Moody is one of the most skilful and attentive pastors
that ever took individual souls in hand and kept them over many years in
mind. But these are completely exceptional men, and what I want to say
to commonplace and limited and everyday men like myself is this, that
watching for the souls of our people, one by one, day in and day
out,--that, above everything else, that, and nothing else,--makes any man
a pastor of the apostolic type. An able man may know all about the
history, the habitat, the various species, the breeds, the diseases, and
the prices of sheep, and yet be nothing at all of a true shepherd. And
so may a minister.
2. Pastoral visitation, combined with personal dealing, is by far the
best way of watching for souls. I well remember when I first began my
ministry in this congregation, how much I was impressed with what one of
the ablest and best of our then ministers was reported to have testified
on his deathbed. Calling back to his bedside a young minister who had
come to see him, the dying man said: 'Prepare for the pulpit; above
everything else you do, prepare for the pulpit.
Pages:
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348