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intended for. We are not to consider, in this case, how | sented to be the immediate Speaker, himself making this God should speak if he were to publish an edict, or make use of man, it is evident in such cases, when he hath apan oration from the throne of glory to the innumerable peared more immediately as the Author of what was said, company of angels, those glorious creatures that surround nothing beneath God can be supposed to have spoken like him above. That is none of the case that we are to con- him. As now to instance, there is that song called the sider. But we are to consider how we would expect him song of Moses in the 32nd of Deuteronomy; God doth give to speak, or how he would direct things to be written, that immediate directions to publish the words of such a song were intended for all sorts of men, here in this world, from to this people, and to keep it as a record among them. It the highest to the lowest, of all capacities and of all con- seems most likely that every word there was dictated ditions, that have any exercise of reason and understand- immediately by God himself. And who did ever read any ing. We are not to expect that one sort of Bible should thing so great and so august as the words of that song have been written for learned men, and another for un- are? And so when we find God immediately speaking learned; or that one sort of Bible was written for citizens to Job, in some of the latter chapters of that book, Who and another for country people; but we are to suppose that can imitate the majesty of what is said? which is there there was to be a book written that should suit the capaci- spoken unto him, when God speaketh to him himself out ties of all sorts of persons from the highest to the lowest. of the whirlwind. And, And what could have been more God-like, more suitable to his wisdom and goodness, and more agreeable to the capacity and necessity of men in general, than what we have here in this book? And consider the use that it was to serve, what it was indeed to be written for. It was for the saving of miserable creatures that were in a lost, perishing state. It was never intended that such a book should be written, only to please men's fancies, or gratify their humours, or tickle their ears. It was intended for saving lost, miserable souls from perishing for ever; and those of all sorts, of all capacities, from the highest to the lowest; and so nothing could have been imagined more worthy of God, than the composure of this Book, for such persons and for such uses. And now to particularize a little, as to such divine characters which are conspicuous in it, and which I call inimitable, that could have proceeded from none but a divine Author,-As,

(2.) Consider the sublimity of the matter: How mighty, great things are contained in this book! As in that Hosea viii. 12. "I have written unto them the great things of my law." To take such a summary as that, 1 Tim. iii. 16. "Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." How mighty things are these, of how sublime a nature! And these make the principal contents of this book. And then,

(3.) Do but consider again, the comprehensiveness of this sacred volume, of how vast extent it is. And what mind, but the mind of God, could have comprehended and collected together so great a variety of things as we find in this book? So as that nothing can be pretended to be wanting; not one thing can be so much as alleged is wanting that is requisite to be put into such a book, to (1.) The majesty of the style: How great, how august serve the end it pretends to serve, and that it avows itself and God-like it is! in the whole of it; take it entirely in to be designed for. Things that suit all states of men from the whole frame, and nothing could appear, in respect to the highest to the lowest, all ages and each sex. Things the style, more majestic or more worthy of God. Though we have that make up the system of what we are to believe, the case must be considered with a diversity, that is, that and things that compose and make up the system of he did make use of human penmen, and is never to be what we are to do, and what makes up the system for us supposed, that he should direct every word and every of what we are to desire. Do but look to the credenda, phrase by an extraordinary immediate inspiration: for and the agenda, and the petenda or speranda; where we then it were impossible there should have been a diversity may have the collected digesta of the one kind and the of style, but all the parts must have been in one and the other; and who can pretend any thing to be wanting here? same style. But there was that influx of the Divine Spirit The comprehensiveness of this book speaks the divinity of that did most certainly guide the writers, as to all the sub-it, having that in it which suits every case and every purstance of what was to be written and recorded by them; pose for which such a book can be desirable, or can be which did attemper itself to the natural genius of those that pretended to be so. And then, were made use of as the penmen, so that the communication of the Holy Ghost, received by such and such men, of such and such a constitution, temper, and genius, comes to be diversified in that manner, as if one comes to pour a quantity of water into such and such a particular vessel, the water in its form will resemble the figure of the vessel; if the vessel be round, the water falls into a round figure; if the vessel be square, the water is formed into that figure unavoidably. And so the same communication of the Holy Ghost, being poured into such a vessel as this or that man was, comes to be accordingly diversified. That very communication to such a one as Isaiah, for instance, receives one sort of figure there, and a communication to such a one as Micah, receives another figure there; when yet all these communications are from one and the same Fountain, and serve for one and the same common purpose. And indeed, upon the whole, it doth appear, that the greatness of the way of speaking it, doth so suit the majesty of God as nothing could do more, when men have come forth and spoken and written in the name of the Lord; and have from time to time pronounced, "Thus saith the Lord;" and when they have been directed to personate God, "I am the Lord; do so, and so. I am the Lord;" this is so becoming the greatness, the grandeur of the Author of this book, that it is not a supposable thing that there should be any, that would assume the confidence, in reference to things of this nature, to take upon them at such a rate; that is, comparing the confidence of such a pretence with the matter that is spoken of; and nothing is more evident than that this is agreeable to God only, or to one immediately directed by God only, and none else. And upon what was noted to you concerning the difference of styles, for such parts of this book wherein God is repre

(4.) Consider too, its correspondency to the spirit of man, which it was designed to rectify and set right, and be a measure unto, if you look upon the spirit of man under a threefold capacity. That is, look upon it as merely rational, or look upon it as corrupt and depraved, or look upon it as regenerate and renewed; and the contents of this book do most admirably suit it every way. Look upon it as merely rational, and nothing so adequate to the mind and reason of a man; so as that, though things in it there are indeed, that the reason of man could not have found out; there is nothing in it which the reason of man would not approve, being represented and laid before it. If we consider the condition of man as corrupt, what delineations have we of the corrupt frame and temper of the spirit of man in this state! And nothing, to me, is a greater argument of the truth of our religion in general, than to find such exact descriptions of the state of man, suiting the temper in which he is now to be found upon the original depravation in all his conditions in this world. So that just such a thing as a carnal man was, and was represented to have been, five thousand years ago, just such a one he is now; all the imaginations of the thoughts of the heart of man are evil, and continually so. And when God looks down from heaven upon man, to understand who it is that seeks after God, there is none that is found doing good, no not one; none seeking after God; for that good must be chiefly meant: as if all the world did agree in that one common sense, to say unto God, "Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways: let not God molest or disturb us in our course.' "Just so is the degenerate spirit and temper of man represented, and how true a representation is it! And then look upon the spirit of man as renewed, and how lively a description is there of the

regenerate man, the renewed man! just so desiring after God, the living God, as this book doth express; there placing its sole felicity and highest delight, there reposing its treasure, there placing the study of the heart, to be sincere and upright in his sight; who but God could have made such a representation of man? And that I take to be a further consideration which shows the divinity of this book, even those most inimitable characters of its divine Author that are most conspicuous to every discerning eye. But I add,

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| sense. It is true, that there wants not rational evidence to demonstrate the divine authority or divinity of this book, to any that shall at leisure impartially consider the thing. But it is a far more lively proof that any one hath of this in himself and in his own soul, when he is made to taste, in the word, how gracious the Lord is, when he hath the pleasant relish of it in his own spirit: when he can say by his own experience, "Oh, how sweet are thy words to my mouth, yea sweeter than honey to my taste!" when it is to him a recreation to retire and set himself to think, and (5.) The wonderful efficacy this word hath had upon the consider, and study upon these great and deep things of souls of men, from age to age. It hath shown itself to be God; when once he comes to experience this, that the law "the power of God, through faith, unto salvation." What of God is his delight, and that therein he can exercise himmultitudes has it subdued! This sword of the Spirit, and self night and day. So it was, when much less was writarrows taken from hence, how "sharp have they been in ten of this book than what we now have. If David had the hearts of the King's enemies," by which multitudes seen all the writings of the New Testament, and of the prohave been thrown down and made subject! what conquests phets that succeeded himself, and had had the complete, hath it made! Though indeed there have been sad dark entire volume in his hands that we have, with what transintervals but no more but what have been foretold long ports would he have spoken of the ravishing pleasures of ago, wherein the progress of the Christian interest and re-this book! how delectable a study must it have been to ligion should be slow and little; no other was to be ex- his soul! I hope (though it is much to be lamented inpected, according to what was long ago foretold of. But deed that there are no more) there are many at this day if you consider the vast increases that were within the first that find it thus: "We approve it ourselves, in our own and second centuries, so that some of the ancients have hearts; this must be, this cannot but be the divine word, taken notice, and one particularly, by way of apology, to it is so delectable, so refreshing to our souls." And, the emperor that then was, we grow so numerous," (saith (7.) Lastly, Take this by way of addition, the plain and he,)" that were it not for the peaceableness of our spirits manifest design it hath to make men holy and good, and and principles, you could not subsist in opposition to us. consequently to make them blessed and happy at length, It were easy for us to overturn the empire: and were it proves it to be divine. It hath manifestly this design, and possible for us to retire and draw from the world, the world can have no other. This is a thing that speaks itself to would wonder at its own emptiness." And Pliny writing every conscience of man that doth consider, that is, that to Trajan, another of their emperors, tells him, that rigor- this book in the general composure of it hath a design to ous and severe practices against the Christians were now make men good and holy; and consequently to make altogether impracticable and might be dangerous: for he them blessed and happy; and can have no other design. tells him, every where the way to the temples was over- Every one must suppose that such a book as this came grown with grass, and there were none to buy up their not by chance into the world; if not by chance, then it sacrifices, and there was no way in the world to keep came by design; and if it came by design, then something peace in the empire, but to be very benign to the Christ- or other must be designed in it. It doth serve this end ians. And he did procure, by that epistle, a great suspen- manifestly, aims at this, to make men holy and pure, and sion of the rage, and cessation of the persecution, that was fit them for heaven and a blessed eternity; and it hath no at that time. And then, all this was done, not by the other design, it aims at nothing else. This then must be power of arms, (as the Mahometan religion hath spread it- of God; this must either have been a divine revelation self in the world,) but only by the power of this very word, from God himself, (as it avows itself to be,) or it must be the doctrine of Christ; whereby it appears to be "the one of the most horrid forgeries that ever was contrived wisdom of God and the power of God." "I have discoursed under heaven, ever since the creation of the world. But I to you at large before, of the strong and irrefragable evi- | would appeal to any man's conscience, whether it is likely dence that is given to the truth of this book by the pro- any one would be guilty of so audacious a wickedness, to phecies, and by the miracles we find recorded in it; the entitle the holy God to be the Author of an imposture, for punctual predictions of the former, and the obsignations no other end than to make men holy and good? would men given to divine truth, given by divine power, in the latter. be so wicked as this, for no other end but to make the world But this seal, set upon the souls of men by the sanctify-good? Their own fact would fly in their faces. Here is a ing Spirit, (whereof this word hath been continually the instrument,) carries to seeing and discerning persons the greatest evidence imaginable in it. It was the saying of Plato, that "the world is God's epistle to men; the characters of his invisible power and goodness being so visible upon it." And how raised would his thoughts have been, and how much transported would he have been beyond the transport in which he was on this occasion, if he had but known and viewed this divine and sacred book! But then, to find it again, copied out and transcribed in men's hearts! "You are," saith the apostle, "the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart," 2 Cor. iii. 3. What a demonstration is here of the Divine Author that hath made work, even by his word, upon the hearts and souls of men? So as that the same apostle speaks in that, 2 Cor. xiii. 3. "Do you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but mighty in you?" "Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith," "Do you seek a proof of Christ speaking by me?" See him in this book, and look into yourselves, such of you as have been converted and THAT which we have further yet to do upon this subject, turned by my ministry; see if you be not Christ's epistle. | is only to say somewhat by way of answer to an objection See if he hath not written out the greatest and most neces- or two; and then to conclude and shut up all in some sary things about him and his religion, out of this book use. into your own hearts. And I add,

(6.) That the high complacency that the best men take in this book, must needs prove it to be divine to their own * Preached February 20th, 1691.

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design to make the world holy and happy; and if the world were thus, as this book would make it, if it were suitable to it and the contents of it, if there were that love to God and Christ and our neighbours, that holiness, that righteousness upon earth that are expressed in, and designed to be promoted by, this book, what a blessed world were this! The very image and idea of heaven itself. But to think that men should be guilty of the greatest wickedness that ever was done under the sun, with so good a design, is the most inconsistent and unimaginable thing that can be.

These considerations, superadded to what was largely spoken to before, I reckon will prove the matter out of doubt, (with all that impartially consider and weigh things,) that these Scriptures are of divine authority.

LECTURE X.*

Objection 1. Some such thought may possibly arise in the minds of some, that if these books be indeed of divine revelation in order to the salvation of souls, as you have

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THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ORACLES OF GOD.

heard they are, it may seem strange that they have been was here chiefly spoken of. And for that very reason, beconfined to so little a part of the world, to so small a por- cause that which was to be known of God in them was so tion of mankind. As for the books of the Old Testament, manifest to them, even the invisible things of God from the while they only were in being, that they should be shut up creation of the world, his eternal power and Godhead, in so narrow limits as Palestine, a very little, inconsidera- sufficiently to leave them without excuse; yet (as it after ble spot, compared with the rest of the world. In Judah, follows) they liking not to retain God in their knowledge, it was said, God was known, as being unknown to the rest therefore he gave them up; as we see, Rom. i. 18, 28. of the world, Psalm lxxvi. 1. And he gave his word to Here is nothing but Nemesis, just punishment, and so no Jacob, and his statutes and judgments to Israel; and did cause at all to complain of any injury done to men. But, 4. When yet it pleased God, in order to the revival of not so to any nation, Psalm cxlvii. 19, 20. To the Jews were committed the oracles of God, as the apostle speaks, the lost state of religion in the world, to form a peculiar Rom. iii. 2. And afterwards, when Christianity came, in people to himself, and there to set up an eminent sight (as it were) upon a candlestick, to vouchsafe an express revethe fulness of time, to obtain in the world, how little a way, in comparison, did the Christian records reach, or lation of himself to that people, and to commit to them have reached hitherto! According to common computa- his oracles, they were so committed to them, not to be contion, the world being divided into thirty parts, nineteen do fined and hid, but preserved and kept; and that thence, yet remain totally paganish in the grossest sense, and the light might be transmitted all round about, which accordother eleven between Mahometans and Christians, and not ingly must of course (if men had not been wanting to themabove a sixth part of the world that are so much as Christ- selves) have spread further and further. It was not from ians in name, and of them how great a part have the Bible any dívine appointment, but from the ill spirit that ruled reserved and locked up from them, they not being permit- amongst that ill people, and from the prejudice and neglited the use and knowledge of it! All this may seem very gence of their neighbours, that the light they had did not strange, if we consider these Scriptures as a divine reve- spread and extend further and further, and still further and lation purposely vouchsafed in order to the salvation of the further, to circulate from nation to nation. It proceeded (I say) from the ill spirit that was among the Jews, who did souls of men. Why in reference to this I shall offer you some conside-envy to the rest of the world the knowledge of God, which rations that I hope may not be unuseful. As,

1. Suppose that there had been no saving design at all set on foot in reference to the apostate sons of men, but that they had been left under the same remediless condition with the apostate angels, what wrong had there been done? who could have had whereof to accuse the righteous Lord and sovereign Ruler of all this world? Why might not he have left all to sink without remedy or hope, into so deserved, yea, and a self-procured ruin? It is therefore apparently not a matter of right, but of free favour, if God afford any apt and suitable means in order to the saving of any. And what is not matter of right may surely be withheld without wrong. But,

2. When upon the fall of Adam it pleased God so graciously to reveal to him his saving design and the means of it by that eminent seed of the woman, whereof (though those words do carry but an obscure intimation, yet) undoubtedly, he did not leave Adam ignorant of the meaning and intendment of them. And it is as little to be doubted but that Adam did transmit the knowledge of what he knew himself, in so important a matter, to his more immediate posterity. If then they had not been wanting to themselves and their posterity, it must necessarily have been, that there would have been some sufficient knowledge of a Saviour diffused all the world over, wheresoever his posterity had spread itself. But if men have herein been wanting to themselves, is the holy merciful God to be charged with this? If some very bountiful person should confer some great estate, and settle it upon some particular family, and they embezzle and lose it, is this to be charged upon the bountiful benefactor? And again,

3. Men did not only by their voluntary neglect lose the notices that were first thus given to Adam, concerning a Saviour, but they lost the very notions of God himself. So that by their own negligence and malignity, they gradually and universally sunk even into the grossest idolatry; and so by this means, not only lost the opportunity that they had of knowing somewhat how man might have been saved out of his lost and lapsed estate, but they provoked Divine displeasure against them in the highest degree. And so their negligence herein is not only the natural means of their being without such knowledge as they otherwise would have had, but the provoking cause of God's deserting the world in so great a measure, and so generally, as he hath deserted it. And thus doth the apostle plainly state the case, that because they have not been true to that light that was natural and common to them, did not follow the conduct, even of the notices of God that they had, therefore they have been abandoned and given up: "The wrath of God hath been revealed from heaven against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness." What truth was that? or what men were these? It was natural truth, the natural knowledge of God, that men had as men; and this was the pagan world that

now, for the present, was peculiar to them; and to the negligence and prejudice of the rest, that they looked after no such things. Of that ill spirit that ruled among the Jews, that is a sad instance, (which I have upon some other occasion told you of,) that when there was one translation of the Old Testament by the seventy elders, enjoined to be made by Ptolemy, and they could not tell how to hinder it, they appointed a solemn fast universally wherever they had any thing at all to do, to lament that the knowledge of God should be so diffused amongst others; and go beyond their own bounds. Wherein, as they were guilty, no doubt, so the rest of the world were accessary too, by their negligence and disaffection to the true knowledge of God, to their own continuing ignorance. And further,

5. That when the Christian records, the books of the New Testament, came to be added to those of the Old, how should it come to pass but only through the general ill temper of men, that Christian knowledge might not be as far extended as commerce was between nation and nation, 66 more kingdom and kingdom? Why might not that commodity have been carried as far as gold and silver and precious stones? the price whereof is far above all these, precious than rubies," or thousands of gold and silver. And (as I told you formerly) it was never to be expected God should do that by extraordinary means, that might have been done by ordinary. And this being the case, it is little to be expected that God (when men might so easily have transmitted such notices from nation to nation, and those that were of a greater distance, and might have heard more obscurely, of such and such things, might have inquired and sent and laboured to inform themselves) should give remedy to such an evil as this, by an extraordinary course; and when in an ordinary way such knowledge might have been conveyed from country to country, he should have sent an angel from kingdom to kingdom, and from nation to nation, to carry them Bibles. It might have been as well expected that, in Christian countries, where the Bible is come, but a great many persons being illiterate, and can make no use of it, an angel should be sent from house to house to teach their children to read. Again,

6. Where there hath been both a loss of that Christian knowledge that once did obtain, and those very records do (it may be) cease from some parts of the world where they have been, this is still to be imputed to the same cause, the carelessness and negligence of men about their own concernments, even about their greatest concernments, as we are told. It is true, that of latter days, in some parts of the world, where there have been thirty Christians for one pagan, there are now nearly thirty Mahometans for one Christian. Whence is this, but from the wilful degeneracy and revolt of those, amongst whom the Christian name was sometime professed? It would not have been imposed upon any, whether they would or no, to forego their religion,

and to let these sacred records cease from among them, |
and substitute a fetid, fulsome, ridiculous Alcoran in the
room of them. We are not to charge upon God these
gross negligences and wickednesses of men. And again,
7. Where these holy books are shut up from people,
(as they are generally in the Romish church,) to what is
that to be imputed, but to their own carelessness and indif-
ferency and coldness in the concerns of their own souls
and of the future state? This is a punishment, a just pu-
nishment upon stupid besotted princes and people, that
they would be so imposed upon; so absurdly and without
pretence; that their priests must lock up all from them,
that so they might have the leading of them, the blind
leading the blind into the ditch. We are to consider a
penal hand in this, as is expressed, 2 Thess. ii. 11. that
where the truth is not received in the love of it, there God,
in judgment, should "send strong delusions that they should
believe a lie, that they all might be damned." This is
righteous and holy displeasure, and the act and effort of
punitive justice for very gross and most provoking wick-
edness, that a greater value hath not been had and ex-
pressed of things so sacred, so precious, and of such con-
cernment to men's souls; that the greater part of the
Christian world should suffer itself to be so grossly im-
posed upon, and cheated out of the very things wherein
their very salvation is concerned. Their wickedness in
this, did punish itself. And God hath most righteously
permitted it to be so. And then,

8. That according to human measures, and even amongst ourselves, the government is not concerned when laws are made, to provide that every particular person should have the particular knowledge of them. Such laws as are of common concernment men are obliged, under penalties, to observe; they are to look after them themselves. The government is not to take care that every particular person, or family, or parish, or town, or country hath this or that particular act of parliament sent to them, or a statute book lodged in every such place. That is not their care, but it is expected, people should so far concern themselves and mind their interests as to acquaint themselves with things, upon which the safety of their lives as well as the common peace doth depend. And yet further,

doth for them is of grace, he is never wanting to those that with serious diligence trade with and improve their present talents. And I think more needs not be said to that objection.

Objection 2. And it is of less concernment, what might be further objected in the second place. That is, it may seem somewhat more desirable (at least) that these Scriptures had contained things that are of necessity to salvation in a more distinct method, that we might have had (as it were) all the several heads belonging to religion, reduced as in a common place book, to such and such distinct topics, that every one might know whither to go presently for all things that do belong to such and such a head. But, 1. I answer; It is enough to those that consider things modestly, and with that subjection and resignation of spirit that we ought to have, to take notice only that God hath thought another course fitter. And that is surely best which he thinks best. So submissive and resigned ought our minds and understandings to be to the Divine mind. But,

2. Supposing the most accurate method that could be imagined were used in all things, as was suggested, yet however, there would have been a continual use and need of a stated office, to be continued through all the successions of time, purposely for the explaining and for the enforcing of things upon the dull and sluggish minds of men. The state of this apostate world doth most manifestly require it, yea and even with the best, those that are upon recovery, who are in some measure restored out of the common apostacy, they do still need to be continually administered unto. And that being supposed, it is the business of them who are invested with such an office, to be continually searching for others, and labouring diligently to explain things to them, and to lay things together, and to apply them to particular uses and purposes as the variety of cases should need and require. And to add no more,

3. Whereas the bounty and goodness of God hath provided for the inhabitants of this earth, that the bowels of it should be replenished with things of very great usefulness and very great value, as gold, silver, precious stones, and the like, that are dug out of the earth, it might as rea9. Where ignorance of those great things that are con- sonably be said, Why did not God so order the matter, tained in the Holy Scriptures is altogether invincible; and that upon turning up of the earth, one might have found where it was impossible, in a natural way, that such know-vessels of gold, flagons and dishes of silver, ready made ledge should come, undoubtedly God will deal with men accordingly. He will only proceed with them according to that light they had; he will never punish them for not having that light which they never had, nor could have. "As many as sin without the law shall perish without the law; and as many as have sinned with the law shall perish by the law:" as Rom. ii. 12. And,

10. In the last place, if any such were any where to be found that did to their utmost improve the light and means of knowledge which they had, (supposing them never to have had what we have from these holy writings,) we do not know what God would have done for their further help in that case. But I doubt instances will not be found of such as have improved the light they had to the uttermost. How far we are from improving as we should and might, that greater light which we have! But God hath his ways open to him. We do not know how he did convey light of old to those that had it before the Scriptures were written: how Job came by his knowledge, and how his friends came by theirs, we do not know. But this is undoubtedly the ordinary, stated means of knowledge where it is vouchsafed; where God doth afford it. If God doth not afford it, he proceeds then by other measures of his own which we know nothing of. But certainly he will always walk punctually according to that rule, that "whosoever hath, to them shall be given, and they shall have more abundantly;" that is, whosoever hath so as to improve what he hath, that useth and enjoys what he hath, and God is pleased to trust him with, God will never be wanting to such. He will always be beforehand with them, as he is never behind-hand with any, according to that known and generally approved saying of that ancient: Homini facienti quod in se est, Deus non deest: God is never wanting to them that do improve what they possess. Though he owes them nothing, and whatsoever he

and formed? and why have we not our rubies and diamonds ready cut and polished, as they are taken out of the earth? These Scriptures do contain all needful truths in the ore, from whence they are to be beaten out. And what! is nothing to be left to the industry and diligence of those that are to be employed here a life-time, in reference to the concernments of their salvation and the affairs of another world? must every one expect that food of this kind should drop into his mouth when, even in reference to the support of this perishing life, it seemed a just and equal law to the universal Lawgiver, that he that would not labour should not eat?

And therefore, now to make some brief Use of what hath been said upon this subject. It may be improved several ways.

1. It may very reasonably put us upon reflection, what our temper and what our practice hath been and is, in reference to these sacred writings. And,

(1.) Let us reflect, and bethink ourselves: Are they used, are they perused, as so sacred, so important, and necessary things do require to be? Pray let us reflect, Are they much in our hands in our closets ? do we lay as a charge upon ourselves to search the Scriptures? You see it is given as a charge by our Lord himself, "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life," John v. 39. Is the reading of them in our families a common practice? You do best know. There is such a thing as family instruction charged upon family masters. They are to be accountable for those under their charge in this very thing. And certainly they that do but use a very ordinary understanding, would soon and easily apprehend, that I who am to maintain the lives of so many persons in my family under my care, by providing food for them for their natural lives, that I who am not to suffer a child or a servant to starve under my roof, must not surely let their souls starve: I must not

let the necessary means of spiritual and eternal life be withheld from them. Let it be considered, Is such a course kept up? If there must be family instruction, this word must be the ground of it, it must be all fetched from hence. And how sad, how unaccountable a case is it, when it shall be more ordinary and familiar to have a news-book (not to say a play-book) in men's hands, and under their eye, than this holy book! But we are to inquire too,

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the Spirit of the living God on the fleshly tables of our hearts: otherwise this word cannot but be a witness against us. If there be not a correspondent word within, if there be not an internal correspondent word, the external word must be a standing witness against the frame of our spirits and against our habitual inclination. We then have the word of Christ dwelling richly in us, when it transforms and changes us, and when we are like it, when there is something within us answerable to it, as face answers to face in the water. And,

(2.) Not only concerning the reading and perusing of these writings, but concerning the gust, the savour and relish wherewith we do it. With what complacency do we (4.) It ought, in order to this, further to exhort us to look into and resolve in our hearts those great and deep endeavour distinctly to understand it; especially in those things of God that are contained and unfolded to us in this great things that do concern the vitals and essentials of book? I would fain know, who of us can assign a reason religion. And this knowledge will be easy to them that why David should have a pleasanter relish of the word of concern themselves to understand. Wisdom is easy to him God than we? Is it not of as great importance to us, as it that hath understanding, that is, that sets his mind to uncould have been to any saint heretofore, to take these sacred derstand, that doth aim at understanding. It must be a truths and doctrines that are contained in this book for our design driven and pursued accordingly, that we may get meat and drink? I found thy words and did eat them," our minds enriched with that knowledge that is wrapt up saith the prophet, "and they were to me the joy and re- in these holy writings. And we have greater advantages joicing of my heart." We have it given us as the common in order to it, yea much greater, than our forefathers have character of a good man, a fearer of the Lord, of old, that had, though they have expressed that love to this book, the law of God was his delight, and therein he did medi- which I am afraid is too little common in our time. How tate day and night, Psal. i. 2. Let us but consider, if there dear was a leaf of the Bible to some of the poor suffering be a failure and decay generally among us as to one thing, martyrs! But, I say, we have much greater advantage to that is, the want of a savouring and relishing the word of help us to a distinct understanding of it. How many very God, the things contained in the sacred writings, whether useful commentaries upon the Bible are there published there be not a matter of threatening abode and import to among us in the English tongue, which were not in the us in it; for then all our religion is proportionably languish- former time? As particularly the Dutch annotations, ing, and the languishment of it is a continual tendency to and Diodati's annotations, and those that are called the its being lost, and continual sickness and languishing is a Assembly's annotations and Mr. Poole's, in two volumes, tendency to death: and in such reflections as these, we and that lesser and very useful one of Mr. Clarke, single. should compare present time with former time, so far as So that they must owe it to their own great neglect and it any way comes within the compass of our knowledge, unconcernedness, who are not furnished with help at hand either of what we could either of us have observed our-whereby they may in some measure understand the Bible selves, or what is recorded to us by others. Sure the time distinctly as they read it, and know how to refer things to was, that the word of God hath been a thing of much their use from day to day as they go on in that course. higher esteem (I doubt) than at present. I am very apt to And then, think, and do pretty certainly know, that the reading of the Bible in London was a much more common usage than now it is in families and closets. And truly, if there be symptoms of decay upon us in respect of so very important a thing as this is, it looks very threateningly we may be sure if our esteem grow less of this book, God's esteem doth not grow less of it: he doth not measure by us: and if he have the same estimate and value for it that ever he had, we may fear that he will sometime or other (and we know not how soon) very terribly vindicate the neglect, contempt, and disregard of these sacred records. If he do come to plead his own cause, in this regard, with an untoward generation, I fear it will be a very terrible day: I know not who will live when God doth this. But,

(5.) Lastly, apply it to the several uses it was written for and was designed to serve. You see here in the context, what uses it was intended to serve, and it is said to be profitable for: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" use it to these several purposes, as the case doth from time to time require. And we may add hereunto, what we find in another place, (Rom. xv. 4.) that the things that were written, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Oh! how many a sweet cordial is there in this book! Certainly they cannot be in an uncomfortable state, without a fault, that have such matter of consolation just at hand, and take no 2. This should exhort us to several things. As, notice of it. They that go from day to day in darkness, (1.) That we do with serious gratitude acknowledge and complain of their own doubts and fears; and will not and adore the goodness of God, in intrusting us with such be at the pains to consider what there is in this book suita treasure as these Oracles of his are. I am afraid this is able to the state of their case, and which by faithful applia thing wherein there is a very general neglect and de- cation would undoubtedly in time satisfy all unreasonable fect. We do not often enough put it into our express doubts, and dismiss all causeless fears and make them vathanksgivings, that God hath vouchsafed the great bless-nish, must needs be wanting to their own comfort and ing of a Bible among us. I doubt we do not explicitly peace. It is in that respect a light, not only upon account enough take notice of this, as a matter of gratitude to of its instructiveness, but upon account of the pleasantGod, nor so often as we should, that he hath put this book ness and consolations thereof. The Scriptures were writinto our hands. And, ten that we through patience and comfort of them might have hope. We that are following the conduct of God, and the ducture of that light which shines in this sacred word of his, towards an eternal state of glory, with what erect and raised hearts, with hearts how lifted up in the ways of God, should we hold on our course, as the redeemed ones of him, having that life and immortality in view which are brought to light before our eyes in this Gospel.

(2.) It should exhort us to more frequent and diligent reading of the Scriptures. For what have we them for? And indeed we do but mock God when we give thanks for them, if we use them not. It should be more a business with us; time should be chosen and reserved for it on purpose. We should contrive how to spare time from our common affairs for the perusal of this book. I am afraid that partly between the over-much business of the shop and the exchange, and partly through the no business of the coffee-house and tavern, little or no ime is allowed for this important work, the reading and perusing diligently these holy writings.

(3.) And we should be exhorted next, to endeavour to get them written over again in our hearts: that this word may be to us an ingrafted word: that we may have this word of Christ dwelling richly in us: that we may be the epistles of Christ, written not with ink on paper, but with

And a little to enforce all this, it may not be altogether useless, nay, I think it may be worth our while to tell you a short passage which was not long ago told me by a person, (whose name is well known in London, and I hope savory in it yet, Doctor Thomas Goodwin,) at such time as he was president of Magdalen college in Oxford: there I had the passage from him. He told me that being himself in the time of his youth a student at Cambridge, and having beard much of Mr. Rogers of Dedham in Essex, purposely he took a journey from Cambridge to Dedham,

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