Concerning the Church of Jesus Christ Upon Earth, Section 9 – Section 10
Sect IX.
HAving ſpoken as to the way of refining and reforming a Church, I ſhall now uſe a word of Exhortation, in generall to all the Congregations of this Land, called by the name of Churches, eſpecially to my own Congregation, to ſtir up, and encourage you to ſo great, ſo good, ſo neceſſary, ſo acceptable a work to God as this.
It is true, that by being a true reformed, refined Church of Jeſus Chriſt, you become engaged into many Duties, as you have heard * before: But for your encouragement, conſider alſo you become inveſted into many priviledges, a few of which I ſhall (by Gods help) give you an account of.
Firſt, If you be truly Members of the Church of Jeſus Chriſt, Priviledge of a true Churchthen you ſtand to him in the relation of a Spouſe, a Wife,— then your Maker is your Husband. — I have eſpouſed you to one Husband ſaith the Apoſtle, meaning Jeſus Chriſt. The Church is called Cant. 4.8. the Love, the Spouſe of Jeſus Chriſt.
Now by being the Spouſe of Jeſus Chriſt, by being married unto him by Grace, and ſo forſaking all our Beloveds for his ſake, as the world, ſin with all the luſts and pleaſures of it; as a wife forſakes all Beloveds, as Father, Mother,— to follow her Husband; I ſay in ſo doing you become in veſted into and intereſted in all the priviledges that belong to a Spouſe or wife by the marriage of her husband.
Firſt, Firſt priviledge.a Spouſe or Wife hath intereſt in all the relations, Friends, kindred of her Husband, his friends are her friends, his kindred her kindred, his ſervants are her ſervants, his poſſeſſions her poſſeſſions; then if you be eſpouſed to Jeſus Chriſt, if he be your husband, if this myſticall knot be ried betwixt him and you, then all his is yours, all Chriſts is yours, his kindred your kindred, his father your father, his God your God, My Father and your Father, my God and your God, Joh. 20.17. Now you need not ſtand afar off with the fearfull Publican, but come in boldly and ſay, my God my Father: Then his friends are your friends, even all the Saints and members of Jeſus Chriſt upon earth, whether Pauls or Apollos, or Cephaſes, all are yours, all pray for you, all rejoyce over you, all his friends will be your friends. Then his ſervants become your ſervants, his attendants become your attendants; his ſervants and attendants are the glorious Angels, Mat. 4.11. and theſe think it no debaſement to wait upon the Spouſe of their maſter: are they not called the Saints, Angels, Mat. 18.10. Their Angels do alwayes behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven. Then his poſſeſſion become your poſſeſſion; Heaven, Gods right hand, glory; fullneſs of joy, pleaſure for evermore— all theſe you have a right unto by the right of your husband Jeſus Chriſt.
Secondly, A ſecond priviledge.Tis a great priviledg not to need to fear in the moſt dangerous of times and ſeaſons; this is your priviledge, if members of the Church of Chriſt, you need never fear or be diſcouraged, be the times never ſo evill or dangerous; when the times look lowring, threaten war, famine, peſtilence— and then what fear and ſhaking is there among worldly men, men unintereſted in Chriſt, whoſe help, and hope is onelyonly in this life, how do they then run to and fro, ever at their wits end, Their hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after thoſe things that are coming on the earth. as our Lord Jeſus ſpeaks Luk. 27.25, 26. Thus ſhall it be now in theſe laſt times.
But if you be true members of the Church of Jeſus Chriſt, you need not fear nor be diſmayed at any troubles or changes that hang over the world; though there be ſignes in the ſun, in the moon, in the ſtars, though there be in the earth diſtreſſe of nations with perplexity, though the ſea and the waves roar, yea though the earth be moved, and the hills leape one againſt another, Yet our Lord Jeſus ſaith unto his Church and every member of it, Luke 12.33. Fear not little flock, for it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdome; Though your father ſhake the kingdoms of the world, yet your kingdome ſhall remaine unſhaken.
Therefore, David Heb. 12.28. The Lord is my ſalvation, whom ſhall I fear? the Lord is the ſtrength of my life, of whom ſhall I be afraid Pſ. 27.1. though an hoſt ſhould incamp againſt me, my heart ſhall not fear, though war ariſe againſt me, in this will I be confident.
And again 'tis the language of the Church profeſſing her confidence in God, Pſ. 46.2. We will not fear though the earth be removed, and though the mountaines be carried into the midſt of the ſea, though the waters thereof roar, and be troubled, though the mountains ſhake with the ſwellings thereof. And again the Pſalmiſt ſpeaking of a member of Jeſus Chriſt ſaith, Pſ. 112.7. He ſhall not he afraid of evil tidings, his heart is fixt trusting in the Lord. This is the priviledge of a Saint, he needs fear no news, he needs not be afraid of any tidings, though they tell him the earth removes, and the mountains ſhake, yet he ſpeaks not, for his heart is fixt truſting in the Lord.
Thirdly, A third priviledge of a Saint.If ye be true members of the Church of Jeſus Chriſt youneed not fear the curſe of the law, you need not fear hell, death, judgment which is ſo terrible & dreadfull to the wicked: O what would not a wicked man give when he lieth upon his Death-bed, and ready to give up the ghoſt, terrified with approaching death and judgment, I ſay what would not he give to be certaine of his freedome from condemnation, that he might die the death of the righteous, look death in the facewith boldneſs, and comfort ſurely he would give a world, if he had it for this priviledge, which ſome have upon their death-beds confeſt.
All the true members of Jeſus Chriſt (though they may want worldly comforts, and priviledges) yet they have this priviledge (which is worth a world fo all other) they need not fear death, or judgment, their peace is made, there is no Condemnation, Rom. 1.8. to them therefore they cry; O death where is thy ſting, O grave where is thy victory, 1 Cor. 4.44.
They look upon death with comfort, and upon the grave without fear, knowing that their Redeemer lives, and that at the laſt day their bodies ſhall riſe again to live for ever with the Lord.
Fourthly, A fourth priviledg.If ye be true members of the Church of Jeſus Chriſt, you need not, neither ſhall ye fear the greateſt ſhaking that ever ſhall be, I mean the ſhaking both of heaven and earth, when Chriſt our Lord ſhall come to judgement, yet once more, and I ſhake not the earth but the heaven alſo, Heb. 12.26.
O when this laſt and great ſhaking ſhall be (which to be neer at hand all theſe leſſer ſhakings do portend) when the earth ſhall burn as ſtubble under his feet, and the Elements melt with fervent heat, When there ſhall be a great earthquake, and the Sun become black as ſackcloth of hair, and the moon become as blood, and the ſtars fall from heaven, and the heavens depart as a ſcrole when it is rouled together, and every mountain and Iland removed out of its place, Rev. 6.12. 2 Pet. 3.10.
What would not then a wicked profane perſon, that hath alwayes before mock't at the Saints of Jeſus Chriſt, now give to be as one of them? O how will he curſe himſelf that ever he was ſuch a mad man to ſlight preaching, and coming into Church-ſociety, and not to have conſidered that he muſt come to judgment! how at this great and fearfull day of the Lord, which ſhall be ſo terrible to all the wicked of the world, Rev. 6.15. That the tribes of the earth ſhall mourne, and the Kings of the great men, and the rich men, Rev. 6.15.and the captaines, and the mighty men, and every bondman and every freeman ſhall hide themſelves in dens and in the rocks of the mountaines, and ſhall ſay to the mountaines and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that ſitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of his wrath is come, and who ſhall be able to stand.
I ſay in this ſo terrible day of the Lord, 2 Theſ. 1.8.10.ſhall our Lord Jeſus Chriſt hide all his Saints under the hollow of his arme gather them under the covert of his wings, deliver them from the wrath that is to come upon all the wicked and ungodly of the world.
Though this ſhall be a day of gloomineſs and thick darkneſſe over all the land of Egypt, yet the ſun ſhall ſhine on Iſrael; Luk. 21.28. When the ungodly ſhall at this day hang down, the Saints ſhall lift up their heads, becauſe their redemption is at hand.
Fifthly, If a Saint of Jeſus Chriſt, A fifth priviledge.what ever befalls thee, ſhall befall thee for thy good, whether ſmiles or frownes, croſſes or comforts, riches or poverty, ſickneſs or health, all theſe ſhall be advantage to thee — Rom. 8.28. All things ſhall work together for good to them that love God. Thus highly priviledg'd are all the members and Saints of Jeſus Chriſt, therefore I conclude, Happy are the people whoſe God is the Lord.
And now let me ſpeake familiarly to you, are not all theſe as before high priviledges? are they not worth the traveling for? O conſider they are brought home unto you, they are offered you at your doors, and how can ye eſcape if ye neglect ſo great ſalvation? Such high priviledges profer'd you, on ſuch honourable and eaſie conditions? therefore ſlack not, come into the Church of Jeſus Chriſt, flock like Doves to theſe windows, and all theſe priviledges ſhall be yours. Now will any man for the pleaſure of ſin which is but for a ſeaſon, for the love of drunkenneſſe, of uncleanneſſe or the like — out himſelf of the Church? cauſe the members of Jeſus Chriſt to reject him as an Atheiſt, an Infidel? I tell this perſon what ere he be, that hee'l ſadly rue this one day, hee'l curſe that fatall love to ſin, thoſe ſenſuall delights and pleaſures that now coſt him his ſalvation, hee'l then be ready for very grief, and madneſſe at himſelf, to put out thoſe eyes that have look't upon a woman to luſt after her, to bite that tongue that hath ſo often cur'ſt and ſworne and blaſphem'd the holy name of the Lord, ſcoft at holineſs; and mockt at the aſſemblings of his Saints; to cut that throat that hath ſo often poured down wine and ſtrong drink till he hath been inflam'd by it, and heightened to the acting of any impiety with a ſtrangely brutiſh confidence: Thus I ſay he that now refuſeth theſe great priviledges profferd to him, and for the love of ſin ſhuts himſelf out of the Church of Chriſt, a day will come when he ſhall wiſh, O that I had not ſat in the chaire of the ſcorner! O that I had joyn'd my ſelf unto the Congregation of the godly, then ſhall ſorrow and ſighing take hold on him, when he ſhall ſee thoſe that have liv'd ſoberly and righteouſly and godly in their generations own'd by Jeſus Chriſt, with a come ye bleſſed, and led by him by the hand to ſit down with Ahraham, Iſack and Jacob, in the kingdome of God, and he himſelf caſt out.
Think of this betime, all ye that as yet forget God, and Hoſ. 14.2. take with you words and turn unto the Lord, Hoſ. 14.2.ſay unto him take away all iniquity, and receive us graciouſly. But if ye will not obey God, nor hearken to the voice of his Miniſters that beſeech you in Chriſts ſtead to be reconciled to God, be ye ſure of this, that a day will come when Jeſus Chriſt ſhall appear 2 Theſ. 1.9.in flaming fire to take vengance on you, becauſe ye have not obey'd the Goſpel, yea, and ſhall ſay, Bring hither thoſe mine enemies that would not that I ſhould reign over them, Luk. 19.27.and ſlay them before me.
Sect. X.
AS there are many priviledges that the Saints are intereſted in, ſo there are many and ſad penalties which ſhall be inflicted upon all thoſe that do contemn the goſpel, and ſeparate themſelves from the Church and Communion of Saints here upon earth.
Firſt, 1. Penalty.Theſe ſhall be ſeparate from the preſence of the Lord, they ſhall never ſee God;— *Mat. 25.41depart from me ye workers of iniquity: *Heb. 12.14.— without holineſſe no man ſhall ſee God.
Secondly, Theſe ſhall be puniſhed with a very ſore puniſhment, *Heb. 10.29.— Of how much ſorer puniſhment ſuppoſe ye ſhall he be thought worthy, who hath troden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the Covenant, wherewith he was ſanctified an unholy thing, and hath done deſpite to the Spirit of grace? It ſhall be more tolerable at the day of Judgment for Sodoxie and Commorrah, than for thoſe that contemne the Goſpel.
Thirdly, Their puniſhment ſhall be an everlaſting puniſhment, not for a day or a monethmonth or a year, but theſe ſhall be *Mat. 10.15puniſhed with everlaſting deſtruction from the preſence of the Lord, and from the glory of the power. 2 Theſ. 1.9. Mat. 25.41— Go ye curſed into everlaſting fire.
Fourthly, Theſe ſhall be turned into *4. Pſ. 9, 17. Mat. 25.30.hell, a place of horror and darkneſſe, where ſhall be weeping and gnaſhing of teeth: And now let me ask you, what do you think of all theſe ſad judgments and penalties? are ye not afraid of them? are you not afraid to be ſeparate from the preſenc… … he Lord? are ye not afraid to b… puniſhed with an everlaſting puniſhment? are ye not afraid to be turnd into hell, a den of ſmoke and darkneſſe; Ah! what heart of ſtone will not break at the conſideration of theſe things? Who can dwell with devouring fire? Iſa. 33.14.who can dwell with everlaſting burnings?Jam. 2.19.
The Devils tremble at the thought of theſe, will men be worſe than Devils?