drent; and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ d, the house and family of God e, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of falvation f. IIL Unto this catholic visible church, Christ hath given the miniftry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the faints, in this life, to the end of the world: and doth by his own prefence and spirit, according to his promife, make them effectual thereunto g. 1 among the Gentiles, and fing unto thy name. v. 10. And again he faith, Rejoice ye Gentiles with his people. v. 11. And again, Praise the Lord all ye Gentiles, and laud him all ye people, v. 12. And again Efaias faith, there shall be a root of Jeffe, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him fhall the Gentiles truft. cr Cor. vii. 34. For the unbelieving husband is fanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. Acts. ii, 39. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Ezek. xvi. 20. More over thou haft taken thy fons and thy daughters, whom thou hast born unto me, and these hast thou facrificed unto them to be devoured: is this of thy whoredoms a small matter? . 21. That thou hast flain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them? Rom. xi. 16. For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches. Gen. iii. 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy feed and her feed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruife his heel. Gen. xvii. 7. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy feed after thee, in their genera IV. This tions, for an everlasting covenant ; to be a God unto thee, and to thy, feed after thee. d Mat, xiii. 47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the fea, and gathered of every kind. Ifa. ix. 7. Of the increase of his government hent and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to esta. blish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth even for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hosts. will perform this. e Eph. ii. 19. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the faints, and of the houshold of God. Eph. iii. 15. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, Acts ii. 47. Praising God, and. having favour with all the people. and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. III. g 1 Cor. xii. 28. and God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Eph. iv. 11. And he gave some, apostles: and some, prophets: and some, evangelists: and fome, pastors and teachers: V. 12. For the perfecting of the faints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Chrift: v. 13. Till we all come Chap. XXV. IV. This catholic church hath been sometimes more, sometimes less visible b. And particular churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the gofpel is taught and embraced, ordinances administred, and public worship performed more or lefs purely in them i. V. The purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and errork; and some have so degenerated, as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan 1. Nevertheless, come in the unity of the faith, and given two wings of a great eagle, of the knowledge of the Son of God, that she might flee into the wilderunto a perfect man, unto the mea- ness, into her place: where she is fare of the stature of the fulness of nourished for a time, and times, and Christ. Mat. xxviii. 19. Go ye half a time, from the face of the therefore and teach all nations, bap- ferpent. tizing them in the name of the Fai (Rev. ii. and iii. chap, throughther, and of the Son, and of the out.) I Cor. v. 6. Your glorying is Holy Ghost: v. 20. Teaching them not good: Know ye not that a little to observe all things whatsoever I leaven leaveneth the whole lump? have commanded you and lo, I am v. 7. Purge out therefore the old with you alway, even unto the end leaven, that ye may be a new lump, of the world. Amen. Ifa. lix. 21. as ye are unleavened. For even As for me, this is my covenant with Christ our passover is facrificed for them, faith the Lord, My Spirit that us. is upon thee, and my words which V. k1 Cor. xiii. 12. For now we I have put in thy mouth, shall not see through a glass, darkly; but then depart out of thy mouth, nor out face to face: now I know in part; of the mouth of thy feed, nor out of but then shall I know even as also I the mouth of thy feeds feed, faith am known. (Rev. ii. iii. chapters.) the Lord, from henceforth and for Mat. xiii. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. Another parable put he forth unto ever. IV. Rom. xi. 3. Lord, they them, saying, The kingdom of heahave killed thy prophets, and digg- ven is likened unto a man, who ed down thine altars; and I am left sowed good feed in his field: Bnt alone, and they seek my life. v. 4. while men slept, his enemy came But what faith the answer of God and fowed tares among the wheat, unto him? I have referved to my and went his way. But when the self feven thousand men, who have blade was sprung up, and brought not bowed the knee to the image of forth fruit, then appeared the tares Baal. Rev. xii. 6. And the woman also, &c. v. 47. Again, the kingfed into the wilderness, where the dom of heaven is like unto a net hath a place prepared of God, that that was caft into the sea, and gathey should feed her there a thou- thered of every kind. fand two hundred and threescore / Rev. xviii. 2. And he cried mighdays. v. 14. And to the woman were tily with a strong voice, saying, Ba bylen theless, there shall be always a church on earth, to worship God according to his will m. VI. There is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Chrift n. Nor can the pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof; but is that antichrist, that man of fin, and fon of perdition that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God .. bylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Rom. xi. 18. Boast not against the branches: but if thou boaft, thou bearest not the foot, but the root thee. v. 19. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in, v. 20. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear. v. 21. For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. v. 22. Behold therefore the goodness, and severity of God: on thein who fell, severity; but towards thee, goodness; if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou shalt be cut off. m Mat. xvi. 18. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church: and the gates of hell fhall not prevail against it. Pfal. Ixxii. 17. His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the fun: and men shall call him blessed. Pfal. cii. 28. The children of thy servants shall continue, and their feed shall be established before thee, Mat, xxviii, 19, 20. (See in letter g.) VI. n Col. i. 28. And he is the head of the body, the church; who CHAP. is the beginning, the first-born from the dead: that in all things he might have the pre-eminence, Eph. i. 22. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church. • Mat. xxiii. 8. But be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren. v. 9. And call no man your Father, upon earth; for one is your Father, who is in heaven. v. 10. Neither be ye called masters; for one is your Master, even Christ. 2 Theff. ii. 3. Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of fin be revealed, the son of perdition; v. 4. Who oppofeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God fitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. v. 8. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming; v. 9. Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders. Rev. xiii, 6. And he opened his mouth, in blafphemy against God, to blafpheme his name and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven, I. John A to Jesus Christ their head, by CHAP. XXVI. Of the Communion of Saints. LL faints that are united to his Spirit and by faith, have fellowship with him in his graces, fufferings, death, refurrection and glory a: and, being united to one another in love, they have communion in each others gifts and graces b; and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man c. I. a john i. 3. That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have • fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. Eph. iii, 16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthned with might, by his Spirit in the inner-man; v. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being root. ed and grounded in love, v. 18. May be able to comprehend with all faints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; v. 19. And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Johni, 16. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. Eph. ii. 5. Even when we were dead in fins, hath quickened us together with Christ; (by grace ye are faved). v. 9. And hath raised us up together, and made us fit to. gether in heavenly places in Christ Jefus. Phil. iii. 10. That I may know him and the power of his refurrection, and the fellowship of his fufferings, being made conformable unto his death. Rom. vi. 5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death; we shall be alfo in the likeness of his refurrection. v. 6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, II. Saints that the body of fin might be de stroyed, that henceforth we should not ferve fin. 2 Tim, ii. 12. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us. b Eph. iv. 15. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Chrift. v. 16. From whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love, 1 Cor. xii. 7, But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. I Cor iii. 21. Therefore let no man glory in men, for all things are yours: v. 22. Whether Paul, or apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours; v. 23. And ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's. Col. ii. 19. and not holding the head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministred, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. C 1 Theff, v. 11. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. v. 14. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the II. Saints, by profession, are bound to maintain an holy fel- lowship and communion in the worship of God, and in performing such other fpiritual services as tend to their mutual edification d, as also in relieving each other in outward things, according to their several abilities and neceffities. Which communion, as God offereth opportunity, is to be extended unto all those who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus e. III. This communion which the faints have with Chrift, doth not make them in any wife partakers of the substance of his Godhead, or to he equal with Christ in any respect: either of which the feeble-minded, fupport the weak, be patient toward all men. Rom. i. 11. For I long to fee you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established: v. 12. That is, that I may be comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you and me, v. 14. I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians, both to the wife, and to the unwife. 1 John iii. 16. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the bre. thren. v. 17. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compaflion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? v. 18. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. Gal, vi. 10. As we have therefore opportupity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith. II. d Heb. x. 24. And let us confider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works. ver. 25. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and fo much the more, as you fee to the day approaching: Acts ii. 42. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayer. v. 46. And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking of bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Ifa. ii. 3. and many people shall go and fay: Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will wak in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerufalem. I Cor, xi. 20. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. e Acts ii. 44. And all that believed were together, and had all things common, v. 45. And fold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. I John iii. 17. (See in let ter c.) (2 Cor. viii, and ix. chapters.) Acts xi, 29. Then the difciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren who dwelt in Judea. v. 30. Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. |