SERM. clare on our Side, and speak what they II. never intended, is fighting against God, and doing Violence to the Holy Spirit. And of this every one is guilty, who comes to those Writings with Prejudice and Prepoffeffion. He gives a Law to the Scriptures, instead of making them theRule of his Faith and Actions. He is defirous that fome beloved Opinion fhould be true, and is therefore determined to find it there written; or he is unwilling to part with fome fayourite Sin, and therefore refolves to find no Law against it. Be the Precept never fo plain, he has ftill fome Diftinction in Reserve, which avoids its Force, and eludes its Meaning. This is a Vice of the greater Danger to us, because it flides infenfibly into our Mind, and often prevails there moft, when it is leaft perceived. He is happieft who is leaft enflaved; for I am afraid no one is wholly free, and out of its Power. Who II. Who is there who does not incline SERM. one Way or the other, and would not be glad that this or that Side of the Question was true, antecedently to the Confideration of any Law, or Reason, to determine his Judgment? Who is there that does not take up fomething without Ground, and upon Truft; which, because he has once efpoused, he is refolved at all Adventures afterwards to maintain? To a Man thus prepoffeffed, it happens well if by Chance he is in the Right; for if it be otherwise, he is hardly to be reclaimed; in every Line he reads he finds fomething that founds like an Argument for his Caufe, and favours his Opinion; and when the Scales are held thus partially uneven, the flightest Probabilities have the Weight of Demonftration. Thus large and abfolute is the Dominion of Prejudice. And what is ftill the worst Circumftance of this Disease, the Infection is found moft, where it leaft SERM. leaft of all fhould appear, in the En II. quiries of Religion. With what Obftinacy may we fee the Heretick perfift in his Miftake! And how unwillingly is he brought to retract what he has once afferted! With what Shifts and Evafions will he put by the Evidence of Truth! And what weak Preténces will he lay hold of to maintain an Opinion he has undertaken to defend! And even at last, when he can fupport it no longer by Argument, he is often as far from owning his Error as before; he will hold out against the cleareft Light, and refift even Conviction itself. But this is a Temper which muft unavoidably deprive us of all the Advantages of our Reading and Application; and how far foever we are under the Dominion of this Passion, so far we are unqualified for the Study of the holy Scriptures. To thefe Qualifications I will add but one Thing more as neceffary, and that is, fervent Prayer to Almighty God, that he he would affift our Applications with SERM. his holy Spirit, that he open our Un- II. derstanding, enlighten our Ignorance, and lead us into the Knowledge of his Truth; and give us Grace that we may in fuch wife hear, mark, learn, and inwardly digest his holy Word, that the Fruit of them may appear in an Orthodox Faith, and a regular Practice of all Chriftian Graces. But there is still one Thing farther, the Apostle recommends to us in the Words of my Text; and that is, 4thly. An early Education in this Study. The firft Advantage I fhall mention, of being applied to this Study when we are Children, is, that then we generally read under the Direction of a Guide, who can explain the Doctrines, recommend the Precepts, preferve us from Error, and encourage us in Duty. For tho' God has appointed the Minifters of his Word to be as Fountains SERM. tains of Knowledge, for the Recourfe II. of his People, to be at all Times ready to affift their Ignorance, in whatever Difficulties may occur to them in the Study of these Oracles; yet when Men are arrived to the Age of Manhood, they are either too much ashamed to own their Ignorance, to apply for these Affiftances, or too confident of their own Abilities to believe they want them; it is therefore of great Advantage to us to be inured to these Directions, when the Mind is humble and modeft, and disposed to receive and obey Inftruction. But the Happiness of an early Education in this Knowledge will more diftinctly appear, if we confider its Tendency to qualify us with those Difpofitions I have recommended, as neceffary to give Succefs to this Study. And, ift, What we apply ourselves to in our early Years, will particularly engage our Attention. The firft Paffions that |