ORDINATION OF ELDERS
"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour."
ST. PAUL.
We have referred to the excellent office-bearers M'Cheyne had. Throughout these pages we have seen reflected one of them—Mr. William Lamb. We now give an account of his election and ordination to the eldership; for therein we shall see how this devoted man and his equally devoted minister "magnified" their office. Indeed, to all elders in the Church at the present day—actual and prospective—we call attention to what follows as being eminently helpful. If there be any office-bearers in the Church who do not "magnify" their office—are not men of prayer, are not conscientious and steadfast in the performance of their duties—then what took place at this time in St. Peter's, Dundee, in connection with the election and ordination of Mr. Lamb and his godly associates, may stand as a solemn rebuke to all such.
On the 15th November, 1842, Mr. Lamb received the following note from his minister:-
page 108 is a facsimile of the original hand-written note
"My Dear Sir,
I have great pleasure in intimating that you have been duly invited by the Christian people of this parish to undertake the office of an Elder over them—
The Kirk Session unanimously concur in this invitation.
I am
Your faithful pastor
Robt. Murray M'Cheyne
St. Peter's 15 Nov. 1842."
To this Mr. Lamb replied as follows:-
"Thursday, 24th Nov., 1842.
"Dear Sir,
"I duly received your note of the 15th inst., informing me that I had been invited by the Christian people and kirk session of your parish to become an elder amongst them.
"After having thought seriously over the matter, I beg to state that I must decline acceptance of the said office. My reasons for declining it are, that besides feeling myself unworthy and unqualified in many respects for such a responsible office, my age and inexperience, or want of that "fulness of wisdom" mentioned in Acts vi. As forming an essential qualification for the eldership,—the two latter things in particular,—are to me at present cogent reasons why I must refuse the invitation.
"In conclusion, I can only remark that at a future period of my life, when older and more experienced, and if again the providence of God invited to enter the eldership, I shall doubtless feel it my duty indeed to be an elder in our 'reforming and witnessing church.' At present it is certainly more consonant with my feelings, and I think it is also my duty, to occupy a lower place in our Lord's vineyard, where, by His grace aiding me, I am willing to labour as much as in me lies to promote His glory and forward His cause.
"I remain, &c.,
"WM. LAMB.
"P.S.—I may mention here, that besides the foregoing reasons, it is not improbable that I may ere long be changing my domicile from this town to another quarter.
"W. L."
Mr. Lamb, however, prayed much over the matter. He conversed also about it with experienced Christians. One day he and three other of the elected gentlemen met together in a house to lay the matter before the Throne of Grace, and exchange sentiments on the subject. He writes in his diary, "P. D. opened the meeting with prayer and praise. After various remarks from al, we seemed very much of the opinion that it was our duty to accept, though doing so might be against our feelings. D. M. most undecided, and I next.
"D. E. justly remarked that youth, when one had health and vigour of mind as well as body, instead of being a disqualification, was a great qualification. Besides, if we acknowledged an over-ruling Providence in everything, how much more should we view it in matters connected with His Church; and was His care and providence not shown here in that we were chosen? None of us sought the office, and yet we have been called by the Christian people to it. Let is not refuse when God calls.
"D. K., a worthy old elder, came in upon us, and gave us his ideas on the subject, making sundry truly just remarks, and urging each of us to consider it our duty to accept the call, whatever we might feel as to youth and inexperience. 'To know our weakness is a great secret of our power,' this pious man said. After a most suitable prayer by D. K. we separated, to meet again (D.V.) on Wednesday, and then, if possible, decide."
A few days after this came the following letter from Mr. M'Cheyne, which, among other things, said,—
". . . Your favour of yesterday. I hope you will reconsider for a week. I dare not press any man to accept the office of the eldership; but when you are regularly called thereto by the godly of the parish, it becomes a serious matter to refuse. Remember Moses, Exodus iv. 10-14.
"I do not think youth and inexperience are any solid grounds of refusal, providing you are not a novice, i.e., one newly converted to Christ.
"Your probable removal is still less a ground, because it is a matter of providence which God may or may not bring about. Present duty is unaffected by futurities.
"Ever yours in the Gospel,
"ROBT. M. M'CHEYNE."
In connection with the above, Mr. Lamb writes: "His remarks are very much to the point. Since Thursday I have been led to make the matter a subject of prayer, and have been more and more made to feel and brought to see that, having been called by the Christian people (the best of them, as Mr. M'C. told me), to the eldership, it is my duty to accept the call, whatever my feelings of dislike to be an elder at my present time of life are. Feelings must give way to duty; and though I am bringing my mind to the point of deciding, and that with much fear and trembling, yet, believing that God has given me a call, I go not in my own strength to the duties, but in His who 'sendeth no man a warfare on his own charges.'"
At the close of another meeting of those elected, Mr. Lamb writes: "Our meeting this evening was very pleasant and profitable to us all. I think none of us have entered rashly upon this decision, which is matter of thankfulness to God; and I take it as a token of His guiding and eventually bringing us,—after weighing well the matter, and, I trust, 'counting the cost',—to the determination to become office-bearers and fellow-helpers with our pastor in the Church of Christ. If ever I needed to pray for grace to walk consistently, and adorn this new and more public profession I am about to make, it is now. My only safety is abiding in Christ, clinging to Him as the Anchor of my soul, which is within the veil, and is sure and steadfast; and if I ever keep hold of Him, no matter what storms of sin rage within and temptations dash on me from without, through Him I shall overcome all, and at last have an abundant entrance ministered unto me into the everlasting haven of rest! I feel now happy and at rest that, this night, I have come to the above resolution."
Having resolved then to accept office, Mr. Lamb wrote the following letter to his minister:-
"10th Dec., 1842, Saturday morning.
"My dear Sir,
"After much prayerful consideration on the subject of my call to the eldership, and having now been led in the goodness of God to believe it as indeed a call from Him, through His people, to follow Him more fully, and devote myself to His service in that more public and extended sphere of Christian usefulness, I feel constrained to cast away all former objections, both as regards youth and inexperience, and to sacrifice every other feeling to what now appears to be a duty to my God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who so loved me as to give Himself for me, redeeming me with His precious blood, so that I am no more my own but His, and bound to glorify God in my body and spirit, which are His.
"Being led and shut up to this view of the matter, I feel that I dare not draw back, and with much fear and trembling, and in much weakness, I do now accept of the call to become an elder amongst your flock.
"Hitherto I have need much your prayers, but now much more. I desire you will not be unmindful of me at the Throne of Grace, that as my day is so my strength shall be, and that now I may be upheld by the Holy Spirit and enabled to use well the office of an elder, that I may purchase to myself a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus my Lord.
"I remain ever,
"My dear Sir,
"Yours respectfully,
"WM. LAMB.
"To the Rev. R. M. M'Cheyne, St. Peter's, Dundee."
We give this other entry in the diary on this subject:-
"Sabbath, 11th Dec., 1842. At St. Peter's as usual. Heard two excellent discourses from Mr. M'Cheyne. My name was read out, along with others, as chosen for the eldership. I felt it a little trying, sitting in the church at the time, but it was soon over. Ordination to be on Sabbath, 25th (Christmas day). It will be more trying to stand before the vast assembly; but when the mind is resolved, barriers and difficulties soon vanish, and I hope I shall feel it so.
"D. M. with me between sermons. He as also myself, was much impressed with a sense of the solemnity of the office we had made up our minds to enter, and to be settled so far publicly by the reading of the edict. At his desire, and in unison with my own feelings at the time, I engaged in a short prayer that we might be upheld in our resolution, and that grace would be given us for coming duties. I certainly felt much of the spirit of prayer in me, and throughout the whole day I felt it good to wait upon the Lord."
Then comes a detailed account of the ordination, which we are sure our readers would like to have:-
"Sabbath, 25th Dec., 1842. I little thought that ere this year was past I should be an elder in the Church of my fathers, yet so it is. We know not what is before us. On receiving notice of the call I thought that I should certainly refuse it, and not become an elder until a future period, when I was an elder in years. I now find I erred, seeing that in the providence of God I have this day been brought to give up myself to this office.
"D. M., my brother elder to be, called on me, and we repaired together to the vestry, where the minister and all the elders were assembled. Mr. M'Cheyne then constituted the Session by prayer, and our names—four—David Edwards, Peter Duncan, David Moncour, and my own—were called over, after which we all repaired to the elders' seat in front of the pulpit. Mr. M'Cheyne preached from I Tim. v. 17. 'Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the Word and doctrine.'
"Though I was a good deal taken up with the solemnity of what was before me, I felt much pleasure in following the minister on this head, when he spoke of the eldership as being a Divine ordinance, and appointing elders in every church, that there might be a plurality of office-bearers. Rom. xii. 6-8, Acts vi. 3. He then dwelt upon the difficult and delicate duties of elders, judging of communicants' fitness, admitting and shutting out from sealing ordinances, deciding in cases of discipline, &c.; and then he showed that they who ruled well were to be counted worthy of double honour, to be esteemed for their works' sake, &c.
"After prayer, at the conclusion of the discourse, in which special reference was made to the duty of setting apart to the eldership, Mr. M'C. then put the questions to us (standing): if we believed the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the Word o God, and the only rule of life; and if we acknowledged the Confession of Faith of our Church as our confession; if we approved of the Presbyterian form of worship and government, and would be subject to it and its courts, &c., and follow no divisive courses?
"Having answered these questions in the affirmative, the minister prayed, and then gave us the right hand of fellowship, as did also the elders. After this we stood up again, when Mr. M'Cheyne gave us a short charge or address as to our duties, such as visiting the sick and praying with them, admonishing and rebuking sin, then as to our walk and conversation, to walk circumspectly towards them that are without, &c. He then addressed himself to the congregation, their duty to elders, to receive them, invite them to their houses, pray for them and esteem them &c.
"The whole of this forenoon's service has been one of much solemnity to me. I have now undertaken a responsible office in the Church of God, and I trust I have done so solely from feeling it to be my duty to accept the call given to me, and looking upon it as a call from the Lord to serve Him still more, and that publicly.
"This office requires much wisdom and grace, and if ever I needed to be often at the Throne of Grace, much more I need now, that I may be upheld by the Spirit of God and strengthened with all might in the inward man, so that I may walk holily, humbly, and unblamably before God, giving no occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully."
Would that there were more such elders in all our churches! The Church would be less reproached both by saints and sinners if there were more in it of this type which surrounded the Rev. Robert Murray M'Cheyne. May the Church's Head graciously bless all her office-bearers, and incite them to do more, for the advancement of the Divine kingdom.