Discourse of Mental Errors, Part · Section 8
The Remedies.
To cure this Spiritual sluggishness, and awaken us to the most serious and diligent search after the Will of God in such controversal and doubtful points, that we may not neglect the smallest hint given us about it, the following Considerations will be found of great use and weight.
Consideration I.
The most sedate, impartial, and diligent inquiries after the Will of God revealed in his Word, is a Duty expresly enjoyned by his Soveraign Command, which immediately and indispensibly binds the Conscience of every Christian to the practice of it.
Remarkable is that Text to this purpose, Rom. 12. 2. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Here you find this Duty, not only associated with, but made the very end of our Non-conformity to the World, and renovation of our minds, the very things which constitute a Christian.
And to sweeten our pains in this work, that Will of God, for the discovery whereof we search, is presented to us under three illustrious and alluring properties, viz. Good, Acceptable, and Perfect. Good it must needs be, because the Will and Essence of God, the chief Good, are not two things, but one and the same. And Perfect it must needs be, because it is the Beam and Standard, by which the Actions of all reasonable Creatures ought to be weighed and tryed, as to the moral good or evil of them. And being both good and perfect, How can it chuse but, upon both accounts, be highly Acceptable and grateful to an upright Soul, as that Epithete foreign there imports. Search the Scriptures, saith Christ, Ioh. 5. 39. To the Law and to the Testimony, faith the Prophet, Isa. 8. 20. This is not matter of meer Christian Liberty, but Commanded Duty; and at our peril… be it if we neglect it.
Consideration II.
No act of ours can be good and acceptable to the Lord, further than it is agreeable to his Will revealed in the Word.
No Man can be a Rule to himself. He can be no more his own Rule than his own End. One Man cannot be a Rule to another. The best of Men, and their Actions, and Examples, are only so far a rule of imitation to us, as they themselves are ruled by the Divine revealed Will, 1 Cor. 11. 1. uncommanded acts of Worship are abominable to God, and highly dangerous to our selves; they kindle the fire of his jealousie to the ruin and destruction of the presumptuous Sinner, L…vit. 10. 1, 2. So that if the beauty and excellency of the Will of God be not enough to allure us, the danger of acting without the knowledg of it may justly terrify us.
Consideration III.
In this Duty we tread in the Footsteps of the wisest and holiest Men that ever went to Heaven before us.
It is not only the Characteristical note of a good Man, Psal. 1. 2. but it has been the constant practise of the most eminent believers in all Ages. The greatest Prophets, that had this advantage of us, that they were the Organs or inspired instruments of discovering the Will of God to others, yet were not excused from, neither did they neglect to search it diligently themselves, 1 Pet. 1. 10, 11. Daniel, that great favourite of Heaven, who had the Visions and Revelations of God; yet he himself diligently searched the written Word, in order to the discovery of the Mind of God, Dan. 9. 2.
Consideration IV.
Every discovery of the Will of God by fervent Prayer, diligent and impartial search of the Scriptures, and all other allowed helps, gives the highest pleasure the mind of Man is capable of in this World.
If Archimedes▪ upon the discovery of a Mathematical Truth, was so transported and ravished, that he cried out, foreign, I have found it, I have found it; what pleasure then must the investigation and discovery of a Divine Truth give to a sanctified Soul! Thy words were found of me (saith Ieremiah) and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my heart, Jer. 15. 16. as pleasant food to a Famished Man; for now Conscience is quieted, comforted, and cheered in the way of Duty. A Man walks not at adventure with God, as that word signifies, Levit. 26. 40, 41.
but hath the pleasant directive light of the Word and Will of God, shining sweetly upon the path of his Duty.
Consideration V.
By this means you shall find your Faith greatly confirmed in the truth of the Scriptures.
The sweet consent, and beautiful harmony of all the parts of the written Word, is a great Argument of its Divinity; and this you will clearly discern, when by a due search you shall find things that lye at the remotest distance, to conspire and consent in one, and one part casting light, as well as adding strengh, to another. Thus you shall find Vetus Testamentum in novo revelatum, & novum in vetere velatum. The New Testament veiled in the Old, and the Old revealed in the New: And that such a consent of things, so distant in time and place, can never be the project and invention of Man.
Consideration VI.
The diligent and impartial search and inquiry after the Will of God, out of no other design than to please him in the whole course of our Duties, will turn to us for a testimony of the integrity and sincerity of our hearts.
Thy word (said David) have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee: And God will not hide his Will from those that thus seek to know it. If Men would apply themselves to search the Word by fervent Prayer, and fixed Meditations, upon so pure a design, not bringing their prejudiced or prepossessed minds unto it; the Spirit of the Lord would guide them into all Truth, and keep them out of dangerous and destructive Errors.