Page:A Compendium of the Chief Doctrines of the True Christian Religion.djvu/135

Rh brought into order, and reciprocally on his part endeavour to enter into conjunction with the Lord, while the Lord on his part enters into conjunction with him, agreeably to these words in the Gospel, "Abide in me, and I in you," John xv. 4.

IT is generally acknowledged, that the Word is holy, inasmuch as Jehovah the Lord spake it: but because it's holiness does not in all cases appear in the literal sense, therefore they who once begin to doubt about it's holiness on that account, in the future course of their reading confirm their doubts by many passages they meet with, saying in themselves, Can this be holy? Can this be divine? Now to prevent the influence of such doubts on men's minds, lest they should become general, and the Word of God should be rejected as a common trivial writing, and thereby the Lord's conjunction with man should be cut off, it has pleased the Lord, at this time, to reveal it's spiritual sense, for the purpose of discovering to mankind wherein it's divine sanctity lies concealed. But this may be best illustrated by examples. In the Word we find frequent mention made of Egypt, of Assyria, of Edom, of Moab, of the children of Ammon, of the Philistines, of Tyre and Sidon, and of Gog. They now, who do not know, that by these names the things of heaven and of the church are signified, may easily be led into an erroneous notion, that the Word treats much of people and nations, and but little of heaven and the church, consequently much about earthly things, and but little