The True Treasury, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Section 1.
THe third uſe is for reproofe. And ſo, Is it God that ſpeaketh in the Holy Scriptures? This ſerves deepely to ſhent and ſhame us for our firſt brutiſh ignorance, ſecondly, barbarous unbeliefe,2 Peter 1.17. thirdly, inexcuſable diſobedience to that divine voyce that came from the excellent glory. This is my beloved ſonne, in whom J am well pleaſed, Heare yee Him.
For the firſt: how juſtly and unanſwerably may the Lord renew the quarrell of his covenant, and take up his old controverſie againſt us, that there is no knowledge in the land, Hoſea 4.1. Hoſea 8.12.that he hath written for us the great things of his law, and we have counted them a ſtrange thing, that whereas for the time we might have beene teachers, we have yet neede to bee taught the firſt principles of the Oracles of God, we have neede of milke, Heb. 5.12. foreign. 1 Peter 2.1. Eſay 66.11. Prov. 14.6.and not of ſtrong meate? Was it not reaſonable milke that wee have ſucked in from the breaſts of Conſolation, the two Teſtaments? Is not knowledge eaſie, and obvious to him that is willing? Are ye alſo ignorant? ſaith our Saviour to his Diſciples:Ioh. 3.10. Art thou a Doctor in Iſrael, and knoweſt not theſe things which thou haſt read ſo much of in Ezekiel and elſewhere? What? Owles abroad in ſo bright a firmament? blind as beetles, in a land of light? darke in Goſhen, amidſt ſo many meanes and mercies? in the land of uprightneſſe doe yee deale unjuſtly, and not behold the Majeſty of the Lord?Iſa. 26.10. O generation, ſee ye the word of the Lord: Have I beene a wilderneſſe to the houſe of Iſrael? a land of darkneſſe, and of the ſhadow of death? Ie. 2.31.How is it then that yee are ſtill ſottiſh children without underſtanding? wiſe to doe evill, but to doe good, yee have no knowledge.Ieremy 9.3. 2 Chron. 13.5. Ought yee not to have knowne? as Abijam ſaid to Ieroboam, and all Iſrael? ſhould ye not all know the Lord from the leaſt to the greateſt?Hab. 2.14. Should not the earth be ſilled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea? Theſe are the times, if ever, wherein God hath powred forth his ſpirit upon all fleſh; Ioel 2.28.ſtretched forth his hands to us all day long,Prov. 1. lifted his voyce in the high places of the City, cauſed the Candle of his Goſpell to ſhine full faire upon this kingdom for ſo long together,Matth. 11. ſo that we have beene lifted up to Heaven, as Capernaum in the abundance of meanes, and plenty of outward priviledges. In the time of Pope Clement the ſixth, when as Lewis of Spaine was choſen Prince of the Fortunate Ilands, and was gathering an Army in Italie and France, the Engliſh Embaſſadour then reſident at Rome together with his company, gat them home, as not doubting but that Lewis was ſet up againſt the King of England, Robertus Aviſburienſis.than which they could not imagine there was any more fortunate Iſland under heaven. Was it ſo then over-ſpread with Aegyptian darkeneſſe? what would our fore-fathers have judg'd, had they had our happineſſe to live in theſe glorious dayes? of Alexandria in Aegypt, Ammianus Marcellinus obſerveth, that once in a day the Sunne hath been continually ever ſeene to ſhine over it.
In the Iland of Lycia, the sky is never ſo cloudy, ſaith Solinus, Vnde Horat: cam claram vocat.but that the Sun may be ſeene. Semper in ſole ſita est Rhodos, The Rhodes is ever in the Sunne-ſhine, ſaith Aeneas Sylvius: And Tacitus tells us, that here in Britany the Sunne in Summer neither riſeth nor falleth, but doth ſo lightly paſſe from us by night,In vita Agricolae that you can hardly put a difference betweene the end and beginning of the light. This is indeed chiefly true of us, in reſpect of the bright and beautifull ſun-ſhine of the truth. Other Countries ſit in darkeneſſe and ſhadow of death, like the Valley of Sci…ſſa neare the Towne called Patrae, Locus radijs ſolis ferme inviſus …ce aliam ob cauſam memorabilis. Solin. c. 12which being ſhaded by nine high His is ſcarce ever viſited by the beames of the Sun: But to us, (as to Zabulon and Nephtali) is a great light riſen, Matth. 4.16. Now when a maſter ſets up his ſervant a great light to worke by, hee lookes to have it done both more, and better.Nihil in Hiſpania …tioſum, nihil ſter… Solin: cap. 36. So here. Surely it ſhould bee with us as they ſay of Spaine, that there is nothing idle, nothing barren there. But a laſſe it fals out farre otherwiſe: for ſome have not the knowledge of God, 1 Cor. 15.34.to their ſhame be it ſpoken, but are as bard and rude every whit in very fundamentals, and have the ſame bald and baſe conceits of God and his will as the blind Heathens had. Let me tell you a Pulpit-ſtory (and that's no place to lye in) of an old man above ſixtie, who lived and dyed in a Pariſh, where beſides the word read, continually, there had beene preaching almoſt all his time, and for the greateſt part twice on the Lords Day, Pembles Serm: Miſch…fe of Ignorance.beſides at extraordinary times. This man was a conſtant hearer as any might be, and ſeemed forward in the love of the Word. On his death-bed, being queſtioned by a Miniſter, touching his faith and hope in God, you will wonder to heare what anſwers hee made. Being demanded what he thought of God? hee anſwers, that he was a good old man. And what of Chriſt? that he was a towardly yong youth. And of his ſoule? that it was a great bone in his body. And what ſhould become of his ſoule after he was dead? That if he had done well, he ſhould bee put into a pleaſant greene meddow. Theſe anſwers aſtoniſhed thoſe that were preſent, to think how it were poſſible for a man of good underſtanding, and one that in his dayes had heard, by the leaſt, two or three thouſand Sermons, yet upon his death bed in ſerious manner thus to deliver his opinion in ſuch maine points of Religion, which infants, and ſucklings ſhold not be ignorant of. Oh who can ſufficiently bewaile and expiate the groſſe ignorance found in the greater number, duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page as rude and raw in Scripture matters, as if they were not reaſonable creatures, though in other things wondrous acute and apprehenſive. And for the better ſort, that runne to and fro to increaſe knowledge: Dan. 12.4.ſome ſmattering skill they have got, but its wofully indiſtinct and ill bottomd. It would puzzle them ſhrewdly (after ſo much teaching) to give a good account of their faith. Surely as Lactantius wittily ſaid, that there was never leſſe wiſdome in Greece then in the time of the ſeven wiſe-men: ſo may it be juſtly complained of the extreme want of knowledge in the abundance of ſo many means of knowledge. That little, men have got, is for moſt part, ineffectuall, and hath little influence into their hearts and lives. They uſe it (as ſome do artificiall teeth) more for ſhew then ſervice; or as the Athenians are ſaid to do their coyn, to count and gingle with only: ſtriving more to an ability of diſcourſe then to an activity of practiſe, to talk of it, then to walke by it. The very entrance of Gods word giveth light, &c. Pſalme 119.1… Iohn 3. In agris Sard… reperitur animal perexigu… ſimileque araeneis ſorma, ſolifuga dicta, quod diem ſug at. Solinus, c. 1 Acts 28.27.But this is condemnation, that is hel above groūd that light is come into the world, &c. like the creature called ſolifuga, the day is to thē as the ſhadow of death. Theſe mens ignorance is not meerely privative, as was that in our Saviour as man only, nor naturall, as in infants: nor invincible as theirs that lived in the midnight of Popery; but wilfull and affected, Ʋt liberius peccent, libenter ignorant, ſaith Bern. they winke with their eyes, as the Phariſees: they ſhut the window leſt the radiant treſſes of the ſun ſhould trouble them in their ſleep: they are wilfully ignorant, 2 Peter 2. Pſalm. 50.with thoſe in Peter, whiles they caſt Gods word behind them and beſpeake him in their language,Iob 21, 14. Depart from us, we will none of the knowledge of thy wayes: being as glad to bee rid of him as the Philiſtims were of the Arke, or as the Gadarens were of Chriſt. Now how righteouſly ſhall CHRIST regeſt one day upon all ſuch profane Gadarens Diſcecite, Depart, I know you not? bee juſt as ſtrange unto them then, as they will needs be now to him? fill theſe back-ſliders in heart with the fruit of their owne wayes, Prov. 14.14. and ſith they have loved darkneſſe, give them their belly full of it, caſt them into outer darkneſſe, that darkeneſſe beyond a darkneſſe, the dungeon of darkneſſe,foreign. where they ſhall never ſee the light againe, till they bee lightned by that univerſall ſire of the laſt day.Pſalme 95. They that know not Gods wayes revealed in his word, he hath ſworne they ſhall never enter into his reſt: and although they always wander in heart and erre not knowing the Scriptures, yet can they not goe ſo farre wide as to miſſe of Hell. An ignorant perſon is that Leper in Leviticus, his plague is in his head,Lev. 13.44. he is utterly uncleane, and is therefore utterly to be excluded. See 2 Theſ. 1.7.
Section 2.
SEcondly this, that the Scriptures are of God, ſerves ſharply to reprove our hatefull infidelity. Many amongſt us beleeve the Bible no otherwiſe then they doe humane Hiſtories, or not the ſtrange wonders there related, or no more thereof then they can ſee cauſe for, or then ſuites with their carnall humours,foreign. Chryſoſt. or not the menaces, or not the promiſes, or apply them not, neither individuate the ſame to themſelves: but rather, put all off, as if it nothing concerned them, and diſpoſe of it to others. Is this to mingle the word with faith? to melt,Ier. 31.18. with Ioſiah? to ſmite upon our thighes as Ephraim? to examine our wayes with David, by Gods Word,Pſalme 1…9.59. Prov. 9.12. Eſay 1. Eſay 55.…2. and finding our ſelves farre wide, to turne our feete to his Teſtimonies? Is this to bee wiſe for our ſelves? to conſent and obey? to buy and beate? Many men come to the word as they doe to feaſts, where they lay liberally on other mens trenchers, let their owne lye emptie: they reade the Scriptures as they doe news out of a farre Country as not pertaining to themſelves. Whereas the Bible ſhould be read, as we read the Statute-booke, (wherein every man holds himſelfe as much concerned, as if his name were there written) and ſhould therefore turne ſhort againe upon himſelfe and ſay, what have I done? Ieremy 8.6. Rev. 10.9. Prov. 25.10.what caſe am I in? what may I doe to bee ſaved? This is to take the booke and eate it, as Iohn did: this is to feed upon the hony that we have found, as Salomon biddeth: this is the way,Eſay 66.1. to tremble at the Word, whileſt men dwell upon it, till their hearts ake and quake within them. As for thoſe that do other wiſe, I may fitly ſay to them, as our Saviour ſaid to the Iewes concerning Iohn: what went yee out into the wilderneſſe to ſee? a Reed ſhaken with the wind? Matth. 1 1.ſo what take ye in hand the booke to read, or come to Gods houſe to heare? an idle ſong? an old-wives tale? a fooliſh Hiſtory? a frivolous interlude? Or, if it be God that ſpeaketh in the Word read and preached, how is it that ye beleeve him not?foreign. Luke 7.30. why ſeeke ye (with the Phariſees) to make voyd the counſell of God concernning your ſelves? Chriſt that by his abſolute power can doe any thing,foreign. Marke 6.5. by his actuall power can do no great matter for theſe unbeleevers, more than wonder at them. Verily, Verily faith our Saviour to Nicodemus, Iohn 3, 11.we ſpeake what we know, and teſtifie that we have ſeene, and ye receave not our witneſſe. Loe, hee joynes himſelfe with the Prophets which Nicodemus had read, ſo curſorily and careleſly, as not to have there-hence learnd the doctrine of Regeneration. This ſin is now the greater, becauſe as the Law and the Prophets, Heb. 4.2. ſo the Goſpell much more was written that men might beleeve, Iohn 20, 31.and that beleeving they might have eternall life, which now they cannot enter becauſe of unbeliefe:Heb 3. ult. but being cut off from Chriſt,Romans 11, 22. Revel. 21, 8. they are leſt without among dogges and devils, without heaven, I ſay, but far within hell: whether they are ſent and ſet as free-holders, to whom other ſinners there are, but Tenants or inmates,foreign Matth. 24, 51. and are therefore ſaid to have their part with hypocrites and unbeleevers.
Section 3.
THirdly doth the Lord himſelfe ſpeake to us from Heaven in the holy Scriptures? and is he our Maker and maſter?Malachy 1.6. how is it then that hee is no better obeyed? that his word hath no more place in us or power over us? that it ſwayes not in our hearts: that it rules not in our lives? Shall hee ſtretch out his hand to a diſobedient people? doe wee provoke the Lord to jealouſie? are wee ſtronger then he?Iob 9.4. hath any ever waxed fierce againſt God and proſpered? Shall we ſit like ſots under the ſound of his word, and not be ſenſible? or ſhall we feele his axe at the root of our conſciences, and be ſmitten with ſome remorſe, and yet goe on in ſin? What became of Pharaoh that would not hearken to Moſes though he came with a meſſage from heaven? of the rich glutton that made no more reckoning of Moſes and the Prophets?Luke 16. ult. of Lots ſons in Law that counted their fathers fore-warnings a meere mo… kage?Acts 13.41. Behold ye deſpiſers, and wonder, and periſh: for I worke a worke in your dayes, a worke which you ſhall in no wiſe beleeve, though a man declare it unto you. Which to prevent, precious and worthy of all acceptation is that counſell of our Author.Heb. 11.25. See that yee refuſe not him that ſpeaketh from Heaven: ſee that ye ſhift him not off, as the word ſignifies,foreign …er. 2, 8. or ſend excuſe as thoſe recuſant gueſts in the Goſpell did. When the truth ſtands at the doore of your Conſcience, and pleads for admittance, ſay not as he did to his friend that came to borrow two loaves, Come to me to morrow; or as Felix to Paul, at a more convenient time Ile ſend for thee. For if the word ſpoken by Angels only was ſtedfaſt, and every tranſgreſſion and diſobedience, that is, every commiſſion and omiſſion receaved a juſt recompence of reward, how ſhall we eſcape if we neglect (hee ſaith not, if we deny, betray, oppugne, but if we neglect, (light, let ſlip) ſo great ſalvation, which as firſt began to bee ſpoken by the Lord, &c. Heb. 2.2, 3 Where our Authour, making uſe of the Doctrine delivered in the Text, preſſeth Obedience to the Goſpell from the danger of doing otherwiſe, farre more probable and more importable then of thoſe that deſpiſed Moſes Law,Hebr. 10, 28. (who yet dyed without mercy.) 1. By compariſon of the inſtruments that deliverd it. 2. From the manifold confirmation the Goſpell had, by teſtimony both humane, verſe 3. and Divine, ver. 4.foreign. Chryſ. foreign interpretatur, ne pere…mus. And thereupon firmly argueth, therefore ſurely wee ought to give the more diligent heed to what wee have heard from Chriſts mouth, leſt at any time we ſhould leake, or as Chryſoſtom interprets it, leſt we utterly periſh, leſt we become as water ſpilt on the ground, that cannot be gathered up again.Pſalme 58, 8. 2 Sam. 14, 14. 1 Sam 15.23. Eſay 30.8. Rebellion is as witch-craft; its a ſinne that God bids be written in a booke (above all other ſinnes) for the laſt day. Yea, for ever and a day. His uſuall courſe is to give up ſuch as obey not the truth, but refuſe to be reformed to ſtrong deluſions, vile affections, juſt damnation.2 Theſ. 2, 20. Rom. 1, 26. 2 Theſ. 1.8. Iere. 5, 13. That word which they have held for wind onelyonly, with thoſe in Ieremy, ſhall prove a fire in their bones. And although they have made ſome ſorry ſhift to ſhake it off and ſlight it, as an empty ring, a vaine ſound, a dead letter, &c. it ſhall lay faſt hold upon them, Zach. 1.6.Iohn 12, 48. Matth. 3, 10. Matth. 24, 14. judge them at the laſt, and cut them downe as fuell to the fire. The Goſpell is preached for a teſtimony againſt worlds of people that contemne it. And for the Law, they that will not have the direction thereof, muſt and ſhall have the correction. Aut fatiendum certè aut patiendum: there's no avoyding of it. They that tremble not in hearing, ſhall bee cruſht to peeces in feeling,Bradford. as that Martyr ſaid.