were meeter that we should euen with teares of bloud importune him yet the sonnes of men whose breath is in their nosthrils not waighing this vnutterable kindnes should dare to set at naught such a message and to let it flip as if it were some idle stuffe not worth the looking on Againe wheras it is often touched in the scripture that the lord had a speciall regard ouer the Iewish nation more then to any other vnder heauen the liberty of enioying the law of god is noted as the principal benefit which the lord vouchsafed them Deut. 4.8 What nation is there so great saith Moses that hath ordinances and lawes so righteous as all the law which I set before you this day And Dauid in the Psalmes haueing spoken at large touching the prouidence of God ouer all mankind cōmeth at last to shew wherin the Iewes had the preeminence aboue all other Ps 147.19 20. in these words He shewed his word vnto Iacob his statutes and Iudgments vnto Israell he hath not dealt so with euery nation Rom. 3.1 2. And Saint Paul propounding to himselfe this question what is then the preferment of the Iew answereth it thus cheifly because vnto them were committed the oracles of God So then seing among all the blessings that God bestowed vpon thē this was the choise that the great things of the law were committed vnto them in it must needs be an argument of extreame vnthankfulnes in them to make so slight account of so great a fauour The third euill of which this euill here reproued in them was compounded was neglect of their owne priuate good For the lord had not commended to them the things of his law simply as a meanes by which they might shew their obedience vnto his authority Eze. 20.11 but the intent of the lord therin was the furtherance of their good I gaue them saith God statutes and ordinances which if a man doe he shall liue in them the glory should haue returned to God by their obedience but the cheife profit should haue beene their owne and therfore for them to let the law lie like some old booke out of vse or some other forlorne or forraigne matter it could not but argue a most miserable neglect and bewray them to be men of a most profane and dissolute disposition so then if you demaund what great matter this was for which this people was so highly blamed in these words They haue accounted the great things of the law as a strange thing I answere it was an error comprising vnder it 3. soule euills 1. rebellious disobedience to Gods expresse cōmādment 2. presumtuous contempt and base estimation of gods great kindnes 3. the desperate neglect of the saluation of their owne soules This is the second point Now for the third Which is touching the punishment due to this fault if we haue obserued what hath beene said before touching the nature of the sinne we cannot doubt ether that it deserues a punishment or that the lord will surely proceed against it in his due time but yet if we shall consider what the scripture saith of it in particular it wil much more affect vs. Thus much therefore we may generally vnderstand that the lord punisheth no sinne more greiuously then the contemning of his word and thereof we haue no more full and pregnant example then this Iewish nation For wheras sundry times before the comming of Christ in the flesh the wrath of God came vpon them that the iudgments wherwith they were visited made euē their eares to tingle that heard them and brought that very people whome he had carried as it were in his armes out of Egipt to become a hissing and a by-word to the whole world whosoeuer obserueth the course of the prophets shall finde that the principall ground of all this was their slight account of the holy doctrine of God their preferring the inuentions of men the guises of other nations and the traditions of their fathers before the blessed will of the lord manifested and reuealed to them in his law But lest we should thinke this is nothing to vs though indeed it was left written to admonish vs concerning this matter there are two places of holy scripture especially to be considered and they are both in the booke of the Prouerbs Chap. 28. 9. the one is he that turneth away his care from hearing the law euen his prayer shal be abhominable marke I pray you there is no duty in the holy scripture to which the lord hath promised a greater blessing then the duty of prayer Ps 65.2 the lord takes it as an honor vnto him to haue this title to be called the hearer of prayers yet the neglect of Gods word the making no account of the meanes to bring vs to the knowledge of it turnes all a mans prayers into sinne stops vp the eares of the lord vnto all his sutes doth as it were barre vp the gate of heauen against him that though his request be neuer so earnest yet it is vnpossible for him to haue entrance God will heare no prayer that proceeds from him which doth not esteeme the knowledge and vnderstanding of his word a fearefull Iudgment Chap. 1. 22. The other place is O you fooles how long will you loue foolishnes the fooles hate knowledge ve◠25. and againe you haue despised all my counsell would none of my aduice mark now what followes I will also laugh at their destruction mocke when their feare commeth I beseech you in the feare of God let vs consider it The lord is often reported of to vs in the scripture by the name of a mercifull God a God that doeth not punish willingly a God that doeth not take delight in the death of him that dieth what a grieuous sinne then must that needs be which turneth that so sweete and gratious nature of God into that extremity that he should euen reioice at mens destruction take pleasure in their tormente And yet this reckoning the word of God as a strange thing brings forth this strange effect and makes that God who delights in mercy to please himselfe in the feirce execution of his vengance Thus then wee end this pointe if you aske what iudgment is due to this offence of not regarding the greate things of Gods law I answere in generall it sets open the very floodgate of Gods wrath as appeareth by the example of the Iewes 2 in perticular it makes all our praiers odious and the torment of our soules Luc. 14.28 a matter of reioyceing and pleasure to the Lord. It is truly saied of our Sauiour To whom God giues much of him he requires much The liberty of his word is the greatest blessing and therfore the contempt therof must needs bring vpon vs the greatest vengance Come wee now to the next point to see whether this fault thus described and thus deseruing to be punished be not our faulte
THE DIGNITIE OF the Scripture togither with The Indignity which the vnthankfull world offereth therunto In three sermons vpon Hose 8.12 By Samuel Hieron Psal 119. v. 129. Thy testimonies are wonderfull HINC LVCEUM ET POCVLA SACRA ALMA MATER CANTA BRIGIA Printed by IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1607. And are to be sold at the signe of the Crowne in Pauls Church-yard by Simon VVaterson TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND MY VERY REVErend freind M. Doctor Goad Provost of the Kings Colledge in Cambridge WHen I remember the times and furtherances of my education and consider with my selfe by whose free choise I was preferred into that worthy societie the head-ship whereof your worship hath so many yeares enioyed I cannot but say to you as Hierome did to a freind of his Tibi quod possū debeo Hiero. Sephron quod non possum I am indebted to you both to the vtmost extent of my ability and in much more then I can performe Giue me leaue therefore I beseech you not as by way of requitall for I will not so much either vnder-value your fauour or abridge my debt but as by way of acknowledgement leauing this as it were a bill of my hand what I haue receiued and how deepely I am engaged to present you with these three sermons They are of the Dignitie of the scripture and therefore their subiect considered are not vnworthy your patronage being so auncient and so indicious a professour of Theologie The manner of handling because as it is liable to censure in this taxing age so it may perhaps through my want either of skill or care deserue reproofe therefore I doe submit it wholly to your worships triall that after it may either step further into publike view or els stop where it is according as you shall please to dispose How soeuer it be albeit I must confesse that I should much reioyce in your approouing furtherance yet at the least I shall herein find contentment that I haue endeuoured out of my vnfained sensiblenes of your worships respectiue kindnesse to make the world a witnes of my thankefullnes And so in the fulnes of my desire that he in whom all Fulnes dwelleth may so replenish you with spirituall blessings in heauenly things Col. 1.19 Eph. 1.3 Psa 92.13.14 that like the Trees planted in the house of the Lord you may still euen in your Age bring forth fruit and be fatte flourishing I humbly take my leaue Modbury in Deuonshire this 2. of Iuly 1607. Your worships euer in the Lord Samuell Hieron ERRATA Pag. 2. l. 10. for reserued read referred p. 3. l. 28. with with sicknes p. 4. l. 15. after needfull matter put in these words viz. not revealed in it hath added to it a packe and rable of unwritten traditions concerning which it teacheth that they are to be receiued imbraced with the same affection with the like zeale with the same respect as we doe p. 4. l. 37. after all the read the first words of the 5. p. viz. authors of them c. there be other smal faults escaped which would desire the gentle reader to amend as he read Hosea 8.12 J haue written to them the great things of my law but they were counted as a strange thing The first Sermon THis verse is as it were the lords complainte touching the wretched carelesnes of the sonnes of men who inioying the greatest benefit viz. the blessed liberty of this word yet notwithstanding vtterly neglect it and esteeme it as a thing not worthy the regarding That I may both for your profitte and myne owne helpe proceed in handling of it with the better order I will diuide it into two parts the first may be not vnfitly called Gods bounty I haue written to them the great thinge of my law the second may he termed mans impiety but they were counted as a strange thinge God hath vouchsafed the free vse of his word what greater bounty Men passe by it as a thing not worth the looking to what greater impiety of these two points in order I haue c In the first part wee haue two things to consider first the commendation of gods word secondly the mercy of god in vouchsafeing it vnto vs The word of god is commended vnto vs in these termes The great things of the law The word which is out of the Heb. translated heere greate signifieth honorable or pretious or ample and plentifull so that the word of God is cōmended heere by two things 1. the plenty and abundance and largenes of matter that is in it 2. the price and excellency and worth of the matter I wil speak of both seuerally I pray you let vs wel obserue them that the word of God may grow into greater credit with vs then it is Touching the largenes and amplenes of the word of god I set down this point That all necessary points either touching faith or manners are aboundantly contayned and layed forth in the scriptures for proofe whereof that one saying of the Apostle is sufficient The whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of God 2. Tim. 3.16 and is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse now what spiritual occasion can there be deuised which is not here mentioned what matter is there in the whole body of religion but it may well be reserued to one of these heads either teaching improouing correcting or instructing so that the word of God being sufficient to all these is not wanting in any necessary matter whatsoeuer Ioh. 20.31 These things saith Sainte Iohn are written that yee might haue life through his name a plaine testimony that there is inough lefte written in the bible for the begetting of faith and for the guiding of the soule of euery faithfull beleeuer vnto life eternall I gaue them my statutes saith God I declared my iudgements vnto them Ezek. 20.11 which if a man doe he shall liue the taking of that course which is prescribed to vs in the word is all sufficient to saluation They haue Moses the Prophets saith Abraham to the rich glutton in hell meaning that then they want no needfull instruction Luk. 16.31 for the bringing of them by repentāce vnto life Infinite are the places of scripture to this end shewing the absolutenesse of that doctrine which is contained in the written word vrging vs to rest our selues satisfied with that which is reuealed condemning al the inuentions and traditions of man that are added thereunto And seeing it is a sure thing that the bookes of holy scripture are penned by the speciall guidance of gods spirit 2. Pet. 1.21 as Sainte Peter affirmeth it must needs follow that if there be any needfull matter omitted in them it came to passe ether because they which wrot did not know it or because knowing it they would not reueale it or because being willing to reueale it they forgot
An example of this vse of the written word wee haue in Christe himselfe who falling into company after his resurrection with two of his disciples who were in some doubt Luk. 24.27 began at Moses saieth the texte and interpreted vnto them in all the scripture the things which were written of him And whosoeuer markes the course of the history of the Gospell shall often find that when some speciall action of Christ is recorded Marc 14 49. Ioh. 13.8 Ioh. 19.34.36 this or the like is added to it This was done that the scripture might be fulfilled which sheweth how behoofull the writing of the promises touching the Messias was to be our ground in this maine pointe that Christ Iesus is the onely appointed sauiour of mankind Heere then is the issue of my speach it was meete the word should be written that the Church might neuer want a rule of religion and in particular might be setled in this pointe that the Christ in whom we beleeue is that Sauiour whome wee neede not doubt to depend vpon Let vs make vse of this pointe The vse is this our courses considering the obedience that we owe vnto God should be answerable to Gods intents sith therfore the intent of God in giueing order for the writing of his word was the grounding and setling of our hearts in the truth of religion it becommeth vs to labour both to conceiue the doctrine of Godlines so much as is necessary to saluation and in matters that concerne the worship of God and our own soules health not to build vpon opinion conceipt or the traditions of men whatsoeuer they be but only vpon the scriptures because when we come to giue an account as wee must of our religion vnto God it shall not goe for currant I beleeued or I thought this because such a one perswaded me or because the law of the times so commāded me or because my fathers before me so thought and from them I receiued it but this answer onely shall be accepted when a man shal be able to say this This my heart hath embraced ad vppon this haue I built my faith because God blessing the ministerie of his holy word vnto me I haue plainly perceiued that it is the expresse doctrine of the written word and the very same which God hath left vpon record for me to beleeue This is the only answere that shall be then accepted of As many therefore as doe desire to haue comfort of their religion at the day of iudgement must giue great heed vnto the reading preaching of the word so in humilitie by praier be prepared to it that in their secret thoughts they may conceiue how the word of God is a warrant of their beleefe Men thinke this is a matter of impossibilitie and cast many perils the deuill helping them forward with many shifts to nouzell themselues in ignorance but still the saying of the spirit of God is true knowledge is easie to him that will vnderstand and God will alwaies giue a blessing Prou. 14.6 Psal 25.14 and reueale euen his secret as Dauid saith vnto those that feare him and will be found of those that seeke him as they ought to doe So much of this question and the vse of it whie it was meete that Gods word should be written The next question necessarie for the clearing of this place is When the word of God began first to be written how tell that time it was preserued for the vse of Gods Church Touching which wee must hold August lib. de ciui dei 15. c. 23. that Moses was the first writer of the word of God that euer was It is the opinion of some I know that Enoch the seauenth from Adam wrot something and that they thinke may be proued out of the saying of Saint Iude who alleageth some part of Enochs doctrine But Iude saith not Enoch wrot but Enoch prophesied Iud. ver 14. and it was possible for the summe of Enochs doctrine to be continued without writing Besides one Iosephus Iose Antiq. l. 1. c 3. who himselfe was a Iewe and writ of antiquities saith that Adams offspring had erected two pillars the one of brick the other of stone in which they had engrauen many things but these things are vncertaine Rom. 3.2 And that there was no part of Gods word written before Moses it may thus be gathered First because the Iewes to whome as Saint Paul saith the oracles of God were committed had not in their canon any holy writ more auncient then Moses secondly our Sauiour labouring to prooue himselfe to be the Messias Luk 24.27 the text saith he began at Moses if there had beene any author of greater antiquitie then Moses no doubt our sauiour would haue alleadged it inasmuch as all the scripture that was before him was to giue testimony of him And it is likely that God himselfe by writing the 10. Commandements extraordinarily with his owne fingers did acquaint Moses with the manner of writing and the vse of letters which for ought wee can find to the contrarie vntill that time was vnknowne If it be demanded then whether till then the church and people of God were vtterly destitute or the word I answer no for it was alwaies a truth that God would accept of no worship but that which was according to his word voluntarie religion was hatefull vnto him euen from the very first beginning Sith then it is apparent that before the word was written God was truly worshipped as by Adam Abell Enoch Noah Abraham c. it must needs be that there was some word or some reuealed and knowne wil of God to direct them If you aske how the will of God was then made knowne and how preserued I answere that the Lord reuealed it by holy oracles by visions apparitions of Angells yea and of Christ himselfe who is ordinarily meant by the name of Angell throughout the old testament At sundry times and in diuers manners God spake to our fathers in the old time saith the Apostile He spake to Moses mouth to mouth Heb. 1.2 Numb 12.8 He vsed also the ministry of man for the spreading of that truth abroad to many which by vision oracle was reuealed to few Thus the father to the sonn one to another made known the will of God But when the Church was enlarged and hauing beene shut vp in some few families began to spread it selfe into a greater compasse and with all corruption in religion encreased and the people of God by conuersing with Idolaters were more subiect to be misled the lord gaue order to write the law in processe of time added the the writings of the prophets as expositions of the law and at the last the new testament to be a full and manifest discouerer of that mistery of Christ which was more darkely as it were lapped in the types and figures and prophesies of the old So that this is the