Word of God came to be confidered by too many in scarce any other Light than as furnishing Materials for Difputes: and fo the following Generations began to grow weary of Them and It together. Another Misfortune was, that frequently Men, not the best qualified for interpreting even the plainer Parts of it, blinded with new Light, undertook without Fear the moft difficult; and fathered upon the Bible whatever Absurdities had started up in their own Imaginations. Befides, not a few in the laft Century, from an Affectation of uncommon Esteem for it, introduced its peculiar Phrases on Occafions of fo little Dignity, grafted for freely still more peculiar ones upon them, and used both so improperly and unseasonably, that others, from Difguft of their Language, contracted no small Diflike to that of Scripture itfelf. Nay, I fear, that the facred Writings have not had fufficient Juftice done them even in the Pulpit. We are apter to dwell on general Subjects, than to explain particular Pasfages; and afraid to break the Force of a Rear foning or an Exhortation by intermixing with it the Expofition of a Text. In fome Degree this be right: but I doubt we carry it too far, especially as, we have no feparate expound may ing of Scripture, which discreetly conducted would be unspeakably useful. And thus the People have been left sadly ignorant of a great Part of their Bibles. Now thefe Things, coinciding in our Days with a higher Degree, than ever the World knew before, of that Self-Opinion, which despises the Doctrines of Revelation as irrational, and that Rage for Self-Indulgence of every Kind, which renders its Precepts and Threatenings infupportable, have produced an abfolute Scorn of it in great Numbers, and a ftrange Indifference towards it in almost all. So that now mere Custom and Fashion is thought fufficient to justify, and even require, if we are well bred, a total and avowed Neglect of this important Book; without spending a Moment on the disagreeable Examination, what Pleas it hath to urge for being ftudied as the Law of our Lives. Yet vifibly these Inducements for difregarding it, are, if poffible, more groundless than the foregoing. Some have made wrong and abfurd Uses of it. Why fhould that hinder Us from making the right and wife one? Some are conceited, or vicious, or fond of Applause from the weakest of their Fellow Creatures. Why should not We, notwithstanding that, be hum ble ble and virtuous, and feek the Approbation of our Creator? Let us therefore determine, that neither bad Reasons nor bad Examples fhall ever move us to flight the holy Scriptures: and carefully divesting ourselves of the Prejudices too commonly arifing from them, let us proceed 2. To hear the divine Commands for reading and honouring it. Every Manifestation of God's Will implies in its very Nature a Command to hearken to it with our deepest Attention: and his Words could be written down for no other End, than that all Perfons concerned might peruse them frequently, and bear them always in Mind. But that none may pretend Ignorance of his Purpose, he hath declared it exprefsly. Mofes charges the Ifraelites: Behold I have taught you Statutes and Judgements, even as the Lord my God commanded me: take Heed to thyself, and keep thy Soul diligently, left thou forget them, and they depart from thy Heart: but teach them thy Sons and thy Sons Sons, that they may learn to fear him all the Days that they shall live upon the Earth, and that they may teach their Children. God himself charges them: Lay up a Deut. iv. 5, 9, 10. thefe thefe my Words in your Heart and in your Soul, and teach them your Children, that your Days may be multiplied, and the Days of your Children. He charges Joshua in particular: This Book of the Law fhall not depart out of thy Mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein Day and Night, that thou mayeft obferve to do according to all that is written therein: for then fshalt thou make thy Way profperous, and then halt thou have good Succefs. The first Pfalm faith the very fame Thing of every pious Man: His Delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in his Law will he exercise himself Day and Night: and whatsoever he doth, it shall profper . Nor are we to study the Precepts only, but the rest. Isaiah, fpeaking of the Completion of a Prophecy, directs the People: Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord, and read. When the rich Man in the Parable was defirous to prevent his Brethren from coming into the fame Place of Torment with himself, Abraham faid unto him, They have Mofes and the Prophets: let them bear Them. When the Jews were venting their Prejudices against our Saviour, he exhorts them: Search the Scriptures: for in Them ye think, meaning, and rightly think, ye have eternal Life; and they are they, which testify of me. St. Paul tells the Romans, that Whatsoever Things were written aforetime were written for our Learning. Now we cannot question furely, but the New Teftament deferves equal Attention with the Old. The Proof, which you have had, of its Inspiration, proves that at the fame Time. The Gospels, written that Men might believe, and believing have Life', must be read to produce that Effect. Of the Epiftles we may judge, by the Care which St. Paul took to have His communicated and spread. He infcribes his firft to the Corinthians, not to Them only, but to all that in every Place call upon the Name of Jefus Christ our Lord *. He requires the Coloffians, when that which he addreffed to them is read amongst them, to caufe that it be read alfo in the Church of the Laodiceans 1. He charges the Theffalonians by the Lord, in the first Epistle, which They had from him, that it be read unto all the holy Brethren ". Doubtless the other Churches too understood his Mind in this Matter. And St. John in the Beginning of the Revelation, a Book that seems |