who now rejoice in my Sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ in my Flesh for his Body's sake which is the Church Col. 1. 23. To suffer for the Truth ought to be the Joy and Comfort of him that has undertaken to be the Minister of Truth How much then do they forget their Vocation who upon meeting with Discouragements lose all Comfort and repent of their Labor Whom we preach warning every Man and teaching every Man in all Wisdom that we may present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1. 28. The only design of an Apostolic Teacher is to form Jesus in every one of his Flock and to make all perfect in him Say to Archippus take heed to the Ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfil it Col. 4. 17. They who consider not well the Duties of their Charge will soon neglect them Fulfil the Duties of the Ministry of Jesus Christ What Pastor do's not tremble at this Word Your selves Brethren know our Entrance in unto you that it was not in vain But even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated as ye know at Philippi we were bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God with much Contention For our Exhortation was not of Deceit nor of Vncleanness nor in Guile But as we were allowed of God to be put in Trust with the Gospel even so we speak not as pleasing Men but God which trieth our Hearts For neither at any time used we flattering Words as ye know nor a Cloak of Covetousness God is Witness Nor of Men sought we Glory neither of you nor yet of others when we might have been burdensome as the Apostles of Christ But we were Gentle among you even as a Nurse cherisheth her Children So being affectionately desirous of you we were willing to have imparted unto you not the Gospel of God only but also our own Souls because ye were dear unto us For ye remember Brethren our Labor and Travel For laboring Night and Day because we would not be chargeable unto any of you we preached unto you the Gospel of God Ye are Witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves among you that believe as you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a Father doth his Children that ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdom and Glory 1 Thess 2. 1. Every Word a Lesson to Preachers What a Mercy to the World if they would study and follow this Spirit Be not thou therefore 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 2 Tim. 1. 8. Great Courage is necessary for standing by the Truth and the Ministers of it Hold fast the form of sound Words which thou hast heard of me in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us 2 Tim. 1. 13. Great Fidelity requir'd of the Pastors of God's Church The Holy Ghost promis'd to them for this end Thou therefore endure Hardness as a good Soldier of Jesus Christ No Man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this Life 2 Tim. 2. 3. I suffer trouble as an evil Doer even unto Bonds but the Word of God is not bound Therefore I endure all things for the Elects sake v. 9. To suffer with Courage all Difficulties is the Obligation of a Pastor And if he suffer as a Criminal as this is most humbling so it brings him nearer to the Resemblance of Jesus Christ They are of the World therefore speak they of the World and the World heareth them 1 Jo. 4. 5. Unhappy Teachers whose Character this is CHAP. XXXVI Of the Flock Q. WHat Directions do's the Gospel give to the Flock in Regard of those whom God has put over them A. It speaks very particularly to them but that I may end this last Chapter with such Instructions as the Gospel gives I will first set down some Injunctions of God in the Old Law which as it was a Figure of the New so it may lead us to such Duties as God expects from the Flock in this better Constitution which is the Church of Christ And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian Woman whom he had married And they said hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses Hath he not spoken also by us And the Lord heard it Wherefore then were not ye afraid to speak against my Servant Moses And the Anger of the Lord was kindled against them and he departed Num. 12. 1 8. God shews his displeasure against those who murmur at such as he has set over them And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron And the Lord said unto Moses How long will this People provoke me Surely they shall not see the Land which I sware unto their Fathers neither shall any of them that provoked me see it Num. 14. 2 11 23. Great are the Judgments of God upon those who murmur against such as are over them Now Korah and Dathan and Abiram took men and they rose up before Moses with certain of the Children of Israel two hundred and fifty Princes of the assembly famous in the Congregation Men of renown And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said unto them Ye take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation are holy every one of them and the Lord is among them Wherefore then lift you up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord And when Moses heard it he fell upon his Face And he spake unto the Congregation saying Depart I pray you from tbe Tents of these wicked Men and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed in all their Sins And the Earth opened her Mouth and swallowed them up and their Houses and all the Men that appertained unto Korah and all their goods And there came out a fire from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty Men that offered Incense Num. 16. 1 26 32 35. The Congregation being holy Exempts them not from their Obedience enjoin'd The Authority of Princes of the Congregation Men Famous and of Renown is not enough for questioning the Authority of Moses and Aaron whom God had commanded all to hear and obey Their offering Incense to God is not accepted while divided from Moses and Aaron they are under the guilt of Disobedience Thou shalt come unto the Priests the Levites and unto the Judge that shall be in those days and enquire and they shall shew thee the Sentence of Judgment And thou shalt do according to the Sentence which they of that place which the Lord shall chuse shall shew thee and thou shalt observe to do according to all that
the Husband hath not Power of his own Body but the Wife Defraud you not one the other except it be with consent for a Time that ye may give your selves to Fasting and Prayer and come together again that Satan tempt you not for your Incontinency But I speak this by Permission and not of Commandment 1 Cor. 7. 3. 4thly That they may and ought to live holily There was in the Days of Herod the King of Judea a certain Priest named Zacharias of the Course of Abia And his Wife was of the Daughters of Aaron and her Name was Elizabeth And they were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless and they had no Child because that Elizabeth was barren and they both were now well stricken in years Luk. 1. 5. This I say Brethren the time is short It remaineth that both they that have Wives be as tho' they had none and they that weep as tho' they wept not and they that rejoice as tho' they rejoiced not and they that buy as tho' they possessed not and they that use this World as not abusing it For the fashion of this World passeth away 1 Cor. 7. 29. We beseech you Brethren and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God so ye would abound more and more For ye know what Commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus For this is the Will of God even your Sanctification that ye should abstain from Fornication That every one of you should know how to possess his Vessel in Sanctification and Honor not in the Lust of Concupiscence even as the Gentiles which know not God 1 Thess 4. 1. Marriage is honorable in all and the Bed undefiled But Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 4. 5thly That there are great Duties of mutual Love and Support belonging to them and that Order is to be observ'd which God has appointed between them I would have you know that the Head of every Man is Christ and the Head of the Woman is the Man and the Head of Christ is God A Man indeed ought not to cover his Head praying for as much as he is the Image and Glory of God But the Woman is the Glory of the Man For the Man is not of the Woman but the Woman of the Man Neither was the Man created for the Woman but the Woman for the Man For this Cause ought the Woman to have Power on her Head because of the Angels Nevertheless neither is the Man without the Woman neither the Woman without the Man in the Lord. For as the Woman is of the Man even so is the Man also by the Woman but all things of God 1 Cor. 11. 3 7. Submitting your selves one to another in the Fear of God Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands as unto the Lord. For the Husband is the Head of the Wife even as Christ is Head of the Church And he is the Saviour of the Body Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ so let the Wives be to their own Husbands in every thing Husbands love your Wives even as Christ loved the Church and also gave himself for it That he might sanctifie and cleanse it 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 but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as the Lord the Church For we are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones For this Cause shall a Man leave his Father and Mother and shall be joined unto his Wife and they two shall be one Flesh This is a great Mystery But I speak concerning Christ and the Church Nevertheless Let every one of you in particular so love his Wife even as himself and the Wife see that she reverence her Husband Eph. 5. 21 28. Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands love your Wives and be not bitter against them Col. 3. 18. Ye Wives be in Subjection to your own Husbands that if any obey not the word they also may without the word be won by the Conversation of the Wives while they behold your chaste Conversation coupled with Fear Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the Hair and of wearing of Gold or of putting on of Apparel but let it be the hidden Man of the Heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the Sight of God of great Price For after this manner in the Old Time the holy Women also who trusted in God adorned themselves being in Subjection unto their own Husbands even as Sara obeyed Abraham calling him Lord Whose Daughters ye are as long as ye do well and are not affraid with any Amazement 1 Pet. 3. 1. Likewise ye Husbands dwell with them according to Knowledge giving Honor unto the Wife as unto the weaker Vessel and as being Heirs together of the Grace of Life that your Prayers be not hinder'd 1 Pet. 3. 7. Teach the young Women to be sober to love their Husbands to love their Children to be Discreet Chaste keepers at Home good obedient to their own Husbands that the Word of God be not blasphemed Tit. 2. 4. Young Men likewise exhort to be Sober-minded Tit. 2. 6. That the aged Men be Sober Grave Temperate Sound in Faith in Charity in Patience Tit. 2. 2. The aged Women likewise that they be in Behavior as becometh Holiness not false Accusers not given to much Wine Teachers of good things Tit. 2. 3. I will that Men pray every where lifting up holy Hands without Wrath and Doubting 1 Tim. 2. 8. In like manner also that Women adorn themselves in modest Apparel with Shamefacedness and Sobriety Not broider'd Hair or Gold or Pearls or costly Array but which becometh Women professing Godliness with good Works Let the Women learn in silence with all Subjection But I suffer not a Woman to teach nor to usurp Authority over the Man but to be in silence For Adam was first formed then Eve And Adam was not deceived but the Woman being deceived was in the Transgression Notwithstanding she shall be saved in Child-bearing if they continue in Faith and Charity and Holiness with Sobriety 1 Tim. 2. 9. Let your Women keep silence in the Churches For it is not permitted unto them to speak but they are commanded to be under Obedience as also saith the Law And if they will learn any thing let them ask their Husbands at Home For it is a Shame for Women to speak in the Church 1 Cor. 14. 34. Thus speaks the Rule and so particularly that there can be no
done and there is no Respect of Persons Col. 3. 25. Thou knowest the Commandments do not commit adultery do not kill do not steal do not bear false witness defraud not honor thy Father and Mother Mar. 10. 19. Nay you do wrong and defraud and that your brethren Know ye not that the Vnrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Thieves shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 8. God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient Being filled with all Vnrighteousness Fornication Covetousness Maliciousness full of Envy Debate Deceit Malignity Despiteful Proud Boasters Covenant-breakers Rom. 1. 28 29. Wherefore putting away Lying speak every Man Truth with his Neighbor for we are members one of another Neither give place to the Devil let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour working with the hands the thing which is good Eph. 4. 25 27. Behold the hire of the Labourers which have reaped down your Fields which is of you kept back by Fraud crieth And the Cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord Jam. 5. 4. Neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giveth the encrease 1 Cor. 3. 7. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Mat. 6. 33. No Man can serve two Masters Ye cannot serve God and Mamon v. 24. VVhat shall it profit a Man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul Or what shall a Man give in exchange for his soul Mar. 8. 36. Take heed and beware of Covetousness For a Man's Life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth Luk. 12. 15. They that will be rich fall into Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts which drown Men in Destruction and Perdition For the Love of Money is the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6. 9. This I say Brethren the time is short It remaineth that they that buy be as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away 1 Cor. 7. 29 30. With what measure you mete it shall be measured to you again Mat. 7. 2. I here add something out of the Old Testament Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment in Mete-yard in VVeight or in Measure Just Ballances just VVeights a just Ephah and a just Hin shall ye have I am the Lord your God Therefore shall ye observe all my Statutes and all my Judgments and do them I am the Lord Levit. 19. 35. Thou shalt not have in thy Bag divers VVeights a great and a small Thou shalt not have in thine House divers Measures a great and a small But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight a perfect and just measure shalt thou have That thy Days may be lengthened in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee For all that do such things and all that do unrighteously are an Abomination unto the Lord thy God Deut. 25. 13. A false Ballance is Abomination to the Lord But a just VVeight is his Delight Prov. 11. 1. He that withholdeth Corn the People shall Curse him But Blessing shall be upon the Head of him that selleth it v. 26. Divers weights and divers measures both of them are alike Abomination to the Lord Prov. 20. 10. Hear this O ye that swallow up the Needy even to make the Poor of the Land to fail saying when will the new Moon be gone that we may sell Corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth VVheat making the Ephah small and the Sheckel great and falsifying the Ballances by Deceit That we may buy the Poor for Silver and the Needy for a pair of Shoes yea and sell the Refuse of the VVheat The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob surely I will never forget any of their works Shall not the Land tremble for this and every one mourn that dwelleth therein Amos 8. 4. The Lord's Voice crieth unto the City and the Men of VVisdom shall see thy Name hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it Are there yet the Treasures of Wickedness in the House of the Wicked and the scant measure that is abominable Shall I count them pure with the wicked Ballances and with the Bag of deceitful VVeights For the rich Men thereof are full of Violence and the Inhabitants thereof have spoken Lies and their Tongue is deceitful in their Mouth Therefore also will I make thee Sick in smiting thee in making thee desolate because of thy Sins Mic. 6. 9. Thus speaks the Rule and in such plain and positive Terms has God here manifested his Will that there can be no doubt in such as desire to follow it He expresly forbids all kind of Fraud or Over-reaching or doing any Wrong to our Neighbor in buying or selling He expresly forbids all kinds of false Weights and Measures He expresly forbids all such Monopoly as raises the price of Necessaries and oppresses the Poor He expresly forbids all kinds of Lying and Covetousness Those who in earnest hope for Salvation of God must be Solicitous to do his Will and since he himself has declar'd that those who do otherwise in these Particulars do what is an Abomination to him they cannot doubt of their being in an ill Way even in the displeasure of God Now examin the general Practice of Christians in all manner of Dealing with one another and thence guess whether God has Forbid all Fraud and Over-reaching amongst them And if he has whether they believe him or have any regard to his Precepts CHAP. XXX Of Magistrates and Officers of Justice Q. WHAT Directions do's the Gospel give to Persons in this Station A. There are several Particulars proper for their Instruction Now the chief Priests and Elders and all the Counsel sought false witness against Jesus to put him to Death Mat. 26. 59. Then the High-priest rent his Cloaths saying He hath spoken Blasphemy what farther need have we of witnesses Behold now ye have heard his Blasphemy What think ye v. 65. Innocence is not to be oppress'd by Calumny or false Witnesses neither is Caiphas to be imitated who being Judge made himself a Party The chief Priests and Elders perswaded the Multitude that they should ask Barabbas and destroy Jesus Mat. 27. 20. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing but that rather a tumult was made he took Water and washed his Hands before the Multitude saying I am Innocent of the Blood of this just Person See ye to it Then released he Barabbas unto them And when he had scourged Jesus he delivered him to be crucified v. 24 26. No Party to be made against the Innocent Passion and Violence carry away the Multitude to Injustice The Innocent is not to be condemn'd in