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The Pastor To His Flock
The following is a copy of the first letter in my possession by my father to the Church: To the Church of God, meeting for the Worship of our glorious Trinity in the Chapel, George's Road, Manchester. Beloved of the adorable Jehovah, and of me, his poor Servant and your Servant, for His sake,—Through the matchless kindness of the Lord, I arrived safely here on Saturday afternoon, and preached on Lord's day to the largest congregation I ever preached to before in my life; and I believe the Lord was there. One of the deacons tells me they let 2,300 sittings; and the chapel was quite crowded, aisles and everywhere, so you may guess what the numbers present were. God willing, I have to preach…
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Sunday Schools
Just, before this volume was completed, it was suggested to me that my father's views on Sunday Schools ought not to be omitted. I have, therefore, copied the following from the first number of the Sunday School Visitor, a little magazine published by mc in 1844, and to which my lather was a contributor.—J. G. A Few Thoughts Upon The Utility Of Sunday Schools My Fellow-Mortals,—Allow me to observe that I really do consider that, next to tho preaching of tho glorious gospel of the Messed God, and a spiritual attendance to the order and ordinances of God's house, Sunday Schools are one of the best institutions in the kingdom; and I am sorry to see such a want of zeal for the promoting of…
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Church Unity
Some of the points covered in this sermon: • Reviewing the definition for the Greek verb, katartizō, and the four ways it is used in the New Testament • Showing how the verb is used with reference to “joining together what has been disjointed” • Highlighting the reason why the Apostle Paul wrote his two letters to the church at Corinth • Making a comparison between 1 Corinthians 1:10 and 2 Corinthians 13:11 • The Greek verb is used in this context of “joining something together” only in connection with the church at Corinth • The Greek verb occurs at the beginning of the first letter and at the end of the second letter • In both texts, Paul is pressing upon the members of the…
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The Unity Of The Church
A Letter To Mr. C. W. Ethelston, M.A. Fellow Of The Collegiate Church In Manchester, Rector Of Worthenburt, And Minister Of St. Mark’s Chapel, Cheltham. Sir,—You perhaps will pardon an obscure individual for venturing to make a few remarks upon your pamphlet, entitled "The Unity of the Church," &c. I can assure you, Sir, that the unity of the church is a subject of such importance that I cannot conceive how it is possible for any real minister of Christ to lose sight of it. Union to Christ, and to one another, as the blessed members of his mystical body, is a doctrine pregnant with incalculable importance; and were I disposed to ground what I have to say upon this subject upon anything but the…
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Churches Should Appoint Elders?
Churches are among the only communities in the world which view 'elders' as an appointed or elected office. The universal and historically recognized meaning of the term refers to unofficial leaders of a community, distinguished by their age, wisdom, wealth and influence. They are not appointed or elected to an office of eldership. Rather, they assume an informal role of leadership when the younger members of the community acknowledge them as elders. Indeed, this is precisely how the term is used in the scriptures. The appointment or election of persons to an eldership is based squarely on ecclesiastical edicts and traditions, which are read into the scriptures. Over the last sixty years, many Baptist churches have adopted these traditions. Regardless of the Reformed Baptists claiming…
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May The Grace Of Christ, Our Savior
Some of the points covered in this sermon: • Highlighting the subject and theme of the hymn—Covenant Blessings, the assurance and joy of the covenant blessings of God and His church • Explaining the meaning and significance of a covenant • Showing how the covenant of works, covenant of grace and a church covenant fit together according to the framework of sovereign grace • Expounding the two stanzas of Newton’s hymn • Stanza 1: The Gracious Covenant • Stanza 2: The Church Covenant • Showing how Paul’s farewell blessing in 2 Corinthians 13 aligns with Newton’s hymn Some of the points covered in this sermon: • Reviewing the subject and theme of Newton’s hymn, “May The Grace Of Christ, Our Savior” • Aligning Newton’s…
