is, You have had a specific work assigned you by the great Shepherd. Each has his appointed sphere of labor. Let the laborers see that their own vineyard be well kept, and their own flock be well shepherded. Yet a little while, and the great Husbandman will take account of his servants, and then woe to the unprofitable, double woe to the unfaithful servant.

§3.-Motives from considerations referring to the Office-bearers

themselves.

It only remains now that we attend a little to the motives derived from a reference to the office-bearers themselves. The words of the apostle express much; they suggest more. They describe the reward of the faithful christian elder; they dimly shadow forth the punishment of the unfaithful christian elder.

(1.) The reward of the faithful christian elder.

The words describe the reward of the faithful christian elder: "He shall receive a crown of glory, which fadeth not away, when the chief Shepherd shall appear." Jesus Christ is the chief Shepherd; he is the Shepherd of the sheep, the good Shepherd, the great Shepherd, the proprietor Shepherd, whose own the sheep are; the Shepherd of the shepherds as well as of the sheep. He is even now really present in his church. The faithful Witness did not lie when he said, "Lo, I am with you alway." Where two or three are met in my name, I am in the midst of them."1

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His presence, however, is spiritual, not bodily. The heavens have received him, and we see him no more. But when he disappeared, the most explicit declarations were given that he should re-appear. "I will come again," said he himself; "and receive you to myself, that where I am, there ye may be also." "This same Jesus," said the angels to the apostles, when they stood gazing up towards heaven, in the clouds of which their Lord had just disappeared, "This same Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." 2 This re-appearance, which is to be a glorious manifestation of what he is, both essentially and officially, a revelation of his glory, is a leading subject of the apostolic testimony, and has been all along the great object of the church's hope. Their "blessed hope" is, and has all along been," the glorious appearing of Him who is the great God and their Saviour." a The day of his coming is to be the day of their "gathering together to him.'

When He shall come, he shall come in his character of the chief Shepherd, to collect his flock together, and to conduct them all in a body into the heavenly fold. One purpose of his coming shall be to take account of his under-shepherds, and to render to them according to their work. To the faithful, laborious servant, who has affectionately and wisely shepherded and superintended, fed and guided, the flock committed to him, not grudgingly, but cheerfully; not merce

1 Matt. xxvii. 20; xviii. 20.

Acts i. 10, 11.

Tit. ii. 13.

narily, but disinterestedly; not ambitiously, seeking to be a lord, but humbly, striving to be an ensample; "he will then give a crown of glory which shall never fade."

The language is figurative, but the meaning is plain. He will visibly reward his faithful services, by bestowing on him a large measure of the highest kinds of happiness and honor of which his nature is capable; blessings which shall endure forever, and forever retain undiminished their power to satisfy their possessors. In what the peculiarity of the rewards of the faithful christian elder shall consist, we can form but inadequate and indistinct ideas. There is much, however, to lead us to believe, that a portion, and probably no small portion of it, is to consist in witnessing the holy happiness of those to whose spiritual interests he ministered on earth; and to know most certainly, that to his labors and instrumentality their happiness has been owing. Such is the view which the apostle's words naturally lead us to take, when he calls the Philippian Christians his "joy and his crown;" and when to the Thessalonians he says, "What is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? for ye are our glory and our joy."

1

The christian pastor will, according to his measure, be admitted into the joy of his Lord, when he sees the travail of his soul, and is satisfied. This is an exceeding great, and a peculiarly appropriate reward; a reward which will be enjoyed just in proportion as the individual christian pastor has been filled with the spirit of his office, and discharged its duties. What a high, what a holy satisfaction to know, that we have efficiently co-operated towards the accomplishment of the favorite purpose of Deity, to reconcile all things to himself by Jesus Christ; that we have been the means of saving souls from death, of covering multitudes of sins, of increasing the joys of angels, of ministering to the satisfaction of Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood! What a reward!

To borrow the words of the holy Leighton, "It is a crown of glory, pure, unmixed glory, without any ingrediency of pride or sinful vanity, or any danger of it; and a crown that fadeth not, formed of such flowers that wither not; not a temporary garland of fading flowers, as all here are. Though made of flowers growing in a rich valley, their glorious beauty is fading; but this is fresh, and in perfect lustre, to all eternity. May they not well trample on base gain, and vain applause, that have this crown to look to? Joys of royal pomp, how soon do they vanish as a dream? But this day begins a triumph and a feast, that shall never either end or be wearied of. All things here, even the choicest pleasures, cloy, but satisfy not. Those above shall always satisfy, but never cloy. What is to be refused in the way to this crown? All labor for it is sweet. And what is there here to be desired to stay our hearts, that we should not most willingly let go, to rest from our labors, and receive our crown? Was ever any man sad that the day of his coronation drew nigh? In that day when he on whose head are many crowns, shall bestow many crowns, there

Phil. iv. 1. 1 Thess. ii. 19.

will be no envy, no jealousies; all kings, each having his own crown, and each rejoicing in the glory of another, and all in His, who that day shall be all in all."

(2.) The doom of the unfaithful christian elder.

These words of the apostle, while they describe the final destiny of the faithful christian pastor, naturally suggest the awful truth respecting the christian elder who has not fed the flock of God, who has not superintended aright his heritage. What is to become of him who has done his work by constraint, not willingly, for filthy lucre, not of a willing mind, who has lorded it over God's heritage, and has not been an ensample to the flock; shall he be crowned? No; he has not "striven," or, at any rate, " not striven lawfully." The doom of the unprofitable, the doom of the unfaithful, servant will be his. Expelled from the family of God, he will be cast into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. His portion is with the hypocrites, a class peculiarly hateful to him who desires truth in the inward part; with the perfidious, who have broken their engagements both to God and to man. And it is his fit place; for the honor of God, the cause of truth, the interests of souls, were put into his hands; he accepted the trust, and basely betrayed them all. In the prison of hell, with "the basest, the lowermost, the most dejected, most underfoot and down-trodden vassals of perdition," must he have his everlasting abode?" This pertaineth to him as the portion of his cup." What christian elder can think of these things, can realize them to his mind, without having new nerve given to his resolution to be "faithful to him who has appointed him;" "faithful to death, that he may "obtain the crown of life," and escape the brand of everlasting shame and contempt; that he may be greeted with the invitation, "Well done, good and faithful servant," come up hither; instead of meeting the heart-withering denunciation, "Depart, depart, I never knew you.". You called me, Lord; but I never considered you as my servant, for I knew you were not.

1

Thus have I brought to a close my illustrations of the first part of this paragraph, that part of it which refers to the duties of the officebearers of the christian church to those committed to their care. But ere proceeding farther, I would press on my own mind, and on the minds of my brethren in the eldership in this congregation, the solemn considerations which, in the illustration of this passage of Scripture, have been placed before us. Let us remember, that this word of exhortation is as really addressed to us, as it was to those to whom the epistle was originally written. Let us humble ourselves, under the consciousness how very imperfectly we have discharged the inestimably important duties of our most responsible situation. Let us cast ourselves on our Master's kindness, for the forgiveness of all that has been wanting and wrong in our official conduct; and while in our inmost hearts saying, "Who is sufficient for these things?" let us, undiscouraged though not unwarned by our former failures, cherish an overgrowing resoluteness of determination, by his grace, to be

1 Milton.

"steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of our Lord," assured that our labors shall not be in vain in the Lord.

Holy brethren, partakers of this high vocation, elders, suffer the words of exhortation from one who also is an elder. They shall be the words of the holy apostles of our common Lord: "I charge you before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that ye take heed to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers. Hold the mystery of faith in a pure conscience. Be examples to the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Let no man despise you. O men of God, flee pride, strife, evil surmisings, perverse disputings, and that love of money which is the root of all evil. Follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold on eternal life. Hold fast the form of sound words. Hold fast what you have attained; let no man take your crown. I give you charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession, that you observe these things, without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. Keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords;. who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, neither can see to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen." 1

II-OF THE DUTIES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH TO THEIR OFFICE-BEARERS.

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I go on now to call your attention to the view which the text gives us of the duties of the members of christian churches towards their office-bearers. This is contained in the first clause of the fifth verse, Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves to the elder." Before proceeding farther, however, it will be proper that I endeavor to satisfy you that these words are, indeed, an injunction of the duties of churchmembers to their office-bearers, and not, as many have supposed, of the duties of the young to the aged. Were we merely looking at the words, without taking into consideration the connection in which they are introduced, this last mode of viewing them would probably be that which would first occur to every reader; but it requires only a little reflection to see: first, that the connection by no means leads us to expect here an injunction of the duties of the young to the aged, and that the language by no means obliges us thus to understand it; and, secondly, that the connection does lead us to expect an injunction of the duties of the private members of the church, as contra-distinguished from the office-bearers; and, still farther, that while there is nothing in the language which is inconsistent with this mode of interpretation, there is something which cannot be satisfactorily explained on any other supposition.

1 2 Tim. iv. 1. Acts xx. 28. 1 Tim. i. 19; iii. 9; iv. 12. Tit. i 15. 1 Tim. vi. 11, 12. 2 Tim. i. 13. Rev. iii. 11. 1 Tim. vi. 13-16.

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There can be no doubt that the first four verses of the chapter refer to the duties of christian office-bearers; and as little, that the injunction in the fifth verse has a close connection with the injunctions contained in these verses, a connection intimated by the connective particle "likewise;" a word which seems to intimate that the duties enjoined are correlative, or, at any rate, belong to the same general family of duties. In enjoining domestic duties, after stating the duties of servants, the apostle says, "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands;" and after stating the duties of wives, he says, "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life: that your prayers be not hindered." The word certainly leads you to expect the injunction of some kindred, some ecclesiastical, duty, not the injunction of a duty belonging to an entirely different class.

2

"Ser

It is the ordinary practice of the apostles, a practice plainly dictated by the proprieties of the case, to enjoin the duties rising out of mutual relations in succession; thus, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands; husbands, love your wives." "Children, obey your parents; fathers, provoke not your children to anger.' vants, be obedient to them that are your masters; masters, do the same thing to them." 3 When, therefore, we meet with an injunction to elders to do their duty to a certain class clearly defined, and then find a certain class, not quite so clearly defined, called on to do their duty to elders, we naturally conclude that the objects of the first exhortations are the subjects of the second, and not some other class altogether.

Had the office-bearers been represented as spiritual fathers, and had the injunction run thus, Fathers in Christ, carefully superintend and instruct the family of God committed to your care;' and been followed by the command, Likewise, ye children, be submissive to the fathers;' would not every one at once have seen that, in the latter clause, it was not the duty of children to their parents that was enjoined, but that of spiritual children to their spiritual fathers —or in other words, of the members of the church to the officebearers of the church?

It seems very unnatural, without a strong reason, to suppose the elders of the fifth verse to be a different class of men from the elders of the first verse; and, if they are the same class, it seems strange that young persons alone should be called on to perform to them a duty which is owing to them by all to whom they stand in official relation. Besides, had the apostle meant to enjoin the duties of the young to the old, he would have used some other word for the old than that which he had just used to express office. Still further, the duty enjoined is one due to all official elders, from their office; and not due to any old man, merely from his age. It is not submission, but respect, that is due from the young to the old. "Thou shalt rise 1 'Opois manifeste ostendit eosdem hic significari presbyteros: sicut antea Petrus de presbyterorum erga suas oves, sic nunc de ovium erga suos poɛarras officio disserit: quamobrem etiam recte Syrus interpres addidit affixum vestris.-BEZA.

2 1 Pet. iii. 1, 7.

3 Eph. v. 22, 25; vi. 1, 4, 5, 9. Col. iii. 18-22; iv. 1.

Πρεσβύτεροι.