Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-05-19

IL
Martin Luther in his downright fash I.
ion says, Though thou art wiser than
Solomon, yet. unless thou art called, /
avoid the ministry as thou wouldest /,
hell itself
The church has lost many an eff !
cient sexton only to gain an inefficient
priest, for it is not only better TO be
a doorkeeper in the house OF the Lord
than to dwell in the tents of ungodli.
ness; it is better to be a doorkeeper
in the house of the Lord and be called
to the task than it is to minister I'M
summoned at the Lords altar. These
are the men who, proud of the sense
of priesthood, are unconscious of
those human limitations which alone
bind the heart of the priest to the
hearts of the people and make of his
Office a place of dignity and q place
of power.
The greatest menace to the church
is not immortality in her priesthood
but the presence there of uncalled
men, who, advanced from some lowly
and honorable task to speaking from
pulpit, and being addressed by
title, become victims of vanity and
give themselves up to an intrusive, in
tolerable conceit which impoverishes
their message, demoralizes their char
aCter, and robs their Office of the dig
nifty with which God endowed it.
The dignity of the priesthood. 1t is
worth preserving. 1t is the Office
which ministers the pardon and the
grace of God. 1t is the ladder set up
from earth to heaven along which an
gelic messengers move with stately
step. mediating between God and nina
| II is the medium through which God
works in human souls, converting
! them by human voice, or feeding them
at tie hands of men with the bread
of life. There is everything in the Of
| flee to kindle the highest aspiration
of Christian youth. There is every
thing in it's powers and in it's pur-
pose to inspire the reverence of ev-
cry Christian man. 1t holds within
its hands the keys of heaven, and on
its absolving word the penitent stands
shriven from his sins, once more at
peace with God. So close it is to
heaven.
And yet. so close it is to earth, that
God ordained that men should be the
ministers of its treasures, men called
out from other men and exalted to
this honor, to stand not only in the
place of God to men, but to stand be-
fore God as the representatives of
humankind to plead with him for all
men in their common weakness, to
pray TO Him for all mems needs, as
though all men everywhere stood
there before the altar incorporated in
the priest of God, offering through his
lips the prayers of thousands of God S
children, through his lips Gods priest
but their minister, a man of like pas
sions with themselves, with human
weaknesses, wretched sins, mighty
struggles. with the same faith and the
same hope in the merits of the Son of
God. So close it is to earth, so bound
to humankind. so one with man in all
his sin, his failure and his triumph.
The man who stands before Gods
; altar permeated with this thought for.
gets the power of priesthood in the
joys of privilege and cherishes as his
highest sacerdotal gift the right TO
; minister for men in loWly service, in
. kindly deed, in gentle word, and to
carry to the throne of God their hopes
: their fears, their needs. This priest
: identified with men, rubbing their ell
/ boys and touching their hearts, this
| priest alone preserves the dignity OF
/ his Office for he has those gifts which
: more than all the power and authority
: in the world, make for respect, humil
7 ity and sympathy.
AMONG HIS FLOCK.
He goes among his flock, with nc
thought of power, sorrowing with one
rejoicing with another. He goes tC
, the altar, with no thought of pride, bur
, bearing on his heart the sins not only
, of himself but of his people, and say
, ing, Father, We have sinned." He
> comes from his pulpit without vain
, glory and conceit, but glad if through
his words any triumph should b.
: wrought for God, knowing only too
; well that
1T is not | who have written,
| 1t is not I who have sung,
I'm the chord that Another has smit
| ten,
| The chime that Another has rung.
give but the things | am given,
| l share but the things that l see.
| draw, bat my pencil is driven
BY a force that is master of me-"
With a priesthood humble befor
| God aud identified b. sympathy a
| least with every weakness, ever,
need. every breath of man, the dignit.
Of the office shall never cease amoni
men. For what is dignity? Does i
consist Of palaces and thrones, is
an accompaniment of authority ant
1 power, does il attach itself to one OF
fee above another and say, This oil
| fee shall be revered ,mong men fol
/ ever, no matter who holds it, no maj
| ter how it is used:" No. Dignity j
| more than this. All over the SINAI
states of Europe are little principal
| ties. pretentious little thrones wit
| pretentious little princelets sitting o
| them, decked in silks and purple. /
| that dignity? Why, they are but deco
rated paUpers. They are the scor
and by-word Of the people. Dignity
Why, they neither rule nor work. n