of delufion, and occecation. That Prince of the Air will caft fuch mifts, raife fuch black vapors; that as the Apoftle fpeaks, the light of the glorious Gospel of Chrift fhall not Jhine unto him, 2. Cor. 4. 5. Indeed were fuch a man left only to the natural efficacy of prejudice, that is of it felf fo blinding, fo infatuating a thing, as commonly fortifies against all conviction. We fee it in all the common inftances of life; mens very fenfes are often enflav'd by it: the prepoffeffion of a strong phancy will make the objects of fight or hearing appear quite different from what they are. But in the prefent cafe, when this fhall be added to Satanical illufions, and both left to their operations by Gods withdrawing his illuminating grace, the cafe of fuch a man anfwers that defcription of the Scripture, They have eies and fee not, ears have they and hear not, Rom. 11. 8. And that God will fo withdraw his grace, we have all reason to believe; he having promis'd it only to the meek, to those who come with malleable ductile fpirits, to learn, not to deride or cavil. Saint Peter tells us, that the unlearned and unftable wreft the Scripture to their own deftruction, 2. Pet. 3. 16. And if God permit fuch to do so, much more will he the proud and malicious.

67. I fay not this, to deter any from the study of Holy Scripture, but only to caution them to bring a due preparation of mind a

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long with them; Gods Word being like a generous foveraign medicament, which if fimply and regularly taken, is of the greatest benefit; but if mixt with poifon, ferves only to make that more fatally operative. To conclude, he that would have his doubts folv'd concerning Scripture, let him follow the method our bleffed Lord has prefcrib'd Let him do the will of God, and then he shall know of the doctrin, whether it be of God, Jo. 7. 17. him bring with him a probity of mind, a willingness to affent to all convictions he fhall there meet with; and then he will find grounds fufficient to affure him that it is Gods Word, and confequently to be receiv'd with all the fubmiffion and reverence, that its being fo exacts.

Let

SECT.

SECT. III.

The fubject matter treated of in the Holy Scripture, is excellent, as is alfo its end and defign.

WE have hitherto confider'd the holy

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Scripture only under one notion, as it is the Word of God; we come now to view it in the fubject matter of it, the several parts whereof it confifts; which are fo various and comprehenfive, as fhews the whole is deriv'd from him who is all in all 1 Cor. 15. 28. But that we may not speak only loosely, and at rovers, we will take this excellent frame in pieces, and confider its moft eminent parts diftinctly. Now the parts of Holy Writ seem to branch themselves into these severals: First, the Hiftorical; fecondly, the Prophetick; thirdly, the Doctrinal; fourthly, the Preceptive; fifthly, the Minatory; fixthly, the Promiffory. These are the feveral veins in this rich Mine, in which he who industriously labours, will find the Pfalmift was not out in his eftimate, when he pronounces them more to be defir'd than gold, yea, than much fine gold, Pfal. 19. 10.

2. To speak first of the Hiftorical part,

the

the things which chiefly recommend a Hiftory, are the dignity of the fubject, the truth of the relation, and thofe pleasant or profitable obfervations which are interwoven with it. And firft, for the dignity of the fubject, the Hiftory of the Bible must be acknowledged to excell all others: thofe fhew the rife and progrefs of fome one people or Empire; this fhews us the original of the whole Univerfe; and particularly of man, for whofe ufe and benefit the whole Creation was defign'd. By this mankind is brought into acquaintance with it felf; made to know the elements of its conftitution, and taught to put a differing value upon that Spirit which was breath'd into it by God, Gen. 2. 7. and the flesh whofe foundation is in the duft, Job. 4. 19. And when this Hiftorical part of Scripture contracts and draws into a narrow channel, when it records the concerns but of one Nation, yet it was that which God had dignified a bove all the reft of the world, markt it out for his own peculiar; made it the repofitory of his truth, and the visible stock from whence the Meffias fhould come, in whom all the Nations of the earth were to be bleffed, Gen. 18. 18. fo that in this one people of the Jews, was virtually infolded the highest and molt important interests of the whole world; and it muft be acknowledg'd, no Story could have a nobler fubject to treat of.

3. SECONDLY, as to the truth of the relation, tho to those who own it Gods Word there needs no other proof; yet it wants not human Arguments to confirm it. The moft undoubted symptom of fincerity in an Hiftorian is impartiality. Now this is very eminent in Scripture writers: they do not record others faults, and baulk their own; but indifferently accufe themselves as well as others. Mofes mentions his own diffidence and unwillingness to go on Gods meffage, Ex. 4. 13. his provocation of God at the waters of Meribah, Num. 20. Jonah records his own fullen behaviour towards God, with as great aggravations as any of his enemies could have done. Peter in his dictating Saint Marks Gofpel, neither omits nor extenuates his fin; all he feems to speak fhort in, is his repentance. Saint Paul regifters himself as the greatest of finners.

4. AND as they were not indulgent to their own personal faults, fo neither did any nearness of relation, any respect of quality bribe them to a concealment : Mofes relates the offence of his Sifter Miriam in mutining. Num. 12. I. of his Brother Aaron in the matter of the Calf, Ex. 32. 4. with as little disguise as that of Korah and his Company. David, tho' a King, hath his adultery and murder difplay'd in the blackest Chara&ters and King Hezekiahs little vanity of

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fhewing