Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/d_000.lzh/D_011.TXT

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OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.                        ~

C.Ae. II.
vation, were formed and agreed upon: so the covenant

of grace made with Christ from eternity, on the behalf
of the chosen ones; whose " goings forth in it were of.
old, from everlasting ;" covenanting with his Father for
them, and agreeing to be their Surety and Saviour; to
become incarnate, and obey and suffer for them, and so
work out the salvation of them; representing their per-
sons and taking the charge and care of them, and of all
blessings of grace given them, and of all promises made
to them, in him, before the world began ;. in which cove-
nant he was set up as Mediator, "from everlasting, or
ever the earth was," Prey. viii. 22, 23. Mic. v. 2.
2 Tim. i. 9. Eph. i. S, 4. All which could never have
been known unless God himself had revealed them.-
4. There are some things recorded in the Scriptures as
future, which God only could foreknow would be, and
foretel with certainty that they should be; and which
have accordingly come to pass, and proves the revelation
to be of God. Some of them relate to particular per-
sons, and contingent events; as Josiah, who was pro-
phesied of by name, as to be born to the house of David,
three or four hundred years before his birth, and what
he should do; " offer up the idolatrous priests.on Jero-
boam's altar, and burn mens' bones on it;" all which ex-
actly came to pass, see I Kings xiii. 2. compared with
2 Kings xxiii. 17, 20. Cyrus, king of Persia, also was
prophesied of by name, more than two hundred years
before his birth, and what he should do; what conquests
he should make, what immense riches he should possess;
and that he should let the captive Jews go free, without
price or reward, and give orders for the rebuilding their
temple; ,all which was punctually fulfilled, Isa. xliv. 28.
and xlv. 1, 2, 3, 13. see Ezra i. 1, 2, S, 4. Others relate
to kingdoms and states, and what should befal them; as
the Egyptians, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Assyri-
ans, Babylonians, and others; of whose destruction Isaiah
and Jeremiah prophesied, and who now are no more,
have not so much as a name on earth: and particularly
many things are foretold concerning the Jews; as their
descent into Egypt, abode and bondage .there, and coming
from thence with great riches; which was made known
to their great ancestor Abraham, before they were,
Gen. xv. 14. see Exod. xii. 35, 40, 41. their captivity in
Babylon, and return from thence after seventy years,
Jer. xxix. 10, 11. see Dan. ix. 2. and all their miseries
and afflictions in their last destruction, and present state,
are prophetically described in Dent. xxviii. and their ex-
act case, foR about seventeen hundred years, is expressed
in a few words; as well as their future conversion is pro-
phesied of, Hos. hi. 4, 5. But especially the prophecies
concerning Christ, are worthy of notice; his incarnation
and birth of a virgin; the place where he should be
born; of what nation, tribe, and family; his sufferings
and death, his burial, resurrection, ascension to heaven,
and session at the right hand of God: all which are
plainly pointed out in prophecy; and which, with many
other things relating to him, have had their exact accom-
plishment in him. To which might be added, predic-
tions of the calling of the Gentiles, by many of the
prophets; and the abolition of paganism in the Roman
empire; the rise, power, and ruin of antichrist; which
are particularly spoken of in the book of the Revelation;
great part of which prophetic book has been already ful-

filled.--5. There are some things in the Scriptures,
which, though not contrary to reason, yet are above the
capacity of men ever to have made a discovery of; as
the .Trinity of persons in the Godhead; whose distinct
mode of subsisting is mysterions to us; the eternal, gene-
ration of the Son of God, which is ineffable bv us; his
incarnation and birth of a virgin, under the porter of the
Holy Ghost, which is wonderful and amazmg; the union
of the human nature to his divine person; which is,
"without controversy, the great mystery 9f godliness :"
the regeneration of men by the Spirit of God, and the
manner of his operation on the souls of men; which, on
hearing of, made a master of Israel say, "How can
these things be?" and the resurrection of the same body
at the last day, reckoned by the Gentiles incredible; and
which things, though revealed, are not to be accounted
for upon the principles of nature and reason.--6. The
things contained in the Scriptures, whether doctrines or
facts, are harmonious; the doc-trines, though delivered
at sundry times, and in divers manners, are all of a piece;
no yea and nay, no discord and disagreement among
them; the two Testaments " are like two young roes
that are twins;" to which some think they are compared
in Cant. iv. 5. and vii. 3. and to the Cherubim over the
m.ercy-seat, which were of one beaten piece, were exactly
alike, and looked to one another, and both to the mercy-
seat; a type of Christ, who is the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, in which they unite, and both
agree to lay; the apostle Paul said none other things
than what Moses and the prophets did say should be.
And as to historical facts, what seeming contradictions
,nay be observed in any of them, are easily reconciled,
with a little care, diligence, and study; and some of
these arise from the carelessness of transcribers putting
one word or letter for another; and even these instances
are but few, and not very material; and which never affect
any article of faith or practice: such care has divine pro-
vidence taken of these peculiar and important writings,
which with the harmony of them sheW them to be of
God.
Secondly, The style and manner in which the Scrip-
tures are written, is a further evidence of their divine
original; the majesty in which they appear, the authori-
tative manner in which they are delivered; not asking,
but demanding, attention and assent unto them; and
which commands reverence and acceptance of them; the
figures used to engage hereunto are inimitable by crea-
tures; and such as would be daring and presumptuous
for any but God to use, with whom is terrible majesty;
such as, Hear, 0 heavens, and I will speak, Deut. xxxii. 1.
Isa. i.2. the sublimity of the style is such as exceeds
all other writings: Longinns, an heathen orator, who
wr?!e upon the Sublime, admired some passages in the
writings of Moses, particularly Gen. i. 3. That early
composition, the book of Job, abounds with such strong
and lofty expressions as are not to be found in human
writings, especially the speeches Jehovah himself deli-
· vered out of the whirlwind, chap. xxxviii. xxxix. xl. and
xli. the book of Psalms is full of bright figures and
inimitable language, particularly see Psalm xviii. 7--15.
and xxix. 3--10. and cxiii. 3--8. and cxxxix. 7--12.
Fhe prophecies of Isaiah are fraught with a rich treasure
of divine elocution, which surpasses all that is to be met