liue not together as louing brethren Or how shall hee call vs his children if wee behaue our selues as strangers or enemies one vnto another As touching Brotherly loue saith the Apostle 1 Thes 4.9 you need not that I write vnto you for you your selues are taught of God to loue one another As if hee had said Look as naturall Brethren not degenerating nor growing out of kind are taught by nature to loue one another so you to whom God hath giuen his holy Spirit are taught by the same Spirit to liue in loue If loue and amity bee a lesson taught of God then reason thus with thy selfe Who teacheth me to carry malice and hatred in my breast who fils my mouth with railings cursed speakings O that wee would but think of this and remember that wee are Brethren then would there not bee so much bitternesse as there is nor so much enuie malice spite found among vs for a cause why these euills remain with vs is in that wee forget that we are Brethren Let there be no strife Gen. 13.8 said Abraham to Lot betwixt thee and mee for wee are Brethren The very name of a Brother is or I am sure ought to bee potent enough to quench coales of contention Again Brethren will take one anothers part against enemies though happely they may dissent amongst themselues so that wrong one wrong all Thus Iacobs sonnes took the abuse offred to their sister as if it had been offred vnto them and thought it a sufficient excuse for them joining together in the reuenge of the Sichemites Gen. 34.31 in that it was done in their sisters quarrell Should they abuse our sister as a whore Thus should Christians defend one another in lawfull courses I say not in vnlawfull and step out for them when they are slandered and spoke euill of and not then bee silent as the maner of too-too many is who flinch away as Demas and others did from Paul leauing him to answer for himself Thus Brethren haue almost forgotten that they are Brethren and euery man stands aloof when necessity requires their succour Histories make mention of one Vrsinus a Christian Physician who beeing ready to suffer Martyrdome for the Gospell began to wauer and faint Which when Vitalis a holy man saw hee stept to him and though hee knew it would cost him his life comforted and encouraged him For the which he also was condemned to death Nic. de Lyra. Com. in 1. Iohn 3. Few such friends are now to be found as will lay downe their liues for their Brethren 1. Iohn 3.16 Thirdly Brethren reioice at the welfare and prosperitie one of another and do wish as much happinesse each to other as to themselues Thus should Christians when we see God any waie good and gratious vnto our brethren whether it be in matters of this life or in matters of the life to come Exod. 18.9 reioice and bee glad thereat Iethro reioiced at all the goodnesse which the Lord had shewed vnto Israel Luke 1.57.58 Elizabeths neighbours and cosins did reioice with her when they heard tell that God had shewed mercy vpon her 1 Thes 2.19.20 The Thessalonians were Pauls ioy and crowne of reioicing Iohn reioiced greatly when he found the children of the elect Lady walking in the truth And surely 2 Iohn 4 3 Iohn 3.4 as Salomon discerned the true mother by her affection so may wee a true Christian by this marke Woe then to such who haue no other cause of their ill will and malice towards their brethren then this that it goeth well with them and God doth blesse them As Iosephs brethren hated him for no other cause but for that his father seemed to loue him best And so Cain slew Abel because God preferred Abel before him Away with this same enuie nourish it not within thee It is the rottennesse of the bones and so the iustest of all vices because it bringeth with it its owne vengeance as a Viper eating out the bowels where it is bred It is a bloody sinne Hier. in epist ad Gal. c. 5 for if it eate not out anothers heart it will eate out thy owne Be not an enemy to Gods fauours when they fall besides thee grudge not that thy neighbours field is fairer growne then thine Quarrell not with God because thy neighbours flocke escapes the rot Let not thy neighbours welfare bee thy disease because Heauen smiles on him wilt thou look awry vpon him because God sets on him the seale of his loue wilt thou set on the seale of thy malice Beware of that Remember still that hee is thy brother And as the good of one member of the body serueth for the vse and profit of the other So what hee hath shall tend to thy benefit and therefore repine not for his vvelfare but reioice thereat Fourthly and lastly Brethren as they doe reioice with them that doe reioice so they weepe with them that weepe There is a sympathy and fellow feeling of the miseries each of other If one be in heauinesse the other cannot containe Affection will then breake forth and shew it self As we see in Ioseph Gen. 45.2.3 who albeit before he had dissembled and hid it yet when hee heares Iudah make such a sad relation and sees his brethren so ouerwhelmed with sorrow then compassion can be concealed no longer Affection must breake forth violently at his voyce and eyes He weeps aloud and tells them he was Ioseph their brother Thus must it be with vs who professe that we are children of God and brethren of the faithfull Yea thus it will be with vs if we are rightly bred and borne As we see in Moses whose affection was so great towards his persecuted brethren as that he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God Heb. 11.24.25 then to enioy all the pompe and pleasure of Pharaohs Court Neh. 1.2.3.4 So Nehemiah though he enioied much pleasure and credit in Shushan in the Court of Artaxerxes yet when he vnderstood by Hanani of the affliction and reproach of the people of God all that pompe and glory could not smother his affection but he must sit downe and weepe and mourne and fast certaine dayes and pray before the Lord of heauen 2 Cor. 11.18.29 And so Saint Paul The care of all Churches sayth he commeth vpon me who is weake and I am not weake who is offended and I burne not The want of this Affection sheweth that wee are not brethren So farre are we from weeping when they weepe as that wee reioice at those things which make them weepe Wee can insult ouer our brethren in the day of trouble Obad. 10.15 as the Edomites did in the day of the destruction and captiuitie of Iudah and speake proudly against them in the day of their distresse Or if we insult not ouer such as are in calamity yet wee are no way touched with their miserie Amos
admonish thy selfe as sometimes Plinius Secundus admonished his nephew Poteras has horas non perdere Plin Secundâ—in Epist ad MarciÌ„ Thou might'st haue not lost these houres And lastly let hearers hence learn their lesson for is it so that though Gods Ministers take the Vse 3 greatest pains that can be taken there will be still something left for them to doo then certainely there is a remainder for you as well as they Dost thou know somthing yet alas how many things art thou ignoraÌ„t of that thou art bound to know and remaine for thee to learn And though thou hast knowledge in aboundance so that thou art able with Salomon to discourse from the Cedar-tree that is in Lebanon 1 Kings 4.33 euen vnto the hysope that springeth out of the wall and of all beasts and fowls fishes creeping things yet still there is a remainder namely practice and obedience for Iohn 13.17 if you knowe these things blessed are you if you doe them saith our Sauiour Think of these things thou who art so puffed vp with a conceit of that same small scantling of knowledge thou hast receiued as that thou neglectest all further means of edification And doo thou also think of this who conteÌ„tst thy self with a bare hearing of the word without consequent meditation or practice Sermon is don thou saist when the Minister hath done preaching and so it is indeed with many for it is no more thought of after But the Sermon that wants consequent meditation heere may bee meditated of in hell heerafter Remember that Brethren Text. The Obseruations from this Compellation are from the consideration of Paul as a christian or as an Apostle If we consider him thus calling them as he was a Christian then we obserue There is a spirituall kinred and brotherhood amongst Christians Such as professe the same faith Doct. Christians are spiritually aâ—â—n and worship the same God are Brethren And so we finde them often stiled in Scripture Psal 21.22.12 I will declare thy Name vnto my Brethren saith Dauid in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee And elsewhere thus Psal 12â— 8.9 1 Cor. 5.11 For my brethren and companions sake I will wish thee now prosperity So the Apostle S. Paul willeth If any that is called a Brother bee a fornicatour or couetous c. with such a one no not to eat And againe The Brethren which are with mee vnto the Churches of Galatia Gal. â— 2 This our Sauiour sheweth to his Disciples Mat. 2â— 8 when he saith One is your Master euen Christ and all ye are Brethren Reason Iames 1.18 Gal. 4.26 1 Pet. 1.23 1 cor 10.16.17 2 Tim. 4.8 And no maruell for they haue one and the same Father which is God one and the same Mother which is the Church in whose womb they lie together they are begotten of the same spirituall seed which is the word they are fed at one and the same table with the same nourishment and look for one and the same inheritance euen eternal happiness and blessednes Vse 1 Let this serue then first for the Reproof of such as disdain to call Christians by the name of Brethren or to giue any Saint such a title especially if hee bee a mean one and of lowe rank But what disparagement is it or can it bee to any to acknowledge them to bee their Brethren whom Christ acknowledgeth to bee his Brethren and God acknowledgeth to be his Sons Forasmuch as you haue done it to the least of these my Brethren saith our Sauiour you haue done it vnto me Mat. 25.40 Heb. 2.11 Shall we be ashamed of such as Christ is not asham'd of Let vs beware of this pride of heart which doth so puffe vs vp in regard of outward condition in the world as that it maketh vs to forget such as are mean and lowe and causeth vs so to carry our selues as if they were not our Brethren of the same christian calling professioÌ„ with our selues True it is we are differenced in ciuill policy and ciuill societies some being noble some base som rich some poor which differences Religion doth not take away nor abolish before men yet in that spirituall society of which Christ is the Head there is no such distinction Heer we are all one all equals all Brethren Let not then our inequality in our ciuill calling cause great men to forget their equality in the Christian nor our equality in our Christian cause mean men to forget their inequality in the ciuill In both let vs carry our selues like men of wisdome And if these are to bee reproued then much more are such profane persons to be soundly lessoned who cast this name of Brother as a word of reproach disgrace vpon such as fear the Lord Oh you are one of the holy Brethren you are one of the holy Sisters Now what doo such miscreants but through their sides strike the Prophets the Apostles yea and Christ himselfe Let such knowe that they openly proclaim as it were with a trumpet that they haue not God for their Father nor the Church for their Mother but do openly disclaim them from being their parents while they professe that they are none of that holy Brotherhood As this serueth for Reprehension so in the second Vse 2 place it may serue for our Instruction for out of this name wee may spell our duties Look what nature ties natural Brethren vnto that doth grace much more tie spirituall vnto Duties of Brethren Brethren as we knowe loue together and liue peaceably one with another There is vnity and amity amongst them First yea so strong is that loue which is amongst Brethren as that it exceeds all other loue amongst men It exceeds the loue in mariage saith one because that is by choice this by nature It exceeds the loue betweene Parents and children because that is not reciprocall for the inequality of the persons this is most equall And therefore the Arabians and West-Indians as Histories make mention prefer brethren before children in inheritances This is the loue of Brethren by nature Now we haue obtained a more excellent Brotherhood and therefore ought to loue and loue as earnestly Our loue must be as the loue of Brethren and so we are commanded Be affectioned to loue one another with Brotherly loue Rom. 12.10 Heb. 13.1 2 Pet. 1.7 saith the Apostle And againe Let Brotherly loue continue And againe To godlinesse adde Brotherly kindnes Tertul. in Apol. c. 39. ad stuporem Gentil In Tertullian his time there was such vnity amongst Christians and their loue each to other was so great as that it was to the amazement of the Heathen See say they how these Christians loue one another and are ready to dy one for another But alas for vs our contentions and wranglings euen about toies and trifles may make men amazed How shall God bee our Father if we
Thus then we see the meaning as if the Apostle should haue in larger manner thus said The Metaphrase Hitherto I haue at large written vnto you O yee Corinthians whom I tenderly affect euen as my Brethren in Christ and to whom I wish all welfare and happiness both in the things of this life and of a better And yet ther is a remainder and something left to bee done which that I may conclude in brief is this That you endeuor to perfection purging out sin increasing in grace and so making vp what is amongst you wanting As also that you mutually comfort one the other and take comfort one of another that you may the better bee enabled to withstand the many oppositions you are like to meet withall in the course of Christianity See also that you be alike minded and affected in matters of religion that the Church may not bee troubled by your diuisions and dissensions And in things ciuill let there be a like concord and agreement found amongst you as betweene neighbour and neighbour husband and wife parent and childe maister and seruant and the like which if there be then that God who takes delight in loue and peace and who is the rewarder of them that liue in loue and peace and who is the Author and Donor of these graces of loue peace shall be with you by his gracious protection and comfortable presence and shall blesse you and bestowe vpon you all good blessings And thus we haue seen the Apostles meaning Now wee come to speak of some such profitable instructions as these words shall afford Finally The Apostle as we see Text. had written largely to these Corinthians and yet there is still a remainder behinde for so the word signifieth as wee haue before seene Hence then wee gather Though Gods Ministers spend their time Doâ—t Ministers haue euer something left to do after their greatest pains 1 Cor. â— â— and take the greatest pains that can bee taken in teaching and instructing their people yet there will bee still a Remainder and something left to bee done Not without cause and reason then is the Ministers task and toil paralleled with the Husbandmans who hath no vacation the end of one work is but the beginning of another euery season of the yeer bringeth his seuerall trauell with it So that no calling is accompanied with more labour or lesse ease Ier. 4.3 And thus the Minister Hath hee broke vp the fallow ground of his peoples harts then must he sowe the precious seed therin 1 Cor. 3.6 Hath he sowed seed then must he water what he hath set and sowed Mat. 13.25 Yea tares and weeds will growe and soon sprout vp sleep we neuer so little and therefore great need of daily weeding Vse 1 Let this then stoppe the mouths of such as cry out against the Minister for an idle calling and account Ministers of all others to liue the easiest liues as hauing least to doo of any I confesse indeed as some vse it it is a calling of excessiue idlenesse Ezek. 34.1 when they feed themselues but not the flock and doo not gather but eat the hony Of such it may be said Mat. 6.28 as our Sauiour of the Lillies in the field They labour not But consider it in its owne nature and as it ought to bee performed wee shall finde it to bee a seruice of great imploiment and his task to be an endlesse task so that none can haue just cause to say that because he is a Minister he hath an easie occupation calling to follow Haruest-labourers of all other are the sorest labourers as wee knowe no labour more toilsome than theirs is that of all others as wee say Mat. 9.37 is the sore-sweating labour And are not Ministers such surely the sweat of the Ministry be it followed as it ought exceeds the sweat of other callings and with the sorest labourer doth the painfull Minister eat his bread in the sweat of his brows There is a labour of the soule as well as of the body as there is a suffering of the soule as well as a suffering of the body And look as the suffering of the soule exceeds by farre any paines that the body vndergoeth for Pro. 18.14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity saith Salomon but a wounded spirit who can bear so doth the soule-labour exceed any other labour whatsoeuer Say not then that Ministers are idle and their callings easie because they labour not with their hands What though a Gouerner of a ship sitteth still at the stern while some climb the mast and others walk vpon the hatches and others labour at the pump for though he doth not as they doo yet he doth far greater and better things Their calling then is not easie idle It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a painfull calling humeris angelorum formidandum but laborious and painfull as it is an honour so it is a burden and such a one as requireth the strength of Angels Secondly this taxeth such as being entred into this same calling and function of the Ministry Vse 2 liue an idle life and sit them down to rest with Isachar think ease is good Gen. 49.14 especially if they haue for some times heertofore laboured in the word and doctrine Such little vnderstand the nature of their office as hauing laid some grounds of knowledge neglect the daily vrging of practice and perseuerance A great part of the building is behinde after the foundation is laid These are they that occasion the world to judge of Ministers as Paul the Cretians to be slowe-bellies T it 1.12 I take no pleasure in defiling my owne neast nor in laying open the nakednes of men of my owne coat But God forbid that I should as a Fly lie blowing vpon their sores or vse my tongue to licke their filthy vlcers Let such bee what they will whether idle or vnable like Aesops Hen too fat to lay they are a burden to our Church a disgrace vnto our calling which allows vs no time of sitting stil Why stand you heer all the day idle Mat. 20.6 It was the Lord of the Vineyards reproof to them that stood idle but in the market-place what sharpnesse then must such look for as staÌ„d not in the market-place but in the Vineyard and idle too and all their day It is ill being idle in the market but much worse to stand idle in the Vineyard of the Lord. Let vs then 2 Cor. 4.1 so many as haue receiued this Ministry 1 Tim. 4.13 not faint but giue attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine Is knowledge planted then practice must bee vrged Is their practice good then perseuerance progresse and continuance must bee pressed A Souldier should dy in the wars standing and a Minister in the pulpit preaching no better place to haue God finde vs in And when thou standest idle
2.11 2 Iohn 5 abstaine from fleshly lusts c. And thus Saint Iohn I now beseech thee Lady So that wee see what meekenesse and mildnesse we ought to vse exhorting and intreating euen then when we may lawfully command And no maruel when God himselfe herein goeth before vs in his owne example Oh that Israel would haue hearkned Psal 81 13 Mat. 23. And our Sauiour Christ inuiting the Israelites in the same manner vnto himselfe that the Henne doth her chickens Let this serue then for our Imitation and Instruction Vse 1. that we endeauour to win our people with gentlenesse and loue And surely when ministers speake thus to sinfull men I beseech you by the mercies of God I beseech thee my Brother leaue thy whoredome forsake thy drunkennesse c. If the heart bee not sealed vp with hardnesse it must needes pearce it Wee see how in things of this life men are faine to sue for that which is their owne and are heart-glad if by fair intreaties they can gather vp their debts If then we can by earnest exhortations and effectuall perswasions get at our peoples hands this debt of obedience which they owe to God let it neuer grieue vs that wee come with Brethren I beseech you Caucaâ—s And yet withall great wisdom and circumspection must be vsed in this manner of proceeding for wee must beware that wee so lay downe our authority as that the word lose not any but abide still a word of power to command To this purpose these rules are to be obserued First so exhort and perswade as that the very coÌ„sciences of men that hear thee may conclude that euen there where thou intreatest thou hast power to command although in loue thou laiest downe that power for the present So the Apostle to Philemon Phil. 8.9 Wherefore though I might bee much bould in Christ to enioyn thee that which is conuenient yet for loues sake I rather beseech thee c. Secondly so to exercise lenity as that thou forget not seuerity when the case requireth it Compassion must be had on some Iud. 23 but not on all som must with fear be puld out of the fire When sinne waxeth bold then must Gods Ministers put on bouldnes as Moses did when the calfe stood before him When the Ministery is like to bee brought into contempt then must power and authority be put on 1 Kings 19.13 Sometimes must Gods Minister deliuer the word as it were in a soft and still voice and otherwhiles hee must change his note and lift vp his voice like a trumpet and shew them their sinnes Paul Esay 58.1 2 Cor. 10.2.8 Acts 13.10.11 1 Tim. 1.10 as occasion serueth can stand vpon his Apostleship and authority hee can censure Elymas hee can deliuer vnto Satan as well as intreat and beseech Thirdly Doct. The Minister ought tenderly to affect his people 2 Cor. 6.11 in that the Apostle calleth them Brethren obserue with what tendernesse of affection a Minister should be deuoted to his people O Corinthians our mouth is open vnto you our heart is made large saith this our Apostle to this people to whom he now wrot And Phil. 1.8 writing to the Philippians he doth vehemently protest his sincere feruent loue towards them God is my record saith hee how greatly I long after you all Rom. 1.11 in the bowelles of Iesus Christ Such was his loue also to the Romans as he witnesseth when he saith That he longed to see them that hee might bestowe some spirituall gift vpon them to strengthen them 1 Thes 2.7 Such was his loue also to the Thessalonians as appeares in that hee saith Wee were gentle amongst you euen as a Nurse cherisheth her children not as a Nurse mercenary but as a nursing-Mother whose affections are most tender And a little after he saith thus We exhorted you Verse 11 and comforted and besought euery one of you as a Father doth his children And writing vnto Timothie he chargeth him 1 Tim. 4.12 That he should bee an ensample of the beleeuers in word in conuersation and in loue Where hee notes the Pastors duty So to loue his people as that they might learne by him to loue one another If Ministers should examine what loue they Vse bear vnto their people I fear many would finde a great want of brotherly affection How empty are their hearts of this hearty and vnfained loue who seeke pretenses of long absence from their flocks whereby the duties of teaching and examples of life in their own persons are neglected Surely this loue ouerthroweth ordinary absence without just and conscionable causes Lawfull causes of a Ministers absence from his flock I deny not but there may be som occasions which may and that lawfully draw a Pastour for a time from his people as when the publike seruice of the Chur. shall require it Alterius Ecclesian eâ—ssitatibus euocatâ—â— â—â—mime vobis solituÌ„ studium dependâ—â—se vâ—dâ—or Amb. Ser. 28. for the settling and compounding variances and differences and such like profitable imploiments Thus when the necessity of other Churches calleth for help at a Pastors hands heer is a good occasion of absence And vpon this ground Ambrose excuseth himself vnto his flock And secondly when a Pastor personally is sought for and cannot remaine amongst his flock without peril of his life if the persecution be not publike both of the people and Minister but onely personal of the Minister alone heer is then good cause of his absence So Athanasius did leaue the Church of Alexandria and hidde himself for the space of six years in a dry cisterne Quis aâ—â—hi mira â—â—â—ter diuinitus â—râ—pto vt tio vâ—rtat quod non â—t manaâ— me quaereâ—tâ—n râ—ccâ—â—m Tripa hist l. 6. c 22. and 4 moneths in his Fathers Tomb and made this Apology for himself Who can blame me beeing miraculously deliuered that I did not cast myself into their hands that is the Arrians who sought mee Thirdly when health of body shall require discontinuance for a time Phil 2.25.28 it is lawfull This cause staied Epaphroditus from the Church of the Philippians whom assoon as he was recouered Paul sent vnto them Fourthly a Minister may vpon his necessary priuate occasions lawfully for a time bee absent as in following necessary sutes of law for defending of his right which requires his personall attendaÌ„ce or in attending som Courts of Iustice whither he is cited and the like heer are just and lawful causes And yet in these cases Aug. Ep. 188 Augustines rule must be obserued There must bee a care had that the Church be not left destitute but the Pastors absence be by others for that time suppli'd and that by such as are sufficient to guide their people making no such bad choice of their Curates 1 Kings 11.31 as Ieroboam did of his Priests of the lowest of the people who were not Leuites that