Ignorance yet having knowledg of so many saving Truths we hope in time God will reclaim you from your Error Well then 1. Here 's a Difference or Dissent supposed Thus minded and otherwise minded 2. Lenity expressed towards the Dissenters If in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even â—his to you Doct. That when God's People are divided in Opinion all Lenity and mutual Forbearance should be used to prevent things from coming to an open Rupture So sweet and mild was the Discipline in the Apostles days that he would not compel Men to do what-ever he or others did conceive to be Good or to forbear what they did conceive to be Evil but without force leave them to God's Direction and Illumination Here let me shew you I. What Lenity and Forbearance should be used II. The Reasons why Lenity and Forbearance should be used I. What Lenity and Forbearance should be used Let us state it in these Considerations 1. There may be and often are Differences of Opinion about lesser Things in the Church Partly Because of the different degrees of Light All Barks that sail to Heaven draw not alike depth of Water And partly because of the remainders of Corruption in all Inordinate Self-love is not in all alike broken and mortified and so their particular Interests have an influence upon their Opinions And partly because of the accidental Prejudices of Education and Converse c. 2. When these Differences arise we should take care they come not to a Rupture and open Breach This is the course the Apostle taketh here he doth not by and by despair of the Dissenters and reject them as Hereticks but beareth with them hoping in charity God will at length reveal their Error to them by the ministry of his Servants through the powerful Operation of his Spirit and not suffer them to run on in dividing Courses from the rest of his People So should we do in like cases partly because when these Differences of Opinion breed Divisions and Separations the Church is destroyed Gal. 5. 15. For if ye bite and devour one another take heed ye be not consumed one of another Backbitings Revilings and Reproaches make way for a total Vastation of the whole Church a ruin to both Parties Partly because the whole is scandalized John 17. 21. That they may all be one that the World may believe that thou hast sent me Divisions in the Church breed Atheism in the World Partly because there are Enemies which watch for our halting and by our Divisions we are laid open to them Our Lord and Master hath told us with his own Mouth That a Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand Mat. 12. 35. Never was it so well with the People of God but besides their Divisions among themselves they had common Enemies and Nazianzen calls them Common Reconcilers because they should ingage God's People to an unanimous opposition to the Kingdom of Satan in the World And partly because then mutual Means of Edification are hindred As long as Charity and mutual Forbearance remaineth there is hope of doing good to one another but when Men break out into opposite Parties they are prejudiced against all that Light that they should receive one from another suspecting every Point as counsel from an Enemy Gal. 4. 16. Am I therefore become your Enemy because I tell you the Truth When Men are once ingaged in a way of Error whosoever is an Enemy to their Error is counted an Enemy to themselves Yâ—a they can hardly bear that sound Doctrine which doth directly cross their Opinions but are apt to cavil at all that 's said by a Dissenter And partly because when Men give themselves up to separating and narrow Principles the Power of Godliness is lost and all their Zeal is laid out upon their petty and private Opinions and so Religion is turned into a disputacity That 's the Reason why the Apostle doth so often tell them Gal. 6. 15. For in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but a new Creature And Gal. 5. 6. For in Iesus Christ neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith that worketh by Love And 1 Cor. 7. 19. Circumcision is nothing and Vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping the Commandments of God Observe it where you will and you shall find that Separation and Distance from the rest of Believers doth not befriend Godliness but undermine it A Regiment fighting apart from the rest of the Army of Christ is always lost through their own peevishness at least they lose great Advantages of promoting the Kingdom of Christ. 3. To prevent this open Rupture there must be all Lenity used and mutual Forbearance we must not rigorously obtrude our Conceits upon others either by Church-Power or private Censure it may be done either way Sometimes by Church-Power especially when 't is possessed or invaded by the more self-seeking sort of Christians as we read in the Revelations of the Beast that pushed with the Horns of a Lamb that is used Church-Power and under a pretence of Church-Constitution destroyed them that were truly the Church of Christ. And our Lord telleth us Iohn 16. 2. They shall put you out of the Synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you shall think that he doth God good service Putting them out of the Synagogues was an abuse of Ecclesiastical Power it may be so the Builders may refuse the Corner-Stone On the other side private Censures may as much break the Law of Forbearance as publick Censures When Inferiors promote their Differences with Turbulency Heat and Animosity and rend and tear all things yea themselves from the Body of Christ and sober Christians censuring all that dissent from them as no Christians There is such a Sin under the Gospel as the gain-saying of Corah Jude 11. The Sin of Corah is and may be committed in the New Testament The Sin of Corah was invading an Office that no way belonged to him and censured his Superiors as if they took too much upon them because all the Lord's People were Holy and erected another Ministry in their stead He being a Levite would do the Office of a Priest as well as Aaron and when summoned to appear before Moses said We will not come Numb 16. 11 12. Now the Apostle saith in the perishing of Korah their own Doom was foretold Again vers 19. These are they that separate themselves sensual not having the Spirit Whence 't is clear that private Men in their Sphere may rend the Church And the Factions at Corinth proved it 1 Cor. 1. 12. I am of Paul and I am of Apollo and I am of Cephas and I am of Christ As impailing and impropriating the common Salvation to themselves Much milder was the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. 2. Iesus Christ theirs and ours Now what Remedy is there but Lenity and mutual Forbearance This I shall state 1. As to the matter of the strife It must
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Concision who instead of circumcising themselves did cut asunder the Church of God But the sound Believers were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Circumcision indeed as being circumcised by the Circumcision made without Hands in putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flâ—sh by Christ Câ—ll 2. 11. They were the true Children of Abraham who did indeed perform that for which Circumcision was intended For we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the Flesh. In the words we have a three-fold Description of the True Circumcision How they stand affected To God Christ Self I. They worship God in the Spirit II. They rejoice in Christ Jesus III. They have no confidence in the Flesh. I. They worship God in the Spirit This Clause may be interpreted 1. In opposition to the Legal Ordinances So 't is taken Iohn 4. 23 24. But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth For the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth The Jewish Worship is in a sense called Carnal the Christian Spiritual Heb. 7. 16. A Carnal Commandment Heb. 9. 10. Carnal Ordinances imposed on them till the Time of Reformation And Shadows Heb. 10. 1. Now the Lord would have a Spiritual Worship and the Truth of what was in these Shadows these external Forms he allowed instituted in the Infancy of the Church so that they worship God in the Spirit is they have embraced the true Worship of the Gospel and serve God not by the Carnal Rites of the Law but by the pure rational Worship of the Gospel This is part of the sense 2. It implieth worshipping God with the inward and spiritual Affections of a renewed Heart Heb. 12. 28. Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved Let us have Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear Worship flowing from Grace engaging the Heart in God's Service is that which God prizeth Therefore a Christian should not rest in an External Form God is my Witness whom I serve with my Spirit Rom. 1. 9. 3. It doth also imply the Assistance and continual Influence of the Holy Spirit Ephes. 6. 18. Praying always with all Prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints And Iude v. 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost The Doctrine is this That a True Christian is known by his Worship or is one that doth worship God in the Spirit Here I shall shew you 1. What is Worship 2. What a true Christian 1. doth worship 2. Why in the Spirit 1. What is Worship 'T is either Internal or External The Internal consisteth in the Love and Reverence we owe to God The External in those Offices and Duties by which our Honour and Respect to God is signified and expressed 1. Internal The Soul and Life of our Worship lieth in Faith and Reverence and delight in God above all other things Psal. 2. 11. Serve the Lord with Fear and rejoice with Trembling Such a delight as will become the greatness and goodness of God Worship hath its Rise and Foundation in the Heart of the Worshipper there it must begin In our high thoughts and esteem of God especially two things Love and Trust. 1. Love Deut. 6. 5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart with all thy Soul and with all thy Might We worship God when we give him such a Love as is Superlative and Transcendental far above the Love that we give to any other thing that so our respect to other things may sâ—oop and give way to our respect to God 2. The other Affection whereby we express our esteem of God is Trust which is the other Foundation of Worship Psal. 62. 8. Trust in the Lord at all Times pour out your Hearts before him Delightful adhesion to God and an intire dependance upon him if either fail or be intermitted our Worship faileth If Delight Job 27. 10. Will he delight himself in the Almighty Will he always call upon God Isa. 43. 22. But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel They that love God and delight in him cannot be long out of his company They take all Opportunities and Occasions of being with God So Dependance and Trust Heb. 3. 12. Take Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil Heart of unbelief in departing from the Living God James 1. 6 7. Let him ask in Faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a Wave of the Sea driven with the Wind and tossed For let not that Man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. Dependance begets Observance They that distrust God's Promises will not long keep his Precepts If we look for all from him we will often come to him and take all out of his hands Be careful that we do not offend him and displease him 2. External In those Offices and Duties by which our Honour and Respect to God is signified and expressed As by Invocation Thanksgiving Praises Obedience God will be owned both in Heart and Life In all these prescribed Duties by which our Affections towards him are acted If God did not call for outward Worship why did he appoint the Ordinances of Preaching Praying singing Psalms Baptism and the Lord's Supper God that made the whole Man Body and Soul must be worshipped of the whole Man Therefore besides the Inward Affections there must be External Actions In short we are said to worship God either with respect to the Duties which are more directly to be performed to God or in our whole Conversation 1. With respect to the Duties which imply our solemn Converse with God and are more directly to be performed towards him such as the Word Prayer Praise Thanksgiving and Sacraments Surely these must be attended upon because they are special Acts of Love to God and Trust in him And these Duties are the ways wherein God hath promised to meet with his People and appointed us to expect his Grace Exod. 20. 24. In all places where I record my Name I will come unto thee and bless thee And Mark 4. 24. 'T is a Rule of Commerce between us and God With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you and unto you that hear shall more be given 2. In our whole Conversation Luke 1. 74 75. That we should serve him without Fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the days of our lives A Christian's Life is a constant Hymn to God or a continued Act of Worship ever behaving himself as in the sight of God and directing all things as to his Glory He turneth Second-Table Duties into First James 1. 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the
Spirit which is the great Testimony and Pledg of his Love then is our Pardon executed or actually applied to us And we receive the Attonement Rom. 5. 11. And 2 Cor 5. 8. All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Iesus Câ—rist that is all thiâ—gs which belong to the New Creature vers 17. And that 's the Reason why God is said to sanctify as a God of Peace that is as reconciled to us in Christ see 1 Thess. 5. 23. And the very God of Peace sanctify you wholly and Heb. 13. 20 21. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good Work to do his Will c. And in all God's internal Government with the Saints he sheweth his pleasure or displeasure with the Saints by giving or withholding and withdrawing the Spirit as it were easy to prove to you Well then you see the Reasons why in believing in Christ we reflect the Eye of our Faith on Reconciliation as the prime initial Benefit 2. The next great consummating Benefit is the everlasting Fruition of God in Glory For Christ's Office is to recover us to God and bring us to God which is never fully and compleatly done till we come to Heaven Therefore the saving of the Soul is the prime Benefit offered to us by Jesus Christ to which all other tend As Justification and Sanctification and by which all our Pains and Losses for Christ are recompenced and from which we fetch our comfort all along the course of our Pilgrimage and upon the Hopes of which the Life of Grace is carried on and the Temptations of sense are defeated So that this is the main Blâ—ssing which Faith aimeth at see the Scriptures 1 Tim. 1. 16. For a Pattern to them who should hereafter believe on him to everlasting Life Wherefore do Men believe in Christ but for this end that they may obtain everlasting Life Wherefore were the Scriptures written John 20. 31. These things are written that ye might believe that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have Life through his Name The Scriptures are written thâ—â— we might know Christ aright who is the â—ernel and Marrow of them and the chief Benefit we have by him is Life or the Salvation of our Souls and therefore well may it be called in the Text The End of our Faith 4. In the next place I add the immediate Acts and Effects of it 1. Such as maketh us to forsake all things in this World And 2. give up our selves to the Conduct of the Word and Spirit for the obtaining this Happiness 1. To forsake all things in this World As soon as we address our selves seriously to believe we turn our backs upon them namely upon the Pleasures and Honours and Profits of this World We forsake them in Vow and Resolution when we are converted and begin to believe for Conversion is a turning from the Creature to God As soon as we 〈◊〉 believe and hope for the Fruition of God in Glory as purchased and promised by Christ our hearts are weaned and withdrawn from the false Happiness not perfectly but yet sincerely and we actually renounce and forsake them at the call of God's Providence when they are inconsistent with our fidelity to Christ and the hopes of that Happiness which his Promises offer to us Now that our Faith must be expressed by forsaking all yea that it is essential to Faith and nothing else is saving-Faith but this as appeareth 1. By the Doctrinal Descriptions of it in the Gospel which I shall describe to you according to my usual method our Lord hath told us That the Kingdâ—m of Heaven is like a Merchant man Mat. 13. 45 46. seeking goodly Pearls Who when he had found one Pearl of great Price he went and sold all that he had and bought it And surely he knew the Nature of Faith better than we do Many cheapen the Pearl of Priâ—e but they do not go through with the â—â—â—gain because they do not sell all to purchase iâ— Faith implieth such a sense of the Excellency and Truth of Salvaâ—ion by Christ that you must chuse it and let go all which is inconsistent with this Choice and Trust. All your sinful Pleasures Profit Reputation and Life it self rather than forfeit these Hopes Luke 14. 26. 〈◊〉 any Man come to me and hate not Father and Mother and Brother and 〈…〉 Disciple and his own Life he cannot 〈…〉 And vers 33. Whosoeve◠〈…〉 that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple After such express Declarations of the Will of Christ why should we think of going to Heaven at a châ—â—per rate Christ must be preferred above all that is nearest or dearest or else he will not be for our turn nor we for his The same is inferred out of the Doctrine of Self-denial Mat. 16. 24. If any Man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me For Self-denial hath a greater Relation to Faith and is nearer of kin to Faith than the World imagineth 't is the immediate Fruit of our Trust. If God be trusted as our supream Felicity he must be loved above all things and all things must give way to God If Christ be trusted as the way to the Father all things must be counted dung and loss that we may gain Christ Phil. 3. 8. The same is inferred out of the Baptismal Covenant which is a renouncing the Devil the World and the Flesh and a chusing Father Son and Holy Ghost for our God if there be a chusing there must be a renouncing The Devil by the World tempts our Flesh from the Christian Hope therefore Idols must be renounced before we can have the True God for our God Iosh. 24. 23. Put away the strange Gods which are among you and incline your Heart to the Lord God of Israel Naturally our God is our Belly while Carnal Phil. 3. 19. Mammon is our God Mat. 6. 24. The Devil is our God Col. 1. 13. And Ephes. 2. 2 3. Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the Power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience Among whom also we all had our Conversation in times past in the Lusts of our Flesh fulfilling the Desires of the Flesh and of the Mind and were by Nature the Children of Wrath even as others Besides the Nature of the thing Baptism implieth this Renunciation 1 Pet. 3. 21. And this Renunciation is nothing else but a forsaking all that we may have eternal Life by Christ. 2. It appeareth by Reasons For 1. Faith cannot be without this forsaking Nor 2. this forsaking without Faith 1. Faith cannot be without this forsaking For Faith implieth a sight of the Truth and