Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 54
§ 54.
BUt thou wilt ſay; That onelyonly Law and precept must be our rule.if neither cuſtome of the greateſt number, nor of the greatest men, nor of the greateſt Schollers, nor of the beſt men, though thou haſt Reaſon for thy doing it, and good Intentions in the doing of it, is a ſufficient warrant for thy actions; but that all theſe be crooked and deceitfull guides; then what may bee a ſafe guide, and a ſure and infalliblerule in all caſes, to ſteere by, and ſquare the courſe of thy life?
Anſw. As a rule directeth the Artificer in his worke, and keepeth him from erring: ſo doth Gods word direct the Religious in their lives, and keepe them from erring.
The right way is the ſignified Will of God; and whatſoever ſwarves from, or is repugnant to the right, is wrong and crooked: Law and Precept is a ſtreight line, to ſhew us whether we doe misbeleeve, or miſlive: we have a moſt ſure Word of the Prophets and Apoſtles, ſayes Peter, 2 Peter, 1.19. a ſure foundation, ſaith St. Paul, 1 Cor. 3.11. Eph. 2.20. and as many as walke according to this rule, peace ſhall bee upon them, and the Iſraell of God, Gal. 6.16. ſearch the Scriptures, ſaith our Saviour, for in them ye thinke to have eternall life, and they are they which teſtifie of me, Iohn, 5.39.
All Beleevers are tied to the Scriptures; as the Iewes, are tyed to their Cabala; the Turkes, to their Alcaron; Logicians to the Axioms of their Aristotle; Phyſitians to the Aphoriſmes of their Hippocrates and Galen; Geometricians to the compaſſes of Euclid; Rhetoricians, to the Precepts of Tully; Lawyers, to the Maxims of their Iuſtinian; and Grammarians, to the rules of their Priſcian; and it hath ever beene the care of Chriſtians, to ſticke cloſe to the written Word, having alwayes, and in all caſes, an eye thereunto: even as the Load-ſtone (what way ſoever the wind bloweth) turnes alwayes to the North Pole; it is as a Load Star, to guide the ſhips of their ſoules and bodies, in the right way to Heaven.
And without this written Word, a man in the world, is as a ſhip on the Sea without a guide. The holy Scriptures are a ſtore houſe of all good inſtructions; it is the Chriſtians Armory, wherein are many Sheilds, to defend our ſelves; and many Swords, to offend our Enemies; yea, each precept, as a Sword, will both defend and ſlay. It is like the Tower of David built for defence, a thouſand ſhields hang therein, and all the Targets of the ſtrong men, Cant. 4.4. it is a cleare glaſſe, wherein wee may ſee our beauty, and deformity, yea, the leaſt ſpots of evill, and be directed to wipe them out. It is a light, ſaith Theophilus, which diſcovereth unto us all the ſlights and ſnares of our ſpirituall adverſaries; yea, nothing can deceive them (ſaith he) that reade the Scriptures: Thy word, ſaith David, is a lanthorne to my feete, and a light unto my pathes, Pſal. 119.105. this Ariadnes clew of thred, guides the beleever through the worlds maze of temptations, unto the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God. It is an Apothecaries ſhop, ſaith St. Baſil, full of all ſoveraigne Medicines, wherein every man may have cure for his diſeaſe; and there is no part, or paſſion of our Soules, ſaith St. Chryſostome, but needeth phyſicke and cure from the holy Scriptures. In fine, it is their counſeller, it is their wiſdome, it is their ſtrength, it is their food, it is their Phyſicke, it is their wealth, it is their joy, it is their life, it is their all in all; if they have this, they want nothing; if they want this, they have nothing.
But ſee one of theſe particulars illuſtrated, (for I will not ſpin out each of theſe Metaphors into a long continued Allegory) Suppoſe any little David, a child of God, be ſet upon by the greateſt ſpirituall Goliah that ever was, namely, the World, or the Fleſh, or the Devill himſelfe; let him but choſe out of this brook, the Scripture, a few ſtones, precepts, threats, promiſes, keepe them in the Scrippe, of his memory, hurle them with the Arme of a ſtrong faith, from the ſtring of his tongue, as occaſion ſerveth, at the combatant, with the level of Chriſtian prudence, even the ſtouteſt of them ſhall be compelled to leave the field and give up his weapons. As for example, if thou be tempted to pride, anſwer; it's written, that God reſiſteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble, Iames, 4.6. That all proud perſons are under the Devills regiment, his ſubjects, and vaſſalls, Iob. 41.25. If to cruelty; that they ſhall have judgment mercileſſe, which ſhew not mercy, Iames, 2.13. If to contemne reproofe, or hate thy reprover; that hee which hardeneth his necke when he is reproved ſhall ſuddenly be deſtroyed, and cannot be cured, Pro, 29.1. If to ſweare; that …athes carſe the land to mourne, Hoſea, 4.2.3. And that the curſe of God ſhall never depart from the houſe of the ſwearer, untill it be conſumed, Zach. 5.3.4. If to covetouſneſſe; that the love of money cauſeth many to fall into divers temptations, and ſnares, and many fooliſh and noyſome luſts which drowne men in perdition and destruction, 1 Tim. 6.9.10. If to Hypocriſie; that it is the ſin, againſt which our Saviour pronounced ſeven woes in one Chapter, and adjudge to the loweſt place in Hell, Math. 23. If to deſpaire, through the conſideration of thy manifold ſinnes and infirmities; that Chriſt came not to call the righteous, but weary and heavie laden ſinners to repentance, Math. 9.13. and 11.28. that he who ſtrives moſt, and not hee who ſinnes leaſt, ſhall be beſt accepted with God. If to luſt; that the Law ordaine death for the Adulterer, Levit. 20.10. and the Goſpell excludes the fornicator out of Heaven, 1 Cor. 6.9.10. If to drunkenneſſe, that Hell enlargeth it ſelfe for drunkards, and openeth her mouth without meaſure, that all they may deſcend into it, Iſaiah. 5.14.
And ſo in every other caſe which can be named, as well as in this of temptation, have but recourſe to the written Word, this, as an Oracle from Heaven ſhall give thee plenary ſatisfaction, and by this meanes, viz. by applying with our Saviour, it is written, it is written, Math. 4. thou ſhalt ſo ſilence and overcome the ſpirit of untrueth, that though he ſolicite thee by the World, or the Fleſh, or by a Prophet, or an Angell from Heaven, hee ſhall not be ſtrong enough to divert thee from the good thou intendeſt: yea, let fire and faggot doe their worſt, as once in Queene Maries time, yet nothing ſhall be able to ſeparate thee from the love of God which is in Chriſt Ieſus, Rom. 8.35. to 39.
And thus wee ſee, the Word of God to the faithfull is an Armory, out of which they may furniſh themſelves with all kind of munition; a Magazine, out of which they may be furniſhed with all manner of needfull proviſion: whereas on the contrary, he, which lives, without making this his rule; he, who ſets not the Diall or Clocke of his life by this Sunne; hee who directeth not his courſe in walking by this North-Pole, or loadſtarre, but by the wavering, uncertaine, & moovable ſtars of cuſtome, Example, Reaſon, or good intentions, ſayles without a compaſſe, and may looke every minute to be ſwallowed up in the Ocean of ſin and judgement.
God hath made a promiſe to us, to keep us in all our wayes, Pſalm. 91.11. but not out of them: we are in our wayes ſo long as we have a command, or warrant out of the word for what we doe: to be kept by God, is ſo to have him watch over us by his fatherly providence and protection, that nothing ſhall befall us, but what is good for us: and to have a continuall guard of Angles, to protect and keepe us from every approaching evill, Pſalme 91.10, 11, 12. How ſafe then and happy is the man, that is reſolved to doe nothing without God; who commands all creatures, both in Heaven, Earth, and Hell, and they obey him? the conſideration of which made Luther ſo couragious, that (being perſwaded by his friends to abſent himſelfe from the Diet at Wormes) hee made anſwer, though all the tyles of the houſes were ſo many Divells, yet would I goe thether: he knew he ſhould have more, and mightier with him, then againſt him, being in his way, that is, having a warrant out of the Word for what hee went about. Neither could he want examples to encourage him herein; wee ſee David, being in his way, it was not the Lion, nor the Beare, nor that great Goliah, nor Saul himſelf, though he darts a ſpeare twiſe at him, ſends to ſeek him throughout all the thouſands of Iudah, and layes ſo many plots to take away his life, could doe him any harme. Eliſha, being in his way, rather then the Aſsyrians mighty Hoſt ſhall hurt him, the mountaine ſhall bee full of Horſes and Chariots of fire to reskew him, 2 King. 6.17. neither ſhall Ahab, or Ieſabel hurt Eliah, though they threaten much, and do their worſt, 1 Kin. 19.2. Let Daniel and the three children be in their way, do nothing either forthrough feare or flattery, but what they have warrant for out of Gods Word; and then throw the one into the Lions den, and the other into the fiery furnace, Gods providence ſhall ſo keepe them, that not a haire of their heads ſhall periſh, Dan. 3.27. and 6.22.
Let the ſame conſideration prevaile with us. Have wee a warrant out of the word? are wee in the path of Gods protection? in the way wherein the Angels guard and watch? Let us go on valiantly, and not feare what men or divels can doe unto us. When Ioſeph had a command from God, to goe out of Egypt into the Land of Iſrael, after Archelaus ſucceeded his father Herod, he was ſore affraid, and (as it ſeemeth) loath to go; yet conſidering that God had commanded him, he diſputeth no longer with fleſh and blood, but goeth his way, Mat. 2.22. It is too much tenderneſſe to reſpect the ſcoffes, and cenſures and threats of others, when wee have a direct word from God: the fearefull ſluggard will cry, a Lion in the way, Pro. 26.13. yea, but the Scriptures cry, an Angell, yea, many Angels to ſtop the Lions mouth: the Lion is in thoſe by-wayes, in which the Prophet walked, 1 Kin. 13.24.
On the other ſide: if God take no charge of us, but when wee are in our wayes, yea, in his, by having a warrant out of the Word; how are they in their wayes, who ſpend their whole time in drinking, ſwearing, whoring? &c. who perſecute the godly, for keeping cloſe to this Word? If that be Gods way, where did he chalk it out, where, or in what part of his Word haſt thou a warrant to doe theſe things, or to hate, perſecute, revile, ſlander, reproach, contemne, deride, or cenſure men for being holier and more temperate then thy ſelfe? If thou want his word, looke not for his protection: and miſerable is that man, who in dangerous actions is left to his owne keeping; it fares with him, touching his ſpirituall adverſaries, as with the Deere that leapes over the Park pale, and ſtraggles abroad, which a hundred to one doth coſt her her life: or as it did vvith Shemei, vvhen hee paſt his bounds ſet him by the King, vvho loſt his life for his labour, 1 King. 2.42.43.46. As for example, Pharaoh and his Hoſt were out of their way, when they purſued the children of Iſrael going out of Egypt; but how ſped they? the Sea devided to let the Iſraelites paſs, but ſwallowed them up quicke, Exod. 14.28. Baalam, was out of his way, when hee rode to Balack, with an intent to curſe Iſraell, when God had forbidden him ſo to doe; but the Angel of the Lord met him with a naked ſword, and had ſlaine him, if the Aſſe had not turned away, Numb. 22.33. Sampſon was out of his way, when hee went in to the harlot Dalilah, or els God had not departed from him, neither could the Philiſtims have bound him, Iudg. 16 20.21. Ionas was out of his way, when he was ſayling to Tarſhis, God having ſent him to Ninive; but how ſped hee? the windes and waves, ſtormes and tempeſts conſpired together to croſſe him, and would not be pacified, untill hee was caſt into the Sea, Ionas 1.12, 15. And thus Caine, when he went out into the field to ſlay his brother Abel, Gen. 4.8. to 15. Corah, Dathan, and Ahiram, with thoſe two hundred and fifty Captaines, when they gathered themſelves together againſt Moſes and Aaron, Num. 16.32. Haman when he went out unto the King, to procure that bloody decree againſt the Iewes, Eſter 3.9. Abſalom, when hee roſe up againſt his Father to uſurpe the Kingdome, 2 Sam. 15. The 42. children when they followed the Prophet, calling him bald-head, 2 Kin. 2.23.24. The ſeduced Prophet, when he went beyond his commiſſion ſet him by God, 1 King. 13. The two Captaines, and their fifties, when they went to apprehend Eliah, 2 King 1.10.12. Iudas when he went unto the high Prieſts to ſell his Maſter, and backe with the Officers to betray him with a kiſſe, Marke 14. and laſtly, Paul before his converſion, when hee went with authority from the high Prieſts to perſecute the Chriſtians at Damaſcus, Acts 9.1, 2. they were all out of their way: but how did they ſpeed? I need not tell you vvhat fearefull revenges and ſudden deſtruction they met vvithall in their journeys; onelyonly the laſt vvas croſt vvith a bleſſing, and inſtead of judgement, received mercy; though thou canſt no more preſume to fare as hee did, then I can preſume to live, and have the ſame ſtrength forty yeares hence, that I have at this preſent, becauſe it hapned to be ſo vvith Caleb, Ioſhua 14.11.