Lectures Upon Psalm 51, Part 8 · Lecture 146
Lecture CXLVI. On Psalme 51.7. Aug. 30. 1631.
IT followeth now that we proceede to make some application of it unto our selves.Aplic. For seeing (as wee have heard) the Spirit of God wheresoever it dwels will teach, and resolve the heart in the truth of Religion; and he that is thus taught of God, cannot but be constant in the truth; seeing the Lord makes so great account of them that cleave to his truth; and the faithfull themselves have found such comfort in this, when they have beene in great distresse, wee are therefore to be exhorted that every one of us would labour, by this note to approve our selves to have the Spirit of Christ, and so to be his, even by our resolution, and constancy in our Religion, and cleaving fast unto the truth of God, which we have received, and doe make profession of. This is an exhortation, which we shall finde much pressed upon Gods people by the Holy Ghost, specially in the New Testament. Watch yee, take heed unto your selves (saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 16.13.) stand fast in the faith, in the Doctrine of faith, quit yee like men, in withstanding manfully all such as would seduce you, bee strong and resolute in the truth. Observe his earnestnesse in the many words he useth. So Phil. 4.1. Stand fast in the Lord in the faith, and Doctrine of Christ my dearely beloved. And 2 Thes. 2.15. Therefore brethren (saith hee) sland fast, and hold the traditions the doctrines delivered unto you which you have beene taught, whether by word by lively voice in the Ministery of the word, preached which you heare, or by our Epistle, or by the holy Scripture which yee reade. And againe Heb. 4.14. Let us hold fast our pro…ession saith he, And againe Heb. 10.23. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering: Remember how thou hast received, and heard saith our Saviour Revel. 3.3. and hold fast. And if the people of God then had such need to have this exhortation pressed upon them, while the Apostles themselves lived, by whom they had beene taught and confirmed in the truth, with farre more evidence and demonstration of the spirit, and of power (as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 2.4.) then is it to bee found in the Ministery of any of Gods servants now, how much more necessary is this exhortation for us all in these dayes.
No, not so will you say. For those were dayes of bloudy persecution,Object. and of a fiery tryall. The Magistrate was a mortall enemy to Christ, and his Gospell, and the Iewes every where incensed him against it; but we (thankes be to God) live under a Christian Magistrate, and in dayes of great peace, we have peace at home, and peace abroad.
To this I answer that though we (through the great mercy of God) doe enjoy the Gospell in great peace,Answ. and have it also maintained, and countenanced by publike authority; and though the religious disposition of our gracious King (who hath both heretofore, and of late so fully declared himselfe to be for the Gospell, and against Popery) may give us great hope of the continuance of this blessing, and may seeme to free us from feare of any alteration of Religion in our dayes. Yet are there three things that make this exhortation every whit as needefull for our times, and for us, as it was for the people of God in the Apostles dayes.
First, The great danger wee are in that popery may prevaile and steale in upon us (and with it a fiery tryall) before we be aware; not withstanding all that hath beene said of the hopes we have. Surely the great increase of Papists that we daily heare of, together with the marvellous declining of many declared by the ready receiving of such Doctrines as any seducing Spirit will offer to them may give us just cause of this feare.
Secondly, admit that wee were in no danger at all of a fiery tryall through popery, yet are there a number of other new, and strange opinions lately sprung up in our Church, that do make this exhortation as needfull now as ever it was. They are so many that I cannot name them all unto you though I would, and they are some of them so fantasticall, some so blasphemous, and dangerous that I would not offend your Christian eares with rehearsing of them, though I could. Every yeare almost yeelds us some new conceit in Religion. When the servants (in the parable of the tares Matth. 13.27, 28) spied their Masters field so full of tares, they said unto him. Sir didst not thou sow good seed in thy field, from whence then are these tares? They doe not lay the fault upon the seed their Master did sow. The Papists, and Atheists when they heare either of Heresies that spring in the Church, or of hypocrites, and scandalous sinners that break out amongst such as professe Religion, are apt still to impute all to our Masters seed. This comes of following Sermons, a goodly Gospell say they this is, that brings forth such fruits. And the servants of God themselves, that know how good the seed was that their Master did sow in this field, how sound, and pure the Doctrine hath beene which our state, and Church hath professed, and which hath beene preached in it above 70. yeares without interruption, and see what a number of strange opinions are now risen in it, are apt to wonder and cry Lord whence come all these tares? But marke what answere the Lord of the field gives unto his servants The enemy hath done this, saith he. Satan the enemy of God, and mankinde, is the sower of all these tares, the authour of all the heresyes (and scandalls too) that rise in Gods Church. And the men that broach these errours (how learned or good soever they may seeme to be; as Satan himselfe saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 11.14. is of transformed into an Angel of light) are set on work by him, his agents his seeds-men they are. Our Saviour foretelling the destruction of Ierusalem and of the whole state, and the judgements whereby God would plague that nation, for the contempt of the Gospell: and which should bee signes, and forerunners of his taking it away from them, and bestowing it upon some other nation that would bring forth better fruits of it, names this for one, Matth. 24.11. Many false Prophets (saith he) shall arise and shall deceive many. Certainly the many sects, and errours that arise in our Church as it is to be esteemed a most just judgement of God upon this nation for the contempt of the Gospell, so is it a fearefull signe of a more grievous judgement approching, and namely of the removing of our candlesticke, and taking away the Gospell from us. And surely these false teachers (increasing as they doe) will steale away the truth of Religion from us before we be aware (as the Lord speaketh of the false Prophets in Ieremies time Ier. 23.30.) unlesse wee stirre up our selves to hold it fast, and to cleave so much the more stedfastly unto it, because wee see it so many wayes questioned, and contradicted by fantasticall spirits.
Thirdly, and lastly. The generall decay of the love of Religion in all places, and among all sorts of men, and the strange increase of irreligiousnesse, and profanesse every where, will (as an epidemicall disease, and common contagion) infect us all; and by little, and little steale our hearts away from all care of Religion, and respect unto it, if we doe not carefully take heed, and stirre up our selves to hold fast both the knowledge, and practice of the truth which we have received. Our long enjoying of the Gospell of Christ together with our long peace, and plenty makes us to esteeme lightly, and to grow weary of it, as Israel of old was of Mannah, though it were both the most wholesome, and the most delicate foode also that ever man tasted of: In which respect the Prophet Psal. 78.25. calls it Angels foode, such a foode as (if they had needed meate) the very Angels might have fed upon. Yet grew they so weary of it that they preferred the cucumbers, and onyons, and garlicke of Aegypt before it Num. 11.5, 6. any thing rather then Mannah then that food that came downe from heaven. And so doth the Apostle prophesie 2 Tim. 4.4. of a time that should come (and we have just cause to judge that this is the very time hee prophesieth of) wherein such as had professed the Gospell should turne away their eares from the truth & be turned unto fables. No doctrine can be so fabulous, and fantasticall but men will be ready to turne unto it, and to embrace it, rather then the present truth, as the Apostle calls it 2 Pet. 1.12. Any thing that will oppose, and contradict the present truth this Mannah that is before our eyes as the Iewes speake there Num. 11.6. shall be welcome unto them. This is not the disposition of a few (of here, and there one) but it is the humour of the very age and time we live in, that strongly inclineth unto epicurisme and irreligiousnesse. Therefore the Apostle in another prophesie of his 2 Tim. 3.1. wherein he sets downe the generall sinnes of those perilous times that shall come in the last dayes (whereinto we are fallen) notes this as a chiefe one Verse 5. Having a forme of godlinesse, an outward profession of the true Religion, but denying the power thereof; that the Gospell should have such a commanding power over them as to restraine them from any sinne they were inclined unto (especially if it be in fashion) this they should not abide, this being the generall disease of the time we shal all be in danger to be carryed away with the streame, and sway of it; if we discerne it not to be a forerunner of the removall of our candlesticke the Gospell, and in time take heed, and repent, and doe our first workes, Rev. 2.5. and if the generall inclination unto profanesse, that we discerne in all men, cause us not to love the truth, and cleave to it so much the more, and to take up Davids cry, and resolution Psal. 119.126—128. It is time for thee Lord to worke, and to shew thy power for the maintaining of thy truth, and Gospell, for they have made void thy law; thy word, and truth is of no reckoning▪ and account with men therefore (even for this very cause; Oh happy man that can say so) therefore love I thy Commandements above gold, yea above fine gold, therefore I esteeme all thy precepts concerning all things, to bee right, and I hate every false way.
And now that I have thus shewed you how much need we have of this exhortation to constancy in our Religion, I will (for the better enforcing of it) first give you some motives to perswade, and provoke you to it, and then shew you the meanes how it may be obtained. And the Motives I will give you shall be but two.
First, take heed how you suffer your selves to be corrupted in judgement,Motive 1 how you approve in your judgement of any erroneous Doctrine, for corruption in judgement is the most dangerous corruption of all others, worse then corruption in manners is, specially in a man that hath beene formerly inlightned with the knowledge of the truth. To allow of any evill we doe in our judgement, and to defend it as lawfull, is a greater sin, and argues a man to be more under the power, and dominion of sinne, then the committing of sinne doth. Therefore the Apostle (in the person not of a naturall, but of a regenerate man) comforts himselfe in this Rom. 7.15. That which I doe I allow not, and Verse 16. I consent to the Law that it is good, and Verse 25. With my minde I serve the Law of God. The Leprosie in the head was of all kinde of Leprosies most dangerous. The Priest shall pronounce him utterly uncleane (saith the Lord Leviticus 13.44.) his plague is in his head. As the soule is the excellency of a man; so is the spirit, and judgement the excellency of the soule, and that that God hath set in a man to guide, and governe all other the powers, and facultyes of it. The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, saith Salomon Prov. 20.27. a divine light set in the soule to direct the whole man. And if the light that is in thee be darkenesse (saith our Saviour Matth. 6.23. if thy minde, and judgement be once corrupted) how great, how dangerous is that darkenesse. Take heed therefore (saith he Luke 11.35.) that the light that is in thee be not darkenesse: take heed that thy judgement be not corrupted. Most men are of opinion that if a mans life, and conversation be honest, and good it is no great matter what his opinion in Religion be. But they are much deceived. An unsound, and corrupt judgement in Religion will make a man more odious unto God, then many foule corruptions in life and conversation will doe. To the unbeleeving (saith the Apostle Tit. 1.15.) Nothing is pure, for even their minde, and conscience is defiled. Even their minde is defiled, saith he. The corruption of the minde, is the highest degree of corruption that can be. Nay it is not only an high degree of corruption, to be corrupt in judgement, but it is also a grievous punishment of God when a man (through want of judgement to discerne betweene truth, and falshood) shall receive errour, and forsake the truth. This is said to be the judgement that God did make choice of, to punish the Gentiles for their most hainous sins; God gave them over (saith the Apostle Rom. 1.28. to a reprobate minde foreign to a minde void of judgement, as your margin well renders it. When thou once losest thy judgement, that thou canst not discerne betweene truth, and errour in the matters of thy faith, and salvation, know that thou art under a most heavy curse of God.
Motive 2Secondly, If any of you shall change your judgement in Religion, and be apt to embrace errour, and forsake the truth, you shall thereby declare your selves never to have beene taught of God, never to have had any truth of grace, or goodnesse in you.
ObjectWhat? (will you say) is every one that holdeth any errour in Religion utterly void of all grace? Answ.For answer unto this you must understand that there is great difference in the errours that men hold, and in the manner of their holding them also. As in the law of God (which is the rule of our practice) there are some more weighty matters (as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 23.23.) and some that are lesse weighty. So among those truths in Religion that are to be knowne, and beleeved there are some that are more fundamentall of more absolute necessity to salvation, to be knowne, and beleeved then some others are. As in the body of man some wounds are mortall, Viz. such as touch the braine, or heart, or other vitall parts, some others though they be very deepe, and grievous yet are not mortall; so it is in the errours of the minde, some of them touch the head (not holding the head saith the Apostle Col. 2.19.) and destroy the faith as he speaketh 2 Tim. 2.18. they overthrow the Doctrine of justification only by faith in Christ (which is the very life of a Christians soule) but some of them doe not so. To answer therefore more distinctly unto the question, I say.
That errours of this latter kinde that doe not touch upon the foundation may doubtlesse be in the man that is in the state of grace. He that held himselfe bound in conscience in the Apostles time to observe all those dayes that God in Moses dayes had made holy, and to abstaine from all those meates that by that law were made uncleane; did (out of doubt) hold an arrour in Religion; and yet the Apostle Rom. 14.1—6. speakes of such a man as of the deare child of God, and saith plainly of him Verse 3. That God had received him into favour, yea hee shall bee holden up, saith he Verse 4. he shall persevere in the state of grace, for all the errour that he holds. Yea he forbids Gods people, that were sounder in judgement than he, to despise him, or judge him to be void of grace; nay, he commands them to receive him, converse with him, think well of him, love him, notwithstanding this errour of his. As every errour of judgement doth not separate a man from Christ, so neither should it separate the members of Christ in love and affection one from another. When any two of us differ in judgement in any matter of religion whatsoever, the one of us certainly must needs be in an errour. And he that is in the errour (so it be but an errour of this kind) may be every whit as holy a man (yea and holier too) than he that holdeth the truth. For the dearest of Gods children in this life, may be subject unto such errours. The best may say of themselves as the Apostle doth, 1 Cor. 13.9, We know but in part. And every man is a lyar, saith he, Rom. 3.4. the best man is subject to erre, and to be deceived in some things. We shall never all come to unity of faith, unity of judgement in all truths that are to be believed, till we come to be perfect men, as the Apostle teacheth us Eph. 4.13. While we live here, there will be difference of judgement in some things betweene the best of Gods servants. And that which the Apostle saith Iam. 3.1, 2. My brethren be not many masters, let not every one be so apt to censure and judge his brother for every failing and slip in their practice and conversation, for in many things we offend all; the same may fitly and truly be spoken in this case also: My brethren be not many masters, let not every one be so apt to censure and judge his brother for every errour that he holds in his judgement, for in many things we erre all.
Yea I say secondly that a man that is in the state of grace may possibly hold for a time even such errours in religion, as do trench upon the foundation also very neare. For all the elect Apostles did believe that Christ should be a worldly king, Mar. 10.37.41. Yea they held this errour even after they had been eye-witnesses both of his passion and resurrection too, as is plaine by their question Acts 1.6. And the whole Church of the Galatians did for a time hold an errour in that maine fundamentall article of our religion in the doctrine of our justification. For they held that a man could not be justified by faith in Christ onelyonly, without the works of the Law, as is evident by that paines the Apostle takes to convince them of that errour, Gal. 3 & 4 & 5 Chapters. Though we may therefore judge of such errours as these, that they are most odious and damnable, and can never speak nor think too hardly of them; yet may we not judge every one that holds them to be in a damnable estate, neither must their persons be odious unto us, so long as they do not trouble the Church, nor seek to corrupt others by broaching of them: for of such the Apostle hath a bitter speech (yet not more bitter than holy and wholsome) Gal. 5.12. I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
Thirdly, These errours that are so grosse and dangerous, that tend directly to the overthrow of the foundation, no man that is in the state of grace can obstinately hold, and continue in. There be some errours in religion, of which it may be said as David speaketh Psal. 119.21. Cursed are they that do erre from thy commandements. None but they that are accursed of God, and ordained to damnation can fall into them and persist in them. If ever thou that hast known and professed the truth shalt turne Papist, or Pelagian, or Libertine, or Antinomian, certainly thou never hadst the Spirit of God, there was never any true goodnesse or grace in thy heart. They that worship the beast (that turn Papists) are many indeed (they may well brag of universality and multitude, the Pope could not be Antichrist, he could not be that beast spoken on in the Apocalyps, if he could not plead this universality) for all that dwell upon the earth (in a manner) shall worship him, saith the Holy Ghost, Rev. 13.8. But who are they? None but they whose names are not written in the booke of life, saith the text.
Fourthly and lastly, A wavering mind in religion, an aptnesse to forsake the truth, and to receive new opinions and errours is a dangerous signe of an heart that never had truth of grace in it. The ungodly (saith the Prophet Psal. 1.4) are like the chaffe which the wind driveth away. To be so light of beliefe that every wind of Doctrine will carrie us away, is a signe of an ungodly man, of a naughty and unsound heart. They that at such a time as there were many Antichrists and false teachers in the Church, did receive their errours, and were drawne from the truth, did thereby make it manifest (as the Apostle speaketh 1 Ioh. 2.18, 19.) that they were never any of Gods elect. If they had beene of us (saith he Vers. 19.) if they had ever beene any of Gods elect, they would no doubt have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest that all (that once joyned with us in the profession of the truth) were not of us, but that we had some hypocrites among us. And so on the other side they that in such a time, when there are many heresies and false doctrines broached in the Church (and that with great shew of reason, and truth, and holinesse too) shall yet cleave constantly unto the truth, are even by this made manifest to have upright hearts to be the elect of God, and precious in his sight. Thus our Saviour describeth his sheepe (his elect) Iohn 10.5. a stranger (one that teacheth strange and false doctrine) they will not follow, but will flee from him, shun, and avoid him as much as they can, for they know not the voice of strangers, they approve not of, they like not the doctrine of false teachers. Yea the Lord doth for this very cause permit so many spirits of errour to swarme in his Church, as there do at this day, that by this meanes of tryall …e might make it manifest, which among all them that have professed his religion are his elect ones and approved of him, and which are not. There must be heresies among you (saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.19.) that they which are approved, a… allowed of God may be made manifest among you. Consider well of these motives, and you shall find there is great force in them to perswade you to c…ave resolutely and constantly to the truth you have received: and to make you fearfull to decline and fall from it.