Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

foundation, so that, if there never had been any word of God, there never had been any religion. And it is built upon this as its foundation, so that religion has nothing to support itself with but only the word of God. This is plainly asserted in the text, which resolves all religion into the word of God as its cause and rule. Doctrine the First. That God has been graciously pleased to speak to the children of men.

Doctrine the Second. That what God is pleased to speak to men, men are concerned to hear, and believe. For the first. Concerning the word of God, taken generally. A word is that which is spoken -not that God speaks words as we do, for as he has not eyes of flesh, nor sees as man sees, Job x. 4, so neither has he mouth of flesh, nor speaks as man speaks. But as men discover and make known their mind by their word and speech, so God's discovery and manifestation of himself is called his word, and he is said to speak it; nothing occurs more frequently than "God said; and thus saith the Lord; and the word of God."

1. There is God's word to him self-we read of what God said in his heart, Gen. viii. 21; Heb. אל-לבו to his heart this is the eternal purpose and counsel of God, by which he has determined in himself whatsoever shall come to pass. We hear consultations of the Trinity, Gen. i. 26, let us make man. There was a word which the Son received from the Father concerning man's redemption, when the counsel of peace was between them both. Christ

oft refers himself to the commandment he had received from his Father.

2. His word to the angels-he never said to them what he said to the Son. "Sit thou at my right hand," Heb. i. 5; but he said to

them what he said to us-worship him, ver. 6.

3. His word to the inferior creatures. His word made them, and brought them into being, Psalm xxxiii. 6.9; Gen. i. 6, 7; and his word rules them still, and directs, and overrules all their motions; they continue this day according to it, Ps. cxix. 91 : even stormy winds are said to fulfil his word, Psalm cxlviii. 8. They are not capable of hearing and believing his word, but they fulfil it-their nature is a law to them.

4. His word to the children of men-a middle rank of beingslower than angels, lords of the inferior creatures. Divine wisdom calls to the sons of men, Prov. viii. 4.

1.) Man is a reasonable creature, and capable of being spoken to by his Maker. This is the honour and dignity of the human nature, that it is susceptible of the impressions of religion, and this is that by which he is dignified above the inferior creatures; more by religion than reason; or by reason rather, as it capacitates us for dominion over the creatures, and the knowledge of them-the ox knows his owner, but not God, Isaiah i. 3. is taught more than the beasts of the earth, Job xxxv. 11; for they are taught only by the instinct of nature, and know not who teacheth them; but man is taught by the word of God, and is taught to know God.

Man

2.) Man is a darling creature, and, therefore, is spoken to by his Maker. It is a mark of God's favour to men that he is pleased to speak to them, for his delights were with the sons of men, Prov. viii. 31; and from the beginning God expressed a good will towards men. Man being made in God's likeness, he was the object of God's love. God's giving his word to man was a token of his love, and good will. See Deut. xxxiii. 3; he dealt not so with other creatures, nor have they the knowledge of God, and his ways.

3.) Man is a creature exalted, and employed by his Maker, and therefore spoken to-exalted to be a ruler over the inferior creatures, Psalm viii. 5, 6; he is God's viceroy, and, therefore, to him all the expresses dispatched to this lower world are directed. He is employed as God's steward, or the rent gatherer of God's praises, to hand to God that praise which the inferior creatures minister matter for therefore to him orders are given.

Show 1. How and in what ways God speaketh to man. We often read of the word of the Lord coming to such, or such a one. How has the word of God come to the children of men-in divers manners, Heb. i. 1; “once, yea twice," Job xxxiii. 14.

1. God spoke to man in his innocent estate, and the first word he spoke was a blessing, and a grant of large possessions, and dominion, Gen. i. 28. God said much of the other creatures, but nothing to them, as to man, comHe afterwards ver. 22.

pare

of

spoke to him in a word of command, Gen. ii. 16. How delightful was the word of God to man while he held fast his integrity. But the first evidence the breach between God and man was, that the word of the Lord was become dreadful, Gen. iii. 8.10. The word of God then was fœderal.

2. God has spoken, and doth speak to man even in his fallen state. In the former, God spoke to him as to his subject, now as to a patient, in order to his recovery. A wonder of mercy it is that God continues to speak to man when he is revolted from

him, and in rebellion against him. How justly might God have determined to speak no more to him-to deny him the honour and favour of his word. But the continuance of that was a token for good. If God had been pleased to destroy him, he would not have done so.

Now the ways by which God speaks to men are,

I. GENERAL AND UNIVERSAL

-ways in which all have heardthe voice of God is heard more or less by all nations, or may be

1. God speaks by the works of creation. The work of the Creator is his word, by which he manifests himself, and his wisdom, power, and goodness to the sons of men; and the whole universe is God's epistle* seen, and read to all men. Thus the τό γνωστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ-is shewed, Romans i. 19, 20. The book of the creatures is written, and published for the instruction of the children of men. Anciently books were written by Hieroglyphics. Such is the book of the creatures-(1.) Look into the upper part of the visible world, and you will read the glory of the Creator. The heavens and the hosts of them have a voice, Psalm xix. 1, 2, 3, 4. Natural, immortal preachers. The heathen terminated their respects. in them; but we should pass through them-not that I think God speaks predictions to the children of men by the positions, motions, and aspects of the stars. But he speaks his own power, and tells us what a great God he is, who is the original of their being and lustre.-(2.) Look into the lower part of the world, and the word of God is written there. See Job xii. 7-9. God speaks to us by the creatures to obey.

* Mahometans say, the first thing God created was a pen.

Serve him because of his dominion over them, Jer. v. 22; and his kindness and favour to us in them, Acts xiv. 17. This word of God discovers our Creator to us, and requires our duty to him. But doth not show us our Redeemer.

spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, Prov. xx. 27. There is an old edition of the word of God that was written in the heart of man by nature. Sadly defaced by sin, yet some remains, or ruins rather, there are of it, even in the heart of fallen man. Some of the deepest characters not quite obliterated. And this word of God is the spring and foundation of natural religion. Those who rest in that where revealed religion is made known, do even rebel against that which they pretend to rest in, for it is one of the dictates of natural religion to admit revelation whenever it comes proved. But for those who had not the advantage of revelation, their natural religion was much for God's honour. Doth not even nature itself teach in the God of nature? Do not men's hearts tell them, (and who put that wisdom into the heart? Job xxxviii. 36.)

2. God speaks by his providence. This is another book which may be entitled the word of God, for in it God discovers himself and his will to us, by it the Lord's voice cries, Micah vi. 9; the rod speaks. The wisdom that appears in the methods of providence, speaks a wise Director at the upper end of all second causes, disposing their motions. The equity of providential dispensations speaks a righteous Sovereign sitting at the helm. The kindness of providence leads us to a bountiful Benefactor, and enjoins gratitude and observance. Thus God often speaks, and man perceives it not, Job xxxiii. 14; no more than Samuel did when God called him. God is said to write bitter things, Job xiii. 26. This book is transcribed out of the close--that there is a difference be

rolls of the divine counsels, which in providence are made public. When God calls to the people to see the word of God, Jer. ii. 31; he means the word of the divine providence.

Every mercy is a letter of friendship and kindness. Every affliction a letter of reproof, and admonition. Sometimes faith comes by hearing this word of God, the ear opened to this discipline, Job xxxvi. 8. 24. This word of God is sometimes spoken. loud.

3. God speaks by the light of nature. The voice of conscience is the voice of God; and that law which is written in the hearts of men by nature is the law of God, Rom. ii. 14, 15; and the

1. Some fundamental truths are written in the book of natural conscience. That there is a God - that this God governs the world

tween good and evil-that there is a judgment to come. These are the words of God, which those could not help hearing of that had no Scriptures.

2. Some fundamental laws are written there. That God is to be worshipped. That truth is to be spoken. That good is to be done to all, and wrong and injury to none. Parents to be honoured. Trusts to be performed. Such as these are the laws of nature. Whether it is possible for the human nature to sink into such a state of darkness and degeneracy as quite to lose these, or by the just judgment of God to be deprived of them, I shall not now argue. But it is plain that such principles as these were to be

[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]

II. SPECIALAND PARTICULAR. And this is that which, in distinction from the former, we call Revelation, and which more properly is called, the Word of God--taken strictly, by which God discovers himself, and his mind and will, more fully and clearly than he has done by natural light. And this is that which is the spring and foundation of that which we call revealed religion, which is perfective of natural religion, and repairs the breaches and defects of it. Improves what is, and adds what is wanting. Those that call themselves Deists (though in effect Atheists) rest in that word of God which is common;

no

other religion but that of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. They are willing to know no more of God than all the world knows, though they would be loth to know no more of other things.

But we have not so learned Christ. We know there have been particular discoveries made of God, and of his will. Various ways, according to the age and state of the church, and as God in, infinite wisdom saw fit, for in this he is a free agent.

1. The word of God came to the Patriarchs, and to those of that age. God spake then-as soon as ever Adam had sinned God revealed himself to him, and his inclination to help and save him. Gen. iii. 15. The promise of the seed of the woman, and the law of sacrifices, were both patriarchal revelations. These were the word of God; and both had reference to man's redemption and recovery.

Faith came by hearing this word of God. Witness the faith of Abel and Enoch, Heb. xi. 45.

1. The word of God came to some by immediate revelation. Whence else the law of sacrifice should take rise I cannot see. We read of very much that God said to Noah. Enoch also had divine revelation, as appears by Jude 14. This extraordinary way of revelation was inclosed, and appropriated to some few, who were to be as stars of the first magnitude in that hemisphere. Prophets and types of Christ. This was proper for the infant state of the church, when its foundations were to be laid. Abraham had much of this revelation. The word of the Lord came often to him, and, I suppose, mostly with some visible appearance, as may be gathered from Acts vii. 2. 4. God of glory appeared-viz. as the God of glory, at least in the first appearance, to settle a way of correspondenceasto Moses-Abraham saw Christ's day-The patriarchs had not so many general promises of God to live upon as we have, and therefore it was needful they should have particular relief, as their exigencies called for it, as Abraham and Jacob; but now the promises made to them are declared in force to all believers, Jos. i. 5; Heb. xiii. 5.

2. The word of God came to many by oral tradition. This was the way by which the word of God was conveyed for several ages. Abraham. Gen. xviii. 19. Before the Scripture was writtenbut that was then as truly the word of God as the Scripture is now. Faith then came by hearing this tradition for aught appears, there was then no writing at allbut this divine learning was transmitted as other learning was. But then, the things to be believed and

done were, comparatively, but few; the world lay in a few fami lies, men lived to many hundreds of years; SO that the word of God might be propagated by tradition without any great hazard. Adam lived till Methuselah was above 200 years old. Methuselah lived till Shem was near 100, and Shem was contemporary with Abraham. In Job's time there seems to have been no written word, and appeal is made to tradition, Job v. 1; viii. 8; Deut. xxxii. 7. It is a mercy we are not under that dispensation, for how ineffectual it was to preserve the knowledge of God appears by the issue. How soon did the world degenerate and sink into idolatry.

2. The word of God came to the Jewish church, and faith came by hearing that. From Moses' time divine revelation came to be more fixed and settled. Then God began to gather to himself a church.

ments generally known :-Thou knowest the commandments, said Christ.

2. God spake to Moses face to face. The word of the Lord came to him so as it never came to any mere man, Num. xii. 6, 7, 8. He was the great prophet of the Old Testament, the first that committed divine revelation in writing. The matter of fact is undeniable, that there was such a man, who wrote such things which he could not attain to the knowledge of, but by an intimate converse with God. The laws he received speak their own divine original. Much of the word of God passed through his hands, and he was learned, Acts vii., and faithful, Heb. iii. There were many that opposed him, and picked quarrels with him, and yet the word of the Lord was established in his mouth. The law of Moses was the word of God, and had much of mystery in it.

3. The word of God came to the priests by Urim and Thummim -a standing oracle by which they asked counsel of God, Exod. xxviii. 80. That was a divine revelation intended for particular cases, especially such as the body of God's people were concerned in; that was a way of sensible communion with God, agreeable to that dispensation, which consisted in carnal ordinances. We would think it were well if we had such a breast-plate of judgment to appeal to, and advise with, but we have a more sure word of prophecy-to the law and to the testimony-the Urim and Thummim is now with the great High Priest, the Holy One.

1. The word of God came to all Israel at Mount Sinai by the ministry of angels. That was as remarkable a piece of divine revelation as any other. Exod. xx. 1., God spake. Never was the word of God spoken so as then, see Deut. iv. 33. It is a great confirmation of the truth of revelation. For it was done publicly, before thousands of Israel, and them so far from being credulous, that they were condemned for unbelief. (Israel desired to be no more spoken to in that way.) It was recorded in the same age, there was a lasting memorial of it for many hundred years. It was spoken by the ministry of angels, Heb. vii. 13., ordained by angels, Gal. iii. 19. The design of that law so spoken was consonant to natural light. Let this make us afraid of breaking any of the ten commandments. These command-really, and had real effects.

4. The word of God came to the prophets in dreams and visions, and by them were communicated to the people. We often read, the word of God came to such a prophet-it was to him; or-it was

« AnteriorContinuar »