Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-04-03
DECLINE OF THE MINISTRY.
An Able Sermon Carrying a
Note of Warning.
LABORER WORTHY OF HIS HIRE.

Neglect of the Churches Discourage
ing the Brighter Young Men From
Entering the Ministerial Field
Common Sense Views Applied to
the Problem-Good Men Must Be
Well Paid.
The following sermon recently deliv-
cred by Rev. B. H. Grier, struck those
who heard 1t with such force that The
ENQUIRER has been requested to pub
lish it, in the hope that the dangers
pointed out may receive the considera-
ton that their far-reaching Importance
deserves:
II have lent him to the Lord" I
Samuel, 1928.
For great and touching sacrifice we
turn to woman in the Scriptures. Han
nah suggests Mary, and when she
brings her boy, for which she has pray
ed to the Lord, we think Of what Christ
said to Mary: "she hath done what
she could" There Is no more sacred
spot than a mothers love for her boy,
and when she presents her first born
to the Savior, she hath broken her ala
baster box and kept back nothing. Not
like Ananias or Sapphira Is she keeping
back part Of the price; but she hath
done what she could. Elkanah and
Hannah were pious souls, making at
every feast their offerings to the Lord,
bringing portions that pleased the
priests heart; but they have brought
nothing that approaches in value
this that Hannah now presents to
God-the Offering of her son.
The costly sacrifice-this tits that God
desires Talk we Of our offerings. Can
they be compared with that of Han
nah? The gift that costs us something,
that is the gift precious in the Lords
sight The gift that has in it the
heart of the giver. That carries with
1t the giver himself-that will not go
as a proxy; but must have the gtver
himself. The gift that is not so much
a token Of the man; but the man him
self. So does God value the children
that believers present to him. for
when God gets our children, he Sc
cures us. There Is no holding back
the heart when the Savior calls our
children. We surrender then, for God
has taken the best part Of us. and we
must let him have our heart also.
Yes, when we give offerings OF gold
we must sanctify it with our own be-
ing, for the valuable thing in his sight
is the heart. So we emphasize sacrifice
here and honor the mother because
she gave her all. She has but one
son; she gives him to the Lord. At
what cost let the mothers say who
carry the mother love in their bosoms.
The value Of Hannah's sacrifice.
This leads us to ask why so few sons
are given to God, like Samuel, In our
day? Where are the mothers who
present these, their choicest gifts, to
God? The call of God to the sons of
the church often comes through the
parents; and let no parent fear that he
is seizing the prerogative Of Jehovah
when he or she sets apart their son
to the holy office of the Lord. The
human element, in providing godly
ministry, has not been sufficiently
emphasized. The audible voice is not
to be heard calling men to his work,
and no miraculous event need be ex-
pected thrusting a man into the min
istry; but through providence, by
force of plain circumstances, and es-
pecially through dedication Of devout
hearts, the ministry Is to be replen-
ished.
There is complaint among the
churches of the falling off in the num-
her of candidates for the ministry.
The complaint is more or less general.
l recently read an appeal from the
Southern Presbyterian church, in
which it was stated that there was a
falling off Of something like 20 per
cent; and the statistics Of the North
ern church show a like state Of things,
and our church Is not dissimilar. I
have reason to believe it Is true, to
some extent, in all the churches. In
our own presbytery there Is but one