therefore his Affertion is much stronger; for if he who is to inftruct others in all things neceffary unto Salvation, be rendered perfectly, thoroughly furnish'd for fuch his Office, by Means of the Holy Scriptures, it evidently follows that those Sacred Writings must be fufficient for all the Purposes of Holiness in Point both of Truth and Practice. But to treat of this Head more particularly :

UNLESS the Holy Scriptures were a fufficient Revelation of God's Will, they would not answer the Purposes of a written one; for a written Revelation being, as was fhewed in our former Discourse, neceffary to fupply the Place of immediate Revelations from the Almighty, and to prevent the corrupt Conveyances of Tradition ; it ought in no wife to leave any Occasion for the former, and no Room at all for the latter; i. e. it ought to be of itself fo perfect, as to want no Addi❤ tion in Matters either of Faith or Practice.

AGAIN, the written Revelations of God's Will under the Mofaic Difpenfation, were continually growing, and manifeftly declare they had a Tendency to

fome

fome certain Period of Time, wherein by the Meffiah's Appearance, a more perfect and durable State of things would commence; and their Law, which was the weak Elements of those better Things to come, was to be swallow'd up in the Subftance of thofe Things. To the Jews therefore were committed the lively Oracles of God, but thofe Oracles were defective with Respect to the full Purpose of God, and plainly fhew'd their Deficiency, by declaring that fomething better would fucceed: Accordingly it is written, that all the Prophets prophefied until John the Baptift; and after him began the laft Difpenfation, viz. that of the Gospel ; wherein as God compleated his great Defigns for the Redemption of Mankind, He compleated likewife the Revelation of his Will. The Almighty was always pleased to proportion his Revelations to the Periods of Time in which He promulged them; and as this last Difpenfation is perfective of the Almighty's Counfels, we cannot but infer, that this laft Revelation. is perfective of his Will. And as this Period will never be improved by any fucceeding

D 4

fucceeding one, fo we may be affured, that what is written concerning it, is fufficient for our Inftruction in all Matters relating to our Knowledge and Practice. Farther yet, were we ourselves to declare what Revelation of God's Will would be fufficient for Mankind, under our present Circumftances, the Anfwer would be obvioufly this; fuch a Revelation as wou'd moft effectually difcover to us how our Sins fhould be forgiven, and how we fhould ferve God in the most acceptable Manner: And this is the Cafe of the Holy Scriptures; they difcover that by the meritorious Death and Sufferings of the Son of God, Sin is atoned for, its Punishment is done away, its Guilt is removed, and that by hearty Repentance and fincere Amendment, by a full Truft in God's Mercies thro' Faith in Chrift's Blood, this all-available Expiation, which was made for Sin in general, will be particularly applied to us; that a full Remiffion is thereby vouchfafed to each Individual for all his Tranfgreffions, and that thereupon the Pardon of each is fealed in Heaven. This is the Scripture-Doctrine of the Remiffion

of

A

of Sins; and it is impoffible almost to conceive that any immediate Communication from God Almighty himself, and much less any Tradition, can render it more strong and ample, than it is there revealed to us.

As to the Service and Worship of the Almighty, no Precepts can be contriv'd more rational, more pure, more perfect, more agreeable to the Nature, of God, more conducive to the Happiness of Man, than what are prefcribed in the Holy Scriptures: We are there taught to worship God, who is a Spirit, in Spirit and in Truth, and confequently in the most acceptable Manner: God himself declares that He will graciously accept fuch our Worship: He hath given us thofe Precepts to regulate our Affections, and to direct our Lives by them: And what are we, that we should prefume to take from, or add unto them? If therefore that can be thought a fufficient Revelation of God's Will to Mankind, whereby we are admitted to know him in the Unity and Perfonality of his Existence, in the many Relations He is pleafed to bear towards

us

us;

in his many glorious and tremendous Attributes, and to worship and adore him in them all If purifying our Souls by Faith, our Lives by Holiness; if a fincere, deliberate, entire Dedication of ourfelves to God's Bleffed Will; if a lively Flame of Devotion towards the Divine Being, a vigorous Exercife of Juftice and Charity towards our Neighbour, a pure Poffeffion of ourfelves in Chastity and Temperance; if the forming our Minds into the Approbation, our Lives into the Practice of every Virtue: If thefe, and fuch like Inftances of Worship, be the most acceptable to the Almighty, the moft beneficial to the Performers of them, then do the Holy Scriptures come up to their intended Character in that other Instance; and are, with refpect to the Service and Worship of God, a fufficient Revelation of his Will to Mankind: But the Doctrines of Faith, and the Leffons of Holy Living contain'd in the Sacred Writings, are not only perfect and compleat in themselves, but, in all their Circumstances, they are back'd with the most powerful Motives and Aids for our believing