SERMON XXX. A DISCOURSE Concerning the Ufe of the HOLY S CRIPTURES. C 0 L 0 S S I AN S iii, 16. Let the word of Clmjl dwell in yott richly, in all wifdom. THI S Epifrlc, if any other, is a rich Mine of Heavenly Treafure, and abounds both in the difcovery of Gofpcl Myftcries, and the lnjuntl:ion Of Chriftian Duties. It is furn ifh'd throughout with thJt which may either inftrutl: us in l(nowlcdge1 or direCt us in Practice: And the Apoftle ha~ ving already laid down many Excellent Things in order to both thcfe; and feeing it " 'ould be an endlefsTask to difcourfc unto t hem all the Truths, or exhort them to all the Duties of Religion in p articular; he t herefore fpeaks compend ioufly in the Words of my Text, and refers them to the perfectSyftem in which is conta ined an account of what a Chriftian ought to know or do; and that is the Holy Scriptures. Let the word of Chrift dwell in you 1ichly. The Words of this Exhortation are very f11ll, and laden with weighty Senfe. \~le may refolvc them into two parts. Firft, Here is t he Nature and Subftance of the Exhortation, which is to a diligent Study, and plentiful ~nowledge of the Holy Scripture:. Secondly , The manner how we ought to b_e Convcrfant m 1..hcm; So that it may dwell in t:i richly in aU wifdom. In the former we may take notice that theScriptllre is called the Word of Chrifl:; and that upon a double account : Both becanfe 11e is the Author that compofcd it, and likcwife, he is the fubje& matter of which it principally treats. Now though in both thefc refpetts, the Scriptures of the :New Teftament be more efpecially the Word of Chrifl:; yet alfo may the Scriptures of the Old Teftamenr. as uuly and properly go under his Name. For, Firft, He is the Author of them all: He may well write this Title upon our Bibles, The Work s of ']efw Chrift. All the Prophets before his lnc:~rnation, were but his Amanuenfes 1 and wrote only what he by his Spirit di&ated to them, l Pet. 1 . li . Proplucy came not in old time by the will of Man, but H&ty Men of Cod fpa ke .u they J"P#Ie moved by the Holy Ghoft; and certainly the Holy Ghofl: infpired t hem by Chrift's Authority and Commiffion; and what he declared, he took from bim, and jhell'ed it uruo than, John 16. 14, I 5· He /hall receive of mim:, and j1Mfl Jhet"P it unto you. Secondly, Chrift alfo is the prindpal Subje8: and Matter of the whole SC!ipture. The fending Chrift a Saviour into the World, is that great Bu tinc fs which hath employed the Counfel of the Father, the Admiration and Minifl:ration of Angels, the Tongues and Pens of Prophets, Apoftles, and Holy Men of all Ages, before the Scriptures were written, when Revelation or Tradition were yet the only pofitive Rules for Faith and PraCiice. The Patriarchs faw him by thefe. .Ab1aham Jaw my d~ty and l'Oal glad, John 8. 56. Afterwards the People of the Jews faw him by Types, Promifes, and Prophecies recorded in the Scriptures. He was that U u u u u ,excellent
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