is sealed and signed with the blood of the Lamb. Our imaginations are idle, our thoughts are vain; there is no idleness, no vanity in the word of God.-Those oxen and goats which were sacrificed, teach thee to kill and sacrifice the uncleanness and filthiness of thy heart: they teach thee, that thou art guilty of death, when thy life must be redeemed by the death of some beast they lead thee to believe the forgiveness of sins by a more perfect sacrifice, because "it was not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins."y That leprosy teacheth thee to know the uncleanness and leprosy of thy soul. Those genealogies and pedigrees lead us to the birth of our Saviour CHRIST. -So that the whole word of God is pure and holy. No word, no letter, no syllable, no point or prick thereof, but is written and preserved for thy sake. Art thou a king? Read the Scriptures; thou shalt find who hath established thine estate, and what duty thou owest to GOD. GOD there telleth thee, " By me kings reign, and princes decree justice." I have given ܶ thee authority; thou carriest my sword: I have put a crown upon thy head; thou art my servant : walk before me let thy heart be perfect in my sight. Art thou a subject? Read the Scriptures; they will teach thee to know thy duty. There Paul biddeth thee, "Render tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour." b "Be subject not only for wrath, but for y Heb. x. 4. [See the fourth and fifth lectures in JONES' Lectures on the Figurative Language of the Holy Scripture, and the Interpretation of it from the Scripture itself-a work of great value. This learned and devout theologian, with his friend and fellow-labourer the pious Bishop HORNE, have gone further than most modern divines in the study and explanation of the analogy between natural and spiritual things. That they are always borne out by Scripture and sound reason, it would be difficult to prove. But if their scheme of interpretation be not irrefragable, it is profitable. It is much to say in its behalf, that its advocates have been among the holiest of men-blameless in their lives and conversation, and lovely in their tranquil and triumphant deaths.] a Prov. viii. 15. [JEWELL evidently considers the personification of wisdom in this chapter, as designed to be understood of the Second Person of the TRINITY.] Rom. xiii. 7. VOL. III.-25 conscience' sake." "For he beareth not the sword in vain; for he is the minister of GoD, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." a Art thou a minister? Read the Scriptures; they will teach thee thy duty. The prophet saith to thee, “Cry aloud, spare not; lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgressions." The apostle saith unto thee, "Preach the word, be instant in season and out of season; watch in all things; do the work of an evangelist; make thy ministry fully known." Thou shalt give an account for the souls of the people; their blood shall be required at thy hands.h Art thou a father? Hast thou children? Read the Scriptures; they will teach thee. "If thou hast sons, instruct them." Again: "He that teacheth his son, grieveth the enemy, and before his friends he shall rejoice of him. Give him no liberty in his youth, and wink not at his folly; chastise thy child, and be diligent therein, lest his shame grieve thee." Eli the prophet, by sparing his wanton children, cast away himself and his children; they were slain, the ark of GOD was taken, and old Eli fell down and brake his neck. Art thou a child? Hast thou a father? Read the Scriptures; they will teach thee. "Children, obey your parents in the LORD: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother, (which is the first commandment with promise,) that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live long on the earth." And again: "Children, obey your parents in all things; for this is well pleasing unto the LORD." The wise man warneth thee: "The eye that mocketh his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it."n Hath God blessed thee in wealth? Art thou rich? Read the Scriptures; they will teach thee. d Rom. xiii. 4. "Be not e Isa. lviii. 1. c Rom. xiii. 5. f 2 Tim. iv. 2. 5. i [These are still more remarkable instances of a confusion of the Apocryphal books with the Scriptures, since they are here expressly cited by that designation. The passages quoted are Ecclus. vii. 23, xxx. 2. ss.] k 1 Sam. iii. ív. 1 Eph. vi. 1-3. m Col. iii. 20. u Prov. xxx. 17. high-minded, and trust not in uncertain riches, but in the living GOD, which giveth us richly all things to enjoy." Again: "Trust not in oppression and robbery: be not vain; if riches increase, set not your heart thereon." Thou shalt depart and leave them behind thee; they shall forsake thee. Thou shalt die, thou knowest not how soon. Solomon showeth thee, "Riches profit not in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivereth from death."q S Art thou poor, and sufferest scarcity in this world? Read the Scriptures; they will teach thee. Say with Jób, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return again.' "r Learn of Solomon, "Better is little with righteousness, than great revenues without right." And again, "Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.”t St. Paul saith, "Godliness with contentment is great gain; for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out."" And again, let him that is poor "labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth."▾ W Art thou a merchant? Usest thou to buy and sell? Read the Scriptures; they will teach thee. "This is the will of GoD-that no man go beyond or defraud his brother in any matter." " Thou shalt learn, that, "divers weights, and divers measures, are alike abomination unto the LORD, and a false balance is not good." Art thou an usurer ?-Thy case is hard, yet hear the Scriptures; they will teach thee. GoD commandeth thee thus: "If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury." Again: "If thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him ;-thou shalt take no usury of him, or increase ;-thou shalt not lend him thy victuals for increase but thou shalt fear thy God, : that thy brother may live with thee." And "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." a He that giveth his money unto usury, shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Art thou a fornicator, and livest in adultery? Read the Scriptures; they will teach thee. "He that committeth fornication," saith St. Paul, “sinneth against his own body. Know ye not that your body is the temple of the HOLY GHOST. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of CHRIST? Shall I then take the members of CHRIST, and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid."" As He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation,' saith St. Peter. The reason is set down by St. Paul : "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification; that should abstain from fornication,' 99 ye e that ye may be holy both in body and in spirit. And, "whoremongers' and adulterers GOD will judge." They shall have no inheritance in the kingdom of CHRIST and of GOD. Art thou a servant? Read the Scriptures; they will teach thee. 66 Servants, obey in all things them that are your masters, according to the flesh; not with eyeservice as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing GOD and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the LORD, and not unto men." h Again: "Please your masters well in all things; not answering again ; not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that ye may adorn the doctrine of GOD our Saviour in all things." i Art thou proud? Read the Scriptures; they will teach thee, “Be not high-minded, but fear." "What hast thou, that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?""! And "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart."m. And, "GOD resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.” Art thou in adversity? Read the Scriptures? "Great are the troubles of the righteous, but the LORD delivereth Lev. xxv. 35-37. 1 Cor. vi. 18, 19. 15. f 1 Thess. v. 23. i Tit. ii. 9, 10. Matt. xi. 29, a Matt. vii. 12. b Ps. xv. 5. Col. iii. 22, 23. 1 1 Cor. iv, 7. him out of all." And, "He shall call upon me, and I will hear him; yea, I am with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and bring him to honour."p And St. Peter telleth thee, "The eyes of the LORD are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers." GOD is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."r "The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, yea, all such as call upon him faithfully."s Art thou a sinner? Hast thou offended GOD? the Scriptures; they will teach thee, "Hate the evil, and love the good." And again: "Flee from evil, and do the thing that is good, and dwell for evermore."u "Arise and go to thy father, and say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Read Dost thou despair of the mercy of GoD? Read the Scriptures; they will teach thee, CHRIST telleth thee, "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Again, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."x At what hour soever a sinner doth repent him of his sin from the bottom of his heart, I will put all his wickedness out of my remembrance, saith the LORD." Again, "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way, and live." And, "The LORD is good to all; and his tender mercies arc over all his works."a Art thou going out of this life? Read the Scriptures; they will teach thee; "I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die." Say with St. Paul, CHRIST is to me both in life and in death advantage :—I desire to be loosed, and to be with CHRIST.' What should I say more of the Scriptures, how • Ps. xxxiv. 11. P Ps. xci. 15. Ps. cxlv. 18. v Luke xv. 18, 19. q 1 Pet, iii. 12, w Matt. ix. 13. y Ezek. xviii. 21-23. 27, 28. 30, b John xi. 25, 26, |