Melanchthon (f)when he was young, sucked [Greek or Hebrew], the sincere Milk of the Word. Alphonsus King of Aragon read over the Bible fourteen times. That Roman Lady Cecilia, had by much reading of the Word, made her Breast Bibliothecam Christi; the Library of Christ, as(g) Hierom speaks. Were the Scriptures only in their Original Tongue, many would plead excuse for not reading; but when this sword of the spirit is unsheathed, and the Word is made plain to us by being translated, what should hinder us from a diligent search into these holy Mysteries? Adam was forbid upon pain of death to taste of the Tree of Knowledge, Gen. 3.17. In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt s•rely dye. But there is no danger of touching this Tree of holy Scriptures; if we do not eat of this Tree of Knowledge, we shall surely dye. What will become of them who are strangers to Scripture? Hosea 8.12. I have written to him the great things of my Law, but they were counted as a strange thing. Many lay aside Scripture as rusty Armour, Jer. 8.9. they are better read in Romances than in St. Paul, they spend many hours inter pectinem & speculum, between the Comb and the Glass, but their eyes begin to be sore when they look upon a Bible. The very Turks will rise up in judgment against these Christians; they reverence the Books of Moses; and if they find but a leaf wherein any thing of the Pentateuch is written, they take it up and kiss it. They who slight the Word written, slight God himself whose stamp it bears. To slight the Kings Edict, is an affront offered to the Person of the King. Scripture-vilifiers(h) are in a damnable state. Prov. 13.13. Whoso despiseth the Word, shall be destroyed. Nor is it enough to read the Word of God, but it should be our care to get some spiritual emolument and profit by it, that our Souls may be [Greek or Hebrew], nourished up in the words of faith, 1 Tim. 4.6. Why else was the Scripture written, but that it might profit us? God did not give us his Word only as a Landscape to look upon, but he delivered it to us as a Father delivers a stock of Money to his Son, to improve. 'Tis sad not to profit by the Word; Quest. to be like a body in an atrophy that doth not thrive: Men would be loath to trade and get no profit. The grand Question I am to speak to, is this, How we may read the Scriptures with most spiritual profit?
Melancthon (f)when he was young, suck'd 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, the sincere Milk of the Word. Alphonsus King of Arragon read over the Bible fourteen times. That Roman Lady Cecilia, had by much reading of the Word, made her Breast Bibliothecam Christi; the Library of Christ, as(g) Hierom speaks. Were the Scriptures only in their Origin•l Tongue, many would plead excuse for not reading; but when this sword of the spirit is unsheathed, and the Word is made plain to us by being translated, what should hinder us from a diligent search into these holy Mysteries? Adam was forbid upon pain of death to taste of the Tree of Knowledge, Gen. 3.17. In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt s•rely dye. But there is no danger of touching this Tree of holy Scriptures; if we do not eat of this Tree of Knowledge, we shall surely dye. What will become of them who are strangers to Scripture? Hosea 8.12. I have written to him the great things of my Law, but they were counted as a strange thing. Many lay aside Scripture as rusty Armor, Jer. 8.9. they are better read in Romances than in St. Paul, they spend many hours inter pectinem & speculum, between the Comb and the Glass, but their eyes begin to be sore when they look upon a Bible. The very Turks will rise up in judgment against these Christians; they reverence the Books of Moses; and if they find but a leaf wherein any thing of the Pentateuch is written, they take it up and kiss it. They who slight the Word written, slight God himself whose stamp it bears. To slight the Kings Edict, is an affront offered to the Person of the King. Scripture-vilifiers(h) are in a damnable state. Prov. 13.13. Whoso despiseth the Word, shall be destroyed. Nor is it enough to read the Word of God, but it should be our care to get some spiritual emolument and profit by it, that our Souls may be 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, nourished up in the words of faith,
- (f)Melch. Adam. in vita Melancth.
- (g)Si Alexander Homerum ita amplexus est, & Scipio Afric. Zenophontis [Greek or Hebrew] vix è manibus d posuit, quid nes in sicro codic• agere oportet? Quistorp. vide Chytraei praelect in Jos. & Mornaeum.Si Alexander Homerum ita amplexus est, & Scipio Afric. Zenophontis 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 vix è manibus d posuit, quid nes in sicro codic• agere oportet? Quistorp. vide Chytraei praelect in Jos. & Mornaeum.
- (h)Dei eloquia rejicientes, multis see exi•ialibus l•qu is involvunt. Calvin.Dei eloquia rejicientes, multis se exi•ialibus l•qu is involvunt. Calvin.
