from their own Experience, declare (for thofe alone can declare it) what pious Ardours are hereby kindled, what Fervour of Devotion burns within them; what elevated Notions of Spiritual Enjoyments; what rapturous Perceptions of Divine Comforts: But even the Prophane and the Unbeliever may declare, if they please, what Luftre is hereby fhed upon the Lives and Actions of thofe, who fincerely obey the bleffed Leffons of Holinefs which are there prefcribed; their regular Piety, their difinterested Charity, their unaffected Sobriety; the Sweetness, the Humility, the Chearfulness of their Behaviour: Thefe and many fuch like Instances set them up for burning and fhining Lights unto the World, and prove that Divinity alone muft have dictated those Instructions, which are able to raise Men fo much above themselves ; and that the Light with which they thus shine among Men, is no other than the Reflexion of the glorious Gospel of Chrift, who is the Image of God.

UPON the Whole then, we see that the Holy Scriptures are a vast Treasury

of

of Divine Inftruction, both in their Subftance and their feveral Circumstances, containing Abundance of Wisdom unto Salvation: But whether the Wisdom there contain'd be fufficient for our Salvation, comes now in the third and laft Place to be confidered.

Now the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures is pointed out to us in these Words ; That the Man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good Works: The Man of God, i. e. one who minifters in Holy Things, The Apoftle is here fpeaking particularly to Timothy, whom he had left Bishop at Ephesus; and exhorts him to continue in those things which he had learn'd and been affured of, viz. thofe things which were contain❜d in the Scriptures, they being able, as the Apostle faith, to make thee wife unto Salvation; which plainly implies the Sufficiency of them in general for fuch Wif dom But in the Words before us, the Apoftle is addreffing him as a Pastor of the Church, and declares that the Holy Scriptures will make him perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good Works. Here

therefore his Affertion is much stronger; for if he who is to inftruct others in all things neceffary unto Salvation, be rendered perfectly, thoroughly furnish'd for fuch his Office, by Means of the Holy Scriptures, it evidently follows that those Sacred Writings must be fufficient for all the Purposes of Holiness in Point both of Truth and Practice. But to treat of this Head more particularly :

UNLESS the Holy Scriptures were a fufficient Revelation of God's Will, they would not answer the Purposes of a written one; for a written Revelation being, as was fhewed in our former Discourse, necessary to supply the Place of immediate Revelations from the Almighty, and to prevent the corrupt Conveyances of Tradition; it ought in no wife to leave any Occafion for the former, and no Room at all for the latter; i. e, it ought to be of itself so perfect, as to want no Addition in Matters either of Faith or Practice.

AGAIN, the written Revelations of God's Will under the Mofaic Dispensation, were continually growing, and manifeftly declare they had a Tendency to

fome

fome certain Period of Time, wherein by the Meffiah's Appearance, a more perfect and durable State of things would commence; and their Law, which was the weak Elements of those better Things to come, was to be swallow'd up in the Substance of thofe Things. To the Jews therefore were committed the lively Oracles of God, but thofe Oracles were defective with Respect to the full Purpose of God, and plainly fhew'd their Deficiency, by declaring that fomething better would fucceed: Accordingly it is written, that all the Prophets prophefied until John the Baptift; and after him began the laft Difpenfation, viz. that of the Gofpel; wherein as God compleated his great Defigns for the Redemption of Mankind, He compleated likewife the Revelation of his Will. The Almighty was always pleased to proportion his Revelations to the Periods of Time in which He promulged them; and as this laft Difpenfation is perfective of the Almighty's Counfels, we cannot but infer, that this laft Revelation is perfective of his Will. And as this Period will never be improved by any fucceeding

D

4

fucceeding one, fo we may be affured, that what is written concerning it, is fufficient for our Inftruction in all Matters relating to our Knowledge and Practice. Farther yet, were we ourselves to declare what Revelation of God's Will would be fufficient for Mankind, under our present Circumstances, the Anfwer would be obviously this; fuch a Revelation as wou'd moft effectually discover to us how our Sins fhould be forgiven, and how we fhould ferve God in the moft acceptable Manner: And this is the Cafe of the Holy Scriptures; they difcover that by the meritorious Death and Sufferings of the Son of God, Sin is atoned for, its Punishment is done away, its Guilt is removed, and that by hearty Repentance and fincere Amendment, by a full Truft in God's Mercies thro' Faith in Chrift's Blood, this all-available Expiation, which was made for Sin in general, will be particularly ap plied to us; that a full Remiffion is there. by vouchfafed to each Individual for all his Tranfgreffions, and that thereupon the Pardon of each is fealed in Heaven. This is the Scripture-Doctrine of the Remiffion

of