[After 50+ =
years of full-time ministry, I am no longer a pastor. That will =
not slow me from praying for the pastors (especially my successor on my =
retirement or my two pastor-sons) and rejoice at those who will still =
lift me up in their prayers]
Let the =
minister have a place in your heart. Mention his name at your family =
altar, and in your prayer closet. You expect him to come before you day =
after day, to teach you the things of the kingdom, and exhort and stir =
up your pure minds by way of remembrance. If he be a true minister, =
there will be work to be done in this matter. He cannot write his sermon =
and read it to you; he does not believe Christ said, "Go and read =
the gospel to every creature."
Do you know =
the cares of a minister? Do you know the trouble he has with his own =
church-how the erring ones do grieve him, how even the righteous ones do =
vex his spirit by their infirmities-how there will always be some great =
trouble in the hearts of some of his people? And he is the reservoir of =
all: they come to him with all their grief; he is to "weep with =
them that weep."
And in the =
pulpit what is his work? God is my witness, I scarcely ever prepare for =
my pulpit with pleasure: study for the pulpit is to me the most irksome =
work in the world. I have never come into this house that I know of with =
a smile upon mine heart; I may have sometimes gone out with one; but =
never have I had one when I entered. Preach, preach, twice a day I can =
and will do, but still there is a travailing in preparation for it, and =
even the utterance is not always accompanied with joy and gladness, and =
God knows that if it were not for the good that we trust is to be =
accomplished by the preaching of the Word, it is no happiness to a man’s =
life to be well known.
It robs him of =
all comfort to be from morning to night pressed for labor, to have no =
rest for the sole of his foot or for his brain-to bear every burden-to =
have people asking, as they do in the country, when they want to get =
into a cart, "Will the cart hold the weight?" -never thinking =
whether the horse can drag it; to have them asking, "Will you =
preach at such a place? you are preaching twice, couldn’t you manage to =
get to such a place, and preach again?" Everyone else has a limit; =
the minister has none, until he kills himself and is condemned as =
imprudent. If you are determined to do your duty in that place to which =
God has called you, you need the prayers of your people, that you may be =
able to do the work, and you will need their abundant prayers that you =
may be sustained in it.
I bless God =
that I have a valiant corps of men, who day without night besiege God’s =
throne on my behalf. I would speak to you, my brethren and sisters, =
again, and beseech you, by our loving days that are past, by all the =
hard fighting that we have had side by side with each other, not to =
cease to pray now. The time was when in hours of trouble, you and I have =
bended our knees together in God’s house and we have prayed to God that =
he would give us a blessing. You remember how great and sore troubles =
did roll over our head-how men did ride over us. We went through fire =
and through water, and now let us not cease to pray. Let us still cry =
out unto the living God, that he may give us a =
blessing.
Oh, may God =
help me if you cease to pray for me! Let me know the day when you cease =
your prayers, and I must cease to preach. Let me know when you intend to =
cease your prayers, and I shall cry, "O my God, give me this day my =
tomb, and let me slumber in the dust."
~ Charles =
Haddon Spurgeon, 1870
~~
Dr Bob Griffin =
[email protected] =
www.grif.net
"Jesus =
Knows Me, This I Love!"