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the gospel, and so necessary in order to introduce the gospel
into the world, and in whom began the race of their kings ;
and that we should have some account of the building of the
temple, which was also so full of gospel mystery.

And it is,a matter of great consequence, that we should have some account of Israel's dividing from Judah, and of the ten tribes' captivity and utter rejection, and a brief account why, and therefore a brief history of them till that time. It is necessary that we should have an account of the succession of the kings of Judah, and of the church, till their captivity into Babylon; and that we should have some account of their return from their captivity, and resettlement in their own land, and of the origin of the last state that the church was in before Christ came.

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A little consideration will convince every one, that all these things were necessary, and that none of them could be spared; and in the general, that it was necessary that we should have an history of God's church till such times as are within the reach of human histories; and it was of yast importance that we should have an inspired history of those times of the Jewish church, wherein there was kept up a more extraordinary intercourse between God and them, and while he used to dwell among them as it were visibly, revealing himself by the Shechina, by Urim and Thummim, and by prophecy, and so more immediately to order their affairs. And it was neces sary that we should have some account of the great dispensations of God in prophecy, which were to be after the finishing of inspired history; and so it was exceeding suitable and needful that there should be a number of prophets raised up who should foretel the coming of the Son of God, and the nature and glory of his kingdom, to be as so many harbingers to make way for him, and that their prophecies should remain in the church.

It was also a matter of great consequence that the church should have a book of divine songs given by inspiration from God, wherein there should be a lively representation of the true spirit of devotion, of faith, hope, and divine love, joy, re, signation, humility, obedience, repentance, &c.; and also

that we should have from God such books of moral instruc` tions as we have in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, relating to the affairs and state of mankind, and the concerns of human life, containing rules of true wisdom and prudence for our con duct in all circumstances; and that we should have particu larly a song representing the great love between Christ and his spouse the church, particularly adapted to the disposition and holy affections of a true Christian soul towards Christ, and representing his grace and marvellous love to, and delight in his people; as we have in Solomon's Song; and especially that we should have a book to teach us how to conduct ourselves under affliction, seeing the church of God here is in a militant state, and God's people do, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of heaven; and the church is for so long a time under trouble, and meets with such exceedingly fiery trials, and extreme sufferings, before her time of peace and rest in the latter ages of the world shall ceme: Therefore God has given us a book most proper in these circumstances, even the book of Job, written upon occasion of the afflictions of a particular saint, and was probably at first given to the church in Egypt under her afflictions there; and is made use of by the Apostle to comfort Christians under persécutions, James v. 11. "Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." God was also pleased, in this book of Job, to give some view of the ancient divinity, before the giv ing of the law.

Thus from this brief review, I think it appears that every part of the scriptures of the Old Testament is very useful and necessary, and no part of it can be spared, without loss to the church. And therefore, as I said, the wisdom of God is conspicuous in ordering that the scriptures of the Old Testament should consist of those very books of which they do consist.

Before I dismiss this particular, I would add, that it is very observable, that the history of the Old Testament is large and particular, where the great affair of redemption required it; as where there was most done towards this work, and most to

typify Christ, and to prepare the way for him.

Thus it is

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very large and particular in the history of Abraham and the
other patriarchs but very short in the account we have of
the time which the children of Israel spent in Egypt. So
again it is large in the account of the redemption out of
Egypt, and the first settling of the affairs of the Jewish church
and nation in Moses and Joshua's time; but much shorter in
the account of the times of the judges. So again, it, is large
and particular in the account of David's and Solomon's times,
and then very short in the history of the ensuing reigns. Thus
the accounts are large or short, just as there is more or less
of the affair of redemption to be seen in them:

V. From what has been said, we may see, that Christ and
his redemption are the great subject of the whole Bible. Con-
cerning the New Testament, the matter is plain; and by
what has been said on this subject hitherto, it appears

also with respect to the Old Testament. Christ and his re-
demption is the great subject of the prophecies of the Old
Testament, as has been shown. It has also been shown, that
he is the great subject of the songs of the Old Testament; and
the moral rules and precepts are all given in subordination to
him. And Christ and his redemption are also the great sub-
ject of the history of the Old Testament, from the beginning
all along; and even the history of the creation is brought in,
as an introduction to the history of redemption that immedi-
ately follows it. The whole book, both Old Testament and
New, is filled up with the gospel; only with this difference,
that the Old Testament contains the gospel under a veil, but
the New contains it unveiled, so that we may see the glory
of the Lord with open face.

VI. By what has been said, we may see the usefulness and
excellency of the Old Testament. Some are ready to look on
the Old Testament as being, as it were out of date, and as if we,
in these days of the gospel, have but little to do with it; which
is a very great mistake, arising from want of observing the
nature and design of the Old Testament, which, if it were
observed, would appear full of the gospel of Christ, and would
in an excellent manner illustrate and confirm the glorious

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doctrines and promises of the New Testament. Those parts of the Old Testament which are commonly looked upon as containing the least divine instruction, are as it were mines and treasures of gospel knowledge; and the reason why they are thought to contain so little, is, because persons do but superficially read them. The treasures which are hid under neath are not observed. They only look on the top of the ground, and so suddenly pass a judgment that there is nothing there. But they never dig into the mine: If they did, they would find it richly stored with silver and gold, and would be abundantly requited for their pains.

What has been said, may show us what a precious treasure God has committed into our hands, in that he has given us the Bible. How little do most persons consider, how much they enjoy, in that they have the possession of that holy book the Bible, which they have in their hands, and may converse with it as they please. What an excellent book is this, and how far exceeding all human writings, that reveals God to us, and gives us a view of the grand design and glorious scheme of Providence from the beginning of the world, either in history or prophecy; that reveals the great Redeemer and his glorious redemption, and the various steps by which God ac complishes it from the first foundation to the topstone! Shall we prize an history which gives us a clear account of some great earthly prince, or mighty warrior, as of Alexander the Great, or Julius Cesar, or the Duke of Marlborough? And shall we not prize the history that God gives us of the glorious kingdom of his Son Jesus Christ, the Prince and Saviour, and of the wars and other great transactions of that King of kings, and Lord of armies, the Lord mighty in battle? The history of the things which he has wrought for the redemption of his chosen people?

VII. What has been said, may make us sensible how much most persons are to blame for their inattentive, unobservant way of reading the scriptures. How much do the scriptures contain, if it were but observed? The Bible is the most comprehensive book in the world. But what will all this signify to us, if we read it without observing what is the drift of the VOL. II.

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WORK OF REDEMPTION. [PERIOD Í.

Holy Ghost in it? The Psalmist, Psal. cxix. 18, begs of God,
"That he would enlighten his eyes, that he might behold
wondrous things out of his law." The scriptures are full of
wondrous things. Those histories which are commonly read as
if they were only histories of the private concerns of such and
such particular persons, such as the histories of Abraham,
Ísaac, and Jacob, and Joseph, and the history of Ruth, and the
histories of particular lawgivers and princes, as the history of
Joshua and the Judges, and David, and the Israelitish princes;
aré accounts of vastly greater things, things of greater import-
ance, and more extensive concernment, than they that read
them are commonly aware of.

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The histories of scripture are commonly read as if they were stories written only to entertain men's fancies, and to while away their leisure hours, when the infinitely great things contained or pointed at in them are passed over and never taken notice of. Whatever treasures the scriptures contain, we shall be never the better for them if we do not observe them. He that has a Bible, and does not observe what is contained in it, is like a man who has a box full of silver and gold, and does not know it, does not observe that it is any thing more than a vessel filled with common stones. As long as it is thus with him, he will be never the better for his treasure: For he that knows not that he has a treasure, will never make use of what he has, and so might as well be without it. He who has a plenty of the choicest food stored up in his house, and does not know it, will never taste what he has, and will be as likely to starve as if his house were empty.

VIII. What has been said, may show us how great a person Jesus Christ is, and how great an errand he came into the world upon, seeing there was so much done to prepare the way for his coming. God had been doing nothing else but prepare the way for his coming, and doing the work which he had to do in the world, through all ages of the world from the very beginning. If we had notice of a certain stranger's being about to come into a country, and should observe that a great preparation was made for his coming, that many months were taken up ́in it, and great things were done, many great alterations were made in the state of the whole country, and

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