Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A53671
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A brief instruction in the worship of God, and discipline of the churches of the New Testament, by way of question and answer with an explication and confirmation of those answers.
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Owen, John, 1616-1683.
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1667
(1667)
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Wing O721; ESTC R9489
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80,905
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account that the people might fear that glorious and dreadfull name the Lord thy God Deut. 28.58 which name he had so often engaged in his commands saying thou shalt do it I am the Lord. And in the New Testament our Lord Jesus Christ proposeth his authority as the foundation of his commanding and our observation of all the institutions of the Gospel Mat. 28.18 19 20. Jesus came and spake unto them saying all power is given me in heaven and earth go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you And he is to be considered in all our obedience as the great and only Law-giver of his Church as the one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy James 4.12 the Soveraign Lord over his house Heb. 3.4 5 6. unto whom every knee is to bow and every conscience to be in subjection and he who heareth not his voice is to be cut off from the people of God Acts 3.23 It shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Secondly God hath frequently promised his speciall presence in and with his instituted Ordinances Of old both unto the things themselves and the places wherein they were according to his appointment to be celebrated those of places being also of his speciall institution Under the New Testament all difference of and respect unto place is taken away John 4.21 The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father but the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him And we are commanded in all places equally to make our prayers and supplications but his presence is promised and continued with the due celebration of the things themselves by him appointed for his service Maâ— 28.20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and loe I am with you even to the end of the world In them is the Tabernacle of God with men and he dwells among them and they are his people Rev. 21.3 the promise of Christ being that where two or three are assembled in his name there he will be in midst of them Mat. 8.18 20. And this promised presence of God or Christ consisteth 1. In the power and efficacy which he by his Spirit implants upon his Ordinances to communicate his Grace and mercy unto his Church it being his Covenant that his Spirit shall accompany his word for ever unto that purpose Isa. 59.21 2. In the special blessing which he gives his people in those duties both in the acceptance of them and testifying his good will unto them Exod. 29.42 43 45. At the Tabernacle of the Congregation will I meet with the People saith the Lord there will I meet with the children of Israel And the Tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory and I will dwell amongst the children of Israel and will be their God Zech. 2.10 11. Ezek. 20.40 41. I will accept you with your sweet savour Ezek. 43.27 in both giving them intimate communion with himself by Jesus Christ John 1.3 By all these he gives that special presence which he requires an especiall reverence and regard of faith unto whereby his name is yet farther sanctified 3. God hath given special promises or promises of his speciall grace unto them that attend upon him in his worship in a due manner and hereunto also belongs that sacred Relation which by vertue of divine institution is between the sacramentall elements and the especial Graces of the Covenant which they exhibit and confirm and the mixing of these promises with faith according as they are appropriated unto any particular institution belongs also to the right sanctification of the name of God So also 4. doth our delight in them now this delight in the worship of God so much commended in the Scripture and proposed unto our example consists not in any carnall self-pleasing or satisfaction in the outward modes or manner of the performance of Divine Worship but it is an holy soul-refreshing contemplation on the will Wisdom Grace and Condescention of God in that he is pleased of his own Soveraign meer will and grace so to manifest himself unto such poor sinfull creatures as we are so to condescend unto out weakness so to communicate himself unto us so to excite and draw forth our souls unto himself and to give us such pledges of his gracious intercourse with us by Jesus Christ by the contemplation of these things is the soul drawn forth to delight in God Lastly Whereas great opposition lyes oftentimes against the Churches obedience unto God in this matter and much persecution befalls it on that account great weariness also being apt from the remainders of unbelief carnall wisdom indwelling sin weakness of the flesh in Believers themselves to arise in the course thereof and many temptations also beset them on every hand to turn them aside from the way of truth and holiness constancy and perseverance in the due and orderly celebration of all the Ordinances of the Gospel belongs unto this duty And this perseverance respecteth both the things themselves and the manner of their performance both which are of the highest concernment for us diligently to attend unto First As to the things themselves herein do we principally glorifie God and give due honour unto Jesus Christ when we abide in our professed subjection unto him and observance of his commands against difficulties oppositions and persecutions This he taketh notice of Rev. 2.13 Thou holdest fast my name and hast not denyed my faith even in those dayes wherein Antipas was my faithfull Martyr who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth And this he requireth of us indispensably if we will be his Disciples or ever hope to obtain the reward Mat. 10.38 39. He that taketh not his Cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me and it is he who endureth unto the end that shall be saved Matth. 24.13 And unto them who are faithfull unto the death and them alone doth he give the Crown of Life Rev. 2.10 giving us caution not to lose those things which we have wrought that we may receive a full reward 2 John 8. And as to the manner of their performance two things are to be regarded in this duty of perseverance and the sanctification of the name of God therein First The inward principle of our obedience our faith and love which are to be preserved from decay Rev 2. 4 5. I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works Chap. 3.3 Remember how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent Secondly The outward manner of
sending out and is referred unto the same series of miracles which they wrought in pursuit and by vertue thereof they cast out many Devils and anointed with Oyle many that were sick and healed them And by what is there recorded the subsequent mention of it James 5.14 is to be regulated but now unto a reall evangelical institution of worship it is required 1. That it be a command of Christ manifested by his Word or Example proposed unto our imitation Matth. 28.20 2. That it be given and enjoyned unto the whole Church with the limitation of its administration expressed in the Word 1 Cor. 11.25 3. That unto the due performance of it Gospel grace be required in them that attend unto it 4. That it teach or represent or seal or improve some grace of the Covenant and have a promise of acceptation annexed unto it and whatever is thus appointed the Church is indispensably to continue in the observation of unto the end of the World Quest. 14. May not the Church find out and appoint to be observed such religious rites as being adjoyned unto the celebration of Gods instituted worship may farther the devotion of the Worshipers and render the worship it self in its performance more decent beautiful and orderly as the appointing of Images and the like Answ. All acceptable devotion in them that worship God is the effect of faith which respects the precepts and promises of God alone And the comeliness and beauty of Gospel worship consisteth in its relation unto God by Iesus Christ as the merciful high-Priest over his house with the glorious administration of the spirit therein The order also of it lyeth in the due and regular observation of all that Christ hath appointed and therefore all such inventions are in themselves needless and useless and because forbidden unlawful to be observed Rom. 1.21 Chap. 14.23 Heb. 4.2 Chap. 11.6 Deut. 13.4 Chap. 27.10 Chap. 30.2.8 20. Chap. 11.27 Matth. 27.5 Isa. 29.13 Heb. 11.4 6. Ephes. 2.18 2 Cor. 3.8 9 10 11. Heb. 10.19 20 21 22. John 4.21 23. 1 Cor. 14.20 Matth. 28.20 Exod. 20.4 Deut. 4.2 Matth. 15.13 Isa. 29.13 Deut. 12.32 Chap. 17.3 Explication Three things are usually pleaded in the Justification of the observance of such rites and ceremonies in the worship of God 1. That they tend unto the furtherance of the devotion of the Worshipers 2. That they render the Worship it self comely and beautiful 3. That they are the great preservers of order in the celebration thereof And therefore on these accounts they may be instituted or appointed by some and observed by all But things are indeed quite otherwise God is a spirit and will be worshiped in spirit and in truth John 4.24 And no devotion is acceptable unto him but what proceedeth from and is an effect of faith for without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 and faith in all things respects the commands and authority of God for saith he in vain do they worship me who teach for doctrines the commandments of men Matth. 15.9 and he rejecteth all that honour which is given him by those whose fear towards him or worship of him is taught by the precepts of men Isa. 29.13 These things therefore being utterly destitute of divine Authority they can no way farther or promote the devotion of the Worshipers What natural or carnal affections may be excited by them as men may inflame themselves with Idols Isa. 57.5 or what outward outside devotion they may direct unto or excite is uncertain but that they are no means of stirring up the grace of God in the hearts of Believers or of the increase or strengthening of their faith which things alone God accepts in Gospel Worship seeing they are not appointed by him for any such purpose is most certain for to say that any thing will effectually stir up devotion that is excite strengthen or increase grace in the heart towards God that is not of his own appointment is on the one hand to reflect on his wisdome and care towards his Church as if he had been wanting towards it in things so necessary which he declares against Isa. 5.4 what saith he could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it so on the other it extolls the wisdom of men above what is meet to ascribe unto it Shall men find out that which God would not or could not in matters of so great importance unto his glory and the souls of them that obey him yea and it cannot be but that attendance unto them and their effects must needs divert the mind from those proper spiritual actings of faith and grace which is its duty to attend unto And this is evidently seen in them who indulging to themselves in their observation in multiplyed instances as in the Church of Rome have changed the whole spiritual worship of the Church into a Theatrical pompeous shew of carnal devotion Secondly The comelyness and beauty of Gospel worship doth not in the least depend upon them nor their observation The Apostle doth in sundry places expresly compare the spiritual worship of the Gosple with that of the Law whilest the Church had a worldly Sanctuary and carnal Ordinances Heb. 9.1 and although it be most evident that the worship of the Old Testament did for the glory and ornaments of outward ceremonies and the splendour of their observation far exceed and excell that worship which God commands now as suitable unto the simplicity of the Gospel yet doth the Apostle prefer this for glory comelyness and beauty unspeakably above the other which manifests that these things can have no respect unto outward Rites and Ceremonies wherein the chief admirers of them can no way vye for glory with the old worship of the Temple So the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.7 8 9 10 11. if the ministration of death written and engraven in stones was glorious so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance which glory was to be done away how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious for if the ministration of condemnation be glory much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory for even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth for if that which was done away is glorious much more that which remaineth is glorious He compareth the two ministrations and the several worships of the Law and Gospel preferring this unspeakably above the other sufficiently manifesting that the glory of it consisteth not in any pompeous observance of outward Ceremonies And elsewhere He declareth that indeed it doth consist in its relation to God in Christ with the liberty and boldness of the worshipers to enter into the holy place unto the Throne of Grace under the Ministry of their merciful and faithful High-Priest being enabled thereunto by the spirit of adoption and supplications