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
Church over which the holy Ghost hath made you Overseers or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad pascendam Ecclesiam Dei to feed the Church of God And in Eph. 4.11 he that is Christ vers 10. gave Pastors and Teachers for the work of the Ministry vers 11. And as they are given authorized and sent of God or set by him in the Churches so he hath allotted and appointed them their several distinct works and businesses there and charged them to take heed and see they do it as he appoints Acts 20.17 18. Rom. 12.7 8. Heb. 13.17 1 Tim. 5.17 and takes special care about their qualifications for their work 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. yea he gives and bestows Gifts and abilities himself on them for the Churches sakes that they may be able ministers of the New-Testament not of the letter only but of the Spirit and promises to be with them himself in all their endeavours to discharge their Trust and perform their works Eph. 4. Rom. 12. Mat. 28. vlt. and will bless and prosper their labours to his Glory and the Churches benefit Now assuredly God would never have made such provisions for Churches of humane Invention and setting up he would never so far own the works of mens hands without his mind Authority appointment and therefore seeing God hath provided and set Officers in them appointed them their works qualified fitted them by his Spirit promised to be with them particular Churches of Believers must be of divine Institution of God not of men Sixthly This further appears by the order and discipline Christ hath appointed and required to be observed and practised in his Churches He hath appointed and given Officers unto them as before-said and to them hath he committed the use exercise and power of the Keys to open and shut his door to execute his Laws and to manage his concernments and houshold-affairs therein namely in his Name and by the Authority he hath given them for that end and purpose and he hath charged the Churches to Obey and submit themselves to them in the Lord in the exercising of their power and Authority in his name to his Glory and the Churches profit according to his direction Heb. 13.7 17. 1 Thes 5.12 These Officers or Elders have the power and Authority of Christ in their hands to correct offenders to instruct admonish and reprove and in case of obstinacy to cast them out or remove them from their membership in the Churches which the Churche's suffrage and upon Repentance to receive them in again Mat. 16.18 19. 1 Cor. 5.4 5.7 12 13. 2 Cor. 2. The neglect of which Christ reproves the Churches of Asia for Rev. 2.14 20. And as the Churches have by their Elders the orders and discipline of Christ with power and Authority to use and exercise the same so each particular Church hath power to chuse and appoint Officers for themselves namely such as they judge the Lord Jesus hath appointed and fitted for them such as he offers and presents to them and gives a place and interest in their hearts Acts 14.23 Acts. 6.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quumque ipis per susfragia creassent per singulas Ecclesias Beza a Church may Authoritatively do that which Believers cannot so do in a single and individual capacity as Believers but they may as a congregated Body and as an incorporated society who have voluntarily given up themselves and engaged to one another to Jesus Christ by the Will of God to submit to walk together by the same Laws and Rules of the Society or Corporation These have not singly but joyntly as a Corporation the power and exercise of discipline When ye are come together deliver such a one to Satan in the Name of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 5.4 and if he will not hear thee tell it to the Church c. Mat. 16. So then if Christ hath given Rules laws and power of order and discipline to particular congregated Churches of Believers then they are of divine Institution And indeed spiritual discipline cannot elsewhere be rightly exercised Seventhly This Truth is further confirmed by their names and honourable Titles God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son calls them by their own names and so owns them for their own Churches 1 Cor. 3.16 17. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy for the Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are So 2 Cor. 6.16 And as Jesus Christ honours them with the high stile and Title of his holy Temple so also his Habitation Eph. 2.22 and his Houshold Eph. 2.19 as also the Houshold of Faith Gal. 6.10 And further he intitles them his Churches or the Churches of God and Christ and golden Candlesticks Rev. 1.20 Rom. 16.16 1 Cor. 11.16 2 Thes 1.4 And that in allusion to the old Temple and Candlesticks thereof which were of his own appointment Moreover a particular congregated Church of Believers is called the House of God 1 Tim. 3.5.15 Heb. 3.5 6. and Christ his Walks Rev. 2.1 These were particular Congregational Churches that he thus owns and honours with such Titles viz the particular Churches of Ephesus Corinthians Thessalonians Eightly Believers as inchurched or incorporoted Bodies are spoken to by name the great dis overies made of Gods purposes and intended works in the latter daies are directed and given to them by the Spirit Hence it is often said in the Revelations he that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches which were distinct incorporated Bodies and Societies of Believers Rev 2.7 17 29. Rev. 3.6 13 22. The Holy Ghost reveals to them the rice name nature and works of Antichrist what he should be and what he should do from whence he should come what he should do to the Churches Temple and beloved City of God and what his end should be There he describes the New Jerusalem and Church-state of Gods People and what he would do with and for them There they are shewed largely and abundantly the care and Love of Christ to his People of the warr and conflicts that shall be between the Dragon Beasts Whore false Prophet and Jesus Christ and his followers as also the Issue of all as you may find in that book of the Revelations All which shews that particular Churches of Believers are of God For the Holy Spirit would never own the Inventions of men so farr as to make known to them such great things as he there declares unto the Churches Ninthly If particular congregational Churches had not been of divine Institution but of mens devising then surely Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit would have sharply reproved them for their setting up their posts by God posts as he did the Jews Ezek. 43.8 and as he reproved them for their miscarriages in their Church-state Rev. 2.3 and the Corinthians and Galatians c. But we never find them reproved or
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
places and worship God together conscienciously and dutifully this lightens gladens and comforts their hearts strengthens their hands and puts as it were a new life into them It oyles the Wheels and helps to make them run on easily sweetly and comfortably If it be the duty of Ministers to wait on their Office to Preach the word in season and out of season to attend to the Ministry of the word and to feed their flocks and watch over them as indeed it is Then undoubtedly it is the indispensible duty of such to attend and wait on their Ministry For the work is relative And the same Authority that binds the one binds also the other The one must Preach and Administer and the other must freely dutifully and constantly wait on their Administrations And let me tell you and assure you that by your deserting your Ministers in whole or in part you despise them and their Ministry you expose your selves to inevitable Reproach for it is a scandalous sin and your Ministers and their Ministry to great derision and contempt and this will cost you dear one day Obj. But we cannot profit by them their Ministrations are dead to us Answ It may be so but whose fault is that theirs or yours will you lay the blame on them when indeed it is your own is that justice or horrible injustice Prov. 17.15 He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord. You did once value and esteem them and found life and refreshing in their Ministry else why did you joyn with them call and chuse them for your Ministers They did not force themselves on you you were at your free choice to refuse them and sit down under others Ministry Besides while you pretend that the cause of your deserting such as you have chosen and once found good by others of the same Congregation find their Ministry very profitable to them still and continue to wait on it and bless God for it and abhor all thoughts of deserting it If so then it is evident that God is with your Ministers and blesses their Ministry and then what follows but that the fault is in you not in your Ministry For why should not you profit by it as well as others but that the obstruction is at home And it would better become you and argue a better spirit in you to search out the plagues of your own hearts and lay the blame where it is than where it is not If you find no good by their Ministry is it not because you 1 have left God in secret God and you are become strangers at home If it be so as most likely it is then wonder not if the Ordinances of God profit you not For what can you expect to find in Divine Ordinances when God is departed from you because you are departed from God There is a woe pronounced to such Hosea 9.12 2. Do you not live in some known sin without Repentance It is more than probable you do and if so then be sure you will find no good in any of Gods Ordinances untill that Idol be removed by Repentance out of your hearts and hands Ezek. 14.2 3 7. Joshua 7. says God to such I will answer you according to your Idols who presume to come before me with Idols in your hearts as every known sin is 3. Have you not conceived a displeasure and taken up prejudice against your Ministers persons or their Ministry If so no marvel if you profit not by them But then I say that 's your fault not theirs you have laid a stumbling block in your own way and obstruct your profitting by the works of your own hands So some of the Corinthians were prejudiced against Paul and they could by no means profit by his Ministry and therefore away they go to Apollo Why what 's the matter why he had not such excellent speech and language as Apolle had 1 Cor. 2.1 and his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible 2 Cor. 10.10 Alas Paul is an inconsiderable fellow We did love affect and wait on his Ministry and time was we received profit by it But now the case is altered Paul is no man for us no but Apollo a man of more Eloquence shall be our man now a Rush for Paul Well to Apollo they go and leave poor Paul to Preach to their seats or shift for himself But it is not long that Apollo shall please them and be their man no but to Cephas they go and where then God knows But was this their vertue and a proof of their spiritual growth and attainments no but on the contrary the Holy Ghost tells them once and again that they did wickedly by their shiftings from one Teacher to another and proved themselves but poor low carnal professors 1 Cor. 3.1 2 3. This is ordinarily if not alwayes one cause of mens leaving their own Ministers And you that are guilty of it now will find this evil humour at the bottom of your shifting and withdrawing from your Teachers would you suffer your Consciences to speak out and search them to the bottom but that you are not willing to see your own spots in a clear Glass 4. Do you not profit by the Ministry of your own Ministers why is it not your Pride do you not conceit that you are wiser than they and so they are unmeet and unworthy to teach you and you are too high and good to learn or be taught of them half an eye may see that this is also in the bottom of your desertions you are not poor and hungry hearers nor little in your own eyes but are too full of conceits of your own abilities and base conceits of your Teachers and therefore you are not profitted by their Ministry This also was the Corinthians Disease which made them slight Paul's Ministry as unprofitable and unworthy of them 1 Cor. 4.2 11. 5. And as in these causes at home you will or may find why you do not profit by the Ministry of your own Teachers so likewise because the world and the deceitful pleasures and profits thereof do lye deep in your hearts and swallow up yea drown your minds and affections In a word you want love to Christ his word Ordinances and Ministers and therefore you do not profit you do not pray heartily and fervently for them that God would make them able Ministers of the New Testament and bless their Ministry to your Souls profit and therefore they profit you not Again you trouble distract and grieve their hearts contrary to the will of God and therefore they cannot profit you And by these and many other sinful wayes you grieve the holy Spirit so as that he will not concur with nor bless and prosper their sincere endeavours to do you good But then I say still the fault is in you not in them they would but cannot mend these things in you but so may you if
what they please 2. Be tender of your Ministers good Names and endeavour to preserve them in Credit and Reputation to the utmost of your power as you have opportunity For this is the will of Christ and your duty If you are charged to honour them and highly to esteem them for their works sake 1 Tim. 5.17 1 Thes 5.12 13. as aforesaid then you are bound by the same Laws to keep up and maintain their honour credit and reputation among your own selves and with others and not hear them villified slighted and contemned by Back biters behind their backs while you are lookers on and hearers of it and hold your Tongues and speak not for their vindication as too many do But rather joyn with them and justifie such wretches by their silence and connivence if not positively fall in with them then shew their indignation against them respect to honour of and zeal for their Ministers and their Ministry It is well known that when their good Names suffer the Ministry of Christ in their hands suffers with them and proves a great hindrance to the Gospel and we cannot be ignorant of Satans devices and his industry and design to obstruct the Gospel and the profit of Souls by stirring up evil Tongues to blast their Reputation who labour in the Gospel And the more faithful diligent sincere and successful they are the more industriously will Satan by his evil Instruments pursue them with Reproaches That so their labours may be rendred useless Witness Jeremy Paul yea Christ himself who were exceeding faithful diligent and useful in the World to men Yet how were they bespattered with evil Tongues and rendred unworthy Inhabitants of the World And the same Spirit is still working and like Instruments ready to do the same work against your Ministers now Therefore you must do as Peter did Acts 2.12 13. when he heard the mouths of men open against them namely stand up stoutly for their vindication and sharply reprove their Back-biters and wicked slanderers and by no means give them any encouragement by your harkning to or silence at them Christ vindicated Joshua against the Devils accusation and Reproaches Zach. 3.1 2 3 4. so do you your Ministers But especially do not you who are Church-Members receive or entertain an accusation against your Teachers at all behind their backs nor under two or three credible witnesses before their faces nor be Whisperers against or Back-biters of them your selves one to another For that is such horrible wickedness as God and their Lord and Master will most certainly revenge and arise in due time to plead their cause against you although he may seem to wink at it for a time And know that if your Ministers know not your doings yet God takes special notice of them and will declare his abhorrence of them to your shame and sorrow at last Blessed Ezekiel had his Whisperers and Back-biters by the Walls unknown to him but God detected them Ezek. 33.30 31 32 33. read the words at large They were a Generation that carried it smoothly and fairly to his face but cruelly snarled at him behind his back and set their venomous Teeth in his flesh as too many Professors do now deal with their Teachers Many Church-members do greatly please themselves now with talking to one another against their Teachers behind their backs and blame them for this and that and so wipe their mouths and say they have done no evil They can with delight hear them villified receive and entertain false accusations against them from their bitter Enemies yea and report what they have heard to others also and bless themselves in their so doing But let such know that they have done very abominably and unrighteously and their sin will assuredly find them out in Gods time The Lord Jesus charges you that you receive not an accusation against an Elder under two or three witnesses 1 Tim. 5.19 and yet they dare do it upon the back-biting accusation of one malitious Accuser God charges you to honour your Ministers and to uphold and maintain their Credit and Reputation in the Church and World for his name and Gospels sake and the good of Souls But you dare stand by and by your silence countenance their back-biting Reproachers while you hear them discredit and dishonour them and that which is yet worser you give your positive consent to their wickedness and joyn Issues with them by receiving crediting and entertaining of what they say God peremptorily charges you not to Whisper against back-biters nor speak evil of any man nor be a Tale-bearer Levit. 19.16 Tit. 3.2 Jam. 4.11 Eph. 4.31 2 Cor. 12.20 and particularly of Teaching-Rulers Exod. 22.28 Act. 23.5 But you dare to do it as it were in spight of God and your own Consciences of and against your Elders Oh! let your Ministers good Names be of great esteem with you and near and dear unto you Be you very cheary and tender of them and do not in any way by any means either by Omission or Commission dishonour or discredit them For by your so doing you disobey the will of God and dishonour him and declare that you hate your Ministers although you pretend to love honour them that you contemn them although you pretend the contrary never so much Yea you are guilty of real Murder as I have abundantly proved from Scripture in a book entituled The evil Tongue tryed and found guilty c. 3. Visit your Ministers often and be not strange or strangers to them for that will much discourage them in their work There is a near Relation between Pastors and their Churches which calls for frequent visits and your frequent visits if free and voluntary and the fruits of your love to them and esteem of them especially if well improved will be very refreshing comforting and encouraging to them If they are freely willing to give you loving and profitable visits then so should you to them your Elders love your Company and glad to see you free and open hearted in your converses with them about your concernments when seriously and meekly managed and the contrary is very grievous and offensive to their Souls For how can they think you love and esteem them when you will not vouchsafe it may be to give them a visit in a whole year together or how can they believe you profit by and value their labours when you are so exceeding shy of their Company and strange in your carriages towards them your voluntary visits might be improved to great profit to both and I am perswaded that the neglect of this is sinful and not a little detrimental or injurious to their Souls As their work will not permit it so 't is unreasonable that your Teachers should alwayes go to you if they will speak with you Therefore you should come to them as well as they go to you Well then encourage them by your so doing and you will reap the profit of it as
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
evil spoken of 13. Be sure to make good and perform all your peremptory promises to men and take heed and beware of breaking them or failing and disappointing men of their just expectations from you for that also will be scandalous and offensive 14. Take heed of taking into a marriage-bond such as are apparently in an unbelieving and carnal state and condition For that also is very offensive to holy serious men although some make light of it 15. Take heed of idleness and slothfulness in your Callings For that will prove a pernitious and scandalous sin to others and your own souls too 16. Take not up a Report against one another that is scandalous nor give an ear unto Tatlers and busie-bodies nor be you busie-bodies in other mens matters your selves For if you do you will give great offence These are some and but some of the scandalous evils that you must carefully avoid as a duty that you owe to God to your Brethren and to your own souls I could have named many more but I find these the most common amongst Professors Now as you must avoid these and other evils mind and practise the said Duties as Church-Members one to another so you must seriously mind the manner reasons and ends of doing them also The reason of your so doing must be the will of Christ your Head and King because he hath so commanded you And the principle of all you do must be love to him and to the souls of your Brethren The ends must be to please honour and exalt the Lord Jesus and to profit and benefit your Brethrens souls and maintain the Credit and Reputation of the Church and the Worship and Ordinances of God therein and to preserve Peace and Purity among your selves The manner must be thus namely wisely dutifully chearfully obediently freely willingly humbly holily seriously diligently sincerely and perseveringly For you should be as careful of doing your Duties to men in a right manner as you are of performing your Duties immediately to God so I can but mention these things because I have exceeded my intentions in others The Lord God bless them to you all CHAP. VIII Of the Ordinances and Worship of God in a Gospel-Church Quest WHat Ordinances of Divine Worship hath God given to and appointed for a Gospel-Church to be observed by them Answ First walking together in constant Cordial Communion and Gospel Order in a Church-state in Brotherly love peace and oneness of spirit in the frequent and joynt Celebration of all the worship and appointments of Christ is certainly an Ordinance of Christ and their Indispensâ—ble Duty as hath been already shewed Believers may not enter their names among Christ's Disciples and then take liberty to do what they please omit or neglect their place and duty there when and how they will and content themselves with having their names enrolled in a Church come among them and go from them at their own will and pleasure No but it is the will and Ordinance of our Lord Jesus that they should constantly and conscientiously in obedience to his holy will abide and continue there holding Communion or Fellowship together as a united and entire body or spiritual Corporation and joyntly with one mind heart and soul observe and celebrate his Ordinances and Worship Heb. 10.24 25. Acts 2.42 44 46 47. Rom. 15.6 1 Cor. 1.10 Secondly Preaching and hearing the Gospel It is true that this is not a special Church-Ordinance or an Ordinance appointed for and given to Churches or to Believers exclusive of all others For it is the great Ordinance of God for the converting quickning and bringing sinners to Christ Rom 1.16 1 Thes 1.5 By this Ordinance God conveys his special Grace and the spirit of Grace into sinners hearts By it he opens blind eyes unstops deaf cars enlivens dead Souls and convinces carnal men of sin Righteousness and Judgments Acts 26.18 Joh. 5.25 Joh. 16.7 8. And by it he turns them from the power of Satan unto God and works them to and for his own use makes them Vessels of Honour and translates them out of the Kingdom of darkness and the Devil into his own Kingdom Col. 1.13 The great Ordinance of Preaching and hearing the Law and Gospel is given and appointed to make fit and prepare sinful men for Membership with Christ his holy Gospel-Churches For until they are moulded and qualified by the word and spirit they are no way capable of either considering what condition all men are in by sinful nature namely dead blind filthy vile hateful enemies to God Children of Satan under the Law the curse and wrath of God strangers to and ignorant of God Christ Grace Duty and Gospel-holiness But although hearing and preaching the word of God be an Ordinance of God to others namely such as are not en-Churched to prepare them for that State and the Duties and Priviledges thereof yet I think it may be called a Church-Ordinance also For the Lord Jesus hath by his soveraign Authority set this Ordinance in his Gospel-Churches and committed the Preaching of it unto men there namely to such as he is said to impower and send to give unto and set among them for the work of the Ministry 1 Cor. 12.28 Acts 20.28 Eph. 4.10 18. Act. 14.23 1 Tim. 5.17 The Ministry of their Pastors and Teachers is their own Ministry and these Officers being given to them by Christ and set in his Churches for their sakes they may call the Ordinance their Ordinance such Officers theirs and their Ministry theirs as having a peculiar Relation to them which is one of the Churches peculiar priviledges and which they ought highly to prize and bless God for Now as some men are gifted impowered and sent out by Christ to convert and turn men to Christ who may not have any Relation to Churches as their Pastors or Teachers so there is the special and peculiar Ministry of Pastors and Teachers given to and set in the Churches whose work and business lyes there and but occasionally else-where to other men Take heed sayes the Apostle to the Flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God Act. 20.28 The ends of these Officers and their Ministry in the Church is not intended for the calling and regenerating of Church-Members for as was shewed they must be effectually called and regenerated before they can be meet Members of a Holy Temple of God but to build up and carry on the work of Grace in their hearts holiness and fruitfulness in their lives and walkings towards God and men To confirm and establish them in the Truth and Faith of Christ which they have received and to instruct and enlighten them further in all Christ's and their own souls concernments This Ordinance of God is intended and designed by the Lord Jesus and it should be so used and managed by all Teachers and Hearers continually to carry on the work of Grace to convey
and receive more of the Grace that is in Christ Jesus for them to convince them of and shew them more clearly the evil of sin the deceits of their hearts the power of in-dwelling lusts the Wiles and Methods of Satan the necessity of Christ and his blood and of his Ordinances and Institutions To shew and convince them of the Excellency Beauty and Loveliness of Christ and the love and grace of God to them in him To Preach and hear their hearts and souls into clearer knowledge of the three persons and one eternal living God and into more acquaintance with them so likewise into more cordial and unfeigned more strong and fervent pure and constant love to him To acquaint themselves with the nature usefulness and proper life of faith perswade and work their hearts to it practically and dutifully to love it in all things works duties and conditions To arm and sence them against Satans fiery Darts and Temptations and the worlds snares and allurements To discover and detect self lusts and whatever warrs against our souls and to mortifie and destroy them and in order thereunto to know and be able expert and accurate in the use of our spiritual Weapons and Armour of proof which Christ hath sanctified and given unto us in Eph. 6. and elsewhere in the Gospel To sanctifie them throughout in soul body and spirit keep them from deadness coldness lukewarmness and indifferency of spirit and to prevent sleepiness and back-sliding from God neglect of duties and careless performance of them This Ordinance is intended for the further informing them of the holy will and mind of Christ and their duties to God and men to sweeten and dispose the heart to love and practice them and to enable them to persist in so doing without weariness and fainting grudging or disputing and with joy and delight To call back persons from their wanderings and to give them Repentance unto life These are some of Gods holy and blessed ends in setting up this Ordinance in the Church which all are indispensibly bound to aim at intend and endeavour in all their use of it See Eph. 4.10 11 12 17. Esa 30.20 21. Eph. 5.25 26 27. Eph. 3.18 19. Micah 2.7 1 Thes 4.10 Heb. 10.38 Rom. 1.16 17. 2 Pet. 3.18 1 Thes 5.23 Phil. 3.13 18. Joh. 17.17 19. Thirdly Prayer Prayer to God is a Church-Ordinance It is true that all men are bound to pray to God both publickly and privately the neglect whereof is severely threatned Jer. 10. ult It is a part of natural or moral Worship which all men ought to practise continually For as God is their Creator and they his reasonable Creatures he their Sovereign and they his Subjects and as such Creatures are to live and alwayes to have their dependency on him for their subsistence in this world so they are to express and manifest their so doing by their asking such things as they want of him For it is a Duty and Homage they owe him as him in whom they live move and have their being Acts 17.28 and profess him to be their God Protector and maintainer and expect all things from him They ought in all their wayes to acknowledge him Prov. 3.6 although they know him not in the face of Christ by any Gospel-Revelation But notwithstanding this is a Church-Ordinance also that is they are appointed to pray publickly in their meetings as a Church and that not as it is a moral Duty and agreeable to reason and mens natural principle but as it is a Gospel-Ordinance of Christ appointed for them and they commanded by him to observe it among themselves This the Church of Jerusalem was commended for Act. 2.42 And they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and in prayers and in Acts 12.5 't is said that prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God Now this Ordinance in the Churches of Christ must be observed and practised as an Ordinance of his appointing who is Lord and Head of them and because it is his Sovereign will they should so do without which they cannot in the doing of it approve themselves unto him as his obedient Children and Subjects in his house For whatever work they do and whatever Ordinance they observe in the Church they are indispensibly bound to respect his will and have their eye on his Authority therein as the ground and reason of what they do and because he hath so commanded and appointed therefore they do it Moreover to the well performance of this Duty and right observance of this Ordinance in the Church there is required a peculiar Ministerial gift in the Teachers or Overseers of the Church For they cannot rightly perform this part of their work in and for the Church by their natural and common acquired gifts and parts but in and by the spirit and his Ministerial gifts and grace conferred on them for their profitable and right performance of their Works and Duties in the Church Rom. 8.26 27. 1 Cor. 12.6 7 12. Fourthly Baptism water-Baptism is another Church-Ordinance to be holily reverendly dutifully and spiritually observed The power of administring this holy Ordinance of Christ is given to Pastors and Teachers and only to such as are authorized and called to administer other Ordinances and perform other parts of the work of the Ministry Authoritatively by virtue of their Commission from Christ received Any Disciple of Christ may not administer it but such as are set 〈◊〉 part for and appointed to the work For they must do it and it must alwayes be done by men in office-power Matth. 28.18 19 20. And Paul tells us Eph. 4.11 12. That Christ gave some Pastors and Teachers for the work of the Ministry and edifying of the body of Christ And we never read in Scripture of any other than such as were called to the work of the Ministry that did Baptize any This Ordinance is instituted and appointed in Matth. 28.18 19. and it was confirmed by the constant practice of the Apostles and Teachers afterward Act. 9.18 Act. 10.47 48. 1 Cor. 15. Baptism is a Sign Token and Seal of the Gospel-Covenant as Circumcision was Rom. 4.11 for the assuring and confirming Believers of the reality of the Covenant and the gracious purposes of God to perform it and convey unto them all the Grace and blessings of it in his time To raise and strengthen their hope in Christ and God the Father by him that God is and will be their God and also the God of their Seed according to that glorious grant and engagement of God in Gen. 17.7 I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy Seed after thee in their Generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God to thee and to thy Seed after thee To which Covenant God set his Seal vers 10. This general sum or head of the Covenant given to Abraham and his Seed in their Generations we have produced and brought in