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the better. It is impossible that any people,
controlling their own government, can go on
in flagrant political ungodliness and at the
same time enjoy God's blessing as a religious
community. The unity of Ufe in the
whole national organism, the unity of life in
every heart, forbid this. The church cannot
have any real and lasting revival while the
members of the church, with but few exceptions,
are flagrant and unrepentant political
sinners.
The Covenanter Church has a message for
the whole country and for each individual in
it, a message that they need just now. Can
we not help to send it out
THE DIIVINE CALL TO THE :\HNISTRY
By the Rev. R. J. George, D. D.
It is the duty of all Christians to make
known the gospel. To one whom He had healed
Jesus said, "Go home to thy friends and
tell them how great things the Lord hath
done for thee, and hath had compassion on
thee." (Mark 5:19.) To the woman of Samaria
He said, "Go, call thy husband and come
hitiier." . And the woman said to
the men of her city, "Come, see a man that
told me all things that ever I did; is not this
the Christ" (John 4:16, 28-29.) Before
closing the New Testament the Lord Jesus put
into the hands of every believer a divine warrant
to extend the gospel invitation, "Let him
that heareth say, Come." (Rev. 22:17.) But
there is also a special and authoritative proclamation
of the gospel w'hich He has entrusted
to the ministry. The aim of the present
lecture -will be to show that for the fulfillment
of this trust one must have a divine call to the
oflSce. "Xo man taketh this honor unto himeslf,
but he that is called of God, as was
Aaron." (Heb. 5:4.) The subject is scarcely
less solemn and personal than the one already
discussed, and I desire so to speak of it
as to exalt .your conception of that sacred office
for which you are candidates and
strengthen your convictions that you are called
of God to this work.
A
I
Divine Call to the Ministry is Necessary.
I. Because the ministry is not a trade, nor
yet a profession, but an office. There was a
vast diflference between the employment of
Jesuis as a carpenter, into which he entered
as the son of Joseph, and his mission as the
Mediator, to which He was appointed by His
Heavenly Father. The first was a'trade; the
other an ofifice. He took up the carpenter's
trade as a carpenter's son to earn a livelihood,
but concerning the ofifice it is said: "So also
Christ glorified not Himself to be made an
High Priest, but He that said unto Him, Thou
THE CHRISTIAN NATION. Vol. 61.
art my Son, today have I begotten thee."
(Heb. 5:5.) The servant is not greater than
His Lord; and if it was necessary that Jesus
should be "anointed to preach," "how shall
they preach except they be sent" It was a
severe reproof of Eli 'for permitting the profanation
of a holy oflfice, when it was said unto
him': "And it shall come to pass that everyone
that is left in thine house shall come
and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a
morsel of bread, and shaU say, Put me, I pray
thee, into one of the priest's offices, that I
may eat a piece of bread." It is sad to reflect
that some regard the ministry as merely
a skilled trade for making a living. Nor is
the ministry a mere profession. Men speak
of the three "learned professions"— i. e.,
Medicine, Law and the Ministry. But this is
not correct. The ministry is not a profession,
which any one may take up after a prescribed
course of study; it is an ofifice to which he
must be called of God.
2. The ofifice of the ministry and the minister
himself are gifts of God to the church.
Eph. .4:8, II, 12, "Wherefore He saith,
When) He ascended up on high, He led captivity
captive, and gave gifts unto men.
And He gave some, apostles, and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists, and some,
pastors, and teachers; for the perfecting of
the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ." i Cor. 12:
28, "And God hath set some in the church, first
apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers,
after that miracles, then gifts of healings,
helps, governments, diversities of tongnes."
The passages show clearly that the ofifice of
the ministry is not a human invention, but
a divine appointment, and is one o'f Christ's
ascension gifts to His church. With equal
explicitness do the scriptures teach that the
minister who rightfully fillsthe office is a gift
of God. Jer. 3 115. "And I will give you pastors
according to mine heart, which shall feed
you with knowledge and understanding.'' Acts
20:28. "Take heed therefore unto yourselves,
and to all the flock,over the which the Holy
Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the
church of God, which He hath purchased with
His own blood." This latter passage was probably
addressed to Ruhng Elders, but if these
are divinely called to their ofifice, much more
are ministers.
3. The names by which the ofifice is designated
show the necessity for a divine call to
it.
(i)
Messenger of God.' M'al. 3:1. "Behold,
I will send my messenger, and he shall
prepare the way before Me."
This is spoken
especially of John the Baptist who is the herald
of the gospel ministry. The epistles unto
the seven churches of Asia were addressed
unto the "angels" of these churches. The
word "angel" means messenger. The messengers
of the churches were their ministers.
In the vision recorded in Revelation
first chapter, Christ is seen walking in the
midst of the seven golden candlesticks, holding
in His right hand seven stars; and it is
said that "the seven stars are the angels of the
seven churches." Thus the ministers of the
gospel are Christ's messengers, held in His
right hand. Shall anyone assume to occupy
such a position uncalled
[^2) Pastor or Shepherd.
The flock is Christ's, who is the Great Shepherd
of the Sheep. In regard to the rightof
anyone to enter the sheep-fold as an undershepherd.
He uses language impossible to be
misunderstood. John 10:1-3. "Verily, verily,
I say unto you, he that entereth not by the
door into the sheep-fold, but climbeth up some
other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
But he that entereth by the door is the Shepherd
of the sheep. To him the porter openeth."
By the "porter" many understand the
Holy Spirit. Others understand Christ Him>
self. 'In either case it teaches the necessity
for a divine warrant 'for entering the fold as
a shepherd.
(3) Ambassador. 2 Cor. 5:20. "Now then
we are ambassadors for Christ as though God
did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's
stead, be ye reconciled to God."
An ambassador is one who represents his
government at a foreign court. He is qualified
to treat and to speak in the name and with
the authority of the government whose ambassador
he is. Would anyone assume to himself
such prerogatives The name ambassador
has its full significance when applied to
the minister of the gospel. "As though God
did beseech you by uis, we pray you in Christ's
stead." The minister has ofificial authority to
represent the kinigdom of God. Matt. 10:40.
"He that receiveth you, receiveth me, and he
that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me."
Here Christ constitutes ministers His ambassadors,
and declares that what is done to them
is done to Him and to His Father. Isit not
a daring act of presumption for one to seize
the prerogatives of heaven without a call
from God
(4) Stezfard. i Cor. 4:1-2. "Let a man
so account of us as of the ministers of Christ
and stewards of the mysteries of God."
What is the oflfice of a Steward He is one
to whom the master of the house entrusts his
property to be managed and controlled and
distributed. No one can assume such a relation
to another unless called thereto. If anyone
of us should elect himself steward of the
White House at Washington and proceed to
deal with its aflfairs he would soon learn
of his need of a higher call to the office.
"Stewards of the mysteries of God!" Shall
one assume to dispense the sacred and priceless
treasures of the covenant of grace without
the calling of God Titus i -.7. "A bishop
must be blameless as the steward of God."
Messenger of God, pastor, shepherd, ambassador,
steward; all of these inspired titles of
the ministerial oflfice attest the necessity for
a divine call to undertake it.
4- The Scriptures expressly teach that men
are called of God to this oflfice.
Isa. 6:8-9. "Also 1 heard the voice of the
Lord saying unto me, Whom shall I send, and
who will go for us Then said I, Here am I;