SERM. can't be reconcil'd to the wifdom of God, X. to fuppofe, that the last and most perfect revelation of his will is not alfo the clear

eft and fulleft; or that the fame characters of being profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, which render it fit to be perufed and studied by all, do not belong to that in a much higher degree, than they did to a preparatory revelation of inferior confequence, and more limited extent.

And as the right of all the people to search the fcriptures is evident, founded in reason, and ftrongly afferted in revelation itself; fo are the advantages of it. Reading the Scriptures with serioufnefs and diligence, is the natural way for men to form a confiftent and rational fcheme of belief and practice, just notions of God, and of the extent of religious and moral obligations: By this means, they will have a trait, easy rule to go by, and build their hopes of happiness upon a folid foundation: Whereas the want of it has introduced incomprehenfible and fenfelefs articles of faith, doctrines prejudicial to morality, dark and gloomy notions of

God,

God, and fuperftitious fears deftructive of SERM.

peace

the and comfort of men's minds.---
Reading the scriptures with impartiality,
will inspire fincere and honeft minds with
humanity and benevolence, with modera-
tion and forbearance in leffer differences :
But the neglect of it occasions hot and an-
gry controverfies, blind and violent dif-
putes, and a zeal without knowledge or
difcretion. Again, by this means com-
mon Chriftians will better understand the
grounds of their faith, and confequently
be more firmly established in it: They
will be more fully acquainted with the
intrinfic excellence of the doctrines of
Christianity, and the ftrength and force of
its external evidence; and fo be believers,
not upon the foot of tradition and autho-
rity, which confirms all religions equally,
but upon rational conviction and choice:
They will also find it much more easy to
detect the fophiftry and false reasoning
of its adverfaries, whofe practice 'tis (and
in that they must foon be discovered by
fuch as ftudy the fcriptures) to expofe and
argue against the corruptions and extrava-
gancies of party-fchemes as true Chrifti-
anity.
VOL. İ.

R

But

X.

very

SERM. But the greatest motive of all to a diX. ligent fearch of the holy Scriptures, is that mentioned in the text, that in them we believe we have eternal life: Therein we have an affurance of a happy immortality, as the reward of true piety and virtue, which to reafon is very obfcure and doubtful at least, if at all probable. Reafon may discover fomething, in general, of a future state of rewards, but gives little ground to expect that they will be eternal: This is the unspeakable gift of God through our Lord Jefus Christ. As therefore the gofpel is the only fure foundation we have of this glorious hope, we should read it frequently for the fatiffaction and comfort of our minds, and carefully examine upon what terms we may hope to be entitled to it: This is the most important interest of our being, and should therefore be the chief object of our ftudy. An error here may be of fatal confequence, which renders our útmoft diligence neceffary. And as these facred writings contain the rule by which we fhall be judged, and have our eternal condition determined, need any thing be added to excite us to fearch into them

X.

with the greatest exactnefs, as for the SER M. most excellent and beneficial knowledge; and with the greatest impartiality, that we may not be impofed on in fo high and momentous a concern. Indolence or ne gligence, in this great point, is certainly most unaccountable and unpardonable stupidity. But I must content myself with just mentioning these things, that I may proceed to what I chiefly defign'd, and judge to be the most useful part of a dif course on this fubject, viz. to lay down fome rules for the profitable reading the fcriptures. By not obferving these rules men have loft all the advantages of this study; and befides from hence have risen all thofe inconveniencies, which have been reprefented as the natural confequence of allowing the use of them to the common people, and urg'd as arguments against it.

The first thing that I would recommend is, that we come to the fearch with honeft and unprejudiced minds. In order to the finding out truth in the great points that relate to moral practice, an acute underftanding is not fo neceffary as a fincere upright heart; and even the plainness of the rule itself does not contribute more towards

R 2

SERM. towards it, than integrity and impartiaX. lity in those who are to be guided by it. Prejudice will pervert and darken the plainest rule. And therefore if men apply to the study of the Scriptures with minds prepoffefs'd in favour of any particular scheme; if they take it for granted, before they have examined, that this is the religion of the bible; all they have to do is, in the best manner they can, to accommodate Scripture to it. By their being thus pre-determined, all farther light is precluded; paffages of Scripture are ftrained, and tortured, and darkened by unnatural comments; because men search the Scripture not to find out the fenfe of that, but to make it fpeak their own sense. But, on the contrary, if their minds are free and difengaged, and they have no concern but for truth, the rule of Scripture is fo plain in all effential points, that they can hardly, with an ordinary degree of judgment, mistake it. In the natural courfe of things, fuch an honeft ingenuous temper, divested of all prejudice, all attachment to favourite opinions, will lead to the knowledge of every neceffary truth, and fecure from dangerous and hurtful er

rors: