love you? Has he not continued to cherish you, and carry you in his arms, and regard you as his, by an everlasting covenant? When he has corrected you, has it not been in tender love? Though you have often wounded him since, you were numbered with his family; yet he has never been angry with you nor forsaken you. Imitate Christ in the treatment of your brethren.When a brother dishonours Christ, be grieved, but not angry; for he is a very near and dear brother.Kindly tell him of his fault, and entreat him, with humility, to wipe away the stain on his Christian character. Perhaps, like Peter, he will soon repent, and unite with you more cordially, then ever before, in every Christian duty.

Look upon every Christian brother as one whom the Saviour has chosen for your fellow-labourer in his vineyard. View him as one appointed to be your companion forever in heaven. Though he be imperfect now, he is soon to be a spotless saint, and will unite his voice with yours, in the eternal song. How should your heart, then, glow with affection towards a brother, to whom you sustain a relation so endearing and so elevated.

The system of truth, received by the Christian church is a system of love. In the love of Christ the church first had its being. By his love it has been perpetuated, and by it will exist forever. It claims no other beauty than the beauty of love. It aspires to no other glory, as its highest consummation,than the glory of love. Let those then who are admitted by their Lord into his spiritual kingdom, manifest by their unfeigned affection for each other, that this principle, which constitutes the beauty of his church, reigns in their hearts and governs their conduct. Let it be known that they are brethren, not by profession

only, but by the impression and divine evidence of brotherly love.

It is greatly to be lamented that this heaven-born principle is so little cultivated in our churches. A brother who is offended with a brother, harbours, for a long time, feelings of displeasure, and takes no proper measures to reclaim him. He often, indeed, proclaims his faults to other brethren, and to the world: and seems more desirous to instil into them the same dislike to him, than to promote his reformation. It is difficult to say in such a case, which is the greatest offender. Their comparative criminality can be known only to him who commanded them to love one anoth

er.

Besides this gross violation of Christian duty, we often observe great indifference existing between brethren, even when there is no disagreement. We see no marked difference in their complacency towards each other, and towards the world. They take very little interest in each other, as members of Christ's house. It can now rarely be said, as in ancient times, "See how these Christians love one another."

From this indifference among the professed disciples of Christ, un-. renewed men naturally infer, that there is nothing in his religion that endears its professors to each other, more than is found in other societies. But we know, brethren, that there are infinitely stronger and more endearing ties to bind us together, than can exist in any society of human origin. And shall we stupidly submit to have our holy religion degraded by so unworthy a comparison? This can never be prevented, except by the cultivation of brotherly love.

The means by which this divine principle may be most successfully promoted, will be found in a careful adherence to those rules con

66

cerning it, which are given in the gospel. We should be kindly affectioned one towards another. We should speak often one to another," respecting the doctrines, duties, and excellence of the Christian religion; make friendly inquiry respecting each other's trials, enjoyments and fidelity; and improve

and

every favourable opportunity of meeting for conversation prayer. By these means religion will be honoured, our sphere of usefulness enlarged, our best and purest happiness promoted; and we shall do much as humble instruments to harmonize and beautify the kingdom of Christ, W.

From the Western Recorder.

MR. EDITOR. By answering the following queries, you will gratify at least one of your readers. N. Y.

1st. Ought we to hear those per

sons preach, who we are persuaded do not preach the truth?

2d. Ought we to go to hear errorists, for the purpose of inducing them to imitate our liberality; and thereby to become occasional listeners to the truth?

Sd. Is it right for us ever to go to hear errorists for the express purpose of exposing them?

4th. Ought we to go, in doubtful circumstances, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the truth is preached?

REMARKS.-The preceding que ries relate to a subject which is highly important; and which is not without its application at the present time. We take it for granted, that our correspondent alludes to those errors which are properly termed fundamental. In his accompanying remarks, indeed, he alludes only to Unitarians and Socinians; but if the specifications had been so enlarged, as to embrace all who preach any other Gospel than that which the Bible reveals, it would not have been too extensive for the present discussion. In relation to all such errorists, the express direction of the Saviour, as signified to the ancient Jews, is,

Go not after them, nor follow them." And, in the context, we

are also furnished with the reason for the prohibition. It is, that the propagators of error are deceitful and dangerous.-"They shall deceive many"—" if it were possible, the very elect."

Since, then, the Saviour has left a positive injunction on this subject and condescended to give his reason for so doing; there is not the least ground left for the misapprehension of duty. If we go after or follow a man, who, we are pursuaded, comes within the above description, it matters not, what are our reasons for so doing we are certainly guilty of a most direct and plain act of disobedience.

66

Let it not be said, that by hearing a man who, literally speaking, comes to us, to preach error, we shall not be deemed offenders; this is always the case with errorists. Literally speaking they always present themselves before those whom they wish to seduce; and let us remember that it is "lo here," as well as "lo there," that falls under the description above alluded to. There cannot be any hesitation in saying, that, no circumstances will excuse us in voluntarily placing ourselves, even for a single instance, among the auditors of one, who is known to be the propagator of another gospel, than that which

the Bible reveals to us.

The preceding remarks may suffice to settle the first and second of the above queries; but if any of our readers think otherwise, let

them turn to the well known passage we have alluded to, in the Evangelists, and compare it with similar passages which frequently occur in the Epistles.

As to the third query, whether it is right to go" for the express purpose of exposing error, we should not hesitate to apply the above injunction, with one single exception, in favour of those spiritual watchmen who are specially set for the defence of the truth.

We are not quite sure, that even this exception is fully warranted; for it should be recollected that the disciples themselves appear to have been included in the terms of the prohibition; yet, when instead of going after or following errorists, a special advocate for the truth goes out directly against them; and acts on the occasion, consistently with his ministerial character, we know not, but he may be in the way of his duty. This case is certainly very different from that of listening to error in one place, for the purpose of exposing it in another place. The latter is a license, of which, in our opinion, no one can innocently avail himself: for to the multitude at least, his example will have a pernicious tendency.

The last query respecting cases of doubt, is readily settled. If it is wrong because it is dangerous to

listen to errorists; it is evidently wrong for the same reason to listen to suspected ones. This is but a dictate of common sense, and common prudence. He that would

avoid approaching a known precipice in the dark, would certainly, on the same principle, avoid rushing forward where he only suspected there was one.

It is scarcely necessary to add, that the man whose principles are not established, can claim no exception against the above remarks. His immediate duty is to embrace the truth, and to abide by it. Such a one, may deem the above remarks to be wanting in liberality; but the Bible is before him. Its truths are plainly revealed. He is commanded to embrace them; and told expressly to avoid false teachers, and this is all we are telling him. The Bible, surely, is not to be taxed with illiberality; and yet,

it

goes still further than this-it denounces the curses of Heaven on those who preach any other gospel that which the Bible reveals. Let us beware, then, that under the mask of pretended liberality, we do not strive to do away the immense distinction there is between truth and error; nor lend our influence towards lessening the visible distinction which exists between the friends and the enemies of vital godliness.

ARTICLE II. A sermon preached September 18, 1825, occasioned by the death of Mrs. Rebecca Talbot, wife of the late Mr. Elkanah Talbot, of New-York, who departed this life, Sept. 5, 1825, aged 34. Rv Alvan Cobb, A. M. Pastor of

Church in West Taunton (Mass.) pp. 23. Field & Co. Providence (R. I.)

Funeral sermons must, generally, be composed in haste; but still, we think the practice of publishing them, commendable, for several reasons. A funeral sermon, in print, is the best and most durable monument, which surviving friends can erect to the memory of a dear departed relative. Though funeral sermons, on account of the em