Gospel Public Worship, Exposition · Analysis 3 – Analysis 4
Obſerve what our Author ſaith in general (for I am ſtraitned for want of room) of thoſe (with other) falſe Worſhips, which are before onelyonly nominated; ſaith he,
THe morall Devotion of all Nations was much provoked by Gods glorious Works for the Poſterity of Abraham, Eſa. 41.1. to Chap. 44. which turned to the increaſe of their Idolatrous ſuperſtitiouſneſs, as the ſuppoſed deſcending of Jupiter and Mercurius, in the perſons of Paul and Barnabas did, Act. 14.12, 13. to the endeavour of the like Sacrifice to that of Baals, 1 Kin. 18.26. Be not peremptory againſt my applying almoſt all the names of the Idols in the Scripture unto this 2d. ſort of Idolatry of Sun-worſhip or Bull-worſhip, which was but as that of Diana unto Jupiter, and their Inſtitution unto one and the ſame God, even in Object the ſame with ours; at leaſt, not till you have ſcanned theſe proofs, viz. Judg. 2.3.6.8. and 10. Chapters, 1 Sam. 7.3. 1 King. 18.18. yea Lev. 18.21. Numb. 22.41. and 25.3, 5. 2 King. 17.25, 26. Jer. 32.35. Act. 7.39. to 43. and have read over Macrobius Saturnals, Auguſtinus Egubinus de cultu divino, Mornaeus Dupleſſes de veritate Chriſtianae Religionis, ſo far as concerneth thoſe two great Controverſies about Divine Worſhip; and till you have well conſidered the very Scriptures whereon you wrongly ground the contrary to either; ſince they yield expreſs and evident proofs for both.
THat which is evidently and eminently preſſed all manner of wayes above any other Commandement, except the firſt, is, our yielding to God his zealous and jealous Worſhip inſtituted in the Word: Not that the Order of Worſhip is to be preferred before its matter ſimply; but onelyonly in reſpect of the times of Antichriſt then imminent, even in the Apoſtles days, and to prevail for nigh 1600. years after; partly in his encroachment, and in his eſtabliſhment. And indeed what enemy of God and godlyneſs did ever ſo much, long, and highly uſurp over, and oppoſe againſt all that is called God?
All aggravatings therefore of the holy zeal for Gods true worſhip, and jealouſie againſt the falſe worſhip, powerful and plentiful in the Scripture, do pertain to this bounded ſound-mindedneſs in Gods worſhip, ſo well as to the other parts thereof, ſince it is ſo much charged as any of the other, it being expreſly and truly inſtituted in the word, (and is the conſti…uting, diſtinguiſhing, and actuating form of true Divine Worſhip) as any of them: And therefore alſo the thouſands of extatical exaggeratings, execratings, and abominatings (the World yieldeth no fit words herein againſt it ſelf) of falſe Worſhip and Worſhippers, ought to have their full force againſt confuſion and diſorder in the body, members, and functions of Divine worſhip, as againſt other ſins of omiſſion, or commiſſion therein, eſpecially ſince the eſpecial propriety of Antichriſtianiſme conſiſteth therein, as the proper & frequent title therof Babylon confuſion, Rev. 17.11, 14, 18. underſtanding obſervation and experience of its courſes, and the nature of its type, the confuſion of the tongues of the world, and the orders of Gods worſhip in Babylon, do ſeverally and more joyntly evince. But if theſe degrees, wherein the Scripture preferreth it before the membral matter of worſhip, in its manner of handling them both, be added thereto; how can we be leſs zealous and jealous herein, than therein? yea, thoſe degrees are not dark, ſtrained, nor ſmall; neither are they all that might be gathered, as the very extent of v. 3, 4, 5, 6. (above v. 1, 2.) ſheweth; but the introduction of the membral matter it ſelf, of the Church, its offices and their works, in way of apportioning and limiting each work and office of the Church, yea of the Church it ſelf, by its proportionableneſs to thoſe works and offices, doth ineſtimably dignifie the obſervation of this diſtinctneſs and bound-mindedneſs in Gods Worſhip, and force us to ſympathize with the Holy Ghoſt in our intentneſs thereon and therein; or if theſe things will not, no means will, untill the time of reformation and reſtitution cometh: mean while, the diſcerners hereof muſt exerciſe their Faith, in receiving theſe priviledges of Faith, their obedience in working theſe works of Gods worſhip; their underſtanding, in diſcerning what God hath thus diſtinctly determinated; their temperateneſs, in actuating their graces, without exceſs or defect, in theſe ſpecial tryals of boundedneſs, and ſound-mindedneſs; their patience in waiting for the fruit of their ſincere endeavours herein patiently, and poſſeſſing their ſouls in patience: both which, theſe of all other will moſt exerciſe; their godlyneſs, in true zeal for, and godly jealouſie againſt, what GOD herein propoſeth as their ſpecial objects; their brotherly-love, in exerciſing all theſe ſixe graces in this matter, for the good and benefit of their Brethren therein, remembring that the godlyeſt zeal of Gods honour, which ought to eat up us, and all that is ours, is not to eat up what is our brothers, i. e. our dealing with them herein, as they are able to hear and bear. And laſtly, their natural love to all as naturally good, in walking holily therein, to win unto Chriſt thoſe that are without Chriſt, and not giving juſt offence to thoſe that are without, knowing that we once were ſuch, and that theſe Ordinances are ſervices of God and his ſervants; and not knowing who, though now without, belong unto the election of God, nor how we fall into their danger by ſin or otherwiſe. For if theſe things be in us, and abound in this ſpecial matter, we have a ſpecial teſtimony of our Election, & promiſe of our perſeverance in the works and fruits of godlyneſs, and unto eternal happyneſs, 2 Pet. 1.5. to 8. where alſo the contrary is annexed to the defect thereof.
Now therefore of ſome of thoſe glimpſes, (in the cloſe) as of the diſtinctneſs of the four Offices to be exerciſed in the Church-Congregation, with their diſtinct functions and fruits; and alſo of their roots, yet as of one ſubjective ortive root, unto one objective Lordive fruit, by one ejected project of, by, and for the one Deity, yet according to its Trinity.
GOD.
FOr, firſt, God as the Father willing himſelf to be our Father, ſent Chriſt as God-man, to make us his ſons and ſervants, by the Spirits proceeding from both their will and order to operate that compleat entity, unity, community, coity, or eternal fruit of all.
CHRIST.
Whereby, ſecondly, Chriſt as Mediator became our Prophet to teach us; our Prieſt, as perſonally to cauſe, ſo ſetly to preſerve, exhort; and as our powerful King to effect, command, and commend our preſervation of nature, according to the Law, by the Goſpel, unto Heaven.
CHVRCH-OFFICES.
Whereby, thirdly, he had right power to inſtitute the Teachers office, the Exhorters, Comforters, or Prieſtly office; the Rulers, Orderers, Shepherds, Rectors, or Kingly one, and the Preſervers, Diſtributers, Providers office, authorized ſtate and right.
FVNCTIONS.
Whereby, fourthly, they had right officially, miniſterially to teach, to exhort, provoke, affect our ſons nature to Gods ſervice, to rule, order, ſhepherd our many ſtations of both, and to provide for our naturewhile we ſubmit to all three.
ABILITIES.
To all which, fiftly, the Spirit enableth them by light, ſight, and might, to teach, by the Spirit of grace and wiſdome to exhort and provoke, and the gift of diſcerning of ſpirits, and of ruling to rule, and the gift of inſtinctive brotherly ſimplicity, indulgently to provide for us.
GRACES.
Sixthly, To our ſon-like, receiving of, & gracious ſerving in holy knowledge, ſincere, tender, devout, gracious heart and affections, Chriſtian approvable words, deeds and life, conſtant foſterers, proviſion unto our preſervation and perſonal content.
GLORIES.
Seventhly, all theſe are in their ſubjective, native, ortive, heavenly nature, projective, ſtative, ordive, heavenly typical order, ejective, exertive, dative, cordive power, objective, dotive, lordive end, glory, ſcope, upſhot, in, of, by, and for glorified heavenly illuminations, gracious motions, infuſions, ſonlike ſincerity, perfect, pure, unreprovable converſation with God and Saints; compleat, internal, ſupernal, external, eternal means and end of intent and content, comfort, glory, divineneſs of wit, will, work, and weal.
FINIS.
THE EXPOSITION OF The 18. Chapter of Matthew, WHEREIN Proceedings, in caſes of Offences, both poſitive and oppoſite, are cleerly demonſtrated.
Gal. 6.1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are ſpiritual, reſtore ſuch a one in the ſpirit of meekneſs, conſidering thy ſelf, leſt thou alſo be tempted. See 2 Cor. 2.6, 7, 8. 2 Theſ. 14, 15.
LONDON, Printed for Henry Everſden, at the Sign of the Greyhound in Pauls Church-yard, 1656.