The consequences of our present conduct, according to the scriptures, are so vast, that if there were only a bare possibility of their truth, it would be madness to run the risk of rejecting them, for the sake of gaining the whole world. What then is it, when we have such unanswerable demonstrations that they are the word of God, and cannot reasonably doubt of it for a moment, to disobey the commands, and neglect the salvation revealed in it, for the veriest trifle that can be proposed to us? Especially as it may be shown, that (besides the eternal consequences) the firm belief of, and conscientious obedience to the scriptures, will render a man happier in this present life, even amidst trials and self-denying services, than any other man can be made by all the pomp, pleasure, wealth, power, and honour, which the world can bestow on him!

ESSAY II.

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF REVEALED TRUTH; THE DUTY OF READING THE SCRIPTURES, AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT SHOULD BE PERFORMED.

As the Bible may be unanswerably proved to be the word of God, we should reason from it, as from self-evident principles or demonstrated axioms; for " his testimony is sure, and giveth wisdom to the simple.

Many parts of scripture accord so well with the conclusions of our rational powers, when duly exercised, that either they might have been known without revelation, or else men have mistaken the capacity of perceiving truth, for that of discovering it. Hence various controversies have arisen about “natural religion," which many suppose to be

rather taken for granted, than made known by revelation. But the term is ambiguous; for the word natural includes the propensities of our hearts, as well as the powers of our understandings; and the same truths which accord to the latter, are often totally opposite to the former: the Gentiles might have known many things concerning God and his will, if they had "liked to retain him in their knowledge." So that "the religion of reason" would express the idea much more intelligi. bly, if any such distinction be deemed necessary.

This, however, is obvious, that many truths and precepts which are found in the Bible, have been maintained by persons who were ignorant of, or rejected that divine revelation, or who chose not to own their obligations to it: and many others, professing to receive the scriptures as the word of God, assent to some truths contained in them, not so much because they are revealed, as because they think that they may be proved by other arguments: whereas they reject, neglect, or explain away those doctrines, which are not thus evident to their own reason, or level with their capacities. So that at last it comes to this, that they discard all that is deemed peculiar to revelation, and refuse to believe the testimony of God, if reason will not vouch for the truth of what he says.

It may indeed be questioned, whether those opinions which men so confidently magnify as the oracles of reason, were not originally, without exception, borrowed from revelation, as far as there is any truth in them; and it is evident, that they cannot possess sufficient certainty, clearness, and authority, to render them efficacious principles of action, except as the are enforced by revelation, and its awful sanctions. And the wildest enthusiast never dreamt of a grosser absurdity than they maintain, who suppose that the only wise God hath given a revelation to man, confirmed by mir

acles and prophecies, and established in the world by the labours and sufferings of his servants, and the crucifixion of his well-beloved Son; and that this revelation at last is found to contain nothing but what we might have known as well without it! Nay, that it is expressed in such language, as hath given occasion to those, who have most implicitly believed, and reverentially obeyed it, to maintain sentiments and adopt practices, erroneous and evil in themselves, and of fatal consequence to mankind.

We might therefore, a priori, have expected, that a revelation from God should illustrate, confirm, and enforce such things as seem more level to our natural powers; and that it should make known to us many important matters, which we could not have otherwise discovered, and which would be found exceedingly different from our previous notions and imaginations; seeing that our contracted views and limited capacities are infinitely distant from the omniscience of God. So that it is most reasonable to conclude, that the doctrinal truths which more immediately relate to the Divine nature, perfections, providence, and government, the invisible and eternal world, and the mysteries of redemption, &c., constitute by far the most important part of revelation; as discovering to us such things" as no eye hath seen, nor ear heard, neither have they ever entered into the heart of man to conceive;" and yet they are essentially connected with our present hope, worship, and duty, and with our future happiness or misery.

He therefore cannot, according to the common use of language, be called a believer, who only holds those doctrines which he deems the dictates of reason as well as of revelation, whilst he rejects the testimony of God whenever he deems it unrea sonable and we may hence learn, what judgment to form of those who affirm without hesitation,

that the moral precepts and sanctions, with the more evident truths of the Bible, are the only important part of it; that it is of little consequence what men believe, especially concerning those things which are in any degree mysterious; and that none but narrow bigots, and weak and ignorant people, lay any stress upon speculative opinions. "He that believeth not, maketh God a liar," especially he that believeth not the testimony which God hath given of his Son, and of eternal life bestowed on sinners through him (John iii. 12-21; 31-36; 1 John v. 9-12). This is the uniform doctrine of scripture; and to contradict it, is equivalent to a total rejection of divine revelation. Can it be supposed, that the prophets and apostles were commissioned; that the Son of God was manifested in the flesh, died on the cross, and rose from the dead, merely to inform mankind that the Lord approved honesty, temperance, truth, and kindness, and disapproved the contrary vices? Or that the unnumbered testimonies which the scriptures contain, to the mysteries of the Divine Nature, the person of the Redeemer, and the work of redemption, &c., may, without any criminality, be disbelieved, derided, or reviled, provided men are moral in their conduct towards one another? Or that God is equally pleased with those that thus affront his veracity, as with them who implicitly submit to his teaching, and credit his testimony? If this be the case, in what does the difference between the infidel and the believer consist? All, except avowed Athiests, will allow the propriety of many precepts, and the truth of some doctrines, coinciding with those contained in scripture; but the infidel admits them as the dictates of reason, not as the testimony of God; and the pretended believer rejects all, without hesitation, that appears not to accord with the same tandard. So that both of them believe their own

reasonings, "lean to their own understandings," and "make God a liar," when his testimony contradicts their self-confident decisions! It appears, therefore, that the prevailing notion of the little importance of doctrinal truth is subversive of revelation; and, in fact, is only a more plausible and more dangerous species of infidelity.

If we believe the scriptures to have been written by inspiration from God, and have any suitable apprehensions of his omniscience, veracity, and other perfections; we must be convinced, that it is the height of arrogance for us, short-sighted erring creatures of yesterday, to speak of any doctrine contained in them as false, or doubtful, because it is not coincident with our reasonings or conceptions. Surely, a small portion of modesty and humility might suffice to induce our confession, that we are more likely to be mistaken than the only wise God! And yet we must, in rejecting his authenticated testimony, either advance our knowledge above his omniscience, or impeach his veracity, or deny the scriptures, altogether or in part, to be his word; reserving to ourselves the infallible determination, what part is of divine authority, and what is not! And, if we deem any part of the scriptures, though true, to be of little or no importance, or of bad tendency; what do we but affront the infinite wisdom or goodness of God, as if he did not know what truths were proper to be revealed to man; or as if he purposely discovered those matters which it would have been better for mankind never to have known? And seeing it is evident that the Lord hath, in the scriptures, required the belief of certain doctrines as absolutely necessary to salvation; to insinuate that these doctrines are either false, doubtful, or of no value, must involve in it the grossest and most affronting blasphemy imaginable.

We do not indeed maintain, that all the truths