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on the side of "scripture," whereof this work formed part and parcel in their time. With the exception, perhaps, of one passage in the New Testament, the second book of Kings would have scarcely had any other than the same grounds to rest upon yet in that passage it is at once quoted as scripture, and thus has its scriptural place and authority conclusively stamped upon it. The Song of Solomon has not the benefit of any reference so distinct and peculiar as this; but the strong circumstance both in its favour, and in that of all other books which held occupancy in the Hebrew scriptures of that day, is that Christ and His apostles, in their repeated notices of the whole collection, under this their received and understood title, never complains of any unlicensed intrusion, made by any work among the sacred writings of their countrymen. Yet neither are we altogether destitute of scriptural evidence on this subject, as we have made out to a certain extent already, and of which we offer a few additional examples below.* By the general consent of the Jewish and Christian churches, this work has a place in the canon: And there are not wanting examples, in the history of the church, of those pure in heart, those lofty and accomplished disciples in the school of spiritual and experimental religion, as St. Bernard and Thomas Aquinas, who have rejoiced in the preciousness of this scripture, and inhaled the very

Cant. i. 4.-John vi. 44.

Cant. v. 1.-Rev. iii. 20.
v. 2.-Rev. ii. 20.

iv. 7.-Eph. v. 27. Many more similar quotations might be given-but these will account for the fact, why, not only our most spiritual men, but taose who are best acquainted with scripture in general, are most reconciled and most attached to the Song of Solomon in particular.

atmosphere of heaven, without one taint of the base or the unholy, while they luxuriated over its pages. "Unto the pure all things are pure; but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled," Titus i. 15. For the interesting subject of the relation, in which the external stands to the internal evidence, on the question of the canon or the inspiration of any book, we would refer our readers to a succeeding chapter.

29. Before entering, in detail, on the prophetic books it may be right to exhibit a few of the scriptural testimonies for the existence of such works in the general, and the respect in which they were held. "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets," Matt. ii. 23. "We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write," John i. 45—thus ascribing to the prophets, an authority co-ordinate with that of Moses. "As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began," Luke i. 70. " All things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished," Luke xviii. 31. "Which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began," Acts iii. 21. "Yea, and all the prophets have likewise foretold of these days," Acts iii. 24. "Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,' Rom. i. 2. "God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets," Heb. i. 1. We forbear to multiply instances in proof of a thing so palpable, as that there existed a collection of prophetical writ

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ings in the days of our Saviour, in favour of which we have the joint testimony both of Jews and Christians, accompanied by the frequent appeals both of Christ and his apostles.

30. Isaiah.] This most illustrious of the Old Testament prophets seems to have been honoured in the days of our Saviour, with a separate volume for his own compositions. See Luke iv. 17. Their human authorship is clearly assigned to him -and that, not by an external, but by an incorporated title. Isaiah i. 1. See also ii. 1; xiii. 1; xx. 2; xxx. 8, &c. &c. He speaks throughout repeatedly in his own person, as in vi. 1, which passage decides also the chronology of this prophet a point, however, decisively established by direct scriptural history, and more particularly of the reign of Hezekiah in the second book of Kings and second book of Chronicles. The great difficulty lies, not in finding, but in selecting the testimonies, which are so profusely scattered over the Bible in favour of this prophet. "Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and should have been like unto Gomorrah," Isaiah i. 9. "And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha," Romans ix. 29.

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it," &c. Isaiah ii. 2, &c. "But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the

top of the mountains; and people shall flow unto it," Micah iv. 1, &c.-" In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple," Isaiah vi. 1. "These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory and spake of him," John xii. 41." And he said, Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not; make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed," Isaiah vi. 9, 10. "And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing. ye shall see, and shall not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their ears they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them," Matt. xiii. 14, 15. See also John xii. 39, 40. Acts xxviii. 25, 26. Rom. xi. 8.

"Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel," Isaiah vii. 14. "All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel," Matt. i. 22, 23.-" He shall be for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence," Isaiah viii. 14. "As it is written, Behold I lay

in Zion a stumbling-stone and rock of offence," Rom. ix. 33.-" The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined," Isaiah ix. 1, 2." That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet Esaias, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people which sat in darkness saw great light: and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up," Matt. iv. 14-16.-"For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return," Isaiah x. 22. "Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved," Rom. ix. 27.—" And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people to it shall the Gentiles seek," Isaiah xi. 10. "Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust," Rom. xv. 12.-" Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die," Isaiah xxii. 13. "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die," 1 Cor. xv. 32.-" And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open," Isaiah xxii. 22. "These things saith he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and

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