THE Mutual Duties OF Elders and People Delivered in a DISCOURSE AT Beckles in Suffolk Octob. 13. 1697. At the setting apart of Mr. John Killinghal to the Office of an Elder over a Church of Christ there By John Stackhouse Elder of a Church of Christ in NORWICH LONDON Printed by Tho. Snowden for Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market-Place 1698. To the READDR THis Sermon was preached upon a special occasion at the setting apart of an Elder over a Church of Christ the Elders of the Churches and the People there present did earnestly desire our Reverend Brother to print his Sermon they were so affected with it and so they might well be The Sermon is so Judicious so Quick and Powerful that I hope the Lord will make it of great Use to many Here you have the Duties of Ministers and People set forth so excellently and fully that those that read this Sermon will see That this Servant of Christ is mightily in the Scriptures an able Minister of the New Testament and full of the Knowledge of the Lord. When I read over this Sermon as it was written by one that took it in Short-Hand I encouraged the Author all that I could to satisfie the Desires of those that were so earnest for the printing of it I have often in publick and in private praised God for the Grace and Gifts bestowed upon this Reverend Brother and now that I am old and under such great Pains walking in the Valley of the Shadow of Death it is a great satisfaction to me to leave this Church of Christ with one so able and faithful to take Care of them The Lord continue his Life and Strength pour out of his Spirit upon him more and more and grant that the Congregation may esteem him highly for his Works sake and be at Peace amongst themselves which is my hearts Desire and Prayer of Martin Fynch Decemb. 27. 1697. To my Dear and Reverend Brethren in the Work of the Gospel who desired the Printing of this Sermon WHether you may like this Sermon in reading it as well as you did in hearing it I who am conscious of the meanness of it should greatly doubt if I were not well satisfied concerning your Love and Candour My design and desire was therein as it is in all my weak Labours to profit more than to please and the profit of many was I believe your aim and hope in pressing me to the Publication thereof I have therefore yielded that your Request should over-rule my own Aversness to the Press The Text discours'd on led me to speak of so many several Particulars that they could not be fully discussed by me in one Discourse tho' long enough for the Occasion What I have briefly hinted to explain how Elders are over the Church I have read more largely declared in the Writings of Dr. Owen Dr. Goodwin and others as I suppose you also have where such as desire more full satisfaction concerning that or other Points may find it I follow them so far as I understand they follow the Word of God the only infallible Rule Now that the Father of Lights and the God of all Grace would teach Us and the several Churches of Christ over which he hath set us so to walk as is here plainly declared and much more abundantly according to his Holy Word and that he would strengthen our Hands in his great Work against all Discouragements and that the Word of the Gospel may greatly prevail and that this mean Discourse may be somewhat subservient thereunto is the earnest Prayer of Dear and Reverend Brethren Your Brother and Companion in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ though most unworthy J. STACKHOUSE Norwich Dec. 17. 1697. The Mutual Duties of Elders and People 1 Thessal V. 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 them very highly in Love for their Works sake And be at Peace among your selves THE Exhortation is very suitable and seasonable for you now and Oh! that the Spirit of God would set it home upon your Hearts the Light of the Spirit is a more powerful Teaching than the Words of a poor Worm Above other places it pleased God that the Gospel preached had a very sudden and great success at Thessalonica a chief City in Macedonia You read in Acts 17. That Paul Preaching to them three Sabbath days some Jewes and many Greeks and devout Women not a few were converted And a Church was gathered for so he directs both these Epistles Vnto the Church of the Thessalonians and Officers were set over them as appears from the Text. And because they received the Word of God with much affliction the Apostle was very solicitous for Chap. 1. v. 6â— them and he sent Timothy from Athens that he might establish them and comfort them that they might not be moved by their afflictions Chap. 3. ver 2 3. And upon Timothy's return he wrote from Corinth this first Epistle and afterwards the second Epistle and all within the compass of the first Year of his Preaching to them Having in this Epistle declared the Truths of the Gospel to them and variously instructed them he comes to exhort them to those Duties that might make their Communion comfortable and edifying Chap. 5. v. 11. Wherefore comfort your selves together and edifie one another even as also ye do He would have them to consider those comfortable Truths and to observe those holy Precepts which he had laid down in this Epistle and so to comfort and edifie one another and he urgeth it and encourageth them thereunto by commending them that already they did so practise and that therefore they ought to abound yet more and more All Exhortation doth not imply a Reproof as if People did not do what they are exhorted to but that they should yet abound more and more Hereunto he adds in the Text an Exhortation to these necessary Duties that they owed to them that were over them their Pastors or Teachers for howsoever careful they might be in the discharge of those Christian Duties of mutual Exhortation and Comfort yet they must not think their Ministers needless Brethren are to watch over one another and exhort and comfort one another in a way of Love but Elders do it in the Authority of Christ as sent by him and as you may expect God's gracious Blessing upon your admonishing and comforting one another so much more may you expect it from the Ministry of them that are set over you Heb. 10. 24 25. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works this is the Duty of every particular Member of the Church but then it follows not forsaking the assembling of your selves together Every Servant must watch over one another that nothing be done contrary to the Master's Will and Interest but the chief Steward does it with
Who is sufficient for these things The Apostle puts the Question 2 Cor 2. 16. No Man no Angel is sufficient for this great Work except we have a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit except we have full communications of Life and Love and Holiness from the Holy Spirit We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3. 5. Elders must walk humbly with their God on whom they depend for all their Supplies their Office and all their Abilities for their Office are freely given them from the Grace of Christ And they must also walk humbly with them that they are set over remembring that themselves were by Nature also Rebels against the Majesty of Heaven and they must walk humbly considering their many Defects and Weaknesses that they are conscious of to themselves Even the Apostle Paul saith 2 Cor. 10. 1. Now I Paul my self beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ And if Paul himself did how much more must we beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ Elders must not lift up themselves above their Brethren they must fear lest being lifted up with pride they should fall into the condemnation of the Devil 1 Tim. 3. 6. 3. Let us who are called to this Work and Labour give thanks unto Jesus Christ who calleth and helpeth us and let us give all the glory unto him I thank God saith the Apostle who enabled me and counted me faithful putting me into the ministry 1 Tim. 1. 12. It is matter of Thanksgiving from us that God should count us faithful and make us faithful and that God should enable us to labour and make us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 6. We receive all from him that we may give all the glory unto him To me who am less than the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3. 8. So we may also say 4. Let us who are called to this Work and Labour stir up our selves to Labour As the Apostle exhorts Timothy 2 Tim. 4. 5. Watch thou in all things endure affliction do the work of the Evangelist and make full proof of thy Ministry So let us watch in all things endure Affliction do the work of Elders and make full proof of our Ministry let us make full proof to others of our Ministry and of our Faithfulness in this great Work whereunto we are called We have a great Example given us by the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 6. 3 4 5 6. Giving no offence in any thing that the Ministry be not blamed but in all things approving our selves as the Ministers of God This was the Apostles Care this is to be our Care in all things to approve our selves as the Ministers of God in much Patience in Afflictions in Necessities in Distresses in Labours in Watchings in Fastings by Pureness by Knowledge by Long-suffering by Kindness by the Holy Ghost by Love unfeigned This ought to be the care and resolute endeavours of our Souls and that we may be enabled so to do we must seek to abound more in love to the Lord Jesus Christ John 21 15. and in love to the Souls of the People 1 Thess 2. 8. Lastly You who have called Elders to watch over you for there are not only of this Church but other Churches present do you I say strengthen their Hands and encourage them in their Work as much as possibly you can do you countenance and comfort them and as the Apostle giveth charge concerning Timothy see that he may be with you without fear for he worketh the work of the Lord 1 Cor 16. 10. So let your Elders be with you without fear for they work the Work of the Lord do what you can to strengthen their Hands in such hard and laborious Work And that leads me to the II. Doct. That it is the Duty of the whole Church and of every Member thereof to know esteem and love most abundantly those that are over them in the Lord and that for their Works sake I shall speak a little in the first place to the Duty and in the second place to the Motive for their Works sake I. As to the Duty that you owe to your Elders in short it is Love as Love is the fulfilling of the Law and all the other Commandments are briefly comprehended in this Saying Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self So give me leave to say That Love is the fulfilling of all the Duties that you owe to your Elders and all other Duties that you owe to them are briefly comprehended in this Saying Love your Elders unfeignedly love them that are over you in the Lord without dissimulation Love will make you doubly diligent in performing every good Office to to them Whatever you do to or for them if Love be wanting it is not valuable if you do it for fear of Men or from any mean or sordid Principle it is not acceptable But Particularly 1. You must honour and reverence them you must highly esteem them for they are worthy of double Honour The Apostle tells the Galatians that they had once such an esteem of him Gal. 4. 14. My temptation that was in my Flesh ye despised not nor rejected but received me as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus Tho' his bodily Presence was mean tho' he was exposed to many Sufferings and many Infirmities yet they did highly esteem his Doctrine as if an Angel from Heaven or Jesus Christ had preached it and they did in like manner esteem him for his Doctrines sake they did greatly esteem him Thus we read Rom. 10. 15. How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings The Feet are the meanest Members and liable to soil but yet because they bring the glad Tidings of the Gospel you should esteem that in them which is meanest to be beautiful you should esteem them to be worthy of Honour and Reverence The Apostle tells us that so the Corinthians carried it to Titus 2 Cor. 7. 15. His inward affection is more abundant towards you whilst he remembreth the obedience of you all how with fear and trembling you received him Ye were afraid lest any thing in your carriage might grieve him or offend him And let not any that have more years than their Elders that are set over them think that therefore they are not obliged to honour and reverence them being younger the Scripture charge is Let no Man despise thy youth 1 Tim. 4. 12. 2. You must obey them and submit to them in all things that they speak to you in the Name of Christ and from the Word of the Lord So in that before-named place whilst he remembreth the obedience of you all So 1 Cor. 16. 16. That you submit your selves to such and to every one that helpeth with
us and laboureth Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves Obey their Teachings and submit to their Admonitions Reproofs and Government do not you do as the stubborn Israelite did when Moses came to part two that were quarrelling the faulty Person thrust him away and said Who made thee a Ruler and Judge over us Acts 7. 27. When your Elders would persuade you to Peace or Holiness don't fly in their Faces and say Who made you Rulers over us But yield gently to their guidance so far as they follow Christ 1 Cor. 11. 1. Be ye followers of us as we also are of Christ Jesus It is sad to consider how foolishly we are apt to run into Extreams some Elders are for taking all to themselves and they will be Absolute and Arbitrary and will allow the Church no Power Liberty nor Privilege and on the other side some People are for taking all to themselves and will have their Elders to be no more than Cyphers or Tools among them they will not understand how their Liberty can consist with obeying and submitting to them that are over them in the Lord. There are some that are apt to have a great opinion of their own Sufficiency Wisdom and Authority and that they have little need of their Elders But Christ will not bear it that his Messengers should be so slighted and they that are humble and wise and sincerely desire the publick good of the Church will submit themselves to them that are over them in the Lord and they will be afraid of following their own Will lest in so doing they should mislead others they will seek the Law of Christ from the Mouth of their Elders that all things may be done orderly according to the Word of God and that their Elders may be with them without fear and trouble of Spirit 3. You must believe and practise the sincere Word of God being preached unto you by them that are over you in the Lord The Apostle doth greatly commend the Thessalonians for this 1 Thess 1. 6. Ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the Word with much affliction and with joy in the Holy Ghost And cap. 2. 13. When ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the Word of Man but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe If that you do not believe and obey the Word that is preached to you as the Word of God if you accept Mens persons if you judge according to the Flesh as your Ear and as your fancy is pleased and your humour is gratified you do not shew that love to your Elder that God requireth of you Desire earnestly the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby let the Word of the Lord be precious unto you not only as the manner of some is when there is no open Vision but also when it is plentifully dispenced Let your growth be answerable to your feeding let not fatness breed loathing and nauseousness in you being glutted by the Word Do not despise the Stewards of Christ that minister it unto you do not grow weary of the Ordinances of Christ because you enjoy them peaceably come not under that reproof Mal. 1. 13. Ye have said also behold what a weariness is it and ye have snuffed at it saith the Lord of Hosts Oh be not you so guilty lest God should judge you and send leanness into your Souls and make you to wander from one Sea unto another seeking the Word of the Lord and ye shall not find it as he speaks Amos 8. 12. Be not all Ear do not content your selves with hearing many Sermons and talking of them that it is a good and a seasonable Word do not content your selves without practising them If you know these things happy are you if you do them Be ye the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not on Stone or with Ink but in the fleshly Tables of your Hearts by the spirit of God 2 Cor. 3. 3. Surely Beloved if you profess never so much Honour and Reverence and Obedience to us in your outward Words and Actions yet if the Word of Christ which we preach doth not dwell richly in you if it be not by you highly valued and rightly improved and you do not bring forth the fruits of it in your conversation you do not what pleaseth Christ nor what satisfieth us it is not that love which we desire from you but you send us mourning to our God As the Lord tells Ezekiel cap. 33. 32. Loe thou art unto them as a very lovely Song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an Instrument for they hear thy words and will not do them So we too often find it and you make us weep bitterly and cry out because our Labours are successless Oh take heed that you do not turn your backs on the Rod of Christ's Power the Word of his Grace and take heed also that you do not hear with an unbroken and unaffected and unbelieving heart for if you do either of these you are guilty of casting off Christ 4. You must pray earnestly for your Elders Heb. 13. 18. Pray for us for we trust we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly Pray that their stores of the gifts and graces of the Spirit may be encreased pray that they may be helped by the Holy Spirit in their great work as the Apostle calls upon the Ephesians cap. 6. 19. Pray for me that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth bâ—ldly to make known the Mystery of the Gospel do not you stop your Ministers mouth do not you say that he grows dull whilst you neglect praying for him that God would open his mouth So to the Colossians the Apostle saith cap. 4. 3. Withal praying for us that God would open a door of utterance to speak the Mystery of Christ and to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 3. 1. Finally Brethren pray for us that the Word of the Lord may run and be glorified even as it is with you Pray for us that we may have success in our work and pray that we may be delivered from wicked and unreasonable Men for all Men have not Faith as it follows in the next verse And in Rom. 15. 30. Now I beseech you Brethren for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake and the Love of the Spirit that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me that I may be delivered from them that believe not in Judea and that my Service that I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the Saints Oh pray that their Labours may be acceptable for tho' their Work ought to be acceptable yet many times it is not Pray for them that all their afflictions dangers and troubles may be sanctified to them for the working out
the Truth for where envy and strife is there is confusion and every evil work Verse 16. If ye bite and devour one another take heed lest ye be consumed one of another Gal. 5. 15. I have shewed you shortly the Truth of the Doctrine And I would only repeat the Exhortation be you then exhorted I beseech you Brethren to undissembled love and unfeigned Peace let Love be the Principle and let Holiness be the Bond of Peace among you Hear how pathetically the Apostle presseth the Exhortation Eph. 4. 1 2. 3. I therefore the Prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye are called with all lowliness and meekness with long-suffering forbearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace So in 2 Philip. 1. 4. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves look not every Man on his own things but every Man also on the things of others Are you Christians Do you believe this to be the Word of God that doth contain the Evidences of your Salvation And can you easily forget such pathetical Exhortations Let not the Elders nor let I beseech you any of the Brethren have cause to complain As Psalm 120. 6 7. I have long dwelt with them that hate Peace I am for Peace but when I speak they are for War By way of Direction 1. Avoid Pride and an over-weening esteem of your own Wisdom and Worth Prov. 13. 10. Only by Pride cometh Contention i. e. Chiefly and eminently by Pride cometh Contention and if there is any thing of another cause that causeth Contention yet Pride mingleth therewith and blows up the Flame more vehemently Therefore avoid Pride yea do you count your selves to be nothing Consider that Parable Ecclesiast 9. 15 16. 2. Seek not your own Interest and Advantage prefer the publick good of the Church before your own private conveniency 1 Cor. 10. 24. Let no Man seek his own but every one anothers Wealth do not insist stifly upon your Right do not continually resolve that you will not abate a Pin but be of a yielding Spirit The Promise of the Land was made to Abraham but saith he to Lot Let there be no strife my Brother between me and thee Gen. 13. 8 9. do thou take thy choice if thou goest to the right-hand I will go to the left c. Therefore if you stifly insist upon any thing of your own Will and Interest consider that your Father Abraham did not so 3. Be not busie Bodies 1 Thess 4. 11. That ye study to be quiet and to do your own business 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love this Honour It is your honour to be quiet you cannot so easily do your own Business well don't you think it belongs to you to do the Business of others and that nothing is well done but what you have the ordering of don't you think that you must be the doers of all I shall conclude with these two Scriptures the first in the two Verses following the Text. We exhort you Brethren warn them that are unruly comfort the feeble-minded support the weak be patient towards all Men. See that none render evil for evil unto any Man But ever follow that which is good both among your selves and to all Men. And I shall add the other thereunto and conclude 2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally my Brethren farewell Be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in Peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you The Lord impress this upon all our Hearts FINIS A Catalogue of Books Printed for and are to be sold by Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market-place SEveral Discourses concering Actual Providence A Word in Season Defensive Armour against four of Satans most Fiery Darts Sermons upon the whole first and second Chapters of the Canticles Thirteen Sermons upon several Useful Subjects The Happiness of Brethren dwelling together in Unity All published by John Collings D. D. of Norwich The Way of the Spirit in bringing Souls to Christ The Glory of Christ set forth with the Necessity of Faith in several Sermons both by Mr. Tho. Allen late Pastor of a Church of Christ at Norwich Enoch's Walk with God and Christ a Christian's Gain By Mr. Timothy Armitage late Pastor of a Church of Christ at Norwich Precious Promises the Portion of Overcomers By Mr. John Lougher Minister in Norfolk The Saints Ebenezer By Mr. Francis English late Minister in Norwich Directions to Spell English right The History of the Protestant Reformation as it was begun by Luther The Dead Saints Speaking being a Sermon Preached upon the Death of Mr. Newcomb in Essex By Mr. Fairfax The Ordinary Matter of Prayer drawn into Questions and Answers Two Treatises the first of Rejoycing in the Lord Jesus in all Conditions The second Of a Christian's Hope in Heaven and Freedom from Condemnation by Christ Both by Mr. Robert Asty late Minister of Jesus Christ in Norwich Obedience to Magistrates recommended in a Sermon Preached Sept. 9. 1683. By Jonathan Clapham Rector of VVarplingham in Norfolk Two Discourses one of Spiritual Blessings the other that God hath an high account of the least Grace in the Saints By Mr. John Cromwell late Pastor of a Church of Christ in Norwich Inâ—ant Baptism of Christ's Appointment By Mr. Samuel Petto Pastor of a Church in Sudbury in Suffolk Of the Conversion of Sinners of God in Christ â—â—e Necessity Nature Means and Signs of it with a Concluding Speech to the Unconverted An Answer to Tho. Grantham's Book called A Dialogue between the Baptist and Presbyterian A Sermon Preached upon the death of that Pious and Learned Divine John Collinges D. D. All by Mr. Martin Finch Pastor of a Church of Christ in Norwich Sincerity or the Upright Mans walk to Heaven delivered in several Sermons in the Parish Church of St. Michael in Long Stratton in Norfolk by Mr. James Olfield late Minister there Alexipharmacon Spirituale Being a Defensive against the poyson and sting of death or the great expedient how to make the Bed of the Grave so easie that we may lay down in peace and take our rest A Plea for Abatements in Matters of Conformity A Sermon preached upon the 30th day of Jan. 1695. All by Mr. Sam. Snowden Minister of the Gospel in Newton in Norfolk Christ set forth in several Sermons upon the 7th Chapter to the Hebrews by Mr. Rob. Ottee late Pastor of a Church of Christ in Beccles in Suffolk Sacramental Discourses on several Subjects To which is added A Discourse of the Life of Faith by Christopher Ammarant Pastor of a Church in Southripps in Norfolk A Discovery of Audacious Insolence against the Doctrine of the Church of England vented in a Malicious Pamphlet by Thomas Grantham A Practical Discourse upon the 8th of the Romans A Brief and Plain Discourse upon the Decrees of God both by Nath. VViles The right way of seeking God in a Sermon preached at Great Yarmouth by Mr. James Hannot Pastor of a Church of Christ there The History of the Birth Life Sufferings and Death of our blessed Saviour by Mr. Henry Brett of Pulham in Norfolk The exceeding abundant Grace of God displayed in the Conversion of William Gymer a Penitent Malefactor and Murderer who was executed on the Castle-Hill of Norwich September 4. 1696. Written by John Lucas FINIS