ON THE DIVINE ORIGINAL, AUTHORITY, AND SELF-EVIDENCING LIGHT AND POWER OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. BY JOHN OWEN, D. D. ON THE SELF-EVIDENCING LIGHT AND POWER OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. CHAPTER I. The divine original of the Scripture the sole foundation of its authority. THAT the whole authority of the Scripture depends solely on its divine original, is confessed by all who acknowledge its authority. The evincing and declaration of that authority being the thing at present aimed at, the discovery of its divine original, is, in the first place, necessarily to be premised. As to the original of the Scripture of the Old Testament, it is said, 'God spake of old,' or formerly, ' in the prophets.' So God spake from the days of Moses the lawgiver, and downwards, to the consignation and bounding of the canon delivered to the Judaical church, in the days of Ezra and his companions, the "men of the great congregation." This being done only among the Jews, they, as his church, were "intrusted with the oracles of God." God spake "by the prophets," or, as Luke i. 70. "by the mouth of the holy prophets;" but there seems to be somewhat farther intended in this expression. In the exposition, or giving out the eternal counsel of the mind and will of God to men, there is to be considered, his speaking to the prophets, and his speaking by them to us. In this expression, it seems to be that voice from heaven, that came to the prophets, which is understood. So God spake in the prophets, and in reference thereto, there is propriety in that expression, " in the prophets." Thus the Psalms are many of them said to be, To this, or that man. "A golden psalm to David;” that Lord; and from thence their tongue pen of a writer." So God spake in them, before he spake by them. is, from the was as the " The various ways of special revelation, by dreams, visions, audible voices, inspirations, with that peculiar one of the lawgiver under the Old Testament, called "face to face;" with that which is compared with it, and exalted above it, in the New, by the Son," from the bosom of the Father;" are not of my present consideration, all of them belonging to the manner of the thing inquired after, not the thing itself. By the assertion, then, laid down, of God “speaking in the prophets of old," from the beginning to the end of that long tract of time, consisting of one thousand years, wherein he gave out the writings of the Old Testament; two things are ascertained to us, which are the foundation of our present dis course. 1. That the laws they made known, the doc |