BV597 W547 v1

82 The Inßitution and Government ners are prejudiced againft them by fuch as there. This is Matter of Grief to the Godly. (z.)The Churches Hands are like to be filled withWork, by the often Complaints that will be brought againft them. It is not eafy to get rid of fuch Members when once they are in, either for want of fufficient Witnefs, (for one Wit - nefs will not do) or from their feigned Repentance. Churches dofometimes groan a great while before they can get rid of fuch Members. And lait of all, when they are cut off, that is wirh Grief too; though they be gangrened Members, yet there is trouble in feparating them from the Body : z Cor. xii. 21. I fear that when I come my Ged will humble me among you, and that I fhall bewail many that have finned, and have not repented of their Jncleannefs and Forni- cation and Lafcivioufnefs, which they have committed. 4. Confider, fuch as have no Change wrought in their Hearts, are in Danger of going out irregularly, and leaving their Place in the Church, either when they have ferved their Turn, and their bate Ends are anfwered; or when they fee they were miftaken in their Meafures, and their Ends are never like to be anfwered. z john ii. 19. Ihey went out from us, but were not all of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us ; but they went out from us, that they might be made manifèfl that they were not all of us. They were the Sons of Hagar, not of-the free Woman, but of the bond. Secondly, Churches had need beware that they do not keep the Door of the Santuary too clofe, and too narrow, making it too limit and too narrow, by clogging theTerms of Communion with unneceffary Things; They may not make that a bound of Communion that God never made a bound. If you afk me when the Door is too narrow, I anfwer, when the Terms of Communion are fuch, that Per - fons truly fearing God, and willing to come under the Dif- cipline of Chrift in his Church, are ¡hut out. i. Then Churches fhould not be too f} rift in Points of leffer concern, when Perlons are found in Fundamentals and of a holy Converfation. I have already {hewed, that the Fundamentals of Reli- ligion in point of Knowledge are brought into a narrow Comóais.

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=