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IX.

fo highly admired among the Greeks for Wisdom; CHAP. careful not to amufe, but convince the Reason, rectify the Will, and raise the Affections by the native Majesty and Simplicity of Truth; a Simplicity of pure greatnefs of matters inexpreffibly noble, and worthy of its Author, therefore you find a chafte contempt of meretricious Ornaments, and a defigned Negligence as to fyftematical or declamatory Method, artificial Eloquence, embroider'd Periods, varnish'd Expreffions, enticing Words of Mens Wisdom, wherewith the Sophifts and Rhetoricians univerfally ftudied to illuminate and embelish their, for the moft Part, vain-glorious Compofures about uncertain, trivial, controverted Things. Though that Obfervation is always true, fimplex & nuda veritas eft luculentior; quia fatis ornata per fe, &c. adeoque ornamentis extrinfecus additis fucata corrumpitur: mendacium vero fpecie placet aliena, Lact. But the beauty and fublime of Holy Scripture arifing from Things, not from Words, from the negotiation, importance, and majefty of the Things it difcovers, paffing by fuch mean addrefs of buman affiftance, in addreffing to Men, thereby engaged and fecured the thing intended, viz. the perufal of the Whole; that the heavenly Doctrine might be infenfibly imbib'd; and every Man's Reafon make the better conftruction, by the Rule of Proportion, comparing spiritual Things with fpiritual, of any, together with every Part of the whole *.

WHILST

And this Divine Method for reading the whole, wrote at fundry Times, and on divers Occafions for making wife unto Salvation, includes the Occafions of all Men; whilft it points out those Parts to be moft ftudied and applied, which addrefs themselves to every one's refpective Wants: That whe

ther

CHAP.

IX.

WHILST it left human eloquence, which naturally arifes from the warmth of affections truly touch'd with fuch affecting Subjects, to kindle at the most beautiful inspired * Simplicity in relating

matters

ther feverally or jointly there is any Error in the Understanding; any Mif-rule in the Affections and Appetites; any Perverfenefs, or Difobedience in the Will, with respect to the Religion of the End, or the Means, the Man may be inftruced, corrected, &c. and thoroughly furnished to all good Works. But the Majesty and Usefulness, the Serioufnefs and Importance of those Directions to Sinners, and Penitents, as we all are, or fhould be, would be impaired and disrespected, if the Holy Page, and Chapter, Gofpels and Epiftles were taken up with thofe little things of Human Art, harmonious Sentences, laboured Exactnefs, quaint Tranfitions, Periods meafur'd, weighed out in Antithefes, and rounded at proper Diftances. But it is the Glory and the Wisdom of those Writings to be clear of falfe Eloquence, the tinkling Style of fwelling Words of Vanity; their Power confifts in the Plainness of Words with eafy Figures, enrich'd with the nobleft and fublimeft of all Subjects in the World, which makes Divine Eloquence; the Truth of Things adorns them with the true Sublime, and the Importance of what is faid fufficiently em. bellishes the Words, and fmooths the Soul: That makes them fo fuccessful in convincing the Wifeft, as well as inftructing the weakest Understanding; infinitely preferable to your falfe affected Eloquence, which takes care to fupply the Want of Senfe and Subject with Decorations of alluring Words accurately placed and methodized for filling the Ear, and delighting the Imagination. But what is there in all the Treasures of the Eloquence of Greece or Rome? The Effect must be like the Caufe-Grief, Anger, Hatred, Love, raised for worldly Things, and moving well in Words, raises and moves the like Paffions for the like Objects, by an artificial and mechanichal Process. But nothing can move and affect the Heart, but the Heart, and what is a difcerner of the Heart, the Word of God; which moves and penetrates like a two edged Sword; and by the Help of an incorruptable Seed, renews as it wère with a new Principle, to a new Life, Life Eternal. This is above the Power, and out of the reach of mere Human Eloquence.

* This is an evident Proof that the Holy Scriptures relating to the World's Saviour, are the true Word and Work of God;

not

matters of Fact; at the noble tappycía, or Intre- CHAP. pidity of Truth; at the adorable Sublimity of the IX. moft Divine Things in their wonderful habitude and refpects to us; at the infpiring Pathetick of the Goodness and Mercy of God, in the Redemption of the World, and the Forbearance of Sinners. And when the fire is kindled, to speak with the tongue, and affect their Neighbours with the fame; who, through thoughtleffness and worldly affairs, are little affected with it; and fometimes become the Pen of a ready writer, for that purpose. And how blessed is the Man that reafoneth of Holy Things by his Understanding? Ecluf.

xiv. 20.

not dictated by the Spirit and Wisdom of Man, but really infpired and plainly derived from the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom from above: Like the reft of the Works of God, plain and fimple to the View, they present their Sublimity and the Characters of their Divinity, to the Understanding of Man, by having all that is best and great, and being free from the Mixture of every Thing that does not belong to, nor become the Nature of the Subject treated of. Is it not very observable, that all the Evangelifts fpeak of the Crucifixion of our Lord in the fimplicity of Facts and Circumftances without the leaft emotion, commiferation, reflection, or exclamation of forrow on his Account? Because weeping for him after the fact was over, did not belong to the Subject, but to weep for themselves and their Sins, the true Occafion of it. Yet what one mere human, uninspired Author fitting down to write the History of his Friend laying down his Life for his fake, could contain from throwing in the pity of fome fuch Expreffions as thefe, for fo good a Perfon, That be deferved a better Fate! &c. But as we find nothing of that, we may conclude of a Surety that the Finger of God was in the Writing, for the general good of Mankind. And that the Prophets writing fo many Years before the Fact, fhould be affected with Sentiments of his Sufferings like Eye-Witnesses, and abound with the moft tender and pathetick Expreffions is more than natural, is plainly the Effect of fupernatural Inspiration.

The Concurrence of the Evangelifts, is a Teftimony of their Veracity; and the Simplicity of Variation, a Proof of their no Combination.

So

CHAP.
IX.

So far is the Gospel from leffening or relaxing the moral Law of Nature, which was fallen into defuetude, and had loft its direction, through the corrupt doctrines, and vicious practices of Jews and Gentiles; that its profefs'd defign is to fulfil and establish, confirm and ftrengthen it; by clearing it of Error, improving the Senfe, and extending the Obligations to the thoughts and inward parts, the principal Agent in morality. Our Lord filled up (as in the Original) and reftor'd the true Meaning which was ftolen away by the Scribes, and fecreted by the Pharisees. Whatever the Light of Nature difcovers to be true, bonest, just, pure, lovely, of good Report, there be any Virtue, if there be any Praise, it obliges, Phil. iv. 8. to cultivate, and think of thofe Things.

AND as it would have all Degrees of Men to be faved, and come to the Knowledge of the Truth, it comprehends all Sorts under its Obedience, from the higheft to the lowest. It was a great Defect in the Philofophers, proceeding from a fupercilious Contempt, accounting them Prophane, that they never adapted their moral Reafonings, or Inftructions to the Commonalty, but to the Learned only; fo that they, who most needed Instruction, went without it. But in the Gofpel, according to Mr. Lock's Judgment, "All "the Duties of Morality lie clear and plain, and

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eafy to be understood. And here I appeal, "whether this be not the fureft, the fafeft, and "most effectual Way of teaching; especially if "we add this farther Confideration; that as it "fuits the loweft Capacities of reasonable Creatures, fo it reaches and fatisfies, nay, en

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lightens

"lightens the higheft, and the most elevated CHA P. "Understandings cannot but fubmit to the Au- IX. thority of this Doctrine as Divine *.

FOR the Gospel, moreover, refers the Obedience of every one, to the Authority of God commanding it; placing it to his Account as the Inspector and Rewarder. And this gives the controuling Advantage to Chriftianity beyond all the teaching of Philofophy, according to that of Lanctant. De falfa fapient. cap. 26. Nemo igitur credit; quia tam fe hominem putat effe, qui audit; quam eft ille, qui præcipit: and it may be added, non vox hominis fonat. "Did the Saying of

66

Ariftippus, or Confutius, give it an Authority? "Was Zeno a Law-giver to Mankind? If not, "what he or any other Philofopher deliver'd, 66 was but a Saying of his, Mankind might "hearken to it, or reject it, as they pleased.' Lock's Reasonablen. of Christian. p. 269.

"The

"Rules of Morality were in different Coun"tries and Sects different. And natural Reason "no where had, nor was like to cure the Defects "and Errors in them," pag. 175. Always remembring, that for every wilful Disobedience, without Repentance, he will call us to a fevere Account in the Life after this.

AND that every one might have the Test of the Sincerity and good Confcience of his own Obedience, and confequently of his Hopes and Fears hereafter, in the keeping of his own Breaft, he is acquainted, that whoever keepeth the whole Law, yet offendeth in one Point, is guilty of all; James ii. 10. That if he has retrenched his In

Reasonableness of Chriftian. page 281.

clination

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