Quest. What is glorification?
Answ. Glorification stands in the blessed vision and enjoyment of God himself, and all things appertaining to a blessed life, of the beginnings of which a believer partaketh in this life, and the perfection of it when the Soul is departed out of the body, and ascended into Heaven, and Soul and body shall be reunited and glorified together at the last day.
In glorification we may consider, 1. The Essence of it, 2. The complement.
1. The Essence of it stands in blessed visions and enjoyment of God himself, Psal. 73.25, Psal. 27.4, Psal. 116.7.
2. The complement of it, all good things belong to a blessed life, Psal. 84.11. it is called glorification, as it maketh believers glorious, Rom. 8.30.
The degrees of this Inchoation and Perfection.
1. Inchoation, here some beginnings of it,
1. in direct actings upon God, seeing him as in the glass of his word and Ordinances, I Co. 13.12.
2. Reflect acts, a believer hath discerning what God hath done for him in working in him repentance and faith; hence an Assurance, that he was elected, and that he was to be forever happy, hence Joy, Rom. 6. 3, 4, 5.
2. The Perfection,
1. Of the soul immediately after its departure out of the body, Phil. 1.23.Hitherto of internal and mystical union to and communion with Christ, proper to believers, now of external and visible union to and communion with Christ.
2. Of the soul and body both glorified at the day of Judgement. Eph. 4.13, Phil. 3, 20.21. Joh. 17.23.
Quest. What is visible union to and communion with Christ?
Answr. Visible union to, and communion with Christ, is that whereby believers doe visibly profess the Faith, and subject to the visible government of Christ, having visible communion with Christ in his ordinances, and thus the Church considered as visible doth, in which those who have only and nothing but a visible union to & communion with Christ, are Hypocrites.
1. A visible professing of the faith having and holding forth so much knowledge of Christ as may let Christ into the soul, not grossly and sottishly ingnorant.
2. Doe subject to the visible Government of Christ in his Ordinances Isai. 44.5, 2 Chron. 30.8. And thus to the judgement of rational charity are visible Saints, they profess this in words, and their works do not deny it. Tit. 1.6.
And visible Saints may be considered in a segregative, or a congregative manner.
1. Segregatively, as scatter'd sheep by themselves, as those certain disciples scatter'd, Act. 19.1.
2. Congregatively, as flocking together, and thus a Church as a visible body doth. But those who have only an external and visible union and communion with Christ, but not internally, mystically and sincerely, these are Hypocrites. Luk. 8.13, I Joh. 2.19, Joh. 15.2.
Quest. What is a visible Church?
Answr. A visible Church is a company of visible Saints joyned in a visible covenant with Christ and one with another, to walk together in the use of Christs Ordinances in a visible Church order.
1. That there is a visible Church is manifest, otherwise Christ hath no visible Body, no visible Officers, or they to officiate to them who are not visible, I Cor. 12.12.
2. the matter of a visible Church is visible Saints, for Christ's visible Church is called his Body, I Cor. 12.12. his Temple, Ephes. 2. 21, 22 therefore the matter of this ought not to be visible Rebels and Traitors.
3. The form of a visible Church is their covenanting.
1. There is such a covenant, for the covenant so often mentioned with the Israelites.
1. It was not the covenant of works, for that was made only with our first Parents and with us in Adam, but since mans fall who could engage in that.2. That this is a form of the visible Church appeareth.
2. Not the covenant of grace strictly taken for believe and live, for many were in the covenant spoken of made with the Church of the Jews, who were never in the covenant of grace, but were graceless, Zach. 11.10.
3. Yet this belongs to the covenant of grace as an Ordinance appointed by it, and an outward means to administer it.
1. They are a City and Corporation, therefor a covenant to make them such.If by content, then it is either manifest or unknown consent, if an unknown consent be sufficient to admission then an unknown dissent may be sufficient to keep out, or cast out; and if a manifest consent be necessary to a joyning in Church fellowship, then a covenant, for what is a Church covenant, but a manifest consent to walk with Christ, and one with another, according to the rules of the Gospel invisible Church order.
2. they joyne in holy fellowship either without consent or with consent, if without consent, then though a Church be unwilling, they cannot keep them out, then they cannot cast them out, though they ought to keep out the unworthy, and to cast out the obstinate offender.
Quest. How may a visible Church be considered?
Answr. A visible Church may be considered in respect of the time in which it lived.
1. As it was confined to a Family from Adams time to Moses time, and then they had Prophets to be extraordinary Rulers, and the Head of the Family was the ordinary Ruler, and the rule of Religion was given by Tradition.
A visible Church may be considered either as totum homogeneum, or Integrale.
1. As totum homogeneum, and thus is distributed into individual Congregations and Churches, as mankind into individual men, and thus every individual Church hath the matter and form of a Church, and thus we read of the Churches of Christ, I Co. 11.16.
2. Or as totum Integrale, or an individual man made up of his members, and so every individual Church doth consist of its members, and in this sense comes in the consideration of a Church, as Organicum totum, as fitted for operations for the good of the whole.
And hence Governours, and governed.
1. Governours, who exercise Authority over the Church, having the Ecclesiastical ----, doctrinal, Judicial.
1. Doctrinal dispensation of the Word, as Church Officers, and of the Sacraments, Rom. 11.17, Eph. 4.10,11. the administration of the these committed to Church Officers.2. In respect of those within, to bind, loosen.
2. Judicially by the Officers, with the consent of the Church. 1. In respect of those without. 2. And within.
1. Without. 1. Some to be taken in by opening.
2. Some to be kept out by shutting the dore of the Church.
1. To bind, the first degree of which is admonition, the second degree is excommunication, Math. 18.16,17, 18.The Ministerial Rulers of the Church, who act in the name of Christ the Supream Ruler and Head of the Church, Col. 1.18 these are extraordinary, ordinary.
1. Extraordinary, called of God immediately, Gal. 1.1 and had infallible direction and inspiration from God, Gal. 1.1,2. 2 Pet. 1, ult.
2. Ordinary Rulers called of God mediatley by the Church, Acts 3.5. Acts 14.23. hence Election and Ordination, I Tim. 5.22. and these ought to rule according to the Word given by the extraordinary Rulers, 2 Tim. 1.13.
2. The governed is the Church, Heb. 13.17. and many be considered in respect of the time in which it lived.
1. In a Family, from Adams time to Moses time, some Prophets were Rulers, 2 Pet. 2.6, Jude 14.And then the Rule of Religion was given by Tradition, it was not written until Moses time.
2. The Head of the Family was the ordinary Ruler, Gen. 18.19 the eldest Son, Exod. 24.5, Numb. 3.12,14.
Quest. How was it with the Church in Moses time?
Answr. The Church in Moses time and afterwards was in and confined to the people of Israel, who had their great congregation, and inferior congregations, the Synagogue, and their extraordinary Rulers were Prophets, some of them wrote the old Testament: and their ordinary Rulers were the high Priest, inferior Priests and Levites, and the Rulers of the Synagogues, and of this Church Christ came typed out in ceremonies.
1. In Moses time and afterwards the Church was confined tp the people of Israel, Deut. 7.6 in which we may consider their congregation, their priviledge.
1. Their congregation, their great one, Exod. 25.8. Psal. 40.10.The Rulers, extraordinary, ordinary:
2. Their inferiour Congregations, their Synagogues, Psal. 79.8, Acts 13.5
1. Extraordinary, and were Prophets, some of them wrote the old Testament, Hos. 8.12, 2 Pet. 1, ult. but the Apocrypha was not wrote by them, and therefore is not canonical.
2. Their ordinary Governours,
1. Of their great congregation, the high Priest; inferiour, as Priests, Levites, Numb. 3.3, 4.
2. Of their lesser congregations, the Rulers of the Synagogues, Mar. 5.22, 2 Chron. 19.11, Numb. 3.6.
2. The privileges of this Church, Christ came of this Church concerning the flesh, Rom. 9.3,4,5. 2. He was promised to them by the Prophets, 3. Typed out to them by diverse ceremonyes, Heb. 10.2. And this Church continued untill Christ the Messias was slain, Zac11.10, Mat. 27, 50,51.
Quest. How is it with the Church since Christs coming?
Answr. The visible church is not confined to any one People, but is amongst many since Christs coming, and in its primitive time had the Apostles, Evangelists and Prophets to be extraordinary Rulers, and some of these wrote the New-Testament; and since that time it hath Pastors, Teachers, Ruling Elders and Deacons to be the ordinary Officers and hath Christ to be the exalted head, the holy Scriptures being perfected.
Concerning the Church since Christs coming we may consider, their Government and priviledges.
1. Their Government, Extraordinary, Ordinary.
1. Extraordinary Rulers,
1. The Apostles, who were to preach to all nations, Mat. 28, ult. And to plant churches I Cor. 3.6 and to be witnesses of Christs Resurrection, and Ascention Act 1.8.
2 . Evangelists, who were to affist the Apostles in preaching, and in establishing the Churches according to their Doctrine I Tim. 1.3,4. 2 Tim. 4.5.
3. Prophets, who had singular gifts to interpret the scriptures and to foretell things to come, I Cor. 14,24, 25. Acts 21.8,9,10. And some of these extraordinary Rulers wrote the New-Testament. Joh. 20.30. Rev. 1.9.
2. Ordinary Officers are first Elders who are either only Ruling, or not only so but Teaching as Pastors, Teachers. Eph. 11.12. Rom. 12.8. Or inferiour Officers, the Deacons, Rom. 12.8. I Tim. 3.8.2. The Priviledges of this Church,
1. They have Christ already exhibited, the good things typed out are extant, Luk. 1.70, 2. Cor. 1.20.
2. Hence the Members of this Church are evangelical believers.
1. Confessing that Christ is the son of Mary, and the son of the living God, Mat. 16.16, 17, 18, 19. Acts 8.34, 35.
2. They doe receive Christ as their exalted head, Act. 2.35. Eph. 4.9,10.
3. This Church is no longer confined to one people, but amongst many, hence universal and catholick, as gathered out of all nations, many Churches swarmed out of that one church, and first church at Jerusalem. Act. 9.31. and are called churches, the catholick visible church doth exist in these individual churches.
4. This church hath the holy Scriptures perfectly, Rev. 22.19.Quest. How doe you prove the Holy Scriptures to be the Word of God?
Answr. The holy Scriptures are proved to be the word of God by the testimony of the godly in all ages, and by divine testimony, the miracles wrought, and the testimony of the Spirit of God in the Saints, and by many artificial arguments, because they doe reveal divine wisdome holiness, Justice, mercy, with most perfect harmony & wonderful efficacy, containing a perfect rule of Faith and obedience.
The Scriptures are proved to be the word of God by Arguments, inartificial, artificial,
1. Inartificial, namely testimony, humane, divine.
1. Humane, the testimony of the godly in all ages, first in the primitive times, their preachers expounded these, Act. 17, 2, 11.2. This Testimony is delivered down to us, witnes
2. Christians converted by these,
3. Many suffered for the defence of these.
4. Their Opposers, Romanes, Jews, Pharises, Sadduces, Heriticks, could not deny but that such Doctrines were taught by the Apostles, 2 Tim. 3.15, 16.
1. The many ancient Records of many histories and councils.
2. The ancient Records of many Countryes, Nations, East, West, North and South.
3. The many Christians in the several Ages who have suffered for the defence of these, and the Hereticks have pleaded these Scriptures, although they have perverted them, let us consider the validity of the former Testimony.
2. Divine Testimony external and internal.1. It hath a moral certainty, as certain as man can be, that he was born of such Parents, and hath a right to such an Inheritance which depends upon humane Testimony.
2. In some respect this Testimony hath an infallible certainty.
1. Otherwise these witnesses would have contradicted themselves, they living at so great a distance one from another, and in several Ages could not meet together to invent a delusion to deceive their Posterity.
2. Otherwise Adversaries would have contradicted them as de facto, and have said, that no such doctrines were taught by the Apostles, hence this humane Testimony as it is circumstanced is binding, Exod. 10.1,2. Psal. 78.1,2,3,4. Acts 1.8, Acts 2.32.
1. External by Miracles, 2 Cor. 12.12 called Gods witnesses, Heb. 2.4.2. Artificial Arguments.
2. Inward Testimony, the Spirit of God in a believer witnessing, I Joh. 5.10.
1. They reveal wisdome above all the inventions of men or Angels, the Mystery of the Trinity, and mans Recovery, and many other Mysteries, I Joh. 5.7. I Tim. 3.16.Hitherto of Faith, next concerning Observance.
2. Most beautiful holiness shining in these Scriptures, Rom. 1.2. Psal. 119.140.
3. Justice giving to God and man his due, Rom. 13.9. Rom. 7.,12.
4. Most rich mercy, Rom. 5.20.
5. Most perfect harmony, though wrote by diverse, in diverse places and diverse languages, full of predictions and Prophecies, yet they all agree.
6. Their duration,
1. Were before other Writings.7. The Efficacy of them, I Thes. 1.5. Isai 55.11.
2. Do continue and shall to the end of the World, Jer. 6.16 Math. 28, ult.
8. The perfection of them, they contain a perfect Rule of Faith and observance, I Joh. 4.1,2. 2 Tim. 1.13, Rom. 2.16, Rev. 22.19. Either these Scriptures were invented by God or by some creature, not by some creature, for if by some creature, it was either by some good or evil creature, not by some good creature, for no good man or Angel would invent a thing, and then say it was Gods invention, not by some evil creature, for the holy Scriptures are contrary to the wicked, therefore it is apparent these Scriptures are invented by God himself.
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