bility, and keep his heart warmed always with devotion to Christ, will he not find himself kindled to new fervor of affection, and raised to new energy of holy purpose, so often as he eats of that bread, and drinks of that cup, which show the Lord's death, bearing his thoughts backward to the darkness, the tears, the terrors of that night in which the Savior was betrayed, to the untold, unfathomed anguish of Gethsemane, to the dying agony of Calvary.

Is it not a privilege, then, to be a professed disciple of Christ? Is it not an honorable privlege to bear his name, and to stand among men a living representative of the power and beauty of his gospel? Is it not a privilege to be thus the salt of the earth, the light of the world, placed like a city on a hill, which cannot be hid? What though you feel on every side your weakness, and are ready to tremble at this great responsibility; have you not access to fountains of eternal strength, and are you not surrounded by aids and incitements of inestimable value? It is a privilege to be enrolled and acknowledged among the followers of Jesus our Lord.

But, remember, this privilege is of no advantage save to those who value it aright, and are resolved to make the most of it. No privilege of any kind can be a real privilege except to such as choose to avail themselves of it. Of what value is the increased responsibility of a religious

profession to him who is not bent on discharging it ? What is this extended influence, what are these better opportunities of doing good, to him who does not choose to use them? What can they be to him, but a curse? And what are all these special means of grace to him who is not bent, with an earnest and inflexible resolve, on making constant progress towards the kingdom of his Father? To that professor of the gospel who does not care to let his light shine before men, who forgets or disregards the responsibility of his profession, who does not aim and toil to overcome the world, who does not struggle to subdue his earthly and selfish passions, and who therefore leaves these special means of grace to operate of themselves upon a heart immersed in worldliness-to him what is the privilege of his profession? It were better for that man that a millstone were cast about his neck, and that he were cast into the depths of the sea.

CHAPTER VII.

Relation of Churches to each other.

"But as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it towards all the brethren which are in all Macedonia." 1 Thess. iv; 9, 10.

THE subject to which your attention is now invited, is the relation of churches to each other.

When a few learned and devoted men in England, not far from the beginning of the seventeenth century, began to revive and publish the principles of congregationalism, they were called Independents, and their churches were denominated Independent Churches. And doubtless they adopted some opinions and practices which made the appellation not inappropriate. Their successors in England are known by the same name at this day; and the condition of their churches at the present time, might be cited to illustrate some of the undesirable tendencies of those particular opinions and practices which give the title its strict significancy. But our fathers in New England, our Cottons and Hookers and Davenports, in their writings and in the acts of synods, solemnly disavowed both the name of independency and the thing, as it was then understood, and as it is still understood

most commonly. While they insisted that every particular society or stated congregation of disciples is a complete church, within itself, and is dependent for its existence, its privileges, its ordinances, its offices, its discipline, on no other church or combination of churches, and on no authority other than that of scripture and reason; it was still with them a leading principle that churches, and especially, neighboring churches, are connected with each other by relations involving great and mutual duties, and are therefore bound to maintain a fraternal correspondence and union. They therefore disclaimed a title which they had never chosen ; and preferred that their churches should be called CONGREGATIONAL, an appellation which sufficiently distinguishes them from all diocesan and presbyterial organizations, and yet does not confound them with the close and self-secluded churches to which the other title more properly belongs.

I say then that the constitution of the New England churches is as truly distinct from absolute independency on the one hand, as it is from presbyterianism and episcopacy on the other. The great principle of the communion of churches-or as the fathers expressed it, the consociation of churches-is a vital principle of congregationalism, and is practiced upon continually, while yet the liberties of each church are as perfect as if no such principle existed.

Let me ask your candid attention then, while we proceed to inquire, What are the duties which one church owes, or may owe, to other churches.

I. In answering this question, the first place should be given to the duty of mutual recognition and respect. Your church-whatever may be your opinion of its elevated standing-is bound to recognize its sister churches, as having the same rights, honors, and privileges with itself, and as being, equally with itself, the churches of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have good reason to be assured that this or that religious community is not a church of Christ, then you may say so, and treat it accordingly. But so long as you are not prepared to deny it the name of a christian church, you are bound to treat it with corresponding respect and confidence. You are bound to regard its individual members as members of the body of Christ, and to receive any of them to your own communion accordingly, without demanding further evidence of his fitness, unless some specific disqualification is alledged and proved against him. And if that church excommunicates one of its members, you are bound to presume that it has done right, and to regard the excommunicated as a heathen man and a publican, till you have some overruling and irresistible evidence to the contrary. You are to permit any mem