Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-10-08
NEW oAsrLB PKEsBYrERr.
En- Session at lower EsrandSwin
Church - Moderator and CLERK

NA1 " OHFA SAS = AhAfAS a 80 - -
L i. 4 -
I'm. Session at Hover Esrapdywine
Church = Moderator and CLERKS
Elected.
The Presbytery of New CASTLE met
Tuesday evening in the Lower
Brandywine Church and was opened
with prayer and sermon by
| the retiring moderator, the Rev. Will
liam II. Woolyerton of Pocomoke City.
| He took for his text Colossians /, XIV,
and remarked: Paul was q minister OF
| Jesus Christ. That he WAS faithful one,
we learn from the fore-part of the text,
and SO faithful that hecould rejoice in the
sufferings incident TO his ministry. What
made him SO, we gather from the last part
| of the yerse-,certain clear and bold and
| strong convictions that had been brought
into him by the Holy Ghost. l rejoice in
my sufferings for you, Colossians, because
l am thereby filling ''up that which is be-
hind of the Affections of Christ in my
flesh for his body's sake, which is the
\ church."
The secret of faithful ministry These
convictions are. closely related. We ana
| lyze only for the sake of clearness.
A right conception of its end. Pau'f
ministry was for the Colossians, 81 now
rejoice in my suffering for you," but fol-
them only as it was for something else;
for them directly, Immediately only as il
was ultimately for the whole "body OF
Christ which is the church." So our
ministry is for those among whom we live
and labor, for our own church denomina.
ton. We would not highly esteem the
ministry of one who had love for his own
people, no zeal for his own church. But
| no congregation or UNCONVENTIONAL lines
are to bound our field. True, we are
Presbyterians working for ourchurch, but
more than that we are Christians working
| for our master, 'sihat He may see of the
travail of his soul and be satisfied"
The conviction of its necessity That
in this ministry of ours we are filling up
that which must be filled; that which can
not remain untitled. We are filling ''up
that which is behind, of the Affections OF
| Christ" Not that there is anything want
ing in God, in Christ, in His atoneing
merit. That was all sufficient, infinite.
| But this atonement must be applied.
"Christ is the end of the law fol
righteousness to every one that be.
lieveth." "But how shall they believe in
Him of whom they have not heard? And
how shall they hear without preacher p
SIT pleased God by the foolishness Of
preaching" &c. AS our ministry be-
comes position, binding necessity. Til
this conviction that is to help to make ut
faithful. But let there be weakening, Q
little letting down of our faith in Goo
right here. That men can be saved al
we'll or almost as well without this minis
try of ours, and there will be CORE
spending weakening in our ministry,
We magnify our Office at this very
point-that is under God necessity
that he cannot be glorified without it, il
the salvation of his people.
This ministry is to have an end. We arr
filling up not that which has no bottom
bound or limit but that which shal
some time be full. The more we do to
day, the less remains tomorrow tn,
more we do ourselves, the less remain
Tor the church. Nothing lost. Every
thing helps in the filling up. We ar
ewling the mountains; we are filling nj
ne valleys; we are making straight in tn
icsert highway for our God We ar
naAtening His appearing. TITS only til
the dawn, and then this ministry shall b
ended.
The Rev. Mr.. Mclean of Odessa wa
elected moderator, and the Rev. Hug
Walker and Hon. James L. Mccullough
were appointed temporary clerks. Tn
Rev. j. L. Polk, at his own request, wa
dismissed to the Presbytery of Chester
in view of accepting call from tn
Fagg's Manor Church.