' The ways of the Lord are right.'
Hence observe we in the first place, that the first thing we should look to in our conversation, must be to know this for a ground.
Obs. That man is not a prescriber of his own way, and that no creature's •wHl is a ni^-'t
HOSEA XIV. 9.] THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER. 419
We must embrace, therefore, no opinion of any man, or any course en- joined or prescribed by any man, further than it agrees with the first truth and the first right. God's ways are right ; right as a standard, that is, a measure to measure all other measures by. So God's will and truth re- vealed is a right rule, and the measure of all other rules whatsoever. Direc- tions therefore, which we have of things to be beheved and done from men, must be no further regarded than as they agree %vith the first standard. Therefore they are mistaken, and desperately mistaken, that make any man's will a iiile, unless it be subordinate to that which is higher, at which time it becometh all one with the higher rule, ^\^aen a man subordinates his directions to God's, then God's and his are all one. Otherwise without this subordination, we make men gods, when we make their will a rule of our obedience. ' The ways of the Lord ai'e right.' But of this only a touch by the way ; the main point hence is.
Obs. The uord of the Lord is every way perfect, and bnngs us to per- fection.
As we may see at large proved, Ps. xix. 7, &c., where whatsoever is good, comfortable, profitable or delightful, either for this life or the life to come, is all to be had from thence. And the wise man saith, ' Every word of God is pure,' &c., Prov. xxx. 5 : a simihtude taken from gold, which is fined tiU it be pure, as it is expressed in another place, ' The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, and purified seven times,' Ps. xii. 6. And so the apostle to Timothy. ' All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for re- proof, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works,' 2 Tim. iii. 16.
Use 1. Since then the ways of God are so right, just, pure, and perfect, this is first for reproof of them that add hereunto ; as our Romish adversaries, who do herein, by their traditions and additions, condemn God either of want of wisdom, love, and goodness, or of all. So as all defects charged upon the word, are charged upon God himself, who did not better provide and foresee for his church what was good for it. But the wise man con- demneth this their audacious boldness, where he saith, ' Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a har,' Prov. xxx. 6. They bar reading of the Scriptui-es, or to read them in Enghsh especially, lest the people become heretics. They think it safe to read their own books and idle dreams, but reject the word of God, and then, as Jeremiah speaks, ' What wisdom is in them ?' Jer. viii. 9. Surely none at all ; for the only wisdom is, to be governed by God's most holy word.
Use 2. Again, it is for instruction unto us, to rest and rely upon this so holy, right, pure, and perfect word. Since it is so sm'e and firm, we are to rest upon the promises, and tremble at the threatenings, though we see not present performance of them, because not one of them shall fail. For, saith Christ, ' Heaven and earth shall pass away, but one jot and tittle of the law shall not fail,' Matt. v. 28. What maketh so many judgments to overtake men, but their unbehef ? what made their carcases to fall in the wilderness, so as they could not enter into the land of Canaan, but their unbehef ? for, saith the text of them, ' They could not enter, because of unbehef,' Heb. iii. 19. InfideUty, and not believing God, is the root and cause of all our woe. It began with our first parents, and it cleaveth too close unto us, even unto this day. This cometh from our atheism and self- love ; that if a mortal man promise or swear unto us, we believe him, and rest UDou his word ; but all that the great God can do unto us by prn**
420 THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER. [SeRMON XV.
mises, commandments, threatenings, allurements, and gracious examples, will not make us give credit to his word, but rather believe Satan, and our own false and deceitful hearts. As, for instance, God hath promised, that ' if our sins were as red as scarlet, yet he will make them whiter than the snow,' Isa. i. 18 ; though they be never so strong for us, yet he hath pro- mised ' to subdue them,' Micah vii. 19. If our wants be never so great, yet if we will trust in God, he hath promised to reheve us, and hath said, ' that he will not fail us nor forsake us,' Isa. 1. 10 ; Heb. xiii. 5, if we cast our care upon him. So, for the threatenings, we must believe that there is never a one of them but they shall come to pass, as sure as the promises shaU be made good. If these thoughts were firmly settled in us, that ' the ways of the Lord are right,' and therefore must be all accomplished in their time, it would make us restless to fly from sin, and the punishments threat- ened, which all ' lie at the door,' Gen. iv. 7, and will quickly be upon us, if they be not avoided by sound and hearty repentance.