+WILLIAM COLGATE,+
THE ENLIGHTENED AND MUNIFICENT FRIEND OF MINISTERIAL
EDUCATION, WHOSE COUNSEL AND SYMPATHY GUIDED
AND CHEERED THE WRITER'S EARLIER STUDIES,
THIS VOLUME IS
GRATEFULLY DEDICATED.
+PREFACE.+
The nature and duties of the pastoral office form a subject of great
practical moment. The thoughts suggested in this volume are largely
results of the writer's personal experience in the ministry and of his
observation of pastoral work in our churches. The literature of the
subject, however, has of late become specially rich and valuable, and
the hints which a careful study of this furnishes have also been freely
used. The experienced pastor, for whom some of these suggestions will
be needless, will remember that they were originally embodied in
lectures delivered to the classes in the Hamilton Theological Seminary,
and prepared for young men who, for the most part, were as yet
inexperienced in the pastoral care.
With the earnest prayer and hope that the work may receive the approval
of the Master and may contribute in some humble measure, to the higher
effectiveness of the Gospel ministry, it is now submitted to the
Christian public.