ntly without him. This was not the view taken by the best
thought in the Old Testament. There forgiveness dealt first and
chiefly with the direct relation between man's spirit and God; it was
essentially a restoration of man to communion with God. When,
therefore, Christianity had to deal with these problems, it could not
accept the Pharisaic solutions, but had in some measure to return to
the Old Testament to authenticate and develope the highest therein
taught, and in the person and life of Christ to give it a world-wide
power and comprehensiveness.'

The doctrine called Talmudic in the above extract receives remarkable
illustration in a Jewish work, _The {259} Apocalypse of Baruch_, which
dates from the same period as the writings of the New Testament (A.D.
50-100; or if the work be regarded as composite, we should say that its
component elements are of that date), and represents to us in a very
vivid and touching form the hopes and beliefs of a pious orthodox Jew.
Thus--

1. _The doctrine of the merit of good works_, ii. 2 [words spoken to
Jeremiah by God], 'Your works are to this city as a firm pillar.' xiv.
5: 'What have they profited who confessed before Thee, and have not
walked in vanity as the rest of the nations ... but always feared Thee,
and have not left Thy ways? And, lo, they have been carried off, nor
on their account hast Thou had mercy on Zion. And if others did evil,
it was due to Zion that on account of the works of those who wrought
good works she should be forgiven, and should not be overwhelmed on
account of the works of those who wrought unrighteousness.' lxiii. 3:
'Hezekiah trusted in his works, and had hope in his righteousness, and
spake with the Mighty One ... and the Mighty One heard him.' lxxxv. 1:
'In the generations of old those our fathers had helpers, righteous men
and holy prophets ... and they helped us when we sinned, and they
prayed for us to Him who made us, because they trusted in their works,
and the Mighty One heard their prayer and was gracious unto us.' li.
7: 'But those who have been saved by their works, and to whom the law
has been now a hope, and understanding an expectation, and wisdom a
confidence, to them wonders will appear in their time.'

It is very noticeable in the above quotations that it is the works of
the righteous rather than their persons (as in Genesis xviii. 23-33)
that are put forward as the grounds of confidence with God. The claim
of right