HOW TO DO',GOOD TO MANY. 555 miracles in his name ; Matt. vii. Much more if it be a society where godliness is despised, and the most godly excommunicated, if they differ but in a; formality of ceremony from Diotrephes, and thewicked rabble tolerated and cherished in reviling serious godliness, on pretense of opposing such dissenters. Christ will not own that pastor nor society .which owneth not conscience and serious piety., If the pastors set up their wills and traditions before the laws and will ofChrist, and call outs Who is on our side ?' instead of F W1io is on Christ's side i' and fall out with the sheep, and worry and scatter them, and cherish the goats, and tolerate-the wolves, woe to those shepherds, when Christ shall. fudge them ! I wonder not if such incline to infidelity, though they live by the name and image of Christianity,and if they be loath to believe that therewill be such a dayof judgment which theyhave so much cause to fear. But the prudent, loving guidance of faithful pastors is so neces- sary to the' church, that without itthere will be envy and strife, confusion, and every evil work; and a headless multitude, though otherwise well-meaning, pious people, will be all wise, and all teachers, till they have no wise teachers left, and will crumble all into dissolútion, or into shameful sects. St. Paul told us of two games that Satan 'hath to play, (Acts xx.) one by grievous wolves, that shall devour the flock, (though in sheep's clothing, yet known by their bloody jaws,) the other by men from among yourselves, who shall speak perverse things, to draw disciples after them. vi. Ifyou,would promote the good of all or many, promote the -love andconcord of all that deserve to be called Christians. To whichend you must, 1. Know who those are; and, 2. Skill- fully and faithfully' endeavor it. 1. Far be it from any Christian. to think that Christ.hath not so much as "told us what, Christianity is, and who they be that we must ,take for Christians, when he häth commanded them all so earnestly to love each other, , Is not, baptism our christening ? Every one that bath entered into that covenant with Christ, and understandingly and seriously professeth to stand to it, and is not proved by inconsistent words or deeds to nullify that profession, is to be taken for Christian, and used in live and communion as such. Consider ofthese words, and consider whether all churches have walked 'by this rule, and whether swerving from it have not been the cause of corruption and confusion. He is a Christian fit for our communion,who is baptized in infancy, and owneth it solemnly at 'age ; and so is he that was not baptized till he himself. believed. He is a Christian that. believeth CÇhrist to be trite God and true 110
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