IV.  They ought to be such as have chosen the Lord Jesus Christ for their king and head, and dedicated and devoted themselves to him, to live in him and for him:  such as have singled him out, and set him apart, (as it were,) to be the object of their love, trust, and delight, of their service and obedience.  They must have chosen and closed with him upon his own terms, (i.e. freely,) renouncing and rejecting all their own righteousness, worthiness, interest, and sufficiency, and choosing and appropriating him to themselves, for their righteousness, worthiness, portion, and sufficiency, under a sight and conviction of their own emptiness and deformity; and with a heart-satisfied persuasion of the loveliness and fulness of Christ.

V. All this must be done seriously, humbly, and heartily, so far as men can judge.  If persons declare their knowledge of God and faith in Christ in such a manner, and apparently by such a spirit as evidences some sense and feeling of what they do declare, church rulers may be much helped in forming a right judgment of them, that they are fitted by God for church-membership.  If they do seriously profess, that what they do is in obedience to the will, and, as they judge, to the call of Christ as their indispensable duty;—­that they join in church fellowship to meet with and enjoy God, to receive out of his fulness to enable them to perform all duties, and to conform their hearts and lives in his will to all things;—­such persons may undoubtedly be accounted worthy members, and admitted as such.

Quest.  What are the duties of church members towards one another?

Ans.  I. The greatest is love; love and spiritual affections are the holy cords which tie the hearts, souls, and judgments of believers together.  This is that which, together with the fear of God, makes them avoid all things that may give just offence or grief to one another, and that which provokes them to follow after the things that make for peace and edification.  Love is the bond of peace.  It is that which, together with divine light and truth, causes church members to draw together as in one yoke, and unanimously as with one heart and soul to design, aim at, and carry on mutual and common good in the church.  Without this they cannot, they will not cement, nor long abide and live together as a church, in peace and unity, nor promote any good work among themselves.  Without heart-uniting love they will receive and entertain jealousies and suspicions one of another, and put the worst construction on whatever is said or done; and they cannot walk together comfortably and profitably when these are entertained.  Therefore it is absolutely necessary for all church members to be firmly united in cordial love and charity, which is the bond of perfectness to and in all other duties.  God highly commends and strictly commands this love one to another, and puts it into the heart of his peculiar people, that they may do what he commands.