that would live by Faith he must not say in his heart Who shall ascend into heaven to bring down Christ or an issue from above or who shall descend into the deep to bring up a Christ or an issue from the dead But the word is near thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart The Word of Faith the Word in the Gospel which we preach This Point because there are several things in it of special concernment for us I shall deduce and branch out to you in four Heads 1. That really needy Saints who are put to live by Faith ought to be and will be much conversant with the Word that they may know what is for them and suitable to their case there 2. That as really needy Saints will be much conversant with the Word so they will judge of things according to the Verdict of the Word 3. That to fix them in that Resolution to judge of things according to the Word they must fix this Principle That the Word is of Divine Authority 4. That having fixt this That the Word is of Divine Authority the Believer must send out his Faith to believe and his hope to look for all that he finds in so Divine and sure a Word For the first of these I say That really needy Saints who are put to live by Faith ought to be and will be much conversant in the Word that they may know what is for them there and suitable to their case This is clearly imported in the Text while he saith I hope in thy Word He must know what is in the Word to lean his Faith and Hope upon for except he know he cannot lean his Faith and Confidence on it Hence David a great liver by Faith was much conversant with the Scriptures they were his meditation his meat his delight the men of his counsels his guides as ye may read at length what his esteem of the Scriptures was in that 119 Psalm And this being so it will infer not only that really needy saints should attend upon the Word preached but more especially that they should and will be much at the privat serious reading of meditation on and perusal of the Scriptures a duty that in the first place I would prove to be a duty And 2dly press it on you 1. I say it is needful to prove that it is a duty that the Scriptures be read by all in opposition to that cursed Popish principle that will not allow any laick or privat person without a peculiar licence to read the Scriptures whereby they turn that in a priviledge and confer on some only which God hath imposed as a duty on all yea further so Tyrannical are they in this that though they permit some to read the vulgar Latin or Translations according to it as they have turned it in English where Protestants are lest if they shuld hinder them in the use of that they should read other Translations without their liberty yet in other places as Spain and Italy they are sparing of these Licenses This is a damnable error not only contrair to the way of the ancient Church wherein they glory so much wherin privat persons were so well acquaint with the Word that they would make it the subject of their discourse while they were about their ordinary callings but is clearly repugnant to Scripture and principles deduced therefrom both in the Old and New Testament I shall not insist on controversial things but lay down first some instances from Scripture to which I shall add some Scripture arguments for clearing that Truth For Scripture instances look to the Old Testament it is marked Acts 15.21 That in old time Moses had in every City them that preached him being read in the synagogues every sabbath day and not the Books of Moses only but the Prophets And therefore our Lord in his solemn Sermon Luke 4.17 Read out of the Prophecy of Isaiah that Book being delivered to him Beside publick reading of the Scriptures we find privat reading enjoyned Deut. 17.18 The King was to have a Copy of the Law in a Book out of that which was before the Priests and Levits to be with him and he was to read therein all the days of his life Josh 1.8 The Commander of the people was not to let the book of the Law depart out of his mouth but to meditat therein day and night It was also to be read by mean persons for Deut. 6.6 These words commanded to the Jews they were to teach them diligently to their children to talk of them when they sat in their houses when they did walk by the way when they did ly down and when they rose up and this they could not do in all the ages of their Church unless they read the Books of Moses when Moses was gone We find that Eunuch in returning from Jerusalem in his journey reading the Scripture Act. 8.30 We find Timothy from a child instructed in the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 drinking it in with his milk and in a word Psal 1.2 We find the blest man in those days and in all ages of the Church to be that man who hath his delight in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth meditate day and night If again we turn to the New Testament we find that Christ commands the Jews to search the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 We find the Bereans commended for comparing Christ Apostles Sermons with the Scripture searching the Scriptures whether these things were so Act. 17.11 We find it required That the word of Christ a well in us richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another Col. 3.16 which necessarily requires frequent reading of the Scriptures we find the Apostle supposing the Corinthians read them 2 Cor. 1.13 We wrote none other things to you than that you read and acknowledge and Eph. 3.4 Whereby when ye read ye may understand my knowledge We find him commanding it Col. 4.16 When this Epistle is read amongst you cause also that it be read in the Church of the Laodiceans and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea 1 Thes 4.27 He charges them by the Lord that that epistle be read unto all the holy brethren and if the Apostle John Rev. 1.3 pronounces them blest who reads the words of that prophesie which is a dark obstruse Book It is not the purpose of the Spirit of God that other plain Scriptures should be shut up from people But 2. Unto these Scripture instances we shall add a few Scripture Arguments as 1. For what end were the Scriptures plainly and legibly written and at first in a known language if not to be made use of and read when the Vision is written and made plain upon Tables Habakkuk tells the end of that is That he may run that readeth it 2. If the Prophets Christ and his Apostles did not spare to preach their Doctrine in the audience of all it cannot be rationally thought but that we may
spoken unto For the First Having said that the pardon of sin takes away the guilt of sin while the blot of sin remains It 's a Question how that can be seing these two are inseparable it 's as we say propitum quarto modo an essential property of sin that it draws under guilt and makes the sinner lyable to punishment and it 's as absurd to say that sin can be without guilt as to say fire can be without heat or the Sun without Light guilt being as inseparable a property of sin as heat is to fire or Light to the Sun But for Answer this distinction will clear it distinguish betwixt guilt it self and the result of that guilt on the person sinning as also betwixt Gods offence and displeasure at sin and his offence and displeasure at the sinner hence if we consider guilt in it self it is inseparable from sin there is no pardon that God gives unto the sinner that takes away the desert that sin hath in it self of the wrath of God But if we consider guilt as it results upon the person sinning and brings him under the lash of God's displeasure in that respect guilt may be separat from sin Sin cannot be sin if it bring no guilt with it yet the pardoning of sin brings freedom from the actual obligation of the sinner to punishment Sin hath that evil with it that it deserves wrath but a free pardon Suspends that ill deserving that it doth not take effect against a sinner that is fled to Jesus Christ I may illustrat it by a similitude of a massie Hammer that is lift up and falls down by an Engine and crushes that which is under it and a strong hand holding it up and keeping it up that it never falls down it 's as inseparable from sin to deserve everlasting Wrath as it 's inseparable from a ponderous weight falling down to crush that which it falls on but pardon keeps up that weight of deserved Wrath that it falls not down to crush them that are fled to Christ and this also serves not only for Information of the Judgment but to meet with another case incident to the People of God who when they are fled to Christ for refuge they not only meet with the Pollution and Blot of sin but with the guilt and ill-deserving of sin which troubles them who being sensible of Sin and assaying to close with pardon when they look to the dreadful Rod of Iron that they know their sins deserve they cannot get pardon of sin closed with That 's a strong temptation to a tender walker to stand a back but in this case we would distinguish betwixt what we deserve and the execution of it a pardoned Sinner would remember that it commends Gods free Grace in pardoning Sin that whatever his ill-deserving be he will not get that which he deserves God will not give him according to his deserving And though the Man fled to Jesus Christ may be dayly humbled with the sight of the pollution and desert of sin yet he may be comforted in the free Grace of God that his ill-deserving shall never take effect to his prejudice Now because this is a great Point and folk that are in earnest about the pardon of sin when they are fled unto Christ for pardon they may have many a sad thought about the pollution and desert of Sin The tender walker will no doubt say I am a vile body I have that which deserves everlasting wrath nay that that God will pursue to root out though he doth not look on us as an enemy Because that may be ground of many doubts about this matter touching the pardon of sin I shall desire you to take notice of some Scriptural expressions that are very full and satisfactory for pardon notwithstanding of the pollution of sin and the desert of sin and in following this I would desire you to take a look of these two one is how the Scripture declares that pardoned sin is looked on by the Creditor to wit God And another is how it stands with the pardoned man For the First whatever thou feel who art fled to Christ for pardon yet O how fully and satisfactory doth the Scripture speak to thy pardon I dare not fall on all the Scriptural expressions that hold it forth but shall briefly touch on some of them in these four steps And 1. The Scripture tells that pardoned sin is a blotted out sin Psal 51.9 Blot out all mine iniquities and Isai 44.22 I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins It is an allusion to a man that deletes or blots out of his Compt-book that which is either payed or forgiven and hence this phrase tells that pardoned sin is a debt that will never be craved nor called for it is a debt that God the principal Creditor hath given over and will no more call for seing it is blotted out But 2. Because it might be supponed that a debt delete in a compt-Compt-book may be looked on and read though not to crave the debt yet to waken resentments Therefore the Scripture goes a further length in the pardon of sin and tells that pardoned sin is not only blotted out that it cannot be gotten read but it is câ—vered and hid out of Gods sight Psal 32.1 Bleâ—st is the man whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered Numb 23.21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob nor hath be seen perversness in Israel It is not only blotted out but it is covered and so covered as is not seen to be pursued with the punishment it deserves and here the Scripture is very copious to express how sin is covered as that he casts pardoned sins behind his back or over his shoulders to speak so that they shall be no more in his view Isai 38.17 Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back saith Isaiah And because a man may turn about and see that which is behind his back therefore pardoned sin is said to be so covered that as it is Mic. 7.19 it is said to be cast not in the shallow places but in the depths of the sea And ye use to say of a thing that is lost irrecoverably it is as tint as it were in the Sea-bottom But further because though a thing be in the depth of the Sea it may be dived after and sought out therefore it is added in that fore-cited place Jer. 50.20 The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sin of Judah and they shall not be found So that the pardon of sin covers sin takes it out of Gods sight and puts it in the depths of the Sea that though it be sought for it shall not be found But 3ly If there remain any doubt how it can be but the Omniscient God must see sin and seeing it must be angry at it therefore the Scripture gives a further account of the fulness of
read the Scriptures that contains the sum of their Doctrine 3. The Scriptures are not only written to all but are recommended to all therefore they concern all and are to be read by all Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written afore-time were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope The Epistles of Paul were directed to all the Saints John's 2d Epistle was written to an elect lady his 3d. Epistle to Gaius In his first he writes to fathers young men and children and how irrational is it to assert that that which is directed to all should be keep'd up from any concerned 4. The use that all have for the Scriptures do prove that they should be read by all they are the Rule by which we are to walk and therefore the man that would walk right must know the Rule They are the Charter of our Inheritance and that we be not cheated we would know it They are our elder Brothers Testament and therefore we ought to read it that we may know our Legacy All the Epithets given to the Scripture in relation to our need tell it is the will of God we should be conversant with them And Lastly There are many duties required of Christians that they cannot perform unless they be conversant with the Scriptures they are bidden try the spirits whither they be of God 1 Joh. 4.1 And how shall they try them but by the Touchstone of the Scriptures They are bidden prove all things 1 Thes 5.21 And how shal they do that unless they make use of the standard of the Scripture they are bidden add to their faith vertue and to their vertue knowledge 2 Pet. 1.5 And how shal they increase in knowledge if the Scriptures be not conversed with nay more How shall ignorance be proven to be a sin if the Scripture the only Illuminator of the Understanding be not to be conversed with But I shall forbear further debating with Papists the imitators in this of other Hereticks whom Tertullian calls Lucifugae scripturarum who while they prohibit the promiscuous reading of Scripture proclaim how little kindness they expect of the Scripture It is with them as it is with a Tyrrant and his Subjects he dares not trust them with armslest they should rise against him so they will not let people read the Scriptures lest thereby they should soon discover their abominations and cheats therefore it is that they keep them in a mass of ignorance and please them with that That Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion But 2. To press this Duty upon you for I would not so much have us Disputants for this Truth as Practisers of this Duty I would not have men having Bibles in their Houses and yet as little acquaint with them as if they had none if this be a duty it would be followed forth in practice I shall not enter upon the way of reading Scripture here but in bearing home the practice of the duty I shall say this 1. Ye that have Children train them up at Schools a thing wherein the heat of persecution made the ancient Church very deficient they had no Schools to put their Children to But how made they up that loss by procuring Copies of the Scriptures they got in some to read to them whom they lodged with them or going far to hear them read by such as could read them And I might here instance Pambo who came to a Friend that he might read a Psalm to him and he beginning the 39 Psalm I said I will take heed to my way that I sin not with my tongue hold there said he till I learn that well and when he came again being asked why he tarried so long away O said he I think that one lesson of the Government of the Tongue shall suffice me all my life But this I leave as a digression But if these who wanted Schools were put to such pains and charges to supply that defect what a great defect is it in you that have Schools and yet there are so many of you in the place and Countrey about that can read none at all Is not this a great neglect of a special mean of Salvation and to find it in such a place where Religion has had countenance and where Learning might be had with ease that so many persons should be found not able to read the Scriptures O what a lamentable defect is it and I wish it may not be continued in in this generation And I shall add to this of putting your Children to read ye would beware of indulgence to them while they are learning This sinful indulgence of Children is an ill symptom for the generation to follow and more it is a sad presage that these your sinful indulged Children shall prove your greatest plague experience hath proven it and ye would look to it if the Children ye have indulged do skaith to Church or State readily ye may get the first draught of the Cup they will be your greatest cross But 2. I would recommend to you that ye that can read would make use of that gift that is a thing ye may do with little interruption to your lawful affairs and a thing ye have liberty to go about without hazard ye are not like Incodemites as many are called in other parts of the world wherein Inquisitions are so terrible to people that if they have a Bible or any portion of it they must hide it for fear of the Inquisition ye are not in that hazard and if ye refuse to make use of the Scripture when it is dadded on you and have liberty to be conversant with it it shall be righteousness with God to take that liberty from you and give you up to Inquisitions as a punishment for that dreadful neglect I see Bibles among you and bless God for it but it is not enough to have them go through them and seek to be acquaint with the mind of God held out to you in them But to press this duty a little more distinctly I would briefly point at four or five things which I would have you to consider 1. I would have the excellency of the Scripture considered ye know men of Spirits if they hear of an excellent Book written by a very learned person O how would they long for it be at pains to have it and read it how greedily will some seek after and peruse Histories and Romances who are little in reading the Scripture but I shall come nearer you If there came News to Scotland that there were a Book written by God in Spain or some other remote Countrey how would it be longed for how would ye be earnest to seek and peruse it and if so what a sin and a shame is it when that Book inspired by the Spirit of God written by infallible Instruments is among your hands and yet how many are there that neither in their Families nor in secret have
a testimony of their reading of it what a monstruous neglect is it 2. Consider that it is a mean of God's Converse with us There is a double mean of intercourse and converse betwixt God and us on our part we converse with him by Prayer by sending up our beggar supplications to Him we traffick with Heaven by our necessities vented in Prayer to God upon the one hand and upon the other hand it is by these Scriptures that God corresponds visibly with us and sends messages to us Hence I infer and look to it That neglecters to converse with the Scripture not only obstruct God's intercourse and provocks him to give up correspondence with them in his Word nay his dwelling in them for Joh. 15.7 Speaking of his abiding in us and we in him he says If ye abide in me and my words in you he in stead of putting in his abiding puts in his words abiding in us because it is by his word he abides in us But I say it is to be feared that neglecters of converse with the Scripture not only obstruct God's correspondence with and dwelling in them but that they also cut short the converse on their side with Heaven by needy Prayer Let them never say that they are serious in Prayer that neglect to read the Scriptures though a man may read much that prays not for these are not reciprocal yet he can never be serious in prayer that reads none he must be a delighter in the Scripture that converses with God by prayer if then ye neglect reading ye not only obstruct Gods intercourse with you but yours with him And I shall add in the 3d. place there is not a more infallible mark of Grace and Regeneration nor to be much acquaint and conversant with the Scripture delighting therein and feeding thereon I shall not urge that natural Axiom iisdem nutrimur ex quibus constamus we are nourished of the same things we are made of but I shall give it you in Scripture terms Compare these two 1 Pet. 1.23 and 2.2 â—n the one passage it is said Ye are born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever In the other passage as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby If a man be begotten and born by the word he will desire the sincere milk of the Word that he may grow and be nourished by it and in this I may allude to that of David Psal 119.93 I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickened me A man that hath found the Word powerful pulling him from Nature to Grace from the power of Sathan to God will not forget it but must be conversant with it And I shall add in the fourth place as the frequent use of the Scripture is a blessed proof of Regeneration so it is an evidence of a tender man The untender man takes advice from any thing that may bring him pleasure advantage or preferment and accordingly steers his course but the tender man must have directions from the Word else he will not stir in any thing he far transcends these Grecians who being at their Sacrifice would not stir from it though the enemy approached and killed some and wounded others till they got some good signs and then they got up and went to it So the tender man in all his cases and difficulties will take his directions from the Bible and then he goes to it for his encouragements and hence Psal 1.2 The blest man is he who delights in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth meditat day and night He must not want his Bible what ever he want and that is a tender man who like David in a distress must encourage himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 or else he will not be encouraged There is a 5th thing that presses this duty of conversing with the Scripture and it is the thing in hand the godly man hath so many needs that he must not want the Bible to make up and supply them he is put to fend by Faith and Hope and Faith and Hope must not want the Scriptures the ground of both there is no pasture for Faith and Hope but the Scripture Therefore the godly man must be conversant with it he must have his all in God and must study to know the mind of God that he may please him in all things The godly man is called to live by Faith and must know what Faith hath to feed on and this puts him to converse with Scripture As I said before The Bible is the Charter of his Inheritance the Rule that he must walk by his Elder Brother's Testament the Compass he must steer his course by in storms his Magazine for weapons and furniture his Touch-stone that he must try all Duties and Comforts by in all these and many mo he hath need of the Bible and therefore if his grace be in exercise he must be much conversant with it I shall not fall on any of the other Heads but exhort you while ye have the light to walk in the light and while ye walk in the light make use of the Bible let this Word not be sown in the wind but let it be as a good and a nail fastened by the Masters of Assemblies Acquaint your selves with the Bible through and through read it and depend on God for the blessing delight in it meditatâ—on it hereby ye shall evidence your esteem of it as most excellent above all other Books Hereby ye shall evidence your esteem of and converse with God your Regeneration and walk with God that ye dwell in God and have your all in him and that ye rest on what he has spoken in the Scriptures for making up all your wants God bless his Word to you for Christs sake SERMON XXVII Psalm 130. Verse 5. And in his Word do I hope WAiting for God being as ye have heard it the excellent yet difficult and trying task of the Saints surely they stand in great need to be well beam-fiâ—led and stocked that would engage in such an undertaking lest they weary of waiting on God and row to some other shore and this is it that the Psalmist here is from his own experience and practice directing us in after that he hath in the first place asserted his waiting and next his waiting for the Lord. And 3. That his waiting is not degenerat in a careless indifferency and stupidity but however he did cast out bitterness haste and fretfulness out of his waiting yet it did not cool his affection was not blunted for his soul did wait after that I say he proceeds to give an account of his support in waiting my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope he tells that it was Faith and hope that enabled and supported him to wait for God Ye may remember that the first
and soberly shall find that there are as many Characters shining in the Scripture it self as may refresh and satisfie him and all those who have their all in God God bless his Word to you for Christ's sake SERMON XXVIII Psalm 130. Verse 5. And in his word do I hope A Person without skill will readily mistake the best contrivances whoso without skill should look slightly upon a man building an House and digging very deep to seek a sure foundation for it whereby a great part of his expenses and pains is hid under ground would they not be ready to go and count that great cost but when the foundation is well laid the superstructure will stand the better So may it be with many in reference to the purpose I am now upon needy bodies would fain have something presently to fill their mouth they are not for frist but little do they consider that the Doctrine of this Text lays the foundations that cannot be destroyed The foundation of all their other food that they get from the Scripture and because this foundation is not well laid other things relating to their cases in the superstructure proves slipâ—y I am now upon the great Task of the Psalmist here waiting for God I have shewed the necessity of Faith and Hope for that undertaking the fastning of Faith and Hope in waiting on its sure ground the Word of God And I have laid before you the necessity of being acquaint with the Scriptures that it is your duty to be determined by the Scripture and to judge of all things according to the verdict of the Word and in prosecution of that I am led upon this great Truth That the Scriptures are of Divine Authority they are the Word of God I laid by the pretence of the Romish Church to assert the Authority of the Scriptures whose principles lead men in the matters of Religion to a labyrinth of unextricable uncertainties Now it would remain that I should hint at some things to clear the Divinity and Divine Authority of the Scriptures and the Doctrine therein contained not to Atheists to Whom I spake a word in the close of the mornings Exercise but to sober minded folk who would fain have their Faith helped in that concern and as the last day I recommended your Bibles to you to be made more use of that ye might have the word dwelling richly in you So this day I would recommend to all to take another and a better look of their Bibles that they may see them and the Doctrine held out therein clearly and distinctly to be Divine One word I premit which would lead me to that I would speak to here and ye will find it Psal 119.152 You read it in your Translation Concerning thy testimonie I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever but the Original reads it word for word thus From thy testimonies I have learned of old that thou hast founded them for ever wherein ye may take notice of these three 1. What he learned concerning the Scriptures that God had founded them for ever that is That they were and are an unalterable and everlasting foundation of Faith having a Divine Authority stamped upon them 2. When he learned this of old not only from experience but he learned it as the first principle he had drunken in That was would he say the A B C. of my Religion a Peter hath the word in that forecited place 2 Pet. 1.20 Know this first c. 3. Whence he learned this From thy testimonies I learned it saith he I needed not another evidence thy Testimonies when my eyes were open discovered to me their divine authority and infallible verity Hence ye may gather that which I closed with in the morning That if ye suppose the Historical verity of the Scriptures they will prove their Divinity to any who have the Spirit of God or to any who receive the Scriptures as a true History the Scriptures themselves will prove themselves to be Divine Writings So here ye have 1. The Historical verity of the Scriptures supposed 2. Their Divine Authority proposed and 3. The necessity of the Spirit to discern that 1. I suppose that men receive the Scriptures as a true History that is that men will give that credit to the Word that they give to any common History handed down to their days to wit that there was such a Nation as Israel that there was such a man as Moses that gave them Laws that was instrumental in working miracles in bringing them out of Egypt and in the Wilderness that there was such an one as Jesus Christ that preached in Palestine was crucified at Jerusalem that he had twelve Apostles that followed him c. This is to be supposed in this inquiry concerning the Authority of the Scriptures neither is it irrational to suppose it Though there be no vestige of that antient City of Troy now yet who doubts but such a City was And that Homer wrote not a meer Romance whatever Poetical enlargements he has when he wrote of it Who doubts of Alexander the Great though his Empire be now gone and that Q Curtius wrote of him Who doubts of the Roman Wars and that Titus Livius wrote of them when men get these Books in their hands they look not on them as fables and if so how rationally do we plead that the like Credit be given to the Scriptures that they may have the like acceptance if any account this irrational he must grant that he will not believe any thing done before his own time nay that he will not believe any thing done in his own time if he see it not done with his eyes and thus a man questioning the Historical verity of things should nonpluss himself with absurdities and declare that he were fitter for a Bedlam than to be Disputed with But 2. This being supposed there is their Divine Authority proposed to be spoken to the Scripture it self will prove it self a true Divine word they often do solemnly declare they are of God that God spoke them to Moses the Prophets and assert that what they spoke are the truths of God and that they do not cheat in this assertion whoso will go through the Characters of the words Divinity they will be convinced of it But a man falling on that subject must say as Psal 106.2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord Who can shew forth all his praise I might here speak of the form and stile of Scripture of the scope and end of it leading to God and Everlasting happiness but I shall limit my self to the antiquity of the Scripture the instruments employed in transmitting it to us the matter of the Scripture the efficacy and success of them and the adjuncts of the Scripture 1. For the antiquity of the Scripture that is most true which is most antient and so is the Scripture for however error may plead antiquity yet truth had
still the fore-start of it from the beginning it was not so says Christ Mat. 19.8 What Book so antient as the Book of Moses out of which the rest are to be proven The Hebrew was the most antient Language Moses who wrote in the Hebrew Language was dead long before the Theban War and Siege of Troy the first thing written by the Heathen and for the antiquity of the matter it is the most antient the matter first whereof it treats concerning the Creation of the Heaven and the Earth the Creation of Man and his fall the effects whereof the Heathen have felt though they could not ascend to the cause The History of the Worlds Creation being first Man that was made the sixth day could not have known unless God had revealed it unto him Nay Tit. 1.2 It speaks of Promises made by God that cannot lie before the World began and that these are not Impostures of men their accomplishment in every age makes out 2. For the Instruments imployed in transmitting the Doctrine of the Scriptures to us some of them were learned as Moses Daniel Paul though all their Learning could not reach that Doctrine but generally they were simple illiterat men and to convince us further their Doctrine was of God they could not be deceived they would not deceive and though they would they could not deceive 1. They could not be deceived Why Either they had their Doctrine from God and a good Spirit or from Sathan and an evil Spirit if they had it from God and a good Spirit as indeed they did have it they could not be deceived and from Sathan and an ill Spirit they could not have it for he would not inspire Doctrine in men so destructive to his Kingdom and interest 2. As they could not be deceived so neither would they deceive when impostures comes out to cheat others any with half an eye cannot but see some design in their cheat but what design could the instruments employed to carry this Doctrine have They walked not in craftiness they handled not the Word of God deceitfully they affected not humane Wisdom but by manifestation of the Truth commended themselves to every mans Conscience as in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 The world saw they reaped no advantage by their Doctrine but a sore skin they relinquisht all their own interest and worldly advantages in their faithful discharge of their trust And 3. As they could not be deceived and would not deceive so though they would they could not deceive and that because these things they preached and wrote of were not done in a corner but before all they came not out as the Papists to tell of miracles in corners which none saw but themselves but of things done in the open view of the world so that if they had vented any untruth there were myriads of men to witness against them and give them the lie Apian confesses many things concerning the Jews The Pharisees confesse of the Apostles Acts 4. That a notable miracle was wrought by them which was manifest to all that dwelt at Jerusalem and none could deny it The Philosophers and Heathens confessed that many things were true of the Christians But 3. Let us consider the matter of the Scriptures and O! what beams of Divinity will we find shining there look on it in the bulk no such systeme of Doctrine concerning God and his Attributes the Creation of Man and Providence the Fall of Man and his Redemption concerning mans Duty the immortality of the Soul the resurrection of the Body Eternal Life and happiness c. as this Book holds out Consult all the Philosophers all the Druids and Brachmans all the Magicians that ever spoke or wrot of Divine things and put all their Doctrines together in one they cannot parralel this Book and the matter contained in it it is such a compleat Transcript and System of Doctrine and this proves it to be of God Why Could the mind of man what way soever have found out what is in this Book no certainly these wonders of Nature parts abilities would never have left it to some poor illiterat Fisher Men to discover that they should bring forth such transcendent sublime Truths demonstrats the Scriptures to be the word of God Look upon it in the parts the Histories contained in it though written by so many several men living in so far distant ages places of the world yet have a wonderful harmony holding out a true Chronology and supputation of time which proves their divine authority and infallible verity Here ye have a true History of what the Heathen involved in Fables for if it were fit to insist on it I could clear their first Saturn was Adam and the next Noah whose three Sons Shem Ham and Japheth were Transformed by them Ham into Jupiter Japheth into Neptune and Shem because they hated the blessed race into Pluto and that all their other Fables are but obscure and dark intimations of the Histories which in the Bible are clear and plain here we have Histories not so much concerning great Kings and Princes as of poor Believers not so much concerning things that occurred as the Providence of God in bringing them about And as Scripture Histories are exact true and distinct So Scripture dogmata and Doctrines are so clear many of them and so consonant with Natures light that in some measure they may be known by it as that there is one God the first cause of all That it is reasonable he should be served c. That reasonable Creatures have immortal souls and die not as beasts which made the Heathen to cry out as Deut 4.8 What nation is there so great that hath statutes and judgments so righteous and others of them though they be not known by natural reason yet they are not contrary to principles that are naturally known concerning the Power Wisdom and Goodness of God and being revealed will be acknowledged to be very rational Thus though man know not the way of Redemption but by Divine Revelation yet he may find himself an object of pity which alone can be expected from God and of justice if he find not out some remedy Again though some mysteries transcend the Light of Natural Reason as the Trinity of Persons the Incarnation of Christ c. Yet that will not bring the Doctrine in question partly because no Doctrine even of the Heathens but it hath its own secrets and partly because there are many things in nature which we see are and yet we cannot tell why what and whence they are But further consider the Scriptures and as we will find them clear as to the Histories and Doctrines therein set down so as to the Prophesies therein contained we will find an exact answerableness of so many future events to their predictions in the Word The Heathens hold their amâ—â—guous Oracles so adapted to the events that they might put their own Commentars upon them