LECTURE III.

WHAT RULE HATH GOD GIVEN TO DIRECT US HOW WE MAY GLORIFY AND ENJOY HIM?

THE second answer, or proposition, of our catechism is thus expressed

"The word of God, contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us, how we may glorify and enjoy him."

Divine revelation, as made known to us by language, is here called the word of God; and is said to be contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. The book which is formed by the record of this revelation is also, you know, commonly called the Bible. It may be of some use to consider, very briefly, the meaning, and the propriety, of these several terms and appellations.

The word Bible-derived from the Greek word Bibros, (Biblos)-means the book, by way of eminence. There is great propriety in this appellation. We could do better without all the other books in the world, than without the Bible. It is from this alone that we are fully taught the nature of God, our duty to Him, the way of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ-the way to escape a state of endless future misery, and to secure a state of endless future happiness. What is all other knowledge compared with this? But besides this, the Bible communicates knowledge of a highly important kind. It gives us the only rational account of the creation of the world which we inhabit; of the original formation and state of man; of the introduction of moral evil into the world; of the general deluge; and of the early history of mankind. As competent a judge as ever lived-Sir WILLIAM JONES-wrote on a blank leaf of his Bible, the following character of this sacred book-"I have carefully and regularly perused these

Holy Scriptures; and am of opinion, that the volume, independently of its divine origin, contains more sublimity, purer morality, more important history, and finer strains of eloquence, than can be collected from all other books, in whatever language they may have been written." After such a testimony, from the first scholar of his age, one would suppose that, in the absence of better motives, a regard to character, would prevent any man who has a character to preserve or to acquire, from speaking contemptuously or slightingly of the Bible.

The contents of the Bible are called, in the answer before us, "the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments." The term Scriptures is synonymous with Writings; and they are called the Scriptures-that is, the Writings-by way of eminence; for the same reason that the whole volume, as we have just seen, is called the Bible, or the book.

The sacred writings which were penned before the coming of Christ, are called the Old Testament; those which were afterwards penned, by the apostles and evangelists, are called the New Testament-The reason of this may be shortly stated thus: The Hebrew word na (Berith) and the Greek word Acαonn (Diatheke) signify, in each of those languages, both a covenant and a testament; and in some parts of the sacred writings, should be rendered by one of these English words, and in other parts by the other: so that there has been some difficulty, and some difference of opinion, in deciding which of these English words should be preferred, as the general representative, or interpretation, of the Hebrew or Greek term, of which it is the translation. On the whole, the word Testament has been preferred, and probably with justice. Now observe, that after the sin of our first parents, by which they broke the covenant of works, under which they were in the state of innocence, it pleased God to form with them another covenant, called the covenant of grace. This was made in virtue of the undertaking of Christ, and particularly of his atonement, in which it was to be

ratified by his blood. The Mosaic or Jewish dispensation, and the Christian dispensation, both referyou must be careful to remember-to the covenant of grace, sealed with the blood of Christ. Neither of these dispensations, was at all grounded on the first, or old covenant of works, which, being broken, could not be renewed. But inasmuch as the Patriarchal, and the Mosaic or Jewish dispensations, looked forward to the death of the testator, (as our Saviour is expressly called in the epistle to the Hebrews) for this reason, and for this only, all the communications from God to man which took place under those dispensations-the inspired writings among the rest are called the old covenant, or the Old Testament. And for a like reason, all the divine communications and institutions which have been made since the death of Christ, under the gospel dispensation-its inspired writings especially-are called the new covenant, or the New Testament.

Thus, you perceive, the Bible consists of two testaments, each of which is an essential part of it; and therefore the language, which you sometimes hear, of the Bible and the Testament, is wholly incorrectthe Bible includes both Testaments.*

The sacred writings are also called, in the answer before us, "the word of God." The propriety of this appellation may be shown from the language of sacred writ. We there read, that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God," and "The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy

*The first time that the author remembers to have seen or heard the phrase "The Bible and Testament," was in that wretched receptacle of vulgar blasphemy, Paine's "Age of Reason." Since then, however, he has observed its use, occasionally, both in oral and written speech. It is by no means unimportant to preserve the idea fully in the popular mind, that there is no Bible which does not contain the whole of God's revealed will; and that although it may be both lawful and expedient to publish detached parts of the sacred volume, yet that all the parts are of equal authority; and that neither the Old Testament without the New, nor the New without the Old, but both conjointly, constitute the Scriptures of truth, the Book of God-the Bible.

Ghost." Hence it appears that the Scriptures are, with eminent propriety, called the word of God; because they are, in fact, the words which God himself addresses to men; although men were used as instruments to utter these words, in the languages in which the divine oracles are delivered to us. And it were well if this were so kept in mind, as that whenever we read the Scriptures, or hear them read, we should recollect that the voice of God is then sounding in our ears. This would be to act, in some good measure, like those Thessalonians whom St. Paul commends "For this cause also, (says he) thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it, not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God; which effectually worketh also, in you who believe."

Here it may be proper to remark, that the second Person of the ever blessed Trinity is sometimes, in the New Testament, called by way of emphasis the Word of God:-because (says Parkhurst)" he hath always been the great Revealer to mankind of Jehovah's attributes and will; or because, as he himself speaketh, Matt. xi. 27, No one knoweth the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him." "The Divine Person (says Macknight) who has accomplished the salvation of mankind, is called the Word, and the Word of God, Rev. xix. 13, not only because God at first created, and still governs all things by Him, but because, as men discover their sentiments and designs to one another by the intervention of words, speech, or discourse, so God, by his Son, discovers his gracious designs, in the fullest and clearest manner to men. All the various manifestations which he makes of Himself in the works of creation, providence and redemption, all the revelations he has been pleased to give of his will, are conveyed to us through Him; and therefore he is by way of eminence fitly styled THE WORD OF GOD."

But though Christ our Saviour be the living word of God, and pre-eminently worthy of this appellation, as being the grand source and medium of all the di

vine communications made to intelligent beings, yet this is no reason why the communications made by his Spirit to holy men, and in their language announced to the world, should not also be styled the word of God. By them, as we have seen, the Spirit of God did speak: and we certainly ought to have no difficulty, and no hesitation, in calling what they spake, as recorded in the sacred writings, by the same appellation which is used freely and abundantly by themselves. The remainder of the time to which this discussion must be confined, would scarcely suffice to recite to you all the passages of the sacred volume, in which parts of it are called the word of God, or in which the whole of it is so denominated, or represented. I shall repeat a few texts, as specimens of a multitude of the same character. In the Old Testament, we read that Samuel said to Saul"Stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the word of God-The word of God came to ShemaiahThe word of God came to Nathan-Every word of God is pure-The word of our God shall stand for ever-Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.".

In the New Testament, we find our Saviour charging the Scribes and Pharisees with "making the word of God of none effect by their traditions." We are told that "the word of God came unto John in the wilderness"-That the multitude pressed upon our Saviour "to hear the word of God"-That the seed, in a parable which he spake, was "the word of God." "My brethren (said he) are those which hear the word of God, and do it," And "blessed are they that hear the word of God and do it." We are told that the apostles-" spake the word of God with all boldness"-that the "word of God increased in Jerusalem"-that "Samaria received the word of God"-that "the whole city came together to hear the word of God"-and that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Now, no one, it seems to me, can say that Jesus Christ is, in