The weekly inquiry meeting should constitute a part of the system of
pastoral work. It accustoms minister and people to seek and expect
immediate results from preaching and Christian labor; and the value of
this to both, as an ever-present inspiration, is incalculable. Under
every earnest ministry there are always thoughtful, anxious souls; but
it requires tact and wisdom to bring them out and come into close,
personal contact with them. Few ministers are aware of the extent of
this latent conviction among the unconverted under faithful preaching,
or realize the importance of systematic, effective means for developing
it. Here I suggest: 1. Let the meeting be held, if not on the Lord's
Day, as soon after it as practicable, that the impressions made by its
services may not have time to wear away. This is a point of great
moment. Some pastors hold a meeting for prayer and inquiry immediately
after the evening sermon, while the impressions are still vivid and
fresh. This has sometimes proved very effective, especially as serving
to develop the conviction and make known the persons under it, so that
the pastor and church may afterward devote special labor to them. At
such a meeting, however, little more could ordinarily be done, in
personal conversation, than a few earnest words and the noting of the
address of inquirers, with the view of following up the cases; and
this, therefore, would not supersede the necessity of a meeting where
more deliberate conversation could be had. 2. Christians should be
instructed and urged to bring thoughtful persons to the inquiry
meeting--the parent, his child; the Sunday-school teacher, his pupils;
the young convert, his friends--and to regard this as a part of regular
Christian work. In places where the inquiry meeting is a novelty, its
full, effective establishment may require time; but, once thoroughly
established, the inquiry room will seldom lack inquirers. 3. Various
methods of conducting the meeting are adopted. One method is to meet
all the inquirers in one room and converse with them in the presence of
each other, as in a Methodist class-meeting. To make this successful,
the pastor must have ready tact and large resources, or he will repeat
himself and the meeting fail from staleness. But it has this advantage:
inquirers in such a gathering are drawn into a disclosure of their
anxieties in the presence of others, and this committal of themselves
to the subject is sometimes of great value in fixing impressions and
leading to a decision. Another method is to meet them singly, or, if
specially related to each other, in groups, and let the conversation be
private. This, when practicable, is generally more satisfactory, as it
gives opportunity to probe the heart more fully, and to say much you
cannot so freely say before others. It is often of great value not only
to pray with an inquirer, but also to induce him to pray with you.
Sometimes, if you have set before him distinctly the way of salvation,
he will, in such a season of prayer immediately following, then and
there cast himself on Christ and make a full surrender to Him. Perhaps,
however, no one method will be adapted to all circumstances, and the
judgment of the pastor must be exercised in fixing on one suited to
himself and the special exigencies of his position. 4. The pastor
should be discriminating and faithful in dealing with inquirers, for
failure in this may result in a superficial experience and a false
hope. In such conversations he should never content himself with a
mere, vague exhortation to come to Christ; what the inquirer needs is
definite instruction as to what it is to come to Christ. Probe
thoroughly, so as to be sure that there is a genuine sense of sin, a
reliance alone on the righteousness of Christ, and an actual submission
of the will to God. The pastor should prepare himself, therefore, for
the exercise with fervent prayer, and gather, and have at ready command
a variety of Scripture passages adapted to different religious
conditions, and of simple, clear illustrations of the nature of
repentance and faith. 5. Let your conversation with an inquirer
ordinarily be confidential, so that he may not feel, when conversing
with you, that he is talking to the town; otherwise, you deter many
from coming, and even with those who come you may prevent what is
important to your success--a full disclosure of the heart. As a rule,
also, it is not wise to encourage an inquirer to seek conversation with
many different persons: the varied advice given confuses him and tends
to dissipate impressions. Finally, it is obvious that success in this
exercise will greatly depend on the tact, geniality, and
approachableness of the pastor himself. If he is cold, stiff, and
repellent in manner, it will be difficult for him to secure the
attendance and confidence of inquiring souls. There may be real and
deep religious anxieties, but they remain latent from lack of power in
the pastor to develop them.