What do you think?
Rate this book
An Earnest Ministry - the Need of the Times
This is the minister's business! Angels hover over him in his course, and chant over his labors their ancient song, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men;" redeemed men and women, saved by his instrumentality from the wrath of God, and the turbulence of passion, hail him in the language of the prophet, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace;" while the Savior himself pronounces upon him the beatitude, "Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God." Honored and happy man, minister of reconciliation, friend and promoter of peace, the world knows you not, because it knew not Christ; nor, perhaps, does even the church duly appreciate, or adequately reward, your services; but even now your work is its own reward-peace attends upon your steps, and blessings spring up in your path.
- GenresBiography
204 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
12 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
John Angell James
297 books14 followersJohn Angell James (1785 - 1859), was an English Nonconformist clergyman and writer.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 1, 2018
This book is helpful because ministers too often forget what their job description actually is. We need to be reminded that earnestness, or sincerity, on its own is not any indication of our being right, but we cannot do our work aright without earnestness. James occasionally seems to mistake emotional responses to preaching (such as occurred under Whitefield's preaching) as the hallmark of sincerity or earnestness. This, I believe is a mistake. But we could all stand to be reminded that we do stand in position where our words from the pulpit may be used of God to save or damn the souls of our hearers. In either case, eternal destinies are in the balance.
The end section on the motives to earnestness in ministry is very good.
The end section on the motives to earnestness in ministry is very good.
October 22, 2020
The material that James writes about is excellent. He shows the reader how earnestness is necessary for effective ministry and how that earnestness looks. He points to such greats as Baxter, Whitfield, and Edwards on what earnest ministry looks like. It is that unction that a minister on fire for the Gospel has; an urgent desire to see souls saved. James does a great job in showing what earnestness is, what it looks like, and how to cultivate it. My main points of dislike is that his sentences are longer than a winding road down a steep mountain; wow are those some long sentences! I also think that the book could be shorter than it was; there's a lot of repetition of subject material. Overall, it's some excellent material for any aspiring to the ministry. If one has no earnestness in preaching, one should observe whether they truly should be in Gospel ministry.
August 22, 2018
A useful book, stirring in its handling of the important subject of earnestness in ministry. He provides meanings, motivations, and means of earnestness. Two things I hold against James are his propensity for both redundancy and flights of fancy in his prose.
August 6, 2020
Lord, give us an earnest ministry.
April 19, 2016
The first time I read it, it was from text downloaded from the internet and printed out, which wasn't a pleasant format to read and I didn't enjoy it. When I finally read it in a nice edition I enjoyed it. Yes, it does sometimes feel quite long, but his manner is good, as always. The many extracts he gives from other writers are always clearly defined so if necessary you can easily skip a lengthy extract to get back to James himself.
John Angell James was a definite Calvinist, which some people might lose sight of at times in the reading of this book. Sometimes the cynics might fear he is advocating the pastor becoming an actor, who merely acts earnestly in order to try to impress his flock. But if you read the whole thing you will see that this is not the case, and he is always ever desiring true earnestness, and nothing merely manufactured, nothing merely for show which has no substantial root in the minister's own spiritual life.
I'd recommend this book, as I would recommend anything by John Angell James. But, if you can get hold of it, it is worth reading it in Volume VIII of The Works of John Angell James, where it is combined with some other shorter writings relating to the ministry. And the first three volumes of The Works of John Angell James contain sermons, many of which were preached at pastors' ordinations or funerals, which often contain good things relating to the ministry.
My only criticism of the Banner of Truth edition of An Earnest Ministry (as featured in the picture), is the rather ghastly picture used on the front cover of it, which is NOT a picture of John Angell James, but of some random minister who had no connection to John Angell James whatsoever. It seems a real shame that they should have used such a picture and made it look so dreary and old-fashioned and out of date, when they could have either used a picture of James himself, or gone for a recognisable and popular figure who might have appealed more to the contemporary reader. Having a picture of an unknown man on the cover of an unknown book by a (largely) unknown author, doesn't do it any favours from a marketing point of view. And that's a shame, because many pastors could benefit from being reminded of the importance of being earnest. The picture on the dust jacket does not capture the spirit of earnestness which John Angell James's book is all about.
I'll finish with a quote from the book:
"There are few of us who are not sorrowfully convinced that little is to be expected from our sermons in the pulpit, or our instructions in the class-room, while all our endeavours are so miserably counteracted by the neglect of domestic instruction, and the want of parental solicitude. It is not intended to justify pastoral neglect by advancing the obligations of parental duty, for perhaps we all have been, and are, guilty of a criminal defect of duty, in not giving more of our time and attention to the children of our congregations; but even the time and attention we do give, is likely to be lost, through the low state of religion in the homes of some of our people."
John Angell James was a definite Calvinist, which some people might lose sight of at times in the reading of this book. Sometimes the cynics might fear he is advocating the pastor becoming an actor, who merely acts earnestly in order to try to impress his flock. But if you read the whole thing you will see that this is not the case, and he is always ever desiring true earnestness, and nothing merely manufactured, nothing merely for show which has no substantial root in the minister's own spiritual life.
I'd recommend this book, as I would recommend anything by John Angell James. But, if you can get hold of it, it is worth reading it in Volume VIII of The Works of John Angell James, where it is combined with some other shorter writings relating to the ministry. And the first three volumes of The Works of John Angell James contain sermons, many of which were preached at pastors' ordinations or funerals, which often contain good things relating to the ministry.
My only criticism of the Banner of Truth edition of An Earnest Ministry (as featured in the picture), is the rather ghastly picture used on the front cover of it, which is NOT a picture of John Angell James, but of some random minister who had no connection to John Angell James whatsoever. It seems a real shame that they should have used such a picture and made it look so dreary and old-fashioned and out of date, when they could have either used a picture of James himself, or gone for a recognisable and popular figure who might have appealed more to the contemporary reader. Having a picture of an unknown man on the cover of an unknown book by a (largely) unknown author, doesn't do it any favours from a marketing point of view. And that's a shame, because many pastors could benefit from being reminded of the importance of being earnest. The picture on the dust jacket does not capture the spirit of earnestness which John Angell James's book is all about.
I'll finish with a quote from the book:
"There are few of us who are not sorrowfully convinced that little is to be expected from our sermons in the pulpit, or our instructions in the class-room, while all our endeavours are so miserably counteracted by the neglect of domestic instruction, and the want of parental solicitude. It is not intended to justify pastoral neglect by advancing the obligations of parental duty, for perhaps we all have been, and are, guilty of a criminal defect of duty, in not giving more of our time and attention to the children of our congregations; but even the time and attention we do give, is likely to be lost, through the low state of religion in the homes of some of our people."
December 16, 2012
Good book that will bring one zeal in ministry. Long quotes and repetition make it arduous to read at times.
If one reads James thoroughly, it is clear that he has a biblical, holistic view of ministry. However, if one does not read him carefully, some of the book seems as if it will lead to pragmatism.
If one reads James thoroughly, it is clear that he has a biblical, holistic view of ministry. However, if one does not read him carefully, some of the book seems as if it will lead to pragmatism.
June 3, 2013
This was very good. A bit dated at times, since he addresses specific situations in the 19th c. church in England, but well worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews