Works, Part 4 · Religious instruction · Chapter 50
CHAP. L. Of Gods promises, excellencie, and truth of Gods word, and how …he wicked abuse Scriptures.
IT is a thing worthie the standing on, to consider how the Apostles out of God his propromise,The promise of God ought to spurre to obedience. deduce arguments of obedience, as among many, 2. Corin. 7. when the Lord hauing promised, that whether wee abide in our houses, hee will dwell with vsus, or whether wee will goe abroad, hee will walke with vsus, or if we be afflicted, he will receiue vsus: out of this promise the Apostle bringeth a conclusion, that wee should therefore cleanse our selues. This would see me a strange consequence, that seeing wee are cleansed, wee should cleanse our selues, for some hauehave made a cleane contrarie conclusion, laying, wee are cleansed, let vsus defile our selues, seeing grace doth abound, let vsus sinne. 1. Corin. 7. The Apostle in the person of the godly, reasons thus: the time is short, let vsus therefore vse this world, as though wee vsed it not. The same Apostle out of the same premisses, in the person of the licentious liuer, frameth a cleane contrary conclusion: as 1. Corin. chap. 15, Tomorrow we shall die, therefore let vsus eate and drinke, let vsus vse the world, because wee hauehave it, let vsus stuffe our selues with pleasure, because our time is not long. So runnes the tenour of their conclusions. Because God hath merciemercy enough in store, and Christ his blood cleanseth vsus from our sinnes, therefore faith the carnall Gospeller, least the blood of Christ should want matter and mettall to worke vponupon, let vsus wallow in sinne, for Christ hath blood enough to cleanse vsus. Well the Apostle, I say, reasons in a contrarie manner, Christ hath washed vsus, let vsus not therefore defile our selues againe, and that which is more strange, he deduceth feare out of the promise. Wherefore for our vse we must learne, whether in reading and hearing the promises of God, the same minde be in vsus, which was in Paul, when hee saide, and saide truely, that hee had the Spirit of God in him, and nee that draweth out this conclusion of the promise of God; We are raised, therefore, wee will raise our selues, let that man know hee is of the same spirit, that the Apostle was. But he that concludes on the other manner: We hauehave promises, let all goe where it will, that man must suspect his estate, hee makes not a good conclusion. And as that, so this is true, the nature of God his promises, is not to be a placard to sinne, but a perswasion, a motiue, an inducement to holinesse of life, and to the feare of God. So that they that vse the promises, as they doe, saying God is mercifull, Christ dyed for vsus. The Lord will forgiue vsus, and so stuffe themselues with promises till they hauehave made them a pillow for sinne, they abuse themselues. True it is, that the sweete Psalmist saith, Psal, 131. MercieMercy is with God. What? Not to make bold with sin, but to feare him. Such sophisters then shew by their reason, of what spirit they are, and to whom they belong, that is, to the diuell. For seeing it is of the mercy of God, he is become a great preacher and publisher of God his promises, and yee shall not hauehave a promise, but he will alleage it, hee is a greater enemie against Moses▪ and against those that vrge the law, calling them Moses his Ministers, and Doctors of Despaire, and all to this end, to sow promises vntounto vsus, that we might take no thought: but still make this conclusion, Christ hath died, be bold to sinne. It is good therefore for a man to watch himselfe, whether in hearing the promises of God he hath a cold feare comming on him for his vnworthinesse, which if hee hauehave, that man may hope well of himselfe. For the nature of a promise from God, excludes securitie, and therefore it must end in feare.
2 We pronounce that the nature of a promise excludeth deserts, deserts I say, not debtThe promises of God are not of any desert, but free. (for so wee should heare of it so often as mention is made of praying, rewarding, and rendering) Against the Papists wee say therefore there are two debtes, the one of desert, as hire is due to a labourer, for hee hath deserued it: the other, a debt of promise, which is as well to be rendered as a debt of desert. For example, because I would make it plaine, whenTwo kinds of debts. the daughter of Herodias daunced before Herod, he in the vanitie of his braine made a promise of giuing her any thing she would aske, euen to the one halfe of his kingdome: andNote. after for the …endering of his promise, he made a cōscience of his oath. Now no man I suppose, that is of any valour, thinkes that this vaine exercise deserued half a kingdome, in hisAgainst merit of workes. valuation (for it deserued rather another thing far worse) but the debt that is due is not of desert, but of promise. Shee could not come and say, giuegive me, because I hauehave deserued, but giuegive me, because thou hast promised. No more can wee say vntounto God, wee hauehave done this, pay vsus, but thou hast promised to vsus, therefore graunt vsus what thou hast promised, though nor to vsus immediately, yet to Christ by desert, & to vsus for Christ his sake by promise, thou hast made it a debt: and to goe yet more narrowly to the nature of a promise, it is rather paid to the promiser, than to him to whom it is promised, as one of the fathers saith, God paieth his promises to himselfe, and the accomplishment of it most respects himselfe.
3 The nature of a promise is not presently to yeeld the thing promised (for if wee had that, wee hauehave not a promise of a thing to bee performed, but a performance of a thing, that hath beene promised) we stand in faith, and receiue in hope, and whatsoeuer wee are, we are but one hope, which is our *Or rather t…nure.tenant, and takes vp our possession of things to come for our behoofe. Our life saith Paul is hidde with Christ. And it appeares not, …aith Iohn, What we shall be. But the best that may be made of the wicked, is here to be seene to the vttermost. And seeing our life is in Christ, all that are on the stage of the world, it is knowne, who they be, namely the wicked, but whatsoeuer is the price of the godly, it is yet hidde in Christ, we hauehave nothing, but the hope of it. Now least some should say, if wee hauehave nothing but in hope, it were better to hauehave some thing certaine. To them I say, wee doe not speake of a promise from a man. The Apostle saith, the Lord is faithful. If the life of a Christian be compared to a warfare, then hope is our helmet, Ephes. chap. 6. If it bee compared to a sea-faring, then our hope is as an anchour, which we must cast into the sea with them, Act. chap. 28. to stoppe our shippe in dangers, vntill the day appeare. Lastly this is our stay, God is faithful, he hath promised, therfore he will surely performe it. First he speaketh theHope. word, then he promiseth, that is, saith it double: In blessing thee, I will blesse. Then he addeth an oath: As I liue, saith the Lord, I will visit thee: & yet more, he hath left vsus pledges, further to assure vsus of the trueth of his word: if neither his word, his promise nor his oath wil serue vsus, we hauehave nothing but promises: for concerning riches, glorie, countrey, and such like, God his children often want them. Come to God his grace, and to peace of conscience,Gods childrē want often peace of conscience. which one would thinke they should hauehave, they often hauehave them not: but faith they hauehave, the promise they hauehave, eueryevery thing else they hauehave not: still they hauehave the promises, them they hauehave: Our faith takes hold on our sins pardoned, on the assurance of the life to come: these we hauehave without peraduenture, wee hauehave the other things but by peraduenture. The best things we hauehave we possesse, & hauehave them by hope, and they that hauehave outward things, are beholden highly to God, but they be not his best blessings.
4 Howsoeuer some thinke but meanely of God his promise, yet nothing is more worthieThe promises of God are a great treasure, & must make vsus thāk full. our consideration and thankefulnesse. That that is, 1. Sam. 18 18. in the speech of Dauid, whe… one tolde him, that Saul was disposed to giuegive him one of his daughters in marriage, may here be noted, for what, saith hee, seemeth it small to you to bee a Kings sonne: what am I? or what is my life? or the family of my father in Israel, that I should be the sonne in lawe vntounto a King? So may wee say, what are wee? or what is our life, or the familie of our father, that the Lord should vouchsafe to make such promises vntounto vsus? Dauid made no light account of his promise. To set Dauid in our case, and Saul in the Lords, Dauids case was farre better than ours. For by reason of his victories he had deserued wel of the countrey, and therefore worthie to be considered of Saul: againe, though he should hauehave had Michol to wife, he was not for this to be heyre of the crowne, and yet he saith seemeth it to you a small thing? Then I say, if we could come to make the comparison betweene Saul and God, who is the Saul of Saules, and prince of Princes, in whose respect al the Princes of the world are but wash pots, and Cyrus is nothing to him, he vntounto whom the Angels are subiects and seruants, and to whom heauen and earth stoope downe, what analogie would there bee betwixt him and Saul? On the other side, that wee may stand in stead of Dauid, if the Spirit of God would shew vsus our vnworthinesse in a thing far aboue the promise of Dauid, wee would say, or wee should say, what are wee? what is our fathers house? that the Lord should hauehave respect to vsus? were not our fathers Amorites, drowned in superslitious idolatrie, carried away with the louelove of the world, solde vntounto sinne, and men full of ignorance? what was in our fathers house? for ourselues what are we? hauehave we not beene deriders of the word of God, or hearers of the Lord speake to vsus, with far lesse reuerence than we heare a mortall men? what is there in vsus? I thinke not of the worst, but he that can best expresse his mind and meaning, cannot expresse our vnworthinesse. My stammering speech cannot vtter i…, we must conceiue more of it, & knowe that there is nothing in vsus, or in our fathers house, that the Lord should vouchsafe vsus such mercy. It must not seeme little that wee hauehave the word, and are compassed about with so many promises, wee must reade them with humility, & then no doubt wee shall reade them with thankfulnes. The Apostle saith, When the Angels looke at the mysterie of our redemption, they are wonderfully astonished, they can neuer looke enough to see the vnspeakeable highnes of the Lord, and the great gulfe of our vnworthines; to behold the ods betweene his grea…nes and our vilenes. It needeth their conceauing, which if we could also doe, it would swallow vsus vp to see the Lord bestow his promises on such vnworthie wretches. When the Lord shall not only make promises in generall, but in particular, not onelyonly reall but personal, not onelyonly conditionall, but free, not onelyonly temporall, but eternall, who can goe through them all? But setting aside these great promises & benefits of his word, of his Spirit, he hath promised that*Blessed i… the man whō God chasteneth & teacheth him in his law. Psalm. 94 … 20 euen our very corrections * shall doe vsus good. Setting these apart with all the care of his Angels, & ministery of all creatures, he saith, he wil so narrowly looke to vsus, & take charge of vsus, that he will looke to the haires of our head, nay, Leuit. 26. he will looke to our kneading troughes, and which more is, Psal. 41. he will turne our beds, couches, in the time of sicknes. A strange thing, that the Lord should thus do with vsus. In the heathen histories we reade, that because a certaine Captaine came to wash his souldiers wounds, they could not praise him enough. Then if God the Captaine of his whole Church, the God of glory, shallSimile. so narrowly looke to vsus, as to number our haires, to take care for our kneading troughs, to turne our beds, to swaddle our wounds, these are able to amaze vsus, and to set vsus in a wonderfull taking to see so great kindnesse.
5 God wil be with vsus wheresoeuer wee dwell: he will goe with vsus wheresoeuer wee goe. He doth not rule vsus, as Pharaoh did the Israelites, to set vsus to make bricke, and to fetch the straw our selues but looke what he biddeth vsus to doe, he giueth vsus strength and substance to do. And for this worke when we hauehave done it, which is very homely, this wisedome passeth our conceiuing. Behold what promise was made of halfe a kingdome for so vile a seruice of Herods: so for a broken seruice he makes vsus a promise of heauen and earth, not a… they be now (which if it were so, it were too good for the best) no, hee will breake vp these frames, not to destroy all, but to renewall for the comfort of men. So great is his mercy, that as a Father saith, that God his childrē hauing tasted of this in the life to come, do as it were mourne, and are grieued with themselues, that their repentance was no greater, and their thankfulnes no more, whiles they were on earth, and he that hath done best, as Abraham, Dauid, or Paul, they repent they hauehave done no more good.
6 The promises of God are free in themselues, in respect of the part going before. First,Gods promises free. there is nothing at all in vsus to moue the Lord to promise any good to vsus. That wee may looke on that first and great promise made to Adam: when the Lord after his fall had charged him with his sin, he doth not confesse his sin, which the vilest malefactors often doe, but he chargeth the Lord againe, that hee was the cause of it, and makes his liberality the patron of his iniquitie, and so very miserably sets it ouer to the Lord▪ Euen at this time and immediately vponupon such behauiour the Lord makes his promise to him, that the seede of the woman shall bruse the serpents head. Here is no cause of a promise in Adam, he…o cōdition goes before. It is true also, that God made choise for his mercy of the v…e…s people of the earth. Take but the Historiographers, and those that write for the Iewes, and s…tting aside all inward gifts of minde whatsoeuer, and come to their gifts of the body, theirThe Iewes or Hol…ue… described and how God found them. outward shape and lineaments, and for the very masse of their nature, of all people they were most vnseemely and ilfauoured, they were a pernicious and monstrous people, and as far from al gifts euen of nature, either of iudgement or wisedome, as was vnderunder the Sun: nay it were too homely to giuegive them the name, whereby some hauehave set them out. Of these people the Lord makes choice, and makes the first promise to them. So that this is also a free promise, nothing com… to it to moue the Lord to make it. And yet to these people the Lord promiseth, Leuit. chap. 26. 12. I will walke among you, I will be your God, and ye shall be my people. Againe, in the reigne of Zedekiah, when the measure of their sinne was come to the brim, when they were in the estate of the Perezites, Hiuites and Iebusites, the Lord makes another promise with the same people, greater than the former, Ierem. 31. 1. saying: Hee will be their father, and they shall bee his sonnes and daughters. So that God his promises are…erem. 31. 1. free in respect of the matter antecedent, but in respect of that which followeth, they were made with a condition, and that is, that wee bee holy. But for the most part men herein deceiue themselues, for as they heare, that it is a free promise, so they make it a free promise after. There is no inducement indeede, before he makes the promise, but afterwards hee bindes it with a condition. For it standes in the promises of God, as in his threatnings. In his threatnings there is no condition going before, they are absolutely pronounced, as that Ionas. 3. 4. Yet fortie dayes and Nini…ie shall be ouerthrowne. And that to Ez…kiah, Esa. 38. Put thine house in an order, for thou shalt dye, and not liue. Yet there is somewhat followeth after, as Vnlesse ye repent, which sometimes is expressed, but if not expressed, is alwayes to bee vnderstoode. For neuer any threatning so strongly was pronounced from the Lord,Conditions annexed to promises, either vnderstood or expressed. but this, Vntill we repent, if it were done, would breake the force of it, and turne it backe againe, as the Niniuites repented, and the Lord turned away his fierce wrath. Ezekiah wept, and the Lord gaue him length of dayes. So how flatly and freely soeuer the promise made to vsus, yet this condition followeth, We must be holy. Thus wee see how Gods promises in respect of themselues, before they be made, are sure yet not as the wicked imagine that there is no limitation.
7 That the Bible is the Librarie of the holy Ghost, it may appeare: first, for that it settethThe Bible is Gods Libra rie; argumēts to commend the excellency of it. 1downe the infirmities of men, without all flatterie, as well as it commendeth them for their vertues, Gens. 49. Numb. 12. Secondly, the matter of it is altogether heauēly, and nothing,2 nor any part thereof sauoureth earthly: it yeeldeth to no one affection or other, but opposeth it selfe to all. Thirdly, the forme, the dignitie of the s…ile, and maiestie of the sentences in it is such, as it cannot bee fully and wholy conceiued and vttered of any man, and it is alwayes more powerfull in the matter than in words. The Apocrypha going3 about to expresse the excellencie of it in Greeke, is a very cold and barbarous thing. Fourthly, of all things it moueth affection in the readers; & pierceth into the secrets of the4 hearts, which you shall neuer finde but for some little time, and straight vanishing away, in other writings of the profoundest Philosophers that euer were. Fiftly, of all5 it is most auncient: and many good thing: in Philosophers and Poets are fetcht from this. Sixtly, all the prophecies set downe by diuers writers with one consent are accomplished,6 so are none of the diuels oracles. Reade that of Iacob, Genes. 49. that of Moses, Deut. 32. of Ethan, Psalm. 89. Esa. 45. Seuenthly, the wonderfull preseruing of this7 booke from time to time, 2. King. 22. so that it hath not perished, whereas many other bookes of great price and estimation are vtterly lost. Eightly, that there hath been such a8 continuall and vniuersall consent of this booke from time to time: and because all the heretikes and labours of them that would withstand and confute this, still are soyled and brought to nought. Lastly, the constant death of wise, sober and meeke Martyrs, whoeuer9 in their deaths for this, hauehave had a plaine distinction from the deaths of other franticke and witlesse persons.
Many places of Scripture, saith the Apostle, 2. Pet. 3. are peruerted of the vngodly, and you shall see the wickedst man talking most, and making much of one kinde of Scri…ture.How …p…u… m…n a…use Scripture, to their owne per…n. Among Heretikes, Arrius of this, 1 My Father is greater then I. M…richeus of this, 2 He was found in the forme of a seruant. Montanus of this, 3 I will send you another Comforter▪ Papists of this, 4 Thou art Peter, Vbiquitarij of this, In whome the God head dwel… corporally. Familists of this, 5 The kingdome of God is within you. And euill men the Epicures abuse this place; That which goeth into the bellie defileth not the man &c. The carnall1 Pater n…eus m…or me. professors this: If he hath predestinated vsus, he will also cail vsus. Those that vnderunder the nameRep…tus est in torm…ser…i. of peace, desire to couer euill practises, alleage this, 6 Follow peace with all men. And that which is abused not of one sector companie, but of all, is this; Hypocrite, first pull out the3 Al…um Pa…acletum m…ttam vobis. beame out of thine owne eye: August. de moribus …a…ich. reprouing their loose liues, they alleage this, Hypocrita prius, &c. So daily if wee deale with mo…es, with motes I meane in4 Tu es Petrus. the eyes (for with motes in the Sunne any man may deale) then this is vsed as a neck verse, Hypocrita prius, &c. which when we hauehave said, wee thinke we are presently quit, and to hauehave5 Regnum Dei est m…ra vos. entred another action of hypocrisie, and reuenged them home vponupon any reprehension; I say, wee flie to this as a sanctuarie, wee vse it as a spell to charme the reprehender, that hee6 Sect m…n… pa em um omnibus. cannot speake one word more. But this is not Christ his meaning, his being in the Flesh was not to maintaine sinne, he came not to make men escape the gentle punishment of admonition: he came to cācell the hand-writing that was against vsus, not to make a new handwriting, but as it is said in the Psalme, wickednes hath a wide mouth, and Dauid maketh it a maruell to see the mouth of wickednes stopped, for rather then it will say nothing, it will speake against itselfe. 1. Cor. 7. Paul reasoneth the time is short, therefore we must vse the world as though we vsed it not. 1. Cor. 15. 32. The wicked say, Tomorrow we shall d…e▪ therefore let vsus eate and drinke. They gather a contrary conclusion out of the same promises: 2. Cor. 7. Paul reasons, Seeing we hauehave such promises, let vsus clēse our selues: the wicked say Rom. 6. Let vsus sinne, that grace may abound. We may reason thus rightly out of the former words of Christ; He disallowed disorderly casting out. Ergò, hee alloweth orderly casting out: he commandeth the beame to be cast out first. Ergò, the mote also. We reason on the cōtrary; No promiscuall casting out, Ergò, no casting out: his owne first, Ergò, not ours at all. Their conclusion is this, if they durst say so much: Praecipe quid faciam or… vt faciam; sed …e omnino corripito, quicquid facio. I louelove not to heare of my faults, meddle not with mine eyes. So it is true which is in Prou. 26. A parable in a fooles mouth, is as a thorne, &c. Hee thrusteth the blunt ende forward, and by abusing of places they gore themselues.
16 As we cannot see without the apple of the eye, so we cannot know the thing of GodThe holy Ghost must teach v… without the teaching of God. For though some things are learned by sense, as we need not be taught from heauen to discerne betweene white and blacke, colde and heate, and such like: and some things are attained by the light of nature, or helpe of Arte, as the knowledge of ciuill and humane things; yet there are many things to be learned, which we cannot attaine vntounto by naturall reason onelyonly, without spirituall reuelation. For to be perswaded that all things were made of nothing, that a Maide should hauehave a Sonne, that the Flesh corrupted should rise to incorruption, that CHRIST a Sauiour on the Crosse, should be a Iudge in the clowdes, that we should be freed from death by his death, and exempted from condemnation, by condemnation, that man should sinne, and CHRIST should suffer; where is the wise man, where is the Scribe, where is the Philosopher that can shewe a …son? But be it that man could be taught by nature to vnderstand things appertaining to GOD, yet: is needfull that that God should teach him, because else he should learne it with incer …intie, and little assurance: for besides that Iob confesseth, how though he went euen into the shop of the Lord, where he worketh, yet he should not see him. These reasons I hauehave to proue that I speake: first, the most and greatest part are full of simplicitie, & many cannot take the paines to search them; of many that would take paines, many want the meanes; of manie that hauehave the meanes, fewe come to anie thorow knowledge of them; and they that come to knowledge, labour vnderunder great vncertaintie: whereof it commeth to passe, that many either proue fooles, or become Heretikes, because medling with such things in the pride of their wits, they hauehave not prayed to be taught of God.