Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
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A41622
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Principles and rules of the Gospel offer'd for the help of all who desire to live disciples of Jesus Christ.
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Gother, John, d. 1704.
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1700
(1700)
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Wing G1346; ESTC R217959
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110,892
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315
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they inform thee according to the Sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee and according to the Judgment which they shall tell thee thou shalt do thou shalt not decline from the Sentence which they shall shew thee to the Right Hand nor to the Left And the Man that will do presumptuously and will not hearken unto the Priest that standeth to Minister there before the Lord thy God or unto the Judge even that Man shall die And thou shalt put away the evil from Israel And all the people shall hear and fear and do no more presumptuously Deut. 17. 9. How strict is the Discipline enjoin'd by God in Common Cases How severe the Punishment of Disobedience And Samuel saith Hath the Lord as great delight in Burnt Offerings and Sacrifices as in obeying the Voice of the Lord Behold to obey is better than Sacrifice and to hearken than the Fat of Rams For rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft and stubbornness is as Iniquity and Idolatry Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord he hath also rejected thee from being King 1 Sam. 15. 22. Obedience to the Command of God the best Sacrifice Sacrifice without Obedience is Rebellion and Idolatry The Priest's lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth For he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts Mal. 2. 7. The Minister of God is to deliver the Law of God The New Law Then spake Jesus to the Multitude and to his Disciples saying The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses Seat All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do but do not ye after their Works For they say and do not Mat. 23. 1. Those who are in Authority are to be obey'd tho' they give not good Example These twelve Jesus sent forth as ye go preach saying The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Provide neither Gold nor Silver For the workman is worthy of his meat And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words When ye depart out of that House or City shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you It shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the Day of Judgment than for that City Mat. 10. 5 9 14. Christ gives Authority to teach The Flock is to feed their Pastors The Obligation of hearing those whom Christ has put over the Flock is from the Command of Christ How strict this obligation is may be seen in the rigor of their punishment who refuse to hear them He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me Mat. 10. 40. How great encouragement to hear those whom Christ has appointed to teach the Flock To receive them to submit to them is to receive and submit to God If he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church But if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man and a Publican Verily I say unto you Whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven And whatsoever ye shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven Mat. 18. 17. See what is the Authority of the Church in common cases Not to Submit to her Determination is the Crime of a Heathen of one who believes not in God And is not this Authority confirm'd while Heaven is declar'd to join with her in the Sentence she pronounces There can be no Appeal then from the Church to God And while both concur one cannot be question'd without arraigning the other Jesus came and spake unto them saying All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you And lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World Amen Mat. 28. 18. The Command of Hearing those whom Christ has made the Pastors of his Flock is to all Nations But What need of a Command when the Promise of a Divine Assistance always attending them to the end of the World is obligation enough upon all those who desire to be taught the Truth And he said unto them Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Mar. 16. 15. Christ sends to the whole World and commands the whole World to believe those whom he sends to teach them What must their Authority and Commission be when Damnation is the Punishment of such as refuse to believe He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me And he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luk. 10. 16. What more powerful Argument could Christ use for obliging the World to hear those whom he has sent In them God is heard or despis'd Pastoral Authority and Truth is originally in God it is communicated to the Son by the Mission of the Father to the Apostles by the Mission of the Son to the following Pastors by their Succession to the Apostles I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him Jo. 14. 16. Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth Jo. 16. 13. Great Mercy of God to the Flock to deliver them from all Uncertainty of Truth by appointing the Spirit of Truth to teach them in their Pastors Verily verily I say unto you He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me And he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me Jo. 13. 20. They whom Christ sends are associated in his Mission being deputed by him their Authority is his How terrible their mistake in rejecting Jesus Christ when they think they reject nothing but Man No true Mission but what was given by Jesus Christ to his Apostles and by a Succession from them is communicated to others If any other be pretended it is Extraordinary and ought to be authoriz'd by Miracle to give it Credit Then said Jesus to them again Peace be unto you as my Father hath sent me even so send I you And when he had said this he breathed on them and saith unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost Whose soever Sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever Sins ye retain they are retained Jo. 20. 21. What Authority in this Mission As my Father hath sent me even so send I you The Holy Ghost being Communicated Man is only the Minister and the Power is of God Can such Authority such Power be question'd by Man Now send Men to Joppa and call for one Simon whose Sirname is Peter he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do Act. 10. 5. An Angel from Heaven is sent to Cornelius to direct him to Peter tho' God inspires
Profession and have no part in this general Corruption A. I have already told you He must follow the Gospel which is the Rule Christ has given him he must study what the Spirit of the Gospel is and with all solicitude endeavour to live according to this Spirit Whatever is there commanded he must observe Whatever is there forbid he must avoid Whatever is there approv'd he must approve Whatever is there declar'd the Character of things whether as Good or Evil as Honourable or Dishonourable as Edifying or Scandalous as Profitable or Dangerous accordingly he must esteem them and hence taking the true Measures of all things by these Measures he must govern his Life Q. But if Inclination or the World put in their Plea and give very different notions of things from what is delivered in the Gospel A. As often as they do so they are not to be Regarded â—nd much less Followed The Christian is to be True to his Profession and all such Suggestions are to be look'd upon as Trials of his Fidelity and as Temptations which he is bound to resist And this he must do with resolution Q. But if Custom and Example be pleaded A. If they be What Authority can there be in these against the manifest Will of God These cannot make void what God has said or evacuate his Law Let the Gospel then be consulted and as this determines so it must stand good whatever it be that appears against it If we could suppose it to be an Angel from Heaven yet in this case he is not to be regarded how much less therefore the Custom or Example of Weak and Sinful Men Q. If Company undertakes to Perswade A. Whatever Power there be in this yet no Christian can think it reasonable to hearken to Man rather than God In a Case where God has spoke there can be no Appeal to Man All such Perswasions therefore as far as they are disagreeable to the Gospel are to be look'd upon as Snares such as the Christian is bound with all Diligence to avoid Q. Then you will allow of nothing to prevail in this Case A. No of nothing There is no Authority here in Number the Reputation of Learning Exemplarity or Piety can authorize nothing which the Gospel condemns or reproves All must stand as it is there delivered and to set up for other Notions is to attempt against God Q. And now for the Practice of this Doctrine how must this be A. For Practice a Christian must seriously examin all the General Concerns of Human Life and having discover'd how far the Gospel encourages or allows in each and how far it disapproves he must take this for his Standard and endeavour to come as near it as he can without taking notice of whatever is pleaded by the World or Inclination to the contrary A Life thus regulated will certainly be a Christian Life such as I heartily recommend and will certainly at our Dying hour be the greatest of all Comforts But now to offer some help in it I must make an Essay of bringing all things to the Ballance and seeing how they weigh by the Weights of the Sanctuary so to discover how far the Christian walks by this Rule and in what Particulars departs from it CHAP. V. Of Cloaths Q. WHAT direction do's the Gospel the Christian's Rule give concerning Cloathing A. Several Particulars are there mention'd which give sufficient light in this Point for all such as truly desire to walk by its Spirit Q. What are these A. First in the Commendation of S. John Baptist who being set above all that are born of Women has this particularly remark'd of him That he had his raiment of camels hair and a leathern Girdle about his loins Mat. 3. 4. And this very thing is taken notice of by Christ himself who in his Praises of him to the multitude observes that he was not cloath'd in soft raiment Mat. 11. 8. 2dly In the Particular of the Disorders found in the Rich Glutton who was tormented in Hell Amongst which this is distinctly observ'd That he was cloath'd in Purple and Fine linen Luk. 16. 19. 3dly In S. Paul's Epistle Where he gives in this Advice We brought nothing with us into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out Having food and raiment let us be therewith content 1 Tim. 6. 7 8. I will therefore that women adorn themselves in Modest Apparel with shamefac'dness and sobriety Not with broider'd hair or gold or pearls or costly Array but which becometh women professing Godliness with good works 1 Tim. 2. 9 10. 4thly In the charge given by S. Peter to Wives Whose adorning says he let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair and of wearing of Gold or of putting on of Apparel but let it the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit 1 Pet. 3. 3 4. Here you see in a few words what the Gospel approves and what it disapproves in this Point so that whatever constructions are put upon the Words yet still it is evident what method they are to follow who resolve that not the World but the Gospel shall be their Rule Q. This must be confess'd even by the World and Vanity it self tho' they cannot follow it But is there any thing more upon this Subject A. The same may be still farther press'd from other Heads as First Vanity Pride Ambition and Envy are contrary to the Gospel therefore such Christians as desire to live by the Gospel must not permit these to have any part in buying their Cloaths or putting them on but instead of Following must not Follow what these suggest and such as do otherwise have not the Gospel for their Rule Secondly All that falls under the Heads of Excess Immoderateness Prodigality or Wasting what should be the Provision of Family is reproved by the Gospel Therefore all such expensive Cloathing as falls under any of these Heads is departing from the Spirit of the Gospel Thirdly The Gospel prescribes seeking First the Kingdom of God Redeeming the time Giving alms not Seeking to please the World Therefore all that must be condemn'd as disagreeable to the Gospel where the solicitude is greater for complying with a vain World or a vain Humor than for seeking Heaven where the Time and Money which are Blessings given for better uses are wasted in setting forth a rotten and sinful Carcass Lastly Justice is absolutely required by the Gospel therefore all that Care Solicitude and Expence must be contrary to the Gospel which is in the service of Injustice And is not all that so which is applied to the Gratifying Flattering and Exalting the Body which for its Unworthiness and manifold Sins against God deserves nothing but Contempt and Punishment Here now having Consider'd all that belongs to Cloathing by the Gospel you see what is approv'd and what is disapprov'd Cloathing for necessity is approv'd