together.new to them, which it was not; or to excite a vain Admiration in them: but it is fomewhat unspeakably nobler, and more extenfive; comprehending in the grandest and most magnificent Order, along with every Effential of that Plan, the various Difpenfations of God to Mankind from the forming of this Earth to the Confummation of all Things. It begins with the Ground-work of natural Religion, the Creation of the Universe by one holy and good and wife Being: relating diftinctly, how all thofe Parts of it, which the Heathen worshipped as Gods, were in Truth the Work of God's Hands. It proceeds to the Origin of the Patriarchal, Jewish and Chriftian Religion, the Introduction of Sin by the Fall of our first Parents, of which we experience the wretched Effects. It goes on to that amazing Punishment of Sin, the univerfal Deluge, proved to be as certain, as it was wonderful, by the remaining Traces of it throughout the Globe, It then recites the fecond Peopling of the World, the Relapfe of Mankind into Wickednefs, the Choice of one Family and People to preserve the Knowledge of God, and to be as a Light fining in a dark Place', for the Benefit T 2 Pet. i. 19.

of all about them, that would turn their Eyes and Feet to the Way of Peace. It lays before us the Laws given to this People. It recounts their History, chiefly with Regard to their moral and religious Behaviour, and dwells on the Characters and Actions of their most remarkable Perfons. It fupplics us with admirable Patterns of genuine Piety in the Pfalms, most virtuous Inftructions for the prudent Conduct of Life in the Book of Proverbs, for bearing Afflictions in that of Job, for thinking justly of Wealth, Honour, Pleasure, Science, in Ecclefiaftes. Then in the prophetical Books it gives us, together with the fublimeft and worthiest Ideas of God, and our Duties towards him, the most affecting Denunciations of that private and public Mifery and Ruin, which will ever attend Sin, whether cloaked by Superftition, or difplayed in Profanenefs. And, along with all these Things, it unfolds a Series of Predictions, reaching from the Beginning of the Old Teftament to the End; and growing, from obfcure and general, continually clearer and more determinate; concerning the Appearance of a Divine Perfon on Earth, for the Recovery of fallen Man, the Revival and Propagation of true Religion throughout the World. The D 4 Books

Books of the New Teftament open to us the Execution of this great Defign. The Gospels record his fupernatural Birth, his unfpotted and exemplary Life, his aftonishing and gracious Miracles, his pure and benevolent Doctrine, his dying for our Offences, and rifing again for our fuftification, his Miffion of fit Perfons, endued with the Gifts of the holy Spirit to teach all Nations, his own Afcenfion into Heaven, and fitting at the right Hand of God, till he fhall come to judge the Quick and the Dead. The Acts of the Apostles relate the wonderful Succefs of their Preaching, and the original Foundation of the Catholic Church. The Epiftles contain their admirable Directions to Clergy and Laity. And the Revelation concludes with foretelling: the State of Chriftianity, primitive, degenerate and reformed, to the laft Ages. Can there now be a grander, a more comprehenfive, a more useful Scheme of Inftruction than this? And doth not the Uniformity and Variety joined: through the whole of it, which, as I have already fhewn you, gives Evidence of its coming from God, give it also inexpreffible Beauty? And what then if fmaller Parts, in fo vaft a Work, appear in fome

+ Rom. iv. 35,

Disorder, barren and

Matt. xxviii. 19.

neglected ?

neglected? Do we not fee the fame Appearance of Neglect, here and there, through all the Works of Nature? Yet they are the Productions of an all-wife Being. Are we not even ftruck with it, as majestic and graceful in human Performances? And why do we object against it in the Word of God? Or by what Right do miferable. Sinners claim, that their Maker, if he fends them Declarations of his Will, and Offers of Pardon, fhall polish every Article to their Liking, or fubjoin his Reasons to each Part, when his Authority is fully fufficient?

But to obviate more diftinctly Objections against the Profitablenefs of Scripture, let us examine more particularly the feveral Sorts of Books, that compofe it. In the earlier hiftorical Parts, amongst many most important Accounts of ancient Time, which we can learn · no where else, there are fome Things imperfectly related. But perhaps the Writer knew them but imperfectly: and God was not bound to give him a fuller Knowledge. The Perfons, for whom they were primarily written, underftood them fufficiently by means of what is faid and we have no Right to understand more of them than we do, indeed not fo much.

Other

t

Other Paffages again feem of small Confequence. But they might be of far greater formerly. The Genealogies of those, by whom the Earth was first peopled, and of confiderable Families in fucceeding Ages, even the dry Catalogues of Names, were, at the Time of their being recorded, and long after, partly Confirmations of the Truth of the Hiftory, partly Notices of Things very interesting. The Divifion of the Land of Canaan in Joshua, the List of Descents in the Beginning of Chronicles, were Titles to Inheritances. The Pedigree of the Levites was neceffary to regulate their Ministrations that of the Pofterity of David, to afcertain the Birth of the Meffiah. If these, and other Parts of the Narration, are not equally agreeable or inftructive now, it is easy to pass them over. We have no Ground to complain of lofing the Entertainment or Information, which others formerly had from them: for we are abundantly recompenfed by being taught many most material Things, of which Men in those Days were ignorant. Yet neither had they any juft Ground to complain. For God may full as confiftently with all his Attributes communicate more to one than to another by: Revelation, as by their natural Abilities, and

Situation