224 CAUSES, WAYS, AND MEANS, ETC. [BOOK VI., PART II.
ordinarily who snail undertake the interpretation of any series of Scripture discourses without some ability in this science will find themselves oftentimes entangled and at a loss, when by virtue of it they might be at liberty and free. And many of the rules which are commonly given about the interpretation of the Scripture, — as, namely, that the scope of the author in the place is duly to be con- sidered, as also things antecedent and consequent to the place and words to be interpreted, and the like, — are but directions for the due use of this skill or faculty.
But this also must be admitted with its limitations ; for whatever perfection there seems to be in our art of reasoning, it is to be sub- ject to the wisdom of the Holy Ghost in the Scripture. His way of reasoning is always his own, sometimes sublime and heavenly, so as not to be reduced unto the common rules of our arts and sciences, Avithout a derogation from its instructive, convictive, and persuasive efficacy. For us to frame unto ourselves rules of ratiocination, or to have our minds embondaged unto those of other men's invention and observation, if we think thereon absolutely to reduce all the reasonings in the Scripture unto them, we may fall into a presumptu- ous mistake. In the consideration of all the effects of infinite wisdom, there must be an allowance for the deficiency of our comprehension ; when humble subjection of conscience, and the captivating of our understandings to the obedience of faith, is the best means of learn- ing what is proposed unto us. And there is nothing more contempt- ible than the arrogancy of such persons as think, by the shallow mea- sures and short lines of their own weak, dark, imperfect reasoning, to fathom the depths of Scripture senses.
Again ; what sense soever any man supposeth or judgeth this or that particular place of Scripture to yield and give out to the best of his rational intelligence is immediately to give place unto the analogy of faith, — that is, the Scripture's own declaration of its sense in other places to another purpose, or contrary thereunto. The want of attending unto men's duty herein, with a mixture of pride and pertinacy, is the occasion of most errors and noxious opinions in the world; for when some have taken up a, private interpretation of any place of Scripture, if, before they have thoroughly imbibed and vented it, they do not submit their conception, although they seem to be greatly satisfied in it and full of it, unto the authority of the Scripture in the declaration of its own mind in other places, there is but small hope of their recovery. And this is that pride which is the source and original of heresy, — namely, when men will prefer their seemingly wise and rational conceptions of the sense of particular places before the analogy of faith.
Moreover, there is a pernicious mistake that some are fallen into
CHAP. VIII.] MEANS FOK UNDERSTANDING THE MIND OF GOD. 225
about these things. They suppose that, taking in the help of skill in the original languages for the understanding of the words and their use, whether proper or figurative, there is nothing more necessary to the understanding and interpretation of the Scripture but only the sedulous and diligent use of our own reason, in the ordinary way, and according to the common rules of the art of ratiocination; "for what more can be required," say they, " or what more can men make use of? By these means alone do we come to understand the meaning of any other writer, and therefore also of the Scripture. Neither can we, nor doth God require that we should, receive or believe any thing but according to our own reason and understanding." But these things, though in themselves they are, some of them, partly true, yet as they are used unto the end mentioned, they are perniciously false; for, — (1.) It greatly unbe- cometh any Christian once to suppose that there is need of no other assistance, nor the use of any other means for the interpretation of the oracles of God, or to come unto the understanding of the hidden wisdom of God in the mystery of the gospel, than is to the un- derstanding or interpretation of the writings of men, which are the product of a finite, limited, and weak ability. Were it not for some secret persuasion that the Scripture indeed is not, what it pretends to be, the word of the living God, or that it doth not indeed ex- press the highest effect of his wisdom and deepest counsel of his will, it could not be that men should give way to such foolish ima- ginations. The principal matter of the Scripture is mysterious, and the mysteries of it are laid up therein by God himself, and that in a way inimitable by the skill or wisdom of men. When we speak of and express the same things according unto our measure of comprehension, wherein, from its agreement with the Scripture, what we say is materially divine, yet our words are not so, nor is there the same respect to the things themselves as the expressions of the Scripture have, which are formally divine. And can we ourselves trace these paths of wisdom without his especial guidance and assistance? — it is highly atheistical once to fancy it. (2.) We treat of such an interpretation of the Scripture as is real, and is ac- companied with an understanding of the things proposed and ex- pressed, and not merely of the notional sense of propositions and expressions; for we speak of such an interpretation of the Sciipture as is a sanctified means of our illumination, nor any other dotli either the Scripture require or God regard. That to give in this unto us, notwithstanding the use and advantage of all outward helps and means, is the peculiar work of the Spirit of God, hath been before demonstrated. It is true, we can receive nothing, reject nothing, as to what is true or false, nor conceive the sense of any thing, but by VOL. iv. 15