VeR. 30.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 293
good thing shall I do that I might have eternal life ? ' Though he disliked the bargain afterwards, yet he cheapens it, and asks what way he must take. For a great while persons have only a meraorative knowledge, some apprehension which doth furnish their talk about religion ; and after their memory is planted with notions, then they are without judgment and conscience ; but when they begin to have a judgment and a conscience, then it is their business to make religion sure, and to be upon stable terms with God.
Pi'op. 4. When we begin to have a conscience about the true way, we must inquire into the grounds and reasons of it, that we may resolve upon evidence, not take it up because it is commonly believed, but because it is certainly true ; not take it up by chance, but by choice ; not because we know no other, but because we know no better. It is not enough to stumble upon truth blindly, l)ut we must receive it knowingly, and upon solid conviction of the excellency of it, com- paring doctrine with doctrine, and thing with thing, and the weak grounds the adversaries of the truth have to build upon. The precepts of the word are direct and plain for this: 1 Thes. v. 21, 'Prove all things, hold fast that which is good; and 1 John iv. 1, 'Try the spirits whether they are of God.' There must be trying and searching, and not taking up our religion merely by the dictates of another. The papists are against this, which argueth a distrust of their own doctrine ; they will not come to the waters of jealousy, lest their belly should swell and their thigh rot. They dare not admit people to trial and choice, and give tliem liberty to search the scriptures ; whereas truth is not afraid of contradiction : they first put out the light, then would have men shut their eyes. But what do they allege, since we are bidden to prove all things, and to try the spirits ? That these places belong to the doctors of the church, and not to the people. But that exception is frivolous, because the apostolical epistles were directed to the body of the people ; and they who are advised to prove all things are such as are charged to respect ' those that are over them in the Lord,' ver. 12, and not to ' despise prophecies,' ver. 20, and then ' prove all things,' ver. 21 ; and in another place, those that he calls TraiSla, ' little children,' them he adviseth to try the spirits; all that have a care of their salvation should thus do. Eusebius doth mention it as one of the errors of Apelles, that what he had taught them they should not pry into and examine, but take it and swallow it. And Mahomet forbids his followers to inquire into their religion.
Object. But is every private Christian bound to study controversy, so as to be able to answer all the adversaries of the truth ?
I answer — No ; it is a special gift, bestowed and required of some that have leisure and abilities, and it is a duty required of ministers and church guides to convince gainsayers and stop their mouths. Ministers must be able to hold fast the truth. The word is, Titus i. 9, avrexofi^vov, ' holding fast the faithful word ;' il signifies, holding fast a thing which another would wrest from us. We should be good at holding and drawing, to preserve the truth when others would take it out of our hands; otherwise he tells us, Rom. xiv. 1, 'Ilim that is weak in faith receive, but not to doubtful disputations.' Yet every
294 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXXI.
true Christian is so far to be settled in the true religion, and study the grounds of it, that he may be fully persuaded in his own mind, Rom. xiv. 5, and may not be like chaff, but may be at a certainty in the way of truth. Surely the business is worthy our serious care. Eternal life and death are not trifles ; therefore be not rash in this, but go upon sure evidence.
1. The providence of God doth necessitate us to such a course. Because there are different ways propounded to man, therefore he must follow all, or take up one upon evidence. Not only in point of practice, as life and death is set before us, Deut. xxx. 15, and the broad way and the narrow, Mat. vii. 13, 14 ; not only to counterwork the rebellions of the flesh, and the way of wisdom and folly, Prov. ix. No ; but in matters of opinion and controversy about religion there will meet us several ways, Jer, vi. 16, and all pretending to God.
Therefore what should we do but search, pray, resolve to be thus with God, and take the way God will direct us? As the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, or at the head of the ways, to make divination, Ezek. xxi. 21, so you meet with partings of ways that you need deliberate to make a wise choice ; therefore the providence of God doth put you upon trial. Think, there are false teachers ; ay, and the most holy and upright men are but in part enlightened, and they may lead you into a crooked path and a byway ; they may mis- lead us ; therefore we ought to see with our own eyes.