SERMON XXIII.

2 TIM. III. 16, 17.

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.

I HAVE shewn you, in several discourses on this text, the divine authority of Scripture, its complete usefulness to all the purposes of religion, and the consequent duty of reading it. Yet still I am sensible an unhappy objection may remain with too many, that they have tried, and do not experience this usefulness; and why it should be their duty to persist in reading what they do not find attended with any good effects, they cannot apprehend. But if they have not read as they ought, their whole argument falls to the ground. Nothing is to be expected from the wrong performance of any duty: and therefore I proposed originally

IV. To give directions for the right performance of this.

Many proper ones, I hope, have been intimated to you not obscurely, under the former heads: part of which however I shall now repeat amongst others. For to say again the same things, to me is not grievous, and for you it is safe*.

That we should come to the word of God with

*Phil. iii. f.

serious minds, is a requisite, that one should hardly have thought needful to mention, if there was not some, who give little other proof of ever having looked into it, than perverting the expressions of it to ludicrous purposes, and so extracting poison from the bread of life. You need not be told, that such can receive no improvement from it: but only be warned against suffering them to infect you with the same distemper: for to men of a gay and lively turn it is often very catching. But reflect: every book in the world, of every sort, may easily be turned into matter of diversion, if people are resolved to shew at any rate, some their ability, and others, (which is far the more usual case) their desire only, of being witty. But especially on sacred subjects, the corruptness of men's hearts disposes them both to invent and receive such kind of entertainment with peculiar eagerness for this very reason principally, that they know they ought not. And besides, the Old and New Testament do lie somewhat opener to profane abuse, than many other pious compositions, from the difference of stile and manners in distant ages and countries, from the scrupulous exactness of our translation, and the changes in our language, that have happened since it was made. But surely there are strong motives, of religion, of prudence, of common decency, to restrain men, from taking such unfair advantages, to so bad an end; if this contemptible affectation of appearing ingenious, by forcing a laugh out of every thing, did not so effectually destroy, as it doth, all regard to rightness of behaviour and true good sense. A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy to him, that considereth*.

Prov. xiv. 6. It is wrongly translated, understandeth.

+

Let us therefore never permit ourselves to make either in thought, at the time of reading the Scripture, or in discourse afterwards, a light and burlesque application of any text: for how little harm soever we may intend, the practice is plainly unfit and irreverent: besides that we are soon led on from small freedoms to greater. And let us never be influenced to think ill or meanly of the least part of God's word from any such applications made by others: for they prove nothing against Scripture, but much against those who invent or use them. Or if we find, that, notwithstanding, they do in fact begin to make impressions upon us, as they may imperceptibly, if we are not on the watch; let us avoid, as carefully, yet as inoffensively, as we can, the company of those, who delight in such dangerous conversation: according to Solomon's excellent rule, cease, my son, to hear the instruction, that causeth to err from the words of knowledge*. For as to any hope of good from arguing with them, no people upon earth are so incapable of being convinced or silenced by reason, as they that are conceited of a libertine wit. And therefore, however entertaining their talk may be otherwise, yet being essentially faulty in this respect, let us consider it only in the strong, but just light, in which St. Paul places the idle discourse of some in his own days, when he saith, but shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness; and their word will eat, as doth a canker↑. They, whose learning and judgment and taste and worth are the most universally acknowledged, have in all times down to our own, spoken and thought of the Bible with the highest degree of honourable regard. And it is no less absurd, than impious, to 2 Tim. ii. 16, 17.

* Prov. xix. 27.

be hurried into despising and ridiculing it, either by the extravagant flights of any man's wild fancy, or the graver authority of judges so evidently prejudiced, as the self-sufficient, or the dissolute, merely because they are grown of late more numerous and less modest. Let us at least observe a little first, what good effects this new kind of wisdom produces in the lives and families of those, who are so fond of it; and wait a while to see, (if indeed it be not too visible already,) what sort of figure they themselves, and a nation composed of them, or led by them, make and are likely to make in the eyes of the present and future ages.

With due seriousness we are to join due reverence in reading Scripture: and receive it, not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God*; and therefore credible. The revelation, which he hath given us, cannot indeed contradict the reason which he hath given us: and therefore we must never construe it irrationally. But it may easily contradict our fanciful notions and favourite conjectures: in which case we are to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ↑.

Nor is it less our duty to subject all our vicious inclinations to the authority of holy writ, than our vain prejudices. For if we indulge but one, it will naturally bias us to reject, or misinterpret, whatever is inconsistent with it: and besides, we shall lose the hope of that illumination, without which we can apprehend nothing to good purpose, whence the angel saith to Daniel, none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. And our Saviour

1 Thess. ii. 13.

+ 2 Cor. x. 5.

Dan. xii. 10.

promises only*, that if any man will do the will of God, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.

But with whatever good dispositions we may read the Scripture, unless we read it also attentively, we shall fail of our end. If we perform it only as a task, we shall find it a wearisome one. If we consider spending so much time in it, without care to improve by it, as a work acceptable to God on its own account: this is cheating ourselves with a false and superstitious notion of piety: and much more so, if we imagine, that employing one part of the day thus will in the least atone for doing, in any other part, what we are forbidden.

Now attentive reading will present to our view a variety of things, that will affect us very differently. And the benefit or the harm we shall receive from them, (for we may receive either,) will greatly depend on the conduct, which we observe amidst them. If we have never been used to read the Bible, or have long disused it; some passages in it will probably seem very strange to us at first: as undoubtedly the whole frame of nature, and the whole tenor of Providence would seem, were we let into our present knowledge of it all at once, instead of being made acquainted with it by slow degrees. They therefore, who come with a disposition to object and cavil, may have abundant room to exercise it. They, who insist on being satisfied in all particulars, will be greatly disappointed in many. For every one must not hope to discover whatever may be discovered. Or if he could, most of our inquiries into the scheme of religion, revealed or natural, as well as into the constitution of the material world, if pursued to the * John vii. 17.