Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-04-08
How to Have a Good Min.
lister.

Somewhere lately, | have seen
this question: "How to have a
good minister; how to make
yours a good one; or if good
how to make him better" In
reply to it | would say:
1. Pray for him. "Brethren,"
says the apostle, ''pray for us. y
And if wishes were audible,
such you would find is the ear
nest wish Of the hea, t Of every
minister to his people. Pray,
then, for your minister. He
needs your prayers. His labors,
responsibilities, anxieties, and
perhaps his trials are great, and
all for you. He is sent to pro-
claim Gods truth; and he needs
your prayers, that he may do it
successfully. With Paul, he
may say, pray for us, that
the words Of the Lord may
have free course and be glo-
rified." Besides, he prays for
you, yes, and your families and
children, and often with deep
feelings, and perhaps with gush-
ing tears, and therefore you
should pray for him. Pray for
him and you will love him.
''Pray for your enemy eyen,'
says an old proverb, ''and you
will soon love him." Much
more if you pray for your min
lister your best friend you
will love him. You Will hear
him too with interest, and hold
him in high esteem, and be
blessed by his ministry.
2. Never speak i'll Of his fam
lily. lie stands to you in a most
sacred and tenderr relation, some
what like that of a parent to a
child, or the wife to the hus-
band, and what would yOu think
OF the husband or the child that
should be found speaking to
others Of the faults OF his wife
or parent? What would you
think of his honor. his manli-
ness, his obedience to God?--
From your inmost soul you
would loathe and despise him,
and justly too. Ard so with
you, if you speak i'll Of your
minister. Besides, God by his
apostle tells you to "know them
which labor among you, and to
esteem them very highly in love
for their works sake" And
all this you can never do if you
speak against them. Shame on
you, then; guilt on you, if you
do it. On the contrary,
3. Delight to speak we'll Of
him. Not to himself, that is
needless, but to others. Every
cne has some good qualities,and
so has he. OF every one you
can say something good, and
so you can of him. Do so, and
it will lead others TO do the
same. 1t will extend his infu-
encc for good. 1t will aid to
make him Il blessing to yourself
and all about you.
4. Support him liberally.-I
'Iet him that is taught in the
word, communicate unto him
that teacheth in all good things"
This is Gods command. and
those who disobey it suffer-
Many a church has cursed itself
by being mean to its minister.
Let not that curse be yours.
Pay your minister literally and
punctually. Thus his mind Will
be at rest, free from anxiety and
entirely given to his appropriate
work, to Iaboring for your good.
3. Always meet him with
kindness and affection. He is
a man, and will appreciate and
prize your sympathies. So far
from his being above them, they
will help to make him happy;
and the want, the absence of
them will often send him to his
study with the heart-ache--si-
lent and accomplishing it may
be, but bleeding at the inmost
soul. Would you shrink from
inficting a pang like this?-I
Ever meet him with a welcome
smile. with a friendly word. 1t
will warm his heart to a deep
for yourself; will in
cite him to the greater effort for
your good, and make him doub-
ly willing to spend and be spent
for you.
6. Call upon him. Not too
often, for thus you may inter
rupt his studies, and waste his
time; but at proper seasons
omepeople never do this. They
expect their minister to call and
see them, but never think Of
calling to see him. Be not