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Lorsque 'e document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est filmd A partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'imagss ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. ly errata ed to int ne pelure, ipon d \ . t 2 i 32X « CENTRAL ■■ ■ LIBRARY Mooki TO THE : a'j a >KB& Social Sciences Pre^f^yterle^rv CoK^recjatioK of Barrle BY THE PA5TOR, REV. D. D. A\cL.EOD, Jainuaryi 1896. <( Grace be unto you and peat-e from God and the Lord Jesus Christ." BARRIE: PRINTED AT "THE EXAMINER" OFFICE. 1896. MAY I 3 a. Mi 5 7 2; INTRODUCTION. The address in the following pa}ire to emphasize. That is, the influence which is exerted ij the presence and work of one consec^'ated life among iny people. The extent of that influence cannot be neasured. Therefore the event of to-day in your history, s one ot great importance for you and for this community. There is so prevailing a tendency at present in the churches )0 organize people into societies in order todoth^ work of j^od that we are apt to forget, or overlook the importance )f the individual life and the influence which one good ife can and does exert. The history of the chtirch or of ndividual churches or congregations, testifies that it has )een the devoted labors of some consecrated man or wo man that has been the most powerful factor in moulding ind elevating the tone of church life. Often such a life has h -d a transformiiig effect upon a whole community. Sometime such ?i life has begun a new epoch in the char- rer of a church or even of a nation. __4— How great, then, may be the infiueiu.'e exerted for good bv a pastor such as you now have. Of good elders, 1 have often thought what a power for good a pastor and his elders aasociatecl with hiin in the spiritual cure of a congregation would be, if these men, whatever their social standing, whether unlearned or learned did only stand fast in Chris- tian integrity, examples in the midst of the people of (Christian virtAie, discouraging the vices which corrupt sf)ciety, encouraging and aiaintaining truth and right- eousne^ in church life i*nd civil life. These groups of Christians living in ev^ery village and town, are God's best evangelists, the only kind or evangelists that the world feels the power of. These are the salt of the earth. These preserve that high Christian conscience^ wnich seems to have been lost in this land but v»hich is essential to the wellbeing of any people. But we are not to tlxink that a pastor's influence is to be felt only through his preaching. I'here are innumerable ways in which such a man influences a people and does the work of God among them OFFICE OP^ THE MINISTRY. WHAT IS IT ? When, therefore, you view the settlement of a pastor among you in this broad and spiritual aspect, you cannot but regard with scorn the idea of the ministry which is so common amqng lis. that ministers a^e mere hirelings of the people, doing certain religious work for hire. Hired to budd up a sect. That seems to be the (rommon view. It IS a view, however, which does not touch the inatter at all. It is of the highest importance, therefore, in the first pl:.,ce, that you should as a congregati«m have right views of the office and work of the ('hristian min- ister If as I have pointed out, his life among you may be so great a blessing, it is your duty to see that you give him every opportunity to make the most of every talent -5- lich God has given him for your spiritual up-building, |d for the good of the whole community That I under- bnd to he your duty in this relation. You have invited this servant of God to labor among [u ; therefore let everything which wonl'' hinder him be Ipt out of the way, and let everything be contributed by u whidh will enable him to use to the very best ad- nca^e thos? gifts which he possesses ; and, as I have id. m order to this I think it is of the first irnport- ce that you should understand what his office is. There V B two theories of the Christian nunistry which are < mnonly held among us. There is that theory, which do not hold, that the Christian ministry is a priest- lod. That he by his office is lifted above the people into iriestly rank or caste in which there is some peculiar tue not possessed by ordinary Christians, and by reason which there is commynicated to his acts some special ritual value. We do not hold that the ministerial ce is of this nature. This is too high a view of it. Too ;h because it is higher than our Lord assigned to it. ere is the opposite view which prevails more widely long our people, that the minister of God is the hire- g and servant of the people, to be treated as any other eling whom you employ. Out of this low view of the nistiy rise many of the troubles with which our con- gations are afiflicted. This is not the scriptural view, refore not the Presbyterian view, and it is a view ich we should seek to deliver the people from.^ The i^le view of the ministry is quite different from either these. It is that the minister is "the servant of Jesus rist" and yrur servant for His sake He holds the high ition of *'an ambassador for Christ " He is **a worker ether with him" tor you. '* Let a man so account of as of the ministers of Christ and stewards of the sterit^s of God " Such is the high place of the gospel iiistry. From which it is manifest that one is nis ster even .lesus Christ. He receives his authority m C'hrist. He is to deliver to you the message which ) -6- i X he has received from his Lord and no other. He is not to ' he dictated to as to what he is to preach* but is to in- terpret in his preaching the truth which has been com- mitted to him, and because this is true, there is no service, however humble or painful, which the true m'nister willl not be ready to perform for the verv least among: you. It is the minister who knows from whom he has authority, who takes his orders from his Divine Master, who keeps his heart open to His guidance that is ever readiest to I serve the people in. every way in his power. Let this view, then, of his office be cherished among you. Be thankful that God has set over you His servant, •*to watch for your| souls as one that must give account, that he.mavdoitl with joy, and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for | you.'V WORK OF THE MXJJISXB Xx Therefore, says the apostle, we beseech you, brethren, | to know them which labour among you, and are over yo^i in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake, and be at peace aniong yourselves. If, then, the first iniportant thing is, that you should think rightly of his otface, the second is, that you should think rightly of his work, ^ome people, they cannot be very intelligent or well informed, think it almost strange to speak of work in connection with the ministry It seems the easiest kind of business. It dpes not appear to entail any burdensome toil such as is in- volved m the ordinary callings of mejn This is a mistaken view of the ministry. It is to be remembered that the minister's work is spiritual. It has to do with the souls of men, with their thoughts and motives, their desires, dispositions and conduct And therefore it is work that cannot be done in a mechanical way^ nor can it be seen in immediate results. We cannot measure it out by the hour. Nor is there any limit to the variety of it. It is done often by the wayside in some un^ expected opportunity. It is done in private conversations, ~7- in Mendljr counsel, at the bedside of the afflicted, in the private interview in the study, in the confidence of the family circle ; in short, in many ways which tt-re private and unknown, except to our Divine Master, as well a? in the more public servicer which seem to constitute the more important part of it. Nor is it often considered that the best work which you or any pastor could do for his people, would be to give up one whole day in the week to meditation and prayer, in addition to the days of necessary stuuv. but what minister of us has time for that, or thinks he has, or what congregation expects its minister to do that. How few would regai-d that as his work or as a duty exhaust- ing to both mind and body. He can preach a sermon in half an hour, but do you think of the hours of mental toil and anxiety which it has cost to produce the sermon. He can preach it without great enort, but do you consider the wearing of the soul \i hich it cost to preach it in at atmosphere of unbelief and indifference, and perhaps hostile feeling. Do you consider how hard it is, week after week, to observe that that which has cost the sorroA' and agony of his soul to make and to deliver, is treated as if it were an utterance of no moment and of no value. Yet all this must be his constant experience and he must not complain nor be ca^t down. In the midst of the most agravating discouragement, he must go on with an appearance of cheerfulness and con- tentment. It is this spiritual bui-den which wearies and sometimes crushes the heart. FELLOWSHIP IN GOSPEL WORK. Therefore, I say, do not' take up or give heed to the [thoughtless speech that the minister's work is easy work. I This is what J ask of you in view of the kind jot* work that youi* minister has to do, that you I make it as easy as jrou can for him, by your sym- pathy with him ii: it. Let me emphasize this, sym- -8- path V with him in his work. That is quite different from symyathy with him of an ordinary kind. I am sure there wili be no lack of kindness on your part towards him. B it what I ask is something higher than that. His aim is your spiritual building np. He is planning and working for tnat. Ke with him in that. Let him feel that he has your sympathy in that Recognize that as the object for which you* have called him. Paul the apostle thanks the Philippians for their ''fellowship in ttie gospel irom the flrst day until now ; " fellowship in the gospel that is what we want. x?'eliowship in social life vye will never lack, but oh, how many of us long for your "fellowship in the gospel." That is, you as well as he, anxious for a spiritual success. You as well as he, planning and praying for tha welfare of the church' You sharing the liurden with him. This >^ ill make him cheerful in his labours and is the best kind of encouragement you can give him. Further, — believe that your pastor knows his business The preacher and pastor is the continual target for every kind of criticism, male criticism and female criticism. No class of men is privil- iged with so much advise as ministers. Remember' your pastor is no novice. He knows how to teach you and lead you in spiritual things and will do it in the wa^'^ which he knows to be the b?st. Np man thinks of interfering with the capcain of a ship in ordinary circumstances, and it is well to have confidence in your pastor's judgment as to his own business. Your knowledge may be of great use to him at tinges. No wise pastor disregards judicious ad- vice or criticism kindly offered. I do not deprecate that, but rather the idea that you know better than he^does how to deal with church business. In this I am sure you will not err.. HIS AVORK SPIRITUAL. Remember also, what is so much forgotten, that all the work of the church is spiritual work. — 9- therefore he has the oversipjht of it all. He is the l)A8tor over every society and every work that goes [in in the church. Many of our congrej^ations for- get this or were never taught it The whole business hi the house, from that of the minister to that of the loor-keeper, is for the comfort and health of the house, md the house is a spiritual house, and the pastor is the lead of the house under Jesus Christ. Remember the ex- tent of his work. He is not only to prepare two sermons [veakly and for the prayer meeting, to conduct the sab- )ath and week day servicb, to attend religious and other rieetings of a public character, to visit tne sick, to con- luct funerals, to attend to marriages, to be present at the ^rasbytery and other courts of the church, to do the duty ippointed him by the Presbyterv. of which there is a large amount ; but, further, he has to hold himself ai the lisppsal of every member of the church every day so that le can be called on at any hour to perform any duty re-' juired of him. There is no other professional man called bn to do so much for the remuneration our ministers re- ceive. How much, then, does herequrie your fullest sym- )athy, your co-operation and your prayers. TIME NEEDED. Further, give your pastor time to do his work. The leep impressioii which our church has made in every land '^here it has flotu'ish*^d, has been made by it because in it hien are trained for their work and have taken time to do ft and they have been waited on by a people who desired ind expected to be fed with knowledge. This has been the strength of our church this has built up a race of men with a steadfast conscience, that in every parish through- put the land, in the smallest hamlet as well as in the fTowded city men of learning and ability have been con- tent to spend their gifts in the steady, persevering incul- :tation of the gospel Permainent results can only be pro- Jluced by such work. They cannot be produced and they -10— are not by the miserable efforts to which we see the pul- pit sink in our day to pander to the immoral dewire for! mere entertainment. The intelUgjent discussion of vital truth, the interpretation and expoundina: of the word of I God, is the nourishment your souls need, and this your f)astor is eminently fitted to give you I say, therefore, et him have time to do his work Do not look for the Gratifying of a mere idle taste for novelty in the pulpit. lOok for the building up of I'ves, in the principles of C^hrist, and in the dissemination among you of a genuine and robust faith Let me further ask you to bear in niind| that it is your duty to see to it, that he is kept in a posi-i tion in which he can with a free mind go in and out! among you and give himself to the care of your souls. We believe that you will devise liberal things on hisj behalf. This is the true test of your appreciation of Hisj message. Be above condescending to the mean, worldly i devices which are so f req uently resorted to by those who | have no faith in Ood, for the support of the gos|)el among you. These devices are utterly alien to the spirit of ourj religion and only degrade the cause which they profe s to support. Of the details of your cond-uct in I'espect to pastoral duties I do not speak You are not inexperienced in congrej^ational life You have shown in the past your appreciation of a pastor's work All that any reasonable pastor asks is a just consideration of his conducrt. No wise man such as your pastor is desirous to provoke oj)- position, or to neglect any known duty. It is nis desire to meet every just expectation and to respcmd to any reason- able call to the utmost of his ability. I expect and be- lieve that vou will meet him in the same spirit, falling in with his plans and rendering him that respect and confid- ence to which he is entitled. THE HOLY 8PIRIT TO BE PRAYE D FOR . Finally, I would fail in my duty here were I not to remind you that in order t(j your discharging your obli- —11- [^atioiis as a oongregation of Christ's chinch, in order that ^ou may live up to your responsibilities and privileges Ls hearers of the gospel, you need at all times to pray ^hat the Holy Spirit may dwell in you and among you. And you need very specially to pray on behalf of /our pastor That you may do this, your place of busi- iiess (that is, of prayer) is not only the secret chamber md the family altar, but the house ol prayer. He found there with regularity and punctuality The )pening psalm or prayer at church is as holy a part of the korship as any other part God can be dishonored at the )eginnmg of a service as much as in the middle of it To )e found there, then, is the best encouragement you can pve your pastor. Do not inflict on him that keenest iisippointment. that most discouraging treatment which [lUows him to prepare for a people who have not come up Do meet at the hour of worsnip. He was prepared to meet you, you have gone some- -here eLse. He has kept his appointment, you have not Lept yours. You may have gone to hear someone sing )r speak in some other church. You have, by so doing, lost one more opportunity of getting and doinji^ good. If We are in another church when we should be in our o\*n, do not see how we can expect a blessing. I do not see how we can escape the very opposite of blessing In ihis direction many good people are derelict. The inspir- Ltion which makes the preacmer's work te 1, comes from 3arth as well as heaven. It is found in the support and )resence of a praying people. Such inspiration it is '^hich gives freshne s and power to our services. There- tore, seek this Remember the cause is yours and the '^ork yours, as well as His If the Apostle Paul felt his Insufficiency for this high work of the gospel ministry, 'low much more may we who are so far behind him in Christian attainment. In his woi'ds. therefore, 1 ask that you pray al- ways with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and for your pastor, that utterance* may be given unto him ! 1 —12- that he may open his mouth boldly to make known thei mystery of the .ufospel for which he is an ambassador,] that therein he may speak boldly as he ought to speak.] And the God of Peace that brouMfht again from the dead) our Lord Jesus, that greg,t Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant make youj perfect in every good workv to do His will, working in you that which is well plea^in^^ in His sight through .fesus Christ. To whom be glory for ever and ever.j amen I . ^