Baynes - BS2695 B289 1643

29 2. VERS. 15. Doff. Natural! men hate divine ordinances. Ephefans, Chap. 2. VER,15. I tians, Exod. 8.26. Apparcll, geftures, diftin&ions of meats , Swines flefh : It is not their Idolatry onely, but their fuperftitions which do make a divorce twixt them and us ; and we fee that with us matter of Ceremony bath the fameufe : IfofGod , they do both ferve to be bonds of unity, and walls of feparation from thofe without ; ifof man,they do binde fuch together as receive them,and are a wall twixt fuch and others who cannot yeeld toentertain them. I would it were not too apparent , that they from their firft admiffion were oetafron and prop ofdifference: and now Chriftians are fubdivided by them into conformable and unconformable. The ufe hereof is, to let us fee what the formof Gods worfhip is to us , it is as a wall about us , both garding us , left we go out, and keeping others from having acceffe to us. And it letteth us fee, what is thebelt conflitution of Worfhip, the fpirituall worfhip, withwhat care weare to maintain it , if we will have the city of God in fafety: For, look as a breach made in the wall, thecity is foon entred. The Papift bath polifhed his Do6trine; for what, but in religious Rites and praEtife, (lands all their Worfhip e Never more extremelyobferved; teaching every thing by force fenfible fignificant Rite or other: Whereas, God will have no fenfible Rites in hisChurch, teachingany thing to the minde, but Baptifine, and his Supper, which himfelfhath ordained as fufficient. 'Wicked therefore is their prat-life, that would (till bring the Church to be in the A.B.C. and to ufe the Feskue,from which Chrift by his death bath delivered it. We learn hence, to turn away from monitory and fignifying figns; why fhould we rakeup thatwhich is happily buried a True it is,Gods Worfhip is for the fubftanceof it fpirituall, and was alwayes; but for the manner ofit, it was carnal]; that is, ftanding offenfible and flcfhly obfervations which God did prefcribe, not as limply delighting in them, but as accommodating himfelf to the childifh condition of the Church in thofe times, wherein the more plentifull prefenceof fpiri- tuall gifts was not obtained, Chrift not being as yet manifefted and glorified. VERS. 15. in abrogatingthrough his flefh,the hatred; that is, the Lam of the commandementr, which fiandeth in ordinances, for to make of twain, one newman in himfel f,fmaking peace. Hatred.] Obferve hence, how thofe without are affeûled to the Difcipline andWorfhip which God himfelf ereóted , they have it in utter hatred : The naturali man Both not entertain the things of God, 1 Cor. 2. 14. Thewifdom ofthe flefh cannot befubjelt to the wifeless; of God, but it enmity againfi it, Rom.8.7. Though that this Divine Ser. viceand Worfhipdid onely (of all Worfhip in the earth) lead to the knowledge of our (elves by Chrift, and falvation in him a yet the Gentile, becaufe it favoured not with corrupt nature, had it in dete- ftation : And fo it is the portionofthe wifdom ofGod, tobe rejeéted with the world. We fee, that the orders which Chrift bath left for the governing of his Church, the frmplicityof the Wordand Sacra. ments,

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=