A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV. Contains the Application of the foregoing Chapter.
TO improve now what hath been ſpoken. Uſe. To pitty thoſe that follow falſe lights.If there be a poſſibility of being Bewildred, by following of the Light, what ſhall we then doe? Why? truly, my brethren, Pitty ſuch as follow them, and doe not onelyonly take heed of darkneſſe, but of light alſo. You know our uſual word to a ſtranger whom we lodge, I pray, Sir, follow the Light; but truly if a transformed Devil can ſet up Lights, let us take heed what Light we follow. A King being about to Invade a Country, whereunto he muſt come by Sea, and plotting to take his advantage in the Night, the Governour of that Country, having intelligence, appoints burning Lights to be ſet upon ſome Rocks not far from ſhore, and which run ſome way into the Sea, having ſome of their heads above water. The Invader made no queſtion, but that they were Lights upon the ſhore, and ſo runnes deſtructively upon the Rocks without feare. Satan doth, verily, ſet many a Light a burning, but they are all deceitfull ones, they are all ſet upon the Rocks; and thoſe Soules that come neare them (as Paul's phraſe is) concerning the Faith make Shipwrack. O pitty therefore, pitty the poore Soules that ruſh upon the Rocks, while they follow the Light, and thinke it to be the true Light. I believe amongſt our bewildred ones, many ſuch poor ones there are: Oh! pray, pray hard for ſuch, conſidering thy ſelf, leſt thou alſo be tempted.
And ſecondly: As for your ſelves,Take heed what light you follow. take heed what you Uſe. 2 receive for Light: I ſay not, beleeve what I ſay; but you have a Card to ſail by, a ſure word to goe by: Try all by the Scriptures; even try the Lights, whether they be of God or no. For thus much I dare aſſert, even concerning theſe Times, That though there be many falſe Chriſts, and falſe Lights, and that many follow their pernicious waies, as is ſaid 2 Pet. 2.2. yet may we ſay with John, 1 Epiſt. 2.8. that the true light now ſhineth. Though there are many falſe Lights, yet there is a Sun in the firmament, and a true Chriſt in the word preached. If you demand
Queſt. How the true light is to be known? Anſw. By humble addreſſe to the Throne of Grace.But how ſhall I doe to know whether that Light, which I follow, be the true light or no?
I anſwer: Addreſſe thy ſelfe in all humility to the Throne of Grace (in the ſenſe of thy weake and wandring judgement, how unable thou art to diſcerne of things that differ, how unable to chooſe that which is good, how ſubject to be carried about with every wind of doctrine) 'Twas (I thinke) the Devils undoing ſin to be proud, but Pſal. 25.10. The meek will God teach his judgements, the meek will he teach in his way; the humble will God teach, and they ſhall know his way. Goe thus to God, and he will tell thee which is the true Light, and which the falſe. But I know, you would bee glad in ſuch a caſe to carry a promiſe with you to the Throne of Grace, to put it in ſuit by prayer there;A promiſe that we ſhall know the true light. take that, and I think it worth the bearing along with you, Iſa. 52.6. Therefore my people ſhall know my name; therefore they ſhall know in that day, that I am he that doth ſpeak, behold it is I. Act Faith upon this promiſe, and God ſhall make thee to diſcern the true Light, though thou be not able to dispute for it; yet ſhalt thou be fully ſatisfied in it by the guidance of the Spirit.
Object. Yea, but will theſe Seducers ſay, we have the Spirit as well as you, and we are as ſure as you, and why may not we be right as well as you?
Anſw. They and we cannot be both ſure, and both right, becauſe we are Contradictory. But that you may know which is true, for both cannot be true, take this a more general and precious Rule.A general rule to know falſe light. There is no true Light differing in the whole kind, or contradictory to another true Light. There may be a true Light, yet leſſer than another; as in this reſpect, there is one glory of the Sun, another of the Moon, another of the Starres, yet are they all true Lights; but then they are not contrary, but ſubordinate the one unto the other. Thus the light of a Candle and the light of the Noon-ſun b…th are true lights; for though the Sun's doe ſwallow up the Candle's light (as it were) yet you ſee the Candle hath its light ſtill. But now take a Glow-worm, or a Scale of a Fiſh, or a peece of rotten wood, theſe ſhine in the darke alſo, but they are falſe Lights; for bring them to the Candle, or to the Sun, and there is nothing like light in them, they differ from it in the whole kinde. Thus the light of the Law, and the light of the Gospel, and the light of Grace, and the light of Glory, are different Lights, or diſtinct, one ſubordinate to the other, but not in the leaſt contrary. But bring an Errour to the Light of the Word, and it is (like a peece of rotten wood brought unto a Candle) very darkneſſe, ceaſing altogether to be a Light. So then what ever Doctrine it is, that is contrary to any knowne true Light, reſolve upon it, that that is a falſe Light.
More particularly, take this threefold Rule; Three particular Rules.for there is a threefold known Light. So then whatever Doctrine runs counter, either firſt to the light of Nature, or ſecondly to the light of the Spirit, or thirdly to the truth as it is in Jeſus, cannot be a true Light.
1. Then,1. The light of Nature, that is, ſo far as men goe along with the Bible without a Bible. there is an undoubted impreſſe of Eternall Verity upon our natures, ſome ſparkes whereof yet remain after our ruines of Nature in the fall, which nothing in all the Scripture is, or can be contrary unto, becauſe it is a true Light as far as it goeth, and for the quality of it. This you read of in the Heathens, Rom. 1.19, 20, 21. I ſay not, that by improvement of that, they might have demerited a ſaving meaſure of true light, but ſo much they had, that by the uſing of it, they might have avoyded that groſſe Idolatrous darkneſſe, that he there ſpeaks of; for this is flatly contradictory to the light of natural reaſon, that that which was made by me (ſuppoſe an Idol) ſhould be my Maker. I remember once in Ireland, one went about to diſſwade the ſouldiers from oppoſing the Rebels; for, ſaid he, If one ſmite thee on the one cheek, turn to him the other; and this he called a Scripture-ſelf Reſignation, miſtaking that ſcripture, and oppoſing it againſt the Law of Self-preſervation written indelebly in all hearts. I have alſo read in the Hiſtory of Munſter in Germany, of two men that ſolicited two young Virgins (made their Proſelytes) to Fornication; the Maids refuſed the motion with diſdaine, telling them, that their natural modeſty and ſhame abhorred it; they replyed impudently, and importunately, and it ſeemes too prevailingly, that that was ſelf, and to be denyed, elſe no ſalvation. Now that could not be a true light, becauſe naturall conſcience it ſelfe did abhominate it. In ſuch caſes we may ſay as Paul, 1 Cor. 11.14. Doth not even Nature it ſelf teach you?
2. The light of the Spirit that is in the Scriptures.Secondly, That which is contrary to the light of the Spirit of God, muſt needs be falſe Light. But they pretend to the Spirit as well as we, and there are no immediate deciſions of our Diſputations: how then ſhall wee know what judgement Gods Spirit is of in any Debate?
How we may know the judgement the holy Spirit.Anſw. As by the Writings of Judge Cook we know his judgement in things of Law, and by the Writings of any other Author that is perſonally withdrawne, we ſee his mind, ſo though the Holy Spirit hath withdrawne himſelf, as to any more vocal deciſions of our Controverſies, yet hath he not left himſelf without witneſs, in that the Scriptures are expreſſe, and expreſly his, 2 Pet. 1.21. The Prophecie came not by the will of man, but holy men of God spake, as they were moved by the Holy Ghoſt.
Object. Yea, but ſay they, we maintaine our opinion by Scripture, and that's your expoſition, and this is mine, that's your ſenſe, this is mine, and why not mine be true as well as yours?
Anſw. There is not any intelligent Author, but it is eaſie to gather the tendency and ſcope of the whole diſcourſe. Now we may very uſually meet with a paſſage, which being viewed alone, and at ſuddaine appearance, may ſeem to contradict the genius of the whole diſcourſe: Now if that ſentence be competently capable of another ſence, (than that which ſingly and ſuddainly it ſeems to beare) and that other ſence be fairely coincident with the plaine bent of the whole diſcourſe, in this caſe no man ever doubts to ſay, that this ſence, (ſo made out, and orderly according with the whole) is the Authors very judgement.
So here, the Scriptures (as before) are the undoubted writings of the holy Spirit.Sum of the Scriptures. The plaine tendency of theſe is clearer then the Sunne. viz. That ſalvation is from God onelyonly through Chriſt, and according to the Election of grace unto man-kinde once happy, now loſt, by that lively faith which carryeth perſeverant obedience in its boſome, to the praiſe of the glory of his grace, that God may be all in all. This, who ſo runs through the ſcriptures may read, and ſuch a ſcope you have called the Analogy of Faith. Now then if there be any ſingle ſentence that ſeems to divide from the whole, either you muſt deny the ſcriptures to be the Holy Spirits, (which is blaſphemous, & who ſo comes that, firſt let him ſeek ſatisfaction of whom he will, I ſtudy not to ſatisfie him) or if you yeeld them to be of divine inſpiration, you muſt ſuppoſe (that though you be ignorant, or your reaſon in the dark, which may well be) that yet there is a ſence of it that you diſcover not, that bears a ſweet harmony with the whole; and ſome worthy men have ſweetly ſtudyed out much exquiſite Muſick in theſe ſeeming diſcords, which they have gathered by collations of ſcripture with ſcripture: and if a ſence be diſcovered (though latent as to the letter, or firſt view, &c.) that may competently fall in with the preſent intended diſcourſe, and accord with the whole frame of the ſcriptures, we cannot be at ſuch a blind confuſion, as was ſuppoſed in the Objection; that you may ſay, this is your ſence, that is mine; and why may not I be as right as you? Thou haſt one ſence of a ſcripture, and another hath another: thou thinkeſt that thine interpretation unties all the knots of that ſcripture, and his thou thinkſt doth not: but now friend, if thy ſence be contrary to the undoubted principles of truth in general, and the tendency of the ſcriptures, though thou be not ſure that the other mans ſence (ſuppoſed to accord with the rule of faith) is the very ſence of this very place, becauſe he cannot by it reſolve all thy difficulties; yet may he be ſure that thy ſence is falſe, as to this ſcripture in particular, becauſe it will not ſtand with the ſence of ſcriptures in the generall; for every ſpark is Homogeneous, and of the ſame kind with the whole flame.
The Apoſtle writeth expreſly to this purpoſe, Rom. 12.6.Make uſe of the Analogy of faith. Let us propheſie (foreign) according to the rule, or ſquare, or ſcope, or proportion of the faith. When we preach upon a particular verſe, let us not onele ſute our Doctrine to the particular notions that we have raiſed from thence, but be we ſure that the ſcope, tendency, and proportion of the truth will bear it, lſe how ſparkling or ſhining ſoever our Notion may be, they will prove but ignes fatui, bewildring falſe lights. And verily (I think) it were eaſie upon this ſcore, to attaint many of thoſe ranging Errors of the times. Who can reconcile the Popiſh Doctrine of merits to that undoubted Rule, there is no name whereby we muſt be ſaved, but the name Jeſus Chriſt? Who can make the licentious notion of fruitleſſe believing, to ſtand before that Capital truth, that faith without workes, is dead faith? Who can bring the Arminian, or Pelagian Doctrine of free-wil, to a ſubſerviency to the praiſe of the glory of free-grace? Thus much for ſcripture-…ight.
3. The truth as it is in Jeſus, the rule of the new Creature.But thirdly, That light which is contrary to the truth as it is in Jeſus, can not but be a falſe light. This is elſewhere called the rule of the new Creature, and as many that walke according to it, peace be on them, and on the whole Iſrael of God, this is deſcribed, Eph. 4.21. If you have been taught by him, as the truth is in Ieſus, verſes 22.23, &c. Put off concerning the former converſation, the old man, that is corrupt according to deceiptful luſts, and be renewed, &c. Put on righteouſneſſe and holineſſe, verſ. 24. Putting away lying, ſpeake truth, verſ. 25. Putting away wrath, verſ. 26. Not ſtealing, but labouring, verſ. 28. Not corrupt in communication, but edifying, verſ. 29. Not grieving the holy Spirit, &c. verſ. 30. If any thing, called light, be contrary to theſe Rules of the new Creature, as moſt of our wanton licentious going fires are, 'tis unqueſtionably falſe light. So then to conclude in the Prophets language, Iſai. 8.20. To the Law, and to the Teſtimony, Concluſion.if any ſpeake not accordding to this word, it is becauſe there is no light, (that is, no true light) in them: But let us ſay with David, Pſa. 119.105. Thy Word is a lamp unto my path, and a light unto my feet.