A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…

The written word of God is the main instrument Christ has made use of to carry on his work of redemption in all ages since it was given. There was a necessity new of the word of God's being committed to writing, for a steady rule of God's church. Before this, the church had the word of God by tradition, either by immediate tradition from eminent men that were ••spired, that were then living, (for it was a common thing in those days, before there was a written word, for God to reveal himself immediately to eminent persons, as appears by the book of Job, and many other things that might be mentioned, in the book of Genesis), or else they had it by tradition from former generations, which might be had with tolerable certainty in ages pr•ceeding this▪ […] reason of the long lives of men. Noah might converse with A•am, and receive traditions from him; and Noah lived till about Abraham's time: and the sons of Jacob lived a considerable time to deliver the revelations made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to their posterity in Egypt. But the distance from the beginning of things was become so great, and the lives of men become so short, being brought down to the present standard about Moses's time, and God having now separated a nation to be a peculiar people, partly for that end to be the keepers of the oracles of God; God saw it to be a needful ⟨p. 60⟩and convenient time now to commit his word to writing, to remain henceforward •or a steady rule throughout all ages. Therefore, besides the book of Job, Christ wrote the ten commandments on tables of stone, with his own finger; and after this the whole law, as containing the substance of the five books of Moses, was by God's special command committed to writing, which was called the book of the law, and was laid in the tabernacle, to be kept there for the use of the church; as you may see, Deut. xxxi.24 25 26.

The written word of God is the main instrument Christ has made use of to carry on his work of redemption in all ages since it was given. There was a necessity new of the word of God's being committed to writing, for a steady rule of God's church. Before this, the church had the word of God by tradition, either by immediate tradition from eminent men that were spired, that were then living, (for it was a common thing in those days, before there was a written word, for God to reveal himself immediately to eminent persons, as appears by the book of Job, and many other things that might be mentioned, in the book of Genesis), or else they had it by tradition from former generations, which might be had with tolerable certainty in ages prceeding this reason of the long lives of men. Noah might converse with Aam, and receive traditions from him; and Noah lived till about Abraham's time: and the sons of Jacob lived a considerable time to deliver the revelations made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to their posterity in Egypt. But the distance from the beginning of things was become so great, and the lives of men become so short, being brought down to the present standard about Moses's time, and God having now separated a nation to be a peculiar people, partly for that end to be the keepers of the oracles of God; God saw it to be a needful