Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	believe_v	necessary_a	tradition_n	2,943	5	9.4978	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91899	Safe conduct, or The saints guidance to glory. Opened in a sermon preached at Dunstans in the East London. November the second, MDCLIV. At the funerall of the vertuous and religious gentlewoman, Mris. Thomasin Barnardiston, late wife of Mr. Samuel Barnardiston, merchant. / By Ralph Robinson, pastor of Mary Wolnoth, Lumbardstreet, London.	Robinson, Ralph, 1614-1655.	1655 (1655)	Wing R1711; Thomason E823_7; ESTC R203376	61,656	101

Law is Light If any Doctrin of faith if any precept for Life and manners abide obscure to us it is not because the Scriptures are dark but because our understandings are blinde or because through slothsulness we neglect to use those Spiritual keys of Prayer Meditation comparing one text with another which God hath appointed as helps to unlock the meaning of his Word All the words Prov. 8. 9. of Wisdom are right to them that finde knowledge and plain to him that understandeth He is either grosly ignorant or desperately envious that chargeth the Word of God at least in the principal Doctrins thereof with obscurity God who is the great Master both of Understanding and Language knows how to speak plainly that the meanest capacity may be edified The Sun in the Firmament doth not shine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost with more clearness than the Sun of the Scriptures doth to those that do not wilfully shut their eyes against it Whatsoever is necessary is plain evident perspicuous to him that desires understanding This makes it fit to be a guide Secondly It is a perfect word there is nothing 2 It is perfect needful to be beleeved for Salvation nothing necessary to be done but it is to be found in the Holy Scriptures either in express tearms or by necessary deduction and consequence All false ways are here discovered all Sins are here forbidden all Holiness is here commanded The Prophet David tells us that The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul Psal 19. 7. and the Apostle saith that All Scripture is given by inspiraetion of God c. That the Man of God may be perfect 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. throughly furnished unto all good works and therefore is a Curse denounced against those that either adde or take away any thing from it Revel 22. 18 19. The Scripture is profitable for Doctrin for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness as the Apostle speaks and therefore perfect It proceeds from a most perfect voluntary cause and therefore must needs be exactly every way perfect The Church of God needs not the help of any unwritten mouldy Traditions to compleat the Holy Scriptures of truth We are not commanded to beleeve Human Traditions or the Doctrins of men but such things as are promulged and written by the Prophets and Apostles Those that argue without the Scriptures do but tye Ropes of Sand such Arguments have no strength in them Ego vocem magni pastoris inquiro saith Austin Lege mihi hoc de Prophetâ recita de lege Aug. lib. de pastore cap. 14. recita de Evangelio recita de Apostolo I enquire what the great Shepherd saith read me such things out of the Writings of the Prophets rehearse out of the Law out of the Evangelists out of the Writings of the Apostles whatever is not according to the Law and the Testimony is to be rejected as that that hath no light in it As the Word of God is a pure Word so it is a perfect Word because of its perfection it is fit to be a Guide Thirdly It is a sure Word it is infallible The Apostle speaking of the written Word saith We have 3 It is sure a more sure word of Prophecy whereunto yee do well that yee take heed He had been discoursing of that voyce 2 Pet. 1. 19. which came down from Heaven at the transfiguration of Christ in the Holy Mount and yet he saith That the word of Prophecy which God hath put into the hands of the Church is a more sure guide than that he doth not say a more true Word for that voyce came from the excellent glory but a more sure word All 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revelations are to be tried by the written word of Prophecy The Apostle commands us to try the Spirits 1 Job 4. 1. We have no other standard to try any Doctrins which men pretend to bee from the Spirit but the Word of God which we are sure was indited by the Spirit and because it is the breathing and inspiration of the holy Spirit it must needs bee infallible as the Spirit is And it is a sure word in regard of the stability of it as well as the infallibility of it it is a Word that abides for ever It is Davids comfortable meditation For ever O Lord thy Psal 119. 89. Word is setled in heaven The Mountains may fail and the Hills may be removed but the Word of God stands fast for ever Thy testimonies O Lord are very sure Psal 93. 5. The Church and People of God have no other foundation for the assurance of their Salvation but the unchangeableness of Gods Nature and the certainty of his Word and being a sure Word it is fit to be a guide Fourthly It is an Uniform word The Holy ● It is uniform Scripture is in all things constant and like to it self There is no discord or jarring but a sweet Harmony and concord in all tho●e blessed writings some appearing disagreement there may seem to be but no real contradiction He that compares one place with another shall finde a sweet consent in all That there is any shadow of dissent between one text and another ariseth not from any dissimilitude of Scripture to it self but from the Readers ignorance or unexperiencedness in the word of righteousness That which is forbidden by one Prophet is forbidden by another that which is enjoyned by the Prophets is enjoyned by the Apostles in their writings The Apostle Paul proves his Doctrin concerning the Messiah out of the Prophets and out of Moses he said No other things than those which the Prophetss and Moses did say should come And the Apostle Peter in that excellent Acts 26. 22. 23. Sermon which he preached to Cornelius and his Friends shews how unanimous the Prophets were in their Writings about that Doctrin To him give all Acts 10. 43. the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins And hereby indeed it appears that the Scriptures are of Divine authority because there is such a perfect harmony in them Though they were penned by several men at several times and these distant one from another not advising or conferring one with another yet they often speak the very same words and always when they write of one subject the same sense without the least contradiction which is an unquestionable Argument to prove that they were dictated unto them by the same Spirit And because of this consent they are fit to be the Beleevers guide And as the Word of God is so fit for this work so Secondly The Spirit of God is a fit Guide This will evidently appear by the ensuing considerations The Spirit of God a fit Gu●de because 1 The Spirit makes the word plain First The Spirit of God is able to expound the VVord of God and to make it plain

was not able to reconcile with the divine promise which tells the righteous it shall bee well with them Isa 3. 10. and from hence did arise inward trouble of Mind Wee find in Scripture that divers holy men have been offended with this dispensation The Prophet Jeremiah enters his plea and takes the boldnesse to argue with God about it Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee yet let mee talk with thee of thy Jer 12 1 2. judgements wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously It was a great trouble to his soul that those who did continually reproach God should be better provided for than those who made it their study to exalt him in the world And Habbakkuk was so astonished with this dealing of God that hee beginnes to expostulate with his maker Thou art of purer eies than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest Hab. 1 13. thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he And Job long before either of these makes enquiry into this matter Why seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty do they that know him not Job 24 1. 2. ad 12. see his daies Some remove the land-markes they violently take away flocks and feed thereon They drive away the asse of the fatherlesse and take the widdows Oxe for a pledge c. yet God layeth not folly to them In this labryinth did Asaph for a time even lose himself hee confesseth ingenuously his steps were almost gone his feet had well nigh slipt hee was about to affirm that the Vers 2. wicked were on the better side of the hedg hee was ready to ask with those mockers what profit is it that we have kept the ordinances of God and that wee have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts It s very dangerous Mal 3 14. Note to weigh the wise providences of God in our ballance It s unsafe to go about to measure the actings of God by our Cubit hee that judges of the present issuings of divine providence by carnall reason will sinne grievously against the generation of the righteous At last the holy man leaving the wisdome of the flesh and laying hold upon the wisdome of God is brought out of these troubled waters hee went into the Sanctuary of God and there it was clearly discovered to him that notwithstanding all the flourishing prosperity of the wicked their end should bee miserable their root was rottennesse and their blossom should go up as dust and that notwithstanding the Isa 5. 24. present sadnesse of the people of God yet their end should bee blessed Hereupon his heart is quieted for the present and his hope quickened for the future that God who had led him out of this maze from which hee was not able to extricate himself would continually go before him till he had brought him past the fear of all such miscarrying This hee praies for this hee humbly expects to obtain Thou shalt guide mee with thy Counsel and afterward receive mee to glory In the Text there are two generall parts The division of the Text. First The happinesse of Beleevers in this life Thou shalt guide mee with thy Counsel Secondly Their happinesse in the other life Afterward receive mee to glory The former is the way the latter is the end Before I lay down the Doctrines it will be necessary to give a short exposition of the words Thou shalt guide mee The Psalmist had acknowledged The words opened himself to be as a beast before God vers 22. His own dim light was not sufficient to direct him and therefore hee doth in the Text rejoyce in this that God would guide him Some Expositors read it in the Imperative mood making it a Prayer wherein the Prophet beggs that God would guide him In confilio tuo deduc mee guide me with thy Counsell Tremel Ames c. This reading is proper enough for in the Hebrew the future tense is usually put for the Imperative mood and the Imperative mood for the future tense Others read it according to our Translation Thou shalt guide me making it the Prophets confident assertion of a priviledge which hee did beleeve God would make good to himself and to the rest of the faithfull wee may well apply it both waies The Psalmist knowing it to bee a scripture privilege is encouraged to pray for it having prayed for it he is enabled Note confidently to beleeve it Faith and prayer are mutual helpes one to another Faith excites the soul to prayer and prayer helps the soul in beleeving Those that are most importunate in begging may be most confident in expecting any spiritual blessing A christian hath no reason to think he shall enjoy any thing hee doth not desire A praying heart may assure it self that it shall receive all promised good Holy prayer doth both ripen the promise and strengthen faith in waiting for the accomplishment of the promise With thy Counsell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Septuagint In thy Menoch Lorin will or according to the good pleasure of thy will Divers Interpreters follow this reading Beleevers are content that God should lead them not as they will but as hee will Austin reads it Thou shalt guide mee by thy grace not by my merits The greatest part of Expositors of best esteem read it as our translators have rendred it with thy Counsell Hee had found the benefit of Gods assisting grace under the present temptation Thou hast holden mee by my right hand and thereupon hee resigns up himself wholly to the guiddance of the same Counsell And afterward receive mee to glory Divers Interpreters understand this clause only of outward glory As if David or Asaph in his name had here professed his confidence of Gods exalting him to the Kingdome of Israel which God had promised him But I conceive the Psalmist hath his thoughts upon a higher glory than that was Though the Text may have some reference to that glory as Calvin conceives yet I suppose the principal thing intended is the celestiall glory which hee had now by faith assurance of and hoped hereafter actually to possesse I am induced to beleeve that this was his meaning upon a threefold consideration First wee do not find that David was ever much enamoured on worldly glory hee doth often speak of it with a holy scorn and contempt Hee professeth in one place that as to all such dignity his soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psa 39. 6. was even as a weaned child Psa 131. 2. Hee did esteem all the gaudry and pomp of this world but as a vain shew Hee judges that greatnesse which is so much affected by worldly men to be an image rather than a substance a meer fancy rather than a reality Davids noble heart was farre above such petty

they cannot make their way towards any good object with that speedy and direct course they desire David a man after Gods own Psa 119. ult heart had his swarvings deviations Eliah a holy prophet of God was sometimes found as a bird wandring from her nest what dost thou here Eliah Peter and Barnabas 1 King 19. 9. two stars of the first magnitude one of them at least an Apostle of Jesus Christ both of them Pillars in Gods Church were reprehended by Paul for not walking uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 G●l 2. 14. the righteous man the father of the faithful was through carnall fear turned twice out of the way of God Noah an upright man in a perverse generation had his turnings a side hee beganne to be an Gen 9. 20. 21. husbandman and planted a vineyard and hee drunk of the wine and was drunken he was uncovered within his Tent. Beleevers though they be more then men yet they are still men and because they are men they may be over taken The Apostle supposeth this and therfore gives advice to such as stand how to recover them that are fallen Brethren if a man be overtaken Gal 6. 1. Opened in a fault yee which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse In this Text wee are taught these three lessons First The difference between the sins of the godly and the wicked The wicked man over 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 takes sinne the godly man is overtaken by sinne the wicked man runnes after sinne as men runne after a prey though sin runne from him yet will hee follow it the godly runne away from sinne as men do from their enemies they would be glad to flee out of the reach and out of the sight of it the wicked man prevents sinne the godly man is prevented by sinne Secondly It teacheth us that the best of saints being but frail men are liable to these sinful surprisals Quod cuiquam cuivis that which befalls one Saint may befall every Saint Thirdly It teacheth us that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Vos qui Spiritus virtute sustinemini Beza in Loc. by the power of Gods Spirit that any Saints are preserved from these falls The Apostle calls those that stand Spiritual men because it is by the strength of the Spirit that they are upheld True Beleevers have so much acquaintance with their own hearts that they know if a strong temptation assault them they shall miscarry if God leave them and therefore they have cause to be so earnest with God for his guidance And this the rather because 2 They know they are not able to be Guides to themselves 2 They cannot guide themselves or to preserve themselves from wandering Gods people are a Generation of Self-distrusters they dare adventure upon God without hesitancy in all Cases be they never so difficult they dare not depend upon themselves in any thing though never so facile and feasible they have read that text which Jer. 10. 23 tells them That the way of man is not in himself that it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps This they beleeve to be the Word of God and therefore dare not rest upon their own counsel They have studied Gods All-sufficiency and the experience they have of their own frailty causeth them to acknowledge Self-insufficiency for any Spiritual undertaking All Beleevers pray also that Prayer daily Domine libera me a meipso Lord deliver me from my self They know every man is vanity but of all vain men they beleeve themselves to be most vain They have learned from Solomon that He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool and their own Prov. 28. 26. experience is to them a Commentary on that text Of all Deceivers they have found their own hearts most deceitful and therefore dare not commit themselves to the guidance of such Traitors The people of God know that he that will be a Self-guider shall really prove a Self-destroyer the sense of Self-impotency makes them fly to God for the guidance of his Counsel And that especially because Thirdly They know and are perswaded that God 3 Gods Counsel is a sufficient guide is able sufficiently to guide them It is grown into a Theological Proverb They are well kept whom God keeps they shall be exactly guided whom the great God will please to guide Hold thou me up saith the Kingly Prophet and I shall be safe There is no safety Psa 119. 117 without Gods support and when God will put under his hand there is no fear of falling That you may see how fit the Counsel of God is for this work of Spiritual guidance it will be needful to say something particularly of the nature of the Word of God of the Spirit of God and of the Providence of God which I shewed you the Psalmist hath reference to in this expression of Gods Counsel First The Word of God is in every respect fit for The Word of God a fit guide this work of guiding the Children of Men while they are Sojourners in this world This will appear if the following properties of it be well studied As First It is a plain word The Papists that they may 1 It s plain have some colourable pretext for that Sacrilegious sin of forbidding the common people to read the Scriptures Censur Coloni ens p. 1117. Vid. Gerh. loc Com. de Script Sac. cap. 20. charge them with obscurity Omnia singula quae in Scriptur is comprehensa sunt tantis obvoluta sunt obscuritatibus ut ne Doct●ssimi quidem certam cognitionem inde colligere possint nisi eam aliunde mutuentur All and every thing contained in the Scriptures say they is so dark and obscure that they that are most learned cannot draw any certain Conclusions from thence unless they have assistance from some other hand they mean unless they be helped by unwritten traditions One of them Blasphemously enough calls the Holy Scriptures N●sum Canis in oper Catech. p. 44. cereum A Nose of Wax which doth not give any certain knowledge but may be bowed to any Exposition according as he that interprets pleaseth Whatever these ha●ers of the Word of God affirm it is very evident that the Scriptures are perspicuous and plain especially in those things which are of absolute necessity to be known and beleeved for Salvation Though some things are hard to be understood which therefore they 2 Pet. 3 16. that are unlearned and unstable wrest unto their own destruction as the Apostle speaks yet all things that are necessary to be done or beleeved for Salvation are so plain that he that runs may read them If any thing be more obscurely delivered in one place it is fairly interpreted in another place The Commandement saith Solomon Prov. 6. 23. is a Lamp and the