The Lively Oracles Given to Us, Section 1
SECT. I. The ſeveral Methods of Gods communicating the knowledg of himſelf.
GOD, as he is inviſible to human eies, ſo is he unfathomable by human underſtandings; the perfection of his nature, and the impotency of ours, ſetting us at too great a diſtance to have any clear perception of him. Nay, ſo far are we from a full comprehenſion, that we can diſcern nothing at all of him, but by his own light; thoſe diſcoveries he hath bin pleas'd to make of himſelf.
2. THOSE have bin of ſeveral ſorts; The firſt was by infuſion in mans creation, when God interwove into Mans very conſtitution and being the notions and apprehenſions of a Deity: and at the ſame inſtant when he breath'd into him a living ſoul, impreſt on it that native religion, which taught him to know and reverence his Creator, which we may call the inſtinct of humanity. Nor were thoſe principles dark and confus'd, but clear and evident, proportionable to the ends they were deſign'd to, which were not only to contemplate the nature, but to do the will of God; practice being even in the ſtate of innocence preferrable before an unactive ſpeculation.
3. BUT this Light being ſoon eclips'd by Adams diſobedience, there remain'd to his benighted poſterity, only ſom faint glimmerings, which were utterly inſufficient to guide them to their end, without freſh aids, and renew'd manifeſtations of God to them. It pleas'd God therefore to repair this ruine, and by frequent revelations to communicate himſelf to the Patriarchs in the firſt Ages of the World; afterwards to Prophets, and other holy men; till at laſt he revealed himſelf yet more illuſtriouſly in the face of Jeſus Chriſt, 2 Cor. 4.6.
4. THIS is the one great comprehenſive Revelation wherein all the former were involv'd, and to which they pointed; the whole myſtery of Godlineſs being compris'd in this of Gods being manifeſted in the fleſh, and the conſequents thereof. 1 Tim. 3.16. whereby our Savior as he effected our reconciliation with God by the ſacrifice of his death; ſo he declar'd both that, and all things elſe that it concern'd man to know in order to bliſs, in his doctrin and holy life. And this Teacher being not only ſent from God, Jo. 3. but being himſelf God bleſſed for ever; it cannot be that his inſtructions can want any ſupplement. Yet that they might not want atteſtation neither, to the incredulous world; he confirm'd them by the repeted miracles of his life, and by the teſtimony of thoſe who ſaw the more irrefragable conviction of his Reſurrection and Aſcenſion. And that they alſo might not want credit and enticement, the Holy Spirit ſet to his ſeal, and by his miraculous deſcent upon the Apoſtles, both aſſerted their commiſſion, and enabled them for the diſcharge of it; by all gifts neceſſary for the propagating the Faith of Chriſt over the whole World.
5. THESE were the waies by which God was pleaſed to revele himſelf to the Forefathers of our Faith, and that not only for their ſakes, but ours alſo, to whom they were to derive thoſe divine dictats they had receiv'd. Saint Stephen tells us, thoſe under the Law receiv'd the lively Oracles to deliver down to their poſterity, Acts 7.38. And thoſe under the Goſpel, who receiv'd yet more lively Oracles, from him who was both the Word and the Life, did it for the like purpoſe; to tranſmit it to us upon whom the ends of the world are come. By this all need of repeted Revelations is ſuperſeded, the faithful deriving of the former, being ſufficient to us for all things that pertain to life and godlineſs, 2 Pet. 1.3.
6. AND for this, God (whoſe care is equal for all ſucceſſions of men) hath graciouſly provided, by cauſing Holy Scriptures to be writ; by which he hath deriv'd on every ſucceeding Age the illuminations of the former. And for that purpoſe endowed the Writers not only with that moral fidelity requiſite to the truth of Hiſtory, but with a divine Spirit, proportionable to the great deſign of fixing an immutable rule for faith and manners. And to give us the fuller ſecurity herein, he has choſen no other penmen of the New Teſtament, then thoſe who were the firſt oral promulgers of our Chriſtian Religion; ſo that they have left to us the very ſame doctrin they taught the Primitive Chriſtians; and he that acknowledges them divinely inſpir'd in what they preach'd, cannot doubt them to be ſo in what they writ. So that we all may injoy virtually and effectively that wiſh of the devout Father, who deſir'd to be Saint Pauls Auditor: for he that hears any of his Epiſtles read, is as really ſpoke to by Saint Paul, as thoſe who were within the ſound of his voice. Thus God who in times paſt ſpake at ſundry times, and in diverſe manners to our Fathers by the Prophets, and in the latter daies by his ſon, Heb. 1.1, 2. continues ſtill to ſpeak to us by theſe inſpir'd Writers, and what Chriſt once ſaid to his Diſciples in relation to their preaching, is no leſs true of their writings: He that deſpiſeth you, deſpiſeth me, Luke 10.16. All the contemt that is at any time flung on theſe ſacred Writings, rebounds higher, and finally devolves on the firſt Author of thoſe doctrins, whereof theſe are the regiſters and tranſcripts.
7. BUT this is a guilt which one would think peculiar to Infidels and Pagans, and not incident to any who had in their Baptiſm liſted themſelves under Chriſts banner: yet I fear I may ſay, of the two parties, the Scripture has met with the worſt treatment from the later. For if we meſure by the frequency and variety of injuries, I fear Chriſtians will appear to have outvied Heathens: Theſe bluntly disbelieve them, neglect, nay perhaps ſcornfully deride them. Alas Chriſtians do this and more; they not only put contemts, but tricks upon the Scripture, wreſt and diſtort it to juſtify all their wild fancies, or ſecular deſigns; and ſuborn its Patronage to thoſe things it forbids, and tells us that God abhors.
8. INDEED ſo many are the abuſes we offer it, that he that conſiders them would ſcarce think we own'd it for the words of a ſenſible man, much leſs of the great omniſcient God. And I believe 'twere hard to aſſign any one ſo comprehenſive and efficacious cauſe of the univerſal depravation of manners, as the diſvaluing of this divine Book, which was deſign'd to regulate them. It were therefore a work worthy another inſpired writing, to attemt the reſcue of this, and recover it to its juſt eſtimate. Yet alas, could we hope for that, we have ſcoffers who would as well deſpiſe the New as the Old; and like the Huſbandmen in the Goſpel, Mat. 21.36. would anſwer ſuch a ſucceſſion of meſſages by repeting the ſame injuries.
9. TO ſuch as theſe 'tis I confeſs vain for man to addreſs; nay 'twere inſolence to expect that human Oratory ſhould ſucceed where the divine fails; yet the ſpreading infection of theſe renders it neceſſary to adminiſter antidotes to others; And beſides, tho (God be bleſt) all are not of this form, yet there are many who, tho not arriv'd to this contemt, yet want ſom degrees of that juſt reverence they owe the ſacred Scripture, who give a confus'd general aſſent to them as the word of God, but afford them not a conſideration and reſpect anſwerable to ſuch an acknowledgment. To ſuch as theſe, I ſhall hope it may not be utterly vain to attemt the exciting of thoſe drowſy notions that lie unactive in them, by preſenting to them ſom conſiderations concerning the excellence and uſe of the Scripture: which being all but neceſſary conſequences of that principle they are ſuppoſed to own, viz. that they are Gods word, I cannot much queſtion their aſſent to the ſpeculative part: I wiſh I could as probably aſſure my ſelf of the practic.
10. INDEED were there nothing elſe to be ſaid in behalf of holy Writ, but that it is Gods word, that were enough to command the moſt awful regard to it. And therefore it is but juſt we make that the firſt and principal conſideration in our preſent diſcourſe. But then 'tis impoſſible that that can want others to attend it; ſince whatſoever God ſaies is in all reſpects compleatly good. I ſhall therefore to that of its divine original add ſecondly the conſideration of its ſubject matter; thirdly, of its excellent and no leſs diffuſive end and deſign; and fourthly, of its exact propriety and fitneſs to that deſign, which are all ſuch qualifications, that where they concur, nothing more can be requir'd to commend a writing to the eſteem of rational men. And upon all theſe teſts, notwithſtanding the cavil of the Romaniſts and others, whoſe force we ſhall examin with the unhappy iſſue of contrary counſels, this law of God will be found to anſwer the Pſalmiſts character of it, Pſ. 19.7. The Law of God is perfect: and will appear that the cuſtody and uſe thereof, is the birth-right and duty of every Chriſtian. All which ſeverals being faithfully deduced; it will only remain that I add ſuch cautions as will be neceſſary to the due performance of the aforeſaid duty; and our being in ſom degree render'd perfect, as this Law of God, and the Author thereof himſelf is perfect, Mat. 5.48.