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yet we have all imaginable Reason to believe them, because natural Light acknowledges the divine Nature to be incomprehenfible; and therefore, we have no Reason to reject any Doctrine God reveals, though very myfterious, and the Manner of it incomprehenfible. It certainly beft becomes finite creatures, as Men are, firmly to believe the Dictates of infinite Wisdom, though they do not comprehend the Manner of the Things. revealed, which are the Objects of our Faith. It is fufficient, that the Chriftian Mysteries may be proved by the Teftimonies of holy Writ, and that the Catholic Church has always believed them in the Sense we underftand them. They who are removed from this Foundation, are always liable to be expofed to dangerous Errors.

II. With a fincere Defire of practising what you know to be the Will of God. The holy Scriptures were not writ only to fill our Heads, but to warm our Hearts; not only to give us a right Notion of God and ourfelves, but to be a Rule and Guide to the Conduct of our Lives. He that knows his Mafter's Will, and does it not, fhall be beaten with many Stripes. This honeft Simplicity of Heart, is the good Ground, where the divine Inftructions thrive and profper; and Chrift has affured us himself, That he that doth God's Will, shall know of the Doctrine, whether it be of God. This Sanctification of

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our Wills and Affections, fits and prepares us for greater Degrees of divine Illumination: A good Understanding have all they that do his Commandments. This Temper of Mind anfwers the Ends for which the holy Scriptures were defigned; for though it is neceffary to know the Way and Manner of appeafing the Wrath of God, upon which Account, the Gospel is called the Word of Reconciliation; yet except we conform ourselves to the Method prescribed, we shall never partake of the Virtue of the all-fufficient Sacrifice; we muft fincerely purpose to perform the Conditions, if ever we expect to reap the Fruits and Benefits of the Gofpel. God's Threatenings fhould deter us from Sin, and his promifes ftir us up to holy Obedience. The Lives recorded in Scripture of God's faithful Servants, fhould excite us to imitate their Virtues, and all his Precepts fhould direct our Lives. It is better not to have known the Way of Righteoufnefs, than when we have known it to neglect and defpife it.

III. Beg the Affiftance of God's Holy Spirit. It is to that bleffed Spirit that we owe the Scriptures themfelves; for holy Men of God fpake as they were infpired; and it muft be from the Influence of the fame Spirit, that they become effectual to our Salvation. It is his Property to work upon our Hearts, whereby we perceive and know thofe Things which we ought to do, and have Power and Strength

Strength faithfully to fulfil the fame. This was David's Practice; Open my Eyes, O Lord, that I may fee the wondrous Things of thy Law. And if ever we defign to read with Profit, we must copy after fo great an Example; and upon this Occafion, we may very properly make ufe of that admirable Collect of the Church; Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our Learning, grant that I may in fuch wife read them, mark, learn, and inwardly digeft them, that by Patience and Comfort of thy holy Word, I may embrace, and ever hold faft the bleffed Hope of everlasting Life, which thou haft given me in my Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

IV. Read the Scriptures with particular Attention. Men miferably impofe upon themfelves, when they think they have discharged their Duty by reading fo many Chapters; when, alas! the main Matter confifts in fuch a comprehenfion of the Senfe of them, as may Influence our Lives, and difpofe us to practife what is contained in them. We can never receive any Profit from any human Writings, except, we keep our Underftandings clofe to the Senfe of them; but to read the Scriptures carelefly and negligently, is dangerous and finful. To fix our Attention we must confider Who it is that speaks to us; the great Majefty of Heaven and Earth; and the Importance of thofe Things that are revealed, which concern no lefs than our eterI 3

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nal Happiness or Mifery. Were fuch Thoughts thoroughly impreffed upon our Minds, it is impoffible we fhould fuffer them to wander upon other Objects; fuch Authority requires our particular Regard, and Matters of fuch great Moment juftly challenge the utmost Intention of our Souls. If any earthly Prince condefcends to difcourfe with us, we affront his Dignity by not liftening to what he delivers; but how much greater an Affront is it to God, to whom the greatest Things bear fo little Proportion, to receive the Words cf his Instruction after a careless and negligent Manner? Pardon, O Lord, that little Regard that I have hitherto paid to the Manifeftation of thy Will; for the Time to come, I will attend with the greatest Serioufnefs to what thou deliverest. Speak, Lord, for thy Servant heareth.

V. Read with Reverence. The Heathen Oracles were always confulted with great Ceremony and Solemnity, and fhall we pay lefs Deference to the Oracles of the true God? When we take the Holy Bible into our Hands, we should raise our Minds to the greatest Value and Efteem imaginable of what is contained in it. For they are not the Words of human Wisdom; they are not the Words of human Reason; but they defcend from Above, from the Father of Lights, with whom is no Variablenefs or Shadow of changing. If we had an habitual Reverence

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of God upon our Minds, we should never read his Word only by Custom or Diversion: But yet this habitual Reverence muft be actually excited by proper Confiderations; for according to our Value and Efteem of any Thing, will our Endeavours rife towards the attaining thereof.

VI. Apply what you read to your own Soul. The frequent Calls to Repentance so often addreffed by St. John Baptift, by our Saviour himself and his Apoftles, to the Generation to which they preached, were intended to awaken us to Sorrow and Shame for those Sins we have committed, and to ftir us up to hate and forfake them; for except we repent we shall certainly perith. It will little avail us to know that black Catalogue of Sins, which St. Paul affures the Corinthians would exclude them from the Kingdom of God, except we fecure ourselves by Care and Diligence to avoid them: For any of thofe Crimes indulged, will as certainly fhut Heaven's Gates against us, as it did against them to whom that Epistle is dedicated. The Promifes and Threatenings of the Gospel equally concern us, as they did them to whom they were delivered; and therefore it is reasonable they should affect our Hopes and Fears as they did theirs. To read Scripture without this Application of it to the State of our own Minds, is to make it very infignificant to the great Purposes for which it was writ.

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VII. Use

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