Through the year in going to different sections or visiting among the churches, I have been requested to write more for our church pa­pers. I have been requested by some of our ministers to write some on a line which would be of help to our young ministers. This seems to have born upon my mind, and yet there are so many things I have both in word and deed done in the past, which certainly brings me under your care with the same needed ad­vice and your criti­cism for my good.

We should be thankful for the young gifts we have among us and watch over them for their good, and this I desire to do, if I know my heart's feeling in the matter.

I have been asked many times, and no doubt you have also been confronted with the question, "How may one know he is called to preach the gospel of Christ? Or is it a fact God calls men to preach?"

Yes, I believe there are evi­dences, and that God certainly calls men to preach. Now the qualifications of such men are given in the Bible, and each one should strive daily to live up to God's divine rule. I shall only give the chapters and verses that I may be brief and save space in the paper, hoping that these Scriptures may be read again and again to get their real meaning (2 Timothy ii. 15). Here the minister is commanded to study that he might not be ashamed and that he should be able to rightly di­vide the word of truth. 1 Tim. iii. 2-7, here in six verses are given, with the strong word, "Must," the duties of a minister and upon these binding truths (in my humble judgment), brief as they are, rest the suc­cess or failure of every man who has a call to the ministry; meas­ured by his respect and faithful­ness to their divine teachings.

I can only speak from what I have read, observed and experi­enced. If I have not read and given myself to a study of the Bible, and have not the light and interest to observe the godly fruits in others, have no experi­ence of these things in self, then I do not know what to teach, nor can I teach others. While the gift, or calling, may give one the right kind of zeal and grace to use it in a profitable manner--he must study and not neglect to use that gift as his Lord has commanded.

The great man Paul, though inspired, was given grace to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. See Eph. ii. 8. The prophets and the apostles were inspired of God to speak and write the Bible--we are not as they were, inspired; yet we believe God in this wonderful gift to man, by His grace, lifts the mind above the tem­poral things of life and enables His servants to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ and see and declare to others by an eye of faith the beautiful things of heaven.

But remember he is commanded when so blessed, to preach the word (2 Tim. iv. 2); to preach Christ, and Him crucified (1 Cor. ii. 2); how that He died for our sins according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. xv. 3). These great truths may be found in a very few expressions in the Bible. But to know how He died for our sins: why He died for poor hell-deserving sinners; how we are saved; why we are saved; how His saved people should live; what they should do and not do is a great lesson taught from Genesis first to Revelation last. So it is necessary to study, to pray often and meditate each day we live upon the great truths of our Lawgiver.

A minister who will engage in filthy talk, and keep company with those who do the same, no matter how beautiful his expressions in the stand may be, nor how long his face may be, the tears he sheds, his double life will kill his work as a minis­ter.

We are called to preach the truth, and the truth of God is always suitable for the age in which His people live. It is downright ignorant to preach anything else as a rule of religious practice. I say this to emphasize the need of a prayerful study of what we should teach and not teach.

Vain repetition is Pharisaical, useless, time wasted, and there are many ways this can be en­gaged in to no good. Repeating over and over again the same thing, falling into the practice of preaching the same sermon, or committing to memory what you preach, and reciting it as though your audience is too dull to know that you have a little speech and not a sermon to preach. Using the personal pronoun, I, when there are better and more useful things to speak of; trying to be a baby and telling your audience how badly your feelings have been hurt because you went somewhere and they did not preach you. Your calling demands that you be a man, and the cause is far greater than either the man or his gift.

While age, by reason of ex­perience and discipline, has given us real fathers in the ministry, we never grow so old in the min­istry nor years but that we should behave ourselves in the house of God. Let us so live, by watching ourselves, that we shall at all times be ready to go to a father for his counsel and advice. They became our fa­thers in the ministry by doing this themselves.

Remember the sacred desk is a holy place and is to be filled in the fear of God by everything said and done. Magnify your office and not yourself because your audience can see you, and most of the time you are a very little thing unless the God of all grace lifts you above self to preach His glorious gospel. When this is done, the lovers of what you preach will go with you to heaven's gate, praying for more grace, both for you and them. Remember, only God can give you this great blessing. Therefore, the right way is God's way and not yours, though you did the best you could and were blessed, you did not deserve it. It all came from a merciful God. The good fight of faith will not subdue our enemies by using carnal weapons; and remember sometimes when we use them in their designed use we may cut a hand or a foot, so as they are not to be used in the gospel warfare, and the words of truth are as spiritual armor; it is far better to put up your sword lest you hurt your­self.

We have a custom (did you notice I said custom) that some one introduces the services if more than one minister is present. If called upon in this capacity, unless the one to follow is un­known to your audience, don't read the longest chapter in the Bible, and then take the time that should be used by the speaker. It would be far better for you to offer prayer and take your seat. Be brief by all means. When speaking, don't talk too fast, lest your hearers fail to understand and follow you. Don't lift your voice to a high and harsh tone until you mean to place emphasis on a thought, then speak so as to be heard, remembering your audience is not deaf. Don't offer prayer ex­pressing your desires to God in loud speech. God knows your needs before you ask of Him.

My dear brother, I love you, because you have the highest calling God gives to man in His kingdom. If the brethren, by their kind admonition, request that you go in the stand and use your gift, serve His dear people as best you can; respect your gift by reading your Bible daily. Read it, meditate, and pray for grace to use it to the glory of God. As long as the kingdom of God is in the world, you will have a place to use your gift. Now, how may you know that you have this gift? You may know when you preach, for the gift of preaching is what we are talking about. "Well," you say, "I have been set apart as an or­dained minister for two or three years" (and I am ashamed to say it here but I know of some who have more years than that behind them); "and there are no churches calling for my efforts in a preaching way; and when I preach my audience doesn't seem to want to listen to what I have to say." Well, I don't blame them, for the simple reason you are not called to preach. You say. "Holder, that's plain talk." Indeed, it is. Now are you sore at me? Well, this is another very good sign you are wrong in the matter, my brother. But I am going to come to your rescue. Wait and see if I don't. Your church has not been faithful to you in the matter; they have put a burden upon you which only God can enable you to bear and give you grace to use to His glory. That church should repent of her wrong; kindly ad­monish you in what to do, and you should thank them for so do­ing, and listen to their brotherly advice. There are different gifts in the body, and they should be sought out by God's dear people and used to the edifying of the saints. They cannot and should not be required nor encouraged in doing the same thing, but should be used in their calling, and this will keep unity in our labors together that all may be united in the service of our God. There is something for every child of God to do, and I do not believe another can take his place without some member of the body suffering.

I believe you can find a man without a country in which to live as easily as you can find a child of God with a gift with no place to use it. The church and the one who has the gift should strive to do their duty. We should all labor together, wak­ing from sleep, and go where the Lord in His kind providence leads us, give us a field to work in This is what we all should do. Young brother, please don't misunderstand me. I would not knowingly discourage you, and have you to feel that there is a true Old Baptist in the world who would not gladly take you in his arms and bear with your mistakes, your weakness, and encourage you, and pray for you for your burden is one your fellow-soldier also has to bear.

A united ministry will keep our churches in peace. There is but one way to come to this unity, and this way is to bow to God's Word as the only rule of faith and practice. This calls for repentance of wrongs. If the church is wrong, then let that church repent, clean up, and clear up the wrong. If it is a minister, then let that minister repent, make reparation for the wrong, then forgive and walk to­gether in peace. These are perilous times. Our leaving the paths of peace and going to war has caused many aching hearts, destruction of churches, of ministers, and has driven from the gospel fold many children of God who, no doubt, today would be living in the dear old church en­joying the rich blessings found in the services of God.

Lord, give us grace to live hum­ble lives and preach the same grand truths and worship and serve their God.