an incorruptible treasiu'e lay, and would lose it rather than your sloth ! Oh in what breast doth the ancient zeal of former saints to the word lodge ! Have they not counted it above rubies? Have they not travelled over sea and land to get the sight of it ? — given the money out of their purse, the coat off their backs, to purchase a few leaves of it, and parted with their blood out of their veins, rather than forego the troasm-e which they found in it? And is the market now fallen so low, that thou desii-est not acquaintance with it, when it is ottered at a far lower rate ? Eitlier they must be charged for fools, to buy the knowledge of it so dear, or you that refuse it, who may have it so cheap. But lest you should think I set you upon a needless work, you are to understand there is an indispensable neces.sity of Scripture knowledge. First, We are commanded to ' search the Scriptures,' John v. 39. Indeed, were there not such an express word for this duty, yet the very penning of them, with the end for which they are written considered, would impose the duty upon us. When a law is enacted by a state, the very promulgation of it is enough to oblige the people to take notice of it. Neither will it serve a subject's turn that breaks this law, to say he was ignorant of any such law being in force ; tlie publication of it bound him to inquire after it. What other end have lawgivers in divulging their acts, but that their people might know their duty? Christ fastens condemnation on the ignorance of men where means for knowledge are afforded : ' This is the con- demnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness,' John iii. 19. They will not know the rule, because they have no mind to walk by it. Now, if ignorance of the word be condemned where its light shines, then surely he commands us to open our eyes, whereby we may let in the knowledge it sheds forth ; for a law must be transgressed before a condemning sentence be pronounced. It is the heathen that shall be judged without the written word ; but thou, who livest within its soiuul, shalt be judged by it, whether thou wilt know it or not, 2 Thess. i. 8. And if thou shalt be judged by it, then surely thou art bound to be instructed by it. The Jews once had the word deposited in their hands : imto them were committed the oracles of God ; and do you think they had well discharged their trust by locking them up safely in the ark, and never looking into them? Surely you cannot but think God intended another place, even their own breasts, where he principally would have them kept. They were committed to them, and now to us, as a dying father doth his will and testament to his son whom he makes his executor-, not to throw it aside among his waste papers, but carefully and curiously to read and observe it, that thereby nothing therein contained might be left unperformed. It is called ' the faith which was delivered to the saints,' Jude ,3 ; that is, delivered to their study and care. If any of us had lived when Christ was here in the flesh, and he (when taking his farewell of the world) should have left to us some one thing in special charge to be done for his sake after he was gone to heaven, would we not religiously have performed the will of our dying Savioiu', as did John, to whom he left the care of his mother, who, therefore, took her home to his own house? Behold here a greater charge deposited in his saints' hands ; — -' The faith once delivered to them ;' that is, once for all, to be by them kept and transmitted from one generation to another, while this world lasts : so that if thou takest thyself to be a saint, thou art concerned with the rest to take it home M'ith thee, and see that it dwells in thee richly, as becomes such a guest bequeathed by so dear a friend. Secondly, It is necessary : the word contains the whole counsel of God, for the bringing poor sinners to eternal life. If you will not search the Scriptures, and sit here at the feet of the Spirit, (who fits his scholars for heaven by this one book,) where wilt thou meet another master? In whose works else wilt thou find the words of eternal life? Apollos was a man mighty in the Scriptures, and it is said, that ' Aquila and Priscilla expounded to him the way of God more perfectly,' Acts xviii. 2(5. An exposition presu])poseth a text. The meaning is, they opened the Scriptures more perfectly to him. This is the way of God to lead us to God ; yea, the only way. In other journeys we may miss the right way, and yet come at last to the place we intended, though not so soon ; but no way will bring us to God, but this of tlie word ; neither can we walk in this way of God, if we be ignorant of it. A man may, in other joiu-neys, be in his right way, without knowing it, and he may come safe home : but we can have no benejit from tlris way of God, if wholly
592 ^'^'^ "^^^ SWORD OP THE SPIRIT.