connexion which is obfervable between the several books of the Scripture history, is likewise a plain indication, that they were digefted by public authority, and not the product of private pens. Which one thing is a pregnant proof of the divine authority of the facred writings, to any one that confiders that all the pious princes and magiftrates among the Jews undertook nothing of moment without advice and direction from God, who rais'd up a fucceffion of prophets among them for that very purpose. In this refpect the compilers of the Jewish history have very much the advantage, in point of credit, of the hiftorians of most other nations, especially of the Greek hiftorians, as Jofephus (a) obferves; inafmuch as the Greek writers were neither appointed by authority to preferve the memory of former tranfactions, nor (a) Lib. 1. cont. Appian. initio. compil'd compil'd their writings out of public or ancient records, and were more ambitious of fhewing their wit and eloquence, and telling their story in an elegant and plaufible ftyle, than of tranfmitting a faithful account of matters of fact to pofterity. Whereas the holy writers discover nothing of vanity or oftentation, of partiality or corrupt affection, but write with a native fimplicity, and unaffected air of fincerity, without flattery or prejudice, neither concealing their own private infirmities, nor palliating the vices or miscarriages of their greateft princes, but delivering their thoughts with great freedom, and fpeaking the truth without referve: As if their only defign was to give God the glory, and recommend their writings to the good opinion of their readers by a naked manifeftation of the truth, which, when 'tis deliver'd plainly and without difguife, commands an affent, and works works more powerfully upon the mind, than all the art in the world. CHA P. V. Concerning the Moral Writings of the Old Teftament. HE books of the old Tefta TH ment that come next under our confideration, are the moral writings properly fo call'd, i. e. fuch whofe chief defign is to inftruct us in the ways of virtue, and give rules for the direction and good government of our lives. Such are the books of Job, the Proverbs and Ecclefiaftes. The book of Job was written on purpose to teach us the great duty of patience and fubmiffion to God's will in all events: A duty, which it powerfully recommends to us, both by the example of that holy perfon who was fo eminent an intance of Juffering affliction and of patience; and alfo by many argu ments taken from the confideration of the greatnefs of God's majesty, with whom it is high prefumption for poor mortals to contend; of his infinite purity and holiness, in whofe fight the best men cannot be justify'd, if God will enter into strict judgment with them: And, laftly, from the unfearchableness of his judgments, which are always true and righteous, tho' we cannot always comprehend the reafons of them. And I doubt not but pious and devout fouls may find great pleafure, as well as reap much profit by the careful perufal of this book which recommends itself to the reader above all other books of holy Writ, by the wit and elegancy of the compofure, where human paf fions are defcrib'd with the most tender and lively ftrokes, where are to be found the most elevated and noble thoughts concerning the power and majefty of God, and the most devout expreffions of that submiffion and refignation which is due to his will, and of that truft and confidence which good men have in his mercy, even in the depth of their afflictions, arifing from the testimony of their confcience and the fenfe of their own integrity. And thefe pious meditations are clothed in fuch natural and eafie words, as convey to our minds a juft idea of natural Religion when. it was in it's prime, and as it was practifed in thofe early ages, before the tradition of the creation and of the flood was loft, or the world quite over-run with idolatry. The Proverbs, as they were written by Solomon, a Prince famous in all ages for his wisdom and experience, |