01 - Introduction
PART 1 THE PRIEST’S CARE FOR HIS OWN SOUL His nurture of it, to sustain its capacity for the nurture of others.
STUDIES IN SOUL TENDING
INTRODUCTION A TREATISE upon pastoral work can hardly enter upon its subject without a word by way of emphasising the warning so often repeated and apparently so obvious as to seem almost superfluous against the danger on the clergyman’s part of under taking to help others to do what he has not yet done for himself. That a man who has never experienced the love of Christ (the first requisite), as his own possession, should take upon himself to do Christ’s work, and be the means of instilling that love into the hearts of others, must unavoidably imply a life actuated by hypocrisy of the most serious kind. Unavoidably, because the very fact of his undertaking the charge of others in this respect is necessarily understood by them as implying the assurance that he is himself in the condition into which it is his avowed purpose to bring them. Were it otherwise they would simply scout the idea of his occupying the position which he has assumed.
It would be difficult to find a passage of Scripture expressive of such utter sadness amounting almost to a wail of despair as that in the Song of Songs, They made me keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept." 1 It may be well, therefore, at the outset of our subject, to suggest a few thoughts with the view of aiding the young clergy man in his efforts to " make his calling and election sure." 2 For that purpose a brief summary of the main features of an act of self-examination may be helpful as representing his first duty, namely, that of seeing to his own soul before venturing to deal with the souls of others. Such a form of self-questioning may proceed somewhat as follows, Is my life really and truly dedicated to God’s service, given up to the guidance of His Spirit, actuated by the love of His Son as its dominant principle? If this be the case, I am necessarily in a state of salvation in its twofold sense; that is to say, I am in a state of deliverance (if not wholly, at all events in a certain real sense and degree) from the bondage of sin, first as to its guilt, and secondly as to its power.
(1) The Guilt of Sin. Am I in a position to assure myself that the sin of my life past so far as my utmost efforts can enable me to realise and sum it up has been brought to Jesus Christ, has been repented of, forsaken, and submitted to be cleansed away in His Blood, the continual presentment of which (or the act of death it represents) is the means whereby recon ciliation is made for me with His Father from Whose love that sin had separated me? Have I accepted that reconciliation by an act of faith on my own part, relying upon the Father’s promised acceptance of the atonement through the mediation of His Son?
(2) The Power of Sin. Have I been enabled through the grace of the Holy Spirit to battle against, and in an advancing degree to overcome and to keep under, 1 Song of Solomon 1:6: 2 2 Peter 1:10. those sinful influences by which my life in its natural condition would be actuated; and am I now faith fully and diligently carrying on the conflict against those influences, and, notwithstanding many short comings, succeeding on the whole?
Salvation is a negative word; it represents the negative side of Christianity, that is, the side which has relation to the annulling of sin, its influences, its effects. Hence it only represents one aspect of the Christian life, namely, that which is concerned with sin in its effect as the means of separation from the love of God, the condition which is the starting-point of man’s natural life, and which, in the deepest and fullest sense of the term, is one of Death. Salvation consists simply in the removal of this bar of separation, and is the process of restoring man to a condition of, and capacity for, the possession of the Divine love. Our inquiry proceeds now to the positive aspect of the spiritual life, in some such form as the following, (1) Have I taken as the ruling motive of my life the object of seeking and carrying out God’s will at all costs, and at any sacrifice? Am I daily presenting my body, " a living sacrifice," striving to make it " holy, acceptable " unto Him? l (2) Do I love God with all my heart and soul and strength? Or if not so much as this, do I at all events love Him, and is it my great desire and effort to love Him more?
(3) Am I " working out my own salvation with fear and trembling "? 2 that is to say, building up my spiritual life by those means which God has appointed in His Church, and especially by the regular and effective participation of the Body and Blood of Christ 1 Romans 12:1.
(4) Have I deeply at heart, and bound up with my dearest life interests, the welfare of others temporal and spiritual and especially of those who are in any sense committed to my charge?
Even the faithful and diligent priest is in danger of neglecting the care of his own soul while earnestly labouring for the souls of others, and thus imperilling the shipwreck of both interests so far as his own part in them is concerned. It must, therefore, be his daily care to acquire and maintain in his own person the disposition and character which it is the declared aim of his life to cultivate in others. This can only be brought about, on the one hand, by constant union with his Lord; on the other, by watchfulness for the principles and motives which govern his own conduct.
Otherwise, there is danger of his work becoming mechanical, perfunctory, lifeless, unconsecrated, and, hence, devoid of the character of service. This is surely a melancholy condition of things. The practice of private devotion is, of course, the only fuel which can maintain the fire of the Divine Life in the soul, and can thus cause its outcome in the form of external activity to be an offering acceptable to our Lord and Master. The young minister must keep his own vineyard in due order, cultivated, watered, weeded, pruned, and fruit-bearing, if he would be a fit keeper of other vineyards. It is not enough that the results of a man’s labour should be good and beneficial in themselves. This is the case with all action on the part of evil men as well as of faithful labourers so far as regards its ultimate results. Our Heavenly Father’s disposal of events causes all things to work together for good, 1 whatever may be the motives which actuated the production of each particular event. But the workers are judged, not by the results which follow their work, but by the motive which actuated it. Hence, the result which amounts to failure, so far as appearances go, following upon any course of action, may be as fully productive of rich blessing to the worker as though his efforts had been crowned by the most evident success. It is by the motive of love as an energetic principle the love which is fostered by close communion with his Lord that the blessedness of the worker is measured.
If the priest’s attention is distracted by multifarious duties which appear as though they could not be neglected without serious detriment and hence he is tempted to cut short his period for private devotion let him remember that the accomplishment of God’s work which he is endeavouring to effect will be brought about anyhow; by some other instrument if not by himself: but that the nurture of his own soul can only be accomplished by his own exertion. After all, a man’s first duty is that of working out his own salvation. The mistake lies in setting this object (his own personal gain or advantage) before him as a leading motive of action, in keeping this object in view as the ultimate purpose to be attained by his efforts on behalf of others, in forgetting that his main thought is to be for others, not for himself. Herein lies the difference between Christianity and Buddhism, with all the beautiful and Christ-like grace of self-abnegation 1 Cp. Romans 8:28. and altruistic self-sacrifice which the latter system so eminently exhibits. The Buddhist practises the denial of selfish propensities, the performance of good offices towards his fellow-creatures, with a view of promoting his own attainment of Nirvana, or freedom from the domination of passion and sensation. In other words, with an ultimate view to his own self interest. Christianity teaches the denial of self practised simply as an offering of love to a loving Lord the practice of doing good to others from the motive, pure and simple, of love to them, and the desire to promote their welfare without the ulterior motive of gaining blessing and benefit to one’s self thereby. This is, at all events, the ideal principle which the position of the follower of Jesus Christ demands as the motive of conduct, even though it be not carried out with absolute perfection. Man works out his own salvation by going out of himself, by throwing forth his affections and interest, first towards his Lord, and secondly, towards his fellows for his Lord’s sake. In the very first place, therefore, he is bound to take measures for maintaining unbroken, and ever on the increase, his own condition of close and active communion with his Master in all departments of his life. And this will call for active effort. Prayer is no mere routine duty, but the actual putting forth of spiritual power; for this to be accomplished effectively it is necessary that in that department of his life, perhaps more than in any other department, the Christian minister’s work should be done systematically. The framing of his devotions must occupy a most important place in the apportionment of his life-work.
One essential point to made sure of is that the amount is sufficient the amount of time bestowed, the amount of spiritual and intellectual activity exerted.
Another important requisite is that the range of subjects included within these devotions be sufficiently comprehensive to include the various departments of worship, which may be roughly stated as seven in number, namely, 1. Confession and absolution.
2. Praise.
3. Thanksgiving.
4. Self -oblation.
5. Supplication for things needful.
6. Deprecation from evil in its various shapes.
7. Intercession. The use of manuals may be all very well, but when it comes to the choice of a manual I think it will be a matter of difficulty to find any one among the many in existence which will really supply what is needed in this department. It would be much better that the priest should frame his own system, including all the various forms of need of which he is conscious, and putting it into such shape as best suits his own judgment. This should be done in writing, written and rewritten, with additions, modifications, and alterations such, as are suggested from time to time in the course of the regular use of the forms thus drawn up. The subject of public worship does not fall within the range of our present consideration. Its place in the priestly life is, of course, a matter of the utmost importance, but it may not be treated as in any sense a substitute for private devotion.
One point which needs to be ever kept in mind is the fact that prayer, to be really effectual, must be specific in its character. The worshipper must have clearly in mind the nature of the gifts of which his conscience teaches him the need, and must learn to seek their supply definitely and categorically. Vagueness and lack of particularity are oftentimes the cause as well of deficiency in vigour, as also consequently of absence of effect in prayer. " We have not because we ask not." l Hence, the worshipper cannot afford to depend on mere general expressions in offering his petitions at the throne of grace. The priest, should learn, not only by self-examination, but also by keeping an outlook on the requirements of his position at all points, to include in his regular devotions every form of need, every subject for thanksgiving or praise which belongs to his daily life as an individual and as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He should leave no loophole for the entrance of evil unguarded, no form of blessing unremembered, no kind of need unthought of.
I have urged that the priest should plan out his own system of private devotion, and should have it in writing, in such form as to suit his own requirements, instead of depending upon manuals which are the work of others. It has occurred to me, however, that it might possibly be helpful to some of my younger brethren were I to suggest for their consideration a specimen of such a scheme as I here recommend, in the shape which it has taken in the course of years in my own case. An outline of this kind will, therefore, be found as an Appendix, on p. 40.
1 James 4:2,