CHURCH-FELLOWSHIP.
It is the ordinance of G.o.d, that Christians should be often a.s.serting the things of G.o.d to each other; and that by their so doing, they should edify one another.
The doctrine of the gospel is like the dew and the small rain, that distilleth upon the tender gra.s.s, wherewith it doth flourish and is kept green.
Christians are like the several flowers in a garden, that have upon each of them the dew of heaven; which being shaken with the wind, let fall their dew at each other"s roots, whereby they are jointly nourished and become nourishers of one another.
Church-fellowship, rightly managed, is the glory of all the world.
No place, no community, no fellowship is adorned and bespangled with such beauties, as is a church rightly knit together to their Head, and lovingly serving one another.
The church and a profession are the best of places for the upright; but the worst in the world for the c.u.mberground.
THE CHURCH A LIGHT.
The Holy Ghost is well pleased to bring in the shining virtues of the church, under the--notion of a shining moon; because, as the church herself is compared to the moon, so her virtues are as naturally compared to a shining light: as Christ saith, "Let your light so shine;" and again, "Let your loins be girded, and your lights burning." For indeed, while we are here, that church and congregation of the Lord doth most shine, and most send forth the golden rays and pleasant beams of Christianity, that is most in the exercise of the aforementioned virtues. Take away the moon, and the night is doubtful; or, though the moon be in the firmament, if she hath lost her light, the night is not thereby made more comfortable.
And thus, I say, it is first with the world, where there is no church to shine, or where there is a church that doth not so shine that others may see and be lighted.
SPIRITUAL CHARACTER OF THE CHURCH.
She meddleth not with any man"s matters but her own; she comes all along by the king"s highway; that is, only by the rules that her Lord hath prescribed for her in his testament. The governors of this world need not at all fear a disturbance from her, or a diminution of aught they have. She will not meddle with their fields nor vineyards, neither will she drink of the water of their wells. Only let her go by the king"s highway, and she will not turn to the right hand or to the left, until she has pa.s.sed all their borders It is a false report that the governors of the nations have received against the city, this new Jerusalem, if they believe according to the tale that is told of her, that she is and has been of old a rebellious city, and destructive to kings, and a diminisher of their revenues.
She is not for meddling with any thing that is theirs, from a thread even to a shoe-latchet. Her glory is spiritual and heavenly, and she is satisfied with what is her own. "Tis true, the kings and nations of this world shall one day bring their glory and honor to this city; but yet not by outward force or compulsion: none shall constrain them but the love of Christ, and the beauty of this city.
"The Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." The light and beauty of this city, these only shall engage their hearts and overcome them.
Indeed, if any shall, out of mistrust or enmity against this city and her prosperity, bend themselves to disappoint the designs of the eternal G.o.d concerning her building and glory, then they must take what follows. Her G.o.d in the midst of her is mighty; he will rest in his love, and rejoice over her with singing, and will UNDO all that afflict her. Wherefore, a.s.sociate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall he broken in pieces; for G.o.d is with us.
WARNING TO THE PROFESSOR.
He that sins himself out of the church, can find no good in the world; and they that have sinned G.o.d out, can find no good in the church. A church that has sinned G.o.d away from it, is a sad lump indeed. You, therefore, that are in G.o.d"s church, take heed of sinning yourselves out thence; also take heed, that while you keep in, you sin not G.o.d away, for thenceforth no good is there. "Yea, woe unto them when I depart from them, saith the Lord."
CHURCH-ORDER.
It is hard to have all things according to rule in the day of the church"s affliction, because of the weakness and fearfulness of some, and because possibly those who have most skill in that matter may for a time be laid up in chains. But when the church has rest and quietness, then as she praises G.o.d, so she conceives and brings forth governors and good government and rule among her members.
David, a man of blood, could not build the house to the Lord, which peaceable Solomon, that man of rest, afterwards did. When armies are engaged and hot in battle, it is harder to keep them in rank and file than when they have rest and time for discipline.
THE CHURCH IN AFFLICTION.
When the church of G.o.d is afflicted, both heaven and h.e.l.l have their hand therein; but from a differing consideration, and to a diverse end. From heaven it comes, that we may remember we have sinned, and that we may be made white and tried; but from h.e.l.l, that we might sin the more, and that we might despair and be d.a.m.ned.
SATAN"S HOSTILITY TO THE CHURCH.
Satan has tried many ways to be at amity with the church--not because he loves her holiness, but because he hates her welfare. And that he might bring about his enterprise, he sometimes has allured her with the dainty delicacies of this world, the l.u.s.ts of the flesh and of the eyes, and the pride of life. This being fruitless, he has attempted to entangle and bewitch her with his glorious appearance as an angel of light; and to that end he has made his ministers of righteousness, preaching up righteousness, and contending for a divine and holy worship. But this failing also, he has taken in hand at length to fright her into friendship with him, by stirring up the h.e.l.lish rage of tyrants to frighten and molest her; by finding out strange inventions to torment and afflict her children; by making many b.l.o.o.d.y examples of her own bowels before her eyes, if by that means he might at last obtain his purpose. But behold, all has been in vain; there can be no reconciliation. And why, but because G.o.d himself maintains the enmity? G.o.d hath put enmity between the devil and the woman; between that old serpent called the devil and Satan, and the holy and beloved and espoused wife of Christ.
SECURITY OF THE CHURCH.
Gold is a metal so invincible and unconquerable, that no fire can consume it: it may burn it indeed, and melt it; the dross indeed doth consume and give way to the power of the fire, but the gold remains and holds its ground, yea, it gets ground even of the furnace and fire itself; for the more it is burned and melted, the more it recovers its color, and the more it shakes off its dross and dishonor.
Just thus it is with the people of G.o.d, and hath been so even from the beginning: the more men oppressed them, the more they grew. His church has been now for many hundred years in the king of Babylon"s furnace; all which time she hath most gloriously endured and withstood the heat; and at last, when the fire hath done its worst against her, behold, there comes out a city of gold. Wherefore, let her be bold to say, even before she comes out of the fire, "When I am tried, I shall come forth as gold."
So long as the church endured hardship and affliction, she was greatly preserved from revolts and backslidings; but after she had turned her face from the sun, and had found the plain of Shinar, Genesis 11, that is, the fleshly delights that the pleasures and profits and honors of this world afford, she, forgetting the word and order of G.o.d, was content to dwell in the land of Babel.
As the sins of G.o.d"s people brought them into captivity, so their sins can hold them there; yea, and when the time comes that grace must fetch them out, yet the oxen that draw this cart may stumble, and the way, through roughness, may shake it sorely. However, heaven rules and overrules: and by one means and another, as the captivity of Israel did seem to linger, so it came out at the time appointed, in the way that best pleased G.o.d, that most profited them, and that most confounded those that were their implacable enemies. This therefore should instruct those that yet dwell where the "woman"
sitteth, to quietness and patience.
To quietness; for G.o.d rules and has the disposal of things. Besides, it is a kind of arraigning of his wisdom, to be discontent at that which at present is upon the wheel. Above all, it displeases him that any should seek, or go about to revenge their own injuries, or to work their own deliverances; for that is the work of G.o.d: nor is he weak, nor has he missed the opportunity; nor does he sleep, but waketh, and waiteth to be gracious.
This also should teach them to be patient, and put them upon bearing what at present they may undergo, patiently Let them wait upon G.o.d; patiently let them wait upon men, and patiently let them bear the fruits of their own transgressions; which though they should be none other but a deferring of the mercy wished for, is enough to try, and crack, and break their patience, if a continual supply and a daily increase thereof be not given by the G.o.d of heaven.
And before I conclude this, let me add one word more, to wit, to exhort them to look that they may see what G.o.d at present may be doing among the Babylonians.
When G.o.d had his people into Babylon of old, he presented them with such varieties there as he never showed them in their own country.
And is there nothing now to be seen by them that are not yet delivered from that oppression, that may give them occasion to stay themselves and wonder? What, is preservation nothing? What, is baffling and befooling the enemies of G.o.d"s church nothing? In the Maryan [Footnote: Upon the accession of Mary to the throne of England, the sanguinary laws against heretics were revived, and those shocking scenes of cruelty followed which have fixed upon this princess the epithet of b.l.o.o.d.y Queen Mary. Her gloomy bigotry caused that two hundred and seventy-seven persons should be committed to the flames, including prelates, private clergymen, laymen of all ranks, women, and even children.
Among the number were archbishop Cranmer, bishops Ridley. Latimer, and Hooper, John Rogers, John Bradford, and John Philpot.
Bishops Latimer and Ridley were burnt together. When they came to the stake, Dr. Ridley embraced Latimer fervently, and bade him be of good heart; he then knelt by the stake, and after earnestly praying together, they had a short private conversation. A lighted f.a.got was laid at Dr. Ridley"s feet, which caused the other to say, "Be of good cheer, Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day, by G.o.d"s grace, light up such a candle in England, as I trust will never be put out." When Dr. Ridley saw the flame approaching him, he exclaimed, "Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit." Latimer ceased not to say, "O Father of heaven, receive my soul."
Sanders, another martyr, was offered a pardon; but he rejected it, and embraced the stake, saying, "Welcome the cross of Christ!
welcome, everlasting life!" Fox"s Book of Martyrs and Hume"s Hist.
Eng] days here at home, there were such sweet songs sung in the fire, such sweet notes answering them from prison, and such providences, like coals of burning fire, still dropping here and there upon the heads of those that hated G.o.d, that it might, and douhtless did, make those that did wisely consider of G.o.d"s doings, think G.o.d was yet near in behalf of his despised and afflicted people.
Deep things are seen by them that are upon the waters. "They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep." Indeed it oft falls out that the church sees more of G.o.d in affliction, than when she is at rest and ease; when she is tumbled to and fro with waters, then she sees the works of G.o.d and his wonders in the deep.
And this makes persecution so pleasant a thing; this makes "the ark go upon the face of the waters." She sees more in this her state, than in all the treasures of Egypt.
Nothing is more natural to the church, while in a wilderness condition, than such cups and draughts as the cup of the Lord"s fury, the cup of trembling, the cup of astonishment.
Hence she is said to be clothed in sackcloth, to mourn, to weep, to cry out, and to be in pain as a woman in travail. Since the church in the wilderness has been so persecuted, so distressed, so oppressed, and made the seat of so much war, so much blood, and so many murders of her children within her, can it be imagined that she drank of more of these cups? Yes, yes, she has drunk the red wine at the Lord"s hand, even the cup of blood, of fury, of trembling, and of astonishment; witness her own cries, sighs, tears, and tremblings, with the cries of the widows, children, and orphans within her.
But all these cups are of pure gold. They are of G.o.d"s ordaining, appointing, filling; and also sanctified by him for good to those of his that drink them. Hence Moses chose rather to drink a brimmer of these, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
The sourness, bitterness, and wormwood of them, therefore, is only to the flesh, that loveth neither G.o.d, nor Christ, nor grace. The afflictions, therefore, that the church in the wilderness hath met with, these cups of gold, are of more worth than are all the treasures of Egypt; they are needful and profitable, and praiseworthy also, and tend to the augmenting of our glory when the next world shall come.
Besides, they are signs, tokens, and golden-marks of love, and jewels that set off the beauty of the church in the sight of G.o.d the more. They are also a means by which men are proved to be sound, honest, faithful, and true lovers of G.o.d; to be those whose graces are not counterfeit, feigned, or unsound, but true, and such as will be found to praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
And this has been the cause that the men of our church in the wilderness have gloried in tribulation, taking pleasure in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, and in distresses, for Christ"s sake. Yea, this is the reason why they have bade one another rejoice, when they fell into divers temptations, saying, "Happy is the man that endureth temptations;" and, "Behold, we count them happy that endure." And again, "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye."
These, therefore, are vessels of pure gold, though they contain such bitter draughts, at which we make so many wry faces before we can get them down.
Do you think that a Christian, having even this cup in his hand to drink, would change it for a draught of that which is in the hand of the woman that sits on the back of the scarlet-colored beast? No, verily; for he knows that her sweet is poison; and that his bitter is to purge his soul, body, life, and religion, of death.
G.o.d sends his love-tokens to his church two ways; sometimes by her friends, sometimes by her enemies. When they come by the hand of a friend, as by a minister, a brother, or by the Holy Ghost, then they come smoothly, sweetly, and are taken, and go down like honey. But when these love-tokens come to them by the hand of an enemy, then they are handed to them roughly. Pharaoh handed love-tokens to them roughly; the king of Babylon handed these love-tokens to them roughly. They bring them of malice; G.o.d sends them of love. They bring them and give them to us, hoping they will be our death; they give them therefore with many a foul curse; but G.o.d blesses them still.
Nor is this cup so bitter but that our Lord himself drank deep of it, before it was handed to his church. He did, as loving mothers do, drink thereof himself, to show us it is not poison, also to encourage us to drink it for his sake, and for our endless health.
Therefore the cup is called Christ"s cup: "Are ye able to drink of the cup that I drink of? Ye shall indeed drink of my cup." Here you see they are joined in a communion in this cup of affliction.
But these are not all the cups that belong to the church in the wilderness. There is also a cup, out of which, at times, is drunk what is exceeding sweet. It is called the cup of consolation, the cup of salvation; a cup in which G.o.d himself is, as David said, "The Lord is the portion of my cup."
This cup, they that are in the church in the wilderness have usually for an after-draught to that bitter one that went before. Thus, as tender mothers give their children plums or sugar to sweeten their palate after they have drunk a bitter potion, so G.o.d gives his children the cups of salvation and consolation after they have suffered awhile: "For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation aboundeth by Christ."