The Christian Ministry

by Charles Bridges

Write all this upon your hearts, and it will do yourselves and the Church more good than twenty years' study of those lower things,

A babe in grace and knowledge is palpably incompetent to become "a teacher of babes," much more a guide of the fathers.

The solid establishment of the people may be materially hindered by the Minister's contracted statement, crude interpretations, or misdirected Scriptural application.

There must be an ability to communicate and apply what has been imparted; else the highest attainments, however serviceable to their possessors, can never become the public benefit of the Church.

lest we confound the ready exercise of spiritual gifts with Divine influence, and thus foster self-delusion of a most fatal tendency.

Thus spiritual wisdom is as important for the building up of the Church of God, as was the wisdom imparted to Bezaleel and Aholiab for the raising of the Levitical tabernacle.

as "stewards of the mysteries, and rulers over the household,"

we distribute the stores of provision to every member of the household,

we take account of their individu...

The treatment of these several individualities demands a deep and well-digested acquaintance with the methods of the grace of God,

The diligence of faith will ever receive its measure of encouragement in the growth, increase, and improvement of Ministerial gifts.

all the aspects of Ministerial labour are, if not equally, yet highly, important; every one of them far too important to be trifled with.

A season of preparation—employed in storing the mind with Christian doctrine, and in directing it to devotional and practical purposes—in habits of self-communion and converse with God, and in the exercises of active godliness, will turn to most profitable account throughout the course of a protracted Ministry.

Indeed who can doubt, that the Church is built up by the Ministry of the pen as well as of the mouth;

The experience of men of God, like that of diligent travellers, is a public benefit; and the fruit of it in successive ages is preserved as a most valuable store of important knowledge to the Church.

At the Reformation, learning and religion revived together. The Reformers combined deep study with active Ministry.

God is pleased to make himself known by the use of means.

Every branch of knowledge, which a good man possesses, he may apply to some useful purpose.

Does not every expansion of the mind increase its range of power and general comprehension, and consequently render it more capable, under Divine teaching, of exploring those things, which angels desire to look

As well might we suppose, that the all-sufficiency of grace supersedes the importance of general knowledge, as that a child under the influence of grace is equally fitted for the Christian Ministry, with an intelligent adult under the tame degree of this heavenly influence.

However superficial our knowledge may be on some other subjects, here at least it should be intelligent and comprehensive— , including a competent acquaintance with the Evidences of the Christian religion—the Holy Scriptures—and the History of the Church, and especially of our own Church.

we proceed to remark the importance of Church History, as a component part of Ministerial study.

see not, why a Christian may not be as careful, not to lose the fragments and lesser intervals of a thing incomparably more precious than any metal— time;

Yet we cannot expect to see a tone of healthful spirituality, without an industrious habit.

Some need great patience. Ardent minds wish, and seem almost to expect, to gain all at once.

The ore of knowledge is purchased in the lump, but never separated,

reading as well as "making books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh."

No man can read everything; nor would our real store be increased by the capacity to do so.

The accuracy of study is of far greater importance than its extent.

the habit of study should, as far as possible, be maintained through life.

the solidly-learned, the studious, and well-furnished man is but the unshapen mass, from which the Christian Minister is formed.

Every enlargement of intellectual knowledge has a natural tendency to self-exaltation. The habit of study must be guarded, lest it should become an unsanctified indulgence;

A sound judgment and a spiritual mind must be exercised, in directing these studies to the main end of the Ministry.

Let every thing be done therefore with a view to one great end; and let us pursue every part of science with a design to gain better qualifications thereby for our sacred work.'

Habits of General study, however well regulated and perseveringly maintained, will reflect no light or spiritual apprehension of the Gospel, independent of the special study of the sacred volume.

We must be careful also, that our studies draw us to the Bible, and that we draw our studies to the Bible; instead of merely drawing the Bible to our studies, in which case they will be worse than unprofitable.

it is also of vast moment to keep up the daily reading of considerable

portions of the pure word of God, and so to keep Scriptural truth (as it has been observed) continually revolving in the mind.

As no one can pretend to be a Christian without a competent acquaintance with it; so no one can be qualified for the sacred office without such an accurate and spiritual insight into its contents, as shall prove him to be,

if the Bible be the fountain of light and truth, it is impossible to distinguish light from darkness, or truth from error in human writings, without an enlightened and enlarged apprehension of the word of God.

to make the passages into a kind of sermon, as if about to preach to others, and then to turn the whole application on myself, as far as suited to my case.

The wise scattering of the truth over the whole surface of Scripture is far more adapted to the ends of instruction, than would have been a compression of its component parts within their several departments.

by considering the whole mind of God, our views are extended to the length and breadth of the land, while we insensibly imbibe more of the enlarged spirit of the Divine revelation.

Adults must be fed as well as babes.

The main design of the Ministry is to carry our people forward—to "present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."

this spirit of humble submission to the word, is the requisite preparation for admittance in every part of this heavenly treasure; where the lowest possessor of this Christian spirit will not fail to realize a most valuable blessing.

We may trace many of the differences subsisting in the Church, to a feeble, uninfluential recognition of the supreme authority of Scripture.

The book of God is indeed the living voice of the Spirit. To be intent therefore upon the study of it, must result in a clear apprehension of the mind of God.

Let the Theologian delight in these sacred oracles: let him exercise himself in them day and night; let him meditate on them; let him live in them; let him derive all his wisdom from them; let him compare all his thoughts with them; let him embrace nothing in religion which he does not find here.

Let his whole ground of faith be in God alone.