WORD ox THIN LORD. 261 Thu, as their free and inexhauftible Spring. They plead that promife in the Scriptures : And the Scriptures are to them a Word and anOath of Promife. They tef- tify of Jefus Chrift externally: He teftifies of himfel'f, by them, internally. Through the Agency of his Spirit, they are precious and efficacious Teftimonies to the Redeemed, and are wonderfully adapted to every .poffìble Circumftance and Situation of their Minds. Without that Agency, they are dry and unoperative, either for the Life or Growth of Grace, and become an aweful Savor of Death unto Death in thofe who rejeét them. Chrift is their Alpha and Omega ; and they are a Book fealed without Chrift. They begin with his Wifdom and Power, and they end with his Faithfulnefs and Truth. All the intermediate Pages are filled with the Defcription of his Perfon, Divinity, and Names ; or with the Recital of his Providences in Nature, and of his Wonders in Grace. Thefe Circumftances, fo preg- nant with Glory and Immortality, render the Bible the molt delightful of all Books to the Believer in Jefus. The Scriptures are full of Him, who infpired them. And " a truly enlightened Confcience (as the great " Bifhop Stillingfeet obferved) difcovers fo much Beauty and Glory in them, that they ravilh the Soul, " though it may be unable to give fo full an Account " of this unto others, who want the Eyes to fee that " Beauty with, which a Heart truly gracious hash. " And the Evidence (contained in thofe Scriptures) is then molt convincing, when it is feconded by the " peculiar Energy, and effectual Workings, of the Spirit " of GOD upon theSouls of Believers." To them that believe (as the Apoftle fpeaks) CHRIST is precious indeed'. His Perfon is precious ; his Names are precious; his Word is precious. He is JEHOVAH the Almighty ; yet 7efus their Saviour. ,As GOD and Man, in one Perfon, he is' their Immanuel and their Brother. He (Hews them the Father ; and, by him, they are united to the Father. Their Life, their Joy, their Hope, is altogether derived from, and centered in S 3 him.
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