are likely to make in the Eyes of the prefent and future Ages.

With due Serioufnefs we are to join due Reverence in reading Scripture: and receive it, not as the Word of Men, but, as it is in Truth, the Word of God; and therefore credible. The Revelation, which he hath given us, cannot indeed contradict the Reafon, which he hath given us and therefore we must never construe it irrationally. But it may easily contradict our fanciful Notions and favourite Conjectures: in which Cafe we are to caft down Imaginations and every high Thing that exalteth itself against the Knowledge of God, and bring into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Chrift'.

Nor is it less our Duty to subject all our vicious Inclinations to the Authority of holy Writ, than our vain Prejudices. For if we indulge but one, it will naturally biafs us to reject, or mifinterpret, whatever is inconfiftent with it: and besides, we shall lose the Hope of that Illumination, without which we can apprehend nothing to good Purpose. Whence the Angel faith to Daniel, None of the Wicked shall underftand; but the Wife shall understand3. And our Saviour promises only, that If any Man will

to the Will of God, he shall know of the Doctrine, whether it be of God.

But with whatever good Difpofitions we may read the Scripture, unless we read it also attentively, we shall fail of our End. If we perform it only as a Tafk, we fhall find it a wearifome one. If we confider spending so much Time in it, without Care to improve by it, as a Work acceptable to God on its own Account: this is cheating ourselves with a falfe and fuperftitious Notion of Piety: and much more fo, if we imagine, that employing one Part of the Day thus will in the leaft atone for doing, in any other Part, what we are forbidden.

Now attentive Reading will present to our View a Variety of Things, that will affect us very differently. And the Benefit or the Harm we fhall receive from them, (for we may receive either,) will greatly depend on the Conduct, which we observe amidst them. If we have never been used to read the Bible, or have long difufed it; fome Paffages in it will probably feem very strange to us at first: as undoubtedly the whole Frame of Nature, and the whole Tenor of Providence would feem, were we let into our prefent Knowledge of it all at once, instead of being made acquainted with it by flow Degrees

14

Degrees. They therefore, who come with a Difpofition to object and cavil, may have abundant Room to exercise it. They, who infift on being satisfied in all Particulars, will be greatly difappointed in many. For every one must not hope to discover whatever may be discovered. Or if he could, most of our Inquiries into the Scheme of Religion, revealed or natural, as well as into the Constitution of the material World, if pursued to the utmoft, will at Length terminate in fomething which we do not and cannot know. So that Men muft prepare themselves for what they will be fure to meet with; must expect to find some dark, and some hard Sayings. On these they must never put a bad Senfe; but are neither to be offended at all, nor wonder much, if fometimes they are at a Lofs how to put any: but believe implicitly, (for this is Faith in God, not Man,) that there is fome, worthy of the reft: and not think of forfaking their Guide to Heaven, merely because they perceive not the Defign or Propriety of every Sentence, that he speaks to them on the Road. In short, they must reason and resolve, if Need be, like the holy Apoftles in the fixth of St. John: who were doubtless perplexed and staggered not a little at our Saviour's Discourse, recorded there; but when many of his Difciples

went

went back upon it, and walked no more with him, and Jefus faid unto the twelve, Will ye alfo go away? Simon Peter anfwered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou haft the Words of eternal Life'.

Perfons thus rightly difpofed will immediately fee farther, that as they are not to be dif gufted with Scripture, because they cannot account for every Thing, or understand every Thing, to their With; fo neither are they to study it merely to understand as much of it as they can, which is only indulging an unedifying Curiofity; and yet lefs, to understand more of it than others, which is nurfing up Vanity, and may tempt them to invent new and even dangerous Meanings, in order to feem more knowing than they are. But their Business is, to apply to those Points first, and dwell on thofe moft, which have the clofeft Connexion with their future Happiness: for They are neceffary; the rest are only, in their several Degrees, useful. And as right Practice is the End of Faith; and the firmeft and most explicit Faith, which doth not produce it, is nothing; and a weak and general Faith, which doth produce it, will be accepted: the practical Paffa-. i John vi, 66, 67, 68.

ges

ges ought certainly to have our principal Regard; ever comprehending those, which exprefs the Obligations of Chriftian Piety and moral Self-government, as well as Juftice and Mercy. We shall indeed do very well, befides occafional Readings of particular Chapters, to peruse both Teftaments in their Order: only it will be advisable to begin with, and go oftenest through, the New; as exhibiting what we are to believe and to do, more fully, and without fuch a Mixture, as there is in the Old, of Things belonging folely to the former Difpenfation. But then the Regularity of this Course ought not to hinder us from felecting chiefly, and perufing moft frequently, fuch Paffages of both, as lay before us, in the most influencing Manner, the common Doctrines and common Duties of our holy Profeffion. Other Things may with Safety be lightly paffed over, and imperfectly or not at all understood, till we are firft well fettled in thefe which very happily are the plainer Parts of Scripture, as well as the more important.

Still even in Refpect of thefe, and much more therefore of others, it is requifite, that we proceed with fome Judgement and Care : that we make Ufe of the fame Rules for understanding our Bibles, which we do for underAtanding