our minds, which are apt to turn us aside towards corrupt, unprofitable and sinister ends.

2. Another end of God was, that we might have a safe rule and infallible guide for the due performance of all the duties towards himself and one another, which he requires of us in the whole course of our obedience, 2 Tim. iii. 15-17. God hath in infinite wisdom treasured up in this book, every thing, that either for the matter or manner of its performance, is any way necessary for us to know or do, that we may be wise unto salvation, and throughly furnished for every duty, that he requireth at our hands. And here lies our next end. We come to the Scripture to learn these things, and no where else can we so learn them, as to attain either assurance and peace in our souls, or so perform them as that they should be acceptable unto God. This mind therefore ought to be in us, in all wherein we have to do with the Scriptures. We go to them, or ought so to do, to learn our own duty, to be instructed in the whole course of our obedience, in what God requires of us in particular. With this design we may go on and prosper.

3. God hath given us his word to guide and direct us in our ways under all dispensations of his providence, that we sin not against him, nor hurt or damage ourselves, Psal. cxix. 24. The providences of God towards us as to our course in this world, do oftentimes bring us into great straits and difficulties; so that we know not well how to steer our course, so as neither to sin against God, nor to prejudice or ruin ourselves without just and cogent reasons. God hath given us his word to counsel us in this matter, and by a diligent attendance unto it, we shall not fail of blessed guidance and directions. Here we ought to seek it, and here we may find it if we seek it in a due manner.

4. The Scriptures are given us of God, to administer unto us consolations and hope in all our distresses and tribulations, Rom. xv. 4. Psal. cxix. 92. In them hath God graciously treasured up whatever is useful or needful to this purpose. Whatever be our distresses, fear, disconsolations, as to what hath befallen, or doth, or may befal us in this world, God hath designed a relief under it and against it in his word. That we may be always furnished with this blessed and precious provision, ought to be one end also that we aim at in our considerations of it.

5. God hath done this, that he might give us infallible assurance of eternal life, when we shall be here no more, with some prospect into the glories of it, and foretastes of its sweetness, 2 Tim. i. 10. As we stand in need of this, so the constant fixing of our eye upon it, as our utmost end, will be a safe and blessed guidance unto us in our whole course. These are the ends of God, in giving us his word, and these ought to be continually our ends, in our search into it. And the want hereof,

whilst some have indulged their fancies in the pursuit of unuseful notions and speculations, hath caused them to err from the truth.

Obs. VIII. Fourthly, They that would search the Scriptures to find out the sacred truths that lie hid in them, ought to take care that they entertain no corrupt lusts in their hearts or minds, which will certainly refuse to give admittance unto spiritual truth when it is tendered unto them. Hence is that advice of the apostle, James i. 21. They that will receive the word, so as to have it an ingrafted word, to effect in them the work and end whereunto it is designed, must cast out all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness. Fleshly and corrupt lusts indulged in the hearts and minds of men, will make their most industrious search into the Scripture, of no advantage to themselves. Love of sin will make all study of the Scripture to be mere lost labour, Hearts pure and undefiled, minds serene and heavenly, so far as by the grace of God we can attain them, are required to this work. And it ought to be one great motive unto an endeavour after them, that we may be the more able to discern the mind of God in his word,

Obs. IX. Fifthly, Sedulity and constancy in this duty, are great helps to a profitable discharge of it. When men read the word but seldom, so that the things of it are strange to them or not familiar with them, they will be continually at a loss in what they are about. This is that which the wise man directs us unto, Prov. vii. 1-4. Constant reading and meditation on the word will create a familiarity between our minds and it, when occasional diversions only unto it, will make an estrangedness between them. Hence our apostle commends it in his Timothy, that of a child he had known the Scriptures, 2 Tim. iii. 15.; whereby being made familiar unto him, he was much assisted in the right understanding and use of them. And there is not any thing in our walking before God that is more acceptable unto him. For this expresseth somewhat of that reverence which we ought to have of the greatness and holiness of him with whom we have to do. The Jews' frontispiece to their great Bible is that saying of Jacob upon the vision of God that he had at Bethel," How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." So ought we to look upon the word with a holy awe and reverence of the presence of God in it. Our faith and dependance on him, with our valuation of the knowledge of his mind and will, are hereby expressed; and hereby also do we give glory to him

Obs. X. Sixthly, In our search after truth, our minds are greatly to be influenced and guided by the analogy of faith.—“ He

The three next lines in the original edition, will be found in p. 330. of this edition, beginning at line 23. They had, by some mistake, been printed under this ninth Observation, but they evidently were intended to form a part of Observation sixth.

Edir.

that prophesieth," that is, interpreteth Scripture, must do it xara TAY Avaroylar THE TITTENS, Rom. xii. 6. " according," say we, "to the proportion of faith." There is a harmony, an answerableness, and a proportion in the whole system of faith, or things to be believed. Particular places are so to be interpreted, as that they do not break or disturb their order, or fall in upon their due relation to one another. This our apostle calls TruTWOLV Dyiαivovar Moywy, 2 Tim. i. 13. a fixed, and as it were an engraved form of sound, wholesome, or healing words or doctrines; or a summary of fundamental truths; asa didarxakia, the sound doctrine of the gospel, 2 Tim. iv. 3. And this probably is that which he intends by his μog poris sveicas, chap. iii. 5. a form or delineation of godliness, in the doctrines of it, which many may have, who, as we say, are orthodox and sound in the faith, who 'yet in their hearts and lives deny the power of it. This proportion of faith, this form of sound words, is continually to be remembered, in our inquiry after the mind of God in any particular place of the Scripture. For all the Scripture is from the same spring of divine inspiration, and is in all things perfectly consistent with itself. And the things that are of greatest importance, are delivered in it plainly, clearly and frequently. Unto these the sense of every particular place is to be reduced; none is to be assigned unto it, none to be pretended from it, that fails in upon any of the truths elsewhere clearly and fully confirmed. For men to come to a place of Scripture, it may be dark and obscure in itself, and, through I know not what pretences, draw a sense from it which is inconsistent with other doctrines of faith elsewhere plainly revealed, is openly to corrupt the word of God. And as indeed there is no place which doth not afford a sense fairly reconcileable unto the analogy of faith; so, if it do not appear unto us, we must sit down in the acknowledgment of our own darkness and ignorance, and not admit of any such sense as riseth up in contradiction thereunto. Want of a due attention unto this rule, is that which hath produced the most pestilent heresies in the church. Thus the Papists, taking up those words, "This is my body," without a due consideration of the analogy of faith about the human nature of Christ, the spirituality of the union and communion of believers with him, the nature of sacra→ mental expressions and actions, which are elsewhere evidently declared, by which the interpretation, according to the apostle's rule, is to be regulated and squared, have from them fancied the monstrous figment of their transubstantiation, absolutely destructive of them all. It is the known way of the Quakers amongst ourselves; if they can get any one single text of Scripture, which, in the sound of the words, or on any other account, seems to favour some fancy they have a mind unto, instantly they take it up, not once considering whether it do not dissolve the whole proportion of faith, and overthrow the most fundamental articles of Christianity, Thus, from the outward sound of that one text, John i.

9. "That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world;" they fear not to take up a pretended sense of them, destructive to what is taught about the nature of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, of faith, grace, conversion to God, plainly and evidently in a thousand other places. Our apostle doth not so. But although he deduce great and mysterious truths out of the Scriptures of the Old Testament, yet they are such as answer the whole system of divine revelations, and have a due place and order in the form of sound words.

Obs. XI. Seventhly, A due consideration of the nature of the discourse wherein any words are used, tends much to give light into their sense and importance. And the discourses in the Scripture may be referred materially to four general heads. For they are either historical, or prophetical, or dogmatical, or hortatory. And for the way or form of writing used in them, it is in general either proper and literal; or figurative and allegorical, as is the whole book of Canticles, and many other parts or passages in the Scripture. Now these things are duly to be weighed by them who intend to dig deep into this mine of sacred truth, But particular directions in reference unto them, are too many here to be insisted on.

Obs. XII. Eighthly, The proper grammatical sense of the words themselves is duly to be inquired into and pondered. This prin cipally respects them who are able to pursue this search after truth in the original languages. Others also may have much help by comparing parallel places, even in translations, whence the proper sense or usual acceptation of any words may be learned. And of this nature many other particular rules might be added, which are by others commonly insisted on, and therefore may be here omitted.

This that hath been spoken may serve, as for the reproof of some, so for the direction of others. Whence is it that some receive so little benefit by their studying of the Scriptures, at least in their pretending so to do? Alas! their manifold miscarriages are manifest unto all. Without diligence, without humility, without watching unto prayer, they go in the confidence of their own strength and abilities to search and expound it; which is to attempt the opening of brazen doors without a key, and the digging of mines for hid treasures with men's nails and fingers. It is true that as the Scripture is a writing consisting of propositions and reasonings, there are sundry things which are common to it with all other writings. An apprehension and understanding of many of these, lieth obvious to every superficial reader. But to come to a clear understanding of the secrets of the mind of God, and mysteries of his will, this is not to be attained without the sedulous diligent use of the means before mentioned. And what guidance lies in them and other particular rules to the same

purpose is, though in great weakness, looked after in this exposition.

VER. 8.-IN this verse, the apostle gives a farther confirma tion unto his argument, by a particular application of it unto the especial matter in hand. Herewithal he removeth or preventeth an objection, that might probably be raised against one part of his discourse. And the preventing of those objections to which what we affirm and teach, is at first view liable, is as needful, as the raising of objections, which possibly would never come into the minds of our hearers, or readers, is needless and foolish.

VER. 8.-Ει γαρ αυτός Ιησους κατέπαυσεν, εκ αν περί άλλης ελάλει μο τα ταυτα ήμερας.

E. γαρι 'for if ;' ass, that is, the people of old,' those of whom he hath treated, particularly the new generation that entered Canaan.

Karikavow. The apostle in this chapter useth this word both in a neutral and active signification. Ver. 4. extenancev ¦ Oios, • God rested;' here, caused them to rest,' given them rest. Beza, in requiem collceasset. Arias, requiem præstitisset. The word properly, and usually in other authors, signifies finem impomere, cessare facere, to put an end,' or to make to cease;' as rest puts an end to labour. So the word is used, ver. 10. xatsTAVCEV Año TWY igyw, hath ceased from his works." Ingous, Jesus,' that is Joshua; and by so calling him, the apostle also declares what was the true Hebrew name of Jesus Christ, which the Greeks express by Jesus. His name was originally yw, Hoshea, the same with that of Hosea the prophet, Hos, i. 1. Thence, when he went to espy out the land, his name was changed by Moses into yw, Jehoshuah,' Num. xiii. 16. It is true, in the writing over the history of those times, he is called Jehoshua before, as Exod. xvii. 9. But it is most probable, that Moses now by divine direction changed his name, when he went to view that land, whither he was to conduct the people; and writing the story of things afterwards, he used the name whereby he was then called. Some of those who had most imbibed the Chaldee dialect or tongue during the captivity, changed this name into yw, ‹ Jeshua,' Ezra ii. 2. Nehem. iii. 19.; though the prophets Haggai and Zechariah retain the name of Jehoshua, Hag. i. 1. ii. 2. 4. Zech. iii. 1. Now all these names are from the same root, and of the same signification. From yum in Hiphil, (for in Kal the verb is not found), is yw, Jesha, salus, health, help, salvation. Thence are yw Hoshea, yw Jehoshua, and Jeshua; that is rerne, salvator, sospitator, liberator; though Cicero affirms, that the Greek word cannot be ex