Now if a man professe subjection to the Gospel, he professeth subjection to these five Ordinances. The Apostle delights in this word profession, Heb. 3.1. and commends it in Timothy, that he had made a good profession before many wit∣nesses, 1 Tim. 6.12. Now doe but consider, what every one of these Ordinan∣ces expresse about brotherly love.
1 In prayer we call God Our Father, and if he be our Father, then all his children are our brethren, and if we doe not respect them as our brethren, we renounce God for our Father.
2 In the same prayer we desire God to forgive us, no further then we have hearts to forgive our brethren; if therefore we will not forgive our Brethren; we are no true professors.
2 In the hearing of the word, we are to come like New born Babes, desiring the sincere milk of the word, and that is, when we come free from all malice and emulation, as babes be, 2 Pet. 2.1, 2. Therefore if a man come to the word with an heart full of envy and emulation, he professeth himself a Christian, but he deceives himselfe.
2 It overthrows the Gospel, because this is one of the great Commande∣ments of the Gospel, that we love one another, Mat. 22.36. to 40. if a man therefore professe himself a hearer of the law, and so of the Gospel, (for he that renounceth the law, renounceth the Gospel; for the Gospel establisheth obedience to the Law, Rom. 3. ult. Besides, it is the Commandement of the Gospel, for the whole Gospel is compact of two, Faith, and love, 2 Tim. 1.13. Joh. 13.34.) and doe not yeeld obedience to this particular Commandement of the Gospel, he is a lyar.
3 The Sacraments are seals of our love, in Baptisme, We are baptised into one body, 1 Cor. 12 13. and in the Lords Supper, We are all partakers of one bread, and one spirit, 1 Cor. 10.17. If therefore there be a different spirit in us, we are not of the same spirit, work not by the same Spirit. In a naturall body, if a member be cut off in a combate, in our hot blood we misse it not, nor feel the pain, but in cold blood we find the misse of it, and seek out for help; so in hot contentions betwixt Christians they fall off from one another, they discern no change for the present; but when they begin to look back at former passages, and see what wounds they have made, both joyntly begin to be sensible of pains, and cannot rest till they have taken some course to set the members in joynt again.
4 For private Communion, it calls for love; this profession David made, and so doth every true Christian, I am a companion to all them that fear thee, Psal. 119.63. He doth not say only, he is a well willer or favourer to such, (which yet is a great matter in our dayes) but he was a companion to them, he had sweet and comfortable familiarity with them; if therefore we be so far from making them our companions, that we can hardly be brought to be fa∣vourers of them, we renounce subjection to the Ordinances of the Gospel.
5 For discipline; this is one of the main ends of discipline, to see that no offence be given from one to another, Matth. 8.15. to 20. if there∣fore a man offend his Brother, and be not willing to be reconciled, in this case a man renounceth subjection to a main Ordinance of the Gospel.
Ʋse 1. To teach Christian men, if you would be honest true hearted men, let there be no christian brother in the world, but thou canst say, that thou lovest him; if there be any one that thou neglectest, and canst not have fel∣lowship with; why there is no soundnesse in thee; better it is thou shouldst love an hundred hypocrites, then hate one christian brother; he that professeth himself a christian, and professeth subjection to the Gospel, and yet wants love to his brethren, he renounceth subjection to every Ocdinance of the Gospel, and therefore his profession is but hypocrisie, and he himselfe is a lyar: è contra, if God give thee an heart unfeignedly loving every brother, if you make