I. In what light it should be regarded —
The word which has been transmitted to us was written by different men, in different and distant ages of the world. But though it was written by men, it is indeed the word of God ; because those holy men wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Ghostb. Indeed, the word is, properly and strictly speaking, " the word of Christ" —
[Our blessed and adorable Lord ministered to the Church not only before his incarnation, but from the very beginning of the world. It was He who preached by Noah to the ante- diluvian worldc. It was He who inspired all the prophets in all succeeding ages of the Church ; and enabled them to testify- beforehand respecting his future sufferings and glory d. Thus was he the real Author of the Old Testament. With respect to the New Testament, whatever is revealed there must also be traced to the same source. It was Christ who taught his Apostles, and who " by his Spirit brought all things to their remembrance," and, in a personal appearance to Saul, revealed to him the whole scheme and plan of redemption6. What the Apostles spake in his name, they affirmed to be, not the word of man, but of God f: and what they wrote in their epistles, they declared to be "the commandment of their Lordg." Hence every part of the sacred volume is justly called by the Apostle " the word of Christ."]
In this view it ought to be regarded by us —
[Let us suppose that the Lord Jesus Christ were now to come amongst us, and to teach in our Churches, as once he did in the streets and synagogues of Judea : should we not, if we knew him to be that very Jesus, listen to him with the deepest attention? Should we not revolve in our thoughts the various subjects of his discourse, and labour to ascertain their true import? If we could suppose him now addressing us from the cross, and appealing to his sufferings as an unquestionable demonstration of his love, and an irresistible argument for our adherence to him ; should we not be melted to tears ? should we not be ready to exclaim, " What have we to do any more with idols?" " Other lords have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we make mention of thy name." Or, lastly, let us suppose that we saw the heavens opened, and Jesus standing at the right hand of Godh: let us suppose he spake to us now, as once he did from Mount Sinai, with thunder-
b 2 Pet. i- 21. c 1 Pet. iii. 18—20. d 1 Pet. i. 10, 11.
e Gal. i. 11, 12. '1 Thess. ii. 13. s 1 Cor. xiv. 37.
h Acts vii. 56.