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elsewhere delineated; and probably no mere man could have drawn one; no person would have thought of such a character as that of Jesus, yet no flaw or fault can be found in it: this alone, I apprehend, and their entire consistency in this respect with each other, proves, that they wrote under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

It hath often been observed, that Satan would never have influenced men to write the Bible; for then he would have been divided against himself: wicked men would not have penned a book, which so awfully condemned their whole conduct; and good men would never have ascribed their own inventions to divine inspiration; especially as such forgeries are most severely reprobated in every part of it. But indeed, it is a work as much exceeding every effort of mere man, as the sun surpasses those scanty illuminations by which his splendour is imitated, or his absence supplied.

VII. The actual effects produced by the Scriptures, evince their divine original. These are indeed far from being equal to their tendency; because, through human depravity, the gospel is not generally believed and obeyed; yet they are very considerable; and we may assert, that even at present, there are many thousands, who have been reclaimed from a profane and immoral life, to sobriety, equity, truth, and piety, and a good behaviour in relative life, by attending to the sacred Scriptures. Having been "made free from sin, and become the servants of God, they have their fruit unto holiness;" and after patiently continuing in well-doing, and cheerfully bearing various afflictions, they joyfully meet death, being supported by the hope of eternal life" as the gift of God through Jesus Christ:" whilst they, who best know them, are most convinced, that they have been rendered wiser, holier, and happier, by believing the Bible; and that there is a reality in religion, though various interests and passions keep them from duly embracing it. There are indeed enthusiasts also; but they become so, by forsaking the old rule of faith and duty, for some new fancy: and there are hypocrites; but they attest the reality and excellency of religion, by deeming it worth their while to counterfeit it.

VIII. Brevity is so connected with fulness in the scriptures, that they are a treasure of divine knowledge, which can never be exhausted. The things that are absolutely necessary to salvation, are few, simple, and obvious to the meanest capacity, provided it be attended by an humble, teachable disposition but the most learned, acute, and diligent student, cannot in the longest life obtain an entire knowledge of this one volume. The deeper he works the mine, the richer and more abundant he finds the ore; new light continually beams from this source of heavenly knowledge, to direct his conduct, and illustrate the works of God, and the ways of men; and he will at last leave the world confessing, that the more he studied the Scriptures, the greater sense he had of his own ignorance and of their inestimable value. Lastly. "He that believeth hath the witness in himself." The discoveries which he hath made by the light of the Scripture; the experience he hath had that the Lord fulfils its promises to those who trust in them; the abiding effects produced by attending to it, on his judgment, dispositions, and affections; and the earnests of heaven enjoyed by him in communion with God, according to the way revealed in it, put the matter beyond all doubt and though many believers are not qualified to dispute against infidels, they are enabled, through this inward testimony, to obey and suffer for the gospel; and they can no more be convinced by reasonings and objections, that men invented the Bible, than they can be persuaded that men created the sun, whose light they behold, and by whose beams they are cheered.

And now, if an objector could fully invalidate one half, or two thirds of these arguments (to which many more might easily be added), the remainder would be abundantly sufficient; nay, perhaps, any one of them so far decides the question, that were there no more proof of the Bible's being the word of God, a man could not reject it, without acting contrary to those dictates of common sense, which direct his conduct in his secular affairs.

But, in reality, I have a confidence that not one of them can be fairly answered; at least it has never yet been done: and the combined force of the whole is so great, that the objections by which men cavil against the truth, only resemble the foaming waves dashing against the deep rooted rock, which hath for ages defied their unavailing fury. But though these can effect nothing more, they may beat off the poor shipwrecked mariner, who was about to ascend it, in hopes of deliverance from impending destruction.

The consequences of our present conduct, according to the Scriptures, are so vast, that if there were only a bare possibility of their truth, it would be madness to run the risk of rejecting them, for the sake of gaining the whole world. What then is it, when we have such unanswerable demonstrations, that they are the word of God, and cannot reasonably doubt of it for a moment, to disobey the commands, and neglect the salvation revealed in it, for the veriest trifle that can be proposed to us? Especially as it may be shown, that (besides the eternal consequences) the firm belief of, and conscientious obedience to the Scriptures, will render a man happier in this present life, even amidst trials and self-denying services, than any other man can be made, by all the pomp, pleasure, wealth, power, and honour, which the world can bestow on him!

ESSAY 11.

On the Importance of Revealed Truth; the duty of Reading the Scriptures, and the manner in which it should be performed.

As the Bible may be unanswerably proved to be the word of God, we should reason from it as from self-evident principles, or demonstrated axioms; for "his testimony is sure, and giveth wisdom to the simple."

Many parts of Scripture accord so well with the conclusions of our rational powers, when duly exercised, that either they might have been known without revelation, or else men have mistaken the capacity of perceiving truth, for that of discovering it. Hence various controversies have arisen about "natural religion," which many suppose to be rather taken for granted, than made known by revelation. But the term is ambiguous: for the word natural includes the propensities of our hearts, as well as the powers of our understandings; and the same truths which accord to the latter, are often totally opposite to the former: the Gentiles might have known many things concerning God and his will, if they had "liked to retain Him in their knowledge.' So that," the religion of reason" would express the idea much more intelligibly, if any such distinction be deemed necessary.

This, however, is obvious, that many truths and precepts which are found in the Bible, have been maintained by persons who were ignorant of, or rejected that divine revelation, or who chose not to own their obligations to it: and many others, professing to receive the Scriptures as the word of God, assent to some truths contained in them, not so much because they are revealed, as because they think that they may be proved by other arguments: whereas they reject, neglect, or explain away those doctrines which are not thus evident to their own reason, or level with their capacities. So that at last it comes to this, that they discard all that is deemed peculiar to revelation; and refuse to believe the testimony of God, if reason will not vouch for the truth of what he says.

It may indeed be questioned, whether those opinions which men so confidently magnify as the oracles of reason, were not originally, without exception, borrowed from revelation, as far as there is any truth in them: and it is evident, that they cannot possess sufficient certainty, clearness, and authority to render them efficacious principles of action, except as they are en

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forced by revelation, and its awful sanctions. And the wildest enthusiast never dreamed of a grosser absurdity, than they maintain who suppose that the only wise God hath given a revelation to man, confirmed by miracles and prophecies, and established in the world by the labours and sufferings of his servants, and the crucifixion of his well-beloved Son; and that this revelation at last is found to contain nothing, but what we might have known as well without it! Nay, that it is expressed in such language, as hath given occasion to those who have most implicitly believed and reverentially obeyed it, to maintain sentiments and adopt practices erroneous and evil in themselves, and of fatal consequence to mankind!

We might therefore, a priori, have expected, that a revelation from God should illustrate, confirm, and enforce such things as seem more level to our natural powers; and that it should make known to us many important matters, which we could not have otherwise discovered, and which would be found exceedingly different from our previous notions and imaginations: seeing that our contracted views and limited capacities are infinitely distant from the omniscience of God. So that it is most reasonable to conclude, that the doctrinal truths which more immediately relate to the Divine nature, perfections, providence, and government; the invisible and eternal world; and the mysteries of redemption, &c., constitute by far the most important part of revelation; as discovering to us such things "as no eye hath seen, nor ear heard, neither have they ever entered into the heart of man to conceive ;" and yet they are essentially connected with our present hope, worship, and duty, and with our future happiness or misery.

He therefore cannot, according to the common use of language, be called a believer, who only holds those doctrines which he deems the dictates of reason, as well as of revelation; whilst he rejects the testimony of God, whenever he deems it unreasonable: and we may hence learn what judgment to form of those who affirm, without hesitation, that the moral precepts and sanctions, with the more evident truths of the Bible, are the only important part of it; that it is of little consequence what men believe, especially concerning those things which are in any degree mysterious; and that none but narrow bigots and weak and ignorant people lay any stress upon speculative opinions. "He that believeth not, maketh God a liar," especially he that believeth not the testimony which God hath given of his Son, and of eternal life bestowed on sinners through him, (John iii. 12-21; 31—36; 1 John v. 9-12). This is the uniform doctrine of Scripture; and to contradict it is equivalent to a total rejection of divine revelation. Can it be supposed, that the prophets and apostles were commissioned; and that the Son of God was manifested in the flesh, died on the cross, and rose from the dead, merely to inform mankind, that the Lord approved honesty, temperance, truth, and kindness, and disapproved the contrary vices? Or that the unnumbered testimonies which the Scriptures contain, to the mysteries of the Divine Nature, the Person of the Redeemer, and the work of redemption, &c., may, without any criminality, be disbelieved, derided, or reviled; provided men are moral in their conduct towards one another? Or that God is equally pleased with those that thus affront his veracity, as with them who implicitly submit to his teaching, and credit his testimony? If this be the case, in what does the difference between the infidel and the believer consist? All, except avowed atheists, will allow the propriety of many precepts, and the truth of some doctrines, coinciding with those contained in Scripture: but the infidel admits them as the dictates of reason, not as the testimony of God; and the pretended believer rejects all, without hesitation, that appears not to accord with the same standard. So that both of them believe their own reasonings, "lean to their own understandings," and "make God a liar," when his testimony contradicts their self-confident decisions? It appears, therefore, that the prevailing notion of the little importance of dcotrinal truth is subversive of revelation; and in fact is only a more plausible and more dangerous species of infidelity.

If we believe the Scriptures to have been written by inspiration from God, and have any suitable apprehensions of his omniscience, veracity, and other perfections; we must be convinced that it is the height of arrogance for us, short-sighted erring creatures of yesterday, to speak of any doctrine contained in them, as false or doubtful, because it is not coincident with our reasonings or conceptions. Surely a small portion of modesty and humility might suffice to induce our confession, that we are more likely to be mistaken than the only wise God! And yet we must, in rejecting his authenticated testimony, either advance our knowledge above his omniscience, or impeach his veracity, or deny the Scriptures altogether or in part, to be his word; reserving to ourselves the infallible determination, what part is of divine authority, and what is not! And if we deem any part of the Scriptures, though true, to be of little or no importance, or of bad tendency; what do we but affront the infinite wisdom or goodness of God, as if he did not know what truths were proper to be revealed to man; or as if he purposely discovered those matters which it would have been better for mankind never to have known? And seeing it is evident that the Lord hath in the Scriptures required the belief of certain doctrines, as absolutely necessary to salvation; to insinuate that these doctrines are either false, doubtful, or of no value, must involve in it the grossest and most affronting blasphemy imaginable.

We do not indeed maintain, that all the truths of revelation are of equal importance; because they are not stated in Scripture to be so: but none can be wholly unimportant: and we are not always competent to decide upon their comparative value. Some things are more obvious than others; and such as are more hard to be understood are not so well adapted to those persons, "who are unstable and unlearned" in the school of Christ: yet we are not authorised to reject, or even to doubt any of them. We may indeed demur as to the true interpretation of them: whilst in humble, reverent teachableness, we wait for clearer light upon the subject; and we must remain for some time in partial ignorance or error; because we cannot at once become acquainted with all the truths, which are revealed to faith, even when we have got a disposition implicitly to believe them. There are some things which relate to the very life and essence of true religion; others are rather necessary to our stability, comfort, and holy conduct: these we must by no means reject or treat with Indifference; but it is possible, that, to the last, we may be mistaken in, or ignorant of some of them; and yet be found among the heirs of salvation.

The importance of revealed truth may be shown in another way; for it is the seed of principle in the soul, whence all inward and real holiness proceeds. "Sanctify them by thy truth; thy word is truth." (John xvii. 17— 19). "Beholding as in a glass," (namely in the doctrine of Christ,) "the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image," (2 Cor. iii. 18; iv. 3-6). "Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness, God wás manifest in the flesh," &c. This doctrine was, in the judgment of the apostle," the great mystery of godliness," and indeed all holy dispositions and affections towards God, all the genuine spiritual worship, all the willing obedience of filial love, and all the cheerful acquiescence in the Divine will, and affiance on the Divine truth and mercy, which, have been found in the world since the fall of man, have arisen from a proper perception of this great truth, and the doctrines connected with it. Spirituality (or a delight in and supreme valuation of the holy excellency of spiritual things, and a disposition to seek pleasure and satisfaction in religion), is intimately connected with a believing dependence on the promised influences of the Holy Spirit; and that view of the worth of the soul, the evil of sin, the justice and mercy of God, the vanity of the world, and the believer's obligations to a Saviour, who loved him, "and redeemed him to God with his blood," which the doctrine of the cross communicates, is fundamental to deep repentance, genuine humility, gratitude, patience, meekness, forgiveness of injuries, love of enemies, and other parts of the Christian temper and character. With

out this, a proud morality, and a pharisaical task and form of godliness, will comprise the sum total of man's religion; except as he is brought under those impressions and leadings, which will in time influence him to embrace "the truth as it is in Jesus.' This will appear more fully, and be proved more at large in the subsequent Essays. The importance of revealed truth, therefore, may be evidently perceived, both from the authority of Him who speaks to us in the Scripture; the various methods he has taken to confirm the words of his servants; and the tendency and efficacy of sound doctrine, to produce spiritual affections and holy obedience.

Indeed the doctrines of Scripture may be received by a dead faith into the understanding as true, whilst the heart does not embrace them as good; and then they will be held in unrighteousness." But a real and living belief of the great doctrines contained in the Bible is the proper root of true holi"A whited sepulchre" is the emblem of all that can be attained to, where they are proudly rejected, or treated with indifference; and every man's spirituality, piety, humility, and enlarged, disinterested, unostentatious philanthropy, will bear proportion to the degree in which he knows and cordially embraces the great truths of the holy Scriptures.

ness.

It must, therefore, be evident, that every person to whom the Scriptures are sent, ought to study them, and get acquainted with their contents. For if God, in compassion to our ignorance and love to our souls, as well as in regard to the honour of his own name and government, hath given us a book penned under the inspiration of his Holy Spirit; and if the truths revealed in it be of the greatest importance; it must be most reasonable that we should bestow pains to acquire the knowledge of them. Whether we consider the Scriptures as a revelation which the Lord hath made to us of himself, that we may know, worship, and glorify him; or of his law and government, that we may submit to and obey him, or learn from them our true condition as sinners; or of his mercy and salvation, that we may find acceptance with him; or of the privileges of his children, in this life and that which is to come: in every view of the subject, the duty of searching them must be manifest. Nor can we neglect it, without avowing, that we despise the knowledge of God and heavenly things; that we do not desire to serve our Creator; that we neither value his favour nor fear his frown; or that we can discover the way of peace and happiness without his instruction. Nothing, therefore, can be more expressive of our ingratitude, rebellion, and alienation from God, than the general neglect of the Bible, which prevails among those that profess to believe it to be his word.

Doth he then speak from heaven to us sinners about the way of eternal salvation? and shall we refuse to hear his gracious words? Does he give us a book to teach us to be happy in this world and for ever? and shall we not study it? Does he make known to us mortals, those glories which angels adore with unceasing rapture? and shall we turn away with contemptuous aversion? Hath he provided for us sinners such a redemption, as sinless "angels desire to look into?" and shall we think the subject unworthy of our notice? Who can pretend to justify this conduct? Yet how much more pains do lawyers, physicans, and other students, who desire to excel in their. professions, bestow in poring over voluminous authors, than men, called Christians, do in searching the Scriptures? Yea, how many give a decided preference to amusing and ingenious trifles, or political discussions (not to say publications suited to corrupt their principles and morals), above the sacred word of God. They would be ashamed not to have read some admired or popular author, though the work perhaps be wholly useless (if not worse); yet they remain, year after year, unacquainted with the holy Scriptures! Surely in vain is the word of the Lord given to them; the pen of the scribes is in vain" (Jer. viii. 8, 9).

It cannot be necessary, in such a compendious essay, to show particularly how the study of the Scriptures is inculcated in every part of the sacred volume. Let the more attentive reader turn to what Moses spake to Israel

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