contained in scripture, are hard to be understood; inasmuch as the
gospel contains some mysteries which finite wisdom cannot comprehend;
and the great doctrines of the gospel, are sometimes unintelligible by
us, by reason of the ignorance and alienation of our minds from the life
of God, as well as from the imperfections of this present state, in
which we know but in part. Notwithstanding, they, who with diligence and
humility, desire, and earnestly seek after the knowledge of those truths
that are more immediately subservient to their salvation, shall find
that their labour is not lost; but in following on to know the Lord,
shall know as much of him as is necessary to their glorifying and
enjoying him, as the prophet says, _Then shall ye know if ye follow on
to know the Lord_, Hos. vi. 3. It is to be owned, that there are some
depths in scripture, that cannot be fathomed by a finite understanding;
which should tend to raise our admiration, and put us upon adoring the
unsearchable wisdom of God, as well as an humble confession that _we are
but of yesterday, and know_, comparatively, _nothing_, Job viii. 9. Yet
there are many doctrines that we may attain to a clear knowledge of, and
improve, to the glory of God, in the conduct of our lives. Thus the
prophet speaks of an _high way_, that is called _the way of holiness_;
concerning which it is said, that _way-faring men_, who walk therein,
_though fools_, that is, such as have the meanest capacity, as to other
things, _shall not err therein_, Isa. xxxv. 8. that is, they who humbly
desire the teaching of the Spirit, whereby they may be made acquainted
with the mind and will of God, shall not be led out of the way by any
thing that he has revealed to his people in his word. It is very
injurious to the sacred oracles to infer, that because some things are
hard to be understood, therefore all that read them, must necessarily
wrest them to their own destruction. And besides, the apostle does not
say, that all do so, but only those who are _unlearned and unstable_;
_unlearned_, that is, altogether unacquainted with the doctrines of the
gospel, as not making them the matter of their study and enquiry; and
_unstable_, that is, such as give way to scepticism, or they whose faith
is not built on the right foundation, but are inclined to turn aside
from the truth, with every wind of doctrine. This God’s people may hope
to be kept from, while they study the holy scriptures, and earnestly
desire to be made wise thereby unto salvation.
As to what the Papists farther allege against the common people’s being
permitted to read the scriptures, because, as they pretend, this will
make them proud, and induce them to enquire into those things that do
not belong to them, whereby they will soon think themselves wiser than
their teachers; and that it has been the occasion of all the heresies
that are in the world.
To this it may be answered, that whatever ill consequences attend a
person’s reading of scripture, these are not to be ascribed to the use,
but the abuse of it. Will any one say, that we ought to abstain from
eating and drinking, because some are guilty of excess therein, by
gluttony and drunkenness? No more ought we to abstain from reading the
scriptures, because some make a wrong use of them. But, inasmuch as it
is supposed that hereby some, through pride, will think themselves wiser
than their teachers; this, we will allow, they may do, without passing a
wrong judgment on themselves; and it is injurious treatment of mankind,
to keep the world in ignorance, that they may not detect the fallacies,
or expose the errors of those who pretend to be their guides in matters
of faith.
As to what is farther alleged, that the reading of scripture has been
the occasion of many heresies in the world, I am rather inclined to
think, that this ought to be charged on the neglect thereof, or, at
least, on their not studying them with diligence, and an humble
dependence on God for his blessing to attend it.
It may be observed, that whatever reasons are assigned for their denying
the people the liberty of reading the scriptures, these seem to carry in
them a pretence of great kindness to them, that they may not, hereby, be
led out of the way, and do themselves hurt by this means; as it is a
dangerous thing to put a knife, or a sword, into a child’s, or madman’s
hand; by which they suppose the common people to be ignorant, and would
keep them so. But, whatever reasons they assign, the true reason why
they so much oppose the reading of scripture is this, because it detects
and exposes the absurdity of many doctrines that are imbibed by them,
which will not bear to be tried by it. If they can but persuade their
votaries, that whatever is handed down by tradition, as a rule of faith,
is to be received, without the least hesitation, though contrary to the
mind of God in scripture, they are not like to meet with any opposition
from them, let them advance doctrines never so absurd, or contrary to
reason.
If it be enquired, whether they universally prohibit the reading of
scripture? It must be allowed, that the Vulgar Latin version thereof may
be read by any one that understands it, without falling under their
censure. But this they are sensible of, that the greatest part of the
common people cannot understand it; and if they do, it is so corrupt a
translation, that it seems plainly calculated to give countenance to the
errors that they advance[32]. So that it appears from their whole
management herein, that their design is to deprive mankind of the
greatest blessings which God has granted to them; and to discourage
persons from the performance of a duty, which is so absolutely necessary
to promote the interest of God and religion in the world. Therefore we
must conclude, that it is an invaluable privilege that we are not only
permitted, but commanded to read the scriptures, as translated into that
language that is generally understood by us.
And this leads us to consider the inference that is deduced from hence,
contained in the latter part of the answer which we are explaining,
_viz._ that the scriptures are to be translated out of the original into
vulgar languages. This is evident, inasmuch as reading signifies
nothing, where the words are not understood; and every private Christian
is not obliged to addict himself to the study of the languages in which
the scriptures were written; and it is, indeed, a work of so much pains
and difficulty, that few have opportunity, or inclination, to apply
themselves, to any considerable purpose, to the study thereof.
Therefore, the words of scripture must be rendered intelligible to all,
and consequently, translated into a language they understand.
This may be argued from the care of providence, that the scriptures
should be delivered, at first, to the Jews, in their own language; as
the greatest part of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, and those
few sections or chapters in Ezra and Daniel, that were written in the
Chaldee language, were not inserted till they understood that
language[33]. And, when the world generally understood the Greek tongue,
so that there was no necessity for the common people to learn it in
schools, and the Hebrew was not understood by those nations, for whom
the gospel was designed; it pleased God to deliver the New Testament in
the Greek language. So that it is beyond dispute that he intended, that
the scriptures should not only be read, but understood by the common
people. And when the gospel was sent to various nations of different
languages, the Spirit of God, by an extraordinary and miraculous
dispensation, furnished the apostles to speak to every one in their own
language, by bestowing on them the gift of tongues; which would have
been needless, if it were not necessary for persons to read or hear the
holy scriptures with understanding.
II. We are now to consider, how the word of God is to be read, that we
may understand, and improve what is contained therein to our spiritual
advantage; and in order thereunto, there are several directions given in
the latter of the answers we are explaining.
1. We must read the scriptures with an high and reverent esteem of them,
arising from a firm persuasion, that they are the word of God. That they
are so, has been proved by several arguments[34]; therefore we will
suppose them that read them, to be persuaded of the truth thereof; and
this will beget an high and reverent esteem of them. The perfections of
God, and particularly his wisdom, sovereignty, and goodness, shine forth
with equal glory in his word, as they do in any of his works; and
therefore it has a preference to all human composures; in that whatever
is revealed therein, is to be admired and depended on for its unerring
wisdom and infallible verity; so that it is impossible for them, who
understand and improve it, to be turned aside thereby, from the way of
truth. We are also to consider the use that God makes of it, to
propagate his kingdom and interest in the world. It is by this means
that he convinces men of sin, and discovers to them the way of obtaining
forgiveness of it, and victory over it, and thoroughly furnishes them
unto every good work, 2 Tim. iii. 16. For this reason the wisest and
best of men have expressed the highest esteem and value for it. The
Psalmist mentions the love he had to it, as a person that was in a
rapture; _O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day_, Psal.
cxix. 97. And elsewhere he speaks of it as _more to be desired than
gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honey
comb_, Psal. xix. 16. which argues the high veneration he had for it.
This we all ought to have; otherwise we may sometimes be tempted to read
it with prejudice, and thereby, through the corruption of our nature, be
prone to cavil at it, as we sometimes do at those writings that are
merely human, which savour of the weakness and imperfection of their
authors, and consequently, it will be impossible for us to receive any
saving advantage thereby.
2. We must, in reading the word of God, be sensible that he alone can
enable us to understand it. To read the scriptures and not understand
them, will be of no advantage to us; therefore it is supposed, that we
are endeavouring to have our minds rightly informed and furnished with
the knowledge of divine truths: But by reason of the corruption,
ignorance, and depravity of our natures, this cannot be attained without
a peculiar blessing from God attending our endeavours; therefore we
ought to glorify him, by dependence on him, for this privilege, (as
being sensible that all spiritual wisdom is from him,) if we would see a
beauty and glory in those things that are revealed therein, and be
thoroughly established in the doctrines of the gospel, so as not to be
in danger of being turned aside from them; or, especially, if we would
improve them to our being made wise unto salvation, we must consider
this as the gift of God. It is he alone who can enable us to understand
his word aright; this is evident, inasmuch as it is necessary that there
be an internal illumination, as well as an external revelation, which is
the subject-matter of our studies and enquiries. Thus our Saviour not
only repeated the words of those scriptures that concerned himself, to
the two disciples going to Emmaus; but he _opened their understandings,
that they might understand them_, Luke xxiv. 45. Without this, a person
may have the brightest parts, and most penetrating judgment in other
respects, and yet be unacquainted with the mind of God in his word, and
inclined to embrace those doctrines that are contrary to it; and
especially if God is not pleased to succeed our endeavours, we shall
remain destitute of the experimental knowledge of divine truths, which
is absolutely necessary to salvation.
3. We must read the word of God with a desire to know, believe, and obey
his will, contained therein. If we do not desire to know, or understand
the meaning of scripture, it will remain no better than a sealed book to
us; and, instead of receiving thereby, we shall be ready to entertain
prejudices against it, till we lay it aside, with the utmost dislike;
and, as the consequence thereof, we shall be utterly estranged from the
life of God, through the ignorance and vanity of our minds. We must also
read the word of God with a desire to have our faith established
thereby, that our feet may be set upon a rock, and we may be delivered
from all manner of doubts and hesitations, with respect to those
important truths which are revealed therein; and we ought to desire, not
only to believe, but yield a constant and cheerful obedience to every
thing that God requires of us therein.
4. Our reading the word of God ought to be accompanied with meditation,
and the exercise of self-denial. Our thoughts should be wholly taken up
with the subject-matter thereof, and that with the greatest intenseness,
as those who are studiously, and with the greatest earnestness, pressing
after the knowledge of those doctrines that are of the highest
importance, that our profiting herein may appear to ourselves and
others, 1 Tim. iv. 15.
As to the exercise of self-denial, all those perverse reasonings which
our carnal minds are prone to suggest against the subject-matter of
divine revelation, are to be laid aside. If we are resolved to believe
nothing but what we can comprehend, we ought to consider that the gospel
contains unsearchable mysteries, that surpass finite wisdom; therefore
we must be content to acknowledge, that we know but in part. There is a
deference to be paid to the wisdom of God, that eminently appears in
every thing which he has discovered to us in his word; so that we must
adore the divine perfections that are displayed therein, whilst we
retain an humble sense of the imperfection of our own knowledge. Our
reason is not to be considered as useless; but we must desire that it
may be sanctified, and inclined to receive whatever God is pleased to
impart. We are also to exercise the grace of self-denial, with respect
to the obstinacy of our wills; whereby they are naturally disinclined to
acquiesce in, approve of, and yield obedience to the law of God, so that
we may be entirely satisfied, that every thing that he commands in his
word, is holy, just, and good.
5. The word of God is to be read with fervent prayer; as the apostle
says, _If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all
men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him_, James i.
5. The advantage we expect hereby, is as was before observed, his gift;
and therefore we are humbly to supplicate him for it. There are many
things in his word that are hard to be understood; therefore we ought to
say, whenever we take the scriptures into, our hands, as the Psalmist
does, _Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy
law_, Psal. cxix. 18. We may, in this case, humbly acknowledge the
weakness of our capacities and the blindness of our minds, which renders
it necessary for us to desire to be instructed by him, in the way of
truth. We may also plead, that his design in giving us this word, was,
that it may be a lamp to our feet, and a light to our paths; therefore
we dread the thoughts of walking in darkness, when there is such a clear
discovery of those things which are so glorious and necessary to be
known. We may also plead, that our Lord Jesus is revealed to his people
as the prophet of his church; and that whatever office he is invested
with, he delights to execute it, as his glory is concerned therein;
therefore we trust, and hope that he will lead us, by his Spirit into
his truth. We may also plead the impossibility of our attaining the
knowlege of divine things, without his assistance; and how much it would
redound to his glory, as well as our own comfort and advantage, if he
will be pleased to lead us into the saving knowlege of the truth, as it
is in him: This we cannot but importunately desire, as being sensible of
the sad consequences of our being destitute of it; inasmuch as we should
remain in darkness, though favoured with the light of the gospel.
6. The word of God is to be read with diligence and attention to the
matter and scope thereof. We have hitherto been directed in this answer,
to apply ourselves to the reading of scripture, with that frame of
spirit which becometh Christians, who desire to know the mind and will
of God therein, viz. that we ought to have our minds disengaged from
those prejudices which would hinder our receiving any advantage from it,
and to exercise those graces that the nature and importance of the duty
requires; that we ought to depend upon God, and address ourselves to him
by faith and prayer for the knowlege of those divine truths contained
therein. But, in this last head, we are led to speak of some other
methods conducive to our understanding the scriptures; which are the
effects of diligence and attendance to the sense of the words thereof,
and the scope and design of them.
This being an useful head, I shall take occasion to enlarge on it more
than I have done on the former, and to add some other things, which may
serve as a farther means to direct us, how we may read the scriptures
with understanding. I might here observe, that they who are well
acquainted with the languages in which they were written, and are able
to make just remarks on the words, phrases, and particles used therein,
some of which cannot be expressed in another language without losing
much of their native beauty and significancy, these have certainly the
advantage of all others: But since this cannot be done by the greatest
part of mankind, who are strangers to the Greek and Hebrew languages;
they must have recourse to some other helps for the attaining this
valuable end. And in order thereunto,
(1.) It will be of great use for them to consult those expositions,
which we have of the whole, or some particular parts of scripture; of
which some are more large, others concise; some critical, others
practical. I shall forbear making any remarks tending to depreciate the
performance of some, or extol the judgment of others; only this must be
observed, that many have passed over some difficulties of scripture,
which omission has given a degree of disgust to the more inquisitive
part of Christians: But this may be attributed in some instances, to a
commendable modesty, which we find not only in those that have written
in our own, but in other languages; whereby they tacitly confess, either
that they could not solve the difficulty; or, that it was better to
leave it undetermined, than to attempt a solution, which, at best, would
amount to little more than a probable conjecture. It may also be
observed, that others, who have commented on scripture, seem to be
prepossessed with a particular scheme of doctrine, which, if duly
considered, is not very defensible; and they are obliged, sometimes, to
strain the sense thereof, that it may appear to speak agreeably to their
own sentiments; however, their expositions, in other respects, may be
used with great advantage.
To this we may add, that the word preached, being designed to lead us
into the knowledge of scripture-doctrines, we ought to attend upon, and
improve it, as a means conducive thereto, and to bless God for the great
helps and advantages we have to attain it; but more of this will be
considered under some following answers relating to the preaching and
hearing the word:[35] therefore we proceed to consider,
(2.) That we ought to make the best use we can of those translations of
scripture, that we have in our own language; which, if we compare
together, we shall find, not only that the style in which one is
written, differs from that of another, agreeably to the respective times
in which they were written; but they differ very much in the sense they
give of many places of scripture; which may easily be accounted for from
the various acceptations of the same Hebrew or Greek word, as may be
observed in all other languages; and there are other difficulties
relating to the propriety of translating some particular phrases, or the
various senses in which several particles made use of, are to be
understood. However, by comparing these translations together, they who
are unacquainted with the original, will be sometimes led into a sense
more agreeable to the context and the analogy of faith, by one of them,
than by another. But we will suppose the English reader to confine
himself to the translation that is generally used by us; which, as it
cannot be supposed to be of equal authority with the original, nor yet
so perfect, as that it is impossible to be corrected, as to every word
or phrase contained therein; yet I would be far from taking occasion
from hence to depreciate it, or say any thing that may stagger the faith
of any, as though we were in danger of being led aside thereby, from the
way of truth, as some have pretended, who plead for the necessity of a
new translation of the Bible; whereas it is much to be feared, that if
any such thing should be attempted, it would deviate more from the sense
of the Holy Ghost, than that which we now have, and have reason to bless
God for, which, I cannot but think, comes as near the original as most
that are extant. We shall therefore consider how this may be used to the
best advantage, for our understanding the mind of God therein. And here
we shall observe,
[1.] That there is another translation of words referred to in the
margin of our Bibles; which will sometimes give very great light to the
sense of the text, and appear more emphatical, and rather to be
acquiesced in. I shall give a short specimen of some texts of scripture,
that may be illustrated this way; in which the marginal reading differs
from the words it refers to: Thus it is said, in Job iv. 18. _He put no
trust in his servants, and his angels he charged folly_: In the margin,
it is observed, that the words may be read, _He put no trust in his
servants, nor in his angels in whom he put light_; which denotes the
excellency of their nature, and the wisdom with which they are endowed:
Nevertheless, God put no trust in them, not having thought fit to make
use of them in creating the world, nor committing the government thereof
to them.
Again, in Isaiah liii. 3. it is said, _We hid, as it were, our faces
from him_, speaking of our Saviour; but in the margin, it is, _He hid,
as it were, his face from us_; which implies, that, as he bore our
grief, so he was charged with our guilt; and accordingly is represented,
as having his face covered, as an emblem hereof; or else it denotes his
concealing or veiling his glory, as he, who was really in the form of
God, appeared in the form of a servant.
Again, in Jer. xlii. 20. the prophet reproving the people, says, _Ye
dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the Lord your God,
saying, Pray for us_; but, in the margin, it is, _You have used deceit
against your souls_; which contains a farther illustration of the sense
of the words; as it not only denotes their hypocrisy, but the
consequence thereof, to wit, their destruction; which agrees very well
with the threatning denounced in verse 22. that they should _die by the
sword, the famine, and by the pestilence_. And the same prophet in chap.
x. 14. speaking of idolaters, says, _Every man is brutish in his
knowlege_; but in the margin it is, _Every man is more brutish than to
know_; in which their stupidity is rather assigned to their ignorance
than their knowlege.
Again, in Zechariah xii. 5. it is said in the text, _The governors of
Judah shall say in their hearts, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be
my strength in the Lord of hosts their God_; but in the margin it is,
_The governors of Judah shall say, There is strength to me, and to the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, in the Lord of hosts_; and this reading seems
more agreeable to what follows; which contains several promises of
deliverance and salvation, which God would work for the inhabitants of
Jerusalem; So that we are not to suppose them saying, _Jerusalem shall
be our strength_; but, the _Lord of hosts_, who is a safe-guard to it,
as well as to the governors of Judah.
Again, in Acts xvii. 23. it is said in the text, _As I passed by, and
beheld your devotions_; but, in the margin it is, _The gods whom you
worship_, or, the things ye pay divine honour to; which is very
agreeable to the context, and the design of the apostle therein. Again,
in chap. xxii. 29. it is said in the text, _that they departed from him,
which should have examined him_, meaning Paul, in the margin it is,
_tortured him_; which is agreeable to the Roman custom of scourging, and
thereby tormenting one that was under examination for supposed crimes.
Again, in Gal. i. 14. the apostle says, _I profited in the Jews
religion, above many my equals_; in the margin it is, _My equals in
years_; which seems much more agreeable to the apostle’s design.
Again, in Heb. ii. 7. it is said in the text, _Thou madest him_, viz.
our Saviour, _a little lower than the angels_; in the margin it is, _A
little while inferior to them_; as referring to his state of
humiliation; which continued comparatively, but a little while.