the operation of his own mind, is fufficiently exemplified throughout his whole hiftory. The curfes of Job amount to nothing more than emphatical and energetick complaint under misfortunes; they, who are advocates for the reality of Job's existence, acknowledge that the book itself is dramatical, wherein the hero is reprefented not as a Stoick, but with all the feelings of man, still retaining his integrity, and stedfast in his hope. Elijah prayed that God would take away. his life. He confidered it as a felicity to be delivered from a crooked and perverfe generation; he fuppofed that his power of doing good had ceased; he wished to fink into oblivion with his fathers, as he did not think himself better than they were. Such prayers, however expreffed, are conditional; the prophet was ftill refigned to his will, in whofe hands are the ilues of life and death. The conclufion of the twentieth chapter of Jeremiah has the most objectionable aspect. If we confider it as a real imprecation, or as a prediction, we cannot give a very rational ac count of it; as a fpecimen of poetical imagery and exaggeration, it can alone be reconciled with our juft notions of infpiration. The calamities mentioned are temporal, and the supposed object probably did not exist ; in fact, he seems an imaginary character, brought forward to heighten the melancholy description. Having examined some of the material objections against inspiration, let us now see what the inspired writers testify of themselves. The well known paffage in 2 Tim. c. iii. v. 16. informs us, that all fcripture is given by inspiration of God. This is plain, full, and satisfactory. No various reading is offered to elude the force of the affertion. It must be conclufive concerning books then extant. If it be faid, that St. Paul did not include his own epiftles, we have other proofs for the inspiration of them. The following paffages will prove the point: He therefore that defpifeth, defpifeth not man, but God, who hath alfo given unto us his holy Spirit. Ye know what commandment we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this caufe alfo thank we God without ceafing, because when ye received the word of God, which ye beard of us, ye received it not as the word word of man, but as it is in truth the word of God, which effectually worketh alfo in you that believe. Our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much affurance, or, as it may be rendered, with power, and with the Holy Ghost, and with full evidence, the truth of it being confirmed by every proof that truth can have.--We have received not the Spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things which are freely given us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghoft teacheth, comparing Spiritual things with fpiritual. I certify you, brethren, that the Gospel, which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jefus Chrift. Nor do the folemn appeals made to the Almighty for the truth of what he fays, at all invalidate this idea of inspiration. They are intended to make a stronger and a more lafting impreffion. The Almighty is faid in fcripture to fwear by himself. Is this neceffary to the performance of his promises, or to the certainty of his declarations? It is a condefcenfion to human infirmity, and a compliance with human customs: it is a momenD 2 tous tous admonition of his juftice, faithfulness. and truth. Similar to which is the design of adminiftering oaths one to another. The witnefs of our thoughts, words and actions, is always present with us, and care is taken that he may not be absent from our remembrance. There were indeed particular cases of temporary convenience or expediency, in which the apostle gives his own advice and opinion, without that plenary authority from God, which was confined to matters of greater importance. The cafes themselves fufficiently. explain the reafon of this, and may teach Christians in general not to confound fubordinate duties with fuch as are binding in all ages, and under all circumftances. Of the degree of conviction, with which St. Paul delivers his fentiments on these subjects, it is not neceffary to decide with precifion. He speaks as one who had obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful, as one who conceives that he should be extremely ungrateful to the bishop of our fouls, if he did not always confult the true intereft of the Church. See I Cor. vii. 2 Cor. viii. But should we for a moment fuppofe that St. Paul and the other Apoftles did not fpeak by by the immediate guidance of the Spirit, it will not therefore follow, that their opinions, as mere men, fhould be lefs conclufive than the opinions of fuch as call them in question. The Apostle of the Gentiles had a vigorous and comprehenfive mind: he was acquainted with all the comments and all the refinements upon the law he was converfant with the Grecian poets and with the Grecian customs; he understood their philofophy. He was not liable to the charge of credulity, for his prejudices had turned the contrary way. Under fuch circumftances a fober minded critick would not hastily charge him with error and sophistry, with a misconstruction of prophecies, or an improper application of them. Much lefs would he fuppofe that an epistle, which is to be confidered as the model of our argumentation with the Jews, should be fo figurative as to have types without antitypes, shadows without correfponding fubftance, mentioning facrifices without any folid meaning, but to beguile rooted prepoffeffion into compliance, and reducing the Saviour of the world to the quality of a mere martyr and a mere man. But what miferable fubterfuges will not fome have recourse to, when a paffage, quoted in the first chapter from the hundred D 3 |