Against a Protracted Ministry

"Eustace Carey remarks in the memoirs of his uncle, Dr. Carey, 'The first and highest designation of a Christian minister respects Christ and his universal cause. The pastorate of a particular Church is a thing secondary and subordinate. The obligation involved in the first is absolute and perpetual; that of the latter is voluntary, casual, and precarious. It is granted, that the relation of pastor and flock is too solemn and too tenderly interesting to be assumed and dissolved with levity. But on the other hand, it is easily conceivable that pastors and people, from motives not always the most spiritual, may he so wrapped up in their attachment to each other as to be lamentably insensible to the more catholic claims which the cause of Christ may present to them.' Dr. Doddridge, in his lectures to his students, says, 'Go to a place at first where you do not intend to spend your lives, if it may be the means of making you easy for a time, and place you in a situation for usefulness and improvement.'

"Wesley once remarked, 'I know, were I myself to preach one whole year in one place, I should preach both myself, and most of my congregation asleep. Nor can I believe it was ever the will of our Lord that any congregation should have only one teacher. We have found, by long and constant experience, that a frequent change of teachers is best.' Besides these extracts from judicious and experienced ministers in modern times, allow me to add, that Jesus Christ did not fix himself in some one situation, and exercise his ministry exclusively, or even principally in that; but he 'went about doing good.' 'And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom,' &c. 'And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom,' &c. I think we do not read of the Apostle Paul abiding more than three years in any one situation."