curiositie II. Not the presumptuous searcher of Scripture who would measure all Scripture-mysteries by his own reason and apprehension and neglecting learning of his Christian dutie presumes to examine and thinks to comprehend Gods secret councels and where the Apostle is put to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he question 's not but he can fathom He is searching more what God decreed from enternitie then what himself ought to do in time It was a good saying of Seneca Nusquam verecundiores esse debemus quà m cùm de Deo agitur Modesty never becomes us better then when we speak of God especially when we seach into his Actings and Councels which it is modesty and pietie to admire boldness and presumption to search too much into which the Apostle calls An intruding into those things he hath not seen vainly puft up by his fleshly minde Coloss 2. 18. III. Not the discoursive searcher who searches into Scripture onely that he may have matter of discourse not that he may have matter to practise and that perhaps scoffingly as that Apostate Julian who said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he had read understood and contemned the Scripture This is to read it onely as a historie or idlely and vainly jesting with the Scriptures and those searchers have Scripture at their tongues end but not at their hearts which our Saviour reproves here in these Jews who were great searchers of Scriptures verse 28. such who have Bibles in their houses but not the word of God dwelling richly in their hearts as the Apostle commands in Coloss 3. 16. Scripture-discourse is good if it be pious serious and to build up one another but Scripture-practise is better IV. Not the prejudiced opinionated searcher of Scripture who comes prepossessed with an opinion and so prejudiced against the truths of the Gospel and onely searcheth Scripture so far as will comply with and Patronize that opinion Men come possessed with some high notions and phantasies of their own and then they wrest the Scripture and make it stoop to those prepossessions and this is the reason why many men finde so little in Scripture that they finde it very hard to veil and submit their Speculations and Notions to the simplicitie of Gospel-truth V. Not the superstitious searcher of Scripture who rests in the opus operatum the work done such searchers were these Jews who were wont to number the letters in the old Testament and could tell you how oft every letter was used so carefull were they of the Bible that in an heap of books they would not suffer another book to lie on the top of a Bible and if any did by chance let it fall they were certainly punished for it so writes Brentius but this they Brentius in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost accounted their righteousness and thought to have life and happiness in the bare reading of the Scripture which was that for which Christ here blames them not that they searched but that they thought to have life by doing it though they neglected and persecuted Christ at verse 40. Plus aequo illis tribuistis saith Grotius They thought if they did enlarge their Phylacteries and read the Law so many times over they were secure of everlasting life VI. Not the careless and irreverent searcher of Scripture who sometimes runs over a few chapters of the Bible as the Papists mumble over their Ave-Maries without any reverent apprehensions of God the Authour of Scripture or minding the matter or mysterie of Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost He does not say onely barely Read and know but Search the Scriptures VII Not the carnal secure searcher who comes to the reading of the Scriptures with a resolution to go on in his sins whatsoever the Scripture saith to the contrarie Let Scripture say what it will they will do what they list such as these can read the Promises of God yet remain unbelieving his Threatnings and not tremble his Judgements and with a proud Pharaoh grow harder by them his Commands yet neglect and disobey them that as Noah's unclean beasts in the Ark went in unclean and came out unclean so these come to the reading Scripture and hearing the Word and remain still secure in sin and hardned in their iniquitie as those in Jeremiah 44. 16 17. that told the Propher plainly As for the word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hear it VIII Not the the profane searcher of Scripture who searches the Scripture onely to finde what may seemingly be wrested to Patronize his licentious and wicked practises who makes use of Scripture to cover and excuse his wickedness as we read of those Heathens in 1 Maccab. 3. 28. that made diligent search into the book of the Law that they might print thereby the likeness of their Idols so many search the Scripture onely to find something that may favour a corrupt opinion or a licentious practise Thus Julian the Apostate robbed the Christians of all their goods and estates Patronzing that practise by Matth. 5. 3. Blessed are the poor c. not considering what followed and Chemnitius tell us of one who Chemn loc de paupertate reading that place Go and sell all that thou hast went and sold his Bible too saying jam plenè Christi mandato satisfeci And thus indeed do the Papists who never flee to the refuge of Traditions but when the Scriptures fail them And truly there hath been no erroneous principle or wicked practise but hath endeavoured to shrowd it self under protection of the Scriptures and by this means men have been engaged to wresting Scripture to their own and other mens destructions IX Not the partial quarrelsome searcher of Scripture who quarrels with and casts away all Scripture that makes against him and admits onely that which may suit with his corrupt doctrines Such searchers of Scriptures have Hereticks been in all ages Thus Arius wrested the eighth chapter of the Proverbs out of the Canon as speaking of the eternitie of Increated wisdome and so contradicted his blasphemy in denying the Divinitie of Christ It is that which Irenaeus notes as the Genius of all Hereticks Cùm ex scripturis Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 2. redarguuntur saith he in scripturarum redargutionem convertuntur If Scripture reprove their Heresie they will presently fall out and quarrel with Scripture So the Manichees of old rejected all the Old Testament and Cerinthus all the Gospels but Matthew and the Ebionites all the Epistles and so the Antinomians reject the Law as no part of Scripture or at leastwise not obliging them In a word what Epiphanius of old observed of the Gnosticks we may truely observe of the Hereticks of our times his words are very full and suite with our present Heresies When they finde any thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epiphan hares 26. in the Scripture that may make against their opinion then they say That
Dort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Christ blessing his Father for communicating himself to those who were least disposed Matt. 11. 25. Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy fight God will if you will say the Remonstrants I will because I will saith God Rom. 9. 15. If you improve God cannot be wanting to you say the Arminians It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth saith the Scripture verse 16. But after all this there is one shift more Deus paratus est dare fidem omnibus quantum in se est why then certainly omnipotent grace can effect it certo ordine saith Corvinus which neither Corvinus nor any man else can discover Nay he never denies special grace nisi spretae vocationis respectu say the Dort-Remonstrants unless the common call be refused wo were to the best of us did Gods grace depend upon such a condition for who doth not refuse common calls nay without special grace we cannot but refuse them Nemo bene uti potest libero arbitrio nisi per gratiam is Augustins Divinitie and our Saviours doctrine too John 6. 44. No man can come to me except the Father draw him True but God gives an universal assisting grace to all in order to the good improvement of natural light this is the plea which their great English Advocate makes for them But Brethren this is a Chymaera and a dream which the Scripture gives us no ground to believe nay that tells you that God suffered those who had onely the light of nature the Gentiles to walk in their own ways that is to say extra suam gratiam degere if Prospers Acts 14. 16. gloss may be admitted to live without the necessary supplies of his grace Besides it would be resolved whether this assisting grace be effectual or no if so then all must be in a capacity for saving grace if effectual or ineffectual according to the compliance of mans will then all is still resolved into nature nothing given to grace which is the height of Pelagianisme Sed quorsum haec perditio may some say To what purpose is all this waste of time and words I shall hope to evidence it no labour in vain by discovering the practical importance of this truth in the Application which I shall with all possible brevitie dispatch Application First This may help us to discover the sandy foundation on which the Doctrine of universal redemption and consequently the whole fabricke of Arminianisme stands For if this piller be pulled down the whole building falls about their ears which makes them so industriously voluminous in asserting this doctrine above all the rest Or if the purchase be particular then the purpose of God the execution of which that purchase makes way for must be particular the necessary consequents of which must be the certain efficacy of grace and perseverance of Saints because Gods purposes cannot be frustrated Now this Doctrine of universal redemption cannot be upheld without the designation of sufficient meanes afforded to all men which to those who never heard of the Gospel can be nothing else but the improvements of nature God not affording nay that I may prevent that common cavill Deus paratus est resolving not to afford the Gospel to many of them Paul was expresly Acts 16. 6. forbidden by the holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia and the Apostles at first commanded not to goe into the way of the Gentiles Matt. 10. 5. Well but though they had not the Gospel yet non defuerunt media quaedam communiora saith Corvinus but what other those should be besides the light and improvements of nature is not imaginable the insufficiency of which to salvation hath I hope been in some measure evinced by the former part of this discourse Secondly Hence be perswaded to set your selves in opposition to this doctrine in doing which you appear for the honour of Gods grace and Gospel Bradwardine justly entitled his book de causa Dei when he wrote against the Pelagians whoever peruseth it seriously will finde it a most soveraigne Antidote against the poyson of Arminianisme against which in this point it is Gods and your interest to appear First As you are ministers of the Gospel The Doctrine of the sufficiency of the light of nature vilifies and debaseth your office for what need the Commission of Christ to his Apostles and their Successours to teach all nations if God had before commissionated Matth 28. 19. and improwered Sun Moon and Stars to do it or what need the Stars in the right hand of Christ if those in the firmament have light enough to lead us to him Nay doth not this argue you the greatest impostours while you impose hearing reading prayer conference meditation grapling with the difficulties of Scripture upon the people in order to the knowledge of God and Christ which an Indian or American can arrive at by the contemplation of the creatures and providences of God Secondly As you are Scholars This Doctrine I apprehend makes Universities and Commencements useless no need sure of the Schools of the Prophets you may go without any expences to school to the creatures What need youth hazard their eyes in studying the apices and points of the Greek and Hebrew Text for the understanding of the New and Old Testament in the latter of which some of natures Advocates tell us there is not a word to be found of faith in Christ which the Gentiles can arrive at by the improvement of Nature and read written in the legible characters of the heavenly bodies Thirdly As you are Christians especially for this Doctrine 1. Robs you of your priviledges in the enjoyment of the Gospel and means of grace Surely the Apostle was out when he put a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3. 2. to this as the greatest priviledge of the Jews that to them were committed the Oracles of God and our Saviour mistook when he said Salvation was of the Jews Why it seems by this Doctrine the Joh. 4. 22. Gentiles were every whit as near it whom yet the Apostle describes to be without hope And surely we Christians do but flatter Ephes 2. 12. our selves in a fools-paradise while we imagine our selves so highly advanced in our priviledges above the Indian or American who by this Doctrine can oblige God to give them that grace which we profess no claim to after our utmost improvements of the Gospel but say as our Saviour hath taught us We are unprofitable Luc. 17. 10. servants What great priviledge is it to enjoy Ordinances if the creatures and providences of God can bring any to a saving discovery of him Or what great advantage to be planted within the pale of the Church the inclosed garden of God if the dew of grace fall as plentifully upon the wilderness of the world Or what need their being added unto the Church who should be saved if they
civil good but for thy spiritual and eternal good for thy natural good protecting thy life for thy moral good by wholesome laws restraining thee from sin thy civil good in securing thy outward enjoyments and interests and thy spiritual good while he upholds and propagates the preaching of the word and the exercise of religion thus Paraeus glosseth And are they not prevailing arguments of our subjection How doth Apostle Peter charge and reprove those who pretend their Christian liberty as many do now adays as an exemption from obedience and subjection to the civil pwer 1 Pet. 2. 13. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man c. and vers 16. As free and not using your liberty for a cloke of Maliciousness but as the servants of God As is he had said Use your liberty but not to disobedience Yet by way of caution let me add Your obedience to them and subjection must be limited and restrained to those commands which are agreeing to or not contrary to the commands of God for to such commands you owe the Magistrate no obedience The three children refuse obedience to the Kings command of bowing to the golden image Dan. 3. 18. And Scripture speaks of it as an Act of faith in the Midwives to disobey the Kings command of killing all the male children Exod. 1. 17. Heb. 11. 23. Daniel prayes three times a day notwithstanding the edict to the contrary Dan. 6. 10. Sauls servants refuse his wicked command in killing the Priests of the Lord 1 Sam. 22. 17. Ideò magnus est quia coelo minor saith Tertullian We must so give to Cesar the things that are Cesars that we reserve to God the things that are Gods Matth. 22. 21. In other things the Apostles resolution must be ours Acts 4. 18. Secondly Hence Magistrates see your charge and learn your dutie no light or easie one It is not onely the Crown upon your heads but the Government upon your shoulders The earth is dissolved I bear up the pillars of it saith David Psal 75. 3. Joyn you your shoulders to uphold it joyn hand in hand together I wish the Magistrates of both bodies would do it to discountenance profaneness to uphold the service and publick Ordinances to the punishing sin and let not any self-interests or animosities break your strength or weaken your hands in acting for God and for Religion Let me inforce this upon you by a threefold consideration I. Consider from whom you have your power It is from God Rom. 13. 1. For there is no power but of God c. And Psal 82. 6. I have said ye are gods and all of you are children of the most High which expression as it speaks that tender fatherly regard God hath to good Magistrates as fathers to their children so it speaks participation that they derive all from God as a son hath all from his father therefore it is but equitie that you should employ that power which you have received from his goodness to his glory II. Consider from whom you receive enablements to put this power in execution God as he gives you the power so he must enable you to execute it It was God that gave Solomon wisdome in answer to his prayer Solomon knew from whom he must have it to go in and out before the people 2 Chron. 1. 10 12. III. Consider to whom you must be accountable for it It is not onely a power but a talent and trust God hath put into your hands and he will one day call you to account for it then what a terrible word will that be to a wicked Magistrate Luke 16. 2. And he called him and said unto him How is it that I hear this of thee give an account of thy stewardship for thou mayst be no longer steward He that had improved his Talent appeared chearfully before his Lord to give an account of it so may you if by protecting Religion and discountenancing sin you improve your Talent of Authoritie for your Master's glorie Mat. 25. 16. And for your self Mr. Major it being your choise to authorize me to be your Remembrancer this day I shall end all with a particular application to you Remember you are in a place of opportunitie of doing God service do you if others neglect it though I hope the rest of your Brethren will friendly go along with you and put the shoulder to the work stand up for Religion and the service of God do not look upon your self onely as entrusted by the Town for the preserving its peace and immunities and priviledges but as entrusted and empowered by God for the good of the Church and to keep up Religion in the Town which that you may chearfully and couragiously go through I shall hint unto you these motives The care of Religion 1. Will make your Government prosperous So God tells Joshua chap. 1. 8. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayst observe to do according unto all that is written therein For then thou shalt make thy ways prosperous and then thou shalt have good success So David told Solomon 1 Kings 2. 3. And keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in his ways c. that thou mayst prosper in all that thou dost and whithersoever thou tarnest thy self Uphold Religion it will secure you 1 Chron. 22. 13. Then shalt thou prosper if thou takest heed to fulfill the Statutes and judgements which the Lord charged Moses with concerning Israel Thus Hezekiah 2 Kings 18. 6 7. For he clave to the Lord and departed not from following him but kept his commandments which the Lord commanded Moses And the Lord was with him and he prospered whithersoever be went forth 2. It will make your life honourable and perpetuate a good name to you which is better then precious oyntment So saith the Wiseman Prov. 4. 8. Exalt her and she shall promote thee she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her 3. Your death comfortable It is a fit meditation for a Magistrate to think of death Alexander had one to be his constant Remembrancer of this and the Psalmist puts the gods of the earth in minde of it Psal 82. 6 7. But ye shall die like men and fall like on of the Princes Now this will sweeten death to reflect upon our faithfulness in our particular callings S. Paul when he had finished his course and kept the faith could desire to be dissolved Moses a faithfull Magistrate zealous for God and against Idolatrie with what courage did he cause the Calf to be burned the Jews say of him that he died ad osculum oris Dei at the kisses of Gods mouth and in divine embraces How comfortably did Hezekiah reflect upon this on his death-bed Esay 38. 3. And he said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and
to make him throughly perfect 2 Tim. 3. 17. Nay it is so perfect a rule that the most specious observances and most glorious performances and most exact works are no way acceptable unto God if not commanded in and regulated by this word They may have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shew of wisdome in will-worship as the Apostle speaks Coloss 2. 23. to the pleasing of men but not to the glory of God God gave Moses a pattern for making the Tabermacle and David of the Temple God hath set us a perfect rule of worship and holiness in his word and nothing pleaseth him but what is according to that rule When our Saviour told the woman of Samaria John 4. 22. We know what we worship We that is the Jews the ground sure was because the Jews had a particular appointment of God for their worship which the Samaritanes had not Therefore nothing must be imposed upon Christians as obligatory to conscience though something for order and decencie 1 Cor. 14. 40. as Divine commands or as the immediate worship of God or as duties essentially necessary in order to salvation This is justly abhorred as the Tyranny of the Church of Rome and as an infringement of Christian libertie and as a detracting from the perfection of the word of God Non ex arbitrio Deo serviendum est sed ex imperio What Tertullian saith of the Heathen worship I shall say of all will-worship which is besides the word of God Ex religione superstitio compingitur eò irreligiosior quantò Ethnicus paratior Men in this case are laboriously superstitious and take a great deal of pains to be irreligious It seems to be a strange expression Hos 8. 14. Israel hath forgotten his maker and buildeth temples but sure the reason is because God had appointed but one Temple To be righteous without or beyond the word of God is to be righteous overmuch and to make our selves over-wise indeed wiser then God himself which is forbidden Eccles 7. 16. Be not righteous overmuch neither make thy self over-wise why shouldest thou destroy thy self To offer to God observances not prescribed in his word is but with Nadab and Abihu to offer strange fire unto the Lord Levit 10. 1. strange because God had not commanded it The use whereof before we pass further shall be First An encouragement to search What encouragement must it be to men to dig in a mine when they may finde a fulness of what may supply all their necessities there is such a fulness in Scripture-mines Doest thou want information in matters of faith Here is a fulness of Saving truth Or doest thou want direction for thy life and walking with God here is a perfect rule of holiness Secondly When you have searched it walk according to this rule Take the word of God to regulate your lives by this is an evidence and note of a true upright sincere Christian to take the word of God as his rule So David describes them Psal 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord that is a note that they are undefiled upright and sincere This evidenced Jobs uprightness Job 23. 10 11 12. And yet how few walk by this rule some by the fashions of the world custome and example of others education the invention of men and the like but David had another rule Psal 119. 113. I hate vain thoughts but thy law I love And there is a new lately unheard of generation now start up who neglecting the Scriptures pretend to be wholly led and guided by a light within them Let us if you think it worth the while examine this opinion and I think it may be confuted sufficiently by Mat. 6. 23. If the light that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness Whence these things are obvious to be collected 1. That it is possible the light within a man may be darkness as the light which the Heathens had within them was who had their understanding darkned Ephes 4. 18. and as the light of every natural man is I Cor. 2. 14. 2. That if it be so it is a miserable darkness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How great is that darkness that is he that followeth such a light is in a lamentable deplorable condition as he that followeth the light of some Meteor in the night which leads him into ditches 3. This light within as being every mans pretence and in most men a false light and in one contrary to another must be tryed and then presently it supposeth some certain rule by which it must be tryed otherwise we shall never be secured from delusion and errour and this rule can be no other then the infallible word of God All that light is darkness which is not lighted at the Lamp of Scripture so the Prophet Isaiah tells us expresly Isai 8. 20. If they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Therefore as David so all Christians should walk by that light Psal 119. 105. 4. If this opinion supposeth a light naturally set up in every mans soul which by following its direction may bring them to heaven then this is plain down right Pelagianisme and speaks the grace of God needless and tells God that he was at an unnecessary expence of wisdome and mercy when he gave us Scripture which the Apostle tells us is onely able to make us wise unto salvation in 2 Tim. 3. 15. 5. God hath no where commanded us to walk by any such rule as a light within By the Prophet David he sends us to his word Psal 119. 9. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed according to thy word and S. Paul would have all walk by the same rule Phil. 3. 16. 6. Suppose it a true law and light an effect of regeneration yet not a rule because imperfect for still the Prophet remits us to that law written in the volume of the book of God Psal 40. 7 8. and by it it does evidently appear that there is no law or light within the heart to be accounted of but what is agreeable with and consonant to the law written in the volume of the book But however be it what light it will be which these pretend to walk by I shall demonstrate to you that those are not in the light but in darkness from 1 John 2. 8 9 10. And certainly into the number of those whom the Apostle there mentions it is no uncharitableness to put these whose constant practise is to spit hell and damnation in every mans face though such as walk holily and umblameably But you will say Is not every man concerned to follow the light and inward guidance of his own conscience I answer No unless his conscience be rightly informed and regulated by the word of God For conscience is but Regularegulata and though he cannot disobey a false light of conscience without sin