thee alone if he shall bear thee thou hast gained thy brother After disswading us from stumbling of others he teacheth us how to remedy scandals given unto us by others that the offender may be reclaimed and the church receive least damage therby and 1. He giveth direction about private scandals saying Moreover c. Doct. 1. When scandal is given we must not onely beware our selves to stumble though we cannot eschew but be grieved but also must study to reclaim the offender for this direction is given to us to remedy scandals given 2. The scandalous sin of a brother or professed believer especially must be cared for and cured by believers If thy brother offend thee 3. Private admonition especially in case the offence be private is a mean of reclaiming our brethren from their sinful courses Go tell him his fault alone 4. It is not necessary to divulge every fault which we alone know or to let others know of it for it is said Tell him between him and thee alone 5. The most discâ—eet easie and gentle wayes are first to be assayed in the case of private offences Therefore saith he Tell thou him alone 6. It is the gaining or saving of a brother to reclaim him from his sin and an obligation put upon the reclaimed sinner toward the Brother who admonished him for saith he Thou hast gained thy brother 7. We are bound to hear and obey private admonition even as we would be saved for if he bear thee saith he thou hast gained thy brother Ver. 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 established Now he teacheth how to proceed if private admonition prevail not Doct. 1. If private admonition profit not and the party admonished will not amend we must not give over the cure of his scandalous course but must use further means and take the assistance of some others to help to reclaim him Therefore saith he Take with thee one or two more 2. The admonition of two or three serveth to convince the Offender of his fault the more clearly or to bear witnesse against him in case of his disobedience for In the mouth of two or three witnesses every truth shall be established Ver. 17. And if he shal neglect to hear them tell it unto the church but if he neglect to hear the church let him be unto thee as aâ— heathen man and a publican The former failing he teacheth what further must be done Doct. 1. When more private means avail not to remedy a scandall Christ hath appointed more and more publick Censure and Discipline in his Church for he saith Go tell the Church 2. Christ hath appointed a church of Governours or rulers over congregations and over all particular persons within the same which must attend the complaints of the Offended and remove scandals and who have power to call before them and to examine and censure the Offender for that end for so importeth Christs saying Tell it unto the Church 3. The Church hath means and power to remove publick scandall which being imployed by the church and obeyed by the Offender Excommunication is not to be used for Neglecting to heare the Church presupposeth the church Direction and Order to be given forth for amendment of the Offender and removing of the scandall 4. When the church hath given sentence upon the Offender and hath appointed the way to remove the scandall then the Offender should obey in the Lord for Christ declareth it a sensurable fault to Neglect to bear the Church 5. If the Offender disobey the churches direction for removing of the scandal then the church may and should excommunicate the obstinate that is declare him to be deprived of the honour of a Christian till he repent and to be holden in such dis-respect as the heathen and publicans were by the Jewish Church in those dayes for Let him be to thee such presupposeth he is found and declared by the church to be holden for such 6. When the church declareth an offender contumacious or excommunicateth him as unworthy of the fellowship of the Saints for his present abominable condition then every beleever must carry himself toward the excommunicate as toward a man disgraced and cast out of church-honour for Christ hath said Let him be unto thee as an heathen man that is as one without the church and a publican that is a despised sinner for so were Publicanâ— esteemed of among the Jews to the intent the Offender may be ashamed of his sin and repent Ver. 18. Verily I say unto you whosoever ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and whosoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Here our Lord confirmeth the Authority given unto the church or Assembly of church-Governours Doct. 1. The church or Assembly of church-Governours hath authority from Christ in Christs name to pronounce guilty and lyable to judgment and to pronounce absolution and remission of sin as they finde cause for saith he Whosoever ye binde or ye loose 2. Christ will ratifie in heaven what the church assembled do in his Name in the exercise of the keyes of Doctrine and Discipline whether to the condemning of the guilty or absolving of the penitent for he saith It shall be bound in heaven loosed in heaven Ver. 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 20. For where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them To give assurance that the execution of his ordinances by the church shall be ratified in heaven he sheweth them that the consent of never so few of his Saints agreeing together upon a petition unto God shall have a blessed effect in heaven how much more shall the consent of the church-Rulers in execution of publick ordinances be ratified and have effect and this he further confirmeth by certifying us of his gracious presence where never so few two or three suppose there be no more Rulers in some small congregations are met in his name much more when a greater number do assemble and meet for his publick service Hence learn 1. That for mutuall edification one christian may take the help of another for prosecuting joyntly some particular petition before God for it is said If two of you shall agree upon a petition c. 2. God doth so love the communion of Saints that the consent of more of his children in one suplication hath the encouragement of this particular promise for What they ask shall be done 3. If the consent of some shall be blessed when they joyntly prosecute one petition much more may the church be confident that their publick consenting unto the execution of Christs ordinances shall be blessed for this the scope of
Messiah unto Christ as that true Lamb of God was singular These and such like other excellencies are reasons why our Lord said there hath not risen a greater then Iohn the Baptist among them that are born of women Mean time lest John should be too much esteemed of Christ having thus preferred him unto all that were born of women doth except Himself and justly preferreth Himself unto John saying He that is least or no man in the kingdom of God is greater then he So doth Christ describe himselfe as he was esteemed of by the rulers of the Church for who could be lesse in the Kingdome of God in their estimation then he whom they did excommunicate Now the rulers did excommunicate Christ and for his cause also did cast out of the synagogue all that confessed him He was the Stone which the builders refused whom the chief Priests and Elders did not esteem worthy to be a member of the Church or to have any place in the building of Gods Temple So Christ was in their estimation The least that is no man in the Kingdome of Heaven as this phrase is taken Mat. 5.19 20. And who except Christ can be greater then John who is called greater then any of all the Prophets yea of all which were born of women It is true that Christians who lived since Christ ascended have the history of many particulars concerning Christ which John did not live to see But who shall perswade us that the least member of the Christian Church or the least Preacher of the Gospel do see more of Christ in the Word of history then any of the Prophets or John who is greater then any of the prophets did see in the spirit and word of prophesie And put the case that in regard of historical knowledge they did know many particulars which John did not know yet this sort or measure of knowledg doth not make them simply greater then John Now the comparison here of John with the least of the Kingdome of Heaven is not simply in respect of knowledg but in respect of greatness which greatnesse comprehendeth all the forenamed six points of excellency and also whatsoever other respect may contribute to excellency and thus if we take greatness none can be called greater then John except Christ who in the estimation of the rulers of the Jewish church at that time was the least that is no man in the Kingdom of God and the stone of offence which the builders did reject Hence learn 1. That whensoever any greatnesse or excellency of man is spoken of the excellency of our Lord Jesus must not be obscured but rather lifted up thereby for where he is a greater then Solomon is a greater then John Baptist is 12 Whosoever shall dishonour Christ he will not deny himselfe He will take unto him his own glory for he declareth himselfe here greater then John though the rulers of the church and others esteemed him to be the least or no man in the Kingdom of Heaven Ver. 12. And from the dayes of Iohn the Baptist untill now the kingdome of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force The sixth point of Johns commendation is the fruitfulness of his doctrine that by the clearnesse of Johns preaching the gates of Heaven and the way of the Church were made so patent that men did not stand upon the bar and partition of ceremonies or upon any orderly way of the proselites coming into the church But multitudes did leap over all the Leviticall ceremonies so that publicans sinners heathen legally unclean and the naturally lothed lepers did thrust themselves all in upon the company of converts and upon the grace manifested by Johns doctrine and indeed obtained grace to enter in the Kingdome of Christ by this their ingyring themselves upon him Hence learn 1. That the legall ceremonies were never appointed to hinder people from Christ but to lead them to him and therfore when the observation of these ceremonies might be a hinderance of people coming to Christ As for example so many dayes behoved to passe ere a leper were legally purified that he might come in the company where the Word of God was preached in such a case God was not displeased that men overpast violently ran over these impediments to come to Gods Grace manifested in Christ for saith he The violent take it by force 2. Yea the doctrine of Grace being clearly revealed no impediment of bygone sins or sense of unworthiness present should hinder a humbled soul from entry in the Kingdom of Grace for this Kingdom is taken by force If we cannot remove impediments let us set our foot on them and make stepping stones of them thrusting our selves so much more on Christs grace as we find our selves unworthy laying hold so much more on his offered salvation as we find our selves otherwayes to be lost Ver. 13. For all the prophets and the law prophesied untill Iohn The seventh point of commendation is that John pointed at Christ now already come at Grace already laid open whereas the Law and the Prophets onely did prophesie and foretell that it was to come and this is a reason of the fruitfulnesse of Johns Ministry Hence learn 1. That the pointing forth of the fulfilling of the promises and prophesies in Christ is a mean to bring men in multitudes unto the Kingdome of Heaven and this is imported in the particle â—or wherein a reason is rendered of what is said in the former verse for saith he all the Prophets and the Law prophesied untill John but John shews the accomplishment And therefore multitudes did thrust themselves into the Kingdome of Heaven 2. The Church of the Old Testament had a dark time in comparison of what we have now for their light was prophesies of things to come but ours is preaching of what is already come for The Law and the Prophets prophesied untill Iohn Ver. 14. And if ye will receive it this is Elias which was for to come The eighth and last point of Johns commendation is that John was that Elias prophesied of to come before Christ Malachi 4. John is called by the name of Elias because of like zeal for God and successful imployment in the reformation of Religion for as Elias in his dayes so John in his dayes did in the power of the same Spirit stir up men to seek the true God in Christ. Doct. 1. When truth is told to people never so cleerly yet wil they hardly beleeve it no not though Christ himself should speak it Therfore saith Christ If you will receive it 2. Whether men beleeve or not Truth must be told them to make them inexcusable This is Elias saith Christ If ye will receive it Ver. 15. He that hath ears to hear let him hear If Christs testimony of John had been beleeved then Johns testimony of Christ had been beleeved also for John testified that Christ was the promised Messiah therefore Christ did so much
likewise And he answered him and said I go sir and went not 31. Whether of them twain did 〈◊〉 Will of his father They say unto him The first Iesus saith unto them Verily I say unto you that the Publicans and the harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you Thus they have done with Christ their plot is disappointed but Christ doth pursue them convincing them of disobedience and denouncing deserved judgment upon them in two parables The scope of the first is to shew that sundry of Publicans and open sinners of whom they esteemed least were more righteous and blessed then they were because the Publicans like the penitent son repented their backwardnesse unto Gods commandements and were fled in by faith to the Messiah and were made Subjects of the Kingdom of Grace and so Heirs of the Kingdom of glory But they notwithstanding of a faire profession of obedience to God were like the other disobedient and counterfeit son abiding still in their impenitency and unbelief and in the way to be debarred from the Kingdom of grace and glory Hence learn 1. That men will more readily acknowledg their fault in another mans person then in their own therfore doth Christ draw forth these mens judgment by a parable 2. He wil have the conscience of the wicked subscribing to the righteousnes of Gods judgment against themselves as will appear by What think ye compared with their answer 3. The most odious and despised sinners repenting and beleeving in Jesus do find Grace and Place both in the church and in heaven above but such as confide in their own righteousnes are debarred for Harlots saith Christ go into the kingdom of heaven before you Ver. 32. For Iohn came unto you in the way of righteousnes and ye beleeved him not but the Publicans and the harlots beleevd him And ye when ye had seen it repented not afterward that ye might beleeve him Christ giveth reason of the condemning these wicked men Doct. 1. The more blamelesse and holy the Preacher of repentance righteousnes by Christ be found the greater is the sin of those who do not receive the message for so Christ aggravateth these mens sin saying Iohn came in the way of righteousnes ye beleeved him not 2. Albeit self-conceited righteous people do not beleeve the doctrine of righteousness by Christ yet God wil manifest the power of his truth in the conversion of despised sinners for The harlots beleeved Iohn albeit the Pharisees did not 3. The sight and example of other folks beleeving and repenting in Christ if it do not move us to acknowledging of our sins also and flying unto Christ it shall stand as a witnesse against us to aggravate our sin and condemnation Therfore saith he And ye when ye had seen it ye repented not 4. Remorse for not believing Gods word in his servants mouth in time bygone is a speciall spur and preparative to beleeve it the more solidly for time to come Therefore saith he Ye repented not that ye might beleeve him that is When you saw that the Publicans had out stripped you in the way of righteousnesse by beleeving Johns testimony of me ye did not lament your unbelief that you might give him so much the more credit for time to come and so recover your loss by faith in me Ver. 33. Hear another parable There was a certain housholder which planted a vineyard and hedged it round about and digged a wine-presse in it and built a tower and let it out to husbandmen and went into a far country 34. And when the time of the fruit drew near he sent his servants to the husbandmen that they might receive the fruits of it 35. And the husbandmen took his servants and beatone and killed another and stoned another 36. And he sent other servants moe then the rest and they did unto them likewise 37 But last of all he sent unto them his Son saying They wil reverence my Son 38. But when the husbandmen saw the Son They said among themselves This is the Heir come let us kill him and let us seise on his inheritance 39 And they caught him and cast him out of the Vineyard and sâ—â—w him 40. When the Lord therefore of the Vineyard cometh what will he do unto those Husbandmen 41. They say unto him He will miserably destroy those wicked men and wil let out his Vineyard unto other husbandmen which shal render him the fruits in their seasons Another parable convincing them of their wickednesse against God and his Son Christ and denouncing judgement against them and that whole ungrate nation under the similitude of a Housholder and his Tenants the substance whereof is this As the Tenants of the housholder dealt with their Master and his servants and his son the heir of the vineyard so the Scribes and Elders of the Jews with the rest of that unthankfull nation dealt with God and his servants the Prophets and with his son Jesus Christ and as the housholder punished these wicked tenants of the vineyard so should God punish that wicked nation by taking the Gospel and face of a visible Kirk from them and giving their room unto the Gentiles who should bring forth better fruits than they had done From this parable learn 1. That the Lords care of his visible church is comparable to the care which the most painfull husbandman hath of his vineyard he leaves nothing undone which may make it fruitfull he giveth wholesome ordinances of Doctrine Worship Discipline erecteth governours civil and Ecclesiastick appointeth them as his tenants to presse the fruits of a holy conversation from his people and when they are remisse he stirreth up some speciall instruments faithfull Prophets and Preachers to stir up all and to exact of all the fruit of his labour upon his people as may be seen in his dealing with the Jewish church 2. Ordinarily the Lord gets a bad meeting of his people and specially of the rulers of the church who look more each man unto his own case honour and gain than to the holy conversation of people and glory of God as the example of the Jewish doctors here and Rulers of the Lord's people sheweth 3. When the body of church-rulers are corrupt if any of their fellowes shall plead the Lords cause against them these faithfull servants shall readily be persecuted evill intreated and killed for their paines as in the example of the Jewish church is to be seen 4. As men deal with God's servants so would they doe with God himself if he should come as a man to them and put himselfe in their power to try their affections unto him as is evident in the Jewish rulers who flew Christ the Son of God God manifested in the flesh 5. When a people not only do bring forth no fruits of the Gospel but also do persecute such as do stir them up unto their duties it is righteousnesse with God to pour out his plagues upon them and go