Physical description
47 p.; 21.2 cm
Notes
Inscribed by the author on the front cover, "The Rev. Mr. Chester, from / his friend & brother / S. Miller."
Formerly part of the collection at the Historical Foundation, Montreat, NC. and deaccessioned in recent years.
Sermon text:
"And when they had ordained them Elders in every Church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed."--Acts xiv. 23.
OPENING WORDS:
It is indispensable to the order and well-being of every society, that it have government; and it is equally indispensable to all regular government, that there be officers intrusted with its administration. To think of maintaining any society, ecclesiastical or civil, without government, in this depraved world, would be to contradict every principle of reason and experience, as well as of Scripture; and to think of supporting government without officers to whom its functions shall be intrusted, is to embrace the absurd hope of obtaining an end without the requisite means.
Accordingly, our blessed Lord has appointed a government in the Church, of which he is the Head and King. And for maintaining and conducting this government, he has appointed office-bearers in his sacred family. For when he ascended up on high, he gave some Apostles, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; until we all come, in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.* [*Ephs. iv. 11-14.].
In every organized church, in the Apostle's day, there were, and in every organized church, at the present day, there ought to be, three classes of officers, viz. Pastors, Ruling Elders, and Deacons. The first to preach the Gospel, and administer the Sacraments; the second to assist the Pastor in the government of the church; and the third to serve tables, and take care of the poor. Accordingly, when Paul and Barnabas were sent forth, by divine direction, to preach the gospel, and organize churches, among the gentiles, we are told that they ordained Elders in every church.
. . . Being called, on the present occasion, to ordain a number of brethren, as ruling Elders in this church,* it is my purpose to employ the time allotted for the present discourse in making some remarks on this office, on its WARRANT, its NATURE, and the QUALIFICATIONS of those who bear it.
[*the brethren ordained on this occasion were, Messrs. Robert McGill, David Gelston, Robert Lennox, Peter Ludlow, and David L. Dodge.]
[excerpt from pages 4-7]
Formerly part of the collection at the Historical Foundation, Montreat, NC. and deaccessioned in recent years.
Sermon text:
"And when they had ordained them Elders in every Church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed."--Acts xiv. 23.
OPENING WORDS:
It is indispensable to the order and well-being of every society, that it have government; and it is equally indispensable to all regular government, that there be officers intrusted with its administration. To think of maintaining any society, ecclesiastical or civil, without government, in this depraved world, would be to contradict every principle of reason and experience, as well as of Scripture; and to think of supporting government without officers to whom its functions shall be intrusted, is to embrace the absurd hope of obtaining an end without the requisite means.
Accordingly, our blessed Lord has appointed a government in the Church, of which he is the Head and King. And for maintaining and conducting this government, he has appointed office-bearers in his sacred family. For when he ascended up on high, he gave some Apostles, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; until we all come, in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.* [*Ephs. iv. 11-14.].
In every organized church, in the Apostle's day, there were, and in every organized church, at the present day, there ought to be, three classes of officers, viz. Pastors, Ruling Elders, and Deacons. The first to preach the Gospel, and administer the Sacraments; the second to assist the Pastor in the government of the church; and the third to serve tables, and take care of the poor. Accordingly, when Paul and Barnabas were sent forth, by divine direction, to preach the gospel, and organize churches, among the gentiles, we are told that they ordained Elders in every church.
. . . Being called, on the present occasion, to ordain a number of brethren, as ruling Elders in this church,* it is my purpose to employ the time allotted for the present discourse in making some remarks on this office, on its WARRANT, its NATURE, and the QUALIFICATIONS of those who bear it.
[*the brethren ordained on this occasion were, Messrs. Robert McGill, David Gelston, Robert Lennox, Peter Ludlow, and David L. Dodge.]
[excerpt from pages 4-7]