of God, you cannot but be the lovers of this moſt excellent word of God; and read and meditate on it both day and night. Pſalm i. 2.
VI. We are to contend for the ſcriptures; the precious jewel is too good to be parted with, Prov. iv. 13. 'Keep her ſhe is thy life.' It is our duty, not only to love, read, and underſtand the ſcriptures, but alſo to contend for the ſame. Hereticks fight againſt it, we muſt therefore contend for it, Jude ver. 3. The ſcriptures are our book of evidence for heaven, ſhall we part with our evidences? The ſaints of old were both advocates and martyrs for the truth, they held faſt ſcripture, though it was at the expence of their lives. David ſpends the whole cxix. Pſalm, to ſhew his intimate affection to it: Moſes eſteems it above all the learning of other nations, Deut. iv. 5, 6. Solomon prefers it before pearls, Prov. iii. 15. Job prefers it before his food, Job xxii. 12. Jeremiah makes it his joy, Jer. xv. 16. In a word, all the children of God have been great lovers of God's word, and could never be prevailed with to part with it, though perſecuted for the ſame.
