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

tne iunctions and privileges OF oil, stands
tne bishop, the angel and messenger OF the
church, the ambassador above all others.
Taken up Into the larger aud grander
Teaching OF the Penteenstal days, our text 1
mas significance far wider than that which
me Seventy could know; and It is TO that
that ! would direct your thoughts.
IL Is surely TO be assumed In such an
assembly as this, that there is general /
recognition OF the wide fact OF Il piscopaey, /
Us divine origin, ,its primitive establishment, /
its ecrlptural sanctions, its Weli-attAsted /
succession from apostolic days, lis historic I
Development and adaptations.
These and many other topics connected I
| With 1t need no Argument when In the faco
OIL rue world, at this command OF the church /
which We balieve to be the witness and \
keeper OF the truth, wa meet to invest
prespyter with authority which he has not |
heretofore possessed This Il no reasona-
Dle service unless II may be truthfully
| taken for granted that concerning oil those
points We who are to do this fhipg are sub.
stAntialiy agreed In mind and heart.
But for The sake OF Christ and Hle Church
ior the sake OF this our brother and his
! whole Diocese; yes, Tor the sake OF ail the
| people OF this goodly Commonwealth, 80
largely represented bere to day, II IS not
unneedful nor Inappropriate to set before
1 our minds, ere we eonsuInmate our action,
the Immense dignity and fst-feRehing i'm
| pornnea OF the offlce which Is 70 be pissed
or by apostolic hauds, and Is to claim the
allegiance OF SO many souls.
Consider then tho grandeur and MAJESTY
OF that highest order In the apostolic niinis-
try By which that ministry ID perpetuRted,
and TO which the words OIL Christs commits
siuu were ficst uttered.
II Is by no means an exaggeration 10 say
that the very truth Of tho geepel is bound
up with II.
For the cornerstone Of the gospel is the
resurrection OF Jesus Christ. Aud the
divinely-appointed authoritative witnesses
to that fundamental fact were at the flrst
pre- -emlnently, nay, solely, the Apostles OF
the Lord.
To them before the crucih xion Ha made
the glorious promise, which, to them alone
He fulfilled, II will give unto you the keys
Of The Kingdom OF Heaven"
On them alone He breathed In the upper
room and said, "Heceive ye ths Holy Ghost
As my Father hath sent me. even 80 send
you." TO them 'Hs appeared alive sfteE
His passion by many infalible proofs and
spake to them of the things pertaining to
Hls Kingdom"
Upon lhem He laid the worldwide com.
mission 90 20 aud Disciple oil nations.
Ye shall be my witnesses unto the, utter
most parts OF the earth" For them was
uttered that word Of mort and OF power
40, am with You all The days, even unto
the end OF the world"
OF candidate for that office 1t was re-
quired, He shall be o witness with us Of
His resurrection"
Concerning their work Immediately after
pentecost, 1t is written, with great power
gave the APOSTLES Witness OF the resurrec,
tion Of the Lord Jesus"
; Not only on the road to Damascus, but BY
repeated Visions was II vouchsafed to the
1 IL. - hAta fua
were) out OF due time, to te admitted to 9
fellowship In that personal witness.
Thus, not until He rose again lid oul
Lord commission His ministry; then witt
. words OF most awful solemnlty and compre
: hensiveness OF meaning, making them more
: than anything else proalaimers and de
tenders Of the cardinal truth, which attest
i; the Incarnation and Atoneinent as real ant
/; efllcacious.
And, In unmistakable words, the pen Of In
i, spiration has assured us that this was not /
!, temporary ordinance. when He ascendet
!. up on high He gave gifts unto men, frs
, Apostles" NOT as they bad been chosen by
: Him before HIS crucifixlon, but as amonf
, His new pentecostal gifts, ordinary and
f, permanent, not extraordinary, temporar,
: and miraculous. 0or none OF "the charts
rnata" are msntioned), to continuethrougt
oil time, cortespondlngly With His promise
) periecting OF the saints, ior the edi
flying Of the body OF Christ, until (this Ii
the limit), until we all come tn the unity o.
I; the faith and OF the knowledge OF the Sor
+. OF God, unto perfect man"
/. Until the saints are perfected; "untll WI
Q come to the measure Of the statue OF the
/. fulness OF CHRISTI until tho ear is .hllet
. with the knowledge Of the glory OF God a.
g the waters cover the sea- Apostles as wei
as prophets and evangelista, pastors ano
| teachers, have their diylnely appointed
: place.
] citizens OF the saints and OF the household
I OF God" were those who were built upol
Q the foundation Of the apostles ant
Q prophets !" and the expressions are uset
/, INTERCHANGEABLE, added TO the apostle..,
9 'added to the Lord" added to th'
8 church."
. Thus, not for the generation then presenr
only, but as norm for all time, is It sac
I that the disciples continued in the apostles
j, doctrine and fellowship For thus and thu
4 only, should the church ''by jolnts. ant
bands having nourishment ministered anc
!, knit together, and compacted by that wnics
!, every joint supplied, increase WITH tne III
crease of God"
The witness OF the apostles was TO b.
d borne not by written scriptures at the tirst
1 nor by them solely orpre e.emineatly througi
I
!. answering to voice, from tho open tomb II
4 the garden through generation alter genera
i tion OF living witnesses down to the ver!
0 end.
r The one ever present, never ending ant
a we believe, incontrovertible witness 70 u.
!. resurrection and hence to the gospel itseli
y is the "prolonged apostoate," SCI IN tn
d world as beacon light, an order oi mei
i starting out 10 Conquer the world, only 20
cause OF the resurrection; showing, and 0.
N the Lords appointment, ministering 10 sue
a cessiye generations OF men the etefnal risel
n life OF the gloriied Christ, once dead bu
j. now alive for ever more. :,
j. This is the priceless treasure conveyed y
aarthen vessels, and this is that divinei
= ordnined ard well attested fact whie
: (thoueh the world may NOT now take mucl
"a account OF ~ IL destined In Gods purpose
N sor the future as indicated in the past,
y NAV n most important part In the comf0ti
. ing and healing, the edifying and uniiyin
q Of His people. Every eoneecraion og
y bishop, succeeding TO the apostles ONO
u and work, ensures the continuance Oh "a
" apostolic witness nhth .he Gnu v ~
l. world. i. ,,,,,aod
- :. Fnlness nf commission implies far NOR
ls than we can ever appreciate or conceivt
" certainly farnlore than we can ever MAKE ret ,
!. In our holy office. But, thanS Goa, "a
N efficacy OF the office IS not eetlrely LtnlL
~ = meled by our frailty and unworthinasi
Z, The office itself bears witness In ITSELF, an
. the divine commission holds despite on
ar imperfectlon, and whether men heed IN
NJ witness or desplse It. 49,.
i. one OF our greatest authorities tnu
"a writes: ..,,,,,,1
~ ~ ona ,ghicf, must be dealt with--chiehy be-
10 10 cause can people 10 general, even enurc
y y neonIe. Il they do not shrink from It throug
~ Ignorance or Misrepresentation, at least "a
III too often to appreciate its very great on
=. =. real importance Yet 1t is not too much
m eay that our eontinuity through it Win th q
IN church OF the apostles, anu 50 wiln ,I ~
a. Sives rs flrm standing ground both agatnf