First, The reading of the word is an ordinance of God, and mean of falvation, of God's own appointment. The Bible is this word, and God has given it to us, and appointed it to be read.

1. The public reading of it in the congregation is God's ordinance, and a mean of falvation. And we find it in fcripture performed by the teachers of the people, Neh. viii. 8. So they read in the book, in the law of God diftinctly, and gave the fenfe, and caufed them to understand the reading. Ver. 2. 3. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation, beth of mer and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the feventh month. And be read therein before the street that was before the water gate, from the morning until mid-day, before the men and the women, and thofe that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. And fo the reading of the word claims a place among public_ordinances. Hence reading and expounding a page of fcripture every Lord's day in the church, is a lui able and well-warranted practice in this church.

ures.

2. The private reading of it in families, Deut. vi. 5. 7. 8. 9. These words which I command thee his car, fhall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and fhalt talk of them when they fitteft in thine houfe, and when thou walkeft by the body, and when thou lieft down, and when thou rifeft. thou shalt bind them for a fign upon thine hand, and they fhall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou pra write them upon the posts of thy houfe, and on thy Pfal. lxxviii. 5. For he established a teftimony in Jatuh, and appointed a law in Ifrael, which he commandet sur fathers, that they should make them known to their children. Every family ought to be a church; and as they are to fpeak to God by prayer, fo they are to hear God fpeak to them, by reading of his word. this they ought to do every morning and evening, as well as command their children and fervants to read it by themselves.

And

3. Secret reading of it by one's felf, Deut. xvii. 19. It [the law or word of God] fhall be with him, and he full read therein all the days of his life. John v. 39. Search the fcriptures. By this means the foul converfes with God in his word. And those who do not make a practice of daily reading the fcripture, are none of the Lord's people, whatever otherwife they may profefs.

Hence it is evident, that the people not only may, but ought to read the Bible, and therefore it ought to be tranflated into the vulgar languages. Which highly condemns the Antichriftian church of Rome, which takes away the key of knowledge from the people, by prohibiting them to read the word of God.

Secondly, The preaching of the word is an ordinance of God, and mean of grace, 1 Cor. i. 21. It pleafes God by the foolishness of preaching to fave them that believe. But though all may read the word, yet none ought to preach it, but thofe who being quali fied for it, are duly called thereto, 2 Cor. iii. 6. Who bath made us able minifters of the new teftament, not of the letter, but of the fpirit. Rom. x. 15. How shall they preach except they be fent? 1 Tim. iv. 14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the prefbytery. Tho' the reading of the word as well as the preaching is a mean of falvation, yet the preaching of it is the fpeeial means, though a defpifed ordinance in the world, therefore called foolishness, 1 Cor. i. 21. It is the most ancient of the two. Noah was a preacher, before the Bible was to take his text from, 2 Pet. ii. 5. And fo was Enoch before him, Jude 14. In this work Chrift himself spent the time of his making public appearance in the world, viz. preaching the kingdom of God. It is the mercy of the church of God, that they have the word of God as a lamp always burning: but the preaching of it is the fnuffing of the lamp, by which it gives the greater light. And for this reafon the

preaching of the word fhould be attended on by all, if ever they expect to be faved.

II. I proceed to fhew what are the ends for which the Lord has appointed thefe means and ordinances of reading and preaching the word.

Firt, For finners out of Chrift they are appointed means of two great and neceffary purposes.

1. Of their conviction, 1 Cor. xiv. 24. 25. But if all prophefy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all and thus are the fecrets of his heart made manifeft; and fo falling down on his face, he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. The finner naturally is asleep in fin, and the word awakens him; he is bold and daring, and will not confider his fin, nor duty either; but the word brings him to the bar, judges him, convicts him, and condemns him. And,

(1.) It discovers his fin to him. [1] What are his fins. It comes home fo close to him, as if it faid, Thou art the man. It goes out thro' and in thro' him, and opens up his very heart, tells him of himfelf what none in the world were privy to, but only God and his own confcience, 1 Cor. iv. 25. This is what the spouse means by the watchmens finding her, Cant. iii. 3.

Who has told the minifter, fay many, when the minifter drawing his bow at a venture knows not whom it hits, till the party touched cries out, but the minifter directs the arrow, Heb. iv. 12.? And many a time have we feen the reproof laid in feafonably for the fin, that one could not mifs it, if but going on ftraight in the ordinary.

[2.] What the hainous nature of his fin is, Heb. iv. 12. God's word pulls off the paint and varnishing from the man's fin, and difcovers it in its loathfome nature, and killing aggravations. It makes him fee the evil in it that he never faw before, Acts xxvi. 18.

(2.) It diicovers his mifery out of Chrift, Arts i

37.

The finner fees in the word, as in a glafs, his loft ftate without a Saviour; perceives himself bound over to death with cords of guilt, which fills him with fear, terror, anxiety, and remorse,

2. Of their converfion, Pfal. xix. 7. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the foul. The word is the means which God hath chofen for bringing finners to himself, Acts xxvi. 18. for railing the dead foul to life, for regeneration, and the working of faith and repentance. This effect of the word we take up in these two particulars.

(1.) The word is the mean of driving the finner cut of himself to Jefus Chrift by faith, as it did Peter's hearers, Acts ii. 37. 38. Faith cometh by hearing. The law goes before and condemns the finner, and difcovers him a loft man. The gofpel follows with the glad tidings of falvation, and the foul is fuaded to embrace them.

per

(2.) It is the mean of driving the finner out of his fins unto God, Acts xx. 21. It fets fire to his neft in fin, and brings him to the Lord as a Mafter, and to a compliance with his will as his duty.

Secondly, For faints they are means appointed for their edification or building up, Acts xx. 32. The church of Chrift in this world is but a building, and not yet finished; and every particular faint's ftate in this world is but an unfinished building: and therefore they must have the word continued with them, as the fcaffolding is with the houfe till it get on the topftone, Eph. iv. 11. 12. 13. And the reading and preaching of the word are,

1. Means of building them up in holiness, the foundation of which is laid in them at converfion, Acs xx. 32. As they are born again of the incorruptible feed of the word, fo they are nourished by thefe breafts; by the fame means they bad their fpiritual life, they get it more abundantly, 1 Pet. ii. 2. It does fo by,

(1) Eftablishing them in the good they have at

tained, fetting them to hold it faft over the belly of temptations, Eph. iv. 14. By the reading and preaching of the word, the truth according to godliness is rivetted in them, that the longer they live under the means, they are more confirmed in the Lord's way.

(2.) Cleanfing them from remaining evils in their heart and life, Pfal. xix. 9. Coming to this glafs, they get their spots difcovered to them, that they may wipe them off. So the word is the pruning hook of the great Hufbandman, John xv. 2. 3. and the engine for demolishing the remaining ftrong holds of the rebels, 2, Cor. x. 4. 5.

(3) Preffing and helping them forward to the good thing lacking, 2 Tim. iii. 16. 17. and fo the effect is, that they all with open face beholding as in a glafs the glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. iii. 18. It helps them ftill to add a cubit to their ftature, fhewing them more of the truth and the duties of holiness.

2. A means of building them up in comfort, Rom. xv. 4. They are liable to many griefs in the world; but it is appointed to be their great cordial, and fovereign remedy againft all their griefs. And this it dues, (1.) By fetting their cafe in a true light, Pfal. Ixxiii. 17. (2.) By affording fuitable remedies for their cafe, from the precious promifes and doctrines of it fuited to every cafe, If. xl. 1. 2. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, faith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerufalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her fins.

III. I fhall confider the efficacy of the word. Concerning which observe,

1. The parties to whom it is effectual. Its convin. cing efficacy it may have on the reprobate, as Felix, Acts xxiv. 25. Its converting elicacy it has on the VOL. III.

P P