ly the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of "the wife counfellors of Pharaoh is become bru"tifh: how fay ye unto Pharaoh, I am the fon "of the wife, the fon of ancient kings? Where are they? where are thy wife men? and let "them tell thee now, and let them know what "the LORD of hofts hath purpofed upon E66 gypt b."

66

x. The whole of this hiftory is ufeful. As " all Scripture is given by inspiration of God," it is "all profitable." What is true of the whole, must be equally true of every part of revelation. There is not a fingle portion of its history, which, if fairly viewed in its connexion and defign, does not contain an important moral; while nothing fuperfluous is admitted, nor any thing to minister to vain curiofity. It has been often obferved, that wisdom is the great end of hiftory. It is meant to fupply the want of experience, not merely in individuals, but in particular generations. Here we have the aggregate of human knowledge, as far as it is derived from experience. It is brought into a common ftock, for the benefit of mankind in general; that the deficiency of one age may be supplied from the abundance of others, which have preceded it. With refpect, then, to the end of all history, it may fuperlatively be faid of that which bears the imprefs of infpiration, "Here is wifdom." For in the hiftory of his word,

b Ifa, xix. 11, 12.

c 2 Tim. iii. 16.

word, the Lord" layeth up found wisdom for the righteous d❞

XxI. We may justly reckon it one of the beauties of Sacred History, that it furnishes nothing to distract the mind from that which is the great fubject of revelation, and which is exhibited to us as demanding our principal attention. So prone is the mind to start afide from this, that we may well admire both the wisdom and the goodness of God, in withholding from us whatfoever might prove a temptation.

Some modern philofophers quarrel with revelation, because it does not contain a system of fcience, or perfectly agree, in its modes of expreffion, with that fyftem which is generally adopted. But had it been formed on fuch a plan, it would still have been expofed to objection from fome quarter. For the fyftem of philofophy, which is adopted in one age, is rejected and ridiculed in another. There is no age, in which all, who claim the defignation of philofophers, are agreed as to any one fyftem. It was therefore moft confiftent with divine wifdom, to exprefs the operations of nature, according to the common language of men. This was especially neceffary, as the Scriptures were meant for mankind in general, of whom by far the greatest part are illiterate, and could not therefore have understood the lan guage of Scripture, had it been widely different from that in common ufe. In this method, there

Prov, ii. 7.

1

is

is nothing more inconfiftent with truth, than in that observed by the greatest philofophers. Does not every one of them speak, in the common style, of the fun rifing, and of the sun setting; although fuch expreffions are diametrically oppofite to his own fyftem with refpect to the univerfe?

It has been objected to the account given of the miracle recorded in the book of Joshua e, with respect to the fun standing still, that it is repugnant to the known fyftem of the heavens; and that, had the miracle really taken place, the motion of the earth, and not that of the fun, fhould have been fufpended. It would fatisfy any candid mind, although we could give no other reply, than that the miracle is expreffed according to its apparent effect; and that there is no more impropriety in its being said, that the fun stood still, than that he goes down. But it merits observation, that, bating the neceffary accommodation of the phrafeology to the common language of men, there is no paffage in any ancient writer that harmonizes fo well with what is called the Copernican Syftem. For as both fun and moon had been above the horizon at this time, Joshua called upon both to stand ftill: "He faid, in the fight "of Ifrael, Sun, ftand thou still upon Gibeon; " and thou Moon; in the valley of Ajalon." Now, as the moon could not be neceffary to give light in the day-time, this language fhews, not only that the effect was fuch as perfectly to correfpond with the modern fyftem concerning the heavenly bodies,

(e Josh, K. 12, 13.

bodies, but that Jofhua was directed by the Spirit of God to call for a difplay of divine power, in terms confiftent with the phyfical fact. For according to the received fyftem, the fun could not have stood still, unless the moon had also stayed; that is, both must have seemed to do fo, in confequence of the ceffation of the diurnal motion of the earth.

The objection, however, which is made to revelation, that it is not fufficiently philofophical, is merely a branch of a far weightier objection, or a veil thrown over it. God, who difcerns that the thoughts of man are vanity, well knows that the effect of human wisdom is to carry man farther away from Himself. It is undeniable, that the greatest part of thofe called philofophers, have been much more inclined to empty fpeculation, than to faith; far more difpofed to feek fuel for their natural pride, than to endeavour to mortify it. But the revelation, with which God favours man, is adapted to his fallen nature, and is meant to humble him in his own eyes. Hence it contains nothing that can minister to the pride of his understanding. It reprefents him as "foolish and "ignorant, as" brutish in his knowledge," as ready to perish, and as needing fupernatural illumination. It calls his attention to those things which belong to his eternal peace. It is given for this very end. It would therefore be inconfiftent with the very defign of revelation, did it fupply man with new objects, to divert his attention from his principal concerns; from which al

moft

most every object around him, in confequence of his own depravity, tends to abftract his mind. This then is the true, the full objection against divine revelation, however much it may be veiled, or frittered away by human ingenuity. It ftains the pride of human glory, by requiring that man fhould " deny himself," and not "lean to his "own understanding."

SECTION III.

On the Advantages arifing from the Hiftorical Mode of Writing.

We are now to inquire into the special advantages arifing from this mode of writing.

J. By this means many important truths are made more level to the Understanding. The operations of our own minds are often of an abstract nature. We are therefore at a lofs, not merely to defcribe, but to investigate them. If they respect divine things, the difficulty is greater, because of our natural darkness and stupidity *. How VOL. I. many

P

*Civil History is properly the history of the human mind, the fcience "of the heart, and the fchool of fociety. There are many people of merit, "who fet a greater value upon a good maxim, or a judicious saying, than upon a series of facts: and who will, at any time, rather choose to put "into the hands of youth collections of morals, than hiftorical facts. "Their intention in this, is to form the judgment by the truths refulting " from actions, rather than fill up young minds with battles, or other * events,