For

that which was already collected into a canon. the term SCRIPTURE, as the context leads us to understand it, is general, and means a religious rule, perfect in its direction for the conduct of human life in belief and practice; it being under this idea, he recommends the scriptures to Timothy. The assertion, therefore, is universal, and amounts to this, That divine inspiration is an essential quality of every scripture, which constitutes the LAW or RULE of a religion coming from God," s

But, if any doubt rest on the above argument, it is removed by St. Peter, who calls the epistles of St. Paul by the solemn title of Scriptures, considers them as parallel with the writings of the prophets, declares they were indited by a wisdom more than human, and classes them with the inspired writings which the ignorant and unstable wrest. And he does all this incidentally, as if the inspiration of the New Testament were a point of acknowledged truth. He does it also when writing to "stir up the pure minds of the first Christians, who knew, and were established in the truths of the gospel;" and, with the view of their being "able, after his decease, to have his instructions always in remembrance." He does it further, after he had expressly declared, that "the gospel had been preached, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaAnd he concludes his epistle with the remark

ven.'

5 Works, viii. 271. Besides Bishop Warburton, I am in-, debted to Bishops Horsley, Tomline, and Van Mildert, especially to the last; also to the works of Calamy, Horberry, Abbadie, Boyle's Style of Scripture, Williams, and Blackall's Boyle's Lectures, Campbell, Jortin, Bennet, Hartley, Jacquelot, Hey's Lectures, Houteville, Jenkins, Seed, Gregory, Dick, Benson, Franks. But the works most practical, and which have given me most satisfaction, are Lamotte, Dr. Lowth, Doddridge, and Scott in his preface to his Commentary, Perhaps, if I were to select one work only, it would be Lamotte's Inspiration of the New Testament asserted and explained. 1694.

able words, "I have written briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which ye stand." Surrounded with such concomitant declarations, we find the following language: "Account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to THE WISDOM GIVEN UNTO HIM, hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable, wrest, as they do also THE OTHER SCRIPTURES, unto their own destruction." Thus we have the divinely-inspired authors of the Christian revelation, endowed confessedly with miraculous gifts, bearing a solemn testimony to the inspiration of the New Testament scriptures, and classing them with those of the Old. Can any one hesitate, then, to admit, that our Christian books are, strictly speaking, inspired of the Holy Ghost?

But to proceed. We not only certainly infer the inspiration of the New Testament from that of the Old; but we appeal, in further proof of our position,

II. To the PROMISE MADE BY OUR LORD to the APOSTLES, AND TO THE GIFTS AND QUALIFICA

TIONS which they received in consequence, on the day of Pentecost.

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1. For did not our Lord's promise of the Spirit directly relate to the qualifications which were to render them infallible teachers of the Christian doctrine? Did it not especially comprise the Holy Spirit as a Spirit of truth," who should "guide them into all truth," who should " glorify Christ," who should "take of the things of Christ, and show them unto them;" who should "bring all things to their remembrance, whatsoever he had said to them;" who should "teach them all things, and show them things to come, and abide with them for ever ?"-who, in a word, should be the great COMFORTER, Advocate,

and Instructor of the church? Observe, I entreat you, that the Holy Ghost is not here promised as a Spirit of miracles, but as a SPIRIT OF TRUTH—an expression three times repeated, and which, connected with the other numerous terms just cited, manifestly includes an unerring direction in the exposition of the truth of the Christian religion. Further, the Spirit's abiding with them for ever," must undoubtedly import constant operation, without change or intermission, whenever they should be engaged in the execution of their office. Again, the Spirit's being "another Comforter," Adviser, or Advocate, to supply their Master's personal presence, to "glorify him," and "to take of the things which were his, and show them unto them," must imply plenary inspiration and direction. The assurance, moreover, that by the agency of this Comforter their Lord" would not leave them comfortless," destitute, or orphans, but " them," must include more than this: it must import that they should speak and write under the immediate guidance of the Spirit of their Master and Lord, as if he himself was still with them, instructed them as to every part of their doctrine, and indited every word they uttered. And accordingly, that they might be prepared to receive much new information in the mysteries of the gospel, our Saviour expressly adds, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now; howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth.'

come unto

Thus this illustrious promise embraces the very qualifications which would constitute infallible doctors and teachers of the church.

But we have, further, a description of the extent of assistance implied in this promise, by a declaration of Jesus in reference to an occasion, important indeed, but apparently far less so, than when rules of faith were to be drawn up for all ages. "When they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates and

powers, take ye no thought how, or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say. For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say; for it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." Such is the nature of inspiration-it is the Spirit of God speaking in or by an apostle.

We have also a specimen of the actual fulfilment of one important branch of the promise, even before the day of Pentecost. "Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures; and beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he showed them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself."

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But, what further illustrates the import and force of this promise of the Holy Ghost, is the commission given by Christ to the apostles, which rested entirely upon the accomplishment of it, and could not have been executed without it. I give unto thee," said Jesus to one of the apostles, Peter, in the name of the rest, "the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.--And he breathed on them, and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whosesoever sinз ye retain, they are retained." Words, undoubtedly including, and indeed chiefly referring to the doctrine delivered by the apostles inspired by the Holy Ghost, according to which, sins are ministerially remitted or retained, and the state of all men in respect of acceptance or condemnation, is and will be finally determined; and which supposes such an assistance of the Spirit in the discharge of their office, as to exclude absolutely all error or mistake.

Again, the last words of our Lord confirmed all the

6 Matt. x. 19; Mark xiii. 11; Luke xii. 11, 12.

preceding expectations of spiritual authority and inspiration. "All power is given unto me in heaven and earth, go ye therefore and teach all nations.-Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; and he that believeth not, shall be damned.And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." If then any, the least error, as to the doctrines or precepts of Christianity, is found in the holy scriptures, this promise, and the commission founded on it, have so far been defeated in their main design. There is no absolutely infallible standard of salvation or condemnation; and the divine Saviour, instead of being with his church to the end of the world, has failed it in the very first age, and in the most critical of all points, the inditing of those sacred rules and canons of faith and practice, by which every subsequent age was to be governed.

2. But what gifts and qualifications did the apostles actually receive in consequence of this great promise of our Lord?

This will furnish a most conclusive argument. We have only to look at the apostles, first in themselves, and then when the gifts of the Spirit had qualified them for their office, to be convinced of the full inspiration of all they spoke and wrote.

Behold the weak, dismayed, timid fishermen of Galilee, who had fled at their Master's apprehension, and had with difficulty been persuaded of his resurrection. The day of Pentecost arrives. They are suddenly endowed with new and surprising powers, and assume a new character. The house shakes where they are assembled. The divine Spirit rests like a lambent celestial flame, upon each of them. Instantly they speak with new tongues. Unlearned and igno