19. Chapter VI.

Chapter VI. The Scripture as a means of sacred illumination The work of the Holy Spirit in the composing and disposal of the Scripture as a means of sacred illumination — The perspicuity of the Scripture for understanding the mind of God, declared and vindicated.

There is yet another part of the work of the Holy Spirit with respect to the illumination of our minds, which must also be inquired into. And this concerns the Scripture itself; for he has so given out and so disposed of this, that it should be a moral way or means for communicating divine revelations to the minds of men. For this also is an effect of his infinite wisdom and care of the church. Designing to enlighten our minds with the knowledge of God, he prepared apt instruments for that end. Therefore, what we will declare under this head of our discourse is that, The Holy Spirit of God has prepared and disposed of the Scripture so that it might be a most sufficient and absolutely perfect way and means of communicating to our minds, that saving knowledge of God and his will which is needful that we may live to him, and come to the enjoyment of him in his glory. And here various things must be observed.

First.292 The Holy Spirit has not reduced and disposed the doctrines or supernatural truths in the Scripture into any system, order, or method. But the principal ones are disposed into such a method in our catechisms and systems of divinity, creeds, and confessions of faith. Because the doctrinal truths of the Scripture have a mutual respect to and dependence on one another, they may be disposed into such an order to help the understandings and memories of men. There is, indeed, in some of the epistles of Paul, especially that to the Romans, a methodical disposition of the most important doctrines of the gospel, and the best methods of our teaching are borrowed from there. But in the whole Scripture, there is no such thing aimed at. It is not distributed into common places, nor are all things concerning the same truth methodically disposed under the same head; but its contexture and frame are of quite another nature. From this consideration, some think they have an advantage to charge the Scripture with obscurity, and to maintain that it was never intended to be such a revelation of doctrines as to be the rule of our faith.

"If it had been so, the truths to be believed would have been proposed in some order to us, like a creed or confession of faith, so that we might at once have had a view of them and been acquainted with them; but because they are now left to be gathered out of a collection of histories, prophecies, prayers, songs, letters or epistles, such as the Bible is composed of, they are difficult to find, hard to understand, and never to be perfectly learned."

Doubtless, the way fancied would have been excellent if God had designed to effect in us only an artificial or methodical faith and obedience. But if we have a due regard for the use of the Scripture and the ends of God in this, there is no weight in this objection; for —

1. It is evident that the whole of it consists in the advancement of men’s own apprehensions and imaginations against the will and wisdom of God. It is a sufficient reason to prove that this is the absolutely best way for the disposal of divine revelations, because God has made use of this and no other. Indeed, one is reported to have said that if he had been present at the creation of the universe, he would have disposed some things into a better order than what they are in! For "vain man would be wise, though he is born like the wild ass’s colt." Job 11:12 Thoughts that the revelations of supernatural truths might have been disposed of otherwise, with respect to the end of God, than as they are in the Scripture, are no wiser or better. God does not put such value on men’s accurate methods as men may imagine them to deserve; nor are they so subservient to His ends in the revelation of himself as men are apt to fancy.

Indeed, often when men have brought truths to the strictest propriety of expression (they suppose), they lose both their power and their glory. Hence the world is filled with so many lifeless, sapless, graceless, artificial declarations of divine truth in the schoolmen and others. We may sooner squeeze water out of a pumice-stone, than one drop of spiritual nourishment out of those. But how many millions of souls have received divine light and consolation, suited to their condition, in those occasional occurrences of truth which they meet with in the Scripture, which they would never have obtained in those "wise" artificial disposals of them which some men would fancy! Truths have their power and efficacy upon our minds, not only from themselves, but from their posture in the Scripture. There they are placed in such aspects towards, and in such conjunctions with one another, that their influences on our minds greatly depend on it. The one who would part with any one truth out of its proper place where the Holy Spirit has disposed and fixed it, is no wise man, nor is he exercised in those things. The psalmist says of God’s testimonies, that they are "the men of my counsel," Psalms 119:24; and no man will choose a counsellor whose entire wisdom consists in sayings and rules cast into a certain order and method. He alone is a good counsellor who, out of the largeness and wisdom of his own heart and mind, can give advice according to all present occasions and circumstances. Such counsellors are the testimonies of God. Artificial methodizing of spiritual truths may make men ready in notions, cunning and subtle in disputations; but it is the Scripture itself that is able to "make us wise unto salvation." 2 Timothy 3:15

2. In writing and composing the holy Scripture, the Spirit of God had respect to the various states and conditions of the church. It was not given for the use of one age or one season only, but for all generations — a guide in faith and obedience from the beginning of the world to the end of it. And the state of the church was not always to be the same, either in light, knowledge, or worship. God had so disposed of things in the eternal counsel of his will, that it would be carried on to its perfect estate by various degrees of divine revelation. The revelation of his mind in the Scripture is subservient and suited to this, Hebrews 1:1. If all divine truths had been stated and fixed in a system of doctrines from the first, then the state of the church must always have been the same; which was contrary to the whole design of divine wisdom in those things.

3. Such a systematic proposal of doctrines, truths, or articles of faith as some require, would not have answered the great ends of the Scripture itself. All that can be supposed of benefit by it, is that it would lead us more easily into a methodical comprehension of the truths so proposed. But we may attain this, and yet not be rendered one jot more like God by it. The principal end of the Scripture is of another nature. It is to produce faith, fear, obedience, and reverence of God in the minds of men — to make them holy and righteous. And for those who have various weaknesses, temptations, and inclinations to the contrary, these must be obviated and subdued by it. To this end, every truth is disposed of in the Scripture as it ought to be. If any expect that the Scripture should be written in respect to opinions, notions, and speculations, to render men skilful and cunning in them, or able to talk and dispute about all things and about nothing, they are mistaken. It is given to us to make us humble, holy, and wise in spiritual things; to direct us in our duties; to relieve us against temptations; to comfort us under troubles; to make us love God and live to him, in all that variety of circumstances, occasions, temptations, trials, and duties which we are called to in this world. To this end, there is a more glorious power and efficacy in one epistle, one psalm, one chapter, than in all the writings of men (though they have their use also). He that has not experienced this, is a stranger to the power of God in the Scripture. Sometimes the design and scope of the place, sometimes the related circumstances, but mostly that spirit of wisdom and holiness which evidences itself in the whole, effectively influences our minds. Indeed, sometimes an occasional passage in a story, a word or expression, will contribute more to excite faith and love in our souls than a volume of learned disputations. It does not argue, syllogize, or allure the mind; but it enlightens, persuades, and constrains the soul to faith and obedience. This is what it is prepared for and suited to.

4. The disposition of divine revelations in the Scripture is also subservient to other ends of the wisdom of God towards the church. Some of them may be named:

(1.) To render useful and necessary the great ordinance of the ministry. God has not designed to instruct and save his church by any one outward ordinance only. The ways and means of doing good to us, so that all may issue in his own eternal glory, are known to infinite wisdom only. The institution of the whole series and complex of divine ordinances is not to be accounted for other than by regard and submission to this. Who can deny that God might have instructed, sanctified, and saved us, without the use of some or all of those institutions which he has obliged us to? His infinitely wise will is the only reason for these things. And he will have every one of his appointments on which he has put his name, honored. Such is the ministry. As a means, this is not coordinate with the Scripture, but subservient to it. And the great end of it is that those who are called to this ministry, and are furnished with gifts for discharging it, might diligently "search the Scriptures," and teach others the mind of God revealed in it.

It was, I say, the will of God that the church should ordinarily be always under the conduct of such a ministry. And it is his will that those who are called to this ministry should be furnished with specific spiritual gifts for finding out and declaring the truths that are treasured up in the Scripture, to all the ends of divine revelation. See Ephesians 4:11-16; 2Tim 3.14-17.293 The Scripture, therefore, is such a revelation that it supposes and makes necessary this ordinance of the ministry, in which and by which God will also be glorified. And it would be well if the nature and duties of this office were better understood than they seem to be. God has accommodated the revelation of himself in the Scripture with respect to its ministers. Those by whom the due discharge of this office is despised or neglected, sin greatly against the authority, wisdom, and love of God. And those by whom this office is assumed, but not rightly understood or duly improved, do no less. But it may be objected,

"Why did the Holy Ghost not dispose of all things so plainly in the Scripture that every individual person might have attained the knowledge of them without the use of this ministry?"

I answer — It is a proud and foolish thing to inquire about any of the reasons for the ways and works of God antecedent to his own will. "He works all things according to the counsel of his own will," Ephesians 1:11; and we are to acquiesce in this. Yet we may see the wisdom of what he has done, in such as these —

1. He would glorify his own power, in working great effects by vile, weak means, 1 Corinthians 3:7; 2Cor 4.7.294 2. He did it to magnify his Son Jesus Christ in the communication of spiritual gifts, Acts 2:33; Eph 4.8, 11, 12.295

3. To show that in and by the work of his grace, he did not design to destroy or contradict the faculties of our nature, which he created at first. He would work on them, and work a change in them, by means that are suited to their constitution and nature; this is done in the ministry of the word, 2Cor 5.18-20.296

(2.) The disposition of the Scripture respects the duty of all believers in the exercise of their faith and obedience. They know that all their light and direction, all their springs of spiritual strength and consolation, are treasured up in the Scripture. But in the unspeakable variety of their occasions, they do not know where every particular provision for these ends is stored. Hence it is their duty to meditate upon the word day and night; to "seek wisdom as for silver, and to search for it as for hidden treasures," so that they may "understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God," Proverbs 2:3-5. And this being a duty to which the exercise of all graces is required, they are all improved by it. The soul which is hereby engaged to constant converse with God, will thrive more in that which is the proper end of the Scripture — namely, "the fear of the Lord," — than it could under any other kind of teaching.

(3.) A continual search into the whole Scripture, without a neglect of any part of it, is hereby rendered necessary. And hereby our souls are prepared on all occasions, and influenced in the whole course of our obedience. For the whole and every part of the word is blessed to our good, according to the prayer of our Savior, "Sanctify them through your truth: your word is truth," John 17:17. There is power put forth in and by every part and parcel of it, to our sanctification. And there is such a distribution of useful truths throughout the whole, that everywhere we may meet with what is prepared for us and suited to our condition. To me, it is no small argument for the divine origin of the Scripture, and for God’s presence in it, that there is no thought of our hearts with respect to the proper end of the Scripture — that is, to our living to God so as to come to the enjoyment of him — that we will not find, at one time or other, a due adjustment of our heart in it, in one place or another. No frame can befall the hearts of believers as to spiritual things, whether it relates to their thriving or decay, unless there is a disposition of spiritual provision for it. Often, when we least look for it, we will then find it opening itself. Powerful instructions, as to our practice, often arise out of circumstances, occasional words, and expressions. All of this argues for an infinite wisdom in their provision, to which every future occurrence was in open view from eternity, and a present divine efficacy in the word’s application of itself to our souls. How often, in reading it, we meet with and are surprised, as it were, with gracious words that enlighten, quicken, comfort, endear, and engage our souls! How often we find sin wounded, grace encouraged, faith excited, love inflamed — and all this is done in that endless variety of inward frames and outward occasions which we are liable to! I will say with confidence that someone who is capable of fancying that divine revelations might have been disposed to more advantage with respect to living to God, was never acquainted with the excellence of the Scripture, with its power and efficacy, in any holy experience. And these things are sufficient to remove the objection mentioned before.

Secondly. The Holy Spirit has so disposed of the Scripture that the mind of God in all things concerning our faith and obedience, in the knowledge of which our illumination consists, is clearly revealed in this. No other argument is needed to prove that nothing belongs to our religion that is not revealed or appointed in the Scripture. No other argument is needed to prove that any truth that it is not clearly revealed in the Scripture, is not indispensably necessary to our faith or obedience. But in this assertion we must take along with us these two suppositions:

1. That we look at and receive the Scripture not as the word of men, but indeed, as the word of the living God. We may be mistaken if we look for that perspicuity and dearness in the expression of divine revelation, which men endeavor to give to the declaration of their minds in natural things. They do this by artificial methods and order, by applying words and terms that are invented and disposed of on purpose, in order to accommodate what is said, to the common notions and reasonings of men. Nor would it have suited divine wisdom and authority to make use of such methods, ways, or arts. There is that plainness and perspicuity in the Scripture, which suit the holy, wise God to make use of; whose words are to be received with reverence, with submission of mind and conscience to his authority, and with fervent prayer that we may understand his mind, and do his will. Thus all things are made plain to the lowliest capacity. Yet it is not so plain that, if the wisest and most learned do not see the characteristics of infinite divine wisdom on things that seem most obvious and most exposed to vulgar apprehension, they have no true wisdom in them. In those very fords and apparent shallows of this river of God where the lamb may wade, the elephant may swim. Everything in the Scripture is so plain that the lowliest believer may understand all that belongs to his duty, or is necessary to his happiness. Yet nothing is so plain that the wisest of them all will have no reason to adore the depths and stores of divine wisdom in it. All apprehensions of the obscurity of the Scripture arise from one of these two causes:

(1.) That the minds of men are prepossessed with opinions, dogmas, principles, and practices in religion, received by tradition from their fathers; or they have vehement and corrupt inclinations to such ways, practices, and opinions, that suit their carnal reason and interest. It is no wonder if such persons conceive that the Scripture is dark and obscure. For they can neither find in it what they most desire, nor can they understand what is revealed in it, because it is opposite to their prejudices, affections, and interests. The design of the Scripture is to destroy that frame of mind in them which they would have established; no man is to look for light in the Scripture in order to countenance his own darkness.

(2.) It will appear obscure to all men who come to reading and studying it in the mere strength of their own natural abilities; and it may be on this account that some have considered St. Paul as one of the obscurest writers they ever read.

Thus, just as a book written in Greek or Hebrew must be obscure to those who have no skill in these languages, so the Scripture will be obscure to all who are unfurnished with those spiritual preparations which are required for the right understanding of it; for —

2. When we assert the clearness and perspicuity of the Scripture, it is supposed that, for understanding it, use is made of that aid and assistance of the Spirit of God which we are discussing. Without this, the clearest revelations of divine supernatural things will appear wrapped up in darkness and obscurity: not for lack of light in them, but for lack of light in us. Therefore, by asserting the necessity of supernatural illumination for the right understanding of divine revelation, we in no way impeach the perspicuity of the Scripture. All things in which our faith and obedience are concerned, are clearly declared in it. However, when all is done, "the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, nor can he know them," 1 Corinthians 2:14 until the eyes of his understanding are enlightened.

3. The Holy Spirit has so disposed the Scripture that, notwithstanding that perspicuity which is in the whole with respect to its proper end, in various parts or passages of it there are —

(1.) some things "hard to be understood;" 2 Peter 3:16 and, (2.) some things "hard to be uttered, or interpreted." Hebrews 5:11 The former are the things themselves, which are hard in their own nature; the latter are hard from the manner of their declaration.

(1.) In the Scripture there are things that are deep, wonderful, mysterious. In their own nature, they absolutely exceed the whole compass of our understanding or reason, as to a full and perfect comprehension of them. Nor should it to be strange to anyone that various divine revelations should be about things that are incomprehensible in their own nature; for as to us, many earthly and natural things are incomprehensible, as David affirms concerning the forming of our natures in the womb, Psalms 139:5-6; Psalms 139:14-16. And our Savior assures us that heavenly things are much more above our comprehension than earthly, John 3:12. These include things such as the Trinity, or the subsistence of one single divine nature in three persons; the incarnation of Christ, or the assumption of our human nature into personal union and subsistence with the Son of God; the eternal decrees of God, their nature, order, causes, and effects; the resurrection of the dead; the manner of the operations of the Holy Spirit in forming the new creature in us, and various others. Our rational faculties in their utmost improvement in this world, under the highest advantage they are capable of by spiritual light and grace, are still not able by all their searchings, to find out the Almighty to perfection in these things.297 And in all disputes about the light of glory — such as whether we will be able to behold the essence of God by it, or discern the depths of the mystery of the incarnation, and the like — men only "darken counsel by words without knowledge;" Job 38:2 they talk of what they neither do nor can understand. Yet the wisdom of the Holy Spirit has provided, in these two ways, that we will not suffer from our own weakness:

[1.] In that, whatever is necessary for us to believe concerning these things, it is plainly and clearly revealed in the Scripture and that revelation is declared in propositions and expressions that are obvious to our understandings. The one who thinks we can believe nothing as to its truth except what we can comprehend as to its nature, overthrows all faith, and reason also. Propositions may be clear to us in their sense, when their subject-matter is incomprehensible. For instance, consider the incarnation of the Son of God, and the hypostatic union of the divine and human natures in this; it is a thing above our reason and comprehension. But it is plainly asserted and declared in the Scripture that "the Word, which was God, and was with God," was "made flesh;" John 1:1; John 1:14 that "God was manifest in the flesh;" 1 Timothy 3:16 that "the Son of God was made of a woman, made under the law;" Galatians 4:4 that "he took on him the seed of Abraham;" Hebrews 2:16 that "he came from the Jews according to the flesh," and "is over all, God blessed forever;" Romans 9:5 and that "God redeemed his church with his own blood."Revelation 5:9 Thus this great matter is plainly and perspicuously declared and expressed to us, as it is proposed to be believed, and as it is the object of our faith. If anyone now says he will not believe that this is the sense of these expressions, which the words plainly and undeniably manifest it to be (and they are incapable of any other sense or construction), and this is because he cannot understand or comprehend the thing itself which it signifies — then plainly he is saying that he will believe nothing on the authority and veracity of God revealing it, but he will only believe what he can comprehend by his own reason; this is to overthrow all divine faith. The reason of our believing, if we believe at all, is God’s revelation of the truth, and not our understanding of the nature of the things revealed. Our faith is resolved into this, when our reason does not reach the nature and existence of the things themselves. And it is the work of the Spirit to bring into captivity to the obedience of the faith, every thought that might arise from our ignorance, or from the impotency of our minds to comprehend the things that are to be believed.2 Corinthians 10:4 And that new religion of Socinianism, which pretends to reduce everything to reason, is wholly built on the most irrational principle that ever befell the minds of men. It is this alone: "What we cannot comprehend in divine and infinite things, as to their own nature, we are not to believe in their revelation." On this ground alone, men of that persuasion reject the doctrine of the Trinity, the incarnation of the Son of God, the resurrection of the dead, and like mysteries of faith. Whatever testimony the Scripture gives to them, they profess that they will not believe them because their reason cannot comprehend them — this is a wild and irrational principle which leads to atheism, seeing that the being of God itself is absolutely incomprehensible.

[2.] That degree of knowledge which we can attain in and about these things is in every way sufficient with respect to the end of the revelation itself. If they were so proposed to us that, if we could not fully comprehend them, we would have no benefit or advantage by them, then the revelation itself would be lost, and the end of God would be frustrated in this. But it could not suit divine wisdom and goodness, to make such propositions to us. For this defect does not arise from any blamable depravation of our nature as corrupted, but from the very essence and being of that nature as created — for being finite and limited, it cannot perfectly comprehend infinite things. But whatever believers are able to attain, in that variety of the degrees of knowledge which in their several circumstances they attain, it is sufficient to the end to which it is designed. That is, it is sufficient to ingenerate, cherish, increase, and preserve faith, and love, and reverence, with holy obedience in them, in such a way and manner that it will assuredly bring them to the end of all supernatural revelation in the enjoyment of God.

(2.) There are some things in the Scripture that are "hard to be interpreted;" not from the nature of the things revealed, but from the manner of their revelation. Such are many allegories, parables, mystical stories, allusions, unfulfilled prophecies and predictions, references to the then present customs, persons, and places, computation of times, genealogies, the meaning of some single words that are seldom or only once used in the Scripture, or the names of various birds and beasts that are unknown to us. The difficulty such things have, is from the manner of their declaration. It is hard to find out — and in some instances it may be impossible to find out with any determinate certainty — the proper, genuine sense of them in the places where they occur. But in this also, we have relief provided in the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, in giving the whole Scripture for our instruction, against any disadvantage to our faith or obedience; for —

[1.] Whatever is so delivered in any place, if it is important for us to know and believe, as to the ends of divine revelation, it is unveiled and plainly declared in some other place or places. Thus we may say of it, as the disciples said to our Savior, "Lo, now he speaks plainly, and not in parables." John 16:29

There can be no instance given of any obscure place or passage in the Scripture, concerning which a man may rationally suppose or conjecture that there is any doctrinal truth requiring our obedience contained in it, which is not explained elsewhere. And there may be several reasons why the Holy Spirit chose to express his mind at any time in ways that had so much obscurity attending them:

1st. As for types, allegories, mystical stories, and obscure predictions, he made use of them under the Old Testament on purpose, to draw a veil over the things signified in them, or the truths taught by them. For the church was not yet to be acquainted with the clear knowledge of the things concerning Jesus Christ and his mediation. They did not have a perfect image of the things themselves, but only an obscure shadow or representation of the good things to come, Hebrews 10:1. To have a full and clear revelation of all divine truths given to them, would have cast into disorder the whole design of God for the various states of the church, and the accomplishment of the great work of his grace and love. It was not hard, then, for the church to be taught of old in types and allegories. But it was much grace and mercy that through these, the light of the Sun of Righteousness so far beamed on them, that it enabled them comfortably to wait "until the day breaks and the shadows flee away," Song of Solomon 4:6. The fullness and glory of the revelation of grace and truth was reserved for Jesus Christ. God did them no wrong, but reserved "better things for us," Hebrews 11:40.

2dly. Whatever seems yet to be continued under any obscurity of revelation, is so continued for the exercise of our faith, diligence, humility, and dependence on God, in our inquiries into them. And suppose we do not always attain precisely the proper and particular intent of the Holy Spirit in them — as we can never search out his mind to perfection —there are still so many and great advantages to be obtained by the due exercise of those graces in the study of the word, that we cannot be losers by any difficulties we can meet with. The rule in this case is that we affix no sense to any obscure or difficult passage of Scripture, than what is materially true and consonant with other express and plain testimonies. For men to raise peculiar senses from such places, that are not confirmed elsewhere, is a dangerous curiosity.

3dly. As to various prophecies of future revolutions in the church and the world, like those in the Revelation, there was an indispensable necessity to give them in the obscure allegorical expressions and representations in which we find them. For I could easily manifest that, as the clear and determinate declaration of future events in plain historical expressions is contrary to the nature of prophecy, so in this case it would have been a means of bringing confusion on the works of God in the world, and of turning all men out of the way of their obedience. Their present revelation is sufficient to guide the faith and regulate the obedience of the church, so far as they are concerned in them.

4thly. Some things are disposed in the Scripture on purpose, so that evil, perverse, and proud men may stumble and fall at them, or be further hardened in their unbelief and obstinacy. So our Lord Jesus Christ affirms that he spoke to the stubborn Jews in parables that they might not understand.Matthew 13:13 And because "there must be heresies, so that those who are approved may be recognized," 1 Corinthians 11:19; and some are "of old ordained to this condemnation," Jude 1:4; some things are so declared, that proud, perverse, and wrangling spirits may take occasion from them to "wrest them to their own destruction." 2 Peter 3:16 The truths of Christ, as well as his person, are appointed to be a "stone of stumbling and a rock of offense," 1 Peter 2:8 indeed, "a gin and a snare" to many.Isaiah 8:14 But humble, teachable believers are not concerned with this.Matthew 13:11

[2.] The Holy Spirit has given us relief in this matter, by supplying us with a rule of the interpretation of Scripture which, while we sincerely attend to it, we are in no danger of sinfully corrupting the word of God, even if we do not arrive at its proper meaning in every particular place. And this rule is the analogy or "proportion of faith." 298 "Let him that prophesies," says the apostle — that is, who expounds the Scripture in the church — "do it according to the proportion of faith," Romans 12:6. And this analogy or "proportion of faith" is what is taught plainly and uniformly in the whole Scripture as the rule of our faith and obedience. When men engage their inquiries into the parts of the Scripture that are mystical, allegorical, or prophetic, aiming to find out, maybe, things that are new and curious — without a constant regard for this analogy of faith — it is no wonder if they wander out of the way, and err concerning the truth, as many have done on that occasion. And I cannot help but declare my detestation of those bold and curious conjectures in which many have indulged themselves on obscure passages in the Scripture, without any regard for the rule of prophecy. But now, suppose a man brings no preconceived sense or opinion of his own to such places, seeking countenance for it from others (which is the bane of all interpretation of the Scripture).

Suppose he comes in some measure prepared with the spiritual qualifications mentioned before. And in all his inquiries he has a constant due regard for the analogy of faith, so as not to allow any sense which interferes with what is plainly declared elsewhere. Such a person will not miss the mind of the Holy Spirit; or if he does, he will assuredly be preserved from any hurtful danger in his mistakes. For there is that mutual relation, one to another, yes, that mutual in-being of all divine truths, in their proposal and revelation in the Scripture, that every one of them, in a way, is in every place — if not properly and particularly, yet by consequence and coherence. Therefore, although a man misses the first proper sense of any obscure place of Scripture, which we ought to aim at with all our diligence, so long as he receives only what contains a truth that is agreeable to what is revealed in other places, the error of his mind does not endanger his own faith or obedience, nor those of any others.

[3.] For those things which are particularly difficult, such as genealogies, chronological computations of time, and the like, which are incidental to the design of the Scripture, those who are able so to do may exercise themselves in this, for their own edification or that of others. But the consideration of them in particular, may be safely omitted by all others. And these are the heads of the work of the Holy Spirit on our minds and on the Scriptures, considered distinctly and apart, with reference to the right understanding of the mind of God in them. By the former sort, our minds are prepared to understand the Scripture. And by the latter, Scripture is prepared and suited to our understandings. There remains the consideration of what He does, or what help He affords us, in the actual application of our minds to the understanding and interpretation of the word. And this respects the means which we are to make use of to that end and purpose. These also will be briefly declared.