N00051:231
Three choice and profitable sermons upon several texts of Scripture
Three choice and profitable sermons upon several texts of Scripture; viz. Jer. 30. 17. John 14. 3. Heb. 8. 5. / By that Reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Norton late teacher of the Church of Christ at Boston in N.E. ; The first of them being the last sermon which he preached at the Court of Election at Boston. The second was the last which he preached on the Lords-Day. The third was the last which he preached on his weekly-lecture-day. ; Wherein (beside many other excellent and seasonable truths) is showed, the Lords sovereignty over, and care for his church and people, in order to both their militant and triumphant condition; and their fidelity and good affection towards himself. ; [Eleven lines of Scripture quotations]Three choice and profitable sermons upon several texts of Scripture; viz. Jer. 30. 17. John 14. 3. Heb. 8. 5. / By that Reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Norton late teacher of the Church of Christ at Boston in N.E. ; The first of them being the last sermon which he preached at the Court of Election at Boston. The second was the last which he preached on the Lords-Day. The third was the last which he preached on his weekly-lecture-day. ; Wherein (beside many other excellent and seasonable truths) is shewed, the Lords soveraignty over, and care for his church and people, in order to both their militant and triumphant condition; and their fidelity and good affection towards himself. ; [Eleven lines of Scripture quotations]
printed by S.G. and M.I. i.e for Hezekiah Usher of Boston, 1664
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.
Doct. Great care must be had in matters of Divine Worship, (or Divine Administrations) that all things proceed according to the Prescript Word of God. Or, That all things be exactly corresponding to the Prescript of Gods Word, Hebrews 7. 14.
For it is evident, that our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which Tribe Moses spake nothing concerning the Priesthood. The Apostle thinks he argueth well, and conclusively, That Christ was not of the Levitical Order, because nothing was spoken concerning it of that Tribe. This is a good Argument in ⟨p. 31⟩Divinity to say, That there is nothing in Gods Word why you should act such or such a thing: it is not enough to say that there is nothing expressly against it; the truth is, there is enough against it, if there be nothing for it. The Tribe of Judah must not meddle with the matters of the Priesthood: Why so? because Moses spake nothing of them in that respect: and in Exod. 25. 9. Moses himself was to act nothing that he found not in the Pattern. Exod. 26. 30. And thou shalt rear up the Tabernacle according to the fashion thereof, which was showed thee in the Mount: He must act nothing that he doth not find in the Pattern. It is true, David (for some just cause) made some alteration in the Worship of God; for the state of Temple-worship, compared with Tabernacle-worship, did call for a change. But how did David proceed in it? 1 Chron. 28. 19. All this (saith David) the Lord made me understand in writing, by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern: He made no alteration in Gods Worship, but it was also by a Pattern given to him by God. And for Solomon, you find that David gave him the Pattern, ver. 11. to build the Temple according thereunto. And relating to Gospel-times, the time of the Messiah, you have an eminent text in Ezek 43. 10,11. Thou Son of man, show the house to the House of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities, and let them measure the pattern; and if they be ashamed of all that they have done, show them the form of the house, and the fashion, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, &c.