Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-04

sion, uttered before the Ascension. the
commissioned was not sealed until the
Day of Pentecost.
To understand the commission, then, II
is needed to look well to what goes before,
that one may know for what and to DO
what The commission was given. Perhaps
the authority conferred has been too
much emphasized at times. do not
think it can be too much emphasized III
we also well understand for what purpose
the authority was given. If anywhere II
has been held or taught as an authority
conferred for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT the
Identifying, or the eleyating of the pos
SCISSOR, then high treason has been COM
mtted against not only the Church OF
God, but against Gods righteous govern
ment Of the world and Christs kingship
over all social and secular civil order.
Nay! The office to be conferred to-day
is one beyond all earthly dignities, high
over all borne among men. Princeton
i'm the Kingdom of God; seat and the
throne of judgment among the tribes OF
Gods chosen. You need not fear TO speak
words too high Of any office most humble
in the Church of God. Deacon, priest
bishop, serve in the presence OF the King
Of Kings. and stand before the awiui
glories of the Majesty on high! The soul
called TO this high calling trembles before
the summons. There is no pride in IT.
no self-content, or graduation. IL Is
"Who am l that the Awful one shoulu
send for me-shouid call me by my
name-to stand before his footstool, load
ed with the burden of my own soul ana
the souls of my brethren
In some respects L think no sight Is
more pathetic than the ordering OF
deacon. L am supposing, as ! am pouho
to do, that he is honest shcere' anu an,
true. He is generally young man, ana
aslk what has he done that God should
Law His hand upon him. and separate MN
from friends and earthly prospects ana
plans. and bind him hand and foot, ana
carry him away to brand him TOT
His own forever more? For ne
saws God has called him. He answers
the Bishops question so. lie Is there pS
divine compulsion. He Is not his own man.
He declares that as the first cohNlcuoii'
fitting him for whatever OF dignity vi
authority he is TO receive! lie is 10 re-
spect the same conviction, ana profess
the same Almighty compulsion az ms
admission to priesthood and bishophood'
should they come.
CAPTIvES OF CHRIST.
Dear friends, what have these men
| done: what have all we of the clergy
| done. that we should be captives chaineu
| TO the chariot wheel of the Almighty VIC
| tor? We are men like yourselves; we have
! the same wants; the same passions; the
y same temptations; the same ambitions
| The world is as fair to us as to you. us
prizes are Just as glittering TO our young
| men out OF the university as TO another
| both standing together where the ROADS
mart. Why should the one feel over heart
| and conscience, leaving him no peace
| night or day, the strange mystical call
which will not be denied, and the othei
hear only the sound of the world. the roar
| of the great city, and the trumpets calling
| TO the summitY -,
| oh. be pitiful TO the called! BE helpiu
| TO the men who are not their own! Crlti'
| else them! Worry them Misjudge them
| Turn coldly on them! The poor captiVes
| 90 christi The helpless, on whom lie mas
liza the bleeding hands end called away
IA Is done sometimes. None know so wei
ne hlshops how often and how blistering'
| ly and scaldingly and cruelty 1t Is done
| Have mercy. friends, on the helpless
| re consIderate to these pathetic slaves OF
your Lord!
| For our Lord came, He declares HIM
| self. TO establish upon the eartn tn'
| Kingdom of Heaven, which was TO be 'h'
result OF redeeming men from their SINS
| The Church was, and U.s. sacramentaiy
| that Kingdom 1t was to consist OF peo,
ple "called out" a selected few our OF
| the great mass, chosen and special, ho'
| because they were better than other men
| nor because they were to receive greh'ei
/. rewards than other men, but because, ac
| cording TO the working OF the divine Ia"
in all human history there must De
first fruit" type and model, seiec'
| organization, a normal body, which was
! TO be the seed in one sense, the leavel
I'm another into whose shape and KIND
and spirit all the rest was to grow. Inc
end iustihes the beginning. The harvest
| yindicates the sancthed first fruits The
leaven in itself is nothing, offensive even
and not pleasing as an Offering to God
nor At for the use of men. The leaven Il
only justified by the leavening. And ih'
Kingdom OF God Is like leaven. The
Church's reason for being is that n ma,
! make the whole world a Kingdom Of
! God. IL Is set TO heaven.
SO, there are offices and callings and
places of administration. rule. and an
thority in the Church of God. and mer
are called to them by the win OF God. anf
| tace opted by the suffrages OF men.
j. But these offices aud authorities sts'n<