There are two great faults of men — one in point of choice, the other in point of pursuit. Either they do not choose right, or they do not live up to the rules of their profession. Both are prevented by these points.
Doct. 1. That there being many crooked paths in the world, it con- cerns us to choose the way of truth.
I shall give you the sense of it in these eight propositions or con- siderations.
VOL. \i. T
290 SERMOiN^S UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXXI.
Prop. 1. The Lord in his holy providence hath so permitted it that there ever have been, and are, and, for aught we can see, will be, con- troversies about the way of truth and right worship. There was such a disease introduced into the world by the fall, that most of the reme- dies which men choose do but show the strength and malignity of the disease. They choose out false ways of coming to God and returning to him : Micah iv. 5, ' All people will walk every one in the name of his god ; and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.' Mark, there is his God, and our God, and then all people, noting their common agreement in error ; all people will, every man, noting their diversity as to the particular false way of religion and worship which they take up to themselves. AVhen they turn their back upon the true God, and the knowledge of him, then they are endless in seek- ing out false gods : Jonah i. 5, ' They cried every man to his god.' Among pagans, even in one ship, there were many false gods wor- shipped.
The controversy about religion mainly lay at first between the Jews and the pagans. The pagans had their gods, and the Jews had the Lord God of Israel, the only true God. Yea, among the pagans themselves there was a great diversity — ' every man will walk ' — and sometimes a hot contention ; and many times there were hot con- tests, which was the better god, the leek or the garlic. When religion, which restrains our passions, is made the fuel of them, and instead of a j udge becomes a party, men give themselves up headlong to all manner of bitter zeal and strife ; and persuasion of truth and right, which doth calm men in other differences, are here inflamed by that bitter zeal every one hath for his god, his service and party ; and the difference is greater especially between the two dissenting parties that come nearest to one another.
We read afterward, when this difference lay more closely between the Jews and the Samaritans, and Christ decides, that salvation was of the Jews. The Jews were certainly the better party : John iv. 20, ' Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and ye say that in Jeru- salem is the place where men ought to worship ' — Mount Sion, or Mount Gerizim, which was the temple of the true God, one or the other ? Then we read afterward among the Jews themselves in their private sects, who were very keen against each other, Pharisees and ISadducees ; and Paul, though an enemy to thera both, and was looked upon as a common adversary, yet they had rather join with him than among themselves, Acts xxiir. 8, 9. Afterward you find the scene of contention lay between the Jews and Christians : Acts xiv. 4, ' But the multitude of the city was divided ; and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.' There it grew into an open contest and quarrel.
And then between the Christians and the pagans, which was the occasion of that uproar at Ephesus, Acts xix. Ay ! and after religion had gotten ground, and the way of truth had prevailed in the world, then the difterence lay betwixt Christians themselves ; yea, while re- ligion was but getting up, between the followers of the apostles and the school and sect of Simon Magus, those impure libertines and Gnostics who went out of them because they were not of them, 1 John ii. 19. And afterward in the church story we read of the conten-
VeR. 30.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 291
tions between the Catholics and the Avians, the Catholics and the Pelagians, the Catholics and the Donatists, and other sects.
And now, last of all in the dregs of time, between the Protestants and the Papists, that settled party with whom the church of God is now in suit. As the rod of Aaron did devour the rods of the enchanters, so the word of God, which is the rod of his strength, doth and will in time cat up and consume all untruths whatsoever; but for a great while the contests may be very hot and sharp. Yea, among those tliat profess a reformed Christianity, there are the Lutherans and the Calvinists.
And nearer to us, I will not so much as mention those invidious names and flags of defiance which are set up, under which different parties do encamp at home. Thus there ever have been, and will be, contests about religion and disputes about the way of truth ; yea, differ- ent opinions in the church, and among Christians themselves, about divine truths revealed in the scripture.