All our faith, all our obedience in this life, what ever may be obtained, or attained unto therein, it all belongs unto our walking with God in the Covenant of Grace, wherein God dwells with Men, and they are his people, and God himself is with them to be their God. Other ways of communion with him, of obedience unto him, of enjoyment of him on this side Heaven and Glory, he hath not appointed nor revealed. Now this is the Covenant that God hath made with his people; That he will put his Laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts, and will be to them a God, and they shall be to him a people, and he will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will he remember no more, Heb. 8.9, 10, 11, 12. And what ever Men attain unto, it is by virtue of the grace of that Covenant, nor is there any Grace promised in the Covenant to lead men in this life, or to give them up unto a state of perfection short of glory. Unto this Covenant, are ⟨p. 22⟩the institutions of Gospel Worship annexed, and unto that administration of it which is granted unto the Church upon the coming and death of Christ. Without a renunciation and relinquishment of that Covenant, and the grace of it, these institutions cannot be omitted or deserted. If Men suppose that they have attained to an estate wherein they need neither the grace of God, nor the mercy of God, nor the blood of Christ, nor the Spirit of Christ, it is not much material•, what they think of the Ordinances of worship. Their pride and folly, without that mercy which is taught, promised and exhibited in those Ordinances, will speedily be their ruin. Besides, the Lord Christ is the absolute Lord over his own house, Heb. 3.4, 5, 6. And he hath given out the Laws whereby he will have it guided and ruled whilst it is in this World. In and by these Laws, are his Ordinances of Worship established: for any persons on what pretence soever, to plead an exemption from the obligation of those Laws, it is nothing but to cast of the Lordship and dominion of Christ himself. And yet ⟨p. 23⟩farther, to secure our obedience in this matter, he hath expressly commanded the continuance of them until his coming unto Judgement, as in the places above quoted will appear.
All our faith, all our obedience in this life, what ever may be obtained, or attained unto therein, it all belongs unto our walking with God in the Covenant of Grace, wherein God dwells with Men, and they are his people, and God himself is with them to be their God. Other wayes of communion with him, of obedience unto him, of enjoyment of him on this side Heaven and Glory, he hath not appointed nor revealed. Now this is the Covenant that God hath made with his people; That he will put his Laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts, and will be to them a God, and they shall be to him a people, and he will be mercifull to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will he remember no more, Heb. 8.9, 10, 11, 12. And what ever Men attain unto, it is by vertue of the grace of that Covenant, nor is there any Grace promised in the Covenant to lead men in this life, or to give them up unto a state of perfection short of glory. Unto this Covenant, are ⟨p. 22⟩the institutions of Gospel Worship annexed, and unto that administration of it which is granted unto the Church upon the coming and death of Christ. Without a renunciation and relinquishment of that Covenant, and the grace of it, these institutions cannot be omitted or deserted. If Men suppose that they have attained to an estate wherein they need neither the grace of God, nor the mercy of God, nor the blood of Christ, nor the Spirit of Christ, it is not much material•, what they think of the Ordinances of worship. Their pride and folly, without that mercy which is taught, promised and exhibited in those Ordinances, will speedily be their ruine. Besides, the Lord Christ is the absolute Lord over his own house, Heb. 3.4, 5, 6. And he hath given out the Laws whereby he will have it guided and ruled whilest it is in this World. In and by these Laws, are his Ordinances of Worship established: for any persons on what pretence soever, to plead an exemption from the obligation of those Laws, it is nothing but to cast of the Lordship and dominion of Christ himself. And yet ⟨p. 23⟩farther, to secure our obedience in this matter, he hath expresly commanded the continuance of them untill his comeing unto Judgement, as in the places above quoted will appear.
