January 1.926
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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necessity. These truths reach the conscience and the intel ligence and produce conviction, and conviction is necessary to faith and the sense of duty and obligation. If these higher truths are presented, they go far to resist the attacks of unbelief, and to awaken in the soul the desire and longing for higher, divine, holy and eternal things. The youth of today, living as he does, if in school, under the constant agitation, confusion and unrest of unbelief, and if in the actual open life of the world, under the strains of temptation to evil practices and indifference, is very unfor tunate if he has a pastor whose preaching and thinking is all .along the line of stereotyped ethics. If he is not invited by his pastor, through frank and fair discussion, explanation and systematic instruction, to make inquiry and to secure instruction concerning those facts and truths which are vitally related to his temporal and eternal interests, cold ness must result. We are persuaded that there is too often a separation between the youths and the preachers, because the latter are more or less shrinking from a frank and open dealing with the errors and wrongs which the youth of our own times are compelled to confront. With error so bla tant, truth ought not to seek silence. One more thing the wise and conscientious pastof ought to consider. According to the Presbyterian System, he is not only preacher and pastor of the flock, he is also a pres byter or ruler in the church. These questions of truth and error, right and wrong, not only pertain to the individual, but to the interests of the whole church, and these general Interests are reached through the constitutional organiza tions of the church, which in the Presbyterian System con sists of a series of ascending courts. A Presbyterian min ister not only takes the solemn vow to discharge the duties of a pastor, but he also gives the “ promise to be zealous and diligent in the exercise in maintaining the truth of the Gospel, and the purity and peace of the church: whatever persecution or opposition may arise unto you on that account.” In reading this vow, it should be ¿oted that purity and peace occur in the Scriptural order, “ First pure and then peaceful.’’ Here is a combination when impurity destroys peace, force and effectiveness. The pastor’s first duty is to collect and feed his flock, but the other duty is of like importance, namely, to warn and defend his flock. The office of pastor and presbyter center in the same man. "From glory unto glory!” Be this our Joyous song, As on the King’s own highway we bravely march along. “ From glory unto glory!” Oh, word of stirring cheer! As dawns the solemn brightness of another glad New Year. Now onward, ever onward, from "strength to strength” we go, While "grace for grace” abundantly shall from His fulness flow, To glory’s full fruition, from glory’s foretaste here, Until His very Presence crown our happiest New Year! — Frances Ridley Havergal. i t i m ‘ THE GLORY THAT EXCELLETH!”
ECENTLY, in conversation with a brother minister whom we hold in high esteem, he remarked that, in regard to present false teachings, he considered his first duty to be the care of his own church by preaching to them constantly, carefully and faithfully the truth of God as revealed in the Scriptures. By this positive work he aimed to assist them in a strong, positive faith, which would overcome and repress false teachings. As a result of this policy in an exceptionally large church mem bership, he had but two cases of uncertain faith. One of them had wholly recovered and the other was in an unset tled condition of mind and heart. We wholly agree with this brother as to the general care of the flock. The pulpit should not be a mere forum of debate. But the Scriptural figure of the minister is that of a shepherd. The office of the shepherd includes at least two functions, feeding and defense. The Old Testament speaks of the shepherd as leading his flock by the still waters and in green pastures. It also tells of the faithful, courageous shepherd snatching his sheep from the Jaw of the lion and the paws of the bear. What value or service would it be to nourish and father the sheep, and then fail or neglect to protect them from their destroyers. The Bible speaks of good, faithful shepherds. It also tells of idle shepherds and shepherds who feed on the flocks and neglect them. In these days, the foes of the truth and the destroyers of the souls of men are putting forth every effort to dis seminate unbelief. Their chief attack is directed against the Bible and Christ and His divine salvation. It is quietly insinuated in the teachings in the public schools. It is sys tematically and persistently advocated in our universities and colleges and seminaries. It is presented in attractive and sensational form in the magazines and discussed and sensationally set forth in the daily press. If any pastor thinks he is helping to repress it by letting it alone and failing to mention it in his pulpit, he is being sorely and seriously deceived. "Let us alone” has been the cry of error in all ages. We sometimes fear that some modern pastors conceive of their office from a mechanical and ¿SDm- mercial viewpoint. Numbers are the chief mark of one’s success. So that some would say, With all thy getting, get numbers, and having numbers, all is well. We are sent to preach the Gospel to every creature, but we do not reach the human creature until we have passed the Gospel over the wires of their understanding into their hearts. If those wires are obstructed by false teachings, we must remove them or our labors must fail. Paul’s conception of preaching Christ has two chief ele ments: "Warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom.’ ’ The lower conception of preaching today is merely that of so-called practical ethics and the cultivating of a proper- cordial spirit. These are both good, but they can never be secured unless the higher spiritual truths pertaining to God, in His Justice, power, holiness, truth and love are presented clearly and strongly. In addition to these, the knowledge of man’s sin and salvation, and his spiritual interests for time and eternity, are o f the first
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