The difficult Paffages of Scripture vindicated from fuch objections as are ufually made to them: and proper Directions given, how we are to use

them.

2 PET. iii. 16.

In which are fome things hard to be Underflood, which they that are unlearned and unftable, weft, as they do alf the other Scriptures, unte their own Deftruction.

T. Peter, in this chapter, employs his pen, in fortifying the minds of thofe Chriftians, to whom he writes, against that fcorn and mockery they met with from fome profane men, who dif puted the certainty of this world's diffolution, and

of

of Chriff's coming to judgment; and derided the eager expectations of the firft believers concerning ir. "Where," faid they, "is the promise of his coming? for, fince the fathers fell afleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation," ver. 4. Againft the attempts of thefe fcoffers the apoftle arms them throughout this whole chapter; affures them of the reality of their hopes, and of the truth of the divine promises; and exhorts them to wait with patience and humility for their accomplishment. "The Lord," faith he," is not flack concerning his promise (as fome men count flackness); but is long-fuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perifh, but that all fhould come to repentance," ver. 9.

Where he intimates the true reafon of Chrift's delaying his coming, to be, that he may give room and fpace to all men every where to repent, and embrace his gofpel: "Wherefore, beloved," fays he, a little afterwards, account that the longfuffering of our Lord is falvation; even as our beloved brother Puul alfo, according to the wifdom given unto him, hath written unto you: As also in all his epiftles, speaking in them of these things; in which are fome things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unftable, wreft, as they do alfo the other scriptures, to their own deftruction," ver 14, &c.

He seems purposely to have made mention of St. Paul in this place, not only becaufe he concurred with him in his teftimony concerning the end and defign of God's long-fufferance, but be caufe his writings alfo had been objected against by thofe very fcoffers, as obfcure and unintelligible.

And

And therefore he took an occafion of mention ́ing one paffage out of them that he might have an opportunity of vindicating the whole from thefe men's fcornful exceptions. "Account, fays he, that the long-fuffering of the Lord is falvation; even as our beloved brother Paul'alfo, according to the wifdom given unto him, hath written unto you." The place of St. Paul re ferred to, feems to be that in the epiftle to the Romans, Chapii Ver. 4"Defpifeft thou the riches of his goodness, and forberance and longfuffering; not knowing that the goodnefs of God leadeth thee to repentance ?" From which paralTel text thus produced from St. Paul, he takes occafion to fpeak of all his writings, and of the imputation which in general lay upon them. As alfo in all his Epifties (continues he) fpeaking in them of these things; in which (i. c.) in which epiftles [I explain it fo notwithstanding a criti cifm taken from the Greek, which would make the words, in which, belong to the things fpoken of in the epiftles, and not to the epiftles themfelves, which criticifin I fhall not now trouble you with I fay therefore, "in which epiftles, are fome things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable (that are unlearned, i. e. unfkilled, and unverfed in divine things; and unftable, i. e. of light, defültory, unbalanced minds) wreft, as they do the other fcriptures, to their own destruction."

Having thus cleared the connection of the text, I fhall difcourfe on it after the following manner:

1, Firt, By enlarging a little on propofition itVOL. III.

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felf,

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felf, which it contains: That there are in St. Paul's writings, and in :he other Scriptures alfo, Things bard to be understood.

II. Secondly, By giving fome account how, and for what reafon it has come to pafs, that the Scriptures are, and must be, in fome measure obfcure: How neceffary and unavoidable it was, that there fhould be fome paffages in them dark and difficult even to those, who lived at the time when they were written, and yet more fo to us, who live at this diftance from the age of the apostles.

III.. Thirdly, By fhewing you, that this carries no reflection at all in it upon the divine goodnefs or wisdom. And then in the

Fourth, and laft place, By raising some obfer vations from what has been faid, and preventing ahe ill uses that may be made of it.

I. First, This propofition is evidently laid down in the text, That there are in St. Paul's writings, Things hard to be understood: And it is plainly intimated, that there are fuch things in the other parts of holy Writ alfo; inafmuch as they, who wreft these difficult paffages of St. Paul, are faid to wreft the other Scriptures alfo.

It is indeed an undoubted truth, and what no good Chriftian is, I think, in the leaft concerned to deny, that the books, both of the Old and New Teftament, are not every where equally clear and intelligible. They have, like other books, a mixture of that which is cafy, with that which is

hard

hard to be understood; a great deal that is plain and obvious, and fomewhat alfo that is obfcure and difficult. Notwithstanding they were defigned to contain a revelation of God's will to men, yet was not that revelation defigned to partake every where alike of the nature of its Great Author and Revealer, who is (in the phrafe of St. John)"Light, and in whom there is no darkness at all," John i. 5.

"Sometimes the things fpoken of are fo myfterious and fublime, that our limited and weak apprehenfions can hardly reach them. Sometimes the manner of fpeaking, even concerning common things, is dark and dubious. The Apocalypfe is received into the canon, together with the other parts of Scripture; the fenfe of it has been much fought and fearched after by pious and inquifitive men in all ages of the church; and yet we have reason to believe, that it has never yet been thoroughly underftood by any man."

The beginning of St. John's gofpel is fo far in telligible, as that it plainly enough establishes the divinity of our Lord, and his co-eternity with God the Father; but yet nobody, I think, will fay, that the fenfe of every term in that chapter is fo clear and eafy, as that no Chriftian, of whatever rank or degree, can, upon perufing, and attentively confidering the whole, mifs the meaning of it.

Even the difcourfes of our bleffed Lord are fomewhat dark and intricate in some parts of them. That with Nicodemus about regeneration; John iii. and that with the men of Capernaum about eating his body and blood, John vi. have in them what

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