1 "Saul invidiaj stimulo suscit.atus et malo spiritu ssepe arreptus, cum David occi- dere vellet, ct ipse David tunc cum Samuele et cEeterorum prophetarum cuneo prophe- taret, misit Saul nuncios et ipsum interficiendum de medio prophetarum rapere jubet. — Sed et ipse cum inter prophetas venerat prophetabat. — Quoniam Spiritus fSaucti verba non dicentium merito pensantur, sed ipsius voluntate ubicunque voluerit profe- ruutur. At vero quidam in hoc loco restimant quod Saul non Divino Spiritu sed malo illo quo s£epe arripiebatur per totum ilium diem prophetaret. . . . Sed qualiter hoc sentii'i potest cum ita scribitur; et factus est super eum Spiritus Domini et ambu- lans prophetabat ? nisi foi'tc sic in hoc loco accipitur Spiritus Domini quomodo et alio loco Spii-itus Domini malus Saul arripiebat. Verumtamen ubicunque sine additameiito Spiritus Dei vcl Spiritus Domini vel Spiritus Christi in Scripturis Sanctis invenitur, Spiritus Sanctus esse a nullo sano sensu dubitatur. Ubicunque vero cum additamento Spiritus Domini malus dicitur esse, intelligitui- diabolus esse, qui Domini propter ministerium, malus propter vitium dictus videtur." — August, de Mirabil. Scriptui-ge, lib. ii. cap. 10.
l-ii OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT [BOOK II.
phets ; " for although they Avrote in an historical manner, as did Moses also, concerning things past and gone in their days, or it may be presently acted in their own times, yet they did not write them either from their own memory nor from tradition, nor from the rolls or records of time (although they might he furnished with and skilled in these things), but by the inspiration, guidance, and dii'ec- tion of the Holy Ghost. Hence are they called " prophets," in such a latitude as the word may be used in to signify any that are divinely inspired, or receive immediate revelations from God. And thus was it with all the penmen of the holy Scripture. As their minds were under that full assurance of divine inspiration which we before de- scribed, so their words which they wrote were under the especial care of the same Spirit, and were of his suggestion or inditing.
There were, therefore, three things concurring in this work : — First, Theinsjnration of the mindsof these prophets with the knowledge and apprehension of the things communicated unto them. Secondly, The suggestion of words unto them to express what their minds conceiv- ed^ Thirdly, The guidance of their hands in setting down the words suggested, or of their tongues in uttering them unto those by whom they were committed to writing, as Baruch wrote the prophecy of Jeremiah from his mouth, Jer. xxxvi. 4, 18. If either of these were wanting, the Scrijjture could not be absolutely and every way di- vine and infallible ; for if the penmen of it were left unto them- selves in any thing wherein that writing was concerned, who can secure us that nihil humani, no human imperfection, mixed itself therewithal? I know some think that the matter and substance of things only was communicated unto them, but as for the words whereby it was to be expressed, that was left unto themselves and their own abilities: and this they suppose is evident from that variety of style which, according to their various capacities, education, and abilities, is found amongst them. " This argues," as they say, " that the wording of their revelations was left unto themselves, and was the product of their natural abilities." This, in general, I liave spoken unto elsewhere, and manifested what mistakes sundry have run into about the style of the holy penmen of the Scripture. Here I shall not take up what hath been argued and evinced in another place. I only say that the variety intended ariseth mostly from the variety of the subject-matters treated of; nor is it such as Vv'ill give any coun- tenance to the profaneness of this opinion, for the Holy Ghost in his work on the minds of men doth not put a force upon them, nor act them any otherwise than they are in their own natures, and with their present endowments and qualifications, meet to be acted and used. He leads and conducts them in such paths as wherein they are able to walk. The words, therefore, which he suggests unto them
CHAP. I.] PREPAEATORY TO THE NEW CREATION. 145
are such as they are accustomed unto, and he causeth them to make use of such expressions as were familiar unto themselves. So he that useth diverse seals maketh different impressions, though the guidance of them all be equal and the same ; and he that toucheth skilfully several musical instruments, variously tuned, maketh several notes of music. We may also grant, and do, that they used their own abilities of mind and understanding in the choice of words and expressions: so the Preacher " sought to find out acceptable words," Eccles. xii. 1 0. But the Holy Spirit, who is more intimate unto the minds and skill of men than they are themselves, did so guide, act, and operate in them, as that the words they fixed upon were as directly and certainly from him as if they had been spoken to them by an audible voice. Hence " that which was written was upright, even words of truth," as in that place. This must be so, or they could not speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, nor could their writing be said to be of divine inspiration. Hence, ofttimes, in the original, great senses and significations depend on a single letter; as, for instance, in the change of the name of Abraham : and our Saviour affirms that every apex and iota of the law is under the care of God, as that which was given by inspiration from himself. Matt. v. 18. But I have on other occasions treated of these things, and shall not, therefore, here enlarge upon them.^