Use 2d. Is all scripture of divine inspi- ration? Is it a book made by God him- self? Then this reproves : 1. The Papists, who take away part of scripture, and so clip the king of heaven's coin; they ex- punge the second commandment out of their catechisms, because it makes against im- ages ; it is usual with them, if they meet with any thing in scripture which they dis- like, either they put a false gloss upon it, or, if that will not do, pretend it is coi- rupted. These are like Ananias, who kept back part of the money, Acts v. 2. So they keep back part of the scripture from the people. This is an high affront to God, to deface and obliterate any part of his word ; by this they bring themselves under that ■premunire. Rev. xxii. 19., "If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life." — Is all scrip- ture of divine inspiration ? — 2. It condemns the Antinomians, that lay aside the Old Testament as useless, and out of date ; they call them Old Testament Christians. God
hath stamped a divine majesty upon both Testaments ; and till they can shew me where God hath given a repeal to the Old, it stands in force. The two Testaments are the two wells of salvation : the Anti- nomians would stop up one of these wells, — they would dry up one of the breasts of scripture. There is much gospel in the Old Testament ; the comforts of the gospel in the New Testament have their rise from the Old. The great promise of the Mes- siah is in the Old Testament, " A A'irgin shall conceive and bear a son." Nay, I say more, the moral law, in some parts of it, speaks gospel, " I am the Lord thy God :" here is the pure wine of the gospel. The saint's great charter, where God promiseth to " sprinkle clean water upon them, and put his Spirit within them," is to be found primarily in the Old Testament, Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26. So that they who take away the Old Testament, do, as Samson, pull down the pillars, they would take away the pillars of a Christian's comfort. — 3, It con- demns the enthusiasts, who, pretending the Spirit, lay aside the whole Bible : they say the scripture is a dead letter, and they live above it. What imprudence is this ? Till we are above sin, we shall not be above scrip- ture. Let not men talk of a revelation from the Spirit; suspect it to be an imposture. The Spirit of God acts regularly, it works in and by the word ; and he that pretends to a new light, which is either above the word, or contrary to it, abuseth both himself and the Spirit, — his light is borrowed from him who transforms himself into an angel of light. — 4. It condemns the slighters of scripture : such are they, who can go whole weeks and months and never read the word. They lay it aside as rusty armour ; they pre- fer a play or romance before scripture, the magnalia kgis are to them winulta. O how many can be looking their faces in a glass all the morning, but their eyes begin to be sore, when they look upon a Bible ! Hea- thens die in the want of scripture, and these in the contempt of it. They surely must needs go wrong who slight their guide ; such as lay the reins upon the neck of their lusts, and never use the curbing bit of scrip- ture to check them, are carried to hell, and never stop. — 5. It condemns the abusers of
OF THE SCRIPTURES.
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