Page:Excellency of the knowledge of Christ crucified.pdf/8

( 8 ) ſealed by the blood of our Saviour.——This ſame Jeſus is, as it were, the running title of the whole Bible. All the prophets ſpoke of him; all the prieſts in their ſacred ſervices were types of him, and pointed towards him.——Judaiſm was Chriſtianity under a vail, as Chriſtianity is Judaiſm unvailed. Therefore the Old Teſtament ought to be carefully ſtudied by miniſters of the goſpel, as well as the New; foraſmuch as Chriſt is the ſcope and ſubſtance thereof. And for the better underſtanding of both Teſtaments, it is quite neceſſary they ſhould be acquainted with the original languages in which they were written. The ſtrength and beauty of many paſſages in the Old Teſtament, and even the true ſenſe of ſome of them, cannot be diſcerned by ſuch as are utterly unacquainted with the Hebrew language. And I cannot but take notice of it, as what deſerves to be regreted, that the ſtudy of that language ſhould have gone to much into deſuetude in this nation, eſpecially among the Clergy, whole office it is to explain the ſcriptures unto the people, and therefore ought to be furniſhed with every thing neceſſary for their own underſtanding of them. But we have ſome ground to hope, that this error may in proceſs of time be rectified, as there appears a greater inclination for that ſtudy, both in this and in the neighbouring nation, than heretofore.

of the goſpel ought, like Appollos, to he mighty in the ſcriptures. Bonus theologus, bonus textuarius, was the ſaying of old. They ſhould read them regularly, frequently, and with great attention; and thereby they will be furniſhed with a better fund for preaching Chriſtianity, than by reading any other book, or all other books whatſoever that have been written on the ſubject;——though theſe alſo are very uſeful in their proper place.

2. ought alſo to have the experimental and practical knowledge of Chriſt crucified; leaſt, while they preach him to others, themſelves be caſt aways, as the Apoſtle's phraſe is. The moſt precious truths fluctuating in the head, but not deſcending into the heart, nor ſanctifying it, prove no better than the manna of old,