Expositions Upon Matthew 1-10, Treatise · Chapter 10 · Section 12
Means to be uſed in caſe of ſcruples.
1 Suffer not men to impoſe upon us and ſubject us to their ordinances, beyond the bounds of the word. Col. 2.18, 20, 21. The falſe Teachers would have impoſed Angel-worſhip, and would foreign judged them to hell, and that they ſhould never have the crown of glory, if they did not obſerve them, but the Apoſtle bids they ſhould not regard their judgement.
2 Where we come where perſons can reſolve us, to propound our doubts, Mal. 2.7. As of old Prieſts lips did preſerve knowledge, ſo ſhould the lips of Church Elders. Herein lay aſide ſinfull baſhfulneſs which makes many go ſadly for want of propounding the difficulties which afflict them: thus did the Churches of Antioch, Acts 15.2. and Corinth, 1 Cor. 7.1. 1 Cor. 10.25, 27.
3 Urge the Lord with his promiſe to give you direction in your difficulties, Pſal. 25.12. What man is he that fears the Lord? Him ſhall he direct in the way that he ſhall chuſe. Prov. 3.6. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he ſhall direct thy ſteps. David was in a ſtrait to know whether Saul would come againſt Keilah, and whether the men of Keilah would deliver him up, and he enquires of God herein, 1 Sam. 23.11, 12. and the Lord anſwered him, that the men of Keilah would deliver him up, 2 Sam. 21.1. Joſ. 7.6. to v. 20. Judg. 20.26, 27, 28.
4 Examine reaſons on all ſides, and then go that way which ſeems likelieſt, and hath beſt reaſons out of Gods word. David had a great ſcruple about Gods providence as to wicked men, untill he went into the Sanctuary of God, and there in the Miniſtry of Gods word he found reaſons to ſtabliſh him, to wit concerning their end. 1 That though they were ſo happy at preſent, yet they ſtood in ſlippery places. 2 That they were caſt down into deſtruction and deſolation in a moment, Pſal. 73.16, 17, 18, 19.
But if reaſons from Gods word are equal on both ſides, chuſe that ſide that hath leaſt fleſhly reſpects in it, I mean as to thy ſelf, as to ſelf-credit, profit or benefit, or makes moſt for Religion, Gods glory, and the credit of the Goſpel, according to thoſe three rules, 1 Corinth. 10.31, 32, 33.
5 Finde out the cauſe of your ſcruple. If it be ignorance, ſtrive for information, and do not out of conceitedneſs of thy own opinion put it off.
If Satans ſuggeſtion, compare the reaſons with the Word. If melancholy be the cauſe, as often it is, compare the ſoul when it is in a quiet frame, and the melancholy fit over with thoſe reaſons that appeared in the time of melancholy, thou ſhalt ſee a great unlikeneſs betwixt them, as betwixt water when it is puddled or jumbled together, and water when it is cleer.
If thy ſcruple ariſe from ſcrupulous perſons, conſider the weight of their reaſons, remembring no man is to be heeded more then his reaſon weighs.
If it ariſe from fear of ſinning againſt God and conſcience of duty, then remember its backt with a plain commandement.
6 Beware you do not ſtrain at a Gnat and ſwallow a Camel; to ſcruple about the payment of the tithe of rue, mint, aniſe, and cummin, and neglect the weightier matters of the Law, juſtice and the love of God: we may ſcruple juſtly to break the leaſt command, as Daniel was reſolvedly ſet not to defile himſelf with the portion of the Kings meat, Dan. 1.8. as alſo not to neglect a duty, Dan. 6.10. yet be ſure that you be as much or more ſcrupulous in the weightier matters of the Law, Matth. 23.23. by no means to have the leaſt hand in the violation of them.
7 Let not the minde run too much upon a ſcruple, for Satan is wont to ſtir up a great fog and miſt in the minds of ſome conſcientious people, and ſo to impreſs ſtrange things on the imagination, by the mindes ſtill running thereupon, though ſome are too far the other way that they will not ſo much as reaſon whether things be right or wrong.
8 When we ſee ſcruples are needleſs and endleſs and cannot be taken away with contrary reaſon, let them forcibly be laid aſide at leaſt till another time, for ſometimes Satan followes weak Chriſtians ſo cloſely, that they can no other way get out of them.
9 Where we ſee the queſtions we have in our mindes are needleſs ſcruples, wherein is no reaſon, we may act againſt them, and yet the conſcience not be weaker but ſtronger.
10 In caſe of ſcrupling let conſcience ſpeak out till it it have no more to ſay, and beware you do not put a trick upon conſcience by a cunning diſtinction. If conſcience put thee upon hard things yet be ſure to follow it, Acts 20.22, 23, 24. as it may be it puts thee upon duty whereby thou ſhalt loſe ſome dear friend, and procure ſome heavy enemy.
11 Beware of pretending a ſcruple when there is no ſuch thing. Matth. 22.16, 17. The Herodians come to Chriſt and pretend a ſcruple, We know thou art true, and teacheſt the way of God in truth, neither careſt thou for any man, for thou regardeſt not the perſon of men, tell us, Is it lawfull to give tribute to Caeſar, or not? In which queſtion they onelyonly endeavoured enſnarement, if Chriſt ſaid it was lawfull, they would have rendered him a flattering timeſerver, becauſe the Jews held generally that the Romans had violently ſubdued them; if he had ſaid it was not lawfull, they would have accuſed him of treaſon againſt Caeſar. Thus to pretend a ſcruple is an act of groſs hypocriſie, and thoſe that thus ſet up a ſtumbling block of iniquity, and come to a Prophet to enquire concerning the Lord or his ways, the Lord will anſwer him accordingly, Ezek. 14.7. And I will ſet my face againſt that man. So thoſe, Jerem. 42.5, 6.
12 Do not deſpiſe nor be eager againſt ſcrupulous perſons, Scrupuloſi non ſunt rigidè tractandi, ſaid Antoninus the Caſuiſt, becauſe this tenderneſs of conſcience when it is real is a pretious principle, ariſing from a great meaſure of Gods fear, and is a fruit of the ſpirit in whom it is, though ſometimes through ignorance and injudiciouſneſs it ſcruples where it ought not. Yet as in fields where there are many briars, thiſtles, and thorns, it argues there is good ground if it were well husbanded, ſo a heart that conſcientiouſly ſcruples, though often the ſcruples are not good, yet they, ariſing from a true fear of not ſinning againſt God, they argue the heart is good. Yet an enlightned. conſcience, other things being like, is better then a ſcrupuling conſcience.
13 Sometimes a ſcruple may be determined by an uſe of lot, when a ſoul doubts which way God would have him to go, yet he is ſo purged from ſelf-endedneſs that he deſires God may determine the matter. Acts 1.24. Thou, Lord, which knoweſt the hearts, ſhow which of theſe two thou haſt choſen.
14 To ſcruple in ſmall things and not in great matters is a note of a hypocrite. Matth. 23.23. Alſo the Jewiſh Prieſts ſcrupled the bringing the thirty pieces into the treaſury, being the price of blood, Matth. 27.6. yet they ſcrupled not to ſhed innocent blood. The Jews ſcrupled to give Paul one ſtripe above the Law; the Law was, Deut. 25.3. that the Judge determine him forty ſtripes but not exceed, now the Jews whipt Paul five times, and they ſcrupled ſo to tranſgreſs the Law herein, that they gave him but thirty nine ſtripes, but they ſcrupled not to whip an innocent perſon. Saul would not eat with the blood, he ſcrupled it, yet would he not ſcruple to take away the lives of fourſcore of the Lords Prieſts at one time.
15 Still urge thy ſoul to give a reaſon of thy ſcruple. So David, Pſal. 43.5. Why art thou caſt down, O my ſoul? and why art thou diſquieted within me? If the ſoul cannot render a reaſon of it, be ſure it comes either from Satan or melancholy, or ſome ſuch cauſe, or its ſome injected temptation, ſuch as the devil caſt into Chriſts minde, to make him ſcruple whether God was his father.
16 Anſwer the ſcruples. When thou ſeeſt them manifeſt fallacies in grace, though true conſequences in nature: for example, Satan ſaith thou art a ſinner, God is juſt, therefore he hates thee, therefore inflicts puniſhment, therefore he hears thee not, this conſequence cannot be denied in nature. The conſequence of grace is, thou art a ſinner therefore believe, and when Satan oppoſes thy ſins, ſay, What is that to thee Satan? I have not ſinn'd againſt thee but againſt my God, I am not thy ſinner, what power haſt thou over me, Satan, if it be truly a ſin whereof thou accuſeſt me? Satan ſometimes terrifies the minde alſo with thoſe things which are not ſins but he alledges them to be ſins, as Chriſt will not quench ſmoaking flax, no more will I quench it in my ſelf.
FINIS.