The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-05-09
MINISTER'S UP TO Date.
Rev. DR.. Jackson of He'd
ding Gives His Idea of
the Needs of the
Pulpit.
COMMON SENSE AND STUDY.
Above All Things He Must Keep
Abreast With the Times in
Spirit and knowledge.
SENSE AND STUDY.

Rev DR.. j. c. Jackson. the new minis
ter OF the Hedding M. e. Church, yesler-
day morning gave his congregation a SER
mon embodying his conception of the
ministerial office. The doctor is an able,
Earnest and fluent talker. lie said that
the first thing a minister needed was good
sense-justly balanced faculties and
sound Judgment. Good sense was such a
valuable thing that God gave no man
more than was absolutely necessary.
Next, the minister needed sound and
vital piety. A minister, especially a
Methodist minister, needed religion-not
merely knowledge of the Scriptures. Still
he should De SO thoroughly versed III
S"criptural lore as to be able TO give a just
exposition of the fundamental truths
drawn from Scripture that he might be
able to give reasons for the faith that was
in him. He must be a student Of the
Bible.
AN UNLIMITED FIELD.
That implied much labor The doctor
illustrated this graphically by referring
10 the STUDY of the first few verses in the
first chapter of Genesis. The creation OF
the heavens and earth, the creation OF
light. involving so many scientific theor-
les, the creation of life involving SO many
biological theories, the creation OF man
involving SO many questions Of mental
and moral. Philosophy, the fall OF man
involving the question of human freedom.
In The first few pages of the Bible were to
be found questions that have engaged the
attention of man ever since he began to
thInk-QuestionS which angels themselves
desired TO o. into.
IA he poor fool who rushed to conclusions
in IL domain of Thought where angels
feared to tread needed Gods help aud
pity. Earnest thought concerning the
great questions raised by Scripture should
engage the mind OF the. Biblical student;
To prove his assertion the Doctor quoted
st. Paul, Calvin, Wesley and other great
preachers.
SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
A minister, the Doctor maintained,
must be able to grasp the spirit of the age.
1t was an age Of inquiry. People had
caught the infection OF its spirit. 1t was
terests. The minister must be able to
speak upon the social and other economic
questions of the day in questions con-
corning the labor agitation. questions
concerning divorce, questions con-
corning municipal reform. II the
minister n mas+ &C cannot 1as.t lead lead ., In q thought 10 en-
times. II the church ministry was
weak the public eye would be fastened
upon Its weakness, and the people would
turn upon the church as 1t did In the last
century.
"The food gates Of European and
American corruption have already
opened" said the speaker, land I think
sometimes much more is coming than
the mere conflict Of opinion. The minis
ter must be able to stand up and declare
the truth of the story of the Cross"
THE CHURCH FINANCES.
It being the first Sunday in the new ifs
cal year of the church Mr.. Foster read a
statement of the estimate of expenses for
the current veal. The total amounts to
"a. 500. The fixed revenue is about 81. 100.
Plate collections would swell the amount
probably to 90, 500. The brothers in
charge of the finances would pledge one
half of the balance If the members aud
CATION would pledge the other half.