Dear brethren: - We have selected as an appropriate subject upon which to address you this year, The call to the Christian ministry. It is most assuredly a question of great practical importance to individuals who are anxiously, inquiring what their Lord and Master would have them do, to have clear views as to what constitutes a call to this sacred and responsible office in Christ's Church. How often do we hear pious young men with deep anxiety asking the question, How shall I ascertain whether I am called to preach the gospel? But it is also a question of vital importance to the churches in this day, when there is such an evident necessity for deep solicitude and earnest prayer in seeking out pious young rnen for the ministry. For want of correct views on this .subject many men have either forced themselves upon the churches, or have been influenced by friends or imprudenl churches, to take upon themselves the responsibilities of this sacred office; who by their ignorance, imprudence and ungodly lives, have provoked the anger of God against themselves, and been a curse to the church, and the world. It is also evident that for want of a proper solution of this question many good men have been kept back from entering into the ministry, greatly to their own spiritual hurt, and loss to the church and the world. That God does call men into the ministry, we all agree. That while it is evident that all Christians are called to labor in the vineyard of their Lord, it is equally evident that he has not intended that all should be preachers. Then if he has intended that all should not preach and that some should preach, he most assuredly has some method by which he makes known to those whom he wishes to be his ministers, their duly, otherwise they wouid not be responsible. He who instituted this office, instituted
means by which men should be furnished, qualified, and called to fill it, and discharge its functions. It is God's sovereign right to call whom he will to his work. Under the Old Testament dispensation, no man took upon himself the office of Priest, except he was called of God, as was Aaron. Under the New Testament dispensation Christ himself called the Apostles, commissioned and sent them to preach his gospel to every creature. We observe Christ in calling his apostles, selected men with different gifts. Some were unlearned fishermen, but he instructed them before he sent them out. He called Paul, a learned man and vile persecutor, John for his love, Peter for his zeal, Apollos for his eloquence. We see he does the same at the present day, he calls men with gifts differing, and there is wisdom in it. It should be observed too, that the first preachers were miraculously called, he gave them power over unclean spirits to cast them out, power to heal the sick, raise the dead, &c. But we are not to infer from this that he intended these miraculous interpositions should always remain in the church to supply her with a regularly ordained ministry. Now since it is evident that God does call men into his ministry, two questions of great practical importance arise. First, whom does he call? Secondly, how does he call them? The first pertains more especially to the church, the second to the individual. Christ, when he committed to the church the work of preaching his gospel to all the world, gave to her certain rules, if not plainly laid down, easy to be inferred, by which she might determine the character and qualifications of those whom he would have proclaim it.In the solution of this question we shall be aided by a reference to Paul's second letter to Timothy, chap. ii. and 2d verse. "And the things that thou hast heard of me before many witnesses, the same commmit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also." In these words we have the character of those to whom the Divine oracles are to be committed. He must have
spiritual qualifications, be a faithful man - he must have natural qualifications, be able to teach.A church should never regard a man called of God who does not give good evidence of deep repentance, strong faith and thorough regeneration, combined with feverent and consistent piety. From the very nature of the ministeral office these are indispensible qualifications. To lead men to a knowledge of their sinfulness and depravity, to convict men of sin, to lead them to believe in Jesus Christ, to explain the nature of the new birth, to be examples to the flock, constitutes the great work of the Christian minister. But how shall he who has never felt the pangs of conviction under a sense of sin, lead others to feel contrition for sin? How shall he who has never been born again, be able to describe the nature of the new life? How shall he lead men to trust for salvation in him in whom he himself has never believed? How can he guide others in paths to which he himself is altogether a stranger? How can he excite in others feelings that he has never felt? It is not sufficient for the ministry that he have grace in his heart, but such as is living and active; weak graces may support a man under an even and common course of duty; a little strength may bear a light burden. But it is no even course of life that the minister has to live, it is no light burden he has to bear. A man who has to fight against principalities and powers, and against spiritual wickedness in high places, requires no ordinary degree of faith and humility. If a deep and glowing piety be wanting, whatever qualifications an individual may have, a church should never consider such called to preach the gospel. For god never calls persons to do that for which they are unfit. Furthermore, God does not call all who are converted and give evidence of consistent piety, to the ministry, for the plain reason, that not all such "are able to teach others."
We have good brethren in our churches whose conversion we never question, and in whose piety we
have all confidence, yet we never think of setting them apart to preach the gospel. [Blurred] ... who shall be hearlds of the cross of Christ, should not only see to it that there be grace in the heart, and that living and active, but also that there be natural abilities. By this we mean natural mental capacity, which by proper cultivation will enable him to think seriously. When the duties of the ministerial office are duly estimated, we at once see the necessity of a good intellectual capacity. There is a constant demand for ____ mental labor. Truth must be sought out and error exposed, the truths of the Bible must be understood, and so understood as to be set forth in a clear and tangible light. A wide range of doctrines are spread out on the pages of the Divine oracles, which must be given to saint and sinner in due season. The evidences of Christianity are to be exhibited in the light of reason, the scriptures are to be explained, and seeming discrepancies to be reconciled; all of which requires intense mental labor. And especially is the demand pressing at the present time, as we believe God calls men for all emergencies. When our whole Christian elements present but one continued scene of moral conflict, when our Christian society presents such a strange compound of truth and error.In concluding this part of our subject, we would sum up what we have endeavored to elucidate in this Circular in a few words, that God does call men to the Christian ministry. He calls men of diferent talents - that in this, as in all things, the means are adapted to the ends to be accomplished - that we, knowing what the work is, are enabled to determine whom he has called to do it. And hence, wherever we find a man with grace in his heart, and that of an active and vital character, a good intellectual capacity, good common sense, good organs of speech, and a desire to be employed by Christ in his ministry, we should feel that he has been called of God and should say to him, go preach the gospel.
With reference to the second question, the limits of this Circular will not allow us to speak, but suffice it to say, that while we are not inclined to believe that miraculous interpositions, voices, dreams or unaccountable visions are to be looked for or regarded; we are disposed to believe that the Holy Spirit does operate upon the minds of those whom God calls, in a manner somehwat different from his ordinary work upon the minds of Christians; that He enlightens the mind so as to apprehend the duty, influences the feelings to desire to be employed by Christ in his holy ministry, gives deep solicitude for the salvation of sinners, draws out the mind, dwells much on the subject, so that [if] the individual finds himself drifting along he can scarcely tell how, in that direction. In conclusion, we commend this subject to the careful and devout attention of all those who think dedicating themselves to the gospel ministy - we also commend it to the fervent prayer of the churches, and unite our supplications that the Lord would call, qualify and send out many able and faithful ministers of the New Testament.======== [From Campbell County (KY) Baptist Association Minutes, 1859, pp. 8-12. The document is from the Campbell County Historical Society Library. Transcribed and formatted by Jim Duvall]
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