A Way to Zion Sought out and Found for Believers, Treatise · Objection 9 – Objection 12
Objection from Revel. 21.23.
They shall have no need of the Sun, nor of the Moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, &c.
That is, say some, Ordinances and Administrations. And Mr. Saltmarsh, Page 118. There shall be a glory without Sun or Moon, or Stars, or any such faint or weake, and low appearings, as gifts and Ordinances; but the Lord shall be their everlasting light, &c.
1 I would aske by what Scripture it will appeare, that by Sun, Answer. and Moon, Objection from Rev. 21.23. They shall have no need of the Sun, &c. answered.and Stars, are meant Ordinances? I know none; nor can finde none.
Consider the acceptations of Sun, Moon, and Stars.
1 Sun.
1 God himselfe, and Christ, are called SUNNE, Psal. 84.11. Mal. 4.2. But they shall have need of them, and have them, as the place shews.
2 Something in man, as his understanding, Eccles. 12.2. or his arrogancy and haughtinesse, Isa 13.10, 11, 12. and 24.21, 22, 23. And in time of New Jerusalems glory, men shall not be out of their wits, they shall have need of their understanding, though not of their haughtinesse.
3 For persecutions and afflictions, Cant. 1.6. Mat. 13.16. And p…rhaps they may have need of them; as Peter saith, Though now for a season (if need be) ye are in heavinesse.1 Pet. 1.6.
4 Outward prosperity, Jer. 15.9. Amo. 5 9. Mat. 24.29. And they shall have abundantly of that, Psal. 72. throughout, and Revel. 21. The Nations shall bring their glory, and honour, and riches to it.
5 The Revelation of God to man, Micah 3.6. Now this they shall have need of, or else there will be no knowledge of God.
6 For the glory of Antichrist; or Antichristian light, the Sunne of Antichrist, the light of the Beast, Revel. 16.8. Now this, let it be Doctrine, or Ordinances, or what it will; they shall have no need of at all. And this I conceive is meant by the Sun here, and this is according to the Scripture.
2 Moon.
1 Something in man, as his Reason, which is changeable, and runneth through many things, Eccl. 12.2. And mans owne Reasonings, they shall have no need of, it shall be beaten downe, 2 Cor. 10.14. And would many that professe themselves members of the City, would not leave Gods light, as the Scriptures, and walk by this light of Reason onelyonly.
2 Jewish Ordinances, or Feasts; for at the new Moons they had Feasts, 1 Sam. 20.5. Psal. 81.3. Now they shall have no need of those things. But what is all this to Ordinances? And if the place meane so, I would have any man to shew me a Scripture to second it in this sense.
But Mr. Saltm. saith, They shall have no need of Star-light neither. He doth not mean the Morning-star, Christ; I suppose.
Then by Stars are meant, either wandring Stars, as Iude speaketh, false Teachers: And indeed they shall have no need of them.
Or Angels of Churches, Gospell-teachers; or means that point out Christ, Revel. 1. ult. Matth. 2. The Star went before them, Now if this be the meaning of all the faint appearances, that he speaketh of; Then I would aske, why he, or any man living undertaketh to preach the Gospell? What is this but Star-light? If he were an Angell of a Church, he did that which was needlesse, it seemeth. Yea, and all his writings, and all their conferences, and bearing witnesse to God, are but faint appearances; Lights on this side Christ; And so there is no need of any of it. Nay he doth ill to set up a light that the Church hath no need of, he might have spared his paines in writing this Book; It is a light on this side Christ; It is but a faint appearance; It is but Some Beams, &c. or Sparkles, &c. And writing is an Ordinance too; Oftentimes he said unto me, saith John, WRITE that thou scest. If this be any light, it is a faint one, it is not Christ; It is not the Lord God. And he is the light of the New Jerusalem. And if it be not light, Rev. i. 19. and 2, 1, &c.Then he did ill to set out darknesse, and call it, Some beams of that bright Morning Star, or Sparkles of glory.
Againe, consider the place saith, They shall have no need, &c (i.e.) say they, not of Baptisme with water, &c. for say they, Men should live upon Christ, and not upon any Ordinance. It is true, he is our life. But consider whether this may not take in the Scriptures, for they are a light on this side Christ; And part of the outward Court, as Mr. William Sedgwick saith in his Sermon upon Reve… His words are these, Page 191. The outward Court is all your outward Professions, Wisdome, Art, Knowledge, Gifts, Churches, Ordinances, and all that is without the Temple of God; All that is without the Spirit of God; it is given to the Gentiles, worldly Christians, &c. It is given to them, Ordinances, SCRIPTURES, Gifts, Churches, Government; Trampling upon Scripture.All these things are the outward Court; They are given to the world, therefore leave them out, measure them not; They are the outward Court, therefore take no paines about it; Cast it off; owne it not; acknowledge it not; measure it not; for it is not worth the measuring. And page 192. But you will say these are holy things; Holy Ordinances, HOLY SCRIPTURES, Holy prayer, Holy FAITH; These are the HOLY CITY of God; TRUE, and yet all these things are given to the Gentiles, to be trampled upon: And trodden under foot. And page 193. And of all the Holy things of God that are outward HOLY ORDINANCES, SCRIPTURES, Churches, &c. they shall tread them under foot, and use them like Beasts and Swine. And so throw them away too, as some doe; and not make use of them: Yet see, Isa. 8.20. To the Law, to the Testimony, &c. And the *Act. 17.11.Bereans are commended for searching the Scriptures; for making use of this light.
Againe, consider if it should meane Gospell Ordinances, he doth not say, There shall be no Sun, nor Moon; But you shall have no need of them. *Psal. 19.1. and Psa. 8. And the Scripture, Rev. 21. and 22. saith God, shall bee their light, but shall give them light, Rev. 22.5 and the glory of God did lighten it, Rev. 21.23. And Gods glory appeareth in outward things, as above is shewed.Sun and Moon declare the glory of God. When the Sunne shineth in the day time, though we have no need of the Moon; yet we see the worke of God in it, and he is glorified: So that if we have no need of Ordinances, yet God will have his glory in our walking in the use of such as he commandeth, before men. And if men have no need of Ordinances, to use them; being filled with the Spirit, and enjoy more of God in themselves; yet they shall meet God in his wayes, as Isa. 64.5. If not to receive, yet to returne thanks and praise in the use of Ordinances.
Againe, consider if this be meant Ordinances; The Scripture is so far from taking off from the use of them, that it sheweth they shall be more glorious, Isa. 30. The light of the Sunne, shall be as the light of seven dayes, &c.
Objection, Dan. 12.4.
They shall runne to and fro, Objection from Dan. 12.4, answeredand knowledge shall be increased, say some, They shall runne to Ordinances, and from Ordinances; meaning Baptisme, and the Supper.
A very likely Exposition; They shall runne to that which God commandeth, and from it, and knowledge shall be increased. This is the increase of knowledge in them, as it was in Adam; He obeyed the Command, and ranne from the Command, and knowledge was increased. But marke, his running from, was Satans perswasion; and knowledge was increased to his sorrow, Gal. 5.7, 8.Gen. 3.5. So it is here, This perswasion commeth not of him that calleth us to runne forward, and then backward againe. That which was a cursed designe of Satan, to increase knowledge in running from Gods Command, can never be the way of the Spirit now.
And therefore if we must take it in their sense; of Ordinances, it must needs mean false Ordinances of Antichrist, and the world; And so the Saints running to them, they know the vanity, the superstition, the emptinesse, the nothingnesse of them. And so by running from them againe: They cleave more to Christ, and partake more of Christ. Or else Ordinances of the Law, Rom. 14.2.which many that were dead did runne to, And yet in time were taken off from them againe; But what is this to Ordinances of the Gospell.
Again consider to runne to and fro, signifyeth not the forsaking of the thing utterly; but rather a searching into all particulars of the thing. So it is said, The Propet walked to and fro, 2 King. 4 35. yet in the house still. It importeth no forsaking either side of the House, but his frequenting both sides; Therefore the Hebrew is once hither, and once thither; So Gen. 8.5. A Raven went to and fro, (i.e) in going and returning: That fro, or going, was not an utter forsaking, but a returning againe; signifying also a motion in the thing; So 2 Chron. 16.9. The eyes of the Lord runne TO and FRO, through the earth, &c. Doth it meane, his eyes runne to his people, and from his people? No; but he is in every place watching over all his people; it sheweth his care and watchfulnesse over all. So Zach. 14.10. Jer. 5.1. Ezek. 27.19. Joel 2.9. If it should be Ordinances in their sense, it must needs mean the exercise of themselves in all Duties, Services, Word, Ordinances, and so knowledge is increased in all. But the sentence signifieth onelyonly a Motion, as appeareth, Joh. 1.7. & 2.2. A restlesse condition, Iob 7.4. Psal. 107.27. A thing in motion, Iob 13.25. Isa. 33.4 & 49.21. Ier. 49.3. The Sentence (run to and fro) holdeth out two things. 1. Motion. 2. Motion in the same thing named. So (if it be expounded ordinances) it signifieth activity and motion in them.
Objection from Daniel 12.7.
The power of the holy people shall be scattered: Therefore there shall be no visible Church, nor ordinances.
I answer; It is true the holy peoples power is scattered, Objection from Dan. 12.7. answered.if they meane visible Churches; and they of all men have scattered it. But the Scripture doth not say, The holy people shall be scattered from being Churches, or having ordinances; for they cannot plead, that is the power of the holy people, for they call them formes: But it saith, their power shall be scattered: It seemeth by reason of oppositions, they shall not have that power to carry on the service of God, as else they might have. But what is this to ordinances?
Object. from. Daniel 9.27.
He shall cause the Sacrifice and oblation to cease (i. e.) outward ordinances shall cease; for such were Sacrifices and oblations.
I answer; 1. Consider what it is that is here Prophesied of to cease, Objection from Dan. 9.27. answered.Sacrifices and oblations; such ordinances that were used of the Jewes in the time of the Law. This speaketh not a word of ordinances since the Law. When were ever-any Gospell ordinances called, Sacrifices and oblations? And this is agreeable to what was fulfilled by Christ, for he caused the Sacrifice to cease; according to, Col. 2.14. and the Booke of the Hebrewes, especially the 9. and 10. Chap. but especially the 10. Sacrifice and Offering, and burnt offering, and offering for sinne thou wouldest not; then said I, Loe, I come, &c. (i. e.) Christ.
Or if it meane not the Messiah, but the Prince that shall come (ver. 26) shall cause the Sacrifice to cease, as it may doe; for the violence of Warre, and such violence as was used by Titus Vespatians Army, might well cause the Sacrifice to cease for the present. But this proveth not a period put to the Sacrifice, if it were Gospell ordinances; no more then Nebuchadnezzars prevailing against the Jewes formerly, proved a Cessation of Legall ordinances.