Thomas Murphy

It should ever be in his mind to make him faithful in duties from which the flesh naturally shrinks. He should never forget it, that it may especially be an ever-present motive to lead him to a most thorough consecration of his whole being to the cause of the Master.

…This is saying much, but due reflection will make it appear that it is no exaggeration. We have an illustrious scriptural example of it in the case of Barnabas. The noble record of him is, “He was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith; and much people was added unto the Lord”—” He was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith;” and hence “much people was added unto the Lord.” May we not believe that much people will always be added unto the Lord under the ministry of men of such character?

As is the love of Christ in his own soul, so will be the minister’s zeal for the perishing souls of those committed to his care; so will he long for the glory of Christ; and so will he pray and work and strive in his heavenly calling; and so ordinarily will be his success in that calling. There is nothing else in this wide world that can properly constrain him to put forth the efforts that are needed. It was this which the apostle Paul said constrained him, and so it must be with every one who would follow in the successful course of the apostle. All other motives will soon lose their impelling energy, but this will grow stronger and stronger. It will find means for removing or overcoming obstacles, and still hold its onward course. Hence, in the quiet seclusion of his closet, when the pastor’s heart is warming through communion with God, there is the best possible preparation going on for the conversion of souls.

Then the piety of the church will generally rise about as high as that of its minister. A cold, worldly-minded pastor is sure to have a cold church. A living pastor will have a church in which life and joy and prayer will abound. How can it be otherwise, since his ministrations permeate the whole life of the body? He is the appointed agent for edifying the people of God in their most holy faith, and their spirituality can not be expected to rise higher than his. There doubtless are exceptions, but the general rule is, that the measure of devotedness in any particular church may be gauged by that of the pastor’s heart. Should he rest satisfied while there is any coldness there?

And who can tell how much depends on the life and prosperity of the Church? In it are involved the honor of God, the comfort of believers, the destiny of souls, the spread of the gospel, the purity of those who are the appointed lights of the world, and the interests that awaken all heaven and for which the Lord of glory died. How God regards the state of the Church may be seen in those great prophetic messages to the seven churches of Asia which were appointed beacons for all ages. The condition of the Church which the Lord Jesus redeemed with his own most precious blood must be very near and dear to his heart. And is it true, most solemnly true, that the measure of that Church’s godliness depends upon that of the pastor’s heart? Then his heart is the place in which must begin a revival in the Church. There is the place from which the Church’s devotedness to God must begin to rise into a higher and higher sphere. One minister with his heart properly alive, properly sprinkled with atoning blood, properly consecrated by the Holy Spirit, must be a great blessing in the whole community. A few such in the bounds of the Church would soon change its whole aspect—yea, would soon affect the moral tone of the whole country. Blessings for thousands are impending when the minister is on his knees pleading for more and more grace.