The Cry of a Stone, Section 8
It is a matter of great weight and neceſſity, for Chriſtians to live in a right ordered Church.
BUt ſome, perhaps, may thinke it a ſmall matter, and a needleſſe SECT. 8.thing for a man to come into any other Church eſtate or order, but that in the midſt of theſe confuſions, he may content himſelfe Object. 1 to heare now and then ſome profitable Sermons in the aſſemblies, and catch here and there a piece, in reading, hearing and conferring, by which he may not onelyonly become a true Convert, but alſo be confirmed and ſtabliſhed in grace, and have his ſoule fed and nouriſhed to life eternall; and if ſalvation may be had in that eſtate, what need is there to come into any other Church order?
I anſwer, that it is not denyed but it is poſſible that men may be Anſw. 1 ſaved who never come into a right Church-eſtate and order, but knowing no better, or through weakneſſe fearing to doe better, live and die in this Church (or ſome worſer) as it is; for we doe not make the viſible Church to be ſo priviledged as that none out of it can be ſaved; for we receive men into the Church, whom we deeme faithfull, and in Chriſt before: And the right uſe of the Offices and Acts 2. 41.Ordinances in the Church are properly to build up, and keepe men in the faith and obedience of the Goſpel, rather then to bring them to it; The Church is a ſpirituall corporation, wherein the ſubjects of the heavenly King are kept in a more comely order and better obedience, Faith and Salvation is not tyed to the viſible Church.but the incorporating or joyning to the Church doth not make men ſubjects of Chriſt, which before were not; but it is an ignorant vanity, to hold that unconverted men may be received into the Church and fellowſhip of the Saints, under hope of converting them. Wee therefore grant, that converſion, faith, grace and ſalvation, may poſſibly be had in many of theſe aſſemblies▪ yea, we know many who have the true ſignes thereof▪ who yet live and converſe in them.Acts 11. 17.
But what then? Will men uſe the utmoſt liberty they can, that they may alſo pleaſe the fleſh and the world, and avoid perſecution, if they may but be even thread-bare Chriſtians, and in the end be ſaved? ſurely I would not have any good man have ſuch a thought, ſince it is ſo neer of kin to hypocriſie; for even Hypocrites will ſerve God Mat. 19. 16. Pſal. 119. 6.for wages, and would doe ſo much good as might bring them to eternall life▪ but ſincere and conſcionable Chriſtians uſe to have reſpect to all Gods Commandements, and to ſuch further degrees of obedience, as Acts 10. 33. and 19. 25, 26. 1 Iohn 2. 3. 4.God from time to time ſhall reveale unto them; for otherwiſe their faith and obedience may of themſelves be queſtioned, whether it proceed from the love of God or themſelves, ſeeing they can doe nothing further then may barely pleaſure themſelves?
And as God ſaw it not good for man in innocencie to be alone, and therefore ſanctified marriage for his mutuall helpe, ſo as he hath gathered Gen. 2. 18.Saints out of the world by here and there a man, hee hath alſo ſanctified fellowſhips, and Churches, which muſt neither be deſpiſed 1 Cor. 11. 22. Hebr. 10. 25.nor forſaken; and this brotherly fellowſhip of the Church hath beene ſo longed after, and loved of Gods ſervants, as that they have compared Phil. 4. 1.it to the moſt pleaſant dew and ſweet oyntment, the one raviſhing Pſal. 133. 2. 3. Numb. 24. 5.the eye, the other delighting the ſmell, yea, even Balaam that Sorcerer was content to commend the comely harmony and order of the Tents of the houſe of Iacob, and how excellent and pleaſant a thing it is, to ſee the Saints & ſervants of God communicate together in his The beautie of the viſible Church.ſacred Ordinances, and how fruitfull and profitable ſuch courſes are, hath in part beene ſhewed already, and ſhall more fully hereafter. And I muſt out of mine owne experience confeſſe, that the living in a ſociety of Chriſtians ſet in the right order of the Goſpel, is one of the greateſt helpes we have in this world, to the obedience of the 1 Cor. 11. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 12.Goſpell, yea, and ſo full it is of ſweet and ſound comfort that it even raviſheth the Angels, and is indeed next to heaven it ſelfe, if things be carried with holineſſe, wiſedome and love.
For in ſuch a Church all the gifts and graces of the ſpirit are freely ſhewed forth without reſtraint, there the Word of God is not bound The profit and ſweet comfort of the Church.in by policy, tradition, cuſtome, &c. the utmoſt extent of Gods revelations to the ſonnes of men, are there openly diſplayed, and the higheſt ſtraine of pure affections are there ſhewed; if you have a word of wiſedome or exhortation, there you may utter it. If you would 1 Cor. 14▪ 29. 30, 31.learne any thing, there you may aske and receive freely; If you have cauſe to weepe and mourne, they will mourne with you; or have you cauſe of joy? they'll rejoyce with you; ſtand you in need of inſtruction, exhortation or comfort? they are ready to give it you; doe you Verſe 3.ſtumble or fall, either by error of judgement, or failing in converſation? why, they will help both to raiſe and hold you up; have you Gal. 6. 1.need of ſome, gentle rebukes, as a balme to your ſoule; or of ſome ſharp 1 Theſ. 5. 14. Pſal. 141. 5.and ſevere threatnings to beat downe your proud fleſh; yea, need you ought either for ſoule or body? why, there it is to be had freely; and whatſoever is wanting in the outward glory, is ſupplyed ſeven fold in the inward grace, yea▪ and I may ſay of it as Sabaes Queene ſaid of Salomons wiſdome, It was not told me the halfe; nor it cannot be expreſſed 2 Chron. 9. 6.either with pen or tongue, what wonderfull pleaſure and ſweetneſſe there is in a Chriſtian fellowſhip.
And out of doubt, if wee were not fuller of carnall policie and ſenſuality then wee are of ſpirituall grace and ſoundneſſe, wee would rather chooſe to endure afflictions and death, in ſuch a ſociety, Heb. 11. 25. 26.then to live in the Courts of Kings, yoaked with infidels and evill livers.
And if at the laſt day the righteous ſhall ſcarcely be ſaved, and that 1 Pet. 4. 18.many ſhall goe ſo farre, as to preach Chriſt, and doe many great works in his Name, and yet ſhall be ſhut out of the Kingdome, what Mat. 7▪ 21, …2.great care had there need to be to ſearch and ſound our hearts and to uſe and improve all the helps and meanes which God hath left for our growth and ſtabliſhing in grace, and for provoking and encourageing Epheſ. 4. 13.of us to proceed from one degree of perfection to another; and if men did but know how much it ſtood them in hand to regard and love the converſing in a right ordered Church, they would give their ſoules no reſt till they were in it; but for want of experimentall knowledge thereof they dote upon their Syrian waters, as Naaman 2 Kings 5. …2.did upon Abanah, and Parphar; but if they had taſted the pleaſant Eze. 47: 1. 2, 3. Pſal. 84. 10.ſtreames that flow from this Sanctuary, they would rather be doore-keepers therein then dwell in the tents of the ungodly.
Yea and we ſee daily, that even the corruptions and frailties of men do call for ſuch a meanes to help them forward; for ſuch is the ignorance and perverſneſſe of our nature, as that we are apt to ſet light by the doctrine taught in the aſſemblies and think the Preacher ſpake to ſuch and ſuch, but it belongeth not to us, like David, who was in a 2 Sam. 12. 2. 3. 7ſweet dreame, all the while that Nathan propounded his generall Parable, but when the Prophet told him that he was the man; he began to looke about him: ſo we have divers that have made ſome progreſſe The neceſſity of the diſcipline of Chriſt.in Religion, and yet ſticke in ſome evill practice or other in converſation, and can ſmile upon the Preacher, and goe merrily home, thinking, becauſe he named them not, that he hath given them leave to goe on in evill, and ſo they doe, and there is no further meanes to pull them out.
But in a ſociety of Chriſtians, under the policy of the Goſpel, the Word of God followeth them home to their doores, and in o their callings and converſations, yea, into their chambers and ſecret places, and the brother offended at their ſwarving from Chriſt, reproveth, exhorteth, and perſwadeth to obedience, and if gentle admonitions will not prevaile, he uſeth ſharpneſſe; and if the ſinne be notorious and ſcandalous, and that the perſon will not humble himſelfe and repent, he proceedeth to open rebuke and cenſure thereof (as before is ſhewed) that if it be poſſible the offender may be recovered and ſaved, and if Sect. 2.not, yet that the fellowſhip may be purified and purged, and ſcandall removed from the profeſſors of the Goſpell and way of God.
Beſides, the revolting and back-ſliding of many Chriſtians, even cryeth out for this help; many profeſſors of Religion are often drawn aſide to baſe and ſervile uſe of this world, and often times grow covetous, prodigall or wanton in fleſhly liberty, and in this doing, they have 2 Sam. 13. 5. Pſal. 49. 18.many of their pariſh members to uphold and favour them, and what Rom. 1. 31.meanes uſe the Chriſtian profeſſors to recover ſuch? doe they any more then talke of it one to another; and ſay ſuch a one hath done this, and he hath done that, toſſing the evill about without feare, and glorying in their owne gifts, eminence and integrity, ſpeaking bitterly 1 Cor. 5. 2. 6▪againſt them; but other meanes to recover the offender, or remove the ſcandall from the Goſpel, they have none, nor none they looke after, except ſome unadviſed man run and fetch a ſentence from ſome who had need to be firſt cenſured themſelves.
Whereas, if they had the right uſe of diſcipline amongſt them, no doubt, thouſands of ſuch might be recovered, to the great joy of themſelves and others, whereas now, going on without this meanes, who can tell, whether ever they returne out of the ſnare of the Divell?
And truely, even the moſt godly ſtand need oftentimes to be helped by particular rebukes and admonitions, and it is no ſmall priviledge for them to live in ſuch a ſociety, as where the eyes of their brethren are ſo lovingly ſet upon them, that they will not ſuffer them to goe on in ſinne; and though it often ſeeme grievous to our nature, to be rebuked, yet upon ſecond thoughts, and ſerious deliberation, they count themſelves happy men, that ever they lived in ſuch a ſociety, as would not ſuffer them to tranſgreſſe, yea, and though many Chriſtians be ſo mortified, that they cannot fall into any ſcandalous ſinne, yet their faults may be great in hiding their talents, and not improving their gifts and endowments for the glory of God, in which, though themſelves thinke all is well, and pleaſe themſelves in a kinde of modeſtie; yet others of their brethren ſee it to be a great fault in them, and give them no reſt till they have drawne them to ſet their light upon the Table.
And what pitie is it to ſee ſo many gifts and graces of God to lie hid and aſleepe, for want of opportunity and provocation to uſe them? all which, if they were in a ſociety and Church of faithfull and zealous men, would be brought forth, and made uſe of to the glory of God, the benefit of others, and the great comfort of ſuch as have and uſe theſe graces: And thus we ſee of what neceſſitie it is for all Chriſtians to joyne themſelves unto, and converſe in a ſociety of faithfull men, walking viſibly in the order of the Goſpel.