of their faith, as well as of their actions. For had our religion depended upon tradition, what with the different tempers and interests of mankind, and the distance of time, the revealed will of God must certainly, without the miraculous interposition of Providence, have given place to the many inventions and fictions of men. And this I take to be the reason why the first ages of the world so soon fell into such gross superstition and idolatry; the posterity of Adam, and the descendants of Noah, having, as it is probable, no such fixed and settled rule to walk by as Scripture, their religion being supported only by tradition, which, through the degeneracy of their nature, and the suddenness of their dispersion, might be easily obscured and corrupted. And the reason why the Jewish, as well as Romish Church, have been guilty of so many gross errors, is, because they have preferred tradition to the revealed written will of God; so that, by this means, the word of God is "become of none effect" amongst them, but to destroy that religion which they pretend to support. But now, as the doctrines of Christ are transmitted down to us in writing, we are sure, as such, that they are his doctrines; and therefore, if we fall into any dangerous errors, the fault is entirely owing to ourselves, and we must answer it to God, whose wisdom and goodness have taken care by this means to preserve us from falling into them.

"All Scripture is profitable for correction," that is, in reforming our vices for as it reveals to us

those virtues which we are to follow, as they are the will of God; so it discovers to us those vices which we are to abstain from, as they are disagreeable to it and as it sets before us the happiness that attends the former, so it shows us the misery that must follow the latter. Hence, besides the very great mischiefs and inconveniences of sin in this world, it opens to us a much more terrible prospect of punishment in the next; so that, whenever we fail in our duty, we stand self-convicted, and have no excuse to plead for our folly and presumption.

"All Scripture is given for instruction in righteousness," that is, in every thing which it is our duty to believe and practise. And here we may observe the sufficiency of the Scriptures to guide us, and bring us to the perfection which religion requires of us, without that tradition which is so often contended for. For if the Holy Scriptures are profitable for our instruction in such righteousness as is to render us perfect, and furnish us to every good work; then tradition, such especially as the Romish Church challenges as necessary, must be superfluous and needless. It is true, indeed, for the clearing of some points of doctrine, it may be necessary to have recourse to tradition; but then it is such a tradition as has been always and in all places, universally received; but as for those doctrines which have neither Scripture, nor antiquity to support them, they ought to be looked upon as human inventions, and therefore of no authority.

Now, from what has been said, we may observe the end of God's revealing himself to mankind, as it appears from the text, "that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto every good work;" hence, that the person who is ordained to the same sacred office that Timothy was, might not be defective in any thing relating either to faith or practice. And as this is a duty incumbent upon every pastor, so it is necessary for every private Christian; and, therefore, as God has given us the Scripture as our standing rule to walk by, we ought carefully to endeavour that we understand it, and act agreeably to it; and withal to bless the good providence of God, who has not left us destitute of those means, which are "sufficient to make us wise unto salvation," and the right understanding of which will give us more pleasure and satisfaction than all knowledge we can otherwise acquire. The knowledge of antiquity, it is true, may be satisfactory to an inquisitive temper; but, alas! the more we know of it, the more we are made sensible of our own weakness and mortality. The searching into nature, and discovering those wonderful effects which it produces, is an amusement which may last for a time, and gratify our curiosity; but when we consider how little we know, and how ignorant we must be of more, and reflect that nature itself, like ourselves, is subject to decay, we shall have but little reason to value ourselves upon our discoveries. But the knowledge of Scripture leads us to such important truths, as will afford us the most sub

stantial and lasting happiness; every page of it almost is pointing out to us life, and a glorious immortality; which that we may all understand, and endeavour to attain, may God of his infinite mercy grant, through Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.

SERMON IV.

AT ST. JAMES'S.

MATTHEW vi. 33.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you..

THE words of my text are a doctrinal part of that Divine Sermon, which the gracious Shepherd and Bishop of our souls delivered on the Mount: and, indeed, it was one of the main points he there handled, and on which he chiefly insisted. And very necessary it was it should be so; for as avarice and extortion were as old as the creation, so had it peculiarly taken deep root among God's own people, the Jews, to whom this Sermon was directed. God had often warned them of it before by his prophets; and very often the tears of the orphan, and the complaints of the widow, had obtained audience in heaven against them, and drawn God's just vengeance on those notorious offenders. But as our Saviour came into the world, and took our nature upon him, not to destroy, but to render it eternally happy; so does he not frighten men by denunciation of judgments against them; but endeavours in a more sweet and obliging manner to