Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	doctrine_n	prove_v	3,310	5	5.9535	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91899	Safe conduct, or The saints guidance to glory. Opened in a sermon preached at Dunstans in the East London. November the second, MDCLIV. At the funerall of the vertuous and religious gentlewoman, Mris. Thomasin Barnardiston, late wife of Mr. Samuel Barnardiston, merchant. / By Ralph Robinson, pastor of Mary Wolnoth, Lumbardstreet, London.	Robinson, Ralph, 1614-1655.	1655 (1655)	Wing R1711; Thomason E823_7; ESTC R203376	61,656	101

Law is Light If any Doctrin of faith if any precept for Life and manners abide obscure to us it is not because the Scriptures are dark but because our understandings are blinde or because through slothsulness we neglect to use those Spiritual keys of Prayer Meditation comparing one text with another which God hath appointed as helps to unlock the meaning of his Word All the words Prov. 8. 9. of Wisdom are right to them that finde knowledge and plain to him that understandeth He is either grosly ignorant or desperately envious that chargeth the Word of God at least in the principal Doctrins thereof with obscurity God who is the great Master both of Understanding and Language knows how to speak plainly that the meanest capacity may be edified The Sun in the Firmament doth not shine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost with more clearness than the Sun of the Scriptures doth to those that do not wilfully shut their eyes against it Whatsoever is necessary is plain evident perspicuous to him that desires understanding This makes it fit to be a guide Secondly It is a perfect word there is nothing 2 It is perfect needful to be beleeved for Salvation nothing necessary to be done but it is to be found in the Holy Scriptures either in express tearms or by necessary deduction and consequence All false ways are here discovered all Sins are here forbidden all Holiness is here commanded The Prophet David tells us that The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul Psal 19. 7. and the Apostle saith that All Scripture is given by inspiraetion of God c. That the Man of God may be perfect 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. throughly furnished unto all good works and therefore is a Curse denounced against those that either adde or take away any thing from it Revel 22. 18 19. The Scripture is profitable for Doctrin for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness as the Apostle speaks and therefore perfect It proceeds from a most perfect voluntary cause and therefore must needs be exactly every way perfect The Church of God needs not the help of any unwritten mouldy Traditions to compleat the Holy Scriptures of truth We are not commanded to beleeve Human Traditions or the Doctrins of men but such things as are promulged and written by the Prophets and Apostles Those that argue without the Scriptures do but tye Ropes of Sand such Arguments have no strength in them Ego vocem magni pastoris inquiro saith Austin Lege mihi hoc de Prophetâ recita de lege Aug. lib. de pastore cap. 14. recita de Evangelio recita de Apostolo I enquire what the great Shepherd saith read me such things out of the Writings of the Prophets rehearse out of the Law out of the Evangelists out of the Writings of the Apostles whatever is not according to the Law and the Testimony is to be rejected as that that hath no light in it As the Word of God is a pure Word so it is a perfect Word because of its perfection it is fit to be a Guide Thirdly It is a sure Word it is infallible The Apostle speaking of the written Word saith We have 3 It is sure a more sure word of Prophecy whereunto yee do well that yee take heed He had been discoursing of that voyce 2 Pet. 1. 19. which came down from Heaven at the transfiguration of Christ in the Holy Mount and yet he saith That the word of Prophecy which God hath put into the hands of the Church is a more sure guide than that he doth not say a more true Word for that voyce came from the excellent glory but a more sure word All 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revelations are to be tried by the written word of Prophecy The Apostle commands us to try the Spirits 1 Job 4. 1. We have no other standard to try any Doctrins which men pretend to bee from the Spirit but the Word of God which we are sure was indited by the Spirit and because it is the breathing and inspiration of the holy Spirit it must needs bee infallible as the Spirit is And it is a sure word in regard of the stability of it as well as the infallibility of it it is a Word that abides for ever It is Davids comfortable meditation For ever O Lord thy Psal 119. 89. Word is setled in heaven The Mountains may fail and the Hills may be removed but the Word of God stands fast for ever Thy testimonies O Lord are very sure Psal 93. 5. The Church and People of God have no other foundation for the assurance of their Salvation but the unchangeableness of Gods Nature and the certainty of his Word and being a sure Word it is fit to be a guide Fourthly It is an Uniform word The Holy ● It is uniform Scripture is in all things constant and like to it self There is no discord or jarring but a sweet Harmony and concord in all tho●e blessed writings some appearing disagreement there may seem to be but no real contradiction He that compares one place with another shall finde a sweet consent in all That there is any shadow of dissent between one text and another ariseth not from any dissimilitude of Scripture to it self but from the Readers ignorance or unexperiencedness in the word of righteousness That which is forbidden by one Prophet is forbidden by another that which is enjoyned by the Prophets is enjoyned by the Apostles in their writings The Apostle Paul proves his Doctrin concerning the Messiah out of the Prophets and out of Moses he said No other things than those which the Prophetss and Moses did say should come And the Apostle Peter in that excellent Acts 26. 22. 23. Sermon which he preached to Cornelius and his Friends shews how unanimous the Prophets were in their Writings about that Doctrin To him give all Acts 10. 43. the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins And hereby indeed it appears that the Scriptures are of Divine authority because there is such a perfect harmony in them Though they were penned by several men at several times and these distant one from another not advising or conferring one with another yet they often speak the very same words and always when they write of one subject the same sense without the least contradiction which is an unquestionable Argument to prove that they were dictated unto them by the same Spirit And because of this consent they are fit to be the Beleevers guide And as the Word of God is so fit for this work so Secondly The Spirit of God is a fit Guide This will evidently appear by the ensuing considerations The Spirit of God a fit Gu●de because 1 The Spirit makes the word plain First The Spirit of God is able to expound the VVord of God and to make it plain

Heresies of destruction as the Apostle speaks 2 Pet. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 1. The Lord will by his counsel so guide all his Saints that they shall not live and dye in any of these Heresies As there are Devilish Works so there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Devilish Doctrins or doctrins of Devils as the Scripture calls them 2 Tim. 4. 1. God will by the conduct of his grace guide his Elect that they shall not embrace these Doctrins VVant of truth will shut men out of Heaven as well as want of grace Heresie is a fruit of the Flesh as well as Drunkenness or VVitchcraft Gal. 5. 19 20 Truth is a piece of Gods Image as well as Holiness The grace of faith unites us to God but the Doctrin of faith strengthens this union so farre as any swerves from the truth hee swerves from God If that which yee have heard from the beginning shall remain in you yee also shall continue in 1 Joh. 2. 24. the Son and in the Father Eximia laus sanae Doctrinae saith Calvin VVe may from this text learn what an excellent thing sound Doctrin is in it we finde whatsoever appertains to the true injoyment of God and by it we are united both to the Father and the Son That Man of Sin is become the Antichrist not only because of false worship which he maintains but also because of the Corruption of the faith Truth is a piece of the furniture and riches of the Soul as well as Holiness A Gospel-spirit is a Spirit of a sound minde as well as a spirit of faith and love 2 Tim. 1. 7. Diseases in the head are mortal as well as Diseases in the heart Now when God promiseth to guide his people hee hath respect to this he will ingrave the truth in their mindes he will lead them in the way of truth and if at any time they turn aside to the error of the wicked his grace and his power shall recover them Secondly God will guide his people in matters 2 In matters of practise of practise his Eye shall be upon them to conduct them in the paths of righteousnesse As hee will teach them what to beleeve so hee will direct them what to practise He shall keep the feet of his Saints so Hannah 1 Sam. 2. 9. in her song of thanksgiving This promise as it refers to new obedience comprizeth these four particulars First God will let them see what is sinne and 1 God will make them know his will what is duty hee will shew them his way and make his paths plain before their face When others are in the dark they shall have the light of God upon their Tabernacles The secret of the Lord saith David is with them that fear him and hee will shew them his Covenant Psa 25. 14. God will cause them to understand and know the meaning of his Law his statutes shall not be to them a riddle or a sealed book but they shall be so plain that hee that runs may read them God will interpret the holy Commandement that they shall be able in all things necessary to salvation to understand the sense and meaning of it this is that which God promiseth 1 Joh. 2. 27. the anointing which yee have received of him abideth in you and yee need not that any man teach you God will so inlighten their minds by his Spirit that when they read the word or hear it preached they shall be able to say this is the mind of God Secondly God will give them a heart and a will 2 God will give them an heart to obey to embrace his Commandements to reject sinne and close with duty When others find their hearts rebelling against the Law they shall find their hearts ready to comply and yeeld obedience universally to it David often praies that God would incline his heart to his testimonies This God doth for every Saint he doth sweetly and yet powerfully bow the soul to a free spontaneous and ready obedience so that it chuseth the way of Gods statutes and cleaves to his testimonies This is the meaning of that gracious promise I Ezek. 36. 26 27 will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and yee shall keep my judgements and do them God doth not only lay his Commandements before a Beleevers face but writes them in his heart and then Jer. 31. 33. the Soul resolves never to depart from the obedience of them Gods Commandements at least some of them are grievous to an unbeleever but to one whom God guides every Commandement is sweet and precious he reads no Commandement but hee entertains it with that prayer of the Psalmist O that my Psal 119. 5. ways were directed to keep thy statutes This prayer God answers to every Soul that is led by him hee heals the Gangren of the corrupt will by removing the sowrnes that is upon it and by his enlarging grace enables it willingly to run the way of his Commandements so that the Beleever can say I delight to do thy Will O God yea thy Law is within my heart God bores the Ear and the Soul is no longer rebellious God orders the steps of his Saints and causeth them to delight in his way Thirdly God doth recover them from all their 3 God raiseth them when they fall falls The best of Beleevers have a spice of the Spiritual Falling-sickness they stumble and fall This promise of Divine guidance gives security of timely resurrection from such lapses It is upon Record in Scripture for the comfort of Beleevers that though Psal 37. 24. they fall they shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth them with his hand When they sink into misery God will lift them up and when they slip into sin God will restore them He will put the bones into their places when they are disjoynted and when iniquities prevail over them he will purge them away David fell through the power of temptation but God restored him Peter sunk down through his heedlesness but God lifted him up again Noah and Lot were overtaken and ensnared but God cut the cords of the Net and set them both free As oft as Corruption casts the Saints down so often doth the grace of God set them on their feet again Beleevers have as many Spiritual resurrections as they have Spiritual deaths they have as many Spiritual awakenings as they have Spiritual sleeps Fourthly God will give them perseverance to 4 God gives them perseverance hold out to the end This promise of guidance implyes perseverance Gods guidance would be insufficient if it did not comprehend this grace It is promised to the righteous That they shall hold on their Job 17. 9. way and to them that have clean hands that they shall grow stronger and stronger God furnisheth beleevers with daily supplies of strength for their daily journyings He gives

pageantry Secondly The Glory which the Psalmist doth now meditate on was a heart-quieting glory The thoughts of this Glory whatsoever it was allayed that indignation which hee had in himself because of the prosperity of wicked men and therefore it must needs bee heavenly Glory such glory as the ungodly shall never enjoy for it is opposed to their glory No worldly glory can suppresse such mutinous rageings as were now in Davids heart worldly glory doth rather swell these waters than asswage them The greater advancement an ambitious heart hath the more doth it boil with envy at the glory of others Thirdly The words following do as I conceive clearly determine the sense to everlasting glory whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire besides thee The glory hee hath in his eye is that which consists in the enjoyment of God Now God is not enjoyed to a Saints full contentment till the Soul be landed in heaven Having given the sense of the Text I shall come to the Observations And I shall begin with the former branch of the Text. Thou shall guide mee with thy Counsel I shall consider this branch both as Davids desire and as Davids priviledge If wee look upon it as Davids prayer The lesson will be this That it is the desire of true beleevers to be guided in this life by the Counsel of God If we consider it as Davids privilege the point will bee this That all true Saints shall be guided in this life by the Counsel of God I shall handle these two points distinctly and then make a joint Application of both And I beginne with the first which ariseth from the Text considered as Davids prayer The First Doctrine T is the desire of Saints to bee guided by Gods Counsel It is the earnest desire of all reall Saints of all true Beleevers to be guided in this life by the Counsell of God The same spirit which taught David teacheth other Saints to make this desire to God If wee should travel over all nations and consult the children of God one by one from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof there would not one of that vast number refuse to subscribe to this prayer Lord be our guide There is not a day passeth over the heads of any of those that use to call upon the name of the Lord but they do make this request to heaven under some expression or other that they may have the blessing of divine guidance Scripture proofs Psa 5. 8. The Prophet David very frequently in his retired Devotion beates upon this string Lead mee O Lord in thy righteousnesse because of mine enemies make thy way plain before my face Hee saw himself beset with cruell enemies which indeavoured to make a prey of him and therefore goes to a righteous God for defence and preservation for this Text as Molerus well observes is to be understood of Gods preserving Justice and not of his condemning Justice And in another place shew mee thy waies O Lord teach mee thy paths Psa 25. 4. 5. lead mee in thy truth and teach mee His heart is so exceedingly drawn out after this blessing that he doth in various expressions repeat it again and again And to the same purpose elsewhere For thy name sake Psa 31. 3. lead mee and guide me And when hee was in that benighted condition that hee did walk in thick darkness and saw no light hee goes to the God of his exceeding joy and tenders up the same prayer O send out thy Psa 43. 3. light and thy truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy hil and to thy Tabernacles He knew though he was in darknesse yet God could light him a Candle and make his darknesse to be light And yet again as if hee would never let this request depart out of his heart Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquity Psa 119. 132. have dominion over mee For the more profitable handling of the point two things are to be opened First what is to bee understood by this expression The Doctrine opened Gods Counsel Secondly Why Beleevers do so importunately pray for this divine guidance First The guiding Counsel of God comprehends Gods Counsell what it comprehends three things 1 The word of God 2 The Spirit of God 3 The wise Providence of God First The word of God Thus divers Interpreters 1 The word of God In tua lege in tuis praecep●is deduxisti me Menoch in loc carry it I mean the written word This is frequently called the Counsel of God because therein is contained whatsoever God would have men beleeve or do for his Glory and their own Salvation The written word is the Divine Rule which God hath given In observatione praeceptorum So Carthus both for matters of Doctrin and matters of Practice or obedience The Holy Ghost charging sinfull men with disobedience against the word of God doth express it in these terms yee have set at nought all my Counsell and again They would none of my Counsell Pro. 1. 25. 30. And the Apostle Paul speaking of his ministeriall faithfulnesse in making known the mind of God perfectly unto the Church represents it under the very same expression I have not shamed to declare unto you Acts 20. 27. all the Counsell of God The holy Scriptures are called a light shining in a dark place A Lamp unto our feet 2 Pet. 1. 19. Psa 119. 105. They are the Rule of faith and manners the very expression of the wisdome of God Austin calls the Scripture the Epistle of God to the Creatures by Quid est scriptura sacra nisi quaedam Epistola Omnipotentis Dei ad creaturam suam in qua verba Dei so●ant cor Dei discitur Aug. which they understand the very heart of God Almighty God hath in the sacred Scriptures as it were unbowelled himself and unfolded all his Counsell to the creatures as farre as it is necessary to be known for their direction and guidance to everlasting life The Holy Scripture is as one calls it very fitly Fidei mensura morum errorum censura ad coelos viam monstrans cynosura The measure of faith the censure of manners and errors and a guide that shews us the way to eternall happinesse in heaven It is os spiritus Sancti manus Spiritus Sancti the very mouth of the Holy Ghost whereby the Elect are called and the hand of the Holy Ghost whereby such as are called and faithful and chosen are guided to life and peace Shut up the Scriptures and men will be in the dark as to the understanding of Gods Counsel Take away the Scriptures and there will be no certain Rule to direct men what is to be done or what is to be beleeved Should this blessed word be lost the Elect would want a Counsellor and

this work of guidance Providence without the VVord may deceive us but when wee lay the VVord before us for our direction Providence will wisely and powerfully conduct us to the end of our journey according to that blessed light Thus much for the first Doctrine which ariseth from the words considered as a Prayer Before I make the Application of this point I shall open the other which is the result of the Text as it lays down a Spiritual privilege and then I will apply them joyntly It is this That all true Saints shall be guided in this life by the The second Doctrin The godly shall have Divine guidance Counsel of God This happiness the Prophet desires this blessing hee doth confidently hope to enjoy And what David or Asaph as beleevers did expect may upon the same grounds be expected by all beleevers The very same Charter the very same Covenant of Grace the very same Inheritance which appertains to one Saint belongs to every Saint The Salvation of Gods people is called the common Salvation Jude 3. not because it is common to all men but because it is common to all Saints One Heaven shall hold all the faithful all the precious Wheat shall be gathered into this one Garner The great and main privileges of the Covenant of Grace belong to one Heir of promise as well as another When the Children of Israel were come out of The point proved by Scripture Aegypt and were to travel through that vast howling VVilderness unto the Land of Canaan the Lord did create a miraculous guidance for them He went before them by day in a pillar of a Cloud to lead them the Exod. 13. 21 22. way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light to go by day and by night He took not away the pillar of the Cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people For forty years together did the Lord Jehovah lead his people by this strange guidance which way soever the VVinds blew this Cloud kept its motion neither wind nor storm could disperse it or put it for one moment out of its course This conduct of the Israelites to the Land of Canaan was a figure of that Conduct which God affords all his people through the VVilderness of this world to the Coelestial Canaan he will never leave them till he hath put them into possession of that heavenly Country hee hath prepared for them If we search the Scriptures wee shall meet with many places wherein this is promised to the Servants of God The Prophet amongst divers other privileges of Beleevers makes this to be one He that hath Isa 49. 10. mercy on them shall lead them even by the springs of water shall he guide them The text alludes to the guidance of the Church through the VVilderness by that pillar of Cloud which God had provided As hee led the old Church so he will lead the Gospel Church while God continues to be a merciful God hee will be a guiding God to his people Divine guidance is built on Divine mercy And elsewhere the same Prophet makes mention of this privilege by way of promise The Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfie Isa 58. 11 thy soul in drought A beleever hath as good reason to beleeve that God will guide him as he hath to think that God will feed him And yet again doth the same Prophet assure the Saints of this I will bring Isa 42. 16. the blinde by a way that they know not I will lead them in paths that they have not known These things will I do unto them and not forsake them VVhen the beleever is in such an entangled and perplexed condition that hee knows no more which way to walk than a blinde man in a VVilderness then will God take him by the hand and make darkness light and crooked things straight before him VVhen all our counsel is perished then may we expect the shinings forth of Gods counsel As God hath promised this guidance so we shall finde that beleevers have with much confidence hoped for it It is one Article of a Beleevers Creed that God will bee his guide This God saith the Psal 48. 14. Church is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death He that hath reason to beleeve that God is his God may with all the confidence of his heart beleeve that he will bee his guide VVhen God engaged himself to be our God he did solemnly undertake to be our Guide he could not bee our God if he were not our Guide and therefore doth the Prophet put them together Isa 48. 17. I am the Lord thy God which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go The Prophet David very confidently promiseth this to himself speaking of God he saith He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for Psal 23. 3. his names sake The same God which puts a Beleever into the path of righteousness at first will lead him in that path For the opening of this point it will be necessary to discusse briefly these three Particulars 1 In what respect God will guide the Beleever The Doctrine opened 2 VVhy God will guide him 3 How a Beleever can wander seeing God doth guide him First In what respect God will guide Beleevers 1 In what respect God guides Beleevers How will God guide them what this promise of Divine guidance hath reference unto This Promise refers to two things 1 To matters of Faith 2 To matters of Practise First God will guide his people in matters of Faith he will teach them what is truth and what 1 In matters of faith is falshood he will direct them in point of Judgement as well as in point of Practise 1 God will give them understanding to discern the truth 2 God will give them hearts to embrace the truth 3 God will establish and settle them in the truth And 4 If through ignorance or temptation they bee drawn aside God will reduce them and bring them back to the truth The Scripture promiseth divine Conduct in point of faith as well as in point of practise to the people of God Yee shall know the truth saith our Saviour to Joh. 8. 32. them that beleeved in him and the truth shall make you free And when he promiseth the Holy Ghost the Comforter he mentions this as one branch of his Office He shall lead you into all truth Though the Joh. 16. 13. people of God may be ignorant of some truth though they may be leavened with some Errour yet shall they by the conduct of the Holy Ghost the perfect Master of truth be preserved from all fundamental errours in point of faith Men may perish as well through the want of the Doctrine of faith as of the grace of faith As there are damnable Practices so the Scripture tells us that there are damnable Heresies or