THE DEAD LINE IN THE MINISTRY
Three facts concerning tlie dead line in
the ministry merit consideration: First,
it is often imaginary, sometimes real;
secondT'the minister himself is responsi
ble for its existence; third, the path of
^.dnty never crosses it.
It is of ton said that a minister
has crossed the dead line, when he
may lx* on the very summit of
Heaven directed lalKir. Hence,
the rnhhisli of popular misconcep
tion first needs brushing aside.
.Manifestly, it is not the line of
age. The narrow sentiment which
would reject a man liefore twenty-
five and retire him at fifty, is clear
ly erratic.
fSTor of apparent failure. False
standards of success may shelve a
minister long IxTore his work un
der God is com])lete.
iS’or of unpojmlarity. John
Foster said he was never asked
twice to occupy the same pul])it;
yet, as Dr. Parker ohserv’cs, “MJio
will deny that John Foster was an
able minister of the Xew Testa
ment V’
Xor of physical disability. Paul
had the hindering ‘‘thorn in the
fiesh.” .Richard Baxter preached
powerfully when he could scarce
ly rise lieforc' his audience. Rob
ert Hall fought against great phys
ical odds, and became the “De
mosthenes of the modern ]>ul])it.”
Xeither is it the line of neces
sary ignorance. Unquestionably,
many illiterate men have been
called to perform S])ecial work,
and have done it with thrilling
success.”
Xor yet of unrhetorical preach
ing. Faults in gesticulation, lin
gual peculiarities, natural eccen
tricities of manner; and rugged
terms of expression have all been
found in faithful and effective
ministers.
On the other hand, all the caus
es of ministerial death are to he
found in the minister’s own heart.
Streams of blessing cannot issue
J-,. .... . .c
XAtylit ii. xiUZtli i UUiitcf'i.xi. Ohio.
never expect a rich harvest from
the imtilled soil of his soul. A
petrified spirituality in the preach
er’s bosom can never generate a
holy contagion among his people.
Here and liere only, is the Alpha
and Omega of the Clerg;\unan’s
failure to meet the true end of his
calling.
This spiritual frigidity gets a
hostile brood which waylays the
mirdster’s path, to rob him of his
influence and usefulness, to leave
him. bruised, bleeding and forsak
en by the wayside.
There is indolence. This under
mines on all sides the preacher’s
fertility. His life is a dream.,
his pastoral work a drudgery, and
his sermons are like old bread—
“hard to cut, hard to eat, and hard
est of all to digest.”
There is fonnality. His people
gather alx)ut him like shivering
pilgrims about the glowing hearth;
sad indeed, if the expected blaze
turns out to l>e only the sparkle
and glitter of iciness.
There is also self-conceit Some
preachers are like the early .Eng
lish author, whose manuscript was
refused by a London publisher
because there were not enough cap
ital I’s in his office to print it—
their egotism unfits them for ordi
nary use.
Disloyalty to the truth, however
popular, is infallibly fatal. Al’Ix-
ing truth with error is manufac
turing sweet poison, and the heter
odox preacher who does it whets
the blade for his own throat.
In many other ways, according
to ministerial temperament and
environment, the dead line be
comes manifest, but in every case
it diverges from a cold, barren,
apathetic heart.
the dead line is an act of the
preacher’s will, and not the
decree of a merciless fate. If he
will only follow it, the mariner’s
course lies far enough from the
angry rocks and treacherous shoals.
It was not the rough path of duty,
hut the easier w’ay beyond the stile
which led the |iilgrinis into the
clutches of giant despair. The
minister who yields to carnal
charms, and heeds the fickle din
of po])ular opinion, and wavers
before every wind of doctrine, eith
er has already crossed the dead
line, or is dangerously near its
dark borders. But for the true,
faithful minister, who, eagle-eyed
and lion-hearted, seeks truth to
defend it, and detects error to
crush it—for him there is not,
there can never be, a dead line.
Conversion is not of necessity sud
den in all casos, nor do all pass
through the sai.ue experiences, but
the examinations of candidates by
appointed visitors do not perhaps
give that percentage of definite
conversion wdiirh the church ought
to expect.
I think, Mr. Editor, your val
uable columns ^vould be profitably
employed if others would also ex
press their o^)inions.
Tours .sincerely,
—Watc h viax,
in London Baptist.
IS THERE A DECLINE IN CONVER
SIONS ?
" Then it is clear, that crossing
To the Editor of the Baptist:
Sat:— I observe \mder your
Pastor’s College ‘‘Conference Im
pressions” in your issue of Tth in
stant, the statement that Messrs.
Fullerton and Wilson botli seemed
to thiidv that there was a decline
in conversions, and that they were
getting more and more rare. This
subject is of vital importance to
our churches.
.V minister who cannot point to
instances of conversions mider his
ministry during a reasonable time
has, in my judgment, mistaken his
calling. Apart from the question
of preaching there are reasons why
conversions ca?i lx‘ said to be rare
in these days:—
1. The reliance j)laced on
quantity rather than quality in
our church membershi]). The door
into menil)ershi]> is kept with a
slack hand. The swung of the
])endulum has gone to the otlnu* ex-
treitie. MJiereas in days of old
a convert was only admitted under
severe cross-examination, we in
these so-called enlightened days
q)pear only too glad to admit mem-
l>ers. A general statement that
Christ is l>elieve(l in is almost suf
ficient. Such churches are lower
ing the standard of belief.
2. The general tone of world
liness in the church is another hin
drance to conversion. The deeply
s])iritual is slighted for that wdiich
is transient and fleeting. The ser
mon nmst be short; the music must
he “classicalthere must be some
thing which is to be styled an “al
tar” close to the pulpit; men of
means must dominate the church.
Church meetings must be so only
in name; the ways of the Estale
lished Church must be copied in
the service, so far as the minister
and deacons, and, may be, the con
gregation, dare.
3. The preaching of the “so
cial” Gospel rather than the Gos
pel of “conversion.” A striving
on the part of the church to catch
the eye of the masses through “so
cial” schemes rather than through
the proclamation of salvation by
the Blood of the Lamb.
4. The slighting of Xoncon-
forniist principles. The super-
abounding charity wdiich would
meet Romanist and Anglican half
W’ay, w’hich is not content to be
neighborly, w’ithout being ready
to sacrifice vital principles.
I cannot help feeling that our
churches are running a terrible
risk of drifting wuth the w’orldly
tide. The line betw^een church
and w’orld is not sufficiently mark
ed. Can we w’onder, then, that
conversions are rare ? Take any
half dozen applicants for admis
sion into church membership. Is
it not a fact that five out of the
six can point to no definite time
of conversion ? Is it not a fact
TO PASTORS COLPORTERS,
AXD THOSE EXGAGED IX
SUXDAA^ SCHOOL AXD
CITY MISSIOX W^ORK.
We call your attention to our
Line of Bibles from 15 cents to
$2, Xew Testaments from 5 cents
to $1.50. The Gospels, Matthew,
i\lark, Luke and John at 24 cents
each.
FOR FIVE CEXTS
w’e offer you, Choice Extracts, by
Meyer; Hints on IIow’ to Win
Souls, by A'atman.
FOR TEX CEXTS.
“All Things Xew,” (Morgan) ;
“Christlike Christianity,” (Eels) ;
“Cripple Tom,” (Searle) ; “Dew^
of Thy Youth,,’ (Miller) ; “Effec
tiveness in Christian dVork,” (Mc
Clure) ; “Fight of Faith,” (Cuy-
ler) ; “IJrst Thing in the World,”
(A. J. Gordon); “For Eyes that
dVeep,” (Smith) ; “Gates of
Death,” (Stevenson); “Life Re
ceived and Xourished,” (Brookes) ;
“Perfected Life,” (Drum.mond) ;
‘‘Modes of Sanctification,” (Drum
mond) ; “Our Children for
Christ,” (Scudder); “Satan,”
(Blackstone); “Unto Him,” (Vin
cent) ; “ITay and the Word,”
(Moody).
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“Daily Promises,” “Daily Food,”
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Links,” “How’ to Study the Bible,”
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New Bern, N. C.
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of Fancy Dress Goods, Laces, Dress Trimmings, Mens and Boys
Clothing, Shoes, Notions, Hats, &c.,
ALWAYS GO TO THE PARAGON!
The LEADING LADIES and GENTS FURNISHING STORE.
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and Our Prices are as Low as others.
j|@“ Please come and judge for yourself.
THE PARAGON
MOREHEAD CITY, N. C.
PEOPLE ALWAYS SHOULD GO
w’here they can get the best of everything—especially Food. The
Best Meats of all kinds you can find at the
Oaks M^at Market!
TO THE COUNTRY PEOPLE
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be to your advantage to bring your produce to us, as
W’e are giving the Highest Prices for same.
OAKS HEAT HARICET.
57 Broad Street. Phone 123
IsTo lEisjb. S-boz?57-.
A Sure Cure for Dyspepsia or Indigestion in 6 Bottles of
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TA-ATEIS 'W, 'W'.TEIAIS,
MOREHEAD CITY, N. C.
CTx*.,
S. M. BRINSON,
Attorney at Law and Fire Insurance
Agent,
New Bern, N. C.
HENRY’S PHARMACY,
127 Middle St., New Bern, N. C.
Physicians Prescriptions a specialty.
Full line of To.let Articles.
DR.
E. F. EARLY,
Dentist.
Teeth extracted without pain by the
use of nitrous oxide gas.
Office over Bradham’s Drug Store, cor
ner Middle and Pollock streets.
New Bern, N. C.
J. McDaniel,
5VHOLESALE and RETAIL GROCER,
BROAD~STEEET, MEW BERN, N. C.,
Carries a Large and Well Selected Stock of
Groceries and Provisions,
TOBACCO, SNUFF AND CIGARS.
It will pay you to examine his stock before buying elsewhere.
7i Broad Street, New Bern. J. L. McDANIEL.
Made Bicy
that only a general kind of belief
is advanced as a reason why the
candidate should be admitted ?
Good Reliable Standard
cles.
Weil worth !J25, for $15.98. Another
line no better made $20. Chainless $40.
Single Tube Tires each $2.25. M.
and W. Inner Tubes, each 75c. and $1.
Frame Buffers each 15 cents. Hart
ford Tires each $3. and $3.50. Colum
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Round or Flat, each, 75c. Enamel, all
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box. Many other things too numerous
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GASKINS CYCLE COMPANY.
TOOTH BRUSHES AT DAVIS’.
Davis Prescription Pharmacy has just
received a lot of tooth brushes from Chas.
Looneii; the w^ll-known manufacturer of
brushes in Paris, Each .brush has “Da
vis Pharmacy” stamped on the handle,
and is guaranteed to be perfect. If one
is found unsatisfactory, it may be return
ed. It is being made a leader at Davis’
and the price is only 25 cents.
New Bern, N. C.
J. G. DUpp & CO.
57 Pollock Street,
NEW BERN, N. C.
Headquarters Men’s & Boys Clothing, Hats, Shoes,
AND ■
JFtxn-iislaing; Oooclsss.
J. R. PARKBR, Jr.,
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL DEALER IN
CHOICE FAM7 CROCIEIEC
-AND-
u^:ro~v~i sxoj^s
TOBACCO, SNUFF, CIGARS, COUNTRY PRODUCE, &C.
STABLES AND LOT FREE FOR THE COUNTRY TRADE.
Broad {Street, IVe-v^^ IBern, TV. O.