The sum of sacred divinity briefly & methodically propoundedThe summe of sacred diuinitie briefly & methodically propounded

The prime and principal is his Word (whereof we have spoken already) the Treasure of all heavenly Knowledge. ^sThis, saith the Apostle to the Romans, is the chief (of those excellencies which the Jews had above other men) that unto them were committed the Oracles of God: Or (as the ^tProphet speaketh) the excellencies of the Law. Wherefore Gods Word and Precepts, David doth many times call ^u[Greek or Hebrew] things deposited. In regard whereof, the Church is said to be ^xthe Pillar and S•ate of Truth: for the Truth of God is no where to be found but there. It is Error, Lies, Superstition, & Deceit, whatsoever cometh not from hence. The Church only is the golden Candle-stick figured in the Law, which holdeth up the eternal Truth of God, to give light unto all the World, and there light is to be had, when darkness covereth the whole face of the earth beside. Preaching, for the form and manner of it, is an⁵ instruction by word of mouth, opening and interpreting the Scriptures, rendering the sense thereof, drawing the doctrines that are to be gathered from them, making use and profit of it, for the edification and building up of our faith; which the Apostle, by a Metaphor from the Sacrifices of the Law, calleth ^yCutting aright the Word of Truth. It standeth not in the bare and naked reading of them. And that you may see, Nehe. 8. 8, 9. where the people abiding in their standing, the Levites taught them the Law, first, reading it distinctly, then, rendering the sense by the Scripture it self. So Luk. 4. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. Our Saviour coming ⟨p. 359⟩into the Synagogue, there was given him the Book of the Prophet Isaiah; which when he had unfolded, and read a portion of that Scripture, he folded the Book, and gave it again to him that waited, and sate down; and the eyes of all in the Synagogue, being fastened on him, he began to say unto them, To day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.