-698 Tf!E CHURCH coMPARED To A F AM IL Y, &c. Book IV. tion. L~t all take heed they do not make public any Evil or Offence of their Bre– . thren, chat is private; for this is an utter Fault, and a Violation of the Law of Chrift, and Order of his Houfe. 2. Touching public and fcandalous Sins and Offenders, fuch as expofe the Nam.e of God to a Reproach, as Fornication, Covetoufnefs, Idolatry, Drunkennefs, Riot– ing, &c. Thefe, without thorough and unfeigned Repentance, ought fonhwi<h to be-delivered up to Satan, or put out of the Church, into the Kingdom of Satan, from whence they came, 1 Cor. v. 5· And truly it cannot be known quickly who hath true Repentance, that fall into fuch great Sins, until there be fome Time of Trial. Re– formation of Life is the chief Part of Repentance .; therefore to clear the Name of .God from Reproach, and the better to bring the Offender to the Senfe of his Sin, the Ordinance of Excommunication ought, in my Judgment, immediately upon Convic– tion, to pafs again!l: him. 3 . In the Adminifrration of Jullice and Judgment in the Church, fpecial Care ought :to be taken, that with all Wi(dom and Impartiality Perfons may be dealt withal. Let the Church and Pa1l:or fee to it, that the Rich be no more fpared than the Poor. Levi .was no.t to know his Father in Judgment. IX. In a religious Family, De– votion is carefully and duly per– for!ned, Prayer, reading the 'A1ord, (<ic. It is aReprooch to a Family, efpecially to the Mafter, or Gover– nor and Governds, to have this negleCted, and a Sin very provok– ing to God: Pour out thy Fury t!pon the Heathen tbat know thee not, and . t!pon the Families that call not upon thy Name, Jer. xx. 25. IX. So the Church of God is the chief Place of Public Devotion; there the Word of God is and ought to be read. And hence Paul faith to the Colojjians, When this Epiflle is read amongft you, caufe it to be read alfo ill the Church, (mark,) of the Laodiceans, Col. iv. 16, '7· There the Word of God is truly and duly preached, and the Sacra– ments .adminiftered. Out of Zion, the Pcrfertion pf Beauty, .God bath jhined. 'To the intent, that now unto Priltcipalities aud Powers in heavenly Places, might be known by the Church the manifold Wifdom of God, Pfal. I. 2. Epb. iii. 10. Hence God is faid to love the Gales of Zion, vi-;r.. the Place of his vifible Worfhip, more than all the Dwellings of Jacob, Pfal. lx1(xvii.·2. Can there be a greater Reproach to a Church, or any Thing more provoking to God, than to have Prayer, and other .Branches of Public \Vorfhip and Devotion, wholly negleCted among them? X. All the Family, yea, every X. So the whole Church, I mean each Camparticular Perfon thereof, ought munity of Chriftians, yea, every particular Mem– to be called together, and they diber thereof, ought to be called together, and they Jigently to obey that Call, and d<ilgenrly to obey that Call, at all Times, when come together at the Time of DePrayer, or any other Part of Church-Service, De– .votion, or when Prayer is lolemnly votion, and Worlhip is to be performed. Not .performed therein. forfaking the ajjembling ofyourfelves together, as the Mamzer of fame is, &c. Heb. x. 25. '!'hey were all with one accord in one Place, Ails ii. r. XI. Some Families Gre exceedXI. The whole Family of Chrift, the great ing great, confi!l:ing of many PerPrince of Heaven and E anh, I mean the whole J"ons, efpecially if it be the Family univerfal Church, both Militant and Triumphant, of a Prince, or noble rertOn. is exceeding great, the or.e Part of which is in Heaven, and the other on Earth : For this Caujt I bow my Knees unto the Father of our L ord Jefus Chrift, of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named, &c. Ephef. iii. 15, 16. XII. It is exceeding commenXU. So the Lord Jefus, the Head and Goverdable and honorable, for all that nor of his Church, hath lltiCtly commanded, and belong un<o a Family, to be rruly ,dotb exceedingly commend the Grace of Love in .and cordially affeCtionate one to and among all his Family. The Church is never another, to be ready and willing more defirable or comely in this World, rhan .to do all Offices of Love and Kindwhen the L ove of each Member cloth abound one .nefs, fo far as the Law of fuch a towards another; when Minifters love the People, ,Relation cloth require of each, in and the People heartily love them; and when their refpeCtive Places and Callings. every one, in the Station wherein God hath fet him, is ready and willing to do any Office of Love: :Bow amiable upon this account is the Church of God! . ' INFERENCE.
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