imagined by man ?*—Robison on Revealed Religion.—| some of whom were inspired, though prophetic revela

The writers of the historical books everywhere display an acquaintance with the counsels and designs of God; they develope the secret springs and concealed wisdom of his government, and often reveal his future mercies and judgments in the clearest predictions. They invariably maintain a strict sincerity of intention, and in their description of characters and events they exhibit an unexampled impartiality; and from these considerations we derive another argument, that these historians wrote under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

therefore often descend from the great outline of nation- | of God's moral government, and every admirer of sacred al concerns to the minute detail of private life. The antiquity, every inquirer after religious instruction, will relations, however, of individual events that are occa- seriously rejoice that the enraptured sentence of Job, sionally interspersed, are highly interesting, and ad- (ch. xix. 23.) is realized to a more effectual and unforemirably develope the designs of the Almighty, and the seen accomplishment; that while the memorable records character of those times to which they are respectively of antiquity have mouldered from the rock, the prophetic assigned. Those seeming digressions likewise, in assurance and sentiments of Job are graven in scripture, which the inspired writers have recorded such remark- which no time shall alter, no changes shall efface.able events as related to particular personages, or such Gray's Key to the Old Testament.—Dick on Inspiration. occurrences in foreign countries as tended to affect the The book of Psalms is a collection of hymns, or interest of the Hebrew nation, are not only valuable for sacred songs in praise of God, and consists of poems of the religious spirit which they breathe, but are to be various kinds. They are the productions of different admired as strictly consistent with the sacred plan. | writers, but are called the Psalms of David, because a Thus the histories of Job, of Ruth, and of Esther, though great part of them was composed by him, who, for his apparently intrinsic appendages, are in reality connected peculiarly excellent spirit, was distinguished by the title parts of one entire fabric, and exhibit, in minute de- of the Psalmist,' (2 Sam. xxiii. 1.). Some of them lineation, that wisdom which is elsewhere displayed in were perhaps penned before, and some after the time of a larger scale, as they likewise present an engaging David. Most modern commentators understand the picture of that private virtue which, in an extended different writers of them to have been Moses, David, influence, operated to national prosperity. These Solomon, Asaph, Heman, Ethan, Jeduthan, and the books then constitute an important part of the sacred three sons of Korah. Ezra probably collected these volume, which furnishes a complete code of instructive Psalms into one book, and placed them in the order in lessons, conveyed under every form, diversified with which they are now found. The Levites, as we learn every style of composition, and enlivened with every il- from Josephus, were enjoined to preserve in the temple lustration of circumstance. all such hymns as might be composed in honour of God, and of these, doubtless, there must have been a large collection from which the 150 Psalms we possess would appear to have been selected; but such only could be admitted into the canon, as were evidently inspired compositions, and we may judge of the scrupulous severity with which they were examined, since the numerous hymns of Solomon were rejected; and even, as it is said, some of David's himself were not considered as entitled to insertion. The divine authority of those, however, which we now possess, is established not only by their rank among the sacred writings, and by the unvaried testimony of every age, but likewise by many intrinsic proofs of inspiration. Not only do they breathe through every part a divine spirit of eloquence, and of the purest and most exalted devotion, but they contain numberless illustrious prophecies that were remarkably accomplished, and that are frequently appealed to by the evangelical writers. But the sacred character of the whole book is most completely established by our Saviour and his apostles, who in various parts of the New Testament appropriate the predictions of the Psalms as obviously apposite to the circumstances of their lives, and as intentionally preconcerted to describe them. In the language of this divine book, the prayers and praises of the church have been offered up to the throne of grace, from age to age, and in this particular there ever has existed, and we may say ever will exist, a wonderful communion of saints. The Psalms may be regarded as an epitome of the Bible, adapted to the purposes of devotion. What is there necessary for man to know,' says the pious Hooker, 'which the Psalms are not able to teach? from them we may learn heroic magnanimity, exquisite justice, grave moderation, exact wisdom, repentance unfeigned, unwearied patience, the mysteries of God, the sufferings of Christ, the terrors of divine wrath, the comforts of grace, the works of Providence over this world, and the promised joys of that world which is to come. Let there be any grief or disease incident to the soul of man, any wound or sickness

As to the book of Job, whether it was composed or translated by Moses, or any subsequent prophet, it is evident that it contains a true history, and that Job was a real, not a fictitious personage. The real existence of Job is affirmed by the concurrent testimony of all eastern tradition.-Spanheim's Hist. Job.-Schaulter's Com. in Job,)—and he is mentioned as a real character by Ezekiel (ch. xiv.) and by St James (ch. v.). The style of the author, his mode of introducing the subject, the circumstantial detail of habitation, kindred and condition, the names of the persons mentioned, and the agreement of these circumstances with other accounts of that age and country in which Job is generally supposed to have lived; furnish evidence that this book contains a history of actual events. It is unquestionably to be considered as an inspired work, since it holds a place in the Jewish canon, and it likewise bears every internal mark of a divine origin. It every where abounds with the noblest sentiments of piety, uttered with the spirit of inspired conviction, and discovers to us religious instruction shining forth amidst the venerable simplicity of ancient manners. It is a work unrivalled for the magnificence of its language, and for the beautiful and sublime images which it presents. In the wonderful speech of the Deity (ch. xxxviii. to xli. inclusive,) every line delineates his attributes, every sentence opens a picture of some grand object in creation, characterized by its most striking features. Add to this that its prophetic parts reflect much light on the economy

named, for which there is not in this treasure-house a| present comfortable remedy at all times ready to be found.' Whether the true believer be in joy or sorrow, in prosperity or adversity, in health or in sickness; whether he be a prince or a peasant, rich or poor, young or old; whether he rejoice in the light of God's countenance, or tremble at his rebuke, he will find some of these exquisite songs of Zion adapted to his circumstances and in harmony with his feelings.

The Proverbs, as we are informed at the beginning and other parts of the book, were written by Solomon, the son of David, a man, as the sacred writings assure us, peculiarly endued with divine wisdom. Whatever ideas of his superior understanding we may be led to form, by the particulars recorded of his judgment and attainments, we shall find them amply justified on perusing the works which he has left behind him. This enlightened monarch, being desirous of employing the wisdom which he had received from God to the advantage of mankind, produced several works for their instruction. (1 Kings iv. 32.) Of these, however, three only were admitted into the canon, the others being rejected as uninspired productions. The book of Proverbs, the book of Ecclesiastes, and that of the Song of Solomon, are all that remain of him whose matchless wisdom called forth the wonder and admiration of surrounding nations. If, however, many valuable writings of Solomon have perished, we may rest assured that the most excellent have been preserved, and that we possess all which the Spirit of God judged to be suitable for our spiritual instruction.

Gray's Key to the Old Testament.-Horne's Introduction, vol. iv.

The book of Ecclesiastes, although it does not bear the name of Solomon, was penned by him, as is evident from several passages. (Comp. ch. i. 12, 16. ii. 4—9. xii. 9, 10.) The beautiful descriptions which this book contains of phenomena in the natural world and their causes, and of the economy of the human frame, all show it to be the work of a philosopher. It is generally supposed to have been written by Solomon in his old age, after he had repented of his sinful practices, and when, having seen and observed much, as well as having enjoyed every thing that he could wish, he was fully convinced of the vanity of every thing except piety towards God. Its canonical authority has always been recognised, and indeed, there can be no doubt of its title to be admitted into the sacred canon. Solomon was eminently distinguished by the illumination of the divine Spirit, and had even twice witnessed the divine presence. (1 Kings iii. 5. ix. 2. xi. 9.) The tendency of the book is excellent, and Solomon speaks in it with great clearness of the revealed truths of a future life and of a future judgment. It may be considered as a kind of inquiry into the chief good or highest happiness of man; an inquiry conducted on sound principles, and terminating in a conclusion which all must approve.-Gray's Key.-Horne's Introduction, vol. iv.-See also Holden's Prelim. Dissert. to Ecclesiastes.

The Song of Solomon is universally allowed to have been written by that monarch. Its divine authority rests upon indubitable evidence, although some rash critics have affirmed it to be merely a human composition. In this book the royal author appears, in the typical spirit of his time, to have designed to render a ceremonial appointment, descriptive of a spiritual concern. Bishop Lowth judiciously considers that the Song is a mystical allegory; of that sort which induces a more sublime sense on historical truths, and which, by the description of human events, shadows out divine circumstances. The sacred writers were by God's condescension authorised to illustrate his strict and intimate relation to the church by the figure of a marriage; and the emblem must have been strikingly becoming and expressive to the conceptions of the Jews, since they annexed notions of peculiar mystery to this appointment, and imagined that the marriage union was a counterpart representation of some original pattern in heaven. It is unquestionable that this beautiful composition had a predictive as well as a figurative character. The whole of it is a thin veil of allegory thrown over a spiritual alliance; and we discover every where through the transparent types of Solomon and his bride, the characters of Christ and his personified church, pourtrayed with those graces and embellishments which are most lovely and engaging to the human eye. It requires, however, to be explained with great caution, and some fanciful expositors, by their

The latter part of the book of Proverbs, from the beginning of the twenty-fifth chapter, is considered to have been collected after the death of Solomon, and added to what would seem to have been more immediately arranged by himself. The Proverbs in the thirtieth chapter are expressly called, The words of Augur the son of Jakeh; and the thirty-first chapter is entitled The words of king Lemuel. It seems certain that the collection called the Proverbs of Solomon, was arranged in the order in which we now have it by different hands; but it is not therefore to be concluded that they are not the productions of Solomon. The general opinion is that several persons made a collection of them, perhaps as they were uttered by him; Hezekiah among others, as mentioned in the twenty-fifth chapter: Augur, Isaiah, and Ezra might have done the same. The claims of the book of Proverbs, however, to be admitted into the sacred canon, has never been questioned. Besides the internal evidence of inspiration which we discover in it, the canonical authority of no other book of the Old Testament is so well ratified by the evidence of quotations in the New Testament. The scope of this book is to instruct men in the deepest mysteries of true wisdom and understanding, the height and perfection of which is the true knowledge of the divine will and the sincere fear of the Lord. To this end, the book is filled with the choic-minute dissection of the allegory, have exposed it to the est sententious aphorisms, infinitely surpassing all the ethical sayings of the ancient sages, and comprising in themselves distinct doctrines, duties, &c., of piety towards God, of equity and benevolence towards man, and of sobriety and temperance; together with precepts for the right education of children, and for the relative situations of subjects, magistrates and sovereigns.

unmerited ridicule of profane minds. But the grand outlines, when soberly interpreted, in the obvious meaning of the allegory, will be found to accord with the affections and experience of every sincere Christian, and the tendency of the whole must be to purify the mind and to elevate the affections from earthly to heavenly things.

As to its form, the Song of Solomon may be considered as a dramatic poem of the pastoral kind. For a full and satisfactory proof of the divine authority of Solomon's Song, as well as an elucidation of its scope and design, the reader is referred to Horne's Introduction, vol. iv. part i. ch. iii. sect. v. See also Gray's Key to the Old Testament, Dr Good's Translation of Solomon's Song, and Bishop Lowth's Prelections, where the structure of the Poem is treated of.

There is an uncontradicted tradition in the Jewish church, that about fifty years after the temple was rebuilt, Ezra in conjunction with the great synagogue, made a collection of the sacred writings, which had been increased since the Jews were carried into captivity, by the Lamentations of Jeremiah and the prophecies of Ezekiel, Daniel, Haggai, and Zechariah; and as Ezra was himself inspired, we may rest assured, that whatever received his sanction, was authentic.* To this genuine collection, which according to former custom was placed in the temple, were afterwards annexed the sacred compositions of Ezra himself, as well as those of Nehemiah and Malachi, which were written after the death of Ezra. This addition, which was probably made by Simon the Just, the last of the great synagogue, completed the canon of the Old Testament; for after Malachi, no prophet arose till the time of John the Baptist, who as it were connected the two covenants. This complete collection, or a correct copy taken from it, remained in the temple, as Josephus informs us, till Jerusalem was taken by Titus, and it was then carried in triumph to Rome, and laid up with the purple veil in the royal palace of Vespasian.

at Jerusalem, with which all others might be compared. (See Joseph. Antiq. Jud. b. iii. c. i. and b. v. c. i. Compare Deut. xxxi. 26. 2 Kings xxii. 8.) And it ought to be observed, that although Christ frequently reproved the rulers and teachers of the Jews for their erroneous and false doctrines, yet he never accused them of any corruption in their written law, or other sacred books; and St Paul reckons among the privileges of the Jews that unto them were committed the oracles of God, (Rom. iii. 2.) without insinuating that they had been unfaithful to their trust. After the final destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, there was no established standard copy of the Hebrew Scriptures; but from that time the dispersion of the Jews into all countries, and the numerous converts to Christianity, became a double security for the preservation of a volume held equally sacred by Jews and Christians, and to which both constantly referred as to the written word of God. They differed in the interpretation of these Scriptures, but never disputed the validity of the text in any material point.

It is universally acknowledged that the remaining books of the Old Testament, namely, the sixteen prophetical books and the Lamentations of Jeremiah, were written by the persons whose names they bear. The prophets profess themselves to be the respective authors of these books, and their testimony has been confirmed by the unanimous consent of Jews and Christians. The prophets were raised up by God among the Israelites, as the ministers of these dispensations. They flourished, in a continued succession, for above a thousand years, (reckoning from Moses to Malachi), all co-operating in the same designs, and conspiring in one spirit to deliver the same doctrines, and to prophecy concerning the same future blessings. Moses, the first and greatest of the prophets, having established God's first covenant, Thus while the Jewish polity continued, and nearly those who followed him were employed in explaining 500 years after the death of Ezra, a complete and faultits nature, in opening its spiritual meaning; in instruct-less copy of the Hebrew canon was kept in the temple ing the Jews, and in gradually preparing them for the reception of that second dispensation which it prefigured. Their pretensions to be considered as God's appointed servants, were demonstrated by the unimpeachable integrity of their characters, by the intrinsic excellence and tendency of their instructions, and by the disinterested zeal and undaunted fortitude with which they persevered in their great designs. Their claims were still farther confirmed by the miraculous proofs which they displayed of divine support, and by the immediate completion of many less important predictions which they uttered. Such were the credentials of their exalted character which the prophets brought forward to their contemporaries; and we, who having lived to witness the appearance of the second dispensation, can look back to the connection which subsisted between the two covenants, have received additional evidence of the inspiration of the prophets, in the attestations of our Saviour and his apostles; and in the retrospect of a gradually maturing scheme of prophecy, connected in all its parts, and ratified in the accomplishment of its great object-the advent of the Messiah. We have still farther incontrovertible proof of the inspiration of the prophetical books, from the exact accomplishment, in these latter days, of numerous predictions contained in them. History bears indubitable testimony to the accurate fulfilment of many of these predictions; others are gradually receiving their accomplishment in the times in which we live, and afford the surest pledge and most positive security for the completion of those which remain to be fulfilled. The past, the present, and the future, have a connected reference to one great plan which infinite wisdom, prescience, and power, could alone form, reveal, and execute. Every succeeding age throws an increasing light upon these sacred writings, and contributes additional evidence to their divine origin.-Bp Tomline's Elem. of Christ. Theol. part i. ch. i.-Gray's Key.-See Newton and Keith on the Prophecies.

But though designed corruption was utterly impracticable, and was indeed never suspected, yet the carelessness and inadvertence of transcribers, during a long series of years, would unavoidably introduce some errors and mistakes. Great pains have been taken by learned men, especially by Kennicot and De Rossi, to compare the existing manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, and the result has been satisfactory in the highest degree.

Many various readings of a trivial kind have been discovered, but scarcely any of real consequence. These differences are indeed of so little moment, that it is sometimes absurdly objected to the laborious work of Kennicot, which contains the collations of nearly 700 manuscripts, that it does not enable us to correct a single important passage in the Old Testament; whereas this

See more on this subject, p. 740 of this history, where an account of the institution of synagogues will be given.

future events. (See also Mark vii. 13.) Both St Paul and St Peter bear strong testimony to the divine authority of the Jewish scriptures, in their collective capacity. (See in particular, 2 Tim. iii. 15. 2 Pet. i. 21.) Besides, there is scarcely a book in the Old Testament which is not repeatedly quoted in the New, as of divine authority.-Bp. Tomline's Elem. of Christ. Theol. part i. ch. i. The quotations from the Old Testament in the New, are largely treated of in Horne's Introd. to the Bible, vol. ii. part i. ch. iv.

very circumstance implies, that we have, in fact, de- sions, our Saviour referred to the Old Testament scriprived from that excellent undertaking the greatest ad-tures collectively, as of divine authority, and both he and vantage which could have been wished for by every his apostles constantly endeavoured to prove that Jesus friend of revealed religion; namely, the certain know- was the Messiah foretold in the writings of the prophets. ledge of the agreement of the copies of the Old Testa- Christ tells his disciples that all things must be fulfilled ment scriptures, now extant in their original language, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prowith each other, and with our Bibles. This point thus phets, and in the Psalms, concerning him, (Luke xxiv. clearly established, is still farther confirmed by the 44.) and by thus adopting the common division of the general coincidence of the present Hebrew copies with law, the prophets and the Psalms, which comprehended all the early translations of the Bible, and particularly all the Hebrew scriptures, our Lord ratified the canon with the Septuagint version, the earliest of them all, of the Old Testament, as it was received by the Jews; and which was made 270 years before Christ. There is and by declaring that those books contained prophecies also a perfect agreement between the Samaritan and which must be fulfilled, he established their divine inHebrew Pentateuchs, except in one or two manifest in-spiration, since God alone can enable men to foretel terpolations, which were noticed immediately by the Jewish writers, (see Prideaux, part i. b. 6.) and this is no small proof of the correctness of both, as we may | rest assured that the Jews and Samaritans, on account of their rooted enmity to each other, would never have concurred in any alteration. Nor ought it to be omitted, that the Chaldean paraphrases, which are translations of the Old Testament, from the Hebrew into Chaldaic, made for the benefit of those who had forgotten, or were ignorant of the Hebrew after the captivity, (vide Nehem. viii. 8.) are found to accord entirely with our Hebrew Bibles. To these facts we may add, that the reverence of the Jews for their sacred writings is another guarantee for their integrity; so great indeed was that reverence, that, according to the statements of Philo and Josephus, they would suffer any torments, and even death itself, rather than change a single point or iota of the scriptures. The books of the Old Testament have been always allowed in every age, and by every sect of the Hebrew church, to be the genuine works of those persons to whom they are usually ascribed; and they have also been universally and exclusively, without addition or exception, considered by the Jews as written under the immediate influence of the Divine Spirit. Those who were contemporaries with the respective writers of these books, had the clearest evidence that they acted and spoke by the authority of God himself; and this testimony, transmitted to all succeeding ages, was in many cases strengthened and confirmed by the gradual fulfilment of predictions contained in their writings. (See Joseph. Cont. Apion, b. i. sect. 8.) The Jews of the present day, dispersed all over the world, demonstrate the sincerity of their belief in the authenticity and divine authority of the Hebrew scriptures, by their inflexible adherence to the law. By the anxious expectation with which they wait for the accomplishment of the prophecies, though they have sadly mistaken the meaning of these prophecies, and by the scrupulous care with which they preserve their copies of the Old Testament scriptures, and guard against corruptions in the text. It is a great argument for the truth of the scriptures, that they When the gospel was established throughout the Rohave stood the test, and received the approbation of so man empire, and when churches were planted in every many ages, and still retain their authority, though in-nation, the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments fidels, in all ages, have endeavoured, by every means in their power, to disprove them; and it is a still farther evidence in behalf of these sacred records, that God has been pleased to show so remarkable a providence in their preservation. But the most decisive proof of the Testament, will be proved in the introduction to the New Testaauthenticity and inspiration of the ancient scriptures, is inspiration, as applicable to the writers of the Old and New ment part of this history, and the nature and different degrees of derived from the New Testament. Upon many occa-Testaments, will be there also pointed out.

VOL. I.

Such is a brief outline of the principal arguments in proof of the genuineness, authenticity, and inspiration of the Old Testament scriptures. Had our limits permitted, we might have advanced many other arguments of the most convincing nature. We might have pointed out the admirable harmony, and intimate connection which subsist between all the parts of scripture, the excellence of the doctrines and moral precepts which they deliver, their tendency to promote the present and eternal happiness of mankind, and their wonderful adaptation to the circumstances and necessities of our fallen race-these and many other particulars we might have urged as strong evidences of the authenticity and inspiration of scripture. Enough, however, has been stated to satisfy every candid and unprejudiced inquirer, that the Old Testament scriptures are the word of God,* and that those holy men of God who first delivered these writings to the world, spake and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Besides, many points which we here omitted, or slightly touched upon, will be discussed at length in the body of the work.See Author's Preface.

Upon the whole, we conclude, that we have such a number of evidences of the divine authority of the Old Testament, as no man can resist, who duly and impartially considers them; and as to those who refuse to be convinced by these evidences-who reject the testimony of Moses and the prophets, it may be truly asserted of them, that neither would they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.

were gradually translated into the vernacular tongue of every country in which they were received. This we

*The genuineness, authenticity, and inspiration of the New