REFLECTIONS.

ON

THE ADVANTAGES OF
CHURCH-MEMBERSHIP.

spicuous. Christianity pre-eminently encourages this natural feeling. It never recommends

God should hear our murmurings, as if he treated us unjustly, or had withdrawn all his goodness. It is truly humbling, to think, how frequently we have displayed our unbelief and ob- THAT man is a social being, duracy. A childish and per- is evident. The creation of Eve verse distrust of God, has been shews, it was the Creator's inthe sin of his people in every tention he should be so; and age. To which, even of the the experience of every age has saints, shall we look for perfec- nianifested, that society is the tion? One alone displayed that great delight of his soul. The character in all his trials and diversity of gifts and favours, afflictions. He was tried in all with which it has pleased the things, as we are, without com- Almighty to distinguish manmitting sin. The "man of kind, strongly marks the necessorrows and acquainted with sity of mutual intercourse, and griefs," never, in the darkest our dependence on each other. hour, lost his wonted confi- In the religious world, this sodence in his heavenly Father.cial advantage is not less con He has left us an example, that we should tread in his steps. When we sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to us. a life of solitude. It affords nò How great, how free, how mer-excuse for want of benevolence. cifully adapted to our wants, It uniformly inculcates broare the aid and comforts of the therly love, and exhorts to Holy Spirit! Not only is the every act of kindness and hugospel of the grace of God cal-manity. culated to make us rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, but to rejoice in tribulation also. A measure of divine strength and consolation will be imparted to us, proportioned to the weight and severity of our sufferings. If we are truly of those who fear Jehovah, and obey the voice of our sympathizing high priest; then, happen what will, we may trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon our God. Against hope, let us, like Abraham, believe in hope, knowing, that, what God has promised, he is able also to perform.

ERASTUS.

Revelation directs this de lightful principle in the formation of religious societies, called Churches of Christ, which, while they embrace the advantages of other societies, possess benefits peculiarly useful and honourable. Let us meditate on churchmembership as a discharge of duty. It is so, both with respect to God and man.

Is it the duty of a child to obey his parent? So is it the duty of a Christian to observe the commandments of Christ, who is, as God, our heavenly Father. Is it the duty of a subject to honour and obey his law→ ful sovereign? So is it the duty of every Christian to yield obe

of Christians to exhort, warn,› and teach each other; but he must do either with timidity. It is a duty to be watchful over each other, and to rebuke; but he can have no right to do so,

circle. He places himself out. of the pale of Christ's church, out of the reach of her inestimable discipline. He discourages, the minister, and places himself;

dience to Christ, as his glorious | stranger in Israel, a by-stander, King. That the formation of a mere spectator. It is the duty Christian churches originated in the will of God, few serious minds will be inclined to doubt; and that there are ordinances incumbent on Christians, that can, in no other connection, be regarded, is evident. The adap-except in his own domestic. tation of Christian rites and precepts to the state of our nature, is no inconsiderable proof of the divine source of our holy religion. No sooner do we feel love to an object, than we de-out of his control. He denies light to have opportunities of shewing it. No sooner do we believe in and love Christ, than we are anxious to say, "Lord, what wilt thou have us to do?" and Christ cannot be obeyed but by our being added to the church, agreeably to the apostolic practice.

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the church his gifts, and neglects to seek the edification of his brethren and sisters, particularly on those occasions when strangers are required to withdraw. He may have helped to satisfy his conscience, when it recommended more consistent conduct, by imagining churchIt is no less a duty to man. meetings as uninteresting and Every renewed mind must glow unimproving; an opinion as inwith a desire of being useful. correct, as it is dishonourable He may question his ability in to the Author of church governvarious views, but he must have ment. There is something the desire of glorifying God, painful to the reflecting mind, and contributing to the eternal when strangers are dismissed. welfare of his fellow men. Does O, Christian, how can you, at he glorify God who disregards such seasons, endure the appelhis advice? Does he study the lation of stranger? Is it true, best interests of his fellow men, that an hour spent in the house: who neglects a connection that of God is transcendently pleawould multiply his opportuni- sant? How can you then quit ties of usefulness, and call forth it so willingly? On every other his best powers for their good? occasion, the attendance in the Let every believer, who disre- place of worship is promiscugards church-membership, re-ous; but, on these opportunicollect, that, if it were pos- ties, in a judgment of charity, sible that his example should we conclude ourselves in the be generally followed, reli- company of saints; of those gion would languish, for the whose sentiments and views greatest disorder must prevail. most remarkably coincide with He is, as it were, a religious our own; surely, then, it is not anchorite. He is like an alien merely a discharge of duty, but in God's house; a comparative an enjoyment of privilege.

in suspension and exclusion, awakening to reflection, are the means of his restoration.-The duty and right of members to watch over each other in the fear of God, when tenderly exercised, is no inconsiderable advantage; and the very existence of this duty and right, castsa sacred awe over the mind, most displeasing to the enemy of souls.

flect!

You wish full communion in eternity-be consistent. Draw as near as you can to God, and saints below.

The communion of saints is a privilege of the most exquisite kind to the spiritual mind, and membership must peculiarly promote it. It is in the church of God that divine ordinances are observed; and the believer needs not be told, that these ordinances are so many means of grace. God has instituted nothing in vain. The experience of Christians has proved Reader, are you a believer in them to be sources of instruc- the Son of God? Examine his tion, and every means of im- will, in which he has mercifully provement is a great privilege. revealed what he would have There is a peculiar solemnity you regard. Are you a memand beauty in the remarkably ber of the church militant? figurative ordinance of believers' Bow with gratitude to Him, baptism; and though it may be who has given you a name and a possible to regard this, and stop place in the church below. Are short of membership, yet cer- you a stranger to full commutainly not with equal propriety.nion? Why are you so? ReThere is a delightful simplicity and seriousness in the commemoration of the Saviour's dying love; and this is the exclusive privilege of membership. God is frequently pleased `remarkably to bless the observance of these sacred rites. Church discipline has proved a source of instruction to many a child of God; nor can there ever have been a real Christian, who IN my last letter, I endeaformed this connection without voured to state, in a general way, advantage. Is the Christian the nature of the atonement, or tempted? He can unbosom the principles on which it prohimself to an affectionate pas-ceeds, with a view of shewing tor, whose appropriate hints its consistency with the best and exhortations, whether pub- views that we can entertain of lic or private, are often emi-the character and government nently blessed. Is he in a state of God. I propose, in the of backsliding? The kind and sent letter, to shew, from the tesinstructive visits of his fellow-timony of scripture, that Christ members, sanctioned by the au- did not sustain merely the chathority of the Great Head of racter of a divinely-commissionthe church, are frequently the ed teacher, and that he did not means of his consolation; or, die, merely, as a martyr to his the soverei gn discipline of God, doctrines, but that he really pro

-N. N.

THE ATONEMENT, (Continued from page 188.) MY DEAR FRIEND,

pre

cured our salvation by his death; | acceptance with God, and to that it wrought an atonement for procure our eternal salvation? sin, according to the principles We conceive that the latter is Jaid down in the former letter. the scriptural view of the subIn entering, at such length as Iject, and, that it is, will, I hope, did in my last letter, into the ar-appear from the succeeding obgument respecting the consist-servations. ency of the doctrine of atone- The terms frequently used by ment with the divine perfections, the sacred writers, when speakI would not be supposed to im- ing of the death of Christ, are ply, that the scriptures are not such as do not at all comport sufficiently clear and authorita- with the notion of his dying, tive upon the point; nor that I merely as a martyr to his dochad any intention of departing trines. Simply in the characfrom the principle that I have ter of a martyr, his death could all along maintained, that we are confer no benefit on others, exbound to receive whatever is cept, as it might afford him an contained in the scriptures, and, opportunity of exemplifying that, from their testimony, there certain great virtues for their can be no appeal to any other imitation and encouragement. authority whatever. But, as the But, we should never think, notion of atonement has been on this account merely, of frequently reprobated on the speaking of the death of Christ ground of its being supposed as he and his apostles spoke to reflect injuriously upon the of it. The apostles themselves character of God, I thought it sealed their testimony with their right, in the first instance, to blood, and died in the exercise meet this objection,and,to shew, of every virtue which human on the contrary, that it reflected nature could exhibit. So also the brightest lustre on all the have a host of martyrs since divine perfections, and that the their time. From contemplatvalue of the scriptures is en- ing the characters and deaths hanced, by its appearing that of these illustrious men,of whom they reveal nothing but what is indeed the world was not worin the highest degree worthy of thy, mankind may, to the latest God. ages, derive the most important The question for present con- instructions. But we should sideration, then, is, in what light never, on this account, think of do the scriptures represent the speaking of their death, as the death of Christ? From the ge- apostles speak of the death of neral tenor of revelation, do we Christ. There is not, I should gather that he died as others think, a Socinian existing, who have died, merely a martyr to would not revolt at the idea of the truth, and without any de- applying such language to the sign of benefiting mankind by death of the Christian martyrs, as his death? or, that his death was is applied to the death of Christ; really intended, in connection and yet, if Christ died in no other with every part of his humilia-character than that of a martyr, tion, to open the way for our there is no reason why the lan