his hand shortened that he should not be able to see euery parcell of his holy pleasure put in execution It may seeme needles to insist vpon this pointe touching the vnfallible certaintie and fulfilling of the scripture but if wee consider our times wee shall see it is a needefull doctrine For whatsoeuer mens profession is their conuersation is such that a man may well thinke of them that they imagin the word of God to be but an idle tale a frightfull sound to amaze fooles full of terrible threatnings but yet lighter then vanity in performance Heb. 13.4 Gal 5.21 Psal 15.2.5 Doth the vnchast person think it true that whoremongers and adulterers God will iudge doth the drūkard beleiue that no such shall inherit the kingdome of God doth the vsurer imagin that there is any certainty in that speach that no such shal be receiued into heauen doth the contemner of Gods word suppose that that shall come to passe which Paul saith VIZ that the lord will in flaming fire render vengeance to them that do not obey the Gospell doth the despiser of knowledge perswade himselfe that Solomon spake with authoritie when he said 2. Th. 1.8 The lord would laugh at his dectruction doe those that presume vpon Gods mercy and thinke they may liue how they will and repent when they will giue credit to that where it is said Prov. 1.22.26 that these which doe despise the riches of Gods bounty and abuse his patience do but heap vp wrath to themselues against the day of iudgement And so I might say in many other things Is it likely that mē think there is any truth in the words which are so flat against these courses of which their life is a continuall practise Rom. 2. ◠◠sure it is not for out of all doubt if they had any such conceipt and did not rather say to themselues as they did in Ieremies time Ier. 5.13 it is but winde they would humble themselues before the Lord for their euills past and their future reformation should manifest their reuerent perswasion of the certainite of those Iudgements which stand vpon record in in the scriptures Therefore let vs remember this this scripture this word is not a deuise of man it was written by God euery curse writtē in it shall fall vpon the vnrepentant and euery blessing promised therein shall be made good to the soule of euery true beleeuer FINIS The second Sermon THe next question to be handled in this place touching that which God hath heere saied that he had written the great things of his law is why it was meete that the word of God should be cōmitted to writing As I haue proued vnto you that it was not writtē at aduētures out of the humors of som priuate mē but by the special appointmēt directiō of God so it shall appeare that the writing of it was not vndertakē but vpō very great reason and for very exceeding good purpose The maine and principall end was the spirituall good and edification of Gods Church that is not to be doubted in asmuch as in all things the Lord hath a cheife respecte vnto the Glorie of his owne name in the good of his chosen But how and in what manner and for what respects the writing of the word was necessary for the churches good it shal be worth our labour to enquire Vnderstand therfore that the writing of the word was and is for the good of the Church in this respecte euen that it may haue one certaine and vnfallible rule by which all doctrine may be tryed all controuersies in religion decided all doubts resolued and euery conscience firmely grounded and setled in Gods truth For this cause we read that when there was no word written but Moses law the doctrine of the prophets was tried by it After when to the law of Moses were added the sermons of the prophets Isay 8.20 then euery thing was referred vnto them so Christ cleared his doctrine and made it good by Moses and all the prophets Luk. 24.27 Pauls defence was this that he had said no other things then those which Moses and the prophets did say should come And all the learned in the best times which followed Acts 26.22 toke the same course leauing themselues an example vnto vs to make the written word as it were the standard or the kings beame by which to try all doctrine that is tendred to vs accepting none for sound good but only that which is agreeing therunto So that looke what necessity ther was that the Church should haue a Iudge to decide doubts and a true rule to find out and to discern the truth the same is there that the word should be put in writing for the common and perpetuall good of all posterity If any man thinke that the word of God might as well and profitably haue proceeded for the Churches good from hand to hand by liuely voice as by writing the father commending it to his sonne and so continuing it one after another to the end he is much deceiued For first the mind of man is very slippery and weake and soone ready to forget the best things secōdly mans nature is very prone to error apt either to entertaine or to broch new religions and therefore to preuent forgetfulnes to auoid error and to preserue the truth of God from corruption it was meet the scripture should be written It is worthy to be marked the speach of Luke in the preface of his Gospel to that noble Theophilus Luk. i. 4. he confesseth that he had been instructed in the doctrine of religion yet he thought to write vnto him from point to point that he might haue the certainty of those things So that though he had indifferent good knowledge before yet writing the story was the meanes to beget certainty This shal be written for the generation to come saith Dauid Psal 102.18 writing is the best meās euen as we se by common course to preserue a thing vnto posterity Besides as in a generallitie it was necessary the word of god should be written that there might be one certaine rule to iudge the truth by so for one maine pointe of doctrine it was very behoofull viz. to assure vs that Christe the sonne of Mary was the true Messias who being once come none other was to be looked for To setle vs wherin there could be deuised no more direct course then this viz. that first the promises of his comming should be recorded the nature and office and all other circumstances of his person discribed and then the history of all his acts his birth doctrine miracles death exactlie registred that so the following ages comparing both togeather seeing how euery promise was fulfilled euery prophesie accomplished might resolue vpon it that hee indeed was the Christe and that there is no name else giuen vnder heauen wherby wee may be saued
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
An example of this vse of the written word wee haue in Christe himselfe who falling into company after his resurrection with two of his disciples who were in some doubt Luk. 24.27 began at Moses saieth the texte and interpreted vnto them in all the scripture the things which were written of him And whosoeuer markes the course of the history of the Gospell shall often find that when some speciall action of Christ is recorded Marc 14 49. Ioh. 13.8 Ioh. 19.34.36 this or the like is added to it This was done that the scripture might be fulfilled which sheweth how behoofull the writing of the promises touching the Messias was to be our ground in this maine pointe that Christ Iesus is the onely appointed sauiour of mankind Heere then is the issue of my speach it was meete the word should be written that the Church might neuer want a rule of religion and in particular might be setled in this pointe that the Christ in whom we beleeue is that Sauiour whome wee neede not doubt to depend vpon Let vs make vse of this pointe The vse is this our courses considering the obedience that we owe vnto God should be answerable to Gods intents sith therfore the intent of God in giueing order for the writing of his word was the grounding and setling of our hearts in the truth of religion it becommeth vs to labour both to conceiue the doctrine of Godlines so much as is necessary to saluation and in matters that concerne the worship of God and our own soules health not to build vpon opinion conceipt or the traditions of men whatsoeuer they be but only vpon the scriptures because when we come to giue an account as wee must of our religion vnto God it shall not goe for currant I beleeued or I thought this because such a one perswaded me or because the law of the times so commāded me or because my fathers before me so thought and from them I receiued it but this answer onely shall be accepted when a man shal be able to say this This my heart hath embraced ad vppon this haue I built my faith because God blessing the ministerie of his holy word vnto me I haue plainly perceiued that it is the expresse doctrine of the written word and the very same which God hath left vpon record for me to beleeue This is the only answere that shall be then accepted of As many therefore as doe desire to haue comfort of their religion at the day of iudgement must giue great heed vnto the reading preaching of the word so in humilitie by praier be prepared to it that in their secret thoughts they may conceiue how the word of God is a warrant of their beleefe Men thinke this is a matter of impossibilitie and cast many perils the deuill helping them forward with many shifts to nouzell themselues in ignorance but still the saying of the spirit of God is true knowledge is easie to him that will vnderstand and God will alwaies giue a blessing Prou. 14.6 Psal 25.14 and reueale euen his secret as Dauid saith vnto those that feare him and will be found of those that seeke him as they ought to doe So much of this question and the vse of it whie it was meete that Gods word should be written The next question necessarie for the clearing of this place is When the word of God began first to be written how tell that time it was preserued for the vse of Gods Church Touching which wee must hold August lib. de ciui dei 15. c. 23. that Moses was the first writer of the word of God that euer was It is the opinion of some I know that Enoch the seauenth from Adam wrot something and that they thinke may be proued out of the saying of Saint Iude who alleageth some part of Enochs doctrine But Iude saith not Enoch wrot but Enoch prophesied Iud. ver 14. and it was possible for the summe of Enochs doctrine to be continued without writing Besides one Iosephus Iose Antiq. l. 1. c 3. who himselfe was a Iewe and writ of antiquities saith that Adams offspring had erected two pillars the one of brick the other of stone in which they had engrauen many things but these things are vncertaine Rom. 3.2 And that there was no part of Gods word written before Moses it may thus be gathered First because the Iewes to whome as Saint Paul saith the oracles of God were committed had not in their canon any holy writ more auncient then Moses secondly our Sauiour labouring to prooue himselfe to be the Messias Luk 24.27 the text saith he began at Moses if there had beene any author of greater antiquitie then Moses no doubt our sauiour would haue alleadged it inasmuch as all the scripture that was before him was to giue testimony of him And it is likely that God himselfe by writing the 10. Commandements extraordinarily with his owne fingers did acquaint Moses with the manner of writing and the vse of letters which for ought wee can find to the contrarie vntill that time was vnknowne If it be demanded then whether till then the church and people of God were vtterly destitute or the word I answer no for it was alwaies a truth that God would accept of no worship but that which was according to his word voluntarie religion was hatefull vnto him euen from the very first beginning Sith then it is apparent that before the word was written God was truly worshipped as by Adam Abell Enoch Noah Abraham c. it must needs be that there was some word or some reuealed and knowne wil of God to direct them If you aske how the will of God was then made knowne and how preserued I answere that the Lord reuealed it by holy oracles by visions apparitions of Angells yea and of Christ himselfe who is ordinarily meant by the name of Angell throughout the old testament At sundry times and in diuers manners God spake to our fathers in the old time saith the Apostile He spake to Moses mouth to mouth Heb. 1.2 Numb 12.8 He vsed also the ministry of man for the spreading of that truth abroad to many which by vision oracle was reuealed to few Thus the father to the sonn one to another made known the will of God But when the Church was enlarged and hauing beene shut vp in some few families began to spread it selfe into a greater compasse and with all corruption in religion encreased and the people of God by conuersing with Idolaters were more subiect to be misled the lord gaue order to write the law in processe of time added the the writings of the prophets as expositions of the law and at the last the new testament to be a full and manifest discouerer of that mistery of Christ which was more darkely as it were lapped in the types and figures and prophesies of the old So that this is the
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.