CONTENTS. Page The Introduction: in which it is shewn, how the lan- On the personal figures, or types, of the Scripture; par- LECTURE I. THE INTRODUCTION: IN WHICH IT IS SHEWN, HOW THE DIFFERS FROM THAT OF OTHER WHEN the Maker of the world becomes an Author, His word must be as perfect as His work: the glory of His wisdom must be declared by the one as evidently as the glory of His power is by the other: and if nature repays the philosopher for his experiments, the Scripture can never disappoint those who are properly exercised in the study of it. The world which God hath made is open to every eye; but to look upon the works B of nature, and to look into the ways of nature, are very different things; the latter of which is the result of much labour and observation. If the economy of nature is not to be learned from a transient inspection of the heavens and the earth; and if the ground will not yield its strength but to those who diligently turn it up and cultivate it; who can imagine that the wisdom of God's word can be discovered at sight by every common reader? Nature must be compared with it- | ed one to guide him. But self; and the Scripture must the case is so particular, be compared with itself, by that something more than those who would understand the guidance of man is either the one or the other. necessary and the royal Every science hath its prophet was sensible of it, own elements; it hath a when he said, "Open Thou sort of alphabet peculiar mine eyes, that I may see to itself; which must be the wondrous things of Thy learned in the first place, law." Even in men of before any judgment can be honest minds, well affected formed, or any pleasure re- to the truth, there was found ceived when that science is a slowness of heart, which treated of: for none but our blessed Saviour found fools are enamoured with it necessary to remove by what they do not under- His own immediate grace, stand and few things can before His discourse could be understood without being be understood : " then openfirst learned. How can I un- ed He their understandings, derstand, said the Ethiopian that they might understand eunuch, "unless some man the Scriptures"." should guide mea?" When he looked into the prophet Isaiah, he had a book before him, in which it frequently happens that the thing spoken of is not the thing intended; and he knew not how to distinguish: "of whom speaketh the prophet this?" said he; "of himself, or of some other manb?" Therefore he want a Acts viii. 31. These, and many other like passages, shew, that there is a certain obscurity in the language of the Bible, which renders it difficult to be understood: that there is something which common eyes cannot discern: and it may be collected from what happens to us in every other kind of learning, that there are elements or principles b Acts viii. 84. |