Concerning the Church of Jesus Christ Upon Earth, Section 7
Sect. VII. Containing an anſwer to the Seventh Queſtion.
Queſt. What are the duties of Church-Members towards Jeſus Chriſt and one another?
Sol. THe Church of Jeſus Chriſt is call'd his body; We are the body Myſticall, Chriſt is our Head, we are his Members: Now the duty and office of the Members of this body Myſticall both towards their Head, and one another; may be more clearly ſeen into, if we conſider the office of the Members in the Body Natural, from whence the Church, which is called the body of Jeſus Chriſt, takes this ſigurative denomination:
Firſt, The Members of the body Naturall have a very ſpecial care of the Head, as of their principall and chief part, without which they cannot ſubſiſt: therefore the Members will endanger themſelves to ſecure their head: If a blow be made at the head, the hand or arm will interpoſe it ſelf, and receive the blow or wound upon it ſelf, rather than it ſhould fall upon the head: So the Members of the Church of Jeſus Chriſt, ought to have a moſt ſpeciall care of him their head: Is Jeſus Chriſt their head made at? Do any go about to wound him, by ſtriking at his Perſon, Natures, Death, Reſurrection, Aſcenſion, Juſtification by his blood? O now it is time for all the Members to look about them, to interpoſe betwixt their head and thoſe that ſtrike at him, to vindicate his honour, excellency, perſon, nature, and the like, as before, againſt all his Enemies and Aſſailants that would wound him in any of theſe. Though you may be in never ſo much danger of worldly loſs or dammage by making ſuch a defence, yet care not where this blow lights, ſo it be warded off your head.
It was a noble reſolution of a French Martyr: After many perſwaſions of worldly friends to recant his profeſſion, he conſidering how diſhonorable this would be to Jeſus Chriſt, how his head would be wounded and grieved by ſuch a revolt, puts off all that perſwaded him to ſo ſhamefull an action, with this notable ſaying; Vivat Chriſtus, pereat Servus, Let Chriſt live, let his Servant periſh.
Every member of Jeſus Chriſt ought to be ſo minded, ready upon occaſion at all times to ſay, let me, that am a poor and unworthy member of ſo honourable and excellent a head, let me be cut off, let me ſuffer in my name, eſtate, relations, let me be impriſon'd, wounded, bleed So my Lord Jeſus Chriſt, my head be not grieved, o he live and be glorified by my bonds, impriſonments, ſcars, bleedings, reproaches, rebukes, let all theſe and a thouſand more befall me.
Secondly, The members of the body naturall are guided and govern'd, and move by the direction of the head and follow it; ſo the members of the body of Jeſus Chriſt, the Church, they ought to obſerve the guidance, motion and ſteps of their head to follow his example, and tread in his paths, to be heavenly in their diſcourſe, holy in their converſations, as he hath given them an example: every member of this body ought to walk the way of the *1 Joh. 2.6.head.
Now as to the carriage and duty of Church members towards one another.
Firſt, The members of the body naturall they are united, and at peace among themſelves; one arme doth not ſtrike another, one foot doth not ſpurne the other; the eye doth not ſay to the hand I have no need of thee and ſo of the reſt.
So the members of the body myſtical, the Church, there ought to be a ſweet harmony betwixt all and every member; Envie, Malice, Hatred, ſpurning at, and reviling one another — theſe things ought not to be heard of in the Church of Jeſus Chriſt, becauſe they are all members of his body.
Secondly the members of the bodie natural, if ſome be weak or wounded, all the reſt have a ſpecial care of the weak or wounded mē ber; the whole arme will bind up the broken one, the ſtrong leg will eaſe that thats lame and feeble.
This mutuall reſpect there ought to be among the members of the body of Chriſt the Church; the whole ought to binde up the broken, the ſtrong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, that they may not faile, nor be diſcouraged, nor faint in the way and ſervice of Jeſus Chriſt.
Thirdly, The members of the body natural are ready to ſave and ſupport one another, in caſe of any apparent danger; as if one leg trip, or ſtumble, the other will haſt to relieve and ſupport it; ſo the members of the Church of Jeſus Chriſt, they ought to be watchfull one over another, to be ready to ſave & ſupport one another in caſe of apparent danger, as if one member do ſtumble or is ready to fall into errours of opinion or practiſe, the other ſhould be ready to catch at ſuch a falling member, to releive, and ſtrengthen, and ſupport, to hold him up that he may recover, and not utterly fall into ſuch temptations.
Fourthly, The Members of the body Natural, are ready to ſupply according to their power, to each particular member what it ſtands in need of: So the Members of the body of Chriſt, the Church, theſe ought to be ready to the utmoſt of their ability to ſupply and relieve the wants of other fellow-Members, whoſe neceſſities crave it: As we are men we are commanded to do good to all, this is humanity, as we are Members of the Church of Chriſt we are enjoyned eſpecially to ſuccour and relieve thoſe that are of the ſame houſhold; This is Chriſtianity.
In the Church of Jeſus Chriſt, we ſhould not every one look only at his own proper intereſt, but alſo at the welfare one of another. If an Heathen could ſay (& very truly that) Non ſolum nobis nati ſumus, We are not only born for our ſelves, but for one another alſo; I may ſurely then very confidently ſay, that Non ſolum nobis renati ſumus, that we are not borne again for our ſelves, but for one another alſo, for the comfort and help and mutuall edification of all our fellow Members in Chriſt Jeſus.
Laſtly, The Members of the body natural do all ſympathiſe with one another, if a finger do but ake, all the Members condole it: So in the Church of Jeſus Chriſt all the Members ſhould condole and ſympathiſe with one aking or afflicted Member; Chriſtians, Members of the ſame body, ſhould all ſympathiſe and have a ſhare together both in one anothers croſſes and comforts, Rom. 15.16. Rejoyce with thoſe that rejoyce, & weap with thoſe that weep, be of the ſame mind one towards another. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt our head ſympathiſes with all & every of his poor members, Iſa. 63.9. In all their afflictions he is afflicted.