ON THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A GOSPEL MINISTER. church, feel at liberty to depute this part of religion to others, the worship of God is abridged of its rightful claim. We believe that the revival of psalmody in the house, would contribute to train voices for the sanctuary. In order to have this effect, it should not be left to take care of itself, or be executed in a careless random way. Some pains should be taken to select suitable tunes, and to make every member of the household familiar with them. This might be done by means of an occasional hour of musical instruction, such as is implied in the injunction which we have already cited from our Directory. But the daily exercise itself is a school of music; and we have never known a family in which it was common, that did not attain to some excellence in this department. No religious duty can be conducted aright unless the heart be in it; and there are special | reasons why the thoughts and affections should be tempted to wander in the singing of God's praise. How few, even in the largest worshipping assemblies, show, by their demeanour, that the words which are on their lips, or on the lips of their substitutes, in the work of praise, are addressed to the present and heart-searching Jehovah? The soul may be entirely taken up in the secular and musical part of the psalmody. No pains can be too great, which may result in the awakening of solemn consideration in the minds of those who join in singing praise. Every symptom of levity should be repressed. An occasional remark, if solemnly and appropriately thrown in, before engaging in this duty, might often have a good effect. It is an offence against God, to address him in words of high moment, while, perhaps, we have no thought of their meaning, still less any sympathy with their sentiment. Each of us should learn to say with sincerity, "I will sing with my spirit, I will sing with the understand ing also." 507 Christian families in these days of peace, when there is no lack of worldly rejoicings, "and the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts." There may be days in which we have scarcely the heart to sing, by reason of deep anguish, but such are not the days of most. "Is any merry? let him sing psalms." Before we totally hush the voice of thanksgiving in our tabernacle, let us break or banish the instruments of worldly music. No law can be laid down for those who have not the control of their own time, or those who, after every effort, are convinced that it is impossible for them to sing; but we would advise a shortening of other services, rather than the total omission of this. Such as have the abundance of leisure should honour God by the psalm, and "make the voice of his praise to be heard." ON THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A GOSPEL BY THE REV. DAVID LANDSBOROUGH, SALTCOATS. A father's tenderness-a shepherd's care- A teacher's knowledge-and a Saviour's love." THOUGH this is a most important subject, it is one on which I enter with considerable reluctance, not only because I am sensible that I cannot do it justice, but because, even by the very imperfect sketch that I shall attempt to give of the qualifications of a minister of the gospel, I shall stand self-condemned, from the conviction that I am so greatly deficient in these requisite qualifications. The subject is an extensive one, and might fill volumes. I shall study brevity, however, in touching on what seem to me the chief qualifications. 1. That a person be at all qualified to be a Christian minister, it is necessary that he be a Christian man-that he be a converted person. "None but He who made the world can make a It would be a peculiar pleasure to the writer of these lines, if he could know that he had succeeded in bringing the vocal praise of God No person will dispute the truth of the following into the daily worship of even a single house- important remarks which we find in Newton's works: hold. Those who make the experiment, will minister of the gospel. If a young man has capafind a new spring of delight gushing out under city, culture and application may make him a the domestic vine and fig tree. They will re- scholar, a philosopher, or an orator; but a true joice in a fresh sweetener of their toils and minister must have certain principles, motives, feel-' anxieties, and a powerful instrument for quiet-ings, and aims, which no industry or endeavours of ing and training the souls of their children. It is mournful to think, that a service which was so precious to our ancestors, and which they made sacrifices to enjoy, even when under the sword of persecution, should die out of many men can either acquire or communicate. They must be given from above, or they cannot be received." The very names that are given to a gospel minister in the New Testament, the very office which he holds, and the very work in which he is called to engage, show that spiritual-mindedness and holiness of char 66 acter are indispensable requisites. He is called a 'man of God." The Apostle Paul, in addressing Timothy, says, "And thou, O man of God." He is called "a servant of God," "the servant of Jesus Christ." An unrenewed person cannot be a man of God-cannot be à servant of Jesus Christ, in the exalted sense in which that title is given in Scripture to the ministers of the everlasting gospel. Every man in his natural, unrenewed state, is the vassal of Satan; he is his captive, his slave, and in one way or another he must serve him as his master. "Know ye not that ye are his servants to whom you obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" How unqualified is an unrenewed person for being an efficient minister of the gospel of Jesus! He does not obey Christ as his master, and how, then, can he be his servant? "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." It is the duty of the minister of the gospel to pull down the strongholds of Satan; but will the servant of Satan seek the overthrow of his master's kingdom? It is the duty of the minister to instruct those committed to his charge in the doctrines and duties of our most holy faith; but ill-fitted, if unrenewed, must he be for this, when the Word of God informs us that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." It is the duty of the minister of the gospel to seek to win souls to Christ; but how can it be expected that he should be zealous for the salvation of the souls of others, if he cares not for the salvation of his own soul, and if he seeks not to escape from the wrath to come? He may not know that he is in a state of perdition, and neglecting the great salvation; for Satan blinds the eyes of those that believe not; and it very effectually serves his purpose if he can keep spiritually blind those who have been placed as watchmen on Zion's towers, or who have been appointed as guides to Zion's travellers. For if they are not wolves in sheep's clothing, seeking to devour the flock, they are at best dumb dogs, that neither warn the sheep of their danger, nor seek to ward off the roaring lion and the ravenous bear. 2. Zeal for the glory of God.-Christ the master is the model on which the servant should seek to form himself. He should look to Jesus, "who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame." "Let the same mind," says the apostle, "be in you which was also in Jesus." "I delight to do thy will, O my God," said Christ, by the lips of the Psalmist. "My meat," said he to his disciples, “is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." When they saw the earnest desire he had for the purity of the worship of God, and his holy indignation at the abuses introduced into the temple, they remembered that it was written, "The zeal of thy house has eaten me up;" it has wasted, and, as it were, dried up my natural moisture, and my vital spirits. Man was made to glorify God, and surely, then, a minister, who, in a peculiar sense, is a man of God, should have zeal for God's glory. To promote this should be his predominant desire. To this he should devote his time, his talents, all his energies-his whole heart. "This one thing I do'"To me to live is Christ; his I am, and him it is my honour and my delight to serve." Like Paul, the minister who is zealous for the glory of God will be ready to say, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" nor will he shrink from the service though the Lord should show him what great things he must suffer for his name's sake. What a pattern of zeal and devotedness have we in the great apostle of the Gentiles! "Behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." Zeal for the glory of God will lead a minister to preach the Word, to be instant in season and out of season; to reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine; to watch in all things, to endure affliction, to do the work of an evangelist, to make full proof of his ministry; to be, always abounding in the work and in the way of the Lord, forasmuch as he knows that his labour shal not be in vain in the Lord. "God forbid that. should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ," &c. Zeal for the glory of God will lead him earnestly to desire the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom. He is a spiritual husbandman to whom a portion of the Lord's vineyard has been assigned; and it will be his desire and study that in that portion there' may be not only much of the beauty and fragrance] of blossom, but also abundance of rich, delicious, well-flavoured fruit. Often, then, will he go down to the vineyard, to see whether the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender,' grapes give a good smell, whether the olive trees flourish, the pomegranates bud forth, and purple clusters hang from the vines. He is a standardbearer in Christ's army, and he will desire not only to fight the good fight of faith himself, but to animate others, and to lead them on to victory. There! is much land yet to be possessed; wide territories yet to be reclaimed, and many a fortress in the power of the enemy, on which he wishes to sec waving triumphantly the banner of the cross. Hi zeal for the glory of God will lead him to grieve for dissentions among brethren, and to have painful thoughts of heart "for the divisions of Reuben." And when they who make a profession of faith become backsliders, or act inconsistently with their profession, he has great heaviness, and could wish that his head were waters, and his eyes a fountain of tears, that he might weep night and day, giving vent to his spiritual sorrow. Like the venerable John, his greatest joy is to know that his spiritual children walk in the truth of the gospel. His fervent prayer and earnest desire is, that the kingdoms of this world may soon become the kingdoms of God and of his Christ, and that the happy time may be hastened when the ה ON THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A GOSPEL MINISTER. knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the channel of the sea. 3. Love of souls.-When Christ ascended up on high he received gifts for men, even for the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell in the midst of them. "And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors, and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." To ministers of the gospel, as appointed by him, he gives the charge of immortal souls. Every congregation of which he gives them the oversight, forms part of his flock, or of the Church of God, which he has bought with his own blood. How dear are his people to Jesus, when he loved them, and gave himself for them! Those of them that are already converted, are blessed with his favour-objects of his love. How dear, then, should they be to those to whom he gives them in charge! Angels are their ministering spirits; and shall mortal men, though they have undertaken it, be neglectful of this most important duty? If he who had undertaken the charge of a flock or herd of any of the inferior animals would be deserving of reprobation, were he, through carelessness, to allow any of them to perish for want of food, or through want of protection from ravenous beasts of prey; how great must be the spiritual pastor's guilt, if, through any neglect on his part, immortal souls are allowed to perish! He is not left without a warning from the mouth of the Lord. "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore, hear the word from my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, Thou shalt surely die, and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand." How great, then, the responsibility of ministers! How few, when they look back on the past, do not need, in the spirit of deep contrition, to cry out, "Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God!" O how few, like the apostle, can appeal to their people, and say, "I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men!" It is not enough, however, that a minister be deeply impressed with a sense of his responsibility, and with the abiding remembrance that he must render an account. Had he nothing but this to influence him, even when he was most diligent, he might be little better than the slave who was active in the fulfilment of his task from dread of the lash. There must be higher motives; and wherever ministers are animated by zeal for the glory of God, this will be accompanied by the sincere love of souls as an additional motive to strenuous exertion. They are serving that God who gave his only begotten Son, that the perishing might be rescued from perdition; and they are the honoured instruments in the hand of the good Shepherd, who laid down his life for the sheep. He says to them, "Feed my lambs; feed my sheep." He himself "feeds his flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs with his arm, and carries them in his bosom, and gently leads those that are with 509 young." Loving Christ, and having some measure of the same mind that was in Jesus, they cannot but love those who are so dear to his heart. They cannot be in Christ, and he in them, without being partakers, in some degree, of that love of souls which brought him from heaven to earth-which led him to humble himself and become obedient to death, even the death of the cross. The spirit of tender love to their people will pervade the whole of their public and private ministrations. They will regard the pious part of them as their brethren and their sisters in the Lord. Toward the younger portion they will cherish and manifest the affection of a pious father towards his beloved children. "I would have every minister of the gospel," says the amiable Fenelon, "address his audience with the zeal of a friend, with the generous energy of a father, and with the exuberant affection of a mother." What a model was Paul in this respect! "We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children;" or still more expressively in the original, "as a nurse or nursing mother cherisheth her own children," thus distinguishing the nursing mother from the hired nurse of another woman's child. With what warmth of affection does he address the Philippian converts! "Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved, and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved." Even when he is afraid of their being led astray from the simplicity of the gospel, while he faithfully warns them, as in the case of the Corinthians, what affection mingles with the necessary admonition! "Would to God that you could bear with me a little in my folly, and, indeed, bear with me. For am jealous over you, with godly jealousy; for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." And afterwards he saith, "Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be burdensome to you; for I seek not yours, but you. I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved." How plainly and honestly does he deal with the Gala tian converts, and yet how lovingly! "I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye Ye have not injured me at all." He entreats them to be as cordial in their love to him as he was in his love to them. Though he admonished them, he did not speak under the influence of resentment, as if they had injured him, however much they had injured themselves in being swayed by the doctrines of false teachers. "Ye know how, through infirmity of the flesh, I preached the gospel unto you at the first." The infirmity of the flesh is probably the same as the thorn in the flesh mentioned in the Epistle to the Corinthians-some bodily weakness, or some defect in speech, which he feared might hinder his success in preaching the gospel, and which he repeatedly besought the Lord to remove. Here, however, have we a proof of the fulfilment of the Lord's promise, "My grace is sufficient for thee; my strength are. is made perfect in weakness;" for he says to the and a more wretched castaway. O how great his Galatians, "My temptation which was in my flesh anguish, in the great day, if the hidden manns ye despised not, nor rejected, but received me as an has passed through his hands, and he tasted it not; angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is, then, and if the cup of life, which he administered to the blessedness ye spoke of? for I bear you record, others, has never been applied to his own lips! To that if it had been possible, ye would have plucked have souls for his hire, a minister must have unout your own eyes, and have given them to me. Am feigned love of souls. He must "speak the truth in I then become your enemy because I tell you the love." Love is the life, power, soul, and spirit of truth?" Even when he spoke, in the strongest terms gospel preaching. "Let there be love," said one of of reprobation of the wickedness of false brethren, the fathers, "and you may say what you please.” it is with the grief of a father yearning over a pro- Better are the wounds of a friend than the kisses of fligate son: "For many walk, of whom I have told an enemy. Men, in general, will give a patient you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they hearing to those who they think are actuated by are the enemies of the cross of Christ." How like friendly motives; and the heart will be shut against is this to the perfect pattern of heavenly compassion the soundest preacher, unless the hearers believe set by his Master, when he said, "If thou hadst that he has a sincere regard for their best interests. known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things "Love," said a faithful minister, "continual, unithat pertain to thy peace; but now they are hid from versal, ardent love, is the soul of all the labour of a thine eyes." Or when, weeping over the devoted minister." Where there is sincere Christian love, city he said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that labour is sweet. "In all labour there is profit," but killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent mor of all in works of faith and labours of love for unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy the salvation of souls. Knowing the value of souls, children together, even as a hen gathereth her the apostle, in his affectionate love, says to the Galachickens under her wings, and ye would not!" cian converts, "My little children, of whom I travail This love will manifest itself even when proclaim-in birth again, till Christ be formed in you." Well, ing the terrors of the law. Never, indeed, is the manifestation of Christian tenderness and compassion more necessary. No strange fire must be introduced —no indignation savouring of human resentment and passion, as if, like the apostles who knew not what manner of spirit they were of, we wished to bring down fire from heaven to consume gainsayers. The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. To melt the heart, there must be mingled with the thunderings and the lightnings of the law much of the meekness, and gentleness, and compassion of the gospel of Jesus. We are not arguing for any false delicacy any spurious tenderness, or any healing of ads slightly. They must be probed to the bottom, with a firm, indeed, but also with a tender hand. Instead of the soft language of feeble old Eli, "Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear," there must be firmness of reprimand, or gen. tleness of address, according to circumstances. "On 'some have compassion, making a difference; and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by his flesh." Even when the language of reproof is strong, it must be shown that it proceeds from grief rather than from anger-grief for the sinner, and anger against the sin; like Jesus, when the Jews, though he was about to perform a miracle of great mercy, watched him that they might accuse him-" He looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts." If a minister, then, would be successful in turning sinners from the error of their way, and in building up believers in our most holy faith, he must have in his heart a sincere love of souls. Without this, even though God should give some measure of success, instead of being profited himself, by being the instrument in the hand of God in saving others-if he meant it not, if he preached not from love to Christ, and to perishing souls-he will in the end be only a more guilty then, may the Apostle Peter say, "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock; and when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." (To be continued.) FOLLIES. Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of How are thy thoughts beguil'd, To hope for honey from a nest of wasps! Go seek for ease in hell, Or sprightly nectar from the mouths of asps. From whence thou canst derive No good, but what thy soul's vexation brings: Some petty-petty-sweet, Each drop is guarded with a thousand stings. Why dost thou make These murm'ring troops forsake No sweet that's worth thy pains; For trash and toys, And grief-engend'ring joys, ON VISITING DEATH-BEDS. What torment seems too sharp for flesh and blood? Men swallow down to purchase one false good! Are least what they appear; Though sweet in hopes, yet in fruition sour: Is found not always mellow The fairest tulip's not the sweetest flower. Fond youth, give o'er And vex thy soul no more In seeking what were better far unfound; Are only present pains To gather scorpions for a future wound. What's earth? or in it, That longer than a minute Can lend a free delight that can endure? Or delve in such a soil, Where gain's uncertain, and the pain is sure! QUARLES. ON VISITING DEATH-BEDS. I HAVE found it, in many cases, a difficult thing to deal with a DEATH-BED. We are called in to deathbeds of various kinds : The true pilgrim sends for us to set before him the food on which he has fed throughout his journey, He has a keen appetite. He wants strength and vigour for the last effort; and then all is for ever well! He is gone home, and is at rest! Another man sends for us, because it is decent, or his friends importune him, or his conscience is alarmed; but he is ignorant of sin and of salvation; he is either indifferent about both, or he has made up his mind in his own way; he wants the minister to confirm him in his own views, and smooth over the wound. I have seen such men mad with rage, while I have been beating down their refuges of lies, and setting forth to them God's refuge. There is a wise and holy medium to be observed in treating such cases: "I am not come to daub you over with untempered mortar-I am not come to send you to the bar of God with a lie in your right hand; but neither am I come to mortify you, to put you to unnecessary pain, to imbitter you, or to exasperate you." There is a kindness, affection, tenderness, meekness, and patience, which a man's feelings and conscience will condemn him while he opposes! I have found it a very effectual method to begin with myself; it awakens attention, conciliates the mind, and insinuates conviction: "Whatever others think of themselves, I stand condemned before God: my heart is so desperately wicked, that if God had not showed me in his Word a remedy in Jesus Christ, I should be in despair: I can only tell you what I am, and what I have found. If you believe yourselves to be what God has told me I am, and all men are, then I can tell you where and how to find mercy and eternal life if you will not believe that you are this sort of man, I have nothing to offer you. I know of nothing else for man, beside that which God has showed me." My descriptions of my own fallen nature have excited perfect astonishment: sometimes my patients have seemed scarcely able to credit 511 me; but I have found that God has fastened, by this means, conviction on the conscience. In some cases, an indirect method of addressing the conscience may apparently be, in truth, the most direct; but we are to use this method wisely and sparingly. It seems to me to be one of the characteristics of the day, in the religious world, to err on this subject. We have found out a CIRCUITOUS way of exhibiting truth. The plain, direct, simple exhibition of it is often abandoned, even where no circumstances justify and require a more insinuating manner. There is dexterity, indeed, and address in this; but too little of the simple declaration of the testimony of God, which St. Paul opposes to excellency of speech or of wisdom, and to enticing words of man's wisdom. We have done very little when we have merely persuaded men to think as we do. But we have to deal with a worse death-bed character than with the man who opposes the truth. Some men assent to everything which we propose. They will even anticipate us. And yet we see that they mean nothing. I have often felt when with such persons: "I would they could be brought to contradict and oppose! That would lead to discussion. God might, peradventure, dash the stony heart in pieces. But this heart is like water. The impression dies as fast as it is made." I have sought for such views as might rouse and stir up opposition. I have tried to irritate the torpid mind. But all in vain. I once visited a young clergyman of this character, who was seized with a dangerous illness at a coffee-house in town, whither some business had brought him. The first time I saw him, we conversed very closely together; and, in the prospect of death, he seemed solicitous to prepare for it. But I could make no sort of impression upon him: all I could possibly say met his entire approbation, though I saw his heart felt no interest in it. When I visited him a second time, the fear of death was gone; and, with it, all solicitude about religion. He was still civil and grateful, but he tried to parry off the business on which he knew I came. "I will show you, sir, some little things with which I have worn away the hours of my confinement and solitude." He brought out a quantity of pretty and tasty drawings. I was at a loss how to express, with suitable force and delicacy, the high sense I felt of his indecorum and insipidity, and to leave a deep impression on his conscience- rose, however, instantly -said my time was expired-wished him well, and withdrew. Sometimes we have a painful part to act with sincere men, who have been carried too much into the! world. I was called in to visit such a man. "I find no comfort," he said. "God veils his face from me. Everything round me is dark and uncertain." I did not dare to act the flatterer. I said: "Let us look faithfully into the state of things. I should have been surprised if you had not felt thus. I believe you to be sincere. Your state of feeling evinces your sincerity. Had I found you exulting in God, I should have concluded that you were either deceived or a deceiver; for while God acts in his usual order, how could you expect to feel otherwise on the approach of death, than you do feel? You have driven hard after the world. Your spirit has been absorbed in its cares. Your sentiment-your conversation have been in the spirit of the world. And have you any reason to expect the response of conscience and the clear evidence which await the man who has walked and lived in close friendship with God? You know that what I say is true." His wife interrupted me, by assuring me that he had been an excellent man. "Silence!" said the dying penitent, "it is all true!" |