In this language, therefore, as the most common, diffusive, and generally-understood in the world, did God order that the books of the New Testament should be written. From thence, by transla- tions and expositions, was it to be derived into other tongues and languages ; for the design of God was still the same, — that his word should be declared unto the church in a language which it under- stood. Hence is that peculiar distribution of the nations of the world into Jews, Greeks, Barbarians, and Scythians, Col. iii. 11, not accommodated unto the use of those terms in Grecian writers, unto whom the Jews were no less barbarians than the Scythians them- selves; but as the Scriptures of the Old Testament were peculiarly
CHAP. VIII.] MEANS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE MIND OF GOD. 2VA
given unto the Jews, so were those of the New unto the Greeks, — that is, those who made use of their language, — from whence it was deduced unto all other nations, called Barbarians and Scythians.
It must be acknowledged that the Scripture, as written in these languages, is accompanied with many and great advantages : —
(1.) In them peculiarly is it ypafri SsoVi/sucros, a "writing by divine inspiration," 2 Tim. hi. 16; and HlilJ 1Spj the " book of writing of the Lord," Isa. xxxiv. 16; with a singular privilege above all transla- tions. Hence the very words themselves, as therein used and placed, are sacred, consecrated by God unto that holy use. The sacred sense, indeed, of the words and expressions is the internum formale sacrum, or that wherein the holiness of the Scripture doth consist; but the writing itself 'in the original languages, in the words chosen and used by the Holy Ghost, is the externum formale of the holy Scripture, and is materially sacred.
It is the sense, therefore, of the Scripture which principally and for its own sake we inquire after and into; that divine sense which, as Justin Martyr speaks, is uiiip Xoyov, vnsp vouv, xai b<7rsp naffav xard- Xri^iv, absolutely " above our natural reason, understanding, and comprehension." In the words we are concerned with respect there- unto, as by the wisdom of the Holy Ghost they are designed as the written signs thereof.
(2.) The words of the Scripture being given thus immediately from God, every apex, tittle, or iota in the whole is considerable, as that which is an effect of divine wisdom, and therefore filled with sacred truth, according to their place and measure. Hence they are all under the especial care of God, according to that promise of our Saviour, Matt. v. 18, " Verily I say unto you," "Ews av napsXty 6 oupavbg xai rj yri, tuira, h rj jiia xtpala ov pr) iraps\6r\ airo rou vofiou, " Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law." That our Saviour doth here intend the writ- ing of the Scriptures then in use in the church, and assure the pro- tection of God unto the least letter, vowel, or point of it, I have proved elsewhere; and himself in due time will reprove the pro- fane boldness of them who, without evidence or sufficient proof, with- out that respect and reverence which is due unto the interest, care, providence, and faithfulness of God in this matter, do assert mani- fold changes to have been made in the original writings of the Scripture.1
But, as I said, divine senses and singular mysteries may be couch -
1 These statements are founded on those views respecting the functions and ten- dency of biblical criticism in which, by universal admission, Owen, in common with most theologians of his age, altogether erred. We need not consider his opinions on the subject under the incidental reference to them above. He refers to his writings
214 CAUSES, WAYS, AND MEANS, ETC. [BOOK VI., PAET II.
ed in the use and disposal of a letter; and this God himself hath manifested, as in sundry other instances, so in the change of the names of Abram and Sarai, wherein the addition or alteration of one letter carried along with it a mysterious signification for the use of the church in all ages. In translations nothing of that nature can be observed ; and hence a due consideration of the very accents in the original of the Old Testament, as distinctive or conjunctive, is a singular advantage in the investigation of the sense of particular places and sentences.
(3.) There is in the originals of the Scripture a peculiar emphasis of words and expressions, and in them an especial energy, to intimate and insinuate the sense of the Holy Ghost unto the minds of men, which cannot be traduced into other languages by translations, so as to obtain the same power and efficacy. Now, this is not absolutely from the nature of the original languages themselves, especially not of the Greek, whose principal advantages and excellencies, in copi- ousness and elegancy, are little used in the New Testament, but from a secret impression of divine wisdom and efficacy accompanying the immediate delivery of the mind of God in them. There is, there- fore, no small advantage hence to be obtained in the interpretation of the Scripture : for when we have received an impression on our minds of the sense and intention of the Holy Ghost in any particu- lar place, we shall seek for meet words to express it by, wherein con- sists the whole work of Scripture exposition, so far as I have any acquaintance with it, — " Interpretis officium est, non quid ipse velit, sed quid sentiat ille quern interpretatur, exponere/' Hieron. Apol. adv. Rutin. ; — for when the mind is really affected with the disco- very of truth itself, it will be guided and directed in the declaration of it unto others.