of Sins; and it is impoffible almost to conceive that any immediate Communication from God Almighty himself, and much less any Tradition, can render it more strong and ample, than it is there revealed to us.

As to the Service and Worship of the Almighty, no Precepts can be contriv'd more rational, more pure, more perfect, more agreeable to the Nature of God, more conducive to the Happiness of Man, than what are prefcribed in the Holy Scriptures: We are there taught to worship. God, who is a Spirit, in Spirit and in Truth, and confequently in the most acceptable Manner: God himself declares that He will gracioufly accept fuch our Worship He hath given us those Precepts to regulate our Affections, and to direct our Lives by them: And what are we, that we fhould prefume to take from, or add unto them? If therefore that can be thought a fufficient Revelation of God's Will to Mankind, whereby we are admitted to know him in the Unity and Perfonality of his Existence, in the many Relations He is pleased to bear towards

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us; in his many glorious and tremendous Attributes, and to worship and adore him in them all If purifying our Souls by Faith, our Lives by Holiness; if a fincere, deliberate, entire Dedication of ourselves to God's Bleffed Will; if a lively Flame of Devotion towards the Divine Being, a vigorous Exercise of Juftice and Charity towards our Neighbour, a pure Poffeffion of ourselves in Chastity and Temperance; if the forming our Minds into the Approbation, our Lives into the Practice of every Virtue: If these, and fuch like Inftances of Worship, be the most acceptable to the Almighty, the moft beneficial to the Performers of them, then do the Holy Scriptures come up to their intended Character in that other Instance; and are, with refpect to the Service and Worship of God, a fufficient Revelation of his Will to Mankind: But the Doctrines of Faith, and the Leffons of Holy Living contain'd in the Sacred Writings, are not only perfect and compleat in themselves, but, in all their Circumstances, they are back'd with the most powerful Motives and Aids for our be

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lieving and performing them. The Gofpel hath the Promises and Threatnings of the Life that now is, but more especially of that which is to come; the present Favour of God's Providence, the future Affurances of a Glorious Inheritance with the Blessed Saints in Light, are the Motives to our Obedience: The Displeasure of the Almighty in this Life, and the Torments of everlafting Vengeance in the next, are the Wages of our Difobedience; and he who will not conform with the Precepts of the Holy Scriptures upon thofe Motives, will be wrought upon by no Motives whatever. Again, the Affiftances afforded us, are the gracious Influences of God's Bleffed Spirit helping our Infirmities, quickening our Endeavours, raifing our Affections, and in all refpects working in us both to will and do according to the good Pleasure of the Almighty; so that nothing is required but our own fincere Co-operation with the Divine Grace, and then we may do all things that are commanded us.

UPON the Whole then, it hath pleased Almighty God to vouchfafe us a most glorious

glorious and perfect Revelation of his Bleffed Will; a Revelation unfolding to us the Wonders of his Providence, and difpencing the Riches of his Grace; a Revelation carrying our Profpects into Eternity, propofing to our present Hopes the Glories of God's Kingdom, and qualifying us for the future Enjoyment of them. How full of Awe and Delight are those Sacred Writings! they are no other than the Word of God; but the Word of God bringing unto us Peace and Salvation. In the former View they challenge our most devout Regard; in the latter, they stand recommended to us upon the Foot of our own eternal Intereft. It is fo obvious an Inference from what has been faid, that it scarce feems neceffary to infer the great Obligation we lie under, of a diligent and pious Study of the Holy Scriptures: The Study of them in a speculative Way is indeed more particularly the Duty of those who minifter in Holy Things, and relates to them as Part of their Profeffion: They ought to employ all the Compafs and Force of human Learning, and human Learning is never

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fo worthily and greatly employ'd, as in fuch a Manner, in adorning and defending, in enlightning and establishing those Myfteries of Godliness, thofe Doctrines of Truth and Virtue which are therein contain'd: And all the Labour and Application we are Mafters of, are but little enough to express the Sense we ought to have of the Value and Sacredness of those Things, which Holy Men infpired by God have written unto us of our common Redemption. But the Study of the Holy Scriptures in a practical Way, is Matter of abfolute Duty, and takes in all Chriftians indifferently; they declare unto all Men Salvation, and declare it in the Words of Force and Pleasantnefs: From thofe Funds of Wisdom, we may treasure up to ourselves infinite Portions of future Happiness, and treasure them up with vaft Overflowings of prefent Comfort and Satisfaction: Whatever is there contain'd is written for Univerfal Benefit and Inftruction Notwithstanding the fublime Nature of the Doctrines, every the meaneft Capacity may know them all to his Soul's