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SERMON
IX:
CHRISTIAN
FELLOWSIIIP, WITH
ITS
DUTIES AND ADVANTAGES.
noie.
xv.
6,
7.
That
we
may with
one
mind, and with
one
mouth glorify God, even
the-
Father
of
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ,
Receive
ye
one
another,
as
Christ
also
hath
received
us to
the
glory
of God.
FOR
christians
to
join
themselves
in
particular
societies
or
congregations; in
order
to
carryon
the
great interests
of
religion,
appears
to
be
both
a
duty
and.
a
privilege:
It
stand's
upon
just
foundations
as
a
duty,
and
as
a
privi
lege
it
is
attended
with
excellent
advantages.
I
confess
the words
of
my
text
chiefly
design to
teach
us
-what ,is
the particular
rule wherebythis practice
should be con-
ducted, and
who
should
be
the persons thus
joined
toge-
ther
in
holy fellowship, even
the gentiles
who
are
con-
verted to Christ,
as well
as
the
Jews
:
Yet
the
general
duty
is
plainly intimated,
viz.
that
those who
profess the
name
of
Christ,
and
have
reason
to
hope
that Christ
has
received
them,
should
also
receive one
another
into mu-
tual communion in
all_
the social
parts
and privileges
of
the
christian religion,
" that
with
one mind and
with
one
mouth
they may glorify
God, even the
Father of our
Lord
Jesus
Christ."
In
my
discourse
on
this subject,
I_shall
endeavour
to
set
before
you
these several things.
I. The
reasonableness.,
of
this
practice:
II.
Some
special
advantages
that
arise from
it..
III.
The characters of
the persons more
particularly,
of
whom this
is
required,
and-
in-what
numbers they should
unite
together
to make a
christian church.
IV.
The duties
of
persons thus
united
in
christian.
societies
or churches.
V.
I
shall
mention the
officers
which'
Christ
has
ap-
pointed- in his
churches to perform peculiar services
therein..
.First,
We are
to consider.
the
" reasonableness of
this
.
practice,. whereby
.it
will.appear
to
be
the
duty
of
those