CONTENTS.
| CHAPTER I. | |||
| THE SECRET WALK WITH GOD | |||
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| Need of watching and prayer over three departments ofa Minister's life—The secret department—Temptationsin it from work—From solitude—Secret Devotion—TheMorning Watch—Physical precautions—Eveninghours—A Minister's prayers must sometimesforget the Ministry—This will be to the advantage ofthe Ministry—"Tell Him all" | [1] | ||
| CHAPTER II. | |||
| THE SECRET WALK WITH GOD (ii.). | |||
| Secret intercourse with God the life of a Minister's life—TheExample of Jesus Christ—Testimony of vonMachtholf—Special need of divine communion atthe present day—The cry for effort and enterprize—Secularizingtheories of religion and theMinistry—A call to young English Clergymen—Acaution from Laodicea—Study of the Holy Scriptures—"TheNew Testament about twice a week"—Whatsays the Ordinal?—M. Henri Lasserre onDevotional Literature and the Gospels—Study theBible unprofessionally—Bridges' quotation fromWitsius—Ridley in the Orchard | [21] | ||
| CHAPTER III. | |||
| SECRET STUDY OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. | |||
| A fragmentary chapter—Higher Criticism—A technicaland innocent term—Actual assertions of certain critics—"Donot follow this Book; follow Christ"—Weighfacts before theories—Testimony of Nature and Historyto Scripture—The Duke of Argyll in the NineteenthCentury—Prediction—Problem of the HumanKnowledge of Jesus Christ—Current fulfilments ofProphecy—Methods of Bible Study—The plough—Thespade—Specimen of spade-husbandry, in aChurch Congress Study of the Epistle to the Philippians | [45] | ||
| CHAPTER IV. | |||
| THE DAILY WALK WITH OTHERS (i.). | |||
| Secret Communion with God must accompany everythingelse—We are watched—Self-respect—Consistencylargely means Considerateness—"A consistentgentleman"—The Tongue—St Augustine's coupletfor the dinner-table—The Clergy-House, its opportunitiesand risks—The duty of Example—Is itremembered as it used to be?—"For their sakes Isanctify Myself"—"Others" and their claims on us—Manner—Temper—Simeon'spatience—The Secretof the Presence | [79] | ||
| CHAPTER V. | |||
| THE DAILY WALK WITH OTHERS (ii.). | |||
| "Take heed unto thyself"—Relations with Woman—Christianchivalry—And Christian caution—Specialdifficulties—"Know thyself"—Celibacy—The Clergyman'sWife—The problem of means—The Clergymanand money—Pecuniary intemperance—Accurateaccounts—Investment circulars—"Lay not up foryourselves" | [101] | ||
| CHAPTER VI. | |||
| THE DAILY WALK WITH OTHERS (iii.). | |||
| Curate and Incumbent—A Chancellor on Curates—Theideal Incumbent—No Incumbent perfect—And noparish perfectly content—Loyal watchfulness neededaccordingly—The Curate's Party—"The lost grace,humility"—Subordination—Take sides against yourself—Aletter to The Record on Curates' grievances. | [123] | ||
| CHAPTER VII. | |||
| PASTOR IN PARISH (i.). | |||
| A boundless subject—Visiting—All-important—Preparefor the round with prayer—Method—Brevity but nothurry—An example—Courtesy—It must be impartial—Visitationof the sick—Its special demands—Punctualityalways a duty—Use of the Bible—Theadvantage of coming as "the Clergyman"—Mistakenfor the undertaker—Come to the point—Lying in waitfor the occasion—Happy rebukes to timid reticence | [147] | ||
| CHAPTER VIII. | |||
| PASTOR IN PARISH (ii.). | |||
| Teach as you go—Urgent need of teaching—About Christ—Andthe Holy Spirit—And Sacraments—Commonmistakes about the teaching of the Church—Sin—Evidences—Recollectionsof a visiting round—Theretired tradesman—The sceptical blacksmith—Theinvalid artizan—The civil-servant—The consumptive—Thedying printer—The cripple—Aged poor saints—Saddeningvisits—Humbling memories—A brightconversion at eighty-two | [173] | ||
| CHAPTER IX. | |||
| THE CLERGYMAN AND THE PRAYER BOOK. | |||
| "As bad as inspired"—Imperfections in the Book—Yetit is priceless—Spirituality of the Prayer Book—Whatit takes for granted in the worshipper—A remarkablereason for secession—The Prayer Book as a weapon—ItsScripturality—Its compilers jealous for the Wordof God—Ministerial use of the Prayer Book—Putyourself into it—We are not to preach the prayers—Yetwe are to pray them—Reading of the Lessons—Baptism—Marriage—Burial—TheHoly Communion—Reverence—Ofwhat sort—Instruction-addresses onthe Prayer Book—"Less worship" | [201] | ||
| CHAPTER X. | |||
| PREACHING (i.). | |||
| The Pulpit a central point in the Ministry—Mutual influenceof "parish-work" and preaching—"Truththrough personality"—Let us "labour in the Word"—"LithoSermons"—Addison's village-parson andhis sermons—Attractive preaching—Is a duty—Audibility—Ofthe right sort—Good English—Why tobe cultivated—Mr Spurgeon's style—French hearersof an English preacher—Good effects on his style—"Writtenor extempore?"—Length—Action | [225] | ||
| CHAPTER XI. | |||
| PREACHING (ii.). | |||
| Further remarks on Attractiveness—And, in passing, onMinisterial Considerateness—This is to be practisedin preaching—As well as in other functions—Attractivenessto be guarded by Faithfulness—Requisites toattractiveness—"Preach the Gospel earnestly, interestingly,fully"—Jesus Christ is the Gospel—Personalconviction the essence of Earnestness—"Matter-of-Fact"—Interestsustained by anecdote and illustration—Butstill more by intelligibility and practicality—Expositorysermons—Fulness in the message—JesusChrist for us—And in us—The Holy Spirit mustwork with the Word | [249] | ||
| CHAPTER XII. | |||
| PREACHING (iii.). | |||
| Notes from a Sermon-Lecture—On diction, arrangement,fidelity to the text, proportion of parts, accuracy—Onstatements about revelation, justification, faith, grace—Apaper in The Churchman on Old Sermons—Be apreacher indeed, whatever be the fashion of the time—TheDirectory of 1645—Its instructions on "thePreaching of the Word"—Spiritual Power in Preaching—Howsought and received—Farewell | [273] | ||
| Fordington Pulpit | [301] | ||
"What contradictions meet
In Ministers' employ!
It is a bitter sweet,
A sorrow full of joy;
No other post affords a place
For equal honour or disgrace"
Olney Hymns.
"The Interpreter had Christian into a private Room, and bid his Man open a Door; the which when he had done, Christian saw a Picture of a very grave Person hang up against the Wall, and this was the fashion of it: It had eyes lift up to Heaven, the best of Books was in its hand, the Law of Truth was written upon its lips, the World was behind his back; it stood as if it Pleaded with Men, and a Crown of gold did hang over its head."
Pilgrim's Progress.