behold it,--_Intelligens in arta fit ipsum intelligibile_, so the soul
must have some inspiration of the Holy Ghost, before it can believe with
the heart the inspired scriptures.

Now, for the utility and profit of the scriptures, who can speak of it
according to its worth? Some things may be over commended,--nay, all things
but this one,--God speaking in his word to mankind. Many titles are given
to human writings, some are called accurate, some subtile, some ingenious
and some profound and deep, some plain, some learned, but call them what
they please, the scripture may vindicate to itself these two titles as its
own prerogative,--holy and profitable. The best speaker in the world in
many words cannot want sin, the best writer hath some dross and refuse,
but here, all is holy, all is profitable. Many books are to no purpose but
to feed and inflame men's lusts, many serve for nothing but to spend and
drive over the time, without thought most part are good for nothing but to
burden and over weary the world to put them in a fancy of knowledge which
they have not, many serve for this only, to nourish men's curiosity and
vain imaginations, and contentions about words and notions, but here is a
book profitable,--all profitable. If you do not yet profit by it, you can
have no pleasure in it, it is only ordained for soul's profiting, not for
pleasing your fancy, not for matter of curious speculation, not for
contention and strife about the interpretation of it. Many books have
nothing in them, but specious titles to commend them, they do nothing less
than what they promise, they have a large and fair entry, which leads only
into a poor cottage, but the scriptures have no hyperbolic and superlative
styles to allure men, they hold out a plain and common gate and entry
which will undoubtedly lead to a pleasant palace, others _et prodesse
volunt et delectare_, but these certainly _et prodesse volunt et
possunt_,--they both can profit you and will profit you. I wish that souls
would read the scriptures as profitable scriptures with the intention to
profit. If you do not read with such a purpose, you read not the
scriptures of God, they become as another book unto you. But what are they
profitable for? For doctrine, and a divine doctrine, a doctrine of life
and happiness. It is the great promise of the new covenant, "You shall be
all taught of God." The scriptures can make a man learned and wise,
learned to salvation, it is foolishne