A Demonstration of Family Duties, Position 4
IV. PROPOSITION. The revealed will or word of God, which is conteined in the holy Scripture, or Canonicall books of the old, & new Teſtament, is the abſolute rule of direction unto ſuch worſhip & religious ſervice, as is of Gods owne inſtitution and appointment to be obſerved and performed unto his moſt divine Majeſty.
PROOF. This Chriſt ſheweth in the parable of Dives and Lazarus, Luk. 16.29. Abraham ſaith unto him, They have Moſes & the Prophets, let them heare them. Thus Moſes teacheth, Deut. 29.29. The ſecret things belong unto the Lord our God: but thoſe things which are revealed belong unto us, & to our children for ever, that we may doe all the words of this law. And thus the godly Bereans approved themſelves, as it may appeare in that honourable teſtimony given unto them Act. 17.11. Theſe were more noble then thoſe in Theſsalonica, in that they received the word with all readineſſe of minde and ſearched the Scriptures daily, whether th… things were ſo.
I. REAS. Becauſe the holy Scripture divinely inſpired, were therfore given un… us, that we might walke in the light of th… & ſo be made wiſe unto ſalvation by obſe… ving the directions in them. Iſa. 8.19, 2… And when they ſhall ſay unto you; Seeke unto the… that have familiar ſpirits, and unto wizards th… peepe and that mutter: Should not a people ſee… unto their God? for the living to the dead? … the law, & to the teſtimony: if they ſpeake not … cording to this word, it is becauſe there is no li… in them. 2. Timoth. 3.16, 17. All Scripture given by in ſpiration of God, & is profitable for d… trine, for reproofe, for correction, for inſtruct… in righteouſneſſe: That the man of God may be p… fect, thoroughly furniſhed unto all good works.
II. REAS. Becauſe God (who is a Sp… rit; Iohn. 4.24. Infinite; Pſal. 147.5. Ete… nall Immortall, Inviſible, only wiſe; … Timoth. 1.17. Almighty; Gen. 17.1. Good Pſal. 136.1. Gracious and Mercifull; Exo… 34.6. Holy; Ioſh. 24.19. Iuſt; Deut. 32.… Perfect; Math. 5.48. and Glorious; Exo… 33.18.) cannot have a worſhip ſutable an… proportioned unto his excellent Majeſt… ſave as he hath appointed and revealed to ſame in his Word. See Prov. 30.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. The words of Agur the ſonne of Iakeh, even the prophecie; The man ſpake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Vcal. Surely I am more brutiſh then any man, and have not the underſtanding of a man. I neither learned wiſdome, nor have the knowledge of the holy. Who hath aſcended up into heaven, or deſcended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath eſtabliſhed all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his ſonnes name, if thou canſt tell? Every word of God is pure: he is a ſhield unto them that put their truſt in him. Adde thou not unto his words, leſt he reproove thee, & thou be found alyar. As if Agur had ſaid, Such is the Majeſty, & Myſtery of the incomprehenſible God even the Father, and of Jeſus Chriſt in his hypoſtaticall union, being Ithiel, or Immanuel, God with us; that no man further then he is taught by the pure word of God, & ordereth himſelfe according to it, without any adding thereunto, can aright worſhip him in Spirit, and in trueth, as the Father ſeeketh.
OBSERVAT. Albeit the inviſible things of God ſeene in the Creation of the world, Rom. 1.20. and in the works of his Providence, Act. 14.17. and in the law written in mens hearts, Rom. 2.15. doe ſerve to leave men without excuſe, for their not worſhipping of God, as is meet: Yet none of theſe doe ſufficiently and effectually clee… mens underſtandings touching the waies … God, where Scripture is not likewiſe mad… uſe of; as Chriſt convinceth the Sadduces Math. 22.29. Ye doe erre, not knowing the Scriptures.