estate, and in the company of God's Angels. God walked and did talk with him. He heard the voice and beheld the presence of God. The rivers yielded waters abundantly, the trees brought him food of life. He had plenty without travail, he had pleasures, joy, and his heart's desire. But Adam was unthankful; he knew not God, the Worker of his happiness; he knew not the place in which he was; he knew not his own state and blessedness: therefore the wrath of the Lord grew against him he fell into the snares of the devil, he became mortal, and returned to dust. What nation in all the world so happy as Israel? They were delivered by a mighty hand out of Egypt, from the tyranny of Pharaoh, from servage and villany. Their children were no more slain before their faces. They passed through the bottom of the sea as upon dry land. When they were hungry, there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought them quails from the sea, and manna was given them from heaven to eat. When they thirsted, the rocks opened and poured out water, that they and their beasts might drink. In battle they were mighty and strong, no power was able to stand against them. The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light. When they called upon the Lord, He heard them. When they trusted in Him, they were not confounded. But they grew unmindful of all these mercies, and murmured against the Lord, and against His servants: therefore God reached forth His hand against them. He sware in His wrath, that they should not enter into His rest. He sent His Angel, and destroyed them in the wilderness. Even so fareth it with all such as regard not the word of their salvation; because they have ears and hear not, nor will understand with their hearts, the fury of the Lord shall be kindled against them. The Prophet saith in the name of God to Israel; "I have sent unto them all My servants the Prophets, yet would they not hear Me, nor incline their ear." And," Behold, I sow My law in you, that it may bring forth fruit in you. But our fathers which received the law kept it not; a Jer. vii. 25, 26. neither observed Thine ordinances, neither did the fruit of Thy law appear. For they that received it perished, because they kept not the thing that was sown in them"." Samuel telleth Saul," Thou hast cast away the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath cast away thee." Again Jeremiah saith," How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? They have rejected the word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them?" Again: "Unto whom shall I speak, and admonish that they may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them as a reproach: they have no delight in it. I will cause a plague to come upon this people, even the fruit of their own imaginations; because they have not taken heed unto My words, nor to My law, but cast it off"." After this sort doth God shew the cause, why His word taketh not place in us, because we are wilful, and will not hear it, nor receive it, nor take delight in it, nor let the fruit thereof appear, but reject it, and make it a re b 2 Esdras ix. 31, 32, 33. c 1 Sam. xv. 28. proach, and cast it away from us: and therefore is it that the Lord doth cast us away, that we are unwise, that we please ourselves with our own devices, and follow our own imaginations, and perish, because we have not understanding to hear the instruction of the Lord's word, but like ignorant men disallow it, and cast it behind the back. The consideration hereof moveth me to say somewhat of the holy Scriptures, which are the bright sun of God, which bring light unto our ways, and comfort to all parts of our life, and salvation to our souls: in which is made known unto us our estate, and the mercy of God in Christ our Saviour witnessed. That we may the better see the path which we have to walk in, my meaning is, truly and plainly and shortly to shew you, what authority and majesty the "word of God" beareth: then what profit we may reap by it: also, how needful it is, that we be well instructed in the holy Scriptures: and what pleasure and delectation a Christian conscience may find in them and, lastly, whether they be dark and doubtful, or plain and easy for your understanding: that when we know the majesty and . 3 authority of the word, and what comfort and profit God giveth us by it, we deprive not ourselves thereof by our unthankfulness, nor close up our eyes that we see it not; but hear it in reverence and in fear, that it may be fruitful in us, and we receive it not in vain. THE AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTURES. The Scriptures are "the word of God." What title can there be of greater value? What may be said of them to make them of greater authority, than to say, "The Lord hath spoken them?" that "they came not by the will of men, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost?" At the word or proclamation of an earthly prince we stand up, and veil our bonnets, and give good ear to it: we are bound so to do, it is our duty; such honour belongeth to the powers that are placed to rule over us; for they are ordained of God: and whosoever resisteth them, resisteth the ordinance of God. If we should have a revelation, and hear an Angel speak unto us, how careful should we be to mark, and remember, 2 S. Peter'i..21. |