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LECTURE I.

INTRODUCTORY.

ON SCRIPTURE HISTORY IN GENERAL.

2 TIM. 3. 15.-And that from a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation, through faith which is in Christ

Jesus.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS;

THE subject on which you are now to be addressed, is Scripture History in general. Some of the most interesting parts of Sacred History have been selected on purpose, that you may know them, that you may read them and be instructed, that you may be made truly wise, good and happy. You are fond of histories, especially if they are true. Here then you will find the most beautiful and interesting histories, and they are all true,

because

because God commanded them to be written. You are fond of reading wonderful stories. In the Bible are some of the most wonderful things you ever heard or read of. You like short stories, therefore these Lectures will suit you, because they are not long. Many young persons are very inquisitive, they ask a great many questions; you will find many questions in these Lectures, and what is still better, they are all answered. The answers are taken from the Bible, and if you read your Bibles, especially those parts which are selected for the subjects of these Lectures, you will find the answers so plain, that you will be ready to think that you could have answered most of the questions, had they been put to you. The Apostle Paul tells Timothy, that

the Scriptures were able to make him wise unto salvation." "Wisdom is the great end and design of History: it is designed to supply the want of experience." You may obtain a greater variety of instruction from history than your own experience can possibly afford, were you to live to the age of an hundred years. The object of history is to enlarge

enlarge your views of the human characterand to give full exercise to your judgment on human affairs.This is the design and object of history in general.-Scripture History aims at more than this; it will make you wise unto salvation.-How far superior is the ob ject and design of Sacred' History. It has beauties and advantages of its own, far be yond what any human history can boast. How many young persons read only the historical parts of the Bible, and those merely for their amusement: how little do they value Scripture History. much instructed by it as

How few are so

they might be,

if they were to read them with proper attention, and with a desire to profit by what they read.

Let me then entreat your atten

tion to the following things.

I. To the NAME-SCRIPTURE HISTORY, or as it is sometimes called Sacred History. There is often more meaning in the name of a thing than is at first understood. Why are the historical parts of the Scriptures called Sacred History?

1st,

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