A29699:104
Paradise opened, or, The secrets, mysteries, and rarities of divine love, of infinite wisdom,…Paradice opened, or, The secreets, mysteries, and rarities of divine love, of infinite wisdom,…
Paradise opened, or, The secrets, mysteries, and rarities of divine love, of infinite wisdom, and of wonderful counsel laid open to public view also, the covenant of grace, and the high and glorious transactions of the Father and the Son in the covenant of redemption opened and improved at large, with the resolution of divers important questions and cases concerning both covenants ... : being the second and last part of The golden key / by Thomas Brooks ...Paradice opened, or, The secreets, mysteries, and rarities of divine love, of infinite wisdom, and of wonderful counsel laid open to publick view also, the covenant of grace, and the high and glorious transactions of the Father and the Son in the covenant of redemption opened and improved at large, with the resolution of divers important questions and cases concerning both covenants ... : being the second and last part of The golden key / by Thomas Brooks ...
London: printed for Dorman Newman, 1675
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thirdly, they that stoutly and resolutely assert that the blessed §31Scriptures are a sufficient rule to order, guide and direct them in all matters of worship, they have a good cause; and they that suffer upon this account, suffer as Christians, for well doing: Such vain men greatly detract from the sufficiency of the Scripture, who mingle their own or other men's inventions, with2 Divine Institutions; and who set their Posts by God's Posts, and their Thresholds by God's Thresholds. The Precepts and Traditions3 of men, with their Inventions and Additions to the worship of God, are styled Posts and Thresholds, because the Authors of them do lean and stand so much upon them, and set them in the way to hinder others from the enjoyment of Temple-privileges unless they will own and comply with them in their way and mode of worship; but upon all such posts and thresholds that are of men's setting up in the worship of God, you may run and read folly, weakness, rottenness and madness; 'tis only God's Posts, God's Thresholds, God's Institutions, God's Appointments, that have Wisdom and Holiness, Beauty and Glory, written upon them: For men to set up their Posts by God's Posts, and to give their Posts equal Honour and Authority with God's Posts; this is a defiling of the Worship of God, and a profaning of the name of God, which he will certainly avenge, for he will admit no rival or Proprietary in the things of his Worship. O sirs, the blessed4 Scriptures are sufficient to direct us fully in every thing that belongs to the Worship and Service of God, so as that we need not depend upon the wisdom, prudence, care and authority of any men under heaven to direct us in matters of Worship, 2 Tim. 3. 16, 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. The Scriptures are sufficient to inform the ignorant, to confute the erroneous, to reform the vicious, and to guide and direct, support and comfort, those that are gracious: Here a Lamb may wade, and an Elephant may swim; here is milk for babes, and meat for strong men; here is comfort for the afflicted, and succour for the tempted, and ease for the troubled, and light for the clouded, and enlargement for the straitened, &c.