PASTORAL THEOLOaY. THE PASTOE VARIOUS DUTIES OF HIS OFFICE. THOMAS MURPHY, D.D., PASTOR OF THE FRANKFORD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA. PHILADELPHIA : PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 1334 CHESTNUT STREET. Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1877, by THE TRUSTEES OF THE PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, Westcott & Thomson, Sterwlypert and Electrotypers, 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 Avant 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 tlieir 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 witli 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 wliich the young minister especially, though not exclusively, might need as aids in undertaking his great spiritual work. I PREFACE. 5 have 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 as 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. THOMAS MURPHY. Phii^adelphia, May 25, 1877. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF PASTORAL THEOLOGY. PAOB What 18 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 OfBce, and of this Preparation for it 24 Mode of Treating the Subject 29 How the Subject should be Studied 34 CHAPTEE 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. PAGE How the Piety of the Minister can be Cultivated 64 (a) By Constant Prayer 64 (6) Piety to be Cultivated by a Morning Hour of Devotion 71 (c) Piety Increased by the Devotional Reading of the Scriptures 76 (rf) 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 CHAPTER 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 Reading and Books 141 Newspapers and other Periodicals 147 CHAPTER IV. THE PASTOR IN THE PULPIT. Preaching the Minister's Chief Calling 152 What to Preach 155 (a) The AVord 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 (b) 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 (c) Sensational Preaching 205 Public Prayer 207 Preparation of the Mind for Entering the Pulpit 215 Written or Extemporaneous Sermons 218 May Sermons Sometimes be Repeated?., 220 CONTENTS. 9 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 Keligious 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 (ft) 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. PAGS Eevivals 330 (a) Eevivals of Inestimable Value 330 (6) The Pastor himself sliould 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 CHAPTEE 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 Eelations 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 Teachei-s 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 Sabbalh-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 Sabbalh-school to be kept in Sympathy with the Church 403 (/) Improvements in Sabbath-school Work 406 {g) Promptness in Everything 410 (h) 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-chiss 419 (d) Preaching to the Children 421 (e) Promoting the Interests of the Sabbath-school throughout the Congregation 425 CONTENTS. 11 CHAPTER IX. THE PASTOR IN THE BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. PAGE Cliristian 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 436 (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 455 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 part in every good Work 477 The Presbytery a ISfissionary Organization in its own Territory 478 (a) The Territory of Presbytery to be regarded as its special Mission- ary Field 478 12 COMENTS. PAGE (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 Eight 497 A Neighborly Spirit to be Cherished with All 498 Pastoral Theology. CHAPTER I. NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF PASTORAL THEOLOGY. WHAT IS PASTOEAL 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 ofiice 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 Sheplierd. 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 so 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. HISTORY 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 16 PASTORAL THEOLOGY. his Cliurcli. 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 every-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 istiy 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 PASTOEAL 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 Scriptuo'es and their (jreat doctrinea 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 ivith 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 retiching it. 4. The accumulated experience of other workers in the same general field \B ?^ \di^i 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 ins])iring, 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 and 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. 2' he 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 enteriDrises 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 for 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 jorincipal 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 wonkl necessarily result innumerable mistakes and failui-es. Tlien there wonld 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 Scrij)ture 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 aw^aking 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 he too diligently used. The same amount of i)astoral 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 and 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? IMPORTANCE 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, hekl 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 4 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 temj^tations, — all rise up as hinderances in the way of his progress in the spiritual work of Christ. These demand of him the most diligent prej)aration 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 hel23 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, arid 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 lie 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 everywdiere 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 w^akeful 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 and in efforts to spread knowledge and save souls, there is more and more vigor. Now, this active S[)irit 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 fill iu liis 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 keejD \x^ 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 sliould 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 adoj)ted to give the greatest success ? What things should be avoided ? What opportunities sliould 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. Ojily such plans of work, rules for study and prin- ciples of ministerial life as have been well tidied 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 necessary. 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 attemj)ted. 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 pur230se 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 coiu'se, it is not always possible to give such precise directions, 32 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 j^ersons 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 ti^eating 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 {js 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. Plow 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 wnth ordinary care and toil. 6. That it must be up to the demands ajid 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 5 34 PASTORAL THEOLOGY. tliouglit 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 acqvAsition 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 which 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 aj)propriate 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 catecliising of the young, tlie 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 shopld 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 unsjDeakably 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 IN 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 symjDathy 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 tbis 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 Ministers 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 oi 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 wiMesses. They are to bear witness of Christ and his great doctrines ; and 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 sacredness 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 (b) The Greatness op 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 threatenings, 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 44 THE PASTOR souls, 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 ^vhom 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. (o) 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 gi'ow 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 j^rosperity 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 asres. 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 his heart is the place in which must begin a revival in the Church. There is the place from which the Church's devoted ness 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 Eeal 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- 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 wdiere it really is, life, lips, acts wil] 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- 230sition, 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 CLOSET. 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 n^ne 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 sacred ness 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 ex}3erience 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 Work of the Pastor Easy and Pleasant. This is another consideration ui^on 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. m 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 i^eigns 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 w^ar 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 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 examj)le : " 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 j)ractice. 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 gosj)el 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, tliat 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 IN 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 bevond 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 ojDposer, 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 Pastor 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 ajDOstle 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 oif 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. 63 ' shine as the brightness of the firmament/ but be made ' pillars in the temple of our God.' " All true pastors are prejDaring 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-mindedness 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 Bunyau. 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 headr 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 devotedness 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 ex^jerience ? 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. 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 ? AVas 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 e-odliness enabled them to understand it as others could o not. This is not the opinion of one or two, but of the many, and that of those who had most of the mind of 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 his influence is that God is with him and makes whatever 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 Evans — 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 to do with ? His vocation requires him to stand so near to God that he must have the purifying of the Holy S|)irit for that awful presence. It is his to inter- cede for otliers as well as to ]3ray 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 oflfice, 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 fisliing 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 jDOwer, 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 a^^art 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 j^ieriod 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 j^rayer 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 examj^le 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 and 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 of 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 efiicacy 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 Scrij^tures 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 that 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, teachest 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? Wliat 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 simihir 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 jierceptibly, 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 not 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 ia 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 sj)iritual 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 sjjecial temptations to which, from its peculiar nature, the mhiisterial 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 Slotlifulness 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 oio7i 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 wlio 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 dearest knowledge of the ivay in which emineiit 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. He 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 liim 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 restraiiit 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 inind of the miiiister 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, and it is natural that what is so much thought of should appear in ever-increasing mao;nitude. And these thinais 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 j)osition 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 mmiste?' 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 relioion 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 CLOSET. 6. The prayers of his godly people are ever going up for the pastor. As a poAver for promoting his I3iety tliis 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 whic'li avail much. Though he may not recognize them at the time, they do bring down the power of the Spirit ui3on 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. Theee 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 im}X)rtant 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 insjiire 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. &3 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 rej^lenishing 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 npon 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 j^rofession. He must study God in his word and in his works and in IN THE STUDY. 95 liis providences ; lie must study the great writings of human piety and wisdom which a rich religious litera- ture furnishes ; he must study man in his varied charac- ter, ill 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 jDresent 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 has 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 ofiice 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 my 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 08 THE PASTOR long retain even a respectable position if lie 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 and 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 emj)hatic that one of the greatest dangers of the ministry is that of falling into the sin of slothfulness. 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 wliich any thoughtful man must tremble. And IN THE STUDY. 99 iiltimatelj 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 slothfulness 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. THOROUGH 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 whicli is filled with so many and sucli varied duties as is that of the clergyman. In order that our counsels may be as exjDlicit 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 corres]3ondence. 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 evenino-. In the afternoon about two hours and 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 manufactories 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 promjDt 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, j)recision 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 liim, ' 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 wliat I 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 u 106 THE PASTOR that eacli duty should be taken up j)romptly 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 no 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 keejis him ready for every work. 2. The habit of hemg 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 as 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 ofiice 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 pre]3aration 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, and 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 l>e- 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 Avhich 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 tlie 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 knowledo;e 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 ray advantage to be thoroughly acquainted with the Scriji- 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 Avith 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. 116 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 wdiole 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 jiassage, 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 impress! veness 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 a-lways 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. Ramoth-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. Kamoth-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. 2'he prominent epochs of scriptural history should be clearly understood and Jir^nly 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. Tbis 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 IX 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. 1. Creation 2. Deluge... 3. Call of Abraham , 4. Descent into Egypt., 5. Exodus 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 B.C. 4004 2348 1921 1706 1491 1451 1095 975 587 397 00 Name of Period. Antediluvian Period Noachian Period Patriarchal Period Egyptian Period Wilderness Period Period of the Judges Period of United Monarchy.. Period of Divided Monarchy Period of the Captivity Period of the World-powers.. Length OF Period. 1656 427 215 215 40 356 120 388 190 397 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 ivith the aid of the best commentay^ies. 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, arcliEEology, 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- gestive 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. Sanpture 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 anotlier, 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 j^lainly 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 illustratiojis of scriptural passages which may be casually met with in 7'eading, 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 023ening it up into a sermon will sometimes flash unexpectedly upon the mind. These should be nailed for future use by being j)ut 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 exjjlanations 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 the 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 jDart, 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 wdll 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 deejDcr study as to a feast of jjleasure. 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 ex2:>erienced 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 Btored 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 Scriptui^e 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 HEBEEW 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 tlie 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 j)rogress. 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 fiiirly in this way. The slowness of the progress, and the imperfect know- ledge of these languages already attained, very often at first discoui-age 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 he better understood through the aid of this knoivledge than it can possibly be ivithout 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. We get nearer to the mind of the Sphnt 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 ivere 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 must be an unspeakable pleasure to get at the very terms which were written by insjnred 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 lieart! 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 highly valued. Then we can go to the fountain-head at once, and see for ourselves the meaning and force of the original, and 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 coynmentaries on the Scrip- tures cannot he used to full advantage ivithout a know- ledge of these languages. They are founded upon the original — it is difiicult 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 tvith 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 may 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 and 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 w^ould 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- lA 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 oif 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 bo 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 tliat 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 forthputting 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 dowm dog- gedly and persistently to write, whether at the first he is in the spirit or not, he can w^ork 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 tliat 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. The}'- 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 u^^on 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 hand will be one that shall 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 imjoroper 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 prepai'ing 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 occu- IN THE STUDY. 141 slonally to great advantage. But tliey 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 j^rove 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. EEADING 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 uj)ou the stores of his mind in his sermons and other ministrations, and he must fill it up again by gathering from other sources. He must keep 142 THE PASTOR his mind enriclied 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. 143 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 everladiny study of standard authors. ' 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. Boohs 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, IN THE STUDY. 145 Bush, Keil and Delitzscli ; 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, Barnes ; 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 Ezehiel, 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 3IarJc, 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 and Leigh ton ; on John and Jude, Barnes ; on Revelation, Stuart, Barnes and Auberlin. 4. Theology. Systematic Theology, by Hodge ; Hill's Divinity ; Dvvight'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 Euling 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 Biograjyhy. 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 hap2:)y 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 Sahhath-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 autliorities 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. NEWSPAPEES AND OTHEE PEEIODICALS. 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 in 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 ? What 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 j)resent 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 witli 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 tlie 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 j)astor 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 equij^ment, 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 lie 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 jDower 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 bept 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 rejieat 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 w^ork 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 f)revious 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. 156 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 Woed 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 tlie 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 w^ord should be pre- sented ; none of it should be intentionally kept back ; there need be no fear of jDreacbing 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 jireached 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 tliem from his own words. Because God has appointed the Scriptures for that purpose we may rest assured that to preach them i'? 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 Scrijotures 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 ns 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 pro])erly 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 fiincy, 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-evidencins: lio-ht. 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 tlioughts 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 £1 162 THE PASTOR great preacher, Paul, for he 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 exjDressions 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 Home to the winds of heaven. So it was by the preach- ing of the truth that the Keformers 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 gosiDcl. 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 goeth 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 liis 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. ib) 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 of preacliing 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 w^ell 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 j^retty sermon.' If I were put upon trial for my 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 Iianging. Put yourself in my place, speak in view of the gallows, and you will tell your story plainly and earnestly.' I liave no objections to a lady winding a sword with ribbons and studding it with roses as she j)resents 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 weajDon 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. '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) Cheist 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 3^ou 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- ])el 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 Scrij)ture 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 jDrovision which is made for them all in the Lord our Kighteousness, 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 my 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 yngels, 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 S2:)iritually 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- g;er 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. 175 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 IN THE PULPIT. 177 in themselves, for each contains some of the precious truth of God. Tliey 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, aud in 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; tliey 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 great 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 c^oc^Wne," 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 diidy of the Bible we ivould 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 doctriiies should be fixed as centres 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 Scrip tuj'e 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 for 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 ahnost sure to be over- looked. Kich 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 i?i the Bible 'may be preserved in our sermons by this plan of arranging them m 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 tlie 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 imj^ortant 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 ivill ahvays be a subject ready as sooyi as the minute arrives for commencing the study of the sermoii 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 IN THE PULPIT.. 183 wasted. And a theme for a sermon which is thus sought out purposely is rarely entered upon with vigor or pur- sued with j)leasure. 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. Leadinoj Events of Old Testament Historv — 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 Keligion — " 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 JEkents of Old Testament History. — Thes-e 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 Bed 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. Buth's Affection ; 34. Buth's Beward ; 35. Mission of Samuel ; 36. Saul made King ; 37. Suicide of Saul ; 38. David the Man after God's own Heart; 39. David the Ptressing 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 I 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 afiability 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 difierent 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 m 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 nity, 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 ofrowing 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 adaj)ted 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 shoukl 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 Boon 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 aflPairs, 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 tlie Lord's work. In the session properly should orio-inate efforts — and some of them should be orij^inatino; 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. Tliey 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 the first and most strenuous efforts of the pastor, in the activity of the church, should be to keep the session alive and diligent in the import- ant position of usefulness which they occu2)y. Not only should the session, as a session, be vigorous in the prosecution of the work of the church, but every member of it also, according to his talents and oppor- tunities, should be faithful in the great cause. It should be strongly impressed upon the elders that they ought all to be workers. There is no class of j^ersons in the church upon which this duty rests with so much weight as upon them. They are called by the appointment of God and the voice of the church to that very thing, sr 290 THE PASTOR IN THE Because of their presumed character for eminent piety, because of the confidence which their position in the church naturally secures them, because of the sacred and responsible office which they hold, because of the influence which they must necessarily exert, and because they are set in the church to be an example to others, — because of these and otlier things it becomes them to be not only eminently holy, but also eminently useful. This is their calling, their happiness and their glory. If they are faithful in the Master's work, there is no telling the amount of good they may accomplish, no imagining the magnitude of the bliss with which they shall be re- warded in the heavenly world. But if they are not faithful in the important work to which they are called, they very greatly sin. They come short of their divine appointment and of the ordination vows into which they have entered ; they fail of splendid opportunities of bless- ing men and glorifying God ; and they spread the evil by hardening the hearts of others and keeping them back from a holy zeal which might pervade the whole body of believers. To them much has been given, and of them much shall be required. WOMAN'S WORK. Explain the matter as we may, the fact cannot be mis- taken that with woman is ever to be found the greater part of the piety, the earnest devotion and the zeal of the church. This is to be plainly seen in all of our churches. Among all denominations the evidences of it are to be found in the rolls of the membership, in the attendance upon all the services of the sanctuary, in her sympathy with every true object of benevolence, in her readiness to engage in every good work, and in her con- ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 291 sistency of life. Upon this element of piety in his church the pastor must ever place great reliance, and his wisdom will be manifested in so framing liis plans of activity that it can be used to the greatest advantage. It is a power for good too important and peculiar not to receive his special attention. (ft) Female Prayer-Meetings. When the two things are considered, that many of the most godly in our congregations are women, and that they take no audible part save singing in the ordinary service of public or social worship, it will be seen that prayer-meetings of their own are most desi- rable. In them their voices can be heard in prayer, they can counsel and encourage each other, and they can confer about their own spiritual interests, as well as those of the church. A few persons would be suffi- cient to commence or to perpetuate such a meeting, for to a very few even is the promise of the divine presence made. It could convene, if desirable, in the parlor of the manse or in some other private house, where they would be secluded and free from restraint. In conducting it, the Scriptures should be read, prayers offered, words of Christian counsel and experience ut- tered, objects for special prayer presented, fects stated, brief and pertinent extracts quoted and a free confer- ence about spiritual things held. There should be as little formality as possible in conducting the exercises. All should be free and unrestrained, and full of Christ. The pastor will not, of course, be in attendance at these meetings, but he can aid them very materially in other ways. He can announce them frequently from the pulpit, he can speak of them in private and en- courage individuals to attend them, and he can always 292 THE PASTOR IN THE treat tliein as an important element of spiritual power in his clinrch. The influence of such a stated meeting of devout women, old or young, for prayer and spiritual confer- ence will most undoubtedly tell upon the piety and progress of the church. Prayers will there be offered up for particular individals, who will by and by be seen coming out on the side of Christ, for the commence- ment of revivals which will after a while gladden every heart, and for the pastor upon whose ministrations such vast issues are suspended. Unseen, and perhaps un- noticed, may be those little assemblies, but not unfelt will they be in their blessed results. They will tell upon the preaching of the minister, for they will bring down upon him the unction of the Holy Ghost. They will tell upon the Sabbath-school by causing its instruc- tions to be sealed upon many a heart. They will tell upon every department of the church's work by re- moving difficulties, spreading the harmonious spirit of Christ, giving holier unction and opening many a door of success. Much should be made, and much should be expected, of the female 2;)rayer-meeting. (6) Pastors' Aids. In the earnest piety of the women of the church there lies such an amount of latent power for doing good that every plan should be devised for drawing it out into activity and using it to the best advantage. It doubtless will be seen in isolated circles benefithig souls and bodies and helping forward the great cause of sal- vation, but besides that it ought to be made more effec- tive by being combined into general and comprehensive efforts. This has been accomplished in many churches by the formation of associations which have been well ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 293 called pastors' aids. Their object is to unite the earnest Christian women of the congi-egation into a band whose object it shall be to assist the pastor in such branches of his work as can be performed by them. A sufficient number of earnest-hearted women for the formation of such an association can be found in almost any church. In its construction there does not need to be much or complex organization. The more sim- ple and flexible in its mode of working it is the better. Those who are willing to enter cordially into its interests can enroll their names, elect their necessary officers and meet periodically for the purpose of devising work and laying it out appropriately for each of the members. The work which could be profitably taken up by them would be such as making the acquaintance of new families removing into the bounds of the congre- gation, striving to discover and bring to the sanctuary those who are living in its neglect, visiting persons in the congregation who are becoming disaffected or cold or negligent in their attendance, bringing also new scholars into the Sabbath-school, promoting general sociability in the church, and putting forth whatever other efforts for the general cause their wisdom and experience might deem advisable. Such an association can be formed in almost any congregation. The requisite number of persons and the piety can be found if they are sought for ; and, if formed, it may be made a most valuable auxiliary to the pastor. Women have the piety, they have the feeling, they have the tact, they more generally have the time, to do such work, and hence they can do it more effi- ciently than men. There are some parts of church- work which they can do better than even the pastor. They can reach families, especially the female portion 294 THE PASTOR IN THE of tliem, as the other sex cannot. They can follow up impressions that are made, cultivate the acquaintance of strangers and persevere in efforts to interest them in the Church and her ordinances as men cannot or will not. (o) Visiting the Aged, Sick and Poor. This is a branch of woman's great work in doing good which is of so much consequence that it should receive special attention. Whether it should be car- ried on systematically in connection with the pastors' aid or any other association, or whether it should be taken up by every pious and loving heart whenever and wherever objects are found, we would not decide. Probably it is better to enter upon it in both ways, so that it may be the more thoroughly accomplished. It is a department of Christian benevolence which it is to be feared is too much overlooked at the present time. There is danger that in the desire for promoting the interests of the souls of men the wants of their bodies should be neglected. The Church needs to awake with great earnestness to this matter. She needs to listen more attentively to the words of Christ, " For ye have the poor always with you ;" to return to the zeal of early Christian and apostolic days in relieving the poor and the suffering ; to outstrip all the contri- vances of human society and all the boasts of popery in cheerful ministrations to those upon whom the hand of affliction has in any way been laid. Very loud and emphatic should be the proclamation from the pulpit of this undoubted and ever-present duty which rests upon the children of the Lord Jesus. Then to visit the sick, whether they are connected with the church or not, and minister to them, to speak kind and loving words to the aged, and to relieve the ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 295 pressing wants of the poor, is pre-eminently the work of Christian women. It is an indispensable branch of the pastor's work, but he cannot possibly do all that should be done. There are some parts of it which the finer and gentler tact of women can do better than he. Men are not to be excused from this office of Christian mercy, but the more tender feelings of woman make her its appropriate minister. If this branch of the Church's work, so manifest an emanation of Christianity, and so sweetly enforced by the example of the purer days of the gospel, were fiith- fully 23erformed, there is no telling the amount or vari- ety of good results that would flow from it. It would cheer many a sad and weary heart, and light up with happiness many a dark abode. It would be to the world one of the most influential manifestations of the benign spirit of the gospel — the spirit which was so conspicu- ously seen in Christ, the spirit which is produced by the regenerating work of the Holy Ghost, the spirit which a proper sense of the mercies received from God must necessarily engender, and the spirit with which Christianity is yet to bless the whole world. It would melt down many who could be reached by no other earthly motive, and constrain them to think of the mercy of Christ, and ultimately seek and find it. Who can describe how it would edify suffering believers, caus- ing them to feel that though they are smitten by the hand of affliction, they have still the sweetest fellowship with the body of Christ's true people, and opening their hearts yet more fully to the blessed influences of the Spirit? The general practice of this form of Christian benevolence would bind believers more thoroughly to- gether, for what affection could be stronger than that which must grow between the benefactors and those 296 THE PASTOR IN THE who receive their loving ministrations? AVhat union more lasting than that of those who stand side by side in the very same work that employed the hands of the Son of God ? (<:?) Dorcas Societies. This is an agency for doing good which has been used by pious women from apostolic days, and which still may be made to accomplish much in assuaging suffer- ing and aiding in various other objects of l)enevolence. Whatever supposed evils may sometimes be associated with it ought not to prevent it from being perfected and em])loyed diligently in its peculiar mission of usefulness. It may, in fact, be made a great benefit to those who en- ii'asfe in it. For Christian women to come together from time to time to plan out works of benevolence, and to use their liands in preparing garments for the poor or to assist in other charities, cannot but warm their hearts, enlarge their sympathies and strengthen their social ties. Besides, it should be remembered that many women have little else than their time and skill in handicraft which they can give to the great cause, and the plans of the sewing society furnish the oidy method by which these can be made available. Associations of this kind might prepare garments for the worthy poor who are suffering ; they might clothe children, and so enable them to attend the Sabbath- school; they might send packages of articles that would cause gladness to many a toiling missionary family; they might collect funds that would carry on many a greatly- needed charity ; or they might make their skill with the needle available in accomplishing objects of benevo- lence which otherwise would remain neglected. It is therefore an agency which should not be set aside be- ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 297 cause it has been decried, or because sometimes it may have been followed by discord or may have run into abuses. What is there good or holy or benevolent on earth which the sinfulness of human nature has not perverted ? ATTENTION TO STRANGERS. It must be kej^t as a distinct aim before every church to draw individuals and families into attendance upon its ordinances. The persons who are to be thus influ- enced are both those who may have been long resi- dents in the vicinity of the chui-ch and those who may recently have come into the neighborhood. If the church is to be kept up in numbers, if men are to be brought under the sound of the gos2)el, the congrega- tion must be constantly recruited from this source, for deaths and removals to distant places and falling away from indifference or disaffection will be ever thinnino; out its ranks. Besides, the progressive nature of the gos]3el, so well set forth by the parables of the leaven and the mustard-seed, requires that it should be perpet- ually aiming after a wider extension. Its benevolent spirit cannot rest without striving to spread abroad its blessings to others. Its very nature is to be aggressive always and everywhere. If any church's aim is simply to hold its own, it will inevitably retrograde. If it be not constantly drawing new families to the benefit of its ordinances, it will dwindle in attendance. It is a necessity, then, as well as a privilege, to give such at- tention to strangers as may possibly make them stated worshipers in the sanctuary, and ultimately bring them into the true fold of Christ. 38 298 THE PASTOR IN THE (a) There should be some Agexcy for Making the Acquaintance of Strangers. Families will often remove into a new neii>;liborlioorl, perhaps into the vicinity of a church of their own de- nomination, and for a long time no Christian people seek their fellowship. They feel very lonely. There is no attraction of friends to draw them to the house of God, and they neglect it. Or perhaps they go a few times and finding no faces but those of strangers, they are chilled, and gradually slide away into utter indifference. This might have been prevented. If the church had been awake to find them out, seek their acquaintance and interest them, they might soon have become happy and useful members of the congregation. When per- sons are strangers in a new community, a little attention is peculiarly grateful. It will not soon be forgotten. Instances could be given where it has first gratified, then interested, then softened the feelings, then led to sincere inquiry, and then landed the soul in the happi- ness of the salvation of Christ. Now, there should be some definite plan adopted, so that no new families or individuals could come into the neighborhood of the church without being soon discov- ered and reached by the grasp of Christian friendship. The kind of agency to be made use of for this purpose must be determined by the peculiar circumstances of each congregation. But some such agency there should always be. Each member of the congregation should be on the lookout for families that may come into his immediate vicinity. All should be encouraged to report when they hear of such families removing into the sphere of the church's influence, and when so reported they should be visited promptly by pastor or elders or ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 299 ladies of the pastor's aid or Sabbath-school teachers. Visits to them should be persevered in until they become interested, and, if possible, identified with the congre- gation. (6) Hospitality to Strangers in the House of God. This may at first sound like a small matter, but re- flection and observation will soon prove that it is far otherwise. It has very much to do with attracting people to the sanctuary, and making them feel at home there, with securing for the church a very desirable name for friendliness, with the satisfaction of those who are already in attendance, and with the promotion of that kindly spirit which forms such a congenial atmo- sphere for the influences of the Holy Ghost. Instances could be given where strangers have casually entered a church without any purpose of repeating the visit, but have been met with such evident pleasure, have been so cordially welcomed and received with such marks of at- tention, that they have gone again and again, until they have finally made that church their home. Other instances could be given where devout strangers have gone to churches of their own faith, and from a sense of duty continued to go for years, without one friendly hand being extended to them or one word of welcome, or even a kind look. Other instances again could be given where persons, seeking a church which they could make their home, have gone to one a few times, but have met with such indifference as to turn away to some other denomination or to give up all attendance at the sanctuary. Then the hospitality which is needed will cost little : in fact, it will cost nothing but a little reflection and an effort that will be only a pleasure. It consists simply 300 THE PASTOR IN THE in noticing strangers as they may come casually into the sanctuary, giving them a look of welcome, speaking a word or extending a hand of friendship, showing them to seats, handing them hymn-hooks, inviting them again, or any other of those little attentions which are so easily offered. These things are easily done, will inev- itably gratify the person receiving the attention, give satisfaction to those who bestow it, promote the good name of the church, prove a potent element in furthering the momentous cause of the gospel, and are even noticed by the Master himself. Attention to this matter will soon tell in its happy results upon the congregation. " Every church," it has been said, " that would prosper must show proper attention to strangers. It should be seen that they are promptly and courteously provided with seats and made to feel that they have a cordial welcome there. Kind looks should greet them as they come and follow them as they go. Should they come again, let them meet with the same reception. And should they become constant worshipers there, let them be sought out and visited, not merely by the pastor, but by members of the congregation. Whether rich or poor, they should not be overlooked or neglected. They have claims as strangers irrespective of all outward distinction. Let a man bring the matter home to him- self. Suppose you are in a strange place. You go to the house of God on the Sabbath, but are treated as a stranger in the fullest sense of the word. You are not spoken to, you are not seated. We venture to say the occurrence would neither be pleasant nor soon for- gotten." Those whose hearts are in the blessed work will hardly feel the need of a formal introduction in order to speak to strangers, welcoming them to the house of God and ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 301 inviting them to come again. They will consider that tliere is a something higher at stake than the punctilios of society, and they will choose the higher interests, and in almost all instances the immediate results will justify their choice. This point was forcibly presented in a recent number of a religious journal : '' * Why don't you speak to that young man over there, who seems linger- ing in hope that somebody will hold out their hand to him?' said Mrs. A to Mr. B in our hearing: as the congregation were flooding the sidewalk in their emergence from church the other day. — ' I don't know who he is.' — ' It would be an excellent way to find out.' — ' Yes, but suppose that I should find out that he was somebody the pleasure of whose acquaintance I should not desire ?' — ' There would be no great harm done even then, while, if you can judge from look and act, and from his regular and apparent interest in church, there is small probability of such a result.' — ' You know the customs of the city are somewhat rigid in regard to the matter of formal and proper introductions.' — ' I know that men never hesitate, however, to accost any unknown individual when any imaginary benefit of consequence to themselves is dependent on an interview. Why shouldn't benevolence be as regardless of rule as selfish- ness, and such a young man's benefit be as considerable an element in the decision of such a question as your own ?' " We heard no more, but what we had heard increased our already profound respect for the insight of a clear- headed and warm-hearted woman into the mysteries of essential truth. We have often thought that tlie amity of the sanctuary ought to override the etiquette of the drawing-room, and that nobody ought to hesitate to make the first advances toward some acquaintanceship with 302 THE PASTOR IN THE strangers who have become fellow-worshipers. Es- pecially do we hold this to be the case with young men and women, particularly the former. They come to the city from their distant homes with hearts that ache at the separation from those to whom their whole wealth of love has been given. While hurried in the labors of the week they do not so much mind the smart of sep- aration, but on the Sabbath they have plenty of time to think of home and old friends, and it seems desolate to them to meet Sabbath after Sabbath with a great con- gregation, to no one of whom are they bound by the slightest tie of sympathy. They come a while, expecting that somebody will say a kind word to them, that they may even here find a hand-pressure of welcome ; they wait and linger on the threshold as if to invite a kind word, but it does not come. They intermit attendance, perhaps fall into the hands of some of Satan's colpor- teurs, who hold out both hands toward them, and in the company of errorists or open transgressors they com- mence their descent swift to ruin. Had they been greeted in their early attendance upon the sanctuary with a warm welcome from some Christian man who should have in- troduced them into the sympatlietic circle of the good of their own age, they might have been saved. Don't sacrifice the welfare of immortal souls to a poor punc- tilio about propriety." PRAYER-MEETINGS. The piety and usefulness of the Church are most in- timately connected with its prayer-meetings. Whether as cause or effect, it is found that the degree of the one is always in proportion to the interest manifested in the other. It will therefore be seen at once that this is a ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 303 subject which claims the most careful attention of the pastor. It is one which he must not only study, but carry out into practice from the first to the last clay of his ministry. Everything demands of him that it should be made most prominent in both thought and practice. («) Conducting Prayer-Meetings. The interests of the Church are so vitally connected with its prayer-meetings that the question of how they can be conducted so as to be made the most profitable is one which the pastor should carefully examine. Very much of the life and attractiveness and advantage of such meetings depends upon the mode in which they are conducted. They may be made so slow and cold and dull as to be positively repulsive, or they may be made so full of joyous animation as to prove the happy hours of the week. Great stress should be laid on this point, and it should receive earnest attention. It is deemed of so much importance that we shall go into considerable detail concerning it. Our suggestions have been gathered from all quarters ; they are the result of experience ; they have all been well tried, and they are perfectly practicable, so that they can be carried out under almost any circumstances of pastor or congregation. It is certain that they will greatly help in giving interest and j)rofit to meetings which are too often but little attractive, and are con- sequently shunned by all excepting those who are led to them by the imperative demands of duty. All our recommendations need not be carried out at each meet- ing ; some of them are general, and should characterize every gathering for social worship, while some of them can be used at one time and some at another. Each one 304 THE PASTOR IN THE of them should receive so much attention as would lead to its importance being seen. 1. The prayer-meeting should be regarded as an index of the piety of the Church. It has not inaptly been called the thermometer by which the degree of that piety may be seen. In a measure that can scarcely be mistaken, the attendance and interest in these meetings show whose hearts are alive to the things of Christ, and wdiat is the extent of spirituality that pervades the body. Most members will attend upon the principal service of the Sabbath from other considerations, but those who frequent the social meetings for prayer are ordinarily prompted by love for the cause, by spiritual earnestness and by a desire for the presence of Christ. They go often at some worldly sacrifice, because they are led by the impulses of a living piety. Then the prayer-meet- ing not only indicates the degree of spirituality in a church, but it also tends most eifectually to increase it. Its influence is to sustain the church's spiritual life and to warm it up into a richer glow. There is hardly any- thing else which can have a more salutary influence upon that piety. It preserves it by breaking in upon the rush of the world that would sweep it away ; it in- creases it through the prayers by which it brings down the Holy Spirit as a sweet but ever-brightening flame. In this way the prayer-meeting, when the hearts of Christians are in it and the life and unction of the Holy Ghost pervade it, sends out its blessed influences over all the other activities and interests of the Church. Through it the Lord's-day services are made more profit- able, the Sabbath-school is blessed, the effort to attract to the sanctuary is prospered, the family is happier and the fruits of the Spirit are everywhere seen. Let the prayer-meeting, therefore, in the first place, be properly ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 305 appreciated as the index of the Church's life and as a centre from which flow out blessings in every direction, and then a deeper interest will be taken in it by both pastor and people. 2. Let the prayer-meeting he made interesting, and it will he well attended. The professed people of God ought to attend it, because of the sacred obligations which rest upon them and out of love for the cause, but sad experience proves that multitudes of them will not, and in the work of the gospel we must take men just as they are. It is a fact which cannot be concealed that when prayer- meetings are not made interesting they are ordinarily but poorly attended, but when they are made interesting they will almost inevitably fill up of their own accord. And the interest which is needed in the prayer-meeting does not depend on mere novelty ; it is not the result of flippant methods of arousing attention; but it does depend on the warmth, life, promptness, good feeling and manifest earnestness which are made to per- vade all the exercises. Let these be attended to and the meeting will be filled; and when the prayer-meet- ing is filled the public sanctuary will not be empty. A stranger attracted habitually to the prayer- meeting is certain soon to become a member of the congregation. The promise of the divine presence is made to the com- ing together of even two or three, so that there need be no discouragement if only a very few are present; but, at the same time, when many are present all are cheered, there are more to partake of the blessings of the hour, the attendance of large numbers attracts still others, and the influence of a well-attended prayer- meeting is felt through the whole Church and com- munity. 3. A spirit of friendliness should he cultivated. The 39 306 THE PASTOR IN THE prayer-meeting is eminently tlie social gathering of the people of God for prayer and praise and mutual spiritual edification, and therefore true friendliness ought to reign in it. There is no other place where there is so good an opportunity of showing the love of the brethren. Hero the social element of our nature should be utilized and cultivated. If opportunities are sought for the exercise of these kindly feelings, they may readily be found. AVhen entering the room and finding seats, or after the services are closed, there is time for friendly greeting and such little attentions as will show that there is a spirit of kindness. It will do no harm to linger a few moments for the cordial handshaking and for the word or two that may either establish or foster the acquaint- anceship which ought to subsist between those who are of the same great family of Christ and of the same branch of that family. Then there should also be care taken to notice strangers and to introduce them, so that when they come again they may feel that they are among friends. Every one — the pastor setting the example and leading the way — should take pains and devise methods for cultivating this sociability in the prayer-meeting. It wnll spread an atmosphere of good feeling which will make such meetings delightful to those who habitually attend, and attract others to come to their enjoyment, as well as constitute them the very places where the Holy Spirit may most certainly be expected. 4. The prayer-meeting should be carefully guarded against all scolding, grumbling and fault-finding. There are some persons who are constantly indulging in these. They complain of the small attendance, of the coldness, of the want of success ; they censure those who are ab- sent for staying away; they expatiate upon the supe- ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 307 riority of other churches ; they have not one kind or encouraging word to speak about their own. Such persons take the course best fitted to bring about the state of things of which they complain. Many a meeting is killed by them — either blotted out alto- gether or made so repulsive that but few attend it, and none to edification. Scolding in prayer-meetings, by minister or others, never does good. It forces no- body into attendance ; on the contrary, it drives and keeps many away. It is mortifying to those who really love the church to hear it before strangers who may happen to be present. It is discouraging to all those who are conscientious in their attendance, grates upon the nicer sensibilities, ruffles the feelings, drives away the sweet spirit of kindness and forms a very unsuit- able atmosphere for the presence of the Holy Ghost. By all means should cheerfulness reign in the place where people go to get their hearts warmed and ele- vated with holy emotions. 5. The people should all be seated near to the leader of the meeting, in order to promote sociability and an- imation. When they are scattered over the house, back by the door or around the walls, there is a feeling of coldness east over the whole assembly. Then nearly all the advantages of the presence of numbers and of felt sympathy are lost ; the sensation of indifference is in- evitably produced ; if strangers happen to be present an exceedingly unhappy impression is made upon them ; the minister or other leader is chilled by seeing nothing around him but empty seats, while the people seem to want to escape as far away from him as possible, and the feelings of the leader being dampened, they will soon communicate themselves to the whole meeting. The people ought to be told of this in the plainest 308 THE PASTOR IN THE terms, and it ought to be repeated to them again and again and again until they shall be led to think of it. This may appear to them a small matter, but where the very life of the meeting is at stake it is not a trifle. Most persons seem to be strangely thoughtless about it; they are almost unkind in giving no heed to the entreaties of the minister when he even begs them to do him that little favor. But the effort should not be aban- doned until the evil is overcome. It is well sometimes even to go down and take a seat among the people, to call attention more pointedly to the trouble. There is much in this little thing, as the testimony of all min- isters will verify. 6. Brevity is essential to the life and interest of the prayer-meeting. If, either as a whole or in its parts, it is too much protracted, many will grow weary and sink to sleep; the long-spun prayers or addresses will be filled with rambling verboseness, and there cannot be the in- terest that would be imparted by the sound of a variety of voices. It is absolutely ruinous to a prayer-meeting to drag it out into weariness. To the young especially such a meeting is peculiarly distastefal. Instances in abundance could be given where a meeting, at first per- vaded by a fine spirit, was spoiled, and most persons present positively irritated, by prayers being spun out to a quarter or half an hour. What can the minister do to prevent this abuse ? First, he can speak kindly in private to those who indulge in the habit. Very often they are sincerely devoted and humble men, and would not for the world offend, and they never dream that they are in the habit of occupying so much time. They strive only to do what is for the best. Second, he can set the example. He must not himself, by his long-protracted remarks and prayers, weary the peo- ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 309 pie and encourage others to take up much time. He should ilhistrate what is meant by brevity in prayer. As leader of the devotions he should do everything, and have everything done, as promptly as possible. There should not be an instant wasted in hunting up a chapter or giving out a hymn; there should be no pause for some one to commence prayer. It is better to sing often and but a few verses at a time. In each j)art of the services, and in the whole, there should be no dragging. Not more than an hour should ordinarily be spent in the whole service. The people should be sent away hungry, and then they will carry with them happier impressions, and long for the next occasion wlien they can meet again with the children of God in blessed union around his mercy -seat. 7. It is well sometimes on one iveeh to announce the subject for remarks ajid 'prayer on the next. This plan is often found to be profitable, and to contribute very greatly to the interest of the services. When a subject has been announced beforehand it can serve to o'uide the thoughts of some in preparing words of address. Then there is often some point of doctrine or duty or comfort which individuals would like to have brought for con- sideration before experienced Christians, and this plan will give them an opportunity for presenting such sub- jects. Or the subject announced may be one on which many persons would like to hear the thouglits of others. Sometimes it will be advisable to ask some brother to be prepared to open the subject which has been announced, so that there may be no hesitation or delay at the be- ginning. It would not be wise, in most congregations, to have this plan as the fixed rule of the prayer-meeting, but it might be used occasionally, both for its intrinsic value and for the sake of giving variety to the exercises. 310 THE PASTOR IN THE Very often the prayer-meeting is best conducted by leav- ing everything — subject of remark and all else — to the spontaneous feelings of the hour. 8. Occasionally some other person than the pastor should conduct the meeting. This plan has several ad- vantages. It helps to bring out those who for the time are called to lead, giving them more freedom and en- couraging them in the future to take j^art in the services ; besides, it interests them as well as their friends more deeply in all the meetings. It also gives variety to the exercises when, from time to time, a new person con- ducts them, and almost of necessity imparts to them some change. Moreover, the pastor must necessarily be some- times absent, and this prepares for such emergencies by having those ready who can easily take his place. Be- sides, it is often profitable for the pastor to sit among the people without the care of conducting the services on his mind, and give himself up to the reflections of the mo- ment as to the subject of his remarks. Often the best addresses he makes are those which are prompted by something said or suggested at the moment. 9. It is a good plan ofte7i to give an opportunity for voluntary remarhs or pixiyer. There is less stiffness or restraint when the meeting is thus conducted. Then it is often the case that some one has some thought which he would like to present for the benefit of others, and only awaits such an opportunity. Then, too, those whose hearts are warm and who are in the spirit of prayer can lead in the exercises and impart the same spirit to others. One is not always in the same frame of mind, so that sometimes even the most devoted would rather keep silent. When persons will voluntarily take part in the services, this is a most excellent plan of conducting them, but they will not always, and hence the plan is not ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 311 always practicable. It may, however, occasionally be re- sorted to with profit to all. When it is resorted to there must be great care to avoid long pauses while waiting for some voice to be heard. They are fatal to the interest of a meeting. They ought to be provided against by requesting beforehand some of the brethren to be ready to fill up every instant. 10. The presentation of requests that special prayer be offered vp on behalf of relatives and others should be encouraged. In every congregation there are many de- vout persons, believing that " the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much," who long to have that prayer poured forth for sons, husbands, brothers or other dear impenitent friends. And such prayers are undoubtedly often answered, as multitudes of instances on record abundantly testify. Then when such requests are presented there is a definite thing before the meet- ing upon which its prayers can be concentrated, and they become clothed with a reality and an earnestness that awaken every heart. There is hardly anything that will impart to a prayer-meeting so much interest as this, for there can be no deadness while all are pleading for the immortal life of some wandering soul. If the op- portunity is only furnished, it will be found that sucJi requests will be presented very frequently in almost any prayer- meeting. 11. A meeting may sometimes be profitably taken up with a Bible exercise. A Bible exercise, as it is called, is simply taking up some theme of Bible doctrine, duty, promise or warning, analyzing it, finding Scripture pas- sages bearing upon each of its points, assigning each one of these passages beforehand to some person as his portion, and then in the meeting calling upon these persons to read them publicly, the leader first describ- 312 THE PASTOR IX THE ing the point they are intended to prove or illustrate. This opens up the subject in a most profitable and im- pressive manner; it awakens a closer attention to the study of the Scriptures ; it gives a comprehensive view of the teachings of the word on that particular subject, and it interests both those who read and their friends in the exercises of the prayer-meeting. Besides, it helps to prepare them for taking a pubUc part in prayer or remark on future occasions. 12. Ladies of the congregation might send coniniuni- cations that could ivith great profit he read in the 'prayer- meeting. Their voices are not heard in the public meeting, but they might make their thoughts known even more phiinly by writing. In this way they could impart that which would tend greatly to the edification of all. They might send facts, thoughts, brief essays, questions, reflections on passages of Scripture — many things that would interest, instruct, comfort, and elevate the piety of the Church. It will be seen at a glance how appropriate this would be and how much it would add to the interest of the prayer-meeting. Such com- munications could be sent to the pastor, either with or without the writers' names, through the sexton ; or they might be dropped into a box provided for the purpose; or, best of all, they might be sent through the post before the evening of the meeting, so that the pastor might be ready to read them with more facility. 13. Spirited singing is an important aid to the prayer- meeting. In all great religious movements sacred song has had a very prominent influence. Among other agencies, it had much to do with producing and sustain- ing the recent blessed awakening both in Europe and this country. There must be protracted thought before we can arrive at a proper estimate of the influence it has ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 313 always had uj^on the devotions of God's people and in the extension of gospel blessings. Animated singing must necessarily give interest to the prayer-meeting. Other parts of the services may weary, but this is liked by all, both young and old. All can take part in it, and so it becomes eminently the service of all. Much of the life of the prayer-meeting depends u])on the way in which it is conducted. It is a service which ousht to be prompt, brief, joined in by every voice, frequently repeated and appropriate to the subject before the meet- ing. It is profitable to use the old hymns and tunes which are associated with all that is dear and sacred in the past, as well as those sweet gospel lays with which the piety of the present is stirring the hearts of believ- ers. Both of these styles of sacred song should find a place in the social meeting. TJiere are persons to whom each is peculiarly dear. It would give an interest ever fresh to have some new piece introduced from time to time. The whole matter of the singing should be in the hands of some competent and devoted person, who would make it a specialty and be always ready to throw in its important influence toward the attractiveness and profit of the services. 14. Variety should be observed in the 7node of con- ducting the services. In this meeting, which depends so much on life and interest, it is not well to continue always in precisely the same order of exercises, or even to adhere always to exercises which are exactly the same. It is safe often to vary the mode and diversify the services. There is charm enough in variety to make an effort for it here very desirable. There are several modes of conducting a prayer-meeting, and advantages in each ; but these several advantages cannot be reached if it is always managed in the same way, while varying 40 314 THE PASTOR IN THE the mode may in the end secure them all. Sometimes one plan can be adopted and sometimes another. There may be an attractive change produced by varying the subjects, the persons leading, the order of exercises, and even the kinds of exercises. It might be advantageous even to observe a rotation of modes of conducting the services. It would not be wise to publish such a plan, and so make it obligatory. But to guide the pastor in arranging for the meetings, to keep any of the methods from being omitted and to preserve an attractive variety, it would certainly be profitable. A plan for the suc- cessive meetings might be something like this : {a) Meeting conducted in the common method ; [b) Bible exercise; {c) Prayers and remarks voluntary; [d) Ser- vices conducted by a new leader ; (e) Papers from cor- respondents ; (/) Subjects previously announced. It is believed that the adoption of some such scheme of exercises, to be continued in as regular succession as circumstances might admit, would add very much to both the pleasure and profit of the prayer-meeting. One departure from the ordinary method should here be specially recommended. It is that of occasional silent prayer. When there is an unusual degree of solemn feeling in a meeting such prayer will have a most hap- py effect. Sometimes it will do more than the most glowing eloquence. It should not, however, be too often resorted to — hardly ever unless when deep feel- ing prevails. Then it will deepen and imj^rove that feeling. 15. A sense of the Divine Presence should be cherished in every meeting. This is our final and most important counsel. The presence and the blessed influence of the Holy Ghost should be so highly esteemed that there ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 315 would be a most determined effort to secure them at every assembly of the people of God for prayer. With- out this all other devices to make the meeting interest- ing and profitable will be in vain ; with it, a holy influ- ence will come down — a sweetness, a solemnity, a power which will impart a peculiar delight and make the spot the dearest on earth. That the presence of Christ by his Spirit, when it is prayed for and looked for, may certainly be expected, is made abundantly sure by his own promise : " For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Why should not this promise be fulfilled to the letter in every prayer-meeting ? If it were believed, prayed for and expected, and the meeting entered upon in that spirit, it undoubtedly would ; and it certainly should be aimed at with all intensity of desire and purpose in every assembly of the people of God for his worship of prayer, praise and holy meditation. The presence of the blessed Master ! Oh, what an elevated and sacred tone it would give to all the services of the hour ! what a sweetness it would impart to every element of the ser- vices, from first to last ! Then the blessing would surely be realized — the blessing of peace, the blessing of par- don, the blessing of comfort, the blessing of strength, the blessings of " love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentle- ness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" — the bless- ing that would build up believers in their most holy faith, and the blessing that from time to time would bring the impenitent into the kingdom of our dear Lord. This would be to the prayer-meeting the crown of interest and profit and glory. The presence of Christ would make every prayer-meeting so sacred and happy that it would of a truth be a foretaste of heaven. It would in the end draw the attendance of the people of God, and others 316 THE PASTOR IN THE too, as no other plan, no matter how well devised, pos- sibly could. (6) Cottage Prayer-Meetings. In addition to the weekly prayer-meeting held ordi- narily in some apartment of the church, it is an excel- lent plan to sustain cottage prayer-meetings in private houses throughout the bounds of the congregation. The places for holding these meetings should be so selected that they would be held occasionally in every district covered by the territory of the church. All arrange- ments for them — such as the times and places of hold- ing, and the persons to conduct them — should be in the hands of one of the elders. The same elder might be the leader, or he might appoint some other person to take that place, while the pastor, who should attend as often as possible, takes his seat with the audience and joins very briefly in the exercises of prayer or remark. When such meeting is appointed at the house of any family, that family should feel it a special duty to en- deavor to secure the attendance of all its neighbors, whether worshipers in that particular church or not. Notice should be given from the pulpit every Sabbath of the place where this meeting is to be held. The influence of such meetings would be very bene- ficial in many ways. Holding them with families which perhaps had become somewhat cold or alienated would be likely to restore them to new interest. Families or individuals that could not otherwise be persuaded to put themselves under the sound of the gospel might in this way be induced to go to the house of a neighbor and there hear of its priceless blessings. There could be no better opportunity than is thus furnished for young and diffident men to begin to take part in the exercises of ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 317 social worship. Then how could Christians be brought more closely together in social religious communion than when they assemble in the private house around the mercy-seat ? It is a company of God's people meet- ing to confer about their souls' immortal welfare and about their dear absent Friend. The addresses which are made can be more familiar and unrestrained ; they can get down to points of Christian experience that would hardly ever be reached in other kinds of assemblages for worship. As Christians are brought closely together in person, so also are they brought very near to each other in that spiritual affection which is the great characteristic of the followers of Jesus. To many people the hours spent in the cottage prayer-meeting are amongst the happiest seasons by which the days of their pilgrimage are cheered. They are blessed moments, be- cause they are spent with those who most ardently love the Master; because he is himself in their midst; be- cause they have some resemblance to the scenes of the upper room of Jerusalem; and because they are a fore- taste of the sweet fellowship that will prevail in the heavenly mansions. In every congregation there are persons who are kept away from the house of God by long-continued illness, by the infirmities of age, or by other causes. In the houses of such persons it is very appropriate that the cottage prayer-meeting should frequently be held. They cannot go to the sanctuary, but what constitutes the at- traction of the sanctuary can be taken to them. Most precious to them will be the coming of the social meet- ing into their houses. When the services are held in such families it is well sometimes to celebrate the Lord's Supper with them. They are ordinarily de23rived of the benefits of that ordinance, but in this way they will be 318 THE PASTOR IN THE enabled to partake of it, and that in circumstances wbich will render it more affecting both to them and to all who may be assembled. (c) Not too many Prayer-Meetings. It is often the case, especially in churches located in cities and large towns, that more prayer-meetings are attempted to be held than are profitable, either for their own success or for the edification of Christians. Some- times two or three are held on the Sabbath, and one on almost every evening or day of the week. This is a mistake, as may be easily seen upon a little reflection and observation of the results. It is not advisable, because when there are too many meetings held none of them will be so well attended ; each of them will drag in consequence of there being so few persons in attendance ; many of the very best spirits in the church must necessarily be absent from some of them, and so there will be an apparent lack of interest that must be damaging to them all. It is not advisable, because the frequency of their repetition is likely to de- tract from the impressiveness of their services, interest in them will be likely to decline, and there will not be the attraction of freshness and variety which are so im- portant. It is not advisable, because when so much time is occupied in attendance upon social meetings many other duties of a personal and relative nature must ne- cessarily be neglected ; much time must be taken away from what should be devoted to the deeply-important exercises of private prayer and meditation ; family duties that are essential will be in danger of being omitted, and there are other imperative duties owed to society and to one's calling in life the performance of ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 319 which woukl be rendered either impossible or sadly im- perfect. The better plan is to hold only just so many prayer- meetings as should, and reasonably could, be attended by the body of the members. Then let all tlie force of numbers and interest be concentrated upon these. Let there be a most strenuous effort made to have all the communicants at least generally in attendance upon them. Let everything be contrived to make them as attractive as possible. One or two prayer-meetings well attended and thoroughly interesting are worth a dozen dragging along with but a few in attendance and with scarce an appearance of life. This counsel of course applies to churches in their ordinary condition. There are seasons of the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit when meetings for prayer cannot be too frequently held — when in fidelity they must be held day by day. MISSIONARY ENTERPRISES. One of the prominent and hopeful features of Chris- tianity at the present time is that which is seen in the establishment by churclies of outj^osts for preach- ing, prayer-meetings or Sabbath-schools, In both city and country there seems to be a blessed impulse leading the people of God to engage in such enterprises. The various denominations of Christians are vying with each other in efforts to spread the gospel through this effectual instrumentality. Sometimes a company of young men and others go to the outskirts of the congregation, or beyond, and establish a mission Sabbath-school ; some- times a prayer-meeting is set up and sustained by elders and others of the active members ; sometimes a post is 320 THE PASTOR IN THE made at wliicli there is a stated appointment for preach- ing and lecturing ; or sometimes the whole enterprise is carried on with the fixed purpose of gathering together the nucleus for the formation of a church. This kind of work cannot be too highly recommended ; it should be carried on perseveringly, each church sustaining one or more such enterprises. Amongst the advantages of pursuing this plan we may enumerate the following : (a) The enterprise of pushing abroad the outposts of the Church is accord- ing to the mission and the spirit of the gospel, which is appointed to spread like the leaven and grow like the mustard-seed, whose very nature is such that where its real influence prevails it must be aggressive, and whose progress is never to cease until it has brought the whole world to the feet of Jesus, {b) It extends the bless- ings of the gospel in the immediate neighborhood of the church, which is manifestly the natural and appro- priate method of progress, for it must ever be the rule to begin at Jerusalem ; besides, if its own suburbs are not cared for by any particular church, what other human agency is likely to be brought to bear upon them ? (c) This is the true plan by which to prepare for the establishment of new church organizations. It tries the ground, it gathers the material, it lays the foundations, so that when the real work of building u]) a separate organization is undertaken everything will be ready, and it will not in a little while be followed, as is too often the case, by mortifying failure and injury to the cause, (d) It carries the ordinances of preaching, social prayer and the Sabbath-school to many families and individuals in the outskirts of the congregation who otherwise must be deprived of them because of their remoteness from the house of God. This is particularly ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 321 the case with the aged, the infirm, the poor, and the care- less who have not interest enough to take the trouble of going any distance, but may possibly attend when the services are at their door, (e) This plan of extending the gospel gives the people something to do, which is made so essential by the great Master, which will prove such a blessing to their own souls, for which so many of them are ready if the way be open, and which will arouse such new currents of life and happiness in the whole Church. (/) It will strengthen the central church by gathering into it from the suburbs ; by help- ing to drive out of it the spirit of selfishness ; by turn- ing upon the objects of Christian enterprise that atten- tion of the members which, if allowed to brood upon imaginary grievances, might lead to serious strifes ; and by fanning the noble and ennobling spirit of Chris- tian benevolence. {(/) It will prove to be a great benefit to the pastor, by raising up for him a multitude of help- ers trained in this important school, and each bringing his own element of strength to assist in building up the general cause. Besides, it will furnish him a profitable opportunity for preaching in a less formal or restrained method than he would be likely to indulge in under other circumstances, and so prepare him for any emer- gency which may arise. There are other advantages to which we might allude, but these are sufficient to show the importance of this duty which lies upon the church and pastor. Some such mission outposts should be established by every church. It is difficult to con- ceive of any church so situated that, if it earnestly seeks, it may not find a suitable field for them. Even very small churches would be strengthened in the end by this plan of extending the blessings of Christ's kingdom. 41 >22 THE PASTOR IN THE VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS. This is a subject which is surrounded by difficulties, and which the pastor needs to handle with great deli- cacy and wisdom. On the one hand is the danger of repressing the real Christian zeal which seeks to exert itself in this manner ; on the other are the evils which so often arise from a zeal that is not guided by know- ledge or experience or the authority of the unerring word. We would throw out a few su2;o-estions which may assist in averting both these dangers — suggestions that, if heeded, may prevent the evils from arising ; which is far better in every case than to meet them after they have arisen, scattering discord and awaken- ing unhallowed jiassions. 1. It is a fundamental principle that God's plan of doing church-work of every kind is always best. The expediency of the hour may seem otherwise, but in the end it will always be found to work out the most satisfactorv and abundant results for o'ood. The as-ents for whose appointment God has ordained, the schemes which have been established by divine authority and the instruments which he has framed may always be relied upon as safest and most efficient. 2. If the agencies for doing good which God has manifestly ap- pointed are faithfully worked, then no others will be needed, and no others will be ordinarily attempted. In multitudes of cases — perhaps in most cases — voluntary associations are organized for the purpose of doing the work which the church, as such, could do, and ought to do, but is culpably neglecting. Hence the effectual way of preventing the whole difficulty is for the church to be faithful in every work, and to enlist in it the piety and the zeal which are likely to seek some other meth- ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 323 ods of operation. 3. Independent organizations in a church very often lead to difficulties of various kinds. They distract the energies that ought to be concen- trated on the great work, they alienate from the in- terests of the church, they are in danger of giving rise to invidious comparisons, they sometimes awaken strifes and rivalries that are sorely to be lamented, and they occasionally run into evils which experience and a riper Christian judgment would have avoided. 4. At the same time, there are certain auxiliaries which have been tested by time and perfected by experience, and are so manifestly in harmony with the scriptural methods for carrying on the gospel -work that they ought always to be approved, guided and used by the authorities of the Church. Among these may be placed: prayer-meetings for young people, where the diffident may become prepared for taking part in more public services ; organizations for distributing books and tracts — an agency for doing good which is of incalculable value ; pastors' aid associations of ladies ; Dorcas socie- ties; and bands of workers to look after young men and to gather strangers and others into tlie sanctuary. Such helps as these may be used with great profit, and should be encouraged and carefully supervised by pas- tor and elders. TEMPERANCE. The evils of intemperance in corrupting the young, debasing the old, depraving the administration of public affairs, sending indescribable miseries into households, leading to crimes of every name and degree, stupefying the intellect, deadening the moral sensibility, placing insurmountable obstacles in the way of the gospel and 324 THE PASTOR IN THE sinking tens of thousands of souls into eternal death, — these evils are so enormous, so peculiar and so perpet- uated by the most unhallowed powers of men that special efforts should be made by all who love their race and their Church and their God to meet them. Here sin appears in one of its most ajDj^alling forms, and de- mands that an extraordinary struggle be made at least to weaken its destructive force. All earnestness of thought and of effort is needed to meet evils which are so tre- mendous. And the Church should not leave the cause of temperance without its sanctifying and heaven-guided influence. It should not leave the contest with the deadly foe to be carried on by the world alone. It should not give cause for the reproach that it is making no special efforts to stop a tide of moral, physical and spir- itual ruin such as makes the heart sick that contemplates it. The Church should take the lead ; it should throw in the hallowed influence of religion ; it should bring to bear the motives which are drawn from heaven, earth and hell, from time and eternity, from God, Calvary and the soul's immortality. The pastor should be a leader in all proper move- ments against the terrible evil of intemperance. By his example and by his untiring efforts he should show that he is in earnest in the strife against this gigantic foe to all that is holy and hopeful for men. On the noble principle of the apostle, " Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend," he should take his stand, and by hand and heart, voice and example, assist in a cause which is designed to save tens of thousands. He should preach on it often and em- phatically, pointing to the self-sacrificing example of Christ, appealing to Christians by every feeling of hu- ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH. 325 manity and by their love to Christ and souls, warning them of their danger and pointing to the glorious tri- umphs which might be achieved if the people of God were only alive to the subject and united in effort. He should lead the church in all her plans for helping in the great reform. Conducted by him and his elders, the church should organize schemes for promoting sound views on the subject of temperance, for rescuing drunk- ards, for guarding the young against the dangers by which they are surrounded, for creating a public sen- timent that will make all drinking habits disreputable, and for gathering men into the true Church of Jesus Christ, where alone they will be safe. In all the efforts which pastor and church may make in this cause it should be constantly repeated and em- phasized that temperance is only one of the rudiments of the far higher thing, religion ; for where religion reigns, where the heart has been changed by divine grace, there sobriety will of necessity prevail. Make men true Christians, and they are saved from this as well as from every other foe. The gospel comes to make men free, and those who are redeemed by it can be no more enslaved by the demon of intemperance, for they have entered into the true liberty of the children of God. CHAPTER YII. THE PASTOR IN THE PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. The progress of the Church in every object for which it was established, and in every grace whicli should characterize it as composed of the redeemed people of God, is a subject so vital that it demands the considera- tion of a distinct chapter. This element of the Church's life is so manifestly ordained of her great Head, so essential to her new nature, so comprehensive in its extent and so blessed in all its influences and results, that the pastor ought to look upon it as a great central aim of his whole ministry. Its nature, necessity, obliga- tions, means and advantages should receive from him the most earnest attention from the first to the last day of his service in the gospel. He should set his mind upon this progress, and determine that by divine grace it shall characterize all his work. Everything should have this aim — all that he does should be bent in the line of this tendency of gospel-work. PROGEESS ESSENTIAL. It has most obviously been made by its divine Author a fundamental principle and essential quality of the gospel that it is to go on increasing more and more until its earthly work is done. All the scriptural pre- dictions, descriptions and assertions concerning its nature abundantly establish this. At one time it is compared 326 PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 327 to tlie mustard-seed, which grows from the smallest germ to be " the greatest among herbs ;" at another time to the leaven, which goes on affecting particle after particle until the whole mass is changed ; at another to the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which is to ex- pand until it fills the whole earth ; at another to " the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the per- fect day." All these and many other scriptural utter- ances show that progress is intended to be an essential attribute of the Church. The disciples in the time of Christ and under his j^ersonal supervision put forth every effort to this end. For this, too, after his depart- ure, the apostles toiled and suffered without wearying until they went to their heavenly rest. The Church exists to glorify God, to edify believers and to extend the gospel throughout all the nations and languages of the world. It is her very nature to reach out after these momentous objects, and they are objects which are illimitable in their extent. There is no law more cer- tainly ordained than that the Church is to gain on the world ; there is nothing more imperative on it than that it is for ever to be aggressive on the kingdom of dark- ness. In both the individual soul and the united body of believers progress is the normal state. It is of the very nature of grace to grow. The regenerated man, if in a healthy spiritual state, must " grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Those who have been saved themselves must bring others to the same salvation. Growth should be considered as an essential element of the Christian life. If there is not advance, there is certainly something wrong. If there is not growth, both in the individual and in the Christian body, there is great cause for alarm. It 328 THE PASTOR IN THE is not enough that we hokl our own either in the ex- perience of grace in the soul or in our advance on the territory of an ungodly world ; we must go forward. Where there is not this normal progress there must necessarily be, and there always is, decline. This pr6g4'ess should extend to every grace of the Christian and to every enterprise for which the Church has been established. There should be increase in grace, in the goodness which is wrought in the heart by the Holy Ghost, in the likeness to Jesus which is formed in every believer, in that beauty of character which should distinguish the Bride of Christ, in meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light, in Christian liberality, and in the active zeal which springs from symf^athy in the great enterprise whose object is the redemption of the world. Efforts to gain souls and honor God should become increasingly energetic. There should be constantly increasing numbers of those who are coming out of the kingdom of darkness and joining the blood-bought host of Jesus. If the number of those who are received into the member- ship of the visible Church does not much increase, it is not a certain evidence that no good is being accom- plished, but it is a cause for great anxiety. There should be no rest to the people of God in their en- croachments on the world, which they are ever to strive to save. SPECIAL EFFORTS TO BE SOMETIMES MADE. It is well sometimes, as occasionally in connection with communion services, to awaken attention to the necessity for growth in the Church, and to make special efforts with that end in view. There might be an in- PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 329 crease in the number of meetings, additional means of grace could be used, the prayers should be more earnest, the preaching might be more direct, and there should be greater activity and faithfulness with souls on the part of all the members. Such efforts, greater than it would be practicable to continue at all times, should without doubt be occasionally made in every church. The most appropriate time for holding services de- signed to awaken such special attention is in connection with the celebration of the Lord's Supper — not every time that ordinance is observed, but as often as may be deemed desirable. The communion season certainly calls for and justifies special though tfulness, special solemnity and special endeavor. Its affecting nature should assist in deepening the impressions which are sought to be made. Then it is generally expected, and justly so, that occasionally at least there should be special services and special interest too in connection with this precious ordinance. In fact, it has always been customary in Presbyterian churches at least, as in Scot- land and Ireland, to observe days of solemn w^orship be- fore or after its observance. It is undoubtedly a wise practice of many experienced pastors, who hold a week of daily services before the communion once in every year. The custom of improving communion seasons in this way, and using them to assist in attaining to higher measures of grace and efiiciency in the cause of Christ, has many things to recommend it. In consequence of the continued services and thoughtfulness by which it is approached the ordinance itself will be likely to prove unusually profitable. Then there will be an important opportunity furnished for reflection as to the state of 42 330 THE PASTOR IN THE the soul and the progress of the new life, for breaking up the unprofitable monotony into which the church may have settled down, and for commencing anew on a higher plane of effort for the upbuilding of the kingdom. Besides, such continued and earnest services will be likely to bring some persons to a decision for Christ who have long halted, or who may be already his followers but have never felt as they should the necessity of ac- knowledging him before the world by coming to his sacramental feast. EEVIVALS. It is very often the case that the most rapid progress of churches is made during seasons of revival, and so it is necessary for us now to devote some attention to them. The value of revivals is well understood in most evangelical churches. They are often found to be blessed harvest-times which follow months, or years perhaps, of careful sowing and cultivating. A faithful minister will have much to do with them, as they will be most intimately connected with his success, use- fulness and the state of piety in his own soul. Very carefully should all pastors study the subject, so that they may duly appreciate such seasons of reviving, and be prepared to improve them to the utmost when the blessing comes. (a) Revivals of Inestimable Value. Of their reality there can be no doubt in the mind of any one who casts his eyes over the manifestations of grace in the Church in either former or latter times. The past and the present give equal testimony that such gracious visitations are of a truth vouchsafed to the PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 331 people of God. In this land the records of the Church are full of thanksgiving for seasons of revival more or less powerful in their results. In Great Britain there have been seasons of awakening in which the whole as- pect of the Church has been changed both as to its num- bers and piety. One great revival, lasting for many years, brought the greater part of Wales up from a con- dition of spiritual ignorance and degradation to one where true scriptural piety exerts its highest influences. It is impossible to look over the names of the member- ship in any of our evangelical churches without finding among them many of the most consistent and devoted who were brought to the salvation of Christ in seasons of revival. How often have single revivals been known to elevate a whole church to a higher sphere of piety and numbers and usefulness ! These thoughts are well worthy of attention : " To argue against revivals, or to say and do anything in opposition to the idea of revivals, has the appearance of finding fault with God's spiritual and providential administration. The gospel dispensa- tion was introduced by the most marvelous outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The conversion of three thousand souls in a day was a miracle of grace in testimony of the glorious era of * the fullness of the times.' The providence and grace of God have retained the idea of revivals in the Church. What was the Reformation but a revival of religion carried on by the Holy Spirit from nation to nation? During the early part of the last century divine grace wrought wonderful works, espe- cially in England, Wales, Scotland and America. At the kirk of Cambusling alone five hundred persons are supposed to have been converted to Christ. At North- ampton a mighty revival occurred under the ministry of that orthodox, great and good man, Jonathan Ed- 332 THE PASTOR IN THE wards ; and revivals were numerous and powerful throughout our country under the preaching and labors of the memorable Whitefield and others. It is estimated that in two or three years thirty or forty thousand were born into the family of heaven in New England, besides great numbers in New York, New Jersey and the more southern provinces. Since that remarkable era revivals have at intervals blessed Zion in our own and other lands." The following extract from the Revivals of the Eighteenth Century, a book published a few years ago by the Free Church of Scot- land, should be carefully pondered : " And first, is it not true that we also live under the ministration of the Spirit, and, as regards everything essential to conversion, as really as did the apostles ? Secondly, is it not equally true that, as a generation, we come sadly short of the power which accompanied the word during the age of the apostles, and also during the times which we have been reviewing ? Thirdly, is it not equally true that an awakening is much wanted, because of the prevalence of an ungodly and worldly spirit among 2:)rofessors, and on account of the multitudes who make not even a pro- fession of religion ? Fourthly, is it not further true that there is an important end to be served by awaken- ings, however temporary — namely, in disturbing the deep slumber of an ungodly and worldly age ? The ministry of John the Baptist was awakening and meant to pre- pare the way for a fuller gospel, and the day of Pente- cost itself was but a day, a day of grace ; moreover, the apostle Peter seems to refer to something of this kind when he exhorts : ' Repent ye therefore, and be con- verted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.' And lastly, might it not then be well consid- PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 333 ered whether we are not sinning in tliis through unbe- lief?— whether we are not sinning against the faithful- ness of God to his own promises ?" When a true revival prevails in any church the pastor himself becomes one of the greatest gainers ; the reviv- ing influence is felt in his own soul, quickening all his graces, giving him a fuller consecration to his work, and imparting a delight in it which was before unknown. Then preaching becomes a real pleasure ; he finds easy access to inquiring souls, and the sweetest satisfaction is felt as one after another tells him of the first joys of pardoned sin. As the blessed work goes on he rejoices more and more in being privileged to lead to the cross large numbers of those who shall rise up at last to call him blessed, and to be his "joy" and "crown of rejoi- cing" "in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming." He rejoices, too, in the prospect of having a new accession of helpers who shall engage with him in carrying on the Lord's work. And oh, what encourage- ment he receives ! What gladness takes possession of his heart as he sees that glorious work so greatly pros- pering in his hands ! Such seasons of refreshing also bring with them bless- ings that are most precious to all those who are already the followers of Christ. They receive into their souls a baptism of the Holy Ghost which increases their faith, strengthens their love, intensifies their joys in Christ and raises them nearer to their beloved Saviour in likeness and in hope. Then breaches which may have wretchedly separated them are healed ; their quenchless love to Jesus is gratified by seeing so many coming to him to swell the tide of his divine satisfac- tion ; they rejoice that relatives and friends are saved from the wrath to come, brought up out of the horrible 334 THE PASTOR IN THE pit, out of the miry clay, and enter upon the path of " glory and honor and immortality" — that their num- bers are being recruited, and a great increase made of the force with which they may come to the help of the Lord. Then, great as are the blessings which come down upon pastor or private Christians at such times, they are noth- ing compared with those which are received by the happy subjects of redeeming grace who are then brought into the kingdom. Who can describe the change when they are rescued as " brands plucked out of the fire," released from the dominion of Satan and introduced into the kingdom of God's dear Son, delivered from the prospect of endless agony and made sure of an eternity of blessed- ness ? It should never be forgotten that every soul saved is brought into a state in reference to whose present and future realities the pen of inspiration has written that "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have en- tered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" — into the eternal friendship of the Son of God, into the guardianship of angels while on earth and their society throughout eternity. Such a change could have been wrought by no other power than that of Omnipotence, and would have been wrought by nothing else than divine love. Oh, what tongue can tell its blessings ! Is it any wonder that angels rejoice over it ? — that amongst the blessed there is a joy that cannot be restrained ? Then, in striving to estimate the value of times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, let it be remembered that there are many such changes from death unto life ex- perienced. Ought not seasons which are so full of blessings to be constantly longed for and striven for and prayed for and PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 335 preached for, and every other authorized means used to bring them about ? Ought not the aim to be that they should not come iutermittingly, but that they should abide in the ever-increasing intensity of the church's life? Why should it not be so? Why should not the church always continue in what is now called a revived state? (6) The Pastor himself should do the Most of the Preaching. In seasons of the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon a church, sometimes most of the preaching is done by the pastor himself, and sometimes by others whom he may invite, such as neighboring ministers, em- inent revival preachers or professed evangelists. We would most unhesitatingly say that the first plan is the better one, and that their own shepherd should at such times lead the people to the fountain of divine truth. This is now generally admitted, for Christian wisdom endorses it, and experience — sometimes very bitter ex- perience— has proved it. The pastor can present the truth to his awakened and inquiring congregation better than any one else. As he goes from house to house, and converses with one after another — either of revived believers or of others who are beginning to inquire and pray — he will know what the peculiar type of feeling and want of each is as no other person could possibly know it. Moreover, he can follow up, day after day, some fixed plan of presenting the truth, and so impart fuller information, which is so much needed when many are inquiring about the way of life or beginning to walk in it. Besides, he will be in the spirit of the revival, which one coming from a colder atmosphere cannot be expected to bring with 336 THE PASTOR IN THE him. His heart will be in it — his whole heart, his affections, his interests, his all. No other person could be expected to preach with the deep fervor that would move him. Then it should be considered that an ill-advised or imprudent discourse at such a time may do an incal- culable amount of injury — may even chill and destroy the whole work. Such sad instances are not unknown. If there be a new preacher every evening, people some- times come actuated by curiosity, and instead of taking home the truth will let their minds run upon the com- parison of the different ministers. A stranger coming into the midst of a-nimated revival scenes will hardly be in the same spirit, and may diminish instead of increas- ing its flame. Instances could be given where preachers other than the pastor have been invited to assist in sea- sons of awakening, and by imprudent sermons — ser- mons utterly inappropriate or offensive in spirit — have crushed out the rising hopes. It is also worthy of consideration that a minister may impair his own influence by calling in others to do most of the preaching in a time of special ingathering. Such times are his harvests, and after he has long sown the seed and cultivated the ground, why should he, without the best reasons, bring in others to have the credit of reaping it? People will scarcely be able to discriminate, but will be likely to conclude that the preaching which is followed by immediate results is superior to his, even though those results are but the fruit of his years of toil. The pastor will appear to disadvantage when he gives up his pulpit to others, as if he were not capable of preaching at such import- ant seasons. He thus prepares the way for unfavorable comparisons. " We do not think," wrote the Kev. Dr. PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 337 Thomas H. Skinner, " that the pastor will on the whole find it expedient to introduce another preacher into his parish. An occasional sermon, or an exchange of pul- pits now and then with a neigliboring pastor, may as formerly be still acceptable, but preaching a consecu- tive course of sermons by a stranger, especially if he be a man of captivating address or uncommon eloquence, may not favor the advancement of the simple and spir- itual work now in progress among the flock, and, what is more to be regarded, may put the pastor as a preacher into a disadvantageous contrast with this more attrac- tive, but perhaps less solid, and on the whole less instruc- tive, less profitable, preacher. There may be cases in which another preacher is necessary, as when the pas- tor's health fails ; but there will probably be no gain, either to the pastor or to the flock, on the whole, by employing an additional preacher or evangelist, unless necessity seems to make the demand." It is a great gain for the pastor's influence to be regarded as the spiritual father of the young converts as they come into the church. He will thereby secure their more lasting affection and co-operation. Then, even if preaching is to be continued daily, most pastors will find that they are able to do the greater part of it themselves when the interest is so deep. It is easy to preach while the Spirit of God is poured out in unusual power. Great sermons are not then looked for or needed. Besides, any pastor can well afford to work hard for the few weeks during- which such special services are ordinarily continued. It is the harvest-season, when, if ever, he must toil with all his might to gather in the richest store. 43 338 THE PASTOR IN THE (c) Meetings with Inquirers. When a church is revived and meetings are fre- quently held and deep feeling prevails, it is undoubt- edly important that, after the ordinary services, the pas- tor and others should meet with those who are awakened to converse and pray with them. Some adjoining room should be fixed upon, and while the audience is sing- ing at the close of the services the inquirers should retire to it. Sometimes it may be better to i-equest them to remain in their seats while the rest of the audience retire, that an interview might be had with them ; this plan will be less embarrassing to them than the other. Sometimes, but only when the seriousness is very deep, it may be wise to ask them to stand up in the audience and so manifest their awakened interest. This might deepen their impressions as well as influence others. There are several reasons why some such means as these should be used in connection with revival services. When special religious impressions are made upon any heart there is so much at stake that every lawful effort should be made to improve the opportunity. In the minds of inquirers there are often some difficulties to be removed, some want of information which needs to be met, something further that is required to induce them to close with Christ. Soul needs to be brought into contact with individual soul in order that the full power of the truth may be seen and felt. Sometimes the mere making it known to others that they are in earnest commits the inquirers to a course of seeking which is persevered in to the happiest results. Then it is all- important that those who become awakened to the interests of their souls should be made known by some such means as these, so that the pastor and others may PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 339 visit them and help them in what may prove to be the very crisis of their being. (cZ) The Pastor to be Informed who are Awakened. After all his own efforts to discover the persons who are in this interesting state of mind, there still will be some concerning whose new interest in eternal things he will know nothing. There will often be many such inquirers in a congregation, and the minister cannot be expected to know of them all unless their friends in- form him. From diffidence or other causes very many will not themselves let him know unless their convic- tions are very deep ; relatives and friends should there- fore tell him of all such cases, that he may visit them at once and that he may be guided in his ministrations to them. This may be easily done, and it should be in- sisted on as a sacred duty. It is not difficult for friends who are frequently with them to discover when persons are concerned about the salvation of their souls. That concern will reveal itself in the unusual seriousness of demeanor, in the more diligent attendance upon the ordinances, or in other symptoms that cannot long be concealed. Some- times inquirers will tell their intimate friends about their concern when they would not make it known to others. And words cannot express the importance of watching that rising flame, guarding it, and having it kindled into a life that will never be extinguished. By all means should friends make it known to the pas- tor when such symptoms of turning to Christ appear. Young converts should be encouraged to tell him of others whom they may find beginning to inquire con- cerning the way of life. This is a duty which should be made very plain to all Christians. 340 THE PASTOR IN THE A word then is too important in its promise of solemn results not to be spoken. The period may have come in the history of that inquirer when he may be induced to set out on the way which leads to life eternal, or when he may harden himself against conviction and seal his doom of woe. A word then may remove some difficulty that obstructs the way of the anxious soul to the cross, may direct what is to be done, may guide to the exact promise which is needed, or may deepen conviction and give an impulse heavenward. It may decide the soul's eternal destiny ; and who would not speak that word ? or who would not lead some other person, better in- structed in the way of life, to speak it ? (e) The Awakened should be Visited at their Homes, At their homes there will more certainly be an op- portunity of seeing them, and of seeing them alone, which is nearly always best. Then conversation can be had with them which will be more full and free and satisfactory. Moreover, when they see that their pastor is willing thus to take trouble to promote their spirit- ual welfare, they will feel more deeply that he is in earnest, and that there are profound causes for that earnestness. At their homes persons who are under conviction of sin will open their minds more fully than they could be induced to do in the meeting for inquirers or any other meeting. By the excitement of the public mani- festation they would be confused, and by the conscious- ness of the presence of others they would be restrained. When not thus restrained or confused they will be able to give a better account of their convictions and doubts and difficulties,, as well as to listen more attentively to PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 341 the counsels they may receive. The minister also can give a clearer statement of the trutli as applicable to their state. He can then preach the gospel with a more exact appropriateness to their wants than would be pos- sible in public. He can sit down with them and show them the Scriptures which bear the precious message they need. Unquestionably, impressions on their minds can be more healthfully deepened and improved when they are apart from all distracting influences. In seasons of revival, then, the pastor should take great pains to find out who in the congregation are in- quiring, and to visit them promptly at their homes. He should endeavor to discover it by urgently requesting relatives and friends and Sabbath-school teachers and others to give him the information. He should be watchful to make the discovery himself. He should endeavor to find it out through meetings for inquirers or any other methods of public manifestation. He should visit those whom he even suspects to be inter- ested about their immortal interests. Even his visit may be the means of awakening them to the first move- ments toward their Saviour. At considerable sacrifice even, if it be necessary, much time should be given to this personal work with souls by the pastor when there is such a golden oppor- tunity. It is pre-eminently his harvest-time. Souls are ripe; will he not undergo toil to gather them in ? Souls are at stake ; their condition for eternity is soon to be decided. The glory of Christ too is at stake, so far as it would be promoted by their salvation. Can any pastor endure the thought of a soul being lost through his neglect or unwillingness to undergo hardness even for a little season ? Surely we can afford to work hard while the Spirit of God is poured out in special effu- 342 THE PASTOR IN THE sion and souls are pressing into the kingdom. Let us rather neglect anything than inquiring souls at such times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Let it be our rule that no matter what sacrifice, what watch- ing, what trouble, what aid from others may be needed, they shall not be neglected. (/) Books and Tracts should be Used. Enouofh use is not made of the Bible with the awa- kened in times of revival. Never should it be forgotten that this is the sword of the Spirit. There is nothing that comes with so much authority, nothing that goes so directly to the conscience, nothing that is so certainly clothed with the power of the Spirit, nothing that is such pure truth, nothing that can do the execution of God's own word. Inquirers should by all means be urged to search it daily, and guided to those portions of it which are most appropriate to their awakened state of mind. Then other books also may be of very great use, and should be put in their hands, so that nothing may be left undone. This is an instrumentality for conveying t]'uth, deepening impressions and guiding inquirers to the Lamb of God, the efficacy of which has been so well tested that much should be made of it in revivals. Books and tracts are easily given, and they should therefore be diligently used. Appropriate tracts or small volumes put into the hands of a person who is awakened will be read, even though at other times they would scarcely be looked at. They will sometimes give information about points that may not have been reached in the pulpit; they may present some things more impressively than the preacher has presented them ; they may enforce his teachings by adding the authority of other honored names; they can PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 343 influence the anxious heart in its most solitary hours ; they will keep the impressions made in the public assem- bly fixed in the mind. They have been owned of God many and many a time, not only to the comfort but also to the conversion of souls. Pains should be taken to find out works which are suitable for this purpose. Many excellent ones are now published — brief, impressive, full of the very marrow of the gospel, and pertinent to almost every conceivable case. The minister should make himself familiar with these, and keep a supply of them on hand to give to such inquirers as he may think they would help. Some- times, when they are expensive volumes, he could lend them ; sometimes, when smaller, he could present them, so that they could be perused and reperused. In times of reviving it is also well to have tracts dis- tributed throughout the community. The pastor him- self can do it by handing them to one and another whom he approaches on the subject of religion ; they can be put into the pews of the church ; friends can give them to friends ; and there can be some arrangements made for their general distribution. The Spirit will certain- ly accompany them when they are given in faith with prayer. They may awaken some, and some they may bring to Christ. Moreover, the reading of appropriate tracts by Christians at such a time may excite them to more zeal, and direct them how to deal with awakened souls, how to approach the careless, and what else they can do to help forward the blessed cause. Then the distribution of tracts can be made an important branch of Christian effort in which young Christians and others may be exercised. 344 THE PASTOR IN THE (g) Danger of Reaction. Sad experience shows that there is danger that after a season of unusual fervor there will follow a time of unusual indifference. After a state of great activity in the Church there follows another of almost none ; after the joy of seeing many professing the name of Christ comes the sorrow of seeing scarcely any ; after revival there may follow a time of deeper sleep. We warn of this danger, not because we would plead it as an argument against revivals, nor because we be- lieve it to be a necessary consequence of them, but be- cause the frequency of the occurrence of such reaction is such that special precaution ought always be taken to avert it. It is the great evil which is to be dreaded after revivals. Experience shows that this caution is needed. The thoughtful observation of Dr. Archibald Alexander was undoubtedly correct, that even after genuine revivals there is very often spiritual dearth. This reaction occurs when the people form for them- selves a sort of salvo that the work is now all done. Many friends and neighbors have been brought into the kingdom, the house of God has been filled up with new worshipers, the tone of piety throughout the church has been greatly improved, religion has been elevated to a higher stage of importance and power : now that so much has been accomplished, there may properly be a rest ; and a rest is taken which soon proves a lamentable retrogression. Such reaction after a season of revival is an evil greatly to be dreaded, and it should be guarded against by every possible precaution. It is a sin against God, a sore calamity to the church and a misfortune to the minister, the bitter fruits of which he may have to reap PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 345 for many a day. This is a time when animosities and strifes very often break out. From a new-born zeal which is not always acccording to knowledge or wis- dom, from the influence of some individuals recently brought into the church who were self-deceived, and from recrimination because of the spiritual dearth which all must acknowledge, — from these and other causes lamentable discords arise. How often have such things been ! and how often have the godly wept over them ! To know and admit the existence of this danger is to be in a great measure prepared to guard against its oc- currence. Even during the progress of the revival it will be advisable to use every possible precaution against the return of spiritual lethargy to the church. Then, afterward, much prayer will be needed and sound judg- ment required to be used, so that there shall not be even the appearance of waxing cold. It will be found of the greatest advantage to keep the people busy in the va- rious avenues of usefulness which at such a time are opened up. In fact, there should be no end to the re- vival. Why should there be ? The number of meet- ings must be diminished, but why should not everything else that characterizes the favored season be continued as the permanent life of the church ? A true revival raises the people of God to a higher degree of spiritual- ity : why should its blessings ever be diminished ? In this connection it must be profitable to study the criteria of a genuine revival of religion as they were given by Dr. Archibald Alexander. They are in sub- stance these : 1. The truth of the gospel is the only instrumentality used — God never makes use of error as an instrument, and it mars the work ; 2. The effects are such as the Spirit produces — namely, trust in God, re- u 346 THE PASTOR IN THE pentance, meekness, love to tlie brethren and the like ; 3. There is a predominating desire to do the will of God, arising out of love to him ; 4. The converts have a high reverence for the word of God — in this it differs from enthusiasm ; 5. The subjects of the revival are rendered humble, docile, meek — not self-conceited, ar- rogant and censorious ; 6. The inquirers are brought to the feet of Christ — not puffed up witli self-righteous-^ ness; 7. It leads to justice, truth, honesty, purity and general uprightness in all the relations of life ; 8. It j^roduces reverence for the worship of God, and leads to order and decency in conducting its services ; 9. Its fruits are permanent. (h) Caee for Young Converts. Concerning them emphatically should be received the charge, " Feed my lambs," which Christ gave so im- pressively and in such memorable circumstances. What they will be in the future as to devoted piety and useful Christian life depends very much upon the attention which is given to them now. If, as babes in Christ, they are not carefully trained now, they may very soon backslide and become mere ciphers in the church. What is to be done for them so as to help them on in the way of spiritual progress is one of the most perplexing prob- lems with which the pastor has to do. It often tries him greatly to determine what will be really practicable in assisting not only to keep them in their first love, but also lead to their growth in grace and usefulness. Here the counsels of experience, gathered up from many pas- tors and many years, are needed. We would collect a few such counsels, which may be studied, adopted, im- proved or modified according to the circumstances of any particular church or pastor, or which may suggest other PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 347 ways of nurturing those who are as yet but babes in Christ. 1. Until they become well established in the faith and practice of the gospel, there ought to be more care bestowed on them than on any other class of members in the church. This advice is undoubledly sanctioned by the example of the great Shepherd, who left the ninety and nine in order that he might make sure of the lost one, and by the tender nature of Jesus, of whom it is said, "A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench." They need more care now than others — more than they will themselves need after a while. All is new to them. They meet temptations and difiiculties which they did not expect. There are dangers peculiar to the new Christian life for which they are utterly unprepared. The scriptural modes of growth in grace, which are so essential from the beginning, have as yet been untried, almost unknown to them. They are at once met by duties which must be performed, and yet every step of the new pathway through which they lead has to be tried, Their Christian character is at first un- formed, but in a few months or, even weeks, it will take on those great features which will fix it for life. Can all these wants of young converts be carefully thought over without leaving the impression that they now need the greatest attention from pastor and other experienced Christians ? 2. Some method or methods should be contrived by which to interest them in the study of the Scriptures. This is what God himself has provided as a " lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path." The " sincere milk of the word" is that which is to be desired, in order that the soul may " grow thereby." In the Bible they can find Christ, who must ever be the life and 348 THE PASTOR IN THE strength of the believer. From the pages of the Holy Word they may learn the mind of Christ — the very same mind that must be in them more and more as they advance in the new life. They will become strong in the graces of the Spirit as they grow in " the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," which the Scriptures reveal. They should be led to engage in this study habitually and carefully, and to persevere in it until their keenest interest shall be awakened. They should be shown how to study it, and aided therein by being either teachers or scholars in the Sabbath-school and by the pastor's Bible-class. 3. Through the plan of Bible exercises or Bible read- ings, as we have already described them, young converts may be greatly strengthened and especially interested in the Scriptures. This has so many things to recom- mend it that it ought by all means to be adopted. Its analyses of divine truth, its research through the sacred pages, and the aid it furnishes by the members studying together, cannot but be advantageous in a higli degree. It is a kind of Bible study which is jDracticable and easy as well as attractive, so that any, even the youngest, will engage in it ; which is an important point gained. The encouragement, the sympathy and the mutual assistance make it very profitable for numbers of per- sons to unite in this way for the perusal of the sacred pages. When young converts habitually study the Bible in this way, they will gain important ideas as to the best modes of searching the Scriptures; they will see more and more of the precious depths of the word of God ; their interest in its perfections will increase ; they will arrive at the knowledge of doctrines and duties that will in- fluence their whole Christian character; their faith in each doctrine which is thus looked at in the light of PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 349 inspiration will become more firmly established; and their trust and hope and love and every other grace will be increased. Besides all which, young men by reading passages of Scripture audibly in the presence of others will gradually become prepared to take part publicly in social meetings. 4. Young converts should be carefully noticed by pas- tor, elders and other members of the church. There is too great a tendency simply to receive them into the church, and then give them no further attention, as if henceforward they must take care of themselves. What we now recommend is that they should not be thus neglected, but that they should be well known and noticed and spoken to, and their friendship culti- vated. Pains should be taken, especially by the pastor, to see them often, to visit them, and to let them see that he takes sincere interest in them. In this way a corre- sponding interest will naturally be awakened in them toward the church, its session and its pastor, and, more important still, toward the great cause for which all exist. This will make their views of religion — those early views which are so influential — to be more ex- alted, and will attach them more firmly to the church. This is a point which is in so much danger of being overlooked that it ought to receive particular attention. 5. It is an excellent plan occasionally to invite the young converts, in small companies, to spend a social evening with the pastor and his family. They should be in small companies, so that there may be more sociability and that the house may not be crowded. By this means the pastor will have a better opportunity of becoming personally acquainted with them than he could in any other way. They too will know him better, become more interested in him, and learn to look upon 360 THE PASTOR IN THE him as a personal friend. They will become more and more attached to him through all such little at- tentions, and that attachment may become to him a source of sanctified influence. Their social nature may thus be made to contribute to the improvement of their spiritual nature. In the cultivation of religion enough is not made of the social elements of our being, as may be learned from the example of Christ and from the wholesome satisfaction which friendly intercourse is cal- culated to afford. 6. li might be well to assign each young convert by name to some elder or other influential member of the church, male or female, who ivould have it as a special care to watch over his spiritual interests. Some such arrangement as this carefully matured would keep any of them from being overlooked. It is impossible for the pastor to do all this kind of work himself, and he ought therefore to be cordially assisted in it, especial- ly by the elders. The division of them into suitable numbers for each person could be carefully planned out in meetings of the session ; or better, perhaps, the pastor himself could fix the quota for each, and hand him the names of those committed to his care. The individuals could be selected according to acquaintanceship or neigh- borhood or social influence. Through this plan the su- pervision of the spiritual welfare of the young converts could be more minute, and they could be brought into closer personal sympathy with the church. 7. Those who are the subjects of renewing grace should be made to understand from the very first that they will be expected, as a matter of course, to attend the prayer-meetings, as well as the more public services of the church. These are among the most essential of the means of grace, and progress can scarcely be expected PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 351 without them. It should be insisted upon that there they must be if they would live near to God, near to his people, and gain the spiritual enjoyment and prog- ress which are their privilege. If they begin to be occasionally absent, they should be looked after at once to prevent their falling away. The habit should be formed at first of going as regularly as the meeting comes, and then afterward the attendance will be given as a matter of custom, as well as pleasure and spiritual profit. 8. There oiight by all means to be meetings of the young converts by themselves, where they could engage in prayer and conference without the feeling of embarrass- ment which the presence of others would produce. At such meetings, being all equally learners, they would be comparatively free from restraint. Then, too, feeling their responsibility for the conducting of the services, they will each take part, while under other circum- stances they would certainly hold back. There is no bet- ter way than this for them to become accustomed to pray in public. Before they are aware of it almost they will find the great mountain removed, and be able to lead in the devotions of the social meeting with comfort to them- selves and profit to others. The pastor and elders need not be present at these meetings of young converts, but they may so encourage them as to render them efficient aid. A meeting of this kind, held with persons who are very young, is thus described in a note by Rev. Stephen W. Dana : " I have had for more than two years what I call the ' boys' circle.' We meet every Monday evening from seven to eight o'clock. I limit the age from ten to fifteen. I have made the meetings as informal as possible. For many months I led the meetings, and usually assigned the topics from week to 352 THE PASTOR IN THE week, selecting those of a practical and personal na- ture. We always had our Bibles, and looked earnestly for a ' thus saith the Lord ' on the questions before us. We generally began the meeting with each repeating a passage of Scripture. I encouraged them in asking me questions about anything of interest to them. The ex- ercises were interspersed with short prayers ; often eight or ten of them would engage in prayer. Latterly, the young men or boys take charge of the meeting in turn, though I am always present. It has given me an op- portunity to keep near the boys, and exercise a more personal influence with them than I could otherwise have done. The constant aim is to combine work and worship, zeal and knowledge, to stimulate the young to a generous activity for Christ, but to lead them also to commune much with their own hearts and with God. I am fully convinced that there is too much effort to get people into the church, and too little care for them when in it." 9. It is of exceeding great benefit to those who have but recently come into the kingdom, to keep them busy in the ivork of the Lord. They are willing now to work at almost anything which their hands can find to do ; they are anxious to do something for the Master with whose love their hearts are glowing, and they can render efficient service, especially in a season of great religious interest. If they are at once led to take an active part in doing good, it will accustom them to work, and now is the time for the habit to be formed ; it will interest them more and more in the cause of Christ, and perpetuate that interest ; it will quicken and beau- tify their piety, and it will commit them more fully to a life of thorough consecration in the service they have espoused. Besides, the direct effects of their work, in PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 353 the first glow of its love, will be most important, not only on themselves, but also on their fellow-members of the church, and on their former companions still in impenitency, whom they can influence as no other persons can. Without any delay, then, should they be set to work, and kept busily at it from the very first. The rule should be that something would be found for each one of them to do. Not one of them should be left idle. If something is not ready to be done, then work should be made. The pastor and elders should enter into the minutiae, and study out work in detail for them all. In- genuity should be exercised in devising plans so that something profitable shall be always ready for them to undertake. But what can be found for them all to do ? Why, the field of work is boundless. They can teach in the Sabbath-school ; they can write letters recommend- ing the salvation of Christ ; they can give away tracts as opportunity presents; they can gather neglected chil- dren into the classes where they may learn the way of life ; they can bring friends and neighbors to church and prayer-meeting ; they can influence individuals to seek for the redemption of the gospel ; they can hold meet- ings for prayer in neglected neighborhoods or with the aged and infirm ; they can visit the sick or they can watch for inquirers. One or more of these things they can do — many things they can devise or can be devised for them, by which they can help forward the great cause of Christ and strengthen their own graces. This element in the nurture of young converts is of the first importance. They should be kept busy from the very first — busy in cultivating their own hearts, busy in scat- tering blessings around them, busy in striving to honor the Lord by bringing others to his service. 45 354 THE PASTOR IN THE CONVERSIONS TO BE EXPECTED AT ALL TIMES. It is too common a tendency to look for conversions only in seasons when the Church is revived by the spe- cial outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The influence of this impression is wrong, and ought to be stoutly con- tended against, for when churches are in a healthy spiritual condition the communion season when there are no conversions to be recorded is very rare. Then the conviction that revival-times are the only ones in which to look for conversions is sure to paralyze efforts for that blessed object at all other times ; it limits the Holy Ghost, as if he could work only according to our plans, and it keeps the Church in an unhealthy state, aiming to do its great work only periodically, and all the rest of the time being inert. The true theory is, that conversions are constantly to be expected when the means of grace are faithfully used, and the true plan is to look for them at all times. Why should they not be perpetually occurring? Have we not the ordinances, the word, the Spirit, the promises, the prayers, the motives — all the means that are necessary, all that God has appointed ? Why do we not have the faith, and see precious souls coming into the kingdom from month to month, and tliat always? While God is a sovereign, and does sometimes send down the blessing in copious effusion, yet the more common method is to send the gentle showers and the sunshine day by day and month by month. There are churches which have never been blessed by what is ordinarily called a revival, and yet in twenty years they have been as largely increased with true converts as those which have often had such seasons of refreshing. Then it is wise to be on the watch at all times for those PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 355 who are awakened and seeking to know what they must do to be saved. Almost always there are some such per- sons in every church. AVhy should there not be abso- lutely always ? Is God unwilling ? Is the way of life not plain enough ? Are not the gates always open. At all times, probably, in every church, there are those who are just waiting to be spoken to by pastor or other Chris- tian friend, and taken by the hand and led to the cross. The pastor should himself watch for such persons, no- ticing the well-known symptoms which indicate a turn- ing Christward ; he should have others to watch for them also and keep him informed; he should keep a list of them, so that none of them shall be forgotten, but in due time be visited, and at once and often car- ried to the throne of grace. If there is not diligent attention they may be overlooked ; and oh what a sad thing, to overlook a soul which is struggling for the light of God and the safety which is found in Christ ! From them and from othei-s conversions may be constantly expected ; and fresh ingatherings to the church from month to month should be the rule, any departure from which should cause serious anxiety. The conversion of souls is an object which ought to lie very near to the heart of every one whom God has called to the serious work of the pastor. He should long for it ; he should keep its importance and its pos- sibility before him in every duty which he undertakes ; he should keep his heart set on it day and night ; he should pray for it and preach for it, and be on the watch for it, as the only possible thing with which he would be satisfied. He should have others unite with him in striving for it through all the instrumentalities which God has provided. He should regard this work of 366 THE PASTOR IN THE saving souls as his great work — as the greatest work to which mortal man could be called. If he does not see souls coming into the kingdom, or'at least giving some symptoms of yielding to the claims of God, his heart should be burdened and his prayers rendered more ag- onizing. And he should rejoice above everything else in hearing the awakened saying, " What shall I do to be saved ?" He should be glad in this above mere popu- larity, which is so dangerous, and above applause, which never can satisfy a noble mind. As the fisherman casts the net, and then looks most intently for the ingathering, so should he fish for souls with every thought bent upon the blessed results. This should so occupy his mind that he never would be satisfied without some such results of his ministry. He should be instant in season and out of season, in order that he might by all means save some. A HIGH TYPE OF CHRISTIAN LIFE TO BE CULTIVATED IN THE CHURCH. There should be aimed at in every church a type, air, degree of piety which would be very high, and manifest to every beholder. There should prevail throughout the body which is so closely united to Christ a sensitive conscientiousness, a sanctified public sentiment, a gen- eral consistency and goodness of character, and a read- iness to engage heartily in every good work, which would leave no doubt, either within or without the church, that the Spirit of the Master pervaded all. Then the degree of all these should ever be increas- ingly high. With the united body of believers it should be as it was with the apostle when in noble- ness of aim he could say, " I count not myself to have PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 357 apprehended ; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." The great weakness of the Church, showing itself in every direction, is, that it has not a more fully-consecrated piety. If there were this thorough devotedness per- vading the members, then there would be no difficulty as to any branch of work or life or fellowship. All would go on prosperously. Success would mark every depart- ment of Christian work, contributions to benevolent ob- jects would be given generously without a grudge, con- versions would constantly be witnessed, brotherly charity would prevail, and all else would be marked by the peace of God which passeth all understanding. For this high type of piety in the Church should the pastor set him- self with all earnestness from the beginning ; he should keep it before him as a specific aim in all his preaching, praying and pastoral visiting. That any church may attain to a more eminent degree of godliness there is no question, and the possi- bility should encourage all to make the effort for it. It is possible. In some churches it may be seen in the scriptural piety and godly walk of the bulk of its mem- bers, as well as in their promptness to engage in every good word and work. And if it may prevail in some churches, why not in all ? Have we not all the ap- pointed means for bringing it about? And would it not be in accordance with the mind and work of the Holy Spirit to see his own image reflected in all his churches? Yes, it is possible to reach even this high standard of piety. The most cold and worldly churches might be brought up to a degree of spiritual life that would be felt far and near. And as pastors we should 358 THE PASTOR IN THE blame ourselves if we do not see our own churches con- stantly growing in grace. But how may this type of piety in the Church be reached ? We can hardly think that there is one right- spirited pastor who can consider its importance and not earnestly set his heart upon its attainment. And the urgent question arises, What can be done to this end ? Our answer is, that the means are at hand, and abundant and easily used. It would be contributing much toward it if the pastor would preach earnestly and often on the subject, showing the blessings of more piety, proving plainly that it might be attained, and pointing out the methods for reaching it. And to elevate the Church to this blessed condition of spirituality should be the aim in all the ministrations of the sanctuary. It is a state of things which ought to be sought after by prayer and all the other ordinances which the great Head of the Church has established ; by using every agency to get the minds of the whole congregation imbued with the truths of the Scriptures; by thorough indoctrination of the people in the great principles of godliness ; by close spiritual preaching ; by the pastor's example of deep-toned and consistent piety ; and by utilizing the example and influence of those in the Church who are already the most spiritually -minded. By each of these and by all of them, persistently used, the Church will gradually rise higher and higher in that earnest devotedness which is its highest glory and blessedness. The pastor should always be laying plans and study- ing anxiously how his people may be brought up to this exalted character. He should look for their grow- ing piety, and carefully search for indications that it is increasing: and the imaare of the Master becoming more PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH. 359 and more marked. It is an object of so much import- ance that he should constantly wrestle for it in prayer. And, as the highest motive he can possibly set before him, he should ever be impelled by the sublime thought that Jesus will thereby be glorified. CHAPTER VIII. THE PASTOR IN THE SABBATH-SCHOOL. The subject of Sabbath-schools has not hitherto re- ceived much attention in works on Pastoral Theology. In most of them it has not even been noticed. Its vast importance, even its existence, is too recent for it to have found a place on their pages. The special training of the young on the Lord's day in their spiritual and eternal interests is a grand branch of the work of the Church which has sprung up within a comparatively few years, and which requires from her careful study and diligent effort. It is a subject which demands very earnest at- tention from the pastor at the present time, when its importance is becoming more and more obvious, and when it is enlisting so much of the thought and energy of the Christian world. Since it is the object of pas- toral theology to assist the minister in becoming thor- oughly equipped for all his sacred work, it should indi- cate to him the present progress of the Sabbath-school cause ; it should endeavor to awaken in his mind a deep interest in that cause, to point out its duties, and to give at least some general suggestions as to the man- agement of an institution whose interests, though ap- parently humble, are among the most momentous that can engage the thoughts of man. 360 SABBATH-SCHOOL. 361 IMPORTANCE OF THE SABBATH-SCHOOL. There are but very few persons, probably, who duly appreciate the importance of the Sabbath-school work. We must fix our minds upon it, awaken our attention to it, measure its proportions and study it well, before we can see it in anything like the greatness to which it has attained. The assertion may be ventured that there has seldom been a religious movement of the world like it. When it shall be looked back upon in the light of history, it will be better appreciated than it is now. It is less than a century since this wonderful movement commenced, and to what has it already grown ! It has spread throughout the whole Protest- ant Christian world. It has taken its stand in the front rank of agencies for the conversion of men. It has enlisted a large part of the activity of the Church. It has committed to it the care of millions of youthful souls. It calls from the press as large an issue as almost any other cause in the world. It has risen to a position which places it second only to the preaching of the gospel. And if it has grown to such a magnitude in so short a time, what is it yet to be ? What immeasur- able good may it yet accomplish ? What dangers may stand in its way ? What perversions of it may be made by the great enemy? These are questions of trans- cendent importance. If we are wise, we shall awake to this subject and look at it with the keenest attention. We shall do it now. There is no time to be lost. It is a trite saying that everything depends upon the training of the young. The world understands this. Popery understands this. What the Church is to be, what its piety, what its Christian activity, what its theology, what its ministry, what its missionaries, 46 362 THE PASTOR IN THE what its seminaries, what its boards, what its liberality, what its influence for good in fifteen or twenty years, all depends upon the religious training of the young. Look at the thousands upon thousands of our own children upon whom influences are to be exerted that will give them character for life and afibct their destiny for ever. Look at the millions upon millions of chil- dren of irreligious parents who, but for the Sabbath- school, would receive no religious training whatever. They are at an age when the deepest impressions can be made — when, if ever, there is hope for them. And look at the Sabbath-school as a field of Christian work. It is a field in which every heart that is burning with love to God can find something to do for him ; it is a field in which all who are willing to work for Christ can be employed. The whole matter of Sabbath-school work is be- coming more and more grave from the growing tend- ency to relax religious instruction in the family and to throw that work upon the Church and the Sabbath- school. This is most deeply to be deplored, but we must accept the sad fact as it is, and do what we can to repair the loss by making the Sabbath-school more efficient and more spiritual. When the matter is viewed in this light, when it is seen that circumstances are compelling the Sabbath-school to make up this deficiency of family religious training, no tongue can utter, no figures can estimate, what should be done in this solemn work. There was no exaggeration in the assertion of one of our most eminent ministers that no subject of more import- ance could come before presbytery, synod or general assembly — nothing extravagant in the declaration of the most able of living theologians that no amount of time or money or thought was too much to be bestowed SABBATH-SCHOOL. 363 on it. It will help to give impressiveness to these thoughts to see the estimation in which it was held by- some whom the Christian world has long delighted to honor. The Rev. Dr. Ashbel Green, near the close of his life, said : " If I had my ministry to go over again, I would give more attention to the children." The Kev. Dr. Samuel Miller gave this emphatic testimony : " After the observation and experience of a long life, I have come decisively to the conclu- sion that if I had my life to live over again I would pay ten times as much attention to the young of my charge as I ever did. If I were now about to take a new or feeble church, I would consider that to give at- tention to the children and young people of the neigh- borhood would be one of the most certain methods of collecting a large congregation that could be employed." The Rev. Dr. S. H. Tyng asserts : " If every pastor would give one sermon on every Sunday especially addressed to the young, and designed and prepared to teach them, he would find himself enlarging his direct usefulness in this particular work, and equally advancing the value and benefit of every other class of his public and private labors in religious instruction." Bishop Janes declares that the time is coming when there will be two sermons preached to children and youth where there is one to adults. Dr. Doddridge said, " I had rather feed the lambs of Christ than rule a kingdom." THE SABBATH-SCHOOL A PROMINENT PAET OF THE PASTOE'S WOEK. It will not do for the candidate for the gospel minis- try to overlook this, in the supposed greater importance of other branches of preparation for his sacred office. 364 THE PASTOR IN THE It will not do for the pastor to look upon these interests as beneath his most earnest attention and efforts. It will not do for him to leave the whole ordering of them to laymen, who may or may not have an opportunity of studying them and preparing for tlue discharge of the difficult duties they involve. It is just as much his duty to attend to the religious training of the young as it is to preach or to visit the sick or to do anything else to which his office calls. He is a spiritual teacher, and there is no more important or promising class of his scholars than this. To realize in some good degree the importance of this element of his work is fundamental with the pastor who would glorify God and benefit the souls of men to the utmost attainable measure. It should be realized by the pastor that the young form the majority of his congregation, and that his work must be largely with them. It was a somewhat remark- able, but certainly important, advice of Dr. Bacchus of Hamilton College, to students, that in their ministrations they should give especial attention to the young under twenty and the aged above sixty. Upon this plan he had himself acted, and his ministry had been eminently blessed. From necessity, unless their spiritual wants are ignored, a large amount of the pastor's time and energies must be given to this most promising part of his charge. And there is no better way in which he can reach them, no way more economical of time, no way in which his efforts will be more impressive, than through the Sabbath-school. Nearly all the young of his congregation are or should be in it, and then he can reach them — reach the very youngest of them — as he can hardly do in any other way, reach them so that the prevailing sympathy will awaken deeper attention to his instructions. SABBATH-SCHOOL. 365 The mere fact that the Sabbath-school furnishes the pastor an excellent opportunity of coming in contact with the young is one which should not be overlooked. It is a matter of very great importance that he should, if possible, know every child in his congregation, that not one of them should be lost sight of To do so will keep up his interest in them, and, what is no less im- portant, it will attach them to him and his ministry. Much is gained when the young become personally ac- quainted with their minister, when they overcome their ordinary feelings of reserve toward him, learn to have affectionate confidence in him, and come to look upon him as their spiritual counselor to whom they can open their hearts. A lasting attachment will be created which may become of incalculable value to both them and him. No pastor can afford to neglect the special religious training of the young of his congregation. To do so would be to be unmindful of the larger part of the charge which God has committed to his care. It would be to neglect them at that age when their minds are the most impressible and when the hope of bringing them to the blessings of salvation is the greatest. It would be to throw away a most important influence with those who are hereafter to be the active men and women of the Church and community. It would be to miss the opportunity of securing a lasting place in the hearts of those who will soon be the main-stay of the congregation, who will be its elders, its trustees, its Sabbath-school teachers, its principal workers. Here is a splendid op- portunity for laying a solid foundation of a structure in which God may be glorified, many souls eternally blessed, and the minister himself made to rejoice the rest of his days ; but it is not improved. It is saying 366 THE PASTOR IN THE but little to predict that the pastor who can be so strangely remiss will not remain long with that congre- gation. It may be confidently asserted that in all ordinary cases the future character of the Church depends upon what is now done for the religious training of the young by the Sabbath-school and other agencies. It is this which is to determine what the Church of the future is to be in sincere piety, in love to God and his people, in stability, in beneficence and in intelligent zeal in every good word and work. Everything now done will have an important and self-propagating influence for good in the generations to come. In no other field is it more certain that what is sown now will be reaped hereafter. No work of the pastor will more abundantly repay than this. All Scripture, all our knowledge of human nature, and all history abundantly warrant this belief. The teachings of Calvin, of Knox, of Wesley and of others have moulded the religious character of whole commu- nities for generations and generations. What object can the minister or any other mortal man set before him so noble as that of influencing the generations of the future to be better and more useful than those of the present ? Hence, as an overseer who is to care for all the flock, as a pastor who is to feed the lambs of Christ, as a watch- man who is ever to stand on the walls of Zion, it be- comes the minister to be thoroughly acquainted with the work of the Sabbath-school and all other efibrts for the spiritual welfare of the young. The Church in all its branches is becoming more and more awake to the subject : he must be awake too. There is wonderful and healthy progress in the work ; he should fall in with that progress and endeavor to secure its benefits to SABBATH-SCHOOL. 367 himself and the youth of his charge. He should avail himself of all the real helps in the Sabbath-school work which are being so rapidly developed by the active piety of the age. He should consider it as a matter of the first importance with him to investigate the subject fully and see what is going on in this work, what he can do to help it, and how he may be assisted by its valuable improvements. If all our pastors would do this faith- fully, there would soon be a wonderful advance in the efficiency of the Church in the department of Sabbath- schools and in all her other agencies for the promotion of the cause of Christ and righteousness. THE SABBATH-SCHOOL AND THE FAMILY. The nature and functions of the Sabbath-school can hardly be understood in an adequate manner without considering its relations to the family. Family re- ligious instruction must be first, and paramount to all other. Its efforts must not be interfered with, nor its obligations lessened, by any other plans that can possibly be devised. It is placed first by divine wisdom and authority, and there it must stand. Very plain is the teaching of God on this subject. It is found, among other places, in the command, " Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walk- est by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up ;" also in the example of Abraham, " For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him ;" also in the apostolic charge, " And, ye fathers, provoke 368 THE PASTOR IN THE not your children to wratli, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." The Sabbath- school ought to recognize distinctly this divine and un- changeable law, and guard carefully against even seem- ing to infringe upon it. It should beware of the most remote assumption of the duties which belong to father and mother. According to this rule, of the first obli- gation resting upon Christian parents, should the Sab- bath-school act; in view of it should all its plans be laid ; and its wisdom will ever be to utilize the influ- ence of the family in co-operating with its sacred en- terprise, instead of in any way running counter to that influence. The emphatic testimony of Kev. Dr. A. T. McGill on this point is most valuable : " The primary obligation of a parent cannot release him, by any method the Church may adopt, from his personal duty to lay the word of God as early as possible on the memory and heart of his child. The Sunday-school has no legiti- mate existence in the Church without a compact, well understood, that the family institute shall remain a dis- tinct and sacred bundle which no conventionalities of men may ever loosen or untie. To delegate holy func- tions and holy time to persons not known to the parents to be both capable and faithful must be a fearful rec- reancy of parents under solemn vows which God will punish. Either the parents themselves, therefore, or the pastor, as their own teacher and representative, should never fail to inspect the Sabbath-school, and be sure that it supplements rightly the instruction of a covenanted home, and tends to bind up the family rather than disband it for a communism in the Church that must ultimately reduce alike the strength of true religion and sense of individual responsibility." SABBATH-SCHOOL. 369 It is feared by many that even in Christian house- holds at the present time there is a general relaxing of fidelity in family religious instruction. If this fear is well founded, it reveals an evil that is most formid- able and threatening. And certainly there is some real foundation for the alarm, for where is the careful Sab- bath-evening instruction by the pious parent ? Where is the indispensable catechising of all the children ? Where is the laborious indoctrinating of the young? Where is the parental authority that secures the reg- ular attendance of the whole family at the house of God ? Where is the careful supervision of the reading which will rigidly exclude the mischievous and the dis- sipating? Where is the unwearied effort to bring up the offspring in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? And where, in many instances, is there even that family worship which should impart its hallowing influence to every household ? Alas ! is it not the fashion in many quarters to sneer at these things as the narrow bigotry of other days ? That there is a deplorable declension and danger in this direction is felt by many of the best and wisest at the present time. The greatness of the danger should be estimated in the light of God's un- altered and unalterable command, which is disobeyed when the religious instruction of the young in the fam- ily is neglected. It should be estimated in the light of the fact that this neglect is raising up a generation with- out God's own chief agency for training them in virtue and happiness. There are many who think that this relaxing of family religious instruction is owing, at least in part, to the Sabbath-school. They think that, at any rate, the decline in the one keeps pace with the improvements in the other, while the Sabbath-school is not so much the 47 370 THE PASTOR IN THE cause as the occasion of the evil. It is an evil which develops itself when parents gradually come to consider themselves released from their most solemn obligations by the Sabbath-school. They indolently flatter them- selves that it teaches their children the truths of the Bible, that it does all that can be done for their conver- sion, and that it sufficiently indoctrinates them with the great principles of godliness. They think, or at least strive to think, that this is enough. Thus they succeed in stifling the voice of conscience while they shift an irksome duty from themselves to the Sabbath -school. They let this act as a salvo for what is nothing but in- dolence, unfaithfulness to their children and coldness of heart toward their God, It may be that sometimes this has something to do with the sad decline in family religious instruction ; but there are other causes far more certain and far more potent, and which rather call for increased diligence in the Sabbath-school work. There is no necessary con- nection between steady improvement in the Sabbath- school and decreasing care of family training. On the contrary, fidelity in the one should lead to fidel- ity in the other. But there are other causes which are leading directly to this result. The multitudes of other things — studies, books, papers, pleasures, excitements, ambitions — which now attract the young ; the louder voices with which the world calls, and the stronger grasp with which it draws the parents ; the weakening of the lines of demarcation between the Church and the world ; the diminishing value which is attached to doc- trines and principles in religion, — these account for the declining attention of parents to the religious training of their children, and only furnish additional motives for Sabbath -schools to be faithful. SABBA TH-SCHOOL. 371 The pastor should take special care to prevent the Sabbath-school from weakening the sense of parental duty. There is enough danger in the matter to put him on his guard. He should keep the evil and danger before him as a possibility to be feared, and he should faithfully warn the people of them. He should fre- quently preach on the general subject, urging parents never to relax their efforts for the spiritual welfare of their children, no matter how many other agencies may come in to help them. It cannot be insisted upon too strongly that family religious training is first in importance, first in the ad- vantages with which it is accompanied, and first in the ordination of God. The prime obligation rests upon parents. No other agency can possibly relieve them of their responsibility, or even lighten its weight. It would be a great evil if they fancied for a moment that either church or Sabbath-school could take their place in this respect. There is no affection for the children like that which dwells in the parents' heart. The Lord has placed it there, and chiefly that it may constrain them to train their offspring for him. What motive is so likely to produce untiring efforts for the spirit- ual and eternal welfare of the children as the yearn- ing of a father's or mother's heart? And with this parental affection there goes also a parental authority that may tell effectively in the religious training of the young. It gives an advantage to parents in this work which no other agency can possibly have. To parents, then, God has given the first charge, and on parents has he laid the first responsibility. The voices of God, of piety, of affection, of experience, of all that is holy and wise, unite to press this home upon all pious parents. 372 THE PASTOR IN THE These sentiments are forcibly expressed by the Rev. Dr. J. Grier Ralston : " It is hardly possible to overrate the importance of religious instruction in the household. It is here the foundations of character are laid, and hence flow out the ever-widening streams of influence that blight and wither or refresh and bless whatever they touch. The urgency of the language and the frequency with which the duty is enjoined in the Bible leave no room to doubt God's estimate of its importance. He has in all ages of the Church been pleased so to bless the faithful labors of parents for the good of their children as to indicate clearly his special approbation of such efforts. " The results of careful religious training in the fam- ily have ever been such as fully to vindicate the wisdom of God in assigning a position so prominent to the prop- er instruction of children. " The pastor who does not direct special efforts to the promotion of family religion neglects the most effective means of permanent prosperity in his church. If he would have a steady, healthful growth in his spiritual household, he must provide suitable food for the little ones. But his work in their behalf is not so much with them as for them. The parents must be carefully instructed as to their duty to their offspring. The family is God's university, and to those who preside over it must we look for successful results from its teachings. " The Jews have a tradition that the fire of the altar was miraculously kept alive under ground during the Babylonish captivity. In like manner God seems to have hidden in the family organization the germ of a church. The proper development of the one is the hope of the other. Aquila and Priscilla had a church SABBATH-SCHOOL. 373 in their house, as had also Nymphas and Philemon. No labor for Christ pays so large a reward as that spent in feeding his lambs." It would tend to render the instructions of both family and Sunday-school more efficacious if some harmony of plan were established between them. This may be done by both studying at the same time the same answers of the Catechism and the same Bible les- son of the week, or by establishing some other concert of study. By such arrangement each would be kept from encroaching on the other, they would be retained in their positions of relative importance, and they would render mutual assistance and encouragement in the same blessed work that lies before both. EELATION OF THE SABBATH-SCHOOL TO THE CHURCH. The Church in her organized capacity is bound to make the religious training of her children one of her most promiment aims. In her visible form she is com- posed of both old and young. In her families the aggregate of the young is greater than that of the old. She was organized into a visible form that she might embrace and give good heed to this branch of her interests, as well as every other. In a special manner is she bound to this by her covenant relations. And to this also she must be led by that new nature, that Christ-like nature of pity and sympathy, which has been imparted to her as composed of redeemed men and women. Who can feel for the children and labor for their salvation so well as those who have themselves been redeemed from sin and death and hell ? Now, the Sabbath-school has grown up as a great instrumentality by which this duty of the Church may 374 THE PASTOR IN THE be effectively performed, and it becomes us to consider well what the Sabbath-school is, what are the founda- tions upon which it is built, what is the authority ac- cording to which it exists, what is the place it holds, and what is the special work to which it is called. It is not an institution which is separate or inde- pendent of the Church. It is not a mere humanly- devised institution, a church within a church. There is a feeling of this kind somewhat prevalent, but it is always wrong and injurious. Instead of being some- thing separate, independent or added to the Church, the Sabbath-school is simply the Church putting forth her energy in the department of the young. The young con- stitute an important element in the composition of the visible Churdi, and the Sabbath-school is the agency by which she has found this element can be success- fully reached. The school is the Church herself in that department. She has not delegated her work or authority or responsibility to any other. That could not be done. The Sabbath-school is hers — appointed by her, supported by her, conducted by her, responsible to her, working in and by her authority, and forming an essential part of her life. Any other theory of the nature of this institution is erroneous, and must in the end lead to confusion and many an evil. It is impossible upon any other theory than this of the identity of the Church and Sabbath- school to justify its existence. We must look to the appointment of God for our authority in what we do in the gospel cause ; and as the Church stands by his authority, when the Sabbath-school is thus regarded as a vital, organic part of the Church we see the stamp of divine authority upon it. When we look at it in this light we see that it is from God ; it rises into a SABBATH-SCHOOL. 375 glorious nobility, and we engage in its work with a new zeal. (a) The Church as such should Conduct the Sabbath- school. It is now admitted on all hands that on the Church, as a Church and in her organized caj^acity, devolves the duty of conducting the Sabbath-school. That she should acknowledge this duty, and act accordingly, is most evident. She should sustain the Sabbath-school ; she should conduct it ; she should look upon it as her indis- pensable charge ; she should feel responsible for its vig- orous prosecution ; she should make provision for all its wants — -just as much as for the worship of the sanctuary or for any other branch of her duties. She should keep it, either directly through her or- dained officers or indirectly through persons whom she appoints and holds responsible to her, in her own hands, and manage all its interests. She should not merely have a general supervision of this important branch of her work, but she should herself perform it. She should not leave it to be conducted by others or attempt to transfer her duty and responsibility, for she has no right by any sort of contrivance to ignore her divine- ly-appointed task of training her children for the king- dom of Christ. It is hers not only to see who teaches and what is taught, and to be alive to all the interests of the Sabbath school, but also herself to teach and conduct all these interests. This duty of the Church can hardly be questioned. She is bound to attend to the religious instruction of the children, especially in the Sabbath-school, because she is commanded to train the young for the service and glory of God ; because this is one of the chief objects 376 THE PASTOR IN THE for which she has been established as a Church ; be- cause her organs are responsible as no others are to both earthly and heavenly authority ; because she has, or ought to have, the piety and intelligence needed for performing this work ; because she has the very best instrumentalities for this enterprise, which is spiritual and eternal in its issues ; because, if the Church leaves this teaching of the children to other hands, their minds may be filled with error and falsehood ; and because, when she fails to perform this work herself, discords and troubles are almost sure to be the consequence. (6) Difficulty of Harmonizing the Control of the Church and the Freedom of the Teachers. This is a very delicate and difficult point, and requires great caution on the part of pastor and elders. Many a strife has been engendered by it and many a Sabbath- school and church shaken to the foundations. The peculiar difficulty lies in the solution of this question : How can the control of the Sabbath-school be kept in the hands of the session, and yet the teach- ers have so much freedom in the management of its affairs that they will still keep up that interest which is so essential ? When the ordering of all the ar- rangements of the school is too much given up to the teachers there is danger that the highest interests of the church and school will not be consulted, and that true wisdom and experience will not rule. On the other hand, inasmuch as they do the work and endure the hardness, it is but justice that their voice should be heard ; and if it is too little heeded, it can scarcely be wondered at if their hearts cease to be fully in the cause. It is not probable that any one definite plan can be SABBATH-SCHOOL. 377 suggested by which this difficulty may be avoided. Tact, good sense and a sanctified spirit are rather to be relied upon to keep strifes from arising and coming to an issue. There are, however, a few things attention to which may overcome much of the difficulty in the case. These things we will point out as well worthy of consideration. 1. All the members of the session, the minister in- cluded, should he connected with the Sabbath- school. They ought always to be present. If they are not regular teachers, they can attend as members and per- form other important duties. They can fill vacancies when teachers are absent ; they can visit missing schol- ars and search for new ones ; they can assist at the opening or closing prayer-meeting ; they can be con- sulted about any difficulties that may arise in the school ; they can encourage superintendent and teach- ers, and by their presence they can show their interest in the school and the importance they attach to it. Then, being members of the school, they can influence its counsels without any appearance of undue inter- ference. 2. One of the elders ought ahvays, if practicable, to be the superintendent of the Sabbath-school. It is not often wise, though it may sometimes be necessary, for the pastor to hold the office. The superintendent ought to be one of the most devoted men in the church, and such men are almost always in the session. Moreover, the man who is qualified for being superintendent is certainly qualified for the eldership, and ought to be in it. When the vast influence of the superintendent in ap- pointing and guiding the teachers, in visiting the scholars and in numerous other things is considered, it will be seen how important it is that he should be in the session, 48 378 THE PASTOR IN THE and so bring all his influence to be tributary to the authorities of the church. As both superintendent of the Sabbath-school and member of the session he can harmonize the relations of the two, and utilize the whole weight of both in building up the cause of Christ. 3. The session ought always to appoiiit, or at least nominate, the superintendent. They could give the names of two or three persons, and then let the teachers elect from them ; or the election might be made subject to their approval ; or they could at once appoint the superintendent, and let him be their agent in carrying on the Sabbath-school. If this rule were incorporated in the constitution of the school, there would not after- ward be any friction in the matter. It ought to be made the law in the organizing of every new school. It may generally be worked into others, by proper tact, without much difficulty. 4. It ought to be the established law that the benevolent contributions of the school should be appropriated to the Boards of the Church under the direction of the session. We single out this matter, and would have it fixed, be- cause experience has proved it to be one of the most fruitful sources of controversy and strife. Instances could be given where it has led to the most serious dif- ficulties. We would therefore have the whole thing set- tled— settled when peace reigned — for all time to come. Adherence to these few principles, it is believed, will prevent most of the difficulties which ordinarily arise between the teachers and the authorities of the church. THE PKOVINCE OF THE SABBATH-SCHOOL. What is the exact sphere of this institution ? what is the place it occupies ? what the general work it has to SABBATH-SCHOOL. 379 do ? In answer to these questions it may be said that its mission is — 1. To assist in the religious training of the ChurcKs own children and youth. It is merely to assist in this, not to take it out of the hands of either parents or pastor. Parents are to give the first, most affectionate and most persistent instruction in divine things. But the Sab- bath-school can supplement, and that in a very import- ant manner, this indispensable work of Christian parents. It can impress the teachings of the jjareuts by the varied instructions of the teacher. It can clothe those teach- ings with the charm by which they are surrounded in the Sabbath-school. It can carry them home to youth- ful hearts with all the force of the sympathy and exam- ple of other children and youth in the same class and the same assembly. Many a time a child will turn away from the truth when presented to itself alone, but will listen attentively to the same truth when others are seen listening. Many a time it will be drawn to Christ when others are seen pressing into the kingdom. This use of the force of example and sympathy is an important element in the Sabbath-school work. It adds the im- pulse given by youthful companions to the fidelity of teachers, and both to the affection of parents. In the same manner its work is supplementary to that of the pulpit. The children of the Church have by right a place in the public worship of the sanctuary. There they ought to be as regularly as their parents. And nothing can take the place of this privilege. But the Sabbath-school comes in again to supplement the impressions of the public service. It comes in with a service that is attractive, because it is the children's own service, and especially adapted to the wants of the young. 380 THE PASTOR IN THE 2. To reach with the gospel the children of those parents who give them no religious instruction, and who themselves are not accustomed to go to the house of God. There are many, very many, such youth and children in every community. They are not taught to pray, the words of Holy Writ are not impressed upon their memories, they are not accustomed to go to the sanctuary, they have no example of true piety set before them. They are in the midst of gospel privileges, but not one of those privileges is put in their possession. What is to become of them ? Who is to bring them into the enjoyment of those blessings of which their parents are themselves practically ignorant ? The Sabbath-school is the very best instrumentality that has been devised for reaching this class of the young. Indeed, it was for the purpose of reaching them that it was first established. It seeks out such youth and children and brings them into its classes. It attracts their hearts to the claims of Christ and of their own perishing souls by the example of other youth who are piously educated, by the affectionate care of teachers, by the pleasure of its sacred songs and by all the blessed allurements of its exercises. And then, be it remem- bered, that these hallowed influences are exerted upon the young, who need them most, and with whom they will be the most salutary and abiding. The importance of the sphere which the Sabbath-school occupies in this respect cannot be too highly estimated. By its gospel influences it reaches this large and important class of children, who could not be reached by any other instru- mentality of which we know. This one thing makes it worthy of the unwearied care and efforts and prayers of all true Christians and philanthropists. And on this account it should be our deliberate purpose to gather SABBATH-SCHOOL. 381 into it all the children who have no religious instruc- tion at home, and who have no other friends to draw them to the house of God. 3. To furnish a field of worh for every willing Chris- tian hand. There are multitudes of people in all the churches who are willing to work for the kingdom. Their hearts have been touched by the Spirit of God, so that they have something of the mind of Christ, whose great delight it was to go about doing good. They have been made to see the need that souls have of being saved and purified. They feel in some measure the obligations under which they rest to that Saviour who redeemed them by his blood, and who calls them to his help in seeking to redeem others. They are willing to put forth some effort in the blessed gospel enterprise if the prac- tical thing only lay before them as to what they should undertake. Now, the Sabbath-school meets this want in a very important manner. It lays open a field of work in which all can engage — can engage at once, can engage with comparative ease, can engage with a promise of success that is hardly to be found in any other enter- prise. Here are classes of imperishable minds to which the Christian can go and teach the way of life through Christ ; or if no class is ready, he can take the place of some teacher who is necessarily absent for a day, or he can go out among the neglected and gather up a class for himself. Or he can go into an adult class as a mem- ber, and so lend his influence in attracting others and increasing the interest of the school ; or he can spend the hour in going about from street to street and house to house, seeking for children who neglect the Sabbath, and striving to bring them into the classes. And all can take a lively interest in the Sabbath-school ; they 382 THE PASTOR IN THE can pray for it, they can help in its support, they can visit it, they can sj)eak a good word for it as opportunity offers, they can say something to encourage superintend- ent and teachers, who often have much to depress and try them. Here is an important field of work for all. There is no other so ready, so easy, or that promises such early and abundant harvests. DIEECT AIMS OF THE SABBATH-SCHOOL. What are, or ought to be, the direct objects of the Sabbath-school in the study of the Bible and in all its other exercises ? We want to enter into the school, visit its classes, listen to its services, watch its working, study its lessons, and see what it aims to accomplish. After careful study of the subject it will be found that there are three objects which should constantly be before the minds of teachers and officers. (a) The Conversion of the Scholars. This is the object which should stand at the head of all others in this school of the Church. It is for this object primarily that the Bible is to be studied, and its great saving truths reiterated and pressed upon the hearts of the learners. This one pre-eminent purpose will run through the books that are read, the lessons that are studied, the improvements that are devised. It will pervade the devotional exercises of the school, give tone to every movement, and lie on the heart of every teacher. The conversion of the soul is an object which will well repay all that can possibly be done for it. When this is accomplished there is a foundation laid for all other blessings. That the young may be converted has been estab- SABBATH-SCHOOL. 383 lished beyond the possibility of questian or doubt It is a practicable thing to seek for the immediate sal- vation of the young. Why should they not be brought to Christ now? What qualification of heart or head necessary to conversion is not theirs now ? Cases innu- merable of the conversion of the young warrant us in striving for it with all diligence. Where is there a church in which such instances cannot be found ? Tens of thousands of the most devoted Christians were brought into the kingdom when they were young. While they are young is the most hopeful time to look for the con- version of the scholars. It is, humanly speaking, the period when the probability of their being saved is the greatest. The records of all churches will undoubtedly show that the greater part of all who are ever converted experienced that blessed change before they were twenty years old. This makes the first twenty years of life very solemn. Those who see youth passing through these years in their sins may well tremble for them. The human probability is that if they are ever saved it will be now. (6) The Indoctrination of the Scholars. The second direct aim of the Sabbath-school is to imbue the minds of the children with the great prin- ciples of our holy religion. There is in some minds a prejudice against teaching or laying much stress upon the doctrines. But what are doctrines ? Are they not the great principles of the gospel — the momentous truths which God has revealed for the benefit of men ? Are they not simply the topics according to which the teach- ings of the Scriptures may be classified ? And what shall we teach about religion if not these ? In fact, we must teach doctrines if we would teach anything what- 384 THE PASTOR IN THE ever about tlie gospel. And doctrines are the founda- tion for a solid and stable Christian character. It is by a deep-laid substratum of these that that permanency of Christian character is to be obtained which is not afterward driven about by every wind of doctrine, which is almost sure in the end to find its way to the cross of Christ, and which becomes a power for good in the circle of society in which it moves. Now, it is in the minds of the children that this foundation of doctrines should be laid. Their mem- ories, which will keep as long as life lasts what is now put in them, their wills, now easily influenced, and their youth, needing principles that will be their guide through all their future years, — all indicate that the present is the period for them to store up the doc- trines. And this should be an incessant aim of the Sabbath-school. By its teaching of the holy oracles, by its reiteration of the Catechism week after week and year after year, by the great truths contained in its sacred songs, and by all its public addresses, it should labor to fill the hearts of the scholars with the vitally- important doctrines of our holy religion. On this sub- ject the Eev. Dr. James M. Crowell, in a recent article, uses the following language : "Careful, continued, systematic instruction in the sym- bols of doctrine to which we hold as a Church is essen- tial to the perpetuity and establishment and solid growth of true religion. We are not only to 'hold fast to sound words,' but to * the form of sound words.' And since the young are at an age when they are most susceptible to the impressions of truth and when the memory is most retentive, that seems to be the best time for the work of catechetical instruction to be attended to. And since, by reason of the force of natural depravity, SABBATH-SCHOOL. 385 or original sin, or whatever we may call it, there is un- deniably a strong natural bias to error of understanding as well as to evil of heart and disposition, therefore the ground of the youthful heart should be preoccupied, as it were, by the diligent sowing of the seed of divine truth. It is true that objection is made against this on the ground that it is not fair to forestall the mind in favor of religion. But the obvious reply to this is, that it is impossible to leave the mind through childhood without prejudice in regard to religion. The question does not lie between furnishing the mind with opinions in childhood and leaving it empty. The simple fact is that it cannot be left empty. We must either fill it with the sifted wheat of truth or leave it to be filled spontaneously with the flying chaff of all kinds of error. If you do not employ the revealed doctrines of the Bible in the training of your child, you have not maintained neutrality ; you have decided for your child against the Bible. Instead of keeping out the error and the evil which were pressing hard to come in like a flood, you have left wide open the floodgates, and you have made your poor child a victim. "The story of Coleridge is a familiar one — that on one occasion he showed a friend a garden which he had been unwilling to 'prejudice' in favor of fruits and flowers, and the result was that it chose most perversely to bear a prolific crop of weeds. So in the minds and hearts of our children there is a crop of weeds all ready to spring up, and if we do not educate them in God's truth, they will be sure to grow up indoctrinated in the devil's error; and then when we come, after a while, with the good seed of the kingdom, we shall find the soil preoccupied and a luxuriant crop of rank and nox- ious weeds covering it all over. This objection is of no 49 386 THE PASTOR IN THE account. If we do not hesitate to prejudice our chil- dren in favor of true science in the matter of their sec- ular education, we surely need not fear to do the same thing in regard to religion." (e) The Training of the Children in Benevolence. Beginning with conversion, and following it up with diligent teaching of the doctrines, the Sabbath-school looks for immediate results in acts of benevolence. It teaches this as a doctrine, but it also insists upon its being carried at once into practice. It is made imper- ative upon us by the command of the Master, by that benevolent spirit which we have received and by the piteous cry of perishing millions of our race, that we put forth every effort to save the lost, and continue to do so while we have prayers to offer or tongues to speak or alms to give. This is the blessed conviction which is taking more and more firm hold upon the conscience of the Church. Everything should be done to foster and intensify it. And the youthful mind is the most hopeful soil in which it can be cultivated. Because of the natural selfishness of the heart this lesson is very hard to be learned ; it needs to be taught early and re- peated very often. The principle of benevolence, once firmly established in the mind of a child, will live and grow and lead to splendid development. And the Sab- bath-school should keep this constantly before it. By teaching the scholars to live for the good of others, and by accustoming them to contribute of their money to ob- jects of benevolence, it should implant and strengthen the spirit of Christ, who ever went about doing good. It is for this purpose, as well as for the actual good that may be done, that the school contributes regularly — that the scholars are encouraged to save that they may SABBATH-SCHOOL. 387 have to give to assist in rescuing souls from endless death and in building up the blessed cause of God in the world. These three objects, the conversion of the scholars, the filling of their minds with the doctrines of grace, and the training of them to habits of benevolence, are the objects which should ever be paramount in the Sabbath- school. According to the measure of success in these, the school will prove a blessing to the young, to the Church and to the world. CONDUCTING THE SABBATH-SCHOOL. This is a matter which the pastor should thoroughly influence, even though he does not personally perform it, because of his position as leader in all the work of the church, and because of his qualifications as trained and devoted to religious teaching. For this purpose he should keep himself well informed as to all that is going on in the general Sabbath-school work, with its helps, facilities, improvements and progress. To assist him we will touch upon a few important points without attempting to cover the whole field, which would neither be possible nor in place here. There are valuable works devoted exclusively to the Sabbath-school cause which can be profitably studied to that end. Our suggestions are confined to a few general, comprehensive subjects in which the pastor is particularly interested, and which will give tone and character to all the exercises of the school. (a) ExciTESTG Interest in the Bible. We place this first, because it is of first importance, and because it ought to give impulse, direction and color 388 THE PASTOR IN THE to everything that is done or attempted in the Sab- bath-school. It is one of the saddest things in the world that the Bible, the word of God, the sure guide to an eternity of blessedness and the infallible directory to a life of virtue and happiness, should be so little read and ap2:)reciated, even by those who have not a doubt as to its divine authority. The heart, naturally alienated from God and everything he does, lays hold of advantages, such as long femiliarity with the Bible and the ease with which it can be obtained, and uses them in closing up the sacred volume, so that it becomes, in effect, a sealed book. Hence the effort of Christian teachers should be to break up this indifference to the word of God, to awaken such interest in its pages that they will be re- sorted to with pleasure, perused with satisfaction and sought for with quickened curiosity, and to produce some suitable conception of its depths and grandeur and importance to every man. Whoever succeeds in awakening this interest with old or young is one of the great benefactors of his race. Now, the essential object of the Sabbath-school is to arouse this interest in the word of God, and to secure the production of the approjiriate results in the heart and life of the young. It is, in its very essence and design, a Bible-school. This is its great idea as under- stood by all those who have just conceptions of its nature. It studies the Bible. It honors the Bible as God's own book. It shows the beauty and perfections of the Bible. It helps to understand the Bible, and strives to open some of the wondrous mines of truth which it contains. The authority for whatever is taught in the Sabbath-school is drawn from the pages of the inspired volume. Hence also are derived the motives by which teachers and superintendent would influence SABBATH-SCHOOL. 389 the tender hearts of their scholars. Through the incul- cation of the truths of the Bible it would draw the young to Christ, establish in their hearts the doctrines of godliness, and train them to lives of active benevo- lence. If the Sabbath-school succeeds to any degree in awakening this interest in the word of God and in imparting the influence of its truths, its benefits to the world will be greater than tongue can utter or thought conceive. In order to arouse this interest in the divine word every possible effort should be made by those who have the conducting of the Sabbath-school. To this end it should be kept in mind that children, and adults too, will be interested in the Bible just in proportion as they understand it. It will also help much if we clothe its histories with life and reality, and invest the persons with flesh and blood, enter into their feelings, and sym- pathize with them in the events that are recorded. If we do this with the children, they will soon come to think much of the Bible. It almost seems as if there were an eye to the children in revealing so much of the will of God in the form of narrative, which is so well adapted to arrest their attention. What perfection, what variety, what adaptation to all the elements of our understand- ing are to be found in the Scriptures, and might be used to enlist the attention of the young ! We might now dwell with them on the marvelous history of the Crea- tion ; now on the affecting story of Joseph ; now on the sublime visions of Isaiah, where at one time hell is seen wide open, and at another the throne of God is disclosed, with the seraj)him around it crying, " Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts ;" now on the inimitable beauty of its poetry, carrying away our souls with the 390 THE PASTOR IN THE prophet as he sings, " AUhough the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation ;" now on the sweet history of the Babe of Bethlehem ; now on the Sermon on the Mount, filled with such words as never man sj)ake; now on the sacredness of Christ's inter- cessory prayer to the Father in the seventeenth chapter of John ; now on the heavenly logic of Paul ; and now on the glorious scenes of the Apocalypse. Let the teachers become enthusiastic about these things, about the whole of the wonderful perfections of the word of God, and there will be no difficulty in awakening the deepest interest in the minds of the scholars. Plans should be contrived for the express purpose of making the study of the sacred volume more and more attractive. We should experiment with ourselves to know how we personally are most drawn to it, and we shall o-enerallv find that the same methods are effective with the children. We may also learn from other Sab- bath-school workers what methods they have tried and found successful. If one plan does not succeed, we can try another. Sometimes what will do with one person or class will not do with others, and there should there- fore be variety. It should ever be kept before us for our encouragement that it is possible to awaken an in- terest in the Bible in most minds, if the effort is dili- gently persevered in. It should therefore be made a distinct object, by every pastor, superintendent and teacher, to effect this most desirable end. SABBATH-SCHOOL. 391 (6) Aiming Directly for the Conversion of the Scholars. The one thing needed in all our Sabbath-scliools is to make the immediate conversion of the scholars their great object. This idea must be made to rise above all others. The mode of conducting the school, the study of the Bible, the teachers' meeting and the appointment of teachers should all be influenced by this ever-present motive. What all feel to be needed in our Sabbath- schools is a more devotional spirit and a deeper sense of the divine presence. The fixed purpose of bring- ing the young to Jesus will give this air of sacred- ness. It will produce the feeling that all have met to transact business with God and souls. The idea of a school will then be lost in the far higher ideas of worship, of the mercy-seat and of souls entering the kingdom. Such a purpose must necessarily affect the teachers. It will ever keep before them the one great thing at which they are to aim. In studying and teaching, in managing their classes and in their intercourse with each other, all their bearing will receive its tone from the thought that they are striving for the salvation of their scholars. Such teachers must be successful. The records of Sabbath-school work are full of facts proving that this singleness of aim for the glory of God will not be in vain. This settles the whole question as to who should be teachers. The heart to strive for the conver- sion of the young is the first and great qualification. It is indispensable. Whoever has it, and is capable of explaining the way to Christ, may teach. Whoever is destitute of it should not be placed in that deeply re- sponsible position. The teacher who cares not for the 392 THE PASTOR IN THE salvation of the scholars has no business in the Sabbath- school. The scholars, too, will feel the influence of this great aim whenever it pervades the school ; it will not long lie hidden from them ; the earnest purpose will soon affect them. They may be reckless, and strive to ap- pear more so than they really are, but something will soon reach their hearts and make an impression that they cannot shake off. The school will be easily man- aged ; in fact, it will need no managing. Its minutes will glide quietly away, and all will feel that they have been in a sacred presence. This is the true method of securing order. This, moreover, will attract scholars to the school, and keep them there. Innumerable devices — such as exhibitions and shows of various kinds — have been tried to give attractiveness to the Sabbath- school work, but thoughtful friends of the cause are settling; down into this conviction. The motive we have now urged will not be temj^orary in its effects. The school where this great object reigns will, in the long run, prove to be the prosperous scliool even in outward growth and permanence. (c) Catechetical Instruction. Very great stress should be laid upon catechetical in- struction as a part of Sabbath-school work. The Cate- chism for Young Children should be used in the primary or infant department, and the Westminster Catechism in all the rest of the school. The family is the place where this instruction is expected to be given most early, most affectionately and most perse veringly, but it should also find a very prominent place in the Sabbath-school. It should be made a part of the opening or closing exer- cises of each session, as well as of the class instructions SABBATH-SCHOOL. 393 of the teacher. The catechism should be repeated over and over and over ; it should be memorized ; it should be explained, so that the scholars may never re- member the time when tliey were not familiar with it. It may seem like a waste of words to recommend the Shorter Catechism after it has been tested for centuries and held in such high esteem by the wisest and best of the people of God ; and yet it is w^ell sometimes to call fresh attention to its surpassing excellencies. It is prob- ably the best summary of the truths of the Scriptures that has ever been formed by man. The comprehensive manner in which it presents all the essential points of religion is simply wonderful. Its teachings embrace a full statement of the way to Christ and life eternal, of all the great doctrines of the gospel, of the various duties we owe to both God and man, and of the future destiny of the righteous and of the wicked. It forms in itself a complete system of theology. It is simply the teach- ings of Scripture arranged according to their great lead- ing topics. One can hardly help feeling sometimes that its words verge closely on inspiration. The longer it is tried by time and experience and the utterances of Scrip- ture, the more valuable does it appear. The memorizing of this catechism in youth becomes a matter of overwhelming importance when it is con- sidered that so treasured up it has a vast influence in fixing the doctrines and principles for life. Based as it is on Scripture, and more and more clearly seen to be so as it is better understood, it can hardly fail of having this abiding effect. Experience abundantly proves that where the mind is thus early filled with the truth of God by having it wrought into its very texture, it does not often depart from it. Those who are thus trained become comparatively safe from infidelity and 50 394 THE PASTOR IN THE from running after wild and destructive opinions in religion. Surely, it is much needed at the present time, when there is so much looseness of religious belief, so much falling away into errors and skepticism. On this subject we quote again from the article by the Rev. Dr. Crowell to which we have already re- ferred : " One great advantage in giving instruction through the Catechism is found in this fact — that it contains, in short and pithy sentences where every word tells, a complete and accurate summary of doctrine. Nor can it be objected that this is exalting it to a place which belongs only to the Scriptures, since every proposition in the Catechism is based upon the word of God, makes its appeal to the word of God, and so by that very thing exalts the Bible to its normal place as the ultimate standard and rule of faith and practice. This ' form of sound w^ords ' is such that sometimes one single phrase or expression, one word rather than another, will con- dense in itself, and keep for ready use, a whole set of Scripture teachings — in fact, a very body of divinity. " The advantages of such clear, simple, concise state- ments of God's truth as these must be evident at once to every candid mind. And if in early life a system- atic view of Christian doctrine be obtained and digested and stored in the memory, the harmony and relation of the teachings of the Bible will be recognized, and the pernicious heresies which gain the assent of so many people will be at once rejected. And in these days of ours, when respect for all that is sacred and venerable is sneered at by many as weakness and superstition, when the march of intellect, as they call it, is the pre- text for so much change, and when the very ' founda- tions ' are in danger of being destroyed, what a grand SABBATH-SCHOOL. 395 thing it would be, for the young especially, to be 'rooted and grounded ' in the truth, that they may not be the helpless dupes of every plausible impostor and be tossed about like feathers by ' every wind of doctrine ' ! " And if, at any time, there should be shown a dis- position to banish the form of sound words from the early training of our children, then it should be recog- nized as a solemn obligation, on the part of those whom God has set as watchmen on the walls of Zion, to incul- cate it with renewed zeal as an invaluable bulwark of the truth. The peculiar characteristic of our age in the domain of religious truth is looseness. The tend- ency most prevailing is to make the way of religious belief smooth and broad and easy, to avoid giving offence, and to please the natural heart, even though God declares that heart to be ' deceitful and desperately wicked.' " The value of this formula of divine truth has been abundantly demonstrated by the experience of ages, by the testimony of piety and by the deep foundations of righteousness it has helped to lay in many a highly- favored community. All who have well understood it, all who have compared it with the Scriptures, all who have candidly studied the uprightness and stability of character which have ever distinguished those who were imbued with its principles, will add their testimony. Its influence in making any people intelligent, virtuous, religious, free and stable may be seen in Scotland, in the north of Ireland, and in those parts of America and England where it has been most used. If the Sab- bath-school only succeed in fixing this in the memory and hearts of the great body of its scholars, it will have accomplished a mission the benign effects of which will have no limits either in time or eternity. 396 THE PASTOR IN THE We ought to be the more incited to make this a part of the regular exercises of the Sabbath-school from the consideration that if the Catechism is not memorized in youth it probably never will be afterward. Like spell- ing, reading, writing and other fundamental branches of education, it must ordinarily be learned in childhood if ever. As a matter of fact, it is seen that very few do study it in adult years. Children memorize easily, and it would not be the task for them to lay up this treasure in their memories that it would be for others. Moreover, by committing it in childhood it will be re- tained more tenaciously, and become incorporated as an essential part of the earliest and tenderest associations of their being. How anxious, then, should we be not to let the golden opportunity slip until this precious acquisition is made ! We should be stirred up by the homely motto, so true here, that it is " 7iow or 7iever.'^ An objection very often brought against the learning of the Catechism by children is, that they cannot un- derstand it — that it is to them nothing but a tissue of unmeaning words. This difficulty is greatly exagge- rated ; there is far more in the Catechism that is compre- hensible by children than is commonly imagined. But supposing it to be so in part, they will understand it more and more fully as reason strengthens, and after- ward see it to be a mine of the most valuable of all truth. And then they will thank the Sabbath-school with all their hearts that it persevered — even against their incli- nation it may have been — in enriching them with treas- ures of divine knowledge which gold could not purchase. Now, the Sabbath-school is a most important instru- mentality for this teaching of the Catechism. It has collected within its walls the very class of persons who ought to learn it, and who may be induced to undertake SABBATH-SCHOOL. 397 the task. The incitement of the example of others learning it, and the influence of pastor, suj)erintendent and teachers, will lead many to begin the work and to persevere in it who w^ould not otherwise think of so doing. It is a school for learning religious truth, and this comes in naturally as an appropriate branch of its exercises. The experience of many Sabbath-schools, where the Catechism is studied successfully, proves that it is practicable to introduce it into all ; and it is to be remembered that many of the children collected in our Sabbath-schools never will be taught the Catechism at home. We would strongly recommend a plan for its constant study in the Sabbath-school and for making it a part of the regular exercises which has been tested by years of use. In the closing exercises of every Sabbath let the whole school repeat tw^o answers of the Catechism in concert, and then go back and review ten by repeat- ing them in the same way. In this manner the whole Catechism will be recited every year, and reviewed at least ten times. This process, continued year after year, must necessarily make the scholars familiar with it. The plan is perfectly ^practicable ; it takes up but a short time of the school ; it becomes an interesting part of the exercises, and it fixes the Catechism in the memory and affections of the scholars with hardly any effort. When any school adopts it, it is not likely soon to be abandoned, as an experience of ten or twelve years has proved. Even if some of the scholars should read them as they repeat the answers, or if they should only hear others answering, still much of the phraseology and of the truth will ultimately lodge in their memories. We would earnestly recommend that in this or in some other way the study of the Catechism be made a prom- 398 THE PASTOR IN THE inent part of the exercises of every Sabbath-school. The school should never tire of it or think that it has been memorized to perfection. It should be repeated year after year — repeated until it never can be forgot- ten, re^^eated until it becomes a part of the thought and the language, of the very mind of every child and youth in the Sabbath-school. We would impress this counsel by the words of the Kev. Dr. W. G. T. Shedd as he closes his admirable work on the duties of the pastor : " In closing these brief chapters upon Pastoral Theology we feel deeply that there is not a topic of greater importance than this subject of cate- chising ; and the last words we should desire to address a young clergymen as he is going forth to his life-long labor would be to make full proof of that part of his ministry to which belongs the indoctrination of the rising generation in the truths and principles of the Christian religion." (d) Cultivating the Benevolence of the Children. We have already shown, in another place, that one of the three great objects of the Sabbath-school is to cultivate the benevolence of the young ; and in doing this it should not merely teach what beneficence is, but should also illustrate it by leading the scholars to its actual practice. It should train them in doing good, especially by offering their gifts to the treasury of the Lord. Its object should be to exercise them in giving out of a spirit of benevolence, to accustom them to give for Christ's sake, to train them to give because it is an essential element of the Christian life. It should be the established rule of every Sabbath-school that every Sabbath an offering of the scholars shall be made for the cause of God and righteousness. Both in theory SABBATH-SCHOOL. 399 and practice it should be perpetually inculcated, as it is taught in Scripture, that prayers and alms must go together in the worship that is true and acceptable. It should be impressed upon the minds of the children from their earliest days by the teaching of parents, pastor and Sabbath-school that this is fundamental in religion. The great hope of the world to-day, inasmuch as God has connected its salvation so intimately with human agency, is that the rising generation will be more lib- eral than their fathers. The principle of beneficence, which demands the giving away of that which is most highly prized among men to objects which are purely spiritual, and at the mere command of God, is a very difficult principle to establish. It encounters the natural and most formidable selfishness of the human heart, and that love of money which even the pen of inspiration declares to be " the root of all evil." And the great thing to be aimed at is to get the principle of benevolence established before the other principle of selfishness shall have become so firmly rooted as to ab- sorb everything. If ever the nobler principle is to gain the ascendency, except as it is done by the supernatural grace of God, it must be worked into the soul while it is yet tender and suscejDtible of abiding impressions. Hence the importance of the Sabbath-school culti- vating in the children the spirit of benevolence. To this end they should be thoroughly instructed in the benevolent work of the Church ; tlie}^ should be made to see that it is by far the greatest work of the world, and their minds should be enlarged and drawn out of self by the study of the grandest enterj^rise of the age. Then it should be impressed upon them that this is a work in which they have something to do, to which God 400 THE PASTOR IN THE and their own highest glory call them. They should be so trained that they will love to give — that their whole life will be ennobled and sweetened by the effort to save that they may have the more to give to the cause which brought down Jesus to the cross, and on which the salva- tion of millions upon millions of souls is dependent. Oh, blessed will it be for them and for their generation if they are so trained that they never shall remember the time when they did not love to give to God and his blessed gospel ! In this matter of developing the benevolence of the children it is worthy of special attention that their gifts be placed in the treasury of the Lord, and not devoted to their own interests. In many a school all that the scholars contribute is spent in defraying its own ex- J3enses — a system which is most objectionable on many accounts. Certainly it is not cultivating their benev- olence to have all their gifts terminate in themselves. It is only selfishness. It is moreover a shame for any church to compel its children to defray the expenses of its own school. Unspeakably better is it to accustom them to giving to objects of general benevolence, so that they may learn to do good to others and help forward the cause of Christ and truth. This is important for the purpose of training the young in the work of benevolence, but it is also import- ant because of the aggregate amount which might be contributed by all our Sabbath-schools. It would tell in a very important manner upon the whole benevolent work of the Church. It would tell far more on the future, and that the very near future. It would soon impart a new impulse to all the Boards and other be- nevolent operations of the Church. Let us take exam- ples. Supposing that in a school of three hundred SABBATH-SCHOOL. 401 scholars each contributes one cent every Sabbath, the aggregate will be one hundred and fifty-six dollars a year — enough to pay the appropriation of the Board of Education to a young man preparing for the ministry. Supposing each scholar gives three cents a Sabbath, the amount will be four hundred and sixty-eight dollars a year, which would support a Sabbath-school mission- ary of the Board of Publication. Suj^posing that each brings five cents, then the sum will be seven hundred and eighty dollars a year, and this would pay tlie salary of a lay missionary of the Board of Foreign Missions and the appropriation to one of our home missionaries. Or if the contributions were distributed among all the Boards, still the amounts to each would be very consid- erable. If all our schools would do this the income to the Church would be vast. It would soon shame the adult members of our congregations into giving far more than they now do. As a matter of fact there are Sab- bath-schools which actually contribute more to the Lord's cause than do all the rest of the congregation. Let this matter receive due attention in all our Sabbath- schools, let the scholars be properly instructed and trained in giving for the spread of the gospel in all its departments, and the whole aspect of the Church and the world will soon be changed. The contributions of the Sabbath-school ought to be appropriated to the Church's own Boards or benevolent operations. The united piety and wisdom of the Church have planned and perfected these schemes of benevo- lence ; they embrace the whole field of benevolent operation ; they are economical ; they are for the prop- agation of the truth as the Church itself understands it ; they are responsible in their management to the whole Church; and they have therefore a right to 51 402 THE PASTOR IN THE look to the Sabbath-school as well as the church for their support. On this point it was very appropri- ately said by Rev. Dr. John W. Dulles: "Where does *the money go? The money given by our Sabbath- school scholars, we mean. Who get it? Our Sabbath- schools are the hunting-ground of every good cause, from the widows' homes to exploration societies, and of some causes not so good. The hungry and homeless enterprises that cannot effect an entrance to the church, at whose doors sit the watchful session, sidle up to the Sabbath-school and modestly ask for only the crumbs from the children's table. Soft-hearted superintendents shrink from saying ' No ' to ' so good ' a thing, and the gifts of the little ones are voted away with uplifted hands. In Presbyterian churches this matter should be controlled by the session. Where organization has not reached this perfection the greatest firmness should be exercised by the officers of the school in barring out these miscellaneous appeals. The established Church- channels of benevolence afford abundant outlets for the sifts of the children. Here we have Boards under the strictest supervision and most economical management carrying on the grandest schemes of benevolence. Mis- sions to the heathen, home missions. Sabbath-school mis- sion-work can be aided through these organizations, with the assurance that the money is safely given. Moreover, if our children give through these Boards when they are young, they will love them and give through them when they are old. With such channels open to us for the use of Sabbath-school mission-funds, it is most unwise to dissipate these gifts through agencies of which we know little and over which we have no control." SABBATH-SCHOOL. 403 {e) The Sabbath-school to be kept in Sympathy with THE Church. Very much of the vahie of the Sabbath-school de- pends upon keeping it in vital connection and strong sympathy with the Church. The Church has this high claim upon teachers and scholars because it was appoint- ed of God ; because it was set up to be the light of the world ; because it has outlasted every other institution the world has ever seen ; because it is composed of the very best of men, even the redeemed of the Lord ; and because with its interests are bound up the interests of the young, the interests of truth and righteousness, all the highest interests of the race. For these and other reasons in the Sabbath-school there should be not an act, not a word, not a thought, in opposition to the Church ; neither should there be any ignoring of its authority, or any disposition to stand aloof or to act in- dependently of that body of which Christ is the Head, and old or young but component parts. The Sabbath- school should take pains to be identified with it in every- thing. Superintendent and teachers should remember that their manner of conducting the school will have much to do with keeping up this reverence for the Church in the minds of the children. To this end the scholars should be kept thoroughly acquainted with the Church in all her interests, nature, history and destiny. It is well that the school should be often spoken to concerning it in affectionate terms. Patriotism loves to dwell upon the high honors of its country and relate them to its children ; far more ar- dently should loyalty to the Church of God fill the minds of its offspring with admiration for her glories. The children should be made to see the superior advan- 404 THE PASTOR IN THE tages which the Church has above every mere institu- tion of men ; they should be taught her honorable his- tory, and they should be kept well acquainted with the various projects she is carrying on for the purpose of saving and sanctifying the human race. The more they are made to know of the Chiirch, the more they will be interested in her and be drawn to her fold. They should be made to feel that the Church is theirs, and awakened to a loving concern in all her affairs. They should also be taught that they have duties toward the Church — duties to help forward her interests, to love her and to strive to bring others to love her. There should be cultivated in the minds of the scholars an intelligent and sincere attachment to their own denomi- nation. If patriotism loves its own country, should not piety love its own Church ? Our own denomination, whatever it is, we think to be the best, as we show by our connection with it ; should we not teach our chil- dren what we so sincerely believe ? To stay them in the midst of wildly-floating theories, to fix them in the possession of the blessings of the house of God, it is deeply important that all our children should be taught to love their own Church. The Sabbath-school should use its influence to induce the scholars to attend regularly upon the services of the sanctuary. They are a part of the congregation, and it is their right and duty to be present at its worship. There they may receive the highest blessings which God comes into the assemblies of his people for the purpose of bestowing. If they are influenced to attend it in their youth, the habit will be formed, and in after years they will be drawn to the house of God by the old hallowed associations. They will be led to love the sanctuary, and in many ,an hour of retirement SABBATH-SCHOOL. 405 to long for its blessings. The superintendent and teach- ers of the school have peculiar facilities for influencing the scholars to attend the services of the church. They can show them that it is their duty to go ; they can ar- range plans for taking them there ; they can question them about the sermons and other services, and so stimu- late their interest ; they can always be present themselves, and lead by their example ; and they can notice whether the scholars have been there, and thus show that.it is an object which rests upon their hearts. Sometimes the teachers may take their classes, or as many of them as they can induce to go, in a body — a plan that will have influence with many. It should be affectionately and emphatically impressed upon the minds of the scholars that only a part of their duty on the Lord's day is performed when they attend Sabbath-school — the other part is to attend upon the preaching of the sanctuary. Let them be accustomed to go from their childhood, and then they will not be absent from their places in the house of God in their adult years. If possible, pastor and elders, as well as superintend- ent, should know the children of the Sabbath-school in- dividually. This of course will be very difficult in large schools. But much can be done toward it by giving close attention to them personally, and by striv- ing to recognize them, at least by their family resem- blance. Nothing will gain their affection more surely than to let them see that they are noticed, and so much thought of as to be known even by name. Then, more- over, they can be personally watched over in their spir- itual interests. That pastor who is so highly favored as to be able to tell the scholars of his Sabbath-school by name, or even by their family, has in his hands a wonderful power for good. 406 THE PASTOR IN THE (/) Improvements in Sabbath-school Work. The progressive age in which we are living requires that there should be advance toward perfection in this noble enterprise. There are very great improvements in the art of secular teaching ; so also should there be in the art of religious teaching. As a blessed fact it is manifest that the whole subject of the Sabbath-school, with its. various interests, is becoming better and better understood. Now, it is clearly our wisdom in this mat- ter to fall in with the spirit of the age and guide the improvements. There must be change, and it is better for us to admit the fact, and if possible control that change. As is admitted on all hands, we should aim at a far higher standard of teaching in our Sabbath- schools. The working of tliem needs to be vastly im- proved. This is felt everywhere. Those who are to teach youtliful immortals the way of salvation need a preparation that is but seldom appreciated. We can never hope to arrive at perfection here, but we can make it our aim. We can rise far higher. There should be strenuous efforts made, in some way, to qual- ify our teachers better for their task. Mere novelties in teaching are to be guarded against. Some of these may take the life and spirituality out of the schools. Among the wisest and best of our people these novelties are greatly dreaded. At the same time, every real im- provement in the working of the Sabbath -school is to be diligently sought after and adopted. There should be progress here. Our motto should be, " Higher ! higher!" The everlasting truths of the gospel cannot change or be changed, but the modes of communicating and impressing them may be greatly changed and improved. SABBATH-SCHOOL. 407 1. The necessity for constant ivakefulness as to all real improvements in the /Sabbath-school work may be seen when it is considered that that work is still in a forma- tive state. At first, and for a long time afterward, its main object was to instruct ignorant children in spell- ing, reading and writing. Then, for a while, little more was aimed after in its teachings than what pertains simply to the intellectual part of religion. Afterward the chief attention seemed to be bestowed upon the machinery of the school and upon the entertainment of the children — upon furnishing them with shows, exhibitions, festivals and other things by which they might be attracted. Now the institution is manifestly settling down into what it should be — namely, the Church working in the department of the young, and that with the aim of leading them, through the study of the Bible, to a saving knowledge of Christ, to the possession of principles formed by the great doctrines of the gospel, and to the practice of true benevolence. 2. It should be the aim, in the management of the Sabbath-school, to adopt all real improvements — all im- jn'ovements tvhich are calculated to make the work more effective in accomplishing its great end. In order to do this wisely, however, suggested schemes, called im})rove- ments, must be carefully scrutinized. And this again will involve an intelligent investigation of what these projwsed improvements are, what their authority, what their aim, what their tendency, and what, as tested by experience, their influence. It will very often be advisable to wait, to watch and to continue the exami- nation. If the suggested plans infringe upon the Bible or Bible truth, if they ignore the Catechism, if they slight the Church which Christ has established, if they propose to worship God in some other way than he has 408 THE PASTOR IN THE appointed, if they lead to eiTor, if their influence is to divert attention from the real object which ought to be had in view, if they secularize the Sabbath-school, if they pander to the love of novelty and show, — if such be their prevailing tendency, they ought to be rejected without any hesitation. Leaving out all these exceptions, it will be found that there are many modern real improvements in this work which ought to be adopted. Many important ideas as to the manner of imparting religious truth have been borrowed from the improvements in the secular schools. Some of the best minds and hearts of the age have been devoted to this subject, and the result of their labors is telling most beneficially. The progress of the Sabbath- school may be seen in its improved methods of interest- ing the young, in its helps, books, commentaries, journals and other appliances for facilitating the teacher's work, and in the singing by which it attracts and gives a sweet charm to the truths of salvation. There is con- stant and healthy improvement in all these things. Discoveries are being made for imparting old truths in more attractive and successful ways. Old plans of teaching are better understood, better appreciated and better applied. The one great improvement which is now looming up as to the conception of the chief end of the Sabbath-school is gradually changing and sancti- fying the whole character of the work. Now, in this blessed effort to elevate the Sabbath- school to a higher stage of efficiency, usefulness and spirituality, every pastor, every superintendent and every teacher should stand ready to take a part. Every improvement that evidently promises better things should be tried and worked out to still higher perfec- tion. No plan should be rejected sim^^ly because it is SABBATH-SCHOOL. 409 new. In the example of the great apostle, who could say of himself, " I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (1 Cor. ix. 22), we have scriptural authority for adapting ourselves to circum- stances which are favorable to the promotion of the cause of Christ and truth. 3. At the present time there is probably need for special care that too much machinery be not ivrought into the management of our Sabbath-schools. In many quarters the tendency is strongly in this direction. It may be that abuses of this kind are merely temporary, as the result of the wonderful progress of the whole work. The danger lies in the disposition to adopt mere novelties, and in the tendency to spend the energies of the school in drills, entertainments, banners, fancy names, responses, fantastic plans of studying Scripture, and in other contrivances which have no other promise than to interest and amuse. But experience has already proved that many of these are impracticable or useless, or detrimental to the real object of the Sabbath-school in the spiritual welfare of the scholars. The evils are curing themselves. The pastor should carefully guard his school against this multiplication of harmfid ma- chinery, and yet not so as to exclude that which is really valuable. The Sabbath-school ought never to be turned into a drill-room. That is not its design, and never can be one of its perfections. The effort to make it such has been carried to the most absurd lengths ; even to the de- gree of proposing that the boys be subject to military drill during the week in order that they might yield more prompt submission to the discipline of the school. Too many and useless rules are sure to be violated, and so lead to interminable difficulties. A school may be 52 410 THE PASTOR IN THE very easily systematized to death, as many sad instances prove. Prof. John S. Hart, whose ripe judgment and large experience in both Sabbath and secular schools give his opinion peculiar weight, has forcibly said upon this subject : " There are two ways of killing all life out of a school. One is to load it down with a complex machinery of laws and by-laws — to ' constitution ' it to death. The other is to make its offices a bo*ne of elec- tioneering contention." A good rule to adopt in this matter is that just as much machinery shall be used in conducting the school as may be necessary for securing good order and atten- tion, and no more. Whatever plans are calculated to produce a devotional spirit on the Lord's day, or to im- press the truth more deeply on the heart, or to aid in turning the feet into the way of life, are worthy of being faithfully tried. These will probably prove advanta- geous, but it will hardly be safe to go beyond them. And even these should be used as means to the higher end, never as the chief object of the school. {g) Peomptness in Everything. This is the one great, comprehensive principle extend- ing to the opening and closing of the session, the con- ducting of its public exej-cises, the movements of the superintendent, the instructions of the teachers, the work of the librarians, and the duties of the scholars, which involves nearly all that need be said as to the management of the school. It is, in fact, the great se- cret of managing the Sabbath-school. The exercises should always commence at the appointed minute. There should be no dragging in giving out hymns or announ- cing notices, and no whispering by superintendent or other officers between the parts of the services. The SABBATH-SCHOOL. 411 scholars should never be allowed to become weary by- pauses or by dull and tiresome exercises. There should always be something to do, and it should be done to the minute. By every movement and every word the chil- dren should be made to see that those who conduct the school are deeply in earnest, and that they have an im- portant business on hand. If this one counsel is care- fully heeded, thought out and followed, it is believed that there will be but very little trouble in conducting any Sabbath-school. (h) The Library. It is not the purpose in this treatise to enter with much minuteness into the consideration of the manage- ment of the Sabbath-school ; but the library has grown to be such a prominent feature of the work that it would not be justifiable to pass it over without some notice. The making of books for the Sabbath-school, the pur- chasing of libraries and the furnishing of the reading of the scholars have become matters so vast in their magnitude and important in their influences that few persons are properly awake to them. The Sabbath-school libraries, to an important extent, constitute the reading of the youth of the community. They are helping very greatly to shape the taste for reading in the rising generation. Looked at in this light, as furnishing both the material and taste for readino; in this readins: acre, the subject of the Sabbath-school library becomes one of immeasurable importance. Every pastor should look into it most carefully, for it is sending out its influ- ences all around him, and affecting his work to a degree which he perhaps little imagines. That there are serious difficulties and dangers con- nected with the subject will appear manifest to every 412 THE PASTOR IN THE one who enters into its investigation. Because of the great demand and profit immense numbers of these books are published and pressed into libraries. As a conse- quence, books are often found in Sabbath-school libra- ries that have scarcely any religious element in them ; others, again, that are purely secular, such as the lives of generals and statesmen ; still others that are simply novels ; and others that as to literary merit and every other merit are worthless. And all these are given to the children on the Sabbath, to be read on the day that is set apart for the service of the Lord ! When Sabbath- school libraries are comjDOsed of such books they do more harm than good. By their constantly reading them the minds of the children become crammed with matter which is of no profit — often crammed with that which is unreal or worse — and often, after a while, they become so accustomed to such reading that they will scarcely look at anything else. At the same time, it is manifest that fiction ought not to be excluded from all the books that are placed in the hands of the Sabbath-school scholars. Stories illustrative of gospel truth are well adapted to the minds of children. They will read them, and through them receive and understand the truth as they cannot be in- duced to do in any other way. The fact is well estab- lished that such stories may impress religion in a most beneficial manner. Then the works that contain them may be made to take the place of other books of an evil tendency that would certainly be read. In the para- bles of our Lord, and in such stories as the Pilgrim's Progress, we have abundant proof that this method of presenting sacred truth is both lawful and profitable. Fiction, then, cannot be banished, but its character should be guarded with the most watchful care. SABBATH-SCHOOL. 413 There are two things in reference to this matter which ought to receive diligent attention from the authorities of the Sabbath-school : 1. The books for the library should be selected with exceedingly great care, so that none but those which are suitable may be admitted. And such selection cannot be made directly by either teachers, officers or pastor. They cannot go over all the books that are offered for Sabbath-school libraries; and, unless they could do so, it would be impossible for them to choose only those that are reliable. Hence, the only safety is to select from catalogues of books which have been carefully read and approved by persons whose judg- ment can be trusted. Much time should be devoted to the purchasing of books, so that there may be as few mistakes as possible. No book should find a place in the Sabbath-school library unless it is known to be ap- propriate for that sacred purpose. 2. Every possible effort should be made to have other books, as well as stories, read by the children. Books on religious history and biography, on the Bible and personal piety, will sometimes be read by even very young persons if they are properly brought before them. If the pastor or officers of the school, having themselves first read them, would commend such books by name, publicly and privately, some of the scholars would be induced to read them and to persuade others to do so also. A single good book, made popular in this way, becomes a treasure in the school. {i) Prayer-meeting Before or After the Exercises OF THE School. This is a practice which we would very highly recom- mend. It brings down the influences of the Holy Spirit upon the teachings of the day and seals them upon the 414 THE PASTOR IN THE hearts of the scholars. It stamps the impress of saered- ness upon all the other exercises. It sanctifies the whole work, leads the teachers to a proper sense of dependence for success in their labors and turns the school into a glowing scene of worship. The best time for holding this prayer-meeting is at the close of the exercises of the Sabbath-school. Then more of the teacliers and scholars will be likely to attend, and it will seal the instructions of the past hour by a special, earnest and united petition for the divine blessing to follow them. In order to make such a prayer-meeting in- teresting and permanent, it must be exceedingly brief in each of its exercises and in its whole continuance ; it ought not ordinarily to last more than twenty minutes. THE PASTOR'S PERSONAL WORK IN THE SABBATH- SCHOOL. He is pastor of the whole congregation in its various branches, and we have already seen that there is no part of his charge which demands of him more sedulous at- tention than the young. Hence his whole duty toward the Sabbath -school will not be done if he simply turns it over to superintendent and teachers and holds them responsible for its management. There are some things in connection with it which he alone can do, and which are indispensable to the faithful discharge of his office. To avoid the omission of these duties through inadver- tency or temporary disinclination, he should keep be- fore him a fixed plan of what they are, and when and how they should be performed. They should not be left to the capricious feelings of the hour. We suggest the following programme, which may be of SABBATH-SCHOOL. 415 use to the pastor in the formation of a fuller one for himself. (a) Regular Attendance, In order that he may show his sincere interest in the school, that he may be at hand for consultation about its management, that he may keep up an intimate ac- quaintance with teachers and scholars, that he may be tlioroughly identified with all its operations, and that he may render any other needed assistance, the pastor ought to be present at every session, as far as his other duties will permit. This should be regarded as an es- sential part of his general pastoral work. That pastor loses much, very much, who does not keep up this prac- tice throughout his ministry. Then, when present, it will of course be expected of him that he will generally make a short address. On such an occasion, when all the children are assembled, it would be scarcely justifiable in him not to utter at least a few words that might help to fix the truth in their hearts. He can reach them there as he cannot reach them in any other place. In this way he can make up in part for the deficiency which it is feared there is, and always will be, in the instructions of some teachers. That these addresses may have more cohe- rence, and consequent profit, it would be well to adopt some system in reference to them. Some such order of subjects as this might be adopted and carried out month after month : First Sabbath, the current answers of the Catechism ; second, the various objects of benevolence for which contributions are made, in turn ; third, some important subject of Christian duty or practice; fourth, review of the lessons of the month. It will be seen at a glance that this would give variety and comprehen- 416 THE PASTOR IN THE siveness to the remarks whicli the pastor might make to the school Sabbath after Sabbath. In some schools it may not be necessary or desirable that the pastor should make an address at every visit, but a kind word and an encouraging look will do much to cheer superintendent and teachers and to incite the scholars to diligence. These he should always be ready to give, and then his presence in the school will be welcomed with 23leasure. {h) General Supervision. It is manifestly the duty, and may be the great plea- sure, of the pastor to be fully alive to all the plans and operations of the Sabbath-school. He should keep him- self well informed concerning all its interests, in order that he may guide them. All the influence which his office carries, and all the facilities which his superior training gives him, should be used in helping forward this institution. His identification with it should be so thorough and constant that the idea would never pre- vail for a moment that any important movement could be undertaken without his knowledge, approval and help. Prof. John S. Hart undoubtedly presented this point in its true light when he said, " I most fully be- lieve that the minister should be the chief animating soul of the school. The superintendent should be his right-hand man, his counselor and co-worker in all his plans for sowing the seed in the hearts of the young of his charge. The minister should spend some time, not less certainly than half an hour, in the school every Sabbath. He should know all that is going on in it. He should know every teacher and every scholar by face and by name, and what influences are at work in each depart- ment and in every class ; and he should find the means SABBATH-SCHOOL. 417 to make his own influence felt in every movement of the school. Every scholar and every teacher should feel that the pastor is cognizant of his or her doings in the school — not, of course, by any system of espionage, but simply by the fact of his constant and pervading presence. The school, in short, should be thought of and spoken of as his." Never should he forget that the Sabbath-school is an important part of his charge. The actual direction of the Sabbath-school ought al- ways to be in the hands of the pastor, either directly or indirectly through its officers. He is resjDonsible for the management of his whole charge. He is in theory, and almost always in fact, better qualified for the wise gui- dance of its affairs than any one else. It is justly ex- pected of him that he will exercise this control. If the helm is kept in his hands it will very often prevent the introduction of schemes which are merely novel or Utopian, or highly mischievous in their tendency. And it is but very rarely indeed that the right of directing the school will not be conceded to him with cheerfulness. By the proper spirit and tact he may exercise it without even the semblance of offensive interference with any of the officers of the school. Among the duties of this pastoral supervision of the Sabbath-school, the selection of teachers is one of very grave importance. This will appear if we consider the harm which may be done by an unsuitable teacher. Such an one when placed over a class will do far more harm than good. He may teach the most preposterous errors to his class ; he may be a troubler of the whole school by bringing strife and discord into its counsels ; or he may be a reproach to his fellow-teachers and damage their influence for good. Hence the greatest possible care should be taken in selecting persons for this respou- 53 418 THE PASTOR IN THE sible office. The pastor should not be willing to leave this duty wholly in the hands of any other; he should have the chief voice in it ; he should at least be con- sulted on the introduction of every new teacher. Here again we would avail ourselves of the wisdom of Prof. Hart. As the result of his experience he says : " I never saw a church yet, big or little, in country or city, that did not contain in itself the materials, the men and women, capable of fitting out a school with a first-rate (^orps of teachers and a good suj^erintendent. But usually these materials bear about the same relation to the actual work that cotton growing in the field bears to the finished fabric. The man who is to pick the cotton, gin it, sort it, spin it and weave it into cloth ready for use is the minister. He must select the men and women of his flock who have the natural fitness for taking care of the lambs. He must enlist their sympathies in the work, and know how to counsel and direct them in it. He is not to do the work of the school himself, but he should be the animating spirit of those who do it. To do all this he must, however, be himself practically familiar with it." If the right persons for teachers cannot be found, it is better to make large classes under the care of those whose value has been well tested. Should the pastor hold the office of superintendent? There would be many advantages in his so doing. His superior qualifications, the influence of his ministerial office, the very deep interest he has in the cause, his facilities for promoting its welfare in moving about through the congregation, his knowledge of all the families, and the importance of his personally knowing and having the affection of the young, — all these point to him as a person most suitable for it. But there are SABBATH-SCHOOL. 419 also disadvantages. Among them we may enumerate that to hold this additional office imposes too great a burden upon the pastor, and very few have the strength to bear it ; that the odium often incurred by exercising the discipline of the school ought not to come down upon the minister and so impair his influence ; and that it is unwise to keep suitable laymen from holding an office the exercise of which would greatly benefit them and extend their usefulness. It is best, then, to be guided in this matter by circumstances. When there is in the church a layman suitable for the office it is better that he should hold it, the pastor still guiding. When there is no such person to be had, then it is clearly the duty of the pastor to be not only the gui- ding, but also the acting, head of the school. (c) The Pastor's Bible-class. Considering the very full explanations of the lessons which are now furnished by the Sabbath-school journals of various kinds, it seems scarcely needed that the pas- tor should spend his time in giving the teachers instruc- tion upon them. Besides, there is objection in the minds of many teachers to the minister going over the lesson in the presence of some of their scholars previous to the Sabbath, as that might take away the interest when they come to teach it in the school. Hence it is better for him to devote his energies in this direction to the study of the Bible as a whole. His object should be to direct them how to teach the Sacred Book. He should endeavor to go over the ground which is ordi- narily known as the " Introduction to the Bible." It is very evident that the pastor is the proper person to give instruction in this important study of the Holy Book. 420 THE PASTOR IN THE The advantages of his giving weekly instruction to teachers, scholars and others in this jiarticular branch of Bible study are very great. It does not interfere with the ordinary teaching of the school, as it covers entirely different ground. It prepares the teachers for the more thorough and loving discharge of their duties. By opening new fields of investigation it awakens a deeper interest in the study of the Sacred Book. Through it the people will gradually grow to prize the Bible more highly. The congregation will ultimately become more intelligent in the Scriptures and in scrip- tural doctrines. It lays a solid foundation of truth in every mind which undergoes its process of training. By means of it the pastor has a splendid opportunity of in- fluencing the congregation to their highest profiting, and for keeping himself also more thoroughly versed in all the wondrous depths of scriptural knowledge. The best time for holding this pastor's class for Bible study is at the close of the principal week-evening ser- vice of the church. It ought not to occupy more than half an hour, so that adding it to the hour of the other service will not make the whole time too long. By holding it at that hour it will be more likely to be well attended, as most of those who come to the other meeting will probably remain for it. Besides, in holding it then there will be the advantage of not multiplying meetings, which in most churches is a thing which should be con- sidered. In conducting the exercises of this class certain brief, well-defined courses of Bible study should be carefully planned out ; they should be distinctly announced and described and their value indicated, and then taken up one after another until the whole field is gone over, no matter how much time it may take. The blackboard SABBATH-SCHOOL. 421 should be freely used, and there should be so much repe- tition and drilling as will fasten the important facts and truths indelibly in every mind. We suggest a list of such courses for Bible study, the importance of which will be seen at a glance. Its sub- jects are these : 1. Memorizing the names of the books of the Okl and New Testaments in their order ; 2. The leading chronological epochs of the Bible ; 3. Prominent places in biblical geography ; 4. Author, history, design, contents and place occupied by each of the books of the sacred canon ; 5. Leading evidences of the authenticity and genuineness of the Scriptures ; 6. A few comprehen- sive rules of biblical interpretation. When these sub- jects have been mastered by any class, then the study of the Bible will become one of the greatest pleasures. (d) Preaching to the Children. That the pastor should preach expressly to the chil- dren at stated periods seems now to be admitted as an essential duty of his sacred office. This practice appears to be necessary in order that he may present the truth to this class of his people more fully than can be done in the short addresses of the Sabbath-school. He must have such opportunity of reaching the children express- ly. By so doing he can attach the young to the Church, which is important for both them and it. He can also attach them to himself, and so gain an influence that may be used in promoting their highest well-being. He is pastor of the children, and toward them, as well as toward adults, he must discharge the highest duty of his office, which is to preach the gospel of Christ. How often and under what arrangements sermons should be specially addressed to the children must be determined by each pastor according to his circum- 422 THE PASTOR IN THE stances and facilities for that peculiar service. Some ministers do it every month, some oftener, and some less frequently. An excellent plan which has proved ac- ceptable is to preach to the children on a fixed Sabbath in each quarter, to have the sermon take the place of the ordinary Sabbath-morning discourse, and to have all the children of the church and Sabbath-school as- sembled and mixed in the seats with the ordinary congregation. This plan of preaching to the children, not apart from the ordinary congregation, but in connection with it, has many advantages. It gives the pastor an opportunity of reaching all the children of the church in connection with their parents. It accustoms the young to going to the house of God from their earliest days. It makes them acquainted with the church, and familiarizes them early with its worship. It keeps up a sense of their covenant obligations, and of their interest in the priv- ileges of God's house. It also interests adults, who will often obtain clearer views of the truth when they hear it presented to children than at any other time, and who will sometimes listen to duties set forth in chil- dren's sermons to which they would scarcely give ear if addressed directly to themselves. It is a great mistake to supj^ose that only those ministers can preach to children who have a special faculty for so doing. Many think they cannot do it, and consequently never make a determined effort. But there are very few cases indeed where a min- ister, if he made the proper preparation, could not preach to the children of his church with acceptance and profit. The great secret of it consists in these two things: 1. The preacher should know exactly what he wants SABBATH-SCHOOL. 423 to say, not only in the leading heads but also in the subordinate points of his sermon. He should so com- pletely master the thoughts that he could, if desira- ble, express them in other than the ordinary technical phraseology with which they are associated ; and then the plainest possible words should be used in communi- cating what is thus clearly in the speaker's mind. Child- ish lauo;uao;e is not needed — should not be used — but language which will convey tlie thoughts in the most natural inanner. 2. The subject should be divided into several distinct heads, whicli should be clearly enumerated and an- nounced and repeated, so that they may be understood and take hold upon the memory. This is a most im- portant element in successful preaching to children. It will enable almost any one to do it. To make it clear and show its advantages, we shall give three examples. Let us take the text, "And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof" Zech. viii. 5. Introduction — what is meant by the city ? Then the heads : 1st. Boys and girls may be in the church — they were in the streets of the city ; 2d. They would be very happy in it — they were playing in the streets ; 3d. They would be safe in it — cities were walled for safety ; 4th. It would be a great honor to be in it — this city was the residence of the King of kings ; 5th. How to get into the city. Let us take, again, the text, "And she said unto her mistress. Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria, for he would recover him of his leprosy." 2 Kings v. 3. Narrate the circumstances of her being captured, brought to the slave-market, bought by Naaman's wife, who Naaman was, his honors, his leprosy and trouble, the little maid uttering this wish, and the results. Then, 1st. The 424 THE PASTOR IN THE importance of the young learning about God and his servants — if the little maid had not known him she could not have directed to him ; 2d. God brings the richest blessings out of afflictions — the sorrows of her captivity, and blessed results of Naaman's cure ; od. Great results may come from little causes — the wish of the little maid, and the influence ujDon Israel of the great Syrian being miraculously cured ; 4. Children can often do much good — how much this one did. 5th. God honors children — this one spoken of wherever the Bible is read. Let us take a third example, the sub- stance of wdiich is from a sermon of the Kev. Dr. Richard Newton. The text is, " The whole family in heaven and earth." Eph. iii. 15. Introduction — what is meant by this family? Then, 1st. It is a family comjwsed of old and young ; 2d. It is a large family ; 3d. It is an old family ; 4th. It is a happy family ; 5th. It is an honorable family ; 6th. It is a useful family ; 7th. Are you in that family ? It can be seen at a glance how easy it would be to interest children for a few mo- ments on each of these points, and to work them out into a sermon. Is it advisable to use many anecdotes in this kind of preaching? Rev. Dr. Richard Newton, that prince of preachers to children, uses them very abundantly, and to the best effect. Rev. Dr. Archibald Alexander, who could enchain an audience of children in a most profit- able manner, on the contrary, hardly ever related one — perhaps never, except it was some fact within his own experience in proof of his subject. Whether they should be much used or not depends greatly upon the speaker's facility in relating them. A few pertinent facts that do not overshadow, but really illustrate, the subject, are cer- tainly advantageous. But in the use of them care should SABBATH-SCHOOL. 425 always be taken that they are not ludicrous or extrava- gant or improbable, for such anecdotes will rather impair than assist the impression it is desired to make. They may amuse, but they certainly will not profit. It is an excellent plan to lay up and arrange a store, as it can be collected from time to time, of facts, anecdotes, texts and plans of sermons, which can be used at any time in preaching to the children. This plan is carried out by many of those who succeed so well in this im- portant service. Such a store, if judiciously collected and well arranged, will grow to be an invaluable treas- ure to the pastor who devotes himself with proper fidel- ity to the religious instruction of the young, (e) Promoting the Interests of the Sabbath-school THROUGH the CONGREGATION. In his pastoral visits and general intercourse with the families of his charge the minister has constant oppor- tunities of doing something to help forward the work of the school, and if he is vigilant to improve them he can thereby add greatly to its prosperity. Indeed, there is not one agency, outside of the school-house, on which so much depends as on his. He can be watchful for new scholars, and exert himself to have them attend. He can inform himself about missing scholars, and, if possible, secure their return. No one so appropriately as he can search for persons suitable for teachers, and induce them to enter upon the duties of that office. He can create an interest in it throughout the whole con- gregation that will be most helpful to the school. He can enlist the prayers of the people on its behalf, and call forth their contributions for its liberal support. He can contrive plans by which it may become more and more dear to the people, and through them send out 51 426 THE PASTOR IN THE SABBATH-SCHOOL. wider and deeper streams of influence for good. He should have its interests continually on his mind, so that he may promote them whenever an opportunity is pre- sented. We would say to every pastor, with all earnestness, Remember that the Sabbath-school is a most important part of your pastoral charge ; remember that what is now done for the children will tell upon the Church in a very few years ; remember that their most impressible and hopeful days are fast passing away. Oh, give your- self no rest, give your praying people no rest, give God no rest, until they are all brought into the fold of the Great Shepherd. CHAPTER IX. THE PASTOR IN THE BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. In this subject another class of ministerial duties is involved which is not discussed in older works on pas- toral theology. The benevolent work of the Church, in anything like its present magnitude and importance, was unknown in former times, and hence it occupied a very subordinate place in the consideration of pastors and churches. Very much of that work, as it now ex- ists, has been commenced within less than a century. It has brought with it a new class of pastoral duties, and they are amongst the foremost duties which claim the attention of the sacred office. We can only touch some of the leading points which ought to be carefully considered by every gospel workman who would make full proof of his ministry. CHRISTIAN BENEFICENCE THE GREAT PRACTICAL QUESTION OF THE AGE. It involves obedience to Christ's final charge given to his Church as he ascended from our world : " Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatso- ever I have commanded you ; and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." It iu- 427 428 THE PASTOR IN THE volves the upbuilding of Christ's kingdom of truth and righteousness and life, with all its unspeakable blessings. It involves the salvation of the world, now lost, depraved, wretched, hopeless. It involves the true elevation and moral well-being of the race. It involves the higher life of the Church, which is to be developed only by the exercise of that benevolence which was perfectly illus- trated in her divine Lord. All other questions, of gov- ernment, of commerce, of improvements, of discoveries and of science, are really nothing in comparison with it. The Church is awaking to its importance. The most thoughtful minds are beginning to turn to it as the last, only reliable hope of mankind. What does it aim to do for our race ? It aims to dis- enthrall men from their most terrible bondage to sin and Satan, to enlighten them with the brightness of divine truth, to change that corrupt nature — which, con- tinuing, would never allow the prevalence of righteous- ness and peace — to fill the hearts of men with that glad- ness, the first notes of which were heard as the angels heralded the advent of Christ, and to raise them from "a certain fearful looking-for of judgment and fiery indignation " to an eternity of bliss and joy unspeak- able. It not only purposes and promises these great objects, but in the might of the Lord it will certainly accomplish them. Is it not true, therefore, that all that is really hopeful for our race hinges upon the Church's work of beneficence, which God has made his great instrumentality for disseminating the blessings of sal- vation ? This great enterprise, committed to the people of God, is growing sublimer as it is better understood and more fully developed. It is becoming vaster in extent and deeper in its influence upon the whole framework BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. 429 of human society. New instrumentalities for carrying it on are being developed age after age, which give it a wider sweep and a mightier impulse. The vast mis- sionary enterprise in its various departments and rami- fications ; the circulation of the Bible and other publica- tions, which seems almost like the gift of tongues im- parted to tell all nations, in their own languages, the wonderful works of God ; and the Sabbath-school, mak- ing its impress upon the whole rising generation, — are among the grand agencies through which it is now work- ing. New classes are cared for, new communities are opened to the gracious influence, new methods of using old instrumentalities are developed. The benevolent enterprise is penetrating more deeply into every ave- nue of life. It is sweeping more widely in great tides of blessings over the nations. The benevolent work of the Church has become a sublime science. It is a noble Christian science. It has its distinct and important phenomena, and these phenomena are linked together by many relations, and the whole compose one vast body of sacred knowledge which involves the glory of God and the highest interests of humanity. The great facts are worthy of the most careful study : Phe7iomenon A. The field now open for Christian activity is as extensive as the world. This is a very sublime and noteworthy fact. Phenomenon B. Through the arrangements of Providence and grace, it is so ordered that all the benevolent enterprises have to be carried on largely through the instrumentality of money. From this divine plan it results that all believers can do some- thing, that what is the most prized among men can be offered to the Lord, and that there can be a check 430 THE PASTOR IN THE put upon the selfishness which is the bane of our nature. Phenomenon C. As vaster fields of usefulness are opening up before the Church, God is putting vaster wealth into the hands of her people for cultivating them. Tenfold greater than a century ago is the prac- tical work which now lies before us, and tenfold greater are the means we possess for carrying it on. Phenomenon D. The benevolent enterprises of the Church, through her Boards, which are her working arms, have become the great business to engage the attention of her ecclesiastical assemblies. In Associ- ations, Conferences, Conventions, Presbyteries, Synods and General Assemblies, missions and other agencies for extending the gosj^el are the subjects which are the most frequently heard and which awaken the deepest interest. Phenomenon E. Liberal giving to Christian enter- prises is both the cause and the effect of deeper piety in the Church. All experience proves this. When believers love much, they give much, and when they honor God with their substance, he blesses them in their own souls. A great problem of practical importance which in every quarter now presses for solution is, how the liberal- ity of Christians may be brought up to anything like its capabilities or to the crying demands of the perishing millions. Unbounded means are in the hands of the people of God. Vastly more of them could be ex- pended in a most advantageous manner. The need for them which is developed in almost every department of Christian enterprise is appalling. How, then, can the consciences of the professed people of God be so aroused that they will look upon the matter as pressing BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. 431 upon them, and feel their responsibility as they ought ? How can they be persuaded to believe God fully when he commands, " Give, and it shall be given unto you ; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and run- ning over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be meas- ured to you again'' ? How can they be brought up to the standard of giving in anything like just proportion to the means which have been put in their hands, to what has been done for them, to what they spend on selfish gratifications which might easily be dispensed with, or to the wants of a world lying in sin ? If this could be done, then, humanly speaking, there is not a doubt but that the gospel would make far more rapid progress than has ever yet been witnessed. The enterprise of modern benevolence is not only a science, but it is the most sublime of all practical sciences. Look at the changes which the gospel is making, bringing up whole communities from the lowest state of barbarism to one of substantial Christian civil- ization. Behold the vastness of the work that is going on throughout every continent, and by the operation of such noble instrumentalities. Consider the indirect influences which it is sending out on the piety, the intelligence and the general imj^rovement of society. Think of the aim which it keeps before it, even that of changing the face of the whole world, subduing it, and bringing all things into captivity to Christ. When we reflect upon all these we shall be prepared to say most emphatically that men do not know what Christian benevolence is doing, even as they did not know Christ when he was among them. 432 THE PASTOR IN THE INFORMATION CONCERNING THE BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. It is important that the pastor should keep himself and his people well informed concerning the progress of the various agencies which are working for the spread of the gospel throughout the world. This is one of the very best things which can be done toward solving the problem of how the Church may be brought up to her duty in the great enterprise of benevolence. The peo- ple generally do not know much of what is going on in the kingdom. If they knew more, they could not but be more deeply interested. If they were more interest- ed, they would pray and give and do more to help for- ward the blessed cause. This is knowledge that would expand the mind and heart, that would elevate the whole moral and intellectual nature. Moreover, this is a kind of study which might be made most attractive, especially to those who love the Lord Jesus Christ and his kingdom, for what is more fascinating than to watch the sublime footsteps of God through the nations and the ages ? Most diligently, therefore, should the pastor labor to have his people well informed about the mis- sions and other benevolent operations of the Church. He should never rest until he excites enthusiasm in his congregation about this most noble of all enterprises. To this end (a) The Pastor should keep himself well informed. He should make himself acquainted with all the in- strumentalities that are used, and all the enterprises that are undertaken, and all the progress that is made in every part of the field, both at home and abroad. He should know what is going on throughout the whole BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. 433 kingdom. Ministers ought to read the various reports of the Boards of the Church, for they contain a reliable summary of what is going on in the various departments of Christian benevolence. Facts will show that those pastors who are the most eminent for their Christian intelligence, and for the lively interest their churches take in the great work, are conscientious in perusing all these documents as they appear. They are not dry or uninteresting reading to those whose heart is in the work and who follow them up from year to year. They should not only be read, but also studied, so as to make the deeper impression and exhibit the work in its various relations and progress. The pastor should follow it out into its minute details. He should become enthusiastic as to the great work. He should get his head, heart, conscience, his whole mind, filled with intelligent ad- miration of what Christ is doing through his people for the redemption of the world. When his mind is thus filled with a glowing know- ledge of the present operations of the kingdom, that knowledge will gradually but surely work itself down into the minds of his people. It will do so even without an effort on his part. It will come out in special sermons preached when collections are to be made, in addresses, in prayers, in the Sabbath-school and in private con- versations; and it will affect the people before either they or their minister will be aware of the influence. They will catch his enthusiasm, and insensibly become imbued with the spirit of Christian beneficence. What the pastor is in this matter, his church will soon become. A missionary pastor will have a missionary church, as will be seen in the interest, the liberality and the air of benevolence that will pervade it. And this, rather than dogged importunity for larger contributions, is the true 55 434 THE PASTOR IN THE way to excite liberality in the people and bring tbem up to a higher standard. This is the first step toward effectins; snch a reformation in the Church as will cause her wealth to flow tenfold more copiously into the treas- ury of the Lord. It is to be greatly lamented that, whilst it is their special calling, and they have every opportunity of knowing, and so much depends on it, many of our ministers are so poorly informed about the missionary and other benevolent operations of the day. It must surely be through inadvertence that they allow it to be so. Shall the watchmen know but little of the move- ments of either friends or foes to that cause in which they are enlisted ? Shall the stewards be ignorant of the vast interests which their King has committed to their trust? Is not ignorance on the part of pastors here both a sin and a disgrace ? (6) The Pastor should Communicate this Information TO the People. He should preach on the obligation and magnitude of the general benevolent work of the Church, upon the important and detailed operations of each branch of it, and upon its present condition and wants. He should incidentally introduce into his sermons and ad- dresses matters pertaining to the cause. He should keep the people informed by reading the deliverances of the Church courts concerning collections and other duties connected with the furtherance of the gospel ; and he should encourage them to inform themselves, and direct them in the study of a subject which is the grandest that can engage the thoughts of man. People need to be well informed about the progress of Christ's kingdom in the world, in order that they BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. 435 may be led to labor and give and sacrifice, if need be, to help forward the blessed enterprise. If they know but little, they will care but little and do but little. But there is that in the objects contemplated in the gospel which cannot be clearly understood by the pious heart without awakening its sympathies and calling forth its eflforts. Any church, by keeping these objects clearly and impressively before it, may be brought up to a high degree of liberality. Some pastors have the faculty of so doing in a very high degree. As soon as they enter upon their ministrations in any church it instantly feels the touch of their enthusiasm, waking up its interest and increasing its gifts to the treasury of the Lord. To reach this holy art is a duty ; it should be a pleasure, and it may be an actual attainment with every gospel workman. COLLECTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN UP FOR EACH BE- NEVOLENT CAUSE OF THE CHURCH. The rule should be that whatever objects the General Assembly, or highest authority of the Church, may ap- point shall be faithfully presented to the people for their contributions. There are some pastors who are strangely insensible to the obligations which rest upon them in this respect. They urge as reasons why they should not take up collections for all the objects of be- nevolence, either that such objects are too numerous, or that their churches cannot afford to give to all, or that the amount which they could contribute to each would be so small as to be mortifying, or some other excuse which satisfies themselves. But it is a great mistake. There should be a rigid adherence to the rule of pre- senting to the people, for whatever amounts God may 436 THE PASTOR IN THE put in their liearts to give, each object which the Cliurch appoints. Be the amount expected large or small, the congregation should have an opportunity of contributing something. The importance of this rule is manifest — because (a) The United Wisdom of the Whole Chukch, sur- veying THE Entire Field, has fixed on them. It should be remembered that the whole field, both home and foreign work, in all the relative importance of its various branches, has been carefully surveyed, and then the existing objects of benevolence decided upon. They have been tested by experience, and found to be practicable and efficient, and also necessary as auxil- iaries to each other and to the complete operation of the sublime enterprises of the gospel. The seal of God has been set upon them in the measure of success to which they have already attained. None of them are unim- portant. The authority of the Church, which appoints them all, and enjoins upon each of its members to do his part in the support of each, is not to be disregarded. A part of the responsibility for carrying on the work with more and more efficiency rests upon each minister and each private member of the Church. There are individuals in every church who are ready to contribute to each of its Boards ; and will the pastor or session take the responsibility of saying that they shall not have the opportunity ? He may think that it is a matter of no consequence to the people — that they will only be too glad to escape from the obligation ; but there are some of them who know something about each cause, and are expecting to hear from it. There is no benevolent enterprise of the Church in which some in- dividuals are not specially interested, whether the pastor BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. 437 is or not. There are other persons who make conscience of giving systematically and appropriating something for each object. All these will be disappointed if the op- portunity is withheld because minister or elders think otherwise. We have no right so to do. We have no choice but to let the people of God give as it may be in their hearts to each object which the united wisdom and experience of the Church have designated. This should be done, though the amount contributed or expected should be ever so little. The fear that the sura given will be small is no doubt what keeps many pastors from doing anything. But is it not more honor- able in the sight of both God and man to do a little than to do nothing ? And then when a little is given, it tends to form a habit of giving, and it recognizes the object and the authority of Him who has made us simply stewards of whatever he has put in our hands. Besides, consider what a very little contributed by each member throughout the whole Church will amount to in the grand total. Only twenty- five cents from each member would amount to three times as much as is now given to some of its Boards; one dollar from each would almost double what is given to any of them. There is no practical point of more importance in this matter than that of giving an opportunity to each individual, and getting all to do something. (b) The More there is contributed to the Boards, THE More there will be given to one's own Church. The duty which we are now considering is that of giving to the cause of missions, to the circulation of the Bible, to the distribution of religious publications and other such objects of benevolence. And the truth 438 THE PASTOR IN THE we assert is, that if we induce our people to contribute liberally to these objects, it will not interfere with the support of our own individual churches. It will not abate their interest in their own particular church ; it will not diminish the amount they contribute at home ; it will rather increase that amount. We may go a great deal further, and say that the true way to increase the people's liberality at home is to cultivate it toward the general objects of benevolence. Many pastors act as if they thought otherwise. They are afraid to have their people give to anything outside of their churches, for fear that there should be a falling off in what is needed for domestic expenses. At least they have this excuse when some object of general be- nevolence is presented to them. They always have something at home which is absolutely necessary, and must receive all that can be gathered. They seem to think that every cent which goes to an outside object of benevolence must be just so much taken from their home purposes. Many ministers who ought to be better informed apj)ear to act on this conviction. But let us look at the subject as it really is. When the claims of God and duty and humanity are admitted in one direction, they sweep on until they cover the whole field. When the principle of benevolence is cultivated as to one object or set of objects, it must also extend to others and regard them all in their relative importance. Then the church which yields a generous obedience as a recognition of the authority of God, and out of love to him, is sure of the divine blessing in other ways, for the promise is, " Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house ; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. 439 you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Besides, very few people indeed ever give to the cause of God as much as it is in their power to give, and there is but little danger that the treasury of their benevolence will become exhausted by what they contribute outside of their own church. Moreover, the testimony of all experience is that, instead of curtailing their gifts to their own church, Christians become more liberal to it as their sympathies are drawn out to the wants of the world beyond. A fact of his own minis- try, as related by the devoted Andrew Fuller, will illus- trate this. He said to a friend : " There was a period of my ministry marked by the most pointed systematic effort to comfort my serious people ; but the more I tried to comfort them, the more they complained of doubts and darkness. I knew not what to do nor what to think, for I had done my best to comfort the mourners in Zion. At this time it pleased God to direct my attention to the claims of the perishing heathen in India ; I felt that we had been living for ourselves and not caring for their souls. I spoke as I felt. My serious people wondered and wept over their past inattention to the subject. They began to talk about a Baj^tist mission ; the fe- males especially began to collect money for the spread of the gospel. We met and prayed for the heathen — met and considered what could be done among ourselves for them — met and did what we could. And whilst all this was going on the lamentations ceased ; the sad be- came cheerful and the desponding calm. No one com- plained of a want of comfort. And I, instead of hav- ing to study how to comfort my flock, was myself com- forted by them. They were drawn out of themselves. That was the real secret. God blessed them while they tried to be a blessing." 440 THE PASTOR IN THE There could not, therefore, be worse policy than for a pastor to countenance the withholding of contributions from missions and other similar objects lest it might in- terfere with the revenues of his own church. It is to lend his influence toward withering up the hearts and sympathies of his j)eople, and toward cultivating in them a narrow and selfish spirit in reference to every good object. The Lord will not bless such a people, but his frown will rest upon them even in their own church affairs. When nothing is given to objects out- side of the particular church, there is generally a miser- able struggle within it to find the means for meeting its necessary expenses. Ministers who either adopt or yield to this wretched policy do a great injury to the whole cause of Christ. (c) Collections should be given to the Church's own Established Boards. It is not wise or right to keep collections away from these well-arranged schemes, and devote them to what the fancy of the hour may deem better or to other ob- jects over which our Church has no control, or to squan- der them in projects which are doubtful, untried and perhaps unknown. The evident course of both wisdom and duty is to regard them as sacred trusts belonging to those great enterprises of benevolence which the united wisdom of the Church has carefully matured. These enterprises or Boards have the first claim, be- cause the jDrotracted deliberations of the Church and its piety and its prayers have worked them out and tried them, and recommended them as best adapted to accom- plish the desired ends — ends which are themselves neces- sary for the spread of truth and the upbuilding of Christ's kingdom. The whole field of benevolent activity has BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. 441 been carefully surveyed to find out its most important points ; tlie most anxious study has been bestowed upon the subject ; the collective wisdom of the best of minds has been devoted to it ; the successful experience of years has added its authority ; and these schemes of benevo- lence are the result. They have been established for the purpose of disseminating the doctrines of the gospel. Then, too, all the authority of that Church which we love, and to which we owe so much, presses upon us to comply with her appointment and help to sustain the works of benevolence which she has appointed. It should therefore be regarded as a privilege to do something for each of these enterprises. It ought to be looked U230n as a sacred duty that none of them should be ignored. We should deem it a dereliction in the obligations which rest upon us if as pastors we do not distinctly present each object and urge its claims upon all our people. It should not be forgotten or overlooked that the continued existence of these benevolent schemes of the Church depends on the contributions of Christians. They have no other income on which they can rely. It is through what the churches in their individual and collective capacity may give that they must work. Without these contributions none of our Boards can be kept up. Then the church of each pastor is just as certainly responsible for the continuance of the work as any other church. Supposing all our congregations should do as do those which withhold their contribu- tions from some of the Boards, supposing all should squander their gifts upon objects which are irresponsi- ble and untried, then what would be the result ? Some of our great enterprises of benevolence, which are so essentially woven into all the others, must cease, amidst 56 442 THE PASTOR IN THE a wail of sorrow from all those who have a clear per- ception of what is needed to build up the walls of Zion. Should not, then, even every little be gathered up that may help to swell, the volume of influence and blessing which these enteri3rises might carry with them ? It is undoubtedly better to concentrate the contribu- tions of the Church upon those well-tried and respon- sible schemes of benevolence than to scatter them upon objects which are not likely to tell much upon the pro- motion of the general cause. When the liberality of the Church is brought together in a few reliable enter- prises it is likely to impart to them a stability and a force the weight of which will be far greater in the end. Whatever our temporary impulses may be, there is no doubt but the principle will hold good that the established agencies of the Church will devote its gifts to those objects which are the most important, all things considered ; and the duty rests upon every pastor and private Christian to lend his aid in the support of them all. SYSTEMATIC GIVING. That there ought to be some plan according to which Christians would lay aside the amounts which it is their intention to put into the treasury of the Lord, some rule to guide them in determining what these amounts shall be, is becoming the settled conviction of the most thoughtful and godly. A matter of such immense importance ought not to be left to be settled by the varying impulses or the uncertain circumstances of the hour. What shall be given to the Lord, and the amount of supplies by which his work is to be carried on, ought not certainly to depend upon the state of the weather or on the degree of force with which the subject may BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. 443 happen to be presented. It should be made a matter of principle, and as such be provided for by each person according to his own peculiar circumstances. There is no doubt but that some such system and proportion is in accordance with the teachings of the Scriptures. We discover unmistakable traces of it in the Old Testament. Before the time of Moses we find Abraham giving one-tenth to " Melchisedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God." We find Jacob also, on the night when God appeared to him in the vision of the ladder extending from heaven to earth, vowing to the Lord and promising, " Of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto thee." In the Mosaic institutions the exact proportions to be dedicated to the Lord were repeatedly prescribed. In the New Testament the systematic devotion of a proportion of property to purposes of benevolence is specially appointed by the apostolic injunction, " Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him." When some such plan is adopted, the exercise of be- nevolence becomes a fixed and well-regulated principle, and is not left to the capricious impulses of the moment. The amounts to be contributed to the service of the Lord, and the proj)ortions to be devoted to each object, can be carefully calculated beforehand and made a sacred treasury. Far more will be given when the amounts are arranged according to some system and dedicated out of love to God and souls. And this plan, faithfully pursued, will also furnish a steady revenue on which the Boards can rely in following out their com- plicated work. It is manifest that in this plan of systematic giving the first element included is that of determining beforehand 444 THE PASTOR IN THE the absolute amount or proportion of income which is to be devoted to the treasury of the Lord. This is a matter which each one must carefully decide for himself with the demands of benevolence and a sense of his re- sponsibility before him. Following scriptural examples, many devote one-tenth of their income. In very many instances this is a wise arrangement, but multitudes could and should give more than this, while others may not be able to contribute so much. The scriptural maxim, "As God hath prospered him," is the principle which should govern in the matter. By all means, some such rule should be adopted, so that the claims of God, the de- mands of benevolence and our own spiritual growth and comfort may be duly heeded. One great benefit of such previously arranged system would be its tendency to foster the habit of saving and economizing in order that there may be the more to give. This habit formed, the whole of life would be ennobled. It would be a sublime economy ; it would be an industry which would turn the whole of life into a service of worship — to toil and treasure up, in order that there may be the more to devote to the glory of God and the redemption of men. The pastor should often dwell upon this point, explaining the methods, urging the duty and depicting the nobleness of a life thus con- secrated to God in a benevolence which extends to every day and every act. PLANS FOE MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS. The way in which the whole subject is brought before the people, as well as the presentation of each branch of it, especially the mode in which they are expected to make their contributions, has much to do with their BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. 445 liberality in giving. The minister should therefore study the matter well, in order that the benevolence of his congregation may be thoroughly developed. As an assistance to him the chief plans of making contribu- tions may be here enumerated. By the study of them, in connection with the peculiarities of his people, he may determine the method which is best suited to them. The five modes we here give are the chief ones ; all others are but modifications of some of these. A custom highly recommended is to offer up special prayer either before or after making a contribution in the church. It treats the offering as an act of worship, it sanctifies that act, and it is scriptural, for we find that prayers and alms are placed together. The general methods of making offerings are the following : 1. The old and ordinary method is to take up the collection in the church on the Lord's day after the ob- ject has been previously announced and its claims pre- sented with more or less fullness. This plan has the advantage of furnishing an opportunity for exciting an interest in the special object, and having the people make their offering under the impulse of that feeling. Some pastors who are among the most successful in stimulating liberality adhere to this. But it has the disadvantage of being dependent on the earnestness of the pastor's address, upon momentary impulses, and even upon the state of the weather. 2. The second plan is to have elders or others who are interested go through the congregation, to each family and each individual, and 7'eceive whatever amounts they are willing to contribute. This brings the duty home per- sonally and with a greater weight of obligation to each individual. It, however, involves so much attention and labor that it is not likely to be continued long in 446 THE PASTOR IN THE any congregation without a large amount of devoted piety. 3. The foundation-fund plan, as it is called, is the next one which may be described. Its most essential feature is that of obtaining a subscription of one cent a day each from as many members of the congregation as possible, to be gathered by collectors appointed for the purpose or in any other way deemed best. Once a year the aggregate is distributed among the various Boards by the session according to some scheme ar- ranged and published beforehand. Supplementary col- lections for all of the Boards are also taken up in the church on the days appointed by the General Assembly, so that there may be an opportunity of presenting the cause, and that contributions may be made by those who have not subscribed and by those who may wish to give in addition to their subscriptions. This plan may often be advantageously modified by allowing per- sons to put down their names for more or less than one cent a day as their means may allow or demand. For a church the body of whose members are in moderate or humble circumstances this is an admirable method. But its permanent success depends upon having at least two or three persons of piety, energy and perseverance who will diligently work it out. 4. The next plan that we would mention is that of putting into the hands of the members of the church at some definite period, say the beginning of the year, cards properly 'prepared with space for each Board, and ashing them to fill them up ivith their names and the sums they will give to each cause. The subscriptions can be collected either by envelopes or in any other way the subscribers may choose. This plan allows every person to contribute according to his own estimate of BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. 447 the importance of each object, and it secures a steady- revenue for benevolent purposes. It is well adapted to a church where there are persons of wealth who may wish to make a careful distribution of their benefactions. 5. The best plan of all is that of the apostle : " Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath pros'pered himr This is best, be- cause it is scriptural, because it makes giving an act of every Sabbath worship, and because experience has proved that small sums given statedly and frequently will amount to far more in the end than larger ones given as the impulse of the moment may prompt. The collection of the amounts treasured up on the Lord's day can be made in any of the ordinary methods. MONTHLY CONCEET. This has become a hallowed institution of Protestant Christianity throughout the world. And most appro- ]:)riate it is that all of every land who love the Lord Jesus Christ should meet in concert at least once in every month to unite in prayer for the coming of the kingdom, to show their interest in the great salvation, and to study the 2;)rogress of the gospel throughout the world. No pastor should be satisfied unless this meeting is regularly observed in his church. It is a service which may be made very profitable to both people and pastor, as well as in its general influ- ence upon the cause of Christ. Such prayers of be- lievers in concert cannot be in vain. We cannot con- ceive them to be so unless we discredit the promise of Christ : "Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in 448 THE PASTOR IN THE heaven." The coming together so often and praying and talking over the spread of the gospel will keep up the missionary spirit with all its blessings. The know- ledge, too, which is there gathered and communicated will be very valuable ; and the pastor's research for information to be imparted from month to month will keep him well acquainted with the grandest movements of the world and tend to enlarge his sympathies and enrich his mind. The great difficulty about the monthly concert in most churches is that so few persons ordinarily attend it. The pastor and the few others who do attend become dis- couraged, and not unfrequently abandon the effort for its continuance. The remedies to be suggested are: First, that it be held on Sabbath evening, either taking the place of the regular service, or, if there be no stated service, having a special one appointed for it. Second, that the pastor exert himself to make the meeting in- teresting. This he can do by filling his own mind with the details of the missionary work in various lands, and then presenting that information along with the prayers, and by enlisting others to study and describe what God is doing among the nations. Only let the people be instructed and interested, and there will be no difficulty about their attendance. WOMEN'S MISSIONAEY ASSOCIATIONS. This is a new phase of missionary enterprise in the churches which is meeting with extraordinary success and promises immense results for good. It is well worthy of the close attention and hearty co-operation of every pastor. It is not intended to take the place of the older missionary operations of the Church or to BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. 449 infringe upon tliem in any way, but to supplement them by awaking new sources of benevolence and working in a new department of the great gospel field. The sjDecial object which it contemplates, through col- lections taken for that purpose, is the evangelization of heathen women — women fearfully degraded and op- pressed— women hitherto almost neglected, because it was supposed that they could not be reached — women peculiarly needing the blessings of the gospel — women who, judging from the reception the sex has always given the gospel, would welcome it as that alone by which they can be freed, elevated and saved. This is a peculiarly appropriate work for Christian women. It is a noble work — a work which is as promising of suc- cess as any which the hands of piety can undertake — a work which it is strange devoted zeal and ingenuity had not discovered before. The women of the Church, old and young, should engage in it with all ardor. It is illimitable in its extent and promise. Those who em- bark in it with loving zeal will undoubtedly grow in the spirit of Christ, and their influence for every good word and work will be deeply felt in the discharge of their other duties to the Church at home. The rapid progress of this department of the great gospel enterprise is most encouraging to all who love Zion. The whole Church, as it looks for the coming of Christ's kingdom, approves it ; humanity, groaning beneath the burden of sin and longing to be released, approves it; future ages, upon whose interests it has such a bearing, will approve ; all eternity, rejoicing in its glorious results, will approve; and, with becoming reverence, we may assert that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost looks with approbation on this and the other enterprises of the missionary work. 57 CHAPTER X. THE PASTOR IN TEE SESSION. As presiding officer of the session and leader in its counsels and activities, a class of duties lies before the pastor which demands his earnest attention, for on their faithful discharge depends very much of the character and usefulness of the church. The management of the spiritual affairs of the church is in the hands of the ses- sion. With them also rests the duty of exercising an over- sight of its members and of guarding the door of entrance to its privileges. It is theirs to stimulate and guide the activity by which the cause of Christ is to be promoted within the bounds of the congregation. We shall un- derstand how momentous the interests which have been committed to the session are if we consider that it is theirs to promote the peace of the church, upon which so much depends ; that they are to guard the purity of its doctrine, w^orship and practice ; that the measure of its spirituality will always be, to a great extent, what they make it ; and that the credit of the church, involv- ing the honor of the Master, the extension of the gospel and the present and future blessedness of believers, has been given to them as a special trust. All that is holy and hopeful in that best of causes, to the oversight of which they have been appointed, is most intimately con- nected with the fidelity, the piety and the zeal of the session. 450 THE PASTOR IN THE SESSION. 451 A LARGE SESSION DESIRABLE. When persons suitable for the sacred office can be obtained, it is desirable, in most cases, that the session should be large in number. It will be possible then to have in it individuals who represent the various social elements of society, which is a point of considerable importance. Its doings and decisions will also have more weight of influence with the congregation over whose spiritual interests it presides. Besides, the more persons there are in the session, the more hands there will be for its appropriate work, which is so vast in extent and importance. Great care should be taken in selecting persons for this responsible office that they be men well known, tried and proved to be of tlie proper spirit. Before they are ordained to a calling so sacred it should be indubitable that they are men of suitable intelligence, who will keep themselves well informed about the in- terests of the cause of Christ; men who will exercise brotherly charity and study the peace of the church ; men of patience, who, for Christ's sake, will bear with much that is trying in conducting the complicated in- terests committed to them ; men who are willing to deny self in order that they may honor the Master ; men of good repute, who have the confidence of the whole community for real godliness ; and men who can be looked up to as examples and confided in as follow- ing in the footsteps of Christ. Very much of the peace, prosperity, usefulness, comfort and honor of the church depends upon the character of its elders, and hence the exceeding great care which should be taken in selecting men for that office. 452 THE PASTOR WOEK OF THE ELDERS. In almost all cases far more church work would be })erformed by the elders if it were only committed to them and they were held responsible for its faithful dis- charge. They were ordained to their exalted office not only that they might exercise rule in the Church of God, but also that they might help in the work for which the Church was established. There is enough of it for them all to do, and many of them are willing and waiting to put their shoulders to any task which may be assigned them. Their duties are neither few nor unimportant. Even a superficial survey will show that they can help in the social meeting; can assist the pastor in visiting, es- pecially those who are sick, sorrowing and anxious ; can act as peacemakers in the strifes that will too often creep in among the people of God ; can defend the good name of the pastor, so often wantonly assailed to the great in- jury of the cause of Christ ; can gather worshipers into the sanctuary from those who are living in its utter neglect ; can welcome strangers to the house of God ; can look after the interests of the church in their re- spective neighborhoods ; can watch over young converts and care for those members of the church who are back- sliding. In these and innumerable other duties they can help, as well as in the more obvious ones of serv- ing at the communion, conducting the Sabbath-school, attending ecclesiastical meetings and the like. The ses- sion should be a band of laborers closely knit together and intently bent on doing the work of God in the church and community. As we have shown in another place, it is a great mis- take for the pastor to undertake too much himself, and not entrust work to the elders and others. By so doing IN THE SESSION. 453 he keeps their individual and united powers of doing- good from being developed, and he overtasks himself, and so injures his energies and endangers his health. There is too much work for him single-handed to ac- complish, and he must enlist others or it will be left undone. This attempting too much themselves, and giving too little to others, is a very common error with ministers, and greatly hinders the efficiency of the church where it prevails. Most elders would work willingly in the cause of Christ if the work were only given them to do. Far more might be accomplished in this way if pastors would call forth and employ the energies of their sessions. There are many duties from which the elders can relieve the pastor, and give him more time for his own appropriate work of preaching. There are many things which they can do better than he, because of their more intimate intercourse with the people and identity of sympathy with them. Then, if the elders are busy, their interest in the cause of Christ and his Church will be kept alive, they will study the things which make for the peace of Zion, and they will be happier in themselves and spread good feeling over all the circle in which they move. To do nothing is to be unhappy and make others unhappy also. Enough is not made of this divinely-ordained agency in the work of the church. The ingenuity of the pastor and session should be taxed to find work for every elder and to keep him diligently at the post of duty. Unless it is absolutely necessary, the pastor ought not to incur ill-will by becoming the agent of inflicting dis- cipline. It is to be lamented that enmity is so often aroused, not only on the part of him who is disciplined, but also on the part of his relatives and friends. And 454 THE PASTOR when the discipline comes directly from the pastor, he is often made the victim upon whom the weight of the dis- pleasure is heaped. And those who take offence at him are likely also to become offended and alienated toward the whole church. From this difficulty, therefore, the pastor ought to be saved by one or more of the elders being appointed as the ostensible agents for communi- cating or inflicting the censures decided upon by the session. A^ery often such censures will come with more weight from elders, inasmuch as they will appear less functional and enter more into the realities of society. From mingling with the peojDle in daily life, and sym- pathy with them and participation in their views and wants and trials and modes of thinking, elders will fre- quently be able to exert an influence that would be im- possible to the pastor. No doubt one of the great bene- fits of the office of the eldership is this very thing of being able to get near to the people and enter into their feelings. Then it should not be forgotten that the gov- ernment and discipline of the church are the elders' work, just as preaching is the pastor's, and that they should therefore bear its burdens. Moreover, if the pastor stands aloof as much as possible when discipline is inflicted, he will have a better opportunity of coming in afterward and striving to heal the wound and restore the wanderer. The elders ought to be leaders in all that is under- taken for the edification of believers, for the progress of the church, and for the promotion of objects of be- nevolence. They are appointed to that office, they are qualified for it, the discharge of its duties is expected of them, and their position in the church gives them an influence which will make their efforts successful. They should plan work for the church to undertake ; IN THE SESSION. 455 they should use their influence in getting others to assist in the various enterprises for doing good ; and they should set an example of zealous industry in the blessed work. When any church is cold, idle, unprofitable, and, as a consequence, filled with bickerings, much of the blame is almost always to be laid at the door of the session, which neither performs its own duties nor sees to it that the members are busy in doing good. It is a serious matter when an elder persists, year after year, in the neglect of tliose solemn duties to which he was ordained, and which are expected of him by the church and by the church's Lord. To do so is to prove unfaithful to his ordination vows, to set an example which must necessarily be deleterious, and to keep back others who might have been happy and useful workers in the church. When one has fallen into this lamentable state he should repent before God and his people, and diligently redeem the time in the future. PLAN OF SESSIONAL WORK. We would here present a scheme of sessional opera- tions which may be profitably adopted, and which, if carried out with any measure of fidelity, can hardly fail of raising a church to a high degree of prosperity. Its main features, as they have been actually adopted, are as follows : A. Division of Sessional Work. In order that the interests of the church may be conducted as efficiently as possible, the following stand- ing committees of session shall be maintained : 1. Com- mittee on benevolence; 2. Committee on music; 3. Com- mittee on prayer-meetings ; 4. Committee on the poor ; 456 THE PASTOR 5. Committee on Sabbath-schools. 6. Committee on strangers. 1. It shall be the duty of the Committee on benevo- lence to keep itself well informed in reference to the general work of benevolence in the whole Church, to recommend to the session when and for what objects collections shall be taken up, and to devise the best means for collecting these contributions, to develop the spirit of benevolence in the congregation, and to propose in what amount and at what times appro- priations shall be devoted to the various Boards of the Church. 2. The Committee on music shall have special over- sight of all the music in the church ; it shall confer when necessary with the trustees in the appointment of those who are to lead it ; it shall see that some one is present to conduct the singing in the weekly meetings ; it shall recommend the hymn and music books to be used in the devotions of praise, and it shall devise plans for the improvement of this department of the church's worship. 3. It shall be the duty of the Committee on iwayer- meetings to fix upon the places for holding the cottage prayer-meetings, to recommend any desirable changes in the times and places of holding other prayer-meet- ings, to appoint persons to conduct these meetings, and to have full superintendence of all this branch of church's work. 4. The Committee on the poor, when there are no deacons, shall have special charge of such members of the church as are in want. It shall examine all such cases, visit them, apply to the treasurer for such assist- ance for them as the sessional fund will afford, when that is exhausted use special means for their relief, and IN THE SESSION. 457 make other needful efforts to succor and comfort them in their trials. 5. The Comfiiiitee on Sabbatli-schooh shall, if possi- ble, be composed of officers of the Sabbath-school. It shall be the agency for exercising the sessional author- ity over this branch of the church's activity. It shall recommend from time to time whether any, and where, branch schools shall be established, and be in every- thing the bond of connection between the session and the schools. 6. It shall be the duty of the Committee on strangers to use all practicable means for discovering strangers who may come occasionally or regularly to the church, to report them to the member of session in whose dis- trict they reside, to make their acquaintance, to intro- duce them to other members of the congregation, and to make them feel at home in the church. The mem- bers of this committee shall either themselves be jii'es- ent, or appoint some others to be present, at the doors of the church on every occasion of public worship and at the weekly lectures, to seat strangers. It shall be the medium of communication between the session and the pastor's aid association, and furnish the ladies with lists of such families as should be visited. And it shall devise all practicable means for increasing sociability and friendliness in the church. B. Oversight of the Families of the Congregation. The following rules are adopted by the session for the better performance of this duty : 1. The territory of the congregation shall be divided into as many districts as there are elders in the session, and to each district one elder shall be assigned, whose 58 458 THE PASTOR duty it shall be to exercise a general supervision of the interests of the church within these bounds. 2. In the exercise of this supervision it shall be the duty of each elder to keep up a personal acquaintance with all the families of the church in his district, visit them as often as he may find convenient, and report at the meetings of session any persons who are anxious about their souls, or sick, or in sorrow, or disaffected, or anything else that should be known ; also to keep a con- stant outlook for any families of our denomination that may move into the bounds of his district, and for chil- dren who may be brought into the Sabbath-school. 3. When, for any particular reason, an elder may deem it advisable, he may secure the assistance of any other elder or of the pastor, to confer with him or to visit any of the families of his district. 4. An elder who from relationship or from any other cause has special influence with any family not in his own appointed district shall not be considered as intruding on the prerogatives of others if he shall visit and strive to keep that family interested in the common cause. C. Meetings of Session. It is manifest that the very important work thus laid out cannot be successfully done unless there be frequent and full meetings of the session, to report the progress of its various departments, to devise methods for its greater advance, to keep alive an interest in the cause, and to pray for the divine guidance and life-giving power of the Holy Ghost. To this end, therefore, it is established — First. That a stated monthly meeting of the session shall be held on such day of the month as may from time to time be determined. IN THE SESSION. 459 Second. That it shall be considered a sacred duty of each member regularly to attend these stated meetings, unless prevented by sickness or other unavoidable cause. Third. That the following order of business shall be observed in the meetings of session : 1. Twenty minutes in devotional exercises ; 2. Reading the min- utes of last meeting ; 3. Excuses for absence from last meeting; 4. Reports of special committees; 5. Reports of standing committees ; 6. Free conversation about the interests of the cause in the various districts ; 7. New business ; 8. Adjournment with prayer. DISCIPLINE. This is of all duties devolving upon pastor and session the most difficult and unpleasant. And yet it cannot always be ignored without bringing the church into contempt and seriously injuring the cause. The purity of the church, the honor of the cause of God, the value of the privileges of membership, the good of offenders, even the existence of an organized body of believers, demand that it shall sometimes be exercised. But it ought to be resorted to as seldom as possible, and only when persistent injury is done to the cause of Christ by the unchristian conduct of members. It is extremely difficult at the present time so to conduct a process of discipline as to impart to it any value either to offenders or to the church ; and when not so conducted it will do harm rather than good. On this account a process of discipline should never be entered upon until it is seen to be absolutely indispensable. Every possible effort to reclaim the offender should first be made in pri- vate, for the man who cannot be influenced by the per- 460 THE PASTOR sonal appeal made to him, in tlie right spirit, by pastor or elders, is not likely to pay much regard to their cen- sures, whether threatened or inflicted. It is hardly ever wise for a pastor to encourage the prosecution of a mem- ber of his church when the matter is one which is per- sonal with himself. When the session has determined to impose the cen- sures of the church, it is best not to make them any more public than necessary. To publish them in the church is likely to render the person disciplined more reckless and to give offence to his relatives and friends, and it needlessly exposes the sores of the church to a world only too ready to gloat over them. The announcing of the sentence in the meeting of session, or sending it to the person disciplined, will ordinarily be sufficient; and the consideration had for his feelings will leave more hope of ultimately reclaiming the offender. On the roll of every church there will be found, after the lapse of years, the names of many persons who have ceased to appear at its communion-table or to attend any of its ordinances. They have fallen away from their regular standing by removing from the bounds of the congregation without taking with them their certificates of membership, or they have gone into other commu- nions, or they have lost all interest in divine things. To know exactly what to do with such cases is very per- plexing. There are only three ways in which persons can cease to be responsible members of a given church — namely, by death, by certificate of dismission, or by dis- cipline. Hence it will not do merely to strike their names from the roll ; at some future day they may claim the recognition of their membership. Neither will it do to retain their names as in regular standing, for then the roll will not present a fair record of the actual IN THE SESSION. 461 membership of the church. The best plan, probably, of disposing of them is to place opposite their names some conventional word or expression denoting their irregular standing. Their status will then be seen at a glance, and their names can be found if ever afterward they should be wanted, while at the same time they will be distinguished on the roll from regular members. The pastor need not be surprised if he finds troublers in his church. The discovery of such persons among the professed people of God sometimes shocks ministers, especially inexperienced ones, and discourages them, and sometimes leads them unwisely to give up their charges. But it should be understood as a lamentable fact that such persons are most likely to be found in every church, that the pastor will almost certainly encounter them, and that he ought to be prepared for the discovery, and not to be too much cast down by it. It is well for the pastor to be forewarned on this sub- ject, and to be undismayed if he encounters many dis- positions which are calculated to disturb the peace of the church. He will find that some are sadly inconsist- ent, bringing constant reproach upon the cause ; some are complainers and fault-finders, acute at finding or inventing things to annoy ; some take pleasure in criticising and opposing everything that is done or said by the pastor ; some are so utterly unreasonable that they will listen to neither argument nor entreaty ; some are restless, always finding something to agitate and dis- tract ; some are quarrelsome, as if they found their greatest satisfaction in strife ; and others again there are whose business it seems to be to pull down, never to extend a helping hand even to the cause which they profess to love. The injustice and the cruelty of such persons toward him — and that, too, when he is conscious 462 THE PASTOR of doing the very best in liis power — will sometimes almost break the minister's heart. We would recommend as the sovereign remedy for such troublers in the church simply to let them alone. Our advice would be, Do not notice them ; do not speak of them ; do not oppose them ; if possible, do not think of them ; — and they are disarmed for evil. If they can- not excite any commotion, they soon become weary of their fruitless efforts to annoy. Then there are certain considerations which ought to be borne in mind by the pastor concerning such unhap- py spirits as are found in every church : 1. It is im- possible to satisfy them by any excellency of preaching or action. As was truthfully said by Dr. J. W. Alex- ander, " If you could act like an angel, some would blame. Do your best, and in the long run you will please more than by doing anything for the bare pur- pose of pleasing." 2. Though there may be one or more such persons in the church, yet their number is but small compared with the great body of the true- hearted members who are ever ready to stand by the pastor and help him in his work. 3. Even such trou- blers and the dissatisfied and the constitutionally un- happy are a part of the material upon which the min- ister is appointed to work as he strives to build up and beautify that spiritual temple which will be perfected only when the Church's earthly work is done. 4. More- over, they are not without their mission and use ; for if the knowledge that we are watched by critical or un- friendly eyes should serve to make us more vigilant, more consistent and more active, then even this, one of the pastor's sorest trials, may be turned to good account. Certain it is that this is a part of that salutary disci- pline to which it is the good pleasure of our All-wise IN THE SESSION 463 Father we should now be subjected. Ou this point Dr. James W. Alexander says : " It is unreasonable to hope for a situation where men will not be found to oppose, envy and blame. To expect this would be childish. Humble perseverance in plain duty is the way to main- tain an easy mind. Apply the Lord's rule about anxiety for the morrow. Work by the day ; you may not live till to-morrow. Why cripple to-day's exertions by fore- casting a trouble which may never come ? Such vexa- tions are trials sent of God. They have been common to all saints. Learn to bear the reproaches of even good men, for many sincere Christians are far from perfection in wisdom ; there are degrees in knowledge and experience; there are diversities of opinion and strange and extravagant tempers. Some virtue is put to the test by every one of these troubles. Humility, patience, meekness, courage, fortitude, love of truth, faith, hope and charity are exercised. If a man's ways please the Lord, he will cause even his enemies to be at peace with him." CHURCH STEIFE8. It is a lamentable fact that these will often arise and do incalculable harm. They are deplorably frequent, and their evils are aggravated and exaggerated by an unfriendly world. The feeling which they engender is peculiarly deep, because of the important interests which they are supposed to involve. And they often spring from the merest trifles, which ought to have been ignored by Christian people. Such strifes are amongst the great- est evils that can possibly come upon a church. It is one of the greatest inconsistencies ever witnessed to see those whose distinguishing badge ought to be brotherly 464 THE PASTOR love arrayed in bitter hostility against each other. If there is anything in the wide world against which the pastor should steadfastly set his face, it is this. Never should he allow himself to be drawn into strife as a participant. There is a special scriptural injunction laid ujwn him to this end : "And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient." He should dread strifes as among the most dangerous attacks that Satan can possibly make upon the Church of God. If there is anything he can do to prevent their occurrence or allay them when they prevail, it ought to receive his most earnest attention. He should make sacrifices of his own personal feelings in order to prevent them. Every sort of right motive presses upon him to flee from contention. Very em- jahatic on this point was the counsel of John Wesley : " Oh beware, I will not say of forming, but of counte- nancing or abetting, any parties in a Christian society. Never encourage, much less cause, either by word or ac- tion, any division therein. In the nature of things there must be divisions among you, but keep thyself pure. Leave off contention before it be meddled with ; shun the very beginning of strife. Meddle not with them that are given to dispute, with them that love conten- tion. I never knew that remark to fliil : ' He that loves to dispute does not love God.' Follow peace w^ith all men, without which you cannot effectually follow holiness. Not only seek peace, but ensue it ; if it seems to flee from you, pursue it nevertheless. ' Be not over- come of evil, but overcome evil with good.' Happy is he that attains the character of a peace-maker in the Church of God! Why should not you labor after this ? Be not content not to stir up strife, but do all that in you lies to prevent or quench the very first spark of it. IN THE SESSION. 465 Indeed, it is far easier to prevent the flame from break- ing out than to quench it afterward. However, be not afraid to attempt even this ; the God of peace is on your side. He will give you acceptable words, and will send them to the hearts of the hearers." The effects of dissensions in churches are so baleful that they may well be looked upon with a feeling of horror. The very best that can be said of them is that they never do any good. But, alas ! far more must be said of them, for in the language of the Spirit, " where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." They destroy all true happiness in the minds of those who are agitated by them ; they grieve away the Holy Spirit, to whose peaceful influences they are so much opposed; they lead to the most lamentable divisions and alienations between those who were once dear to each other in Christian fellowship ; they rend asunder churches and make incurable breaches in house- holds ; they dishonor religion and expose it to the con- tempt of the world ; and they inflict deep wounds upon Christ, of which he may bitterly complain as having been received in the house of his friends. THE PASTOR'S PERSONAL DIFFICULTIES. These are the worst of all, inasmuch as they involve not only the minister and those with whom he is imme- diately at variance, but also generally spread through- out the congregation. They also destroy his happiness, blight his energies, and prevent his ministrations from having that weight which would make them edifying to almost any class of his hearers. Moreover, they are so conspicuous, from the eminent position which he holds, that they are more seen and known and trum- 59 466 THE PASTOR peted, and therefore send abroad more influences for evil than if he moved in a more obscure sphere. The minister cannot afford to descend to the conten- tions which are sometimes indulged in by others. It is such a gross inconsistency that lie almost necessarily throws away everything if he does. He throws away influence, he lets himself down in public esteem, and he dishonors the cause. He also destroys his own hap- piness and brings upon himself sorrows on sorrows. Quaintly was it said by Bishop Hall : " I never loved those salamanders that are never well but when they are in the fire of contention. I will rather suffer a thousand wrongs than offer one ; I will suffer an hun- dred rather than return one ; I will suffer many ere I will complain of one and endeavor to right it by con- tending. I have ever found that to strive with my superior is furious ; with my equal, doubtful ; with ray inferior, sordid and base ; with any, full of unquietness." It need hardly be said, therefore, that the pastor who has the proper spirit will be careful to avoid falling into such personal strifes. The rule with him will be that of the apostle when he exhorted, " Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God : even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved ;" and again, " Giving no of- fence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed." The minister should do everything that lies in his power — make any personal sacrifice that is consistent with principle — to prevent these difficulties from arising. He should determine that such strifes shall not be if he can prevent them. And to this end Christ's injunc- tion should be the motto of his life : " Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves." A little yield- IN THE SESSION. 467 ing when no principle is involved, a kind word, the suppression of a harsh thought, or a slight explanation, will often avert a whole train of bickerings and aliena- tions. Then, if the pastor finds that he is unhappily involved in a personal strife, he should use all wisdom and tact and Christian spirit to have it settled just as speedily as possible. It is an important rule for the pastor to keep aloof from all parties which may have arrayed themselves against each other in the church. It is well for him to keep in mind the inspired maxim, " He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears." Both sides in any controversy stand in the same relation to him a« the pastor of the whole church. Some ministers very un- wisely embroil themselves in every quarrel by espousing one side or other of it. By this course they incur the ill-will of those who are on the opposite side, and lose the opportunity of coming in as arbitrators to harmo- nize the parties. Far better would it be for them to stand aloof, unless when they can interfere as peace- makers to settle the strife. In this connection there is great need for the caution that ministers should guard against everything which looks like gossip, to the malign influences of which they are peculiarly exposed. They should not listen to gossiping rumors about themselves or others which so many will be ready to pour into their ears. They should not allow idle or scandalous news to be imparted to them. They should not themselves indulge in gossip — a habit into which they are liable to fall as they go from house to house. Personal difficulties, or personalities of any kind, ought not to be brought into the pulpit. This is some- 468 THE PASTOR times done, but never either to the edification of the people or the advantage of the pastor. There are ob- jections to it on every hand. It is cowardly to arraign persons under circumstances where they have no op- portunity of replying ; it enrages those who are assailed, and leaves scarcely any hope of healing the breach ; it makes offensive matters public which ought to have re- mained in the dark ; and it prostitutes the dignity of the pulpit, w^hose api^ointment is to nobler themes. The answer of the Rev. Dr. Francis Wayland on this point is not too emphatic : " But it may possibly be asked, Should a minister use personalities in the pulpit? I answer, If he does, he ought never to enter it. To use the office of an ambassador of Christ for the purpose of personal abuse is shameful and intolerable." Absolute silence in reference to those who would annoy or oppose or even slander him is generally the pastor's best course. Great is the power of silence. It allows brands of discord to go out, which if blown up would soon kindle into a flame. It is often the keenest rebuke that can be given to wanton assaults. It saves one from saying many things which he might after- ward regret. It is dignified. In most cases it is by far the safest course. Let the minister bear in silence many things which are sorely trying, and in the end he will see the wisdom of having pursued this course. Most opjwsitions and slanders are easily lived down. Keal, consistent, devoted piety will generally disarm the attacks which are made upon it. The simple rule of life given to ministers by Dr. J. W. Alexander is worthy of being written in letters of gold : " Do that which you think will please God, and you will keep a good conscience. By so doing you will, in the long run, as much avoid the censure of men as if you made it a IN THE SESSION. 469 special object to please them. Every act of your life will be tending to form the right kind of character. You will be more likely to be useful, and will certainly be happier. If you fail, you will not have the addi- tional pain which arises from blaming yourself. This is the simplest of all rules of life. It admits of perpetual application, nor is there any conceivable case which it does not reach. Please not yourself nor vain human creatures, but God." THE PASTOR AND THE FINANCES OF THE CHURCH. The management of the financial matters of a church, frequently involving the erection of new buildings or the repairing of old ones, current expenses and the liqui- dation of debts, requires much skill as well as attention. Sometimes, when the church is very weak or new, it may be necessary that much of this work should be done by the pastor. Sometimes he is forced into it against his inclination. More generally he takes a prominent part in these affairs because he thinks that he can conduct them better than the people would. But, as a general rule, the pastor should have as little as possible to do with the money affairs of the church. (1) It is not his calling to manage them. (2) He has not time for it, and cannot bestow much attention on it with- out drawing away from the energies which ought to be concentrated upon his appropriate spiritual work, (o) If he has much to do with such affairs, he will almost necessarily become more or less secularized. (4) He will be in constant danger of involving himself in dif- ficulties which will damage his ministerial usefulness, for what would be but injudicious in others will be con- sidered criminal in him. (5) There are often in the 470 THE PASTOR IN THE SESSION. church far better biisiness-meu than he — men better trained and practiced in business — who can perform all this work. (6) If the people themselves conduct these important affairs, they will be more interested in the church and all her work. The minister should not always interfere in the secular affairs of the congregation, even when he thinks that the peoj^le are not conducting them in the wisest and- best manner. He may be sincere in his conviction, but he may be in error. The event may prove that those who are in the actual management are doing what is the most advantageous. At any rate, he has a higher work before him on which he should fix his whole energies. Then in the end his own soul will prosper and be in peace, the Christian people will appreciate his efforts to build up the church in the righteousness of Christ, and God will bless the toil which is put forth with a single eye to his glory. CHAPTER XI. THE PASTOR IN THE HIGHER COURTS OF THE CHURCH The minister sustains other important relations besides those which belong to him as pastor of a particular con- gregation. These relations impose on him duties which require very close and persevering attention. He is a member of presbytery and synod, or of General Assem- bly, conference, association or convention, and as such has a part to take in conducting the general interests of the kingdom of Christ. When the gravity of the duties devolving upon these bodies is considered, it will be easily understood that the responsibility of each of their members is very great. It is theirs, under the teachings of the inspired word, to frame the rules which are to control every department of order and worship and work, to settle controversies that may arise in the com- plicated working of the Church, to hold the keys of ad- mission to the sacred office, to guard the purity of the doctrines which shall be taught, and to manage the ma- chinery of the Boards through which the benevolent work is carried on. These duties are momentous in themselves and in their results. They involve the peace, the purity and the perpetuity of the Church. The minister should assume his share of them with a deep sense of his responsibility, with an earnest desire for the glory of God, and with a full purpose of being faithful in every personal duty which they involve. 471 472 THE PASTOR IN THE ATTENDANCE UPON THE HIGHER CHURCH COURTS. In this matter the first duty which rests upon the minister is to attend promptly upon every ecclesiastical meeting of which he is a member, and take part in its duties and responsibilites. He should attend his pres- bytery and synod at each of their meetings, and the General Assembly when appointed so to do. The rule of regular attendance should be laid down as inviolable. This is a matter of serious duty which should be rec- ognized and appreciated by every minister. His ordi- nation vows include this as well as the other class of duties which belong to his peculiar pastoral work. These hiocher organizations of the Church are undoubt- edly appointed of God, and that because they are neces- sary for conducting the interests of the kingdom. Each minister is one of the elements which make up their combined wisdom and force for performing that mo- mentous work, and as such he cannot lawfully be ab- sent. Duty to God, duty to the Church and duty to himself all require him to do his part. The plea that his mite of influence will be of no account is no excuse whatever, for he is not the judge; but he is a constituent part of the great whole, and cannot stand aloof without damaging all the rest. Our fellow- members have a right to our presence and assistance. The obligation resting upon us is as solemn as that which is on them. We wrong them when we stay away. We desert them in their troubles, their toils and their hopes, and we keep from them that por- tion of aid which we might render. We may appre- ciate the evil tendency of this course, if we depict to ourselves the sqd results which would follow should all HIGHER COURTS OF THE CHURCH. 473 be as unfaithful as those are who unnecessarily absent themselves from meetings where the great interests of the cause of Christ are to receive attention. It is enough to say that, so far as human agency is concerned, all those great interests would be necessarily paralyzed. The minister who is not found regularly in the meet- ings of presbytery, association or convention is also himself a great loser. He soon loses the run of the business, and that is followed by his losing all interest in what is going on. And then, when occasionally he comes in, he must interruj^t and delay the business and annoy his brethren by asking questions about matters with which he would have been perfectly familiar had. he been present. Besides, he does not know at what meeting or what hour business may come up which is of great importance to himself or his church or the general cause, but by his absence he loses it all. Then such meetings are calculated to strengthen the sympa- thies, to quicken the faculties, to lodge in the memory important information, and to establish most valuable friendships. All this those ministers lose who cannot be induced to perform their duty and enjoy their privi- lege of statedly attending. Connected with this matter of attendance upon eccle- siastical meetings is another which ought not to be passed over without a word of notice — namely, that of staying to the close of their sessions. This caution is rendered necessary by the conduct of many who come in, perhaps, after the opening services, and then in an hour or two, or at most long before the sessions close, go away, and leave their brethren to finish the business as best they can. They might almost as well not come at all. The result of this habit often is to leave the greater part of the business to be hurried through at the close by a mere 60 474 THE PASTOR IN THE handful of the members. The reasons given in excuse for these withdrawals are such, in almost all ordinary cases, as might have been provided against by a little forethought. Arrangements should be made previous to leaving home, so that there may be no need to with- draw until the close of the sessions. Meetings of pres- bytery or other ecclesiastical bodies do not come so often but that some trouble might be taken to stay through- out them all. It is singular that many ministers are so thoughtless about absenting themselves from these meetings or slighting them by a mere nominal attendance of an hour or two. This may seem like a small matter, and yet attention to it is one of those things which have very much to do with the minister's influence and use- fulness. To be always in his place at such meetings is likely to result in the faithful performance of his duties as a member. He will thereby make the warrantable impression that he is in earnest in all his work. He will thus acquire the confidence of his brethren and the re- spect of the people, and be looked up to as one worthy of being consulted about church affairs, and that to such a degree as will give him opportunities of helping for- ward the blessed cause. The men to be relied on are those who can look back upon their ministerial life and say that they have never been absent from presbytery, synod or other ecclesiastical meeting which it was their duty to attend. THE PASTOR'S INDIVIDUAL EESPONSIBILITY IN CHURCH COURTS. It is difficult duly to estimate the reponsibility of the members of such courts, owing to the vastly important HIGHER COURTS OF THE CHURCH. 475 interests committed to them ; and each one has a por- tion of it resting on him — so resting on him that he cannot flippantly cast it off. Each one is, in his meas- ure, blamable for whatever duty is either omitted or wrongly performed. It is important that this personal responsibility be recognized by the minister, so that he may not fail of taking his share in the general interests of the Church through neglect or the vague impression that he has nothing to do with them. It is a responsibility which extends to the adjudica- tion of questions of discipline, to the admission of can- didates into the ministry, to the appointment of repre- sentatives to the General Assembly, to the conducting of schemes for the promotion of the cause of Christ at home and abroad — to every thing for which the higher courts of the Church exist. No member can justifiably shrink from his share of responsibility in each and all of them. No one, without unfaithfulness, can sink his own duties in the general mass ; he must take them up and perform them according to his own personal con- victions. ASSUMING THE DUTIES ASSIGNED IN ECCLESIASTICAL MEETINGS. Much of the work of these bodies — such as serving as clerks, drawing up reports, shaping business, exam- ining candidates for the ministry, visiting congrega- tions in difficulties, installing ministers and organizing churches — must necessarily be performed by individ- uals or committees, and each member should promptly consent to whatever part of it his brethren may assign to him. Sometimes the task required is difficult, labor- ious and disagreeable, and the first impulse is to shrink 476 THE PASTOR IN THE from it. There are ministers who are constantly de- clining every such duty that is asked of them, and thus embarrassing the business, imposing upon their breth- ren and injuring themselves. But the rule should be promptly to accept every appointment as the call of duty, and at once enter upon its fulfillment. This is a matter which the minister ought not to neglect. If the task be an onerous one, he ought to reflect that it must be performed by somebody, and why not by him as readily as by any one else ? His appoint- ment implies some supposed fitness in him for that par- ticular service ; and if he does not think that he is qual- ified for it, he should regard himself in the light of a learner who ought to be prepared at some time to take up every duty of the ministry. By declining the duty he misses the training which its performance would fur- nish. Besides, it greatly embarrasses the business of the body when members are constantly refusing the various duties requested of them. Moreover, for the minister to indulge in the habit of shrinking from the tasks re- quired of him is to throw away his influence, and finally to become a mere cipher in the body. Promptness in assuming and discharging the various duties required of him as a presbyter will do much toward securing that confidence and respect that will be of such assistance to the minister in his exalted work. It will enable him to perform those duties more accept- ably, and prove him to be actuated by true principle in every part of his sacred calling. His brethren will then understand that he is to be relied upon. He will be enabled to do far more good, and the talents which have been given him, and for which he is accountable, will be used to better advantage. Many a name could be given of the most highly esteemed of presbyters HIGHER COURTS OF THE CHURCH. 477 whose invariable rule has been to accept of every duty committed to them and promptly proceed to its per- formance. THE PRESBYTERY SHOULD TAKE PART IN EVERY GOOD WORK. It is the working body in the general enterprises of the Church. It is the exponent of whatever is active in the united body of believers or aggressive on the king- dom of darkness. It should therefore be the aim of every one of its members to make it a living, active, progressive body. Very much of the measure of piety and Christian activity in the churches under its care depends on the presbytery. Hence it ought to make much of the influence which it is in its power to exert over these churches. And each one of its members should feel bound to do all in his power to set it to work, and keep it working, in every department where its duty lies. If the presbytery were properly awake to the great work to which it is called, it would foster its Sabbath- schools — amongst other ways, by devoting one session of each of its stated meetings to the children of the church where it assembles ; it could stimulate its congregations in the great work of benevolence ; it could superintend the carrying out of the various deliverances of the General Assembly ; and it could assist in bringing up each of its churches to higher degrees of spirituality. All these things come within the province of the pres- bytery. To these interests it was appointed, and to none of them can it, in faithfulness, be indifferent. 478 THE PASTOR IN THE THE PRESBYTERY A MISSIONARY ORGANIZATION IN ITS OWN TERRITORY. Every Christian in his sphere, every church in its vicinity, every presbytery in the district of country it covers, and every General Assembly or conference in the country and world, is obligated to be aggressive on the kingdom of darkness. It is its duty to pray, to plan and to work so as to bring that portion of the great field into subjection to Christ's righteous reign. The whole presbytery and each of its members should recognize this high calling. The question which de- mands consideration from each of them is, What is the portion of the field which is specially committed to me or to us ? and then follows the imperative obligation of applying every energy to its cultivation. (a) The Territory of the Presbytery to be regarded AS its special Missionary Field. Pastors ought not to consider that their ministrations in the gospel are to be confined exclusively to their own congregations. There is an important sense in which the field to which they are appointed is the whole world. But then, in company with their co-jDresbyters, they are to look upon the district of country covered by their presbytery as the portion of that great field which has been specially entrusted to them. Each pastor should regard the immediate vicinity of his church as his peculiar charge. Then the whole territory of the presbytery lies before him and his fellow-members, and by their counsel, their work and their prayers it is to be leavened by the saving influences of the gospel. Here each one should put forth his most strenuous HIGHER COURTS OF THE CHURCH. 479 efforts — efforts as strenuous as if the whole work de- j)eiided on himself. The district in the midst of which he lives has been committed to the minister for his gospel efforts by the providence of God, which has placed him in it as his post of duty and toil. It has also been entrusted to him by the Church, which has called him and ordained him and settled him there to do her work, not merely in the midst of his own particular fold, but also in all its vicinity. For the cultivation of that part of the field he is accountable to the author- ities which had such confidence in him as to place him there. Not many pastors are so happily located but that in their immediate vicinity, or at least within the bounds of their presbytery, there are places which are in need of the stated ordinances of the gospel. There are some communities where, if proper investigation were made and efforts put forth, it would be found that churches could be planted to great advantage. There are neighborhoods where great good could be done by establishing Sabbath-schools and holding occasional preaching and prayer meetings. Everywhere there are multitudes living in utter neglect of the ordinances whose case should never be forgotten, but plans of vari- ous kinds be devised for bringing them to the know- ledge of the truth. In almost every presbytery there are destitute fields where colporteurs might spread the gospel through the printed page and gather the nuclei of future congregations. That no field, no opportunity, no agency, for extending the truth as it is in Christ, shall be neglected should be the rule with every minis- ter and every presbytery. 480 THE PASTOR IN THE (6) If its own Territory is not Cultivated by" Presbytery, it will not be by Others. There is a sort of vague impression in the minds of many that, somehow or other, the work will be done even if they do omit it. But the question is not whether these home destitutions shall be supplied by us or by some one else : it is, whether they shall be met by us or utterly neglected. They must be supplied by us, to whom God has entrusted this part of his field, or be overlooked and souls be lost. The people themselves who are destitute of the bless- ings of the gospel will not put forth the efforts needed to secure its ordinances, for the gospel has always to be pressed upon men. Other denominations will certainly not plant it in that form which we think the best, what- ever name we may bear. Other presbyteries and synods cannot be exi)ected to come in and take up our work by encroaching upon our territory with its rights and duties. The field must be cultivated by us, or, so far as our de- nomination is concerned, be left utterly waste. It is entrusted to us, and it is expected of us that we shall be faithful to its every call. God calls, duty calls, the pressing wants of perishing souls call, and we shall incur great guilt if we do not obey these calls of duty. (c) Constant Outlook for New Localities. The faithful performance of this missionary work will require that there be a constant outlook for places where enterprises can be started which may finally culminate in churches. It ought not to be taken for granted that such fields will come to light of themselves, but desti- tute places should be sought for ; unwearied diligence should be exercised to find appropriate spots in which HIGHER COURTS OF THE CHURCH. 481 to set up the banner of Christ. Especially should there be watchfulness by each pastor in the immediate neigh- borhood of his own congregation. If this be not done, many a settlement which sorely needs the means of grace will be overlooked so long that the opportunity of taking possession of it will be lost. The obligation which rests upon each member and the whole presbytery is to be unceasingly aggressive upon the world. It is not difficult to determine where there is a prov- idential call to commence operations with a view either to establish a missionary outpost or to gather the nu- cleus of a future church. It is an appropriate place where there is a neighborhood that is peculiarly des- titute of all the means of grace ; where there is a com- munity that is likely rapidly to increase in numbers ; where there is an opening for commencing a Sabbath- school with good promise of success; especially where there are warm-hearted, active Christians who will take the lead. Such locations ought not to be neglected. (d) What Presbytery can Do in such Locations. It is well to have a distinct understanding of this matter, and to form some system by which to conduct operations in extending the gospel within the presby- tery's own bounds. It is a matter which ought not to be left at loose ends, but should be performed according to some definite plan persistently carried out. Where there is some system the work will be more compre- hensive, more regular, more thorough. We will there- fore specify some of the plans which may be adopt- ed by presbytery to aid in its evangelistic efforts at home. 1. There might be a standing committee of presbytery whose duty it would be to exercise a general supervision 61 482 THE PASTOR IN THE of the missionary work within its bounds. This com- mittee could keep its eye upon the various destitute places of the district and estimate them in their rela- tive importance ; it could counsel with new and strug- gling enterprises ; it could advise presbytery where to commence its efforts ; it could be the medium of com- munication with the Board of Missions ; and so, with its comprehensive views, it could lead in an economical prosecution of the work of domestic evangelization. It ought to be composed of some of the most active and persevering men of the presbytery, so that it may sys- tematize the work and keej) the whole body alive to the claims of the destitutions in their midst. 2. The minister's of the presbytery might be detailed to preach in turn at such missionary stations as are not yet ripe for the eritire services of one man. This could be done in most presbyteries by each member giving one or two Sabbaths in the year to missionary work. This is an excellent arrangement. It gives all the min- isters an opportunity of seeing and becoming interested in the various points of aggressive operations, and of doing that missionary Avork which is an important branch of their calling. It also provides supplies to such new or weak enterprises as are not able to support a ministry of their own. Its whole value and success, however, will depend upon the members faithfully fulfilling their appointments when they are detailed to such evangelical work. 3. Presbytery should constantly have some new church enterprise on hand- on which its efforts and contributions may be concentrated until its building is completed. One should be kept on the anvil until it is finished, and then it may be dropped and another taken up. Who can tell the gain when an additional church edifice is HIGHER COVETS OF THE CHURCH. 483 completed, with a congregation well equipped for main- taining and propagating the truth in the ages to come? It is better to concentrate the contributions on one, and finish it, than to scatter them over many where they will do but little good. The only caution needed is to be careful about selecting such an enterprise — that it be in a location where it is needed and where it will grow up into a church that will have a permanent life. SPEAKING IN ECCLESIASTICAL MEETINGS. This is a duty which will sometimes necessarily de- volve upon every minister, and to which it is therefore desirable that attention should be given, in order that it may be done in a profitable manner. It is cer- tainly important that one should be able to present his thoughts so clearly to his brethren that they will be fairly understood and make the impression which they merit. At the same time, a much-needed caution in such de- liberative bodies is to avoid saying too much by either prolixity of address or by being too frequently on the floor. There are some ministers who are constantly on their feet, to the great annoyance of their fellow-mem- bers. They seem to think that nothing can be rightly transacted unless they have a voice in it. This habit should by all means be avoided. Whoever indulges in the practice is sure to weaken the force of all that he may say. He lowers himself in the esteem of his brethren and takes away from the influence which he might otherwise wield. He shows a self-importance which is exceedingly offensive to all his fellow-members ; he keeps back others whose words would have far more weight ; and so he wrongs them 484 THE PASTOR IN THE as well as tlie wliole assembly. His course is also a culpable wasting of the time of so many ministers and elders, all of whom have important duties in their respective charges. Again, no one ought to take the floor and consume the time of himself and others unless he has something to say — something that is important and relative to the point in hand — something that has not been said over and over again. No one should be guilty of the wrong of talking merely for the sake of making a speech. Great prudence is needed to know when to speak, as well as what to say; and to have this prudence is the secret of success in addresses before deliberative bodies. BROTHERLY KINDNESS IN ECCLESIASTICAL ASSEMBLIES. Christian affection ought to distinguish those who are so closely united to Christ and to each other. The members of these bodies are brethren in the Lord Jesus ; they are animated by the same loving spirit ; they all liave their hearts set upon the same great interests ; they are all looking forward to an eternal residence in the same heavenly mansions ; and the character common to them all is that which was indicated by the Saviour when he breathed peace upon his followers. A very different temper should pervade the assembly which is composed of such persons from that which is found in the gatherings of the world. The highest and holiest motives call for the spirit of brotherly love to charac- terize all that is said and done. This should reign for the comfort of the whole body and of each of its members, for the prosperity of the cause, and espe- cially for the honor of the great Master, the blessed- HIGHER COURTS OF THE CHURCH. 485 ness of whose spirit will be the better understood when it is illustrated by the loving intercourse of his servants with each other. We make this subject very emphatic, because we feel that there is great need for awaking special attention to it. Scenes are sometimes witnessed in Church courts which are a shame and a scandal to religion, and which do incalculable harm. There are some persons who seem to lose their Christian spirit and temper as soon as they engage in public discussions. They enter upon them in a wrangling and angry manner, and at once render the exercise of calm, Christian wisdom impossible. Such a spirit is utterly inconsistent with the character which should be found in Christ's servants. It disappoints and sorely grieves good people of the laity who come to have their hearts warmed by hearing of the prosper- ity of Christ's kingdom. It disgusts the ungodly with religion and with those who are its advocates. It injures the church where the meeting is held, and sometimes renders it very difficult to find a congregation that is willing to entertain a body which is almost sure to leave a legacy of evil behind it. It is strange, passing strange, that this harsh and unlovely spirit will be so much in- dulged in even by good men. We cannot account for it in any other way than that custom gives it a sort of respectability. The feeling is, that inasmuch as so many yield to an irascible temper in conducting religious discussions, therefore it cannot be so very censurable. Thus others are induced to fol- low in the same course, and the evil is perpetuated. But custom, no matter how long or by whom it is followed, can never make it right, or even palliate it. The evil is the more formidable if it has become a habit in relig- ious bodies. It must be inadvertence that will allow 486 THE PASTOR IN THE any true minister to look with anything less than ab- horrence upon angry discussion amongst Christian brethren concerning the interests of the peaceful king- dom of the Son of God. It is an evil which cannot be calmly considered without exciting a sense of incongru- ity and wrong that should cause it to be shunned with all intensity of purpose. It is, then, the duty of each member to exercise a spirit of forbearance, of courtesy and of kindness in public deliberations and in all his intercourse with the breth- ren. If each one keeps a watch over his own spirit, an air of Christian friendliness will soon be felt pervading the whole assembly. Each one, as he has opportunity, should strive to banish angry strifes. He should pour oil on the troubled waters when from any causes they are aroused. The evil effects of contention should al- ways be dreaded, and the blessings which flow from brotherly love should be earnestly sought. " By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Every servant of God should learn to endure contra- diction, even when it comes in the form of wounds in- flicted in the house of friends. Offences will come as long as there are so many human infirmities adhering to us, as Christians are only partially sanctified. It is like men to resent opposition, but it is like Christ to bear it. In this, as in everything else, it is our blessed privilege to imitate his glorious example. To do so will require self-restraint; but with such an exalted aim, who would not rejoice even in that? HIGHER COURTS OF THE CHURCH. 487 WRITING LETTERS AS A PRESBYTER. This may at first sight be regarded as a small matter, but when it is more closely considered it will be seen to have considerable bearing on the comfort and useful- ness of the minister, and will be appreciated as an in- strumentality that may be used to very great advantage in helping forward the interests of the gospel. Who can read the correspondence of such men as Calvin, or Kutherford, or Hamilton without being impressed with the importance of the agency for good which this may be made? As a matter of course, all letters received, especially those which pertain to the interests of the Church in any of its branches, should be answered with as little delay as possible. We should adopt the rule, and rigidly adhere to it, of replying to them, if practicable, the day on which they are recieved. It is easier to answer let- ters at once than it is to put off the task — if it be a task — even for a day. Then the matter is off the mind. Besides, though the subjects of the letters may be of very little importance to us, they may be of great con- sequence to our correspondents. At any rate, they will be pleased with prompt attention to their communica- tions, whilst neglect will give offence. By attention to this subject a minister may do much toward establishing his character for promptness, and so enlarging his power of doing good. Certainly, com- mon civility requires that letters which persons take the trouble of writing and sending should at once be noticed. And if it be so in the ordinary intercourse of life, how much more is it demanded by Christian courtesy ! And how much more, again, is it demanded of those men of 488 THE PASTOR IN THE God who should be pre-eminently distinguished by " whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are hon- est, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report " ! To heed this apparently small matter will prove that the kindness of the religion of Jesus has penetrated the whole man and affected all his principles. It will be business-like in a high Christian sense. It will save from subsequent embarrassment, and from the necessity of contriving awkward apologies. There are not many things by which ministers will be more surely judged, outside of the circle in which they daily move, than by this. It should also be considered what an admirable ve- hicle letters may be made for conveying comfort, instruc- tion, warnings, affectionate entreaties and other gospel messages to those whom we may not be able to reach by the voice or whom we may more deeply impress by the pen. We may also in this way hold profitable inter- course with other ministers at a distance concerning matters in which the interests of the kingdom are in- volved ; with churches which we may assist in their trials ; with private Christians about their spiritual progress and the work for Christ which they may ac- complish ; and with impenitent relatives or acquaint- ances, striving to win them to the salvation of Jesus. In this way we can reach many persons to whom we could never go with the message of grace. This is an instrumentality for preaching the gospel which is not sufficiently appreciated. HIGHER COURTS OF THE CHURCH. 489 OUTLOOK FOR YOUNG MEN FOR THE MINISTRY. It is the duty of every pastor to have an eye upon the young men of his charge with a view to discover any of them who may be suitable in piety and talents and other qualifications for entering upon a course of prej)- aration for the ministry. We specify this particular duty because it involves the continuance of the min- istry in the Church, with all the important interests connected therewith. In fact, it is an indispensable and solemn duty of every man who is himself in the active work of the ministry. He should constantly bear it in mind, and strive to find the young men who may be prepared to take his place and that of his breth- ren in the sacred office. There may be suitable young men in his church for that calling, and they ought not to be overlooked through his negligence. But very great care should be taken that only those who have the appropriate qualifications of piety and talents are encouraged to commence a course of prep- aration for a calling so sacred. With individual pastors mainly rests the responsibility of opening the door to the ministry with which the future purity and prosper- ity of the Church are so closely connected. It is the pastor, in fact, and not the presbytery, who judges of the call of the young man presenting himself as a can- didate for this office. It is but seldom that the presby- tery goes behind, or can go behind, the recommendation of the pastor. And then, after the young man has en- tered upon the course of preparation, it is difficult to arrest him at any of its future stages. The die is ordi- narily cast for life when his minister awakens within him or establishes the purpose to preach the gospel, and 62 490 IN THE HIGHER COURTS OF THE CHURCH. then presents him, together with his favorable opinion, to the presbytery. Great care should therefore be ex- ercised at the first. A young man of doubtful qualifi- cations ought not to be fixed upon. It will be great kindness to him and to the Church not to speak the first word or encourage the first hope unless the evi- dences are very clear that he would be called and blessed in the sacred work. For this, as well as for many other reasons, a very high appreciation of the noble work of the ministry should be entertained. CHAPTER XII. THE PASTOR IN HIS RELATIONS TO OTHER DENOMINA TIONS. Scarcely any minister can have a pastoral charge so located but that he will be surrounded by ministers and members of other denominations, and be brought into more or less intimate relations with them. He will meet them at funerals, weddings and other gatherings of society. He will be brought into ministerial rela- tions with them at union meetings, temperance gather- ings, Sabbath-school conventions and other public occa- sions. Union religious services should be held occasion- ally in every community for the purpose of keeping up acquaintance among Christians of the various denomina- tions and of manifesting to the world that they are one in the essentials of the gospel. The pastor should re- member, in all his intercourse with Christians of other names, that he is a public man, and is therefore watched and his demeanor closely scrutinized. His own denomi- nation will, in his circle, very largely bear the character that he makes for it. His bearing toward his brethren of the other branches of the Church will greatly affect his comfort in the ministerial work, his success in build- ing up the cause of Christ, his standing and influence in the community, the credit of the denomination with which he is connected, and the glory of his divine Master and Head. 491 492 THE PASTOR IN HIS FRIENDLY INTERCOURSE WITH OTHER DENOMINATIONS. Much of the character of the feeling which prevails between the denominations depends on the pastor. He can irritate or he can soothe. By his example and by his words, public and private, he can drive them farther and farther asunder, or he can bring them together in happy Christian intercourse. He should therefore cher- ish kindly relations toward all who love the Lord Jesus Christ. He should shape his own conduct with a view to keej^ing up this Christian feeling. It is far easier and pleasanter to do this than to indulge in the opposite course of feeling and action. It is the duty of every Christian man, and especially of every Christian minister, to take some pains to be- come acquainted with the people of God with whom he is likely to meet in the ordinary intercourse of life. Some of the most excellent of the earth are in parts of the fold that bear a different name from our own. Many of them have so much of the spirit of Christ that to know them is to love them ; and why not enjoy the pleasure of their Christian fellowship ? On every account it is better, more Christian, more for the pros- perity of the cause, more for the honor of Christ and our own comfort, to know them, to be neighborly with them and to rejoice in their welfare. The most charitable judgments should be formed concerning those who entertain different views from ourselves about some points of doctrine and order. They should receive credit for being sincere in their belief. We should sympathize with them in their peculiarities. They are dear to them, even though they may appear insignificant or erroneous to us. We should not be too sensitive with regard to seeming en- RELATIONS TO OTHER DENOMINATIONS. 4^3 croacliments upon our rights by attempts to lead away families or individuals from our church. It may not be so intended on their part, or they may not have anything to do with it, or they may be so circumstanced that they could not do otherwise ; and they may be doing just as we would if situated as they are ; or the whole impres- sion on our part may be a mistake. At any rate, it is best to give them credit for good intentions, and neither act nor feel toward them as if they were enemies. To cultivate this Christian friendliness in our inter- course with all other evangelical denominations will take away from the enemy one great advantage in reproaching us. It will illustrate and recommend the charitable spirit of the gospel. It will help forward the cause of Christ on every hand. Moreover, at some future day it will turn to our interest, and we shall experience the wisdom of it in the reaping of benefits that we now but little suspect. EXCHANGING PULPITS. It is advisable for neighboring pastors occasionally to occupy each other's pulpits for either the whole or part of a Sabbath's services. Undoubtedly, such exchanges should be made with ministers of our own denomina- tion, but it would be wise to arrange them sometimes with others also. Of course, they are to be made only with ministers who are reliable and evangelical in their views, for we have no right to impose, even for one ser- vice, upon our congregation a person who might preach erroneous doctrines or by word or act awaken discord. It is also an unwise belittling of himself for a pastor to bring some brother into his pulpit to say that to his people which he is afraid to say himself. But, guard- 494 THE PASTOR IN HIS ing against these two abuses, an occasional exchange of pulpits by neighboring pastors, even of different denom- inations, is profitable to both churches and ministers. By making such exchanges a minister enlarges the circle of his influence and opportunities for doing good. Then the people, as it is well that they should, have an opportunity of hearing other clergymen of their vicin- ity without leaving their own house of worship. Be- sides, the minister being relieved for a week from the necessity of preparing a new sermon, will have the time to devote to other important studies. How often is it advisable that pulpit exchanges should be made? Circumstances will ordinarily decide this question, but it is well to have in the mind some gen- eral rule that may serve as a guide. They ought not to be so frequent as to distract the minds of the people and look like restlessness on the part of the pastor. They ought not to be so seldom that scarcely any of the benefits we have named will be gained. It would not be far from a proper medium if the boundaries were fixed for once in five or six weeks. On this point we may cite the judicious advice of the Rev. Dr. Enoch Pond in his Pastoral Theology : " The question as to the frequency of exchanges must be determined some- what by circumstances. They may be so frequent as to prove a serious interruption to the regular ministra- tions of the pastor, rendering his services in his own pulpit rather occasional than habitual. They may be so unfrequent that the benefits of them shall scarcely be realized. Ordinarily, they are less frequent in cities than in the country, chiefly perhaps because they are less needed, the city minister having sufficent help in his pulpit without resorting to exchanges. They are less frequent also in new countries and where there is a RELATIONS TO OTHER DENOMINATIONS. 495 comparative destitution of ministers than where there is a more abundant supply. Under the most favorable circumstances, an exchange once in four Sabbaths may- be regarded perhaps as the extreme of frequency. An exchange once in eight Sabbaths may be considered as verging to the other extreme." PROSELYTING. This practice is carried on by some ministers in such a manner and to such a degree as to do great harm to themselves, their churches and neighboring churches. Others are too sensitive about it, and neither indulge in it themselves nor bear it as much as it is both allowable and a duty that they should. It is one of the first prac- tical difficulties that most ministers have to encounter in their intercourse with other ministers and other churches. Almost all must meet it at some time. There is nothing else which is in so much danger of stirring up animos- ities between different churches, and consequently noth- ing which, on that account, needs to be so carefully watched. It is well to have some definite understand- ing concerning it — that is, as to when it is wrong, dis- courteous and unchristian, and when it is not only right, but a duty. (a) When "Wrong, The question should be settled in the mind of the pastor as to when it is wrong, and when it is right, to attempt to draw people away from any other connection to his own church. There are circumstances when pros- elyting is wrong in principle, wrong in practice and wrong in policy, and should be so regarded by every minister. 496 THE PASTOR IN HIS Of course, it is a great wrong to attempt to unsettle persons by drawing them from one congregation to an- other of the same denomination. So also is it culpable to endeavor to proselyte from one evangelical denomina- tion to another. The whole thing is calculated to arouse unchristian feelings between churches and ministers. It unsettles those who are proselyted, so that they soon lose all healthy attachment to any particular church. It is discourteous, dishonorable, dishonest. A pastor's mem- bers and families are his treasures, and to attempt to draw them away from him is to attempt to rob him of what he prizes among the dearest of earthly things. The evil effect of such proselyting may be still fur- ther seen if we consider the unhappy state of feeling it produces between the churches. It awakens evil surraisings; it fosters unhallowed strifes; it diverts the energies from the great cause of Christ, upon which they ought to be concentrated, and it wastes the powers in hateful controversies. It taints the character of the preaching, of the Sabbath-school instructions and of the pastoral visits, and it is calculated to grieve away the Holy Ghost. And, still further, it never proves to be any real, per- manent gain to the church and pastor by whom it is practiced. The persons whom they succeed in attracting to themselves from other churches add nothing to their real strength. Very often they were among the dissat- isfied and the troublers in the churches from which they came, and they will be quite likely to make diffi- culties in their new connection, or they will not be long satisfied with it. Hence it is wise, on the other hand, not to be too much depressed when persons are per- suaded to leave us and enter other congregations. We ought not to harbor the thought of retaliation. The dig- RELATIONS TO OTHER DENOMINATIONS. 497 nified course of true Christian honor is the one that will come off best in the end. Under no circumstances should we have anything to do with low, selfish intriguing or taking advantage of circumstances for weaning persons away from their own churches and attaching them to ours. (6) When Right. There is a sense in which proselyting is right, and there are circumstances under which it is obli^atorv and is simply carrying out the aggressive spirit of the gospel. What is true proselyting but winning over con- verts to the cause of Christ? This, therefore, should be studied out carefully as an important ministerial duty. It is obviously right to attract as many persons as possible into one's church from the ungodly world. This is made an evident duty by the command, " Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." Compassion for the souls of men will justify us in also seeking to draw them from connections where fundamental error is taught and where salvation by the death of Christ alone is ignored. We are also under obligation to endeavor to win to our fold those who, though once connected with some other church, have abandoned it and turned their backs upon all the ordinances. There can be no objection to the effort to influence all- these. On the contrary, the progressive nature of the gospel demands of us that we should earnestly strive with them. The only care we need to have is that the efforts which we put forth for them be prompted and guided by true scriptural motives, that they be pure, honorable and aboveboard, and that in them all we have a proper regard for the rights and feelings of others. Whatever 63 498 THE PASTOR IN HIS we do should be done in such a way as will bear the clearest light and closest scrutiny. Our aim should always be to constrain the world to admit that the Christian minister is a gentleman of the highest type. Of this kind of proselyting there cannot be too much. This is the very genius and spirit and object of the gos- pel. Its mission amongst men is to bring the whole world unto itself. In all its great movements and in each of its members it is to strive to convert men from irreligion and to bring them into the fold of Christ. In accordance with this divine aj^pointment, the pastor should constantly have some persons definitely before his mind whom he will strive to win over to Christ and his Church. In every community there are many ne- glecters of religion who, if they were dealt with in fidelity, might be influenced by the truth. It is in this way that the gospel is to be spread farther and wider, and to sink deeper into society. It is in this way that souls are to be brought into the kingdom, where they may glorify God by testimony and example. A NEIGHBORLY SPIEIT TO BE CHERISHED WITH ALL. This kind of spirit should be aimed at by every pastor and church. Freedom from an over-sensitive disposition to take offence will do much toward pro- ducing it. It can be cultivated by a frank and open demeanor in all the necessary intercourse and relations of life. Friendliness of manner and efforts to oblige even in little things will surely cause its blessings to be enjoyed. We may see the evil of the contrary spirit — the spirit of unamiable, unfriendly selfishness — as it is sometimes exhibited in ministers, and between them and the com- RELATIONS TO OTHER DENOMINATIONS. 499 munity where they dwell. It brings odium upon the cause of Christ, it creates disrespect for the ministry, it wounds the Saviour among his friends, it retards the blessed cause of Christ in society, and it makes its possessor wretched. Its meanly selfish aims defeat themselves. It is worthy of no sympathy, and it re- ceives none in the community where it continues to reside. Often it becomes the cause of unsettling jDastors, and forcing them away from neighborhoods which have no affection for them and for whose esteem they have never striven. But the good-neighborly feeling which we advocate will adorn the doctrines of Jesus Christ the Saviour, it will add greatly to the pastor's own personal comfort, it will increase his influence and means of doing good, and it will undoubtedly make him more successful in his great work. Some of those persons whose good-will he gains by the kindness of his ordinary demeanor may be induced to come to his church occasionally, and finally to become constant attendants, or, touched by the Spirit of God, consistent members. Nor should we overlook its reflex benefits upon the pastor himself in expanding his heart and drawing out all his affections into a warmer glow of Christian charity. It should never be forgotten that the increase of the Church — both of the whole body and of each congre- gation— must largely come from without. It is not enough that we merely hold our own, either in graces or members or families ; there must be expansion through- out the community and the world. Others, and still others, must be constantly gathered in. Hence we must not alienate those who are around us by our un- friendliness. We must not treat them as if they were utterly outcast and hopeless. Men are lost, it is true, 500 THE PASTOR AND OTHER DENOMINATIONS'. but it is our appropriate work as ministers of Christ to try to save them. They are diseased, but we are de- puted to go to them and seek to restore them by the healing balm of the gospel. If they were already safe and perfect there would be no need of our ministrations, and our oiiice would be at an end. But in order rightly to perform its momentous duties we must first labor diligently to have our own hearts full of love to our blessed Master, full of kindness toward Christians of every name, and full of compassion for those who are perishing in the midst of the richest gospel privileges. Then will our efforts go forth spontaneously and with the very delight of our hearts, and through them souls will be gathered into the kingdom; Christians will feel the sweet influence, and grow in lovely graces; Christ will see of the travail of his soul, and feel an infinite satisfaction; the richest joys will come back upon our own hearts, and we shall every day be preparing for the immortal ecstasy of those who, having turned many to righteousness, shall be " as the stars for ever and ever." INDEX. Activities of the Church, pastor in, 273 ; pastor not undertake too much himself, 274. Activity, pastor in activity of the Church, 273 ; in the Church indis- pensable, 276 ; present need for, 277. Addresses, by the pastor in the Sab- bath-school, 415. Afflicted, visiting the, 248. Age, activity of the, 28 ; Pastoral The- ology should be up to the, 33. Aged, pastor visiting the, 251 ; women visiting the, 294. Aggression, constant, on the kingdom of darkness, 276. Ambassador, the pastor an, 41. Analysis, of books of the Bible, 123. Assuming, duties imposed in ecclesi- a.stical meetings, 475. Attendance, on higher courts impera- tive duty of pastor, 472. Awakened, ministering to the, 253 ; to be made known to the pastor, 339; to be visited at their homes, 340. Baptism, when to be administered, 259. Beneficence, children to be trained in, 386 ; Sabbath-school should train children in, 398 ; the great prac- tical question of the age, 427 ; a science, 429. Benevolent contributions, of the Sab- bath-school to be given to the Boards of the Church, 378. Benevolent work, the pastor in, 427 ; the great practical question of the times, 427 ; aim of, 428 ; a science, 429; information concerning, 432; pastor to inform himself concern- ing, 432 ; people to be informed about, 434 ; collections to be taken up for each cause, 435. Bible, great source of Pastoral Theol- ogy, 17 ; ministerial piety increased by its study, 76 ; incessant study of, 110, 125 ; everything to the pa.stor, 112; plans for studying, 115 ; whole book of, to be read at a time, 123 ; to be studied until it becomes a fas- cination, 124 ; memorizing, 127 ; the substance of preaching, 155; the pastor should honor, 163 ; the Sabbath-school awaking interest in, 387 ; how awaken that interest, 389. Bible-class, of the pastor, 419 ; plan for, 421. Bible-readings, what are? 311; in prayer-meetings, 311 ; with young converts, 348. Boards, collections to be taken up for each, 435 ; established by the united wisdom of the Church, 436; the more contributed to, the more given at home, 437 ; contributions to be given to our own, 440. Books, and reading, 141 ; none but the 501 502 INDEX. best, 143 ; lists of, 144 ; giving to the sick, 246; and tracts, circulating, 263; to be used in revivals, 342. Brotherly kindness, should prevail in ecclesiastical meetings, 484. Candidates for the ministry, the pastor should watch for, 489 ; great care in selecting, 489. Catechism, children should be taught, 384; should be taught in the Sab- bath-school, 392; value of, 393; fixes the doctrines in the mind, 393 ; can be understood by chil- dren, 396; plan of studying in the Sabbath-school, 397. Children, parents have first charge of their religious training, 364 ; form greater part of the congre- gation, 364 ; instruction of, in the family of first importance, 371 ; Sabbath-school to supplement the training of the children of the Church, 379 ; Sabbath-school to reach the children of the irrelig- ious, 380; should be indoctrina- ted, 387 ; to be trained in benev- olence, 386 ; aiming for their con- version, 391 ; Sabbath-school should train them in benevolence, 398 ; the amount of their contributions im- portant, 400 ; preaching to, 421. Christ, a preacher, 42 ; to be sum and substance of all preaching, 167 ; every sermon should contain, 169 ; nothing else to be preached, 173. Chronology of the Bible, plan for studying, 118. Church, relation of S.abbath-school to, 373, 403; should conduct the Sab- bath-school, 375; harmonizing the Sabbath-school with, 376; Sabbalh- school to be kept in sympathy with, 403. Church extension, by Presbytery, 479. Church members, should all be work- ers, 280. Closet, pastor in his, 37. Collections, of the children amount to much, 400; of the Sabbath-school should be given to our Boards, 401 • to be taken up for each Board, 435 ; to be given to our own Boards, 440 ; plans for systematic, 444. Commentaries, to be studied, 119; certain ones to be read through, 120 ; lists of, 144. Consistency, a sense of, helps pastor's piety, 87. Conversions, depend on pastor's piety, 47 ; to be sought in preaching, 200; to be looked for at all times, 354; pastor should constantly stiive for, 355; of scholars, direct aim of the Sabbath-school, 382 ; aiming for, in the Sabbath-school, 391. Correspondence, as a presbyter, 487. Cottage prayer-meetings, importance and manner of sustaining, 316. Courses of sermons, importance of, 180; cover whole field of truth, 180 ; have subjects for sermons al- ways ready, 182 ; bring up truth in its proper proportions, 181 ; keep up variety in sermons, 182 ; lists of subjects for, 184. Courtesy, in ecclesiastical meetings, 486. Criteria, Alexander's, of a' true re- vival, 345. Denominations, customs of, a source of Pastoral Theology, 21, Direct aim, of the Sabbath-school, 382. Discipline, sometimes necessary, 459; should seldom be resorted to, 459 ; not unnecessarily public, 460. Divine presence, in the prayer-meet- ing, 314. Doctrines, to be preached, 175; are INDEX. 503 presented in the Bible, 176; are all-important, 176 ; heart affected through, 177 ; impart stability of cliaracter, 178 ; centres of truth, 179; teaching children, 383. Dorcas societies, value of, 296. E. Earnestness, in preaching, 188. Ecclesiastical meetings, ministers as- suming the duties imposed by, 475; speaking in, 483; brotherly kind- ness should be cultivated in, 484. Elders, work of, 288, 450, 452 ; all to be workers, 289 ; should all be in the Sabbath-school, 377 ; care in the choice of, 451 ; giving work to, 452 ; to be leaders in every good work, 454. Eminent glory, awaiting faithful pas- tors, 62. Eminent piety, expected of ministers, 59. Engagements, should be always kept, 106. Enthusiasm, in preaching, 193. Epoclis, of Bible history, 118. Examples, ministers to be, 57. Exchanging pulpits, with whom, 493; advisable, 493 ; benefits of, 494 ; how often, 494. Experience, a source of Pastoral The- ology, 20. Extempore preaching, dangers of, 97 ; written or extemporaneous ser- mons, 218 ; advantages of, 219. P. Family, relaxing religious instruc- tion in, 362 ; relations to the Sab- batli-school, 367 ; its obligations first, 371. Family religious instruction, relaxing of, 369 ; many think Sabbath-school injures, 369; real cause of its de- cline, 370; of first importance, 371. Fault-finding, should be excluded from prayer-meetings, 306. Female pra^-er-meetings, importance and manner of conducting, 291. Fiction, in the books of the Sabbath- school, 412. Finances of the church, pastor in, 469 ; pastor should have little to do with, 469. Friendliness, in the prayer-meeting, 305. Funerals, attending, 260 ; trials of ministers at, 260; suggestions as to addresses at, 261. G. Geography of the Bible, plan of studying, 116. Giving, to the Boards, not diminish gifts at home, 437 ; God's blessing is on, 439 ; systematic, 442 ; plans of systematic, 444. Good neigliborhood, with other de- nominations, 449. Gossip, minister should guard against, 467. Greek and Hebrew, study of, 129. Growth, in church and individual graces, 327. Hebrew and Greek, study of, 129. Higher courts of the Church, pastor in, 471 ; importance of tlieir duties, 471 ; minister should always attend, 472; staying throughout the ses- sions, 473 ; pastor's individual re- sponsibility in, 474; pastor should assume duties required by, 475. Higii type of Christian life, to be cul- tivated in the Cliurch, 356 ; value of, 357 ; attainable, . 357 ; how reached, 358. 504 INDEX. History, of Pastoral Theology, 15; much, of the Bible composed of, 118. Holiness, necessary in the pastor, 38. Hospitality, in the house of God, 299. Hours, number to be spent daily in study, 102. Human nature, a source of Pastoral Theology, 19. Hurry, to be avoided, 108. I. Impkovements, in Sabbath-school work, 406. Inconsistency, of ministers a sore evil, 60. Index-rerum, value of, 142. Individual eflbrt best way of work, 285. Indoctrination, of Sabbath-school scholars, 383. Information, concerning benevolent work of the Church, 432; should be sought by the pastor, 432 ; about benevolent work should be commu- nicated to the people, 434. Inquirers, ministering to, 253 ; meet- ings with, in revivals, 338; pastor should be kept informed of, 339 ; to be visited at their homes, 340. Interruptions, in study to be provided against, 109. Introduction, to strangers in church not to be waited for, 300. Kind feelings, in ecclesiastical meet- ings, 485. I-ANGUAGES, Study of Hebrew and Greek, 129. Leader, the pastor a, 45. I>etters, writing, as a presbyter, 487. Library of Sabbath-school, import- ance of, 411; fiction in, 412; sug- gestions about, 413 ; selecting, 413. Lord's Supper, with the sick, 248, 258 ; make much of, 257 ; special services in connection with, 329. Love, of pastor to the people, 271. M. Machinery, danger of too much, in Sabbath-school, 409. Matter of preaching, the word of God, 155. Mediator, the minister a, 44. Memorizing of Scripture, 127; plan for, 128. Minister, grandeur of his work, 45; a leader, 45; must be active, 279. Ministry, importance of, and Pastoral Theology, 24; there should be a high estimate of, 28 ; greatness of the work, 43-46 ; happiest calling in the world, 56 ; prayer in the, 68. Missionary associations, of women, 448. Mission enterprises, in vicinity of the church, 319; benefits of, 320; by presbytery, 479 ; constant outlook for new localities, 480. Monthly concert, value of, 447. Morning hour of prayer, 71. N. Names of pastors, imply eminent pie- ty, 40. Neighborhood spirit, to be cherished with all, 498; value of, 499. Newspapers, value of, 147 ; pastor should read, 148; circulating re- ligious, 266 ; value of religious, 266; in each family, 268. Normal class, of the pastor, 419. Notices, reading, in the pulpit, 217. INDEX. 505 Opportunities, for doing good to be sought for, 283. Organization, advantages of, 285. Other denominations, the pastor in his relations to, 491 ; friendly in- tercourse with, 492 ; neighborly spirit to be cherished with, 498. Outlook, for new localities for mis- sion enterprises, 480; for young men for the ministry, 489. Oversight, of the Sabbath-school by the pastor, 416. Parochial work, of the minister, 223. Parties in the church, pastor should not be identified with, 467. Pastor, in his closet, 37 ; the name, 40 ; greatness of his work, 43-46 ; deep piety in, 39 ; prayer for, 90 ; in the study, 91 ; in the pulpit, 151 ; in his personal parochial work, 223 ; identifying himself with the people, 269 ; in the ac- tivities of the Church, 273; not undertake too much himself, 274; in the progress of the Church, 326; in the Sabbath-school, 360; the Sabbath-school a prominent part of his work, 363 ; his person- al work in the Sabbath-school, 414 ; attending the Sabbath-school, 415 ; supervising the Sabbath-school, 416 ; his Bible-class, 419 ; preaching to children, 421 ; help the Sabbath- school throughout the congregation, 425 ; in the benevolent work of the Church, 427 ; should keep himself well informed about the benevo- lent work of the Church, 432; in the session, 450 ; not personally in- flict discipline, 453; personal diffi- culties of, 465 ; and the finances of the church, 469; in the higher 64 courts of the Church, 471 ; in his relations to other denominations, 491. Pastoral office, importance of the, 24 ; importance of preparation for, 24 ; high appreciation of, 27. Pastoral Theology, what is? 13, 29; history of, 15 ; sources of, 17 ; ne- cessity of, as a branch of training for the ministry, 22 ; importance of the ministry makes its study imperative, 24; mode of treating the subject, 29; should be up to the times, 33 ; how the subject should be studied, 34. Pastoral visiting, importance of, 224 ; how often visits to be made, 229, 231 ; system in, 229 ; secret of suc- cess in, 232; how to be conducted, 233. Pastor's aid associations, importance of, 292 ; mode of working, 292. Peace, ministers should strive for, in their churches, 466. Periodicals, value of, 147 ; pastor should read, 148. Personal difficulties, of the pastor, 465 ; of pastor should never be brought into the pulpit, 467. Personal piety, necessity of, in the ministry, 39, 40 ; conversion of souls and prosperity of church depend on it, 47 ; the pastor's real power, 49 ; will make work easy, 54 ; pas- tor to be an example of, 57 ; emi- nent, expected of the pastor, 59 ; because eminent glory awaits the minister, 62 ; how to cultivate it, 64; cultivated by morning hour of devotion, 71 ; increased by de- votional study of Scripture, 76; cultivated by the minister preach- ing to himself, 79; hinderances to, 82; helps to, 85. Personal work, with inquirers in re- vivals, 341. Piety of the pastor, conversion of souls 506 INDEX. depends on, 47 ; prosperity and piety of the Church proportioned to, 47 ; his real power, 49 ; will make his work easy, 54 ; pastor an example of, 57 ; eminent, expected of ministers, 59 ; for eminent glory awaiting, 62 ; how to be increased, 64; increased by morning hour of prayer, 71 ; increased by study of Scripture, 76 ; cultivated by the pastor preaching to himself, 79 ; hinderances to, 82 ; helps to, 85. Plans, of daily ministerial work, 102, 103; of Bible study, 115; of study- ing Bible geography, 116 ; of study- ing Bible chronology, 118; of memorizing Scripture, 127 ; of series of sermons, 183 ; of repeat- ing sermons, 221 ; of register of families in the congregation, 230; of pastoral visiting, 232; of visit- ing the sick, 239 ; of conducting prayer-meetings, 303 ; of caring for young converts, 346 ; of catechizing in the Sabbath-school, 392 ; of pas- tor's Bible-class, 421 ; of preaching to the children, 422 ; of sessional work, 455 ; of presbyterial work, 481. Plans of work, devising, 287. Poor, women visiting the, 294. Power, of the pastor is his earnest godliness, 49. Prayer, ministerial piety cultivated by, 64; morning hour of, 71. Prayer-meetings, female, 291 ; great importance of, 302 ; mode of con- ducting, of great consequence, 303; rules for conducting, 303 ; ther- mometer of the Church, 304 ; make interesting and will be well at- tended, 305 ; friendliness in, 305 ; exclude fault-finding, 306; audi- ence should be near the leader, 307 ; brevity in, 308 ; subject sometimes previously announced, 309 ; not always conducted by the pastor, 310 ; voluntary remarks and prayer, 310; requests for prayer, 311; Bible readings in, 311 ; ladies write for, 312; spirited singing, 312; variety in, 313 ; divine presence to be sought, 314 ; cottage prayer- meetings, 316 ; not too many, 318 ; young converts to attend, 350. Preaching, pastor to himself, 79 ; minister's chief calling, 152; mat- ter of, 155; nothing but the word, 164 ; Christ the sum and substance of, 167 ; without Christ is vain, 172; nothing but Christ, 173 ; the doc- trines, 175 ; manner of, 188 ; earn- estness in, 188 ; with tenderness, 194 ; with sympathy, 198 ; aiming at conversions, 200; sensational, 205. Preaching to children, a duty of pas- tors, 421 ; plan of, 422 ; secret of, 422; are many anecdotes advisable? 424. Preparation, for the ministry, import- ance of, 24 ; for entering the pulpit, 215. Presbytery, should take part in every good work, 477 ; what it should do, 477 ; a missionary organization in its own territory, 478 ; church ex- tension by, 479 ; should cultivate its own territory, 480 ; constant outlook for new localities, 480 ; what it can do in such localities, 481 ; plan of operations by, 481. Procrastination, of work to be guarded against, 108. Progress, pastor in the progress of the Church, 326 ; essential, 326 ; in what? 327 ; special efforts for, 328. Promptness, in the Sabbath-school, 410. Proselyting, one of the first practical difficulties, 495 ; evils of, 496 ; when wrong, 495; when right, 497. Prosperity, of the Church depends on piety of the pastor, 47. Province of the Sabbath-school, 378. INDEX. 507 Public prayer, rules for, 208 ; sense of the divine presence, 208 ; com- prehensive, 209; specific, 210; di- rect and simple in language, 211; brief, 212 ; saturated with Scrip- ture, 213; learned in the closet, 214. Pulpit, pastor in the, 151 ; everything bent toward preaching, 154 ; pre- paration for entering, 215. Pimctuality, in all duties, 104. R. Keaction, danger of, in revivals, 344. Reading, and books, 141, Register, of families of the congrega- tion, 230. Repeating sermons, rules concerning, 221. Responsibility, for our work, 281 ; not sink persona], in the mass, 284 ; of the pastor in ecclesiastical courts, 474. Revivals, general subject of, 330 ; of inestimable value, 330; reality of, 331 ; blessings of, 333 ; the pastor do most of the preaching in, 335 ; meetings with inquirers, 338 ; the pastor to be informed who are awakened, 339 ; the awakened to be visited at their homes, 340; books and tracts to be used in, 342 ; danger of reaction, 344 ; Alexan- der's criteria of a genuine, 345; care for young converts, 346. Roll of members, purging, 460. Roll of families, described, 230. S. Sabbath, no study on the, 104. Sabbath-school, the pastor in the, 360 ; now looming up into vast propor- tions, 360 ; importance of, 361 ; im- portance of, because of relaxing fam- ily instruction, 362 ; testimonies to its value, 362 ; a prominent part of the pastor's work, 363 ; enables the pastor to reach the young, 365 ; the future of the Church depends on, 366; and the family, 367; does not interfere with family religious instruction, 370; relation to the Church, 373, 403; should be con- ducted by the church, 375; har- monizing with the church, 376; province of, 378; to assist in the religious training of the Church's own children, 379; to reach the children of irreligious parents, 380; furnishes a field of work for Chris- tians, 381 ; immediate aims of, 382; seeks the conversion of the scholars, 382, 391 ; aims to indoctrinate the scholars, 383, 392; it trains the young in benevolence, 386, 398 ; conducting the, 387 ; awaking in- terest in the Bible, 387 ; teaching the Catechism, 392; amount of its contributions, 400 ; its contributions should be given to its own Boards, 401 ; in sympathy with the Church, 403 ; improvements in, 406 ; dan- ger of too much machinery, 409; promptness in everything, 410; the library, 411 ; prayer-meeting at close of, 413 ; the pastor's person- al work in, 414; the pastor attend- ing, 415 ; the pastor supervising, 416; the pastor's Bible-class, 419; the pastor preaching to children, 421 ; the pastor promoting the in- terests of, through the congrega- tion, 425. Sacraments, administering the, 256; importance of, 256; making much of, 257. Sameness in preaching, study alone overcomes, 95. Scholars, conversion of, the great aim of the Sabbath-school, 382; indoc- trination of, 383. Science, Christian beneficence has be- come a, 429. 508 INDEX. Scrap-book, should be used, 150. Scriptures, the chief source of Pasto- ral Theology, 18 ; ministerial piety increased by devotional study of, 76 ; should be compared with Scrip- ture, 121 ; the great instrumentality of conversion, 157 ; sword of the Spirit, 157 ; come with authority, 159; efficiency of, 161 ; nothing else should be preached, 164; should be used with young converts, 347. Sensational preaching, sin and folly of, 265. Series, of sermons, 180; lists of, 184. Sermons, the best to be done in pre- paring each, 135; Christ in every one, 172; courses of, 180; written or extemporaneous ? 218 ; repeating, 220. Session, all its members should be in the Sabbath-school, 377 ; should ap- point the superintendent, 378 ; the pastor in the, 450 ; a large one de- sirable, 451 ; work of, 452 ; plan of work for, 455. Sick, visiting the, 237 ; suggestions about manner of visiting, 239 ; vis- iting the, by women, 294. Silence, power of, in strifes, 468. Singing, spirited, in prayer-meetings, 312. Slothfulness, a great temptation of the ministry, 98. Sociability, of the pastor with the peo- ple, 269. Something, for each one to do, 284. Sorrowing, visiting the, 248. Sources, of Pastoral Theology, 17. Speaking, in ecclesiastical meetings, 483. Special efforts, for progress to be occa- sionally made, 328. Stewards, ministers are, 41. Strangers, attention to, 297; church kept up by, 297 ; making acquaint- ance of, 298 ; hospitality to, in the house of God, 299 ; introduc- tions to, should not be waited for, 300. Strifes, in churches, 463; terrible evils of, 464; the pastor should shun, 464; the pastor's personal difficul- ties, 465. Student's Bible, value of, 122. Study, the pastor in the, 91 ; close, in- dispensable, 92; scheme of the day's, 102 ; number of houi"s to be spent in, daily, 102; of the Bible, 110; of Hebrew and Greek, 129. Success, of the pastor depends on his piety, 52. Superintendent, an elder should be, 377 ; appointed by the session, 378 ; should the pastor be? 418. Sympathy, in preaching, 198. System, importance of, to the minis- ter, 99; plan of ministerial duties, 102, 107. Systematic giving, importance of, 442 ; plans of, 444. Talents, of each person to be studied out, 282. Teachers, pastor should be consulted in the selection of, 417. Temperance, attention to the subject of, imperative, 323. Tenderness, in preaching, 194. Text, connection of, should be stud- ied, 116. Theological seminary, now the train- ing agency for ministers, 16 ; the times require great diligence in, 29. Thermometer, the prayer-meeting is, of the Church, 304. Times, a source of Pastoral Theology, 21 ; the ministry needed for the, 28. Tracts and books, circulating, 263 ; to be used in revivals, 342. Troublers, of the church, 461 ; in ev- ery church, 461 ; how to deal with INDEX. 509 them, 462; considerations about, 462. Truth, only to be preached, 165. Type of Christian life, a higher, to be cultivated in the Church, 356 ; val- ue of a high, 357 ; a high, may be attained, 357 ; how it may be reach- ed, 358. "Variety, in preaching maintained only by study, 95 ; in prayer-meet- ings, 313. Version of the Bible, evils of correct- ing, in the pulpit, 134. Visiting, importance of pastoral, 224 ; how often pastoral visits should be made, 229 ; plan of pastoral visits, 232 ; how pastoral visiting should be conducted, 233; the sick, 237; rules for visiting the sick, 239 ; the sorrowing, 248 ; the aged, 251 ; in- quirers, 253; the aged, sick and poor by women, 294. ■w. Women, work of, 290; visiting the aged, sick and poor, 294 ; Dorcas so- cieties, 296; writing for prayer-meet- ings, 312 ; missionary associations of, 448. Word of God, the matter of preach- ing, 155 ; the great instrumentality of conversion, 157 ; the sword of the Spirit, 158 ; it comes with au- thority, 159 ; its efficacy, 162 ; the pastor should honor, 163; nothing else to be preached, 164. Work, to be ahead with, 107 ; for all to do, 281 ; each responsible for his, 281 ; to be studied out, 282 ; what can I do ? 283 ; something for each one, 284; ministers should find some, for each person, 286 ; devis- ing plans of, 287 ; of the elders, 288 ; of women, 290 ; young con- verts should be kept at, 352 ; the Sabbath-school furnishes a field of, 381. Workers, church-members all should be, 280. Written sermons, advantages of, 219. Y. YoTJNG, importance of their religious training, 361 ; form the greater part of the congregation, 364 ; can be reached through the Sabbath-school, 365. Young converts, care for, 346 ; coun- sels concerning, 346 ; more atten- tion to them than to others, 347 ; should be interested in the Scrip- tures, 347 ; Bible exercises with, 348 ; should be carefully noticed, 349; might be invited to the house of the pastor, 349 ; individuals to watch over them, 350 ; should be induced to attend prayer-meetings, 350 ; should have meetings of their own, 351 ; should be kept busy, 352. Young men, speak to, 300. ^i'^-tH<-vVf1ivHfH r^^H■^'*•;■- ;l ,i .-i iJ .; iW ;■«; ♦ ri i- *. 4.1.J «• i . f Ifif4