Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1914-09-11
DOING GODS WORK
Preacher Who Makes Impression
: Must Ever Walk in the
&. .>.-.. Real Light.

Those preachers count VINO are SerV-
ants ( of :, the Word of God rather
than the expounders Of the words or
men. They. are not carried away by
every kind of doctrine They are
not carried away by pessimism' They
are not pulled up with baseless OPP
timism. They have faith and they
make their faith tell by their works.
The ill-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 lowiy, but COM
mon sense. aggressive and persuas-
ive-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
CT 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 1t is. found, implanting
it where 1t Is not found, and discov-
ering 1t in the hopeless germs OF
living hope Some preachers are SO
busy with politics that they cease
to 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, Lo! there. that they
| forget the Master has warned them
not 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
sample Of zeal without knowledge.
There are many aggravations to hasty
congratulations and to ephemeral &C
tivity. 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 never 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 out Of the pulpit
the preacher who counts Is teacher
of sound doctrine and worker Of the
fine, unintrusive ministries that give
SAVIOR to the name Of Jesus In the
eyes of the needy, the sick, the af-
f1icted, 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 puIpits 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 prln-
ciples Of their Master.