that God would teach him that God would open his eyes and give him understanding Psal 119. which expressions shew a remainder of ignorance in him a trouble at it and a desire after a more perfect instruction 2. Holiness at present is imperfect in the best of men as well as Knowledg Other Graces cannot be perfect if Knowledge be not He that does not know the evil of sin so fully as he ought cannot hate it so much as he should He that is imperfect in his knowledge of God and Christ must needs fall short in his Faith and Love and holy Fear and Reverence There is not one sanctifying Grace in us but needs further degrees The Apostle makes it the constant work of Believers here below to be cleansing themselves from all filthiness both of the flesh and spirit and to be perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. 3. The victory over spiritual enemies is not yet fully obtained by militant Saints They are combating but they have not conquered they resist Satan and force him many times to flee but he returns again and renews his assaults and the God of peace has not yet done it though he has promised to tread him under their feet shortly Rom. 16. 20. They have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts but though the flesh is fastened to the Cross of Christ and therefore the old man is said to be crucified with him yet the flesh struggles upon the Cross the Body of Sin is not quite destroyed some fleshly and worldly lusts and affections are stirring which are not totally mortified Militant Saints are not as yet compleat Conquerours for their enemies still make a head and continue the war though at length they shall be made more than Conquerours through him that loved them Rom. 8. 37. 4. The Joyes of believers also are imperfect All tears shall at last be wiped away from their Eyes but at present their Eyes are full of them The worlds wickedness and folly in that wickedness professors degeneracy the Churches divisions and distresses and corruptions the dreadful tokens and signs of Gods displeasure if not of his departing finally their own spiritual distempers which are so far from being perfectly cured alas these are enough to hinder their joy from being perfect 5. Their Happiness is as yet but an imperfect Happiness All the world are miserable besides and the Saints are the only happy ones and yet these by many degrees are not so happy as they shall be This sad effect sin has by coming into the world that not a man not the best man can be fully happy till got out of the world The Churches true members are happy indeed because God is theirs Psal 144. ult because Christ is theirs but they must needs be happy only in part because God and Christ are but in part enjoyed In the second place I am to shew in what sense the Church should be continually increasing I. The Church should endeavour to increase in numbers and that the stone cut out without hands may become a great mountain and fill the whole earth Dan. 2. 34 35. 'T is the worlds misery that it hates and keeps at a distance from the Church of Christ But if this world were but taken into the Church and were brought to believe in the same Jehovah in the same Jesus and to yield Subjection to the same Gospel what a New and Happy world would there be presently This increase of the Church in numbers is to be endeavoured several wayes 1. Prayer should be constant and very fervent for this increase All the Sons and Daughters of Sion should be importunate that the City of God may be enlarged that the Church may not have a barren womb or dry breasts but that by reason of her numerous Offspring she may enlarge the place of her tent and without sparing she may lengthen her cords and strengthen her stakes and stretch forth the curtains of her habitation Isa 54. 2. There is mercy enough in God though the miserable sinners that come to him are never so great a multitude The fulness of Christ is so infinitely unmeasurable that 't is sufficient to supply and to enrich the whole empty and beggar'd race of Adam Heaven is of capacity to contain millions of inhabitants more Let us therefore pray that the conversion of Souls may be by thousands and that they may flie as a cloud and as doves to their Windows Isa 60. 8. 2. The promises of the Churches increase are to be believed and pleaded In what a strain does God speak unto his Church what Promises does he make her Isa 60. 3 4 5. The Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising Lift up thine eyes round about and see all they gather themselves together they come to thee Thy Sons shall come from far and thy Daughters shall be nursed at thy side Then shalt thou see and flow together and thy heart shall fear and be enlarged Because the abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto thee And the Forces of the Gentiles shall come to thee And v. 11. Thy Gates shall be open continually they shall not be shut day nor night that still there may be greater confluence And v. 16. Thou shalt also suck the Milk of the Gentiles and shalt suck the breasts of Kings and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer the mighty One of Jacob. These and such like Promises are certain that God who has made them is easily able to make them good His Glory and Name and his Sons Honour are much concern'd in fulfilling them And he is delighted to see his Saints desirous with a respect to his Name that these Promises may be performed 3. The Church is to be increased by the powerful preaching of the Gospel This Preaching by all means is to be encouraged for Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10. 17. Those that most preach Christ and least themselves are likeliest to enlarge the Church of God Those that are most skilful to convince men of sin that are wise to win Souls that know Christ themselves and how to reveal him to others and with greatest zeal do press the love and practice of Holiness these are the Pastours after the Heart of God and are likely to do as Jacob did to Laban vastly to increase the Flock of Christ The Apostle was so far from hindring the preaching of the Gospel that he was glad it was preached by those that did not preach sincerely Surely the Church may have some benefit and enlargement by such Phil. 1. 15 16 17 18. Some preach Christ even of envy and strife and others also of good will the one preach Christ of contention not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds but the other of love knowing that I am set for the defence of the Gospel What then I Notwithstanding every way
is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. USE III. Of Advice unto the Church of Christ and all her true Members 1. Let their imperfection keep them humble There is not a Soul without a stain nor a Grace without a mixture nor a Duty without a failing nor a Saint without some sin remaining All therefore nay the very best of all have reason to be low in their own eyes The more humble we are the more our hearts are suited to our present imperfect state and the more of Gods reviving Presence notwithstanding our imperfection will be vouchsafed For thus saith the High and Lofty One who inhabiteth Eternity whose Name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Isa 57. 15. 2. Let the Churches Members hunger and thirst after a greater measure of righteousness Those that to do so are blessed for they shall be filled sayes he in whom all Fulness dwells Mat. 5. 6. This is an hunger truly sacred that never ends in starving but in satisfaction We should long more for the Waters of Life the Soul should thirst more vehemently for the living God desiring to behold his glory and to be changed more fully into his glorious Image Such kind of desires widen the Souls capacity and make it meet for a larger participation both of Grace and comfort 3. Let the Church believe and long for that enlargement and glory that is promised in the latter dayes but especially to be translated unto those Mansions above which her Head is gone to prepare for her Let her long that her Warfare may be well accomplished her course faithfully finished and the Crown of Life and Righteousness received And to this end let all her Members tear the Air and pierce the Heavens with their cryes Come Lord Jesus come quickly Rev. 22. 20. Thus of the Second Proposition That the Body of Christ is imperfect in this World and therefore continually should be encreasing Proposit III. The Third Proposition follows That the Body of Christ should diligently endeavour the edifying of it self Before the Apostle had used the Metaphor of a Body now he uses another Metaphor of an Edifice or Building The Church is to edify it self but the Power to do this is from God and her Lord who acts and strengthens her in this action lays a just claim to all the glory The Church is an Edifice or an House but a Spiritual one therefore called a Temple Eph. 2. 21 22. In whom that is Christ all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord In whom you also are builded together for an habitarion of God through the Spirit This Temple is holy for God hath set apart such as are godly for himself The Stones are lively for all Saints are quickened to live to God and act for him In this Temple Sacrifices are offered but they aâ—e spiritual Prayers Praises other Duties and the Heart of him that performs them And though these Sacrifices are never so spiritual yet they are not accepted upon their own account but they are acceptable unto God througâ— Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2. 5. In the further handling of this Proposition I shall First Shew upon what foundation the Church is to Edify it self Secondly To what end this Edification must be Lastly Make Application In the first place I am to shew upon what foundation the Church is to edify it self 1. The Knowledge of God is styled a Foundation 2 Tim. 2. 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that are his God has from eternity foreknown and chosen his Church in Christ that she should be holy and without blame before him in love Eph. 1. 4. This is a Foundation laid before the Foundation of the World and will endure infinitely longer than the World shall The Churches Members should give all diligence to make their calling and Election sure for if they do these things they shall never fall but an abundant entrance shall be administred to them into the everlasting Kingdom 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Now Election is made sure by hearkening to and obeying the call of the Gospel and departing from Iniquity 2. Christ the Rock is called a Foundation 1 Cor. 3. 11. Other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ. Though he was set at nought by the Jewish builders yet he is the head Stone of the Corner neither is there Salvation in any other The Churches Faith must be firmer in Christ her hope in him more and more abundant and she may build without fear for the Foundation will never fail the Superstructure 2. The Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is also styled a Foundation Eph. 2. 20. Both were inspired by the Holy Ghost and the harmony and agreement between Apostles and Prophets between the Old Testament and the New makes the Foundation more sure The Church that she may edifie her self is to eye the Scripture then she will build according to the right rule Vnwritten Traditions that would impose upon her Faith what the Scripture has not revealed are to be rejected and that light within that would lead her away from the written Word is no more to be followed than a foolish Night-fire If she has Scripture for her Faith and Practice she has good ground for both and both may be justified before the Judge of all the World 4. Obedience and good Works are called a Foundation 1 Tim. 6. 19. Laying up in store for themselves a good Foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on Eternal life This is done by doing good by being rich in good works Though good works are not meritorious for Eternal Life is the Gift of God yet they are necessary to evidence out Faith and that the Promises may be fulfilled Glory and Immortality is promised to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for it Rom. 2. 7. He builds firm that builds his house upon a Rock and he builds thus who hears the Words of Christ and does them But he that hears and does them not is a foolish man and builds his house upon the sand and when the rain descends and the winds blow and the floods come and beat upon his house it will fall and great will be the fall of it Mat. 7. 24 25 26 27. In the second place I am to tell you to what end this Edification of the Church must be 1. The Church must Edifie it self that it may grow Stronger The stronger her Faith is the more will she Glorifie that God in whom she believes Rom. 4. 20. 't is said of Abraham He staggered not at the Promise of God through Vnbelief but was strong in Faith giving glory to God The stronger her Love the more it will constrain her to labour in
12. He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life They that by faith receive the Lord Jesus are purified are regenerated and shall live for ever but as many as through unbelief reject him remain dead in sin and doom'd to Hell Union with Christ is a most necessary a most happy union The Churches life from this has its beginning and continuance unto consummation 2. The Head has a mighty influence upon the Body There is a powerful influence from Christ upon his Church and what good it does is done by vertue of this influence He is said to be exalted far above all Heavens that he might fill all things Eph. 4. 10. Whatever grace and strength and comfort is communicated to believers it is really and all from Christ He fills Ordinances with efficacy mercies with sweetness afflictions with light and usefulness and Souls with greater degrees of Grace and Holiness out of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all-fulness it has pleased the Father should dwell in him Col. 1. 19. Our Lord tells his Disciples they must abide in him for separated from him they can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. No wonder the Apostle professes That Christ is all and in all Col. 3. 11. Though the Body the Church should be never so much increased a deficiency in the Head Christ need not be feared neither is it indeed possible for in him there is all the fulness of the Godhead And consequently his Rightousness and Grace must needs be sufficient for the whole 3. The Body has many Members and these members have different Offices The Church likewise has various members and their different stations relations callings diversify their work and duties and yet the doing of these duties is both comely and advantageous and the more every one does his own work the more all are benefited Rom. 12. 45. the Apostle tells us That as we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office so we being many are one body in Christ And from thence infers that All should use the gifts they have received which are differing according to the grace and good pleasure of God the Giver It would be unreasonable for the Ear to attempt to speak like the Tongue or the Hand to see like the Eye The several members have their uses and work proper to them All are not Apostles all are not Prophets all are not Teachers all are not Governours 1 Cor. 12. 29. There are many indeed most in the Church that have need to be taught and governed and those that think themselves wise enough to instruct and govern themselves and so despise their spiritual Guides usually are the most ignorant and unruly and hugely need the help and conduct of others The members must abide in their place and calling Masters Servants Parents Children Husbands Wives Magistrates Subjects Pastors People doing their duties which the Scripture in their several stations and relations calls for 4. The Body is fitly joyned and thus fitly joyned is the Church of Christ The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies that there is a congruous order among the members of Christ Without Order an Army would be a Rout and not an Army a Kingdom would become a confused self-destroying multitude The Churches God is the God of Order and not of confusion 1 Cor. 14. 33. There is a rule for Order and Government and a subordination in the Church 't is not a body of levellers if there were a perfect parity all would affect to rule none would care to be ruled The reproof of two or three is more than the reproof of one the Churches admonition and censure is still with greater authority The flock is to submit themselves â—o their Pastors who are over them in the Lord. Heb. 13. 17. and both Pastors and people are to submit especially unto Christian Magistrates who are prophetically promised in the Old Testament that they should be Nursing Fathers to the Church under the New A right Order in Churches and Families will have a mighty influence to make believers stedfast against temptations both to Error and Wickedness The Apostle rejoyced in the Colossians chap. 2. 5. when he beheld their order and the stedfastness of of their faith in Christ 5. The Body is compact together so is the Church of Christ the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shews that the Church is firmly knit unto Christ the Head and the members one unto another The hypostatical Vnion between the Natures of Christ shall never be dissolved neither shall the mystical union between him and his members and if so then his true members must needs remain closely knit together There are ligaments joynts bands whereby the Body of Christ is held together The Spirit of Grace and Love unites the body to Christ and members to members The Ministers of Christ are subservient unto this union and ought to be preaching and commending love which is a grace of an uniting nature The Apostle had a concernedness for the Colossians which he expresses by a great conflict and that which he wisht so vehemently for was this that their hearts might be comforted beingknit together in love Col. 2. 1 2. Where is the member of the natural Body that grows weary of its fellowship and is willing to be cut off The Arms the Hands the Leggs the Feet are desirous to keep their places and and nature makes them abhor to be severed True grace makes the members of the Church to dislike separation As they believe so they very well like and are desirous of the communion of Saints A very black mark is set upon them who are of a contrary inclination 1 Joh. 2. 19. They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest they were not all of us 6. God hath set the Members in the body as it pleased him the different gifts and graces which are in the Church of Christ and the members of it are according to Gods will and pleasure He bestowes larger gifts upon some and less upon others and yet those that have less are not unuseful Some Saints receive greater measures of Grace others smaller but all have that grace which is true and which at last will end in glory Some members of the Church are higher others lower and yet they should not envy or despise one another for God has assigned their place unto both the higher may direct the lower the lower may serve the higher The eye cannot say to the hand I have no need of thee nor the head to the feet I Have no need of you and those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary 1 Cor. 12. 21 22. By the grace of God the members of Christ are what they are They have nothing but what they have received and the more
Scandals and Offences and he shews the depth of his subtilty and malice in the management of this pernicious Engine He represents God as too rigorous in his Commands Christ as too much thwarting the glorying of the flesh He represents Self-denial and the Cross as unreasonable and intolerable and all this is that man may be offended and his Conversion to God and Faith in Jesus may be hindred Our Lord and Saviour who is the great lover of Souls saw the mischief of Scandal and speaks much to prevent it He pronounces the woful misery of the World because of offences but especially binds and fixes the Woe upon that man by whom the offence cometh Mat. 18. 7. At the reading of this methinks every mans heart should ake and he should cry out as the Disciples every one of them did in another ease Lord Is it I Am I the man that thou sayest wo unto does the offence come by Me 'T is our duty to love others but to scandalize them is to be greatly injurious to them and that 's not an act a sign of love Much talk there is of Scandal and there is much more of Scandal than is talkt of 'T is a sore evil that spits its venom every way It strikes at Jew at Gentile and at the Church of God Therefore the Apostle cautions us against giving offence to any of these 1 Cor. 10. 32. True Love to our Neighbour will make us avoid Scandal as carefully as a Mariner would a dangerous Rock that may cause a shipwrack Here I shall lay down some Positions concerning Scandal that you may have the truer notion of it and may flee from it and the woe denounced upon it 1. Every displeasing of another is not Scandal 'T is one thing to offend a man and another thing to make him offend Barely to displease and grieve another is not to scandalize him for if it were then those Professors that are most ignorant and peevish must be perpetually humoured they must have their wills else they will be angry and grieved and the weakest as one observes must bear sway in the Church which they are very unfit to do and the strongest even Pastors themselves must be subject to them for they are hugely troubled if they are in the least cross'd Besides Professors are of different minds some may be angry and grieved at my doing of a thing others as much displeased and troubled at my not doing it Now if barely to offend another were Scandal in this case both Scandal and the Woe belonging to it might be impossible to be avoided A man may be offended because I am not of his mind because of my peaceable temper because I think not that stiffness and strangeness is the way to unity but mutual yielding and condescension forbearing one another in love Eph. 4 3. 4. receiving one another as Christ has received both the one and the other Here indeed I may be said to displease but Scandal cannot be laid to my charge 2. Scandal is a putting a stumbling-block or an occasion of falling into sin in anothers way This is the Apostles definition of Scandal And withall he cautions against Christians judging and censuring one another Rom. 14. 13. Let us not therefore though of different sentiments and practises in some things judge one another any more but judge this rather that no men put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his Brothers way When Professors of Religion are loose in their lives and hereby not only confirm the World in their resolution to be unjust and proud and covetous and prodigal of time and filthy still but also convey into the Hearts of other Professors that such strictness as the Scripture requires is needless and that men may be saved without such circumspect walking here is Scandal with a witness and 't will be with a vengeance And as the blinding and stupifying the Conscience of another is Scandal so the wounding of the weak conscience of another by drawing him to that which he doubts whether lawful to be done is Scandal likewise Love here should make us very tender Those who are for rigorous imposing upon others should consider that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 8. 12. But when ye sin so against the Brethren and wound their weak Conscience ye sin against Christ 3. Examples of the best are not to be followed with a doubting Conscience Every man must be fully perswaded in his own mind concerning the lawfulness of a thing before he does it for whatsoever is not of faith is sin and he that doubts is damned if he eat Rom. 14. 5. 23. I grant the word for doubts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be translated He that puts a difference between meats and so eats against his Conscience is damned but if you consider what follows because he eateth not of faith it is truly rendred doubts for doubting is opposed to faith as well as doing that which undoubtedly is judged unlawful Thus we find our Lord making an opposition between Doubting and Faith And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used to express this doubting Mar. 11. 23. Whosoever shall say unto this Mountain be thou removed and cast into the Sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that which he saith shall come to pass he shall have whatsoever he saith Certainly as nothing is to be done against Conscience so nothing with a doubting Conscience for he that does a thing doubting cannot do that thing of Faith We should not urge others to follow our example nor to do as we do till they are fully satisfyed as we are nay we should press the contrary lest we wound their weak Consciences Rom. 14. 15. If thy Brother be grieved with thy meat now walkest thou not Charitably destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died By grieved cannot be understood sorrow because another does that which the Brother thinks sinful for this will not destroy the Brother but being grieved implies having ones Conscience wounded and ones Peace broken by following the example of another with a doubting mind The Apostle exhorts all to have faith concerning the lawfulness of a thing before they do it cautions against judging and despising one another though some could do what others could not And this is the way to prevent Scandal which is so great a piece of uncharitableness But here I must add that groundless doubts are signs of weakness and he is an happy man that is got above them and information in order to this happiness is very desirable 4. Pleasing another so as to occasion his sinning is Scandal The Apostle Peter was a Tempter to Christ when he thought to please him and prevent his suffereings but Christ repelled the temptation presently and rebuked Peter sharply Get thee behind me Satan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou art my Scandal thou savourest not the things that be of God but those things which be