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with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men," Isaiah xxix. 13. "Well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men,' Matt. xv. 7-9. See also Mark vii. 6, 7.-" For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid,” Isaiah xxix. 14. "For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent," 1 Cor. i. 19."The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together," Isaiah xl. 3-5. "As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God," Luke iii. 4 Mark i. 2, 3. John

-6. See also Matt. iii. 3. i. 23." Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have

put my spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench; he shall bring forth judgment unto truth," Isaiah xlii. 1-—3. "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets," &c., Matt. xii. 17 -19. Unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear," Isaiah xlv. 23. "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, every tongue should confess," Phil. ii. 10, 11." In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee," Isaiah xlix. 8. "For he (God) saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee," 2 Cor. vi. 2.-" How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth," Isaiah lii. 7. "As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things," Rom. x. 15. See also Nahum i. 15.

"That which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider," Isaiah lii. 15. "As it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see; and

appears to many incongruous with those mutual regards between Christ and his church, that form, in the apprehension of the orthodox, the great subject of this work. But the very same imagery, it should be recollected, is employed, and for the very same purpose, by the most undoubted of our scriptural writers, and in the first and foremost of our scriptural books. To present one example out of those which occur in the Old Testament, we have the prophet Isaiah saying, "Now will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved, touching his vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill," Isaiah v. 1, &c. See further, Isaiah lxi. 10, and lxii. 5. Jer. ii. 2. Ezek. xvi. 8. Hosea ii. 19, 20. Matt. ix. 15; xxii. 2, &c.; xxv. 1, &c. John iii. 29. But even the New Testament, more didactic and less poetical, as it is conceived to be, abundantly exemplifies the style and form of representation that have been so much objected to, in this part of scripture. The affection of Christ for the church, is, doctrinally and without a figure, set forth in Acts xx. 28-where the measure of his love may be estimated by the price which he gave for it, having "purchased it with his own blood." This forms the commencement of a new relation, we are told in Rom. vii. 4, between the sinner who is redeemed and the Saviour who has thus redeemed him. Raised by Him from death, we are married to Christ, "that we should bring forth fruit unto God." The image is repeated by the apostle in his second epistle to the Corinthians, XI. 2. "I have espoused you to one husband,

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that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." And the preparation for our full enjoyment of Him in heaven, is our investiture here in all the graces of moral and spiritual excellence; and accordingly, the great work of Jesus Christ as the Lord our strength and our sanctifier, is to make us meet for that inheritance, whereof the spirit is said to be the earnest. This is followed up by a more full development of the image in Eph. v. 25-32—which imagery is not only sustained by Paul throughout the preparation for union with Christ here; but is employed by John, when he sets forth the completion of it in heavenwhere a glorious and immortal festival awaits all those who are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb." Our business here is to be diligent, that we may be found without spot and blameless in the great day of reckoning. This we are enabled to prosecute through Christ helping us, who prepares His disciples for Himself, "a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." When this is accomplished, He may say, in the language of the Canticles, "Thou art fair, there is no spot in thee," Song iv. 7. It is thus that we have scriptural authority, if not for the positive confirmation of the title of this work to a place in the canon, at least for the removal of the objections against it. We admit that it has not much more of affirmative evidence to rest upon, than the historical fact of its reception by the Jewish and Christian churches-coupled, however, with the uniform testimony of Christ and his apostles

Eph. i. 14; iv. 30.

Rev. xix. 7-9; xx. 1, 2.

appears to many incongruous with those mutual regards between Christ and his church, that form, in the apprehension of the orthodox, the great subject of this work. But the very same imagery, it should be recollected, is employed, and for the very same purpose, by the most undoubted of our scriptural writers, and in the first and foremost of our scriptural books. To present one example out of those which occur in the Old Testament, we have the prophet Isaiah saying, "Now will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved, touching his vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill," Isaiah v. 1, &c. Sə further, Isaiah lxi. 10, and lxii. 5. Jer. ii. Ezek. xvi. 8. Hosea ii. 19, 20. Matt. ix. xxii. 2, &c.; xxv. 1, &c. John iii. 29. even the New Testament, more didactic and poetical, as it is conceived to be, abun exemplifies the style and form of represe that have been so much objected to, in thi of scripture. The affection of Christ church, is, doctrinally and without a fi. forth in Acts xx. 28-where the measu love may be estimated by the price whic:. for it, having "purchased it with his ow This forms the commencement of a ne we are told in Rom. vii. 4, between the is redeemed and the Saviour who deemed him. Raised by Him from r married to Christ, " fruit unto God." apostle in his seco XI. 2. "I have

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