Profession of Religion.

and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.-84: 1 How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts! 2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. 3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God. 4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. 10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. -87:5 Of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her : and the Highest himself shall establish her. 6 The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. 92: 13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing. [See 658.]

107. Profession of religion and observance of Christian ordinances exemplified and required.

Dt. 26: 17 Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: 18 And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments.

Is. 44: 5 One shall say, I am the LORD's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

Mat. 5: 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick: and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. - 10: 32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Lk. 12: 8, 9.- Mat. 26: 27 He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it. Mk. 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of: me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the

Early Convention.

glory of his Father with the holy angels. believeth and is baptized, shall be saved.

16: 16 He that

Lk. 22: 19 He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Rom. 10: 9 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.

1 Cor. 11: 26 As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come.

2 Tim. 2: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.

1 Jn. 4: 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

CHURCH ORDER, DISCIPLINE, FELLOWSHIP, ETC.

108. An early ecclesiastical convention.

Ac. 15: 5 There rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees, which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. -6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: 23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles, and elders, and brethren, send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia. 24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us, have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law; to whom we gave no such commandment: 25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul: 26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

Discipline.

109. Church discipline.

Ps. 141:5 Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head.

Mat. 18: 15 If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.

1 Cor. 5: 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 9 I wrote unto you in an epistle, not to company with fornicators: 10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters: for then must ye needs go out of the world. 11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner: with such an one no not to eat. 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

Gal. 6: 1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

2 Th. 3: 6 We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. 14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Tit. 3: 10 A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject; 11 Knowing that he that is such, is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

Rev. 2: 2 I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil; and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not; and

Rules for Edification.

hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. [See 610.]

110. Directions for the edification of churches.

Rom. 12: 4 As we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts, differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering or he that teacheth, on teaching: 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity: he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor Preferring one another.- 14: 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.-15: 1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. 3 For even Christ pleased not himself.

Ep. 4: 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Col. 3: 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. [Heb. 10: 24, 25.]

1 Th. 5: 11 Comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Heb. 3: 13 Exhort one another daily, while it is called To-day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 10: 24 Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love, and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Brotherly Love, Fellowship and Unity.

111. Brotherly love, fellowship, and unity in churches, required and exemplified.

1 S. 18: 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

2 S. 1: 26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

Ps. 133: 1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his gar

ments.

Is. 52: 8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.

1

Jn. 13: 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.-15: 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. -17: 20 Neither pray I for these alone; but for them also which shall believe on me through their word: 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are

one.

Ac. 4: 32 The multitude of them that believed were of one heart, and of one soul.-20: 37 They all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, 38 Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no

more.

Rom. 12: 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.-15: 5 The God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Cor. 1: 10 I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment.

2 Cor. 13: 11 Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.