learn in Scripture, we learn from the spring-head: and not only every thing it teaches is right, but its very silence is instructive. For if any thing is not made there a necessary part of our faith or practice, no power on earth hath a right to make it so: and had but believers invariably kept to this book, as their rule all the corruptions of Christianity, and all the wickedness of every kind produced by those corruptions, had been happily prevented. Besides, were we to embrace every thing right, and nothing wrong, that we find in other pious treatises; yet there is a peculiar energy in holy writ, which is not in them. Its denunciations are more awful, its convictions stronger, its consolations more authentic, its warnings more alarming, its expostulations more penetrating. The bare reflection, who it is that speaks, cannot fail to make them so in a very considerable degree: and he hath added a supernatural force to them over and above. Is not my word like as a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces *. The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Whence accordingly the efficacious and converting preacher, is he, not who comes with inticing words of man's wisdom, but who, like Apollos, is mighty in the Scriptures §. He that hath my word let him speak my word faithfully: what is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord. But farther by omitting to read and consider the original charter of our religion, from which our whole knowledge of it is derived, persons will be unac quainted with the language of religion. And hence they will first blindly stumble and cavil at the phrases of Scripture, not knowing them to be such: and afterwards learn to despise them, though they do know it. The offices of the liturgy, especially the occasional ones, that recur seldomer, will seem strange and unaccountable to them. They will repeat the Psalms in the congregation absolutely without meaning; neither seeing in their own persons, or applying to their own use, the things that suit them; nor thinking at all, to what sort of persons, or good purposes, the rest relates. They will hardly ever pay attention to the lessons, epistles, and gospels, but look upon them as pauses and breaks in the service, to be filled up as they please; or if they do hearken to them, yet not understanding many parts of them, will receive little benefit from them; and possibly misunderstanding some, will receive harm: entertaining injurious opinions of the sacred oracles from what they hear out of them, in this imperfect manner, instead of the honourable and useful sentiments, which would have been revived in their breasts, had they applied themselves beforehand to an orderly perusal of them with proper care. Then as to sermons, on which commonly the chief reliance for instruction is, they, who are not sufficiently versed in the Bible at home, will be unable to judge of the proofs we bring from it here, or the general conformity of our preaching to it. And elsewhere they will be misled by the sound of scriptural words, used in a sense which the writers never intended; and so be like children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive*. Eph. iv. 14. Now it is not our desire to impose on your ignorance, but to appeal to your knowledge. We wish, we beseech you, to imitate the Bereans, commended so justly in the Acts of the Apostles, as more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so. It follows, therefore many of them believed: effectually no doubt. Another very important use of searching the Scripture is, that in the midst of that deluge of evil communication, which overflows this wicked land, to a degree that no country, calling itself Christian, ever experienced before, few persons can avoid hearing, more or less, unfair and even ludicrous representations made of one part or other of God's word; which may be too likely to pass upon them for just ones, unless they are previously so well skilled in it, as either to know in particular the true vindication of the passages abused, or at least to know in general, that it cannot be liable to the imputations, which profane people would cast upon it, because the spirit of the whole is inconsistent with their suggestions. If indeed they themselves would but take the trouble of understanding what they take the liberty of burlesquing, it would save them the guilt of many a blasphemous reflection, and the shame of many a silly jest. But at least persons of better dispositions will surely be persuaded to so rational a method of guarding against the infection of their pernicious irreverence. Possibly some will reply, that irreligious thoughts and temptations to unbelief may arise from what occurs to us in reading the Bible ourselves, as well as from what others occasionally say of it. But certainly the danger is far less : and the greatest part of that may be prevented by observing such rules for the safe and useful performance of this duty, as persons, one should imagine, would of course lay down for themselves, or at least will see to be reasonable, when proposed to them; as God willing, they shall be to you the very next opportunity. And if still any difficulty and trial remain, yet coming in our way, when our minds are in a serious and considerate state, disposed to examine impartially and reverently, as in the presence of God, and to beg, that his spirit would guide us into all truth; there will be no doubt of obtaining, on due enquiry, competent satisfaction. I shall only say this farther, to shew the evil of neglecting the sacred writings, that they are what makes us to differ from the gentiles, which know not Godt, for even our natural religion is borrowed from them; and they can be useful only by being read: that when the church of Rome had almost suppressed them, Christianity was buried under falsehood, superstition and wickedness; and when they were restored to common use, true piety, virtue and liberty, were restored by their means: that those nations and those persons, who attend to them with the highest respect, are the most sincerely, the most steadily good: and that in proportion as we of this nation have disregarded them, we have grown unsettled in our faith even of what reason teaches, profligate in our behaviour, unmindful of public or private real welfare, and visibly ripe for speedy destruction. Let us all therefore instantly to the right way, before it is too late. The poorest of us, if he hath not a Bible, may have one, either by purchase, for he lays John xvi. 13. + 1 Thess. iv. 5. out much more in a few weeks on matters of far less necessity, or by the charitable gift of some pious benefactor. And the busiest of us may and must find time for every branch of the one thing needful*. Every person hath at least several hours of the Lord's Day, and some little share of others, for the exercises of religion: but many of us have much more leisure; not all of it perhaps innocently, and a great deal of it not prudently employed. Spending a due part of it on the divine law would both dispose and enable us to spend the rest, whether devoted to worldly affairs or to relaxations, with truer cheerfulness now, and to a better account at the Great Day. We have most of us at times heavy sufferings and poor supports are any others, that we can use under them, compared with theirs, who by patience and comfort of the Scriptures have hope t. The most cautious of us have frequently violent assaults from our spiritual enemy : and we cannot arm ourselves against him more effectually, than as our Lord himself did, with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God ‡. The strongest of us have sad remains of weakness, the discreetest of injudiciousness: and the surest remedy for both is that of the son of Sirach: Let thy mind be upon the ordinances of the Lord, and meditate continually in his commandments: He shall establish thine heart, and give thee wisdom at thine own desire §. Luke x. 42. + Rom. xv. 4. ó Ecclus. vi. 37. |