The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-09-25
A POWERFUL SERMON
Fit for Men of All Denominations
and Pursuits to Study-Relig-
ions Relationships to
Reform.
A CHARGE TO THE MINISTRY
Bv Rev. G.. e. Walker.

by themselves before an intelligent audi
ence listening, all, to the charge to the
Minister whose ordination had called to-
gether the preachers and the people. cThe
minister once ordained seems to be not
"a part of and with the people, In that
charge" were words so full of rich mean
ing that any active mind must see that
ito act we'll the part" expressed in the
language used must conduce to most eff
fective ministry. carrying the power OF
manliness wherever the clergyman
should set himself to work out the saliva
ton suggested by the very spirit of the
charge. The first great word emphasized
was that which received so much dignity
from the little history of the creation of
man, God created man in his own image"
and had added emphasis given it when
the Christ became incarnate and grew up
as the dutiful son Of Mary to be man.
1t was, "My brother, first of ALL be a
man." That is noble counsel 1t places
the minister on plane of dignity, yet no
whit above his fellows. One need not
think it belittling that "call" to the
ministry should result in being ''called
down" from the loftiness too frequently
assumed by theologians, for Jesus Christ
delighted to call himself the son of man.
That is sufficient dignity when one can
occupy a sphere on level with the Di-
vine Master.
The minister is not asked to do the
things that men do; only the manly things
that men do; but as a man he is called not
to follow other men, but, to the manly
and ennobling privilege of saying Follow
me as / follow Christ" The preacher is
middle man" but should never consent
to be a middling man. He is to be a
manly man. AS the writer caught the
meaning of him who delivered the charge
we are referring to it seemed to be that a
manly man can be trusted. He can be
trusted to lead, lead men. And alongside
this thought we remember that he did
use the expression: "Be man among
men"
There is a sentiment abroad in the
world which accords the ministry a lead
ership in religious things, especially that
phase of religious thought and things that
ll6S du6du anu SOIuCWudI dCTOSS VIE
sea-" but utterly refuses to counterfeit the
leadership of the clergy in things that
pertain to mundane transactions beyond
the mere relations involved in purchasing
church lots and furnishings and marrying
the living and burying the dead. Every
thing else that is assigned the ministry
pertains to things heavenly" And in that
buying of church lots even the clergy
must not scrutinize too closely the mo-
tives and methods of business men and
church trustees (who are only human,
you know. Were any considerable num-
Der of preachers to clay down the line
of Bible principles closely in some of these
Church business transactions there would
soon be such swift itineracy in locating
and relocating pastors as to require two
issues of Church Yearbook annually or
else circular supplements in order to find
where our clergy, many of them, "are at. "
No. Ministers, as the world goes, must
not know tooN much about business af-
fairs, must be Indifferent as to methods OF
Church work on the purely business side,
must keep clear of politics, and must
know sufficiently about speculative phil
osophy and eschatology to get out sermon
subjects quite enough to Ego the year
round without having to call in Prog
ress and Poverty Protection for Our
Homes 1.-The Widows Rights" "The
Poor Tax" or easy Divorce" "A Ma
tional Discourse" will be be allowed near
July first if no reference to pessimistic
thoughts is made, other than to condemn
them; and a National Thanksgiving
Service" may be held provided the con-
ditions in the Stun districts are not men
toned
Now, seriously, what must common
humanity with its many heartaches and
head-misgivings think of such a leader
ship as we have limited at above? And
does any reader dare to think the imagi-
nation drawn upon for the picture? Be
not deceived. There is too much, far too
much fact, truth in this little more than
hint, the laity on the one hand demand
ing ministry mum on practical COM
munity wrong-doings, and time-serv-
ing ministry toadying to this unmanly
demand for preaching that touches the
silvery side of life and Attempts to be
hopeful through the false optimism of
teaching by themes touching the abso-
lutte and transcendent. This sort of a
ministry aims to grow eloquent, dwell
ing upon the gracious spirit of the we'll
to- do whose cheap philanthropy manages
'fresh -air-funds," and at the same time
the poor widow in back pew is given
her "only hope in the suggested
Thoughts of Divine Fatherhood which is
pictured in blissful heaven and "far
away" We repeat, what must COM
men, burden bearing humanity estimate
such ministry to be worth? The COM
mon sinner does not bolster himself up
and deny sin. He usually accepts the ar
raignment of sinful life and courts the
teaching that offers repentance, faith
and restored manhood" as a supplement
to the doctrine of sin. But the great
common people some of them are ignor-
ant and some of them are scholarly-de-
mand that the truth shall be told, and
that sinners in high places" be not
given the dissolution of first place be-
cause they hold the key to the situa-
tion"-any situation, even the pulpit
And what does the high sinner think of
the ministry that "trains?"
The writer knows bank president
a Deist-whO held the Office of president
of the board of trustees Tin an Evangel-
ical church, and while he was an avow-
ed temperance man and held a sitting
in the church he was about renting a
building to saloon-keeper. The pastor
and trustee of the church faced the ap-
plicant for license in the city council
and knocked out" the proposed new sa-
loon. Immediately the president of both
bank and church board, closeted with the
pastor, asked the preacher to modify
your methods" of doing temperance
work, which meant to quit such work or
resign. 1t was moment of battle-it
was soon decided. Report says that the
pastor firmly held to his purpose to con-
Time his nlan of operations. while in the