Forty-Five Sermons Upon Psalm 130, Sermon 28
SERMON XXVIII.
Pſalm 130. Verſe 5. — And in his word do I hope.
A Perſon without skill will readily miſtake the beſt contrivances, whoſo without skill ſhould look ſlightly upon a man building an Houſe, and digging very deep, to ſeek a ſure foundation for it, whereby a great part of his expenſes and pains, is hid under ground, would they not be ready to go and count that great coſt? but when the foundation is well laid, the ſuperſtructure will ſtand the better. So may it be with many in reference to the purpoſe I am now upon, needy bodies would fain have ſomething preſently to fill their mouth, they are not for friſt, but little do they conſider, that the Doctrine of this Text lays the foundations that cannot be deſtroyed; The foundation of all their other food that they get from the Scripture: and becauſe this foundation is not well laid, other things relating to their caſes in the ſuperſtructure proves ſlip…y. I am now upon the great Task of the Pſalmiſt here, waiting for God. I have ſhewed the neceſſity of Faith and Hope, for that undertaking; the faſtning of Faith and Hope, in waiting, on its ſure ground, the Word of God. And I have laid before you the neceſſity of being acquaint with the Scriptures; that it is your duty to be determined by the Scripture, and to judge of all things according to the verdict of the Word; and in proſecution of that, I am led upon this great Truth, That the Scriptures are of Divine Authority, they are the Word of God; I laid by the pretence of the Romiſh Church, to aſſert the Authority of the Scriptures, whoſe principles lead men in the matters of Religion to a labyrinth of unextricable uncertainties. Now it would remain, that I ſhould hint at ſome things to clear the Divinity and Divine Authority of the Scriptures, and the Doctrine therein contained; not to Atheiſts, to Whom I ſpake a word in the cloſe of the mornings Exerciſe, but to ſober minded folk, who would fain have their Faith helped in that concern; and as the laſt day I recommended your Bibles to you to be made more uſe of, that ye might have the word dwelling richly in you: So this day I would recommend to all, to take another, and a better look of their Bibles, that they may ſee them, and the Doctrine held out therein, clearly and diſtinctly to be Divine. One word I premit, which would lead me to that I would ſpeak to here, and ye will find it, Pſal. 119.152. You read it in your Tranſlation, Concerning thy teſtimonie. I have known of old, that thou haſt founded them for ever: but the Original reads it word for word thus. From thy testimonies I have learned of old, that thou haſt founded them for ever; wherein ye may take notice of theſe three, 1. What he learned concerning the Scriptures, that God had founded them for ever, that is, That they were, and are an unalterable and everlaſting foundation of Faith, having a Divine Authority ſtamped upon them. 2. When he learned this, of old, not only from experience, but he learned it as the firſt principle he had drunken in, That was, would he ſay, the A, B, C. of my Religion, a Peter hath the word in that forecited place, 2 Pet. 1.20. Know this firſt, &c. 3. Whence he learned this, From thy teſtimonies, I learned it, ſaith he, I needed not another evidence; thy Teſtimonies, when my eyes were open, diſcovered to me their divine authority, and infallible verity. Hence ye may gather, that which I cloſed with in the morning. That if ye ſuppoſe the Hiſtorical verity of the Scriptures, they will prove their Divinity, to any who have the Spirit of God, or to any who receive the Scriptures as a true Hiſtory, the Scriptures themſelves will prove themſelves to be Divine Writings.
So here ye have 1. The Hiſtorical verity of the Scriptures ſuppoſed.
2. Their Divine Authority propoſed: and
3. The neceſſity of the Spirit to diſcern that:
1. I ſuppoſe that men receive the Scriptures as a true Hiſtory, that is, that men will give that credit to the Word, that they give to any common Hiſtory, handed down to their days, to wit, that there was ſuch a Nation as Iſrael, that there was ſuch a man as Moſes, that gave them Laws, that was inſtrumental in working miracles, in bringing them out of Egypt, and in the Wilderneſs; that there was ſuch an one as Jeſus Chriſt, that preached in Paleſtine, was crucified at Jeruſalem, that he had twelve Apoſtles that followed him, &c. This is to be ſuppoſed in this inquiry concerning the Authority of the Scriptures; neither is it irrational to ſuppoſe it. Though there be no veſtige of that antient City of Troy now, yet who doubts but ſuch a City was: And that Homer wrote not a meer Romance (whatever Poetical enlargements he has) when he wrote of it. Who doubts of Alexander the Great, though his Empire be now gone; and that Q: Curtius wrote of him. Who doubts of the Roman Wars and that Titus Livius wrote of them; when men get theſe Books in their hands, they look not on them as fables; and if ſo, how rationally do we plead, that the like Credit be given to the Scriptures, & that they may have the like acceptance; if any account this irrational, he muſt grant that he will not believe any thing done before his own time, nay that he will not believe any thing done in his own time, if he ſee it not done with his eyes, and thus a man queſtioning the Hiſtorical verity of things, ſhould nonpluſs himſelf with abſurdities, and declare that he were fitter for a Bedlam than to be Diſputed with.
But 2. This being ſuppoſed, there is their Divine Authority propoſed to be ſpoken to, the Scripture it ſelf will prove it ſelf, a true Divine word, they often do ſolemnly declare they are of God, that God ſpoke them to Moſes & the Prophets, and aſſert that what they ſpoke are the truths of God, and that they do not cheat in this aſſertion, whoſo will go through the Characters of the words Divinity, they will be convinced of it. But a man falling on that ſubject, muſt ſay, as Pſal. 106.2. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can ſhew forth all his praiſe?
I might here ſpeak of the form and ſtile of Scripture, of the ſcope and end of it, leading to God, and Everlaſting happineſs, but I ſhall limit my ſelf to the antiquity of the Scripture, the inſtruments employed in tranſmitting it to us, the matter of the Scripture, the efficacy and ſucceſs of them, and the adjuncts of the Scripture.
1. For the antiquity of the Scripture, that is moſt true, which is moſt antient, and ſo is the Scripture, for however error may plead antiquity, yet truth had ſtill the foreſtart of it, from the beginning it was not ſo, ſays Chriſt, Mat. 19.8. What Book ſo antient as the Book of Moſes, out of which the reſt are to be proven. The Hebrew was the moſt antient Language; Moſes who wrote in the Hebrew Language, was dead long before the Theban War, and Siege of Troy, the firſt thing written by the Heathen; and for the antiquity of the matter, it is the moſt antient, the matter firſt, whereof it treats, concerning the Creation of the Heaven and the Earth, the Creation of Man, and his fall, the effects whereof the Heathen have felt, though they could not aſcend to the cauſe. The Hiſtory of the Worlds Creation being firſt, Man that was made the ſixth day could not have known, unleſs God had revealed it unto him: Nay Tit. 1.2. It ſpeaks of Promiſes made by God, that cannot lie before the World began, and that theſe are not Impoſtures of men, their accompliſhment in every age makes out.
2. For the Inſtruments imployed in tranſmitting the Doctrine of the Scriptures to us, ſome of them were learned, as Moſes, Daniel, Paul, though all their Learning could not reach that Doctrine, but generally they were ſimple illiterat men; and to convince us further, their Doctrine was of God, they could not be deceived, they would not deceive, and though they would, they could not deceive. 1. They could not be deceived, Why? Either they had their Doctrine from God, and a good Spirit, or from Sathan, and an evil Spirit; if they had it from God and a good Spirit, (as indeed they did have it) they could not be deceived; and from Sathan and an ill Spirit, they could not have it, for he would not inſpire Doctrine in men ſo deſtructive to his Kingdom and intereſt. 2. As they could not be deceived, ſo neither would they deceive; when impoſtures comes out to cheat others, any with half an eye cannot but ſee ſome deſign in their cheat; but what deſign could the inſtruments employed to carry this Doctrine have? They walked not in craftineſs, they handled not the Word of God deceitfully; they affected not humane Wiſdom, but by manifeſtation of the Truth, commended themſelves to every mans Conſcience, as in the ſight of God, 2 Cor. 4.2. The world ſaw they reaped no advantage by their Doctrine, but a ſore skin; they relinquiſht all their own intereſt, and worldly advantages, in their faithful diſcharge of their truſt. And 3. As they could not be deceived, and would not deceive, ſo though they would, they could not deceive, and that becauſe theſe things they preached, and wrote of, were not done in a corner, but before all; they came not out as the Papiſts, to tell of miracles in corners, which none ſaw but themſelves, but of things done in the open view of the world, ſo that if they had vented any untruth, there were myriads of men to witneſs againſt them, and give them the lie. Apian confeſſes many things concerning the Jews. The Phariſees confeſſe of the Apoſtles, Acts 4. That a notable miracle was wrought by them, which was manifeſt to all that dwelt at Jeruſalem, and none could deny it. The Philoſophers and Heathens confeſſed, that many things were true of the Chriſtians.
But 3. Let us conſider the matter of the Scriptures, and O! what beams of Divinity will we find ſhining there? look on it in the bulk, no ſuch ſyſteme of Doctrine concerning God and his Attributes; the Creation of Man, and Providence; the Fall of Man, and his Redemption; concerning mans Duty, the immortality of the Soul, the reſurrection of the Body, Eternal Life and happineſs, &c. as this Book holds out. Conſult all the Philoſophers, all the Druids and Brachmans, all the Magicians that ever ſpoke or wrot of Divine things, and put all their Doctrines together in one, they cannot parralel this Book and the matter contained in it, it is ſuch a compleat Tranſcript and Syſtem of Doctrine; and this proves it to be of God, Why? Could the mind of man what way ſoever, have found out what is in this Book? no certainly, theſe wonders of Nature, parts & abilities, would never have left it to ſome poor illiterat Fiſher Men to diſcover & that they ſhould bring forth ſuch tranſcendent & ſublime Truths, demonſtrats the Scriptures to be the word of God, Look upon it in the parts, the Hiſtories contained in it, though written by ſo many ſeveral men, living in ſo far diſtant ages & places of the world, yet have a wonderful harmony, holding out a true Chronology and ſupputation of time, which proves their divine authority, and infallible verity. Here ye have a true Hiſtory of what the Heathen involved in Fables, for (if it were fit to inſiſt on it) I could clear their firſt Saturn was Adam, and the next Noah, whoſe three Sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth were Transformed by them, Ham into Jupiter, Japheth into Neptune, and Shem (becauſe they hated the bleſſed race) into Pluto, and that all their other Fables are but obſcure and dark intimations of the Hiſtories, which in the Bible are clear and plain; here we have Hiſtories not ſo much concerning great Kings and Princes, as of poor Believers, not ſo much concerning things that occurred, as the Providence of God in bringing them about: And as Scripture Hiſtories are exact, true and diſtinct: So Scripture dogmata, and Doctrines are ſo clear, many of them, and ſo conſonant with Natures light, that in ſome meaſure, they may be known by it, as that there is one God, the firſt cauſe of all; That it is reaſonable he ſhould be ſerved &c. That reaſonable Creatures have immortal ſouls, and die not as beaſts, which made the Heathen to cry out, as Deut 4.8. What nation is there ſo great, that hath ſtatutes and judgments ſo righteous? and others of them, though they be not known by natural reaſon, yet they are not contrary to principles that are naturally known, concerning the Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs of God; and being revealed, will be acknowledged to be very rational: Thus though man know not the way of Redemption, but by Divine Revelation; yet he may find himſelf an object of pity, (which alone can be expected from God) and of juſtice, if he find not out ſome remedy. Again, though ſome myſteries tranſcend the Light of Natural Reaſon, as the Trinity of Perſons, the Incarnation of Chriſt, &c. Yet that will not bring the Doctrine in queſtion, partly, becauſe no Doctrine, even of the Heathens, but it hath its own ſecrets; and partly, becauſe there are many things in nature which we ſee are, and yet we cannot tell why, what, and whence they are. But further, conſider the Scriptures, and as we will find them clear, as to the Hiſtories and Doctrines therein ſet down; ſo as to the Propheſies therein contained, we will find an exact anſwerableneſs of ſo many future events to their predictions in the Word: The Heathens hold their am… guous Oracles ſo adapted to the events, that they might put their own Commentars upon them; but as the Scripture is moſt diſtinct and clear in its Predictions, and in the circumſtances of things foretold. So there is an exact anſwerableneſs in the event, as in that of Geneſ. 49.10. The ſcepter ſhall not depart from Judah, nor a Law-giver from betwixt his feet, until Shiloh come: How exactly was it accompliſht at the birth of Chriſt? and theſe Predictions, and their exact accompliſhments do evince, that theſe Propheſies could come from none but the ſupream God, who is Omniſcient, and has a Dominion over the Univerſe, and who, becauſe He purpoſed theſe things foretold, & brought them to paſs.
But 4. Take a look of the ſucceſs and efficacy of Scriptures and Scripture Doctrine, and that will tell it is of God. I know not well where to begin or cloſe, in laying open this Conſideration; only I ſhall deduce it ſhortly in theſe four ſteps:
1. The Doctrine of the Scriptures proves it ſelf to be of God, by its prevalency in the World among men, and its prevalency when it had nothing extrinſick to back it, it hath come in on men when they read it, and hath been the miniſtration of death and terror, when all things were going well with them, and hath raiſed them out of the pit of deſpair, when all things ſpoke ſadneſs to them; It hath had a ſingular power in it, to terrifie and humble the mind of men, and then to give them peace and comfort, that they have been perſwaded (notwithſtanding long fix: in contrary perſwaſions) to relinquiſh their former way with great joy, and to imbrace the greateſt miſery in the world, as their greateſt happineſs; and that it ſhould make ſuch a conqueſt on men, and bring in ſuch freſh ſweetneſs in the greateſt bitterneſs, it proves it to be Divine.
To this ſecondly add the univerſality of this conqueſt in ſo ſhort a time. Paul carried the Doctrine of the Goſpel from Jeruſalem round about to Illyricum, Rom. 15.19. and within 200 years or thereby, after Chriſt, it came the length of Scotland, and with whom did it prevail? not with a few of the meaner, but with many Learned Philoſophers, ſuch as Dionyſius the Areopagite, Juſtin Martyr, many who uſed curious Arts, who brought their books together, and burned them before all men, Acts 19 …9. with great men, Kings and Princes, Conſtantine the Great and his ſucceſſors, not with moderat perſons only, but with enemies, with Judges, that ſat upon Benches and condemned the Saints, it made them come down from the Benches, and go with the Chriſtians to the Stakes; was not that a proof that the Doctrine was of God?
And I ſhall thirdly add, that the Scripture and the Doctrine thereof, was thus ſucceſsful, when it had nothing extrin…ck to commend it, but was every where oppoſed; Pagan Religion flouriſhes, but where it hath the Authority of Princes to back it. The Mahumetan Religion alſo prevailed at firſt, becauſe it promiſes liberty from ſubjection to Superiors. The ſatisfaction of mens luſts and pleaſures while they live, and a Paradiſe of pleaſures when they are dead; but after its firſt prevailing, it hath not ſpread, but where the ſword made way for it; but Chriſtianity a Sect every where ſpoken againſt, Act. 8.22. yet prevailing doth evidence it is of God. Conſider again the men that carried this Doctrine, poor men, inſignificant perſons, that were more ready to beget contempt of it, than reception of it; men that ſet not themſelves to ſeek mens intereſts, but preſſed them to deny all ungodlineſs and fleſhly luſts. They held out no worldly encouragement to men, to imbrace their Doctrine, but on the contrary, told them, that upon the reception of their Doctrine, they behoved to undergo the hardeſt of lots, and evil uſage in the world, whereof themſelves were viſible ſampla…s, and yet Chriſtianity prevailed, and the Doctrine of the Goſpel had ſucceſs, which proves it to be of God.
4. This Religion and Doctrine had ſuch an impreſſion, that whoſoever embraced it, there was no parting of them and it; men might take their eſtates and lives from them, but could not part them and the Doctrine of the Goſpel, and theſe were not fools, but men that in other things evidenced themſelves to be intelligent, ſober underſtanding perſons; but when it came to the matter of their Religion, no torments deviſed by men could move them to relinquiſh it, but they did run to the Stakes, and offered themſelves willingly to the Fires, to the beheading Sword and other cruel deaths; and how could they have done this, if not ſupported by the efficacy of the Doctrine they had embraced, which proves it to be of God.
In the 5. and laſt place, conſider the Adjuncts of this Doctrine of the Scriptures, the great miracles whereby it was confirmed; wonders may be wrought by the power of ſecond cauſes, but miracles are only of God, being above, if not contrary to the courſe of nature. How clear and convincing were theſe miracles wrought by Moſes in Egypt? by Chriſt and his Apoſtles, ſo in that forecited place, Act. 4 16. The Rulers confeſs, that indeed a notable miracle had been done by theſe men, is manifest to all, &c. Their miracles were ſo clear, ſo infallible, and many for kind, that it were blaſphemous to think or ſay, God would afford them to confirm any Doctrine but his own. And to this I ſhall add the providence of God, in preſerving the Scriptures, and the Church cleaving to the Doctrine thereof, againſt all the malice of Satan and wicked men bended againſt both. How long is it ſince they ſought to root out Iſrael, and yet ſhe is to the fore? How long ſince Antiochus made ſearch for all Copies of the Scripture, deſtroyed ſome, and ſought to deſtroy the reſt, and yet it is preſerved, and hath ſpread? How long ſince crouds of Errors and Hereticks have ſought to adulterat and corrupt the Scriptures, ſince the days of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, and yet the providence of God hath ſo vigilantly watched over it, that it is kept pure and uncorrupt, and ſo tranſmitted to us at this day in th… primitive language from the Church of Rome, which no doubt would have done with the Scriptures, as they did with other Writings of the ancient Fathers, had they known that uſe would have been made of them againſt them: And to this I may add the providence of God againſt the Enemies of the Scriptures, and the Church profeſſing them, Antiochus fell without hand, the Babylonian Monarchy no ſooner medled with the Church of the Jews, but it came to an end; and in all ages the providence of God hath been eminently ſeen, in the judgments of God upon theſe that oppoſed the Scriptures, and the Profeſſors thereof: Theſe are ſome evidences that the Scriptures are of God, and of Divine Authority.
In the 3d place I told you, that beſide the Hiſtorical verity of the Scriptures ſuppoſed, and the Divine Authority of them propoſed, there is need of the Spirit to diſcern theſe things. I ſhall not trouble you with the quirks uſed by the Papiſts againſt us, concerning the Spirits teſtimony; it is not by way of Enthuſiaſme, or any new Revelation, but by way of gift from God, opening our eyes to diſcern the wonders of his Law; and ſo it is not required to prove the Scriptures to be Divine, but to aſſure us they are Divine; becauſe there be ſome to whom the Goſpel is hid: not that a ſaving work of the Spirit is requiſite to take up theſe evidences of the Divinity of the Scriptures, for a temporary may taſte of the good Word of God, and yet fall away, Heb. 6. But a common illumination of the Spirit is neceſſary to take up theſe evidences the Scripture gives of its Divinity.
Now I have been long upon this Head which is Doctrinal, and though it be ſo, it ſhall not be in vain, if it be a mean to fix your Faith and Hope in this Principle, that the Scriptures are the Word of God, and of Divine Authority. The Scriptures are the Word of Truth, by which we are begotten, Jam. 1.18. His Law is the truth, Pſal. 119.142. The Scriptures are a more ſure word of propheſie, whereunto ye do well to take heed, as unto a light that ſhineth in a dark place, 2 Pet. 1.19. When David is comforting himſelf againſt the riſing of enemies, like the mighty Waters, and Waves of the Sea, he ſays, Thy teſtimonies are very ſure, Pſal. 93.5. And then, they are a tryed word. Pſal. 12.6. The words of the Lord are pure words, as ſilver tried in a furnace of earth, purified ſeven times. Ye would reduce theſe things to your practice, and ſeek to have the Word of God to be found that which it is called in your experience. But that which I intended to have inſiſted upon, is to leave a ſad check upon the generality of you that ſee ſo little of God in your Bible. Something hath been ſaid to hold forth the Divine Authority of the Scriptures; but I confeſs it's but a ſpilt commendation that hath been given this word: yea, it fears me, more hath been ſaid, than even ye that have Bibles diſcern. O, will ye conſider how men of old have experienced the Divinity of this word, and have found it to be of God, and have fallen down and confeſſed, worſhipping God, ſaying, God is in you of a truth, 1 Cor. 14.25. All the fores that Chriſtianity now hath, do not contribute to make the Word ſo ſucceſsful as it hath been in times of perſecution, wherefore it is ſo ſoon paſſed from by many in times of trial, becauſe the Divine Authority thereof is not ſtamped on hearts, and God is not made uſe of and imployed to write it upon the heart. Let this be looked upon partly as the practical uſe of what ye have heard, partly to excite you to bleſs God ye have this Word: Ye are not behind, ſo long as ye have your Bibles, though ye were ſtraitned in many other things; and partly to humble you, that ye may bluſh and be aſhamed, that the Divine vertue and efficacy that wont to accompany the Scriptures, is ſo little found in this generation, and upon your hearts.