Fair and foul is all of God's disposing.'
And, then, this simplicity and purity of intention gives a minister that
fine combination of candour and considerateness which we saw to exist
together so harmoniously in the character of Sincere. Such a minister is
not tongue-tied with sinister and selfish intentions. His sincerity
toward God gives him a masterful position among his people. His words of
rebuke and warning go straight to his people's consciences because they
come straight out of his own conscience. His words are their own witness
that he is neither fearing his people nor fawning upon his people in
speaking to them. And, then, such candour prepares the way for the
utmost considerateness when the proper time comes for considerateness.
Such a minister is patient with the stupid, and even with the wicked and
the injurious, because in all their stupidity and wickedness and
injuriousness they have only injured and impoverished themselves. And if
God is full of patience and pity for the ignorant and the evil and the
out of the way, then His sincere-hearted minister is of all men the very
man to carry the divine message of forgiveness and instruction to such
sinners.
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