The Way to the Tree of Life, Part 1 · Chapter 4
CAP. IV. Of the Pen-men of the Scriptures, that they were holy men, inſpired and guided in that work infallibly and wholly, by the Spirit of God.
BOth the clauſes of this Propoſition Saint Peter knits up together in one teſtimony, affirming that no propheſie of Scripture is of private interpretation, nor that thoſe propheſies came in old time, by the will of man, but that holy men of God ſpake as they were moved by the holy Ghoſt, 2 Pet. 1.21. Who the moſt of theſe holy men were, it is well known to the Church, the titles of their Books bearing their names: The Scriptures delivered, 1t By holy men, as was moſt fit.And that they were holy men, the hiſtories of their lives remaining ſtill upon record, and their honorable memory in the Church to this day, ſufficiently declare, ſuch as were Moſes, David, Solomon, the Prophets and Apoſtles. And that the reſt, whoſe names are either concealed, or doubtfull, were ſuch likewiſe, will be evident to any indifferent perſon that ſhall conſider two things.
Firſt, 1. They muſt bee ſuch that had ſo near communion with God.we know that God will be ſanctified in all that come near him, Lev. 10.3. as it is meet he ſhould, ſeeing his eyes are purer then to behold evill, Heb. 1.13. one that is glorious in holineſſe, Exod. 15.11. and whoſe houſe holineſſe becomes for ever, Pſal. 93.5. Now then, for Gods honour, it was fit that none ſhould be employed in this work of publiſhing Gods will and law to his people, which ſo nearly concerned his own and his Churches ſervice, and wherein they were to be admitted into ſo near a degree of familiarity with him, as to bee made acquainted with his chiefeſt ſecrets, but onelyonly ſuch perſons as were approved for holineſſe.
Secondly, 2. And by this means ſome reſpect is won to their writings.the corrupt nature of men is ſuch, as we know that the leaſt occaſion would be ſufficient to breed diſtaſte of that, which nature in it ſelf is ſo averſe from, (as the dreſſing, veſſell, or ſometimes ſervitor, that preſents the ſick man the meat which his ſtomack loaths, moves him to abhor it) and conſequently, if there were juſt exception againſt the perſons that bring it, the meſſage it ſelf would quickly be diſtaſted, as the Lords offerings were for Elies wicked ſons, 1 Sam. 2.17. So that it concerned the Lord, both for his owne honour, and his Churches good, to deliver his Word by the hands of holy men.
It addes ſomething to the eſtimation of the Scriptures, that they were written by ſuch holy men, as we have formerly mentioned, but this at the uttermoſt addes unto them onelyonly an humane reſpect, 2. Directed by the Spirit of God.but that which procures unto them divine reverence, which ought to make all hearts ſtoop unto them, is that they were written by the direction of the holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, eſpecially if we throughly conſider what manner of direction it was which was given unto theſe holy Pen-men of theſe ſacred Oracles, in the compoſing therof. The Apoſtle, 2 Pet. 1.20, 21. deſcribes that kinde of aſſiſtance of the holy Ghoſt, in the delivery of the Scriptures, two ways. Firſt, by way of negation, that they were neither of private interpretation, nor came by the wil of man. Secondly, he deſcribes the ſame aſſiſtance affirmatively, teſtifying that they ſpake as they were moved by the holy Ghoſt.
In the former of theſe, Not by the abilities of nature.wherein he expreſſeth this manner of delivering the Scriptures by way of negation, the Apoſtle excludes the working of the naturall faculties of mans minde altogether: Firſt, the underſtanding, when he denies that the Scripture is of any private interpretation, or rather of mens own explication, that is, it was not expreſſed by the underſtanding of man, or delivered according to mans judgement, or by his wiſdome. So that not onelyonly the matter or ſubſtance of the truths revealed, Both in the matter and expreſſions.but the very forms of expreſſion were not of mans deviſing, as they are in Preaching, where the matter which men preach is not, or ought not to be the Miniſters own that preacheth, but is the Word of truth, 2 Tim. 2.15. but the tearms, phraſes, and expreſſions are his own. Secondly, he ſaith, that it came not by the will of man, who neither made his own choice of the matters to be handled, Neither of them ſuggeſted by mans underſtanding, nor directed by his wil; farther then to underſtād & approve what the Spirit ſuggeſted. But the Pen-men were carried by the holy Ghoſt.nor of the forms and manner of delivery: So that both the underſtanding, and will of man, as farre as they were meerly naturall, had nothing to doe in this holy work, ſave onelyonly to underſtand, and approve that which was dictated by God himſelfe, unto thoſe that wrote it from his mouth, or the ſuggeſting of his Spirit.
Again, the work of the holy Ghoſt in the delivery of the Scriptures is ſet down affirmatively, when the Pen-men of thoſe ſacred writings are deſcribed, to ſpeak as they were moved or carried by the holy Ghoſt, a phraſe which muſt be warily underſtood. For we may not conceive that they were moved in writing theſe Scriptures, as the pen is moved by the hand that guides it, without underſtanding what they did: For they not onelyonly underſtood, but willingly conſented to what they wrote, and were not like thoſe that pronounced the Devils Oracles, rapt and carried out of themſelves by a kinde of extaſie, wherein the Devill made uſe of their tongues and mouths, to pronounce that which themſelves underſtood not. But the Apoſtles meaning is, that the Spirit of God moved them in this work of writing the Scriptures, not according to nature, Yet underſtandingly & willingly.but above nature, ſhining into their underſtandings clearly, and fully, by an heavenly and ſupernaturall light, and carrying and moving their wils thereby with a delight, and holy embracing of that truth revealed, and with a like deſire to publiſh and make known the ſecrets and counſels of God, revealed unto them, unto his Church.
Yea, beyond all this, the holy Ghoſt not only ſuggeſted unto them the ſubſtance of that doctrine which they were to deliver and leave upon record unto the Church, (for ſo far he uſually aſſiſts faithfull Miniſters, in diſpenſing of the Word, in the courſe of their Miniſtery) but beſides hee ſupplyed unto them the very phraſes, method, The holy Ghoſt made choice both of the expreſſions and methods.and whole order of thoſe things that are written in the Scriptures, whereas he leaves Miniſters in preaching the Word, to the choice of their own phraſes and expreſſions, wherein, as alſo in ſome particulars which they deliver, they may be miſtaken, although in the main fundamentals which they lay before their hearers, and in the generall courſe of the work of their Miniſtery, they do not groſly erre. Thus then the holy Ghoſt, not only aſſiſted holy men in penning the Scriptures, but in a ſort took the work out of their hand, making uſe of nothing in the men, but of their underſtandings to receive and comprehend, their wils to conſent unto, and their hands to write downe that which they delivered.
When we ſay, that the holy Ghoſt framed the very phraſe and ſtyle wherein the Scriptures were written, we mean not, that he altered the phraſe and manner of ſpeaking, wherewith cuſtome and education had acquainted thoſe that wrote the Scriptures, Yet uttering his own expreſſions as it were in the ſound of their voicebut rather ſpeaks his own words, as it were in the ſound of their voice, or chooſeth out of their words and phraſes ſuch as were fit for his own purpoſe. Thus upon inſtruments men play what leſſon they pleaſe, but the inſtrument renders the ſound of it more harſh or pleaſant, according to the nature of it ſelf. Thus amongſt the Pen-men of Scriptures, we finde that ſome write in a rude and more impoliſhed ſtyle, as Amos; ſome in a more elegant phraſe, as Iſay. Some diſcover art and learning in their writings, as S. Paul; others write in a more vulgar way, as S. James. And yet withall the Spirit of God drew their naturall ſtyle to an higher pirch, in divine expreſſions, fitted to the ſubject in hand.
How needfull it was, that the Spirit of God ſhould ſolely manage and accompliſh this work of penning the Scriptures, hath been ſhewed already in the former point, wherein we proved that the Scriptures muſt neceſſarily be the Word of God, ſeeing faith can ſtay it ſelf on no other foundation, then a divine teſtimony, and our ſervices cannot be accompted a duty of obedience, unleſſe it be done in obedience to Gods will, which can be made known no other way then by his own Word. Now the inferences hold ſtrongly thus, The Scriptures are Gods own Word, therefore they muſt be delivered by his owne Spirit, ſeeing none elſe could know Gods minde, as none knows the minde of man but the ſpirit which is in man, 1 Cor. 2.11.