John xiv. 23; and a little lower, ver. 26, he promifes, that the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will fend in his name, fhall teach them all things. The place therefore where God thus faithfully declares, he will take up his abode, may be truly termed the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Whofoever then is careful to read the Holy Scriptures, and to imprint them in his heart, fhall daily become lefs enflaved, or improperly attached to any violent affection for this world's fleeting pleasures; and in their room, the glorious things now promifed to all who love the Lord, fhall be wrought and multiplied within them. In fhort, there is nothing that fo much ftrengtheneth our faith, preferveth our innocence, and likewife cherisheth an outward godly life and converfation, as the conftant reading and repeating of God's word; for by diligent ufc of fo devout and profitable an exercise, the precepts it inculcates, become gradually more deeply rooted, and graven in the heart, till at length it is almoft turned into fecond nature: nor is its virtue and effect confined alone to the enlightening the ignorant, but it affords more light ftill to those who are awakened, to the neceffary refreshing of their hearts on all occafions, and encouraging them to perfevere in what their God commands them.

Laítly, it teacheth patience in adverfity; in profperity, moderation and gratitude; the honor that is due to God, and the charity and mercy we owe to our neighbour: it giveth good counfel in all doubtful cafes; it directeth to whom alone we must look up for help in all difficulties and dangers; and that God is the giver of all victory in every conflict, and temptation, whether from our bodily or ghoftly enemy. But here a caution and diftinction is highly neceffary to be made; we must carefully obferve, that in the reading of God's word, it doth not always profit him moft who is quickest inʼrunning through it, or in repeating it by heart, but him

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who is inclined to weigh its wifdem, and follow its precepts, i. e. who is moft infpired by the spirit which is in it; who is meft changed in his mind and life, and perceives himself approaching to that defcription of the creature, which God's holy word especially directs us to poffefs, viz. the new man, the bidden man of the heart. He confequently, who is daily lefs proud, lefs angry, lefs covetous, and lefs defirous of worldly, and vain delights: he who daily forfakes his former vicious life, and increafeth in virtue more and more, he may truly be faid to have profited by this divine ftudy. And to be brief, there is nothing that fo establisheth holiness of mind, or banifheth ungodlinefs, as the continual hearing and reading of the Bible, provided always it be joined with a pious and pure defire to know and follow God's will; for nothing is accounted good before the Lord, that is not done with an upright purpose and an humble mind. On the other hand, nothing more darkeneth the life of Chrift in the foul, and the glory of God, in the actions of men, nor introduceth more blindness of heart, and all kinds of vices, that follow darkness, than doth the ignorance and neglect of God's most holy word.

THE SECOND PART.

As you have been very fully, and plainly informed, why the knowledge of Holy Scripture is fo needful and profitable to all mankind; and that by the true understanding of it, the most material points of our duty towards God, and men, are sewife difcovered; let us proceed, in the fecond place, to confider fome other advantages to be de

rived from it. First then, If we profefs to believe in Chrift, why are we not afhamed to be ignorant of his doctrine? for furely every man ought to blush at his ignorance of the learning he profeffeth.-For example, no perfon could fail of difgrace in calling himself a philofopher, who had never made the fcience of philofophy his ftudy. And to fet up for a lawyer, an aftronomer, or a phyfician, without the leaft acquaintance with the books, and practices, which the profeffors of thefe fciences are fuppofed to underftand, would doubtlefs load a man with merited difhonor. And is not the cafe exactly fimilar with the Chriftian? Can any man affirm that he profeffeth Chrift, and his religion, who doth not apply himself to the utmost of his power and ability, to read, hear, and understand the books of his Savior's Gofpel? Other sciences certainly, are both neceffary, and profitable, to be obtained, by different people, but no one will deny that this is the principal object to be acquired by all, and as it does not interfere with, fo it far exceedeth every other; for one teacheth only how to live defirably according to the maxims of this world, but the other fheweth how to live for ever, in unfpeakable glory and delight. What excuse then shall they be able to make at the last day, before Chrift the Judge, who employ their whole time, and take greater pleasure in reading men's fancies and inventions, than in ftudying his moft bleffed Gofpel? who will afford no leifure to do, what above all other things doth most concern them, but will ftudy to be informed in any thing else, rather than in that to which all other things fhould yield? Let us beware then, of falling into fo truly fcandalous, and fhameful a neglect; let us to the utmost of our leifure, apply ourfelves to learn God's word, by carefully reading, and hearing it expounded by thofe appointed for that purpose; and let us take shame to profess we love God, and have faith in his precious promifes,

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while we fcarcely ever confult the facred volume, or ufe the means to obtain them.

Now those who have no good will towards the ftudy of the fcriptures, are apt to attempt at leffening their fault, by two most vain and false excuses. Some are fo idle as to defend themselves on account of their own weakness and timidity, faying, that they dare not read the Holy Scriptures, left through ignorance they fhould fall into error. While others pretend, that the difficulty to understand them is fo great, that they are proper only to be read by learned men. As to the first excufe, the cafe is quite the contrary, for it is ignorance of God's word, that is the real cause of any error, as Chrift himself informs us in the text, Ye do err, fays he, not knowing the fcriptures. How then should people avoid error, as long as they are determined to continue ignorant; and how is it poffible they can be otherwife than ignorant, who will neither read, or hear the thing that is purposely defigned to give them knowledge? People fhould confider this; that all who now have any better understanding than themselves in matters of religion, were undoubtedly at the beginning equally ignorant; and if they had neglected this study, from the frivolous plea of a dread of falling into error, and obftinately refufed the remedy to prevent it, they must have still remained in ignorance, and confequently in error. All fuch excufes therefore, will not admit of a hearing; and if you will not learn the truth fo needful for you, merely for fear you should make mistakes about it; for the fame reafon you may fit ftill and never move, for fear if you attempt to walk, you fhould tumble into the dirt. It would be a reafon equally wife, in any one to refufe to eat good food, left the indulgence fhould create a furfeit; and to defift from fowing their grain, from labouring in their bufinefs, from exchanging their commodities in trade, left they should lose their feed, their labor, or their

ftock:

ftock and according to fuch filly arguments, it would be better for us to live idly, and never take any matter of good in hand, left accidentally, fome evil may befal us in the trial.

SELVES.

But if any still are fearful of falling into error by reading of the Holy Scripture, it fhall now be fhewn them how they may apply themselves thereto without the smallest danger. Let them read it bumbly, with a meek, and lowly heart, with the chief view of glorifying GOD, in their knowledge of it, and not THEMNever read it without daily prayer to God, that he will direct your study of it to good effect; and never attempt to explain it further than you understand it: for as fome pious perfon well obferves, the knowledge of the Scripture is in itself like a large and lofty palace, but the door is very low; fo that the high and arrogant man will hardly enter in, but muft stoop and humble himfelf to gain admittance. Prefumption and pride are the parents of all error; but humility hath nothing to fear: and they who cultivate this virtue, will feek the truth alone; they will fearch, and compare one paffage with another; and where they cannot imdiately discover an eafy meaning, they will pray, they will ask of him, who gave the word, and knoweth it, and will never rafhly venture to deliver, what they are confcious may lead to danger or miftake. The humble hearted therefore, may fafely search into any truth of fcripture, without the leaft concern of falling into error; and in proportion as any one is ignorant of these words of life, they ought to read and study them still oftener and more clojely, and apply the only means to cure fo dangerous a diforder. I do not fay, but that a man may profper well with only hearing (if he heareth aright), because that fome can only hear, but he will profper more with reading added to it, provided he enjoys the benefit of that useful learning.

Thus