cording to the oracles of God" as to all main and essential subjects, and in general, though they may differ in particular articles, yet they "hold the Head." The word of God is their rule, the foundation of their doctrines; the Spirit of God is their instructor. Instead of being proud and self-willed, they allow themselves to be led, knowing their own ignorance, weakness, and insufficiency; instead of following their own fancies, they think and "speak according to the oracles of God."

The word here called oracles (from an Old Testament usage) is the rule. These oracles are known to be divine from their perfect conformity to the divine nature-that notion of the divine nature which, even without Scripture, evidently pertains to him, though seen more clearly in Scripture light.

1. Is God a spirit? His word (law and gospel), with all its important contents, is of a spiritual nature: "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life" John vi. 63. "The law is spiritual:" Rom. vii. 14, and viii. 2.

2. Is our blessed Redeemer "the Lord God omnipotent?" His gospel is "the power of God to salvation :" Rom. i. 16.

3. Is God all-sufficient? So are "the holy Scriptures able to make wise unto salvation :' 2 Tim. iii. 15—17.

4. Is he a king to exercise kingly power? The word is his bow by which he subdues the people under him : Ps. xix. 7; Hab. iii. 9; Eph. vi. 17; Heb. iv. 12; 2 Cor. x. 4, 5.

5. Is he a judge? He will judge every man according to Christ's gospel: Rom. ii. 16.

6. Is Christ the true God and eternal life? His word is the word of truth: John i. 17. The words of eternal life: John vi. 68.

7. Is he faithful? His word is the faithful word: Ps. cxix. 138.

150

8. Is God just? His word is the word of righteousness: Heb. vi. 13.

9. Is he God our Saviour? His gospel is the word of our salvation: Acts xiii. 26.

10. Is he unchangeable? The gospel is the everlasting gospel: Mark xiii. 31; Rev. xiv. 6.

11. Is he all-wise? In his word "he has abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence: Eph. i. 8.

12. Is he a sovereign ruler? His word is his will: Matt. vii. 21; 2 Tim. iv. 14, 15.

13. Is he full of grace? The gospel is the word of his grace: Acts xx. 24, 32.

14. Is he essentially good? His word is good: Rom. vii. 12.

15. Is he holy? His word is pure: Ps. cxix. 140.

16. Is he wonderful? His testimonies are wonderful: Ps. cxix. 129.

17. Is Christ precious? His promises are so: 2 Pet. i. 4. 18. Is he unsearchable? His gospel is the unsearchable riches of Christ: Eph. iii. 8.*

Now here is a conformity between the character of God and of Christ and the holy oracles; and, as there is a perfect conformity between the character of God and the excellency of his word, so there must be a like conformity between this divine word and the matter of our preaching. As Moses had very strict orders respecting the tabernacle-he was to "make all things according to the pattern showed him in the mount"-so preachers are to preach exactly according to truth. To this end their preaching must be pure and entire pure in the matter, entire as to the substance. In all kinds of doctrinal, practical, and evangelical subjects, they must conform to the word, the whole word, and nothing but the word; and if you look over the various complaints of Christ and his apostles, concerning those that have endeavoured to corrupt the word of God, going *Eades's View, part 2, chap. vi.

through the whole of the New Testament with this particular view, you will obtain great light upon the subject. If, on the other hand, we examine the whole Scriptures for ourselves, to see what is exhibited for truth, and in what light and on what occasions they were respectively written, and the objects to which they were evidently designed to lead, &c., we shall be in a condition to preach according to the oracles of God." And if this be done carefully and diligently, with much prayer to God, you will be able to preach the divine oracles without much assistance from the theories of men, even of the best of men, and with the very least liability of error.

66

Among the subjects which will come under your notice in relation to this Topic, you will sometimes be called upon to compare the threatenings of God with their fulfilment. In many instances recorded in Scripture the agreement is awfully minute: as the destruction of the antediluvian world, Sodom and Gomorrah, &c. Here the comparison is perfectly easy; but in many instances threatenings have been suspended or reversed, and these present a difficulty which requires much of caution and of wisdom. We must either admit that such threatenings were not intended to be taken absolutely and unconditionally, though no conditions are expressed; or that our ordinary ideas of the divine unchangeableness are incorrect, though apparently justified by the strongest expressions of Scripture, and agreeing with the clearest deductions of reason.

The awful threatenings of absolute reprobation in regard to their temporal state, have been fulfilled in many recorded instances where the parties have filled up the measure of their iniquities, as the Sodomites, the Canaanites, &c.; subjects in whom the light of nature and of conscience had ceased to operate, who had "given themselves over to work all kinds of iniquity with greediness." These characters brought themselves into this state: they

passed their day of trial without any improvement, and therefore "judgment came upon them to the uttermost," and the only end remaining was that they might become examples of "the righteous judgment of God." In some of these instances special warnings were given. "Noah was a preacher of righteousness to the antediluvians, but without effect:" in other instances we do not know that any special communication was made. The Sodomites had it not; and this did give a relief to their character, for our Lord intimates that, if they had received such communications, they would or they might have repented; but they sinned against the light of nature and the holy example of Lot, and they perished without warning in any special form, to which they had no claim on the ground of justice. In other instances Jehovah, as supreme governor of the world, has passed threatenings on nations which had not their effect for a long season; these threatenings were not communicated to the wicked nations themselves, but mentioned as private communications to his servants the prophets; for usually "the Lord did nothing but he revealed his secret to the prophets," Amos iii. 7: which was remarkably fulfilled in the intimation made to Abram respecting Sodom; and in the Revelations it is said to John, "Come, and I will show you the judgment of the great whore." Yet the grace of regular warnings seems not to have been given for reasons above assigned. In these and similar cases the threatenings and their accomplishments were written" within and without;" in the mind of God, and by outward intimations to the prophets. There seem also to be many threatenings against the Lord's people if they depart from their steadfastness, or alter their course from good to bad; as Rom. viii. 13, "If ye live after the flesh ye shall die;" even here there must be a saving clause for returning backsliders, and such a sentence may in the hands of the Spirit bring the backslider to a sense of his guilt and danger; upon this Mr. Caryl says, "They

who are above all curses may be threatened with a curse, and they who shall certainly be preserved from doing that which inevitably brings the curse may be told of a curse in case they should do it.”*

Having premised these remarks I now proceed to observe that, apart from such instances, whenever God has condescended to hold any intercourse with his sinning creatures by sending a message to them, though conveyed in the form of a threatening, it is a certain indication that they were not absolutely reprobated. I submit that if any of the antediluvians had repented, by the preaching of Noah, a place of refuge would have been provided for them: and that wherever a denunciation has been conveyed to a people, it carries, whether expressed or not, an implied contingency, that if they repented they might and would be saved; the case of the Ninevites, left upon record for an eternal truth, is exactly to the point. Now if this be correct the difficulty is surmounted; God's justice, truth, and unchangeableness are not compromised in the least. God wills a further day of trial to his sinning creatures; he puts it upon this issue. Whether it be said simply "Ye shall perish," or whether it be expressed Except ye repent ye shall perish," it makes no difference at all. The very circumstance of a communication speaks for itself; it proves that "the day of grace is not passed:" therefore sentences reversed are no reflection upon the character of Jehovah; they are in perfect agreement with' all just legislation, and are not at variance with the divine prescience.

66

* Upon this difficult subject I refer to Watson's Theological Institutes; vol. i., p. 419, 420; again, 442-446; Magee on the Atonement, vol. i., p. 136. I shall only quote Dr. Jortin, vol. i., p. 29, on Exodus xx. 5, 6. "When God threatens, he threatens what he may do, not what he must do though he be obliged by his perfections to do nothing unjust, he is not obliged to do every thing that may possibly be done."