with great care and strictness, and the good effect will be apparent. By this the church will edify itself in love, and become "fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners." And when this spirit of Christian love is not in exercise, the proper practice of discipline will not take place; and all attempts to practise it will proceed from selfishness, pride, and a worldly spirit, and promote confusion, divisions, and contention, rather than peace and edification, which has been verified in too many instances.

CHAPTER XV.

ON CHRISTIAN PRACTICE.

EVERY doctrine which comes into the system of truth, exhibited in divine revelation, and which has been brought into view in the preceding work, is, in a greater or less degree, practical; and the whole, considered in a collective view, do lead to, and involve, every thing essential in the whole system of Christian exercise and practice, which consists wholly in practising the truth, or walking in the truth. (John iii. 21. 2 John 4. 3 John 3, 4.) This will, therefore, serve as a help and guide in the brief delineation of this, which is now proposed.

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The temper and exercises of a Christian, which take place in the view of revealed truth, have been in some measure brought into view and described already. They consist summarily and most essentially in love; in loving God with all their heart, and loving their neighbor as themselves. tian practice consists in expressing and acting out this affection on all occasions, in every suitable way, in obedience to all the holy laws of God. The Christian owes perfect obedience at all times, as he always did before he was a Christian, and which all men do.. His becoming a Christian, and obtaining pardon and the divine favor, is so far from freeing him from obligation to obey the laws of God perfectly, that his obligation to this is hereby greatly increased.

There is no real obedience, or any thing morally good or evil, in mere words and external actions, considered as unconnected with the heart, and aside from the motives and affections of which they are the fruit and expression; for all obedience and virtue consist in the disposition and exercises

of the heart, and in the expressions and exertions of it, in words and external actions; and when the latter are not the fruit and genuine expressions of the former, whatever they may be, there is no holiness or moral good in them; and when they are the fruit and production of a wrong and sinful disposition, motives, and exercises of heart, they are bad fruit, and, considered in this connection, are sinful. This is expressly asserted by Christ: "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt. A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things: and an evil man, out of the evil treasure, bringeth forth evil things." (Matt. xii. 33-35.) The external appearances and expressions, in words and conduct, of both of them, in some, yea, many instances, may be the same, or so much alike, in the view of man, as not to be distinguished. But those of the one are good, as they proceed from a good heart, and are the proper expression of his true benevolence and goodness; those of the other are evil, as they proceed from an evil heart, and are the fruit and effect of selfish motives, or of self-love, and all the appearance they have of the contrary is nothing but falsehood and hypocrisy."

Mankind in their state of depravity and blindness are liable to make great mistakes, not only with respect to real holiness of heart, in what it consists, but as to the way and manner in which an honest and good heart is to be expressed in words and actions; and, therefore, stand in need of particular instruction and direction with regard to this. God has been pleased to furnish man with direction in the revelation which he has given, and has abundantly taught us how, and in what manner, we are to express that love in which all holiness consists, and what are the natural effects of it in words and actions, on different occasions, and towards different objects. This is done more summarily in the ten commandments spoken from Mount Sinai by God himself, in the audience of all the people of Israel, and afterwards written by him on two tables of stone. But this is more particularly taught and explained by numerous precepts respecting our conduct on various occasions, and towards different objects and persons; and by the history and example of good men, and especially by the precepts and example of Christ.

By these, the conduct, which is a proper expression of love to God and to our neighbor, including ourselves, is so particularly delineated, that they who are under the influence of this love are not exposed to make any great mistakes, but will be directed and excited to all Christian practice in each branch of it.

I. Christian practice, as it more immediately respects God and the things of the invisible world, which is the practice of piety, consists chiefly in the following things:

1. A public profession of a belief of the great, important truths and doctrines contained in divine revelation, and sincere approbation of them; a profession of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, and that we do dedicate and devote ourselves to his service, submitting to him as our Lord and Savior, promising to obey all his commands, and attend upon all his ordinances; at the same time, professing love to the visible disciples of Christ, and a desire to join to a society of such who are mutually engaged to promote the cause and kingdom of Christ in the world, and maintain his worship and ordinances, in a way which is agreeable to our judgment and conscience. Such a public profession is due to God, and no man can properly honor Christ without it, and is, therefore, the natural expression of love to God, and the spirit of true piety. This, therefore, has been required and practised in all ages, under the Old Testament and the New, as the only way in which a visible church has existed in the world, or can exist. This is expressed in Scripture in the following words: "Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God, that thou shouldst enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day." (Deut. xxix. 10, 12.) "I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring; and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the watercourses. 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." (Isa. xliv. 3-5.) "Then they that gladly received the word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. And much people was added unto the Lord. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God." (Acts ii. 41, 47; v. 14; viii. 37; xi. 24.) "He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved." (Mark xvi. 16.) Baptism necessarily implies such a profession, and an express engagement to obey and serve Jesus Christ.

2. If a person has not been baptized in his infancy, a submission to this commanded rite is required of him, as a Christian, without which no profession of faith and obedience to Christ is to be considered as credible, or can constitute him a visible Christian. If he has been baptized in his infancy, and

so made a visible member of the church, in the sense explained above, his approbation of this, and of all that is implied in it, must be expressly or implicitly declared in the public profession which he makes; and when such a professor who is baptized, and a visible member of a church, has children, he is required to offer and dedicate them to Christ in baptism, and promise to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This, and his faithful performance of his engagements in this transaction, is an important part of the practice of piety and the duty which he owes to Christ, which, at the same time, is a duty which he owes to his children and to the church.

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3. A serious, devout, and constant attendance on all the religious institutions of Jesus Christ is an important part of Christian practice. These are, public worship; consisting in prayer, singing praise to God, and hearing the word preached; attending on the Lord's supper, whenever it is administered in the church to which he belongs; a careful and strict observation of the Christian Sabbath, in abstaining from all secular business, labor, or recreation, except that which is of real necessity, and works of charity and mercy, and devoting the whole day to religious exercises, in public and more privately. This is an important part of the practice of Christian piety; and every branch of the Christian's exercise of piety will commonly keep pace with his observation of the Sabbath. a Christian feels in any good measure as he ought to do, this will be a high day with him, as in a peculiar manner consecrated to the honor and service of Christ. He is ready to welcome it on every return of it, with peculiar satisfaction and joy, and be concerned to order his worldly circumstances and business, so as to have the least possible interruption in the duties of the Sabbath. Thus he will turn away his foot from the Sabbath, from doing his worldly pleasure on God's holy day, and will call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, and honorable, and will conscientiously honor him, not doing his own ways, nor finding his own pleasure, nor speaking his own words. (Isa. lviii. 13.)

4. A free and cheerful contribution for the support of the gospel and public religion, according to his ability and oppor tunity, is a necessary part of the practice of a Christian. This cannot be maintained and supported according to the institution of Christ, without cost and expense; and the Lord Jesus Christ has ordained that they who preach the gospel should live of the gospel. (1 Cor. ix. 14.) Love to God and divine institutions, and a regard for the honor of Christ, will open the heart of a Christian, and he will be ready to contribute

liberally for the support of the gospel, and will much rather retrench his expenses in other things than fall short of his duty in this, which he will consider as a privilege rather than a burden; and it is the duty of every Christian to make all those exertions, and be at all the expense which may be necessary, to spread and propagate the gospel to those who have not enjoyed it, according to his opportunity, capacity, and ability to promote such an important design.

5. A serious, pious manner of conversation, which is the proper effect and expression of a belief of the great truths of Christianity, and a sense of their importance and excellence; being ready to speak and hear of the things of religion on all proper occasions; speaking of God, his works, and ways, and institutions, and the things of the invisible, eternal world, as being realities, and with becoming reverence and solemnity, and carefully avoiding all vain, trifling conversation. "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." (Eph. iv. 29.)

6. The Christian ought to give great and constant attention to his Bible, reading and studying it daily, that he may know what is the will of God there revealed, and understand the important truths it contains, and that they may be more and more impressed on his mind, and be plain and familiar to him. "His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night." (Ps. i. 2.) And he will be disposed to improve all the advantages and helps which are in his reach to understand the Scriptures, and make advances in divine knowledge, both by reading the writings of those who have explained the Scriptures and inculcated the doctrines and duties of Christianity, and by conversation with those from whom he may hope to get instruction. In this, and in his devotions, he spends all the time which can be spared from his particular worldly business and calling, and for which the Sabbath gives him special advantages.

7. The pious education of children, and of all who are under his care, is a duty comprehended in the practice of piety. This consists in family government, and giving them religious instruction at all proper opportunities, and in advising, exhorting, and admonishing them respecting their religious exercises and conduct. This was strictly enjoined on the children of Israel, as has been particularly observed in a former chapter, and is implied in St. Paul's direction to Christian parents to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

8. Prayer, or devotion, is a great and important branch of