world, and the call of God to "come out and be separate," " have any meaning at all, they must be supposed to warn the Minister of the sanctuary from the sports of the field or the chase, from the theatre, the ball-room, the card-table, and the race-course; and from that unprofitable, sensual life of folly, which unconsciously hurries us on from social intercourse to the ensnaring pleasures of sin. A life, in which the love of the world is predominant, is incompatible with that dignified and edifying piety, which should be the distinguishing characteristic of the sacred Ministry. It is this spirit of piety alone, that can ensure to us utility.' 3 For what aptness to teach can be exercised or nourished, where the taste, time, talents and activity are devoted to engagements of a secular and self-indulgent character? Many shades of worldly conformity, most detrimental to the spiritual influence of the Christian Ministry, attach themselves peculiarly to the Clergy of the 1 Rom. xii. 2. 2 Cor. vi. 17. 2 Could Jerome, if he lived in our day, have written thus'Venatorem nunquam legimus sanctum ?' The following sentiments delivered ex cathedra, have the weight of authority as well as of intrinsic excellence. 'To speak my sentiments plainly,' (said the Bishop of Limerick at his Primary Visitation) 'I do not see how a clergyman, consistently with the sacredness and separation of his character and office; consistently with the edification of the flock committed to his charge; or consistently with the Vows which he has made at his ordination, can pursue the sports of the mountain or the field; can resort to the race-ground or the theatre; can be found at the card-table or in the ball.room. In avowing these sentiments I avow the sentiments, which from the earliest ages of the church have been maintained alike by the old Catholic bishops and fathers, and by the most distinguished and illustrious churchmen of modern times.' The body of our own Ecclesiastical Law, compiled by thirty-two commissioners, in the time of Edward the Sixth, and published under his royal authority, bearing date, April, 1571, gives an accurate and elevated standard -Non sint compotores, non aleatores, non aucupes, non vena. tores, non sycophantæ, non otiosi aut supini; sed sacrarum literarum studiis, et prædicationi verbi et orationibus pro Ecclesia ad Dominum diligenter incumbant.' 3 Massillon. H Establishment. Their rank in society, their education, their mode of living, and the necessity which is commonly felt for keeping up appearances-all are circumstances, which need the control of a heavenly and mortified mind, lest they should prove offences in our Ministry.1 Perhaps few of us are aware of the keen eye, with which our dress, furniture, tables, and household are scrutinized, and the minuteness of comparison instituted between our ministration and personal habits. Mr. Scott's observations upon this subject are entitled to great consideration. After remarking upon the inconveniences and temptations of Ministers indulging an affectation of appearance beyond their legitimate station, he adds— If we form our judgment on this subject from the Holy Scripture, we shall not think of finding the true Ministers of Christ among the higher classes of society in matters of external appearances or indulgence. If a Minister thinks, that the attention of the great and noble requires him to copy their expensive style of living, he grievously mistakes the matter. For this will generally forfeit the opinion before entertained of his good sense and regard to propriety; and his official declarations concerning the vanity of earthly things, and the Christian's indifference to them, will be suspected of insincerity; while it is observed, that he conforms to the world, as 1 Jerome's Letter to Nepotian, though scanty in Christian doctrine, contains some important hints on the general subject of Clerical conduct. It may be found appended to 'Bennet's Directions for the Study of Divinity and the Articles of the Church,' 12mo. 1715. An abstract is given by Burnet, Pastoral Care, chap. iv. Professor Campbell has some forcible remarks upon the same subject-On the Pastoral Character, Sect. ii. Compare also Secker's Charges, pp. 242, 243. 2 The Tract just alluded to may perhaps convey a useful hint. Facile contemnitur clericus, qui, sæpe vocatus ad prandium, ire non recusat. Nunquam petentes, raró accipiamus rogati. Quesnel gives the same rule on Luke xi. 37. far, or even farther than his circumstances will admit; and thus respect will often be changed into disgust.' At a later period of life he writes thus I am sorry to say, that worldly prudence, and the desire of making provision for families, not only for necessary things, but for gentility and affluence, is, in my opinion, eating up the life of spirituality, and simple trust in the Lord, even among those who preach scriptural doctrines. I believe these are clogged in their Ministry -nay, sink in general estimation, and are excluded from usefulness more, than they are aware of.'1 Admitting even that our income allows the indulgence of expensiveness in our style of appearance, yet is it not a point of Christian forbearance to refrain? Is it not most important to show, that our heart is not set upon these things; that Christian plainness and simplicity are our deliberate choice; and that it is a matter of conscience, and of privilege, to devote to the service of God the expenditure, that might have been wasted upon "cieled houses,' 112 or other useless decorations. A serious hinderance also to the Ministry sometimes arises from social intercourse with our respective neighbourhoods. Not that religion inculcates any breach of good breeding, habits of moroseness, or declaiming with contemptuous severity against the follies of the world. This is neither the spirit of the Gospel of love, nor the spirit that should distinguish its professors, and much less its Ministers; and what is said or done in this temper, had far better have been forborne, than exhibited in a garb of such unkindly roughness. Courtesy is a Christian duty, fully 1 Scott's Remarks on the Character of Demas, in his notes on Pilgrim's Progress. Life, pp. 395, 396. And compare Letters and Papers, pp. 476-482. Works, x. 224, 225. 2 See Hag. i. 4. consistent with the exercise of Christian faithfulness;' and, under the decided influence of Scriptural restraint, often an effectual means of melting down prejudice, and conciliating goodwill. But latet anguis in herba. The double guard of watchfulness and prayer is most needful to preserve the single eye, and the heart devoted in simplicity to God. It is enchanted ground. A prudent Christian dares not walk on it without a special call. The late excellent Mr. Hervey resolved- Never to go into any company, where he could not obtain access for his Master.' And at least we should determine to venture into no society, but where we sincerely desire and endeavour to introduce our Master. There is indeed "a time for keeping silence," and "keeping our mouth with a bridle," in the presence of the ungodly; lest, by "giving that which is holy unto dogs, and casting our pearls before swine," we should provoke a needless excitement of enmity against the Gospel. But (as Dr. Watts has well observed)- I doubt this caution has been carried much further by our own cowardice and carnality of spirit, than David ever practised it in the thirty-ninth Psalm, or than Jesus Christ meant it in the seventh of Matthew.' 3 Certainly if we are "dumb with silence, and hold our peace even from good," without feeling, like David under these circumstances, our "sorrows to be stirred;"4 it is but too plain, that we have lost that distinction of "the servants of Christ," which it would have been our honour to have preserved, that our Christian prudence has degenerated into worldly cowardice and that our conversation with the world has been regulated by the fear of man, 2 Eccles. iii. 7. 1 1 Peter iii. 8. 3 Watts's humble attempt towards a revival, pp. 88, 89. fleshly indulgence, and practical unbelief of the most solemn warnings of the Gospel. 1 Our Divine Master never intended, that we should confine our religion to the services of the sanctuary. As men of a consecrated character, we should have it at heart and in hand, spreading a spiritual savour over the common walks of society, and stamping us habitually with the mark of confessors of Christ in the midst of a world, who hold him still in the same contempt, as when eighteen centuries since they nailed him to the cross. There must be something defective in us, except we bring an atmosphere with us, which is more or less instantaneously felt. It is the want of this high tone of character, that makes our private Ministrations so pointless and ineffective. For when parochial visits have been unaccompanied with one 1 Such as Mark viii. 38. Archbishop Secker remarks, that 'we are apt to fail in not always appearing, in the common intercourse of life, sufficiently penetrated with the importance of our function, or sufficiently assiduous to promote the ends of our mission.' He warns us also, that 'talking with great earnestness about worldly affairs, or with great delight about diversions and trifles, betrays a mind over-much set upon them. Nay, our being only in a very peculiar degree good judges of such matters, or of any that are unconnected with our office, will, (unless we have some special call to them) be commonly thought to imply, that we have studied and love them beyond what we ought, to the neglect of our proper business-If practical Christian piety, and benevolence, with constant zeal to promote them, are not the first and chief qualities, which your parishioners and acquaintance ascribe to you; if they speak of you, as noted on other accounts, but pass over these articles, and, when asked about them, be at a loss what to say, excepting possibly that they know no harm of you; all is not right, nor can such a Clergy answer the design of its institution any where.' Charges, pp. 229, 236, 237. 2 Perhaps a profitable recollection may be gathered from the diary of a late excellent Minister-' Pardon me, O Lord, that I do not meet my friends more like a Minister of Christ.' Jay's Life of Winter. It was the opinion of the heavenly Leighton- that nothing takes off more from the authority of Ministers, and the efficacy of their message, than a custom of vain and frivolous conversation.' Pearson's Life, cxxvi. |