The Christian Ministry

by Charles Bridges

Is not the straitness of means often an excuse from the exercise of Christian charity, while little or no restraint is laid upon the expensiveness of the dress, the table, furniture, or mode of living?

the families of Clergymen are sometimes brought up to worldly expectations, rather than as disciples of the cross, and citizens of heaven.

embraced or rejected for them.' Covetousness in all its varied forms is more easily detected in a Minister than in private Christians.

there is no more fatal hindrance to the Ministry, none that makes our person and labours more contemptible in the eyes of the world than this idolatrous principle.

The spirit of prayer cannot breathe freely in the atmosphere of constant and exciting employment.

I pray you look to it, that you be early birds- meaning, we conclude, not merely early risers, but early Christian students, and above all, early worshippers.

Dr. Paley wisely recommended retirement to the younger Clergy, 'as the foundation of almost all good habits.

the happiness of the Minister's life, and the effectiveness of his work, depend upon a judicious combination of retired habits with public or social exercises.

the diligent pastor will feel the importance, both to himself and to his people, of living in his study as well as in his parish; not only for the necessary digestion of the subject-matter of his Ministrations, but most chiefly for the cultivation of a nearer and more habitual access to God.

Prayer is the ornament of the priesthood, the leading feature of our character.

It is prayer alone, then, that gives the whole strength and efficacy to our different administrations: and that man ceases, if I may use the expression, to be a public Minister from the time he ceases to pray.

For of how little avail are the most splendid talents, the most mighty eloquence, and the most devoted diligence, except the unction be brought down from heaven by frequent and fervent supplication!

Living near to the fountain-head, we shall be in the constant receipt of fresh supplies of light, support, and consolation—to assist us in our duties, to enable us for our difficulties, and to assure us of our present acceptance, and a suitable measure of ultimate success.

The help we may thus be able to afford them in their difficulties, trials, and weakness, is intimately connected with the spiritual temperament of our own minds, acquired and maintained through the same organ of heavenly communication, which we recommend for their daily use and encouragement.

The most effectual hindrances, therefore, to our work are those which impede our personal communion with the Lord.

We have great need to watch, lest public activity should be considered to atone for neglect of private intercourse with God;

nothing will enrich or console us in the neglect of intimate communion with God. We must " walk with God" at any rate, or our souls will die.

spiritual pride offers to Satan his main advantage over the Christian.

Great care must be taken, while we are endeavouring to destroy external idols, or those of vice in others, that we do not insensibly substitute ourselves in their place.

We must indeed labour and pray unceasingly for enlarged success. And yet in this prayer we sometimes " know not what we ask." A season of remarkable prosperity will probably prove an hour of fearful temptation to our souls.

spiritual pride is the sin of young Ministers—the

let none of us conceive ourselves beyond the reach of the snare. Human nature can never be raised to distinction without being tempted to vanity.

Our Lord's prayer that his servants might be " sanctified through the truth " — strongly sets out personal holiness as the basis of public usefulness.

Though indeed the blessing is in the institution, not in the instrument; yet a deficiency in the instrument ordinarily weakens the power of the institution.

The love of the Saviour, the faithfulness of his word, the beauty of holiness, the prospect of eternity, will of course be most effectually exhibited by those who can say—"We also believe, and therefore speak."

Little fruitfulness can be expected in our pulpit department, in the absence or defect of heart-felt religion..

A man who cannot persuade himself to be holy, will have little hope of succeeding with the consciences of others.

sermon, however well digested, can never be well preached, until it has been first preached to ourselves.

To bear our message written upon our hearts, is the best method of conveying to our people deep and weighty impressions of the things of God.

Men judge things more fully by the eye than by the ear; consequently Ministers' practice is as much regarded, if not more than their sermons.

A holy sermon is but for an hour. A holy life is his perpetual sermon—a living, practical commentary of his doctrine—the gospel to the senses.

a Minister's life is the life of his Ministry.

he who undertakes to reprove the world, must be one, whom the world cannot reprove.

Do we sufficiently consider, how much our personal religion is endangered from the very circumstance of religion being our profession?

In going therefore through the duties, putting on the appearances, speaking the language, and exhibiting the feelings of religion—what care! what watchfulness what tenderness of heart! what earnest prayer! is required to preserve the spirit of religion.

Yet of how little moment is it to " minister grace to our hearers," if we minister it not to ourselves!

who of us can have failed to discover, that spirituality of doctrine is not always connected with corresponding spirituality of heart or conduct?

how much more easy is it to preach from the understanding than from the heart!

For if we should study the Bible more as Ministers than as Christians—more to find matter for the instruction of our people, than food for the nourishment of our own souls; we neglect to place ourselves at the feet of our Divine Teacher; our communion with him is cut off; and we become mere formalists in our sacred profession.

We cannot live by feeding others; or heal ourselves by the mere employment of healing our people;

It is indeed difficult to determine, whether our familiar intercourse with the things of God is more our temptation or our advantage.

he cannot reasonably expect to perform in his parish the work, which he has not cared to accomplish at home.

Perhaps nowhere are we so liable to self-deception, or so little open to conviction, as in the management of children.

if the parsonage does not show the pattern as well as the doctrine, exhortations from thence will only excite the ridicule of the ungodly, and confirm them in their habits of sin.

All our failures may be ultimately traced to a defect of faith. We ask but for little, we expect but little, we are satisfied with little; and therefore we gain and do but little.

Indeed no limit, except the sovereign will of God, bounds the warranted expectation of believing prayer.

A confidence, indeed, that has no foundation in the Divine promise, is not faith but fancy.

apart from the constant supply from his fulness, who are we, to call the dead to arise to a new and spiritual life?

The main difficulty, therefore, is not in our work, but in ourselves; in the conflict with our own unbelief,

Difficulties heaped upon difficulties can never rise to the level of the promise of God.