A Cabinet of Choice Jewels, Chapter 1 · Maxim 7
The ſeventh Maxim or Conſideration.
SEventhly, conſider, That all men and women that are deſirous to know how it will go with them in another world, they muſt peremptorily reſolve to be determined by Scripture in the great matters of their intereſt in Chriſt; the bleſſed Scripture is the great uncontroverted Rule,This we believe, when we firſt begin to believe, that we ought not to believe any thing beyond Scripture. Tertullian. and therefore if a perſon can prove from Scripture that his graces are true, or that he is in a gracious eſtate, or that he has an intereſt in Chriſt, or that he has ſayingly, graciouſly ſtricken Covenant with God, then he muſt reſolutely and peremptorily reſolve to grant ſo much as unchangably to acquieſce in it, to ſtick faſt to it, and to hear nothing againſt it, from the world, the fleſh, or the devil. God hath plainly told us in his bleſſed Word, who ſhall be ſaved, and who ſhall be damned, though not by name, yet by the qualifications, by which they are deſcribed in the Bible; there are the Statute-Laws of heaven, and the ſtanding Rule by which all muſt be tryed, every man muſt ſtand or fall, be eternally bleſſed, or eternally miſerable, as his condition is conſonant to, or various from the infallible characters of ſaving grace contained in the holy Scripture, witneſs that, Iſa. 8.20. To the Law and to the Teſtimony, if they ſpeak not according to this word, it is becauſe there is no light (or no morning) in them. So John 12.48. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have ſpoken, the ſame ſhall judge him in the laſt day. Mat. 5.18. For verily I ſay unto you, till heaven and earth paſs, on jot, or one title ſhall in no wiſe paſs from the Law till all be fulfilled. So John 10.35. And the Scripture cannot be broken, or violated, or made void; but though this be an indiſpenſable duty, yet certainly there is (eſpecially in times of great afflictions, temptations, deſertions, fears and doubts) a very great aptneſs and proneneſs in Chriſtians to expect ſtrange means rather than right means, and new means rather than old means, and invented means rather than appointed means, & to build their faith upon ſomthing beſide the Word, or that is without the compaſs of the Word, rather than upon the plain and naked Word it ſelf; being in this very like to many weak, crazy, diſtempered and diſeaſed Patients, that are more ready to fancy every new Medicine and new Doctor they hear of, and to be tampering with them, than to expect a recovery, by going through a courſe of Phyſick preſcribed by the Phyſician that beſt underſtands their diſeaſes, and the moſt proper and effectual means for their recoveries. You know when Naaman the Aſſyrian came to the Prophet Eliſha to be cured of his Leproſie, he only ſent out a Meſſenger to him, who bid him go and waſh ſeven times in Jordan, and his fleſh ſhould come again unto him, and he ſhould be clean, 2 Kings 5.10. but Naamans bloud riſes, and his heart ſwells, and he grows very wrath, and all becauſe he did not like the means preſcribed by the Prophet, and becauſe he thought in his own heart, that the Prophet would have uſed more likely means to have wrought the cure, ver. 11, 12. So many Chriſtians when they lye under great agonies and ſore perplexities of ſoul, and are encouraged to act faith upon the promiſes, and to reſt their weary ſouls upon the Word of grace, they are ready to think and ſay, that theſe things, theſe means will never heal them, nor comfort them, nor be a relief or ſupport unto them, unleſs the Lord does from heaven, by extraordinary Revelations, Viſions, Signs and Miracles, confirm his promiſes to them; and hereupon they make light of the bleſſed Scriptures, which are the ſprings of life, and the only bottom upon which all our comforts, peace and happineſs is to be built; yea, they relinquiſh that more ſure word of prophecy which ſhines as a light in a dark place.2 Pet. 1.19. Certainly the acting of faith on the precious promiſes, and the cleaving of the ſoul unto thoſe bleſſed truths declared in the Goſpel of grace, is the moſt ſure, ready and compendious way of obtaining a bleſſed aſſurance,Eph. 1.13. and a full eſtabliſhment of heart,Com. on Gen. cap. 38. in all ſound, ſolid and abiding joy and peace; and therefore Luther, though (as he confeſſeth) he was often tempted to ask for Signs, Apparitions and Revelations from heaven to confirm him in his way, yet tells us how ſtrongly he did withſtand them, Pactum feci cum Domino Deo meo, &c. I have (ſaith he) indented with the Lord my God, that he would never ſend me Dreams, Viſions, Angels, for I am well contented with this gift, that I have the holy Scripture, which doth abundantly teach and ſupply all neceſſaries for this life, and that alſo which is to come. Certainly, Auſtin hit the mark, when he prayed, Lord, let thy holy Scriptures be my pure delights, in which I can neither deceive, or ever be deceived. Certainly the ballance of the ſanctuary ſhould weigh all the Oracles of God, decide all, and the Rule of Gods Word be the ſquare and judge of all. O Sirs, dare you venture your ſouls upon it, that the bleſſed Scriptures are falſe, that they are but a Fable? dare you ſtand forth, and ſay, if the Scriptures be not a lye, let us be damned for ever and ever? dare you ſtand up and ſay, we are freely contented that the everlaſting worm ſhall gnaw on our hearts for ever, and that our bodies and ſouls ſhall for ever and ever lye burning in infernal flames, if the Scriptures prove not at laſt a cheat, a deceit, a meer forgery and impoſture? Now, if you dare not thus to ſay, and thus to venture, then peremptorily reſolve to be determined by Scripture, in the great concernments of your precious ſouls. They that would take their parts in promiſed comforts, they muſt follow the voice of the Word, and ſubſcribe to the ſentence of conſcience, following that Word. If the Word approve of thee, as ſound and ſincere with God, aſſuredly thou art ſo, for that rule cannot err: If the Word ſaith, that thy heart is right with God, thou muſt maintain that Teſtimony againſt all diſputes whatever. Never enter into diſpute with Satan, or thine own ſelf, about thy eſtate, but by taking and making the Scripture the judge of the controverſie; when fears riſe high, you ſay you ſhall never have mercy; b…t dot… the Word ſay ſo? The Lord never gave himſelf to me; but doth the Word ſay ſo? Never was any as I am; but doth the Word ſay ſo? I cannot ſee, nor conceive, nor think, that the Lord hath any love for me; but doth the Word ſay ſo? yea, doth not the Word ſay, That his thoughts are not as your thoughts, nor his wayes as your wayes? Iſa. 55.8, 9.But as the heavens are higher than the earth, ſo are his wayes higher than your wayes; and his thoughts than your thoughts. I have not that peace and joy that others have, therefore the Lord intends no good towards me; but doth the Word ſay ſo? Oh, but if my inſide were but turned outward, good men would loath me, and wicked men would laugh at me; but doth the Word ſay ſo? Oh, but my heart was never right with God; but doth the Word ſay ſo? Oh, but that which I have taken all this while for ſaving grace, is but common grace; but doth the Word ſay ſo? Oh, but the face of God is hid from me, my Sun is ſet in a cloud, and will never riſe more; but doth the Word ſay ſo? Oh, but Satan is let looſe upon me, and therefore God hates me; but doth the Word ſay ſo? yea, doth not the Word tell you, That thoſe who have been moſt beloved of God, have been moſt tempted by Satan? Witneſs Chriſt, David, Job, Joſhua, Peter, Paul, &c. Oh, but I am afflicted, ſo as never was any before me; but doth the Word ſay ſo? Oh, let the Word have the caſting voice, and not thine own frail diſtempered reaſon: Oh, don't only hear what ſin, and Satan, and thine own heart can ſay againſt thee, but hear alſo what the Word of the Lord Jeſus can ſay for thee. Let the Word of the Lord be judge on both ſides, and then all will be well.
I know that the impenitent and unbelieving perſon that lives and dies without grace in his heart, and an intereſt in Chriſt, ſhall as certainly be damned, as if I ſaw him this very moment under everlaſting burnings; becauſe God in the Scripture has ſaid it, Mark 16.16. John 3.18.36. Rev. 21.8. Rom. 2.4, 5. 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Gal. 5.19, 20, 21. Heb. 12.14. And I know that the holy, humble, true, penitent, believing, ſelf-denying, and ſin-mortifying Chriſtian, ſhall be as certainly ſaved, as if at this very time I ſaw him in an actual poſſeſſion of glory; becauſe God in the Scripture has ſaid it, Mat. 5.3-12. Rom. 8.1.13. Act. 10.43. Joh. 3.15, 16, 36. Chap. 6.37, 38, 39, 40, &c. O Sirs, no man in his wits dares diſpute againſt the Authority of Scripture, or deny it as falſe and erronious; and therefore if the Scripture ſay, a man has grace, he ought in conſcience to ſubſcribe to it againſt all objections or temptations to the contrary. For ever remember this; Till a man comes to be willing to have his ſpiritual and eternal eſtate to be determined by Scripture, he will never enjoy any ſetled reſt or quiet in his ſpirit. When once the goodneſs of a mans eſtate is cleared up to him by the Word, he is never to regard what Satan or carnal reaſon objects againſt him; Satan is a lyar and a deceiver, of neer ſix thouſand years ſtanding; he is full of envy, and full of malice, and full of wiles, devices and fetches, and therefore give no credit to any of his reports againſt the report of the Word, but ſtand by the teſtimony of the Word, and the witneſs of your own conſciences, againſt all Satans cavils, temptations, objections and ſuggeſtions; and then, and not till then, will you find reſt to your ſouls. He that would hold on cheerfully and reſolutely in a Chriſtian courſe, and go merrily to his grave, and ſinging to heaven, he muſt maintain the teſtimony of the Word againſt all the gainſayings of ſenſe or carnal reaſon, he muſt hear nothing, nor believe nothing againſt the Word, nor againſt the goodneſs and happineſs of his own eſtate or condition, which has been evidenced to him from the Word. Men will not be eaſily baffled out of their eſtates: If ſome great man ſhould come and lay claim to your eſtates, you will not preſently give them up, though your evidences are not at hand, or though they are blotted, or though perhaps you cannot clearly make out your title, yet you will not tamely and quietly give up your eſtates; and yet how ready are many Chriſtians, upon every clamour of Satan againſt their ſouls and ſpiritual eſtates, to give up all, and to conclude, that they are hypocrites, and have no true grace and ſpiritual life in them! &c. But,