OS A CH-RYSTIAN CHURCH. ciently evident without many express instances. The enquiry of a church into the conversationof the person who, desires its communion, may be adjusted and regulated under these four heads, viz. whether he be sober, just,, and good, as well as re- ligious. So much of these four characters as lie within the public observation of the world, are necessary in order to be- come a member of the church. 1. Whether he be sober and temperate in some good mea- sure ; free from the vices of drunkenness, uncleanness, violent wrath, railing, revenge, &c. for otherwise it is plain he cannot belong to Christ, they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its ejections and lusts; Gal. v. 23. and the foregoing scrip- tures I have-cited run much upon this point. 2. Whether he be just and honest among his neighbours, a man of fair dealing, faithful to his word, sincere and with- out hypocrisy in the common affairs of life ; for if a person be of a designing, tricking and deceitful temper and carriage among men, how can we trust his profession in the things of God ? Or receive it as credible ? Besides, the unjust are expressly excluded the kingdom of God; 1 Cor. vi. 8. And all liaes shall have their part in the burning lake; Rev. xxi. 8. 3. Whether he be good, kind, charitable? Whether he bath that love to his neighbour which is the}ulling of the duties, of the second table ; Rom. xiii. 8, 9. Whatsoever we profess of faith, yet without love we are nothing; I Cor. xiii. 2. and it may be enquired too what love he has to fellow-christians, for it is an appointed mark of the disciples of Christ ; John xiii. 35. Hereby shall all men knowye are my disciples if ye love one ano- ther. If a man say, I love God, and hatethhis brother, he is a liar: Ile that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, howcan he love God whom he has not seen? 1 John iv. 20. Without love, and particularly to fellow-christians, he can never befit for such a holy fellowship, which is to be managed all in love, and whereof love is one of the greatest duties. 4. Whether he be religious and godly? Though inward piety ischiefly to be known to men by the professionof the mouth, and the two foregoing general heads in some measure answer' this end, yet there should be some appearances of piety also in our conversation in the world, in order to give us a full right to christian communion. In such an enquiry as this, at least it must be found that such a person is not a scoffer at religion, that he does not make a jest of things sacred, that he uses the name of God with reverence in common conversation, that he speaks honourably of Christ, his gospel, and his ordinances upon every just occasion, and that he frequents some places of religious. worship; for we are to look diligently that there be noprofane person, in our churches, as well as no fornicator ; Heb. xii.
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