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SERMON VI.

THE BLESSING AND IMPORTANCE OF THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD,

ROMANS XV. 4.

"WHATSOEVER THINGS WERE WRITTEN AFORETIME, WERE WRITTEN FOR OUR LEARNING, THAT WE THROUGH PATIENCE AND COMFORT OF THE SCRIPTURES MIGHT HAVE HOPE."

THE services of the Church in which we have this day joined, supply the second link in the chain of pious preparation, to which we are now invited, that we may duly celebrate the nativity or birth-day of our blessed Saviour.

Those appointed for the first Sunday in Advent will doubtless be still present to your recollections, and I would encourage the hope, that the meditations in

which we then engaged, have made, under God's blessing, some salutary and lasting impression upon your hearts. Our prayers were then offered to Almighty God, that he would bestow his grace upon us, and enable us to cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, especially at this time, when we are so near the commemoration of that day in which the Lord Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility.

In the exhortation which St. Paul gives the infant Church at Ephesus, "to put on the armour of light," or, in other words, "the whole armour of God;" he says, "take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."* By this expression, I need scarcely tell you, the Apostle meant the Bible "those things which were written aforetime-those holy Scriptures which God has caused to be written for our learning." Let it be our endeavour, my brethren, to determine for what reason the * Ephesians vi. 17.

Bible is called the "sword of the Spirit," and how far in this character, it may be useful and right for us to employ it.

The literal meaning of the word Bible, is, 'a book;' and it is called 'the' Bible, to distinguish it from every other book, and to give to it that commanding mark of excellence, which from the high and exalted character of its contents, it ought to have. What, then, we may suppose it to be asked, is the Bible? We answer, it is an inspired record of the will and commandments of the Almighty, so far as he has been pleased to reveal them unto men; and if it be further asked, what object and intention God had in making this revelation,-it was in order to convince men of their sinful and unworthy condition, and to give them some knowledge of the nature and attributes of the God who made them; it was to prove to them that "as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God's ways higher than man's ways, and His thoughts than man's

thoughts:"* in fact, in the words of St. Paul, it was to make men "wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus." In these things, written aforetime for our learning, we have every consolation, comfort, and encouragement. "The Scriptures," says a bishop of our Church (Bishop Jewell) "are manna given to us from heaven to feed us in the desert of this world;" they are the casket, which, when diligently and prayerfully searched, will disclose that pearl of greatest price, to purchase which, we should indeed do more than well to give all that we possess. "Search the Scriptures," said our Saviour; "for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me." "Only search with an humble spirit, ask in continual prayerseek with purity of life-knock with perpetual perseverance, and cry to the good Spirit of Christ, the Comforter; and +2 Timothy iii. 15. John v. 39.

* Isaiah lv. 9.

surely to every such asker it shall be given; such searchers must needs find, to them it will be opened. Christ, himself, will open the sense of Scripture-not to the proud or wise of the world, but to the lowly and contrite in heart: for he hath the key of David; who opens, and no man shuts, and who shuts, and no man opens.

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From the Bible, the Holy Spirit of God will lead us to draw maxims and rules ;to obtain direction and advice, in every situation and circumstance of life. There, let us remember, we have recorded on the one hand, bright examples in the lives of good and holy men, to lead us into and encourage us in the path of duty; and on the other hand, fearful instances of God's avenging power to convince us that we cannot transgress without punishment, and to warn us to "stand in awe, and sin not." But it is not only the command of our Saviour that we should search the Scriptures; his example also should lead *Archbishop Parker.

† Psalm iv. 4.

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