Dated November, 1753
"All scripture is given by inspiration
of God." --
2 Timothy 3:16
I.
There must be some Word of God.
’Tis unreasonable to think
that God would always keep silence and never say anything to mankind.
God has made mankind and
given him Reason and Understanding.
Has made him the chief of
all the creatures.
Given him reason that he
might know God and serve Him.
Did not give the other
creatures reason: He did make ’em to serve Him.
Other creatures are made for
man.
Man was made for God: to
serve God, or else he was made for nothing.
But we may be sure He did
not make such a creature as man for nothing.
But how unreasonable is it
to think that God would make us for Himself and never say anything to us.
God is the King that rules
over all nations.
But how unreasonable is it
to think that God would make us for Himself and never say anything to us.
God is the King that rules
over all nations.
But how unreasonable is it
to suppose that He should be a King and never say anything to His subjects....
be a King and never tell them what His will or what His commands are, that His
subjects may obey Him.
Is as a Father: all His
Family.
But will a father be always
dumb and silent, etc.?
God has given mankind
speech: so that they are able to speak and make known their minds to one
another.
And therefore ’tis
unreasonable to think that God never would speak to men and make known His mind
to them.
We need to have God teach us
as much as a child needs to be taught by his father.
And since God has given
mankind understanding He doubtless will teach him and instruct him.
How can we know Him to
worship God if we have no Word of God to tell us?
We should not know what way
of worship would please Him... whether to pray to Him or to sing or to keep the
Sabbath, or be baptized, or come to sacrament, or what else we shall do.
’Tis certain God has made
us for another world.... Men but a little while here.
And how shall we know how
God will do with us in another world?
How shall we know how He
will punish such as do wickedly in another [world]?
What He will do for good men
in another [world]?
Whether He will forgive us
after we have sinned?
How shall we know what He
expects we should do that we may be forgiven?
In what He will
save....Whether He will forgive great sins.
What will men do when they
come to die if there be no Word of God to tell ’em?
How should we ever know how
the world was made?
How would we know how God
made man at first?
We see men in this world are
very wicked: the world is full of wickedness everywhere.
Certainly God did not make
man so.
How shall we know how
mankind came to be so wicked?
We see how the world is full
of death: full of war and all manner of misery.
How shall we know how misery
and death came, etc.?
And how shall we know what
way of salvation there is?
Where shall we find one to
be our Savior that will stand for us .... if the Word of God don’t tell us?
How shall we know what God
will do with the world at last? how the world will come to an end?
We see that God is kind to
mankind: takes care of ’em.
Therefore He can’t leave
’em in darkness and take no care to teach ’em.
We see what necessity
mankind stand in , of a Word of God to teach ’em when we consider how it is in
those countries where they have no Word of God.
They are all in darkness and
blindness about God and Divine things.
They think there is a God.
Yet don’t know what He is.
Many think there is [are] a
great many gods.
Worship ‘graven images’
and stones.
Worship the devil.
Don’t know how to serve
God.
Know nothing how the world
was made.... how man was made.
Know nothing what God will
do with men in another world.
Don’t know how men shall
obtain forgiveness of their sin.
Some think [by] offering
their own children....
Thus we see there must
certainly be some Word of God.
But were is any Word of God
if it ben’t [be not] in the Bible?
The Heathen han’t [have
not] no Word of God amongst them.
The Bible therefore is the
Word of God, must be.
The Bible gives right
notions concerning God.
Tells how God made the
world.... made men.... how men became wicked.
What God will do with men in
another world.
What way we may have the
forgiveness of sin.
What is the way of
salvation?
What God’s mind, and [what
His ] will, is.
All the Rules and
Commandments in the Bible are holy.
Here told what man’s duty
is in many things.
All sin is forbidden.
How God will be served.
The great things God has
done for His people through all ages.
What the Savior did and
suffered: how He ascended into Heaven.
How the world will come to
an end.
How God will judge the
world.
Another thing that shows
that the Scriptures are the Word of God is this: —
That when God told the wise
and holy men to write the Bible He gave ’em power to work great MIRACLES, to
convince men that it was His work.
Moses was a man that wrote
all the first part of the Bible.
And God, to show that the
Word he wrote was His word....
And so the other Prophets
that wrote other parts.
Jesus Christ gave us the
Scriptures of the New Testament. He spoke the Word of God.
He, to show that His Word
was the Word of God, wrought great miracles.
He told His Disciples to
write down what He said.... enabled them to do great miracles.
The Apostle Paul.
That there was such a man as
Christ.... that great miracles [were wrought] even His enemies own: none deny
it.
Another thing that shows the
Scriptures to be the Word of God is that the Scripture FORETELLS a great many
things.
The Old Testament that was
given to the Jews a great while before Christ was born foretold Christ’s
coming.
And a great many things
concerning Him. All which are FULFILLED.
The Scriptures of the New
Testament foretell a great many things.... all came to pass.
The Jews should become a distinct
nation.... that the Pope shall arise.... many turn Papists.... just as it is.
The Scriptures we here read
is the same Word that was given of old.
The same Word has been kept
all along: it has not been changed.
Here it still is the same
language in which it was written at first.
It must be the same that the
Jews had, and that God’s People had in Christ’s and the Apostle’s time.
It could not be altered
since, because it was scattered about a great many nations all over the
world.... which have had it ever since.
Therefore the world could
not be cheated.
The Jews, to whom the Old
Testament was given: they remain a distinct People still, and have had the Old
testament amongst ’em, written in their own language.
They are all over the world
and can’t alter it.
The Scripture has all along
been among people that have been against one another in their OPINIONS.... could
not agree to alter it.... if one altered the other would find it out.
Another thing that shows
that the Scripture is the Word of God is this: —
That the Scripture has been
the means of enlightening so many nations.
Many nations formerly in
great darkness: but now...
All the greatest nations of
the world....
No people in the world can
come to have right notions of God and of another would any other way than by his
Word.
Another thing that shows
[it, is]
... Great opposition: the
Devil and wicked men make against it.
Another thing that shows
[that it is] the Word of God is this: it has PREVAILED against such great
opposition.
When it first came abroad in
the world all the wicked set themselves against it... kings ... armies...
[Christians] put to cruel deaths ... yet it PREVAILED... overcame all the
greatest and strongest nations.
Then there is this thing:
those [who] first preached were poor men.
So many nations never could
have been made to believe it if men had made it.
Not only foolish men, little
men, but great men and wise men.
Another thing: no other Word
ever was used as the means of bringing men to know the true God but the
Scriptures.
Where the Scriptures have
come there has been light: all the rest of the world has remained in darkness.
So ’tis now all over the world.
Another thing that shows
[it] is this: no man could make such a Book as the Bible...
It must be made by wicked
men or good men... Wicked men would not make it. Good men could not.
Another thing: no Book
reaches the hearts of men so much. No word so AWAKENS the conscience. No word is
so powerful to change the heart. Great many have been made ‘new men:’ very
wicked men.
No word so powerful to the
Bible. Better they are the more they love it... the more they are convinced that
it is the Word of God. The more wicked men [are] the more they are AGAINST IT.
APPLICATION:
1. How thankful we should be
to God...
2. Hence we may learn that
all the Scripture says to us is certainly true.
God knows... God cannot
lie... God is very angry for sin.
About another world. There
is another world. Good men die.
About Hell. The Scripture
says there is a furnace of fire.
God will not hear. No rest.
Many are ready to think that
it may be there is none.
About Heaven. about the Day
of Judgment: rise again.
About the sorrowful,
miserable condition man is in.
About the way of salvation.
Christ is the Son of God. No
other Savior. He will save all that come to him.
About the mystery of being
‘born again.’
Some are ready to say in
their hearts there is no such thing.
What we must be in order to
go to Heaven —
Therefore let all men that
are not ‘born again’ consider these things.
All these are not seeking
their salvation.
3. Hence ’tis worth the
while to take a great deal of pains to learn to read and understand the
Scriptures.
I would have you all of you
think of this.
When there is such a book
that you may have, how can you be contented without being able to read it?
How does it make you feel
when you think there is a Book that is God’s own Word? That tells...
And you think with yourself
that you are not able to read it.... See and think about it. All that you know
is only what others tell you... see nothing with your own eyes.
Especially I would have you
that are young people take notice of these things.
Parents should take care
that their children learn...
This will be the way to be
kept from the Devil... Devil can’t bear [the Bible.] Kept from Hell. To be
happy for ever.
But if you let the Word of
God alone, and never use, and you can’t expect the benefits of it...
You must not only hear and
read, etc., but you must have it sunk down into your heart. Believe. Be
affected. Love the Word of God. Written in your heart.
Must not only read and hear,
but DO the things. Otherwise no good; but will be the worse for it.
And you should endeavor to
understand. To that end to learn the English tongue.
If you had the Bible in your
own language, I should not say so much.
Endeavor to promote your
children’s learning to English.
You that can read should
often read... meditate... pray that God would enlighten you.
Consider how much it is
worth the while to go often to your Bible to hear the great God Himself speak to
you.
There you may hear Christ
speak.
How much better must we
think this is than the word of men. Better than the word of the wisest man of
the world.
How much wiser is God than
man.
Here all is true; nothing
false.
Here all is wise; nothing
foolish.
This is the GREAT LIGHT God
has given to the world. To make use of this is the way to walk in the Light...
to have our souls filled with Light. If we neglect this we shall walk in
darkness.
We should value this more
than the light of the sun. We see the light of the sun does a great deal of
good... gives light... pleasant to see... ’tis comfortable... it gives life.
So Scripture gives light...
gives life.
Should hear the Word: come
to meeting. ’Tis the way to have God’s mercy, to seek God in His Word. There
we may expect to meet with God. God will respect His own Word for the good of
men: what great good has been done.
God has often made it a
means of great good. Conversion of many souls. Great joy of many. Many have been
comforted in affliction... in death.
This will be the way to be wise with the most excellent wisdom.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's Jonathan Edwards Collection by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 119
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
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Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986