joy, and bask in the sunshine of pleasure. It cannot go where universal

is certain that we

love not smiles around!"

If the view we have thus taken of creation be correct, (of which a rational doubt can hardly be supposed)-if the goodness, wisdom, and power of God are felt and seen in his worksif the whole, as a type, reflects a faint image of the Divine perfections; and if all outward objects are corresponding emblems of the affections, thoughts, and powers of human minds, thereby connecting the material world with man, and by and through man with the Creator, then we must clearly observe an unbroken connexion, a relationship and correspondence between all creation and the Omnipotent One who produced and still supports the whole. This view will lead us to a right understanding of the reasoning of St. Paul, who, in addressing the Romans, says, "The invisible things of him (God) from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." (Rom. i. 20.) The invisible things of God are certainly the operations

of his creative power and goodness. These are as the essences which give birth and being to all external forms, while the forms in their order, quality, and appearance, make the invisible essences to be intellectually seen and understood. If those properties which relate to the eternal power and Godhead are to be understood by the things that are made, then it follows that creation is a representative image of the Divine Being, and that his unity, goodness, power, and wisdom are exhibited in all its parts. As Nature is the orderly production of God, and as a connexion exists between the Lord and his works, so it is reasonable to conclude that a similar law of corresponding relationship must be observed between him and his Word of Revelation. The wisdom of God must be contained in those sacred writings which are emphatically denominated the WORD, and as such must treat primarily of the spiritual creation of man; that is, of the renovation of his mind, by which he is prepared for an eternal state of existence, and not merely of the outward things of nature, only so far as they are mentioned as corresponding emblems to represent

those affections, thoughts, and states of life, with their successive variations and changes, which take place in man, while, in him, the regenerating process is going on.

The Bible is generally acknowledged, by Christians, to be the Word of God; but this acknowledgment is grounded more in authority than in any internal conviction of the fact. What appears to be wanting is proof; but how is this to be given? Not by an appeal to the opinions of those who lived in ancient times— not by producing a long list of venerable names of men who lived in the days of other years, with their sentiments attached; for such a list could prove nothing but the opinions of those whose names it contained. If the Bible be the Word of God, it must contain within itself the certain evidences of that fact; and that it does contain these, we hope, by many examples, clearly to demonstrate. Any book acknowledged to be the Word of God, must be written by his immediate dictation; for what is the dictation of any being, but his word, will, and command? and as every human writing contains, upon the subject treated of, the mind

and spirit of the writer, so those Scriptures which bear the high title of the "Word of God," must contain the Divine mind, spirit, and will. They must have been dictated by the Spirit of God to the persons who were appointed to write them, and of course written by a plenary inspiration. The subjects, therefore, of such a written word must be high and lofty, such as are worthy a Divine Being, and adapted to guide man in all his journey through the vicissitudes of this transitory scene of things, and to bring him in safety to the haven of his appointed rest.

The Word of God, like his works in outward creation, must be one perfect harmonious whole -a regularly connected chain of end, cause, and effect must be observed to pervade each. As creation was produced by regular laws, according to the Divine will and pleasure, in which God himself is constantly present to sustain and uphold, preventing thereby any of its parts from dilapidation or disuse; so his Word, which is a revelation of his will to his sentient creatures, must also be produced in a similar regular order, and must contain, within its literal

sense, the stores of Divine wisdom, goodness, and power, in which the Lord himself is so essentially present by his Spirit, that not “one jot or tittle" of the Divine law can ever fail. It is hence certain that those Scriptures which are the WORD are of plenary inspiration, because written by Divine dictation throughout: if not so written, they are not the Word of God.

St. Paul, in his epistle to Timothy, says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim. iii. 16, 17.) These expressions clearly state that the whole of the perfectly inspired Scripture is given to insure the growth and perfection of the human character to enlighten the understanding and purify the will; thus, by making man wiser and better, to fit him for the enjoyment of angelic perfection. The Greek single word, here rendered by five, "given by inspiration of God," is, respecting the plenary inspiration of Scripture exceedingly strong and expressive. The