power 2. Pray for me Heb. 13.18 and that with all possible importunity and constancy For the more you do so pray to God for me the more profitable he will make my labours to your Souls Pray for me in your Closets and wrestle with God for me for you especially you who walk with God may do much for me in your Closets I do remember you in mine Oh! let me be remembred by you in our Closets also For a stock of Prayers of hearty believing fervent Prayers kept a-running one for another will bring in a great Revenue of grace from Heaven to us You cannot expect that I should Preach warmly profitably and powerfully to you unless you so Pray for me Therefore in obedience to the will of God and for your own profit do you continue in fervent Prayer unto God for me Entreat him to pour out much of the Spirit of grace and the grace of the Spirit upon me fill me with Ministerial gifts and make me an able Minister of the New Testament That God may give me the door of utterance and enable me to speak as I ought to speak Eph. 6.20 That God may work in me whatever is wel-pleasing in his sight Heb. 13.21 fulfill in me all the good Counsel of his will and the work of faith with power 2 Thes 1.11 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in me and by me Oh! Pray for me that I may be kept faithful to Christ and you that I may labour and not faint run and not be weary that I may be able to bear up under all Burdens and Temptations and be able to overcome and conquer them all That I may rightly divide the word of Truth and administer the holy Ordinances of Christ according to his will so as that he may be magnified and your Souls profited That my heart may stand clear off the World and that I may not be taken and entangled with any snares and that I may perfect holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 and for whatever else you may rationally judge I may stand in need of as your Minister 3. I do request you that if at any time you do certainly see and undoubtedly know any failing or miscarriage in or by me that you will speedily seriously meekly humbly and as you ought to do enform me of it It is your duty to do so if you do it as you ought and may do it I shall through grace assisting receive it thank you and bless God for it and account it my mercy But I shall desire you to take heed and beware of these three evils towards me in this matter 1 That you do not fancy and make evils or miscarriages for me and then charge them on me as mine when in truth they are not so It is a very dangerous thing to condemn the Righteous and justifie the wicked as you know Prov. 17.15 and it is most dangerous and abominable in the sight of the Righteous God to condemn or falsly to charge his Embassadours because they stand in his stead bear his Image of Authority and do his Ministerial work in his Churches And yet how common is this evil among Professors as I can testifie 2 Do not take up a Report from others against me and take it for granted because you hear some Professors of the good wayes of God tell you so For the World yea and the Churches also are too full of slanderous and back biting Tongues They are not aware of this evil but hug and embrace it in their bosoms practise it without fear and commit this abomination with both hands as the Prophet speaks Remember that Jesus Christ hath strictly charged you in 1 Tim. 5.19 that you do not so much as receive an Accusation against an Elder under two or three witnesses and that on their certain knowledge of the Fact not upon their conjectures and feigned Circumstances For God is very curious and tender of their good Names Credit and Reputations and he knows and all wise and holy men do know that they are more obnoxious to the Envy and that they lye more open to the wrath and hatred of men than other men do Therefore I say God hath set a higher mound about their good Name for their security than about others 3 Do not take up my real or supposed miscarriages and spread them before others Oh! my Brethren let not this filthy devilish wickedness be found in you let not others hear of my faults before I do my self be not you Back-biters and Whisperers against him who loves you so much as that he could spend and be spent in the service of your Souls and who seeks your good all he can Requite not his love to you with such mischief and wickedness against him for the Lord's sake You may do him much wrong thereby but you will much more wrong Christ and your own Souls And let none of you think that Jesus Christ is an idle Spectator of what you do herein that he observes you not or that because you imagine you intend him no hurt in what you say of him that therefore he will hold you guiltless No no be not deceived for God will not be mocked what a man soweth that shall he reap Gal. 6.7 God doth not say you may speak evil of his Ministers or other men if you intend not to hurt them thereby no but he deth expresly forbid you to back bite or speak of their evils though real at all behind their backs until they prove incorrigible and have rejected your reproofs and endeavours to convince and convert them Levit. 19.16 17. Jam. 4.11 Tit. 3.2 Rom. 1.30 31. Psal 15.3 2 Cor. 12.20 But in truth this excuse or pretence is but a carnal blind and diabolical delusion to shut the eyes of men and harden their hearts against the evils of it that they may commit it with the more peace and satisfaction that neither men nor their own Consciences may reprove or controul them and cry shame on them for their sins and that they may not be obstructed or any way impeded in their doing of that wherein they find pleasure Neither indeed can they prove that they do not hate them or intend their hurt For it is infallibly certain that they do not really love such and that they are prejudiced against them and do not in truth seek their good For can I perswade any reasonable man by the rules of Reason that I love him and seek his good in the dark as to him by doing or speaking that which experience shews will inevitably tend to his hurt to his shame and reproach and to the alienating of others affections from him Well then tell me of my real faults to my face that I may mend and do so no more for that is the Will of Christ Matth. 18.15 4. I do request you to Visit me and let me have your good Company as often as conveniently you can and
20. And there are many Reasons for it I will but name a few 1 Because the work they have to do is the Lords not their own and what have they to do to medle with it until their Lord calls sends them otherwise he may say unto them friends what do you here in my Vineyard about my work and concernments did I call or send you hither or rather did you not come upon your own will and pleasure 2 Because the Churches in which they work are the Lords and he will have his own appointed and designed servants in his own families and housholds and none else he alots and appoints the several works of his servants and the places where they shall work and leaves it not to their own wills choice but as directed and guided moved and carried forth by him As God sent Paul to the Gentiles and Peter to the Jews so doth God now send such a man to such a Church and another to another Church to administer there and if the great Lord and Master should find such a Servant here as he did intend for an other place how will he answer his being out of his own place 3 Because their going forth and labouring in the Vineyard must be obediential Acts. They must do it not because it is their own will and choice but the Lords and that in obedience unto him And how can they do that except they have some good assurance that the Lord hath sent and called them How can they obey the voice of the Lord when they are not well satisfied that they have heard and felt the Lord speaking to their hearts in answer unto prayers 4 Because they must go forth and labour in dependence on and expectation of him to be with them to help and assist them to blesse and prosper them to crown and succeed their endeavours and to provide for them Now how can they do so unlesse they know that God hath sent and imployed them in his work 5 They must go forth and labour in hope and expectation of divine acceptance also For God hath promised to accept the commanded work and service of his people in obedience to his holy will Therefore they must know that they are doing of or about to do their Lords work when and where he would have them 6 Because they are promised a reward and they ought to believe and look for it onely in the way of their duty and no where else And how can any expect a reward for doing that which for ought they know is not their duty at such a time in such a place in such a way 7 Because they ought to blesse thank and praise God for imploying them in his so great work and service 1 Tim. 1.12 which they cannot do unlesse they are sufficiently satisfied of the Lords calling them to it Tenthly As they should be satisfied in their own Souls of the Lords calling and sending them into his Vineyard so the Church to which they are sent should be satisfied of the same likewise and they should find great and real acceptance in each others hearts The Church should own and receive them as sent by and from Jesus Christ unto them to do his work and administer his holy Laws and Ordinances to them and that as great and promised mercies and blessings for their good Their union communion and Spiritual Relation must be founded in Love and strong affections one to another and grounded upon real satisfaction in and cordial acceptance one of an another as married together by Jesus Christ and so make one intire body and Temple These are no light and insignificant matters but very great and weighty matters indeed They put themselves into each others hands and become one anothers in the Lord in which state and condition they must abide and live together until the Lord shall separate them by some extraordinary providence For till then they cannot part one from another nor leave each other no not with mutual consents at their own will and pleasure because they were joyned together by the will of God as the chief and principal doer of it and therefore no lower will and power can dissolve the knot then that which at first did knit it These Ministers must go and take up with the Church as sent to them by Jesus Christ and the Church must own and receive them as Christs choice and gracious gift unto them And therefore they should be fully satisfied in each other and find deep real Love cordial acceptance and room in one anothers hearts resolving to live walk and continue together in Love and Faithfulness and in the constant practice of all duties to God and one another before they do unite and engage together in a Church-Relation For if they do not become one Holy Church and Communion upon the account of Jesus Christ his joyning them or calling them to own accept and chuse one another in that Relation If they be not congregated and united together by and upon the principle of Gospel-Love and Affection and if they enter not into and continue in that state and Relation Union and Communion together in pursuance of the will and call of Christ and in obedience to his command they are never likely to continue long together in peace and comfort to have God dwell in and walk with them or to thrive and prosper They may be able to make a comfortable Judgment of the Lords calling and joyning them together in love and mercy thus or by these things First if the Glory of the Lord Jesus their own Spiritual profit and edification lay deep in their hearts and are their great and only ends in their uniting and joyning together 2. If they have unfainedly and importunately asked counsel and conduct of God committed the whole to his choice and disposal to make up or hinder the match between them as he pleased and did indeed resign up their wills and concernments wholly unto his Wisdome and Sovereign pleasure to order and determine them and for them as he should think fit in order to the said ends and in their Prayers together and apart have stood in an even ballance waiting and expecting what the Lord would say and do in the case to and for them 3. And if after they have so done they find their hearts more and more enclined and knit one to another though still with a free and holy submission to the Will of God and they find providence working for them without by removeing obstructions and making the way plain for them I think they may comfortably conclude that God hath sent and called them to joyn themselves together and become a holy Temple in the Lord. For when all these things do concurr and fall in as it were together undoubtedly it is of God and by his special ordering and direction It was God that set up those holy ends and designs in their hearts It was God that stirred up and moved
A GOSPEL-CHURCH OR GOD'S Holy TEMPLE OPENED Wherein is shewed from the Scriptures 1. What a Gospel-Church is 2. That such a Church is of Divine Institution 3. With what Materials such a Church should be formed 4. The Form of such a Church and how it should be built 5. The several Officers and Offices in the said Church and their respective Works and Dutys there 6. The Duties of Church-Members to their Officers 7. Their Duties to one another 8. Their Church-Priviledges and several other matters and concernments which may not here be mentioned but may be found in the Epistle all intended for the spiritual profit of Church-Members By Stephen Ford Preacher of the Gospel in London These things I write unto thee that thou may'st know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the House of God 1 Tim. 3 14 15. Blessed are they that dwell in thy House they will be still praising thee They go from strength to strength every one appearing before God in Zion Psal 84.4.7 London Printed in the Year 1675. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY To my entirely beloved the Elders Deacons and to the rest of the Church of Christ over whom the Holy Ghost hath made me an Overseer Friends I Am yours and I hope you are Christ's 1 Cor. 3.22 23. You are exceeding dear to me and ly deep in my heart 1 Thes 2.8 Phil. 1.7 and you are my joy and crown of rejoycing especially some of you 1 Thes 2.19 20. Phil. 4.1 Your welfare and happiness is mine your thriving and growing in Grace and in the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 is mine and your standing fast in the Lord and bearing much fruit is my comfort 1. Thes 3.7 8 9. your Tryals and Afflictions are mine and your witherings and languishings are my great afflictions and sorrows 2 Cor. 11.29 Rom. 12.15 whatever some of you may think or say of me yet I can boldly say if I know any thing of my heart that God is my Record how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.8 how thoughtful and studious I am to serve you and to promote your present and eternal Blessedness and that by all the wayes and means I can And if I am not succesful in my designs and endeavours it is my burden and I cannot help it I know that Ministers may and ought to plant and water but 't is God that giveth the increase 1 Cor. 3.7 I know that I am weak and I know also that the happy success of good mens labours lies not in or proceeds not from their Abilities but from the Power of God and his Spirit working with and by them or else even a great Prophet Isaiah may say I have laboured in vain Isa 49.4 yet I say my Conscience is my witness that it is my desire aim and endeavour to be faithful to Christ and you and to give all diligence to my work and your service to Preach the word in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.2 to feed you with the Bread of sound Doctrine and to give to every one their portion of meat in due season I know and believe that the all-seeing-eye of my great Lord and Master is still on me and that I must shortly give unto him an account of my Stewardship Luk. 16.2 how I have performed my work and discharged my Trust to you and therefore I dare not but endeavour to be faithful in my Duty to Him and You. Should any of you suffer loss by any neglect or unfaithfulness of mine the sight and conviction of it would exceedingly afflict me for I do greatly love you I would be eminently Instrumental in nursing educating and building you up in Christ in knowledge faith love peace joy holiness and spiritual consolation unto eternal life and am really afflicted that I can do no more towards the attainment of it and that I am no more successful in what I do I hope you have some clear proofs and evidences of what I have said of my self and endeavours from my practises among you For what other ends can I have in all my labours and spendings but to serve Christ and your Souls especially in and by those that are extraordinary what should I aim at and design in the Monthly Lecture to and with you onely in my Lords dayes fortnights Lecture and in writing this and some other books but your good you know that I have spent my strength in a more than ordinary manner to convince regenerate and educate your Families your Children Servants and other Relations of yours For as I have told you It was for their sakes that I set it up and have continued it many years but how you have esteemed and encouraged it and how your Relations have improved it I leave to all your Consciences to judge But however I have given you a sufficient proof of my love to you and care of them by spending my strength and spirits with and for their good and all unprejudiced persons cannot but acknowledge it I could have sit down as others do with Preachi g to you twice every Lords day and one Lecture in the week-days had I not seen a necessity of doing more and had not my cordial Love to your Souls constrained me to the taking of extraordinary pains with you and for you My ends and designs in the said Monthly Lecture were 1 To acquaint you with and convince you of your duties in the Church and that every one of you might know how to behave your selves in the house of God 1 Tim. 3.15 and what duties were or are incumbent on you there 2 To acquaint you with your Church-priviledges and spiritual advantages that you might value and esteem them own and imbrace them improve and walk worthy of them and that you might be thankful for them 3 That you might know on what bottom you stand in your Church-state and that you might stand there unmovably 4 That you might know your miscarriages in your Church-state and Relation and be humbled for and repent of them in Dust and Ashes 5 That you might know the Evils and Temptations you are lyable to in a Church-state and that you might watch against and avoid them 6 That you might be enabled to answer Gain-sayers and refell their objections 7 That you might look for and expect all the promised good in your Church-state and endeavour the obtainment of it 8 To quicken and provoke you to move and perswade you to all possible diligence care and faithfulness to and in your own Jesus Christ's and one anothers concerns in your Church-state That you might be pleasing to God and profitable to your own and each others Souls in the Ordinances of Christ and in your Vnion and Communion one with another These were some of my ends in setting up that Lecture and which I have with some measure of sincerity of heart carried on though under no small discouragements from within and without And in
pursuance of these and other holy ends I have written some of the matters that I preached to you and have made them ready for your eyes to read and behold them your judgements and understandings to judge of them and for your hearts to receive and embrace them and that upon your desire I have done it as you know They are your matters and therefore to you I do dedicate and commend them because I love you and if you give me encouragement I could willingly spend and be spent for you 2 Cor. 12.15 Brethren I grudge not at any pains and endeavours cares and labours I have taken and expended on you or yours for I think that all that I can do for you is too little I do heartily wish I could be more serviceable and profitable to you and the more you shall encourage and strengthen my hands to serve you the better I shall do it I have taken pains to write this Book or to compose and set forth the matters contained in it as well as I could had I been able I should have done it better But however it be done be you sure that the matters discoursed of are of great weight and moment to you You will find but little in it of man human frailties excepted but therefore I hope you will find the more of God and Gospel-Truth there For the Truths of God shine forth more gloriously when they appear in their naked native beauty and simplicity than when they come to us cloathed with humane Eloquence and with the Rhetorical flourishes of mens wits They are such glorious things in their own nature as that they are never more powerful on and acceptable to holy gracious hearts than when they are represented to them pure clear and entire in their own words and language stript of humane Ornaments and Garnishes My design was not to commend my self but the real the holy and acceptable will of God not to shew you what any men think or judge of these matters but to shew you what the Holy Ghost thinks and speaks of them I expect severe censures from others because far better mens works do usually meet with them but I hope to meet with none from you for love will cover a multitude of weaknesses in those whose aim end and design is good in any good work and you cannot but judge that mine was good in this good undertaking You put me on the work and I hope you will find nothing but Truth and plainness in it and cover my infirmities with a mantle of charity judge that I have performed it as well as I could for Christ's my own and your sakes and conclude that I have not wilfully knowingly or carelesly failed in any part of it Now it is prepared for you and brought to you by a hand of love I hope you will take the pains to read and mind it to understand and practise the duties contained in it and although the form of it as made by me may not have your esteem and consideration yet do not fail to give the matter of it it 's due Respects and acknowledgment let your Head and King his Truths and wayes have their dues from you as also your own Souls and you will greatly gratifie the Authour who is your real friend In this Book I have shewed you in several Chapters 1 What an instituted Gospel-Church is 2 That particular Congregational Churches are of Divine Institution 3 Of what materials they should be constituted and formed 4 What is the form of such Churches or how fit materials should be joyned together and made a formal house 5 The several Officers of a Church with their calls qualifications works and duties 6 The duties of Church-members to their Officers 7 Their duties to one another 8 Their Church-priviledges and advantages 9 I have shewed that all Believers are indispensibly bound to joyn themselves to some Gospel-Church if they can 10 What the Ordinances are that God hath given to his Churches 11 How all Church members ought to walk towards God and men and what Evils and Temptations they are subject to or in danger of 12 I have spoken somthing of the Lords Supper and of many other things and matters of great moment as you will find in your reading of the Book throughout As that Church-members ought not to break off from the Churches to which they are joyned but in extraordinary cases I have not yet done but shall present a few Requests to you for my self my God and your own Souls and which I hope you will not deny me but freely grant me because you will find them very reasonable Requests and such as do nearly concern you and your God as well as my self 1. I do earnestly entreat and beseech you for the Lord Jesus Christ his sake and for the love of the Spirit to do all you can and are bound in duty to do to encourage me in my work strengthen my hands under my weights and burdens and help me to run my Race and finish my course with joy 1 Cor. 9. Act. 20.24 and avoid whatever may justly discourage tempt and provoke me or that may weaken my hands grieve and sadden my heart unfit indispose me for in my work duty with you For if you do not avoid it you will tempt and provoke me to sin and hinder me in my work and duty And my sin will be your sin my loss your loss and my sorrow will be your sorrow at long run I can appeal to God that I seek desire and endeavour to do you good in whatever I do or propound to have done for or among you and therefore when you neglect to come to the worship of God and keep your place and when you neglect to set forward any good work in the Church for the honour of Christ and the profit of the whole you do discourage me and tempt me to sin and the like you may do many other wayes which for brevity sake I shall not mention Only this one namely by your non-proficiency under the means of grace which will be my great Affliction because I dearly love you Your serious conscientious and constant attendance on the administration of the Ordinances of Christ with me your growing in grace and profiting by them your readiness to help and assist me in promoting and carrying on of good works in the Church and standing by me in the Lord's work will exceedingly comfort encourage me in my Ministerial work And pray consider if it be not your duty and the will of God you should so do Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as that they may do it with joy and not with grief why why says he that is unprofitable for you Oh! give me your helping hand and do not load and burden my work but endeavour to make my work easie and my life comfortable to the utmost of your
much is given much is required and expected and you know how to apply it to your selves 8 Consider what you shall be hereafter and what is now preparing for you in Heaven You have your Race to run and you have a great prize to win 1 Cor. 9. You have a Wilderenss to go thorow and a Heavenly Canaan to possess You are now to fight the good Fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 and you shall be Crowned in the end 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Now you are to Sow in Tears that you may Reap in Joy and now you are to sow and gather Fruit unto Eternal Life Joh. 4.36 and hereafter you shall Reap Life everlasting Gal. 6.8 Your Head and King is gone to Heaven to take possession for you and make ready Mansions of Glory for your Reception and Entertainment Joh. 14.2 3. He will not fail to come again in glorious State and Triumph to fetch you home unto himself and to present you spotless and glorious before his Father with exceeding joy Because he lives namely at his Fathers right hand in eternal glory you shall live there also and you shall be ever with the Lord Joh. 14.3 19. Math. 25.32 33 34. 1 Thes 4.16 17. Eph. 5. Jude 24. You are now of the Church Militant shortly you shall be of and with the Church Triumphant You are intitled to an Eternal Inheritance and shortly you shall be put into the peaceable and joyful possession of it as soon as you are of full Age. Your Names are now enroled among the general Assembly of Believers and Church of the First-born written in Heaven Heb. 12.23 But it will not be long e're you shall be taken in among that Heavenly and Glorious Society where you shall see and know as you are known 1 Cor. 13. 1 Joh. 3. Oh that you would now apply these things unto your selves and rejoyce in the faith and hope of them 1 Pet. 1.8 Oh that you would be looking for and hastening to that blessed Hope and glorious Appearance of your great God and Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2.13 2 Pet. 3.12 Oh that you would be stedfast and unmovable and always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. ult Now is your working-time hereafter you shall have a rewarding and resting time The one is very short the other Eternal Oh consider how fast your glass is running out and how near you may be at your Journeys end how gray hairs are coming on you and what a great change Death will shortly make among you The Lord Jesus is at work for you in Heaven and you lye deep in his heart and dearest Affections He will send you many Love-Letters by the holy Spirit that shall ravish and greatly rejoyce your hearts if you carry your selves dutifully to and walk pleasantly before him He will open the richest Treasures of his Love and Grace unto you and cause his fountain of pleasures to flow in upon your Souls and after a little while he will instate you into and give you an Eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Oh that I might so run as to obtain so Preach Walk and Minister unto you as to make you fat and flourishing in the House of God and approve my self a faithful Steward of the mysteries of God to you Oh that you who are Ruling Elders and Deacons and are honoured with noble Works and Offices in his House would carefully diligently faithfully and profitably mind your work and do your duty there and that all the Members would mind and practise their works and duties also O what a happy and renowned Church would you then be and what peace you might obtain to your selves thereby Oh! what advantages and opportunities have you all to honour Christ convince the World profit your own Souls and be useful to one another which I do once more entreat you to consider and lay to heart and so walk as to obtain the ends of your Church-state and priviledges And in order thereunto pray read this Book over and over again and that with a single eye and unprejudicate minds Read and ponder welâ— what you read Read and pray for a Blessing from Heaven on your hearts and Read that you may know and practise your Duties therein held forth not that you may find matters to cavil at and except against Receive and use this Book as a Pledge and Testimony of my true and unfeigned Love Respects to you an evidence of my Cordial desires and intentions to promote the everlasting welfare of your Souls Brethren I call Heaven and Earth to witness That in all my ministrations to you in all my writings and doings for and with you I do heartily earnestly and unfainedly seek and design your present and eternal Good your Peace and Vnity your Comfort and Holiness your Growth and Stability in the Grace and Truths of Christ and that you may be a Glorious Temple of God and a Church of Renown for Fruitfulness and Spirituality for Peace Concord and true Holiness Oh! how do I desire it and long to see it And know that what is wanting in my Ability to do you Service shall be made up in Diligence Love and Faithfulness while I live And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all them that are Sanctified And shall remain for ever Yours in the Lord Jesus to Love and Serve to his power S. F. ERRATA Candid Reader Thou wilt find many faults committed by the Press which I do entreat thy Wisdom to Correct and thy Charity to pardon seeing they are not the Authors The chief are these PAge 17. line 2. read suffragia p. 20. l. 19. f. either r. other p. 29. l. 34. f. now r. own p. 41. l. 17. r. rooted p. 44. l. 9. f. that r. yet p. 45. l. 5. f. if r. that p. 63. l. 12. put out with p. 64. r. Chapt. 4. p. 88. l. 35. r. gravity p. 121. l. 18. r. and p. 124. l. 34. f. them r. you p. 145. l. 31. r. back-bite p. 150. l. 32. after in r. and p. 177. l 8. r. have p. 201. l. 1. r. handed p. 226. put cause out of l. 7. and r. it in l. 9. p. 236. l. 14. f. in r. about before to r. is p. 238. l. 6. f. and r. as p. 243. l. 2. r. and p. 249. l. 7. r. careless p. 258. l. 1. r. and p. 270. l. 1. f. to r. for p. 271. l. 35. f. but r. for p. 308. l. 10. f. of r. and p. 310. l. 11. after and put in that p. 314. l. 23. r. the l. 35. f. continued r. confirmed p. 315. l. 19. r. to p. 320. l. 9. r. smell A GOSPEL-CHVRCH OR GOD'S Holy Temple A brief Discourse of A New-Testament CHURCH from Ephes 2.19 20 21 22. Now therefore ye are
his Spirit prepare and fit men for this state build them up and stamp his own and his Father's name upon them but also he dwells in them and makes them his walks palaces and places of his delight Here says he will I dwell for I have desired it Psal 135.14 yea these Churches are his chosen and most pleasant habitations Psal 132.13 where he rests and reposes himself v 14. and that for ever not to look on or visit them now and then but to rest himself and dwell there for ever not for a few days but for ever And in Rev. 2.1 the Lord Jesus tells the Church at Ephesus that he walked in the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks which were the seven distinct particular and congregational Churches Rev. 1.20 and in the 2 Cor. 9.16 says he I will dwell in them and walk in them that is in the particular Church at Corinth Now particular congregational Churches are of God or Men but they cannot be of mens devising and setting up because God owns them and confirms them with his presence desires and chuses them for his Rest and dwells in them continually with delight and complacency and therefore they must be of God for the great and holy God will not own the devices of men in and about his name and worship but abhorrs and loaths them condemns and rejects them as filthy and abominable things Lev. 10.2 Sam. 6. and much less will he delight and rest in them Thirdly That particular congregational-Churches of Believers are of divine Institution is further evinced and confirmed by the constant and universal practice of Believers in the Apostles daies for no sooner were any Jews or Gentiles converted to Christ but assoon as they had opportunity they joyned to or congregated into Churches So Acts 2.41 42. it is said that they were daily added to the Church vers 47. and Acts 5.14 This is evident in the places where the Apostles preached amongst the Jews and Gentiles and the Gospel was received that assoon as a number were converted they congregated as being the first work they were to do after they had received Christ Jesus the Lord. Col. 2.6 and ever after they were called Churches of Christ and Temples of God a multitude of them you read of in the Acts Epistles of Paul and in the Revelation And what they did therein was by the doctrine and advice of the Apostles and according to what they taught them from and in the name of Christ 1 Cor. 11.23 2 Pet. 1. ult Now what they did and practised by Apostolical direction and with the approbation of Jesus Christ hath the binding force and power of a divine precept 1 Cor. 11.1 Heb. 6.12 It was the universal practice of the primitive Saints to joyn themselves to some Church of Christ insomuch that we can hardly find any one of them continuing out of a Church-state any time after their conversion We seldome read in divine histories of any believers but what had relation to one Church or other planted and watered by the Apostles or Evangelists 1 Cor. 3.6 By which said universal practice we may conclude that particular Churches of Believers are of Gods owne Institution For the Saints of God durst not do then as many dare do now namely to live in the willful neglect of so great a Duty and priviledg the love and fear of God and the will of Christ easily perswaded them to give up themselves unto Christ in universal obedience unto his whole revealed will And they could not congregate and joyn into Churches nor abide and worship God in them in faith and obedience unless they had known that what they did therein was the will of Christ and their duty Fourthly This Truth is further confirmed by the Laws Rules and Orders that Jesus Christ hath given to his Churches as Churches and not as to individual and single Believers Almost all the Epistles of Paul are written for and directed to Believers as inchurched and incorporated into bodies and distinct congregations and he directs his Epistles to them under the stile and Title of Churches To the Church of God which is at Corinth 1 Cor. 1.2 and To the Church of the Thessalonians 1 Thes 1.1 In which Epistles are all the Laws Rules and Orders for all the members of the Churches walking and practice contained which shall be afterwards opened when I come to speak of the duties of Churches and the Epistles of Paul to Timothy are written and sent to him to direct him how to behave himself in the House of God and to shew him what his work and duty was in the Church 1 Tim. 3 14 15. So other Epistles are given to the Churches that they might know how to behave themselves in that state and Relation There are Rules and Laws for their faith and Love and orders for their walkings and practices There they are Instructed and taught how to carry themselves towards God the Father and Jesus Christ their Head and Ruler towards their Pastors and Teachers and towards one another as fellow-Members There they have laid down their particular works and duties towards God and Men and shewed how they should perform them as also motives and encouragements to move and quicken them to diligence and faithfulness in the practice of them And although all sorts of duties are there laid down and commanded namely such as respect other Relations and Capacities as of husband and wife parents and children c. yet the chief and great end matter and scope of them are intended for them as Believers in a Church-state and Relation as will further appear when I come to speak of the special and particular duties of Church Members as such Now then if God hath given his Laws Rules and Orders unto Churches or to Believers as in a Church state and condition for their holy and regular walking towards God and one another as in that relation then undoubtedly particular congregated Churches of Believers are of God and of divine Institution For surely the holy and jealous God would never so far own and priviledge the devices and Institutions of men in matters that so nearly concern his worship and Glory as to dignify them with his holy Laws and Ordinances as he hath done to his own Churches that are of his own Institution and appointment Fifthly This Truth is further ratifyed and confirmed by the Officers he hath given to them for their well-being ordering and managing of Church-affairs and concernments in his name for his glory and their profit These Officers are specified and enumerated in Eph. 4.11 1 Cor. 12.28 Phil. 1.1 1 Tim. 3.1 Tim. 5.17 and elsewhere as in Acts 20.17 c. And they are not given by men but God authorized impowred by him to act and officiate as such in the Church 1 Cor. 12.28 God hath set them in his Church And Acts 20.28 says Paul to the Elders of the Church at Ephesus Take heed to your selves and to the
found fault withal for their being inchurched and incorporated into distinct congregations but they are often Commended for it Act. 2. Col. 2.5 For men to set up Churches Temples and Houses to be the seats and subjects of Gods Ordinances and Worship and then to entile the name Authority of Jesus Christ to them had been a most high and presumptuous wickedness indeed and such as he would never have wincked at but abhorred and rejected them as mens works Therefore particular congregated Churches of Believers are of God for if they had not he would undoubted have severely reproved them for their so walking Tenthly These congregational Churches must needs be of God because without such the worship and ordinances of God cannot regularly orderly be observed and performed by men in a solemn fixed and publique stated way and manner neither can the pastors overseers of them rightly and comfortably perform their work and administer the ordinances of Christ to men For all that are priviledged with Christ his Institutes and profess to own him for their Lord and Saviour ought to live under his Government and discipline and to subject themselves to all the orders and Appointments of Christ and to own and give up themselves to the guidance and Rule of such as he hath set over them and their Teachers and Elders are to take care of watch over and duely administer to such as Christ hath committed to their care inspection and charge Now how can they do it unless they are fixed formed and known Churches or Congregations unless they have mutually chosen each either to walk together in their several places and capacities as a stated Church or Family of God How can they be overseers of Churches and take care of them as such as Christ commands them Act. 20.17 28. unless they are first Churches and declare themselves to be such unto their Guides that they may take the care and charge of and administer to them as Churches of Christ If their officers are stated fixed officers to them then they must be stated fixed Churches to their officers How else shall they know who are their flocks their care and charge and who are not who they are bound to over-see and minister too as their own peculiar flocks what they are to do give or receive to or from them or how to discharge their ministerial work unto them and give an account of them unto their Lord and Master unless they are incorporated Societys who have engaged to walk together as Churches in all Christs-Ordinances and chosen them to administer to them in the name of Christ and by his Authority And how can they administer Church-Ordinances unto them as Church-Officers unless they are and they own and approve of them as the Churches of Christ and believe that they are set there by Christ as Church-Officers to officiate for him as such to his Churches as Churches what Authority can they claim over them unless with their own mutual consent they acknowledge and own each other as Churches and Officers of Christ to and in them How can they administer the Lords Supper to them authoritatively require their attendance on their administrations and reprove their neglects and how can their Teachers preach to them with all Authority How can they watch over and feed them and expect their Love Duty and Subjection and how can they exercise the power of the Keys and administer censures to and amongst them unless they are related to one another as Officers and Churches Ministers are charged to take care of their own flocks Act. 20.17 28. and to behave themselves so and so in the House of God committed to their Trust 1 Tim. 3.5 15. and such are pronounced Blessed Mat. 24 25 26 27. Who then says Christ is a Faithful and Wise Steward or Servant whom his Lord hath made Ruler over his Houshold to give them meat in due Season Blessed is that Servant c. These are some of the many Reasons and demonstrations that might be given to shew that particular congregated Churches of Believers are of God and not of men I might have added as many more to evince and confirm it but these may be sufficient to satisfy the Faith and Consciences of and encourage Believers in their walking in Church fellowship or congregating into distinct Churches and particular Societies CHAP. III. Of the matter of a Gospel-Church or the materials of Gods Holy Temple 4. QUestion What are the Materials of a House of God or how should persons be qualified for Church-fellowship or who ought to be Church-Members Ans Onely regenerate and converted Persons such as are married to and have put on Christ such as are savingly and powerfully enlightned and enlivened quickened and convinced of Sin Righteousnesse and Judgment Joh. 16.8 9. 2 Cor. 5.5 Eph. 2.1 5. Such as have choven Christ for their Lord and Saviour and resigned and made over themselves to Christ received him upon his own Terms Col. 2.6 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Such onely as are reconciled unto and are in favour with God as are justifyed by Faith sanctified by the Spirit and set a part for Holyness and unto Living to God and no more unto themselves Such as are the beloved of God called effectually to be Saints and have really and sincerely taken upon them the Yoke of Christ Jesus I say such persons and only such doth Jesus Christ account meet to be partakers of this priviledge and dignity Col. 1.12 and to make Heavenly Places Eph. 1.3 although men do not certainly know them to be such and by reason of their darknesse and fallable Judgments they may receive and admit others into Churches and unto their priviledges and immunities yet in truth they have no right unto them and ought not to be there For these Spiritual-Holy things are for and only for Spiritual and Holy Men Heavenly places are for Heavenly Persons and Spiritual works for Spiritual Men. Now the Churches of Christ are the only Holy Spiritual and Heavenly places and the Seats and Subjects of Holy and Heavenly things Christ prepares men by his Grace Word and Spirit to make them fit and meet materials and then he calls them to joyn together and become a Spiritual House for his Delight Service and Glory 1 Pet. 2.5 And therefore such and only such persons ought to be Members of a Church of Christ as will appear by these following particulars 1. Because God threatens and often declares his detestation and abhorrence of others being there and manifests his Indignation against them As to the man that came to the supper without the Wedding Garment Matth. 22.11 12 13. Then said the King to his Servants bind him hand and foot and cast him into outer Darknesse Isa 33.14 The Sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulness hath surprized the Hypocrites who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting Burnings And the five foolish Virgins Mat. 25. and the
hope I may affirm and assert without reflection on or offence to such as are otherwise minded if any such there be that fear God Believers being thus built and formed together are now become a holy Temple of God and are accordingly owned by him as such and now they are the seat and subject of all the Laws and Ordinances power and Authority that Jesus Christ hath given to and for his Churches use and benefit I mean they or this Church so formed and built have all these essentially though not formally until Christ set one or more teaching Elders in it for the orderly using and managing of that his power and Authority given to the Church Yet I say I think that it doth essentially reside in them as the first subject of the Keys for I find the keys given unto them for the use and behoof of the Church Matth. 16.18 19. which said power of the Keys cannot be given only to Peter nor unto the universal or Catholick Church that it should use them as such for that is impossible but they were given to particular Churches as formed up of Believers namely to such as could have matters brought to and be received and heard by them from an offended Brother Matth. 18.15 16 17. and such a Church is here meant as had power to deal with a sinning member in case of obstinacy and therefore the Catholick Church as such is nor there intended Now this Church spoken of hath power to elect and call such persons out from amongst themselves to use and exert the power and authority of Jesus Christ already given them and Ministring to them in the Name of the Lord as they judge the Lord Jesus hath fitted qualified for given to and sent amongst them and invested with Authority and abilities for their Good I say they have power to elect and call such to office power over them in the Lord and that they ought with all convenient speed after they are built up to do it because till that be done they cannot orderly and regularly administer or receive the Seals of the Covenant for all cannot exert and exercise that power that doth essentially reside in themselves as a Church neither can any private Member while such and therefore it must be done by Officers or one in Office that is called set apart and wholly dedicated to the work of the Ministry amongst them Therefore they may and ought to look out from among themselves and call to Office such as they judge Christ hath sent them Act. 6.3 Act. 14.23 CHAP. V. Shewing what Officers Christ hath appointed for and given to his Gospel-Churches and what are their Offices and works in a Holy Temple of God 7. QUest What officers hath Jesus Christ given to the Church Answ The Lord Jesus hath by his Sovereign Authority given to his Church Pastors and Teachers Ruling Elders and Deacons All which Officers are invested with different power and entrusted with different works in the Church Now the Teaching-ruling Officers have several names and appellations given them according to the particular parts and branches of their work in the Church As Pastors Teachers Elders Bishops Guides All these names are given to the same Persons and Officers in the Church Sometimes they are called Pastors and Teachers Eph. 4.11 sometimes Elders 1 Tim. 5.17 1 Pet. 5.1 sometimes Bishops or Overseers Act. 20.28 sometimes Guides Heb. 13.7 17. and they are of the same sort order and degree their work office and power the same for although they have different names in sound yet not of work power and Authority in the Church The persons are the same their office power and authority the same and their work the same The Scripture doth no where give one ordinary teaching Officer more power and Authority than another or set one sort of Teaching Elders over another sort nor give them distinct and different work to do in the Church but so as that whatever power or work a Bishop hath in the Church to exercise and do the same hath an Elder or Pastor also Hath a Bishop power and authority to command and Teach so hath an Elder too hath a Bishop I mean one of Christs making the ordering of Church-matters and managing the discipline thereof so hath an Elder also 1 Tim. 5.17 for they are the same Besides Teaching Elders the Lord Jesus hath given and appointed meer ruling Elders to his Church also for the well-being peace and establishment of the Church and to assist and help the Teaching ruling Elders in looking after taking care of the concernments of the Church called Helps 1 Cor. 12.28 and they are expresly called Ruling Elders distinctly from the Teaching ruling Elders 1 Tim 5.17 and Helps Governments in 1 Cor. 12.28 and in Rom. 12.8 it is said he that ruleth let him do it with diligence and distinguisheth them from Treaching Ministring and exhorting Rulers for Teachers have the power of rule and discipline as well as the meer ruling Elders in 7 8. verses And the Apostle speaks not there of different Offices in the same persons though that is a Truth but of different persons and Officers for says he let the Teachers wait on their Teaching Ministring and exhorting that is as it is their great and principal work as indeed it is and therefore to ease them a little of the ruling part of their work and that they may the more fixedly and chearfully attend unto and perform that other part of their work namely to teach and Minister in the Church the Lord Jesus hath appointed some to attend only ordinarily to the work of ruling to keep all in order in the Church and therefore charges them to do it with diligence Rom. 12.8 Besides these the Lord hath given Deacons to his Church also Act. 6. 1 Tim. 3.8 to 14. vers and Phil. 1.1 for another kind of work namely to attend Tables to look after the poor and provide for them to dispose of the Churches distributions and charity for the profit of the whole and relief of the poor of the Church 8. Quest How ought Pastors and Teachers to be qualified or what is required unto their right constitution and officiating in the Church as such Officers Answ First They must be furnished with Ministerial Gifts for their work namely such as Christ promised and ascended up to Heaven to give unto men for the work of the Ministery and which he received of the Father for them even then when he gave all things into his hand Joh. 3.35 which are absolutely necessary for all that take upon them the great work of the Ministry and the care and charge of Souls or to oversee and edifie the Body of Christ These Gifts are spiritual which they receive not from men but from Christ their Lord who sends them as his Stewards into his houshold to give them meat in due season Matth. 24. as his servants into his vineyard to dresse prune and order it to keep and
as they do for their own Souls and that not as Believers only but as their Teachers and spiritual Fathers also Certainly this is one great part of their work and business and therefore they may not neglect it but are bound to be diligent in it in secret and in publick when present with them they must bless them and the word and seals ministerially and that by virtue of their place office and power in the Church 1 Cor. 10.16 Numb 6.23 24 25 26. Thus blessed Paul was much in the practice of namely in presenting the Churches cases to God and wrestling with God for them Phil. 1.9 Col. 1.9 2 Thes 1.11 Wherefore we pray alwayes for you So Col. 1.3 1 Thes 3.10 Seventhly Resolve doubts and cases that trouble any of the Members of the Church when they are presented to them if they are matters worthy consideration They must study cases of Conscience and such doubts and scruples as may arise in the hearts or heads of their people that they may be ready to apply some satisfying Medicine unto them They are to study persons and their cases and maladies as well as the Scriptures for they must alwayes be able to apply and rightly to use a word in season to weary troubled burthened Souls as well as to Preach publickly and promiscuously to all from a studied composed subject This work of Teachers in the Church is no light ordinary matter it will shew what they are and try their learning and abilities for their work more than any thing else It is a special gift of God and an evidence of an able spiritual Physician indeed who can find out spiritual Diseases of mens Souls and readily apply proper Remedies to them that can rightly speak a word in season to him that is weary Esa 50.4 and comfort the feeble-minded 1 Thes 5.14 The Lord Jesus and Paul were much exercised and imployed in this work and so should Teachers now as occasion is offered For the Priests lips should preserve knowledge and the people should seek the Law at their mouths Mal. 2.7 They are given to the Churches to be their spiritual Nurses and Physicians for the cure and health of their Souls and therefore they must administer Physick and Cordials unto sick and pained Souls in private as well as in publick Eighthly That they may discharge their Ministerial work as becomes the Ministers of Christ They must exercise themselves in reading and studying They must give themselves to reading and studying the Scriptures the works and providences of God as also their own experiences and they must read search and endeavour all they can to know the states cases conditions and wants of their own particular flocks that they may make full proof of their Ministry 2 Tim. 4.5 Divide the word of Truth aright 2 Tim. 2.15 Speak words in season to all sorts especially to weary and burthened Souls Esa 50.4 And that they may both save themselves and those that hear them 1 Tim. 4.16 Ministers of the Gospel must be continually lying in as well as lying out they must furnish themselves with Grace Truth and Experiences that they may Communicate unto others out of the good Treasure of their hearts Their hearts heads and lips must be filled with varieties of Divine and Heavenly matters that they may freely and readily impart of their receivings to every ones needs Mal. 2.7 Their Lord and Master charges them to give attendance to reading 1 Tim. 4.13 To Meditation 1 Tim. 4.15 And to study 2 Tim. 2.15 They must search the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 Hold fast the form of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 And inspect their people Pro. 27.23 2 Tim. 4.5 Acts 20.28 They must not look for immediate Inspirations nor to be furnished with all needful supplyes from Heaven for the discharge of their office and Ministerial work in the Churches of Christ by the spirit but in and by their diligent use of Gods means God that appoints and promises the end appoints and directs us to and in the use of the means leading to the obtainment of that end The end directed to in and by the said means is the supply of Grace Gifts and all necessary and profitable ministerial abilities for such as Christ puts into the work and office of teaching and ruling in his Churches Therefore they may not divert to or take up with any other Imployments that may any way impede or hinder them in or of the aforesaid duties But in case of necessity Ob. But did not Paul work with his hands and labour in other businesses and exercise himself in worldly and secular matters after he was engaged in the work of the Ministry And if so why may not other men do the same as well as he 1. You saw before what ordinary Elders ought to do and are bound to attend unto in their places and offices namely to give themselves wholly to the work of the Ministry which they had received in the Lord Col. 4.17 That they fulfill it that they attend to Study Reading Meditation Exhortation Doctrine 1 Tim. 4.13 15. 2 Tim. 2.15 2 Tim. 4.5 And that they wait on the Altar 1 Cor. 9.13 2. Examples must not be taken and advanced against precepts Paul was an extraordinary Officer or Minister his work and power was every where where the Lord called him to Preach he was not a particular fixed Elder or Pastour to one single Church neither was he bound or necessitated to attend to reading studying c. as ordinary Ministers are Moreover Paul and other Apostles had their office power their abilities and furnitures for their work immediately from Christ in an extraordinary way and manner which ordinary officers now have not 3. Paul laboured not with his hands or neglected his Ministerial work but when necessitated thereunto and the Apostles at Jerusalem Act. 6. tells us That it was unreasonable that they should leave the word of God and serve Tables 4. Ordinary Pastours or Elders of Churches do find that their so attending to their work in their Studies as commanded absolutely necessary for the discharge and well performance of the work their Lord hath given them to do and experience shews beyond all contradiction that the most studious holy Ministers are the most powerful and profitable in their Ministry 5. The great and rich provisions that God hath made for them in their faithful attendance to their work in the Churches fully proves and declares what they should do and attend unto God hath commanded their Hearers to provide carnal things for them yea to Communicate to them in all good things that they may attend on their work and wait at the Altar without distraction Gal. 6.6 1 Cor. 9.6.15 Rom. 15.27 Ninthly They must be eminently holy and righteous in all manner of Conversation They are Lights and therefore they must shine as such in the World They are the Salt of the Earth and therefore they must be of savory Spirits and practices Matth. 5.13
14 15 16. Ministers of the Gospel are given for and commanded to be examples to their Flocks 1 Tim. 4.12 1 Pet. 5.3 They are indispensibly bound to imitate their Master and to teach lead and conduct them in holiness to Heaven as well by their walkings and Conversations as by their Ministry that they may safely and comfortably follow them Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 1 Cor. 4.16 2 Thes 3.7 Surely such as Christ hath set in his Churches to feed nourish comfort strengthen instruct and build up his people to conduct lead and guide them in the way of Gospel-holiness to everlasting happiness should be singular in practical Godliness themselves They should be singular in knowledge faith patience self-denyal Goodness meekness charity humility tenden-heartedness faithfulness and usefulness in the World They ought to live out their own Doctrine and confirm it by conforming their carriages words and actions thereunto They must be clear of all Vices and eminent in all Vertues that they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things and encourage men to follow their steps For they are not set in the Churches only to teach and verbally to Minister to them but to be Patterns of Piety also Tit. 2.7 They must carry themselves gravely soberly wisely seriously and holily towards and before all men that those who seek occasion against them may find none but on the contrary they may be convinced of and report that God his fear love faith and spirit is in them of a Truth 1 Cor. 14.25 And as they must seriously mind and practice the matter of their work and duty or what they are to do and set in the Churches for so they must carefully mind the manner of it too 1 In all their Ministrations and Walkings they must regard and have their eye on their Lords will and appointment Teaching them to observe what ever I command you Math. 28. ult They must not impose their own Wills and Dictates and thereby make themselves Lords over God's Heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 They are the Servants and Stewards of Christ not to make Laws for and impose them on his Houshold but to acquaint them with their Master's Laws exhort and perswade them to keep and observe them as he commands and to execute them on Offenders 2 They must be diligent and constant in their Work They must not be Loyterers but Labourers be examples to their Flocks by shewing all diligence and faithfulness in their work Act. 18.25 1 Tim. 5.17 Prov. 27.23 3 They should attend too and perform their work readily willingly and chearfully not grudgingly 1 Pet. 5.1 2. 1 Cor. 9.17 They must be apt to Teach â— Tim. 3.2 and willing to Communicate If all Believers should so perform all their works much more should Ministers They should account their Ministerial work their priviledge not their burden and carry themselves accordingly in it 4 They must alwayes have in their eye the ends of their work and office and prosecute intend and design them with all Gospel sincerity They must not take their office on them nor do their work for filthy Lucre 1 Tim. 3.8 1 Pet. 5.2 nor to honour and exalt themselves but to honour please and serve Christ their Lord and to profit and edifie his people and that with all possible integrity and uprightness of heart 2 Cor. 2. ult For if these ends be not upper-most in their eyes and hearts in their desires choice aimes and intentions in their Ministrations it is certain they are not called of Christ nor qualified for Church-work and they shall not prosper in it be owned and blessed by him nor profit his people Thus briefly of the work and duty of teaching Elders or Pastors to the Churches over which the Holy Ghost makes them Overseers Now I shall briefly shew you the work and duty of Churches to their Pastors or Elders who faithfully and diligently labour in the word and Doctrine among them CHAP. VI. Wherein the Duties of Church-Members to their Pastours or teaching Elders are clearly opened and declared from Scripture Q. HOw ought Church-Members to behave themselves towards their Pastours or teaching Elders or what are their works and duties towards them Answ It is the will and appointment of the Lord Jesus the King head of his Churches that they should carry and behave themselves towards them in heart and practise as to his Ministers and Embassadors who come to them in his name by his Mission Authority and Commission with his Gifts and Grace upon his Errand and Business as also for their Souls profit They bear his Image wear his Livery do his work and serve his Interests in the Churches And therefore he that slighteth or despiseth them slights and despiseth him and his Father too Luk. 10.16 and he or they that receive them that love honour carry it well to them because they are his sent of him Commissioned and qualified by him to serve and honour him in the Churches they do thereby receive honour and love Christ himself Gal. 4.14 They receive honour and love Jesus Christ in and by receiving honouring and loving them as such and whatever good they do them or whatever respect they shew them as such the Lord Jesus takes it as done to himself Matth. 10. ult Matth. 25. Therefore all Church-members ought to carry and behave themselves well towards them and amongst other things in these particulars 1. They ought to love them I say to love them and that with all cordial tender affection They must not love them as they do other Saints of God only but they must have singular love for and shew special love unto them as Christs Embassadors and their Ministers 1 Thes 5.12 13. And we beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you And to esteem very highly in love for their works sake They must be loved on several accounts 1. As good men and living Members of Christ and so we are to love them as fellow-Brethren as we do other private Members 2. It is the will and appointment of Christ that they be loved as his Embassadors and Commissioners as his Stewards and Officers gifted and sent forth by him about his concerns in his Churches to do his work and business and as representing him by officiating in his Name by his Authority and doing his Message 3. They ought to be loved as your Ministers Guides Feeders and Overseers as sent unto you from Christ and dispensing the bread of life and the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven to you declaring the Counsel of God and administring his holy appointments to you for your present comfort establishment and growth in grace and for your eternal happiness hereafter esteem them very highly in love for their works sake These are some of the Reasons why they should be loved more than any other Believers namely because
they are sent Authorized Graced Gifted and qualified by Christ do his work represent him stand in his stead 2 Cor. 5.20 and as they are his Ministers for good to you Well then mind your duty and the will of Christ in this matter and love them sincerely and heartily strongly and fervently fruitfully and constantly for they love you study pray and labour to do you good And know that if you do not love them you do not love Christ whose they are whom they represent and serve And if you hate slight and despise them you do hate slight and despise Christ himself in them Secondly It is the will and appointment of Christ your duty to honour and respect to reverence and esteem them in their faithful diligent discharge of their Trust and performance of their work amongst you They are the Embassadors and Commissioners of your great Lord and King and sent by him from Heaven to you as was shewed 2 Cor. 5.20 Eph. 4. and that about most high and honourable work yea the highest work and service that Creatures are capable of in this World They come from and are sent to you by the King of Kings from Heaven and therefore they must be honoured They are his Embassadors and Commissioners and therefore you must honour them They are sent and come to you as with his Image of Authority so of Grace Gifts and Holiness and therefore you must honour them They are sent by Christ to you on and for the service of your Souls and therefore you must honour them and they represent Christ and stand in his stead to you and therefore you must honour them They do give up themselves to be your servants and thereby do honour you 2 Cor. 4.5 and they chearfully serve the interest of your Souls as your spiritual servants and therefore you must honour them Christ requires you to esteem them and that is not all but to esteem them highly yea very highly too 1 Thes 5.13 and therefore you must do it Christ will not suffer you to slight or despise them no more than Kings will endure that any should slight or despise their Embassadors If you have low base thoughts of them in your hearts you slight and despise them If you slight and despise their labours and administrations you despise them If you villifie and speak slightingly of them behind their backs and devulge their supposed or real weaknesses you despise them If you carry your selves saucily and imperiously before their face in words deeds or deportments you slight and despise them and if you controul them and disregard their Judgments Censures Admonitions or Reproofs you slight and despise them when you turn a deaf ear to their Counsels Instructions and Exhortations you slight and despise them and when you disregard their power Authority and their exercise thereof in the name of Christ you slight and despise them In these and many other wayes and instances Church-Members do not only neglect their indispensible duty of honouring their Teaching-Elders but they do slight and despise them also And they do not only slight and despise them but as was said the Lord Jesus his Laws Image work and Authority also For he that despiseth you despiseth me says Christ Luk. 10.16 And by these and such like slighting and contemptible words and carriages towards them they do greatly provoke and discourage them they weaken their hands and distract their minds and so hinder them in their work They are honoured by Christ and honourable in his eye and he strictly charges and commands his Churches to esteem them most or very highly and to give them double honour 1 Tim. 5.17 Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and Doctrine Give says the Apostle to every man his due fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Rom. 13.7 It is their due by the Law of Christ and he expects you should give it to them not as they are such or such men but as his Embassadors Ministers c. Thirdly It is the will and appointment of Christ that Churches should pray for their Pastours or Teaching Elders and that in a more than ordinary manner and measure I mean more than they do or are bound to do for others 1 Thes 5.25 Heb. 13.18 Rom. 15.30 you must be earnest and importunate wrestlers with God at the Throne of Grace for them that God would pour out abundance of his holy spirit on them and by his teachings quicknings and anointings make them able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter only but of the spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 That they may open their mouths boldly have the gift of utterance and speak the Truth sincerely clearly impartially and constantly make known the mystery of the Gospel Eph. 6.18 19. Col. 4.3 That they may be kept from Snares and Temptations or be enabled to encounter them and with the Sword of the spirit to overcome and conquer them and that they may be eminent shining lights in the world That they may be able to divide the word aright diligent in and faithful to their Trust That they may be wise zealous and glorious Patterns of Piety all Godliness and be kept unspotted of the world and that they may abound in all grace gifts works of holiness and righteousness That they may Preach powerfully and profitably and in all their wayes words and carriages adorn the Gospel of Christ Tit. 2.10 That they may be found in the faith of the Gospel and hold fast the profession of the faith without wavering Preach sound Doctrine clearly plainly and closely Tit. 2.1 and in all things approving themselves the true Ministers of Christ That God would give them the spirit of Discipline and Government for the order and well being of the Churches and the orderly management of their concerns and that they may in all things walk by their Lords Rules and aim at design and uprightly intend his glory and the profit of his people and all others that hear them There are many reasons inforcing this duty on them to your Pastours I le name a few 1. Because it is the will of God that you should do so as the aforesaid Scriptures shew 2. Because they stand in need of your earnest prayers If the Apostles themselves did stand in need of the Churches prayers much more must ordinary Teachers need them Their work is hard and difficult who is sufficient for it 2 Cor. 2.16 Their discouragements are many and great and their Temptations many strong and powerful They have mysteries to unfold continually and they have stronger Temptations to grapple with all than others have therefore they should have your strongest and most importunate prayers Little do Churches know what they see feel and experience in their work and therefore are apt to imagine that their Teachers have an easie and sweet life of it and stand in little need of their assistance But surely they
are mistaken for there is no work in the world so full of care and trouble as a consciencious Minister is nor any that requires more diligence circumspection watchfulness and faithfulness than his They work and labour in Divine Mysteries and they work for Christ and Souls Their matters lye above the reach of carnal and meer rational understandings above the reaches of humane Arts and Sciences and they are alwayes consulting and conversant about new matters and things Oh what need have they of the Churches prayers 3. Because the Churches profit and Souls benefit is much concerned in their Teachers Administrations For God ordinarily speaks to the Churches hearts through or by their hearts as well as by their mouths The more they have of Christ Grace Truth and the Spirit of Christ the more powerful spiritual and profitable they will be in prayer Preaching and in all other Ministrations unto them Act. 14.1 Fourthly It is the will of Christ and their indispensible duty to know obey and submit themselves to their Teaching Elders or Pastours Authority Teaching Government and to all their regular and orderly Ministrations in the Lord. The Church owes them subjection and obedience and that as they are set over them by Christ and by him made their Teachers and Rulers and sent by him to take the charge and oversight of them and to Administer his holy Ordinances to them in his name for their good Heb. 13.7 17. Remember them that have the Rule over you or are Guides unto you as the words also signifie 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 Without Government and Governours power and Authority Laws and Orders and without subjection and obedience in and of the Members of all sorts of Corporations and Societies of men in the world whether civil or Ecclesiastical they will be but confused Routs and Babels There will be can be nothing but confusion and every evil work as James speaks Chap. 3.16 If they are Rulers and have Authority from the Lord Jesus to appoint order and command as 't is clear they have or they are but shadows or cyphers 2 Thes 3.4 6. 1 Tim. 4.11 Tit. 2. ult then they may yea they ought to appoint order and command as they see occasion for the profit and well being of the Church in pursuance of their work and trust And if so then the Church and all the Members thereof are indispensibly bound to yield all free hearty willing and chearful subjection and obedience to them without grudging quarrelling or irregular gain-saying that is they are to eye the will and authority of Christ in and expressed by them and so to conform to it as it is Christs not theirs They must obey them not as gifted men but as the Embassadours Ministers and Officers of Christ and it is Christ and his will and Authority in them that must be the object of their obedience and subjection The neglect whereof is when through carelesness or wilfulness no less than disobedience too yea Rebellion against the Lord Christ himself Luk. 10.16 17. Col. 3.23 24. Great was the love and care of Christ as the head and King of his Churches in providing Lawes Rules and Orders as also in Authorizing and sending some to execute them for their spiritual good and his glory And therefore when Church-Members do slight neglect disobey and practically despise them they do thereby slight contemn and despise the love care and Authority of Christ and Christ accounts it so although those teaching Rulers are not Apostles but ordinary Officers as Luk. 10.16 17. shews when the Lord Jesus went to Heaven he gave gifts to men viz. Ministers and Ministerial abilities to them for the work of the Ministry for the perfecting of the Saints c. Eph. 4.10 11 12. Then he delegated his Ministerial power to men promised to provide such for his Saints and to furnish them with his own gifts yea to be with them himself unto the end of the world Math. 28.18 19 20. Wherefore then the Churches of Christ should receive submit to and obey them in a sense even as Christ himself as they are Authorized gifted granted and sent by him in and about his message work and service in all their lawful commands and appointments and regular Ministrations in and for the Churches He that receiveth you receiveth me says Christ of the 70. Disciples he sent to Preach Luk. 10.16 Math. 10.40 And Paul commends the Galatians for receiving him as an Angel of God even as Christ himself Gal. 4.14 15. and the same Apostle charges Titus to speak and act in the Church with all Authority charging all the Members also not to despise or slight him for or in his so doing Tit. 2.15 If not to despise or slight him then to honour submit to and obey him as Christs and their Minister Well then do the Elders or Pastours of Churches carefully mind and diligently labour in the Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 then all the Members of Churches are bound to obey them to submit to and wait on their Ministry and not despise them and it by deserting and withdrawing from it in whole or in part But more of this anon 2. Do they appoint meetings or call their Churches to assemble together for the celebration of any Ordinance of God or to consult about the matters and concernments of the Church for their profit and Christs glory they are bound in duty to do so excepting in extraordinary cases that hinder them as they will answer the contrary contempt to Christ at their peril They must not look on their practical conformity to it as an indifferent matter and stay at home or come at their own will and pleasure but actually obey such a call or summons as Christ's not dispute it but obey it not in the pride of their hearts disdain it but readily and chearfully subject to it Obey them that have the rule over you for they watch for your Souls Heb. 13.17 and be sure when they appoint such meetings it is for the Churches advantage 3. Do they appoint or require speech or silence in the Church or any good Orders and Rules to be observed and kept in the name of Christ and by his Authority they are bound to obey them without loading them and obstructing their proceedings with Jangling disputes and oppositions And as in these so in all other matters wherein the honour of Christ the profit of the Church or any Members thereof consists Rulers must see that they command and appoint order and rule wisely and faithfully and keep close to their Commission design and carry on Christ's holy ends in all and as they must rule well so all the Members ruled by them must obey well too And when both do their duties in their places the Lord Christ is
well as they Let your love to them and esteem of them be seen in this as well as in other expressions of them For it is your duty so to do as it is your duty to forbear whatever may discourage them and do all you can to encourage and forward them in their work But be sure that your visits be not in vain but to spiritual profit And that they are indeed the fruits of your cordial love to and esteem of them or else they are no better than painted Images and whited Sepulchres and you will appear to be no better than Ezekiels hearers were to him who with their mouths did shew much love but their hearts were of another mould Ezek. 33.30 ult 4. Stand by them and help to bear their burdens when you know them and they require your assistance Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ Gal. 6.2 If you know them fall into or under any Sin or Temptation set your hand to lift them up again If they fall under afflictions help to bear them for them Be like the good Samaritan in this matter Luk. 10. and not like the cruel Priest and Levite who saw the wounded man lay weltring in his blood and crying out of his wounds and left him to shift for himself 31.32 verses no but shew your selves good Samaritans who simpathized with and actually helped him in his distress according to his need If your Ministers must simpathize with you and help you in your needs then you must do the same to them Shew bowels of love and pity to them and set your hands and shoulders too to help them under their Sins Temptations and other Tryals and Afflictions and if possible to lift them out of them Are they reproached help to bear their burdens Are they persecuted by men help to bear their burdens And do the like in all other weighty cases for them Oh! how many are there who pretend highly for Heaven but care not what becomes of their painful Ministers Who can hear of their troubles and sorrowes and Galio like care for none of these things nor seriously mind whether they sink or swim but like Pauls pretended friends who when they saw him in deadly danger forsook him 2 Tim. 4.16 and left him to stand or fall by himself 5. Blame not their Ministry to one another especially behind their backs neither slight and undervalue their gifts graces or any of their endeavours and labours in and for the Church although they may not in all things suit or please your humours thoughts or opinions For they are bound in their Administrations to please Christ and follow their own light and judgments their perswasions and consciences in all things for the Churches edification and not to walk according to the judgments will and pleasure of their Church-Members either in their Doctrine or Discipline And those Churches that will impose their own apprehensions and opinions on their Pastors or Elders and load them with burdens of work and duty which the Lord Jesus never commanded them are in their so doing no less than Tyrannical-Usurpers over them For if Elders may not impose any thing or matter on the Churches but the yoke and will of Christ much less may the Churches impose their own opinions on their Elders We say that it is too hard a matter for any man to please all men and experience shews that it is as hard a matter for any Elders of Churches to please all their Members but that one or other will be offended at this another at that and then divulge their dislike of this or that in them unto others and endeavour to bring them into dislike of it also And then to make it their business to tattle and talk of it one to another until they have run themselves into further mischiefs Therefore Ministers may no further seek to please their Churches then in and by their so doing they may please Christ their Lord. And what that is I should think that their Elders should understand as well if not better than they Paul sought not to please men but God in his Ministry Gal. 1.10 Some Professors do delight themselves in this evil work namely in seeking matters and making faults against their Elders and then possess others with their own inventions and if they do not gratifie and please them in all things they shall be sure to please them in nothing All their works are blame-worthy in their account But as this shews that they are acted by a Spirit of Pride and prejudice against their Elders so they do thereby declare their own folly and lay open their own nakedness with a witness yea they dishonour Christ hinder the profit of their own and others Souls by their so contemning his and their Ministry and greatly grieve and stumble their Teachers and cause them to walk up and down with sad hearts Therefore do you take heed and beware of this evil for the Devil will tempt you to it that he may hurt your Souls afflict your Teachers and hinder the Gospel you should commend and esteem whatever is their vertue whatever you may see lovely in them and if you see any defects or unavoidable weaknesses in them to cast a mantle of love over them and by all means endeavour to keep up in each others hearts a due esteem of and respect unto them and their Ministry that the Gospel be not hindred but furthred and encouraged by your means 6. Joyn with your Teachers and that by affording them your Concurrence and utmost assistance in their endeavours to promote good things in for the good of the Church and do not hinder or load such overtures designs and endeavours of your Ministers by your absence groundless disputes or by your sullen silence there When they propound any matter to you for your profit and the welfare of your Souls the peace and prosperity of the Church or the benefit of others then weigh and ponder well the reasons which they give for what they do or desire should be done or omitted by themselves or the Church or altogether and if you cannot null and answer them or bring better for the contrary then you should quietly thankfully and peaceably accept of theirs acquiesce in them and encourage them in their design and not put difficulties in the way by some singular notions of your own Do as Nathan did when David propounded a case to him and told him that it was meet God should have a house built for his Name and Worship and gives him some reason for his proposition Nathan replyes Go do all that is in thy heart 2 Sam. 7. He saw it a most reasonable and useful an undertaking and freely complyed with David and encouraged him to go on and proceed WHy should not you comply with your Teachers when they design and propound some good work to be carried on for the glory of Christ and benefit of his Church or other men and
and a more Indispensible dury is not imposed upon you who are able in the Gospel and therefore you cannot plead ignorance for the breach or neglect of it And if you do not obey your God and King in this as well as in other things how can you be called obedient Children 1 Pet. 1.14 and how shall Christ commend you as he did Zachary and Elizabeth for walking in all his Commandments and Ordinances blamelesly Luk. 1.6 Or how can you expect that Christ should say unto you well done good and faithful servants You have done that which was your duty to do when you know that you lived in the wilful neglect of a known and easie duty 3. Consider that God takes special notice of your doings and carriages towards his Embassadors and your Teachers He is privy to all your wayes and will abundantly reward all your kindnesses and unkindnesses to them and that because they are his and yours Therefore be careful to demean and carry your selves towards them so as that the Lord Jesus may say to you well done good and faithful Servants you have been kind and good respectful and dutiful to my Ministers and to me in them And therefore I will recompence all your work of faith and labour of love to them For what you did to them as they were my Ministers you did to me I take all as done to my self enter into the joy of your Lord. These are some and but some of the Churches duties towards their Pastors or Teaching-Elders For although I have been larger on this head than I intended yet I forbear speaking any more lest some should think I say too much CHAP. VI. Of meer Ruling-Elders and Deacons of their Office Work and Power in the Church How they ought to do their Work and for what ends they are set in the Church As also the Churches duty to them with the necessary qualifications of such Officers Quest WHat other Officers hath Christ appointed for and set in his Church or Churches in the New Testament besides Teaching-Elders Answ The Lord Jesus hath set in his New Testament-Churches Ruling-Elders and Deacons Ruling-Elders or Elders whose chief if not only work is to rule in the Church and to help to Mannage the Discipline thereof with the Teaching-Elders seems to be warranted in the Gospel The Texts that speak most clearly in the case are in the 1 Tim. 5.17 Rom. 12.8 1 Cor. 12.28 In Timothy they seem to be expresly distinguished from Teaching Ruling-Elders Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine This especially refers to such Ruling-Elders whose work and main business is to Teach and who are especially therefore worthy of double honour for that they have a double work and Office namely Teaching and Ruling But the first part of the words speaks of meer Ruling-Elders who in the faithful diligent and conscientious discharge of their Office and Trust in the Church are counted worthy of double honour and ought to be honoured and respected as such by the Church not as they are Elders but Elders who mind their business and perform their work well and faithfully as becomes Stewards of the house of God In the Romanes the words are these He that Ruleth with diligence In the 6. and 7. verses we have the Apostle speaking to another sort of Officers namely Teachers whose greatest work is to Prophesie Minister and Teach And therefore says he let such wait on that part of their work Then he comes to another sort of Officers and these sayes he are to Rule with diligence Not to attend to Teaching as the others were to do but to Ruling and that with diligence whereby he distinguisheth the one from the other and shews that they are distinct persons and Officers from the Teachers before mentioned In like manner the Apostle seems to me to point out this sort of Office and Officers in the 1 Cor. 12.28 God saith he hath set some in the Church first Apostles Secondarily Prophets Thirdly Teachers then Helps Governments Now what should these helps Governments be as here and elsewhere distinguished from teaching Ruling-Elders but this sort of Ruling-Elders I am speaking of For as every Church of Christ needs Teaching so also Government and Discipline for their order and well being But because the Teaching Elders cannot attend continually to their Ruling work because their Teaching and Ministring other Ordinances diverts them from it so often as need requires therefore hath God set in his Churches meer Ruling Elders that they as Moses his 70. Elders may help to bear the burden and assist the Teaching-Elders in the Discipline and Government of the Church And therefore they are in the Corinths joyned to the Teaching Ruling-Elders and also in the Romanes and they are expresly called Helps Governments for that they are given of God to help their Teachers or Pastors in the Government of the Church And truly it hath its weight with me namely the necessity of such Officers in the Churches to help their Pastors in the Government thereof For as Satan is more busie and vigilant in the Churches to cause disorders therein than in any other Societies of men So there is the more need of diligent and careful Government and Inspection to keep all in order And as was said before the Teaching-Elders cannot so constantly attend to the work of Discipline because of their other work as need requires therefore there is a kind of nenessity of meer Ruling-Elders to help and assist them in the well Ordering and Governing the Church Thus we see that there are such Officers and such an Office in the word of God Quest For what ends hath God set Ruling-Elders in his Church and what is their Office Work and Power there Answ Although the Scripture seems to speak but little of thiâ— matter namely of their work use and ends for which they are set in the Church particularly yet if it be clear that such an Office and Officer distinct from the Teachers are given to and set in the Church by the Lords appointment and that they are Authorized and Empowred by Christ to Act and Officiate there in his Name then I say it is certain they have their special work to do there for they are not set there to have a Name and signifie nothing else but they have their work there as such which they are diligently to attend unto for the benefit of the Church and the glory of Christ their Lord. Now what their work and business is I shall search out and discover as well as I can and that with all possible brevity First then they are expresly called Ruling-Elders or Elders that Rule in the Scripture 1 Tim. 5.17 Now what doth their Name and Office signifie and imply but that they are to assist their Teachers in the orderly Government of the Church as was said before And I think their work lies chiefly in these
and Authority only that you must observe and walk by 3. Diligently you must exercise your power with all possible diligence Rom. 12.8 He that Ruleth with diligence That is he must frequently attend to his Ruling-work and what he doth therein he must do with all his abilities He must be earnest and fervent in it and set himself to it as to his work and business He must not be slothful negligent or careless in it as if it were an indifferent thing no but he ought to be diligent and fervent in Spirit serving the Lord in what he doth Rom. 12.11 The negligent servant shall be beaten with many stripes Luk. 12 47. They should be diligent to know the state of their Flocks Prov. 27.23 For although they I mean the Church are not the Ruling Elders Flock as they are the Teaching Ruling Elders yet they are in a sense their Flock and charge to watch over them and inspect their manners and walkings 4. Readily willingly and chearfully They should be like the Teaching-Elders in this also 1 Pet. 5.2 Taking the oversight of the Flock not by constraint but willingly not as Lords over Gods Heritage but examples to the Flock It is sad indeed when they look not after them nor mind their work and Office in the Church but when they are constrained and as it were forced to it by their Teachers and cannot for shame but do something then but somewhat unwillingly coldly and indifferently as if it were a small thing or a matter by the by and which they would not trouble themselves about could they handsomely evade and pass it by They grudge at it and account it their burden not their delight But surely it should be their delight to serve Christ and his Church and they should most readily willingly and chearfully do it 5. Conscientiously and Dutifully The will of Christ and their duty their work and opportunity to do good should lye deep in their hearts and powerful on their Consciences and what they do in the Church in pursuance of their Trust and Office-power for the Lord Jesus and his Church they are bound to do it upon Choice conscientiously and dutifully and that because it is their place work and duty by virtue of Christ's Authority who hath for these ends set them in the Church appointed and enjoyned them such work and service there for his glory and their good They must not only bear Rule but they must Rule well too for those ends or else they are of no use and service there Now how can they be said to Rule well as commanded unless they use and exercise their Office-power so namely wisely diligently readily and willingly chearfully conscientiously and dutifully according to the Laws and Rules of Christ their Lord 6. They ought to exercise their Authority and use their power in the Church with much love tenderness meekness impartiality and sometimes as need requires with severity too They must not exalt themselves and carry it in a Lordly manner towards their Brethren because they have Authority over and may command them But they must see that they temper their power and the exercise and use of it with love tenderness humility and meekness They should so carry themselves in all things as that on the one hand they be not slighted and despised and on the other hand envied for their haughtiness They should so behave themselves in the house of God as that they may give occasion to all to think that they love them and respect their good in all they do So likewise they ought to be just and impartial in their proceedures towards all and not respect persons in Judgment but the merit of the cause And in case of necessity when they have to do with stubborn and obstinate persons they may and ought to be severe in dealing with them when they cannot otherwise prevail on them to convince humble and reform them Jude 22.23 7. And in all their endeavours ways and practises in the Church they should intend design and aim at the union peace holinesse comfort and prosperity of the Church the honour of Religion encouragement of the Gospel and the Glory of Christ All which blessed ends they should wisely zealously sincerely seriously industrously and faithfully prosecute and with all their might strive and labour to obtain and by all means and that with much patience and perseverance in the use of them hope and pray seek and wait to accomplish in the Lords time They must not make one or two attempts to reconcile differences rectify disorders disswade from Sin perswade to Duty to heal wounds and encourage to Repentance and so leave it without looking after the Issue and the success of their labours but they must follow on their work until the ends be obtained They as well as their teaching Elders must look well to their herds Prov. 27.23 They must see that they rule well and with diligence 1 Tim. 5.17 Rom. 12.8 and that they approve themselves faithfull Stewards to Christ and his Church in all their proceedings and make full proof thereof Quest What are the qualifications of ruling Elders or how should they be qualifyed for so high and honourable work and office in the Church Ans I shall briefly name some of their necessary qualifications and but some of them and such as are indeed necessary for them without which they cannot will not rule well nor be profitable to the Church First They must be qualified with Spiritual Gifts and special Graces with a considerable measure of divine Wisdome and Spiritual understanding They should be not only real Saints but eminent Saints too They must not only have peculiar Grace but be strong in Grace also Surely they ought to be well furnished with the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit that they may go in and out and walk in the Church as shining Lights be able to judge and discern cases and persons and make a sound and true Judgment of the things and matters they may be called to judge and determine They must not be Novices in the knowledge of Christ his Law Gospel the Rules by which they must walk but they must have the Word of Christ to dwell in them richly in all Wisdom Col. 3.16 to help them in their work They cannot rule well unlesse they do understand and can speak well nor unlesse they are well acquainted with their Office Work and the Rules thereof They ought to be sober grave and serious Persons and not of vain light and frothy behaviour in their spirits carriages They should be of prompt ready minds and spirits for their work and not of dull lumpish and heavy Tempers For if they are such they will not act upon choice freely but by constraint and that will render them unprofitable and undesirable to the Church They should be men of blamelesse lives and spotlesse conversations and they should be men of warm and lively affections abounding in Love zeal and fervour of
Spirit They ought to be men of Courage fearing God like Moses his 70 Elders Exod. 18.21 and be free from notorious and apparent Coveteousness and worldly mindednesse They should be eminent in humility and meekness and in other Graces of the Spirit and they should be men of pitty compassion of bowells and mercies as the Apostle speaks They must not be angry passionate persons or men of sower froward and peevish Spirits and carriages for these abominations will very much blemish them and cause prejudices in the minds of Observers They must not be Tattlers Medlers nor Busy-bodies in other mens matters neither should they be slothful negligent or careless of their own These are some of their necessary qualifications Quest What are the Duties of Church-members and how ought they to demean and carry themselves towards their Ruling Elders Ans When they do rule well and use their office power diligently faithfully and profitably for the peace wellfare and prosperity of the Church the encouragement of the Ministry propagation of the Gospel and the honour and Glory of Christ as they are indispensibly bound to do they are worthy of double Honour Love and respect from the Church and they ought to give it to them heartily and sincerely in obedience to Christ who injoyns and requires it 1 Tim. 5.17 as also for their work and office sake and for the Lord Christ his Sake whose Officers they are whose Image they bear and whose work and service they do and are employing themselves in They must have not only simple honour love and respect from you but double They must have much more then any private brethren have when they rule well and that upon a twofold account 1. As they are Christ's and your Elders and Officers and in a sense do represent the Lord Jesus Christ to you in and by their work and office-power in the Church 2. As or because they rule well and use their office-power for your profit and benefit Do they carefully diligently and industrously attend to and follow their work and seek your good then remember that you owe them double honour love and respect and see you give it to them Moreover Church-members should yield them their chearful subjection and obedience to all their Lawfull commands and appointments for their good and give them all possible encouragement in their work and not weaken their hands and make their work heavy and burdensome to them but do all they can to make it easy and sweet to them that so they may do it with Joy and not with Grief You should also pray importunately for them that God would make them able willing and faithfull to and in their work and blesse and prosper their labours with success Do they mind their work and labour for your good why then it is most reasonable that you should mind them and give them their dues that they may be encouraged in their work and diligence by your duty to them In a word you should carry your selves towards them in all things as to Spiritual Magistrates and Christ's Officers to you for your Good As Paul speaks of civil Magistrates Rom. 13.4 for says he they are God's Ministers to thee for good so your ruling Elders are the Ministers of Christ to you for good Therefore behave your selves towards them and do for them as such Not as they are Elders among you but as they are good Elders to you and such as rule well for your profit Do they rule well mind and attend to their work and duty Why then love honour and respect them as such Do they labour with and take pains among you and are they diligent serious and faithfull in their office then pray much for them blesse and thank God for them acknowledge accept and esteem of them carry your selves submissively obediently to them strengthen their hands and encourage their hearts to and in their work and do all you can and ought to do for them Do they walk holyly humbly wisely zealously and fruitfully do you follow their examples imitate their steps and as much as possible write after their Copy and by so doing you will honour Christ and comfort them Quest What other Officers hath Jesus Christ set in his Church Ans Deacons The Lord Jesus hath in his great love to and care of his Church appointed and given to them this sort of officers also for their comfort profit and well being and they need them likewise For as the Teaching Elders may not attend mostly to their ruling work but to Study Reading Doctrine and Exhortation and then not to serve Tables Act 6. so the Ruling Elders leave their work to attend two which is not to serve Tables neither but to look after other Church-matters and concernments as you heard before And therefore I say that Deacons are necessary and usefull Officers in the Church and are distinguished from other Officers by their name and work there The Institution of this sort of Officers in the Church as also their work use and qualifications we have an account of in Acts 6.3 4 5 6. 1 Tim. 3.8 9 10 11 12 13. Phil. 1.1 so that we see there is such an Office and such Officers are appointed for and set in the Church Quest What manner of persons should deacons be or what are their qualifications by divine Appointment Ans They must be men of honest Report full of the holy Ghost and wisdome Acts 6.3 They must be grave not double-tongued not given to much wine not greedy of filthy Lucre holding the Mystery of Faith in a pure Conscience Even so must their Wives be grave not slanderers Sober Faithful in all things Ruling their Children and their own houses well 1 Tim. 3.8 9 11 12. These are some of the necessary qualifications of Deacons in the Church You that are Deacons mind these things and consider seriously if you are so qualified for that Office in the Church of God If you are not so qualified humble your selves before the Lord entreat him to qualify you with his holy Spirit and labour in the use of all good means to obtain what is yet wanting in you for the well and profitable performance of your work as becomes such Officers in a holy Church of Christ's Quest What are the Deacons works in the Church Ans In general their work is to serve Tables Acts 6. But more particularly 1. They are to provide for and distribute to the poor of the Church according to their necessities Act. 6. and not to suffer any of them to want through their negligence And therefore they ought to enquire what poor there are in the Church and what their wants are and accordingly to supply them In order to which they should receive the Churche's contributions and wisely consider if what they do receive from them will supply the wants of the poor and satisfy other emergencies in the Church And in case they do not to acquaint one of the Elders that
Church-State only but to and for one another too You are commanded to remember them that are in Bonds as being bound with them Heb. 13.3 and them that suffer Adversity as being your selves in the body You are strictly commanded and charged by the Great God to rejoyce with them that rejoyce and weep with them that weep and be of the same mind one towards another Rom. 12.15 16. And look not every man at his own things but every man also on the things of others Phil 2.4 And let no man seek his own but every man anothers Wealth 1 Cor. 10.24 Bear ye one anothers burden and so fulfil the Law of Christ You must make and account your Brethrens Crosses Losses Temptations and Afflictions your own and when they want and call for your helping hand to support or lift them up being fallen you must give it them freely readily and chearfully and not turn a deaf ear to or hide your eyes from them and their cryes For this was one of Gods holy and Gracious ends in appointing Churches and bringing you into Church-fellowship and so into acquaintance one with another namely that you might be fellow-mutual-helpers and comforters one of another For if you are cruel to or careless of one another in Affliction the Lord Jesus will require it at your hands and take it as done to himself Therefore seeing it is the will of Christ and our indispensible Duty to one another let us put on Bowels of Mercies and kindnesses Col. 3.12 and be tender hearted Eph. 4. ult And as Peter speaks be pitiful and courteous to each other 1 Pet. 3.8 Let the same mind be in us and let us shew the same affection to one another in measure that Christ Jesus hath shewed and still doth express to us We know that he is full of loving kindnesses pity simpathy and bowels of mercy and compassion to us Psal 103.13 14. Phil. 2.1 2. to shew his Members how they should be and carry themselves towards one an other and to oblige and provoke them to do so too Oh! my Brethren we should much abound in this grace also Fifthly Exhort and comfort one another For so is the will of God concerning you This is not only your Teachers Duty and Work but yours also to each other Heb. 10.24 25. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works but exhorting one another This Work and Duty must be diligently and frequently done Heb. 3.13 But exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin 1 Thes 5.11 Wherefore comfort your selves together and edifie one another even as also ye do vers 14. Now we beseech you Brethren warn them that are unruly comfort the feeble minded support the weak My Brothren you stand in continual need of one anothers Exhortations and Consolations and if you mind and manage this work well you may be very useful and profitable one to another greatly oblige and knit your hearts to each other and occasion many thanksgivings unto God thereby We are exceeding apt and prone to fall backward and therefore need each others hand to draw us forward To grow cold and dead hearted and therefore need each others help to warm and quicken us We are apt and ready to stand still and lye down a Napping and therefore do greatly need one anothers awakenings and holy provocations When this duty was frequently and conscientiously practised by the Saints they did thrive and prosper but since it hath been so wofully neglected the contrary is apparent in the lives and carriages of the Saints Well then do you revive this work all you can Set it forward with all your might and improve all your opportunities to the profit of each others Souls for you see that it is your indispensible Duty Sixthly It is the will of your Head the Lord Jesus that you should be each others Keepers That you should watch one over another Admonish and Reprove one another as need requires I do not mean that you should prye into one anothers secrets or be busie-bodies in other mens matters No for that is hateful and abominable and God hath forbidden you to do so 1 Thes 3.11 1 Pet. 4.15 1 Tim. 5.13 But my meaning is this namely that you watch over one anothers Walkings and Conversations That if they do well you may encourage them If ill you may by Counsel Reproofs Admonitions Instructions and Exhortations labour to mend them and do all you can to convince and bring them to the real sight and sense of their miscarriages as also to unfeigned Repentance By which good work you will do them the Church yea Christ himself good and acceptable service You should carefully mind and observe if all do keep close to their Duty in the Church or are remiss and negligent If they carry themselves holily righteously and soberly in their Conversations or on the contrary they are frothy vain proud extravagant loose unjust idle careless or any way scandalous You should strictly mind and observe if there be any Tatlers Back-biters or sowers of Discord or such as speak contemptibly and slightingly of their Brethren especially of their Elders and their Administrations As also such as combine together and make parties or factions in the Church or endeavour to load or obstruct any good work which their Elders are promoting of for the Glory of Christ and the good of the Church and deal with them accordingly You must mind and carefully observe if any be fallen under Sin or Temptation in any case and not let them alone but presently set your hand to help them to succour and restore them Gal. 6.1 Brethren if any man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one with the Spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be Tempted Take heed of that Cain like Spirit who when God asked him where his Brother Abel was Replyes am I my Brothers keeper Gen. 4. You will be Tempted to this evil towards your Brethren namely to imagine that you are little or nothing concerned with them and that if they do otherwise than they should the guilt will only lie at their doors but you shall be blameless But my Brethren it is not so You are not to be indifferent in this matter For assuredly you are appointed to be keepers of one another You are bound to prevent and put a stop to sin in one another or else your Brethrens sins which you do or may know if you will and the wrong they do to themselves thereby yea and the Reproach and scandal that may come to the Church thereby will lie at your Doors and be cast on your Souls because you neglected your Duty and did not in season prevent it as you might have done if you would Look not every man on his own things but on the things of others also Phil. 2.4 And seek not your own but every one
hand to pour in Wine and Oyl into my wounds Luk. 10.33 34. Surely none who are indeed concerned in their own Souls concernments but will easily acknowledg it is There is or ought to be a spiritually natural care in sound-hearted Church-members to one another 1 Cor. 12.25 They rejoyce with them that rejoyce and weep with them that weep Rom. 12.15 and remember them that are in bonds as being bound with them Heb. 13.3 You may expect it yea require it of one another for you who are joyned together in Church-fellowship and relation are as much concerned in each others Soul concerns as the Members of the natural body are with one another And one of Gods holy ends in uniting and joyning them together in one body and spiritual society is that they might help succour admonish reprove exhort edifie comfort watch over serve and heal one another To further each other in all duties and in the love and practice of Gospel-holiness and Righteousness as also to preserve each other from sin and affliction Fourthly The Churches of Christ are priviledged and benefited with a Ministry and Ministers of their own so that they need not go to strangers to fetch bread but to such as they have a special interest in and relation to They have Ministers or Pastours and Elders sent by Christ and set among them by his grace and Authority to feed and nourish them to teach and establish them to admonish and reprove them to exhort and comfort them to watch and take the oversight of them to Minister all the Ordinances of Christ to them and to attend on the service of their Souls and they are such as he hath promised to be with all in all their work and labour of love Math. 28.20 They are such as he hath promised to bless to them to furnish them with his Spirit and grace and to succeed their Ministry and prosper their endeavours to the spiritual profit of their Souls Psal 132.15 16. Jer. 3.15 Eph. 4.11 12 13 14 15. Other Saints who walk not in the order of the Gospel have not Pastors and Teachers of their own between whom there is so near a Relation Union and Communion For their Teachers cannot call their Auditors their own flocks as the Churches Pastors and Teachers may call their Churches their own For the Churches and their Pastors and Teachers are each others by free hearty and mutual choice and by cordial and mutual engagement Their Pastors and Teachers are the fruit of their prayers and tears and of Christ his Death and Ascension Eph. 4.9 10 11 12. Churches may claim their Pastors Gifts Authority and ministerial Abilities as theirs and make use of them as their own right and property given to them by Christ for their good to edification They may repair to and make use of them in any material Soul-case or cases However some look on and account of this matter yet I have ever valued it as a great Church-priviledge namely that they have a special and peculiar Ministry of their own whose work and business is to wait on the service and concernments of their Souls and they being sent to them and setled among them by Christ in love and mercy and the fruit of their own prayers choice and desires they shall be are undoubtedly blessed in their labours to the profit of all sincere hearts amongst them Fifthly Gospel-Churches are the proper seats and subjects of all the spiritual Ordinances of Christ which is one part of their honour glory and renown What is said of the Ministers and Ministry of Christ is in this matter true of all other Ordinances and Institutions of Christ 1 Cor 12.28 And God hath set in his Church Apostles Prophets and Teachers so Eph. 4. that is he hath appointed Teachers and all other Ordinances for and placed them in his Churches The Churches are his Temples Houses Habitations Vineyards Walks his resting and dwelling places as was shewed now where doth God set and six his Ordinances of Divine worship but in them To whom are Pastors and Teachers given to whom is the Lords Supper and Discipline given but to the Churches They are the seats and subjects of them and none else that we can find in the Scriptures The Lord Jesus hath given to and set among them his Gospel-worship and Ordinances among them he dwells and of them he expects the honour and worship due unto his name Psal 29.2 God keeps house in his Gospel Churches and there he hath his Houshold about him waiting on and doing honour to him and that they might do all according to his holy will he hath given them his Ordinances and Gospel-Institutions to express and manifest their dependance on and obedience to him in as to their head and King God made the Church of Israel under the Old Testament the seat and subject of all his then instituted worship and Ordinances and under the Gospel-dispensation he hath made new Testament particular Churches the seat and subjects of all his Gospel-Ordinances The Catholick Church as such cannot be the seat and subject of them for that cannot assemble or meet together in one place to celebrate and observe them the World or visible unbelievers cannot be the seat and subject of them for they are no where said to be given to them neither are they capable while in their state of enmity against Christ of them Therefore they must be the Churches dowry's rights and priviledges and none other persons or societies whatsoever Whilest Believers neglect to walk in a Church-state and relation they deprive themselves of this and many other priviledges and Soul-advantages and it is no small wrong they do their Souls thereby It may be said of all Gospel-Churches as Moses told the Church of Israel Deut. 4.7 8. for what people is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things we call upon him for And what people is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day Sixthly Gospel-Churches or Believers inchurched are priviledged with safety and security They are Gardens enclosed Cant. 4.12 A Garden inclosed is my Sister my Spouse a Spring shut up a Fountain sealed A wall or hedge in our Gardens to secure them from Beasts and evil Men and we are more careful of and at greater cost and pains in and about them than about our Fields So the Lord Jesus lays out and expends more care cost and charge in and about his Gospel-Gardens than about others Men are most watchful and careful of and about their Houses and places of residence and abode where they live expect and take most delight Now where doth God make his abode and Christ the Lord keep his Court Is it not in his Churches as was before proved They are his Temples Houses Vineyards Gardens Habitations Walks and Palaces his delights and resting places and will he not be most
careful and mindful of them for his own honour and glory and their good Believers in living on and walking with God in a Church-state are of all persons in the best and safest condition They are under the greatest security from Seductions and Satanical Delusions from back-sliding and Apostacies from the Spirit of Error and Heresies from spiritual decays and witherings from hardness of heart or from being hardened and stupified through the deceitfulness and ensnaring allurements of this world Heb. 3.13 For they have greater and more constant means and provisions for their preservation and security than others have They have more promises of being secured by their Lord and King Esa 27.2 3. Sing ye unto her a Vineyard of red Wine I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day They have the Lords presence and glory his love grace and benefits frequently before their eyes to warn quicken and keep them awake and watchful diligent and faithful and they have fresh springs often flowing in upon their hearts They are much in the eye of Christ and he is much in their eye which keeps an awe on them and the frequent views of his glorious person love grace Laws and Ordinances are of great use towards their safety So also is the watchfulness help and assistance they have from one another in a Church-state Believers walking irregularly and disorderly as they do when not joyned to some true Church of Christ they are as common fields that lye open to all sorts of Beasts and as Souldiers walking and stragling without the Camp ready to become a prey unto their Enemies But in a Church-state and walking with God therein they are as a Garden walled in as a Castle and City with â—ates and Barrs and as a Houshold of persons shut in with doors and locks They are hedged in with Christ his Discipline and secured with his watchful eye and protection so as that the Gates of Hell cannot so easily prevail against them as they may against others Seventhly Gospel-Churches are very honourable Societies and Corporations They are exalted and dignified so by Christ and that they are the most high excellent as honourable Houses and Cities in the World They are the Houses and Housholds of the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6.15 Psal 48.1 2 3. Eph. 2.19 20 21 22. A House built up fitly framed and artificially formed of hewen stones and Timber is much more honourable and glorious than the materials whereof it was builded were before they were so formed up One holy Temple fitly framed consisting of a hundred meet and well qualified persons hath more beauty glory excellency honour and renown on it than ten thousand such materials have whilst they lye scattred up and down among the Rubbish of the World And as they do more as it were adorn and beautifie Christ in the World so he doth more adorn beautifie them They are said to be beautiful for Situation Psal 48.2 and Gods holy Temples Eph. 2.21 They are honoured with more of his honourable and glorious presence with more of his holy and sweet Laws and Ordinances and with more of his promises power gifts and graces Their honour fame and renown is farr above my reach and farr beyond what I can declare They are made the keepers and upholders of his Truths Name and Interests Churches in their orderly and holy walkings are terrible as an Army with Banners Cant. 6.4 10. and glorious things are spoken of this City of God Psal 87.3 As God said of Job namely that there were none like him in the earth Job 8 1. So he saith of his New-Testament Churches that there are not any Societies like them in the earth For what other Corporations and Societies of men are so qualified that have God with them as they have that have such a head and King such Ordinances Laws and Law-giver as such Churches have where are those Societies to be found that God speaks so honourably of and gives such honourable Titles to as he doth to them They are or ought to be all stones of Gold and precious Jewels they are Kings and Priests and made up of Royal Diadems Esa 62.3 Rev. 2.1 Mal. 3.17 They have the Lords name written on them and they are called by his name They are called the Churches of God and of Christ What other Societies of men are there governed by such Laws ruled by such Rulers animated by such a Spirit and fed with such Heavenly bread and spiritual provisions as they are They are the lights and glories of or in the World and by their joynt prayers and interest in Heaven they are the supporters of the world These are a few of the special priviledges of inchurched Saints which have been dearly purchased for them with the blood of Christ and conferred upon them by the holy Ghost which they are bound to take special notice of affect their hearts with them rejoyce greatly with them and in the Authour of them be very thankful for and faithfully improve them to the glory of Christ and to their own peace comfort incouragement in holiness and to their growth in grace You that are Churches and Church-Members are bound to consider and lay to heart your great singular and invaluable priviledges your unworthiness of them the price they have cost your head and King the ends for which they are given you to walk worthy of them in your Church-state and Relation and see that you walk and carry your selves honourably in all your ways towards God and men And remember that God gives you all these and other priviledges and injoyments that you should be rich in good works yea that you might abound in the work of the Lord 1 Tim. 6.17 18. 1 Cor. 15. ult Your priviledges are singular and glorious Oh! so let your words carriages deeds and performances be also God hath dignified you do you see that you exalt him God hath done great things for you do you do great things for him you shall reap the benefit and he the glory CHAP. X. That it is the indispensible duty of all Believers to joyn themselves unto some rightly constituted Church of Christ if they can together with the Reasons and ends of their so doing Quest OVght not all true Believers to joyn themselves unto and walk in fellowâ— ship with some holy and well-constituted Church of Jesus Christ where they may enjoy and partake of his Gospel-Ordinance Ans It is their undoubted and indispensible duty so to do if they have the conveniency and opportunity of doing it They may not wilfully or carelesly neglect to do it one day after they have opportunities offered them they are not cannot be dispensed withal in their Omissions for their wilful or careless neglects are their sins They are by such neglects guilty of disobedience and contempt They disobey the Royal will and pleasure of their Soveraign
Brethren dwelling together in Vnity Psal 133.1 2. and united in a holy Band. I have spoken somewhat of this else-where under another head And therefore shall only at present say that if it be so that Believers may more honour Christ by walking together in Gospel or Church-fellowship than otherwise that then they are bound in duty so to walk For if it be their duty to exalt and honour Christ all they can as certainly it is then they are bound to use the means whereby they may be enabled to do it Now Christ hath given to and set in his Churches many Ordinances of worship and out of every one of them he expects a Revenue of Glory by his people therefore the more of his Ordinances you have in your hand and spiritually observe the more is Christ glorified by you Besides this you are in a better capacity to provoke one another to love and to good works Heb. 10.24.25 and to inflame one anothers love to Christ to preserve each other from sinning against him and reproaching his holy Name and ways by sin in a Church-state than out of it You will likewise be capacitated to honour the Lord Jesus more in a Church-state than otherwise by growing in grace and getting more Talents into your hands to Trade withall and employ for him in the Church and world as you heard before Therefore do you no longer stand off but joyn your selves to some Gospel-Church for the Lord Jesus sake Sixthly You that are true Believers ought to joyn your selves to some true Church of Christ for your fellow-Members and Brethren's sakes too You know that we are bound to do all the good we can to one another Gal. 6.10 to further each other in the way of holiness to eternal happiness We need each others helping hand and are set in this World to be useful and helpful one to another Now by joyning our selves one to another and walking together in mutual love peace and concord and in the same judgment though not so in all things way and order in the same Communion Ordinances and Worship we do greatly strengthen the hands chear and quicken the hearts of one another in our duties under our burdens and Temptations and help to make our yoke â—asie We animate and stir up one another and put as it were new courage life and spirit into each other But by our neglect to joyn in fellowship with our Brethren by being strange to and keeping at a distance from them we do very much weaken their hands sadden grieve and discourage their hearts and lay them under many Temptations troubles and disquietments as experience shews We ought to bear each others burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ Gal. 6 2. But we may not burden one another either by Omission or Commission We are debtors to one another by vertue of Christ's Command and our spiritual Relation to each other we live not from or by our selves therefore must not live for and to our selves I am my Brother's and he is mine as to help comfort service and usefulness one to another Such as carelesly or wilfully abide out of Church-fellowship do in a sense condemn those who walk in it We ought to know and be acquainted with one another that we may be thereby the more serviceable to each other I am my Brother's Keeper Teacher Comforter Reprover and Admonisher and he is mine I cannot well live nor ordinarily live well without his help and assistance nor he without mine We have our work and business to do for one another as well as for our selves The nearer and faster Brethren are link't and knit together the warmer and stronger their love will be to and the more care and tenderness they will have for and towards one another Now though Church-fellowship be not the ground of Brethrens love and service one to another but their oneness with Christ and fellow-membership in him their head as also his revealed will yet it is certain in experience that their near and close Communion together in Church-fellowship doth greatly provoke irritate strengthen and draw forth their love one to another Distance and strangeness weakens love but nearness and intimacy strengthens it Church Communion is a spiritual bond that tyes spiritual men together and greatly knits them into one when otherwise in their walkings they are divided and like bones out of joynt Therefore let all true-hearted Brethren joyn in Church-fellowship with their Brethren and declare their oneness in Christ in spirit faith and love by their so doing Let them strengthen each others hands and encourage one anothers heart in their work and duty in their priviledges and mercies and know that you are indispensibly bound so to do You have Christ himself and his spirit calling you you have your own and your Brethrens Souls calling you you have the practice of the Apostles and Primitive Saints calling you and in a sense you have the World calling you into Church-fellowship Why then do it and make no longer delay for while you neglect to do it you neglect your duties to God to your Brethren and to your own Souls yea you do practically slight your purchased priviledges and dear-bought mercies do it speedily for Christ's sake and for your own peace comfort growth and security Seventhly You that are true Believers ought to walk in Church-fellowship that you may be and live under Church promises You heard before that there are many promises made and given to Churches or to Believers in that capacity which they cannot claim to themselves while they walk alone as individuals and strangers to one another God told Solomon that his eyes and heart should be perpetually in his Temple 2 Chron. 7.16 But David's Gold Silver Brass and other Materials that he had provided to build it had not such a promise until they were formed up into a house for God So it is now with living or lively materials that are hewn and pollished for to build him Gospel-Temples They may not expect the good of all the promises but in the wayes of God's Appointments and their own duties Although their being in Christ united and married to him by faith be the ground and foundation of their right to the promises and all the good of them yet the Great God gives out and imparts the Juice and fatness of them unto their Souls in the wayes of his Gospel precepts and appointments that such as expect to be partakers of them may seek all in those wayes I have in the last chapter instanced in several promises that belong unto Churches or unto Believers walking with God in that state and capacity As that in Rev. 2.1 2 Cor. 6.16 Psal 92.12 13. Psal 132.12 13 14. Eph. 2. the three last verses with several others of like import Now then if you will partake of the good of Church-promises you must become holy and orderly Church-members Surely it is your duty to look after and earnestly to seek for
them and that where God hath promised and you may find them There you may obtain the milk and honey of the promises of Christ's presence of making you fat and flourishing of a blessed Ministry and the blessings of it of Divine loves and sweet provisions and of peace and security I could have perswaded you to joyn unto and walk in the Churches of Christ by other Reasons but I think these may suffice such as are of willing hearts and of meek and humble soft and holy spirits Quest What ends should all men aim at and have in their eye in joyning with and walking in Church-fellowship or to what ends and purposes should they become Church-members Answ 1. To please and honour the Lord Jesus Christ their Lord and King in his Churches and to shew their Respect unto him Obedience to his Commands and declare their dependance on him for all things and their subjection to him in all things Christ the Lord hath done many good works to pleasure them exalt honour them and therefore they ought to do his will and their duty to please exalt and honour him Esa 56.4 Col. 1.10 This glorious end every Church-member must have in his eye and heart in walking in Churches 2. To express their high Resentment of his savours to them and their cordial thank fulness for them They are greatly priviledged and highly dignified in the Churches by their membership there and they can no otherwise express their gratitude to their head and King but by accepting them dutiful and faithful improvement of them to the ends for which they were given Good men do shew how they value them by their accepting and using them Churches and their priviledges are not small matters in their accounts or light matters in their esteem but they are high and honourable in their hearts and so are their works and duties there likewise Psal 27.4 Psal 63.1 2 3. Psal 84. 3. They should aim at and design to have and hold Communion with God and Jesus Christ the Lord. God is known in these Palaces Psal 48.3 and to be seen in these Galleries There he opens himself and breaks opens the Treasures of his love and grace unto his people and there he stands holding out his Golden Scepter There he waits to meet his Spouses to kiss and embrace them to entertain and speak friendly to them He meeteth them that rejoyce and work Righteousness and remember him in his wayes Esa 64.5 The wayes and walks of the Lord God are in his Churches there he dwells keeps house manifests himself unto his Houshold and rests himself takes his delight and shews forth his glory to them and thither they should go to meet him 2 Cor. 6.16 Rev. 2.1 Joh. 14.21 23. 4. Believers should enter into and walk with God in Church-fellowship to encrease and augment their grace and to better their hearts to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 and that they may perfect holiness in the fear of God that they may receive of his fulness grace for grace Joh. 1.16 and be filled with all the fulness of God Eph. 3.19 that they may eat of their Fathers Bread and drink of his Wine be made fat and flourishing and fruitful in every good work Psal 92. Psal 132. Col. 1.10 5 To keep their hearts warm strong and lively for God his work and service and that they may obtain and enjoy all encouragements for and in their works tryals and difficulties To fence and arm themselves against all their Enemies assaults on them and be enabled to fight against and conquer them in the Lord Jesus That they may be enabled to run their holy Race chearfully and couragiously and finish their course with joy Act. 20.24 1 Cor. 9.24 Rom. 8. The Son of Righteousness shines warmest on Believers Souls in the Churches of Christ and there are more springs of joy and harvests of profit than are or can be found elsewhere There is a River the streams whereof make glad the City of God the holy place of the Tabernacles of the most high Psal 46.4 There are no springs like the Churches springs nor any harvests like the Churches harvests The fullest clearest and most fatning streams of living waters flow from the fountain Christ on the Churches and the most comely and fruitful branches are or may be found in them They may be the warmest sweetest strongest liveliest chearfullest fruitfullest and the most spiritual men in the World And that they may be such they should joyn themselves to and walk in the Churches of Christ 6. That they may adorn the Gospel convince the World encourage their Brethren and witness to the Truths Wayes Authority and Headship of Christ This is no small thing but they are all matters of the highest moments and of greatest concernment and therefore and for these ends they should walk in Church-fellowship 7. To augment and encrease your experiences to obtain more acquaintance with your selves the operations of the holy Ghost for you and in you and that you may be more clearly and firmly sealed up to the day of Redemption 8. To pay your vows and make good your promises to Perform your Covenant and discharge your work to God the Father and Christ your head You owe them personal and Church-homage and service you are bound and engaged to observe and do all things whatsoever your God commands and appoints you to observe and do according to your opportunities and abilities Matth. 28. ult Joh. 14.15 which you do not cannot do unless you walk in some Church of Christ and put your selves under all his Laws Ordinances and Institutions But that you may so do you put or ought to put your selves under them by joyning your selves to and walking with God and his people in Church-fellowship These are some of the holy ends all believers should have in their eyes and hearts in their aims and designs They must take heed and beware of carnal self-ends in this and all other matters of Religion which will certainly croud in and carry a great stroke in this matter For the Lord Jesus abhors them and cannot endure to have his holy and spiritual matters and concernments subjected and made to serve mens carnal Interests He will have no other aims and ends in Church-members hearts but his own whereby he may be glorified and our Souls profited and others encouraged to do their duty to him We have no dispensation or allowance given us to aim at and design to augment and encrease our Trades and worldly profits or to be maintained by the Churches Benevolence in and by our walking with them or to greaten our names and encrease our friendship and acquaintance among men unless it be to capacitate us to do the more good to men to have larger opportunities to serve Christ our Brethren and our own Souls But our aims ends and designs must be the Lord's namely to please and honour God to express our thankfulness
to him for his love and grace to us to hold and enjoy Communion with him to grow in grace and to be filled with all the fulness of God to be warm lively and strong in our duties and performances and for such holy ends as God requires Thus you see that all Gods people are bound in duty to joyn themselves to and walk in spiritual fellowship with the Churches of Christ as also for what ends and to what purpose they should do so CHAP. XI Shewing how Church-members ought to walk and what Sins and Temptations they are obnoxious to in their Church-state with Rules and cautions against them Arguments and motives to perswade to practice the one and avoid the other Quest HOw ought Believers to walk in Church-fellowship Answ I have shewed already what their duties are and how they should carry themselves towards their Officers and towards one another in a Church-state and therefore shall not mention them here but shall answer the question in these following particulars First Church-members must walk exemplarily they should be like so many Stars in the Firmament of the Church They of all persons in the world ought to be burning and shining lights Their graces gifts words deeds and carriages should shine so clear and bright so gloriously and conspicuously as that they should have the force and prevalency of Laws on the minds of beholders so as that they may safely securely imitate follow them The Churches of Christ in the world are as so many Sea-marks Pilots Guides to Men they live more in the glory of Heaven as the Church is called in Rev. 13.6 in the beams of the glorious Son of Righteousness than others do and therefore they should give better and clearer light than others can They are much more eyed minded and observed than others are and men expect and look for more good in and choice fruits from them than they do from other men They do or may converse more with Christ and Christ with them than other men do and they are partakers of greater things from him than other men are and therefore they must be a singular People in all manner of holy Conversation and Godliness Church-members are highly dignified and greatly priviledged their holy Profession gives out bespeaks them to be a peculiar Treasure unto God and therefore they must declare before all men that they are such indeed and not in pretence only Their frames of heart words deeds and deportments must speak for them manifest them to be the same in Truth which they pretend to be Church-members words works and carriages must praise them in the Gate 1. They should be shining lights in Humility and Meekness Col. 3.12 Put on therefore as the Elect of God humbleness of mind meekness 1 Pet. 5.5 and be Cloathed with Humility Phil. 2.3 But in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves Matth. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Church-members must not be high proud and lofty they may not think highly of themselves Rom. 12.3 nor cloath and deck themselves as others do They may not carry themselves strangely or disdainfully towards men but be meek and humble towards their Brethren and all men in their Apparel Words Deeds and Carriages for if this part of Christ's Image do not appear in some good measure on them they cannot have any at all A meek spirit carriage and deportment is one of their Ornaments It is in the sight of God of great price 1 Pet. 3. 2. They must shine in Zeal Fervency of spirit this holy fire should burn among them They must not be of dull stupid heavy and lumpish spirits worship God appear before him and hold Communion one with another indifferently coldly dully regardlesly and heavily as if they were rather driven to their work and duty against their wills than with their choyce love and desire but they must be fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 for which some of the Corinthians were commended 2 Cor. 7.11 and Phinchas Numb 25.11.13 and David Psal 69.9 To this they are redeemed and for it they are purchased Tit. 2.14 not only to do good works but to be Zealous in and for them The Lord Jesus charges his Churches to be Zealous Churches Rev. 3.19 in imitation of himself whose Zeal to God did eat him up Joh. 2.17 Much holy Zeal governed and guided by much spiritual Wisdom makes a man an excellent shining useful acceptable and desirable man indeed This should be another of the Churches beauties and comely Ornaments wherewith they should still be cloathed decked and adorned in this world If this Diamond do not shine if they are not adorned with this rare Jewel what are they worth and what are they good for They will be like fire without heat and light as to their duty work and usefulness They will be like Drones or like Bees without stings namely of no considerable use in the world All that they do for God Men and their own Souls will be of little or no esteem and account 3. They must shine in Love and Charity too Love is the bond of perfectness Col. 3.14 the ligament and sinew the cord and instrument that tyes us fast to God and to one another See that ye love one another with pure hearts fervently 1 Pet. 122. and let Love be without dissimulation Rom. 12.9 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart soul and strength Matth. 22.37 The internal motive or moving cause of all obedience and service to God must be love to him and our duty Joh. 14.15 1 Joh. 5.3 It is true that men cannot certainly discern this Love to God in one another but God and our own Consciences may and must Churches of Christ must be Churches of Love they should be acted and animated drawn and constrained to every good work by Love 2 Cor. 5.14 All the ways and workings of Jesus Christ to us all that he doth to or for us is Love Doth he instruct us or doth he correct us it is all in and from love Love to us is the bottom spring and cause of all his dispensations towards us His anger is provoked Love Love should knit our hearts fast to our God and Head to our duties and services and to one another in Church-fellowship But of this already else-where 4. Churches must shine in that great work and duty of Self-denyal when need requires He that will be my Disciple saith Christ must deny himself Mark 8.34 Matth. 16.24 Luk. 9.26 They should be eminent and singular in Self-denyal or in denying themselves of many things for Christ for their Brethren and for their own souls sakes Their Lord Jesus is the great copy pattern and examplar of Self-denyal and that for them to serve them and promote their happiness Phil. 2.5 6 7 8. Acts 20.28 and without this we cannot be his Disciples If we will not deny our selves
do so you rob God break your Covenant offend your Brethren and wrong your own souls You must go up because you are called to go and that you may meet God in Zion and receive his blessings for there he commands them Psal 133. ult Oh! it is sad indeed when persons shall pretend to enter into Churches take upon them the observation of all the Laws and Ordinances of Christ there solemnly and publickly promise and engage to walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of God with his people and yet shall dare wilfully to neglect their place and duty therein and to pay their Vows to their God and King Psal 65.1 Psal 61.5.8 Such as are good Governours of Families and Corporations will carefully mind if all within them do answer to their calls and perform their duties when called so to do So doth the Lord Jesus Christ in his Churches He summons them by his Ministers to appear before him wait on and worship him together and bring him a Church-offering and service and narrowly observes who comes and who neglects it how thy come and with what frames of hearts to what ends as the 2. 3. Chap of Rev. shew And if he find any wanting that might come or see them come carelesly and superficially he accounts himself slighted disobeyed and his Love and Grace contemned and undervalued God expects that you should be constant in Church-meetings and not decline them at any time but when his hand obstructs and impedes you but that there you should come with your Free-will offerings and do your Duty Homage to him as he commanded you Believe it this is a matter of great moment and not to be slighted or disregarded by you Sixthly You must walk with God in Church-fellowship in Sincerity and with Vprightness of heart to Without this all your performances are in vain The Lord Jesus is very curious and critical in searching your hearts in your Church-state Rev. 2.23 And all the Churches shall know that I search the reins and the heart And in Jer. 17.10 saith God to the inchurched Jews I the Lord search the heart I try the reins Then surely it must very much concern you to see that you draw night to God continually with true hearts Heb. 10.22 and that without all allowed Guile and Hypocrisie A little of this Leaven will quickly leaven the whole lump of duties Gal. 5.9 It will so corrupt and sowre them as that they will be all stark naught and good for nothing but to kindle and encrease the flames of God's Wrath and Vengeance against you Therefore take heed and beware of Hypocrisie and do not connive or wink at the least grain of it in your hearts or duties but be sure to walk with God in the performance of all duties in Integrity and Uprightness Be sure that your God expects it from you and requires it of you Joshua 24.14 Gen. 17.1 The Eyes of the Lord run to and fro through-out the Churches to see whose heart is perfect with him and whose is hypocritical 2 Chron. 16.9 He requires Truth in the inward parts Psal 51.6 and that all Church-members should walk before him in Truth and with perfect hearts 2 King 20.3 You must worship God and serve him with your all for your little all is but too little for him Prov. 23.26 Math. 22.37 Psal 119.10 You must not leave one hoof behind when you do any thing for God nor put God off with a part of your abilities for the whole for if you do you will lose the acceptance and reward of all Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name saith David Psal 103.1 Seventhly See that you worship God and observe all his Ordinances in the Church in spirit or spiritually Remember that you are his holy spiritual Temples the Temples of the Holy Ghost Eph. 2.21 1 Cor. 3.16 that all the Ordinances of worship in them are holy and spiritual Ordinances stampt with the Image of God's Holiness and Authority and that he will be worshipped in spirit or spiritually Joh. 4.23 24. You must be very careful that you take not up with the external part and outside of your duties and priviledges that you settle not your selves and stay as it were in and upon Ordinances and your enjoying and observing them but get within the Vail seek and look for God and Christ for Heaven and glorious things in them Let your Faith conduct you by the hand of the Spirit into the bosom and heart of Christ that there you may read his Love Grace and glorious Excellencies have intimate and close Communion with him and be ravished and refreshed with his Person and Love Get into his Galleries and see the King of Glory in his beautys and transcendant sweetnesses and get into the Sanctum Sanctorum into the most holy place for the way is opened and the vail drawn off and removed by your Head for you to come and meet him there Heb. 10.19 20 Therefore do not stand and worship in the outer Court of the Temple but go and pass through Ordinances to Christ into the holiest of all and when-ever you go and enter in be you sure that you carry all Graces the Spirit with you to meet your Lord and honour him with them Endeavour all you can to see and feel him to get your hearts ravished with his Person and Love that thereby they may be raised up to great delight joy chearfulness adoration admiration and praise that they may be filled with his Savours warmed with his Love drawn by his Beauty be by all knit and united tyed and bound fast to him Then we worship him in spirit or spiritually when we worship him go to meet him with all our Graces in the Holy of Holies when our Hearts Graces do close up with and hold Communion with him in these Beauties of Holiness Psal 110.3 I am affraid that very few Church-members are experimentally acquainted with this matter for if they were so acquainted with it indeed they could not do as they do They could not neglect the worship and Ordinances of Christ nor cry up a Cephas and cry down a Paul as they do 1 Cor. 3. They could not be so careless and formal in them as they are nor carry about such dead lumpish and heavy hearts and minds as they do Well but however it hath been with you let it be so no more Do you for time to come learn so to worship God as you have heard that so you may please and honour him and he may delight to meet with and bless you Eightly You must walk in Church-fellowship chearfully comfortably and joyfully You must not be Whiners and Complainers you must not be sad lumpish and melancholly in your Father's House No for that will greatly reflect on your Father and on your Head and Husband You will raise suspicions in the minds of men on the good ways of God
Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. ult Now that God and the Mediatour have so Covenanted promised and engaged for and in the behalf of Believers that Christ came and finished all the work that the Father gave him to do that Christ hath obeyed and suffered the Father satisfied and well pleased and that Peace Friendship and Reconciliation for men is obtained and that God is faithful who hath promised Heb. 10.23 and that he will not fail to perform the Truth to Jacob and Mercy to Abraham Micah 7. ult is continued and ratified unto Believers in and by the Lord's Supper For there is held forth a clear proof and confirmation of it This is my body that is broken and my blood that is shed or given 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25. These are the first objects and matters our faith eyes and fixes on in the Lord's Supper and these are the first things that it seals unto 〈◊〉 us namely that God hath covenanted and promised these mercies upon Christ's dying that Christ hath dyed done the Fathers whole will and finished his work and that God the Father hath accepted his Mediation in our behalf justified his Son Jesus and is well-pleased with him and with us in him that God is faithful who hath promised and that he is able and will perform his promises made to Christ for and given down to us On these things our faith must fix and then this Ordinance of the Supper will confirm them us 2. As the Lord's Supper seals or ratifies and confirms to our faith the truth and reality of the Covenant and promises the death of Christ the faithfulness of God and his being satisfied and well pleased with Christ's mediation for us and that he will perform his Covenant and Promises unto the Heirs of promise so it seals ratifies and confirms Believers interest and propriety in them It ratifies and confirms to their own Consciences that they are interested in Christ that they are Christs and Christ is theirs that they are regenerated and redeemed that their sins are pardoned and their persons accepted in the Beloved Eph. 1.6 7. This Ordinance seals to them the fruits of Christ's death and to the truth sincerity and peculiarity of his grace in them that they are united to him and that he is their head and they are his Members That he loves them and they love him with special and peculiar love This Ordinance seals to them their Adoption and their right unto the eternal Inheritance and it assures them as a means of Christ's appointing for that end that God is their Father and they are his Children that Christ is their Husband and they are his Spouses and that they shall live and reign with him in glory But yet know that though there be a kind of a natural aptness in this holy Ordinance thus to seal the love of God to you as it is Christs Ordinance and instituted by him for this end yet it cannot doth not do it of or by its self or its own power but it seals as an Ordinance in the hand of the spirit or as a fit medium and means whereby and wherewith the holy spirit seals the Souls of Believers It is the proper work of the holy Ghost to seal ratifie and confirm his own work in Believers hearts Eph. 1.13 Eph. 4.30 And this great work he doth especially in and by the Lord's Supper on the hearts of good men For as the matters he seals to are his own works in their hearts so he onely can confirm them to their Faith and Consciences The love of God is said to be shed abroad into our hearts by him Rom. 5.5 and to this he sets his seal and gives in his Testimony Rom. 8.16 namely that he hath shed abroad the love of God in our hearts that God loves us we love him with special love and that he hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 1 Pet. 1.2 He first writes his Lawes and creates his grace in our hearts puts the Lord Jesus into the possession of them forms saith Repentance and all other graces of Christ in them and then he seals ratifies and confirms all to us Cant. 8.6 2. Cor. 1.22 Job 33.16 So that now we know that we are passed from death to life Joh. 3.14 and are sure that we are of God that the Lord Jesus is ours and we are his Cant. 2.16 And can say with Thomas my Lord and my God and with David I am thine and with Paul and others if our earthly house be dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 Thus you see how this Ordinance seals up the love of God and the work of his grace in our Souls And therefore when ever you receive it be sure to look for and expect it and make use of it for though not only for this end and purpose And in order thereunto be careful and diligent in preparing and fitting your selves for the reception of this seal on your hearts and then you need not doubt of your obtainment of it 3. This Ordinance is instituted and given to inchurched Saints to bring the Lord Jesus and them together into the nearest clearest and closest fellowship and communion that can be in this lower state The Lord Jesus and they do greatly love one another and delight in communion with each other Cant. 4. ult Cant. 5.1 Believers in their holy obediential and orderly walking are Christs dearly beloved Spouses and he is their dearly beloved Husband Cant. 2.16 Jer. 12.7 They do greatly love and rejoyce in one anothers company and Society their speeches are pleasant and their countenances sweet and lovely to each other Zeph. 3.17 Cant. 1.4 Cant. 2.7 10 13. Cant. 2.14 There is a holy fondness and a heart-ravishing friendliness between Christ and his Beloved they lye deep in each others hearts and are so knit to one another in warm affections as that they cannot patiently bear each others absence Hence we find the Lord Jesus and his people inviting one another and importunately solliciting each other to come to them yea and proffering themselves and as it were inviting or pressing themselves upon or into one anothers company Cant. 2. â—0 13 14 7. Cant. 4.8 ult Cant. 5.1 Cant. 6. ult Cant. 7.11 12. Rev. 3.20 Joh. 14.21 23. Therefore hath glorious Jesus instituted Churches and gathered up his people into spiritual housholds formed them into holy Societies and made them his walled Gardens Therefore hath he brought them into a holy Band knit them together into bodies and given to them this Feast of fat things this Pledge and Token of his distinguishing love and this holy sign and seal that he may invite and bring them together to take and eat and that himself may come and be with them there He is the matter and the great master of the Feast and he is the King
may know in measure how dearly He loved us and how dear we have cost There we may see our sins Pardoned persons Accepted God Reconciled and Well-pleased there we may hear him saying Deliver them out of Prison for I have found and accepted a Ransom Surely there is not a more powerful means in the World to produce and provoke to Repentance yea pure Gospel-Repentance in Believers than the Lord's Supper is For here are presented to us all the greatest and strongest Gospel-motives to unfained Spiritual and Gospel-Repentance to melt soften the heart It is Love Grace the hopes of Pardon and Acceptance and of being sanctified and saved that provokes and produces Repentance unto Life not Fear and Dread of Divine Wrath and Vengeance Not the bare sight and Conviction of Sin and the Apprehension of future punishment no but 't is the sense or hope at least of our persons being loved and accepted into favour with God and of our being acquitted and justified through the blood of the Covenant that doth it 9. To stir us up to Admire Adore and Praise the great and free Love and Grace of God and Jesus Christ our Lord. They do in and by this Ordinance set off and commend their free eternal and distinguishing Love and Grace unto Believers and thereby give them occasion of Praising Admiring and Adoring it These are some of God's Holy and Gracious Ends in appointing this Ordinance for and giving it unto them and these and what-ever other uses and ends there are of it should be diligently sought out and understood by all Believers And being sound out they should be carefully diligently and faithfully aimed at and pursued by them Well then do you joyn Issues with God aim at and carry on the holy Ends of Jesus Christ in this Gospel Ordinance and by your so doing you will please and honour him and greatly profit your own Souls Quest What are the necessary qualifications and preparations of all worthy Receivers of the Lords Supper or what is required of and ought to be found in them Ans There qualifications and preparations are two-fold 1. A State qualification or worthiness 2. A habitual and practical or actual fitness 1. A State-worthiness or qualification which in brief is this or consists of these two things 1. Regeneration 2. Vnion with Christ by Faith 1. Regeneration or a New Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 This is absolutely necessary as to Salvation Joh. 3.3 5. so to fit and qualifie men to and for every good work Without Regeneration or being Born again we cannot Believe Repent or Obey the Gospel in a right and acceptable manner Without this change of Nature we cannot love God nor fear God we cannot know him rightly nor worship him Spiritually Joh. 4.23 24. Phil. 3.3 for we cannot Worship him with Reverence and Godly fear until we are partakers of the Divine Nature and of his special Grace to do it withal 2 Pet. 1.4 Heb. 12 28. In our Unregenerate States we are blind and dark Eph. 5.8 Dead in sins Eph. 2.1.5 Enemies to God and Strangers to the Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5.10 Eph. 2.12 We are Carnal and Vain Hard-hearted and Impenitent Sinners and are shut up in Unbelief Yea we are Haters of God and the power of Godliness and excessive Lovers of Sin and the World and altogether voyd of the Love of God and of real love and pitty to our own Souls Now then it is absolutely necessary that we be Regenerated and Created in Christ Jesus unto good Works Eph. 2.10 for till then we are utterly uncapable of doing them according to the Will of God How then can we receive and partake of the Lords Supper worthily until we are Regenerated and made New Creatures How can we discern the Lords Body 1 Cor. 11.29 and how can we understand the mystery and take in the profit of Christ his Death to our Souls until we are taught of God How can we receive it in Faith and in Obedience to his Will until the Grace of Faith be formed in our hearts and until our hearts are bowed and melted by Grace into the Holy Will of God How can we Worship God and Celebrate this Ordinance with lively hearts whilst we are dead in sins And how can we apply the Seal to that Grace which we have not Therefore I say it is absolutely necessary that all that receive this holy Seal be Regenerated and made New Creatures For how can that Ordinance feed and nourish that which is not in Being namely the New Creature 2. They must be Vnited to Jesus Christ by Faith also They must be in him and have relation to him as living Members to their Head 2 Cor. 5.17 Col. 2.6 Christ must be theirs and they must be his by Faith or they cannot claim him as theirs nor receive any benefit by his Death for else how can they joyn with Christ in his saying Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you 1 Cor. 11.23 24. But I must hasten 2. They must have an habitual worthiness or meetness for the right Receiving and due Celebration of this Ordinance likewise I mean a holy and spiritual ready and accurate frame and disposition of heart to for it they must have their Sight Faith and Love ready in act and exercise or they are not cannot be meet partakers of the Lord's Table It is not only necessary that they be in a State of Justification and Regeneration but they must be also in or qualified with a habitual frame posture and disposition of heart to receive and celebrate it to the Glory of Christ and profit of their own Souls Tit. 3.1 Their Hearts and Graces must be ready fixed and tuned for the work that they be not to seek of them or at a loss concerning them when they should honour Christ with and get the Seal of the Spirit to them Psal 57.7 Psal 108.1 Psal 112.7 This habitual meetness or worthiness qualification or preparation call it which you will is a matter of great weight and moment especially in this matter and therefore you must labour all you can to obtain it 2. There is a practical and actual meetness and preparedness for the worthy and acceptable receiving of the Lords Supper also That is there is something more than ordinary to be done by them in order to their worthy participating of it This practical preparation I shall briefly present to you in some particulars 1. You must examine your selves 1 Cor. 11.28 But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of the Bread and drink of the Cup. And here 1. You must examine your States and try if you be in the Faith or no If you are indeed at least in a well grounded hope and perswasion in a justified and regenerate state and condition 2 Cor. 13.5 2 Pet. 1.10 and to know whether the Lord Jesus and his special Grace be formed in your hearts Gal. 4.19 This must be effectually done
fear or love him or his Church sincerely to watch over them and impart his secrets and counsels to them surely no. And therefore they must be fitted and qualifyed with saving Graces as well as Ministerial Gifts for office power and work in the Church of Christ I might argue this point very largely and copiously did I intend a large discourse as I do not but to use all possible brevity in all things I shall mention and present to consideration in the whole of the discourse 3. And therefore Thirdly they should not only have and be qualified with spiritual Gifts and special Grace but with the holy Ghost also It is not such Gifts and Grace that will sufficiently qualifie and enable men to discharge their ministerial work in the Church without the Spirit They will not be willing ready nor apt to teach without the Spirit 1 Pet. 5.1 2. 1 Tim. 3.2 Neither will they be able to divide the word aright without the Spirit 2 Tim. 2.15 And therefore hath Jesus Christ promised to be with them in an especial manner in their Ministerial work who are his Ministers Mat. 28.18 20. Joh. 14.15 and 16. chapters They must preach and pray by the Spirit watch over feed and water the Church by the Spirit for their Gifts and Graces can do nothing in this matter but by the Spirit And therefore the holy Spirit is promised to help them to teach warm strengthen and quicken them to comfort lead and Guide them and whenever Christ sends any Shepherds into his Sheepfold in love and mercy he sends them and they come there with the holy Ghost in their hearts Look over Pauls Epistles to Timothy and Titus and to the particular Churches and you may find this Truth confirmed Thus God promised his New Testament Churches long before they subsisted or had a being in the World Jer. 3.15 And I will give you Pastors according to mine own heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding It is the Spirit that makes men able Ministers of the New Testament and Spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 not created Grace and Gifts only The Apostles spake the word of God as the Spirit gave them utterance Acts 2.4 and as they were moved or carried forth by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 A Temple of God is built by the Spirit for the habitation of God Eph. 2.21 22. all the Laws and Ordinances of the Temple are given forth by the Spirit from Christ Joh. 16.13 14 15. all the Grace and Gifts bestowed on men are by the Spirit their Life strength and successe is by and from the Spirit their work and authority in the Church is given them by the Spirit and therefore the holy Spirit will accompany and abide with his own Ministers there Fourthly They must be qualified and adorned with singular Spirits with excellent and choice Spirits and frames of Heart they should excel others in such qualities and virtues as these First they should be singular and excelling in knowledge and Spiritual understanding to discern the difference of things that differ and to judge of Spiritual things Spiritually 1 Cor. 2. They should abound in heavenly wisdome and prudence in conformity to their Lord Christ Secondly They should be eminent and singular in Gospel simplicity and sincerity too 2 Cor. 1.12 2 Cor. 2.17 Thirdly They should be eminent and singular in Humility in all meekness humbleness of mind and conversation 1 Pet. 5.1 6. Of all men in the world they must not be proud and lofty in their hearts and carriages but meek and lowly Mat. 11.29 2 Tim. 2 25. Fourthly They must be eminent and singular in Gentlenesse and peaceablenesse they must not brawl nor strive 2 Tim. 2.24 1 Tim. 3.3 Fifthly They must be eminent in Self-denial and curbing the Flesh keeping under carnal worldly self and crossing the desires of the Flesh and of the Mind 1 Cor. 9. ult Sixthly They must be eminent and singular in patience and contentation they must not be soon angry or moved to passion and wrath 1 Tim. 3. Seventhly They must be eminent and singular in a sober serious holy chearfulnesse and sweetnesse pleasantnesse and affability they must not be of vain and frothy Spirits nor of froward sullen lumpish and sad carriages and deportments for these things are hateful in all Christians much more are they so in such as are set in the Church for lights and Examples to them This is a part of that good behaviour the Apostle says they must be endued withal 1 Tim. 3.2 Eightly They must be eminent and singular in zeal and fervency also For if private Christians should abound in it Rom. 12.11 2 Cor. 7.11 then much more should the Ministers of Christ Tit. 2.14 Rev. 3.19 Ninthly They must be eminent and singular in Love pity and bowels of compassion to Souls they must not be of hard and insensible Spirits but full of tender earning bowels towards their flocks Col. 3.12 1 Pet. 3.8 Rom. 12.15 So was Jesus Christ and so was Paul towards all sorts of men they had to do withall excepting obstinate Sinners who trampled pearles under their feet and so must Ministers be now Be ye kind one to another tender hearted says Paul Eph. 4. ult Tenthly They must be eminent and singular in Heavenly mindednesse they must not be covetous nor greedy after worldly things which the Apostle calls filthy lucre 1 Tim. 3.3 Tit. 1.7 1 Pet. 5.2 They must declare as much as possible that in the midst of earthly enjoyments they are heavenly minded and live above them They are holy men of God and therefore must flee those things 1 Tim. 6.11 2 Pet. 1. ult and follow after heaverly Eleventhly They must be singular and eminent in gavity and solidity they must not be vain light and frothy talkers and of foolish jesting Spirits and carriages but grave and serious 1 Tim. 3. Twelfthly They should be apt to teach set forward and entertain holy and profitable discourses as they have opportunity which will not now be easily found I fear amongst professors However they should be alwaies ready apt and willing to do their duty although others are not to do theirs 1 Pet. 5.2 1 Tim. 3.2 Eph. 4.29 Col. 4.6 Thirteenthly They should be well armed with Wisdome Faith and Patience to endure and stand fast against all oppositions and Temptations and to bear up under all the great discouragements they may meet withall from friends and foes for they will be tryed by both Hence the Apostle charges Timothy to follow after Faith and Patience 1 Tim. 6.11 and in 1 Tim. 4.12 says he be thou an Example to the Believers in Faith c. Therefore they should come to their work well armed and fenced with Faith and Patience for it will be tryed to the utmost as sad experience shews Fourteently They should be eminent and singular in setting up high and noble ends in their eies and hearts in their office and work in the Church The great
motives aims and ends of their hearts and Souls should be to please and honour Jesus Christ their Lord and Master and to edifie and profit his Church Acts 20. These are some of the necessary qualifications that all Pastors of Churches should bring with them and labour to grow and encrease in them when they are there Fifthly They must be qualified with holy and blamelesse conversations and carriages also These are in part described in the 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. and elsewhere in the Epistles of Paul to Timothy and Titus in the Acts and other Scriptures And it must needs be so namely that they be singular in all manner of holy conversation and Godlynesse 1 Tim. 4.7 But exercise thy self unto Godlinesse for they are appointed and set in the Church to be their Lights and Guides to be Examples to Believers and all men 1 Tim. 4.12 Mat. 5.16 1 Pet. 5.3 c. They will by blamable walkings more dishonour Jesus Christ and his Gospel more grieve and afflict the hearts of good Men scandalize and harden the hearts of evil men than a hundred times as many private Christians and pull great reproach and comtempt upon the Ministry of Christ in his Churches They are more eyed and observed and are nearer Jesus Christ than others are and greater things are expected from them than from others Therefore they should shine forth in all Grace and be found though not without their failings in the practice of every good Work as men Christians and Ministers of Christ It is not enough for them that they be not such and such negative professors but they must be such and so in practical holynesse They must not only abstain from that which is evil and forbidden but they must do that which is good and commended otherwise they cannot be blamelesse But if they are indeed of such Spirits as aforesaid they will be of holy and blamelesse conversations and walk as Gospel real true Lights Guides before all but if they want these heart and internal qualifications they will not long if at all be blamelesse walkers If they are of proud peevish cross and fretful of sowre angry and wrathful Tempers and carriages they are not blamelesse If they are of hot testy fiery rash and quarrelsome Tempers and Carriages they are not blamelesse If they are Back biters and Defamers of men or Hearers and Receivers of evil reports against good men they are not blamelesse If they are coveteous worldly persons in their words and deeds they are not blamelesse If they are excessive in their cloaths houses eating or drinking they are not blamelesse If they are censorious and rash Judges of others they are not blamelesse If they are cheaters or detainers of others dues from them they are not blamelesse If they are vain and light persons and given much to frothy idle talk and jestings or to Idleness they are not blamelesse If they are carelesse of and negligent in relative duties and the worship of God in their families they are not blamelesse If they are not diligent in their callings and works but are addicted to walk abroad sleep or otherwaies spend away their pretious time vainly and unprofitably they are not blamelesse I might instance in many more but that I study brevity as well as Truth The Ministers of Christ must not only be free from the practice of such and such Sins but they must be eminent and singular in the practice of all duties incumbent on them towards God and men also unavoidably infirmities excepted Sixthly They must also have and be endued with natural Gifts as ability of body and the Gift of utterance For although a man may have a great stock of Graces Gifts and Truths laid up in his head and Heart yet if he want abilities of Body or speech to utter plainly declare them unto others how can he profit the Church or minister to their edification which is the great end of those Gifts c. and the Ministry Therefore they must not be only qualified within but without also they must be able to speak as they ought Eph. 6.20 as well as to judge as they ought to judge of and understand divine matters Sevently They must be sound in the Faith too For if they be leavened with corrupt Doctrine and their Faith and Judgments tainted with it they may easily corrupt and leaven the Church of Christ by sowing such Tares and stinking Weeds as all the men in the world will never be able to pull out again A little leaven of corrupt Doctrine leavens the whole Lump Gal. 5.9 And when once false doctrines are got into the Head they will quickly defile and corrupt the whole heart and conversation And therefore to prevent such evils in the Churches the Apostles laboured exceedingly with the Churches and assoon as they perceived any Tares of corrupt doctrine sown in the Churches they presently endeavoured the pulling of them up and weeding of them out either by preaching or writing And Paul charged Titus to see that Teachers were sound in the Faith and Doctrines of the Gospel Tit. 1.9.13 and that they speak sound Doctrines chap. 2.1 2. that they were of sound Minds 2 Tim. 1.7 and also that they hold fast the form of sound Words vers 13. and also wishes all corrupt and unsound Teachers cut off Gal. 5.12 Therefore they must not be erroneous in their Faith and Judgments but sound in the Faith of the Gospel that are together with the aforesaid particulars rightly qualified Ministers of Christ And you may be sure that Jesus Christ hath more care of and respect unto his Name Gospel and Churches which he hath purchased with his Blood than to set over them erroneous and corrupt Teachers Eighthly Humane learning is not to be slighted and desp sed in a Minister as it is too much by some who know not the good of it for although the Word and Spirit of God can sufficiently prepare qualifie a man for the Ministry without it yet experience shews that it is singularly useful to holy men in their Ministerial Work It helps to make them more able men though not Christians it is usefull to their heads who know how to use it if not to their Hearts it is a good servant to wait on Divinity though a bad master when it is exalted above it as to many shamefully and sinfully do It is well know that we come to the knowledge of the Spirit and mystery of divine Truths by the letter wherein it is held forth and we come to understand the mind and intention of a Superior by the words he speaks to us so that if we understand not his words we cannot know his mind and will or what he would have us believe do or receive And is it not the same with respect to the Word of God how can we know his mind and will concerning us but by his Word and how by his Word or Words except we understand their sense