Chapter 49—Industry in the Ministry
I have been shown that there is danger of our young ministers
entering the field and engaging in the work of teaching the truth to
others when they are not fitted for the sacred work of God. They have
no just sense of the sacredness of the work for this time. They feel a
desire to be connected with the work, but they fail to bear the burdens
lying directly in the pathway of duty. They do that which costs them
but little taxation and inconvenience, and neglect to put their whole
souls into the work.
Some are too indolent to make a success of life in business matters
and are deficient in the experience necessary to make them good
Christians in a private capacity; yet they feel competent to engage in
the work which is of all others the most difficult, that of dealing with
minds and trying to convert souls from error to the truth. The hearts
of some of these ministers are not sanctified by the truth. All such are
merely stumbling blocks to sinners and are standing in the way of real
laborers. It will take more stern labor to educate them to right ideas,
that they may not injure the cause of God, than to do the work. God
cannot be glorified or His cause advanced by unconsecrated workmen
who are entirely deficient in the qualifications necessary to make a
gospel minister. Some young ministers who go forth to labor for others
need themselves to be thoroughly converted to the genuine religion of
the Bible.
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I was shown the case of Brother R of-----, which in many respects
represents the cases of others. I was shown that Brother R is no
real advantage to the cause of God and never can be unless he has
a thorough conversion. He has many defects in his character which
he must see before he can be accepted of God as a laborer in His
vineyard. The work of God is sacred. In the first place, Brother R
has not met with that change of heart which transforms the man and
is called conversion. He has a religion of the head, but he needs the
work of the grace of God upon the heart to be carried out in the life
before he can understandingly point others to the Lamb of God who
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