Use 1

USE I.

For Information, in three particulars,

1. Dear, hence, that church-membership is not only a title of dignity, but also an obligation to services. It is true indeed, it is an honorable thing, a mighty stoop of God to sinful men, that he will take them so near to himself; that he is pleased to make them his vineyard; to put his name upon them, and prefer them before the world, and it ought to be acknowledged to him: but for men, as too many do, to pride themselves in this, and place their whole confidence in it, without regarding how they use it, or what improvement they make of it; to cry, The Temple of the Lord, and not regard how they live to his dishonor, is directly contrary to the design, and will make all their boastings to be vain. When God had prepared for his vineyard, he looked for grapes (Isaiah 5:2). He did not plant it for a show, but for service, and all he does for it, is to engage his people in it: Oh that this were more thought of?

2. Hence how inexcusable will they be another day, who have had a place in God's Church, and yet bear no fruit there? Does God expect it? And has he so much reason to look for it? And do they do what in them lies to cross his expectations in it, and so disappoint him? As we may speak after the manner of men; surely this will not be to their comfort, but their shame and sorrow in the day of reckoning, and let all that are in the visible Church think of it. Assure yourselves that there is a time of harvest coming, when every tree will be looked after, and the fruits will be proved what they are: no fruits, and bad fruits will be condemned: and when God shall plead with you and say, I did this and that for you, I laid out all this care and cost upon you; why then is it that you have not served me? How comes it to pass that all this pains is in vain? Will you not then be speechless?

3. We here see the reason of God's judgments upon a visible Church, when they do not bear fruit, when they grow to degeneracy, and fall under notorious decays; when the fruits of righteousness grow thin among them; when iniquity begins to abound, and the first love is fallen from, and the first works are neglected. If we search the records of the Word of God, and enquire how it came to pass, that a people taken so near to God as his ancient people were, felt so much of the smart of judgments, why the hedges were broken down, and the wild bore of the wilderness let in, &c. if we ask what occasioned these threatenings against Ephesus, Sardis, Laodicea (Revelation 2:3), here it issues, and how loud does this speak to us in such a day of God's anger as this is, to search and try our ways, to see if we have not thus gone to decay?