of the country, to which they belong. They write, in
many respects, like other men. The thing that distinguished them is, a
spirit of holiness; a regard, a zeal, for God and righteousness, and for
the instruction and welfare of mankind. In their devotion to God and
goodness they are all alike, though not all equal; but in other respects
they differ almost endlessly. In their devotion to God and goodness,
they are _unlike_ the mass of pagan worldly writers, but not so unlike
them in every other respect.

The divine inspiration of the sacred writers, or their wondrous zeal for
righteousness, is hardly a matter for dispute. It is a simple, plain,
palpable matter of fact. We see it on almost every page of their
writings. We feel it in almost every sentence.

Take the account of Creation in Genesis. No one could have written that
document under the influence of an ungodly or unholy spirit. It speaks
throughout with the utmost reverence of God. It represents Him as acting
from the best and noblest feeling. He works, not for His own interest or
honor, but solely for the purpose of diffusing happiness. He not only
does the greatest, the best, the noblest things, but He does them with a
hearty good will. Every now and then He stops to examine His works, and
is delighted to find that everything is good. It is plain He _meant_
them to be good. He creates countless multitudes of happy beings, and
does it all from impulses of His own generous nature. All living things
are made to be happy, and all nature is made and adapted to minister to
their happiness. And when at length He has completed His works, crowning
all with the creation of man, He looks on all again, and with evident
satisfaction and delight, declares them all very good.

Read the account of His creation of man. "And God said, Let us make man
in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and
over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the
earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created
he him, male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God
said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl
of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And
God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, whic