Blake - Houston-Packer Collection BT155 .B53 1653

hap. t 7. and the Covenant of Grace. Preface to the Decalogue, page 7.) faith, T hat there VMS no known Common - wealth in any part of the world inhabited, but within ourty yeeres after Chriffr PEion received a great 'baking cif of Heathenifhre`igion; yet the whole work after fo many Centuries of yeeres, is not yet done ; thofe that are learned in Geography fay, that there is not above a nineteenth part of the inhabited world that beares the name of Chriftian and a great part of thofe fo over-run with Barbarifme, that they have little more then a name that they live ; when yet we beleeve the work fhall be more univerfal , that as God OM once knowne in Jury, his name great in lfrael; So it Jhall be from the riling of the Sun to the going dozen thereof, Mal. r. i r And that the Kingdomes of the world Jhall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of has ('hriff, Rev. i i. 15. Their work of fuperftru&ion or building up of Difciples , is given them in charge in thefe words, teaching them to obfe ve all whatfoever I have commanded you. As long as homage is due to Chrift, fo long a Miniftery is to be continued to call for it and give directions in it, which we finde farther held out, Ephej 4. I i ! ? , i 4, i ç. There is an enumeration of Minifterial funai- ons, extraordinary and ordinary, as there is an appointment of Apoftles, Prophets, Evangelifts ; So alto of Pallors and Teach` ers, their work is there pointed out, for the perfef`'ling of the Saints, for the work of the A-3iniflery, for the edifying of the body. of Chrill ; as alto their duration and continuance, till we all come in the unity of faith, and of the lnowle '/ge of the Son of God, unto a perfefl man, unto the meafure of the flature of the fulnefre of Chrifl. When in the world all are Saints, and no imperfection can be found in thefe Saints, nor any thing wanting in the My- fEcal body of Chrift, when there is not an errour to be found, either in judgement or pradice, nor a feducer, or a falfe teacher feared, then, and not before a Miniftery maybe fpared this will not be as long as there is a Devill in Hell, and a man with cor- ruption upon earth, There is nota man that oppofeth a Minifte- ry, but the being of that man is an unanfwerable argument for the eftablifhment ofit. Their work for difpenfation of the Sacraments is given in . charge explicitely in thofe words, Baptizing them, c... as im- plicitely in that charge, Teaching them to obferveoll that I have commanded, This of Baptifme anfwers,in.duration to. that other: Q.,3 Sacrament. I I'7

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