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1 Thess. ii. 13. that is, absolutely submitting their souls and consciences unto the authority of God, speaking therein, and thereby. And without this respect, we can never read nor hear the Scripture in a due manner. 3. Infallible truth and absolute certainty. They are the oracles of God, who is the first truth, whose being is truth, and who cannot lie. Every thing that may be false, hath an inconsistency with his being. To suppose that any thing which is not absolutely true can proceed from him, is to deny him to be God. Peter gives no other proof that in the preaching of the gospel they followed not cunningly devised fables, but that they were confirmed by the oracle of God, 2 Pet. i. 16-21. God is a God of truth, Deut. xxxii. 4. and all his words are words of truth, Eccl. xii. 10. Herein then alone the souls of men can find assured rest and peace. Whatever else they may lean upon, whatever appearance of truth it may have, yet falsehood and a lie may be in it. Before God gave his oracles unto men, that is, before he sent out his light and truth to lead and guide them, they did nothing but perpetually wander in ignorance, error and darkness, unto destruction. And so far as any yet take any thing else but the oracles of truth for their guide, they must continually fluctuate; and though they are not always actually deceived, they are never certain but that they are so. I will shew thee "what is noted in the Scripture of truth," Dan. x. 21. is the only guide we have for our souls. 4. Mysterious. Oracles have mysteries in them; and under this covert, Satan endeavoured to hide his delusions. For whereas the oracles of God were mysterious from the matter contained in them, which is sacred, holy, sublime, and incomprehensible, he delivered himself in dark, enigmatical, dubious expressions, that making an appearance of something mysterious, he might draw a cloud of darkness over his lies and falsehoods. And it is in opposition unto all the pretended mysteries of Gentile worship, that our apostle, summing up the principal doctrines concerning the person and mediation of Christ Jesus, says, that "without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness," 1 Tim. iii. 16. The oracles of God are mysterious, from the depths and excellency of the things revealed, delivered in words of truth and soberness. And this will teach us how we ought to behave ourselves with respect unto the word, these oracles of God. It is generally owned to be our duty to read it, to study it, to meditate upon it, and to attend unto its dispensation in preaching. And those by whom these things are neglected, shall bear their own judgment. But as to the manner of the discharge of these duties, there may be a great failure among the best. That diligence, that reverence, that submission of mind and conscience, that dependance on God for the revelation of his mind and will, which ought con

stantly to accompany all them who consider and attend to the oracles of God, we are too often at a loss in.

Obs. V. God hath, in infinite love and wisdom, so disposed of his word, as that there are first principles, plain and necessary, laid down in it, to facilitate the instruction he intends thereby. Men have learned this wisdom in teaching of all arts and sciences. They first lay down general principles and theorems, which they make the basis and foundation of all their following instructive deductions. And so there are first principles of the oracles of God. And,

First, These are plain and easy to be learned. The things themselves contained in them, as hath been shewed, are deep and mysterious. But they are all of them so plainly declared, as that he who runs may read them. It is an unquestionable truth, that what is not clearly and plainly revealed in the word, though it be true, and the knowledge of it very useful, yea necessary to some persons in some circumstances, yet it doth not belong unto those principles of the oracles of God, which it is the duty of all men expressly to know and believe. I could go over all the principles that are of this nature, and evince, that they are all of them so plainly, so fully, so clearly revealed, taught, and expressed, and that in words and terms so suited to the reason and understandings of men, that none unto whom the word of God comes, can be ignorant of them, without the guilt of supine negligence, and horrible sloth; nor will any err about them, unless their minds are prepossessed with invincible prejudices, or carnal, corrupt, and earthly affections. And this is necessarily required unto the nature of first principles. They must be maxims plainly and evidently declared and asserted, or they are very unmeet to be the first principles of knowledge in any kind.

Secondly, They are such as being learned, received, believed in a due manner, the way is plain for men towards perfection. They have such an influence into all other sacred truths, which îndeed are but deductions from them, or lesser streams from that blessed fountain which is contained in them, and do so suit and prepare the mind for them, that they have an easy access unto it. The minds of men being duly inlaid with these first principles of the oracles of God, it is inconceivable how they may thrive in the knowledge of the deepest mysteries, and that in a due manner. If indeed, when men have been instructed in these principles, they grow careless and negligent, as though they had obtained enough, and need seek no farther, as is the manner of many, they will be of no advantage unto them. He that lays the foundation of a house, and neglects the carrying on of the building, will find it but a sorry shelter in a storm. And whereas God hath designed the knowledge of these prin

ciples as a means unto a farther growth and improvement, from whence they are so termed, where that end is neglected, he will blast the other attainment, that it shall be utterly useless. But where this foundation is well laid, where these principles are duly learned and improved as they ought to be, they make the way smooth and easy unto greater degrees of knowledge, I mean, unto such as are industrious in the use of means. And this, as it makes evident what is our duty concerning them, so it gives great encouragement unto the discharge thereof. We ought to learn them because they are principles; and we are encouraged to learn them, because they open the way to farther improvements.

Thirdly, They are such, as, if they are not duly learned, rightly understood, and the mind be not possessed with them, all endeavours after higher attainments in light and knowledge, are preposterous, and will prove fruitless. Yet some men neglect this previous instruction, and sundry consequents, all of them dangerous, and some of them pernicious, do ensue on this neglect. For, 1. Some are apt to be reaching after speculations which are abstruse, both in themselves, and in the manner of their revelation, before they have any acquaintance with those first principles of the oracles of God. And constantly one of these events doth ensue; for either they are always learning, and never come to the knowledge of the truth, wearying themselves in the search of such things as they cannot comprehend, nor be led into a right understanding of; or else they are vainly puffed up in their fleshly minds, upon a presumption that they know some marvellous thing beyond the common rate of other men, when they know nothing as they ought, nothing with respect unto its proper principles. 2. This is the cause whence so many persons, using industry and diligence in the hearing of the word, do yet learn, thrive, and profit so little as they do. All preaching, at least for the most part, supposeth a knowledge of these first principles, without which, not one word that is spoken therein can well be understood. Many therefore being unacquainted with them, must of necessity lose that advantage by the preaching of the word, which otherwise they might attain. And this was the very case in hand between our apostle and the Hebrews, which put him to such a strait. He knew that it was his duty to declare to the church the whole counsel of God, and that in the deepest and most mysterious truths of the gospel, so carrying them on to perfection. But he also found that these things would prove unprofitable to many. because their minds were not as yet well inlaid with the first principles of the oracles of God. This put him to the strait he expresseth in the beginning of the sixth chapter. And so it falls out among ourselves. It is oft-times a grief unto us te

consider, how many of our hearers seem to have little advantage by the best of our endeavours, because of their ignorance in the supposed principles and foundations of what we deliver. Hence they hear, and go away altogether unconcerned in what they have heard; and, it may be, complain of the sermon or preacher, when the fault was solely in their own understandings. But as we ought, for the sake of some who are real beginners, to divert unto their instruction in those fundamental principles of religion; so we ought not, in a compliance with the sloth and negligence of them who have carelessly omitted the acquainting of themselves with these, cease our endeavour to carry on more diligent and thriving souls toward perfection, nor would Paul do so in this place. In the mean time, parents, masters, ministers, all in their several stations and capacities, ought to consider of how great importance it is to have all those committed to their care, or under their inspection, well instructed in those first principles of the oracles of God. 3. Hence it is that multitudes are so easily seduced into foolish and sottish errors, and such as overthrow the foundation of truth and faith in them who do entertain them. Things are proposed unto them under specious pretences, which at first seem to have somewhat excellent and peculiar in them, and as far as they can discern, are of no evil tendency. But after they have embraced them, and are brought under their power, it is found, when it is too late, that they have virtually renounced the foundation of the gospel, but are now taken in the snare that cannot be broken, for it is for their life. 4. These principles are such, that if they alone are known, received, believed, obeyed, provided men's progress in knowledge be not obstructed by their own negligence, prejudices or lusts, they may attain the end of faith and obedience in the salvation of their souls. They are such, as without the express knowledge whereof in those that are adult, the Scripture speaks nothing of any possibility of attaining unto life and immortality. And, as was declared before, the knowledge of them where they are not duly improved unto an increase in light, according to the means we do enjoy, is no way available. But upon a supposition, that a man is brought into an acquaintance with these principles of the oracles of God, in the want of means and advantages to carry him on towards perfection, in the knowledge of other principles of truth, useful and necessary in their places and circumstances, though he should be ignorant of them, or fall into errors about them, not inconsistent with, or destructive of the principles he hath received: they are sufficient in their own kind, to lead and conduct him unto rest with God. And as this consideration will not give the least countenance unto the sloth or negligence of any, who do or may enjoy the advantage of growing in the knowledge of God, and VOL. IV.

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of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; so it is a relief with respect unto their condition, who by reason of the blindness of their pretended guides, or on any other occasion, are not sup plied with the means of a farther improvement. And from what hath been discoursed it appears, both of what great importance it is unto our faith and obedience, to be well instructed in the chief principles of religion, as also what an inexcusabie fault it is in those who for a season have enjoyed the means of instruction, to be found defective herein.

Obs. VI. They who live under the preaching of the gospel, are obnoxious to great and provoking sins, if they diligently watch not against them. Such was that of these Hebrews here mentioned. But hereof, as also of the danger of such sins, we must treat more afterwards.

It follows, as an illustration of what was before charged on the Hebrews, and to the same purpose; "and are become, such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." This allusion the apostle chose, to represent unto them the state or condition whereinto they were brought by their sinful negligence; as also, to give life and strength unto his reproof; and therefore, pursues it to the end of the chapter.

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Tovar, ye are become.' The word may be taken in a twofold sense.

For, 1. It may signify, it appears what you are, and what you stand in need of. It may be, some have had other thoughts of you, by reason of your profession, and the time of instruction you enjoyed. You have had a name to live, and possibly to be in a very flourishing condition, as being the first church in the world, the mother in some sort, of all other churches, and such as have had privileges which no other church ever had, or ever shall enjoy. But upon trial it is made manifest how dull and slothful you have been, how ignorant you are, and how little you have improved your season. And it will, in like manner, be one day evident, that many churches and persons who make a goodly appearance, on the account of their outward privileges and enjoyments, will be found, when they are brought unto the balance of the sanctuary, to be light, empty, dead, and every way insufficient. But things are changed in the world. Churches are now esteemed of, or pretend unto an esteem, by their pleas of antiquity, outward order, solemnity of forms and a seemingly sacred grandeur, without the least respect unto the light, knowledge and holiness of their members. In the days of the apostles it was not so. Unless churches in their members did thrive in grace, knowledge and holiness, they had no respect unto outward things, though never so good in their place and order, but as aggravations of the sin and judg ments of unprofitable professors. And this may be the sense

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