them standing, some in 
windows or passages or stairways and some in other 
rooms, that they cannot listen with profit for many min 
utes. It is impossible, under such circumstances, to re 
tain their attention for any length of time. Then, if a 
funeral address is long continued, much of it must almost 
necessarily be taken up with matter that is irrelevant. 
Moreover, protracted addresses at each of the many 
funerals which the pastor must sometimes attend become 
a serious draft upon his strength and energies. On 
every account, then, in speaking on such occasions, it is 
better to be brief and pertinent. Then the people will 
listen with closer attention, they will be better satisfied 
and more highly benefited, and the speaker will not 
expose himself to that exhaustion that would partially 
disqualify him for subsequent duties. We need hardly 
ever be afraid of too much brevity in this service. 
Brevity is always the safer extreme for one to fall 
into. 

2. In speaking of the deceased at funerals we should 
beware of too much eulogium. The temptation of going 
to excess in praise of the dead is very great, from a de 
sire to comfort and please the relatives, and perhaps from 
the temporary ardor of our feelings. But it should be 
remembered that in many cases these high panegyrics 
are not strictly true. Besides, if the deceased, who gave 
no special evidence of piety, is certainly saved, may not 



262 THE PASTOR 

others also reach that blessing without the strenuous 
efforts which are so constantly insisted on ? Moreover, 
if a minister is in the habit of eulogizing so much in 
ordinary cases, he will give offence if he does not 
do it in those cases where it would be utterly inad 
missible. The fact is, that sometimes at funerals there 
are praises heard which are shameful and positively 
injurious when the character of the life and death of 
the deceased are considered. It is far better, ordinarily, 
to say but very little about the deceased to get into the 
habit and obtain a reputation for such caution. Then 
eulogium will not be expected when it could not be ut 
tered with strict veracity. There are, of course, excep 
tions. Some Christians are so eminent in their piety 
and so blessed in their death that they ought to be held 
up as a demonstration of the power of Christ and his 
gospel. 

3. The circumstances of the occasion should, if possi 
ble, give direction to the remarks which are made at a 
funeral. In most instances of death something pecu 
liar may be found arid improved to the benefit of friends 
and neighbors when their hearts are full of sympathy. 
This would furnish a theme; it would give variety, which 
the speaker anxiously seeks after in a service in which 
he must engage so often ; and it would make sure of the 
remarks being pertinent, and hence more interesting. 
This plan will often prove of great assistance in funeral 
addresses. When nothing of this kind suggests itself, 
it is well to have an appropriate text of Scripture in the 
mind. Even if it is not announced, it will serve to 
guide the speaker s thoughts, and lead him to points that 
will be varied, appropriate and weighty as coming from 
the word of God. 

4. The gospel of Christ and his salvation should be 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 263 

preached at every funeral. No matter in what direc 
tion the drift of the remarks may run, this should find 
a prominent place in it somewhere. The fact that 
funeral services always furnish a fine opportunity of 
presenting this all-important theme should reconcile us 
to them, no matter how many other trying things there 
are about them. On almost all such occasions there are 
some persons present to hear the gospel who never listen 
to it at other times. They furnish an excellent op 
portunity for telling of the death of Christ, which 
takes away the sting of death and the gloom of the 
grave from any penitent soul that would trust in him. 
The solemn circumstances of death are calculated to 
soften the hearts of all and open them for the reception 
of the blessed tidings of peace. Notwithstanding a too 
freely-expressed opinion to the contrary, persons are 
undoubtedly sometimes impressed at funerals so im 
pressed that their convictions continue afterward and 
impel them to seek and find the saving grace of Christ. 
If at funerals we strive for the salvation of souls, and 
pray for it and expect it, we shall certainly witness it 
far more frequently than we now do. It is an evil to 
think that the truth must there be preached in vain. 
Why should it be? 



CIRCULATING BOOKS AND TRACTS. 

In the work of the ministry, which is so momentous 
and in which so many interests are involved, every 
proper agency which promises to render efficient help 
should be used. And next to the inspired Book and 
the preaching of the living ministry we may place those 
uninspired pages which the love of thousands of pious 
hearts has furnished for spreading and impressing the 



264 THE PASTOR 

truth as it is in Christ Jesus. This is an instrument 
with which the pastor may lawfully work; yea, with 
which he must work, if he would reach the highest suc 
cess an instrument the importance of which is by very 
few appreciated as highly as it deserves. 

Books and tracts are an agency for good now 
looming up more and more conspicuously before the 
Christian world. In former times they were not such 
a power for blessing the souls of men as they are be 
coming at the present ; they were not so cheap ; they 
were not so abundant^, there was not such an affluence 
of appropriate gospel truth stored in their pages; 
there was not such universal ability to read them. So 
cheap are books at the present time that the best of 
them can be obtained by almost any who wish. Chris 
tians are coming to realize more and more fully the 
value of religious volumes. They see the good they 
are accomplishing as guides to inquirers, to the weak in 
faith and to all who would grow in grace. Very few 
persons of much observation but know of instances in 
which the awakened have at least been helped through 
this instrumentality toward the salvation of Christ. 
There are certain states of mind in reference to spiritual 
things for which books are peculiarly adapted. Indeed, 
it may be safely said that books can be found suited to 
every conceivable phase of spiritual want, whether of 
those who are seeking the peace of God or of those 
who should be awakened to enter upon that search. 
The best thoughts of the greatest and best of men are 
stored up in them ready for the use of every reader. 
God, before whom all possible instrumentalities lay open, 
chose to communicate his will to the world through a 
book, and this should lead us to look upon books as 
something peculiar even in the gifts of God. 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 265 

Pastors should awake to the value of this powerful 
auxiliary. Here are preachers that they can send to 
many a soul whom they may not be able to reach by 
the voice. Here are expositions of truth as perfect as 
were ever conceived by human thought ready to assist 
in convincing hearts which they long to see given to 
Jesus. How best to use the printed page is a practical 
point which is worthy of far more consideration than it 
receives. What books and tracts should be distributed, 
to whom they should be given, when they should be 
used, what plans might be adopted for their methodical 
circulation, are all questions worthy of being carefully 
investigated. 

Books may be found which are calculated to alarm the 
careless, and set them to asking with deep feeling what 
they must do to be saved ; books which give the plainest 
and most satisfactory directions to the awakened as they 
strive to find the way of life through the peace-speaking 
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ ; books which convey to 
the bleeding hearts of the afflicted the sweetest possi 
ble consolations, even consolations that are the work of 
the Holy Spirit and cannot mislead ; books on prac 
tical piety, the perusal of which must elevate the soul 
and make it better and happier; books the object of 
which is to explain and vindicate the important doc 
trines of religion for which the believer is earnestly to 
contend ; books on the great duties of life duties which 
we owe to God and man and our own souls, and the 
faithful performance of which can be reached only by 
those who have been renewed by divine grace ; and 
books on the histories, biographies and all other import 
ant subjects found in the Bible. Is the pastor dis 
charging his whole duty or enjoying his full privileges 
who does not make himself well acquainted with these 

34 



266 THE PASTOR 

books, and strive to have his people built up in Chris 
tian character through the inexhaustible riches which 
they contain ? Educated to know of the existence of 
such works and trained to appreciate their value, he 
must throw away a grand opportunity for doing good if 
he does not contrive to have his people know of these 
treasures of sanctified learning, and to study them and 
prize them, and grow in grace by their use. 

Pastors, first reading and learning to value such re 
ligious volumes, should recommend them from the pul 
pit, and that by name. Some of their hearers will 
thereby be induced to read them. They should speak 
of them and urge their perusal as they go from house 
to house. They should keep a stock of them on hand, 
from which they can sometimes lend to those who may 
wish to read. They should also give some of them away 
in cases where it might seem advisable. In most con 
gregations there are some wealthy persons who would be 
willing to furnish the means for so doing. Every com 
munity ought also to be visited by a colporteur or some 
other person, by whom every family might be supplied 
with volumes, large or small, that contain the words of 
life and truth. 



CIRCULATING RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS. 

In a previous chapter we sought to show that it 
is for the interest of pastors to keep themselves well 
informed, through religious journals, of the progress of 
Christ s kingdom ; we would now strongly urge upon 
them that they should also use their influence to intro 
duce such journals into the families of their congrega 
tions. As almost all great enterprises of the day have 
their newspaper to support them, so every denomination 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 267 

of Christians and every important Christian undertaking 
has its journal. There are papers adapted to every class 
of minds and every drift of religious thought. This 
subject the minister should look into, and endeavor to 
have his people benefited by the rich stores of instruc 
tion which are flowing out from the religious press. 

He may draw much important aid in his work from 
this source. The periodical religious press, when habit 
ually perused, will undoubtedly make the people more 
intelligent, and consequently more interested in the 
kingdom of Christ ; it will supplement the teachings 
of the pastor, which must necessarily be limited in 
extent; it will enforce, by adding additional authority, 
the truths which are uttered from the pulpit. Its assist 
ance will make the work of the pastor easier. It will 
give the people fuller information than the pulpit pos 
sibly can about the great enterprises of benevolence 
which the Church is carrying on, and so will interest 
them in those enterprises and make them more liberal 
in their support. If religious journals did no more 
than take the place of, and so crowd out, the pernicious 
literature that is issuing from so many other presses, it 
would be an unspeakable blessing to the Church and 
the world. That pastor is neglecting a splendid aux 
iliary to his work who is not using every effort to induce 
his people to take and read papers which are devoted to 
the spread of the righteousness of Christ in the salva 
tion of souls and purifying the lives of believers. 

We need to give continued thought to the subject in 
order to appreciate the value of a good religious news 
paper coming regularly into a family and being read by 
its various members. Weekly it preaches its timely 
sermons to the household. Some of the most able and 
pious ministers and other writers that are to be found 



268 THE PASTOR 

in the land are those who may be heard through its 
pages. And they send forth in this way the very hest 
of their thoughts. The religious newspaper keeps the 
people informed of what is going on in the Church and 
the whole kingdom of Christ. It says many things 
plainly to them which the pastor, from delicacy or other 
causes, could not say. Many of the people will scarcely 
read anything else than newspapers ; how deeply im 
portant it is that those papers be of the right kind ! 
That family which habitually reads a good religious 
journal will undoubtedly have a higher and more intel 
ligent tone of piety than that which neglects this method 
for growth in knowledge. They will have wider views 
and more generous impulses toward the truth, whether 
it is to be supported at home or extended abroad. 

On every account, then, it would be well for the min 
ister to strive to have a religious newspaper introduced 
into each family of his church. He should make this 
recommendation, and urge it strongly from the pulpit. 
He should enter into the matter more particularly as 
he goes about from house to house. It will not re 
quire a great outlay to secure one of the very best of 
these journals, which would come into the house weekly 
freighted with intellectual treasure that would entertain, 
instruct and purify. No pastor ought to neglect the aid 
which he might receive from this source. In former 
times it was a help unknown, for religious journalism 
is of modern date, and hence it is not alluded to in 
older works on Pastoral Theology. But now ministers 
cannot be too strongly urged to use this help ; they 
cannot be too determined in the purpose to have the 
best religious papers circulated in their families. 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 269 



THE PASTOR SHOULD IDENTIFY HIMSELF WITH HIS 

PEOPLE. 

He should not assume a position of superiority, as if 
he were above them, and thereby excite their enmity. 
He should not stand aloof from them, as if he had no 
common interests with them. He should not patronize, 
as if it were a condescension for him to have to do even 
with their spiritual affairs. On the contrary, he should 
feel, arid lead the people to feel, that he is one with them 
in heart, in sympathy and in those grand interests of 
the soul which bind men together the closest of all. 
Whenever the minister, by actually feeling it himself, 
can succeed in making the people feel that he is thus 
really identified with them, he has gained a power by 
which he can accomplish almost anything in that con 
gregation. 

There are ministers who are constantly depreciating 
their people and speaking of them in the most deroga 
tory terms telling of their meanness, their stupidity, 
their ignorance, their frivolity and other faults. A prac 
tice more unwise and more unlike the good Shepherd, 
who loves his flock, it is hard to imagine. It is sure to 
keep the minister himself cold and mistrustful of those 
whom he can influence only by love. Then he may 
rest assured that his constant unkind remarks about 
them will in the end reach their ears in some round 
about way, and awaken their lasting enmity. The habit 
will certainly injure, if not utterly ruin, the work of him 
who indulges in it. It is far better, in every aspect of 
the matter, to say whatever good can be said about one s 
people, and in order thereto to think as well as possible 
of them to cherish real affection for them. How much 
better, at any rate, to cultivate the spirit of the good old 



270 THE PASTOR 

Thomas Adam when he wrote, " I find it very difficult, 
if not impossible, through my selfishness, to sink myself 
into the common mass of mankind so as to take my full 
share of their guilt to sympathize, to pity, to have a 
fellow-feeling of their wants, joys and sorrows, and be 
truly concerned for the temporal and spiritual welfare 
of all." 

Our true policy, as well as imperative duty, is to 
identify ourselves with our people. We should grow 
to consider and they will soon see that we do that 
we are one with them in church fellowship and one in 
our social interests. We should endeavor to get into 
sympathy with their modes of thought and feeling 
to be sufficiently acquainted with their callings as 
farmers, mechanics, merchants, fishermen, or whatever 
else is their general avocation, to appreciate their in 
terest in these things and enter into conversation about 
them. We should enter into their joys and sorrows, 
their funerals and their weddings, with a real partici 
pation of their feelings. We should so identify our 
selves with them that their interests and trials would 
be ours ; and they should see that our interest in them 
is not perfunctory or assumed, but real. Our hearts 
should be with them, our interests should be with them, 
and then our efforts for their everlasting interests must 
necessarily be successful. 

It is a great point for a pastor to gain the full confidence 
of those to whom he ministers in the gospel ; and the 
sure way to gain and to retain that confidence is to be 
worthy of it. That minister is surely building up for 
himself a character which men will trust when he 
faithfully discharges the duties which devolve upon 
him, when his life in all its relations is one of general 
integrity, when he studies constant acts of kindness to 



IN HIS PERSONAL PAROCHIAL WORK. 271 

his people, and when he is true to them as well in their 
absence as in their presence. There are ministers who 
have in this way acquired the full confidence of their 
people. Whatever they do is regarded as right of 
course. The confidence reposed in them gives them 
influence and power, so that whatever they do for the 
souls of their hearers or the glory of Christ tells with 
fourfold efficacy. 

Then it should be remembered that away back of this 
identifying ourselves with the people of our charge, back 
of the kind words we should speak of them at all times, 
back of the benefits we should strive constantly to con 
fer upon them, there must lie in our hearts a real Chris 
tian affection for them. It must be genuine not merely 
assumed or professed. The first thing, then, is for the 
minister to determine and earnestly strive to love his 
people. The attainment is possible. Why should not 
all reach it as did Paul when he said, " For I have said 
before that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you "? 
Cannot the godly minister become truly attached to the 
devoted believer who manifests the image of his Lord, 
to the aged Christian ripening for glory, to the friend 
of the church who has stood by it in all its trials, to the 
youth who is giving promise of all that is lovely and 
hopeful, and to those who sustain him by taking up with 
him the burden of every good work ? Can he not deeply 
pity those whom he sees discarding every heavenly mo 
tive and forcing their way to endless ruin ? Can he not 
yearn for the salvation of their souls with a yearning 
that never abates ? Can he help loving with a true af 
fection and rejoicing over both young and old, as he 
sees them coming with all their hearts to the embrace of 
Jesus as their Saviour and Lord ? This is the true affection 
which the pastor should cherish toward his people. This 



272 THE PASTOR IN HIS PAROCHIAL WORK. 

will make his work among them a labor of love, and 
crown it with abundant and joyous success. 

When this deep affection is in the breast of the pastor 
it cannot be hid. The people will soon see it. Baxter 
briefly expresses the matter : " The whole of our min 
istry must be carried on in a tender love to our people. 
We must let them see that nothing pleases us but what 
profits them that what does them good does us good, 
and that nothing troubles us more than their hurt. 
" Bishops/ as Jerome says, " are not lords, but fathers, 
and therefore must be affected toward their people as 
their children ; yea, the tenderest love of the mother 
should not surpass theirs. We must even travail in 
birth for them till Christ be formed in them. We 
should convince them that we care for no outward 
thing, not money or liberty or credit or life itself, in 
comparison with their salvation. When your people see 
that you unfeignedly love them they will hear anything 
and bear anything. We ourselves should put up with 
a blow given us in love sooner than a hard word given 
us in anger and malice. Most men judge of advice as 
they judge of the affection of him who gives it. Oh there 
fore see to it that you feel a tender love to your people 
in your breast, and let them feel it in your speeches and 
see it in your conduct. Let them see that you spend 
and are spent for their sakes that all you do is not for 
any ends of your own, but for them." 



CHAPTER VI. 
THE PASTOR IN THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 

THERE is a duty of vast importance lying before the 
pastor as the leader in the Church s imperative task of 
spreading the truth as it is in Christ Jesus, gathering 
in souls out of the world and building up the divine 
kingdom by every energy which she may possess. And 
it may as well be emphasized at the beginning, that the 
pastor s position in reference to that work is to devise 
and direct, and not himself to take up the great burden 
of its drudgery. He ought not by any means to un 
dertake too much. It is an evil with many ministers 
that they would rather themselves assume the burdens 
of work than undergo the anxiety of planning how 
others may be gotten to bear them. By so doing the 
pastor positively injures the people of his charge. He 
prevents them from becoming trained to the work for 
which all are brought into the kingdom. He takes the 
course which is calculated to dwarf their powers and en 
ergies. The evil of this thing was well presented by Dr. 
Nicholas Murray : " In vain are members added to our 
churches unless they are living branches of the living- 
Vine. In vain are churches multiplied unless they are 
churches alive unto God. Every addition to the Church 
should be an addition to the host of God s elect who 
are seeking the regeneration of the world. And every 
Christian should be so instructed. Ministers are the 
primary, but not the exclusive, workmen. They are 

35 273 



274 THE PASTOR IN THE 

the directors, but not the sole agents ; and to seek to do 
all, to the exclusion of the active agency of the members 
of the Church, is a real injury to both." 

Then the pastor alone cannot possibly do all the work 
which is needed in an active church. But little can 
he accomplish himself compared with what might be 
done if he gave the body of the members an opportu 
nity, and simply led them onward. The picture of Dr. 
Murray on this point is also worthy of being repro 
duced : " The Rev. Mr. A was a fervent, laborious 

and truly excellent man. His sympathies were large 
and his efforts to do good untiring. He was ever abroad 
among his people, and was a daily visitor to the habita 
tions of suffering and sorrow, doing a work which many 
of the females of his congregation might do as well. As 
a consequence, he failed in the pulpit as a preacher ; he 
became an exhorter and not a teacher. He failed in 
health, and his sun went down at noon. He did but 
little, because he undertook too much. The Rev. Dr. 

B is an able and excellent man. He is on principle 

opposed to the employment of his members as helps, 
because, as he thinks, it renders them forward and con 
ceited ; and he does very little out of the pulpit himself. 
As a consequence, he is formal and stately, his people 
are cold and unattractive and uncemented, and his con 
gregation rapidly on the decline. For his people to 
meet for mutual exhortation and prayer would be on a 
par with the sin of those of old who offered strange fire 

before the Lord. The Rev. Dr. C is of a different 

mind. He is a close student. He knows that he cannot 
do everything, and he seeks to do some things well. He 
preaches nobly. His Sunday-schools are flourishing. 
He sets many wheels in motion, but employs hands to 
guide them. He is the centre of a hundred hands and 



ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 27o 

minds moving around him. The entire machinery of 
his congregation is of his contrivance, but he only re 
tains the oversight of it. Feeling that active devoted- 
ness is the best stimulant to personal religion, that it 
calls graces into action that otherwise would remain dor 
mant, he seeks to employ all the talent of his people in 
efforts to do good to others. He seeks work for all and 
fervently exhorts them to its performance. He circum 
scribes his own work and does it like a man. He uses 
the power of his people to its full extent, and his con 
gregation is as a garden which the Lord has blessed. 
They all work, and keep always at work ; and his 
and their influence is felt at the ends of the earth." 
Much of the wisdom and discretion of ministers is made 
apparent by the manner in which they use the agency 
of their people to assist them in the discharge of their 
manifold duties. 

It will inevitably consume too much of the time ami 
too much of the energy of the pastor if he takes upon 
himself the great burden of the Church s work. It will 
necessarily interfere with his preparations for the pulpit 
and all his other studies, impair his highest usefulness, 
and in the end damage his energies and bodily health. 
The experience of Dr. Chalmers is well worthy of being 
kept in mind by every hard-working pastor. " I knoAV 
not," he says, "a more effectual method of making one s 
existence painful, harassing and uncomfortable than by 
associating an excess of pastoral with an excess of men 
tal labor than by combining in one person a jaded body 
with an exhausted spirit. One species of fatigue may 
be endured, but both together are insufferable; and 
when both kinds of service are attempted in too high 
a degree, the quality of both will be most essentially 
deteriorated." 



276 THE PASTOR IN THE 

We have placed this matter conspicuously at the be 
ginning, so that the duties of the pastor, upon which we 
would now dwell, may be fairly understood ; they are 
the duties of organizing and leading in the activity of 
the Church. In the previous chapter we described his 
own special work ; we now speak of those activities of 
which he is simply to be the director. 



ACTIVITY IN THE CHURCH INDISPENSABLE. 

From the nature and design and obligations of the 
Church, it is absolutely necessary that there should be 
activity in the cause of Christ. The ordinance of the 
Master is imperative and lies at the foundation : " For 
the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who 
left his house and gave authority to his servants, and 
to every man his work, and commanded the porter to 
watch." The inspired example of the apostles teaches 
the same thing. As soon as they were endued with the 
Holy Ghost they went to work with all their might 
for the upbuilding of the kingdom, and in so doing set 
an example for all believers who should follow them. 
The plan which God has seen fit to adopt of spreading 
the gospel through human agency, makes this neces 
sary. The experience of Christianity in its best days 
is that it has flourished most and been the purest when 
its energies were put forth the most strenuously for the 
glory of God. The personal growth in piety of each 
believer demands that his graces should be strengthened 
by diligent use. This doctrine of Scripture and experi 
ence should be taught distinctly and most emphatically 
by every paster. He should repeat it until the people 
shall be fully aroused to its solemn obligation. 

The activity of the age in which we live renders it 



ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 277 

necessary for the Church in all its members to be full of 
sanctified energy, in order that it may make any prog 
ress, or even hold its own. In the magnitude of its 
commerce, the achievements of its manufactures, the 
splendor of its improvements, the wonders of its discov 
eries, the sublimity of its science, in every department 
of human thought and action, the world is becoming 
more and more stirred with unwearied effort. There 
never was such an age of practical energy. And the 
lesson of the times is that the same spirit, only sanctified, 
must be carried into Christ s kingdom. Shall the chil 
dren of this world in their generation still be wiser than 
the children of light ? Shall we, who have the interests 
of truth and righteousness in our hands, not be up to 
the spirit of the age ? Shall we not give good heed to 
the stirring appeal of the Holy Ghost which is so ap 
plicable at the present time, "And that knowing the 
time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep"? 
The principles of the gospel are ever the same ; they are 
eternal, they cannot change, there cannot be progress in 
them, but there can be change in the modes of pressing 
them home upon the attention of men ; there can be 
progress in the zeal of believers and in the extension of 
the blessings of salvation. There should be never-end 
ing, never- wearying progress here. The spirit of the age 
is intensely active ; so must the Church be in all her 
movements upon the world. The old efforts will not do 
now. There must be something more wakeful, more 
intense, more in accordance with the scenes in the midst 
of which we are living. 

It becomes the people of God at the present time to 
be most diligent in mental effort of every kind. The 
thought of the Church should be intently bent upon de 
vising how there can be a deeper interest awakened in 



278 THE PASTOR IN THE 

the study of the word of God, what plans might be 
adopted for promoting more living piety in believers, 
and what can be done for securing more conversions of 
the ungodly, for the spread of the gospel and for pro 
moting the glory of God in Christ through the world. 
Whilst the wisdom of earth is planning for material and 
temporal progress, these are the infinitely more momen 
tous subjects to which the most intense study of Chris 
tians should be given. 

There should also be energetic effort in working for 
Christ and his cause. It is the most noble cause in the 
world the cause upon which most depends, and in which 
the most momentous interests of this earth are concerned. 
There is no enterprise among the children of men that 
is regarded with so much attention even from the throne 
of God. How much is to be done in it ! The corrup 
tion and woe of this sinful world are to be banished, the 
human race saved from going down to hell, millions of 
millions of souls redeemed by the blood of Christ, this 
sin-polluted earth renewed, heaven peopled by blessed 
saints who shall be the compeers of angels, and, above 
all and through all, the adorable Trinity infinitely glo 
rified. Will not the omnipotent Son of God open the 
way for success in such a work? Will he not himself 
help it forward ? Is there a conceivable enterprise of 
mankind that will compare with this in grandeur? 

Great should be the activity of the Church and of each 
of its members in the ever-expanding work of benevo 
lence that now lies before us. Satan is active in destroy 
ing men through sweeping torrents of worldliness, 
through infidelity, through intemperance, through a 
maddening haste to be rich, and through kindred sins 
and crimes that are now peculiarly virulent ; the friends 
of God and truth are loudly called upon to be corre- 



ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 279 

spondingly zealous in pushing forward every agency to 
counteract his malignant efforts. We should strive to 
save men whom he is seeking to destroy. We can do 
something by the blessing of God we can do much. 
The good that we attempt will spread and multiply. 
We are called into the vineyard of the Lord, and we are 
kept there, that we may work for him. It is our mis 
sion ; shall we fail in it ? 

Too much emphasis cannot be laid upon this calling 
of the Church to be active in this great gospel work. 
Next to the demands of their own personal piety, it is 
the most urgent call upon every member of the blood- 
bought host of Christ. No tongue can tell, no heart 
conceive, the sublime, the tremendous interests that are 
involved. One of the most solemn duties of the pastor 
is to awaken men to this subject. To this office he is 
appointed. The great service he can render to the 
holy cause lies here. Multitudes upon multitudes of 
even true Christians are asleep as to this matter. They 
do not seem to dream that they have anything to do in 
saving the world from sin. One of the hardest but most 
imperative of the duties of the minister is to arouse them, 
and make them see what they are called to do in the 
infinitely important enterprise to which the Church is 
appointed. It is so difficult to overcome our natural 
selfishness and slothfulness that the minister must make 
a most persevering effort. He cannot be too emphatic 
in pressing home upon his people that zealous and un 
wearied activity, perpetual aggression upon the king 
dom of darkness, is at once their imperative duty and 
distinguishing privilege. 

The pastor who is not alive to this call of God, of 
the world, of the age, for himself and his people to be 
active, will not succeed in his ministry. Here is the 



280 THE PASTOR IN THE 

peculiar demand of the times, but he does not appre 
ciate it. He is not informed or alive to the stirring 
events that are going on around and within the king 
dom of Christ. Other churches and other denomina 
tions more wisely take part in the great work, whilst 
he, heeding not, is left behind. As a consequence of 
this lethargy his people do not grow in grace or in the 
zealous spirit of Christ. One deeply-important part 
of his mission is not fulfilled. The Spirit of God 
does not bless him in his work, and his whole ministry 
is in danger of proving useless. 

To every pastor it may be said in all sober earnestness, 
" Be a true watchman or your ministry is a failure. 
Events are thickening around you ; are you awake ? 
Are you anxiously asking, What is going on in the 
world? What are the present calls of Providence? 
What are the grand movements in the kingdom ? 
What predictions of eternal truth are now being ful 
filled ? Then let the subject come home : What are 
you doing? What is your church doing? Are you 
alive to your position and the urgent calls of God?" 
These questions are vital to every one who holds the 
sacred office. 



EVERY MEMBER OF THE CHURCH TO BE A WORKER. 

" To every man his work " is the motto, once uttered 
by divine lips, which should be adopted by every pastor, 
and so repeated and pressed home by him that it would 
ultimately become the motto of his church also. " All 
at it and always at it " was the kindred motto of the 
Wesleys, which, carried out into vigorous action, wrought 
wonders in establishing the grand system of Methodism 
both in England and this country. Every member a 



ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 281 

worker in the blessed cause is the rule which the min 
ister should strive with all his might to have adopted 
by his whole congregation. Its adoption is the call of the 
gospel, of the world, of the age. Its general adoption 
would in a short time change the whole face of the Church ; 
it would soon bring wonderful enlargement to the king 
dom of Christ ; scarcely would it be extravagant to say 
that it would elevate the whole moral aspect of the 
world before the present generation passes away. 

The pastor should insist upon it that every member 
of his church has some work to do. He should make 
it plain and impressive that the Scriptures inculcate 
this duty, and that the diversified spiritual wants of the 
race demand that it be obeyed to the full. He should 
endeavor to fix it upon every conscience that none are 
so obscure that they may safely hide, and none so weak 
but there is something within their reach that all are 
positively guilty who are not contributing their share 
to swell the vast volume of influence which is ultimately 
to sweep over the whole earth for its regeneration. This 
doctrine of every person having his own work to do 
should be laid down squarely and never receded from 
never omitted when there is an opportunity of pressing 
it home from pulpit or prayer- meeting or pastoral visit. 

It may be admitted fully that all have not the same 
work or the same gifts, as it is best they should not. 
As faces, dispositions, temperaments, talents and circum 
stances differ, so also are the gifts which can be used in 
the work of the gospel very diverse. It is providen 
tially ordered that it should be so, for the same gifts are 
not needed for all kinds of work. There are different 
things to be done, and so it is best that there are dif 
ferent kinds of talents. No one is responsible for 
work which it is not in his power to do, but I am an- 

36 



282 THE PASTOR IN THE 

swerable for the gift that is bestowed upon me, whatever 
.that be. And the exercise of my peculiar talents is 
the best thing for me. I can do the best work by using 
my own gifts. I can do a work by using those gifts 
and by improving my peculiar opportunities which no 
other person can do, and which if I leave undone must 
remain undone for ever. This should be well under 
stood in arranging the active enterprises of the Church. 

It is manifestly implied in this duty of personal ex 
ertion that each Christian deliberately investigate what 
his work should be. Self-examination as to talents and 
opportunities is of primary importance here. Looking 
earnestly within, around and above, the prayer should 
ascend, " Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do ?" 
Surely, this much effort is obligatory upon every child 
of God. The first duty is for each one to search very 
carefully for what God has given him the faculty and 
the opportunity of doing. When this is discovered it 
will save from doing nothing, for there are thousands 
who are idle simply because they have never investi 
gated what it was possible for them to do. It will 
save from mistakes and failures, which most frequently 
arise from persons not engaging in that which is their 
appropriate work. How many a happy and useful 
Christian this personal search would make ! Pastors 
should make this duty clear to their people, impress it 
upon their consciences, and perhaps sometimes help in 
dividuals in settling the question as to what they are to 
undertake. 

The members of the church are rational beings, and 
they must act in a rational manner. Each should 
say to himself, " It is my solemn duty to search for the 
work to which God has assigned me." In this search 
there are two elements to be considered : First, talents. 



ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 283 

The question here should be, " What have I the pecu 
liar talent or qualification to do for the general good of 
the cause of Christ? Can I speak a word in public or 
lead in prayer? Can I influence in private? Can I 
write letters to persuade the impenitent or strengthen 
the feeble ? Can I help in the Sabbath-school ? Can 
1 assist in singing the praises of God ? Have I influ 
ence that I can exert more or less widely ? Have I the 
faculty of making peace, healing breaches that might 
otherwise mar the excellency of the Church ? Have I 
money that I can save and give to the many, many 
wants of the kingdom ? Have I skill to mature and 
execute plans for collecting funds for the cause of Jesus? 
Have I persuasion that I can use in bringing men under 
the sound of the gospel ? Have I prudence that I can 
make available in promoting the peace and prosperity 
of Zion ? Can I minister to the poor, the sick, the 
sorrowing to edification ? Have I affability of address 
which I can use in welcoming and attaching strangers 
to the house of God?" Many other such questions will 
suggest themselves, and when they are faithfully asked 
and prompted by true zeal, they must lead to the know 
ledge and execution by each of his appropriate work. 

The second item in this search pertains to the oppor 
tunities which may be possessed. There are circles of 
society in which one moves, there are relations of busi 
ness or daily intercourse or consanguinity, there are fit 
occasions often presenting themselves, all of which form 
opportunities that may be improved in the interests of 
the kingdom. These are of course different in the case 
of each individual; certain persons have far more of 
them than others ; all have some. Each one should 
diligently watch for them and improve them. Each in 
his sphere, each according to his talents, may do the 



284 THE PASTOR IN THE 

work of God. No Christian alive but has some branch 
of this work which he can do better than any other 
member of the body of Christ. It may seem to him 
a work of only little importance, but it is necessary to 
make up the great aggregate of what should be done. 

Then, his proper work having been discovered by 
each one, it should be promptly and heartily entered 
upon. Most pertinent here are the stirring words of 
Dr. John W. Dulles : " When the car of Juggernaut 
is to be drawn, every man who can pull a pound must 
pull that pound. In the Church of Christ every man 
can pull his pound. There is a place for the old and a 
place for the young, for the poor as well as the rich, for 
the unlearned as truly as for the learned. What is 
needed is an earnest resolve to find out our place, and 
with God s help to fill it. The places are as various as 
our capacities. In the Sabbath-school there is a call 
for superintendents, secretaries, treasurers and librarians, 
for teachers, visitors, sextons, scholars and givers. In 
the prayer-meeting there is a place for earnest speakers, 
believing prayers, hearty singers, and punctual, teach 
able hearers. In the church are needed elders, deacons, 
ushers, singers. Others can serve the Master by visit 
ing the poor, the stranger and the afflicted, and by nurs 
ing the sick. The night-school, the sewing-school, the 
Dorcas society, the mothers meeting, tract distribution, 
collecting for missions and other fields are open to will 
ing hearts. No man, woman or child need say that 
there is nothing for him or for her to do. Let each 
find his work and do it." 

An evil to be guarded against in all our churches is 
the habit of sinking the sense of personal responsibility 
and losing it in the mass. It is admitted that there is 
a great work before the Church, and it must be done, 



ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 285 

but the feeling is, "The body, with its officers, must 
do it, whilst I am only one, will not be missed, cannot 
do anything." This is the core of the difficulty. If 
all acted on this excuse, as thousands do, then moral 
death would come over all our churches. This course 
should be exposed and its disastrous effects described. 
Upon the conscience of each person should the indis 
pensable burden be laid : " You are responsible as an 
individual ; nothing, nothing can excuse you from your 
appropriate portion of the great work." 

The best way for performing church-work is for each 
person to take up whatever task lies at his own door, 
and just as it presents itself. In this way there need 
not be any delay in waiting for organization ; whatever 
is needed to be done can be done at once, whenever and 
wherever the opportunity presents itself. Then, the 
body of Christians being scattered throughout the whole 
community and each acting promptly in his own sphere, 
the work would be likely to touch every point and its 
aggregate results to be very large. This is the first 
lesson on this subject which all Christians should learn, 
and if they were as faithful as they should be, no other 
would be needed; and this plan of work should never 
be dropped, no matter what other may come in to assist, 
But organization also is important. Imperfect as we 
are, it is essential. The organization of the Church by 
divine wisdom proves it to be so. Organization aids by 
encouraging individuals, by inciting all to greater dil 
igence, by economizing the force of the Church through 
placing each element of it where it can tell most effect 
ively, by increasing that force through the employment 
of well-tried plans, and by covering the whole field of 
work more thoroughly. While, then, each individual, 
without waiting, should work just as he has opportu- 



286 THE PASTOR IN THE 

nit} 7 , the general work of the Church should be well 
organized, each person being assigned that part of it to 
which his talents are best adapted. 

In addition to the duty of the clear and reiterated 
presentation of this doctrine, that each person should 
do something in the great cause, another function of 
the pastor is to assist in finding out what each one can 
do and setting him promptly to that portion of the work. 
This branch of his calling he should carefully study in 
all its details. He should study well each member of 
his church, to find out where he can be most useful. 
Each new member who comes in should be kept before 
his mind until his appropriate place is found. Elders 
and other experienced persons in the church, male and 
female, should be consulted in this business of assigning 
their work to all. The grand rule ever followed should 
be that not one must be idle ; until each one has some 
thing appointed him the pastor should not feel that his 
portion of the work is done. No mind can appreciate 
the vast latent power there is in the Church, and happy 
is that minister who can draw it out. It is not necessary 
that each one should do much ; only let it be something, 
and something appropriate to his peculiar talents and 
opportunities. Something, and always let this ring in 
every ear. Each faithful worker will influence others 
to work, and the aggregate of each one doing even a 
little, but that constantly, will be immense ; it would 
soon revolutionize the whole Church for good. 

Blessed, thrice blessed, is the minister who can thus 
inflame his people with zeal, and get them all to be 
come busy in the work for which Jesus toiled and shed 
his blood. He will have a harmonious church, and a 
church that will be alive to every good word and work. 
He will have a church that will be ever growing in 



ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 287 

numbers and graces, and that will inevitably exercise a 
most benign influence throughout the community where 
it is located. Then the influence will certainly react 
upon himself. He will preach better; he will be far 
happier in all his work ; he will not have such sore 
church-strifes to vex him. In answer to the living 
piety and prayers of his people he will be sure of hav 
ing the divine favor beaming upon him from day to day. 



DEVISING PLANS OF WORK. 

It is well in every congregation occasionally to adopt 
fresh methods of doing good, of awaking interest and 
exciting the energies of the membership. The wearing 
out of old methods, the discovery of new branches of 
work which were previously neglected, and the increas 
ing zeal of new members of the church, which ought 
by all means to be employed, will sometimes render this 
necessary. Besides, novelty generally interests, and if 
that interest can be utilized it is the pastor s wisdom not 
to let it be lost. He should therefore aim to devise 
such plans of work as the character of the times and 
the changing circumstances of his people may demand. 

But such plans should be very carefully thought out 
before they are announced or put in execution. Inquiry 
should be made as to whether similar ones have been 
tried in other places, and whether they have proved 
successful there. The pastor should calmly reflect 
whether they are adapted to his congregation and the 
community in which he dwells; whether he has the 
right persons in his church to carry them out ; whether 
he is himself willing to undergo the labor and anxiety 
which their successful operation may demand ; and 
whether they might not lead to serious disorders and 



288 THE PASTOR IN THE 

other evils. These things and others should be very 
thoughtfully considered before a minister commits him 
self to an untried scheme of operation in the general 
work of the church. It should be remembered that a 
plan will often be very different when it comes to be 
carried out from what it appeared when looked upon 
merely in theory ; and to be constantly adopting, and 
soon after dropping, methods of operation injures one s 
influence, obtains for him the character of fickleness, 
and prevents him from receiving that hearty co-ope 
ration which is desirable when he proposes other plans 
which are really excellent. 

Then, when a scheme of work has been diligently 
studied out and prayed over, and appears to be certainly 
feasible and promising of much good, it should receive 
a full trial. Even if at first it does not succeed per 
fectly, it should not be hurriedly abandoned. If for a 
time unexpected difficulties, from want of proper zeal 
in the people or from any other cause, present them 
selves, there should not be utter discouragement. The 
measure should be entered into heartily, and developed 
as fully as possible. Even if it should drag for a time, 
it may ultimately go on more prosperously. The true 
way is to work it as well as possible, and persevere. It 
may be a most valuable scheme, and should have a fair 
opportunity of being developed. Unquestionably, some 
such plans will succeed and live, and prove to be bless 
ings for many years. 

ELDERS WORK. 

In a subsequent chapter an outline will be given of a 
plan of operation which may be profitably adopted by a 
church session, and therefore very little will be said about 



ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 289 

its duties in this, which might seem to be its appropriate 
place. To the elders of the church properly belongs 
the management of its spiritual affairs, but that is not 
by any means the whole of their duty. They are also 
to be leaders in the various activities for which the 
united body of God s people is responsible. It is their 
duty to be the counselors of the pastor in devising and 
putting into operation plans for the better carrying on 
of the Lord s work. In the session properly should 
originate efforts and some of them should be originating 
constantly for exciting and vigorously conducting the 
work of the church. By the elders pre-eminently should 
the activity be carried on as well as supervised. The 
field of work which lies before them is a very diverse 
one. They are to help the pastor, to aid the other mem 
bers of the church in their efforts to grow in grace, to 
plan measures for the spiritual progress of the body, to 
look after young converts, to see to it that the liberality 
of the church shall be developed, to use all proper means 
for evoking the latent talent which is certainly in the 
various members, and to be efficient in every other good 
word and work. One of