The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-10-07
THE WORK OF A PASTOR
LYMAN BEECHER LECTURE BY REV.
 DIR. WATSON.

Practical Advice for Church WOrk-The
 Audience Large and Appreciative-Last
 Lecture Thursday.
 As the Lyman Beecher course of lec- lures draw towards a close the popular interest in them continues unabated. Yesterday, as on previous days, College street hall was packed with an appre- ciative audience to hear Dr. Watson's $ lecture on "The Work of a. Pastor"
 He said, in part, that as the church changes and does its work more after the business method of bankers it will be laid down as a first principle that the minister is made for the church and not the church for the minister Ger tain important results would follow the amalgamation of four churches in- to one in certain districts. There would be the saving of three-fourths of the preaching power, as one minis ter would be able to, do the work for merly done by four. It would prevent the pinched financial condition in churches and the resort to scandalous methods in raising money for the sup port of the church. The main point is that if we had such an amalgamation we should not have to depend on one man so much to do the various kinds of work in the church, but we should have several men well fitted for the various kinds of church work.
 He spoke of men with an ecclesias- tical tendency as men of great useful ness whose sphere is purely that of law.
 Apart from these there are men so made of God as to be thinkers and preachers. There Is nothing more ex- hilerating in this utilitarian age than the true pastor and his regard for his church. The true pastor carries his congregation in his heart, although he does not show it by sickly and effusive names. He never subjects them to criticism, they are too dear to him; nor to railery, they are to near to him, but in all respects he seeks the welfare of his flock
 The work of a pastor is like that of a doctor both outdoors and indoors. His work is that of visits tion and consulta- tion.
 pr. Watson then gave the divinity students some practical advice as to their visits to their parishioners. An nual visits should be made to every member of the church, the time having been announced beforehand from the pulpit. In addition to these there are times when it is the pastors duty to make special calls on certain members.
 "You may consider me superstitious he said, "but while telepathy and mind reading may not be proven outside the church, believe that it can be proven that it is true in the church, the com n1unication being carried on not through the minds of the members of the church, but through the heart of Christ There is also need that the minister should be able to consult with his people and in order to do this they must feel that he has a wide under standing of life; that he is familiar with circumstances like their own, and, above all, that these secrets are per- fectly safe with him. In this last re- spect he may well learn from the doc tors, who are very careful to honor- ably keep all secrets imparted to them in the course of their professional du- ties''
 Worship" is the subject oA the next lecture. The last lecture is on Thurs day.