Furthermore, it should be noted that the writers of the New Testament bear emphatic testimony to the authenticity and divine authority of the Old Testament, since these writers so frequently quoted it as a work of divine authority. "Indeed," says an accepted authority in this class of literature, "the references are so numerous, and the testimonies so distinctly borne to the existence of the Mosaic books throughout the whole history of the Jewish nation, and the unity of character, design and style pervading these books is so clearly perceptible, notwithstanding the rationalistic assertions of their forming a series of separate and unconnected fragments, that it may with all safety be said, there is immensely stronger and more varied evidence in proof of their being the authorship of Moses than of any of the Greek or Roman classics being the productions of the authors whose names they bear." (Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, preface.)

3. Hagiographa: Hagiographa—the Greek name of the last of the three Jewish divisions of the Old Testament. They are variously reckoned, but usually comprise the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles. (The Century Dictionary and Cyclopaedia, Vol. IX.)

4. The Subdivisions of the Old Testament—Its Dignity and Authority: The student will observe that the classification of the books in the several authorities cited, all vary somewhat in the grouping and subdivisions of them; but I believe it will be found that the grouping in the analysis of the Seventies' Bible Dictionary will be found most complete and satisfactory. One thing should be borne in mind with reference to this whole volume of ancient Hebrew scripture, and that is, whatever the sub-division may be, history, legislation, poetry, prophecy, biography, or proverbs, it is written under the inspiration of God. That does not mean that human elements are not to be found in it, but rather that a divine spirit is present in the midst of those human elements giving forth light and truth and wisdom such as is to be found in no merely human production. There is a divine spirit always present in these scripture narratives, prophecies and poetry that make the whole to contain a revelation of God, and an account of his methods of doing things among men, all of which gives to those writings an authority that does not pertain to the ordinary writings of men.

Footnotes

[1]. It will be understood that by "Seventies' Bible," is meant throughout the Bible selected for the "Seventies' Indispensible Library," "The Teacher's Bible," Cambridge edition.

[2]. Hackett edition always quoted.

[3]. Third edition always quoted.

[4]. This work will always be so quoted, it is a recent work produced in collaboration by Robert Jamieson, D. D., St. Paul's, Glasgow, Scotland; A. R. Fausset, D.D., St. Cuthberts, York, England; and David Brown, D.D., Professor of Theology, Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of the best works of its kind, and represents the latest orthodox interpretations of the Scriptures, and while the Elders which make up our ministry may not accept the doctrinal interpretation of this or any other commentary, its historical and critical treatise are among the most recent and valuable.

LESSON II—LECTURES.[1]

THE HEBREW SACRED BOOKS—THE OLD TESTAMENT.