A Gospel Church Described, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. …wing the Duties of all the Members of the … Church, both Ministers and People, to God, … and One to Another.
WE have largely spoken of the Nature of the Ministry; let us now consider the …ty of Ministers, both towards …od, and to …e Flock, or Church over which they are pl… …d.
I. Ministers are to be Skilful, or Well In…ucted in the Mysteries of the Gospel, which … committed to their Trust, 1 Cor. 41.1. he …st be one holding fast the faithful Word, … that is able, by Sound Doctrine, to Exhort … Convince Gainsayers, Tit. 1.9. able to di…e the Word aright, to give every one …od in his Season, 2 Tim. 2.15. they must … well acquainted with the Scriptures, and …ll seen in the Great Doctrines of the Go…, 2 Tim. 1.13. 2 Tim. 2.2.
II. Ministers are to Preach the Gospel; this … a Ministers Great and Principle Work, …or. 1.17. For Christ sent me not to Baptise, but … Preach the Gospel: i. e. Baptism was not his …ncipal Work, nor the main Business he … sent about; for, that was to Preach but an Inferior and Subordinate Work, whic… he did sometimes, 2 Tim. 4.1, 2, I… thee therefore before God, and the Lord… Christ, who shall Judge the quick and dead… appearing, and his Kingdom; Preach the… be instant in season, and out of season, rep… rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and… ctrine.
III. Prayer is another part of a M… Work, Isa. 62.6, 7. I have set Watchm… thy Walls, O Jerusalem, which shall neve… their peace day nor night: Ye that make m… of the Lord, keep not silence; And give… res… till he make Jerusalem a praise in the… Acts 6.4. But we will give our selves o… ally to Pr…yer, and to the Ministry of the W…
IV. To Catechise and Instruct the Ign… in the Doctrin of Christ, to acquaint… with the Form of sound Words; this… charges Timothy, To hold fast the Form of… words, or Scheme of Gospel Truth, 2 T… 13. And in Ordaining others to the W… the Ministry, he charges him, Chap. 2.2… commit these things to faithful Men, who… be able and willing to Teach others.… is a plain Command, not only to Pare… Ministers, to Catechise Children in the f… mentals of Religion, Prov. 22.6. Trai… Child in the way he should go: Heb. (Ch… to Catechise, Imitate, or Instruct.
V. Another part of a Minister's Wo… to Administer both the Sacraments o… …w Testament, Baptisme and Lord's Supper, …t. 28.20. 1 Cor. 11.23. ad finem.
VI. Another part of a Minister's Work is, … Rule and Discipline the Church according to …e Will of God. Ministers are Church …ulers, …urch Governours; and its the Duty of the Church … honour and submit to them, Heb. 13.7. …member them which have th… Rule ove… you, who …ve spoken to you the Word of God, whose …aith …ow, considering the end o… their Conversation. …d, Vers. 17. Obey them that have the …ule …r you, &c. The Key of Doctrine, and the …y of Discipline is committed to them, Mat. ….19. And I will give unto thee the Keys of … Kingdom of Heaven, and whatsoever thou …lt bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven; …d whatsoever thou shalt loose on Earth shall be …sed in Heaven. This Text the Papists much …se, to prove Peter to have a Power over all … Apostles, and the Pope to be Peter's Succes…; so that according to them, the Pope's …wer of Forgiving Sin is pretended to be …rived from hence. But what is here given … Peter, is but given him in the Name of all …e Disciples, as appears from John 20.23. As … the Binding and Loosing Power, some think … only a Power to the Apostles to constitute …nding Ordinances for the Church; others … Power of Church-Discipline to all Pastors … the end of the World.
VII. Another part of a Ministers Work …o visit the Sick, Jam. 5.14. Is any Sick let him call for the Elders of the Church, and let… Pray over him.
VIII. To comfort the feeble-minded to… blish the Weak and Wavering, 1 Thes. 5.… Now we exhort you Brethren warn them th… unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, supp… weak, be patient towards all men.
IX. To Teach not only Publickly but… House to House, Acts 20.20. I have kept… nothing from you, but have taught you p… and from House to House.
X. To be an Example to the Flock i… Pious Affections and Holy Conversatio… Tim. 4.12. Be thou an Example of Belie… in Word, in Conversation, in Charity, in S… in Faith, in Purity.
II. Now let us consider the Duty of C… stians or Chur…h-Members.
1. Towards God.
2. To their Pastors.
3. One to another.
We are now come to consider the… or Members of a Particular Church, as d… from their Rulers and Officers; and the… all the Members of the Church excep… Officers. Now,
I. Their Duty towards God is exp… in the first Table, which is to know Go… fear him, cleave to him; to hear, receive… …bey his Word, to sanctify his Name and …abbaths, to wait on him and worship him in …pirit and Truth, Joh. 4.24. To chuse him …or our God, to follow hard after him, and to …elight in him, and love him with all our …oul, Mind, and Strength, and to place all …ur Rest and Happiness in him, Mat. 22.37. …sal. 37.4, 5.
II. The Duty of Church-Members towards …heir Pastors and Ministers; and these are
1. To obey them in the Lord, Heb. 13.7. …emember them that have the Rule over you, …d vers. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over …ou, and submit your selves, for they watch for …our Souls.
2. To imitate their Pious and Holy Ex…mples, Heb. 13.7. Remember them that have …e Rule over you, who have spoken to you the …ord of the Lord, whose faith follow, considering …e end of their Conversations.
3. To Pray for them, for their Work is …eat, and their Temptations and Discourage…ents are very many, Heb. 13.18. Pray for …, &c. 1 Thes. 5.25. 2 Thes. 3.1. Finaly …rethren pray for us, that the Wo…d of the Lord …ay have free passage.
4. To Love, Honour, and very highly …teem them for their Works sake, 1 Thes. 5.…, 14. We beseech you Brethren to know them …ich labour among you, and are over you in the …rd, and admonish you. And to esteem them …ry highly in love for their works sake. The World hates, despiseth and Reprocheth the… therefore you must Love and Esteem them.
5. To wait on and constantly attend th… Ministry, for they watch for your Souls, Heb. 1… 17. If they are to be instant in Season… out of Season, in Preaching, you must be i… stant in Season and out of Season in he… ing.
6. Not hastily or rashly to receive an A… cusation against them; the World is apt… fling Dirt and Reproach upon them, but… are not hastily and groundlesly to believe… receive what they say, 1 Tim. 5.19. Ag… an Elder, receive not an Accusation, but left… two or three witnesses.
7. You are carefully to examin and c… pare what they say and Preach to you… the Holy Scriptures, and what is con… thereto reject, and what is agreeable the… to retain, Acts 17.11. These were more… then those in Thesalonica, In that they r… the word with all readiness of mind, and se… the Scriptures dayly, whether those things… so.
8. 'Tis also their Duty to fly… Teachers, who cause Rents and Division… the Church: All are to be look'd on as… Teachers who are not sent of God, and C… missioned according to the order Jesus C… hath fixed in his Church, Rom. 16.17.… I beseech you Brethren mark them which… divisions and offences, contrary to the Doctrin which ye have learnt, and avoid them.
III. Let's now see the Duty of Church-Members one towards another.
Now the Duties Christian Church-Members owe to each other are,
1. To Love one another and bear with one anothers Infirmities, Joh. 15.12. This is my Commandment that ye love one another, Rom. 15.1. We that are strong ought to bear the Infirmities of the weak, and not to please our selves.
2. To indeavour to Edify and build up one another in Knowledge, Graces, and Holiness, and for that end to be often together …n Christian Communion, in Prayer, Repeat…ng Sermons: Tell one another your Experi…nces, and what God has done for your Souls, Mal. 3.16. Then they that feared the Lord spoke …ften one to another.
3. Another Duty is Brotherly Admoni…ion and Reproof, which is to be done with much meekness, Lev. 19.17. Thou shalt not …ate thy Brother in thy heart, thou shalt in any …ise rebuke thy Neighbour, and not suffer Sin up…n him. Psal. 141.5. Let the Righteous smite …e, &c.
4. Another Duty is to be very tender of …e Churches Peace; avoiding all causes of …ivision and Strife, Rom. 16.17. Mark them …hich cause Division, &c. Maintain the Unity …f the Spirit in the Bonds of Peace, not withdrawing drawing and seperating from the Church in light manner.
5. A Tenderness and Respect for the poo… Saints, the meanest Christian, Gal. 3.28.… are all one in Christ; and yet this must… hinder our shewing Civil Respect to Men a… cording to their Age, Office, or Estate… Degree in the World.
6. Another Duty is Charity to all… want, but especially to the Poor Saints, H… 13.16. To do good and communicate fo… not, &c. Jam. 1.27. Pure Religion and… defiled before God and the Father is this, To… the Fatherless and Widdows in their Affli… and to keep himself unspotted from the World.
7. To put the most Charitable Co… struction on the Words and Actions of… thers that they will bear, 1 Cor. 13.7. Ch… beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth… things, endureth all things.
8. Prayer for one another is an… Duty we owe, Jam. 5.16. Pray one for… ther.
9. Another Duty is to walk Exampla… so as that we may give no Offence to the… to the Gentile, or to the Church of Go… Cor. 10.32. So as not to open the m… of open Enemies, nor grieve the Spirits of… that fear God.