The Penn's Grove record., 1914-08-14
DOING GODS WORK
Preacher Who Makes Impression
Must Ever Walk in the
Real Light.

Those preachers count who are serv-
ants of the Word of God rather
than the expounders of the words of
e They are not carried away by
every kind Of doctrine. They are
not carried away by pessimism. They
are not pulled up with baseless op-
timism. They have faith and they
make their faith tell by their works.
The fll-digested schemes and plans for
the wholesale redemption Of man in
society have no hearing from them.
They try all things, but they hold
fast only to that which is good. They
are not opinionated and perverse.
They are meek and lowly, but COM
mon sense, aggressive and persuas-
lVe-a combination Of qualities that
makes a successful pastorate and one
that is sure to find the possessor
climbing the ladder Of ecclesiastical
preferment by regular stages.
There are preachers who employ
most of their time studying eddies
of dust in the movements of society,
who might much better employ their
time in proclaiming the kingdom Of
heaven in their pulpits and by their
accustomed functions increasing
faith where it is found, implanting
1t where it is not found, and discov-
erlng 1t in the hopeless germs OF a
living hope Some preachers are so
busy with politics that they cease
70 be polite with respect to the great
issue of sin and salvation. Some
preachers are so busy in answering
the outcries Of those who are cry
ing, Lo! here, 10! there, that they
forget the Master has warned them
lot to follow such and that the king
dom Of heaven is within men. 1t is
always a fine principle of action for
a pastor not to advance faster than
his brethren. When he finds a tend
ency to run before he has been sent
he should take himself to task and
inquire whether he is not exhibiting
a sample of zeal without knowledge.
There are many a%ggravations to hasty
congratulations and to ephemeral &C
tivtty. But the fundamental fact is
that God lives and all is right with
the world, even when the wicked
seem to flourish as the green bay
tree.
Preachers Real Work.
The finest, the only real worthy
work of the preacher is to conserve
the good. He may blast the evil
with words of fame. But to conserve
the good he must persuade men. He
may bring maledictions upon the
heads of the offenders. But he must
reach their hearts If he is to save
them from the error Of their ways
The preacher who really counts never
mistakes the mint and cummin for the
law and judgment. He never leaves
undone the important things in his
anxiety to attend to the unimportant.
He Eve confounds opinion with prin-
ciple nor uses the sacred name OF con-
vicition to bolster his own set de-
termination to have his own views pre-
vail. He is reasonable and concilia-
tory and ready to esteem other men
better than himself. In all things he
seeks to have a conscience void of Of
tense before God and men and to do
this he observes the ENJOYMENT OF
Jesus: Judge not that ye be not
judged"
The True Mission.
In the pulpit and u of the pulpit
the preacher who counts is a teacher
Of sound doctrine and a worker Of the
fine, unintrusive ministries that give
SAVIOR to the name of Jesus in the
eyes Of the needy, the sick, the af-
ficted, the worried and distressed.
He holds the lamp of faith in one
hand and points with the other to the
star OF eternal hope that will shine
even though faith itself grow dim.
This is the preacher for these times as
for all times. This is the class from
which are selected the heads OF i'm
portant educational institutions, and
men of leadership. These are the
men whom the pulpits Of important
churches attract They can give a
reason for the faith that is in them
through testimony of their good works
and their fidelity to the high prin-
ciples of their Master.