Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII. Inſtructions to thoſe who are joyned in communion with Gods people.
SEcondly, if it be ſuch a bleſſed thing to enjoy communion with Gods people, then there are Uſe 2.many things that are to be ſaid to thoſe that are joyned in communion.
Firſt, labor to approve to God and your own ſouls, 1.that you are indeed Gods people particularly; you are his people in a way of outward profeſſion, and to men you do approve your ſelves, ſo far as we hope you are Gods people, but you muſt approve your ſelves to God, and to your conſciences: If you be conſcious to your ſelves of any ſecret filth, and yet dare come and deceive the people of God in joyning with them, you bring your ſelves in more danger then you are aware. We read Deut. 22. ver. 21. that if a damſel having defiled her ſelf before marriage, and ſo deceiving a man, he marries with her, when this is diſcovered, ſhe is to be ſtoned to death: Uncleanneſs in ſuch as were ſingle, was not by the Law to be puniſhed with death, but ſhe muſt dye, although her uncleanneſs was while ſhe was ſingle, becauſe ſhe deceived the man, in marrying to him in her defilement: So know your filth in not joyning to Gods people is not ſo evil, and dangerous, as if you being conſcious to your ſelf, dare yet joyn with them; if you deceive the Church herein, God may juſtly avenge himſelf of you, it may coſt you your life: Revel. 2. 9. I know the blaſphemy of them that ſay they are Jews, and are not.
It is by God accounted blaſphemy for any to ſay they are Jews, and are not, to make profeſſion of godlineſs, and not to be godly, is blaſphemy; Surely then, it is not ſufficient to be with Iſrael, but we muſt be of Iſrael, not to be a Jew outwardly, but a Jew inwardly, ſo as God may own you in the laſt day, when there ſhall be a narrow ſearch, who are the true people of God, that then you may be found to be ſuch indeed: it will be a dreadful thing for any of you, that now ſeem to be of Gods people, and that have lived amongſt the ſheep, if you ſhould be found amongſt the goats, ſtanding at the left hand, when you ſhall ſee others of Gods people ſtand at the right hand, looking upon you, and ſay, Yonder is one who lived with us, and we could never diſcover him to be an hypocrite, though ſometimes we had jealouſies of him, there he ſtands, now he is diſcovered; therefore approve your ſelves to be of the true Iſrael of God.
Queſt. But who is a true Iſraelite?
Anſw. Such a one as can approve to his own heart, an inward effectual call of God, calling him out of the world, as well as an outward call, by the Ordinances, ſuch a one as hath teſtimony to his own ſpirit, that he is ſeparated, ſet apart for God, that he hath an inward ſanctification of the holy Ghoſt, ſuch a one as in whoſe ſpirit there is no guile; this is a true Iſraelite indeed.
Secondly, if it be ſuch a great bleſſing to be joyned in union, and communion with the people of God, hence labor to bleſs God for this great bleſſing, that is ſuch an amiable, deſireable condition; it is your heaven upon earth, that mercy that ſhould ſweeten all other mercies, yea, that ſhould ſweeten your afflictions to you. Gods holy mountain, Iſaiah 57. 13. is promiſed as an inheritance oppoſed to vanity, and promiſed as the bleſſing upon truſting in the Lord, Vanity ſhall take them, but he that putteth his truſt in me, ſhall inherit my holy mountain. Let us not enjoy Men dicato pane hic vivamus, annon hoc pulchrè ſarcitur in eo quòd paſcimur pane cum Angelis et vita aeterna Chriſto & Sacramentis. Luth. in Pſ. 132.the world in all their vanity, but bleſs we our ſelves in our God, let us rejoyce in our inheritance, the mountain of the Lord. Though we beg our bread, ſays Luther, is it not made up with this, That we are fed with the bread of Angels, with eternal life, Chriſt, and the Sacraments, &c?
We have cauſe to bleſs God that we might be with Gods people, though in caves, and woods, and baniſhed from all; we have much more cauſe to bleſs God when we can be with them thus publiquely, and peaceably, and can go from Gods houſe, to our own houſes, and have communion there; this is the reſt that the Land of Canaan did typifie, for which the name of God is to be mganified; God might ſo have left us, that we ſhould have had communion onelyonly with the prophane ones, and drunkards; yea, we might have been caſt out from God, to have had communion onelyonly with reprobates, and that now we may have communion with the godly, it is a wonderful mercy. Rev. 14. we read of Chriſt ſtanding upon the Mount Zion, and having ſo many people ſtanding up, to joyn with him in Churchfellowſhip; for that is the meaning of that place, there they were rejoycing at the mercy of the Lord, that they were upon the Mount with the Lamb; though there might be time, when our Harps hanged upon the Willows, yet if we be called to the Lamb upon Mount Zion, Let us have our Harps in our hands.
Is there nothing in the delight that God hath in his people, and the preſence of God with his people, and the great priviledges they have, to raiſe our hearts to praiſe the Lord, and let it not be verbally, but really. As namely thus; Is it that we are Gods delight, let him be our delight; if we be his treaſure, let him be our treaſure; if we be his portion, let him be our portion, if he communicates choice mercies to us, let us give choice endeavors to him; if he gives us protection, let us protect his truths and name; if he honor us, let us give him his honor. And ſo I ſlip into a third particular, which is a third branch of this exhortation.
3. If there be ſo much excellency in communion 3.with the people of God, you that are ſuch, take heed you do not darken that excellency that God hath put in communion with his people; there are three ways eſpecially that darkens this excellency.
Firſt, if we reſt in any Church-priviledge we have, and make that to be our Religion, and the How the excellency of the Saints communion is darknedſtrength of our ſpirits be let out about theſe things we enjoy, more then others, ſo as we begin to decline in the ſavour and power of godlineſs; if others that knew us before, when we had not thoſe priviledges and mercies, that we have now, ſhall ſay, What good is to be had there? I knew ſuch, and me thinks they had more ſavour and reliſh in the ways of God then now, more ſweetneſs and warmth to be had in their company then now there is; Take heed of this, of giving occaſion to any to ſay ſo. It is a very evil and a dangerous thing to reſt in Church-priviledges, to make all our Religion to conſiſt in being in a Church-way, we may have this revealed to us, and yet little of Heaven revealed. There were two vails of the Tabernacle, one covered the Holy of Holies, the other the place where the Prieſts entred; it may be we have had the firſt opened to us, but yet the ſecond which leads to the Holy of Holies, may ſtill be vailed.
Many whoſe hearts are very carnal, may be much for Church-Ordinances. We have in the 24. of Ezekiel, ver. 21, 22. ſeven ſeveral expreſſions of carnal hearts, priſing Church-priviledges. Firſt, they accounted them their ſtrength. Secondly, the excellency of their ſtrength. Thirdly, the deſire of their eyes. Fourthly, that which their ſouls pitied. Fifthly, their glory. Sixthly, the joy of their glory. Seventhly, that whereupon they ſet their mindes. What a noiſe did they make about the Temple of the Lord? The Temple of the Lord, The Temple of the Lord, Ier. 7. 4. and yet they were carnal: Take heed therefore you reſt not in the Church-priviledges, by this you will deceive your ſelves, and darken the excellency of this bleſſed communion.
Secondly, take heed of darkning this by any ſcandalous way, as thoſe do who profeſs themſelves to be the people of God, and yet by their wretched ways of ſenſualities, or any other ways, are a ſcandal unto Gods people, this is an evil, and a bitter thing. Chriſt walks amongſt the golden candleſticks: Every Church ſhould be a golden candleſtick, holding forth light in the Doctrine of it, and golden in the holy converſation of it. We muſt take heed that there be not ſo much as a duſting of this golden candleſtick of the Lord, by the leaſt looſeneſs, or earthlineſs of our lives. By ſcandals in the wicked lives of thoſe that are of Gods people, there is a ſtain and blot caſt upon Church communion; here the name of God is polluted; others that are prophane, pollute the creatures, and their own conſciences, but Gods name is not ſo much polluted by them; but Gods people do not onelyonly pollute their conſciences, by their ſcandalous lives, but pollute Gods name, and it is worſe to pollute Gods name, then to pollute your conſciences: And therefore know, that joyning to the Saints is an aggravation to every ſin you commit afterward; and though it be true, that union with the people of God is a mitigation of every croſs and affliction, yet it is an aggravation to every ſin.
Yea, if men were born for no other end and purpoſe, but to do miſchief, they could not do more then this, to joyn with the people of God, and then live ſcandalouſly. O brethren, let us pray to God, that we may never live to that day, to darken the great excellency of the fellowſhip of the Saints: It were better that God ſhould take a thouſand of us out of the world, then that we ſhould live to darken the profeſſion of Gods name, in union with his people; this does more miſchief, then all the perſecuters under Heaven can do.
The Church of God hath never been in a better condition, then when their perſecuters have raged moſt; the raging of perſecuters have not darkned the excellency of the Church, but the ſcandalous lives of members of a Church have darkned the glory of the Church: though by perſecution others may be afraid to make profeſſion of the truth, yet all the perſecution in the world cannot take off mens conſciences, and cauſe them in their conſciences to think ſuch are not in the truth, becauſe they are perſecuted; but the ſcandalous lives of thoſe that are Profeſſors, do make men think in their conſciences that this way is not right, and therefore make them think they do God good ſervice in hating ſuch men, perſecuting ſuch men, and there is more evil in this, to be an occaſion to make men think this way is not good, then to make men afraid to venture upon this way. And therefore conſider what a great deal of miſchief ſcandalous lives do, and if you finde your hearts inclining to any ſenſual way, that you are like to give ſcandal, take heed of it, for it is the greateſt miſchief that can be deviſed. Thoſe who joyn with the Church of God, ſhould walk ſo, as to be an ornament to it, not a ſtain, a blot, to caſt filth upon it; Iſa. 49. 18. Behold theſe that gather themſelves to thee, thou ſhalt ſurely clothe thee with them all, as with an Ornament: Conſider how far many of you are from being an ornament to the Church; are Malo miſerandum quam erube ſecudum Tert. de fuga. perſ.not your lives rather blemiſhes? This is a ſore evil. Better it is to endure any miſery, then to do that which ſhall make Gods people aſhamed of us.
The third thing that darkens the excellency of 3.communion with Gods people, is diſſentions in judgement or affection, this makes it appear to be black in the eyes of the world. Sozomen reports of a Deviliſh Epiſcopos regnante Conſtantio exilio addictos domū revocavit, eo tantum fine ut ipſe ob mutuam inter ſe contentionē bello inteſtino oppugnarent eccleſiam.policy of Julian, to raiſe a ſcandal againſt the Church: He ſent for thoſe Biſhops that were baniſhed in Constantius his time, on purpoſe that he might cauſe diſſention in the Church by them. Take heed you have not a hand in darking this excellent condition, no not in this way. In the body, ſolutio continui, is more dangerous then the corruption of a humor: Let us labor ſo far as poſſibly we can, to make it excellent by peaceableneſs; this is that which is propheſied of for the Church, Iſa. 33. 20. Thine eyes ſhall ſee Jeruſalem a quiet habitation: And mark the bleſſing that follows upon this quietneſs; A Tabernacle that ſhall not be taken down; not one of the ſtakes thereof ſhall ever be removed, neither ſhall any of the cords thereof be broken; but there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers, ſtreams, &c. In Zech. 14. ver. 9. there is a Propheſie, that the Lord ſhall be King over all the earth; in that day there ſhall be one Lord, and his name one: We now profeſs one God, but we do as it were call him by ſeveral names; but that will be a bleſſed time, when as there ſhall be but one Lord, ſo his name ſhall be one; there ſhall be a bleſſed agreement in the profeſſion of his name, oneneſs of heart is a bleſſing of the new Covenant.
I remember Euſebius reports in the life of Conſtantine, that he was ſo much troubled for diſſentions in the houſe of God, as he could not ſleep in the night, and they did more diſquiet him, then all his wars; yea he ſays, they cauſed him to ſob and ſigh: and ſo they ſhould be diſquietings to our ſpirits, and we ſhould ſtudy to make up breaches. S. Auguſtine, ep. 15. hath this expreſſion, ſpeaking of the diviſions of ſome of the Church, ſays he, I would fall down Ad pedes prociderem & flerem quantum poſſum.at their feet, and deſire them with all the might I have they would not do thus and thus, that they would not caſt reproaches upon one another. And obſerve the ſpirit of St. Paul, Phil. 2. 1, 2, 3. If there be any conſolation in Chriſt, if any comfort of love, if any fellowſhip of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the ſame love, &c. Doves cannot endure to be amongſt Ravens, but where they ſee meekneſs and love, there thoſe of Dove-like diſpoſitions love to be; Iſaiah 60. 8. Who are they like Doves, that flie to their Windows? Brethren, if we would expect to grow up in the ways of godlineſs, it muſt be by love and union together, Coloſſians 2. 2. Being knit together in love, unto all riches of full aſſurance. When hearts are knit together in love, then a Church thrives, and grows up to all riches of grace.
As it is in the body of a man, when the members of the body are out of joynt, they can neither receive ſtrength from the body, nor be uſeful to the body. And therefore the Apoſtle would have us be careful, if any were out of joynt, to ſet him in joynt again, that is the propriety of the word. Gal. 6. 1. If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are ſpiritual, reſtore foreign.ſuch a one; ſet ſuch a one in joynt, that he may thrive, as members in joynt thrive. Chriſt is called the corner ſtone; now a corner ſtone is that which joyns both ſides together; now Chriſt loves to be in the place of joyning, where there is a joyning in mutual fellowſhip: Although there be variety in gifts, In veſte varietas ſit, ſciſſura non ſit.although the garment of the Kings daughter, the Church, be of divers colours, yet why may it not be like Chriſts garment without ſeam?
For the Lords ſake let us take heed of diviſions and quarrels, eſpecially let us take heed that under the pretence of Religion, we do not maintain quarrels, for this is to bring down the holy Ghoſt, from appearing like a Dove, to appear in the form of a Vulture, or Raven; You know what S. Paul ſays of ſpeaking with ſeveral tongues, will not he that comes in ſay you are mad? When wicked men hear of ſo many diſſonant opinions, of ſo many diſſentions among you, will they not think you mad? And becauſe you all pretend Religion, will they not think that that kinde of Religion which you pretend is a mad thing? So far ſhall you be from making the way of Chriſt honorable in their eyes, which yet ſhould be the thing you ſhould more deſire, ſeek after, rejoyce in, then your lives. Religion hath the name from binding, and certainly Religio à religando.it is the beſt band of humane ſocieties; there is great reaſon then that we ſeek to keep it in the band of unity. And that is the third thing I would ſay to thoſe that are in Church-fellowſhip, not to darken the excellency that is in communion with the Saints.
The fourth exhortation is, that you would walk and live ſo, as by your walking you may draw others to be in love with this fellowſhip: as God hath made it to be glorious, ſo that you would ſet out the glory of it to others, that all that go by you ſhould ſay, Surely they are the bleſſed of the Lord, certainly God is with them, and therefore we will likewiſe joyn with them; O what a bleſſed thing were it, if we could by our lives convince others, that we are the plants of the Lords own planting! The lives of men Jubeat vita, perſuadeat liugua Athā. exhort. ad Monachosconvince more ſtrongly then their words: The tongue perſwades, but the life commands, is the ſpeech of an Ancient. We read in Rev. 14. Thoſe that ſtood with the Lamb upon Mount Zion, enjoying communion there, they had his Fathers name written upon their foreheads, the glory of God ſhined in their foreheads; a convincing converſation is that which God calls for at your hands. Let the name of God be precious to you: Is it not a precious thing to live ſo, as to bring honor to God? to hold forth the honor of God, is all the glory we can bring to God; let us be known to be thoſe we profeſs our ſelves to be, ſeparated from the world, by the holineſs of our lives; as Tertullian ſays of the Chriſtians in his time, they were known to be Chriſtians from the amendment Nec aliunde noſcibiles quā de em endatione preſtinorū. Tertul. ad Scapulam.of their former lives. You are joyned near to Chriſt, as a girdle about a mans loyns; take heed you be not as that girdle, Jer. 13. A rotten girdle, fit for nothing, ſo were the Church of the Jews at that time; but you ſhould be as that girdle of Chriſt, Rev. 1. A golden girdle about his paps; By which the beauty and glorious condition of the Church in the Primitive times is deſcribed.
Let us walk ſo, as to manifeſt and hold forth the beauty and amiableneſs of godlineſs in the eyes of all, that they may ſee it whether they will or no, and to force eſteem from the conſciences of men. Cant. 6. 4. it is ſaid of the Church, She is terrible as an army with banners; A Church of God that walks cloſe to the rule, is terrible to guilty conſciences. Let us walk ſo, as when the Balaams of the world look upon us, they may ſee our comely order, ſo as to be forced to ſay, O how goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy Tabernacles, O Iſrael! as the valleys are they ſpread forth, as gardens by the Rivers ſide, as the trees of Lign-Aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as Cedars beſide the waters, Numbers 24. 5. St. John Epiſt. 1. chap. 1. 3. expreſſeth his deſire for thoſe whom he wrote to, that they might have fellowſhip with him, and the reſt of the Saints; and he brings this as an argument, Truly our fellowſhip is with the Father, and with his Son Jeſus Chriſt; this would be a mighty prevailing argument indeed, if we walked ſo before others, as to manifeſt that we in truth have fellowſhip with the Father, and with his Son Jeſus Chriſt; then our fellowſhip would be deſireable indeed.