The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-13
In COUNCIL
The Methodist
Clergy
AT WEBSTER SO.
Bishop Mallalieu Tells Of a
Preachers Duties.

The December meeting of the Meth
odist Preachers Association, held yes
terday at the Webster Square Church.
was one of the most successful in its
history. Bishop w. F. Mallaleu of
Springfield was in attendance. and there
was a large representation Of the local
Methodist clergy.
The morning services opened at ten
o'clock with a devotional service led by
Rev. Nils Eagle of the Thomas Street
Swedish Methodist Church. A discus
sion then ensued upon the subject of
Brotherhood, " Rev. William j. Thomp-
son of Grace Church and Rev. Geo. w
King, Phi D., of Trinity Church taking
part Rev. Mr. Thompson, who opened
the question, said that men were in the
minority in the church, and the recent
activity to secure the attention and at
tendance Of the men was most COM
mendable. He thought that the min
lister should be more companionable
among the men of his congregation.
The minister should not distinguish
himself in dress from the men of his
congregation.
Rev. Dr. King said the organization
of mems unions had proved eminently
successful.
At the close of the morning service,
dinner was served in the vestry by the
| Ladies' Circle, those in charge being
Mrs. Lucien w. Adams, the pastor s
wife, and the officers of the circle.
| The afternoon program opened with
prayer by the Rev. r. j. Smith of
| Spencer, followed by an address upon
Pulpit prayer by the Rev. V. NJ. Sim
ons of this city.
The address of the afternoon and the
| leading discourse of the day was that
/ of Bishop Mallalieu, on Ministerial
success" Bishop Mallalieu said that a
man should be called to the minis
| try; he should be divinely fitted for the
ministry. The minister should be edu-
Gated, not only in the schools of our
civic life. but also in the schoo of self
instruction. A minister should be able
to learn from the experience of others
as well as from his own experience
Reading is one of the most potent
schools in the world, and many a good
book had been the guiding star of a
mans life. There are religious books
and secular books, and the minister
should be versed in all He should be
a constant observer and always learn
ing.
The minister should pay attention to
his health, to his bodily condition,
Many men would have been great in
the world but for the ill health which
constantly threatened them. A minis
ter is always subject to great strains,
and often his sympathies bring down
upon him an added burden and unless
his strength be fortified with reserve
force, he must necessarily Succumb,
with an attendant impairment of the
efficiency of his ministrations.
Another essential on the part of the
minister was in getting a goood wife.
He presumed that all present had such.
The best thing to be done by a man is
to be married However, unless a man
gets a good wife, he had better not
have taken the step. 1t would be far
preferable to wait ten years and get a.
good wife than to marry early and in
haste.
One of the crying evils of modern
religionists is that the ministers are
prone to too thin preaching. There
should ba more virility in the sermonI
and less quotation, with more original
thought of God. The divinity of God
should not be forgotten, and the work
Of our savior, Jesus Christ.
The minister should preach of repent
ance, not the repentance manifested in
tears and signs and public sobs, but the
repentance where the penitent forsakes
his evil course. Man should be taught
to hate sin with the same ardor as he
loves his Creator. The minister should
finally preach the resurrection of theI
body and the life everlasting. The ex-
ercises closed with a season of prayer.
At the next monthly meeting theI
topic will be "Class meetings." and
several well-known class leaders in the
city will be invited to speak 1t Isl
hope to secure the attendance of the
bishops of the church