raised from the Dead according to my Gospel wherein I suffer as an evil-doer even unto bonds but the word of God is not bound Therefore I endure all things for the elects sake that they may also obtain the Salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal Glory Phil 2.17 Yea and if I be offered up upon the Sacrifice and service of your Faith I joy and rejoyce with you all 1 Tim. 12 13 14. 2 Tim. 1.8 Be not ashamed of the Testimony of our Lord nor of me his Prisoner but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the Power of God Are you now Members of a gospel-Gospel-Church and in Communion with Saints Consider the Duties of this relation 1. In Reference to God and the dignity of a Church state 2. To those that are over you in the Lord. 3. One to another Duties of the first sort are these 1. God hath made over himself by a most solemn covenant-engagement unto you put a high estimate upon this more than ordinary privilege and make a due improvement thereof let the thoughtful remembrance of this overaw you to a constant walking in his Holy ways and observation of his Statutes Deut. 26.17 18 19 20. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his ways and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar People and that thou shouldest keep all his Commandments and to make thee high above all Nations in Praise and in Name and in Honour that thou mayest be a Holy People unto the Lord thy God Let the memory of this be always recent and fresh upon your Spirits and it will much influence persiverance in Holiness and prove an excellent Antidote against Apostasy 2. The Gospel Church is often called the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 3.2 and 5.19 and 11.12 and 13.14 and 16.19 And if God hath made you Members hereof it is a vertual declaration of his Mind and Counsel concerning your Election from Eternity and Salvation to all Eternity which calls aloud upon you for Spiritual Rejoycing more than if you had been made Earthly Kings and Queens Luke 10.20 In this rejjoyce not that the Spirits are Subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your Names are written in Heaven 2 Thes 2.13 14 15. We are bound to give thanks unto God alway for you Brethren Beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the Glory of our Lord Jesus Ephes 1.4 5 6. 2 Tim. 1.9 10. 3. Though once ye were Darkness yet now ye are all the Children of Light and of the Day Therefore sleep not as others but watch and be sober 1 Thes 5.5 6 7. They that sleep sleep in the Night and they that are Drunken are Drunken in the Night but let us who are of the Day be sober putting one the Breast-plate of Faith and for a Helmet the hope of Salvation Rom. 13.12 13. The Night is far spent the Day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of Darkness and put on the armour of Light let us walk honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and Wantonness not in Strife and Envying but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof 1 Pet. 2.9 10. Ye are a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a Peculiar People that ye should shew forth the praises of him that hath called you out of Darkness into his marvellous Light which in time past were not a People but are now the People of God which had not obtained mercy but have now obtained mercy Dearly beloved I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims abstain from Fleshly Lusts which war against the Soul having your conversation honest among the Gentils that whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good works which they shall behold Glorifie God in the day of visitation Math. 5.16 4. You are made sharers and copartners with Christ in all the Privileges and Precious things which he has purchased with his Blood 1 Pet. 1.18 19 20. And wherein will you testifie your thankfulness to him Has he Died for you and will not love constrain you to live unto him 2 Cor. 2.5 14. As he Died for your sins so he Rose for your justification Rom. 4.25 And will not you Dye to Sin and ascend in your Hearts after him Will not you study to know the Power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death Phil. 3.10 11 Rom. 6.10 11 12 13. In that he Died he Died unto sin once but in that he Liveth he Liveth unto God Likewise ye also reckon your selves to be Dead unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Let not Sin therefore reign in your Mortal Bodies that ye should obey it in the Lusts thereof neither yield your Members as Instruments of unrighteousness unto Sin but yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the Dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God He hath now broke the Serpents Head triumphed over Principalities and Powers taken away the Hand-Writing of the Old Covenant that was against you Nailing it to his Cross has conquered the World and delivered you from it Has made Death stingless and has swallowed up the Grave in victory has abolished the condemning Power of the Law himself being made a curse for you What hinders then but that you take up that Apostical Triumph Rom. 8. to the end Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that Died Yea rather that is risen again who is even at the Right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Who shall separate us from all the Love of Christ shall tribulation who are the Enemies and what are the evils which the Church redeemed with the Blood of God should be afraid of Heb. 10.19 21 22. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he has consecrated for us though the Veil that is to say his flesh and having a high Priest over the House of God let us draw near with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our Bodies washed with pure water with the thing it self that was signified by legal washings 5. God has reposed this great trust in you to be Instrumental conservators of his Truths and Ordinances Rom. 3.2 1 Tim. 3.15 Shew fidelity in preserving truth among your selves keeping your Understandings and Judgments untainted with errours and heresies Acts 20.19 30 31. Eph. 4.14 Heb. 13.9 Be not carried about with strange Doctrines
honestly But I beseech you the rather to do this that I may be restored to you the sooner Phil. 1.19 20 5. Give obedience to their Doctrine and submission to their censures which are according to the Gospel and adminstred in the name of Christ 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 6. If they devote themselves Souls Bodies Strength Time Talents with whatever is dearest to them wholly for the service of your Souls and to comunicate Spiritual things unto you its agreeable to the mind of Christ and sound reason that you should communicate temporal things unto them according to your abilities and as the necessities in doing or suffering do require Gal. 6.6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teaches in all good things 1 Cor. 9.6 7 8. Have not we Power to forbear working Who goeth a Warfare at any time on his own charges Who plants a Vineyard and eats not the Fruit thereof And who feedeth a Flock and eateth not of the Milk of the Flock Say I these things as a Man Or saith not the Law the same also For it is written in the Law of Moses thou shall not muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn Doth God take care for Oxen Or saith he it altogether for our sakes For our sakes no doubt this is written that he that Ploweth should Plow in hope and he that Thresheth in hope should be partaker in hope If we have Sown unto you Spiritual things is it a great matter if we should reap your carnal things Do not ye know that they which Minister about Holy things live of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar even so hath the Lord Ordained that they which Preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1 Tim. 5.17 18. Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of double Honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine for the Scripture saith Deut. 25.4 Thou shall not muzzle the Ox that treadeth down the Corn. And Matth. 10.10 The labourer is worthy of his reward If these or the like expressions were only the words of a Man whose interest led him so to speak they might well be suspected as savouring of selfishness but by this time you and I know one another so well that ther 's no need for me to Apologize for my thus writing Though my administrations amongst you have been attended with many other infirmities yet in time I know you will bear me witness that I have not sought yours but you neither indeed needed I to do so for I must bear you this Testimony that since my necessities have called for supply you have been more ready to communicate than I to receive My end is to inform you of the Mind of God in this thing and to confirm your Faith in your Practice doing what you do as an Ordinance of God upon which you may expect a Blessing according to Matth. 10.40 41. He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophet's reward And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a Cup of cold Water only in the name of a Disciple verily he shall in no wise lose his reward And though you are sufficiently instructed yet this may be of use to others Duties of Church Members towards one another 1. Study unanimity or oneness of Mind as much as is possible 1 Cor. 1.10 I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same Mind and in the same Judgment Phil. 2.1 2. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of Love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and mercy fulfil ye my joy that ye be like-minded having the same Love being of one accord of one mind Rom. 15.5 The God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus that ye may with one Mind and Mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Make conscience of that necessary but so much neglected Duty of Brotherly Admonition Matth. 18.16 17. If thy Brother Trespass against thee go and tell-him his fault between thee and him alone If he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother 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 And if the shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church But if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen Man and a Publican Rom. 15.14 I my self am perswaded of you Brethren that ye also are full of Goodness filled with all Knowledge able also to admonish one another 2 Thes 3.15 Col. 3.16 3. Mutual Exhortation is another Duty Heb. 3.12 13. Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil Heart of unbelief in departing from the living God But exhort one another Daily while it is called to Day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulless of Sin And 10.24 25. Let us consider one another to provoke unto Love and to good Works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the Day is approaching 4. Let not them that are strong in respect of Knowledge Gifts Graces Experiences Attainments and Enjoyments Undervalue or Disesteem the Weak and let not the Weak envy them that are Strong Rom. 15.1 2. We that are Strong ought to bear with the Infirmities of the weak and not please our selves And 12.3 I say through the Grace given unto me to every Man that is among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think but to think Soberly according as God has dealt to every Man the measure of Faith v. 10. In Honour preferring one another 1 Cor. 12. Chap. throughout Especially v. 18.21 22. God hath set the Members every one of them in the Body as it hath pleased him The Eye cannot say to the Hand I have no need of thee nor again the Head to the Feet I have no need of you nay much more those Members of the Body which seem to be more feeble are necessary and those Members of the Body which we think to be less Honourable upon these we bestow more abundant Honour and our uncomly parts have more abundant comliness Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory but in
Knowledge in all Diligence and in your Love to us see that ye abound in this Grace also For ye know the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was Rich yet for your sakes he became Poor that ye through his Poverty might become Rich. See also the whole 9th Chap. Where he stirreth them up to a bountifulness in Almsgiving as being a Sowing of Seed which shall return a great increase to them and occasion great thanksgivings unto God As touching the Ministring of the Saints it is superfluous for me to write unto you for I know the forwardness of your Mind But this I say he which Soweth sparingly shall Reap sparingly and he which Soweth bountifully shall Reap bountifully every Man as he purposeth in his Heart so let him give not grudgingly or of necessity for God loveth a chearful giver And God is able to make all Grace abound towards you that ye always having all-sufficiency in all things may abound to every good Work being enriched in every thing to all Bountifulness which causerh through us thanksgiving unto God For the administration of this service not only supplyeth the want of the Saints but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God while by the experiment of this Ministration they glorifie God for your professed subjection unto the Gospel of Christ and for your liberal distribution unto all Men. If it be duty to distribute to the necessities of Members of other Churches how much more to those of your own The substance of all the forementioned Duties is reduceable to this one of Love And though this be a thing you are not ignorant of and tho' in every Epistle I have put you in mind of it yet it is not altogether in vain to do so still nay while I breath and have any opportunities afforded for correspendence in this way I must breath forth something of this Evangelical Doctrine of Christ to you Love one another Love one another Love one another 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing ye have purified your Souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned Love of the Brethren See that ye Love one another with a pure Heart fervently 1 Thes 4.9 10. As touching Brotherly Love ye need not that I write unto you for ye are taught of God to Love one another and indeed ye do it to all the Brethren which are in all Macedonia but we beseech you Brethren that ye increase yet more and more Joh. 13.35 By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have Love one to another Rom. 12.9 Let Love be without dissimulation 1 John 3.18 My little Children let us not Love in Word or in Tongue but in deed and in truth and hereby we know that we are of the Truth and shall assure our Hearts before him 1 John 2.8 9 10 11. A new Commandment I write unto you because the Darkness is past and the true Light now shineth he that saith he is in the Light and hateth his Brother is in Darkness even until now He that Loveth his Brother abideth in the Light and there is no occasion of stumbling in him And 4.7 8. Beloved let us Love one another for Love is of God and every one that Loveth is Born of God and knoweth God he that knoweth not loveth not God for God is Love v. 16. He that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him v. 20.21 1 Cor. 13. Though I speak with the Tongues of Men and Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal Charity suffereth long and is kind Charity envyeth not vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things Charity never faileth 1 Thes 3.12 The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another and towards all Men even as we do towards you Duties of a conjugal Relation 1. Ye that are Husbands Love your Wives Let her that lives in your Bosom have your Heart and Affection so far as it is communicable to any Creature Ephes 5.25 Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church v. 28. So ought Men to love their Wives as their own Bodies he that loveth his Wife loveth himself for no Man ever yet hated his own Flesh Love Purely Peculiarly Sincerely and Constantly Let not Sickness Poverty Deformity old Age or Infirmities cause an abatement of your Affection 2. Let the company and society of your Wives be pleasant and delightful to you Prov. 5.18 19. Let thy Fountain be Blessed and Rejoyce with the Wife of thy Youth let her be as the loving Hind and as the pleasant Roe let her Breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou always Ravish't with her Love 3. Keep the Marriage Covenant as to the dispose of your Bodies Prov. 5.15 Drink Waters out of thine own Cistern and running Waters out of thine own Well v. 20. Why wilt thou my Son be Ravish't with a strange Woman or embrace the Bosom of a Stranger Flee Fornication Uncleanness Adultery Incest and all Tentations leading thereunto Prov. 6.25 26. Lust not after the Beauty of a Stranger in thine Heart neither let her take thee with her eye-lids for by means of a Whorish Woman a Man is brought to a morsel of Bread and the Adultress will hunt for the precious life Can a Man take Fire in his Bosom and his Cloths not be Burnt Can one go upon hot Coles and his Feet not be Burnt So he that goeth in to his Neighbours Wife whosoever toucheth her he shall not be innocent v. 32 33. Who so committeth Adultery with a Woman lacketh understanding He that doth it destroyeth his own Soul a Wound and Dishonour shall he get and his Reproach shall not be wiped away So 7.22 23 24. Col. 3.5 6. 4. As you are not Adulterously to meddle with any strange Woman so 1 Cor. 7.3 4. let the Husband render unto the Wife due Benevolence likewise also the Wife unto the Husband The Wife hath not power of her own Body but the Husband and likewise also the Husband has not power of his own Body but the Wife Defraud ye not one the other except it be with confent for a time that you may give your felves to Fasting and Prayer and come together again that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency 5. Let them communicate with you in all the good things which God bestoweth upon you provide liberally for them letting them want no conveniencey which you can afford cherishing and nourishing them as your own Bodies and as Christ cherisheth the Church Ephes 5.29 Be not harsh nor hard churlish nor unkind Col. 3.19 Be not bitter against them 6. Dwell with them as Men of knwledge 1 Pet. 3.7 Let your carriage towards them in all