Gospel Churches a Standing Ordinance, Treatise · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Goſpel-Churches part of that Miniſtration ſet on foot by Chriſt: The whole of that Miniſtration permanent, to continue to the end of the World. Mat. 28.19, 20. 1 Cor. 11.26. Explained. An Objection Anſwered. 1 Tim. 6.13, 14. Explained. Heb. 1.1, 2. Conſidered, opened. The Excellency of the diſcovery God the Father made of his Will by his Son, above all other diſcoveries he had before made: nothing new to be added to it. Dan. 9.24. Explained. The foreign who. Viſion, and Propheſie what it is. The ſealing it up, what it imports. There's no ground left for any New-Miniſtration, or any alteration in that ſet on foot by Chriſt. The reaſons of the alteration of the Old Teſtament-Miniſtration, with the Inſtitutions thereto belonging. The Goſpel-Miniſtration, Ordinances, muſt continue, except a greater than Chriſt come.
Demonſtration. V.
THe Goſpel-Church-ſtate, with the Churches Inſtitutions, Ordinances thereunto belonging, is part of that Miniſtration, that was ſet on foot by the Lord Jeſus, when he Tabernacled amongſt men; as hath already been demonſtrated. Now the whole of that Miniſtration that was then ſet on foot by him, is permanent, and inviolably to be obſerved to the end of the World. To the proof of which, we now addreſs our ſelves.
I. Chriſt himſelf ſeems to intimate as much, when he gives commiſſion to the Apoſtles, to go forth to preach the Goſpel, teaching them who ſhall be converted by their Miniſtry to obſerve his whole charge, Mat. 28.19, 20. Go ye therefore, and teach all Nations, Baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to obſerve all things whatever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the World. Two things are plainly aſſerted. 1. That whatever Chriſt gave them in charge to communicate to others, was to be obſerved and kept by them to the end of the World. 2. That the Lord Jeſus Chriſt would all along communicate his preſence, to ſuch as ſhould, to that great period of time, be found in the obſervance of what he commanded.
II. The great Apoſtle of the Gentiles, who alſo had ſeen the Lord, and converſt with him, when he was caught up into the third Heavens, expreſly aſſerts concerning one part of this Goſpel-Miniſtration, or one great Ordinance appertaining thereunto, (and ſuch an one as none can regularly be found in the practice of, but ſuch as are in a Church-ſtate, Act. 2.42.) viz. The Ordinance of Breaking Bread, that it was to continue to the coming of our Lord, 1 Cor. 11.26. For as often as ye eat this Bread, and drink this Cup, ye do ſhew forth the Lords death until he come. Chriſt commanded his Diſciples a little before he was offer'd up a Sacrifice for them, to be found in this practice, Luke 22.19, 20.— This do in remembrance of me. And afterwards charges them as they love him, to be found in the obſervance of it (as of other his Commandments) John 14.15. If ye love me, keep my Commandments. Tells them it's an argument of their love, and true friendſhip to him ſo to do, John 14.21, 23. and 15.14. Ye are my Friends, if ye do whatſoever I command you. Which ſaith our Apoſtle, we are to do till our Lord comes.
Object. 1. But we witneſs the Lord already come to us: therefore we are no longer to be under the obſervation of it.
Anſw. And thus ſome in the Apoſtles dayes, were wont to talk, that they had experienced the Reſurrection, 'twas to them paſt already; ſo endeavouring to evert the great Doctrine of the Goſpel, the Reſurrection from the Dead. Againſt whom he ſmartly diſputes, 1 Cor. 15.
But in what ſenſe it is, that any pretend, that Chriſt is already come, muſt be a little conſider'd.
1. He is come in Spirit, Power, ſay ſome. Anſw. And ſo he was before the writing of this Epiſtle: yea, before any one particular Church was gathered by the Apoſtles. Never ſuch a coming of Chriſt in Spirit and Power, as was that in the day of Pentecoſt, Act. 2. Every believer, 'tis true, witneſſes his coming to him in Spirit, Power, Quickning; Raiſing him from the death of Sin, to the life of Righteouſneſs, Sanctifying, Cleanſing him; which, whoever doth not, whatever his profeſſion is, or by what name ſoever he is call'd, he is not a Believer: but in this ſenſe, he was already come to theſe Corinthians, before Paul writ this Epiſtle to them. He ownes them for a Church of God, affirmes that they were Sanctified in Chriſt Jeſus, call'd to be Saints, that the grace of God was given them by Chriſt Jeſus; that in every thing they were enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge, that the teſtimony of Chriſt was confirmed in them; ſo that they came behind in no Spiritural gift; that they were call'd unto the fellowſhip of his Son Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Cor. 2.4, 5, 6, 7, 9. with much more that might be mentioned, evidently declaring, that Chriſt was in Spirit, Power, already come to them; yet the Apoſtle ſpeaks of another coming, till which, the Saints are to be found in the practice of this inſtitution; which coming alſo, theſe Corinthians waited for, 1 Cor. 1.7. Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
Object. 2. He is come already to ſome in perſon; ſay others, there's therefore an end of this Inſtitution, the whole Miniſtration.
Anſw. But the coming of Chriſt in a corner, is not the coming the Apoſtle here ſpeaks of—. 'Tis an unſcriptural, anti-ſcriptural notion (as hath been demonſtrated); but that coming which the Corinthians, with all the Saints ever ſince his departure, have been waiting for, viz. his Glorious, Viſible coming in the Clouds of Heaven, when every eye ſhall ſee him.
III. The ſame Apoſtle moſt ſolemnly charges his beloved Son Timothy, to keep the Commandment without ſpot, to the coming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. 1 Tim. 6.13, 14. I give thee charge in the ſight of God, who quickneth all things, and before Chriſt Jeſus, who before Pontius Pilate witneſſed a good confeſſion, that thou keep this Commandment without ſpot—till the appearing of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. What's meant by Commandment? Anſwer, The words in the Greek are foreign, That you keep the Commandment. So the Ar. Syr. V.L. render it; His Commandment, ſo the Aeth. reads it: foreign, is put for foreign, the Commandment, for the Commandments; ſo Piſcator renders it, Ʋt ſerves haec mandata, that thou keep theſe Commandments, viz. the Commandments he had, as the Apoſtle of Jeſus Chriſt, communicated to Timothy from Chriſt. Theſe Believers were to obſerve, keep, till the appearing of Chriſt Jeſus. If the words be ſtrictly adhered to, and there be no enallage of the number allowed, it comes to the ſame purpoſe. For 'twill not I preſume, be denied, that by Commandment we are not to underſtand any Commandment given forth by Paul's private Spirit; but the Commandment of Chriſt through him. Now of all Chriſt's Commandments, there's the ſame reaſon, our reception, owning of, obedience to any one, is grounded upon his Soveraign Authority: If I may reject one, I may reject all; and if I am bound to attend to, obey one, I am bound to attend to, obey all. For 'tis the ſame Law-giver, that hath given them all forth. Beſides, the Apoſtle in this Epiſtle, Chap. 5.21. charges him before God, and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and the Elect Angels, that he obſerve the things delivered to him, without preferring one before another: which ſeems to be the Commandment, he thus ſolemnly charges him in the words under conſideration, to keep without ſpot, and unblameable to the coming of Chriſt. The plain meaning is, the Apoſtle writes this Epſtle to Timothy, on purpoſe to inſtruct him how to behave himſelf in the Church of God, Chap. 3.15. He had given him ſundry directions touching the Officers to be choſen in the Church, Chap. 3. Speaks of the Apoſtaſie from the Doctrine, and Worſhip of the Goſpel that ſhould be in an after-day, Chap. 4. (of which alſo he had treated in his ſecond Epiſtle to the Theſſalonians, Chap. 2.) would have him put the Brethren in remembrance of theſe things, Chap. 4.6. charges him to give attendance to the work of the Miniſtry, to which he was call'd; to take heed to the Doctrine, relating to Faith, and Church-order, which was deliver'd to him, Chap. 4.14, 16. which he calls that which was committed to his truſt, which he commands him to keep, Chap. 6.20. yea, to command and teach to others, Chap. 4.10. And having charged him to obſerve all theſe things without partiality, Chap. 5.21. he in this place moſt ſolemnly commands him to keep that Commandment of his. The ſum is, 1. Whatever the Apoſtle had charged upon Timothy, relating to the Doctrine and Worſhip of the Goſpel; to the Church, and the Inſtitutions thereof; he was not only to obſerve himſelf, but to command others alſo to do ſo. 2. That theſe Orders, Inſtitutions, Ordinances, were to continue to the next Glorious Perſonal coming of our Lord Jeſus, and the Saints in their ſeveral Generations, are till then, to be found in the conſcientious obſervance, and practice of them; whence it neceſſarily follows, that the Miniſtration introduced by Chriſt (which for the moſt part conſiſts in what we have but now inſtanc'd in) muſt continue till that day.
IV. Our Apoſtle give us a farther, and moſt ample demonſtration of the Truth pleaded for, Heb. 1.1, 2. God who at ſundry times, and in divers manners ſpake in times paſt to the Fathers, hath in theſe laſt dayes ſpoken unto us by his Son. The laſt dayes, are the laſt dayes of the Judaick Church-ſtate, the whole oeconomy; all the Laws, Statutes, Orders, Inſtitutions thereunto appertaining. God hath ſpoken—i. e. God the Father hath done ſo by his Son, in his perſonal Miniſtry, when he tabernacled amongſt men. The deſign of the Apoſtle in the words under conſideration it's obvious, is to give the Goſpel-Miniſtration a preferrence above all that went before it. And this he doth eſpecially two wayes.
1. The diſcoveries God made of his Will to the Fathers in times paſt, he made by the Prophets: but the diſcovery of his Will in the Goſpel-Miniſtration, is by his Son. Now though 'tis true, the Prophets were worthy, excellent, glorious ones; yet they were but foreign, meer men; but foreign the Sons of Adam: The Son of God, the Mediator of the New-Covenant (by whom the Father ſpake, when he dwelt amongſt us) is fair, fair above them all, Pſal. 45. Tranſcends them all in Beauty, Excellency, Authority, Glory, as being foreign, that Son, that well-beloved Son of the Father in whom he was well pleaſed.
2. All the diſcoveries that were before, were but partial, gradual. He gave a hint to Adam, to Noah; ſpake more plainly to Abraham, Iſaac, Jacob, Gen. 12.1, 2, 3, 4. Chap. 15.11, 12. and 17.1, 2. and 26.24. Chap. 49. Afterward to Moſes in giving the Law, and erection of the Judaick-Church; when there was ſuch a diſcovery of the mind of God, that lookt like ſo perfect a model, that nothing further was to be expected; yet he afterward ſpake by David, the Prophets, Ezra, &c. but now by his Son, he hath made a perfect, and full diſcovery of his Mind, and Will; ſo as nothing more, nothing new, nothing beyond it is to be expected. That ſuch a diſcovery ſhould be made by him, was before Propheſied of him, Dan. 9.24. Seventy Weeks are determined upon the People—to finiſh the tranſgreſſion— to ſeal up the Viſion, and Propheſie, and to anoint the moſt Holy. That 'tis a Propheſie of Chriſt, is generally acknowledged by both Chriſtians, and Jews. Nachmanides tells us foreign, this Holy of Holies (or the moſt Holy, as we tranſlate) is the Meſſiah, who is ſanctified from amongſt the Sons of David. The work he was to do when he came in the World, is amply decypher'd, viz. to Finiſh tranſgreſſion, to make an end of Sins, to make reconciliation for iniquities, and to bring in everlaſting Righteouſneſs, and to ſeal up the Viſion, and Propheſie. This laſt is, what we are at preſent concerned to take notice of. Two things muſt be enquired into.
1. What's meant by Viſion, and Propheſie.
2. In what ſenſe the foreign the Holy of Holyes, or the Holiness of Holineſſes, the Meſſiah, CHRIST, ſealed up the Viſion, and Propheſie.
1. Touching the firſt, by Viſion and Propheſie, we are to underſtand, all the wayes of diſcovery of the mind and Will of God, he was pleaſed to make uſe of for the inſtruction of the Judaick-Church therein.
2. As to the ſecond, Chriſt ſealed the Viſion and Propheſie, by finiſhing, perfecting it, ſo as no more was, or needed to be added thereunto, as to the making the diſcovery of the Fathers will compleat. So the Word foreign Chatham (tranſlated ſeal) ſignifies, Ezek. 28, 12. Thou ſealeſt up the Summe: Vatablus, and the Tigurine render it, Tues omnibus numeris abſolutum exemplar; Thou art in all reſpects a perfect example. And to the ſame purpoſe, Caſtalion. The Syriack renders it, by a word that ſignifies as to Seal, ſo to compleat, make perfect; and the Arabick, by a word, that ſignifies to make an end of ſpeaking. When a man hath writ the whole of his mind he intends to communicate in his letter, he ſeals it up. The meaning is, God had divers wayes, and manners, in dayes paſt, revealed his Will to the Church; at laſt he ſent his Son, as the great and laſt Prophet, who fully, perfectly diſcovers his mind to her; ſo that a further Inſtruction there needs not, nor is there to be expected. But,
V. There's no ground left for any New-Miniſtration, or any Alteration in that ſet on foot by Chriſt. The reaſons of the alteration of the Old-Teſtament-Miniſtration, with the Inſtitutions, Ordinances thereunto appertaining, may be reduced to a twofold-head.
1. They all pointed at, had reſpect to the Meſſiah, Chriſt, to come, Rom. 10.4. Chriſt is the end of the Law. This the Apoſtle aſſerts to be the ground of its abolition, Heb. 10.1, 9.
2. Chriſt was to come during its continuance, as Lord over his own Houſe, with more ample Power, and Authority than any that went before him, Heb. 1.1, 2, 3. & 3.5, 6. He had then Power, Authority, to confirm, remove, aboliſh as he pleaſed; and none could ſay unto him in this matter, What doſt thou? But neither of theſe can be ſuppoſed as the ground of altering, diſcontinuing the Miniſtration ſet on foot by Chriſt. He was then already come, tabernacled among men: and come he was, as the great Prophet, Lord, King, of the Church; and as ſuch, gives forth Laws for them to ſubject, conform to.
VI. The Goſpel-Miniſtration, Inſtitutions, muſt continue, except a greater than Chriſt come. The Law was given forth by Moſes, it continued thouſands of Years; and notwithſtanding the degeneracy, corruption that was amongſt the People, none could put a period to it; the Church was bound to the obſervation of it, to the coming of Chriſt, Mal. 4.4. with Deut. 34.10. and that upon this foot of account; becauſe till Chriſt, none roſe up greater than he. Therefore Paul going about to demonſtrate to the Jews the abolition of the Moſaick Miniſtration, layes the Foundation of his diſcourſe in the ſuper-eminent Authority of the Lord Jeſus. 'Tis true, the Law was moſt ſolemnly given forth by the Miniſtration of Angels in the hands of Moſes, but Chriſt is above Angels, Heb. 1.4. and 2.2. above Moſes, chap. 3.3. Is there any greater, ſuperiour to Chriſt? If not (as moſt certain it is there is not; to aſſert it, is the height of Antichriſtianiſm, 'tis blaſphemy againſt the Son) then the Miniſtration inſtituted by him, muſt of neceſſity continue till he come to put a period to it. For it muſt be a greater, and ſuperior, that can aboliſh or alter what is eſtabliſht.