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er. And how few are to be found, who have their Master's interest so affectionately at heart, as to raise them above selfish motives. Is not that, which affects the honour of God and religion, of more consequence, than any personal consideration? We ought to feel a holy offence at every thing, which wounds the church of Christ. We should lament and reprove the misconduct of our brethren, considered as sin against God, and not as personal injury to us. Every act of church discipline should spring from sincere affection to the Redeemer's cause and glory.

It is the direction of Scripture, that one, who is proved guilty of transgressing the laws of Christianity, and, after proper steps taken in private, shows no marks of penitence, shall be cited before the church; and that, after the church has dealt with him in love and faithfulness, if he remains incorrigible, he shall be excommunicated. But do not our churches greatly neglect this duty? Is it any thing uncommon for persons, who are intemperate, or profane, or in some other way grossly immoral, to continue in full communion with our churches, without ever being called to account for their arines?

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selves to a reproof like that, which Christ gave to the church in Pergamos; "I have a few things against thee, because thou hast them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, and thou hast them also, who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate." If it be asked, who shall determine, what is false doctrine, or heresy? It is asked in return, who shall determine what is immoral practice, or sin? The church has the same advantage to judge what is heresy, as they have to judge what is immorality, and the same authority to censure members for the one, as for the other. To connive at an essential deviation from gospel faith is as real a violation of inspired precepts, as to connive at a deviation from gospel practice.

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It is deemed a mistake of evil tendency in our churches, that private confession is accepted for public sins. If a Christian commit a fault, which is a discredit not only to himself, but to the cause of Christ; how is the bad consequence, of his transgression removed, except by manifesting his repentance as publicly, as his guilt is known. The enlightened penitent will rest in nothing short of this. He will wish the surrounding world, who know his offence," to know how he views his own conduct, and what sentence he passes upon himself. How eminently was this spirit exemplified in David, after he had sinned in the matter of Uriah. "Considering his rank, his age, and a variety of circumstances relating to his family, to persons disaffected to his government, and to his character among the surrounding nations, it might

have been thought expedient for him to be satisfied with secret acts of contrition and devotion, and with bringing forth fruits meet for repentance. But he viewed the subject in a different light, when brought to reflect seriously on his conduct and its probable consequences. The honour of God and of true religion was deeply concerned, and with it the best interests of vast multitudes. Nor did there appear any other way, in which the bad effects of his crimes could be so thoroughly prevented, as by his publicly taking the deepest shame to himself for having acted directly contrary to that holy religion, which he professed. Whatever might be the consequences to himself and his reputation, he seems to have resolved, without delay, to publish to his family, his subjects, the world at large, and all future generations, the judgment which, in the sight of God, he now entertained of his late behaviour. He therefore not only composed the fifty first Psalm, for his private use, or to show to his friends, or leave among his writings; but he gave it to the chief musician, that it might form a part of the public psalmody at the tabernacle, and in consequence be circulated through all the land, and among other nations, and continue in the church, for the instruction and warning of mankind in all future ages. Nothing can be well conceived more humiliating, than such a measure; nothing could more decidedly show how much he preferred the honour of God to his own credit; in short, nothing could more decidedly manifest the depth of genuine repentance." How different from the

conduct of David is that of nominal Christians in general, who transgress the laws of Christ. What a backwardness do they show to confess their sins. Ít often appears to be their notion, that the great evil consists, not in transgression, but in confession. If they acknowledge their sins, it is with manifest reluctance, and in a manner far less particular and public, than the nature of their offence, and the honour of Christ's cause require." And what is to be particularly remarked here, the church, forgetful of the Redeemer's command and glory, and governed by worldly motives, accept a very mutilated, inadequate confession.

Many more particular defects or irregularities in the treatment of offenders might be mentioned. But it may be sufficient to observe in general, that our churches at large seem in a great measure destitute of the spirit of fidelity. Neglecting the word of God, they are governed by personal regards. The authority, with which Christ invested the church, is nearly lost. The arm of salutary discipline is palsied. Human friendship, or the fear of man outweighs the honour of the Redeemer and the welfare of Zion.

One disorder connected with the general neglect of discipline is, that when a brother offends, individual members, without taking the regular measures to bring him to repentance, with draw on his account from spėcial ordinances. On communion days this disorder sometimes appears great. Particular members of the church, conceiving a dislike or prejudice against a certain communicant, absent

themselves from the Lord's supper. If you inquire the reason of their conduct, their answer is, that their feelings are such, they cannot sit down with a particular brother. Thus they substitute their own feelings in the room of gospel precepts. What a manifest irregularity. Because a brother has incurred our resentment or displeasure, shall we violate our covenant engagements, disobey Christ's dying command, retire from his church, and deprive ourselves of the blessings of his table? Yet so lax is the discipline of our churches, that, generally speak ing, they tolerate such disorderly withdrawment.

It would be a great omission to close these remarks, without noticing the almost entire neg. lect of baptized children. How little is done for their religious instruction! What friendly, paternal discipline does the church extend over them? Are they treated as children of the cove nant? Do they feel themselves to be under the watch and care of the church? What a wide departure is there in this respect, I say not from the practice of the fathers of New England, but from the practice of primitive Christian churches. The covepant, which graciously comprises children with their believing parents, is ungratefully overlooked, its advantages spurned, and even the reality of it called in question, and denied.

Another subject of regret in the internal state of our churches is, the want of intimate acquaintance and fervent affection among brethren. The covenant in which church members are joined, the nature of the Chris

tian calling, their common difficulties, dangers, hopes, and comforts, in a word, their common cause should prompt them to a free and unreserved intercourse and friendship. But instead of this, what a distance is there between them. Children of the same father, heirs of the same kingdom, travellers in the same heavenly road, yea, members of the same body, though they have frequent opportunity to meet and converse, hardly know one another. Christians are strangers to the spiritual condition of their brethren, in consequence of which they are incapable of alleviating their sorrows, of aiding their progress in religion, and of promoting, or participating their joys. This want of free intercourse among believers and an intimate knowledge of each other's state directly tends to prevent unity of sentiment and fervency of affection, and to diminish all the comforts of social piety.

The disorders, which have been hinted at, in different degrees, characterize the generality of New England churches; though we may still notice many pleasing exceptions. The consequences of these disorders are lamentable indeed, with reference to the prosperity and honour of the Christian cause, and the welfare of individual believers.

One sad consequence of the evils, which mark the internal state of our churches, is, that many good men are hindered from entering into a visible church state.

Many, whose lives are exemplary, and whose Christian influence is greatly needed in the church, are perplexed, and kept

back by the disorders among Christians. Seeing little that is inviting, or that promises utility in a church standing, they neglect a public profession. They are fearful of forming a connexion with a church, in which there is such a frequency of irreligious, and even profane characters, and which is so poorly distinguished by its purity from the civilized world. It is not pretended that prevalent disorders justify such Christians, or furnish them with any apology for neglecting their duty. But, in many instances, they conspire with other things to occasion of fence in pious minds, especially where there is a depression of spirit and weakness of resolution, and to beget habitual hesitancy with regard to an open profession of Christianity.

It may seem strange to rank under the same head an undesirable increase of church members, Yet in many cases, this stands in near connexion with the last particular. Remove from the church of Christ that strictness of discipline, which he ordained; extinguish the light of Christian doctrines and Christian practice, which shone in primitive ages; and you open a door for the admission of an unholy throng. That very state of the church, which discourages the scrupulous conscience and the lowly heart, invites the self confident and the worldly. As the spirit of Christianity is corrupted or sunk, unrenewed men find less in the church to awe their consciences, to humble their pride, and to abridge their pleasures. They readily take upon them a profession, which custom stamps as precious and honourable, and

which, at the same time, requires no sacrifices and imposes no restraints. Is not this a subject of pious grief? Who can think it a smail evil for tares to be so abun dantly sown in God's field, as to overpower and almost eradicate the wheat? What advantage can be derived to the church from the introduction of those, who have not the spirit of the gospel, and are in heart foes to Christian truth and sanctity? What will they do to advance the purity and glory of Zion? What will they do, but embarrass the efforts of believers, efface more and more the sacred beauty of Christianity, & level its honour with the dust?

This leads to another evil connected with the internal state of many New England churches, It was the original design of the Redeemer, in the gospel dispensation, to purify a people to himself; to establish a kingdom, which should evidently appear not of this world; a holy church, which should bear the resem. blance of its Head, and thus be distinguished from every other society of men. But in the pres ent state of Christianity, where is the line of discrimination be tween the church and the world? What excellence of character, what sanctity of life distinguishes the bulk of nominal Christians from others? What purity of doctrine or discipline marks our churches at large, as parts of the Redeemer's kingdom? With what propriety can they be addressed in the words of Christ, "Ye are the salt of the earth, a city set on a hill, the light of the world?" Christ broke down the wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles; but his professed friends have since broken

down the wall of separation be tween his church and the ungodly world,

The lax discipline and other internal disorders of most New England churches produce very hurtful effects upon the personal character of real believers. If they had the advantage of being connected with a church, where faithful discipline was maintain ed, where eminent goodness was constantly exhibited before them in the example of fellow Christians, and where it was the constant endeavour of the whole body to promote the edification of every member, they would rise to higher attainments in knowledge and holiness; they would bear more abundant fruit, and enjoy more consolation. But now they are like trees set in an unfriendly soil. Though not wholly barren, their fruit is less abundant and less salutary, than it would otherwise be. Their spiritual health is impaired by the noxious atmosphere they breathe. The errors and vices, with which they are surrounded, have, though insensibly, a contagious influence upon them. They embrace wrong principles and are betrayed into wrong practice, without being aware of their danger. It is to be expected, that a general declension in the spirit of the churches will be attended with a correspondent declension in the piety of individual believers.

The moral disorders found in our churches furnish infidels with their most successful weapons against revealed religion, and present the greatest hinderance to its general reception. The want of visible harmony between our religious state and the holy

laws of Christ is a stumbling block to the unenlightened world. It tends to keep sinners ignorant of the glory of the gospel, to confirm their prejudices, and bar their minds more and more against it. The enemies of religion make our irregularities the topic of malignant declamation and triumphant reproach, and the foundation of those argu. ments, which are most injurious to the cause of truth. In addition to all this, the church has little prospect of rearing a pious race, who shall be the safe depositaries of our holy religion, We have gone back from God, and, according to the natural course of things, Christianity is in great danger of an increasing declension. Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts, look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine, and the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. PASTOR.

ON

THE DOCTRINE OF THE
TRINITY.

Ar a time, when the attention of this part of the Christian world is turned upon that important and fundamental article in our holy religion, the divinity of CHRIST, it is seasonable to bring into view the best lights on this subject, to aid investigation, and direct to a right result. Drs. Watts and Doddridge have deservedly obtained high reputation in the Christian world for their piety, candour, talents and learning; and though we would call no man Master, yet their opinions on controverted points are to be respected, as valuable

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