A Di[courfo concerning this would fix tlut Volatilencfs and Flecrncfs of our Memories, and make every Truth as indelible, es it is nec.cnary. That's i~ Anfw~r to the Sixth ObjeCtion. Seventhly, Others compla1n that the Scnpture 1s obfcurc and difficult to be u.nderftood; they may as well, and with as good fuccefs, attempt to fpy out what lies at the Centre of the E:trth, as fearch mto the deep and hidden Myfteries which no Humane U nderftanding can fathom or comprch~nd. And rlus dif~ courageth them. To this I anfwAer Fi_r~, 'Tis no wonder if ther~ be fuch. p:ofound Depths in the \Vord of God, hnce 1t ts a Syftcm and Compendmm of h1s mfinite and un{earch~ able Wifdom, that Wifdom which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God. Thofe deep Truths w bich your Underftandin£>" cannot reach require your hmublc Veneration. v , Secondly, The Scrirrure is fu ited to every Capacity. It is, (as it is commonly ~xpreft) a ~ord .v.:herelll a Lamb may ~·ade, and_ an Elephant fwim; and herein JS the rnfimte \'V1~dom o~ Gorl feen, .m w_rearh~ng together plain Truths with obfcure, that h~ mtght gam the more Credit to hts \;vord, by the one infi:ruCt: ing the l ~norance of tl~c VJcake_ft, by the other puzzling and confounding the UnderJhndmr; of the W1feft. Thrs a~fo add"' a Beauty and Orn~mcnt to the Scripture. ~s.th_e Beauty ?f the Wo1Id IS fet offbX a graceful vartety of H ills and. Valleys, fo IS It m the Scnpturc. There arc fublune Trmhs that the moft afpinng Reafon of Man cannot over~ top, and there are more plain and ea fie Truths in whicll the weakeft Capacity may converfe with Delight and Satisfaction. No Man is offended with his Gardeu, for having a fhady Thicket in it ; no mere lhou!d we be oft-ended with the Wo~d of G~d, that among fo many tJir and open Walks, we here and there meet With a Thtcket t hat the Eye of Humane Reafon cannot look throur,h . .Thirdl¥, Thofe Tr~1ths that ar~ a~folutcly ne~etTary to ~:J.lvation, arc as plainly~ without either Obfcunty or AmbigUity recorded In the Scrtpturc, as if they were (as the Mahometans think concerning their Alcoran) written with Ink made of Light; there's the necellity of Faith in jefus Chrifr,or repentance from deadWorks, of an holy and mortified Life, fo dearly fet down, that fcarce have there any been found fo impudent as to raife Controverfies abou.t them; and is it not peevilh to quarrel at t he Word for beiug obfcure in thofe things, which if thou haft: ufed thy utmofi: Diligence to undcrftand, the ignorance of them Ihall not at al\ prejudice thy S.1lvation ? Blefs God rather, that he hath fo clearly revealed the neceJfary and practical Duties of a Chriftian Life, that thofe are not involved in any myftical or obfcure Intimations, but thou may'ft without doubt or difpute, know what is of abfolute neceility to be either believed or praCt:ifed in order to Salvation. Be affured of this, that what with all thy Labour and Diligence thou can ft not underftand thou needeft not, and what is needful, is plain and obvious, and thou mayft eafily underftand it. Fourthly, The Scripture is obfi.tre; but bath not God offered us fufficient Helps for the unfolding of it? Have you not the Promife of his Spirit to illuminate you? 1 Car. 2. 10. God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit, for the SpJrit fearcheth all thir1gs, yea the deep things of God. Have we not his Miniftcr, whofe Office it is to inftrua us, and lead us into the inmoft Senfe of the Scriptures? Nay, have we not the Scripture it ielf,whicb is the bcft Imerpreter ofitii own meaning? Uih· ally if it fpeak more darkly in one place, it fpeaks the fame Truth more clearly in another. Now compare Scripture with Scripture, you will find it holds a Li£,ht unto its felf. The oftner you read, and the more you ponder on thofc- Paifagcs that are abftrufe, the more you will find them clear up to your Underfranding.. So tllat neither is this any reafonable Difcouragement from ftudying the Holy Scriptures. Eighthly, Others may fay, T hey are doubtful, bccaufe they fee mlny of thofe who have been moft Converfant in the Sci'ipturc, how they have been perverted and carried afide into damnable Errors, and yet frill have pleaded Scripture for the defence of them. l anfwcr. True, the Devil hath in thefe our Days bufied hirnf..!lf to bring a Reproach upon Scripture, throu.v.h the Whimties and GiddindS ?f thofe who have pretended moft acquaintance in it. But let not this be -any 0Jicourag.:ment, for tiLls anfe£hnot directly from the influence the Scripture hath on tn~.;m, which is the
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