in its time: how can we doubt, but the New is now? How can we imagine, that in a volume of such bulk written by different persons all under the direction of God, professedly for instructing mankind in religion, and containing so many discourses of Christ and his Apostles for that purpose, any thing necessary is omitted? besides, we can know no more of Christianity with certainty by any other way, than we know by this. Oral instruction would answer the end very well for a time, and did so: and therefore St. Paul very properly directs the Thessalonians to hold the traditions, which they had been taught, whether by word, or by his epistle*. But things, delivered by word of mouth only, are soon lost or changed; and false and mischievous traditions rise up instead of the true; as the Jewish Church had then experienced: and therefore the Christian covenant was put in writing by the first publishers of it, as the preceding was by Moses. The Christian writers, who succeeded the Apostles, were confessedly fallible, and consequently unworthy of equal regard with them: nor did they attempt to make any additions to the rule of faith and manners, comprehended in the Bible. On the contrary, they held, as we do, that all essential articles are to be found there: and so did the following ages too: till at length the rulers of the Church of Rome, having set up notions and practices, which the Scriptures did not warrant, were obliged to pretend, (but very falsely) that they were taught by the ancient fathers or delivered down by memory. And they decreed in the council of Trent, 200 years ago, that such traditions were to be received with the same respect, as holy writ. But let us rest on

* 2 Thess. ii. 15.

surer ground: build on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone*; and on all occasions appeal to the law and to the testimony: for if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Eph. ii. 20. + Is. viii. 20.

SERMON XXII.

2 TIM. III. 16, 17.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God: and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

IN discoursing on these words, I have already proved, I. That Scripture is of divine authority:

II. That it completely answers every purpose of religion.

And therefore I now proceed to the next head, proposed in the beginning, which is

III. That we ought to read and study it diligently.

This duty follows with the clearest evidence, from its inspiration and usefulness. For if we may neglect what was written under so peculiar a direction of God, for our guidance to eternal happiness, to what can we possibly ever be bound to attend? And yet I fear the consciences of many, if not most of us, can too easily inform us, how little we regard, how seldom we look into, these books. We exclaim against it perhaps as the wickedest tyranny in the church of Rome, that it prohibits them to be read without licence. But do we ourselves make much more use of our Bibles in the midst of the fullest liberty, than if they continued to be locked up from us! Do we not spend a very small share of our time, of our leisure time, in looking into them, compared with what is

t

wasted in the idlest occupations and amusements? The hours, which we allot to reading, do we not more commonly, and with far more pleasure, employ them on any other sort of reading, the most insignificant, the most corrupting and pernicious, than on this? Are there not multitudes, who can hardly name the time, when, even on the Lord's day itself, they read a chapter, with the serious intention of improving their souls? Nay, the few, (and very few I doubt they are at present,) who think of religion in earnest, do they not usually apply to other books chiefly for instruction in it, and study the sacred volumes far less, than the compositions of fallible men?

These are facts as notorious, as they are lamentable. And therefore I shall

1. Consider, in order to remove, the causes, from which so wonderful a contempt of God's word hath arisen.

2. Produce his commands for paying it a very different regard.

3. Shew, what evils follow from disobeying these commands.

1. I shall consider the causes, from which this wonderful contempt of God's word hath arisen.

Now the more general causes doubtless are, the original corruption of our nature, indisposing us to every thing good: (against which, if we value our interests in a future life, we ought to watch continually) and our consequent acts and habits of sin, which we very absurdly suffer to drive us from the Scripture, that we may be easy in them, instead of having recourse to the Scripture, which would excite us to an effectual reformation of them. Another very extensive cause is the wrong education of our youth. They are very little taught, in comparison of

what they should, (if they are taught at all) either by their parents at home or their master or tutors afterwards, to be reverently conversant in the sacred writings, and yet less instructed how to profit by them. Hence they are unacquainted with their history, their doctrines, their language: have no early impressions made on them in favour of what they contain; and so, when they are grown up, ignorantly slight them, sin without any restraint from them, and are easily induced to join with scoffers in ridiculing them. All this might be much otherwise, if they, who educate children, were but near so careful about it, as true piety, or even common prudence, would lead them to be.

Other causes, or excuses, for neglecting to read Scripture are, the various objections made against it, many of which you have heard confuted; and the disagreeableness arising from the peculiarity of its style, of which also I have spoken. But such as can read it only in a translation, (and the rest are a very small number in proportion,) will be tempted to complain of it still more than others: whereas they ought to acknowledge, that they are less qualified to judge, and therefore less intitled to find fault. For all translations, especially from writings of distant countries and ages, lose a great deal of the spirit, the strength, the elegance, and often the clearness too, of the original. Besides, ours is a literal translation. Even the most figurative and poetical passages, and the remotest from our whole common manner of expression, are almost always rendered word for word, without aiming at beauty, but merely at faithfulness. It is incredible, to any but men of skill in these matters, how great a disadvantage this must be. Scarce any other ancient book could appear tolerable in such a