SERMON I. 2 TIMOTHY iii. 16, 17. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God, and is profitable for Reproof, for Correction, for Inftruction in Righteoufness. That the Man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all goodWorks. T HERE is nothing gives a Man greater Pleasure, and infpires him with firmer Conftancy in the profecution of any Affair, than the affurance of his having laid a true Foundation, and acting upon right Principles; becaufe this en VOL. I. B ables ables him to prefs forwards with Certainty, and makes him entire Mafter of himself and Circumftances in every Part of his Procedure: But fuch an Affurance as this is particularly ferviceable in Sacred Matters; because the infinite Importance of Religion infers the Neceffity of the stricteft Caution in every Step we take; and renders every Degree of Certainty we can arrive at concerning it, as it is more eminently useful, fo likewife more fatiffactory. HERE then we see the wonderful Goodnefs of Almighty God, in that He hath fo fully and clearly revealed in his Holy Word whatever is to be known and praaised by us, that no one can fatally mistake in the Paths of Righteousness but by his own Default; no one, except wilfully, need be ignorant or uncertain in the Way that leads to Happiness: But fuch, on the contrary, is the Perverseness of Mankind, that they frequently neglect and decry this fure, this only, Means of Salvation; and fet up their own Devices in oppofition to what the Almighty hath eftab established for the certain Guidance to bring them to Heaven. MEN of this Character; Men who refift the Truth, Seducers, deceiving, and being deceived, the Apoftle is largely animadverting upon in the Chapter of which our Text is a Part, and gives it in charge to Timothy, that he wou'd continue in thofe things which he had learned and was affured of, i. e. that he wou'd not fall into the innovating Spirit of those Times, but adhere ftedfaftly to that Form of found Words which he had already receiv'd; thofe pure and well-establish'd Doctrines which had been delivered to him under Terms of all poffible Affurance. This Charge the Apostle enforces by two Motives, viz. the Manner of his having been inftructed; and the Nature of the Inftruction he had receiv'd; Continue in thofe things which thou haft learned and baft been affured of; knowing of whom thou hast learned them. St. Paul himself had been his Inftructor; and Timothy cou'd not but know him to be a true Apostle of Chrift: Again Timothy had been well-principled from his Youth in Scrip tural Knowledge; from a Child, faith the Apoftle, thou hast known the Scriptures; which are able to make thee wife unto Sal vation, through Faith which is in Chrift Jefus. A Departure therefore from the good Inftructions which he had fo early and, confequently, fo intimately imbibed, wou'd in him be much more inexcufable. The Nature of the Inftruction he had receiv'd is fully fet forth in the Words before us : In order to treat of which more particularly, it may be proper barely to obferve, THAT as the Holy Scripture is the Foundation of true Religion; fo it always shares the fame Fate with it: the fame Adverfaries fet themselves to oppose both; and they always oppose them both in the fame manner. The Profane, for instance, who are Enemies to all Religion in general, labour to undermine it, by denying the Divine Authority of the Scriptures; the Superftitious, who lay fo much stress upon the Form of Godliness, as to neglect the Power of it; and the Enthusiasts, who wou'd fondly resolve the Whole of Religion into Vapour and Imagination, do both of them endeavour to decry the Suf ficiency ficiency of the Holy Scriptures; the former, by teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men; the latter, by impo fing their own delufive Dreams for immediate Revelation from the Almighty. WE cannot therefore do greater service to Religion than by establishing the Holy Scriptures upon that foot of Certainty and Excellency which are required to make them a fufficient Revelation of God's Wil to Mankind; and this the Words of the Text will furnish out Matter for, by point ing out to us, I. THE Divine Authority of those facred Writings in these Words, All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God. II. THEIR Ufefulness in thefe Words, III. And Laftly, THEIR Sufficiency in |