THIRD SERMON ON THE Same Subject. 283 2 PET. iii. 16. Which they that are Unlearned, and Unftable, wreft, as they do alfo the other Scriptures, unto their own Destruction. FR ROM the former Part of the Verse SERM. XI. I have already taken Occafion to Discourse to you largely concerning the Obscurity of Holy Writ. In the latter Part of it, which I have propofed now to handle, S. Peter gives us an Account of the Ill Impreffions that thefe Difficult Parts SERM. Parts of Scripture make often on the XI. Minds of Weak Chriftians; they are wrefted by them (he tells us) to their own Deftruction. By Unlearned Men, the Apoftle means not fuch as wanted that which we commonly call Learning, but fuch as were not well skilled in Divine Things. By Unftable, fuch as, not being well grounded in the Faith, were, upon that Account, cafy to be drawn afide into pernicious Opinions and Destructive Errors. Such, he says, as Thefe, wreft, i. c. mifunderstand, mifapply, and pervert the Writings of S. Paul, and the other Scriptures: And This They do, to their own Destruction: That is, to their Eternal Ruin in another World. So that the Meaning of this Whole Paffage is, That fome Men, not being firmly rooted and grounded in the true Faith of Chrift, and being by Confequence of an Uncertain and Wavering Judgment in Matters of Religion, were apt to make an Ill Use of the Difficult Places of Scripture, and to turn them to fuch a Senfe Sense as destroyed Chriftianity; and SERM. fuch therefore as could not but end in XI. པཀ the Destruction of Those who afferted and maintained it. This at first Sight perhaps may feem an hard Saying. What! will fome Men say, shall a Man be ruined Eternally for a misunderstood Place of Scripture? Shall They who own the Divine Authority of Holy Writ, (as 'tis plain these Perfons did) and who are ftudious to know, and embrace the true Sense of it every where, if in fome Obfcure Paffages they should mistake it, be answerable for that Mistake, at the Hazard of their Salvation? Better, at this rate, had it been, that the Bible should never have been given Men, if it be so very fatal a thing to make a Wrong Expofition, even of the moft Doubtful and Intricate Parts of it. I fhall endeavour to give an Answer to this Complaint, by ftating the Juft Bounds, and fhewing the Great Reafonableness of S. Peter's Affertion; and fhall then make ufe of the Truth of the |