as with Christ. The ordinance is in its own nature social, and requires the communicants to exercise brotherly love and Christian communion. This is one weighty reason why they should lay themselves under the bonds of a covenant to meet together at the same place, to celebrate the memorials of Christ's death. By coming together in the exercise of brotherly love, they discharge a duty which they owe not only to Christ and to themselves, but to one another.

3. They associate and confederate together, for the purpose of doing honor to the religion they profess. By coming out from the world, forming a society different from all other societies, and for promoting a cause infinitely more important than any other human societies are formed to promote, they bear a public testimony in favor of the truth and importance of Christianity. They show that they are not ashamed of the cross of Christ, nor to name his name, nor to follow his example, nor to obey his precepts and commands, in the face of a frowning world. They become the salt of the earth, and light of the world, and practically condemn the world for their impenitence and unbelief. They are free, voluntary, active instruments of diffusing religious knowledge and vital piety, and of carrying into execution the purposes of God in the gov ernment and redemption of the world. They are the enlisted soldiers of Christ, and protectors of the church militant. They are an army with banners, and carry terror to the enemies of truth. They are "the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." They are the repository of the Oracles of God. Had it not been for the visible church, the scriptures both of the Old and New Testament had long since been lost. The enemies of truth have always supposed, that if they could destroy the Church, they could destroy the Bible, and banish Christianity from the earth. But though the Church has often been a small body, yet by its indissoluble union, it has always been a very powerful and formidable body, and able to resist and overcome all opposition, and preserve itself. The members of a Christian church have always had in view great and glorious objects, and never failed of being more or less successful in attaining them, by their confederated union. There are good reasons, therefore,

III. Why they should maintain union of affections and exertions. For,

1. This is necessary to prevent any such thing as schism from rising up and producing its dire effects in a church. Though heresy and schism are nearly allied, and often prove the cause and effect of each other; yet very similar and perni

cious consequences flow from both. Heresy consists in erroneous sentiments, and schism consists in bitter animosity, contention, and separation in a church. When the members of the body are disjointed or obstructed in their natural operations, it produces acute pain, or extreme anguish in the body. Solomon says, "Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint." But heresy or schism in the body of a church is a far more painful and dangerous evil. It creates discords, animosities, contentions, divisions, and separations, which counteract all the pious and important purposes for which the church is formed. It deeply concerns the members of a church to guard against, and if possible, to prevent such moral maladies rising up and spreading among them. And the only effectual remedy they can employ is the cultivation of mutual affection, or brotherly love, which will produce a sympathy and cement that will hold them together. For this cause, the duty of Christian union is so repeatedly and solemnly enjoined upon them. This is enjoined upon them in the text to prevent schism. "That there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another." Again the apostle says in this same epistle, "Now 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." Again he says to the Philippians, "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." And the apostle Peter says to Christians, "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren; see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently." It highly behooves the members of a church to love as brethren; and so long as brotherly love continues, there is no danger of heresy or schism breaking out among them. While united in brotherly love, they will be joined together in the same mind, embrace the same doctrines, repel the same errors, discountenance the same discord, animosity, contentions, divisions, and separations, and strive together to promote the peace and purity of the church. The tendency of brotherly love to promote such great and desirable objects is a powerful reason why the members of a church should constantly maintain it; especially since it is so solemnly enjoined upon them.

2. It is of great importance, that the members of a church

should cherish and maintain union and affection, in order to enjoy Christian communion, in attending public worship and the special ordinances of the gospel. It is one, if not the principal object they profess to have in view, in becoming members of the church, to hold Christian communion and fellowship together in attending divine ordinances. But without union they can have no spiritual communion or enjoyment. They may walk together to the house of God in company, and sit together at the table of Christ; but if they are alienated in their affections towards one another, they cannot enjoy Christian communion, or have spiritual enjoyment. Says the apostle to the Corinthians, among whom he had heard there were discords and contentions, "Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." Again he says in the same epistle, "I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread." "Now in this that I declare unto you, I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you: and I partly believe it." The men of the world may unite together in the pursuit of worldly objects, and gain the objects of their pursuit, without brotherly love or union and affection. But the members of a Christian church cannot obtain one of their principal objects, unless they are cordially united, and love as brethren. This the apostle Peter knew, and therefore said to Christians in general, "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another; love as brethren." As there is nothing more necessary to the union and communion, peace and harmony, edification and happiness of a church, than brotherly love; so it is of the highest importance, that all its members should constantly cherish and maintain this Christian grace. Besides,

3. Their own honor and usefulness, as a church, depend upon their maintaining and exhibiting that union of affection, upon which it is founded. Those that are without, are very critical and severe observers of those that are within the pale of the church. And there is no one mark by which they judge of the reality of religion and the sincerity of Christians, more fre

quently than by their union or disunion among themselves. The heathen remarked to the honor of the primitive Christians, "See how they love one another!" But the men of the world have more generally and reproachfully remarked, "See how heresies, schisms, contentions, and even persecutions have prevailed among the professed followers of the Prince of Peace." It cannot be denied, that Christians have too often given ground for such severe reproaches. But they ought to avoid them as much as lieth in them. And by maintaining that union of affection, which both their duty and profession require, they may convince the world that they have that union of affection, which Christ prayed the Father to give them. Having prayed for his disciples in particular, he prayed for all his future followers. "Neither pray I for these alone; but for them also which shall believe on me through their word: 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. And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me." So ardently did Christ pray for union of affection among his followers, for the sake of their convincing the world, that they were united in love, as he and his Father were united, that his Father loved them as he had loved him, and that the world might believe and know, that he had come to seek and save them that are lost. Union of affection in a church is the highest evidence that it is a Christian church, and the existence of a Christian church is the highest visible evidence to the world, that God has sent his Son into the world; that he has suffered and died, and established a religion superior to any other religion ever devised or practised by mankind. It is only by cherishing and maintaining brotherly love among themselves, that the members of a church can convince the world they are sincere, and that the religion they profess is a divine reality.

IMPROVEMENT.

1. It appears from the origin, nature, and design of a Christian church, that it is Congregational. It is composed of members, who freely associate and confederate together, to meet together statedly for religious purposes and Christian communion and edification. This was the foundation of all the primi

tive churches. All the churches organized by the apostles were strictly congregational, and consisted of such members only as of choice and of affection bound themselves together for the purpose of attending the worship of God and the ordinances of the gospel. But immediately after the death of the apostles, different opinions rose up, with respect to the extent of a Christian church. Some supposed that it ought to consist of more than one body of Christians, that could meet together in one place. They first formed a Presbyterian church, composed of a number of individual churches and their pastors. These pastors, together with delegates from their several churches, formed into a presbytery, and agreed to submit to the watch, and care, and government of that ecclesiastical body. Next they enlarged their presbytery into a diocese, and submitted to the watch, and care, and government of a single Bishop at the head of a single diocese. They were not, however, contented with their diocesan church, but wished to form one universal church, under one supreme, visible Head. This they did ages ago, and in consequence of it, the Pope has ever since to this day, claimed the government of the universal visible church. But all these innovations are departures from the original form, design, and extent of the first Christian church in Jerusalem. The apostles followed the directions of Christ, and gathered none but Congregational churches. And had Christians followed the example of the apostles, they would have prevented some of the greatest evils and calamities that have ever fallen on the Christian world. Had churches continued Congregational, they could never have introduced the corruptions, idolatries, and usurpations of the church of Rome, nor raised up such a man as the Pope, to spread error, delusion, idolatry, tyranny, and persecution through Christian countries.

2. Since every Christian church is a free, voluntary society, it is in its own nature absolutely independent. The members of every individual church have a right to attend public worship and the ordinances of the gospel, agreeably to the word of God, and the dictates of their own consciences. They have a right to choose their own teachers, to regulate their own modes and forms of conducting their public worship, and of judging and deciding in respect to any controversies or difficulties arising among them. They have a right to claim independence, and to act independently of every other church or body of men in the world, in their religious concerns. They may ask advice of other churches, and either follow or reject it, according to their own judgment. Every church is completely independent, and has no right to give up its independence. This was the