The Call to the Christian Ministry
By J. N. Andrews
[THE following article was written by Elder Andrews in 1871, when he was editor of the Review and Herald. As our people are now making special efforts to increase the efficiency of the ministry, and add to the number of the workers, we trust this republication will prove timely. It is a solid article, well worthy the careful consideration of all. EDITOR.] The Call to the Christian Ministry.
IT is the prerogative of the Holy Spirit to call men to the work of preaching the gospel of Christ. Unless men are thus divinely called they have no business to meddle with the work. It is too sacred a work, and involves too fearful responsibilities for men to enter upon it who have no warrant from the Lord of the harvest. It is however manifest that very few of all who call themselves ministers of Jesus Christ, are really entitled to that most honorable and sacred appellation. Many of the professed ministers of Christ have entered upon its solemn obligations, and its awful responsibilities, without ever being directed so to do by the voice of the Holy Spirit. Some of these persons were prompted to this step by vain ambition. The Christian ministry seemed to them the most promising path to distinction. Others entered upon the work because they expected to secure a handsome salary, and to acquire wealth in the business. Still others, because they hoped to live an indolent, self-indulgent life as the ambassadors of Jesus Christ. And even of those who have been truly called of God to the work, a very large part have lost sight of the sacredness of the calling, and though they have preached to others, they have themselves become castaways. When these several classes have been taken from the entire number of those who call themselves the ministers of the cross, there remains but a handful of faithful men. The Christian ministry, which is too sacred for self-seeking, unconsecrated men to even touch with one of their fingers, is nevertheless filled with men who have not the honor of Christ, nor the salvation of souls, but their own self-interest, in view. Such persons can never have the "well done" spoken to them. So far as any reward is concerned, they receive it all in this life; what comes at the Judgment will be the retribution of the evil servant; they shall be cut asunder, and appointed their portion42with hypocrites and unbelievers, where there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. But how are we to determine who are really called of God to this great work? Doubtless there are tests that meet the case. The possession of gifts and graces adapted to the work must really furnish the proof of such calls. 1. God sends no man to preach to others till he is first soundly converted himself. Unconsecrated, ease-loving, worldly-minded, vain, impatient, self-seeking men, are not called of God to the ministry of his word. 2. Even those who are truly converted to God, and that do in singleness of heart devote themselves to his service, may not be suitable persons to fill the office of a minister of Christ. Such persons may have zeal without discretion. They may not be at all fitted to counsel, admonish, or instruct. If men have no aptitude to teach, if they lack caution, and prudence, we may well doubt their call of God to a part in this work. 3. Not piety alone, but good, sound, practical common sense is also indispensable. Men who are good for nothing else, are certainly of little worth as ministers of the gospel. 4. Nor does it appear that men who can do only some great thing, and are incapable of seeing or attending to things of comparatively small importance, are likely ever to be of service in the work of the ministry. The work of God is made up largely of deeds which make no display before men. Those who can take no interest in that which is to be seen and appreciated only by the God of Heaven, will never be fit to enter upon such things as seem to themselves of great importance. God never bids us do great things till he has proved us in those which are smaller. "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much." 5. Fluency of speech may be of great service to a minister of Christ. Yet this is by no means a decisive proof that a man is called of God to preach. If this gift exists without other gifts to balance it, it is a positive evil. Readiness of speech where there is nothing of value to communicate, inflicts a torrent of words, but gives nothing that edifies those who hear. 6. The men called of God to do his work must have singleness of purpose. They cannot, under pretense of honoring God, and advancing his cause, seek their own honor or their own self-interest. They must not preach themselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord. Self will not stand out in their labors, but in the forefront of all their preaching will stand Christ and his truth. 7. Before God calls men into his work, he gives them humbling views of themselves. They are not prepared to go out in his employ till they have had their self-sufficiency removed. God's strength is never made perfect with them except in their weakness. Paul preached at Corinth "in weakness and in fear and in much trembling." But his preaching was in the "demonstration of the Spirit." It would have been hard for him to tell whether he was most sensible of his own weakness or of the power of God by which he was sustained. Moses prayed God to excuse him, and to send a more suitable person. Jeremiah tremblingly shrank from the awful responsibility of his mission. "Those who are really called of God to the sacred ministry," says Dr. A. Clarke, on Jer. 1, "are such as have been brought to a deep acquaintance with themselves, feel their own ignorance, and know their own weakness. They know also the awful responsibility that attaches to the work; and nothing but the authority of God can induce such to undertake it." "How ready is the man to go,
Whom God hath never sent!
How trembling, diffident, and slow,
God's chosen instrument!" 8. When men are really called of God to labor in his vineyard, it may be said with safety, (1) That they have some good measure of genuine Christian experience. (2) That they have some knowledge of divine truth. (3) That they feel their own need of future help from him, and of more enlarged views of his word. (4) That they think soberly of themselves. (5) That they are fully determined that self shall die daily. (6) That they have in view the honor of God and the salvation of souls, as the grand object of their ministry. (7) That they have some degree of aptitude to teach. (8) And finally that they be inwardly moved of the Holy Spirit to this most solemn work. "Woe is unto me," says Paul, "if I preach not the gospel." 9. But even the most manifest call of God's Spirit to this sacred work, does not excuse men from diligent and faithful efforts to prepare themselves for the work. Timothy was signally called to the ministry of the word. He had such advantages in personal intercourse and association of labor with Paul, as none of us possess. Yet Paul bids him use all diligence in the effort to prepare himself for the work. Thus he says: "Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee." 1 Tim. 4:13-15. And again he says: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim. 2:15. Those, therefore, who teach others must be diligent students of the Holy Scriptures themselves. They cannot pour out to others unless they continually renew their stock of good matter from the fountain head. The possession of great natural talents, or the special gifts of the Spirit of God, does not excuse men from a diligent, faithful effort to fill their own minds with the clearest knowledge of divine truth. 10. The minister of Christ must be a man of humility. If this excellent grace be wanting, he will be only a curse to those who share his labors. He must therefore be a man of real Christian experience, for if he be only a novice, i. e., newly come to the faith, he will be very certain to fall into the condemnation of the devil. 11. Who, then, is sufficient for these things? Here is the most responsible and sacred calling that men can enter. Those who enter it must be men of patience, of humility, of self-sacrifice, of singleness of purpose, of consecration to the work, of prayer, of faithful study of the Bible, and fervent love for Christ, and earnest zeal for the salvation of men. Not eminent talent, but genuine piety, good, practical common sense, a teachable spirit, a willingness to spend and be spent in the work, an unselfish heart, a mind ever desirous to learn the things of God, a willingness to labor faithfully where no display is to be made, a self-forgetful, disinterested spirit, a tender love for perishing men, and a genuine consecration to the service of the Redeemer; these are the real requisites for a minister of Christ. Have we men of this class in our midst? Undoubtedly we have. There are a goodly number of those men in our ranks. We must call them out to enter the great harvest field. To meet the wants of the cause that are now very urgent, hundreds of these faithful men of God are needed. Isaiah heard the Lord inquiring who would go for him. He thought himself incapable of going to labor in so sacred a work. But when one of the holy beings before the throne had laid upon his lips a live coal from the altar, then he said, "Here am I, send me." Brethren seek this hallowed fire. Consecrate yourselves to the service of God. Let your ear be set apart to hear the voice of God, and your lips to utter his words of infinite importance to perishing men. And here is your awfully solemn commission, which you are not left to execute or not, as you may choose, but which you must fulfill, at the peril of your soul. "So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me." If this awful commission be not faithfully executed, the blood of the lost shall be found upon you. And the great tribunal of the Judgment is to determine whether you have been a faithful minister of Christ, or a slothful and unprofitable servant. The decision will then be with the Judge of mankind. But the decision is now in your own hands. Shall it be, Well done, good and faithful servant? Or, shall it be, Depart from me into everlasting fire? J. N. ANDREWS.