appointed thee: if any be blameless, . . . for n hishop must be blameless, ns the steward of God;" or in the passage before us. "The ciders which are among yon I exhort ... feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof" (literally, Greek Jmt1"1<01rovVT_«, bi~hoping). The two terms ( as also, we believe, the term "angel," in Rev. 11.) are des1gnat10ns of the same office, and used intcrchano-eably • we never find them t-Ogether. Each Church apparently had its own bishop, or" elder,' and deacons. When _You hu..-c taken from the list of the public servants of the early Church such unmcs as those of "apostles," "prophets," " workers of miracles," none of whom were intended to be permanent, I think you will find but these two left besides the evangelists. 'l'he work of the elders. 1. To feed tlie flock of God. Just the words you would expect from Peter. They take us back to that early morning when his Master thrice bade him feed bis sheep a.nd lambs. To feed the flock is essentially the minister's task. The Word of truth is the great sanctifying agency in the hands of the Divine Spirit, and it is the minister's business so to present this that sanctification shall be the result". 'l'here never was greater need of plain practical Scripture teaching than now, when the pressure of business leaves, I fear, too little leisure for Scripture study. It should not be so, but so it is. 2. To take the oversight of the flock. "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour." God's Word shows that he reg:u·ds the elders as the superintendents of the Chnrches committed to them, as the presidents of all the work of those Churches, and as having heavy responsibilities for their well-being. Of the Christian minister it is said, he shall " warn the unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak." 3. To be examples to the flock. A minister's personal spiritual life is the first essential in his work; he has to watch his character, lest it should be a shadow darkening his teaching. Many of you have your own smaller portions of the flock to feed and care for. Christian workers, remember that the shepherds of Christ's fold must, like the gre~t Shepherd, always go first. If you want to work for Christ successfully, the best part of that work will be done in your closet, ministering Christ to yourself. The work can never be better than the worker; the power of a lesson depends on the teacher seen behind it. II. THE BPIBIT IN WHICH THIS WORK 1B TO BE WROUGHT, 1. It is to be wrottghtfrom personal fellowship with Christ. Peter here says that be was an elder, because he had seen Christ suffer, and was a partaker of his glory. How we shall teach and preach when we look at the sufferings of Jesus, and at his glorified face! We must live with our uru;een Lord, and then work for his flock will be no more a constraint, but a joy. 2. In subordination to Christ. "Neither as being lords over God's heritage." It is "God's herita"e;" it is the "flock of God;" and there is a "chief Shepherd." Ghrist has set sbeph:'rds over bis people, but they are shepherds under him. The flock are never fed, or guided, or upheld, or restored by human ministry, but he does it. If tho under-shepherds are not what they ought to be, Jesus remains, and the flock is his. 3. It is to be wrought with hope in Christ. "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." Whatever happiness awaits Christ's faithful servants in another world, whatever forms the unfading crown may take, this at least will not be wanting-the presence there of those who have been redeemed through their instrumentality. Christian worker, when the chief Shepherd ;;!Jail appear, and you with him, the first wondering glance at the autumnal fields you ;owed will be your overwhelming recompense. Ill THE BE.a.BIBO OF THE CALL TO THIS WORK ON THE CHURCH. Chriei; has called some of the elders in bis Church tofeed"and oversee his flock. (What of that to the Church? 1. It reminds us of the dependence of the people on the ministry. "The perfecting of the saints, and the edifying of the body of Christ," are declared to be, in a very important 8cnse, dependent on the ministry; then it must be a perilous thing to depreciate that ministry, to cast one's self off from it willingly. "Feed the flock of God," he says to the elders ; then let the flock of God see that they are willing to be fed. 2. And this calls for the recognitwn by the people of the proper uorl, of the ministry. It would be a great thing if the elders were able to lead in all the paths of life-in things political, lhiogs social, things literary, things scieutific, things philanthropic; but spiritual work 1,, essenlially theirs, and if these lower things are attended. to, the great thing will sm:er; aod, though the sheep may follow, they will be unfed. 3. The furtherance by the ~,eople of the v:ork of the ministry. The Church can greatly help their minister to ort. v. 1-14.] 'l'J-lE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 229
help them; they can let him know the help they need; they can speak freely of their spiritnul difficulties; they can ask for prayer and sympathy, when other aid is una vailincr; 0 and in this way can give a joy as great as that they seek.-C. N.