Hints and helps in pastoral theology by William S Plumer (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapters 5 (Benefits of genuine piety) and 6 (Other good fruits of piety).
Today we see the benefits of genuine piety in a minister in both Chapters 5 and 6.
Godliness makes ministers:
(i) charitable;
(ii) knowledgeable;
(iii) pray;
(iv) consistent in their profession;
(v) humble;
(vi) symmetrical in character;
(vii) good;
(viii) cured of the miserable love of popular favour;
(ix) search after truth;
(x) trust in God;
(xi) respectful;
(xii) edifying to their people;
(xiii) truly happy;
(xiv) preach to their own soul;
(xv) keep from idleness;
(xvi) piously confident in God;
(xvii) foster that tender pity and generous love for perishing men.
I liked the quote given from Philip Henry about the minister's happiness: 'Such piety will make men truly happy. The joy of the Lord will then be their strength. They will be anointed with the oil of gladness, and will enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. At the close of a well-spent Sabbath, Philip Henry said, " If this be not heaven, it must be the way to it."'
I do find that at the end of a Sunday's work there is definitely exhaustion, but there is also a great deal of happiness.
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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