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A complete body of divinity in two hundred and fifty expository lectures on the…A compleat body of divinity in two hundred and fifty expository lectures on the…
A complete body of divinity in two hundred and fifty expository lectures on the Assembly's Shorter catechism wherein the doctrines of the Christian religion are unfolded, their truth confirmed, their excellence displayed, their usefulness improved; contrary errors & vices refuted & exposed, objections answered, controversies settled, cases of conscience resolved; and a great light thereby reflected on the present age. / By the Reverend & learned Samuel Willard, M.A. late Pastor of the South Church in Boston, and vice-president of Harvard College in Cambridge, in New-England. ; Prefaced by the pastors of the same church. ; [Six lines of Scripture texts]A compleat body of divinity in two hundred and fifty expository lectures on the Assembly's Shorter catechism wherein the doctrines of the Christian religion are unfolded, their truth confirm'd, their excellence display'd, their usefulness improv'd; contrary errors & vices refuted & expos'd, objections answer'd, controversies settled, cases of conscience resolv'd; and a great light thereby reflected on the present age. / By the Reverend & learned Samuel Willard, M.A. late Pastor of the South Church in Boston, and vice-president of Harvard College in Cambridge, in New-England. ; Prefac'd by the pastors of the same church. ; [Six lines of Scripture texts]
printed by B. Green and S. Kneeland for B. Eliot and D. Henchman, 1726
AN EXPOSITION OF THE ASSEMBLY's SHORTER CATECHISM: IN Two Hundred a… › Sermon 8 (Question 2 cont.)
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
(2.) GOD gave the Scripture to the children of men on purpose to be a Rule to them, to point them out the right way. It therefore must either be true, or not a Rule; and this must either be by reason of ignorance, or mistake in him, which cannot be; for God is light, and in him is no darkness: besides, Mans Rule depends upon his Divine Will, & how can he not throughly know his own Will? except we should conceive him to change his mind, which cannot be, for he is Immutable, and because he is God, he changeth not, Mal. 3.6. or else it must be because he purposely deceives men, which as it is derogatory to his glory to conceive; so it will appear impossible in respect of the Scriptures in the next thing.
(3.) THE principal end of God's giving the Scriptures, was for the sake of His Church, and chosen ones: They must needs therefore be true. This inference will be evident, if we consider, 1. THAT there is a number whom God hath set his love upon from Eternity, and appointed them to Glory. This is a truth which we have full testimony for in Scripture: if we call the truth of that in question, we have nothing to ascertain us, of the salvation of any of Mankind, and what would this tend to, but to destroy all Religion out of the world? but this is an article believed by all that own the Orthodox Religion. 2. THESE had lost the way to the Kingdom. The fall had lost all mankind, and the Elect as well as others in the dark. That was a truth of them all, Rom 3.17. The way of peace, have they not known. 3. GOD gave them the Scripture on purpose to guide or direct them to the way of life & happiness. It was he made known to them how they might come to salvation: for this reason David gives the word of God that Encomium, Psal. 119.104. Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. And Solomon, Prov. 6.23. The commandment is a lamp; and the law is light —. Hence that of our Saviour,