You have now as blessed an opportunity as your souls can desire, yea, that very season of mercy some of you have a long time anxi- ously desired. You have confessed to God, that you once sinned us out of our pulpits ; God forbid you should next sin us into our graves.
If you be wanton children at a full table, our enemies are not so far off, but God can quickly call them in to cure your wantonness, by taking away the cloth.
The stewards of Christ provide choice dishes for you, even feasts of fat things full of marrow ; and serve it into your souls upon the knee of prayer in due season : have a care of despising it, ijf at any time the dishes be not garnished as you expect, with curious figures, and flowers of rhetoric.
The Lord give you hungry appetites, sound digestions, and thriv- ing souls ; then shall ye be our crown of rejoicing, and we yours in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ : To the word of whose grace I commend you all, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified
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COXTAIXIXG, IN THE FIRST COLUMN,
The SINS most incident to the Members of particular Churches, plainly forbidden in the Word, and for which God sets Marks of his Displeasure on them.
The DUTIES enjoined on them in the Scripture, in the conscien- tious Discharge whereof, they receive signal Fruits of his Favour,
I. Sm. JSL he first, and more general sin of church ir.embers, is, a defect in their care ana cir- cumspection, to prevent all just offences to them thai are without : forbidden, Col. iv. 5. '* Walk in wisdom towards them which ai'e without.'' Bva careless disregard of this rule, we harden the wicked in their sins, bring guilt upon ourselves, and reproach upon the name and icays of' God.
II. Sin. The secord, and more particular sin of some church- members, is idleness, and neglect of their civil callings; against the express rule, 2 Thess. iii. 11, 12. *' There are some Avhich walk among you disorderly, working not at all : Such ue command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread."' This brings poverty on them- selves, and scandal on religion.
III. Sin. The third sin is tale- bearing, and revealing the secrets of families, and persons ; whence many strifes arise, to the cooling and c^uenching of mutual love ;
I. Duty. JL HEIR first duty is^ to be often together in acts of Christian communion. Mai. iii. 16. " Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one to an- other," &c. Such meetings for prayers, repetition of sermons, and Christian conference, greatly conduce to mutual edification ; which is the principal intention of Christian fellowship, Eph. iv. 16.
II. Duty. Their second duty is, to follow and back the great design of the gospel in the world, and therein assist the public mi- nistry, by their private and pru- dent helping on the conversion of the carnal and careless world, Phil. iv. 3. " Help those women that laboured with me in the gos- pel, &c. For the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, strive together with me," Rom. xv. 30.
III. Duty. Their third duty is humble condescension to the infirmities of their weaker bre- thren, and denying themselves in what they can, without sin,
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expressly forblclclcn, Lev.xlx.16. " Thou slialt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among tliy peo- ple." And 1 Tim. v. 13. Not only idle, but tatlers also, and bu- sy-bodies, speaking things which they ought not.''
IV. ^Sin. The fourtli sin is an easy credulity of private whis- pers, and rash censures thereupon. This we ought not to do against the meanest member. 2 Cor. xii. 20. " Lest there be debates, en- vyings," wraths, strifes, backbit- ings, whisperings," &c. IVIuch less against church-officers; 1 Tim. V. 19. " Against an elder receive not an accusation, but be- fore two or three witnesses." This strikes at the bond of peace.
V. Shi. Their fifth sin is in their neglect of God's ordinances upon sHght diversions, when they arc neither disabled by works of necessity, or mercy, contrary to Heb. X. 25. " Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is." Tri- vial occasions should divert no Christian from attending upon God^s ordinances.
VI. Sin. The sixth sin is a defect in zeal for God's ordinan- ces, manifested in their dilatory attendance ; contrary to Psal. cxxii. 1. "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord." And un- suitable to their first practice, Gal. iv. 5. ' Where is then the blessedness.^' Sec.
VII. Sin. The seventh sin is irreverence, and want of serious- ness under ordinances : contrary to Psal. Ixxxix. 7. ' God is great-
that they give them no offence, liom. XV. 1. " We then that arc strong, ought to bear the infirmi- ties of the weak, and not to please ourselves." And ver. 2. " Let every one of us please his neigh- bour, for his good to edification." W.Dutij. Their fourth duty is to be exceeding tender of the church's unity, both in j udgment, love, and practice ; avoiding (as much as may be, and as far as the gospel rule allows) all causes and occasions of division and sc]iara- tion. Rom. xvi. 17. " Mark them which cause divisions and offences, and avoid them." And Phil. ii. 1, 2. " If there be any consolation in Christ, &c. be ve like minded."
V. Duty. Their fifth duty is a respectful carriage towards the meanest Christian, and to have higher esteem of others than them- selves. External things make no difference with Christ ; Rom. xii. 10. " In honour preferring one another." Gal. iii. 28. " Ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Yet a decorum is to be kept suitable to civil differences ; Eph. v. 21. " Submitting yourselves to one another in the fear of God."
VI. DiUij. Their sixth duty is, meekly to receive reproofs from each other for their sins, especial- ly when the matter is just, and the manner of delivering it regu- lar ; Psal. cxli. 5. " Let'the righ- teous smite me, it shall be a kindness : And let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil," &c.
VII. Duty. Tlieir seventh du- ty is, to communicate their spiri- tual stock of gifts, graces, and ex- periences, not interfering with
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ly to be feared in the assembly of the saints ; and to be had in re- verence of all that are round about him." And this is mani- fest in vain attires ; 1 Cor. xi. 10. " The woman ought to have power on her head, because of the angels." And unseemly pos- tures and gestures; Eccl. v. 1. '' Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools."