the work of the Holy Spirit herein, what is the aid and affiftance which he contributes hereunto, is fo manifeft from what we have difcourfed, especially concerning his operations in us as a Spirit of grace and fupplication, (not yet made public) that it must not here be insisted on.

It may be thefe means will be despised by fome, and the propofal of them to this end looked on as weak and ridiculous, if not extremely fanciful. For it is fuppofed that these things are preffed to no other end but to decry learning, study, and the use of reafon in the interpretation of the Scriptures, which will quickly reduce all religion into enthusiasm. Whether there be any thing of truth in this fuggeftion fhall be immediately difcovered, Nor have those by whom these things are préffed the least reafon to decline the use of learning or any rational means in their proper place, as though they were confcious to themselves of a deficiency in them with refpect unto those by whom they are so highly, and indeed for the most part vainly pretended unto.

But in the matter in hand, we must deal with fome confidence. They by whom thefe things are decried, by whom they are denied to be neceffary means for the right understanding of the mind of God in the Scriptures, do plainly renounce the chief principles of Chriftian religion. For although the Scripture hath many things in common with other writings wherein fecular arts and sciences are declared; yet to fuppofe that we may attain the fenfe and mind of God in them, by the mere ufe of such ways and means as we apply in the investigation of truths of other natures, is to exclude all confideration of God, of Jefus Chrift, of the Holy Spirit, of the end of the Scriptures themselves, of the nature and ufe of the things delivered in them, and by confequent to overthrow all religion; fee Prov. xxviii. 5.

And this first fort of means which we have hitherto infifted on, are duties in themselves as well as means unto farther ends. And all duties under the gospel are the ways and means wherein, and whereby the graces of God

are exercifed. For as no grace can be exerted or exercifed, but in a way of duty, fo no duty is evangelical or accepted with God, but what especial grace is exercised in. As the word is the rule whereby they are guided, directed and measured; fo the acting of grace in them, is that whereby they are quickened, without which the best duties are but dead works. Materially they are duties, but formally they are fins. In their performance therefore as gofpel duties, and as they are accepted with God, there is an especial aid and assistance of the Holy Spirit. And on that account there is so in the interpretation of the Scriptures. For if without his affiftance we cannot make use aright of the means of interpreting of the Scripture, we cannot interpret the Scripture without it. The truth is, they who fhall either say, that these duties are not neceffarily required unto them who would search the Scripture, and find out the mind of God for their own edification, or fo as to expound those oracles of God unto others; or that they may be performed in a manner acceptable unto God, and usefully unto this end, without the especial affiftance of the Holy Spirit, do impiously what lies in them evert the whole doctrine of the gofpel, and the grace thereof.

That which in the next place might be infifted on, is the confideration of the especial rules which have been, or may yet be given for the right interpretation of the Scriptures. Such are they which concern the stile of the Scripture, its especial phraseology, the tropes and figures it makes ufe of, the way of its arguing, the times and feafons wherein it was written, or the several parts of it; the occafions under the guidance of the Spirit of God given thereunto, the design and scope of particular writers, with what is peculiar unto them in their manner of writing, the comparing of feveral places, as to their difference in things and expreffions, the reconciliation of feeming contradictions, with other things of an alike nature. But as the most of these may be reduced unto what hath been spoken before, about the disposal and perfpicuity of the Scrip

ture, so they have been already handled by many others at large, and therefore I fhall not here infist upon them, but fpeak only unto the general means that are to be applied unto the fame end.

CHAP. VIII.

The fecond fort of means for the interpretation of the Scripture, which are difciplinarian.

THE fecond fort of means I call disciplinarian, as confifting in the due ufe and improvement of common arts and fciences, applied unto, and made use of in the ftudy of the Scriptures. And these are things which have no moral good in themselves, but being indifferent in their own nature, their end, with the manner of their management thereunto, is the only measure and ftandard of their worth and value. Hence it is that in the application of them unto the interpretation of the Scripture, they may be used aright, and in a due manner, and they may be abused to the great disadvantage of them who use them; and accordingly it hath fallen out. In the first way they receive a bleffing from the Spirit of God, who alone profpereth every good and honeft endeavour in any kind; and in the latter they are efficacious to feduce men unto a trust in their own understandings, which in other things is foolish, and in these things pernicious.

That which of this fort I prefer in the first place, is the knowledge of, and skill in the languages wherein the Scripture was originally written. For the very words of them therein, were peculiarly from the Holy Ghoft, which gives them to be no words of truth, and the Scripture itself to be sin, a right, or upright, or perfect writing, Eccl. xii. 12. The Scriptures of the Old Teftament were given unto the church whilft it was entirely confined unto one nation, Pfal. cxlvii. 19. Thence they were

all written in that language, which was common among, and peculiar unto that nation; and this language, as the people itself was called Hebrew, from Heber the fon of Salah, the son of Arphaxad, the fon of Shem, their most eminent progenitor, Gen. x. 23, 24. For being the one original tongue of mankind, it remained in some part of his family, who probably joined not in the great apoftacy of the world from God, nor was concerned in their difperfion at the building of Babel, which enfued thereon. The derivation of that name from another original, is a fruit of curiosity and vain conjecture, as I have elsewhere demonftrated.

In process of time that people were carried into captivity out of their own land, and were thereby forced to learn, and ufe a language fomewhat different from their own; another absolutely it was not, yet so far did it differ from it, that those who knew and spoke the one commonly could not understand the other, 2 Kings xviii. 26. This was 17h, Dan. i. 4. the language of the Chaldeans, which Daniel and others learned. But by the people's long continuance in that country, it became common to them all. After this fome parts of the books of the Scripture, as of Daniel and Ezra, were written in that language, as alfo one verfe in the prophecy of Jeremiah, when they were ready to be carried thither, in which he inftructs the people how to reproach the idols of the nations in their own language, Jer. x. 11. The defign of God was that his word should be always read and used in that language, which was commonly understood by them unto whom he granted the privilege thereof, nor could any of the ends of his wifdom and goodness in that merciful grant, be otherwife attained.

The prodigious conceit of keeping the Scripture, which is the foundation, rule and guide of the whole church, the spiritual food and means of life unto all the members of it; by the church, or thofe who pretend themselves intrufted with the power and rights of it, in a language unknown unto the community of the people, had not

then befallen the minds of men, no more than it hath yet any countenance given unto it, by the authority of God, or reafon of mankind. And indeed the advancement and defence of this imagination, is one of those things which fets me at liberty from being influenced by the authority of any fort of men in matters of religion. For what will not their confidence undertake to vent, and their fophiftical ability give countenance unto, or wrangle about, which their intereft requires and calls for at their hands; who can openly plead and contend for the truth of fuch an abfurd and irrational affertion, as is contrary to all that we know of God and his will, to all that we understand of ourfelves or our duty, with respect thereunto.

And

When the New Teftament was to be written, the church was to be diffufed throughout the world, amongst people of all tongues and languages under heaven: yet there was a neceffity that it fhould be written in fome one certain language, wherein the facred truth of it might, as in original records, be fafely laid up and depofited. It was left, as xanganen, egr wazanavadnen a good and facred depofitum unto the miniftry of the church to be kept inviolate, by the Holy Ghoft, 1 Tim. vi. 20. 2 Tim. i. 14. it was difpofed into writing in one certain language, wherein the preservation of it in purity, was committed to the miniftry of all ages; not abfolutely, but under his care and inspection. From this one language God had ordained, that it should be derived by the care of the miniftry unto the knowledge and ufe of all nations and people. And this was represented by the miraculous gift of tongues communicated by the Holy Ghoft unto the firft defigned publishers of the gospel. In this cafe it pleased the wisdom of the Holy Ghoft to make ufe of the Greek language, wherein he writ the whole New Teftament originally. For the report that the Gofpel of Matthew and the Epiftle 'to the Hebrews were firft written in Hebrew, is altogether groundless, and I have elsewhere difproved it.

Now this language, at that feafon, through all forts of advantages was diffufed throughout the world, espe