another, whom he thought he could credit, which is far too frequently the case, but still he may receive error in place of truth; and it is the more likely, as by this kind of judging, he puts the doctrines of men in the place of God's word, by which alone doctrines can be tried. What opinion would we have of a man, who should set himself up to determine the most important causes in the civil courts of a nation, while he was ignorant of the statute and standing laws of the nation, to which all judges must have recourse in their decisions? Would any one choose to risk a cause that nearly concerned him in such hands? Much more inconsistent and dangerous is it, for any professed christian to pretend to judge for himself, (which every one should do) without acquaintance with the laws and statutes of Christ's kingdom, which are the only criterion of truth.

Whatever is built upon the foundation, (for all pretend to make the scriptures the foundation) must be tried by the pure truth therein revealed, whether it be gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble, to which the apostle compares the doctrines of men. All must be tried by the fire of truth, before we can know of what sort it is. What will not abide the trial must be rejected, though he whose work it is, may be saved by the same truth, which destroys his work. "The fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work be burnt, (as not fit to abide the trial) he shall suffer

loss, but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." By that truth which destroys his work.

Without judging by this rule, there can be no religion at all: for he that does not believe truth upon his own persuasion that it is such, after trial and examination does not believe, but only says so. Revelation is given to individuals, not to men merely as collective bodies; and he who does not enquire and believe for himself, is an unbeliever of God's word, whatever foundation he otherwise rests his faith upon.

But as the books of scripture, which are perfectly adapted for all the purposes of man's salvation, and easy to be understood, are really the revealed will of God to men, what power or authority can frame the least supplement to them, especially contrary to the scope and tenor of the doctrines therein made known, without incurring the highest guilt, and being answerable for all the souls they mislead?

It is a strange infatuation which thousands are under, who spend their time and parts in the study of other books, while they totally neglect, or but very superficially read the scriptures! It is a dangerous error in practice, to give the preference to the works of men, whether heathen or christian writers, ancient or modern, in point of frequent use and attention, while the scriptures have every

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thing that can recommend them to the daily study of a christian. Any one who has looked over the remains of ancient learning, philosophy, and the religion of nations; and has also but taken a cursory view of the bible, must be filled with a strong prepossession in its favor, if he is not under the strongest infatuation. In the former, nothing is to be met with but folly and impertinence; no tolerable view of the Deity, none of the duty of man from good principle and true motives; none of the chief and peculiar felicity of man, in the enjoyment of the favor of God. But in this book, the praises of God are every where to be met with, as one, spiritual, infinite, eternal, merciful, long-suffering, perfect, &c. The duty of man is placed where it ought, and his felicity described to consist in the enjoyment of God, through that medium which he in infinite grace and condescension, hath provided, and revealed to them. This is the spirit and language of the whole.

If God had not revealed it, how could man have known that his sin could be pardoned? Is there any thing in the light of nature to teach a man certainly, that the infinite, perfect, immutable, justice of God, will pardon, connive, or wink at sin, which is a transgression of the eternal law of order, in setting up another sovereign, without some cause or consideration of infinite moment to interpose? Or, could nature find out that there was truly the interposition of such a cause, as the

atonement found out by infinite mercy, to satisfy immutable justice? The whole that the wit of man can discover concerning the nature, ways, and will of God, must be acquired, not by imagining vainly what is proper or improper for him to be, or to do; but by contemplating what he has done, and the serious consideration of what he has revealed of himself in the scriptures.

If we shall attempt to learn religion, from the various systems into which the contending parties among professed christians have manufactured it, and follow the intricate disputes they have main tained about it, we will in the issue lose our pains. For few are qualified for this search, or competent judges in it: and when the task were at an end, (if possible) we would still have christianity to learn, and might probably conclude, that religion had not been at the bottom among the disputants. But if we sincerely apply to the scriptures, we shall find christianity in its purity and simplicity, from the doctrines and practices of Christ and his apostles, without any danger of being led aside by any bias in the rule itself.

It is no reason why we should neglect the study of the scriptures, because the learned have differed so much about the sense of them; but rather a reason why we should examine and judge for ourselves. Though they differ, it does not follow that truth is not clearly taught in scripture, or

that it is impossible to find it. They have differed. about the sense of ancient authors of every kind, however plain in themselves: and the scriptures have the advantage in point of perspicuity, that no other book has the least right to, namely, that they were indited by the wisdom of God, for the general instruction of all mankind, in things necessary to be known and practised; and if they are not sufficiently plain for that purpose, it is a gross reflection upon the wisdom of God, as well as his goodness, who certainly can make his mind known as intelligible as one man can do to another, in such things as he requires every man to know; but this would be contrary to equity and justice, to require the knowledge of what he had not plainly revealed.

The different comments on scripture, no ways affect the truth and evidence of christianity, as contained in revelation. Though all the different schemes of religion, contained in the whole group of bodies of divinity, and other human compositions contrived by men, should be called in question and proved false, christianity would by no means suffer by it; for this plain reason, because religion, neither in whole, nor in part, is fundamental, as it stands manufactured in these human compositions, but as it is recorded in scripture, which would be the same, though the other were consigned to oblivion. Consequently, whatever differences there are, they no way affect christianity, but the human explications thereof. Differences