Daily globe., 1883-08-19
THE CHRISTIAN MINIsTRY.

How beautiful upon the mountains are the
feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that pub
isheth peace Isaiah 52-7.
The profession of the gospel ministry
was established by Christ himself. He
sent forth the first teachers and pastors
with definite instructions to guide them in
their work. AS ambassadors of Christ
they occupy the most sacred position,
and, if worthy, are entitled to the respect,
and their teachings to the consideration of
mankind.
1t IS quite the fashion for persons of
low, vicious lives to sneer at Christian
ministers, to call them paupers dependent
upon the superstition of the
ignorant for their support, and
to declare that the world would
be better without them. To such men and
women, who have nc faith in God, who are
willing ''to die as the fool dieth. and to
have the burial of an ass,'' the Office of
Christian pastor must seem superfuous
But to those, who hope for a resurrection
from the dead through our Lord Jesus
Christ, and to share with him in the bless
edness of an eternal life, the gospel minis
try is not only the most exalted, but the
most needed profession in the world. The
work of a pastor is not confined to the
service of the church, he must be ready at
all times to meet the wants of his parish.
Through storms and darkness, in heat and
cold he must go to the bedside of the sick
and dying, to comfort those who mourn, to
point out the way to peace and reconcilia-
tion with God to the impenitent. In
times of sorrow and anxiety, of anguish
ard despair, there is no presence 80 well
come as that of the faithful and trusted
Christian minister.
That all members of this profession are
not ministers of Christ, that there are
many Evolves in sleeps clothing" endeav-
oring to lead the flock of the Good Shep-
herd is very true. The fault is principally
their own, and secondly the churches.
Many men enter the ministry from
unhallowed motives. Ambition, self
worship, love of ease, and a null
titude of baser motives influence many
men in their choice of this sacred profess
sion. Commencing thus the natural re-
suits follow, instead of preaching Christ
they preach themselves; instead of "prais-
ing God in the beauty of holiness" they
use their sacred Office as means to attain
their own selfish or wicked aims.
There are certain characteristics by
which they can readily be recognized
When preacher is ambitions of social
distinction. greedy for money, covetous of
praise, pufed up with self-conceit, AFRO
CANT and dogmatic in his opinions, he
can hardly be accredited as
servant of him who was meek and
lowly and whose mission was to seek and
save the lost.
1t must be acknowledged that no other
learned profession is characterized by such
degree of pride, egotism and arrogance
as the ministry. 1t would seem in many
cases that a diploma from divinity school
was a letter patent from the court of
heaven, declaring that the bearer possessed
perfect knowledge of the Bible, and was
thoroughly furnished to teach and preach.
having nothiug more to learn. An AFRO
giant, conceited minister brands himself as
d pretender, knowing nothing of that re-
Igion which is easily entreated, full of
mercy and gentleness.
There is another class of ministers who
like Uriah Heep, are always pleading their
''umbleness," but their humility is the very
essence of egoism. They bound every life
by the horizon of their own. What they
have done and said and experienced, fur
nishes the theme of their discources. If
they have been down in the cutters of in
temperance, or the sewers of vice, so much
the better. "Lo! from what pit have
been digged,'' is the moral of many SER
mon. Other men, in the clearer light of
better life, blush to recall their degreda-
tion, but these ministers glory
in that they furnished an opportunity for
the mercy of God to stoop SO low, never
knowing shat every act by which con-
scince is violated, like the sundered string |
of harp, limits the compass of its music |
and mars its harmonies forever"
The Christian pastor whose portrait was