THE word of the living God, which formed the rule of faith and practice to the primitive patriarchs, was committed to writing in the age of Moses, to whom the other prophets were successively added. Subsequently, those things which the Son of God preached, and the Paraclete spake through the apostles, were written down by them and the evangelists. These writings, taken together, are termed "Holy Scripture;" and, how great soever is their dignity and value, are, in conjunction with this very title of theirs, their own best encomium ; for they are called " Holy Scripture" because they contain the utterances of God, and constitute the LORD'S own Book. " The word of our God," exclaims the prophet, " shall stand for ever." — (Isaiah xl. 8.) " Verily, I say unto you," says the Saviour Himself, " Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."— (Matt. v. 18.) And again, " Heaven and earth shall pass away ; but MY words shall not pass away." — (Ibid. xxiv. 35.) The Scriptures, therefore, of the Old and New Testaments, form a most sure and precious system of Divine testimonies. For not only are the various writings, when considered separately, worthy of GOD, but, also, when received as a whole, they exhibit one entire and perfect
body, unencumbered by excess, unimpaired by defect. The Bible is, indeed, the true fountain of wisdom, which they, who have once actually tasted, prefer to all mere compositions of men, however holy, however experienced, however devout, or however wise.1