NEED OF A TRAINED MINISTRY.
The cause of God needs more ministers and Bible workers. Other departments have absorbed an undue proportion of our young people of late, causing a dearth of well qualified laborers in these departments of the work. “Workers are needed all over the world. The truth of God is to be carried to foreign lands, that those in darkness may be enlightened by it. God requires that a zeal be shown in this direction infinitely greater than has hitherto been manifested. Cultivated intellect is now needed in the cause of God, for novices can not do the work acceptably. God has devised our colleges as an instrumentality for developing workers of which he will not be ashamed. The height man may reach by cultivation has not hitherto been realized. We have among us more than the average of young men of ability. If their talents were brought into use, we should have twenty ministers where we now have one.” Ministers are called of God, not made by a course of study. But the call to service is also a call to preparation for the most effective labor, and a wisely adapted course of study may become a great help to the man who is called of God. “Those who are not qualified to present the truth in a proper manner need not be perplexed in regard to their duty. Their place is that of learners, not teachers. Young men who wish to prepare for the ministry are greatly benefited by attending our colleges.” “Some young men who enter the field are not successful in teaching the truth to others, because they have not been educated themselves.” “A great injury is often done our young men by permitting them to begin to preach when they have not sufficient knowledge of the Scriptures to present our faith in an intelligent manner.” The anointing of the Holy Spirit is the first requisite to success in the sacred office of the ministry, and this fact may have led some to “reason that the Lord will by his Spirit qualify a man to speak as he would have him; but the Lord does not propose to do the work which he has given man to do. He has given us reasoning powers, and opportunities to educate mind and manners. And after we have done all we can for ourselves, making the best use of the advantages within our reach, then we may look to God with earnest prayer to do by his Spirit that which we can not do for ourselves, and we shall ever find in our Saviour power and efficiency.” For a description of the Ministers’ Department in Keene Academy, write to C. C. Lewis, Keene, Tex.