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importance of the duties devolving on the body. Labour and pray without ceasing, that a deep sense of the majesty and glory of Sion's King; of the unspeakably interesting character of his kingdom; and of the solemnity of every step which has a bearing on that kingdom, may dwell upon your own mind, and the minds of others, in every part of the business in which you engage. If you desire to be constantly watchful, constantly wise, constantly aided and directed in the best manner, you must daily and hourly ask for it. I know of no situation in which you will more urgently need the constant supplies of heavenly grace, than when standing among the representatives of the church, to consult respecting her delicate and dearest interests.

5. When you take your seat in an ecclesiastical assembly, do not expect too much of the pleasing and edifying kind. I have known some young ministers, who the first time they attended such an assembly, were greatly disappointed, and even disgusted. They had formed to their own minds a picture of ideal excellence, which can never be realized in this imperfect. world. It seemed not to have occurred to them, that diversity of opinion, and an ardent manner of expressing opinions, on both sides, would be likely, in any case, to mark the proceedings of ecclesiastical men. They forgot that even in the synod of Jerusalem, made up as it was of venerable apostles and elders, there was "much disputing." They forgot that Paul "withstood Peter to the face," because he thought that "he was to be blamed," on a certain matter of ecclesiastical business, to which probably the inspiration of neither extended. If things of this

kind occurred then, how much more may we expect them to occur now! Besides, it ought to be recollected, that, even when an assembly of pious men are entirely agreed respecting the general propriety of a certain measure, they may differ greatly, and not without reason, as to the best means of accomplishing it; and it were hard, indeed, to deprive them of the privilege of discussing, and even at considerable length, the probable tendency of the alternate means proposed. Every one acquainted with ecclesiastical bodies, knows that, not unfrequently, those who were most warmly in favour of a projected plan, and, in the outset, most impatient of opposition to it, have, after half a day's or a day's discussion of the subject, seen difficulties in the plan which they had not discerned before, and become quite as willing to abandon it as any persons present. Who can tell but that such a discussion, irksome as it sometimes is, may be the instrument of more good to the church of God than half a dozen common sermons? That this may be, and, indeed, often has been the case, I think there can be no reasonable doubt.

I know that some excellent men, of a querulous or fastidious turn of mind, frequently have in their mouths the complaint of the famous Gregory Nazianzen, who said that "he never saw any good resulting from synods or councils." This is the sentiment of a narrow or a cynical mind. Did no good result from the synod whose meeting and decrees are recorded in Acts xv.? Did no good result from the Council of Carthage, in 253; from that of Nice, in 325; from the synod of Dort, in 1618, or from the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, in 1643? My

men.

dear young friend, do not indulge in this querulous temper. Make allowance for the imperfections of If you see any thing wrong in a church court, you are not bound to approve it. Nay, in most cases, you are bound freely and openly to bear testimony against it. But to indulge a disposition to condemn all church courts in the gross, because we occasionally see what is undesirable in their proceedings, is just as unreasonable as to condemn all civil courts of justice, as useless or pernicious, because we now and then witness a revolting scene, arising from the want of skill or fidelity in those who conduct them. Let the government of the church be administered under what form it may, human frailty will attend the administration. While you mourn over this, let it not tempt you to become disaffected to the regular support of ecclesiastical government and discipline. See that as little as may be of this frailty be found with yourself; and, for the rest, pray without ceasing that it may be restrained, removed, or overruled for good.

6. When you have taken your seat in any judicatory, be conscientiously punctual in attending on all its sessions. Give yourself wholly to the business of the body.

There is a fault in this respect which is indulged so frequently, and to such an extent, as to produce an amount of evil truly formidable. It is well known, that a number of those who attend on the higher judicatories of the church, when they convene in large cities; and especially of those who are commissioned to sit in the General Assembly, employ only a part, and sometimes a very small part of their time, after taking their seats, in attending to

the duties which devolve upon them as members. They make no scruple of engaging in parties of pleasure, and in plans of secular business, which take them away, time after time, for a number of hours, or perhaps for a day together, from the body which they professedly came to attend; and for which, perhaps, they receive a compensation. And, even when they in a sort attend, they are scarcely ever punctually present at the hour of meeting; but generally from half an hour to an hour behind the time. The consequence is, that, when inquired for, they are frequently not to be found; and when they come in, it is often in the midst of a discussion, or in the midst of the reading of an important paper, without a knowledge of which the cause under consideration cannot possibly be understood. In these circumstances, with what face can a conscientious man stand up, and request such a paper to be read over again, and a statement of facts, it may be a long one, made before his arrival, to be repeated, to accommodate him, who has been criminally neglecting his duty? Yet he must either make this modest request, to the great annoyance of all the more punctual members; or forbear to vote when the cause is ultimately decided; or, what is still worse, for the sake of avoiding trouble, vote in the dark, and run the risk of giving his influence to the cause of falsehood or injustice.

From the moment, then, that you take your seat in any judicatory, I counsel you to make a point of being punctual and constant in your attendance on all its sessions. Never allow yourself to be absent a single moment, if you can possibly avoid it. Ever be among the number of those who make conscience

of being present as early and as uniformly as the moderator; who never leave the body till he has descended from his chair; and who never fail to unite in those prayers for the divine presence and blessing which open and close every session. In short, be exclusively devoted to the business of the judicatory. As far as may be necessary for unfailing attendance until it is finished, lay aside every interfering engagement and care. The advantages of this habit are so numerous, so important, and so obvious, that I am persuaded it is not necessary to dwell upon them in detail.

7. When you are sitting in a judicatory, be uniformly attentive and devoted to the business, as it is going on.

It is very possible for a member of a judicatory to be punctually and constantly present at every season; and yet to pay very little of such real attention to the business as deserves the name. Some sit reading a newspaper, or a new pamphlet; others are, a great part of the time, conversing with those who are so unfortunate as to sit near them; sometimes on the subject under discussion, but more frequently on one altogether foreign. And this, often, at the expense of disturbing the whole assembly; and, at any rate, at the expense of turning off the attention of all with whom they converse, for the time being, from the subject before the body. I have seen respectable and excellent men, who appeared to be incapable of sitting silent in a deliberative assembly for five minutes together; who rendered themselves conspicuous by whispering and laughing in the midst of the most solemn discussion; and who came, at length,

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