Forty-Five Sermons Upon Psalm 130, Sermon 27
SERMON XXVII.
Pſalm 130. Verſe 5. — And in his Word do I hope.
WAiting for God being (as ye have heard it) the excellent, yet difficult and trying task of the Saints, ſurely they ſtand in great need to be well beam-fi…led and ſtocked, that would engage in ſuch an undertaking, leſt they weary of waiting on God, and row to ſome other ſhore; and this is it that the Pſalmiſt here is from his own experience and practice, directing us in; after that he hath in the firſt place aſſerted his waiting, and next his waiting for the Lord. And 3. That his waiting is not degenerat in a careleſs indifferency and ſtupidity; but however, he did caſt out bitterneſs, haſte and fretfulneſs out of his waiting; yet it did not cool, his affection was not blunted for his ſoul did wait; after that, I ſay, he proceeds to give an account of his ſupport in waiting, my ſoul doth wait, and in his word do I hope; he tells that it was Faith and hope that enabled and ſupported him to wait for God. Ye may remember, that the firſt note I took up here was, That waiting on God will not be gotten cheriſht without faith and hope; I wait for the Lord my ſoul doth wait, becauſe I hope. The Tryals of the people of God for greatneſs, ſharpneſs and continuance, may be ſo ordered, as an out-gate from them, can only be diſcerned by faith, and looked after by hope; yet when it is ſo, that things are moſt dark, faith chearfully imployed, will apprehend a promiſed delivery in the greateſt difficulties; Faith will ſee an iſſue worth the waiting for, I wait, and I hope, ſays he. The ſecond general Obſervation that I propoſed from theſe Words was, that the faith and hope that ſends a believer, and carries him through in waiting for God, that enables him to endure hard lots, without ſuccumbing, muſt take the Word for its ground. I wait, becauſe I hope, and I hope, becauſe I have the Word of God for the ground of my hope. Ye know that I proceeded to ſpeak to four Heads, in the proſecuting of this Note, That really needy ſouls, who are put to live by Faith, ought and will be much converſant with the Word of God, to know what is for them, and their through-bearing there. 2. That as they will be converſant with the Word, ſo they will judge of things according to the verdict of the Word, that it may ground their Faith, and beget Hope. 3. That to fix the Saints in this reſolution, and to the end they may lean weight on the Word, they would be fixt in this Principle, that the Word of God is of Divine Authority, and infallibly certain, In his Word do I hope. 4. That the waiter having fixt this Principle, that the Word is of Divine Authority, he muſt ſend out his Faith to believe, and his Hope to look for all he finds in ſo divine and ſure a Word, that he may be ſure under foot, as the Word of God makes him. It's his duty to put forth Faith and Hope to fend.
For the firſt of theſe, that needy Saints, who are put to live by Faith and Hope, ought to be, and will be much converſant with the Word: I ſpoke to it the laſt day. I both proved it that it was lawful and incumbent on all to read and be acquaint with the Scriptures, againſt the tyranny of the man of ſin, that will have no Laick…, …s they call them, to read the Scripture without his licence; and I inſiſted to preſs the duty on you by ſeveral arguments, which I ſhall nor reſume. Only I ſhall deſire that it may be a Preaching daily practiſed, as ye would prove your ſelves to be among theſe bleſſed folk, who have their delight in the Law of God, and meditate therein day and night, who have the Word dwelling richly in you, that ye may be acquaint with the Charter of your inheritance, with your Card and your Compaſs, your elder Brothers Teſtament, the Magazine and Store-houſe of your Furniture, and Touch-ſtone whereby ye try all things. Let me, I ſay, exhort you, that that Preaching may be conſpicuouſly ſeen in your practice daily.
A 2d thing in the point is, that as really needy Saints will be converſant with the Word, ſo they muſt learn to judge of things according to the rule of the Word; they muſt learn to be determined by what the Word ſays, to have the Scriptures ending all controverſies and debates, to have the Scriptures grounding their Faith and Hope in all things. The Pſalmiſt doth ſo here, he contents not himſelf to take a look of the word, but he is ſo acquaint with, and ſo improves it, as he lives by Faith and Hope in it. This Point will lead me to the 3d, and therefore I ſhall paſs it briefly, by recommending to all that would be acquaint with the Scripture, and judge things according to it, that they would avoid two extreams; one is, the practice of wicked men, who will not be determined by the Word, but live and feed upon their own preſumptuous dreams. Let the Word of God ſay what it will againſt the generality of men, and the way wherein they walk, they will not take the Word for Gods final anſwer, but ſtill look out for ſome other thing from God, I can compare the generality of Church-members to none better than theſe, Luk. 20. where Chriſt tells of the ill uſage of the Servants, ſent to ſeek the fruit of the Vineyard, and of their killing of the Heir, and ſaid, he will come and deſtroy theſe Huſband-men; they perceiving that he meant by them, (as the other Evangeliſt hath it), v. 16. ſay, God forbid: They would not take that for Gods final anſwer; and ſo it is with the generality of men, ſpeak of the Scriptures in general to them, they will acknowledge them; but ſhew unto them, how the Scripture condemns their way, and what judgments it hath denounced againſt ſins that they are living in, they will not take that for Gods final anſwer, they will ſtill look out for ſome other thing from God. I ſhall not ſtand on this, though it be the general diſeaſe of the viſible Church; but in oppoſition to that extream of wicked men, I ſhall deſire you to mark that word, Joh. 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 at the laſt day. Thou wilt not take that word for Gods final ſentence, yet it is that which ſhall judge thee in the laſt day, and all ſelf-deceiving, and ſelf deluding ſouls ſhall find, God is, and will be no other thing, than what he hath declared himſelf in his Word to be. If this were believed and laid to heart, folk would more labour to live ſo, as they may have the Word more their friend. But on the other hand, as men in making uſe of the Word, would guard againſt the preſumptuous dreams of wicked men, ſo they would guard againſt the faithleſs fears of the godly, who ſee enough in the Word to make them and needy ſinners happy; but their fears, and want of probabilities lays them by from improving what they find in the Word for their comfort and encouragement in duty, and lean as little weight on the Word upon the one hand, as wicked men do on the other. I ſhall not reſume what I ſaid at another occaſion, what uſe ye ſhould make of reaſon in the matters of Religion: Sure ye ſhould make uſe of it for taking up things revealed in Scripture, in gathering what is expreſt therein, or may be drawn from it by native conſequence. But ye would remember, that Reaſon muſt ſtoop to Divine Revelation; your Reaſon muſt ſtoop and ſtrike Sail to what God hath revealed in his Word, though ye have no probability of the thing; yea, though ye have probability of the contrary, remembring that Numb. 23.19. God is not as man, that he ſhould lie, nor as the ſon of man, that he ſhould repent: Hath he ſaid, and ſhall he not do it? Hath he spoken, and ſhall he not perform it? And Pſal. 56.4. In God I will praiſe his word. And Pſal. 60.6, 7. God hath spoken in his holineſs, I will rejoyce, &c. In a word, It's to little purpoſe to the children of God in a waiting poſture, to offer to be acquaint with the Word, and make uſe of it, except they lean their weight on it, and be determined by it, otherwiſe a man may ſ…arve beſide his allowance, he may ſee enough in the Bible to make him up, and yet not be the better of it, becauſe he will not captivat his ſenſe, reaſon, and carnal imaginations, to credit and lay weight on it.
But to preſs and follow this forth, I proceed to the 3d thing I propoſed to be ſpoken to in this Head of Doctrine, and it is the main thing; to the end we may lean weight upon the Word, and it may put an end to all controverſies that may ariſe in our boſoms, we would fix this principle, that the Word of God is of Divine Authority, and of infallible verity and certainty: That's a Principle a man that would live by Faith muſt fix, that as it is Tit. 1.2. The Scriptures are the word of him that cannot lie. Here it is, that Faith reſolving to wait on God, muſt begin his exerciſe, to fix this well, that the Scriptures, and the Doctrine contained therein, are the Word of the faithful God, that they are of infallible verity, and Divine Authority; and therefore when the Apoſtle, 2 Pet. 1.19. is preſſing upon believers, to take heed to the Scriptures, as a more ſure word of prophecy than the voice that came from heaven; He intimats in the two following Verſes, that that will be to no purpoſe, except they know firſt, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation: The meaning whereof is not, that privat ſpirits muſt not Expone or give the ſenſe of Scripture, for the Paſſage ſpeaks not of the interpretation, or giving of the ſenſe, but of the authority of the Scripture. In which ſenſe Prophets were inſpired to reveal the Word of God, and his will betwixt him and men, as Aaron was betwixt Moſes and Pharaoh, when Moſes was unto him as a God, (as the Heathen Sybills wer… called Deorum Interpretes) and ſo the meaning is, that the Scriptures are not of any private inſpiration by men, but from God, as is contained in the reaſon which he gives in the next Verſe, For the Propheſie came not of old time by the will of men, but holy men of God ſpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghoſt. Theſe ſure words of Prophecy (…ould he ſay) to which I invite you to take heed, are of Divine Authority, ſpoken by holy men, as they were inſpired by the Spirit; and his ye muſt know and believe ere ye can receive light and comfort from them. Hence Paul dealing with Agrippa, Act. 26.27. preſſes him to look to the Scriptures Divine Authority, as being a ſolid ground of Faith, King Agrippa, believeſt thou the Prophets? I know that thou believeſt; he threaps upon him that he believed. This Principle being neceſſary to be fixt, our work in fixing it might ſoon be at an end, if we were quit of the wicked and perverſe clamours of Papiſts, who expecting little kindneſs of the Scriptures (as I aſſerted the laſt day) are in tops with it at every bout, they will have none to read the Scriptures without their licence, and when they are read, they will not have them a perfect rule for Faith and Manners, without their traditions, not will they grant that they can be underſtood without their interpretations. And in the point I am upon, they will not have the Scriptures to be of Divine Authority, in reſpect of us (what ever Authority they have of themſelves) more than the Fables of Aeſop, without the teſtimony of their Church, ſo blaſphemouſly ſpeak they againſt that Scripture, from which they expect ſo little friendſhip. For us, we acknowledge it is a mercy that there is a Church to hand down the Scriptures to us, and that we have the teſtimony of the Church by her Miniſtry; … ſure that teſtimony is not from the Romiſh Church only. The Ancients when they ſpeak of Teſtimonies concerning the Doctrine of the Scriptures adduce the Teſtimony of the Romiſh Church (being then Orthodox) only among other Churches; and there are many other Churches beſide the Proteſtants, who acknowledge the authority of the Scripture, and yet do not acknowledge the authority of the Church of Rome, ſuch as the Grecian, Ethiopian, Armenian Churches, and others; whatever the Church do in aſſerting the Authority of the Scriptures, ſhe is in that like the woman of Samaria, Joh. 4. Who teſtified to the Samaritans concerning Chriſt, ſaying, Come ſee a man that told me all that ever I did, is not this the Chriſt? but when they came to him on her information, they ſaid, Now we believe, not becauſe of thy information, and ſaying, for we have ſeen and heard him our ſelves, and know that this is indeed the Chriſt, the Saviour of the world: They founded not their faith on her Teſtimony, though that was inductive to their meeting with Chriſt, but aſcended to their own perſwaſion, which was founded on their hearing of him themſelves.
But to batter out this a little, which ye may have to do with ere long, & to let you ſee that the Scripture muſt not ſubject its authority to the Roman Church; I ſhall ſpeak a little to theſe four: 1. I enquire whether they have given this Teſtimony or not? Further, Whether it be arbitrary for them to give it, or not? if it be arbitrary, and the Word have no Authority but at their pleaſure, they put a cheat upon the World, by aſſerting the authority of that which hath no antecedent authority in it ſelf: But if it be not arbitrary, but they are bound to give it, and have given their Teſtimony already (as Pope Innocent long ago pronounced his authority in his Decretal concerning the Scripture) Then they can no more be heard, pleading againſt the Authority of the Scriptures, determining in theſe Controverſies that are betwixt them and us.
2. Who gives this Teſtimony? The Pope? or his Counſel? or both? Again, How came they to give this Teſtimony? They are perſwaded, or not perſwaded; are they not perſwaded, and yet give it? then are they the grandeſt cheats in the world. If they are perſwaded, how came they to that perſwaſion? If they go up to the Church preceeding, how was that Church perſwaded? and let them aſcend as far as they can aſcend, they muſt ſtill fiſt at ſome who were perſwaded of the truth of the Authority of the Scriptures, without any antecedent Teſtimony of the Church; as for Revelations witneſſing the Divine Authority of the Scriptures, they will not pretend to them, they call us Enthuſiaſts (though falſely) on that account, and if they had that perſwaſion from the Scriptures themſelves, why may not others having the Spirit of God, diſcern that Divine Authority of the Scriptures, without the Teſtimony of the Church, as well as they?
But I ſhall add 3dly. If any ſhould ask who gave them that warrand to determine concerning the Authority of the Scriptures? If they ſhould ſay to a Pagan, that is the Word of God, I ſay it, and I have authority to declare it; If the Pagan ſhould ſay, where is your evidence that ye have that authority? if they cannot adduce any, may not he juſtly alledge, that they bear Witneſs of themſelves? All the evidence they afford to any is, that the Church of Rome is infallible; and when they are put to that, they adduce theſe paſſages, Mat. 16.18. Thou art Peter, &c. Luke 22.32. Joh. 21.15. well, ſay I, have theſe Teſtimonies Divine Authority to perſwade men concerning the infallibility of the Church of Rome? and muſt men believe that antecedently to their receiving their teſtimony concerning the Scriptures? If ſo, then not only themſelves who teſtify, but others who are to receive their teſtimony, muſt be perſwaded of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures antecedently to that teſtimony. In a word, when they would prove their Authority, they run to the Scriptures, and in proving the Authority of the Scriptures, they recurr to their own teſtimony, and ſo run in a circle.
I might add a 4th. thing to diſcuſs their Authority from their own principles; for the clearing of which, I ſhall hint at three words, I hope they will grant, that they who teſtify concerning the Divine Authority of the Scriptures, muſt be Chriſtians, not Pagans; Church-Officers, not Laicks; Now by their principles, how can they ſatisfie the Chriſtian world, that their Pope is not an un-baptized Pagan? or a meer privat perſon. I ſhall not found my doubt upon Pope Leo the Tenth his Creed, that ſaid, The Fable concerning Chriſt had been a gainful Fable; but upon their making the real adminiſtration of the Sacraments to depend upon the real intention of the Prieſt that adminiſtrats them: And ſo I reaſon, it is impoſſible morally to know that the preſent Pope is a baptized Chriſtian, or a Church officer in regard we cannot know, what were the intentions of him that baptized or ordained …im; and what a blind is it to cauſe the authority of the Scriptures depend upon ſuch an uncertainty. 2. Conſider again their ſin of Simony, we find their Hiſtories full (eſpecially in theſe dark times, ſome while b…fore the Reformation) of their Symoniacal Popes, who by budds and bribes, and one by faigning a Voice from Heaven, to out his Predeceſſor, did advance themſelves into the Chai…. Now by their own Cannon Law Symony makes void the Election, and nullifies all the Acts following thereon. Now ſuppoſe a Pope get into the Ch…ir by Symo…y, and …eats Cardinals who elect his ſucceſſor, their Act, & his Election are null and it is impoſſible they can be capable of any Eccleſiaſtical Act & particularly for teſtifying concerning the authority of the Scriptures. 3. I would know how the Chriſtian world should know the Popes declaring concerning the authority of the Scriptures (ſince very few have acceſs to him,) except we take the Teſtimony of humane Writings, or ſome wandring Prieſt with his Papal Bulls, and Lead affixt to them: Shall we give credit to theſe Bulls, carried by his Prieſts? becauſe they have the ordinar Characters of Papal Bulls, and ſhall …e not for all the Divine Characters that are found in the Scriptures, cre…t them to be the Word of God▪
From all which, ye would learn to look upon the Romiſh Religion, as a Religion wherein ye have no ground of certain…y to go on, and ſo that there is no Faith in the Romiſh Religion, but that which is ultimatly a humane Faith; for if they give us Scripture, how know … that it is Scripture? They tell us, their Church ſays ſo, … know we the certainty of the Churches Teſtimony? … Pope ſays ſo, and for that we have but the teſtimony of his humane Writings, and of his Prieſts Bulls; and ſuppoſe we ſhould go to Rome, we ſhould not get eaſie acceſs to him; and though we ſhould get acceſs to him, we know not what he is, whether a baptized Chriſtian, or an unbaptized Pagan, and the Prieſt that baptized him had not the due intention; ſo that ultimatly, all the Faith in the Romiſh Religion, reſult into an humane report; but, if the Lord will, I ſhall in the afternoon let you ſee other evidences of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures, that we ſhall not need to go to Rome for their Teſtimony. Take the Bible, ſeek that Spirit that dictated the Bible, look on the Scripture as a true Hiſtory, look o… it with that credit, ye look on Titus Livius, Quintus Curtius, Buchannan, or any other humane writing, and they will prove their own Divinity. This, I ſay (if the Lord will) I ſhall follow forth more diſtinctly in the afternoon; and therefore I leave it, and ſpeak a word to profane Cavillers at the Scriptures authority. There is a word Chriſt hath in aſſorting the Divine Authority of H…. Doctrine, which ye would notice, Job. 7.10. My doctrine is not mine, but his that ſent me, if any man will do his will, be ſhall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I ſpeak of my ſelf. The meaning whereof is not, that folks muſt firſt obey, ere they know the Divinity of his Doctrine; nor is it, that the Word needs the charity of well diſpoſed perſons; but this is it, that he muſt be in a good frame, that would take up the Divine Authority of the Word; I mark it for this end, becauſe there are ſo many Atheiſts, Anti-ſcripturiſts, mockers of Scripture, denyers of the Being of Spirits, immortality of the Soul, and of Rewards and Puniſhments after this Life; and it is to little or no purpoſe to diſcourſe to them of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures. It is with them, as with that man, who ſaid, non perſuadebis, etiamſi perſuaſeris, although thou convince me, thou ſhalt not perſwade me; they have done with their part of happineſs, if the Scriptures be of Divine Authority; and therefore they will not be perſwaded that it is ſo: for theſe I ſhall leave them to theſe two words, one is, Pſal. 9.16. The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth. They that will not ſee God in his Bible, ſhall ſee and find him in the execution of his Judgments upon them. The other word is Zech. 1. when verſe 4. he has ſpoken of their Fathers, who when they were bidden turn, would not hear, nor hearken; he ſays, verſe 6. But my words and my ſtatutes, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned, and ſaid, as the Lord of Hoſts thought to do unto us according to our ways, and according to our doings, ſo hath he dealt with us. I leave theſe malitious and deſperat men, who are hardned in their impiety, to have the Scripture verified on them; but a man that does the will of God, that walks humbly and ſoberly, ſhall find, that there are as many Characters ſhining in the Scripture it ſelf, as may refreſh and ſatisfie him, and all thoſe who have their all in God. God bleſs his Word to you for Chriſt's ſake.