The Dignitie ófthe Sciiptüriï Taft ti)-this, The lawoftheLord is perfeEï,eónertingihe fonle s,toChew, that withdnt g Nal, 47o the word ofGod, thoughman might gain knowledgeenoughto condemn him, yet he couldgetnone tofeud him. Andfo in another place, having declared the testimoniesof thepower ofGod whichare robe feene euen in thevery wauesof the fea,atTaft heconcludes the pfalme,0 Lord thy teßintamies arewert'lrehplea- sing that there isnocettaine,and comfortable knowledgeofGod tobegotten, but onely froth thence. And fotthe famecanfeChril told thewomanof Sama- ria fb4t they werfh,edtbe)him/ not who ;and that thetruewortiip wasonly iloli,Mig: among the Lewes,becaufe they onlyhad theScriptures. Nowthen looke how fat faluation , lifeeternal],euerlafting happinetfe,doe exceed all other things, by fo much is the do&rineofthe Scriptureofgreaterprice, then all Other doetrioes, thenall Other writingswhatfoeuer. Thus you fee the priceand excellencyofthe wordof God;preriasu forthe author,the Godoftruth;pretiotm for thematter,thé glorious mifteryof Chrift ; pretiöm forthe frame and forme,pleineneflpófffile mixed with maief tie: preri ouefartheend,tomake vswife vntofaluation .Letisir. devour now tomake the bell ofthis do&rine; The firft aleofit ,istoadmonilheuery,Mlniltet,(whoby theoffice and cal- Thevfe ling is to handle the wordofGod) todoe itwith reuerence and humilitie, in as much as it is a thing of that exceedingprice, and therefore a woe that beevnto him whofoeuer, that (hall rattly, andvnaduifedly, and vnreuerently difpenceit. Wee (hall reade that among other the holy things which Godordained tobet made in the mintiest Tabernacle, hee appoynted aLauer ofbr If k, in which k Ezod.;o.ì11 Aaron and his founts fhouldwaif their hands& their feet,IoOften as they went into the Tabernacle, or didgot veto the Altarto ninifter ; whichoutwardwe:: thing commanded to the Priefts(and that With filcha ftreight penalty , that they I véot mull doe it leg theydie) ferueth toteach all thole that fucceed them ih thefer- nice of God in the Church, to take heedhowthey disevnhdlily and Without due preparing,and Rudy, and an humble feekingofthe Lord, aduerituretomeddle with a thingof that heauenly price, as the wordofGod is. Ifsaymastfpeake, !sb him,rpea1e althe wordsefGod(faith SaintPeter.%) m t,Pe44,r ì Secondly, it is anadmonition toall that caneto Irate, to takebeede (asSalo- Flea. men faith)to theirfeet kefore they come inta thehonfeofGod°.Imay ty toyou roo- nEcds.c7; thing the word ofGod, asChrill faidto the peopletouchingJohn Baptifl, What wentyes out(faith he)intethe wilderneffe rafee °?So,what is it that you torrid froth oMath. as your houles to theChutch robe partakersof? is itan idlefoug,or an olde wines tale; Or a foolish historie , or a friuolous enterlude tobe laughed at ? or whatis it that youcomefor; it is-notthe wordofGod ? ifyoufay it is, know you not of what price it is, or doe youconfider fromwhom it commeth,ofwhom it tree- teth, and to what end it aimeth? ifyou'doe,how doe youdare tocome vnto it. with vnprepared,vnrefotmed, vnfan&ified hearts ? howis kthat wee makt nu more account of heating it;thenofanyother liable employment ? Alslfe, who is their amongft vs, but generally hee comes with as great preparation tohis worke,orto Ms inarket,or tohis play, as lice dothto thegrand} carrellesofthe mollpreruouswordofGod ?say, our prepatation vfually is greater vntothings' ofthat naturethen to this: for whileswe are letting our felues to Chofeoccafions,' we wilbafre our tonguesand Our thoughts,about the thingspertaining to them;' but when wee come to the word, weeneuer (ecke todisburthenour thoughts of all other matters, that we might bee themore freetointertayueathingofther exceedingprice. Remember what God faide to Mr/it when heeappearedveto himwhen viSiseswas comming towards theplace,Godcalled !obihim !me thy Ames Pd-e. meaning by that ceremony to[bike a kinde ofawfull reuerence P 810(1.)ägá intoMefes, when as hewas now tocome andRand beforeGod:therebfalfo tee- thing as,that when we come to theexercifrsofGodsworthip, (amongft which the aftof the wordisthe principall)wee mull labour (asthe Apoflefaitb)to iaff G 4 away
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