In answer to this objection, I shall confider, in the first place, how far it may be charg'd upon the Scripture; or, in what fenfe the Scriptures may be esteem'd obfcure.

2. I fhall affign the immediate caufes of that obfcurity.

3. I fhall offer fome rules, which may help to clear up the difficulties we meet with in the holy writings.

First, I fhall confider, how far this objection may be charg'd upon the Scriptures.

Altho' we acknowledge there are fome things in Scripture hard to be underfood, yet ftill we affirm, that all things neceffary for us to believe and practife, in order to our falvation, are deliver'd there with the greatest clearness and perfpicuity. Some of the prophets indeed defcribe their writings as a book feal'd up (a), and

(a) Ifai. xxix. 12. Dan. viii. 26. xii. 4. Rev. x. 4.

not

not to be open'd or understood by every body. But the generality of the holy writers affect great plainness of expreffion, and make ufe of a popular style, on purpose to condefcend to vulgar capacities. St Paul tells the Corinthians (a), That he us'd great plainness of speech, that they might all with open face, without any veil or covering, behold, as in a glass, the glories of the Lord. The defign of all writing is to convey our thoughts intelligibly to others; and it would be a great reflexion upon God's wisdom, if a book written by his direction, and for the inftruction of mankind, fhould fall fhort of that end which human compofures do generally attain to. The difputes that have rifen concerning the fense of Scripture, is not always owing to the obfcurity of the Scripture expreffions; as may appear in several inftances: That the death of Christ is a a propitiatory facrifice for our fins, is

(a) 2. Cor. iii. 12, 18.

as

as fully afferted as words can do it: In like manner, there are no plainer texts in the Bible than those that forbid the worship of images, or the performing the public fervice in an unknown language: The fame may be affirmed of the command of receiving the cup in the Lord's fupper : And yet we fee the contrary opinions and practices are maintained with as much stiffness and obftinacy, as if the authority of the Scriptures were clear on the other fide. But then 'tis to be confefs'd, that there are feveral doubts relating to particular texts, which arife either from the darkness and ambiguity of the phrases and expreffions therein made use of, or from the obfcurity of the matters which are there handled. These two are the immediate causes of the obfcurity we meet with in the holy Scripture, which I propos'd to confider in the fecond place.

As to the former of thefe, viz. the obfcurity of Scripture phrases, we are to confider that we have but a

very imperfect knowledge of the language in which the old Old Teftament was written; and it can't be expected but that in a book writ fo many years ago, there must be allufions to cuftoms and tranfactions, the memory of which is worn out by length of time; and feveral expreffions made use of which are different from the genius and modes of speaking us'd in modern languages. For example, we have but few remains of antiquity to inform us what were the idolatrous customs of thofe early ages, and yet 'tis very probable that they gave occafion to fome precepts of the ceremonial law, one great defign of which was to preferve the Jews from falling into the idolatries of their neighbouring nations. In like manner, if we were exactly acquainted with the method which the ancient Jews us'd in computing their time, and the manner of their intercalations, it would, no doubt, very much contribute to clear feveral difficulties in Scripture chronology.

In the next place, the obfcurity which we find in Scripture, arifes from the things themfelves therein treated of, feveral of which are too much above our narrow capacities fully to comprehend and explain Such as are, the nature and attributes of God, his counfels and providence, the nature of our own fouls, and the methods God hath made use of to recover them out of mifery. It is, I think, acknowledg'd on all fides, that our capacities are but finite, which very term implies that our understanding has bounds fet to it which it cannot pafs: And fince it is thus limited, if any thing be above it's reach, certainly the infinite perfections of almighty God, his ways and judgments have the greatest reafon to be esteem'd fo. Notwithstanding this, we are to take notice, that there may be, and certainly are, feveral plain propofitions laid down in Scripture concerning these matters, tho' the things themfelves, in their utmost extent, are above our understanding: