A Brief Discourse of Mans Estate, Discourse · Section 5
SECTION V. Man looſe from God is reſtleſſe in his wayes.
ECCLES. 7. ult.
But they have ſought out [MANY INVENTIONS.]
WE come now to the laſt point. They have ſought out many, &c.] [inventions] ſay we: and the inventions are not few, which are diſcovered in the rendring of the words,*Ratiocinia, ſaith Jun. Quaſtiones inſinitas, ſaith the Vulg. Cogitationes vanas. Vatab. Computationes. Pagn. Cogitationes. Montan. Cogitationes magnatum, ſaith Lodo. de Dicu. foreign Sept. foreign Symmac. Cogitationes alienas à recto. ſaith Merc. &c. foreign. Our own tranſlation, being full enough, and ſutable to the ſcope, we ſhall reſt in that, and for the matter, take notice of mans progreſs in evill, when once he is off from God; he works himſelf out of all, he hath his devices, hee hath many of them; hee ſeeks, and ſeeks again, and yet again even unto infinitneſs. Whence we obſerve,
That when a man is once looſe from God, and left to himſelf, Doct. 5 Man once looſe from God, reſtleſſe in his wayes.he becomes reſtleſſe and endleſſe in his own wayes. It fares with him, as with the Seaman, or wayfaring man; when once he hath loſt his rule and directions, and is out of his own knowledge, he is, as it were, in a miſt or maze, walks the round, now backward, now forward, now on this hand, now on that, ſtill in motion, and that ſwift; but all to no purpoſe. It will not offend you, I hope, if I compare him to the Poor Spaniell, which hath loſt his Maſter: he cries, and ſtands, he runs and ſtops, he ſmels and ſearcheth, now on this, now on that ſide the way; but knowes not where he is, nor when to make end. It's much what ſo with man, Trace him from the firſt to the laſt, ſo ſoon as ever he went off from God, he began to rove into a world of devices: and herein worſe then the ſpannill, which runs to find his maſter, but man runs from him, as we ſee Adam hides himſelf, palliates and transferres his fault, patcheth up a poor covering, and is as buſie, to no purpoſe, as his then parts and time would give. Paſſe from him to Cain his ſon; ſo ſoon as he went out from God, he became a Rover, and both himſelf, and his children fell to inventions, ſome whereof God hath turned to mans good. After that, Ambition came in, and then Oppreſſion, and what ever elſe was naught, as a learned man diſconrſeth. And all along,Grotius, de Jure belli & pacis. as the world was peopled, ſo ſhops and forges were increaſed. In the end mans ſelf was multiplyed within himſelf, in one you had a thouſand.V. Varro in Ang. de civit. dei. Gods were multiplyed, for one there were thouſands. Religions and worſhips were multiplyed, for one Temple, they built many, as Hoſea notes; for one Jehovah, Idols innumerable in every City, in every furrow, in every houſe, river, wood, place Gods without number.
And for practicals, it were infinite to particularize; Men were as wicked, as they could tell how to be, as God complaines of his once people,Jer. 2. Jer. 2.
Come down to the time of Chriſts Incarnation; how many religions were then in the world? how many inventions on the Church, brought in by Phariſees, Sadduces, Eſſenes, and I know not whom, ſince that, how many amongſt Jewiſh Rabbines? how many amongſt Heatheniſh Gentiles? ſtill, ſtill, as men declined from the truths of God they added of their own; ſee it in the books of Scripture, in the Sacraments, in ſeverall confeſſions and models of religion, in worſhips, in Liturgies; How did they, who would be thought the chiefeſt Church-men, beat their braines about new ceremonies and formes? one Pope addes this, another that, and every one ſomething, till the Church was ſurcharged. What ſhould we ſpeak of Hereſies, and uncouth opinions? how have the Catalogues ſwell'd in our hands? Epiphanius mentions ſome Auſtin more, and after him, more and more in every Age. Nay, the Apoſtle in his time, ſpeaks of endleſſe ſtrifes and diſputes, of many ſpirits, of different doctrines, which ſince have ſwarm'd beyond all account. There is invention upon invention inventions new to confirm the old: new Additions, and new Editions, and what not? Now the Reaſons of theſe endleſſe Mazes and purſuits, are many.
God is the Boundary of all things; in him, Reaſ. 1 and no where elſe, the ſoul finds reſt. There's light enough in him to fill the underſtanding: Goodneſſe enough to ſatisfie the ſoul: Authority ſufficient to command the conſcience and the whole man.
And, ſecondly, man hath no conſiſtence of his own: that which is ſaid of fluid things, That they cannot bound themſelves, is true of Man.
Again, he is too unruly to be held in by any but God; no mounds but Gods mounds will hold them in.
Adde to this, that he is now made up of Ignorances, errors, luſts; and though truths and virtues have their bounds, yet theſe have none.
Again, he is reſtleſſe, as the needle jogg'd aſide, till he faceth God: he finds all imperfect, that he deales in; and ſo muſt piece and patch up things as he can. He is made up of Buſie principles, and the more buſie becauſe now diſtempered, and as it were feveriſh, and hence he runs like a Clock out of order; he is unwearyed in his own way and inventions, and is ſtill adding, as in Mic. 6. Wherewithall ſhall we come before God? will rivers? will thouſands ſerve the turn?
Yet further, he is unſatisfied in all that he can do, like the ſwift dromedary, ſtill traverſing her wayes, Jer. 2. 23. hurried up and down with guilt Cain- like, in the Land of Nod.
Beſides all this, when he is empty of God, Satan ſeiſeth on him; acts him beyond himſelf; fils him with a ſpirit of fury, of giddineſſe, and all helliſh luſts, feares, objections, ſcruples, and ſuch like traſh, which multiply like ſo much vermine.
Ʋſe 1 Admire and bewaile this reſtleſneſſe.For Information; To what a paſſe man is now brought? he is blind, yet buſie like the Phrantick; then wiſeſt when he is worſt of all: he muſt now be no leſſe then a God: he is able to make a God of his own, a worſhip of his own, a conſcience of his own, a Bible of his own; weary of nothing but of dependence and confinement. Never was bird wearier of a Cage then he of Gods mounds; then moſt impatient, when he is not left to himſelf. See it in all the paſſages of his life.
1. In civill affaires.Firſt, In civill affaires; he muſt have no ſuperiour: A ſervant in one year grows weary of that yoke; Marry he muſt; he muſt be of himſelf, elſe no bargain. The little apprentice before he hath worn out half his time, muſt buy his time, ſet up of himſelf: and thus it is, for the moſt part, with all inferiours; they are weary of all Government, like Iſrael of old. God himſelf could not pleaſe them; they muſt have another King.
2. In ſpirituall.Secondly, in the ſpirituall regiment; where ſhall you find a man almoſt that will ſubmit to any ſpirituall government? What ſhould I ſpeak of mens carriage towards their Paſtors in that relation? they wil not yeeld to God himſelf. For the purpoſe. God would ſtand alone, and be ſole commander Saviour: Man would ſhare wth him. God would be the Only Law-giver: Men would put in ſomewhat into his Lawes. God would be OnelyOnly worſhipped: Men will not ſit down by this, but they will have ſome hand in all his diſpenſations. We ſee this every day both in Doctrinals and Practicals. In the firſt; How do men ſweat to divide with God? If he bring Grace, they'l bring will. If he offer a match with his Son, they'll bring ſome portion. Whither tend all the points of Popery, Arminians, Socinians, Anabaptiſts, but to this, To take us off (in part at leaſt) from a dependency? So in practicals, whether work or wages be conſidered, God would have us live by faith, that emptying grace; we are all for ſenſe; he would have us be beholding to Chriſt for all; we will warm our ſelves with our own ſparks. He would have us ſtand to his allowance and maintenance, we will ſhark, and ſift for our ſelves, and fear that God will be to ſeek, if we did not help him out with our ſupplies. All this while, ſee what becomes of our wit, and how ill we provide for our ſelves. Firſt, we forſake the fountain, and our own mercies. Secondly, we imbrace lyng vanities. Thirdly, we throw our ſelves into a world of perplexities: and laſtly, pull upon our ſelves that curſe of curſes, to be left to our own counſels and inventions.
Ʋſe 2 Double inſtruction to Parents for their children.Of Inſtruction. Is man thus endleſſe in his wandrings, when he is once left to himſelf. Then firſt, pity your children. They go aſtray from the wombe, and the longer they go in their own wayes, the more work, and miſery do they create to themſelves. You may think perhaps that wedlock will tame them, time and experience will teach them: but that's your errour. The longer they live, the more inventive they will be &c. ful of crotchets. Stop them betimes, and be as mercifull to their ſoules, as you be to their bodies. If a limb be crooked, you will ſeek to ſtraighten it, whil'ſt it is tender. If a bone be broken, you will not ſay, Time will work it out: You'll rather ſay; Alas! the childe will be a cripple all his dayes, if he be not timely look'd to: Think the ſame for their ſoules; They are quite diſjoynted, and their faces look the wrong way, do your beſt to ſet them right: at leaſt bring them to Gods bone-ſetters, who may reſtore them. Gal. 6. I.
Secondly, your ſelves; and the greateſt mercy you can ſhew to your ſelves is,To Parents for themſelver. To go from your ſelves to God again. If a man will be ruled by his own reaſon, by his own conſcience, or rather fancy, he ſhall never have done; he will work himſelf out of his own Geares, run himſelf quite off his own legges. Therefore ſay with David, I hate all vain inventions. They are all vain,Pſal. 119.113. and I have choſen thy ſtatutes, O Lord. The way is plain ſimple, even, if we would follow it, as God chalkes it out; To us, (ſaith the Apoſtle, in matters of faith) there is but One God, one Lord, one Maſter, one Law-giver, one faith, Once given to the Saints,Jud. 3…. once for all delivered in cleareſt Scriptures: Here ſtick, upon theſe plain principles, and decline inferences too farre fetcht in point of practiſe, the directions are very clear. I write unto you, ſaith John, that you ſin not; we muſt plant that reſolution in our hearts againſt all purpoſed ſins; next, if we do ſin beſides purpoſe, make up the breach quickly. We have, ſaith he, an advocate with the Father. Go to him, follow his counſell, in recruiting our ſelves: give glory to God in a way of Confeſſion; give right to man in a way of Satisfaction; and then for the future, If yee know, ſaith he, that God is righteous, then know too, that every one that doth righteouſneſſe, and none other, is born of him, I John 2. ult. Here's a plain way; now make now bouts, nor ſtrain wit to find evaſions. In matters of Doctrine; ſtrive not to bring opinions to our luſts, and make the Word ſpeak what ſin would have it: make not Scriptures ſervants to our intereſts. So in matters of life and converſation; hold to the rule, Sin not, ſaith John, Spare inventions.
Object. True: ſin not, unleſſe neceſſity diſpenſeth; but God will have mercy, not ſacrifice; I muſt not ſterve my ſelf and my children. Sin not, true: if it be ſimply and intrinſecally evill; but this that I do, is not ſin in me, ſin in this caſe. So in the caſe of repentance; nothing more plain. Repent, ſay the Prophets; Repent, ſaith Chriſt; Repent, ſay the Apoſtles. I acknowledge it, but what is it to repent? a man may be too leg all and ſlaviſh. I'll to Chriſt, and what needs more? Say, I have offended my neighbour. If Chriſtforgive me, he muſt forgive me.
Sol. No, ſaith Chriſt, you muſt, to your offended brother too,Mat. 5.23, …4. elſe approach not my Altar. Here ſtay, hear Chriſt, not wit; that will have twenty Pleas, It was not wrong, It was but juſt, It is not againſt charity, Who can tel whether he be a Brother or no? or, whether in diſcretion this be the beſt way, all circumſtances conſidered? So again: We muſt be righteous as he is righteous: We muſt do as we would be done by; that's the Royall Law: yeeld to this rule, which very Heathens have yeelded to; and caſt not a miſt before thine own eyes; make not thy ſelf beleeve, that thou would'ſt be ſo uſed thy ſelf, onelyonly becauſe thou would'ſt have a licenſe to abuſe another.
It were infinite to proſecute all particulars. Beleeve it; there will be no end of wandrings of fears, doubts, thoughts, till we come in to God. If a man will beleeve himſelf and give way to his own guides and principles, he will never be quiet: therefore give a flat deniall to them all; by name,
Firſt, to ſelf-reaſonings. A man would run himſelf quite out of breath and become mad with reaſon, if he will exalt reaſon above God.
Secondly, to unmortified luſts. They will hurry a man into all precipices.
Thirdly, to a ſcrupulous conſcience, which knowes no end or mean, till it hath wrought out it ſelf, and wearyed the ſoul, as it befell a poor ſoul, whoſe name I conceale, who firſt made conſcience (and that juſtly) of bleſſing food before received, and then yeelding to ſome ſcruples came to this. If muſt bleſſe God for every meale, why not then for every ſecond courſe or diſh coming to the Table: and if ſo why not then for every bit eaten, and every drop let down: and if I muſt do ſo in caſe of meats and drinkes why not in all other things whatſoever, and thus that poor ſoul made life it ſelf a burden.
Fourthly, to mans example or authority, eſpecially when it is countenanced with ſeeming ſanctity. If a man make man his guide and his rule where ſhall he ſtay? or which man ſhall he follow? Rather follow true Guides: that is to ſay, Give up thy ſelf to Chriſt with true light, I Pet. 2.25. next, make uſe of thy preſent light, whether of nature, or of Grace and next, ſhut not out any light offered, but receive all thankfully and humbly. Yet further: hold to the ſure Rule of Scriptures, and there, firſt to the Fundamentals, to plain places, to the literall ſenſe, where no incongruity will follow upon it: and for principles; make neither more nor fewer then the Word makes; onelyonly be true to ſuch: and for inferences and deductions, though they cannot be ſimply ejected, yet take heed they be not too farre fetch'd, or too much ſtrained.
Ʋſe 3 B…ſſe God who gives a ſtop to our wandrings.Laſtly, if the caſe be ſo with us, that the further we depart from God the worſe we be, and the more we divide like a river, when further from the fountain, or like hayle ſhot, the further it goeth, the more it ſcattereth: Then bleſſe we God for calling us in, and giving a ſtop to theſe our wandrings.
Herein hee ſeales up a world of love; for firſt, when would we ever come in again of our ſelves? verily, as a rebell once gone out, is ſo farre from returning, unleſſe pardon and grace fetch him in, as that he runs further and further, ſtrengthens himſelf in his wickedneſſe, ſtudies arguments to palliate his ſin, and to maintain his cauſe againſt his Soveraign: ſo it is here; when would Adam, either father or ſon, have returned, unleſſe God had laid hand on him? when would the loſt groate or the loſt ſheep have found themſelves, if God had not firſt found them? men may talk of works preparatory, of, I know not what, congruities, improvements of naturals, and ſuch like wonders; but till God put forth his creating power, and hold forth his Golden Scepter, a wolf will as ſoon turn ſheep; a Black-more, faire; a devill a Saint; as ſinfull Adam a convert. And therefore for this mercy, bleſſe God.
Yet this is not all. What a mercy is this that God takes us off from our minting and coyning new, that is, falſe money every day? our forge is ever going, and going the wrong way. We do not ſtudy to finde out new truths, new duties for practiſe, nor new faults hypocriſies, backſlidings, errours, for humiliation; but new opinions, forms, queſtions, wayes tending to ſtrife and contention, to profaneneſſe, and looſneſſe, ſo that Africa it ſelf did not more abound with monſters, then we naturally do.
Now herein Gods goodneſſe is to be admired, that whil'ſt we are hatching one unhappy brood or other, he is contriving our return and ſafety, and in his time takes us off by degrees from theſe principles of ours, wit, fancy, deluded conſcience, luſt, ſenſe, and the like; which are ſufficient to trouble our ſelves and all the world.
And in the third place, What a mercy is this that he meets with this our wildeneſſe and mounds us in? how many banks, and railes hath he ſet about us? Magiſtrates, and heires of reſtraint, (as they are tearmed) in the State. Paſtours and Teachers in the Church. Parents and Maſters in the family. Brethren and helpers in a community. And above all, ſetled us upon two never fayling foundations, Doctrinall, the Word truly tranſlated, and ſoundly expounded to us; and Perſonall, the Lord Chriſt, who is made our Guardian, our Guide, our Prophet, our ſurety; who is ſo faithfull, that he will never faile us; ſo full, that in him our ſoules ſhall find eaſe and reſt, and be ſecured from ſtarting, if we will put our ſelves under his yoke, Mat. 11.
And now we are fallen upon the next eſtate of man, viz. his Reſtauration in the ſecond Adam: and of this we ſhall ſay more, if God ſhall pleaſe to give health and opportunity. In the mean, we ſhall (if God inable) ſpeak ſomething in the generall, leaving the particulars touching Chriſts perſon, natures, offices to ſome other time, as we ſhall ſee cauſe and finde leaſure.
An end of this Text in Eccleſ. 7. ult.