The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-10-20

injurious, and which are then disowned
by them and left to live as bastards and
not sons-never taking any shape with
which the injured party can deal with them
are indications of low tone in the min
istry-of the absence of that chivalrous
honor which should mark the accredited
ambassadors of Christ, and that love of
the Master which should think no evil of
his disciples Undoubtedly there is a
widespread sentiment among the people
that ministers of the gospel are not by
any means ideal in this regard, and far
from ensamples to the flock, in the free
dom from the petty jealousies and low am
bitions which should characterize them.
What is needed in this age to clothe the
world with power is higher private life
in the ministry of the gospel-a soul
above all the meanness Of earth-a nobil-
ity of heart as well as of intellect which
all can feel and admire In great meas
ure, according to the purity of the instru-
ment will be the success. 1t is not great
talent that God blesses but great likeness
to Jesus. A holy ministry is an awful
weapon IN the hand of God. A word
spoken by the man whose conscience is
clean and his heart full of Gods Spirit,
is worth ten thousand spoken in worldli-
ness and unbelief OH for the beauty of
personal holiness in our ministry 1t
was this that gave McCheyne his power,
so that his preaching was described by
one who heard him, as if it were "a blast
OF the great trumpet that shall awake the
dead" This was the secret of the success
that attended the preaching of such men
as President Edwards, the Tennents,
Whitefeld, Wesley, John Livingstone,
Brainerd, Payson. How was it that in
their hands every word of the gospel fell
like hammer stroke, and few could re-
sist the power with which they spoke?
1t was because they were full of-their
faces also shone with, that power of holy
llte-that moral grandeur which Christ
displayed to the band who came with
swords and slaves to take him, and by
which they were borne backward and
fell to the ground. If the power of world
illness is ever to be resisted and forced
backward it must be by ministers and dis
ciples from whose lineaments shine out
lofty personal holiness, and superiority
to all pride, self-conceit, personal vanity,
and uncharitableness.
Another aspect of the religious condi-
ton of our city is the
Number of Vacant Churches.
Never were the pulpits of our city in
so deplorable a condition as at present
Almost every important church has
changed pastors in the last few years or
is now without minister. At the last
meeting of the Presbytery of Philadel-
phla no less than three ministers
were dismissed from their charges. Rev.
Richard Allen to become Secretary of
the Board of Freedmen, Rev. Robert
Adalr to be pastor emeritus, and Rev.
John @. Thompson on account of i'll health.
Two churches were previously vacant.
so that five in all are now without min
listers. Some of these are the most de-
slrable churches in the city-notably the
Second Presbyterian church-ministered
to by the Rev. DR.. Elias Beadle. There
was some whisperings during the meeting
OF the Council that DR. Mcintosh of Belfast
would be called to this important charge.
Would that Philadelphia might share
with New York, in the munifcence with
which the old world has sent some of
her noblest men to the new world. This
is the species of emigration we need
not only the bone and Drawn of Europe
but also ministers OF unction and power
to help us in this vast work of assim-
milation and evangelization. Who, in
the full knowledge of the good work
wrought by Rev. John Hall and William
Taylor In our land could forbid such
emigrants as these? Come and thou
sand welcomes is our greeting to all such
men who would fain cross the sea and
labor with us in the mighty vineyard of
America. L. M. @.