to one another in love, they have communion in each others gifts and graces b; and are obliged to the performance of fuch duties, publick and private, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man c. II. Saints, by profeffion, are bound to maintain an holy fellowship and communion in the worship of God, and in performing fuch other fpiritual fervices as tend to their mutual edification d, as also in relieving each other in outward things, according shall be alfo in the likeness of his refurrection. v. 6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of fin might be deftroyed, that henceforth we should not ferve fin. 2 Tim. ii. 12. If we fuffer, we fhall alfo reign with him if we deny him, he alfo will deny us. b Eph. iv. 15. But fpeaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. v. 16. From whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint fupplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of it felf in love. I Cor. xii. 7. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. I Cor. iii. 21. Therefore let no man glory in men, for all things are yours: v. 22. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things prefent, or things to come, all are yours; v. 23. And ye are Chrift's, and Chrift is God's. Col. ii. 19. And not holding the head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment miniftred, and knit together, increaseth with the increafe of God. patient toward all men. Rom. i. 11. For I long to fee you, that I may impart unto you fome fpiritual gift, to the end ye may be eftablished: v. 12. That is, that I may be comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you and me. v. 14. I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians, both to the wife, and to the unwife. I John iii. 16. Hereby perceive we the love of God, becaufe he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. v. 17. But whofo hath this world's good, and feeth his brother have need, and fhutteth up his bowels of compaffion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? v. 18. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. Gal. vi. 10. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, efpecially unto them who are of the houfhold of faith. II. d Heb. x. 24. And let us confider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works. v. 25. Not forfaking the affembling of ourfelves together, as the manner of fome is; but exhorting one another: and fo much the more, as you fee the day approaching. Acts ii. 42. And they continued ftedfaftly in the apoftles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayer. v. 46. And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking of bread from houfe Chap. XXVI. ing to their feveral abilities and neceffities. Which communion, as God offereth opportunity, is to be extended unto all those who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jefus e. III. This communion which the faints have with Chrift, doth not make them in any wife partakers of the fubftance of his Godhead, or to be equal with Chrift in any refpect: either of which to affirm, is impious and blafphemous f. Nor doth their communion one with another, as faints, take away or infringe the title or property which each man hath in his goods and poffeffions g. CHAP. houfe to houfe, did eat their meat with gladnefs and finglenefs of heart. Ifa. ii. 3. And many people fhall go and fay, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the houfe of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion fhall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerufalem. I Cor.'xi. 20. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's fup per. e Acts i. 44. And all that believed were together, and had all things common, v. 45. And fold their poffeffions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. I John iii. 17. (See in letter c.) (2 Cor. viii. and ix. chapters.) Acts xi. 29. Then the dif'ciples, every man according to his ability, determined to fend relief unto the brethren who dwelt in Judea. v. 30. Which alfo they did, and fent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. III. Col. i. 18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firft-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. v. 19. For it pleafed the Father that in him fhould all fulnefs dwell. I Cor. viii. 6. But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom are all things, and we by him, Ifa. xlii. 8. I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praife to graven images. I Tim. vi. 15. Which in his times he fhall fhew, who is the bleffed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. v. 16. Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath feen, nor can fee: to whom be honour and power everlafting. Amen. Pfal xlv. 7. Thou loveft righteoufnefs, and hateft wickednefs: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. With Heb. i. 8. But unto the Son he faith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a fceptre of righteoufnefs is the fceptre of thy kingdom: V. .9. Thou haft loved righteoufnefs, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladnefs above thy fellows. g Exod. xx. 15. Thou shalt not fteal. Eph. iv. 28. Let him that stole, fteal no more: but rather let him la our, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Acts v. 4. Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was fold, was it not in thine own power? why haft thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou haft not lied unto men, but unto God. I. a Rom. CHAP. XXVII. Of the Sacraments. ACRAMENTS are holy figns and feals of the covenant of grace a, immediately inftituted by God b, to reprefent Christ and his benefits; and to confirm our intereft in him c; as alfo to put a visible difference between thofe that belong unto the church, and the reft of the world d; and folemnly to engage them to the fervice of God in Chrift, according to his word e. I. a Rom. iv. 11. And he received the fign of circumcifion, a feal of the righteoufnefs of the faith, which he had yet being uncircumcifed: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcifed; that righteoufnefs might be imputed unto them alfo. Gen. xvii. 7. And I will eftablish my covenant between me and thee, and thy feed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant; to be a God unto thee, and to thy feed after thee. v. 10. (See below in letter f.) b Mat. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghoft. I Cor. xi. 23. For I have received of the Lord, that which alfo I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jefus, the fame night in which he was betrayed, took bread. c I Cor. x. 16. The cup of bleffing which we blefs, is it not the communion of the blood of Chrift? the bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Chrift? 1 Cor. xi. 25. After the fame manner alfo he took the cup, when he had fupped, faying, This cup is the the new teftament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26. For as often as ye cat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do fhew the Lord's death till he come. Gal. iii. 27. For as many of you as have been V. II. There baptized into Chrift, have put on Chrift. Gal. iii. 17. And this I fay, That the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Chrift, the law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot difannul, that it fhould make the promife of none effect. d Rom. xv. 8. Now I fay, That Jefus Chrift was a minifter of the circumcifion for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. Exod. xii. 48. And when a stranger fhall fojourn with thee, and will keep the paffover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcifed, and then let him come near and keep it; and he fhall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcifed perfon fhall eat thereof. Gen. xxxiv. 14. And they faid unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our filter to one that is uncircumcifed: for that were a reproach unto us. e Rom. vi. 3. Know ye not, that fo many of us as were baptized into Jefus Chrift, were baptized into his death? v. 4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptifm into death: that like as Chrift was raifed up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even fo we alfo fhould walk in newnefs of life. I Cor. x. 16. (See in letter c.) v. 21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. II. ƒ Gen. II. There is in every facrament a fpiritual relation, or facramental union, between the fign and the thing fignified; whence it comes to pafs, that the names and effects of the one are attributed to the other f. III. The grace which is exhibited in or by the facramentsrightly used, is not conferred by any power in them; neither doth the efficacy of a facrament depend upon the piety or intention of him that doth adminifter it g, but upon the work of the Spirit h, and the word of inftitution, which contains, together with a precept authorifing the ufe thereof, a promise of benefit to worthy receivers i. IV. There be only two facraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the gofpel, that is to fay, baptifm and the fupper of the Lord: neither of which may be difpenfed by any but by a minifter of the word lawfully ordained k. II. f Gen. xvii. 10. This is my COvenant, which ye fhall keep between. me and you, and thy feed after thee; Every man child among you fhall be circumcifed. Mat. xxvi. 27. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it unto them, faying, Drink ye all of it. v. 28. For this is my blood of the new teftament, which is fhed for many for the remiffion of fins. Tit. i.-5. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to mercy he faved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the holy Ghost. his III. g Rom. ii. 28. For he is not a Jew, who is one outwardly; neither. is that circumcifion, which is outward in the flesh v. 29. But he is a Jew, who is one inwardly; and circumcifion is that of the heart, in the fpirit, and not in the letter, whofe praife is not of men, but of God. I Pet. iii. 21. The like figure whereunto, even baptifm, doth alfo now fave us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the anfwer of a good confcience towards God) by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift. Mat. iii. II. I indeed baptize you V. The with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me, is mightier than I, whofe fhoes I am not worthy to bear: he fhall baptize you with the holy Ghoft, and with fire. I Cor. xii. 13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. i Mat. xxvi. 27, 28. (See in letter f.) Mat. xxviii. 19. (See in letter b.) V. 20. Teaching them to obferve all things whatfoever I have commanded you and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. I IV. k Mat. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost. Cor. xi. 20. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's fupper. v. 23. For I have received of the Lord, that which alfo I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jefus, the fame night in which he was betrayed, took bread. I Cor. iv. 1. Let a man fo account of us, as of the minifters of Chrift, and stewards of V. The facraments of the Old Teftament, in regard of the fpiritual things thereby fignified and exhibited, were, for fubstance, the fame with thofe of the New 1. BAPTI CHAP. XXVIII. Of Baptifm. APTISM is a facrament of the New Teftament, ordained by Jefus Chrift a, not only for the folemn admiffion of the party baptized into the vifible church b; but alfo to be unto him a fign and feal of the covenant of grace c, of his ingrafting into Chrift d, of regeneration e, of remiffion of fins f, and of his giving up unto God thro' Jefus Chrift, to walk in newness of life g. Which facrament is by Chrift's own appointment to be 、 continued in his church until the end of the world h. of the myfteries of God. Heb. v. 4. And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. V. II Cor. x. I. Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye fhould be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all paffed through the fea; v. 2. And were all baptized unto Mofes in the cloud, and in the fea; v. 3. And did all eat the fame fpiritual meat; v. 4. And did all drink the fame fpiritual drink; (for they drank of that fpiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Chrift.) I. a Mat. xxviii. 19. (See-letter k of the foregoing chapter.) b 1 Cor. xii. 13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. c Rom. iv. II. And he received the fign of circumcifion, a feal of the righteoufnefs of the faith, which he had yet being uncircumcifed: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcifed: that righteoufnefs might be imputed unto them alfo. With Col. ii. 11. In whom alfo ye are circumcifed with the cir II. The cumcifion made without hands, in putting off the body of the fins of the flesh, by the circumcifion of Chrift. v. 12. Buried with him in baptifm, wherein alfo ye are rifen with him, through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. of you d Gal. iii. 27. For as many as have been baptized into Chrift, have put on Chrift. Rom. vi. 5. For if we have been planted together in the likenefs of his death; we fhall be alfo in the likeness of his refurrection. e Tit. iii. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he faved us by the wafhing of regeneration, and renewing of the holy Ghoft. f Mark i. 4. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptifm of repentance, for the remiffion of fins. g Rom. vi. 3. Know ye not, that fo many of us as were baptized into Jefus Chrift, were baptized into his death? v. 4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptifm into death; that like as Chrift was raifed up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we alfo fhould walk in newness of life. Mat. xxviii. 19. (See in letter k foregoing chapter.) v. 20. Teaching them |