(64) he is prefent with his Difciples according unto his Promife. (4) In thefe Churches thus exercifed in the holy Worfhip of God, he gives us a Refemblance and Reprefentation of the great Afletnbly above, who Worfhip God continually before his Throne, which is too large aSubje&here to infift upon. And to manifeft thatAfíemblies of the whole Church , at once and in one place, for the Celebration of Divine Worship, is of the Effence of a Church, without which it hathno real Being ; when God bad inftituted fuch a Church. Form, as wherein all the Members of it could not ordinarily come to- gether everyweek for this end; yet he ordained that, for the krefcrvation of their Church-State , three times in the year the Males (which was the circumcifed Church) lhould ap- pear together in one place, to celebrate the molt SolemnOr- . dinances of his Worfhip. Exod, z3. 14. Chap. 34 z;. Deut. 16. 16. All thofe Difficulties which arofe from the extentof the Limits of that Church unto the whole Nation, being remo- ved, thefe Meetings of the whole Church for the Worfhip of God become a continual Duty ; and when they cannot be obferved in any Church, the State or kind of it is not inftitu- ted by Chrift. . 3. The third End ofthe Inftitutionof the Gofpel Church- State is theExercife and Prefervation of the Difcipline appoin- ted by Chrift to be obferved by his Difciples. The Ancients do commonly call the whole Religion of Cnriftianity, by i he Name of the `Difcipline of Chrift, that is, theFaith and Obedience which he hath prefcribed unto them, in Contra diliin&ion, and Oppofition unto the Rules and Prefcriptions, of all `Philofophical Societies. And it is that, without which the Glory of Chriflian Religion can in no due manner be pre- ferved. The efpecial Nature of it (hall be afterwards fully fpoken unto, For the ufe of the prefent Argument I fhall only fpeak unto the Ends of ir, or what it is that the Lord Chrift defigneth in the Inftitution of it; and thefe things may be referred unto 4 Heads. 1. The
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=