TheDignitie oftheScripture. 85 hauebeenguided by Come higherSpirit, itbeing fo free from all partiality. Sea: uenthly, the wonderful preferuationofthe bookesof the Scripture : At thefirn,. the twotables oftheLaw which were writtenbyGods ownefinger,wereappoi4 fed by the Lord tobe laid vp in the Arke,and the wholetribeofLeid common- ded toattendis k Next, the bookes which Mofeshimfdfe wrote, ashe wrote kDaat ro,e, them by the fpecial appointment ofGod(asappeares)fohedeliueredthemtothe y,a. foes of Leaf alfo robekept r. hfhaatook the fame comet forthe preferuationof I Exod Ç4,27 that which bee hadwritten a, : SodidSamuel., yet this is nothing inrefpe& of Dear; 1.9. that which followed.Theprophefie of /proxywas burned byking leheia¢iin,ther- m 1°11.34:6 by thinking to aboli[h the whole memory ofit ; butthe Lord prefentlycooled z . amao, the fame to be written againe, yea and added thereunto many wordso. When o Ìerg6. ManaOO& Ammon,two wicked kings, to the end they might the betterdraw the people to idolatry,& keepe them in it,had fuppreffed the bookeof the law;ycr in the daies oflofas,itpleafedGod, that men in the ruines ofthe teple is wasfound againe P. It is recorded inthe bookeofMaccabees 'i, how that king Antiachsmcut pt,Chr,4,,4 inpieces, and burnt all thebookesof the law which he could find,& followed the q ,.Mach s. matter foextremely,that whofoeuerhad a booke ofthetellament foundbyhim, hee flrould bee put to death. And emfbima an ancient writerofthe Iloryofthe Church,reportshow Diaclefiaia heathen Emperaur,anda cruel perfecutor,both Forbad the vieof thebooks of theProphetsand Euaugelifts,and conlumed them with fire alfo.So that indeed it is a very miracle,andan argument that the Scrip- ture isfrom aboue,inafmueh asnotwithltanding the perpetu illenmityofthe di- tell againff ir,the indeuoursof herenkes to corrupt it;thepra&ifes of tyrantsve. terly toabolifh it, and themany hazards which the Church hathbeen in, which could notjchufe but endanger it ; yet it bath bin preferued whole andentire, yea euen in the original tongses,theold tenamontin the Hebrew,and the new in the Greek, euen unto this day:wemaywell apply veto itthe wordsofthePialase, tt is the Lords doing,andit is marmellous Maw eyes r. Eightly,the formeanddignity of r P(al.üS.a3, thefile, which is (asIfaid)fulnesofmaieiyin fimplicity ofwords. There is no part or tittle ofitwhich fauourethofanyearchliney; themaieflyof thefentente isfuch, as it cannot be fullyand wholly conceisedand vctered by any man ; and yet it is alwayes morepowerfull in matter,then in words. Andwefee the books called the Apocrypha, which haue endeuoured to expreffe the excellencieof that holy file; are yet Co far from it, thatthey are butcold, and euen barbarous incomparifon. Ninthly, ifwhen we confider the excellencie ofthe matter, and theheatrenly maiefly ofthefile, we flail rememberalfo what kinde ofmen they were whichwroughtit,it will addefoiref eengthuntothisproofe.Forifweconti. der them Imply in rhemfelues,wee (hallfee how volt they were byall likelihood forfuch a ltoty. Mofes,fir(} aSheepheard, then aProphet r; terem, a very childe byhis owneconfefsionWrier afilherman,one that wasneúer trainedvpinlear. rlec.% sing o; Moshetya Publican, a metre (}ranger to the thingsofGod o ; Lake aPhi- u Ma,b.4a8 fciao it learned, but yet not accuflomed in thingsofthat qualitie ; Paula perk- yC01,4.o4: tutor, a profeffedenemy to thedo&rineofthe Gofpella: it could not clink but z , Tim,t.t; beCome heavenly andfpirituall power, that [lrouldcall, and afterwards enable theftmen vnto this weighty bulineffetobe thepen-menof that, in which foad- mirable excellencyappeares. Tenthly, letvsconfiderallo thepower andelles. cieoftheScripture. Thereisnoman,butifhebfertieit,sad hearkento it, 1h li x finde the powerof it, how it fearcheth into thievery fecretofthe heart, aaddi- aidesafmnderthefouleand the Spirit,and isadi fcernerofthe thoughtsandMeows : it afieb,Mtz; flakes a terror into the confciencesofthofe,which are the greaten enemiesvnto it, andwould feeme todefpite it; and that is thevery thing that bathcaufed it to haue fo many aduerfaries amongmen. Wee may beholdalfo how it workethto the reclaiming ofmany menfrom their mill wales; whatfruitsofbolines it bring forth in the linesofdicers that profelfeit, what contempt oftheword,what ha- H 3 tied
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