SHECINAH the Majesty of God and his Glory dwelling upon the Ark Divinitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gloria Divina inter homines habitans a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habitare Haebroram magistri vocant divinum Majestatem Shecinah quod suae ecclesiae habitet adsit ubique locorum presentis Merc. in Pagn for this was the usual terme to expresse Gods Majesty and Presence in his Church by And the Hebrews by Shecinah are wont to note that visible sign of the Lords Presence whereby he signifyed to the Jews that he would dwell and stay amongst them and what the Jews are wont to call Shecinah in the Scripture we may often find set out by Gods Glory And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is frequently used both in the LXX and New Testament in that Sense Now because the Ark was counted the most holy type that the Jews had and the most Principal evidence and Pledge of Gods Presence hence God sanctified those Places where the Ark came because of the solemnity of manifesting of his Presence This Solomon hath fully expressed â—2 Chron. â—8 11 The places are Holy whereunto the Ark of the Lord hath come Hence came that Legal Sanctity that ceremonial holinesse that was put upon the Tabernacle and Temple because of the Arks being there Exod. 29.43 Aram privatam non esse licitam nisi prophetis The Tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory Here they â—ere to Sacrifice without an extraordinary â—arrant to the contrary As the Hebrews say A private Altar was not lawful to be erected but by a Prophet And the Temple upon such accounts was a Part of their ceremonial Worship 1 King 8.48 Dan 6.10 And they were to set their faces towards it when they Prayed And all this not so much for the Types sake as for the thing Typifyed by all these and that was Christ through whom alone God accepts both of our Persons Prayers and all our Performances Therefore it follows that all that Legal and Ceremonial holiness of Places should quite vanish away with the Types when Christ who is the substance at which all these shadows Pointed is come So that however we may grant under the Gospel Places appropriate to divine worship and in that sense Holy because separated from a common use as the word used for Holinesse in Scripture viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does Properly signifie Yet I have neither faith to beleeve nor any reason to see that there is in any such separated Merc. in Rad. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pagn I add and consecrated Places for Divine Worship any such Legal or Ceremonial kind of Holiness which renders Duties performed there more acceptable unto God than if performed by the same Persons and in the like manner in any other Places Which both in the Speculation Raph de Torre in 2.2 q. 83 â—â—r 3. p. 301 â—cit in Tast. Sa. p. 247 Thes Sal. p. 3.667 § 22. and in the Practice smells too tank of down-right Popery This leads mee to the last Proposition § 15. Propos 7. Though Christ hath removed all distinction of places through legal Holiness yet hath hee made ample provision for his special presence in places of Religious Worship under the Gospel I need not stand at all upon this Proposition the former Part of it being cleared already and the latter Part to be proved throughout the remainder of this discourse Onely for further satisfaction we may consider the speech of our Saviour to the Samaritane Woman concerning the abolishing of all distinction of Places for Worship through a Ceremonial Holiness The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain John 4.21 i. e. Mount Garizim nor yet at Jerusalem Worship the Father The Publick Worship of God was now to be restrained to no Place as formerly it was to the Temple at Jerusalem That is to no Place for its Ceremonial Holinesse which may render the Parts of Divine Service more acceptable to God than if performed elsewhere Because those Types which sanctified the Places formerly were now to be taken away when Christ the substance is come And the body of the Ceremonial Worship being now to expire and the Partition Wall taken down that the Gentiles might be admitted to worship God in Spirit and Truth It could not possibly bee for these reasons that the true worship of God should be tyed and fixed to any one such Temple as was at Jernsalem any more So that the observation holds very true of our ordinary Temples Our Temples are but loci ut loci Weemes 1 vol. Christian Synagogue p. 110. places as meere places when as the Temple at Jerusalem was locus ut sic a place in such a respect viz. a mean of Gods VVorship and part of their Ceremonial service and Type of Christ But our Temples are not a part of the VVorship of God nor Types of the body of Christ neither are we bound when wee Pray to set our faces towards them They are called places of Prayer onely because the Saints meet there and if the Saints meeting were not in them they were but like other common places The Temple of Jerusalem sanctified the meeting of the Saints but the meeting of the Saints sanctifies our Temples Here then arises that ample provision that Christ hath made for his special Presence in the places of religious Worship viz. from the communion of Saints meeting in convenient separate places for Publick Worship and from the Promises annexed thereto and not from any peculiar holinesse that is in those places where they thus meet to Worship and serve God and perform Religious Duties Which I shall endeavour to make good in the proof of that conclusion c. 3. § 5. I formerly mentioned viz. That the place of Gods Worship is the place of Gods singular Presence CHAP. V. Gods special Presence set out by his train and retinue of Angels Psal 68.17 cleared The Presence of Angels in places of Religious Worship Isa 6.1 2. opened Arguments to prove the Angles Presence in places of Worship under the Gospel Angels Ministring Spirits 1 Cor. 11.10 explained and vindicated Because of the Angels Not meant of Ministers not of the Devils not propounded to excite to an imitation of the holy Angels Why the Argument is drawn from the Angels to urge decency and reverence in Publick Worship § 1. HAving in the fore-going Chapter premised and proved seven Preparatory Propositions It is high time to set upon the proof of the main Conclusion just before propounded And the first Argument that I shall make use of is taken from the holy Angels Argâ— 1. If the holy Angels are peculiarly present in places of Religious Worship then those are the places of Gods singular Presence The reason of the consequence is clear because the very formality of Gods special Presence is often set out in Scripture by his Train and Retinue of Angels Two things here are to be made good
1. That the Presence of God is set out by his Retinue of Angels 2. That this Train and Guard of Angels is present in the places of Worship For the first of these it were easie to shew from several Scripture instances that Gods special Presence is set out by his Guard and Retinue of Angels Medes Reverence of Gods house p. â— 92. § 2 But that I finde it already done to my hand which saves the labour of taking much pains or spending much time upon this particular Onely I cannot but take notice of the signal and singular modesty of so admirably learned a man who propounds his notions with much clearness and evidence yet still with a full submission to better Judgements This present notion hee thus propounds The specification of the Divine Presence whereby God it said to be in one place more than another I suppose under correction to consist in his Train or Retinue A King is there where his Court is where his Train and Retinue are So God the Lord of Hosts is there specially present where the heavenly Guard the blessed Angels keep their station and Randezvouze This hee clears from Gods appearing to Jacob at Bethel Gen. 28. Act. 7.53 Gal. 3.19 from the Law given at Mount Sinai which Stephen and the Apostle say was given by Angels though no mention made of them in the story the expression therefore arising from a supposition that the special Presence of the Divine Majesty consists in the encamping of his Sacred Retinue the Angels and from Dan. 7.10 and vers 14. Epist Jude It may serve I confess to clear up the sense of very many difficult and obscure places of Scripture I shall mention onely one more which hee insists not on Psal 68.17 The Chariots of the Lord are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels The Lord is among them as in Sinai in the Holy place That the Psalmist is here speaking of Gods special Presence is evident and apparent if wee consider the fore-going verse Verse 16 This is the hill that God desireth to dwell in Hee speaks here of the Hill Zion where the Temple was fixed the place of Gods residence his Mansion-house as it were where God in a peculiar manner is said to dwell Now in vers 17. David declares what this Presence is 〈◊〉 which Calvinus in locum thus Calvin Quia maligne ut plurimum nec justo pretio aestimatur Dei Presentia eam magnifice Elogio commendat hâ—c David Most men are very apt to entertain very low thoughts of Gods Presence and therefore David here doth so highly exalt it And how doth hee describe it The Chariots of the Lord are twenty thousand c. In the translation of this place I finde some variety But I think Dulcius ex ipso fonte the neerer the fountain the sweeter and clearer the stream Aynsworth following closely the Original thus renders it Gods Chariot twice ten thousand thousands of Angels the Lord is with them as in Sinai in the Sanctuary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods Chariot that Chariot of Majesty that God in a peculiar manner is said to be present in that hee uses for his service to defend the Church and destroy his enemies What is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Twice ten thousand thousands of Angels The Hebrew Shinan De voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V. Merc. in Pagn in R. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in quadratis See also Aynsworth on the place translated Angels is not elsewhere found in Scripture It seemeth to come from Shanah to second The Angels being second or next to God Thus the chief Princes Dan. 10.13 as those in place next Kings are called the second to them 2 Chron. 28.7 and Esther 10.3 of Elkanah and Mordecai who were next to the Kings there mentioned of each 't is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee was second to the King This name excellently well suits with the Angels as being of Gods Train and Retinue and that they are taken in this notion in this place is evident from that which follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord is with them or in them The thousands of Angels they are the Guard the Train of the Majesty of Heaven and the Lord is present with them they are his Chariot of state and the Lord is in them where ever they are they denote his special Presence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As in Sinai in the Sanctuary These words are Elliptical very short and concise as the Hebrew phrase often is and therefore there is a necessity of a supply to make out the sense Two waies I finde the most approved 1. As our Translation and Aynsworth and others by adding the particles As in As in Sinai in the Sanctuary or Holy place Then the meaning is best known by referring the last clause to the words fore-going as wee know transpositions very usual in Scripture as well as other Authors Thus The Lord is with them or among them in the Sanctuary as in Sinai Now how was the Lord with the Angels in Mount Sinai I have shewed before as in the midst of his Train and Retinue So that the Law which was given by God unto Moses the Angels being present is said to be given by them or it is all one if wee gather onely thus much that the Law was given and proclaimed among them they being then as an heavenly Army attending upon God at that present and though Moses never expressed this yet it may clearly be gathered out of the New Testament from three places Thus likewise is the Lord with them in the Sanctuary Act. 7.53 Gal. 3.19 Heb. 2.2 to evidence which the Cherubim were placed upon the Ark which was the place of his special residence 2. I finde the Ellipsis otherwise supplied by the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord is in them in Sinai in the Sanctuary And this I take to bee an Asyndeton and the sense then to run thus and the Lord is among them both as hee declared his special Presence in Mount Sinai and also in the Sanctuary whether wee take the Sanctuary for the Tabernacle or the Temple Gods special Presence in both was by the Angels Of which I come now to speak it being the second thing to be made good § 2. Now that this Train and Retinue of Angels is present in the places of Religigious Worship will be evident from those places which in describing Gods Presence there do immediately make mention of the Angels Thus the Prophet Isaiah Isa 6.1 â— I saw also the Lord sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up and his Train filled the Temple Above it stood the Seraphims To assert here that the Train in this place is to be understood of the Retinue and Train of Angels would but impose a fallacy upon the minds of the less judicious by reason of the equivocation of the word For it is evident that the
God 3. As to the presence of Gods Grace wee must distinguish For this is twofold First That whereby hee enlivens mens persons without which they remain dead in sins Thus is hee present alwaies with his Saints this is not here meant Cain never went from this presence for hee never enjoyed it Never any yet brought Cain as an instance or example of falling from Grace which would be very plain if it were meant of this presence Secondly That whereby hee enlivens his Ordinances without which they are as an empty sound and a dead letter God is singularly present where hee is worshipped and his Ordinances enjoyed Where two or three are gathered together I will be there in the midst of them Cain forsook Gods presence when hee left the place of Gods Worship and his Ordinances ☜ § 3. That this is the meaning of that place will appear 1. From the intendment and purport of the Hebrew phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a facibus Domini From the face or presence of the Lord. The face of God in Scripture is often used to set out the presence of God in his Ordinances in the Congregation of his people Vid. Glassii Rhetor. Sacr. Tr. 1. c. 7. Exod. 23.15 None shall appear before mee empty In the Hebrew thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My face shall not bee seen which is meant of his presence in his Worship in the place appointed Vers 17. Three times thy males shall appear before the Lord Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the face of the Lord. Therefore the Shew-bread is called panis facierum Exod. 25.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 panis facierum ex eo quod immediate sequitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 juxta faciem meam semper Schindl Lex Pentag the bread of faces or of Gods presence because it alwaies stood before God in the place of his Worship Or as Aynsworth fully expresses it because the Shew-bread was alwaies to be set before the face or in the presence of God continually Wee may finde this phrase The face of God used often to denote Gods presence in the Scripture And that Moses in this place made use of this same kind of speech to set out Gods presence in his Worship though that which first occasioned it was not till the Sanctuary was erected for Gods Service fully known It is by a Prolepsis usual and frequent in Scripture Another Instance of which wee have in the very verse before us And hee dwelt in the Land of Nod. Though the Land had its name from Cains wandring yet by an Anticipation 't is here set down as if it had been called the Land of Nod before ever Cain came there 2. From parallel Scriptures The same phrase occurs twice in one verse Jonah 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Jonah went down to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. The same words in the Hebr. with those in Gen. 4. Jonah would have left Gods Church and have flown to Tarshish where the Heathen lived Hee knew that out of the holy Land there were no Visions nor Revelations and so thought God would trouble him no more with his Message to Nineveh when hee was in those strange places This one thus explains The presence of God Vide Mercer in locum Baro in lon c. 1. prael 7. p. 46 is here taken for Gods singular presence and favour not that whereby hee is every where present but with which hee manifests his favour to certain peculiar families and the persons in them Hence God is said sometimes to be absent sometimes present In which sense Cain is said to go out of the presence of the Lord Gen. 4.16 that is from the favour and singular presence of God For since he could be no where but he must needs be in Gods sight Moses here saith hee went out of Gods presence because when the rest of Adams children continued in the favour of God with which hee cherishes and supports his own people Cain onely as a Vagabond departs from God and from that place and company Ab ce loco coetu in which God was wont to manifest his singular grace But that this phrase doth denote Gods presence in the place of his Worship may most clearly by comparing two places appear In 1 Chron. 16.29 Bring an Offering 1 Chron. 16.29 with Psal 96.8 and come before him Hebr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same with that in the fore-cited place And this in Psal 96.8 is explained the Courts of God the place of Divine Worship Bring an Offering and come into his Courts These are terms equipollent 3. This may further be evidenced by the concurrent Judgement of very many able and learned Expositors Some of which I shall here mention Piscat in Gen. 4.14 From his presence that is from the place where his Parents with their family were met together for the Worship of God with which kinde of Congregations God is wont to be present with his singular Grace Junius thus Junius Anal in Gen. T. 1 Hee went out of the presence of the Lord and so also out of the presence of his Parents and of the Church of God that was remaining with them Glas Rhet. Sac. 1. Tr. c. 7 Glassius explains it thus A loco in quo Parentes ejus Deo cultum praestabant Hee went out from the place where his Parents were wont to worship God A three-fold cord is not so easily broken I might add others The English Annotations are as express in this sense as any â—ey in L. Aynsworth â—n Loc. Let mee onely add what Aynsworth notes on these words From his presence that is from the place of his Publick Worship and his Word which was held by Adam who taught his children how to sacrifize and serve the Lord. So that Cains leaving Gods presence is casting off Gods Ordinances and leaving his Worship in Publick Thus much may serve to answer the first question § 4. The second Question What is meant by Cains dwelling in the Land of Nod Ans 1. V. Chr. Cart-Wright in Gen. Some think the name here to be a meer Appellative and not the name of a place Thus S. Hierom who interprets Nod by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one wandring and wavering up and down in the Earth And thus hee thinks Gods curse is fulfilled on Cain who sayes hee should bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 12. A Fugitive and a Vagabond thou shalt be on the Earth But the description of this Land of Nod by the punctual situation in the end of the verse Nod on the East of Eden Is a sufficient confutation of this Opinion 2. 'T is evident the place is so called by a Prolepsis or Anticipation from Cains wandring there For it was not called by that name till hee came to it This I finde agreed on by all those I have seen except the fore-said Author And it seems to mee very clear that not onely
the place where Cain was but also the state and condition that hee was in is hinted to us by that expression the Land of Nod which comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vagari Thus the learned Bochartus renders it Bochart Geog. Sa p. 57 Junius Anal in Gen. T. 1. Terra Nod est terra exilii quia ibi exulavit Cain The Land of Nod is the Land of Banishment because Cain was banished there And likewise Junius Terra Nod est terra vagationis erroris The Land of Nod is the Land of wandring and error yet hee there geographically describes the Country So that the meaning of it seems to be this That Cain was in a wandring unsettled condition when once hee left Gods presence Not but that hee was fixed in a place for the next verse tells us hee built a City But as Luther well observed hee was without Gods promise and Gods protection hee was upon the Devils ground when hee had left Gods Worship Sine certa Regula tum vivendi tum moriendi Hee had no fixed rule either for holy living or happy dying § 5. Having thus cleared the difficulties of this place I shall in one word or two shew the usefulness and subserviency of it to my present design which may easily be seen in a double corallory which naturally flows from it That the place of Gods Worship Cor. is the place of Gods singular presence And if any think this to be a truth appropriate onely to the Sanctuary and Temple-service and to the Ceremonial Worship of God under the Law Let such seriously consider that though the phrase be borrowed from Gods manifesting of himself in the Sanctuary yet Moses was directed by the Spirit of God to apply it to Gods Worship in that time which was a long while before any Ceremonies were instituted or commanded by God as Ceremonies Though some things were then in use which afterwards were incorporated into the body of the Jewish Ceremonies But the Gospel closing with and owning this Truth as proper to its dispensation after the coming of the Messiah wee have no reason but to own it as a sober Truth pertinent to the Worship and Service of God in all ages and to the divers dispensations that the Church lived under Though wee easily grant it to be more visibly exemplified under that dispensation which was chiefly Ceremonial Of which more afterwards c. 4. §. 14 2 Cor. That they which voluntarily leave Gods Instituted Worship and his commanded Ordinances put themselves into a wandring condition The first of these Conclusions I intend chiefly to prosecute and build upon it as the main basis and ground-work of my present discourse CHAP. IV. Adorability proper unto God Mat. 4.10 Expl. Socinians Papists and others mistaken Why the Heathen never admitted the Worship of the true God All intelligent creatures obliged to Actual Adoration The Angelical Worship how performed Man being of a mixt nature bound to time and place in his Worship The Original of the Sabbath The necessity of Publick places and conveniency of Churches Set places for Worship some commanded some approved The Tabernacle The Temple The use difference and original of Proseucha's and Synagogues Gods Symbolical presence in the Old Testament The Schecinah Ceremonial Holiness of places removed Difference 'twixt the Temple and our Churches § 1. BEfore I come to the full prosecution and clear demonstration of the fore-mentioned Conclusion I shall endeavour to prepare my way and to make it clear by premising and making good these seven Propositions Propos 1. That God ought to be worshipped is essential to the Divine Nature By Worship in the general I mean the performance of respect unto any thing or person according to the estimation and dignity thereof In regard of its object it may be either Civil or Divine Worship Divine Worship usually is called Adoration which is that whereby the mind yeelds due reverence and respect unto God owning of him as the Supreme Soveraign of the world and depending upon him as the bestower of all good and preserver from evil Now this Adoration or Religious Worship is essential unto the Divine Nature God having that in his most perfect Nature which necessarily calls for it at the creatures hands To avoid all mistakes take the Proposition thus Adorability is proper onely unto God This Adorability or Inward Worship in God in its formal notion seems not to be placed in that Transcendent Excellency in that singular and independent Majesty of the Eternal Deity whereby God is infinitely above every creature But it doth most specially denote his Spiritual Dominion over intellectual creatures and thus God ought to be worshipped by them in Spirit as hee is the Father of Spirits For John 4 24 Heb. 12.9 although Adorability be conceived to be in God from all Eternity yet it cannot so much as be imagined or conceived by us but as a relative and respective Attribute of God which wee conceive of in God in order to the creatures some Action of theirs interposing so that in Gods Knowledge of Vision Deus adorabilis adorans creabilis adorationis actio possibilis wee must necessarily suppose these three things to be together God Adorable One adoring Creable and the Action of Adoration possible Neither is God said to be adorable with a respect had to every creature indifferently For there are but two created natures onely viz. that of Men and of Angels in reference to which God is said to be adorable and ought to be worshipped by them § 2. Having thus briefly opened the terms of Worship Adoration and Adorability I shall now prove the Proposition by these Arguments 1. Either Spiritual Worship and Adoration is necessary and naturally due unto God and proper unto him alone or else our Saviours weapon was but weak that he used to repel one of Satans principal temptations To undervalue the skill of Christ our Captain in the managing of spiritual weapons against the Devil is both blasphemy against God and undermining of the Gospel and the greatest injury to our own Faith But the very strength and force of our Saviours answer to the Devil is couched in this That Spiritual Adoration is proper onely unto God It is written Mar. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve It is written Our Saviour to instruct us uses nothing but Scripture Arguments And where is this written Deut. 6.13 In Deut eronomy wee finde it But the words are thus Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him Our Saviours Argument is never the worse nor the weaker in that hee takes the sense and meaning of the place though hee doth not exactly tye himself to the words To fear God is a more general term and includes Worship under it and when our Saviour is to deal with Satan that would have Worship given to him hee deems it a solid way of reasoning to infer a particular
of subjection to their Husbands This would onely speak the imitation of the Angels in Publick Assemblies and not their presence there Answ I acknowledge the truth of this in a Cumulative but not in a Privative sense It may strengthen the Argument but not at all undermine or oppose the Presence of Angels in the Publick Assemblies Wee may well admit this by way of illustration but the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will scarce bear it as a genuine Interpretation yea suppose the words would bear it yet those that contend for such a sense as this do not exclude but rather assert the Angelical Presence As Heinsius acknowledges in his Exercitations Angelos testes hic prauntes habent Dr. Heins exer Sa. p. 370 The Women have not onely the Angels as their Pattern but also their Presence as Witnesses And again Non Christum modo sed Angelos illius testes habent qui sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illi in Ecclesia hoc est Vigiles quibus curae semper est ut omnia decenter ac ordine ibi fiant gerantur They have not onely Christ but his Angels Witnesses who are those Watchers in the Church to whom the care is committed that all things be done there in decency and in order Besides I finde it observed by a Learned Doctor of our own that the Jews of old Dr. D. Featly in Locum as well as Christians do agree in this that the Angels are present at the Divine exercises of Worship and are eye-witnesses of our carriage there And so 't is more than probable that the Apostles Argument runs according to the then received opinion and that which was never yet contradicted by Apostolical Authority So that there is no need of pitching upon any strained sense when the plainest simplicissima expositio Piscater 〈◊〉 Locum as one calls that sense wee give is both clear and evident § 10. Quest 4. But why doth not Paul endeavour to draw the Corinthians from indecency in Church-Assemblies from the Presence of God and Christ rather than by an Argument drawn from the Presence of good Angels Answ The Apostle had urged them with God the Father and Christ the Son before in that chapter to disswade them from irreverence Hee named God as the head of Christ and Christ as the head of the Man and now to both these hee joyns the good Angels which are alwaies individual companions and faithful Servants to God and Christ in the Worship they command And all these Paul in another place 1 Tim. 5.21 in his charge to Timothy closely couches in a few words I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Elect Angels that thou observe these things And here hee gives warning to the Corinthians not to grieve these chaste and holy spirits by any rude and irreverent behaviour before them in the Assemblies of his Saints CHAP. VI. Practical Inferences drawn from the Presence of Angels in the places of Publick Worship and Service of God Sitting at Prayer Sleeping at Sermons Worshipping of Angels all condemned § 1. HAving made good those two Positions viz. That the Presence of God is set out by his Retinue of Angels and that this Train or Guard of Angels is present in the places of Worship They do sufficiently I conceive back and confirm my first Argument produced to prove Gods special Presence in the places of Religious Worship Before I proceed to another I shall a little endeavour to wipe off that suspition from this Truth which as to many it may lye under viz. That the Angels Presence in places and Assemblies of Publick Religious Worship is but an empty notion a meer barren and jejune speculation by pointing out some practical and useful inferences which may be drawn from it 1. Hence wee may see that there are more witnesses of our irreverence in Gods Worship than wee ordinarily are aware of What though our bodily eyes when open cannot behold the Angels in our company yet Faith knows they are present because God hath revealed it in his Word and they can behold to their grief and our shame our eyes when shut through sleep and laziness The Angels that stand on our guard take notice and are offended at our irreverent sitting instead of kneeling or standing in Publick Prayer Those postures that are condemned or not allowed in Scripture are upon that account offensive to those holy and pure Spirits Of this posture thus Tertullian of old contra Scripturam fecerit qui in Cathedra vel subsellio sedens oraret Hee acts against the Scripture who sits in his chair or on his seat while he prayes Ames Case of Consc l. 4. c. 18. § 6. And Ames in his Cases of Conscience tells us that sitting per se of it self is not a gesture of Prayer The limitation seems to be added to very good purpose because sitting by accident may lawfully be gestu orantis licet non orationis The gesture of our praying in case of sickness or lameness though not of Prayer it self And the reasons hee adds are very pertinent because it neither expresses any reverence of the mind nor is approved at all in the Word of God And whereas it hath been objected to enervate this last Reason That our Saviour consecrated the Paschal Supper sitting and that David sate before the Lord when hee prayed 1 Chron. 17.16 And therefore sitting hath been approved of as a gesture of Prayer by the Scripture To that of our Saviour I answer 1. That it was an Action pertaining to a Private Family duty and no part of any Publick Worship and as to that I am apt to beleeve either standing or sitting may be lawful in that occasional and ejaculatory Prayers may lawfully be made in such a posture as he is in who sends them forth 2 The Jewish Table-posture was rather lying along than sitting as ours is and we know that prostration hath been recorded as no indecent posture for Prayer Schindl Lex Pentagl R. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V. Piscat â— â— To the instance of Davids sitting when he prayed I answer That the Hebrew word for sitting is often used to denote staying and remaining Thus Piscator renders the word in that place Mansit scilicet donâ—c absolvisset preces suas He stayed before the Lord untill hee had made an end of his Prayer So that notwithstanding these instances seemingly to the contrary it stands good that sitting is not approved of in Scripture and therefore it must needs bee offensive to the good Angels who are offended with any indecency in Publick Worship § 2. 2. If the woman ought to have a veil on her head because of the Angels then certainly we ought to keep off the veil of sleep and sloathfulnesse because of the Angels too The reason or argument enforcing it is the same because as that was an high indeency so also is sleeping and lazyness in the Worship and
Service of God What greater argument of carelesse and carnal minds than mens sleepy drowsinesse under Gods Word Must it not needs be a great offence to these Holy Spirits to see some as solemnly compose themselves to sleep as if it were one great part of that Homage and Worship that is due unto God Or as if they did verily expect that God would deal with them as with some of his servants of old that he would speak to them in a dream It is a most lamentable temper when mens laziness and sleepiness in the Congregation declare to all that are present that they have no mind to be taken with Divine Truths unless God take them napping 'T is dangerous to sleep after taking of Physick it may not onely hinder its working but destroy the Patient Thus it is like to be damnable to be frequently sleeping when wee should not onely receive Physick but food for our souls from the Word of God Naturalists tell us that sleep is caused by the vapours that ascend out of the stomach into the head And must not those hearts needs be very full of vapours the cursed vapours of sin and carnality that produce the spiritual drowsiness of the mind and very often a down-right laziness and sleepiness of the body too under the Preaching of the Word However wee may conclude as Philosophers do that fleep hath a good end in nature saelus animalium the health of the body but sleeping under the means of grace hath as ill an end as wee can well imagine ruina animae the destruction of the soul and so must needs be very offensive to the good Angels who do rejoyce at the good of our Immortal Spirits § 3. 3. It may be a matter of caution to us That though Angels are present as our Guardians and Assisters of us in the Publick Assemblies yet neither there nor elsewhere are they to be made the object of our Worship and Adoration Though they help the Saints of God to worship him yet they must not have that Worship themselves because 't is due onely unto God Non minus veneratione offenduntur quam turpitudine They are no less offended with Worship given unto them than they are with our indecency and irreverence in the Worship of God Wee do not so assert the Angels Presence as to deny the Presence of God And therefore 't is little else than down-right sottishness and ignorance that cryes up Angel-Worship as a great Diana and that makes any to own them as Mediators and Intercessors and Messengers to offer up and carry our prayers unto Christ which is to rob Christ of that Glory that is due to him and incommunicable to any meer creature For 't is Christ alone that is the Angel Rev. 8.3 that offers up our prayers unto God A full place to evidence the unlawfulness of Angel-Worship Rev. 19.10 And I fell at his feet to worship him Rev. 22.9 and hee said unto mee see thou do it not I am thy fellow-servant and of thy Brethren that have the testimony of Jesus worship God Angels are at best but our fellow-servants and God alone must be worshipped with a Religious Worship Mat. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely thou shalt serve CHAP. VII Gods Presence in Publick Worship by his Word The Word of God an Instrument of Conversion Rom. 10 17.1 Cor. 1.21 opened Why Preaching of the Word is deemed foolishness The Word reaches to the heart It discovers secret thoughts secret sins answers doubts yeelds suitable comforts Two peculiarities of Gods Word Revealing Mysterious Truths Pressing Practical Duties The life of Faith Heavenly-mindedness Mortification of sin Inward Humility § 1. II. Arg A Second Argument to demonstrate Gods Presence is taken from the Word of God Reading and Preaching the Word are owned as two standing parts of Gods Publick Worship and Gods Presence is discovered in both A Kings presence that is but finite in his person is vertually there where his commands and proclamations are made known much more is God who is infinite in his Essence and Immense in his Being specially present there where his Word is made known according to his command As there is but one true Happiness Eternal Life one giver of it God One Mediator Jesus Christ So there is but one certain and infallible means of imparting of it the revealed Will and Word of God In the which God shews his special Presence and as both an Author and Finisher of every good thing for us doth both begin and perfect all in the soul for its salvation This and the following Argument I shall endeavour to prosecute in a more plain familiar and practical manner and that God is present in and by his Word will appear 1. In that the Word of God is the Instrument of converting souls When men of unbeleevers come to beleeve by the Word 't is an evident sign of Gods Presence with it Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 10.17 This is such a word as is uttered by the tongue flowing from the party speaking and yet the Word of God because such as hee hath revealed in the Scriptures For 't is the Word of God and not the word of man that is the foundation for our Faith and an instrument to produce it This Word of God Preached declared and discovered so as to be conveyed by the ears the instruments 〈◊〉 hearing unto the mind and understanding of man is that vital Seed from whence springs the glorious Fruit of Faith Faith 't is true is the gift of God and the work of God yet 't is attributed to the Word as the next producing cause of it not the principal efficient but onely the instrumental cause 1 Cor. 1.21 It pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save those that beleeve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Preaching is here called Foolishness not that it is so in its self but that it is commonly esteemed so How many now adayes condemn it and have cast it off as solly to hear and look on it as foolishness to Preach and there is a double reason hinted at in the very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Because 't is unsavoury to carnal hearts it hath no relish in it so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies unsavoury and the Latines use fatuus in the same sense as fatuae maluae unsavoury mallows Thus the Preaching of the Word of God is a thing of no savour at all to very many they want scientiam sapidam that savoury tasting relishing knowledge that Beleevers have and so look upon Gods Ordinance of Publick Preaching of the Word as meer emptynesse and folly because many have no relish or spiritual taste of the word of God they think it is but folly to Preach it and foolishnesse to hear it They do not profit by it they will not therefore hear it 2.
before his eyes is it from Man or from God VVee must acknowledge 't is the VVord of God and not of man that does it even that VVord that reaches mans heart and discovers those secret sins there and this manifests Gods Presence by his VVord VVhat is it that makes the hearts of Kings to stoop and their consciences to be startled upon the discovery of their sins as Sauls was when Samuel told him of his disobedience to God 1 Sam. 15.24 Is it the word of man that is thus formidable to them alas this cannot be when man hath no coercive or compulsive power over Kings and Soveraigns and the sharpest menaces of mortal men cannot make these Pillars of the Earth to shake Must it not then be the Word of that God that doth this to whom Kings and Scepters must vail and yeeld obedience And if the Word at any time produces such a fearful amazement in the heart of Majesty it self must wee not say God is in that Word of a truth Men are apt to think well enough of themselves till the Word reveals their sins to them then they see much sin they took no notice of before when once the Word of God comes close to the conscience This was the case of St. Paul Rom. 7.7 9 I had not known sin but by the Law For I had not known lust except the Law had said thou shalt not covet Vers 9. For I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed 3. The Word meets with and answers the scruples of doubting souls whence is this but from Gods Presence with the Word Have not many souls experienced the Word to come close to their very doubts and to have satisfied them When labouring under unbeleef it hath much informed their minds when fearing Apostasie by it they have seen solid grounds for perseverance the Word teaching that they are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto eternal salvation 4. The Word affords suitable comforts to particular cases of the soul and to afflicted consciences No cure for the Corrasives of the world like to those Cordials of Comfort out of the Word No plaister for a wounded conscience like to the Balm of Gilead purchased by Christ and prepared in the Word alwaies to be found ready for the use of saving Faith in the boxes of Gospel-Promises It was the very design of the Word of God to back and strengthen our souls with comfort in this life upon well-grounded hopes of life in the world to come Rom. 15.4 For whatsoever things were written afore-time were written for our learning that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope These are all matters of experience and I dare appeal to the hearts of Gods Children for the truth of them Have you not had your thoughts discerned your secret sins discovered your doubts answered and suitable comforts given in at Sermons Whence comes all this Alas the Preacher is but a finite creature and is no more able of himself to reach mens hearts and particular cases than hee is to create a world Well! but though the Preacher cannot yet the Word preached can and this speaks Gods Presence with his Word § 4. 3. The Word of God presses those duties and discovers those Truths which must needs own God for their Author and this also speaks the Presence of God with his Word As Gods People are his Segullah his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Peculiar People So Gods Word hath its peculiarities with it which own God as the proper Author of it Now there are both Mysterious Truths and also some Practical Duties that are peculiar to the VVord of God 1. Some Mysterious Truths such as these First The great Mystery of the Incarnation of Christ Without controversie great was the Mystery of godliness 1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh Secondly That any should obtain Righteousness for their salvation by imputation when they are inherently sinful and unrighteous For hee made him sin for us who know no sin 2 Cor. 5.21 that wee might become the Righteousness of God through him Thirdly That sinners should obtain Life Eternal by anothers Temporal death and suffering for a season Who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification Rom. 4.25 Fourthly That two natures should be united into one person and that that person should be so worthy as to make an expiatory Sacrifice and full satisfaction to the offended Justice of God for the sins of so many thousands as shall be saved Hee is a Propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but for the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2.2 He was wounded for our transgressions hee was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes wee are healed Isa 53 5 These are such Truths many more might be named that neither men nor Angels could ever have thought of Yet these wee preach and declare these the VVord of God clearly discovers these are the very foundations of our Faith Hope and Eternal Salvation Adam in innocency was unacquainted with these Mysteries and now they are not mens inventions wee preach or a bundle of fallacies bound up in a little canting language fit onely to entrap ensnare souls into gross delusions to which veracity is as great a stranger in the notion and sense and pertinency in their delivery as the lively power of Religion in the practice of them But the very mind and the will of God revealed in his written VVord which is an evidence of Gods Presence with that VVord wee preach § 5. 2. Some Practical Duties such as these are First To live by Faith not by sense or reason Brutish men as well as bruit beasts live meerly a life of sense wallowing in the filthy mire of sensual lusts The most raised Moralists that have most refined understandings but yet want grace live onely the life of reason at the best The light of reason the inward light of the mind improved with rules of morality may make us morally honest but it is the VVord of God that teaches us how to be truly gracious This directs us to the life of Faith And this is his Commandment his Commandment 1 Joh. 3.23 by way of peculiar appropriation that yee beleeve on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Here is the Alpha and Omega of true Christianity the beginning and end of a saving Faith in Christ and love to the Brethren How ever carnal men may live by sense and serve their sins yet the Just shall live by Faith Hab. 2.4 in the service of their Saviour Neither is this an idle notion or a meer speculation 't is the very life of the Saints practice as wee see by St. Paul The life which I now live in the flesh Gal. 2.20 is by Faith in the Son of God VVhat a poor
practice of these for they all do immediately tend to over-turn his Kingdome But the VVord of God which wee read and preach drives mainly at these and so it evinces Gods special Presence in his VVord which is the promoter of such spiritual duties CHAP. VIII Practical Inferences from the second Argument Teachers of the Word must not corrupt the Word of God Hearers must own it as Gods Word And must receive it with Reverence Mingle it with Faith Practise it with Obedience Avoid a curious pleasing of the ear Both Teachers and hearers must highly prize it § 1. THe Presence of God being evidenced to be with his VVord wee shall propound a few Practical Inferences which do naturally flow from it 1. Hence Teachers of others must learn to keep the VVord of God they preach free from corruption and adulterated mixture Let Pauls practice be an eminent Pattern for imitation For wee are not as many which corrupt the Word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God 2 Cor. 2.17 Pollux Oâ—omast p. 372 speak wee in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word properly belongs to those that sell VVine as Pollux observes Now Hucksters of VVine are wont to corrupt generous VVine with base mixtures And thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for deceitfully and crastily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schol. in Aristoph 103. recte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of that corruption that is found amongst sellers of VVine from whom the Metaphor is taken The Apostle abominates this dealing with the VVord of God Hee does not adulterate it by mixing any thing else with the pure VVord of God hee does not corrupt it with false Doctrines and the inventions of men and propound them for the Word of God But there seems to be a further meaning of the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth not onely denote a corrupting of the word Non quia a veritate deficerent sed quod eam fucatam pro Ponerent non ingenuina sua sinceritate Calv. in L. by the base mixtures of false doctrine but also a putting a false gloss a painted face upon the genuine Word of God As many Teachers were wont to do in Pauls time and too many at all times Darkening the natural lustre and innate radiency of the word of God by the paint and flourishes of Rhetorick deeming very little Power in the plainnesse of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the help of their strong lines and but little Beauty in the simplicity of the word of God without their varnish of Eloquence and Comical strains in Preaching Like Brokers that put a new gloss upon an old garment to make it vendible and others who to make a deformed face appear beautiful think to mend the matter with a little paint Thus many corrupt Teachers there were in Paul's time and happy were wee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scholiast in Aristoph p. 103. A. E. if there were not too many such now adaies who esteemed the plain word of the Gospel as an old and antiquated garment that would not off without a new Gloss of their own Rhetorick and accounted the simplicity of the Gospel far from being any taking beauty amongst their curious Auditors and therefore had alwaies a varnish of their own the enticing words of mans wisdome as the Apostle calls it to set it off withall And thus they did prostitute the Gospel for the gaining of applause rather than winning of souls for fauning a little credit to themselves rather than fishing for the good of souls and the glory of God Paul hee abominates and detests such corrupt and deceitful dealing with the word of God in neither sense did hee dare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to corrupt the Word of God And that others might avoid it too hee hints a threefold Rule to be observed vers 17. § 2. 1. They must preach with a right zeal for God But as of sincerity Hee was so far from any secret sinister and by ends that should cause the corrupting of the word of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Const L. that hee dares lay his doctrine open to the very Sun beams as the word for sincerity doth import All hee aims at is to advance Gods Glory hee hath no corrupt fancies to vent with Divine Truths nor any popular applause and credit from the vulgar to trade for in his Preaching and so hath no designs at all to carry on by his Preaching but what is highly consistent with Gospel Sincerity 2. They must remember they are doing Gods work and so it must be done after Gods own way But as of God They are Gods Commissioners and therefore must vent nothing but what comes from God Ministers are Gods Embassadors and they must be sure to keep close to their Masters instructions 3. They must remember that when Preaching they are set in Gods special Presence and therefore must not dare to vent any thing but what they can bee content to have Gods own judgement passe upon it As in the sight of God There is Gods special Presence in the delivery of the Word and would it not be an Act of very high presumption to give God the lye to his very face And is it not a peece of extream madnesse and folly to study then to please men by our corrupt varnishing the pure Word of God when by it wee do not onely displease God but destroy Souls and deceive our selves the worst at last § 3. II. Hence hearers must learn to bring a right Gospel Spirit to the Word Preached that is they must hear it as the Word of God and not as the Word of Man 1 Thes 2.13 Yee received it not as the Word of Man but as it is in truth the Word of God It is one thing to receive the Word of God another thing to receive it as the Word of God The Papists embrace the Word of God but not as the Word of God because they tell us the written VVord hath no Authority in it self unlesse it bee approved by the Church Rob. Rolloc in Loc. Nam quid aliud hoc est quam Verbum Dei quidem non tamen ut Verbum Dei amplecti For what is this but to embrace the VVord of God indeed but not as the VVord of God But if wee would hear the VVord so as to thrive by what we hear we must hear it and embrace it as the VVord of God And to that end these four things must be done § 4. 1. Wee must hear the Word with due reverence and fear Heb. 12.28 Let us serve him with reverence and Godly fear If hearing be any part of Gods service the argument urges strongly that it must bee done with reverence and Godly fear God hath a good look much favour for those that tremble at his Word I will look to him that
may bee glorified through Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 4.11 Hee seeks praise of men that so speaks that hee may please men that hee may fan to himself some praise from them for his wit eloquence and learning Of this hunting after vain glory and popular applause St. Paul with disdain enough thus speaks Gal. 1.10 Do I seek to please men For if I yet pleased men I should not bee the servant of God Secondly That to their utmost endeavour they promote the spiritual good and eternal welfare of the Flock committed to their charge by watching over them preparing suitable food for their souls according to their capacities and conditions omitting nothing that is necessary and doing nothing that is prejudicial to their salvation An example of this wee have eminently in St. Paul 1 Cor. 10 33. Even as I please all men in all things not seeking mine own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved § 4. 3. As Co-workers with God They must be diligent If wee work with God we must be diligent in our employment least wee ruine our selves as well as wrong other Souls and dishonour God by our carelesnesse and indiligence Prayer Meditation and Affliction contribute much to the making of a Divine The two former speak that care and diligence that is requisite to the Ministerial Office the other God uses as his lash to prevent lazinesse and as a Spur to quicken to Duty He that works together with God for the good of Souls had need bee very diligent In that men must have more than Sermons to lead them The visible Preachings of Ministers lives must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 co-operate and joyn in the work of drawing sinners unto God or else will hardly prove successeful § 5. II. Gods presence with the Ministers teaches the people to eye God more and men lesse in the Ministry of the Gospel It is an ill sign of a squeamish Stomack not to take meat down unlesse it be dressed by such an hand And as ill a sign of a distempered heart not to receive the Word cheerfully and readily unlesse delivered by such and such Ministers This wee have by eying men more than God Three directions First Own and prize Gospel truths by whom ever they are delivered An unclean hand may convey to you a precious Jewel A wooden pipe may convey to you rich and generous Wine Wee must have truth in admiration for Gods sake and not entertain Gospel truths because wee have the persons in admiration that do deliver them Secondly Let not prejudice against mens persons cause in you a prajudice against the doctrine they preach The best way is to keep all prejudices against any out of out hearts the next is to throw them out suddenly when wee perceive they have cunningly crept into us Prejudices against Ministers if harboured in our breasts any time will bee very apt to make us contemptuous against God And to contemn the truths of God if upon any private grudge wee condemn the party that brings them It 's weaknesse to entertain groundless prejudices against Ministers but it is wilfulnesse then to take revenge upon our own Souls And either in a pet to throw off hearing wholly or not to embrace the word heard chearfully Thirdly Let not the meannesse of mens parts cause you to sleight or undervalue Gods Ordinances There are divers gifts yet but one spirit There is much of Gods power seen in mans weaknesse If good men are without great parts they are without that great pride that does attend them And then those Sermons that have onely the plain trimming of Holinesse and Humility as most befitting the simplicity of the Gospel are most operative upon hearers How ordinary is it for great and learned Doctors to leave their people meer dunces in Religion Now others what they want in learning and parts God many times helps out by their tendernesse of affection for the good of Souls and this is ordinarily accompanied with Gods blessing § 6. III. Gods Presence with his Ministers affords good ground enough for Ministers to preach and people to hear Ordinances will continue as long as Christs promise continues and presence with the Ministers and that is to the end of the world If any do absent themselves or would with-draw others from hearing the Word publickly Preached let them first prove that Christs promise is out of date then may wee have reason to beleeve that hearing and preaching are out of date too Till that bee done let us assure our selves that the enjoyment of Publick Ordinances and the Presence of Christ in them is the onely safe and sure way for us to walk to the new Jerusalem in CHAP. XI Gods Presence in his Worship by the Holy Spirit The Presence of the Spirit proved by sundry Texts of Scripture The Word and Spirit go together The teaching of the Spirit no plea for Enthusiasm The Word of the Gospel the ministration of the Spirit Ten Reasons grounded on experience evidencing the Presence and teaching of the Spirit in the Word § 1. THe Fourth and last Argument to prove the Presence of God in Places of Religious Worship Arg. 4 is drawn from the efficacious and powerful working of the Holy Spirit The Spirits assistance is necessary in all duties of Gospel-Worship As vital and animal spirits are necessary for all operations of life and sense in the body so the Holy Spirit for works of the soul in all Gospel-duties Before Christs coming the great thing under promise and in constant expectation was the coming of the true Messias After Christs Ascension the great thing under promise and in constant expectation was the full manifestation and shedding abroad of the Spirit of God Now this was abundantly fulfilled after Christs Ascension But what I have to speak to lyes mainly in this that there is the special Presence and Operation of the Spirit of God in his Ordinances especially in his Word This being manifested will fully evidence that the place of Gods Worship is the place of Gods singular Presence The Presence of Gods Spirit shall be cleared both by Scriptures and Reasons grounded upon undeniable experiences of the Children of God § 2. When God by the Prophet Ezekiel declared the promises of the Kingdome of Christ hee makes a gracious promise of his Spiritual Presence with them Ezek. 37.26 I will set my Sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore that is I will be present in my Grace Word and Spirit in their Assemblies See c. 4. § 11 14 and in their heart of which Spiritual Presence the Tabernacle and Sanctuary heretofore were signs and pledges And that this Presence of the Spirit is to be had and enjoyed in these times of the Gospel will be evident from these following places I shall begin with the Evangelical Prophet Isaiah Isa 59.21 As for moe this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit which is upon thee and my words which
word * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fimbria ejus here refers to the Train of a Garment of Majesty or the coverings of the Throne of State See c. 4. § 14. yet so as to be an emblem of Gods special Presence there and therefore the LXX How 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is frequently used by the LXX renders it thus And his Glory filled the house And in this sense St. John takes it John 12.41 These things Isaiah said when hee saw his Glory and spake of him Joh. 12.41 Speaking of this very Vision of the Prophet V. Hensium in loc But having mentioned the Royal Presence of the Soveraign of Heaven sitting on his Throne in the Temple presently hee subjoyns an honourable mention of his sacred Retinue Above it stood the Seraphim which is acknowledged by all to denote the holy Angels which sang that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the blessed Trinity Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts For this cause the curtains of the Tabernacle were filled with the pictures of Cherubims and the walls of Solomons Temple with carved Cherubims 1 King 6.29 32. Dr. Gouge on 23. ver All which set out the multitudes of Angels in Churches The Ark of the Testimony was over-spread and covered with two mighty Cherubims called Heb. 9.5 The Cherubims of Glory that is of the Divine Presence All to denote that where God commands his Worship to be solemnly celebrated there the blessed Angels out of duty give their attendance and afford their protection to those that worship God Thus Solomon out of that received opinion of the Angelical Presence in places of Publik Worship speaks concerning vows to be made in the house of God Eccles 5.6 Say not before the Angel it was an errour The word Angel being taken collectively and put for the many Angels that are present in Gods Worship And some do refer these words that were uttered a little before the destruction of the Temple Let us depart hence to the Angels leaving of that place because that was shortly to cease to be the Place of Gods Worship § 3. Object Well! but what is all this to us under the Gospel The presence of the Angels is proved to bee in the Temple of old are they now present in Gods VVorship under the Gospel Ans I doubt not but to evidence that they are so too and that upon these following grounds 1. If the Angels are busied in the propagating of the Gospel then 't is evident they will be most there where there is the greatest probability for dispatching that work which must needs be in the Publick Assemblyes where the Gospel is Preached But the former is true for can we think they are wear◠of so good a work are they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ministring Spirits still Vid. Eras Schinidii Not. Animad vers in N. Test p. 157. in Mat. 17.10 and can their service be better imployed then in that which hath been their honourable work heretofore Now that they have been forward and chearful in propagating the Gospel Scripture does abundantly testifie How chearfully busie was the Angel Gabriel in declaring to Zachariah the nativity of John the Baptist the fore-runner of Christ Luk. 1.11 After that he declares the conception of the Messias to the blessed Virgin v. 26. VVhen Christ was born an Angel again appears to the Shepheards and said unto them Luk. 2.9 10 11. Fear not for behold I bring you good tydings of great Joy which shall be to all people And then it follows And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host vers 13 14. praising God and saying Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth peace good will towards men The Angels again Mat. 28.2 5. Act. 1.10 with much joy declare the Resurrection of Christ and after Christs ascension they declare his second coming May we not hence rationally conclude that they have the same work still to carry on and if so what reason have we to shut them from our publick assemblies where this work may the best be promoted and to confirm this the more we have their Presence in our Church-assemblies hinted at in several places in the New-Testament And Paul charges Timothy not onely before God and Jesus Christ See Baines on Ephes 3.10 1 Tim. 5.21 but also before the Elect Angels supposing their Presence in Church assemblies teaching us that the consideration of them should bind us to be careful Adsunt spectatores propter injunctam sibi ecclesiae curam Calvin in Lo. The Angels they are as spectators in discharge of that care of the Church that God hath laid upon them And probably our Saviour aims at such a thing as this is And I Jesus have sent mine Angels Rev. 22.16 to testifie these things to you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Churches § 4. 2 A second proof seems clearly to be couched in the Epistle to the Hebrews Angels are ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them that are Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 Have the Saints more need of Angellical assistance than when they are about heaven work and heart work which is very hard work in Gods worship Hath God said they minister for us And dare we say they do not help and assist us in his VVorship Nay is it not expresly said they help the Heirs of Salvation And why not in the means of Grace and Worship which do immediately tend to promote our salvation Do not the Devil and his Angels most of all disturb and distract us in our holy duties in Publick Worship And why not the good Angels help us and aid us since God hath appointed them to be ministring spirits for the Heirs of Salvation If we had but discerning eyes we should see but a few devils in Ale-houses Taverns Markets and Fairs c. in comparison of what there are in the Church in the Publick Assemblies There the devil hath but a little work to do the work is commonly done to his hand Men can drink and swear and lye and couzen and cheat fast enough without the devil to tempt them Now the great trade the Devil drives is to hinder our Communion with God in his Ordinances Here we may finde many devils to tempt us distract us and so rob us of that which is the Kernel the very Marrow and Quintessence of all our performances viz. the enjoyment of God and Christ in them Is there not reason then to extend their Ministration mainly to the Saints worshipping and serving God Thus St. Bernard did Intersunt cantantibus adsunt orantibus insunt meditantibus That is good Musick indeed in Gods ears when the holy Angels bear a part and joyn with the Saints to make up a compleat Heavenly consort § 5. 3 If wee are upon Gods ground when we are in the place of his Publick VVorship wee may not onely expect his Angels to be our
Companions but in a safe sense to bee our Protectors The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him Psal 14.7 and delivereth them He shall give his Angels charge over thee Psal 91.11 Piscator to keep thee in all thy waies Thy waies that is those that God hath marked out for thee Now the Devil layes his cloven Foot upon the Principal part of the promise and if Possible would have cheated our Saviour into disobedience to expect the Angels help when hee was not in any of Gods waies but upon the Devils ground But are wee not in Gods way when we are enjoying of his Ordinances If so here is a clear Promise for the Presence of the Angels yea and of their Protection too They shall keep thee in all thy waies § 6. 4. Though consequences are clear Proofs such as our Saviour made use of to proove the Resurrection yet we shall produce clear words 1 Cor. 11.10 For this cause ought the woman to have power over her head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of the Angels What can be more clear Admit but this truth of the Angels Presence in Publick Assemblies and all the difficulties that have perplexed this place will soon vanish away Many I confesse have troubled themselves much and others more rather by augmenting than removing the difficulties of this Text. Give mee leave to clear it a little and before I have done wee need not I hope insert the Geneva note on this place What this meaneth I do not yet understand And I humbly conceive wee need not reserve the knowledge of this as also of that of being Baptized for the dead 1 Cor. 15.29 till wee come to heaven As the Reverend and Holy Mr. R. Bolton with much modesty and humility thinks wee must Let us therefore briefly examine the Text and clear the emergent doubts For this cause ought the woman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have power on her Head The Apostle is here bringing the Saints of Corinth to a right decorum in their Church-Assemblies this vers concerns the women It is indecent to have the veil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Velum appellat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potestatem pro signo vel indicio potestatis quam in uxorem vir habet vel patius velum quo caput faeminarum obnubilari vult Apostolus ideo vocatur ab co 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod ejusmodi velum Hebraice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocatur Arabes illud vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cant. 5 7. Isa 3.23 quarum vocum illa enim â— R. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ista a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utrumque autem thema significat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominari 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potestatem in aliquem exercere itaque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non mâ—le reddi potest si primitivâ— vocis propâ—â—am significâ—â—ionem spectemus velum autem illud dietum esse ab Haebraeis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ideo quod esset signâ—â—s subjectionis faeminarum erga viros Facile concesserim D. Fesseli Adversa Sacra l. 2. c. 17. sect 6. Camer in Locum off from the womans Head For by power we are to understand the Veil which is the sign Power the thing signified this Metonymy is frequent in Scripture Thus Camerarius glosses upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power that is a covering or veil being a sign of the power of her Husband to which the woman is subjected to Now the reason is subjoyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because of the Angels who are Guardians of the Church and Assistants of the Church Assemblies these would be offended at it So wee see the Text is clear and the Argument strong all irreverence and indecency must be avoided in our Publick Assemblies because it is not onely odious unto God but even offensive to the holy Angels whose Presence God hath afforded to be both spectators and assisters in his Publick Worship Having thus cleared the Text. I shall indeavour to remove these four doubts following § 7. Quest 1. But may it not be understood of the Ministers of Christ who are often called Angels as the Revelations of St. John mention the Angels of the seven Churches viz. the Pastors and Ministers of those places Answ 'T is granted Calvin in Los habet sensum Pareus autem ibid. verba regulae they are called Angels sometimes but that Rule that Calvin laies down will tell us when the word Angels is not to be applied to them Angelorum Nomen absolute positum nunquam ponitur nisi proprie The word Angels put absolutely is never taken otherwise than properly So that it cannot be meant of the Ministers of the Gospel in this place And I finde but one place which Beza produces as an instance to overturn this general Rule Eccles 5.6 Say not before the Angel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee would have it the High Priest and to be understood of Ministers after him But I have already shewn that the word in that place is meant of Angels properly and is taken collectively to denote the good Angels that attend at Publick Assemblies § 8. Quest 2. May it not be understood of the Devils evil Angels so they may be taken absolutely as the rule would have it And the Apostle himself uses this very word for the Devils 1 Cor. 6.3 Know yee not that wee shall judge the Angels that is the Devils and the Argument would be clear and strongly urged by the Apostle because the Devil would abuse the beauty of women when unveiled to tempt men to lustful thoughts Answ Dr. Lightfoots Harm on the place I acknowledge this a most ingenious gloss upon the place which Tertullian hinted of old and our late learned Harmonist urges from 1 Cor. 6.3 and the Argument is good and strong urged by the Apostle Yet still by consequence wee may infer the presence of good Angels for if the Devil be there to tempt why not the good Angels to assist us in Worship since they are Ministring Spirits to help the heirs of Salvation Yea Heb. 1.14 but if wee narrowly look into the Text and Context wee may finde all the Arguments there to be drawn from the indecorum the indecency it self and not from the remote and occasional consequences of it as tempting to lust and the like and therefore I humbly conceive the Argument in the tenth verse speak reference immediately to the good Angels and not to the bad § 9. Quest 3. Suppose it be meant of the holy Angels yet may it not be understood by way of exhortation rather than aggravation that is are they not exhorted to have a veil on their heads in imitation of the Angels who have a special care to reverence the Blessed Trinity and therefore with two wings cover their faces in the presence of the Lord of Hosts Isa 6.2 So should Women be veiled in token