Novices in Gospel Work.
By Editor
A writer in the English General Baptist Magazine speaks his mind as to the suddenly converted men who are hurriedly rushed into the Christian ministry, or thrust before the public as promoters of some special branch of moral reform. He says :— "Surely, Christian churches and Christian men will see, before long, that it is time they had done with advertising 'converted clowns,' 'prize-fighters,' 'singing preachers converted during an attack of delirium tremens,' and all that ilk. We have had it ad nauseum. It is a waste of good money, a discredit to Christianity, and a depravation of the tone of Christian work. 'Conversion' is so great a good that we rejoice in any one's conversion; and preaching the gospel is so useful a work that we are glad to know any one can do it. But men should have time to clean themselves a little before they are taken up and petted by Christian men and pushed to the front; and it should never be forgotten that the first qualification for any preacher is a stainless character." We would that all realized the truth and force of the above words. To thrust into the solemn work of the gospel ministry one who has no experience or judgment, is an injury to the individual as well as to the cause of gospel truth. We personally knew one who labored under the title of "The Converted Jew," or "The Hebrew Evangelist," who traveled and held protracted meetings with different churches. An esteemed brother of the Methodist church in which the Hebrew was laboring, stated to us his fears that he was an imposter. We told him, not altogether that; he was ignorant; he had been unjustly dealt with; he had personally given us his history, which was this: He professed faith in Jesus as the Messiah, in one of Mr. Hammond's revival meetings. The next day after making this confession of Christ, Mr. Hammond sent him to hold a meeting where he had made an appointment, and to relate his conversion. This he did, and was thenceforth kept busy holding meetings for a long time. When we became173acquainted with him he was earnest to declare that Jesus was the Messiah, but he was utterly ignorant of the gospel, both as to its facts and principles. At the first, he might have been taught the way of God more perfectly; but having been put forward by such men as Mr. Hammond, who themselves are as superficial as possible, he became puffed up, and it was impossible to instruct him. He might have been a useful man under wise counsel, but he never will be. His labors were unproductive of any good. The course spoken of by the writer in the Magazine, of putting forward as preachers, those but recently rescued from the pits of vice, is still worse. They have neither character, virtue, nor judgment to labor in such a calling. Every church owes it to itself as well as to the cause of God, to exercise great care whom it thrusts into the sacred work of the ministry. "Lay hands suddenly on no man," is the divine injunction. "Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil." An awful responsibility rests upon those who neglect these wise regulations, and thereby bring reproach upon the sacred work of God.