The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-19


| nalized by new name Thus, Moses slgnifed
taken out of the water" Samuel, "asked
of God" David. "beloved;" Peter. "a rock"
Saul, "a destroyer" Paul, "a workman" John,
1.-THE mercy of the Lord" Every man has his
natural endowment, his birthrght. his gift from
God He is compound of many qualities
physical mental and moral-the products of
many factors These abilities determine his
proper calling, and measure his obligation. Tai
ents. unused or misdirected, are abused Many,
ignorant of their powers. have failed to find their
true place and work Hence appears the wis
dom of the Scripture plan. The character
supposed to be deposited in the name, and by that
the man was forever committed to some partic
ular sphere of activity, TO fill which was his highest
honor, to neglect which was his eternal shame.
The minister must have a name in the Bible
sense-his capabilities must be recognized as
his assignment to duty. Natural powers are not
destroyed by conversion or by any subsequent
| religious experience. Neither they to be ig-
nored in call to the sacred Office Grace does
no violence to any part of our framework. 1t
displaces no faculties 1t creates no new organs
man in possession of himself. 1t discov-
! erS to him what he is It har-
monies and developes his whole being. And
when subsequently God calls him and sends him
forth to labor, 1t is to employ those very quail
ities thus brought forth by His renewing grace
When Saul, of Tarsus, was in Damascus, his
spiritual eyes yet blinded, the Holy Spirit said
unto Ananias, He is chosen vessel unto me to
bear my name before the gentiles." In the per-
secutor of the church, rightly named the de-
stroyer, the eye of God beheld all the traits out
of which an apostle might be made 1t was for
those qualities that he was 'apprehended by
Christ Jesus" And Paus whole duty was to
carry over TO his new Master those talents which
before had been so zealously used against Him.
he who sends forth the laborers appoints to each
task adapted to him. It was not Peter the
rock, nor Paul. the workman who was sent to
prepare the way for the Christ-they had their
appointed place and serviee-but man whose
name was john" the mercy of the Lord with
just such an outfit needed; the right man
in the right place.
The fact that diversity of gift implies
diversity of service Is frequently pre-
scented in the word of God The apostle says:
God hath set some in the church. first apostles,
secondarily prophets. Thirdly teachers" And
then he inquiries, Are all apostles2 Are all
prophets Are all teachers2' Certainly not. All
men have not the same ability and therefore can
not be employed in the same way. Let no one
expect Christs ministers to be alike. Let none
of them pattern after another. Let each man be
himself. Let each do his work, las of the abl-
ity which God giveth." Then only will Gods
purpose be accomplished. Hence in writing to
the Romans, Paul says: "As much as in me is
am ready to preach the gospel 20 you" ready to
employ whatever ability he possessed, and content
to stop there, recognizing that as the limit of
his obligation and the curb of his ambition.
Though contemplate in personal appearance
though he was less eloquent than Barnabas he
hesltated not He remembered that God had
sent him. man named Paul, with all that be-
longed to his personality and he was ready.
History, as we'll as Scripture, abundantly tes
titles that God recognizes the qualities of men.
and calls them forth to duty accordingly. Turn
over the dusty record, and this truth appears
every page. Recall the names of those who, in
the course OF the centuries, have been the most
prominent in the ministerial ofice-Athanasius,
Augustine. Latimer. Cranmer, Luther. Knox,
Calvin, Wesley. Why were not other men
chosenl Why we're they chosene Sim
ply and only because God saw in
them those powers which He could use. In
every emergency he found the man adapted to
meet it, And in all time to come may ex-
pect soul-winners, truth bearers church leaders
to appear just when and where the cause of
Christ requires Let not doubt that the man
sent, whose name is -, will suit the occasion
We cannot believe otherwise, unless we doubt
either the Divine superintendence or the Divine
wisdom
The thought under consideration may be very
safely applied in more personal and particular
way. The Lord Jehovah is the head of the
church. He has promised to abide in it and to
bless II. May we not therefore expect that He
will secure from time to time those pastors
whose names. that is, whose qualities, adapt
them to the necessities of the individual church?
1t may be said that the pastorate is a matter of
human arrangement, the result of negotiations.
But is there no Providence2 Is there restrain
ing and guiding grace upon the hearts of believ
ersl Are not 1.-The steps of good man ordered
Of the Lord!" And are Gods ministers and
churches left to make alliances without his help9
Impossible Some of the older congregations,
reviewing their history, have discovered the
Divine hand in the appointment of their minis
tiers. There may have been DOUBTS and fears
concerning individuals, at their first appear
ing. but afterwards it has been evident that men
of various gifts. one following another. have
worked together, as If by Encouragement, for
the edifying of the body of Christ. Breth-
rem, whenever any pastoral relation is consum-
| mated, the minister ought to inquire. Lord,
what wilt thou have me to do here? Why hast
thou sent to this place." And the people
should ask. What does God propose to do for
us by this. His servantl" The largest success is
possible only when both sides learn Gods will and
strive after it. For the Divine sending of a
certain order of ministerial talent is Gods call to
the church to enter certain form of life and
activity-it is the prefer of new development,
an opportunity not to be sighted. If the min
lister fails to know and attempt his part he is
sent in vain. If the congregation does not rec
ognize him, as he is, and the work he has come
to do because of what he is. then will the dear
| Lord say to that church. as he said to Jerusalem
! when he wept over it. Thou knewesr not the
| time of thy visitation" In either case. Gods
| purpose is not upfolded. and the cause that
| would have prospered languishes through the
| coming years.
| Such is Gods ideal minister He is a man,
| with all the in6rmities, joys and hopes. aye and
| possibilities of other He has been with
| God and has wrought into his life something Of
| Gods life. He is sent from God to men. He
| hears voice in his inner soul, inaudible to
| others, persuading him that he ought to preach
the gospel Responding thereto he goes forth,
consecratiDg himself wholly to this one work,
| pressing every talent into it, content to find
| place according to his abilities, to rise higher or
| sink lower to be more or less prominent among
| the many sent by the Master into the one
| common field, knowing that true honor comes
| only to him who faithfully acts his part. Sucn
| a man is unique character among men, There
| is abundance of room for him when he appears.
| Dear brethren of Meridian street Church, hum
| bed by of unworthness, trembling
under the weight of responsibility. your new
| pastor would make this ideal his own. He
| doubts not that you will welcome him in this
| capacity, that you will give him warm place in
| your hearts, that your hands will be joined with
| his. that your prayers will daily ascend in his