as in much of the gospels and acts, the inspiration of direction may be supposed to have sufficed. Where the exposition of duty, or the rebuke of error, or exhortation to growth in grace, was the subject, the inspiration of elevation and strength may be considered as afforded. Where matters more incidental occur, the inspiration, still lessening with the necessity, was probably that of superintendency only, preserving from all improprieties which might diminish the effect of the whole, and providing for inferior, but not unimportant points of instruction. Even the slightest allusions to proverbial sayings, to the works of nature, to history, were possibly not entirely out of the range of the watchful guardianship of the Holy Spirit.

In all the parts, however, the operations of the mind and habits of the writers were allowed to act; but were exempted from error and mistake. In all the parts, the divine Spirit moved the writers to such subjects, and such a manner of treating them as befitted the designs of infinite wis'dom. All that is essential for us to know, is that such was

the extent of the assistance in each case as sufficed to supply what was deficient in the writer, and to give to every part of his declarations their full sanction as the infallible word of God. Perhaps we cannot get nearer than this.b

2. And this seems to agree with the uniform conduct of the Divine Being, as it is represented in the scriptures. The Almighty never works a superfluous miracle; never supersedes human exertions and efforts, as a system of means, where the case admits of them; but rather comes in with such aid, and so attempered to the rational nature of man, as to guide him gently, but effectually, and qualify him for the duties and services to which he is called.

(b) By the inspiration of suggestion is meant such communications of the Holy Spirit, as suggested and dictated minutely every part of the truths delivered.

The inspiration of direction is meant of such assistance as left the writers to describe the matter revealed in their own way, directing only the mind in the exercise of its powers.

The inspiration of elevation added a greater strength and vigor to the efforts of the mind than the writers could otherwise have attained.

The inspiration of superintendency was that watchful care which preserved generally from any thing being put down derogatory to the revelation with which it was connected.

3. How far the inspiration of the scriptures extends to the most casual and remote allusions of an historical or philosophical kind, which affect in no way the doctrines or duties of religion, it is not, perhaps, difficult to determine. Let us appeal again to the books themselves. The claims of the sacred penmen to an unerring guidance are, without exception, confined to the revelation itself. The Bible was not given us to make us poets, or orators, or historians, or natural philosophers. Many things which such persons might think inaccurate, may consist with a complete religious inspiration.

Still "it is most certain," says Horsley, "that a divine revelation-in other words, a discovery of some part of God's own knowledge made by God himself-must be perfectly free from all mixture of human ignorance and error, in the particular subject in which the discovery is made. The discovery may, and unless the powers of the human mind were infinite, it cannot but be limited and partial; but as far as it extends, it must be accurate. In whatever relates, therefore, to religion, either in theory or practice, the knowledge of the sacred writers was infallible; or their inspiration had been a mere pretence." . . . "Though I admit the possibility of an inspired teacher's error of opinion in subjects which he is not sent to teach, (because inspiration is not omniscience; and some things there must be which it will leave untaught,) yet I confess it appears to me no very probable supposition, (and, it is, as I conceive, a mere supposition, not yet confirmed by any one clear instance) that an inspired writer should be permitted, in his religious discourses, to affirm a false proposition in any subject, or in any history to misrepresent a fact."... "Their language, too, notwithstanding the accommodation of it that might be expected, for the sake of the vulgar, to the notions of the vulgar-is, I believe, far more accurate-more philosophically accurate in its allusions, than is generally imagined."

Perhaps it is therefore better, and more consistent with all the scripture language, to say, that the inspiration of

(c) Horsely, Sermon 39th.

superintendence, reached even to the least circumstances and most casual allusions of the sacred writers, in the proportion which each bare to the revelation itself.

For there are two observations which may be made as to the most subordinate matters in the Holy Scriptures.

There is nothing in them which has been proved to be inconsistent with the facts and discoveries of history and philosophy. It is just as true that the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth forth his handy work, now, that so many thousand worlds are descried by means of the telescope, and such magnificent boundaries are assigned to creation; as when the Psalmist uttered them, however obscure or erroneous his views of philosophy may have been. Every thing stands true in the sense, and for the purposes for which it was intended. And in this the inspiration of the Bible shines forth. All other books are antiquated in a century or two, as to much of their contents. Some position or other is no longer tenable. Philosophy, in its advances, has directly overturned their statements. Not so the Bible. Such has been the superintending care of the blessed Spirit, that no one fact has ever been established against its allusions or observations.

The other circumstance is, that the slightest details and most apparently indifferent directions, have practical uses connected with them. Some division of the church, in some age, has derived benefit from them. The genealogies are clearly of this sort. The salutations also. Even the counsel given to Timothy, to drink no longer water, but take a little wine for his stomach's sake and often infirmities, has some relation to the friendship of the apostle for Timothy, to the sympathy of Christians, and the duty of preserving the health of young and laborious ministers. In like manner, the direction to bring the cloak left at Troas and the books, but especially the parchments, has a connexion with that prudence in managing our affairs, and that mutual serviceableness, which are no inconsiderable branches of Christian charity; whilst they both show that the apostles wrought no miracles for their personal case or convenience.

In short, the essential doctrines and revelations of Christianity are the citadel and nobler edifices and buildings of the vast city-the less important truths and duties are the various abodes and tenements which constitute the body of the place we include within the walls all the truths of every kind affecting the religion-and even to the suburbs and out-skirts, where we place the external and apparently indifferent matters, we extend the shadow of the mighty circumvallation which encompasses and defends the whole.

Thus all the phenomena of the case are accounted for. Every fact concerning the plenary inspiration of the scriptures, which we had previously proved at so much length, is admitted. The facts as to the human language and style of the books are admitted also. The particular extent of inspiration in each case, as gathered, by way of inference, from the result produced, is, lastly, admitted. Thus all is light.

Let us then proceed to notice,

III. THE

STRIKING ADVANTAGES WHICH WE DERIVE FROM THE PLAN AND EXTENT OF THE DIVINE INSPIRATION as thus illustrated.

It is not for us, indeed, to presume to determine beforehand what it is befitting the Almighty God to do. But when his will is made known, we may and ought first to study in all humility what that will is, and then to mark the various benefits and advantages which flow to us from it. Thus with regard to the inspiration of the scriptures, other methods, so far as we can tell, might have had other advantages; the Almighty might have made known his truth in many different methods. But as he has been pleased to take the plan which we have been tracing out, we may be assured it is best for us upon the whole, and most conducive to God's gracious designs in redemption. Some of the advantages, then, which we may observe, are such as these.

1. By this condescension of God in his manner of inspiring the scriptures, truth is made more intelligible to the mass of mankind, than if the human faculties had been altogether suspended, and the feelings of common life extinguished or overborne. It is presented with more famil

iarity. It appears in a greater variety of lights. It receives the impression of each writer's mind, circumstances, cast of character, habit of composition. All is native, simple, stamped with the human, and to us, more attractive mould of our own minds. This method is manifestly best adapted for the great mass of mankind, speaks more directly to the heart, condescends more to human infirmity and the business of daily life. It is not an uniform and abstract mode of instruction, but a doctrine entering into our own bosoms and concerns and feelings.

2. Again, the interpretation of scripture is rendered more easy, as well as more safe. It depends not on the turn of any one particular phrase, or the force of some few words, but springs from the general import of language familiar to us all. The Bible is to be studied, its various parts compared, its metaphors illustrated, its poetical and historical allusions unfolded, all its declarations received, according to the well-known rules of human writing. The signification of peculiar terms is given by the writers themselves. An analogy and proportion of the faith pervades the whole volume. A surprising harmony connects all the parts. We have only simply to read the sacred records with a humble dependence on the Holy Spirit-without whose ordinary influences of illumination and grace, the matter revealed can never be duly understood-in order to be made wise unto salvation. The most unlearned Christian stands upon the same ground, as to all the commanding truths of revelation, with the greatest scholar; whilst the utmost diligence of the scholar will find employment in the adaptation of his acquisitions to the illustration of the more difficult parts of the inspired volume.

3. By this plan, further, the trifling inaccuracies which have insinuated themselves into the copies of the scriptures by the carelessness of transcribers, the various readings which have accumulated during eighteen centuries, and the further defects arising from translations, or from our ignorance of a few particular allusions, are of less moment. They do not materially impair the force of the divine books, because those books are written by men like ourselves; the