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SEAM:
IX.
WITH ITS
DUTIES
AND
ADVANTAGES.
^
17
ihstructed
at
once
in
the
great
things
that
relate
to
their
eternal peace
:
Hereby
those
who have known.
the things
Of
Christ
more
easily call
to mind what they
have,
learned,
and are
admonished
of their
daily duty
by
the
public
preacher
z
:Here .their
prayers are united,
and
their
songs
of
praise
;
and
such an
union of prayers and
praises-is
delightful and
acceptable
to him who
inhabits
the praises
of
-Israel,
and
who
has encouraged them
to
agree
in
asking mercies from
God, and to
strive
together in
prayer.
United
devotions
are
much more
likely._,to
obtain
success.
3.
"
Such. a holy
fellowship
and
agreement
to
walk
together
in
.
the ways of
Christ,
is
a happy guard against
backsliding and apostasy,
it
is
a
defence against
the
temptations
of
the
world,
and
the defilements
of
a
sinful
age.
"'
Having
given
my
name up
to
Christ
in
a public
manner,
how
shall
,I
dare,
to renounce
him?
.
Having
joined
.
myself to
the
followers
of
Christ,
how
shall
I
break
those bonds,
and
depart
from them, or
disgrace
that
holy
fellowship
by
any known
sin
?
Having:
made
a
public
profession
of
.my
avowed
obedience
to
Jesus
as
a
Lord
and.king
;
how
can
Ldare
decline
his service,
or
indulge
myself
in
those
iniquities which
his
gospel forbids
?
4.
"
Christians thus united together
by
mutual
ac=
quaintance and agreement,
can
give
each
other
better
assistance
in
every
thing that relates
to religion,
.
whether
public or,private
:"
They
warm one
another's hearts
by
mutual
holy
conversation
;
they
support
one
another
when
ready to
fall,
and raise and
"
restore those
that
are fallen
in
a spirit
of
meekness;','
Gal.
vi.
I.
But
as
Solomon warns
us,
"
Wo
to him
that
falls while he
walks
alone,
who
shall'help
him
up
?
Or
how.
can one
he_
vaI:ni
.alone
;" F.c.
iv.
10.
Hand joining
in
hand adds force
and
strength, assistance and stability to
any, pur
pose.-or
design whatsoever
;
and
frequent
meeting together
.gives
fellow-christians opportunity of exhorting
one
another
-to
maintain
their
common christianity,. as
in
lieb.
x.
25,
Forsake not
the assembling of.yourselves together,.-but
exhort
one
another,
and
provoke
-one
another
to
love
and
to
good works."
Christians
when
they,come.to
mu,
dual
acquaintance and agreements.
of
this kind;
they'
:afford
better
help to
one another, when
under
difficulties
--by
.
advice,
and under
sorrows they relieve-each
otlter:.by
5