Certain Questions and Answers Concerning the Knowledge of God, Part 66
Certain questions and answeres, declaring the right vse of the Law.
Question.
HAuing alreadie spoken of the ceremoniall and iudiciall partes of Gods law. It remaineth now that we consider of the morall part of Gods law, viz. the ten Commandements.
But before we come to the true sence and meaning of euerie commandement: I would hauehave you to shewe mee why the law of God, that is, the ten commandements must be rightly vnderstood of vsus?
A. It is necessarie that we should vnderstand euerie point of the law of God, that so we may know Christ Iesus to be a Sauiour indeed vntounto vsus, and▪ that so wee maye perceiue the length, bredth, and depth of his mercies, and, that so wee may be brought to embrace them accordingly.
Q. And cannot that be without the speciall knowledge of the law?
A. No; for the greatnes of our sin, and corruption discouereth the riches of his mercy & fauour towards vsus.
Q. And shall wee see how great our sin and corruption is, by opening the meaning of euerie commandement?
A. Yea: & then we shall also see that our affection is an vtter enemie to the obedience required in the same.
Q. And what shall we be the better?
A. We may (if God giuegive grace) be the better for it, two waies.
1 When we see so much rebellion and iniquitie as it were bleeding in eueryevery part of vsus, euen to death; it will make vsus with speede seeke to Iesus Christ the onelyonly Phisition of our soules.
2 When we shall see & consider how many, and how dangerous wounds he doth cure in vsus, we wil neuer forget, nor smally account his death, but alalwaies worthely magnifie the greatnesse of his grace and merciemercy towards vsus.
Q. Why, we all knowe that wee are sicke and diseased of sinne, is not that sufficient to make vsus seeke to Christ?
A. No: it is not inough to know that we are diseased, and not well, but we must know a number of diseases to be growing vponupon vsus; eueryevery one of which doeth threaten present death, before wee can be so carefull as wee ought, in seeking to Christ.
Q. Then belike it is not inough to say wee are all sinners.
A. No: but we must know how many parts be infected, and how dangerous the infection is.
Q. What meane you by that?
A. I meane that sinne must be vncased, and vnfoulded in vsus, and all the branches of sinne must be laid open to our consciences, by opening the lawe.
Q. Doth the law only shew the greatnes of our sinne?
A. No: but it wil shew vsus also the eternal wrath of God, flaming out against vsus: and euen hel it selfe, readie to receaue vsus for our transgression; so dangerous is our infection, and so necessarie is the vnderstanding of the law.
Q. What? is it not inough to see the greatnes of our sinnes?
A. No: but we must also see the infinite punishment of our sinnes.
Q. Why, this is inough to driue men to despaire, Is it not?
A. Not the sight of our sinnes, but the want of faith in the merits of Christs death, breedeth despaire.
Q. VVhether must the law be taught alone, or no?
A. No: not the lawe onelie, for then wee shalbe left comfortlesse: nor the Gospell only, for then we will waxe too presumptuous: but both must goe together, the one to humble vsus, and cast vsus downe; and the other to comfort vsus, and to rayse vsus vp againe by Iesus Christ: for whosoeuer will goe to heauen, must goe by hell.
Q. Can we not be truely humbled without the knowledge of the lawe, and of our sinnes by the law?
A. No, for it is with vsus as it is with some notable malefactor.
Q. How is that?
A. For example: A theefe being charged with his theft, at the first he will stande to iustifie him selfe, and will aske no fauour of any; but when euidence and iust proofe come in against him, and he seeth by the law nothing but death: then will he humble himselfe, crie for merciemercy, and sue for a pardon.
Q. And is it so with vsus by nature?
A. By nature eueryevery one is geuen to flatter himselfe, and to qualifie his owne faults, and to hauehave a confidence in his owne works: but when we see our owne miserable estate by the lawe, wee will then geue ouer our holde, and betake our selues wholie to the merciemercy of God, in Christ Iesus.
Q It should seem by your speech, that we are not humbled by nature?
A. No: For by nature we all like well of our selues, and (which God doth most abhorre) wee waxe proude of those good things, which God worketh in vsus, and by vsus.
Q. How prooue you this that you say?
A. That it is true it appeareth: first, by the confession of the Apostle Paul himselfe.…. Cor. 12.7.
Secondly, by the Romishe Church, which fighteth so stoutly in defence of mans merites.
Q. And what conclude you by these two examples?
A. I conclude, that this doctrine of humbling, and submitting our selues vntounto God, will not so easilie enter into flesh and bloud, and therefore we must hauehave the law of God opened, to humble vsus▪ and so to driue vsus vntounto Christ Iesus.
Q. Is there any vse of the lawe after we be driuen vntounto Chist?
A. Yea, for when we see what an infinite number of sinnes he hath cured in vsus, from what infinite torments hee hath freed vsus, and vntounto what infinite happines hee hath brought vsus by his death and passion: we wil then labor to shew our selues thankefull for so great benefites.
Question. How must we shewe our selues thankful for his death?
Answere. We must decree to walke in duetifull obedience to his will: and the law will stande vsus in good steade to quicken vsus thereunto.
Q. How can that be?
A. When by the law of God wee see the number of things that are to be done of vsus, and how backwarde we are in doing of them, it will make vsus to be more painefull and carefull in the same.
Q Is there any more vse of the law after we be come to Christ?
A. Yea, the knowledge and meditation of the law of God, wil help vsus forward to true Christianitie.
Q. Shew me how.
A. It will teach vsus, not onelyonly what to doe, but how to doe it, in al our dealings between God & our neighbour.
Q. Why? is it not inough to meane well in seruing God, or to serue God by our good intents, & good meanings?
A. No: but we must be carefull to approoue our doinges by the lawes and statutes appointed for the same.
Q. How prooue you this that you say?
A. It is prooued two waies.
1. By plaine testimonies of Scripture.
2. By Gods iudgement shewed vponupon some that presumed to serue God otherwise then they were commanded by his worde.
Q. By what testimonies can you prooue it?
A. By two. One is of God himselfe, in Esai l. 11.12. The other is of Christ, the sonne of God himselfe, in Mat. 15.9.
Q. What doth God say in Esay?
A. What hauehave I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices, who required these thinges at your hands?
Q. How doeth this prooue that God will not be serued with our good intents, and good meanings, excepts they be directed by his lawes and commandements.
A. Very well; For if God could not abide the sacrifices and offerings of the Iewes, which he him selfe commanded (though they were neuer so deuout in their seruice) because their liues were wicked: much lesse will God abide that seruice which he himselfe neuer cōmanded, although we mean neuer so wel in it.
Q. What saith our Sauiour Christ to the matter?
A. He saith, In vaine they worship me, teaching for doctrines, mens preceptes.
Q. How doth this proue it?
A. Verie well. For if mens precepts were a vaine seruice of God, when they agreed not with Gods preceptes: then much more are mens intents and meanings in vaine, from whence such preceptes did arise.
Q. What are these two iudgements which you spake of before?
A. The one was fire from heauen vponupon Nadab, and Abihu, for offering other fire then God had appointed, Leuit. 10.1.2.
The other was present death vponupon Vzzah, for holding vp the Ark from falling, which was more then God commanded him. 2. Sam. 6.6.7.
Q. Why was the law giuen in such maiestie, & with such fearefull sightes, as was read of in Exod. 19.16.18.19.
A. For two causes: First, because wee are giuen to make but small reckoning thereof, and lightly to regard the authoritie therof. Secondly, to shew that the neglect of the word, is the contempt of Gods maiestie and honour.
Q. But the Gospell came not with such maiestie, did it?
A. Yes, although not after the same maner, for first it was preached by the Lorde Iesus himselfe, then it was afterward confirmed by signes, wonders and miracles.
Q Why was this?
A. To shew that to neglect the gouernment of the word: is to treade vnderunder feete the maiestie of the Lord. Hebr. 2.1.2.3.
Q. Why doth Moses say that God spake? It should seeme that God had a mouth and was like a man?
A. God is said to speake 5. waies in the scriptures.
1 By secret inspiration to the harts of his people, Psal. 85.8.
2 By his workes. Psal. 19.1.
3 When hee will hauehave any thing done, hee is said to speake. Gen. 1.3.
4 When he vseth the ministrie of Angels and men, he is said to speake. Hebr. 1.1.
5 He is said to speake when he vttered a voice or caused a sounde, which the people might vnderstand.
Q. And could he do that without a mouth?
A. Yea, for although man could not, nor cannot, yet God can, who made al things of nothing, to whom nothing is impossible.
Q. Why is the law called Gods law?
A. Because God was the author and giuer of it.
Q. Why is it called Moses law. Mal. 4.4.
A. Because Moses was the minister and publisher of it.
Q. Why is it called the Iewes law, in Ioh. 8.
A. Because it was first ordeined for the Iewes.
Q. Why doth God begin with these words, I am the Lord thy God?
A. To assure vsus of all merciemercy and happines from himselfe alone, both in this life, and in the life to come.
Q. Then if we hauehave any blessings either temporall or spirituall, is it because the Lord is our God?
A. Yea.
Q. How proue you that.
A. In Psal. 144.15. Hebr. 8.10.12. Ezech. 36.26.
Q. Why doth he say, which brought thee out of &c.
A. To put them in minde of that experience which they had of his goodnesse, wherein hee did manifestly declare himself to be their God. Deut. 7.8.9.
Q. Why doth God put them in minde of this experience?
A. To make them the more willing to yeeld obedience to his lawes and commandements.
Q. What are we taught by this?
A. Wee are taught alwaies to hauehave in memorie Gods benefites, especially such as do proue him to louelove vsus as his children.
Q. To what purpose should we do so?
A. Because the remembrance of them wil make vsus do our dutie to God with a free heart, & willing minde.
Q. Then I perceiue, that Gods benefites may not bee passed ouer without consideration.
A. No: for they do greatly perswade vsus to obedience.
Q. HaueHave any vsed this helpe?
A. Yea, Iosua did vse it, as appeareth in Iosua 24.
Q. Why did Iosua rehearse so many benefites bestowed vponupon the Israelites?
A. To reclaime them from sin, and to stir them vp to a willing and a free seruing of the Lord.
Q. And did it any thing perswade the people?
A. Yea: For in the same chapter the people also alledged Gods benefits receiued, as a reason why they might not, nor wold not refuse to obey him.
Q. Where are wee commanded to consider of Gods benefites, that we might serue him?
A. In 1. Sam. 12.24.
FINIS.
LONDON Printed by Iohn Windet for Tobie Cooke, 1591.
End of the text · William Burton, Certain Questions and Answers Concerning the Knowledge of God (1591)