2. 42. The worship BUT chriftians, as embodied into a Church, of the church. are more especially required to meet together A&t. 11. 26. in diftinct focieties, that they may unite in prayers, and praifes, in hearing the word of God, and the administration of all divine ordinances, and in every part of religious fellowship And to neglect public worship unneceffarily and carelefly, is to caft contempt Heb. 1o. 2 upon Chrift, by flighting the most effential order of his church. 18. 17.21. As under the old Teftament we find prayer Fafting: and fafting joined together on extraordinary occafions fo our Lord Jefus Chrift hath not forbidden, but encouraged, and recommended Matt.6. 16 this duty to his difciples; commanding them not to do it merely by an outward hypocritical affectation of fadnefs and humility, but rather by that more inward and fecret humiliation of the foul, which God only can fee. Fafting may be fometimes very proper and advantageous, both in order to fubdue our bodily i Cor. 7. 51 appetites and gain the government of them, and that our fouls may be more intirely ingaged in extraordinary devotions, and become more folemn and earneft in confeffion of fins and fupplications for fpecial mercies. But fince our Lord hath not given us any directi on to make this a part of conftant worship, wisdom and prudence must guide chriftians in this branch of devotion, and it should be our care that it may always affift, and not hin- Coloff. 2. 13. der us, in religious exercifes, and that we be not betrayed into hypocrify or fuperftition, Ir is the duty of chriftians to affemble The obfertas. themselves ftatedly every first day of the tion of the week, for the worship of God, according to A&t 20 G Lord's day. the 1 Cor. 16. 3. the practice of the Church under the imme diate direction of the Apofties. For affoon as God had finished the work of creation, he Gen. z. 2, 3. bleffed the feventh day of the week, thereby Exod. 16. 23 fanctifying and appropriating it to his own honor and the benefit of the fouls of men. Mark 2: 27. This original law of the Sabbath was afterwards Exod.20.8-inferted among the moral precepts of the two Tables delivered to Mofes, and from time to 30. A&t. 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 2. Rev. 1. 10. time very particularly and folemnly inforced Ifa.58.13,14. under the old. Teftament. And after the refurrection of our Lord Jefus, his difciples, with one confent, instead of the feventh, obferved the first day of the week to the honor of the Redeemer, and gave it the name of the Lord's day, peculiarly devoting it to the fame great purposes of religion for which the Sabbath was originally inftituted, and holding their conftant affemblies on that day which practice hath been continued in the Church ever fince.. Therefore we have full warrant for keeping Mark 2. 28. the first day of the week as the christian SabGal.4.3.4.5. bath; which we are to obferve, not with that Coloff. 2 16. difcouraging rigor of the antient ceremonial law, but as a day of religious reft from worldAct.13 27,44 ly labors and pleasures, fet apart for the wor-, fhip of God and our fpiritual advantage, that we may remember and be prepared for the everlasting rest of heaven. On this day not only the public exercises of the Church are to be attended, but likewife all fuch private duties of religion in chriftian families as are proper to increase our knowlege of God, and love and obedience to Chrift; that all, in every houfe, may be acquainted with the Gospel of falvation, and be inftructed in every part of true religión. Heb. 4. 9. A&. 10. 2. Gen. 18. 19. Joh. 24. 15. SEC SECT. III. Of Self-government. HEY who have the hope of falvation by Mortification TH Jefus Chrit, and the honorable privi- of flfhly and lege of being called the fons of God, muft fpiritual lutts, purify themfelves, even as he is pure; they Joh. 3. 3 are encouraged by all the precious promifes I of the Gofpel to cleanse themfelves from all 2 Cor. 7, 1 filthinefs both of flesh and fpirit, and carry holiness to perfection in the fear of the Lord. It must be their conftant labor to keep the 1 Cor. 9.27 body in fubjection, mortify the deeds of it, Rom. 8. 10, and yield all their members as inftruments of 14. righteoufnefs unto God. They are called to 6.13. prefent their bodies a living facrifice, holy, Rom. 12. 16. 12. them, they must maintain a continual oppofi- Gal. 5. 16, 17: tion to the lufts which war in their members, 1 Pet. 2. 11, that no fin may have dominion over them. They are required to watch againft the very Rom. 6. fitft principles and motions of fin in the heart, and to refist and fubdue the evil paffions and affections of the mind, fuch as pride, wrath, Col. 3, 5—8; hatred, envy, a revengeful temper, inordinate Jam. 3. 14. love of the world, impure defires, and the jam. 4. 5, 6. like. And having crucified the flesh with the Rom. 12. 19, affections and lufts, they are carefully to fhun -21. all thofe works of the flesh which are enumerated in feveral paffages of the facred writings, 17. as fins which expofe men to the wrath of God, Gal.5.19--26 and will exclude them from the kingdom of Eph.5 3-7heaven. ¡Cor. 6.9.10. 15, 2 Cor. 12.20. 1 Joh. 2 15. On the contrary, we are bound, by our Improvement in the graces. holy profeffion, to cultivate all thole graces of the Spiri G 2 which which are the genuine fruits of the Spirit, viz. Gal 5.22,23. love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentleness, Jam.3. 17,18, goodness, taithfulness, meeknefs, temperance, Col.3.12-15 and to clothe ourfelves with humility, and in * Pet. 5. 5. our whole temper and converfation confider 2. 24-25. Jefus Chrift as our perfect pattern of every thing amiable and pleafing to God. Wisdom and decency of conduct. Eph. 5.15 17: CHRISTIANS are commanded to walk circumfpećtly, not as fools but as wife men, and to follow after every thing lovely and of good report. They are to behave themselves with 'Col. 4. 5. fuch wifdom at all times, that they who are Jam. 3. 13. not of the Church may have no advantage of Rom. 16 19 fpeaking evil of them, but may be ashamed 1Pet. 3 15,16, when they accufe their good converfation in, Rom, 13.12 Chris. Being children of the day, inlighten ed in the knowlege of every thing excellent and acceptable to God, chriftians ought to walk in a decent and honorable manner; not in rioting and drunkennefs, not in private intrigues and wantonnefs, not in ftrife and envying, but as thofe who have put on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and defire in all things to keep Heb. 13. 18. a good confcience. But the particular rules of a wife conduct are more especially contained in the infpired book of Proverbs, in which Chrift fpeaks to his people by Solomon under the character of Wisdom. Watchful. nefs. As we are expofed to various temptations, and in danger of being drawn away from the Pet. 5.8,9 faith and obedience of Chrift by our own lufts, Num. 25. 18. 2 Pet. 2. 20. by the wiles of the devil, by the vanities of the Heb. 3. 13. world, and the deceitfulness of fin; it is neceffary that chriftians fhould always be watch Eph. 6. 10-ful itanding upon their guard as good foldi18. ers of Jefus Chrift, quick to fpy, and armed to oppofe every enemy on whatever fide they may may be affaulted, and ready to every part of dury. Chrift therefore commands his difciples to watch and pray, left they enter into temp- Matt. 26. 41. tation, being fenfible of the weakness of the Mark 13. 37. flesh; and this is always a feasonable exhor tation,Watch ye, ftand faft in the faith, quit 1 Cor. 16,13 you like men, be strong MORE particularly; chriftians are warned Chaftity. against fornication, and all the lufts of unclean- 1 Cor. 6. 13 nefs, as fins which defile both the body and zo. the foul, and are moft directly contrary to their holy character. The govern ment of the It is a very neceffary branch of duty, and greatly tending to chriftian perfection, to re- tongue. train the tongue from evil, that we may not Jam.3.2—IZ. offend in word. Chrift commands his difci 1. 26. ples to avoid all kinds of cuftomary fwearing; Mat 5.33--37 We should speak evil of no man, Col. 4. 6. 3.24 and not be brawlers, but gentle, fhewing all Tit. 3. 24 by our words, as well as actions, we fhall be Matt. 12.37. Temperance. CHRISTIANS are required to be fober and 1Cor.9.24,25 temperate in all things; in the ufe of meats, 1 Theff. 5'6— and 8. a |