to him for his love and grace to us to hold and enjoy Communion with him to grow in grace and to be filled with all the fulness of God to be warm lively and strong in our duties and performances and for such holy ends as God requires Thus you see that all Gods people are bound in duty to joyn themselves to and walk in spiritual fellowship with the Churches of Christ as also for what ends and to what purpose they should do so CHAP. XI Shewing how Church-members ought to walk and what Sins and Temptations they are obnoxious to in their Church-state with Rules and cautions against them Arguments and motives to perswade to practice the one and avoid the other Quest HOw ought Believers to walk in Church-fellowship Answ I have shewed already what their duties are and how they should carry themselves towards their Officers and towards one another in a Church-state and therefore shall not mention them here but shall answer the question in these following particulars First Church-members must walk exemplarily they should be like so many Stars in the Firmament of the Church They of all persons in the world ought to be burning and shining lights Their graces gifts words deeds and carriages should shine so clear and bright so gloriously and conspicuously as that they should have the force and prevalency of Laws on the minds of beholders so as that they may safely securely imitate follow them The Churches of Christ in the world are as so many Sea-marks Pilots Guides to Men they live more in the glory of Heaven as the Church is called in Rev. 13.6 in the beams of the glorious Son of Righteousness than others do and therefore they should give better and clearer light than others can They are much more eyed minded and observed than others are and men expect and look for more good in and choice fruits from them than they do from other men They do or may converse more with Christ and Christ with them than other men do and they are partakers of greater things from him than other men are and therefore they must be a singular People in all manner of holy Conversation and Godliness Church-members are highly dignified and greatly priviledged their holy Profession gives out bespeaks them to be a peculiar Treasure unto God and therefore they must declare before all men that they are such indeed and not in pretence only Their frames of heart words deeds and deportments must speak for them manifest them to be the same in Truth which they pretend to be Church-members words works and carriages must praise them in the Gate 1. They should be shining lights in Humility and Meekness Col. 3.12 Put on therefore as the Elect of God humbleness of mind meekness 1 Pet. 5.5 and be Cloathed with Humility Phil. 2.3 But in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves Matth. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Church-members must not be high proud and lofty they may not think highly of themselves Rom. 12.3 nor cloath and deck themselves as others do They may not carry themselves strangely or disdainfully towards men but be meek and humble towards their Brethren and all men in their Apparel Words Deeds and Carriages for if this part of Christ's Image do not appear in some good measure on them they cannot have any at all A meek spirit carriage and deportment is one of their Ornaments It is in the sight of God of great price 1 Pet. 3. 2. They must shine in Zeal Fervency of spirit this holy fire should burn among them They must not be of dull stupid heavy and lumpish spirits worship God appear before him and hold Communion one with another indifferently coldly dully regardlesly and heavily as if they were rather driven to their work and duty against their wills than with their choyce love and desire but they must be fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 for which some of the Corinthians were commended 2 Cor. 7.11 and Phinchas Numb 25.11.13 and David Psal 69.9 To this they are redeemed and for it they are purchased Tit. 2.14 not only to do good works but to be Zealous in and for them The Lord Jesus charges his Churches to be Zealous Churches Rev. 3.19 in imitation of himself whose Zeal to God did eat him up Joh. 2.17 Much holy Zeal governed and guided by much spiritual Wisdom makes a man an excellent shining useful acceptable and desirable man indeed This should be another of the Churches beauties and comely Ornaments wherewith they should still be cloathed decked and adorned in this world If this Diamond do not shine if they are not adorned with this rare Jewel what are they worth and what are they good for They will be like fire without heat and light as to their duty work and usefulness They will be like Drones or like Bees without stings namely of no considerable use in the world All that they do for God Men and their own Souls will be of little or no esteem and account 3. They must shine in Love and Charity too Love is the bond of perfectness Col. 3.14 the ligament and sinew the cord and instrument that tyes us fast to God and to one another See that ye love one another with pure hearts fervently 1 Pet. 122. and let Love be without dissimulation Rom. 12.9 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart soul and strength Matth. 22.37 The internal motive or moving cause of all obedience and service to God must be love to him and our duty Joh. 14.15 1 Joh. 5.3 It is true that men cannot certainly discern this Love to God in one another but God and our own Consciences may and must Churches of Christ must be Churches of Love they should be acted and animated drawn and constrained to every good work by Love 2 Cor. 5.14 All the ways and workings of Jesus Christ to us all that he doth to or for us is Love Doth he instruct us or doth he correct us it is all in and from love Love to us is the bottom spring and cause of all his dispensations towards us His anger is provoked Love Love should knit our hearts fast to our God and Head to our duties and services and to one another in Church-fellowship But of this already else-where 4. Churches must shine in that great work and duty of Self-denyal when need requires He that will be my Disciple saith Christ must deny himself Mark 8.34 Matth. 16.24 Luk. 9.26 They should be eminent and singular in Self-denyal or in denying themselves of many things for Christ for their Brethren and for their own souls sakes Their Lord Jesus is the great copy pattern and examplar of Self-denyal and that for them to serve them and promote their happiness Phil. 2.5 6 7 8. Acts 20.28 and without this we cannot be his Disciples If we will not deny our selves
pursuance of these and other holy ends I have written some of the matters that I preached to you and have made them ready for your eyes to read and behold them your judgements and understandings to judge of them and for your hearts to receive and embrace them and that upon your desire I have done it as you know They are your matters and therefore to you I do dedicate and commend them because I love you and if you give me encouragement I could willingly spend and be spent for you 2 Cor. 12.15 Brethren I grudge not at any pains and endeavours cares and labours I have taken and expended on you or yours for I think that all that I can do for you is too little I do heartily wish I could be more serviceable and profitable to you and the more you shall encourage and strengthen my hands to serve you the better I shall do it I have taken pains to write this Book or to compose and set forth the matters contained in it as well as I could had I been able I should have done it better But however it be done be you sure that the matters discoursed of are of great weight and moment to you You will find but little in it of man human frailties excepted but therefore I hope you will find the more of God and Gospel-Truth there For the Truths of God shine forth more gloriously when they appear in their naked native beauty and simplicity than when they come to us cloathed with humane Eloquence and with the Rhetorical flourishes of mens wits They are such glorious things in their own nature as that they are never more powerful on and acceptable to holy gracious hearts than when they are represented to them pure clear and entire in their own words and language stript of humane Ornaments and Garnishes My design was not to commend my self but the real the holy and acceptable will of God not to shew you what any men think or judge of these matters but to shew you what the Holy Ghost thinks and speaks of them I expect severe censures from others because far better mens works do usually meet with them but I hope to meet with none from you for love will cover a multitude of weaknesses in those whose aim end and design is good in any good work and you cannot but judge that mine was good in this good undertaking You put me on the work and I hope you will find nothing but Truth and plainness in it and cover my infirmities with a mantle of charity judge that I have performed it as well as I could for Christ's my own and your sakes and conclude that I have not wilfully knowingly or carelesly failed in any part of it Now it is prepared for you and brought to you by a hand of love I hope you will take the pains to read and mind it to understand and practise the duties contained in it and although the form of it as made by me may not have your esteem and consideration yet do not fail to give the matter of it it 's due Respects and acknowledgment let your Head and King his Truths and wayes have their dues from you as also your own Souls and you will greatly gratifie the Authour who is your real friend In this Book I have shewed you in several Chapters 1 What an instituted Gospel-Church is 2 That particular Congregational Churches are of Divine Institution 3 Of what materials they should be constituted and formed 4 What is the form of such Churches or how fit materials should be joyned together and made a formal house 5 The several Officers of a Church with their calls qualifications works and duties 6 The duties of Church-members to their Officers 7 Their duties to one another 8 Their Church-priviledges and advantages 9 I have shewed that all Believers are indispensibly bound to joyn themselves to some Gospel-Church if they can 10 What the Ordinances are that God hath given to his Churches 11 How all Church members ought to walk towards God and men and what Evils and Temptations they are subject to or in danger of 12 I have spoken somthing of the Lords Supper and of many other things and matters of great moment as you will find in your reading of the Book throughout As that Church-members ought not to break off from the Churches to which they are joyned but in extraordinary cases I have not yet done but shall present a few Requests to you for my self my God and your own Souls and which I hope you will not deny me but freely grant me because you will find them very reasonable Requests and such as do nearly concern you and your God as well as my self 1. I do earnestly entreat and beseech you for the Lord Jesus Christ his sake and for the love of the Spirit to do all you can and are bound in duty to do to encourage me in my work strengthen my hands under my weights and burdens and help me to run my Race and finish my course with joy 1 Cor. 9. Act. 20.24 and avoid whatever may justly discourage tempt and provoke me or that may weaken my hands grieve and sadden my heart unfit indispose me for in my work duty with you For if you do not avoid it you will tempt and provoke me to sin and hinder me in my work and duty And my sin will be your sin my loss your loss and my sorrow will be your sorrow at long run I can appeal to God that I seek desire and endeavour to do you good in whatever I do or propound to have done for or among you and therefore when you neglect to come to the worship of God and keep your place and when you neglect to set forward any good work in the Church for the honour of Christ and the profit of the whole you do discourage me and tempt me to sin and the like you may do many other wayes which for brevity sake I shall not mention Only this one namely by your non-proficiency under the means of grace which will be my great Affliction because I dearly love you Your serious conscientious and constant attendance on the administration of the Ordinances of Christ with me your growing in grace and profiting by them your readiness to help and assist me in promoting and carrying on of good works in the Church and standing by me in the Lord's work will exceedingly comfort encourage me in my Ministerial work And pray consider if it be not your duty and the will of God you should so do Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as that they may do it with joy and not with grief why why says he that is unprofitable for you Oh! give me your helping hand and do not load and burden my work but endeavour to make my work easie and my life comfortable to the utmost of your
holy ends of God in desiring Communion with them As 1 To enjoy God and hold communion with him in all his ordinances and appointments 2 To worship God there in Spirit and Truth and give him your homage and service in his house 3 To shew and declare your subjection and obedience unto him and to make a publique and open profession of him before men 4 To receive of his Grace to enrich your Souls with his fulnesse and to be sealed by his Spirit unto the day of your Redemption 5 That you may walk orderly and beautifully and shine as Lights in the Churches and in the world before Saints and Sinners 6 That you may be established in the Truth live under the watch and care of Christs Ministers and of fellow Members that by their inspection and faithful dealings with you you may be kept from and brought back from sin to God by their wise Reproofs and holy Instructions 7 That you may yield up your selves in Universal obedience unto Christ and do all things whatsoever he commands you that you may have the right use and enjoyment of all your purchased priviledges and be secured against the Gates of Hell Are these and such like ends in your minds and hearts in your walking in Church-fellowship and can you find the forementioned mark or signs of Grace in you in measure though not so clearly and fully as you would Why then I may boldly and humbly tell you that you are fitted and qualified for Church membership that you are called and invited into the house and Temple of God and that you are indispensibly bound to answer to the call of God and say behold Lord we come unto thee and will freely without delay thankfully without grudying humbly without pride with mourning and rejoycing enter into thy Courts joyn with thy Churches and grow into a holy Temple to thy Praise and Honour We will no longer slight our great priviledges neglect our great and indispensible Duties or walk disorderly as we have done but we do now willingly come and offer our selves unto thee and to enter into a solemn engagement to be thine to walk in all thy ways and do the things that please thee I say that Church priviledges are yours the doors of Gods house stand open for you Christ stands at the door and waites for you he invites you to come in sit down at his Table and you shall be most freely and heartily welcome to your Lord and his people And know that it is your unavoidable and indispensible duty to enter into his house 5. Quest Ought a Church of Christ especially the Guides thereof to let in any that professe the name and waies of Jesus Christ and offer themselves unto them or ought they not to try and prove them first whether they are rightly qualified by the grace of Christ for full membership with his people if so then what are the qualifications they should look for and find in them for their own satisfaction which they admit into the holy Temple of God Answ 1. It is certain that all that professe the name of Christ and his waies ought not may not be admitted into the Lords holy Temples because many if not the most of them are very Ignorant of Christ and his ways and notorious scandalous in their Lives as sad and wofull experience shews 2. It hath been I think sufficiently proved before that not any but real-hearted sound Believers are fit materials for a house and holy Temple of God and if so then a Church or the Guides thereof may not admit any into it but such only as they judge by the word of God and their own charitable discretion are such indeed although 't is possible they may be Hypocrites but they may not admit them if they groundedly know or think them to be such For if they should admit such against their knowledge they betray their Trusts and defile Christs holy Temple by taking in such persons as they know or ought to know Christ would not have there And that they ought to try and prove persons that they may know their worthinesse and fitnesse before they admit them in is clear in Acts 9.26 and because Christ hath committed the keys of his Temple unto them to take in and put out according to his will and Appointment Moreover he blames Some for suffering Tares if meant of persons to be sowen in his Kingdome and not endeavouring to prevent and keep them out Matth. 13.25 says he while men Slept the Enemy came and sowed Tares that is while such as should have kept the Temple Gates shut against them to have kept them out were negligent and carelesse of their duty for they should have done all they could to have kept out the Devils seed for what agreement hath the Seed of the Serpent with the Seed of the Woman the Rebells with the true Subjects of Christ or as Paul saith what concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6.14 3. As to satisfying qualifications in persons desiring admission into Churches I say that when they have been well tryed and are found in the Judgment of Charity such as Christ hath received and competently qualifyed for Church membership they ought to receive them in the Lord Rom. 14.1 Rom. 15.7 1. If they can make forth and declare unto the Church their at least seemingly Regeneration Conversion Repentance and Faith in Christ their knowledge of Christ and his ways Laws and Ordinances of their lost and perishing state in Sin and by reason of it and their sincere desires and Resolutions to become the Lords and to walk with him unto all well-pleasing in all his ways 2. If they are sound in the Faith of the Gospel I mean in the chief and principal Doctrines and Truths thereof although they may be ignorant of or err in lesser matters If they have some distinct knowledge and Faith concerning these and other such Truths and matters contained in the word of God As of the state and condition wherein man was first created How he lost that holy and blessed State and the misery he brought himself and all his posterity into thereby Concerning themselves that they are by nature Children of wrath dead in Sins and Trespasses and condemned to eternal Death That they are Enemies to and at enmity with God That they have neither will nor power by nature either to will or do that which they ought and is pleasing to God That they have forsaken God and are under the Curse of the Law and that they are the Children Subjects and Servants of the Devil World and their own Lusts That God left not all men in this State and condition but provided an all-sufficient Remedy namely Jesus Christ and that by an Everlasting Covenant entered into with Christ in the behalf of men before the Foundation of the World Tit. 1.2 2 Tim. 1.9 Prov. 8. and that in pursuance thereof he elected and gave some to Christ that he might
Ten things 1. In looking after the Conversations of such as propound themselves to joyn with the Church that the Church admit not any scandalous persons amongst them That if they are such they may be debarr'd and kept out if otherwise together with other qualifications they may be received in This I judge to be one part of their work For certainly it is one part and end of Church-power to keep the Church clear from scandal and offence And they may and ought to do it Authoritatively and not as private Members may do it only 2. In the absence or upon the desire of the Pastor they may admit or take Members into the Church or rather take them into Church-Membership by giving them the right hand of fellowship and shewing them their duty and priviledge in a Church-State And herein they represent the Church and act Authoritatively therein for them This is another part of their Office VVork and Power And it requires good abilities to do it well and to purpose 3. They may when need requires command speech and silence in Church-meetings for the preventing of Disorders and disorderly Members in their words and carriages and they may authoritatively and publickly admonish and reprove such in the face of the Church which private Brethren may not do 4. They may in some cases with the consent of their Pastor or Teacher if at home call and assemble the Church together for the preventing of some apparant evil or promoting of some good thing or work in the Church Or in case the Pastor shall knowingly neglect to do his duty in the case or cases aforesaid doubtless the Ruling-Elders may and ought to do it and the Church ought to obey their call For they do it by the Authority they have from Christ for the good and benefit of the Church But this may not be done by any Member that is not an Elder but in the want of an Elder And when they are assembled together they may authoritatively propound the causes and ends for which they called them there and require their assistance 5. Their work is to inspect and carefully diligently wisely and faithfully to look after the walkings and conversations of all the Members of the Church This is the chief part of their work They are not only to take cognizance of what is brought to them by others Reports but to enquire after them They are bound by virtue of their Place and Office to see if the Members keep close to Church-meetings and reverently attend them and if they do not to Reprove Admonish Exhort them to Teach and Instruct them That they may know their duty be convinced of their sinful neglects repent of and amend them and that by their good Counsels and Exhortations they may be provoked and encouraged to and in their work Ruling-Elders should in this matter as also in comforting the afflicted and speaking words in season to him that is weary be able and also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to Teach 1 Tim. 3.2 as well as the Pastors The one more privately and particularly and the other more publickly For as the Deacons work is to look after the wants and corporal concernments of the Church and provide for the poor and the Teachers to mind and look after the concernments of their Souls and make provisions for them according to their needs So Ruling-Elders have their work namely to look after the manners of all the Members of the Church To encourage and strengthen the hands of the Tractable and Obedient and to reprove convince and perswade the Disobedient that they may do what they ought 6. And therefore they should often visit them and see how they do and how they walk what they want and wherein they need their assistance and helping hand and when they know it to hold it out unto them freely and readily Certainly Elders should be intimately acquainted with their Congregations and with their walkings also For if any miscarry through their default or neglect the guilt will lie at their Doors and the Lord Jesus will require it at their hands Oh! that Elders would serioufly consider it and lay this matter near their hearts and suffer it to penetrate and pierce their Consciences and that they would consider in good earnest wherefore they are set in the Church and for what ends they have Rule and Discipline put into their hands That under deep Convictions they may be induced to discharge their work and perform their Trusts mind their Duty and prosecute the ends of their appointment that God may be well pleased with and bless them own and delight to use them for his glory in the Church and that they receiving benefit by their wisdom diligence and faithfulness may rejoyce in and bless God for them 7. They must take up Controversies and endeavour to end strifes and debates in the Church when such evils happen which are found too frequent through the Pride and prejudice of our hearts and the Temptations of the Devil who is a great Adversary to the Peace Beauty Order and Prosperity of Churches Ruling-Elders must not suffer any quarrels or contentions either in publick or private either between a few or many but presently interpose their VVisdom and Authority to decide and reconcile the causes and persons and set all in joynt again For such evils if let alone will prove like Cancers in the body and encrease to more ungodliness as the Apostle speaks Therefore the Elders should enquire into them and search out such as did the wrong began the strife and such as they find are adicted to take up prejudices against and foment debates with their Brethren and correct the offenders and releive the wronged and oppressed as they see cause There must be no Hammer no knocking heard in the Temple of God And wee to them who give occasion for strife and debate and to such as do improve occasions in such a manner also so likewise to negligent and careless Elders who do or may know these evils and yet let them alone or seek to heal them in a slight manner as if they had nothing to do with them or were not indeed much concerned in them But surely this is one of your great works as you have the power of Rule and Government in your hands for the good of the Church And you may authoritatively take up Controversies and require the Members of the Church to hearken to you And you may do Christ and the Church great service in this matter Therefore mind it in good earnest 8. Their work is to assist and encourage the Teaching-Elders and to promote and set forward the Gospel in their hands They must stand by and stand up for their Teachers and not suffer them to be wronged obstructed or discouraged by any so far as they can prevent it by their power and wisdom Do any back-bite them Rprove them Do any slight or contemn their Ministry Reprove them shew them the
evil of it whence it is And they should assist and help them with their company Advice and Counsel when desired and need requires it Moreover they ought to do all they can to make the Ministry of their Teachers acceptable unto the Church and to see that all do their Duties to them That they defraud not their Teachers of convenient and due maintenance nor carry themselves rudely and disrespectfully unto them or towards their Ministry and that they warn and exhort them to do their Duty to them as Christ hath commanded That they constantly seasonably and reverently attend to and wait on their Ministry and to make holy earnings and improvements of it 9. They ought to project and prepare good orders and matters for the profit of the Church to help forward and promote any good things presented to them by their Teachers and help to carry them on unto perfection But in an especial manner they should concur with them in promoting Holiness and the power of godliness in the Church and that by Counsel Instruction and Exhortation For that is the Churches Ornament Beauty and Glory Psal 93. ult They should labour to promote Gospel-light life zeal humility meekness and good works They should labour to promote Godliness in the Churches Families in their hearts and conversations among t men and in their Meetings and Assemblies to the utmost of their power and not leave all to their Pastors to do They are indeed indispensibly bound to promote it all they can by their Preaching and walking and that publickly and privately and Ruling-Elders are to do it privately and particularly And because the frequent Meetings of Christians for Prayer and Discourse is a Duty exceeding profitable and beneficial unto their Souls when rightly improved wisely and spiritually managed the Elders should encourage it set it forward and endeavour to maintain and uphold such good VVorks and Duties amongst all the Members of the Church For such Meetings will greatly promote Godliness and keep a Savour of Christ on the heart Now who should promote and further this good work so much as the Elders who may and ought authoritatively to do it This is another of their works and businesses in the Church Therefore see you do it in good earnest who are Elders 10. Lastly Ruling-Elders as well as Teaching have another great work to do in and for the Church and that is to be singularly exemplary in their words deeds and carriages Be thou an example sayes the Apostle to Timothy 1 Epistle 4.12 to the Believers in Word in Conversation in Charity in Spirit in Faith in Purity for without these things all the rest is worth nothing at all Elders and their VVives and Children as well as the Deacons should be examples and encourageing Patterns of Meekness and humility to others in their Garbs or cloathings Elders should be singular in wisdom zeal seriousness and gravity in love sweetness diligence faithfulness spirituallity Heavenly mindedness and in all good works Shew thy self sayes Paul a Pattern of good works in all things Tit. 2.7 They must so walk as that others may safely follow their steps and be excited and encouraged so to do by their examples They are indispensibly bound to be good examples out of and in the Congregation or Church when assembled together to worship God Then should the Elders shew good examples to the whole Church by their timely coming there and by their holy serious and reverent carriages and deportments in the worship of God For when they neglect their place and duty there or come unseasonably carry themselves carelesly and unreverently they tempt others to do so too For as they are Elders over the Church and have a Name among them so they eye them much and expect great things of and from them Therefore Elders must take heed to their wayes and see that they walk circumspectly or exactly Eph. 5.15 For if they do not believe it they will do more hurt than good in the Church Thus we see that Ruling Elders have work enough to do in the Church and that there is need and use enough of them And surely they might be of great use in the Church and prove a great blessing indeed to her would they but know mind attend to and do their own proper work and business and really concern themselves with Christ's and the Churches concernments with all their hearts and souls as they ought to do And oh that such as are called to that Office and Dignity would seriously consider and lay to heart their wayes and doings wherefore they are set in the Church and invested with Power and Authority and whether they do indeed intend and in good earnest set to their work and unfeignedly design and prosecute those ends Quest How should Ruling-Elders perform their work in the Church Answ First with wisdom or wisely They should wisely observe the matters they have to concern themselves about and to manage in the Church 2. The times and scasons for the doing of them to whom and when 3. The manner how they should or ought to do them Much light knowledge and spiritual wisdom is required in Church Government and Governours And therefore they have great need to pray read and study much for Divine wisdom and Spiritual understanding in these things That they may discern the will of Christ their Lord and Law-giver and not mistake their way and work nor the times seasons and occasions thereof nor stumble at any stumbling-stone or walk in the dark in so great and importunate matters 2. The revealed will of Christ in his New Testament is to be their great and only Rule and Guide in Church-matters No other voice must be heard there but his nor any other Authority Law or Rule to be observed followed and obeyed but his It is given to him to be the Head over all things to his Church Eph. 1.22 23. And therefore they ought to observe all things whatsoever he hath commanded them and nothing else Math. 28.20 in the exercise of their Authority in or for the Church This they must carefully and continually mind and have in their eye that they do not their own wills and walk by their own Rules but Christs For in so doing he will bless and prosper them help and assist them and in the end he will reward all their conformity and obedience to his holy will But otherwise he will say who required these things of you Therefore when any cases or works are offered to you you must consider them and the Laws or Rules by which you ought to proceed in what you are called to do and then proceed and manage your work accordingly Be you sure to steer your course aright by Divine light and Laws look up to and own Christ and his Authority in all your proceedures For you act not as civil Magistrates in a state but as the Spiritual Magistrates of Christ in his Church And therefore I say it is his Will
Church-State only but to and for one another too You are commanded to remember them that are in Bonds as being bound with them Heb. 13.3 and them that suffer Adversity as being your selves in the body You are strictly commanded and charged by the Great God to rejoyce with them that rejoyce and weep with them that weep and be of the same mind one towards another Rom. 12.15 16. And look not every man at his own things but every man also on the things of others Phil 2.4 And let no man seek his own but every man anothers Wealth 1 Cor. 10.24 Bear ye one anothers burden and so fulfil the Law of Christ You must make and account your Brethrens Crosses Losses Temptations and Afflictions your own and when they want and call for your helping hand to support or lift them up being fallen you must give it them freely readily and chearfully and not turn a deaf ear to or hide your eyes from them and their cryes For this was one of Gods holy and Gracious ends in appointing Churches and bringing you into Church-fellowship and so into acquaintance one with another namely that you might be fellow-mutual-helpers and comforters one of another For if you are cruel to or careless of one another in Affliction the Lord Jesus will require it at your hands and take it as done to himself Therefore seeing it is the will of Christ and our indispensible Duty to one another let us put on Bowels of Mercies and kindnesses Col. 3.12 and be tender hearted Eph. 4. ult And as Peter speaks be pitiful and courteous to each other 1 Pet. 3.8 Let the same mind be in us and let us shew the same affection to one another in measure that Christ Jesus hath shewed and still doth express to us We know that he is full of loving kindnesses pity simpathy and bowels of mercy and compassion to us Psal 103.13 14. Phil. 2.1 2. to shew his Members how they should be and carry themselves towards one an other and to oblige and provoke them to do so too Oh! my Brethren we should much abound in this grace also Fifthly Exhort and comfort one another For so is the will of God concerning you This is not only your Teachers Duty and Work but yours also to each other Heb. 10.24 25. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works but exhorting one another This Work and Duty must be diligently and frequently done Heb. 3.13 But exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin 1 Thes 5.11 Wherefore comfort your selves together and edifie one another even as also ye do vers 14. Now we beseech you Brethren warn them that are unruly comfort the feeble minded support the weak My Brothren you stand in continual need of one anothers Exhortations and Consolations and if you mind and manage this work well you may be very useful and profitable one to another greatly oblige and knit your hearts to each other and occasion many thanksgivings unto God thereby We are exceeding apt and prone to fall backward and therefore need each others hand to draw us forward To grow cold and dead hearted and therefore need each others help to warm and quicken us We are apt and ready to stand still and lye down a Napping and therefore do greatly need one anothers awakenings and holy provocations When this duty was frequently and conscientiously practised by the Saints they did thrive and prosper but since it hath been so wofully neglected the contrary is apparent in the lives and carriages of the Saints Well then do you revive this work all you can Set it forward with all your might and improve all your opportunities to the profit of each others Souls for you see that it is your indispensible Duty Sixthly It is the will of your Head the Lord Jesus that you should be each others Keepers That you should watch one over another Admonish and Reprove one another as need requires I do not mean that you should prye into one anothers secrets or be busie-bodies in other mens matters No for that is hateful and abominable and God hath forbidden you to do so 1 Thes 3.11 1 Pet. 4.15 1 Tim. 5.13 But my meaning is this namely that you watch over one anothers Walkings and Conversations That if they do well you may encourage them If ill you may by Counsel Reproofs Admonitions Instructions and Exhortations labour to mend them and do all you can to convince and bring them to the real sight and sense of their miscarriages as also to unfeigned Repentance By which good work you will do them the Church yea Christ himself good and acceptable service You should carefully mind and observe if all do keep close to their Duty in the Church or are remiss and negligent If they carry themselves holily righteously and soberly in their Conversations or on the contrary they are frothy vain proud extravagant loose unjust idle careless or any way scandalous You should strictly mind and observe if there be any Tatlers Back-biters or sowers of Discord or such as speak contemptibly and slightingly of their Brethren especially of their Elders and their Administrations As also such as combine together and make parties or factions in the Church or endeavour to load or obstruct any good work which their Elders are promoting of for the Glory of Christ and the good of the Church and deal with them accordingly You must mind and carefully observe if any be fallen under Sin or Temptation in any case and not let them alone but presently set your hand to help them to succour and restore them Gal. 6.1 Brethren if any man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one with the Spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be Tempted Take heed of that Cain like Spirit who when God asked him where his Brother Abel was Replyes am I my Brothers keeper Gen. 4. You will be Tempted to this evil towards your Brethren namely to imagine that you are little or nothing concerned with them and that if they do otherwise than they should the guilt will only lie at their doors but you shall be blameless But my Brethren it is not so You are not to be indifferent in this matter For assuredly you are appointed to be keepers of one another You are bound to prevent and put a stop to sin in one another or else your Brethrens sins which you do or may know if you will and the wrong they do to themselves thereby yea and the Reproach and scandal that may come to the Church thereby will lie at your Doors and be cast on your Souls because you neglected your Duty and did not in season prevent it as you might have done if you would Look not every man on his own things but on the things of others also Phil. 2.4 And seek not your own but every one
anothers Wealth 1 Cor. 10.24 Now we exhort you Brethren warn the unruly 1 Thes 5.14 and Admonish the disorderly 2 Thes 3.15 For this good work and their wise conscientious doing of it the Holy Ghost commends the Church at Rome Chap. 15.14 And sayes God in Levit. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke him and not suffer sin upon him And the Apostle in 1 Tim. 5.22 Admonishes us to take heed that we be not partakers of other mens sins but to keep our selves pure in Math. 18.15 16 17. The Lord presses this Duty and VVork on you and shews you how you should perform it Therefore you must mind and carefully do it in Obedience to his will and according to your directions there and not otherwise You must watch and endeavour to gain a Sinner or sinning Member by your first private Admonition in case the evil be private and if that will not do take one or two more with thee and see what that will do But if that will not do the work nor obtain the end on thy Brothers Soul then you are bound to bring it to the Church that by their Teachers or Elders they may be informed of it in order to their dealing with and proceedings against him as commanded This is another of your great and indispensible VVorks and Duties in the Church It is true that this is especially the Elders VVork and Duty but it is not theirs only but yours also who are private Members Oh! therefore be you perswaded to mind carefully faithfully and diligently to practise this VVork and Duty for unless you do so it will be impossible to keep the Church in Peace Honour and Purity You will do Christ and them singular service Seventhly You must forbear and forgive one another for this is another of your commanded Duties Eph. 4.2 forbearing one another in love vers 32. Be ye kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you And in Col. 3.13 Forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so also do yee Doth thy Brother sin against thee or do thee any injury thou shouldst tell him of it examine the matter and search out the circumstances of it and see if he did it unadvisedly through weakness or ignorance and without any design to wrong thee or whether he did it wittingly and knowingly And until thou art sure that he did it knowingly and wittingly or wilfully thou must forbear censuring him as having so done it For else thou wilt prove a Vsurper and a false Judge which Christ forbids Math. 7.1 2. Rom. 14. But if upon an impartial search thou finds him to have wronged thee through ignorance or weakness thou must Judge charitably of him and carry thy self towards him as God doth towards thee under thy weaknesses and ignorances Thou must not be rash and severe towards him either in thy carriages or censures But if it clearly appear upon impartial enquiry that he did knowingly and wilfully do thee wrong then thou must carry thy self towards and deal with him as with a wilful Transgressor Thou must lay his sin before him and shew him what Lawes he hath Transgressed what evil he hath done thee what wrong to his own Soul and what offence he hath done to Christ by breaking his holy Laws Admonish him again and again of his sin and censure him not too severely until you find him obstinate and stubborn For until then you must forbear him whilest you are waiting on him and on God for him to convince him of his sin and give him Repentance unto life But if your endeavours be blessed to those ends you must readily forgive him And if he be once truly and savingly convinced of and humbled for his sin be sure that he will most freely own and confess it to thee as well as to God and endeavour to make thee amends and give thee all possible satisfaction for the wrong he hath done thee And this he will do not by constraint but freely willingly and of his own accord without thy seeking to him For it is a certain sign that a person is not powerfully and savingly convinced of and humbled for his sin while he hangs off and must be sought after to make satisfafaction to such as he hath wronged For were his heart really melted into the will of God he durst not yea could not be quiet until he hath given all possible satisfaction to the wronged Luk. 19.8 But now in case he remain obstinate and will not hearken to Reproof what are you to do then why then he should take one or two more and deal with him and if that will not do to bring it to the Church that they by their Elders may see what they can do with him But if they cannot prevail on him to repent and make satisfaction then I think the offended may prosecute the Law against him For the Law is made for the lawless and disobedient 1 Tim. 1.9 10. But yet he should be still in a readiness to forgive him when-ever he shall repent pray and hope that he may repent and when he doth so although it be long first Actually and Cordially forgive him and renew his kindness and Brotherly love to him as if he had never sinned Eightly It is your Indispensible duty to hearken too and receive Instruction Admonition and Reproofs one from another also For if some are Indispensibly bound at some times to give them Surely others who need them are as much bound to receive them Prov. 8.33 hear Instruction and be wise For he that despiseth Reproof sinneth but he that keepeth Instruction walketh in the way of Life Prov. 10.17 And the Scripture tells us in Prov. 12.1 Whoso loveth Instruction loveth knowledge but he that hateth Reproof is bruitish such as turn a deaf Ear to Reproofs are marked out for Scorners in Prov. 9.8 and he that is often reproved and yet hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Prov. 29.1 such as turn a deaf Ear to Reproofs and admonitions or slight and refuse them do thereby rebell against trample upon and contemn an ordinance of God and a means of his appointing for their happinesse and so they murder their own Souls with the means that are given to save them You are bound to hearken to and receive your brethrens Reproofs Counsels and Admonitions withall Humility Patience and freedome of Spirit with all love Meekness and Thanfulnesse to God and the givers of them For they are great mercies to you and they are your real and profitable friends such as seek your good and endeavour to prevent your destruction And therefore I wonder not at the Scriptures saying that such as refuse Instruction and Reproof shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy for 〈◊〉 do despise the means as in their present
case of their Salvation and which are handled out to them to prevent their destruction And certainly they shall have Judgment without mercy as James speaks who do slight the means given them for such great Ends and by hardening their hearts against them do render them uselesse to their Souls and thereby oppose and crosse Gods ends Oh! then do not you so wickedly When a Brother or Sister see or hear you sin and they come to you with the Lords healing playster to cure you receive it thank them and blesse God for it apply and improve it as David did Abigals and Nathans Counsels and Reproofs 1 Sam. 25. 2 Sam. 12. and see that you repent and humble your selves in Dust and Ashes For if the contrary heart and carriage be found in you under just Reproofs Instruction Admonitions toward God or men know for a certainty that you are in a very evil and dangerous case yea you are in the high way to ruine and perdition Oh! Friends let it never be said justly of any of you that you were reproved and admonished of any known Sins by any Brother or Sister and that you refused and slighted it justified your selves in your Sins and apparent Transgressions and were displeased with or angry at such as admonished you and did their Indispensible duty to you under your Sin for your Salvation Ninthly Pray one for another and that with a real Love fervency and Importunity as you do or should do for your selves Jam. 5.16 Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed Oh! with what serious minds and strong Affections should all Church-members pray one for another They must be much in building up one another and praying in the holy Ghost one for another Jude 20. They should carry one another on their hearts at the Throne of Grace especially such as are under Affliction the whole Church in General and the Teachers in particular Heb. 13.18 and wrestle with God for them For as was shewed one Church-member must make anothers case his own and be of a publique Spirit towards and for the good of all and as in other things so in this of Prayer For they have the Spirit of Prayer given them Audience and Interest in Heaven for others as well as for themselves This is another duty to one another Tenthly You should often meet together for holy discourse and Prayer Two or three or more Brethren by themselves and Sisters by themselves in and for those God glorifying and Soul-profiting exercises This was wont to be the Commendable practise of our forefathers and of some that are now alive when Christ Duty Heaven and Religion lay warmer on their hearts than now they do And they made happy earnings of their holy endeavours Now if it was a much commended Practise in them as it was why then is not the same found in and among you in this day was it good in them and will it not be so in you too hath not God promised his Glorious Teaching warming strengthning sanctifying and comforting presence with such as do so Matth. 18.20 would not your meeting together and so exercising your selves turn to a better account than your present practise doth do you not find time enough to visit one another and meet together to discourse and talk of things which you should not Do you not visit to tell some idle stories to tattle of other mens matters which do not concern you and it may be to do that which is worser namely to Back-bite some persons and to prejudice hearts against your Teachers and their Work if they do not please you And will not such meetings have bitterness in the end Yea do you not thereby exceedingly deaden carnalize each others Souls by these things So that instead of bettering one anothers Souls and furthering them towards Heaven in your meetings you hinder them and make them much worser Oh! consider and lay this matter to heart I do beseech you now while you have time to mend what is amiss Consider my friends both how you do and how you may and ought to improve and exercise your selves in your occasional and designed visits and meetings and what account you will be able to give of them at the last day Is it not your great Iniquity to tempt one another to Sin and wrong your Souls mis-spend your pretious times and seasons of service for God and one anothers spiritual profit when you might if you would have improved them to those ends We read in Acts 16.13 That Women meet together to pray but now 't is accounted almost a false Doctrine Men and Women were wont to discourse and speak often of the things of God and their own experiences one to another Mal. 3.16 But where are now any such almost to be found persons can find time enough for every thing but their greatest VVorks and Duties But to speak plainly 't is not our want of time but of hearts VVe are strangers to God in secret loose our hearts in the VVorld and cloy our selves with carnal cares and earthly matters and therefore cannot will not attend with any delight or freedom of Spirit unto our Duties This will be found at the bottom of all our neglects and excuses for them But remember that your Souls need this practise and the use of these means that it is your Duty and will be if well used very profitable to you Eleventhly Encourage one another by your examples to keep close to and be constant in your publick work VVhen ever the Church meets or are by their Teacher Summoned to meet together for the Celebration of the worship of God they are bound so to do excepting in extraordinary cases that may hinder any For else there can be nothing done nor any good order kept for the glory of God and the edification of the Church Now then when the Church ought to meet together you ought to be present and not by your wilful or careless absence give an evil example to others and tempt them to do the like For thereby you will cast a stumbling-block in their way of Duty and encourage strengthen and embolden them in their neglects also If it be our Duty to provoke one another to good works by our Exhortations then also by our Examples and practises too Examples are powerful encouragements to Sin or Duty to good or evil to Omissions or Commissions 2 Cor. 9.2 Heb. 10.24 2 Chron. 12.1 1 Chron. 29.3 9. If they are good examples then they provoke others to good but if evil then they are powerful to provoke others to do the same VVhen a Member is in the Congregation and sees such a Member wanting there then he is tempted to take the same sinful liberty too and so in all other cases All Church-members are indispensibly bound ordinarily to attend on the Ordinances of God in that Church to which they are joyned For as they are there called and
careful and mindful of them for his own honour and glory and their good Believers in living on and walking with God in a Church-state are of all persons in the best and safest condition They are under the greatest security from Seductions and Satanical Delusions from back-sliding and Apostacies from the Spirit of Error and Heresies from spiritual decays and witherings from hardness of heart or from being hardened and stupified through the deceitfulness and ensnaring allurements of this world Heb. 3.13 For they have greater and more constant means and provisions for their preservation and security than others have They have more promises of being secured by their Lord and King Esa 27.2 3. Sing ye unto her a Vineyard of red Wine I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day They have the Lords presence and glory his love grace and benefits frequently before their eyes to warn quicken and keep them awake and watchful diligent and faithful and they have fresh springs often flowing in upon their hearts They are much in the eye of Christ and he is much in their eye which keeps an awe on them and the frequent views of his glorious person love grace Laws and Ordinances are of great use towards their safety So also is the watchfulness help and assistance they have from one another in a Church-state Believers walking irregularly and disorderly as they do when not joyned to some true Church of Christ they are as common fields that lye open to all sorts of Beasts and as Souldiers walking and stragling without the Camp ready to become a prey unto their Enemies But in a Church-state and walking with God therein they are as a Garden walled in as a Castle and City with â—ates and Barrs and as a Houshold of persons shut in with doors and locks They are hedged in with Christ his Discipline and secured with his watchful eye and protection so as that the Gates of Hell cannot so easily prevail against them as they may against others Seventhly Gospel-Churches are very honourable Societies and Corporations They are exalted and dignified so by Christ and that they are the most high excellent as honourable Houses and Cities in the World They are the Houses and Housholds of the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6.15 Psal 48.1 2 3. Eph. 2.19 20 21 22. A House built up fitly framed and artificially formed of hewen stones and Timber is much more honourable and glorious than the materials whereof it was builded were before they were so formed up One holy Temple fitly framed consisting of a hundred meet and well qualified persons hath more beauty glory excellency honour and renown on it than ten thousand such materials have whilst they lye scattred up and down among the Rubbish of the World And as they do more as it were adorn and beautifie Christ in the World so he doth more adorn beautifie them They are said to be beautiful for Situation Psal 48.2 and Gods holy Temples Eph. 2.21 They are honoured with more of his honourable and glorious presence with more of his holy and sweet Laws and Ordinances and with more of his promises power gifts and graces Their honour fame and renown is farr above my reach and farr beyond what I can declare They are made the keepers and upholders of his Truths Name and Interests Churches in their orderly and holy walkings are terrible as an Army with Banners Cant. 6.4 10. and glorious things are spoken of this City of God Psal 87.3 As God said of Job namely that there were none like him in the earth Job 8 1. So he saith of his New-Testament Churches that there are not any Societies like them in the earth For what other Corporations and Societies of men are so qualified that have God with them as they have that have such a head and King such Ordinances Laws and Law-giver as such Churches have where are those Societies to be found that God speaks so honourably of and gives such honourable Titles to as he doth to them They are or ought to be all stones of Gold and precious Jewels they are Kings and Priests and made up of Royal Diadems Esa 62.3 Rev. 2.1 Mal. 3.17 They have the Lords name written on them and they are called by his name They are called the Churches of God and of Christ What other Societies of men are there governed by such Laws ruled by such Rulers animated by such a Spirit and fed with such Heavenly bread and spiritual provisions as they are They are the lights and glories of or in the World and by their joynt prayers and interest in Heaven they are the supporters of the world These are a few of the special priviledges of inchurched Saints which have been dearly purchased for them with the blood of Christ and conferred upon them by the holy Ghost which they are bound to take special notice of affect their hearts with them rejoyce greatly with them and in the Authour of them be very thankful for and faithfully improve them to the glory of Christ and to their own peace comfort incouragement in holiness and to their growth in grace You that are Churches and Church-Members are bound to consider and lay to heart your great singular and invaluable priviledges your unworthiness of them the price they have cost your head and King the ends for which they are given you to walk worthy of them in your Church-state and Relation and see that you walk and carry your selves honourably in all your ways towards God and men And remember that God gives you all these and other priviledges and injoyments that you should be rich in good works yea that you might abound in the work of the Lord 1 Tim. 6.17 18. 1 Cor. 15. ult Your priviledges are singular and glorious Oh! so let your words carriages deeds and performances be also God hath dignified you do you see that you exalt him God hath done great things for you do you do great things for him you shall reap the benefit and he the glory CHAP. X. That it is the indispensible duty of all Believers to joyn themselves unto some rightly constituted Church of Christ if they can together with the Reasons and ends of their so doing Quest OVght not all true Believers to joyn themselves unto and walk in fellowâ— ship with some holy and well-constituted Church of Jesus Christ where they may enjoy and partake of his Gospel-Ordinance Ans It is their undoubted and indispensible duty so to do if they have the conveniency and opportunity of doing it They may not wilfully or carelesly neglect to do it one day after they have opportunities offered them they are not cannot be dispensed withal in their Omissions for their wilful or careless neglects are their sins They are by such neglects guilty of disobedience and contempt They disobey the Royal will and pleasure of their Soveraign
King and Lawgiver the Lord Christ and they do by such neglects slight and despise his Love and Grace his Care and Kindness He hath provided holy Temples and spiritual Houses for them to dwell in and Heavenly provisions are made ready in them for their entertainment The doors are set open to let in such Guests and the Servants of the great King are gone forth to bid them come away and invite them to enter in There stands also the Master of the Feast even at the door waiting for them the King of glory attends there to welcome them when they come Luk. 14.16 17. Rev. 3.20 He gets there before them and abides there in expectation of the presence and company of all his Saints Psal 11.4 Isa 30.18 He declares that it is his good pleasure they should come there and eat of his dainties that he hath bought and prepared for them Cant. 5.1 Prov. 9.1 2 3 4 5. Now that they ought to joyn themselves to and become holy living and spiritual Members of some particular Congregational Church of Christ if possibly they can will further appear by these following Reasons and Considerations First The Lord Christ hath erected instituted and appointed Churches for this end among others namely that his called and sanctified people might be the matter of them that they might joyn and walk together in them and that they might be the materials of them This state and condition is not ordained and appointed for other persons but only for the Holy Seed for God will not keep House with unregenerate and unholy persons but with his chosen Generation and Royal Priesthood he will That particular Congregational Churches are of divine Institution hath been already proved and if so then it will follow that God's people should joyn to and walk with them or else to what purpose are they appointed instituted and ordained by Jesus Christ If none are bound in duty yea if all God's people that can are not bound in duty and compliance with the Lords ends to become Churches joyn to and walk in and with them then this Order and Institution of Christ is in vain he hath appointed and instituted that which none are or will be advantaged by which surely was far from the gracious thoughts and intentions of the Lord Jesus the Wisdom and Power of God 1 Cor. 1.24 For the Lord hath made all things for himself and ordained them for his own Glory and the profit of his people He hath made nothing in vain It is far below him to do it and below reasonable Creatures to imagine it And 2. It will follow that whoever joyn themselves to such Churches they do it not as duty to God and their own souls but as an act of their own will and pleasure without any respect to or regard had of the Will of God and their own spiritual good so are guilty of Superstition and Will-worship which God loaths and abhors The very Institution proves it sufficiently to be our duty to joyn with and become Members of some particular Churches of Christ Secondly The unanimous and universal Votes of all the Primitive Saints do prove this Truth Those good men that were converted to Christ by the Apostles Preaching with and amongst whom they lived and convers'd and such as they planted fed and watered 1 Cor. 3. and these both Jews and Gentiles they do all of them by their constant practice witness to and confirm what I say Look where you will in the Stories of the Acts where you read of the Apostles Preaching and Men Converted there or in Pauls Epistles and the Revelation you shall find the young Converts giving up themselves to the Lord and to one another by the Will of God 2 Cor. 8.5 We find them by and by inchurched and walking in a Church-state and relation So in Acts 2.41 42. ult Acts 5.14 And were not all Pauls Epistles that to Philemon only excepted which was written upon a particular occasion wrote and sent to the Churches or to and for Believers as inchurched and imbodied together that they might know how to behave themselves in the House or Houses of God towards God their Elders and one another They are expresly called Churches the Churches of God and of Christ as was shewed before Now all Believers are charged and exhorted to follow their examples and practice Heb. 6.12 That ye be not slothful but followers of them who through Faith and Patience Inherit the Promises that is see and mark them in their walkings observe how they lived and practised and do you so likewise Paul indeed could not abide with the Church at Jerusalem to which he was joyned as a Member Acts 9.26 27 28. because he was sent to Preach the Gospel to the Gentiles But as oft as he could he joyned and walked with the Churches as you may often find in reading the Acts of the Apostles Now says he to the Church at Philippi chap. 3.17 Brethren be followers together of me and mark them who walk so as ye have us for an ensample This Commandement is for you who are in Christ that you walk as Paul and other Primitive Saints walked If it was their duty and practise as you see it was for they gave themselves to the Lord and to one another by the Will of God that is they Congregated and inchurched themselves not by or according to their own wills but by and according to the Will of God then I say it is the duty of all other Saints and it ought to be their practise likewise For whatsoever was written aforetime namely of the Saints duty and approved practise was written for our Learning that we who succeed them in their Faith and Priviledges in their Hope and Profession might follow them in practise also If we look for and expect the same Covenant-mercies and blessings that they had we must practise the same duties and walk as they did The Primitive Saints were commended and renowned for their orderly walking in a Church-state Rev. 2 3. Chapters and often else-where Luk. 1.6 1 Cor. 11.1 2. Thirdly All Believers ought to walk in Church-fellowship by virtue of their Marriage-Covenant When by the power of Grace and the Spirits operations in their hearts they were perswaded to make Christ their choice and took received and embraced him on his own terms they solemnly engaged themselves to be his chose his Laws and Ordinances for theirs and bound themselves to him to walk with him and be obedient unto him in all things to keep and observe to love and practise all his Laws and to conform in heart and practise unto all his Ordinances and Institutions as David Zachary Elizabeth and other Saints of God had done before them Thus in effect do all truly-convinced and sincere-hearted Believers do when contracted or married unto Christ by Faith Psal 119.106 Hos 3.3 Jer. 30.21 2 Cor. 8.5 Col. 2.6 Now then being thus bound or having thus bound and obliged themselves
to Christ they ought for ever to do and perform to walk and practise accordingly which they do not until they give up themselves to one another and walk together in Gospel fellowship in the conscientious Observation of all the Ordinances and Appointments of Jesus Christ For until they do so they walk not in universal Obedience to all the Laws and Orders of their Head and King For besides their disorderly walking they live in the careless if not wilful neglect of several Duties and Ordinances given to and incumbent on the Churches as the Lords Supper and many brotherly Duties one to another You have heard before that a true Church of Christ is the seat and subject of all Gospel Ordinances and if so then it will follow that thither Believers should repair for and seek to find them there they should walk and observe them and no where else excepting occasionally For out of a Church-state they do not orderly observe the Ordinances and Appointments of Christ in what they do Many think that they do well and discharge their duties to Christ and their own souls if they observe and wait on some Ordinances if their hearts be upright with God in their so doing but consider not the order and method the places and waies they ought to observe and practise them in But herein they are mistaken and walk disorderly It was the Will of God that the Ark of his Covenant should be brought to Jerusalem and David and the Priests did well in attempting to do it but they failed in the external manner of doing it and therefore God made a breach on them 1 Chron. 15.13 The Sons of Aaron did well in offering Sacrifice to God but they failed in offering their Sacrifice with strange fire Lev. 10. And are not these things written for our Admonition 1 Cor. 13.11 undoubtedly they are God hath Instituted Churches and appointed them to be the seats and subjects of all his Gospel-Ordinances and Institutions invited and called his people to or into them to celebrate them there Now when any content themselves with the enjoyment and observation of some Ordinances and Gospel-Institutions and attend on them out of a Church-state as if they found them where they ought to seek them they walk irregularly and break their Marriage-Covenant by their careless or wilful neglects For how are they universally obedient to all his Laws and Ordinances when they take up with and only respect some of them and such as they do observe they observe not in due order or in a right manner Oh! think on this you who live so and what the end will be Oh! consider what promises you have made to Christ and what Obligations you lay under to him and examine seriously your selves if you live not in the wilful or careless breach of them and so lay your selves open to the wrath and displeasure of your Lord and King and by your neglects provoke him to make a breach on you O remember what obligations you live under To give Him the Honour due unto his Name in and by universal Obedience unto his holy Will in all things 1. You have his Will and your duty revealed and opened to you in his Gospel and further explained by his Ministers 2. You are greatly obliged and enjoyned by his mercies and promises 3. You are firmly bound by your own act and deed by your own free and voluntary Covenants and Engagements and therefore you may not live any longer in the neglect of any of Christs Ordinances and Appointments And consider further that while you live in such neglects you Rob God of his Dues you detain his Right of Homage and Service from him which will assuredly have bitterness in the end and instead of being called and intitled Obedient Children 1 Pet. 1.14 you will incur the odious Name and Title of Disobedient if not Stubborn and Rebellious Children Fourthly Believers ought to joyn themselves to and walk in Church-fellowship for their own Souls sakes for their own profit and spiritual benefit They stand in need of all God's means to help them on in their journey and spiritual warfare through the Wilderness of this world as experience shews It is well known that all Believers have their Entanglements Tryals Temptations Oppositions Weights Burdens and Weaknesses The best of Saints have them and are not a little incumbred and pressed by them Now God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ have in their great Love and Kindness to Believers made and provided offered and given to them sutable and proper means for their support strengthening comfort and encouragement to feed and nourish to edifie and build up their Souls and Graces and that by imparting and communicating of his Spirit Truth Love and Grace unto their Souls in and by those means They are appointed and given to them for their own profit and the glory of God Such is the Love of Jesus Christ unto his peculiar people as that he hath conjoyned and made their present and eternal happiness one and the same end with his own Honour and Glory in all the dispensations of his Graces and in all his Promises and Gospel-Laws so that they are not two but one End and Interest wherein his free Love and Grace shines forth most gloriously Now as God told a Remnant among the Jews That he sent them into Captivity for their good Jer. 24.5 So he hath made and appointed Churches and set his Gospel-Ordinances in them for his peoples good that they may come there and reap the fruits and profits of them Therefore they ought to do it and not upon any Pretence whatsoever to neglect it for if they refuse to come and take them as they in Luk. 14.16 17 18 19 20 21. may not the great God reprove and condemn them for their wilful neglects and careful refusals as he did them He made a great Supper a feast of fat things Isa 25. bid and invited men to come eat of his Supper but they made excuses for their neglects so he hath made a Heavenly Feast for Believers invited them to come to eat and drink freely and abundantly for the supply of their wants and making them fat and flourishing But they will not come into his House or Houses nor accept of his dainties although they stand in need of it are lovingly and importunately invited by their God and King their Head and Husband to come freely dwell in his House feed on his Banquets lye in his Bosom and refresh themselves with his Delights but they will not do it They stand off as if they were not concerned in those matters had no need of them or not injoyned to come They frequently complain and cry out of their wants weaknesses barrenness cold and dead-heartedness of the strength and prevalency of their Lusts and Temptations of their ignorance sadness and carnality And although they have provisions made in their Fathers Houses and in their Kings Palaces to help and relieve them to
them and that where God hath promised and you may find them There you may obtain the milk and honey of the promises of Christ's presence of making you fat and flourishing of a blessed Ministry and the blessings of it of Divine loves and sweet provisions and of peace and security I could have perswaded you to joyn unto and walk in the Churches of Christ by other Reasons but I think these may suffice such as are of willing hearts and of meek and humble soft and holy spirits Quest What ends should all men aim at and have in their eye in joyning with and walking in Church-fellowship or to what ends and purposes should they become Church-members Answ 1. To please and honour the Lord Jesus Christ their Lord and King in his Churches and to shew their Respect unto him Obedience to his Commands and declare their dependance on him for all things and their subjection to him in all things Christ the Lord hath done many good works to pleasure them exalt honour them and therefore they ought to do his will and their duty to please exalt and honour him Esa 56.4 Col. 1.10 This glorious end every Church-member must have in his eye and heart in walking in Churches 2. To express their high Resentment of his savours to them and their cordial thank fulness for them They are greatly priviledged and highly dignified in the Churches by their membership there and they can no otherwise express their gratitude to their head and King but by accepting them dutiful and faithful improvement of them to the ends for which they were given Good men do shew how they value them by their accepting and using them Churches and their priviledges are not small matters in their accounts or light matters in their esteem but they are high and honourable in their hearts and so are their works and duties there likewise Psal 27.4 Psal 63.1 2 3. Psal 84. 3. They should aim at and design to have and hold Communion with God and Jesus Christ the Lord. God is known in these Palaces Psal 48.3 and to be seen in these Galleries There he opens himself and breaks opens the Treasures of his love and grace unto his people and there he stands holding out his Golden Scepter There he waits to meet his Spouses to kiss and embrace them to entertain and speak friendly to them He meeteth them that rejoyce and work Righteousness and remember him in his wayes Esa 64.5 The wayes and walks of the Lord God are in his Churches there he dwells keeps house manifests himself unto his Houshold and rests himself takes his delight and shews forth his glory to them and thither they should go to meet him 2 Cor. 6.16 Rev. 2.1 Joh. 14.21 23. 4. Believers should enter into and walk with God in Church-fellowship to encrease and augment their grace and to better their hearts to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 and that they may perfect holiness in the fear of God that they may receive of his fulness grace for grace Joh. 1.16 and be filled with all the fulness of God Eph. 3.19 that they may eat of their Fathers Bread and drink of his Wine be made fat and flourishing and fruitful in every good work Psal 92. Psal 132. Col. 1.10 5 To keep their hearts warm strong and lively for God his work and service and that they may obtain and enjoy all encouragements for and in their works tryals and difficulties To fence and arm themselves against all their Enemies assaults on them and be enabled to fight against and conquer them in the Lord Jesus That they may be enabled to run their holy Race chearfully and couragiously and finish their course with joy Act. 20.24 1 Cor. 9.24 Rom. 8. The Son of Righteousness shines warmest on Believers Souls in the Churches of Christ and there are more springs of joy and harvests of profit than are or can be found elsewhere There is a River the streams whereof make glad the City of God the holy place of the Tabernacles of the most high Psal 46.4 There are no springs like the Churches springs nor any harvests like the Churches harvests The fullest clearest and most fatning streams of living waters flow from the fountain Christ on the Churches and the most comely and fruitful branches are or may be found in them They may be the warmest sweetest strongest liveliest chearfullest fruitfullest and the most spiritual men in the World And that they may be such they should joyn themselves to and walk in the Churches of Christ 6. That they may adorn the Gospel convince the World encourage their Brethren and witness to the Truths Wayes Authority and Headship of Christ This is no small thing but they are all matters of the highest moments and of greatest concernment and therefore and for these ends they should walk in Church-fellowship 7. To augment and encrease your experiences to obtain more acquaintance with your selves the operations of the holy Ghost for you and in you and that you may be more clearly and firmly sealed up to the day of Redemption 8. To pay your vows and make good your promises to Perform your Covenant and discharge your work to God the Father and Christ your head You owe them personal and Church-homage and service you are bound and engaged to observe and do all things whatsoever your God commands and appoints you to observe and do according to your opportunities and abilities Matth. 28. ult Joh. 14.15 which you do not cannot do unless you walk in some Church of Christ and put your selves under all his Laws Ordinances and Institutions But that you may so do you put or ought to put your selves under them by joyning your selves to and walking with God and his people in Church-fellowship These are some of the holy ends all believers should have in their eyes and hearts in their aims and designs They must take heed and beware of carnal self-ends in this and all other matters of Religion which will certainly croud in and carry a great stroke in this matter For the Lord Jesus abhors them and cannot endure to have his holy and spiritual matters and concernments subjected and made to serve mens carnal Interests He will have no other aims and ends in Church-members hearts but his own whereby he may be glorified and our Souls profited and others encouraged to do their duty to him We have no dispensation or allowance given us to aim at and design to augment and encrease our Trades and worldly profits or to be maintained by the Churches Benevolence in and by our walking with them or to greaten our names and encrease our friendship and acquaintance among men unless it be to capacitate us to do the more good to men to have larger opportunities to serve Christ our Brethren and our own Souls But our aims ends and designs must be the Lord's namely to please and honour God to express our thankfulness
A GOSPEL-CHURCH OR GOD'S Holy TEMPLE OPENED Wherein is shewed from the Scriptures 1. What a Gospel-Church is 2. That such a Church is of Divine Institution 3. With what Materials such a Church should be formed 4. The Form of such a Church and how it should be built 5. The several Officers and Offices in the said Church and their respective Works and Dutys there 6. The Duties of Church-Members to their Officers 7. Their Duties to one another 8. Their Church-Priviledges and several other matters and concernments which may not here be mentioned but may be found in the Epistle all intended for the spiritual profit of Church-Members By Stephen Ford Preacher of the Gospel in London These things I write unto thee that thou may'st know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the House of God 1 Tim. 3 14 15. Blessed are they that dwell in thy House they will be still praising thee They go from strength to strength every one appearing before God in Zion Psal 84.4.7 London Printed in the Year 1675. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY To my entirely beloved the Elders Deacons and to the rest of the Church of Christ over whom the Holy Ghost hath made me an Overseer Friends I Am yours and I hope you are Christ's 1 Cor. 3.22 23. You are exceeding dear to me and ly deep in my heart 1 Thes 2.8 Phil. 1.7 and you are my joy and crown of rejoycing especially some of you 1 Thes 2.19 20. Phil. 4.1 Your welfare and happiness is mine your thriving and growing in Grace and in the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 is mine and your standing fast in the Lord and bearing much fruit is my comfort 1. Thes 3.7 8 9. your Tryals and Afflictions are mine and your witherings and languishings are my great afflictions and sorrows 2 Cor. 11.29 Rom. 12.15 whatever some of you may think or say of me yet I can boldly say if I know any thing of my heart that God is my Record how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.8 how thoughtful and studious I am to serve you and to promote your present and eternal Blessedness and that by all the wayes and means I can And if I am not succesful in my designs and endeavours it is my burden and I cannot help it I know that Ministers may and ought to plant and water but 't is God that giveth the increase 1 Cor. 3.7 I know that I am weak and I know also that the happy success of good mens labours lies not in or proceeds not from their Abilities but from the Power of God and his Spirit working with and by them or else even a great Prophet Isaiah may say I have laboured in vain Isa 49.4 yet I say my Conscience is my witness that it is my desire aim and endeavour to be faithful to Christ and you and to give all diligence to my work and your service to Preach the word in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.2 to feed you with the Bread of sound Doctrine and to give to every one their portion of meat in due season I know and believe that the all-seeing-eye of my great Lord and Master is still on me and that I must shortly give unto him an account of my Stewardship Luk. 16.2 how I have performed my work and discharged my Trust to you and therefore I dare not but endeavour to be faithful in my Duty to Him and You. Should any of you suffer loss by any neglect or unfaithfulness of mine the sight and conviction of it would exceedingly afflict me for I do greatly love you I would be eminently Instrumental in nursing educating and building you up in Christ in knowledge faith love peace joy holiness and spiritual consolation unto eternal life and am really afflicted that I can do no more towards the attainment of it and that I am no more successful in what I do I hope you have some clear proofs and evidences of what I have said of my self and endeavours from my practises among you For what other ends can I have in all my labours and spendings but to serve Christ and your Souls especially in and by those that are extraordinary what should I aim at and design in the Monthly Lecture to and with you onely in my Lords dayes fortnights Lecture and in writing this and some other books but your good you know that I have spent my strength in a more than ordinary manner to convince regenerate and educate your Families your Children Servants and other Relations of yours For as I have told you It was for their sakes that I set it up and have continued it many years but how you have esteemed and encouraged it and how your Relations have improved it I leave to all your Consciences to judge But however I have given you a sufficient proof of my love to you and care of them by spending my strength and spirits with and for their good and all unprejudiced persons cannot but acknowledge it I could have sit down as others do with Preachi g to you twice every Lords day and one Lecture in the week-days had I not seen a necessity of doing more and had not my cordial Love to your Souls constrained me to the taking of extraordinary pains with you and for you My ends and designs in the said Monthly Lecture were 1 To acquaint you with and convince you of your duties in the Church and that every one of you might know how to behave your selves in the house of God 1 Tim. 3.15 and what duties were or are incumbent on you there 2 To acquaint you with your Church-priviledges and spiritual advantages that you might value and esteem them own and imbrace them improve and walk worthy of them and that you might be thankful for them 3 That you might know on what bottom you stand in your Church-state and that you might stand there unmovably 4 That you might know your miscarriages in your Church-state and Relation and be humbled for and repent of them in Dust and Ashes 5 That you might know the Evils and Temptations you are lyable to in a Church-state and that you might watch against and avoid them 6 That you might be enabled to answer Gain-sayers and refell their objections 7 That you might look for and expect all the promised good in your Church-state and endeavour the obtainment of it 8 To quicken and provoke you to move and perswade you to all possible diligence care and faithfulness to and in your own Jesus Christ's and one anothers concerns in your Church-state That you might be pleasing to God and profitable to your own and each others Souls in the Ordinances of Christ and in your Vnion and Communion one with another These were some of my ends in setting up that Lecture and which I have with some measure of sincerity of heart carried on though under no small discouragements from within and without And in
when we meet let our coming together be for the better and not for the worse Surely I think it is your Duty to give me loving Visits as well as I you and that when you come you shew a readiness to spend our Time and improve our Visits to the profit of our Souls unless the meeting be designed for other business The strangeness of some is no small burden to my spirit and I know not how their Consciences do dispence with such Omissions How can we think that such do really Love one another who regard not each others Company nor though they live near together will vouchsafe to give them a Visit in a whole year together For true Love inclines to Communion free and open-hearted Society together and it is so far from being burdensome to true Lovers so to do as that it is their delight Church-members are bound in duty to give their Teachers friendly Visits to encourage them in their Works and to get some good from them to their own Souls They should come and propound Cases to them that concern their Faith Practise Peace and Comfort and declare to them their Soul troubles and temptations and likewise their profit and gettings by their Ministry They should open unto them their Soul-wants and Spiritual diseases that so they may know the better how to suit their Ministry to them and apply words in season to their Conviction Instruction and Comfort For the Priests Lips should preserve knowledge and the People should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts Mal. 2.7 Mark it It is not said that they should always or mostly go to their People but that the People should seek to them Thus the Disciples came to the Lord Jesus with their Cases And truly Friends you would greatly rejoyce my heart if I might see the same practised by you in a holy and serious manner I do assure you that you should be very welcome to me and I shall most freely afford you my help and give you what assistance I can And I do further request and entreat you that when I come to visit you that then I may find you ready to entertain me with some profitable discourse that may better us in the Inner man for that is the best Entertainment I desire or expect from you and it is that which I am sure will turn to the best account now and at the last day These are some of my reasonable requests to you for my self which I hope you will not deny me 2. I have a few requests to you for God and your Head and King the Lord Jesus Christ 1. That you would still remember how you have received him as your Lord Jesus Christ and so walk ye in him Col. 2.6 Examine the Foundation you stand upon and take not up with Reformation without Regeneration and real Vnion with Christ by Faith It is to be feared that too too many Church-members sit down short of Christ a new State and a thorow change of heart that they content themselves with their being in the Churches of Christ the use of Ordinances and with their Church-priviledges We read of five Foolish Virgins in fellowship with five Wise Virgins and we read of bad Fishes in the Nets with the good of Tares growing amongst the good Wheat and of Hypocrits in the Kingdom of Heaven the Churches which Christ shall gather out and cast into the fire Matth. 25.2 Matth. 13.47 48 49 50. Isa 33.14 Take good heed that none of you be such You have past the Test of mens judgments and they take you for true Saints in their Char table judgments but you may be notorious Hypocrites for all that and you must pass under the Infallible Tryal and Judgment of God too who can and will make a true Judgment of you Therefore do you endeavour to know your own States by serious and diligent search 2 Cor. 13.5 2 Pet. 1.10 You may be Members of a true Church of Christ and yet not be true Members of Christ you may be Vnited to his People in Church-fellowship whilst you are Strangers to Christ And know that if you are Hypocrites in the Churches you are an Abomination to him you defile his holy Temple and his Soul abhors you But I say if upon your serious tryal of your selves you find indeed that you are new Creatures and have really received Christ the Lord on his own terms then do you walk in him and worthy of him Col. 1.10 Own him Trust him Love him Obey him Subject and Live to him as to your Head Lord and King Receive and walk by his Laws and Rules only and give him the Honour and Glory of his Headship and Authority over you in and by your so doing Luk. 6.46 Remember that you are the Servants of Christ bought with a price even the price of Christ's Blood that you should be his Servants and Subjects therefore be you not the Servants of men in his matters and concernments 1 Cor. 7.23 2. Do you stand up and be Zealous for and in the cause of your Lord and King Rev. 3.19 You are redeemed to it Tit. 2.14 and your Head expects it from you Keep your hearts with him and for him and suffer no Stranger no Lust Self or any Creature to Vsurp and Possess his Throne in you Shew your Zeal against all Intruders and fight them off when ever they assault you or attempt to get possession of your hearts Be you Zealous for and in his pure Gospel-worship and Ordinances for and in upholding sanctifying and celebrating of them in the Church 3. Encourage and promote the Interest of Christ in each others hearts and to enrich one another with the Truths and Grace of Christ as much as you can for it is your duty so to do and you will thereby please and glorifie him 1 Thes 5.11 Jude 20. You should labour to augment encrease and nourish the Graces Comforts and Experiences provoke strengthen and stir up one another to Love Trust Fear Honour and Serve Christ more and better For this is the Will of God concerning you 1 Thes 5.18 4. Honour Christ by reproving your sinning-Brethren and endeavouring all you can to hide it from the knowledge of others and to restore them with a spirit of meekness not suffering sin to rest upon them Gal. 6.1 Lev. 19.17 Lift them out of the ditch of Sin whereinto Temptation hath cast them and that with all possible secrecy and privacy for the honour of Christ and your Brethren and for the good of their Souls who have sinned Sin especially in Church-members carries Reproach in its mouth on Christ his Ways and Temples and therefore by the same Argument and Reason and for the self-same cause that we are to honour Christ and prevent all Reproach to his Name Gospel and People we should hide each others sins as long as possible and there is hope and endeavour privately to heal offences and
water which the Holy Ghost calls two evils Jer. 2.13 You will thereby grieve the Holy Spirit cause him to with-draw from you and withold the blessings and good of his Ordinances from your Souls Oh! my Brethren little do many of you think how deep you are under the guilt of this sin and what a Controversie God hath with your Souls for it and little do you think what losers and sufferers you are thereby Little do many think how often they are caught in this snare and how exceedingly offensive it is to God and detrimental to their own Souls Wonder not that Ordinances profit you not and that God is not with you in them if you stick in and take up with them In love I give you warning of it that you may consider it watch and pray against it that you may carefully mind and do what God requires in his Worship and Ordinances namely that you go to and seek him in them indeed And remember that it is your Duty that you must and your Priviledge that you may go to and find him and his Grace in them 4. Live by faith in all your wayes and make use of all God's Ordinances in Faith and Hope For it is faith in Christ and on the Covenant and promises that will keep you steady and unmovable that will hold your Souls in Life and with joy draw water out of the Wells of Salvation Esa 12.3 Rom. 15.13 It is faith and hope that will unite your hearts to Christ and his Promises and encourage you in your doing and suffering-work Rom. 5.5 1 Joh. 3.3 unbelief holds off and keeps back mercies from you but faith and hope draws them to you You cannot see God in his Worship and Ordinances but by Faith neither can you see the beauty and glorious Excellency of the Promises Gospel-Ordinances and Gospel-precepts and obedience to them but by Faith You can get no good no encouragement in the Gospel and wayes of God but by faith and hope Therefore live by Faith and in a well-grounded hope 5 Be sure to prepare to meet God in his Worship and do all you can to get your Hearts ready Do not rush unadvisedly into his Presence but be sure to do it with much consideration and deliberation Prepare to meet thy God Amos. 4.12 and prepare thy work without Prov. 24.27 Get ye Idols out and get your hearts into a holy frame and disposition for your God and his service get a holy awe of him on your minds a deep sense of your wants weakness and vileness and of his greatness purity and holiness on your hearts that you may draw nigh unto him with fear and trembling Heb. 12.28 Psal 2.11 For if you draw nigh to God without such preparations be sure you do not cannot honour and worship him as God neither will he meet you and bless you 6. To conclude let me request you to cleave to the Lord with full purpose of heart Act. 11.23 Walk with God and serve him in sincerity and Truth Joshua 24.14 Be you alwayes able to say with Paul and other Saints that your rejoycing is this the Testimony of your Consciences that in simplicity and Godly sincerity you have your Conversations 2 Cor. 1.12 Be you much in your closet-work I mean in secret Prayer Meditation and Examination and make what earnings you can of these Duties and Priviledges Let your Hearts be set on things above and not on worldly things Col. 3.2 cling to Christ in Love and keep your Affections warm and lively for him Converse much with Christ his Love Grace Death and with his Resurrection and Intercession with his Laws Promises and Dispensations and with the fulness of grace he hath received for you Acquaint your selves with your future glory and consider much what you shall be hereafter I jumble many things together for brevity sake By these and other Means and Duties you will glorifie God and profit your own Souls you will rejoyce my heart and engage me to bless God for you and the fruits of all will appear in your walkings in the Church as becomes the Gospel of Christ Finally my Brethren will you grant me these few reasonable Requests Truly I desire them of you for your own good and Christ's honour because you are exceeding dear to me and I do entirely love you and sincerely seek your present and eternal happiness I shall present you with a few Considerations and so conclude 1 Consider that you are a holy People in Name and Profession and a happy People in Priviledges and Dignities And therefore you must walk and carry your selves answerable to them 2 Consider the time when you were built up a spiritual house Was it not in the Sickness-Year in the beginning of the Year even then when God was about to cut down Scores of Thousands round about you and when he was ready to make great devastations in this City by the Plague Are you not as Brands pluckt out of the Fire and continued in your Church-state in the midst of devouring Judgments that you might be a peculiar People unto God 3 Consider how wonderfully the Lord hath preserved and continued your Priviledges and Mercies to you and that in very Evil times and places when many of your Brethren have lost theirs and wherefore he hath dealt so graciously with you and whether you have answered his Ends in reality and truth 4 Consider your solemn Engagement when you en red into and became Members of the Church Did you not engage to walk with God therein wait on and constantly celebrate the Service Ordinances and Worship of his House and perform your respective Duties to one another And have you done so The vows of God are on you and therefore you had need look to your selves and consider your wayes 5 Consider what Enjoyments and Communion with God you have had since your embodying together and growing up into a Temple in the Lord and what earnings and improvements you have made of them what growth in grace and encreasing with the encrease of God what have been the fruits of all to the glory of God the profit of your own and others Souls 6 Consider what esteem your Lord and King hath of you and what honours he hath conferred upon you he hath made you a House or Temple of Kings and Priests and he hath set you near himself Rev. 5.10 Eph. 2. You are the holy Temple and Houshold of God the Palace and Gallery of the great King and you are his Habitation and Garden wherein he walks and dwells with great delight He honours you with his special Presence if you walk with and please him and he calls you by his own Name You are his glory joy and Crown and he glories in you You are exceeding dear to him and pretious in his account and you are entrusted with his Richest Treasures And therefore consider 7 What he may and doth require of and expect from you you know that where
much is given much is required and expected and you know how to apply it to your selves 8 Consider what you shall be hereafter and what is now preparing for you in Heaven You have your Race to run and you have a great prize to win 1 Cor. 9. You have a Wilderenss to go thorow and a Heavenly Canaan to possess You are now to fight the good Fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 and you shall be Crowned in the end 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Now you are to Sow in Tears that you may Reap in Joy and now you are to sow and gather Fruit unto Eternal Life Joh. 4.36 and hereafter you shall Reap Life everlasting Gal. 6.8 Your Head and King is gone to Heaven to take possession for you and make ready Mansions of Glory for your Reception and Entertainment Joh. 14.2 3. He will not fail to come again in glorious State and Triumph to fetch you home unto himself and to present you spotless and glorious before his Father with exceeding joy Because he lives namely at his Fathers right hand in eternal glory you shall live there also and you shall be ever with the Lord Joh. 14.3 19. Math. 25.32 33 34. 1 Thes 4.16 17. Eph. 5. Jude 24. You are now of the Church Militant shortly you shall be of and with the Church Triumphant You are intitled to an Eternal Inheritance and shortly you shall be put into the peaceable and joyful possession of it as soon as you are of full Age. Your Names are now enroled among the general Assembly of Believers and Church of the First-born written in Heaven Heb. 12.23 But it will not be long e're you shall be taken in among that Heavenly and Glorious Society where you shall see and know as you are known 1 Cor. 13. 1 Joh. 3. Oh that you would now apply these things unto your selves and rejoyce in the faith and hope of them 1 Pet. 1.8 Oh that you would be looking for and hastening to that blessed Hope and glorious Appearance of your great God and Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2.13 2 Pet. 3.12 Oh that you would be stedfast and unmovable and always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. ult Now is your working-time hereafter you shall have a rewarding and resting time The one is very short the other Eternal Oh consider how fast your glass is running out and how near you may be at your Journeys end how gray hairs are coming on you and what a great change Death will shortly make among you The Lord Jesus is at work for you in Heaven and you lye deep in his heart and dearest Affections He will send you many Love-Letters by the holy Spirit that shall ravish and greatly rejoyce your hearts if you carry your selves dutifully to and walk pleasantly before him He will open the richest Treasures of his Love and Grace unto you and cause his fountain of pleasures to flow in upon your Souls and after a little while he will instate you into and give you an Eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Oh that I might so run as to obtain so Preach Walk and Minister unto you as to make you fat and flourishing in the House of God and approve my self a faithful Steward of the mysteries of God to you Oh that you who are Ruling Elders and Deacons and are honoured with noble Works and Offices in his House would carefully diligently faithfully and profitably mind your work and do your duty there and that all the Members would mind and practise their works and duties also O what a happy and renowned Church would you then be and what peace you might obtain to your selves thereby Oh! what advantages and opportunities have you all to honour Christ convince the World profit your own Souls and be useful to one another which I do once more entreat you to consider and lay to heart and so walk as to obtain the ends of your Church-state and priviledges And in order thereunto pray read this Book over and over again and that with a single eye and unprejudicate minds Read and ponder welâ— what you read Read and pray for a Blessing from Heaven on your hearts and Read that you may know and practise your Duties therein held forth not that you may find matters to cavil at and except against Receive and use this Book as a Pledge and Testimony of my true and unfeigned Love Respects to you an evidence of my Cordial desires and intentions to promote the everlasting welfare of your Souls Brethren I call Heaven and Earth to witness That in all my ministrations to you in all my writings and doings for and with you I do heartily earnestly and unfainedly seek and design your present and eternal Good your Peace and Vnity your Comfort and Holiness your Growth and Stability in the Grace and Truths of Christ and that you may be a Glorious Temple of God and a Church of Renown for Fruitfulness and Spirituality for Peace Concord and true Holiness Oh! how do I desire it and long to see it And know that what is wanting in my Ability to do you Service shall be made up in Diligence Love and Faithfulness while I live And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all them that are Sanctified And shall remain for ever Yours in the Lord Jesus to Love and Serve to his power S. F. ERRATA Candid Reader Thou wilt find many faults committed by the Press which I do entreat thy Wisdom to Correct and thy Charity to pardon seeing they are not the Authors The chief are these PAge 17. line 2. read suffragia p. 20. l. 19. f. either r. other p. 29. l. 34. f. now r. own p. 41. l. 17. r. rooted p. 44. l. 9. f. that r. yet p. 45. l. 5. f. if r. that p. 63. l. 12. put out with p. 64. r. Chapt. 4. p. 88. l. 35. r. gravity p. 121. l. 18. r. and p. 124. l. 34. f. them r. you p. 145. l. 31. r. back-bite p. 150. l. 32. after in r. and p. 177. l 8. r. have p. 201. l. 1. r. handed p. 226. put cause out of l. 7. and r. it in l. 9. p. 236. l. 14. f. in r. about before to r. is p. 238. l. 6. f. and r. as p. 243. l. 2. r. and p. 249. l. 7. r. careless p. 258. l. 1. r. and p. 270. l. 1. f. to r. for p. 271. l. 35. f. but r. for p. 308. l. 10. f. of r. and p. 310. l. 11. after and put in that p. 314. l. 23. r. the l. 35. f. continued r. confirmed p. 315. l. 19. r. to p. 320. l. 9. r. smell A GOSPEL-CHVRCH OR GOD'S Holy Temple A brief Discourse of A New-Testament CHURCH from Ephes 2.19 20 21 22. Now therefore ye are
no more Strangers and Forreigners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-Stone In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord In whom you also are builded together for an Habitation of God through the Spirit OUr Apostle having shewed the believing Ephesians what they were before their Regeneration and Conversion to Christ in the 1 2 3 5 11 12. verses he proceeds to shew them their present state and condition with the efficient meritorious and instrumental causes thereof And first he shews them what they are not vers 19. Now therefore ye are no more as once you were Strangers and Forreigners 2ly What they now were in what state and condition 1. You are saith he fellow-Citizens and that with the Saints 2. And of the houshold or family of God 3. You are in a happy and secure state for you are not built says he upon your own sandy foundation but upon the Rock of Ages namely 1. The Covenant of Grace the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets 2. On Jesus Christ the chief Corner-Stone vers 20. The only foundation laid by God the Father and God the Son which by Them was laid before the world was 1. Cor. 3.11 Math. 16.18 2 Tim. 1.9 Tit. 1.2 and which is sufficiently able to uphold support and secure all that build and bear themselves upon it In the Text you have an account of the matter and form of a temple habitation or a particular Church of God together with the maker and builder thereof First The matter or materials wherewith God builds him a house to dwell in 1. They are quickened and enlivened persons vers 5. 2. They are Gods workmanship recreated or regenerated in Christ Jesus unto good works vers 10. 3. They are brought nigh to God by Christ his blood vers 13. 4. They are built upon Christ Jesus and the Covenant of Grace vers 20. 5. They are fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God that is of the Invisible Catholick Church of Christ vers 19. Secondly The form 1. They are said to be fitly â—ramed or formed together vers 21. That is these materials are joyned or glewed together into a house or body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In quo totum aedisicium congruenter coagmentatum Beza you are congruously and rightly laid into the building and so become an excellent and comely fabrick or house of God 2. They are said to be builded for a Habitation viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. You have an account of the Former and builder or the Agent imployed in the work of building a holy Temple or Church of God and that is the Holy Ghost vers 21. Now this he doth 1. By fitting and preparing materials It is not the work of men or Angels to make men fit matter for a Church or Temple of God but it is the work of the omnipotent Spirit It is his work and in the power of his hand only to quicken the dead to enlighten the blind to translate men out of the kingdom of Satan and bring them into Christ's 2. He doth it by shewing them their duty and the way to it by making their hearts willing and leading them in the way wherein they should go 3. By giving them Laws and Rules to walk by 4. By stirring up his Ministers hearts and tongues to move and perswade them to it 4thly We have here one of the great ends of the Spirit his building of Churches and that is for a habitation for God to dwell in As God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them 2 Cor. 6.16 Psal 132.14 Rev. 2.1 And as these things are here expressed so there are many things implyed and included which are not exprest as the Laws orders and ordinances of a house of God the duty of all Believers to joyn themselves to some Church of Christ as they have opportunity and their duties there as likewise the profit and advantage that will accrue to them in that state and the priviledge and honour of it and the glory and honour of Christ and several things that I shall discourse on in my proceedures God doth not set up Churches to stand empty and Idle only to have a name and to be gazed on but he hath instituted appointed and erected them for his Name Honour and Glory in the world and for the Soul-profit and benefit of his people that they should walk with him and He with them that they should obey and honour him and he supply and enrich them with his grace and for other glorious ends and purposes which shall be discoursed of the Lord assisting CHAP. I. Of an Instituted Gospel-Church and the Extent thereof MY purpose and design is to discourse only of a particular instituted Gospel-Church and in my proceedures I shall not concern my self with any Mens conceptions of a Church in any other sense but keep clôss to the subject or Church under consideration without medling with the controversies that are amongst learned men in their different apprehensions of Churches and their concernments For as I desire and hope I may without offending any to have liberty to declare and practise my own light faith and perswasion in these things so I think it most reasonable to leave others to their own perswasions expressions and practice in these matters without any Reflexions It is the profit of such as I am concern'd withall that I aim at and I judge my self obliged in duty to make known the whole will of God to those I have the oversight of according to my Light Abilities and Opportunities and that by all the regular ways and means I can find out and obtain the knowledge of And it is for them that I chiefly intend these Lines although they may probably fall into other mens hands Therefore waving the thoughts of men I shall proceed to acquaint you who shall read this discourse with the will of God in this matter so far as I know believe and as may be profitable for you which I shall do by way of Question and Answer 1. Quest What is a true Instituted Gospel-Church Answ A true Instituted Gospel-Church is a Society or Congregation of persons called out of the world or their state of death blindness and unbelief by the Word and Spirit of Christ to the knowledge of Christ and his will and unto the Obedience of faith or A company of Believers united together in a holy Band by special and voluntary agreement who by the grace and power of Christ in their hearts under the conviction of their duty do give up themselves to the Lord and to one another by the will of God to live and walk together as Saints in love peace and in the constant celebration and practice of all the Laws and worship of Christ and in the observation of all
his Gospel-Ordinances in Obedience to his Holy Will for his Glory and their own Spiritual profit Rom. 1.5 6. 2 Cor. 8.5 Heb. 3.1 1 Pet. 2.5 Eph. 2.21 22. 2 Cor. 4.6 1 Pet. 2.9 Eph. 2.1.5 Col. 2.6 2 Thes 1.5 This Church so united and built is called a Church a House a Temple Habitation of God and Jesus Christ and they own it as their own call it by their own Names and confirm it with their Presence in it And as such a Church it is the proper seat and subject of all the Gospel-worship and ordinances of Christ in the world as will appear in the other Chapters and therefore I shall not insist on it here Onely take these sew hints of this Church along with you 1. It is an Instituted Church of Jesus Christ namely a Church of his own appointment and erection of his own making and forming according to his own will and pleasure by his own Authority and Approbation 2. The materials or persons constituting this Church are said to be holy persons called out of their old worldly state of death blindness and unbelief unto the knowledg that is the saving knowledg of Christ and his will and unto the Obedience of Faith 3. The Instruments that call them and work them for this state and that is the Word and Spirit of Christ 4. The form of this Church namely their own free special and voluntary agreement among themselves giving themselves to the Lord before each other and then to one another by the will of God entering into a holy band or Engagement to live and walk together through divine assistance in Love peace and in the celebration and practice of all the Laws worship and ordinances of Christ in the Church in obedience to his holy Will 5. The ends of their so doing namely the Glory of Christ and their own spiritual profit These are some of the chiefest things to be observed in this definition of an Instituted Gospel-Church All which I shall through God's help prove and demonstrate hereafter under several heads 2. Quest Of what Extent should an Instituted Gospel-Church be or how many persons should it consist of Answ It should be formed of so many persons as may capacitate them to perform all necessary-Church Acts in pursuance of Christ's Laws and Rules by which the Society ought to walk Mat. 18.15 16 17. and of no more than may conveniently meet together in one place for the celebration of all Gospel-Ordinances and the Edification of the whole Church Now How many persons precisely are requisite to make and constitute such a formal Church I cannot determine but undoubtedly there ought to be such a number as may orderly and regularly deal with and proceed against a delinquent-member according to that Rule in Mat. 18. And as the Church should consist of so many so it should have no more persons in it then as was said may comfortably and conveniently meet or assemble together for the worship of God and profit of the whole Church in one place and that 1. because they are one congregation by their own consent and agreement and so ought not to devide and separate themselves one from another in the worship and ordinances of God but there at the same times with one heart and one mouth glorify God Rom. 15.6 2 Because the whole Church is bound at all times excepting extraordinary cases to wait and attend on the administration of their own Officers by virtue of Christs Law Heb. 13.17 enjoyning them so to do and also by virtue of their own engagement and relation they stand in to them 3 For their own comfort and edification in the Church and ordinances of God This is one of the great ends of Churches and the worship and ordinances of God there namely the profit and edification of all 1 Cor. 14.3 31. But how can it be unless they can all hear and joyn one with another in the ordinances 4 Because a Church ought to observe ordinances and worship God as a Church and not as or under the notion of single and individual Believers but as an united Body and society they must all at once and in the same numerical duties and ordinances in one place joyn together as with one Heart Mouth Mind and Judgment designing aiming at and carrying on the same holy Ends in all the worship of God Therefore a Church of Christ may not exceed such a number of members as may conveniently meet altogether in one place 1 Cor. 5.4 But I shall not enlarge on this head CHAP. II. Shewing that a particular Church of Believers is of divine Institution 3. QUestion Whether particular Churches of Believers be of divine Institution or whether they be of God Answ They are appointed and Instituted of God by Jesus Christ which will appear in or by these particulars First The Scripture tells us that the Spirit is the former and builder of them The Text is clear for it in whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit vers 22. These are the words of Christ by Paul unto the particular congregational Church of the believing Ephesians as is clear in the 20 Chapter of the Acts 27 28. Rev. 2.1 Where the Lord Jesus calls them a distinct Houshold Church or Body of Saints gathered or joyned together in his name for his glory the celebration of his worship ordinances and appointments I say Christ stiles them a Church and speaks to them as a Church and distinct Body or house of Saints from all other persons or Churches whatsoever and this Church was not formed and built by man but by the will power light and direction of the holy Ghost therefore the particular congregational Church of Ephesus is called the House of God 1 Tim. 3.15 and the Church of the living God in the same vers and the distinct particular Churches are called the Churches of God 1 Cor. 11.16 2 Thes 1.4 2 Cor. 1.1 and the Churches of Christ Rom. 16.16 Act. 20.28 And the Lord added to the particular Church at Jerusalem such as should be saved Act. 2. vlt. The holy Spirit by the appointment and with the consent and Authority of God the Father and Christ his Son who is also God blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 prepares materials for a Church and then he joyns them together and makes them a holy and glorious Temple or Church of God Eph. 2.21 22. and Chap. 5.27 So that we have enough to confirm this Truth viz. that particular Churches of Believers are of God in this one particular namely Because God himself is the former and builder of them Mat. 16.18 Isa 43.21 Secondly It further appears by the Lord 's owning of them promising and vouchsafing his presence with them which he would never do if they were not of his Institution and appointment But now the Lord declares his owning of and promises his presence and abode with them as his Churches Jesus Christ doth not only by
his Spirit prepare and fit men for this state build them up and stamp his own and his Father's name upon them but also he dwells in them and makes them his walks palaces and places of his delight Here says he will I dwell for I have desired it Psal 135.14 yea these Churches are his chosen and most pleasant habitations Psal 132.13 where he rests and reposes himself v 14. and that for ever not to look on or visit them now and then but to rest himself and dwell there for ever not for a few days but for ever And in Rev. 2.1 the Lord Jesus tells the Church at Ephesus that he walked in the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks which were the seven distinct particular and congregational Churches Rev. 1.20 and in the 2 Cor. 9.16 says he I will dwell in them and walk in them that is in the particular Church at Corinth Now particular congregational Churches are of God or Men but they cannot be of mens devising and setting up because God owns them and confirms them with his presence desires and chuses them for his Rest and dwells in them continually with delight and complacency and therefore they must be of God for the great and holy God will not own the devices of men in and about his name and worship but abhorrs and loaths them condemns and rejects them as filthy and abominable things Lev. 10.2 Sam. 6. and much less will he delight and rest in them Thirdly That particular congregational-Churches of Believers are of divine Institution is further evinced and confirmed by the constant and universal practice of Believers in the Apostles daies for no sooner were any Jews or Gentiles converted to Christ but assoon as they had opportunity they joyned to or congregated into Churches So Acts 2.41 42. it is said that they were daily added to the Church vers 47. and Acts 5.14 This is evident in the places where the Apostles preached amongst the Jews and Gentiles and the Gospel was received that assoon as a number were converted they congregated as being the first work they were to do after they had received Christ Jesus the Lord. Col. 2.6 and ever after they were called Churches of Christ and Temples of God a multitude of them you read of in the Acts Epistles of Paul and in the Revelation And what they did therein was by the doctrine and advice of the Apostles and according to what they taught them from and in the name of Christ 1 Cor. 11.23 2 Pet. 1. ult Now what they did and practised by Apostolical direction and with the approbation of Jesus Christ hath the binding force and power of a divine precept 1 Cor. 11.1 Heb. 6.12 It was the universal practice of the primitive Saints to joyn themselves to some Church of Christ insomuch that we can hardly find any one of them continuing out of a Church-state any time after their conversion We seldome read in divine histories of any believers but what had relation to one Church or other planted and watered by the Apostles or Evangelists 1 Cor. 3.6 By which said universal practice we may conclude that particular Churches of Believers are of Gods owne Institution For the Saints of God durst not do then as many dare do now namely to live in the willful neglect of so great a Duty and priviledg the love and fear of God and the will of Christ easily perswaded them to give up themselves unto Christ in universal obedience unto his whole revealed will And they could not congregate and joyn into Churches nor abide and worship God in them in faith and obedience unless they had known that what they did therein was the will of Christ and their duty Fourthly This Truth is further confirmed by the Laws Rules and Orders that Jesus Christ hath given to his Churches as Churches and not as to individual and single Believers Almost all the Epistles of Paul are written for and directed to Believers as inchurched and incorporated into bodies and distinct congregations and he directs his Epistles to them under the stile and Title of Churches To the Church of God which is at Corinth 1 Cor. 1.2 and To the Church of the Thessalonians 1 Thes 1.1 In which Epistles are all the Laws Rules and Orders for all the members of the Churches walking and practice contained which shall be afterwards opened when I come to speak of the duties of Churches and the Epistles of Paul to Timothy are written and sent to him to direct him how to behave himself in the House of God and to shew him what his work and duty was in the Church 1 Tim. 3 14 15. So other Epistles are given to the Churches that they might know how to behave themselves in that state and Relation There are Rules and Laws for their faith and Love and orders for their walkings and practices There they are Instructed and taught how to carry themselves towards God the Father and Jesus Christ their Head and Ruler towards their Pastors and Teachers and towards one another as fellow-Members There they have laid down their particular works and duties towards God and Men and shewed how they should perform them as also motives and encouragements to move and quicken them to diligence and faithfulness in the practice of them And although all sorts of duties are there laid down and commanded namely such as respect other Relations and Capacities as of husband and wife parents and children c. yet the chief and great end matter and scope of them are intended for them as Believers in a Church-state and Relation as will further appear when I come to speak of the special and particular duties of Church Members as such Now then if God hath given his Laws Rules and Orders unto Churches or to Believers as in a Church state and condition for their holy and regular walking towards God and one another as in that relation then undoubtedly particular congregated Churches of Believers are of God and of divine Institution For surely the holy and jealous God would never so far own and priviledge the devices and Institutions of men in matters that so nearly concern his worship and Glory as to dignify them with his holy Laws and Ordinances as he hath done to his own Churches that are of his own Institution and appointment Fifthly This Truth is further ratifyed and confirmed by the Officers he hath given to them for their well-being ordering and managing of Church-affairs and concernments in his name for his glory and their profit These Officers are specified and enumerated in Eph. 4.11 1 Cor. 12.28 Phil. 1.1 1 Tim. 3.1 Tim. 5.17 and elsewhere as in Acts 20.17 c. And they are not given by men but God authorized impowred by him to act and officiate as such in the Church 1 Cor. 12.28 God hath set them in his Church And Acts 20.28 says Paul to the Elders of the Church at Ephesus Take heed to your selves and to the
found fault withal for their being inchurched and incorporated into distinct congregations but they are often Commended for it Act. 2. Col. 2.5 For men to set up Churches Temples and Houses to be the seats and subjects of Gods Ordinances and Worship and then to entile the name Authority of Jesus Christ to them had been a most high and presumptuous wickedness indeed and such as he would never have wincked at but abhorred and rejected them as mens works Therefore particular congregated Churches of Believers are of God for if they had not he would undoubted have severely reproved them for their so walking Tenthly These congregational Churches must needs be of God because without such the worship and ordinances of God cannot regularly orderly be observed and performed by men in a solemn fixed and publique stated way and manner neither can the pastors overseers of them rightly and comfortably perform their work and administer the ordinances of Christ to men For all that are priviledged with Christ his Institutes and profess to own him for their Lord and Saviour ought to live under his Government and discipline and to subject themselves to all the orders and Appointments of Christ and to own and give up themselves to the guidance and Rule of such as he hath set over them and their Teachers and Elders are to take care of watch over and duely administer to such as Christ hath committed to their care inspection and charge Now how can they do it unless they are fixed formed and known Churches or Congregations unless they have mutually chosen each either to walk together in their several places and capacities as a stated Church or Family of God How can they be overseers of Churches and take care of them as such as Christ commands them Act. 20.17 28. unless they are first Churches and declare themselves to be such unto their Guides that they may take the care and charge of and administer to them as Churches of Christ If their officers are stated fixed officers to them then they must be stated fixed Churches to their officers How else shall they know who are their flocks their care and charge and who are not who they are bound to over-see and minister too as their own peculiar flocks what they are to do give or receive to or from them or how to discharge their ministerial work unto them and give an account of them unto their Lord and Master unless they are incorporated Societys who have engaged to walk together as Churches in all Christs-Ordinances and chosen them to administer to them in the name of Christ and by his Authority And how can they administer Church-Ordinances unto them as Church-Officers unless they are and they own and approve of them as the Churches of Christ and believe that they are set there by Christ as Church-Officers to officiate for him as such to his Churches as Churches what Authority can they claim over them unless with their own mutual consent they acknowledge and own each other as Churches and Officers of Christ to and in them How can they administer the Lords Supper to them authoritatively require their attendance on their administrations and reprove their neglects and how can their Teachers preach to them with all Authority How can they watch over and feed them and expect their Love Duty and Subjection and how can they exercise the power of the Keys and administer censures to and amongst them unless they are related to one another as Officers and Churches Ministers are charged to take care of their own flocks Act. 20.17 28. and to behave themselves so and so in the House of God committed to their Trust 1 Tim. 3.5 15. and such are pronounced Blessed Mat. 24 25 26 27. Who then says Christ is a Faithful and Wise Steward or Servant whom his Lord hath made Ruler over his Houshold to give them meat in due Season Blessed is that Servant c. These are some of the many Reasons and demonstrations that might be given to shew that particular congregated Churches of Believers are of God and not of men I might have added as many more to evince and confirm it but these may be sufficient to satisfy the Faith and Consciences of and encourage Believers in their walking in Church fellowship or congregating into distinct Churches and particular Societies CHAP. III. Of the matter of a Gospel-Church or the materials of Gods Holy Temple 4. QUestion What are the Materials of a House of God or how should persons be qualified for Church-fellowship or who ought to be Church-Members Ans Onely regenerate and converted Persons such as are married to and have put on Christ such as are savingly and powerfully enlightned and enlivened quickened and convinced of Sin Righteousnesse and Judgment Joh. 16.8 9. 2 Cor. 5.5 Eph. 2.1 5. Such as have choven Christ for their Lord and Saviour and resigned and made over themselves to Christ received him upon his own Terms Col. 2.6 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Such onely as are reconciled unto and are in favour with God as are justifyed by Faith sanctified by the Spirit and set a part for Holyness and unto Living to God and no more unto themselves Such as are the beloved of God called effectually to be Saints and have really and sincerely taken upon them the Yoke of Christ Jesus I say such persons and only such doth Jesus Christ account meet to be partakers of this priviledge and dignity Col. 1.12 and to make Heavenly Places Eph. 1.3 although men do not certainly know them to be such and by reason of their darknesse and fallable Judgments they may receive and admit others into Churches and unto their priviledges and immunities yet in truth they have no right unto them and ought not to be there For these Spiritual-Holy things are for and only for Spiritual and Holy Men Heavenly places are for Heavenly Persons and Spiritual works for Spiritual Men. Now the Churches of Christ are the only Holy Spiritual and Heavenly places and the Seats and Subjects of Holy and Heavenly things Christ prepares men by his Grace Word and Spirit to make them fit and meet materials and then he calls them to joyn together and become a Spiritual House for his Delight Service and Glory 1 Pet. 2.5 And therefore such and only such persons ought to be Members of a Church of Christ as will appear by these following particulars 1. Because God threatens and often declares his detestation and abhorrence of others being there and manifests his Indignation against them As to the man that came to the supper without the Wedding Garment Matth. 22.11 12 13. Then said the King to his Servants bind him hand and foot and cast him into outer Darknesse Isa 33.14 The Sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulness hath surprized the Hypocrites who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting Burnings And the five foolish Virgins Mat. 25. and the
Righteousnesse worthynesse Interests and sufficiency and chosen and appropriated him to themselves for their Righteousnesse worthynesse portion and sufficiency upon the sight and conviction of the nothingness emptinesse and insufficiency of their own and with a heart satisfyed with perswasion of the lovelynesse fullnesse and sufficiency of Christs 5. And if all this be seriously humbly self-debasingly and heartily done so far as Men may Judge Is it done or do they make known the dealings of God with their Souls and their faith in Christ in such a manner and at least seemingly with such a Spirit and with the sense and feeling of what they declare you may also be much helped in making a right Judgment of them whether they are sent of God as fitted by him for Church membership by the ends they propound unto themselves and declare unto you in desiring membership with you If they do seriously professe that what they do is in obedience to the will and as they judge the call of Christ as their indispensible duty and that they dare not live any longer in the neglect of the Church-ordinances of Christ That they joyn in fellowship to meet with and enjoy God to receive of his fulnesse to fit and enable them to the performance of all duties and conform their hearts and lives to the will of God in all things and other ends before named To which they do seriously bind themselves to God to perform and prosecute as also to walk and carry themselves in his Church according to the will of God through the Grace of Christ I say such may undoubtedly be accounted worthy Members and be received in as such CHAP. VI. Of the Formal cause of a Congregational Gospel-Church 6. QUest What is the formalis ratio or formal cause of a particular Church of Christ or how and by what means should Believers and fit materials be formed up and become a beautiful formal House or Temple of God for him to dwell in Answ First it is certain in experience that every house consists of matter and form and as men cannot have houses to dwell in without matter and form or materials formed up and laid together in order by the Art of Men so cannot God properly have a Spiritual house without matter and form God alludes to mens houses and the old Jewish Temple when he calls and stiles his Gospel Churches his houses and Temples so likewise Cities and Corporations that are of mens forming and we all know that a great number of materials scattered abroad lying here and there make not a house although they are well fitted and framed for a house but it is the orderly forming them up together that makes a house David provided many excellent materials to build God a house yet says God thou shalt not build it but Solomon thy Son shall and it was not a house until Solomons days he made the house of Davids materials So a Company or great number of Believers scattered up and down here and there make not a Gospel-Church or holy Temple of God how holy and excellent soever they are no more than the materials for the Temple made a Temple in Davids days It is contrary to every mans reason and experience to imagine it Neither are a number of Believers meeting occasionally together for the celebration of some Ordinances though often therefore a Church although they know and love each other and are satisfied of the good states of each other Neither doth their living together within the bounds or limits of a Parish make them a Church nor all of them together because they want the constitutive cause or formalis ratio of a Church or House of God Hence says the Text in allusion unto material houses and the Jewish Temple which was once the place of the special worship and presence of God Deut. 12.5 11. 2 Chron. 7.15 16. Ye are built and fitly framed for a habitation of God and being so framed and that not by man but the Spirit ye grow into a Holy Temple in the Lord. And the Church of Corinth was so built into a Holy-Temple 1 Cor. 3.16 17. 2 Cor. 6.16 Now if a number of company of Believers dwelling near together as in Cities usually they do and their occasional meeting together to worship God in some Ordinances did make them a formal house of God what need of building them up into a house and it is a matter of great weight and moment to me what the Apostle says in the Text last vers concerning the holy Spirit namely that he should be the great Agent and doer of it which clearly shews that it is a matter of very great concernment with respect to God and Believers to have them well and orderly formed together into a Church House or Temple of God for else the holy Spirit would never thus appropriate it and the whole of it unto himself as being only able to do it as his own proper work it being too great for men Angels to do but from and by him And I think if it were so light and inconsiderable a matter as some would have it it would have been a great dishonour rather than an honour to the holy Ghost to have entitled himself to it and have taken it upon himself as the sole cause thereof And as the Jewish Temple was so to be built and formed as that it might continue in its beauty and glory so undoubtedly ought the Lords Spiritual Temples now not for a few days but for ever for otherwise they will be rather like the Israelites Tents and Tabernacle in the wildernesse transcient and removing from place to place while they were Journeying towards their rest but when they were setled in their Land then they were to have a fixed Temple to meet God in and so the Apostle speaking to and of the particular congregated Church of Ephesus alludes unto the Temple of God at Jerusalem as a fixed setled place of Gods worship when he says they are a holy Temple and habitation of God Now if persons occasionally meeting together for the worship of God make a Gospel Church without any more adoe then they may be here to Day and gone to Morrow In such a place was a Church Temple of God Yesterday but none to Day for they are not fixed but transcient they are no more bound to one another with whom they sometimes walked than to others of Gods People which they never saw till to Day And if they have a mind to do so they may go to five or ten several places to Morrow and five take up with one Minister and ten with another c. for a Week Month or Year as they please if they be not formed and builded together and bound fast together as a House Temple or Family under the rule Inspection and teaching of fixed stated Officers For either they belong to one fixed houshold and Family or to none at all they have their own Officers or none
joyn together into a Church-state ought to know as well as they can and be satisfied of the fitnesse and meetnesse of each other as well as each person of himself for these and other Reasons that might be named Secondly When a competent number of Believers are well satisfied in and of each others sitnesse to build a holy Temple for God they should meet together and solemnly present themselves before God humble themselves and acknowledge their own weaknesse ignorance and unworthynesse for although they may be in a sense meet and worthy yet because of their indwelling Lusts and actual Trangressions they may see matter enough in and by themselves to cry out as Isaiah did we are unclean and unworthy and to ask pardon and forgiveness of God so also to tell God what they are about to do and entreat him to send forth his Light and Truth into their hearts and by his holy Spirit to lead assist and guide them in the right way according to this promise Psal 25.12 Psa 61.8 Joh. 16.13 For although they may have as they have a plain and perfect Rule before them to guide them in this weighty matter yet they may want light in their hearts to walk by it clearly and exactly as they ought to do which the holy Spirit that hath made them willing by his power Psal 110.3 will supply with his light upon importunate asking it Thus Ezra did when concerned in Temple-work chapt 8.21 and it is prophefied by David that when God should build up his Church he would do it upon his peoples prayers Psal 102. And as they should pray for light and counsel in their hearts from the holy Ghost who is and will be owned and accounted the chief Agent in the work of building Gospel-Churches as in preparing Materials making them willing guiding and directing them in the work so that God would vouchsafe them his presence own and blesse them in their Church-state ratifie and confirm the labour of their hands and prosper them to his Glory their own edification comfort 3. When this is done and their hearts are warmed with the presence of God and their minds enlightned with the Spirits Beams of Light shining in upon them in answer to their Prayers and their hearts thereby faster knit to each other in Love as to the living Members of Christ then they should declare to each other their free full and cordial acceptance of and satisfaction in one another expresse to one another their real hearty and joynt Resolutions purposes and Intentions by the help of God to live and walk together as a Church of Christ in the celebration of all the ordinances of Christ in the Church and engage covenant and promise to take upon themselves the practice and observation of all the Laws of Christ and duties one to another in that state and Relation taking hold of the Covenant of Grace accepting the Lord Jesus for their Lord Head and Saviour resigning up themselves unto him and professing their unfained subjection to him and all his Rules Laws and Orders and that they will submit themselves one to another in the fear of God Eph. 5.21 as he hath commanded them And which may be confirmed to one another by giving each other the right hands of fellowship Gal. 2 9. This I take to be the formal constituting cause of a Church or Temple of God and I know no other but some there must be and I think to this agree several Scripture-instances that if rightly understood amounts to as much as aforesaid Thus the Israelites became a Church God propounded to them what he would have them observe and do and accordingly the whole congregation received what was said and engaged to do and observe what God required of them Exod. 24.3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the people answered with one voice and said All the words which the Lord hath said will we do so Deut. 5.27 Exod. 20.19 Deut. 29.9 14. This was freely and voluntarily done by them and thereby they became a Church and were solemnly admitted unto all the worship and priviledges thereof and God accepted and approved of what they had done Deut. 5.27 28. Go thou near and hear all that the Lord our God shall say c. and we will hear it and do it And the Lord heard the voice of your words when ye spake unto me and the Lord said unto me I have heard the voice of the words of this People which they have spoken unto thee They have well said all that they have spoken And the like proceedure we find amongst them after they had corrupted themselves and their Church-state broken their solemn engagement and departed from God and upon conviction of their so doing and of their duty to God and one another they return to God and renew their Church-engagement Ioshua 24.16 to 27. vers So in Asa his daies 2 Chron. 15.10 to 16. v. and Ezra 10. and Neh. 9. and 10. chapt And somewhat like to this we find in the New Testament 2 Cor. 8.5 And this they did not as we hoped but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God And the Apostle minds the Church at Corinth of their professed Subjection unto the Gospel of Christ 2 Cor. 9.13 which it seems was solemnly done at their congregating and enchurching for then is the time of doing it solemnly and publiquely for the satisfaction of one another when they openly and avowedly take upon themselves by mutual consent and agreement as an incorporated body the observation of all the Laws and Ordinances of Christ together To the same purpose also is that passage in Col. 2.6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him The Apostle writes to them as a particular congregated Church and tells them that they had received Jesus Christ the Lord which was solemnly done in all probability at their embodying And this seems to be spoken of in Psal 50.5 Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice And to the same purpose in Jer. 50.4 5. And indeed it is clear to me that the nature of the thing requires it were there no Scriptures to countenance it For they are as hath been said called and compared to Houses Temples Corporations Cities Families and to voluntary not meer natural Relations they must of necessity be knit and formed into such a State and Relation by their own free choice and engagement to live and walk together as such And this action of Believers is of and by the Lord in Act. 2.41 it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were added and in vers 47. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord added namely to the particular congregational Church at Jerusalem So that upon the whole I infer that Believers ought so to joyn themselves together into Churches as hath been shewed which I
their hearts so to pray and wait Psal 10.17 Rom. 8.26.27 or they could never have so done it It was God that enabled them to lie down and submit their wills and judgments to his It was God that enclined their hearts to one another and that knit them together in Love so as to chuse and accept of each other in that holy Relation and it was God that made their way plain before them And now what hinders why they should not freely unite and joyn together in the Lord and walk together as heirs of the Kingdome Eleventhly All things and matters in order to their Union and Communion together and becoming a house or Church of God and walking together as Officers and Members in that State and Relation being thus prepared and made ready for it They should now appoint and mutually agree to set apart a day to perfect and compleat what is so well begun And first they should call in the help and assistance of some other Church or Churches especially the Elders of them if they can that they may see and be satisfied of their proceedings and give them the right hand of fellowship Gal. 2.9 and assist them in the solemn setting apart of their Elders and help them with their Prayers 2. They should seek the Lord by fasting and prayer and entreat him in an extraordinary manner to be with them guide and direct them bless and prosper them in their proceedures and in an especial manner for the Elder or Elders they are about to chuse and in the Lord to set over themselves to feed them and take the oversight of them That God would give them a double portion of his Spirit and furnish them more abundantly with his gifts and special grace and make them able Ministers of the New-Testament That God would knit their hearts so fast together in the bond of love as that they may for ever live together in hearty love and peace and that they may freely constantly and chearfully perform their respective duties to one another according to the will of Christ And this being done they should now proceed to chuse and set apart their Elders I mean the Church should appoint one of their Brethren to express and declare that they have and now in a more solemn manner do elect and chuse out such a person or persons from among themselves Acts 6. to be their Elders and Teachers to rule seed watch over and Minister to them in the name of the Lord as persons fitted and sent to them by Jesus Christ for that end and purpose as they humbly judge and further they may declare that they do thankfully and cordially receive and accept them for their Elders as the gift of Christ unto them for those ends and services And when the said Elders are thus chosen and set apart as also ordained then they may declare their hearty acceptance of the choice and of the Church as their charge And for their mutual satisfaction and strengthning their hope and expectation of and confidence in each other as also for the faster knitting the Church and Elders together I think it convenient if not necessary that they do mutually promise and covenant to one another before God and men that they will really and unfeignedly perform their respective works and duties one to another Namely such as Jesus Christ requires of them according as he requires And when these things are done it may be convenient that the Officers or Messengers of other Churches that are present do declare that they approve of what is done by them and own them as a Church of Christ and their Elders now set over them as the Elders and Officers of Christ Now that the Church Congregated by the will of God have power to chuse and approve of all the Officers that Jesus Christ hath given them hath been shewed before and therefore I shall say nothing of it here but proceed Quest What is the work of Pastors Teachers or Elders in a Church of Christ or for what ends and purposes hath Christ set them there Answ First Their work is and they are set in the Church by Jesus Christ to Preach his word and to open and make known his mind and will unto them and as they have opportunity and ability to reveal the whole Counsel of God Acts. 20.27 28. They are to Preach the word of God not their own or others fancies and conceits and that diligently sincerely frequently and faithfully 1 Pet. 2.2 2 Cor. 2.17 Prov. 27.23 Acts. 18.25 Math. 24.45 This they must do in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.2 They are to feed Babes with Milk and men or grown Christians with strong Meat Heb. 5.12 13 14. 1 Cor. 3.1 2. That is to Administer and apply suitable and proper Truths to them according to their capacities and conditions They must earnestly beseech and entreat as they see occasion 2 Cor. 5.20 2 Cor. 6.1 Reprove and rebuke Transgressors with all Authority 2 Tim. 4.2 Tit. 2. ult They are to comfort the feeble-minded and support the weak 1 Thes 5. They must study the Word and their Churches Souls cases and conditions that they may rightly divide and present unto them seasonable food and physick cordials and corrisives for they will need all 2 Tim. 2.15 and thereby make full proof of their Ministry 2 Tim. 4.5 This they must do publickly and privately as they have opportunity and ability and that with all possible patience wisdom and meekness 2 Tim. 2. ult Secondly As they must so attend to their Preaching work in the Church so likewise to their ruling work They have the Office power of Preaching and ruling from Christ not from the Church or any other persons whatsoever for they only elect call and set them apart to the exercise of that Power and Authority that Jesus Christ hath given them all which they are to exercise and make use of in the Church for their spiritual benefit and the glory of Christ That they have the power of rule as well as of labouring in the word and Doctrine is clear 1 Tim. 5.17 Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they namely such as have the ruling power also who labour in the word and Doctrine Which said ruling power consists in requiring attention in charging commanding appointing rebukeing and reproving in calling together the Church and dismissing them in requiring speech and silence in ordering and disposing of matters in the Church in an authoritative way examining matters and calling persons to an account and in admitting Members and executing the Laws of Christ on offenders in the Church c. 1 Tim. 4.11 2 Tim. 4.2 Titus 1.13 Tit. 2.15 Math. 24.45 To this part of their work office and power they must attend in the wise seasonable exercise of it as occasion is or may be offered without this authority of ruling from Christ they will be but lame Ministers and never able to carry on
as they do for their own Souls and that not as Believers only but as their Teachers and spiritual Fathers also Certainly this is one great part of their work and business and therefore they may not neglect it but are bound to be diligent in it in secret and in publick when present with them they must bless them and the word and seals ministerially and that by virtue of their place office and power in the Church 1 Cor. 10.16 Numb 6.23 24 25 26. Thus blessed Paul was much in the practice of namely in presenting the Churches cases to God and wrestling with God for them Phil. 1.9 Col. 1.9 2 Thes 1.11 Wherefore we pray alwayes for you So Col. 1.3 1 Thes 3.10 Seventhly Resolve doubts and cases that trouble any of the Members of the Church when they are presented to them if they are matters worthy consideration They must study cases of Conscience and such doubts and scruples as may arise in the hearts or heads of their people that they may be ready to apply some satisfying Medicine unto them They are to study persons and their cases and maladies as well as the Scriptures for they must alwayes be able to apply and rightly to use a word in season to weary troubled burthened Souls as well as to Preach publickly and promiscuously to all from a studied composed subject This work of Teachers in the Church is no light ordinary matter it will shew what they are and try their learning and abilities for their work more than any thing else It is a special gift of God and an evidence of an able spiritual Physician indeed who can find out spiritual Diseases of mens Souls and readily apply proper Remedies to them that can rightly speak a word in season to him that is weary Esa 50.4 and comfort the feeble-minded 1 Thes 5.14 The Lord Jesus and Paul were much exercised and imployed in this work and so should Teachers now as occasion is offered For the Priests lips should preserve knowledge and the people should seek the Law at their mouths Mal. 2.7 They are given to the Churches to be their spiritual Nurses and Physicians for the cure and health of their Souls and therefore they must administer Physick and Cordials unto sick and pained Souls in private as well as in publick Eighthly That they may discharge their Ministerial work as becomes the Ministers of Christ They must exercise themselves in reading and studying They must give themselves to reading and studying the Scriptures the works and providences of God as also their own experiences and they must read search and endeavour all they can to know the states cases conditions and wants of their own particular flocks that they may make full proof of their Ministry 2 Tim. 4.5 Divide the word of Truth aright 2 Tim. 2.15 Speak words in season to all sorts especially to weary and burthened Souls Esa 50.4 And that they may both save themselves and those that hear them 1 Tim. 4.16 Ministers of the Gospel must be continually lying in as well as lying out they must furnish themselves with Grace Truth and Experiences that they may Communicate unto others out of the good Treasure of their hearts Their hearts heads and lips must be filled with varieties of Divine and Heavenly matters that they may freely and readily impart of their receivings to every ones needs Mal. 2.7 Their Lord and Master charges them to give attendance to reading 1 Tim. 4.13 To Meditation 1 Tim. 4.15 And to study 2 Tim. 2.15 They must search the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 Hold fast the form of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 And inspect their people Pro. 27.23 2 Tim. 4.5 Acts 20.28 They must not look for immediate Inspirations nor to be furnished with all needful supplyes from Heaven for the discharge of their office and Ministerial work in the Churches of Christ by the spirit but in and by their diligent use of Gods means God that appoints and promises the end appoints and directs us to and in the use of the means leading to the obtainment of that end The end directed to in and by the said means is the supply of Grace Gifts and all necessary and profitable ministerial abilities for such as Christ puts into the work and office of teaching and ruling in his Churches Therefore they may not divert to or take up with any other Imployments that may any way impede or hinder them in or of the aforesaid duties But in case of necessity Ob. But did not Paul work with his hands and labour in other businesses and exercise himself in worldly and secular matters after he was engaged in the work of the Ministry And if so why may not other men do the same as well as he 1. You saw before what ordinary Elders ought to do and are bound to attend unto in their places and offices namely to give themselves wholly to the work of the Ministry which they had received in the Lord Col. 4.17 That they fulfill it that they attend to Study Reading Meditation Exhortation Doctrine 1 Tim. 4.13 15. 2 Tim. 2.15 2 Tim. 4.5 And that they wait on the Altar 1 Cor. 9.13 2. Examples must not be taken and advanced against precepts Paul was an extraordinary Officer or Minister his work and power was every where where the Lord called him to Preach he was not a particular fixed Elder or Pastour to one single Church neither was he bound or necessitated to attend to reading studying c. as ordinary Ministers are Moreover Paul and other Apostles had their office power their abilities and furnitures for their work immediately from Christ in an extraordinary way and manner which ordinary officers now have not 3. Paul laboured not with his hands or neglected his Ministerial work but when necessitated thereunto and the Apostles at Jerusalem Act. 6. tells us That it was unreasonable that they should leave the word of God and serve Tables 4. Ordinary Pastours or Elders of Churches do find that their so attending to their work in their Studies as commanded absolutely necessary for the discharge and well performance of the work their Lord hath given them to do and experience shews beyond all contradiction that the most studious holy Ministers are the most powerful and profitable in their Ministry 5. The great and rich provisions that God hath made for them in their faithful attendance to their work in the Churches fully proves and declares what they should do and attend unto God hath commanded their Hearers to provide carnal things for them yea to Communicate to them in all good things that they may attend on their work and wait at the Altar without distraction Gal. 6.6 1 Cor. 9.6.15 Rom. 15.27 Ninthly They must be eminently holy and righteous in all manner of Conversation They are Lights and therefore they must shine as such in the World They are the Salt of the Earth and therefore they must be of savory Spirits and practices Matth. 5.13
14 15 16. Ministers of the Gospel are given for and commanded to be examples to their Flocks 1 Tim. 4.12 1 Pet. 5.3 They are indispensibly bound to imitate their Master and to teach lead and conduct them in holiness to Heaven as well by their walkings and Conversations as by their Ministry that they may safely and comfortably follow them Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 1 Cor. 4.16 2 Thes 3.7 Surely such as Christ hath set in his Churches to feed nourish comfort strengthen instruct and build up his people to conduct lead and guide them in the way of Gospel-holiness to everlasting happiness should be singular in practical Godliness themselves They should be singular in knowledge faith patience self-denyal Goodness meekness charity humility tenden-heartedness faithfulness and usefulness in the World They ought to live out their own Doctrine and confirm it by conforming their carriages words and actions thereunto They must be clear of all Vices and eminent in all Vertues that they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things and encourage men to follow their steps For they are not set in the Churches only to teach and verbally to Minister to them but to be Patterns of Piety also Tit. 2.7 They must carry themselves gravely soberly wisely seriously and holily towards and before all men that those who seek occasion against them may find none but on the contrary they may be convinced of and report that God his fear love faith and spirit is in them of a Truth 1 Cor. 14.25 And as they must seriously mind and practice the matter of their work and duty or what they are to do and set in the Churches for so they must carefully mind the manner of it too 1 In all their Ministrations and Walkings they must regard and have their eye on their Lords will and appointment Teaching them to observe what ever I command you Math. 28. ult They must not impose their own Wills and Dictates and thereby make themselves Lords over God's Heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 They are the Servants and Stewards of Christ not to make Laws for and impose them on his Houshold but to acquaint them with their Master's Laws exhort and perswade them to keep and observe them as he commands and to execute them on Offenders 2 They must be diligent and constant in their Work They must not be Loyterers but Labourers be examples to their Flocks by shewing all diligence and faithfulness in their work Act. 18.25 1 Tim. 5.17 Prov. 27.23 3 They should attend too and perform their work readily willingly and chearfully not grudgingly 1 Pet. 5.1 2. 1 Cor. 9.17 They must be apt to Teach â— Tim. 3.2 and willing to Communicate If all Believers should so perform all their works much more should Ministers They should account their Ministerial work their priviledge not their burden and carry themselves accordingly in it 4 They must alwayes have in their eye the ends of their work and office and prosecute intend and design them with all Gospel sincerity They must not take their office on them nor do their work for filthy Lucre 1 Tim. 3.8 1 Pet. 5.2 nor to honour and exalt themselves but to honour please and serve Christ their Lord and to profit and edifie his people and that with all possible integrity and uprightness of heart 2 Cor. 2. ult For if these ends be not upper-most in their eyes and hearts in their desires choice aimes and intentions in their Ministrations it is certain they are not called of Christ nor qualified for Church-work and they shall not prosper in it be owned and blessed by him nor profit his people Thus briefly of the work and duty of teaching Elders or Pastors to the Churches over which the Holy Ghost makes them Overseers Now I shall briefly shew you the work and duty of Churches to their Pastors or Elders who faithfully and diligently labour in the word and Doctrine among them CHAP. VI. Wherein the Duties of Church-Members to their Pastours or teaching Elders are clearly opened and declared from Scripture Q. HOw ought Church-Members to behave themselves towards their Pastours or teaching Elders or what are their works and duties towards them Answ It is the will and appointment of the Lord Jesus the King head of his Churches that they should carry and behave themselves towards them in heart and practise as to his Ministers and Embassadors who come to them in his name by his Mission Authority and Commission with his Gifts and Grace upon his Errand and Business as also for their Souls profit They bear his Image wear his Livery do his work and serve his Interests in the Churches And therefore he that slighteth or despiseth them slights and despiseth him and his Father too Luk. 10.16 and he or they that receive them that love honour carry it well to them because they are his sent of him Commissioned and qualified by him to serve and honour him in the Churches they do thereby receive honour and love Christ himself Gal. 4.14 They receive honour and love Jesus Christ in and by receiving honouring and loving them as such and whatever good they do them or whatever respect they shew them as such the Lord Jesus takes it as done to himself Matth. 10. ult Matth. 25. Therefore all Church-members ought to carry and behave themselves well towards them and amongst other things in these particulars 1. They ought to love them I say to love them and that with all cordial tender affection They must not love them as they do other Saints of God only but they must have singular love for and shew special love unto them as Christs Embassadors and their Ministers 1 Thes 5.12 13. And we beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you And to esteem very highly in love for their works sake They must be loved on several accounts 1. As good men and living Members of Christ and so we are to love them as fellow-Brethren as we do other private Members 2. It is the will and appointment of Christ that they be loved as his Embassadors and Commissioners as his Stewards and Officers gifted and sent forth by him about his concerns in his Churches to do his work and business and as representing him by officiating in his Name by his Authority and doing his Message 3. They ought to be loved as your Ministers Guides Feeders and Overseers as sent unto you from Christ and dispensing the bread of life and the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven to you declaring the Counsel of God and administring his holy appointments to you for your present comfort establishment and growth in grace and for your eternal happiness hereafter esteem them very highly in love for their works sake These are some of the Reasons why they should be loved more than any other Believers namely because
they are sent Authorized Graced Gifted and qualified by Christ do his work represent him stand in his stead 2 Cor. 5.20 and as they are his Ministers for good to you Well then mind your duty and the will of Christ in this matter and love them sincerely and heartily strongly and fervently fruitfully and constantly for they love you study pray and labour to do you good And know that if you do not love them you do not love Christ whose they are whom they represent and serve And if you hate slight and despise them you do hate slight and despise Christ himself in them Secondly It is the will and appointment of Christ your duty to honour and respect to reverence and esteem them in their faithful diligent discharge of their Trust and performance of their work amongst you They are the Embassadors and Commissioners of your great Lord and King and sent by him from Heaven to you as was shewed 2 Cor. 5.20 Eph. 4. and that about most high and honourable work yea the highest work and service that Creatures are capable of in this World They come from and are sent to you by the King of Kings from Heaven and therefore they must be honoured They are his Embassadors and Commissioners and therefore you must honour them They are sent and come to you as with his Image of Authority so of Grace Gifts and Holiness and therefore you must honour them They are sent by Christ to you on and for the service of your Souls and therefore you must honour them and they represent Christ and stand in his stead to you and therefore you must honour them They do give up themselves to be your servants and thereby do honour you 2 Cor. 4.5 and they chearfully serve the interest of your Souls as your spiritual servants and therefore you must honour them Christ requires you to esteem them and that is not all but to esteem them highly yea very highly too 1 Thes 5.13 and therefore you must do it Christ will not suffer you to slight or despise them no more than Kings will endure that any should slight or despise their Embassadors If you have low base thoughts of them in your hearts you slight and despise them If you slight and despise their labours and administrations you despise them If you villifie and speak slightingly of them behind their backs and devulge their supposed or real weaknesses you despise them If you carry your selves saucily and imperiously before their face in words deeds or deportments you slight and despise them and if you controul them and disregard their Judgments Censures Admonitions or Reproofs you slight and despise them when you turn a deaf ear to their Counsels Instructions and Exhortations you slight and despise them and when you disregard their power Authority and their exercise thereof in the name of Christ you slight and despise them In these and many other wayes and instances Church-Members do not only neglect their indispensible duty of honouring their Teaching-Elders but they do slight and despise them also And they do not only slight and despise them but as was said the Lord Jesus his Laws Image work and Authority also For he that despiseth you despiseth me says Christ Luk. 10.16 And by these and such like slighting and contemptible words and carriages towards them they do greatly provoke and discourage them they weaken their hands and distract their minds and so hinder them in their work They are honoured by Christ and honourable in his eye and he strictly charges and commands his Churches to esteem them most or very highly and to give them double honour 1 Tim. 5.17 Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and Doctrine Give says the Apostle to every man his due fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Rom. 13.7 It is their due by the Law of Christ and he expects you should give it to them not as they are such or such men but as his Embassadors Ministers c. Thirdly It is the will and appointment of Christ that Churches should pray for their Pastours or Teaching Elders and that in a more than ordinary manner and measure I mean more than they do or are bound to do for others 1 Thes 5.25 Heb. 13.18 Rom. 15.30 you must be earnest and importunate wrestlers with God at the Throne of Grace for them that God would pour out abundance of his holy spirit on them and by his teachings quicknings and anointings make them able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter only but of the spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 That they may open their mouths boldly have the gift of utterance and speak the Truth sincerely clearly impartially and constantly make known the mystery of the Gospel Eph. 6.18 19. Col. 4.3 That they may be kept from Snares and Temptations or be enabled to encounter them and with the Sword of the spirit to overcome and conquer them and that they may be eminent shining lights in the world That they may be able to divide the word aright diligent in and faithful to their Trust That they may be wise zealous and glorious Patterns of Piety all Godliness and be kept unspotted of the world and that they may abound in all grace gifts works of holiness and righteousness That they may Preach powerfully and profitably and in all their wayes words and carriages adorn the Gospel of Christ Tit. 2.10 That they may be found in the faith of the Gospel and hold fast the profession of the faith without wavering Preach sound Doctrine clearly plainly and closely Tit. 2.1 and in all things approving themselves the true Ministers of Christ That God would give them the spirit of Discipline and Government for the order and well being of the Churches and the orderly management of their concerns and that they may in all things walk by their Lords Rules and aim at design and uprightly intend his glory and the profit of his people and all others that hear them There are many reasons inforcing this duty on them to your Pastours I le name a few 1. Because it is the will of God that you should do so as the aforesaid Scriptures shew 2. Because they stand in need of your earnest prayers If the Apostles themselves did stand in need of the Churches prayers much more must ordinary Teachers need them Their work is hard and difficult who is sufficient for it 2 Cor. 2.16 Their discouragements are many and great and their Temptations many strong and powerful They have mysteries to unfold continually and they have stronger Temptations to grapple with all than others have therefore they should have your strongest and most importunate prayers Little do Churches know what they see feel and experience in their work and therefore are apt to imagine that their Teachers have an easie and sweet life of it and stand in little need of their assistance But surely they
are mistaken for there is no work in the world so full of care and trouble as a consciencious Minister is nor any that requires more diligence circumspection watchfulness and faithfulness than his They work and labour in Divine Mysteries and they work for Christ and Souls Their matters lye above the reach of carnal and meer rational understandings above the reaches of humane Arts and Sciences and they are alwayes consulting and conversant about new matters and things Oh what need have they of the Churches prayers 3. Because the Churches profit and Souls benefit is much concerned in their Teachers Administrations For God ordinarily speaks to the Churches hearts through or by their hearts as well as by their mouths The more they have of Christ Grace Truth and the Spirit of Christ the more powerful spiritual and profitable they will be in prayer Preaching and in all other Ministrations unto them Act. 14.1 Fourthly It is the will of Christ and their indispensible duty to know obey and submit themselves to their Teaching Elders or Pastours Authority Teaching Government and to all their regular and orderly Ministrations in the Lord. The Church owes them subjection and obedience and that as they are set over them by Christ and by him made their Teachers and Rulers and sent by him to take the charge and oversight of them and to Administer his holy Ordinances to them in his name for their good Heb. 13.7 17. Remember them that have the Rule over you or are Guides unto you as the words also signifie Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Without Government and Governours power and Authority Laws and Orders and without subjection and obedience in and of the Members of all sorts of Corporations and Societies of men in the world whether civil or Ecclesiastical they will be but confused Routs and Babels There will be can be nothing but confusion and every evil work as James speaks Chap. 3.16 If they are Rulers and have Authority from the Lord Jesus to appoint order and command as 't is clear they have or they are but shadows or cyphers 2 Thes 3.4 6. 1 Tim. 4.11 Tit. 2. ult then they may yea they ought to appoint order and command as they see occasion for the profit and well being of the Church in pursuance of their work and trust And if so then the Church and all the Members thereof are indispensibly bound to yield all free hearty willing and chearful subjection and obedience to them without grudging quarrelling or irregular gain-saying that is they are to eye the will and authority of Christ in and expressed by them and so to conform to it as it is Christs not theirs They must obey them not as gifted men but as the Embassadours Ministers and Officers of Christ and it is Christ and his will and Authority in them that must be the object of their obedience and subjection The neglect whereof is when through carelesness or wilfulness no less than disobedience too yea Rebellion against the Lord Christ himself Luk. 10.16 17. Col. 3.23 24. Great was the love and care of Christ as the head and King of his Churches in providing Lawes Rules and Orders as also in Authorizing and sending some to execute them for their spiritual good and his glory And therefore when Church-Members do slight neglect disobey and practically despise them they do thereby slight contemn and despise the love care and Authority of Christ and Christ accounts it so although those teaching Rulers are not Apostles but ordinary Officers as Luk. 10.16 17. shews when the Lord Jesus went to Heaven he gave gifts to men viz. Ministers and Ministerial abilities to them for the work of the Ministry for the perfecting of the Saints c. Eph. 4.10 11 12. Then he delegated his Ministerial power to men promised to provide such for his Saints and to furnish them with his own gifts yea to be with them himself unto the end of the world Math. 28.18 19 20. Wherefore then the Churches of Christ should receive submit to and obey them in a sense even as Christ himself as they are Authorized gifted granted and sent by him in and about his message work and service in all their lawful commands and appointments and regular Ministrations in and for the Churches He that receiveth you receiveth me says Christ of the 70. Disciples he sent to Preach Luk. 10.16 Math. 10.40 And Paul commends the Galatians for receiving him as an Angel of God even as Christ himself Gal. 4.14 15. and the same Apostle charges Titus to speak and act in the Church with all Authority charging all the Members also not to despise or slight him for or in his so doing Tit. 2.15 If not to despise or slight him then to honour submit to and obey him as Christs and their Minister Well then do the Elders or Pastours of Churches carefully mind and diligently labour in the Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 then all the Members of Churches are bound to obey them to submit to and wait on their Ministry and not despise them and it by deserting and withdrawing from it in whole or in part But more of this anon 2. Do they appoint meetings or call their Churches to assemble together for the celebration of any Ordinance of God or to consult about the matters and concernments of the Church for their profit and Christs glory they are bound in duty to do so excepting in extraordinary cases that hinder them as they will answer the contrary contempt to Christ at their peril They must not look on their practical conformity to it as an indifferent matter and stay at home or come at their own will and pleasure but actually obey such a call or summons as Christ's not dispute it but obey it not in the pride of their hearts disdain it but readily and chearfully subject to it Obey them that have the rule over you for they watch for your Souls Heb. 13.17 and be sure when they appoint such meetings it is for the Churches advantage 3. Do they appoint or require speech or silence in the Church or any good Orders and Rules to be observed and kept in the name of Christ and by his Authority they are bound to obey them without loading them and obstructing their proceedings with Jangling disputes and oppositions And as in these so in all other matters wherein the honour of Christ the profit of the Church or any Members thereof consists Rulers must see that they command and appoint order and rule wisely and faithfully and keep close to their Commission design and carry on Christ's holy ends in all and as they must rule well so all the Members ruled by them must obey well too And when both do their duties in their places the Lord Christ is
honoured and pleased and all the Church are or may be profited and edified and peace and truth promoted But on the contrary all confusion disorder and disturbances will necessarily follow as sad experience hath abundantly proved in this Land It is a clear and certain truth obvious to all men that if some must rule others must obey And if some are appointed and commanded by the Great and absolute Soveraign to Rule and Govern well then it must of necessity be the indispensible duty of others to submit and obey well All according and in obedience to the Authority and Soveraign will of their Great Law giver the Lord Jesus Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves is as indispensible a duty as any you have to do which I could abundantly confirm by many Scripture Reasons had I room in this Discourse to enlarge on it Fifthly It is the will of Christ and the Churches indispensible duty to simpathize with their Teachers to help and encourage them to strengthen their hands and comfort their hearts and to do all they can to forward them in their work that they may fulfil their Ministry and do their whole duty with joy and not with grief â—ol 4.17 Heb. 13.17 For whatever you do for or against them you do it for or against Christ himself whose Embassadours and Officers they are to you 2 Cor. 5.20 They have his Image of Authority stampt on them and are sent to you by himself about and employed in his work amongst you They labour toyl and sweat to serve and promote the interests and concernments of your Souls and they make it their business to do you all the good they can yea your happiness and welfare is much wrapt up in theirs And therefore when you burden and discourage them you hinder your selves of profit and when you comfort help and encourage them in their Ministerial work you further your own happiness thereby This is clearly intimated by the Apostle in Heb. 13.17 before mentioned Obey them that have the Rule over you for they watch for your Souls that they may do it with joy and not with grief Now mark his Reason why because that will be unprofitable for you The meaning is the better you carry it towards your Teachers who watch for your Souls and the more profitable you are to them the more profitable they will be to you the more useful and comfortable you are to them the more useful and comfortable they will be to you We say it is encouragement that makes a good Oratour and much more doth encouragement from Christians make in a sense good Ministers There is a great deal of difference between working under discouragement and encouragement discouragements from Christians do as it were unhinge Ministers and cause them to Travel in pain like Porters with pressing heavy burdens on their backs Their unkindnesses do greatly cumber and distract them trouble and perplex them discompose and deject them they exceedingly weaken their hands and sadden their hearts and even make their lives a burden to them And that because the true Ministers of Christ do so intirely and heartily love their people as that had they encouragement from them they could freely spend and be spent for them 2 Cor. 12.15 and they do expect a great deal of hearty love and kindness from them again as well they may for that Christ requires it of them towards their Ministers and they spend their time and strength in their service and concernments yea and when they called them to take the oversight of them they engaged so to do But now being disappointed of their so reasonable expectation they cannot but lay it to heart and cry out of wrong as Paul and Jeremy did To prevent which the Lord Jesus charges and strictly enjoyns all his people to see they carry themselves well towards his and their Ministers 1. By avoiding whatever may grieve or trouble them 2. By giving them all possible encouragements 1. Would you encourage and strengthen your Teachers in their work then attend on their Ministry and Ministrations seriously dutifully conscienciously and constantly The neglect of your so doing doth greatly discourage them sadden their hearts and weaken their hands The liberty some take which Christ never gave them to withdraw as they please from their Ministers and rambling up and down here and there as they please either from their prejudice pride ignorance or giddiness of spirit or from a wanton lavish vain spirit from their itching cars as Paul speaks 2 Tim. 4.3 or from the Devil is exceedingly hurtful to them as well as to the Souls of such Transgressors So likewise when they come to their Administrations unseasonably or untimely and do there carry and demean themselves carelesly indifferently and unreverently they cast a stumbling block before them and cause great offence to them Therefore you must attend on their Ministry as on Christs and your own Ministry seriously timely conscientiously diligently freely dutifully and constantly when they Preach and Administer for that is your duty and the contrary is your sin which in time will find you out For you by your so doing walk disorderly scandalously irregularly and contrary to the charge given you Heb. 10.24.25 not forsaking the Assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is You walk out of your folds and prodigally run out of the place where the providence of God hath set you and commanded you to abide and worship him in until he do by some extraordinary dispensation call you off you expose your selves to great danger and tempt the holy Spirit to withdraw his Divine influences from you and I dare peremptorily affirm that while any do so they are back-sliding from God and God is going off from them that they shall never thrive nor prosper in Grace nor have any Ordinances blessed to them and though their wanton disorderly wayes seem right unto them yet they lead to death Prov. 14.12 Moreover such neglects in Church-Members tends directly to the breaking of the Churches of Christ and all good Order Peace and prosperity in them and to the bringing in of all irregularities and confusion to the great scandal of the Gospel dishonour of Christ offence of the faithful and to the breaking of their Ministers hearts Which certainly will have bitterness in the end although it may be pleasing to the offenders a while Oh! how grievous must such courses of Church-Members needs be unto their Pastours who have prayed studied and laboured to make good provision for them to comfort and build up their souls in Christ and that in hopes of finding them there in a readiness to receive it when they come to hand it out to them and then shall either find them gone or else there in an irreverent and careless manner This pierces their hearts and deeply wounds their poor Souls But on the contrary when they see their flocks seriously reverently seasonably and constantly keep their
well as they Let your love to them and esteem of them be seen in this as well as in other expressions of them For it is your duty so to do as it is your duty to forbear whatever may discourage them and do all you can to encourage and forward them in their work But be sure that your visits be not in vain but to spiritual profit And that they are indeed the fruits of your cordial love to and esteem of them or else they are no better than painted Images and whited Sepulchres and you will appear to be no better than Ezekiels hearers were to him who with their mouths did shew much love but their hearts were of another mould Ezek. 33.30 ult 4. Stand by them and help to bear their burdens when you know them and they require your assistance Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ Gal. 6.2 If you know them fall into or under any Sin or Temptation set your hand to lift them up again If they fall under afflictions help to bear them for them Be like the good Samaritan in this matter Luk. 10. and not like the cruel Priest and Levite who saw the wounded man lay weltring in his blood and crying out of his wounds and left him to shift for himself 31.32 verses no but shew your selves good Samaritans who simpathized with and actually helped him in his distress according to his need If your Ministers must simpathize with you and help you in your needs then you must do the same to them Shew bowels of love and pity to them and set your hands and shoulders too to help them under their Sins Temptations and other Tryals and Afflictions and if possible to lift them out of them Are they reproached help to bear their burdens Are they persecuted by men help to bear their burdens And do the like in all other weighty cases for them Oh! how many are there who pretend highly for Heaven but care not what becomes of their painful Ministers Who can hear of their troubles and sorrowes and Galio like care for none of these things nor seriously mind whether they sink or swim but like Pauls pretended friends who when they saw him in deadly danger forsook him 2 Tim. 4.16 and left him to stand or fall by himself 5. Blame not their Ministry to one another especially behind their backs neither slight and undervalue their gifts graces or any of their endeavours and labours in and for the Church although they may not in all things suit or please your humours thoughts or opinions For they are bound in their Administrations to please Christ and follow their own light and judgments their perswasions and consciences in all things for the Churches edification and not to walk according to the judgments will and pleasure of their Church-Members either in their Doctrine or Discipline And those Churches that will impose their own apprehensions and opinions on their Pastors or Elders and load them with burdens of work and duty which the Lord Jesus never commanded them are in their so doing no less than Tyrannical-Usurpers over them For if Elders may not impose any thing or matter on the Churches but the yoke and will of Christ much less may the Churches impose their own opinions on their Elders We say that it is too hard a matter for any man to please all men and experience shews that it is as hard a matter for any Elders of Churches to please all their Members but that one or other will be offended at this another at that and then divulge their dislike of this or that in them unto others and endeavour to bring them into dislike of it also And then to make it their business to tattle and talk of it one to another until they have run themselves into further mischiefs Therefore Ministers may no further seek to please their Churches then in and by their so doing they may please Christ their Lord. And what that is I should think that their Elders should understand as well if not better than they Paul sought not to please men but God in his Ministry Gal. 1.10 Some Professors do delight themselves in this evil work namely in seeking matters and making faults against their Elders and then possess others with their own inventions and if they do not gratifie and please them in all things they shall be sure to please them in nothing All their works are blame-worthy in their account But as this shews that they are acted by a Spirit of Pride and prejudice against their Elders so they do thereby declare their own folly and lay open their own nakedness with a witness yea they dishonour Christ hinder the profit of their own and others Souls by their so contemning his and their Ministry and greatly grieve and stumble their Teachers and cause them to walk up and down with sad hearts Therefore do you take heed and beware of this evil for the Devil will tempt you to it that he may hurt your Souls afflict your Teachers and hinder the Gospel you should commend and esteem whatever is their vertue whatever you may see lovely in them and if you see any defects or unavoidable weaknesses in them to cast a mantle of love over them and by all means endeavour to keep up in each others hearts a due esteem of and respect unto them and their Ministry that the Gospel be not hindred but furthred and encouraged by your means 6. Joyn with your Teachers and that by affording them your Concurrence and utmost assistance in their endeavours to promote good things in for the good of the Church and do not hinder or load such overtures designs and endeavours of your Ministers by your absence groundless disputes or by your sullen silence there When they propound any matter to you for your profit and the welfare of your Souls the peace and prosperity of the Church or the benefit of others then weigh and ponder well the reasons which they give for what they do or desire should be done or omitted by themselves or the Church or altogether and if you cannot null and answer them or bring better for the contrary then you should quietly thankfully and peaceably accept of theirs acquiesce in them and encourage them in their design and not put difficulties in the way by some singular notions of your own Do as Nathan did when David propounded a case to him and told him that it was meet God should have a house built for his Name and Worship and gives him some reason for his proposition Nathan replyes Go do all that is in thy heart 2 Sam. 7. He saw it a most reasonable and useful an undertaking and freely complyed with David and encouraged him to go on and proceed WHy should not you comply with your Teachers when they design and propound some good work to be carried on for the glory of Christ and benefit of his Church or other men and
and a more Indispensible dury is not imposed upon you who are able in the Gospel and therefore you cannot plead ignorance for the breach or neglect of it And if you do not obey your God and King in this as well as in other things how can you be called obedient Children 1 Pet. 1.14 and how shall Christ commend you as he did Zachary and Elizabeth for walking in all his Commandments and Ordinances blamelesly Luk. 1.6 Or how can you expect that Christ should say unto you well done good and faithful servants You have done that which was your duty to do when you know that you lived in the wilful neglect of a known and easie duty 3. Consider that God takes special notice of your doings and carriages towards his Embassadors and your Teachers He is privy to all your wayes and will abundantly reward all your kindnesses and unkindnesses to them and that because they are his and yours Therefore be careful to demean and carry your selves towards them so as that the Lord Jesus may say to you well done good and faithful Servants you have been kind and good respectful and dutiful to my Ministers and to me in them And therefore I will recompence all your work of faith and labour of love to them For what you did to them as they were my Ministers you did to me I take all as done to my self enter into the joy of your Lord. These are some and but some of the Churches duties towards their Pastors or Teaching-Elders For although I have been larger on this head than I intended yet I forbear speaking any more lest some should think I say too much CHAP. VI. Of meer Ruling-Elders and Deacons of their Office Work and Power in the Church How they ought to do their Work and for what ends they are set in the Church As also the Churches duty to them with the necessary qualifications of such Officers Quest WHat other Officers hath Christ appointed for and set in his Church or Churches in the New Testament besides Teaching-Elders Answ The Lord Jesus hath set in his New Testament-Churches Ruling-Elders and Deacons Ruling-Elders or Elders whose chief if not only work is to rule in the Church and to help to Mannage the Discipline thereof with the Teaching-Elders seems to be warranted in the Gospel The Texts that speak most clearly in the case are in the 1 Tim. 5.17 Rom. 12.8 1 Cor. 12.28 In Timothy they seem to be expresly distinguished from Teaching Ruling-Elders Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine This especially refers to such Ruling-Elders whose work and main business is to Teach and who are especially therefore worthy of double honour for that they have a double work and Office namely Teaching and Ruling But the first part of the words speaks of meer Ruling-Elders who in the faithful diligent and conscientious discharge of their Office and Trust in the Church are counted worthy of double honour and ought to be honoured and respected as such by the Church not as they are Elders but Elders who mind their business and perform their work well and faithfully as becomes Stewards of the house of God In the Romanes the words are these He that Ruleth with diligence In the 6. and 7. verses we have the Apostle speaking to another sort of Officers namely Teachers whose greatest work is to Prophesie Minister and Teach And therefore says he let such wait on that part of their work Then he comes to another sort of Officers and these sayes he are to Rule with diligence Not to attend to Teaching as the others were to do but to Ruling and that with diligence whereby he distinguisheth the one from the other and shews that they are distinct persons and Officers from the Teachers before mentioned In like manner the Apostle seems to me to point out this sort of Office and Officers in the 1 Cor. 12.28 God saith he hath set some in the Church first Apostles Secondarily Prophets Thirdly Teachers then Helps Governments Now what should these helps Governments be as here and elsewhere distinguished from teaching Ruling-Elders but this sort of Ruling-Elders I am speaking of For as every Church of Christ needs Teaching so also Government and Discipline for their order and well being But because the Teaching Elders cannot attend continually to their Ruling work because their Teaching and Ministring other Ordinances diverts them from it so often as need requires therefore hath God set in his Churches meer Ruling Elders that they as Moses his 70. Elders may help to bear the burden and assist the Teaching-Elders in the Discipline and Government of the Church And therefore they are in the Corinths joyned to the Teaching Ruling-Elders and also in the Romanes and they are expresly called Helps Governments for that they are given of God to help their Teachers or Pastors in the Government of the Church And truly it hath its weight with me namely the necessity of such Officers in the Churches to help their Pastors in the Government thereof For as Satan is more busie and vigilant in the Churches to cause disorders therein than in any other Societies of men So there is the more need of diligent and careful Government and Inspection to keep all in order And as was said before the Teaching-Elders cannot so constantly attend to the work of Discipline because of their other work as need requires therefore there is a kind of nenessity of meer Ruling-Elders to help and assist them in the well Ordering and Governing the Church Thus we see that there are such Officers and such an Office in the word of God Quest For what ends hath God set Ruling-Elders in his Church and what is their Office Work and Power there Answ Although the Scripture seems to speak but little of thiâ— matter namely of their work use and ends for which they are set in the Church particularly yet if it be clear that such an Office and Officer distinct from the Teachers are given to and set in the Church by the Lords appointment and that they are Authorized and Empowred by Christ to Act and Officiate there in his Name then I say it is certain they have their special work to do there for they are not set there to have a Name and signifie nothing else but they have their work there as such which they are diligently to attend unto for the benefit of the Church and the glory of Christ their Lord. Now what their work and business is I shall search out and discover as well as I can and that with all possible brevity First then they are expresly called Ruling-Elders or Elders that Rule in the Scripture 1 Tim. 5.17 Now what doth their Name and Office signifie and imply but that they are to assist their Teachers in the orderly Government of the Church as was said before And I think their work lies chiefly in these
and Authority only that you must observe and walk by 3. Diligently you must exercise your power with all possible diligence Rom. 12.8 He that Ruleth with diligence That is he must frequently attend to his Ruling-work and what he doth therein he must do with all his abilities He must be earnest and fervent in it and set himself to it as to his work and business He must not be slothful negligent or careless in it as if it were an indifferent thing no but he ought to be diligent and fervent in Spirit serving the Lord in what he doth Rom. 12.11 The negligent servant shall be beaten with many stripes Luk. 12 47. They should be diligent to know the state of their Flocks Prov. 27.23 For although they I mean the Church are not the Ruling Elders Flock as they are the Teaching Ruling Elders yet they are in a sense their Flock and charge to watch over them and inspect their manners and walkings 4. Readily willingly and chearfully They should be like the Teaching-Elders in this also 1 Pet. 5.2 Taking the oversight of the Flock not by constraint but willingly not as Lords over Gods Heritage but examples to the Flock It is sad indeed when they look not after them nor mind their work and Office in the Church but when they are constrained and as it were forced to it by their Teachers and cannot for shame but do something then but somewhat unwillingly coldly and indifferently as if it were a small thing or a matter by the by and which they would not trouble themselves about could they handsomely evade and pass it by They grudge at it and account it their burden not their delight But surely it should be their delight to serve Christ and his Church and they should most readily willingly and chearfully do it 5. Conscientiously and Dutifully The will of Christ and their duty their work and opportunity to do good should lye deep in their hearts and powerful on their Consciences and what they do in the Church in pursuance of their Trust and Office-power for the Lord Jesus and his Church they are bound to do it upon Choice conscientiously and dutifully and that because it is their place work and duty by virtue of Christ's Authority who hath for these ends set them in the Church appointed and enjoyned them such work and service there for his glory and their good They must not only bear Rule but they must Rule well too for those ends or else they are of no use and service there Now how can they be said to Rule well as commanded unless they use and exercise their Office-power so namely wisely diligently readily and willingly chearfully conscientiously and dutifully according to the Laws and Rules of Christ their Lord 6. They ought to exercise their Authority and use their power in the Church with much love tenderness meekness impartiality and sometimes as need requires with severity too They must not exalt themselves and carry it in a Lordly manner towards their Brethren because they have Authority over and may command them But they must see that they temper their power and the exercise and use of it with love tenderness humility and meekness They should so carry themselves in all things as that on the one hand they be not slighted and despised and on the other hand envied for their haughtiness They should so behave themselves in the house of God as that they may give occasion to all to think that they love them and respect their good in all they do So likewise they ought to be just and impartial in their proceedures towards all and not respect persons in Judgment but the merit of the cause And in case of necessity when they have to do with stubborn and obstinate persons they may and ought to be severe in dealing with them when they cannot otherwise prevail on them to convince humble and reform them Jude 22.23 7. And in all their endeavours ways and practises in the Church they should intend design and aim at the union peace holinesse comfort and prosperity of the Church the honour of Religion encouragement of the Gospel and the Glory of Christ All which blessed ends they should wisely zealously sincerely seriously industrously and faithfully prosecute and with all their might strive and labour to obtain and by all means and that with much patience and perseverance in the use of them hope and pray seek and wait to accomplish in the Lords time They must not make one or two attempts to reconcile differences rectify disorders disswade from Sin perswade to Duty to heal wounds and encourage to Repentance and so leave it without looking after the Issue and the success of their labours but they must follow on their work until the ends be obtained They as well as their teaching Elders must look well to their herds Prov. 27.23 They must see that they rule well and with diligence 1 Tim. 5.17 Rom. 12.8 and that they approve themselves faithfull Stewards to Christ and his Church in all their proceedings and make full proof thereof Quest What are the qualifications of ruling Elders or how should they be qualifyed for so high and honourable work and office in the Church Ans I shall briefly name some of their necessary qualifications and but some of them and such as are indeed necessary for them without which they cannot will not rule well nor be profitable to the Church First They must be qualified with Spiritual Gifts and special Graces with a considerable measure of divine Wisdome and Spiritual understanding They should be not only real Saints but eminent Saints too They must not only have peculiar Grace but be strong in Grace also Surely they ought to be well furnished with the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit that they may go in and out and walk in the Church as shining Lights be able to judge and discern cases and persons and make a sound and true Judgment of the things and matters they may be called to judge and determine They must not be Novices in the knowledge of Christ his Law Gospel the Rules by which they must walk but they must have the Word of Christ to dwell in them richly in all Wisdom Col. 3.16 to help them in their work They cannot rule well unlesse they do understand and can speak well nor unlesse they are well acquainted with their Office Work and the Rules thereof They ought to be sober grave and serious Persons and not of vain light and frothy behaviour in their spirits carriages They should be of prompt ready minds and spirits for their work and not of dull lumpish and heavy Tempers For if they are such they will not act upon choice freely but by constraint and that will render them unprofitable and undesirable to the Church They should be men of blamelesse lives and spotlesse conversations and they should be men of warm and lively affections abounding in Love zeal and fervour of
he may speak to the Church to augment their stock that so they may have enough to supply all occasions as need requires 2. They should not only look after the poor to get money for them from the Church but to ease the Church they should see that such as can work and so help to maintain themselves do so and such as can work but will not if any such be to reprove and admonish them and untill they do set to work and endeavour to live and provide for themselves as well as they can to detain all supplies from them that their wants may provoke them to labour But in case there are any poor in the Church that would labour and not be chargeable to the Church but cannot get employment the Deacons ought to do their utmost from time to time to get them work and to give them all the encouragement they can therein And by their so doing they may be servicable to the Church and to the poor who would live by the labour of their own hands if they could find employment and who are as loath to be burdensome unto the Church as they are that they should be so 3. They should often visit the poor and see how it is with them encourage and comfort them and do all they can to strengthen their hands and refresh their hearts under their poverty and the Temptations that attend it Doubtless poverty hath many great and strong Temptations and therefore the poor have need of their supports kindnesses and encouragement to bear up their hearts from sinking despondencies Surely Deacons have more to do for the Church and the poor thereof then to receive contributions and send it by others now and then to such as want when they are required so to do What need is there of such qualifications as the Gospel requires in them for their doing of that If they have but eyes and common reason they may do their work if that be all without any of the aforesaid qualifications But their requisite qualifications do declare sufficiently that they have other work to do in the Church for which they must be so qualified But when men have once gotten the name of an Office they take up with that but seldome or never mind endeavour to know and do the work of their office They must be even driven to mind it and angry if any tell them of their neglects Surely such officers have a sad account to make and contract much blame shame and guilt on their names Souls and they must repent in Dust and Ashes and even shed Tears of blood for their Sin if ever they be Saved Yea the straits wants and Temptations of the poor which are occasioned by the Deacons neglects will cry out against them and condemn them Oh! Sirs remember whose Officers and Stewards you are and for what ends you are set in the Church consider your ways what you ought to do what you do and what you leave undone 4. They should provide conveniencies for the Church to worship God withall and see that the Church suffer no detriment by any of their neglects 5. Their work also is to see that the Church perform that part of their duty to their Teacher or Pastor namely to give him his due of subsistance according to that charge in Gal. 6.6 1 Cor. 9. Rom. 15.27 and to collect it for him To provoke the negligent and exhort such as are backward to their duty Their work being as was said to serve Tables this must needs be a part of it And it is well known that this work of the Church and Deacons is necessary for the upholding and encourageing of the Ministry These are some of the Deacons workes in the Church to which they should attend with all possible wisdome diligence and faithfulness as their work and businesse For God will require an account of them how they have carried themselves in the Church and performed their work there Quest What is the duty of Church-members towards their Deacons in the Faithful and conscientious discharge of their duty and trust Ans They should love and honour them as Christ's and their Officers and give them all encouragement in their work They must not load and burden their work by discountenancing blaming or penuriousness towards them or by distrusting them and speaking contemptibly of them But they should chearfully confide in them and pray importunately to God for them that they may be enabled to do their work and faithfully serve Christ and his Church in their place as they are bound to do Surely brethren Christ cannot endure to see any of his Church-Officers who act and serve the Church faithfully from from and under him and by his Authority and appointment to be slighted undervalued and discouraged But it is his Will that they should be loved honoured and respected for his own and their work and Office sake and that they should find all possible encouragement from you The neglect of which is Sin and disobedience against Christ's Laws and Authority and your shame and losse CHAP. VII Of the great indispensible duties of Church-members amongst themselves or to one another in a Church Relation Quest WHat are the duties of Church-members to one another Ans There are two great ends Christ Jesus had in his Eye in appointing and ordaining such a near Relation union and communion for and among his people as a Church-state and relation is First To capacitate and enable them to perform their respective dutys and works 1. to God 2. To men or to one another Secondly to encourage them so to do and that with greater ease freedome order and satisfaction than otherwise they could do By virtue of their near Relation to and intimate acquaintance with one anothers persons faith principles and conversations they can worship or glorify God together with one mind and mouth as commanded Rom. 15.6 and walk together with God in all his ways in the same mind and Judgement 1 Cor. 1.10 which else they could not so well do So likewise to perform their respective Duties to their Officers and mutual duties to one another as brethren united together in a holy Band for those ends and purposes Their duties to one another as Brethren and Sisters enchurched and knit together in one single and individual Corporation under the Laws and Lordship Rule and Government of their only Head and Law-giver the Lord Jesus are all laid down in his Gospel for them and made their Duties only by his appointing and commanding them to be observed and practised by all Church-members and in all their observations of them they must have a choice and singular respect to his holy Will and Soveraign Authority in them without which their doing of them are not acts of Obedience to him but the products of their own Wills and Pleasures Now then we will enquire into them endeavour briefly to bring them to light and present some of them to you who desire
evil spoken of 13. Be sure to make good and perform all your peremptory promises to men and take heed and beware of breaking them or failing and disappointing men of their just expectations from you for that also will be scandalous and offensive 14. Take heed of taking into a marriage-bond such as are apparently in an unbelieving and carnal state and condition For that also is very offensive to holy serious men although some make light of it 15. Take heed of idleness and slothfulness in your Callings For that will prove a pernitious and scandalous sin to others and your own souls too 16. Take not up a Report against one another that is scandalous nor give an ear unto Tatlers and busie-bodies nor be you busie-bodies in other mens matters your selves For if you do you will give great offence These are some and but some of the scandalous evils that you must carefully avoid as a duty that you owe to God to your Brethren and to your own souls I could have named many more but I find these the most common amongst Professors Now as you must avoid these and other evils mind and practise the said Duties as Church-Members one to another so you must seriously mind the manner reasons and ends of doing them also The reason of your so doing must be the will of Christ your Head and King because he hath so commanded you And the principle of all you do must be love to him and to the souls of your Brethren The ends must be to please honour and exalt the Lord Jesus and to profit and benefit your Brethrens souls and maintain the Credit and Reputation of the Church and the Worship and Ordinances of God therein and to preserve Peace and Purity among your selves The manner must be thus namely wisely dutifully chearfully obediently freely willingly humbly holily seriously diligently sincerely and perseveringly For you should be as careful of doing your Duties to men in a right manner as you are of performing your Duties immediately to God so I can but mention these things because I have exceeded my intentions in others The Lord God bless them to you all CHAP. VIII Of the Ordinances and Worship of God in a Gospel-Church Quest WHat Ordinances of Divine Worship hath God given to and appointed for a Gospel-Church to be observed by them Answ First walking together in constant Cordial Communion and Gospel Order in a Church-state in Brotherly love peace and oneness of spirit in the frequent and joynt Celebration of all the worship and appointments of Christ is certainly an Ordinance of Christ and their Indispensâ—ble Duty as hath been already shewed Believers may not enter their names among Christ's Disciples and then take liberty to do what they please omit or neglect their place and duty there when and how they will and content themselves with having their names enrolled in a Church come among them and go from them at their own will and pleasure No but it is the will and Ordinance of our Lord Jesus that they should constantly and conscientiously in obedience to his holy will abide and continue there holding Communion or Fellowship together as a united and entire body or spiritual Corporation and joyntly with one mind heart and soul observe and celebrate his Ordinances and Worship Heb. 10.24 25. Acts 2.42 44 46 47. Rom. 15.6 1 Cor. 1.10 Secondly Preaching and hearing the Gospel It is true that this is not a special Church-Ordinance or an Ordinance appointed for and given to Churches or to Believers exclusive of all others For it is the great Ordinance of God for the converting quickning and bringing sinners to Christ Rom 1.16 1 Thes 1.5 By this Ordinance God conveys his special Grace and the spirit of Grace into sinners hearts By it he opens blind eyes unstops deaf cars enlivens dead Souls and convinces carnal men of sin Righteousness and Judgments Acts 26.18 Joh. 5.25 Joh. 16.7 8. And by it he turns them from the power of Satan unto God and works them to and for his own use makes them Vessels of Honour and translates them out of the Kingdom of darkness and the Devil into his own Kingdom Col. 1.13 The great Ordinance of Preaching and hearing the Law and Gospel is given and appointed to make fit and prepare sinful men for Membership with Christ his holy Gospel-Churches For until they are moulded and qualified by the word and spirit they are no way capable of either considering what condition all men are in by sinful nature namely dead blind filthy vile hateful enemies to God Children of Satan under the Law the curse and wrath of God strangers to and ignorant of God Christ Grace Duty and Gospel-holiness But although hearing and preaching the word of God be an Ordinance of God to others namely such as are not en-Churched to prepare them for that State and the Duties and Priviledges thereof yet I think it may be called a Church-Ordinance also For the Lord Jesus hath by his soveraign Authority set this Ordinance in his Gospel-Churches and committed the Preaching of it unto men there namely to such as he is said to impower and send to give unto and set among them for the work of the Ministry 1 Cor. 12.28 Acts 20.28 Eph. 4.10 18. Act. 14.23 1 Tim. 5.17 The Ministry of their Pastors and Teachers is their own Ministry and these Officers being given to them by Christ and set in his Churches for their sakes they may call the Ordinance their Ordinance such Officers theirs and their Ministry theirs as having a peculiar Relation to them which is one of the Churches peculiar priviledges and which they ought highly to prize and bless God for Now as some men are gifted impowered and sent out by Christ to convert and turn men to Christ who may not have any Relation to Churches as their Pastors or Teachers so there is the special and peculiar Ministry of Pastors and Teachers given to and set in the Churches whose work and business lyes there and but occasionally else-where to other men Take heed sayes the Apostle to the Flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God Act. 20.28 The ends of these Officers and their Ministry in the Church is not intended for the calling and regenerating of Church-Members for as was shewed they must be effectually called and regenerated before they can be meet Members of a Holy Temple of God but to build up and carry on the work of Grace in their hearts holiness and fruitfulness in their lives and walkings towards God and men To confirm and establish them in the Truth and Faith of Christ which they have received and to instruct and enlighten them further in all Christ's and their own souls concernments This Ordinance of God is intended and designed by the Lord Jesus and it should be so used and managed by all Teachers and Hearers continually to carry on the work of Grace to convey
and receive more of the Grace that is in Christ Jesus for them to convince them of and shew them more clearly the evil of sin the deceits of their hearts the power of in-dwelling lusts the Wiles and Methods of Satan the necessity of Christ and his blood and of his Ordinances and Institutions To shew and convince them of the Excellency Beauty and Loveliness of Christ and the love and grace of God to them in him To Preach and hear their hearts and souls into clearer knowledge of the three persons and one eternal living God and into more acquaintance with them so likewise into more cordial and unfeigned more strong and fervent pure and constant love to him To acquaint themselves with the nature usefulness and proper life of faith perswade and work their hearts to it practically and dutifully to love it in all things works duties and conditions To arm and sence them against Satans fiery Darts and Temptations and the worlds snares and allurements To discover and detect self lusts and whatever warrs against our souls and to mortifie and destroy them and in order thereunto to know and be able expert and accurate in the use of our spiritual Weapons and Armour of proof which Christ hath sanctified and given unto us in Eph. 6. and elsewhere in the Gospel To sanctifie them throughout in soul body and spirit keep them from deadness coldness lukewarmness and indifferency of spirit and to prevent sleepiness and back-sliding from God neglect of duties and careless performance of them This Ordinance is intended for the further informing them of the holy will and mind of Christ and their duties to God and men to sweeten and dispose the heart to love and practice them and to enable them to persist in so doing without weariness and fainting grudging or disputing and with joy and delight To call back persons from their wanderings and to give them Repentance unto life These are some of Gods holy and blessed ends in setting up this Ordinance in the Church which all are indispensibly bound to aim at intend and endeavour in all their use of it See Eph. 4.10 11 12 17. Esa 30.20 21. Eph. 5.25 26 27. Eph. 3.18 19. Micah 2.7 1 Thes 4.10 Heb. 10.38 Rom. 1.16 17. 2 Pet. 3.18 1 Thes 5.23 Phil. 3.13 18. Joh. 17.17 19. Thirdly Prayer Prayer to God is a Church-Ordinance It is true that all men are bound to pray to God both publickly and privately the neglect whereof is severely threatned Jer. 10. ult It is a part of natural or moral Worship which all men ought to practise continually For as God is their Creator and they his reasonable Creatures he their Sovereign and they his Subjects and as such Creatures are to live and alwayes to have their dependency on him for their subsistence in this world so they are to express and manifest their so doing by their asking such things as they want of him For it is a Duty and Homage they owe him as him in whom they live move and have their being Acts 17.28 and profess him to be their God Protector and maintainer and expect all things from him They ought in all their wayes to acknowledge him Prov. 3.6 although they know him not in the face of Christ by any Gospel-Revelation But notwithstanding this is a Church-Ordinance also that is they are appointed to pray publickly in their meetings as a Church and that not as it is a moral Duty and agreeable to reason and mens natural principle but as it is a Gospel-Ordinance of Christ appointed for them and they commanded by him to observe it among themselves This the Church of Jerusalem was commended for Act. 2.42 And they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and in prayers and in Acts 12.5 't is said that prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God Now this Ordinance in the Churches of Christ must be observed and practised as an Ordinance of his appointing who is Lord and Head of them and because it is his Sovereign will they should so do without which they cannot in the doing of it approve themselves unto him as his obedient Children and Subjects in his house For whatever work they do and whatever Ordinance they observe in the Church they are indispensibly bound to respect his will and have their eye on his Authority therein as the ground and reason of what they do and because he hath so commanded and appointed therefore they do it Moreover to the well performance of this Duty and right observance of this Ordinance in the Church there is required a peculiar Ministerial gift in the Teachers or Overseers of the Church For they cannot rightly perform this part of their work in and for the Church by their natural and common acquired gifts and parts but in and by the spirit and his Ministerial gifts and grace conferred on them for their profitable and right performance of their Works and Duties in the Church Rom. 8.26 27. 1 Cor. 12.6 7 12. Fourthly Baptism water-Baptism is another Church-Ordinance to be holily reverendly dutifully and spiritually observed The power of administring this holy Ordinance of Christ is given to Pastors and Teachers and only to such as are authorized and called to administer other Ordinances and perform other parts of the work of the Ministry Authoritatively by virtue of their Commission from Christ received Any Disciple of Christ may not administer it but such as are set 〈◊〉 part for and appointed to the work For they must do it and it must alwayes be done by men in office-power Matth. 28.18 19 20. And Paul tells us Eph. 4.11 12. That Christ gave some Pastors and Teachers for the work of the Ministry and edifying of the body of Christ And we never read in Scripture of any other than such as were called to the work of the Ministry that did Baptize any This Ordinance is instituted and appointed in Matth. 28.18 19. and it was confirmed by the constant practice of the Apostles and Teachers afterward Act. 9.18 Act. 10.47 48. 1 Cor. 15. Baptism is a Sign Token and Seal of the Gospel-Covenant as Circumcision was Rom. 4.11 for the assuring and confirming Believers of the reality of the Covenant and the gracious purposes of God to perform it and convey unto them all the Grace and blessings of it in his time To raise and strengthen their hope in Christ and God the Father by him that God is and will be their God and also the God of their Seed according to that glorious grant and engagement of God in Gen. 17.7 I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy Seed after thee in their Generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God to thee and to thy Seed after thee To which Covenant God set his Seal vers 10. This general sum or head of the Covenant given to Abraham and his Seed in their Generations we have produced and brought in
by the Apostle Peter in his first Sermon after the coming of the Holy Ghost on him and other of the Apostles in Act. 2.39 when he was about the setting up of Churches and Church-Order Laws and Ordinances among them sayes he Repent yee and be Baptized why for the promise is unto you and to your Children and to all that are a far off even as many as the Lord our God shall call which is the same for substance given before to Abraham And Paul told the Galatians Chapt. 3.14 That the blessing of Abraham is come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ This Ordinance of Baptism is of meer Institution and made known to us in and by the Gospel The Light and Law of nature knows nothing of it neither are we bound to observe it but upon the command and appointment of Christ which is sufficient for us and we need no further warrant for our observation of it Fifthly The Lords Supper is clearly another Church-Ordinance And indeed it cannot be rightly and orderly administred and received but in a regular Church-state we never read of any Believers that received it or any Officers that administred it after Christ's ascension but as they were congregated en-Churched em-bodied and formed into a holy Temple but we read of Churches celebrating it as at Jerusalem Acts 2. Corinth 1 Epistle 11. and elsewhere We find the Institution of this Ordinance in Matth. 26.26 27 28. Mark 14.22 23 24. Luk. 22.17 18 19 20. 1 Cor. 11.23 to the end In this last Scripture we have many weighty things of and concerning this great Ordinance 1 The Institution its self 2 The time when the same night in the which he was betrayed 3 The Institutor namely the Lord Jesus 4 The manner of it 1. The Lord Jesus's own practise He took blessed brake and gave the Bread and said take eat this is my Body 2. By commandment this do ye in remembrance of me 5 Who should received it and how persons should be qualified and prepared for the reception of it 1. With light and faith They must be able to discern the Lords body the ends and use of the Ordinance and to make suitable and pertinent application of all to themselves 2. They must be able to examine themselves and actually to do it and be in a state and practical fitness and readiness to meet Christ in it to thank and praise him and to shew forth his death until he come 6 The danger and peril they are in who eat and drink and use this holy Ordinance unworthily 1. They are guilty of his Body and Blood 2. Of their own damnation 7 We are informed of some of the sad effects their unworthy receiving of this holy Ordinance had on some of them for this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep Sixthly Singing of Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs is another Church-Ordinance or Institution of Christ Eph. 5.18 19 20. Col. 3.16 Mat. 26.30 Mark 14.26 This is a spiritual Ordinance and Duty yea it is a heart-warming Soul-refreshing Spirit-raising and grace-quickning Ordinance To the well performance of it much special grace and diligent exercise of it as also the spirit of grace is necessary Much wisdom and spiritual understanding life and vigor care and watchfulness is requisite sincerity and faithfulness spirituality and heavenly-mindedness is needful for our acceptable observance of it to God through Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 14.15 Col. 3.16 Eph. 5.18 19 20. It is true that all men ought to sing praises and thanksgivings unto God for it is a natural and moral duty and it is as true that none can rightly holily and acceptably do it but such as are partakers of the grace and spirit of Christ and that the Lord Jesus hath instituted it and made it a Church-Ordinance And as or because he hath instituted and made it one of his Gospel-Ordinances for his Churches that therefore they ought so to observe it Sevently Holy discourses and heavenly conferences among the members of the Church is another Church Ordinance which all are bound to mind and practise as they have ability and opportunity for the observation and celebrating of which they should seek for occasions and seasons to meet together and endeavour to promote it and when they have them in their hands to use and improve them to the glory of God and their own mutual profit and that because it is their Lords Ordinance for their good The neglect of which is doubtless one of the procuring causes of those witherings languishings and most dreadful decays in grace and woful back-slidings which are so notoriously evident among Church-members This useful profitable Ordinance was once in esteem much accounted of by Believers but it is now almost laid aside forgotten by them it was their delight but now their burden They made happy earnings of it to their Souls but now they fancy that they have no need of it that there is neither duty nor priviledge in it But however it is and shall ever be an Ordinance of God and their observation of it their priviledge and duty Jude 20. Building up your selves in your most holy faith 1 Thes 5.11 Wherefore comfort your selves together and edifie one another even as also ye do See also vers 14. and Heb. 3.13 Heb. 10.24 25. Mal. 3.16 17. Church-members must take heed that they meet together for the better and not for the worser as the Apostle told the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11.17 that they so improve their occasional and determined meetings as to profit and better one another This holy Ordinance of Jesus Christ should be seriously frequently diligently spiritually and sincerely observed of all Church-members And if they shall so observe and practise it in obedience to his will and with holy designs and aims namely to please and honour God and to profit and better their own and each others Souls they will find it an exceeding profitable Ordinance to them for the promoting and carrying on the grace and interest of Christ in their hearts and it will be an effectual means to encrease love one to another unite their hearts and endear affections God will bless and empower it in your dependence on Christ and his free grace to keep your Consciences awake your Affections warm and your hearts ready to every good work Eightly Church-Discipline This Ordinance is instituted and appointed for the Churches regular and orderly walking for the preventing and curing disorders in them and there is as much need of this Ordinance and Institution as of any other as experience shews And it should be seriously minded and considered wisely and diligently observed and practised in the Church as much as any other Ordinance of God therein There is no Church in the world but is subject to disorders and too many irregularities because the Lusts Temptations and carnal Interests of some of the Member are strong and impetuous which causes many distempers and disturbances in the
Brethren dwelling together in Vnity Psal 133.1 2. and united in a holy Band. I have spoken somewhat of this else-where under another head And therefore shall only at present say that if it be so that Believers may more honour Christ by walking together in Gospel or Church-fellowship than otherwise that then they are bound in duty so to walk For if it be their duty to exalt and honour Christ all they can as certainly it is then they are bound to use the means whereby they may be enabled to do it Now Christ hath given to and set in his Churches many Ordinances of worship and out of every one of them he expects a Revenue of Glory by his people therefore the more of his Ordinances you have in your hand and spiritually observe the more is Christ glorified by you Besides this you are in a better capacity to provoke one another to love and to good works Heb. 10.24.25 and to inflame one anothers love to Christ to preserve each other from sinning against him and reproaching his holy Name and ways by sin in a Church-state than out of it You will likewise be capacitated to honour the Lord Jesus more in a Church-state than otherwise by growing in grace and getting more Talents into your hands to Trade withall and employ for him in the Church and world as you heard before Therefore do you no longer stand off but joyn your selves to some Gospel-Church for the Lord Jesus sake Sixthly You that are true Believers ought to joyn your selves to some true Church of Christ for your fellow-Members and Brethren's sakes too You know that we are bound to do all the good we can to one another Gal. 6.10 to further each other in the way of holiness to eternal happiness We need each others helping hand and are set in this World to be useful and helpful one to another Now by joyning our selves one to another and walking together in mutual love peace and concord and in the same judgment though not so in all things way and order in the same Communion Ordinances and Worship we do greatly strengthen the hands chear and quicken the hearts of one another in our duties under our burdens and Temptations and help to make our yoke â—asie We animate and stir up one another and put as it were new courage life and spirit into each other But by our neglect to joyn in fellowship with our Brethren by being strange to and keeping at a distance from them we do very much weaken their hands sadden grieve and discourage their hearts and lay them under many Temptations troubles and disquietments as experience shews We ought to bear each others burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ Gal. 6 2. But we may not burden one another either by Omission or Commission We are debtors to one another by vertue of Christ's Command and our spiritual Relation to each other we live not from or by our selves therefore must not live for and to our selves I am my Brother's and he is mine as to help comfort service and usefulness one to another Such as carelesly or wilfully abide out of Church-fellowship do in a sense condemn those who walk in it We ought to know and be acquainted with one another that we may be thereby the more serviceable to each other I am my Brother's Keeper Teacher Comforter Reprover and Admonisher and he is mine I cannot well live nor ordinarily live well without his help and assistance nor he without mine We have our work and business to do for one another as well as for our selves The nearer and faster Brethren are link't and knit together the warmer and stronger their love will be to and the more care and tenderness they will have for and towards one another Now though Church-fellowship be not the ground of Brethrens love and service one to another but their oneness with Christ and fellow-membership in him their head as also his revealed will yet it is certain in experience that their near and close Communion together in Church-fellowship doth greatly provoke irritate strengthen and draw forth their love one to another Distance and strangeness weakens love but nearness and intimacy strengthens it Church Communion is a spiritual bond that tyes spiritual men together and greatly knits them into one when otherwise in their walkings they are divided and like bones out of joynt Therefore let all true-hearted Brethren joyn in Church-fellowship with their Brethren and declare their oneness in Christ in spirit faith and love by their so doing Let them strengthen each others hands and encourage one anothers heart in their work and duty in their priviledges and mercies and know that you are indispensibly bound so to do You have Christ himself and his spirit calling you you have your own and your Brethrens Souls calling you you have the practice of the Apostles and Primitive Saints calling you and in a sense you have the World calling you into Church-fellowship Why then do it and make no longer delay for while you neglect to do it you neglect your duties to God to your Brethren and to your own Souls yea you do practically slight your purchased priviledges and dear-bought mercies do it speedily for Christ's sake and for your own peace comfort growth and security Seventhly You that are true Believers ought to walk in Church-fellowship that you may be and live under Church promises You heard before that there are many promises made and given to Churches or to Believers in that capacity which they cannot claim to themselves while they walk alone as individuals and strangers to one another God told Solomon that his eyes and heart should be perpetually in his Temple 2 Chron. 7.16 But David's Gold Silver Brass and other Materials that he had provided to build it had not such a promise until they were formed up into a house for God So it is now with living or lively materials that are hewn and pollished for to build him Gospel-Temples They may not expect the good of all the promises but in the wayes of God's Appointments and their own duties Although their being in Christ united and married to him by faith be the ground and foundation of their right to the promises and all the good of them yet the Great God gives out and imparts the Juice and fatness of them unto their Souls in the wayes of his Gospel precepts and appointments that such as expect to be partakers of them may seek all in those wayes I have in the last chapter instanced in several promises that belong unto Churches or unto Believers walking with God in that state and capacity As that in Rev. 2.1 2 Cor. 6.16 Psal 92.12 13. Psal 132.12 13 14. Eph. 2. the three last verses with several others of like import Now then if you will partake of the good of Church-promises you must become holy and orderly Church-members Surely it is your duty to look after and earnestly to seek for
to Christ and one to another in a Church-relation that they might live to God and be useful to men 2 Cor. 5.15 Gal. 6.10 Do good to all men especially to the Houshold of Faith Barren Church-members are Incumbrances in the world and are dead while they live they live undesired and dye unlamented they are like withered Trees in an Orchard good for nothing but to be out down and cast into the fire Joh. 15.6 Heb. 6.7 8. They must follow every good work 1 Tim. 5.10 in the Churches Families and places where they live They must not sâ—ck their own things but every one anothers wealth 1 Cor. 10.24 Phil. 2.4 Theya re indispensibly bound to promote the welfare holiness and happiness of their Churches Families Relations and all other Persons so far as they can and that zealously diligently faithfully and constantly They are Created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 and they are set in the Church for the same 8. Churches should shine in and with courteous and affable spirits words and carriages too For they should be like their Head and Husband in this excellency also Church-members must not be of harsh sowre crabbed churlish spirits and behavior towards men for that will render them odious and contemptible but they must imitate and conform to the Lord Jesus in a holy sweetness kindness courteousness and affability towards Saints and Sinners that they may adorn the Gospel of Christ in all things Tit. 2.10 1 Pet. 3.8 A kind courteous and affable carriage and behaviour is a very comely and beautiful Garment for all such to wear about them for it commends their Persons and Religion unto men and makes them exceeding lovely desirable and acceptable in all Societies as also the good ways of God which they do profess to love and in which they walk 9. They should shine with sympathizing and forgiving spirits and practices Their fallen Brethren or Neighbours who have sinned by wrenging them may stand in need of their Pitty Pardon and Sympathy and then they should vouchsafe it to them and not be rash and severe unto them They must not lay on another load on their backs pursue them with rash Censures shews of Cruelty and Vengeance in words or deeds in wrath and displeasure but pitty them pray for them and give them the hand to raise them up again and bring them to Conviction and Repentance until they appear obstinate and stubborn in their sin The Servant that took his fellow Servant by the throat saying unto him pay me my dues is branded for a wicked man Math. 18.28.35 It is such a kind of cruelty as God abhors and all holy men hate and the world are stumbled at Persons as soon as they sin against us or any way wrong us are not presently to be the objects of our Contempt and Cruelty or of our Wrath Fury no but they ought to be the objects of our Pitty and Compassion of our Sympathy and Assistance and when they do seriously repent of any wrong they have done us although they cannot make any other restitution or satisfaction we ought to forgive them help and comfort them Eph. 4. ult Col. 3.13 Math. 18 ult 2 Cor. 2.7.10 10. Churches should shine in their orderly and dutiful Walkings in the Churches as also in the Families where they live and in and towards their several Relations Next to that mysterious and glorious Union and Relation that is between the Lord Jesus and his people that which is between his People in Church-fellowship and Relation is the nearest and greatest because 1. It is a spiritual Relation and Union 2. Because it is a Union and Relation on Christs account and with respect to him as their Head and King 3. Because it is an everlasting Union and Relation Therefore in this Communion and Relation we should be most precise and exact in our walkings and performing all the duties of it They must keep their places in the Church and constantly attend unto all the duties therein They should never neglect their Church-meetings excepting in extraordinary cases but be present at the Celebration of all divine Worship observation of all the Ordinances of Christ in the Church and demean themselves before God and Men as becomes the Gospel of Christ They must endeavour so to walk in the Church in their Families among and towards their Relations as that they may be blameless giving no offence Phil. 2.15 16. Col. 2.5 2 Cor. 6.3 11. Church-members must shine in Diligence and Faithfulness Slothfulness Unfaithfulness are scandalous sins but Diligence and Faithfulness in our trusts and businesses are Ornaments to our persons and professions and to the Gospel and Holy Name of Christ which we do profess to love and believe Church members are eyed and much observed and therefore they had need walk circumspectly Eph. 5.15 and beg of God to lead them in plain paths as David did because of their Enemies as or 't is in the Margin those which observe me Psal 27.11 They should be diligent in their work and business and what their hands find to do to do it with all their might Eccle. 9.10 2 Pet. 3.14 Heb. 6.12 And as they should be diligent so likewise faithful and trusty to all that are concerned with them so as to answer every ones reasonable expectation from them they must be faithful and true to one another in buying and selling in borrowing and lending in work and business and in counsel and friendship Whatever Trusts they commit to one another or is by any committed to them they are indispensibly bound to be as faithful and true to such as to themselves They must render to all their Dues Rom. 13.7 8. and not in any thing purloyn Tit. 2.10 Are they Buyers or Sellers Lenders or Borrowers or such as are intrusted by any men in any thing they must be faithful to their Trusts or they will reproach the Lord Jesus scandalize men and greatly dishonour their Profession These are some of the many good things wherein they should be as so many burning and shining Lights in the world and in the Churches Secondly They must design aim at and prosecute all the ends of God in appointing such a state and condition for them their cleaving to joyning with and walking therein God and they must joyn Issues and carry on the same ends and interests I have shewed you what ends persons should have in their eye in joyning themselves to the Churches of Christ or in walking in Church-fellowship and now I say that in this State they must practically pursue them and that with all possible diligence seriousness and faithfulness The Honour and Glory of God the Father and Jesus Christ their Head and King the happiness and salvation of their own souls are the two or rather as free grace hath laid it the one great end of their so doing for these ends are no more two but one and so to be believed and
do so you rob God break your Covenant offend your Brethren and wrong your own souls You must go up because you are called to go and that you may meet God in Zion and receive his blessings for there he commands them Psal 133. ult Oh! it is sad indeed when persons shall pretend to enter into Churches take upon them the observation of all the Laws and Ordinances of Christ there solemnly and publickly promise and engage to walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of God with his people and yet shall dare wilfully to neglect their place and duty therein and to pay their Vows to their God and King Psal 65.1 Psal 61.5.8 Such as are good Governours of Families and Corporations will carefully mind if all within them do answer to their calls and perform their duties when called so to do So doth the Lord Jesus Christ in his Churches He summons them by his Ministers to appear before him wait on and worship him together and bring him a Church-offering and service and narrowly observes who comes and who neglects it how thy come and with what frames of hearts to what ends as the 2. 3. Chap of Rev. shew And if he find any wanting that might come or see them come carelesly and superficially he accounts himself slighted disobeyed and his Love and Grace contemned and undervalued God expects that you should be constant in Church-meetings and not decline them at any time but when his hand obstructs and impedes you but that there you should come with your Free-will offerings and do your Duty Homage to him as he commanded you Believe it this is a matter of great moment and not to be slighted or disregarded by you Sixthly You must walk with God in Church-fellowship in Sincerity and with Vprightness of heart to Without this all your performances are in vain The Lord Jesus is very curious and critical in searching your hearts in your Church-state Rev. 2.23 And all the Churches shall know that I search the reins and the heart And in Jer. 17.10 saith God to the inchurched Jews I the Lord search the heart I try the reins Then surely it must very much concern you to see that you draw night to God continually with true hearts Heb. 10.22 and that without all allowed Guile and Hypocrisie A little of this Leaven will quickly leaven the whole lump of duties Gal. 5.9 It will so corrupt and sowre them as that they will be all stark naught and good for nothing but to kindle and encrease the flames of God's Wrath and Vengeance against you Therefore take heed and beware of Hypocrisie and do not connive or wink at the least grain of it in your hearts or duties but be sure to walk with God in the performance of all duties in Integrity and Uprightness Be sure that your God expects it from you and requires it of you Joshua 24.14 Gen. 17.1 The Eyes of the Lord run to and fro through-out the Churches to see whose heart is perfect with him and whose is hypocritical 2 Chron. 16.9 He requires Truth in the inward parts Psal 51.6 and that all Church-members should walk before him in Truth and with perfect hearts 2 King 20.3 You must worship God and serve him with your all for your little all is but too little for him Prov. 23.26 Math. 22.37 Psal 119.10 You must not leave one hoof behind when you do any thing for God nor put God off with a part of your abilities for the whole for if you do you will lose the acceptance and reward of all Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name saith David Psal 103.1 Seventhly See that you worship God and observe all his Ordinances in the Church in spirit or spiritually Remember that you are his holy spiritual Temples the Temples of the Holy Ghost Eph. 2.21 1 Cor. 3.16 that all the Ordinances of worship in them are holy and spiritual Ordinances stampt with the Image of God's Holiness and Authority and that he will be worshipped in spirit or spiritually Joh. 4.23 24. You must be very careful that you take not up with the external part and outside of your duties and priviledges that you settle not your selves and stay as it were in and upon Ordinances and your enjoying and observing them but get within the Vail seek and look for God and Christ for Heaven and glorious things in them Let your Faith conduct you by the hand of the Spirit into the bosom and heart of Christ that there you may read his Love Grace and glorious Excellencies have intimate and close Communion with him and be ravished and refreshed with his Person and Love Get into his Galleries and see the King of Glory in his beautys and transcendant sweetnesses and get into the Sanctum Sanctorum into the most holy place for the way is opened and the vail drawn off and removed by your Head for you to come and meet him there Heb. 10.19 20 Therefore do not stand and worship in the outer Court of the Temple but go and pass through Ordinances to Christ into the holiest of all and when-ever you go and enter in be you sure that you carry all Graces the Spirit with you to meet your Lord and honour him with them Endeavour all you can to see and feel him to get your hearts ravished with his Person and Love that thereby they may be raised up to great delight joy chearfulness adoration admiration and praise that they may be filled with his Savours warmed with his Love drawn by his Beauty be by all knit and united tyed and bound fast to him Then we worship him in spirit or spiritually when we worship him go to meet him with all our Graces in the Holy of Holies when our Hearts Graces do close up with and hold Communion with him in these Beauties of Holiness Psal 110.3 I am affraid that very few Church-members are experimentally acquainted with this matter for if they were so acquainted with it indeed they could not do as they do They could not neglect the worship and Ordinances of Christ nor cry up a Cephas and cry down a Paul as they do 1 Cor. 3. They could not be so careless and formal in them as they are nor carry about such dead lumpish and heavy hearts and minds as they do Well but however it hath been with you let it be so no more Do you for time to come learn so to worship God as you have heard that so you may please and honour him and he may delight to meet with and bless you Eightly You must walk in Church-fellowship chearfully comfortably and joyfully You must not be Whiners and Complainers you must not be sad lumpish and melancholly in your Father's House No for that will greatly reflect on your Father and on your Head and Husband You will raise suspicions in the minds of men on the good ways of God
is found too rife and rampant amongst them It is a most pernicious Evil and prejudicial to Christ himself his Gospel People Wayes and Interests and therefore Satan will strive the more industriously to provoke them to do it and therefore we should be the more watchful against it 2 Cor. 12.20 Jam. 4.11 Tit. 3.2 Eph. 4.31 1 Pet. 2.1 God abhors this Tongue-sin this poysonous Sword and good-name-Murthering Abomination he cannot bear to hear his Church-members to be biting and devouring one another Gal. 5.15 yet are they prone and often tempted to it 8. They will be tempted to slight undervalue yea and to despise one another especially such as are poor and weak they will be tempted to slight and disesteem such as are high and honourable in God's account and such as he greatly values and esteems But take heed and beware of it for it is a most God-provoking sin They are glorious in Gods thoughts let them not be base in yours Their names are pretious in Heaven and let them be pretious to you 9. They will be tempted to slight and undervalue their priviledges and to disregard their works and duties in the Church At first they are much taken and affected with them but after a while they do as much slight and disesteem them neglect and disregard them and then they fall to omitting and neglecting them These are dear-bought priviledges and duties and therefore ought to be highly accounted of and esteemed 10. And then it follows that they will quarrel with their Teachers or be much offended at them slight and disesteem them and be full of objections against them and their works But you must take heed and beware of this evil likewise for when you have forsaken God and he hath left you then you are tempted to dislike your Teachers but never till then They are Christ's Embassadors Jewels and Instruments of his glory in the Churches and in the World and they are near and dear to him and therefore your sin will be very great in slighting and disesteeming them 12. They will be tempted to leave communion with the Church and ramble about from place to place which is a dangerous and pernicious evil and tends directly to the breaking of the Churches and destruction of all Church-order Many love to change their Place Works and Company and seem to be better every or any where than in their own Place and Work 13. They will be tempted to neglect their church-Church-duties one to another and live as persons alone without having regard of or respect unto one another as Brethren and Members of the same houshold And when they have entertained the Temptation into their minds they will easily dispense with total Omissions and not be troubled at it nor care what becomes of one another 14. They will be tempted to draw nigh to God in Church-Ordinances with worldly vain and unprepared hearts The Commoness of them and their frequent use of them together with the untunedness of their hearts make them common things and matters to them so as that they dare adventure on them with common frames of heart which once they durst not do But now they can dispense with it as with some light matter 15. They will be tempted to receive pernicious Doctrines and to entertain evil Opinions in and about Religion Many Church-members have been caught in these Nets and taken in these Snares not because they were such but because they walked not warily and circumspectly in that state and relation For by being Church-members they have had great advantages against them and means to prevent their being ensnared but that they improved them not as they might have done for their own security They were not aware of him who goes up and down in the Kingdom to sow his Tares 16. They will be tempted when they have suckt in any poysonous Doctrines and entertained erronious Opinions to help the Devil in sowing them in the minds of others and endeavour to leaven them with their new Leaven also For being deluded and seduced themselves it is almost natural to them to seduce others likewise as experience testifies 17. They will be tempted to prejudice and injure each others Souls in their occasional Visits by entertaining one another with vain frothy and heart-deadning Discourses instead of heart bettering Discourses They will be tempted to tempt one another to give and receive such matter as tends to the subverting and corrupting of each others Souls drawing them away from God and indisposing them for their duties rather than to edification and profit And this is a most pernitious Evil though little minded and considered and it is an Evil that is much practised and countenanced amongst Church-members For they that have such opportunities which they ought to improve for the better and not for the worse are found improving them by their Tongues and Ears for the worse and not for the better which will cost them very dear hereafter Such carnal and vain Communications as are frequently found among them corrupt good Hearts and Manners also 18. They will be tempted to be ungrateful to God for his mercies to them and to account their duty and priviledges their heavy Yoke Burdens as the Israelites did their Deliverance from their Bondage in Egypt They were displeased with God and Moses for bringing them out of their house of Bondage and it is to be feared that some Church-members now are displeased because they are brought into the House of God and they say in their hearts would God we had been wiser than to have joyned our selves to the Churches as the Israelites said would God that we had dyed in Egypt Take heed of this evil We are so encumbred with Meetings and Disbursements and with one thing and another as that our condition is burdensome unto us is the language of some as I have ground to think 19. They will be tempted to stacken their zeal care and diligence to grow in grace and perfect holiness and to look after their gettings in the Churches and Ordinances of Christ So that they will grow lukewarm careless and indifferent what becomes of their Souls whether they thrive and prosper or whether they do wither and decay whether they partake of the fatness of God's house or no. 20. They will be tempted to make carnal Advantages to themselves of their Church-state and to aim at and prosecute worldly Ends therein more than spiritual and to subordinate and make use of their work and duty there to promote and serve a base worldly Interest 21. They will be tempted to desert their duty and relinquish their Station and Priviledges in a trying time and to conform to the world for filthy Lucre's sake and to enjoy their outward Peace and Liberty Many seem to be strong and well settled in their faith principles and practise before the Tempest blows in their faces but when the Wind and Waves beat against them they appear other kind of men Therefore let
to you Yea that he will far exceed your highest regular Expectations from him in his Princely favours and glorious distributions to your Souls CHAP. XIII Where are several Questions Answered and Resolved Quest WHether a Church-member may withdraw or absent himself from the Lord's Supper upon any Sin or Offence given him by one or more of his Fellow-members in the Church Answ The offended Member may not withdraw nor by any means absent himself on that Account Too many indeed are apt to think and they Act accordingly that they have a Dispensation to neglect their Duty and practically to slight their Priviledge because others are not so good as they should be and have given them Offence But that which gives them such a Dispensation is their own Pride Ignorance Prejudice and wilfulness not Jesus Christ their Head But I say you may not absent your selves or neglect that great Ordinance upon such Accounts 1 Because it is your Duty to receive it and wait on Christ in it as hath been shewed and it is not anothers Sin that can discharge you of your Duty 2 If thy Brother hath sinned and thereby incapacitated himself for a worthy receiving and celebrating of this holy Ordinance thou hast the greater Reason offered thee to come and receive it worthily to the honour of Christ For it is most unreasonable that he should be deprived of the Glory of his Grace and thy Duty because thy Brother hath sinned against him and dishonoured him already 3 Hast thou rebuked thy sinning Brother and laboured to bring him to Repentance and art thou mourning and praying for him and waiting on God for his Recovery as thou art bound to do 1 Cor. 5.2 Why then his Sin shall not be laid to thy Charge neither may it impede or hinder thy Reception of this Ordinance 4 It is thy Prejudice and Wrath against if not thy Loathing and Hating of the offending Person that causes thy Neglect or the Guilt thou hast contracted to thy own Soul and Conscience that makes thee forbear coming to the Lord's Table and not a dutiful and conscientious Forbearance because God would have it so For it is contrary to his holy Will 5 Allow of this and you will never want occasions but the Devil and your own Lusts will still supply you with enough to provoke and perswade you to a total neglect of this Duty Quest Suppose I find my self unfit and indisposed to receive the Lord's Supper may not I neglect it Answ No for thy waiting on Christ at his Table is thy Duty as hath been proved And therefore thou maist not think of neglecting it but the more unfit and indisposed thou findest thy self to be the more seriously diligently and vigorously thou shouldst labour to prepare thy self and get the removal of thy Indispositions To obtain and put on the Wedding-Garment that thou maist worthily partake of this Ordinance If the Iron be blunt the harder you must strike Eccl. 10 10. The more unprepared you are the more and greater diligence you must use to prepare I know that Church-members are subject to this Temptation which if yielded to will bring on many Mischiefs upon their Souls as some have sadly experienced But what hinders that you endeavour not the removal of these Evils presently you may not alwayes live so but one time or other you must get rid of them unless you will perish And when will you find a fitter time for the doing of it than now Therefore know that you have two great and indispensible Duties lying before you 1. To use all means for the removing all Obstructions and to get your Hearts in a ready meet posture for God and your Duties Amos 4.12 2 To wait on Christ at his Table on the next opportunity 1 Cor. 1â— 28 and not to add Sin to Sin by neglecting either of them Quest What do you think of those Members who do wilfully neglect to come to the Lord's Table very often and for a long time together or of such as will ride out of Town such dayes as they are called to partake of it Answ First either they are dead rotten Members such as are mentioned in Matth. 13.20 21. Joh. 15.2 6. Heb. 6. and Heb. 10. or else they have fouly back sliden from God and contracted much guilt and hardness of Heart You may be sure that matters go very ill with them at home and that they are in a withering and dying condition that they have wickedly forsaken God and God hath forsaken them 2 Chron. 15.2 They have most horribly sinned against Knowledge and Conscience grieved the holy Spirit and alienated their Hearts from God They have lost the savour of Christ that was on their Hearts the Conscience of and love to their Duties all care of and respect to their own and their Brethren's Souls and have with Ephraim cast off the thing that is good and therefore Evil pursues them Hosea 8.3 and they are under the Temptations of the Devil For were it not thus with them they could not durst not do as they do in this great and weighty matter The sight of their Duty the sense of their own wants and their love to Christ their Brethren and their own Souls would in no wise permit or dispense with such wilful neglects of so great a Duty and Priviledge and to keep at a distance from their God And if you mind them and have close discourse with them about spiritual things you may find them neglecters and slighters of other Duties of Carnal Vain Sottish and Stupid Spirits and that their Hearts and Souls are in a sad and miserable condition They desire not care not for your Company nor to hear you talk with them about their Soul's concernments And if they pretend any excuse or offer to defend their â—â—glects be sure they will cast all or most of the blame or cause off from themselves on others which argues a vile wicked Spirit They neglect the Lord's Table not because their own Hearts Wayes are very evil and abominable if any will believe them no but because their Ministry the Church or some particular Members of it are not good enough for their Communion And herein they blaspheme or scandalize them and offer violence to their own Consciences for the clearing of themselves and in belying their Teacher or Brethren Quest Is not Excommunication an Ordinance of Christ in his Church Answ Yea it is a great and useful Ordinance which may not be neglected when need requires on any pretence whatsoever because the Lord Jesus the King and Head of his Churches hath instituted and commanded it to be done and hath thereby made it their indispensible Duty Matth. 18.15 16 17. 1 Cor. 5.4 5 11 12 13. 2 Thes 3.6 14. Quest For what ends must the Church use this Ordinance and why hath Christ appointed it and commanded the Administration of it Answ For these Six ends 1. To remove Offence from the Church For a scandalous
Member continuing in his Impenitency is a Stumbling-block to them 2. The healing of the Offender by bringing him to deep Conviction of his Sin and Repentance for it to humble him to cause him to own and acknowledge his Sin and amend his Wayes 2 Cor. 2.5 6 7. 3. To clear the Church of the guilt of his Sin For if they neglect their Duty and so practically wink at his Sin they involve themselves in the guilt of it 1 Tim. 5.22 4. To caution others and cause them to hear and fear and do not so wickedly Deut. 21.21 Deut. 17.12 13. 5. To free the Church from Reproach and Scandal from without for their Enemies will undoubtedly defame them if they hear that they suffer visible Transgressors among them 6. To purge out the Leaven that the Church may be a pure Lump 1 Cor. 5.7 8. and a holy Habitation of God Eph. 2. Quest When must this Ordinance be used in the Church Answ Only in case of necessity when other means will not convince and bring Offenders to serious and hearty Repentance prevent or remove the other Evils or obtain the Ends before mentioned Matth. 18.15 16 17. Quest What is Excommunication Answ It is the cutting off a Church-member from his Membership with the Church putting him out of their Communion and Society and shutting him out from the enjoyment of all Church-Priviledges putting him into the Devils Kingdom or to deliver him to Satan in the name of Christ for the destruction of the flesh that his Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord 1 Cor. 5.4 5. It is variously expressed in Scripture in the fore-quoted Texts Matth. 18. 2 Thes 3.1 Cor. 5. Quest But is not Excommunication an high Act of Cruelty and too great Severity for a Church to use towards their Follow-members Answ No. For it is one of Christ's healing Medicines wherewith he cures Souls and one of his soveraign Means whereby he sets broken bones in joynt The loving kind and compassionate Head and Father of his People hath not such a heart towards them neither hath he shewed any Cruelty or undue Severity towards them in his appointing this Ordinance for his Churches and requiring the Execution of it on obstinate Transgressors for their Health Cure 2. The executing of this healing Ordinance on such is so far from being an Act of Cruelty as that it is one of the highest Acts of our Love Favour and Kindness to their Souls and the wilful neglect of it is one of the highest Acts of Cruelty that we can shew them For to let a Brother alone in his Sin and known Wickedness see him in the Ditch and leave him there knowing him dropping into Hell and not use the means the Lord hath given us for the helping of him out and preventing of his eternal Ruine is such a piece of Cruelty and horrible Injustice as that there can hardly be greater found among men If it be Cruelty in me to use the Lords means for saving of my Brother's Soul then let it be so called and accounted not else And great is their simple Ignorance or wilful Blindness who think and talk after this rate and too many of them are found in the Churches of Christ Quest But for what sins should this Ordinance be administred to or executed on Church-members A. For any sins that are not unavoydable Infirmities if persisted in the Offenders reject or neglect to hear receive and improve Reproofs to their Conviction Sorrow and Amendment to their deep Humiliation Confession and voluntary Acknowledgment The Lord Jesus hath not told us in particular for what sins Offenders should be Excommunicated out of the Church but tells us in Maâ—th 18.15 that if thy Brother sin against thee He names not the particular sin or sins but that expression implys any sin that is not an unavoydable infirmity in him And mark it It is not the matter of the sin that is so much to be minded as the manner of sinning and the Circumstances wherewith it is attended As 1. If a sin that is generally known among Professors of the Gospel and owned to be a sin and which the Sinner cannot be ignorant of especially when it is laid before him and opened to him by the Reprover 2. VVilfully or carelesly committed 3. If it be a scandalous sin and pernitious to God or Men. 4. If committed upon deliberation 5. VVith heat and fervour of spirit 6. If committed after Conviction of the Evil of it and Repentance for it 7. If it be persisted in after Admonition or the Offender shall slight or neglect Brotherly Reproof under it and shall contemn the first and second Admonition turning a deaf ear to it or shall not repent and give satisfaction for the wrong he hath done by his sin I say let the matter of the sin be what it will if attended with some or all these Circumstances and Aggravations the Church may by Christ's Authority proceed against him and cut him off To name some few of the many sins which if not repented of but persisted in which they may be judged to do until they manifest open Repentance 1 Strong violent Passions 2. Apparent Wrath Envy Bitterness and Anger shewed without great provocation 3. Apparent Frowardness Peevishness Clamour Strife 4. Jangling Disputing Peace-breakings all things that directly tend to hinder the Edification and Peace of the Church 5. Back-bitings and speaking evil against or of one another 6. Constant or frequent neglects of Family and church-Church-duties and the Ordinances of God in them 7. Needless Associating and holding Communion with profane and scandalous persons 8. Defrauding any persons of their just dues any way on any account whatsoever when it might have been prevented 9. Disobedience to the Lawful Commands and Rules of Parents Masters Magistrates Elders or any other that have Authority over them 10. Publishing false Doctrines against the Fundamentals of the Gospel Faith and Worship 11. False Accusing any Persons especially any of the Church 12. Railing at or reviling others to their face or behind their backs 13. Idleness Tatling and being Busie-bodies in other mens matters that concern them not These and many more of like import are such apparent sins as that Church-members cannot be supposed to be ignorant of them and they are very offensive Evils to God and men So likewise is wilful deserting and causeless leaving of a Church at their own will and pleasure and thereby have broken the Covenant of God I have not room to enlarge on these brief hints of this matter but I could otherwise say much more for the clearing and confirming of it Quest May Churches keep out such persons as offer themselves to joyn with them at their own will and pleasure without apparent cause Ans No they may not for 1. We have no dispensation to do so but are bid to receive them Rom. 14.1 Rom. 15.7 2. The Primitive Churches did receive persons as soon as they
proffered to joyn with them unless they had any just cause to deny them and what they did therein was by Apostolical direction 3. By refusing to accept them into Communion speedily without just cause they do greatly wrong and injure them and grieve such as the Lord would not have grieved 1. They keep them out of their Right and detain from them their just dues they deprive them of their Priviledges which Christ hath bought for them And 2 Lay them under many and great Temptations to sin and despond 4. They rob God of his Honour and Glory which he might receive from them in their Church-duties 5. They discourage persons from coming to and joyning with them and so expose themselves to ruine For the Churches cannot long subsist without continual additions of new Members because death is still fetching away and pulling out of the old 6. They do expose themselves to reproach and just censure by such wilful neglects towards them 7. Ordinarily they may be either received or rejected in one week as well as in three months did all mind and attend to their duty in their place in the Churches Take heed that this evil be not found in or among you for assuredly it is a foul Iniquity to rob God wrong Souls and injure the Church to grieve the hearts of the Godly and tempt them to sin which Iniquity you are guilty of who by your negligence or prejudice do keep them from Church Ordinances who desire to partake of them with you longer than of necessity Quest May not Pastors leave their Churches upon any account whatsoever Ans Doubtless God may and somtimes he doth providentially call them off and they ought to follow it For 1. There is not any Precept of Christ enjoyning them to stay with them all their days 2. Christ tells them that if they be persecuted in one City they may fly to another Matth. 10.23 But they may not leave them no not with the Churches consent and approbation but upon some extraordinary Providences and Calls of God For as Christ their Master sent them there and they were setled there by him as the great Agent and Doer of it to do his work and minister in his Name and by his Authority with his Gifts Blessing so the Churches have nothing to do to dismiss and give them liberty to depart without the good leave and consent of Christ himself who sent and set them in and among them And therefore their leaving of the Churches and the Churche dismissing of them is not their own act but in and by the order and commission of Christ What they do therein must be only in from and by the Will and Pleasure of their Head and King and not from their own For without Warrant from him the Churches have no power to leave their Pastors nor their Pastors them Quest When or upon what accounts may Pastors leave their Churches A s First when they are severely persecuted and their Enemies level their fiery Darts and shoot their Arrows of malice against their Persons and Families and persist in their so doing so as that there is no probable way to escape them but in all probability they shall be devoured by them In this case the Lord Jesus the Apostles and the Elders at Jerusalem fled and went their way and hereby the Lord doth often call off Pastors now 2. In case the Churches leave them and will not stand by them 3. In case their Churches fall into Rents Schisms and they grow so head-strong and unruly as that they can do no good upon them as somtimes it falls out 4. In case they cannot live and subsist with and by them but in a miserable and distressed condition For if the Churches provide not for them and they have not otherwise a subsistance they are not bound to provide for their Churches For God hath ordained that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.14 and they must live by Bread and provide for their Families or they deny the Faith and are worse than Infidels 1 Tim. 5.8 5. In case the Lord doth open a door for their Ministry else-where which is always to be observed in this matter If Providence invite them else-where to minister to a People that they knew not of and sought not after but the hand of Providence presented it to them as it were accidentally and are by that strange people as to them desired to preach to and take the care of them and so they lay not down their work but follow it in those other places where in all probability they may do Christ and Souls greater Service and not expose themselves thereby to those Straits and Temptations to sin they were in before I say take in this case with any of the other I am satisfied their Call is clear to leave their Churches Quest May Church-members leave their Churches at their own will and pleasure and go else-where when they please Ans No they may not They must not leave them unless by some extraordinary hand of Providence the Lord calls them off to walk with another people If by Persecution or by Poverty or by the command of their Parents Husbands or Masters or other Superiours they are called off they may go with the Churches consent as likewise in other weighty cases But they may not go from them at their own will and pleasure to gratifie their Pride Prejudice and to please their own fickle minds and itching ears or upon any ordinary account whatsoever and that for these reasons 1. The Lord charges them not to forsake their Churches nor holding Communion and Fellowship with them in the Ordinances and Worship of God Heb. 10.24 25. 2. He brands them and sets a black mark of Ignonimy on all wilful and causeless Deserters of Churches 1 Joh. 2.19 Heb. 10.25 26. as the manner of some is which is a contemptuous expression of them who forsake their Church-membership and their places work and duty there 3. Deserters of their Church-membership at their own will and pleasure do make the Churches thereby to be like Inns or Ale-houses where persons go in and out at their own will and pleasure Such as do so in Families and civil Societies are accounted vile lawless and extravagant persons because they live not under good Laws nor walk by the good Rules and Orders of the Society How much more vile and lawless are Church-members who have given up themselves in a professed subjection to Christ 2 Cor. 9.13 and engaged to walk as Church-members and yet shall walk act and go in and out as lawless persons who owe no subjection to Christ nor to his Laws and Authority in the Church 4. Wilful Deserters of Churches are notorious Covenant-breakers also When they gave the right hand of Fellowship and were received into the Church they solemnly promised to walk with God in the Church hold Communion with it subject unto and live under the Government
set so their work and Duty lies there Not forsaking the Assembling of your selves together Heb. 10.25 and because some are not to neglect so to do therefore sayes the Apostle do you provoke each other to your Duty Twelfthly You must be charitable to the poor that are among you and freely contribute to them according to your Ability and their Necessity You are indispensibly bound to impart your help and assistance to them and give them a little of your Estates As you are Stewards for your selves so also for them It is a Debt you owe to God and a Duty to them you will comfort them thereby but you will much more profit your selves than you can possibly profit them It is a more blessed thing to give than to receive Acts 20.35 It is your honour and happiness that God enables you to give to them but it is their Affliction that they are necessitated to receive from you You stand on the Advantage ground by them both as to work and wages And therefore thou has little reason to despise them or grudge at thy distributions to them Thou art their Steward and a part of what God hath given thee was designed and intended for them 1 Pet. 4.10 And therefore sayes God Deut. 15.7 12. I command thee to open thy hand wide unto thy Brother that is waxen poor by thee Read the words at large observe likewise these Scriptures and diligently mark and consider them 2 Cor. 8. and 9. Chapters Gal. 6.9 10. Heb. 13.16 Prov. 19.17 Psal 37.26 Psal 41.1 2 3. You must not only give to keep them alive in misery but make comfortable provisions for them that they may have enough to keep them from the Temptations of Poverty 〈◊〉 pressing wants and to enable and encourage them for and in their work and Duty to God and men Thirteenthly You must carefully watchfully diligently and conscientiously beware of and avoid whatever may give any just offence or scandal to one another For we are charged to give none offence either to Jew or Gentile or to the Church of God 1 Cor. 10.31 And sayes the Apostle take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block 1 Cor. 8.9 And our Saviour tells us that woe to them by whom the offence comes Math. 18.7 and charges his Disciples to take heed and beware of giving any offence to his little ones vers 6. You must not only mind that which you ought to do but that which you must also leave undone For although you should strive to do never so much good yet if that while you are not careful of eschewing evil you will do a great deal of hurt and pull down with the one hand that which you seem to build up with the other And you must also see that you do one Duty as well as another For although you may be frequent attenders on the Ordinances of God in the Church yet if you come not timely to them or carry your selves unreverently in them you will give just offence So if you should be charitable to the poor and yet be negligent in publick worship you will give offence But to be brief know that you must take heed and beware of such evils as these and avoid them For they do all of them carry a Brand in their fore-heads and scandalous mischiefs in their hands both to your own and others Souls And therefore you should mind them endeavour to know and avoid them that they be not found in you 1. As 1. Proud lofty swelling disdainful and haughty words carriages walkings and deportments For they are grievous and provoking evils and such as will justly offend all the observers of them 2. You must avoid all sullen sowre and churlish Language and Behaviour towards all sorts of persons or else you will offend them For it is an evil that is altogether unbecoming the Lambs of Jesus Christ 3. You must beware of a cross captious and contradicting Spirit and carriage There are too to many such Members in Churches whose peculiar Excellency or rather vileness lies in this and who delight in a singular perversness of mind and discourse against the work sense proposals and judgment of the Church and the Elders thereof That so they may be heard and may hear themselves talk and from the Pride and haughtiness of their Spirits they may seem some bodies in the Church or in other Company But this is very scandalous to their Brethren excepting such as they have made of their Faction to joyn with them in their unfruitful works of darkness and very reproachful to themselves as they will find at long run But I must hasten 4. You must beware of avoid peevish froward and touchy carriages words and deportments in private and publick For they are very scandalous and offensive 5. You must not withdraw your selves from your place work and Duty in the Church nor absent from the VVorship and Ordinances of God there in their times and seasons For that is a most scandalous and pernitious evil as you heard before It hath an innumerable Company of evils in the Womb of it and that do attend it which I have now no room to mention And it is a direct Transgression of Gods Laws Rules and Orders in his Churches besides the scandal and evil consequences of it 6. Take heed of that filthy sin of speaking evil of one another behind their backs you must not be Whisperers or Back-biters nor speak of the real or supposed evils of one another but to their faces or before them until you have done your duty to them in secret For if you should you will greatly provoke them and greatly stumble offend and scandalize such as you so speak evil of 7. You must beware of speaking slightingly and contemptibly of one another either to their faces or behind their backs For men yea the best of men will not cannot patiently bear contemptuous words and undeserved slighting carriages from their Brethren 8. You must beware of and avoid vain foolish and frothy discourses for they are very scandalous and offensive to gracious hearts 9. Take heed of Earthly-mindedness and greedy pursuits after worldly things for as they are offensive to God and pernitious to your own Souls so they are scandalous and grievous to beholders 10. Take heed and beware of strife and contention amongst your selves for that will do a world of mischief and produce many evil and wicked fruits 11. Take heed of grudging at or envying one anothers prosperity for thereby you controul God himself and give occasion of great offence to your Brethren when they shall see that they cannot receive mercies from God without your envyings and grudgings 12. Be sure to deal justly with all men and give to every one his due defrauding is a very reproachful and scandalous sin Contract not Debts and delay or deny to pay them For if you do you will scandalize your Brethren and cause the name of God to be