Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

5 a c T. III. Patti Signs ofGrace. Ist word of god doth onely declareandrevealwhat that exaEtnefsis : So that as in mat- ters to be beleeved there is noDoetrine can be urgedas neceffary,which is not con. rained in thacwriting: So in matters tobe praétifed there is no degree , of high {train ofholinefs that is a duty, which is not alfocommanded in Gods word : thofe two commands, one Negatively, Thou¡halt not14 the other affirmative , Thou Aide love the Lord thy God with allthy hei"rt, andfoul, andfirenptk, do command both formatter and manner, all that pof{ibly cán be done, by .man, and therefore cannever befulfilled in this life, becaufe of thofe innate andadherent corrupti- ons in us. I havefeenanendofallthings, faith David , Rut thy commandments are exceedingbread: They contain the wnole duty of a man,and this particular is more tobeobferved,becaufe we areapt Co go to extraordinarywaies : as ifthe wordof God were indeed a total and adequate rulefor our faith, but notfor our prae{ice andconverfation. Hence, Fifthly, Al ritln¡ e introduced, that is not according l to Scripture,. how 5. Allother .{fecioue anelgloriouefoever itmay /eem to be, yet it affords no true folid comfrt to liniRnefs is to thole that are imployed therein. Now you mufe know, that as there is a provenfs 1O Pmpofe. in men , curioufly to pry into doetrinal matters above the word of God , ro be wife above that which is written , fo there is altoan ithching inclination in us, to affa& an holinefs above the-Scripture, to bring ina greater ftnCtnefs thenGod hash required;not that it is indeed ftrietnefs ( as is to beChewed; but carnal loviens fs onely it bath the appearance fo tothe eyes offief') andblood: As for example, The Ph. rfees way that Teemed tobemore religiousand exa&,then thecourir cur Savi- outcaught,and therefore they called him a wire6i6ber,and charged him for keeping eompaay withfinners : The Pharfees wouldnotcome near any lochprophane men: theywould not go out ; or come in,but they would brft walk themlelves, lealI they fhouldget anyuncleannefs upon them. Herein outwardappearance, theyTeemed to teach a more exaél,and fusee way then Chrift c thoughall this outward aufterity didflow from a poy'oned, corrupted fountain within. Let us iffante infeveral waiei whereby mein may afel , and introduce an higher firiPéaefs,then the Scripture /fneak¿s of:And I that not inftance in falfe worfhip,which was a great part ofPharifaical ltridInefs, bufying themfelves in thofe things God never required;forl that fpeakofthat(God willing)in thenext fermon, bécaufe it is Megreater fìgn by which many fuperftitious and ignorant peoplecodes their fouls. I proceed therefore to other affectations of extraordinary ftri&nefs,fuch astheft, Firft , When the Scripture or wardof God ie accounted too lotea thing to quid ue, a. When the and therefore theyexpel! an higher, andmore extraordinary teaching by thefpirit o f Word is ac- God, andthatfor other matter then is containedtherein,It is true indeed, the word of conoced cou God ss is is Scripture, without theSpirit ofGod, cannot enlightenor change the tow a rile. heart;therefore theft two mutt never be oppofed,or disjoyned;but the word ofGod is theonly adequaterule, towhich weare tyed,and theSpirit ofGod that work eth in andby that t fo that as God will not produceany extraordinary new mate- rial light to dire& us bodily,but in and through the Sun , fo the SpiritofGodwill not vouchfafe any newfpirituallighr,butin and through theScriptures. Hence it is, that althoughGod be notbound himfelf, yet hehash bound us to that only : To the late,andto theTefiimony , andfearch theScriptures : yea, Timothy mutt not look forinfallible diredlions from Paul, butgivehimjlfto the fiudie ofthe Scriptures, which wereable tomakehimfullyperfeE!forevery goodWork. Now the Papitt and Enthufialtthey both agree in this, todebate the Scripture, not tomakeit a full and perfeet rule; to expect higher , and more noble teachings then are from that. Hence the papacall it inkie Divinity thus to walk and believe onely by Scripture : who can think, fay they, That god would have tee tyed to Paper and Parchment : and they apply that place of Paul, Te areour Epifile, 2 Cor 3. 3., Not written With ink, but the irit ofGod, &c, making all thofe that adhere to the Scripture as arule to liveby,the Letter, and not theSpirit : fo on theother fide, Enehnfnafr they undervaluethe Scripture;and its reported of them;that they cal- led

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=