that the penmen, employed by | the Holy Ghost, to give the original copy of the Sacred Scriptures, which they respectively wrote, were truly pious men.This is the concurrent opinion of annotators, expositors, and other Christian writers, who have given us their sentiments on the subject, with but here and there, a solitary instance of one, who has seemed to doubt of the real piety of a few of the writers. If this sentiment be true, it is worthy of being noticed and illustrated, because it furnishes an argument, calculated to confirm our faith in these writings; while the opposite idea would necessarily degrade them in our estimation. And the circumstance that this has ever been the belief of the Church, will of itself lead a serious and modest mind, to favor the thought that there are sufficient reasons to support it. Some of these will now be mentioned. 1. There is nothing said in opposition to this opinion in the holy Scriptures. God has not expressly informed us, that any of the inspired writers were unsanctified men. He never speaks of them as he does of the Prophets of Baal, of false Apostles, and of unfaithful shepherds; tho' he has seen fit to record the sins, which some of them com. mitted, that they might stand as a warning to his people. He has, therefore, left us to form a favorable opinion of their moral characters. Instead of intimating, that any of them were his enemies, he has told us, that "Prophecy came not, in old time, by the will of man; but holy men of GoD spake, as they were moved by the Holy VOL. V. No. 1. Ghost." The words holy men, and men of God, especially as both the phrases are used together, and in connection with the declaration, that they were moved by the Holy Ghost, are sufficient to admonish us to be cautious of so explaining them, as to suggest that the whole means no more, than that God inspired them to write his will, without an evident necessity for such an explanation. That they were moved by the Holy Ghost is sufficient alone for that idea, without the appellations holy men and men of God, which are here given without distinction, to all the sacred writers in ancient times. That they were all of the household of God, has also been supposed to be implied in the words, 'Ye are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth into an holy temple in the Lord. This idea appears to be further confirmed, by the declaration, of which salvation, the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophecied of the grace that should come unto you; searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify, when it testified before-hand the suf ferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.' To these may be added the passage, ‘And what shall I more say, for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae, of Da. vid also, and Samuel, and of the § 2 Peter i. 21. * Eph. ii. 20 and 21. t1 Peter i 10 and 11. B Prophets And all these, having obtained a good report, through faith, received not the promise, &c. Here David, and Samuel, and the Prophets, without distinction, are mentioned as the examples of that faith, which in this connexion we are told, 'Is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.' It is thought, that this is a decisive evidence of their real holiness. Besides! God did not send this Soothsayer, as he is called in the scriptures; but in the first instance forbade him, and when Balak sent again for him, God indeed gave him leave to go, with a charge only to bless the people of Israel; he also appeared in a menacing attitude, by his Angel, in the way, that he might restrain him from encouraging Moab and Midian a gainst Israel; and so in this way, save his people from their hands, that God might show his right 2. Besides: It is believed, that these testimonies of the scriptures assert the real holi-eousness, and covenant faithfulness, not only of the inspired writers, but of all the Prophets, whom God had sent to instruct his people; for the Prophets, without distinction, are repeatedly mentioned in them. Will any one say, that this, if it can prove any thing, will prove that Balaam, and the High Priest, who prophecied that JESUS should die for the Jewish nation, were Godly men? In respect to Balaam, he is no where in the Scriptures, called a servant, or Prophet of the Lord, or a man of God. He is indeed once called a Prophet, as the Prophets of Baal were called Prophets. The dumb ass speaking with man's voice, forbade the madness of the Prophet.'Peter informs us, that as there were false Prophets among the people, there would be false teachers in the Christian Church who should follow the way of Balaam. 2 Peter ii. And Balaam is instanced as the father, or pattern of those, who bring in damnable heresies, having eyes full of adultery, beguiling unstable souls. Heb. xi. 32. compared with verfe 39 and verfe 1. ness towards his people, when Balak consulted their destruction with Balaam, from Shittim unto Gilgal. And as to the prophecy of the high-priest to put Christ to death, it seems by the narration, that he said it with one view, and God meant it for another. Neither Balaam nor the High Priest, ever appear to have intended any good. One ensnared Israel to idolatry, and the other crucified the Lord of Glory. Thus are they sufficiently distinguished from the Prophets of the Lord in the scriptures, and neither of them appear to have been suffered, but on a single occasion, to say any thing prophetically; so far were they from being established as real Prophets. They were rather overruled than sent of God. So also the Apostles, whom Christ chose to be the witnesses of his resurrection, were all holy men. Judas indeed was chosen, that the prophecy of David might be fulfilled; but being a Devil, he was never employed as the others were; but is held up as a solemn admonition to those who would enter into the Gospel Ministry. Besides, many of the Prophets and Apostles proved their friend- | man that liveth and sinneth not; nor that he has not committed ship to God, by enduring persecution for his sake. Christ also directs his ministers to take heed whom they ordain, and to commit these things to faithful men, and carefully describes the characters they are to consecrate to this service. He declares against wicked pastors, and unfaithful watchmen, and in his own special appointments, we may expect that he will exemplify what he commands to others. He has made it his practice to employ truly Godly men as Prophets and Apostles, and has directed, that among ordinary ministers, holy men, and not blind guides, should be ordained; and surely it is hard to believe, without express evidence, and against so much evidence as has been stated, that God would put such distinguish-phesy in his name, which it is ed honor on his enemies, as to employ them by his special inspiration, to write any part of that sacred volume, which he has given this world, for our only rule of faith and practice. 4. It is allowed by all Christian writers, that the most of the inspired penmen were Godly men. A very few have said some hard things of David, Jonah and Solomon; as tho' they were not so clear concerning their holiness, because each of them committed a great sin. If, therefore, no Christian ever professed to doubt of the real holiness of any, but these three writers of the Holy Scriptures, and if evidence can be given, that these were truly holy, nothing further will be required. It should be here premised, that to prove a man a real saint, it is not necessary to prove that he commits no sin; for there is no thought, has been sufficiently proved, to be an evidence of true holiness. But over and above this, let us examine the character of each one of them seperately. Let us first attend to the evidence, that David had true grace. He is called, David the man of God.'§ He is called also the servant of the Lord: 'I will defend this city to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.' Here also God speaks of him with high approbation, as he often did of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, when for their sakes he promised favor to their posterity. God also testifies of David, that he kept his statutes and commandments.-If thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt Nehem. xii. 36. as much suspected and as little known as Jonah's. But this is not left wholly in the dark. He is said to be a Prophet of the Lord, and the servant of the Lord God of Israel. †' According to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the Prophet.'It is thought rather a commendatory observation of Christ, concerning this Prophet, when he says of himself, ' A greater than Jonas is here;' especially as Christ had just mentioned him as his type, and as a prophet, walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and commandments, as David my servant did.' It has been already mentioned, that he is expressly named as one of those Prophets, who had the faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. To him also, God gave testimony and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.' Many other passages of the Bible declare much the same things, as those which have here been mentioned.-saying, 'No sign shall be given Besides, David loved the Lord and his public worship, his people and his word, was a man of prayer and praise-expressed repentance, faith, and earnest desires that he might enjoy the light of God's countenance.These and other marks of eminence in holiness, will be seen by an attentive perusal of his Psalms, which have been favorite pieces of devotion to the saints, in all succeeding ages. Much more might be said on this, but it is presumed, that sufficient evidence has been adduced. to prove the piety of David. Concerning Jonah, less indeed can be said, because we have no part of his history detailed, except that which respected his mission to Nineveh; and which seems to have been given, principally, to record him as a type of the burial and resurrection of Christ; tho' other instructions may indeed be derived from it. Had we only the history of the fall of David and Peter, their true characters would have been t1 Kings xi. 38. Acts xiii. 2210 to this generation, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was three days, and three nights, in the whale's belly; so shall the son of man be three days, and three nights, in the heart of the earth.'-Holy men and holy or sacred things, were generally used for the types of Christ. Rarely if ever, was any man, but a truly pious one, mentioned as typical of Christ, or of gospel blessings. The wicked high priests are no exception to this, for not the men, but their office was the type. The consideration therefore, that Jonah was an eminent type of Christ, is sufficient to caution us against denouncing him as Christ's enemy. Thus Jonah was an established Prophet, a servant of the Lord, and a type of Christ, and for ought that appears, his sin, when sent to prophecy to Nineveh, is the only instance of open transgression that he ever committed. And this was under the influence of a strong temptation-the fear that he should be regarded as a false † 2 Kings xiv. *5• these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel, nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.' Besides, his repeated prayers, and the repeated answers and approbation of Godhis regard to public worship, and the reverence which he mani Prophet. And even in the midst man. hortations, all serve to establish his moral character. The scriptures do never as sert that David, Jonah and Solomon, were ungodly men, nor denounce them, as they do Balaam, Judas, the high-priest, and false prophets and teachers, tho' they do not conceal their sins.— Their characters are so well es Christians have been nearly unanimous in their opinions concerning them. One must have but little candor, who can, in the Of Solomon we have clear-face of all this evidence, hold er evidence, that he was a good them up as being destitute of We are assured that the saving grace. And asserting 'Lord loved him.' And that this of the penmen of the sacred Solomon loved the Lord walk-scriptures, against such evidence ing in the statutes of David his and without an hint of this kind Father.' It is true that his in the scriptures, might seem to heathen enemies led him to a betray an anxious wish for sincriminal catholicism, in in- gularity at least, if not a rooted dulging them with liberty to aversion to the scriptures, and a worship their own Gods, in their secret desire to overthrow them. own idolatrous ways. (A thing not now universally condemn-spire us with reverence for his ed.) Yet even where this is word, and respect for those mentioned in the scriptures with men, whom he hath selected for disapprobation, the religious the most honorable and imporcharacter of Solomon himself, is tant services to mankind, unless admitted. Nehemiah, addres- God expressly disown them. sing those who had married strange wives, says, 'Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by § 2 Samuel xii. 24. Reverence for God should in Finally It becomes us to imitate the Godliness of the inspir ed writers, and to praise the Lord, that he has given us the Nehem. xiii. 26. |