All Scripture is given by inspiration of God
That is, all holy Scripture; for of that only the apostle is
speaking; and he means the whole of it; not only the books of the
Old Testament, but of the New, the greatest part of which was now
written; for this second epistle to Timothy is by some thought to
be the last of Paul's epistles; and this also will hold good of
what was to be written; for all is inspired by God, or breathed
by him: the Scriptures are the breath of God, the word of God and
not men; they are "written by the Spirit", as the Syriac version
renders it; or "by the Spirit of God", as the Ethiopic version.
The Scriptures are here commended, from the divine authority of
them; and which is attested and confirmed by various arguments;
as the majesty and loftiness of their style, which in many places
is inimitable by men; the sublimity of the matter contained in
them, which transcends all human understanding and capacity ever
to have attained unto and discovered; as the trinity of persons
in the Godhead, the incarnation of Christ, the resurrection of
the dead, &c. The purity and holiness of them before
observed, show them to be the word of him that is of purer eyes
than to behold iniquity; as also their harmony and agreement,
though wrote by different persons, in different places, and ages,
and at sundry times, and in divers manners; what seeming
inconsistencies are observed in them may, with labour and
industry, by divine assistance, be reconciled. The predictions of
future events in them, as particularly concerning Josiah and
Cyrus, by name, long before they were born, and especially
concerning Jesus Christ, and which have had their accomplishment,
and many others in the New Testament both by Christ and his
apostles, are a proof that they could not be the writings of men,
but must have the omniscient God for their author; the
impartiality of the writers of them, in not concealing the mean
extract of some of them, the sins of others before conversion,
and even their sins and failings afterwards, as well as those of
their nearest relations and dearest friends, strengthens the
proof of their divine authority; to which may be added, the
wonderful preservation of them, through all the changes and
declensions of the Jewish church and state, to whom the books of
the Old Testament were committed; and notwithstanding the
violence and malice of Heathen persecutors, particularly
Dioclesian, who sought to destroy every copy of the Scriptures,
and published an edict for that purpose, and notwithstanding the
numbers of heretics, and who have been in power, as also the
apostasy of the church of Rome; and yet these writings have been
preserved, and kept pure and incorrupt, which is not the case of
other writings; nor are there any of such antiquity as the oldest
of these: to which may be subjoined the testimony of God himself;
his outward testimony by miracles, wrought by Moses and the
prophets, concerned in the writings of the Old Testament, and by
the apostles in the New; and his internal testimony, which is the
efficacy of these Scriptures on the hearts of men; the reading
and hearing of which, having been owned for the conversion,
comfort and edification of thousands and thousands, and ten
thousand times ten thousand: and
is profitable for doctrine;
for the discovering, illustrating, and confirming any doctrine
concerning God, the being, persons, and perfections of God;
concerning the creation and fall of man; concerning the person
and offices of Christ, redemption by him, justification by his
righteousness, pardon by his blood, reconciliation and atonement
by his sacrifice, and eternal life through him, with many others.
The Scripture is profitable for ministers to fetch doctrine from,
and establish it by; and for hearers to try and prove it by:
for reproof;
of errors and heresies; this is the sword of the Spirit, which
cuts all down. There never was, nor is, nor can be any error or
heresy broached in the world, but there is a sufficient
refutation of it in the Scriptures; which may be profitably used
for that purpose, as it often has been by Christ and his
apostles, and others since in all ages:
for correction;
of vice; there being no sin, but the evil nature of it is shown,
its wicked tendency is exposed, and the sad effects and
consequences of it are pointed out in these writings: for
instruction in righteousness; in every branch of duty incumbent
upon men; whether with respect to God, or one another; for there
is no duty men are obliged unto, but the nature, use, and
excellency of it, are here shown: the Scriptures are a perfect
rule of faith and practice; and thus they are commended from the
usefulness and profitableness of them.
