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semblance, but by the Scriptures alone? Where. fore, our Lord foreseeing that so great a confusion of things would take place in the latter days, orders the Christians to have recourse to nothing but the Scriptures." And again, "Let us not attend to the opinions of the many; but let us inquire into the things themselves. For it is absurd, while we will not trust other people in pecuniary affairs, but choose to reckon and calculate for ourselves, that in matters of far greater consequence, we should implicitly follow the opinions of others; especially as we possess the most exact and perfect rule and standard, by which to regulate our several inquiries--I mean the regulation of the divine laws. Therefore I could wish that all of you would neglect what this or that man asserts for truth, and that you would investigate all these things in the scriptures." We have thus by the desire of the church inquired of the Fathers, and the Fathers have sent us back to the Scriptures. Nor is it needful to multiply our witnesses. The Scriptures themselves assert their own sufficiency; and in terms so plain and intelligible, as to render the assistance of any human interpreter unnecessary. Let us hear what they affirm. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah viii. 20. book of the Lord, and read."

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Seek ye out the Isaiah xxxiv. 16.

The Saviour himself, invariably appealed to the

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Scriptures in support of his doctrine and claims, and enjoined their careful and serious study as an indispensable personal duty. So far from countenancing oral traditions as an authority, he charged it upon the Scribes and Pharisees as a high crime, that they transgressed the commandment of God through their "tradition," and that they taught "for doctrines the commandments of men." Matt. xv. 3—9. In one of his controversies with them, referring to the writings of Moses, as testifying of his Messiahship, and intimating the regard which ought to be paid to them, in comparison with even his own oral teaching, he said, ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words." John v. 46, 47. This important distinction had been immediately preceded by the injunction "Search the Scriptures." 39 v. In the solemn parable of the “Rich man and Lazarus,” Abraham concludes all argument, in favour of the message from the invisible world, by saying, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead." Luke xvi. 30, 31. Perhaps one of the most decisive passages in favour of the sufficiency and authority of the Scriptures, referring not merely to the Old Testament, out to the New, several books of which

were at that time extant, occurs in the words in which Paul commends and congratulates Timothy, that from a child he had known the Scriptures which were able to make him wise to salvation, adding; "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. That the writings of the Apostle Paul were regarded as forming part of the Scriptures, we have proof in the instance in which Peter accuses the unstable of wresting difficult passages, as they do also the other Scriptures.”

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2 Peter iii. 16.

Consider my Christian friends, the design with which God has revealed himself to you in his word. He has thus addressed you from heaven by "holy men who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost," that in his light you may discern the way to holiness and bliss. This is the only pure and perfect light that shines upon our path. From this source alone can we acquire correct notions of the great Author of our existence or of the nature of the homage which is due to his perfections. For though, "the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth forth his handy work"-though the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made; yet man

has never learned so to decipher these magnificent characters as correctly to learn from them even the name of their divine Creator.

At Athens, the nursery of science, the centre of civilization, and the temple of philosoply, the residence of some of the most renowned of the ancient sages-many of whom had devoted their lives to observations of the heavenly bodies, and to calculations of their magnitudes, distances and motions, The apostle Paul found an altar with the inscription "To the unknown God," a just confession of the ignorance of those, who "professing themselves to be wise, became fools; and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man." Rom. i. 22, 23.

The Bible plainly reveals the character of God, his glorious perfections-the nature of his moral government-the claims of his eternal justice-the beauties of his holiness-and the riches of his grace. It brings life and immortality to light; it proclaims a free pardon for the worst of guilt on the ground of an adequate atonement: it promises sure redemption from all impurity by the Spirit of holiness, and imparts to those who listen to its counsels, and walk by its rules, abundant consolation in trouble, certain triumph in death, and a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory in heaven.

We are accountable to God for the use we make of his sacred word. At the great tribunal, men

will be judged out of those things which are written in the books, according to their works." Rev. xx. 12. We cannot transfer our individual responsibility in this matter either to priest or prelate, to council, synod, or church. "He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord." Jer. xxiii. 28.

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