| OCR Text |
Show y, He ha~h-co•n11wtdrd hi! ChHrCheJ to receive them, Rom. J 4.r. Htm tbt is"''""- i~ tbe Faith receive y•u; doubtlefs the Apollle is. there fpcaking of the Do6hinc.offaith, and he that is weak in the Faith (in the feofe of that Text) is h_e thatis ll'eak,. in l(_nowledg orjiagr:rring,1od not fuflicientlyconfitm~d tn the truth; concerning thefe the great Apoftles precept ts, that we fhould rettive them. Only let me mind you here, that there are_two degrees of a Churches reccivirig. There is her receiving of a member as a Catec/JHmemu, to be further inftructed in the way of God. Thus every Church of Chrift is bound to receive the Wt4k[jl in the Faith, as .Aquila and PrijciUa received ApoUoJ to teach him the way of God more per[ellly. 2. Tbere is a recei-:ing to a fuU communion, in aii'Ordinances. As to this it is pofhble that a Chriftian may be fo weak in the Faith, that as yet he ought not t• be received. For the Apollle tells us he muft be able to difcern the Lord1 Body. 2. he mufl be able to ex4mine bimftlf; snd even in that Text fol• lows---but not to doubtful diJPNtationJ, of which more now. 2. He hath commanded has Church not to receive the weak in the Faith to doubtful difPutationJ; not to trouble their head with quc!tions, which lignify nothin~ in. the great b~finefs of . mans Salvation. Chrift would have has Dtfctples grow tn knowledg and as they grow to perfection, they may examine matters of d~ubt and compare Scripture with Scripture: 'tis a piece of their du;y, in order to tbe convincing of er.roneous perfons firiving for the faith, ftopping the mouths of gatn-fayers, but out of tendernefs to weaker Chri!tians , he hath commanded his Church not to admit them to thefe difputes. Thirdly, He hath commanded his Church not to grieve nor •Jfend them, not to fayajlumbling -blocl{_before them, 1 C.r. ~o.p. givenoneoffi<c!inanytbing, 1 Cor.S. I3· Rom. I4.21. ~ mtend not to difcourfe the extent of thofe precepts ; only tn fhort, r. There is an offence of anger, when my Brother is made angry by my ael:ion. 2. Of grief, when he is grieved and troubled for my ael:ion. 3• Of !1-rtmbling, when by my action he is made weal{_, Rom. 14. 2 r. that is, made to fin, when-as the Aponle elfewhere fpeaks, I by my ael:ion deftroy him for whom Chrijl dud . . I ought to take heed of making my Brother angry, or to graeve ~tm where I can avoid it, but above all to take heed that I do notbtng which fhall be a temptation to lin. Thus you fee what care Chrifi takes of weak Chriftians by this precept. -4• Ht - iht~t "h.tve tendeYGrt~pu. _ 4• -H~ hath required of his people to Sy.,pathiz:.e with them,to 'bear tbm hu>·tbenJ, Be-. yor< one anothtrJ burth<HJ and fo fulfil the law ofC/mfl, Gal.~·-2. weep with therp that weep, Rom. 12. I 5• .accordmgly _d?t~J Samt Paul, I Cor. r I. 2J.I. Who i1 offwded And I burn not? 1 hts 1s auother thing which fpeaketh our Lords tender care of thole that are his tender Grapes. 5· He hath charged his Minifters and people to help them ; to firengthen the ':"eak hands, and the feeble k.nm; hence thofe frc ·quent pre~epts In Scripture given both to Minifters and people, to admoni{h one another; to comfort,tofopport, to rftablijh one ano~ th~r, to exl~ort one another; they are fo many:ahroughuut the eptnles efpeCially, that I need not give particular infian· ces • . Sixthly, He hath commanded us: If o11r Brother he overt•k,•n mth a fault,to reftore him in tbt Spirit of meelt,_neft, Gal. e. 1. Thofc that are weak are moil fubject to fall not through wilfulnefs wallowing in the mire, but through we~~nrfl and want of ftrength. 'Now our Lord hath commanded that if any fhould fo fall thofe »:ho are Spiritual, !hofe who ha'vc more flrength, fhould ;efiore • htm; but. how? ltke good Chyrurgeons ( wbo the)' fay mufr _h~ve La?•cs hands) tenderly not in pride, not in paffion; not tnumphmg over them, but in the Spirit of meeknefs. Thus I have_now fhewed you the tender care the Lord Jefus hath of his tmder Grap" of weak Chriftians. 7· La(tly, He hath commanded us to bear the iufirmitiu of t!Jt '!'eak, -~om. 1 f· v. I. We tberefore th•t are ftrong oNght to bear the mfirmtttuofthe weak.., and not to plea{e our (elvu: Chrift hath compaf! ion on our infirmitiCJ, and is touched with the feeling of them Heb. 4• ! 5· a~~ he looks we fhould do by others as he does by us, tpe tnlirmtttes of men are ordinarily bottomed upon their _paffions. As to thefe Chrift would have us bear with t-hem that cannot f~ well rule them. But this is enough to demonllra;e the Propolitton. • b Ng_w becaufe t?i~ is a p_oint o! no fiMII importance, let me fhew Y .u ol!'e founda~wns of 11, to tncreafe your faith in God as to thts thmg; and It will appear but rcafonable to you,-if you pleafe to confider, _ ~ • That the tender Grapn are Gr~pes., the weak Children arc Cbtldren. .The Fathers intcrefi in the Child, lies not in the thength oftt, and the proportion ofirslimbs, but in his relation Eee m |
