says, "God hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away, how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth," 2 Cor. iii. 6-10. Besides, it is abundantly evident that, as the glory of God's mercy consists in the union of two inseparable things-mercy itself and its fruits of righteousness,- —so the glory of the Christian minister is composed of these two elements. Isaiah appears to have had this in view when he said, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" Isa. lii. 7. He These two elements unite again in the power conferred on the apostles, and, after them, on all Christian ministers, the power of binding and loosing, Matt. xviii. 18. [The minister cannot bind without loosing, nor loose without binding. binds when he attaches the conscience by mystic links and chains of adamant to the perfect law: he looses when he detaches us from the law of precepts, proclaims the abolition of servitude, and the amnesty of God. These two things are two poles which | always correspond to one another.] It is true that the minister is a savour of death to those for whom he is not a savour of life; the chief corner-stone is also a "stone of stumbling and rock of offence even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient," 1 Pet. ii. 7; and the condemnation of him who has heard without believing is so much the greater; but this necessary consequence of the nature of the ministry which he exercises, does not in any degree diminish its excellence. To say all in one word, let us transfer to the ministry all the excellence that is proper to Christianity, let us impute to it all the benefits which flow from Christianity, since it brings, it perpetuates them; or, if it seem good, let us measure its excellency by the excellency of Christianity; we shall have said enough.1 § VI.-DIFFICULTIES AND ADVANTAGES OF AN EVANGELICAL MINISTRY. After having thus established the excellency of the ministry, it might appear idle to adjust the balance of the advantages and disadvantages which it can offer, as a profession or as a position, to those who consecrate themselves to it. But, although this excellency involves the whole question in the view of him who recognises and feels it, and although, in the view of one who does not feel it, the question of the advantages and inconveniences of a position which he ought never to embrace, has not even an interest of curiosity,—yet I do not think I am called upon to place myself in so absolute a point of view, and to reason as if the second question possessed an interest entirely independent of the first. Let us begin with the difficulties, the pains, and the dangers of the ministry. The ministry is very different according as it is regarded at a distance or near at hand; and it is important for us to view it closely. [It is not possible to have a true knowledge of its duties when it is regarded at a distance; it is, however, necessary to gain a general acquaintance with them:] "Which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?" Luke xiv. 28-30. Doubtless it is necessary to be a Christian at any cost whatever, and from this very necessity we may conclude that the cost is not too great for any one; but the character of pastor does not replace that of Christian, but is added on to it; it forms an addition, and it is this addition that must be com 1 See ERASMUS on the dignity of the ministry. This piece has been translated by ROQUES in his Pasteur Evangélique. See Appendix, Note VI. puted. [We ought to see if the cost is too great for us; thus we shall avoid painful and discouraging surprises. [There are two ways of making this examination. In the first place we may examine all the extreme positions, the extraordinary situations, the most perilous cases. If there is anything that is tragic in the life of the Christian, it exists much more in the life of the pastor, who is the pattern-Christian. In the second place, we may examine ordinary cases. The difference does not lie in the nature of these cases, but in their frequency. [Extraordinary cases are so called, because, through the goodness of God they are rare; but it cannot be superfluous to speak of them. There are times when "those who build the wall... work with one hand, and with the other hand hold a weapon," Neh. iv. 17. Perhaps this is the case now. Besides, it is not that which strikes the eye that makes times ordinary or extraordinary; in reality, all times are more or less what we ourselves make them. All times may be sublime, just as we make the most extraordinary times prosaic. The ministry is extraordinary at all times. There is a heroic way of conceiving of it, and that is the only true way. The ministry is an office of devotedness, and in order that we may not take one thing for another, we must elevate our idea of the ministry to its highest perfection, and view it in its most arduous moments. For ourselves we are perpetually descending below our true position; what, then, can be more fatal than to seek our ideal of the ministry in some middle point, instead of seeking it at the very summit. In order, therefore, that we may not remain on too low a level, we must choose for our ideal the most exceptional cases, and ask ourselves whether we should be ready to accept the ministry of missionaries among savage nations—the ministry of the martyrs. We must, at the outset, place before us what is almost impossible, otherwise we do not attain to an adequate idea of the ministry. In whatever position it may be exercised, the ministry retains its identity; nothing can make it changeneither times of difficulty nor times of tranquillity. For a time God may allow us to enjoy a quiet position; but the ministry implies the most perilous situations-it is always a complete sacrifice of body and spirit in the service of the church. We should, therefore, place before our minds the greatest difficulties, not only that we may bring an extraordinary spirit to ordinary occasions, but because that which appears to us impossible is not so in reality. [The history of the church is made up of a succession of periods of trouble and of peace, and these periods are unforeseen. The most profound disturbances are not always announced by unmistakeable presages, and certainly not by distant warnings: in the evening the heaven is calm, on the morrow the storm breaks out, and there is nothing to enable us to foresee the approach of stormy times. It is as in the days of Noe: "They were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away," Matt. xxiv. 37-39; Luke xvii. 26, 27. Our age has great faith in institutions and their efficacy, and, doubtless, they have great influence; nevertheless, the claws of the wild animal soon grow again; and, in the midst of civilization, human nature always retains its savage state; it has only been tamed by society. There are passions which only sleep in the heart of man, and, in spite of the security which is provided by social institutions, we can never be secure against that hatred of men to the gospel, which is always alive in their hearts, and which only more violently displays itself as Christianity advances. We must, then, regard revolutions and persecutions as probable, even as we regard natural plagues as probable. Especially will storms break over Christianity; it must, more than anything else, draw upon itself hatred and love; its normal condition is neither absolutely one of trouble nor absolutely one of peace. In truth it does not want peace-God grants it peace in order that it may be tempered anew. But a too long calm might be fatal to it—it must have troubles and tempests. [Every one, therefore, before he enters the ministry, ought to bring these critical epochs vividly before his mind, and to ask himself, What shall I do? It will, perhaps, be necessary that in a plague or a time of war, I should give my life for my flock, even as Jesus Christ gave his life for us. And shall I be prepared to do so? In our times there is no persecution, except that sometimes we are ridiculed. These times may change: we may be persecuted-that is, threatened in our property, our families, our persons. Such a situation is as normal as any other; it is not more natural to go with regularity and tranquillity to church, and to go through its services peacefully, than to go to the stake; to be persecuted through wife and children; to encounter the wrath of the great of the earth, and perish under the strokes of their fury; to be exiled, or to exercise a laborious ministry in extreme poverty. We might even say that peace is the exception. All crises, moreover, are not of an exterior character; there are times as difficult as times of persecution-times of heresy or error, when the greater number of those associated with us in the ministry do not preach the gospel. These are times in which we must struggle for truth, and shrink from no sacrifices. Even now do we see error and heresy raising their heads; we have to combat those who enervate the gospel-and we ought, consequently, to expect calumny and hatred from many quarters. [In our country, and in our day, the ministry may be exercised in a position that is substantially independent; but is it certain that this will last, and that we shall not one day be called upon to exercise our ministry in poverty? The time during which the pastor is a suffragan has already elements of difficulty; but, although it is evil in one sense, it has, nevertheless, its blessings; the calling is purified by these trials. [We must not fear to present before our minds these more gloomy views of the ministry. We must tell ourselves that this career of heroism is one of hardship. All pastors ought to be heroes, for Christianity is already heroism in the laity; the Christian is an undeveloped hero, a hero in spirit. The right possessed by Protestant ministers of having families does not at all change their position; it only renders their devotedness the more difficult. The priest is alone. Lastly, the Protestant |