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ERRATA.

VOL. I.

Page 50. line 7. and 22. for future read fubfequent 80.-17. for refpects read respect

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THE

USE

OF

SACRED HISTORY.

PART III.

ON THE

USE OF SACRED HISTORY,

AS ILLUSTRATING AND CONFIRMING THE GREAT DOCTRINES OF REVELATION.

HAVING taken a curfory view of the Hiftory

of God's ancient people, as containing many useful leffons; we may now turn our attention. to Scripture-Hiftory in general, as confirming or illuftrating the doctrines of revelation. And fo abundant is the evidence, which God is pleased to give us of the truth of these, that fcarcely one of them wants this atteftation.-It is only a few of the more important doctrines that we can propose to illuftrate in this manner.

VOL. II.

A

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SECTION I.

On the Being and Unity of God.-His Being must be matter of Faith. His Unity demonftrated, from Creation—from his wonderful Works, for the deliverance of his People;-from the Judgments executed on the gods of the Heathen ;from the Accomplishment of Prophecy ;—from the Anfwer of Prayer-from his Faithfulnefs to his Church; from the whole work of Redemption; -from his Operation on the Heart.

"THE Sacred Hiftory," as one juftly obferves, "is the hiftory of God himself." It is defigned as a permanent teftimony to his being. This is made known by the light of nature. But it is the will of God, that we fhould be perfuaded of this doctrine, fundamental to all religion, not merely by reason, but by faith; and that our faith, with respect to this doctrine, fhould have the fame foundation that it has with refpect to any other contained in his word. Therefore, it is alfo given as matter of revelation. Nor, in the volume of infpiration, is it merely taught as a doctrine. It is demonstrated as a fact. We learn it not from God's word only, but alfo from his works." How often, in this refpect, does he appeal to the I works

works of creation?" The heavens declare the tr glory of God; and the firmament fheweth his "handiwork a." "Afk now the beafts, and they "fhall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and

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they shall tell thee: or speak to the earth, and "it fhall teach thee; and the fifhes of the fea "fhall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in "all these, that the hand of the LORD hath wrought "this? In whofe hand is the foul of every living

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thing, and the breath of all mankind "." In the account given of the creation, we have an exhibition of the Creator himfelf;" "GOD created." In the very first words of the facred volume, the existence of God is contrafted with that of all other beings. He created in the beginning"," that is, "the beginning of the creature" or creation. This declares that he exifted before all things, and that he gave being, not only to all the creatures, but to time itself.

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A fimilar appeal is frequently made to the works of providence. "The LORD is known by the "judgment which he executeth." It is thus that he replies to thofe fools who fay in their hearts, "No God;" who, if they do not disbelieve the doctrine of his existence, wish that it were not true, and act as if affured that it were falfe, efpecially in perfecuting his Church. God "fcattereth the bones of him that encampeth

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againft" her. He enables her to "put them "to shame, because God hath despised them .??

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When he executes upon them the judgments written in his book, men are made to fay; "Ve"rily there is a reward for the righteous, verily "he is a God that judgeth in the earth s." They find it neceffary to acknowledge, not only that "he is," but that he is the "rewarder of all them

that diligently feek him." Of this, the hiftory of the church is one continued proof; as appears from the beautiful compend given of it in the chapter of which these words are a part. All that they did or fuffered was " by faith;" and their fuccefs clearly fhows, that their faith was not placed on a nonentity.

Next to the doctrine of the existence of God, none claims a more diftinguished place than that of his unity: To deny the unity of the Supreme Being, is in effect to deny his exiftence: and this may be one reason why the heathen are called "atheists in the world." Hence there is no doctrine, that God hath been at more pains to inculcate and confirm. He feparated one nation from all the rest of the world, as a peculiar people, for the prefervation of this important truth. He employed them in exhibiting it to others, and by means of them he confirmed it in the fight of the heathen. "Ye are my witneffes, faith JEHOVAH, "and my fervant whom I have chofen, that ye

may know and believe me, and understand that "I am he before me there was no God formed, "neither fhall there be after me k"

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Pfal. Iviii. ir. h Heb. xi. 6. 1 Eph. ii. 12.

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