a complete measure of what is neceffary to be believed or done by us; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, and become wife unto falvation.

What a fatisfaction mult it be to have in our hands a book, containing the exprefs will of God concerning us! What a comfort to be fafely guided through the mazes of ignorance and darkness, and to have the Word of Truth for a lamp to our feet, and a light to our paths! How thankful fhould we be for it! How careful to direct our thoughts and agtions by it! How attentive in perusing those holy Oracles, which offer peace and pardon to the penitent, and bring life and immortality to light.

The Church of Rome debars the common people from reading the Bible: the locks up the Scriptures from them, and takes the key of knowledge out of their hands, infifting, that they have no right to judge for themselves in matters of faith, and ought to fubmit implicitly to her interpretations and decifions. The members of that church endeavour to fupport this opinion by two or three texts in the New Teftament: fo that they would convince you from Scripture, that you have no right to judge of Scripture; which is a manifeft abfurdity. But only confider.-When St. Paul tells you, Prove all things, does it mean, fhut your eyes, and follow the directions of the

church

church blindfold?-When our Saviour tells us, Search the Scriptures, does He mean, never look into them at all? And when He fays, Why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right, does he command us to believe without enquiry, and to receive the doctrines of others, without ufing our own reason and judgment?

The Church of England, on the contrary, invites men to read the Bible, to prove the doctrines, whether they be of God, and to believe, upon a rational conviction of the truth. She appeals to the Scriptures in all questions, which are proper to be tried by them; and chearfully fubmits all her Articles and Ordinances to the test of the written word of God; being well affured, that the more she is tried and understood, the more fhe will be approved; and that every ingenuous inquirer will become a firm and zealous defender.

We should take care, however, to peruse the facred volumes with great humility and caution, without any prepoffeffion and prejudice; not straining and torturing any paffages, in order to bend them to our own favourite opinions, but following Scripture whitherfoever it naturally leads us. Whoever reads the Bible with a view to collect from thence a

faith, and determine truly what is

of

to

be believed, let him not pick out fingle texts, or fome little fcraps and feparate portions; nor

let

let him expound any difficult places in oppofition to thofe which are clear and eafy to be understood: but let him confider the nature and defign of the whole revelation, and attend to the coherence and connection of the particular difcourfe which he is reading, the occafion of its having been written, and the true fcope and design of each paffage. Let him also read at once a whole book, or a whole epistle, or at least to the end of proper periods, fo as to discover the thread of reasoning, and have an entire view of the fubject: and let him make it an inviolable rule to explain doubtful and obfcure parts by those which are expressed in the clearest and most fimple manner: for this must be allowed to be the most natural and reasonable method of interpreting and understanding them.

It is not neceffary for men to enter into perplexing controverfies about speculative points, and things hard to be understood. They may come to the knowledge of their faith, without the deep refinements of criticifm. The way to falvation is plain and obvious. Common fenfe and common honefty are the main requifites for finding it: and if they meet with any difficulties in their progrefs, let them, with a modeft teachable temper, confult their proper Ministers, who have dedicated themfelves to ftudies of this kind, and are appointed, under God, to inftruct and comfort those who are in doubt.

We should read the Scriptures alfo with attention. Instead of running over the words with a negligent indifference, as if we had no concern or intereft in them, we fhould collect our wandering thoughts, and confider who it is that speaks to us there, and what it is that he fays. If there be not a close attention, there can be no improvement; all our reading will make no impreffion, and give no fatiffaction.

Efpecially let us attend to the practical defign of the facred writings; for the end of all inftruction, of all revelation itfelf, is the love and practice of Virtue. This is the life and foul of all true religion : the very effence of that laft and beft difpenfation of the Gospel, which is that Grace of God which bringeth falvation, teaching us to live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent world. And then only thall we have fludied the Scriptures profitably and effectually, when we have learned to practife the wisdom which is from above, and purified our fouls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethren.

To our ow weak endeavours for this important purpofe, we fhould add frequent and -fervent prayers to God for the powerful affiftance of that good Spirit, who indited these holy writings, and make ufe of that admirable collect, which the church recommends to those who defire to grow in the knowledge of them.

"Bleffed

"Bleffed Lord, who haft caufed all Holy "Scriptures to be written for our learning,

grant that we may in fuch wife hear them, "read, mark, learn, and inwardly digeft them ;"that by patience and comfort of thy holy "word, we may embrace and ever hold fast "the bleffed hope of everlasting life, which "Thou haft given us in our Saviour Jefus "Chrift. Amen."

FINIS.