themselves warrantable, what fitnefs and advantage prefent circumftances may offer, or deny for edification, and promoting that great interest of the gofpel in our converse with

men.

I fhall now cease to trouble you further, only would premit some few things with a respect to the subject of this following effay. 1. Should we not with wonder and aftonishment look on this great record of Scripture? by which the glorious majefty of God doth fpeak to men; yca, doth as certainly communicate his counsel and mind, we may fay more certainly, than if we had an immediate audible voice from heaven. O could we have fuch ordinary thoughts of this, if we confider how near God cometh therein to us? I think if there were but one corner of the earth, though in the remoteft parts, where men might go and get a look of so wonderful and important a thing, as God's exprefs will, written and fent from heaven to the earth, anent our duty. here, and bleffedness for ever, fhould we not think it worth our croffing the fea, and of the greateft expence of time or labour? It is truely a wonder how we can read and confider the Scripture without wondering. 2. It is a great concernment to know that the Scripture hath such a witness as experience, and that there is fuch a trade and correspondence as this, betwixt the faints and the word, which lieth not in the common road of the world. O what an empty thing should religion be, if it had not this word experience in its grammar, that secret and fure mark, whereby the Chriftian knoweth the Scripture is of God, how thus the Lord hath oft fealed their inftruction in a dark plunge; how life and power, enlivening influences, to the melting of their heart, have oft tryfted them there in a very dead frame; and now they know that verily God heareth prayer; now they are perfuaded, and have learned by the crofs, that he is indeed a comforter; yea, many can fhew how by the word, their first acquaintance with the Lord did begin, how fome particular truth, like a pickle of corn thrown in at their heart, by the bleffing of the great husbandman, was made to take life and

grow. 3. It much concerneth us to know what an excellent key the Scripture is, to unlock that sealed book of providence, and that no other key can fit the same, many have tried another way, but loft themselves on the fearch, and the more they preft by human wisdom, they became the more dark. I truely think there is not a more fatisfying difcovery within time, than this, to trace divine truth back, until we fee its firft breaking forth out of his eternal decree and council, who is the author thereof, how thence it taketh hold of the word, which is the adequate fign and declaration of his purpose, and then, how the word taketh hold of his work and providence, where we may fee the face and condition of the church, clearly written out through all the changes of time, how providence keepeth a certain and steady course, even amidst the most perplexed motions and reelings of the earth; yea, how all things, even thefe which would seem most contradictory, run within that ftraight channel of the word, and cannot go without these bounds. 4. It is the principal and moft concerning Scripture-promifes, that are only touched in this following difcourfe, these which carry along with them a clear continued series of the church's condition through time, and fhew the moft remarkable changes of her lot, for it is clear, that in divers prophecies, and in a different manner the Spirit doth point at one and the fame thing: and truely it fhould caufe no mistake or prejudice, that we find several of the Scripture-prophecies expreft in fuch dark terms, fince the wifdom of God faw it fit that for a time these truths should be locked up and fealed; but now light hath so far broken up with the event, as we may fee how very fignificant and fuitable to the matter these most dark enigmatick terms are. 5. We would upon no account shut our ears where the Scripture is clear, and giveth us ground to wait, that the out-goings of the Lord for his people in their deliverance, and for the destruction of his enemies now in thefe laft times, fhall be very glorious; yea, by fome ftately and ftupendous acts of providence, that he fhall accomplish his judgments on Anti

chrift: neither muft we take a prejudice at truth, because of the wild fancies of many who would extend it beyond its bounds, or that near resemblance, which the error of fome in this time may seem to have thereto; for that hath been an old stratagem of the devil, to prejudice the world at some of the truths of God, by fetting up a counterfeit thereto.

I fhall add no more, only what account is given upon the close of the last argument, of fome remarkable paffages of providence in the late times; as herein the author hath fome. confidence to profefs, he did endeavour what could be attained for certainty of the fame; and if any circumstance of these relations should be found a mistake, he dare fay, before him who is greater than our confcience, it was not the neglect of serious enquiry, so he must also premit, the inferting of them, was upon no further intent, than to be a witnefs to that truth of the Lord's eminent appearance for his church in the last days. It would be of great use and profit to the church, that fome more fitly qualified, would study a more large collection of this kind. O that this might go forth with a bleffing from him, who by the meanest thing, can ferve himself, and promote the edification of his church, and that the Lord would raise fome up with much of his fpirit, to make a further fearch and enquiry in this great and weighty truth.

THE

FULFILLING

OF THE

SCRIPTURE.

TH

yea

HERE are two means by which the bleffed Majefty of God hath chofen, to reveal himself to the fons of men, his word and his works, which may be called these two great luminaries, for giving light to the church, though the one be greater, I mean doth more clearly shine forth, doth communicate light to the other; these men must not divide, which by so strait a tie the Lord hath joined, and by a marvellous correfpondence hath fet the one over against the other, that it may be easy to see his faithfulness, and the accomplishment of the Scripture therein, and indeed this is a great concerning truth, that calleth for a ferious" ftudy, the folid perfuafion of which fhould afford a sweet ground of repofe, and reft for the foul, though the earth were all in a combustion round about, and give a fatisfying anfwer to our folicitous thoughts and fears: Now this being the intended fubject of the following discourse. I shall first touch it a little in the general, and then hold forth some more particular grounds, whence it may be clearly demonftrated.

I. That the Scripture of God hath a certain accomplishment here in the world, and what is to be understood by the fame, I fhall endeavour to clear in these things, which would be confidered.

1. This is the very unfolding of the Lord's decree and secret purpose, the bringing forth of his work, now within time, to the view of angels and men, which was before him in the deep of his thoughts, and council from eternity; it is an opening up of the fealed book, which we must not underftand to be that fecret roll of election, and the book of life, wherein the names of the elect are writ; but Liber fatidicus, the fealed book of God's dispensations in the world, shewing out his counfels and defigns, which should be brought forth in the after ages of time; for as the Lord did fully comprehend what he was to do, and all that was to befal his church and people, from the beginning to the end, long before there was a beginning, before the mountains were formed, fo hath he copied and written out his heart in the word hereanent, wherein he hath most plainly shewed forth, what were his bleffed purposes and counsel of old, and thus the thoughts of his heart, his word and his works do fweetly agree, and each one wonderfully answers to another, for his work doth bring forth, and accomplish his word, that his decree and council from all eternity may take place.

2. The Scripture's accomplishment is the tranfcript and writing of it over in providence, where we may fee and admire how the word doth fhine upon all the paths and footsteps of the Lord toward his church in every age, and gives light to the fame, and what an evident reflection, his work. hath again upon the word; fo that through the whole feries. and courfe of providence in the earth, we have a moft exact portraiture and image in the Scripture, anfwering one to another as face answers to face in the glafs, where it may be eafy to difcern the copy by the principal, and that resembe lance which is betwixt the building, and that excellent pattern and model, which is held forth thereof in the word.

3. The accomplishment of the Scripture is the very turning that, which was the object of our faith and contemplation, to be the object of our fenfe and feeling, it is the realbirth and bringing forth these truths unto the world in their appointed time and feafon concerning the church, and par