The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-04-28

The union of Church and State is hut the
marriage of the Lambs bride to Cesar, un-
ion unnatural in itself, and abhOrrent To her
every instinct. Not more remote from cacn
other are the ..moon" and the "earth" than
are the lcavcn-tixed lines between the
"Church' and the state" No p0tentnte OF
earth has any right to step between her con-
science and her Lord for she knows no kl lg'
hut Jesus, and therefore bends her uueenly
knee to no other sceptre. No more has she
the right to intcrmeddlc in matters or Sthte,
to receive the homage of courts, or 10 dlctnte
their policies. The two orbits are totally dis.
tinct, as much so as those of the earth and
moon. Were there any point in common,
collision would be imminent and, the safety
Of both impered The Church ,tIsa is in, in the b,
her province to maintain her authority by
invoking the stroug arm Of Cesar" 49,,
Not less to be avoided and feared are world
ly influences upon the Church. Nothing is
more hurttul to herself, or more deadening to
her influence. When the earth gets between
the sun and the moon, it, shadow throws the
latter into eclipse. So when the Wcrld gets
between Christ and the Church it throws her
into eclipse. and the light Of Jesus is shut of
from her From these observations it is evi.
dent, that proper, angle of reflection must
ever be maintained towards Christ and the
world; for thus only will she appear fair as
the moon"
II. Having thus glanced at the design and
nature Of The Church, please now to consider
her equipment for the great work before her.
The metaphor here changes, and now 1t Is
an "army," terrible with it's display OF
host reveals the unity Of the church. For un-
der the many "banners" we discover but one
"army." Each "banner'' marks a separate
division Of the one command; and each is
like that OF the rainbow, whose colors, though
many, form but one bow. Or like the unity
of the ocean-"distinst as the billow, yet one
As the sea-" Every denomination OF Chris.
tlans that holds to the "Headship Of Christi
and classification by faith through His atom
ing blood" is entitled to recognition AS an In
tegral part Of the one "army." !ls presence
there in that wondrons line, with Its own
ChrisIs prayer In the garden, that they all
may be one!' Forever all these division col
ors floats the one "banner'' of the 'cross';
and this gives unity to the whole
ganization. The Church OF. Jesus Christ rs no
mob. but O body under law!' Those 'banners'
floating above her are symbols of authority.
and indicate thore the presence of ruling
ilg mind is Christ ! Seated on the mediate
rial throne, at the Fathers right hand III glo-
ry, with all power in heaven and IN earth
given unto Him, He presides over all her
by His blessed spirit directs all her move
men;s. "Lo, | am with you always even un.
to the end of the world!' Like the "pillar Of
cloud" by day and the "pillar OF fire" by
nlSlG WQlcQ TCSlCQ OFer tue CDCdHl plleuU VI
Israel; like the flaming "shekinah'' which
blazed in the recess of the Hebrew tabernacle,
that "Prescncc" has ever abode with her.
"The Lord of Hosts" is His name. His will:
as made known in the Scriptures of the Old
and New Testaments. constitutes he ''articles
OF war;" BY these her actions are to be reSu.
lated, and herself governed. To ignore them
is insubordinatiOn. anu subjects the offender
to the penalties laid down in them. All the
offices needful to her thorough equipment,
Il fI,o1 or Nf
Now, in a well-ordered "army" three Of
fcers are evidently Indispensable. They are
such Us are essential to its subsistence. its
ment. Corresponding to these we find In this
'ariny" Of the living God, three. similar Of
fees which in their nature are TO be perpet-
ual. lst. The minister OF the Word,' who
is to feed the Church Of God with his truth;
to whom He says, "Feed my sheep" End.
The Diaconatc to whom is entrusted the tenn
poraities OF the church. And3rd, The "Rul-
sn ns wnS nS he ns W OF
day. let me fix Your attention upon third,
since that is about to receive special empha-
sis in the solemnties before us.
igin of this Office. 1t is, in fact, the most an
Client of all offices in the church-its govern:
ment in every age being that Of Elders
You may find it even in patriarchal times,
th0ugn not SO Clearly denneQ tS al!cr"aiuS.
When:authorized by Ged to bring His people,
out of Egypt, Moses was sent to the "E.lders,
and showed Them his commission: "Go and
gather the Elders of Israel together &c.
Under the Sinai covenant court consisting
of seventy Elders was appointed to aid in the
government OF Israel. Each city had It's
bench of Elders, who sat as q court in the
gates Of the city. To the Elders BOaZ APP
self TO the "Elders' Elijah came to make
known Gods will respecting Israel. During
the Babylonish captivity the synagogue was
introduced with its bench of "Elders;" and
ever after, to the coming, OF Christ was re-
ual matters. Elders" sat even IN the council
of apostate church which condemned our
blessed Lord TO death. Under the New Testa.
mcnt they are to he found everywhere: the
apostles going about and ordaining "elders'
in every city. "Elders" appear also In Heav-
en- casting their crowns at the feet Of Jesus.
We feel, therefore, to-day in closest sympathy
with the church In every period OF her his
tory, in her hoary past; and with the mag;
niticcnt ideal of what is yet to be, rs revealed
through the door opened in heaven. We
seem to hear the approving voices OF the
church Of the past and the church OF the fu-
ture, while engaging in this solemn cercmo.
nial. 1t is scene with which the church Of
God has ever been familiar.
I'd. Its duties. These are two fold.
First, to sit in her courts.martlal or, In
other words. to maintain discipline in the ar
bend his energies towards conserving the
efficiency OF the command. Struggling must
be prevented; every soldier kept in proper
place; flint-hcartednesS or c0Whrdice rebuk-
ed; and the spirit of inSubordinatton sup
pressed. Otherwise. that mighty host Will
reduce to the condition of " mob; and It's
banners be terrible only to itself, and certain
ly not TO its foes. Such is the inpertcctiOn in
even the hest of Christians. and such their
fatal facility to relapse into sin, that the
church IS ever in danger from this source.
Religion Is never more Injured than when
wounded in the house Of It's friends. To pre-
vent these threatened evils, and to keep the
army in effective condition. the office Ut Rul-
Ing Elder has been appointed. BY every
by tlrmncss, discretion, and Judgment, by his
own example and preccpt, lie is to seek tho
attainment Of This high cld.
Second, he is also to sit In her solemn cOun-
ellis of war. to deliberate in her assemblies, to
give his best thought, his talent and his encr-
.ieS to all that affects the prosperity Of Zion.
With profound gratitude to God for his sig
nal rncrcies to us as q church in continuing to
us the blessings of His grace and all the or
dinanceS Of His house, we gratefully accept
His renewed token of love today III the gift
of these new Elders. May their accession to
the rank of the l;ldrrSliip be The occasion OF
great benefit tn lis I'LL. ana tn" beginning OF
ncw rrl of pr">nc>ity I" This congregation;
And may ii meet the approval! Of our blessed
Lord in glory, ana lead Him to say Uf our be-
loved church. 'Wuo Is $nr that lonllcth forth
as the morning. TAI" rs ll% ui,l, Clear rs the
sun, and terrible as an army with bunncrs.'
THE LORD IS RISEN INDEED"