Elder

“ An elder was one who took your soul, your will, into his soul and his will. When you choose an elder, you renounce your own will and yield it to him in complete submission, complete self-abnegation. ”

“ The elder was a plain farmer type of man, with a clean-shaven, straight upper lip, a grizzled beard covering the lower half of his face, and humorous wrinkles spreading from the corners of his keen gray eyes. ”

“ The younger, beautiful! the deepest blue eyes in the world, with long fringed lashes, and the most perfect mouth you can imagine. The elder very pretty, too, but sad-looking, for she has a fearful lameness, poor thing! ”

“ So he said to him, ‘Whither runnest thou in such haste?’ And he answered, saying, ‘There is an elder here, a man of learning, who every day at this time takes his seat on a stool and relates tales and anecdotes and entertaining stories, whereof never heard any the like ”

“ The younger had been asked his opinion upon some point, and he was expanding with a flattered consciousness of the elder's perception of his importance, and toadying to him with the pleasure which all young men feel in winning the favor of seniors in their vocation. ”

“ All the public talk was of the beauty of the elder and the rare good sense of the younger. It is true also that their defects increased considerably with their age. The younger visibly grew uglier and uglier, and the elder became every day more and more stupid: she either made no answer at all to what was asked her, or said something very silly. ”

“ Some, by the old man whose face or presence is to be honoured, understand the elder in office, as by the hoary head the elder in age; both ought to be respected as fathers, and in the fear of God, who has put some of his honour upon both. ”

“ Elder Welcome was one of the old-fashioned sort not so common in these days, a good man, but stern and somewhat harsh. He preached only the terrors of the law, dwelt much upon the doctrines, the decrees, election, predestination, and eternal punishment, and rarely lingered over such themes as the fatherhood of God, his love to mankind, and his wonderful gift to a lost world. ”

“ One, the elder, tall and dark, the other short and fair, both were strong, healthy, hearty lads, full of spirit, and fond enough of having their own way, but thoroughly sound at heart and passionately fond of father and mother. ”

“ The elder he grows, he is a stair lower from God; and, like his first father, much worse in his breeches. [3] He is the Christian's example, and the old man's relapse; the one imitates his pureness, and the other falls into his simplicity. Could he put off his body with his little coat, he had got eternity without a burden, and exchanged but one heaven for another. ”

“ But the elder—like as he is in face, form, disposition—will need another discipline. He must tread the winding road, the road of other men. His trial will be a sharp one; through many paths he will have to be taught the truth. ”

“ Traces of tears could easily be seen on the cheeks of the elder, who appeared to be about eleven years of age, and the most hasty glance at either could not have failed to discover many unmistakeable signs of want, hunger, and poverty. ”

“ In the elder man’s sharp tone, his decisive gesture as he turned and answered to the call, she recognised the very manner of him, so familiar to her. The tone and manner were not discourteous certainly, but short and very uncompromising. ”

“ FIRST ELDER [to Peasant] It's good to talk with a good man. It's the way to get wisdom. It's just the same with you. One can't find any one to compare with you either.
SECOND ELDER. Wise and affectionate—that's what I like you for.
THIRD ELDER. You have my best sympathy. I can't find words to express it. I was saying to my old woman only to-day ...
FOURTH ELDER. A friend, a real friend!
LABOURER [nudges the Chief] Do you hear? All lies! They abuse one another behind their backs, but see how thick they are laying it on now,—like foxes wagging their tails! And it all comes from that drink. ”

“ And an elder shall be detailed off for him who shall be capable of saving souls, who shall altogether intently watch over him, and make it a care to see if he reverently seek God, if he be zealous in the service of God, in obedience, in suffering shame. ”

“ You must labor for faith: and when any thing troubles you that you can not understand or believe, come to me, and do not express doubts to any of the brethren.' The Elder then put on my eyes a pair of spiritual golden spectacles, to make me see spiritual things. ”

“ Both were professors at one of the great universities. The elder is a gentleman of great benevolence, learning, and gentleness; the other, a younger man, has been well polished and sharpened by travel in many lands. ”

“ The elder of these was a fine man of noble presence, still in the prime of life, and with a frank and exceedingly sunburnt face. The younger, on the other hand, bore in his whole appearance evident marks of town breeding. In spite of his rather diminutive stature, he might be considered a good-looking man. ”

“ Elder. This plant, while surrounded by an extensive folk-lore, has from time immemorial possessed an evil reputation, and been regarded as one of bad omen. According to a popular tradition “Judas was hanged on an elder,” a superstition mentioned by Biron in “Love’s Labour’s Lost” (v. 2) ; and also by Ben Jonson in “Every Man Out of His Humour” (iv. 4) : “He shall be your Judas, and you shall be his elder-tree to hang on.” ”

“ The elder--a very handsome lad, who looked fourteen at least, but was really a year younger--had raven hair, black sparkling eager eyes, good but strongly-marked features, and a complexion originally dark, and well-tanned by exposure to sun and wind. ”

“ You have frequently heard me say that I would rather hear an Elder, either here or in the world, speak only five words accompanied by the power of God, and they would do more good than to hear long sermons without the Spirit. ”

“ They are called elders, say some, because for the most part they were chosen out of the elder sort of men: others better, from the maturity of knowledge, wisdom, gifts, gravity, piety, &c., which ought to be in them. This name elder seems to have rule and authority written upon it, when applied to any church officer; and it is by the Septuagint often ascribed to rulers political, elders in the gate, Judges viii. ”

“ The elder generation bethought themselves of the dutiful submission which she had all along displayed; those of the same age as herself reflected upon the friendship and intimacy which had ever existed with her ”

“ Well, gentlemen, the duties of elders have never been very clearly defined in the church. But latterly they have settled down to this. The younger elder is to brush down and harness the pastor's horse when he wishes to ride out, and the elder is to accompany him, when he goes out of town, and pay his bills. ”

“ The Elders which are among you, I exhort, who am also an Elder, and a Witness of the Sufferings of Christ, and also a Partaker of the Glory that shall be revealed; Feed the Flock of God which is among you, taking the Oversight thereof, not by Constraint, but willingly ”

“ Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. He teaches that as there is a duty of the elders to the younger, so there is a reciprocal duty which, in like manner and with the same thoroughness, must be discharged by the younger to the elders. ”

“ At festive boards, to th' elder give first place:
Whether at home he stay, or walk abroad.
Ne'er let him treat the elder with neglect.
Should some slight cause occasion angry strife.
Let each recal his thoughts once and again ”

“ The spirit of elder days found a dwelling here, and we delighted to trace its footsteps. ”

“ The elders, glad to indulge the narrative propensity of age, told of the long-faded splendor of the family, the entertainments they had given, and the guests, the greatest of the land, and even titled and noble ones from abroad, who had passed beneath that portal. ”

“ We pray our heavenly Father that our brother's most intense desires may be fully realized, and that not only he, but every other Elder in the church of Christ may be prospered in the glorious calling whereunto they have been called. ”

“ The elder now states to us verbally, that he was well received by the brethren where there were any, and that it is due to all where he travelled to say, that he was kindly received and hospitably entertained. Truth and reason are the best weapons to combat prejudice and error. Time, patience and perseverance on the part of the saints are necessary to overcome these, and all other opposing barrier to the truth. The elder has had full congregations of hearers, has preached in a great many places, and baptized five sine he wrote us, making 29 in all since he left home in April last. ”

“ At home I see only a few charitable elders, except about four-score nephews and nieces of various ages, who are each brought to me about once a year, to stare at me as the Methusaleh of the family, and they can only speak of their own contemporaries, which interest me no more than if they talked of their dolls, or bats and balls. ”

“ Unfortunately, he overlooks the fact that the elder is not to be exonerated because the younger made the first advances—at any rate, in cases in which the elder is in a position to understand the true nature of such relationships. ”

“ The elder informs us that he is now about to leave Ia. where he has labored the most of the season thus far since he left here. We trust he has been usefully employed, and that the Lord has blessed his labors. We think few are more successful in proclaiming the truths of the Gospel then elder Hinkle. ”

“ The elder of them, being put to nurse,
Was by a beggar-woman stolen away;
And, ignorant of his birth and parentage,
Became a bricklayer when he came to age:
His son am I; ”

“ Asked by him smilingly what it was that made me look at him so perplexed, I asked in my turn:—"How is it, Master, that some of the members of our Society have taken into their heads a notion that you were 'an elderly man,' and that they have even seen you clairvoyantly looking an old man past sixty?" ”

“ The more his elders coaxed, bribed and threatened, the more vividly they depicted its dangers, the more determined he became to explore its darkened depths. The old well became a part of the child's life. ”

“ They will know, whether they know that the doctrine is true or not, that the influence is good, and that whether they have much language or little they have the Spirit of God with them, and it will accompany every faithful Elder of Israel. ”

“ Our elders will be but in the middle forties and the earlier fifties; and we must find for them an age which may evoke their friendly interest, and yet be likely to call forth, besides that, their sympathy and their longing admiration, and later their tolerance, their patience, and even their forgiveness. ”

“ The god of this world has dominion over the souls of men to an unlimited extent. Let an Elder go among them to preach without purse or scrip, and tell them so, and they will immediately say, "We can believe your religion a great deal better than we can believe that you come to preach without having your salary paid. ”

“ God went with his Elders, and they have gathered together his people as they are here to-day. They have been seeking to carry out the desire of the Lord and the wish of the Almighty in regard to the human family. They were told to go trusting in the name of the Lord, and he would take care of them and go before them, and that his Spirit should go with them and his angels accompany them. ”

“ You are young, beautiful, and richly gifted in every respect, I am already an elderly man, and have nothing to offer you but a simple house, modest circumstances, and the participation in the care of five children. ”

“ I will risk our Elders among the world, if they will only brush up their ideas a little. I will take any of you rough looking fellows, put you in a tailor's shop a little, and start you out like gentlemen, as large as life. I tell you there is a great difference between our people and others. ”

“ Elder and eldest are terms applied chiefly to persons, generally in speaking of members of the same family, while older and oldest are applied to persons of different families, and also to things.
“His elder brother died yesterday.” “His eldest sister has gone to Italy on her wedding trip.” “Our oldest neighbor was born in 1825.” “This oak is older than that pine.” The foregoing sentences illustrate the best usage as applied to the comparatives older and elder and the superlatives oldest and eldest.
When the direct comparison is made the word older is used, followed by the conjunction than ”

“ I mean that the Elders can, by their faith, their energy and their life, instil into the minds of the people a perseverance and a determination to press forward such as is not likely to be, unless an influence is used for that purpose. ”