most of us must take upon Truft, and which often differ. But have Men the leaft Pretence to fay, that God fhall not inftruct them, unless he will convey his Inftructions to them in all the feveral Tongues of the feveral Countries and Ages of the World? Is it not better, that he should give them in any one, than in none? Are we not informed by Translations of the most important Events, that have paffed formerly upon Earth? Do not most of the Subjects of fome large Empires to this Day learn the Will of their Sovereign from Tranflations? And what if the Tranflations of fome Parts of Scripture vary? They agree in the Main: and there can be no grofs Impofitions; because the Clergy of one Communion will be sure to detect those of others in fuch Attempts; and there are Multitudes of learned Laity alfo in Lands of Freedom; and it is the common Intereft of all Perfons not to be deceived.

It is faid further, that one fhould expect a Book, written by Direction from God for inftructing the World in Religion, to be a short plain methodical Syftem of Belief and Practice, unincumbered with any other Matters: and the Bible is quite a different Thing. But is not Ꭰ

VOL. VI.

the

the whole Syftem of Nature, and the whole Conduct of Providence, quite a different Thing from what one should have expected? Had we been fet to imagine before-hand, what Sort of a World God would create, and in what Manner he would govern it; we should none of us have pitched on such a Creation and Government, as we fee in fact: but had the Scheme of either come into our. Thoughts, we should probably have fancied there were innumerable and infuperable Objections against it. And hence we should learn, that, in the Cafe of Revelation alfo, our Fancies are not the Measure of God's Proceedings; but we are humbly to acquiefce in whatever it appears by proper Evidence that he hath done, and not erect ourselves into Judges of what he ought to do, or in what Manner. Hear his own Words: My Thoughts are not your Thoughts, neither are your Ways my Ways, faith the Lord. For as the Heavens are higher than the Earth, fo are my Ways higher than your Ways, and my Thoughts than your Thoughts". The Proceedings of Divine Wisdom will always juftify themselves to human Inquiry, fo

n If. lv. 8, 9.

far

far as we are capable of comprehending them. But of Neceffity many of God's Actions must be infinitely more beyond our Reach, than the Actions of a prudent Man are beyond that of a little Child. And were the whole Plan of Scripture fuch, as in our first crude Notions we should have conceived likely; that very Circumftance would have furnished a Prefumption against it whereas now we have Caufe to look on it with that Reverence, which the Pfalmift expreffes: Thy Teftimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my Soul keep them. However let us enter a little more particularly into the Merits. of this Plea.

The Inftruction given us in the Bible, we are told, is not ranged in a juft Method: but we are to pick out the Doctrines and Precepts of it often from the Midft of Hiftories and Prophecies, and put them together as we can. But is not the natural Inftruction, which God gives us, juft of the fame Sort? Are we not obliged to gather almost the Whole of it, from Hints and Intimations afforded by Objects difperfed through the Earth: from Observations, Experiments and Reasonings of Perfons, who have lived in different Countries and Ages? Yet

thefe are undeniably the Means, which he hath appointed to furnish us with one Part of our Knowledge. And why then And why then may not the Scripture, notwithstanding its apparent Want of Order, be the Means, which he hath appointed to furnish us with another Part? It is alledged yet farther, that fome very curious and interefting Things are entirely omitted, or but briefly hinted there: while fome very obvious ones are inculcated, and repeated without End But curious Things are Part of them probably unfit to be known perfectly at prefent: and we may well be content to fee now through a Glass darkly, fince hereafter we fall fee Face to Face. Again, fuch of them, as may properly be known, are useful in Comparison to few; who also will feek after them with more Spirit,. and difcover them with more Joy, when they must fearch for them as for bid Treasures 2: whereas plain Things are useful for all; and therefore should be eafily found: for moft Minds cannot labour. Befides, confider how it is in worldly Things: look around you are not Matters of finall Price, but great Utility, the commoneft? And must not they, who will have Things that are curious and rare, seek after

Prov. ii. 4.

91 Cor..xiii.. 12.

them

them with Difficulty, and pay dear for them? Farther, had every Thing in the Bible been eafy of Access to us, in proportion as we were likely to place a Value upon it; we should foom have looked it through, then have laid it down, and feldom taken it up again: whereas now we return to it over and over, in fresh Hopes of discovering fomething more: and at each Reading, we meet, whether we will or not, with the commoneft indeed, but most neceffary Doctrines and Precepts, in fuch a Variety of Lights affifting each other, and they are fometimes impreffed fo fuddenly and advantageously upon us, that if our Understandings are not gratified with the most beautiful Arrangement, and moft entertaining Speculations, our Hearts are however excited to Acts and Habits of Faith and Virtue with the ftrongest Efficacy. Besides, Repetitions might be extremely neceffary, in different Books, written at different Times and may be very ufeful even now, when these Books are laid before us all at once, to inculcate what after all we learn infufficiently.

But further yet: The Scripture is not indeed a Plan of Christianity, finifhed with minute. Accuracy, to inftruct Men as in fomething altogether

D 3