Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

"Thy

If

"Indeed!" said he, "then for this day I am sure that God will give me a good and a great reward." Though vile constructions and harsh invectives should be the present reward of your good offices for the neighbourhood; yet be not discouraged; work shall be well rewarded," saith the Lord. your opportunities to do good extend no further, yet I will offer you a consolation, which one has thus elegantly expressed: "He who praises God only on a ten-stringed instrument; whose authority extends no further than his family, nor his example beyond his neighbourhood, may have as thankful a heart here, and as high a place in the celestial choir hereafter, as the greatest monarch, who praises God upon an instrument of ten thousand strings, and upon the loud sounding organ, having as many millions of pipes as there are subjects under him.

SECTION XIII.

Private associations for promoting religion.

WE cannot dismiss the offices of good neighbourhood, without offering a proposal, to animate and regulate private meetings of religious persons, for the exercises of religion. It is very certain that where such private meetings have been maintained, and well conducted, the Christians who have coinposed them have, like so many "coals of the altar," kept one another alive, and maintained a lively

Christianity in the neighbourhood.

Such societies have been strong and tried instruments, to uphold the power of godliness. The giving up of such so

cieties has been accompanied with a visible decay of godliness: the less they have been loved or regarded in any place, the less has godliness flourished.

The rules observed by some ASSOCIATED FAMILIES may be offered with advantage on this occasion. They will show us what good may be done in a neighbourhood by such societies.

1. It is proposed, That about twelve families agree to meet (the men and their wives) at each other's houses in rotation, once in a fortnight or a month, as shall be thought most proper, and spend a suitable time together, in religious exercises.

2. The exercises of religion proper for such a meeting are: for the brethren in rotation to commence and conclude with prayer; for psalms to be sung; and for sermons to be repeated.

3. It were desirable, for the ministers, now and then, to be present at the meeting, and pray with them, instruct and exhort them, as they may see oc

casion.

4. Candidates for the ministry may do well to perform some of their first offices here, and thereby prepare themselves for further services.

5. One special design of the meeting should be, with united prayers, to ask the blessing of heaven on the family where they are assembled, as well as on the rest; that with the wondrous force of united prayers, "two or three may agree on earth, to ask such things" as are to be done for the families, by 66 our Father which is in heaven."

6. The members of such a society should consider themselves as bound up in one "bundle of love;" and count themselves obliged, by very close and strong bonds, to be serviceable to one another. If any one in the society should fall into affliction, all the rest should presently study to relieve and support the afflicted person in every possible manner. If any one should fall into temptation, the rest should watch over him, and, with the "spirit of meekness," with "meekness of wisdom," endeavour to recover him. It should be like a law of the Medes and Persians to the whole society-that they will, upon all just occasions, affectionately give, and as affectionately receive mutual admonitions of any thing that they may see amiss in each other.

7. It is not easy to reckon the good offices which such a society may do to many others besides its own members. The prayers of such well-disposed societies may fetch down marvellous favours from heaven on their pastors; whose lives may be prolonged, their gifts augmented, their graces brightened, and their labours prospered, in answer to the supplications of such associated families. The interests of religion may be also greatly promoted in the whole flock, by their fervent supplications; and the Spirit of Grace mightily poured out upon the rising generation; yea, all the land may be the better for them.

8. The society may, on special occasions, set、 apart whole days for fasting and prayer before the Lord. The success of such days has been sometimes very remarkable, and the savour which they

have left on the minds of the saints who have engaged in them, has been such, as greatly to prepare them to "show forth the death of the Lord," at his holy table, yea, to meet their own death, when God has been pleased to appoint it.

9. It is very certain, that the devotions and also the conferences carried on in such a society, will not only have a wonderful tendency to produce the "comfort of love" in the hearts of good men towards one another; but their ability will also thereby be much increased, to serve many valuable interests.

10. Unexpected opportunities to do good will arise to such a society, especially if such a plan as the following were adopted :-That the men who compose the society, would now and then spend half an hour by themselves, in considering that question, What good is there to be done? More particularly,

Who are to be called upon to do their duty, in coming to special ordinances?

Who are in any peculiar adversity; and what may be done to comfort them?

What contention or variance may there be among our neighbours; and what may be done for healing it ?

In what open transgressions do any live? and who shall be desired to carry faithful admonitions to them?

Finally, What is there to be done for the advantage and advancement of our holy religion?

In the primitive times of Christianity, much use was made of a saying, which was ascribed to Matthias the Apostle: "If the neighbour of an elect or godly

man sin, the godly man himself has also sinned." That saying was intended to point out the obligation of neighbours watchfully to admonish one another. O how much may Christians associated in religious societies do, by watchful and faithful admonitions, to prevent their being "partakers in other men's sins!" The man who shall produce and promote such societies, will do an incalculable service to the neighbourhood.

He shall also do much good who shall promote another sort of society, namely, that of YOUNG MEN

ASSOCIATED.

These, duly managed, and countenanced by the Pastor, have been incomparable nurseries to the churches. Young men are hereby preserved from very many temptations, rescued from the "paths of the Destroyer," confirmed in the "right ways of the Lord," and much prepared for such religious exercises as will be expected from them, when they shall themselves become householders.

I will here offer some orders which have been observed in some such societies.

1. Let there be two hours at a time set apart, and let two prayers be offered by the members in rotation; between which, let there be the singing of a psalm, and the repetition of a sermon.

2. Let all the members of the society resolve to be charitably watchful over one another; never to divulge each other's infirmities; always to give information of every thing which may appear to call for admonition, and to take it kindly when they are admonished.

« ZurückWeiter »