of Sins; and it is impossible almost to conceive that any immediate Communication from God Almighty himself, and much less any Tradition, can render it more strong and ample, than it is there revealed to us.

As to the Service and Worship of the Almighty, no Precepts can be contriv'd more rational, more pure, more perfect, more agreeable to the Nature of God, more conducive to the Happiness of Man, than what are prescribed in the Holy Scriptures: We are there taught to worship God, who is a Spirit, in Spirit and in Truth, and confequently in the most acçeptable Manner: God himself declares that He will graciously accept such our Worship: He hath given us those Precepts to regulate our Affections, and to direct our Lives by them: And what are we, that we should prefume to take from, or add unto them? If therefore that can be thought a sufficient Revelation of God's Will to Mankind, whereby we are admitted to know him in the Unity and Personality of his Existence, in the many Relations He is pleased to bear towards us; in his many glorious and tremendous Attributes, and to worship and adore him in them all: If purifying our Souls by Faith, our Lives by Holiness; if a fincere, deliberate, entire Dedication of ourselves to God's Blessed Will; if a lively Flame of Devotion towards the Divine Being, a vigorous Exercise of Justice and Charity towards our Neighbour, a pure Possession of ourselves in Chastity and Temperance; if the forming our Minds into the Approbation, our Lives into the Practice of every Virtue: If these, and such like Instances of Worship, be the most acceptable to the Almighty, the most beneficial to the Performers of them, then do the Holy Scriptures come up to their intended Character in that other Instance; and are, with respect to the Service and Worship of God, a sufficient Revelation of his Will to Mankind: But the Doctrines of Faith, and the Lessons of Holy Living contain'd in the Sacred Writings, are not only perfect and compleat in themselves, but, in all their Circumstances, they are back'd with the most

L

powerful Motives and Aids for our be

lieving lieving and performing them. The Gofpel hath the Promises and Threatnings of the Life that now is, but more especially of that which is to come; the present Favour of God's Providence, the future Afsurances of a Glorious Inheritance with the Blessed Saints in Light, are the Motives to our Obedience: The Displeasure of the Almighty in this Life, and the Torments of everlasting Vengeance in the next, are the Wages of our Disobedience; and he who will not conform with the Precepts of the Holy Scriptures upon those Motives, will be wrought upon by no Motives whatever. Again, the Affiftances afforded us, are the gracious Influences of God's Blessed Spirit helping our Infirmities, quickening our Endeavours, raising our Affections, and in all respects working in us both to will and do according to the good Pleasure of the Almighty; fo that nothing is required but our own fincere Co-operation with the Divine Grace, and then we may do all things that are commanded us.

UPON the Whole then, it hath pleased Almighty God to vouchsafe us a most glorious

glorious and perfect Revelation of his Blessed Will; a Revelation unfolding to us the Wonders of his Providence, and difpencing the Riches of his Grace; a Revelation carrying our Prospects into Eternity, proposing to our present Hopes the Glories of God's Kingdom, and qualifying us for the future Enjoyment of them. How full of Awe and Delight are those Sacred Writings! they are no other than the Word of God; but the Word of God bringing unto us Peace and Salvation. In the former View they challenge our most devout Regard; in the latter, they stand recommended to us upon the Foot of our own eternal Interest. It is fo obvious an Inference from what has been faid, that it scarce seems necessary to infer the great Obligation we lie under, of a diligent and pious Study of the Holy Scriptures: The Study of them in a fpeculative Way is indeed more particularly the Duty of those who minister in Holy Things, and relates to them as Part of their Profession: They ought to employ all the Compass and Force of human Learning, and human Learning is never

fo

so worthily and greatly employ'd, as in such a Manner, in adorning and defending, in enlightning and establishing those Mysteries of Godliness, those Doctrines of Truth and Virtue which are therein contain'd: And all the Labour and Application we are Masters of, are but little enough to express the Sense we ought to have of the Value and Sacredness of those Things, which Holy Men inspired by God have written unto us of our common Redemption. But the Study of the Holy Scriptures in a practical Way, is Matter of absolute Duty, and takes in all Christians indifferently; they declare unto all Men Salvation, and declare it in the Words of Force and Pleasantness : From those Funds of Wisdom, we may treasure up to ourselves infinite Portions of future Happiness, and treasure them up with vast Overflowings of present Comfort and Satisfaction: Whatever is there contain'd is written for Universal Benefit and Instruction: Notwithstanding the fublime Nature of the Doctrines, every the meanest Capacity may know them all to his

Soul's