The Grounds of the Christian Faith, Book 3 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Of the Excellency of the Scriptures.
Concerning matters of pure divine revelation in Scripture: the terms of Salvation only contained therein. The ground of the disesteem of the Scriptures is tacite unbelief. The Excellency of the Scriptures manifested as to the matters which God hath revealed therein. The excellency of the discoveryes of Gods nature which are in Scripture. Of the goodness and love of God in Christ. The suitableness of those discoveries of God to our natural notions of a Deity. The necessity of Gods making known himself to us in order to the regulating our conceptions of him. The Scriptures give the fullest account of the state of mens souls, and the corruptions which are in them. The only way of pleasing God discovered in Scriptures. The Scriptures contain matters of greatest mysteriousness, and mest universal satisfaction to mens minds. The excellency of the manner wherein things are revealed in Scriptures, in regard of clearness, authority, purity, uniformity, and perswasiveness. The excellency of the Scriptures as a rule of life. The nature of the duties of Religion and the reasonableness of them. The greatness of the encouragements to Religion contained in the Scriptures The great excellency of the Scriptures, as containing in them the Cove…ant of Grace in order to mans Salvation.
HAving thus largely proved the Truth of all those passages of sacred Scripture which concern the history Sect. 1.of the first ages of the world, by all those arguments which a subject of that nature is capable of, the only thing le…t in order to our full proving the Divinity of the Scriptures, is, the consideration of …hose matters contained in it, which are in an espec…al ma…ne… said to be of Divine Revelation. For those historical p…ssages, though we believe them as contained in the Scripture, to have been Divinely inspired as well as others; yet they are such things as supposing no Divine Revelati…n, might have been known sufficiently to the world, had not men b…en wanting to themselves as to the care and means of preserving them; but those matters which I now come to discourse of, are of a more sublime and transcendent nature, such as it had been imp…ssible for the minds of men to reach, had they not been immediately discovered by God himself. And those are the terms and conditions on which the soul of man may upon good grounds expect an eternal happiness, which we assert the book of Scriptures to be the only authentick and infallible records of. Men might by the improvements of reason and the sagacity of their minds discover much, not only of the lapsed condition of their souls, and the necessity of a purgation of them in order to their felicity, but might in the general know what things are pleasing and acceptable to the Divine nature, from those differences of good and evil which are unalterably fixed in the things themselves; but which way to obtain any certainty of the remission of sins, to recover the Grace and Favour of God, to enjoy perfect tranquillity and peace of conscience, to be able to please God in things agreeable to his will, and by these to be assured of eternal bliss, had been impossible for men to have ever found, had not God himself been graciously pleased to reveal them to us. Men might still have bewildred themselvs in following the ignes fatui of their own imaginations, and hunting up and down the world for a path which leads to heaven, but could have found none, unless God himself taking pitty of the wandrings of men had been pleased to hang out a light from heaven to direct them in their way thither, and by this Pharos of Divine Revelation to direct them so to stear their course, as to escape splitting themselves on the rocks of open impieties, or being swallowed up in the quicksands of terrene delights. Neither doth he shew them only what sh…lves and rocks they must escape, but what particular course they must ste…re, what star they must have in their eye, what compass they must observe, what winds and gales they must expect and pray for, if they would at last arrive at eternal bliss. Eternal bliss! What more could a God of infinite goodness promise, or the soul of man ever wish …or? A Reward to such who are so …ar from deserving, that they are still prov…king; Glory to such who are more apt to be ashamed of their duties, then of their offences; but that it should not only be a glorious reward, but eternal too, is that which though it infinitely transcend the deserts of the receivers, yet it highly discovers the infinite goodness of the Giver. But when we not only know that there is so rich a mine of inestimable treasures, but if the owner of it undertakes to shew us the way to it, and gives us certain and infallible directions how to come to the full p…ssession of it, how much are we in love with misery, and do we court our own ruine, if we neglect to hearken to his directions, and observe his commands!
This is that we are now undertaking to make good concerning Sect. 2.the Scriptures, that these alone contain those sacred discoveries by which the souls of men may come at last to enjoy a compleat and eternal happiness. One would think there could be nothing more needless in the world then to bid men regard their own welfare, and to seek to be happy; yet whoever casts his eye into the world, will find no counsel so little hearkned to as this, nor any thing which is more generally looked on as a matter trivial and impertinent. Which cannot arise but from one of these two grounds, that either they think it no great wisdom to let go their present hold as to the good things of this world, for that which they secretly question whe…her they shall ever live to see or no; or else that their minds are in suspense, whether they be not sent on a Guiana voyage to heaven, wh…ther the certainty of it be yet fully discovered, or the instructions which are given be such as may infallibly conduct them th…her. The first, though it hath the advantage of sense, fruition, delight, and further expectation; yet to a rational person who seriously reflects on himself, and sums up what (after all his troubles and disquietments in the procuring, his cares in keeping, his disappointments in his expectations, his fears of losing what he doth enjoy, and that vexation of spirit which attends all these) he hath gained of true contentment to his mind, can never certainly beleive that ever these things were intended for his happiness. For is it possible that the soul of man should ever enjoy its full and compleat happiness in this world, when nothing is …ble to make it happy, but what is most suitable to its nature, able to fill up its large capacity, and commensurate with its duration: but in this life the matter of mens greatest delights is strangely unsuitable to the nature of our rational beings; the measure of them too short for our vast desires to stretch themselves upon; the proportion too scant and narrow to run parallel with immortality. It must be then only a Supreme, Insinite, and Eternal Being, which by the free communications of his bounty and goodness can fix and satiate the souls desires, and by the constant flowings forth of his uninterrupted streams of favour will alwayes keep up desire, and yet alwayes satisfie it. One whose goodness can only be felt by some tansient touches here, whose love can be seen but as through a lattice, whose constant presence may be rather wished for then enjoyed, who hath reserved the full sight and fruition of himself to that future state when all these dark vails shall be done away, and the soul shall be continually sunning her self under immediate beams of light and love. But how or in what way the soul of man in this degenerate condition should come to be partaker of so great a happiness, by the enjoyment of that God our natures are now at such a distance from, is the greatest and most important enquiry of humane nature; and we continually see how successless and unsatisfactory the endeavours of those have been to themselves at last, who have sought for this happiness in a way of their own finding out; The large volume of the Creation, wherein God hath described so much of his wisdom and power, is yet too dark and obscure, too short and imperfect to set forth to us the way which leads to eternal happinesse. Unlesse then the same God who made mens souls at first, do shew them the way for their recovery; as they are in a degenerate, so they will be in a desperate condition; but the same bounty and goodness of God, which did at first display its self in giving being to mens souls, hath in a higher manner enlarged the discovery of its self, by making known the way whereby we may be taken into his Grace and Favour again.
Which it now concerns us particularly to discover, thereby Sect. 3.to make it appear that this way is of that peculiar excellency, that we may have from thence the greatest evidence, it could come from no other Author but God himself, and doth tend to no other end but our eternal happiness. Now that incomparable excellency which is in the sacred Scriptures, will fully appear, if we consider the matters contained in them under this threefold capacity. 1. As matters of Divine Revelation. 2. As a rule of life. 3. As containing that Covenant of grace which relates to mans eternal happiness.
1. Consider the Scripture generally, as containing in it matters of divine revelation, and therein the excellency of the Scriptures appeares in two things. 1. The matters which are revealed. 2. The manner wherein they are revealed.
1. The matters which are revealed in Scripture, may be considered these three wayes. 1. As they are matters of the greatest weight and moment. 2. As m…tters of the greatest depth and mysteriousness. 3. As matters of the most universal satisfaction to the minds of men.
1. They are matters of the greatest moment and importance for men to know▪ The wisdom of men is most known by the weight of the things they speak; and therefore that wherein the wisdom of God is discovered, cannot contain any thing that is mean and trivial; they must be matters of the highest importance, which the Supreme Ruler of the world vouchsafes to speak to men concerning: And such we shall find the matters which God hath revealed in his word to be, which either concern the rectifying our apprehensions of his nature, or making known to men their state and condition, or discovering the way whereby to avoid eternal misery. Now which is there of these three, which supposing God to discover his mind to the world, it doth not highly become him to speak to men of?
1. What is there which it doth more highly concern men to know then God himself? or what more glorious and excellent Sect. 4.object could he discover then himself to the world? There is nothing certainly which should more commend the Scriptures to us, then that thereby we may grow more acquainted with God; that we may know more of his nature, and all his perfections, and many of the great reasons of his actings in the world. We may by them understand with safety what the eternal purposes of God were as to the w…y of mans recovery by the death of his Son; we may there see and understand the great wisdom of God; not only in the contrivance of the world, and ordering of it, but in the gradual revelations of himself to his people, by what steps he trained up his Church till the fulness of time was come; what his aim was in laying such a load of Ceremonies on his people of the Iews; by what steps & degrces he made way for the full revelation of his Will to the World by speaking in these last dayes by his Son, after he had spoke at sundry times and divers manners by the Prophets, &c. unto the Fathers. In the Scriptures we read the most rich and admirable discoveries of Divine goodness, and all the wayes and methods he useth in alluring sinners to himself, with what Majesty he commands, with what condiscension he intreats, with what importunity he wooes mens souls to be reconciled to him, with what favour he embraceth, with what tenderness he chastiseth, with what bowels he pitieth those who have chosen him to be their God! With what power he supporteth, with what wisdom he direct…th, with what cordials he refesheth the souls of such who are dejected vnderunder the sense of his displeasure, and yet their love is sincere towards him! With what profound humility, what holy boldness, what becoming distance, and yet what restless importunity do we therein finde the souls of Gods people addressing themselves to him in prayer! With what cheerfulness do they serve him, with what confidence do they trust him, with what resolution do they adhere to him in all streights and difficulties, with what patience do they submit to his Will in their greatest extremities! How fearful are they of sinning against God, how careful to please him, how regardless of suffering, when they must choose either that or sinning, how little apprehensive of mens displeasure, while they enjoy the favour of God. Now all these things which are so fully and pathetically expressed in Scripture, do abundantly set forth to us the exuberancy and Pleonasm of Gods grace and goodness towards his people, which makes them delight so much in him, and be so sensible of his displeasure. But above all other discoveries of Gods goodness, his sending his Son into the world to die for sinners, is that which the Scripture sets forth with the greatest Life and Eloquence. By Eloquence, I mean not an artificial composure of words, but the gravity, weight, and perswasiveness of the matter contained in them. And what can tend more to melt our frozen hearts into a current of thankful obedience to God, then the vigorous reflection of the beams of Gods love through Iesus Christ upon us! Was there ever so great an expression of Love heard of! nay, was it possible to be imagined, that that God who perfectly hates sin, should himself offer the pardon of it, and send his Son into the world to secure it to the sinner, who doth so heartily repent of his sins, as to deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Christ! Well might the Apostle say, This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, 1 Tim. 1. 15.that Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. How dry and sapless are all the voluminous discourses of Philosophers, compared with this Sentence! How je…une and unsatisfactory are all the discoveries they had of God and his goodness, in comparison of what we have by the Gospel of Christ! Well might Paul then say, That he determin'd to know nothing but Christ and him crucified. Christ crucified is the 1 Cor. 2. 2.Library which triumphant souls will be studying in to all Eternity. This is the only Library which is the true foreign, that which cures the soul of all its maladies and distempers; other knowledge makes mens minds giddy and flatulent; this settles and composes them; other knowledge is apt to swell men into high conceits and opinions of themselves; this brings them to the truest view of themselves, and thereby to humility and sobriety: Other knowledge leaves mens hearts as it found them; this alters them and makes them better, so transcendent an excellency is there in the knowledge of Christ crucified above the sublimest speculations in the world.
And is not this an inestimable benefit we enjoy by the Sect. 5.Scripture, that therein we can read and converse with all these expressions of Gods love and goodness, and that in his own language? Shall we admire and praise what we meet with in Heathen Philosophers, which is generous and handsome; and shall we not adore the infinite fulness of the Scriptures, which run over with continued expressions of that and a higher nature? What folly is it to magnifie those lean kine, the notions of Philosophers, and to contemn the fat, the plenty and fulness of the Scriptures? If there be not far more valuable and excellent discoveries of the Divine Nature and Perfections; if there be not far more excellent directions and rules of practice in the sacred Scriptures, then in the sublimest of all the Philosophers, then let us leave our full ears, and feed upon the thin. But certainly no sober & rational s…irit that puts any value upon the knowledge of God, but on the same account that he doth prize the discourses of any Philosophers concerning God, he cannot but set a value of a far higher on the word of God. And as the goodness of God is thus discovered in Scripture, so is his Iustice and Holin…ss; we have therein recorded the most remarkable judgements of God upon contumacious sinners, the severest denunciations of a judgement to come against all that live in sin, the exactest precepts of holiness in the world; and what can be desired more to discover the Holiness of God, then we finde in Scripture concerning him? If therefore acquaintance with the nature, perfections, designs of so excellent a Being as God is, be a thing desirable to humane nature, we have the greatest cause to admire the excellency, and adore the fulness of the Scriptures which give us so large, rational, and compleat account of the Being and Attributes of God. And which tends yet more to commend the Scriptures to us, those things which the Scripture doth most fully discover concerning God, do not at all contradict those prime & common notions which are in our natures concerning him, but do exceedingly advance and improve them, and tend the most to regulate our conceptions and apprehensions of God, that we may not miscarry therein, as otherwise men are apt to do. For it being natural to men so far to love themselves, as to set the greatest value upon those excellencies which they think themselves most masters o…; thence men came to be exceedingly mistaken in their apprehensions of a Deity, some attributing one thing as a perfection, another a different thing, according to their humours and inclinations. Thus imperious self-willed men are apt to cry up Gods absolute power and dominion as his greatest perfection; easie and soft-spirited men his patience and goodness; severe and rigid men his justice and severity; every one according to his humour and temper, making his God of his own complexion; and not only so, but in things remote enough from being perfections at all; yet because they are such things as they prize and value, they suppose of necessity they must be in God, as is evident in the Eicureans foreign, by which they excluded providence, as hath been already observed. And withal considering how very difficult it is for one who really believes that God is of a pure, just, and holy nature, and that he hath grievously offended him by his sins, to believe that this God will pardon him upon true repentance. It is thence necessary that God should make known himself to the world, to prevent our misconceptions of his nature, and to assure a suspicious, because guilty creature, how ready he is to pardon iniquity, transgession, and sin, to such as unfeignedly repent of their follies, and return unto himself. Though the light of nature may dictate much to us of the benignity and goodness of the Divine Nature, yet it is hard to conceive that that should discover further then Gods general goodness to such as please him; but no foundation can be gatherd thence of his readiness to pardon offenders, which being an act of grace, must alone be discoverd by his Will. I cannot think the Sun, Moon, and Stars are such itinerant Preachers, as to unfold unto us the whole Counsel and Will of God in reference to mans acceptance with God upon repentance. It is not every Star in the Firmament can do that which the Star once did to the wise men, lead them unto Christ. The Sun in the Heavens is no Parhelius to the Son of righteousness. The best Astronomer will never finde the day-star from on high in the rest of his number. What St. Austin said o… Tullies works, is true of the whole Volume of the Creation, There are admirable things to be found in them; but the name of Christ is not legible there. The work of Redemption is not engraven on the works of providence; if it had, a particular divine revelation had been unnecessary, and the Apostles were sent on a needless errand, which the world had understood without their Preaching, viz, That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing to men their trespasses, and hath committed to them the Ministry of Reconciliation. 2 Cor. 5. 18, 19.How was the word of reconciliation committed to them, if it were common to them with the whole frame of the world? and the Apostles Quaere elsewhere might have been easily answered, How can men hear without a Preacher? For then they might have known the way of salvation, without Rom. 10. 14.any special messengers sent to deliver it to them. I grant that Gods long suffering and patience is intended to lead men to repentance, and that some general collections might be made from providence of the placability of Gods nature, and that God never left himself without a witness of his goodness in the world, being king to the unthankful, and doing good, in giving rain and fruitful seasons. But though Act. 14 14. Luke. 6. …5, 36.these things might sufficiently discover to such who were apprehensive of the guilt of sin, that God did not act according to his greatest severity, and thereby did give men encouragement to hearken out & enquire after the true way of being reconciled to God; yet all this amounts not to a firm foundation for faith as to the remission of sin, which doth suppose God himself publishing an act of grace and indempnity to the world, wherein he assures the pardon of sin to such as truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel. Now is not this an inestimable advantage we enjoy by the Scriptures, that therein we understand what God himself hath discoverd of his own nature and perfections, and of his readiness to pardon sin upon those gracious terms of Faith and Repentance, and that which necessarily follows from these two, hearty and sincere obedience.
2. The Scriptures give the most faithful representation of Sect. ….the state and condition of the soul of man. The world was almost lost in Disputes concerning the nature, condition, and immortality of the soul before divine revelation was made known to mankind by the Gospel of Christ; but life and immortality was brrught to light by the Gospel, and the future state of the soul of man, not discoverd in an uncertain Platonical way, but with the greatest light and evidence from that God who hath the supreme disposal of souls, and therefore best knows and understands them. The Scriptures plainly and fully reveal a judgement to come, in which God will judge the secrets of all hearts, when every one must give an account of himself unto God, and God will call men to give an account of their stewardship here, of all the receits they have had from him, and the expences they have been at, and the improvements they have made of the talents he put into their hands. So that the Gospel of Christ is the fullest instrument of discovery of the certainty of the future state of the soul, and the conditions which abide it, upon its being dislodged from the body. But this is not all which the Scripture discovers as to the state of the soul; for it is not only a prospective-glass, reaching to its future state, but it is the most faithful looking-glass, to discover all the spots and deformities of the soul: And not only shews where they are, but whence they came, what their nature is, and whether they tend. The true Original of all that disorder and discomposure which is in the soul of man, is only fully and satisfactorily given us in the Word of God, as hath been already proved. The nature and working of this corruption in man, had never been so clearly manifested, had not the Law and Will of God been discovered to the world; that is the glass whereby we see the secret workings of those Bees in our hearts, the corruptions of our natures; that sets forth the folly of our imaginations, the unruliness of our passions, the distempers of our wills, and the abundant deceitfulness of our hearts. And it is hard for the most Elephantine sinner (one of the greatest magnitude) so to trouble these waters, as not therein to discover the greatness of his own deformities. But that which tends most to awaken the drowsie, sensless spirits of men, the Scripture doth most fully describe the tendency of corruption, that the wages of sin is death, and the issue of continuance in sin will be the everlasting misery of the soul, in a perpetual separation from the presence of God, and undergoing the lashes and severities of conscience to all eternity. What a great discovery is this of the faithfulness of God to the world, that he suffers not men to undo themselves without letting them know of it before-hand, that they might avoid it. God seeks not to entrap mens souls, nor doth he rejoyce in the misery and ruine of his creatures, but fully declares to them what the consequence and issue of their sinful practices will be, assures them of a judgement to come, declares his own future s…verity against contumacious sinners, that they might not think themselves surprized, and that if they had known there had been so great danger in sin, they would never have been such fools as for the sake of it to run into eternal misery. Now God to prevent this, with the greatest plainness and faithfulness, hath shewed men the nature and danger of all their sins, and asks them before hand what they will do in the end thereof; whether they are able to bear his wrath, and wrestle with everlasting burnings? if not, he bids them bethink themselves of what they have done already, and repent & amend their lives, lest iniquity prove their ruine, & destruction overtake them, and that without remedy. Now if men have cause to prize and value a faithful Monitor, one that tenders their good, and would prevent their ruine, we have cause exceedingly to prize and value the Scriptures, which give us the truest representation of the state and condition of our souls.
3. The Scripture discovers to us the only way of pleasing God, and enjoying his favour. That clearly reveals the way (which man might have sought for to all eternity without particular revelation) whereby sins may be pardond, and whatever we do may be acceptable unto God. It shews us that the ground of our acceptance with God, is through Christ, whom he hath made a propitiation for the sins of the world, and who alone is the true and living way, whereby we may draw near to God with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. Through Christ we understand the terms on which God will shew favour and grace to the world, and by him we have ground of a foreign, access with freedome and boldness unto God. On his account we may hope not only for grace so subdue our sins, resist temptations, conquer the devil and the world; but having fought this good fight and finished our course, by patient continuance in well doing, we may justly look for glory, honour, and immortality, and that crown of righteousness which is laid up for those who wait in faith, holiness, and humility for the appearance of Christ from heaven. Now what things can there be of greater moment and importance for men to know, or God to reveal, then the nature of God, and our selves, the state and condition of our souls, the only way to avoid eternal misery and enjoy everlasting Bliss!
The Scriptures discover not only matters of importance, Sect. 7. 2.but of the greatest depth and mysteriousness. There are many wonderful things in the Law of God, things we may admire, but are never able to comprehend. Such are the eternal purposes and decrees of God, the doctrine of the Trinity, the Incarnation of the Son of God, and the manner of the operation of the Spirit of God on the souls of men, which are all things of great weight and moment for us to understand and believe that they are, and yet may be unsearchable to our reason, as to the particular manner of them. What certain ground our faith stands on as to these things, hath been already shewed, and therefore I forbear insisting on Book 2. ch. 8. sect. 5, 6, 7. 3.them.
The Scripture comprehends matters of the most universal satisfaction to the minds of men; though many things do much exceed our apprehensions, yet others are most su…table to the dictates of our nature. As Origen bid Celsus see, foreign, C. Cels. l. 3. p. 135.whether it was not the agreeableness of the principles of faith with the common notions of humane nature, that which prevailed most upon all candid and ingenuous auditors of them. And therefore as Socrates said of Heraclitus his books, What he understood was excellent; and therefore he supposed that which he did not understand was so too: so ought we to say of the Scriptures, if those things which are within our capacity be so suitable to our natures and reasons, those cannot contradict our reason which yet are above them. There are many things which the minds of men were sufficiently assured that they were, yet were to seek for satisfaction concerning them, which they could never have had without Divine revelation. As the nature of true happiness, wherein it lay, and how to be obtained, which the Philosophers were so puzled with, the Scripture gives us full satisfaction concerning it. True contentment under the troubles of life, which the Scripture only acquaints us with the true grounds of; and all the prescriptions of Heathen Moralists fall as much short of, as the directions of an Empirick doth of a wise and skilful Physitian. Avoiding the fears of death, which can alone be through a grounded expectation of a future state of happiness which death leads men to, which cannot be had but through the right understanding of the Word of God. Thus we see the excellency of the matters themselves contained in this revelation of the mind of God to the world.
As the matters themselves are of an excellent nature, so is the manner wherein they are revealed in the Scriptures; Sect. 8. 2.and that,
1. In a clear and perspicuous manner; not but there may be still some passages which are hard to be understood, as being either prophetical or consisting of ambiguous phrases, or containing matters above our comprehension; but all those things which concern the terms of mans salvation, are delivered with the greatest evidence and perspicuiry. Who cannot understand what these things mean, What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? that without faith it is impossible to please God; that without holiness none shall see the Lord; that unless we be born again, we can never enter into the Kingdom of heaven; these and such like things are so plain and clear, that it is nothing but mens shutting their eyes against the light can keep them from understanding them; God intended these things as directions to men; and is not he able to speak intelligibly when he please? he that made the tongue, shall he not speak so as to be understood without an infallible interpreter? especially when it is his design to make known to men the terms of their eternal happiness. Will God judge men at the great day for not believing those things which they could not understand? Strange, that ever men should judge the Scriptures obscure in matters necessary, when the Scripture accounts it so great a judgement for men not to understand them. If our Gospel be hid, it is 2 Cor. 4. 3, 4.hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, least the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them. Sure Lots door was visible enough, if it were a judgement for the men of Sodom not to see it; and the Scriptures then are plain and intelligible enough, if it be so great a judgement not to understand them.
2. In a powerful and authoritative manner; as the things contained in Scripture do not so much beg acceptance as command it: in that the expressions wherein our duty is concerned, are such as awe mens consciences and pierce to their hearts and to their secret thoughts; All things are open Heb. 4. 12, 13.and naked before this Word of God; every secret of the mind and thought of the heart lyes open to its stroke and force, it is quick and powerful, sharper then a two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joynts and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The word is a Telescope to discover the great Luminaries of the world, the truths of highest concernment to the souls of men, and it is such a Microscope as discovers to us the smallest Atome of our thoughts, and discerns the most secret intent of the heart. And as far as this light reacheth, it comes with power and authority, as it comes armed with the Majesty of that God who reveals it, whose authority extends over the soul and conscience of man in its most secret and hidden recesses.
3. In a pure and unmixed manner; in all other writings how good soever we have a great mixture of dross and gold together; here is nothing but pure gold, Diamonds without flaws, Suns without spots. The most current coynes of the world have their alloyes of baser mettals, there is no such mixture in divine Truths; as they all come from the same Author, so they all have the same purity. There is a Urim and Thumim upon the whole Scripture, light and perfection in every part of it. In the Philosophers we may meet, it may be, with some scattered fragments of purer mettal, amidst abundance of dross and impure oare; here we have whole wedges of gold, the same vein of purity and holiness running through the whole book of Scriptures. Hence it is called the form of sound words; here have been no hucksters to corrupt and mix their own inventions with Divine 2 Tim. 1. 13.Truths.
4 In an uniform and agreeable manner. This I grant is not Sect. 9.sufficient of its self to prove the Scriptures to be Divine, because all men do not contradict themselves in their writings; but yet here are some peculiar circumstances to be considered in the agreeableness of the parts of Scripture to each other which are not to be found in meer humane writings. 1. That this doctrine was delivered by persons who lived in different ages and times from each other. Usually one age corrects anothers faults, and we are apt to pitty the ignorance of our predecessors, when it may be our posterity may think us as ignorant, as we do them. But in the sacred Scripture we read not one age condemning another; we find light still increasing in the series of times in Scripture, but no reflections in any time upon the ignorance, or weakness of the precedent; the dimmest light was sufficient for its age and was a step to further discovery. Quintilian gives it as the reason of the great uncertainty of Grammar rules, quia non analogia demissa coelo formam loquendi dedit; that which he Quintil. l. 1. c. 6.wanted as to Grammar, we have as to Divine Truths; they are delivered from heaven, and therefore are alwayes uniform and agreeable to each other.
2. By persons of different interests in the world. God made choice of men of all ranks to be enditers of his oracles, to make it appear it was no matter of State policy or particular interest which was contained in his word, which persons of such different interests could not have agreed in as they do. We have Moses, David, Solomon, persons of royal rank and quality, and can it be any mean thing, which these think it their glory to be penners of? We have Isaiah, Daniel and other persons of the highest education and accomplishments, and can it be any trivial thing which these imploy themselves in? We have Amos, other Prophets in the old Testament, and the Apostles in the New, of the meaner sort of men in the world, yet all these joyn in consort together; when God tunes their spirits, all agree in the same strain of divine truths, and give light and harmony to each other.
3. By persons in different places and conditions; some in prosperity in their own country, some under banishment and adversity, yet all agreeing in the same substance of doctrine; of which no alteration we see was made either for the flattery of those in power, or for avoiding miseries and calamities. And under all the different dispensations before, under, and after the Law, though the management of things was different, yet the doctrine and design was for substance the same in all. All the different dispensations agree in the same common principles of religion; the same ground of acceptance with God, and obligation to duty was common to all, though the peculiar instances wherein God was served might be different according to the ages of growth in the Church of God. So that this great uniformity considered in these circumstances, is an argument that these things came originally from the same Spirit, though conveyed through different instruments to the knowledge of the world.
5. In a perswasive and convincing manner: and that these wayes. 1. Bringing divine truths down to our capacity, cloathing spiritual matter in familiar expressions and similitudes, that so they might have the easier admission into our minds. 2. Propounding things as our interest, which are our duty: thence God so frequently in Scripture, recommends our dutyes to us under all those motives which are wont to have the greatest force on the minds of men: and annexeth gracious promises to our performance of them; and those of the most weighty and concerning things. Of grace, favour, protection, deliverance, audience of prayers, and eternal happiness; and is these will not prevail with men, what motives will? 3. Courting us to obedience, when he might not only command us to obey, but punish presently for disobedience. Hence are all those most pathetical and affectionate strains we read in Scripture. O that there were such a heart within them, that they would fear me and keep all my commandments alwayes, that it might go well with them, and with their children after Deut. 5. 29.them. Wo unto thee O Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be? Turn ye, turn ye from your evil wayes, …er 13. 27. Ezek. 33. 11. Hos. 11. S.for why will ye dye, O h…use of Israel? How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Z…boim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy Mat. 23. 37children together, as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings, and ye would not? What Majesty and yet what sweetness and condescension is there in these expressions? What obstinacy and rebellion is it in men for them to stand out against God, when he thus comes down from his throne of Majesty, and wooes rebellious sinners to return unto him that they may be pardoned. Such a matchless and unparalleld strain of Rh…torick is there in the Scripture, far above the art and insinuations of the most admired Orators. Thus we see the peculiar excellency of the manner wherein the matters contained in Scripture are revealed to us: thus we have considered the excellency of the Scripture, as it is a discovery of Gods mind to the world.
The Scriptures may be considered as a rule of life, or as a Law of God which is given for the Government of the lives Sict. 10. 2.of men, and therein the excellency of it lies in the nature of the dutyes, and the encouragements to the practice of them.
1. In the nature of the dutyes required, which are most becoming God to require, most reasonable for us to perform.
1. Most becoming God to require, as they are most suitable and agreeable to the Divine nature, the imitation of which in our actions is the substance of our Religion. Imitation of him in his goodness and holiness, by our constant endeavours of mortifying sin and growing in grace and piety. In his grace and mercy by our kindness to all men, forgiving the injuries men do unto us, doing good to our greatest enemies. In his justice and equity, by doing as we would be done by, and keeping a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men. The first takes in the dutyes of the first, the other the duties of the second Table. All acts of piety towards God, are a part of Iustice; for as Tully saith, Quid aliud …st piet as nisi justitia adversus Deos? and so our loving God with our whole bearts, our entire and sincere obedience to his will, is a part of natural justice; for thereby we do but render unto God that which is his due from us as we are his creatures. We see then the whole duty of man, the fearing God and kee… ing his Commandements, is as necessary a part of Iustice, as the rendring to every man his own is.
2. They are most reasonable for us to perform, in that 1. Religion is not only a service of the reasonable faculties which are employed the most in it, the commands of the Scripture reaching the heart most, and the service required being a spiritual service, not lying in meats and drinks, or any outward observations, but in a sanctified temper of heart and mind, wh…ch discovers its self in the course of a Christians life; but 2. The service its self of Religion is reasonable; the commands of the Gospel are such, as no mans reason which considers them, can doubt of the excellency of them. All natural worship is founded on the dictates of nature, all instituted worship on Gods revealed will; and it is one of the prime dictates of nature, that God must be uniuersally obeyed. Besides, God requires nothing but what is apparently mans interest to do; God prohibits nothing but what will destroy him if he doth it; so that the commands of the Scriptures are very just and reasonable.
2. The encouragements are more then proportionable to the difficulty of obedience. Gods commands are in themselves easie, and most suitable to our natures. What more rational for a creature then to obey his Maker? all the a…fficulty of religion ariseth from the corruption of nature. Now God to encourage men to conquer the difficulties arising thence, hath propounded the strongest motives, and most prevailing arguments to obedience. Such are the considerations of Gods love and goodness manifested to the world by sending his Son into it to die for sinners, and to give them an example which they are to follow, and by his readiness through him to pardon the sins, and accept the persons of such who so receive him as to walk in him; and by his promises of grace to assist them in the wrestling with the enemies of their salvation. And to all these add that glorious and unconceivable reward which God hath promised to all those who sincerely obey him; and by these things we see how much the encouragements over-weigh the difficulties, and that none can make the least pretence that there is not motive sufficient to down-weigh the troubles which attend the exercise of obedience to the will of God. So that we see what a peculiar excellency there is in the Scriptures as a rule of life, above all the precepts of meer Moralists, the foundation of obedience being laid deeper in mans obligation to serve his Maker, the practice of obedience being carried higher in those most holy precepts which are in Scripture, the reward of obedience being incomparably greater then what men are able to conceive, much less to promise or bestow.
The Excellency of the Scriptures appears as they contain in them a Covenant of grace, or the transactions between Sect. 11.God and Man in order to his eternal happiness. The more memorable any transactions are, the more valuable are any authentick records of them. The Scriptures contain in them the Magna Charta of Heaven, an Act of pardon with the Royal assent of Heaven, a Proclamation of good-will from God towards men; and can we then set too great a value on that which contains all the remarkable passages between God and the souls of men, in order to their felicity, from the beginning of the world? Can we think, since there is a God in the world of infinite goodness, that he should suffer all mankind to perish inevitably without his propounding any means for escaping of eternal misery? Is God so good to men as to this present life; and can we think, if mans soul be immortal, as we have proved it is, that he should wholly neglect any offer of good to men as to their eternal welfare? Or is it possible to imagine that man should be happy in another world without Gods promising it, and prescribing conditions in order to it? If so, then this happiness is no free gift of God, unless he hath the bestowing and promising of it; and man is no rational agent, unless a reward suppose conditions to be performed in order to the obtaining it; or man may be bound to conditions which were never required him; or if they must be required, then there must be a revelation of Gods will, whereby he doth require them: And if so, then there are some Records extant of the transactions between God and man, in order to his eternal happiness: For what reason can we have to imagine that such Records, if once extant, should not continue still, especially since the same goodness of God is engaged to preserve such Records, which at first did cause them to be indicted. Supposing then such Records extant somewhere in the world of these grand transactions between God and mens souls, our business is brought to a period; for what other Records are there in the world that can in the least vye with the Scriptures, as to the giving so just an account of all the transactions between God and men from the foundation of the world? Which gives us all the steps, methods, and wayes whereby God hath made known his mind and will to the world, in order to mans eternal Salvation. It remains only then that we adore and magnifie the goodness of God in making known his Will to us, and that we set a value and esteem on the Scriptures, as on the only authentick Instruments of that Grand Charter of Peace, which God hath revealed in order to mans Eternal Happiness.
FINIS.
End of the text · Edward Stillingfleet, The Grounds of the Christian Faith (1662)