A CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS AN ARGUMENT FOR THE PLENARY INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE, DERIVED FROM ANCIENT EGYPTIAN AND ASSYRIAN REMAINS PRESERVED IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM, PROVING THE MINUTE HISTORICAL ACCURACY OF THE No one has stated more briefly and sententiously the nature of the three kinds of evidence, relating to the religion of Christ, than the apostle Peter (2 Peter, i. 16-21). I.-"We have not followed cunningly-devised fables Testimony of the when but were eye-witnesses of his majesty .. there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we" (that is the three witnesses of our Lord's transfiguration, Peter, James, and John his brother, Mat. xvii. 1)" were with him in the holy mount." eye and ear of three witnesses in one place, at one time, which testimony, to absent persons then and there after, would be "tradition" only. Testimony of II.—“ WE have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto YE do well that ye take heed, as unto a light old spoke as they that shineth in a dark place." were moved by the Holy Spirit." Testimony of "Marvel not that I said unto you, again." John iii. 7. See inter cæt. 2 Cor. v. 17. III." Until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts' It is evident from this passage-many others might be Ye must be born cited—that the apostle, who received, from the Saviour Himself, commands to "feed" his "lambs" and "sheep," distinctly announces, through the Holy Spirit, that the third evidence is more powerful than the second, and the second than the first: melancholy thought! that many professing Christians have reversed, and do reverse, the process and in this way it is, that so many "teach as doctrines the commandments" (traditionally delivered to them) " of men." Cowper's Olney "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every type of a faithful truth be established ;" and though the Christian, com pared with the witty Voltaire. Paley's Horæ persons, never had an unbelieving doubt, are very happy, like the Olney lace-maker, who knew, and knew no more, her Bible true- A truth the brilliant Frenchman never knew, who and require no such evidence of the plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures; yet it is well, it is in fact commanded, that we give "to any man who asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us.' Books of evidence have multiplied, just as the Church Shipwreck of St. got light. Paley's 'Hora Paulinæ,' with Mr. Smith's 'Voyage and Paul,' by James Smith, Esq., F.R.S., of Jordan เ Shipwreck of the Apostle Paul,' are two books so filled with minute proofs of internal evidence of accuracy in the Acts and in the writings of St. Paul, that careless men, who peruse them, are without excuse, so undeniable are the proofs. Those who believe that "every hair of" their "head is numbered," and that "not a sparrow falleth to the ground minute Provi Mohammedans, Jews, and Chris tians. Minute parnames and cus ticulars of royal toms interesting to men, and in which they take part. Position of Eden, demonstrated by Col. Chesney. without our Father," and who "consider the lilies of the Doctrine of field how they grow," and also that all things are under dence, held by the control of, and ordered by, "Him with whom we have to do," do or will also acknowledge that He who, for our instruction, made his servant write, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Tim. iii. 16),—that He, we repeat, had a reason why Egyptian kings, dukes of Edom, and minute particulars about the Assyrian monarchs, and the manners (domestic and warlike) of their subjects, should be so fully recorded,-had a reason why the river that "went out of Eden" should be so particularly described as dividing "into four heads," -had a reason why "the dwelling of the sons of Joktan" (Gen. x. 30) should be so particularly defined, —had a reason for recording (Gen. x. 8-12), “ And Cush begat Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth: he was a mighty hunter before the Lord; wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. And THE BEGINNING of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, and Resen, between Nineveh and Calah; the same is a great city,”—mark the precision; mark the minute particularity of names in all passages of the Bible, from the boundary of Eden to the wanderings of the Israelites-from the names of the dukes of Edom and their cities to the passage, "Now Bethany was nigh to Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off,”—and to the minute description of the ship and voyage of the apostle Paul. No Christian can doubt that He who, by his Spirit, inspired men to write the Scriptures, committed unto the Jews the keeping of the Old Testament, and placed the curse See Layard's passim, if proof 'Researches," be wanted of the great influence of the name of countries where Nimrod in the 3000 years ago, "the mighty hunter ruled." Old Testament living oracles" Scriptures, "the committed unto the special keep ing of the Jews. |