99 1

traditions, all error of man must needs give place.' THEOPHYLACT, writing upon these words in the Gospel by St. John, "He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber,”m saith: "He entereth not in by the door, that is, by the Scriptures: for he doth not use the Scriptures nor the Prophets as witnesses. For indeed the Scriptures are the door by which we are brought to GOD, and they suffer not the wolves to come in they keep off heretics, that we may be in safety; and they teach us the reason of any thing, wherein we would be instructed: therefore he is a thief which entereth not into the sheepfold by the Scriptures. And by the Scriptures it appeareth he is a thief that climbeth up another way; that is, maketh himself another way, a way which was not known, nor beaten : such an one shall Antichrist be." What greater profit? -they bring us to GoD, teach us the truth, and give us reason of all things; they keep us in safety, suffer not wolves to devour us, keep off heretics, bewray [detect] a thief, and make known who is Antichrist.-Therefore, upon the Gospel by St. Luke, he expoundeth these words, "Let your lights be burning;" that is, "Have not your being in the darkness, and be ye not void of judgment; but take unto you the light of God's word, which will teach you what things you should do, and what things you ought not to do." P

n

And as the word of God is the light to direct us, and to bewray errors, so it is also the standard and beam to try the weights of truth and falsehood. CHRYSOSTOM, writing upon the twenty-fourth of Matthew, showeth it were impossible for a man to stay himself, and find out which is the true Church, but by the word of God. "For it could not be tried by working of miracles, because the gift of working miracles is taken away; and such false miracles as carry some show, are rather to be found among false Christians: nor yet by their

1 "Si ad divinæ traditionis caput et originem revertamur, cessat omnis error humanus." CYPR. ad Pompeium.

an John x. 1.

THEOPHYLACT. Comm. in Joan.

. Luke xii. 35.

P THEOPHYLACT. Comm. in Luc.

conversation and life, because Christians live either as ill or worse than heretics. There can be no trial of true Christianity; and Christians which desire to know the truth, whereupon they may build their faith, have no other refuge, but to try and learn this by the Scriptures. For," saith he, "heretics have the counterfeit and likeness of those things which are proper to CHRIST: they have churches; they have the Scriptures of GOD; they have baptism; they have the Lord's Supper, and all other things like the true Church: yea, they have CHRIST himself. He therefore that will know which is the true Church of CHRIST, how may he know it, but by the Scriptures? Therefore our LORD, knowing that there should be such confusion of things in the latter days, commandeth that Christians, which live in the profession of Christian faith, and are desirous to settle themselves upon a sure ground of faith, should go to no other thing, but to the Scriptures. Otherwise, if they had regard to other things, they should be offended and perish, and not understand which is the true Church."r

The master of a ship, when he is on the main sea, casteth his eye always upon the load-star [the pole-star], and so directeth and guideth his ways. Even so must we, which are passengers and strangers in this world, ever settle our eyes to behold the word of God: So shall no tempest over-blow us; so shall we be guided without danger; so shall we safely arrive in the haven of our rest. The prophet David therefore saith, "Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and seek him with the whole heart. Their faces shall not be ashamed, they shall not be confounded, which have respect unto his commandments." s "Blessed is the man, whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law doth exercise himself day and night." t "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, and giveth wisdom unto the simple."

This is the rule of our faith. Without this, our faith is but a fantasy, and no faith; for "faith cometh by

[This word is here used in an obsolete sense, to signify the 'exact representation,'-literally 'the impression left by a seal or stamp.'] CHRYSOST. in Op. Imperfect. Hom. 49.

• Ps. cxix. 2. 6.

t Ps. i. 2.

u Ps. xix. 7.

ather, and there shall ye receive the asting life. Again: "He that followeth lk in darkness, but shall have the light an keep my word, he shall know the never see death." Therefore Baruch , we are blessed, for the things that are GoD are declared unto us :"y this is thy rein hath God showed his favour unto evealed the secrets of his will unto thee, I word in thy mouth. "He showed his b, his statutes and his judgments unto not dealt so with every nation, neither n his judgments."

a

e prophet David teacheth us to pray e knowledge of his word.

C

"Show me

RD, and teach me thy paths :" "take irit from me;" "and incline my heart onies. Give me understanding, that I commandments. Open mine eyes, that wonders of thy law." And, "Lighten sleep the sleep of death;" that I may n safety and danger, that I may know h, and error to be error.

e

eclared part of that profit which groweth ord of God. But it doth not only direct n the trial of truth, but also doth graft s and constancy in the defence of truth. th, "A fool changeth as the moon :"{ w John v. 39. x John viii. 12. 31. 51.

See Note, page 262.]

probably following an old version. The Prayer Bible,) and Authorized Version, read 'any.']

20.

3. 18,

mory deceived him, in making this quotation; it is Apocrypha, but from a book never attributed to xxvii. 11.]

24*

he is always unstable and inconstant; he knoweth not what to do, nor what to believe; he is sometimes full, and sometimes empty, and turneth and changeth as the moon; he buildeth and layeth his foundation upon the sand, therefore his house falleth to the ground; he halteth on both sides, sometimes he worshippeth GOD, and sometimes he worshippeth Baal ; he is neither hot nor cold; he ebbeth and floweth like the waves of the sea; he doubteth and staggereth, and resteth in nothing; he knoweth not the truth, he knoweth not that the Scriptures are the word of God, so he wandereth in the dark, and knoweth not the way in which he walketh ;1 he hath no feeling, no heart, no understanding; he is unfaithful towards GoD, and keepeth no faith towards man; he is wavering in all his ways. And why? Because he knoweth not the will of God, nor hath the light of his word to guide his feet.

But a wise man is one and steadfast as the sun. He buildeth his house on a rock," and that rock is JESUS CHRIST, the SON OF GOD. Therefore his house is never shaken down: be the storm or tempest never so rough, yet it shall stand fast like mount Sion, because his trust is in the name of the LORD.P He knoweth that his name is written in the book of life; he knoweth that he belongeth to the LORD's sheepfold, and that no man can take him away out of the LORD's hand.

S

In this boldness David saith: "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."r And again, The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" And again: "Except thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction."—When Hezekiah heard the proud message of Sennacherib sent to him and his people by Rabshakeh, that they should not obey Hezekiah, nor trust in him when he said, "The LORD will deliver you;" and, "Let not thy God deceive thee, in whom thou trustest;"-he went

Matt, vii. 26, 27. k James i. 6. "Matt. vii. 24, 25. 9 John x. 16. 27-29. t Ps. cxix. 92.

h 1 Kings xviii. 21.

John xii. 35.

。 1 Cor. x. 4. iii. 11.
r Ps. xxiii. 4.

i Rev. iii. 15, 16.

m James i. 8.
P Ps. cxxv. 1.
Ps. xxvii. 1.

we are the LORD's." And in this aviour CHRIST settled himself to bear s, and to carry his cross. "Father, if , take away this cup from me; neverwill, but thine be done." w-Thus they by the word of God to put their trust in are thereby rooted and settled in him, ved by any practice of Satan, but stand ue for ever.

more plainly appear, if we look back of persecution, and behold the boldness of the saints of GOD. They were brought ates, cast into prison, spoiled of their murdered; some were hanged upon un through with swords, some torn with ome drowned in the water, and some e. They were hated of all men for the ST; they were despised as the filth of the g of the earth; yet continued they faithful erefore God gave them a crown of glory. re called before kings and princes, and ority, and commanded to forsake the truth ned, and the comfort which they took in answered in this manner: 'O my gracious d fain do your commandment; I am your ve done faithful service with my body and ds, but I cannot serve you against God. f kings, and Lord of lords; he is my Lord, I stand; I have put my life in his hands ; bidden me to do this thing which you cannot therefore do it. Judge uprightly e meet to obey you rather than GOD. My vife, my children, and my life, are dear n a man like others, and have my affections: iving, nor wife, nor children, nor my life, nto me as the glory of God. I am but a