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Address to Ministers
441
they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are
taken captive by him at his will.”
In order to accomplish the work which God requires of them,
ministers need to be qualified for their position. The apostle Paul,
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in his letter to the Colossians, speaks thus concerning his ministry:
“Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of
God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God; even
the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations,
but now is made manifest to His saints: to whom God would make
known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the
Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: whom we
preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom;
that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: whereunto I
also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me
mightily.”
No less sacred appreciation of and devotion to the work of the
ministry does God require of His servants who are living so near the
end of all things. He cannot accept the work of laborers unless they
realize in their own hearts the life and power of the truth which they
present to others. He will not accept of anything short of earnest,
active, zealous heart labor. Vigilance and fruitfulness are required
for this great work. God wants unselfish workmen, those who will
labor with disinterested benevolence and give their undivided interest
to the work.
Brethren, you lack devotion and consecration to the work. Your
hearts are selfish. The deficiencies in you must be supplied, or you
will erelong meet with a fatal disappointment—you will lose heaven.
God does not lightly regard a neglect of the faithful performance of
the work which He has left His servants to do. Enduring energy and
a constant reliance upon God are lacking in many who are laboring
in the ministry. The result of this lack brings great burdens upon the
few who possess these qualities, and they are necessitated to make
up the deficiencies so apparent in those who might be able work men
if they would become so. There are a few who are working day and
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night, depriving themselves of rest and social enjoyments, taxing the
brain to the utmost, each performing the labor of three men, wearing
away their valuable lives to do the work that others might do, but
neglect. Some are too lazy to perform their part; many ministers are