Gospel Churches a Standing Ordinance, Treatise · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
The end for which Chriſt Inſtituted the Goſpel-Church-ſtate, Churches, Ordinances, the ſame; and will continue ſo to the time of the conſummation of all things. The particular ends inſtanc'd in. Sanctifying the Name of the Lord in Worſhip, what it is. A ſolemn, publick, avowed, owning, ſubjection to Chriſt, ſetting forth the Lords honour, publiſhing his praiſes. Eph. 3.21. Explained. Saints mutual edification, growth. The confirmation of their mutual Love to each other. Are ſome of the ends for which Chriſt inſtituted Goſpel-Churches, Ordinances, demonſtrated.
Demonſtration. VI.
THE end for which, the Lord Jeſus eſtabliſht the Goſpel-Church-ſtate, Goſpel-Churches, Inſtitutions, Ordinances, is the ſame that ever 'twas, and will continue ſo to be till the time of the conſummation of all things. Whence its continuation neceſſarily follows. Let's a little conſider what were the ends for which God from the beginning, inſtituted a Church-ſtate in the World. Amongſt others that perhaps might be mentioned, theſe are the chief.
I. The Sanctification of his name therein, Lev. 10.3. This is that which the Lord hath ſaid, I will be Sanctified in all thoſe that draw nigh to me—. 'Tis of the ſolemn Worſhip of God in that Church-ſtate he is there ſpeaking: In particular, touching that Inſtitution of ſacrificeing to the Lord. The ſanctification of his name therein, is aſſerted to be one great end of the Lord in that inſtitution: a failure wherein coſt Nadab, and Abihu dear; they thereby provoked the Lord, and he brake forth in his fury againſt them, and ſlew them before the People. This alſo is aſſerted to be the end of the Goſpel-Church-ſtate, Goſpel-Inſtitutions, Heb. 12.28, 29. Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be ſhaken, let us have grace whereby we may ſerve God, acceptably with REVERENCE, and GODLY FEAR, for our God is a conſuming Fire. By the Kingdom which cannot be ſhaken, we have already demonſtrated, is meant the Goſpel-Church-ſtate, therein they were to ſerve God acceptably, with reverence, and Godly fear, i. e. they were to ſanctifie his name in their attendment on him in the Inſtitutions appertaining thereunto; which if they neglect to do, they may expect to find the Lord, as Nadab, and Abihu did, a conſuming fire to them. Before we come to a full Concluſion of this matter, 'twill not be altogether impertinent or unprofitable to remark what it is to ſanctifie the Name of the Lord in Solemn-Goſpel-Worſhip. In order whereunto there muſt be,
1. A ſingle reſpect to, a Holy reverence of God's Soveraign Authority in its appointment. The Laws, Edicts of men, have no place here. Should we be found in the practice of what God commands, and therein have no regard to his Commandment, Authority; but the Commandments, Injunctions of men, we ſanctifie not his name therein. The Authority of God inſtituting it, is laid as the Foundation of, and motive to all our Worſhip, Deut. 6.4, 5, 6, 7. and 28.58. Mat. 28.18, 19, 20. Heb. 3.4, 5, 6. What's bottom'd meerly upon the wills, laws of men, is not the Worſhip of God; 'tis Superſtitious, Idolatrous, Vain, Empty, good for nothing; that which the Soul of the Lord loaths, abhors; it provokes him to Jealouſie, whatever outward ſplendour, beauty, ſhew of Devotion it may ſeem to have in it. How great a part of the Worſhip of the Papacy is hereby diſcarded, is known: It being ſolely built upon the Authority of Popes, Councils, Fathers, Traditions, Laws, Edicts of Men; totally forraign, contrary to Jehovah's Law.
2. There muſt be alſo Faith in the Promiſes of God annexed to the obſervance of theſe Inſtitutions. That there are ſpecial promiſes of Favour, Grace, Kindneſs to ſuch as Conſcientiouſly attend upon him herein, ſhall afterwards be demonſtrated. Faith is required with reſpect to theſe Promiſes: He that comes unto God (draws nigh to him in Goſpel-Inſtitutions) muſt believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently ſeek him. Heb. 11.6.
3. There muſt be a Holy, Awfull regard unto his ſpecial Preſence in them. He walks in the midſt of his Golden Candleſticks, Rev. 1.13. dwells in his Churches, 2 Cor. 6.16. 'Tis true, he fills Heaven, and Earth, with his preſence, is indiſtant to no creature, the vileſt of Men, or Devils; but he hath promiſed a more ſpecial Preſence with his Children, as they are attending him in his own appointments, for their further enlightning, quickning, comfort, ſtrengthning, growth, increaſment in the Grace of God, Mat. 18.20. If perſons attend on Divine Inſtitutions, and realize not the ſpecial preſence of the Lord there; no wonder if they are carnal, formal, dead, lifeleſs in them, meet with no feeling of his Power, ſights of his Glory—.
4. There muſt be an attendment to the due order, in which the Lord will have all managed. A failure herein, cauſed the Lord of old to make a breach upon Ʋzzah (he ſmote him, ſlew him, when they were about to bring the Ark from Kirjath-jearim, 1 Chron. 13.11.) 1 Chron. 15.13. The Lord our God made a breach upon us for that we ſought him not after the due Order. All muſt be managed in the Spirit, Power, of Jehovah: he's put into office by the Father, and the Son, to enable in the managery of Divine Service, Rom. 8.26. Alas! ſorry weak man, is altogether unable for the diſpatch of ſuch ſublime, Heavenly Work. Let men at their utmoſt peril, contemn, deride the aſſiſtance of the Spirit herein; they never worſhip God aright, who are ſtrangers to it, nor without it will ever be able to pleaſe him in what they do.
5. There muſt be alſo a holy delight in God: the lively ſtirring up, exertings, puttings forth of the grace of God in us. 'Tis not ſo eaſie a matter for perſons to ſanctifie the Name of God in Worſhip, as many ſuppoſe it to be. We cannot of our ſelves, in our own creaturely power, ſerve him who is a jealous God.
6. There muſt be a perſeverance, continuance, unto the end, in obedience to him, in a due obſervation of, and ſubjection to him, in Goſpel-Inſtitutions: otherwiſe we deny his name, prophane it (as much as in us lyes, make Religion, Chriſtianity, a ridicule, contempt in the World) inſtead of Sanctifying it. Are any of theſe things vacated, not to be heeded, attended to? Who that pretends in ſobriety to Chriſtianity, hath the forehead to avouch, affirm it?
II. Another end of Goſpel-Inſtitutions is, Our ſolemn, publick, avowed, owning of, ſubjection to the Lord Jeſus. 'Twas from the beginning, one end of God, in his erecting of Worſhip, that his People might therein, ſolemnly own, avouch, him to be their God, Lord, Soveraign; and they his Loyal Subjects, faithful Servants, Deut. 26.16, 17, 18. This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do theſe Statutes, and Judgments: Thou ſhalt therefore keep, and do them, with all thy heart, and all thy ſoul. Thou haſt avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his Wayes, and to keep his Statutes, and his Commandments, and his Judgements, and to harken unto his Voice. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day, to be his peculiar People as he hath promiſed thee, and that thou ſhouldeſt keep all his Commandments. If we will have God for our God, viſibly own him as ſuch, we muſt conform to his Inſtitutions; our publick acknowledgment of him, as ſuch, lyes therein. The World know nothing of the Saints actings of Faith, Love, the ſecret communion they have with GOD: nor do they, can they take much notice of them as to their Cloſet, Family-Service: but when found in the practice of the Inſtitutions of the Lord, then are they in the view of men, publickly declaring that God's their God, and they his People, Joſh. 24.18, 21, 22. is to the ſame purpoſe, 2 Cor. 8.5. Firſt gave their own ſelves to the Lord, i. e. choſe him for their God, reſign'd up themſelves, all that they were, and had, wholly to the Lord to be at his diſpoſe: And unto us by the Will of God; i. e. they ſolemnly avouched, publickly owned, declared this God to be theirs, by their entring into the fellowſhip of the Goſpel, walking in the wayes of his appointment, owning, ſubjecting to, the Ordinances of Jeſus declared to them by us. Nor can there be a full owning of the Lord (to ſpeak modeſtly) without a conſcientious walking herein: neither will the Lord look upon ought we do, whileſt in the wilful neglect of his Inſtitutions to be ſuch an owning of him. He will be acknowledged to be our God, not in the way of our own wills, but in the wayes he hath appointed us ſo to do. The ſole queſtion is (and yet one would wonder it ſhould be a queſtion amongſt any that profeſs the fear of the Lord) Whether it be the duty of Saints publickly to own, acknowledge him to be their GOD? Which if granted, it cannot be denied, but the Goſpel-Church-ſtate, with the Inſtitutions thereunto belonging, is yet in being; and muſt be ſo, whileſt there are any Saints in this World, whoſe duty 'tis ſo to own him: for one end aimed at by the Lord Jeſus in the eſtabliſhment of theſe Inſtitutions, was, (as hath been proved) that Saints ſhould ſolemnly own, acknowledge him therein.
III. A third end of this Goſpel-Church-ſtate, is to ſet forth the Lords honour, publiſh his praiſes, Eph. 3.21. Ʋnto him be glory in the Churches by Chriſt Jeſus, throughout all Ages, World without end, Amen.
Two things are here plainly aſſerted by the Apoſtle.
1. That there ſhall be a continuation of Churches thoughout all ages, World without end: and of ſuch Churches, both for Matter, and Form, (at leaſt) as were in the Apoſtles dayes; walking with Chriſt in all the wayes of his appointment. One would wonder at the confidence of perſons, who have the forehead to aſſert the ceſſation of Churches, Ordinances, in open oppoſition to what is affirmed here by the Apoſtle of our Lord: who ſpeaks ſo fully, plainly, to their continuation, 'till the end of the World, that all the wit of man cannot poſſibly find out any evaſion. Had he ſaid only, They ſhould continue, foreign, to, or throughout Generations, or Ages, 'twould have been ſaid, true; but when the Apoſtles fell aſleep, and a ſecond Generation alſo was paſt, a general apoſtacy came in, and there was a period of the Church-ſtate: To obviate which cavil, he induſtriouſly (as 'twere) affirms their continuance foreign into all, or throughout all Generations, or Ages: and as if that were not full enough to expreſs his intendment of their continuance till time ſhould be no more; he adds, that they ſhould be foreign, throughout all Ages of the World, of Worlds, or Age of Ages. The Apoſtles ſeems to allude to two Hebrew Phraſes, foreign Pſal. 10.6. I ſhall never be in Adverſity; the word is, unto Generation, and Generation: And that Iſa. 45.17. foreign Ye ſhall not be aſhamed, nor confounded, World without end. Their continuance till the end of this World, is evidently what's his intendment.
2. That one end of the Inſtitution of theſe Churches, is, that God may be praiſed in them, by them, is alſo aſſerted. Is this end terminated? Is it not the duty of Saints to praiſe the Lord; and to praiſe him in the wayes he hath appointed? If he hath inſtituted Churches for this end; 'tis the duty of Saints to praiſe him in them. If for this end he hath Appointed their continuance throughout all Ages, they muſt of neceſſity ſo continue, or God failes of his end, which is abominable Blaſphemous to aſſert. See to the ſame purpoſe, Heb. 2.12. 1 Pet. 2.9.
IV. Another end of the Goſpel-Church-ſtate, is Saints mutual Edification, Growth, till they all come in the Ʋnity of the Faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of GOD, unto a perfect man, unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſs of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 14.26. Let all things be done to edifying, Eph. 4.11, 12, 13, 29. 1 Theſ. 5.11. Jude 20. Have Saints no further need of edification, building up? Are they come to a Perfect man, unto the meaſure of the Stature of the fulneſs of Chriſt? Who dare aver it? Can there be a more proper medium, way, or means, fixt upon, for the effecting this noble, and glorious end, than what the Lord propos'd, viz. their walking together in the fellowſhip of the Goſpel, in the practice of all the Inſtitutions of Chriſt? What ever perſons may think, as none can deſert the way Appointed by the Lord, for the production of this end, without a tremendous advance againſt the Wiſdom of God, his Love to, and Care of his Children; ſo they'l find, any other fixt upon by them, will prove altogether inſucceſsful as to the end aimed at.
V. The confirmation of the Saints mutual love one to another, is alſo frequently aſſerted to be one great end of this Appointment, Eph. 5.2. 1 Theſ. 3.12. 1 John 3.22. 1 Cor. 10.16, 17. 'Tis certainly our duty to keep this Commandment of our Lord, yea, to abound in love more and more each to other: The means then appointed by the Lord for that end, muſt Conſcientiouſly be atended to.