o these
books.

V. THE COMPLETION OF THE CANON.

The subject thus far before us has been _the growth of the materials_
which constitute our canonical books. The question of their preservation
and final embodiment in their present form remains to be considered.

16. Respecting the _preservation_ of the sacred books till the time of
Ezra and Nehemiah, our information is very scanty. Each king was
required to have at hand for his own personal use a transcript of the
law of Moses (Deut. 17:18), the original writing being carefully laid up
in the inner sanctuary, where Hilkiah, the high priest, found it in the
reign of Josiah. 2 Kings 22:8. We cannot doubt that such kings as David,
Solomon, Asa, and Hezekiah complied with this law: though after the
disorders connected with the reign of Manasseh and his captivity, the
good king Josiah neglected it. Jehoshaphat, we are expressly told, sent
men to teach in the cities of Judah, who had "the book of the law of the
Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and
taught the people." 2 Chron. 17:7-9. Of course it was a copy, and not
the original autograph, which might not be removed from the sanctuary.
It is a natural supposition that other transcripts of the law were made
under the direction of the high priest, for the use of pious men,
especially pious prophets, princes, and Levites, who needed its
directions for the right discharge of their official duties, though on
this point we can affirm nothing positively. As to the prophetical
books, we know that Jeremiah had access to the writings of Isaiah, for
in repeated instances he borrowed his language. We know again that
Daniel had at hand the prophecies of Jeremiah; for he understood "by
books" (literally "by the books," which may be well understood to mean
that collection of sacred books of which the prophecies of Jeremiah
formed a part) "the number of the years whereof the word of the Lord
came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in
the desolations of Jerusalem." Dan. 9:2. The consecration of the Psalms
of David and his coadjutors to the public service of the sanctuary must
have insured their careful preservation by the Levites who had charge of
the temple music; and, in general, the deep reverence of the Jews for
their sacred writings is to us a reasonable evidence that they preserved
them from loss and mutilation to the captivity, and through that
calamitous period.

17.