13: a rule for all pastors and
churches, how in all such cases they should carry themselves. God's
commendings are divine commandings. On the contrary, God dispraises
Ephesus, for falling from her first love, Rev. ii. 4. Pergamus, for
holding the doctrine of Balaam, and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,
Rev. ii. 14, 15. Thyatira, for tolerating the false prophetess Jezebel,
to teach and seduce his servants, &c., Rev. ii. 20. Laodicea, because
she was neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm, Rev. iii. 15. The church of
Corinth, for coming together in public assemblies, not for better but
for worse, by reason of schisms, scandals, and other disorders about the
Lord's supper, 1 Cor. xi. 17, &c. In these and all such divine
discommendings of the churches for their corruptions, all succeeding
churches are strongly forbidden the like corruptions: God's dispraises
are divine prohibitions. Thus good church elders are commended in this
notion, that they are _elders ruling well_, 1 Tim. v. 17; therefore,
that elders in the church should rule, and rule well, is by this
commendation of divine right.

2. By promising and threatening. What promise did God ever make to any
act or performance, which was not a duty? or what threatening against
any act which was not a sin? He promises to them that forsake all for
Christ, a "hundred-fold now in this time, and in the world to come
eternal life," Mark x. 29, 30; therefore it is our duty to forsake all
for Christ. He promised to ratify in heaven his disciples' sentences of
_building or loosing on earth_; and to _be with them_ whensoever _two or
three of them were met together_ for that end, Matt. xvi. 19, and xviii.
18-20, and John xx. 23. Therefore binding and loosing, remitting and
retaining of sins, and meeting together for that end, belong to them by
divine right. He promised to be with them that baptize, preach, remit,
and retain sins in his name, &c., _always, to the end of the world_,
John xx. 23; with Matt, xxviii. 18-20, which promise shows, that these
works and employments belong to all succeeding ministers to the world's
end, as well as to the apostles by divine right. On the contrary, the
Lord threatens Ephesus for decay of first love, Rev. ii. 4, 5; Pergamus,
for holding false doctrine, Rev. ii. 14, 15; Thyatira, for tolerating of
Jezebel and her false teaching, &c., Rev. ii. 21, 21, 23; and Laodicea,
for lukewarmness, Rev. iii. 15, 16. Therefore, all these were their
sins, and we ar