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not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Peter i. 20, 21.)

Divine inspiration signifies a rational creature being influenced by the Spirit breathing into it, so that the intellect is supernaturally improved beyond its ordinary powers. By this inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the soul is excited and moved to undertake some good work, by preaching or writing for the instruction of mankind. Thus the prophets of God are said to have spoken as they were moved, or inspired, by the Holy Ghost. This sacred influence must have been enjoyed in different degrees, according to the requirements of knowledge, by the several writers of the sacred oracles, in the Old and New Testament.

This great subject, so vital to Christianity, in which the minds of believers should be firmly established, will be understood best from the testimonies of a few of our most eminent divines; and, therefore, instead of argument, we offer their admirable thoughts on this manifestation of the sovereign goodness of God.

Dr. Henderson defines divine inspiration as "an extraordinary and supernatural influence exerted by the Holy Spirit on the minds of the sacred writers, in such modes and degrees as to lead to, and secure in, documentary forms, the deposition of such historical, didactic, devotional and prophetic truth, as Infinite Wisdom deemed requisite for the immediate and future benefit of mankind."*

* Divine Inspiration, Congregational Lecture. Lecture vii., p. 254

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'Inspiration, according to the Bible," says Dr. Stowe, an American theologian," is just that measure of extraordinary divine influence afforded to the sacred speakers and writers, which was necessary to secure the purpose intended, and no more. If the purpose were to excite them to write that with which they were already acquainted, just this degree of influence was exerted. If there were the additional purpose of bringing fresh to their recollection things which had partly faded away, so much additional influence was given. If explanations and more full developments of principle were needed, the Holy Spirit gave the requisite illustrations. If truths, befare unknown, were to be communicated, the Holy Spirit revealed them; and if future events were to be foretold, the knowledge of them was imparted by the same Divine Agent. So far, also, as the mode of communicating was necessary to the purpose intended, this also was directed by the Holy Spirit."

Dr. Adam Clarke states:-"God communicated the scripture in ancient times, to holy men, by the inspiration of his own spirit, who carefully wrote down, and delivered it to those to whom it was at first more immediately sent. There is sufficient evidence from the scriptures themselves, that the revelation of the divine will was given to men in the five following ways:

"1. By the personal appearance of him who is termed 'The Angel of the Covenant,' and 'The Angel in whom was the name of Jehovah,' who was afterwards revealed as the Saviour of mankind.

"2. By an audible voice, sometimes accompanied by emblematical appearances.

"3. By the ministry of angels, often working miracles.

"4. By dreams and visions of the night, or in trances by day.

"5. But the most common way was by direct inspiration by the powerful agency of God on the mind, giving it a strong conception and supernatural persuasion of the truth of the things which he revealed to the understanding."

Dr. Olinthus Gregory defines inspiration more particularly thus:-" While the authors employed in the composition of the Bible exercised generally their own reason and judgment, the Spirit of God effectually stirred them up to write; appointed to each his proper portion and topic, corresponding with his natural talents, and the necessities of the church in his time; enlightened their minds, and gave them a distinct view of the truths they were to deliver; strengthened and refreshed their memories, to recollect whatever they had seen or heard, the insertion of which in their writings would be beneficial; directed them to select from a multitude of facts what was proper for the edification of the church, and neither more nor less; excited afresh in their minds such images and ideas as had been laid up in their memories, and directed them to other ends and purposes than themselves would ever have done of their own accord; suggested and imprinted upon

*Christian Theology. By Dr. A. Clarke. Selected by S. Dunn, p. 47.

their minds such matters, words, and order, especially whenever they related to facts, discourses, or doctrines, the communication of which is the great object of Scripture, thus rendering the whole canon, at any given period, an infallible guide to true holiness and everlasting happiness.'

Dr. Robinson, anticipating various questions that might naturally arise in the mind of an inquirer after the truth, remarks:-" Whenever, and as far as, divine assistance was necessary, it was always afforded. We perceive that in different parts of Scripture there were different degrees of inspiration. God enabled Moses to give an account of the creation of the world; Joshua to record with exactness the settlement of the Israelites in the land of Canaan; David to mingle prophetic information with the varied effusions of gratitude, contrition and piety; Solomon to deliver wise instructions for the regulation of human life; Isaiah to deliver predictions concerning the future Saviour of mankind; and Ezra to collect the sacred Scriptures into a volume: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.' (1 Cor. xii. 11.) In some cases, inspiration produced only correctness and accuracy in relating occurrences, or in reciting the words of others; in other cases, it communicated ideas, not only new and unknown before, but infinitely beyond the reach of unassisted human intellect; and sometimes, inspired prophets delivered, for the use of future ages, predictions which they did not themselves comprehend, and which could not be

* Letters on the Christian Religion. Letter xi., pp. 200, 201.

fully understood till they were accomplished. In this restricted sense it may be asserted, that the sacred writers always wrote under the influence, or guidance, or care, of the Holy Spirit, which sufficiently established the truth and divine authority of all Scripture.

"Though it is evident that the sacred historians sometimes wrote under the immediate operations of the Holy Spirit, it does not follow that they derived from revelation the knowledge of those things which might be collected from the common sources of human intelligence. It is sufficient to believe, that by the general superintendence of the Holy Spirit, they were directed in the choice of their materials, enlightened to judge of the truth and importance of those accounts from which they borrowed their information, and prevented from recording any material error. These points being ascertained and allowed, it is of very little consequence whether the knowledge of a particular fact was obtained by any of the ordinary modes of information, or whether it was communicated by immediate revelation from God: whether any particular passage was written by the natural powers of the historian, or by the positive suggestions of the Holy Spirit." *

While reading the Holy Scriptures, however, every one will observe various passages or sentences, containing the sentiments of the wicked, and which could not, therefore, be approved of God. It has been inquired whether such could have been given by divine inspiration? On this subject Dr. Gill

*Theological Dictionary, Art. Inspiration, pp. 570, 571.

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