gence and irregularity, which little wits ridicule, and great ones admire; and pious hearts very juftly reverence, as the worthier of God, the remoter it is. from the laboured correctnefs of man. But had the Jewish language (while they spoke Hebrew or Chaldee, or when afterwards many of them fpoke Greek) been ftill more obfcure and ambiguous than we must own it to be, and had that defect been lefs compenfated with the advantages of exprefliveness and grandeur than it is, yet this was not the fault, either of the prophets, or of the apoftles. They would of courfe learn and use the flile of their countrymen: they wrote probably as well in it, as any other good men of their time: and God was not bound to teach them to write better. For how far he would extend his aid, was entirely in his own choice: and we owe him inexpreffible gratitude for the things, he hath communicated, how little foever he might interfere in directing the words. But indeed had they been endued with ever fo great excellency of speech, they could have applied to their hearers or readers in no other phrases, than fuch as they comprehended, were accustomed, and would hearken to: and the difficulties arifing from hence in the facred writings were unavoidable. But here a farther complaint is made, that in feveral places they are defignedly guarded against being clearly understood. And we own they are: for the fubject required it. Predictions too plain might hinder their own execution: as, in many common cafes, the previous publication of a thing, which elfe would certainly have been done, will prevent it most effectually. And therefore they ought to be formed in the manner they are fo as not to betray the intention to every one prematurely, nor yet leave room to any one for doubting afterwards, to what event the prophecy related. Had all the particulars of our Saviour's life and death, which are foretold, been too distinctly set forth to be mistaken or overlooked, the Jews would have taken care they should not happen; and have juftified their rejection of him by the failure. Again: had the kingdom of the Meffiah been every where defcribed by the prophets as intirely a fpiritual one, in which all mankind were to have an equal share; that perverfe nation, on hearing that their civil polity and ceremonial worship was all to be abolished, would either, from contempt, have grown negligent of it, and thrown it off too foon; or else, from fondnefs for it, would have have fuppreffed or corrupted the paffages, declaring it should ceafe which Providence defigned them to preserve, for an evidence against themselves, as they have proved to be. And therefore the gofpel days are prefigured by a mixture of temporal images with others, liable to be mifunderftood before the time of explanation came, but foon apprehended then by every fair mind; though still open to the cavils of others, who, to ufc the terms of St. Peter, Stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto alfo they were appointed. Not appointed to be difobedient but appointed, fince they would be disobedient, to take their own courfe and the confequences of it: to fumble and fall at difficulties, of which they would eafily have feen the proper folution, and fo got over them unhurt, had they but modeftly begged, and dutifully followed, the divine illumination. I cannot proceed now to the objections, which have been raifed against the usefulness of the books of the New Teftament and therefore contenting myself at prefent with recommending to your confideration what you have heard, fhall conclude with the comfortable, yet awful words of the prophet: Who is wife, and be fall understand these things? prudent, and be fball know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the juft fhall walk in them, but the tranfgreffors fall fall therein t. I Pet. ii. 8. † Hof xiv. 9. SER SERMON ON THE USEFULNESS OF SCRIPTURE. XL. 2 TIM. iii. 16, 17. All feripture is given by inspiration of God: and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for inftruction in righteoufness that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. HAVING undertaken to fhew you, I. That fcripture is of divine authority; IV. How we niay do this to the best effect : I have finished the first head, and made fome progress in the fecond, the complete usefulness of holy writ. The direct evidence of this I laid before you, fully I hope, though briefly, for it lies in a small compass: by proving, that in the nature of the thing, books inspired to give men the knowledge of religion must be in the highest degree profitable for that end; by fpecifying their own exprefs declarations, that they are fo; by referring you to the experience of innumerable multitudes, that have found them fo. Then I proceeded to answer the feveral objections raifed against the truth of this affertion: fome of them general, that the bible is not fo fhort, so plain, so methodical as one fhould have expected for the benefit of mankind; fome again particular, and levelled against feveral things recorded in its feveral parts. To these I give folutions, as far as the Old Teftament was concerned. Let us now go on to the New. The The history of our Saviour is written there by four evangelifts. And fome tell us their narrations differ in fo many things, that the reading of them is perplexing, and even their authority doubtful. But what are these things? The words, related in one evangelift, as fpoken on fuch or fuch an occafion, vary from those in another. But perhaps the words, that are in each, were spoken fucceffively: or each puts the Hebrew words, which he heard, into his own Greek, by a ftricter or a freer tranflation, but still without altering the fenfe. Again, one fets down facts, which another omits. But this is no proof of contradiction. For they profeffedly omit many facts, which they knew to be real. One of them paffes over things, because another before him had related them. Hence probably St. Matthew and St. Mark omit feveral particulars which are in St. Luke, who wrote first. And St. John, who came last, fupplies a great deal, which the others have not, and writes very little which they have; excepting the hiftory of our Saviour's death and refurrection, which it was fit they fhould all have. Thus no fingle gospel containing every thing, (though it did contain every thing neceffary) each of them was fhorter, and therefore much more commodiously obtained at first, when books were written very flowly, and fold very dear; fo that he who could not procure the four, might however furnish himself with one: and we may now have the joint benefit of them all. But farther, when they feem to be relating the fame fact, the circumftances differ. And they may be different, yet confiftent. Or if they be inconfiftent, they are two facts, and not one, though in fome refpects alike. For our Saviour might, at various times, both perform miracles and deliver difcourfes, nearly akin, and yet really diftin&t. Still after all, even allowing for these things, it is not eafy to make an orderly history of our Saviour's life and inftructions out of the four evangelifts. For they did not think it, nor was it always, requifite, to mark down the order, in which things happened. They might for one good caufe or other, relate such of them together, as were not done together: but then, as they do not 'fay they were, this is no falfehood. And learned men, agree, ing in the main, though not in all particulars, have brought them to a harmony each with the other, only by allowing a very few things to have been tranfpofed in one of them. But were the attempt harder than it is, our edification from our Saviour's Saviour's difcourfes depends very little on the time, or place, or other circumftances, of their delivery. Common perfons need not attend to fuch points at all: and perfons of more abiJity will find both a trial of their impartiality, and a reward of their labour, in ftudying them. Indeed were the ableft men incapable of reconciling all difficulties, it doth not follow, that they are irreconcileable. Or though they were, the confequence would be only, that the divine fuperintendency, under which the authors wrote, extended not to fuch minute circumftances, though it did and muft to doctrines and precepts, and principal facts *. Not very much therefore would be loft by this and one advantage would be gained; that these diverfities would still more evidently fhew, (what indeed the whole air and manner of their writings fhews) that the evangelifts are abfolutely free from all imputation of concerting their ftory together, to deceive mankind: the affurance of which makes good amends in refpect of usefulness, for any perplexities we may find in adjusting their accounts. Another complaint is, that our Saviour's parables, which make up a confiderable part of his doctrine in the three first evangelists, are obfcure, and some of them purposely made fo: and that a great deal of what he faith in the fourth is not clearBut it fhould be confidered, that parables were not only an admired way of teaching then, but a valuable one in their own nature; as they excite attention, please the imagination, and faften upon the memory. And nothing can be more intelligible, or more beautifully perfuafive, than most, if not all, of our Saviour's parables, and other difcourfes, are now, and were in a very fhort time after his own days. Some of both indeed appeared, and were defigned to appear, otherwife, when he fpoke them. But thefe were accommodated with the utmoft prudence, for letting in light upon his hearers by gentle degrees, which, if poured on them all at once, would have been too ftrong for many perfons of good meaning, but whose prejudices required to be gradually worn off; and would have furnished handles to bad people, for decrying him fuccefsfully, and deftroying him, before his miniftry had taken due root. Perhaps it may be thought, that to the later fome of his cenfures Concerning this matter fee Gauffen, de verbo Dei, § 64, &c. See alfo Archbishop Potter's lectures, p. 141, &c. where the opinions of Erafinus, Epifcopius, Grotius, &c. are ftated. |