Master Necdum effusum erat venenum in Ecclesiam But the Apostles of Christ walked in the steps of their Lord and Master being meek and lowly of heart Matth. 11.29 and thereby approving themselves to be the true Ministers of Christ Whereas Pride and disdain of others is a property and badge not of the Servants of Christ but of Antichrist It is a notable Story that which Beda tels in the second Book of his Ecclesiastical History and the second chapter that when Austin the Monke whom some are ambitious to make the Apostle of England When he was sent by Pope Gregory the great to preach to the Angles or Saxons that dwelt in this Land he found a considerable company of the Britans the ancient and native Inhabitants of this Country professing the Faith of the Lord Jesus Christ and living religiously and devoutly only differing from the then Church of Rome in some Circumstances as in point of the keeping of Easter and some Ceremonies used in Baptism the like whereupon he called a Council or a Synod and invites the Britans thither and accordingly divers of the most Learned and Religious among them applied themselves to the journey but in the way they judged it convenient to take the advice of one that was of great Eminency for Prudence and Holiness of life et Anachoreticam ducebat vitam and to enquire of him whether they should be perswaded by Austin to leave their ancient Customs and follow his or no. His answer to them was Si Homo Dei sit sequimini eum If he be a man of God follow him But say they How shall we be sure of that Why saith he again Our Lord saith Take my Yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart If therefore saith he this Austin be meek and lowly of heart it is a sign that he hath taken the Yoke of Chrict upon him and offers no other yoke to you but if he be superbus immitis if he be haughty and proud Constat eum non esse de Deo it is manifest that he is not of God neither are ye to regard what he saith But say they again How shall we know this how shall we know whether he be proud or lowly Why saith he order it so that He and his Party may come first to the place of meeting and if when you come in he riseth up to you know that he is the Servant of Christ and hear him obediently But if he despise you and will not so much as rise off his seat to you do you despise him Fecerunt ut dixerat They did as he directed them and Austin not rising up to them at their coming in they concluded him a proud man and set themselves the more to oppose him But if we enlarge the Persons and take in not only the Elders but the rest of the Church supposing them present upon the place as I have shewed before we have probable cause to do than the term Brethren may afford unto us this Observation Obs That there is a near relation even the relation of Brethren between Preachers and People founded upon the account of Religion and Grace This near relation is sometimes expressed under the notion of Father and Children I speak unto you as unto my Children 2 Cor. 6.13 My little Children with whom I travel in birth Gal. 4.19 I have no greater joy than to hear that my Children walk in Truth 3 John 14. Sometimes this near relation is expressed under the notion of a Nurse and Children so 1 Thess 2.7 But we were gentle among you even as a Nurse cherisheth her Children But most ordinarily and frequently it is expressed by this notion of Brother or Brethren this is the Compellation wherewith the Apostle and other Ministers of the Gospel do ordinarily salute their People both in their Preaching and in their Writings to them as is obvious to all that reade the Acts of the Apostles and their Epistles Ministers and People they are Brethren and that upon the account of Religion and Grace They have the same Father even God who is pleased to own the one and the other for his Children For we are all the Children of God by Faith in Jesus Christ Gal. 3.26 They have all one Mother not Rome nor Antioch nor any other Church upon Earth but the Jerusalem which is above the Mother of us all Gal. 4.26 They have all sucked the same breasts Isa 66.11 That you may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her Consolation They all feed at the same Table they eat the same Spiritual Bread and drink the same Spiritual Drink 1 Cor. 10. They all are Heirs of the same Promises and wait for the same Inheritance I say Ministers and People that are true Believers in all these respects therefore are Brethren Only look as it is in a Family where there are many Children many Brothers and Sisters one of these is the first-born and he though a Brother yet he is an Elder-Brother and he hath some Priviledges above the rest So it is here In the first Ages of the World the Priviledges of the first-born consisted in these three things 1. That the Publick and Solemn Worship of God was administred in the Family and for the Family by the First-born he was Priest and Prophet of the Family 2. That next unto the Father himself the First-born was the Prince and Governour of the Family 3. That a double Portion of the Estate went to the First-born as his Inheritance And all these Priviledges were founded upon that claim which God made unto the first-born as his right upon which they were consecrated and set apart to God Exod. 13. Afterwards all these Priviledges in the Church of the Old Testament were devolved upon the Levites whom God took instead of all the first-born of Israel Numb 3.12 And now in the Church of the New-Testament this Honour and these Priviledges are conferred upon the Ministers of the Gospel whom God hath set in the place of the Levites under the Law Isa 66.21 I will take of them for Priests and Levites saith the Lord. So that now the Ministers of the Gospel they are as it were the first-born Brethren Now the Use of this may be First To inform us that the Authority and Power of Ruling which Ministers have in the Church of God which is the House of God it is not Despotical or Lordly or Magisterial such as Superiours have over those that are absolutely and every way their Inferiours but it is rather Social such as one Brother hath over another importing rather a Priority of Order than an Imparity of Degree The Apostle disclaims all such Power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 1.24 We are not Lords over your Faith but Helpers of your Joy Secondly That Ministers and People Preachers and Hearers are all Brethren this shews what endeared affections Ministers and People ought to bear each to other How
is no ambiguity the word that signifieth to commend by way of praise is either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Luke 16.8 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 8.8 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 5.8 and 16.1 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 3.1 and 5.12 but the word used to signifie commending by way of trust is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Luke 23.46 Acts 14.23 and that is the word here used in the Text I commend you that is I resigne you over I deliver you up I commit you to the Trust of God That is the second thing the Act. The Third thing is the Subject of this Act or the persons thus commended You amplified by their relative compellation Brethren Brethren I commend you to God It is clear that this relates to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus and it is probable that some of the Vulgar some of the Plebs might be there also especially if they understood that Paul now sent for the Elders to take his last leave of them doubless some of the Brethren and Church-Members would willingly put themselves to the trouble of so small a journey to be present at this solemn parting and if you consider well the words of the 20 25 27 verses methinks it is more than probable that there were present upon the place some of Pauls ordinary hearers and ordinary members of the Church as well as the Elders therefore we may safely conclude that this you Brethren includes both Elders and People Brethren I commend you The fourth thing considerable is the Person to whom he doth thus commend these Brethren and that is first to God the Wise the Gracious the Faithful the Almighty God The same God to whom with my Lord and Master Jesus Christ I would commend my spirit if I were now a dying into his hands I commend you I commend you principally and in the first place to God and then secondly and subordinately to the Word of his Grace as a powerful means and nstrument of God unto you Brethren I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace Fiftly You have here the Eulogie of this word which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified which clause may either refer to God I commend you to God who is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified or to the Word of hic Grace I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up c. and so in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is God is able by his Word to build you up and bring you to Heaven Or The Word of God is able to build you up in Grace and bring you to Glory Lastly You have the time when Paul doth thus studiously and solemnly commend the Brethren to God and to the Word of his Grace and that is Now Now that I am departing from you never to see your faces more Now that after my departure grievous Wolves shall enter among you Now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified Which words will afford variety of Observations First For the term of Compellation Brethren This term Brother or Brethren saith Hierom quadrupliciter accipitur is taken four manner of wayes 1. First For those that are born of the same Parents 2. Secondly For those that are of the same Linage though not of the same immediate Parents those whom we call Cousins are usually in Scripture called Brethren and Sisters 3. Thirdly For those of the same Nation 4. Fourthly For those of the same Religion and Profession 5. To which we may add fifthly For those of the same place and co-habitations Thus Lot calls the men of Sodom Brethren Gen. 19.7 6. Sixthly They are called Brethren that are of a like quality and disposition so Prov. 18.9 He that is slothful in his work is Brother to him that is a great waster Here it is used upon no other but upon a Religious Account The Apostle calls these Persons here present Brethren because he and they had one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father therefore Brethren If we suppose this Compellation used to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus then we may reade in it the exceeding great humility and condescension of the blessed Apostle Paul who though he was advanced to an Office and Dignity of highest Eminency of any that ever Christ instituted in his Church even the Office of an Apostle which is another manner of Title and Dignity than that either of Bishop or Arch-Bishop or Patriarch or Cardinal or Pope And though the Apostle sufficiently understood how to magnifie this Office of his when necessity or occasion required it Rom. 11.13 yet so modest and humble is the Apostle that he doth not disdain to give unto a company of poor plain Presbyters or Elders of the Church that were in Office and questionless in Gifts and Graces many degrees inferiour to the Apostle yet I say he doth not disdain to give unto them the title and respect of Brethren So that other Apostle Peter whom the Papists forsooth would fain have to be the Prince of the Apostles and Head of the Church see what modest language he useth to the Elders of the Church 1 Pet. 5.1 The Elders that are among you I exhort who am also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fellow-Elder with your selves One would think it would have sounded better and more like the Prince of the Church to have said We will and require you We Peter by divine dispensation Prince of the Apostles Head of the Church the Vicar of Christ to whom the Keys of Heaven are given WE will and require We charge and command the Elders that are among you to feed the Flock of God This indeed is more according to the language and genius of those that pretend to be the Successors of Peter and of the Apostles But those Primitive and purer times knew no such distance betwixt the Ministers of the Gospel nor no such Lordliness of the one over the other the highest Officer in the Church looking upon the lowest as Brethren and Fellow-Elders These gracious and holy Souls had not yet forgotten the Words of their Lord and Master Luke 22.25 The Kings of the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lord it over them and they that exercise Authority upon them are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benefactors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But as for you it shall not be so but he that is greatest among you let him be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the younger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he that is Ruler or Governor among you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Deacon or Minister or Servant The Servants of Christ had not yet forgot these Words of their Lord and
I would fain before wepart commend you to God and leave you in the Arms of His everlasting Mercy and the Bosome of his infaite Love And O that I could do this with comfort and with confidence concerning every one of you Concerning some of you I profess I can and that upon the same account that the Apostles commended the Churches unto God in Acts 14.23 They commended them to the Lord on whom they believed Well might the Apostles and with holy boldness commend these Christians to the Lord whom they knew to be Believers whom they knew not only to have given up their names to Christ in an open and visible profession but to have believed in him by a true and lively Faith and to have received him for their LORD and KING as well as for their Priest and Prophet A Minister may deliver up such a People to God with as much confidence and assurance as a man can deliver up his child into the arms of his own dearest and most indulgent father And such are some of you and through Grace many of you Believers not in name only and profession but indeed and in truth and in power Such I can heartily confidently and confortably commend unto God and leave with him in full assurance that He will never leave you nor forsake you in full assurance that however things go in Dedhaw however things go in England however things go with your selves as to the concernments of this life it shall be well with you to Eternity O that I could think thus and speak thus and hope thus of you all But are there not with you even with you also sinners against the Lord are there not some among you whom if a Minister should deal with according to Gosple Rule he should rather deliver to Satan than commend to God Are there not some among you whose Crime and Character if not Name may be found in that black Bill of men excommunicate in Heaven and from Heaven which the Apostle presents you 1 Cor. 6.9 where he reckons up ten several sorts of sinners that are excluded from the Kingdom of God Neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor Abusers of themselves with mankind nor Thieves nor Coveteous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God And are there not some such as these amongst you Are there not some that walk of whom I have told you often and now even tell you weeping that they are enemies to the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose belly is their god whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things Phil. 3.18 Do you think a poor Minister after above twenty years spent amongsuch a People in fruitless and unsuccesful labours can with confidence commend such unto God O Sirs what shall I say to you what shall I do for you Parents when they lye a dying and are about to commend as their own souls so their children to God put a difference between good and bad between gracious and graceless children Look over Gen. 49. and you shall and that good old Jacob doth not commend Reuben Simeon and Levi to God in such a manner as he commends Judah Joseph and Benjamin and some other of his children And I have heard of a Godly Parent that having several children whereof one was notoriously wicked and prophane when the Parent lay a dying all the Children were called together to attend at his death and there the Parent gave several Prayers and Blessings to the several Children commending them to God But as for you saith the Parent to one that was wicked and graceless Child as for you I can look for no other but to glorifie God in your just condemnation to Hell at the Day of Judgment A sad speech for a dying Parent to leave at his last words to a poor Child which yet God in infinite mercy turned to good Should I speak thus concerning any of you it would be more grievous to my self than to some of you it may be But the Lord knows this will be the portion of many of God's Ministers in that Great Day the Lord grant it be not mine But many of God's Ministers will be called out as bitter witnesses in that Day against their Peoples souls and God will say unto them Did not such and such live under your Ministry did you not warn them of their sins of their drunkenness fornication uncleanness lying swearing worldliness security neglect of holy Duties Did you not remonstrate to them the evil of their wayes did you not call them invite exhort perswaede them to repentance did you not foretel them of this Day and of the Wrath and Vengeance prepared for sinners did you not acquaint them with my Name did you not promise them Pardon and Forgiveness Heaven and Happiness upon condition of their Repentance Faith and new Obedience O my Brethren when God in the presence of his holy Angels and Saints shall put these interrogatories to-us his poor Ministers that have spoken to you in his Name What shall we say what can we say Must we can we dare we think you to excuse or extenuate your wickednesses lye against the Truth and to our own souls and say we have not warned you we have not admonished you exhorted perswaded you when our consciences know we have and your consciences know it too We must say Lord thou knowest all things and thou knowest we have in some measure of truth through Grace though with much human infirmity sought and desired and endeavoured the salvation of these mens souls as of our own We have many and many a time warned them and that with tears but they would not be warned We have perswaded them with all the arguments our reason helped by thy Grace could invent but they would not be perswaded we have entreated them with all the most urgent and affectionate importunity we could use but they would not be entreated Then will the Lord say unto us his poor Ministers I pronounce you pure and innocent from the blood of these men O blessed O joyful Word for us But as for you He will say unto you Your destruction be upon your own heads Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels O doleful word for you to hear and doleful for us now to think of while we are in this flesh But let me tell you all creature relations and affections shall in the Saints be so swallowed up in the Glory of God and in the joy of their own Salvation that Saints and Angels shall rejoyce in the condemnation of all wicked and ungodly men and with loud acclamations shall sing Hallelujahs Salvation and Glory and Honour and Power unto the Lord our God for True and Righteous are his Judgments But Ah Brethren my hearts desire and prayer is for you all that you may all be saved Shall I therefore be bold with you yea Brethren let me be bold with you in the Lord. I have heard of a very holy and eminently learned and pious man that lying upon his death-bed and having his Children about him Mr. Bolion among other things he used this remarkable expression I charge you saith he that none of you dare to appear before me in the Day of Judgment in an unconverted condition Intimating that if they did he should be one of the first that should stand up as a witness against them Give me leave to use a like expression unto you I a poor unworthy Minister of Jesus Christ yet his Minister unto you I hope for good that have often heretofore admonished and charged you in his Name being now by His Providence to leave you never more to see you faces nor to speak to you in His Name any more I charge you all from the highest to the lowest from the least to the greatest I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at His Appearing and before all the holy Angels who are present and Witnesses to these words I charge you That none of you appear in the Day of Judgment in an unconverted condition lest even these words of mine be brought in on that Day as a Witness against you And now Brethren I commend you to God having thus admonished you thus warned you thus charged you you that are yet in your sins I now commend you to God O that God would make this last Warning this last Admonition this last Charge these last Words more effectual than a thousand others have been That as Sampson slew more Philistines at his death than in all his life so I might be the happy Instrument to save more Souls now at my departure from you than in all my life before I can do no more but commend you to God that God who gives being to things that are not who is able to raise the dead who is able even of stones to raise up children unto Abraham That great and mighty and almighty God shew his Saving Power to you and in you Those that are dead in their sins and trespasses God Almighty quicken you you that are yet hardened in your sins God Almighty humble you soften you change you make you of stones the sons and danghters of Abraham And as for you my dearly beloved Brethren that are converted and in the state of Grace already I commend you to God as unto a gracious reconciled tender merciful indulgent alsufficient Father he will be unto you a little Sanctuary Ezek. 11.16 He will be unto you a place of broad Rivers and Streams Isa 33.21 He hath begun a good Work in you and will perform it to the Day of Christ I am confident Philip. 1.6 Be not anxiously careful what you shall do what shall become of you take heed of Security Luke-warmness leaving your First-Love Remember former Times Do your first Works strengthen the things that remain that are ready to dye And God he is able to keep you and he is faithful and will keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of his Glory with exceeding joy Jude 24 25. Now to Him that is able to do this to GOD onely Wise be Glory Majesty Dominion and Power both now and for ever Amen FINIS