The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-06-05
MINISTRY.
CONTINUED from page ~


ple act Of picking a chicken. l almost
shudder yet when l think how nearly
/ came losing salvation and what a
mistake / made in not picking chick
ems all my life"
aoh, mo-" said Simon, do not talk
50. No one has made a mistake, who
has gained heaven" Then he broke
out into a hearty laugh.
Joseph: Why do you make merri-
nent about such a serious matter?
Simon: l was just thinking about
the eternal fitness of things. how very
appropriate 1t was for a preacher to
pick chickens.
simon: Yes, and if many more of
them had picked chickens, heaven
would be much more densely popu-
lated.
Joseph: Doesn't it seem strange
that your preaching should be such a
source Of condemnation to you, while
that little Insignificant act should
bring you such abundant honor?
Simon: Not at all, my brother,
after ones eyes are opened to behold
the actual truth. No animal feels at
home out of it's element. There is
always discord with a fish out OF
water or a bird in the water. And
while ii seemed to be necessary for
Us to stagger along and do the best
we could, yet our sermons fell so far
short of those of the Master, that
when they were seen in their true
light they brought on our heads shame
instead of honor. But we could picl
chickens, or give a hungry waif
piece of bread, or wash a sick man:
feet and do a thousand other little
acts of kindness to our brethren which
would bring honor TO US. Indeed tina
work was given us to do, and unless
we did it, it went undone. Will
God gave us the Bible and the Com
forter to direct the ways OF right
eousness, He has provided nothing bu
human instrumentality TO relieve tn
distress of the. fatherless and widow
in their Affections. While he has some
times commissioned angels to preacl
his gospel, he has commissioned u
TO relieve the distress of his brethreI
and we alone can claim the reward
Therefore we have obtained a NOR
excellent inheritance than they.
Joseph: Surely, great is the my!
terry Of godliness.
Simon: Yes. and its greatest my!
terry is it's simplicity. While men hav
always tried to mystify religion an
make it as complex as possible, Go
has laid down a few rules so simpl
that "the ~way-faring la though
fool need not err therein"
But let us leave the realm of in
agination and return to the real fact
of the case. One of the great argI
ments in favor of tithing and a sa
aried ministry is the Aaronic prizes
hood. If God instituted a ~priest-hoo
to have charge of the holy things
ancient Isreal, and provided means fc
their support, why does ne not san
ton the same things for his mini
tiers of to-day?
When the Lord led his people out
Egypt and brought them to Sinai, II
told them If they would obey HI
voice and keep His covenants, the
SHOULD be unto Him a Kingdom {
priests and an holy nation" that
every one should be a priest and
able to commune with God direct an
not through another. So the Peep
were commanded to sanctify themse
YES and on the third day they wei
to draw nigh to the mounain, whe
God would come down. "in sight of q
the people" and they would hear I'll
words of the Law as it was given
Moses. Although the people had jul
promised Moses that-"All that Ii
Lord hath spoken we will do"-whe
they saw The thunderings and ligh
ming and the voice of the trumpe
and the mountain smoking" they di
obeyed, and removed and stood afs
on. "And they said unto Moses, Spea
thou with us, and we will hear; br
let not God speak with US, lest "
die"
The Egyptian priests were suppose
TO hold all the mysteries of religio
as well as all other learning, and Il
doubt the Israelites We're biased ]
that way and thought that all the
could ever know OF God would hay
TO come through a priest.
After the people had drawn bac
and refused to hear the word OF III
Lord, each one for himself, Aaron an
his sons were appointed TO ministe
unto them in Holy things. But befoT
Aaron had heard of his appointment
he made a golden calf and proclaime
before the people, "These be thy god.
o, Israel, which brought thee up on
Of ,Ae land of Egypt" This grea
sin came nearly being the destructio
Of the whole nation. In less than
year from this time, two OF Aaron
sons offered strange fire upon tn
altar and were slain.
Notwithstanding these direful b'
ginnings of the Levitical priesthood
the people had refused TO hear tn
will of God only through a priest, S
the tribe of Levi was chosen to mir
lister to them in holy things, n tn
rest of the people were to give
tenth of all their income for thei
support. One would think that tn
priests Of Israel, with houses alread.
buiIded and all the good things .
the land brought right 10 their doors
ought to have been the best people II
the world. But no-the large major
ity were very bad. Jeremiah said
the priests of his day were ful o
drunkenness and Micah says, II
priests teach for hire" n Jesui
found his fathers house a den o
thieves.
Thus we find that the Aaroni'
priesthood, and the ministratloh o
the sons Of Levi, was a miserable fail
ure. Although occasionally there wa
a great and good man among them
they were few, and the Bible writer
seldom have a good word for tn
priests. This is not strange Tor al
institution founded IN a system =
is contrary to the first precept OF I'M
Bible. could not help producing dire
fnI results. The Leyites were se