The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-10-25

Tue Inotner heart, to give her grace and
strength, and you sayNwhat words you
can OF comfort and encouragement. Can
you ever feel to her again as to an or
binary member of the human family ?
And II the child is spared and grows up.
is he not little more to you than an
other child? A man tells you some
thing of his life, his struggles, his sor-
rows, perhaps his sins. His lip quivers
and his eyes overflow at the recital. If
you have the first elements Of minis
ters nature IN you, you must feel and
speak to that man evermore with some
influential memory of the interview.
Any ordinary minister who is to do
spiritual good to his people must love
them. But ordinary men found their
attectlonate interest on acquaintance. 1t
is not love in general and in the abstract
that makes channel to the human
spirit; but love to individuals, into whose
faces and in some degree into whose
hearts you have looked.
And the people are the better for
knowing him, swill believe in his earnest
desire to do them good when they find
him as minister in their dwellings, hear
him in better spirit as he breaches, and
are prepared to respond to his appeals.
1t is not quite true that all the eloquence
is in. the audience but much of it is
there, as truly as the echo is in the bosom
Of the hills or the winding of the valley,
though in part also in the bugle- blast that
evoked it.
The strangest ideas are entertained by
some regarding ministers-ideas that
nothing but contact will rectify. 1t is
good for the people to see that he is a
man." man of like passions" with them
selves; and as he goes among them q
true, simple, natural, unaffected gentle
man, walking on no stills, free of all in
science of Office, obviously fighting the
battle of his life, as they are fighting
theirs they learn to believe that the sub
lime principles he enunciates from the
pulpit are not for some retired, privileged
spot, inhabited by ministers, deacons, and
their respective wives, but for common
men and women, who live and toll and
enjoy and suffer, and who must die and
be judged.
But the congregation admits of being
distributed into classes, and so approach
ed. The very young are to be gathered,
visited, known in the Sunday School.
The minister can as little afford to dele
gate his duties to the teachers as can the
parents. 1.-The Sabbath School the nur
sery of the Church ?" Why yes; as the
olive plants round about the table are
nursery for the family. But are they
not part of the family-to be fed, cared
for, protected, cultivated? And the
teachers-a class by themselves, the min
listers unpaid assistants -to be known,
encouraged, guided, and to receive some
times little salutary Encouragement
where they take their duties too easily or
discharge them in overweening self
confidence or in self complacency. SO
there is the class above the children
young men and maidens-to be gathered
by him into communicates class there
are, perhaps, young men to be directed
IN their literary mutual help; working
men,. perhaps, to be aided ladies or
gentlemen's " Bible reading" to be con-
Quoted anything in the line of the min
istry that will bring minister and people
together. Change the forms; change the
names, if need be; appear as directing
or not, as is wise; only come near the
people.-FfOm DR.. Halls yale Leo
tatreS on Preaching"