the Ufc of the Holy Scriptum. the Rule of Truth only; but from the Pride and Self-conceit of a few hotionifts, who wreft it to their own Perdition. And tho_ugh the y boafl: much of Scripture to countenance their Opinions; yet Scripture nufunderltood and mi£1pplied is not Scripture. Indeed there is no other way to d!fcern Trutl~ from En or, but only by the Scripture rightly underftood; and there 1s no way nghtly ta undcrftand it, but dilie:ently to fcarch it. But ~~ f:ty that therefore we muft not read the Scripture becaufc fome wreft it to their own Ddtruc1ion, is alike reafonable, as to fay that therefore we muft not Eat nor Drink, becaufe that fame Eat to Gluttpny, and others Drink to Giddinefs and Madnefs. The Apofl:le St; Peter tells us, Epift. 2. Chap. 3· v. 16. That in St. Paul's Epiftlcs there were fome Things hard to be underftood, which the unlearned and unftablc wrcft, as they do alfo the other Scriptures to their own deftruaiou. Shall we therefore conclude, that neither his Epiftle nor any other of the Scriptures fuould be read by us; becaufe that in fame, inftcad of Nourilh· ment, they have occationcd only Wind, Flatulency and !11' Humours? If th is had been his purpofc, it had cenainly been lfery eafie for hiln to have faid, Becaufe they are hard to be undcrftood, and many wreft them to their own dcftrnC!ion, therefore beware that you read them nor. But inftead of this, he draws another Inference, Vcrfe 17. Ye therefore beloved, bcwau, Left ye atfo beipg led aw.1y with the Eaor.s of the Wicked fall /rom your own flcdfaflneji , but grow in grace tmd iu the kmnv~ ledge of our Lord 1cfi1& Chrift . He faith nor, Beware that you read them not, but, beware how you read them: This is the true Apoftolical C:1ution, which tends not to drive us from the Scriptures, but to make us more ftudious and inquifitive in lhem, left we alfo be pcrvcncd by the cunning Craftinefs of Men, who lie in wait to deceive. And this the Primitive Fathers thought the beft and fureft means, to prefcrvc their People from Error and Seduction. It were almoft endlefs to recite to you thofe many Pafi3ges wherein they do moft Pathetically exhort all, of all Ranks and Conditions, of each Sex, of all Ages, to a diligent perufal of the Holy Scriptures. And fo far were they from taking i t up in a Language llllknown to the Vt1igar, or debarring the Laity from reading it, that the TranOations of it into the common Tongue of each Country were Numerous, and their Exhortations fcarce more vehement and earneft in any thing, than that the People wonld employ their Time and Thoughts in revolving them. It is therefore a moft certain Sign, that that Church bath falfc Wares to put oJf, which is of nothing more careful than to darken the Shop. And aflllredly the wrefting the Scriptures by fome who read them, cannot occafion the Deftruction of more, than that damnable Idolatry and thofe damnable Herefics have done, which have been brought into, Oillld ar~ generally owned and praCl-ifcd by the Cburch of Rome, through the not reading of them. · Thus you fee (as it was in 'Jofiah's time) how much Duft and RubbHh this Book of the Law lies under. I have endeavoured to remove it. And lhall now proceed to thofcArgumems that may perfuade you to a diligent fearch and perufal of theScriptures. Thc1ew.s indeed were fo exaCt, or rather Snpedtitious in this, that be was judged a Defpifer of thofe Sacred Oracles, who did not readily know ho\V often every Letter of the Alphabet occurred in them. This prwfmejS God hath made ufe of to deliver down his Word to us, unvaried and uncorrupted. It is not fuch a fcrupulous fearch of the Scripture,l now exhort you to: But as God bath left il t o us a rich Depofttum, a dear Pledge of his Love and Care, fo we lhould diligently attend to· a rational and profitable ·Study of ir. There are hut two Things in the general that commend any Writ ing ro us either that i~ difcovers ~now ledge, or ditelts Pra~ice; that it infonns the Judg~ ment, or reforms the L1fe. Both of thefe are cmmently the Characters ot thi' Book of God. And ther~fore Dm;id tells us, Pfal. 19. 7· The Law of God con~ verts the Srmi, and make.s wife the fmple. It is a Light not only to our Heads, but it io a lamp umo our feet, rtnd a ilghc unto our paths, Pfal. 119· 105. Let us confider it as to both. Firft, ln \)oint of Knowledge, as it perfeds the Underftanding; and fo it will appear in fundry Particulars how excellent a Study it is. For, Firft, The Scripture difcovers unto us the knowledge of thofe Truths that the moft improved natmal Reafon could never fift out; and are intelligible Only by Divine Revelation. God hath Compofed two Books, by the diligent Study X X X X.X .1 of
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