self to suppose ought to be followed in admitting members, viz., to admit none but what in a judgment of rational charity are true Christians.-(Appeal, p. 2, 3, 10, 28, 23, 67, 73, 93, 94.) But that not only heretics and designing dissemblers crept in unawares, but that all false brethren, all church members not truly gracious did so, appears by such being represented as bastards in a family, who are false children and false heirs, brought into it unawares, and imposed upon the disposers of those privileges by stealth: Heb. xii. 8, "If ye are without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not

sons."

Thus it is abundantly manifest, from the apostolical writings, how the visible. church of Christ, through the whole world, was at first constituted and ordered, under the direction of the apostles themselves, who regulated it according to the infallible guidance of the Spirit of their great Lord and Master. And doubtless, as the Christian church was constituted then, so it ought to be constituted now. What better rule have we for our ecclesiastical regulations in other respects, than what was done in the primitive churches, under the apostles' own direction; as particularly the standing officers of the church, presbyters and deacons, the method of introducing ministers in their ordination, &c. In this matter that I have insisted on, I think the Scripture is abundantly more full than in those other things.

IX. Another evidence, that such as are taken into the church, ought to be in the eye of a Christian judgment truly gracious or pious persons, is this, that the Scripture represents the visible church of Christ as a society having its several members united by the bond of Christian brotherly love.

Besides that general benevolence or charity which the saints have to mankind, and which they exercise towards both the evil and the good in common, there is a peculiar and very distinguishing kind of affection, that every true Christian experiences towards those whom he looks upon as truly gracious persons; whereby the soul, at least at times, is very sensibly and sweetly knit to such persons, and there is an ineffable oneness of heart with them; whereby, to use the Scripture phrase (Acts iv. 32), "They are of one heart and one soul:" which holy affection is exercised towards others on account of the spiritual image of God in them, their supposed relation to God as his children, and to Christ as his members, and to them as their spiritual brethren in Christ. This sacred affection is a very good and distinguishing note of true grace, much spoken of as such in Scripture, under the name of giladeλqia, the love of the brethren, or brotherly love; and is called by Christ, the receiving a righteous man in the name of a righteous man; and receiving one of Christ's little ones in the name of a disciple, or because he belongs to Christ (Matt. x. 41, 42, Mark ix. 41), and a loving one another as Christ has loved them (John xiii. 34, and xv. 13, 14, 15). Having a peculiar image of that oneness which is between Christ himself and his saints. Compare John xvii. 20, to the end.

This love the apostles are often directing Christians to exercise towards fellow members of the visible church; as in Rom. xii. 10, " Be ye kindly affec tioned one to another with brotherly love." The words are much more emphatical in the original, and do more lively represent that peculiar endearment that there is between gracious persons, or those that look on one another as such; τη φιλαδέλφια εις αλλήλους φιλοςοργοι. The expressions properly signify, cleav ing one to another with brotherly, natural, strong endearment. With the like emphasis and energy does the Apostle Peter express himself, 1 Epis. i 22: “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethren εις φιλαδελφίαν ανυπόκριτον, see that ye love

one another with a pure heart fervently." Again, chap. iii. 8, " Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous." The words in the Greek are much more significant, elegant, and forcible; παντες ομοφρονες, συμπαθεις, φιλαδελφοι, ευσπλαγχνοι, φιλοφρονες. The same peculiar endearment the apostle has doubtless respect to in chap. iv., "Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves." The Apostle Paul in his epistles, from time to time, speaks of the visible saints whom he writes to, as being united one to another with this affection, and considers it as a note of their piety. Col. i. 4, " We heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all saints." 1 Thess. iv. 9, "As touching BROTHERLY LOVE, ye need not that I write unto you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another." So Philem. 5, So Philem. 5, "Hearing of thy love and faith which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus Christ, and towards all saints." And this is what he exhorts to, Heb. xiii. 1," Let BROTHERLY LOVE Continue." 1 Thess. v. 26, "Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss." Compare 1 Cor. xvi. 20; 2 Cor. xiii. 12, and 1 Pet. v. 14.

This qiladelpia, or love to the brethren, is that virtue which the Apostle John so much insists on in his first epistle, as one of the most distinguishing characteristics of true grace, and a peculiar evidence that God dwelleth in us, and we in God. By which must needs be understood a love to saints as saints, or on account of the spiritual image of God supposed to be in them, and their spiritual relation to God; according as it has always been understood by orthodox divines. No reasonable doubt can be made, but that the Apostle John in this epistle, has respect to the same sort of love, which Christ prescribes to his disciples, in that which he called by way of eminency HIS COMMANDMENT, and his NEW COMMANDMENT, which he gave as a great mark of their being truly his disciples, as this same apostle gives an account in his gospel; and to which he plainly refers, when speaking of the love of the brethren in his epistle, chap. ii. 7, 8, and iii. 23. But that love, which Christ speaks of in his new commandment, is spoken of as between those that CHRIST loves, or is supposed to love; and which has his love to them for its ground and pattern. And if this qiladeλqia, this love of the brethren, so much spoken of by Christ, and by the Apostles Paul and John, be not that peculiar affection which gracious persons or true saints have one to another, which is so great a part, and so remarkable an exercise of true grace, where is it spoken of, at all, in the New Testament?

We see how often the apostles exhort visible Christians to exercise this affection to all other members of the visible church of Christ, and how often they speak of the members of the visible church, as actually thus united in places already mentioned. In 2 Cor. ix. 14, the apostle speaks of the members of other churches loving the members of the church of Corinth, with this peculiar endearment and oneness of heart, for the grace of God in them: " And by their prayer for you, which long after you, for the exceeding grace of God in you." The word translated long after, is 8лino0ovvτov; which properly signifies to love with an exceeding and dear love. And this is represented as the bond, that unites all the members of the visible church: Acts iv. 32, " And the multitude of them that believed, were of one heart and one soul." This is the same thing which elsewhere is called being of one mind: 1 Pet. iii. 8, " Finally, be ye all of one mind." And being of the same mind: 1 Cor. i. 10, "That ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind." And Philip. iv. 2, "I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be oF THE SAME MIND in the Lord." And being like-minded (the word is the same in Greek): Rom. xv. 5, 6, "Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be LIKE-MINDED one towards

another; that ye may with one mind, and one mouth, glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." There is reason to think, that it is this oneness of mind, or being of one heart and soul, is meant by that charity which the apostle calls the bond of perfectness, Col. iii. 14; and represents as the bond of union between all the members of the body, in Eph. iv. 15, 16: "But speaking the truth in LOVE, may grow up into him in all things which is the Head, even Christ; 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." Herein seems much to consist the nature of scandal in the members of a church,, viz., such an offence as is a wound and interruption to this kind of affection, being a stumbling-block to a Christian judgment, in regard to its esteem of the offender as a real Christian, and what much lessens the visibility of his Christian character. And therefore when scandal is removed by visible repentance, the church is directed to confirm their love to the offender, 2 Cor. ii. 8

Now this intimate affection towards others as brethren in Christ and fellow members of him, must have some apprehension of the understanding, some judgment of the mind, for its foundation. To say, that we must thus love others as visible members of Christ, if any thing else be meant, than that we must love them because they are visibly, or as they appear to our judgment, real members of Christ, is in effect to say, that we must thus love them without any foundation at all. In order to a real and fervent affection to another, on account of some amiableness of qualification or relation, the mind must first judge there is that amiableness in the object. The affections of the mind are not so at command that we can make them strongly to go forth to an object as having such loveliness, when at the same time we do not positively judge any such thing concerning them, but only hope it may be so, because we see no sufficient reason to determine the contrary. There must be a positive dictate of the understanding, and some degree of satisfaction of the judgment, to be a ground of that oneness of heart and soul which is agreeable to Scripture representations of qiladelque, or brotherly love. And a supposition only of that moral sincerity and virtue, or common grace, which some insist upon, though it may be a sufficient ground of neighborly and civil affection, cannot be a sufficient ground of this intimate affection to them as brethren in the family of a heaven ly Father, this fervent love to them in the bowels of Jesus Christ; that imply ing nothing in it inconsistent with being gospel sinners and domestic enemies in the house of God; which Christians know are the most hateful enemies to Christ, of all the enemies that he has.

It is a thing well agreeing with the wisdom of Christ, and that peculiar favor he has manifested to his saints, and with his dealings with them in many other respects, to suppose, he has made a provision in his institutions, that they might have the comfort of uniting, with such as their hearts are united with in that holy intimate affection which has been spoken of, in special religious exercises and duties of worship, and visible intercourse with their Redeemer, joining with those concerning whom they can have some satisfaction of mind, that they are cordially united with them in adoring and expressing their love to their common Lord and Saviour, that they may with one mind, with one heart, and one soul, as well as with one mouth, glorify him; as in the forementioned Rom. xv. 5, 6, compared with Acts iv. 32. This seems to be what this heavenly affection naturally inclines to. And how eminently fit and proper for this purpose is the sacrament of the Lord's supper, the Christian church's great feast of love; wherein Christ's people sit together as brethren in the family

of God, at their Father's table, to feast on the love of their Redeemer, commemorating his sufferings for them, and his dying love to them, and sealing their love to him and one another ?-It is hardly credible, that Christ has so ordered things as that there are no instituted social acts of worship, wherein his saints are to manifest their respect to him, but such as wherein they ordinarily are obliged (if the rule for admissions be carefully attended) to join with the society of fellow worshippers, concerning whom they have no reason to think but that the greater part of them are unconverted (and are more provoking enemies to that Lord they love and adore, than most of the very Heathen), which Mr. Stoddard supposes to be the case with the members of the visible church. Appeal P. 16.

X. It is necessary that those who partake of the Lord's supper, should judge themselves truly and cordially to accept CHRIST, as their only Saviour and chief good; for this is what the actions, which communicants perform at the Lord's table, are a solemn profession of.

There is in the Lord's supper a mutual solemn profession of the two parties transacting the covenant of grace, and visibly united in that covenant; the Lord Christ by his minister, on the one hand, and the communicants (who are professing believers) on the other. The administrator of the ordinance acts in the quality of Christ's minister, acts in his name, as representing him; and stands in the place where Christ himself stood at the first administration of this sacrament, and in the original institution of the ordinance. Christ, by the speeches and actions of the minister, makes a solemn profession of his part in the covenant of grace: he exhibits the sacrifice of his body broken and his blood shed; and in the minister's offering the sacramental bread and wine to the communicants, Christ presents himself to the believing communicants, as their propitiation and bread of life; and by these outward signs confirms and seals his sincere engagements to be their Saviour and food, and to impart to them all the benefits of his propitiation and salvation. And they, in receiving what is offered, and eating and drinking the symbols of Christ's body and blood, also profess their part in the covenant of grace: they profess to embrace the promises and lay hold of the hope set before them, to receive the atonement, to receive Christ as their spiritual food, and to feed upon him in their hearts by faith. Indeed what is professed on both sides is the heart: for Christ in offering himself, professes the willingness of his heart to be theirs who truly receive him, and the communicants on their part, profess the willingness of their hearts to receive him, which they declare by significant actions. They profess to take Christ as their spiritual food, and bread of life. To accept Christ as our bread of life, is to accept him as our Saviour and portion; as food is both the means of preserving life, and is also the refreshment and comfort of life. The signification of the word manna, that great type of this bread of life, is a portion. That which God offers to us as our food, he offers as our portion; and that which we accept as our food, we accept as our portion. Thus the Lord's supper is plainly a mutual renovation, confirmation, and seal of the covenant of grace. Both the covenanting parties profess their consent to their respective parts in the covenant, and each affixes his seal to his profession. And there is in this ordinance the very same thing acted over in profession and -sensible signs, which is spiritually transacted between Christ and his spouse in the covenant that unites them. Here we have from time to time the glorious bridegroom exhibiting himself with his great love that is stronger than death, -appearing clothed in robes of grace, and engaging himself with all his glory and love, and its infinite benefits, to be theirs who receive him: and here we VOL I.

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have his spouse accepting this bridegroom, choosing him for her friend, her only Saviour and portion, and relying on him for all his benefits. And thus the covenant transaction of this spiritual marriage is confirmed and sealed, from time to time. The actions of the communicants at the Lord's table have as expressive and significant a language, as the most solemn words. When a person in this ordinance takes and eats and drinks those things which represent Christ, the plain meaning and implicit profession of these his actions, is this: "I take this crucified Jesus as my Saviour, my sweetest food, my chief portion, and the life of my soul, consenting to acquiesce in him as such, and to hunger and thirst after him only, renouncing all other saviours, and all other portions for his sake." The actions, thus interpreted, are a proper renovation and ratification of the covenant of grace; and no otherwise. And those that take, and eat and drink the sacramental elements at the Lord's table with any other meaning, I fear, know not what they do.

The actions at the Lord's supper, thus implying in their nature and signification, a renewing and confirming of the covenant, there is a declarative explicit covenanting supposed to precede it; which is the profession of religion, before spoken of, that qualifies a person for admission to the Lord's supper. And there doubtless is, or ought to be, as much explicitly professed in words, as is implicitly professed in these actions; for by these significant actions, the communicant sets his seal but to his profession. The established signs in the Lord's supper are fully equivalent to words; they are a renewing and reiterating the same thing which was done before; only with this difference, that now it is done by speaking signs, whereas before it was by speaking sounds. Our taking the bread and wine is as much a professing to accept of Christ, at least, as a woman's taking a ring of the bridegroom in her marriage is a profession and seal of her taking him for her husband. The sacramental elements in the Lord's supper do represent Christ as a party in covenant, as truly as a proxy represents a prince to a foreign lady in her marriage; and our taking those elements is as truly a professing to accept Christ, as in the other case the lady's taking the proxy is her professing to accept the prince as her husband. Or the matter may more fitly be represented by this similitude: it is as if a prince should send an ambassador to a woman in a foreign land, proposing marriage, and by his ambassador should send her his picture, and should desire her to manifest her acceptance of his suit, not only by professing her acceptance in words to his ambassador, but in token of her sincerity openly to take or accept that picture, and so seal her profession, by thus representing the matter over again by a symbolical action.

To suppose, persons ought thus solemnly to profess that which at the same time they do not at all imagine they experience in themselves, and do not really pretend to, is a very great absurdity. For a man sacramentally to make such a profession of religion, proceeding avowedly on the foot of such doctrine, is to profess that which he does not profess; his actions being no established signs of the thing supposed to be professed, nor carrying in them the least pretension to it. And therefore doing thus can be no man's duty; unless it be men's duty to make a solemn profession of that which in truth they make no profession of The Lord's supper is most evidently a professing ordinance; and the communicants' profession must be such as is adjusted to the nature and design of the ordinance; which nothing short of faith in the blood of Christ will answer, even faith unfeigned, which worketh by love. A profession therefore exclusive of this, is essentially defective, and quite unsuitable to the character of a commu

nicant.