become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Therefore the godly father Chrysostom calls upon the people to read and hear the Scriptures. "Hear me, ye men of the world; get ye THE BIBLE, that most wholesome remedy for the soul; if ye will nothing else, yet at the least get the New Testament, St. Paul's Epistles, the Gospels, and the Acts, that they may be your continual and earnest teachers." And again: "Hearken not hereto, only here in the church, but also at home; let the husband with the wife, let the father with the child, talk together of these matters, and both to and fro; let them both inquire, and give their judgments; and would God they would begin this good custom." In like sort saith Origen: "Would to God we would all do accordingly as it is written, Search the Scriptures.". It were a token that we do love Christ. Then would the Father love us; Christ would love us, and show himself unto us; he and his Father would come unto us, and dwell in us. Chrysostom saith, "This is the cause of all ill, that the Scriptures are not known. To know nothing of God's laws," saith he, in another place, "is the loss of salvation: ignorance hath brought in heresies and vicious life, ignorance hath turned all things upside down." Jerome, expounding those words of the apostle, Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously, saith," Here we are taught, that the lay-people ought to have the word of God, not only sufficiently, but also with abundance, and to teach and counsel one another." And now to conclude what the learned fathers and ancient doctors have said in these matters. Theodoret saith, "Ye may commonly see, that our doctrine is known not only of them that are the doctors of the church, and the masters of the people, but also even of the tailors, and smiths, and weavers, and of all artificers; yea, and further also of women; and that not only of them that be learned, but also of labouring women, and sewsters, and servants, and handmaids; not only the citizens, but also the country folks do very well understand the same. Ye may find, yea, even the very ditchers, and delvers, and cow-herds, and gardeners, arguing of the Holy Trinity, and of the creation of all things.' Thus we see there was a time, before ignorance crept into the church, and got the upper hand, when the word of God was not counted hard, and dark, and doubtful; when children, and women, and servants, and men of the country, 8 JEWELL. had the knowledge of God, and were able to reason of the works of God. Then went it well with them; they could not easily be deceived, because they had that word which bewrayeth the thief; they carried with them, like good exchangers, the weights and touchstone; and were able to try coins whether they were true or false. Such were the people, such was the state of God's church in those days! Gold, and silver, and lands, and possessions, are the portions but of few; they are not common to all alike. The wise man saith, Prov. xix. House and riches come by inheritance of the fathers. But the word of God, the law and the prophets, the apostles, the evangelists, the gift of the Spirit, and the knowledge of God, are given unto all men, they are made common for all men. If the word were ordained but for a few, then Christ was given unto the world but for a few; the heaven was made but for a few; the mercy and love of God was but for a few. But the mercy of God is over all, and upon all, and for all. All have right to hear the word of God, all have need to know the word of God. All have sinned, and are deprived of the glory of God. Rom. iii. Therefore Christ calleth all, Matt. xi. Come unto me all ye that be weary and laden. Young men and old men, men and women, rich and poor, come to me. God is no accepter of persons, Acts x. It is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, saith Christ, Matt. xviii. that one of these little ones should perish. Who will that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim. ii. God will look to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at his words, Isa. lxvi. God will regard such a one, and make him a fit vessel to receive his truth. Upon him that is such shall the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of God, rest. Not only upon the rich, the wise, and the learned, but upon him that is poor, and of a contrite heart, and trembleth at his words; upon him that humbleth himself under the mighty hand of God; he is the temple and the tabernacle of the Holy Ghost. He that is humble in heart shall be saved; God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the lowly. Therefore Christ said, Matt. xi. I give thee thanks, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of understanding, and hast opened them unto babes, even to such as have no learning, which rejoice in nothing but in Thee. The wise and learned of the world cannot hear them, cannot see them; but they to whom it pleased Thee to give understanding. It is thy mercy. Flesh and blood cannot reach the knowledge of thy will. The Spirit of the Father hath revealed it. Christ saith, John x. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; they will not follow a stranger. My people are simple as sheep, they are rude, and know not what they do; yet they know my voice, and follow me; they know their shepherd from a thief; they follow not the call and voice of a stranger. So we see that God chaseth no man away from hearing his word; he loatheth not the poor, because of his poverty; he refuseth him not, for he is the God of the poor; they are his creatures. Augustine saith, "Almighty God, in the Scriptures, speaketh as a familiar friend, without dissimulation, unto the hearts both of the learned and of the unlearned." He abaseth himself, and speaketh to their capacity; for his will is, that all should come to the knowledge of the truth, and be saved. Now let us consider with what fear and reverence we ought to come to the hearing or reading of the word of God. The angel of the Lord appeared unto Moses in a flame of fire, out of the midst of a bush, Exod. iii. When Moses turned aside to see, God said unto him, Come not hither, put thy shoes off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Again, when God appointed to speak unto the people from mount Sinai, he said to Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them-to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes, and let them be ready on the third day; for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai, Exod. xix. The word of the Lord is the bush, out of which issues a flame of fire. The Scriptures of God are the mount, from which the Lord of hosts doth show himself. In them God speaks to us; in them we hear the words of everlasting life. We must be sanctified, and wash our garments, and be ready to hear the Lord. We must strip off all our affections; we must fall down before him with fear; we must know who it is that speaketh; even God the maker of heaven and earth; God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; God who shall judge the quick and the dead, before whom all flesh shall appear. His word is holy. Let us take heed into what hearts we bestow it. Whosoever abuses it shall be found guilty of high trespass against the Lord. We may not receive it to blow up our hearts, and wax proud with our knowledge; we may not use it to maintain debate and contention; we may not use it to vaunt ourselves, or to make show of our own wisdom. The word of God teaches lowliness of mind; it teaches us to know ourselves. If we learn not humility, we learn nothing. Although we seem to know somewhat, yet we know not in such sort as we ought to know. The Scriptures are the mysteries of God. Let us not be curious; let us not seek to know more than God hath revealed by them. They are the sea of God; let us take heed we be not drowned in them. They are the fire of God; let us take comfort by their heat, and warily take heed they burn us not. They that gaze over-hardly upon the sun, take blemish in their eyesight. When the people of Israel saw the manna in the desert, they said, "Man hu?" what is this? So they reasoned of it when they took it up in their hands, and beheld it. They asked one another what good it would do. THE SCRIPTURES are manna, given to us from heaven, to feed us in the desert of this world. Let us take them, and behold them, and reason of them, and learn one of another what profit may come to us by them. Let us know that they are written for our sake, and for our learning, that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we may have hope. They are given us to instruct us in faith, to strengthen us in hope, to open our eyes, and to direct our going. If we withhold the truth in unrighteousness; if we know our Master's will, and do it not; if the name of God be ill spoken of through us; the word of God shall be taken away from us, and given to a nation which shall bring forth the fruits thereof. God shall send us strong delusions, that we believe lies; our own heart shall condemn us, we shall be beaten with many stripes. Therefore we ought diligently to give heed to the things we hear; we must consider them, we must chew the cud. Every beast that cheweth not the cud is unclean, Levit. xi. and not fit for the sacrifice. Let us be poor in spirit, and meek in heart; let us be gentle, as becometh the lambs of Christ, and as his sheep; let us hear his voice, and follow him; let us be of a contrite spirit, and tremble at the words of God; let us, when we know God, glorify him as God. So shall God look upon us; so shall the Spirit of wisdom, and understanding, and of counsel, and of knowledge, and of the fear of God, rest upon us; so shall we be made perfect to all good works; so shall we rejoice in his salvation, and with one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. |