Search the Scriptures a treatise shewing that all Christians ought to read the Holy Books : with directions to them therein : in three parts.

VI.

AND there is the greater reason for it, because the Holy Scriptures are

a considerable part of our compleat Spiritual Armour; without which we shall lie so open to the assaults of our Enemies, that it will very much haz∣zard our Salvation. And why should we be exposed to any danger, when we may defend our selves by the use of those weapons which God himself hath provided for us? Or how can they be Friends to our Souls, who would expose us by taking those wea∣pons out of our hands?

Read the VI. Ephes. 11. &c. Where the Apostle exhorting them to put on the whole Armour (or com∣pleat Armour) of God, that they might be able to stand against all the wiles of the Devil; in the following Verses e∣numerates the several parts of this Armour; and the last piece of it, but one, is (v. 17) the Sword of the Spi∣rit, which is the Word of God. This shews that, as while we have Ene∣mies to fight withal, and very pow∣erful, subtil Enemies, we have need of all sorts of Weapons that God hath furnished us withal for our defence; so we are not completely appointed for our defence, without

this weapon, the Word of God, no more than a Souldier is without his Sword. And therefore they who go about to deprive us of this leave us, in great part, naked to our Spiritual Enemies: By wresting that weapon out of our hands, whereby we should beat them off.

There is not one of the Devils tem∣ptations, ye may observe, (IV. St. Matth.) but our Saviour vanquished it by this weapon: telling him, it is so and so written; and the Tempter had no more to say, nor knew what to oppose thereunto. And therefore our safety lies in the same Divine Armory of the Holy Scriptures: unto which we ought to have resort upon all occa∣sions; and there furnish our selves with such holy Precepts, Examples, Promises, and Threatnings, as we may have ready at hand to oppose to every temptation.

It is usually said, as I noted in the beginning, that men may wound them∣selves with a Sword, as soon as their Enemies: and therefore it is not safe to let every body take this weapon in∣to his hand.

But was not the Apostle as much a∣ware of this as we? Were not the Holy Scriptures as liable to be perverted then, as now? And we by this reason shall leave neither Sun in Heaven, nor any good Creature here upon Earth (as a great Man of our own somewhere speaks) for they have been all wretch∣edly abused to very ill purposes by evil men.

And besides this, it is not true that men may as soon hurt themselves, as their Enemies, with this Sword. For who but mad men, or desperate per∣sons, run that weapon into their own bodies, wherewith they should defend their lives? And who but they that are distracted themselves, will suppose the generality of Christians to be such a frantick fort of people, that they are not to be trusted with the means of their preservation: but must have even the bread of life taken from them, for fear they surfeit of it?

But this will be more fully answer∣ed hereafter: and that which I have next to represent to your considerati∣on, will give great satisfaction to it, which is this,