The Balance of the Sanctuary, Treatise · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Of the ſeuerall fruites that ſpring from the ſearching into and finding out of Gods truth, and certaintie declared vntounto vsus, in his word, and in his workes.
THe fourth and the laſt of the foure neceſſary points required hereunto, that by the workes of God done among the ſonnes of men, we may be enduced to lay more hold vponupon the feare of God, and godlineſſe is, that wee diligently note and conſider the ſeuerall fruites that are hereby reaped, and which by finding out Gods truth, and the certaintie thereof, are declared vntounto vsus in his Word, which muſt be earneſtly and well conſidered of, becauſe this is the ende, ſcope, and ſpeciall marke whereunto all tendeth, that hath formerly beene deliuered.
Now the fruites that ſpring from the aforeſaid conſiderations are notable, both many and great, whereof ſome (that we may orderly place them in certaine ranckes) concerne the holy Scriptures themſelues; by the light whereof wee may bee able to proue and to iuſtifie all the aforeſayd arguments and declarations, other ſome concerne Gods workes, and a third ſort our obedience, which wee are to yeelde and ſhew vntounto the word of God and the holy Scriptures. Touching the firſt ſort of fruites concerning the holy Scriptures they are three.
For in the firſt place, wee learne out of the aforeſayde conſiderations, the truth of the holy Scriptures, that the ſame is moſt certaine and immutable, and that it ſhall neuer faile in any one tittle thereof, therein contained.
And heereby are wee confirmed and aſſured in our conſciences, as by experience we find, that what ſoeuer the Lord hath ſpoken, by his owne mouth in his worde, that with his hand hee effecteth and bringeth the ſame to paſſe in gouerning of the worlde. Now this is a moſt notable fruit; for vntill ſuch time as that wee doe dewly and truly marke how true Gods word is, and how truely God performeth & bringeth that to paſſe continually in the gouerning of the world, which in his word hee hath promiſed and threatned to doe, wee ſhall neuer eſteeme of feare, nor ſubmit our ſelues vntounto Gods worde, and on the contrary, when by our owne dilligent obſeruation, wee find out and are perſwaded of the truth and certaintie of Gods worde, wee are thereby at all times led and induced to the louelove of Gods word, and incouraged to beleeue it, and to eſteeme well thereof, Iohn 2. 12. It is ſayd that the worde of God, is quicke and powerfull and ſharper then any two edged ſword. Heb. 4 12. Now no man doth eaſily beleeue this, but hee that by feare of the word of God is moued therunto in his heart, Acts 2. 37. and 1. Cor. 14. 24. 25. and he that is ſo affected, doubteth no more thereof, then hee doth that the Sunne is bright and cleare; and he that hath this feeling of the worde, working in his ſoule, hath vndoubtedly already made a good entrance into the way to Gods kingdome, for this is moſt certaine and ſure, that all the ſinnes and miſdemeanours which thoſe men commit that withſtand the written worde which is the liuely truth of God, proceede from this, that they do not beleeue that the ſame word is ſo true and certaine as it is.
The ſecond fruit is, that wee learne by the aforeſayd declarations, the abundant largeneſſe and copiouſnes of the holy Scriptures, pſal. 119. 96. It is not to be ſpoken (if wee woulde apply our minds earneſtly and as wee ought to find out places in the Scriptures, that may bee applyed to thoſe things that happen and are done in this world) what a rich mine of gold wee ſhould find the Scriptures to bee, and ſhould hardly, after we had once conuerſed therein, fayle of ſome one fitt place or other therein that might bee applyed to all the thinges that while wee liue we ſhould hauehave neede of, or are to be done by vsus, 2. Tim. 3. 16. which if the Papiſts had done, they would ſoone hauehave perceaued and knowne that there was no neede nor neceſſitie, to finde out and invent many new Lawes and Rules for the ordering of mens liues, thereby to bring men to ſaluation, as they hauehave done, whereby the holy Scriptures are by them brought into contempt, and in a manner abandoned and thruſt wholy out of vſe.
The third is, that we are by the aforeſaid conſiderations holpen and better furthered in the vnderſtanding of the holy Scriptures. It is not to be expreſſed nor ſpoken how the earneſt and ſerious marking of Gods proceedings with the children of men, and with our owne ſoules, giueth a ſingular great light to the true vnderſtanding of many places of holy Scriptures, whereof otherwiſe, thoſe that hauehave no experience nor knowledge of things touching and concerning a ſpirituall life, can neuer conceiue any thing, as may appeare in many places of the Pſalmes, which otherwiſe cannot ſo well bee conceiued how they hang and depend one vponupon another; we can truely witneſſe, that ſometimes from the mouthes of ſimple plaine men, wee hauehave receiued a verie fit and conuenient ſence and interpretation of ſome places, which otherwiſe were very intricare, which they by their owne obſeruations hauehave learned and found out, to be ſo and in ſuch manner vnderſtood: and it falleth out often times that vponupon occaſion of that which we hauehave heard & ſeene to happen among men, we were aduertiſed, and hauehave beene taught the meaning of diuers places of Scriptures, which touched vponupon ſuch occaſions, and whereof before we could not finde out the true meaning. This is expreſſely taught in the proceedings of Chriſts Diſciples, of whom it is ſayd, that notwithſtanding that Chriſt ſpake plainely of his death & reſurrection, yet that they could not vnderſtand it, nor diue into the depth thereof, Luk. 18. 33. 34. but that afterwardes by obſeruing the event of things, they vnderſtood it, Ioh. 2. 22. And thus a godly heart that is wont to looke into Gods workes, becommeth an Interpretor to it ſelfe of many places of holy Scriptures.
Touching the ſecond ſort of Benefits concerning Gods workes, we reape hence this ſpeciall fruite, in that we learne by the declaration aforeſayd, not to become ſo peruerſe, nor reſolute concerning many things & actions that are done and happen in the world, whereas many ſimple men, that hauehave not buſied their braynes about looking into the word of God, nor in marking of the courſe of Gods workes, become obſtinate thereby, and grow careleſſe and ſlacke to regard the ſpirituall life, in regard of the proſperitie of the vngodly, and the aduerſitie of the godly, which at the firſt they could not vnderſtand, nor conceiue; and therefore gaue a wrong interpretation of them, becauſe they entred not into the ſanctuary of the Lord, which now is his worde, for when wee wholy relie vponupon the word of God in all worldly accidents, wee attayne vntounto the right vnderſtanding of things that belong vntounto God, and are not thereby hardened, but rather inſtructed and made better; pſal. 92. 6. 7. pſal. 73. Iob. 17. 8. 9.
Touching the third ſorte of fruits concerning the manner of our obedience, which according vntounto the word of God, wee owe vntounto him, there are three fruites. In the firſt place wee are by the aforeſayd declaration, inſtructed to diſcerne our owne and other mens ouerſights, and are therby aduertiſed both how ſinne on the one ſide, by careleſneſſe of liuing, the pleaſures of the worlde and all maner of wicked actions doth oftentimes procure diuers inconueniences and perplexeties, vntounto thoſe that are adicted thereunto, and in all occurrents, makes their proſperitie a curſed vntounto them, which putteth vsus in great feare & doubt to enter into that way, that is ſo full of danger & ſo troubleſome as that we our ſelues by our own experience can ſay vntounto our ſoules; Oh my ſoule enter not into this way, I hauehave ſeene many fall therein I my ſelfe hauehave often beene hardly beſied therein, and ſo long as wee will goe into this way, our proſperitie will become a curſe vntounto vsus, and be a meanes to ouerthrow vsus, and if wee can ſay thus much by our owne experience to our ſoules, it will be a powfull meanes to diuert vsus from the way of the vngodly, and againe on the other ſide, when by the aforeſayd declaration, wee finde and ſee that the feare of God, conſtancie, righteouſneſſe, good workes and godlineſſe, for certaine hauehave the promiſes of this life and the life to come, yea and that thoſe that are indued therewith, hauehave great peace of conſcience, and are preſerued from many miſchances whereinto wickedneſſe and ſinne draw men, and that in all dangers and perplexities they are comforted and imboldened, we can not but be therby ſtrongly prouoked and effectually drawne to the practiſe of godlines, ſo that we can ſay vntounto our ſoules, Surely this is a good way, it hath beene proſperous vntounto the end, to all thoſe that followed it, and all thoſe that enter into it ſhall endure vntounto the end: Heb. 13. 7. and if any aduerſitie or tribulation happeneth vntounto vsus, yet wee ſhall bee of good comfort and imboldned: for God will then be with vsus, his Rod and his Staffe ſhall comfort vsus, Pſal. 23 4. 5.
The ſecond is, that wee are alſo by the aforeſayd conſiderations made very prouident, learned, and wiſe, for that by thoſe thinges that are paſt, and which wee hauehave well conſidered of and beheld how they were done, we learne to know and find out what will follow vponupon, and proceed from ſuch & ſuch the like actions, and what good or euill we are to expect, if we doe ſuch and ſuch things, and ſo we obtaine the gift of Approbation, Phil. 1. 9. and become wiſe as the children of Iſraell were (to counſell our ſelues and others what at other times is beſt to bee done, or not to be done. 1. Chro. 12. 33. as for example, wee hauehave in former times found that vppon Maſſe dayes and other Papiſticall feaſt dayes, much hurt hath beene done, by drunkenneſſe, fighting, quarelling, and other mildemeanors, which for the time to come we thereby learne to be warie of, and are warned to ſhunne them vponupon other maſſe dayes, and to withdraw our ſelues and others from them, wee are alſo taught, that the healths which are drunke in ſigne o… louelove, hauehave cauſed much trouble at feaſts and banquets, and induced great inconueniences, and therefore we learne to ſhunne them, and as horne Beaſts, to baniſh them out of our feaſts, Exod. 21. 28. 29. 30. And thus by meanes of the aforeſaid declarations (Gods grace helping vsus) we learne how to guide and carrie ourſelues in theſe wicked and dangerous dayes, that are ſo full of inducements, ſtopps, ſtumbling blockes, and offences, holily and ſafely into the way of peace, and therby daily fit and further ourſelues in our iourney towardes Gods kingdome in heauen, the place that we aſpire vntounto.
The third is, that we are likewiſe by the aforeſaid conſiderations made alwayes prompt and readie in all the things aforeſaid, and in all other things that belong to a ſpirituall life, and the ſeruice of the moſt high God, to direct our ſelues, & to goe forward therein with all boldneſſe, confidence, and ſpirituall ſtrength. For touching boldneſſe, and courage, when by experience with Dauid we hauehave found, that Gods word and workes agree ſo well together, ſtrengthen ſo much one the other, and keepe ſo friendly and faſt the one to the other, We are not affraid to ſpeake thereof before Kings and Princes when neede requireth, Pſal. 119. 46. Yea, then with all boldneſſe we will vphold, defend, and aduance Gods cauſe, being well aſſured, that maintaining the ſame wee ſhall not be aſhamed thereby. Secondly, we ſhall alſo doe it with confidence of heart, not as thoſe that heare of it onelyonly by report, but that by our owne experience and good knowledge ſpeake and further that which we doe. The Apoſtle witneſſeth, that being confident in the feare of the Lord, hee moued many to the like confidence, 2 Cor. 1. 10. And it is ſtrange to conſider, how certainly they hauehave ſpoken of heauen, of hell, of the comfort of the holy Ghoſt, of guiltineſſe of Conſcience, of the joy of the godly, and of the helliſh liues of the vngodly, that hauehave noted and marked ſuch things, and hauehave found them true by experience in themſelues, or in others: laſtly, wee ſhall alſo doe all this with ſtrength, and that not in this regard onelyonly, becauſe doing it with boldneſſe and confidence, we ſhall thereby the more forciblie worke vponupon mens mindes; but further alſo in that being holpen by the aforeſaid experience, we ſhalbe able the more fitly to apply the places of holy Scripture to the vnderſtanding of thoſe wee ſhall hauehave occaſion to deale with, whereby they may the better perceiue and know, that God ſpeaketh by vsus, and may thereby be moued to fall downe on their knees, and honor God, 1 Cor. 14. 24. 25.