understand receive love and rightly obey the Laws and Ordinances of Christ without The Laws says Paul is Spiritual Rom. 7. and a real sound Believer is called a Spiritual Man 1 Cor. 2. Their Laws are Holy and Spiritual their works and businesses in a Church are so likewise John 4.23 24 Eph. 5 19. Col. 3.16 and a particular congregated Church is called a Holy-Temple and Spiritual House Eph. 2.21 1 Pet. 2.5 They have a Holy God who is a Spirit to Serve and Worship a Spiritual head to believe in and obey and Holy and Spiritual Work to do in their Church-state and therefore they had need be Holy and Spiritual Persons not without in profession only but within in Truth Almost all the Laws and Ordinances of Christ are committed to them and God expects his principal and choicest Worship from his Churches and they are all above and beyond the reach of carnal Men. God first makes Spiritual Men and then with them he formes Spiritual Houses and then as such he gives them Holy Laws and Ordinances and spiritual work to do and requires them to do it as spiritual Persons and Churches Christ doth not form them into Churches as reasonable men but as good Holy and Spiritual men and suits his Laws to their Capacities and States as at first he framed and suited them to his Laws Christ calls his People into Churches and incorporated congregated Bodies that they may as such receive and practice his spiritual and Holy Church Laws and Ordinances for his Glory and their good and they are spiritual Laws and Ordinances for spiritual men and therefore only such should be Members of Christ's Churches For what shall Hypocrites do in the Holy spiritual Temples and Churches of God and what use will they make of Christ's Laws and Holy Ordinances but to defile and polute them and eat and drink their own Damnation 1 Cor. 11. Sixthly Because the separation between Saints and Sinners begun here in this Life by the Lords calling men out of the World and forming them up into Holy Temples for himself is the beginning of that everlasting separation that shall be in the great day of Christ his appearing between the Sheep and the Goats Matth. 25.31 32 41. or at least a shadow and resemblance of it for the comfort of the Saints and terror of the wicked Says Christ hereafter I will come in Glory set upon my Throne before me shall be gathered all nations and then will I seperate them on from another as a Shepherd divideth this Sheep from the Goats 31 32. and then I will say to the Sheep come ye Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you and to the other go ye Cursed into everlasting sire 34.41 Now because you wil not believe me nor what I say in this matter see what I have begun already in it you see a few seperated from you in this world before your eyes and formed up into Holy-Temples for me and this is not their own Work or done of themselves or of their own minds and carnal apprehensions or singular proud notions and Opinions as you falsly charge them no but this thing is done of me I will own it as my own Work for I have commanded them to separate and have called them out from amongst you who continue still in your Infidelity and unregenerate States John 15.19 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16 17. 2 Tim. 3.5 and bid them congregate together as my peculiar People and become my Spiritual Houses and Churches and I have by my Spirit made them willing and moved their hearts to do so as you see them do I own them and will stand by them in it for it is not so much they that have separated themselves as it is I my self that have done it and what they have done therein is in obedience unto me and that to convince you of the Truth of my Word for as certainly as you see these my People now separated from you so I will at the last day make an eternal seperation between them and you unless you repent and become my People in Season And as it is intended for the conviction and terror of the wicked so also for the comfort and confirmation of Believers for by the Lords separating them from the World and building them up into Holy-Temples he gives them a notable pledge and earnest of the assured and promised difference of that great and everlasting discrimination seperation that shall be between them and the wicked Now good men are apt to think that because all things seems to happen alike to all as Solomon speaks that there is no difference or very little between the wicked and them although there is indeed a vast difference upon many accounts between them now and so are apt to be discouraged in their duties and walkings but to chear them up and support their Spirits here says God is a very great distinguishing difference and a pledge of a greater between you and the World I have called you out of the World and brought you near unto my Self I have seperated you already from the Lions and Goats and made you my formal and publique habitations and Holy-Temples which is your honour priviledg and dignity I do not say that all that are not of such or such particular Churches are Goats or unbelievers no I cannot entertain such a thought in my Heart for as I think and fear that there are many hypocrites crept into Churches so I believe that there are many gracious Persons which to their own losse and Gods dishonour do live out of Church-fellowship so their are others that would joyn with them but cannot and others can but will not But I say that Jesus Christ will have his Churches made up of Saints only and not of such as shall be everlastingly seperated but of such as shall live and reign with Jesus Christ for evermore in the Church triumphant and that for this reason among others because it may comfort and confirm the Saints in their hope and walking with God and convince and terrify the wicked Seventhly The Churches ought to be built of Believers and regenerate persons because they may continue and stand fast in all Storms and Tempests and hold out unto the end as being built upon the Rock Jesus Christ For whatever Church is builded upon the Sand and not upon the Lord Jesus and by the Authority and help of his Word and Spirit will not stand long because it wants a bottome to bear up its weight They must all be built upon the Rock and chief corner-Stone the foundation that God hath laid Matth. 7.24 25. 1 Cor. 3.11 Matth. 16.18 the Lord Jesus tells us that upon this Rock that was himself and the Truths that Peter had confessed will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Now Hypocrites are not built upon Christ for if they were that great promise of perseverance would belong to them and
warm and teach them to melt and soften them to arm and strengthen them to comfort and chear them to water make them fruitful yet how sinfully and shamefully do many of them neglect to come and take to accept and make use of their love and goodness to them but they will rather stand in the streets complaining than come into their Fathers Temples where they may have supplies of wholesome food for their souls The Lord Jesus Christ keeps House in his Churches where he is very liberal in his distributions In them are his Magazins his Treasures of Grace and Love opened There He gives forth his Loves and causes the Fountain to flow for the enriching of the Poor filling the Hungry and satisfying the Thirsty There Souls shall find Food for the Belly and Cloathing for the Back There the weary soul shall rest and the troubled soul shall find peace There the fainting shall find Cordials and the diseased Soul shall find Physick to heal him There the pained Soul shall find case and the weak shall find strength There broken bones shall be set in joynt and doubting souls resolved There they may find the good things they want and desire and there they may obtain satisfaction to their Souls Would they see Zions King and their beloved Lord and Husband in his beauty and glory There they may obtain their desires Would they grow in Grace and increase with the increase of God why there they may obtain it Would they be sealed up to the day of their Redemption and have a clear Earnest of their eternal Inheritance why in a Church-state they may have it In a word there good men may find all good to their souls For God will with-hold no good thing from them who walk uprightly in a Church-state and in all the Commandments and Ordinances of God therein blamelesly Well then if it be your duty to look after to mind and industriously to seek the welfare of your own souls as all will readily acknowledg it is then it will undeniably follow that you ought to seek it in all the ways and means God hath appointed and given to you for that end and purpose Now what other spiritual means have you to expect and seek for such mercies and soul-blessings in where can you expect and hope to find them but in the Temples Houses Walks Palaces and Housholds of your God and King That you need them you know and that there you may find and experience them you may believe Oh! that you would be perswaded to come and see come and tast to come and prove the Truth of what I say If you will not but continue and abide as you are practically slight and neglect the rich provisions that your God and Father hath made for you in his Churches you are never like to thrive and prosper but to continue in and under your Wants Barrenness Ignorance Weakness Doubts and Fears under your Faintings Sadnesses Witherings Troubles of spirit If you will still refuse the means and neglect to come and take the mercies of the New Covenant you will grieve the holy Spirit and provoke him to depart from you and carry away his blessings with him It is your present and eternal good that I seek and intend in what I say and the same end had your Lord God in appointing this condition and making such provisions for you I wonder how Believers can and that they dare live one day out of a Church-state and in the wilful neglect of so many precious and soul-enriching Ordinances and Duties how they can satisfie themselves in their ways and walkings and with what confidence they can draw near to God whilst under so much guilt I wonder how they can call God Father apply the Promises and appropriate to themselves the good of them while they walk so irregularly and disobediently as they do Surely they little mind their own souls concernments or the Name and Honour of Jesus Christ whilst htey neglect to observe so many of his good Laws and Ordinances and to make use of their own purchased Priviledges and that whilst their Souls stand in great need of them Object But we are afraid that we are not fitted and qualified for Church-membership and that we have no right to the Childrens Bread there and therefore we dare not joyn our selves unto the holy Churches of Christ Answ This may be indeed a great case with some and it may be a stumbling block in their way of walking as they ought to do They love Christ and his People his ways and Ordinances but dare not walk in the nearest Fellowship and Communion with them because they think themselves unworthy of their Society and the Ordinances of God among them Now where it is so indeed they sin not as others do who neglect not their duties and priviledges on this account but on other All that I shall say to this sort of Neglecters is 1. That this pretence will not wholly excuse them either before God or Men. For 1. They are no where dispensed with their neglect of duty upon that account or they have no dispensation to neglect to do their duty and wait on God for his grace to better them in his ways and means on that account For if they might on that account be dispensed withal in the omission of their duty and using God's means to better them by the same rule they may neglect and claim a dispensation for the omission of Prayer and other Duties and Ordinances under this pretence that they cannot worship God in Spirit and Truth as God requires all to worship him Joh. 4.23 24. Heb. 10.22 and therefore they may not will not worship him at all 2. It is probable that their fears and scruples arise from the Devils temptations and wiles and from their own guilty Consciences They know that they do not walk with God subdue their Lusts deny themselves and endeavour to know their own states and conditions They carry about accusing and condemning Consciences which the Devil sets in with and works them to his will and design and so they are afraid of God of their duties and priviledges for they might prevent these evils and know in some degrees their states if they would 3. One use and end of Church-fellowship and the Ordinances of Christ therein is to convey into Believers hearts the assurance of their good states and conditions They are appointed and ordained for them to wait for it in them and for the holy Spirit to give and impart it to their Souls there And therefore until they seek for it there they may not expect to find it for if we use not the means how can we hope to obtain the ends of them 4. If their scruples and objections arise from real darkness of mind and tenderness of Conscience without guilt then I advise them to consider and examine what are indeed the necessary qualifications of Church-members and enquire if they are not in
cure the Offenders 5. Labour to shine as Lights in all manner of holy Conversation and Godliness 2 Pet. 3.11 Declare whose you are and what you are to all men by your fruits of Holiness and Righteousness Matth. 5.16 Phil. 2.15 16. O remember that you are the Living Witnesses of Jesus Christ in the World Isa 43.10 12. Isa 44.8 9. Rev. 11.3 and therefore you should endeavour all you can negatively and positively by words deeds and carriages to make full proof of and give in your good Testimony to the holy Name and to the Excellency of the Grace and good ways of Jesus Christ The Churches of Christ in the World are as Beacons set on Hills which attract and draw the eyes of all men to them They watch for your halting and are very curious in marking your steps and that will be made a fault in you which is not in others Psal 27.11 12. Therefore you must be a singular People before all men and so walk as to shame your Enemies and that they may have no evil thing justly to say of you 1 Pet. 3.16 And you must not only be good negative Professors and Walkers but you must also shine and be fruitful in every good work and in gracious words and carriages You should be excellent living Witnesses to Christ and his ways by shining in Humility Meekness Temperance Love Charity Kindness Self-denyal Justice and Righteousness in Seriousness and Gravity in Sweetness and Affability and in all Holiness Heavenly-mindedness Zeal and Spirituality in Goodness Peaceableness or in what-ever Grace or Virtue may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things These are some of the things I do request of you for God and your King As likewise that you lay to heart his Love and Grace to you and endeavour to affect your hearts with them stir them up to all cordial thankfulness and oblige them to live and love forth praises to his holy Name Remember that you are under Electing Redeeming Regenerating Quickening Teaching and Comforting Love and Grace and that you are entrusted with and have the enjoyments of many glorious priviledges in your hands for the filling you with all the fulness of Christ and nourishing you up unto eternal Life in your Church-state Joh. 1.16 Eph. 4.11 16. Psal 92 Psal 132. I have some Requests to you for and in the behalf of your own Souls Indeed all the other things desired of you already have respect and relation unto the good and profit of your own Souls as well as to my good and God's Glory But that which I shall now desire of you respects your Soul directly and immediately and therefore I hope you will easily and readily grant them for your own sakes although Jesus Christ and my self are concerned in them also 1. Endeavour to profit by your means and priviledges and to grow in all Grace in your Church-state and enjoyments therein Do not rest satisfied with your Church-state and Priviledges but make serious enquiry after your gettings and what good what spiritual profit you find in them make use of them all to the gracious and holy ends for which they are given to you Namely to Teach and Instruct you to Feed and Nourish you to Arm and Strengthen you to Comfort and Refresh you to Confine and Establish you in the Faith of Christ to Purge and Sanctifie you to Confirm and Seal you up unto the day of Redemption and to convey the Spirit and Grace of Christ into your hearts To acquaint you with your selves and enable you to know and discern the worst and best of your selves what God hath done for you what sin the world and Devil have done against you To acquaint you with Jesus Christ his Love Grace Truth Providences and Benefits and to bring him into your Hearts and into Fellowship and Communion with you Therefore look after these Ends and other of like Import and see that you do indeed and in Truth prosecute and obtain them and take not up short of them Oh! be you sure to mind your Earnings in all your Enjoyments and God's Ordinances 2. Take hold of such Counsels Reproofs and Instructions as your Brethren shall give you in time of need to prevent your Sinning or to reduce and turn you back from Sin to Duty O remember that it is a choice means and one of God's Holy Ordinances to do you good yea to do you a great deal of good and an unexpressible Pleasure And therefore if you love your Souls turn not a deaf Ear to them slight them not nor harden your Hearts against them But hearken to and close up with them Embrace them as choice Mercies to you bless God exceedingly for them and love and thank your Counsellors and Reprovers heartily For it is an invaluable mercy to have such true Friends at hand who will express so much love to and care of us as that when they see us in danger of falling shall give us their preventing succouringhand to support and hold us up or when they see us fall and need their help they shall not Ham-like Gen. 9.22 go and tell others of it but seasonably give us their hands to help us up again Oh! be not angry with them but love and thank them and take receive and reverence their Voice as the Voice of God And know that if you reject and slight it or are displeased with them for their Work and Labour of Love to you you do thereby reject and slight the Voice of God and are displeased at his Merciful dispensation to you for your good For your Instructors and Counsellors were sent to you by God himself and it was he that inclined their Hearts to go and opened their Mouths to speak to you and do for you so great an office of Love Therefore be you of that wise sort of Men who will hear Reproof from their Friends Prov. 1.5 Prov. 9.8 9. Prov. 10.8 Prov. 12.15 Prov. 25.12 and own it as the Voice of God 3. Be careful that you stay not or take up in Ordinances but go to and have your eye on Christ in them We are exceeding apt to stick fast in the way of coming to God and to sit down short of the end of the God and grace of the means and without great heedfulness and circumspection in this matter we may easily run our selves deep in sin and thereby wrong our Souls as also by the want of the God and grace of the means Mind that Text in Esa 64.5 Thou meetest him that remembers thee in thy wayes namely such as seek God in his wayes and pass thorow them unto himself But observe that by sticking in and taking up with Ordinances you greatly sin against God by making a God of Ordinances setting up his Creatures in his place and Throne giving unto them his Honour and Glory and robbing him of his due You neglect the fountain of living waters and hew out to your selves broken Cisterns that can hold no
dreadfull end of the Tares Matth. 13.38 39 40 41 42 43. which were the Hypocrites that by the Devils instigation crept into the Churches as in the 2. to the Galatians 4. c. Matth. 13.38 39. It is true that such were and will be in the best Churches let their Guides do all they can to prevent it because they cannot make an infallible Judgment of persons states as was said and it is as certain that they are Vsurpers and ought not to be there For although they are by Gods providence permitted to creep in yet be sure they are not there with his approbation and allowance they are not all Israel that are of Israel Rom. 9.6 for saith God to all the uncircumcized What have you to do to take my Covenant into your mouth seeing you hate Instruction and cast my words behind your Back as all Hypocrites do Psal 50.16 17. and Christ says that such as will not have him to reign over them and Hypocrites be sure will not shall be destroyed Luke 19.27 Now either the Churches of God should consist of Saints and sincere hearted Believers or of formal hypocritical professours as all are that are not prophane men or real Saints for all sober men will confesse that open prophane and debauched persons ought not to be accounted Church Members while they continue such not of Hypocrites because they are the most loathsome and abominable persons in the sight of God as may be seen at large-in the 23 chapt of Matth. from the 13. vers to the 35. and Christ tells us that publicans and harlots should go into the Kingdome of God before them Matth. 21.31 And therefore they should and ought to be sincere-hearted Believers and none else I do not say that Churches should account such for Hypocrites and reject them as such because they do not certainly know them to be sincere Saints who offer to joyn in fellowship with them but I only say that Hypocrites have no right unto neither ought they to presse into the Holy Churches of Christ for all the New-Testament Churches should consist onely of New Creatures and real Members of Jesus Christ 2. That all Church-members ought to be sincere hearted Believers appears by the high Titles that the Lord Jesus gives unto the Members of his Churches in the Scripture He calls them not his Copper but his Golden Candlesticks Rev. 1.20 So David describes the Spouse of Christ Psal 45.13 The Kings Daughter is all glorious within her cloathing is of wrought Gold So they are called Saints holy Brethren and Beloved elect and called dear Children of God and called into the fellowship of his Son Rom. 1.7 Col. 3.12 2 Thes 2.13 Eph. 5.1 Heb. 3.1 And the Apostle Paul tells the Church of the Thessalonians that they were such to whom the Gospel came not in word only but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance and hence he concludes that they were the Elect of God 1 Thes 1.4 5. and he tells the Philippians that God had begun a good work in them and would perfect it and that not in a few but in all of them chap. 1.5 6. And the Church at Corinth is called the Spouse of Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 and the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16 17. 2 Cor. 6.16 as also the Holy Churches of God and of Christ as you heard before and that the Church of Ephesus was formed into a Holy Temple of God and made his Habitation by the Spirit Eph. 2.21 22. And the Church at Rome wer the Children of God and joynt heirs with Christ Rom. 8. And Peter says that they were lively stones built up a Spiritual House and a Holy Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.5 and Paul tells the Ephesians that they were the Lords Sealed ones that they had the Spirit of God which had Sealed them up unto the Day of Redemption Eph. 1.13.4.30 Now these glorious things that are spoken of the Cities or Churches of God Psal 87.3 such honourable Titles belong not unto meer formal professours but only unto the real members of Christ not unto those that have a name only but to such as are so indeed and in Truth 3. A third Reason is taken from the ends of Churches or the ends of God in Instituting and appointing them I 'le name a few 1. They are said to be built by the Spirit for God Eph. 2.21 22. that is for God to dwell in them and walk in them to rest and repose himself in them as in his holy Walkes Gardens houses and Temples 2 Cor. 6.16 Rev 2.1 Psal 132.13 14. For the Lord hath chisen Zion he hath desired it for his Habitation this is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it Oh! that all Church-members would seriously mind this and in Zeph. 3.16 17. it is said In that day speaking of Gospel-times it shall be said to Jerusalem fear thou not and unto Zion let not thine hands be slack The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save he will rejoyce over thee with Joy he will rest in his Love he will Joy over thee with Singing As men refresh themselves and delight to be in the House of their dear and hearty Friends and Relations so doth God in his Churches and as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over his Bride so doth God over in his own Churches Isa 62.5 Now then if this be one of the holy ends of God then surely they must be Churches of holy persons not of Hypocrites for God hates and abhors their presence and services Isa 1.13 16. Isa 66.3 Prov. 15.8 2. They are intended and erected by his Spirit and Authority for his Glory in the World When great Men build stetely Houses it is for their honour and Glory and to distinguish themselves from others so when God builds himself a Spiritual House it is for his Honour and Glory to distinguish his People from others Solomon tells God that he had built God a House to dwell in and also for his name 1 Kings 8 13 19. which he did by the Lords appointment and direction so God appoints and sets up particular Holy Temples by his Spirit for his name and Glory that they should be to the praise of his glorious Grace and be the living Witnesses to his Name Truths and Ways that they should be the Habitations of beauty and Glory of fame and renown in the World and be the lights therefore and that with one heart and mouth they should glorify God Rom. 15.6 Golden Candlesticks in Princes Courts are set up for their glory as suitable to their state and dignity so doth God erect and set up his Golden Candlesticks the Churches of Believers for his glory as having a resemblance of his state and dignity and it is Gospel holinesse that becomes his House fore ver Psal 93.5 The Messengers of the Churches are said to be the Glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8.23 God calls the Church of the Jews
then the stony Ground would be in as good and safe a condition as the good Ground but the contrary is apparent Matth. 13. and Matth. 7. But it is certain that they are not built on Christ by faith but are vocted in themselves and build their vain hopes on a sandy Foundation Job 8. Matth. 7. and in many other Scriptures is manifest Therefore if there persons are not built on Christ their Church-state is not but upon the Sand. Hence then it follows that only sound Believers are built on Christ and so they are the persons only that Christ will have built up into Holy-Temples because the Churches that Christ builds he himself says he will build upon himself that they may stand inpregnably in all weathers and that is only of such as are united unto him by Faith and have chosen him for their only Rock and Foundation by a lively Faith and not of such as do secretly reject him Obj. If it be said that the Text in Matth. 16. speaks of the invisible Catholick Church I Answer And I am speaking too of the Members of the Catholick Church and say that all particular congregated Churches of Believers are or ought to be such as are united unto and built upon Christ by Faith and that these ought to congregate and become Churches of God and none else and that according unto the directions of the Gospel of Christ and then if they be indeed such that promise in Matth. belongs to them and they shall be secured by it as well as the Catholick Church although they be formed up according to Christs his Institution into particular congregational Churches And although after they are thus formed they may be broken in a Sense and scattered as the Church at Jerusalem was Act. 8.1 yet they are still secured by that promise and have communion with each other in Faith Love tears and Prayers in Judgment and affection The Lord Jesus suffers in name and Glory by the fall of his Churches or such as pretend to be so as he that built his house on the sand is called a foolish man by Spectators Matth. 7. and if Churches should be so built either for want of a good Foundation or good matter or wise and carefull cementing and forming up the materials how greatly will the Wisdom and care of Christ suffer by the Tongues of his Enemies because such Churches took upon themselves the name of Christ and pretended to be his people and to walk by his Laws And as the fall of them will be a Reproach to Christ so it will be matter of grief and scandal to the weak Members of Christ also whether they were in or out of those Churches thus fallen and it will greatly harden the hearts of Sinners against the good ways of God and cause them to think that there is no reality in his Gospel Religion and therefore Christ cannot endure to see his houses fall to the ground but takes care that all that he builds by his Word and Spirit be so built and secured as that the Gates of Hell shall not overthrow them nor by any means prevail against them to destroy them and that because they are founded secured supported by his promise and Spirit I might produce many other Reasons for the proof and confirmation of this Truth that none but real Believers ought to be formed up into a Church of Christ As concerning the priviledges and promises that belong to a Church of Christ There are many of them which may be spoken of on an other head which are two high and glorious for the Inglorious professing Hypocrities and therefore they must be entayled only on the true heirs of them viz. the living Members of Christ and Children of God Hypocrites who refuse to have Christ on his own Terms and who preferr their Lusts before him and their own Righteousnesse before Christs and daily make him a Lyar 1 John 5. have nothing to do with them There is a little Remnant called out of the World to whom they do onely belong and they and only they may claim them as their own Again because only Believers are Christs willing subjects such as have freely put their necks under his Yoke and given up themselves in universal obedience to him and that have heartily chosen him for their Lord and Governour and his Laws for their Rule and practice But it is well known that all other men do reject him and yeild obedience unto the Devil and their Lusts They will have the Lord Jesus bow down to their Terms but they will not come up to his They say as those in Joh. 6.60 this is a hard Yoke who can bear it and therefore although we will professe him that we will not have him rule over us And therefore he doth not call them to partake of the Children of the Kingdomes Bread or to his true Subjects priviledges and Blessings whilest they continue such Moreover only true Believers are Clean and Pure all others are unclean They are strangers to him and his People unwashed and uncircumcized in Ears and Hearts They are not Justifyed nor Sanctifyed nor purged from their uncleannesse by the blood of the Lamb and therefore they may not come near to or touch the holy things of his Church which are holy pure things and sanctifyed unto the holy use of his enchurched-members I would not be tedious and therefore shall wave all further consideration of this matter although I could multiply Reasons to prove that only real true Believers should be Church-Members But I shall speak a few words for the removing of an objection advanced against this Truth which is this But we read of Tares in the field amongst the good wheat good and bad fishes caught in the neet of the Gospel and brought into the Kingdome which is the Church of God as also many evil members in several of the Congregational Churches mentioned in the Scripture and therefore Churches may consist of good and bad men All this may be true and yet the Truth insisted on not at all touched or weakened thereby It is true if there were evil members in those Gospel Churches and they proved evil Members indeed and great afflictions to blessed Paul and the good Members of them But what then ought they to have been there or were they known to be such indeed to the Apostles and other good men when they admitted them were they there by Christs call and with his approbation and allowance although he permitted them to creep in among his People Now unlesse it can be proved that they ought to be there that they were admitted when known to be such as afterward they appeared to be that it was their duty and priviledge while such and that Christ approved there being there I say until that be proved by the word of God we must conclude that they were Vsurpers and had nothing to do in the Churches of Christ I do not discourse of who were in the
holy ends of God in desiring Communion with them As 1 To enjoy God and hold communion with him in all his ordinances and appointments 2 To worship God there in Spirit and Truth and give him your homage and service in his house 3 To shew and declare your subjection and obedience unto him and to make a publique and open profession of him before men 4 To receive of his Grace to enrich your Souls with his fulnesse and to be sealed by his Spirit unto the day of your Redemption 5 That you may walk orderly and beautifully and shine as Lights in the Churches and in the world before Saints and Sinners 6 That you may be established in the Truth live under the watch and care of Christs Ministers and of fellow Members that by their inspection and faithful dealings with you you may be kept from and brought back from sin to God by their wise Reproofs and holy Instructions 7 That you may yield up your selves in Universal obedience unto Christ and do all things whatsoever he commands you that you may have the right use and enjoyment of all your purchased priviledges and be secured against the Gates of Hell Are these and such like ends in your minds and hearts in your walking in Church-fellowship and can you find the forementioned mark or signs of Grace in you in measure though not so clearly and fully as you would Why then I may boldly and humbly tell you that you are fitted and qualified for Church membership that you are called and invited into the house and Temple of God and that you are indispensibly bound to answer to the call of God and say behold Lord we come unto thee and will freely without delay thankfully without grudying humbly without pride with mourning and rejoycing enter into thy Courts joyn with thy Churches and grow into a holy Temple to thy Praise and Honour We will no longer slight our great priviledges neglect our great and indispensible Duties or walk disorderly as we have done but we do now willingly come and offer our selves unto thee and to enter into a solemn engagement to be thine to walk in all thy ways and do the things that please thee I say that Church priviledges are yours the doors of Gods house stand open for you Christ stands at the door and waites for you he invites you to come in sit down at his Table and you shall be most freely and heartily welcome to your Lord and his people And know that it is your unavoidable and indispensible duty to enter into his house 5. Quest Ought a Church of Christ especially the Guides thereof to let in any that professe the name and waies of Jesus Christ and offer themselves unto them or ought they not to try and prove them first whether they are rightly qualified by the grace of Christ for full membership with his people if so then what are the qualifications they should look for and find in them for their own satisfaction which they admit into the holy Temple of God Answ 1. It is certain that all that professe the name of Christ and his waies ought not may not be admitted into the Lords holy Temples because many if not the most of them are very Ignorant of Christ and his ways and notorious scandalous in their Lives as sad and wofull experience shews 2. It hath been I think sufficiently proved before that not any but real-hearted sound Believers are fit materials for a house and holy Temple of God and if so then a Church or the Guides thereof may not admit any into it but such only as they judge by the word of God and their own charitable discretion are such indeed although 't is possible they may be Hypocrites but they may not admit them if they groundedly know or think them to be such For if they should admit such against their knowledge they betray their Trusts and defile Christs holy Temple by taking in such persons as they know or ought to know Christ would not have there And that they ought to try and prove persons that they may know their worthinesse and fitnesse before they admit them in is clear in Acts 9.26 and because Christ hath committed the keys of his Temple unto them to take in and put out according to his will and Appointment Moreover he blames Some for suffering Tares if meant of persons to be sowen in his Kingdome and not endeavouring to prevent and keep them out Matth. 13.25 says he while men Slept the Enemy came and sowed Tares that is while such as should have kept the Temple Gates shut against them to have kept them out were negligent and carelesse of their duty for they should have done all they could to have kept out the Devils seed for what agreement hath the Seed of the Serpent with the Seed of the Woman the Rebells with the true Subjects of Christ or as Paul saith what concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6.14 3. As to satisfying qualifications in persons desiring admission into Churches I say that when they have been well tryed and are found in the Judgment of Charity such as Christ hath received and competently qualifyed for Church membership they ought to receive them in the Lord Rom. 14.1 Rom. 15.7 1. If they can make forth and declare unto the Church their at least seemingly Regeneration Conversion Repentance and Faith in Christ their knowledge of Christ and his ways Laws and Ordinances of their lost and perishing state in Sin and by reason of it and their sincere desires and Resolutions to become the Lords and to walk with him unto all well-pleasing in all his ways 2. If they are sound in the Faith of the Gospel I mean in the chief and principal Doctrines and Truths thereof although they may be ignorant of or err in lesser matters If they have some distinct knowledge and Faith concerning these and other such Truths and matters contained in the word of God As of the state and condition wherein man was first created How he lost that holy and blessed State and the misery he brought himself and all his posterity into thereby Concerning themselves that they are by nature Children of wrath dead in Sins and Trespasses and condemned to eternal Death That they are Enemies to and at enmity with God That they have neither will nor power by nature either to will or do that which they ought and is pleasing to God That they have forsaken God and are under the Curse of the Law and that they are the Children Subjects and Servants of the Devil World and their own Lusts That God left not all men in this State and condition but provided an all-sufficient Remedy namely Jesus Christ and that by an Everlasting Covenant entered into with Christ in the behalf of men before the Foundation of the World Tit. 1.2 2 Tim. 1.9 Prov. 8. and that in pursuance thereof he elected and gave some to Christ that he might
motives aims and ends of their hearts and Souls should be to please and honour Jesus Christ their Lord and Master and to edifie and profit his Church Acts 20. These are some of the necessary qualifications that all Pastors of Churches should bring with them and labour to grow and encrease in them when they are there Fifthly They must be qualified with holy and blamelesse conversations and carriages also These are in part described in the 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. and elsewhere in the Epistles of Paul to Timothy and Titus in the Acts and other Scriptures And it must needs be so namely that they be singular in all manner of holy conversation and Godlynesse 1 Tim. 4.7 But exercise thy self unto Godlinesse for they are appointed and set in the Church to be their Lights and Guides to be Examples to Believers and all men 1 Tim. 4.12 Mat. 5.16 1 Pet. 5.3 c. They will by blamable walkings more dishonour Jesus Christ and his Gospel more grieve and afflict the hearts of good Men scandalize and harden the hearts of evil men than a hundred times as many private Christians and pull great reproach and comtempt upon the Ministry of Christ in his Churches They are more eyed and observed and are nearer Jesus Christ than others are and greater things are expected from them than from others Therefore they should shine forth in all Grace and be found though not without their failings in the practice of every good Work as men Christians and Ministers of Christ It is not enough for them that they be not such and such negative professors but they must be such and so in practical holynesse They must not only abstain from that which is evil and forbidden but they must do that which is good and commended otherwise they cannot be blamelesse But if they are indeed of such Spirits as aforesaid they will be of holy and blamelesse conversations and walk as Gospel real true Lights Guides before all but if they want these heart and internal qualifications they will not long if at all be blamelesse walkers If they are of proud peevish cross and fretful of sowre angry and wrathful Tempers and carriages they are not blamelesse If they are of hot testy fiery rash and quarrelsome Tempers and Carriages they are not blamelesse If they are Back biters and Defamers of men or Hearers and Receivers of evil reports against good men they are not blamelesse If they are coveteous worldly persons in their words and deeds they are not blamelesse If they are excessive in their cloaths houses eating or drinking they are not blamelesse If they are censorious and rash Judges of others they are not blamelesse If they are cheaters or detainers of others dues from them they are not blamelesse If they are vain and light persons and given much to frothy idle talk and jestings or to Idleness they are not blamelesse If they are carelesse of and negligent in relative duties and the worship of God in their families they are not blamelesse If they are not diligent in their callings and works but are addicted to walk abroad sleep or otherwaies spend away their pretious time vainly and unprofitably they are not blamelesse I might instance in many more but that I study brevity as well as Truth The Ministers of Christ must not only be free from the practice of such and such Sins but they must be eminent and singular in the practice of all duties incumbent on them towards God and men also unavoidably infirmities excepted Sixthly They must also have and be endued with natural Gifts as ability of body and the Gift of utterance For although a man may have a great stock of Graces Gifts and Truths laid up in his head and Heart yet if he want abilities of Body or speech to utter plainly declare them unto others how can he profit the Church or minister to their edification which is the great end of those Gifts c. and the Ministry Therefore they must not be only qualified within but without also they must be able to speak as they ought Eph. 6.20 as well as to judge as they ought to judge of and understand divine matters Sevently They must be sound in the Faith too For if they be leavened with corrupt Doctrine and their Faith and Judgments tainted with it they may easily corrupt and leaven the Church of Christ by sowing such Tares and stinking Weeds as all the men in the world will never be able to pull out again A little leaven of corrupt Doctrine leavens the whole Lump Gal. 5.9 And when once false doctrines are got into the Head they will quickly defile and corrupt the whole heart and conversation And therefore to prevent such evils in the Churches the Apostles laboured exceedingly with the Churches and assoon as they perceived any Tares of corrupt doctrine sown in the Churches they presently endeavoured the pulling of them up and weeding of them out either by preaching or writing And Paul charged Titus to see that Teachers were sound in the Faith and Doctrines of the Gospel Tit. 1.9.13 and that they speak sound Doctrines chap. 2.1 2. that they were of sound Minds 2 Tim. 1.7 and also that they hold fast the form of sound Words vers 13. and also wishes all corrupt and unsound Teachers cut off Gal. 5.12 Therefore they must not be erroneous in their Faith and Judgments but sound in the Faith of the Gospel that are together with the aforesaid particulars rightly qualified Ministers of Christ And you may be sure that Jesus Christ hath more care of and respect unto his Name Gospel and Churches which he hath purchased with his Blood than to set over them erroneous and corrupt Teachers Eighthly Humane learning is not to be slighted and desp sed in a Minister as it is too much by some who know not the good of it for although the Word and Spirit of God can sufficiently prepare qualifie a man for the Ministry without it yet experience shews that it is singularly useful to holy men in their Ministerial Work It helps to make them more able men though not Christians it is usefull to their heads who know how to use it if not to their Hearts it is a good servant to wait on Divinity though a bad master when it is exalted above it as to many shamefully and sinfully do It is well know that we come to the knowledge of the Spirit and mystery of divine Truths by the letter wherein it is held forth and we come to understand the mind and intention of a Superior by the words he speaks to us so that if we understand not his words we cannot know his mind and will or what he would have us believe do or receive And is it not the same with respect to the Word of God how can we know his mind and will concerning us but by his Word and how by his Word or Words except we understand their sense
14 15 16. Ministers of the Gospel are given for and commanded to be examples to their Flocks 1 Tim. 4.12 1 Pet. 5.3 They are indispensibly bound to imitate their Master and to teach lead and conduct them in holiness to Heaven as well by their walkings and Conversations as by their Ministry that they may safely and comfortably follow them Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 1 Cor. 4.16 2 Thes 3.7 Surely such as Christ hath set in his Churches to feed nourish comfort strengthen instruct and build up his people to conduct lead and guide them in the way of Gospel-holiness to everlasting happiness should be singular in practical Godliness themselves They should be singular in knowledge faith patience self-denyal Goodness meekness charity humility tenden-heartedness faithfulness and usefulness in the World They ought to live out their own Doctrine and confirm it by conforming their carriages words and actions thereunto They must be clear of all Vices and eminent in all Vertues that they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things and encourage men to follow their steps For they are not set in the Churches only to teach and verbally to Minister to them but to be Patterns of Piety also Tit. 2.7 They must carry themselves gravely soberly wisely seriously and holily towards and before all men that those who seek occasion against them may find none but on the contrary they may be convinced of and report that God his fear love faith and spirit is in them of a Truth 1 Cor. 14.25 And as they must seriously mind and practice the matter of their work and duty or what they are to do and set in the Churches for so they must carefully mind the manner of it too 1 In all their Ministrations and Walkings they must regard and have their eye on their Lords will and appointment Teaching them to observe what ever I command you Math. 28. ult They must not impose their own Wills and Dictates and thereby make themselves Lords over God's Heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 They are the Servants and Stewards of Christ not to make Laws for and impose them on his Houshold but to acquaint them with their Master's Laws exhort and perswade them to keep and observe them as he commands and to execute them on Offenders 2 They must be diligent and constant in their Work They must not be Loyterers but Labourers be examples to their Flocks by shewing all diligence and faithfulness in their work Act. 18.25 1 Tim. 5.17 Prov. 27.23 3 They should attend too and perform their work readily willingly and chearfully not grudgingly 1 Pet. 5.1 2. 1 Cor. 9.17 They must be apt to Teach â— Tim. 3.2 and willing to Communicate If all Believers should so perform all their works much more should Ministers They should account their Ministerial work their priviledge not their burden and carry themselves accordingly in it 4 They must alwayes have in their eye the ends of their work and office and prosecute intend and design them with all Gospel sincerity They must not take their office on them nor do their work for filthy Lucre 1 Tim. 3.8 1 Pet. 5.2 nor to honour and exalt themselves but to honour please and serve Christ their Lord and to profit and edifie his people and that with all possible integrity and uprightness of heart 2 Cor. 2. ult For if these ends be not upper-most in their eyes and hearts in their desires choice aimes and intentions in their Ministrations it is certain they are not called of Christ nor qualified for Church-work and they shall not prosper in it be owned and blessed by him nor profit his people Thus briefly of the work and duty of teaching Elders or Pastors to the Churches over which the Holy Ghost makes them Overseers Now I shall briefly shew you the work and duty of Churches to their Pastors or Elders who faithfully and diligently labour in the word and Doctrine among them CHAP. VI. Wherein the Duties of Church-Members to their Pastours or teaching Elders are clearly opened and declared from Scripture Q. HOw ought Church-Members to behave themselves towards their Pastours or teaching Elders or what are their works and duties towards them Answ It is the will and appointment of the Lord Jesus the King head of his Churches that they should carry and behave themselves towards them in heart and practise as to his Ministers and Embassadors who come to them in his name by his Mission Authority and Commission with his Gifts and Grace upon his Errand and Business as also for their Souls profit They bear his Image wear his Livery do his work and serve his Interests in the Churches And therefore he that slighteth or despiseth them slights and despiseth him and his Father too Luk. 10.16 and he or they that receive them that love honour carry it well to them because they are his sent of him Commissioned and qualified by him to serve and honour him in the Churches they do thereby receive honour and love Christ himself Gal. 4.14 They receive honour and love Jesus Christ in and by receiving honouring and loving them as such and whatever good they do them or whatever respect they shew them as such the Lord Jesus takes it as done to himself Matth. 10. ult Matth. 25. Therefore all Church-members ought to carry and behave themselves well towards them and amongst other things in these particulars 1. They ought to love them I say to love them and that with all cordial tender affection They must not love them as they do other Saints of God only but they must have singular love for and shew special love unto them as Christs Embassadors and their Ministers 1 Thes 5.12 13. And we beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you And to esteem very highly in love for their works sake They must be loved on several accounts 1. As good men and living Members of Christ and so we are to love them as fellow-Brethren as we do other private Members 2. It is the will and appointment of Christ that they be loved as his Embassadors and Commissioners as his Stewards and Officers gifted and sent forth by him about his concerns in his Churches to do his work and business and as representing him by officiating in his Name by his Authority and doing his Message 3. They ought to be loved as your Ministers Guides Feeders and Overseers as sent unto you from Christ and dispensing the bread of life and the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven to you declaring the Counsel of God and administring his holy appointments to you for your present comfort establishment and growth in grace and for your eternal happiness hereafter esteem them very highly in love for their works sake These are some of the Reasons why they should be loved more than any other Believers namely because
they are sent Authorized Graced Gifted and qualified by Christ do his work represent him stand in his stead 2 Cor. 5.20 and as they are his Ministers for good to you Well then mind your duty and the will of Christ in this matter and love them sincerely and heartily strongly and fervently fruitfully and constantly for they love you study pray and labour to do you good And know that if you do not love them you do not love Christ whose they are whom they represent and serve And if you hate slight and despise them you do hate slight and despise Christ himself in them Secondly It is the will and appointment of Christ your duty to honour and respect to reverence and esteem them in their faithful diligent discharge of their Trust and performance of their work amongst you They are the Embassadors and Commissioners of your great Lord and King and sent by him from Heaven to you as was shewed 2 Cor. 5.20 Eph. 4. and that about most high and honourable work yea the highest work and service that Creatures are capable of in this World They come from and are sent to you by the King of Kings from Heaven and therefore they must be honoured They are his Embassadors and Commissioners and therefore you must honour them They are sent and come to you as with his Image of Authority so of Grace Gifts and Holiness and therefore you must honour them They are sent by Christ to you on and for the service of your Souls and therefore you must honour them and they represent Christ and stand in his stead to you and therefore you must honour them They do give up themselves to be your servants and thereby do honour you 2 Cor. 4.5 and they chearfully serve the interest of your Souls as your spiritual servants and therefore you must honour them Christ requires you to esteem them and that is not all but to esteem them highly yea very highly too 1 Thes 5.13 and therefore you must do it Christ will not suffer you to slight or despise them no more than Kings will endure that any should slight or despise their Embassadors If you have low base thoughts of them in your hearts you slight and despise them If you slight and despise their labours and administrations you despise them If you villifie and speak slightingly of them behind their backs and devulge their supposed or real weaknesses you despise them If you carry your selves saucily and imperiously before their face in words deeds or deportments you slight and despise them and if you controul them and disregard their Judgments Censures Admonitions or Reproofs you slight and despise them when you turn a deaf ear to their Counsels Instructions and Exhortations you slight and despise them and when you disregard their power Authority and their exercise thereof in the name of Christ you slight and despise them In these and many other wayes and instances Church-Members do not only neglect their indispensible duty of honouring their Teaching-Elders but they do slight and despise them also And they do not only slight and despise them but as was said the Lord Jesus his Laws Image work and Authority also For he that despiseth you despiseth me says Christ Luk. 10.16 And by these and such like slighting and contemptible words and carriages towards them they do greatly provoke and discourage them they weaken their hands and distract their minds and so hinder them in their work They are honoured by Christ and honourable in his eye and he strictly charges and commands his Churches to esteem them most or very highly and to give them double honour 1 Tim. 5.17 Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and Doctrine Give says the Apostle to every man his due fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Rom. 13.7 It is their due by the Law of Christ and he expects you should give it to them not as they are such or such men but as his Embassadors Ministers c. Thirdly It is the will and appointment of Christ that Churches should pray for their Pastours or Teaching Elders and that in a more than ordinary manner and measure I mean more than they do or are bound to do for others 1 Thes 5.25 Heb. 13.18 Rom. 15.30 you must be earnest and importunate wrestlers with God at the Throne of Grace for them that God would pour out abundance of his holy spirit on them and by his teachings quicknings and anointings make them able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter only but of the spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 That they may open their mouths boldly have the gift of utterance and speak the Truth sincerely clearly impartially and constantly make known the mystery of the Gospel Eph. 6.18 19. Col. 4.3 That they may be kept from Snares and Temptations or be enabled to encounter them and with the Sword of the spirit to overcome and conquer them and that they may be eminent shining lights in the world That they may be able to divide the word aright diligent in and faithful to their Trust That they may be wise zealous and glorious Patterns of Piety all Godliness and be kept unspotted of the world and that they may abound in all grace gifts works of holiness and righteousness That they may Preach powerfully and profitably and in all their wayes words and carriages adorn the Gospel of Christ Tit. 2.10 That they may be found in the faith of the Gospel and hold fast the profession of the faith without wavering Preach sound Doctrine clearly plainly and closely Tit. 2.1 and in all things approving themselves the true Ministers of Christ That God would give them the spirit of Discipline and Government for the order and well being of the Churches and the orderly management of their concerns and that they may in all things walk by their Lords Rules and aim at design and uprightly intend his glory and the profit of his people and all others that hear them There are many reasons inforcing this duty on them to your Pastours I le name a few 1. Because it is the will of God that you should do so as the aforesaid Scriptures shew 2. Because they stand in need of your earnest prayers If the Apostles themselves did stand in need of the Churches prayers much more must ordinary Teachers need them Their work is hard and difficult who is sufficient for it 2 Cor. 2.16 Their discouragements are many and great and their Temptations many strong and powerful They have mysteries to unfold continually and they have stronger Temptations to grapple with all than others have therefore they should have your strongest and most importunate prayers Little do Churches know what they see feel and experience in their work and therefore are apt to imagine that their Teachers have an easie and sweet life of it and stand in little need of their assistance But surely they
why should not their reasons be soberly and humbly considred of by you and oblige you to practise unless you can null them and with peace and meekness propound better to them for their satisfaction It is sad when Members of Churches shall be so highly conceited of themselves and their own Notions as that they shall despise and turn as it were a deaf ear to all the reasons of their Elders and delight in being singular from them and their fellow-Brethren in Church-matters and in contending for Victory rather than for Truth This ought not to be For it makes Church-work tedious spoyls the beauty and loveliness of it yea it marrs the Harmony of Church order And this is dishonourable to Christ and the Church and exceedingly grievous to your Teachers who do unfeignedly seek and aim at your good in all and dare not do otherwise for fear of offending Christ their Lord. 7. Encourage them with your Purses also For it is the will of Christ that you should do so They labour for your Souls and spend their time and strength to do you all possible service in their places and capacities and therefore it is most reasonable that you should labour and provide for their bodies They spend for you and therefore you should spend for them They are Shepherds do watch over and wait on you their Flocks And I appeal to any indifferent Judgment if it be not a most reasonable thing that they should live by the milk of their Flocks surely Paul yea the Holy Ghost thought so 1 Cor. 9.7 8. and therefore have declared it for our Learning and practise It was Gods Ordinance under the old Testament and it is ratified and confirmed to men under and by the new Testament also namely that Ministers should be honourably and comfortably maintained by their Congregations The Great God took special care about it and made provisions for their maintenance assoon as he had ordained and set them up and appointed and set them out their work And God strictly-charged his people to see that they did not at any time forget or neglect the Levite but pay them all that he had set out and appointed for them and that then when by reason of Age or other impediments they could not Minister to them and for them as well as when they did Numb 3.6 to the 14. vers Numb 16.9 10. Deut. 26.2.15 vers Deut. 10.8 9. Numb 7.1 2 3 4 5. Deut. 12.19 Deut. 14.26 27 28 29. Deut. 18.1 9. Now Gods care of and goodness to his Embassadours did not dye with the Ceremonial Law but he hath continued it under the Gospel and therein straitly charged his people to provide for them according to their abilities God commands his people to communicate to their Teachers in all good things Gal. 6.6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that Teacheth in all good things And in 1 Cor. 9.14 The Apostle assures us that it is not of men but a real and unchangeable Ordinance of God now by and under the Gospel For says he so hath God ordained that they that Preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel Mark it is ordained God hath made it a Statute Law that cannot be altred neither may it be transgressed under pain of Gods high displeasure And the Apostle argues by the Spirit the justness and the undoubted reasonableness and righteousness of mens so doing and that the evidence of meer Reason and the Dictates of natural Conscience without either written Law or Gospel will abundantly prove and undeniably conclude this Truth against all opposition whatsoever 7.10 verses And proves that it is not matter of gift or charity as it is to give to men in distress to whom we are not endebted nor related but that it is debt and justice or a due debt in strict Justice and that by a threefold Law viz. The Law of Nature the written Law of God in the old Testament and the new Law or Gospel as in this 1 Cor. 9. from the 5. to the 15. vers he evinces so in Gal. 6.6 and Rom. 15.27 And says the Apostle in 1 Cor. 9.11 v. If we have sowen to you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things As if he had said alass These are but light small and low matters that you give us for our pains and labours in comparison of what we do for and dispense to you Your carnal things that you impart to us for our bodies are not comparable to our labour pains and care to impart spiritual Riches to your Souls And therefore if you grudge at your parting with yours to us know that you grudge us small and very inconsiderable things in comparison of what we distribute to you This is another of your works and duties to your Teachers You must therefore do it and that 1. Chearfully and willingly not grudgingly heartily not hypocritically and indifferently dutifully and in obedience to the will of Christ not as an arbitrary thing that you may or may not do at your own will and pleasure Constantly and perseveringly not for some time onely And see that your ends be right in it namely to encourage your Ministers propagate the Gospel to profit Souls to serve please and honour the Lord Jesus and that in the right performance of your duty to Christ his Ministers you may enjoy the good of the promises and the blessings of all Christs Ordinances administred by them But that I may a little more inforce this on your Consciences be pleased to consider First That your Ministers are appointed commanded and they do wholly attend on Christ and the service of your Souls They are said to wait at the Altar 1 Cor. 9.13 and commanded to give themselves wholly to their work of Teaching Ruling Reading Meditation Study and Exhortation that their profiting may appear to all that they may rightly divide the word of Truth and that by so doing they may both save themselves and them that hear them 1 Tim. 4.13 14 15 16. 2 Tim. 2.15 They must Preach the word in season and out of season c. 2 Tim. 1.2 Feed their Flocks and take the care and oversight of them Act. 20.28 1 Pet. 5.1 2. And therefore you must take care of their bodies on whom they attend For you see that they may not cannot follow other Employments to get Bread because they are commanded to do other work for you the greatness difficulty of their own proper work necessitates them to wait on and attend to it with all diligence Therefore you ought to provide for them all suitable supplyes because they cannot may not do it themselves 2. Consider that you are plainly and peremptorily commanded and charged to Communicate to them in and of all your carnal things as you heard before And therefore you are by Christs Authority and revealed will indispensibly bound to do it and that without grudging or gain-saying For a plainer
to Christ they ought for ever to do and perform to walk and practise accordingly which they do not until they give up themselves to one another and walk together in Gospel fellowship in the conscientious Observation of all the Ordinances and Appointments of Jesus Christ For until they do so they walk not in universal Obedience to all the Laws and Orders of their Head and King For besides their disorderly walking they live in the careless if not wilful neglect of several Duties and Ordinances given to and incumbent on the Churches as the Lords Supper and many brotherly Duties one to another You have heard before that a true Church of Christ is the seat and subject of all Gospel Ordinances and if so then it will follow that thither Believers should repair for and seek to find them there they should walk and observe them and no where else excepting occasionally For out of a Church-state they do not orderly observe the Ordinances and Appointments of Christ in what they do Many think that they do well and discharge their duties to Christ and their own souls if they observe and wait on some Ordinances if their hearts be upright with God in their so doing but consider not the order and method the places and waies they ought to observe and practise them in But herein they are mistaken and walk disorderly It was the Will of God that the Ark of his Covenant should be brought to Jerusalem and David and the Priests did well in attempting to do it but they failed in the external manner of doing it and therefore God made a breach on them 1 Chron. 15.13 The Sons of Aaron did well in offering Sacrifice to God but they failed in offering their Sacrifice with strange fire Lev. 10. And are not these things written for our Admonition 1 Cor. 13.11 undoubtedly they are God hath Instituted Churches and appointed them to be the seats and subjects of all his Gospel-Ordinances and Institutions invited and called his people to or into them to celebrate them there Now when any content themselves with the enjoyment and observation of some Ordinances and Gospel-Institutions and attend on them out of a Church-state as if they found them where they ought to seek them they walk irregularly and break their Marriage-Covenant by their careless or wilful neglects For how are they universally obedient to all his Laws and Ordinances when they take up with and only respect some of them and such as they do observe they observe not in due order or in a right manner Oh! think on this you who live so and what the end will be Oh! consider what promises you have made to Christ and what Obligations you lay under to him and examine seriously your selves if you live not in the wilful or careless breach of them and so lay your selves open to the wrath and displeasure of your Lord and King and by your neglects provoke him to make a breach on you O remember what obligations you live under To give Him the Honour due unto his Name in and by universal Obedience unto his holy Will in all things 1. You have his Will and your duty revealed and opened to you in his Gospel and further explained by his Ministers 2. You are greatly obliged and enjoyned by his mercies and promises 3. You are firmly bound by your own act and deed by your own free and voluntary Covenants and Engagements and therefore you may not live any longer in the neglect of any of Christs Ordinances and Appointments And consider further that while you live in such neglects you Rob God of his Dues you detain his Right of Homage and Service from him which will assuredly have bitterness in the end and instead of being called and intitled Obedient Children 1 Pet. 1.14 you will incur the odious Name and Title of Disobedient if not Stubborn and Rebellious Children Fourthly Believers ought to joyn themselves to and walk in Church-fellowship for their own Souls sakes for their own profit and spiritual benefit They stand in need of all God's means to help them on in their journey and spiritual warfare through the Wilderness of this world as experience shews It is well known that all Believers have their Entanglements Tryals Temptations Oppositions Weights Burdens and Weaknesses The best of Saints have them and are not a little incumbred and pressed by them Now God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ have in their great Love and Kindness to Believers made and provided offered and given to them sutable and proper means for their support strengthening comfort and encouragement to feed and nourish to edifie and build up their Souls and Graces and that by imparting and communicating of his Spirit Truth Love and Grace unto their Souls in and by those means They are appointed and given to them for their own profit and the glory of God Such is the Love of Jesus Christ unto his peculiar people as that he hath conjoyned and made their present and eternal happiness one and the same end with his own Honour and Glory in all the dispensations of his Graces and in all his Promises and Gospel-Laws so that they are not two but one End and Interest wherein his free Love and Grace shines forth most gloriously Now as God told a Remnant among the Jews That he sent them into Captivity for their good Jer. 24.5 So he hath made and appointed Churches and set his Gospel-Ordinances in them for his peoples good that they may come there and reap the fruits and profits of them Therefore they ought to do it and not upon any Pretence whatsoever to neglect it for if they refuse to come and take them as they in Luk. 14.16 17 18 19 20 21. may not the great God reprove and condemn them for their wilful neglects and careful refusals as he did them He made a great Supper a feast of fat things Isa 25. bid and invited men to come eat of his Supper but they made excuses for their neglects so he hath made a Heavenly Feast for Believers invited them to come to eat and drink freely and abundantly for the supply of their wants and making them fat and flourishing But they will not come into his House or Houses nor accept of his dainties although they stand in need of it are lovingly and importunately invited by their God and King their Head and Husband to come freely dwell in his House feed on his Banquets lye in his Bosom and refresh themselves with his Delights but they will not do it They stand off as if they were not concerned in those matters had no need of them or not injoyned to come They frequently complain and cry out of their wants weaknesses barrenness cold and dead-heartedness of the strength and prevalency of their Lusts and Temptations of their ignorance sadness and carnality And although they have provisions made in their Fathers Houses and in their Kings Palaces to help and relieve them to
for him and his people he will not own us for his true Friends and Subjects Churches must deny themselves of 1. Their worldly Businesses and Interests that they may wait on God and celebrate his Ordinances of divine worship together They must not be in their Shops in the Fields or about their worldly Businesses and Recreations when the Church meets to worship God They may not must not be about and doing other things when providence calls them to worship God Neither may they stay at home to get the world and serve themselves when they should be in the Ordinances of God with their Brethren serving God and enriching their souls with his Spirit Grace and Truth But then God calls them to Self-denyal 2. They must deny themselves to reprove and admonish Offenders and adventure on their displeasure in doing it There are many difficulties in the way of this work within and without and it will require Self-denyal to do it as we ought Our hearts are averse to it our worldly interests are against it for we may lose a Friend as often as we do it to purpose 3. They must somtimes deny themselves to help and relieve their poor Brethren Eph. 4.28 The Rich to talk and hold friendly and intimate converse and communion with their Inferiors in gifts and worldly things Rom. 12.16 and others to supply the wants of the Poor and Needy which they are bound to provide for 4. They must deny themselves of the Garbs and Fashions of the times and places wherein they live when they may prove stumbling blocks unto the weak Rom. 14.1 Cor. 8. They must not please themselves only but their Brethren with the denyal of themselves for their good to edification Rom. 15.1 2 3. They must somtimes deny themselves of their own liberty lest the use of it prove a snare to others 5. They must deny themselves somtimes of living up to the height and top of their Estates especially when they have risen up from a low mean condition to a high and rich condition for their doing so is usually very offensive 6. They must somtimes deny their own natural tempers and dispositions also There are some persons very much disposed to talk much in Company they will have most if not all the talk they must as they think talk and others must hear them because they have a greater volubility and fancy that they can express themselves better and talk to better purpose than others can But in this they ought to deny themselves and to be as James speaks chap. 1. v. 19. swift to hear and slow to speak especially young Men and young Converts 2. Women especially with and before men 3. Inferiors with and before their Superiors for their much speaking to and before them gives great offence And here let me caution Wives to take heed and beware of that too much practised evil namely their too liberal and shameful talking before or in the presence of their Husbands For although they think they do thereby lay open their Wisdom yet their Auditors are satisfied that they do too imperiously lay open their shame and the like do other inferiors towards their Superiors So there are some Church-members who are naturally addicted to much Jesting and take much pleasure therein But they are called to and commanded self-denyal in this also Eph. 4.29 Eph. 5.4 Col. 4.6 They ought to be very sober and serious and to curb and restrain their natural bent inclination and disposition in this other matters 7. They must deny themselves somtimes of their own just rights and dues to avoyd scandal and reproach to the Gospel Jew Gentile and Church of God 1 Cor. 10.32 They must not be too severe on such as do them wrong either by detaining from them their dues of money or other things especially if they be poor or much decayed in their Estates Matth. 5.39 40 41. They must suffer wrong somtimes yea and that in many things rather than strive contend or dispute they must put up Injuries and sit down with loss for the preventing of greater evils to shew the excellency of their spirits and manifest before all men what their special grace can do 5. Churches must shine in Patience and Contentation they must learn in every state therewith to be content Phil. 4.11 and run their race with patience Heb. 12.1 Church-members may not shew a murmuring disquiet spirit or a contentious quarrelling spirit any way under any providence whatsoever Phil 2.14 but take all things well that God doth either by his own or the Creatures hands thus did Job Eli Aaron David Paul for which they are renowned Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as you have Heb. 13.5 and with patience possess ye your souls a meek and a quiet spirit is in the sight of God of great price 1 Pet. 3. An impatient discontented murmuring quarrelsome spirit is very hateful and abominable to God and Men. They are great scandals to men and make the guilty persons lothsome and undesirable Certainly this should be another of the Churches Ornaments and Jewels wherewith they should be clothed and wherein they should shine in the world and adorn their holy profession 6. Church-members should shine in Peace and Concord they must be Peace-makers not Peace-breakers where and with whom they live and converse They must not be Brawlers or sowers of discord but be lovers of Peace and followers of Peace and that with all men Stirs and strifes are most pernitious and hateful evils among Church-members they are the Devils Seeds-men and his Servants to sow his Seed for him Prov. 6.16 19. Peace-breakers are common Plagues and very scandalous and offensive to all sorts of men Oh! how often doth the God of Peace and Prince of Peace command and charge us to do the things that make for peace to follow peace with all men to be at peace among themselves and as much as in them is to live peaceably with all men They must be men of peaceable spirits carriages words and deeds that they may be blessed Matth. 5.9 and because God hath so commanded 2 Cor. 13.11 Rom. 14.19 Heb. 12.14 1 Thes 5.13 Rom. 12.18 I have mentioned this before among the duties of Church-members to one another But now I have a further aim namely to shew what spirits and practices should be found in Church-members towards all men but especially towards their Fellow-members and their Relations with whom they live 7. Church-members must shine in Vsefulness to men or in Fruit-bearing They should all of them bear Twins and there ought not to be a barren Member among them Cant. 4.2 They are not set in this world as reasonable Creatures and maintained in it to live unto themselves much less are they Created again in Christ Jesus called to and set in a Church-state enriched and dignified with all the priviledges and advantages thereof to live for and unto themselves No but they are united
do so you rob God break your Covenant offend your Brethren and wrong your own souls You must go up because you are called to go and that you may meet God in Zion and receive his blessings for there he commands them Psal 133. ult Oh! it is sad indeed when persons shall pretend to enter into Churches take upon them the observation of all the Laws and Ordinances of Christ there solemnly and publickly promise and engage to walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of God with his people and yet shall dare wilfully to neglect their place and duty therein and to pay their Vows to their God and King Psal 65.1 Psal 61.5.8 Such as are good Governours of Families and Corporations will carefully mind if all within them do answer to their calls and perform their duties when called so to do So doth the Lord Jesus Christ in his Churches He summons them by his Ministers to appear before him wait on and worship him together and bring him a Church-offering and service and narrowly observes who comes and who neglects it how thy come and with what frames of hearts to what ends as the 2. 3. Chap of Rev. shew And if he find any wanting that might come or see them come carelesly and superficially he accounts himself slighted disobeyed and his Love and Grace contemned and undervalued God expects that you should be constant in Church-meetings and not decline them at any time but when his hand obstructs and impedes you but that there you should come with your Free-will offerings and do your Duty Homage to him as he commanded you Believe it this is a matter of great moment and not to be slighted or disregarded by you Sixthly You must walk with God in Church-fellowship in Sincerity and with Vprightness of heart to Without this all your performances are in vain The Lord Jesus is very curious and critical in searching your hearts in your Church-state Rev. 2.23 And all the Churches shall know that I search the reins and the heart And in Jer. 17.10 saith God to the inchurched Jews I the Lord search the heart I try the reins Then surely it must very much concern you to see that you draw night to God continually with true hearts Heb. 10.22 and that without all allowed Guile and Hypocrisie A little of this Leaven will quickly leaven the whole lump of duties Gal. 5.9 It will so corrupt and sowre them as that they will be all stark naught and good for nothing but to kindle and encrease the flames of God's Wrath and Vengeance against you Therefore take heed and beware of Hypocrisie and do not connive or wink at the least grain of it in your hearts or duties but be sure to walk with God in the performance of all duties in Integrity and Uprightness Be sure that your God expects it from you and requires it of you Joshua 24.14 Gen. 17.1 The Eyes of the Lord run to and fro through-out the Churches to see whose heart is perfect with him and whose is hypocritical 2 Chron. 16.9 He requires Truth in the inward parts Psal 51.6 and that all Church-members should walk before him in Truth and with perfect hearts 2 King 20.3 You must worship God and serve him with your all for your little all is but too little for him Prov. 23.26 Math. 22.37 Psal 119.10 You must not leave one hoof behind when you do any thing for God nor put God off with a part of your abilities for the whole for if you do you will lose the acceptance and reward of all Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name saith David Psal 103.1 Seventhly See that you worship God and observe all his Ordinances in the Church in spirit or spiritually Remember that you are his holy spiritual Temples the Temples of the Holy Ghost Eph. 2.21 1 Cor. 3.16 that all the Ordinances of worship in them are holy and spiritual Ordinances stampt with the Image of God's Holiness and Authority and that he will be worshipped in spirit or spiritually Joh. 4.23 24. You must be very careful that you take not up with the external part and outside of your duties and priviledges that you settle not your selves and stay as it were in and upon Ordinances and your enjoying and observing them but get within the Vail seek and look for God and Christ for Heaven and glorious things in them Let your Faith conduct you by the hand of the Spirit into the bosom and heart of Christ that there you may read his Love Grace and glorious Excellencies have intimate and close Communion with him and be ravished and refreshed with his Person and Love Get into his Galleries and see the King of Glory in his beautys and transcendant sweetnesses and get into the Sanctum Sanctorum into the most holy place for the way is opened and the vail drawn off and removed by your Head for you to come and meet him there Heb. 10.19 20 Therefore do not stand and worship in the outer Court of the Temple but go and pass through Ordinances to Christ into the holiest of all and when-ever you go and enter in be you sure that you carry all Graces the Spirit with you to meet your Lord and honour him with them Endeavour all you can to see and feel him to get your hearts ravished with his Person and Love that thereby they may be raised up to great delight joy chearfulness adoration admiration and praise that they may be filled with his Savours warmed with his Love drawn by his Beauty be by all knit and united tyed and bound fast to him Then we worship him in spirit or spiritually when we worship him go to meet him with all our Graces in the Holy of Holies when our Hearts Graces do close up with and hold Communion with him in these Beauties of Holiness Psal 110.3 I am affraid that very few Church-members are experimentally acquainted with this matter for if they were so acquainted with it indeed they could not do as they do They could not neglect the worship and Ordinances of Christ nor cry up a Cephas and cry down a Paul as they do 1 Cor. 3. They could not be so careless and formal in them as they are nor carry about such dead lumpish and heavy hearts and minds as they do Well but however it hath been with you let it be so no more Do you for time to come learn so to worship God as you have heard that so you may please and honour him and he may delight to meet with and bless you Eightly You must walk in Church-fellowship chearfully comfortably and joyfully You must not be Whiners and Complainers you must not be sad lumpish and melancholly in your Father's House No for that will greatly reflect on your Father and on your Head and Husband You will raise suspicions in the minds of men on the good ways of God