ng Agrippa, Acts,
ch. 26, it was not necessary that he should receive the same kind and
measure of divine help as when he unfolded to the Corinthians the
doctrine of the resurrection, 1 Cor., ch. 15. And so in regard to the
other inspired penmen. Whatever assistance each of them needed, he
received. If his judgment needed divine illumination for the selection
of his materials, it was given him. If he needed to be raised above
narrowness and prejudice, or to have the Saviour's instructions unfolded
to his understanding, or to receive new revelations concerning the way
of salvation or the future history of Christ's kingdom--whatever divine
aid was necessary in all these cases, was granted. Thus the books of the
New Testament, being written under the guidance of the Holy Ghost,
become to the Christian church an infallible rule of faith and practice.

If there be any limitation connected with the inspiration of the
sacred writers, it is one of which the Holy Spirit is himself
the author, and which cannot therefore injuriously affect their
testimony. It did not please God, for example, that the exact
order of time should always be kept in the gospel narratives;
nor that the identical forms of expression employed by the
Saviour on given occasions should always be preserved; nor that
the accompanying circumstances should in all cases be fully
stated; for in all these respects the evangelists frequently
differ among themselves. Had the wisdom of God judged it best,
minute accuracy in these particulars might have been secured.
But the result would probably have been injurious, by leading
men to exalt the letter above the spirit of the gospel. We
should be glad to know with certainty which, if any, of the
different ways that have been proposed for reconciling John's
narrative with those of the other evangelists in respect to the
day of the month on which our Lord ate his last passover with
his disciples, is the true one. It would give us pleasure were
we able to arrange all the incidents connected with our Lord's
resurrection, as recorded by the four evangelists, in the exact
order of their occurrence. Had we a full record of all the
circumstances pertaining to these two transactions, this might
be accomplished. But it would not make any essential addition to
our knowledge of the gospel. We should have, in every jot and
tittle, th