3. By assembling of more together, by appointment, for prayer and
consolation. Now, the performance of this duty of mutual edification is incumbent on the saints,— 1. Ordinarily, Eph. 4:29, 5:3, 4; Heb. 3:13. Believers, in their ordinary daily converse, ought to be continually making mention of the Lord, with savoury discourses tending to edification, and not waste their opportunities with foolish, light, frothy speeches that are not convenient.
2. Occasionally, Luke 24:14; Mal. 3:16. If any thing of weight and concernment to the church be brought forth by Providence, a spiritual improvement of it, by a due consideration amongst believers, is required.
3. By assembling of more together, by appointment, for prayer and instruction from the word, Acts 10:24, 12:12; Job 2:11; Eph. 5:19;
James 5:16; Jude 20; 1 Thess. 5:14; this being a special ordinance and appointment of God, for the increasing of knowledge, love, charity, experience, and the improving of gifts received, every one contributing to the building of the tabernacle. Let then, all vain communication be far away. The time is short, and the days are evil.
Let it suffice us that we have neglected so many precious opportunities of growing in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and doing good to one another; let the remainder of our few and evil days be spent in living to him who died for us. Be not conformed to this world, nor the men thereof.
RULE VII. Mutually to bear with each other's infirmities, weakness, tenderness, failings, in meekness, patience, pity, and with assistance.
Eph. 4:32, "Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
Matt. 18:21, 22, "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."
Mark 11:25, 26, "When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."
Rom. 14:13, "Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." See verses 3, 4.
Rom. 15:1, 2, "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification."
1 Cor. 13:4–7, "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity is not rash, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
Gal. 6:1, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."
Col. 3:12–14, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also
do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfection."
EXPLICATION VII. "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing," Prov.
25:2. Free pardon is the substance of the gospel, the work of God in perfection, Isa. 55; proposed to us for imitation, Matt. 18:23–35.
Whilst we are clothed with flesh we do all things imperfectly.
Freedom from failings is a fruit of glory. We see here darkly, as in a glass,—know but in part. In many things we offend all; who knoweth how often? Mutual failings to be borne with, offences to be pardoned, weakness to be supported, may mind us in these pence of the talents forgiven us. Let him that is without fault throw stones at others.
Some men rejoice in others' failings; they are malicious, and fail more in that sinful joy than their brethren in that which they rejoice at. Some are angry at weaknesses and infirmities; they are proud and conceited, not considering that they themselves also are in the flesh.
Some delight to dwell always upon a frailty; they deserve to find no charity in the like kind. For injuries, who almost can bear until seven times? Peter thought it much. Some more study revenge than pardon. Some pretend to forgive, but yet every slight offence makes a continued alienation of the affections and separation of converse.
Some will carry a smooth face over a rough heart Christ is in none of these ways. They have no savour of the gospel. Meekness, patience, forbearance, and forgiveness, hiding, covering, removing of offences, are the footsteps of Christ. Seest thou thy brother fail? pity him. Doth he continue in it? earnestly pray for him, admonish him. Cannot another sin but you must sin too? If you be angry, vexed, rejoiced, alienated from, you are partner with him in evil, instead of helping him. Suppose thy God should be angry every time thou givest cause, and strike every time thou provokest him. When thy brother offendeth thee, do but stay thy heart until thou takest a faithful view of the patience and forbearance of God towards thee, and then
consider his command to thee to go and do likewise. Let, then, all tenderness of affection and bowels of compassion towards one another be put on amongst us, as becometh saints. Let pity, not envy; mercy, not malice; patience, not passion; Christ, not flesh; grace, not nature; pardon, not spite or revenge,—be our guides and companions in our conversations.
Motives hereunto are,— 1. God's infinite mercy, patience, forbearance, long-suffering, and free grace towards us, sparing, pardoning, pitying, bearing with us, in innumerable daily, hourly failings and provocations; especially all this being proposed for our imitation in our measure, Matt. 18:23–
35.
2. The goodness, unwearied and unchangeable love of the Lord Jesus Christ putting in every day for us, not ceasing to plead in our behalf, notwithstanding our continual backsliding, 1 John 2:1, 2.
3. The experience which our own hearts have of the need wherein we stand of others' patience, forbearance, and pardon, Eccles. 7:20–22.
4. The strictness of the command, with the threatening attending its non-performance.
5. The great glory of the gospel, which is in the walking of the brethren with a right foot as to this rule.
RULE VIII. Tender and affectionate participation with one another in their several states and conditions,—bearing each other's burdens.
Gal. 6:2, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."
Heb. 13:3, "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body."
1 Cor. 12:25, 26, "That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it."
2 Cor. 11:29, "Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?"
James 1:27, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction," etc.
Matt. 25:35, 36, 40, "I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
2 Tim. 1:16, 17, "The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: but, when be was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me."
Acts 20:35, "I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak," etc.
EXPLICATION VIII. The former rule concerned the carriage and frame of spirit towards our brethren in their failings; this is in their miseries and afflictions. In this, also, conformity to Christ is required, who in all the afflictions of his people is afflicted, Isa. 63:9,
and persecuted in their distresses, Acts 9:4. Could we bring up our spiritual union to hold any proportion with the mutual union of many members in one body, to which it is frequently compared, this duty would be excellently performed. No man ever yet hated his own flesh. If one member be in pain, the rest have little comfort or ease. It is a rotten member which is not affected with the anguish of its companions. They are marked particularly for destruction who, in the midst of plentiful enjoyments, forget the miseries of their brethren, Amos 6:6. If we will not feel the weight of our brethren's afflictions, burdens, and sorrow, it is a righteous thing that our own should be doubled. The desolations of the church make Nehemiah grow pale in the court of a great king, Neh. 2:1–3. They who are not concerned in the troubles, sorrows, visitations, wants, poverties, persecutions of the saints, not so far as to pity their wounding, to feel their strokes, to refresh their spirits, help bear their burdens upon their own shoulders, can never assure themselves that they are united to the Head of those saints. Now, to a right performance of this duty, and in the discharge of it, are required,—
1. A due valuation, strong desire, and high esteem of the church's prosperity, in every member of it, Ps. 122:6.
2. Bowels of compassion as a fruit of love; to be sensible of, and intimately moved for, the several burdens of the saints, Col. 3:12.
3. Courage and boldness to own them without shame in all conditions, 2 Tim. 1:16, 17.
4. Personal visitations in sicknesses, troubles, and restraints, to advise, comfort, and refresh them, Matt. 25:36.
5. Suitable supportment, by administration of spiritual or temporal assistances, to the condition wherein they are. The motives are the
same as to the former rule.
RULE IX. Free contribution and communication of temporal things to them that are poor indeed, suitable to their necessities, wants, and afflictions.
1 John 3:17, 18, "Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."
1 Cor. 16:1, 2, "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him."
2 Cor. 9:5–7, "Let your gift be ready as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he which soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." So the whole eighth and ninth chapters of this epistle.
Rom. 12:13, "Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality."
Gal. 6:10, "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."
1 Tim. 6:17–19, "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come."
Heb. 13:16, "To do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."
Lev. 25:35, "If thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee, then thou shalt relieve him."
Matt. 25:34–36, 40, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me:
I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it onto me."
EXPLICATION IX. The having of poor always amongst us and of us, according to our Saviour's prediction, Matt. 26:11, and the promise of God, Deut. 15:11, serves for the trial of themselves and others: of their own content with Christ alone, with submission to the alldisposing sovereignty of God; of others, how freely they can part, for Christ's sake, with those things wherewith their hand is filled. When
God gave manna for food unto his people, every one had an equal share: Exod. 16:18, "He that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack;" 2 Cor. 8:15. This distribution in equality was again, for the necessity of the church, reduced into practice in the days of the apostles, Acts 4:35. Of the total sum of the possessions of believers, distribution was made to every man according to his need.
That every man, by the ordinance and appointment of God, hath a peculiar right to the use and disposal of the earthly things wherewith