composition. This supposition will, in my opinion, account for all anomalies of this kind, which we perceive in the book of Psalms."

But even this solution does not satisfy every one; it does not fully comport with the idea of immediate and plenary inspiration. Most probably, therefore, the psalmist wrote, as well as spoke, as he w as "moved thereto by the Holy Ghost," not by the help of previous memoranda, but in words which the Holy Spirit taught him at the time. The Psalms were composed for the use of the church, in which there are not only "all sorts and conditions of men," but every variety of spiritual state felt by the various members thereof at the self-same hour, so that during thereading of the psalm, one verse may suit the state of one member of the church, and another verse that of another.

But a greater difficulty, with many, still remains, viz. How David, or any other good man, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, could use such imprecations as are found in the book of psalms? For example, how could David, as in the 109th Psalm, wish so much evil upon his enemies? To understand this subject rightly, we must remember that "to curse," in the scriptural sense, is either to inflict, or to pronounce, or to predict a curse upon any thing, or any one. In the first sense, God "cursed," that is, inflicted a curse upon "the serpent," and upon the earth for man's sake. In the second sense, Jacob cursed the fury of Simeon and Levi, who murdered the Shechemites, and plundered their city, and in the third sense, Noah cursed the posterity of Ham, in which sense, also, Joshua cursed him who should

undertake to build Jericho. The curses, therefore, which David seems to wish upon his enemies, are not to be taken as the effects of passion or revenge, but may be considered as predictions of what would befal them.* And as David was an eminent type of Christ, and as the enemies of David were, in too many instances, types of the enemies of Christ, the curses in this book will be found to apply eminently to them.

"The Hebrew Psalter is the most ancient collection of poems in the world; and was composed long before those in which ancient Greece and Rome have gloried. Among all the heathen nations, Greece had the honor of producing not only the first, but also the most sublime of poets; but the subjects on which they employed their talents had, in general, but little tendency to meliorate the moral condition of men. Their subjects were either a fabulous theology, a false and ridiculous religion, chimerical wars, absurd heroism, impure love, agriculture, national sports, or hymns in honor of gods more corrupt than the most profligate of men. Their writings served only to render vice amiable, to honor superstition, to favor the most dangerous and most degrading passions of man, such as impure love, ambition, pride, and impiety. What is said of the Greek poets, may be spoken with equal truth of the Latins; out of the whole of whose writings, notwithstanding their luminous thoughts and fine ex

*Even in this psalm, where so many dreadful imprecations are found, David says, "For my love they are my adversaries-they have rewarded me evil for good." Ver. 4 and 5.

pressions, it would be difficult to extract even the common maxims of a decent morality.

"The Hebrew poets, on the contrary, justly boast the highest antiquity, several of them being before Homer. They were men inspired of God, holy in their lives, pure in their hearts, laboring for the good of mankind; proclaiming, by their incomparable compositions, the infinite perfections, attributes, and unity of the divine nature; laying down and illustrating the purest rules of the most refined morality, and the most exalted piety. God-His attributes, His works, and the religion which He has given to men, were the grand subjects of their divinely inspired muse. By their wonderful art, they not only embellished the history of their own people, because connected intimately with the history of God's providence; but they also, by the light of the Spirit of God that was in them, foretold future events of the most unlikely occurrence, at the distance of many hundreds of years, with such exactness as has been the wonder and astonishment of considerate minds, in all succeeding generations; a fact which, taken in its connection with the holiness and sublimity of their doctrine; the grandeur, boldness, and truth of their imagery; demonstrate minds under the immediate inspiration of God.

"Some of the greatest, both of the Greek and Roman poets, were men obscure in their birth, desperate in their fortune, and profligate in their manners; a fact at once proved both by their history, and by their works. But the Hebrew poets were among the greatest men of their nation; and among them were found kings of the highest char

acter, judges of the greatest integrity, heroes the most renowned, and lawgivers whose fame has reached to almost every nation of the earth. By means of these men, the lamp of true religion has been lighted in the earth; and wherever there is a ray of truth among the sons of men, it is an emanation, taken immediately, or indirectly borrowed, from the prophets, poets, or statesmen of the sons of Jacob."-Dr. Clarke.

THE BOOK OF PROVERBS.

"This book, with the probable exception of the two concluding chapters, was composed, or collected, at least, by Solomon, (chap. i. 1; xi. 26.) The 30th chapter seems to have been penned by Agur, son of Jakeh, of whom we no where else read; and the last chapter contains the instructions given to Lemuel by his mother, of both of whom we are equally ignorant. From the first verse of the twenty-fifth chapter, it has been inferred that the proverbs following were collected out of the other writings of Solomon, and placed in the order in which we now possess them. The design of the writers may be gathered from the first three verses; and so admirably adapted to the purposes of instruction, have these pointed and sententious maxims been, that many heathen philosophers and legislators have drawn their brightest sentiments from this book. The Proverbs are frequently quoted in the New Testament by Christ and his apostles." (See Matt. xv. 4; Luke xiv. 10; Rom. xii. 16—20; 1 Thess. v. 14; 1 Pet. iv. 8; v. 5: James iv. 6, &c.)

"There has scarcely been any dispute," says Dr. A. Clarke, "concerning either the author or divine authority of this book, either in the Jewish or Christian church; all allow that it was written by Solomon, and the general belief is, that he wrote the book by Divine inspiration.

"It has indeed been supposed that Solomon collected the major part of these proverbs from those who had preceded him. This opinion, however, has been controverted, as derogating from the authority of the book. But this supposition has very little weight; for whatever of truth is found among men, whether among heathen, or Hebrews, came originally from God; and if He employed an inspired man to collect those rays of light, and embody them for the use of His church, He has a right so to do, and to claim his own wherever found; and by giving it a new authentication, render it more useful in reference to the end for which it was originally communicated. God is the Father of Lights; and from him came all true wisdom, not only in its discursive teachings, but in all its detached maxims for the government and regulation of life.

"I think it very likely, (continues Dr. Clarke) that Solomon did not make them all; but he collected every thing of this kind within his reach; and what was according to the Spirit of truth, by which he was inspired, he condensed in this book; and as the Divine Spirit gave it, so the providence of God has preserved it for the use of His church.

"That Solomon could have borrowed little from his predecessors is evident from this consideration, that all uninspired ethic writers, who are famous in