The Lively Oracles Given to Us, Frontispiece – Preface
The lively Oracles given to us, or The Christians birthright & duty. in the custody. & use of the holy Scripture.
burg. ſculp.
THE Lively Oracles given to us. OR The Chriſtians Birth-right and Duty, in the cuſtody and uſe of the HOLY SCRIPTURE.
By the Author of the WHOLE DUTY OF MAN, &c.
Search the Scriptures,
Jo. 5.39.
At the THEATER in OXFORD, 1678. And are to be Sold by William Leak at the Crown in Fleet-ſtreet, Lond.
Beilby Thompson of Eſcrick
Imprimatur.
JO. NICHOLAS. Vice Cancell. Oxon. Junii 10. 1678.
THE PREFACE.
IN the Treatiſe of the Government of the Tongue publiſht by me heretofore, I had occaſion to take notice among the exorbitances of that unruly part, which ſets on fire the whole courſe of nature, and its ſelf is ſet on fire from hell, Jam. 3.6. of the impious vanity prevailing in this Age, whereby men play with ſacred things, and exerciſe their wit upon thoſe Scriptures by which they ſhall be judg'd at the laſt day, Joh. 12.48.
But that holy Book not only ſuffering by the petulancy of the Tongue, but the malice of the heart, out of the abundance whereof the mouth ſpeaks, Mat. 12.34. and alſo from that irreligion, prepoſſeſſion, and ſupineſs, which the purſuit of ſenſual pleſures certainly produces; the miſchief is too much diffus'd, and deeply rooted, to be controul'd by a few caſual reflections. I have therefore thought it neceſſary, both in regard of the dignity and importance of the ſubject, as alſo the prevalence of the oppoſition, to attemt a profeſt and particular vindication of the holy Scriptures, by diſplaying their native excellence and beauty; and enforcing the veneration and obedience that is to be paid unto them.
This I deſign'd to do in my uſual method, by an addreſs to the affections of the Reader; ſoliciting the ſeveral paſſions of love, hope, fear, ſhame and ſorrow, which either the majesty of God in his ſublime being, his goodneſs deriv'd to us, or our ingratitude return'd to him, could actuate in perſons not utterly obdurate.
But whereas men, when they have learnt to do amiſs, quickly diſpute and dictate; I found my ſelf concern'd to paſs ſomtimes within the verge of controverſy, and to diſcourſe upon the principles of reaſon, and deductions from Testimony, which in the moſt important tranſactions of human life are juſtly taken for evidence. In which whole performance I have ſtudied to avoid the entanglements of Sophiſtry, and the ambition of unintelligible quotations; and kept my ſelf within the reach of the unlearned Chriſtian Reader; to whoſe uſes, my labors have bin ever dedicated.
All that I require, is that men would bring as much readineſs to entertain the holy Scriptures, as they do to the reading profane Authors; I am aſham'd to ſay, as they do to the incentives of vice and folly; nay, to the libels and invectives that are levell'd against the Scriptures.
If I obtain this, I will make no doubt that I ſhall gain a farther point; that from the peruſal of my imperfect conceptions, the Reader will proceed to the ſtudy of the Scriptures themſelves: there taſt and ſee how gracious the Lord is, Pſ. 34.8. and as the Angel commanded Saint John, Rev. 10.9. eat the Book; where he will experimentally find the words of David verified, Pſ. 19.7. The Law of the Lord is an undefiled Law, converting the ſoul: the teſtimony of the Lord is ſure, and giveth wiſdom to the ſimple. The Statutes of the Lord are right, and rejoice the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, and giveth light to the eies. The fear of the Lord is clean and endureth for ever, the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be deſir'd are they then gold, yea, then much fine gold, ſweeter alſo then hony and the hony-comb. Moreover by them is thy ſervant taught, and in keeping of them there is great reward.
It is ſaid of Moſes, Ex. 34.29. that having receiv'd the Law from God, and converſt with him in Mount Sina forty daies together, his face ſhone, and had a brightneſs fixt upon it that dazled the beholders; a pledg and ſhort eſſay not only of the appearance at Mount Tabor, Mat. 17.1. where at the Transfiguration he again was ſeen in glory: but of that greater, and yet future change when he ſhall ſee indeed his God face to face, and ſhare his glory unto all eternity. The ſame divine Goodneſs gives ſtill his Law to every one of us. Let us receive it with due regard and veneration; converſe with him therein, inſtead of forty daies, during our whole lives; and ſo anticipate and certainly aſſure our intereſt in that great Transfiguration, when all the faithful ſhall put off their mortal fleſh, be tranſlated from glory to glory, eternally behold their God, ſee him as he is, and ſo enjoy him.
Converſation has every where an aſſimilating power, we are generally ſuch as are the men and Books, and buſineſs that we deal with: but ſurely no familiarity has ſo great an influence on Life and Manners, as when men hear God ſpeaking to them in his Word. That Word which the Apostle, Heb. 4.12. declares to be quick and powerful, ſharper then any two-edg'd ſword, piercing even to the dividing aſunder of ſoul and ſpirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a diſcerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The time will come when all our Books however recommended, for ſubtilty of diſcourſe, exactneſs of method, variety of matter, or eloquence of Language; when all our curious Acts, like thoſe mention'd Act. 19.19. ſhall be brought forth, and burnt before all men: When the great Book of nature, and heaven it ſelf ſhall depart as a ſcroul roll'd together, Rev. 6.14. At which important ſeaſon 'twill be more to purpoſe, to have ſtudied well, that is, tranſcrib'd in practice this one Book, then to have run thro all beſides, for then the dead ſmall and great ſhall ſtand before God, and the Books ſhall be open'd, and another Book ſhall be open'd which is the Book of Life, and the dead ſhall be judg'd out of thoſe things which were written in the Books, according to their works, Rev. 20.12.
In vain ſhall men allege the want of due conviction, that they did not know how penal it would be, to diſregard the Sanctions of Gods Law, which they would have had enforc'd by immediat miracle; the apparition of one ſent from the other world, who might teſtify of the place of torment. This expectation the Scripture charges every where with the guilt of temting God, and indeed it really involves this inſolent propoſal, that the Almighty ſhould be oblig'd to break his own Laws, that men might be prevail'd with to keep his. But ſhould he think fit to comply herein, the condeſcention would be as ſucceſsleſs in the event, as 'tis unreaſonable in the offer. Our Savior aſſures, that they who hear not Moſes and the Prophets, the instructions and commands laid down in holy Scripture, would not be wrought upon by any other method, would not be perſwaded, by that which they allow for irreſiſtible conviction, tho one roſe again from the dead, Luke 16.31.