I should now, Theophilus, immediately pass on to the other things I am to discourse to you of, concerning the Scripture, but that the curiosity wherewith you are wont to take notice of my practices, and to make inquiries after my private opinions, makes me imagine you telling me, that I do often read, and do much oftener commend books of devotion, notwithstanding all the prerogatives I have attributed to the Scripture; wherefore to this I shall answer, that I esteem indeed the truths of Scripture so important and valuable, that I cannot be troubled to see them presented to us in variety of dresses, that we may the more frequently and the more attentively take notice of them. And, though some devout composures are so unskilfully written as to be much fitter to express the devotion of the writer than to excite it in the reader, yet there are others so handsomely and so pathetically penned, that a good man can scarce read them without growing better, and even a bad man must be very much so, without becoming less so by perusing them. Nor do I at all design to disparage books of devotion, when I prefer the Scripture to them, that being so noble and matchless a work, that a book may attain to a high degree of excellence, whilst it remains inferior to the Scripture, of whose pre-eminences I have already on several occasions named divers to you; and therefore shall at present only recommend to your observation this one advantage of the Scripture, even as to those things that are also to be met with in other books of devotion; That if ‘the words of the wise be’ (as Solomon tells us they are) ‘like nails fastened by the masters of the assemblies,’ the self-same nail must enter less or deeper, according to the strength of the hand that drives it in; and doubtless, any doctrine believed to come from God, in the same terms it is delivered to us, is like to be entertained with a deeper and obsequiouser respect; concurrently whereunto, the Apostle, to set forth the Thessalonians reception of the gospel, says, ‘That they received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God.’ After which, it is no wonder he could immediately subjoin, that ‘it did also effectually work in them that believed.’ And though it be very true, that the foreignness and obscurity of some texts will require, as well as the teeming richness of others will bear, their being alledged in words much more numerous than those, whose involved or contracted senses they are to display; yet is it also as true, that men do not unfrequently mistake themselves in thinking to deliver the Holy Ghost’s conceptions in fitter terms than his own, the proper precise expressions of scripture being oftentimes so pathetical and sinewy, that he, that stretches them, enervates them; and paraphrases, though handsome, do as much wrong them, as a mixture of silver, though no ignoble metal, does wrong an ingot of gold. And though some texts like pearls lose indeed of their beauty, but operate, and are administered more successfully beaten to powder, or with other cordial ingredients made up into a confection; yet divers sacred expressions do like diamonds lose both their sparkling lustre, and engraving faculty, when ground to dust, and lose more in their entireness and form than can be recompensed by any addition. And truly, as to my own particular, no book of devotion doth constantly affect me so powerfully as the bible. And whereas I am of so nice a palate, that in my esteem composures of that kind still lose at the second reading; in the inspired volume, familiarity breeds not contempt, but reverence, (and I like a book, acquaintance still endears.) When I first began attentively to read the scripture, and (according to my custom when I read books, whereof I have a promising expectation) to mark in the margin the passages, that seemed to deserve a peculiar notice or reflection, I marked but here and there some verses in a chapter; but when, upon a greater familiarity with the idiotisms, the sense, and the applicableness of scripture, I came to resurvey it, I then in some places marked the whole chapter, and in most others left much fewer texts than before unfurnished with some mark of reference. And whereas at my entrance I took even the choicest part of the bible to be at best but like some Indian province, wherein though mines and gems were more abundant than in other countries, yet they were but sparingly to be met here and there: after a competent stay, my ensuing perusals presented it me, if not as a royal jewel made up of gold and precious stones, yet (which is gloriouser) like Aaron’s breast-plate, a sacred jewel, the particular instructions, for which were given by God himself; and which, besides the various number of flaming gems set in fine gold, and placed in a mysterious order, was ennobled by that Urim and Thummim, wherein God vouchsafed to reveal himself to mortals, and was adorned with so much cunning work in gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, that the contrivance and workmanship lent a lustre to the glittering materials, without being obscured by them. This experiment keeps me from wondering to find in the inspired poet’s description of the man he attributes a blessedness to, that his chapatz, ‘his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law will he meditate day and night.’1 For the word other translations render voluntas et studium, ours Englishes delight, and indeed the Hebrew חפץ will bear both senses, and seems there emphatically to signify a study replenished with so much delight to the devout and intelligent prosecutors of it, that, like the hallelujahs of the blessed, it is at once a duty and a pleasure, an exercise and a recompence of piety. And, indeed, if God’s blessing upon the devout Christian’s study of that book do, according to the Psalmist’s prayer, ‘open his eyes to discern the’ נפלאות Niplaot, ‘hidden wonders contained in it,’2 he should, in imitation of him that in the same Psalm says of his God, ‘I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil,’3 be as satisfied as navigators that discover unknown countries. And I must confess, that when sometimes with the apostles in the mount, I contemplate Moses and Elias talking with Christ, I mean the law and prophets symphonizing with the gospel, I cannot but (resemblingly transported with a like motive) exclaim with Peter, ‘It is good for me to be here,’4 and cease to think the Psalmist an hyperbolist, for comparing the transcendant sweetness of God’s word to that inferior one of honey,5 which is like it in nothing more than in that of both their suavities, experience gives much advantageouser notions than descriptions can.
But, Theophilus, upon condition you will not call this excursion of your own occasioning a fit of devotion, I will no longer detain you on one subject, but forthwith proceed to discourse of those other things that I am to consider in the Scripture besides the style. For though this be such as I have been representing it, yet I hope we shall in our progress find, that it will be far less fit to apply to this matchless book that of the heathen poet,
‘Materiam superabus opus————’
than that sacred one of the Psalmist, where he as well says, that ‘the king’s daughter is all glorious within,’ as that ‘her clothing is of wrought gold.’6
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