ten'Vi.ryjns Opened and Applied. I. Eirherrbat he may divide th_e <;h~rch, that when any Errour ~~ll be futched he may have his parry t0 mamtatn Lt, and hts fachon to plead.for tt. Or z. That he may corrupt ic,ifhe canfiot divide ir,rhat the Tares may fuck out the hem and life and power of Godlineffe in the hems of the EleCl:; for you know 'tis not rhe Briar but the Ivy that fuck> out the hfe and fap of the tree, and 1 tis not prophane pricking perfecutors, butfeeming friends to rhe Church, thar fuck out thehemand lifeofit. It was not Jeroboams greameiJe, but theold Prophets oravity and feemino Piety that fuckr out rhe Spirit and Sap of the young Prophet, ~Kings I 3· Tha~foby this littLe Leaven he may defi le the wholelurnp, and fo provoke wrath againft them all. . 3· If he cannot do either, yet that he may blur and !bin theGloryofthe Church: For rhe greateft Glory in the world is to fee a Temple builr,notofftones ofGold orPe,lrl, but of living precious Saints, holy to the Lord only and his Son, and the light of which in He.wen !hall be one parr of the Gbry in Hea\'Cn. Hence Satan will do what he can to blur it; that though the greateft Glory God harh,lhines in his Church, yet that he may blur it:And henceJude faith,Some that crept in unawares, were Sp<ts in their F eafls. And z Pet.z.z. 'JJ; reafon ofwhom the wa_,r•fTrl'th {hall he evil fpob_tn of. z. From the Officers chiefly of a Chur~h, who when they l110uld befu:ll of eye;, as they are defcribed, Rev+ And thefe eyes fhould be ever watching, they aretheri !leeping,Mat.IJ.25· For 'tis not the having, fo much as the aCl:- ing of Grace that helps men ro read and underHand the Book ofthe Scriptures, and· rhe Book of mens hearts nnd lives, 2 Per.1.9. Hence in affiic'tion and temptatidn we know the Lord, and his mind, and our own hems, and the world belt : When Jonathan em the honey, hiJ e7es 11rc open: · Now fomtime the watchmen are not aCting or watching, but f\eeping, and hence thofeare taken for whe<t, that indeed are but Tares. The Book bath a fair Superfcription or Fromifpiece, and they fo lleepythey do not te:Jd it through, and fo either fee no fault at .all, or if any, they be but Err11t11 in the Printing, and weaknelfes to be born with ; or · if they do, yet the man is eommended , and bath a Name to live wl·en indeed he is dead, and fd this ferves the turn, and though ~e comes in , yet they !11all do well enough with him, though indeed tb"t!y herein have but a wolf by the ears. 3. In regard of Hypocrites themfelves, who mu£1: belike themfelves, ever tu aCl: for their own ends, for they ever have an evil eye ; now it makes for their ends, to joyn themfelves to t•he pureH Churches of the Lord Jefu_s. 1. So;netimes it makes for their honour: Hence you know the Church of Sardis lot! her power oflife, for that is a burden; yet kept their name to ljve, for that is an honour. For if men live out of Church-Fellowihip, that is a great lhame, and now they have little love from Sai~us; Indeed the wicked may honour them, but what is tb.u to the honour of the whole Church ? Who would think S11ul ihould have cared for· Samuel, that de•lt fo plainly and Jharply wjth him? Yet Ob h•noHT me before this people; -that! s{he bufineiJe. There are ma_. ny excellenr gifts Chrifl poures 3owri upon his Chur<;h: Simon believes al{o,Afls 8. and would give.any money for chofe gift's, that he might be wondred at; .as he' was before. Aman fteing others gifts, and the love they have thereby, e:ven·a Simm may defire fuch gifts, and amightypower ofGrace to';mi.mate thofe.gifcs; an~ wo11ld &i':t; ally money for this, that be may be wondred a~. Some refiJI.I:!d; poh!hed Spnmfcorn honour ofbafe men; ·-al!d hence fi!hfor it elfe-where, , 2. Their gain, 'tisflrange that Jud.ufdllows Chri!1:for rhe bilgo, th~twas fg poor, yet he did,until he favy aftei' tliree years and a halfwaiting,fo ii~tle came in. So 'lis Grange men fhoulo feekto joyn to poor Churches forJthat,yet they ao and will fo l?ng as they h.we any ~ors to give, or·purfes to'lend , or hearts to take, care \ ~nd provtde for thofe that are Joyned to them. You ihall have many poor Chnflian · · -- _ QJ men, _
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