The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-09-05
THE DUTY OF THE PASTOR.

I'LL w FhS Ons
To THE ED1roR:-What is the duty
of the pastor?QNotice, I say "the"
pastor. Not because there is only
one, but because the work of all pas
tors is of exactly the same nature, To-
cality changing only the details of the
work, the methods of:carrying it on.
The answer is found in the word
"pastor" meaning shepherd, which
is used metaphorically, the people to
whom he is ministering being consid-
cred as sheep. And we'll would it be
for them if the figure would in all cas-
es do the sheep justice.
A good and faithful shepherd leads
his sheep into the richest pastures and
by the clearest and most healthy wa
tiers. He then gives them a chance
to roam at large over the rich fields.
He does not, after getting them into
the pasture have little pen in it into
which he drives them after which he
will go to jerk off grass with his hands
and throw over the fence to them, and
thus stint their rations in the midst
of plenty simply because he is unable
to provide more in that way. Nor
does he coop them up, and then go
out with his scythe and NOV great
deal of the sweet grass into heaps and
let it become dried by the sun and
thus lose the greater part of its nour-
ishment ere he delivers it to them.
No, after they once get into the
pasture he gives them liberty to 60
and search for themselves where they
can find the very tenderest, sweetest,
and most nourishing food. Nor does
he when they become thirsty carry to
them water that has been standing in
vessel in the heat of the sun until a
green scum has formed on it, and
then if they wont drink that let them
do without any, but he lets them have
the privilege of drinking the cool and
refreshing waters directly from the
fountain itself. Applying the figure to
the question:in hand we have it thus:
The Bible, Gods revealed Word, con-
tains the green pastures and the crys-
tai fountains. In these pastures grow
great and living truths upon which if
souls feed they will grow and delight
themselves in fairness, and from these
fountains issue waters which if souls
drink they shall never thirst. 1t is
the pastors duty to lead his people
out into the fulness of this Word to
feed upon it in it's entirety and not
only imparts, to awaken in his people
such love fors Gods Book that they
shall study it independently and in
dividually, regardless of whether or
not this study will lead them to un-
derstand it as he does.
But the'pastor whose business it is
to build up some UNCONVENTIONAL or
sectarian party,..(and that is the bust
ness of a pastor engaged by "a" church
no better,,..than other churches) is
coping his people up in sectarian
pen and is feeding them on the few
straws that he: desires them to have,
and as consequence his people are
starving inithe midst of plenty, starv-
ing with the true Bread of Life, Gods
entire Word, right in their homes
And as consequence they are, to a
great extent, spiritual skeletons, in
some cases almost completely empty
of the Spirit of Christ and strangers
to that love that is willing to ignore
self entirely in order that sinners
might be won to Christ. Those who
are fed on such food very frequently
are jealous for their church, but think
very little about the great Head OF
the church; they will cling tenacious
ly to their opinion, but will have very
little zeal for salvation of souls.
| The pastors should just let down