I44 cnntsrIAIP tEttowsnIP. once did to such aself-conceitedman, " Take a Iadder and climb up to heaven by thyself alone." In short, a society of believers walking together in gospel order, is like the excellent com- posure of syllables, words, and sentences, that have a great deal of sense and signification in them ; but a separated and divided chiistian that will join himself to no church, is like a single letter or disjointed syllable, that is perfect nonsense." III. " Ilow criminal are those persons who break the beau- tiful order and harmonyof a church of Christ for trifles ?'' Whose fanciful humours, or whose imposing spirit raises up discordand contest in a well settled and peaceful church ; some are peevish, because the church will not consent- to let them have their own will, or because others will not obey their assumed power. Some attéct to make divisions upon every little oc- casion, out of unreasonable pretences of purity and order, where scripture gives no plain rule. Whatever varnish may colour over such practices in this world, yet such humourous and unreasonable disturbers of the peace shall receiveno thanks from our Lord Jesus in the great day, whetherthey be pastors or people., IV. "When we behold a societyof christians flourishing in, holiness and honourably maintaining the beauty of this sacred fellowship, let us take occasion to raise our thoughts to the hea- venly world, to the church of the first-born, who are assembled on -high, where everlasting beauty, order, peace, and holiness are maintained in the presence of Jesus ourcommon Lord. And " when we meet with little inconveniences, uneasiness, and con- test in any church of Christ on earth, let us point our thoughts and our hopes still upward to that divine fellowshipof the saints, and the spirits of the just made perfect, where contention and disorder have no place." There the gloriesand the graces of the Redeemer, who is the head of the church, are diffused over all the happy assembly : They adore and love their God, and their Saviour with supreme fervency, and they love one another with pure affection; their hearts and souls are one, and they rejoice in the love of God, and in the presence of the Lamb for ever.
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