effect by their traditions. They did in effect affume to themselves infallibility; and all that oppofed and contradicted them, they branded with the odious name of bereticks. Against these our Saviour denounceth this wo here in the text, Wo unto you, fcribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; for ye hut up the kingdm of heaven against

men, &c.

All the difficulty in the words is, what is here meant by fbutting up the kingdom of heaven against men. St. Luke expreffeth it more plainly, Ye have taken away the key of knowle ige; ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in, ye hindered. By putting thefe two expreffions together, we shall the more cafily come at the meaning of the text, Ye have taken away the key of knowledge, and have fhut up the kingdom of heaven against men. This metaphor of the key of knowle lge, is undoubtedly an allufion to that known custom among the Jews in the admiffion of their doctors: for to whomfoever they gave authority to interpret the law and the prophets, they were folemnly admitted into that office, by delivering to them a key and a table-book. So that by the key of knowledge, is here meant the interpretation and underftanding of the fcriptures; and by taking away the key of knowledge, not only that they arrogated to themselves alone the understanding of the fcriptures, but likewife that they had conveyed away this key of knowledge, and, as it were, hid it out of the way, neither ufing it themfelves as they ought, nor fuffering others to make use of it.

And thus they but the kingdom of heaven against men ; which is very fitly faid of those who have locked the door against them that were going in, and have taken away the key. By all which it appears, that the plain meaning of our Saviour in thefe metaphorical expreffions is, that the fcribes, and teachers of the law, under a pretence of interpreting the fcriptures, had perverted them, and kept the true knowledge of them from the people; efpecially those prophecies of the Old Teftament which concerned the Meffias. And by this means the kingdom of heaven was shut against men: and they not only rejected the truth themselves, but, by keeping men in ignorance of the true meaning of the fcriptures, they VOL. II. hindered

hindered many from embracing our Saviour's doctrine, and entering into the kingdom of heaven, who were otherwife well enough difpofed for it.

Having thus explained the words, I fhall, from the main scope and design of them, observe to you these two things.

1. The neceffity of the knowledge of the holy fcriptures, in order to our eternal falvation. It is called by our Saviour the key of knowledge, that which lets men into the kingdom of heaven.

2. The great and inexcufable fault of those who de prive the people of the knowledge of the holy fcriptures. They but the kingdom of heaven against men, and do what in them lies to hinder their eternal falvation; and therefore our Saviour denounceth fo heavy a wo against them.

I shall speak briefly to these two obfervations; and then apply them to those who are principally concerned in them.

First, I obferve hence the neceffity of the knowledge of the holy fcriptures, in order to our eternal falvation. This is by our Saviour called the key of knowledge, that which lets men into the kingdom of heaven.

Knowledge is neceffary to religion: it is necessary to the being of it; and neceffary to the life and practice of it. Without faith (fays the Apoftle) it is impoffible to pleafe God; becaufe faith is an act of the understanding, and does neceffarily fuppofe fome knowledge and apprehenfion of what we believe. To all acts of religion there is neceffarily required fome act of the understanding; fo that, without knowledge, there can be no devotion in the fervice of God, no obedience to his laws. Religion begins in the understanding, and from thence defcends upon the heart and life: If ye know these things, (fays our Saviour), happy are ye if ye do them. We must first know God, before we can worship him; and understand what is his will, before we can do it.

This is fo very evident, that one would think there nerded no difcourfe about it. And yet there are some in the world that cry up ignorance as the mother of devotion. And to fhew that we do not wrong them in this matter, Mr. Rufhworth, in his Dialogues, (a book in

great

great vogue among the Papists here in England), does exprefsly reckon up ignorance among the parents of religion. And can any thing be faid more abfurdly, and more to the difparagement of religion, than to derive the pedigree of the most excellent thing in the world, from fo obfcure and ignoble an original; and to make that which the fcripture calls the beginning of wisdom, and the excellency of knowledge, to be the offspring of ignorance, and a child of darkness? Ignorance indeed may be the caufe of wonder and admiration, and the mother of folly and fuperftition: but furely religion is of a nobler extraction, and is the iffue and refult of the beft wisdom and knowledge; and descends from above, from the giver of every good and perfect gift, even the Father of lights.

And as knowledge in general is neceffary to religion, fo more particularly the knowledge of the holy fcriptures is neceffary to our eternal falvation: because these are the great and standing revelation of God to mankind; wherein the nature of God, and his will concerning our duty, and the terms and conditions of our eternal happiness in another world, are fully and plainly declared to us.

The fcriptures are the word of God; and from whence can we learn the will of God fo well as from his own mouth? They are the great instrument of our falvation; and should not every man be acquainted with that which alone can perfectly inftruct him what he must believe, and what he must do, that he may be saved? This is the testimony which the fcripture gives of itself, that it is able to make men wife unto falvation and is it not very fit that every man fhould have this wisdom, and, in order thereunto, the free ufe of that book from whence this wisdom is to be learned?

Secondly, I obferve the great and inexcufable fault of those who keep men in ignorance of religion, and take away from them fo excellent and neceffary a means of divine knowledge as the holy fcriptures are. This our Saviour calls taking away the key of knowledge, and shutting the kingdom of heaven against men; that is, doing what in them lies to render it impoffible for men to be faved. For this he denounceth a terrible wo against the teachers of the Jewish church; though they did not pro

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ceed fo far as to deprive men of the use of the holy fcriptures, but only of the right knowledge and understanding of them. This alone is a horrible impiety, to lead men into a falfe fenfe and interpretation of fcripture; but much greater to forbid them the reading of it. This is to ftop knowledge at the very fountain-head; and not only to lead men into error, but to take away from them all poffibility of rectifying their mistakes. And can there be a greater facrilege, than to rob men of the word of God, the best means in the world of acquainting them with the will of God and their duty, and the way to eternal happiness? To keep the people in ignorance of that which is neceffary to fave them, is to judge them unworthy of eternal life, and to declare it does not belong to them, and malicioufly to contrive the eternal ruin and deftruction of their fouls.

To lock up the fcriptures and the fervice of God from the people in an unknown tongue, what is this, but in effect to forbid men to know God and to ferve bim; to render them incapable of knowing what is the good and acceptable will of God; of joining in his worhip, or performing any part of it, or receiving any benefit or edification from it? And what is, if this be not, to fhut the kingdom of heaven against men? This is fo outrageous a cruelty to the fouls of men, that it is not to be excufed upon any pretence whatsoever: this is to take the fureft and most effectual way in the world to deftroy thofe for whom Chrift died; and directly to thwart the great defign of God our Saviour, who would have all men to be faved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Men may mifcarry with their knowledge; but they are fure to perish for want of it.

The beft things in the world have their inconveniencies attending them, and are liable to be abused; but furely men are not to be ruined and damned for fear of abufing their knowledge, or for the prevention of any other inconvenience whatfoever. Befides, this is to cross the very end of the fcriptures, and the defign of God in infpiring men to write them. Can any man think that God fhould fend this great light of his word into the world, for the priests to hide it under a bushel; and not rather that it should be fet up to the greatest advantage

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for the enlightening of the world? St Paul tells us, Rom. xv. 4. that whatsoever things were written, were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the fcriptures, might have hope; and 2 Tim. iii. 16. that all fcripture is given by infpiration of God; and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for inftruction in righteousness. And if the fcriptures were written for these ends, can any man have the face to pretend that they do not concern the people as well as their teachers? Nay, St. Paul exprefsly tells the church of Rome, that they were written for their learning, however it happens that they are not now permitted to make use of them. Are the fcriptures fo ufeful and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for inftruction in righteousness? and why may they not be used by the people for thofe ends for which they were given? It is true indeed, they are fit for the most knowing and learned, and fufficient to make the man of God perfect, and thoroughly furnished to every good work, as the Apo-ftle there tells us. But does this exclude their being. profitable alfo to the people, who may reasonably be prefumed to ftand much more in need of all means and helps of inftruction than their teachers? And though there be many difficulties and obfcurities in the fcriptures, enough to exercise the skill and wit of the learned; yet are they not therefore either useless or dangerous to the people. The ancient fathers of the church were of another mind. St. Chryfoftom tells us, that "whatever things are neceffary, are manifeft in the "fcriptures:" and St. Austin, "that all things are "plain in the fcripture, which concern faith and a good ❝ life; and that thofe things which are neceffary to the "falvation of men, are not fo hard to be come at; but "that as to thofe things which the fcripture plainly

contains, it fpeaks without difguife, like a familiar "friend, to the heart of the learned and unlearned.” And upon these and fuch like confiderations, the fathers did every where, in their orations and homilies, charge and exhort the people to be converfant in the holy fcriptures, to read them daily, and diligently, and attentively. And I challenge our adverfaries to fhew me where any of the ancient fathers do difcourage the peo

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