SERMON XLII.

DIRECTIONS FOR READING THE SCRIPTURE PROFITABLY.

2 Тім. ііі. 16, 17.

All fcripture 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, throughly furnished unto all good works.

I HAVE shewn you, in several difcourses 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 perfist 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 propofed originally,

IV. To give directions for the right performance of this. Many proper ones, I hope, have been intimated to you not obfcurely, under the former heads: Part of which however I shall now repeat amongst others. For to say again the fame things, to me is not grievous, and for you it is fafe *.

That we should come to the word of God with ferious minds, is a requifite, that one should hardly have thought needful to mention, if there were not fome, who give little other

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ther proof of ever having looked into it, than perverting the expressions of it to ludicrous purposes, and so extracting poifon from the bread of life. You need not be told, that fuch can receive no improvement from it: but only be warned against fuffering them to infect you with the fame distemper: for to men of a gay and lively turn it is often very catching. But reflect: Every book in the world, of every fort, may easily be turned into matter of diversion, if people are refolved to shew at any rate, some their ability, and others, (which is far the more usual cafe) their defire only, of being witty. But especially on facred subjects, the corruptness of mens hearts disposes them both to invent and receive fuch kind of entertainment with peculiar eagerness: for this very reason principally, that they know they ought not. And befides, 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 diftant ages and countries, from the scrupulous exactness of our translation, and the changes in our language, that have happened fince it was made. But furely 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 feeketh wisdom, and findeth it not : but knowledge is easy to him, that confidereth *

Let us therefore never permit ourselves to make, either in thought, at the time of reading the scripture, or in difcourse afterwards, a light and burlesque application of any text: for how little harm foever we may intend, the practice is plainly unfit and irreverent; befides that we are foon 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 fcripture, 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 fuch danger

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

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ous conversation: according to Solomon's excellent rule, Geafe, my fon, to hear the instruction, that caufeth 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 filenced 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 confider it only in the strong, but just light, in which St. Paul places the idle discourse of some in his own days, when he faith, But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness; and their word will eat, as doth a cankert. 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 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-fufficient, or the diffolute, 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 fo fond of it; and wait a while to fee, (if indeed it be not too visible already,) what fort of figure they themselves, and a nation compofed of them, or led by them, make and are likely to make in the eyes of the present and future ages.

With due feriousness 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 caft 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

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if we indulge but one, it will naturally bias us to reject, or misinterpret, whatever is inconsistent with it: and befides, we shall lose the hope of that illumination, without which we can apprehend nothing to good purpose. Whence the angel faith to Daniel, None of the wicked shall understand; but the wife Shall understand *. And our Saviour promises only, that If any man will do the will of God, be shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.

But with whatever good dispositions we may read the scrip ture, unless we read it also attentively, we shall fail of our end. If we perform it only as a tafk, we shall find it a wearisome one. If we confider 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 fuperftitious notion of piety, and much more so, if we imagine, that employing one part of the day thus will in the leaft 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, fome passages in it will probably feem very strange to us at first: as undoubtedly the whole frame of nature, and the whole tenor of Providence would feem, were we let into our present knowledge of it all at once, instead of being made acquainted with it by flow degrees. They there. fore, who come with a disposition to object and cavil, may have abundant room to exercise it. They, who infift on being fatisfied in all particulars, will be greatly disappointed in many. For every one must not hope to discover whatever may berdil covered. 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 atmost, will at length terminate in something which we do not and cannot know. So that men must prepare themselves for what they will be fure to meet with; must expect to find some dark, and some hard fayings. On these they must never put a bad sense; but are neither to be offended at all, nor wonder much, if sometimes

times they are at a loss how to put any: but believe implicit ly, (for this is faith in God, not man,) that there is some, worthy of the reft: and not think of forsaking their guide to heaven, merely because they perceive not the design or propriety of every fentence that he speaks to them on the road. In short, they must reason and refolve, if need be, like the holy apostles in the fixth of St. John who were doubtless perplexed, and ftaggered not a little at our Saviour's discourse, recorded there : but when many of his disciples went back upon it, and walked no more with him, and fefus faid unto the twelve, Will ye alfa go away? Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life *.

Persons thus rightly disposed will immediately fee farther, that as they are not to be disgusted with scripture, because they cannot account for every thing, or understand every thing, to their wish; so neither are they to study it merely to understand as much of it as they can, which is only indulging an unedifying curiofity; and yet less, to understand more of it than others, which is nurfing up vanity, and may tempt them to invent new and even dangerous meanings, in order to feem more knowing than they are. But their business is, to apply to those points first, and dwell on those most, which have the closest connection with their future happiness: for they are neceffary; the rest are only, in their several degrees, useful, And as right practice is the end of faith; and the firmest and most explicit faith, which doth not produce it, is nothing; and a weak and general faith, which doth produce it, will be ac cepted: the practical passages ought certainly to have our principal regard; ever comprehending those, which express the obligations of Christian piety and moral felf-government, as well as justice and mercy. We shall indeed do very well, befides occafional readings of particular chapters, to peruse both Testaments in their order: only it will be advisable to begin with, and go ofteneft through, the New; as exhibiting what we are to believe and to do, more fully, and without fuch a mixture, as there is in the Old, of things belonging folely to the former difpenfation. But then the regularity of this course ought not ⚫ to hinder us from felecting chiefly, and perusing most frequently, such passages of both, as lay before us, in the most influencing

• John vi. 66, 67, 68