'the use of the one in his worship, and not of the ' other? We fee therefore that indifferent things, "how much foever they be under the power of the civil magiftrate, yet cannot upon that pretence be introduced into religion, and impofed upon religious affemblies, because, in the wor6 ship of God, they wholly cease to be indifferent. He that worships God, does it with defign to please him and procure his favour; but that 'cannot be done by him who, upon the command ' of another, offers unto God that which he knows will be difpleafing to him, because not com'manded by himself. This is not to please God, or appease his wrath, but willingly and knowingly to provoke him by a manifeft contempt; which is a thing abfolutely repugnant to the nature and end of worship *.' This reafoning respects the authority of the civil magistrate in matters of religion; but it proves with equal force, that all will-worship, whatever is not appointed by God, is improper, and that we ought therefore to receive the Scriptures, and nothing elfe, as binding in the worship of God. Yet are there fome pious men who, even without inquiry, would set aside those parts of Scripture which feem to interfere with their own practice, and would represent attention to them, as calculated to divert the mind from the weightier matters of the law. Before we act on fuch a principle, we ought diligently to examine whether we

are warranted to do fo. But the subject will not bear examination, and, as if confcious of the badness of the cause they have espoused, fome good men, in certain fituations, difcourage all inquiry in such matters, and are ever deprecating attention to what they call non-effentials. I well recollect the effect this had upon my own mind. When I turned my attention to infant baptism, and had scruples on that subject, instead of hearing fcriptural arguments alleged for the practice, I heard good men ridiculing the idea of fo much attention being paid to it. This had almost convinced me, that there was nothing material to be faid in its favour.

Upon the whole, it seems evident, that it highly becomes us to attend to every part of the word of God. Every thing we there meet with is important. Were Scripture more ftudied under this impreffion, there would be a rapid progrefs among Christians, both in knowledge, in uniformity of fentiment and religious obfervances, and in the practice of holiness. It is high time to shake off that temper of mind which indisposes us for the investigation of truth; which leads us to cherish the prejudices we have received from our fathers, and which renders us unwilling to go beyond them on any fubject *. This has a fhew of humility, but in fact it arises from floth,

* A Burgher Elder lately observed in the Affociate Synod, that the ufe we ought to make of our forefathers is, to ftand on

'the use of the one in his worship, and not of the other? We fee therefore that indifferent things, ' how much foever they be under the power of the civil magiftrate, yet cannot upon that pretence be introduced into religion, and imposed · upon religious affemblies, because, in the wor'fhip of God, they wholly ceafe to be indifferent. He that worships God, does it with defign to please him and procure his favour; but that 'cannot be done by him who, upon the command ' of another, offers unto God that which he knows 'will be difpleafing to him, because not com'manded by himself. This is not to please God, · or appease his wrath, but willingly and knowingly to provoke him by a manifest contempt; which is a thing abfolutely repugnant to the • nature and end of worship *.' This reasoning refpects the authority of the civil magiftrate in matters of religion; but it proves with equal force, that all will-worship, whatever is not appointed by God, is improper, and that we ought therefore to receive the Scriptures, and nothing elfe, as binding in the worship of God. Yet are there fome pious men who, even without inquiry, would set aside those parts of Scripture which feem to interfere with their own practice, and would represent attention to them, as calculated to divert the mind from the weightier matters of the law. Before we act on fuch a principle, we ought diligently to examine whether we

are warranted to do fo. But the subject will not bear examination, and, as if confcious of the badnefs of the cause they have espoused, fome good men, in certain fituations, difcourage all inquiry in fuch matters, and are ever deprecating attention to what they call non-effentials. I well re

collect the effect this had upon my own mind. When I turned my attention to infant baptism, and had scruples on that subject, instead of hearing fcriptural arguments alleged for the practice, I heard good men ridiculing the idea of so much attention being paid to it. This had almost convinced me, that there was nothing material to be faid in its favour.

Upon the whole, it seems evident, that it highly becomes us to attend to every part of the word of God. Every thing we there meet with is important. Were Scripture more ftudied under this impreffion, there would be a rapid progress among Christians, both in knowledge, in uniformity of fentiment and religious obfervances, and in the practice of holiness. It is high time to shake off that temper of mind which indifpofes us for the inveftigation of truth; which leads us to cherish the prejudices we have received from our fathers, and which renders us unwilling to go beyond them on any subject *. This has a fhew of humility, but in fact it arifes from floth,

* A Burgher Elder lately obferved in the Affociate Synod, that the use we ought to make of our forefathers is, to stand on

mony

prejudice, and indifference about divine truth. We ought, indeed, cautiously to avoid being toffed to and fro with every wind of doctrine; but if our steadiness do not arise from regard to the authority of God; if it do not proceed from diligent attention to his word, it no more deferves the name of stedfastness in the faith, than the parfiof a miser deserves the name of economy. I conclude this chapter with reminding my readers of the folemn warning which closes the revelation of God. It demands the ferious attention of those who do not hold themselves bound to be implicitly directed, in all things, by the word of God: "I teftify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man fhall add unto thefe things, God fhall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God fhall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." This declaration is peculiarly fuitable, not only as the conclufion of the New Teftament, but of that part of it, in particular, which especially exposes to our view, and our abhorrence, the abominations of falfe religion, under the influence of which Chriftians have entered into forbidden and corrupt alliance with the world, a fin which is ftyled, in the figurative language of that book, committing