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A64337
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A treatise relating to the worship of God divided into six sections / by John Templer ...
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Templer, John, d. 1693.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing T667; ESTC R14567
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247,266
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554
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about V. It cannot in reason be less than one whole Day every Week which will be evident if we consider 1. The Object of our Worship Were we to live the days of Methusalem he might challenge every moment of our time as a just debt and if all be due reason will not allow That so considerable a portion as a Week should pass without a solemn dedication of a Seventh part of it to his service Let us suppose one man to owe unto anothers as much or more than his whole estate is worth the rule of equity will not allow him to offer less than the Seventh part in order to the compounding his debt and the just satisfaction of his Creditor 2. The Nature of Worship In it the Glory of God the eternal happiness of the Soul the temporal felicity of the Community are highly interested The difficulty in the right discharge of it is equal to the importance The Prince of this World makes it his work to hinder it The natural tempers of Men furnish him with a signal advantage to compass his design There is an inbred Love in us to sensible objects which are apt to ingenerate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Athenagoras speaks Leg. 〈◊〉 Christianis p. 30. This is the reason why the Second Commandment which relates to Worship is fortified with so many inducements to obedience One taken from the power of God to punish offenders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Another from his will to exert his power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Third from the execution of his Will upon the off-spring of those which offend visiting the iniquity c. A Fourth from his kindness to the obedient shewing mercy c. Had it not been difficult to confine our selves within the bounds of this Precept the fence which is set about it would not have been so strong If the Worship of God be a matter of such difficulty and of the greatest importance then it requires a very large proportion of our time to be spent in the performance of it and if so was it left to our own disposal we could not in justice allot less than the Seventh part 3. The pattern of the triumphant Church In Heaven a perpetual Sabbath is celebrated The glorified Spirits are constantly imployed in worshipping him who liveth for ever and ever Rev. 4.10 This heavenly example the Church Militant must makes as near an approach unto as the circumstances of this present life will permit she being obliged to endeavour That the will of God may be done on earth as it is in heaven Matt. 6. v. 10. Those who are most exercised with the incumbrances of this world have nothing to plead in their own behalf why they may not come up so nigh to this celestial pattern as to devote One Day of every Week to the concerns of Religion 4. The practice of the Militant Church not only under the Law but before From the beginning of the Creation the Time for Solemn Worship was no less than One whole Day every Week as is evident from the testimony of the Author to the Hebrews altho' the works were finished from the foundation of the world For he spake in a certain place of the Seventh Day on this wise And God did rest the seventh day from all his works Heb. 4.3 4. Here is an evident remembrance of a day of rest not only to God but to Men. For the design of the Apostle is to prove out of the 95. Psal That there remains a rest to the people of God under the Gospel In order to this purpose he shews it is not the rest of the Seventh from the Creation which the Psalmist had his eye upon If the Seventh here mentioned had not been a rest to the people of God but only to God himself there would have been no necessity of such care to distinguish it from that other rest which is concluded still to remain to the people of God 2. That time is expressed when this rest commenced from the foundation of the world The works then finished are represented as the ground upon which the Sabbath was instituted It cannot with reason be imagined That the foundation should be laid at the beginning and the superstruction not built upon it as some think till above Two Thousand years after This Assertion receives a great deal of strength from the early division of Time into Weeks Noah had his eye upon the Hebdomadal Cycle Gen. 8.10 12. A Week is represented as a period familiarly known in Jacob's time Gen. 29.27 God himself did point out this division by his own example distinguishing the Six Days by peculiar Works the Seventh by rest A universal consent prevailed amongst all the Eastern Nations about this particular The testimony of Joannes Philoponus is known 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 7. c. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is agreed amongst all Nations That there are Seven Days which by a constant revolution constitute all time Georgius Syncellus in his Chronology which begins with Adam and ends at Dioclesian asserts That the Patriarchs divided their time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that the division into Months and Years is of later date Josephus against Appion says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. There is no City whether Greek or Barbarian to whom was unknown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the division of Time into Weeks was from the beginning and a week consisted of seven days and one of those were a Sabbath or a day of rest the Sabbath must needs be from the beginning There is no record which makes mention of a week that doth not suppose the Sabbath to be a part of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst the Greeks is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Hebrows which Theophilus Antiochenus says E. z. ad Autol. p. 91. All Men had knowledge of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Sacred Oracles sometimes is put for a week the denomination of the whole being taken from the principal part Lev. 23.15 In the book entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is expressed That for many weeks the Seventh Day was celebrated as a day of rest The Chaldee Paraphrast upon the Title of Psalm 92. useth these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Song which the first Man sang on the Sabbath-day and upon the first verse of the Canticles the first Song Adam spake at the time when his sin was pardoned and the day of the Sabbath came and protected him Cain and Abel are said to bring their Sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the end of days by which we must understand theh period of a year or a month or some other term there being no division of time so early as that into Weeeks and nothing here can be so well understood by the end of Days as the end of a Week which was the Sabbath Indeed it is objected That if the Sabbath was so early as hath been
competent Judges of their own ability The generality are very partial in their reflections upon themselves are easily flattered into a belief that the dominion of their Reason is as large as those Monarchs have fancied their Territories who by the strength of imagination have entituled themselves to the regency of the World and expressed displeasure against Cosmographers for not allowing them a bigger space in their Tables This unfitness in men to judg of themselves devolves a necessity upon others to do it for them otherwise the ends of the Ministerial Function will be disappointed by an intrusion of the unskilful and confusion take place of all good order Those who judge must be persons of Learning and experience in the same imployment None can judge but those who are fit and none have such a degree of idoneity as those who are thus qualified The business of a Spiritual Pastor is not only to lead his flock into advantagious places to feed in it but to defend it against the rapine of Wolves not only to exhort but convince gain-sayers Tit. 3.9 Many of those who contend against the Truth making use of their improvements in humane Studies for the accomplishment of their end it is but expedient That they who are designed to enter the Lists with them should have skill at the same weapon This was perceived by Julian an irreconcileable enemy to the Faith of Christ who commanded That the Christians should be deprived of all Books of Learning to compensate which damage Apollina the Elder turned the Books of Moses into Heroick Verse the Younger the Gospel into Dialogues after the method of Plato Of this skill which a Minister ought to be endued with every Christian is not a competent Judge Not only the Law but the Gospel doth pronounce it reasonable That every man should be tried by his Peers The judgment which they give must not be concealed but declared to the Church for her direction That She may know whom to refuse and whom to accept as Ministers And it cannot be better declared than by some important actions as Prayer which has a tendency to invite from Heaven a Benediction upon the Heads and Hearts of those who are found qualified and Imposition of Hands which solemnly points out unto the People whom they are to entertain as their Pastours These actions being exerted by one who is invested with authority change the state of private Men and translate them out of a Civil into an Ecclesiastical capacity A Sence of the necessity of such Persons has been always so great that there is no Age but will furnish us with instances of them Before the Flood we meet with Preachers which were solemnly Commissioned to dispence the mind of Heaven Noah is stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Person in Commission constituted to proclaim the Will of his Prince Didym in Hom. â—â— 6. p. 183. Shrev The Scholiast upon Homer says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every King has his proper Heraulds This Office doth not open to every one who can perswade himself that he is indued with abilities agreeable to the importance of it but is peculiar only to those who are ordained to it Noah is stiled the Eighth Preacher It is more congruous to refer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He spared not the old World but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the Eighth Noah there being none of the name before but Noah the Eighth Preacher This contributes evidence to the act of Divine Justice in drowning the World which altho' eight eminent Preachers of Righteousness had been employed in order to the promoting a reformation neglected them all and entertained their advice with scorn and derision These Eight are Enos Cainan Mahalaleel Jared Enoch Mathusala Lamech Noah Enos challengeth the first place Of his time it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then Preaching began in the name of the Lord. That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may admit of this interpretation is evident Jonah 3.2 It has a plain affinity with the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived and is in the Septuagint expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 41.43 Exod. 32.5 Prov. 8.1 That which our Translation attributes to Men in general the Greek and Latin assigns to Enos only So that we are not destitute of authority if we thus read the Text Then Enos began to Preach in the name of the Lord. Namely concerning the desolation which the prophaneness of Cain's posterity would certainly draw upon the World if not prevented by a sincere and timely Repentance The Second Preacher is Cainan He was so eminent in this Sacred Function that the Kenites who were Scribes and solemnly ordained to expound the Divine Law 1 Chron. 2.55 received their denomination from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Third Mahalaleel The Character of his Office is legible in his name He was set apart to Praise God and proclaim his Righteous Will The Fourth Jared which word imports humility from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 descendere The humble God delights to teach and he that is taught of God is not unfit to communicate instruction to others The Fifth Enoch S. Jude represents him as a Prophet declaring that the Lord was coming to execute judgment upon all v. 14 15. His name is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to dedicate He was devoted solemnly to the Ministery and those words He walked with God argue that he exercised his Sacred Function The Jerusalem Targum expounds them He laboured in Truth before God even as the Elders are said to labour in Word and Doctrin 1 Tim. 5. The Sixth is Methusala He is the Son of a Prophet and in his very Name did foretel the Flood It is compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to import that when he was dead God would send a universal Deluge He died according to this prediction in the beginning of the year in which the Flood was The Seventh was Lamech He gave an undoubted testimony of his being under the power of a Prophetick Spirit by naming his Son Noah and expounding the meaning of it in these words The same shall comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed Gen. 5.29 They plainly presage some signal consolation which would accrue to mankind by him After the Flood until the time of the Law we are not without instances of a like importance The First-born in every Family did execute the Sacerdotal Function We read of Priests before the order of Aaron was instituted and young men sent by Moses to offer burnt offerings which the Chaldee Paraphrase renders the first-born Exod. 19.22 This is the reason why the Apostle in his Epistle to the posterity of Heber in allusion to this Institution saies Ye are come to