How often have I heard that fcripture. Micah iv. 10. "They "fhall be brought even to Babylon," confidently interpreted for almost, but not full home to Babylon, against the very grammar of the text, and the truth of the hiftory? And so again, that place, Ifa. lviii. 8. "The glory of the Lord shall be thy "rere-ward," through ignorance of the word, read rere-ward, that is, a double reward to his people? But these are small matters, compared with those groffer abuses of scripture by the ignorant and unlearned, which prejudice truth, and too much countenance Popish reproaches.

The Remedies.

The proper way to prevent and remedy this mifchief, is not by depriving any man of his juft liberty, either to read, or judge for himself, what God speaks in his word, and think that way to cure errors; that were the same thing as to cut off the head, to cure an head-ach. Leave that finful policy with the falfe religion; let those only that know they do evil, be afraid of coming to the light: But the proper courfe of preventing the mischiefs that come this way, is by labouring to bound and contain Chriftians within thofe limits Chrift himself hath fet unto this liberty which he hath granted them. And these are fuch as follow.

Limitation I. Though Chrift hath indulged, to the meaneft and weakest Chriftian, a liberty to read and judge of the fcriptures for himself; yet he hath neither thereby, nor therewith granted him a liberty publicly to expound and preach the word to others: That's quite another thing.

Every man that can read the fcriptures, and judge of their fenfe, is not thereby prefently made Chrift's commiffion-officer, publicly and authoritatively to preach and inculcate the fame to others: Two things are requifite to fuch an employment, viz, Proper qualifications, 1 Tim. iii. And a folemn call or de fignation, Rom. x. 14, 15. The ministry is a distinct office, Acts xx. 17, 28, 1 Theff. v. 12. and none but qualified and ordained perfons can authoritatively preach the word, 2 Tim i. 6. 1 Tim. iv. 14. 1 Tim. v. 22.

Chriftians may privately edify one another by reading the fcriptures, communicating their fenfe one to another of them, admonishing, counselling, reproving one another in a private, fraternal way, at feafons wherein they interfere not with more public duties: But for every one that hath confidence enough (and the ignorant ufually are beft ftocked with it) to affume a liberty without due qualification or call to expound and give the fenfe of fcripture, and pour forth his crude and unstudeid

notions, as the pure fenfe and meaning of God's Spirit in the fcriptures; this is what Chrift never allowed, and through this flood-gate errors have broken in, and overflowed the church of God, to the great fcandal of religion, and confirmation of Popish enemies.

Limitation. II. Though there be no part of fcripture shut up or restrained from the knowledge or ufe of any Christian, yet Jefus Chrift hath recommended to Chriftians of different abilities, the study of fome parts of fcripture, rather than others, as more proper and agreeable to their age and ftature in religion.

Christians are by the apoftle ranked into three claffes, fathers, young-men, and little children, 1 John ii. 13. and accordingly the wisdom of Chrift has directed to that fort of food which is proper to either: For there is, in the word, all forts of food fuitable to all ages in Chrift; there is both milk for babes, and frong meat for grown Chriftians, Heb. v. 13, 14. Those that are unfkilful in the word of righteoufnefs, fhould feed upon milk, that is, the easy, plain, but most nutritive and pleasant practical doctrines of the gofpel. But ftrong meat (faith he) that is, the more abftrufe, deep, and myfterious truths, belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who, by reafon of use, have their fenfes exercifed to difcern both good and evil; that is, truth and error. To the fame purpose he speaks, 1 Cor. iii. 2. "I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto 66 ye were not able to bear it.

Art thou a weak unftudied Chriftian? a babe in Chrift? Then the easier, and more nutritive milk of plain gospel doctrine is fitter for thee, and will do thee more good, than the stronger meat of profound and more mysterious points; or the bones of controverfy, which are too hard for thee to deal with.

God hath blessed this age with great variety of found and allowed expofitors in our own language, by the diligent study of which, and prayer for the illumination and guidance of the fpis rit, you may not only attain unto the true fenfe and meaning of the more plain and obvious; but also unto greater knowledge, and clearer infight into the more obfcure and controverted parts of fcripture.

Gaufe III. There is also another evil difpofition in the subject, rendring it easily receptive of errors, and that is fpiritual Slothfulness and carelefnefs in a due and ferious fearch of the whole fcripture, with a fedate and rational confideration of every part and particle therein; which may give us any, tho' the leaft light,

to understand the mind of God in thofe obfcure and difficult points we fearch after the knowledge of.

Truth lies deep, as the rich veins of gold do, Prov. ii. If we will get the treasure, we must not only beg, as he directs, ver. 3. but dig alfo, ver. 4. elfe, as he speaks, Prov. xiv. 23. "The talk of the lips tends only to poverty." We are not to take up with that which lies uppermoft, and next at hand upon the furface of the text; but to fearch with the most sedate and confiderative mind into all parts of the written word, examining every text which hath any respect to the truth we are fearching for, heedfully to obferve the scope, antecedents, and confequents, and to value every apex, tittle, and iota; for each of thefe are of divine authority, Mat. v. 18. and fometimes greater weight is laid upon a small word, yea upon the addition or change of a letter in a word, as appears in the names Abram and Sarai.

It will require fome ftrength of mind, and great fedulity, to lay all parts of fcripture before us, and to compare words with words, and things with things, as the apoftle fpeaks, 1 Cor. ii. 13. "Comparing fpiritual things with fpiritual." And though it be true that fome important doctrines, as that of juftification by faith, are methodically difpofed, and thoroughly cleared and fettled in one and the fame context; yet it is as true, that very many other points of faith and duty are not fo digested, but are delivered fparfim, here a little, and there a little, as he speaks, Ifą. xxviii. 10. You must not think to find all that belongs to one head or point of faith, or duty, laid together in a fyftem or common place, in fcripture; but fcattered abroad in feveral places, fome in the Old Teftament, and fome in the New, at a great distance from one another.

Now, in our fearches and inquiries after the full and fatisfying knowledge of the will of God in fuch points, it is neceffary that the whole word of God be throughly fearched, and all thofe parcels brought together to an interview. Ex. Gr.

If a man would see the entire discovery that was made of Chrift, to the fathers, under the Old Teftament, he fhall not find it laid together in any one prophet; but shall find that one Speaks to one part of it, and another to another.

Mofes gives the first general hint of it, Gen. iii. 15." The "feed of the woman fhall bruise the ferpent's head." But then, if you would know more particularly of whofe feed, according to the flesh, he should come, you must turn to Gen. xxii. 18. "In thy feed (faith God to Abraham) fhall all nations of the VOL. IV. Ff

"earth be bleffed." And if you yet doubt what feed God means there, you must go to the apostle, Gal. iii. 16. To thy feed, which is Chrift. If you would further know the place of his nativity, the prophet Micah must inform you of that, Mic. v. 2. it fhould be Bethlehem Ephrata. If you enquire of the quality of his parent, another prophet gives you that, Ifa. vii. 14. "Behold a virgin fhall conceive, and bear a fon, and call

his name Immanuel." If the time of his birth be inquired after, Moles and Daniel muft inform you of that, Gen. xlix. 10. Dan. ix. 24.

So under the New Teftament, If a man inquire about the change of the fabbath, he must not expect to find a formal repeal of the feventh day, and an exprefs inftitution of the firft day in its room; but he is to confider,

First, What the Evangelift fpeaks, Mark ii. 28. That Chrift is Lord of the Sabbath, and fo had power, not only to difpenfe with it, but to change it.

Secondly, That on the firft day of the week Chrift rofe from the dead, Mat. xxviii. 1, 2. And that this is that great day, foretold to be the day to be folemnized upon that account, Pfal. cxviii. 24.

Thirdly, That, accordingly, the firft day of the week is emphatically filed the Lord's day, Rev. i. 10. where you find his own name written upon it.

Fourthly, You shall find this was the day on which the apafles and primitive Chriftians affembled together for the stated and folemn performance of public worship, John xx. 19. and other public church-acts and duties, 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2. And fo by putting together, and confidering all these particulars, we draw a juft conclufion, That it is the will of God, that fince the refurrection of Chrift, the first day of the week fhould be obferved as the Chriftian-fabbath.

In like manner, as for the baptizing of believers infants; we are not to expect it in the exprefs words of a New Teftament inftitution, or command, that infants, under the gospel, should be baptized; but God hath left us to gather fatisfaction about his will, and our duty, in that point, by comparing and confidering the feveral fcriptures of the Old and New Teftament which relate to that matter; which, if we be impartial and confiderative, we may do.

First, By confidering, that by God's express command, Gen, xvii. 9. 10. the infant-feed of his people were taken into covenant with their parents, and the then fign of that covenant commanded to be applied to them.

Secondly, That though the fign be altered, the promise and Covenant is still the fame, and runs, as it did before, to believers and their children, Acts ii. 38, 39.

Thirdly, That the foederal holiness of our children is plainly afferted under the New Teftament, 1 Cor. vii. 14. Rom. xi. 16.

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Fourthly, We fhall further find, that baptifm fuceeds in the room of circumcifion; and that, by an argument drawn from the completeness of our privileges under the New Teftament, no way inferior, but rather more extenfive than thofe of the Jews, Col. ii. 10, 11, 12.

Fifthly, We fhall find that upon the converfion of any mafter or parent, the whole houshold were baptized. By putting all these things, with fome others, together, we may arrive to the defired fatisfaction about the will of God in this matter.

But some men want abilities, and others are too fluggish and lazy to gather together, compare and weigh all these, and ma ny more hints and discoveries of the mind of God, which would give much light unto this point; but they take an easier and cheaper way to fatisfy themselves with what lies upper-most up, on the furface of fcripture, and fo, as it were by confent, let go, and lofe their own, and their childrens blessed and invalu, able privileges, for want of a little labour and patience to fearch the fcriptures: A folly which few would be guilty of, if but a fmall earthly inheritance were concerned therein,

The Remedies.

To cure this fpiritual fluggishness, and awaken us to the most ferious and diligent fearch after the will of God in fuch controverfial and doubtful points, that we may not neglect the smallest hint given us about it, the following confiderations will be found of great ufe and weight.

Confider. 1. The most fedate, impartial, and diligent inquiries after the will of God revealed in his word, is a duty exprefly enjoined by his fovereign command, which immediately, and indifpenfibly binds the confcience of every Christian to the practice of it.

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Remarkable is that text to this purpose, Rom. xii. 2. "be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, "and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Here you find this duty, not only affociated with, but made the very end of our non-conformity to the world, and renovation of our minds, the very things which constitute a Christian.