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3. Foreknowledge belongs to God alone. He, then, who foreknows or foretells events must be God or some person, whom He has inspired. Consequently, the prophecies, mentioned in the Scriptures, which have been fulfilled, and are now fulfilling, are a main pillar in supporting their divinity, and do incontrovertibly prove them to be a message from Heaven to man.(e)

ders wrought among the people. Heb. 2. 4. God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will. Also 2 Kings 2. 14. Luke 8. 23, 24. John 11.43, 44. Acts 5. 15, 16.

(e) Gen. 16. 12. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. This prophecy respects Ishmael and his descendants the_Arabs, and in them it is exactly fulfilled. Hosea 3. 4. For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim. Deut. 28. 37. And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a by-word, among all nations whither the Lord shall lead thee. The prophecies, contained in these two verses, relate to the Jews, and in them they have been completely fulfilled. Isa. 53.7-9. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted; yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence neither was any deceit in his mouth. account of the accomplishment of this prediction is recorded in Mark 15. 3, 20, 27, 42, 43, 46. And the chief priests accused him of many things; but he answered nothing. And when they had mocked him, they tock off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand and the other on his left. And now when the even was come, (because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,) Joseph of Arimathea, an honourable counsellor which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus. And he brought fine linen and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre

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4. The sublimity of the Scriptures surpasses that of all other writings; the doctrines they contain are such, as none but God could teach; their harmony is complete, though written by about thirty different persons, and at as many different times, and without any previous concert, their moral purity, or holy requisitions of love to God and man are perfect and according to godliness, and such as they never would have been, were they the natural productions of depraved man. The writings of Socrates and Plato, Cicero and Seneca, are mean compared with the Bible. Hence we conclude, that the Scriptures are not the work of men uninspired, but of men taught of the Holy Ghost.(f)

5. The effects of the Sacred Scriptures have been glorious and happy. The religion of the Bible has converted Atheists and Deists, Pagan philosophers and idolaters, Jewish infidels, and Christian moralists. It has instructed the wise and the foolish, raised up the bowed down, solaced the mournful, reclaimed

which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre. Matt. 24. 1, 2. And Jesus went out and departed from the temple; and his disciples came to him, for to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them see ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down. This prediction was exactly and literally fulfilled within forty years after it was uttered. Jerusalem was destroyed, and her beautiful and magnificent temple was razed to the ground and the plow made to pass through where it stood. Jer. 28. 9. The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him.

(f) Gen. 1. 3. And God said let there be light, and there was light. Matt. 22. 37-40. Jesus said unto him thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Ps. 12, 6. The words of the Lord are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

multitudes from vice and immoralities, and prepared them for Heaven. And, were it universally believed and practised, paradise would be restored on earth.(5) 6. The writers of the Bible were holy men, and consequently, would never have written what is not true. And, let it be added, bad men would never have written the Bible, for it condemns them in all their vicious inclinations and practices. Hence we infer that the Bible was divinely inspired.(")

7. The Christian religion is opposed by the corrupt lusts and passions of men. Against it have been combined wit, learning, and the sword. In the three first centuries of the Christian church there were ten violent persecutions against Christianity. But it continues and spreads by a secret influence, which must be ascribed to the agency of almighty God. Its origin is then divine.(i)

8. The light of nature, so far as it extends, perfectly coincides with the revelation of the Bible. The analogy between these two sources of instruction proves them to be from the same Author. And as God is the Author of the light of nature, so he must be of the Bible.--Such is the evidence in favour of the inspiration of the Sacred Scriptures. How explicit and abundant! The Bible must be the word of God.

(g) Ps. 19. 7. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 1 Cor. 1. 21. For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Rom. 15. 4. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning; that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Acts 2. 41. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. (h) 2 Peter 1. 21. For the prophesy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

(i) Acts 2. 47. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Q. 14.

Is the Bible a complete and infallible rule of faith and practice?

A. It is. Nothing is to be added or subtracted. Every thing necessary to be believed or practised in religion, is here taught with the perfection, infallibility, and authority of Heaven.()

Q. 15. Are all controversies in religion, decrees of councils, opinions of ancient and modern writers, and the doctrines of private men, to be tested by the Bible?

A. They are. This is the supreme judge in all matters of religion. There can be no appeal from Scripture to reason, for this would be to exalt man above God. This grand Protestant maxim should ever be embraced and maintained.(k)

Q. 16. Should the Old Testament, under the gospel dispensation, be received as a guide in faith and practice, as well as the New?

A. Those parts of it, which express the will of God in reference to moral duties, as also the devotional and prophetical parts of it, are always to be received in this light. But what is peculiar to the Mosaic or Jewish dispensation is not obligatory upon Christians, as this dispensation was abrogated upon the introduction of Christianity. The Old and the New Testament both, teach the same great

(j) Rev. 22. 18, 19. For I testify unto every man, that heareth the words of the prophesy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophesy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things, which are written in this book. (k) Isa. 8. 20. To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Gal. 1. 8. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 2 Peter 1. 19. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.

religious truths-the same God, the same plan of mercy, the same Saviour, the same repentance and faith, and the same future state of retribution.(1)

Q. 17. Of what use is human reason in reference to the Scriptures?

A. Its only use is to ascertain whether the Bible is the word of God, and also what are its contents, or what is its true meaning. When this is done, the office of reason is done.

Q. 18. Are all things in the Scriptures alike plain and easy to be understood?

A. They are not. But the grand and essential truths of the Bible are most clearly taught, and most easily discerned. They are sufficiently plain and intelligible to all capacities.(m)

Q. 19. Is it of consequence what a man be- . lieves in religion, provided he is sincere in his faith? A. It is all important. Our hearts and our lives are much affected by our faith. Besides a man may be very sincere in a great error, perhaps a fatal one. St. Paul once sincerely opposed Christ and His cause, but for this very conduct, he calls himself a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious. His sincerity did not excuse him. He was still in the broad road to destruction.(")

(1) 2.Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

(m) Isa. 35. 8. And an high way shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called, The way of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the way faring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

(n) John 8. 24. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins; for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. Acts 26. 9. I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious; but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Prov. 16. 25. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. 2 Pet. 2. 1, 2. But there were false proph

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