Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-10-25

do---sends on His messages of peace and
pardon by their means. 80 that BIZ laying
on of the apostles hands. the Holy Ghost
is given, wnether for the confrhipgo Of the
disciples, or for the edifying OF the body Of
Christ by a due supply OF ct and able pas
tors. TO feed his people with tho living
bread.
This yearning OF the Sayiour's heart Ia
that men may share His risen life more and
moro abuntaniiy. The church which is
His body is the fuiness OF that lifs--holding
it treasured up for the world.
Freely ye have received, ffeeiy give"
He says to Hls chosen and exalted anlbas.
sadors. Preach the word; be instant In
seaeon, out OF seaeon; reprove. rebuie, ex-
hort, with all long suffering and with all
authority, even as I; do tina work OF evan
gelists, make foil proof OF your ministry"
t'He that reeeiv5th you rereiverh me. and
DO thar deeplseth yoa desriseth me" II
am with you alwaya."
Marvellous words tnesel Applicable IL IL
true to the whole church collectively, with
special meaning for presbyteis aud deacons
In their office, ont OF singular n iWer and
Significance as ad direseed TO men In ths
highest order, rs holding the o;her ordere
In themselves, as representing most en-
phattcally the great head over all, the one
true bishop, the one hlgh priest, the one
pre- aminent carver and minister OF hts
brethren. Awful as they certainly are. the
words ere here, not TO be enassnlated. Of
their full Significance hocause OF human
timidity On the cnB hnnd or unbelleving
harlness OF hehrt on tho other.
Il is ons Of the dlglLngriahing charactsr-
isties OF this atrEnge time, that while wp
appeal to the supreme authclily OF scrip
ture wo arc 30 disposed 10 explain away its
words. And yet this words are not otr
own. They ate His who left HIS church IN
/, earth nR HIS visible representative, gave
I her her charter, appointed her offlcsrs and
dttiued their work.
Evolving nothing from their own inner
/ CONSEQUENCES, but diligently and faithfully
obeying His Instructions concerning the
1 Kingdom OF God, developing under the
Holy Spirits guidance all the trnths snd
methods which He brought to ibelr remem.
4 bFanea as falling from the Saviour's Hips
/ during the great iorty days, the first
apostles set In order the churches of God
] and gdye equally TO their po.ity and thelI
doctrine this seal of divine authority. Does
any one doubt this? What sh Ill we say,
then, TO Chuist's own words? What shal
we say 10 those wonderful epistles, Il
Timothy and Titus, except to helieve thep
with our whole mlnd and heart, m 1st hum
bly,. but also most fearlessly, explaining
not one word away? Listen once again K
the sacred and awful commission, SO faml
liar that we have fallen into the habit al
I1psL uDcpleEtDuHlJt VI u uuEl4t
gloss upon 1t. Think what that commits
sion really means: Gas My Father hati
sent Me, even 80 send you" "He tina
receiveth you receiveth Me-" 81 hay
chosen and ordained you that ye should 8,
, and bring forth fruit and that your frui
should remain"
Listen to the great apostle as he magni
, fies his Office and claims for himself. al
! though not OF their number, equality wit
| the nhtafAat nj the fwplVA.
Read once again those fervld exhortH
tlons to the bishops OF Ephesus and Crete
r note the individuality OF their application
i not entirely and exactly appropriate to an
one who does not occupy the sams or
, altad position OF dignity, authority and re
sponslbility which belonged to Timothy an
j Titus.
Study the strong language everywhere
the New Testament concerning the ambai
padors OF Christ as His actual representt
, tives; and forget not to ponder the teaot
ings OF 1t. John IN his wGrnings and con
I msndations addressed to the Angels Of I'll
: seven churches.
, None, think, can rise from such consit
erations Without the conviction borne
! upon him that whatsoever the Lord asserte
concerning the Seventy long belors any c
, His people were endued with power froi
, on higb, must be an hundred fold more tru
! OF those whom He exalts to bear witness Il
. Him, by the power Of the Holy Ghost, 4
, these days OF His spiritual presence, fe
more real and more powerful than He eve
, permitted BIS physical presence to be. Sti
as of old He sends forth His apostles "int
, every city and place whittier He Himse
, would come"
i sBut who can e'er suffice
) What mortal-for this more than angel
task,
! Winning or losing souls. Thy life blood
price?
The gilt were too divine to ask,
, , But Thou hast made 1t sure
BY Thy dear promise to Thy Church an
Bride,
| That Thou on earth wouldst aye with h,
endure,
TIL Earth to Heaven be purified.
But who uncalled by Thee
below?
: Or who dare count him summoned worthil
/ Except Thine hand and seal he show?
Where can Thy seal be found
But on the chosen seed, from age to age
BY Thine anointed heIalds duly crowned
As kings and priests Thy war to wage.
a Then fearless walk we forth
Yet full OF trembling, messengers OF God:
i Our warrant sure, but doubling OF oil
4 worth,
! Alike by our own shame and glory awed
:. --Eeble.
Y r.-eThus far the present and past-but ho
shall 1t be In ths future ? Is this church
! ours to make advance and gain adheren
9 and bring increasing multitudes to Chris
!, and reach their needs, and save them
Whatever may be meant by that part
4 thebishops' declaration on Christian unit
: which speaks of ''the Episcopate local
adapted to the varying needs" of men
+ is manifest that such adaptation has to {
q only with methods of administration-tt
t merest external5 and fringes OF the of1c
In its essential meaning and working,
q attitude towards God and man and
divinely prescribed message, 1t rnust ev
, be exactly the same. There will be fats
b hood and treachery somewhere, ii Will
8 the voice and accent and manner
0 "adapted," the words OF the message
: one whit altered. And yet there are thn
s who seem TO think that some modifloatit
a at least is necessary. But why? Is the wol
o now so very different from that undertake
0 and SO we'll fulfilled at the beginningp
9 1t is evident that tho conditions whit
surround Christianity now are not by al
|. means as adverse as In the early day
o What the Roman empire was in the time
,, the first apostles--what the sensuullty at
Il paganism, superstition and intellectu
o pride with which the first missionaries HI
/. 10 deal--what the power OF emperor al
!. state religion--aud OF long established al
d firmly rooted habits Of thought and life
IT these things other pens havefrequently Ell
Q most graphically described. IL is attest'
by every writer Of that fine that there hi
Is been growing debasament OF the gener
conscience OF men. AL unite In declRriI
Is how Infamous and rey1lting was the III
! versal spnsuaiity OF the empire, how |
b true nobleness had departed, md humi
b nature was fast sinking to its lowest al
Il NAL tendencies.
d Then there was decayed Judaism
o comhat--the moro insolent because oorru
10 "a Judaism that was entirely selt.cni
70 placent and with heart as Of flint. o
o Lords own words of scathing rebukereve
1t to us most distinctly its inner character.