Cap.22

Καταςτίζετε.

In vefte varictas

fit,fciffura

non fit.

If any were out of joynt, to let him in joynt again, that is the propriety of the word. Gal.6. 1. If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, reStore fuch a one; fet fuch a one in joynt, that he may thrive, as members in joynt thrive. Chrift is called the corner ftone; now a corner ftone is that which joyns both fides together; now Chrift loves to be in the place of joyning, where there is a joyning in mutual fellowship: Although there be variety in gifts, although the garment of the Kings daughter, the Church, be of divers colours, yet why may it not be like Chrifts garment without feam?

For the Lords fake let us take heed of divifions and quarrels,efpecially let us take heed that under the pretence of Religion, we do not maintain quarrels, for this is to bring down the holy Ghoft,from appearing like a Dove, to appear in the form of a Vulture, or Raven, You know what S.Paul fays of speaking with feveral tongues, will not he that comes in say you are mad? When wicked men hear of fo many diffonant opinions, of fo many diffentions among you, will they not think you mad? And because you all pretend Religion, will they not think that that kinde of Religion which you pretend is a mad thing? So far fhall you be from making the way of Chrift honorable in their eyes, which yet fhould be the thing you should more defire, feek after, rejoyce in, then your lives. Religio à Religion hath the name from binding, and certainly religando. it is the beft band of humane focietics; there is great reason then that we feek to keep it in the band of unity. And that is the third thing I would fay to thofe that are in Church-fellowship, not to darken the excellency that is in communion with the Saints..

The

icar lin

gua Atha.

Monachos

The fourth exhortation is,that you would walk and Cap.22. live fo, as by your walking you may draw others to be in love with this fellowship: as God hath made it to be glorious, fo that you would fet out the glory of it to others, that all that go by you should say, Surely they are the bleffed of the Lord, certainly God is with them,and therefore we will likewife joyn with them; O what a bleffed thing were it, if we could by our lives convince others, that we are the plants of the Lords own planting! The lives of men fubeat vi convince more ftrongly then their words: The perfua tongue perfwades, but the life commands, is the fpeech of an Ancient. We read in Rev. 14. Thofe exhort. ad that stood with the Lamb upon Mount Zion, enjoying communion there, they had his Fathers name written upon their foreheads, the glory of God fhined in their foreheads; a convincing converfation is that which God calls for at your hands. Let the name of God be precious to you: Is it not a precious thing to live fo, as to bring honor to God? to hold forth the honor of God, is all the glory we can bring to God; let us be known to be those we profess our felves to be, feparated from the world, by the holiness of our lives; as Tertullian fays of the Chriftians in his time, Nec aliunthey were known to be Chriftians from the amend- de nofcibiment of their former lives. You are joyned near to les qua de Chrift, as a girdle about a mans loyns; take heed ne vitioru you be not as that girdle, Fer.13. A rotten girdle, fit preftinorü. for nothing, fo were the Church of the Jews at that time; but you should be as that girdle of Chrift, Rev. 1. A golden girdle about his paps; By which the beauty and glorious condition of the Church in the Primitive times is described.

emendatio

Tertul. ad

Scapulam.

Cap.22. Let us walk fo, as to manifest and hold forth the

Cant.

beauty and amiableness of godliness in the eyes of all,
that they may fee it whether they will or no, and to
force efteem from the confciences of men.
6.4. it is faid of the Church, She is terrible as an
army with banners; A Church of God that walks
clofe to the rule, is terrible to guilty confciences. Let
us walk fo, as when the Balaams of the world look
upon us, they may fee our comely order, fo as to be
forced to fay, o how goodly are thy tents, O Facob,
and thy Tabernacles, o Ifrael! as the valleys are they
pread forth, as gardens by the Rivers fide, as the trees
of Lign-Aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as
Cedars befide the waters, Numbers 24. 5. St. John
Epift. 1. chap. 1. 3. expreffeth his defire for those
whom he wrote to, that they might have fellowship
with him, and the rest of the Saints; and he brings
this as an argument, Truly our fellowship is with the
Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift; this would
be a mighty prevailing argument indeed, if we walk-
ed fo before others, as to manifeft that we in truth
have fellowship with the Father, and with his Son
Jefus Chrift, then our fellowship would be defireable
indeed.

i.

CHAP.

CHAP. XXIII.

How fhould Gods people fo walk, as to draw others in love with their communion.

B

Ut how fhould Gods people fo walk,as to bring
others in love with their communion?

Cap. 23.

Quest.

Firft, in the general, take heed of those fins Anfw. efpecially, that thofe which you converse with are guilty of, that they be not able to spy the fame fins in you,which their confciences accufe themselves of: take heed of the pollutions of the world. Cant. 6. 10. Who is he that looketh forth as the Morning, fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun, and terrible as an army with banners? The Church of God ought to be fair as the Moon, but the Moon hath spots, and therefore it follows, Clear as the Sun, and then, fhe is terrible as an army with banners: Either the will draw the hearts of others to love her, or fhe will daunt their hearts. Yea, let them not fee any defilement answerwable to their defilement : for wicked men, though they cannot fpy evils in the godly, yet furely they think they are guilty of the fins which they live in, as well as themselves: as Nero, because he was unchaft, thought all the world was unchaft: and therefore the godly fhould labor to keep themselves from fuch fins as the world is guilty of, that they may not fpy fuch in them. A godly man fhould not onely labor to be kept from outward defilement; that may be done by the ftrength of a natural confcience, without any fanctifying grace and it fhould be a fhame to one that hath grace, if he should not do that; if he cannot do that, how can he purge himfelf

V 3

Cap.23. himfelf from fecret, and spiritual evils that are in the heart?

Quest.

Answ.

What fin gleness of cart is.

Secondly, if you would walk fo as to draw others in love to communion with you, walk in fingleness and uprightness of heart. Acts 2.46, 47. They did eat their bread with gladness, and singleness of heart, praifing God: mark what follows; having favor with all the people, and God added to the Church: Singlenefs of heart makes Church-communion lovely.

But what is that uprightness,and fingleness of heart that we are to walk withal?

By that I mean this; namely, to be fure that there be an answerablenefs in our converfation unto all those principles of godliness that we profefs: for take the moft ftrict principles of Religion, and the men of the world cannot fpeak against them, and when it comes to, this is all they have to fay, Ah! if it were in truth,and in fincerity,it were fomething,but they are hypocrites: they acknowledge the principles are right, but they think the principles are so strict, that it is impoffible to walk up to them: Ab! Say they, give me one that does walk up to his principles, and we will fay fomething to you.

And therefore, you that are godly, confider of the many principles of godlinefs that you profefs: as namely, that the leaft fin is a greater evil, then all the evils in the world; and labor that all your whole life may hold out this principle, fearing the leaft fin, and the least occafion of fin. It is our principle, that we must make the Word the Rule of all our actions: Now let your converfations hold out this principle before others; And that the peace of confcience is of

infinite