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of Chrift, and shall experimentally find by his improvement in Spiritual Knowledge and Underftanding, That God giveth Grace to the Humble. The fame God, that refifteth the Proud, that fo confounds the Wisdom of the World, that they who are puff'd up with that conceit, profeffing themselves to be Wife, become Fools. It was Pride was the Reafon why the Scribes and Pharifees, tho' otherwife of the best Skill in Scripture, were blinded in the most neceffary and material Point of Salvation, tho' moft plainly fet down in Scripture. For what in the whole Law and the Prophets is fo plainly set down as many of the Teftimonies concerning the the Meffias, all vifibly Centring in Chrift? Yet They were Scatter'd in the proud Imaginations of their Hearts and in their ftead were fet up the Humble and Meek. Illiterate and Simple, but lowly and Meek Spirited Men were rais'd up to be Infallible Teachers of the Gentiles. And is it not Pride that makes the Divinity of the fame Chrift, which those Pharifees oppos'd, be at this Day alfo deny'd by thofe great pretenders, who having fet up their Own Natural Reafon for the only Rule of their belief, will allow nothing fit to be believ'd, or worthy to be known, which their piercing faculty's cannot Comprehend? Is not Socinus a deplorable Inftance of what averfenefs to Truth

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this Pride of Understanding may, by its Natural Efficiency, and God's juft Judgment, bring a Man to? when in exprefs words he tells us,fpeaking of the Satisfaction of Chrift, As for me, if it were not only Once, but Often times to be met with in Holy Scripture, yet would I not therefore believe it. And is not Smalcius, his Difciple, juft fuch another (ans xogangs waxey do) who tells us in as plain Words; That He would not believe the Incarnation, tho be fhould meet with it in expreß terms in the Bible? God keep all of Us from fuch Blafphemies! which I fhould not fo much as have nam'd were it not more feasonable than I could wifh, when these and the like fpread every Day among us, and diffufe themfelves without Check or Controll. Let us therefore take the greater heed, and lay ing afide all Pride and Conceit of our own Wifdom, if We defire to Understand the Word of God, Refign up our Selves Entirely to the dictates and guidance of it. Entirely, fay, in Our Understanding as well as our Will; acknowledging ever God's equal and undoubted Right over both those Facultys: and that therefore, as we are ty'd to obey the Commandments of God, tho with Repugnacy to our Will; fo we must own ourselves under an Equal Obligation to believe the Word of God, tho' with Reluctancy to our Understanding. Let us not

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in Reading Scripture argue Thus loosely and wildly, This feems contradictory to Reason, and therefore cannot be the Word of God; but rather moft Conclufively Thus, This is the Word of God and therefore cannot be against Reason. Let us, as St Paul advifes, caft down all Imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the Knowledge of God, and bring into Captivity every thought to the Obedience of Chrifto

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aly. A Second Qualification is a Sincere and Hearty Love of Truth, which whoever brings with him to the Study of Scri pture, that great Store-houfe of it, cannot choose but find what he feeks. I love them that love me, fays Wisdom, and he that feeks me early ball find me. He that has This Love in a Measure any way proportionable to that of David, who expreffes fo often his Longing Defire to it, his Delight in it, his Preferring it to the most precious things, to thousands of Gold and Silver, and to the moft fweet, to Ho

ney and to the Honey-comb, will use all Diligence, will think no Pains too great, nor leave any Means untry'd, to acquire it. He will omit no outward Helps and Affiftances, he will labour to inform himself rightly of the Sense of the Primitive Church, exprefs'd in ancient Creeds, Confeffions, Councils, Writings of the Fathers; he will make ufe

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of those Lights, which in these later times God has rais'd up in his Church; he will apply all his Stock of Reading, all his Skill in Arts and Sciences and Languages, all his Knowledge in Profane Authors, to the Study of this One Book, which he judges, of all that were ever writ, to be only worth the understanding. But if he have not these Advantages of Learning, he will be never the lefs diligent in ftudying the Holy Books themselves, carefully comparing Scripture with Scripture, which is ever its own beft Expofitor, and bringing Light to the darker Places from those that are more clear. But further; This Love of Truth do's imply alfo a Love of nothing but Truth; and he who comes thus prepar'd, has no Prejudices to bribe his Judgment, no preconceiv'd Opinions to gratify at the Expence of Truth, no Perfwafion that he is not willing to lay down upon the Conviction of the contrary. He studys not Scripture for Contention or Oftentation, to maintain a Cause, or hold an Argument, with a Defign to wreft it to One fide, or to bring it over to a Party which he has efpous'd. But having One only Aim, which is to fearch after Truth diligently, and embrace it as heartily, when found, this is infallibly the Highway to it. We may be fure, that the God of Truth will not fuffer fuch honeft Endeavours to be in vain; but

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will lead a devout Soul thus enclin'd, if not into all Truth, yet into as much of it as fhall be fufficient for his Everlafting Happinefs; and preferve him, if not from all Error, yet from all that fhall be hurtful or dangerous to his Salvation.

3dly. A Third Qualification for the Reading of Scripture, fo as to improve in the true and faving Knowledge of it, is an Uniform and Universal Obedience to all the Precepts contain'd in it.

Practice is certainly the best way to the Knowledge of any Doctrine; being actually exercis'd and daily converfant in the Duties of the Gospel will give a Man a furer and more fatisfactory Notion and Feeling of the Excellence and Wisdom of it, than the moft elaborate Expofitions and Commentaries of the moft able Divines. He that hath this Principle of Obedience within, opens willingly and readily his Soul to all that he reads; for it fpeaks to his Heart, and every thing in the Gospel fits the Temper of his Mind. But befides this natural Tendency, there are thro' the whole Scripture many clear and Pofitive Promifes of Heavenly Knowledge, and further Degrees alfo of the fame Knowledge, and an Encrease of it to a due and fincere Practife of what we already know. The Secrets of the Lord

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