help us to understand it with ease. The book of Job, the P/alms, the Proverbs, and Ecclefiaftes have been fome time extant, with fuch a paraphrase of the reverend Dr. Patrick's bishop of Ely, as all men justly admire for its clearness and conciseness. The best paraphrase we have upon the New Teftament written in our own tongue, is that of the learned Dr. Hammond. These are the only books I can advise unlearned readers to, and these will be great helps to them.

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Thirdly, Confider that the end of reading the fcripture is, That you may know what you must do to be faved. And therefore trouble not your head with little impertinent difputes about paffages of fcripture that relate not at all to this important question. All things necessary to be believed or done by you, in order to your salvation, are fet down in plain and legible characters: mind thefe, and read them over and over. But, if thou meetest with difficulties in other places of fcripture, which do not fo nearly concern thee, be not disquieted at them. He, who finds enough in the scriptures to carry him to heaven, has anfwered the end of his readVOL. III.

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ing them, and need not rack his brain to folve those difficulties, which will do him no fervice when unfolded.

Fourthly, Have a care of perverting the fenfe of the words, to make them ferve any opinion or practice thou haft a kindness for. St. Peter complain'd in his time, That there were unlearned men who wrefted the fcriptures to their own de ftruction, i. e. who abused and perverted the fense of them, and thereby deceived themselves, and became liable to deftructions; as we also fhall, if we endeavour to corrupt the fcriptures. Always remember, that we are first to enquire into the fense of the fcripture, and then to make our opinions and practices conformable to it; and that we are not to refolve first what we will think or do, and then force the fcripture, right or wrong, to countenance our opinitions and practices.

Fifthly, Never allow that to be the fenfe of any difputable paffage in Scripture, which contradicts any other plain paffage of it. For God cannot contradict himself; and therefore, when thou feeft any interpretation put upon his words, which is directly contrary to fome

plain words of his in another place, be fure to reject it. For, whatever the meaning of the words may be, it is certain this it cannot be.

Sixthly, Above all things, let us beware of being conceited of our own understandings. Nothing will hinder us fo much from learning the true sense and meaning of fcripture, as pride and felf-conceit. For God refifteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. And therefore, let us take heed of being posi tive and dogmatical, and wedded to our own opinions. Let us defire to be inftructed by others, and let us humbly beg of God, that he would lead us into all truth; for this is the most likely way to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Lastly, Let us take care to be frequent in this duty. The best way to understand the feriptures, is to read them frequently; for when we are well acquainted with them, one place will help us to interpret another. It is impoffible, in this cafe, to prefcribe a certain rule for all men; their circumstances being vaftly different and unlike. But I would have no man, who is mafter of his own time, ever pafs a day without

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without reading fome part of them; nay, I would have every fuch man read them constantly when he retires to his morning and evening devotions.

If we perform this duty, according to the abovementioned rules, the benefits that will redound to us from it will be unfpeakable. For,

Firft, We fhall hereby keep our felves in a constant knowledge and remembrance of our duty. We are very apt, through a forgetfulness of God's commands, to commit very many and great mistakes: and therefore we are often called upon to take heed left we forget the covenant of the Lord our God. If then we have a mind to refolve, with holy David, That we will never forget the precepts of God; we muft very often look into them, and by fo doing, we fhall always keep up the remembrance of them fresh and lively in our minds.

Secondly, We fhall in the fcriptures find many powerful motives and encouragements to keep ourselves ftedfast in the practice of our duty. While with an eye of faith we look upon the great rewards, that are every where promited in fcripture

to

to God's obedient children, we shall never need any other arguments to provoke us to well-doing For if the hopes of everlasting life and glory will not infuse ftrength and vigour into us, and make us go on confidently and chearfully in the practice of our duty; I am fure, no meaner confideration will have any effect upon us. Again, if the dreadful threatnings denounced there, almoft in every page against fin and disobedience, will not be able to deter us from them, no fear of leffer punishments certainly will work upon us. Here alone have we fuch charming invitations to obedience, and fuch ftrong arguments against fin; as no other book in the world can furnish us with.

Thirdly, Thefe holy Books will be great helps to us in our devotions; not only as they fet before us the examples of devout men, but also as they are a rich magazine of fuch expreffions as we fhall have frequent occafions to use in our confeffions, prayers and thanksgivings to God. No man can pretend that they can praise God, and pray to him, in fuch an agreeable manner, as thofe holy men did, who were infpired by the Spirit of God himfelf;

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