Importance of the ministry.
The church itself, without its watchmen, is a weak, feeble, and very
helpless thing. What can the lady or mistress do to defend herself
against thieves and sturdy villains, if there be none but she at
home? It is said, when the shepherd is smitten, the sheep will be
scattered. What could the temple do without its watchmen? 1 Chron.
9:24.
Then let the churches love their pastors, hear their pastors, be
ruled by their pastors, and suffer themselves to be watched over,
and to be exhorted, counselled, and if need be, reproved and rebuked
by their pastors. And let the ministers not sleep, but be watchful,
and look to the ordinances, to the souls of the saints, and the
gates of the church. Watch, man; WATCH, MAN; WATCH!
Duty Of Churches To The Ministry.
O churches, let your ministers be beautified with your love; that
they may beautify you with their love, and also be an ornament unto
you, and to that gospel they minister to you, for Jesus Christ's
sake.
Different Classes Of Ministers.
Is the soul such an excellent thing, and is the loss thereof so
unspeakably great? Then this should teach the people to be very
careful to whom they commit the teaching and guidance of their
souls.
This is a business of the greatest concern: men will be careful to
whom they commit their children, whom they make the executors of
their wills, in whose hand they trust the writing and evidences of
their lands; but how much more careful should we be, unto whom we
commit the teaching and guidance of our souls. And yet most men are
in these matters least of all careful.
There are idol shepherds. Zech. 11:7. There are foolish shepherds.
Zech. 11:15. There are shepherds that feed themselves, and not their
flocks. Ezek. 34:2. There are hard-hearted and pitiless shepherds.
Zech. 11:3. There are shepherds that instead of healing, smite,
push, and wound the diseased. Ezek. 34:4, 21. There are shepherds
that cause their flocks to go astray. Jer. 50:6. And there are
shepherds that feed their flocks: these are the shepherds to whom
thou shouldst commit thy soul for teaching and for guidance.
Then said the Interpreter, "Come in; I will show thee that which
will be profitable to thee." So he commanded his man to light a
candle, and bade Christian follow him. So he had him into a private
room, and bid his man open a door: the which when he had done,
Christian saw the picture of a very grave person hang up against the
wall; and this was the fashion of it: it had eyes lifted up to
heaven, the best of books in its hand, the law of truth was written
upon its lips, the world was behind its back; it stood as if it
pleaded with men, and a crown of gold did hang over its head.