Untitled article by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 25, 1865

The Ministry. No. 2.

By James White

In the great plan of the salvation of lost men, God has employed those whom he has seen fit to choose to teach and lead the people. These are represented as watchmen, who are supposed to know the time of night. Isa. xxi, 11, 12. "Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman saith, The morning cometh, and also the night. If ye will inquire, inquire ye, return, come."

The people have a right to demand of the watchmen the time of night—where, in the long, weary, watching night of tears and sorrows and woes we are. And the intimation is more than given in the above text, that the true and faithful watchman is able to give the cheering report that the glad morning of deliverance to the righteous is fast hastening on, and that the dark night of death to the wicked then begins. "The morning cometh," saith the true watchman, "and also the night."

And not only does the true watchman watch the time of night, that he may be able to give an answer, but his duty is also to watch for the salvation of men. Says the apostle, Heb. xiii, 17, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you."

The great responsibilities of the man whom God has called to be a watchman, and the terrible consequences of his unfaithfulness, are set forth by the prophet.

Ezek. ii, 17-19. "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die, and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul."

Also chap. xxxiii, 6-8. "But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned, if the sword come and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand."

"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. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die, if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand."

Another prophet describes those professed watchmen who seek popularity and ease, and love this world with its carnal enjoyments.

Isa. lvi, 10. "His watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber."

Those whom God has called to labor for the salvation of their fellow-men, are also represented as shepherds. Christ is the chief Shepherd, and his ministers are the under-shepherds. Happy beyond description will be the condition of the Lord's true shepherds when the chief Shepherd comes with a crown of never-fading glory.

1 Pet. v, 1-4. "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."

The character and conduct of the hireling minister, who cares more to fleece the flock than to feed them, is illustrated by the following words of Christ:

John x, 11-13. "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep."

The dreadful results of the labors of selfish, unfaithful shepherds are set forth by the prophet as follows:

Eze. xxxiv, 2-5. "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds: Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed, but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd; and they became meat to all the beasts of the field when they were scattered."

And the terrible end of the false shepherd is vividly portrayed in the following language of the prophet of God, as he describes the slaughter of the last day. Jer. xxv, 35, 36.

"And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel. And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape. A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard; for the Lord hath spoiled their pasture."

J. W.