to some of the members of which was given the gift of discerning spirits, were not exempted from imposition of this kind; seeing one apostle complains of some who had crept unawares into the church and another complains of some who had gone out from among them, because they were not of them; for doubtless, saith he, had they been of us they would have continued with us. But because some hypocrites have got into the apostolic church, would it not be an intolerable abuse to censure all its members as hypocrites? And it is no less absurd to charge the members of any gospel church with delinquency, upon any one or more of its members being convicted of a particular evil. Because Peter denied the Lord who bought him, must James and John be charged with the same denial; or, because Demas turned aside after filthy lucre, must it thence follow, that Paul and Barnabas turned aside also? In short, a church can never be charged with the guilt of individual members, till it actually winks or connives at the evil of such-a-one's conduct. Then, indeed, the guilt is transferred from the individual to the general body; at least they become partakers with him in his sin.

But how shall a church proceed in case of one of its members being justly charged with the sin of drunkenness? To answer this question, I would observe, that there are three things, for which, as ends, church discipline in general, and censure in particular, are instituted.---The honour of the church---The credit of religion---And glory of Christ---The restoration of the fallen brother. That part of discipline which tends not to these ends, is not of scriptural institution, therefore to be rejected as spurious. The honour of the church, and credit of religion, will, at first view, seem to call for an immediate separation from the person guilty of drunkenness; and, as a warrant for this instant separation, the words of the apostle, He that sins before all, rebuke before all;' will be adduced. If a man is actually separated from the church, he is cast out into the world, and become to the church as an heathen man and a publican. Which seems to be more than the apostle meant, by rebuking him before all.' Nothing can be more plain, than that the notoriety of the sin of drunkenness calls for immediate and public rebuke: but that every act of this kind does not call for an immediate separation, I hope to make appear.

1. The ultimate end of all true discipline in a church, is to recover the fallen brother out of the snare of the devil; and in this the glory of Christ, who hates putting away, consists more than in cutting off. It hath been observed by some grieved brethren, that the conduct of churches towards supposed delinquents, rather indicates a desire to be freed from the trouble of them, than any endeavour to reclaim and restore them; which, if true, betrays a spirit which I would not wish to prosper, were I even concerned in it. When actually cut off from a community

that person is no longer an object of the church's care, and consequently no attempts are made towards his recovery and restoration, but he is an heathen man and a publican; disregarded till he himself shall make some overture towards his reconciliation with the church which cut him off. And thus the leading design of church discipline is prevented or perverted.

2. From all that I am able to learn there is a degree of censure appointed for certain offenders, which is short of an actual separation, or excommunication, as in 2 Thess. iii. 14, 15. If any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and 'have no company with him, that he may be ashamed; yet count 'him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.' Here the disobedient person was to stand in the relation of a brother, and as such to be admonished; not to be accounted as an heathen man, and publican, or an enemy to the church and people of God. Yet although he was still to be treated as a brother, they are forbidden to keep him company; and if forbid to keep him company in common, much more to communicate with him at the table of the Lord, or to admit him to the highest degree of church fellowship. In like manner, 1 Cor. v. 11. But ' now have I written unto you, not to keep company, if any man 'that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an ido'later, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such an 'one no not to eat.' Here again, to eat either in common or in church communion, with a brother that is called a drunkard is forbidden; and therefore, although he may for a time retain the relation of a brother, is not to be admitted to the table of the Lord, till, by his repentance, he is purged from his scandal.

3. Admonition in such cases has by some been thought unwarrantable, supposing that it is enjoined only in the case of an heretic, who, after the first and second admonition, we are commanded to reject. It is in this case expressly instituted, and it is in no case forbidden; therefore it can never be unseasonable, if dispensed in a gospel spirit, with a single eye to the Redeemer's glory. Besides this forbearance in the church, and study by seasonable admonition, to rescue a fallen brother out of the snare of the devil, is most like to the conduct of Jesus in the parable, who would not cut down the barren fig tree, till he had digged and dunged about it, to see if it would bring forth fruit. But church admonition is expressly enjoined in cases of disorderly walking, as well as in cases of heresy in the above cited 2 Thess. iii. 15. And consequently fixes a standing rule for the conduct of a church in every case of disorder. Such a rule as is perfectly consistent with the nature of a gospel church, and by their refusing to eat, or accompany with a disorderly brother, the church maintains its own honour, bears a testimony against the offender's sin, and shews that holiness only can become the house of the Lord whilst, at the same time, they manifest bowels of mercy

towards the party, by admonishing him as a brother. Only by the observance of this rule, a church can be said to distinguish between the person of a fallen brother, and the sin into which he hath fallen. Let every Christian community bear their warmest testimony against sin of every kind, but let them never forget, that restoration is the leading object they ought to keep in view.

4. Notwithstanding a church of Christ hath no warrant to proceed further at first, than to withdraw in point of communion at the Lord's table, and in respect to all unnecessary society with an offender; yet, so as to lay him under admonition as a brother, it may become necessary that an actual separation, cutting off, or excommunication should take place; the obstinate apostate be cast forth into the world, the kingdom of Satan, and the relation between him and the church entirely dissolved. If after digging and dunging about it, the fig tree still continues barren, it must be cut down and cast out of the vineyard. But this cannot be done, but in case of obstinate and impenitent continuance in an evil, for which the party has been duly admonished. and called to repentance. In such a case, a bare withdrawing from him, as a disorderly walker, is not an adequate censure; as he now assumes a different character, and becomes a troubler of the church, and therefore is to be cut off. Such an one continuing obstinately impenitent, under church admonitions, either professeth or professeth not faith: if he professeth not faith, he is to be cut off, or cast out as an infidel; if he does profess faith, and yet continues in his sin, he holds the faith in an evil, or guilty conscience, and as such, ought to be delivered unto Satan, i. e. cast out into the world over which Satan presides. He doth not hear the church, and therefore is to be dealt with as an heathen man and a publican.

5. If admonition has the desired effect, and our fallen brother is made sensible of his sin, what shall we do? The case is plain. The Lord hath blessed the discipline of his house, and given repentance to him that sinned. That very repentance is a proof of his God having received him; and shall any false notions of the honour of the church induce us to reject him whom God hath received. No, if thy brother repent, let his sin have been ever so notorious, and turn to thee by confession and repentance, thou shalt in any wise forgive him. Are we not to wait and see whether his repentance is abiding; and is it not prudent to stay till his scandal is purged by a course of well-doing, before he is restored to his place? This is, indeed, very agreeable to carnal policy, but no way consistent with the word of God. The apostles did not tarry for proof of Peter's repentance, before they acknowledged him as a brother; neither is it lawful for us to doubt the reality of any man's repentance, till future acts shall render it dubious; for only by their fruits are men to be known.

To pretend to judge of the sincerity or insincerity of a man's heart, any further than open facts do make it manifest, approaches too near to the Almighty's province of searching hearts, for us to pretend to it. If a man is sincere in his professions of repentance, his sincerity will discover itself in the holiness of his future conduct; and if insincere, the word of the Lord will soon find him out, and the dog shall return to his vomit, the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire again. The scandal of the offender being purged by repentance, his former sin is with the church, as it is with the church's God, as if it had never been; cast behind their back, never more to be seen or remembered by them.

From all that has been said we may see, in the

Ist Place, the aboundings of this so very pernicious evil of drunkenness, and how far it is the duty of every professor to watch against it with sobriety. If we would walk consistent with the Christian profession; if we would act consistently with manhood, it behoves us to watch against all temptations to this horrid, this beastly sin; and at the same time to solicit the protection of that immaculate Being, by whose grace alone we can be upheld in the hour of temptation, and preserved from the evil. 2. The need there is for gospel churches to watch against all tendency to looseness and levity in its several members, in order to prevent the infection spreading, may also appear evident. When the place of any one is found frequently vacant, it may justly be concluded, that the heart is in a backsliding frame, and that therefore it is expedient to seek after him in time, before the whole soul is alienated from God, like Ephraim's when in the house of his idols; and his neglect of means has been followed by the prevalency of outward and scandalous sinfulness.

3. If admonition and exhortation prove fruitless, and the delinquent is obstinate in his rebellion, the way of the church is plain, and expedition in their proceeding is indispensably necescessary. A withered member must be a burden to the body whilst it remains; a mortified organ must endanger the whole system and surely it is better that one member be cut off, than the whole body should perish; as must eventually be the case, if the mortification is not checked by a seasonable amputation, and the servant of sin turned forth into the world, whose maxims he follows with allowance.

THE

CANKER WORM;

OR, THE

GOURD OF CREATURE COMFORT WITHERED.

JONAH iv. 7.

But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.

THE book of Jonah is one of the most astonishing pieces of ancient history; as instructive as it is marvellous. Some of the very interesting incidents recorded in it, I shall a little point out to my reader; and may that Holy Spirit, by which it was indited, make it life to the souls of both writer and reader. The

1st Instance which I shall note, is that very awful proof of human depravity, in God's own people, recorded in the case of Jonah. God commanded Jonah to arise and go to NINEVEH, that great city, and cry against it; because the iniquity of its 'inhabitants was come up to heaven before God.' Jon. i. 2. But Jonah, far from obeying the word of the Lord, resolved to secure his own honour, and let God send by whom he would send; though at the same time, it was at the expence of his conscience, and at the hazard of the divine displeasure. He knew, that the Lord is ' gracious, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil denounced,' Jon. iv. 2. And he might also by the spirit of prophecy, foresee, that the Ninevites would repent at his preaching; that of course they should not be destroyed, according to his prophecy; consequently that he should by many be accounted a false prophet: People might have said, "Jonah prophesied the destruction of Nineveh; but see, Nineveh is as flourishing as ever." But this disgrace was insufferable to the unmortified spirit of the prophet; therefore, instead of Nineveh, he flees to Tarshish, in order to escape the presence of his God.

Even after God had cast him into the depth of the sea, and kept him in close durance in the fish's belly, forced him, as it were, to obey, he could not submit to the merciful conduct of his Maker; but valued his own reputation more than that city,