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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.

He is

But

MAN is by nature ignorant and thoughtless: and therefore wants information and admonition. also prone to evil, and averse from good: and therefore wants restraint from the former, and incitement to the latter. Without the assistance, which we receive one from another in these respects, we should be wicked and wretched beyond imagination. though we should be most defective in a state of solitude, yet we are very deplorably so, even when joined to the best advantage in society. Many points of the utmost moment, relating both to our present and future condition, we either cannot discover at all, or not with certainty: many, which we might, not even the wiser, much less the greater part, have in fact known: and those, which hardly any could fail to perceive, all have, more or less, failed to regard. Most of these things are visibly men's own fault: and the rest are no imputation upon God. For unquestionably he may with justice place any of his creatures in as low a state, both of understanding and moral ability, as he pleases provided he requires from them, as he certainly will, only in proportion to what he hath given.

!

And even his infinite goodness cannot oblige him to bestow on them greater favours, than his infinite wisdom sees to be proper: which it is no wonder should act upon reasons, to us unsearchable. But the less we have ground to expect, the more thankfully we ought to receive whatever notices, encouragements, or warnings, he may vouchsafe more immediately from himself.

Now we have in our hands a book, which we call the Bible: containing accounts of various communications made to mankind by their Creator from the beginning but principally through the hands of Moses and the prophets; of Jesus Christ and his Disciples together with great numbers of most important consequences from thence resulting. Both parts of this book are credibly affirmed to be written by persons, who must in the main have known the truth or falshood of what they say: none of whom have given grounds to suspect their veracity; but many, the strongest possible grounds to rely on it. They support the authority of the doctrines and precepts delivered there by express prophecies and public miracles, recounted there also: which prophecies have, most of them, undeniably been since fulfilled, nor do any appear to have failed; and which miracles, though they could never have been acknowledged if they had not been real, were, so far as we can learn, denied by no one, either at the time when they were said to be done, or long after. On the contrary, the Old Testament hath always been admitted, as true and genuine, by the whole Jewish nation: and the Pentateuch in particular, used as the law of their country; though it appoints more things than one to be done, so utterly and visibly contrary to human policy, that they must proceed from Him, whose extraordinary providence alone could make them practicable with safety;

and others, too contrary to human inclinations, for men to have chosen, without being sure that God required them. And as to the writers of the New Tes tament, it is still more certain, that their works were published near the time and in the places, where they affirm the events, which they relate, came to pass: that they agree surprisingly well, though in general they were unlearned persons, and plainly had not concerted their story together: that they led pious and virtuous lives: that they were willing to suffer death for the sake of their testimony. And accordingly the whole Christian church from its rise embraced their narrations with a faith, which neither artifice nor persecution were able to overturn, or keep it from prevailing through the world, though contrary to the favourite notions and vicious desires of all mankind which alone is a proof, that the facts related in them, even the most miraculous, were previously known to be true; and the doctrines the same, which had been already taught by the Apostles: else Jews, heathens and Christians must have exclaimed against the authors, as publishers of falshoods, and they could never have obtained credit. Some few of their books indeed, (but such as taught no one article that is not in the others, nor denied any one that is) were questioned in some congregations for a good while, perhaps with more caution than needed but were then put on a level with the rest. Neither Testament is pretended to be disproved, but both are confirmed, as far as could be expected, by such heathen records as are extant: and if either had been confuted formerly by any, that are now lost, it must have sunk; which hath not been the case. Each of them furnishes powerful internal evidence in favour of itself: each adds mani

fold strength to the other: and no writings whatever stand on the credit of such numerous and decisive attestations.

Were we therefore to consider them merely as compositions of excellent men, well informed, and faithfully informing us, in the best manner they could, of what it most concerns us to know, we must allow them to be a most valuable blessing; a treasure unspeakably superior to all the other remains of antiquity. But this is much too low an esteem of them: they were written moreover under the special direction of Heaven, and that for an end no less important, than a full supply of our spiritual wants. These two points the apostle asserts plainly in the text: and I shall endeavour to confirm and improve his assertions, by shewing, in some discourses upon it,

I. That all Scripture is of divine authority. II. That it completely answers every purpose of religion.

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

IV. How we may do this to the best effect.

I. That all Scripture is of divine authority, or, in St. Paul's language, given by inspiration of God: a position extremely requisite to be understood in its true sense, and established on its proper foundation. For some have held it to signify, that every sentence and word was dictated from above: and consequently have made room, without intending it, for as many plausible objections, as there are appearances of any thing, which in respect of clearness, elegance, order, strength, exceeds not human power, or falls beneath absolute perfection. Others, especially of late years, partly to guard against this danger, and partly to excuse notions of their own, which are contrary to

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Scripture, have imagined, that being inspired meant little more (at least in relation to the historical and doctrinal books) than being indued with a large measure of general pious intention: so that, continuing to call themselves Christians, and professing a high respect for the sacred writers as good men, they have thought themselves justified in doubting, or even disbelieving, almost as much as they please, of what the Scriptures teach.

To state therefore and defend the sense of the text, I shall begin with explaining the terms. The word, here translated Scripture, denotes frequently in other authors any writing whatever. Whence some ancient versions render the original thus: every writing, given by inspiration of God, is profitable, and so forth: leaving it undetermined, which are so given. But always,' in the Gospels and Epistles, it denotes that collection of writings, which the Church acknowledged for its rule of life and manners. When our Apostle sent this epistle to Timothy, several parts of the New Testament were not published, and scarce any had spread very far: so that he must by Scripture mean chiefly if not solely, the Old Testament. But the books of the New, from their first appearance, obtained the same title every where. St. Peter gives it by the plainest implication to what St. Paul wrote and doubtless what he, and the rest of the twelve, wrote, equally deserved it. Inspiration is any particular influence of God on the mind: whence we pray in the communion service, that he would cleanse our hearts by the inspiration of his Holy Spirit. But, in the case before us, it must signify such influence, as will be effectual for the purpose of writing such books. And of this there may be various degrees re

2 Pet. iii. 16.

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