Chapter 22: Instructions to those who are joined in communion with God's people

SEcondly, if it be such a blessed thing to enjoy communion with Gods people, then there are many things that are to be said to those that are joined in communion.

First, labor to approve to God and your own souls, that you are indeed Gods people particularly; you are his people in a way of outward profession, and to men you do approve yourselves, so far as we hope you are Gods people, but you must approve yourselves to God, and to your consciences: If you be conscious to yourselves of any secret filth, and yet dare come and deceive the people of God in joining with them, you bring yourselves in more danger then you are aware. We read Deut. 22. ver. 21. that if a damsel having defiled her self before marriage, and so deceiving a man, he marries with her, when this is discovered, she is to be stoned to death: Uncleanness in such as were single, was not by the Law to be punished with death, but she must dye, although her uncleanness was while she was single, because she deceived the man, in marrying to him in her defilement: So know your filth in not joining to Gods people is not so evil, and dangerous, as if you being conscious to yourself, dare yet join with them; if you deceive the Church herein, God may justly avenge himself of you, it may cost you your life: Revel. 2:9 I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not.

It is by God accounted blasphemy for any to say they are Jews, and are not, to make profession of godliness, and not to be godly, is blasphemy; Surely then, it is not sufficient to be with Israel, but we must be of Israel, not to be a Jew outwardly, but a Jew inwardly, so as God may own you in the last day, when there shall be a narrow search, who are the true people of God, that then you may be found to be such indeed: it will be a dreadful thing for any of you, that now seem to be of Gods people, and that have lived amongst the sheep, if you should be found amongst the goats, standing at the left hand, when you shall see others of Gods people stand at the right hand, looking upon you, and say, Yonder is one who lived with us, and we could never discover him to be an hypocrite, though sometimes we had jealousies of him, there he stands, now he is discovered; therefore approve yourselves to be of the true Israel of God.

Quest. But who is a true Israelite?

Answ. Such a one as can approve to his own heart, an inward effectual call of God, calling him out of the world, as well as an outward call, by the Ordinances, such a one as has testimony to his own spirit, that he is separated, set apart for God, that he has an inward sanctification of the holy Ghost, such a one as in whose spirit there is no guile; this is a true Israelite indeed.

Secondly, if it be such a great blessing to be joined in union, and communion with the people of God, hence labor to bless God for this great blessing, that is such an amiable, desireable condition; it is your heaven upon earth, that mercy that should sweeten all other mercies, yea, that should sweeten your afflictions to you. Gods holy mountain, Isaiah 57:13 is promised as an inheritance opposed to vanity, and promised as the blessing upon trusting in the Lord, Vanity shall take them, but he that puts his trust in me, shall inherit my holy mountain. Let us not enjoy the world in all their vanity, but bless we ourselves in our God, let us rejoice in our inheritance, the mountain of the Lord. Though we beg our bread, says Luther, is it not made up with this, That we are fed with the bread of Angels, with eternal life, Christ, and the Sacraments, &c?

We have cause to bless God that we might be with Gods people, though in caves, and woods, and banished from all; we have much more cause to bless God when we can be with them thus publiquely, and peaceably, and can go from Gods house, to our own houses, and have communion there; this is the rest that the Land of Canaan did typifie, for which the name of God is to be mganified; God might so have left us, that we should have had communion only with the prophane ones, and drunkards; yea, we might have been cast out from God, to have had communion only with reprobates, and that now we may have communion with the godly, it is a wonderful mercy. Rev. 14. we read of Christ standing upon the Mount Zion, and having so many people standing up, to join with him in Churchfellowship; for that is the meaning of that place, there they were rejoicing at the mercy of the Lord, that they were upon the Mount with the Lamb; though there might be time, when our Harps hanged upon the Willows, yet if we be called to the Lamb upon Mount Zion, Let us have our Harps in our hands.

Is there nothing in the delight that God has in his people, and the presence of God with his people, and the great priviledges they have, to raise our hearts to praise the Lord, and let it not be verbally, but really. As namely thus; Is it that we are Gods delight, let him be our delight; if we be his treasure, let him be our treasure; if we be his portion, let him be our portion, if he communicates choice mercies to us, let us give choice endeavors to him; if he gives us protection, let us protect his truths and name; if he honor us, let us give him his honor. And so I slip into a third particular, which is a third branch of this exhortation.

3. If there be so much excellency in communion with the people of God, you that are such, take heed you do not darken that excellency that God has put in communion with his people; there are three ways especially that darkens this excellency.

First, if we rest in any Church-priviledge we have, and make that to be our Religion, and the strength of our spirits be let out about these things we enjoy, more then others, so as we begin to decline in the savour and power of godliness; if others that knew us before, when we had not those priviledges and mercies, that we have now, shall say, What good is to be had there? I knew such, and me thinks they had more savour and relish in the ways of God then now, more sweetness and warmth to be had in their company then now there is; Take heed of this, of giving occasion to any to say so. It is a very evil and a dangerous thing to rest in Church-priviledges, to make all our Religion to consist in being in a Church-way, we may have this revealed to us, and yet little of Heaven revealed. There were two vails of the Tabernacle, one covered the Holy of Holies, the other the place where the Priests entred; it may be we have had the first opened to us, but yet the second which leads to the Holy of Holies, may still be vailed.

Many whose hearts are very carnal, may be much for Church-Ordinances. We have in the 24. of Ezekiel, ver. 21, 22. seven several expressions of carnal hearts, prising Church-priviledges. First, they accounted them their strength. Secondly, the excellency of their strength. Thirdly, the desire of their eyes. Fourthly, that which their souls pitied. Fifthly, their glory. Sixthly, the joy of their glory. Seventhly, that whereupon they set their mindes. What a noise did they make about the Temple of the Lord? The Temple of the Lord, The Temple of the Lord, Ier. 7:4 and yet they were carnal: Take heed therefore you rest not in the Church-priviledges, by this you will deceive yourselves, and darken the excellency of this blessed communion.

Secondly, take heed of darkning this by any scandalous way, as those do who profess themselves to be the people of God, and yet by their wretched ways of sensualities, or any other ways, are a scandal unto Gods people, this is an evil, and a bitter thing. Christ walks amongst the golden candlesticks: Every Church should be a golden candlestick, holding forth light in the Doctrine of it, and golden in the holy conversation of it. We must take heed that there be not so much as a dusting of this golden candlestick of the Lord, by the least looseness, or earthliness of our lives. By scandals in the wicked lives of those that are of Gods people, there is a stain and blot cast upon Church communion; here the name of God is polluted; others that are prophane, pollute the creatures, and their own consciences, but Gods name is not so much polluted by them; but Gods people do not only pollute their consciences, by their scandalous lives, but pollute Gods name, and it is worse to pollute Gods name, then to pollute your consciences: And therefore know, that joining to the Saints is an aggravation to every sin you commit afterward; and though it be true, that union with the people of God is a mitigation of every cross and affliction, yet it is an aggravation to every sin.

Yea, if men were born for no other end and purpose, but to do mischief, they could not do more then this, to join with the people of God, and then live scandalously. O brethren, let us pray to God, that we may never live to that day, to darken the great excellency of the fellowship of the Saints: It were better that God should take a thousand of us out of the world, then that we should live to darken the profession of Gods name, in union with his people; this does more mischief, then all the persecuters under Heaven can do.

The Church of God has never been in a better condition, then when their persecuters have raged most; the raging of persecuters have not darkned the excellency of the Church, but the scandalous lives of members of a Church have darkned the glory of the Church: though by persecution others may be afraid to make profession of the truth, yet all the persecution in the world cannot take off mens consciences, and cause them in their consciences to think such are not in the truth, because they are persecuted; but the scandalous lives of those that are Professors, do make men think in their consciences that this way is not right, and therefore make them think they do God good service in hating such men, persecuting such men, and there is more evil in this, to be an occasion to make men think this way is not good, then to make men afraid to venture upon this way. And therefore consider what a great deal of mischief scandalous lives do, and if you finde your hearts inclining to any sensual way, that you are like to give scandal, take heed of it, for it is the greatest mischief that can be devised. Those who join with the Church of God, should walk so, as to be an ornament to it, not a stain, a blot, to cast filth upon it; Isa. 49:18 Behold these that gather themselves to you, you shall surely clothe you with them all, aswith an Ornament: Consider how far many of you are from being an ornament to the Church; are not your lives rather blemishes? This is a sore evil. Better it is to endure any misery, then to do that which shall make Gods people ashamed of us.

The third thing that darkens the excellency of communion with Gods people, is dissentions in judgement or affection, this makes it appear to be black in the eyes of the world. Sozomen reports of a Devilish policy of Julian, to raise a scandal against the Church: He sent for those Bishops that were banished in Constantius his time, on purpose that he might cause dissention in the Church by them. Take heed you have not a hand in darking this excellent condition, no not in this way. In the body, solutio continui, is more dangerous then the corruption of a humor: Let us labor so far as possibly we can, to make it excellent by peaceableness; this is that which is prophesied of for the Church, Isa. 33:20 Your eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation: And mark the blessing that follows upon this quietness; A Tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken; but there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers, streams, &c. In Zech. 14. ver. 9. there is a Prophesie, that the Lord shall be King over all the earth; in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one: We now profess one God, but we do as it were call him by several names; but that will be a blessed time, when as there shall be but one Lord, so his name shall be one; there shall be a blessed agreement in the profession of his name, oneness of heart is a blessing of the new Covenant.

I remember Eusebius reports in the life of Constantine, that he was so much troubled for dissentions in the house of God, as he could not sleep in the night, and they did more disquiet him, then all his wars; yea he says, they caused him to sob and sigh: and so they should be disquietings to our spirits, and we should study to make up breaches. S. Augustine, ep. 15. has this expression, speaking of the divisions of some of the Church, says he, I would fall down at their feet, and desire them with all the might I have they would not do thus and thus, that they would not cast reproaches upon one another. And observe the spirit of St. Paul, Phil. 2. 1, 2, 3. If there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, &c. Doves cannot endure to be amongst Ravens, but where they see meekness and love, there those of Dove-like dispositions love to be; Isaiah 60:8 Who are they like Doves, that flie to their Windows? Brethren, if we would expect to grow up in the ways of godliness, it must be by love and union together, Colossians 2:2 Being knit together in love, unto all riches of full assurance. When hearts are knit together in love, then a Church thrives, and grows up to all riches of grace.

As it is in the body of a man, when the members of the body are out of joynt, they can neither receive strength from the body, nor be useful to the body. And therefore the Apostle would have us be careful, if any were out of joynt, to set 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, restoresuch a one; set such a one in joynt, that he may thrive, as members in joynt thrive. Christ is called the corner stone; now a corner stone is that which joins both sides together; now Christ loves to be in the place of joining, where there is a joining 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 Christs garment without seam?

For the Lords sake let us take heed of divisions and quarrels, especially let us take heed that under the pretense of Religion, we do not maintain quarrels, for this is to bring down the holy Ghost, from appearing like a Dove, to appear in the form of a Vulture, or Raven; You know what S. Paul says of speaking with several tongues, will not he that comes in say you are mad? When wicked men hear of so many dissonant opinions, of so many dissentions 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 shall you be from making the way of Christ honorable in their eyes, which yet should be the thing you should more desire, seek after, rejoice in, then your lives. Religion has the name from binding, and certainly it is the best band of humane societies; there is great reason then that we seek to keep it in the band of unity. And that is the third thing I would say to those that are in Church-fellowship, not to darken the excellency that is in communion with the Saints.

The fourth exhortation is, that you would walk and live so, as by your walking you may draw others to be in love with this fellowship: as God has made it to be glorious, so that you would set out the glory of it to others, that all that go by you should say, Surely they are the blessed of the Lord, certainly God is with them, and therefore we will likewise join with them; O what a blessed 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 convince more strongly then their words: The tongue perswades, but the life commands, is the speech of an Ancient. We read in Rev. 14. Those that stood with the Lamb upon Mount Zion, enjoying communion there, they had his Fathers name written upon their foreheads, the glory of God shined in their foreheads; a convincing conversation 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 so, 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 ourselves to be, separated from the world, by the holiness of our lives; as Tertullian says of the Christians in his time, they were known to be Christians from the amendment of their former lives. You are joined near to Christ, as a girdle about a mans loyns; take heed you be not as that girdle, Jer. 13. A rotten girdle, fit for nothing, so were the Church of the Jews at that time; but you should be as that girdle of Christ, Rev. 1. A golden girdle about his paps; By which the beauty and glorious condition of the Church in the Primitive times is described.

Let us walk so, as to manifest and hold forth the beauty and amiableness of godliness in the eyes of all, that they may see it whether they will or no, and to force esteem from the consciences of men. Cant. 6:4 it is said of the Church, She is terrible as an army with banners; A Church of God that walks close to the rule, is terrible to guilty consciences. Let us walk so, as when the Balaams of the world look upon us, they may see our comely order, so as to be forced to say, O how goodly are your tents, O Jacob, and your Tabernacles, O Israel! as the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the Rivers side, as the trees of Lign-Aloes which the Lord has planted, and as Cedars beside the waters, Numbers 24:5 St. John Epist. 1. chap. 1:3 expresseth his desire 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 Jesus Christ; this would be a mighty prevailing argument indeed, if we walked so before others, as to manifest that we in truth have fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ; then our fellowship would be desireable indeed.