I can be Answ The Lord knows how to make use of the poorest child or servant that he converts sometimes he converts a child or servant and so brings Religion into a Family his Love is not grounded upon our serviceableness we bring glory to Gods Grace by our coming to Christ and the poorer creatures we are the more glory redounds to the free Grace of God in saving us Besides The weakest Saint when he comes to Heaven shall be able to sing Praises and Halleluiahs to God as well as the most eminent and if God had only looked at serviceablness he had made choice of the fallen Angles before us who could have done more service then any of us God can make the poorest Creature an eminent Saint and though it may be you may not have such gifts and opportunities of service in an outward way yet you may do God much service in an inward way fearing him loving him trusting in him admiring of his Love And let those that are in Christ and justified freely by Grace watch against any thoughts that may arise in their hearts of any worthiness in themselves as if they had any form or comliness for which they should be desired but only that God hath been gracious because he would be gracious and this is certain that the more a man grows in Gospel-grace the more wonderfull will the Love of God in Christ be to him that the souls of Believers are oftentimes astonished at the free Grace of God to them and cry out in the warmth of their Spirits Never love like to this Love let all the Angels in Heaven wonder at it to eternity CHAP. V. The Convictions and Workings that are oftentimes upon men that are never converted MAny men that are never converted have mighty Convictions upon them that they see they have been very sinfull and are ready to despair as Judas did Mat. 27. they are so troubled in their Consciences sometimes men are convinced of the vanity of the world which they have set their hearts so much upon they will cry out with Severus the Emperour Omnia fui nihil mihi profuit I have had honour and riches and those things and never the better and they will sometimes say Now none but Christ O give me Christand I have enough this is in some worldly disappointments and discontents and in the trouble and confusion of their Spirits How mightily was Balaam inlightned and convinced Num. 23. and Num. 24. he was convinced of the blessed Estate of the Saints and desired in his way to die the death of the righteous There are many that are so inlightned that they get a great deal of knowledge and shall tell Christ at the last day Mat. 7. We have prophesied in thy name that they have preached Christ to others and yet are shut out for ever from the presence of the Lord. Indeed Those that are not savingly wrought upon and yet are much inlightned commonly they fall into great Errors and if they be in Church-fellowship they will usually go out from the Saints because they were not of them joined as Members in Christs mystical body 1 Joh. 2.19 This last age wherein Gifts and Knowledge are more common then heretofore afford many sad instances of this that many have had only common inlightning and because they never received the Truth and ways of God that they seemed to own in the Love and Power of them therefore God giveth them up to strong delusions and errors 2 Thess 2.10,11 And these in Gifts go beyond many of the true Members of Christ but they are kept when the Lord leaveth others with their parts and gifts to be deluded with error God knows how to make use of the parts and gifts of Hypocrites and those that have only common inlightnings that while they are in the Churches of the Saints God may make their parts and gifts of use to the Saints God makes use of their falling away to shew his people by whom they are kept and how excellent the Grace of Christ in the hearts is above parts and common inlightnings When this sort of Professors have been most flourishing and best in appearance and high in the thoughts of many for Religion some of eminent Grace and acquaintaince with the ways of God have seen the rottenness of their hearts and have said that they were but Hypocrites as their falling away did afterwards manifest And this sort of Professors have usually a mighty itch upon their Spirits after novelty of opinions that they rove from one opinion to another and are seldom setled in any thing but take up and lay down and if they have found an opinion wherein they stick they presently pass sentence upon all Professors be they never so eminent in Grace that agree not with them in that Thus many that have common inlightnings will for a time make profession of Religion and perhaps have high notions afterwards turn very Atheists neither pray nor hear nor discourse of heavenly things but grow as proud and covetous prophane as any other and so the Scripture speaks of them that they have Consciences seared with an hot Iron return with the dog to his vomit being but dogs yet in the sight of God and with the swine after all their outward washing and reformation to their wallowing in the mire O What deep convictions have many men and cry out of their sins and the people of God rejoyce and hope that these are the pangs of the new birth and yet these men either pacifie their Consciences many times with legal Reformation with their own righteousness and leaving those particular sins which have so galled their consciences without ever becoming new creatures or else time wears out their trouble and they grow more prophane and wicked then ever they were before and among other sins that they are given up to by the righteous hand of God they will fall to mighty opposition and rage against the Saints of God But were these men united to Christ by faith No in no wise as the Heaven is higher then the Earth so is the work of the Spirit upon a true Believers heart above all the convictions and inlightnings and profession and outward reformation of those that fall away Nebuchadnezzer had great convictions yet we do not know that ever he was converted however not before he was driven from men to the beasts of the field Dan. 4.31,32 yet before that he had great convictions First By Daniels interpreting of his dream Dan. 2.47 He told Daniel that his God was the God of Gods and the Lord of Kings yet presently he fell to Idolatry Dan. 3. and commanded all to worship the golden Image which he set up and was so impudent as if he had lost all his former conviction saying verse 15. to the three Children when they would not worship his Image What God is there that can deliver you out of my hand But this is observable that many
deceive us because of the inlightnings they have and reformation of life and smooth carriage but the common sort of narural men do plainly bewray themselves to be out of Christ and it is a sign of a carnal man to judge every body to be Saints that make such sleight and overly profession of Christ as the common sort of people do if we be Saints and know what the new birth is we shall not think it is such an easie and common thing to be true Saints but that strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to eternal Life and few there be that find it Some deceive themselves by building their hopes of salvation upon their gifts parts and knowledge when as Satan and many Reprobates outstrip many Saints of God in those things and yet have no saving nor experimental knowledge Others build their salvation upon the esteem that they have with others that are Saints but thou maist be but a Judas or Simon Magus for all that the Apostle bids us in that case every man to prove his own work to see what work of Grace he can find in his own heart and then he saith he shall have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another Gal. 6.4.5 Others again build their salvation upon this that they have left some gross sins as swearing drunkenness whereas it may be their hearts are 〈◊〉 bad aâ— ever but only they were forced to leave those sins they so galled their Consciences but yet their reformation never proceeded from faith CHAP. III. Great Salvation in Christ for sinners GOD that might have damned all mankind for sin and might have left us in that lost estate for ever hath so loved the world that he hath sent his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him might not perish but have eternal Life Some things we shall here take notice of concerning him in whom God accepts us and giveth us eternal Life Christ our Mediator is God Joh. 1.2 Phil. 2.7,8 1 Tim. 3.16 He is God by nature God the Father acknowledgeth him to be God Heb. 1.8 when he saith to Christ Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever he knows the hearts of men Joh. 2.22 All the Angles every one of them is by the command of God the Father to worship him which shews he is God Heb. 1.6 He laid the Foundations of the earth and the Heavens are the work of his hands Heb. 1.10,11,12 He is God and therefore he is mighty to save he is God and therefore hath everlasting arms to hold his members from falling into hell O what a glorious head hath the Church though we are but like Nebuchadnezzars Image the feet of clay and Iron yet our head is of pure gold Christ Jesus our Surety and Mediator is man he was made flesh 1 Joh. 2. came in the likeness of sinfull flesh took our nature after it was corrupted Rom. 8.3 Because the Children that God hath given him were pertakers of flesh and blood he also took part of the same Heb. 2. This is no small comfort to us that Christ hath taken our nature and was made like unto us in all things sin only excepted he knows what it is to be tempted and can succour them that are tempted O This is wonderfull that Christ should put on the poor suit of our nature and after we had so stained it by sin O That God should be so mindfull of us as to send his Son in our nature to die for us that God who was infinitly happy before ever we were that he should â—o it That God that had so many thousand Angels to sing praises to him and could have created millions of creatures more glorious then the very Angels to praise him for ever and that could have created a thousand worlds before this of men to praise him that glorious God that took infinite delight in his Eternal Son the Lord Jesus before ever the world was Prov. 8. that this blessed God should send his Son in our Nature and humble him to death even the death of the Cross This is wonderfull indeed The Lord Jesus was a publique person Rom. 5. therefore he is called a Surety Heb. 7. A Saviour Luke 2.23 An Advocate 1 Joh. 2.1 A Captain of Salvation Heb. 2.10 The Covenant of the People Isa 42.6 A Ransom 1 Tim. 2.6 A high Priest Heb. 4.4 What he did was for others for our sakes he sanctified himself He was delivered for our offences rose again for our Justification Rom. the fourth and the last There is infinite merit in Christ to justifie all that believe in him that nothing needs to be added to his Righteousness for Justification in him in him alone without works shall the house of Israel be justified and shall glory Isa 45. ult The Believers under the old Testament looked for acceptance with God only through Christ and therefore offered up the Sacrifices that were Types of him prayed in his name Dan. 9.10 He set open his window prayed towards Jerusalem which was a Type of Christ and prayed verse 17. that God would look upon his Sanctuary which was desolate for the Lords sake that is for the Lords Jesus sake Christ hath purchased all Sanctification and is the Author of it to sinners The precious Faith by which we believe to everlasting Life is from Christ 2. Pet. 1.1 There the Apostle saith that precious Faith is obtained through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ our Lord and so Heb. 10.2 And Repentance is from him Act. 5.31 And of his fulness we receive Grace for Grace Joh. 1.16 yea Phil 1.11 All the fruits of Righteousness all Grace whatsoever is said to come by Jesus Christ he was filled with Grace to communicate to us He is that Fountain and River of Life that serveth all the City of God that spiritual Joseph that laid in with abundance to serve all Aegypt The Lord Jesus had experience of all kind of sufferings and temptations that he might be a pittifull and a mercifull high Priest for us Heb. 2. ult Heb. 4. ult He was tempted in all points as we are yet without sin It was requisiite that the Lord Jesus our high Priest should be tempted in all points 1 That he might know the malice of the Devil experimentally by his own feeling 2 That he might overcome Satan The Lord Jesus the Captain of our Salvation fought a single duel with Satan that we might see his strength and that Satan might be overcom that so the Saints when they are set upon by Sathan might have faith in him that he who hath overcome him and broke the Serpents head where his wound is uncurable will prevent all his designs against them 3 That he might sympathize with the Saints and succour them when they are tempted in that fourth of the Hebrews v. 15. the Apostle saith We have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was tempted as we are
to sin as it hath been that is a sign of a backsliding heart I do not say if the Conscience be not so scrupulous but if it be not so tender for when a man comes from under the Law and the Spirit of bondage he shall not have such a scrupulous conscience as he had before as people in that condition many times will scruple Whether they may eat or drink because they are unworthy of the creature with iunumerable other Scruples of that kind and it is a great Mercy to be freed from a scrupulous conscience it s one way by which God doth in a way of Judgement deprive men of the use of the lawfull comforts of this life when they have them in possession but I speak of true tenderness of Conscience a heart standing in a holy fear and aw of Gods word such a tender Conscience as Joseph had Gen. 39.9 How shall I do such great wickedness and so sin against God 2. Sign If there be a general neglect of secret Duties or constant deadness or formality in them this is a sign of a backsliden heart when a soul could have watcht for opportunities to pray and could have prayed with groans and sighs that can not be uttered and now duties are generally neglected or we have nothing but hard hearts and dry eyes in them 3. Sign If there be a general neglect and carelesness of assembling our selves with the Saints and holding communion with them its rare to see a man that hath left meetings and Communion of Saints that doth not fall wofully either as to error of conversation 4. Sign If there be an itch upon the Spirit after novelty of opinions and teachers and a disregard of those whom the Lord hath made Instruments of good to us heretofore thus the people forsook Paul 2 Tim. 1.15 Were not the Galathians much backsliden that now slighted Paul whom God had made an Instrument of so much to them that they would have parted with any thing to him 5. Sign of backsliding is If Professors grow worldly and earthly who have sat loose from the world heretofore Do we see a Professor that now holdeth his hands from doing good to poor Saints and grows now an oppressor and is all for racking and that which is called now in these days by the fine word Improvement know that that man is backsliden and gone back 6. Sign If men grow careless of offending their Brethren and will grow touchy with a whole Church Men usually when they break with God in some secret way they are never well till they have broken with his People time was when they could have born more from a single brother then now they can with a whole Church 7. Sign If men quite leave off using means to convert their Relations and Neighbours to draw them to Christ time was when thou hadst a heart to be speaking of the ways of God to thy friends and neighbours and now thou canst come into their company and nothing but Complements or Worldly discourse If men leave off to take care of the publique cause and interest of Christ and mind not whether Religion get ground in the town and country this is a sad sign of a backsliden heart 8. Sign If men grow careless of Gospel-institutions as hearing the word Church-fellowship breaking of bread O sometimes you counted it above all earthly things to have a name in Gods house and to see the Lords goings in the sanctuary and now you have no stomack it s a sign of want of Spiritual health 9. Sign If that though there be some stirring affections now and then yet if the constant frame of the heart be worse then formerly this is a sign of a backsliden heart A man through obstructions may have flushings in his face which may make him look wel but if his constant complexion be pale and wan we say he is not right so here if our hearts are grown dead in duties hard after the commission of sin backward to duties and our thoughts generally vain it shews some great distemper though at times by fits we have some stirring Affections 10. Sign When we grow high and are puft up with our knowledge that now all the Saints in Town and Country are nothing to them and all their gifts they think are nothing to theirs 11. Sign When we grow intimate companions of wicked men the falling at ods with the Saints and the falling in with wicked men is a sad sign of a backsliden heart they are both put together Mat. 24.49 eating and drinking with the drunken and smiting our fellow servants 12. Sign If we cannot bear opposition from the world in our Christian course as we have done but are fit to comply time was when we made nothing of scoff and jears and now we can scarce bear them but are fit to suit our ways to the world that they may let us alone this is a sad saln Spirit 13. Sign If a mans heart is not affected with the thoughts of Gods free Grace in Christ as heretofore this is a sad sign of a spiritual consumption time was when a Sermon of free Grace was like the honey and the hony comb but if ever God recover us the Doctrine of Gods free Grace in Christ will be the sweetest Doctrine in all the world to us I shall not stand to aggravate this backsliding and revolting from the Lord the Lord aggravate it upon our Spirits only that 1 Though the sould be recovered and come safe to heaven yet it hinders our present serviceableness to God and now is our working time Heaven is the time of receiving our time of enjoying 2 The backsliding of professors grieves the Spirit of God more then the sins of other men 3 They bring an evil report upon the ways of God that those that are without will say See what their Religion is it s only a little heat a sudden passion such a one hath done going to Sermons and Meetings now 4 It s a mighty dis heartning to young Beginners to see old Professors backslide and grow so dead Satan perswades them that they will do so too and therefore you had as good never enter upon the profession of Religion you see the ways of God are so strict that they soon grow weary of them thus Satan temps many young Beginners 5 Backsliden Professors are dangerous company for any body wicked men are hardened by their company and thriving Saints are deaded and offended 6. That is a great aggravation of our sin herein that it is without all cause as the Lord said Jer. 2.5,6,7 What iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they have forsaken me Doth not God keep a good house and doth he not bountifully reward that we run away from him 7. Wicked men are constant they don't fall off from their wayes and shall we fall off from the wayes of God Jer. 2.11,12,13 Have the Nations changed their Gods but my people have
mans sins to be unpardoned unforgiven the strength and power that sin hath to damn is from the Law that it is the breach of Gods holy Law but he tels us that Believers are freed from the damning power of sin and from the curses of the Law through Christ Jesus as terrible as death is to nature flesh and blood and to a man that fears hell because it is the day of execution to all that are out of Christ yet a Saint may look upon death with comfort for though it be a dark entry yet it leads to our Fathers House where are many Mansions though it be a rough passage yet it lands us safe in Heaven infinite advantage comes to a Believer by death 1. Perfect enjoyment of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost the sight of whose blessed face shall fill us in Heaven with unconceivable joy for ever 2. Clear understanding of God his Grace and the mysterie of all his dealings with us in the world now we see all these darkly but the Apostle saith then we shall see face to face now how poor and confused is our knowledge how little a portion know we of the Almighty and of his Grace to us then all will be clear 3. Freedom from sin which though it doth not raign in Believers now yet then it shall not in the least remain but they shall be Holy throughout 4. Freedom from afflictions whereof all Gods children are partakers more or less in their Pilgrimage 5. Freedom from all Temptations either to sin or for sin 6. Spiritual and full enjoyment of the Saints and not of Saints in their weaknesses and mistakes which yet we in our Pilgrimage do rightly judge to be a great mercy but then we shall enjoy communion with Saints full of the Spirit Saints made perfect Many particulars might be added to these which shall be omitted for brevities sake but two questions must here be briefly resolved Quest 1. How comes it to pass that many natural men will often wish they were dead and many time die like lambs and others murder themselves Answ 1. It s seldom a real desire that ignorant people have to die but a sinful customary expression 2. If they be in good earnest it ariseth from ignorance 1 Ignorance what a serious thing it is to die 2 Ignorance of their own condition they think they are in Christ and that so death will be an end of all troubles to them 3 Ignorance of the torments of hell as if they were not greater then the troubles they have here for which they wish themselves dead 3 Those that murder themselves are either so distracted by excess of Melancholy or so dejected by some outward crosses or so overwhelmed with despair or so confounded in their understandings by Satan that they are not able to put forth scarce a serious or rational thought but are carried with a strange confusion and hurry of thoughts into any thing 2. But then it will be asked Why many gratious persons seem to be wonderfully a fraid of death before it come and die with very little Comfort seemingly upon their spirits but rather trouble Answ 1. So far as a Saint is flesh and blood and so far as there is corruption in him so far death will be terrible to him yet in the mean while the regenerate part in him desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ as that which is best of all but as Ridley said when he came to die I am not afraid but the flesh will have its course 2 A Saint knoweth more then other men what a serious thing it is to die he considereth the account that is to be given to God and the straitness of the way that leadeth to eternal Life and many times is not so assured of Gods love in Christ and this damps his spirit as to death 3 Though a Saint sometime seems to be unwilling to die yet before the Lord takes them away he usually makes them not only willing but desirous to die to be with Christ and that is a wonderful thing how God can in one moment turn the scales in these things and make that Saint that even now trembled at the thoughts of death now to say Lord here am I When wilt thou send for me home This the Saints have sometimes experience of 4 Their Comfort at death may be damped much and seeming trouble appear to standers by through some secret strong temptations of Satan or through violence of their disease CHAP. XV. The Holiness of Believers HOliness is most properly to be urged upon Believers more then upon natural men the great thing and the first thing that they are to do is to believe in Christ and after they are in Chrst then they are to be urged to walk holily in him Believers are to be holy both in soul and body not only in the thoughts of their hearts but in all the actions of the outward man The Apostle Paul urgeth the holiness of the outward man of the body as well as the heart by six arguments all laid down in the sixth chapter of the first epile to the Corinthians His first Argument is v. 13. How the body is not for fornication but for the Lord and the Lord for the body that is the Lord he is for the body of believers as well as the soul he hath a care of their bodies of their outward man and bestowes many mercies upon the outward man and therefore saith the Apostle there is all the reason in the world that the body the outward man should be for the Lord. His second Argument is in the 14. verse he saith that God will raise up our bodies at the last there is much in that if God will at last raise up the bodies of Believers and glorifie them and make them like to Christs glorious body O how should they glorifie God with their bodies now in the mean while His third Argument is That our bodies are the members of Christ v. 15. His fourth Argument is That our bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost v. 19. His fift Argumentis That we are not our own neither bodies nor souls v. 19. His last argument is that we are bought with a price v. 20. All these Arguments are very strong for a Believers glorifying of God with his body as well as with his soul both which are the Lords Several Arguments may be brought for the Saints holiness in general as 1 the Grace of God in Christ should be such a prevailing Argument to holiness that where there is any Gospel-ingenuity we should reason as the Apostle doth We were dead and we judge that Christ having died for us to save us that it s but reason we should live to him saith he in that place 2 Cor. 5.14,15 the love of Christ constrains us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies it keeps in it stops restrains bridles we have corrupt and wicked hearts by nature but when
to it but the Name of Mass and to call it the Sacrifice of the Mass there are many Promises in the Scripture that there shall be much light in the last dayes Knowledge shall abound 7. A particular Church is a company of visible Saints that join themselves voluntarily together to enjoy the Ordinances of the Lord Jesus among themselves and to build up one another in their most holy faith this appears by the Epistles to the Church of Rome Corinth Ephesus the rest where they are called Saints faithful Brethren sanctified in Christ Jesus such as the Lord had begun a good work in Phil. 1.6,7 The Apostle saith it was meet to think so of every member of that Church yea he calleth the members of the Church of the Thessalonians Elect 1 Thes 1.4 and giveth the Reason ver 5. because that the Gospel came to them not in word only but with power and the Holy Ghost and much assurance not but that in those Churches there might be some that in the sight of God might be unbelievers but when they were taken into to those Churches they had such knowledge and Grace that so far as the Church could judge they could own them to be effectually called Many shifrs may be found out to withstand the Truth but if the Epistles to the Churches be weighed and the practice of the Apostles in the first Churches they are of no weight 8. Whatsoever corruption crept into the Church of Corinth other Churches doth no way alter the case for they were all visible Saints when they were first gathered and the Incestuous person and such were to be Excommunicated 1 Cor 5. else their Church-state would soon have been destroyed for such leaven would soon have leavened the whole lump and though that incestuous person was suffered a while yet upon the Apostles writing to them he was cast out and God so blessed that dreadful Ordinance of Excommunication to him that he repented and was taken in again And for their disorders at the Lords Supper they so repented and reformed upon the writing of that Epistle that the Apostle charges them not with those disorders in his second Epistle to them yea the Apostle in his second Epistle to the Corinthians giveth them great commendations as Ch. 7.12,13,14 Ch. 9.14 he speaks of the exceeding Grace of God in them 9. The more evidence of Grace and satisfaction in every member the purer the Church is at its first gathering 10. Most people amongst us make not so much as an outward profession of Religion how many either hold fundamental Errors or are grosly ignorant or are prophane and scoffers at the Spirit of God and power of godliness yet the Apostle giveth a direction to Timothy to teach the Church what they should do in case of profession that if men have a Form of godliness and deny the power of it declare themselves plainly by their conversations to have no Grace in their hearts he bids us from such to turn away 2 Tim. 3.5 11. The creeping in of corrupt members into Churches the best Churches is so far from being an Argument to lay aside all Rules and care of the Church in admitting members that its a strong Argument to put them upon all Christian care if so many enemies get into the Garrison when every man that cometh in is questioned what will there be when there is no watch nor care at all because that Believers after all their watching praying and believing have some sinful weaknesses should they neglect all care and duty this were a strange Argument Nay but therefore watch and pray and strive and believe for power against corruption 12. The way to come out of confusion into Church order is by godly mens joyning together as a Church of Christ upon good satisfaction of one anothers Grace and so to chuse their Officers that are to be their Overseers in the Lord the choice of whom by the Church is part of their liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free that society of people is no longer fit to be called a Church that must have their Officers imposed on them 13. In the common way there is little like Church-fellowship instead of watching over one another to keep one another up there is watching for one anothers halting rejoycing in them instead of Heavenly Discourse swearing and cursing 14. Though the generality of people amongst us do not in words deny Christ and the Doctrine of the Gospel but in words agree to it as it is the Religion of their country commonly here professed yet they no otherwise profess it then they would do any other Religion if it should be publiquely commanded as the main Body in King Henry the eighths time and Edward the sixt Q. Mary and Q. Elizabeth turned four times in twelve years therefore let not wise and gracious men lay weight upon such a sandy verbal Profession of men that hath no signs accompanying it of Grace and sincerity in their hearts 15. When Believers enter into Church-fellowship what can be said against a Holy Covenant thereby professing and declaring the full purposes of their hearts to walk in all the Ordinances of Christ and in the fellowship of that Church as God shall give them light assistance and opportunity such engagements in all Politique Bodies have their use 16. Although living together be convenient for those that joyn in Church-fellowship especially some of them for to manage Church Affairs that they may be alwayes present yet rather then to live without the Ordinances all our dayes in a way satisfying to our own consciences we may joyn to the nearest Churches till God open a door of opportunity for us at home 17. The Church is not the Officers but the Body of the Saints Acts 15.4 And when they were come to Jerusalem they were received of the Church and of the Apostles and Elders so that the Apostles and Elders were not counted the Church and ver 22. then it pleased the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church so the Apostle in his Epistles to Rome Corinth and the rest calleth the Body of the Saints the Church I know not how any Officers of the Churches can be the Church Representative as some phrase it except they be Deputed and appointed by a Church to be their Messengers to transact any business for them and in their stead and of Messengers of the Churches in that sense we read in the Scripture 18. If that one thing were done among the godly in the Nation that visible Saints embodied together and chose their Officers to go out before them in the Lord all other differences about the power of particular congregations and the jurisdiction of Synods and the like would either by light or love among the Churches be sweetly composed but while many godly Ministers stand so stiff upon their former ordination that will look for no solemn Call from those Churches they count themselves Pastors of and observe no way of