SAM. Scripture Innocent and Useful to us. XI. It is plain that this is an Attempt of fome Hazard, and that it may happen to coft us dear, as it did those in the Text, if we do not fitly prepare and guard our Minds against the Danger of it. Which may be donc, if we manage our Searches of this Kind by these following Rules and Directions.

ift, We must take care that the End we propofe to ourselves in thefe Enquiries be Good and Laudable. They must not be Entered upon out of meer Curiofity and Wantonnefs, not out of a vain and fruitless Defire of Knowledge, nor out of a Defign of being more Skilful and Learned than other Men, and of appearing to understand every thing; but the End of all our Searches in this Cafe cught to be, that we may improve in the Skill of thofe Divine Truths, which were on purpofe committed to Writing, that there might be Matter in Holy Writ, fit always to employ our repeated Meditations, and to exercise our trictest Attention: That we may by

fuch

fuch Searches gain to ourselves higher SERM. and more enlarged Apprehenfions of XI. God, a truer and clearer Senfe of the deep Wisdom of all his Myfterious Difpenfations; and may thus raife up our Minds, into greater Degrees of hely Admiration, Reverence and Awe.

We must intend to Qualify ourselves by these Searches for the removing the Objections raised by those who are no Friends to Scripture, for the Justifying the darkest, as well as the brightest Parts of it, and making out to fair unprejudiced Men the beautiful Harmony of all the different, but agreeing Branches of the Divine Revelation.

2dly, We must come to this Work, as with a right Intention, fo with a Mind rightly Difpofed and Qualified to pursue that Intention: Not prefuming on our own Strength; not with an high Opinion and Conceit of our particular Gifts, Abilities, or Advantages, as if we alone were able to clear up all Difficulties, and to go to the Bottom of all Mysteries, and that nothing were too hard for

us.

SERM. US. This is not a Temper of Mind, eiXI. ther naturally fitted for fuch a Work, or which God delights to bless with supernatural Affiftances and Discoveries. No, if ever we hope to make our Enquiries of this Kind fuccesful and profitable to us, we must be fure to conduct them with great Modefty, with a becoming Diffidence and Diftruft of ourselves, humbly and chiefly relying upon God for his Gracious Help and Affiftance; and in order to it, putting up frequent and fervent Petitions to that good Spirit, which Indited the Holy Scriptures, that he would please to enlighten us with the Knowledge of all the deep Mysteries contained there. 'Tis Humility and Devotion that principally Qualify us for fuch Searches as thefe; and will do more by themselves, towards giving a Man a true Understanding of Scripture, than all the Gifts and Parts in the World will do, when feparated from them. For it is true in this Inftance, as well as in maJames iv, ny others, That God refifteth the Proud, and giveth Grace to the Lowly.

6.

And

And as a good Way to keep alive and SERM. improve this Humility of Mind in us, XI. let us be fure,

3dly, In our Searches of this Kind, ever to carry this Truth along with us, (a Truth I have largely explained, and proved to you in a former Discourse) that there is no Place of Holy Writ hard to be Understood, that is needful to be understood by us: If we maintain this Reflection constantly upon our Minds, it will teach us not to lay too great Stress upon these Difficulties, nor to employ too much of our Time upon them, fo as to be in the least taken off from confidering what is more plain and profitable in Scripture, what can more easily and usefully be understood, and is indeed more neceffary to be understood by us. Some Men pore so much, and so fo long, upon Paffages of a difputed Meaning, as if they thought it indispensably requifite to determine themselves of one Side or other of the Question; as if the Whole of Religion were concerned in fuch difficult Enquiries; they are fo bufy in opening and explaining bard Places;

that

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Luke xi. 42

SERM. that they forget to meditate upon plain XI. ones, and to govern their Lives under a lively and vigorous Senfe of the Doctrines contained in them: Which is doing just as the Pharifees did, Tything Mint and Rue, and all manner of Herbs, and paffing over Judgment and the Love of God. Whereas (as our Saviour in that Cafe decides) These ought they to have done, and not to have left the Other undone. A due Reflection therefore upon this Truth, that the Understanding the Obfcure Places of Scripture, is not a thing ftrictly required of us, or needful for us, will be of ufe to moderate our too great Eagernefs in the Pursuit of fuch kind of Knowledge; to render us lefs impatient and uneafy under what we do not understand of it, and lefs pofitive and dogmatical in what we do. And thus the Two greatest Temptations towards perverting Scripture will be removed, an Exceffive Curiofity in Searches of this Kind, and an Over-weening Fondness for our own private Intepretations and Opinions.