The Way to the Tree of Life, Part 1 · Chapter 12
CAP. XII. Directions for the right interpretation of the Scriptures.
NOt only the matters and ſubject which the Scriptures handle, being high and myſterious in their nature, (which the Pſalmiſt calls Wonders, Pſal. 119.18.) but beſides that, the phraſe & manner of expreſſion, which is in many clauſes far from vulgar or common uſe, make many things in Scripture hard to be underſtood, as the Apoſtle acknowledgeth, 2 Pet. 3.16. wherefore, there is required much wiſdome and diligence in ſearching after the true ſenſe of Gods word, without which we cannot but erre dangerouſly in the grounds of our faith, and in the rules of practiſe. It will be therefore needfull to ſet before us ſuch rules, as may help to direct us in finding out the true ſenſe of the Scriptures.
But before we come to lay downe theſe rules, we muſt neceſſarily agree upon two concluſions. The firſt is acknowledged by all men without contradiction, which is, That there can be no infallible interpreter of the Scriptures but God himſelfe. The ſecond, though it be ſomewhat more queſtioned then the former, yet is as true as it in all points, namely, That every Godly man hath within him a ſpirituall light, by which he is directed in the underſtanding of Gods mind revealed in his word in all things needfull to ſalvation.
Concerning the former of theſe two concluſions, we muſt neceſſarily acknowledge, that ſeeing no man knows Gods mind but himſelf, as the Apoſtle affirmes, Rom. 11.34. 1 Cor. 2.16. therefore none can interpret his word, in places doubtfull, None can interpret Scriptures but God himſelfe.but himſelf. For, ſeeing Gods mind cannot be otherwiſe known to us, then by the words wherein it is expreſſed, and when the words are ſuch as may import divers ſenſes, who can tell in which of thoſe ſenſes God uſed them, and would have them taken by us, but himſelf that uttered them, unleſſe ſome other perſon were privy to his thoughts?
As for the ſecond concluſion, Every godly man hath a light in himſelfe to ſhew him the mind of God in his word.that godly men have a light within their own breaſts, by which they are able to underſtand Gods meaning in his word, in things neceſſary to ſalvation, we know that God hath promiſed by his Prophet, that no man ſhall need to teach his neighbour, becauſe every man ſhall know him from the greateſt to the leaſt, Jer. 31.34. And the Apoſtle, that the anointing that they have abiding in them ſhall teach them all things, 1 Joh. 2.27. the Anointing there mentioned is that ſpirit which is given us of God, by which we know the things that are freely given us of God, 1 Cor. 2.12. by which every man underſtands ſpirituall things, as every man ſees and diſcovers naturall things with his own eyes.
That every man ſhould have within himſelf ſuch a light or ſpirituall underſtanding, Which conduceth 1. To Gods honour.as we have mentioned before, by which he may diſcover, and know the mind of God revealed in his word, conduceth much to Gods honour two waies. 1. As having as many witneſſes as believers.For firſt, God hath by this means as many witneſſes of his truth, as there are true believers, of whom every one knows what he ſpeaks, Ioh. 3.11. by his own underſtanding, and becomes thereby a more authenticall witneſs unto others, of that which he believes, upon a more certain ground, then if he had ſeen it with his own eyes.
Secondly, 2. And thoſe more fully diſcovering his truth and more affected with it.every godly man having this inward light, by which he diſcovers the mind of God ſpeaking in his word, knows his truth more fully and cleerly, then he could poſſibly do by the helps of any other mans light, and finds his heart thereby more affected with thoſe glorious and holy truths which the Word reveals, underſtanding the righteouſneſs and purity of that Word, as David did, Pſal. 119.138.140. which indeed is the only true means of admiring and honouring God for that holy word, in which are diſcovered ſuch glorious excellencies, that our very ſouls are raviſhed with it, as Davids was, Pſal. 119.97. upon the diſcovery of the ſweetneſſe thereof, verſ. 103.
Beſides, 2. To our comfort when we ſee with our own eyes.it is a ſingular comfort to every godly ſoul, to ſee with his own eyes. It's true, that it is a great comfort to a blind man, to meet with a faithfull guide, whom he may truſt to lead him on in his way: but it comes nothing neer the content, which a man that hath eyes takes when with them he ſees the way in which he walks. This diſcovery of the truth of God revealed in his word, is the only means of grounding our faith, preſerving us eſtabliſhed in the truth againſt errours, and apoſtaſie, and of filling our ſouls both with preſent comforts, and future hopes.This inward light may much be cleered and enlarged by 1. The Miniſtery of the word. 2. Conferences.
It is true that this inward light, or anointing (as Saint John calls it) may be much cleered and enlarged by ſuch helps as God is pleaſed to afford us, by the miniſtery of his word, by private conferences, and reading of godly mens writings, which are therefore to be made uſe of diligently and conſtantly; and therefore they are juſtly to be ſuſpected, who rejecting them, brag of I know not what inward light which they have received, 3. And reading of godlymens books, which too many neglecting endanger themſelves.which too often, by the event at leaſt, is diſcovered to be a ſeducing ſpirit of errour, leading them from one phantaſie to an other, to the endangering of their own ſouls, and ſuch as cleave unto them. Theſe helps therefore, which we have mentioned, are not to be deſpiſed, nor yet any farther to be depended on, then as ſpectacles, ſerving to make things clearer unto the light which we have within us, which diſcovered them not ſo fully before.
To go on then, Rules for the finding out of the true ſenſe of Scripture.to the finding out, and laying down of thoſe rules, which muſt be followed for the finding out of the true ſenſe of the Scriptures, we muſt lay down, firſt, the foundation: That God intending in them, to reveal unto man his mind, muſt of neceſſity, if he would be underſtood, ſpeak unto them, after the manner of men, and therefore make uſe of ſuch words and phraſes, as men uſe to make their minds known by one to another. So that the firſt thing which we muſt look unto, in ſeeking out what God means to acquaint us with in his word, is to conſider what the expreſſions, which we meet withall, ſignifie in common uſe of ſpeech amongſt men. This we call the Grāmaticall ſenſe which they hold forth in their native and proper ſignification, and beſides that which they ſignifie in common uſe of ſpeech, figuratively; as the womans ſeed, Gen. 3.15. is her poſterity, and the ſerpents head, is the ſerpents power. For ſeeing words ſignifie by inſtitution, they muſt be taken to ſignifie according to mens intention, in common uſe of ſpeech, whether properly or figuratively.
This Grammaticall ſenſe may be found out by the Scriptures themſelves, foure waies. Firſt, 1. To find out the Grammaticall ſenſe, 1. By comparing Tranſlations with the originals.by comparing the Tranſlations with the originals; as where we read, Gen. 3.15. He ſhall breake, there are that read it corruptly, She ſhall breake. Here the originall ſoon determines the controverſie, wherein the pronoune Hu, can ſignifie nothing but He, or It, both which are all one in effect in this place.
The ſecond means of finding the ſenſe of Scripture by Scripture, 2. By examining the circumſtances of the Text:is the examining of the circumſtances of the text, and ſcope of the place, wherewith if any word, taken in the uſuall ſenſe, agree not, we muſt ſeek out another ſenſe, though leſſe uſuall, in which it may agree. As 1 Tim. 4.1. Chriſt is the Saviour of all men; the word Saviour, muſt be interpreted in a generall ſenſe, for a preſerver or deliverer from evill or danger indefinitely, not a Saviour from everlaſting death and damnation, as after it ſignifies becauſe of the clauſe which follows, eſpecially of thoſe that beleeve, which implies that he is ſo a Saviour of thoſe which beleeve; namely, from everlaſting death and hel as he is not of all other men; ſeeing that in reſpect of everlaſting ſalvation, Chriſt properly is not the Saviour of any other, but only of his own body the Church, whereof he is the head, 3. By comparing one Scripture with another.Epheſ. 5.23.
The third means to find out the true ſenſe of words in Scripture is the comparing of one Scripture with another: For truths muſt agree. Wherefore if the words, being taken in one ſenſe, agree not with themſelves, and other Scriptures, we muſt find out another ſenſe, in which they may agree, Gen. 1.27. God in the Creation of man, is ſaid to make them Male and Female, which, according to ordinary conſtruction, we might conceive to be done at one time, but the larger narration of the Womans creation, Gen. 2.11. ſhews us, that the creating them Male and Female, muſt be referred to divers times, and actions: as likewiſe, becauſe the Woman was made of the Mans Rib, we know that when, Gen. 2.7. Man is ſaid to be made of the duſt of the earth, by man muſt be underſtood the Sex, not the kind, that is, only the Man, not both Man and Woman, as Gen. 1.27.
The laſt means, 4. By examining the ſenſe given by the Analogy of Faith.is the examining of any ſenſe given, by the Analogy of faith, that is, by evident grounds of faith, gathered out of Scripture, with which if any ſenſe, given of any place of Scripture, agree not, we muſt have recourſe to ſome other interpretation. When it is ſaid, Joh. 15.2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, we muſt not interpret the branches that beare not fruit, and are therefore taken away at laſt, to be really in Chriſt, as parts of his myſticall body, becauſe we know, that no branch which is truly ingraffed into Chriſt can ever be taken away, ſo that we muſt underſtand that phraſe of ſuch as are in Chriſt viſibly, as members, not of his true body, but only of his viſible Church. The Inchanters Rods, related to be turned into Serpents, Exod. 7.12. muſt be interpreted to ſeem ſo, rather then to be ſo, becauſe the changing of the nature of creatures, is beyond the Devils reach, ſeeing it is peculiar to God as well as Creation.
As the words and phraſes of Scripture muſt be underſtood literally, 2. To take all Hiſtoricall relations in the order in which they are related,ſo in the hiſtories and relations of things done, they muſt be conceived to be acted in that order in which they are related, unleſſe for avoiding ſome manifeſt contradiction, in the circumſtances of the narration, Unleſs circumſtances of the Text inforce us to allow an Anticipation.we be forced to allow an anticipation, or inverting of that order, as we have ſometimes cauſe to do: The Holy Ghoſt either for the perſpicuity of the hiſtory, or ſome like occaſion, relating things together, which were done a great diſtance of time aſunder, or thoſe things aſunder which were done together.
There are that make many ſenſes of Scripture, but upon no ſufficient ground, There is but one ſenſe of any place of Scripture.whereas it is apparent, there can be but one true and right ſenſe. Yet we grant that ſome places may have a proper ſenſe, or a myſticall or allegoricall, as it is called, Gal. 4.24. No not in Allegories.But if we weigh it well, there is but one ſenſe of the words, which is proper, the other is the ſenſe of the Type expreſſed by thoſe words, which repreſents unto us ſome myſticall thing. Or if we will needs diſtinguiſh them, the one is the firſt ſenſe, the other is the full ſenſe.
Such Allegoricall ſenſes of Scripture, Which we muſt not eaſily admit, unleſſe Scripture warrant them;we muſt not eaſily admit, unleſs the Scripture it ſelf warrant them. At leaſt when ſome things which we read in Scripture, may be aptly applied to repreſent other things Allegorically, we have no warrant to obtrude our Allegories upon others, Nor obtrude our interpretation of them upon others; nor build principles of faith or rules of life upon them.as the ſenſe of the Holy Ghoſt, much leſs to build upon them any ground of faith, or rule of life. Only it may not be unlawfull, to ſhew the unanſwerableneſſe of ſome outward things in the Old Teſtament, to ſpirituall things manifeſted in the New for illuſtration, where we find apt reſemblances between them, ſo it be done with ſobriety.
It happens ſometimes, When two different conſtructions may be made of the ſame words,that two different conſtructions may be made of the ſame place of Scripture, importing both of them a ſenſe Orthodox, and indifferently agreeing with the circumſtances, precedents, and conſequents of the Text. We may take which we pleaſe, or both if need be.In ſuch a caſe, a man is at liberty to embrace which he thinks beſt, ſo he condemn not the other, or to make uſe of them both for inſtruction and meditation, as conceiving that the Holy Ghoſt (who could in thoſe, as well as in other places, have ſpoken more diſtinctly) hath left thoſe places of doubtfull conſtruction, to ſupply us with more variety of matter, for our uſe and edification.
We meet ſometimes with Parables and ſimilitudes, Similitudes muſt be extended no farther then the Holy Ghoſt intends them. Nor any principles of truth built upon them.which we muſt be carefull to extend no farther then the Holy Ghoſt intends them; and that may be eaſily diſcerned, by the occaſion, and by the ſcope of the Text. Now theſe ſimilitudes, being uſed for illuſtration, by the holy Spirit, we may eaſily make uſe of them ſo far; but it is not ſo ſafe to build any principle of truth upon them, which is not confirmed by other clear places of Scripture.
Where we find heavenly things expreſſed by earthly, as when God is ſaid to come down, Reſemblances of ſpirituall things by earthly muſt be underſtood ſpiritually.to depart, to ſit, to ſtand, to have parts of an humane body, when the ſtate of glory is called a kingdome, wherein men are ſaid to have houſes, thrones, &c. we muſt underſtand the reſemblances ſpiritually, not according to the nature of thoſe things by which they are reſembled. So Gods hand, notes his power; his eye, his providence, &c. which alſo we muſt not proportion according to the ſcantneſs of a man, but extend according to the infiniteneſſe of a God.