The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-11-23
ordina.ioa of Mr.. rhoma. D. Ander..n,

A-oe1 efeuinR large congregation nileQ the
First Baptist church to attend the ordination
services of the pastor elect Thomas D. Ander-
son, Jr. The desk contained several rare fleral
decorations. The services opened with an an
them by the church choir. Rev. A. G. Herrick
| OF Freeport then invoked the divine blessing.
The records of the council held in the after
noon were read by Rev. G. B. Ilsley of Var
mouth. Rev. E. Worth of Kennebunk, presid-
ed at the council, and large number of
churches were represented After hearing the
religious experience, and profession of faith Of
the candidate it was voted to proceed with the
ordination, and a committee was appointed to
make the necessary arrangements.
After the reading of the records Rsv. e. S.
Small of Brunswick, Rad the scriptures and
Rev. I. Leland of Topsham offered prayer. The
hymn commencing GOD in the GOSPEL of His
Son. was sung by the choir.
The ordination sermon was preached by Rev.
DR.. Thomas D. Anderson, pastor of the First
Baptist church, New York city, and father of
tbe candidate. The text was from I'd Timothy,
4th chapter and Sd verse-"Preach the Word -
The theme was "The Christian ministry and
the duties pertaining to it,
After few preliminary remarks upon the
selection OF pastor the preacher referred to
the ministerial office as having been estab-
lished by Jesus Christ. He said that he should
regard the charge as addressed more to the
man than the official. Beneath it the badge of
ONCE is unnoticed. He next considered the
meaning of the terms ''preacL" and 'the
word.' Considering the latter we shall COM
prehend what the called of God is to preach.
This refers to the Bible without question, to the
volume of Revelations and by the use of the
name Revelations we reach the principal idea
in unfolding its significance. Words have
just this office-to reveal thought. The only
way in which the thoughts of our minds can be
revealed to another is by words. Jesus. who is
the Brightness of the Fathers glory and the
express image of His person in revealing God
10 the flesh, is called 1.-The Word" This
Word is not the dim echo of the voice of God
sounding in the human soul liable to all the
discord that its shattered condition produces,
it is not description of the divine thoughts as
they may appear to another, but this book is
the utterauce of God himself of His own
thoughts. tbs not the block of marble, it is
the statue itself produced by the Great Artist,
denying the possibility of amendment
Ii word it is not ouly an embodiment of
thought but that addressed to another. Hence
we have the 'Thou shalt, and thou shalt not"
Tracing the word along we have full revela-
ton of man as he is in the thought of God, his
maker. If it is a word utteriug the thought of
God to another, it will be on subject worthy
OF Him. Hence we have the subject Of the re-
covery OF fallen man in manner consistent
with the Divine integrity.
This word is also living revelation. The
thought expressed by the words of inspiration
are as valid to-day as when first uttered. They
no more die with the events in which they
were originally embodied than the spirit does
wheo It's body is dissolved. The word is also
perfected living re violation. We are not called
TO preach words but the word Amid the
ceaseless variety Fund ia the Bible there is
Divine unity that has been the typal idea in
the mind of the spirit as He has been beinging
out through centuries the perfected Redemp-
ton.
Passiog to the other term Preach, the
speaker said that preaching is q living force,
hence it is Injecting the word into the living
hio king. of yeur age or cline. AS the trans
lat1ns OF the word into dead or unknown
language would be useless SO utterlng it 10
dead thought is futile To preach is to pro-
claim with authority. Your argument must
always enwrap Grds reason, your illustration
must always unfold Gods thought.
To accomp lsh your calling I suggest three
qualifications: L, Knowledge of ones self 10
Christ or Christian experience; 2, Knowledge
of the word Bible study; 8, Knowledge Of
men pastoral sympathy.
At the close of the discourse the hymn COM
mencing with Heavenly Power, Lord De-
fend" was sung.
The prayer of ordinationwas offered by Rev.
DR.. Smaller, former pastor of the church; the
hand of fellowship by Rev. James McWhin-
ME, pastor of Free street church; the charge to
the candidate by Prof. o. S. Ste arms, d. D., of
Newton Seminary; the charge to the church by
Rev. @. f. Holbrook of Saco, and the closing
prayer by Rev. DR.. II. M. King of Boston.
The doxology was sung by the congregation,
the benediction pronounced by the candidate
and the very interesting services closed -
Rev. Mr.. Anderson is a young man of great
promise. He received his classical education
at Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass He
graduated with high donors in the class of "a
at Brown University, and at Newton Theolosi-
cal Seminary class IT. 1t is strange coinci-
dence that his father, Rev. DIR. Thomas D. An
derson, now pastor of the First Baptist church,
New York city, received call to this church
when he graduated from Newton. DR.. Cham
pin had then resigned the pastorate to accept
the presidency of Waterville College, now Col
by University. Mr.. Anderson declined to ac-
cept the call and went to Salem, where he
preached for number of years. This was
mora than thirty years ago.