Gospel Public Worship, Part 4
1. Of that of Chriſt, and his inſtituted, peculiar, worſhipping, Miniſterial or ſeparate Church of Separates, (2 Cor. 6.16, 17, 18.) in the literal warrant, and its opening to Chriſtians, Matth. 18.15. to 20.
VER. 15.
1. BUT, that is, rather then he (one of theſe little ones, v. 14. which referreth us to v. 10. and that to v. 2.) ſhould periſh by his dejected ſoftneſs or childiſhneſs.
2. If, As a grievous, unexpected, caſual, and rare matter.
3. A Brother, An enchurched Chriſtian, or Church-member.
4. Of thine, i. e. of the ſame Church with thee, in union firſt and properly: ſecondly, and in caſes and by proportion, in communion and generall ſtate and order.
5. Sinneth, i. e. breaketh Gods Law or Religion, whereto he hath bound him and thee.
6. VntoUnto (foreign) the experimental and certain knowledge, conſcience, and extent of patience (leſt he ſhould periſh by, and in that ſinne, as above in the word BUT) of,
7. Thee, as his brother, i. e. againſt that Church-brotherhood, i. e. to his forfeiture or leſs thereof, and of his communion with thee therein, in the Scripture phraſe, 1 King. 2.23. againſt thine own life, i. e. to the forfeiture and loſs thereof, Lev. 17.10. ב in both, being the ſame with foreign, or in as tranſitive: and ſo is it 2 Sam. 18.13. and ſo is ל alſo Lev. 19.16. and the connexive muſt anſwer to the ſcope of the place, and to the tranſition from the ſubject or efficient, unto its object or effect, both in their order and power; all which are thus well ſitted: then and in this caſe, and not otherwiſe,
8. Argue, i. e. confute by argument of that ſinne in the general, and convince of the particular of the fact, and then redargue, reprove and dehort from it, and then threaten Gods judgments againſt the obſtinate and irrepentant: i. e. argument and evidence by Scripture proofs in all: for it is foreign (the ſame with Heb. 11.1.) argumentively convince and reprove, but not report, which is to reproach or ſlander, or murder, Levit. 18.16. with Matth. 5.21, 22. (theſe four degrees muſt be from the firſt to the laſt of the tryall.)
9. Him, perſonally, by conference or writing immediate; for it is not, report to, nor tell others, which is to reproach; but argument him.
10. Between, i. e. Dialogue-wiſe, or by way of conference, mutual and equal; but not chidingly nor beggingly.
11. Thee, in thy perſon, not by Deputies.
12. And him, in his perſon, not behind his back.
13. Alone, none other being preſent, both for thy better and quieter proceeding in theſe obſervances without interruption: and for thy manifeſtation of all tender love in that privacie, and brotherly wiſdome in preventing his being provoked to be more ſtout in arguing, and ſlow in confeſſion; a farther acting and exacting of all theſe points and phraſes, and excluding all colour and excuſe of whiſpering it, much more of blazing it to any, much leſs to many. All theſe inſtituted parts of Chriſts diſcipline, being actually done in a decent humane manner, and with all brotherly compaſſion and tenderneſs toward him, prayer for him, and patience of his weakneſs and delay, then expect the iſſue good or bad.
14. If on the better part, through Gods gracious working by his Spirit with his Goſpel-Inſtitutions, ſon-likely exerciſed by thee.
15. He or ſhe, for the maſculine gender is indefinitly here put for both; as natural, in natural things; and ſpiritual, in ſpiritual things.
16. Hears, with his ears thy words in that perſonal communication, (without which all the other particulars are irregular) and alſo with brotherly attention of mind; eſpecially with ſincerity of heart, acknowledging the fact and its ſinfulneſs, with true repentance, and promiſe of amendment: for all the requiſite paſſages intervening between the preceding and ſucceeding things or actions, are to be underſtood in the intervening word; and the like is in connexives, as above in the word VntoUnto; eſpecially if he hear thy words, and give a ſatisfactory anſwer, by proving that matter not to be ſinful, or that he did not ſinne that objected ſinne, muſt by the ſame reaſon, in the whole clauſe thereof, be here ſuppoſed.
17. Thee, thou, mark how in all the paſſages thereof, immediate perſonal dealing on both ſides is exacted by Chriſt, and all intervening medlers on either ſide are excluded.
18. Haſt gained, i. e. gotten good, and purchaſed a ſpiritual and heavenly purchaſe, even an eternal and pretious Inheritance, next in nature to that of Chriſts getting Sonnes that are Princes in all Lands, Pſal. 45.16. and his redeeming ſtraying ſouls, and converting of ſinners, Jam. 5.19, 20. So careful ought we to be in this caſe of all meek inſtructing the differers from us, with gentleneſs, teachingneſs, and patience; and without provoking and hardening, war-waging, and ſtriving, 2 Tim. 2.24, 25, 26.
19. A Brother, even a Weakling, or Publicane-Chriſtian, that is the greateſt in the Kingdome of God; and yet ſo prone to wander, neer to loſing, and periſhing, that Chriſt hath inſtructed the ſtronger by this inſtituted order and brotherly Spirit, to prevent it, or regain him from that his periſhing caſe, v. 14. v. 2. and 10. the contrary Phariſaical forth-bearing Spirit, and carnal Hogherds,, and boyſterous Bearwards, are hereby diſcovered to be little in Gods account.
20. Of thine; and therefore this gain is alſo our own; and ſo it is both Wiſdome and Religion conjoyned, and of an high and heavenly nature, thus to encorporate this Goſpel-diſcipline, and to enſoul and enlive it with this brotherly ſpirit and practice.
VER. 16.
21. But, though all theſe indulgences of order, ſpirit, and practice, be firſt in nature, dignity, and time to be exerciſed, and diſcreet, diſtinct, and tender compaſſion be frequently, and Jude 21, 22. fervently charged upon us in this caſe: yet when theſe weak ones turn wicked ones, in cavelling; gain-ſaying, and ſtiff-necked obſtinacy: then Jude 23. is in ſeaſon; and this love and Spirit of meekneſs, a Rod muſt follow: For,
22, 23, 24. If (the worſt come, that all theſe and you be ſlighted, ſo that) he (a brother in ſtate and profeſſion, yet ſeeming unbrotherly in heart, right and practiſe) hear not (both in humane and divine reſpects above-ſaid, Sec. 16.)
25. Thee, Having thus holyly, lovingly, wiſely, and meekly conjoyned the Goſpel-Inſtitutions, Inſtructions, and Spirit, for his ſecret and diſcreditleſs recovery, ſeeking with Joſeph, Matth. 1.19. to free him from publike cenſure.
26. Take unto, or joyn with thee; yet or moe, as uniting to thee, and adding to thy power and teſtimony, not as weakning his credit by meer relating his ſin, thy former courſe with him, and his obſtinacy againſt it, and in his ſin.
27. One or two, as few as may be, but one, if that may ſuffice, however but two at the moſt; an evident barring the Spirit of envy from its licentious reproaching of his brother; and an eminent charging us to diſcharge this duty, with ſo ſmall help as may be, rather than the ſins of the Saints ſhould be ſpread farther than their neceſſited cure exacted; and an imminent judgment of the contrary diſpoſed, that is that of Cham and Canaan, Doeg, Shimei, Diotrephes, &c.