tion of the world now been, had no supernatural revelation ever been imparted to men? The design of these Lectures, my young friends, is to call your attention to the Bible, and to exalt and honour, in your estimation and my own, this Great Book. The most fearful blow that can be directed against the best interests of men, is aimed by unbelief; and owes its succes not unfrequently to an imperfect knowledge of the Bible, as well as neglect of its sacred precepts. Can then a higher service be performed for the youth of our metropolis than to vindicate its claims, assert its superiority, and challenge for it the scrutiny of the incredulous, and the admiration of every devout mind? We look for greatness in all the works of God. We gaze upon the exterior universe, and exclaim with the Psalmist, "Marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; in wisdom hast thou made them all!" We expect a supernatural revelation to exhibit its Divine author in the same illustrious and splendid character in which he appears in the works of creation and providence. Nor are such expectations disappointed or deceived. Infinite intelligence belongs to the Deity. We see it in his works, and we see it in his word. At the first glance, we can scarcely fail to perceive that the God of creation and providence is the God of the Bible, and that the system of truth revealed in the Scriptures must have originated with the same being who created and gov erns the world.* When, however, we examine the Bible carefully and minutely; when we explore the treasures of its pages, and seem for the moment to grasp the full measure of its wonders and its knowledge; how is our admiration heightened! The words of the apostle break almost instinctively from our lips; the expression of his feelings becomes the best expression of our own,-"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God!" It was the remark of a sensible and thinking layman, many years ago made to the writer, that "it sometimes seemed to him that the Bible is as much greater than all other books, as its author is greater than all other authors." I am well persuaded that the seeming extravagance of such an observation will diminish with our increasing acquaintance with this wonderful volume. Tindal, a deistical writer in the early part of the seventeenth century, in his work entitled, "Christianity as old as the Creation" labours to show that it was impossible for God to teach men what they did not know before, and that the perfection of the human mind is such that it admits of no addition from a supernatural revelation. I cannot but hope that the presumption and preposterous *The spirit of this remark is largely illustrated in that incomparable work, The Analogy of religion, natural and reveal. ed, to the constitution and course of nature, by Joseph But. ler, L. L. D. THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE WORLD TO THE BIBLE. LECTURE I. THE USE OF ORAL AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE TO BE ATTRIBUTED TO A SUPERNATURAL REVELATION. "WHOEVER," says the celebrated Tholuck, "whoever stands on a lofty mountain, should not look merely at the gold which the morning sun pours on the grass and showers at his feet; but he should sometimes also look behind him into the deep valley where the shadows still rest, that he may more sensibly feel that sun is indeed a sun. Thus is it also salutary for the disciple of Christ, at times, from the kingdom of light to cast forth a glance over the dark stage where men play their part in lonely gloom, without a Saviour, without a God!" The inquiry has no doubt often occurred to every reflecting mind, What had the condi tion of the world now been, had no supernatural revelation ever been imparted to men? The design of these Lectures, my young friends, is to call your attention to the Bible, and to exalt and honour, in your estimation and my own, this Great Book. The most fearful blow that can be directed against the best interests of men, is aimed by unbelief; and owes its succes not unfrequently to an imperfect knowledge of the Bible, as well as neglect of its sacred precepts. Can then a higher service be performed for the youth of our metropolis than to vindicate its claims, assert its superiority, and challenge for it the scrutiny of the incredulous, and the admiration of every devout mind? We look for greatness in all the works of God. We gaze upon the exterior universe, and exclaim with the Psalmist, "Marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; in wisdom hast thou made them all!" We expect a supernatural revelation to exhibit its Divine author in the same illustrious and splendid character in which he appears in the works of creation and providence. Nor are such expectations disappointed or deceived. Infinite intelligence belongs to the Deity. We see it in his works, and we see it in his word. At the first glance, we can scarcely fail to perceive that the God of creation and providence is the God of the Bible, and that the system of truth revealed in the Scriptures must have originated with the same being who created and gov |