A Mirror both for Saints and Sinners, Treatise · Chapter 95 – Chapter 96
CHAP. XCV. Scriptures the Word of God: Not to be profaned.
ALL Scripture is divinely inspired, 2 Tim. 3. 16. And holy men spake as they were acted▪ and carried thereunto by the holy Ghost, 2 Pet. 1. 21. God spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, Luke 1. 70. we speak (saith Paul) not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth, but which the holy Ghost teacheth, 1 Cor. 2. 13. and that both for matter, as v. 12. and words. These are the very sentences, yea notions, that were writien of old in the mind of God, and are now clothed with his own very terms, and expressions: though by some of his servants he hath uttered himself more loftily, by some in a lower Language, according to the several abilities of the speakers, and capacity of the hearers.
Arguments à posteriori to prove the Divinity of the Scriptures are: The venerable antiquity, matchlesse majesty, lively efficacy, beautiful harmony, incorrigible purity, invincible perennity, and continuance of them, mauger the injury, and iniquity of times, and Tyrants who have sought to suppressc them: Besides the confirmation by Miracles, confession of Martyrs, destruction of oppugners, fulfilling of Prophecies, consent of Churches, yea, assent of adversaries: As first, of Hereticks, who in oppugning of Scriptures do yet alledge Scripture to their own utter destruction, 2 Pet. 3. 16. Secondly, of Jewes Gods Library-keepers, as St Augustine cals them, who studiously read, and curiously kept the Books of the Old Testament, by a singular Providence of God, for our benefit, and behoof. 3. Many Heathens have sealed to the truth of the Scripture by their testimonies, and confirmed them to be Divine. Porphyry testifieth that Moses hath written the History of the Law truly. Numenius the Pythagorist recites Moses's History almost word for word, testifying that he was a great Divine: But we have better testimonies, both outward and inward.
That without us is: First, The Scripture testifying of it self, and we know its testimony is true, because it's the Word of that God that can as soon die as lie: Hence Moses so often saith; I am the Lord: And the Prophets, Thus saith the Lord: The Evangelists, Jesus said: The Apostles, I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you. The truth is, the best proof of the Scripture is to be fetched out of it self, whence also it's called Light, Psal. 119. 105. because it discovers it self: and the Testimony of the Lord, because it beares witnesse to it self: and this it doth not authoritativè onelyonly, by an inartificial argument, but ratiocinativè, by sound reasons, whether we look to the Pen-men of the Scripture, the subject matter of the Scripture, or the admirable effects thereof.
The Pen-men (besides their divine vocation, mission, and inspiration) were plain men, poor men, shepherds, neat-herds, fishers, Publicans, &c. neither eloquent Orators, nor cunning headed Politicians to art out an Imposture, nor witty enough to deceive, Act. 4. 13. Adde hereunto their impartial faithfulnesse in relating the naked truth, though to the discredit (as it might seem) of themselves, and their best friends. Moses repeats the sin and doom of his grandfather Levi: of his brother A…ron, and sister Miriam, nay, of himself how he sinned, and was sentenced at the waters of strife. David shames himself in his preface to the 51. Psalm. Isaiah tells the world of the wickednesse of Ahaz, and weaknesse of Hezekiah, his natural Princes. Ezekiel makes honorable mention of Daniel his coetaneous, and Peter of Paul, though he took him up publickly for halting at Antioch. I was a blasphemer, an oppressour, a persecutor, saith that blessed Apostle, whereby we see that it's free from partiality, and flattery.
Secondly, For the matter of the Scripture, it's proved to be the Word of God; By the Majesty of it, which (besides the stately plainnesse of the stile) far surpasseth the creatures capacity, the fathom of flesh, and reach of reason. There is no jot, or tittle of it that savours of earthlinesse: Every word of Gods mouth is pure, precious, and profitable, not a syllable superfluous. The very majesty of the sentence is such as cannot be conceived, and yet it's alwaies more powerful in matter then in words. It sets forth such an admirable concurrence of Gods mercy, and Justice in mans Redemption, by the man Christ Jesus, as no creature could possibly contrive: or if they could, yet certainly would not. Not good men, or Angels, for they would never have put upon the world such a notorious imposture: Not evil men or Devils, for it crosseth, and controlleth their contrary courses, and condemnes them to the pit of hell. It utterly overturns the Devils Kingdome, who therefore sharply eggeth, and edgeth all his instruments against it: yea, and tempteth better men sometimes to doubt of it: whereas if it were forged, and false, he would (like a liar as he is) foment, and fight for it, promote, and propagate it, as he doth Turcisme, and Paganisme, and other falshoods abroad in the world though never so absurd, and impious.
Lastly, look upon its admirable effects, and irresistible power to effect the thing whereunto it's appointed, as to break the stubborn, to binde up the broken-hearted, &c. Not onelyonly to inform as other writings, but to reform, yea, transform the soul from glory to glory, till it be wholly conformed to that heavenly pattern: Adde hereunto, that it's effectual for the conversion of a sinner from the errour of his way: Not from errour of his mind onelyonly, but of his manners also: For the mind may be thorowly convinced, and yet the man not truly converted; yea, and when the spirit feeles it self dead, and decayed (as by a relapse into some foul sin) this good Word revives it, as the breath of God did those dry bones in Ezekiel. Humane writings may shew some faults to be avoided, but give no power to amend them: But, Now are ye clean by the Word that I have spoken, saith Christ: Sanctifié them by thy truth, thy Word is truth. Philosophie may civilize, not sanctifie: hide some sins, not heal them: cover, not cure them. So then, the efficacy, and virtue of the Scripture to produce the love of God, and our enemies, to purifie the heart, to pacifie the conscience, to rectifie the whole both constitution, and conversation of a man, to take him off from the delights of the world, and the flesh, to make him glory in afflictions, sing in the flames, triumph over death: all these, and more do necessarily conclude the divine authority of the Scriptures. What words of Philosophers could ever make of a Leopard a Lamb: of a viper a child; of a Leacher a chaste man; of a Nabal a Nadib; of a covetous carle, a liberal person?
Besides this real, there is also a vocal testimony from God to the Divinity of the Scriptures, which yet is heard by none but Gods houshold, and is confined to the communion of Saints, whose consciences he secretly perswadeth of this truth, and sweetly seales it up to them: Promised, Isa. 52. 6. They shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak, &c. Joh. 7. 17. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God, &c. 1 Joh. 5. 10. He that believeth hath the witnesse in himself. 1 Cor. 2. 15. The spiritual man discerneth all things: for he hath the mind of Christ: and an unction within that teacheth him all things, 1 Joh. 2. 20, 27. So that he no sooner heareth, but believes, and is sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Ephes. 1. 13. whose inward testimony of the truth, and authority of the Scriptures, is ever met by a motion of the sanctified soul, inspired by the same Spirit, more steadfastly resting it self on that testimony, then if he should hear from heaven, as St. Augustine did, Tolle, Lege, take, and read this book of God: or than if some Angel should bring him a Bible, and say; This is the very Word of God: For he might suspect these as delusions of the Devil But the testimony of the Spirit we know to be true; Job. 14. 17. because he is both a Spirit of truth, and a searcher of the deep things of God, 1 Cor. 2. 10. OnelyOnly it must be remembred, that this inward witnesse must not be brought for confirmation of this Doctrine to others, nor for confutation of adversaries: But that every one for himself might hereby be certified, and satisfied in his conscience, that the Sacred Scriptures are the Word of God. The Churches testimony without this is but of little value, and validity: it being meerly informativum et directivum, non certificativum, et terminativum fidei: And whereas St. Augustine saith, I should not have believed the Gospel but that the authority of the Church moved me thereto: he speaks there of himself as unconverted to the faith, and so not acquainted with the Spirits testimony. Now no marvel though such be moved by the consent, and authority of the Church; which is to them an introduction whereby they are better prepared to believe the Scriptures, yea, inclined at first to think them to be the Word of God, and so made willing to read, and hear them. See this, and more in that elaborate piece of my worthy friend, called Trapp's Treasury.
Theopompus the Historian whilest he attempted to insert part of the holy Scriptures into his profane writings, by Gods Judgment upon him ran mad. Diod. l. 14.
Theodates a Tragoedian, having intermingled some Scripture-matters with his Tragoedies, suddenly lost his sight: which was afterwards restored to him upon his prayers when he once came to a sight of his sin. Aristaeus.
One John Ap-howel in Queen Maries daies standing by William Maudon as he was reading on a Primer at Greenwich, mocked him after every word with contrary gaudes and flouting speeches unreverently; whereupon Maudon said to him, John, take heed what thou doest, thou mockest not me but God in his Word, though I be simple that read it. Yet went he on in his mocking, till Maudon reading, Lord have mercy upon us: Christ have mercy upon us: the other with a start, said suddenly, Lord have mercy upon me: with that Maudon turning to him, said; What aileth thee, John? to which he answered, Nothing, but that he was afraid: Whereof, said Maudon? Nothing now, said the other: yet presently after he confessed, that at the reading of those words, Lord have mercy upon me, the hair of his head stood upright with a great fear that came upon him. On the next day he ran mad, and was bound in his bed, and lay continually day, and night crying out of the Devil of hell, &c. See my Eng. Mariyrolog…e.
Steven La…cton Archbishop of Canterbury was the first that divided the Scripture into Chapters, as now we have them. Anno Christi 1220.
CHAP. XCVI. Servants, Slaves.
THe Scythians having made an eruption into Asia Lorded it there for divers years: In the mean time their wives thinking that they had been all slain, married their servants that were left to keep their cattel. But at last these Scythians being beaten out of Asia by the Medes; returned home, but then their servants rose in armes against them, and after divers fights the victory remained doubtfull: at last one told them, That fighting against slaves they should not use swords, but whips, as more proper instruments to subdue their servile nature: which advice being well liked, against the next encounter they provided them whips, with the claping of which their servants were so terrified, that they ran away; and their Masters remained Conquerours. Pez. Mel. Hist.
The Tyrians having maintained long warres against the Persians, were much weakned thereby; which occasion their slaves, being many in number, laying hold of the opportunity to rise up against their Masters, and put them all to the sword, together with all their children, and then seized upon their houses, and married their wives: onelyonly one of them being more merciful then the rest, spared his old Master [Straton] and his son, and hid them. Then these Slaves having thus gotten possession of all, consulted to choose a King, and agreed, That he that could first see the Sun rising should be King: whereupon this forementioned Slave consulted with his old Master about the businesse; who bade him, when others looked into the East, that he should look into the VVest: and accordingly when they were all assembled into the fields, and every mans eyes were fixed upon the East, he onelyonly looked VVestwards, for which his companions scoffed at him: but presently he espied the Sun-beams shining upon the high Towers, and Chimneys in the City, and so challenged the Kingdome: His companions would needs know who taught him this wit, and at last he told them; whereupon fetching out old Straton they not onelyonly gave him his life, but made him their King. Justin.