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tures are really what they pretend to be, i. e: a revelation from God.

Two or three reflection on what has been advanced in the argument from prophecy will clofe this difcourfe.

1. How wonderfully extenfive is the fyftem of events unfolded in prophecy? How unlike to the prophecies of scripture were the pagan oracles of antiquity? Thefe were delivered only for the immediate information and direction of those who confulted them. They were usually dreffed up in fuch ambiguous language, that, let the event turn out as it would, the credit of the oracle was fafe. They were no fooner understood than defpifed. Directly the reverse is the truth, in relation to the prophecies of fcripture. The better they are understood the more we will admire the vastnefs of the plan. The completion of the former only fhows their fraud and futility.

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The fulfillment of the latter demonftrates their truth and importance. The fcheme of fcripture prophecy comprehends a vaft and connected fyftem of events, and extends through a long fucceffion of ages. Indeed it will be fully completed only with the confummation of all things. more it is understood the more comprehenfive it will ap pear, and the more ftriking the evidences of the divinity of its author. What stronger proofs can be given of a divine providence, and a divine revelation, than thofe which appear from the unfolding of the vast scheme of prophecy?

2. From the remarks made in this difcourfe we may fee the wonderful harmony which there is in the whole fcheme of prophecy. All the prophecies contribute to the elucidation of the fame fyftem of events. Of all the Prophets of the Old Teftament, Daniel has given the most extensive and connected view of a chain of events extending to the latter day. All his prophecies and vitions are connected together. What a wonderful coincidence is there not only between him and the other Prophets of the Old Testament, but also betweeen him an our blessed Saviour, the Apostle Paul, and the Evangelist John, in the New? The fame perfons, characters, and events are foretold by them all, and all contribute to the develops

ment of the fame extenfive plan. It is plain, there fore, that they must all have been infpired by the fame Spirit.

3. Hence we may learn the ftrange and furprifing manner in which many prophecies have already been accomplished. How circumftantial has been the accomplishment of the events foretold in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and the fubfequent prophecies of Daniel; in the feveral revolutions and changes which have taken place in the four great monarchies? How remarkably have the prophecies of Mofes and of our bleffed Lord been fulfilled, in the deftruction of Jerufalem, and the fubfequent difperfion of the Jews?. For the accomplishinent of these prophecies, perfons have been raised up in a manner almolt equally wonderful. Vefpafian was promoted from obfcurity, and, although feared and hated by Nero, was by him preferred to the command in that war. His fon Titus was alfo, at various times, remarkably preferved, in order to accomplish the purpose which God had in view. Jofephus, the Jewish hiftorian, was preferved in a manner little lefs remarkable than Titus; the one to def. troy, and the other to record that deftruction. It tends, in a peculiar manner, to establish the truth of these proph ecies, that the particular hiftories which explain and ilJuftrate their fulfillment, are derived, not fo much from Chriftian, as from Jewish and heathen writers; efpecially from Jofephus the Jewish hiftorian. Although he is very exact and minute in other particulars, yet he avoids, as much as poffible, the mention of Chrift, and of the. Chriftian religion. Nothing was farther from his intention than to record the fulfillment of our Saviour's prophecies, yet had this been his exprefs defign, he could not more effectually have accomplished his purpofe. As thefe calamities were the moft deplorable of any which the world ever witneffed, fo none were ever fo clearly foretold. Other prophecies have been accomplished with equal exactnefs. Blaffed be God that we have fuch a fure word of prophecy, to which we will do well to take heed, as to a light fhining in a dark place. Let us therefore, while we enjoy this light, walk in the light,. that we may be the children of the light.

DISCOURSE VII.

PSALMS, CXXxviii. 2.

Thou haft magnified thy word above all thy name.

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IT is objected against thofe copies of the facred fcriptures which we now poffefs, that, whatever our opinions of the original infpiration of thefe writings may be, no dependance is now to be placed upon them. They have been fo much altered and corrupted, either by the incapacity, negligence, or wickedness of the numerous tranflators and tranfcribers, through whofe hands they have paffed, that they are not now to be relied on; and the feveral copies vary fo much from each other, that, while there is no common standard by which we can compare or correct them, there is no certainty in either. Some obfervations on this point will be the fubject of this difcourfe. words read have been selected, as affording a theme fuitable to that purpose. By the name of God, as the phrase is ufed in the facred fcriptures, we are to understand any thing whatfoever, whereby he makes himself known, or manifefts himself to be truly God. His whole character, comprising his attributes and works, whether of nature, providence, or grace, may be confidered as pertaining to As the word of God is to be confidered as the principal fource from whence we derive the knowledge of the divine character and works, or in other words, as the word is the principal means whereby we attain to the knowledge of God, this word may be confidered as conftituting an effential part of his name. And as infinitely more knowledge of God is obtained from his word than from all other fources combined, he may be faid to mag

his name.

nify his word above all his name. It is probable that David, in this Pfalm, understands God's word in a restricted fenfe, not as extending to divine revelation in general, but with special reference to fome particular great and precious promife or promises made to himfelf, which, notwithstanding the numerous obftacles that stood in the way of their accomplishment, had been magnified, not barely by an exact and circumstantial fulfillment, but by God's doing even more than he had promifed. Having lately experienced a fresh inftance of divine faithfulness, difplayed in the ful fillment of a particular promise, he was from thence led to the contemplation of the fame glorious perfections, as difcovered in his word generally. Not that any one of God's attributes or perfcctions, either is, in reality, or can be made more glorious than an other: But becaufe particular circumftances may bring one of God's perfections more immediately into our view, this may be more admired and celebrated by men than another, being at the prefent moment more clearly feen. This feems to have been the cafe in the prefent inftance. God's gracious promife made to David, connected with its wonderful accomplishment, notwithstanding numerous obftacles which to men appeared infurmountable, was at this time, more obferved and admired by him, than any other of the divine attributes, actions, or perfections. But although David may, in this inftance, have fome particular promife or promises more immediately in view, the observation in our text will pertinently apply to divine revelation generally. God has magnified and will magnify his whole character, all his name: But he magnifies his word above all his name, by making it the vehicle through which the knowledge of the various ways, in which his whole character is magnified, is communicated to his church. He has magnified his power, wisdom, and goodness, in the works of creation, and ftill continues to magnify them in the works of providence. In the works of redemption, he magnifies or exhibits, as glorious in the view of his intelligent creatures, his whole character. He has magnified his juftice, by demanding and obtaining fuch complete fatisfaction for the breaches of his law, as that not one iota or one tittle all pass from

it until all be fulfilled: He magnifies his mercy, by pardoning guilty rebels through an atonement: He has magnified his love to men, by the gift of his only begotten Son to a loft and perifhing world: He has magnified his wif dom, by the discovery of a way in which all the attributes of Deity harmonize in the salvation of finners; a way in which mercy and truth have met together, and righteoufnefs and peace have kiffed each other: He magnifies his truth and faithfulnefs, by the accomplishment of all his promises; and he magnifies his word, by making it the true and faithful vehicle by the means of which the knowledge of all thefe difplays of the divine character is communicated to the children of men. He makes it a perfect tranfcript of his own character and perfections, whether he chooses to make a display of himself in acts of justice or of mercy, by making it a powerful mean for convincing and converting finners, and by making it a lamp or a light to direct his people in every feafon of perplexity and distress. In all these refpects, the word of God had been magnified to the Pfalmift. He fpeaks, therefore, from his own experience, when he fays, The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the foul: The teflimony of the Lord is fure, making wife the fimple: The ftatutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes: The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: The judgments of the word are true and righteous altogether. But the defign of this dif courfe is to confine our views of God's magnifying his word above all his name to one fingle point, the elucidation of which is required by its connexion with those which have preceded it, i. e. God has magnified his word by taking fufficient care that it fhould be preferred pure, and handed down to fucceeding generations without any material alteration or corruption. In the fequel of this difcourfe, fome illuftration of this point will be attempted.

This cannot be considered as a subject of minor importance. An attention to it becomes the more neceffary, as it is a quarter against which infidels direct fome of their moft furious attacks. This fuppofed corruption they are fond of reprefenting as one of the moll unanswerable argu

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