The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1862-02-06
BIBLICAL SKETCHES.
BY "UNoLE wILLIAM
SKETCH xx.

az LuO p'SoCuSlo3 AOh ~ g |~Oftic
should be deeply pioas- Ing i
harmony with the Deity, in sym.
pathy with man, large partakers Of
the divine nature-and thoroughly
imbued with the mind which was
in Christ Jesus. The piety of the
minister should be to the Church
what the sun is to the other plan!
cts. He should be intensely holy;
but neither ministers nor people
can become remarkable for theiI
holiness, otherwise than by the
constant exercise of faith, prayer.
and activity, in the work of God
preaching from house to house
not, however, so much among
those who are already in the way
of righteousness, as among the out.
casts. and the poor, ignorant, starv.
ed sons and daughters oftoil, want,
and sorrow. 1t is tho ministers
privilege to 60 among them, and
be among them, as nurse among
her sick children, to ascertain theil
real state, to minister to their ne
cessities, and to watch over them
with the tenderest care, reconciling
their differences, soothing theil
wounded spirits, and instructing
them in lessons of patience, meek.
ness, gentleness, and love. It is
his privilege to direct all his hear
ers to the lamb of God, as the on
ly Saviour; and to urge them to
accept of a full and free salvation
through faith in the atoning sacri'
flee. To induce men to be recon.
ciled to God through the Son o.
His love, and to walk in all His
commandments blameless may be
regarded as the heart and soul Of
the preachers work. 1t is also
the faithful minister's privilege, to
appear among the people frequent
ly, with his face covered as it were
with the divine glory. When an
earnest and holy preacher goes
among the people with the Cos
pei of Christ, and in the character,
spirit, and tact which aman of God
ought always to evince, he will
find access to their inmost soul,
and gain them gradually over to
the truth as it is in Jesus.
The preacher who forces his
way through the conventional
barricades, erected by proud and
Mammon-worshipping men, to
fence off the lower classes, must be
man of eminent holiness, great
disinterestedness, good strong sense
and most fervent zeal. We fear
lessly say to the preacher who is
willing to obey and initiate Christ
take up your cross, stand on your
right as q man of God, and thus
prove yourself as willing to preach
to the poor as you would be, if re-
quested, to preach before the Presi-
dent of the United States, or Queen
Victoria Rhetorical flourishes may
amuse the fancy, but the man Of
God should seek to heal the sick, to
strengthen the weak, and to bring
back that which was driven away.
Geek. xxxiv. 1-1O). Iuke 14th
and 18th chapter). 1t is the labour-
er that is worthy of his hire
not the cloistered monk or the
pianoforte preacher. Our person
al responsibility to conscience, to
society, and to God, compels us to
add, that the generality of the pres
ent race administers are not preach.
ers for the people. They are the
good ministers of d select party,
who are, to great extent, willing
to sit. evey Sabbath morning and
evening, year after year, perfectly
quiescent, under the sound of the
Gospel, without thinking much
about the millions who are perish
ing around them. But the preach
ers for the people cannot satisfy
their consciences BY any such me-
chanical performances, ofa piece of
service for a certain amount of
money. No; they add the evange-
list TO the pastor, the visitor to the