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are not willing, merely because of this, to allow that they were divinely infpired. No more fhould we upon these accounts only, affirm that the bible is a divine book; for fuch things as these might be the product of natural light, without the affiftance of divine revelation. However these things by themfelves are fufficient to beget in us a high veneration and efteem of thefe writings, and to make us believe that they are at least a very excellent compofure, if not a divine one. And if we compare the scriptures and heathen authors upon the fame fubjects, we shall foon find that the former do vaftly excel the lat ter. They give us truer and nobler thoughts of God; they teach us a more refined morality, and fpeak more clearly, and with greater certainty, about a future ftate of rewards and punishments. If a few of the heathens wrote well upon moral fubjects, yet we do not find that their writings were effectual to the reformation of mens manners. world was still as corrupt and debauch'd as ever. But what the philofophers could not obtain by their writings, the fcriptures have effected even to admiration, By thefe, multitudes have been brought

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brought over from a moft diffolute courfe of life to the practice of religion and virtue; the ungodly and profane have been made pious and devout; the fenfual and impure have been made fober and chafte; the fierce and cruel have been made gentle and humane. And certainly that must be a very excellent book, which produces fuch effects as these. This alone would incline a man to think that it came from God: but when he looks into it again, and finds that it pretends to be of a divine original, and that there are other evidences of this befides that of its own intrinfick goodnefs; then he will be fully fatisfied of

it.

II. Is the word of God fo excellent a prefervative from fin? Then we see the reason why good men have always had fuch a veneration and affection for it. "Tis needless to take pains to prove the fact. If any man doubts of it, 'tis but referring him to David's pfalms, or to the judgment of any pious man, and he cannot fail to be convinced. Now the reason why a good man values his bible fo much is, because it gives him such

excellent rules for the conduct of life. It teaches him how to carry himself towards his maker, and how to behave to his fellow creatures. It informs him how he should demean himself in every relation, and in every condition. When he is tempted to any vice, the precepts of this book occur to his mind; and he answers the tempter as Jofeph did his miftrefs, How can I do this great wickedness, and fin against God. Let a temptation prefent itself to him in the moft alluring manner, and promife him the most exquifite pleafure; he oppofes to it the wrath of God, the anguish of a guilty conscience, and the torments of hell; which the word of God declares to be the confequence of fin. When a good man is ready to fink under affliction of body or mind, he hath recourfe to the promifes of God's word: and thefe diffipate his fears; they comfort and refresh his foul; they put new life and vigour into his virtuous refolutions; they enable him to bear prefent difficulties with courage and bravery, because the time is coming when all the forrows of the righteous fhall ceafe,

and

and there fhall be no more any pain or fickness of body, any disease or infirmi ty of mind. No wonder therefore, that the good man fo much admires and loves the word of God, fince it is fo very useful and ferviceable to him. "Tis natural for us to love that which doth us good.

III. Is the word of God fo excellent a preservative from fin? Then 'tis our duty and our intereft to study it carefully. If it is our duty and intereft to abstain from fin, and to practise the laws of God; then it must be also our duty and intereft to use the means which lead to this end. Now this is a most excellent means. It can hardly be fuppofed, that a man who conftantly reads the word of God will allow himfelf in fin; for this practice naturally tends to extinguish finful inclinations, and to faften good impreffions. How can a man who is continually recollecting the ideas of the divine attributes, precepts, promises and to fin against God? probable in reason. we find in experience, nerally good men who

threatnings, dare The thing is not And accordingly that they are geread the bible

much:

much and, on the contrary, they are for the most part very wicked men who neglect and despise the facred writings. It was the faying of a good man, Praying will make a man leave off finning, or finning will make him leave off praying.' I fee no reason to confine it to prayer: for I believe it will hold equally true of reading the fcriptures, or of any other means of religion, if ufed with fincerity. Reading the word of God will wonderfully fortify our good refolutions: it will make us religious upon a rational and folid foundation : it will enable us to render a reafon of our piety and virtue, and to confound thofe who would laugh us out of it: it will infpire us with a strange courage and force to refift temptation. A man who is very converfant with the word of God, when he is affaulted by a temptation will be apt to reply, how can I commit this or the other fin, who have just now been contemplating the attributes of God, his holiness, juftice, goodness, and truth; who have been reading the laws which he prescribes, and the fanctions of them by promifes and threatnings? What am I

the

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