Burroughs - Houston-Packer Collection BX7233.B87 G67 1660

on the Éxcel(ency of Chrif 73 there mull bee no addition of men in any Law whatfoever, but only the tsings of Chrift that are meerly fpiritual; if there bee any natural help, or civil help , as wee that are men cannot bee exe -cifed in things that are fpiritual; .with- out fome natural and civil helps , there certainly the pru- dence of man may come in ; but this cannot come to fet up any new Ordinances , or fet up any new Officers in the Church, or make any new Laws that (hall concern the fpi- ritual Worfhip of God, to work my heart in a fpiritual way to God, or God unto mee; here lyes the evil of mans inventions , when there fhall bee any inventions of man that shall come inftead of a fpiritual Ordinance, that (hall bee fet by mans Inftitution , and have more put upon it than it bath in a natural and civil way to bee helpful, why then it comes to bee fuperftition, I fay, when any thing is fet by man in the worfhip of God, that fhall have more in it than that that is natural or civil to help , then it comes to bee finful and wicked. When I think that by any thing of mans appointment, God fhall come nearer to mee , or my heart fhall bee drawn nearer to God, by venue of any Inftitution of man , here is the very proper nature of In- f}itution ; As for inftance Some thing that is natural or civil to help Gods worfhip, that man may appoint, butno- thing that is fpiritual to draw my heart nearer to God , or God nearer to mee. As thus, If the Church of God meet together for Ordinances it mutt meet in fome place, this is a natural help to have a convenient meeting-place , to have a place to keep them from the air , or rain, or wind this is natural ;- but if it go one ftep higher than natural- nefs of the place , If I (hall make this place by the con- fecration of man to bee ufed as an Ordinance to draw mee nearer to God, or God nearer to mee, that is, to think that my prayers in that place are more acceptable than in ano- ther , that becaufe I perform fervices in that place it fluff bee more accepted , Here I fay , man raifes it higher. than natural , and puts a Divine Inftitution upon it , and fo it comes to bee finful ; and fo now you may come to know L what

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