Ability to Teach

In this fifth and final session, Pastor Martin addresses the mechanical and leadership gifts necessary for pastoral ministry. Under the heading of proven ability to speak, he identifies three requirements: ability to be heard without torture to men's ears, ability to be understood without torture to men's minds (including orderly arrangement, perspicuity, and simplicity), and ability to be received as a messenger of God without torture to the discernment of God's people (the sense of divine authority). He then treats the proven ability to rule and lead, encompassing a servant's heart, a natural leadership quality that makes it easy for people to follow, and the ability to be honored and respected in office. He closes with a summary drawing from Bridges, Owen, and Spurgeon.