will it be no blemish to my reputation may I thereby further such such purposes are ther any examples of men of some note and fashion in the world running the same courses Here is the ordinary religion of the world but as for laying the precepts of the word as precise rules for the ordering of al our waies and the guiding of our liues in the lords path it is a thing so ridiculous vnreasonable in common Iudgment and through discontinuance of these euill times so out of vse that when as the word challengeth that right of gouerning vs which the Lord hath giuen it men forth with so strange a thing is it vnto them to beare the yoke snuffe and are not afraid to expostulate with it as the Sodomits did with Lot Gen. 19.9 shall it being a stranger iudge rule ouer vs Thus I haue by particulars confirmed this pointe viz that wee are as deseruedly liable to this reproofe as the Iewes were The Lord wrote vnto them the greate things of his law so he hath done to vs they accounted them as a strange thing wee are very equall to them in contempt Now for the last pointe propounded namely the vse of all that hath beene saied it must needs be this viz That seeing to account the greate things of Gods law as a strange thing is 1 a faulte 2 a greuious fault 3 a faulte liable to so extreame punishment and 4 our faulte there is no remedy vnlesse by a bold persisting in an apparent euill wee will prouoke God but wee must henceforth giue all diligence that the word of God may be no more a stranger vnto vs but a dweller with vs and may become familiar vnto vs. That this is a dutie from which no man is exempted the scripture is manifest in which if the whole body of it throughout be examined there is no releasement or dispensation giuen vnto any to neglect the searching of Gods booke nether was it euer maintayned by any doctrine but by doctrine of Popery that ordinary men need not seeke to be made acquainted with the scripture Wee read that when the Philistins had the Israelits in bondage 1. Sam. 13. one pollecy to keepe them vnder and to detaine them in perpetuall thraldome was this they left them neuer a smith throughout all the land and what was their reason least saied they the Hebrewes make them sworde speares 19. ver if they tooke away their weapons from them it was an easie thing to oppresse them The very like pollicy was vsed in the dayes of Popery to the end to continue the people in blindnes that they might not descriy the abhomination of that religion by the light of the scripture They tooke the bible from them and shutt it vp in Colledges and libraries and suffered it not to passe but in a language which the vulgar vnderstood not And as in that bondage of the Israelites vnder the Philistins no man could shearpen his mattock his axe 20. ver and his weeding hooke but they must be beholding to the Philistins and take of them such helpe as they would vouchsafe to afford them So in the daies of Popishi blindnes no common man wanting the helpes of learning and knowledge in the tongues could enioy the benefite of any spirituall sharpening any comforte for his soule but as it pleased those tirants ouer Gods heritage to bestow vpon them So that the contempte of the scripture of God which is the common sicknes of the country is naught else but a very dregg of popery ignorance being the scepter of that kingdome and the reasons which euen the most learned papstis alleadge for the discharging of the Laity from conuerting with the scripture being the very same which euery profaine ignorant person is able by the priuate teaching of his owne corrupt hearte to pleade on the behalfe of his owne carelesnes Well the scope of this place which is a parte of that holy truth by which wee must be iudged at the last day requireth at our hands better things and if wee be any whit a shamed of our former neglect and thinke our selues bounde in conscience to grow into a farther degree of familiarity with the word of God the vseing of these helpes shal be a greate furtherance An humble setting our selues to schole to the publique ministery In Christe are hid all the treasures of wisedome knowledge and in the sound and a sincere preaching of the word there is plainely set out vnto vs the very mistery of Christ To this course is the blessing promised that it shall saue them that beleiue Col. 2 3. 1. Cor. 1.21 especially when it is yeelded to with humility with a holy disclaiming of a mans owne seeming wisedome For the Lord will guide the meeke in Iudgment teach the humble his way yea his very secret is reuealed vnto such according as on the contrary he catcheth the wise in their owne craftiues Psal 25.9.14 1. Cor. 3.19 Rom. 1.22 and maketh them become fooles when they professe the greatest wisedome If wee would then grow into more more acquaintance with the scripture wee must weare out the threshold of the Lords howse and wacth daily at his gates Pro. 8.33 Pro. 2.2 5. giue attendance at the postes of his doores For if thou cause thine eares to hearken vnto wisedome and encline thine heart then shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the lord and finde the the knowledge of God if in our affections and care we be strangers to publique teaching we may perhaps haue some smattering and superficiall knowledge but can neuer haue any true tast of the marrow and sweetnes of the scripture 2 priuate exercise namely an aduised intentiue and well prepared reading if we be able or a hearing others read This rubs vp the memory of things heard publiquely confirmes the iudgment makes fit to depend vpon the church instruction and inures to the phrase and language of the scripture 2 a busy and secret meditating and exercising the thoughts about such things as we haue receiued This doth as the Apostles speakes deliuer and as it were cast vs into the forme Rom. 6.17 and mould of doctrine which we heare and seasoneth the inner man euen the spirit of the minde with that holy truth which we haue learned 3. A reuerent and discreet conference touching heauenly things as occasion falleth sometime with our minister Mar. 4.10 Heb. 3.13 Chap. 310.24 Deut. 6.7 Luk. 24.13.14 sometimes with our neighbours sometimes at home with our famelies sometimes abroad euen as we walke by the way This is a notable quickning for our selues and a great help to others The lips of the wise doe spread abroade knowledge Pro. 5.7 Pro. 10.21 and feed many At the lest some of these priuate exercises should daily be performed for miserable is that man who for one whole day togeather doeth nether busie his tounge nor employ his thoughts nor apply his eares to some holy vse to heare or talke or muse about something by which he may be built vp in Christ Iesus 3 Carefull and stedfast practise proceeding from a resolute vow and as it were a soleume oath taken betwixt God and a mans owne soule to keepe the Lords righteous Iudgments and to haue respect to all his commaundements Vse in all things breeds cunning Psal 119.106 uer 6. and he which makes it his care to Put in execution such good duties as he heares taught praying the Lord to establish him in euery word good worke will in time grow so perfect in good things that he shall euen with a kind of pleasure for the Lords yoake is easie walke in the law of the Lord neuer being idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of Christ 2. Thes 2.17 Heb. 13.21 Math. 11.30 Ps 1.119.1 2. Pet. 1.8 Tit. 2.10 but adorning the doctrine of God our sauiour in all things The conscionable practise of these duties shall by the blessing of God reforme our common fault of being strangers in Gods booke and shall by making Christs word dwell with vs fit and make vs ready to dwell with him for euer in his kingdome The ende of the third Sermon Let God alone haue the glorie
the denyall of Peter is more expresly laid downe by Marke then by any other Euangelist And Paul sets downe with his owne pen his owne faults in more sharpe measure then any other man would doe 1. Tim. 1.13 I was a blasphemer a persecutor an oppressor This argueth that these men were guided by God in that they were so free from flattery that they spared not themselues We know it is contrary in other writers you shall see generally those that write histories speake partiallie ether of some mē or of their own natiue coūtries as if a man should read the Chronicles of England he would thinke that to be the only country It sheweth the scripture to haue been guided by some higher spirit it being so free from all partiality Seauenthly the wonderfull preseruation of the bookes of the scripture At the first the two tables of the law which were written by Gods owne finger were apointed by the Lord to be laid vp in the Arke Deut. 10 2 5 6. and the whole Tribe of Leui commanded to attend it Next the bookes which Moses himselfe wrot Exod. 24.27 Deut. 31.9 Iosh 24.26 1. Sam. 10.25 as he wrot them by the speciall appointment of god as appeares so he deliuered it to the sonnes of Leui also to be kept Ioshua tooke the same course for the preseruation of that which he had written So did Samuell yet this is nothing in respect of that which followed The prophesy of Ieremy was burned by king Iehoiakinne therby thinking to abolish the whole memory of it but the lord presently caused the same to be written againe yea and added thereunto many words Ier. 30. When Manasses and Ammon two wicked kings to the end they might the better draw the people to Idolatry and to keep them in it had suppressed the booke of the law 2. Chron. 34.14 1. Macc 1. yet in the daies of Iosias it pleased God that euen in the ruynes of the temple the booke of the law was found againe It is recorded in the booke of Maccabees how that king Antiochus cut in peices and burnt al the bookes of che law which he could find and followed the matter so extreamely that whosoeuer had a booke of the testament found by him he should be put to death And Eusebius an auntient writer of the story of the Church reports how Dioclesian a heathen Emperour and a cruell persecutor both forbad the vse of the bookes of the prophets and Euangelists and consumed them with fire also So that indeed it is a very miracle and an argument that the scripture is from aboue in asmuch as notwithstanding the perpetuall enmity of the deuill against it the indeauours of Heretiques to corrupt it the practises of Tyrants vtterly to abolish it and the many hazards which the Church hath been in which could not chuse but endanger it yet it hath ben preserued whole and entyre yea euē in the originall tongues the old testament in the Hebrew and the new in the Greek euen vnto this day we may well apply vnto it the words of the Psalme It is the Lords doing Ps 1.8.23 and it is marueilous in our eies Eightly the forme and dignity of the stile which is as I said Fulnes of maiesty in simplicity of words There is no parte or tittle of it which sauoureth of any earthlines the maiesty of the sentences is such as it cannot be fully and wholly conceiued and vttered by any man and yet it is alwaies more powerfull in matter then in words And we see the bookes called the Apochripha who haue endeauoured to expresse the excellency of that holy stile are yet so farre from it that they are but cold and euen barbarous in comparison Ninthly if when we consider the excellency of the matter and the heauenly Maiesty of the stile we shall remember also what kind of men they were which wrot it it will adde some strength vnto this proofe For if we consider them simply in themselues Exod. 3.1 Ier. 1.6 Math. 4.18 Math. 9.9 Col. 4.4 1. Tim. 1.13 we shall see how vnfit they were by all likelihood for such a story Moses first a shepheard then a prophet Ieremy a yery child by his own confession Peter a fisherman one that was neuer trayned vp in learning Mathew a publican a meere stranger to the things of God Luke a phisitian learned but yet not accustomed in things of that quality Paul a persecutor a professed enemy to the doctrine of the gospell It could not chuse but be some heauenly and spirituall power that should call afterwards enable these mē vnto this waighty busines to be the penmē of that in which so much admirable excellēcy doth appeare Tēthly let vs cōsider also the power efficacy of the scripture There is no man but if he obserue it and hearken to it shall finde the power of it how it searcheth into the very secrets of a mans heart and deuides asunder the soule and the spirit Heb. 4.11 and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents it striketh a terror into the very consciences of those which are the greatest enemies vnto it and would seeme to despite it and that is the very thing that hath caused it to haue so many and greiuous aduersaries among men We may behold also how it works to the reclaiming of many men from their euill waies what fruits of holines it brings forth in the liues of diuers that professe it with contempt of the world what hatred of sinne what duties of mercy yea and how the loue and sweetnes thereof hath so possessed the hearts of some that they haue ben content not only to sacrifice their wealth their credit their good name their liberty for it but euen their very liues and to chuse rather to beare any torments then to disclaime that holy truth which by the teaching of the scripture they haue once throughly entertained Thus this power of the word in conuincing some in conuerting others in amazing some in reioycing others in drawing some earnestly to loue it in prouoking others deeply and tiranously to detest it this same secret and effectuall working of it I say vpon the secret powers of the soule is a testimony for the scripture that it is no deuise of man but the very sacred will of God These ten tokens I haue thought good to commend vnto your care and consideration by which it may be manifested vnto vs that that which we call the Bible and is dayly commēded vnto vs to be the word of god is indeed that which it is said to be and the very thing by which we shal be iudged at the last day 1. The purity of the law 2. The matter of the scripture the description of mans misery and of the true remedy for it 3. The antiquitie of it 4. The consent of it with it selfe 5. The certaine euent of all prophesies 6. The vnpartiall dealing of those that write it 7.
were meeter that we should euen with teares of bloud importune him yet the sonnes of men whose breath is in their nosthrils not waighing this vnutterable kindnes should dare to set at naught such a message and to let it flip as if it were some idle stuffe not worth the looking on Againe wheras it is often touched in the scripture that the lord had a speciall regard ouer the Iewish nation more then to any other vnder heauen the liberty of enioying the law of god is noted as the principal benefit which the lord vouchsafed them Deut. 4.8 What nation is there so great saith Moses that hath ordinances and lawes so righteous as all the law which I set before you this day And Dauid in the Psalmes haueing spoken at large touching the prouidence of God ouer all mankind cōmeth at last to shew wherin the Iewes had the preeminence aboue all other Ps 147.19 20. in these words He shewed his word vnto Iacob his statutes and Iudgments vnto Israell he hath not dealt so with euery nation Rom. 3.1 2. And Saint Paul propounding to himselfe this question what is then the preferment of the Iew answereth it thus cheifly because vnto them were committed the oracles of God So then seing among all the blessings that God bestowed vpon thē this was the choise that the great things of the law were committed vnto them in it must needs be an argument of extreame vnthankfulnes in them to make so slight account of so great a fauour The third euill of which this euill here reproued in them was compounded was neglect of their owne priuate good For the lord had not commended to them the things of his law simply as a meanes by which they might shew their obedience vnto his authority Eze. 20.11 but the intent of the lord therin was the furtherance of their good I gaue them saith God statutes and ordinances which if a man doe he shall liue in them the glory should haue returned to God by their obedience but the cheife profit should haue beene their owne and therfore for them to let the law lie like some old booke out of vse or some other forlorne or forraigne matter it could not but argue a most miserable neglect and bewray them to be men of a most profane and dissolute disposition so then if you demaund what great matter this was for which this people was so highly blamed in these words They haue accounted the great things of the law as a strange thing I answere it was an error comprising vnder it 3. soule euills 1. rebellious disobedience to Gods expresse cōmādment 2. presumtuous contempt and base estimation of gods great kindnes 3. the desperate neglect of the saluation of their owne soules This is the second point Now for the third Which is touching the punishment due to this fault if we haue obserued what hath beene said before touching the nature of the sinne we cannot doubt ether that it deserues a punishment or that the lord will surely proceed against it in his due time but yet if we shall consider what the scripture saith of it in particular it wil much more affect vs. Thus much therefore we may generally vnderstand that the lord punisheth no sinne more greiuously then the contemning of his word and thereof we haue no more full and pregnant example then this Iewish nation For wheras sundry times before the comming of Christ in the flesh the wrath of God came vpon them that the iudgments wherwith they were visited made euē their eares to tingle that heard them and brought that very people whome he had carried as it were in his armes out of Egipt to become a hissing and a by-word to the whole world whosoeuer obserueth the course of the prophets shall finde that the principall ground of all this was their slight account of the holy doctrine of God their preferring the inuentions of men the guises of other nations and the traditions of their fathers before the blessed will of the lord manifested and reuealed to them in his law But lest we should thinke this is nothing to vs though indeed it was left written to admonish vs concerning this matter there are two places of holy scripture especially to be considered and they are both in the booke of the Prouerbs Chap. 28. 9. the one is he that turneth away his care from hearing the law euen his prayer shal be abhominable marke I pray you there is no duty in the holy scripture to which the lord hath promised a greater blessing then the duty of prayer Ps 65.2 the lord takes it as an honor vnto him to haue this title to be called the hearer of prayers yet the neglect of Gods word the making no account of the meanes to bring vs to the knowledge of it turnes all a mans prayers into sinne stops vp the eares of the lord vnto all his sutes doth as it were barre vp the gate of heauen against him that though his request be neuer so earnest yet it is vnpossible for him to haue entrance God will heare no prayer that proceeds from him which doth not esteeme the knowledge and vnderstanding of his word a fearefull Iudgment Chap. 1. 22. The other place is O you fooles how long will you loue foolishnes the fooles hate knowledge ve◠25. and againe you haue despised all my counsell would none of my aduice mark now what followes I will also laugh at their destruction mocke when their feare commeth I beseech you in the feare of God let vs consider it The lord is often reported of to vs in the scripture by the name of a mercifull God a God that doeth not punish willingly a God that doeth not take delight in the death of him that dieth what a grieuous sinne then must that needs be which turneth that so sweete and gratious nature of God into that extremity that he should euen reioice at mens destruction take pleasure in their tormente And yet this reckoning the word of God as a strange thing brings forth this strange effect and makes that God who delights in mercy to please himselfe in the feirce execution of his vengance Thus then wee end this pointe if you aske what iudgment is due to this offence of not regarding the greate things of Gods law I answere in generall it sets open the very floodgate of Gods wrath as appeareth by the example of the Iewes 2 in perticular it makes all our praiers odious and the torment of our soules Luc. 14.28 a matter of reioyceing and pleasure to the Lord. It is truly saied of our Sauiour To whom God giues much of him he requires much The liberty of his word is the greatest blessing and therfore the contempt therof must needs bring vpon vs the greatest vengance Come wee now to the next point to see whether this fault thus described and thus deseruing to be punished be not our faulte
and a thing very ridiculous and childish to tie a mans selfe so straite as not willingly to swarue frō the direction and warrant of the scriptures If wee be sick wee will goe first to carnall meanes last to the scripture if wee be greiued in mind and touched in conscience wee will looke for comfort any where before we will seeke it in the scripture if wee be wronged and iniured in the world wee will runne after the eggings on of our owne corrupt heart to be our owne auengers before wee will aske counsell of the scripture As in these few so almost in all other things any rules please vs better then the rules of the scripture In apparrell wee are led by the fashion in meat and drinke by our sensuall appetite in recreation by companie or by our owne in ordinate affections in dealings with men by our profit in getting riches by our vnsatiable desires these be our rules the precepts of the word of God either wee doe not know or we doe not esteeme them or wee thinke it a burden and a kind of restraint to be tied to obserue them Ier. 2.13 Thus we are like vnto those of whome God cōplaines by Ieremie They haue forsaken me saith he the fountaine of liuing waters digge themselues pittes euen broken pits that can hold no water so wee let goe the best aduise which cannot erre and deuise rules and precepts to our selues which must needes deceiue vs. To reforme this common euill let vs remember what we haue heard viz. that God hath furnished his word with varietie of directions the precepts of it are of equall largenes to our spirituall occasions as many as walke according to this rule peace shall be vpon them saith the Apostle but to euery other course whatsoeuer it be Gal. 6.16 Pro. 14.12 wee may boldly apply the saying of Salomon There is a way that seemeth right vnto a man but the issues thereof are the waîes of death And thus much of the commendation giuen to the law of God it is large in matter and abounding with varietie of doctrine Now followeth to speake of the next thing by which it commended It is pretious the value and price of the matter doth equall the largenes and varietie of it The pretiousnesse and excellencie may many waies be made knowne vnto vs first by the author of it 1. Pet. 1.25 Ps 1.2 Act 20.27 Rom. 3.2 2. Tim. 3 16. 2 Pet. 1.21 which is God for which cause it is so often called the worde of God the law of God the counsell of God the oracles of God The whole scripture was giuen saith Paul by inspiration of God And it came saith Saint Peter not by the will of man but of the holy Ghost and I haue written it saith he heere in my text So that it is no idle tale deuised as Atheists say by the witte of man to keepe the vulgar in subiection but it is the very mind of God the very expresse patterne of that truth which is originally in the foūtaine of al truth which is the lord secōdly by the matter of it the matter of scripture is in a word that great mistery of godlines of which the Apostle speaketh God manifested in the flesh c. 1. Tim. 3.16 Col. 1.27 1. Cor. 2.8 A glorious mistery A hid mistery which non of the princes of this world could know A mistery which no man by the witte of man is euer able to conceiue A mysterie which the Angells in heauen do admire and the Deuills in hell doe tremble at A misterie which the Atheists in their mouthes doe scoffe at but euen at the same time in their hearts doe quake to consider This is the matter of the scripture Iesus Christ yesterday to day the same for euer he is the yea and the amen of all the promises Heb. 13.8 2. Cor. 1.20 Reuel 1.11 the Alpha and the Omega the first and the last the pith and marrow of the whole thirdly by the stile of it Fullnesse of maiestie in simplicitie of words the like temper no where else to be found in any humane writer whatsoeuer I know that in sundry parcels of the scripture there are to be seene many more then steppes or prints of eloquence which the wisedome of God did to make vs know that he could if it had pleased him haue frettised as it were the whole volume of the booke with the excellencie of words yet generally it is so carried in such a low phrase of speache which yet doth not sauour of any earthly mould but makes a man euen as it were in despight of himselfe to admire it Thy testimonies are wonderfull saith Dauid yet in the next verse he saith the entrance into them sheweth light Psal 119.129 giueth vnderstanding so that there is a depth of misterie in plaines of words Fourthly the end of it the end of the scripture is not to please idle humors with variety of delightfull matters nether to exercise busy wits with subtilty of questions nor to be as a matter of storie only to acquaint men with the course of times nor to furnish mē with ability to discourse the word of God aimes at none of these ends which yet notwithstanding are the cheife scope and euen the happinesse of the most Authors but it driues at this one point to make a man wise vnto saluation To shew the path of life 2. Tim. 3.15 Psal 16.11 Luk. 1.79 Rom. 1.20 To guide our feete into the way of peace we may read in the great booke of the creatures as I may so call it the invisible things of god his eternall power godhead yet the knowledge of God gotten there is of no power but only to make vs inexcusable And therefore Dauid haueing spoken of the maiesty of God which appeareth euen in the creation of things Psal 19. Ver. 7. comes at last to this The law of the lord is perfect conuering the soule to shew that without the word of God though man might gaine knowledge enough to condemne him yet he could get none to saue him And so many other places hauing declared the testimonies of the power of God which are to be seene euen in the very waues of the sea Psal 93. at last he concludes the psalme O lorde thy testimonies are very sure meaning that there is no certaine and comfortable knowledge of God to be gotten but only from thence And for the same cause Christ told the woman of Samaria that they worshipped they knew not what and that the true worship was only among the Iewes Ioh. 4.22 because they only had the scriptures Now then looke how farre saluation life eternall euerlasting happinesse doe exceed all other things by so much is the doctrine of the scripture of greater price then all other doctrines then all other writings whatsoeuer Thus you see the price and exellency of the word of God pretious for