Gospel Public Worship, Method 3 – Conclusion
The third Method.
NAture (as exiſting) is Gods Fabrick of the Chaos, with its diſtinct forms, powers, and fruits, of his firſt 6. days working: 1. its ſubject matter, &c. was that Chaos, Gen. 1.2. 2. its project, form, &c. is the frame of the whole, and its parts thence to v. 31.3. Their eject, efficacy, &c. firſt paſſive, and receptive from God, then active and revertive toward him. 4. All their object, end, &c. in it ſelf, is perfect natural good and content; in God, is its praiſing and thanking him in all ſtableneſs and ſerviceableneſs.
Their main and beſt adjuncts are Gods aſſertion of their being, v. 1. created, 2. was, 3. and there was light, and ſo oft; and of their well-being in each days work, and in the whole, v. 31.
Inſtitution, practive of the Sabbath by his reſting thereon exemplarily, Gen. 2.3. becauſe he reſted therein: whereon are founded Gods preceptive bleſſing it to the holy reſters thereon, and ſanctifying it for divine worſhip, and to the worſhippers, ibid.
Preceptive in matters of preſervation, i. e. what food men ſhould eat and order for the living terreſtrials, Chap. 1. Ver. 29, 30.
Procreation, i. e. the Ordinance of Marriage, with its bleſſing. Chap. 2.22.
Government, i. e. the ſubjection of all other Chaols unto man, to be ordered by him in all their natural diſpoſitions and faculties, as he in his wiſdome ſeemed good, Gen. 1.26, 28. but the power of life or limbe was not hereby granted, v. 29. with Chap. 9.2. to 6.
Worſhip Divine, i. e. of what is commanded in the ſecond Commandement, Gen. 2.8. to 17.
THe Law was Gods ladder ſet for man to climbe to heaven by his power, i. e. Paradiſe, Adam as the Workman and Ruler thereof, and the Trees of life and knowledge with the reſt; which were impoſed on Adam as cultive Inſtitutions by vertue of the ſecond Commandement: but propoſed alſo to him by God (as the Diſpoſer of the Spiritual third Heaven, and its eternal life, joy, riches, glory, and content) as divine Signs thereof inſtituted by him to that end (and therefore as Divine Sacraments, Seals, and Seiſins thereof) if he would accept that offered Covenant, (which he did) and alſo perform it, which he did not. Now Gods propoſing Paradiſe to be a Sacrament, or ſignificant Rite of Heaven, and God as worker and orderer, &c of all in heaven, and the tree of life, of heavenly life therein, i. e. of ſpiritual and eternal union and communion with that God thereby, with condition of his real enjoyment of the ſigned, if he obſerved thoſe ſigns and their adjuncts, until the day of judgment then alſo prefixed; and alſo avoided the eating the tree of knowledge of good and evil, i. e. of the ſign of its contrary evil, i. e. of eternal death, diſunion, and diſcommunion with God, and all his good: and Adam's accepting that conditional Covenant, concurring; eſtabliſhed that Law or firſt Covenant of ſalvation, or heavenly glorification by mans own works, in an Epitome fit for man in his perfect Naturals; and iterate in folio with the Iſraelites in the wilderneſs, and fervently and frequently affronting the Goſpel. Which Adam and Eve breaking in their eating of the tree of knowledge; brake, and ſo loſt Heaven wagered for, and Earth engaged for it, and ſo they and their iſſue were caſt from the right of both, preſently, & are reſerved to the ſet time of tryal therof, & ſo to hel: and in the mean time, are to be preſerved thereto by natural means, and are to expect and accept Gods mercy, compaſſion, and pitty, in his offered pardon; and his love, grace, and bleſſing, for his better means of his bringing them to heaven and its happineſs.
THe Goſpel is Gods meſſage to man of the ſaid pardon and means by the union of the Son, real ordive, or relative perſon of God, oftended, by mans breach of his ordive and relative Inſtitutions, with that ſo offending man, and by his taking on him his ſaid perſon and caſe, and therein diſ-imputing his demerits by his atoning death and ſufferings, and imputing his own merits of his accompliſhing the Law, unto his believers on him therein, by his infuſed ſpirit of Faith, the evidence, argument, earneſt, ground, acknowledgment, and infallible aſſurance of both; and of our …nion, adoption, marriage, and engraffing into Chriſt; but not the hand or inſtrument on our part to receive them, much leſs as a condition prerequiſite, no nor correquiſite; (though it be an active correquiſite, inſeparable from that our union, adoption, mariage, &c.) much leſs is it the cauſe of our juſtification, union, &c. for the immediate effecting cauſe is, Gods aſſurance of my heart, by his word and ſpirit co-working, that I am elect by him through Chriſt to ſalvation: Now it is no uniting aſſuring evidence, &c. except my heart be thereof conſentingly, and contentedly acknowledging the ſame, which therefore is included in Gods part, gift, grace, and abſolute working of our willingneſs: firſt, immediatly and properly in the order of nature, paſſive in us; but at the ſame time, act and receiving it, it is alſo actively willing, aſſuring, acknowledging, and teſtifying the ſame, by Gods inherent grace, infuſed at the ſame moment and act, with the ſaid aſſuring, teſtifying, &c. on Gods part; but our act is no way firſt, 1 Joh. 4.19. Phil. 3.9. the places and proofs are too large for this radical Index of this Goſpel root of Theology, Religion, and Salvation. The laſt parentheſis cleereth me from excluding the activeneſs of Faith from the act of our adoption, much leſs do I abate the neceſſity of our obedience, love, attentiveneſs, and chearful ſerviceableneſs, in all Moral and Goſpel-duties, as juſtifiers of our juſtifying Faith, to our own and others conſciences, as ſymptomes, fruits, teſtimonies, & workings of true, living, and lively Faith, and our ſaid union, adoption, &c. thereby: I exclude onelyonly their proper cauſative neceſſity, from our inſtant act of adoption, union, juſtification, &c. which the ſcope and ſoul of the Goſpel alſo excludeth; for if any proper act on our part, and ab interno hominis naturalis be cauſally neceſſited therein, as congruum, condignum, correquiſite (much more as pre-requiſite) it is another legal or mutual Work-Covenant, and no new, 2d, nor promiſal Covenant on Gods part, and ſo no glad tydings of our ſalvation, but more ſad news of a farther teſtimony of our fall and damnation, even that we cannot act any one act to our adopting act (much leſs before it) and ſo all Gods promiſes of grace and peace are void, and both he and we faithleſs. By my terming the Goſpel in this reſpect another Law of Works, and by divers other paſſages herein, I clearly ſhew the true nature of the Law of Works, as our ſecond eſtate in hand, and as oppoſite to the goſpel; and alſo of the goſpel; and ſo the true difference between them, i. e. in Gods abſolute, free, powerful, and ſaving efficacy, promiſed and performed in the goſpel, but not in the law; yet have they both the ſame heavenly eſtate; though the Law have it onelyonly in and by Divine Sacramental inſtituted Covenant, and the goſpel have it by Chriſts taking it on him, and compleating it, and imputing that compleating to us, and infuſing its Divine, Spiritual, and incorruptible nature into us in all its kinds, and imparting its happineſs in its true nature, and true hope of all their perfection in degree; which is the difference of the fourth and compleat heavenly eſtate from the two other: of all which three relative eſtates of mankind, the firſt and natural ſtate is the real ſubject and perſonal hypoſtaſis, without their abrogating the law of nature (ſummed in the Decalogue) in any part, but onelyonly ſanctifying it.
HEaven is Gods compleat Divine Kingdome, compleating our three other head eſtates into an higher, diviner, and more heavenly and ſpiritual degree than is proper to their own nature. It is, 1. ſubjective, native, moral, inſtinctive, &c. Gen. 1.1. 2. Projective, ſtative, medial, decreative, inſtitutive, diſtinctive, &c. as in our ſecond head. 3. Ejective, dative, medal, recreative, modal, pertinctive, conſtitutive, reſtitutive, &c. as in our third head, and frequently in the goſpel. 4. Objective, rative, metal, perbeative, attinctive, contentive, &c. as in this fourth head.
In a word, it is the ſub-object, i. e. the main, prime, proper, ſole adequate object of the Trinity; the firſt-laſt ſubject of all divined or godded, the foreign, the firſt-laſt godded, or object of the god-head. For it was the firſt father, or Creatour of time, Gen. 1.1. In the beginning God created Heaven, in the beginning of time, which is menſura rerum; heaven then being the firſt res which God any way created; and a meaſure being an inſtrument, whoſe eſſence as ſuch, is in its uſe; it gave the being to time, and God to heaven; before which there was properly no time, but onelyonly eternity. For though man, the Law, Chriſt, the goſpel, their ſpiritual gifts, graces and glories, be in time, and ſince the Creation of all other things become heavenly, and ſo all things of heaven, and ſo compleat heaven was not the firſt Creature: yet that gain-ſayeth not my aſſertion, that the third heaven was the firſt object or creature; for gradus non variant ſed ornant ſpecient, degrees adorn, but alter not the kind of things. But how was it the firſt ſubject, ſince till after the whole other Creation, it had no adjuncts created? the want of which deſtroys its ſubjectſhip, the eſſence of a relative as ſuch, being in its correlative, as he is no husband that hath no wife? &c. The Angels alone make ſufficient anſwer; but our Father which art in heaven, and heaven is my throne, &c. make a fuller; and maſter and ſervant make a true and competent family, though the maſters wife and children make it compleat; and the Angels are Gods houſhold ſervants, Heb. 1.7. and God begetteth, adopteth, and marryeth Chriſtians; the diſtinctneſs between God and Chriſt, here needeth not. How the Law was an adjunct of heaven, is more doubtful; yet is it ſhewn that its ſtate was heavenly, and that its ſacramentalneſs of heaven eſtated them in that heavenly eſtate, for and to whom it was ſo inſtituted, by the author and order of heaven, and its holy ſigns; now then all things heavenly, are adjuncts to heaven as to their ſubject: but farther, it is that ſtate whereby we are enrighted to heaven, it being fully accompliſhed by Chriſts death and reſurrection, imputed and publiſhed to us, and received by us, and ſo the law giveth us our heavenly eſtate; and the goſpel, the anſwerable nature; of the compleat degree of both, glorified heaven is but the Apex, Meta, Butt, the higheſt and utmoſt degree, yea and the firſt and loweſt ſtation and foundation; whereby both the law and goſpel are evident, yea eminent adjuncts to heaven; they therefore being now made ours, who were before onelyonly natural men, yea the firſt and legal Covenant was made with and by us onelyonly as natural men; our perſons are now alſo of the nature of that eſtate and Covenant, and therefore heavenly; and therefore alſo our perſons are now adjuncts of heaven, and of an heavenly eſtate thereby, and of an heavenly nature by the goſpel; all which three are encorporate and compleated in heaven: wherefore theſe four thus encorporate, make up the firſt-laſt encorporate and compleat godded of the godhead; yea our natural, legal, evangelical, and celeſtial eſtates and caſes, being thus encorporate and compleat, make up the glorious and adequate crown, heart, heir, and glory of heaven, in the firſt-laſt, deep-high, largeſt and compleateſt ſtate and ſenſe, we being conſidered as relatively united unto Chriſt the relative perſon of the Trinity, and therefore with the whole Trinity it ſelf; than which more cannot be ſaid of true and perfect happineſs in kind, my proper and immediate aim; but it's hyperbole tranſcendency of glory, joy, and precious benefit, is not to be known nor uttered in this life.
God in the firſt words of his Word ſaith, In the beginning God created heaven: which Chriſt minding ſaid, In my Fathers houſe there are many manſions, Pallaces for his ſons, Joh. 14.2. which Paul calleth the third Heaven, 2 Cor. 12.2. and Paradiſe, v. 4. which is expreſſed to mean Gods eternal kingdome, of heavenly life and glory, Rev. 2.7. and 22.14. eſpecially Luke 23.43. which is evidently and eminently mentioned in the Scripture, as the higheſt apex, and crown of our happineſs on Gods part, or deſire and hope on ours. This heaven is that houſe and throne of God which denominateth him to be heavenly; and in that reſpect is he propoſed to be prayed unto, Mat. 6.9. Luke 11.2.
But our preſent ſubject is that heaven, Gen. 1.1. which was in all things compleat at the firſt, but in the divine and immediate correlatives to God, as the Father, King, Husband, and Lord thereof, which are now in framing of natural perſons, eſtated in an heavenly and ſpiritual eſtate by the law, and ennatured of an heavenly and divine nature by the goſpel, and to be enheritanced, enthroned, bedded and boarded eternally therein, as in the godded goddome of the abſolute eternal God thereof. This heaven is Gods creative houſe, Joh. 14.2. throne and reſt, Act. 7.49. Eſaiah 66.1. which he created for that end, as conſiderable by Angels and Man. As it is a ſubject we have handled it already, and in its cauſative reſpects; we are therefore here to reſpect it onelyonly in its original and diſtinct exiſtency and integrality; and then of its divine ſubjectiveneſs, as God ordered it to be the ſole univerſal ſubject of all things, which are not really, properly, and ſimply God: and ſo as it is the one and onelyonly ſubject of the Deity or Trinity: In the former reſpect, the integrum is the entire local fabrick of that divine houſe, city, bedchamber, and dining chamber, with all its parts, furniture, and poſſeſſors; its integrals are both real or quantitive, and perſonal or relative. The real are, 1. the place of Gods diſcernable preſence, as the Father. 2. The place of Chriſts viſible preſence. 3. The place of the Holy Ghoſts manifeſtive preſence. 4. The ſeveral manſions of every Son and Daughter of God. 5. The ſeveral ſtations of every Angel. 6. The ſeveral places of every ornament of the whole, or any part, which what they be are not revealed, but in a module or reſemblance, fitted to the capacity of man on earth; and to the expreſſion of the greateſt glory on earth, propheſied and promiſed to Iſrael, Rev. 21. & 22. Ezek. 40. to 48.
The perſonal are the ſeveral perſons poſſeſſing all thoſe places; who all have alſo a relative reſpect to each other, and that both lineal and collateral.
FINIS.
ERRATA.
PAga the 16. Line the 14. for totally, read totallity, p. 17. l. 2. f. Churches, r. Church, p. 35. l. 24. f. name, r. main, p. 44. l. 23, 24. r. foreign, after foreign add foreign, p. 47. l. 5. r. 2 Tim. 3. p. 48. l. 1. r. in order. l. 21. r. & 3. 2, 16. p. 54. l. 29. f. out, r. our. p. 66. l. 3. f. nor, r. not. p. 79. l. 13. r. 1 Cor. 8.19. p. 86. l. 4. r. or root, l. 12. r. obſerved, p. 92. l. 16. r. anſwering, p. 1…1. l. 4. r. affinity, p. 116. l. 1. f. v. 7. r. v. 1. p. 145. l. 8. r. by the, p. 205. l. 6. f. ſixt, r. third, and p. 204. l. 24. for third, r. fourth, &c. to the tenth falſe worſhip. p. 205. l. 13. r. Act. 16. p. 227. l. 5. r. 19. Chap. p. 268. l. 2. r. 14. Chap.
Reader, to mend theſe faults, if help thou lend▪
Thou'lt be thine own, mine, and the Authors friend.
Theſe Bookes following are Printed for Henry Everſden, and are to be ſold at his Shop at the Greyhound in Pauls Church-yard.
AN Expoſition, with Practical Obſervations on the nine firſt Chapters of the Proverbs in 4o. by Francis Taylor of Canterbury in Kent.
An Expoſition on the whole Book of Canticles, with Practical Obſervations on every verſe, By John Robotham in 4o.
An Idea, or Body of Church-Diſcipline, By John Rogers in 4o.
Lucas Redivivus, or the Goſpel-Phyſitian, preſcribing, by way of meditation, Divine Phyſick to prevent Diſeaſes, not yet entred upon the Soul, By John Anthony in 4o.
Anabaptiſts Meribah, or Waters of Strife, being an Anſwer to Mr. Lambs Book of Dipping, By Joh. Price, in 4o.
The Original of Dominion, or the rights of Kings, proved from Scriptures, By Rob. Weldon, Dr. in Divinity, in 4o.
A Comment on Ruth, together with two Sermons, one teaching how to live well; the other, minding all how to dye well, By Thomas Fuller, the Author of the Holy State.
Horum fabuloſorum hominum hoc minùs ferenda eſt impietas, quod Prophetarum Divinorum & Evangeliſtarum foreign ſcripta ad ſtabiliendas Vanitaets ſuas detorquent; & ea Ezekieli, Danieli, & Apocalypſeos authori afſingunt, quae Sanctiſsimis Viris ne in mentum quidem venerunt unquam. Scultetus in 2 Tim. 3.1. Aureum ſeculum in Coelis, ferreum in terris expectandum. Idem.
End of the text · Thomas Brewer, Gospel Public Worship (1656)