prevailing throughout the world, though contrary to the favourite notions and vicious defires of all mankind: which alone is a proof, that the facts related in them, even the most miraculous, were previously known to be true; and the doctrines the fame, which had been already taught by the apostles: elfe Jews, Heathens and Chriftians muft have exclaimed against the authors, as publishers of falsehoods, and they could never have obtained credit. Some few of their books indeed, (but fuch as taught no one article that is not in the others, nor denied any one that is) were queftioned in fome congregations for a good while, perhaps with more caution than needed : but were then put on a level with the reft. Neither Teftament is pretended to be difproved, but both are confirmed, as far as could be expected, by fuch heathen records as are extant and if either had been confuted formerly by any, that are now loft, it must have funk; which hath not been the cafe. Each of them furnishes powerful internal evidence in favour of itself: each adds manifold strength to the other and no writings whatever ftand on the credit of such numerous and decifive atteftations. Were we therefore to confider them merely as compofitions of excellent men, well informed, and faithfully informing us, in the best manner they could, of what it most concerns us to know, we must allow them to be a moft valuable bleffing; a treafure unfpeakably fuperior to all the other remains of antiquity. But this is much too low an efteem of them: they were written moreover under the fpecial direction of heaven, and that for an end no less important, than a full fupply of our fpiritual wants. These two points the apoftle afferts plainly in the text and I fhall endeavour to confirm and improve his affertions, by fhewing, in some discourses upon it, I. That all fcripture is of divine authority. II. That it completely anfwers every purpose of religion, IV. How we may do this to the best effect. I. That all feripture is of divine authority, or, in St. Paul's language, given by infpiration of God: a pofition extremely requifite to be understood in its true fenfe, and established on its proper foundation. For fome have held it to fignify, that every fentence and word was dictated from above: and confequently have made room, without intending it, for as many plaufible 312 plaufible objections, as there are appearances of any thing, which in refpect of clearnefs, elegance, order, ftrength, exceeds not human power, or falls beneath abfolute perfection. Others, efpecially of late years, partly to guard against this danger, and partly to excufe notions of their own, which are contrary to fcripture, have imagined, that being inspired meant little more (at least in relation to the hiftorical and doctrinal books) than being indued with a large measure of general pious intention: fo that, continuing to call themselves Chriftians, and profeffing a high refpect for the facred writers as good men, they have thought themselves juftified in doubting, or even disbelieving, almoft as much as they please, of what the fcriptures.teach. To ftate therefore and defend the fenfe of the text, I fhall begin with explaining the terms. The word, here tranflated fcripture, denotes frequently in other authors any writing whatever. Whence fome ancient verfions render the original thus: Every writing, given by infpiration of God, is profitable, and fo forth leaving it undetermined, which are so given. But always, in the gospels and epistles, it denotes that collection of writings, which the church acknowledged for its rule of life and manners. When our apoftle fent this epiftle to Timothy, feveral parts of the New Teftament were not published, and scarce any had spread very far: fo that he must by feripture mean chiefly, if not folely, the Old Teftament. But the books of the New, from their first appearance, obtained the fame title every where. St. Peter gives it by the plainest implication to what St. Paul wrote: and doubtlefs what he, and the rest of the twelve, wrote, equally deserved it. Infpiration is any particular influence of God on the mind; whence we pray in the communion fervice, that he would cleanfe our hearts by the infpiration of his Holy Spirit. But, in the cafe before us, it muft fignify fuch influence, as will be effectual for the purpofe of writing fuch books. Ard of this there may be various degrees requifite, and therefore granted, according to the variety of circumftances. Moving a perfon inwardly to undertake the work is one degree. Superintending him during the execution of it, fo as to preferve him from any confiderable mistake or omiffion, is another. Preferving him from 2 Pet. iii. 16. from all, even the least, is a higher ftill. Enabling him to exprefs himself in a manner loftier, clearer, more convincing or more affecting, than he could have done otherwise, is yet a further step. Suggesting to him alfo the matter, which he shall deliver, goes beyond the former, especially if he was unacquainted with it till then. And putting into his mouth the very words he fhall ufe, is the completest guidance that can be. Now we fay not, that God hath done all these things in every part of scripture: but fo many in each as were needful. That he directed Mofes to write his laws *, and Isaiah †, and Ezekiel, and Habakkuk §, part at least of their prophecies, and Jeremiah the whole of his ||, and St. John the book of Revelation, they thenfelves pofitively affure us: and by parity of reafon we may prefume it concerning the reft: nor can we doubt, but that, writing in obedience to his command, they wrote fo as he approved. On fome occafions perhaps they wanted, and therefore had no extraordinary affiftance. Without this, the hiftorians amongst them might relate several facts from their own perfonal knowledge, others from authentic records and Mofes might receive his accounts of the earliest ages from undoubted tradition. For tradition was much longer credible, when there were but few things to commit to memory, and there was no other way of preferving them, and two or three generations lafted many centuries. The writers of the Pfalms might often chufe their own fubjects, and treat them fuitably to their own genius. The wife king, and other compilers of the Proverbs, might perpetuate their own maxims. The authors of the epiftles may well be fuppofed to have given the many fmall directions, which we find in them, folely from the dictates of their own prudence. The authors of all the books might be trufted very commonly to use their own ftile and method, (in which accordingly there is much diverfity) nay, even their own illuftrations, arguments and reasonings, on the points before them. And yet, amidst all this, the watchful eye of God might fufficiently provide against their misleading into error and fin, or omitting to inftruct in any thing * Exod. xxxiv. 27. Comp. xxiv. 4. Deut. xxxi. 9, 22. Ezek. xliii. 11. § Hab. ii. 2. Jer. xxx. 2. xxxvi. 2, 28. Rev. i. 11, 19. thing effential, thofe whom they were appointed to make wife unto falvation *. : That he hath fuperintended them thus far, is evident from the neceffity of his doing it. The patriarchal, Jewish and Chriftian revelations, which are contained, with their principal evidences, in thefe books, could not be known with certainty otherwife than by means of them, after fome time, tho' they might at firft by word of mouth. And therefore to prevent his gracious intention towards every fucceeding generation from being fruftrated, undoubtedly God would take care, that the fcripture fhould teach us infallibly what he required us to believe and do: which was impoffible, if his truths and the imaginations of his creatures were blended in them promifcuously or indeed, if they were only left to express themfelves as they could, properly or improperly, concerning abstruse and difficult matters, (as there are many fuch in the facred writings,) where a fmall error in their phrase might occafion a great one in our belief or conduct. For on this fuppofition, how fhould we diftinguish with fafety in matters of fuch moment: and where shall they, who reject any one article, find a fure place to ftop at? Fatal experience hath proved continually that they can find none. And confequently our wife and good Maker would effectually preferve writings of fuch infinite importance, not only from grofs errors, but from the very fmalleft in faith or practice, and, one fhould think, in arguings and facts alfo: the former being often affected by the latter. : But this is not all he must have interpofed much farther. We find paffages throughout, fo fublime, fo pathetic, full of fuch energy and force upon the heart and confcience; yet without the leaft appearance of labour and ftudy for that purpofe: indeed the defign of the whole is fo noble, fo well fuited to the fad condition of human kind; the morals have in them fuch purity and dignity; the doctrines are many of them fo much above reafon, yet all of them fo reconcileable with it; the expreffion is fo majestic, yet familiarifed with fuch easy fimplicity; that the more we read and study these books with pious difpofitions and judicious attention, the more we shall fee 2 Tim. iii. 15. fee and feel of the hand of God in them; and without fixing distinctly on this or that text, be fully fatisfied in the grofs, that no mere men, and yet less unlearned men, as feveral of the writers were, could ever approach to fuch perfection, (far fuperior to that of the most admired heathens,) without being raifed vaftly above themselves by fupernatural aid. But then if we confider alfo the accurate agreement and correfpondence of the feveral parts, though of very different natures, written at very different times, under very different difpenfations of religion, and scenes of worldly affairs; that, numerous and various as they are, they unite nevertheless into one confiftent and connected scheme, and the more evidently fo, the stricter inquiry is made into it; this will greatly strengthen the proof of divine fuggeftions, as well as reftraints. For fuch harmony must proceed from one original plan, formed in the mind of God, portions of which only were communicated to the feveral publishers of it; yet each of them was influenced from above to fo punctual an execution of his refpective truft, that what he said, perfectly tallied with what he was ignorant of, till at length the whole was completed by our bleffed Redeemer; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, grew up into a holy temple in the Lord *. But after this general view, let us enter into some particulars. The Mofaic law, if at all from God, was dictated by God for it affirms itself to be fo. The contents of the prophetic books are, predictions of future events, and commissions to deliver fuch and fuch inftructions to the people. These alfo, if true, (as the completions of the former demonftrate that they were,) must have been fuggefted. One of the prophets declares, that he heard, but understood not t. Others of them St. Peter defcribes, as diligently fearching into the times and circumstances, to which their meffages related ‡. And probably they all apprehended the meaning of a great part of them but imperfectly. Now we may be certain, that God would effectually incline them to deliver thefe, by ufing the very words which they received. And in the reft, they would of course endeavour it, and have their memories undoubtedly ftrengthened, as far as needed, to perform it. Some revela |