Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-05-09
PASTOR AND PEOPLE.
q sermon Preached TO the n0ptist
Church ia West DrattIebOrO On SUM
day, April "a, 1919.

9uuf uItAnItui 10 KNOW tutn WnCh lhhuf among you
and are over in the Lord, aud admouish you, aud
sake
The church of Christ is no man made in-
stitution no mere voluntary society like
temperance society or an Odd Fellows lodge.
II it were, we would he at liberty to join it
or not, rs we chose, and to make and admin
lister such rules and regulations as we pleased.
1t is divine institution, planned and estab-
lished by Christ himself and every Christian
is bound 10y the authority of his Lord to be-
long to it and abide by the laws which He has
made for it, and put into the New Testament.
Pastors, according to Ephesians iv., are the
gift of Christ, and they are given "for the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the
ministry, for the edifying of the body of
Christ" That we may know how to appre-
ciate the gift and profit by it let us look at
l. The relation 6ettreeh tie pastor and the
chUrch orer ,chich he presides
l. lie is the spiritual shepherd Of a spirit
udl FOck. Paul said to the elders of Ephesus
"Take heed to 49, the flock over which the
Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed
the church of God which He hath purchased
with His own blood" Peter repeated the
charge: Feed the flock of God which is
among you, taking the oversight there of, not
by constraint but willingly, not for filthy lu-
ere, but of n ready mind, neither as being
lords over Gods heritage but being ensam-
pies to the flock A shepherds first bust
ness, you know, was to feed the flock that
is, to lead them into good pasture where they
might feed and fatteu themselves. Along
with this he was to watch over them, to keep
them ont of danger, to prevent their straying
and If any strayed to go after them. So the
pastor leads his people into the fertile fields
ef Gods Holy Word and feeds them with its
wholesome doctrines and holy precepts and
comforting promises that their souls may
thrive and grow. And he watches for souls
'as one that must give account that he may
do 1t with JOY and not with grief" He warns
them of danger, points ont the perilous places
of temptation, or the poisonous weeds of er-
ror, and if any go astray he like his Master,
goes out ito seek and to save that which is
lost This is not only pulpit-work but home
work, and wayside-work and field work. And
it is not only work of teaching but of ex-
hortlng of warming of inviting, of comfort
ing, of admonishing. 1t does not so much
demand a learned head as bold strong and
yet tender heart.
> The pastor is also an 0rerSetr The
word bishop, so often applied to him, means just
that. a Bible bishop Is not one III charge of
Il whole diocese of churches, but an overseer
of single church-a pastor The Lord
meant His people to be workers and His
churches to be busy hives of lnboring men
and women each having its overAeer or su-
perintendent. For that is the right word A
pastors business is to superntend the work
of the church, to lay it out, and show how to
do it, and see that it is done. Not that he is
to lie an idlrr himself or to stand and boss
the rest. Rather he is the chief laborer, for
the text says: "Ihem that ubOr among
you
3. The pastor again is a lfdder. This is
what he is called twice in Hebrews xiii And
this is what Peter means by 'ensamples to
the flock In the East the shepherd always
leads, never follows. And so the pastor is to
30 ahead of his people in every good work,
in preaching and praying, in living and low
ing, in giving and bearing, in forgiving and
daring. And in all this work he is but the
imitator of his own Leader and Commander,
that great Shepherd of the sheep, whose
bright example throws its radiance back to
tighten the pathway of His followers.
t. Another business of the pastor is to
rue. Let the elders that rule well be count
ed worthy of double honor, especially they
who labor in the word and doctrine" lie
must be zone that ruleth well his own house,
having his children in subiection with all
gravity. For if man know not how to rule
his own house, how shall he take care of the
church of God 7" Notice that little word
cover in the text and elsewhere Them
which are OreT you in the Lord"-"ODer which
the Holy Ghost hath made you OceTseers"
taking the Ocersight thereof" Now this
does not mean that the pastor is necessarily
l.t 1
though in some respects he ought to be both
but it does mean that our Lord hath set
him i'll Office over them and given him an au-
thority which the others do not have and to
which they are commanded to submit. For
in Hebrews xiii. We read 'Obey them that
have the rule over you Cliterally, your lead
ers) aud submit yourselves, for they watch
for your souls AS they that must give ac-
count" Not that they are to be lords over
Gods heritage, as if the heritage belonged to
them and they were to make all out of it they
could. No, it is "over you IN tie LOrd not
in any right of their own. The heritage is
Gods We are only overseers of the Great
Master; the flock belongs to the Chief Shep-
herd; we are only URdershepherds-m midile-
men. uHder Him but OCer you. And the mot
to OF every true pastor is I'VE seek not
y0urs but yOu :" so that while he is "A member
of the church and amenable to its discipline
he yet presides over it with an authority dele
gated by its great Head. And SO long and so
far as he speaks out of the Word of God he
speaks with authority and is to be heard and
submitted to.
You see then that the New Testament pas
tor is the shepherd of the Lords flock, the
teacher of the Lords children, the overseer
of the Lords work, and the leader and guide
of the. Lords people. He is their friend,
their counselor, their guide, their comforter,
their helper in the great work of salvation.
He is set over them to lift them up to a high
er life, to build up the church into an holy
temple for the Lord. And by all this you
may learn how great is the gift Christ our
Lord has bestowed on His churches. Now
let us see
II. Hoo tie church is 10 tredt its pGStOr.
The general treatment is given in the text
Know them which labor among you and are
over you in the Lord and admOnish you, and
esteem them very highly in love for their
works sake" Know them recognize their
sacred office and them MS in it consider the
awful responsibility they bear and the ankle
ty with which they watch for your souls ; re-
member their labors and sympathi2e with
their trials. Esteem them very highly in
love prize their services and respect and
honor their persons. And do this for their
works sake that is not the amount of work
they actually 90, Dul Ine KIM uuu nature Ol
the work to which the Lord has called them.
1t is the Lords work and therefore sacred.
1t is the work that ought to be dearest to
your heart, for it concerns your souls eternal
welfare. It is not making clothes for your
back, nor shoes for your feet, nor bread for
your mouth. 1t is bringing you the meat
that endureth to everlasting life and the
white raiment of the Saviours righteousness.
1t is preparing you to sit with the redeemed
and purified at the Marriage Supper of the
Lamb. For the sake, then, of this precious
work which Christ has put into the pastors
hands, know him and esteem him very high
ly in love.
But let me make this matter more special
and practical. Let me weave into some more
particular statements what the Scriptures say
here and elsewhere about it, Before long, in
all probability, you will have another pastor.
Allow me, brethren. to counsel you from
Gods Word how TO get him and treat him and
Keep him.