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CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP,
[S'FRM. IX.
'so long
as
the gospel shall
call in new
converts
out
of
this
sinful world.
It
remains
only
that
I
make a
few
reflections upon the
present
discourse.
Reflection
I.
"
How beautiful
is
the
order of
the
gos-
pel,
and
the fellowship
of
a christian
church? How
strong and
plain are
the
founda.tior,s,
and the
grounds
of
it?
It
is
built
on
eternal reason, and
the
relations
of
things,
as'well
as
on
the word of
God."
How happy
it
is
that
the
very
light
of nature dictates
to
christians
far
the
greatest part
of
those
duties
which
church
fellowship
requires,
sup posing
still
that the
revealed doctrines and
sacraurats
of christianity are
first known
and acknow-
ledged.
'
The peculiar
positive
prescriptions relating
to
Christian
churches'are but
few,
whereas the general
du-
ties
are
such
as
reason
and
the light
of
nature
seem to
propese and approve
in
all
voluntary
religious societies
whatsoever.
If
a deist, who professes
nothing
but
na-
tural
religion, once came
so
far
as
to
receive the chris-
tiara
faith
and
.the sacraments,
his
reason
would
lead
him
into almost
all the
parts of christian
communion,
which
I have
described.
It
is
the
evil
mixture
of the needless
and
fanciful
inventions
of
men,
with
the plain and com-
mon
dictates
of
the light'
of nature
and
scripture
in
pub-
lic
religion, and the imposition
of
these things
upon
conscience,
that
has been
the disgrace and
ruin
of
many
christian churches, and
is
a
high
misdemeanour against
Christ,
who
is
the
Lord
and King
of
his
church. Reason
and revelation
are
the only principles
of
his
religion, and
of
the
governuient of
his
kingdom.
Reflection
II.
"
How little
do they value the
true in-
terests of
the
christian
religion, the public
honour of
Christ
and
his
gospel, or the
edification and comfort
of
their
own souls, who
neglect
this holy
communion
?"
There
are
twenty little' excuses
that
some
persons are
ready
to
make against uniting themselves
in
fellowship
But
let conscience
do its
office,
and examine sincerely
whether
such
excuses
will
be
a
sufficient apology
in
the
great
day.
A late eminent
divine
well
known
to some
of
us,
viz.
Mr.
Nathanael
Taylor,
gives
this
direction
to
those
who have given
up themselves to
God
in
Jesus
Christ.
Join
yourselves,'
says
he,'as
members
to
some
particular
church of
Christ'
or
other.
For
the
better
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