flock V. 4. The diseased have ye not strengthned nor have ye healed that which was sick nor bound up that which was broken nor brought again that which was driven away nor sought that which was lost but with force and cruelty have ye ruled them an inordinate seeking of themselves b Phil. 2. 21. For all seek their own not the things which are Jesus Christs their own glory c Joh. 5. 44. How can ye believe who receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only Joh. 7. 18. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory but he that seeketh his glory who sent him the same is true and no unrighteousness is in him ease profit or pleasure d Isai 56. 10 11. His watchmen are blind they are all ignorant they are all dumb dogs they cannot bark sleeping lying down loving to slumber V. 11. Yea they are greedy dogs which can never have enough and they are shepherds that cannot understand they all look to their own every one for his gain from his quarter Deut. 17. 17. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself that his heart turn not away neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold commanding things unlawful e Dan. 3 4 5 6. Then an Herald cried aloud To you it is commanded O people nations and languages V. 5. That at what time ye hear the sound of the Corner Flute Harp Sackbut Psaltery Dulcimer and all kindes of musick ye fall down and worship the golden Image which Nebuchadnezzar the King hath set up V. 6. And whoso falloth not down shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace Act. 4. 17 18. But that it spread no further among the people let us straitly threaten them that they speak henceforth to no man in this name V. 18. And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus or not in the power of Inferiours to perform f Exod. 5. from ver 10. to the 18. And the Task-masters of the people went out and their officers and they spake to the people saying Thus saith Pharaoh I will not give you straw c Mat. 23. 2 -4 Saying The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses Seat V. 4. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on mens shoulders but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers counselling g Mat. 14. 8. And she being before instructed of her mother said Give me here John Baptists head in a charger Compared with Mark 6. 24. And she went forth and said unto her mother what shall I ask and she said The head of John Baptist encouraging h 2 Sam. 13. 28. Now Absalom had commanded his servants saying Mark ye now when Amnons heart is merry with wine and when I say unto you smite Amnon then kill him fear not have not I commanded you be couragious and valiant or favouring them in that which is evil i 1 Sam. 3. 13. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth because his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not disswading discouraging or discountenancing them in that which is good k Joh. 7. 46 47 48 49. The officers answered Never man spake like this man V. 47. Then answered them the Pharisees are ye also deceived V. 48. Have any of the Rulers or Pharisees believed on him V. 49. But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed Col. 3. 21. Fathers provoke not your children to wrath lest they be discouraged Exod. 5. 17. But he said ye are idle ye are idle therefore ye say Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord. correcting them unduly l 1 Pet. 2. 18 19. 20. Servants be subject to your masters with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward V. 19. For this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience towards God endure grief suffering wrongfully V. 20. For what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently but if when ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God Heb. 12. 10. For they verily for a few dayes chastened us after their own pleasures but he for our profit that we might be partakers c. Deut. 25. 3. Forty stripes he may give him and not exceed least if he should exceed and beat him above these with many stripes then thy brother should seem vile unto thee careless exposing or leaving them to wrong temptation and danger (m) Gen. 38. 11 -26 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law Remain a widdow at thy fathers house till Shelah my son be grown up for he said least peradventure he die also as his brethren did V. 26. And Judah acknowledged them and said She hath been more righteous then I because I gave her not to Shelah my son and he knew her again no more Act. 18. 17. Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes the chief Ruler of the Synagogue and beat him before the judgement seat and Gallio cared for none of these things provoking them to wrath (n) Eph. 6. 4. And ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in c. or any way dishonouring themselves or lessening their authority by an unjust indiscreet rigorous or remisse behaviour (o) Gen. 9. 21. And he drank of the wine and was drunken and he was uncovered within his tent 1 Kin. 12. 13 14 15 16. And the King Rehoboam answered the people roughly and forsook the old mens counsel which they gave him V. 14. And spake to them after the councel of the young men saying My father made your yoke heavy and I will add to your yoke my father chastised you with whips but I will chastise you with scorpions V. 15. Wherefore the King hearkened not to the people for the cause was from the Lord V. 16. So when all Israel saw that the King hearkened not to them the people answered the King saying what portion have we in David neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse to your tents O Israel now see to thine own house David so Israel departed to their tents 1 Kin. 1. 6. And his father had not despleased him viz. Adonijah at any time in saying why hast thou done so 1 Sam. 2. 29 30 31. Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifices and at my offering which I have commanded in mine habitation and honourest thy sons above me to make your selves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people V. 30. Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith I said indeed that the house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever but now the Lord said Be it far from me for them that honour me I will honour
that we from the heart forgive others their offences (c) Lu. 11. 4. And forgive us our sins for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us c. Mat. 6. 14 15. For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you V. 15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses Mat. 18. 35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses Q. What do we pray for in the sixth Petition A. In the sixth Petition which is And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil (d) Mat. 6. 13. acknowledging that the most wise righteous and gracious God for divers holy and just ends may so order things that we may be assaulted foiled and for a time led captive by temptations (e) 2 Chron. 32. 31. Howbeit in the business of the Ambassadors of the Princes of Babylon who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land God left him to try him that he might know all that was in his heart that Satan (f) 1 Chron. 21. 1. And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel the world (g) Luke 21. 34. And â—ake heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and acres of this life and so that day come upon you unawares Mark 4. 19. And the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things entring in choke the word and it becomes unfruitful and the flesh are ready powerfully to draw us aside in snare us (h) Jam 1. 14. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed and that we even after the pardon of our sins by reason of our corruption (i) Gal. 5. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would weakness want of watchfulness (k) Mat. 26. 41. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak are not onely subject to be tempted and forward to expose our selves unto temptations (l) Mat 26. 69 70 71 72. Now Peter sate without in the Palace and a damsel came to him saying Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee V. 70. But he denyed before them all saying I know not what thou sayest V. 71. And when he was gone into the porch another maid saw him and said to them that were there This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth V. 72. And again he denied with an oath saying I do not know the man Gal. 2. 11 12 13 14. But when Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed V. 12. For before that certain came from James he did eat with the Gentiles but when they were come he withdrew and separated himself fearing them of the circumcision V. 13. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation V 14. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel I said to Peter c. 2 Chr. 18. 3. And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah wilt thou go with me to Ramoth Gilead And he answered him I am as thou art and my people as thy people and we will be with thee in the war Compared with 2 Chron 19. 2. and Jehu the son of Hanani the Seer went out to meet him and said to king Jehoshaphat shouldst thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee before the Lord. but also of our selves unable and unwilling to resist them to recover out of them and to improve them (m) Rom. 7. 23 24. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin that is in my members V. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death 1 Chron. 21. 1 2 3 4. And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel V. 2. And David said to Joab and the rulers of the people go number Israel from Bersheba to Dan c. V. 3. And Joab answered The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be but my lord the King are they not my lords servants why then doth my lord require this thing why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel V. 4. Nevertheless the Kings word prevailed against Joab wherefore Joab departed and went c. 2 Chr. 16. 7 8 9 10. And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asâ— King of Judah and said to him because thou hast rested on the King of Syria and not relied on the Lord thy God therefore is the host the King of Syria escaped out of thine hand V. 8. Were not the Ethiopians and Lubins a huge host c. and yet because thou didst rely on the Lord he delivered them into thine hand V. 9. For the eyes of the Lord run too and fro throughout the earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose hearts is perfect towards him herein thou hast done foolishly therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars V. 10. Then Asa was wroth with the seer and put him into a prison house for he was in a rage with him because of this thing and Asa oppressed some of the people the same time worthy to be left under the power of them (n) Psal 81. 11 12. But my people would not hearken unto my voice and Israel would have none of me V. 12. So I gave them up unto their hearts lust and they walked in their own counsels we pray that God would so over-rule the world and all in it (o) Joh. 17. 15. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil subdue the flesh (p) Psal 51. 10 Create in me a clean O God and renew a right spirit within me Psal 119. 133. Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me and restrain Satan (q) 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. And lest I should be exalted above measure trhough the abundance of revelations there was given to me a throne in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure V. 8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me order all things (r) 1 Cor. 10. 12 13. Wherefore let him that thinks he standeth take heed lest he fall V. 13. There hath no
exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men 1 Cor. 14. 15 16. v. 15. What is it then I will pray with the spirit and will pray with understanding also I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the understanding also v. 16. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen as the giving of thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest The Word read although there follow no immediate explication of what is read the Word expounded and applyed Catechizing the Sacraments administred Collection made for the poor dismissing the people with a blessing Of Church-Government and the several sorts of Assemblies for the same CHrist hath instituted a Government and Governours Ecclesiastical in the Church to that purpose the Apostles did immediately receive the keys from the hand of Jesus Christ and did use and exercise them in all the Churches of the world upon all occasions And Christ hath since continually furnished some in his Church with gifts of Government and with commission to execute the same when called thereunto It is lawful and agreeable to the word of God that the Church be governed by several sorts of Assemblies which are Congregational Classical and Synodical Of the Power in common of all these Assemblies IT is lawful and agreeable to the Word of God that the several Assemblies before mentioned have power to convent and call before them any person within their several bounds whom the Ecclesiastical business which is before them doth concern proved by Mat. 18. 15 16 17 18 19 20. v. 15. Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy brother v. 16. But if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be estâ—blished v. 17. And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican v. 18. Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven v. 19. Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven v. 20. For where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them They have power to hear and determine such causes and differences as do orderly come before them It is lawful and agreeable to the Word of God that all the said Assemblies have some power to dispense Church-censures Of Congregational Assemblies that is The meeting of the Ruling Officers of a particular Congregation for the Government thereof THe Ruling Officers of a particular Congregation have power Authoritatively to call before them any member of the Congregation as they shall see just occasion To enquire into the knowledg and spiritual estate of the several members of the Congregation To admonish and to rebuke Which three branches are proved by Heb. 13. 17. 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 1 Thes 5. 12 13. v. 12. And we beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you v. 13. And to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake and be at peace among your selves Ezek. 34. 4. The diseased have ye not strengthened neither have ye healed that which was sick neither have ye bound up that which was broken neither have ye brought again that which was driven away neither have ye sought that which was lost but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them Authoritative suspension from the Lords Table of a person not yet cast out of the Church is agreeable to the Scripture First Because the Ordinance it self must not be profaned Secondly Because we are charged to withdraw from these that walk disorderly Thirdly Because of the great sin and danger both to him that comes unworthily and also to the whole Church Mat. 7. 6. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs neither cast ye your pearls before swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rent you 2 Thes 3. 6 14 15. v. 6. Now we command you brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the tradition which he received of us v. 14. And if any man obey not our word by this Epistle note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed v. 15. Yet count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother 1 Cor. 11. 27. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. So on to the end of the chap. Compared with Jude v. 23. And others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh 1 Tim. 5. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man neither be partaker of other mens sins Keep thy self pure And there was power and Authority under the Old Testament to keep unclearn persons from holy things Lev. 13. 5. And the priest shall look on him the seventh day and behold if the plague in his sight be at a stay and the plague spread not in the skin then the priest shall shut him up seven dayes more Numb 9. 7. And those men said unto him We are defiled by the dead body of a man wherefore we are kept back that we may not offer an offering of the Lord in his appointed season among the children of Israel 2 Chr. 23. 19. And he sets porters at the gates of the house of the Lord that none that was unclean in any thing should enter in The like power and Authority by way of Analogy continues under the New Testament The Ruling Officers of a particular Congregation have power authoritatively to suspend from the Lords Table a person not yet cast out of the Church First Because those who have Authority to judg of and admit such as are fit to receive the Sacrament have Authority to keep back such as should be found unworthy Secondly Because it is an Ecclesiastical business of ordinary practice belonging to that Congregation When Congregations are divided and fixed they need all mutual help one from another both in regard of their intrinsecal weaknesses and mutual dependence as also in regard of enemies from without