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tihmvy of Che theological ^eminarjp 
 
 PRINCETON . NEW JERSEY 
 
 FROM THE LIBRARY OF THE 
 
 REVEREND JOHN ALEXANDER MACKAY 
 LITT.D., D.D., LL.D., L.H.D. 
 
 

VILLAGE OF IJETHANY. 
 
THE V ^^^ ^4 J968 
 
 ■■■■S 
 
 ■? V ■:■ V .- 
 
 STUDY OF THE B1BEE7 
 
 coNTAi.<rxo pr.ooTS o* ihb 
 
 AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SCEIPTUEES ; 
 
 A SUMMAEY OF THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS ; AN ACCOUNT 
 
 OF THE JEWISH SECTS; AND A BRIEF STATEMENT 
 
 OF THE CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS 
 
 05 THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS. 
 
 BY THF. r,ATB 
 
 GEOEGE TOMLINE, D.D., F.E.S., 
 
 TiOrd Visliup of Winchester, 
 
 JAMES BLACKWOOD AND CO., LO YELL'S COURT, 
 
 PATERNOSTER ROW. 
 
PEEFACE. 
 
 If this Volume should be the means of diffusing more widely a know- 
 ledge of the Holy Scriptures, and a belief of thek Divine Authority ; 
 and especially, if it should lead those who are entrusted with the 
 Education of Youth to make this most important of all Studies a 
 regular branch of Instruction to their Pupils, my object will be fully 
 answered. 
 
 This Volume consists of two parts : the first relates to the Old 
 Testament ; the second to the New. 
 
 In treating of the Old Testament, I have begun with proving the 
 Authenticity and Inspiration of the Books of which it consists, and 
 have entered into these subjects at considerable length, but I trust 
 not more fully than their importance demands. They form a material 
 branch in the evidences for the truth of the Christian Eeligion, as 
 the Old Testament is in fact the foundation of the New. In the 
 second chapter, I have given a very brief Account of the Contents of 
 the several Books of the Old Testament, and have mentioned their 
 respective authors, and the times when they lived. In the historical 
 books, I have stated the period which they comprehend and the prin- 
 cipal facts which they relate ; and in the prophetical books, I have 
 enumerated the prophecies they contain, and the few particulars, 
 which are known concerning the prophets themselves. The third 
 chapter is an Abridgment of the History of the Old Testament ; and 
 as a connection between the Old and New Testaments, and to make 
 the historical part of the New Testament more intelhgible, the 
 history of the Jews is continued down to the destruction of Jerusalem 
 by Titus. The fourth and last chapter of this part contains an 
 account of the Jewish Sects, not only of such as are mentioned in 
 the Old and New Testaments, but also of those which were known at 
 any period among the Jews, although their names do not occur in Scrip- 
 ture. I doubted for some time whether this chapter ought to be 
 placed in the first or second part ; but upon consideration it appeared 
 better to include it in the first, because all the sects here noticed ori- 
 
ginated within the period contained in the preceding chapter, and 
 the knowledge of the principles of some of them is necessary to the 
 light understanding of the New Testament. 
 
 The first chapter of the second part is upon the Canon and Inspi- 
 ration of the Books of the New. Testament, and con-esponds to the 
 first chapter of the first part. The thirty following chapters contain 
 a separate Account of the Books of the New Testament. I have there 
 stated the grounds for believing that each book was written by the 
 person to whom it is usually ascribed, and have given the History of 
 its Author. I have mentioned the place where it was published, or 
 from which it was written ; its date ; the cause or design of its being 
 written; its contents, and such other particulars as belong to the 
 respective books. The last chapter of this part is an abridgment of 
 the New Testament History, in which I have related the leading 
 circumstances of the life and ministry of our Saviour, and the exer- 
 tions and sufferings of the Apostles after His ascension into heaven. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 T*.A.TiT I. 
 
 Chapter I. — Of the authenticity and inspiration of the Books of the Old 
 
 Testament 1 
 
 Chap. II. — Of the contents of the several Books of the Old Testament. 53 
 
 Chap. III. — The Old Testament History abridged, and the History of 
 
 the Jews continued to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. 90 
 
 Chap. IV.— Of the Jewish Sects— I. Of the Scribes. II. Of the 
 Pharisees. III. Of the Sadducees. IV. Of the Nazarites. V. Of 
 the Herodians. VI. Of the Galil.-eans. VII. Of the Publicans. 
 VIII. Of the Essenes. IX. Of the Proselytes. X. Of the Karaites. 167 
 
 I>.A.I?,T II- 
 
 Chap. I.— I. Of the Canon of the New Testament. II. Of the In- 
 spiration of the Books of the New Testament 185 
 
 Chap. II. — I. History of St. Matthew. II. Genuineness of his Gospel. 
 III. Its Date. IV. Language in which it was written. V. Obser- 
 vations 203 
 
 Chap. III.— Of St. Mark's Gospel. I. History of St. Mark. II. 
 
 Genuineness of his Gospel. III. Its Date. IV. Observations ... 212 
 
 Chap. IV. — Of St. Luke's Gospel. I. History of St. Luke. II. Genuine- 
 ness of his Gospel. III. Its Date. IV. Place of its Publication. 
 V. Observations. _ ... 219 
 
 Chap. V. — Of St. John's Gospel. I. History of St. John. II. Genuine- 
 ness of his Gospel. HI. Place of its Publication. IV. Its Date. 
 V. Observations 224 
 
 Chap. VI. — Of the Acts of the Apostles. I. Genuineness of this Book. 
 II. Its Contents. III. Its Date. IV. Place of its Publication. 
 
 V. Importance of this Book 234 
 
 Chap. VII.— Of St. Paul. I. History of St. Paul to his Conversion. 
 
 II. To the end of his first Apostolical journey. III. To the beginning 
 of his second Apostolical journey. IV. To the end of his second 
 Apostolical journey. V, To the end of his third Apostolical journey. 
 
 VI. To his release from his first imprisonment at Rome. VII. To his 
 Death. VIII. His character, and observations upon his Epistles. ... 237 
 
 Chap. VIII. — Of the genuineness and arrangement of St. Paul's Epistles 261 
 Chap. IX. — Of the Epistle to the Romans. I. Date and other circum- 
 stances of this Epistle. II. The introduction of the Gospel into 
 
 Rome. III. Design and substance of this Epistle 264 
 
 Chap. X. — Of the first Epistle to the Corinthians. I. State of the Church 
 it Corinth. II. Dateof this Epistle and occasion of its being written. 
 
 III. Its Contents ... 268 
 
 Chap. XI. — Of the second Epistle to the Corinthians. I. The occasion 
 
 of this Epistle being written. II. The Date and .Substance of it ... 272 
 Chap. XII.— Of the Epistle to the Galatians. I. Date of this Epistle. 
 
 II. Design and substance of it 275 
 
 Chap. XIII. — Of the Epistle to the Ephesians. I. This Epistle was 
 
 really written to the Ephesians. II. Date and other circumstances 
 
 relative to it. III. Its Contents 279 
 
 Chap. XIV.— Of the Epistle to the Phillipians. I. Dateof this Epistle 
 
 and occasion of its being written. II. Its Contents 283 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Chap. XV. — Of the Epistle to the Colossians. I. The occasion of this 
 Epistle being written and its date. II. Whether St. Paul, when he 
 wrote it, had been at Colosse. III. By whom the Church at Colosse 
 was founded. IV. The substance of this Epistle 235 
 
 Chap. XVI.— Of the first Epistle of the Thcssalonians. I. The oc- 
 casion of this Epistle being written and its date. II. Substance of 
 this Epistle 289 
 
 Chap. XVII.— Of the second Epistle to the Thcssalonians. I. The 
 occasion of this Epistle being written and its date. II. Substance 
 of this Epistle 291 
 
 Chap. XVIIL— Of the first Epistle to Timothy. I. History of Timothy. 
 
 II. Date of this Epistle. III. Design and substance of it 292 
 
 Chap. XIX.— Of the second Epistle to Timothy. I. Date of the Epistle. 
 II. Where Timothy was when it was written to him. III. Substance 
 of it 302 
 
 Chap. XX.— Of the Epistle to Titus. I. History of Titus. II. From 
 what place .St. Paul wrote this Epistle. III. Its Date. IV. When a 
 Christian Church was first founded in Crete. V. Design and 
 substance of this Epistle 307 
 
 Chap. XXI. — Of the Epistle to Philemon. I. Who Philemon was. II. 
 Date of this Epistle. III. Occasion of its being written. IV. Sub- 
 stance and character of this Epistle.. 311 
 
 Chap. XXII.— Of the Epistle to the Hebrews. I. Authenticity of this 
 Epistle. II. Its Date. III. Language in which it was originally 
 written. IV. To whom it was addressed. V. Design and substance 
 of it 314 
 
 Chap. XXIII. — Of the seven Catholic Epistles 'Hi 
 
 Chap. XXIV. — Of the general Epistle of St. James. I. History of St. 
 James. II. Genuineness of the Epistle. III. Its Date. IV. The 
 persons to whom it was addressed. V. Design and substance of it. 324 
 
 Chap. XXV. Of the first general Epistle of St. Peter. I. History of 
 Peter. II. Genuineness of his Epistle. HI. To whom it was 
 addressed. IV. Whence it was written. V. Its Date. VI. Design 
 and substance of it ... ; 331 
 
 Chap. XXVI. — Of the second general Epistle of St. Peter. I. Genuine- 
 ness of this Epistle. II. Its design and date. III. The substance 
 of it 340 
 
 Chap. XXVII. — Of the first general Epistle of St. John. I Genuineness 
 of this Epistle. II. The persons to whom it was addressed. III. 
 Its date. IV. Design and substance of it 342 
 
 Chap.- XXVIII. — Of the second general Epistle of St. John. I. Genuine- 
 ness of this Epistle. II. To whom it was addressed. III. Design 
 and substance of it. IV. Its date 345 
 
 Chap. XXIX. — Of the third general Epistle of St. John. I. Genuineness 
 of this Epistle. II. Its inscription and date. HI. Design and sub- 
 stance of it. rV. Observations upon this and the foregoing Epistle 347 
 
 Chap. XXX.— Of the general Epistle of St. T'lde. I. History of St. 
 Jude. II. Genuineness of this Epistle. III. Its inscription and 
 date. IV. .Substance of it 349 
 
 Chap. XXXI.— Of the Revelation of John the Divine. I. Genuineness 
 
 of this Book. II. Its date. III. Its contents 352 
 
 Chap. XXXII. — The New Testament History abridged 357 
 
 The places and times of writing the Book of the New Testament ... 375 
 
 Index a. ..• 376 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 PACE 
 
 Explanation of the Sects or Orders of Men, and other matters 
 
 mentioned in Scripture .„ ... .„ 385 
 
 Measures 302 
 
 Money and Weights 393 
 
 Time .„ 394 
 
 A Table of St. Paul's Apostolic Journeys 396 
 
 A concise Harmony of the Gospels ... ... ... ... 397 
 
 The Parables of Jesus arranged in chronological order ... 402 
 
 The Discourses of Jesus arranged in chronological order ... 403 
 
 The Miracles of Jesus arranged in chronological order ... 404 
 
 The Names and Titles of Jesus Christ 406 
 
 Chronology of the Old Testament 407 
 
 The Names and Order of all the Books of the Old and New 
 
 Testaments, with the Number of their Chapters 403 
 
THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES 
 
 PART I. 
 
 CHAPTER THE FIRST: 
 
 OF THE AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION OF THE 
 BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 
 
 Christian Theology, or Divinity, teaches from Re- 
 velation the knowledge of God, his various dispensations 
 to mankind, antl the duties required of men by their 
 Creator. 
 
 The Scriptures, or Bible, are the only authentic source 
 from which instruction upon these important points can 
 be derived. The word Scriptures literally signifies Writings, 
 and the word Bible, Book ; but these a\ ords are now, by 
 way of eminence and distinction, exclusively applied to 
 those sacred compositions which contain the Revealed Will 
 of God. The words Scriptures and Scripture occur in 
 this sense in the Gospels, Acts, and Epistles (a) ; whence 
 it is evident, that, in the time of our Saviour, they de- 
 noted the books received by the Jews, as the rule of their 
 faith. To these books have been added the ^mtings of 
 the Ajjostles and Evangelists, A^hich complete the collec- 
 tion of books acknowledged by Christians to be divinely 
 
 (a) Malt. c. 21. v. 42. c. 22. v. 29. Jolm, c. 5. v. 39. Acts, 
 c. 18. V. 28. Rom. c. 15. v. 4. 2 Ti-!i. c. 3. v, 16. 1 Pet. 
 
 c. 2. V. G. Jnmes. c. 2. v. 8. 
 
2 ALTDENTICITY AND INSl'lRATION [Pall I. 
 
 ins])iio(l. The Bible (/'), or tlie Book, the Book of Books, 
 was used in its present sense by the early Clu'istians, as 
 AC learn from Chrysostom (c). 
 
 The Bible is divided into two parts, called the Old and 
 Now Testament (d). The Old Testament, of which alone 
 it is intended to treat ni this chapter, contains those sa- 
 cred books which were composed, previous to the birth of 
 oiu' Saviour, b}' the successive pro))hets and iiis])ired wri- 
 ters, whom it pleased God to raise up from time to time, 
 through a period of more than 1000 years. Th.ese books 
 are written in Hebrew, and they are the only writings now 
 extant in that language. The Old Testament, according 
 to our Bibles, consists of thirty-nine books ; but among the 
 Jews thev formed only twenty-two, i\hich \\as also the 
 number of letters in their alphabet. They divided these 
 twenty-two books into three classes ; the tirst class con- 
 sisted of five books, namely. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, 
 Numbers, and Deuteronomy, which they called the Law : 
 
 (i) ]5t/3/\/(ii' sifinifies simply a book. 
 
 i^c) Horn. 9, ill Col. 
 
 (rf) St. Paul, in ihe same iliaptcr, 2 Cor. c. 3. v. G and I-l, 
 calls the dispeiisa'.ion of ]M OSes the Old Testament, and the dis- 
 ])L'iiSalion of Christ the New 'IVstanient ; and these disliii- 
 giiisliing ajipelhitioiis wore a]iplit'd by the early ecclesiastical 
 authors to the wiitinRs which contained those dispensations. 
 The (ireek word AiaOt'iK)] occurs in Scripture both in the sense 
 of a testament or will, and of a covenant, Heb. c. 9. v. 16. and 
 Gal. c. 3. V. 15. It seems improperly applied to the ancient 
 Scriptures in the fonner sense, since the death of Moses luid 
 no concern whatever in the establishment or efficacy of the 
 Jewish religion -, but in the latler sense it very properly sicni- 
 fies the covenant between God and his chosen people. The 
 word Ain9t)K}], when applied in tlie sense of testament to the 
 books which contain the Christian dispensation, may refer to 
 the death of Christ, which forms an essential part of his reli- 
 gion ; but even in this case it would, perhaps, have been better 
 translated by the word covrnaut. as referring to the coiuliiions 
 upon which (jod is pleased to oH'cr salvation to his sinful crea- 
 tures, through the mediation of his only son .lesus Christ. The 
 Hebrew word Beritli, whicli is translated by Aia9t)Kt] iu the 
 Septuagint version, always signifies a covenant. 
 
Chap. 1.] OF THE OLD TESTA>: E.N T. 3 
 
 the second class consisted of thirteen hooks, nanic'.v, 
 Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, in one hook ; the two hooks 
 of Samuel, of Kings, and of Chronicles respectively, in 
 single hooks ; Ezra and Neheniiah, in one book ; Esther, 
 Joh, Isaiah, the two hooks of Jeremiah in one ; Ezekiel,^ 
 Daniel, and the twelve minor prophets in one hook ; these 
 thirteen books they called The Prophets : the third class 
 consisted of the four remaining books, namely. Psalms, 
 Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, which 
 foiu" books the Jews called Chetubim, and the Greeks 
 Hagiographa (e) ; this class was also called The Psalms, 
 from the name of the first hook in it. This threefold 
 (Uvision was naturally suggested by the books themselves ; 
 it was used merely for convenience, and did not proceed 
 from any opinion of difference in the authority of the 
 books of the several classes. In like manner the minoi 
 prophets were so called from the brevity of their works, 
 and not from any supposed inferiority to the other prophets. 
 The books are not in all instances arranged in our 
 Bibles (/") according to the order of time in which they 
 were \mtten ; but the book of Genesis ■\\'as the earliest 
 composition contained in the sacred volume, except, as 
 some think, the book of Job ; and the book of Malachi 
 was certainly the latest. 
 
 Though Genesis, Exodus, Eeviticus, Numbers, and 
 Deuteronomy, stood as separate hooks in the private copies 
 used by the Jews in the time of Josephus (g), they were 
 
 (e) From ayioQ holy, and ypafi) writiiifj. 
 
 (f) There is some little diflerenco in the arranp;emciit of 
 tlie books in the Bibles of different countries and languages. 
 Dupin, Diss. Prcd. book I. c. 1. sect. 7 
 
 ((/) It is not known when this division took place, but pro- 
 bably it was first adopted in the Septuagint version, as llie 
 titles prefixed are of Greek derivation. The beginnings of 
 Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, are very 
 abrupt, and plainly show that these books were formerly joined 
 10 Genesis. 
 
4 AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Pait I. 
 
 written by their author IVIoses in one continued work, and 
 still remain in that form in the public copies read in the 
 Jewish synagogues. These five books are now generally 
 known by the name of the Pentateuch (//) ; ami they are 
 frequently cited both in the Old ami New Testament under 
 the name of The Law. It aj)pears from Deuteronomy., 
 that the book of the Law, that is, the whole Pentateuch, 
 WTitten bj' the hand of Moses, was, by his command, de- 
 posited in the tabernacle, not long Ijcfore his death (i). 
 It was ke})t there not only while the Israelites remained 
 in the wilderness, but afterwards, when they were settled 
 in the land of Canaan. To the same sanctuary were 
 consigned, as they were successively produced, the other 
 sacred books, which were written before the building 
 of the temi)le at Jerusalem. And when Solomon had 
 finished the temple, he directed that these books shoidd 
 ))e removed into it ; and also, that the future compositions 
 of insjjired men should be seciu-ed in the same holy 
 place (A). We may thci-efore conclude that the respective 
 works of Jonah, Amos, Ilosca, Joel, Micah, Nahum, 
 Zephaniah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ilabakkidv, and Obadiah, all 
 of whom flourished before tlie Babylonian cai)tivity, were 
 regularly dci)osited in the temi)ie. AMiether these manu- 
 scripts perished in the flames, when the temple was burnt 
 by Nebuchadnezzar, we arc not informed. But as the 
 l)urning of the Scriptm'cs is not lamented by any of the 
 contemporarj' or succeeding projdiets, and as the other 
 treasui'cs of the temi)le were preserved and set apart as 
 sacred by Nebuchadnezzar, it is ])robable that these auto- 
 graphs also were saved ; and more especially, as it does 
 
 (A) From irkiTi five, and Ttvxog volume. It is called by 
 (ho, .lews, Cliomoz, a word synonvinous with Pentateuch. 
 
 (0 Dint. c. 31. V. 20. 
 
 (/.-) r]pii)hiii-.ius de I'uiid. et Jlrr.s. cap. -1. Griiy's Introd. 
 Jei;ki:i, part '2, cli. 'J. 
 
Cliap. 1.] OF THE OLD TESTAMKNT. 5 
 
 not a})pear that Nebuchadnezzar had any i-raticuUir eiin;;ty 
 against the rehgion of the Jews. If however the original 
 books \\ere destroyed with the temple, it is certain that 
 there were at that time numerous copies of them ; and we 
 cannot doubt but some of them were carried by the Jews 
 to Babylon, and that others were left in .Tudea. The 
 holy Scriptures were too much reverenced, and too nmch 
 disjiersed, to make it creditable that all the copies were 
 lost or destroyed ; and indeed we find Daniel, when in 
 captivity (/), referring to the book of tlie Law as then ex- 
 isting ; and soon after the captivity, Ezra not only read 
 and explained the Law to the people (m), but he restored 
 the jmblic worship and the sacrifices according to the 
 Mosaic ritual ; and therefore there must have been, at 
 that time, at least a correct copy of the Law; for it is 
 impossible to believe that he would have attempted the- 
 re-establishment of a church, in which the most minute 
 observance of the rites and ceremonies prescribed by 
 Moses was not only absolutely necessary for the accept- 
 able performance of divine worship, but the slightest de- 
 viation from which was considered as sacrilege or abomi- 
 nation, unless he had been in actual possession either of 
 the original manuscript of the Law (n), or of a copy so, 
 well authenticated as to leave no doubt of its accuracy in 
 the minds of the people. 
 
 There is an uncontratlicted tradition in the JcAvish 
 church, that about fifty years after the temple was rebuilt. 
 
 {I) Dan. C.9. v. 11 and 1.3. 
 
 (?«) Nuhem. c. 8. v. 1, &c. 
 
 (h) "The very old Egyptians used to write on linen, i:iii;:;;;> 
 wliicli they designed should last long ; and' those cliaractiis 
 continue to this day, as we are assured by those who ha\e 
 examined the muninues with attenlion. So J.Iaillet lelis u>, 
 !iiat the filk'tting, or rather the bandage (I'ur it was of consi- 
 derable loiigth) of a mummy, which was presented to liim. and 
 vliicli he had opened in the house of the Capuehin Monks of 
 Cairo, was not only charged from one end to the other with 
 
6 AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Part I. 
 
 Ezra, in conjunction with the Great S\Tiagogue, made a 
 collection of the sacred writings (o), which had been in- 
 creased since the Jews were carried into cajitivitv, hy the 
 Lamentations of Jeremiah, and the prophecies of Ezckicl, 
 of Daniel, Ilaggai, Zecliariah ; and as Ezra was himself 
 inspired, we may rest assured, that whatever received his 
 sanction was authentic. To this genuine collection, which, 
 
 liieroglyphical figures, but tliey also found certain unknown 
 characters written from the right hand towards tlie left, and 
 forming a kind of verses. These, he supposed, contained tlie 
 culogium of the person whose this body was, written in tlie hm- 
 guage which was used in Egypt in tlie time in whicUshe lived : 
 that some part of this writing was afterwards copied by an en- 
 graver in France, and these papers sent to tlie virtuosi through 
 Europe, that if possible they niisht decyplier them ; but in vain. 
 Might not a copy of tlu law of Moses, written after this man- 
 ner, liavc lasted eiglit laindred and thirty years ? Is it unna- 
 lural to imagine that Moses, who was learned in all the arts of 
 Egypt, wrote after this manner on linen? And doth not tliis 
 suj)positioii perfectly well agree with the accounts wc have of 
 the form of their books, their being rolls, and of their being 
 easily cut in pieces wiili a knife, and liable to be burned ? 
 It should seem, the linen was first primed or painted fill over 
 before they began to write, and consequenfly would liavebcen 
 liable to crack if folded. We are told, the use of tlie papyrus 
 was not known till after Alexandria was built. Skins might 
 do for records, but not for books, unless prepared like parch- 
 ment, of which we are assured I'^unicnes w;is the inventor, in 
 I lie second century before Christ. Ink or paint must liave 
 been used to write on linen, and pens must have been reeds or 
 cinns, like those now used in Persia, which agrees better with 
 the Hebrew word we render "pen." Harmer's Observ. vol. 
 ii. Nearchus, who accompanied Alexander in iiis expedition 
 inio India, says, that the Indians " write on linen or cotton 
 clilh, and that their character is beauiifnl." Arrian, 717. 
 
 ((') " What tiie Jews call tlie great synrigogue were a iium- 
 b;r of elders, amounting to 1'20, wiio, succeeding some after 
 others, in a continued series, from tlie return of the Jews again 
 into Judea, after the IJ.ibylonish captivity to tlie time of Simon 
 the Just, laboured in the restoring of the Jewish church and 
 stiiie in that country ; in order whereto, the lioly Scriptures, 
 bi iug the rule they were to go by, their chief care and study 
 was to make a true collecrtion of those .Scriptun^s, and publish 
 tlieni accurately to the people. Ezra, and the men of the great 
 
Chap. 1.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 7 
 
 according to formei* custom, was placed in the temple, 
 were afterwards annexed the sacred compositions of Ezra 
 himself, as well as those of Nehemiah and Malachi, which 
 were \\Titten after the death of Ezra. This addition, 
 which was probably made by Simon the Just, the last of 
 the great synagogue, completed the Canon of the Old 
 Testament; for after Malachi no prophet arose till the 
 time of John the Baptist, who, as it were, connected the 
 two covenants, and of whom Malachi foretold, that he 
 should precede "the great day of the Lord {p)," that is 
 the coming of the Messiah. It cannot now be ascertained 
 whether Ezra's copy of the Scriptin-es was destroyed by 
 Antiochus Epiphanes, when he pillaged the temple ; nor 
 
 synagogue that lived in his time, completed this work as far as 
 I have said ; and as to what remained fartlier to be done in it, 
 where can we better place the performing of it, and the ending 
 and finishing of the whole thereby, than in that time when 
 those men of the great synagogue ended, that were employed 
 therein, that is, in the time of Simon the Just, who was the 
 last of them?" Prideaux, part 1. book 8. It is also gene- 
 rally admitted, that Ezra transcribed the Scriptures in the 
 Clialdaic or square letters, which we now call Hebrew, and 
 which, from the long residence of the Jews in Babylon, were 
 then better understood than the ancient Hebrew or Phoenician 
 characters. When the Jewish church was re-established after 
 the captivity, a rule was made to erect a synagogue in every 
 place where there were ten persons of full age and free con- 
 dition always ready to attend the service of it, ten being 
 thought necessary to make a congregation ; and it is said that 
 Ezra himself distributed 300 copies of the Law for the use of 
 these synagogues. The service performed in the synagogues 
 was, prayer (for which they had a liturgy), reading and ex- 
 pounding the Scriptures, and preaching. The Pentateuch w.as 
 divided into sections, that the whole might be read in the 
 course of a year. When the reading of the Law was prohibited 
 by Antiochus Epiphanes, they read the Prophets instead of the 
 Law, to evade the penalty of death ; but as soon as they were 
 freed from his tyranny, they read both the Law and the Pro- 
 phets every Sabbath, and have continued to do so ever since : 
 but the prayers now in use are different from the ancient litur- 
 gies. Vide Prideaux. 
 Cjj) Mai. c. 4. v. 5. 
 
b .• . rilhMl'JlTY AM) INSl'IKATICN | Part 1. 
 
 is it inatL-ria!, si.n.' '.vc know that Judas Maccabacus re- 
 paired the temple, and rei)laced every thing requisite for 
 the pcrformanee of divine worshi}), whieh ineUided a cor- 
 rect, if not Ezra's own, copy of the Scriptures. This 
 copy, whether Ezra's or not, remained in the temple till 
 Jerusalem was taken by Titus, and it was then carried in 
 triumph to Rome, and laid up with the purple veil in the 
 royal palace of Vespasian (q). 
 
 Thus, while the Jewish polity contiiuied, and nearly 500 
 years after the time of Ezra, a complete and faultless copy 
 of the Hebrew Canon was kept in the temple (/•) at Je- 
 rusalem, with which all others might be compared. And 
 it ought to be observed, that although Christ frequently 
 reproved the rulers and teachers of the Jews for their er- 
 roneous and false doctrines, yet he never accused them of 
 any corruption in their written Law, or other sacred 
 books : and St. Paul reckons among the privileges of the 
 Jews, " that imto them were committed the oracles of 
 God (s)," without insinuating that they had been unfaith- 
 ful to their trust. After the final destruction of Jeini- 
 salem by the Romans, there was no established standard 
 of the Hebrew Scrijitures ; but from that time the dis- 
 ])ersion of the Jews into all countries, and the numerous 
 converts to Christianity, became a double security for the 
 l)reservation of a vohune held equally sacred by Jews and 
 Christians, and to which both constantly referred as to 
 the \n*itten word of God. They differed in the inter- 
 jiretation of these books, but never disputed the validity 
 of the text in any material point. 
 
 But though designed corruption was utterly im))ractica- 
 ble, and was indeed never suspected, yet the carelessness 
 and inadvci'tence of transcribers, in a long series of jears, 
 
 (g) Joseph, di; Bell. Jud. lib. 7, cap. 5. 
 (;•) Josoplms ini'iitiDiis the Scriptures deposited in the tem- 
 ple. Ant. Jud. lib. .'5, cap. 1, and lib. 5, cap. 1. 
 (f) Rom. c. 3. V. 2. 
 
Chap. l.J OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 9 
 
 would unavoidably introduce some errors and mistakes. 
 Great pains have been taken by learned men, and espe- 
 cially by the diligent and jucUcious Dr. Kennicott, to col- 
 late the remaining manuscrijjts of the Hebrew Bible ; 
 and the result has been satisfactoiy in the highest degree. 
 Many vai'ious reaihngs of a trivial kind have been chs- 
 covered, but scarcely any of real consequence. These 
 iliiFerences are indeed of so little moment, that it is some- 
 times absurdly objected to the laborious work of Dr. 
 Kennicott, which contains the collations of nearly /OO 
 Hebrew manuscripts, that it does not enable us to correct 
 a single important passage in the Old Testament ; ^^here- 
 as this very circumstance imjjlies, that we have in fact de- 
 rived from that excellent undertaking the greatest advan- 
 tage which could have been wished for by any real friend 
 of revealed religion; namely, the certain knowledge of 
 the agreement of the copies of the ancient !Scriptia-es, 
 now extant in their original language, with each other, 
 and with our Bibles. This point, thus clearly established, 
 is still farther confirmed by the general coincidence of the 
 present Hebrew copies with all the early translations of 
 the Bible, and particularly with the Septuagint {t) Ver- 
 
 (t) This is a Translation of the Old Testament into Greek, 
 made at Alexandria, when Ptolemy Pliiladelphus was king of 
 Egypt. Aristeas relates, that Ptolemy applied to Eleazer, the 
 high priest at Jerusalem, for proper persons to translate the 
 Hebrew Scriptures into the Greek language, and that the high 
 priest sent six elders from each of the twelve tribes. These 
 seventy-two persons soon completed the work, and from their 
 number it was called the Septuagint Version, seventy being a 
 round number. This account of Aristeas is but little credited. 
 Some learned men have supposed that this was called the 
 Septuagint Translation, because it was approved by the San- 
 licilrim, whose number was seventy. But whatever was the 
 origin of its name, it is certain that this version was made in 
 the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, and that it was in great 
 esteem among the Jews in the time of our Saviour. Most of 
 the quotations in the New Testament are made from it, except 
 iu Sf- Matthew's Gospel. 
 
10 AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Part 1. 
 
 siori, the earliest of them all, and which was made 270 
 years l)efore Christ. There is also a i)erfect agreement 
 between the Samaritan («) and IIe1)rew Pentateuehs, ex- 
 cept in one or two manifest interpolations, which were no- 
 ticed immediately by the Jewish writers (.r) ; and this is 
 no small proof of the genuineness of both, as we may 
 rest assured, that the Jews and Samaritans, on accovmt of 
 their rooted enmity to each other, would never have con- 
 cun-ed in any alteration. Nor ought it to be omitted, 
 that the Chaldec paraphrases {y), which are very ancient, 
 
 (m) The Samaritans, who were the descendants of the ten 
 tribes that seceded in the reign of Relioboam, and of tlie 
 Cutlieaiis, a colony brought from the East, and established in 
 .Samaria by Esarhaddon, professed thu Hebrew reli£,iun ; but 
 the Pentateuch was the only part of the Jewisli .SLriplures 
 which tliey acknowledged. The Samariluu Pcntatcucli is a 
 copy of tlie original Hebrew, written in the old Hebrew or 
 Phoenician characters. There are still some Samaritans, who 
 liave their high priest, and offer sacrifices upon Jlount Gerizim. 
 Archbishop Usher procured two or three copies of the Sama- 
 ritan PentiUcucli, which were the fust that had been in Europe 
 since the revival of learning. It is well known that the lan- 
 guage now spoken by the Jews is difl'erent from that of the 
 Hebrew Scriptures, which has indeed been a a dead language 
 since the return from captivity ; and in like manner the lan- 
 guage spoken by the modern Samaritans is different from that 
 of their ancient Pentateuch. There is a translation of tlie 
 Pentateuch in the modern Samaritan language, which is pub- 
 lished in the Paris and London Polyglots ; it is so literal, that 
 Moriiuis and Walton have given but one version for both, only 
 marking the variations. Vide Gray and Prideau.v, part 1, 
 ch. .'j and G. 
 
 (x) Vide Prideaux, part I, b. G. 
 
 (y) The Chaldee ])arapluases, called Targums, or Versions, 
 are translations of the Old Testamerit from the Hebrew into 
 Chaldec, made for the benefit of those who had forgotten, or 
 were ignorant of the Hebrew, after the captivity. They were 
 read ])ubliely with the original Hebrew, sentence for sentence 
 allernattly. Vide Nehem. c. 8. v. 8. The two most ancient 
 and authentic are that of Onkelos, on the Law, and that of 
 Jonatlian, on the Prophets •, whicii, from the purity of the lan- 
 guage and other circumstances, arc considered as having been 
 made soon after the captivity or at least before the time of 
 
Chap. 1.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 11 
 
 ami so concise, that tliej' n)ay oe called translations, en- 
 tirely accord with our Hebrew Bibles. 
 
 The books of the Old Testament have been alwa\ s al- 
 lowed, in every age and by every sect of the Hclirew 
 Church, to be the genuine works of those persons to w hoiii 
 they aie usually ascribed ; and they have also been, uni- 
 versally and exclusively, without any addition or exception, 
 considered by the Jews as "written under the immediate in- 
 fluence of the Divine Spirit. Those who were contempo- 
 raries with the resjiective writers of these books, had the 
 clearest evidence that they acted and spoke by the autho- 
 rity of God himself; and this testimony, transmitted to 
 all succeeding ages, was in many cases strengthened and 
 confirmed by the gradual fulfilment of predictions con- 
 tained in their wi'itings. " We have not," says Josephus, 
 " myriads of books which differ from each other, but only 
 twenty-two books, which comprehend the histoi-)' of all 
 past time, and are justly believed to be divine. And of 
 these, five are the A^orks of Moses, which contain the laws, 
 and an account of things from the creation of man to the 
 death of Moses : this period falls but a little short of 3000 
 years. And fi-om the death of Moses to the reign of Ar- 
 t:ixerxes, who succeeded Xerxes as king of Persia, the pro- 
 phets after Moses wrote the transactions of their own times 
 in thirteen books ; and the four remaining ])ooks contain 
 hymns to God and precejjts for the conduct of human life. 
 And from Artaxerxes to the present time there is a con- 
 tinuation of writings, but they are not thought deserving 
 of the same credit, because there was not a clear succession 
 of prophets. But what confidence we have in our own 
 writings is manifest from hence ; that after so long a lapse 
 
 Christ. There are other Targums, which are of a much la(c» 
 date. Tlie Targums are printed in the second edition of the 
 Hebrew Bible, published at Basil, by Buxtorf the Father, in 
 .610. Vide (iray and Prideaux., part 2, book 8. 
 
12 AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Part I. 
 
 of time no one has dared to add to thcni, or to diiniuish 
 from tliem, or to alter any thing in them ; for it is im- 
 planted in the nature of all Jews, immediately from their 
 birth, to consider these books as the oracles of God, to 
 adliere to them, and if occasion should require, cheerfully 
 to die for their sake (-)." The Jews of the ])resent day, 
 dispersed all over the world, demonstrate the sincerity of 
 their belief in the Authenticity of the Scriptures, by their 
 inflexil)le adherence to the Law, and by the anxious ex- 
 pectation ^^ ith which they wait for the accomplishment of 
 the prophecies. " Blindness has happened to them" only 
 " in part (") ;" and the constancy with which they have 
 endured persecution, and suffered hardships, rather than 
 renounce the commands of their lawgiver, fully proves 
 their firm conviction that these books were divinely in- 
 spired, and that they remain uninjured by time and tran- 
 scription. Handed down, untainted by sus])icion, from 
 Moses to the present generation, they are naturally objects 
 of their unshaken confidence aiul attachment — but sui)pose 
 the case reversed — destroy the grounds of their faith, by 
 admitting the possibility of the corruption of their Scrip- 
 tm-es, and their whole history becomes utterly inexplicable. 
 " A book of this nature," says Dr. Jenkin, speaking of 
 the Bible, " which is so much the ancientest in the world, 
 being constantly received as a divine revelation, carries 
 great evidence \viih it that it is authentic : for the first re- 
 velation is to be the criterion of all that follow ; and God 
 would not suffer the antientist book of religion in the 
 world to pass all along under the notion and title of a re- 
 velation, without causing some discovery to be made of 
 the imposture, if there were any in it ; much less would 
 he preserve it by a particular and signal providence for so 
 many ages. It is a great argument for the truth of the 
 
 (.;) .h\<. colli. A]), lil). 1, sect. 8, edit. Iluds. p. ISG.'i. 
 (fl) Horn. c. II. v. 25. 
 
Chaj). 1.1 OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 13 
 
 Scriptures, that they have stood the test, ami received the 
 ajiprobation, of so many ages, and still retain their autho- 
 rity, though so many ill men in all ages have made it their 
 endeavour to disprove tliem ; but it is a still farther evi- 
 dence in behalf of them, that God has been pleased to show 
 so remarkable a providence in their preservation [b)." 
 
 But the most decisive proof of the Authenticity and In- 
 spiration of the ancient Scriptures is derived from the New 
 Testament. The Saviour of the World himself, even he 
 ^vho came expressly " from the Father of Truth to bear 
 witness to the truth," in the last instructions which he 
 gave to his apostles just before his ascension, said, " These 
 are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet 
 with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were writ- 
 ten in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the 
 Psalms, concerning me (e)." Our Lord, by thus adopting 
 the common division of the Law, the Prophets, and the 
 Psalms, which comprehended all the Hebrew Scriptures, 
 ratified the Canon of the Old Testament as it was received 
 by the Jews ; and by declaring that those books contained 
 prophecies which must be fulfilled, he established their 
 divine inspiration, since God alone can enable men to fore- 
 tel future events. At another time Christ told the Jews, 
 that they made " the word of God of none eff"ect through 
 their ti-aditions (f/)." By thus calling the Mi-itten rules 
 which the Jews had received for the conduct of their lives, 
 " the Word of God," he declared that the Hebrew Scrip- 
 tm'cs proceeded from God himself. Upon many other oc- 
 casions Christ referred to the ancient Scriptures as books 
 of divine authority ; and both he and his apostles con- 
 stantly endeavoured to prove that " Jesus Avas the Mes- 
 siah" foretold in the writings of the Prophets. St. Paul 
 
 (o) Reas. and Cert, of the Christian Religion, 
 (c) Luke, c. 24. v. 44. 
 (cl) Mark, c. 7. v. 1.3. 
 
14 AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Part I. 
 
 bears strona: testimony to the divine authority of the Je\v- 
 ish Scriptures, when he says to Timothy, " Vrom a child 
 thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, ^\hich are able to 
 make thee wise unto salvation, through faith, which is in 
 Christ Jesus (e) -." this passage incoutestably proves the 
 importance of the ancient Scriptures, and the connection 
 between the Mosaic and Christian dispensations ; — and in 
 the next verse the apostle expressly declares the Inspii-a- 
 tion of Scripture ; " All Scripture is given by inspiration 
 of God." To the same effect St. Luke says, that " God 
 spake by the mouth of his holy proi)hets (/')." And St. 
 Peter tells us, that " prophecy came not in old time by the 
 will of man ; but holy men of God spake as they were 
 moved by the Holy Ghost (ff)." In addition to these pas- 
 sages, which refer to the ancient Scriptures collectively, 
 we may obsei-ve, that there is scarcely a book in the Old 
 Testament, which is not repeatedly quoted in tlie New, as 
 of divine authority. 
 
 AVhen it is said that Scripture is divinely inspired, it is 
 not to be understood that God suggested eveiy word, or 
 dictated every expression. It appears from the different 
 styles in which the books are written, and from the differ- 
 ent'manner in which the same events are related and pre- 
 dictetl by different authors, that the sacred penmen were 
 permitted to write as their several tempers, understand- 
 ings, and habits of life, directed ; and that the knowledge 
 coinnumicated to them by Inspiration upon the subject of 
 their writings, was a})})lied in the same manner as any 
 knowledge acquired by ordinary means. Nor is it to be 
 sni)i)osed that they were even thus inspired in every fact 
 \vliifh they related, or in every prcccjit which they de- 
 hvcrcd. They were left to the common use of their facid- 
 
 (t) 2 Tim. c. 3. V. 15. 
 (/) Luke, c. 1. v. 70. 
 {y) 2 I'd. c. I. v. 21. 
 
Chap. 1.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 15 
 
 ties, and clid not upon every occasion stand in need of su- 
 jjernatural communication ; but whenever, and as far as 
 divine assistance A\as necessary, it \vas ahvays afforded. 
 In different parts of Scripture we perceive that tliere were 
 <Ufferent sorts and degrees of Inspiration : God enabled 
 Moses to give an account of the creation of the workl ; he 
 enabled Joshua to record with exactness the settlement of 
 the Israelites in the land of Canaan ; he enabled David to 
 mingle prophetic information Avith the varied effusions of 
 gratitude, contrition and piety ; he enabled Solomon to 
 deliver wise instructions for the regulation of human life ; 
 he enabled Isaiah to deliver predictions concerning the fu- 
 ture Saviour of mankind, and Ezra to collect the sacred 
 Scriptures into one authentic volume ; " but all these 
 worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every 
 man severally as he will (h)." In some cases Insi)iration 
 only jiroduced correctness and accuracy in relating jDast 
 occurrences, or in reciting the words of others ; in other 
 cases it communicated ideas not only new and unknown 
 before, but infinitely beyond the reach of unassisted human 
 mtellect ; and sometimes inspired prophets delivered pre- 
 dictions for the use of future ages, which they did not 
 themselves comprehend, and which cannot be fidly under- 
 stood till they are accomplished. But A^hatever distinc- 
 tions we may make with respect to the sorts, degrees, or 
 modes of Inspiration, we may rest assm'ed that there is one 
 ]3roperty which belongs to every inspired writing, namely, 
 that it is free from error — I mean material error ; — and 
 this property must be considered as extending to the ^hole 
 of each of those writings, of Mhich a part only is inspired ; 
 for Ave cannot suppose that God would suffer any such er- 
 rors as might tend to mislead our faith or pervert our 
 practice, to be mixed with those truths wlwch he himself 
 
 (f>) ] Cor. c. 12. V 1]. 
 
in ^rriiEXTiciTY AND INSPIRATION [Part I. 
 
 iias mercifully revealed to his rational creatures as the 
 means of theii- eternal salvation. In this restricted sense 
 it may be asserted, that the sacred writers always wrote 
 under the influence, or guidance, or care of the Holy Spi- 
 rit, which sufficiently establishes the truth and divine au- 
 thority of all Scripture. 
 
 These observations relative to the nature of Ins})iration 
 are particularly applicable to the historical books of the 
 Old Testament. That the authors of these books were 
 occasionally inspired is certain, since they frequently dis- 
 play an acquaintance with the counsels and designs of 
 God, and often reveal his future dispensations in the clear- 
 est predictions. But though it is evident that the sacred 
 historians sometimes \n'ote under the immediate operation 
 of the Holy Spirit, it does not follow that they derived 
 from Revelation the knowledge of those things which 
 might be collected from the common sources of human 
 mtelligence. It is sufficient to believe, that by the gene- 
 ral superintendence of the Holy Spirit, they were directed 
 in the choice of their materials, enlightened to judge of 
 the tnith and importance of those accounts from which 
 they borrowed their information, and prevented from re- 
 gistering any material error. The historical books apjiear, 
 indeed, from internal evidence, to have been chiefly written 
 by persons contemporary with the jicriods to which they 
 relate ; who, in their description of characters and events, 
 many of which they witnessed, imiformly exhibit a strict 
 sincerity of intention, and an imexamplcd impartiality. 
 Some of these books, however, were compiled in subse- 
 quent times from the sacred annals mentioned in Scripture 
 as written by prophets or seers, and from those public re- 
 cords, and other authentia documents, which though v.rit- 
 ten by uninsj)ircd men, were held in high estimation, and 
 jireserved with great care by persons specially appointed 
 as kecjiers of the genealogies and public archives of the 
 
Chp.p. 1.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. I7 
 
 Jewish nation. To sucli well-known chronicles we find 
 the sacred writers not nnfrequently referring for a more 
 minute detail of tliose circumstances which they omit as 
 inconsistent Avith their design. For " these books are to 
 he considered as the histories of revelations, as commenta- 
 ries upon the prophecies, and as affording a lively sketch, 
 of the economy of God's government of his selected peo- 
 ple. They -neve not designed as national annals, to reconl 
 every miaute particular and jiolitical event that occurred j- 
 but they are rather a compendious selection of such re- 
 markable occurrences and ojierations as were best calcu- 
 lated to illustrate the religion of the Hebrew nation ; to 
 set before that perverse and ungrateful people an abstract 
 of God's proceedings, of their interests and duties; as also 
 to furnish posterity A\ith an instructive picture of the di 
 vine attributes, and with a model of that dispensation on 
 which a nobler and more spiritual government was to be 
 erected ; and moreover, to place before mankind the me- 
 lancholy proofs of that corruption, which had been entailed 
 upon them, and to exhibit in the dejiravity of a nation 
 highly favoured, miraculously governed, and instructed by 
 mspired teachers, the necessity of that redemption and re- 
 newal of righteousness, which was so early and so repeat- 
 edly promised by the prophets. It seems probable, there- 
 fore, that the books of Kings and Chronicles do not con- 
 tain a complete compilation of the entire works of each 
 contemporary prophet, but are rather an abridgment of 
 their several labours, and of other authentic public wri- 
 tings, digested by Ezra after the Captivity, with an in- 
 tention to display the sacred history iir.iler one point of 
 view ; and hence it is that they contain some expressions, 
 which evidently result from contemporaiy description, and 
 otliers which as clearly argue them to ha-ve been composed 
 loivj: after the occurrences which they relate (')." 
 
 (/) Gray. 
 c 
 
IS AUTHENl'ICITY AND INSl>IRATION [PllVt 1. 
 
 Since tlien \ve are taught to consider the divine assist- 
 ance as ever ijrojwrtioned to the real wants of men ; and 
 since it must be granted that their natural faculties, though 
 wholly iucomjietent to the prediction of future events, are 
 adequate to the relation of such past occurrences as have 
 fallen within the sphere of their own observation, we may 
 infer that the historical books ai-e not written with the 
 same imiforna Inspiration, which illimiincs every page of 
 the prophetic writings. l?ut at the same time we are to 
 believe that God vouchsafed to guard these registers of his 
 judgments and his mercies from all important mist<akes ; 
 and to impart, by supernatural means, as much informa- 
 tion and assistance to those who composed them, as was 
 requisite for the accomplishment of the great designs of 
 his i)rovideuce. In the ancient Hebrew Canon they were 
 placed, as has been already observed, in the class of pro- 
 phetical books ; they are cited as such by the evangelical 
 writers ; and it must surely be considered as a strong tes- 
 timony to the constant opinion of the Jews respecting the 
 Inspiration of these books, that they have never dared to 
 annex any historical narrative to them since the death of 
 j\Ialachi. They closed the sacred Volume when the suc- 
 cession of Prophets ceased. 
 
 If it be asked by what rule we are to distinguish the in- 
 sjjired from the uninspired parts of these books, I answer, 
 tiiat no general ndc can be prescribed for that jjurpose. 
 No)- is it necessary that we should be aljle to make any 
 such discrimination' It is enough for us to know, that 
 ..'•very writer of tlie Old Testament was inspired, and that 
 the whole of the history it contains, without any exception 
 or reserve, is true. 'Jliese points being ascertained and 
 allowed, it is of very little consequence whether the know- 
 Icge of a particular fact was o])tained by any of the ordi- 
 riOiT modes of information, or whether it was communi- 
 cated by immediate Revelation from God ; whether any 
 
Chap. l.J OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 19 
 
 l)articular passage was Avritten by the natural powers of the 
 liistorian, or whether it was written l)y tlie positive sugges- 
 tion of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 We niiiy in like manner suppose, that some of the i)re- 
 ccpts, delivered in the books called Ilagiographa, were 
 written, without any supernatural assistance, though it is 
 evident that others of them exceed the limits of human 
 wisdom ; and it would be equally impossible, as in the his- 
 torical Scriptures, to ascertain the character of particular 
 l)assages which might be proposed. But here again a dis- 
 crimination would be entirely useless. The books them- 
 selves furnish sufficient proofs that the writers of them 
 were occasionally inspired ; and we know also, that they 
 ;\crc frequently quoted, particularly the Psalms, as pro- 
 phetical, by our Saviour and his apostles, in support of the 
 religion which they preached. Hence we are under an in- 
 tlispensible obligation to admit the divine authority of the 
 whole of these books, which have the same claim to our 
 faith and obedience, as if they had been written under the 
 influence of a constant and imiversal Inspiration. 
 
 But whatever imcertainty there may be concerning the 
 direct I«spiration of any historical narrative, or of any 
 moral precept, contained in the Old Testament, \\ e must 
 be fully convinced that all its proi)hetical parts proceeded 
 from God. This is continually affirmed by the ])rophets 
 themselves, and is demonstrated by the indubitable testi- 
 mony which history bears to the accurate fulfilment of 
 many of these predictions ; others are gradually i-eceiving 
 theii" accomplishment in the times in wh.ich we live, and 
 afford the surest pledge, and most positive seciu'ity for the 
 completion of those v>i;ich remain to be fulfilled. The 
 past, the ])rescnt, and the future have a connected refer- 
 ence to one great plan, which infinite wisdom, ])rescienee, 
 and power, could alone form, reveal, and execute. Every 
 succeeding age throws an increasing light upon these sacred 
 
20 AUTHENTICITY AiND INSPIRATION [Parti. 
 
 WTitings, ami contributes additional evidence to their di- 
 \-iiie origin. 
 
 I have thus given an historical detail of the gradual 
 production and preservation of the books of tlic Old Tes- 
 tament, and of their formation into a regular Canon ; I 
 have also stated the grounds of oiu* belief in the integrity 
 of the copies which have been transmitted to us, and the 
 general arguments in favour of the Authenticity and In- 
 spiration of these invaluable \ATitings. But as it is the prac- 
 tice of the sceptics of the present day to endeavour to 
 shake the foundations of Christianity by undermining the 
 authority of the Old Testament ; and as their attacks are 
 particularly directed against the genuineness and cre(ht of 
 the Books of Moses, upon which the other ancient Scrip- 
 tures greatly depend, it may be useful to offer some farther 
 considerations to prove, that the Pentateuch was really the 
 work of Moses, and that it is our duty, as St. Paul thought 
 it his, " to believe all things which are written in the law, 
 and in the prophets {h)." 
 
 The first argument to be adduced in favour of the genu- 
 ineness of the Pentateuch, is the universal coucuiTcnce of 
 all antiquity. The rival kingdoms of Judah and Israel, 
 the hostile sects of Je^^'s and Samaritans, and every deno- 
 mination of early Christians, received the Pentateuch as 
 unquestionably written by Moses ; and we find it men- 
 tioned and referred to by many heatl:en authors, in a 
 manner which plainly shows it to have been the general 
 and undisjjuted opinion in the pagan world, that this book 
 was the work of the Jewish legislator. Nicolaus of Da- 
 mascus (/), after descri])ing Baris, a high mountain in Ar- 
 
 (*) Acts, C.21. V. M. 
 
 (I) A pcripiitetic philosopher, and a poet, historian, and ora 
 tor of great eniinence, in the time of' Augustus. Nothing 
 remains of h'n works but some fragments preserved in other 
 iuUhorj. 
 
Chap. l.J OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 21 
 
 raenia, upon which it was reported that many, ^^•ho fled at 
 the time of the deluge, were saved, and tliat one came on 
 shore' upon tlic top of it from an ark, which was a great 
 while ]U'eserved, adds, " this might be the man about 
 »vhom jMoses, the legislator of the Jews, wrote (/«)." We 
 are told that Alexander Polyhistor (/<) mentioned a histor}' 
 of the Jews, written by Cleodemus, which was " agreeable 
 to the history of Moses, their legislator (o)." Diodorus 
 Siculus (p) mentions Moses as the legislator of the Jews in 
 three different places of his remaining works : in the first 
 book of his history, where he is speaking of the written 
 laws of different nations, he says, that " among the Jews 
 Moses pretended to have received his laws from a God 
 called lao (q)." In a fragment of the thirty-fourth book 
 he mentions " the Book of the Laws given by Moses to 
 the Jews ;" and in a fragment of the fortieth book, after 
 giving some account of the conduct and laws of Moses, he 
 says, that " Moses concludes his laws by declaring, that he 
 has heard from God the things ^vhich he addresses to the 
 Jews." Strabo speaks of the description which Moses 
 gave of the Deitj^, and says, that he coiulemned the reli- 
 gious worship of the Egyptians. Ilis statement is by no 
 means accm-ate, but it is sufficient to show that he con- 
 sidered the Pentateuch as written by Moses (/•), The ac- 
 counts which Justin (s) and Tacitus {t) have left of the 
 
 (m) Jos. Ant. lib. 1. cap. 3. 
 
 («) He was called Polyhistor from his great knowledge of 
 antiquity. He wrote an Uiriversal History, mentioned by seve- 
 ral authors, but now lost. He lived about fifty years before 
 Christ. 
 
 (o) Jos. Ant. lib. 1. cap. 15. 
 
 (p) He lived in the time of Augustus. Vide vol. 1. p. 105. 
 vol. 2. pp. 525 and 543. Edit. Wesseling. 
 
 (q) That is, Jehovah. 
 
 (r) Geog. lib. 16. He lived in the time of Augustus. 
 
 (s) Trogus Pompeius, whose history Justin abridged, lived 
 in the time of Augustus. Vide lib. 36. 
 
 (t) Hist. lib. 5. He lived at the end of the first century 
 after Clirist. 
 
22 AUTHENTICITV AND IXSI'IRATIOX fl'art I. 
 
 Jews are also very erroneous ; but it is evident that they 
 both admitted the Pentateuch to be the work of ^Moses. 
 Pliny the ehler, (ii) mentions " a system of magic," as he 
 calls it, which was derived from Moses. Juvenal (j) the 
 satirist speaks of the volume of the law written by Moses. 
 The illustrious ])hysician and ])hilosopher Galen (//) coni- 
 l)ares the account given by Closes with the ojjinion of E])i- 
 curus concerning the origin of the world, and in that coni- 
 jjarison he plainly refers to the book of Genesis. Nunie- 
 nius, a Pythagorean philosopher of the second century, 
 says, th&t Plato borrowed from the writings of Moses his 
 doctrines concerning the existence of a God, and the crea- 
 tion of the Avorld (.:). Longinus («), in his treatise upon 
 the sublime, says, '• So likewise the Jewish legislator, no 
 ordinaiy person, having conceived a just i<lea of the power 
 of God, has nobly expressed it in the beginning of his 
 law ; ' And God said' — What ? — ' Let there be light, and 
 there was light. Let the earth be, and the earth was.' " 
 Porphyry {b), one of the most acute and learned enemies 
 of Christianity, admitted the genuineness of the Penta- 
 teuch, and ackno^vledged that Moses was prior to the 
 Phoenician Sanchoniathon, who lived before the Trojan 
 war ; he even contencV^d for the truth of Sanchoniathon's 
 account of the Jews, from its coincidence with the Mosaic 
 history. Nor was the genuineness of the Pentateuch de- 
 nied by any of the numerous writers against the gospel m 
 the first four centuries, although the Christian fathers con- 
 
 (k) Hist. Nat. lib. 30. cap. 1. He lived in the rctgn of Ves- 
 pasian. 
 
 (.r) Sat. 14. lie lived in tlio reign of Domitian. 
 
 (y) De Usu Part. lib. 11. He lived in the middle of the 
 second century after Christ. 
 
 {z) .Siillingfleet's Orig. Sacra;, b. 3. c. 2. 
 
 (a) Longinus lived towards the end of the third conturf 
 after Christ. Vide sect. 9. 
 
 {I)) He lived in the third century after Clirist. 
 
Chap. l.J OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 23 
 
 stantly apjiealeil to tlie history antl prophecies of the Ohl 
 Testament, in support of the divine origin of the doc- 
 trines which they taught. The power of historic truth 
 compelled the emperor Julian, whose apparent favoiu- 
 to the Jews proceeded only from his liostilitj' to the 
 Christians, to acknowledge that persons instructed by 
 the Si)irit of God once lived amongst the Israelites ; 
 and to confess that the books, which bore the name of 
 Moses, were genuine, and that the facts which they con- 
 tained were worthy of credit. Mahomet maintained the 
 Inspiration of Moses, and revered the sanctity of the Jew- 
 ish laws ; and when we consider the avowed enmity, and 
 professed contempt of the pretended prophet of Arabia for 
 both Jews and Christians, it cannot be imagined that any 
 thing short of his conviction of the impossibility of lesson- 
 ing the general esteem, in which these books were held, 
 in a country which had held up a constant intercourse with 
 the Israelites from the earliest times, could have drawn 
 from him that concession in favour of the foundation of 
 their faith. 
 
 To this testimony from profane authors we may add the 
 positive assertions of the sacred writers both of the Old 
 and New Testament. Moses frequently (c) speaks of him- 
 self as directed by God to write the commands which he 
 received from him, and to record the events which oc- 
 cuiTcd during his ministry ; and at the end of Deutero- 
 nomy he expressly says, " And Moses wrote this law, and 
 delivered it unto the priests, the sons of Levi, which bare 
 the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and imto all the elders 
 of Israel {d) :" and afterwards, in the same chapter, he says 
 still more fully, "And it came to pass, when Moses had made 
 an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they 
 
 (c) Ex. c. 17. V. 14. c. 24. v. 4. Numbers, c. 33. v. 2. 
 
 (d) DeuLc. 31. v. 9. 
 
24 AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Part 1. 
 
 were finislicd, that IMoscs commaiulcd tlie Levites, which 
 bare the ark of the covenant of tlie Lord, saying, " Take 
 this book of the Law, and jmt it in the side of the ark of 
 the covenant of tlie Lord your God, that it may be there 
 for a witness against thee (e)." In many subsequent 
 books of the Ohl Testament, the Pentateuch is repeatedly 
 quoted, and referred to under the name of " The Law," 
 and " The Book of Moses ;" and in particular we are told 
 " that Joshua read all the words of the Law, the blessings 
 and cursings, according to all that is written in the Book 
 of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses com- 
 manded which Joshua read not before all the congregation 
 of Israel (./")." From wliich passage it is evident, that 
 the Book of the Law, or Pentateuch, existed in the time 
 of Joshua, the successor of Moses. In the New Testa- 
 ment also the writing of tlic Law, or Pentateuch, is ex- 
 pressly ascribed to Moses : " Philip findeth Nathaniel, and 
 saith unto him, we have found him of whom Moses in the 
 Law, and the Prophets, did w rite, Jesus of Nazareth, the 
 son of Joseph (//)." In a variety of passages in the Gos- 
 pels, Acts, and Epistles, Moses is evidently considered as 
 the author of the Pentateuch (//), and every one of the five 
 books is quoted as written by him (/). And it is material 
 to remai'k, as of itself a sufficient proof of the Inspiration 
 of the Pentateuch, that Christ called the words of Exodus 
 and Deuteronomy tlie words of God himself: "God com- 
 manded, saying. Honour thy father and thy mother ; ard 
 
 (t) Deut. c. 31. V. 24, &c. No person who had forged the 
 Pentateuch, or oven written it in a subsequent age from exist- 
 ing materials, would have inserted these passages, which must 
 have excited inquiry, and have caused the fraud to be detected. 
 
 (f) Joshua, c. 8. V. 34 and 35. 
 
 (//) Jolui, c. I. v. 45. 
 
 (h) Luke, c. 24. v. 27. John, c. 5. v. 4G. Acts, c. 15. v. 21 
 2 Cor. c. 3. v. 15. Ilcb. c. 7. v. 14. 
 
 rO Malt. c. 19. V. 7. Mark, c. 12. v. 19 and 20. Luke, -j. 20 
 V 28 and 37. Jlom. c. 10. v. 5. Ikb. c. 8. v. 5. 
 
Chap, l.j OF TIIK OLD TESTAMENT. 20 
 
 he that curseth father or motlicr, let liini die the deathf/)." 
 And upon another occasion, Christ confirmed the divine 
 authority of every part of the Pentateuch ; " Think not 
 that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets ; I 
 am not come to destroy, but to fulfil : for verily I say 
 unto you, till heaA^en and earth pass, one jot or one title 
 shall in no wise pass fi-om the Law, till all be fulfilled 
 (A)." 
 
 It may be observed, that we have the strongest possible 
 negative testimony to the truth of the Mosaic history. 
 The laborious Whiston asserts, and in support of his as- 
 sertion appeals to a similar declaration of the learned 
 Grotius, " That there do not appear in the geiniine re- 
 cords of mankind, belonging to the ancient times, any 
 testimonies that contradict those produced from ihe Old 
 Testament ; and that it may be confidently affirmed, 
 there are no such to be found (/)." We are not, however, 
 confined to negative testimony ; for it would be easy to 
 bring forward nearly demonstrative evidence to prove the 
 positive agreement of antiquitj' with the narrative of the 
 sacred historian ; but I can only briefly mention some of 
 the leading facts, concerning which the most ancient his- 
 tories and earliest traditions very remarkably coincide with 
 the Pentateuch, and refer to other authors for farther con- 
 firmation of this important point. The departure of a 
 shepherd people out of Egypt, who were not originally 
 Egyptians, but who, after being compelled to work in the 
 quarries for some time, left it under the direction of Osar- 
 siph or Moyses (which latter word signifies, in the £gy]3- 
 
 0') Compare Matt. c. 15. v. 4. with Ex. c. 20. v. 12. and 
 Deut. c. 5. V. 16. In the parallel passage of St. Mark, c. 7, 
 V. 10. these precepts are called the v/ords of Moses. 
 
 (k) Matt. c. 5. V. 17 and 18. 
 
 (/) r,rot. lib. 3. sect. 13, 14, and 3G. Whisicn .'oscrhus, 
 Index, 1. • t . 
 
26 AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Piirt I. 
 
 tiaii language, a person preserved out of tlie water) (w/), 
 and Avcre j)ursned over the sandy desert as far as the 
 bounds of Syria, was particularly mentioned by Manetho, 
 Chaeremon, Lysimachus, and others. Manetho (?*), who 
 wrote his histor}- from the ancient Egyi)tian records, in 
 speaking of the Jews, said also, " It was reported that the 
 priest, who ordained the polity and the laws of this peo- 
 ]dc, who afterwards settled in Judica, was by birth of Ile- 
 liopolis ; but that those laws were made, not in compli- 
 ance with, but in opposition to, the customs of the Egyp- 
 tians {o)." Chjcremon, who like\vise wrote an Egyptian 
 History, mentioned Moses as a scribe, and as an Egyptian 
 priest. The account which Lj'simachus gave was very 
 extraordinary ; he said, " that a people, infected with the 
 leprosy,* left Egypt by the advice of one Moyses, who 
 charged them to have no kind regards for any man, but 
 to overtlu'ow all the altars and temples of the gods they 
 should meet with, and travel till they came to a place fit 
 for habitation ; which they accordingly did ; and follow- 
 ing him across the desert, settled at last in a land which 
 is called Judrea, where they built a city, named at first 
 Hierosyla, from their robbing the temples, but after- 
 wards they changed its name to Hierosolyma ( p)." Apion 
 also acknowledged that INToses and the Jews came out of 
 Egvpt into Juda:a, although he ])laced the Exodus uuieh 
 later than it really was (7). Procopius {>•), Suidas (•>) and 
 Moses Choronensis (<), mention the famous inscrijition of 
 
 (;//) Jos. Ant. lib. 2. cap. 9. sect. G. 
 
 (/<) He lived al)out 200 years before Christ. 
 
 (o) Jos. lib. 1. eoutr. Ap. 
 
 (p) Lib. 1. contr. Ap. • 
 
 Uj) Lib. 2. contr. j\]>. 
 
 (?•) IIi; lived in the sixth century after Christ. 
 
 (s) He is supposed to have lived in the tenth century. He 
 lias ])r(\survc'd many fragments of much more ancient aii'.liors 
 in liis Lexicon. 
 
 {I) He lived in the fifth century. 
 
Chap. l.J OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 2/ 
 
 Tangier, set up by the Canaanites who were driven out of 
 Palestine by Joshua : " We are those exiles that were go- 
 vernors of the Canaanites, but have been driven away by 
 the robber Joshua, and are come to inhabit here." Moses 
 Choronensis mentions also a« Armiuian family or tribe, 
 descended from one of the Canaanitish exiles, the manners 
 of which country they still retained. The opposition of 
 the Egyptian magicians to the miracles of Moses was men- 
 tioned by Numenius, the Exodus by Palemon, and the 
 tablets of stone and the Hebrew rites i-n tiie verses as- 
 cribed to Orpheus (u). Eupolemus said, that Moses 
 exercised the office of a prophet almost forty years, and 
 related the history of Abraham nearly as it is recorded in 
 Genesis {iv). Several nations claimed Abraham as their 
 ancestor, and his name and history were celebrated by 
 many eastern writers. In the decree issued by the ma- 
 gistrates of Pergamus, forty-four years before Christ, 
 there is the following passage : " Oiu: ancestors were 
 friendly to the Jews, even in the days of Abraham, who 
 was the father of all the Hebrews, as we have also found 
 it set down in our public records {-i')." Aristotle considered 
 the Jews as derived from the Indian ])hilosophers, \\hich 
 is a remarkable })r()of of his opinion of their high anti- 
 quity, and of the acciu-acy of his investigation, as the 
 Indians have been most satisfactorily traced to Chakhxa 
 as their parent coxmtry. Berosus (y), who collected the 
 ancient Chalda:-an monuments, and published treatises of 
 their astronomy and philosophy, gave an account in his 
 history of a man among the Chaldeans, in the tenth ge- 
 neration after the flood, " who was righteous, and great, 
 and skilful in the celestial science (r) ;" ^^ hich character 
 
 (m) Gray's Note, p. 97, tliird edit. 
 
 (w) Eus. Prrep. Ev. lib. 9. cap. 17. 
 
 {x) Jos. Ant. lib. 14. cap. 10. 
 
 (y) Berosus flourished in the reign of Ptolemy Philadelplnis. 
 
 (z) Jos. Ant. lib. 1. cap. 7. Eus. Praep. Evang. lib- 9. cap. IG 
 
28 ACTHEXTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Pillt 1. 
 
 agrees with that of Abraham, who is said by Joseplius to 
 have taught the Egyptians astronomy ami arithmetic, of 
 which sciences they were utterly ignorant before his 
 time (fi). The account also given by Berosus of the ten 
 generations between the Creation and the Flood, the 
 preservation of Noah or Xisuthrus in the ark, and the 
 catalogue of his posterity, accord with the Mosaic history. 
 Moses Choronensis, the Armenian historian before referred 
 to, mentioned these and many other circumstances, which 
 equally agree with the narration of Moses ; and in ])ar- 
 ticular he confirms the account of the Tower of Babel, 
 from the earliest records belonging to the Armenian nation. 
 In the time of Josephus there vvas a city in ^Vrmeuia, which 
 he calls 'ATro/SwD/pioj', or the place of descent; it is called 
 by Ptolemy, Naxuana ; by Moses Choronensis, Idsheuan ; 
 and at the jjlace itself it was called Nach-idsheuan, which 
 signifies the first place of descent. The city was a lasting 
 monument of the preservation of Noah in the ark, upon 
 the top of that mountain at whose foot it was built, as the 
 first city or town after the Flood {b). Moses Choronensis 
 also says, that another town was related by tradition to 
 have been called Seron, or the place of dispersion, on ac- 
 count of the dispersion of the sons of Xisuthrus from 
 thence (c). Nicolaus of Damascus related, in the fourth 
 book of his history, that Abraham reigned at Damas- 
 cus (d) ; that he had come thither as a stranger, with an 
 army, from a country above Babylon, called the Land of 
 the Chaldicans ; that after a short time, going thence with 
 
 (a) Jos. Ant. lib. 1. cap. 8. Tlie roccnt discovery of (he 
 old Chalda?an sphere seems to place tliis assertion beyond tlic 
 possibility of doubt. Vide Maurice's History. 
 
 (b) .los. Ant. lib. 1. cap. .3. 
 
 (c) Note to Winston's Josephus, b. 1. c. 3. 
 
 (d) Ilaran, where Abraham first settled, after he left Ur, 
 Mas a par', of Syria, of which Damascus was afterwards the 
 lirincipal city. 
 
Chap. 1.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 29 
 
 his multitude, he fixed his habitation in a countiy which 
 was then called Canaan, and now Juda?a, where his nu- 
 merous descendants dwelt, whose history he writes in 
 another book (<?). To this enumeration of authorities 
 from the remains of early writings, in which the facts, as 
 related by IVIoses, may be evidently discerned, although in 
 general they are mixed with fable, many others might 
 be added. And whether we consider the information 
 to be found in the later works of learned men, as de- 
 rived from the Jewish Scriptures, or fi'om other sources, 
 the credit of the Mosaic history will perhaps be 
 equally established, since they quoted from earlier au- 
 thors. For let it be remembered, that Josephus appeals 
 to the public records of different nations, and to a great 
 number of books extant in his time, but now lost, as in- 
 disputable evidence, in the opinion of the heathen world, 
 for the truth of the most remarkable events related in his 
 liistory, the earlier periods of which he professes to have 
 taken princiiJally from the Pentateuch. 
 
 Of the many traditions according with the Mosaic his- 
 tory, which prevailed among tlie ancient nations, and 
 which still exist in several parts of the world, the follow- 
 ing must be considered as singularly striking {J") : That 
 the world was formed from rude and shapeless matter by 
 the spirit of God ; that the seventh day was a holy 
 day (ff) ; that man was created perfect, and had the do- 
 minion given him over all the inferior animals ; that there 
 had been a golden age, when man, in a state of innocence, 
 had open intercourse w ith heaven ; that when his nature 
 became corrupt, the earth itself underwent a change ; 
 
 (e) Jos. Ant. lib. 1. cap. 7. 
 
 (/) Vide Stillingfleet and Maurice. 
 
 (g) Many ancient testimonies concerning the observance oi 
 the seventh day will be found in Whiston's Josephus. vol. 4. 
 Index 1st, and in Arclibishop Usher's Letters. 
 
•^1' ALIHENTICITV AND INSl'IKATION fPart I. 
 
 tliat saciirtce ivas necessary to appease the offended gods ; 
 that tlicic was an evil spirit continually endeavouring to 
 injure man, and thwart the designs of the good spirit, but 
 that he should at last be finally subdued, and universal 
 happiness restored, through the intercession of a Medi- 
 ator ; that the life of man, during the first ages of the 
 world, was of great length ; that there w ere ten genera- 
 tions jnevious to the Genera! Deluge ; that only eight 
 persons were saved out of the flood, in an ark, by the in- 
 terposition of the Deity ; these, and many other similar 
 opinions, are related to have been jircvaleht in tl;e ancient 
 world by Egyptian, Plucnician, Greek, and Roman au- 
 thors ; and it is no small satisfaction to the friends of re- 
 vealed religion, that this argument has lately received 
 great additional strength from the discovery of an almost 
 imivcrsal corresponding tradition, traced up among the 
 nations whose records have been the best ])reserve(l, to 
 times even ])rior to the age of jMoses. The treasures 
 of oriental learning, which Mr. Maurice has collected with 
 so much industry, and explained with so much judgment, 
 in his History and Antiquities of India, sui>])ly al)undance 
 of incontrovertible evidence for the existence of oi)ini()ns 
 in the early ages of the world, which perfectly agree with 
 the leading articles of our faith, as well as with the prin- 
 cipal events related in the Pentateuch. I must confine 
 myself to a single extract from this interesting author: 
 " Whether the reader w ill allow or not the insi)iration of 
 the sacred writer, his mind on the perusal nuist be struck 
 with the f())-ce of one very remarkable fact, viz. that the 
 names which are assigned by Moses to eastern countries and 
 cities, derived to them immediately from the patriarchs, 
 their original founders, are for the most part tlic very 
 names by which they were anciently known over all the 
 I'ast; many of them were after\\ar(ls translated, with 
 fittle variation, by the Greeks in their systems of geo- 
 
Cbap. !.l. Ol- THE OI-D TESTAMENT. dl 
 
 giaphy. Moses has traced, iu one short chai)ter (//j, all 
 the inhahitants of the earth, from the Caspian and Per- 
 sian seas to the extreme Gades, to their original, and re- 
 corded at once the period and occasion of their disper- 
 sion (J)." This fact, and the conclusions from it, ivhich 
 are thus incontrovertibly estaljlished l)y the newly acquired 
 knowledge of the Sanscreet language, were contended for 
 and strongly enforced by Bochart and Stillingfleet, who 
 could only refer to oriental opniions and traditions, as they 
 came to them through the medium of Grecian interpreta- 
 tion. To the late excellent and learned President of the 
 Asiatic Society, we are chiefly indebted for the light re- 
 cently thrown from the East upon this important sidj- 
 ject. Avowing himself to be attached to no system, 
 and as much disposed to reject the Mosaic histoi-j', if 
 it were proved to be erroneous, as to believe it, if he 
 found it confirmed by sound reasoning and satisfactory 
 evidence, he engaged in those researches to which liis ta- 
 lents and situation were equally adapted ; and the re- 
 sult of his laborious inquiries into the chronology, 
 history, mythology, and languages of the nations, a\ hence 
 infidels have long derived their most formidable objec- 
 tions, was a full conviction that neither accident nor 
 ingenuity coidd accovmt for the very mimerous instances 
 of similar traditions, and of near coincidence in the 
 names of persons and places, ^\hicli are to be found 
 in the Bible, and in ancient monuments of eastern lite- 
 rature {k). Whoever, indeed, is acquainted with the 
 writings of Mr. Biyant and Mr. Maiuice, and with the 
 Asiatic Researches published at Calcutta, cannot but 
 have observed, that the accounts of the Creation, the Fall, 
 the Deluge, and the Dispersion of Mankind, recorded by 
 
 (j%) Gen. chap. 10. 
 
 (i) History of Hindostan, vol. 1. 
 
 (A:) Asiatic Researches, and Maurice's History, vol. 1. 
 
32 AUTHENTICITY AND INSI'IRATION [Part I, 
 
 the nations upon the vast continent of Asia, bear a strong 
 resemljlance to each other, and to the narrative in the 
 sacred history, and evidently contain the fragments of one 
 original trnth, Avliich was broken by the dispersion of the 
 patriarchal families, and corrupted by length of time, alle- 
 gory, and idolatry. From this universal concurrence on 
 this head, one of these things is necessarily true ; either 
 that all these traditions must have been taken from the 
 author of the book of Genesis, or, that the author of the 
 book of Genesis made up his history from some or all such 
 tra(htions as were already extant ; or lastly, that he re- 
 ceived his knowledge of past events by revelation. Were, 
 then, all these traditions taken from the Mosaic history ? 
 It has been shown by Sir William Jones and Mr. Maurice, 
 that they were received too generally and too early to 
 make this supposition even jjossible ; for they existed in 
 different parts of the world in the very age when Closes 
 lived. Was the Mosaic histoiy composed from the tradi- 
 tions then existing ? It is certain that the Chald.xans, the 
 Persians, the most ancient inhabitants of Incha, and the 
 Egyptians, all possessed the same story ; but they had, by 
 the time of Moses, wrapped it up in their own mysteries, 
 and disguised it by tlieir omti fanciful conceits ; and surely 
 no rational mind can believe, that if Moses had been ac- 
 quainted with all the mystic fables of the East, as well as 
 of Eg)'])t, he could, out of such an endless variety of ob- 
 scure allcgoiy, by the power of human sagacity alone, have 
 discovered tl>eir real origin ; much loss, that, from a par- 
 tial knowledge of some of them, he coidd have been able 
 to discover the facts which suit and exjdain them all. His 
 plain recital, however, of the Creation, the Fall, the De- 
 luge, and the Uis])crsion of IMankind, does unquestionably 
 develope that origin, and bring to light those facts ; an<l 
 it therefore follows, not only that the accoimt is the true 
 one, b\it, there being no human means of his acquiring the 
 
Chap. 1.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. ^3 
 
 knowledge of it, that it was, as he asserts it to have been, 
 revealed to him bj' God himself (1). 
 
 We haye now seen, from undoubted testimony, that the 
 Pentateuch has been uniformly ascribed to Moses as its 
 author ; that the most ancient traditions remarkably agree 
 with his account of the Creation of the World, the Fall of 
 Man, the Deluge, and the Dispersion of Mankind ; that 
 about the time mentioned in the Pentateuch, a part of the 
 inhabitants of EgyjDt, who came originally from the East, 
 did migrate under a person of the name of Moyses or 
 Moses ; that a people, with such laws and institutions as 
 he professes to have given them, have existed from remote 
 antiquity ; and we ourselves are eye-witnesses that such a 
 people, so circumstanced, exist at this hour, and in a state 
 exactly conformable to his predictions concerning them. 
 But it may be observed, that the civil histoiy of the Jews 
 is seldom contested, even by those who imagine the Pen- 
 tateuch to have been wi-itten in some age subsequent to 
 that of Moses, from a collection of Annals or Diaries; it 
 is the miraculous part of it ^^•hich is disputed. To this ob- 
 servation, however, we may oppose the conclusive argu- 
 ment of a professed enemy to revealed religion (?«), " that 
 
 (^l) We are to observe that the Mosaic history of the Creation, 
 the Fall of Man, the Deluge, and the Dispersion of Mankind, 
 not only relates these events as facts which might have been 
 handed down by tradition, but it describes in what manner 
 these events happened, for what purpose they were designed, 
 and what consequences, natural and moral, they were to pro- 
 duce ; and that these very circumstances, purposes, and con- 
 sequences, simply related, materially contribute to the expla- 
 nation of all those mystic fables of the East, agree with the 
 present state of the natural and moral world, and accord with 
 the doctrines of Christianity. We may indeed rstort the charge 
 of credulity upon those, who can believe that any man could 
 write such a history without direct Inspiration from Him " who 
 knoweth all things." 
 
 (m) Lord Bolingbroke's Letter, occasioned by one of Arch* 
 bishop Tillotson's Sermons. 
 
 D 
 
34 AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Part 1. 
 
 the miraculous part of the Mosaic history is not, like the 
 prodigies of Liv}', and other profane authors, unconnected 
 with the facts recorded ; it is so intermixed and blended 
 with the narrative, that they must both stand or fall to- 
 gether." With respect to the Annals, which are men- 
 tioned as the supposed foundation of this historj-, they 
 must have been either trae or false ; if true, the historv of 
 the Israelites remain equally marvellous ; if false, how was 
 it possible for the history to acquire the credit and esteem 
 in which it was so universally held ? But upon what is 
 this supposition founded ? No particular person is men- 
 tioned, with any colour of probability, as the author or 
 compiler of the Pentateuch ; no particular age is pointed 
 out with any appearance of certainty, though that of Solo- 
 mon is usually fixed upon as the most likely. Yet why 
 the most enlightened period of the Jewish histoiy should 
 be chosen as the best adapted to forgerj' or interpolation, 
 nay, to the most gross imposition that was ever practised 
 upon mankind, it is difficult to conjecture. Was it possi- 
 ble, in such an age, to write the Pentateuch in the name 
 of the venerated lawgiver of the Jews from a collection of 
 annals, and produce the firm belief that it actually had been 
 WTitten more than 400 years before ; and this not only 
 throughout the nation itself, but among all those whom 
 the extended fame of Solomon had connected with it, or 
 had induced to study the history and pretensions of this 
 extraordinaiy people ? 
 
 But a more particular consideration of the contents of 
 the Pentateuch, as relating immediately to the Jews, will 
 furnish irrefragable arguments to prove its Authenticitj', 
 and the truth of its claims to Inspiration. The Pentateuch 
 contains directions for the establishment of the civil and 
 religious polity of the Jews, which, it is acknowledged, ex- 
 isted from the time of Moses ; it contains a code of laws, 
 which every indiA idual of the nation was required to oh- 
 
Chap. 1.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 35 
 
 serve with the utmost punctuality, under pain of the se- 
 verest punishment, and v^dth which, therefore, every indi- 
 dual must be supposed to have been acquainted (tz) ; it 
 contains the histoiy of the ancestors of the Jews, in regu- 
 lar succession from the creation of the world ; and a series 
 of prophecies, which, in an especial manner, concerned 
 themselves, and which must have been beyond measure 
 interesting to a people who were alternately enjoying pro- 
 mised blessings, and suffering under predicted calamities ; 
 it contains not only the wonders of Creation and Providence 
 in a general view, but also repeated instances of the sujjer- 
 intending care of the God of the whole earth over their 
 pai-ticular nation, and the institution of feasts and cere- 
 monies in perpetual remembrance of these divine intei-po- 
 sitions ; and all these things are professedly addressed in 
 the name, and to the contemporaries, of Moses, to those 
 who had seen the miracles he records, who had been wit- 
 nesses to the events he relates, and who had heard the 
 awful promulgation of the Law. Let any one reflect ujjon 
 these extraordinary and wonderful facts, and surely he 
 must be comanced that they could never have obtained the 
 universal belief of those among whose ancestors they are 
 said to have happened, imless there had been the clearest 
 evidence of their ce/tainty and truth. Nor were these 
 facts the transient occurrences of a single hour or day, 
 
 {ft) " Indeed the greatest part of mankind are so far from 
 living according to their own laws, that they hardly know them ; 
 but when they have sinned, they learn from others that they 
 have transgressed the law. Those, also, who are in the highes't 
 and principal posts of the government, confess they are not 
 acquainted with those laws, and are obliged to take such per- 
 sons for their assessors in public administrations, as profess to 
 have skill in those laws. But for our people, if any body do 
 but ask any one of them about our laws, he will more readily 
 tell them all, than he will tell his own name ; and this in con- 
 sequence of our having learned them immediately, as soon as 
 we became sensible of any thing, and of our having them as 
 n were engraven on our souls." Josephus against Apion 
 
36 AUTilEXTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Pai't I. 
 
 ■and witnessed only by a small number of persons ; on the 
 •contrary, some of them were continued through a space of 
 forty years, and were kno\^•n and felt by several millions of 
 people ; the pi-llar of the cloud was seen by day, and the 
 pillar of fire by night, during their whole journey in the 
 wilderness (o) ; nor did the manna fail till they had eaten 
 •of the corn in the land of Canaan (p). We see Moses, in 
 the combined characters of leader, lawgiver, and historian, 
 not once or twice, or as it were cautiously and surreptiti- 
 ously, but avowedly and continually, appealing to the con- 
 viction of a whole people, who were wtnesses of these 
 manifestations of Divine power, for the justice of their 
 punishments, and resting the authority of the Law upon 
 the truth of the wonderful history he records. And 
 farther, in order to j)reserve the accurate recollection of 
 these events, and prevent the possibility of any alteration 
 in this history, he expressly commanded that the whole 
 Pentateuch (q) should be read at the end of every seven 
 yeai-s, in the solemnity of the year of release, at the feast 
 of tabernacles, in the hearing of all Israel, that all the 
 people, men, women, and children, and the strangers with- 
 in their gates, might hear, and learn to fear the Lord their 
 God, and observe to do all the words of the Law ; and es- 
 pecially that their children, who had not been eye-wit- 
 nesses of the miracles which established its claim to their 
 faith and obedience, might hear the marvellous history, 
 which they were taught by their fathers, publicly declared 
 and confirmed ; and learn to fear and obey the Lord their 
 God from the wonders of Creation and Providence revealed 
 to his servant Moses, and from the supernaturid powers 
 with which he was invested. We have the authority of 
 tradition to say, that every tribe was furnished with a copy 
 
 (o) Exod. c. 40. V. 38. Numbers, c. 9. v.'.2'2. 
 (p) Exod. c. 16. v. 35. Joshua, c. 5. v. 12. 
 (y) Dent. c. 31. v. 10, &c. 
 
Chap. ].] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 3/ 
 
 of the Law before the death of Moses ; and indeed, in al- 
 most every page of Scripture, the necessity of distributing 
 numerons copies is imphed, by the repeated injunctions for 
 public and private instruction. Can we require a more 
 striking proof of the existence and designed publicity of 
 the Law, than the command to " write all t^^ie words of the 
 Law very plainly on pillars of stone, and to set them up' 
 on the day they passed over Jordan (the day they took 
 possession of the promised land) and to plaster them over 
 to preserve them (>•) ?" How could they " teach the I^aw 
 dihgently to their children, and explain to them the testi- 
 monies, and the statutes, and the judgments, and the 
 histon,' of their forefathers ; talk of them when sitting in 
 the house, when walking in the way, when they lay dov^Ti, 
 and when they rose up ; bind the words for a sign upon 
 their door-posts and gates, and upon their hands, and as 
 frontlets between their eyes (s)," unless the Law hud at 
 that time been written, and they could have had easy ac- 
 cess to copies of it ? Words cannot express more strongly 
 than these do the general obligation of the people to ac- 
 quire an accurate knowledge of the Law, and to ])ay a 
 constant habitual attention to its precepts, whether these 
 directions be taken in a literal or figiu-ative sense. " Scribes 
 of the Law" are mentioned very early, though it is un- 
 certain whether they were established as a body of men 
 till after the Captivity ; and their very name afifords some 
 testimony to a mmiber of copies. But must not the cities 
 of the priests, who were commanded to teach the people, 
 and the schools of the prophets, have been supplied with 
 cojjies ? And surely the o-ffice of the Levite, whom every 
 family was " to keep M'ithin their gates," must have been 
 to teach the Law. The command that every king, upon 
 Ins accession to the throne, should " write him a copy of the 
 
 (r) Dent. c. 27. v. 2. Vide Patrick in loo. (s) Deut. c. 6. 
 
38 AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Part I. 
 
 Law in a book, out of that Avliich is before the priests {t)," 
 is a proof not only that the Law existed in writing, 
 but that there was a copy of it under the pecuUar care of 
 the priests, that is, deposited in the tabernacle or temple. 
 Jacobus Capellus thought that the reading of the Law on 
 every sabbath and festival was as old as the time of Joshua, 
 but that it was neglected in the reign of wicked kings ; 
 and the question of the Shunamite woman's husband, 
 " wherefore wilt thou go up to him (the man of God) to- 
 day? It is neither new-moon nor sabbath (?<)>" i^ '•>■ 
 strong confirmation of his opinion, or at least of its being 
 the custom several hundred years before the Captivity. 
 And St. Luke informs us, that " Moses in old time had in 
 every city them that preached him, being read in the syna- 
 gogues eveiT sabbath day {w)," which may refer to a still 
 earlier period. 
 
 Is it credible that any people woidd have submitted to 
 so rigorous and burdensome a law as that of Hoses, unless 
 they had been fully convinced, by a scries of miracles, that 
 he was a prophet sent from God ? and being thus con- 
 vinced of the divine mission -oi Moses, would they have 
 suffered any writing to pass under his venerated name, 
 of which he was not really the author ? Had fraud 
 or im])osture of any kind belonged to any part of it, 
 would not the Israelites, at the moment of rebellion, have 
 availed themselves of that circumstance as a ground or 
 justification of their disobedience ? " The Jews were ex- 
 ceedingly prone to transgress the Law of Moses, and to 
 fall into idolatry ; but if there had been any the least sus- 
 picion of any falsity or imposture in the writings of Moses, 
 the ringleaders of their revolts would have sufficiently 
 promulged it among them, as the most plausible plea to 
 draw them oflF from the worship of the true God. Can we 
 
 (0 Deut. c. 17. v. 18. (v) 2 Kings, c. 4. v. 23. 
 
 {w) Acts, c. 15. V. 21 
 
Chap. l.J OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 39 
 
 think that a nation and rehgion so mahgned as the Jewish 
 were, could have escajjed discovery, if there had been any 
 deceit in it, when so many lay in wait continually to expose 
 them to all contumelies imaginable ? Nay, among them- 
 selves, in then* frequent apostacies, and occasions given for 
 such a pretence, how comes this to be never heard of, nor 
 in the least questioned, whether the Law was undoubtedly 
 of Moses's writing or no ? What an excellent plea would 
 this have been for Jeroboam's calves in Dan and Bethel, 
 for the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim, could any 
 the least suspicion have been raised among them concern- 
 ing the Authenticity of the fundamental records of the 
 Jewish commonwealth ? And, which is most observable, 
 the Jews, who were a people strangely suspicious and in- 
 credulous while they were fed and clothed by mu-acles, yet 
 could never find ground to question this ; naj^ and Moses 
 himself we plainly see, was hugely envied by many of the 
 Israelites even in the wilderness, as is evident in the con- 
 spiracy of Korah and his accomplices ; and that on this 
 very ground, that ' he took too much upon him ;' how un- 
 likely then is it, that amidst so many enemies he should 
 dare to ventiu-e any thing into pubhc records, which was 
 not most undoubtedly true, or undertake to prescribe 9 
 law to oblige the people to posterity ; or that after his 
 own age any thing should come out under his name, which 
 would not be presently detected by the emulators of his 
 glory ? What then, is the thing itself incredible ? Surely 
 not, that Moses should write the records we speak of. 
 Were they not able to understand the truth of it ? What, 
 not those who were in the same age, and conveyed it down 
 by a certain trachtion to posterity ? Or, did not the Is- 
 raelites all constantly believe it? What, not they who 
 would sooner part with their lives and fortunes than admit 
 any variation or alteration as to their Law (.r) ?" 
 (,r) Stillingfleet, Orig. Sacrae, book 2. eh. 1. 
 
40 AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Part I. 
 
 The first submission to sucli a Law as that of Moses 
 must have been while all the tremendous circumstances of 
 its promulgation were fresh ujion their minds ; and indeed 
 the nature and design of the institution demanded that it 
 should be carried into immediate effect (y). And could 
 the Israelites have continued for any length of time in ob- 
 servance of all these niuiierous ordinances and regulotions, 
 religious and civil, without any written authority to refer 
 to ? Is there any instance of this sort in the histovv of 
 the civilized part of mankind? of a legislator requiring 
 obedience to laws orally delivered, without giving a lex 
 scripta as a rule of conduct (z), a criterion by which dis- 
 putes were to be decided, and offenders were to be judged? 
 Among the many peculiarities of the Jewish nation noticed 
 by profane authors, is any circumstance of this kind men- 
 tioned or alluded to ? Had any such thing ever existed, it 
 must have been known to the Jews, who were living when 
 the Law was put into its present form ; and remarkable as 
 it would have l)een, the memory of it must have been 
 transmitted to all succeeding ages. Moses not only re- 
 
 (y) Slillingfleet observes, that it is not easily believed tliat 
 a people wliose chaiMcturistic was stubbornness, would liave 
 been brought to submit to such a law, unless they liud been 
 habituated to it previous to their settlement in the land of 
 Canaan ; or that a nation, whose subsistence was derived from 
 agriculture and pasturage, would have submitted to laws ap- 
 parently so contrary to their interest, as those relating to the 
 sabbatical and jubilee years, unless they l>ad been convinced 
 tliat miraculous plenty and security would be the certain con- 
 sequence of obedience. For observations on tlie sabbatical 
 and jubilee years, see Wliiston on the Chronoloiry of Josephus. 
 
 (z) It is said that Lycurgus did not commit his laws to 
 writing ; but wlioever reads an account of them in Plutarch 
 will observe, tliat tliey were merely general political regulations, 
 and very difierent from the minute and particular law.s of 
 Moses, which extended to every point, civil, moral, and reli- 
 gious. Besides, Lycurgus's regulations were introduced iiUo a 
 city with a very small surrounding territory, which had a 
 kingly government previously established in it. 
 
Cliai). l.J OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 41 
 
 quired obedience to his laws, but he ordered that no al- 
 teration should be made in them ; " Ye shall not add unto 
 the Mord which I command you, neither shall ye diminish 
 aught from it (a)." There must surely have been a written 
 copy of the Law, which was to be thus strictly observed. 
 
 Bishop Stillingfleet considers the "national constitution 
 and settlement of the Jews," as of itself a decisive proof 
 of the genuineness of the Pentateuch ; " Can we," says 
 he, " have more undoubted evidence that there were such 
 persons as Solon, Lycurgus, and Numa, and that the laws 
 bearing their names were their's, than the history of the 
 several commonwealths of Athens, Sj)arta and Rome, which 
 were governed by those laws ? When writings are not of 
 general concernment, they may be more easily counter- 
 feited J but when they concern the rights, privileges, and 
 government of a nation, there will be enough whose inter- 
 est will lead them to prevent impostures. It is no easy 
 matter to forge a Magna Charta, and to invent laws ; men's 
 caution and prudence are never so quick-sighted as in mat- 
 ters which concern their estates and freeholds. The gene- 
 ral interest of men lies contrary to such impostures, and 
 therefore they will prevent their obtaining among them. 
 Now the laws of Moses are incorporated with the very re- 
 purblic of the Jews, and their subsistence and government 
 depend upon them ; their religion and laws are so inter- 
 woven one with the other, that one cannot be broken off 
 from the other. Their right to their temporal possessions 
 in the land of Canaan depended on their owning the sove- 
 reignty of God, who gave them to them, and on the truth 
 of the history recorded by Moses concerning the promises 
 made to the patriarchs; so that on that account it was im- 
 possible those laws should be counterfeit, on which the 
 welfare of the nation depended, and according to which 
 they were governed ever since they were a nation. So 
 (a) Deut. c. i, v. 2. 
 
42 AtTTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Part I, 
 
 that I shall now take it to be sufficiently proved, that the 
 writings under the name of Moses were undoubtedly his ; 
 for none, who acknowledge the laws to have been his, can 
 have the face to deny his histoiy, there being so necessary 
 a connection between them, and the book of Genesis lieing 
 nothing else but a general and very necessary introduction 
 to that which follows (/><)." Let then those who are dis- 
 posed to doubt the Authenticity of the Pentateuch, con- 
 sider its real importance to the Jewish people, and the 
 high veneration in which it was unquestionably held, and 
 surely they must be convinced of the im.possibility of ig- 
 norance or mistake concerning any fact relative to it ; and 
 in pmticular, it will appear scarcely credible, that the Je« s 
 shoidd err in attributing it to any person who was not its 
 real author, or that they should not know \Aho it was that 
 digested it into the shape in which \\e now have it, from 
 materials left by Moses, had it been compiled in that man- 
 ner in some subsequent age. The silence of history and 
 tradition upon this point is a sufficient proof that no such 
 compilation ever took place. If we believe that Moses led 
 the Israelites out of Egypt, why should we not believe that 
 he wrote the account of that deliverance ? If we believe 
 that God enabled Moses to work miracles, why should we 
 not believe that he also enabled him to write the history 
 of the Creation? 
 
 But there are some who admit that the Pentateuch was 
 written by Moses, and yet contend that the narrative of 
 the Creation and of the Fall of Man is not a recital of real 
 events, but an ingenious IMythologue invented to account 
 for the origin of human evil, and designed as an introduc- 
 tion to a history, a great part of which they consider as 
 poetic fiction. If it 1)e granted th.at Moses was an inspired 
 lawgiver, it becomes impossible to suppose that he wrote 
 
 (h) Stillingflect's Orig. Sac. b. 2, c 1. 
 
ChpD. 1.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 43 
 
 a fabulous account of the Creation and the Fall of Man, 
 and delivered it as a divine revelation, because that woulu 
 have been little, if at all, short of blasphemy ; we must, 
 therefore, believe this account to be true, or that it was 
 declared and understood by the people, to whom it was 
 addi'cssed, to be allegorical. No such declaration was ever 
 made ; nor is there any mention of such an opinion being 
 generally prevalent among the Jews in any early writing. 
 The Rabbis, indeed, of later times built a heap of absm'd 
 doctrines upon this history ; but this proves, if it proves 
 any thing, that their ancestors ever understood it as a lite- 
 ral and true account ; and in fact, the truth of every part 
 of the narrative contained in the book of Genesis is posi- 
 tively confirmed by the constant testimony of a people who 
 preserved a certain unmixed genealogy from father to son, 
 thi-ough a long succession of ages ; and by these people 
 we are assiu-ed, that their ancestors ever did believe that 
 this account, as far as it fell within human cognizance, had 
 the authority of uninterrupted tradition from their first 
 jjarent Adam, till it was ^M'itten by the inspired pen of 
 Moses. The great length to which human life was ex- 
 tended in the patriarchal ages, rendered it very practicable 
 for the Jews, in the time of Moses, to trace their Hneal 
 descent as fur as the Flood, nay even to Adam ; for Adam 
 conversed 56 years with Lamech, Noah's father, Lamech 
 being born a. m. 874, and Adam having died a. m. 930; 
 and Methuselah, Noah's grandfather, who was born a. m. 
 G87, did not die till A. m. 1656, according to Archbishop 
 Usher, so that he was 243 years contemporary with Adam, 
 and 600 with Noah. Shem, the son of Noah, was proba- 
 bly living in some part of Jacob's time, or Isaac's at least , 
 and Moses was great grandson of Levi, one of the sons of 
 Jacob. How easily then, and uninterruptedlj', might the 
 general tradition be continued to the time of Moses ' 
 Could the grandchildren of Jacob be ignorant of their own 
 
44 AUTHENTICITY AND INSl'IKATION [Pfirt I. 
 
 pedigree, and of the time when they came into Egj'pt ? 
 Can we think that so many remarkable circumstances as 
 attended the selHng and advancement of Josejih, eoukl be 
 forgotten in so short a time ? Could Jacob be ignorant 
 whence his grandfather Abraham came, especially as he 
 lived so long in the country himself, and married into that 
 branch of the family which was remaining there ? Could 
 Abraham be ignorant of the Flood, when he was contem- 
 porary with, and descended from Shem, one of the eight 
 persons who escaped in the ark ? Could Shem be igno- 
 rant of what passed before the Flood, when Adam, the 
 first man, lived so near the time of Noah ? And could 
 Noah be ignorant of the Creation and Fall of JMan (c), 
 when he was contemporary with those who conversed ^^ ith 
 Adam ? Can we then, setting aside Inspiration for a mo- 
 ment, believe it possible, that while there must have been 
 so many remaining testimonies of former times, any law- 
 giver in his senses would have written a false account of 
 those times, in a book which he ordered to be read pub- 
 licly and frequently, as well as privately, by those ver\' 
 ])eople who had clearly the power of cont>adicting it, and 
 by convicting him of falsehood, of absolutely destroying 
 his authority ? or that Moses would adopt the style of al- 
 legory in the beginning of a book professedly written for 
 the use of a plain unlettered people (d), and containing a 
 naiTative of events ^^•hich had passed before their eyes, and 
 a code of laws which were to be literally observed ; that 
 he would introduce a grave history of real occiurences, a 
 
 (c) Although general accounts of these great events niiglit 
 V/c conveyed thus easily by tradition from Adam to Moses, yet, 
 it should be observed, tluit there are many circumstances re- 
 lative to them recorded in Genesis, which could be known only 
 by immediate revelation from God. 
 
 ((/) We ought always to remember, that (he writings of 
 Moses were addressed to the people in general, and not con- 
 fined to the priesthood or the learned. 
 
Chap. 1.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 45 
 
 detailed practical system of jurisprudence and of religion, 
 by a fictitious representation of the wonders of Creation 
 and Providence ? 
 
 " The account of the Creation," says Mr. Gray, " is not 
 to be considered as allegorical, or merely figurative, any 
 more than the history of the Temptation, and of the Fall 
 from innocence, since the whole description is unquestion- 
 ably delivered as real, and is so considered by all the sa- 
 cred writers (e). In the explanation of Scripture, indeed 
 no interpretation, which tends to supersede the literal 
 sense, should be admitted ; and for this reason also it is, 
 that those speculations, which are spun out with a view to 
 render pai'ticular relations in the book of Genesis more 
 consistent with our ideas of probability, should be received 
 at least with great diffidence and caution. To represent 
 the formation of the woman from Adam's rib, as a work 
 performed in an imaginaiy sense, or as pictured to the 
 mind in vision, seems to be too great a departure .from the 
 plain rules which should be obseiTcd in the construction 
 of Scriptm-e (./"), and inconsistent with the expositions of 
 the sacred \\Titers. So likewise the wrestling of Jacob 
 with an angel (</), though sometimes considered as a sceni- 
 cal representation adikessed to the fancy of the Patriarch, 
 should rather be contemplated, like the temptation of 
 Abraham, as a literal transaction, though perhaps of a 
 figurative character ; and like that, it was designed to con- 
 
 (e) John, c. 8, v. 44. 2 Cor. c. 11, v. 3. 1 Tim. c. 2, v. 
 13. Rev. c. 12, V. 9. AlUx's Reflections on Genesis. Water- 
 land's General Preface to Scripture vindicated. Witty's Essay 
 towards Vindication of Mosaic History. Nichol's Conference 
 with a Theist. Bochart de Scrip. Tentat. 
 
 (/) Gen. c. 1, v. 22 and 23. This is related by Moses as a 
 real operation, though performed while Adam was in a deep 
 sleep, and is so considered by the sacred writers. 1 Cor. c. 
 11, v. 8 and 9. 
 
 (g) Gen. c. 32, v. 24. 
 
46 AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Part I. 
 
 vey information, by actions instead of words, of certain 
 particulars, which it imported the Patriarch to know, and 
 which he readily collected from a mode of revelation so 
 customary in the early ages of the world, however it may 
 seem incongruous to those who cannot raise their minds 
 to the contemplation of any economy which they have not 
 experienced, and who })roudly question eveiy event not 
 consistent with their notions of proprietj' (/()." " To con- 
 sider the whole of the Mosaic narration as an allegory, is 
 not only to throw over it the veil of inexplicable confusion, 
 and involve the whole Pentateuch in doubt and obscurity, 
 but to shake to its very basis Christianity, which com- 
 mences in the promise, that ' the seed of the woman should 
 bruise the head of the serpent.' In reality, if we take the 
 histoiy of the Fall in any other sense than the obvious 
 literal sense, we plunge into greater perplexities than ever. 
 Some well-meaning pious commentators have, indeed, en- 
 deavoured to reconcile all difficulties, by considering some 
 parts the Mosaic history in an allegorical, and other 
 parts in a literal sense ; but this is to act in a manner ut- 
 terly inconsistent with the tenor and spirit of that history, 
 and with the views of a writer, the distinguishing charac- 
 teristics of whose production are simplicity, purity, and 
 truth. There is no medium nor palliation ; the whole is 
 allegorical, or the whole is literal (i)." 
 
 The practice of allegorizing Scriptm'C has been attended 
 with the worst consequences. Though the Bible abounds 
 with figurative language, and the sacred writers continu- 
 ally use metaphors to illustrate or enforce their meaning, 
 yet we may venture to pronounce, that in no one book of 
 the Old or New Testament, which professes to relate past 
 occmTcnces, is there a single instance of allegory. This 
 
 (h) Gray's Key, p. S7, edit. 3d. 
 (j) Maurice's History, v. 1, p. 368. 
 
Chap. 1.1 OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 47 
 
 observation, which is meant to be confined to the histori- 
 cal parts of Scripture, properly so called, is jierfectly con- 
 sistent with the typical nature of many circumstances of 
 the Jewish history. It is only maintained, that the nar- 
 ratives of past events are universally to be taken in their 
 plain and literal sense ; and it is to be wi-shed that all read- 
 ers of the Scriptures, and particularly young students in 
 divinity, would keep that principle constantly in their 
 minds. If allegory be allowed to be applicable in all cases, 
 there is an end of certainty in Scripture histor}^, and a 
 door is opened to the wildest suggestions of the most ex- 
 travagant imagination. Our own ideas of probability or 
 propriety are not to be the criterion, by which we are to 
 decide upon the reality of transactions recorded in the 
 Bible ; nor are we to question the trath of Scripture his- 
 tory, because we cannot always reconcile God's dealings 
 with mankind to our notions of justice and mercj-. Our 
 ])artial and imperfect knowledge of the great plans of Di- 
 vine Providence should teach us to judge of the counsels 
 of the Almighty with humility and diffidence. The short- 
 sighted reason of man is but ill-qualified to pass sentence 
 upon the decrees of infinite Wisdom ; and the conscious- 
 ness of this incompetence will be the best preservative 
 against the bad effects of that arrogant and irreverent pre- 
 sumption with which the Word of God is treateiJ in the 
 present age. 
 
 Among the objections to the divine authority of the 
 Pentateuch, the command to destroy the nations of Canaan 
 is considered as being absolutely irrecoucileable with di- 
 vine justice, and therefore as imposible to have proceeded 
 from God. It is a curious example of the inconsistency 
 cf sceptical arguments, that the destruction of the inhabit- 
 ants of a small part of the earth is pronounced to be in- 
 comiiatible with the divine attributes, while the destruc- 
 tion of the whole world by the Deluge is passed by without 
 
48 AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Part I. 
 
 any such comment. But the Dehigc is a fact authenti- 
 cated by such variety of proofs, and so universally acknow- 
 ledged in all ages and countries, that its consistency with 
 the justice of God must be allowed, or his moral govern- 
 ment must be at once denied. And yet, in reality, the 
 general destruction of the human race by the Deluge, and 
 the partial extermination of the inhabitants of Canaan by 
 the Israelites, are to be accounted for upon precisely the 
 same principle. In both cases it was the enormous wick- 
 edness of the people which drew upon them such signal 
 punishment : " The earth also was corrupt before God, 
 and the earth was filled with violence : And God looked 
 upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt ; for all flesh 
 had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said to 
 Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth 
 is filled with violence through them ; and behold, I w ill 
 destroy them from the earth (A)." And Moses e.vprcssly 
 declared to the people of Israel, when they were about to 
 take possession of Canaan, the cause which brought upon 
 the inhabitants the punishment of destruction; "Speak 
 not thou in thy heart, after that the Lord thy God hath 
 cast them out from before thee, saying. For my righteous- 
 ness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land ; 
 but for the wickedness of these nations, the Lord doth 
 drive them out from before thee : not for thy righteous- 
 ness, or for the uprightness of thy heart, dost thou go to 
 possess their land ; but for the wickedness of these nations 
 the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee (/)." 
 When God first promised the land of Canaan to the seed 
 of Abraham, he expressly declared that they were not to 
 take possession of it till the fourth generation after they 
 should remove into Egypt, " Because the iniquity of the 
 Amorites is not yet full (»?)»" that is, would not till then 
 
 (A) Gen. c. 6, v. 11, &c. (/) Dent. c. 9, v. 4 and 5. 
 (m) Gen f.. ir», V. 16 
 
Chap. 1.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 49 
 
 be full. It will scarcely be disputed that God might have 
 given the children of Abraham more immediate possession 
 of the land of Canaan, had he seen fit. It therefore ap- 
 pears, that the comparative righteousness of one nation 
 postponed the fate of several others above 400 years ; and 
 that it was not till the measm-e of wickedness was com- 
 pleted, that they were destroyed by the outstretched arm 
 ©f the Almighty who led on his chosen people, and com- 
 manded them to execute his judgments upon tliese in- 
 corrigibly wicked nations, which were designed at the 
 same time to be a warning to themselves (ii). And thus 
 this command, so far from being repugnant to the attri- 
 butes of God, affords an example of his mercy and for- 
 bearance, and establishes rather than invalidates the truth, 
 of the Pentateuch, and its claim to divine authority. 
 
 With respect to the marks of a posterior date, or at 
 least of posterior interpolation, so often m-ged with an 
 insidious design to weaken the authority of the Penta- 
 teuch, it will be sufficient to observe, that it may safely be 
 admittedthat Joshua, Samuel, or someone of the succeeding 
 prophets, ■WTote the account of the death of Moses, con- 
 tained in the last chapter of Deuteronomy ; and that Ezra, 
 when he ti-anscribed the history written by Moses, changed 
 the names of some places, which were then become ob- 
 solete, to those by which they were called in his time, and 
 added, for the pm-pose of elucidation, the few passages 
 which are allowed to be not suitable to the age of Moses. 
 Now, surely when it is considered that these few passages 
 
 (n) " Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not 
 kec-ping his commandments, and hfe judgments, and his sta- 
 tutes, which I command tliee this day — It shall be, if thou do 
 at aJl forget tlie Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and 
 serve them, and worship them ; I testify against you this day, 
 that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord 
 destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish, because ye 
 would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God/* 
 De'it. c. 8, V. U, 19 and 20. 
 
 K 
 
60 AUTHENTICITY AND INSl'IBATION [Part I. 
 
 are of an explanatory nature ; that they ai-e easily dis- 
 tinguished from the original vTitings of Moses ; and that 
 Ezra was himself an inspired waiter raised up by God to 
 re-establish the Jewish Chm-ch, after the rctm"u from cajj- 
 tivity, the cavils founded upc::: such circumstances cau 
 scarcely be thought deserving of any serious attention. 
 
 It is sometimes asserted that there is a sameness of 
 language and style in the different books of the Old Tes- 
 tament, which is not compatable with the different ages 
 usually assigned to them, and thence an inference is drawn 
 imfavom'able to the Authenticity of these books, and par- 
 ticularly to that of the Pentateuch. To this objection we 
 may answer that it is founded upon an untrue assertion ; for 
 those who are best acquainted with the original A\ritings 
 of the Old Testament agree, that there is a mai-ked differ- 
 ence in the stjde and language of its several authors : and 
 one learned man in particular concludes from that differ- 
 ence, " that it is certain the five books, which are ascribed 
 to ]\Ioses, were not written in the time of David, the 
 Psalms of David in the age of Isaiah, nor the Prophecies 
 of Isaiah in the time of Malachi (o)." But let us consider 
 the case of the Greek authors, whose works have come 
 do\\-n to the ])resent time. The age of Hesiod and 
 Homer, the two oldest Greek writers, ia not precisely 
 known ; but Blair, and most other chrouologers, place 
 them about J'OO years before Christ ; and we know that 
 Longinus, who was perhaps the latest of the authors called 
 classical, lived towards the end of the third centmy after 
 Christ ; there was therefore an interval of almost 1200 years 
 before Homer and Longinus, which happens rather to ex- 
 ceed the interval between Moses and Malachi, the first and 
 last of the Hebrew authors. If therefore the Greek lan- 
 guage remained through twelve centuries without any ma- 
 terial change, why might not the Hebrew? lii fact, the 
 
 (o) Marsh on the Aullicnticity of tlic Five Books of Moses. 
 
Chap. 1.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. Ol 
 
 Hebrew was less liable to alteration, because the Hebrews, 
 till the Captivity, had veiy little intercourse with other 
 nations. But the argument from the Greek language is 
 still stronger, even if it be confined to prose wi-iters, whose 
 ages are certainly known. It will readily be granted that 
 Herodotus wi'ote his history about 450 years before Christ, 
 and that Eustathius wrote his commentary upon Homer 
 nearly 1200 years after Christ; and therefore these two 
 writers show that the Greek language changed but little 
 through a period of more than IGOO years. It will not be 
 imagined that I consider the style of Homer, Herodotus, 
 Longinus, and Eustathius, as exactly, or even nearly the 
 same ; I only contend that there is the same degree of re- 
 semblance between Greek, as there is between Hebrew 
 authors, who lived at similar intervals. 
 
 I have thought it right to notice these objections, 
 because I have lately seen a good deal of importance at- 
 tributed to them; and indeed such objections are veiT 
 frequent in modern publications. Those who advance 
 them, know but too well, that bj^ stating them in a specious 
 and confident manner, they may shake the faith of the 
 unwaiy, and by degrees di-aw them over to their OAvn 
 sceptical opinions. Let me then caution my young readers 
 against these insidious and mischievous attempts. Let the 
 direct and positive proofs of the divine authci-ity of the 
 Scriptures, or of any other branch of our religion which 
 may be attacked, be constantly recollected. Let it be re- 
 membered, that upon every point, however clearly and un- 
 doubtedly proved, it is easy to find cavils and difficulties ; 
 and that to these cavils and difficulties there must be satis- 
 factory answers, although they may not occur to the mind, 
 or have not fallen within the reading, of every person. 
 Above all, let recourse be had upon all such occasions to 
 this general principle — That when the truth of any pro- 
 position is established upon just and legitimate grounds, or 
 
52 AUTHENTICITY AND INSPIRATION [Part I 
 
 when any doctrine is revealed in the vM-itten "Word of God, 
 no weight whatever is due to objections founded in pro- 
 bable reasoning, metaphysical speculation, or conjectural 
 criticism ; and \\ e may safely pronounce, that no other have 
 ever been brought to oppose the conclusions which we 
 have seen derived from facts, by arguments obviously re- 
 sulting from those facts, and consistent with each other, in 
 favour of the Authenticity and Inspiration of the ancient 
 Scriptures. 
 
Chap. 2.J OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. '53 
 
 PART I. 
 
 CHAPTER THE SECOND; 
 
 OF THE CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS OF THE 
 OLD TESTAMENT. 
 
 The Book of Genesis (a), which derives its name from 
 a Greek word signifj^ing generation or production, com- 
 prehends a period of about 2369 years. It begins with the 
 histoiy of the creation of the world in six days, and con- 
 tains also an account of the disobedience and punishment 
 of Adam and Eve ; the increase of mankind ; the progress 
 of wickedness ; the general destruction of the human race 
 by the Deluge, except Noah and his family, who were 
 miraculously presei-ved in the ark ; the promise of God 
 that the world should no moi-e be destroyed by a flood ; 
 the confusion of tongues, and the dispersion of the descend- 
 ants of Noah ; the call of Abraham, and the covenant of 
 God with him ; the repetition of that covenant with Isaac 
 and Jacob; the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha; 
 the history of Joseph, and the settlement of the Israelites 
 in Egypt. 
 
 The book of Exodus (h) is so named, because it relates 
 the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt. It com- 
 prehends the history of about 145 years ; and the prin- 
 
 (a) rsj'HTtf a yivofiai, sum, fio. 
 (6) Exodus signifies departure, from i^ out, and bSbc way. 
 
54 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BObKS [Part. 1, 
 
 cipal events contained in it are, the bondage of the 
 Israelites in Egj'pt, and their miraculous deliverance by 
 the hand of Moses ; their entrance into the wilderness of 
 Sinai ; the promulgation of the Law, and the buihhng of 
 the tabernacle. 
 
 The book of Leviticus describes the office and duties 
 of the Levites and priests, all of whom were descended 
 from Levi. It contains a minute account of the reli- 
 gious rites f*id ceremonies which were to be obsersed 
 by the Jews, and records the transactions of only one 
 month. 
 
 The book of Numbers contains an account of the num- 
 bering of the people of Israel, both in the beginning of 
 the second year after their departure out of Egypt, and at 
 the conclusion of their journey in the Anlderness. It com- 
 prehends a period of about 38 years, but most of the events 
 related in it happened in the first and last of those years. 
 The date of the facts recorded in the middle of the book 
 cannot be precisely ascertained. The principal contents 
 of this book, besides the numbering of the people, already 
 noticed, are, the consecration of the tabernacle ; the en- 
 campment of the Israelites, with a relation of the circum- 
 stances which attended their wandering in the wilderness ; 
 a repetition of several of the principal laws which had been 
 before given to the Israelites, ^a ith an addition of some new 
 precepts, hoth civil and religious ; an enumeration of the 
 twelve tribes, and directions for the division of the land of 
 Canaan, of which they were about to take possession. 
 
 The book of Deuteronomy (c), as its name denotes, con- 
 tains a repetition of the civil and moral law, wliich was a 
 second time delivered ])y Moses, with some adthtions and 
 explanations, as well to impress it more forcibly upon the 
 Israelites in general, as in particular for the benefit of those, 
 
 (c) From hvTipoQ second, and vouoq law. 
 
Chap 2.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 55 
 
 who, being horn in the wilderness, were not present at the 
 first promulgation of the Law. It contains also a recapi- 
 tulation of the several events which had befallen the Is- 
 raelites since their departure from Egypt, with severe re- 
 proaches for their past misconduct, and earnest exhortations 
 to future obedience. The Messiah is explicitly foretold in 
 this book ; and there are many predictions interspersed in 
 different parts of it, particularly in the 28th, 30th, 32nd, 
 and 33rd chapters, relative to the future condition of the 
 Jews. The book of Deuteronomy includes only the short 
 period of about two months, and finishes with an account 
 of the death of Moses, which is supposed to have been 
 added by his successor, Joshua. 
 
 These five books were written by Moses ; and, according 
 to Archbishop Usher, they contain the history of 2552 
 years and a half. 
 
 The book of Joshua comprehends the history of about 
 30 years. It contains an account of the conquest and di- 
 vision of the land of Canaan, the renewal of the covenant 
 with the Israelites, and the death of Joshua. There are 
 two passages in this book, which show that it was WTitten 
 by a person contemporary with the events it records. In 
 the first verse of the fifth chapter, the author speaks of 
 himself as being one of those who had passed into Canaan ; 
 " And it came to pass when all the kings of the Amorites, 
 which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the 
 kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that 
 the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the 
 children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their 
 heai-t melted." And from the 25th verse of the following 
 chapter it appears, that the book was wi-itten before the 
 death of Rahab : " And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot 
 alive, and her father's household, and all that she had ; 
 and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day ; because 
 she hid the messengers which Joshua sent to spy out 
 
■66 CONTENTS 0» THE SEVERAI- BOOKS [Part 1. 
 
 Jericho." Though thciC is not a perfect agreement 
 among the learned concenilng the aiitlior of this hook, 
 yet hy far the most general opinion is, that it was written 
 by Joshua himself; and indeed in the last chapter it is 
 said, that " Joshua ^^TOte these words in the Book of the 
 Law of God," which expression seems to imply, that he 
 subjoined this history to that written by IMoscs. The five 
 last verses, giving an account of the death of Joshua, were 
 added by one of his successoi-s, probably by Eleazcr, Phi- 
 nehas, or Samuel. 
 
 The book of Judges treats principally of those illustrious 
 persons, who, under the name of Judges, governed Israel 
 in the intermediate time between Joshua and the establish- 
 ment of regal government. This book has been ascribed 
 to Phinehas, to Ilezekiah, and to Ez.ckicl ; and some 
 learned men have thought that it was compiled by Ezra, 
 from memoirs left by the respective judges of their own 
 judicatures. But the best founded opinion seems to be, 
 that it was written liy Samuel, the last of the judges. 
 That it was written before the reign of David, is proved by 
 the following passage : "• The Jebusites dwell with the 
 children of Benjamin hi Jernsalem unto this day(6Z)j" 
 for it is certain that the Jebusites were driven out of that 
 city early in the reign of David {e). The beginning of the 
 book of Judges gives an account of the farther conquests 
 of the Israelites in the land of Canaan ; of their disobe- 
 dience to the commands of God, and of their consequent 
 subjection to the king of IMesopotamia ; it then states the 
 appointment of Othniel, the first Judge of Israel, and 
 continues the history to the death of Samson. These 
 events are contained in the first sixteen chapters ; and in 
 the 17th and remaining chapters are recorded several re- 
 markable occurrences, which were omitted in their proper 
 places, that they might not interrupt the course of the 
 
 {d) Jud-. c. 1. v. 21 (c) 2 Sam. c. 5. 
 
Cliap. 2.1 OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 57 
 
 general history of the judges. Thid hook includes a 
 period of about 30!) 5'ears, from the death of Joshua to 
 that of Samson ; but there is great difficulty m settling 
 the precise chronology of the several facts related in it, 
 because many of them are reckoned from different seras, 
 which cannot now be exactly ascertained. 
 
 The book of Ruth is so called from the name of the 
 person, a native of Moab, whose history it contains. It 
 may be considered as a supplement to the book of Judges, 
 to which it was joined in the Hebrew Canon, and the latter 
 part of which it greatly resembles, being a detached story- 
 belonging to the same period. Ruth had a son called 
 Obed, who was the grandfather of David, which circum- 
 stance probably occasioned her history to be wTitten, as the 
 genealogy of David, from Pharez the son of Judah, from 
 whom the Messiah was to spring, is here given ; and some 
 commentators have thought, that the descent of our Sa- 
 viour fi'om Ruth, a Gentile woman, was an intimation of 
 "the comprehensive nature of the Christian dispensation. 
 We are no where informed when Ruth lived ; but as king 
 David was her great grandson, we may place her histoiy 
 about 1250 years before Christ. This book was certainly 
 Avritten after the birth of David, and probably by the 
 prophet Samuel, though some have attributed it to Hezc- 
 kiah, and others to Ezra. 
 
 The latter part of the book of Judges, and the whole 
 book of Ruth, may be considered as digressions. The 
 general thread of the sacred historj' is resumed in the first 
 book of Samuel, which completes the government of the 
 judges, of whom Eli and Samuel were the last two ; and 
 it relates the choice and rejection of Saul, the first king of 
 the Israelites, and the anointing of David in his stead, 
 with a most interesting account of the early part of the 
 lite of David, and of the reign and death of Saul. It is 
 generally supposed that Samuel wrote the first twenty-four 
 
68 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS [Part I. 
 
 chapters, ami that the rest were ■^^Titten by the prophets 
 Gad anil Nathan {f). This opinion is founded upon the 
 following passage in the first book of Chronicles : " Now 
 the acts of David the king, first and last, behold they are 
 WTitten in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book 
 of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the 
 seer ((/);" whence it is evident tliat there were formerly three 
 books wTitten respectively by Samuel, Gad, and Nathan, 
 which together comprehended the whole history of David ; 
 and it is imagined that these books were afterwards placed 
 as one in the Hebrew Canon, and called the book of 
 Samuel, because he was the most distinguished of its three 
 authors. In our Canon this book is divided into two, 
 which are called the first and second books of Samuel ; 
 and in the Septuagint and Vulgate (A) they are called the 
 first and second books of Kings. 
 
 (/) The first verse of the 25th chapter mentions the death 
 of Samuel. 
 
 (g) 1 Chron. c. 29, v. 29. 
 
 iji) The old Vulgate, of which the copies are now lost, Avas 
 a very ancient version of the Bible into Latin, but by whom, 
 or at what period it was made, is not known. The Old Testa- 
 ment of this version was translated from tlie Septuagint. It 
 was in general use till the time of Jerome, and it was also 
 called the Italic Version. Jerome translated tlie Old Testa- 
 ment immediately from the Hebrew into Latin, and this trans- 
 lation was gradually received in the Western Church, in pre- 
 ference to the old Vulgate or Italic. The present Vulgate, 
 which is declared authentic by the Council of Trent, is the 
 Ancient Italic Version, revised and improved by the correc- 
 tions of Jerome and others. This is tlie only translation of 
 the Bible allowed by the church of Home ; and it is used by 
 that church upon all occasions, except that in the Missal and 
 Psalms a few passages of the ancient Vulgate are retained, 
 as are the apocryphal books, which Jerome did not translate. 
 There are two principal editions of the present Vulgate, one 
 published by Pope Sixtus the Fifth, the other by Clement the 
 Eighth, which differ considerably from each other, though both 
 are declared axithentic from the papal chair. Vide Kenni- 
 cott's State i)f the present Hebrew Text, vol. 2, p. 198. Some 
 
Chap. 2."1 OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 59 
 
 The second book of Samuel continues the history of 
 David, after the death of Saul, through a space of 40 
 years. It was probably viTitten, as was just now observed, 
 by Gad and Nathan, but it is impossible to assign to them 
 their respective parts. 
 
 The first book of Kings commences with an account 
 of the death of Da^^d, and contains a period of 126 
 years, to the death of Jehosaphat ; and the second book 
 of Kings continues the history of the kings of Israel and 
 Judah, through a period of 300 years, to the destruction 
 of the city and temple of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. 
 These two books formed only one in the Hebrew Canon, 
 and they were probably compiled by Ezra from the re- 
 cords which were regularly kept, both in Jerusalem and 
 Samaria, of all public transactions. These records appear 
 to have been made by the contemporary projjhets, and 
 frequently derived their names from the kings whose his- 
 tory they contained. They are mentioned in many parts 
 of Scripture ; thus in the first book of Kings (i) we read 
 of the book of the Acts of Solomon, which is supposed to 
 have been WTitten by Nathan, Ahijah, and Iddo (/<). We 
 elsewhere read that Shemaiah the prophet, and Iddo the 
 seer, wrote the acts of Rehoboam (Z), that Jehu \^Tote the 
 acts of Jehosaphat (??/), and Isaiah those of Uzziah and 
 Ilezekiah (??). We may therefore conclude, that from these 
 public records, and other authentic documents, were com- 
 posed the two books of Kings ; and the uniformity of 
 their stj'le favours the opinion of their being put into their 
 jiresent shape by the same person. 
 
 of the ancient Italic Version has been recovered from cita- 
 tions in the writings of the fathers, and is published, with 
 supplementary additions, in Walton's Polyclolt. Gray's Key 
 
 (0 C. 11, v. 41. {k) 2 Chron. c. 9, v. 29, 
 
 (I) 2 Chron. c. 12, v. 15. 
 
 (m) 2 Chron. c. 20. v. 34. 
 
 (h) 2 ChroD. c. 26, v. 22. c. 32, v. 32. 
 
60 CONTEXTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS [Pait I. 
 
 The two books of Chronicles formed but one in tiie 
 Hebrew Canon, which was called the book of Diai-ies or 
 Joui-nals. In the Scptuagint "'■^ersion they were called the 
 books " of things omitted ;" ar.dthey were first samed the 
 books of Chronicles by Jerome. They were compiled, 
 and probably by Ezra, from the ancient chronicles of the 
 kings of Judah and Israel just now mentioned, and they 
 may be considered as a kind of supplement to the jire- 
 ceding books of Scripture. The former part of the first 
 book of Chronicles contains a great variety of genealogical 
 tables, beginning with Adam ; and in particular it gives a 
 circumstantial account of the twelve tribes, whicli must 
 have been very valuable to the Jews after their return from 
 captivity (o). The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, 
 and David, from all of whom it was predicted that the 
 Saviour of the world should be born, are here marked 
 with precision. These genealogies occupy the first nine 
 chapters, and in the tenth is recorded the death of Saul. 
 From the eleventh chapter to the end of the book, we have 
 a history of the reign of David, vdih a detailed statement 
 of his preparations for the building of the temple, of liis 
 regulations respecting the priests and Levites, and his ap- 
 pointment of musicians, for the public service of religion. 
 The second book of Chronicles contains a brief sketch of 
 the Jewish history, from the accession of Solomon to the 
 retmii from the Babylonian captivity, being a period of 
 480 years ; and in both these books we find many par- 
 ticuliu-s, not noticed in the other historical books of 
 Scripture. 
 
 (o) The care with wliicli the genealogies of the twelve tribes 
 were preserved, is particularly mentioned by Josephus (contr- 
 Apion book 1.) It seems to have been necessary to tlie pre- 
 servation of tlieir civil rights, and their religious polity, as 
 we'.i as to prove the fulfilment of the promise respecting the 
 Messiah. 
 
Chat). 2.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 64 
 
 £zraj the author of the book which bears his name, was 
 of the sacerdotal family, being a direct descendant from 
 Aaron, and succeeded Zerubbabel in the government of 
 Jiidea. This book begins with the repetition of the last 
 two verses of the second book of Chronicles, and cai-ries 
 the Jewish history through a period of 79 years, com- 
 mencing from the edict of Cyrus. The first six chapters 
 contain an account of the return of the Jews imder Zerub- 
 babel, after the captivity of 70 years ; of their re-establish- 
 ment in Judea ; and of the building and dedication of the 
 temple at Jerusalem. In the last four chapters, Ezra re- 
 lates his own appointment to the g-ovemment of Judea by 
 Aitaxerxes Longimanus ; his journey thither from Baby- 
 lon ; the disobedience of the Jews ; and the reform which 
 lie immediately effected among them. It is to be observed, 
 that between the dedication of the temple and the depar- 
 tiire of Ezra, that is, between the 6th and 7th chapters of 
 this book, there was an interval of about 58 years, du- 
 ring which nothing is here related concerning the Jews, 
 except that, contraiy to God's command, they intermar- 
 ried with Gentiles. This book is written in Chaldee fi-om 
 the 8th verse of the 4th chapter to the 27th verse of the 
 7th chapter. It is probable that the sacred historian used 
 the Chaldaic language in this part of his work, because it 
 contains chiefly letters and decrees written in that lan- 
 guage, the original words of which he might think it right 
 to record ; and indeed the people, who were recently re- 
 turned from the Babylonian captivit}-, were at least as fa- 
 mihar with tke Chaldee as they were with the Hebrew. 
 
 Nehemiah (p) professes himself the author of the book 
 which bears his name, in the very beginning cf it, and he 
 uniformly writes in the first person. He was of the tribe 
 
 (j)) Nehemiah, who wrote this book, was not the Nehemiah 
 who returned from the Babylonian captivity with Zerubbabel. 
 
62 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS [Part I. 
 
 of Jiidali, and was probably born at Babylon during the 
 captivity. He was so distinguished for his family and at- 
 tainments, as to be selected for the office of cup-bearer to 
 the king of Persia, a situation of great honour and emolu- 
 ment. He was made governor of Judea, upon his own 
 application, by Artaxerxes Longimanus ; and this book, 
 which in the Hebrew Canon was joined to that of Ezra, 
 gives an account of his appointment and Udrainistration, 
 through a space of about 36 years to a. m. 3595, at which 
 time the Scripture history closes ; and consequently these 
 historical books, from Joshua to Nehemiah inclusive, con- 
 tain the history of the Jewish people from the death of 
 Moses, A. M. 2553, to the reformation established by 
 Nehemiah, after the return from captivit)', being a period 
 of 1042 years. 
 
 The book of Esther is so called, because it contains the 
 history of Esther, a Jewish captive, who by her remai-k- 
 able accomphshments gained the affection of king Aha- 
 suerus, and by marriage with him was raised to the throne 
 of Persia ; and it relates the origin and ceremonies of the 
 feast of Piu-im, instituted in commemoration of the great 
 deliverance, A\hich she, by her interest, procured for the 
 Jews, whose general destruction had been concerted by 
 the offended pride of Haman. There is great diversity of 
 opinion concerning the author of this book ; it has been 
 ascribed to Ezra, to Mordecai, to Joachim, and to the joint 
 labours of the great synagogue ; and it is impossible to 
 decide which of these opinions is the most probable. We 
 are told, that the facts liere recorded happened in the reign 
 of Ahasuerus king of Persia, " who reigned from India 
 even unto Ethiopia, over 12/ provinces (q) ;" and this ex- 
 tent of dominion plainly proves that he was one of the suc- 
 cessors of Cyrus. That point is indeed allowed by all j 
 
 {q) C. I, V. 1. 
 
Chap. 2.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 63 
 
 but leai'nei men differ concerning the person meant bv 
 Ahasuerus, whose name does not occm* in profane history ; 
 and consequently they are not agreed concerning the pre- 
 cise period to which we are to assign this histoiy. Arcli- 
 bishop Usher (r) supposed, that by Ahasuerus was meant 
 Darius Hystaspes, and Joseph Scahger (s) contended that 
 Xerxes was meant ; but in my judgment Dean Prideaux 
 has very satisfactorily she\\'n, that by Ahasuerus we are to 
 understand Artaxerxes Longimanus (J). Josephus (u) 
 also considered Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes as the same 
 person ; and we may observe, that Ahasuerus is always 
 translated Ai-taxerxes in the Septuagint version ; and he is 
 called by that name in the apocrjiihal part of the book of 
 Esther. Upon these authorities I place the commence- 
 ment of this history about a. m. 3544, and it continues 
 through a space not exceeding twenty years. 
 
 The book of Job contains the history of Job, a man 
 equally distinguished for purity and uprightness of charac- 
 ter, and for honours, wealth, and domestic felicitj'; 
 \\'hom God permitted, for the trial of his faith, to be sud- 
 denly deprived of all his numerous blessings, and to be at 
 once plunged into the deepest affliction, and most accu- 
 mulated distress. It gives an account of his eminent 
 ])iety, patience, and resignation, under the pressure of 
 these severe calamities, and of his subsequent elevation to 
 a degree of prosperity and happiness, still greater than 
 that which he had before enjoyed. How long the suffer- 
 ings of Job continued we are not informed ; but it is said, 
 that after God turned his captivity {v), and blessed him a 
 
 (r) Ann. Vet. Test. sub. ann. Jul. Per. 4193. 
 
 (s) De Emend. Temp. lib. 6. 
 
 (t) Part 1st, book Sth. (m) Ant. lib. 11. cap. 6. 
 
 (v) This phrase of turning the captivity of Job, is under- 
 stood by many commentators, as implying the restitution which 
 God enabled Job to procure from the Sabeans and Chaldeans 
 who had plundered him of his riches. 
 
G4 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS [Part I. 
 
 second time, he lived 140 years (iv). Of the great variety 
 of opinions wliich have been entertained concerning the 
 nature and author of this book, I shall briefly state those 
 which appear to be the best founded. That Job was a 
 real, and not a fictitious character, may be inferred from 
 the manner in which he is mentioned by Ezekiel and bj 
 St. James : " Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and 
 Job were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by 
 I'^ieir righteousness, saith the Lord God (.r)." As Noah 
 and Daniel were unquestionably real characters, we must 
 conclude the same of Job. " Behold," says St. James, 
 " we count them happy which endure : ye have heard of 
 the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord ; 
 that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mere}- (y).'* 
 It IS scarcely to be believed, that the Apostle would refer 
 to an imaginai-y character as an examjjle of patience, or in 
 proof of the mercy of God. Since then the history of Job, 
 as here recorded, is manifestly alluded to in both the above 
 passages, we may, upon these authorities, as well as upon 
 the ground of internal evidence, and the concurrent testi- 
 mony of all eastern tradition, consider this book as con- 
 taining a relation of actual events, a circumstantial detail 
 of occurrences and discourses which really took place. 
 Job was an inhabitant of Uz (z), which is supposed to have 
 been situated in Arabia Deserta, on the south of the Euph- 
 rates ; and was probably descended from Uz, the eldest 
 son of Nahor, Abraham's brother, fi-om whom the country 
 took its name. Elihu, in reckoning up the modes of di- 
 vine revelation, takes no notice of the delivery of the 
 Mosaic law ; nor does tlipve seem to be any allusion to the 
 Jewish history in any part of this book ; hence we may 
 infer that Job was prior to Moses, or at least contempo- 
 
 (u) Job, c.42, V. 16. {x) Ezek. c. U, v. 11. 
 
 (y) James, c. 5, v. 11. 
 
 (^) Job, c. 1, v. 2. Lam. c. 4, v. 21. 
 
Chap. 2.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 6& 
 
 rary with him; and this infercuce is supported by the 
 great age to which he Uvcd. Job and his friends wor- 
 shipped the one true God in sincerity and truth ; and 
 their rehgious knowledge was in general such as might 
 have been derived from the early patriarchs. But the po- 
 sitive declaration in the 19th chapter, concerning a Re- 
 deemer and a future judgment, is by most commentators 
 allowed to be the effect of immediate Revelation from 
 God. I am inclined to believe that this book, which 
 bears every mark of remote antiquity, and of an original 
 work, was written by Job himself, in Hebrew ; and even 
 many of those who think otherwise, admit that it might 
 be compiled from materials left by him (a). They gene- 
 rally ascribe the composition to Moses ; but there is so 
 great difference between the style of the book of Job and 
 that of the Pentateuch, that I must OT\'n this appears to 
 me a very improbable opinion. There is the same objec- 
 tion to the ascribing of this book to any other writer of 
 the Old Testament ; and the objection becomes stronger, 
 the lower we descend from the time of Moses. Its style 
 is in many parts peculiarly sublime ; and it is not only 
 adorned with poetical embellishments, but most learned 
 men consider it as written in metre. " Through the whole 
 work we discover religious instruction shining forth amidst 
 the venerable simplicity of ancient manners. It everj' 
 where abounds with the noblest sentiments of piety, ut- 
 tered with the spirit of inspired conviction. It is a work 
 mirivalled for the magnificence of its language, and for the 
 beautiful and sublime images which it presents. In the 
 wonderful speech of the Deity {h), every line delineates 
 his attributes, every sentence opens a pictm'e of some 
 
 (a) Bishop Lowtli considers tlie exordium and conclusion 
 as different from the body of the work ; but he maintains that 
 the whole of the book was written by the same person. 
 
 (6) Ch. 38 and 39. 
 
66 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS [Part. I. 
 
 grand object in creation, chai-acterized by its most striking 
 features. Add to this, that its prophetic ])arts reflect 
 much light on the economy of God's moral government ; 
 and every admirer of sacred antiquity, every inquirer after 
 rehgious instruction, will seriously rejoice that the enrap- 
 tured sentence (c) of Job is realized to a more effectual 
 and unforeseen accomplishment ; that while the memo- 
 rable records of antiquity have mouldered from the rock, 
 the prophetic assurance and sentiments of Job are graven 
 in Scriptures that no time shall alter, no changes sliall 
 efface {d)." 
 
 The book of Psalms is a collection of hymns or sacred 
 songs in praise of God (e), and consists of poems of va- 
 rious kinds. They are the productions of different per- 
 sons, but are generally called the psalms of David, be- 
 cause a great part of them was composed by him, and 
 David himself is distinguished by the name of the Psalm- 
 ist. We cannot now ascertain all the Psalms written by 
 David, but their number probably exceeds seventy : and 
 much less are we able to discover the authors of the other 
 PsalniSj or the occasions ui)on which they Avere composed ; 
 a few of them were written after the retiu-n from the 
 Babylonian captivity. The titles prefixed to them are of 
 very questionable authority ; and in many cases they are 
 not intended to denote the writer, but refer only to the 
 person who was appointed to set them to music. David 
 first introduced the practice of singing sacred hymns in 
 the public service of God ; and it was restored by Ezra, 
 who is supposed to have selected these psalms from a 
 
 (c) Ch. 19, V. 23. (d) Gray. 
 
 (e) " It is remavkublc, that this book of Psahns is exactly 
 the kind of work wliich Plato wished to see for the instruc- 
 tion of youth, but conceived it impossible to be executed, as 
 above the power of liumau abilities : Tsro ^t Gfa »'/ ^fta nyoc 
 av ill) ; ' but this must be the work of God, or of some divine 
 person.'" — Graij. 
 
Chap. 2.J OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 67 
 
 much greater number, and to have placed tliem in tlicir 
 jjresent order. It is to be presumed, that those which he 
 rejected were either not inspired, or not calculated for 
 general use. "The authority of those, however, which 
 we now possess, is established not only by theii' rank 
 among the sacred writings, and by the unvaried testimony 
 of every age, but likewise by many intrinsic proofs of 
 Inspiration. Not only do they breathe through every 
 part a divine spirit of eloquence, but they contain num- 
 berless illustrious prophecies that were remarkably ac- 
 complished, and that are frequently appealed to by the 
 evangelical writers. The sacred character of the whole 
 book is established by the testimony of our Saviom- and 
 his apostles, who, in various parts of the New Testament, 
 appropi'iate the predictions of the Psalms as obviously 
 apposite to the circumstances of their lives, and as in- 
 tentionally preconcerted to describe them." — "The vene- 
 ration for the Psalms has in all ages of the chm-ch been 
 considerable. The fathers assure us, that in the earlier 
 times the whole book of Psalms was generally learnt by 
 bCRvt ; and that the ministers of every gradation were ex- 
 pected to be able to repeat them from memory." — 
 " These invaluable Scriptiu-es are daily repeated without 
 weariness, though their beauties are often overlooked in 
 familiar and habitual perusal. As hymns immediately ad- 
 dressed to the Deity, they reduce righteousness to prac- 
 tice ; and while we acquire the sentiments, we jjerform tlie 
 offices of piety ; as while we supplicate for blessings, we 
 celebrate the memorial of former mercies ; and while in 
 the exercise of devotion, faith is enlivened by the display 
 of proi:)hecy." — " Josej^hus asserts, and most of the 
 ancient ^Titers maintain, that the Psalms were composed 
 in metre. They have undoubtedly a pecvdiar conforma- 
 tion of sentences, and a measured distribution of parts. 
 Many of them ai'c elegiac, and most of David's are of the 
 
G8 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS [Part I. 
 
 l)'ric kind. There is no sufficient reason, however, to 
 beheve, as some wTiters have imagined, that they were 
 written in rhyme, or in any of the Grecian measures. 
 Some of them are acrostic ; and though the regulations of 
 the Hebrew measure are now lost, there can be no doubt, 
 from their harmonious modulation, that thej' were \\Tittcn 
 with some kind of metrical order ; and they must have 
 been composed in accommodation to the measure to which 
 they were set. The IMasoretic writers have marked them 
 in a manner different from the other sacred writings. The 
 Hebrew cojiies and the Sejituagint version of this book, 
 contain the same number of Psalms ; only the Septua- 
 gint translators have, for some reason which docs not ap- 
 pear, thro^^•n the 9th and 10th into one, as also the 
 114th and 115th; and have divided the llGth and 147th 
 each into two (/')." 
 
 " The Proverbs, as we are informed at the beginning 
 and in other parts of the book, were written by Solomon, 
 the son of David, a man, as the sacred \\ritiugs assure us, 
 peculiarly endued ^\ith divine wisdom. "Whatever ideas of 
 his superior understanding we may be led to form by the 
 particulars recorded of his judgment and attainments, we 
 shall find them amply justified, on jierusing the works 
 which remain in testimony of his abihties. This enlight- 
 ened monarch, being desirous of employing the wisdom 
 which he had received to the advantage of mankind, pro- 
 duced several works for their instruction : of these, how- 
 ever, three only were admitted into the Canon of the 
 sacred writ by Ezra, the others being either not designed 
 for religious instruction, or so mutilated by time and acci- 
 dent, as to have been judged imperfect. The book of 
 Proverbs, that of Ecclesiastes, and that of the Song of 
 Solomon, are all that remain of him, ^vho is related to 
 
 (/) Gray. 
 
Chap. 2. J OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. C3 
 
 * have spoken 3,000 proverbs, whose songs were 1,005, 
 and who spake of trees, from the cedai' that is in Lebanon 
 even to the hyssop that springeth out of the \Aall ; who 
 spake also of beasts, and of fowls, and of creeping 
 things, and of fishes.' If, however, many valuable ^ATiting* 
 of Solomon have perished, we have reason to be grateful 
 for wliat still remains. Of his proverbs and songs the 
 most excellent have been providentially preserved ; and as 
 we possess his doctrinal and moral works, we have no 
 right to murmur at the loss of his physical and philoso- 
 phical productions (^)." The book of Proverbs maybe 
 considered as divided into five parts ; the first part con- 
 sists of the first nine chapters, which are a kind of preface, 
 and contain general cautions and exhortations from a 
 teacher to his pupil. The second part extends from the 
 beginning of the 10th chapter, to the 17th verse of the 
 22d chapter, and contains what may strictly and properly 
 be called Proverbs, given in short unconnected sentences,. 
 and adapted to the instruction of youth. In the third 
 part, which reaches from the 17th verse of the 22d chap- 
 ter to the end of the 24th chapter, the pupil is addressed 
 in the second person as being present : and the precepts 
 ai'e delivered in a less sententious and more connected 
 style. The fourth part extends from the beginning 
 of the 25th to the end of the 29th chapter, and consists 
 of " Proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah, 
 king of Judah, copied out," that is, selected from a 
 much greater number. Who these " men of Hezekiah" 
 were, we are not told ; but they were probably " the pro- 
 phets whom he employed to restore the service and wri- 
 tings of the church, as Eliakim, and Joab, and Shebnah, 
 and probably Hosea, Micah, and even Isaiah, who all 
 flomished in the reign of that monarch, and doubtless co- 
 
 (ff) Gray. 
 
70 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS [Part I. 
 
 operated mth his endeavours to re-establisli tnie religion 
 among the Jews. These proverbs, indeed, appear to have 
 been selected by some collectors after the time of Solo- 
 mon, as they repeat some which he had previously intro- 
 duced in the former part of the book (/')•" The fifth part 
 consists of the 30th and 31st chapters, the former of 
 which contains " the words of Agur the son of Jakeh," 
 and the latter " the words of king Lemuel, that his mo- 
 ther taught him ;" but we are not informed either here, or 
 in any other part of Scripture, when or where Agur or 
 Lemuel lived. Indeed many of the ancient fathers con- 
 sidered these chapters also as the work of Solomon, and 
 were of opinion, that he intended to describe himself 
 imder the names of Agur and Lemuel ; but this is a pflint 
 which must be left in uncertainty. There are in this book 
 many beautiful descriptions and })ersouifications ; the dic- 
 tion is highly polished ; and there is a concise and ener- 
 getic turn of expression, which is peculiar to this species 
 of writing. 
 
 The book of Ecclesiastes is called " The "Words of the 
 Preacher, the son of David king of Jerusalem," that is, 
 of Solomon, who from the great excellency of his instruc- 
 tions, was emphatically st)'led the Preacher. The author 
 also describes his wisdom, his riches, his writings, and his 
 works, in a manner ajjplicable only to Solomon ; and to 
 this internal evidence \\c may add the concurrent testimony 
 both of Christian and Jewish tradition. It is generally 
 thought that Solomon vnote this book, after he repented 
 of the idolatry and sin into which he fell towards the end of 
 his life. Though of the didactic kind, it diflPers from the 
 l)reccding book, inasmuch as it seems to be confined to a 
 single sid)ject, namely, an inquiry into the chief good. 
 Solomon here introduces himself as chscussing this impor- 
 
 (/i) Gray. 
 
Chap. 2.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. Jl 
 
 tant question ; and by a just and comprehensive consider- 
 ation of the circumstances of human hfe, he points out the 
 vanity of all secular pursuits, in a manner not to excite a 
 l)eevish disgust at this world, but to induce us to prepare 
 for that state in which there will be no " vanity or vexa- 
 tion of spirit." It is verj^ difficult to distinguish the ar- 
 rangement and connection of the parts of this work ; and 
 there is so little of elevation or dignity in its language, that 
 the Rabbis w ill not allow it to be reckoned among the 
 poetical books of Scripture. 
 
 The book called the Song of Solomon has the same title 
 in the Hebrew Canon, and we may without hesitation as- 
 cribe it to Solomon. It is indeed very generally allowed 
 to have been the epithalamium or marriage song composed 
 by that monarch upon his marriage with the daughter of 
 Pharaoh ; but .it the same time most commentators con- 
 sider it as a mystical allegorj^, and are of opinion that, 
 imder the figure of a marriage, is tj^])ified the intimate con- 
 nection between Christ and his Chinch. It is composed 
 in dialogue and with metrical arrangement, and may with- 
 out imiiropriety be called a dramatic poem, of the pastoral 
 kind. The characters are, Solomon and hrs bride, and 
 virgins her companions : young men also, attendants upon 
 the bridegroom, are mentioned as being present ; but they 
 bear no part in the dialogue. 
 
 It is universally acknowledged that the remaining books 
 of the Old Testament, namely, the sixteen prophetical 
 books and the Lamentations of Jeremiah, were written by 
 the persons whose names they bear. The prophets profess 
 themselves to be the respective authors of these books ; 
 and this internal testimony is confirmed both by Jewish 
 and Christian tradition : and therefore, in speaking of 
 them, I shall consider their genuineness as a point esta- 
 blished and allowed. 
 
 Isaiah was of the tribe of Judah, and it is supposed that 
 
7'2 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS [Part I. 
 
 he was descended from a branch of the royal family. He 
 was the earliest of the four great ])ropliets, and entered 
 upon his prophetic office in the last year of Uzziah's reign, 
 about 7^S years before Christ. It is uncertain how long 
 he continued to prophesy ; some have thought that he 
 died in the 15th or l(jth year of Ilezckiah's reign, and in 
 that case he prophesied about forty-five years ; but it ap- 
 pears more probable that he was put to death by command 
 of Manasseh, in the first year of his reign, and in that 
 case he prophecied more than Gl years (i). Isaiah is uni- 
 formly spoken of in Scripture as a prophet of the highest 
 dignity ; Bishop Lowth calls him the prince of all the i)ro- 
 phets, and pronounces the whole of his work, except a few 
 detached passages, to be poetical (/<). His stjle is univer- 
 sally allowed to be remarkable for its elegance, force, and 
 sublimity ; and he gives so copious and circiunstantial an 
 account of the promised Messiah and his kingdom, that he 
 has been emphatically called the Evangelical Prophet. 
 This book, however, is not confined to prophesies relative 
 to our Saviour ; it contains many other ])redictions, and 
 likewise several historical relations. It may be considered 
 under six general divisions ; the first division consists of 
 the first five chapters, containing a general description of 
 the state and condition of the Jews in the several periods 
 of their history ; the pronudgation and success of the 
 Gospel, anil the coming of Christ to judgment. The se- 
 cond division consists of the next seven chapters, contain- 
 ing the promise to Ahaz, which was predictive of Christ, 
 whose nature, birth, and kingdom, are distinctly described 
 
 (i) It is said that lio was sawn asunder with a wooden saw ; 
 that mode of his death is supposed to be alluded to, lleb. c. 11, 
 V. 37. 
 
 (X) The propliecics of Isaiah were modulated to a kind of 
 ihythm, and they are evidently divided into certain metrical 
 (Stanzas or lines. — Gray. 
 
Chap. 2.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 73 
 
 in tlie 9th chapter : the denunciations of punishment upon 
 the Assyrians, in the 10th chapter, seem an interruption 
 to this glorious subject, which is resumed in the 11th, 
 where the prophet breaks out into a hymn of praise, cele- 
 brating the future triumphant state of the church. The 
 third division, Avhich reaches from the 13th to the 27th 
 chapter inclusive, begins with a very remarkable prophecy 
 of the destruction of Babylon, which is considered as a 
 type of Antichrist ; it then describes the fate of the Jews, 
 Assyrians, Moabites, Philistines, Arabians, SjTians, and 
 Egyptians, and concludes in a manner similar to the last. 
 The fourth division, which extends from the 28th to the 
 .■^5th chai)ter inclusive, contains predictions relative to the 
 then approaching invasion of Sennacherib ; but it is in- 
 terspersed with severe reproofs and threats against the 
 Jews for disobechence and wilful blindness, and also with 
 consolatoiy promises to those who should remain faithful 
 in the service of God, alluding frequently to the times of 
 the Gospel. The 3Cth, and t^^o following chapters, which 
 constitute the 5th division, give an historical accoimt of 
 the invasion of Sennacherib, and of the prolongation of 
 Hezekiah's life. The sixth division reaches from the 39th 
 chapter to the end of the book : here the prophet generally 
 addresses his countrjTuen as being actually in the captivity 
 which he had previously foretold ; he prechcts the total 
 destniction of the empue of Babylon, and the restoration 
 of the Jews to their otati land, by their great deliverer 
 Cyrus, whom he represents the Almighty as calling upon 
 by name to execute his will, above 1 00 years before his 
 birth. In this latter part of the book are pi-incipally con- 
 tained the numerous prophecies, already noticed, concern- 
 ing the birth, ministry, death, and religion of Christ, to- 
 gether with a variety of circumstances which were to i)re- 
 cede and follow his incarnation. " These prophecies seem 
 almost to anticipate the gospel history, so clearly do they 
 
74 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS [Part I. 
 
 foiesliew the divine character of Christ ; his miracles ; his 
 ))ecuhar quahties and virtues ; his rejection and sufferings 
 for our sins; his death,, burial, and victory over deatli ; 
 and lastly, his final glory, and the establishment, increase 
 and perfection of his kingdom, each specifically pointed 
 out and pourtrayed Avith the most striking and discrimi- 
 natmg characters (/)." With these predictions are mixed 
 earnest exliortations to faith and obedience, and positive 
 denunciations of God's wrath against the impenitently 
 wicked ; the most comfortable assurances of the constant 
 providence of God, and the fulfilment of all his gracious 
 l)romises, and descriptions of the glorious state of the 
 Church, Avhen it shall be enlarged by the conversion of 
 the Jews, and the fulness of the Gentiles, in terms in- 
 imitably suited to the variety and loftiness of the subjects. 
 
 Jeremiah was of the sacerdotal family, and a native of 
 Anathoth, a village about three miles distant from Je- 
 rusalem. He was called to the prophetic office in the loth 
 year of Josiah's reign, B.C. G28, and continued to exercise 
 it about 41 years. He was suffered to remain in Judica, 
 *.vhen his countrymen were carried away ca]>tivc by Nebu- 
 chadnezzar, and he afterwards retired into Egypt with Jo- 
 hanan the son of Kareah. Some accounts state that he 
 returned into his own country and died there ; but Jerome 
 says, which seems more probable, that he was stoned to 
 death at Talpesha, a royal city of Egypt, about 5SG years 
 before Christ. Though his prophecies are not supposed 
 to be in all cases arranged according to the order in which 
 they were delivered, wc fiud bun not unfrequently, in the 
 latter part of the book, appealing to prophecies contained 
 in the former chapters, which had been since fulfilled. 
 The most remarkable predictions are, the Babylonian caji- 
 tivity, with the precise time of its dm-ation, and the return 
 
 (/) Gray. 
 
Chap. 2.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 76 
 
 of the Jews ; the fate of Zedekiah ; the destruction of 
 Babylou most accurately described, in terms which are 
 usually considered as applicable likewise to the mystical 
 Babylon or Antichrist ; the downfall of many other na- 
 tions ; the miraculous conception of Christ ; the efficacy 
 of his atonement ; the spiritual nature of his religion, and 
 the general conversion and restoration of God's ancient 
 people. Jeremiah also bewails in most pathetic terms the 
 obstinate wickedness of the Jews, and describes, in plain 
 and impressive language, the calamities \\hich impended 
 over them. He sometimes breaks out into the most feel- 
 ing and bitter comjilaints of the treatment which he 
 received from his covmtrymen, whose resentment he 
 provoked by the severity of his reproofs. The style of 
 Jeremiah, though deficient neither in sublimity nor ele- 
 gance, is considered as inferior in both respects to that of 
 Isaiah. Jerome objects to him a certain rusticity of lan- 
 guage, " cujus equidem," says Bishop Lowth, " fatcor 
 nulla me deprehendisse vestigia (ni)." The ^mtings of 
 Jeremiah are principally characterized by precisioir m nis 
 descriptions, and by a pathos calculated to awaken and in- 
 terest the milder afi'ections, but not admitting of that 
 loftiness of sentiment and dignity of expression, which we 
 meet with in several of the pi'opliets. At the same time, 
 many of his invectives against the ingratitude and wicked- 
 ness of his cormtrymen are delivered in an energetic strain 
 of eloquence, and in his predictions he frequently rises to 
 a veiy high degree of sublimity. His historical relations 
 we MTitten with great simplicity, and the events, of which 
 he was himself witness, are described with animation and 
 force. About one half of the book, chieflv in the begin- 
 ning and at the end, is \^Titten in metre. The 51st chap- 
 ter concludes in this manner ; " Thus far are the words of 
 
 im) Prajlect. 21. 
 
76 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS [Part I 
 
 Jeremiah ;" and tlieuce it appears that the 52n(l, being 
 tlie ast chapter, was not written by that proj)het. It is 
 suppDsed to have been compiled by Ezra, principally from 
 the latter part of the second book of Kings, and from the 
 Syth and 40th chapters of this book, as a proper introduc- 
 tion to the Lamentations. 
 
 The Lamentations of Jeremiah were formerly annexed 
 to his prophecies, though they now form a separate book. 
 Josephus, and several other learned men, have referred 
 them to the death of Josiah ; but the more common opi- 
 nion is, that they are applicable only to some period subse- 
 quent to the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. 
 But though it be allowed, that the Lamentations were 
 primarily intended as a pathetic description of present ca- 
 lamities, yet, while Jeremiah mourns the desolation o» 
 Judah and Jerusalem during the Babylonian captivity, he 
 may be considered as proi)hctically painting the still greater 
 miseries they were to suffer at some future time ; this 
 seems plainly indicated, by his referring to the time when, 
 the punishment of their iniquity shall be accomplished, 
 and they shall no more be carried into captinty (»)• The 
 Lamentations are written in metre, and consist of a num- 
 ber of plaintive effusions, composed after the manner of 
 funeral dirges. They seem to have been originally MTitteu 
 by their author as they arose in his mind, and to have 
 been afterwards joined together as one poem. There is 
 no regular arrangement of the subject or disposition of the 
 parts ; the same thought is frequently repeated with dif- 
 ferent imagery, or expressed in different words. There is, 
 however, n® wild incoherency, or abrupt transition ; th& 
 whole apjiears to have been chctated by the ftelings of real 
 grief. Tenderness and sorrow form the general character 
 of these elegies ; and an attentive reader will find great 
 
 («) Ch. 4, y. 22 
 
Cliap. 2.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 'J'J 
 
 beauty iu many of the images, and considerable energy in 
 some of the expressions. This book of Lamentations is 
 divided into five cliapters ; in the first, second, and fourth, 
 the prophet speaks in his own person, or by an elegant 
 and interesting personification introduces the city of Je- 
 rusalem as lamenting her calamities, and confessing her 
 sins ; in the third chapter a single Jew, speaking in the 
 name of a chorus of his countrymen, like the Coryphaeus 
 of the Greeks, describes the punishment inflicted upon 
 him by God, but still acknowledges his mercy, and ex- 
 presses some hope of deliverance ; and in the fifth chapter, 
 the whole nation of the Jews pom* forth their united com- 
 plaints and supplications to Almighty God. 
 
 Ezckiel, like his contemporary Jeremiah, was of the sa- 
 cerdotal race. He was carried away captive to Babylon 
 with Jehoiachim king of Judah, 598 years before Christ, 
 and was placed with many other of his countrjTnen upon 
 the river Chebar in Mesopotamia, where he was favoured 
 with the Divine revelations contained in this book. He 
 began to prophecy in the fifth year of his captivity, and is 
 supposed to have prophesied about twent}'-one years. The 
 boldness with which he censured the idolatry and ■v\ieked- 
 ness of his countrymen is said to have cost him his Hfe ; 
 but his memory was greatly revered, not only by the 
 Jews, but also by the Medes and Persians. This book 
 may be considered under the five following divisions : the 
 first three chapters contain the glorious appearance of God 
 to the prophet, and his solemn appointment to his office, 
 with instructions and encouragements for the discharge of 
 it. From the 4th to the 24th chapter inclusive, he dc'. 
 scribes, under a variety of visions and similitudes, the ca- 
 lamities impending over Judaea, and the total destruction 
 of the temple and city of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, 
 occasionally predicting another period of yet greater deso- 
 lation, and more general dispersion. From the beginning 
 
78 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS [Part I. 
 
 of the 25th to the end of the 32d chapter, the prophet 
 foretels the conquest and ruin of many nations and cities, 
 which had insulted the Jews in their affliction : of the 
 Ammonites, the Moabites, the Edomites, and Phihstines ; 
 of Tyre, of Sidon, and Egypt; all of which were to he 
 punished by the same might}- insti-ument of God's wrath 
 against the wickedness of man ; and in these prophecies 
 he not only predicts events which were soon to take place, 
 but he also describes the condition of these several coun- 
 tries in the remote periods of the woi-ld. From the 32d 
 to the 40th chajiter he inveighs against the accumulated 
 sins of the Jews collectively, and the mm-muring spirit of 
 his captive brethren ; exhorts them earnestly to repent of 
 their hypocrisy and wickedness, upon the assurance that 
 God will accept sincere repentance ; and comforts them 
 M-ith promises of approaching deliverance under Cyrus; 
 subjoining clear intimations of some far more glorious, but 
 distant, redemjition under the Slessiah, though the man- 
 ner in \\hich it is to be effected is deeply involved in m\ s- 
 teiy. The last nine chapters contain a remarkable vision 
 of the structure of a new temple and a new polity, appli- 
 cable in the first instance to the return from the Babylo- 
 nian captivity, but in its idtimate sense referring to the 
 glory and prosperity of the universal Church of Christ. 
 Jerome observes, that the visions of Ezekiel are among the 
 things in Scriptiu'c hard to be understood. This obscu- 
 rity arises, in part at least, from the nature and design of 
 the prophecies themselves : they were delivered amidst the 
 gloom of captivity ; and though calculated to cheer the 
 drooping spirits of the Jews, and to keep alive a watchful 
 and submissive confidence in the mercy of God, yet tbey 
 were intended to communicate only such a degree of en- 
 couragement as was consistent with a state of punishment, 
 and to excite an indistinct expectation of future blessings, 
 upon the condition of repentance and amendment : and it 
 
Chap. 2.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. JB 
 
 ought to be observed, that the last twelve chapters of this 
 book bear a very striking resemblance to the concluding 
 chapters of the Revelation. " The style of this prophet 
 is characterized by Bishop Lowth, as bold, vehement, and 
 tragical ; as often worked up to a kind of tremendous 
 dignit}^ This book is highly parabolical, and abounds 
 with figm-es and metaphorical expressions. Ezekiel may 
 be compared to the Grecian ^schylus ; he displays a 
 rough l)ut majestic dignity ; an unpolished, though noble 
 simplicity ; inferior perhaps in originality and elegance to 
 others of the prophets, but luiequalled in that force and 
 grandeur for ^^hich he is particularly celebrated. lie 
 sometimes emphatically and indignantly repeats his senti- 
 ments, fully dilates his pictures, and describes the adul- 
 terous manners of his countrymen under the strongest and 
 most exaggerated representations, that the license of the 
 eastern style would admit. The middle part of the 
 book is in some measure poetical, and contains even some 
 perfect elegies, though his thoughts are in general too ii*- 
 regular and uncontrolled to be chained down to rule, or 
 fettered by language (<'')•" 
 
 Daniel was a descendant of the kings of Judah, and is 
 said to have been born at Upper Bethoron, in the territoiy 
 of Ephraira. He was carried a^vay captive to Babylon, 
 when he was about eighteen or twenty years of age, in the 
 year 606 before the Christian sera. He was placed in the 
 com*t of Nebuchadnezzar, and was afterwards raised to 
 situations of great rank and power, both in the empire of 
 Babylon and of Persia. He lived to the end of the cap- 
 tivity, but being then nearly ninety years old, it is most 
 probable that he did not return to Judica. It is generally 
 believed that he died at Susa, soon after his last vision, 
 which is dated in the third year of the reign of Cyrus. 
 
 (o) Gray. 
 
80 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS [Part I. 
 
 Daniel seems to have been the only prophet who enjoyed 
 a great share of worldly prosperity ; but amidst the cor- 
 ruptions of a licentious court, he preserved his virtue and 
 integrity inviolate, and no danger or temptation could di- 
 vert him froni the worship of the true God. The book 
 of Daniel is a mixture of history and prophecy : in the 
 first six chapters is recorded a variety of events, which oc- 
 curred in the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and 
 Darius, and, in particular, the second chapter contains 
 Nebuchadnezzar's prophetic di-eam concerning the four 
 great successive monarchies, and the everlasting kingdom 
 of the jMessiah, which God enabled Daniel to interjn-et. 
 In the last six chapters ^\e have a series of prophecies, 
 revealed at different times, extending from the days of 
 Daniel to the general resiu-rection. The Assyrian, the 
 Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman empires, are all par- 
 ticularly described under ajipropriate characters ; and it is 
 expressly declared, that the last of them was to be divided 
 into ten lesser kingdoms ; the time at which Christ was 
 to a])pcar is precisely fixed : the rise and fall of Anti- 
 christ, and the duration of his power, are exactly deter- 
 mined ; and the future restoration of the Jews, the victoiy 
 of Chi-ist over all his enemies, and the imiversal prevalence 
 of true religion, are distinctly foretold, as being to precede 
 the consummation of that stupendous plan of God, which 
 " was laid before the foundation of the world." and reaches 
 to its dissolution. Part of this l)Ook is written in the 
 Chaldaic language, namely, from the 4th verse of the 2d 
 chapter to the end of the 7th chapter : these chapters re- 
 late chiefly to the affairs of Babylon, and it is probable 
 that some passages were taken from the public registers. 
 This book abounds with the most exalted sentiments of 
 piety and devout gratitude ; its style is clear, simi)le, and 
 concise ; and many of its prophecies are delivered in 
 
Chap. 2.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 81 
 
 terms so plain and circumstantial, that some unbelievers (p) 
 have asserted, in opposition to the strongest testimony, 
 that they were An-itten after the events, uhich they de- 
 oribe, had taken place. 
 
 Hosea is generally considered as a native and inhabitant 
 of the kingdom of Israel, and is sujjposed to have begun 
 to prophesy about 800 years before Christ. He exercised 
 his office sixty years, but it is not kno^ATi at what period 
 his different prophecies, now remaining, were dehvered. 
 Most of them are directed against the people of Israel, 
 whom he reproves and threatens for their idolatry and 
 wickedness, and exhorts to repentance ^^ith the greatest 
 earnestness, as the only means of averting the evils im- 
 jjending over their countiy. The principal predictions 
 contained in this book are the captivity and dispersion of 
 the kingdom of Israel; the deliverance of Judah from 
 Sennacherib ; the present state of the Jews ; their future 
 restoration, and union with the Gentiles in the kingdom of 
 the Messiah ; the call of our Saviour out of Egypt, and 
 his resuiTection on the third day. The style of Hosea is 
 peculiai-ly obscure ; it is sententious, concise, and abi-upt ; 
 the transitions of person are sudden ; and the connexive 
 and adversative pai-ticles are frequently omitted. The 
 jorophecies are in one continued series, without any dis- 
 tinction as to the times Avhen they were delivered, or the 
 different subjects to which they relate ; nor are they so 
 clear and detailed, as the predictions of those jirophets 
 who lived in succeeding ages ; but when we have sur- 
 mounted these difficulties, we shall see abundant reason 
 to admire the force and energy with which this prophet 
 writes, and the boldness of the figures and similitudes 
 which he uses. 
 
 (p) Porphyry, in particular, asserted this with respect to 
 the prophecies which relate to the Grecian Sj'rian, and Egyp- 
 tian history. 
 
 G 
 
82 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS [Part I. 
 
 It is impossible to ascertain the age in which Joel lived, 
 but it seems most probable that he was coutemporarj' with 
 Hosea. No particulars of his life or death are ccrtaiuly 
 known. His prophecies are confined to the kingdom of 
 Judah. He inveighs against the sins and impieties of the 
 peojile, and threatens them with divine vengeance ; he 
 exhorts to repentance, fasting and prayer, and promises 
 the favour of God to those who should be obedient. The 
 ))rincipal predictions contained in this book are, the Chal- 
 dean invasion, under the figurative reiiresentation of lo- 
 custs ; the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus ; the bless- 
 ings of the Gospel dispensation ; the conversion and re- 
 storation of the Jews to their own land ; the overthrow of 
 the enemies of God ; and the glorious state of the Cliris- 
 tian church in the end of the world. The stjle of Joel is 
 perspicuous and elegant, and his descrii)tions are remark- 
 ably animated and poetical. 
 
 Amos was contemporary with Hosea, and was by pro- 
 fession a herdsman. Tradition reports, that he was ])ut to 
 death by Uzziah, son of Amaziah, whose displeasure he 
 incurred by the freedom with which he censured his vices. 
 His prophecies relate chiefly to the kingdom of Israel ; 
 but he sometimes denounces judgment against the king- 
 dom of Judah, and also against the jieople who bordered 
 upon Palestine, the Syrians, Philistines, Tyrians, Edomites, 
 Ammonites, and Moabites. He foretels in clear terms the 
 calamities and captivity of the ten tribes, and at the same 
 time declares that God will not utterly destroy his chosen 
 people, but that he will, at some future period, restore 
 them to more than their ancient splendour and haiijnness 
 in the kingdom of the Messiah. *' Some writers, who 
 have adverted to the condition of Amos, have, with, a mi- 
 nute affectation of criticism, pretended to discover a cer- 
 tain rudeness and vulgarity in his style ; and even Jerome 
 IS of opinion that he is deficient in magnificence and sub- 
 
Chap. 2.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 83 
 
 limity, applying to him the words which St. Paul speaks 
 of himself, that he was rude in speech, though not in 
 knowledge {q) ; and his authority, says Bishop Lowth, 
 has influenced many commentators to represent him as 
 entirely rude, and void of elegance ; ^'^hereas it requires 
 but little attention to he convinced that ' he is not a \^'hit 
 behind the very chiefest of the prophets,' equal to the 
 greatest in loftiness of sentiment, and scarcely inferior to 
 any in the s^ilendour of his diction, and in the elegance of 
 his composition. Mr. Locke has observed, that his com- 
 parisons are chiefly di-a^\Ti from lions and other animals, 
 because he lived among and was conversant with such 
 objects. But, indeed, the finest images and allusions, 
 which adorn the poetical parts of Scripture, in general are 
 drawn from scenes of nature, and from the grand objects 
 that range in her walks ; and true genius ever delights in 
 considering these as the real sources of beauty and magni- 
 ficence. Amos had the opportunities, and a mind inclined, 
 to contemplate the works of the Deit}', and his descrip- 
 tions of the Almighty are particularly sublime ; indeed his 
 whole work is animated with a veiy fine masculine elo- 
 quence (?•)." 
 
 ]Many have been the conjectures concerning the ao-e in 
 which Obadiah lived. The most probable opinion seems to 
 be, that he was contemporary with Jeremiah and Ezekiel, 
 and that he delivered his prophecy about the year 585 
 before Christ, soon after the destruction of Jerusalem by 
 Nebuchadnezzar. This book, which consists of a single 
 chapter, is witten with great beauty and elegance, and 
 contains predictions of the utter destruction of the Edom- 
 ites, and of the future restoration and ]5rosperity of the 
 Jews. 
 
 Jonah was the son cf Amittai, of the tribe of Zabulon, 
 
 {q) 2Cor. c. 11, V. 6. (r) Gray. 
 
84 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS [Part I. 
 
 and was boru at Gath-heplier in Galilee. He is generally 
 considered as the most ancient of the ])vo]ihets, and is 
 supposed to have lived about 840 years before Christ. 
 The book of Jonah is chiefly naiTative ; he relates that he 
 was commanded by God to go to Nineveh, and preach 
 against the inhabitants of that capital of the AssjTian em- 
 pire ; that through fear of executing this commission he 
 set sail for Tarshish, and that in his voyage thither, a 
 tempest arising, he was cast by the mariners into the sea, 
 and swallo^ved by a large fish ; that while in the belly of 
 (his fish he prayed to God, and was, after three days and 
 t hree nights, delivered out of it alive ; that he then re- 
 flcived a second command to go and preach against Nine- 
 veh, which he obeyed ; that upon his threatening the de- 
 struction of the city within forty days, the king and peo- 
 ple proclaimed a fast, and repented of their sins; and 
 that upon this repentance God suspended the sentence 
 which he had ordered to be i)ronounced in his name (*'). 
 The last chapter gives an account of the murmuring of 
 Jonah at this instance of Divine mercy, and of the gentle 
 and condescending manner in which it pleased God to re- 
 prove the prophet for his unjust comjdaint. The style of 
 Jonah is simple and perspicuous, and his prayer, in the 
 second chapter, is strongly descriptive of the feelings of a 
 pious mind under a severe trial of faith. 
 
 Micah Mas a native of Morasthi, a village in the south- 
 ern part of Judaea, and is su2)posed to have prophesied 
 about 750 years before Christ. He was commissioned to 
 denounce the judgments of God against both the king- 
 doms of Judah and Israel, for their idolatry and ^^icke;l- 
 uess. The principal predictions contained in this book 
 
 (s) Upon their repentance God deferred the cxoculion of his 
 Judgment, till the incroase of their iniquities made them ripe 
 fur d(!blruclion, about 150 years afterwards. — Lowth. 
 
Chap. 2.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 85 
 
 are, the invasions of Shalmanezer and Sennacherib ; the 
 destruction of Samaria and of Jerusalem, mixed with con- 
 solatory promises of the deliverance of the Jews fi'om the 
 Babylonian captivity, and of the do\^'nfal of the power of 
 their Assyi-ian and Babylonian oppressors ; the cessation 
 of prophecy in consequence of their continued deceitful- 
 ness and hj'pocrisy ; and desolation in a then distant pe- 
 riod, still greater than that which was declared to be 
 immediately impending. The birth of the Messiah at 
 Bethlehem is also expressly foretold ; and the Jews are 
 du-ected to look to the establishment and extent of his 
 kingdom, as an unfaihng source of comfort amidst general 
 distress. The style of Micah is neiTOus, concise, and ele- 
 gant, often elevated and poetical, but sometimes obscure 
 from sudden transitions of subject ; and the contrast of 
 the neglected duties of justice, mercy, humility, and piety 
 with the punctilious observance of the ceremonial sacri- 
 fices, affords a beautiful example of the harmony which 
 subsists between the Mosaic and Christian dispensations, 
 and shows that the law partook, in some degree at least, 
 of that spiritual nature, which more immediately charac- 
 terizes the religion of Jesus. 
 
 Nahum is supposed to have been a native of Elcosh or 
 Elcosha, a village in Galilee, and to have been of the tribe 
 of Simeon. There is great uncertainty about the exact 
 period in which he lived, but it is generally allowed that 
 he delivered his predictions between the Assyrian and 
 Babylonian captivities, and probably about the year 715 
 before Christ. They relate solely to the destruction of 
 Nineveh (t) by the Babylonians and Medes, and are intro- 
 
 (<) Archbishop Usher places the destruction of Nineveh 
 A.M. 3378, that is, according to Dean Prideaux, in the 29th 
 year of King Josiah, and twenty-four years before the de- 
 struction of Jerusalem ; which time exactly agrees with the 
 account given by Herodotus and other heathen historians. 
 
86 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS [Part I. 
 
 duced by an animated display of the attributes of God. 
 Of all the minor i)rophets, says Bishop Lo«th (u), none 
 seems to equal Nahum in sublimity, ardour, and Ijoldness. 
 His i)rophecy forms an entire and regular poem. The ex- 
 ordium is magnificent and truly august. The preparation 
 for the destruction of Nineveh, and the description of that 
 destniction, are exj)rcssed in the most glowing colours ; 
 and at the same time the prophet writes with a perspicuity 
 and elegance which have a just claim to our highest 
 admiration. 
 
 Nothing is certainly knoAra concerning the tribe or 
 birth-place of Ilabakkuk. He is sujjposed to have pro- 
 phesied about the year 605 before Christ, and to have been 
 alive at the time of the final destruction of Jerusalem by 
 Nebuchadnezzar. It is generally Ijelieved that he remained 
 and died in Judica. The principal predictions contained 
 in this book are, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the 
 captivity of the Jews by the Chaldaians or Babylonians ; 
 then* deliverance from the oppressor " at the appointed 
 time ;" and the total ruin of the Babylonian empire. The 
 promise of the Messiah is confirmed ; the overruling pro- 
 vidence of God is asserted ; and the concluding prayer, or 
 rather hymn, recounts the wonders which God had \M-ought 
 for his people, when he led them from Egypt into Canaan, 
 and expresses the most perfect confidence in the fulfilment 
 of his promises. The style of Ilabakkuk is highly poeti- 
 cal, and the hymn is, perhaps, unrivalled for united suljli- 
 mity, simi)licity, and j)iety. 
 
 Zephaniali was the son of Cushi, and was probably of a 
 noble family of the triljc of Simeon. He prophesie<l in 
 the reign of Josiah, about G30 years before Christ. He 
 denounces the judgments of God against the idolatry and 
 sins of his countrjmen, and exhorts them to repentance ; 
 
 («) Pra?l. 21. 
 
Chap. 2.] OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 87 
 
 he predicts the punishment of the PhiUstines, Moabites, 
 Ammonites, and Ethiopians, and foretels the destruction 
 of Nineveh ; he again inveighs against the corruptions of 
 Jerusalem, and with his threats mixes promises of futiu-e 
 favour and prosperity to his people, whose recal from their 
 dispersion shall glorify the name of God throughout the 
 world. The style of Zephaniah is poetical ; but it is not 
 distinguished by any peculiar elegance or beauty, though 
 generally animated and impressive. 
 
 HaggaL was one of the Jews who returned with Ze- 
 rubbabel to Jerusalem in consequence of the edict of 
 Cyrus ; and it is believed, that he was born during the 
 captivity, and that he was of the sacerdotal race. This 
 short book consists of four distinct revelations, all which 
 took place in the second year of Darius king of Persia, 
 which was the 520th year before Christ. The prophet 
 reproves the people for their delay in building the temple 
 of God, and represents the unfruitful seasons which they 
 had.(^:perienced, as a divine punishment for this neglect. 
 He exhorts them to proceed in the important work ; and 
 by way cf encouragement he tells them, that the glory of 
 the second temple, however inferior in external magnifi- 
 cence, shall exceed that of the first, which was accom- 
 plished by its being honoured \vith the presence of the 
 Saviour of Mankind. He again urges the completion of 
 the temple by promises of divine favour, and under the 
 type of Zerubbabel he is supposed to foretel the great re- 
 volutions which shall precede the second advent of Christ. 
 The style of Haggai is in general plain and simple ; but in 
 some passages it rises to a considerable degree of sub- 
 limity. 
 
 Zechariah was the son of Barachiah, and the grandson 
 of Iddo. He was born dm-ing the captivity, and came to 
 Jerusalem when the Jews were permitted by Cyrus to re- 
 turn to their own countiy. He began to prophesy two 
 
88 CONTENTS OF THE SEVERAL BOOKS fPiirt I. 
 
 months later than Haggai, and continued to exercise 
 his office about two years. Like his contemporary 
 Ilaggai, Zechai'iah begins with exhorting tiic Jews to 
 proceed in the rebuihUng of the temple; he pro- 
 mises them the aid and protection of God, and as- 
 sures them of the sjieedy increase and prosperity of Je- 
 rusalem ; he then emblematically describes the four great 
 empii'es, and foretels the glory of the Christian chiu"ch, 
 when Jews and Gentiles shall be united under their great 
 high priest and governor, Jesus Christ, of whom Joshua 
 the high priest, and Zeiiibbabel the governor, were types ; 
 he predicts many particulars relative to om* Saviom* and 
 his kingdom, and to the futm-e condition of the Jews. 
 Many moral instructions and admonitions are interspersed 
 throughout the work. Several learned men have been of 
 oi)imon that the last six chapters were not written by 
 Zechariah ; but whoever wrote them, their inspired au- 
 thority is established by their being quoted in three of the 
 Gospels (x). The style of Zechariah is so remarkably simi- 
 lar to that of Jeremiah, that the Jews were accustomed to 
 obsen'e, that the spirit of Jeremiah had passed into him. 
 By far the greater part of this book is prosaic ; but to- 
 \\ards the conclusion there ai'e some poetical passages 
 which are highly ornamented. The chction is in general 
 perspicuous, and the transitions to the different subjects 
 are easily discerned. 
 
 Malachi prophesied about 400 years before Christ ; and 
 some traditionary accounts state that he was a native of 
 Sapha, and of the tribe of Zabulon. He reproves the 
 people for their wickedness, and the priests for their neg- 
 ligence in the discharge of their office ; he threatens the 
 disobedient with the judgirients of God, and promises great 
 rewards to the jienitent and pious ; he predicts the coming 
 
 (.r) Matt. c. 26, v. 31. Mark, c. 11, v. 27. Jolui, c. 19, 
 V. 37. Vide Ncwcome on the Minor-Prophets, 
 
Chap. 2.J oy the old testament. 89 
 
 of Christ, and the preaching of John the Baptist ; and 
 ^^^th a solemnity becoming the last of the prophets, he 
 closes the sacred Canon with enjoining the strict observance 
 of the Mosaic Law, till the forerunner, already promised, 
 should appear in the spirit of Elias, to introduce the Mes- 
 siah, who was to establish a new and everlasting cove- 
 nant. Malachi lived in the decline of the Hebrew poetry, 
 which greatly degenerated after the return from the 
 Babylonian captivity ; but his writings are by no means 
 destitute of force or elegance, and he may justly be con- 
 sidered as occupying a middle place among the minor 
 prophets. 
 
i;0 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, | Part I. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 CHAPTER THE THIRD: 
 
 THE OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, AND THE 
 HISTORY' OF THE JEWS CONTINUED TO THE DE- 
 STRUCTION OF JERUSALEM BY" THE ROMANS. 
 
 The Old Testament begins with tlie history of the Crea- 
 tion, which Moses was enabled by Divine In- ,,„,, 
 , „ T^ •, • , B. c. 4004. 
 spiration to relate. Irom Revelation there- 
 fore we learn, that the world was created (a) in six da\ s, 
 and that " on the seventh day God ended his work whicli 
 he had made, and blessed the seventh day, and sanctiicd 
 it (^)." The first man Adam was created on the sixth da}'. 
 " And God said. Let us make man in our image, after our 
 likeness (e) ; and let them have dominion over the fish of 
 
 (a) According to the Hebrew Icxt, which we follow in this 
 work, the world was created 4004 years before Iho birlh of 
 Christ. The Septuagint version places the Creation 5872 years, 
 and the Samaritan Pentateuch 4700, before the Christian era. 
 
 (6) Gen. c. 2, v. 2 and 3. 
 
 (c) " In our image, after our likeness :" — Two words, some 
 think, to express the same tiling, witii this difference only, as 
 Abarbincl explains it, that the last words, afler our likeness, 
 give us to understand, that man was not created properly and 
 perfectly in the image of God, but in a resemblance of liini. 
 For he doth not say, in our likeness, says that author, as lie 
 had said, in our image, but after our likeness ; where the 
 
Chap. 3.J AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 91 
 
 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 npon 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 the Lord God formed man 
 of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils 
 the breath of life : and man became a living soul (d)." 
 Man was created innocent, upright, and hajipy, with 
 powers of understanding and will, a rational and moral 
 fi'ce agent. He was immediately placed in the fruitful 
 and pleasant garden of Eden, and was, with one exception, 
 indulged in the free use of every thing which smuoimded 
 him. A single prohibition was imposed by his Creator, as 
 the mark of his dependance, and the test of his obedience. 
 He was forbidden to eat the fruit of the tree which was 
 
 Caph of similitude, as they call it, abates something of tlie 
 sense of what follows, and makes it signify only an .approach 
 to the divine likeness, in understanding, freedom of choice, 
 spirituality, immortality, &c. Thus Tertullian explains it : 
 Habent illas ubique lineas Dei, qua immortalis anima, qua 
 libera et sui arbitrii, qua prajscia plerumque, qua rationalis, 
 capax intellectus et scientise, lib. 2, cont. Marc. cap. 9. And 
 so Greg. Nyssen, cap. 16, de Opis. Hom. Uavrfi; th diavottaOai 
 Kcii TrpoCnXivnv cvva/.tiv f x*^"'*! &c. All have a power of consi- 
 dering and designing, of consulting and fore-appointing of what 
 we intend to do. Purity and holiness likewise seem to be 
 comprehended in this, as may be gathered from the apostle, 
 Col. c. 3, V. 10. For the new man consists in righteousness 
 and true lioliness. Eph. c. 4, v. 24. But though he was created 
 with a faculty to judge aright, and with a power to govern his 
 appetites, which he could control more easily than we can do 
 now ; yet he was not made immutably good (quia hoc soli 
 Deo cedit, which belongs to God alone, as Tertullian excel- 
 lently discourses in that place) but might, without due care, 
 be induced to do evil, as we see he did : for an habituated 
 confirmed estate of goodness was even then to have been ac- 
 quired by watchfulness and exercise, whereby, in process of 
 lime, he might have become so stedfast, that he could not 
 have been prevailed upon by any temptation to do contrary to 
 liis duty. — Patrick. 
 
 (d) Gen. c. 1, v. 26 and 27, c. 2, v. 7. 
 
.92 OLD TESTAMEXT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, with 
 a solemn denunciation from God, that if he did eat of it, 
 he should surely die. But neither his residence in the 
 garden of Eden, in which was eveiy thing " pleasant to the 
 sight and good for food," nor his ahsolute " dominion 
 over all creatures of the eai-th, and of the sea, and of the 
 air," could render him happy without a rational com- 
 panion. "And God said, It is not good that the man 
 should be alone; I will make him an help meet for 
 him (c)." And God formed the first woman. Eve, out of 
 one of Adam's ribs, and brought her unto Adam as his 
 w'ife, to prove that this being was of the same nature as 
 himself, and therefore worthy to be considered as his com- 
 panion. And Adam said " This is now bone of my bone, 
 and flesh of my flesh : therefore shall a man leave his fa- 
 ther and his mother, and shall cleave unto his m ife ; and 
 they shall be one flesh (/):" thus was man in-onounced 
 to be a social being, and tlnis was marriage instituted, by 
 divine authority, from the beginning of the world. 
 
 But the happiness of our first parents was soon inter- 
 rupted by the malignity of Satan, or the Evil Spirit, ^^ho 
 ■was permitted to tempt them to transgress the command 
 of their benevolent Creator, in the form of a serpent {g), 
 which is said to be " more subtle than anj' beast of the 
 field (/«)•" The serpent seduced Eve, and Eve afterwards 
 seduced Adam, to eat of the forbidden fruit, by exciting 
 the hope that it would increase their knowledge, and e.xalt 
 
 (e) Gen. c. 2, v. 18. 
 
 (/) Gen. c. 2, v. 23 and 24. 
 
 {g) See Patrick's Commentaries, Sherlock's Discourses, and 
 Maurice's History and Indian Antiquities, upon this subject. 
 The prophet Isaiah, c. 27, v. I, evidently alludes to Satan as 
 " the dragon or the serpent;" and he is so called in the Revc- 
 lalion, c. 12, v. 9. c. 20, v. 2. Eastern tradition corifirms this 
 account, and represents the Evil Spirit under the same form. 
 
 {h) Gen. c. 3, v. 1. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. .93 
 
 the dignity of their natm-e. B)' this violation of the ex- 
 press command of God, sin and niiseiy were introduced 
 into the world. A total change, in consequence of the 
 Fall of Adam and Eve from their primitive innocence, in- 
 stantaneously took place in their minds and dispositions j 
 and a corrupt natm-e, subject to disease and death, and 
 prone to vice and wickedness, was derived from them to 
 all their posterity. " Unto the woman, God said, I will 
 greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception ; in sorrow 
 thou shalt bring forth chikben ; and thy desire shall be to 
 thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam 
 he said. Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of 
 thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded 
 thee, saying, thou shalt not eat of it : cm'sed is the ground 
 for thy sake ; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of 
 thy life. Thorns also, and thistles shall it bring forth to 
 thee : and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the 
 sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return 
 unto the ground ; for out of it ^^■ast thou taken : for dust 
 thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return (i)." — " And the 
 Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, 
 to know good and evil; and now, lest he put foi-th his 
 hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live 
 for ever ; therefore, the Lord God sent him forth from 
 the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he 
 was taken (A)." 
 
 As the Fall of Adam, and the consequent corruption of 
 human natm'c, were the original cause of the necessity of 
 a Redeemer, we find that God was pleased to give an inti- 
 mation of the future .redemption of mankind, at the time 
 he denoimccd punishment upon Adam's disobedience : 
 "And the Lord God said unto the serjient, I will put 
 
 (0 Gen. c. 3, v. 16—19. 
 (-1-) Gen. c, 3, v. '22 and 23. 
 
94 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part 1. 
 
 enmitj' "between tlicc and the woman, and between tli)' 
 seed and her seed ; it shall bruise thy head, and thou 
 shalt bruise his heel (/)." 
 
 To Adam and Eve were born sons and daughters, but 
 their number are not recorded in Scripture. The only 
 three, whose names are mentioned, are Cain, Abel, and 
 Seth ; and of these three the sacred histonan has chiefly 
 confined himself to the posterity of Seth, probably be- 
 cause from him were descended Noah and Abraham, and 
 consequently the peo2)le chosen to preserve the knowledge 
 of God in the world, and to give birth to the promised 
 Messiah. 
 
 The race of men quickly increased, and the lives of the 
 patriarchs were extended to more than 900 years. In the 
 time of Noah, who Avas the ninth in descent from Adam, 
 the wickedness of men became so great, that God saw tit 
 to destroy, by a general deluge, all the inhabitants of the 
 earth, except Noah and his wife, and his three sons, Shera, 
 Ham, and Japhet, and their wives, and two, male and 
 female, of eveiy species of animals. These were all pre- 
 served in an Ark made by the command of God, who 
 himself described its form and dimensions. " Noah found 
 grace in the eyes of the Lord, because he was a just man, 
 and perfect in his generations, and aa alked with God (/«)•" 
 The deluge was 1G56 years after the creation of the 
 "^^ world, and 2348 before the birth of Christ. " And 
 every living substance was destroyed which was upon the 
 face of the ground, both man and cattle, and the creeping 
 things, and the fowl of the heaven : and they were de- 
 stroyed from the earth, and Noah onh- remained alive, and 
 they that were with him in the Ark (?;)." After " the 
 
 (I) Gen. c. 3, v. 15. Vide Patrick in Loc. 
 (ni) Gen. c. 6, v. 8 and 9. 
 («) Gen. c. 7, v. 23. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 95 
 
 waters had prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty 
 days (o)," they began to abate ; the Aik rested upon the 
 mountain of Ararat in Armenia, and Noah and his family, 
 and every one of the living ereatures, having been in the 
 Ark one year and seventeen days, came out of it upon dry 
 ground. Noah immediately offered sacrifices imto God as 
 a thanksgiving for his preservation ; and God was jjleased 
 to enter into a covenant with him, that there should not 
 any more be a flood to destroy the earth ; " and God set 
 his bow in the clouds as a token of this covenant {p)." 
 
 The descendants of Noah and his sons multiplied 
 greatly, and they were all " of one language and of one 
 speech (g-)." — After a certain time, the whole race (?•) of 
 men moved from their original habitations in Armenia, 
 and settled in the plains of Shinar, near the Euphrates, in 
 Assyria or Chaldea. — Here they determined to establish 
 themselves, and began to build a city and " tower, whose 
 top might reach to heaven (s)." God was displeased with 
 this work, which seems to have been undertaken from a 
 distrust in his word, and in defiance of his power, and 
 probably in contradiction to some command they had re- 
 ceived to spread themselves over the earth to repeople it. 
 " And God confounded the language of those who were 
 engaged in it, so that they did not understand one ano- 
 
 (o) Gen. c. 8, v. 3. 
 
 {p) Gen. 0.9, v. 13. 
 
 {q) Gen. c. 11, v. 1. 
 
 (r) In the first two editions of this work, I stated that a part 
 only of the inhabitants of the earth "journeyed from the east," 
 and settled in the plains of Shinar ; but from a more atten- 
 tive consideration of the subject, to which I have been led by 
 the learned and ingenious " Remarks on the Eastern Origina- 
 tion of Mankind," by Mr. Granville Penn, published in the 
 second volume of the Eastern Collections, I have been in- 
 duced to change my opinion. I think the whole of Mr. Penn's 
 account extremely probable, and recommend it to those who 
 are disposed to attend to disquisitions of this kind. 
 
 {s) Gen. c. 1), v. 4. 
 
96 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I, 
 
 ther's speech ; and the Lord scattered them abroad fi-om 
 thence upon the face of all the earth, and they left off to 
 build the citj' (/). Therefore is the name of it called 
 Babel («), because the Lord did there confound the lan- 
 guage of all the earth." 
 
 From this confusion of the original language of man- 
 kind at Babel, and the (hsnersion which inimcdi- 
 ately took place, ne^v languages were formed, and 
 the different parts of the Avorld became inhabited. The 
 late excellent Sir "William Jones has very satisfactorily 
 traced the origin of all the people of the earth to the three 
 roots, Shem, ILim, and Japhet, according to the account 
 given in the tenth chapter of Genesis. The learned are 
 not agreed whether we have any remains of the primitive 
 language of men {v) ; and as the Scriptures are silent upon 
 the subject, we must be content to leave it in imcertaintj'. 
 Perhaps it is most probable, that the old Hebrew or Synac 
 is the most ancient language which has descended to us ; 
 and, in support of this opinion, the Jewish historians as- 
 sert, that the sons of Eber or Ileber did not concur with 
 the rest in the attempt to build the tower, and therefore 
 retained the primitive language. Abraham, the sixth from 
 Ileber, is called in Genesis " Abraham the Hebrew (.r)," 
 and his posterity ttcre called Hebrews by the Egyjitiaus. 
 
 (t) Gen. c. 11, v. 7, 8, and 9. 
 
 {u) Babul signifies confusion. 
 
 (v) Sir William Jones is of opinion, that the primary lan- 
 guage is entiroly lost. He says, " it appears that the only 
 human family after the flood, established themselves in the 
 northern parts of Iran (tliat is Persia) ; that as they multi- 
 plied, they were divided into three distinct branches, the In- 
 dian, the Arabian, and the Tartarian, each retaining little at 
 first, and losing the whole by degrees, of their common primary 
 language;" and to these three roots, namely, the Hindoo, the 
 Syriac, and the Tartarian, he traces all the languages in tlio 
 world. 
 
 (.r) Gen. c. M, v. 13. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HisTonv of the jews continued. 97 
 
 The general custom of naming the people after the head 
 of the family, and " the division of the earth," whicli is 
 expressly mentioned to have taken place in the days of 
 lleber's two sons, Peleg and Joktan (?/), seem to render 
 it more probable that the name of Hebrew was flerived 
 from the Patriarch Heber, than from the circumstance of 
 Abraham's passing over the river Euphrates {z). 
 
 Tcrah, the father of Abraham, was the ninth in descent 
 from Shem, the son of Noah. He removed with 
 his family from Ur in Chaldaea («) to Ilaraji in ^•^^*' 
 Mesopotamia, and there died. " Now the Lord had said 
 unto Abraham, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy 
 kindi-ed, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I 
 w-ill shew thee ; and I will make of thee a great nation, 
 aud in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed (Z>)." 
 This is the second promise of a future Saviom- of the world, 
 in which it was declared that he should be a descendant 
 of Abraham. Abraham departed, and went by divine di- 
 rection into the land of Canaan, with Sarah his wife. Let 
 his brother's son, and all their substance. After the re- 
 moval of Abraham into Canaan, which is generally deno- 
 minated tlie Call of Abraham, God gave him this farther 
 promise, " Unto thy seed will I give this land (c)." In 
 consequence of a famine which arose in Canaan, Abra- 
 ham went and resided in Eg}i)t ; but it is not recorded 
 how long he remained in that country. At length Pha- 
 raoh {d), the king, commanded him to leave it, and be 
 
 (y) Gen.c. 10, v. 25. 
 
 {z) Heber, iii the Hebrew languag-, signifies beyond, or on 
 the other side. 
 
 (a) This ChaldsEa was in or near Armenia, and must not be 
 confounded with the couritry afterwaids called CluildEca, the 
 capital of which was Babylon. — Maurice. 
 
 (b) Geu. c. 12, v. 1, 2, aud 3. 
 (•?) Gen. c. 12, v. 7. 
 
 (d) It is certain that the name of Fjiaraoh was common to 
 H 
 
f)8 OLD TESTAMEiNT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 returned to his former habitation in Canaan, where he be- 
 came very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And God 
 said to Abraham, " All the land which thou seest, to thee 
 will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make 
 thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can 
 number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also he 
 numbered (e)." — And again, God said, " Look now toward 
 heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them. 
 And he said unto him, so shall thy seed be {/)." These 
 promises of numerous descendants were made to Abraham 
 at the time he had no chikh'en, but " he beheved in the 
 Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness {(j)." — 
 " And God said unto Abraham in a ch'eam. Know of a 
 sm-cty that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is 
 not their's, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict 
 them 400 (A) years ; and also that nation, w hom they shall 
 serve, will I judge ; and afterwai-ds shall they come out 
 with great substance ; but in the fom-th generation they 
 shall come hither again (i)." And God having again pro- 
 all llie kings of Egypt from tliis time till the Babylonian cap- 
 tivity ; but how much I'jiiger it continued, or when (he first 
 Pharaoh reigned, is not knoMn. Pharaoh, in the Ethiopic 
 language, signifies Father of the country. 
 
 (e) Gen. c. 13, v. 15 and IG. 
 
 (/) Gen. c. 15, v. 5. 
 
 Ig) Gen. c. 15, v. G. 
 
 (A) The aflliclion here foretold was partly in Canaan and 
 partly in Egypt, which were neighbouring countries, and botli 
 inhabited by the descendants of Ilam. It began at the birth 
 (if Isaac, and ended at the deliverance from Egyptian bondage. 
 The precise time was 405 years, but odd numbers are fre- 
 quently omitted upon such occasions. In Exodus, c. 12, v. 40, 
 tliis affliction or sojourning is said to have lasted 430 years. 
 This difference is accounted for by considering, that in the 
 hitler case the '25 years, during which Abraham was in the 
 land of Canaan, before Isaac was born, are included ; and these 
 'lb years, which began wJun tlie promise was given, added to 
 4U5, make exactly 430 years. 
 
 (0 Gen. c. 15, v, 13, &c. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 99 
 
 mised numerous descendants to Abraham, instituted the 
 rite of circumcision (h) as the sign of a covenant between 
 himself and the seed of Abraham. He commanded that 
 on the eighth daj' every man-cliild should be circum- 
 cised (l). 
 
 When Abraham and Sarah were far advanced in years,, 
 their sou Isaac was born ; and God declared to Abraham,. 
 " In Isaac shall thy seed be called (m)." Isaac was born 
 twenty-five years after Abraham's arrival in 
 Canaan; and fourteen years before the birth of *" 
 Isaac, Abraham had a son by Ilagar, an Egyptian bond- 
 woman, the handmaid of his \\ife Sarah (ii). This son was 
 called Ishmael ; and from him are descended the Arabians, 
 ■whose character, even to this day, answers to the descrip- 
 tion of theii" ancestor ; " He will be a wild man ; his hand 
 will be against evei-y man, and every man's hand against 
 him {o)." 
 
 {k) See Home's Scripture History of the Jews, vol. 2, for 
 the origin of circumcision, and Shuckford's Connexion, from 
 whose examination it appears evident that the Egyptians did 
 not practise circumcision till after Abraham liad been in Egypt. 
 
 {I) The eiglith day is the time of circumcision among the 
 Jews, that is, the descendants of Abraham and Sarah ; but 
 because Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar, was thir- 
 teen years old when he was circumcised, the descendants of 
 Ishmael are not circumcised till that age. Circumcision Avas 
 a type of baptism. Abraham was the first person circumcised, 
 and he is also the first person called a prophet in Scripture, 
 
 (»i) Gen. c. 21, v. 12. 
 
 («) St. Paul points out a material difference between tlicse 
 two sons of Abraham. He says, that Ishmael, the sou of 
 Hagar the bond-woman, was born only according to the flesh, 
 in the common course of nature ; but that Isaac was born by 
 virtue of the promise, and by the particular interposition of 
 divine power : and that these two sons of Abraham were de- 
 signed to represent the two covenants of the law and the gos- 
 pel, the former a state of bondage, the latter of freedom. — • 
 \ia.l c. 4. 
 
 (o) Gen. c. IG, v. 12. 
 
100 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 God was i)leased to make trial of Abraham's faith and 
 obedience, bv commandino* him to take his son 
 '^'' Isaac, when he was about twenty-five years ot 
 
 age, and oflfer him as a burnt offering upon Mount ^loriah. 
 Abraham rose early the next morning, and went wit^ 
 ^saac to the appointed place. He built an altar there 
 and every preparation being made, just as he was about to 
 Slav his son, an angel of the Lord called to him, and said, 
 " Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any 
 thing unto him ; for now I know that thou fearest God, 
 seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, 
 from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, 
 and beheld behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his 
 horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered 
 it up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son (/>)." 
 The mountain, on which Abraham was commanded to 
 offer his son Isaac, was the same as that on which the 
 temple of Solomon was afterwards built, and on whicJi 
 Christ was crucified ; and the whole transaction is to be 
 considered as typical of the sacrifice of Christ {q). 
 
 Isaac, who was expressly prohibited by his father from 
 taking a Canaanitish w oman to wife, married Rebekah, 
 the dau2;hter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, Abra- 
 ' ham's brother, and had by her two sons, Esau and 
 Jacob. God renewed to Isaac the promises which he had 
 made to Abraham ; " I will make thy seed to multiply as 
 the stars of heaven ; and will give unto thy seed all these 
 countries ; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth 
 ne blessed (/•)•" In those days the head of the family or tribe 
 
 (p) Gen. c. 22, V. 12, 13. 
 
 (y) Abraham's answer to Isaac's question, " Where is the 
 Iamb for a burnt-offering ?" may be looked upon as propheti- 
 cal. " My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt- 
 offering." — Gen. c. 22, v. 8. 
 
 (r) Gen. c. 26, v. 4. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY of the jews continued. 101 
 
 was considered as the governor whom God had placed 
 over them (s) ; in him were vested the offices of king and 
 priest ; to liim were entrusted the promises of God, and 
 the care of preserving his people obedient and happy. 
 A'oluntarily to resign this station, was then to desert the 
 charge assigned to Ifim by God (/). Accordingly we find, 
 
 (s) This opinion and this custom have been preserved 
 among many of the Arabian tribes to tlie present liour. 
 
 (<) " The patriarclial form of government (so called from 
 Trarpto familia, and a^x^"^' princeps) is defined by Godwin to 
 consist in the ' fathers of families, and their first-born after 
 them, exercising all kinds of ecciesiaslical and civil authority 
 in their respective households; blessing, cursing, casting out 
 of doors, disinheriting and punisliing with death.' It is natu- 
 ral to suppose that Adam, the father of all mankind, would be 
 considered as supreme among them, and have special honour 
 paid him so long as he lived ; and that when his posterity sepa- 
 rated into distinct families and tribes, their respective fathers 
 would be acknowledged by them as their princes. For as they 
 could not, in any tolerable manner, live together without some 
 kind of government, and no government can subsist without 
 some head in which the executive power is lodged ; whom 
 were the children so likely, after they grew up, to acknow- 
 ledge in this capacity as their father, to whose authority they 
 had been used to submit in their early years ; and hence, 
 those, who were at first only acknowledged as kings over theiir 
 own households, grew insensibly into monarchs of larger com- 
 munities, by claiming the same authority over the families • 
 which branched out of them, as they had exercised over their 
 own. However, the proper patriarchal government is sup- 
 posed to have continued among the people of God until the 
 time of the Israelites dwelling in Egypt, fur then we have the 
 first intimation of a ditferent form of government among them. 
 Our author hath perhaps assigned greater authority to the pa- 
 triarchs than they reasonably could or did claim and exercise ; 
 at least the instances he produces to prove they were ordinarily 
 invested with such a despotic power in civilibus et sacris, as 
 he ascribes to them, are not sufliciently convincing." Jen- 
 nings's Jewish Ant. vol. 1, p. 1. — Whether we suppose that 
 the patriarchs derived their authority immediately from God, 
 or that it was the natural result of situation, it will, I think, 
 seem probable that their power was not defined, but was ex- 
 erted according to circumstances. It never, however, appears 
 io have been disputed in those early ages, and the ideas of 
 
102 OLD TEST HMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part. I. 
 
 that after Esau had iTroved how Ughth' he esteemed the 
 high and sacred distinction to which his hirth entitled 
 him, hy selling his birth-right for a mess of pottage, the 
 arts of Jacob and his mother Rebekah were jjcrmitted to 
 succeed {a). It should be i-emembercd, however, that God 
 had declared, before the birth of her sons, that " the elder 
 should serve the younger (r) ;" and though deceit can 
 never be justified, it is possible that Rebekah was led to 
 practise it from anxiety to prevent Isaac " from sinning 
 against the Lord," by attempting to counteract this decree. 
 
 king and father were long intimately blended. Even when 
 the corruptions of time, and the aggressions of tyranny, had 
 separated tliese ideas, the person of a king was ever held 
 sacred ; and whoever lifted his hand against liis life, however 
 cruel, unjust, or wicked lie might be, never f\iiled to be consi- 
 dered as impious, and to meet with general execration. In- 
 deed, whether we consider sacred or profane history, civil 
 government appears to derive its origin lioin the patriarchal 
 ages, and therefore it would be difficult to deny that it was 
 " ordained of God." It will appear also tliat llie monarchical 
 form of civil government is the most ancient ; that the mo- 
 narchy was hereditary till the numerous collateral settlements, 
 the necessities, the dangers, and the wars, which soon began 
 to disturb the world, gave rise sometimes to the usuri)ation of 
 acknowledged right, and sometimes to the election of some 
 warlike chief to be the head of several tribes united by con- 
 sent ; that the power of the monarch was limited by the laws 
 of religion and morality, and patriarchal customs, not by the 
 will of the people, till after these restraints had been found 
 insufficient barriers against tyranny ; and then, by general 
 consent, laws and regulations v.-erc established, to preserve the 
 general liberty and happiness of each community. 
 
 (tt) " One of the great privileges of primogeniture in these 
 ancient times, consisted in being the priest or sacrificer for the 
 family; and it is very likely Jacob had a view also to the pro- 
 mise of the Messiah, which he readily might think would 
 attend upon the purchase of the birth-right ; and it is probable 
 that Esau, upon both these accounts, is called by the apostle 
 "a profane person," Heb. c. 12, v. IG, "as despising that 
 promise, and the religious employment of the priesthood." — 
 Home's Scripture History, vol. I. 
 
 (y) Gen. c. 25, v. 23. 
 
CLap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 103 
 
 as well as by partiality to Jacob : for Isaac seems to have 
 intended to give his paternal blessing secretly. Isaac's 
 desire to secure to his eldest son the benefits of the pro- 
 phetic blessing is indeed a very remarkable proof of the 
 perfect confidence in the promises of God, and the full 
 conviction of divine Inspiration, which possessed the minds 
 of the early patriarchs. 
 
 Jacob, having obtained the promise of inheritance, was 
 sent bv his father to Padam-aram, or Swia, to take 
 
 1 7fin 
 
 a wife out of his own family, that he might avoid 
 a connection with the accursed family of Canaan, into 
 which Esau had married ; and from the character {iv) 
 given of " the daughters of Canaan," we may conclude 
 that the people were then hastening " to fill the cup of 
 their iniquity." Jacob was favoured with a vision in his 
 way to Padan-aram, by which God was pleased to establish 
 his covenant with him, as he had done with Abraham and 
 with Isaac (.r). After residing there some time, he married 
 Leah and Rachel, the two daughters of Laban, his 
 mother's brother. By Leah he had six sons, Reuben, 
 Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zabulon; by Rachel 
 he had two, namely, Josejih and Benjamin. He had also 
 two sons, Dan and Naphtali, by Bilhah, Rachel's hand- 
 maid ; and he had two other sons. Gad and Asher, by 
 Zilpah, Leah's handmaid. These twelve sons were all 
 bom to Jacob in Padan-aram ; but Jacob returned to the 
 land of Canaan before the death of his father Issac. In 
 
 (w) Gen. c. 27, v. 46. 
 
 (.r) It may be observed, that God was pleased to renew 
 with Isaac and with Jacob tlie covenant he had made with 
 Abraham, because Abraham liad other sons by Hagar and his 
 second wife Keturali, and Isaac had two sons ; but all the 
 twelve sons of Jacob inherited the promises, and we therefore 
 liear of no renewal of the covenant till the time arrived for the 
 beginning of the fulfilment of the promises, when Moses was 
 to conduct them out of Egypt, and give them a peculiar law. 
 
104 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 his way thither, God was ])leasc(l to grant Jaco]) a remark- 
 able token of his favoui*. and to change liis name to 
 Israel (y), whence his posterity were called Israelites. 
 Esau had been some time established in Mount Seir, since 
 called Edom (z), when his father died. He seems how- 
 ever to have returned to the ])laius of Mamre, on that 
 event, for a short time at least ; for it is said that " Esau 
 went from the fiice of his brother Jacob, for their families 
 and cattle were more than the land ^^■ould bear together, 
 and dwelt in Mount Seir(«)." 
 
 Joseph * was the favourite son of Jacob : " And when 
 his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all 
 his brethren, they hated him, and could not sjieak peace- 
 ably to him {I}) ;" and Josejih, by relating to them two 
 prophetic dreams, with which he was favoured, denoting 
 that his condition in the world would be sujjcrior to their's, 
 greatly increased their envy and hatred. It happened that 
 Jacob sent Joseph to the fields, '•' to incpiire after his 
 brethren and the flocks," and when his brothers saw him 
 they resolved to kill him ; but being dissuaded by Reuben 
 from shedding his blood, they threw him naked into a pit. 
 It was Reuben's design to have taken him from thence, 
 and to have preserved him ; but before he could execute 
 this design, the other brothers, who probably rejjentcd of 
 their cruelty as soon as they had gratified their resent- 
 ment, seeinj' some Ishmaelites, Avho were nier- 
 chants, passing by in their way to Egypt, sold 
 Joseph to them as the means of saving his life, without 
 discovering their wickedness to their father ; they then be- 
 
 fy) Gen. c. 32, v. 28. 
 
 (z) The descendants of Esau are called Edomitcs in Scrip- 
 ture. 
 
 fa) Gen. c. 3G, v. G, &c. 
 
 • I cannot but refer my readers to the remarkable account 
 of Joseph given by Justin, lib. 36, cap ?. 
 
 (6) Gen. c. 37, v. 4 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 105 
 
 smeared his coat with blood, and carried it to Jacob, who, 
 concluding that his d'arhng child was devoured by a wild 
 beast, put on sackcloth, and mourned many days. In the 
 meantime Joseph was can-ied into Egypt, and sold to 
 Potiphar, the chief officer under Pharaoh the king. " The 
 Lord made all that Joseph did to prosper, and he found 
 favour in the sight of his master, who made him overseer 
 of his house, and put all that he had into his hands (c)." 
 But there was a sudden reverse in Joseph's prosperity. 
 Potiphar's wife endeavoured to seduce Joseph to dishonour 
 his master's bed; "but he refused, and said imto his 
 master's wife. Behold, my master wotteth not what is 
 with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he 
 hath to my hand. There is none greater in this house 
 than I, neither hath he kept any thing back from me, but 
 thee, because thou art his wife : how then can I do this 
 great wickedness, and sin against God {d) ?" Incensed 
 by his resolute refusal, this woman falsely accused him to 
 her husband of having attempted to commit that ciime by 
 force, of which she could not, after repeated trials, prevail 
 upon him to be guilty. Potiphar believed the accusation, 
 and cast Joseph into prison. But here also God was with 
 Joseph, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of 
 the prison. The keeper entrusted to him the whole care 
 of the prison " and that which he did there likewise, the 
 Lord made it to prosper (e)." It happened that the chief 
 baker and chief butler of Pharaoh, who were confined in 
 the same prison, di-eamed each a dream, and Joseph inter- 
 preted their dreams to them, foretelling, that at the expi- 
 ration of three days the baker would be hanged on a tree., 
 and that the butler would be restored to his former situii- 
 
 (c) Gen. c. 39, t. 3 and 4. 
 {d) Gen. c. 39, v. S and 9. 
 (e) Gen. c. 39, v. 23. 
 
106 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 tion in Phai*aoh's family. Both these events happened 
 precisely as Joseph had foretold. About two years after, 
 Pharaoh had two dreams, which none of the wise men of 
 the country coidd explain ; but the butler, recollecting 
 Joseph, who was still in prison, mentioned him to Pharaoh ; 
 and the king sent for Joseph to interpret them. Joseph 
 ^ was enabled by God to understand the dreams ; ami 
 told Pharaoh, that they portended seven years of 
 plenty, which would be followed by seven years of famine ; 
 and added, " Let therefore Pharaoh appoint officers over 
 the land, and let them gather corn in the seven plenteous 
 years ; and this food shall be for store against the seven 
 years of famine (./')•" The king admiring the wisdom of 
 Joseph, and justly concluding that " the spirit of God 
 was in him {g),"" entrusted to his care the business of col- 
 lecting the corn, and gave him full power in all other 
 concerns of his kingdom. From all these ti'ansaetions it 
 appears, that the Egy})tians worshipped the tiTie God in 
 these early ivges, though their religion Avas probably cor- 
 rupted with some idolatrous mixture. The seven years of 
 plenty came according to Joseph's interpretation of the 
 dreams, and vast quantities of corn were laid up, conform- 
 ably to his advice. Afterwards began the years of 
 1708 • o J 
 
 famine, which was not confined to Egji)t, but ex- 
 tended " over all the face of the earth." Then the store- 
 houses were opened, and the corn ;\ as sold, not only to 
 the Eg3'ptians, but also to the neighbouring nations, imder 
 the cUreetion of Joseph. This famine was severely felt ia 
 Canaan; and Jacob, hearing that there was corn in 
 Egyjit, sent ten of his sons thither to buy corn ; but 
 IV'ujamin remained with his father. 
 Joseph had been nearly twenty years in Egjrjjt when his 
 
 (/) Gen. c. 11, V. 31 and 36. 
 {(j) Gen c. 11, v. 38. 
 
Chap. 3.] AN1> HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 107 
 
 ten brothers appeared, and " bowed before him." Instantly 
 recollecting them, but not choosing to discover himself, he 
 inquired who they were ; and pretending to be dissatisfied 
 with their account of themselves, he accused them of 
 beipg spies, and cast them into prison. Joseph probably 
 mshed to recal their former wickedness to their remem- 
 brance, and to produce contrition by calamity ; and if this 
 were his intention, he appears to have succeeded ; foi' 
 " thejf said one to another. We are verily guilty concern- 
 ing our brother — therefore is this "distress come upon 
 us (/<)." At the end of three days he sent for them out 
 of prison, and supplied them with corn ; but he detained 
 Simeon, and bound him in the presence of his brothers. 
 The rest he dismissed, commanding them to come back 
 into Egj^t with their youngest brother, to prove the truth 
 of what they had asserted ; and promised that he Avould 
 then restore Simeon, and suffer them to traific in the 
 land. 
 
 When Jacob was informed of every thing which had 
 passed in Egypt, he was astonished, and grieved to the 
 soul. He recollected the loss of his favourite son Joseph ; 
 he lamented the detention of Simeon ; and declared that 
 he would not part with Benjamin. But the severity of 
 the famine in Canaan, and the impossibility of procuring 
 corn from any place except Egvpt, at length induced him 
 to send Benjamin thither, with his other sons, for a fresh 
 supply. Upon their return to Egypt, Joseph immedi- 
 ately ordered a feast to be prepared for them at his own 
 house. When he received them there, the sight of his 
 brother Benjamin (J), and the answers which they gave to 
 his enquiries after their father Jacob, affected him so 
 
 {fi) Gen. c. 42, v. 21. 
 
 (i) Benjamin was nearest his own age, and was the only 
 one of his bBOthers by the same mother, nar-Tiely. Rachel 
 
108 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Pavt I. 
 
 much, that " he sought where to weep ; and entered into 
 his chamber and wept {k)." But when he had composed 
 liimself, he retm-ned, and entertained them with great 
 kindness, distinguishing Benjamin with particular maiks 
 of regard. Before they departed the next morning, 
 Joseph privately orderctl his steward to put his silver cup 
 with the corn-money into Benjamin's sack; and when 
 they had gone out of the city, they were by Joseph's di- 
 rection pursued, overtaken, and charged with ingratitude 
 and theft. Consciojis of their innocence, they proposed, 
 " that with whomsoever the cup was found he should die, 
 and the rest become bondmen to Joseph (/)." And when, 
 upon examination, the cup was found in Benjamin's sack,, 
 they expressed the greatest surprise and concern, and alt 
 readily returned to Joseph, who reproached them witlt 
 seeming indignation. The address of Judah to his un- 
 known brother on this trying occasion, is one of the most 
 beautiful examples of natural eloquence it is possible tO' 
 imagine. He recalled to Joseph's mind every thing which 
 had passed when they were before in Egypt ; related ta 
 him Jacob's distress at parting with Benjamin ; stated the 
 fatal consequences which must follow to their aged 
 parent, if Benjamin did not return into Canaan ; and of- 
 ];red himself to remain a bondman instead of Benjamin ; 
 "For how," added he, "shall I go up to my father, and 
 f.ie lad be not with me ? lest peradventure I see the evil that 
 Miall come on my father (?«)." — " Then Joseph could not 
 refrain himself before all them that stood by him ; and 
 he cried. Cause every man to go out from me. And there 
 stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known 
 unto his brethren. And he l^ ept aloud, and the Egyptians 
 
 (A-) Gen. c. 43, v. 30. 
 (/) Gen. c. 41, v. 9. 
 (/w) Gen. c. 41, v. 34. 
 
Chap. 3.J AND HISTORY OP THE JEWS CONTINUED. 109 
 
 and the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto 
 his brethren, I am Joseph. — Doth my father yet Uve ? — and 
 his brethren could not answer him, for they were trou- 
 bled at his presence (»)." Joseph, perceiving their distress, 
 endeavoured by every expression of kindness to comfort 
 them, and desired that they would go again into Canaan, 
 and bring their venerable parent and all his family, that 
 they might be placed in the land of Egypt, and partake 
 of every good thing which the land afforded. And they 
 retvuTied into Canaan, and told their father that Joseph 
 was alive, and governor of Egypt. The account appeared 
 so incredible to Jacob, that he was with difficulty per- 
 suaded of its truth ; but being at length convinced, he 
 exclaimed in a transport of joy and gratitude, "It is 
 enough ; Joseph my son is yet alive. I will go and see 
 him before I die (o)." — And Jacob, and all his family, with 
 their cattle and goods, set out for Egyj^t. And as they 
 rested at Beersheba, God appeared unto Jacob in a di-eam, 
 and said, " Fear not, Jacob, to go down into Egypt, for I 
 will there make of thee a great nation. I will go dowTi 
 with thee into Egypt, and I will also svuely bring thee up 
 again (p) ; and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine 
 eyes(r/)." 
 
 When Jacob arrived in Egj-pt, his whole fanaly, in- 
 cluding Joseph and his two childi-en, amounted to 
 seventy persons (r) ; and by the management of ' 
 
 (n) Gen. c. 45, v. ], &c. (o) Gen. c. 45, v. 28. 
 
 {p) That is, his posterity. Scripture frequently mentions 
 parents and children as the same persons. But it may be ob- 
 served, that this promise was literally fulfilled, for Jacob was 
 buried in the land of Canaan. 
 
 {q) Gen. c. 46, v. 3 and 4. 
 
 (r) There now went to Egypt, Jacob himself, and sixty- 
 four sons and grandsons, together with one daughter, Dinah, 
 and one grand-daughter, Sarah ; these sixty-seven persons, 
 added to Joseph and his two sons, who were already in Egypt, 
 make up the number exactly seventy. 
 
110 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 Joseph, who we may presume acted in this instance under 
 dinne cUi-ection, tlicy were placed in the land of Goshen. 
 This land was suited to their occupation as shepherds ; 
 here they grew and multiplied exceedingly, and continued 
 a people distinct from the Egyptians, " for every shepherd 
 was an abomination imto the Egyptians (.s)." — Jacob lived 
 there seventeen )'ears ; and before he died, he declared, in 
 the spirit of prophecy, the future condition of all his 
 children, and foretold that the ]\Iessiah should descend 
 from Judah (t). He commanded Joseph to bm-y him in 
 the land of Canaan, in the field of INIaehpelah, where 
 Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah, were all bu- 
 ried, intimating by this command his faith in the promise 
 of God, that his seed should possess the land of Canaan. 
 The body of Jacob was, by the permission of Pha- 
 raoh, carried from Goshen, and buried by his sons 
 with great solemnity in the laud of Canaan. Joseph re- 
 turned with his brothers into Egypt, and continued to 
 treat them with the same uniform kindness which they had 
 experienced from him during the hfe of their fiither. 
 He died there at the age of one hunch-ed and ten 
 yeai's, having immediately before his death, solemnly as- 
 sured his brethren of his faith in the promises of God {u) : 
 "I die : and God will smely visit you, and bring you out 
 of this land, unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to 
 Isaac, and to Jacob ; and ye shall carry up my bones from 
 hence (.f)." 
 
 The descendants of Jacob nudtiplied to so great a de- 
 -~o S''^^' that, about sixty years after the death of Jo- 
 seph, the king, who then reigned over Egyi)t, 
 
 (s) Gen. c. 4G, v. 31. 
 
 (0 Gun. c. 49, V. 8, &c. 
 
 (n) It lias been supposed that Joseph repeated this promis* 
 of deliverance out of Egypt with the same prophetic spirit with 
 wliicli his fathers were endued. 
 
 {x) Gen. c. 50, y, 21 and '25. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. Ill 
 
 ,>ecame jealous of tbeir numbers, and endeavoured to 
 check their increase, by imposing heavy tasks upon them, 
 and by reducing them to a state of severe slavery. But 
 finding that these attempts had not the proposed effect, 
 he ordered their midwives to destroy all the male children 
 of the Israelites at the time of their birth. The midwives 
 refused to obey these inhuman orders, and the Israelites 
 continued to increase. Then the king commanded his 
 people to cast into the river all the male children of the 
 Israelites. And a woman of the tribe of Levi, whose name 
 
 was Jochabed, and whose husband's name was Am- 
 
 1571 
 ram, hid her son for three months ; but being un- 
 able to conceal him any longer, she put him in a basket, 
 and laid it by tlie side of the river. Soon after, the king's 
 daughter came down to bathe in the river, and having dis- 
 covered the child, concluded that it was one of the Hebrew 
 children, and had compassion upon him. The sister of 
 the child, who had been watching at a distance to see what 
 became of him, now coming up, offered to go and call one 
 of the Hebrew women, who might nurse the child for the 
 king's daughter, and having received permission, she 
 brought the mother of the child ; and Pharaoh's daughter 
 said to her, " take this child awa)^, and nm-se him for me, 
 and I will give thee thy wages (y)." Thus was the child 
 committed to the care of his own mother ; and when he 
 was grown to a certain age, he was carried to Pharaoh's 
 daughter, who called him Moses, and treated and educated 
 him as her own son. Thus was the destined lawgiver of 
 the Jews miraculously preserved, and fitted by " all the 
 learning of the Egyptians " for the character he was to 
 assume, as far as depended upon human acquirements. 
 
 Moses, being grown up to manhood, became acquainted 
 with the circumstances of his birth, and with the sufferings 
 
 (y) Ex. c. 2, V. 9. 
 
112 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 of liis bictlucu ; and obsemng one day an Egyptian cru- 
 elly beating a Hebrew, he slew the Egy])tian. When 
 tliis was known to Pharaoh, he sought to put 
 Moses to death ; but he tied into the land of Midian, and 
 married Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, the priest of 
 that country, where, it appears, the worship of God was 
 still retained. While Moses lived in ^lidian, the king of 
 Egypt died ; but the persecution of the Israelites continuing 
 luuler his successor, they prayed unto God, and God was 
 pleased to have compassion upon them, according to his 
 promise to then- fathers. When Moses, about forty 
 jears after he first came into IMidian, was keeping 
 the flocks of Jethro near ^Mount Ilorcb, " the angel of the 
 Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire, out of the 
 midst of a bush, and he looked, and Ijehold the bush 
 burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed (r)." — 
 *' And God called to jMoscs out of the midst of the bush," 
 and declared himself to be the God of his father, and of 
 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in amanncr peculiarly solemn. 
 " And the Lord said, I have seen the affliction of my ])co- 
 ple, and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand 
 of tlie Egy})tians, and to bring them into the fruitful land 
 of Canaan (rt)." These words are remarkable, .ind seem 
 to indicate that God had not vouchsafed to hold any visible 
 intercourse with the Israelites during their long residence 
 ill I'gypt, from the death of Jacob to this jieriod of their 
 suflcrings. And God declared it his ])urpose, to make 
 Moses his instrument to deliver his jjcojile from bondage, 
 and commanded him to communicate this his gracious de- 
 sign to the elders of Isr<icl. He farther directed that they 
 sliould ask of Piiaraoh permission to go three days journev 
 into the wilderness, to sacrifice to the Lord their God, forc- 
 
 (-) Kx.c. .'1, v. 2. 
 
 («) Kx. c. 3, v. 7 and 8. 
 
Chap, 3.] AND HISTOKY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 113 
 
 teUing at the same time, that Pharaoh would not at first 
 grant this request ; but that after a variety of afflictions, 
 ^^ hich the Egyptians would suffer in consequence of liis re- 
 fusal, he would allow them to go. Moses, being " meek 
 above all men," was at first unAvilling to engage in this 
 arduous business, and jileaded his unfitness for the em- 
 l)loyment, from the slowness of his speech, and want of 
 authority to convince the people that he was sent to 
 them by God. But God, though he expressed displeasure- 
 at his reluctance and distrust, condescended to promise 
 him his constant presence and immediate direction, and 
 the assistance of his brother Aaron, whom he knew to ex- 
 cel in eloquence, as his " spokesman;" and he also pro- 
 mised him the power of performing miracles, as a proof of 
 his divine commission. To ins^iire him farther with confi- 
 dence, God caused his rod to become a serpent, and the 
 serpent again to become a rod : he then caused his hand 
 to be " leprous as snow," and his hand was " turned again 
 as his other flesh." Encouraged by these assurances of 
 su2)port and success, and convinced by the wonders he saw, 
 that it was indeed the God of his Fathers who thus ap- 
 jjeared to fulfil the promise of restoring the Israelites to 
 the land of Canaan at the time [h) which had been ap- 
 pointed 400 jears before, Moses was at length persuaded 
 to undertake the great work of delivering his countrymen. 
 He set out for Egypt ; and in his way through the wilder- 
 ness he met his brother Aaron, whom God had ordered to 
 go thither, and told him " all the words of the Lord who 
 had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded 
 him." 
 
 When Moses and Aaron arrived at Goshen, they called 
 
 (b) Moses was great-grandson to Levi, one of the sons of 
 Jacob, who had removed into Egypt. God had promised 
 (Gen. c. 15, v. 16.) that the Israelites should return into Ca- 
 naan in the fourth generation. 
 I 
 
114 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 ail assembly of the Israelites, ami Aarou iuformed them of 
 the commands, and of the promises which Moses had re- 
 ceived from God. And the people, hearing what the Lord 
 had said to Moses, and seeing the miracles, (c) which he 
 was enabled to perform, believed, and worshipped God. 
 Moses and Aaron then went to Pharaoh, and in the 
 name of God required liim to let the Israelites go into the 
 wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord their God. Pharaoh 
 treated the message with contempt, and enjoined the task- 
 masters to lay heavier burdens upon the Israelites ; and 
 when they complained of the increased severity of their 
 oppression, God commanded Moses to assure them, " that 
 he would deliver them from the bondage of the Egyptians 
 and give them the land of Canaan, as he had promised to 
 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ; that he would be their God, 
 and that they should be his peculiar people : but they 
 heai'kened not unto Moses, for anguish of sjjirit and for 
 cruel bondage {d.)" Moses and Aaron, by the direction of 
 God, apphed again unto Pharaoh; and though they perform- 
 ed a mu'acle in his presence, yet he again retised to let the 
 Israelites go. Then the country of Egji^t was afflicted by 
 a succession of i)lagues : the water of the river Nile was 
 turned into blood ; frogs covered the whole laud ; the dust 
 of the eartli was converted into bee ; an immense swarm of 
 flies infested the whole land of Egji)t ; a nuirrain destrojed 
 all the cattle ; boils and blaius broke out upon the Egyp- 
 tians, both upon man and beast ; the countrj- was laid 
 waste by a dreadful storm of thunder, rain, and hail, so 
 that the fire ran along upon the ground ; locusts destroyed 
 every herb of the laud, and all the fruit of the trees, which 
 the hail had left ; and there was a thick dai-kness in the 
 
 (c) Moses and Aaron, (he lawgiver and priest of liis chosen 
 people, appear to have been Uie first persons wlioin God em- 
 powered to perform miracles. 
 
 (d) Ex. c. G, v. G, &c. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 115 
 
 land of Egypt for three days. None of these plagues ex- 
 tended to the Israelites, or to the land of Goshen, ^vhere 
 they dwelt. While Pharaoh and his people were actually 
 suffering midcr these several plagues, he appeared to re- 
 lent, and to acknowledge the power of God. He entreated 
 Moses to pray to God for deliverance from the plague, and 
 promised to let the Israelites go and sacrifice. But when 
 the i)lague was removed by the jjrayers of jMoses, Pharaoh 
 constantly refused to fulfil his promise ; and though 
 threatened with another plague, he still detained the Israel- 
 ites under the same cruel slavery. At length Moses de- 
 clared to Pharaoh, in the name of God, that if he would 
 not let the Israelites go, all the first-born in the land of 
 Egypt should be destrojed. Pharaoh not only persisted 
 in his refusal, but threatened Moses ^\ith instant death, if 
 he presumed to appear again before him. 
 
 The execution of this last judgment, the destruction of 
 the first-born of the Egyptians, was attended with greater 
 solemnity than any of the preceding. About four dajs 
 before it took place, all the families of Israel were com- 
 manded to prepare for a feast to the Lord, and to kill a 
 lamb, Avithout spot or blemish, on a certain evening, and 
 " to eat it in haste, with their loins girded, their shoes on 
 their feet, and their staff in their hands ;" and to spriidvle 
 the blood upon the lintel and side-posts of the doors of 
 their houses. " And God said, the blood shall be to you 
 for a token upon the houses where ye are ; and when I 
 see the blood, I will ^jft^s ove?' you, and the plague shall 
 not be upon you, to destroy you, m hen I smite the land of 
 Egypt.— And this day shall be unto you for a memorial ; 
 and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your 
 generations ; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for 
 ever (f)." — '' And it shall come to pass, when ye be come 
 
 (c) Ex. c. 12, v. 13 and 14. 
 
110 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 to tlie land which the Lord will give you, according as be 
 liath promised, that ye shall keep this service. And it 
 shall come to pass when your children shall say. What 
 mean ye by this senice ? that ye shall say, It is the sacri- 
 fice of the Lord's Passover, who jiassed over the houses of 
 the children of Israel in Egyi^t, when he smote the houses 
 of the Egjptians, and delivered our houses {/)." Thus 
 did God instittUe the Feast of the Passover, and command 
 that it should be kept every year by the Israelites, in me- 
 morial of his having passed over the houses of the Israehtes 
 when he destroyed the first-bom of all the Egyptians. And 
 the lamb sacrificed at this feast is to be considered as tj-pical 
 of the sacrifice of Christ, our great deliverer from more 
 than Egj'ptian bondage. 
 
 The childicn of Isi-ael were also directed by Moses " to 
 borrow (or, as it should have been translated, to ash) (q) 
 of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and 
 raiment. And the Lord gave the people favour in the 
 sight of tlic Egyptians, so that they lent (or fjavc) unto 
 them such things as they required ; and the)- spoiled the 
 Egyptians (//)." The spoil which the Israelites were to 
 
 (/) Ex. c. 12, V. 25, &c. 
 
 {g) Vide Shuckfurd, book 9, and Joscplius, Ant. lib. 2. 
 c. 14, and Winston's note in !oc. 
 
 (h) Ex. c. 12, v. 35 and 3G. Ilarmer's Observations upon 
 the customs which have existed in the East from remote anti- 
 quity, and are still generally prevalent, respecting the giving, 
 receiving, and askiuy for presents, will tlirow great light upon 
 this passage : " King Solomon, it is said, 1 Kings, c. 10, v. 13, 
 gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she 
 asked, besides that whicli Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. 
 This appears strange to us, but it is agreeable to modern east- 
 ern usages, whieh are allowed to liavc been derived from re- 
 mote antiquity. — The practice is very common to this day in 
 the East; it is not there looked upon as any degradation to 
 dignity, or any mark of rapacious meanness." Obs. 203, vol. 
 4. — The gifts of the Egyptians, therefore, might be both an 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JKWS CONTINUED. 117 
 
 caiTy away from the Egyptians may be considered as some 
 compensation for their labour, and for the hardships they 
 had suffered in their land, or as a tribute they received 
 from a conquered nation j for, it should be remembered, 
 they had an express command, to take this spoil with 
 them, from the Sovereign of the Universe, whose authority 
 Pharaoh had so long disputed. 
 
 At the time appointed, " it came to pass, that at mid- 
 night the Lord smote all the first-born of the land of 
 Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his 
 throne, imto the first-born of the captive that was in the 
 dungeon, and all the first-horn of the cattle (i) ;" but not 
 a single Israelite was destroyed. Pharaoh, terrified by this 
 instance of Divine vengeance, hastily sent for Moses and 
 Aaron, and commanded that they and all the Israelites 
 should immediately depart from Egypt. Accordingly the 
 children of Israel, who were already prepared, by the 
 word of the Lord, for their departure, assembled, "and 
 journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about 000,000 on 
 foot, that were men, besides children (/;) ; and a mixed 
 multitude went up also with them, and flocks and herds, 
 even very much cattle (/)." The children of Israel de- 
 parted from Egypt 430 years after Abraham's first aiTival 
 in the land of Canaan, 215 of which were passed by him 
 and his descendants in Canaan, and the other 215 in 
 Egypt. 
 
 God was pleased to direct the journey of the childi'en of 
 
 acknowledgment of superiority, and a mark of kindness ; but 
 unless the enslaved Israelites had received an express com- 
 mand to ask for gifts, their situation must have precluded all 
 ideas of friendly intercourse between them and the Egyptians, 
 
 (i) Ex. c. 12, v. 29. 
 
 {k) If we include women and children, the Israelites coulJ 
 not be less than 1,500,000, which was a vast increase fi'om 
 seventy persons in about 200 years. 
 
 (/) Ex. c. 12, V. 37 and 38. 
 
118 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 Israel througli the wilderness of the Red Sea (?«). " And 
 the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a clond, 
 and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light (h)." 
 When Pharaoh heard that the ehildren of Israel had fled, 
 he pursued them mth his army, and overtook them the 
 sixth day as they were encamped near the Red Sea. 
 Alarmed at the appearance of danger, they murmured 
 against Moses. Then Moses, by the command of God, 
 stretched forth his hand towards the Red Sea, and the 
 waters were divided, and a part of the sea became dry 
 land : " The children of Israel went into the midst of the 
 sea upon diy ground ; and the waters were a wall unto 
 them on their right hand and on their left (o)," until they 
 had all passed over. Pliaraoh and his host jjursued them 
 into the sea, and when they were in the midst of it, Moses, 
 by the command of God, again stretched forth his hand, 
 and the sea returned to its natural state, and dro\^ ned all 
 the Egyptians. This miracle, although at the time it 
 greatly impressed the minds of the Israelites, and caused 
 them to join in a song of thanksgiving (p) to God for 
 their deliverance, did not ])roduce permanent gratitude, 
 or any settled confidence in the mercy of God [rj). 
 
 The land of the Philistines ^\as the nearest way from 
 ligypt to Canaan ; but it pleased God to conduct the Is- 
 raelites through the wilderness {>•) or desert of Arabia, 
 
 (m) The Red Sea was so called, because it joined the land 
 of Edoni. or of Esau, Avhich in Hebrew signifies red. 
 
 (u) Ex. c. 13, V. 21. 
 
 (o) Ex. c. 14, v. 22. 
 
 (p) This is the most ancient hymn now extant. 
 
 (ij) Had we been left ignorant of tlie corruption of human 
 nature, the conduct of the Israelites, during the long course of 
 their history, would have been inexplicable, if not incredible. 
 
 (/•) We arc not to imagine that every part of tlie wilderness 
 was uninhabited. As we mention the country in contradistinc- 
 tion to cities or chief towns, so the deserts and wildernesses 
 seem to have been mentioned in ancient times- We are told, 
 1 Sam. c. 25, that Nabal and bis fiiniily dwelt in the wilderness 
 
CliapS.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 119 
 
 which lay between the river Jordan, the mountains of 
 Gilead, and the river Euphrates. Whenever the Israelites, 
 in their passage through the wilderness, fell into any dis- 
 tress, or met with any difficulty, instead of trusting in 
 God, whose goodness they had experienced in so signal a 
 manner, they always murmured against Moses, v^ho \\ as 
 the constant instrument of divine interposition. But 
 notwithstanding the impatience and repeated provocations 
 of the Israelites, God did not withdraw from them his 
 protection ; but relieved their necessities upon every oc- 
 casion. When they could not drink of the waters of 
 Marah, on account of their bitterness, he enabled Moses 
 to make them sweet (s) ; when they were in want of food, 
 he sent them manna and quails from heaven (i) ; when 
 they were in \Aant of water, he enabled Moses to produce 
 a spring from a hard rock (ii) ; when they were attacked 
 by the Amalekites, he enabled Moses, by the holding uj) 
 of his hands (.r), to procure them a complete victory. 
 Thus did God, by a continued course of miracles, conduct 
 the Israelites into the wilderness of Sinai, in Arabia Pc- 
 traea, in the third month after they left Egypt. Jethro, 
 who lived not far from this wilderness, brought thither to 
 Moses his w ife and his two sons ; and there JMoses, by the 
 advice of Jethro, appointed magistrates, with different 
 
 of Paran. Different parts of the wilderness took their names 
 from adjacent places ; see Psalm 74, v. 14. Jeremiah, c. 9, 
 V. 10. Joel, c. 1, V. 20; and thus the difficulty of understand- 
 ing how the multitudes, which followed John the Baptist into 
 the wilderness from the cities, could subsist, will immediately 
 vanish. 
 
 (s) Ex. c. J5, v. 23. 
 
 {i) Ex. 0. 16. They were miraculously fed with manna 
 from heaven during the whole time of their residence in the 
 great wilderness of Sinai, even till they had tasted corn iu 
 Canaan. 
 
 (m) Ex. c. 17, v. 1. &.C. 
 
 {x) Ex. c. 17, r. 11. 
 
120 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ADRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 degrees of jurisdiction, to be judges in cases of cbspute 
 among the Israelites ; but the decision of all matters of 
 difficult}- and importance he reserved to himself. 
 
 God now repeated his gracious assurance, that he would 
 make the Israelites his peculiar people, if they would 
 obey his voice, and k^ep his covenant. And surely 
 nothing can more strongly prove, that this people were set 
 apart by God to carry on the gracious designs of his pro- 
 vidence for more extensive salvation to the world, than the 
 renewal of these promises to such a distrustful and stub- 
 born generation. " And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus 
 shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and lell the chil- 
 dren of Israel : Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyp- 
 tians, ami how I bare you on eagles' wings and brou'dit 
 you unto myself. Now, therefore, if ye will obev my 
 voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a 
 peculiai' treasure unto me above all people ; for all the 
 earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of 
 priests, and an holy nation. These are the words ^\hich 
 thou shalt speak unto the chddren of Israel {y)." And 
 when lyioses had assembled the people, and delivered this 
 gracious message from the Almight}-, " All the people an- 
 swered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken 
 we will do. And Moses retui'ned the words of the people 
 unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo ! I 
 ■come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear 
 when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. — Go 
 unto the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, 
 and be ready against the third day ; for the third dav the 
 iiOrd will come down, in the sight of all the people, upon 
 Alount Sinai. And thou shalt set bounds unto the people 
 round about, saying. Take heed to yourselves that ye go not 
 up into the Mount, or touch the border of it : whosoever 
 
 iy) E.\. c. 19, V. 3, &c. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 121 
 
 touclieth the Mount shall be surely put to death." And 
 on the third day " there were thunders and lightnings, and 
 ji thick cloud upon the Mount, and the voice of the 
 trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the people who were 
 in the camp trembled. And Mount Sinai was altogether 
 on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire, 
 and the whole Mount quaked greatly. Aad the Lord 
 spake unto them out of the midst of the fire ; they heard 
 the voice of words, but they saw no similitude, only they 
 heard a voice. And he dechu'ed unto them his covenantj 
 which he commanded them to jjerform, even ten com- 
 mandments." And when the people saw these " terrors of 
 the Lord," " they removed and stood afar off, and said 
 unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear : but 
 let not God speak with us" again, "lest we die {z)." 
 
 IMoses and Aaron liad been permitted to go up into the 
 Mount, before the day of this most awful appearance of 
 the Divine glory ; but they were sent down to the people 
 before the voice of God uttered the law, which was after- 
 wards "wTitten by the finger of God upon tables of 
 stone («)," and given to Moses, when he was called within 
 the cloud, which rested upon Mount Sinai, " to receive the 
 statutes and the judgments," which he was commanded to 
 teach the people. 
 
 It is to be observed that the laws, which extend from 
 the 20th to the 24th chapter of Exodus, laws which, from 
 their nature, must be considered as of general obHgation, 
 appear to have been given to Moses in the presence of all 
 the people; for after their request that God would not 
 
 (z) Ex. c. 19 and 20. 
 
 (a) When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, and found 
 Aaron and the people of Israel defiling Ihemselves with all 
 the abominations of idolatry, in a fit of wrath he broke these 
 tables of stone ; but the ten commandments were afterwards 
 written upon two other tables of stone, by the express directioo 
 of God, in the same manner as before. 
 
122 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 again speak to them himself, it is said, " And the people 
 stood afar off, and Moses drew near to the thiclc darkness 
 where God was ; and the Lord said unto Moses, thus thou 
 shalt say to tlic cliiUh-en of Israel, Ye have seen that I 
 have talked Avith you from Heaven (b) :" and then follows 
 a number of statutes, and ordinances, and promises, and 
 pomlitions, concluding with a command for Moses and 
 Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the ciders of 
 Isiacl, to come up towards the Mount to worship God, as 
 the representatives of the people, who stood at a distance ; 
 but they were ordered " to keep afar off" from the glory 
 01 the Lord, excei)ting Moses, who was alone allowed to 
 " approach near the Lord ;" and the history of this solemn 
 covenant then continues thus : " And Moses came and 
 told tlie people all the words of the Lord, and all his judg- 
 ments ; and all the people answered with one voice, and 
 said, All the words which the Lord hath said, will \\c do. 
 And Moses zv7'ote all the words of the Lord, and rose up 
 early in the morning, and builded an altar imder the hill, 
 and twelve jiillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel." 
 And having offered sacrifices, " Moses took half of the 
 blood, and put it into basons, ami half of the blood he 
 sprinkled on the altar ; and he took the hook of the cove- 
 nant, and read in the audience of the people ; and they 
 jaid. All that the Lord hath said, will we do, and be obe- 
 Jient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on 
 the people, and said. Behold the blood of the covenant 
 which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these 
 words." Then went up Moses and Aaron, Nadal) and 
 Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel, probably within " the 
 borders," or a little way uj) the INIount, " and saw the 
 glory of the God of Israel" appearing with a jjeculiar ra- 
 diance, in coniinnation of this solemn covenant. And 
 
 (6) Ex. c. 20, V. 21 and 22. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 12cJ 
 
 afterwards " the Lord said tmto Moses, Come up to me 
 into the Mount, and be tliere ; and I will give tliee tables 
 of stone, and a law, and commandments, which I have 
 written, that thou maj^est teach them." Then Moses, 
 after giving directions to the elders of the people for their 
 conduct in his absence, " went up into the Mount, and a 
 cloud covered the Mount : and the gloiy of the Lord abode 
 upon Jlount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days, and 
 the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of 
 the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the Lord was 
 like devouring fire on the top of the Mount, in the eyes of 
 all Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, 
 and was in the Mount forty days and forty nights (c) ;" 
 and there God delivered to him those commandments, sta- 
 tutes, and ordinances, which are generally called the law of 
 Moses, or the Mosaic Dispensation. And it pleased God 
 to distinguish Moses, after having been thus highly ho- 
 noured by admission into the Divine presence, by a kind 
 of divine light which beamed from his countenance {d). 
 And thus were the people constantly reminded that their 
 Lawgiver A\as invested with divine authority {e). 
 
 The laws thus delivered bj^ God himself, with all these 
 solemn jjreparations, and in a manner so peculiarly cal- 
 culated to impress awe, and excite obedience, were of 
 three sorts, moral, ceremonial, and civil. The moral law, 
 which is comprised in the ten commandments, " «Titteu 
 with the finger of God," and the law of nature, as it is 
 called, are, in all essential points, the same. The heart 
 of man being much depraved, and his understanding dark- 
 
 (c) Ex. c. 24, &c, Deut. c. 4, &c. 
 
 id) Ex. 0. 34. 2 Cor. c. 3, v. 7, 1.3, &c. 
 
 (e) When it is said, " And the Lord spake unto Moses face 
 to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend," we are to under- 
 stand that God conversed with Moses, not in dreams and 
 visions, as he did with other prophets, but in such a clear and 
 plain manner as one person would converse with another. 
 
124 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 ened in consequence of the Fall of Adam, God had been 
 pleased to roiew the iniin-ession of the general law of na- 
 ture, from time to time, by occasional communications of 
 his will ; and he now confirmed and explained it by au 
 express Revelation, which he commanded to be recorded 
 in writing, for the use of all future ages. This moral law, 
 founded in the natural relation subsisting between God and 
 man, being originally declared to Adam, either through 
 the medium of his reason, or bj' some sensible impression 
 upon his mind, or by the audible voice of God himself, 
 is of universal and eternal obligation {f). The ceremo- 
 nial or positive law relates to the priests, the tabernacle, 
 the sacrifices, and other religious rites and services. God 
 commanded that those who should be employed about the 
 tabernacle, or in the offices of ])ublic worship, should be of 
 the i)0sterity of Levi ; and hence this law is sometimes 
 called the Levitical law ; but the priesthood itself was to 
 
 (/) We are to remember that the cliange wliicli sin pro- 
 duced in the nattue of man, weakened tlie faculties with 
 which he was originally created, and obscured the light of 
 reason. We may conceive that perfect reason would direct 
 man to right conclusions concerning the nature of God and of 
 man, and the duties which he owes to God and to his fellow- 
 creatures. StLU, while man, as a free agent, had, as necessa- 
 rily belonging to that character, the power of opposing the 
 suggestions of will to the deductions of reason, his state of 
 happiness must have been insecure. Whether we consider 
 the knowledge of this moral law as derived from perfect hu- 
 man reason, or, which is the same thing under another name, 
 from the original nature of man given him by liis Creator, 
 (and in this sense the moral law would be justly termed the 
 law of nature,) or whether we suppose the knowledge of this 
 law communicated by some impression upon the mind, some 
 mode of divine inspiration, like that by which the prophets 
 were enabled to distinguish clearly and positively the decla- 
 rations of God from the dictates of their own reason, or by 
 the audible voice of God himself, accompanied by some visi- 
 ble mark of the Divine presence, the divine origin of iliis law 
 is equally established, and its immutable truth is equally ap- 
 parent. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND KISTOllV OF THK JEWS CONTINUED. 125 
 
 be confined to Aaron and his descendants. The principal 
 objects of tlMJ ceremonial law were, to preserve the Jews 
 from idolatry, to which all the neighboiu'ing nations were 
 addicted, and to keep up in their minds the necessity of an 
 atonement for sin. The civil law relates to the civil go- 
 vernment of the Israelites, to punishments, marriages, 
 estates, and possessions. The ceremonial and civil laws 
 are intennixed with each other, and being adapted to the 
 particular pm-pose of separating from the rest of the world 
 one nation, among whom the knowledge of the true God, 
 and the promise of a Redeemer, might be prcseiTed, were 
 designed for the sole use of the Israelites, and were to be 
 binding upon them only till the coming of the Messiah. 
 
 At th.is time God commanded Moses to make a taber- 
 nacle, or tent, for public worship, and gave him directions 
 respecting its materials, dimensions, utensils, and every 
 thing relative to it. In the tabernacle {g) was placed the 
 ark, or chest, in which were deposited the two tables of 
 stone, ^^■hence it is frequently called the Ark of the Cove- 
 nant. The lid of the ark was called the Mercy-seat, upon 
 the ends of A^hich were two cherubim, witii expanded 
 wings, in the attitude of ^"^■orship. Upon the mercy-seat 
 the Shechinab (A), cr Symbol of the Divine presence. 
 
 (_y) Aaron's rod, which was indeed the testimony of liis 
 divine appointment to the priesthood, and an omer of manna, 
 were also deposited in the tabernacle, " to te kept for the 
 generations of Israel." 
 
 {h) Frequent mention is made in Scripture of the a2jpearance 
 of the Lord in the earliest ages of the world. To be " banished 
 from his presence," to be excluded " from the light of his 
 countenance," and many other expressions, seem evidently to 
 allude to some appearance of the Divine glory, either occa- 
 sional or stationary, upon earth, at fixed times, probably on 
 the sabbaths, or at appointed places, whither men went to 
 ■worship, and to "inquire of the Lord," in cases of doubt or 
 distress. See Patrick's Commentary, Shuckford's Connexion, 
 and Jennings's Jewish Antiquities. 
 
126 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 rested, in the appearance of a luminous cloiul, and thence 
 the divine oracles were cither audibly given, or communi- 
 cated bj' the Urim and Thummim (<), as often as God, 
 who condescended to be their king and their judge, 
 was consulted by the high priest. Thus God is said 
 " to dwell between the Cherubim." After the taber- 
 nacle \vas finished, Moses anointed Aaron to be high 
 priest, and his sons to be priests, as the family selected 
 for the priesthood ; and God was j)leased to accept their 
 first offerings with signal marks of approbation. The 
 people were then numbered ; and having now been in the 
 neighbourhood of Mount Sinai nearly a year, they niai'ched 
 thence, and proceeding through the wilderness, they ar- 
 rived, in about three months, at Kadesh Barnea, (/t), not 
 far from the south border of Canaan. During this march, 
 
 (0 Ex. c. 28, V. 30. Lev. c. 8, v. 8. Numb. c. 27, v. 21. 
 The Urim and Thuinmiui, wliich words signify light and per- 
 fcclion, are applied to a miraculous ornament Morn on the 
 breast of the high priest, and erroneously supposed by some 
 to be descriptive of the twelve jewels in the breast-plate of the 
 ]iigh priest, but which in reality meant something disti;-ct 
 from these : compare Exodus, c. 39, v. 10, witii Lev. c. 8, v. 8. 
 Some imagine that they were oracular figures that gave arti- 
 culate answers ; others, that they implied only a plate of gold, 
 engraven with the Tetragrammaton, or sacred name of Jeho- 
 vah. Whatever the ornament was, it enabled the liigh priest 
 to collect divine instruction upon occasions of national im- 
 ])ortancc, and even of private concern. Some conceive that 
 the intelligence was furnished by an extraordinary protrusion 
 or splendour of the diflercnt letters ; but others, with more 
 reason, think that the Urim and Thummim only qualified the 
 liigh priest to present himself ia the holy place, to receive 
 answers from the mercy seat within the veil in the tabernacle 
 and temple, and in tlie camp from some consecrated place, 
 whence the Divine voice might issue. Vide Prideuux's Con- 
 nexion, part 1, book 3. Jennings's Antiq. b. 3, c. 9. Phil. 
 Jud. lib. 2. Spencer's Urim and Thummim. — Gray. 
 
 {k) The distance from Mount Sinai or Ilureb to Kadesh 
 Barnea was only suck as might have been performed in eleven 
 days. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. \27 
 
 the discontent and mutinies of the people occasioned great 
 uneasiness to Moses, and finding much difficulty in go- 
 verning them, he applied to God for relief ; and by the 
 command of God, he chose seventy elders, v,ho were im- 
 mediately endowed with the holy Spirit, and began to pro- 
 phecy. These seventy elders afterwards assisted Moses 
 in the government of the Israelites ; and it is generally 
 believed that this was the origin and foundation of the 
 great national council of the Jews, called in future ages 
 the Sanhedrim (Z). 
 
 From Kadesli Barnea Moses sent twelve men, one of 
 every tribe, " to search the land." They retm*ned at the 
 end of forty days, and reported that the land flowed with 
 iKilk and honey ; and they produced pomegranates, figs, 
 and grapes, as specimens of its fruit : but ten out of these 
 twelve spies gave so formidable an account of its inhabit- 
 ants, and of the strength of its cities, that the Israehtes 
 refused to undertake the conquest of it, and murmmed 
 not only against Moses and Aaron, but also against God 
 himself. This ungrateful, disobedient, and distrustful 
 conduct of the Israehtes brought upon them just though 
 hea\y punishment. God commanded that they should 
 turn back, and wander in the wilderness forty jears, until 
 all who were at that time above twenty years of age, being 
 in number 603,550, were dead, except Joshua and Caleb. 
 These men were two of the twelve who had been sent 
 into Canaan, and having, in opposition to the other ten, 
 given a faithful account, and encouraged the Israelites to 
 attempt its conquest, they were re\\'arded ^vith the dis- 
 tinguished honour and privilege of being permitted to go 
 into the promised land, and to dwell there many ye*s be- 
 fore they died. 
 
 "While the Israelites were in the sandy desert, of Kadesh^ 
 
 (0 Vide Home's Scripture Hist. b. 2, c. 5. 
 
128 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED^ [Part I. 
 
 they miirraured because they wanted water. Upon this 
 occasion Moses and Aaron seem not only to have jjartaken 
 of the general impatience and distrust, but to have endea- 
 voured to give themselves honoiu' in the eyes of the people, 
 by assuming, in some degree, the jjower of granting them a 
 supply : " And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as 
 hecommanded him. AndMoses and Aaron gathered thecon- 
 gregation together before the rock, and he said unto them 
 Hear now, ye rebels ! Must we fetch you water out of this 
 rock ? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he 
 smote the rock twice." God had expressly commanded them 
 to speak only unto the rock ; and it appears as if the first 
 attempt to perform the miracle in their o\mi manner had 
 failed, as a striking mark of his disjjleasure, though he 
 vouchsafed to allow the second to succeed. "And the 
 water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, 
 and their beasts also. And the Lord sj)ake unto Moses 
 and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in 
 the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not 
 bring this congregation into the land which I have given 
 them («')•" Thus were they punished for this compli- 
 cated offence by a prohibition, which, while it was in a 
 peculiar manner mortifying to them as leaders of the peo- 
 ple, afforded an exemplary lesson to all Israel of the ne- 
 cessity of implicit obedience, of constant faith, and of 
 perfect humility, to secure the favour of God. 
 
 The children of Israel were forty years in the wilder- 
 ness; but Moses has recorded the transactions of only 
 three years, namely, the first two and the last. He has, 
 liowever, in the thirty-third chapter of Numbers, men- 
 tionefl all the places where they pitched their tents during 
 the whole time they were in the wilderness. Their march 
 was conducted with the utmost regidai-ity and order, ac- 
 
 (;/0 Numb. c. 20, v. 9, 10, 11 and 12. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 129 
 
 cording to the rules prescribed by God to Moses. A 
 pillar of fire by night, and a pillar of cloud by day, di- 
 rected their journey from Egypt to the land of Canaan. 
 Whenever a cloud appeared upon the tabernacle they 
 stoi^ped, and remained stationary, whether it were for a 
 single night, or for several years. When the cloud dis- 
 appeared, and was succeeded by fire, they put themselves 
 in motion, and continued their march till the cloud ap- 
 peared again upon the tabernacle. The Israehtes were di- 
 rected to ask permission to pass through those countries,, 
 which lay in their way to Canaan, of the several kings who 
 reigned over them ; if granted, they were to go through 
 peaceably ; if refused, they were " to go up against" 
 these their enemies, to conquer, and sometimes to destroy 
 them, according to circumstances, of which God alone 
 could be the judge : but " their brethren," the childi-en 
 of Edom, and the Moabites, and the Ammonites, the de^ 
 scendants of Lot, were not to be disturbed in their posses- 
 sions, whatever provocation they might give. After the 
 Israelites had conquered Sihon, king of the Amorites, and 
 Og, king of Bashan, who refused them a passage through 
 their cqjmtries, the king of Moab was alarmed at their 
 power, and sent for Balaam, a prophet, or diviner, as he is 
 called, "to curse him this people in the name of the 
 Lord," as the only defence against their power. Balaam 
 was brother to Bela, the first king of Edom, and the son 
 ©f Beor, the fourth in descent from Esau, and dwelt at 
 Pethor, in Mesopotamia, the ancient residence of the pa- 
 triarchs ; and the land of Moab was near Edom and the 
 country of the Ishniaelites ; we cannot therefore be sur- 
 prised to find the knowledge of God retained, and his wor- 
 ship still preserved, though probably not unadulterated by 
 idolatry, in these countries ; for in these early ages the 
 worship of God and the worship of idols, seem to have 
 been often blended together. Balaam was commanded by 
 
 K 
 
130 OLD TESTAMEM' HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Parti. 
 
 God " to bless instead of curse" his people; and he pro- 
 phesied concerning their future greatness, and the coming 
 of the Messiah (n). 
 
 Aaron died on the first day of the fifth month, in the 
 40th year after the departure from Egypt. In the eleventh 
 month of that year, Closes hcgan to repeat to the Israel- 
 ites the 2>rincipal la\\s which he had before delivered ; and 
 this was the more requisite, as many of the present Israel- 
 ites were either not born, or were incapable of understan''- 
 ing the Law when it was first promulgated. After this 
 summary repetition of the law, of the terms of the cove- 
 nant, of the grounds of the jjromises, and of the miracles 
 w liich they and their fathers had witnessed, from the time 
 of their departure out of Egypt, iMoses proceeded to set be- 
 forethepeople the certain consequences of their obedience or 
 disobedience to the commands of God ; and these prophetic 
 denunciations of wrath, and promises of blessings, most ac- 
 curately relate the history of this people from the time of 
 Moses to the present hour, and point to their future re- 
 storation to the favour of God. Being informed by God 
 of his approaching death, jMoscs deposited the Law, 
 which he had A\Titten, in the tabernacle, by the side of the 
 ark, under the care of the priests, and commanded that it 
 should be publicly read every seventh year. By the com- 
 mand of God he appointed Joshua his successor, and wrote 
 the inimitably beautiful liynm which was to " be taught to 
 all Israel, to be a witness against the chihlren of Israel 
 when the evils and troubles befell them, because they had 
 broken the covenant of their God ;" and which contains a 
 recapitulation of mercies, and a train of prophecies, some 
 of which yet remain to be fulfilled. " And Closes spake 
 tlie words of this song in the ears of all the congregation 
 of Israel," and, according to the patriarchal custom ah-eady 
 
 (n) Numb, c, 22, &o. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 131 
 
 mentioned, " Moses, the man of God, blessed the childi-en 
 of Israel before his death." This solemn prophetic bless- 
 vng of the tribes of Israel distinctly describes the cha- 
 racter and fate of each, and concludes with an exulting 
 assurance of the unfailing protection of their God, and 
 the final salvation of all Israel. Moses was then per- 
 mitted by God to take a view of the land of Canaan , , 
 
 1451. 
 from the top of Mount Pisgah, and soon after died 
 
 there, at the age of 120 jears, when " his eye was not 
 dim, nor his natural force abated («)." 
 
 After the death of Moses, Joshua received a promise of 
 support from God, and entered upon his important office ; 
 and when the necessary preparations were made, he led 
 the army of the Israelites to the banks of the river Jordan. 
 The priests, by the express command of God, preceded 
 with the ark of the covenant, and as soon as their feet 
 touched the water, the current was stopped, the river be- 
 came di-y ground, and all the people passed through in 
 safety, and entered the promised land opposite to the city 
 of Jericho. 
 
 The time which elapsed from the Israelites coming out 
 of Egj-jjt to their passage into Canaan was within five 
 days of forty years (p). During this whole time the rite 
 of circumcision had been omitted ; and therefore all the 
 thikh-en, who had been born in the wilderness, were now 
 circumcised at Gilgal. 
 
 Four days after the arrival of the Israelites in Canaan, 
 the Passover was kept, and the following day the manna 
 ceased, and from that time they lived upon the produce of 
 the country. 
 
 The first attempt of Joshua was against Jericho, which, 
 
 after a short siege, was taken in a miraculous manner : 
 
 " The wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into 
 
 the city, every man straight before him, and they took the 
 
 (o) Diut. c. 34, V. 7. Cp) Josh. c. 4, v. 19. 
 
132 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABKIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 city [q)." This manifest interposition of God encouraged 
 Joshua to jiersevere in the great work in which he was 
 engaged, established him in the confidence of the people 
 of Israel, and excited terror in the nations, who having 
 filled up the measure of their iniquities, were now to be 
 destroyed by the mighty hand of God. Joshua then pro- 
 ceeded to make other conquests, and in seven years he 
 subdued thirty-one kings belonging to tlic nations of the 
 Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and 
 Girgashites. It is to be obser\'ed, that these kings were 
 only petty jjrinces, or lords of cities, which had a few vil- 
 lages dependent upon them. In the com-se of this Avar, it 
 ])leased God to display his sovereign power over the uni- 
 verse in a most remarkable manner : " The sun stood still 
 in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about 
 a whole day (r)." This signal miracle seems to have been 
 particularly directed against the prevailing worship of 
 " the host of heaven ;" and nothing surely could be more 
 strikingly calculated to correct this idolatry, than to beliold 
 " the sun and the moon stand still at the command" of 
 the general of the armies of " the God of Israel," " the 
 Lord of heaven and earth. * 
 
 After these conquests, there still remained a conside- 
 rable part of the country unsubdued ; but when the ta- 
 bernacle was set up in Shiloh, a city assigned to the tribe 
 of Ephraim, to which Joshua belonged, as a sign of rest 
 ...^ unto the people, Joshua was commanded to divide 
 the whole land among the Israelites by lot, both 
 that part Avhich was, and that which was not subdued, 
 " according as the Lord had commanded by the hand of 
 Moses." Seven of the tribes had not then received their 
 inheritance. Joshua therefore "sent three men from 
 each tribe to go through the land and describe it into 
 
 iq-) aoj-ii c. 6, v. 20. (?•) Josh, c 10, v. 13. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 133 
 
 seven parts ;" and ordered " them to bring the descrip- 
 tion (s) to him, to cast lots for the tribes before the Lord." 
 No allotment, except forty-eight cities to dwell in, was 
 made to the tribe of Levi, because they were appropriated 
 to the services of religion, and the tithes of the whole 
 country were given them for a maintenance; and the 
 priests had also a part of the sacrifices : but the whole 
 country was divided into twelve parts, as the descendants 
 of Joseph were separated into two tribes, which from his 
 two sons were called the tribe of Ephraim, and the tribe 
 of Manasseh. The kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amo- 
 rites, and of Og, king of Bashan, and the land of Gilead, 
 all on the eastern side of Jordan, which had been given 
 by Moses to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and to half 
 the tribe of Manasseh, upon conditions which the)' exactly 
 fulfilled, were confirmed to them by Joshua. He divided 
 the land on the western side of the river between the other 
 nine tribes and a half; and Jerusalem, a city of the Jebu- 
 sites, fell to the lot of the children of Judah (/). The 
 twelve tribes went to take possession of their several 
 allotments; and the death of Joshua happened 
 about eighteen years after this distribution of the land. 
 
 No person was at first appointed to succeed Joshua in 
 the general command and government of the Israelites ; 
 but acting in separate ti'ibes, each having a head or gover- 
 nor, called in Scriptiu-e " the princes of the people," they 
 proceeded in the conquest of the remaining part of the 
 countiy, and were for a few years faithful in the service of 
 God ; they then, in opposition to the divine commands 
 delivered by Moses and Joshua, suffered the ancient in- 
 habitants of Canaan to remain tributary among them, and 
 
 (s) If this description were a cliart or map, this people must 
 have been farther advanced in knowledge than they are usu- 
 ally supposed to have been. — Josh. c. 18. 
 
 {t) Josh. c. 15, V. 63. Judg. c. 1, v. 8, 21. 
 
134 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED. [Parti, 
 
 were seduced to joia them in the idolatrous worship of 
 their false gods. Upon this provocation God gave them 
 up iuto the hands of Cushan, king of !^Iesopotamia, 
 wlio reduced them to a state of subjection, in which 
 they continued eight years. God was then pleased to 
 listen to theii- earnest prayers ; and for the purpose of 
 delivering them, he appointed Othniel (m) to be 
 their leader, who defeated Cushan, restored the 
 Israelites to liberty, and established peace, with the enjoy- 
 ment of promised blessings, for forty years. Othniel was 
 the first of those persons who governed Israel under the 
 name of Judges. These judges were twelve in number, 
 and their government continued rather more than 300 
 years (.r). During this time the Israelites frequently pro- 
 voked the anger of the Almighty, and being guilty of many 
 heinous sins, especialy idolatry were often severely 
 punished. Upon their relapses into wickedness, they were 
 successively enslaved by Eglon, king of Moab, Jabin, king 
 of Canaan, by the Midianites, by the Ammonites, and by 
 the Philistines. In the time of Eli, the last judge but one, 
 the ark of the Lord was taken by the Philistines, but was 
 miraculously preserved from injury, and after seven months 
 was brought back to the Israelites, who might have been 
 taught the necessity of keeping the terms of the covenant 
 by this temporary deprivation of "their glory." 
 
 The judges do not appear to have succeeded each other 
 in regular order. They were appointed as the instrument 
 of divine interposition upon great emergencies, and more 
 particularly when the repentance and supplications of th 
 Israelites induced God to relieve them from their suffer 
 ings (y). 
 
 (n) From the death of Joslma to the appointment of Oth- 
 niel was probably about twenty-one years — Judges, c. 3. 
 
 (x) The different opinions concerning tlic chronology of 
 these judges may be seen in Dufresnoy's Chronology. 
 
 (y) It is to be remembered, that Moses had appointed judges 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JKWS CONTINUED. 135 
 
 When Samuel, the prophet and judge of Israel, who 
 succeeded Eli, was grown old, he appointed his sons to 
 administer justice in his room ; and upon their misconduct, 
 the Israelites desired that, like other nations, they might 
 have a king. The government of the Israelites, from their 
 departure out of Egypt to the time of Samuel, was a The- 
 ocracy, that is, a government by God himself, who not 
 only gave them general laws and regulations, but author- 
 ized them to apply to him in all cases of doubt and emer- 
 gency. His " glory" resided, as it were, among them, and 
 from time to time, as particular occasions required, he 
 issued his decrees, and signified his will, from the taber- 
 nacle. To desire, therefore, a king, was to reject this 
 Theocracy, and to declare " that they would not have God 
 to reign over them (z)" in that peculiar manner in which 
 he had hitherto condescended to be their king. Samuel, 
 by the command of God, expostulated with the Israelites, 
 upbraided them with their ingratitude, and represented to 
 them the evils which would follow the establishment of 
 regal authoritj^ among them ; but they obstinately perse- 
 vered in theu- request, and at length God was pleased to 
 direct Samuel to anoint Saul, of the tribe of Ben- 
 jamin, to be king of Israel. He was accepted by 
 the people, and reigned over them forty years : but be- 
 cause of his disobedience to the divine commands, God 
 
 did not suffer the kingdrom to remain in his fa- ,^^^ 
 
 . 1055. 
 
 mily (rt). Saul was succeeded by David, who had 
 
 been secretly anointed by Samuel, at the command of God, 
 
 as the successor of Saul. He was of the tribe of Judah, 
 
 to each tribe, who were called princes of the tribe, and " who 
 sat in the gate," or place of justice, to judge the people. The 
 judges here mentioned were in the place of Moses and Joshua, 
 cliief judges and generals. 
 
 (z) 1 Sam. c. 8, v. 7. 
 
 («) 1 Sam. c. 6, v. '/'. 
 
136 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 and had greatly distinguished himself, in the reign of Saul, 
 by his faith in God, by repeated instances of courage and 
 magnanimity, and of obedience and loyalty to his sove- 
 reign, who, from a spirit of jealousy, imjustly sought to 
 take away his life. The friendship of David and Jonathan, 
 the son of Saul, is justl}' celebrated as excelling all the 
 pictures of friendship which we have received from pagan 
 antiquity ; nor can the heathen poets furnish any thing 
 equal to the piety, the beauty, and the sublimitv of the 
 hymns of the royal psalmist. David greatly extended the 
 dominions of Israel, and kept the people faithful to their 
 Law ; and though he was guilty of very heinous sins, (for 
 which he was severely punished,) yet did his quick and 
 deep contrition, and the general course of his life, shew 
 " that his heart was right before God ;" God was therefore 
 pleased to promise David, that he would " establish his 
 house and the throne of his kingdom for ever (1^) ;" which 
 was a declaration that the Messiah was to be a descendant 
 of David. When David drew near his death, after a reign 
 of forty years, he caused his son Solomon to be 
 anointed king, having been informed at the time 
 when he proposed " to build a house for the ark of God," 
 that Solomon was a])ix)inted to be his successor. 
 
 Solomon, whose early piety, wisdom and humility, ren- 
 dered him the admiration of the world, having been thus 
 chosen by God to succeed to the throne of David, and " to 
 build him a house for the tabernacle of his glory," began 
 his reign with very distinguished marks of divine favour. 
 By the command of God he built a temple at Jerusalem, 
 for which David had only been permitted to collect ma- 
 terials, " because he had shed blood abundantly, and had 
 made great wars (e)." This temple, which in riches and 
 magnificence exceeded every other building upon earth, 
 
 (b) 2 Sam. c. 7, v. 13 and IG. 
 
 (c) 1 Chron. c. 22, v. S. 
 
Chap. 3.j AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 137 
 
 was built, after the model of the tabernacle, upon Mount 
 
 Moriah, an eminence of Mount Sion, in seven years and a 
 
 half: and after it had been consecrated with great 
 
 1004 
 solemnity, the ark of the covenant, the autographs 
 
 of the holy Scriptures, and the other sacred things belong- 
 ing to the tabernacle, were removed into it. The reign of 
 Solomon, " who passed all the kings of the earth for riches 
 and wisdom," was the most brilliant period of the Jewish 
 history. " He reigned over all the kings from the river 
 (Euphrates) even unto the land of the Philistines, and to 
 the border of Egypt (d) ;" yet, " for his peace he was be- 
 loved." Towards the close of life, however, Solomon, tar- 
 nished the glory of his name, and " did evil in the sight of 
 the Lord." — " For it came to pass when Solomon was old, 
 that his wives turned away his heart after other gods : and 
 his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was 
 the heart of David his father (e)." It seems, indeed, as if 
 his heart had been so far corrupted by a long series of 
 luxurious prosperity, as to have led him to persist in the 
 abominations of idolatry, notwithstanding the warning he 
 had received ; wherefore God declared, that " he would for 
 this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever." Solomon 
 was allowed to possess the " kingdom all the days of his 
 life for his father David's sake ;" but he was informed 
 that God had appointed Jeroboam, his servant, to be king 
 over ten of the tribes of Israel after his death (_/") ;" and 
 he might justly fear, from the disposition of his son Reho- 
 
 {d) 1 Kings, c. 4, v. 21. Gen. c. 15, v. 18. 
 
 (e) 1 Kings, c. 11, v. 4. 
 
 (/) God declared to Solomon, that he would give one tribe 
 to his son Rehoboam, 1 Kings, c. 11, v. 13. By this mightbe 
 meant one tribe besides the tribe of his own house, which 
 God had promised to David " .should be established for ever." 
 Benjamin " was the least of all the tribes of Israel," and it is 
 generally supposed it had been an appendage to the tribe of 
 Judah, or at least much mixed with it, from the time of the 
 
138 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [PiVt I. 
 
 boara, that still greater punishment would follow : and 
 
 thus were the latter days of this illustrious monarch, who 
 
 reigned through a space of forty years, embittered by the 
 
 prospect of calamities impending over his posterity, and by 
 
 the sorrowful conviction derived from his own experience, 
 
 that " all is vanity and vexation of spirit," to those who 
 
 " forsake the law of the Lord, and keep not the covenant 
 
 of their God." 
 
 The extreme folly of Rehoboam's conduct, upon his as- 
 
 cendins; the throne, induced ten of the tribes to re- 
 975 ■ ■ 
 
 volt immediatel)', and they chose Jeroboam for 
 
 their king. Two tribes only, namely, those of Judah and 
 Benjamin, remained faithful to Rchoboam. Thus two 
 kingdoms were formed : that under Jeroboam and his 
 successors was called the kingdom of Israel; and that under 
 Rehoboam and his successors was called the kingdom of 
 Judah. The capital of the latter was Jerusalem, which 
 had been the seat of government since the eighth year 
 of David's reign. The capital of the former was at first 
 Shechera, then Tirzah, and afterwards Samaria, the princi- 
 pal city of the tribe of Ephraim, whence this kingdom is 
 also sometimes called the kingdom of Samaria, and some- 
 times the kingdom of Ephraim. 
 
 Jeroljoam, fearing that the ten tribes, by going regu- 
 larly to offer sacrifice at the temple of Jerusalem, might 
 return to their allegiance to the house of David, set up, 
 in opposition to the w arning he had received from the 
 prophet Ahijah, two golden calves, and erected altars at 
 Dan and Bethel, the two extremities of his kingdom, and 
 ordered that sacrifices should be offered at those ])laces 
 instead of Jerusalem ; and because the priests and Levites, 
 
 slaughter of the Benjamites, mentioned Judges, c. 20, and that 
 it was therefore included in the tribe of Judah, with which 
 indeed it had been connected from the time of the distribution 
 of the land, Joshua, c. 18, in this promise to Solomon. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 139 
 
 leaving their respective cities, situated within his dominions, 
 had gone to reside at Jerusalem, he made priests from the 
 lo\\est of the people. Many persons also, from every one 
 of the ten tribes, who were desirous of worshijiping God 
 at Jerusalem, left Jeroboam, and settling in the kingdom 
 of Judah, added considerably to its strength. Jeroboam 
 was succeeded by his son Nadab. After Nadab had 
 reigned two years, he was killed by Baasha, who usurped 
 the Idngdom, and destroyed the whole race of Jeroboam, 
 according to Ahijah's prophecy [g). But the kings of 
 Judah were all descendants of Rehoboam, and conse- 
 quently of David, as God had promised him ; " "When thy 
 days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I 
 will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of 
 thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom {h)." 
 
 There were frequent ^^ ars between the kings of Judah 
 and Israel, and between them and the neighbouring kings. 
 The kings and people, both of Judah and Israel, soon fell 
 into the grossest depravity. But though their idolatiy and 
 other wickedness called down the heavy displeasure of 
 God in continual punishments, yet did he raise up amoHg 
 them, in both kingdoms, a succession of prophets, who 
 endeavoured to recal them to obedience, by remiu(hng 
 them of the many and distinguished instances of Divine 
 favour which they had experienced, and by denouncing the 
 fatal consequences which would inevitably follow a perse- 
 verance in sin. All these admonitions and threatenings, 
 although enforced by the performance of miracles, and 
 accomplishment of predictions, were ineffectual. Signal 
 deliverances awakened not gratitude, nor did remarkable 
 punishments produce contrition. And, at length, God 
 suffered Tiglath-Pileser, or Arbaces, king of Assyria, ^ 
 io carry away captive many of the subjects of the 
 
 {g) 1 Kings, c. 15, v. 27, c. 14, v. 10. 
 {h) 2 Sam. c. 7, v. 12. 
 
140 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 kingdom of Israel, who inliabited the eastern side of the 
 river Jordan, and part of Galilee ; and nineteen years after, 
 upon repeated provocations, it jdeased God to permit 
 Salmaneser, the son and successor of Tiglath-Pi- 
 leser, by the capture of Samaria, in the reign of 
 Hoshea, to put an end to the kingdom of Israel, about 
 250 years after its first establishment as a separate king- 
 dom : " So the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, as 
 he had said by his servants the prophets ; there was none 
 left but the tribe of Judah only (i)." Most of the people 
 were carried away captive into Media : and almost all who 
 /.»- were then left were carried away, about 44 years 
 after, by Esarhaddon, the grandson of Salmaneser, 
 and king of Assyria ; but it appears " that a remnant still 
 remained in the land (h)." Esarhaddon sent colonies from 
 several of his provinces, but chiefly from Cuthan, to in- 
 habit Samaria ; and these new inhabitants took the name 
 of Samaritans, though they a\ ere frefjuentlj' called Cuthae- 
 ans. Soon after their settlement in Samaria they were 
 taught the worship of the true God ; but retaining also 
 the \\orship of their false deities, their religion was for 
 some years a mixture of Judaism and Heathenism. In 
 process of time, however, having many of the Israehtes 
 incorporated among them, and having built a temple {I) 
 upon Mount Gerizim, like to that at Jerusalem, they ap- 
 pear to have abandoned all idolatry, and to have worshipped 
 only the God of Israel (w). 
 Among all the kings of Israel, from Jeroboam to Iloshea, 
 
 (0 2 Kings, c. 17, v. 18. 
 
 (*) 2 Chron. c. 30, v. 6, c. 34, v. 9. 
 
 (l) Dean Prideaux is of opinion lliat this teuiplc was built 
 in the time of Darius Nothus, about the year 409 before Christ. 
 
 (wj) Josephus says that the Samaritans called the Jews 
 brethren while in prosperity, and denied the connexion when 
 in adversity. This implies that many Israelites were mixed 
 with the Cuthoeans. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 141 
 
 there was not one entirely free from the sin of idolatry. 
 It is said of all, that " they did evil in the sight of the 
 Lord, and made Israel to sin," though on many ociasion* 
 they sought the Lord in their distress, and he was pleased 
 to deliver them from the hands of their enemies ; and in 
 particular, he distinguished Jehu, who executed his judg- 
 ments upon the house of Ahab, and upon the priests of 
 Baal, with peculiar marks of favour : " Because thou hast 
 done this, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit 
 on the throne of Israel (ji)." But it was not so with the 
 House of David, who sat upon the throne of Judali. Many 
 of the kings of Judali were remarkable for their jiiety, and 
 zeal for the honour of God, and obedience to his law ; but 
 the nation in general gave themselves up to iniquity, with 
 but few and ti-ansient exceptions, although the everlasting 
 goodness of God never failed to manifest his acceptance of 
 their repentance, and readiness to hear their cry, whenever 
 they " called upon him faithfully." But neither the ca- 
 lamities with which they were occasionally visited, nor the 
 blessings with which they were frequently favoured ; nei- 
 ther the covenant of their fathers, the miracles of then' 
 temple, nor the voice of their prophets ; neither the for- 
 bearance and long-suffering of their God, nor the signal 
 example of divine vengeance exhibited in the destruction 
 of the kingdom of Israel, could prevail upon this perverse 
 and rebellious people to " forsake the evil of their Avays, 
 and turn unto the Lord their God with a steadfast mind." — 
 " And the Lord said, I will remove Judah also out of my 
 sight, as I have removed Israel ; and will cast off tliis city 
 Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I 
 said. My name shall be there (o)." But " for his great 
 name's sake, and for the sake of his servant David," Got" 
 
 («) 2 Kings, c. 10, v. 30. 
 (o) 2 Kings, 0. 23, v. 27. 
 
142 OLU TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 was pleased to fix a period for this first banishment of 
 Jndah from his presence : " For thus saith the Lord, that 
 after seventy years be accranplished at Babylon, I will 
 visit you, and perform my good word towards you, in 
 causing you to return to this place (p)." Accordingly 
 Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, was permitted by God 
 to invade Juda;a in the reign of Jehoiakim, and to besiege 
 and take Jerusalem. He put Jehoiakim in chains, to 
 carry him to Babylon ; but upon his humbling himself, 
 and engaging to be tributarj' to Nebuchadnezzar, he was 
 released, and restored to his kingdom. The children of the 
 royal family, and many of the people, were, however, sent 
 captives to Babylon; and a great part of the treasures of 
 the temple was also sent thither, with orders that they 
 should be placed in the house of the god Bel. From this 
 time, about 115 years after the destruction of the kingdom 
 of Israel, is to be dated the commencement of the 
 Babylonian captivity ; which, according to the pre- 
 diction of Jeremiah, the prophet, was to last seventy years. 
 Jehoiakim continued faithful to Nebuchadnezzar 
 three years ; he then rebelled against him, and in 
 consequence, Juda;a was invaded by an army of those na- 
 tions which were subject to the king of Babylon, and Je- 
 hoiakim was slain. He was succeeded by his son 
 Jehoiakim, commonly called Jeconias : and about three 
 months after the death of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar 
 came in person to the siege of Jerusalem. Jeconias, being 
 unable to defend the city, surrendered himself, with his 
 mother and family, to Nebuchadnezzar, and was sent to 
 ^^ Babylon, where he was kept in prison thirty-sevep. 
 years. Nebuchadnezzar, having made Ivmself 
 master of Jerusalem, sent the remaining treasures cf the 
 temple, and of the king's house, with great numbers of 
 
 {p) Jcr. c. 29, v. 10. 
 
Chap. 3.J AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS COKTINUED. 143 
 
 captives, to Babylon. He made Mattaniah, the uncle of 
 Jeeonias, king of the people who remained in Judaea, and 
 changed his name to Zedekiah. In the ninth j'ear of his 
 reign, Zedekiah revolted from Nebuchadnezzar, and Jeru- 
 salem was again besieged and taken, after the siege 
 had lasted about eighteen months, during which the 
 l^eople had suffered severely from famine and pestilence. 
 Zedekiah escaped out of the city, but being pursued, was 
 taken and carried to Nebuchadnezzar, who, having caused 
 his sons to be slain before his face, and his C3es to be put 
 out, sent him in chains to Bab5'lon, where he died in pri- 
 son {q). By his being carried thither in a state of blindness, 
 two remarkable prophecies were fulfilled, which appeared to 
 contradict each other ; the one of Jeremiah, that Zedekiah 
 should be carried to Babylon (r) ; the other ofEzekiel, 
 that Zedekiah should not see Babylon (s). The walls of 
 Jerusalem were broken down by the command of Nebu- 
 chadnezzar; the temple and all the buildings were de- 
 stroyed by fire ; and this famous city became a heap of 
 ruins, and neai-ly the whole nation was sent captive to 
 Babylon. Gedaliah was made governor over the few 
 people that were left ; and many of those who had fled 
 during the siege of Jerusalem into the neighbom-ing coun- 
 tries returaed soon after, and were encom-aged by Gedaliah 
 to establish themselves in Juda?a, upon condition of pa}- 
 ing tribute to the king of Babylon (t). The kindness and 
 liberality ^^^th which Gedaliah treated these poor people 
 induced some of their i-ulers to confess that Ismael, one of 
 tlieir brethren, and of the royal famil}', had determined to 
 
 f/^) Zedekiah was the twenty-first king of the race of David. 
 
 (?•) Jer. c. 32, v. 5, c. 34, v. 3. 
 
 (s) Ezek. c. 12, v. 13. 
 
 (t) It appears that many of the ten tribes, as well as the 
 people of Judah, returned now and afterwards, and were Gra- 
 dually incorporated under the same government. 
 
144 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part f, 
 
 murder Gedaliah at the desire of the king of the Ammo- 
 nites ; and they offered to kill Ismael privately, if thev re- 
 ceived his permission. Gedaliah would not listeu to this 
 l^roposal, nor did he believe the accusation, and was soon 
 after murdered by Ismael at a feast, to which he had pur- 
 posely invited him. Upon this occasion most of the people, 
 fearing that the king of Babylon would avenge the death 
 of Gedaliahj went and settled in Egj'pt, contrary to the 
 express advice of Jeremiah, who declared, upon divine au- 
 thority, that they might remain nith safety in Judea, but 
 would suffer the punishments they had seen inflicted upon 
 their brethren, if they fled for protection to Egypt, which 
 was soon to be conquered by the king of Babylon. Ac- 
 cordingly, about four years after the destruction of Je- 
 rusalem, Nebuchadnezzar, having possessed himself of 
 Coele-SjTia, and reduced the Ammonites and Moabites 
 imder subjection, went against Egypt, slew the king (tt), 
 and subdued the kingdom. Many of the Jews, who had 
 taken refuge there, were put to death ; a small remnant 
 only returned to Judaea, and, as no new inhabitants were 
 sent thither by the king of Babylon, as there had been by 
 the king of Assyria into Samaria, after the captivity of the 
 ten tribes of Israel, " the land lay desolate" for the 
 allotted time. 
 
 When the kingdom of Juilah had been seventy years in 
 captivity, and the period of their affliction was completed, 
 Cyrus, under whom were united the kingdoms of 
 Persia, Media, and Babylon, issued a decree, ])er- 
 mitting all the Jews to return to their oami land, and to 
 rebuild their temple at Jerusalem. This decree had been 
 expressly foretold by the prophet Isaiah (r), who CiJled 
 upon CjTus by name, above a hundred years befvrc hia 
 
 (u) Pharaoli-IIophra, or Apries. 
 ((•) Isaiah, c. 44, v. 28, c. 45, v. 1. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEV.S CONTINUED. \45 
 
 bii-th, as the deliverer of God's chosen people from their 
 predicted captivity. Though the decree issued by Cyrus 
 was general, a part only of the nation took advantage of 
 it. The number of persons who returned at this time was 
 42,360, and 7,337 servants. They were conducted by 
 Zerubbabel and Joshua. Zerubbabel, frequently called in 
 Scripture Shashbazzar, was the grandson of Jeconias, and 
 consequently descended from David. He was called " the 
 prince of Judah," and was appointed their governor by 
 Cyrus, and with his permission carried back a part of the 
 gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had taken 
 out of the temple of Jerusalem. The rest of the treasiu-es 
 of the temple were carried thither afterwards by Ezra. 
 Joshua Avas the son of Josedec, the high priest, and grand- 
 son to Seraiah, who was high priest when the temple was 
 destroyed. Darius, the successor of Cyrus, confirmed this 
 decree, and favoured the re-establishment of the people. 
 But it was in the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus, called 
 in Scripture Ahasuerus, that Ezra obtained his commis- 
 sion, and was made governor of the Jcaa s in their own 
 land (a-), which government he held thirteen years ; then 
 Nehemiah was appointed with fresh powers, probably 
 through the interest of queen Esther j and Ezra applied 
 himself solely to correct the Canou of the Scriptures, and 
 restoring and providing for the continuance of the worship 
 of God in its original purity. 
 
 The first care of the Jews, after theii' arrival in Judaea, 
 •was to build an altar for burnt offerings to God ; they then 
 collected materials for rebuilding the temple, and all ne- 
 cessaiy preparations being made, in the beginning of the 
 second year after their return under Zei'ubbabel, they 
 ■jegan to build it ujjon the old foimdatious. The Sama-. 
 
 {X) About 1,500 Jews returned from Babylon with Ezra, 
 and great numbers now returned from the neighbouring na 
 tions. 
 
 I. 
 
146 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 ritans, affinning that they worshipped the God of Israel, 
 oflfered to assist the Jews ; but their assistance being re- 
 vised, they did all in their power to impede the work, and 
 hence originated that enmity which ever after subsisted 
 between the Jews and Samaritans. The temple, after a 
 variet}' of obstructions and delays, was finished and dedi- 
 cated, in the serenth year of king Darius, and twenty 
 years after it was begun. Though this second 
 temple, or as it is sometimes called, the temple of Zerub- 
 babel, who was at this time governor of the Jews, was of 
 the same size and dimensions as the first, or Solomon's 
 temple, yet it was very inferior to it in splendour and 
 magnificence ; and the ark of the covenant, the Shechinah, 
 the holy fire upou the altar, the Urim and Thummim, and 
 the spirit of prophecy, were all wanting to this temple of 
 the remnant of the people. At the feast of the dedication 
 ofi"erings were made for the t\'\ elve tribes of Israel, Avhich 
 seems to indicate that some of all the tribes returned from 
 captivity ; but by far the greater number were of the tribe 
 of Judah, and therefore from this period the Israelites were 
 generally called Judsei, or Jews, and their country Juda;a. 
 Many, at their own desire, remained in those provinces 
 where they had been placed by the kings of Asspia and 
 Babylon. The settlement of the people, " after their old 
 estate," according to the word of the Lord, together with 
 the arrangement of all civil and ecclesiastical matters, and 
 the building of the walls of Jerusalem, were completed by 
 Ezra and Nehemiah {y). But we soon after find Malachi,. 
 the last of the prophets under the Old Testament (z), 
 
 (y) Manasseh, a priest, tlie brother of Jaddua, the liigh 
 priest of Jerusalem, who had married tlie daughter of Saiibal- 
 lat, the governor of Samaria, was banished by Nehemiah, and 
 went to Samaria, with a number of other refractory Jews, and 
 was made liijh priest of tlie temple on Moiuit Gcrizim. 
 
 (xr) Tlic cessation of prophecy had been previously threat- 
 tncd as a token of the displeasure of God, and we may pre- 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 147 
 
 reproving both priests and people very severely, not for 
 idolatrj^, but for their scandalous lives and gross cor- 
 ruptions. 
 
 The Scripture history ends at this period, and we must 
 have recourse to uninspired ^vi'itings, principally to 
 the books of the Maccabees and to Josephus,for the 
 remaining particulars of the Jewish histoiy, to the de* 
 stmction of Jerusalem by the Romans (a). 
 
 Judaja continued subject to the kings of Persia about 
 two hundred years, but it does not apjiear that it had a 
 separate governor after Nehemiah. From his time it was 
 included in the jurisdiction of the governor of SjTia, and 
 imder him the high-pi-iest had the chief authority. When 
 Alexander the Great was preparing to besiege Tyre, he 
 sent to Jaddua, the high priest at Jerusalem, to supply 
 him with that quantity of provisions which he was accus- 
 tomed to send to Persia. Jaddua refused, upon the 
 groimd of his oath of fideUty to the king of Persia. 
 This refusal irritated Alexander ; and when he had 
 taken Tyre, he marched towards Jerusalem to revenge 
 himself upon the Jews. Jaddua had notice of his ap- 
 proach, and by the direction of God went out of the city 
 to meet him, (bessed in his pontifical robes, and attended 
 by the Levites in white garments. Alexander, visibly 
 struck with this solemn appearance, immediately laid aside 
 his hostile intentions, advanced towards the high priest, 
 embraced him, and paid adoration to the name of God, 
 which was inscribed upon the frontlet of his mitre : he 
 afterwards went into the city with the high priest, and 
 offered sacrifices in tke temple to the God of the Jews. 
 
 sume that it was designed also to increase their desire and 
 expectation of the appearance of the Messiah at the appointed 
 time. 
 
 (a) The history contained in the apocryphal books ends 
 about 135 years before Christ, according to Dr. Blair. 
 
148 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 This sudden change in the disposition of Alexander excitetl 
 no small astonishment among his followers ; and when his 
 favourite Parmenio inquired of him the cause, he answered 
 that it was occasioned hy the recollection of a reraarkahle 
 dream he had in Macedonia, in which a person, dressed 
 precisely like the Jewish high priest, had encouraged him to 
 undertake the conquest of Persia, and had promised him 
 success ; he therefore adored the name of that God by 
 whose direction he believed he acted, and shewed kind- 
 ness to his people. It is also said, that while he was at 
 Jerusalem the prophecies of Daniel were pointed out 
 to him, which foretold that " the king of Grecia (/»)" should 
 conquer Persia. Before he left Jerusalem he granted the 
 Jews the same free enjoyment of their laws and their re- 
 ligion, and exemption from tribute every sabbatical year, 
 which they had been allowed by the kings of Persia ; and 
 when he built Alexandria, he ])laced a great number of 
 Jews there, and granted them many favours and immu- 
 nities. Whether any Jews settled in Europe so early as 
 while the nation was subject to the Macedonian empire, is 
 not known, but it is believed that they began to hellenize 
 about this time. The Greek tongue became more common 
 among them, and Grecian manners and opinions were soon 
 introduced. 
 
 At the death of Alexander, in the division of his em- 
 ])irc among his generals, Jud:ca fell to the share of 
 Laomcdon {c). But Ptolemj- Soter, son of Lagus, 
 
 (6)'Dan.c. 8, v. 20, &c. 
 
 (c) Liioincdon, one of Alexander's captains, had Syria, 
 Phoenicia, and Judnca, assigned to him in the first partition 
 after the death of Alexander ; but Ptolemy Soter very soon 
 took possession of these territories. As both Laomedon and 
 Antigonus continued masters of those countries, wliich were 
 allotted to them, only a short time, the Macedonian emigre is 
 generally considered as divided into four parts, the Macedo- 
 
Chap 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 149 
 
 king of Egypt, soon after matle himself master of it by 
 stratagem : he entered Jerusalem on a sabbath day, under 
 pretence of oifering sacritice, and took possession of the 
 city without resistance from the Jews, who did not on this 
 occasion dare to transgress their law by fighting on a sab- 
 bath day. Ptolemy carried many thousands captive into- 
 Egypt, both Jews and Samaritans, and settled them there ; 
 he afterwards treated them with kindness, on account of 
 th.eir acknowledged fidelity to their engagements, particularly 
 in their conduct towards Darius, king of Persia ; and he 
 granted them equal privileges with the Macedonians them- 
 selves at Alexandria. Ptolemy Philadelphus is said to 
 have given the Jews, who were captives in Egj'jit, their 
 liberty, to the number of 120,000. He commanded the 
 Jewish Scriptures to be translated into the Greek Ian 
 guage, which translation is called the Septuagint, from thi» 
 number of persons said to have been employed in the 
 work*. After the Jewish nation had been tributary to the 
 kings of Egypt for about an huntlred years, it becam« 
 subject to the kings of Syria. They divided the land, 
 which now began to be called Palestine, into five pro 
 vinces, three of which were on the west side of the Jordan, 
 namely, Galilee, Samaria, and Judtea (d), and two on the 
 east side, namely, T rachomtis and Peraca : but they suf- 
 fered them to be governed by their own laws, under the 
 high priest and council of the nation. Seleucus Nicanor 
 gave them the right of citizens in the cities which he built 
 in Asia Minor and Coele-Syria, and even in Antioch, his 
 capital, w ith privileges which they continued to enjoy under 
 
 nian, the Asiatic, the Syrian, and Egyptian, of which Cassan- 
 der, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy Soter, were respec- 
 tively kings. 
 
 • See Note (t) p. 9. 
 
 (d) But the whole country was frequently called Judtea 
 after this time. 
 
150 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 the Romans. Antiochus the Great granted considerahle 
 favours and immunities to the city of Jerusalem ; and to 
 seciu-e Lydia and Phrygia, he estabhshed colonies of Jcavs 
 in those proyinces. In the series of %vars which took 
 place between the kings of Syria and Egypt, Judaea, being 
 situated between those two countries, was, in a greater or 
 less degree, affected by all the revolutions which they ex- 
 perienced, and was frequently the scene of bloody aid 
 destructive battles. The evils to which the Jews were ex 
 l)0sed from these foreign powers were considerably aggra- 
 vated by the corrviption and misconduct of their own high 
 priests, and other persons of distinction among them. To 
 this corrui^tion and misconduct, and to the increasing 
 wickedness of the people, their sufferings ought indeed 
 to be attributed, according to the express declai'ations of 
 God by the mouth of his i^rophets. It is certain that 
 about this time a considerable part of the nation was be- 
 come much attached to Grecian manners and customs, 
 though they continued perfectly free from the sin of idol- 
 atry. Near Jerusalem places were appropriated for gym- 
 nastic exercises; and the people were led by Jason, who had 
 obtained the high priesthood from Antiochus Epiphanes by 
 the most dishonourable means, to neglect the temple 
 worship, and the observance of the Law, in a far greater 
 degree than at any period since their retm-n from the cap- 
 tivity. It pleased God to punish them for this defection, 
 by the hand of the very person whom the)- particularly 
 sought to please. Antiochus Epiphanes, irritated at 
 having been prevented by the Jews from entering the holy 
 place when he visited the temple, soon after made a 
 ' * popular commotion the pretence for the exercise of 
 tyranny ; he took the city, plundered the temple, and slew 
 or enslaved great numbers of the inhabitants, with every 
 circumstance of jn-ofanation and of cruelty which can be 
 conceived. For three years and a half, the time predicted 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 151 
 
 by Daniel (e), " the daily sacrifice was taken away," the 
 temple defiled, and partly destroyed, the observance of the 
 h\v prohibited, under the most severe penalties, every copy 
 I'jurnt which the agents of the t}Tant could procure, and 
 the people required to sacrifice to idols, under pain of the 
 most agonizing death. Numerous as were the apostates 
 (for the previous coiTuption of manners had but ill pre- 
 pared the nation for such a trial), a remnant continued 
 faithful ; and the complicated miseries which the people 
 endured under this cruel yoke, excited a general impa- 
 tience. At length the moment of dehverance anwedj 
 Mattathias, a ])riest, eminent for his piety and reso- 
 lution, and the father of five sons, equally zealous '' 
 for their religion, encom-aged the people, by his example 
 and exhortations, " to stand up for the Law j" and havin» 
 soon collected an army of six thousand men, he eagerly 
 undertook to free Juda;a from the oppression and perse- 
 cution of the Syrians, and to restore the worship of the 
 God of Israel : but being veiy old when he engaged in 
 this important and arduous work, he did not live to see 
 its completion. At his death his son, Judas Maccabseus, 
 succeeded to the command of the army ; and hav- 
 ing defeated the Syrians in several engagements, he 
 drove them out of Juda;a, and established his o^\ti au- 
 thority in the countiy. His first care was to repair 
 and pm-ify the temple for the restoration of Divine 
 worship ; and to preserve the memory of this event, 
 the Jews ordained a feast of eight da3's, called the 
 feast of the dedication, to be yearly observed. Judas 
 Maccabffius was slain in battle, and his brother Jona- 
 than succeeded him in the government. He was also 
 made high priest, and from that time the Maccabaean 
 prmces continued to be high priests. Judas Macca- 
 
 (e) Vide Prideaux, part 2, book 3. 
 
152 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Pai't I. 
 
 b?eus and his brothers were so successful, by their 
 valoiu" and conduct, in asserting the hberty of their 
 country, that in a few years they not only recovered 
 its independence, but regained almost all the posses- 
 sions of the twelve tribes, destroying at the same time 
 the temple on Mount Gerizira, in Samaria. But they 
 and their successors wcra almost always engaged in 
 WATS, in which, though generally victorious, they were 
 ijometiraes defeated, and their country for a short time op- 
 
 Pi'<^ssed. Aristobulus v^tis the first of the Maccabees 
 107. 
 
 who assumed the name of king. About forty-two 
 
 years after, a contest arising between the two brothers, 
 Ilyrcanus and Aristobulus, the sons of Alexander 
 Jadda;us, relative to the succession of the crown, 
 both parties ajjplied to the Romans for their support and 
 assistance. Scaurus, the Roman general, suffered himself 
 to be bribed by Aristobulus, and placed him on the throne. 
 Not long after, Pompey returned from the East into 
 Syria, and both the brothers applied to him for hi» 
 protection, and pleaded their cause before him. Pompey 
 considered this as a favourable opportunity for reducing 
 Palestine under the power of the Romans, to which the 
 neighbouring nations had alreaily submitted ; and there- 
 fore, without deciding the point in dispute between the 
 two brothers, he marched his army into Juda;a, and after 
 some pretended negotiation \nth Aristobulus and his i)arty, 
 besieged and took j)ossession of Jerusalem. lie appointed 
 Ilyrcanus high priest, but would not allow him to take 
 the title of king ; he gave him, however, the specious name 
 of prince, with very limited authority. Pompey did not 
 take away the holy utensils or treasures of the tera- 
 pie, but he made Judaea subject and tributary to 
 the Romans ; and Crassus, about nine years after, plun- 
 dered the temple of every thing valuable belonging to it. 
 JuUus Caj»ar confirmed Ilyrcanus in the pontificate, and 
 
>Iirr^v 'M ,,/i 
 
Chap. 3."] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 153 
 
 granted fresh privileges to the Jews ; but about four years 
 after the death of Julius Caesar, Antigonus, the son of 
 Aristobulus, with the assistance of the Parthians, 
 while the empire of Rome was in an unsettled state, 
 deposed his uncle, Hyrcanus, seized the government, and 
 assumed the title of king. 
 
 Herod, by birth an Iduma;an [f), but of the Jewish 
 religion, whose father, Antipater, as well as himself, had 
 enjoyed considerable posts of honour and trust under 
 Hyi-canus (^7), immediately set out for Rome, and 
 prevailed upon the senate, through the interest of 
 Anthony and Augustus, to appoint him king of Judaea. 
 Armed with this authority, he returned, and began 
 hostilities against Antigonus. About three years '* 
 after, he took Jerusalem, and put an end to the govern- 
 ment of the Maccabees, or Asmonaeans (li), after it had 
 lasted nearly a hundred and thirty years. Antigonus was 
 sent prisoner to Rome, and was there put to death by 
 Anthony. Herod married Mariamne, who hved to be the 
 only representative of the Asmonaean family (/), and after- 
 wards caused her to be publicly executed, from motives of 
 unfounded jealousy. Herod considerably enlarged the 
 kingdom of Judaea, but it continued tributary to the Ro- 
 mans : he greatly depressed the civil power of the high 
 priesthood, and changed it, from being hereditaiy and for 
 life, to an office granted and held at the pleasure of the 
 monai'ch ; and this sacred office was now often given to 
 
 (/) The Idumseans were a branch of the ancient Edomites, 
 and were converted to the Jewish religion about a hundred 
 and twenty-nine years before Christ. Vide Lardner, vol. 1, 
 p. 12, 
 
 {g) Lardner says, under the government of Alexander Jan- 
 nffius and Alexandra also. 
 
 (A) So called from Asmonteus, one of their ancestors. 
 
 (i) Herod caused her brother, Aristobulus, who was high 
 priest, to be secretly murdered. 
 
154 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Parti. 
 
 those who paid the highest price for it, without any re- 
 gard to merit; he was an inexorably cruel tj-rant to his 
 people, and even to his children, three of whom he put to 
 death ; a slave to his passions, and indifferent by ^hat 
 means he gratified his ambition ; but to preserve the Jews 
 in subjection, and to erect a lasting monument to his own 
 name, he repaired the temple of Jerusalem (k) at a vast 
 expense, and added greatly to its magnificence. 
 
 At this time there was a confident expectation of the 
 Messiah among the Jews ; and indeed a general idea ]ire- 
 vailed among the heathen (Z) also, that some extraordinary 
 conqueror or deliverer would soon appear in Judita. In 
 the thii-ty-sixth year of the reign of Ilerod, \\\\ih 
 Augustus was emperor of Rome, the Saviour of 
 Mankind was born of the Virgin Maiy, of the lineage of 
 David, in the city of Bethlehem, of Judsca (m), according 
 to the word of prophecy. Herod, misled bj' the opinion, 
 which was then common among the Jcms, that the ]Mes- 
 siali was to appear as a temporal i)rince, and judging from 
 the enquiries of " the wise men of the East," that the 
 child was actually born, sent to Bethlehem, and ordered 
 that all " the children of two years old and under " should 
 l)e put to death, with the hope of destroying one whom 
 he considered as the rival of himself, or at least of his fa- 
 mily. He was soon after smitten Mith a most loath- 
 some and tormenting disease, and died, a signal 
 example of divine justice, about a year and a quarter after 
 
 (k) As it appears that Divine worship was not inlerrupled 
 during these repairs, wliich continued forty-six years, it is evi- 
 dent that the temple was not wholly pulled down. Herod 
 built also a magnificent palace for liinisclf on Mount Sion. 
 Both works were probably designed as an imitation of Solo- 
 mon. 
 
 (I) Tact. Hist. lib. 5, cap. 13. Suet, in "Vita Vcsp. c. 4. 
 
 (m) Our Saviour was born four years before tlie common 
 ocra. Bethlehem was originally the mother city of the tribe 
 of Jadali: it was about five miles south-west of Jerusalem. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 155 
 
 the birth of our Saviom*, autl in the thirty-seventh year of 
 his reign, computing from the time he was declared king 
 by the Romans (?«). 
 
 Herod made his will not long before his death, but left 
 the final chsposal of his dominions to Augustus. The em- 
 peror ratified this will in all its material points, and suf- 
 fered the countries, over which Herod had reigned, to be 
 divided among his three sons. Archelaus succeeded to 
 the largest share, namely, to Judaea Propria, Samaria, and 
 Idumaja. Herod Antipas, called Herod the tetrarch, who 
 afterwards beheaded John the Baptist, succeeded to Galilee 
 and Perasa, and Philip to Trachonitis and to the neigh- 
 bouring region of Ituraea. The sons of Herod the Great 
 were not suffered to take the title of king ; they were only 
 called ethnai'chs or tetrarchs. Besides the countries al- 
 ready mentioned, Abilene, which had belonged to Herod 
 during the latter part of his life, and of which Lysanias is 
 mentioned by St. Luke (o) as tetrarch, and some cities, 
 were given to Salome, the sister of Herod the Great. 
 Archelaus acted with great cruelty and injustice; ' '^' 
 and in the tenth year of his government, upon a regular 
 complaint being made against him by the Jews, Augustus 
 banished him to Vienna, in Gaul, where he died. 
 
 After the banishment of Ai'chelaus, Augustus sent Pub- 
 Hus Sulpitius Quirinius (who, according to the Greek way 
 of \\Titing that name, is by St. Luke called Cjn-enius {p),) 
 
 (n) Joseph. Ant. lib. 17. 
 
 (o) Luke, c. 3, V. L 
 
 (p) Three years before the birth of Christ, Augustus issued 
 a decree for the making a general survey of the whole Roman 
 empire, including every dependent state, with the design of 
 raising a general tax. Sentius Saturninus, being then presi- 
 dent of Syria, was charged with the execution of this decree 
 in Judiea, and it was to render an account of their property 
 that Joseph and Mary went up to Bethlehem with a multitude 
 of other people ; but the tax was not laid or levied till Judaea 
 became a Roman province, subject to Cyrenius, the president 
 of Syria. — Vide Prideaux, part 2, book 2. 
 
156 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part 1. 
 
 president of S\Tia, to reduce tho countries, over nliicli Ar- 
 chelaus bad reigned, to the form of a Roman province ; 
 and appointed Coponius, a Roman of the equestrian order, 
 to be governor, imder the title of procurator of Judjca, but 
 suborcUnatc to tlie president of Syria. The power of Ufe 
 and death was now taken out of the hands of the Jews, 
 and taxes were from this time ])aid immediately to the 
 Roman emperor. Justice was administered in the name 
 and by the laws of Rome ; though in what concerned their 
 religion, their owti laws, and the power of the high priest, 
 and Sanhetb'im, or great council, m ere continued to them ; 
 and they were allowed to examine witnesses, and exercise 
 an inferior jurisdiction in other causes, subject to the con- 
 trol of the Romans, to whom their tctrarchs or kings were 
 also subject ; and it may be remarked, that " at this very 
 period of time our Saviour (who was now in the twelfth 
 year of his age) being at Jerusalem with Joseph and Marj', 
 u])on occasion of the Passover, appeared first in the temple 
 in his prophetic office, and in the business of his Father, 
 on which he was sent, sitting among the doctors of the 
 temple, and declaring the truth of God to them (7)." 
 .After Coponius, Ambivius, Annius Rufus, Valerius Gratus,. 
 and Pontius Pilate, were successively procurators; and 
 this was the species of government to whieh Judtca and 
 Samaria were subject during the ministiy of our Saviour. 
 Ilerod Antipas was still tetrarch of Galilee, and it was he. 
 to whom our Saviour was sent by Pontius Pilate. Lardner 
 is of opinion that there was no procurator in Judica after 
 Pontius Pilate, who was removed a.d. 36, but that it was 
 governed for a few years by the presidents of Syria, who 
 occasionally sent officers into Judica. Philip continued 
 tetrarch of Trachonitls thirty-seven years, and died in the 
 twentieth year of the reign of Tiberius. 
 
 (c/) Home, vol. 1, p. 251. 
 
Chap. 3. j AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 157 
 
 Caligula gave his tetrarchy to Agnppa, the grand- 
 son of Herod the Great, with the title of king ; and 
 afterwards he added the tetrarchy of Herod Autipas, ^^ hom 
 he deposed and banished after he had been tetrarch 
 forty-three years. The emperor Claudius gave him 
 Judsea, Samaria, the southern parts of Iduma;a, and Abi- 
 lene ; and thus at last the dominions of Herod Agrippa 
 became nearly the same as those of his grandfather, Herod 
 the Great. It was this Agrippa, called also Herod Agrippa, 
 and by St. Luke (r) Herod only, who put to death James, 
 the brother of John, and imprisoned Peter. He died in 
 the seventh year of his reign, and left a son, called also 
 Agrippa, then seventeen years old ; and Claudius, thinking 
 him too young to govern his father's extensive dominions, 
 made Cuspus Fadus governor of Judaea. Fadus was soon 
 succeeded by Tiberius, and he was followed by Alexander 
 Cumanus, Felix, and Festus ; but Claudius afterwards gave 
 Trachonitus and Abilene to Agrippa, and Nero added 
 a part of Galilee and some other cities. It was this 
 younger Agrippa, who was also called king, before whom 
 Paul pleaded at Caisarea, which was at that time the place 
 of residence of the governor of Judaea. Several of the 
 Koman governors severely oppressed and persecuted the 
 Jews ; and at length, in the reign of Nero, and in the go- 
 vernment of Florus, who had treated them with greater 
 cruelty than any of his predecessors, they openly revolted 
 from the Romans. Then began the Jewish war, which 
 was terminated, after an obstinate defence and unparalleled 
 sufferings on the part of the Jews, by the total de- ^ 
 struction of the city and temple of Jerusalem (s), 
 by the overthrow of their civil and religious polity, and the 
 reduction of the people to a state of the most abject 
 
 ()•) Acts, c. 12, V. 1, &c. 
 
 (s) By Titus, son of Vespasian, emperor of Rome 
 
158 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I. 
 
 slavery : for though, in the reign of Adi'ian, numbers of 
 them collected together, in different parts of Judaea, it is 
 to be obseiTcd, they uere then considered and treated as 
 rebellious slaves; and these commotions uere made a 
 pretence for the general slaughter of those who were taken, 
 and tended to complete the work of their dispersion into 
 all countries under heaven. Since that time the Jews 
 have nowhere subsisted as a nation. 
 
 Briefly as I have endeavoured to relate the historj^ of 
 the Jews, the period which commences with the close of 
 the ancient Scriptures is so little known, that it may be 
 useful to collect the principal facts under one point of 
 view, for the purpose of showing more clearly the connec- 
 tion between the Old and New Testaments ; and as the 
 nature of the Jewish government appears to be verj' fre- 
 quently misunderstood, I shall take this opportunity of 
 adding a few observations upon that subject, and shall 
 also subjoin a short account of the land of Canaan, both of 
 which may serve to throw some light upon Scripture 
 history. 
 
 The Jews had many revolutions of peace and war, and 
 some changes in the mode of their government, from the 
 time of their return from the Babylonian captivity, to their 
 comi)lete subjection to the Romans ; but their sacerdotal 
 government, as it is sometimes called, continued with but 
 little inteiTuption through this whole space of about GOO 
 years. Having returned into their own country, luulcr 
 the sanction and by the authority of Cyrus, they acknow- 
 ledged the sovereignty of the kings of Persia, till that 
 empire was overtunied by Alexander the Great ; they then 
 became subject to his successors, first in Egypt, and after- 
 wards in Syria, till, having been deprived of their religious 
 und civil liberties for three years and a half l)y Antiochns 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 159 
 
 Epiphanes, they were restored, hoth to the exercise of 
 their rehgion and to their ancient indepeiulence, by the 
 piety and bravery of Mattathias and his descendants. 
 Under these Maccabaean princes they became an entirely 
 free state, supported by good troops, strong garrisons, 
 and alliances not only with neighbouring powers, but with 
 remote kingdoms, even Rome itself. This glory of the 
 Jews was but of short duration ; for though the decline 
 of the kingdoms of Egypt and Syria prevented their in- 
 terference in the aftan-s of other states, yet the entire ruin 
 of these two kingdoms, by the great accession of powerwhich 
 it brought to the Romans, paved the way for the destruction 
 of the Jemsh commonwealth. Pompey compelled the 
 Jews to submit to the arms of Rome, and fi'om that time 
 their country' i\ as tributary to the Romans, although it was 
 still governed by Maccabaean princes. The last of that 
 family was conquered and deposed by Herod the Great, an 
 Idumean by birth, but of the Jewish religion, who had been 
 a])pointed king of the Jews by the Romans, and enjoyed 
 a long reign over the whole of Palestine, in the course 
 of which he greatly diminished the civil power of the 
 high priest. He was succeeded in the government of 
 the greater part of Palestine by his son, Archelaus, whose 
 misconduct caused Augustus to banish him, and to reduce 
 his dominions into the form of a Roman province ; and 
 thus it appears that with the exception of the short 
 preditited tyranny of Antiochus Epiphanes, the king- 
 dom of Judah, for some time independent, but gene- 
 rally ti'ibutary, continued to enjoy its own religion, 
 and the form of its civil government, till after the 
 birth of the Messiah. During our Saviour's mmistiy 
 the Jews were permitted to perform their rehgious wor- 
 ship without restraint or molestation; but Judaea and 
 Samaria were then governed by a Roman procurator, who 
 had power of life and death, and Galilee was governed, 
 
160 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Pillt I. 
 
 under the authority of the Romans, by Herod Antipas, a 
 son of Herod the Great, Avith the name of tetrarch. These 
 chcumstances of humihatiou were far from producing con- 
 trition and amendment in the Jews. Having neglected 
 all the means of repentance graciously aftbrded them, and 
 at last filled up the measm'e of their aggravated wicked- 
 ness by the rejection and crucifixion of their " Lord and 
 King," they brought ujjon themselves the utter destruc- 
 tion of their national pohty, and have now continued iu 
 an acknoAA'ledged state of punishment more than seventeen 
 hundred years. 
 
 With respect to the natm-e of the Jewish government, 
 which seems to be very improperly called republican, we 
 may observe, that it partook of the patriarchal form as 
 much as was consistent with the condition and circum- 
 stances of a nation ; and this accounts for our being left 
 to form our opinion on this subject from facts and com- 
 mands incidentally mentioned, rather than from a detailed 
 relation of the different powers and ranks in the state in 
 their regular order. The Israehtes had preserved the 
 patriarchal mode of life and rules of government during 
 their residence, nay, even during their bondage in Egypt (f). 
 These patriarchal laws and customs, therefore, being al- 
 ready established, no particular direction respecting subor- 
 dination was necessary. Ancient institutions, which 
 harmonized with the Mosaic dispensations, were continued, 
 and others were added, to complete a S3'stem for the pe- 
 cuhar government of this peculiar people ; and I think it 
 will be found that Scripture affords more information on 
 this subject than is generally imagined. 
 
 Three degrees of Judges or Judicatui-es are distinctly 
 
 (0 Exod. c. 3, V, IG. c. 24, v. 1 and 11. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 16i 
 
 mentioned in the 24th chapter of Joshua : " And Joshua 
 called (first) for the elders of Israel j" these were the 
 " elders of the whole people," or, " of the congregation" — 
 the great national council (?<) established by Moses, and 
 m after times called the Great Sanhech'im, consisting of 
 iseventy persons, both priests atwl laymen, besides the jjre- 
 sident, who, after the time of Moses, was usually the high 
 priest ; " and (secondly) for their heads," these were the 
 heads or " princes of the twelve tribes," in whom was 
 vested a peculiar and su])reme authority over each tribe, 
 as their chief magistrate and leader in time of war, subject, 
 however to the control of the great council, of which they 
 formed a part (ic) ; " and (thirdly) for their judges ;" these 
 were the elders or rulers of cities (x)," whose jurisdiction 
 was confiaed to the limits and Hberties of their respective 
 cities, and was subject to the great council. The Jewish 
 writers say, that in " every city, which had six score fa- 
 milies in it, there was a less sanhedrim, or court of judi- 
 cature, consisting of twenty-three judges ;" and our 
 Saviour is supposed to allude to these two couits in his 
 Sermon upon the Mount (i/). Many examples of these 
 and other inferior distinctions are to be found in Scripture. 
 The " rulers of the thousands of Israel," the " rulers of 
 hundi-eds — of fifties — and of tens," appear to have been 
 military distinctions ; but besides the princes of the twelve 
 tribes, who were the eldest branch by lineal descent, there 
 
 (u) Numb. c. 11, v. 16. c. 34, v. 16 and 17. 
 
 (w) Deut. c. 17, V. 8—14. Numb. c. 1, v. 4 and 16. Josli. 
 c. 23, v. 1 and 2. c. 24, v. 1. Numb. c. 30, v. 1. c. 31, v. 13. 
 c. 7, V. 1, 2 and 3. c. 10, v. 14. Josh. c. 9, v. 15. c. 22, v. 14. 
 c. 19, v. 47. Jer. c. 36, v. 11. c. 37, v. 14 and 15. c. 38, v. 4 
 and 5. Matt. c. 19, v. 28. 
 
 (x) Deut. c. 16, V. 18. c. 21, v. 1, &c. c. 19, v. 12. 0.21, v. 3 
 and 19. 2 Kings, c. 10, v. 1 and 6. Acts, c. 1, 7 v. 8. Ruth, 
 C.4, T. 11. 1 Chron. c. 26, V. 29. 
 
 (y) Matt. c. 5, v. 22. Vide also Deut. c. 16, v. 18. c. 17 
 v. 8, 10, 11, >2. Ezra, c. 10, v. 8 and 14. 
 M 
 
162 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Part I, 
 
 were " lieatls of families," who rejiresented the other sons 
 and grandsons of the twelve sons of Jacol), and were next 
 to the princes of the tribes in rank and importance (cr). 
 These seem to have had a superintending, but not a ju- 
 diciaiy power (a). It is supposed that these " heads of 
 families," or *' chiefs of the fathers of Israel," preserved 
 their authority during the Babylonian captivity, when the 
 dispersion of the people into so many different parts of 
 that empire naturally increased their importance ; and we 
 find them afterwards very active in assisting Ezra and Ne- 
 hemiah in the settlement of the peoi>le in Judsea. These 
 families were again subdivided into "households (Z»^;" so 
 shat there evidently appears to have been a regular subor- 
 dination established in their civil and religious politj', 
 all the degrees of which were alike subject to a code of 
 (Uvine law s, and to the especial government of " God then* 
 King." 
 
 When it is said in the book of Judges, " at that time 
 there was no king in Israel (c)," we ai-e to imderstand there 
 was no chief ruler or magistrate, like Moses or Joshua ; 
 there was indeed a high priest (rf), and there were also 
 elders (e) ; but there was not then a sufficient power lodged 
 in an}' one person to conti'ol and keep the people in order, 
 by punishing public offences and private wrongs, so that 
 " every man did that which was right in his own e5es." 
 The great council had hitherto acted as assistants to Moses 
 and Joshua, and probabl)' was not yet considered as de- 
 signed to be the supreme authority under God their King. 
 We have indeed reason to suppose that the general de- 
 pravity which prevailed in the nation, after the death of 
 
 U) Josh. c. 21, v. 1. 1 Chron. c. 8, v, 28. Numb. c. 26, 
 
 (fl) 2 Chron. c. 19. v. 8. Ezra, c. 1, v. 5. 
 
 lb) Josh. c. 7, V. 14 and 18. 1 Sam. c. 10, v. 20. 
 
 (c) Judg. 0. 21, V. 25. 
 
 (d) Judg. c. 20, v. 28. 
 
 (e) Judg. c. 21, y. 16. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 163 
 
 the generation conteimporary with Joshua (/), had tainted 
 the council itself, and had deprived its members of the 
 gift of inspiration, with which the elders had been favoui-ed 
 on its first estabhshment (g)-, and fi-om the address of 
 Abimelech to the people (h), and from some other passages, 
 we may even suppose that the institution itself was per- 
 verted, for the council seems to have been then made up 
 wholly of the family of Gideon, instead of the represen- 
 tatives of the twelve tribes, and members chosen according 
 to the directions originally given. The people themselves 
 appeal' to have been very sensible of the miseries arising 
 from such a state of anarchy ; for when God was pleased 
 to raise up judges to deliver them from the power of the 
 neighbouring nations, to which they were subjected as 
 punishments for their wickedness, we find them desirous 
 of making them kings (i) to secure a succession of chief 
 civil magistrates as well as mihtary leaders. As the func- 
 tions of all ordinaiy magistrates among the Romans were 
 superseded by the authority of a dictator, so were all 
 Hebrew magistrates subject to the control of a judge, who 
 was specially appointed by God (k) ; and in the time ot 
 the Jewish kings this whole system of administrative justice 
 was frequently interrupted ; but it cannot escape the obser- 
 vation of the attentive reader of the Jewish histoiy, that the 
 periods most marked by violence and crimes were precisely 
 those Avhen these constituted authorities were, from various 
 causes, suffered to sink into inaction. We find, however, 
 that Jehosaphat was anxious to revive the power of the 
 inferior courts of judicature {I), and the council seems to 
 
 (/) Judg. c. 2, v. 7—13. 
 
 iff) Numb. c. 11. V. 16—30. 
 
 (A) Judg. c. 9, v. 2. 
 
 (0 Judg. c. 8, v. 22 and 23. c. 9, v. 2. G— 5", c 10 1 1 
 
 (/t) 1 Sam. c. 7, v. 16. ■-^. u, li 
 
 (0 2 Chron. c. 19, v. 5 and 6. &c. 
 
16-1 OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED, [Parti. 
 
 Iiave possessed great influence in the time of Jeremiah (m). 
 After the return from the Babylonian captivity, when " the 
 people were settled as of old-(«)," the supreme power was 
 again lodged in the great council or Sanhedrim, which, as 
 we have seen, continued to exercise its judicial office 
 tiu the national jjolity was totally destroyed by the 
 Romans. 
 
 The land of Canaan, so named from Canaan, the son of 
 Ham, whose posterity possessed this land as well as Egj^t 
 or Mizraim, lies in the western part of Asia, between lati- 
 tude 31° and 34". Its boundaries were, to the north, 
 Cojle-Syria ; to the west, the Mediterranean Sea ; to the 
 east, Arabia Deserta; and to the south and south-west, 
 Arabia Petrjea and Egypt. Its extent was about 200 
 miles from north to south (that is from Dan to Beersheba,) 
 and its breadth about 100. It was divided into two un- 
 equal parts, of which the Mcstern was considerably the 
 greater, by the river Jordan, ^\hich rises in the mountains 
 of Ilermon, (a branch of the mountains of Libanus), and 
 running south through the Lake of Gennesareth, or " the 
 sea of Tiberius or Galilee," after a com-se of 150 miles, 
 loses itself in the Lacus Asphaltitis, or the Dead Sea. 
 This last lake, or sea, was also called " the Sea of the 
 Plain," and occupies the jdace where Sodom and Go- 
 morrha formerly stood. The country to the east of the 
 Jordan was given, as has been related, to the tribes of 
 Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh. The king- 
 dom of Moab lay to the south of Reuben ; the kingdom 
 of Ammon to the east of Gad; and the mountains of 
 
 it)t) Jer. c. 36, 37 and 38. 
 
 (w) Isaiah, c. I, v. '2G. Ezra, c. 7, v. 25. c. 10, v. 7— 14. 
 
Chap. 3.] AND HISTORY OF THE JEWS CONTINUED. 165 
 
 Hermon bounded Manasseh to the north-east, beyond 
 which la}' Trachonitis and Itursca. West of the Jordan, 
 to the north, were placed Napthali, on the river, and Asser, 
 which bordered on Phoenicia and the Mediterranean. 
 Zabulon and Issachar had inland districts ; but the other 
 half tribe of Manasseh and Ephraim reached from the sea 
 to the river. Dan (ujwn the coast) and Benjamin were 
 south of Ephraim, and north of Simeon and Judah. The 
 country allotted to Simeon bordered upon the Mediter- 
 ranean, and extended to Egypt ; but the Phihstines, who 
 inhabited the coast, were never entirely driven out of their 
 possessions. The country of Judah bordered upon the 
 Dead Sea, which separated it from the kingdom of Moab, 
 (for both Simeon and Judah lay considerably more south 
 than the tribe of Reuben,) and adjoined the mountainous 
 country of Iduma^a, or Edom, and Ai-abia Petraa, to the 
 south. Jerusalem, or Hierosol3Tna, the capital, supposed 
 to have been the Salem of Melchisedek, stood partly in 
 the territory of Benjamin, but was allotted to Judah, " the 
 chief among the tribes of Israel." After the return from 
 the Babylonian captivitj^ the eastern division was called 
 Persea, (more properly the country ^Ahich had belonged to 
 Reuben and Gad, for the northern jiart, sometimes called 
 Gaulonitis, was included in the district of Trachonitis,) 
 and the western jiart was divided into Galilee to the north, 
 Judaea to the south, and Samaria in the middle. Judsea 
 Proper extended fi-om the Dead Sea and the Mediten-a- 
 nean to Egypt, and included the countries of Benjamin, 
 Dan, and Simeon, besides that of Judah. The whole 
 country was also called Palestine, from the Philistines, 
 who, inhabiting the western coasts, were first known to 
 the Romans, and being by them corruptly called Pales- 
 tines, gave that name to the couritry ; but it was more 
 commonly called Judaea, as the land of the Jews. Since 
 our Saviour's advent it has been called the Holy Land; 
 
IGG OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED. [Part. L 
 
 but in modern writers all distinction is frequently lost in 
 the general name of Sjria, which is given to the whole 
 country east of the Mediterranean, between the sea and 
 the desert. 
 
Cbap. 4. J OF THE JEWISH SECTS. 1G7 
 
 PART I. 
 
 CHAPTER THE FOURTH: 
 
 OF THE JEWISH SECTS. 
 
 I. OF THE SCRIBES. 
 II. OF THE PHARISEES. 
 III. OF THE SADDUCEES. 
 
 VI. OF THE GALILEANS. 
 Vll. OF THE PUBLICANS. 
 VIII. OF THE ESSENES. 
 
 IV. OF THE NAZARITES. | IX. OF THE PROSELYTES. 
 
 V. OF THE HERODIANS. I X. OF THE KARAITES. 
 
 I. It is universally agreed, that while the spu-it of pro- 
 phecy continued, there were no religious sects among the 
 Jews, the authority of the prophets being sufficient to 
 prevent any difference of opinion. The sects which aft<;r- 
 wards prevailed among them, sprang up gradually, and it 
 ';s difficult to ascertain the time of their origin with 
 precision; but as almost all of them seem to have 
 arisen from the doctrines taught by the Scribes, after 
 the return from the Babylonian captivity, it will be 
 useful to give some account of that class of persons, 
 though they are not usually considered as a religious sect 
 themselves. 
 
 The Scribes are mentioned very early in the sacred 
 histoiy, and many authors suppose that they were of two 
 descriptions, the one ecclesiastical, the other ciAnl. It is 
 
168 OF THE JEWISH SECTS. [Part I. 
 
 said, " out of Zabulon come they that handle the pen of 
 the writer (a) ;" and the Rabbis state, that the Scribes 
 were chiefly of the tribe of Simeon ; but it is thought that 
 only those of the tribe of Levi were allowed to transcribe 
 the Holy Scriptures. These Scribes are frequently called, 
 " wise men," and " counsellors ;" and those who were re- 
 markable for ^^Titing well were held in great esteem. In 
 the reign of David, Seriah, {b), in the reign of Hezekiah, 
 Shebna (c), and in the reign of Josiah, Shaphan {d), are 
 called Scribes, and are ranked with the chief officers of the 
 kingdom : and Elishama, the Scribe {e), in the reign of 
 Jehoiakim, ts mentioned among the the princes. "NVe read 
 also of the "principal Scribe of the host(/)," or army; 
 and it is probable that there were Scribes in other depart- 
 inents of the state. Previous to the Babylonian captivity, 
 the word Scribe seems to have been applied to any person 
 who was concerned in writing, in the same manner as the 
 word Secretary is with us. The civil Scribes are not men- 
 tioned in the New Testament. 
 
 It appears that the office of the ecclesiastical Scribes, if 
 this distinction be allowed, was originally confined to 
 writing copies of the Law, as their name imports ; but the 
 knowledge thus necessarily acquired, soon led them to be- 
 come instructors of tlie people in the written law, which, 
 it is believed, they publicly read. Baruch was an amanu- 
 ensis or Scribe to Jeremiah, and Ezra is called " a ready 
 Scribe in the law of Moses, having prepared his heart to 
 seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in 
 Israel statutes and judgment {[/) ;" but there is no men- 
 tion of the Scribes being formed into a distinct body oi 
 men till after the cessation of jirophccy. When, however, 
 
 (fl) Jmig. c. 5, v. 14. 
 (h) 2 Sam. c. 8, v. 17. (t) Jer. c. 36, v. 12. 
 
 (r) '2 Kings, c. 18, v. 18. (/) .Tcr. c. 52, v. 25. 
 
 (f/) 2 Kings, c. 22, v. 3. {[/) Ezra, c. 7, v. C. 10. 
 
Chap. 4.] CF THE JEWISH SECTS. 169 
 
 there were no insijired teachers in Israel, no divine oracle 
 in the temple, the Scribes presumed to interpret, expound 
 and comment upon the Law and the Prophets in the 
 schools and in the synagogues. Hence arose those num- 
 herless glosses, and interpretations, and opinions (A), which 
 so much perplexed and perverted the text, instead of ex- 
 l)laining it; and hence arose that unauthorized maxim, 
 which was the principal source of all the Jewish sects, that 
 the oral or traditionary law was of divine origin, as well as 
 the ^^Titten law of Moses. Ezra had examined the various 
 traditions concerning the ancient and ajiproved usages of 
 the Jewish church, which had been in practice before the 
 captivity, and were remembered \)y the chief and most 
 aged of the Elders of the people ; and he had given to 
 some of these traditionary customs and opinions the sanc- 
 tion of his authority. The Scribes, therefore, who lived 
 after the ti,me of Simon the Just, in order to give weight 
 to their various interpretations of the law, at first pre- 
 tended that they also were founded upon tradition, and 
 added them to the opinions which Ezra had established as 
 authentic ; and in process of time it came to be asserted, 
 
 (h) These traditions, as they were called, became too nu- 
 merous, by the middle of the second century after Christ, to 
 be preserved by the memory, and therefore the rabbi Judah, 
 president of the Sanhedrim, as they continued to call the 
 council of a remnant of the people, which remained some 
 time in GaUlee, collected them into six books, which were 
 called the Mishna, or Repetition oi i\\e Oral Law. The Mishna 
 .soon became the study of all the learned Jews, who employed 
 themselves in making comments upon it. These comments 
 they called the Gemara or Complement, because by them the 
 Mishna is fully explained, and the whole traditionary doctrine 
 of their law and religion completed. Thus the Mishna is the 
 text, and the Gemava the comment, and both together make 
 what they called the Talmud. That made by the Jews in 
 Judasa is called the Jerusalem Talmud, and that by the Jews 
 in Babylon is called the Babylonian Talmud; the former was 
 completed about the year of our Lord 300, and the latter in 
 the bi.'giiming of the si.\th century. — Vide Prideaux. 
 
170 OF THE JEWISH SECTS. [Part I. 
 
 that when Moses was forty days ou Mount Sinai, he re- 
 ceived from God two laws, the one in writing, the other 
 oral ; that this oral law was communicated by Moses to 
 Aaron and Joshua ; and that it passed unimpaired and un- 
 corrupted from generation to generation, by the tradition 
 of the elders or great national council estabhshed in the 
 time of ]Moses ; and that this oral law was to be considered 
 as supplemental and explanatory of the written law, which 
 ^vas represented as being in many places obscure, scanty, 
 and defective. In some cases they were led to expound 
 the law by the traditions, in direct opposition to its true 
 intent and meaning ; and it may be supposed that the in- 
 tercourse of the Jews \\-ith the Greeks, after the death of 
 Alexander, contributed much to increase those " vain sub- 
 tleties," with which they had perplexed and burthened the 
 doctrines of religion. During our Saviour's ministry, the 
 Scribes were those who made the law of Moses their par- 
 ticular study, and who were employed in instructing the 
 ])eople. Their reputed skill in the Scriptures induced 
 Ilcrod (i) to consult them concerning the time at which 
 the Messiah was to be born. And our Saviour speaks of 
 them as sitting in Moses' seat (/<), which implies that they 
 taught the law ; and he foretold that he should be be- 
 trayed unto the chief priests and unto the Scribes (Z), and 
 that they should put him to death, which shows that 
 they were men of great power and authority among 
 tlie Jews. " Scribes," " doctors of the law," and " law- 
 yers," were only ilifFerent names for the same class of 
 persons. Those who in the fifth chapter of St. Luke are 
 called Pharisees and doctors of the law, are soon after- 
 wards called Pharisees and Scribes ; and he who by St. 
 Matthew (m) is called " a la^^7e^," is by St. Mark (u) 
 
 (i) Matt. c. 2, V. 4. (m) Matt. c. 22, v. 35. 
 
 (A) Matt. c. 23, v. 2. "(n) Mark, c. 12, v. 28. 
 
 (l) Malt. c. 16, V. 21. 
 
Chap. 4.] OF THE JEWISH SECTS. 171 
 
 called " one of the Scribes." They had scholars under 
 their care, whom they taught the knowledge of the law, 
 and who, in their schools, sat on low stools just beneath 
 then- seats, which explains St. Paul's expression, that he 
 was " brought up at the feet of Gamaliel (o)." We find 
 that our Saviour's manner of teaching was contrasted with 
 that of these " vain disputers ;" for it is said, when he had 
 ended his sermon upon the Mount, " the people were as- 
 tonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having 
 authority, and not as the Scribes (p)." By the time of 
 our Saviour, the Scribes had indeed in a manner laid aside 
 the written law, having no farther regard to that than as 
 it agreed with their traditionary expositions of it; and 
 thus, by their additions, corruptions, and misinterpreta- 
 tions, " they had made the word of God of none effect 
 through their traditions (q)." It may be observed, that 
 this in a great measm-e accounts for the extreme blindness 
 of the Jews with respect to their Messiah, whom they had 
 been taught by these commentators upon the prophecies 
 to expect as a temporal prince. Thus when our Saviour 
 asserts his divine nature, and appeals to " Moses and the 
 prophets who spake of him, the people sought to slay 
 him (r)," and he expresses no surprise at their intention. 
 But when he converses with Nicodemus (s), (who appears 
 to have been convinced by his miracles, that he was " a 
 teacher sent from God," when he "came to Jesus by 
 night," anxious to obtain farther information concerning 
 his nature and his doctrine,) our Lord, after intimating the 
 necessity of laying aside all prejudices against the spiritual 
 nature of his kingdom, asks, " Ait thou a Master in 
 Israel, and knowest not these things ?" that is, knowest 
 not that Moses and the prophets describe the Messiah r' 
 
 (o) Acts, c. 22, v. 3. (r) John, c. 5. 
 
 Ip) Matt. c. 7, V. 29. (s) Joha. c. 3 
 
 (5) Matt. c. 15, v. 6. 
 
172 OF THE JEWISH SECTS. [Part I, 
 
 the Son of God ? and he then proceeds to explain in very 
 clear language the dignity of his person and office, and the 
 purpose for which he came into the world, referring to the 
 predictions of the ancient Scriptures. And Stephen (t), 
 just before his death, addresses the multitude by an ap- 
 Ijcal to the Law and the Prophets, and reprobates in the 
 most severe terms the teachers who misled the peoj)le. 
 Our Lord, when speaking of " them of old time," classed 
 the "prophets, and wise men, and Scribes (?<)" together, 
 but of the later Scribes he uniformly speaks with censure 
 and indignation, and usually joins them « ith the Pharisees, 
 to which sect they in general belonged. St. Paul asks, 
 "Where is the wise? Where is the Scribe? "Where is 
 the disputer of this world (v) ?" with evident contempt 
 for such, as, " professing themselves wise abo\c ^vhat was 
 written, became fools." 
 
 IL It will appear probable, from the preceding account 
 of the Scribes, that the principles by which the Pharisees 
 were chiefly distinguished, existed some time before they 
 were formed into a regulai* sect. Godwin thought that the 
 Pharisees arose about three hundred years before Christ ; 
 but the earliest written account which we have of them in 
 any ancient author is in Josephus, who tells us that they 
 were a sect of considerable weight when John Hyrcanus 
 was high priest, a hunch-ed and eight years before Christ. 
 Their name was derived from Pharas, a Hebrew word, 
 which signifies separated, or set apart, because they af- 
 fected an extraordinaiy degree of sanctity and pietv. 
 Their distinguishing dogma was a scrupulous and zealous 
 adherence to the traditions of the elders, which they placed 
 upon an equal footing with the written law. They were 
 strict observers of external rites and ceremonies, beyond 
 
 (0 Acts, c. 7. («) Matt. c. 23, v. 34. 
 
 (y) I Cor. c. 1, V. 2U. 
 
m»^m^ 
 
 li^m'mik'^ii.i'/ 
 
Chap. 4.J OF THE JEWISH SECTS. 17^ 
 
 wliat the law required, and were super stitiou sly exact in 
 paying tithe of the most trifling articles, while in general 
 they neglected the essential duties of moral virtue. They 
 were of opinion that good works might claim reward from 
 God, and ascribed an extraordinary degree of merit to the 
 observance of rules which they had themselves established 
 as works of supererogation. Of this sort were their fre- 
 quent washings and fastings, their nice avoidance of re- 
 puted sinners, their rigorous obsei-vance of the sabbath, 
 and the long prayers which they ostentatiously " made in 
 the synagogues and in the corners of the streets." " Trust- 
 ing in themselves that they were righteous," they not only 
 despised the rest of mankind, but were entirely destitute 
 of humility towards God, which is inseperable from true 
 piety ; yet the specious sanctity of their manners, and their 
 hypocritical display of zeal for religion, gave them a vast 
 influence over the common people, and consequently 
 great power and authority in the Jewish state. Dr. 
 Lardner, in speaking of the Jewish sects, after quoting a 
 passage from Josephus, in which he says that " the mul- 
 titude was with the Pharisees," very justly observes, that 
 " there is in this respect a complete agreement between 
 the EvangeHsts and Josephus. The people, as clearly ap- 
 pears from the Gospels, very generally held the tenets and 
 obsei-ved the traditions of the Pharisees, yet they are never 
 dignified so far as to be called Pharisees ; they were rather 
 an appendage than a part of the sect, and always called 
 very plainly, the people, the "multitude and the hke. The 
 title of Pharisee seems to have been almost entirely ap- 
 propriated to men of leisure and substance." The Pha- 
 risees believed in the immortality of the soul, in the resm-- 
 rection of the dead, and in the existence of angels and 
 spirits ; and it is supposed by many of the learned that 
 they believed also in the pre-existence of souls, a doctrine 
 which seems to have been commonly held in the time of 
 
17-1 OF THE JEWISH SECTS. [Part T. 
 
 our Saviour. The question of the disciples of Christ re- 
 lative to the man that was born blind, " "Who did sin, this 
 man or his parents, that he was horn blind (?<•) V" and the 
 doubts expressed by the people, whether Christ was John 
 the Baptist, or EUas, or one of the ancient prophets (j.), 
 ai-e thought to have arisen from some opinion of this sort ; 
 but I confess I see no groimd for the supposition, which 
 some commentators have formed, that the Pharisees be- 
 heved in the Pythagorean doctrine of the transmigration 
 of souls. Indeed I think this sujjposition is cleai'ly con- 
 tradicted, both by Josephus and the sacred wi-iters. Jo- 
 sephus, in his second book against Apion, says, with an 
 allusion to the rewards given by the heathen nations for 
 meritorious conduct, " However, the reward for such as 
 live exactly according to the laws is not silver or gold ; it 
 is not a garland of olive branches or of smallagc, nor any 
 such public sign of commendation ; but evcr}^ good man 
 has his own conscience bearing witness to Jiimself j and 
 by virtue of our legislator's prophetic spirit, and of the 
 firm security God himself affords to such an one, he be- 
 lieves that God hath made this grant to those that observe 
 these laws, even though they be obliged readily to die for 
 them, that they shall come into being again, and at a 
 certain revolution of things, shall receive a better hfe 
 than they had enjoyed before ;" and in his Antiquities (y) 
 he says, " They believe that it hath pleased God to make 
 a temperament, whereby what he wills is done, but so that 
 the will of man can act virtuously or viciously. They also 
 believe that souls have an immortal \igour in them, and 
 that under the earth there will be rewards or punishments, 
 according as they have lived virtuously or viciously in this 
 iife ; and the latter are to be detained in an everlasting 
 
 {w) John, c. 9, V. 2. (.r) Matt. c. IG, v. 11. 
 
 (y) Lib. 18; cap. 1. 
 
Chap. 4.] OF THE JEWISH SECTS. 175 
 
 prison, but the former shall have power to revive and live 
 again." St. Luke expressly says, that the Pharisees be- 
 lieved in the resuri'ection of the dead; and we cannot 
 suppose that he would call the metempsychosis by that 
 name. And when St. Paul professed himself a Pharisee, 
 and declared, that of the " hope and resurrection of the 
 dead he was called in question {z)" the Pharisees vindi- 
 cated and supported him, acknowledging that he was 
 preaching a docti-ine conformable to the principles of their 
 ovMi sect. We must, therefore, I think, conclude that the 
 Pharisees believed in the resm-rection of the dead, in its 
 ]n'oper sense, though then* notions upon this important 
 point were not correct and accurate. 
 
 , III. It is said that the principles of the Sadducees 
 were derived from Antigonus Sochseus, president of the 
 Sanhedrim about 250 years before Christ, who, rejecting 
 the traditionary docti-ines of the Scribes, taught that man 
 ought to serve God out of pure love, and not from hope 
 of reward, or fear of jiunishment ; and that they derived 
 their name from Sadoc, one of his followers, who, mistak- 
 ing or perverting this doctrine, maintained that there was 
 no future state of rewards and punishments. "Whatever 
 foundation there may be for this account of the origin oi 
 the sect, it is certain that in the time of our Saviour the 
 Sadducees denied the resurrection of the dead {a), and the 
 existence of angels and spnits, or souls of departed men ; 
 though, as Mr. Home observes, it is not easy to com- 
 prehend how they could at the same time admit the 
 authority of the law of Moses. They carried their ideas 
 of human freedom so far as to a-ssert that men Avere abso- 
 lutely masters of their own actions, and at full liberty to 
 do either good or evil. Josephus even says that they de- 
 nied the essential difference between good and evil ; and 
 
 {z) Acts, c. 23, v. 6. (o) Acts, c. 23, v. 8. 
 
17G OF THE JEWISH SECTS. [Pan I. 
 
 though they believed that God created and presen'ed the 
 world, they seemed to have denied his particular provi- 
 dence. These tenets, which resemble the Epicurean phi- 
 losoph}-, led, as might be expected, to great profligacy of 
 life ; and we find the licentious wickedness of the Sadducees 
 frequently condemned in the New Testament ; yet they 
 professed themselves obliged to observe the Mosaic law, 
 because of the temi)oral rewards and punishments annexed 
 to such observance ; and hence they were always severe iii 
 their punishment of any crimes which tended to disturb 
 the public tranquillity. The Sadducees rejected all tra- 
 dition, and some authoi-s have contended that they ad- 
 mitted only the books of Moses; but there seems no 
 ground for that opinion, either in the Scriptures or ni 
 anv ancient writer. Even Josephus, who was himself a 
 Pharisee, and took ever}^ opportunity of reproaching the 
 Sadducees, does not menticn that they rejected any 
 part of the Scriptures; he only says that "the Phari- 
 sees have delivered to the people many institutions as 
 received from the fathers, which are not written in the 
 law of Moses. For this reason the Sadducees reject 
 these things, asserting that those things are binding 
 \^hich are written, but that the things received by tra- 
 dition from the fathers are not to be observed." Be- 
 sides, it is generally believed that the Sadducees exjjccted 
 the jMessiah with great impatience, which seems to imply 
 their belief in the ])ro];hecies, though they misinterpreted 
 their meaning. Confining all their hopes to this present 
 world, enjoying its riches, and devoting themselves to its 
 ])lcasures, they might well be particidarly anxious that 
 their lot of life should be cast in the splendid reign of this 
 exjiected temporal king, with the hope of sharing in his 
 conquests and glory : but this expectation was so contraiy 
 to the lowly appearance of our Saviour, that they joined 
 their inveterate enemies, the Pharisees, in ])crsecut,ing him 
 
Chap. 4.] OF THE JEWISH SECTS. 177 
 
 and his rehgion. Josephus says that " the Sadducees were 
 able to draw over to them the rich only, the people not 
 following them ;" and he elsewhere mentions that " this 
 sect spread chiefly among the young." The Sadducees 
 were far less numerous than the Pharisees, but they were 
 in general persons of greater opulence and dignity. The 
 council before whom both oiu- Saviour and St. Paul were 
 carried, consisted partly of Pharisees and partly of Saddu- 
 cees. 
 
 IV. The Nazarites (b), of whom we read both in the 
 Old and New Testament, were of two sorts ; such as were 
 by their parents devoted to God in their infanc}', or some- 
 times even before their birth, and such as devoted them- 
 selves, either for life or for a limited time ; the former 
 were called Nazaraei nativi, and the latter, Nazaraei votivi. 
 The only three instances of the Nazara;i nativi mentioned 
 in Scripture, ai-e Samson (c), Samuel (d), and John the 
 Baptist (e). Nazaritism was a divine institution ; and it 
 was very common for Jews, both men and women, " to 
 vow avow of a Nazarite," in order to give themselves up 
 to reading, meditation, and prayer, for the piu-poses of 
 moral purification, and " all the days of their separation 
 they were holy unto the Lord." The laws concerning the 
 Nazarites are contained in the sixth chapter of the book of 
 Numbers ; and they consist principally in directing them 
 to abstain from wine and all other intoxicating liquors ; to 
 suffer their hair to grow without cutting; not to come 
 near any dead body ; and, at the end of the time, to offer 
 certain sacrifices, to shave the head at the door of the ta- 
 bernacle or temple, and to burn the hair " in the fire which 
 
 (6) They were so called from the Hebrew word Nazar se- 
 paravit. 
 
 (c) Judges, c. 13, v. 5. (e) Luke, c. 1, v. 15, 
 
 Id) 1 Sam. c. 1, v. 11. 
 
 N 
 
178 OF THE JEWISH SECTS. [Part I. 
 
 is under the sacrifice of the peace-ofiferings (/")." The 
 Rabbis say that the Nazaraei votivi could not bind them- 
 selves by a vow to observe the laws of the Nazarites for a 
 less time than a month, but that they might bind them- 
 selves for any longer time. 
 
 V. The Herodians may perhaps be considered as a po- 
 litical rather than as a religious sect ; but we are to re- 
 member that, among the Jews, religious and civil opinions 
 were almost necessarily blended. Tertullian, and some 
 other ancient authors, thought that the Herodians were 
 so called because they believed Herod to be the Messiah ; 
 but Jerome treats this opinion with a sort of contempt ; 
 and there seems to be no foundation for it in Scripture, 
 unless we suppose that it is alluded to in our Lord's cau- 
 tion to his disciples against " the leaven of Herod." It 
 seems more probable that the Herodians were only a set of 
 men strongly attached to the family of Herod, and of par- 
 ticularly profligate principles. St. Mark tells us that 
 Christ charged his disciples to " beware of the leaven of 
 Herod (g) ;" and in the parallel passage of St. Matthew's 
 Gospel, Christ says, " Beware of the leaven of the Saddu- 
 cees (A) ;" and hence some commentators have supposed 
 that the Herodians belonged to the sect of the Sadducees. 
 " These men," says Dr. Doddridge, " from their high re- 
 gard to Herod, would naturally be zealous for the autho- 
 rity of the Romans, by whose means Herod was made, and 
 continued, king ;" and it is probable, as Dean Prideaux 
 conjectures, that " they might incline to conform to Ro- 
 man customs in some particulars, which the law would 
 not allow, and especially in the admission of images, though 
 not in the religious, or rather idolatrous, use of them. 
 
 (/) Vide Spencer de Legibus HcbrjEoruin, lib. 3, cap. 6 
 and Lardner, v. 1, p. 208. 
 
 {ff) C. 8, V. 15. (A) 0. IG, v. 6. 
 
Chap. 4.] OF THE JEWISH SECTS. 179 
 
 Herod's attempt to set up a golden eagle over the east 
 gate of the temple is well known. These complaisant 
 courtiers would no doul)t defend it, and the same temper 
 might discover itself in other instances." 
 
 VI. The Galileans are mentioned in Scripture, in strong 
 terms of censm-e, as a turbulent and seditious sect : and 
 Josephus, who does not name the Herodians, not only 
 speaks of the Galilseans as a verj' considerable sect, but 
 ascribes to them a great part of the calamities of his 
 country. Their leader was Judas of Galilee, who was fol- 
 lowed at first but by a small part of the Pharisees ; but by 
 degrees the Galilseans swallowed up almost all the other 
 sects ; and it is highly probable that the Zealots, par- 
 ticularly mentioned at the siege of Jerusalem, were of 
 this sect. 
 
 VII. The Publicans were not of any sect, civil or re- 
 ligious, but merely tax-gatherers and collectors of customs 
 due to the Romans. These offices, though formerly con- 
 ferred upon none but Roman citizens of the equesti-iar 
 order (i), were held, at the time they are mentioned in 
 Scripture, by persons of low condition, and the employ- 
 ment was generally esteemed base and infamous. Several 
 tilings concm-red to make the Publicans particularly odious 
 to the Jews. Considering themselves as a free people, 
 under the immediate government of God, they bore with 
 impatience the taxes imposed by the Romans, and even 
 questioned whether it were " lawful to pay tribute to 
 Ca;sar." The Publicans were generally Jews, who, farm- 
 ing the customs of the Romans, were too often led by 
 motives of avarice to be extortioners also ; and the people 
 could ill endure these rigorous exactions from their bretli- 
 
 (j) Flos enim equitum Romanorum, ornamentum civitatis, 
 firmamentum reipublicse, Publicanorum ordine continetur. 
 Cic. pro Plancio. 
 
180 OF THE JEWISH SECTS. [Part 1. 
 
 ren, who thus appeared to join with the Romans in en- 
 deavouring to entail perpetual subjection upon their na- 
 tion, or at least in making the yoke more galling and 
 op[K-essive ; besides, the necessarj' dealings and connection 
 of the Publicans with the Gentiles, which the Jews held 
 to be unlawful, cast a peculiar odium upon the whole bodv ; 
 and thus we find our Saviour was reproached for being " a 
 friend of Publicans and Sinners." 
 
 VIII. The Essenes {k) appear to have been an enthu- 
 siastic sect, never numerous, and but little known ; directlv 
 opposite to the Pharisees with respect to their reliance 
 upon tradition, and their scrupulous regard to the cere- 
 monial law, but pretending, like them, to superior sanctity 
 of manners. They existed in the time of our Saviour; 
 and though they are not mentioned in the New Testament, 
 they are supposed to be alluded to by St. Paul, in his 
 Ej)istles to the Ephesians, and Colossians, and in his first 
 Epistle to Timothy. From the account given of the doc- 
 trines and institutions of this sect by Philo and Josephus, 
 v.e learn that they believed in the immortality of the soul ; 
 that they were absolute predestinarians ; that they ob- 
 served the seventh day with peculiar strictness ; that they 
 held the Scriptures in the highest reverence, but considered 
 them as mystic writings, and expounded them allegori- 
 cally : that they sent gifts to the temple, but offered no 
 sacrifices ; that they adulitted no one into their society till 
 after a probation of three years ; that they lived in a state 
 of perfect equality, except that they paid respect to the 
 aged, and to their ])riests ; that they considered all secular 
 employments as unlawful, except that of agriculture ; that 
 they had all things in common, and were industrious, quiet, 
 and free from every species of vice ; that they held celi- 
 
 (A) Micliaslis says that Essenes is an Egyptian word s'gnify- 
 iiig the same as Biiianivrai in Greek. 
 
Chap. 4.] OF THE JEWISH SECTS. 18i 
 
 bacy and solitucTe in high esteem ; that they allowed no 
 fhange of raiment till necessity required it ; that they ab- 
 stained from wine ; that they were not permitted to eat 
 out with their own sect ; and that a certain portion of 
 food was allotted to each person, of which they partook 
 together, after solemn ablutions. The austere and retired 
 life of the Essenes is supposed to have given rise to 
 monkish superstition (/). 
 
 IX. Proselytes are mentioned in Scripture in contra- 
 distinction to Jews, and they are represented by ancient 
 Jewish \vi-iters, and by some modern Christian divines, as 
 divided into two sorts ; Proselytes of the Gate, and Pro- 
 selytes of Righteousness, or, of the Covenant. The Rabbis 
 give a long account of the different ceremonies of initiation 
 of these two classes. It is allowed that the Jewish nation 
 was gradually made up of two descriptions of people, those 
 who were descended from Abraham, and those who, being 
 originally Gentiles, were naturalized, and considered as 
 Jews after a certain number of generations, which seem to 
 have been less or more, according to the merit, and other 
 circumstances, of their respective nations. " Certain it is 
 the law made a difference between one nation and another. 
 as to what is called ' entering into the congregation of the 
 Lord (w)-' Edomites and Egyptians had this privilege in 
 the third generation; though their immediate children 
 were excluded, their grand-children Avere admitted. An 
 Ammonite or Moabite was excluded even ' to the tenth 
 generation,' saith the law, or, as it is added, ' for ever,' 
 
 (/) Eus. Hist. Eccl. lib. 2, cap. 17. 
 
 (m) The received opinion concerning "entering into the 
 congregation of the Lord" is, that it signifies being permitted 
 to bear any office in the Jewish commonwealth ; but the 
 Kabbis assert that Proselytes were excluded from many civil 
 advantages and privileges, to which the Israelites by descent 
 were entitled. 
 
182 OF THE JEWISH SECTS. [Part I. 
 
 which the Jews take to be explanatory of the tenth gene- 
 ration (»)•" Those who contend for these two sorts of 
 Proselytes, define a Proselyte in general to he a person 
 who, being a Gentile by birth, came over to the Jewish 
 religion, in whole or in part. Those who took upon them- 
 selves the obligation of the whole law, are supposed to 
 have been called Proselytes of Righteousness, or of the 
 Covenant, and were entitled to the same ])rivileges as the 
 seed of Abraham, though these adopted children were 
 considered as inferior to those who were children by birth. 
 The Proselytes of the Gate are said to have been such 
 Gentiles as were permitted by the Jews to dwell among 
 them, and were admitted to the worship of the God of 
 Israel, and the hope of a future life, but did not engage to 
 observe the whole of the law ; these were not circumcised, 
 nor did they conform to the Mosaic rites and ordinances, 
 being obliged only to observe the laws which the Jews call 
 the seven precepts of Noah (o) ; they were, however, 
 allowed to offer up their prayers in the temple and in the 
 synagogues, but not to enter farther into the temple than 
 the outer com't, which was called the court of the Gentiles ; 
 and in the sjTiagogues they had places assigned them se- 
 parate from the Jews themselves (/>). The term Pro- 
 selytes of the Gate is derived from an expression frequent 
 
 (n) Jenning's Jewish Antiquities. 
 
 (o) These were, according to the Rabbis, 1st, to abstain from 
 idolatry; 'idly, from blasphemy; 3dly, from murder; 4thly. 
 from adultery ; 5thly, from liieft ; 6thly, to appoint just and 
 upright judges ; 7thly, not to cat the flesh of any animal cut 
 off while it was alive. Maimonides says that the first six 
 of these precepts were given to Adam, and the seventh to 
 Noali ; but they are not even mentioned by Onkcios, Pliilo, 
 or Josephus. 
 
 ( p) Naaman the Syrian, Cornelius the ccnturian, the 
 .Ethiopian eunuch, and the "devout men," mentioned in the 
 Acts, are considered by Godwin, Benson, and many others, as 
 Proselytes of the Gate. 
 
Chap. 4.] OF THE JEWISH SECTS. 183 
 
 in the Old Testament, namely, " the stranger that is 
 within thy gates ;" but I think it evident that " the stran- 
 gers" were those Gentiles who were permitted to live 
 among the Jews under certain restrictions (q), and whom 
 the Jews were forbid " to vex or oppress," so long as they 
 lived in a peaceable manner. I must own that there ap- 
 pears to me no ground whatever in Scripture for this dis- 
 tinction of Proselytes of the Gate and Proselytes of 
 Righteousness. According to my idea, Proselytes were 
 those, and those only, who took upon themselves the ob- 
 hgation of the whole Mosaic law, but retained that name 
 till they were admitted into the congregation of the Lord 
 as adopted children. Gentiles were allowed to worship, 
 and offer sacrifices to the God of Israel, in the outer court 
 of the temple (r) ; and some of them, persuaded of the sole 
 and universal sovereignty of the Lord Jehovah, might re- 
 nounce idolatiy without embracing the Mosaic law ; but 
 such persons appear to me never to be called Proselytes 
 in iScriptm-e, or in any ancient Christian writer (s). 
 
 X. The Karaites have their name from the Chaldee 
 word Kara, Scriptura Sacra, because they adhered to the 
 Scripture as the whole and only rule of faith and practice, 
 admitting the authority of tradition only when it agreed 
 with the vrritten word of God. Upon the dissension be- 
 tween Hillel, the president of the Sanhedrim, and Sham- 
 mai, the vice-president, about thirty years before Christ; 
 their respective scholars formed two parties, and too! 
 
 (y) They were to abstain from idolatry ; they were not to 
 blaspheme the God of Israel ; and they were to observe the 
 Jewish Sabbath. 
 
 (r) Josephus mentions Alexander the Great, Antiochus and 
 Ptolemy, as having all worshipped, and offered sacrifices, in 
 the temple at Jerusalem. 
 
 (s) " 1 do not belieye that the notion of two sorts of Jewish 
 Proselytes can be found in any Christian writer before the 
 11th century or later." — Lardner. 
 
184 OF THE JEWISH SECTS. [Part r. 
 
 different names. Those who adhered to Scripture onlv 
 were called Karaim, or Scriptuarii, and were followers of 
 Shammai ; and those who were zealous for the traditions 
 taught by the Scribes or llabbis, were called Rabbanim, 
 Rabbanists, and were followers of Hillel. The Karaites, 
 however, justly boasted the high antiquity of their prin- 
 ciples, as being the followers of Moses and of the prophets, 
 IB opposition to human tradition ; but when the doctrines 
 of the Rabbis were generally adopted among the Jews, 
 the Karaites were considered as schismatics. They seem 
 to have remained for some time in obscurity ; but about 
 the year of our Lord 750, Anan, a Jew of Babylon, of the 
 stock of David, and Saul his son, both men of learning, 
 publicly disclaimed the authority of the traditionary doc- 
 trines of the Talmud, asserted the Scriptures to be the 
 sole rule of faith, and became heads of the Karaites or 
 Sciiptuarii, who again grew into repute, and increased in 
 numbers. There are now some of this sect in Poland and 
 Russia, but they chiefly reside in Turkey and Lgjpt ; few 
 or none are to be found in these western countries (/). 
 Thus it appears that a remnant has been always left, ^^ho 
 confined their faith to the written word of God, and that 
 tl:e absurdities of the Talmud revived the si)irit of true re- 
 ligion among the Jews; for the Karaites are universally 
 reckoned men of the best learning, of the greatest piety, 
 and of the purest morals of the whole nation. 
 
 (t) Vide Prideaux. 
 
Cliap. I.] CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 1«5 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE FIRST; 
 
 'I. OF THE CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 
 
 II. OF THE INSPIRATION OF THE BOOKS OF THE 
 NEW TESTAMENT. 
 
 I. The Canon of the New Testament consists of twenty- 
 seven books, which were written by eight different authors, 
 all of whom were contemporary with our Saviour. These 
 books were WTitten at different times, and at places remote 
 from each other ; and when the latest of them was pub- 
 lished, the Gospel had been preached, and churches found- 
 ed in many parts of Asia, Europe, and Africa. Different 
 churches at first received different books, according to 
 their situation and circumstances ; their canons were gra- 
 dually enlarged, and it was not long, though the precise 
 time is not kno\ATi, before the same, or very nearly the 
 same, books were acknowledged by the Christians of all 
 countries. 
 
 The persecutions under which the professors of the 
 
186 CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Part II. 
 
 Gospel continually laboured, and the want of a national 
 establishment of Christianity, prevented, for several cen- 
 turies, any general assembly of Christians for the purpose 
 of settling the canon of their Scriptures. Since, therefore, 
 there could be no declaration by public authority upon 
 this subject for so long a period, recourse must be had to 
 ecclesiastical writers for the earliest catalogues of the books 
 of the New Testament; and we have the satisfaction of 
 finding an almost perfect agreement among them («). 
 
 The first writer who has left us a regular catalogue of 
 thebooks of the New Testament, is Origen, who lived in the 
 beginning of the third century, although, as it vail hei-e- 
 after appear, they are all mentioned separately by much 
 earlier authors. This catalogue is the same as our present 
 Canon, except that it omits the epistles of St. James and 
 St. Jude ; but Origen, in other parts of his writings, refers 
 to these epistles as the productions of those Apostles. In 
 the following century we have catalogues in the remaining 
 works of Eusebius, Athanasius, Cyril, Epiphanius, Gre- 
 gory Nazianzen, Philaster, Jerome, Ruffin, and Augustine, 
 and those settled at the provincial eouiicils of Laodicea 
 and Carthage (b). Of these eleven catalogues, seven ex- 
 actly agree \nth our Canon : and the other four differ only 
 in these resjiccts, namely, three omit the Revelation only, 
 and Philaster, in his catalogue, omits the epistle to the 
 
 (a) " Tliis Canon (tliat is, of the New Testament) was 
 not determined by the authority of coimcils, but the books of 
 which it consists, were known to be the genuine writings of 
 tlie Apostles and Evangolists, in the sJame way and manner 
 that we know the works of Ca;sar, Cicero, Virgil, Horace, 
 Tacitus, to be theirs ; and the Canon lias been formed upon 
 the ground of an unanimous or generally concurring testi- 
 mony and tradition." Lardner, vol. G, p. '27. This was 
 indeed a point so little disputed, that we do not find any 
 catalogue of canonical books in the decrees of the early gc 
 neral councils. 
 
 (b) This was the third council at Carthage. 
 
Chap. I.] CANON OF THE NEW 'rESTAMENT. 187 
 
 Hebrews, as well as the Revelation ; but he acknowledges 
 both these books in other parts of his works. These 
 catalogues include no books which are not in oiu' Canon ; 
 and we leam from Polj carp, who was contemporary with 
 the Apostles, and from Justin Martyr, Tatian, Irenfcus, 
 Tertullian, and Clement of Alexandria, all of whom lived 
 in the second centurj^, that the primitive church admitted 
 no other Gospels but those of jVIatthcw, Mark, Luke, and 
 John. These authors also, and many others, assure us, 
 that the Scriptures of the New Testament were publicly 
 read in Christian congregations ; and the fifty-ninth Canon 
 of the council of Laodicea expressly orders that the boolcs 
 of the Canon, and no others, should be read in the 
 ehm'ches (c). Copies of these books were dispersed 
 everyAvhere. Christians of eveiy denomination apjiealed 
 to them, in all their various controversies, as authentic 
 testimony ; and both the Jewish and Pagan enemies 
 of the Gospel understood that they contained the faith 
 of Christians. This publicity of the books of the 
 New Testament rendered designed corruption utterly 
 impracticable; it is however to be expected that the 
 pm-ity of these books, like that of the Old Testament, 
 should have suffered, in a long series of j'ears, from the 
 negligence of transcribers {d). The most minute care and 
 attention have been employed in collating the remaining 
 manuscripts of the whole and of every part of the New Te^- 
 
 (c) Some few works of the apostolical fathers Avere also 
 read in the churches of some places, but nevertheless they 
 ■were not received as sacred Scripture. In like manner we 
 read certain parts of the apocryphal books in our churches, 
 although we do not admit those books into our Canon. 
 They are read " for example of life and instruction of man- 
 ners, hut are not applied to establish any doctrine." Art. 6 
 of our church. 
 
 id) Origen, Horn. 8, in 'Mat. complains of the negligence 
 of transcribers, and so does Terome, Praef in 4 Evang. 
 
188 CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Part II. 
 
 tament, and a considerable number of various readings has 
 been discovered ; but they are not of such a nature as to af- 
 fect any essential article of our faith, or any indispensable 
 rule of life (c). It seems indeed to have been wisely ordered 
 by a kind Providence, that no important doctiine or precept 
 should rest upon a single text of Scripture, nor even upon 
 the credit of one writer ; and therefore we are never com- 
 pelled to have recourse to a disputed passage in support of 
 any fundamental princijde of om- religion ; and while we 
 contend that a single inspired authority is a sufficient proof 
 of any proposition in theology or morals, we acknowledge 
 that the different writers of the New Testament, by their 
 ])erfoct agreement in all material points, confirm and 
 strengthen each other ; and that the Gospel derives great 
 advantages from the number and consistency of the wit- 
 nesses to its truth. 
 
 The respective testimonies to the genuineness of the se- 
 veral books of the New Testament will be stated when \ve 
 treat of them separately ; at present it will be sufficient 
 to observe, that the four Gospels {f), the first thir- 
 
 (e) Et, sune (lit dicam quod res est) ex prBestanlissima liac 
 Novi Testamenti edilione Milliaiia, (ad quam nunc nostra 
 opera aceessio haud spernenda facta est) vel liic praecipuu 
 fructus in ecclcsiam redundat, quod nunc demum scire liceat, 
 plerasque tot codicum MSS. lectiones variantes ita coinpiiralas 
 esse, ut parum vel nihil inter eas intersit. Kiisteri Pra'f. 
 
 (/) Irenseus, hb. 3, cap. 2, is tlie earliest autlior who ex- 
 pressly mentions all the lour Gospels, and he names them in 
 the order in which they stand in our New Testament. Tatian, 
 about the same time, namely, between the middle and end oi' 
 the second century, composed a Harmony of the Gospels, tin; 
 first attempt of the kind, which he called " Diatessaron," 
 " Of the Four," and which demonstrates that there were then 
 four Gospels, and no more, of established authority in the 
 ciuirch. Eus. His. Ecel. lib. 4, cap. 29. Early in the third 
 century, Ammoniiis also wrote a Harmony of the Four 
 Gospels. TertuUian adv. Marc. lib. 4, cap. 1, at the end of 
 the second century, and Oiigen, in the beginning of the third 
 century, both mention our present four Gospels, and no other. 
 Vide Eust. Hist. Eccl. lib. 6, cap. 25, and lib. 3, cap. 24. 
 
Chap. I.] CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 189 
 
 teen Epistles of St. Paul, the first Epistle of St. Peter, 
 and the first Epistle of St. John, were always acknow- 
 ledged to be written by the persons whose names they 
 bear, and the Acts of the Apostles by St. Luke; and 
 that the genuineness of the other seven books, namely, 
 the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Epistle of St. James, the 
 second Epistle of St. Peter, the second and third Epistles 
 of St. John, the Epistle of St. Jude, and the Revelation, 
 was never denied by the Catholic chvu-ch; doubts only 
 were entertained, at a very early period, concerning the 
 right of these books to be admitted into the Canon, be- 
 cause sufficient evidence had not been received at all places 
 that they were really apostolical writings. It is possible 
 that they might not come into general circulation so soon 
 as the Gospels and other Epistles, and there might be 
 some difficulty in obtaining testimony concerning them at 
 places remote from the countries where they were first 
 published ; but as soon as there was time and opportunity 
 for maldng the necessary inquiries, and for ascertaining 
 the authors of these books, the genuineness of them all 
 was imiversally allowed ; and therefore this circumstance 
 of temporai-y doubt, instead of invalidating the authority 
 of these books, gives a sanction to the whole collection, by 
 proving the caution with which any book was admitted 
 into the sacred Canon. Indeed the early Christians had 
 such means of knowing the truth, and exercised so much 
 care and judgment in settling the Canon of the New Tes- 
 tament, that no writing, which was pronounced by them 
 genuine, has been found to be spurious, nor any genuine, 
 which they rejected. Celsus, Porphyrj-, Julian, and all 
 the other early adversaries of Christianity, admitted that 
 the books of the New Testament were all written by the 
 persons whose names they bear; and that circumstance 
 is itself a sufficient proof of the genuineness of these 
 books. 
 
190 CA.XON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Part II. 
 
 The books of the New Testament have been ai-ranged 
 rlifferently, by different persons, and at different periods ; 
 nor is the order of them the same in the manuscripts 
 which are now remaining (</). Dr. Lardner contends that 
 tlie order in which they stand in our Bibles is the most 
 ancient ; and it seems verj' proper in itself, and free from 
 every objection. These books may be di^'ided into four 
 parts, namel}', the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the 
 Epistles, and the Revelations. 
 
 The four Gospels {h) contain, each of them, the histoiy 
 of oiu" Saviour's life and ministiy ; but we must remem- 
 ber, that no one of the Evangelists undertook to give an 
 account of all the miracles which Christ performed, or of all 
 the instructions which he delivered [i). The Gospels are 
 written with different degrees of conciseness ; but every one 
 of them is sufficiently full to prove that Jesus was the 
 promised ]\Iessiah, the Saviour of the world, who had been 
 predicted by a long succession of prophets, and whose 
 advent was expected, at the time of his appearance, both 
 
 {(/) Very few of the MSS. now remaining contain the wliole 
 of the New Testament, and the most valuable of these are the 
 Codex Vaticanus and the Codex Alexandrinus, botli written 
 in uncial or large letters, which is a mark of their great an- 
 tiquity. In the Greek MSS. the Gospels are generally placed 
 in the order in which they stand in our Bibles ; but the Codex 
 Bezae has them in this order, Mathew, John, Luke, and Mark, 
 which is also the order observed by the Latin Church. 
 
 (A) The Greek work EnayytXioi', and our English word 
 Gospel, have nearly the same signification. l£.vayyt\iov is 
 derived from I'v bene, and liyyiXXw nuncio. Tlie word Gospel, 
 is of Saxon origin, and is compounded of God, which signi- 
 fies Good, and SpeJ, which signifies Word or Tidings. The 
 doctrine of salvation, taught by Jesus Christ, is called Gospel, 
 or Good Tidings, in several passages of the New Testament. 
 Matt. c. 4, V. 23. Mark, c. 13, v. 10. Eph. c. 1, v. 13. Hence 
 in time it came to signify the history c * Christ's preaching 
 and miracles. 
 
 (»') Vide Macknight's Harmony, Obs. 2d, 
 
Chap. I.] CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 191 
 
 by Jews and Gentiles (/t). Whoever will consult a Greek 
 harmony of the first three Gospels, will find not only many 
 of the same facts and precepts recorded in them all, but 
 also the same expressions used sometimes by all three, and 
 frequently by two of the Evangelists. These examples 
 of verbal agreement are not so numerous or so long 
 between St. Mark and St. Luke as they are between St. 
 Matthew and St. Mark, and between St. Matthew and 
 St. Luke. But where the matter is common, the arrange- 
 ment is not always the same. St. Mark and St. Luke 
 follow nearly the same order, but St. Matthew in this 
 respect often differs from tliera both. Notwithstanding 
 this general agreement and frequent identity of expression, 
 there is a species of disagreement in some minute points, 
 and in various circumstances of time and place, which 
 incontestably proves that they did not write in concert, 
 or imite with a view of imposing a fabulous narrative on 
 mankind. It is indeed sufficiently manifest to an accurate 
 examiner, that no one of them, when he wrote his Gospel, 
 had seen either of the other two Gospels, and therefore 
 they may justly be considered as three independent authors, 
 who relate the same history, and bear testimony to each 
 other's veracit)\ The Gospel of St. John, as will be ob- 
 served more fully hereafter, has very little matter in com- 
 mon with the other three Gospels. 
 
 The Acts contain an account of the first preaching of 
 the Apostles, and of the establishment of Christianity in 
 different places of Asia and Europe. This history ex- 
 tends to about thirty years after the ascension of our 
 Saviour. 
 
 The Epistles were written by different Apostles to single 
 persons, to the churches of certain cities or districts, or to 
 the whole body of Christians then in the world. They are 
 
 (*) Taet. Hist. lib. 5, c. 1 3. Suet, in Vit. Vesp. cap. 4. 
 
l.')2 CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. fPart H. 
 
 not to be considered as regular treatises upon the Chris- 
 tian rehgion, though its most essential doctrines are occa- 
 sionally introduced and explained (/). These letters were 
 intended to confirm those to whom they were addressed, 
 in the true faith and practice of the Gospel ; to guard 
 them against prevailing corruptions ; to warn them of im- 
 pending dangers ; to animate them under persecutions 
 or to correct irregularities and false opinions into which 
 they had fallen : in one word, to furnish them with such 
 advice and rules of conduct as were suited to their respec- 
 tive circumstances. They are not only interesting, by in- 
 forming us of the state of the primitive church, and of the 
 errors and controversies which existed in the apostolical 
 times, but as containing many truths and many precepts 
 highly important and valuable to the Christians of everv 
 age, and of every country ; thej^ form a material part of 
 the sacred volume, and «'ill ami)ly repay all the diligence 
 and attention which are required for the right understand- 
 ing of them. 
 
 The Apocaly])se, or Revelation, is a book written in a 
 sublime and mysterious style, containing a long series of 
 prophecies of all the great events which were to take place 
 in the Christian church, and calculated, by the gradual 
 accomplishment of these predictions, to afford to every 
 succeeding age additional testimony to the divine origin 
 of our holy religion. 
 
 II. It is presumed that the Inspiration of the Old Tes- 
 tament was clearly established in the beginning of this 
 work; and if the books of the Old Testament, which 
 relate to the partial and temporary religion of the Jews, 
 uere written under the direction and superintendence of 
 God himself, surely we must conclude the same thing of 
 tiie books of the New Testament, which contain the re- 
 
 (/) Particularly in the Epistles lo the Romans anc* Hebrews 
 
Chap. 1.] INSPIRATION or THE NEW TESTAMENT. 193 
 
 ligion of all mankind. But notwithstanding the sta'ong 
 ground upon w'hich this conclusion rests, it may be right 
 to bring forward more direct arguments in proof of the 
 Inspnation of the New Testament. 
 
 The apostles, it is to be observed, were constant attend- 
 ants upon our Saviom' during his ministry ; and they were 
 not only present at his pubhc preaching, but after address- 
 ing himself to the multitudes in parables and similitudes, 
 " when they were alone, he expounded all things to his 
 disciples (w)." — " And he also showed h?mself alive to the 
 Apostles, after his passion, by many infallible proofs, being 
 seen by them forty days, and speaking of the things per- 
 taining to the kingdom of God {n)j" But still our 
 Saviour foresaw that these instructions, dehvered to the 
 Apcstles as men, and impressed upon the human mind in 
 the ordinary manner, would not qualify them for the great 
 work cf propagating his religion ; and therefore he pro- 
 raised, that after his departure they should receive farther 
 assistance, of an extraordinary nature : " It is expedient 
 for y®u that 1 go away ; for if I go not away, the Com- 
 forter Avill not come unto you ; but if I depart, I will send 
 liim unto you (o)." — " I will pray the Father, and he shall 
 ttive you another Comforter, that he may abide with you 
 ibr ever, even the Spirit of Ti-uth, whom the world cannot 
 receive {p)." — " But the Comforter, which is the Holy 
 Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall 
 teach you all things, and bring all things to your remem- 
 ])rance, whatsoever I have said unto you (q)." — " Howbeit, 
 when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you 
 into all truth, for ^e shall not speak of himself, but what- 
 soever he shall hear, that shall he speak : and he will show 
 
 (w) Mark, c. 4, v. 31. {p) John, c. 14, v. 16 and 17. 
 
 (w) Acts, c. l,v. 3. {q) John, c. 14, v. 26. 
 
 {d) John, c. 16, v 7. 
 
194 INSPIKATIOK OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Part II. 
 
 you things to come. He shall glorify me ; for he shall 
 receive of mine, and shall show it unto you (r)." Thus 
 it was promised that the Holy Ghost should not ouly 
 hring all things to theli- remembrance which the Apostles 
 had heard from their Divine Master, hut he was also to 
 guide them into all triitli, to teach them all things, and 
 to abide tcith them for ever ; that is, the Holy Ghost was 
 to enable them to recollect every thing which they had 
 been taught by Christ, and was likewise to furnish them 
 with all the adchtional knowledge which might be neces- 
 saiy respecting Christianity; and moreover, this divine 
 Instructor and Guide was, by his constant superintend- 
 ence, to direct and assist them in conmumicating tliat 
 knowledge to others. It is material to remark, that these 
 promises of supernatural instruction and assistance plainly 
 show the insufficiency of common instruction, and the ne- 
 cessity of Inspiration in the first teachers of the Gospel ; 
 and we are positively assured that these promises were ac- 
 curately fulfilled. After the day of Pentecost, when tlve 
 Holy Ghost visibly descended upon the Apostles, they are 
 represented as " full of the Holy Ghost," " speaking as 
 the Spirit gave them utterance," uniformly teaching and 
 acting imder his immediate influence, and confirming tlie 
 divine authority of their doctrines by the performance of 
 miracles. Of the eight ^^Titers of the New Testament, 
 five (s) were among these inspired preaciicrs of the Word 
 of God ; and therefore, if we admit the Genuineness and 
 Authenticity of the books of the New Testament ascribed 
 to them, no reasonable doubt can be entertained of their 
 Inspiration. If we believe that God sent Christ into tlie 
 world to found an universal religion, and that by the mi- 
 raculous gifts of the Holy Ghost he empowered the Apos- 
 tles to projiagate the Gospel, as stated iu these books, we 
 
 (r") John. c. 16, v. 13 and 14. 
 
 (s) Matthew, John, James, Peter, and Judo. 
 
Chap. 1.] INSPIRATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 1.95 
 
 cannot but believe that he would, by his immediate intei*- 
 jiosition, enable those whom he ajopointed to record the 
 Gospel, for the use of future ages, to write without the 
 omission of any important truth, or the insertion of any 
 material error. Is it to be supposed that the Spirit would 
 guide and direct the Annstles while they were orally de- 
 livering the religion ol Christ, and that he would with- 
 di-aw his influence when they sat down to write that same 
 rehgion? Would they be exempted from all the mistakes 
 and frailties of human nature ^vhile they were preaching 
 to a few, and be left liable to them when they were writing 
 for many ? Would they be supernatm-ally secured against 
 deceH'icg their contemporaries, while they personally in- 
 structed them ? and are they to be considered as merely 
 fallible men, when they inculcated and enforced the same 
 truths, not only upon their contemporaries, but upon all 
 succeeding generations? The assurance that the Spirit 
 should abide with the Apostles for ever, must necessarily 
 imply a constant Inspiration, without change or inter- 
 mission, whenever they exercised the office of a teacher of 
 the Gospel, whether by writing or by speaking. 
 
 It may perhaps be questioned, whether this reasoning 
 will apply with equal force to the writings of St. Mark and 
 St. Luke, who A\ere not themselves apostles, but only 
 companions and assistants of those who were apostles. 
 But though it be true that these evangelists were not of 
 the twelve apostles, nor were they miraculously called to 
 the office of an apostle, like St. Paul, yet we have the 
 strongest reason to believe that they were partakers of the 
 extraordinaiy effusion of the Holy Spirit granted to the 
 disciples of Christ ; and such was the unanimous opinion 
 of the primitive Christians. It is moreover generally bc» 
 heved, that the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke were 
 respectively approved by St. Peter and St. Paul, and that 
 they both received the sanction of St. John ; and it is 
 
19G INSPIRATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Part II. 
 
 universalh' acknowledged, that these two Gospels and the 
 Acts of the Apostles, wore considered as Canonical Scrip- 
 ture from the earliest time. " If the Church had not 
 heard from the Apostles that the writings of their assist- 
 ants were divine, these writings would not have been re- 
 ceived in the sacred Canon ; and if they had not been in 
 the Canon at the end of the first centur\", they would not 
 have been received in the second and following centuries 
 so generally, and without contradiction {t)." There is 
 also a perfect harmony between the doctrines delivered by 
 St. Mark and St. Luke, and by the other writers of the 
 New Testament ; and Ave can indeed scarcely conceive it 
 possible that God would suffer four Gospels to be trans- 
 mitted, as a rule of faith and practice to all succeeding 
 generations, two of which were written under the imme- 
 diate direction of his Holy Spirit, and the other two by 
 the unassisted powers of the human intellect. 
 
 We are told that the Gospels contain but a very small 
 part of the transactions of our Saviour's life, " and there 
 are also many other things that Jesus did, the which if 
 they should be written every one, I suppose that even the 
 world itself could not contain the books that should be 
 written (*')•" ^^*- '^'"^ therefore to conclude that the Eviin- 
 gelists were supernaturally enabled to make a proper se- 
 lection from this great mass of materials, and that they 
 were directed to record such things as were best calculated 
 to convey a just idea of the religion of Christ. It seems 
 
 (i) Marsh's Michaclis, vol. 1, p. 93. This argument, 
 quoted in the two first editions of tliis work, by a singular 
 mistake in the marks of reference in my note book, as the 
 jpinion of Michaelts, is introduced by him as commonly urged 
 in support of the doctrine which he endeavours to refute. But 
 whoever will examine the passage as it stands in his work, 
 nmst, I think, perceive the point in question to be greatly 
 strengthened by the weakness of the learned Author's answer 
 to this argument. 
 
 (u) John, c. '21 v. 25. 
 
Cbap. 1.] INSPIRATION OF THE NEAV TESTAMENT. 197 
 
 impossible that St. John, who Mi-ote his Gospel, as will 
 hereafter appear, more than thirty years after the death of 
 Christ, should have been able, by the natural power of his 
 memoiy, to recollect those liumerous discourses of our 
 Saviom* which he has related : and indeed all the Evange- 
 lists must have stood in need of the promised assistance of 
 the Holy Ghost, to bring to remembrance the things which 
 Christ had said during his ministry. "We are to consider 
 St. Luke in writing the Acts of the Apostles, and the Apos- 
 tles themselves in \\Titing the Epistles, as under a similar 
 guidance and direction. 
 
 St. Paul, the only writer of the New Testament who re- 
 mains to be considered, in several passages of his Epistles 
 asserts his own Inspiration in the most positive and un- 
 equivocal terms. In his Epistle to the Galatians, he says, 
 " I certify you, brethren, that the Gospel which was 
 preached of me, is not after man ; for I neither received 
 it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation 
 of Jesus Christ {-v)." In his first Epistle to the Corin- 
 thians, after giving them advice concerning some points 
 upon which they had consulted him, he adds, " I speak 
 this by permission, and not by commandment (y) ;" and 
 soon after, " to the rest speak I, not the Lord." By thus 
 declaring that upon these particular subjects he only de- 
 livered his o\\n private opinion, " though always under the 
 superintending influence of the Holy Spirit (r), he plainly 
 implies, that upon other occasions he WTote under the im- 
 mediate direction and especial authority of God himself ; 
 and indeed in this very chapter he says, " Unto the mar- 
 ried I command, yet not I, but the Lord." Hence also 
 it follows, that the Apostles had some certain method, al- 
 though utterly unknown to us, of distinguishing tDat 
 knowledge which was the effect of luspii-ation, from the 
 
 (.Z-) C. ], V. 11 and 12. (y) C. 7, v. 6. 
 
 (.c) Vide page 16. 
 
195 INSPIKATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Part II. 
 
 ordinary suggestions and conclusions of their own reason. 
 In the same Epistle he says, in speaking of the doctrines 
 of the Gospel, " God hath revealed them unto us by his 
 Spirit. AVe have received not the Spirit of the world, but 
 the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things 
 that arc freely given to us of God, — Which things also we 
 speak, not in the words which men's wisdom teachcth, but 
 which the Holy Ghost teacheth {a)." In his first Epistle 
 to the Thessalonians he says, " He that despiseth, despi- 
 seth not man but God, who hath also given imto us his 
 Holy Spirit {b)." Although St. Paul contends that he was 
 " not a whit behind the chiefest of the Apostles," yet he 
 no where lavs claim to any superior endowment or quali- 
 fication, ai\d therefore, in asserting his own Inspiration, 
 he asserts that of all the other Apostles. — Indeed, in the 
 two last passages which have been quoted, he speaks in 
 the plural number, and seems designedly to include the 
 other Apostles ; and in the following passage of his Epis- 
 tles to the Ephesians, he expressly asserts the Inspiration 
 both of himself and of the other teachers of the Gospel. 
 " Yc have heard of the dispensation of the Grace of God, 
 which is given me to you-ward. How that by revelation 
 he made kno\\-n unto me the myster}' (as I wrote afore in 
 a few words, whereby when ye read ye may understand my 
 knowledge in the mystery of Christ) which in other ages 
 was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now 
 revealed unto his holy Ajjostles and Prophets by the 
 Spirit (c)." The agi-eemcnt which subsists between the 
 Epistles of St. Paul and the other writings of the New 
 Testament, is also a decisive proof that they all proceeded 
 from one and the self-same Spirit. 
 
 The argument for the Inspiration of Scripture derived 
 from the nature of prophecy, has been already mentioned ; 
 
 (a) C. 2, v. 10, 12 and 13. (?;) C. 4, v. 8. 
 
 (c) C. 3. V. 2—5. 
 
Chap. 1.] INSPIRATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. \99 
 
 and as the books of the New Testament contain a great 
 variety of predictions, many of which have been hterally 
 fulfilled, and others are now receiving their completion, 
 this is of itself a sufficient proof that these books were 
 written under the immediate direction of the Spirit of 
 God. 
 
 The general observations made upon the nature of In- 
 spiration, in treating of the canon of the Old Testament, 
 are to be considered as applicable to the books of the 
 New. Since I wrote those observations, I have met with 
 a short tract by Mr. William PaiTy, entitled, " An Enquiry 
 into the Nature and Extent of the Inspkation of the 
 Apostles, and other "Writers of the New Testament," 
 which I desire to recommend to my young readers, as 
 containing plain and excellent remarks upon the subject 
 of Inspiration. I shall conclude this chapter with the 
 following extract from that work, although it will occasion 
 a repetition of some things which have been already men- 
 tioned. "A second and principal deduction, however, to 
 be drawn from the account before given, and which is of 
 most importance to the subject, is, that the Apostles of 
 Jesus Christ were under the wfalUble guidance of the 
 Spirit of Truth, as to every religious sentiment which they 
 taught mankind. Here it may be necessary to explain 
 the sense in which this expression is used. By every 
 religious sentiment is intended, every sentiment that con- 
 stitutes a part of Christian doctrine or Christian duty. 
 In every doctrine they taught, in every testimony they 
 bore to facts respecting our Lord, in every opinion which 
 they gave concerning the import of those facts, in every 
 precept, exhortation, and promise they addressed to men, 
 it appears to me that they were imder the infallible guid- 
 ance of the Spirit of Truth. By being under his guidance 
 is meant, that through his influence on their minds, they 
 were infallibly preserved fi'ora error in declaring th« 
 
200 INSPIRATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Pait II. 
 
 Gospel, SO that every religious sentiment they taught is 
 true, and agreeable to the will of God." 
 
 "As to the nature of this influence and guidance, some 
 things may be farther remarked — It was before obsen'cd, 
 that Inspiration, in the highest sense, is the immediate 
 communication of knowledge to the human mind bv the 
 Spirit of God. In this way the apostle Paul was tauglit 
 the whole of Christianity ; and this kind of Insj)iration 
 the other Apostles had, as to those things which they were 
 not acquainted with, before they received the gift of the 
 Holy Spirit. This is what some have called the Inspi- 
 ration of suggestion. But as to what they had heard, 
 or partly knov\'n before, the influence of the Spirit enabled 
 them properly to understand it, and preserved them from 
 error in communicating it. This has been called the Inspi- 
 ration of siiperlntendency. I'ndcr this supcrintendency 
 or guidance of the Spirit, the Apostles appear to have been 
 at all times, throughout their ministrj^ after Christ's as- 
 cension ; for less than this cannot be concluiled from our 
 Lord's declaration, that tlie Spirit shoidd abide \\\t\\ them 
 for ever, and lead them into all tj-ui/i." 
 
 " When they acted as writers, recording Christianity for 
 the instruction of the church in all succeeding times, I 
 apprehend that they were under the guidance of the Spirit 
 as to the subjects of which they treated ; that they wrote 
 under his influence and direction ; that they were pre- 
 served from all error and mistake in the religious senti- 
 ments they expressed ; and that if any thing were inserted 
 in their writings, not contained in that complete knowledge 
 of Christianity of which they were previously possessed, 
 (as prophecies for instance), this was immediately com- 
 municated to them, by revelation, from the Spirit j but 
 with respect to the choice of words in which they wrote, 
 I know not but they might be left to the free and rational 
 exercise of their own minds, to express themselves in the 
 
-.^?iV>'«^'-., 
 
 BETHLEHEM. 
 
Chap. ].] INSPIRATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 201 
 
 nianner that was natiu'al and famihar to them, while at 
 the same time they were preserved from error in the ideas 
 thev conveyed." 
 
 *' Maintaining that the Apostles were under the infallible 
 direction of the Hoi}' Spirit, as to every religious sentiment 
 contained in their writings, secures the same advantages 
 as would result from supposing that every word and letter 
 was dictated to them by his influences, without being liable 
 to those objections which might be made against tliat view 
 of the subject. As the Spirit preserved them from all error 
 in what they have taught and recorded, their writings are 
 of the same authority, importance, and use to us, as if he 
 had dictated every syllable contained in them. If the 
 Spirit had guided their pens in such a manner, that they 
 had been only mere machines under his direction, we 
 could have had no more in their wi-itings than a perfect 
 rule, as to all religious opinions and duties, all matters of 
 faith and practice. But such a perfect rule we have in 
 the New Testament, if we consider them as under the 
 Spirit's infallible guidance in all the religious sentiments 
 they express, whether he suggested the very words in 
 'vhich they are w ritten, or not. Upon this view of the 
 subject, the inspired writings contain a perfect and infal- 
 lible account of the whole will of God for our salvation ; 
 of all that is necessary for us to know, believe, and practise 
 in religion : and what can they contain more than this, 
 upon any other view of it ?" 
 
 "Another advantage attending the above view of the 
 apostolic Inspiratiou is, that it will enable us to imderstand 
 some things in tiieir writings, which it might be difficult 
 to reconcile with another view of the subject. If the 
 Inspiration and guidance of the Spirit, respecting the wai- 
 ters of the New Testament, extended only to what appears 
 to be its proper province, matters of a religious and moral 
 nature, then there is no necessity to ask whether everi/ 
 
202 INSPIRATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Part II. 
 
 th'mg contained in their wi'itings were suggested immedi- 
 ately by the Spirit or not ; whether Luke %vere inspired to 
 say that the shij) in which he sailed with Paul was wrecked 
 on the island of IMelita {d) ; or ;vhether Paul were under 
 the guidance of the Sj)irit in directing Timothy to bring 
 with him the cloak which he left at Troas, and the books, 
 but especially the parchments (e) ; for the answer is ob- 
 vious; these were not things of a religious nature, and 
 no inspiration was necessary concerning them." 
 
 "This view of the subject will also readily enable a 
 ])lain Christian, in reading his New Testament, to dis- 
 tinguish what he is to consider as inspired truth. Every 
 thing which the Apostles have written or taught concern- 
 ing Christianity, every thing which teaches him a religious 
 sentiment, or a branch of duty, he must consider as di- 
 vinely true, as the mind and will of God, recorded imder 
 the direction and guidance of his Spirit. It is not neces- 
 saiy that he should inquire, whether ^^hat the Apostles 
 taught be true 1 all that he has to search after is, their 
 meaning ; and when he understands what they meant, he 
 may rest assui'cd, that meaning is consistent with the will 
 of God, is divine infallible truth. The testimony of men, 
 who spoke and wrote by the Spirit of God, is the testi- 
 mony of God himself; and the testimony of the God of 
 Truth is the strongest and most indubitable of all demon- 
 stration." 
 
 {d) Acts, c. 28, V. 1. (e) 2 Tim. c. 4, v. 13. 
 
31iap. 2.] OF ST, Matthew's gospel. 203 
 
 PART U. 
 
 CHAPTER THE SECOND. 
 
 r. HISTORY OF ST. MATTHEW. IV. LANGUAGE IN WHICH 
 
 II. GENUINENESS OF HIS GOSPEL. IT WAS WRITTEN. 
 
 HI. ITS DATE. I V. OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 I. Matthew, called also Levi, was the son of AlpliEeus, 
 hut prohahly not of that Alphseus who was the father of 
 the a])ostle James the Less. He was a native of Galilee ; 
 but it is not known in what city of that country he was 
 born, or to what tribe of the people of Israel he belonged. 
 Though a Jew, he was a publican or tax-gatherer under 
 the Romans ; and his office seems to have consisted in 
 collecting the customs due upon commodities which were 
 carried, and from persons who passed, over the lake of 
 Gennesareth. Our Saviour commanded him, as he was 
 sitting at the place where he received these customs, to 
 follow him. He immediately obeyed; and from that 
 time he became a constant attendant upon our Saviom*, 
 and was appointed one of the twelve Apostles. Matthew, 
 soon after his call, made an entertainment at his house, 
 at which were present Christ and some of his disciples, 
 and also several publicans. After the ascension of our 
 Saviour, he continued^ with the other Apostles, to pieach 
 
204 OF ST. Matthew's gospel. rPait II. 
 
 the Gospel for some time in Judica ; but as there is no 
 farther aecount of him in anj- writer of the first fom- cen- 
 turies, we must consider it as uncertain into what country 
 he afterwards went, and hkewise in ^hat manner, and at 
 what time, he died. It seems, however, probable, that he 
 died a natural death, since Ileracleon, a learned A'alen- 
 tinian of the second centurj-, as cited by Clement of Alex- 
 andria (a), reckons Mattbew among those Apostles who 
 did not suifer martyrdom, and he is not contradicted by 
 Clement. Chrysostom (b) also, who is very full in his 
 commendation of Matthew, says nothing of his martyr- 
 dom. On the contrary, Socrates (c), a writer of the fifth 
 century, says that Matthew preadied the Gospel in ^Ethi- 
 opia, and died a mart\T at Nedabber, a city of that coun- 
 try ; but he is contradicted by other authors, who say that 
 Matthew died in Persia. 
 
 II. In the few writings which remain of the apostolical 
 fivthers (rf), Barnabas, Clement of Rome, Hennas, Igna- 
 tius, and Polycarp, there are manifest allusions to several 
 passages in this Gospel ; but the Gospel itself is not men- 
 tioned in any one of them. Papias, the companion of 
 Polycarp, is the earliest author upon record, who has ex- 
 pressly named Matthew as the \Miter of a Gospel; and we 
 are indebted to Eusebius (e) for transmitting to us this 
 valuable testimony. The Avork itself of Papias is lost ; 
 but the quotation in Eusebius is such as to convince us, 
 that in the time of Papias no doubt was entertained of the 
 genuineness of St. Matthew's Gospel. This Gospel is 
 repeatedly quoted by Justin Martyr, but without men- 
 tioning the name of St. Matthew. It is both frequently 
 quoted, and St. Matthew mentioned as its author, by 
 
 (a) Stromat. lib. 4. (6) Horn. 48 and 49. 
 
 (c) H. E. lib. 1, cap. 19. 
 
 (d) Tliese fathers were so called, because they were con- 
 temporary with the Apostles, and were their disciples. 
 
 (e) H. E. lib.3, cap. 39. 
 
Chap. 2.] OF ST. Matthew's gospel. 205 
 
 Ireiiteus, Origen, Athanasius, Cyril, Ejjijilianius, Jerome, 
 Chrysostom, and a long ti'ain of subsequent writers. It 
 was, indeed, universally received by the Christian church; 
 and we do not find that its genuineness was controverted 
 by any early profane writer. We may therefore conclude, 
 upon the concm-rent testimony of antiquity, that this 
 Gospel is rightly ascribed to St. Matthew. 
 
 III. It is generally agreed, upon the most satisfactory 
 evidence {f), that St. Matthew's Gospel was the first that 
 was written ; but though this is asserted by many ancient 
 authors, none of them, except Irenajus and Eusebius, haVe 
 said any thing concerning the exact time at which it was 
 ^Titten. The only passage, in which the former of these 
 fathers mentions thi-^ subject, is so obscure, that no posi- 
 tive conclusion can be drawn from it. Dr. Lardner (g) 
 and Dr. Townson {h) understand it in very different senses ; 
 and Eusebius, who lived a hundred and fifty years after 
 Irenajus, barely says, that Matthew wrote his Gospel 
 just before he left Judaea to preach the religion of Christ 
 in other countries {i) ; but when that was, neither he nor 
 any other ancient author informs us with certainty. The 
 impossibility of settling this point upon ancient authority 
 has given rise to a variety of opinions among moderns. Of 
 the several dates assigned to this Gospel, which deserve 
 any attention, the earliest is the year 38, and the latest the 
 year 6>A. 
 
 (f) Iran, adver. Haer. lib. 3, cap. 1. Eus. H. E. lib. 6, 
 cap. 1. Hieron. Cat. So. Eccl. Aug. de Cons. Evang. lib. 1, 
 cap. 1. 
 
 (ff) Vol. 6, p. 49. 
 
 (h) Treatise on the Gospels. 
 
 (0 H. E. lib. 3, cap. 24. Mr. Jones, vol. 3, p. 60, of his 
 New Method, asserts, that Eusebius says in his Chronicum, 
 that Matthew published his Gospel in the third year of Cali- 
 gula ; but Lardner has shown that this passage, which is 
 found only in some editions of the Chronicum, is spurious, 
 vol. 4, p. 263. 
 
20G OF ST. Matthew's gospel. [Piu-t II 
 
 It appears very improbable, that the Christians should 
 be left any considerable number of years without a written 
 histoiy of our Saviour's ministry. It is certain that the 
 Apostles, immediately after the descent of the Holy Ghost, 
 which took place onlj- ten days after the ascension of our 
 Saviour into Heaven, preached the Gospel to the Jews 
 with great success : and surely it is reasonable to su])pose, 
 that an authentic account of our Saviom's doctrines and 
 miracles would very soon be committed to writing, for the 
 confirmation of those who believed in his divine mission, 
 and for the conversion of others ; and, more paiticularl} . 
 to enable the Jews to compare the circumstances of the birth, 
 death, and resuiTcction of Jesus with their ancient pro- 
 ])hecies relative to the Jlessiah : and we may conceive that 
 the Apostles would be desirous of losing no time in wri- 
 ting an account of the miracles which Jesus performed, 
 and of the discourses which he delivered, because the 
 sooner such an account was published, the easier it woidd 
 1)6 to inquire into its truth and accuracy ; and consequently, 
 when these points were satisfactorily ascertained, the 
 greater would be its weight and authorit-y. I must own 
 that these arguments are, in my judgment, so strong in 
 favour of an early publication of some histoiy of our Sa- 
 viour's ministry, that I cannot but accede to the opinion of 
 Mr. Jones, Mr. "Wetstein, and Dr. Owen, that St. Matthew's 
 Gospel was written in the jear 38. 
 
 " There is, however," says Bishop Percy, " a capital ob- 
 jection to this very early date ; and that is, the great 
 clearness with which the comprehensive design of the 
 Christian dispensation, as extending to the whdle Gentile 
 world, is unfolded in this Gospel ; whereas it is well known, 
 and allowed by all, that for a while our Lord's disciples 
 labom-ed under Jewish prejudices, and that they did not 
 fullv understand all his discourses at the time they were 
 spoken. They could not clearly discern the extensive de- 
 
Chap. 2.] OF ST. Matthew's gosi'el. 20/ 
 
 sign of the Gospel scheme, till after St. Peter had been at 
 the house of Cornelius, nor indeed till after the Gospel 
 had been preached abr9ad in foreign countries by St. Paul 
 and other Apostles." This objection appears to cany but 
 little force with it ; for we are to observe, that the Evan- 
 gelist, in those passages which relate to the universahty of 
 the Gospel dispensation, only recites the words of our 
 Savioiu', without any explanation or remark ; and we know 
 it was promised to the Apostles, that after jhe ascension 
 of our Lord, the Holy Spirit should bring all things to 
 their remembrance, and guide them into all truth. Whe- 
 ther St. Matthew was aware of the call of the Gentiles, 
 before the Gospel was actually embraced by them, cannot 
 be ascertained ; nor is it material, since it is gencrallv 
 agreed, that the inspired penmen often did not compre- 
 hend the full meaning of their own writings, when the}' 
 referred to futm-e events ; and it is obvious, that it might 
 answer a good purpose to have the future call of the Gen- 
 tiles intimated in an authentic histoiy of our Saviour's 
 ministiy, to which the beheving Jews might refer, when 
 that extraordinary and unexpected event should take 
 place : theu* minds would thus be more easily satisfied ; • 
 and they would more readily admit the comprehensive 
 design of the Gospel, when they found it declaimed in a 
 book, which they acknowledged as the nxle of their faith 
 and jjractice. 
 
 IV. There has also of late been great difference of 
 opinion concerning the language in which this Gospel 
 was originally written. Among the ancient fathers, Papias, 
 as quoted by Eusebius, Irena^us, Origen, Cyril, Epiphanius, 
 Chrj'sostom, and Jerome (k), positively assert that it was 
 
 (k) Jerome observes, that most of the quotations from the 
 Old Testament in tliis Gospel are made according to the He- 
 brew text ; and assigns as a reason for it, that St. Matthew 
 '.vrote in Hebrew. These quotations in other parts of the 
 New Testament are made from the Septuagint version. 
 
2»>8 OF ST. Matthew's gospel, [Part II. 
 
 \\Titten by St. Matthew m Hebrew, that is, in the language 
 then spoken in Palestine ; and indeed Dr. Campbell says, 
 that tl IS point was not controverted by any author for 
 foui-teen hundred years (/). Erasmus was one of the first 
 who contended that the present Greek is the original; 
 and he has been followed by Le Clerc, Wetstcin, Basnage, 
 AVhitby, Jortin, and many other learned men. On the 
 other hand, Grotius, Du Pin, Simon, Walton, Cave, Ham- 
 mond, Mill, Miehaelis, Owen, and Campbell, have sup- 
 ported the opinion of the ancients. In a question of this 
 sort, which is a question of fact, the concurrent voice of 
 antiquity is with me decisive ; and it surely is very dan- 
 gerous to reject that ground of belief upon any point in 
 which the Holy Scriptures are concerned ; I do not there- 
 fore think it necessary to notice the arguments which in- 
 genious moderns have lu-ged upon this subject, "quod 
 cuim a recentiore auctore de rebus adeo antiquis, sine 
 alicujus vetustioris auctoritate, profertur,contemnitur(w/) ;" 
 they may be found in Lardner, AVhitby, and Beausobre : 
 I will only observe, that the opinion that the first ])ub- 
 lished gospel was written in the language of the Jews, and 
 •for their peculiar use, is perfectly conformable to the dis- 
 tinction with which we know they were favoured, of 
 having the Gospel preached to them exclusivelv b}' our 
 Saviour, and before all other nations by his Apostles. 
 
 Though the fathers are unanimous in declaring that St. 
 ]Matthcw wrote kis Gospel in Hebrew, yet they have not 
 informed us by whom it was translated into Greek. No 
 writer of the first three centm-ies makes any mention what- 
 ever of the translator ; nor does Eusebius ; and Jerome 
 tells us, that in his time it was not known who was the 
 translator {ji). It is however universally allowed that the 
 
 {I) Preface to St. Matthew's Gospel, in wliich this question 
 is very ably discussed. 
 
 (m) Bar. Ann. Eccl. A.D. 1, N. 12. 
 
 {») Malthfcus, qui et Levi, ex publicano apostolus, primus 
 
Chap. 2.J OF ST. MATTHEW'S GOSPEL. 209 
 
 Gi-eek translation was made very early (o), and that it was 
 more used than the original. This last circumstance is 
 easily accounted for. After the destruction of Jerusalem, 
 the language of the Jews, and every thing which belonged 
 to them, fell into great contempt, and the early fathers, 
 writing in Greek, would naturally quote and refer to the 
 Greek copy of St. Matthew's Gospel, in the same manner 
 as they constantly used the Septuagint Version of the Old 
 Testament. There being no longer any country in which 
 the language of St. Matthew's original Gospel was com- 
 monly spoken, that original would soon he forgotten ; and 
 the translation into Greek, the language then generally 
 understood, would be substituted in its room. This early 
 and exclusive use of the Greek translation is a strong 
 proof of its correctness, and leaves us but little reason to 
 lament the loss of the original [p). 
 
 Dr. Lardner has entered veiy fully into this question ; 
 he thinks that St. Matthew wrote in Greek ; and that the 
 original Greek was translated into Hebrew ; and that this 
 translation was the Hebrew Gospel, which, it is acknow- 
 ledged, existed in the primitive age of Christianity. I 
 
 in Judcea, propter cos qui ex circumcisione crediderunt, Evan- 
 gelium Christi Hebraicis litteris verbisque composuit. Quod 
 quis ppstea in Grsecum Iranstulerit, non satis cerium est. Hier. 
 (Je Sc. Eccl. ill Mat. 
 
 (o) Quae diversitas sententiarum, ut de vero auctore certo 
 uronuntiare nos vetat, ita illud certissime demonstrat, ipsis 
 apostolorum temporibus ab uno illorum, aut illorum auspiciis, 
 vel potius Spiritus Sancti, cujus ipsi erant organa, Graecum 
 textum ex Hebraico esse confectum. Casaub. Exercit. 15, 
 ad. Ann. Bar. n. 12. 
 
 {p) The Ebionites, a sect of Jewish Christians, mutilated and 
 interpolated the HebrewGospel of St. Matthew, in accommoda- 
 tion to their heretical tenets, and this circumstance might also 
 contribute towards bringing the Greek translation into general 
 use. It is, however, an additional proof that St. Matthew's 
 Gospel was originally written in Hebre\T, for they could not 
 otherwise have had a pretence for receiving this, and reject- 
 ing the other Gospels. 
 
 P 
 
210 OF ST. Matthew's gospel. [Part II. 
 
 must own that his rcasouhig appear to me very inconclu- 
 sive ; and I cannot but remark, that he has not attempted 
 to support his opinion by the authority of a single ancient 
 writer. This is so contrary to lus usual practice, that I 
 am inclined to think, with Dr. Campbell (q), his judgment 
 was biassed by his system of credibility. 
 
 V. St. Matthew, being from the time of his call a 
 constant attendant upon oiu' Saviour, was well qualified to 
 write the history of his life. He relates what he saw and 
 heard in a natural and unaffected style ; and he is more 
 circumstantial in his account than any other of the evan- 
 gehsts. That he published his Gospel in Palestine for the 
 immediate use of the Jews was the opinion of all ancient 
 ecclesiastical AATiters ; and it is confirmed by the contents 
 of the book itself. There are more references in this, 
 than in any other Gospel, to Jewish customs ; and cities 
 and places in Palestine are always mentioned in it as being 
 well known by those to whom it is addressed. St. Mat- 
 thew seems studiously to have selected such circumstances 
 as were calculated to conciliate or strengthen the faith of 
 the Jews ; for example, no sentiment relative to the jNIes- 
 siah was more prevalent among them, than that he should 
 be of the race of Abraham, and family of David, and ac- 
 cordingly St. Matthew begins his narrative by shewing the 
 descent of Jesus from those two illustrious persons ; he 
 then relates the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the city in 
 which the Messiah was expected to be bom ; and through- 
 out his Gospel he omits no opportunity of explaining the 
 Scriptures and of pointing out the fulfilment of prophecy, 
 which was knouTi to have greater weight with the Jews 
 than any o^her species of evidence ; moreover, he records 
 many of our Saviour's reproofs to the Jews for their errors 
 and superstitions, and thus endeavours to eradicate from 
 their minds those prejudices, which impeded the progress, 
 (7) Preface to St. Matthew's Gospel. 
 
Chap.2.] OF ST. Matthew's GOSPEL. '^ll 
 
 or sullied the purity, of the Christian faith. Though this 
 Gospel was particularly adajited to the Jews, it must also 
 have been very useful in confirming, and in converting' 
 other persons, especially' those who were acquainted with 
 the types and predictions of the Old Testament. 
 
 "As the sacred writers, especially the Evangelists, have 
 many qualities in common, so there is something in eveiy 
 one of them, which, if attended to, will be found to dis- 
 tinguish him from the rest. That which principally dis- 
 tinguishes Matthew, is the distinctness and particularity 
 with which he has related many of oaa Lord's discourses 
 and moral instructions. Of these, his sermon on the 
 Mount, his charge to the Apostles, his illustrations of the 
 nature of his kingdom, and his prophecy on Mount Olivet, 
 are examples. He has also wonderfully united slmplicitj- 
 and energy in relating the replies of his Master to the 
 cavils of his adversaries. Being early called to the apostle- 
 ship, he was an eye-witness and ear-witness of most of 
 the things which he relates : and though I do not think it 
 was the scope of any of these historians to adjust their 
 narratives to the precise order of time wherein the events 
 happened, there are some circumstances which incline me to 
 think, that Matthew has approached at least as near that 
 order as any of them (r)." And this, we may observe, 
 would naturally be the distinguishing characteristic of a nar- 
 rative, written very soon after the events had taken place. 
 The most remarkable things recorded in St. Matthew's 
 Gospel, and not foimd in any other, are the follov^ing : the 
 visit of the eastern m-agi ; our Saviour's flight into Egypt ; 
 the slaughter of the infants at Bethlehem ; the parable of 
 the ten virgins ; the dream of Pilate's wife ; the resm-rec- 
 tion of many saints at our Saviour's crucifixion ; and the 
 bribing of the Roman guard, appointed to watch at the 
 holy sepulchre, by the chief priests and elders. 
 
 (r) Dr. Campbell's Preface to St. Matthew's Gospel. 
 
2\2 Of ST. mark's gospel. (Pmt [I. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE THIRD. 
 
 OF ST. mark's gospel. 
 
 !, HISTORY OF ST. MARK. ] III. ITS DATE. 
 
 II, GENUINENESS OF HIS GOSrEL. ] IV. OUSERVATIONS. 
 
 I. Doubts have been entertained, both in ancient and 
 motlern times, whether IMark the Evangehst be tlie same 
 as John, whose surname was Mark, mentioned in the Acts, 
 and in some of St. Paul's Epistles. This appears a very 
 uncertain point; but as even Dr. Campbell, who thinks 
 that they were different persons, admits that there is no 
 inconsistency in the contrary supposition, I shall, with 
 Lightfoot, Wetstein, Lardner, and ]Michaelis («), consider 
 them as the same. It is kno\An to have been a common 
 thing among the Jews for the same jierson to liave different 
 names 
 
 We shall therefore consider Mark, the author of this 
 Gospel, as the son of Mary, who was an early comert to 
 the religion of Christ. St. Peter, when he was delivered 
 out of prison by an angel, went immediately to her house, 
 where he found " many gathered together praying {b)." 
 
 (a) Cave, Grctius, Du Pin, and Tillemont, were of a con- 
 Irarj' opinion. 
 
 (b) Acts, c. 12, V. 12. 
 
Chap. 3.] OF ST. mark's gospel. 213 
 
 Thence it is infeiTcd, that the Christians were accustomed 
 to meet at Mar)''s house, even in these times of persecu- 
 tion, and that there was an early acquaintance between St. 
 Peter and St. Mark. Mark was the nephew of Barnabas, 
 being his sister's son ; and he is supposed to have been 
 converted to the Gospel by St. Peter, who calls him his 
 son ((?) ; but no circumstances of his conversion are re- 
 corded. The first historical fact mentioned of him in the 
 New Testament is, that he Avent in the year 44, from Jeru- 
 salem to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. Not long after, 
 he set out from Antioch ^^ith those Apostles upon a journey, 
 which they undertook by the direction of the Holy Spirit, 
 for the purpose of preaching the Gospel in different coun- 
 tries ; but he soon left them, probably without sufficient 
 reason, at Perga in Pamphylia, and went to Jerusalem {d). 
 Afterwards, when Paul and Barnabas had determined to 
 visit the several churches which they had established, 
 Barnabas proposed that they should take Mark with them : 
 to which Paul objected, because Mark had left them in 
 their former journey. This produced a sharp contention 
 between Paid and Barnabas, which ended in their separa- 
 tion. Mark accompanied his imcle Barnabas to Cyprus, 
 but it is not mentioned whither they went when they left 
 that island. We may conclude that St. Paul was after- 
 wards reconciled to St. Mark, from the manner in which 
 he mentions him in his Epistles m-itten subsequent to this 
 dispute, and particularly from the direction which he gives 
 to Timothy ; " Take Mark, and bring him w ith thee ; for 
 he is profitable to me for the ministry (e)." No farther 
 circumstances are recorded of St. Mark in the New Testa- 
 ment; but it is believed, upon the authority of ancient 
 writers, that soon after his jom-ney with Barnabas he met 
 Peter in Asia, and that he continued with him for some 
 
 (c) 1 Pe',. c. 5,v. 13. {d) Acts, c. 13. 
 
 (e) 2 Tim. c. 4, v. 11. 
 
214 OF ST. mark's gospel. [Pai-t II. 
 
 time, perhaps till Peter suffered mai-tjTdom at Rome, 
 Epiphanius, Eusebius, and Jerome, all assert that Mark 
 preached the Gospel in Egypt; and the two latter call 
 him Bishop of Alexandria. Earonius, Cave, "Wetstein, 
 and other learned modems, have thought that Mark died 
 a martyr ; but I find no authority for that opinion in any 
 ancient ^^Titer ; and it seems to be contradicted by Jerome, 
 who says, that he died in the eight year of Nero, and was 
 buried at Alexandi-ia {f), which expression appears to 
 imply that he died a natural death. Papias {(j), and 
 several other ancient fathers, saj-, that IVIark was not a 
 hearer of Christ himself ; but on the contrary, Epiphanius, 
 and tke author of the Dialogue against the Marcionites, 
 written in the fourth century, assert that he was one of 
 the seventy disciples to whom our Saviour gave a tem- 
 porarj^ commission to preach the Gospel ; this, however, 
 does not seem probable, as there is reason to believe that 
 he was converted to the belief of the Gospel by St. Peter. 
 
 II. Dr. Lardner thinks that this Gospel is alluded 
 to by Clement of Rome; but the earliest ecclesiastical 
 \ATiter upon record, who expressly mentions it, is Papias. 
 It is mentioned also by Irenseus, Clement of Alexandria, 
 TertuUian, Origen, Eusebius, Epiphanius, Jerome, Augus- 
 tine, Chrjsostom, and many others. The works of these 
 fathers contain numerous quotations from this Gospel ; 
 and as their testimony is not contradicted by any ancient 
 writer, we may safely conclude that the Gospel of St. Mark 
 is genuine. 
 
 The authority of this Gospel is not affected by the 
 question concerning the identity of Mark the Evangelist, 
 and Mark the nephew of Baraabas, since all agree that 
 the writer of this Gospel was the familiar companion of 
 St. Peter, and that he was qualified for the work which 
 
 (/) De Vir. 111. cap. 8. 
 
 iff) Eus. Plist. Eccl. lib. 3, cap. 39 
 
Chap. 3.J OF ST. mark's gospel. 215 
 
 he undertook by having heard for many years the public 
 discourses and private conversation of that apostle. This 
 opinion is confirmed by the Gospel itself; for many things 
 honourable to St. Peter are omitted in it, which are men- 
 tioned by the other EvangeUsts (/<) ; and it is perfectly 
 conformable to the character of St. Peter, that he should 
 not, either in public or private, notice circumstances of 
 that kind ; but on the other hand, the failings of Peter 
 are all recorded in this Gospel. Thus St. Mark does not 
 add the benediction and promise which St. Peter received 
 from our Saviour, upon his acknowledging him to be the 
 Messiah ; but he relates at large the severe reproof which 
 he received soon after, for not bearing to hear that Christ 
 must suffer (i). 
 
 Some writers have asserted that St. Peter re\'ised and 
 approved this Gospel, and others have not scrupled to call 
 it the Gospel according to St. Peter {/t) ; by which title 
 they did not mean to question St. Mark's right to be con- 
 sidered as the author of this Gospel, but merely to give it 
 the sanction of Peter's name. The following passage in 
 Eusebius ajjpears to contain so probable an account of 
 the occasion of writing this Gospel, and conies supported 
 by such high authority, that I think it right to transcribe 
 it : " The lustre of piety so enlightened the minds of 
 Peter's hearei's (at Rome), that they were not contented 
 with the bare hearing and umATitten instruction of his 
 divine preaching, but tliey earnestly requested Mark, whose 
 Gospel we have, being an attendant upon Peter, to leave 
 with them a wTitten account of the instructions which had 
 
 (A) Vide Jones's New Method. 
 
 («) Vide Townson on the Gospels, p. 155 ; and compare 
 Mark, c. 8, with Matt. c. 16. 
 
 (A:) Licet et Marcus quod edidit, Petri affirmetur, cujus in- 
 terpres Marcus. Tert. adv. Marc, lib. 4, cap. 5. Marcus, dis- 
 cipuius et interpres Petri, qua; a Petro annunciate erant, edidit 
 Iren. lib. 3, cap. i. 
 
216 OF ST. makk's gospel. [Part II. 
 
 been delivered to them by word of mouth ; nor did they 
 desist till they had prevailed npon him ; and thus they 
 were the cause of the >rating of that Gospel, which is 
 called according to !Mark : and they say, that the Apostle, 
 being informed of what was done, by the revelation of the 
 Holy Ghost, was pleased with the zeal of the men, and 
 authorized the Avriting to be introduced into the churches. 
 Clement gives this account in the sixth book 'of his In- 
 stitutions ; and Papias, bishop of IlierapoUs, bears testi- 
 mony to it (/)." Jerome also says, that " Mai-k WTOte a 
 short Gospel from what he had heard from Peter, at the 
 request of the brethren at Rome, which, when Peter knew, 
 he ai)i)roved and published it in the churches, command- 
 ing the reading of it by his own authority (wi)." 
 
 III. Different persons have assigned different dates 
 to this Gospel : but there being almost an unanimous 
 concm-rence of opinion, that it was written while St. Mark 
 was with St. Peter at Rome, and not finding any ancient 
 authority for supposing that Peter was in that city till the 
 year 64, I am inclined to place the publication of this 
 Gospel about the year 65. 
 
 IV. St. IMark having written this Gospel for the 
 use of the Christians at Rome, which was at that time 
 the great metropolis and common centre of all civilized 
 nations, we accordingly find it free from all peculiarities, 
 and equally accommodated to every description of persons. 
 Quotations from the ancient prophets, and allusions 
 to Jewish customs, are as much as possible avoided; and 
 such explanations are added as might be necessar)^ for 
 Gentile readers at Rome : thus when Jordan is first men- 
 tioned in this Gospel, the word River is prefixed (n) ; the 
 oriental word Corban is said to mean a gift (o) ; the pre- 
 
 (/) Eus. H. E. lib.2, cap. 15. 
 
 (;«) Lib. de. Ver. Illust. cap. 8. 
 
 (m) C. 1, V. 5. (o) C. 7, V. 11. 
 
Chap. 3.] OF ST. mark's gospel. 217 
 
 paration is said to be the day before the sabbath (p) ; and 
 defiled hands are said to mean umvashed hands (q) ; and 
 the superstition of the Jews upon tliat subject is stated 
 more at large than it would have been by a person writing 
 at Jerusalem. 
 
 The Gospel of St. Mark is a simple and compendious 
 nariative, and his style is clear and correct : he is in 
 general much less circumstantial than St. IMatthew, and 
 usually follows his arrangement. Some authors represent 
 St. Mark's Gospel as an abridgement of St. Matthew's {r), 
 but this is surely a mistaken idea. St. Mark entirely 
 omits several important things related by St. Matthew^, 
 such as the genealogy and biith of Christ, the massacre 
 at Bethlehem, and the sermon upon the Mount. He dilates 
 upon some facts which are concisely mentioned by St. 
 Matthew, such as the cure of the paralytic, in the second 
 chapter (s), and the miracle among the Gadarenes, in the 
 fifth (t). He now and then departs from the order of 
 time, and arrangement of facts, observed by St. Matthew : 
 and Lardner has enumerated above thirty circumstances 
 noticed by St. Mark, which are not found in any other 
 Gospel ; many of these are trifling, but two of them are 
 the miraculous cures recorded at the end of the 7th chap- 
 ter, and in the middle of the 8th. If, however, we except 
 slight additions made by St. Mark to the narrative com- 
 mon to the first three Evangelists, there are not more than 
 24 verses in his whole Gospel which contain facts not 
 recorded either by St. Matthev/ or by St. Luke. 
 
 Two learned men. Dr. Owen and Dr. TowTison, from a 
 collation of St. Matthew's and St. Mark's Gospels, have 
 
 (p) C. 15, v. 42. {q) C. 7, v. 2. 
 
 (r) The earliest author who mentions this idea is Augus- 
 tine, Marcus MatthcEum subsecutus tanquam pedissequus ejus 
 et breviator videtur. De cons. Ev. lib. 1, cap 2. 
 
 (s) Compare Matt. c. 9, v. 2. 
 
 (/) Csmpare Matt. c. 8, v. 18. 
 
218 OF ST. mark's gospel. [Part II. 
 
 pointed out the use of the same words and expressions 
 in so many instances, that it has been supposed St. Mark 
 wrote with St. Matthew's Gospel before him ; but I must 
 own that the similarity does not appeal to ine strong 
 enough to warrant such a conclusion; it seems no more 
 than might have arisen from other causes. St. Peter 
 would natm-ally recite in his preaching the same events 
 and discourses which jMatthew recorded in his Gosi)el ; 
 and the same circumstances might be mentioned in the 
 same manner by men who sought not after " excelleucv 
 of speech," but whose minds retained the remembrance of 
 facts or conversations which strongly impressed them, 
 even without taking into consideration the idea of super- 
 natural guidance. AVe may fiirther observe, that the idea 
 of St Mark's writing from St. ^Matthew's Gospel does not 
 correspond with the account given by Eusebius and 
 Jerome, as stated above. 
 
Chap. 4. 
 
 OF ST. LUKE S GOSPEL. 
 
 219 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE FOURTH. 
 
 OF ST. LUKE S GOSPEL. 
 
 I. HISTORY OF ST. LUKE. 
 
 II. GENUINENESS OF HIS GOSPEL. 
 
 III. ITS DATE. 
 
 IV. PLACE OF ITS PUBLICA- 
 TION. 
 V. OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 I. The New Testament inform us of very few particulars 
 concerning St. Luke. He is not named in any of tiie 
 Gospels. In the Acts of the Apostles, which were, as 
 will hereafter be shown, written by him, he uses the first 
 person plm-al, when he is relating some of the travels of 
 St. Paul ; and thence it is inferred that at those times he 
 was himself with that Apostle. The first instance of this 
 kind is in the 11th verse of the 16th chapter; he there 
 says, " Loosing from Troas, we came up with a straight 
 course to Samothracia." Thus we learn that St. Luke 
 accompanied St. Paul in this his first voyage to Mace- 
 donia. From Samothracia they went to Neapolis, and 
 thence to Philippi. At this last place we conclude that 
 St. Paul and St. Luke separated, because, in continuing 
 the history of St. Paul, after he left Philippi, St. Luke 
 uses the third person, saying, " Now when they had passed 
 through Amphipolis, &c. (a) ;" and he does not resuiuf> 
 (a) C. 17, V. 1. 
 
220 OF ST. Luke's gospel. [Part 11. 
 
 the first person till St. Paul was in Greece the second 
 time. We have no account of St. Luke during this in- 
 terval ; it only appears that he was not with St. Paul. 
 "When St. Paul was about to go to Jerusalem from Greece, 
 after his second visit into that country, St. Luke, men- 
 tioning certain persons, says, " These going before, tarried 
 for tis at Troas ; and 7ce sailed away from Philippi (/v)." 
 Thus again we learn that Luke accompanied Paul out of 
 Greece, through iNLicedonia, to Troas ; and the sequel of 
 St. Paul's history in the Acts, and some passages in his 
 Epistles (c), wTitten while he was a prisoner at Rome, 
 inform us that Luke continued from that time with Paul 
 till he was released from his confinement at Rome, which 
 was a space of about five years, and included a very in- 
 teresting part of St. Paul's life (<^). 
 
 Here ends the certain account of St. Luke. — It seems 
 probable, however, that he went from Rome into Achaia ; 
 and some authors have asserted that he afterwards preached 
 the Gospel in Africa. None of the most ancient fathers 
 having mentioned that St. Luke suffered martyrdom, we 
 may suppose that he died a natural death ; but at what 
 time, or in what place, is not known. 
 
 We are told by some that St. Luke was a painter, and 
 Grotius and Wetstein thought that he was, in the earher 
 part of his life, a slave ; but I find no foundation for either 
 opinion in any ancient writer. It is probable that he was 
 by birth a Jew, and a native of Antioch, in Syria ; and I 
 see no reason to doubt that " Luke the beloved physician," 
 mentioned in the Epistle to the Colossians (f), was Luke 
 the Evangelist. In the introduction to his Gospel (/*), 
 Luke appears to intimate that he was not himself an eye- 
 
 (b) C. 20, V. 5 and 6. 
 
 (c) 2 Tim. c. 4, v. 11. Col. c. 4, v. 14. Philem. v. 24. 
 
 (d) Vide the last nine chapters of the Acts. 
 
 (e) Col. c. 4, v. 11. 
 (J) G 1, V. 1. 
 
Cnap. 4.] OF ST. LUKE'S GOSTEL. 221 
 
 witness of tlic things which he is about to relate; how- 
 ever, some have thought that he was one of the seventj^ 
 disciples ; but there is no authority in the Scriptures for 
 that opinion, and there are now no means of ascertain- 
 ing whether he was or was not, unless the above-men- 
 tioned passage may be considered as conclusive against it. 
 
 II. La RDNER thinks there are a few allusions to this 
 Gospel in some of the apostolical fathers, especially in 
 Hermas and Polycarp; and in Justin Martyr there are 
 passages evidently taken from it ; but the earliest author 
 who actually mentions St. Luke's Gospel, is Irena;us ; and 
 he cites so many passages from it, and points out so many 
 peculiarities in it, all agreeing with the Gospel which we 
 now have, that he alone is sufficient to prove its genuine- 
 ness. We may however observe, that his testimony is 
 supported by Clement of Alexandria, TertuUian, Origen, 
 Eusebius, Jerome, Chrysostom, and many others. 
 
 III. The two learned authors mentioned at the end of 
 the last chapter, have comjiared many parallel passages of 
 St. Mark's and St Luke's Gospels ; and Dr. Townson has 
 concluded that St. Luke had seen St. Mark's Gospel, and 
 Dr. Owen that St. Mark had seen St. Luke's : but it does 
 not appear to me that there is a sufficient similarity of 
 expression to justify either of these conclusions. There 
 was among the ancients a difference of opinion concerning 
 the priority of these two Gospels ; and it must be acknow- 
 ledged to be a very doubtful point. Upon the whole, I 
 am inclined to think that St. Luke wrote before St. Mark, 
 and to place the publication of St. Luke's Gospel in the 
 jear 63, soon after St. Paul's relecise from imprisonment 
 at Rome. 
 
 IV. There is also great doubt about the place where 
 this Gospel was published. It seems most probable that 
 it was published in Greece (tj), and for the use of Gentile 
 
 (ff) Tertius, Lucas, Medicus, natione Tyrus Antiochensis, 
 
222 OF ST. Luke's gospel. I'Pait II. 
 
 converts. Dr. TouTison observes that the. Evangelist has 
 inserted many explanations, particnlarly concerning the 
 Scriljes and Pharisees, which he would have omitted if he 
 had been writing for those who were acquainted with the 
 customs and sects of the Jews. 
 
 V. We must conclude that the histories of our Saviour, 
 refeiTcd to in the preface to this Gospel, were inaccurate 
 and defective, or St. Luke would not have undertaken this 
 v.ork. It does not however appear that they ware written 
 with any bad design ; but being merely human compositions, 
 and perhaps put together in great haste, they were full of 
 eiTors. They are now entirely lost, and the names of .their 
 authors are not known. When the four authentic Gos- 
 pels were published, and came into general use, all others 
 were quickly disregarded and forgotten. 
 
 St. Luke's Gospel is addressed to Theophilus ; but there 
 was a doubt, even in the time of Epiphanius, whether a 
 particular person, or any good Christian in general, he in- 
 tended by that name. I am inclined to think that Theo- 
 philus was a real person, that opinion being more agree- 
 able to the simplicity of the sacred writings. 
 
 We have seen that St. Luke was for several years the 
 companion of St. Paul ; and many ancient writers con- 
 sider this Gospel as having the sanction of St. Paul (//), 
 in the same manner as St. Mark's had that of St. Peter. 
 Whoever will examine the Evangelist's and the Apostle's 
 account of the Eucharist in their respective original works, 
 will observe a great coincidence of expression (i). 
 
 St. Luke seems to have had more learning than any 
 
 cujus laus in evangelio, qui, et ipse discipuhis Pauli, in Achaiae 
 Boroticeque partibus volumen condidit. Ilicron. Praslat. in 
 Mat. 
 
 (A) Nam et Lucse digestum Paulo adscribere solent. Tert. 
 adv. Marc. lib. 4, cap. 5. Lucas, sectator Pauli, quod nb illo 
 prodiciibiUur, in libro condidit. Iren. lib. 3, cap. 1. 
 
 (A Compare Luke, c. 22, with 1 Cor. c. IL 
 
Chap. 4.1 OF ST. Luke's gospel. 223 
 
 other of the Evangehsts, anil his language is more varied, 
 copious, and piu-e. This superiority in stj'le may perhaps 
 be owing to his longer residence in Greece, and greater ac- 
 quaintance with Gentiles of good education, than fell to 
 the lot of the writers of the other three Gospels. 
 
 The Gospel contains many things which are not found 
 in the other Gospels, among which are the following : the 
 birth of John the Baptist ; the Roman census in Judsca ; 
 the circumstances attending Christ's birth at Bethlehem ; 
 the vision granted to the Shepherds ; the early testimony 
 of Simeon and Anna ; Christ's conversation with the doc- 
 tors in the Temple when he was twelve years old ; the par- 
 ables of the good Samaritan, of the prodigal son, of Dives 
 and Lazarus, of the wicked judge, and of the publican and 
 pharisee; the miraculous cure of the woman who had 
 been bowed down by illness eighteen years ; the cleansing 
 of the ten lepers ; and the restoring to life the son of a 
 widow at Nain ; the account of Zacchaeus, and of the pem- 
 tent thief; and the particulars of the journey to Emmaus. 
 It is very satisfactory that so early a writer as Irena^us has 
 noticed most of these peculiai'ities, which proves not only 
 that St. Luke's Gospel, but that the other Gospels alsOj 
 ai-e the same now that they were in the second century. 
 
224 OF ST. John's gospel. [I'-iit II. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE FIFTH. 
 OF ST. John's gospel. 
 
 t. HISTORY OF ST. JOHN. 
 :i. GENUINENESS OF HIS GOSPEL. 
 la. FLACK OF ITS PUBLICATION. 
 
 IV. ITS DATE. 
 
 V. OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 I. John was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and younger 
 brother of James the Great, with whom he was brought 
 up as a fisherman, and with whom he was called to be a 
 disciple and apostle of Christ. John has not recorded the 
 circumstances of his own call ; but we learn, from the 
 other three Evangelists («), that it took j)lace when he and 
 his brother were fishing upon the sea of Galilee, and early 
 in our Saviour's ministry. St. Mark, in enumerating the 
 twelve Apostles, informs us that our Saviour sm-named 
 these two brothers Boanerges (//), that is. Sons of Thun- 
 der, which title we may understand as a prophetic declara- 
 tion of the zeal and resolution with which they would 
 hereafter bear testimony to the great truths of the Gospel. 
 James and John, according to the common prejudice of 
 the Jews, considered the Messiah's kingdom as of a tem- 
 poral nature, and applied to our Saviour for situations of 
 honour and dignity in it. St. Mark (c) rektes that this 
 
 (a) Matt. c. 4, v. 21. Mark, c. 1, v. 19. L'lVe, c. 5, v. 10. 
 {b) Murk, c. 3. v. 17. 
 (c) Murk, c. 10, v. 35. 
 

Chap. 5.] OF ST. jo-hn's GOSPEL. 225 
 
 application was made by the Apostles themselves, and St. 
 Matthew (d) that it was made by their mother for them, in 
 theirpresence ; but both EvangeUsts represent our Saviour's 
 answer as directed to the Apostles. These two brothers 
 incurred the reproof of our Saviour upon another occa- 
 sion, in which they showed a similar ignorance of the na- 
 ture of their Master's kingdom : they desired that they 
 might be allowed to call fire from heaven to consume some 
 Samai-itans, who had refused to receive our Saviour, be- 
 cause he w as going to Jerusalem : " Christ turned and re- 
 buked them, and said. Ye know not what manner of spirit 
 ye are oi; for the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's 
 lives, but to save them (e)." John was one of the four 
 Apostles to whom our Lord delivered his predictions rela- 
 tive to the destruction of Jerusalem, and the approaching 
 calamities of the Jewish nation (f). Peter, and James, 
 and John, were chosen to accompany ow Saviom- upon 
 several occasions, when the other Apostles were not 
 permitted to be present. When Christ restored the 
 daughter of Jairus to life (g), when he was transfigured 
 on the Mount (h), and when he endured his agony in the 
 Garden {i), Peter, and James, and John, were his only 
 attendants. Peter and John were entrusted to make pre- 
 parations for our Saviour's eating the last Passover {h) ; 
 but John had alone the distinction of leaning upon his 
 Master's bosom, and of being called the beloved dis- 
 ciple of the Saviom- of mankind (Z). That he was 
 ti-cated by Christ with greater familiarity than the 
 
 (d) IMatt. 0. 20, v. 20. 
 
 (e) Luke, c. 9, v. 54, &c. 
 (/) Mark, c. 13, v. 3. 
 
 (g) Mark, c. 5, v. 37. Luke, c. 8, v. 5L 
 (h) Malt. c. 17, v. 1 and 2. Mark, c. 9, v. 2. Luke, c. 9, v. 28 
 10 Matt. c. 26, v. 36 and 37. Mark, c. 14, v. 32 and 33. 
 ]k) Mark, c. 14, v. 13. Luke, c. 22, v. 8. 
 (0 Jolin, c. 21, V. 20, c. 13, v. 23. 
 a 
 
226 OF ST. John's gospel. [Part 11. 
 
 ©ther Apostles is evident from St. Peter desiring him 
 to ask Christ who shouhl betray him, when he himself 
 did not dare to propose the question (711), He seems 
 to have been the only Apostle present at the crucifixion, 
 and to him Jesus, just as he was expiring upon the cross, 
 gave the strongest proof of his confidence and regard 
 by consigning to him the care of his mother (h). As 
 John had been witness to the death of our Saviom-, by 
 seeing the blood and water issue from his side, which a 
 soldier had pierced (o), so he was one of the first who 
 were made acquainted with his resurrection. He be- 
 lieved, without any hesitation, this great event, though 
 " as yet he knew not the Scripture, that Christ was to 
 rise from the dead (p)-" He was one of those to whom 
 our Saviour appeared at the sea of Galilee ; and he Avas 
 afterwards, with the other ten Apostles, a witness of his 
 ascension into heaven (q). John continued to preach the 
 Gospel for some time at Jerusalem : he was imprisoned by 
 the Sanhedrim, first with Peter only (;•), and afterA\ards 
 with the other Apostles (s). Some time after this second 
 release, John and Peter were sent by the other Apostles 
 to the Samaritans, whom Philip the Deacon had con- 
 verted to the Gospel, that "through them they might receive 
 the Holy Ghost (^)." With this journey the Scripture 
 histoiy of St. John ends, excejit that he informs us in the 
 Revelation that he was banished to Patmos {u), an island 
 in the M'^ean sea. 
 
 (m) John, c. 13, v. 2i. 
 
 (w) John, 0. 19, V. 26 and 27. Eusebius telh us that the 
 Virgin Mary lived about 15 years after the ascension of our 
 Saviour. II. E. lib. 2, c. 42. 
 
 (0) John, c. 19, V. 34 and 35. 
 
 (p) John, 0. 2a, V. 9. 
 
 (g) Mark, c. 16, v. 19. Luke, c. 24, v. 51. 
 
 (r) Acts, c. 4, V. 1 . &c. 
 
 Is) Acts, c. 5, V. 17 and 18. 
 
 (0 Acts, c. 8, V. 14 and 15. (w) Kcv. c. 1, v. 9. 
 
Chap. 5.] OF ST. John's gospel. 227 
 
 This banishment of St. John to the isle of Patmos, is 
 mentioned by many of the early ecclesiastical writers, and 
 they all agree in attributing it to Domitian, except Epi- 
 phanius in the fourth century, who says that John was 
 banished by command of Claudius ; but he deserves the 
 less credit, because there was no persecution of the Chris- 
 tians in the time of that emperor, and his edicts against 
 the Jews did not extend to the provinces. 
 
 Sir Isaac Newton was of opinion that John was banished 
 to Patmos in the time of Nero j but I own that even the 
 authority of this great man will not weigh with me against 
 the unanimous voice of antiquity (.r). Dr. Lai'dner (i/) 
 has examined and answered his arguments with equal 
 candom' and learning. 
 
 It is not known at what time John went into Asia 
 Minor (z) ; but it is certain that he lived there the latter 
 part of his life, and principally at Ephesus. He planted 
 churches at Smyrna, Pergamos, Laodicea, and many other 
 places ; and by his activity and success in propagating the 
 Gospel, he is supposed to have incurred the displeasm-e of 
 Domitian, who banished him to Patmos at the end of his 
 reign. He himself tells us that he " was in the isle that 
 is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testi- 
 mony of Jesus Christ;" and Irenseus, speaking of the 
 vision which he had there, says, " It is not very long ago 
 that he was seen, being but a little before our time, at the 
 latter end of Domitian's reign (a)." Upon Nerva's sue- 
 ceechng to the empire, in the year 96, John returned ta 
 Ephesus, and died there at an advanced age, in the third 
 year of Trajan's reign, a. d. 100. It is generally believed 
 
 (x) Tola antiquitas in eo abunde consentit, quod Domi« 
 tianus exilii Joannis fuerit. Lampe, Proleg. lib. J, cap. 4. 
 (y) Vol. 6. 
 
 (z) Lardner thought that it was about the year 66 
 (a) Lib. 5, c. 34. 
 
■2"28 OF ST. John's gospel. [Part II. 
 
 ■that John was the youngest of tlie twelve Apostles, and 
 tLat he survived all the rest. An opinion has prevailed 
 that he was, by order of Domitian, thrown into a cauldron 
 of boiling oil at Rome, before the gate called Porta Latina, 
 and that he came out unhurt ; but in examining into the 
 foundation of this account, we find that it rests almost 
 entirely upon the authority of Tertullian (b) ; and since 
 it is not mentioned by Irenaeus, Origen, and others, who 
 have related the sufferings of the Ajjostles, it seems to 
 deser\-e but httle credit. 
 
 II. There are manifest allusions to this Gospel in 
 Kermas, and in some epistles of Ignatius, which are 
 allowed to be genuine by most critics, and also in Justin 
 !MartjT ; but no one of these fathers names the Gospel 
 Itself. The first who mentions it is Irenaeus ; and it is 
 also expressh' named by Theophilus, Clement of Alexan- 
 di-ia, Athenagoras, Tertullian, Origen, Eusebius, Epipha- 
 nius, Jerome, Augustine, and Chrysostom. The genuine- 
 ness, indeed, of St. John's Gospel has always been 
 unanimously admitted by the Christian church. 
 
 III. It is universally agreed that St. Joliu published 
 his Gospel in Asia ; and that when he «Tote it, he had 
 seen the other three Gospels (c) ; it is, therefore, not only 
 valuable in itself, but also as a tacit confirmation of the 
 ether three, with none "of which it disagrees in anj' ma- 
 terial point. 
 
 IV. The learned are much divided concerning the time 
 
 (6) De Praeseript. cap. 36. This story is also mentioned 
 from Tertullian by Jerome, in Matt. cap. 20. 
 
 (c) Cum k'gisset (scilicet Joannes) MattliKi, Marei, et 
 Lucre, volumina, probavcrit quidcni tt'Xtuin liistoriP, et vera 
 eos dixissc firmavcrit. Ilieron. de Vir. llUist. Eus. H. E. 
 lib. 3. cap. 24. 
 
Chap. 5.] OF ST. John's gospel. 229 
 
 of the ijublication of this Gospel, some placing it rathei 
 ocfore, and others considerably after, the destruction oi 
 Jerusalem. I am inclined to accede to the opinion of 
 those who contend for the year 97 ; and my reason is, 
 that this late date, exclusive of the authorities which sup- 
 port it, is favoured bj' the contents and design of the 
 Gospel itself. It is evident that the Evangelist considers 
 those to whom he addresses his Gospel as but little ac- 
 quainted with Jewish customs and names ] for in relating 
 the first miracle of our Saviour, performed at Cana, in 
 Galilee, he says, " And there were set there six Avater-pots, 
 after the manner of the purifying of the Jews {d)." He 
 twice calls the Passover, " the Passover of the Jews (e) ;" 
 and in giving an account of our Saviour's interview with 
 the Samaritan woman, he adds, " for the Jews have no 
 dealings with the Samaritans {/)" He tells his readers 
 that Rabbi signifies Teacher {g), and Messiah, Christ {h). 
 Explanations of this kind were observed in the two pre- 
 ceding Gospels ; but in this they are more marked, and 
 occur much more frequently; the reason of which may 
 be, that when St. John wrote, many more Gentiles, and 
 of more distant coimtries, had been converted to Christi- 
 anity ; and it was now become necessary to explain to the 
 Christian Church, thus extended, many circumstances 
 which needed no explanation whilst its members belonged 
 only to the neighbourhood of Judaea, and while the Jewish 
 polity was still in existence. It is reasonable to suppose 
 that the feasts, and other peculiarities of the Jews, would 
 be but little understood by the Gentiles of Asia Minor 
 thirty years after the destruction of Jerusalem. 
 
 V. The immediate design of St. John in writing his 
 
 (d) John, c 2, V. 6. 
 
 (e) John, c. 2, v. 13, c. 11, y. 55. 
 ig) John, c. 1, v. 38. 
 
 (/) John, c. 4, v. 9. 
 \h) John, c. 1, ^. 41. 
 
230 OF ST. John's gospel. [P'"* H- 
 
 Gospel, as we are assiu'cd by Irenseus (i), Jerome {k), and 
 others, was to refute the Gnostics, Cerinthians, Ebionites, 
 and other heretics ; whose tenets, though tliey branched 
 out into a variety of subjects, all originated from erroneous 
 opinions concerning the person of Christ and the creation 
 of the world. These points had been scarcely touched 
 upon by the other Evangelists, though they had faithfully 
 recorded all the leading facts of our Saviour's life, and 
 his admirable precepts for the regulation of our moral 
 conduct. St. John therefore undertook, at the request of 
 the true believers in Asia, to write what Clement of Alex- 
 andria (J) called a spiritual Gospel ; and accordingly we 
 find in it more of doctrine, and less of liistorical narra- 
 tive {m), than in any of the others. He chiefly confines 
 
 (j) Lib. 1, cap. 23. lib. 3, cap. 11. In this last passage lie 
 expressly says that John aimed by liis Gosjiul to extirpate 
 the error which had been sown in the minds ol'men by Ceriii- 
 thus, and the Nicolaitans, auferre eum, qui a Cerinlho iiise- 
 niinalus erat hominibus, errorem, et multo prius ab his qui 
 dicuntur Nicolaita;. 
 
 {k) Jerome says, " John, last of all the rest, wrote his 
 Gospel, being entreated so to do by the bishops of Asia, 
 against Cerinthus and other heretics, and especially the then 
 new sprung-up opinions of the Ebionites, who aftirm that 
 Ciirist had no being before Mary, for which reason he thought 
 it needful to discourse concerning his divine nativity also." 
 De Script. Eccl. Joan. 
 
 (0 Eus. H. E. lib. 6, c. 14. 
 
 (7)i) In St. John's Gospel there is no account of our Sa- 
 viour's nativity, of his baptism by John, of his temptation in 
 the wilderness, of the appointment of ttc twelve Apostles, or 
 of their mission during our Saviour's lifetime. Very little is 
 said of the journeys of our Saviour, recorded by the otlicr 
 Evangelists ; nor does St. John record the predictions of our 
 Saviour relative to the destruction of Jerusalem, or the in- 
 stitution of baptism, or of the Lord's supper. May we not 
 conclude, from the omission of so many things of great im- 
 portance, particularly of the only two Sacraments instituted 
 by Christ, that St. John supposes his readers to be acquainted 
 with the other three Gospels ? And is not this very omission 
 a strong confirmation of the truth of those Gospels ? 
 
Chap. 5.J OF ST. John's gospel. 231 
 
 himself to those occurrences which had been omitted by 
 his predecessors, and which suited his design ; and if at 
 any time he relates what had been mentioned by them, 
 it is generally with a view to introduce some important 
 discourse [n) of om- Saviour, or because it was particularly 
 connected with the main scope of his Gospel. Of this 
 last description are the cnicifixion and resurrection, in 
 which, as related by St. John, a discerning reader will find 
 several circumstances not noticed by the other Evangelists. 
 Let it be remembered that this book, which contains so 
 much additional information relative to the doctrines of 
 Christianity, and which may be considered as a standard 
 of faith for all ages, was written by that Apostle who is 
 kno^vn to have enjoyed, in a greater degree than the rest, 
 the affection and confidence of the Divine Author of our 
 religion, and to whom was given a special revelation con- 
 cerning the state of the Christian Church in all succeeding 
 generations. The other Gospels, having been written 
 before any divisions arose among Christians, appear to 
 have the evidences of Christianity for their principal object, 
 and chiefly state the leading facts of our Lord's ministry, 
 and the general instructions which he delivered, without 
 any reference to heretical opinions. The acknowledged 
 IH'evalence of the Gnostic and other heresies at the time 
 this Gospel was wintten, is itself a strong argument in 
 favour of the date which has been assigned to it. 
 
 It has been remaiked by Lardner [o) that St. John has 
 recorded more instances of the attempts of the Jews 
 against om* Saviour's life than any other Evangelist ; and 
 that the events mentioned in this Gospel only, took place 
 chiefly in the early part of Christ's ministry. St. John has 
 
 (n) Vide the miracle recorded in the beginning of the 6th 
 cliapter, and the discourse which follows it. It is remarkable 
 that this miracle of feeding 5,000 people is the only one re- 
 corded by all the four Evangelists. 
 
 (o^ Vol. 6, p. 202. 
 
232 OF ST. John's gospel. [Part II. 
 
 expressly mentioned three Passovers (p) ; and in another 
 place he says, "After this there uas a feast of the Jews (q)." 
 Some authors think that this feast was also a Passover: 
 hut as in the other instances John tells us that the feasts 
 were Passovers, and in this does not, the inference seems 
 to be that this was some other feast (?•). Upon this 
 ground I am disposed to allow somewhat more than two 
 years to John's history, and consequently to our Saviom's 
 ministry (s). 
 
 It is not a little surprising that so learned a man as 
 Grotius, in opposition to the universal testimony of manu- 
 scripts and versions, and without the support of a single 
 ancient wiiter, should have thought that the 21st chapter 
 of this Gospel was not written by St. John, because the 
 20th seems to conclude the histoiy. Some few other 
 moderns have thought the same ; but as this opinion is 
 destitute of all externtil evidence, it scarcely deserves any 
 failher notice, and more especially as the style of this 
 chapter is precisely the same as the rest of the Gospel. 
 
 St. John is generally considered, with respect to lan- 
 
 (p) C.2, v. 13, c. 6, v. 4, 0. 11, v. 55. 
 (q) C. 5, V. 1. 
 
 (r) This inference is favoured by no article being prefixed 
 to the word 'KopTi) ; since if St. John had been speaking 
 of the Passover as the feast of the Jews by way of eminence, 
 he would probably have said »'; 'Eoprjj, as he does twice, c. 4, 
 T. 45, and once, c. 2, v. 23 ; and also in the following places, c. G, 
 V. 4, c. 12, V. 12 and 20, c. 13, v. 29. Grotius thinks dif- 
 ferently, and has quoted two passages, the one from St. Mark's 
 and the other from St. Luke's Gospel, in support of his opi- 
 nion ; but it is to be observed, that in those passages the Evan- 
 gelists refer to the feasts of the Passover which had been just 
 before mentioned, and therefore no distinction was to be marked. 
 I believe that no passage can be found in St. John's Gospel 
 where he calls the Passover simply'Eopr/j, without the article, 
 even when he had been previously speaking of it. Clirysostom 
 and Cyril both thought that the feast spoken of, c. 5, v. J, 
 was not the Passover. 
 
 (s) Vide Lardner, vol. 2, p. 423, and vol. 6, p. 218. 
 
Chap 5.] OF ST. John's gosi'el. 2^ 
 
 guage, as the least correct WTiter of the New Testament. 
 His style argues a great want of those advantages which 
 result from a leai-ned education ; but this defect is amply- 
 compensated by the unexampled simplicity with which he 
 expresses the sublimest truths, and by the affection, zeal, 
 and veneration for his Divine Master, so conspicuous ia 
 every page of his Gospel. 
 
234 OF THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE SIXTH. 
 
 OF THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 I. GENUINENESS OF THIS BOOK. ] IV. PLACE OF ITS PUBLICATION 
 
 II. ITS CONTENTS. V. IMPORTANCE OFTlllS BOOK, 
 
 III. ITS DATE. 
 
 I. This Book, in the very beginning, professes itself to 
 be a continuation of St. Luke's Gospel ; and its stjle 
 bespeaks it to be wi-itten by the same person. The ex- 
 ternal evidence is also very satisfactoiy ; for besides allu- 
 sions in earlier authors, and particularly in Clement of 
 Rome, Pol}carp, and Justin Martyr, the Acts of the Apos- 
 tles are not only quoted by Irena^us as written by Luke 
 the Evangelist, but there are few things recorded in this 
 book which are not mentioned by that ancient father. 
 This strong testimony in favour of the genuineness of the 
 Acts of the Apostles is supported b}' Clement of Alex- 
 andria, Tertullian, Jerome, Euselnus, Thcodoret, and most 
 of the later fathers. It may lie added, that the name of 
 St. Luke is prefixed to this book in several ancient Greek 
 manuscripts of the New Testament, and also in the old 
 Syriae Version (a). 
 
 (a) Simon Crit. Hist. N. T. P. 1, c. 14. 
 
Chap. 6.1 OF THE ACTS OF THE AFOSTLES. 235 
 
 II. This is the only inspired work which gives us any 
 historical account of the progress of Christianity after our 
 Saviour's ascension. It comprehends a period of about 
 thirty years, but it by no means contains a general historj' 
 of the Church during that time. The principal facts 
 recorded in it are, the choice of Matthias to be an Apostle 
 in the room of the traitor Judas ; the descent of the Holy 
 Ghost on the day of Pentecost ; the preaching, miracles, 
 and sufferings of the Apostles at Jerusalem ; the death of 
 Stephen, the first martyr ; the persecution and dispersion 
 of the Christians ; the preaching of the Gospel in differ- 
 ent parts of Palestine, especially in Samaria ; the conver- 
 sion of St. Paul ; the call of Cornelius, the first Gentile 
 convert; the persecution of the Christians by Herod 
 Agrippa ; the preaching of Paid and Barnabas to the Gen- 
 tiles by the express command of the Holy Ghost ; the 
 decree made at Jerusalem, declaring that circumcision, 
 and a conformity to other Jewish rites and ceremonies, 
 were not necessary in Gentile converts : and the latter 
 part of the book is confined to the history of St. Paul, of 
 whom, as we have already seen, St. Luke was the con- 
 stant companion for several years. 
 
 III. As this account of St. Paul is not continued 
 beyond his two years imprisonment at Rome, it is pro- 
 bable that this book was wi-itten soon after his release, 
 which happened in the year 63; we may therefore 
 consider the Acts of the Apostles as wTitten about the 
 year 6*4. 
 
 IV. The place of its publication is more doubtfid. 
 The probability appears to be in favour of Greece, though 
 seme contend for Alexandria, in Egypt. This latter 
 opinion rests upon the subscriptions at the end of some 
 Greek manuscripts, and of the copies of the Syriac version ; 
 but the best critics think that these subscriptions, which 
 are also afiixed to other books of the New Testament, de- 
 
236 OF THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. [Part II. 
 
 serve but little weight ; and in this caso they are not sup- 
 ported by any ancient authority. 
 
 V. It must have been of the utmost importance in the 
 early times of the Gospel, and certainly not of less im- 
 portance to every subsequent age, to have an authentic 
 account of the promised descent of the Holy Ghost, and 
 of the success which attended the first preachers of the 
 Gospel, both among the Jews and Gentiles. These great 
 events completed the evidence of the divine mission of 
 Christ, established the truth, and universality of the re- 
 ligion which he taught, and pointed out, in the clearest 
 manner, the comprehensive nature of the redemption 
 which he purchased by his death. 
 
Cliap. 7.] 
 
 OF ST. PAUL. 
 
 237 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE SEVENTH. 
 
 OF ST. PAUL. 
 
 I. HISTORY OF EX. PAUL TO HIS 
 
 CONVERSION. 
 :i. TO THE END OF HIS FIRST 
 
 APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY, 
 in. T.0 THE BEGINNING OF HIS 
 SECOND APOSTOLICAL JOUR- 
 NEY. 
 IV. TO THE END OF HIS SECOND 
 APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY. 
 
 V. TO THE END OF HIS THIRD 
 
 APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY. 
 
 VI. TO HIS RELEASE FROM HIS 
 FIRST IMPRISONJIENT AT 
 ROME. 
 
 VII. TO HIS DEATH. 
 
 VIII. HIS CHARACTER, AND OB- 
 SERVATIONS UPON HIS 
 EPISTLES. 
 
 I. St. Paul (a) was born at Tarsus, the principal city of 
 Cilicia, and was by birth both a Jew and a citizen of 
 Home (b). He was of the tribe of Benjamin, and of the 
 sect of the Pharisees (c). In his youth he appears to liave 
 been taught the art of tent-making (d) ; but we must 
 remember, that among the Jews of those days a Uberal 
 education was often accompanied by instruction in some 
 
 (a) In the Acts of the Apostles he is called Saul till the 
 ninth verse of the thirteenth chapter, and afterwards he is 
 always called Paul. No satisfactory reason has been as- 
 signed for this change. Vide Benson's History of Christi- 
 anity, vol. 2, p. 28, and Lardner, vol. 6, p. 234, and the au- 
 thors quoted by him. Perhaps the best conjecture is that of 
 Bishop Pearce ; " Saul, who was himself a citizen of Rome, 
 probably changed his name, i. e. his Hebreiv name, Saul, to 
 the Roman name Paul, out of respect to this his first Roman 
 convert, i.e. Sergius Paulus, Acts, c. 13, v. 7." Vide Pearce 
 in loc. 
 
 (6) Acts, c. 2] , V. 39, c. 22, v. 25. (c) Philip, c. 3, v. 5. 
 
 (d) Acts, c. 18, V. 3. 
 
2.38 OF ST. PAUL. [Part II. 
 
 mechanical trade (e). It is probable that St. Paul laid the 
 foundation of those literary attainments, for which he was 
 so eminent in the futm-e part of his life, at his native city 
 of Tarsus (/") ; and he afterwards studied the Law of 
 Moses, and the traditions of the elders, at Jerusalem, under 
 Gamaliel, a celebrated Rabbi (ff). 
 
 St. Paul is not mentioned in the Gospels; nor is it 
 known whether he ever heard oiu: Saviour preach, or 
 saw him perform any miracle. His name first occurs in 
 the account given in the Acts of the martyrdom of 
 , * St. Stephen, to which he is said to have con- 
 sented (/i) ; he is upon that occasion called a yoimg man, 
 but we ai'e no where informed what was then his precise 
 age. The death of St. Stephen was followed by a severe 
 persecution («) of the church at Jerusalem, and Paul be- 
 came distinguished among its enemies by his activity and 
 \'iolence (k). Not contented with displaj-ing his hatred to 
 the Gospel in Judaja, he obtained authority' from the high 
 priest to go to Damascus, and to bring back with him 
 bound, any Christians whom he might find in that citv. 
 As he was upon his journey thither, his miracu- 
 * lous conversion took place, the circumstances of 
 which are recorded in the Acts of the Apostles (l), and are 
 frequently alluded to by himself in his Epistles (/«). 
 
 (e) Vide Doddridge's Notes upon Acts, c. 18, v. 3. There 
 was a maxim among the Jews, that " he who teaches not his 
 son a trade, teaches him to be a thief." 
 
 (/) Strabo, lib. 14, tells us, that at this time Tarsus was 
 distinguished as a place of education. 
 
 ("■) Acts, c. 22, V. 4. 
 
 (h) Acts, c. 8, V. 1. 
 
 (j) This persecution is supposed to liave lasted about four 
 years, from the year 34 to 38. 
 
 (it) Acts, c. 8, v. 3. 
 
 (l) Acts, c. 9, v. 1, &c. 
 
 (»i) Gal. c. 1, v. 13. 1 Cor. c. 15, v. 9. 1 Tim. c. 1, t. 12 
 and 13. 
 
Chap. 7-] OF ST. PAUL. 239 
 
 II. Soon after St. Paul was baptized at Damascus, he 
 went into Arabia (n) ; but we are not informed how long 
 he remained there. He retimied to Damascus, and being 
 supernatm-ally qualified to be a preacher of the Gospel, he 
 immediately entered upon his ministiy in that city. The 
 boldness and success with which he enforced the truths of 
 Christianity so n-ritated the unbelieving Jews, that they 
 resolved to put him to death (o) ; but this design being 
 known, the disciples conveyed him privately out 
 of Damascus, and he went to Jerusalem. 
 
 The Christians of Jerusalem, remembering Paul's former 
 hostility to the Gospel, and having no authentic account 
 of any change in his sentiment or conduct, at first refused 
 to receive him ; but being assured by Barnabas (p) of Paul's 
 real conversion, and of his exertions at Damascus, they 
 acknowledged him as a disciple. He remained only fifteen 
 days among them (q), and he saw none of the Apostles, 
 except Peter and James. It is probable that the other 
 A])ostles were at this time absent from Jerusalem, exer- 
 cising their ministry at diiFerent places. The zeal with 
 which Paul preached at Jerusalem had the same effect as 
 
 (»i) This journey into Arabia is not noticed in the Acts. 
 It is mentioned by St. Paul himself, Gal. c. 1, v. 17. It seems 
 equally doubtful whether he preached at Damascus before he 
 went into Arabia, and whether he preached while he was in 
 Arabia, as Scripture is silent upon both points. St. Luke 
 says, Acts, c. 9, v. 20, that he " straitway preached Christ," 
 but he may possibly mean after he returned from Arabia ; 
 and some have thought that it was ordered by Divine Pro- 
 vidence that there should be an interval of retirement and 
 quiet between Paul's violent persecution of Christians and 
 his zealous propagation of the Gospel. Nee hoc, says Je- 
 rome, segnitise apostoli deputandum, si frustra in Arabia 
 fuerit ; sed quod aliqua dispensatio et Dei praeceptum fuerit 
 ut tacerit. In Gal. c. 1, v. 17. 
 
 (o) Acts, c. 9, V. 23. 
 
 Ip) Acts, c. 9, V. 27. It does not appear in what manner 
 Barnabas was himself informed of Paul's conversion. 
 
 {(j) Gal. c. 1, V. 18. 
 
240 OF ST. PAUL. [Pai-t II. 
 
 at Damascus : he became so obnoxious to the Hellenistic 
 Jews, that they began to consider how they might kill 
 him (r), which when the brethren knew^ they thought it 
 right that he should leave the city. They accompanied 
 him to Cassarea, and thence he went " into the regions of 
 Syria and Cilicia, where he preached the faith which once 
 he destroyed (s)." 
 
 Hitherto the preaching of St. Paul, as well as of the 
 other Apostles and Teachers, had been confined to the 
 Jews; but the conversion of Cornelius, the first 
 Gentile convert, having convinced all the Apostles 
 that " to the Gentiles also God had granted repentance 
 \mto life," Paul was soon after conducted by Barnabas 
 from Tarsus, which had probably been the jirincipal place 
 of his residence since he left Jerusalem, and they both 
 began to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles at An- 
 tioch(^). Their preaching was attended with great 
 success. The first Gentile church was now established at 
 Antioch ; and in that city, and at this time, the disciples 
 were first called Christians (n). "When these two Apos- 
 tles had been thus employed about a year, a prophet called 
 Agabus predicted an ajjproaching famine, which would 
 affect the whole land of Juda;a. Upon the prospect of 
 this calamity, the Christians of Antioch made a contribu- 
 tion for their brethren in Juda;a, and sent the money 
 to the elders at Jerusalem by Paul and Barnabas (tc). 
 This famine happened soon after, in the fourth or fifth year 
 of the emperor Claudius. It is supposed that St. Paul 
 had the vision, mentioned in the Acts (.r), \\ bile he was now 
 at Jerusalem this second time after his conversion. 
 
 (r^ Acts, c. 9, V. 29. 
 
 {s) Gal. c. 1, v. 21 and 23. (0 Acts, c. 11. v. 25. 
 
 (u) Acts, c. 11. V. 2G. Before this time they had been 
 called Nazarenes and Galileans. A particular sect of Chris- 
 tians were afterwards called Nazarencs. 
 
 (w) Acts, c. 11, v. 2S, &c. (.!•) Acts, c.22, v. 17. 
 

 
Chap. 7-] OF ST. PAUL. 241 
 
 Paul and Barnabas, having executed their commission, 
 returned to Antioch, and soon after their arrival in that 
 city they were separated, by the express direction of the 
 Holy Ghost, from the other Christian teachers and pro- 
 phets, for the purpose of canning the glad tidings of the 
 Gospel to the Gentiles of various countries (y). — Thus di- 
 vinely appointed to this important office, they set out from 
 Antioch, and preached tlie Gospel successively at 
 Salamis and Paphos, two cities of the Isle of Cy- 
 prus, at Perga in Pamphylia, Antioch in Pisidia, and at 
 Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, three cities in Lycaouia; 
 
 They returned to Antioch in Sjria, nearly by the 
 
 4T 
 same route. ' * 
 
 This first apostolical journey of St. Paul, in which he 
 was accompanied and assisted by Barnabas, is supposed to 
 have occupied about two years ; and in the com-se of it 
 many, both Jews and Gentiles, were converted to the Gos- 
 pel. The sermon which Paul preached at Antioch in Pi- 
 sidia, the conversion of Sergius Paulus, the two miracles 
 which Paul performed at Paphos and at Lystra, the per- 
 secutions which he and Barnabas suffered at different 
 places from the unbelieving Jews, and other circumstances 
 of the joiu-ney, are recorded in the Acts (z). 
 
 III. Paul and Barnabas continued at Antioch a con- 
 siderable time ; and while they were there, a dispute arose 
 between them and some Jewish Christians of Judgea. 
 These men asserted that the Gentile converts could not 
 obtain salvation through the Gospel, unless they were cir- 
 cumcised; Paul and Barnabas maintained the contrary 
 opinion («). This dispute was carried on for some time 
 with great earnestness ; and it being a question in which 
 not only the present, but all future Gentile converts were 
 
 (y) Acts, c. 13, V. 1. 
 {s) Acts, c. 13 and 14. 
 (a) Acts, c. 15, v. 1 and 2, 
 
 R 
 
2-12 OF ST. PAUL. [Part II. 
 
 concerned, it was thought right that Paul and Barnabas, 
 ivith some others, shouhl go up to Jerusalem to consult 
 the apostles and elders concerning it. — They passed 
 through Phoenicia and Samaria, and upon then- aiTival at 
 Jerusalem (b), a council was assembled for the pur- 
 ■ pose of discussing this important point. Peter 
 and James the Less were present, and delivered their sen- 
 timents, which coincided with those of Paul and Bai-nabas ; 
 and after much deliberation, it was agreed that neither cir- 
 cumcision, nor conformity to any part of the ritual Law of 
 Moses, was necessary in Gentile converts; but that it 
 should be recommended to them to abstain from certain 
 specified things prohibited by that Law, lest their indul- 
 gence in them should give offence to their brethren of the 
 circumcision, a\ ho were still very zealous for the observance 
 of the ceremonial part of their ancient religion. This de- 
 cision, which was declared so have the sanction of the 
 Holy Ghost, was communicated to the Gentile Christians 
 of Syi'ia and Cilicia by a letter, written in the name of the 
 apostles, elders, and whole cluuch at Jerusalem, and con- 
 veyed by Judas and Silas, who accompanied Paul and 
 Barnabas to Antioch for that purpose. 
 
 Though the Mosaic institution was pronounced by this 
 liigh authority not to be obligatory upon those who had 
 eml)raced the Gospel, yet the attachment of the Jewish 
 Christians to the rites and ceremonies to which they had 
 been so long accustomed, continued to be the cause of 
 frequent dissensions in the church of Christ; and we find 
 that St. Paul, upon several occasions (c), subsequent to 
 the council at Jerusalem, con-formed to the Law Oi Moses, 
 not indeed as a matter of necessity, but in compliance with 
 the prejudices of the Jews, and that he might make them 
 better disposed to the reception of the Gospel ; " And 
 
 (&) Gal. 0.2, V. 1. 
 (c) Acts, c. IG, T 3, c. 21, V. 2G. 
 
Chap. 7-] OF ST. PAUL. 243 
 
 unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the 
 Jews {ciy 
 
 Not long after Paul's retm-n to Antioch, Peter came 
 thither {e), and at first associated freely with the Gentile 
 converts ; but he afterwards withdi-ew himself from them, 
 through fear of incurring the displeasure of some Jewish 
 Christians, who had come from Jerusalem. Paul publicly, 
 and with great severity, reproved him for this instance of 
 weakness or dissimulation, and pointed out the impro- 
 priety and inconsistency of such conduct. This cii'cum- 
 stance, among many others, shows with what a jealous eye 
 the Jewish Christians looked upon Heathen converts. 
 
 IV. Paul, having preached a shoi-t time at Antioch, 
 proposed to Bai-nabas that they should visit the churches 
 which they had founded in different cities {f). Barnabas 
 reachly consented ; but while they were preparing for the 
 jom'nc)'^, there arose the disagreement between them al- 
 ready mentioned (</), and which ended in their separation. 
 In consequence of this dispute with Barnabas, Paul chose 
 Silas for his companion, and they set out together ^ 
 from Antioch. They travelled through Syria and 
 Cilicia, confirming the churches, and then came to Derbe 
 and Lystra {h). Thence they went through Phrygia and 
 Galatia, and being desirous of going into Asia Propria, or 
 the Proconsular Asia (i), they were forbidden by the Holy 
 Ghost. They therefore went into Mysia ; and not being 
 permitted by the Holy Ghost to go into Bithynia, as they 
 had intended, they went to Troas. While Paul was there, a 
 vision appeared to him in the night. " Th.ere stood a man 
 
 {d) 1 Cor. c. 9, v. 20. 
 (e) Gal. 0.2, V. 11. 
 (J) Acts, 0. 15, v. 36. 
 {g) In the history of St. Mark. 
 Ih) Acts. s. 6 • 
 
 i^ riiai van of Asia la which are Ephesus. Muetus, &c 
 
g44 OF ST. PAUL. [Pai-t II. 
 
 of Macedd. a, aud prayed bim, saying, Come over into 
 Macedonia, and help iis." Paul knew this vision to be a 
 command from heaven, and in obedience to it imme- 
 diately sailed from Troas to Samothracia, and the next day 
 to Neapohs, a city of Thrace; and thence he went to 
 Philippi, the principal city of that part of J\Iacedonia. 
 Paul remained some time at Philippi, preaching the 
 Gospel ; and several occurrences which took place in that 
 city are recorded in the Acts (/<). 
 
 Thence he went through Amphipolis and Apollonia to 
 Thessalonica (Z), where he preached in the synagogues of 
 the Jews, on three successive sabbath daj's. Some of the 
 Jews, and many of the Gentiles of both sexes, embracei 
 the Gospel ; but the unbeheving Jews, moved with envy 
 and indignation at the success of St. Paul's preaching, 
 excited a great disturbance in the city, and irritated the 
 j)opulace so much against him, that the brethren, anxious 
 for his safety, thought it prudent to send him to Beroca, 
 where he met with a better reception than he had expe- 
 rienced at Thessalonica. The Berceans heai-d his in- 
 structions with attention and candour, and having com- 
 pared his doctrines with the ancient Scriptures, and being- 
 satisfied that Jesus, whom he preached, was the promised 
 Messiah, they embi'aced the Gospel ; but his enemies at 
 Thessalonica, being informed of his success at Beroea, 
 came thither, and by their endeavours to stir up the 
 people against him, compelled him to leave that city also. 
 
 He went thence to Athens (m). The inhabitants of 
 lliat once illustrious seat of learning are represented as 
 being at this time in the highest degree addicted to idolatrj' 
 and superstition, and as passing their time in the most 
 frivolous manner. St. Paul " disputed in the synngogue 
 
 (X) C. 16, v. 12, &c. 
 
 (0 Acts, c. 17. 
 
 (»i) Acts, c. 17 V. 15. 
 
Chap. 7-] Of st. paul. 245 
 
 with the Jews, and with the devout persons, f.nd in the 
 market daily with them that met with him." Some of 
 the stoic and ejiicurean philosophers, upon his preaching 
 to them Jesus and the Resurrection, thought him a setter 
 forth of strange gods, and accused him as such before the 
 com't of Areopagus, to which the cognizance of all reli- 
 gious controversies belonged. — Paul defended himself with 
 great eloquence before this august assembly ; and in ex- 
 plaining the nature of the Gospel docti-ines, he introduced 
 the awful subject of the day of judgment, and appealed to 
 our Saviour's restoration to life as a pledge and assurance 
 that all men will hereafter rise from the dead : " And when 
 they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, 
 and others said we will hear thee again of this matter ; 
 so Paul departed from among them (")•" It does not 
 appear that Paul was again summoned before the court of 
 Areopagus, or that those of its members who expressed an 
 intention of hearing him again, ever sent for him in pri- 
 vate. — However, his preaching at Athens was not altogether 
 ineffectual, for some of the Athenians were converted to 
 the Gospel, and among the rest Dionysius the Arcopa- 
 gite (o), and a woman of distinction, named Damaris. 
 From Athens Paul went to Corinth (p), and lived in 
 the house of Aquilla and Priscilla, two Jews, who, 
 being compelled to leave Rome in consequence of 
 Claudius's edict against the Jews, had lately settled at 
 Corinth. St. Paul was induced to take up his residence 
 with them, because, like himself, they were tent-makers. 
 At first he preached to the Jews in their synagogue ; but 
 upon their violently opposing his doctrine, he declared 
 that from that time he would preach to the Gentiles 
 
 («) Acts, c. 17, V. 32 and 33. 
 
 (o) Acts, c. 17, V. 34. Eusebius mentions this Dionysitu 
 as the first bishop of Athens. 
 (p) Acts, c. 18. 
 
240 OF ST. PAUL. [Part II. 
 
 only {q) ; anil accordingly he afterwards delivered his in- 
 structions in the house of one Justus, who lived near the 
 synagogue. Among tne few Jews who emhraced the 
 (jospel, wei*e Crisiius, the ruler of the synagogue, and his 
 famil}- ; and many of the Gentile Corinthians " hearing 
 Ijclieved, and were baptized." Paid was encoiu'aged in a 
 vision to persevere in his exertions to convert the inhabit-' 
 ants of Corinth ; and although he met with great oppo* 
 sition and distm'bance from the unbelieving Jews, and was 
 accused by them before Gallio (/), the Roman governor 
 of Achaia, he continued there a year and six months (s), 
 " teaching the word of God." During this time he sup- 
 ported himself by working at his trade of tent-making, 
 that he might not be burthensome to the disciples. 
 
 From Corinth Paul sailed into Syria, and thence he 
 went to Ephesus. The Ephesians, upon hearing the 
 Gospel explained l)y Paul, desired that he would continue 
 with them ; but as it was necessar)' for him to keej) the 
 approaching feast fit Jerusalem, he could not comply \\ itli 
 their request ; however he promised that with the permission 
 of God, he would return to them. He sailed from Ephesus 
 to Cajsarea, and is supposed to have arrived at Jerusalem 
 just before the feast of Pentecost. After the feast he 
 w-ent to Antioch : and this was the conclusion of hi; 
 
 second apostolical iournev, in which he was accom- 
 
 . . ■ . 53 
 
 panied by Silas ; and in part of it Luke and Timo- 
 thy were also with him. 
 
 V. Having made a sliort stay at Antioch, Paul set 
 out upon his third apostolical journey. He passed through 
 
 (<7) This declaration must be considered as confined to 
 Corinth, for we find him afterwards pre.aching in many syna- 
 gogues of the Jews at other places. 
 
 (r) Gallio was the elder brother of Seneca the philosoplier. 
 
 (s) In this time he wrote liis two Epistles to the Thessa- 
 louiaiis, iiiid probably tliat to the Giilatiaiis. 
 
Chap. 7-] OF ST, PAUL. 2-17 
 
 Galatia (t) and Pluygia, confirming tlie Christians of those 
 countries : and thence, according to his promise, he 
 went to Ejjhesus (ii). He found there some dis- 
 ciples who had only been baptized with John's baptism : 
 he directed that they should be baptized in the name of 
 Jesus, and then he communicated to them the Holy Ghost. 
 He preached for the space of three months in the syna- 
 gogue ; but the Jews being hardened beyond conviction, 
 and speaking reproachfully of the Christian religion before 
 the multitude, he left them ; and from that time he de- 
 livered his instructions in the school of a person called 
 Tyrannus, who was probably a Gentile. Paul continued 
 to preach in this jjlace about two years (x), so that all the 
 inhabitants of that jiart of Asia Minor " heard the word of 
 the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." He also per- 
 formed many miracles at Ephesus; and not only great 
 numbers of people were converted to Christianity, but 
 many also of those who in this superstitious citj' used 
 incantations and magical arts, professed their belief in the 
 Gospel, and renounced their former jiractices by publicly 
 burning their books. 
 
 Such was the general success of Paul's preaching at 
 Ephesus. But Demetrius, a silversmith, who sold models 
 of the temple and image of Diana, observing the tendency 
 of the Gospel to put an end to every thing connected 
 
 (t) It is probable that St. Paul went into Galatia before he 
 went to Ephesus, to learn what effect his Epistle to the Gala- 
 tians had produced, and to correct any errors which might 
 still remain. Vide Gal. c. 4, v. 19 and 20. 
 
 (u) Acts, c. 19. 
 
 (.r) During this stay of St. Paul at Ephesus, lie wrote his 
 first Epistle to the Corinthians, probably in the beginning of 
 the year 56 ; and from this Epistle we learn that he supported 
 himself by his own labour at Ephesus, as he had before done 
 at Corinth. 1 Cor. c. 4, v. 11 and 12. He alludes to the 
 same thing in his speech to the Ephesian elders at Miletus. 
 Acts, c. 20, V. 34. 
 
248 OF ST. PAUL. [Part 11. 
 
 with iilolatiy, represented to the workmen employed by 
 him, and to others of the same occupation, that not onlv 
 their trade would be ruined, whch they knew by experience 
 to fre veiy lucrative, but also that the temple of their 
 *' great goddess Diana," the pride and gloiy of their city, 
 would be brought into discredit and contempt, if Paul 
 were permitted to propagate his doctrines and to persuade 
 the people " that they be no gods which are made with 
 hands ;" these men, thus instigated both by interest and 
 by superstition, raised a great tumult in the city, and 
 probably would have proceeded to extremities against Paul 
 and his companions, if the chief magistrate had not inter- 
 posed, and by his authority dispersed the multitude. 
 
 Previous to this disturbance Paul had intended to con- 
 tinue at E})hesus till Titus should return, whom he had 
 sent (y) to inquire into the state of the church at Corinth. 
 lie now thought it prudent to go from Ephesus (z) 
 immediately ; and having taken an affectionate 
 leave of the disciples, he set out for Troas(rt), 
 where he expected to meet Titus. Titus, however, from 
 some cause which is not known, did not come to Troas, 
 and Paul was encouraged to pass over into Macedonia, 
 with the hope of making converts. He met Titus there (b), 
 and sent him back (c), with several other persons, to aj)- 
 prize the Corinthians of his intention to visit them shortly. 
 St. Paul, after preaching in Macedonia, and receiving 
 from the Christians of that countiy liberal contributions 
 for their poor brethren in Judaea (c?), went to Corinth, 
 
 (y) 2Cor. c. 12, v. 18. 
 is) Acts, c. 20. 
 
 (a) 2 Cor. c. 2, v. 12 and 13. 
 
 (b) 2 Cor. c. 7, V. G. 
 
 (c) St. Paul's second Epistle to the Corinthians was written 
 at this time and sent by Titus. 
 
 id) 2 Cor. c. 8, v. 1. 
 
m. 11 
 
Chap. 7-1 OF ST. PAUL. 249 
 
 and remained there about three months (e). The 
 Christians also of Corinth, and of the rest of 
 Achaia, contributed to the reUef of their brethren in 
 Judaea. 
 
 St. Paul's intention was to have sailed from Corinth 
 into Syria ; but being informed that some unbelieving Je\A's, 
 wlio had discovered his intention, lay in wait for him, he 
 changed his plan, passed through Macedonia, and 
 sailed from Philipjn to Troas in five days. He stayed 
 at Troas seven days, and preached to the Christians on 
 the first {f) day of the week, the day on which they were 
 
 (e) Just before Paul left Corinth, he wrote his Epistle to 
 the Romans, probably iu the beginning of the year 58. 
 
 (/) It has been observed in a former part of this work, 
 that immediately after the Creation, " God blessed the seventh 
 day and sanctified it," and thus ordained that every seventh 
 day, or one day m seven, should be exempted from the ordi- . 
 nary cares and business of the world, .and more immediately 
 dedicated to religious uses and the service of God. This ordi- 
 nance, which, from the nature of its origin, must necessarily 
 be binding upon all mankind, was repeated as one of the ten 
 commandments given from Mount Sinai, which our Lord ex- 
 pressly declared to be of perpetual obligation. Matthew, 
 c. 5, V. 17, 18 and 19, The strict observance of the seventh 
 day, or sabbath, was enforced upon the Jewish nation by pe- 
 culiar commands, adapted to the general tenor of institutions 
 designed to separate them from the rest of the world, and de- 
 clared to be founded in circumstances peculiar to that people : 
 "Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, 
 and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a 
 mighty hand, and by a stretched-out arm ; therefore the Lord 
 thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." Deut. 
 c. 5, v. 15. These positive injunctions, designed to com- 
 memorate their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, which 
 was " a shadow of things to come," Col. c. 2, v. 17, were of a 
 temporary nature, and ceased to be binding upon them when 
 the Jewish law was abrogated by the coming of the Messiah ; 
 and the Saviour of the world having risen from the dead on 
 the first day of the week, that day was then appointed to bo 
 set apart for the purpose of religious worship, according to the 
 original institution at the Creation, to commemorate the eman- 
 cipation of all mankind from tlie power of sin and death. 
 The sacred writers do not mention that the Apostles receded 
 
230 OF ST, PAUL. [Part II, 
 
 accustomed to meet for tlie purpose of religious worship. 
 From Troas he went hy land to Assos, and thence he sailed 
 to Mitylene, and from Mitylone to Miletus. Being de- 
 sirous of reaching Jerusalem before the feast of Pentecost, 
 he could not allow time to go to Ephesus, and therefore he 
 scut for the elders of the Ephesian church to Miletus (ff), 
 and gave them instmctions, and prayed with them. He 
 told them that he should see them no more, which im- 
 })iessed them with the deepest sorrow (/«). From Miletus 
 he sailed by Coos, Rhodes, and Patara in I.ycia, to Tyre (i). 
 Finding some disciples at Tyre, he stayed with them several 
 days, and then went to Ptolemais, and thence to Casarea. 
 While Paul was at Cfcsarea, the prophet Agabus foretold 
 by the Holy Ghost, that Paul, if he went to Jerusalem, 
 would suffer much from the Jews. This ])rediction caused 
 great uneasiness to Paul's friends, and they endeavoured 
 to dissuade him from his intention of going thither. Paul, 
 however, would not listen to their entreaties, but declai'ed 
 that he was ready to die at Jerusalem, if it were necessary, 
 for the name of the Lord Jesus. Seeing him thus resolute, 
 
 any express direction to make this change in the day wlacli 
 had been so long appropriated to the service of God ; but as 
 Ave know that they acted by Inspiration on all occasions where 
 religious doctrines or duties were concerned, it is impossible 
 to doubt their authority upon this point; and indeed tliis 
 change seems clearly to have been sanctioned by tlie appear- 
 ance of Christ in tlie midst of them, when they were assem- 
 bled together, John, c. '20, v. 19, and by tlie descent of the 
 Holy Ghost, both on the first day of the week. It is difficult 
 to imagine circumstances more strikingly calculated to prove 
 the universal and perpetual obligation of devoting " the 
 seventh day," or o?ic day in seven, as " holy to the Lord," and 
 the abolition of the Jewish ritual by the establishment of 
 Clirislianity. 
 
 ((/) Miletus was about fifty miles to the south of Ephesus. 
 
 (/() It is, however, highly probable that St. Paul was at 
 Ephesus after his first imprisonment at Rome, as will appear 
 when we consider the date of tlie first Epistle to Timothy. 
 
 (i) Acts, I. 
 
Chap. 7.] OF ST. PAUL. 251 
 
 they desisted from theix' imjiortunitles, and accompanied 
 liim to Jerusalem, where he is supposed to have arrived 
 just before the feast of Pentecost, a. d. 58. This may be 
 considered as the end of St. Paul's third apostolical journey. 
 VI. Paul was received by the Apostles and other Chris- 
 tians at Jerusalem with great joy and affection ; and hia 
 account of the success of his ministry, and of the collec- 
 tions Mhich he had made among the Christians of Mace- 
 donia and Achaia, for the relief of their brethren in Judaja, 
 afforded them much satisfaction ; but not long after his ar- 
 rival at Jerusalem, some Jews of Asia, who had probably in 
 their own country witnessed Paul's zeal in spreading Christi- 
 anity among the Gentiles, seeinghim one day in the temple, 
 endeavoured to excite a tumult, by crying out that he was 
 the man who was aiming to destroy all distinction between 
 Jew and Gentile ; who taught things contrary to the Law of 
 Moses ; and who had polluted the holy temple, by bring- 
 ing into it uncircumcised heathens (A)- This representa- 
 tion did not fail to enrage the multitude against Paul ; they 
 seized him, di-agged him out of the temple, beat him, and 
 were upon the point of putting him to death, when he was 
 rescued out of their hands by Lysias, a Roman tribune, 
 and the principal military officer then at Jerusalem. Lysias 
 instantly bound Paul with two chains, conchuling that he 
 had been guilty of some heinous crime ; but the uproar 
 was so great, that he could not learn who he was, or ^hat 
 he had done, and therefore he committed him to custody, 
 that he might afterwards inquire into the nature of his 
 offence. As he was conducting him to the castle Antonia (/), 
 
 (Ar) It was death for any Gentile to enter into that part of 
 llie temple which was called the second court, or court of the 
 Israelites. 
 
 {I) This castle was built by Herod the Great, and called 
 Antonia from his friend Mark Antony ; it was afterwards 
 made a garrison for the Romans, when Judoea became a 
 Roman province. 
 
252 OF ST. PAUL. [Part II. 
 
 Paul obtained permission from him to adcbess the 
 people : he began by stating to them his former at- 
 tachment to the Law of Moses (»m), and his zealous per- 
 secution of the Christians; he then proceeded to relate 
 the circumstances of his miraculous conversion ; and when 
 he asserted that he Avas commissioned by God himself to 
 announce salvation to the Gentiles through faith in the 
 Messiah, they interrupted him with violent exclamations, 
 showed the strongest marks of indignation, and declared 
 that he was not worthy to live. Lysias, observing the fury 
 of the multitude, commanded that Paul should be carried 
 into the castle, and examined by scourging. "While the 
 soldiers were binding him with thongs for that purpose, 
 he informed the centurion who attended that he was a 
 Roman citizen. The centurion went to the tribune, and 
 advised him to be cautious in what he did to his prisoner, 
 as he was a citizen of Rome. This intelligence alarmed 
 Lysias, aaIio had already violated the privileges of a Roman 
 citizen by biuding Paul (?z) ; and he immediately desisted 
 from his design of examining him by torture. 
 
 The next morning he " loosed him from his bands," 
 and brought him before the Sanhedrim or Jewish coun- 
 cil (o) ; but great altercation and confusion arising, Lysias, 
 feai-ing lest Paul should be pulled to pieces, again inter- 
 posed with his soldiers, and conducted him back to the 
 castle. While Paul was asleep that night, Jesus appeared 
 to hira and said, " Be of good cheer, Paul ; for as thou 
 hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear wit- 
 ness also at Rome (/>)." The next day Lysias was in- 
 
 (m) Acts, c. 22. 
 
 (n) Though a Roman citiaen might not be bound widi 
 thongs, by way of punishment, or in order to be scourged, 
 yet he miglit be chained to a soldier, or kept in custody, if he 
 were suspected of being guilty of any crimed 
 
 (o) Acts, c. 22. 
 0') 
 
 o) Acts, c. 23, v. 11. 
 
Chap. 7.] OF ST. PAUL. 253 
 
 bnued tliat more than forty persons had entered into a 
 conspiracy to assassinate Paul, and therefore he sent him 
 the following evening under a strong guard to Csesarea, 
 where FelLx the Roman governor resided. Lysias wrote a 
 letter to Felix, explaining the circumstances which origi- 
 nally induced him to apprehend Paul, and now to send 
 him to Cffisarea. Five days after {q), Ananias the high 
 priest, with the elders, and a certain orator or advocate, 
 named Tertullus, went to Csesarea for the purpose of ac- 
 cusing Paul before Felix. Tertullus stated the charges 
 against him, and Paul made his defence. Felix having 
 heard both of them, said that he would enquire more fully 
 into the business when Lysias should come to Ctesarea; 
 and in the mean time he commanded the centurion to 
 keep Paul as a prisoner at large, and to allow his friends 
 to have access to him. 
 
 It does not appear that Felix ever took any farther step 
 in this trial ; but not long after, he and his wife Drusilla (r), 
 who was a Jewess, sent for Paul, to hear him " concern- 
 ing the faith in Christ." Paul knew the characters of the 
 persons before whom he was to speak, and enlarged upon 
 such points as were likely to a'ffect them : " and as he rea- 
 soned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to 
 comp, Fehx trembled, and answered. Go thy way for this 
 time ; when I have a convenient season, I will call for 
 thee." Felix was a man of profligate life and corrupt 
 principles ; and this discourse of the Apostle, though it 
 caused a temporary remorse of conscience, and excited 
 some dread of future punishment, made no lasting im- 
 Tjression upon his mind ; on the contrary, he frequently 
 «ent for Paul aftenvards, not for the purpose of hearing 
 
 (r) Drusilla was the daughter of the elder Agrippa, and 
 sister to King Agrippa and Bernice, before whom Paul after- 
 wards pleaded. 
 
£54 OF ST. PAUL. [Part II. 
 
 the great truths of the Gospel explained and enforced, 
 but with the hope that he would offer him money for his 
 release. 
 
 At the end of two years Felix resigned the government 
 of Judaea to Fortius Festus, and with a view of gratifying 
 the Jews, he left Paul a prisoner at Ca;sarea. Three davs 
 after Festus landed at Csesarea (s) he went up to Jeru- 
 salem ; and the high priest and the principal Jews, still 
 retaining their malice, requested their new governor to 
 send for Paul from Cacsarea. Their intention was to have 
 murdered him upon the road ; but Festus refused to send 
 for him, stating that he should shortly return to Cfcsarea, 
 and that he would try him there. In about ten days 
 Festus Avent to Caisarea, and the day after his arriA al, Paul 
 was brought before hirn, and the Jews, -vvho had come from 
 Jerusalem for that purpose, '''laid many and grievous 
 complaints against him, which they could not lu'ove." 
 Paul defended himself by declaring, in a few simple words, 
 that he had been guilty of no offence, either against the 
 Law of Moses, or the authority of Ca;sar; but Foetus, 
 wishing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, asked Paul 
 whether he were willing to be tried at Jerusalem ? He 
 again asserted his iimocence, and availing himself of his 
 privilege as a Roman citizen, appealed to the emperor 
 himself; and Festus, after some deliberation, informed 
 him that he should be sent to the emperor, as he desired. 
 Not long after, king Agripjia, with his sister Bernice, 
 came to congratulate Festus ui)on his accession to the go- 
 vernment of Judjea. Festus acquainted him with all the 
 circumstances relative to Paul ; and Agrippa, expressing a 
 desire to hear Paul, Festus promised that he should hear 
 him the next da}'. Accordingly on the following morning 
 Paul was brought in bonds before Agrijjpa, Bernice, the 
 
 (i) Act5, c. 25. 
 
Chap. 7-] OF ST. PAUL. 255 
 
 military officers, and principal persons of the city. Festus 
 represented to the assembly that the Jews had laid veiy 
 heavy charges against Paul, declaring that he was not 
 w orthy to live ; that he had himself found no guilt of that 
 description in him, but upon his appealing to Caesar, he 
 had determined to send him immediately to Rome ; and 
 that he had nov/ brought him before them, and especially 
 before Agrippa, that after examination he might be ena- 
 bled to state to the emperor, as it was his duty to do, the 
 nature of the crimes alleged against him. Then Agrij)- 
 pa (t), who is said to have been well acquainted both with 
 the Jewish and Roman laws, told Paul, that he was per- 
 mitted to speak for himself. In the course of his defence, 
 Paul argued so forcibly in support of the Gospel^ and jus- 
 tified his own conduct in so satisfactory a manner, that 
 Agrijipa acknowledged himself almost persuaded to l)c a 
 Christian, and declared that Paul might have been set at 
 liberty, if he had not appealed imto Caisar. After an ap- 
 peal was made to the emperor, the judge, from whom the 
 appeal was made, could neither condemn nor release the 
 prisoner. 
 
 St. Paul (u), and several other prisoners, were de- 
 livered to Julius, a centurion, to be conveyed to 
 Rome (x). St. Luke has recorded the circumstances of 
 this voyage ; it was long and dangerous, and the vessel 
 was wrecked upon the Isle of Melita (y). No lives, 
 however, were lost ; and Paul, upon his aiiival at 
 
 {t) Acts, c. 26. 
 
 (u) There is no account of any Epistle written by St. Paul 
 during his long imprisonment in Judtea. This was not owing 
 to any strictness in his confinement, for Felix " commanded 
 a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty ; and 
 that he should forbid none of liis acquaintance to minister or 
 come unto him." Acta. c. 24. v. 23. 
 
 (,r) Acts, c. 27. 
 
 (y) Acts, c. 28. Vide Mr Bryant's Essay. 
 
256 OF ST. X'AUL. [Part II. 
 
 RomCj was committed to the care of the captain of the 
 guard. The Scriptures do uot inform us whether he was 
 ever tried before Nero, who was at this time emperor of 
 Rome; and the learned (z) are much divided in their 
 opinion upon that point. I am inchned to think, from the 
 silence of St. Luke, that Paul was not now brought to any- 
 trial at Rome. St. Luke only says, " Paul was suffered to 
 dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. And Paul 
 dwelt two whole yeai-s (a) in his own hired house, and re- 
 ceived all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom 
 of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." 
 Paul during his confinement, converted some Jews resi- 
 dent at Rome, and many Gentiles, and among the rest, 
 several persons belonging to the emperor's household {h). 
 
 YII. The Scripture histoiy ends with this release of 
 St. Paul from his two yeai-s' imprisonment at Rome (c) ; 
 and no ancient author has left us any paiticulars 
 of the remaining part of this Apostle's life. It 
 seems probable that immediately after he recovered his li- 
 1)C! ty, he w cnt to Jerusalem ; and that afterwards he tra- 
 velled through Asia Minor, Crete, Macedonia, and Greece 
 confirming his converts, and regulating the affairs of the 
 different chuixhes which he had planted in those coun- 
 
 {z) Vide Lardncr, vol. 6. p. 249, 
 
 (a) During St. Paul's imprisonment at Rome, he wrote his 
 Epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and to 
 Philemon ; and it is probable that he wrote liis Epistle to the 
 Hebrews soon after his release. 
 
 (6) Philip, c. 4, V. 22. Chrysostom mentions a cup-bearer 
 and a concubine of Nero, who were converted by St. Paul. 
 
 (f) It is to be observed that the Acts do not contain a com- 
 plete liistory of St. Paul, even to this period : for before he 
 wrote liis second Epistle to tlie Corinthians, tliat is, before the 
 year 57, lie had been five times scourged by the Jews, twice 
 beaten with rods, and thrice shipwrecked ; none of which 
 circumstances are mentioned in the Acts. 
 
Chap. 7.J OF ST. PAUL. 257 
 
 tries (d). Whether at tliis time he also preached the 
 Gospel (e), as some have imagined, is very uncertai^n. It 
 was the unanimous tradition of the church, that St. Paul 
 returned to Rome ; that he underwent a second imprison- 
 ment there (f), and at last was put to death hy the em- 
 peror Nero. Tacitus ((7) and Suetonius (/t) have mentioned 
 a di-eadful fire which happened at Rome in the time of 
 Nero. It was believed, though probably without any 
 reason, that the emperor himself was the author of that 
 fire ; but to remove the odium from himself, he chose to 
 attribute it to the Christians ; and to give some colour to 
 that unjust imputation, he persesuted them with the ut- 
 most cruelty. In this persecution Peter and Paul suffered 
 martyrdom, probably m the year 65 ; and if we may credit 
 Sulpitius Severus, a writer of the fifth centmy, the former 
 was crucified, and the latter beheaded (i). 
 
 VIII. St. Paul was a person of great natural abili- 
 ties, of quick apprehension, strong passions, firm re- 
 
 {d) St. Paul probably wrote his first Epistle to Timothy, 
 and his Epistle to Titus, at this time, that is, between his first 
 and second imprisonments at Rome. Some modern authors 
 consider St. Paul as making two apostolieal journies after the 
 first of these imprisonments ; the first by way of Crete, 
 through Judaea, to Antioch ; the second, from Antioch, through 
 Syria, Cilicia, Phrygia, Macedonia, and thence to Home ; but 
 I find no mention of these journies in any ancient author. 
 
 (e) The opinion that St. Paul preached the Gospel in Spain 
 probably arose from the following passage in his Epistle to the 
 Romans ; " Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will 
 come to you ;" but we have no certain information whc^ther 
 he ever went into Spain or not. It seems, however, clear tliat 
 in the year 68 he intended to go thither ; but it should be 
 remembered that this was five years before his release from 
 imprisonment. 
 
 (/) St. Paul wrote his second Epistle to Timothy during 
 his second imprisonment at Rome. 
 
 (g^ Tac. Ann. lib. 15, cap 44. 
 
 {h) Suet. Nero. cap. 38 
 
 ti) Lib. 2, cap. 41. 
 
-^8 OF ST. PAUL. [Part II. 
 
 Bolution, and irreproachable life : he was conversant with 
 Grecian (A) and Jewish literatui'e ; and gave early 
 proofs of an active and zealous disposition. K we may 
 be allowed to consider liis character, independent of his 
 supernatural endo^ATnents, we may pronounce that he 
 was well quahfied to have risen to distinction and eminence, 
 and that he was by nature pecuharly adapted to the high 
 office to which it pleased God to call him. As a minister 
 of the Gospel, he displayed the most unwearied perseve- 
 rance and undaunted covu'age. He was deteiTcd by no 
 difficulty or danger, and endured a great variety of perse- 
 cutions mth patience and cheerfulness. He gloried in 
 being thought worthy of suffering for the name of Jesus, 
 and continued with unabated zeal to maintain the truth 
 of Christianity against its bitterest and most powerful 
 enemies. He was the principal instrument under Provi- 
 dence of spreading the Gospel among the Geutiles : and 
 we have seen that his labours lasted through many 
 veai's, and reached over a considerable extent of country. 
 Though emphatically styled the great Apostle of the 
 Gentiles, he began his ministry in almost every city by 
 preaching in the synagogue of the Jews (Z) ; and though 
 he owed by far the greater part of his persecutions to the 
 opposition and malice of that proud and obstinate people, 
 
 U) St. Paul is the only writer of the New Testament wlio 
 has quoted any Greek profane author ; the apophthegm in the 
 tifteenih chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians. 
 
 ^dtipovffiv i)dt} xpnoff ofiiXiai KttKai, 
 is an iambic from Menandcr ; and the character of the Cre- 
 tans, in the first chapter of the epistle to Titus, 
 
 Koi]reg dei xpevffrai, icaica Oiipia, yaartpig dpyni, 
 is an hexameter from Epimenides. St. Paul also quoted 
 Aratus in his speech at Athens, as recorded by St. Luke in 
 the seventeenth chapter of the Acts : 
 
 Tow yap Kai ytvOQ iffficv. 
 (0 The Jews were at this time so dispersed throughout the 
 world, that there was scarcely any considerable city in which 
 they had not a synagogue. 
 
Chap. 7.J OF ST. PAUL. 259 
 
 whose resentment he particularly incurred by maintaining 
 that the Gentiles were to be admitted to an indiscriminate 
 participation of the benefits of the new dispensation (m), 
 yet it rai'ely happened in any place, that some of the Jews 
 did not yield to his arguments, and embrace the Gospel. 
 He watched with paternal care over the churches which 
 he had founded, and was always ready to strengthen the 
 faith, and regulate the conduct of his converts, by such 
 directions and advice as their circumstances might requke. 
 The exertions of St. Paul in the cause of Christianity 
 were not confined to personal instruction ; he also wrote 
 fourteen Epistles to individuals or churches, which are 
 now extant, and form a part of our Canon. In these let- 
 ters of the Apostle, there are those obscurities and diffi- 
 culties which belong to epistolary writing. Many circum- 
 stances are mentioned with brevity, and many opinions 
 and facts are barely alluded to, as being well known to 
 the persons whom he addresses, but which it is very 
 difficult at this distant period to discover and ascertain. 
 He does not formally announce the subjects which he 
 means to discuss ; he enters upon them abruptly, and 
 makes frequent transitions without any intimation or 
 notice ; he answers objections without stating them, and 
 abounds in parentheses, which are not always easily dis- 
 cerned. Perspicuity, indeed, and a strict adherence to the 
 rules of composition, were scarcely compatible with the 
 fei-vour of his imagination and the rapidity of his thoughts. 
 " He is," says Mr. Locke, " full of the matter he treats ;" 
 and \\Tites with warmth, which usually neglects method, 
 and those partitions and pauses, which men educated in 
 the schools of rhetoricians usually observe." There is, 
 however, a real connection and coherence in all his writ- 
 ings ; and his reasoning, although it may sometimes seem 
 
 (»i) Vide Paley's Horse Paul. c. 8, n. 1. 
 
260 OF ST. PAUL. [Part II. 
 
 to be desultory, will always be found to be correct and 
 convincing (n). Instead of the beauties which arise from 
 a nice arrangement of words, an harmonious cadence of 
 periods, and an artificial structure of sentences, we have 
 a stvle at once concise and highly figurative, and a striking 
 peculiarity and uncommon energy of language, "^^^len- 
 ever he speaks of the doctrines and excellency of the 
 Christian religion, enlarges upon the nature and attributes 
 of the Deity, or terrifies with the dread of divine judg- 
 ments, his stjle rises with the subject; and while our 
 minds are impressed with the justness and the dignity of 
 the sentiments, we cannot but admire the force and sub- 
 limitv of the expressions. Though he never departs from 
 the authority of the apostolic character, yet the sensibility 
 of his own heart frequently leads him to appeal to the 
 feelings and affections of those to whom he WTites ; and 
 the zeal of his temper is so constantly apparent throughout 
 his Epistles, that no one can read them with attention, 
 without catching some i)ortion of that fire by which he 
 was animated. 
 
 (n) " St. Paul, I am apt to believe," says Dr. Paley, "has 
 been sometimes accused of inconclusive reasoning, by our mis- 
 taking that for reasoning which was only intended for illus- 
 tration. He is not to be read as a man whose own persuasion 
 of the truth of what he taught always or solely depended 
 upon the views under which he represents it in his writings. 
 Taking for granted the certainty of his doctrine, as resting 
 upon the Revelation that had been imparted to him, he ex- 
 hibits it frequently to the conception of his readers, under 
 images and allegories, in which, if any analogy may be per- 
 ceived, or even sometimes a poetic resemblance be found, it 
 is all perhaps that is required." Hone Paul. p. 210. 
 
'^''ap. S.] OF ST. Paul's epistles. 261 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE EIGHTH. 
 
 OF THE GENUINENESS AND ARRANGEMENT OP 
 
 ST. Paul's epistle.t. 
 
 Of tlie fourteen Epistles ascribed to St. Paul (a) in our 
 Canon, the first thirteen have, in all ages of the Church, 
 been universally acknowledged to be written by the Apostle. 
 Some doubts have been entertained, as we shall see hereafter, 
 concerning the Epistle to the Hebrews. As the testi- 
 monies in favour of the Genuineness of these thirteen 
 Epistles are nearly the same, I shall, to avoid repetition, 
 state them all at once ; and I am the more inclined to do 
 this, because the style of these different Epistles is so ex- 
 actly the same, and of so peculiar a kind (b), that whatever 
 proves any one of them to be genuine, may be considered 
 as a proof of the Genuineness of them all. 
 
 Clement of Rome expressly ascribes the first Epistle to 
 the Corinthians to St. Paul, and it is quoted by Polycarp ; 
 Ignatius and Polycarp both quote the Epistle to the 
 Ephesians; and Polycarp also quotes the Epistle to the 
 
 (a) The learned are not agreed whether these be the only 
 Epistles which St. Paul wrote. I am inclin^ed to think thej 
 lire, as no other Epistle written by this Apostle is quoted o's 
 referred to by any of the Fathers. 
 
 (b) Vide Paley's Horae Paul. c. 1. p. 16. 
 
262 OF ST. PAUL'S EPISTLES. [Part II. 
 
 Philippians. Besides these quotations, all the thirteen 
 Epistles, except the short one to Philemon, are plainly 
 leferred to by one or more of the apostolical Fathers, 
 although they do not say that they were \n-itten by St. 
 Paul. Justin Martyr does not quote by name an)' one 
 of St. Paul's Epistles ; but there are passages in his re- 
 maining works which may be considered as allusions to 
 seven of them ; namely, to the Epistle to the Romans, to 
 the first of the Corinthians, to the Galatians, Ephesians, 
 Philipjnans, Colossians, and second of the Thessalonians. 
 Athenagoras quotes the first Epistle to the Corinthians. 
 Theophilus of Antioch refers to the Romans, to the first 
 and second of the Corinthians, to the Ephesians, Phihp- 
 pians, Colossians, first of Timothy, and Titus. All the 
 thirteen Epistles, except that to Philemon, are quoted b\' 
 Irenajus, Clement of Alexaudi-ia, and Cyjman; and all, 
 without any exception, are quoted by TertuUian, Origen, 
 Dionysius of Alexandria, Eusebius, Athanasius, Epiphanius, 
 Jerome, Augustine, and Chrysostom. These ^v^iters reach 
 from the days of the Apostles to the end of the fom*th 
 century, and are amply sufficient to establish the Genuine- 
 »ess of these Epistles. It is unnecessary to enumerate 
 '\riters of a later date. 
 
 The brevity of the Epistle to Philemon, and the private 
 nature of its subject, account for its not being quoted so 
 early or so frequently as the other Epistles of St. Paul. 
 It appears from the above statement, that Tertullian is 
 the earliest author who mentions this Epistle ; but he 
 tells us that it was received by Marcion, who lived in the 
 beginning of the second centuiy. It was always inserted 
 in every catalogue of books of the New Testament ; and, 
 short as it is, it bears strong internal marks of being the 
 genuine production of St. Paul. 
 
 The respective dates of these Epistles will be considered 
 when we speak of them separately ; but in the mean time 
 
Chap. 8.] OF ST. Paul's epistle." 263 
 
 we may observe, that they are not placed in our Bibles (c) 
 in the order in which they were written. The Epistles 
 to whole churches are placed before those M'hich arf, 
 addressed to particular persons. The Epistle to the Ro- 
 mans is placed first, probably because, when the Gospel 
 was propagated, Rome was the mistress of the world. 
 The Epistles to the Corinthians are placed next, because 
 Corinth was at that time the capital of Greece. Then 
 comes the Epistle to the Galatians, who were not the 
 inhabitants of a single city, but of a countiy in Asia 
 Minor, in which several chvxrches had been founded. 
 This is followed by the Epistle to the Ephesiaus, Ephesus 
 being the principal city of Asia Minor. Philippi waa 
 a Roman colony, which might perhaps cause the Epistle to 
 the Philippians to be placed before those to the Colossians 
 and Thessalonians, whose cities were not distinguished 
 by any particular circumstance. The Epistles to Timothj'' 
 have the precedence among those which are written to indi- 
 viduals, because there are two of them ; or because they 
 are the longest ; or because Timothy was a frequent and 
 favourite companion of St. Paul. Then follows the Epistle 
 to Titus, who was a preacher of the Gospel ; and the 
 last of these Epistles is that to Philemon, who was pro- 
 bably a private Christian. The Epistle to the Hebrews 
 seems to have been placed the last of all St. Paul's 
 Epistles, because, as was just now obsei-ved, some doubts 
 were at first entertained whether it were really written bv 
 that Apostle. 
 
 (c) The order of these Epistles is different in differeu* 
 Greek MSS. 
 
264 
 
 OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. [Part II. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE NINTH. 
 
 OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 
 
 I. DATE AND OTHER CIRCUM- 
 STANCES OF THIS EPISTLE. 
 
 II. THE INTRODUCTION OF 
 
 THE GOSrEL INTO ROME. 
 III. DESIGN AND SUBSTANCE 
 OF THIS EPISTLE. 
 
 I. This Epistle was written from Corinth, a. d. 58, being" 
 the fourth year of the emperor Nero, just before St. Paul 
 set out for Jenisalera with the contributions which the 
 Christians of IMacedonia and Acliaia had made for the 
 relief of their poor brethren in Judaea (a). It was tran- 
 scribed or written, as St. Paul dictated it, by Tertius {/j) ; 
 and the person ^^ho conveyed it to Rome was Phoebe (c), 
 a deaconess of the church at Cenchrea, which was the 
 eastern port of the city of Corinth. It is addressed to the 
 church at Rome, which consisted partly of Jewish, and 
 partly of Heathen converts ; and throughout the Epistle it 
 is evident that the Apostle has regard to both these de- 
 scriptions of Christians. 
 
 II. St. Paul, when he wrote this Epistle, had not been 
 at Rome, (d), but he had heard an account of the state of 
 the church in that city from Aquila and Priscilla, two 
 
 (a) Rom. c. 15, v. 25 and 2G. Acts, c. 20, v. I. 
 
 (b) Rom. c. 16, V. 22. 
 
 (c) Rom. c. ]G, V. 1. 
 
 (d) Rom. c. 1, V. 13, c. 15, v. 23. 
 
Chap. 9,] OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 265 
 
 Cliristians who were banished from thence by the edict of 
 Claudius, and with whom he Hved during his first visit to Co. 
 rinth. Whether any other apostle had at this time preached 
 the Gosjiel at Rome, cannot now be ascertained. Among 
 those who witnessed the effect of the first eff^usion of the 
 Holy Ghost, are mentioned, " strangers of Rome, Jews 
 and proselytes (e)," that is, persons of the Jewish rehgion, 
 who usually resided at Rome, but who had come to Jeni- 
 salem to be present at the feast of Pentecost. It is highly 
 l)robable that these men, upon their return home, pro- 
 claimed the Gospel of Christ ; and we may further suppose 
 that many Christians, who had been converted at other 
 places, afterwards settled at Rome, and were the cause of 
 others embracing the Gospel (J"). 
 
 III. But by whatever means Christianity had been in- 
 troduced into Rome, it seems to have flourished there in 
 great purity; for we learn from the beginning of this 
 Epistle, that the faith of the Roman Christians was at this 
 time much celebrated {(j). To confirm them in that faith, 
 
 (c) Acts, c. 2, V. 10. 
 
 (/) "It may seem," says Mr. Milner, in his Ecclesiastical 
 History, " to have been purposely appointed by Infinite Wis- 
 dom, that our first accounts of the Roman church should be 
 very imperfect, in order to confute the proud pretensions to 
 universal dominion which its bishops have, with unblushing 
 arrogance, supported for so many ages. If a line or two in 
 the Gospels, concerning the keys of St. Peter, has been made 
 -he foundation of such lofty pretensions in his supposed suc- 
 cessors to the primacy, how would they have gloried if his 
 abours at Rome had been so distinctly celebrated as those of 
 St. Paul in several churches ? What bounds would have 
 been set to the pride of ecclesiastical Rome, could she have 
 boasted of herself as the mother church, like Jerusalem, or 
 even exhibited such trophies of scriptural fame as Philippi, 
 Thessalonica, Corinth, or Ephesus. The silence of Scripture 
 is the more remarkable, because the church itself was in an 
 early period by no means insignificant, either for the number 
 or piety of its converts ; their ' faith was spoken of through 
 the whole world.' Romans, c. l,v. 8." Vol. 1, sect. 12. 
 
 (ff) Rom. c 1, v. 8. 
 
266* OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. [Part II. 
 
 and to guard them against tlie errors of Judaizing Chris- 
 tians, was the object of tliis letter, in which St. Paul takes 
 occasion to enlarge upon the nature of the IMosaic insti- 
 tution ; to explain the fundamental principles and doc- 
 ti'ines of Christianity ; and to show that the whole human 
 race, formerly divided into Jews and Gentiles, were now 
 to be admitted into the religion of Jesus, indiscriminately, 
 and free from eveiy other obligation. 
 
 The Apostle, after expressing his affection for the Ro- 
 man Christians, and asserting that the Gospel is the power 
 of salvation to all Avho believe, takes a comprehensive 
 view of the conduct and condition of men under the differ- 
 ent dispensations of Providence ; he shows that all man- 
 kind, both Jews and Gentiles, were equally " under sin," 
 and liable to the wrath and punishment of God; that 
 therefore there was a necessity for an universal propitiation 
 and redemption, which were now offered to the whole race 
 of men, without any preference or exception, by the mercy 
 of him who is God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews J 
 that faith in Jesus Christ, the universal Redeemer, was 
 the only means of obtaining this salvation, ^\hich the 
 deeds of the Law were wholly incompetent to procure (h) ; 
 that as the sins of the whole world originated from the 
 disobedience of Adam, so the justification from those sins 
 was to be derived from the obedience of Christ (i) ; that 
 all distinction between Jew and Gentile was now abo- 
 lished, and the ceremonial law entirely abrogated : that 
 the unbelieving Jews would be exchuled from the benefits 
 of the Gospel, while the believing Gentiles would be par- 
 takers of them ; and that this rejection of the Jews, and 
 call of the Gentiles, were predicted by the Jewish pro})hets 
 Ilosea and Isaiah ; he then ])oints out the superiority of 
 the Christian over the Jewish religion, and earnestly ex- 
 horts the Romans to abandon every species of wickedEess, 
 
 (A) First four Chapters. («) C. 5. 
 
Chap. 9.J OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 267 
 
 and to practice the duties of righteousness and holiness, 
 which were now enjoined upon higher sanctions, and en- 
 forced by more powerful motives (k). In the latter part 
 of the Epistle, St. Paul gives some practical instructions, 
 and recommends some particular virtues; and he con- 
 cludes with salutations and a doxology. 
 
 This Epistle is very valuable, on account of the argu- 
 ments and truths which it contains, relative to the neces- 
 sity, excellence, and universality of the Gospel dispensa- 
 tion. 
 
 (*) Sixth and five following chapters. 
 
268 OF THE FIRST EPISTLE [Part II. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE TENTH. 
 
 OF THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 
 
 I. STATE OF THE CHURCH AT j AND OCCASION OF ITS BKINO 
 
 CORINTH. I WRITTEN. 
 
 II. DATE OF THIS EPISTLE HI. ITS CONTENTS. 
 
 I. CoRiXTH, situated on the Isthmus which joins Pelo- 
 ponnesus to the rest of Greece, was at this time a place of 
 extensive commerce, and the capital of the Roman pro- 
 vince of Achaia. Near it were celebrated the Isthmian 
 Games, to which the Apostle alludes in this Epistle. Its 
 inhabitants were a very licentious and profligate people, 
 and were great admirers of the sceptical philosophy of the 
 Greeks. We have seen that St. Paul, in his first journey 
 upon the continent of Europe, resided at Corinth about 
 eighteen months, and that he planted a church there, 
 which consisted chiefly of converts from heathenism. 
 After he left this city, some false teachers, who are suj)- 
 posed to have been Jews by birth, endeavoured to alienate 
 the converts from their attachment to him and his doc- 
 trine, by calling in question the authority of his mission, 
 and by ridiculing the plain and simjile style in which he 
 delivered his instructions. They recommended themselves 
 to their hearers by showing indulgence to their prejudices 
 and vicious propensities, and by using those artificial or- 
 
Chap. lO.J TO THE CORINTHIANS. '260 
 
 naments of eloquence which had great effect upon tlieir 
 minds. Hence ai'ose divisions and other ii-reguhvritics 
 among the Corinthian Christians, totally inconsistent with 
 the genuine spirit of the Gospel. 
 
 II. This Epistle (a) was ^v^itten from Ephesus (i) in 
 the beginning of the year 56, during the Apostle's second 
 visit to that city, in the second year of Nero's reign, and 
 about three years after St. Paul had left Corinth. The 
 immediate occasion of its being wTitten was to ans\\er 
 some questions which the Corinthians had in a letter pro- 
 posed to St. Paul ; but before he enters upon that subject, 
 he takes notice of the abuses and disorders which pre- 
 vailed in the church at Corinth, and of which he had 
 received private information (c), although they do not seem 
 to have been mentioned or alluded to in the public letter. 
 This letter is not now extant. 
 
 III. The Apostle begins with an affectionate addi-ess to 
 the Corinthians, and mth congratulations upo"n their 
 having received the Holy Ghost (d). He then exhorts to 
 harmony and union, and condemns the parties and factions 
 into which they had formed themselves ; he vindicates his 
 own character, justifies the manner in which he had 
 preached the Gospel to them, and shows the futility of all 
 
 (a) Some learned men have thought, from 1 Cor. c. 5, v. 
 9, that St. Paul wrote an Epistle to the Corinthians before he 
 wrote this. It is certain that no such Epistle is quoted or 
 alluded to by any ancient author now extant ; and therefo i-.' 
 others have supposed, which seems more probable, that in 
 that passage St. Paul referred to the former part of this Epi>- 
 tle. Vide Jones's New Method, and Lardner, at the end ol 
 vol. 6. 
 
 (6) 1 Cor. 0. 16, v. 8. Vide Paley's Hor. Paul. c. 3, n. 12, 
 The postscript or subscription to this Epistle, as printed in 
 Bur Bibles, states that this Epistle was written from Philippi •, 
 but those postscripts make no part of the apostolical writings, 
 and are not to be depended upon, 
 (c) 1 Cor. c. 1, v. II and 12, and c. 5, v. I. 
 (d\ C. 1. T 1 to 9. 
 
270 OF THE FIRST EPISTLE [Part 11. 
 
 human learning, when compared with the excellency of 
 the Gospel of Christ (e). He orders that a man, who had 
 married his father's ^vife, shoidd be pubUcly excommuni- 
 cated ; and directs the Corinthians not to associate with 
 any person of a notoriously wicked life (/) ; he blames 
 them for canying their disputes before heathen courts of 
 judicatm-e, and advises them to settle their differences 
 among themselves ; he condemns the sin of fornication, 
 and cautions them against indulgence in sensual pleasures, 
 to which the Corinthians in general were addicted in the 
 highest degree (</). 
 
 After discussing these points, St. Paul proceeds to 
 answer the questions which the Corinthians had put to 
 him ; and he begins with those relative to the marriage 
 state, upon which subject he gives a variety of dii-ections (h) ; 
 he next considers the lawfulness of Christians eating the 
 meat of sacrifices which had been offered to heathen 
 idols (i), and warns them against making the liberty which 
 he allows, an occasion of giving offence ; he asserts his 
 right as an Apostle to a maintenance from his disciples, 
 although he had never accepted any money from the Co- 
 rinthian converts ; and because the false teachers had con- 
 trived to make this disinterestedness a ground of reproach 
 to St. Paul, he points out the superior motives by which 
 the ministers of the Gospel were animated to bear the 
 hai'dships of their ministry, above those which induced the 
 Greeks to submit to the labour of contending at their 
 public games {h). He directs that women should not pray 
 or prophesy in public unveiled ; and by this subject he is 
 led to speak of some irregularities of which the Coiinthians 
 had been guilty in celebrating the Lord's Supper, but 
 which were probably not noticed in the letter to the Apo- 
 
 (e}G. 
 
 C. 1, V. 10, to the end of c. 4. (/) C. S. 
 
 6 (A) C. 7. (0 C. 8. (*) C. 9. 
 
Chap 10.] TO THE CORINTHIANS. 27' 
 
 stle ; and lie afterwards gives an account of the institution 
 of that sacrament (1). He then discourses concerning 
 spiritual gifts, and explains the nature and extent of 
 Christian charity (»?) ; he enumei-ates the proofs of 
 Christ's resurrection, deduces from it the certainty of the 
 general resm-rection of the dead, and in a forcible strain 
 of eloquence answers some objections which wei'e urged 
 agamst that fundamental doctrine of the Gospel (w). lu 
 the last chapter, St. Paul gives directions concerning the 
 collections to be made for the poor Christians of Judsa, 
 promises to visit the Corinthians, and concludes with 
 fi'iendly admonitions and salutations (o). 
 
 From this summary account, it appears that this Epistle 
 relates principally to the then state of the chm-ch at Co- 
 rinth ; but the truths and instmctions which it contains 
 are of the greatest importance to the Christians of eveiy 
 age and countiy. 
 
 It was sent to Corinth by Titus, who was directed to 
 bring an account to St. Paul of the manner in which it was 
 received by the Corinthians. 
 
 (OC. lOandll, (m) C. 12, 13 and 14. 
 
 (n) C, 15. (o) C, 16. 
 
272 OF THE SECOND EPISTLE [Part II. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE ELEVENTH. 
 
 OF THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 
 
 I. THE OCCASION OF THIS EPISTLE BEING WRITTEN. 
 II. THE DATE AND SUBSTANCE OF IT. 
 
 I. It has been related in the history of St. Paul, that 
 soon after the riot occasioned by Demetrius, Paul left 
 Ephesus, went to Troas, and thence into Macedonia, 
 where he met Titus, who was just come from Corinth, 
 whither he had been sent by Paul with his first Epistle, 
 and with directions to inquire into the state of the church 
 m that city. From Titus, Paul learned that his letter was 
 well received by the Corinthian Christians ; that the 
 greater part of them had expressed much concern for their 
 past behaviour ; that they had given full proof of their 
 attachment to him (a) ; and in particular that they had, in 
 obedience to his commands, excommunicated the person 
 v^ ho had been guilty of an incestuous marriage ; but that 
 some of them still adhered to the false teachers, who con- 
 tinued to deny Paul's apostolical mission, and used every 
 other means in theii* power to lessen his credit with the 
 Corinthians. 
 
 St. Paul's former letter having jiroduced these good 
 eflfects among the Corinthians, he thought it expedient to 
 
 (a) 2 Cor. c. 7, v. 7—9. 
 
Chap. 11.] TO THE CORINTHIANS. 273 
 
 WTite to them again, foi' the purpose of confirming them 
 in their right conduct, and to give them some farther ad- 
 vice and instruction, especially with reference to the at- 
 tempts which were still making to pervert their faith, and 
 of v\'hich he had lately received a circumstantial accoimt 
 from Titus. 
 
 n. This second Epistle to the Corinthians was \vritten 
 from Macedonia [b), within twelve months after the first, 
 and probably in the beginning of the year 57 ; and it was 
 sent to Corintli by Titus, who, with other persons, was re- 
 turning thither to forward the collections in Achaia for the 
 poor Christians of Judaea. 
 
 Paul writes in his own name, and in that of Timothy, 
 who was now with him in Macedonia ; and addresses not 
 only the Christians of Corinth, but of all Achaia (c) ; he 
 begins with speaking of the consolations which he had ex- 
 perienced under his sufl^erings, and of the sincerity and 
 zeal with which he had preached the Gospel {d) ; he ex- 
 plains the reason of his not having performed his promise 
 of visiting the Corinthians, and assures them that the 
 delay had proceeded not from levity or fickleness, as per- 
 haps his enemies had represented, but from tenderness to- 
 wards his converts at Corinth, to give them time to re- 
 form, and that there might be no occasion for treating them 
 with severity when he saw them (c) ; he notices the case of 
 the incestuous person, and on account of his repentance 
 desires that he may be forgiven, and restored to communion 
 with the church {/") ; he mentions the success with which 
 he had preached (ff) ; he enlarges upon the importance of 
 the ministerial office, the zeal and faithfulness with which 
 he had discharged his duty, and the excellence of the 
 
 (6) 2 Cor. c. 7, v. 4, &c. c. 9, v. 2, &c. 
 (c) C. 1, V. 1 and 2. {d) Ver. 3 to 14. 
 
 (e) C. 1, V. 15 to c. 2, V. 5. (/ ) C. 2, t. 6 to 12. 
 i_ff) C. 2, V. 13 to the end. 
 
274 EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part II, 
 
 Gospel doctrines (A) ; he cautions them against connexions 
 with unbehevers, he expresses great regard for the Corin- 
 thians ; declares that he had felt much anxiety and concern 
 on account of the irregularities which had prevailed among 
 them ; and that he rejoiced very much upon being inform- 
 ed of their penitence and amendment (i) ; and he exhorts 
 them to contribute liberally for the rehef of their poor 
 brethren in Judaea {k). In the latter part of the Epistls 
 he again vindicates his character as an Apostle, and enu- 
 merates the various species of distresses and persecutions 
 which he had undergone in the cause of Christianity. He 
 concludes with general exhortations, and the well-known 
 benediction in the name of the Father, the Son, and the 
 Holy Ghost (Z). 
 
 (h) C. 3, v. 1, to 0. 6, V. 13. (0 C. G, v. 14, to end of c. 7. 
 (/t) C. 8 and 9. (0 C. 10 to the end. 
 
Chap. 12.] EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 276 
 
 ' PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE TWELFTH. 
 
 OF THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 
 
 I. DATE OF THIS EPISTLE. 
 II. DESIGN AND SUBSTANCE OF IT. 
 
 I. The country of Galatia was part of Asia Minor, and 
 derived its name from the Gauls, who, about 240 years 
 before Christ, took possession of it by force of arms, and 
 settled there. 
 
 There is great difference of opinion among the learned 
 concerning the date of this Epistle, some supposing that it 
 was written as early as the year 52, and others as late as 
 the year 58. There is, however, an expression in the be- 
 ginning, which appears to fix its date with a considerable 
 degi-ee of probability : " I marvel," says the Apostle, 
 " that ye are so soon removed from him that called you 
 into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel." This 
 passage seems to prove that the Epistle was written soon 
 after the Galatians were converted to Christianity. We 
 have seen in the history of St. Paul, that he preached in 
 Galatia in the year 51, in the course of his second apos- 
 tohcal journey ; and again in the year 53, in his third 
 journey. No mention is made in this Epistle of St. Paul 
 having been twice in Galatia, and therefore I conclude 
 that it was written in the interval between his two visits, 
 and most probably in the year 52, while he was at Co- 
 
276 OF THE EPISTLE [Part II. 
 
 rinth ; or it might have been wi-itten, as Michaelis thinks, 
 in Macedonia, before Paul went to Corinth. 
 
 II. Not long after St. Paul had converted the 
 Galatians to the belief of the Gospel, some Judaizing 
 Christians endeavoured, with considerable success, to per- 
 suade them of the necessity of being circumcised, and of 
 observing the law of IMoses ; for this pm-pose they urged, 
 though without any foundation, the authority of the Apos- 
 tles and Elders at Jerusalem ; they represented Paul as 
 having only an inferior commission, derived fi-om the 
 church at Jerusalem, and that even he, in certain cases, 
 had allowed of circumcision. The object of this Epistle, 
 which is written in a strain of angry complaint, was to 
 counteract the impression made by these false teachers, 
 and to re-establish the Galatians in the true Christian 
 faith and practice. 
 
 St. Paul begins, after a salutation in the name of him- 
 self and all the brethren who were with him, by asserting 
 his apostolical mission ; he shows, from a brief histoiy of 
 his life, that he learnt the Gospel not from man, but by 
 immediate revelation from God ; and that he entered upon 
 his ministry by divine appointment, without receiving any 
 instruction or authority from those who were Apostles 
 before him, or at least holding any communication with 
 them ; that he afterwards conferred with the heads of the 
 church at Jerusalem, and was by them, upon the fullest con- 
 viction, acknowledged to be an apostle through the especial 
 grace of God. St. Paul having thus proved the indepen- 
 dency and divine original of his mission, anil that he l^■as 
 " not a whit behind the very chiefcst of the Apostles («)," 
 proceeds to refute the imputation of inconsistency with 
 which he had been charged, by stating that he had not 
 compelled his convert and companion, Titus, who was a 
 
 (a) 2 Cor. c. 11, v. 5. 
 
Cliap. 12.] TO THE GALATIANS. 277 
 
 Greek, to be circumcised, and by showing that he had 
 uniformly resisted the Judaizing Christians, and in par- 
 ticular that he had withstood and reproved Peter at 
 Antioch, who, through the fear of the Jewish Christians, 
 had refused to associate with heathen converts ; he con- 
 tends that he had always maintained that the Gospel was 
 alone able to save those who believe it, knowing that a 
 man is not justified by the works of the Law, but by the 
 faith of Jesus Christ {b) : he expostulates with the Gala- 
 tians for having suffered themselves to be seduced by false 
 teachers from the doctrines which he had taught them, 
 and brings to their recollection, that upon their embracing 
 the Gospel, and not the Law, they had received the Holy 
 Ghost (c) ; he then pursues the main subject of the 
 Epistle at considerable length, and proves that the obli- 
 gation of the ritual part of the Mosaic Law is completely 
 abolished, both with respect to Jews and Gentiles (c?) ; 
 and in the course of his argument he contrasts the present 
 defection of the Galatians with their former zeal and 
 affection towards him, and expresses a fear lest he should 
 have preached to them in vain ; he earnestly exhorts them 
 to stand fast in the liberty with which Christ had made 
 them free, and not to suffer themselves again to be en- 
 tangled with the bondage of legal ordinances ; he points 
 out the moral and spiritual nature of the Gospel, in oppo- 
 sition to outward observances (e) ; and concludes with a 
 variety of directions and precepts, all tending to the cul- 
 tivation of practical virtue (f). 
 
 St. Paul wrote this Epistle with his own hand, although 
 it was his common practice to make use of an amanuensis. 
 
 It may be proper to remark, that the doctrine contained 
 in this Epistle goes farther than the decree of the council 
 
 (6) C. 1 and 2. (c) C. 3, v. 1 to 5. 
 
 (d) C. 3, V. 6 to the end of c. 4. (e) C. 5. 
 (/) C. 6. 
 
278 EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. [Part II. 
 
 at Jerusalem, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. In 
 this Epistle St. Paul maintains that no persons, whether 
 Jews or Gentiles, after they had embraced the Gospel, 
 ought to consider the obser^'ance of the Mosaic Law as 
 essential to their salvation, or as contributing to a greater 
 degree of perfection ; and he says to the Galatian Chris- 
 tians. " Christ is become of no effect to you, whosoever 
 of you are justified by the Law ;" that is, whoever relies 
 upon legal ordinances as the means of his justification, 
 will lose all the benefits to which he would otherwise be 
 entitled from the profession of the Gospel : whereas the 
 decree only decided that it was not necessaiy for Gentile 
 converts to Christianity to be circumcised, or to conform 
 to the rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic institution {g). 
 
 {g) It has always been thought a point of considerably dif- 
 ficulty to account for St. Paul's not appealing to this decree 
 in his Epistle to the Galatians. Those who wish to see the 
 best reasons which can be assigned for that omission, may 
 consult Dr. Paley's Hor. Paul, page 197. 
 
Chap. 13.] EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 2'jj 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE THIRTEENTH. 
 
 OF THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 
 
 THIS EPISTI E WAS REALLY II. DATE AND OTHER CIRCUM- 
 WRITTEN TO THE EPHE- STANCES RELATIVE TO IT. 
 
 SIANS. III. ITS CONTENTS. 
 
 I, Some learned men have thought that this Epistle was 
 not addressed to the Ephesians, but to the Laodiceans, 
 conceiving it to be the Epistle mentioned in the fourth 
 chapter of the Colossians, " and that ye hkewise read the 
 Epistle from Laodicea (a)." The principal ground of 
 their objection to the commonly received opinion of itc 
 being written to the Ephesians is, that there are no allu- 
 sions in it to St. Paul's having ever resided among the 
 persons to whom it is addressed ; whereas it is certain 
 that Paul had been twice at Ephesus when he wrote this 
 Epistle, and one of those times he had resided there more 
 than two years j but this negative argument is contra- 
 dicted by the most positive testimony, and by almost the 
 
 (a) Theodoret maintained that the Epistle here referred to 
 was an Epistle from the Laodiceans to Paul, and not from 
 Paul to the Laodiceans. Cave, Michaelis, and several other 
 moderns, have adopted this opinion, and the words of the 
 original appear to me to favour it. 
 
280 OF THE EPISTLE [FaXt IL 
 
 unanimous voice of antiquity. Ignatius, ^^ho was con- 
 temporary with the Apostles, expressly says that St. Pan. 
 ■v^Tote an Epistle to the Ephesians (b), and his description 
 of it corresponds with this E})istle. Irenjcus and Clement 
 of Alexandria, both fathers of the second ccnturj', quote 
 this Epistle as written to the Ephesians. TertuUian, who 
 lived nearly at the same time, censures Marcion for as- 
 serting that this Epistle was ^^Titten to the Laodiceans, 
 and says that it was really written to the Ephesians. 
 Origen, Dionysius of Alexandria. Cyprian, Eusebius, and 
 all the later fathers, who quote this Epistle, treat it as 
 written to the Ephesians ; and almost all the ancient ma- 
 nuscripts and versions attest the same thing, by support- 
 ing the reading of our Bibles, " Paul, an Apostle of Jesus 
 Christ, by the will of God, to the saints which are at 
 Ephesus." Upon these aiithovit'.es I feel myself fully 
 justified in considering this Epistle as written to the 
 Ephesians (c). 
 
 II. Ephesus, a city of Ionia, and the capital of the 
 proconsular Asia, was famous for its temple of Diana, 
 which was esteemed one of the seven wonders of the 
 world : and its inhabitants were noted for their super- 
 stition and skill in magic. We have seen that St. Paul 
 preached the Gospel for a short time at Ephesus, in the 
 year 53 ; and that in the followmg year he returned thither, 
 and remained there more than two years. During this 
 long residence he made many converts to Christianity, 
 who seem to have been distinguished by their piety and 
 zeal. This Epistle contains no blame or complaint what- 
 ever ; and its sole object ajjpears to have been to confirm 
 
 (fc) It is remarkable that this is the only book of the New 
 Testament mentioned by Ignatius. 
 
 (c) Those who wish to see this question more fully dis- 
 cussed, may consult Dr. Lardner, vol. 6, and Marsh's Mi- 
 diaciis, vol. 4. 
 
Cbap. 13.] TO THE EPKGSIAKS. 281 
 
 the Epliesian Clnistians in tlie true faith and practice of 
 the Gospel. It was ^Titten while St. Paul v\as a prisoner 
 the first time at Rome ; and as the Apostle does not ex- 
 press in it any hope of a speedy release, which he does in 
 his other Epistles sent from thence, it is conjectured that 
 it was wi-itten during the early part of his confinement, 
 and probably in the year 61. It might, perhaps, be occa- 
 sioned by mtelligence which the Apostle had received, 
 concerning the Ephesians, from persons who had lately 
 come out of Asia {d). It was sent to Ephesus by Tychi- 
 cus. It is \\Titten with great animation, and has alwa3S 
 been much admired, both for the importance of its matter, 
 and the elegance of its composition ; Grotius says of it, 
 Rerum sublimitatem adsequans verbis sublimioribus quam 
 ulla unquam habuit lingua humana. 
 
 III. This Epistle consists of six chapters, the first 
 three of which are usually considered as doctrinal, and 
 the other tluee as practical. St. Paul, after saluting the 
 saints at Ephesus, expresses his gratitude to God for 
 the blessings of the Gospel dispensation, and assures the 
 Ephesians that since he heard of their faith in Christ 
 Jesus, and of their love to all Christians, he had not ceased 
 to return thanks for them, and to pray tliat their minds 
 might be still farther enlightened (e) ; lie points out the 
 excellence of the Gospel dispensation, and shows that re- 
 demption through Christ is to be ascribed solely to the 
 grace of God (J') ; he declares the mystery or hidden pur- 
 pose of God to be, that the Gentiles as well as the Jews 
 should be partakers of the blessings of the Gospel, and 
 that through the goodness of God he was appointed to be 
 the Apostle of the Gentiles ; he desires the Ephesians not 
 to be dejected on account of his sufi"erings, and closes this 
 part of the Epistle with an affectionate prayer and a 
 
 (d) C. I, V. 15. (c) C. 1. (/) C. 2. 
 
232 EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. [Part II. 
 
 sublime doxology (g). In the last three chaptei*s, St. Paul 
 gives the Ephesians many practical exhortations ; and in 
 particular he recommends union, purity of manners, vera- 
 city, and meekness (//) ; he enjoins charity, and forbids 
 every species of Ucentiousness ; he enforces the duties of 
 •wives, of husbands (i), of chikben, of fathers, of servants, 
 of masters ; he recommends watchfulness and firmness in 
 the Christian warfare, and concludes the Epistle with a 
 general benediction (k). 
 
 (S)C.3. (A)C.4. (0 C.5. (<-)C. 6. 
 
Chap. 14.] EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. 283 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE FOURTEENTH. 
 
 OF THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. 
 
 I. DATE OF THIS EPISTLE, AND WRITTEN. 
 
 OCCASION OF ITS BEING II. ITS CONTENTS. 
 
 I. Philippi was a city of Macedonia, and a Roman 
 colon}', not far from the borders of Thrace. It was the 
 first place at which St. Paul preached the Gospel upon 
 the continent of Europe, in the year 51 f He made many 
 converts there, who soon afterwards gave strong proofs 
 of their attachment to him (a). He was at Philippi a 
 second time, but nothing which then occuiTed is recorded. 
 The Phihppian Christians, having heard of St. Paul's 
 imprisonment at Rome, with their accustomed zeal sent 
 Epaphroditus to assure him of the continuance of their 
 regard, and to oflfer him a supply of money. This Epistle 
 was written in consequence of that act of kindness ; and 
 it is remarkable for its strong expressions of affection. As 
 the Apostle tells the Philippians that he hoped to see them 
 shortly (b), and there are plain intimations {c), in the 
 Epistle of his having been some time at Rome, it is pro- 
 bable that it was written in the year 62, towards the end 
 of his confinement. 
 
 (a) C. 4, V. 15. (b) C. 2, V. 24 
 
 (c) C. 1, V. 12, c. 2, V. 26. 
 
284 EPISTLE TO THE piiiLippiAXS. [Part II. 
 
 II. St. Paul, after a salutation in his o\A'n name, and 
 in that of Timothy, declares his thankfulness to God for 
 having made the Philippians partakers of the blessings of 
 the Gospel, and prays for their farther improvement in 
 knowledge and righteousness ; he informs them that his 
 confinement had contributed to the furtherance of the 
 Gospel, and declares his readiness to die in its cause, or 
 live for its promotion ; he exhorts them, with great warmth 
 and earnestness, to live as it becometh the Gospel of Christ, 
 being in nothing terrified by then- adversaries (d) ; to live 
 in harmony with each other, and to practice the virtue of 
 humility after the exam])le of Christ ; he encourages them 
 to work out tlieir salvation, and expresses his intention of 
 sending Timothy to them soon, and some hope of visiting 
 them himself; in the meantime he tells them that he had 
 sent back Epaphroditus, their messenger, who had been 
 detained at Rome by a dangerous illness (e) ; he cautions 
 them against false teachers, with particular reference to 
 Judaizers, and gives some account of himself and of his 
 zeal for the Gospel, which be advises the Philippians to 
 imitate (J"). In the last chapter he adds farther exhorta- 
 tions, expresses his satisfaction and thankfulness for tl'.eir 
 repeated liberalitj-, and concludes with salutations, and his 
 usual benediction. 
 
 " It is a strong proof," says Chrysostom, " of the vir- 
 tuous conduct of the Philippians, that they did not afford 
 the Apostle a single subject of complaint; for in the 
 whole Epistle which he wi-ote to them, there is nothing but 
 exhortation and encouragement, without the mixtm-e of 
 any censure whatever ((/)." 
 
 (rf) C. ]. (e) C. 2. (/) C. 3. 
 
 (ff) Preface to this Epistle. 
 
Chap. 15.] EPISTLE TO THE C0L0SSIAN9 285 
 
 PART n. 
 
 CHAPTER THE FIFTEENTH. 
 
 OF THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS, 
 
 I, THK OCCASION OF THIS EPIS- 
 TLE BEING ■WRITTEN, AND 
 ITS DATE. 
 II. WHETHER ST. PAUL, WHEN 
 HE WROTE IT, HAD BEEN AT 
 COLOSSE. 
 
 III. BY WH05r THE CHURCH 
 AT COLOSSE WAS TOUND- 
 EIl. 
 
 IV. THB SUBSTANCE OF THIS 
 EPISTLE. 
 
 I. The Christians of Colosse, a city of Phrygia, in 
 Asia Minor, having heard of Paul's imprisonment at 
 Rome, sent Epaphras thither to inform him of the 
 state of their affairs, and to inquire after his welfare. 
 In return for that mark of attention, St. Paul, while he 
 was still in confinement, and probahty in the year 62, 
 wrote this Epistle to the Colossians, and sent it to them 
 by Tychicus and Onesimus. Epaphras was cast into 
 prison after his arrival at Rome ; and it is generally sup- 
 posed that he had provoked the displeasure of the Roman 
 Government hy his zeal in preaching the Gospel. 
 
 II. We learn from the Acts of the Apostles, that St. 
 Paul was in Phrygia, both in his second and third apos- 
 tolical journies, in the year 51 and 53 ; but it is thought 
 by many persons, that this Epistle contains internal marks 
 of his never having been at Colosse when he wrote it. 
 This opinion rests principally upon the following passage : 
 "For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have 
 
286 OF THE EPISTLE [Part Il« 
 
 for you, and for tliem at Laodicea, and for as many an 
 have not seen my face in the flesh (a)." I must own that 
 these words are not in my judgment conclusive ; if they 
 prove any thing upon this question, they prove that St. 
 Paul had never been either at Laodicea or Colosse ; but 
 smely it is very improbable that he should have travelled 
 twice into Phrygia for the j>urpose of preaching the Gos- 
 pel, and not have gone either to Laodicea or Colosse, 
 which were the two principal cities of that country ; espe- 
 cially as, in the second journey into those parts, it is said, 
 " that he went over all the coimtry of Galatia and Phrygia, 
 strengthening all the disciples ;" and moreover, we knoA\' 
 that it was the Apostle's practice to preach at the most 
 considerable places of every district into which he went- 
 However, I confess there is no dii-ect proof, either in this 
 Epistle, or in the Acts, that St. Paul ever was at Colosse ; 
 and therefore, after all, it is a point which must be left in 
 some degree doubtful. 
 
 in. Nor can we ascertain by whom the church at Co- 
 losse was founded : for it is possible that St. Paul might 
 have gone thither, after some other apostle or teacher had 
 founded a church there. Some have concluded, from the 
 two following passages in this Einstle, that the Colossians 
 were first converted by Epaphras : " As ye also learned o^ 
 Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful 
 minister of Christ {b). — "Epaphras, who is one of you, a 
 servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently 
 for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete 
 in all the will of God (c)." These passages do not appear 
 to prove that Epaphras originally converted the Colossians 
 to the Gospel, although they show that he had been an 
 active minister among theiii ; and indeed the expression, 
 " Epaphras, who is one of yov" places Epaphras and the 
 
 (a) Cul. c. 2, v. 1. (i)C. I,v. 7. rc)C. 4, V. 12. 
 
Chap. 15.J TO THE COLOSSIANS. 287 
 
 other Colossians upon the same footing, and is scarcely 
 consistent with the idea that Epaphras was the person 
 through whom the inhabitants of Colosse had embraced 
 Christianity. Upon the whole, I am inclined to think that 
 St. Paul founded the chiu'ch at Colosse, and my opinion 
 rests principally upon those terms, both of aflfection and of 
 authority, in which this Epistle is written. Dr. Lardner, 
 after quoting and ai-guing upon several passages of this 
 kind, says, " From all these considerations, it appears to 
 me very probable that the chiu-ch at Colosse had been 
 planted by the Apostle Paul, and that the Christians there 
 were his friends, disciples, and converts (d)." 
 
 IV. This Epistle greatly resembles that to the Ephe- 
 sians, both in sentiment and expression. After saluting 
 the Colossian Christians in his ov^ti name, and that of 
 Timothy, St. Paul assm-es them, that since he had heard 
 of their faith in Christ Jesus, and of their love to all Chris- 
 tians, he had not ceased to return thanks to God for them, 
 and to pray that they might increase in spiritual know- 
 ledge, and abound in eveiy good work ; he describes the 
 dignity of Christ, and declares the universality of the 
 Gospel dispensation, which was a mystery formerly hidden, 
 but now made manifest ; and he mentions his own aji- 
 pointment, through the grace of God, to be the Apostle of 
 the Gentiles ; he expresses a tender concern for the Colos- 
 sians and other Christians of Phrygia, and cautions them 
 against being seduced from the simphcity of the Gospel by 
 the subtlety of Pagan philosophers or the superstition of 
 Judaizing Christians (e) ; he directs them to set their af- 
 fections on things above, and forbids every species of licen- 
 tiousness ; he exhorts to a variety of Christian vu'tues, to 
 meekness, veracity, humility, charity, and devotion ; he 
 enforces the duties of wives, husbands, children, fathers, 
 
 (d) Vol. 6, p. 461. (e) C. 1 and 2. 
 
288 EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. [Part II. 
 
 servants (^), and masters; he inculcates the duty of 
 prayer, and of prudent behanour towai'ds unbelievers ; and 
 after adding the salutations of several persons then at 
 llome, and desiring that this Epistle might be read in the 
 church of their neighbours the Laodiceans, he concludes 
 vvith a salutation from himself, written as usual {g), with 
 his own hand (A). 
 
 (/) C. 3. (y) 2 Thess. c. 3, t. 17. {h) C 4 
 
Chaj<. 16.] FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 289 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE SIXTEENTH. 
 
 OF THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 
 
 I, T!IE OCCASION OF THIS EPI- 
 STLE BEING WRITTEN, AND 
 ITS DATE. 
 
 SUBSTANCE OF THIS EPI- 
 STLE. 
 
 I. It is recorded in the Acts, as we have seen, that St. 
 Paul, in his first journey upon the continent of Em(/pe. 
 preached the Gospel at Tliessalonica, at that time the 
 capital of Macedonia, with considerable success ; but that 
 after a ?hort stay he was driven thence by the malice and 
 violence of the unbelieving Jews. From Thessalonica 
 Paul went to Beroea, a»d thence to Athens, at both which 
 places he remained but a short time. From Athens he 
 sent Timothy to Thessalonica, to confirm the new con- 
 verts in their faith, and to inquire into their conduct. 
 Timothy, upon his return, found S'". Paul at Corinth. 
 Thence, probably in the year 52, Paul wrote this Epistle 
 to the Thessalonians ; and it is to be supposed that the 
 subjects of which it treats were suggested by the account 
 which he received from Timothy. It is now generally 
 believed that this was written the first of all St. Paul's 
 Ej)istles, but it is not known by whom it was sent to Thes- 
 salonica. The church there consisted chiefly of Gentile 
 converts (a). 
 
 (a) C. 1, V, 9. 
 
 u 
 
290 FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALOXIAXS. [Part II. 
 
 II. St. Paul, after saluting the Tliessalonian O.ri?- 
 tians in the name of himself, Silas and Timothy, assures 
 them that he constantly retiunecl thanks to God on their 
 account, and mentioned them in his prayers ; he acknow- 
 ledges the readiness and sincerity with which they em- 
 braced the Gospel, and the great reputation which they liad 
 acquired by turning from idols to serve the living God (b) ; 
 he reminds them of the bold and disinterested manner in 
 which he had preached among them ; comforts them under 
 the persecutions which they, like other Christians, had ex- 
 perienced from their unbelieving coimtrymen, and informs 
 them of two ineffectual attempts which he had made to 
 visit them again (c) ; and that, being thus disappointed, he 
 had sent Timothy to confirm their faith, and inquire 
 into their conduct ; he tells them that Timothy's account ot 
 them had given him the greatest consolation and joy 
 in the midst of his affliction and distress, and that he con- 
 tinually prayed to God for an opportmiity of seeing them 
 again, and for their perfect estabhshment in the Gospel (d) ; 
 he exhorts to puritj', justice, love, and quietness, and dis- 
 suades them against excessive grief for their deceased 
 friends (e) ; hence he takes occasion to recommend prepar- 
 ation for the last judgment, the time of which is always 
 uncertain, and adds a variety of practical precepts. lie 
 concludes with his usual benechction (/"). 
 
 This Epistle is ^\Titten in terms of high commendation, 
 earnestness, and affection. 
 
 (b) C. 1. (c) C. 2. (d) C. 3. 
 
 (e) C. 4. It is probable that St. Paul was led to men- 
 tion this subject by some account which he had received IVom 
 Timothy, of the Thessalonian Christians having lamented the 
 death of some of their friends, after the maimer of the Heathen, 
 who sorrowed as having no hope that they should meet again 
 
 (/) C. 5. 
 
Chf.J).170 SECOND F.PISTLETf THETUESSALONIANS. 291 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE SEVENTEENTH. 
 
 OF THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIAN3. 
 
 I. THS OCCASION OF THIS EFI- 1 II. SUBSTANCE OF THIS 
 STLE BEING AVRITTEN, AND ITS EPISTLE. 
 
 DATE. 1 
 
 I. It is generally believed that the messenger who carried 
 the former Epistle into Macedonia, upon his return to 
 Corinth, informed St. Paul that the Thessalonians had in- 
 ferred, from some expressions (a) in it, that the coming of 
 Christ and the final judgment were near at hand, and 
 would happen in the time of many who were then alive. 
 Tlie principal design of this second Epistle to the Thessa- 
 lonians was to correct that error, and prevent the mischief 
 which it would naturally occasion. It was %M'itten from 
 Corinth, and probably at the end of the year 52. 
 
 11. St. Paul begins with the same salutation as in the 
 former Epistle, and then expresses his devout acknow- 
 ledgements to God for the increasing faith and mutual love 
 of the Thessalonians in the midst of persecutions ; he 
 represents to them the rewards which will be bestowed 
 upon the faithful, and the punishment which will be iu- 
 fiicted upon the disobedient at the coming of Christ (b) ; 
 he earnestly entreats them not to suppose, as upon authority 
 
 (o) 1 Thess. c. 4, v. 15 and 17, c. 5, v. 6. 
 (b) C. I 
 
292 SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. [Part II. 
 
 from him, or upon any other ground, that the last day is 
 at hand ; he assures them that before that awful jjeriod, a 
 great apostacy will take place, and reminds them of some 
 information which he had given them upon that subject 
 when he was at Thessalonica ; he exhorts them to stead- 
 fastness in their faith, and prays to God, to ccirfort their 
 hearts, and establish them in every good word and work (c) ; 
 he desires their prayers for the success of his ministry, 
 and expresses his confidence in their sincerity ; he cau- 
 tions them against associating Avith idle and disorderly 
 persons, and recommends diligence and quietness. lie 
 adds a salutation in his own hand, and concludes with his 
 jsual benediction (d). 
 
 (c) C. 2. [d) C. 3. 
 
Cbap. l.j FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 293 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE EIGHTEENTH. 
 
 OF THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 
 
 I. HISTORY OF TIMOTHY. I III. DESIGN AND SUBSTANCE 
 
 11. D.VTE OF THIS EPISTLE. | OF IT. 
 
 I. Timothy was a native of Lystra in Lycaonia; his 
 father was a Gentile ; but his mother, whose name was 
 Eunice, was a Jewess (a), and educated her son with great 
 care in lier o^ti rehgion (b). In the beginning of this 
 Epistle, Paul calls Timothy his " own son in the faith (c);" 
 from which expression it is inferred that Paul was the per- 
 son who converted him to the faith of the Gospel : and as, 
 upon Paul's second arrival at Lystra, Timothy is men- 
 tioned as being then a disciple, and as having distinguished 
 himself among the Christians of that neighbourhood, his 
 conversion, as well as that of Eunice, his mother, and 
 Lois, his grandmother, must have taken place when St. 
 Paul first preached at Lystra, in the year 46. Upon St. 
 Paul's leaving Lystra, in the course of his second apo- 
 stolical journey, he was induced to take Timothy with 
 him, on account of his excellent character, and the zeal 
 which, young as he was, he had already shown in the 
 
 (fl) Acts, c. 16, V. I. 
 (b) 2 Tim. c. 1, v. 5, c, 3, v. 15. 
 (c) 1 Tim. c. l,v. 2. 
 
294 FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [Part II. 
 
 cause of Christianity; but before they set out, Paul 
 caused him to be circumcised, not as a thing necessary 
 to his salvation, but to avoid giving oiFcnce to the Jews, 
 as he was a Jew by the mother's side, and it was an es- 
 stablished rule among the Jews, that "partus scquitur 
 ventrem." Timothy was regularly appointed to the minis- 
 terial office by the laying on of hands, not only by Paul 
 himself (d), but also by the presbytery (e). From this 
 time Timothy constantly acted as a minister of the Gospel; 
 he generally attended St. Paul, but was sometimes em- 
 ployed by him in other places ; he was very diUgent and 
 useful, and is always mentioned with great esteem and af- 
 fection by St. Paul, who joins his name with his own in 
 the inscription of six of his Epistles (J"). He is some- 
 times called bishop of Ephesus, and it has been said that 
 he suffered martyrdom in that city, some years after the 
 death of St. Paul. 
 
 H. We are now to consider the date of this Epistle, 
 concerning which the learned are by no means agreed. 
 From the third verse of the first chapter, " As I besought 
 thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedo- 
 nia," it is generally admitted that St. Paul wrote this 
 Epistle in Macedonia, that he had lately come thither 
 from Ephesus, and that he had left Timothy in that city ; 
 and since the Acts of the Apostles mention only one in- 
 stance of St. Paul's going from Ephesus into Macedonia, 
 namely, immediately after the tumult occasioned by Deme- 
 trius (g), many commentators have concluded that this 
 Epistle was written soon after that event, that is, in the 
 year 5/ ; but to this date there are strong objections. 
 1 . In the first place we may observe, that there is no 
 
 (d) 2 Tim. c. 1, v. 6. (e) 1 Tim. c. 4, v. 14. 
 
 (/) Namely, the second of the Corinthians, Phiiippians, 
 Colossians, first and second of Thessalonians, and Philemon. 
 iff) Acts, c. 20, y. 1. 
 
Chap. 18.] FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 295 
 
 allusion whatever in the Epistle to any persecution \vhieh 
 St. Paul had lately suffered ; and surely if he had written 
 this Epistle to Timothy, still remaining at Ejihesus, soon 
 after he himself had been compelled to leave that city by 
 the riotous behavioiu' of its inhabitants, he would naturally 
 have alluded to that circumstance ; more especially, as in 
 his second Epistle to the Corinthians, confessedly written 
 at this time, he evidently refers to the treatment which he 
 had experienced at Ephesus, although the Corinthians 
 could have no concern, or at least were much less inter- 
 ested in it, than Timothy was, who had been with Paul 
 at Ephesus, and was still there. 
 
 2. St. Paul states the reason which had induced him to 
 request Timothy to remain at Ephesus. "That thou 
 mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine ; 
 neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which 
 minister questions rather than godly edifying, which is in 
 faith (/«)•" From this and other passages, it is evident 
 that when St. Paid wrote this Epistle, some false teachers 
 had been endeavom-iug to pervert the Ephesian Chiistians 
 from the genuine doctrine which had been taught by St. 
 Paul ; but no circumstance of this kind is mentioned in 
 the Acts ; nor is it probable that such an attempt should 
 have been made, while Paul, who had lately converted 
 the Ephesians, was still among them ; for we must remem- 
 ber that in his first short visit to Ephesus he made very 
 few, if any, converts (i) ; indeed, when he arrived there 
 the second time, he seems to have found only twelve dis- 
 ciples (k), who were so little acquainted with the nature 
 of the Gospel dispensation, that they had not so much as 
 heard whether there were any Holy Ghost : and we may 
 farther observe, that St. Paul, in his long address to the 
 
 (h) 1 Tim. c. ], V. 3 and 4. (/) Acts, c. 18, v. 19, 
 
 {k) Acts, c. 19, v. 1. 
 
2.96 FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [PlUt II. 
 
 elders of Ephesus at Miletus (/), which was subsequeht to 
 the date now under consideration, takes no notice of cor- 
 ruptions then or formerly subsisting in the church at 
 Ephesus, or of any false teachers ^nIio had been there, 
 although he tells them that he knows, " Hereafter men 
 will arise, speaking perverse things, drawing many disciples 
 after them." 
 
 3. From the following passages in this Epistle, " These 
 things WTite I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee 
 shortly (tn) ;" — " Till I come, give attendance to reading, 
 to exhortation, and doctrine (n) ;" it clearly appears, that 
 \>hen Paul wTOte this Epistle, he intended to go to Ephesus 
 soon, and before Timothy should leave it ; but this could 
 not be the case when Paul was in Macedonia in the year 
 57 i for his plan then was to go into Achaia, and thence 
 to carry to Jerusalem the collections for the poor Chris- 
 tians of Judaea : nor was Timothy remaining at Ephesus ; 
 for it is certain, admitting that he was left there, that he 
 very soon went to Paul in Macedonia, instead of Paul's 
 gomg to him at Ephesus ; this appears from Timothy being 
 ioined in the inscription of the second Epistle to the 
 Corinthians, which, as it is universally agreed, was Avritten 
 in Macedonia, not long after the tumult at Ephesus. 
 
 Lastly, let us consider, under one point of view, all 
 the circumstances, as stated in the Acts and Epistles, 
 which are connected with this question. In the Acts it is 
 said that St. Paul sent Timothy into INIacedonia at a time 
 when he had formed his jdan for leaving Ephesus (o) ; and 
 from the first Epistle to the Corinthians we learn that 
 Timothy was directed to go from Macedonia to Corinth (p), 
 and thence to Epliesus (q) ; and from the salutation in the 
 
 (0 Acts, c. 20, v. 17, &c. (m) C. 3, v. 14. 
 
 («) C. 4, V. 13. (o) Atls.c. 19, v. 21 ar.i 22. 
 
 (p) I Cor. c. 4, v. 17. (y) I Cor. c. IG, v. 11 
 
Chap. 18.] FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 297, 
 
 beginning of the second Epistle to the Corinthians it ap- 
 pears, as was just now mentioned, that Timothy was with 
 Paul when he WTote that Epistle : those, therefore, who 
 contend for this date, must suppose that Timothy re- 
 turned to Ephesus before Paul left it, although he was 
 compelled to leave it sooner than he had intended ; that 
 Paul left Timothy at Ephesus, although nothing of the 
 kind is said in the Acts ; and that Timothy quitted Ephe- 
 sus, and joined Paul in Macedonia, before he wrote his 
 second Epistle to the Corinthians, although it was intended, 
 which was also just now mentioned, that Timothy should 
 remain at Ephesus, and Paul go thither to him. This 
 train of events is, in my judgment, improbable in the 
 highest degree. 
 
 I still wish to notice more particularly one of the pas- 
 sages already referred to in the first Epistle to the Coiin- 
 thians, which was written after Timothy had set out for 
 Macedonia and Achala : St. Paul says, " Send him (that is 
 Timothy) forward in peace, that he may coine to me, for I 
 expect him with the brethren :" these brethren must be 
 Titus and his companions, whom St. Paul sent to Corinth 
 « ith his first Epistle, and whose return he had intended to 
 wait for at Ephesus ; but we know that Paul was forced to 
 leave Ephesus before the return of Titus, and therefore, 
 we may infer, before the return of Timothy, who was ex- 
 pected with Titus. If this reasoning be allowed, it is 
 decisive upon the question. 
 
 Upon the whole, the date of the year 57, suits so ill 
 with the contents of the Epistle, and it is so difficult, not 
 to say impossible, to reconcile it with a variety of ac- 
 knowledged facts, that I am inclined to reject it, and to 
 accede to the opinion of several learned men (?•), who think 
 
 (r) Pearson, Le Clerc, L'Enf\vnt, Cave, F.ibriciiis, Mill, 
 Wluiby, &c. 
 
298 FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [Part II, 
 
 that this Epistle was wTitten subsequently to St. Paul's 
 first imprisonment at Rome, and therefore, after the pe- 
 riod at which the Acts of the Apostles end : and as St. 
 Paul was liberated in the year 63, I place the writing of 
 this Epistle, and the journey to which it refers, in the \ ear 
 ()4. In su]5]iort of this opinion I shall observe, that it was 
 plainly Paul's intention, when he had hope of being re- 
 leased, to go both to Colosse and into Macedonia ; for to 
 Philemon, who was an inhabitant of Colosse, he says 
 " Prepare me also a lodging, for I trust th-at through your 
 prayers I shall be given unto you (s) ;" and to the Phi- 
 lippians he says, " I trust in the Lord that I also myself 
 shall come shortly (t)." It is admitted that these two 
 Epistles were written at the end of St. Paul's first im- 
 prisonment at Rome ; and if he executed his intention of 
 going to Colosse immediately after his release, it is very 
 probable that he would also visit Ephesns, which was near 
 Colosse, and go thence to Pliilippi. It is also pro))ab]e 
 that during St. Paul's long absence of seven years, some 
 corruptions might have made their way into the church 
 of Ephesus, and that Paul should leave Timothy to correct 
 what was amiss, w ith an intention of returning to Ephesus 
 himself, when he had visited the churches in Macedonia. 
 
 But it must not be concealed, that to this date two 
 thmgs are objected : First, it is urged, that if St. Paul 
 wrote this Epistle in the year 64, he could not, with any 
 proi)riety, have said to Timothy, " Let no man despise thy 
 youth," since, if he were only twenty years of age, and he 
 could not well be younger, when he first became St. Paul's 
 companion and assistant, in the year 51, he would, in the 
 year 64 be thirty-three, to Avhich age it is thought the 
 Apostle would not ajiply the word youth. To this it may 
 be answered, that Timothy might be younger than persons 
 
 (s) V. 22. (J) C. 2, V. 24. 
 
Cliap. is.'] FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 209 
 
 usually were who were entrusted with such cominissions. 
 He certainly was young when compared with the import- 
 ance of the business in which he was engaged, and St. 
 Paul thought that he stood in need of particular instruc- 
 tions and directions from himself. Or Timothy might he 
 younger than those whom he had to oppose, or those whom 
 he had to correct, and on that account Paul might fear 
 that people would not be disposed to submit to his autho- 
 rity ; or this passage might have reference to some cir- 
 cumstance which had occurred at Ephesus, and which is 
 not transmitted to us. In any case, the word youth seems 
 to be of so indefinite a signification, and is so often use4 
 in a relative sense, that we cannot draw from it any posi- 
 tive conclusion concerning the precise age of a person to 
 whom it is applied (?<). But the force of this objection is 
 entirely destroyed by the consideration that St. Paul, in 
 his second Epistle to Timothy, gives him this precept, 
 " Flee also youthful lusts (.r) ;" for it Avill afterwards ap- 
 pear that the second Epistle to Timothy was \ATitten 
 during St. Paul's second imprisonment at Rome, and con- 
 sequently after the year 64, and yet even then the Apostle 
 considered Timothy as a young man. 
 
 The other objection arises from St. Paul's declaration 
 to the Ephesian elders at Miletus, in the year 58, " that 
 they should see his face no moi'e (y)," which is considered 
 as a prediction that he should never go to Ephesus again ; 
 whereas the date assigned by us to this Epistle necessarily 
 implies that he was at Ephesus in the year 64. But we 
 must remember that though St. Paul was an inspired apo- 
 stle, his inspiration by no means extended to every thing 
 
 (u) Aulus Gellius, lib. 10, cap. 28, informs us, that Servius 
 fullius, in classing the Roman people, divided their age into 
 three periods : childhood, which extended to the age of seven- 
 teen ; youth from seventeen to forty-six; and old age from 
 forty-six to the end of life. 
 
 (a) 2 Tim. c. 2, v. 22. (yj Acts, c. 20, v. 25. 
 
300 FIRST El'ISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [Part II. 
 
 which he said, nor did it enable him to foresee exactly what 
 would happen to him : this appears in the clearest manner 
 from this very speech to the Ephesian elders ;" " And now, 
 behold," sa3S St. Paul, " I go bound in the Spirit to Je- 
 rusalem, 7int knowing the things that shall befal me 
 there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, 
 saying that bonds and afflictions await rae (r)." Thus 
 he expressly declares the limited and partial nature of in- 
 spiration ; that the Holy Ghost had revealed generally that 
 he was about to suffer bonds and afflictions, but that the 
 communication went no farther ; and if he did not know 
 the particular events which awaited him even at Jerusalem, 
 whither he was then going, much less probable is it that 
 he was enabled to foresee with certainty whether he should 
 ever be at Ephesus again. The declaration, therefore, 
 that the Ephesian elders viould no more see his foce, ap- 
 pears not to have been dictated by the Holy Ghost ; it was 
 merely " the conclusion of his own mind, the desponding 
 inference which he drew from strong and repeated intima- 
 tions of approaching danger (rt)." 
 
 III. The principal design of the Epistle was to give in- 
 structions to Timothj' concerning the management of the 
 church of Ephesus ; and it was probably intended tliat this 
 Epistle should be read publicly to the Ephesians, that they 
 might know upon what authority Timothy acted. Mtcr 
 saluting him in an affectionate manner, and reminding 
 him of the reason for which he was left at Ephesus, the 
 Apostle takes occasion from the frivolous disputes which 
 some Judaizing teachers had introduced among the Ephe- 
 sians, to assert the practical nature of the Gospel, and to 
 show its superiority over the law ; he returns thanks to 
 God for his own appointment to the apostleship, and re- 
 commends to Timothy fidelity in the discharge of his 
 
 {z) Acts, c. 20, V. 22 and 23. 
 Qa) Dr. Paley's Hor. P.iul. 
 
Chap. 18.] FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 30i 
 
 sacred office {l>) ; lie exhorts that prayers should be made 
 for all men, and especially for magistrates ; he gives direc- 
 tions for the conduct of women, and forbids their teaching 
 in public (c) ; he describes the qualifications necessary for 
 bishops and deacons, and speaks of the mysterious nature 
 of the Gospel dispensation (d) ; he foretels that there will 
 be apostates from the truth, and false teachers in the latter 
 times, and recommends to Timothy purity of manners and 
 improvement of his spiritual gifts (e) ; he gives him par- 
 ticular directions for his behaviour towards persons in dif- 
 ferent situations of life, and instructs him in several points 
 of Christian discipline (/) ; he cautions him against falss 
 teachers, gives him several precepts, and solemnly chargee 
 him to be faithful to his trust (g). 
 
 (h) 0. 1. (c) C. 2. (d) C. 3. 
 
 ■(e) C. -1. (/) C. 5. {3) C. G. 
 
302 SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [Part I 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE NINETEENTH. 
 
 OF THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 
 
 I. DATE OF THIS EPISTLE. IT WAS AVRITTEN TO HIXI. 
 
 II. WHERE TIMOTHY WAS WHEN | 111. SUBSTANCE OF IT. 
 
 I. That this Epistle was written while Paul was under 
 confinement at Rome, appears from the two following i)as- 
 sages : " Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony 
 of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner («)." — " The Lord 
 give mercy unto the house of Onesiphirns for he oft re- 
 freshed me, and ■v\as not ashamed of m}' chain, but Avhen 
 he was in Rome, he sought inc out very diligenth'. and 
 found me (i)." And if we have done rightly in dating the 
 first Epistle to Timothy after St. Paul's first imprisonment 
 at Rome, it will follow that this second Epistle must 
 have been written during his second imprisonment in that 
 city. 
 
 The Epistle itself ^^•ill furnish us with several argmnents 
 to prove that it could not have been written during St. 
 Paul's first imprisonment. 
 
 1. It is universally agreed that St. Paul wrote his Epi- 
 stles to the Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and to 
 Philemon, while he was confined the first time at Rome. 
 
 {a} C. 1, v. 8. {b"^ C. 1, v. IG and T 
 
Chap. 19.] SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. .'J03 
 
 In no one of these Epistles does he express any apprehen- 
 sion for his Ufe ; and in the two last mentioned we have 
 seen that, on the contrary, he expresses a confident hope 
 of being soon liberated ; but in this Epistle he holds a 
 very different language ; " I am now ready to be offered, 
 and the time of my departm-e is at hand. I have fought a 
 good fight : I have finished my course ; I have kept the 
 faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of 
 righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall 
 give me at that day (c)." The danger in which St. Paul 
 now was, is evident from the conduct of his friends when 
 he made his defence : " At my first answer no man stood 
 with me, but all men forsook me (c?)." This expectation 
 of death and this imminent danger, cannot be reconciled 
 either with the general tenor of his Epistles written during 
 his first confinement at Rome, with the nature of the 
 charge laid against him when he was carried thither from 
 Jerusalem, or with St. Luke's account of his confinement 
 there ; for we must remember that in the year 63, Nero 
 had not began to persecute the Christians ; that none of 
 the Roman magistrates and officers who heard the accusa- 
 tions aginst Paul at Jerusalem, thought that he had com- 
 mitted any offence against tli£ Roman government ; that 
 at Rome St. Paul was completely out of the power of the 
 Jews ; and so little was he there considered as having been 
 guilty of any capital crime, that he was suffered to dwell 
 " two whole years (that is, the Avhole time of his confine- 
 ment) in his own hii-ed house, and to receive all that came 
 in unto him, preaching the word of God, and teaching 
 those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all 
 confidence, no man forbidding him (e)." 
 
 2. From the inscriptions of the Epistles to the Colos- 
 sians, Philippians, and Philemon, it is certain that Timothy 
 
 (c) C 4, v. G, &c. id) C. 4, v. IG. 
 
 (e) Acts, c. 28, v. 30 and 31. 
 
304 SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [Part 11. 
 
 was with Paul in his first imprisonment at Rome; but this 
 Epistle implies that Timothy was absent. 
 
 3. St. Paul tells the Colossians that Mark salutes 
 them, and therefore he was at Rome Avith Paul in his 
 first imprisonment, but he was not at Rome when this 
 Epistle was A\Titten, for Timothy is directed to bring him 
 with him {/). 
 
 4. Demas also was with Paul when he ^^rote to the 
 Colossians : " Luke the beloved physieian, and Demas, 
 greet you (^)." In this Epistle he says, "Demas hath 
 forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is de- 
 parted unto Thessalonica {h)." It may be said that this 
 Epistle might have been written before the others, and 
 that in the intermediate time Timothy and Mark might 
 l)ave come to Rome, more especially as Paul desires 
 Timothy to come shortly, and bring Mark with him. But 
 this hj^thesis is not consistent with what is said of 
 Demas, who was with Paul when he wrote to the Co- 
 lossians, and had left him when he WTote this second 
 Epistle to Timothy ; consequently the Epistle to Timothy 
 nuist be ])osterior to that addressed to the Colossians. 
 The case of Demas seems to have been that he continued 
 faithful to St. Paul during his first imprisonment, which 
 was attended with little or no danger, but deserted him 
 in the second, when Nero was persecuting the Christians, 
 and Paul evidently considered himself in great danger. 
 
 5. St. Paul tells Timothy, " Erastus abode at Corinth, 
 but Trojihiraus have I left at Miletum sick (i) ;" these were 
 plainly two circumstances which had happened in some 
 journey which Paul had taken not long before he wrote 
 this Epistle, and since he and Timothy had seen each 
 other; but the last time St. Paul was at Corinth and 
 Miletus, prior to his first imprisonment at Rome, Timothy 
 
 (/) C. 4, V. 11. {(/) C. 4, V. 14. 
 
 (/>) C. 4, V. 10. C») C. 4, V. 2U. 
 
Chap. 19.] SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 305 
 
 was w ith him at both places ; and Trophimus could not 
 have been then left at Miletus, for we find him at Jeru- 
 salem immediately after Paul's arrival m that city, " for 
 they had seen before Avith him in the city Trojihimus an 
 Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought 
 into the temple (k)." These two facts must therelore 
 refer to some jom-ney subsequent to the first imprison- 
 ment ; and conseqiiCvitly this Epistle was written during 
 St. Paul's second imprisonment at Rome (/) ; and pro 
 bably in the year 65, not long before his death. 
 
 II. It is by no means certain where Timothy was when 
 this Epistle was \mtten to him. It seems most probable 
 that he was somewhere in Asia Minor, since St. Paul de- 
 sires him to bring the cloak with him which he had left at 
 Troas (»i) ; and also at the end of the first chaptei", he 
 speaks of several persons whose residence was in Asia. 
 Many have t^iought that he was at Ephesus ; but others 
 have rejected that opinion, because Troas does not lie in 
 the way from Ephesus t^ Rome, A\'hither he was directed 
 to go as quickly as he could. 
 
 III. St. Paul, after his usual salutation, assures 
 Timothy of his most affectionate remembrance ; he speaks 
 of his own apostleship and of his sufferings; e.xhorts 
 Timothy to be steadfast in the true faith {n) ; to be con- 
 stant and diligent in the discharge of his ministeiial office; 
 to avoid foolish and unlearned questions ; and to practise 
 and inculcate the great duties of the Gospel {o) ; he 
 describes the apostacy and general wickedness of the last 
 
 (*) Acts, c. 21, V. 29. 
 
 {I) Dr. Lardner has laboured to prove that this Epistle was 
 written during St. Paul's first imprisonment at Rome; but 
 his arguments are very well answered by Dr. Macknight, in 
 his Preface to this Epistle. 
 
 (»i) C. 4, V. 13. (h) C. 1. 
 
 io) C. 2. 
 X 
 
306 SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY, [PartIL 
 
 days, and highly commeuds the Holy Scriptures (p) ; lie 
 again solemnly exhorts Timothy to dihgence ; speaks ot 
 his own danger, and of his hope of future reward ; ami 
 concludes with several private directions, and with salu- 
 tations (q). 
 
 (p) C. a (q) C 4. 
 
Chap. 20.] EPISTLE TO TITUS. 30/ 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE TWENTIETH. 
 
 OF THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. 
 
 I. HISTOKY OF TITUS. 
 II, FROM WHAT PLACE ST. 
 PAUL WROTE THIS EPI- 
 STLE. 
 III. ITS DATE. 
 
 WHEN A CHRISTIAN CHURCH 
 WAS FIRST FOUNDED INCRETE. 
 DESIGN AND SUBSTANCE OF 
 THIS EPISTLE. 
 
 I. It is remarkable that Titus is not mentioned iu the Acts 
 of the Apostles. The few particulars which ai'e known of 
 iiim, are collected from the Epistles of St. Paul. We 
 jeam from them that he was a Greek (a) ; but it is not 
 recorded to what city or country he belonged. From St. 
 Paul's calling him " his own son according to the common 
 faith (b)," it is concluded that he was converted by liim ; 
 but we have no account of the time or place of his con- 
 version. He is first mentioned as going from Antioch to 
 the council at Jerusalem in the year 49 (c) ; and upon 
 that occasion Paul says that he would not allow him to be 
 circumcised, because he was born of Gentile parents. He 
 probably accompanied St. Paul in his second apostolical 
 journey, and from that time he seems to have been con- 
 stantly employed by him in the propagation of the Gospel ; 
 
 (a) Gal. 0.2, v. 3. {b) Tit. c. 1, v. 1. 
 
 (f) Gal. c. 2, V. 1. 
 
308 EFXSTLE TO TITLS. [Pait II 
 
 he falls him his partner and fellow-helper (d). Paul sent 
 him from Ephesus with his first Ejjistle to the Corinthians, 
 and with a commission to inquire into the state of tlie 
 church at Corinth ; and he sent them thither again from 
 Macedonia with his second Epistle, and to forward the 
 collections for " the saints in Judtca." From this time we 
 hear nothing of Titus till he was left by Paul in Crete, 
 after his first imprisonment at Rome, to " set in order the 
 things that were wanting, and to ordain elders in every 
 city (e)." It is probable that he went thence to join St. 
 Paul at Nicopolis {/) ; that they went together to Crete 
 to visit the churches there, and thence to Rome. During 
 St. Paul's second imprisonment at Rome, Titus went into 
 Dalmatia (<j) ; and after the Apostle's death he is said to 
 have returned into Crete, and to have died there, in the 
 94th year of his age ; he is often called Bishop of Crete 
 by ecclesiastical writers. St. Paid always speaks of Tituw 
 m terms of high regard, and entrusted him, as we have 
 seen, with commissions of great importance. 
 
 II. It is by no means certain from what place St. Paul 
 wrote this Epistle. But as he desires Titus to come to 
 him at Nicopolis (h), and declares his intention of passing 
 the winter there, some have supposed that, when he wrote 
 it, he was in the neighbourhood of that city, either in 
 Greece or Macedonia ; others have imagined that he wrote 
 it from Colossc, but it is difficult to say upon what ground. 
 
 III. As it appears that St. Paul, not long before he 
 wTote this Epistle, had left Titus in Crete for the purpose 
 x){ regulating the affairs of the church, and at the time he 
 
 (d) 2 Cor. c. 8, v. 23 (e) Tit. c. 1, v. 5. 
 
 (/) Tit. c. 3, V. 2i. ig) 2 Tim. c. 4, v. 10. 
 
 (A) C. 3, V 12. Tlicre were many cities of this iiamo. 
 The one meant by St. Paul was probably in Epirus, and 
 •was built by Augustus, in honour of his victory over (Vnlony 
 at Aclium. 
 
Chap. 20.] EPISTLE TO TITUS. '6'j'J 
 
 \vrote it, liad determined to pass the approaching jvinter 
 at Nicopohs, and as tlie Acts of the Ajjostles do not give 
 any account of St. Paul's preaching in that island (/), or of 
 visiting that city, it is concluded that this Epistle was 
 written after his first imprisonment at Rome, and probably 
 in the year 64. It may be considered as some confirma- 
 tion of that opinion, that there is a great similarity between 
 the sentiments and expressions of this Epistle and of the 
 first Epistle to Timothy, which was written in that year. 
 
 IV. It is not known at what time a Christian Church 
 was first planted at Crete; but as some Cretans were 
 present at the first effusion of the Holy Ghost at Jeni- 
 salem {h), it is not improbable that, upon their return 
 home, they might be the means of introducing the Gospel 
 among their coiratrymen. Crete is said to have abounded 
 vi\t\\ Jews ; and from the latter part of the first chapter 
 of this Epistle it appears that many of them were persons 
 of very profligate lives, even after they had embraced the 
 Gospel. 
 
 V. The principal design of this Epistle was to give in- 
 structicns to Titus concerning the management of the 
 churches in the different cities of the Island of Crete, and 
 it was probably intended to be read publicly to the Cretans, 
 that they might know upon what authority Titus acted. 
 St. Paul, after his usual salutation, intimates that he was 
 api)ointed an apostle by the express command of God, 
 and reminds Titus of the reason of his being left in Crete ; 
 he describes the qualifications necessary for bishops, and 
 cautionr him against persons of bad principles, espe- 
 cially Judaizing teachers, whom he directs Titus to reprove 
 
 {C) St. Paul stopped a short tune in Crete, when he was 
 carried prisoner from Jerusalem to Rome ; but there is no 
 reason to believe that he then preached the Gospel there. No 
 one ever supposed that this visit to Crete was the oi;e referred 
 to in the Epistle to Titus. 
 
 (At) Acts, c. 2, v. 11, 
 
310 EPISTLE TO TITUS. [Part II 
 
 ivith severit)' (/) ; he informs him what mstnictions he 
 shoukl give to jieople in different situations of hfe, and 
 exhorts him to be exemplary in his own conduct j he 
 points out the pure and practical nature of the Gospel (wj), 
 and enumerates some particular virtues which he was to 
 inculcate, avoiding foolish questions and frivolous disputes j 
 he tells him how he is to behave towards heretics, aud 
 concludes with salutations (71), 
 
 'A C 1. (/«) C. 2. (n) c. ;i 
 
C.'lKip 21.] EPISTLE TO PHILEMON. Sll 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FIRST. 
 
 OF THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON. 
 
 I. WHO PHILEMON WAS. I WRITTEN. 
 
 II. DATE OF THIS EPISTtE. ( IV. SUBSTANCE AND CHARAC- 
 
 III. OCCASION OF ITS BEING j TER OF THIS EPISTLE. 
 
 I. Philemon was an inhabitant of Colosse, and from 
 the manner in which he is addressed in this Epistle, it is 
 probable that he was a person of some consideration in 
 that city. St. Paul seems to have been the means of 
 converting him to the belief of the Gospel (a). He calls 
 him his fellow-labourer ; and from that expression some 
 have thought that he ^^ as bishop or deacon of the cluuch 
 at Colosse ; but others have been of opinion that he was 
 only a private Christian, who had shown a zealous and 
 active disposition in the cause of Christianity, without 
 holding any ecclesiastical office. 
 
 II. We learn from this Epistle itself, that it was written 
 when St. Paul was a prisoner, and when he had hope of 
 soon recovering his liberty {h) ; and thence Ave conclude 
 that it was written towards the end of his first confinement 
 at Rome. This opinion is also supported by the following 
 
 (c) V. 19. {b) V. 1 and 22. 
 
312 El'ISTLE TO PHILEMON. [Puitll. 
 
 circumstances : Oiieslmus, the bearer of this Epistle, was 
 one of the persons who were intrusted with that to the 
 Colossians ; and in both Epistles, Timothy, Epaphroditus, 
 Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, are spoken of as 
 being present with the Apostle ; we therefore infer that 
 they were written at the same time, and consequently we 
 are to place the date of this Epistle in the year ()2. 
 
 III. The occasion of WTiting it was this : — Onesimus, 
 a slave of Philemon, had ran away from him, and taken 
 up his residence at Rome. It is generally supposed that 
 he had also robbed his master ; but the only foundation 
 for that opinion is in the following passage, which does not 
 appear to me conclusive : " If he hath wronged thee, or 
 oweth thee ought, put that on my account." — Surely these 
 words do not necessarily imply that Onesimus had been 
 guilty of theft; they may only allude to the injurv- which 
 Philemon had sustained by the absence of his slave and 
 the loss of his service. It does not seem probable that St. 
 Paul would have mentioned such a crime in so slight a 
 manner, or that he would have failed to notice the contri- 
 tion of Onesimus. Paul, having met with him at Rome, 
 converted him to Christianity, and reclaimed him to a 
 sense of his duty : he then sent him back to Colosse with 
 this letter, ^^Titten with his own hand, to Philemon, re- 
 questing him to receive his slave, thus converted and re- 
 claimed, again into his family (c). 
 
 IV. This Epistle has always been deseiTedly admired 
 for the delicacy and address with which it is written ; and 
 it ])laces St. Paul's character in a very amiable point of 
 view. He had converted a fugitive slave to the Christian 
 faith ; and he here intercedes with his master in the most 
 
 (c) In the Epistle which St. Paul sent at llic s:imo time to 
 llie Colossian Christians in general, of wlu)m IMiilcmon was 
 one, he calls Onesimus " a faithful and beloved brother." 
 C. 4. v. 9. 
 
Cliap. 21.] EPISTLE TO PHILEMON. 313 
 
 earnest and affectionate manner for his paulon ; he speaks 
 of Onesimus in terms calculated to soften Philemon's re- 
 sentment, engages to make full compensation for any in- 
 jury which he might have sustained from him, and conjures 
 him to reconciliation and forgiveness by the now endearing 
 connection of Christian brotherhood. 
 
 This Epistle is a plain proof that Christianity was not 
 intended to make any alteration in the civil conditions of 
 men. Paul considered Onesimus, although converted 
 to the Gospel, as still belonging to his former master ; and 
 by deprecating the anger of Philemon, he acknowledged 
 that Onesimus continued liable to punishment (d) for the 
 misconduct of which he had been guilty previous to his 
 conversion. 
 
 (d) Grotius says that Philemon, by the laws cf Phrygia, 
 might have punished his slave without application to a magis- 
 trate. 
 
314 EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [Part Tl. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-SECOND. 
 
 OF THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 
 
 I. AUTHKNTICITV OF THISl WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN. 
 EPISTLE. I IV. TO WHOM IT WAS AD- 
 
 II. ITS DATE. I DRESSED 
 
 III. LANGUAGE IN WHICH IT I V. DESIGN AND SUBSTANCE OF IT. 
 
 I. Though the genuineness of the Epistle to the lie- 
 brews has been disputed, in both ancient and modern times, 
 its antiquity has never I)een questioned. It is generally 
 allowed that there are references to it, although the au- 
 thor is not mentioned, in the remaining works of Clement 
 of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, and Justin Martyr ; and that 
 it contains, as was first noticed by Chrysostom («) and 
 Theodoret {h), internal evidence of having been written 
 before the destruction of Jerusalem (c). 
 
 The earliest \^ riter now extant, who quotes this Epistle 
 as the work of St. Paul, is Clement of Alexandria, to- 
 wards the end of the second century ; but as he ascribes it 
 to St. Paul repeatedly, and without hesitation, we may 
 conclude that in his time no doubt had been entertained 
 upon the subject, or, at least, that the common tradition 
 
 (ff) Prcxf. in Ep. ad Hub. 
 (h) Theod.in Heb. cap. 13, v. 10. 
 
 (c) Heb. c. 8, V. 4 ; c. 9, v. 25 ; c. 10, v. 11 and 37 ; c. 13. 
 V 10. 
 
Chap. 2-2.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBHEWS. 3ltt 
 
 ?f the churcli attributed it to St. Paul. Clement is fol- 
 owed by Oiigen, by Dionysius and Alexander, both bishojis 
 of Alexandria, by Ambrose, Athanasius, Hilaiyof Poitiers, 
 Jerome, Chrysostom, and Cyril, all of whom consider this 
 Epistle as VM-itteu by St. Paul ; and it is also ascribed to 
 him in the ancient Syriac version, supposed to have been 
 made at the end of the first centmy. Eusebius says, " Of 
 Paul there are fourteen Epistles, manifest and well known ; 
 but yet there are some who reject that to the Hebrews, 
 urging for their opinion that it is contradicted by the 
 church of the Romans, as not being St. Paul's (d)." 
 In Dr. Lardner we find the following remark . " It is evi- 
 dent that this Epistle was generally received in ancient 
 times by those Christians who used the Greek language, 
 and lived in the eastern parts of the Roman empire." And 
 in another jdace he says, " It was received as an Epistle of 
 Paul by many Latin writers in the 4th, 5th, and Gth cen- 
 turies." The earlier Latin writers take no notice of this 
 Epistle, except Tertullian, who ascribes it to Barnabas. It 
 appears, indeed, from the following expression of Jerome, 
 that this Epistle was not generally received as canonical 
 Scripture by the Latin church in his time. Licet cam 
 Latina consuetude inter canonicas Scripturas non reclpiat. 
 In Esai. cap. 8. The same thing is mentioned in other 
 parts of his works ; but many individuals of the Latin 
 church acknowledged it to be written by St. Paul, as 
 Jerome himself, Ambrose, Hilary, and Philaster; and the 
 persons who doubted its genuineness were those the least 
 likely to have been acquainted with the Epistle at an early 
 period, from the nature of its contents not being so inter- 
 esting to the Latin churches, which consisted almost, en- 
 tirely of Gentile Christians, ignorant probably of the 
 Mosaic law, and holding but little intercourse with Jews. 
 
 (d) H. E. lib. 3. cap. 3. 
 
'.i\C> EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [Pavt 11. 
 
 The modems, who, upon grounds of internal evidence, 
 contend against the genuineness of this Epistle, rest prin- 
 cipally upon the two following arguments, .the omission 
 of the writer's name, and the suj)erior elegance of the 
 style in which it is written. 
 
 1 . It is indeeil certain, that all the acknowledged Ej)i- 
 stlcs of St. Paul begin with a salutation in his own name, 
 and that in the Epistle to the Hebrews there is nothing 
 of that kind ; but this omission can scarcely be considered 
 as conclusive against positive testimony. St. Paul might 
 have reasons for departing, upon this occasion, from his 
 usual mode of salutation, which we at this distant ])eriod 
 cannot discover. Some have imagined that he omitted 
 his name because he knew that it would not have much 
 M eight with the Hebrew Christians, to whom he was in 
 general ©bnoxious, on account of his zeal in converting^ 
 the Gentiles, and in maintaining that the observance of 
 the Mosaic law was not essential to salvation ; it is, how- 
 ever, clear, that the persons to whom this Epistle was 
 addressed knew from whom it came, as the writer refers to 
 some acts of kindness which he had received from them {e) ; 
 and also expresses a hope of seeing them soon (f). 
 
 2. As to the other argument, I must own that there 
 docs not appear to me such superiority in the style of 
 this Epistle, as should lead to the conclusion that it was 
 not written by St. Paid. Those who have thought (hf- 
 ferently have mentioned Barnabas, Luke, and Clement, as 
 authors or translators of this Ei)istle. The opinion of 
 Jerome was that " the sentiments are the Apostle's, but 
 tlie language and composition of some one else, who com- 
 mitted to writing the Apostle's sense, and, as it were, re- 
 duced into commentaries the things spoken by his Master." 
 Dr. Lardner says, " My conjectine is that Paul dictated 
 
 (c) C. 10, V. 34. (/) C. 13, v. 18, 19 and 23 
 
Chap. 22.] EPISTLE TO the HEBREWS. 31 / 
 
 the Epistle in Hebrew, and another, who was a great 
 master of the Greek language, immediately wrote down 
 the Apostle's sentiments in his own elegant Greek ; but 
 who this assistant of the Apostle was is altogether un- 
 known." But surely the ^ATitings of St. Paul, like those 
 of other authors, may not all have the same precise degree 
 of merit; and, if, upon a careful perusal and comparison, 
 it should be thought that the Epistle to the Hebrews is 
 written with greater elegance than the acknowledged 
 compositions of this Apostle, it should also be remembered 
 that the apparent design and contents of this Epistle sug- 
 gest the idea of more studied composition, and yet that 
 there is nothing in it which amounts to a marked differ- 
 ence of style : on the other hand, there is the same con- 
 cise, abi-upt, and elliptical mode of expression, and it 
 contains many phrases and sentiments {g) ^^ hich are found 
 in no pai-t of Scripture, except in St. Paul's Epistles. 
 We may farther obsen'e, that the manner in which Timo- 
 thy is mentioned in this Epistle (/() makes it probable that 
 it was vn-itten by St. Paul. It was certainlj^ written bj' a 
 person who had suffered imprisonment in the cause of 
 Christianity ; and this is known to have been the case of 
 St. Paul, but of no other person to whom this Epistle has 
 been attributed. Upon the whole, both the external and 
 internal evidence appear to me to preponderate so greatly 
 in favour of St. Paul's being the author of this Epistle, 
 that I cannot but consider it as written by that Apostle. 
 At the same time I admit that it is a thing not absolutely 
 certain. 
 
 n. "They of Italy salute 3'ou," is the only expression 
 in this Epistle which can assist us in determining from 
 
 ijg) Vide Macknight's Preface to this Epistle, sect. 1, and 
 Lardner wpon this Epistle, vol. 6. 
 
 {h) C. 13, V. 23, compared with 2 Cor. c. 1, v. 1, and Ccl. 
 c. 1, V. 1. 
 
318 EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [Part II. 
 
 whence it was wTitten, The Greek words are oi dno rtjs 
 IraXiag, which should have heen translated, " Those from 
 Italy salute you ;" and the only inference to be drattTi 
 from them seems to be that St. Paul, when he wrote this 
 Epistle, was at a place where some Italian converts were. 
 This inference is not incompatible with the common 
 opinion that this Epistle was ^M-itten from Rome, and 
 therefore Ave consider it as wi-itten from that city. It 
 is sujjposed to have been AM-itten towards the end of St. 
 Paul's first imprisonment at Rome, or immediately after 
 it, because the Apostle expresses an intention of visiting 
 the Hebrews shortly ; we therefore place the date of this 
 Epistle in the year 63. 
 
 III. Clement of Alexandi-ia, Eusebius, and Jerome, 
 thought that this Epistle was originally written in the 
 Hebrew language ; but all the other ancient fathers who 
 have mentioned this subject, speak of the Greek as the 
 original work ; and as no one pretends to have seen this 
 Epistle in Hebrew, as there are no internal marks of the 
 Greek being a translation, and as we know that the Greek 
 language was at this time very generally understood at 
 Jerusalem, m*3 may accede to the more common oj)inion, 
 both among the ancients and moderns, and consider the 
 present Greek as the original text. 
 
 It is no small satisfaction to reflect that those who have 
 denied either the genuineness or the originality of this 
 Epistle, have ahvajs supposed it to have been written or 
 translated by some fellow-labom-er or assistant of St. 
 Paul, and that almost every one admits that it cai-ries 
 with it the sanction and authority of the inspired Apostle. 
 
 IV. There has been some little doubt concerning the 
 persons to whom this Epistle was addressed ; but by far 
 the most general and most probable opinion is, that it was 
 written to those Christians of Juda;a who had been con- 
 verted to the Gospel from Judaism. That it wns writt.n, 
 
Chap. 22.J EPISTLE TO the HEBREWS. 319 
 
 notwithstanding its general title, to the Christians of one 
 certain place or country, is evident from the following pas- 
 sages : " I heseech you the rather to do this, that I may 
 be restored to you the sooner (?)." — " KnoAv ye that our 
 brother Timothy is set at liberty ; with whom, if he come 
 shortly, I will see }'ou [k)." And it appears from the fol- 
 lowing passage in the Acts, " When the number of the 
 disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the 
 Grecians against the Hebrews (Z)," that certain persons, 
 were at this time known at Jerusalem by the name of 
 Hebrews. They seem to have been native Jews, inhabit- 
 ants of Judsea, the language of which countiy was Hebrew, 
 and therefore they were called Hebrews, in contradistinc- 
 tion to those Jews, who, residing commonly in other 
 countries, although they occasionally came to Jerusalem, 
 used the Greek language, and were therefore called 
 Grecians. 
 
 V. The general design of this Epistle was to confirm 
 the Jewish Christians in the faith and practice of the Gos- 
 pel, which they might be in danger of deserting, either 
 through the persuasion or persecution of the unbelie\-ing 
 Jews, who were veiy numerous and powerful in Judaea. "We 
 may natiu-ally suppose that the zealous adherents to the 
 Law would insist upon the majesty and glory which at- 
 tended its first promulgation, upon the distinguished clia- 
 racter of their legislator Moses, and upon the divine au- 
 thority of the ancient Scriptures ; and they might likemsc 
 urge the humiliation and death {m) of Christ as an argu- 
 ment against the truth of his religion. To obviate the 
 impression which any reasoning of this sort might make 
 
 (») C. 13, V. 19. (-t) C. 13, V. 23. {I) C. 6, v. 1. 
 
 (>n) Trypho the Jew, in Justin Martyr's dialogue, states 
 the crucifixion of Jesus as an argument against liis being the 
 Messiah -, " For," says he, " we read in the law, that he who 
 is crucified is accursed," referring to Dcut. c. 21, v. 23. 
 
320 EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [Part II. 
 
 upon the converts to Christianity, the writer of this Epistle 
 begins with declaring to the Hebrews that the same God 
 who had formerlj', upon a variety of occasions, spoken to 
 their fathers by means of his prophets, had now sent his 
 only Son for the purpose of revealing his will ; he then 
 describes, in most sublime language, the dignity of the 
 person of Christ {n) ; and thence infers the duty of obey- 
 ing his commands, the divine authority of which was es- 
 tabhshed by the performance of miracles, and by the gifts 
 of the Holy Ghost ; he points out the necessity of Christ's 
 incarnation and passion (o) ; he shows the superiority of 
 Christ to i\Ioses, and warns the Hebrews against the sin of 
 imbelief {p) ; he exhorts to ste dfastness in the profession 
 of the Gospel, and gives an animated description of Christ 
 as our high pi-iest (q) ; he shows that the Levitical priest- 
 hood and the old covenant were abolished by the priest- 
 hood of Christ, and by the new covenant (?) ; he points 
 out the inefficacy of the ceremonies and sacrifices of the 
 Law, and the sufficiency of the atonement made by the 
 sacrifice of Christ (s) ; he fully explains the natm-e, merit, 
 and eff"ects of faith (t) ; and in the last two chapters he 
 gives a variety of exhortations and admonitions, all cal- 
 culated to encom'age the Hebrews to bear with patience 
 and constancy any trials (u) to which they might be 
 exposed. He concludes with the valedictory benediction 
 usual in St. Paul's Epistles, " Grace be with jou all. 
 Amen." 
 
 The most important articles of our faith are exjilaiued, 
 and the most material objections to the Gospel are an- 
 
 n) C. 1. (o) C. 2. (p) C. 3. fry) C. 4, to 7. 
 
 (r) C. 8. (s) C. 9 and 10. (/) C. 11. 
 
 {u) This Epislle was written not long after the minder of 
 James, bishop of Jerusalem ; and it is possible that the Apo- 
 stle might allude to that event in the 7th verse of the 13lh 
 cliaptcr. 
 
Chap. 22.] EPISTLE TO the HEBREWS. 321 
 
 swered with great force in this celebrated Epistle. The 
 arguments used in it, as being addressed to persons who 
 had been educated in the Jewish religion, are principally 
 taken from the ancient Scriptures; and the connection 
 between former Revelations and the Gospel of Christ is 
 pointed out in the most perspicuous and satisfactory 
 manner. 
 
S22 SEVEN CATHOLIC EPISTLES. [Viili IL 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-THIllD. 
 
 OF THE SEVEN CATHOLIC El'ISTLES. 
 
 The Epistle of St. James, the two Epistles of St. Peter, 
 the three Epistles of St. John, anil the Epistle of St. Juile, 
 are called Catholic or General Epistles. Origen, Eusehiiis, 
 and many other ancient authors, mention them under tliat 
 name ; and it is ))rol)ahle that they w ere so called, because 
 most of them were written not to particular persons, or to 
 the churches of single cities or countries, as St. Pauls 
 Epistles were, but to several churches, or to believers in 
 general. Some Latin writers, as Dupin observes, have 
 called these Ej)istles canonical, either confounding the 
 name with catholic, or else to denote that they also were 
 a i)art of the Canon of the New Testament. It has been 
 alreaily observed, that the Genuineness of live of these 
 seven Epistles was for some time doubted, but that tliey 
 have all been universally admitted into the sacred c.i-on 
 since the fourth centiuy. 
 
 Many writers enumerate these seven Epistles, r)ut not 
 always in the same order (^/). The following reasons ni.ty 
 be assigned for the order in which tliey staiul in our 
 Bibles: The Epistle of .lames is placed first, because he 
 WBJs bishop oi the church at Jerusalem, the city where the 
 
 (a) Vide LauliRT, vul G, p. 467. 
 
Cliap. 28.] SEVEN CATHOLIC EPISTLES. 323 
 
 Gospel was first preaclieJ after the ascension of our 
 Saviour, and where the first Christian church was 
 estabhshecl ; next come the Epistles of St. Peter, 
 because he is considered as the head of the twelve 
 Apostles; then the Epistle.^ of St. John, who was the 
 iavourite Apostle of Christ, and more distiugiiished 
 than St. Jude, whose Epistle is placed last. 
 
1-24 
 
 JENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JAMES. [Part II. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FOURTH. 
 
 OF THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JAMES. 
 
 I. HISTORY OF ST. JAMES. 
 II. GENUINENESS OF THIS 
 STLK. 
 111. ITS DATE. 
 
 IV 
 
 THE PERSONS TO WHOM 
 IT WAS ADDRESSED. 
 V. DESIGN AND SUCSTANCB 
 OF IT. 
 
 I. In the catalogue of the Apostles given by the Evan- 
 gelists {a), we find two persons of the name of James, of 
 ^vhora one was son of Zebedee and brother of John, and 
 the other was son of Alphajus or Cleophas, which are 
 supposed to be the same name differently written (b), or 
 different names of the same person. The latter is in the 
 Gospels called James the Less (c), and the former is dis- 
 tinguished by the name of James the Great, though that 
 appellation is not given him in Scripture. St. Paul men- 
 tions one of these two Apostles as the Lord's brother (d), 
 that is, his near kinsman ; and as there is no reason to 
 think that the son of Zebedee was related to Christ, we 
 conclude that he speaks of the son of Alphpcus, who iu 
 other places of Scripture is said to be the brother of 
 Christ {c). The degree of his relation to Christ seems to 
 have been that of cousin-german ; for St. John says that 
 
 (a) Matt. c. 10, v. 2 and 3. Mark, c. 3, v. 16, &c. Luke, 
 c 6, V. 14, &c. Acts, 0. 1, v. 13. 
 (6) Vide Lightfoot, torn. 2, p. 59. 
 
 (c) Mark, c. 15, v. 40. (d) Gn]. c. 1, v. 19. 
 
 (r) Matt. c. 13, v. 55. Mark, c. 6, t. 3. 
 
Chap. 24. J GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JAMES. 325 
 
 Mary, the wife of Cleophas, was sister to Mary, our 
 Saviour's mother (/) ; and St. Mark informs us that the 
 name of the mother of James the Less was Mary {g). 
 Some few, both ancients and modems, have thought that 
 James, the Lord's brother, was not his cousin-german, 
 but that he was the son of Joseph, Christ's reputed father, 
 by a former wife (A). This opinion is not supported by 
 any authority of Scripture, and probably originated from 
 not considering that among the Jews, persons nearly 
 related were called brothers. 
 
 James the Less was the author of this Epistle. We 
 have no account of his call to the apostleship, nor are any 
 particulars recorded of him in the Gospels. In the Acts, 
 and in St. Paul's Epistles, he is several times mentioned 
 with great distinction (i), but not in a manner to furnish 
 us with many circumstances of his history. He seems to 
 have been appointed by the other Apostles, and, as Lard- 
 ner thinks, soon after the martyrdom of St. Stephen, to 
 reside at Jerusalem, and to superintend the affairs of the 
 church there, while the rest of the Apostles travelled into 
 other coimtries. His near relation to our Saviour was 
 probably the cause of his being selected for this honour^ 
 able station, the duties of which he discharged with such 
 inflexible integrity and holy zeal, that he obtained the 
 surname of James the Just. By ancient writers (Ji) he is 
 called bishop of Jerusalem, and is considered as presiding 
 in that character at the council holden at Jerusalem, for 
 the purpose of determining whether it were necessary that 
 Gentile converts to the Gospel should be circumcised. 
 
 (/) John, c. 19, v. 25. 
 
 ig) C. 15, V. 40. It sometimes happened that brothers and 
 sisters among the Jews had the same names, but it was not a 
 very common thing. 
 
 {h) Lardner, vol. 6, p. 493. 
 
 (i) Acts, c. 12, v. 17 ; c. 15, v, 13; c. 21, v. 18. 1 Cor. c 
 15. V. 7. Gal. c. 1, V. 19. Gal. c. 2, v, 9 and 12. 
 
 (*) Eus. H. E. lib. 2, c. 1 and 23. Chrys. torn. 10, p. 355. 
 
 > 
 
326 GENERAL El'ISTLE OF ST. JAMES. [Part II. 
 
 Upon that occasion he was the last who delivered his sen- 
 timents ; and he summed up the arguments, and proposed 
 the substance of the decree, to which the whole assembly 
 readily acceded. He was ])ut to death in the year (!2, in a 
 tumult raised by the uubelieving: Jews, when there was no 
 Roman governor in Judica (/), Fcstus being dead, and his 
 successor Albinus not yet arrived. 
 
 James the Less was a i>crson of great prudence and dis- 
 cretion, and was highly esteemed by the Apostles and 
 other Christians. Such in(lce<l was his general reputation 
 for piety and virtue, that, as we learn from Origen, Euse- 
 bius, and Jerome, Joscphus thought and declared it to lie 
 the common opinion that the sufferings of the Jews, and 
 the destruction of their city and tem})Ie, were owing to the 
 anger of God, excited by the murder of James. This 
 must be considered as a strong and remarkable testimony 
 to the character of tliis Ajiostle, as it is given by a jierson 
 who did not believe that Jesus was the Christ. The pas- 
 sages of Joscphus, referred to by those f\\thers upon this 
 subject, are not found in his works now extant (»»). 
 
 II. Clement of Rome and Hermas allude to this 
 Epistle ; and it is quoted by Origen, Euscbius, Athanasius, 
 Jerome, Chrysostom, Augustine, and many other fathers. 
 But though the antiquity of this Epistle has l)een idways 
 undisputed, some few, as has been stated, formevly doubted 
 its right to be admitted into the Canon. Euscbius sa\ s 
 that in his time it was generally, though not universally, 
 received as canonical ; iunl publicly read in most, but not 
 
 (I) Ens. II. E. lib. 2, cap 23. Lanlner. v. 7, p. 129. 
 
 (»i) Vide Lardner, vol. (>, p. 471). Dr. Dodiiriilf^e is "f 
 opinion that Ihuso quotations from Josepims (le.>;(rve but little 
 credit. Lect. vol. 1, p. 410. On ilie ollur hand, Mr. Miliier 
 <onsiders them as authentic, vol. 1, c. 2. It is remarkable 
 iliat Origen nieutit)ns this circunislanec in iliree diflcrenl parts 
 ot" his works; namely, in the first and si'cond books against 
 Celsus. and ia his Commentary upon .St. Matthew, p. 2*3, 
 edit. Iluet. 
 
Chap. 24.] GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JA.MKS. 327 
 
 in all, churches ; and Estius (w) aflRnns that after the 
 fourtli century, no church or ecclesiastical writer is found 
 who ever douhted its authenticity ; but that on the con- 
 traiy, it is inchuled in all subsequent catalogues of cano- 
 nical Scripture, whether published by councils, churches, 
 or individuals. It has indeed been the uniform tradition 
 of the church, that this Epistle was written by James the 
 Just, bishoj) of Jerusalem ; but it was not universally ad- 
 mitted till after the fourth centuiy, that James the Just 
 was the same person as James the Less, one of the twelve 
 Apostles ; that point being ascertained, the canonical au- 
 thority of this Epistle was no longer doubted. 
 
 It is evident that this Ejjistle could not have been 
 written by James the Great, for he was beheaded by He- 
 rod ^Vgrijipa in the jear 44, and the errors and vices re- 
 ])rovcd in this Ejjistle show it be of a much later date ; 
 and the destruction of Jerusalem is also here sjioken of as 
 being very near at hand (o). 
 
 It has alwa3's been considered as a circumstance very 
 much in fiivoiu* of this Epistle, that it is found in the Sy- 
 riac version, which was made as early as the end of the 
 first century, and for the particular use of converted Jews, 
 the very descri[)tion of persons, as we shall see i)resentl\', 
 to whom it was originally addressed. Hence we infer that 
 it was from the first acknowledged by those for whose in- 
 struction it was intended ; and " I think," says Dr. Dod- 
 dridge, " it can hardly be doubted but they were better 
 judges of the question of its authenticity than the Gentiles, 
 to whom it was not written ; among whom therefore, it 
 was not likely to be propagated so early ; and who at first 
 might be prejudiced against it, because it was inscribed to 
 the Jews." 
 
 («) A Dutch divine of great eminence, who died in the \im» 
 ginning of the last century, 
 (o) C. 5, V S and 9. 
 
328 GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JAMES. [Pait II. 
 
 The following short passage from Jerome confirms al- 
 most all the particulars which have been mentioned : " Ja- 
 cobus, qui ap])ellatus frater Domini, cognomento Justus, 
 ut nonnulli existimant, Joseph! ex aha uxore, ut autem 
 mihi videtur, Mariae sororis matris Domini (cujus Joannes 
 in libro suo meminit) filius, post passionem Domini ab 
 apostolis Hierosolymarum episcopus ordinatus, unam tan- 
 tum scripsit epistolam, qua; de septem catholicis est {p)." 
 
 III. It is generally believed that this Epistle was writ- 
 ten a short time before the death of James, and therefore 
 we may place its date, with great probability, in the year 
 61. 
 
 IV. Lardner and others have thought that this Epistle 
 was addressed to unbelieving as well as believing Jews, 
 and have quoted the beginning of the fourth and fifth chap- 
 ters as applicable to unbelievers only. I must own that in 
 these passages the Apostle appears to me merely to allude 
 to the great coiTuptions into which Christians had then 
 fallen. I cannot think it probal)le that James would \^rite 
 part of his Epistle to believers and part to unbelievers, 
 without any mention or notice of that distinction. It 
 should also be remembered that this Epistle contains no 
 general arguments for the truth of Christianity, nor any 
 reproof of those who refused to embrace the Gospel ; and 
 therefore, though I admit that the inscrii^tion, " To the 
 twelve tribes that are scattered abroad," might compre- 
 hend both unbelieving and believing Jews, j'et I am of 
 opinion that it was intended for the believing Jews only, 
 and that St. James did not expressly make the discrimina- 
 tion, because neither he, nor any other Apostle, ever 
 thought of writing to any but Christian converts. The 
 object of the apostolical Epistles was to confirm and not 
 to convert ; to coiTCct what was amiss in those who did 
 believe, and not in those who did not believe. The sense 
 
 (p) Tom. 4, P. 2. D. 1U2. Ed. Benedict. 
 
Chap. 24.] GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JAMES. 329 
 
 of the above inscription seems to be limited to the believ- 
 ing Jews by what follows almost immediately, " The trial 
 of your Faith worketh patience {q)." And again, " My 
 brethren, have not the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the 
 Lord of Glory, with respect of persons (r)." These pas- 
 sages could not be addressed to unbelievers. 
 
 V. The immediate design of this Epistle was to ani- 
 mate the Jewish Christians to support with fortitude and 
 patience any suiFerings to which they might be exposed, 
 and to enforce the genuine doctrine and practice of the 
 Gospel, in opposition to the errors and vices which then 
 prevailed among them. The principal source of these 
 errors and vices was a misinterpretation of St. Paul's doc- 
 trine of justification by faith without the works of the 
 Law, that is, as the Apostle meant it, without the obser\-- 
 ance of the rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic dispensa- 
 tion ; but hence some had most unwarrantably inferred that 
 moral duties were not essential to salvation, and had there- 
 fore abandoned themselves to every species of hcencious- 
 ness and profligacy. 
 
 St. James begins by showing the benefits of trials and 
 afflictions, and by assuring the Jewish Christians that God 
 would listen to their sincere prayers for assistance and 
 support ; he reminds them of their being the distinguished 
 objects of Divine favour, and exhorts them to practical re- 
 ligion (s) ; to a just and impartial regard for the poor, and 
 to an uniform obedience to all the commands of God, 
 without any distinction or exception ; he shows the inefii- 
 cacy of faith without works, that is, without a performance 
 of the moral duties {t) ; he inculcates the necessity of a 
 strict government of the tongue, and cautions them against 
 censoriousness, strife, malevolence, pride, indulgence of 
 
 (g) C. 1, V. 3. (r) C. 2, v. 1. 
 
 («) C. 1. (t) C. 2. 
 
330 GENERAL EPISTLK OF ST. JAMES. [Part 11. 
 
 their sensual i)assions, and rash judgment (ti) ; he de- 
 nounces threats against those M'ho make an improper use 
 of riches ; he intimates the ap])roaching destruction of 
 Jerusalem ; and concludes with exhortations to patience, 
 devotion, and a solicitous concern for the salvation of 
 others (t). 
 
 This Epistle is \>Tittcn with great perspicuity and 
 energy, and it contains an excellent summary of those 
 practical duties and moral virtues which are required of 
 Cliristians. 
 
 (u) C. 3 and 4. (*) C. 5. 
 
Chap. 25. j riKST general epistle of peter. 
 
 331 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FIFTH. 
 
 OF THE FIRST GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. PETER. 
 
 I. HISTOUY OF PETER. 
 II. GENUINENESS OF XlllS EPI- 
 STLE. 
 III. TO WHOM IT WAS AD- 
 DUE«SEU. 
 
 WHENCE IT WAS WRITTKN. 
 ITS DATE. 
 
 DESIGN AND SUBSTANCE OF 
 IT. 
 
 I. Simon Peter was born at Bethsaiila (a), a city of 
 Upper Galilee. His father's name was Jonas, and he had 
 a brother called Andrew, but it is not known which was 
 the elder (b). He was a married man, and lived at Caper- 
 naum, and he and his brother were fishermen upon the 
 Lake of Gennesareth. Andrew was a disciple of John the 
 Baptist, and hearing him declare Jesus to be the Lamb of 
 God, he followed Jesus, and continued with him the rest 
 of that day. Andrew having found his brother, carried 
 him to Jesus, who, when he saw him, said, " Thou art 
 Simon, the son of Jonas ; thou shalt be called Ce- 
 phas (f)" or Peter, " which is by interpretation a stone" 
 or rock (d). Though Peter and Andrew seem to have 
 been now convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, vet thev 
 
 (a) .lohn. c. 1, V. 44. 
 
 {b) Epiiihaiiiiis says that .\ndrew, and Chrysostom and Je- 
 rome say that Peter, was the elder brother 
 (f) Cephas is a Syriac word. 
 (<^) John, C.I, V. 42. 
 
332 FIRST GENERAL EPISTLE [Pait II. 
 
 continued lo carry on their trade of fishing, till Christ 
 called them to attend constantly upon himself, and pro- 
 mised to make them " fishers of men (e)," in allusion to 
 the success which they should have in making converts to 
 the Gospel. They were afterwards appointed of the num- 
 ber of the twelve Apostles. Peter enjoyed the favour of 
 his divine Master in a peculiar degree ; and the many re- 
 markable circumstances recorded concerning him in the 
 Gospels and Acts, seem to point him out as the chief of 
 the twelve Apostles. Our SaAaour is supposed to have 
 had no other fixed residence, after he began his ministiy, 
 but with St. Peter at Capernaum ; and probably upon 
 that ground api)lication was made to him for the tribute 
 money due from Christ (f). In the histoiy of St. John, 
 I have mentioned three occasions on which only Peter 
 and the two sons of Zebedee were allowed to accompany 
 our Saviour, namely, when he restored to life the daughter 
 of Jairus (ff), when he was transfigured on the Mount (//), 
 and when he endured his agony in the Garden (i). Peter 
 was one of the four Apostles to whom our Saviour deli- 
 vered his predictions relative to the destruction of Jeru- 
 salem (A). Peter and John were sent to prepare the last 
 Passover for Christ (l). The angel at the Holy Sepulchre 
 commanded that the disciples, and Peter in particular, 
 should be informed of Christ's resurrection (?«) ; and 
 Peter was the first man (?2), as Mary Magdalene was the first 
 
 (e) Matt. c. 4, v. 18 and 19. Mark, c. 1, v. 17. Luke, c. 
 5, v. 10. 
 
 (/) Matt. c. 17, v. 24, &c. 
 
 {g) Mark, c. 5, v. .37. Luke, c. 8, v. 51. 
 
 (h) Malt. 0. 17, v. 1. Mark, c. 9, v. 2. Luke, c. 9, v. 28. 
 
 («) Matt. c. 26, v. 3G. Mark, c. 14, v, 32, &c. 
 
 (k) Mark, c. 13, v. 3. 
 
 (I) Mark, c. 14, v. 13. Luke, c. 22, v. 8. 
 
 (w) Mark, c. IG, v. 7. 
 
 (n) Luke, c. 24, v. 34. 1 Cor. c. 15, v. 5. Ev dv^pnai 
 TOVTi^ -KOUTif TutnaXiaa avrwv ttoQovvti iSiiv. Chrys. 
 
Chap. 25.] OF ST. peter. 333 
 
 woman (o), to whom Christ appeared after he rose from 
 the dead. Our Saviour said to him, in explanation of the 
 name which he himself had given him, " Thou art Peter, 
 and upon this rock will I build my church : and I will 
 give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven {p)." 
 And after his resurrection, three several times, and with 
 great earnestness, he commanded him to feed his sheep (q). 
 When Christ put any question to the Apostles at large, 
 Peter always gave the answer ; and he frequently addressed 
 our Saviour when the other disciples were silent, as when 
 he rebuked him for speaking of his owa sufferings; 
 when he inquired how often a brother might offend and 
 be forgiven ; and when he objected to his washing his feet. 
 It was Peter who proposed that another Apostle should be 
 chosen in the room of Judas Iscariot (r) ; who preached 
 to the multitude, when they were astonished at the gift 
 of tongues communicated by the Holy Ghost on the day 
 of Pentecost (s) ; who questioned Ananias and Sapphira 
 concerning the price of their land, and in a miraculous 
 manner punished their falsehood with instant death (t) ; 
 and who spoke in the name of the Apostles, when they 
 were apprehended and accused by the Sanhedi-im (m). 
 Through Peter and John the Samaritan believers received 
 the Holy Ghost (x) ; but it was Peter alone who, by the 
 immediate command of God himself, admitted Cornelius, 
 the first Gentile convert, into the Christian faith (y) ; and 
 his account of the circumstances attending that important 
 event convinced the Apostles and other disciples that " to 
 the Gentiles also God had granted repentance unto 
 life (z)." And thus, as St. Peter had been the first 
 
 (o) John, c. 20, V. 15. (p) Matt. c. 16, v. 18. 
 
 Iq) John, c. 21, V. 15, &c. (r) Acts, c. 1, v. 15. 
 
 (s) Acts, c. 2, V. 14, &c. (0 Acts, c. 5, v. 1. 
 
 (m) Acts, c. 5, v. 29. (x) Acts, c. 8, v. 1 4. 
 
 (j«) Acts, c. 10, V. 1, &c. (z) Acts, c. 11, T. 18. - 
 
•%34 FIRST GENERAL EPISTLE [Part II. 
 
 Ajjostle who preached to the Jews immediately after the 
 descent of the Holy Ghost, so, ahout ciglit years afterwards, 
 he was also the first who preached to the Gentiles in the 
 house of Cornelius at Cicsarca. By these means he may 
 be said to have founded the Universal Church of Ch.-ist ; 
 and this is supposed to have heen the meaning of our 
 Lord's words, " Upon this rock will I build my Church, 
 and I will give thee the keys of Heaven ;" for by being 
 the first person who explained the Gospel both to Jews 
 and Gentiles, after the ascension of our Saviour, he, as it 
 were, opened the doors of heaven to all mankind. He 
 seems to have perfov/ned more miracles than any other 
 of the Apostles, for the people " brought their sick for the 
 purpose of having his shadow j)ass over them («)." "When 
 he was imprisoned by Herod Agrippa, ])rayer was made 
 for him without ceasing by the Church, and he was mi- 
 raculously delivered out of prison by an angel, though 
 Herod had been permitted to i)ut James the Great to 
 death (h). The sj)eech of Peter at the council of Jeru- 
 salem, so often mentioned, is recorded, but of no other 
 person except of James the Less, bishoj) of Jerusalem {(•) ; 
 and St. Paul tells us that to St. Peter was committed the 
 Gosi)el of the circumcision (</), whence he is called the 
 Apostle of the Jews, as St. Paul is called the Ajjostle 
 of the Gentiles. And lastly, in all the catalogues of 
 the Apostles, and whenever he is mentioned in con- 
 junction with others, in the Gospels or Acts, the nam<! 
 of Peter stands first {c). Though these facts may lead 
 
 (r;) Acts, o. 'j, v. \r>. (h) Ac's, c 12, v. 1, &.-. 
 
 (\.) Acts, c. lo, v. (i, &c. (.d) Gal. c. 2, v. 7. 
 
 (e) Tliurc is a variety in the onk'v in whicli llie \i<imos of 
 the oth<;r Apostles arc mentioned, and in the Episilos. niinii-l\. 
 Gal. c. '2, V. 0, there is a single in.stance of St. Peter's nairje 
 not standing first; "And when .James, Cephas, and John." 
 &c. James was i)r..bably placcl liist by St. Paul upon ilm 
 occasion, because he was bishop ol Jerusalem. 
 
Chap. 25.] OF ST. I'ETER. 3.35 
 
 us to consider Peter as the chief, or the most distin- 
 guished of the twelve Apostles, y*^t they by no mean* 
 prove that he liad any superior «hgiiity or jurisdiction over 
 the rest ; " One is yoiu- blaster, even Clirist, but all ye 
 are brethren (./')." 
 
 No mention is matle of Peter in the Acts, after the 
 council at Jerusalem ; nor is any subsecpicnt circumstance 
 recorded of him in the Epistles, except that he was at 
 Antioch not long afterwards [g). The only authentic ac- 
 count which we have of the remaining part of his life is 
 from Origen, as quoted by Eusebius [li), who says, in ge- 
 neral terms, that Peter is supposed to have preached to 
 the Jews of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Bithvniu, 
 Cappadocia, and Asia; and that at length, coming to 
 Rome he was crucified with his head downwards, himself 
 having desired that it might be in that manner (i). That 
 St. Peter should die by crucifixion, had been foretold by 
 Christ (//) ; and St. Peter himself alluded to that predic- 
 tion (Z). All ancient writers (w) concur in asserting tlint 
 St. Peter sufl'ered martyrdom at Rome, in the first perse- 
 cution of the Christians in the reign of Nero, probablv in 
 the year (ioj but at what time lie went thither, and whe- 
 ther this was his first visit to that city, is not certainly 
 known. As he is not mentioned in any of St. Paul's 
 Epistles writteu from Rome, we conclude that he was not 
 there during St. Paul's first imprisonment in that city ; 
 and upon the whole it seems probable, as Lardner thinks, 
 that St. Peter did not go to Rome till the year ()3 or G4. 
 
 (/) Matt. c. 23, V. 8. {y) Gal. c. 2, v. 11. 
 
 (A) H. !•:. lib. .3, cap. 1. 
 
 {i) Ambrose says llinl St. T'cler made this request from a 
 eense oi' humility, as ii<>i thinking' liiinself worthy iodic in the 
 same manner liis Divim; Master had died. 
 
 (A) John, c. 21. V. H. (/) 2 Pet. c. I, v. 14. 
 
 (»j) And yet the learned moderns, Scalisier, Salniasius, 
 Spanheim, Bower, and Semlar. have either doubled or do* 
 nied that St. Peter evir was at Rome. 
 
336 FIRST GENERAL EPISTLE [Part II. 
 
 As John was the Apostle who was favoured %vith the 
 greatest share of our Saviour's affection, so Peter seems to 
 have been considered by him as the Apostle whose dispo- 
 sition would lead him to be the most active and instru- 
 mental in propagating his religion; and that this was 
 really the case, the Acts of the Apostles sufficiently prove. 
 Confidence and zeal form a conspicuous part of his cha- 
 racter ; but he was sometimes deficient in firmness and 
 resolution. He had the faith to walk upon the water to 
 his Divine Master ; but when the sea grew boisterous, his 
 faith deserted him, and he became afraid (??). He was 
 forward to acknowledge Jesus to be the Messiah (o), and 
 declared himself ready to die in that profession ( p) ; and 
 yet, soon after, he thrice denied, and with oaths, that he 
 knew j^ny thing of Jesus (g). The warmth of his temper 
 led him to cut off the ear of the high priest's servant (r), 
 and by his timidity and dissimulation respecting the Gen- 
 tile converts at Antioch, he incurred the censure of the 
 eager and resolute St. Paul (s). But while we lament this 
 occasional want of steadiness and consistency in St. Peter, 
 we should remember that his good qualities seem not to 
 have been mixed with any other infirmity ; and his volun- 
 tary acknowledgment to Christ of his being a sinful man, 
 the bitter remorse which he felt upon the denial of his 
 Master, and his submission to the reproof of St. Paul, 
 justify us in concluding that to his zeal he added humihty, 
 which are virtues rarely united in the same person. 
 
 II. This Epistle has always been considered as canoni- 
 cal ; and in proof of its genuineness we may observe that 
 it is referred to by Clement of Rome, Hermas and Poly- 
 carjj J that we ai*e assured by Eusebius that it was quoted 
 
 (n) Matt. c. 14, v. 28, &c. 
 
 (o) Matt. c. IG, V. 16. Mark, c. 8, v. 29. Luke, c. 9, v. 
 20. John, c. 6, v. 68 and 69. 
 
 (p) Matt. c. 26, V. 35. (g) Matt. c. 26, v. 69, &c. 
 
 (r) John, c. 18, v. 10 («) Gal. c. 2, v. 11. 
 
Chap. 25.1 Of" ST. PETER, 337 
 
 by Papias, and that it is expressly mentioned by Irenseus, 
 Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, and most of 
 the later fathers. 
 
 III. It is addressed " to the strangers scattered through- 
 out Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia." 
 Great doubts have arisen whether by strangers were meant 
 Jewish or Gentile Christians, or Christians of both deno- 
 ninations. As there is nothing in the Epistle itself to 
 lead us to think that the Apostle intended it for any par- 
 ticular descrijition of Christians, I consider it as addressed 
 to the Christians in general of the above countries of 
 Asia Minor, and shall only remark that it is probable that 
 most of them had been converted from heathenism [t). 
 The word " strangers" is used a second time in this E]m- 
 stle, and it seems to intimate that true Christians should 
 consider themselves as sojourners upon earth, and fix their 
 hopes and prospects upon another world ; and by bein;" 
 " soattered throughout Pontus and the other countries," 
 St. Peter only means that they lived at a distance from 
 each other, and were but few in number, when compared 
 with the idolaters and unbelievers among whom they lived. 
 
 IV. The Apostle wrote this Epistle from a place whicli 
 he calls Babylon ; " The church that is at Babylon salu 
 teth youj" but it is very doubtful what place is meant by 
 that name. Some commentators have thought that Ba- 
 bylon in Assyria, and others that Babylon in Egypt, was 
 intended, but there is no ancient testimony whatever of 
 St. Peter having been in either of those countries. At the 
 same time it must be acknowledged that there is so long 
 an interval in which we have no account of St. Peter, that 
 it is very possible he might have travelled both into As- 
 
 (/) Those who wish to see this question more fully dis- 
 cussed, may coiisult Benson, Lardner, Michaelis, and Mack- 
 night. 
 
 Z 
 
338 FIRST GENERAL EPISTLE [Part II. 
 
 Syria and Egypt. There was also a third Babylon, namely, 
 in Seleucia, whence Beausobre and L'Enfant thinl: it 
 most probable that this Epistle was written, because that 
 city abounded with Jews ; but this reason does not ap- 
 pear to me sufficient to warrant such a conclusion. Upon 
 the whole, it may be best to accede to the more general 
 opinion that Babylon is here used figuratively for Rome ; 
 and more especially since Eusebius, the oldest author ex- 
 tant who mentions this subject, says that in liis time it 
 was thought that this Epistle was written from Rome (»). 
 It is certain that St. John used Babylon figuratively for 
 Rome in the Revelation. Some few persons have been 
 mclined to think that St. Peter wrote this Epistle from 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 V. If we be right in considering this Epistle as WTitten 
 from Rome, we may place its date about the year G4 ; 
 since there is no reason to believe that Peter went to Rome 
 till after Paul's release from imprisonment in that city, in 
 the year 63. 
 
 VI. The general design of this Epistle is to exhort to 
 practical virtue, to a quiet and bkraeless life, and to j)a- 
 tience and fortitude under distresses and ])ersecutions. 
 St. Peter, after his salutation, begins with returning thanks 
 to God for the blessing of the Gospel dispensation, which, 
 he observes, had been distinctly foretold by the i)ro])hets ; 
 he next exhorts his Christian brethren to holiness and 
 purity; and represents the passion of Christ as pre-or- 
 dained before the foundation of the world, and its benefits 
 as extending to all eternity (jr) ; he proceeds to recom- 
 mend meekness, self-government, and obedience to magis- 
 trates ; he enforces the duties of servants (y), of wives, 
 and husbands ; he enjoins harmony, compassion, courtesy, 
 a rational knowledge of the Christian faith, and a steady 
 
 («) H. E. lib. 2. cap. 15. 
 (.1) C. 1. {y) C. 2. 
 
Chap. 25.] OF ST. PETER. 339 
 
 adherence to it under trials and temptations (c) ; from a 
 consideration of the last judgment, he inculcates sobriety, 
 devotion, and universal benevolence ; and encourages the 
 Christians to bear afflictions with resignation and cheer- 
 fulness (a) ; and in the last chapter he gives directions for 
 the conduct of persons of different ages and situations ; 
 recommends mutual subjection, humility and vigilance ; 
 and adds a general benediction and doxology (b). 
 
 This Epistle is very generally admired as a composition : 
 Erasmus says that it is worthy of the Prince of the Apo- 
 stles, and full of apostolical dignity and majesty; and 
 Ostervvald calls it one of the finest works of the New Tes- 
 tament. Whoever will compare this Epistle with those of 
 St. Paul, will find so exact a conformity between the sen- 
 timents and precepts contained in them, that he will be 
 convinced, a§ Estius observes, that the doctrine of both 
 proceeded from one and the same Spirit of God. 
 
 (r) C. 3. (a) C. 4. (i) C. 3. 
 
340 SECOND GENERAL EPISTLE [Plirt II, 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-SIXTH. 
 
 OF THE SECOND GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. PETER. 
 
 1. GENUINENESS OF THIS Eri- I II. ITS DESIGN AND DATE. 
 STLE. I III. THE SUBSTANCE OF IT. 
 
 I. Clement of Rome and Hermas refer to this Epistle; 
 it is mentioned by Origen and Eusebius, and has been uni- 
 versally received since the fourth century, except by the 
 Syriac Christians. 
 
 II. It is addi-essed to the same persons as the former 
 Epistle, and the design of it was to encourage them to ad- 
 here to the genuine faith and practice of the Gospel. It 
 was written when the Apostle foresaw that his death was 
 at no great chstance ; and he might hope that advice and 
 instruction, given under such circumstances, would liaAc 
 the greater weight. As he is supposed to have suffered 
 martyrdom in the year 65, we may place the date of this 
 Epistle in the beginning of that year. It was probably 
 written from Rome. 
 
 III. St. Peter, after saluting the Christian converts, 
 and representing the glorious promises of the Gospel dis- 
 pensation, exhorts them to cultivate those virtues and 
 graces which would make their calling and election sure ; 
 he expresses his anxiety to remind them of their duty at a 
 time when he was conscious of his approaching end ; he 
 declares t ae divine origin of the Christian faith, which wm 
 
Chap. 26.] OF ST. PETER. 341 
 
 attested by a voice from heaven, and by the sure ^^•ord of 
 prophecy (a) ; he foretels the rise of heresies and false 
 doctrines, and denounces severe judgments against those 
 who shall desert the truth, while they who adhere to it will 
 1)6 spared, as Noah and Lot were in former times (b) ; he 
 assures his Christian brethren that the object of this, and 
 of his former Epistle, was to urge them to observe the 
 precepts which they had received ; he cautions them 
 against false teachers, represents the certainty of the day 
 of judgment, reminds them of the doctrines which he and 
 St. Paul had inculcated, and exhorts them to grow in 
 grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour 
 Jesus Christ (c). 
 
 Some learned men have thought that the style of the 
 second chapter of this Epistle is materially different from 
 that of the other two chapters, and have tlierefore sus- 
 pected its Genuineness. I must own that I observe no 
 other difference than that which arises from the difference 
 of the subjects. The subject of the second chapter may 
 surely lead us to suppose that the pen of tlie Apostle was 
 guided by a higher degree of Inspiration than when writ- 
 ing in a didactic manner; it is written with the animation 
 and energy of the prophetic style ; but there does not ap- 
 pear to me to be any thing, either in phrase or sentiment, 
 inconsistent with the acknowledged wTitings of St. Peter. 
 
 Bishop Sherlock was of opinion that in this chapter St. 
 Peter adopted the sentiments and language of some Jew- 
 ish author, who had described the false teachers of his 
 own times. This conjecture is entirely unsupported by 
 ancient authority, and it is in itself very highly improbable. 
 
 (o) C. L (b) C. 2. (c) C. 3. 
 
S42 FIRST GENERAL EPISTLE [Part II. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-SEVENTH. 
 
 OF THE FIRST GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN. 
 
 I. OENUINENESS OF THIS Eri- 
 
 STLE. 
 II. THE PERSONS TO WHOM IT 
 WAS ADDItESS'ED. 
 
 in. ITS DATE. 
 
 IV. DESIGN AND SUBSTANCE OF 
 IT. 
 
 I. Clement of Rome and Polycarp refer to this Epistle ; 
 and Eusebius tells us that it was quoted by Papias. It is 
 expressly mentioned by Irenajus, Clement of Alexandria, 
 Tertullian, Origen, and Dionysius of Alexandria ; and in- 
 deed the unanimous suffrage of antiquity attributes tliis 
 Epistle to St. John the Evangelist («). 
 
 II. There have been great doubts, both among the 
 ancients and the moderns, concerning the persons to whom 
 it was addressed. Some have supposed that it was written 
 to the inhabitants of Parthia, because St. John is said to 
 have jn-eached the Gospel in that country, but of this 
 there is not sufficient evidence ; others have su])j)osed that 
 it was addressed to the churches of Asia, and others to 
 the Christians of Judica, because John had preaclicd in 
 both these countries; but as there is no exj)ression of 
 
 (o) Dr. Macknight, in his Preface to iliis Epistle, has sliown 
 that there is a great siniiliuLty between St. .John's Gospel and 
 this Epistle, both in point of sentiment and expression. 
 
Chap. 2/.] or ST. johx. 343 
 
 limitation in any part of the Epistle, 1 am inclined to con- 
 sider it as written to Christians in general of every place 
 and of every denomination. 
 
 III. There has also been considerable doubt concern- 
 ing the date of this Epistle ; some have supposed that it 
 was \mtten before, and others after, the destruction of 
 Jerusalem. In the following passage, "It is the last time; 
 and as we have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now 
 are there many antichrists, whereby we know that it is the 
 last time (i)," the Apostle seems to allude to tlie approach- 
 ing dissolution of the Jewish state, and to Christ's pre- 
 dictions (<•) concerning the false teachers who were to ap- 
 pear before the destruction of Jerusalem ; and therefore I 
 place its date about the year 69. It is impossible to as- 
 certain where it Avas written, but it seems most probable 
 jhat it was written in Judsca. 
 
 IV. Its principal design was to preserve the Christians 
 in the true faith of Christ, in opposition to the erroneous 
 doctrines which had then begun to make their appearance, 
 and were afterwards maintained by the Gnostics, Docetae, 
 and Cerinthians. 
 
 The Apostle begins by assuring the Christian converts 
 that he had seen and heard every thing which he had de- 
 livered to them concerning Christ ; he declares, that if wc 
 walk in light, that is, sincerely endeavour to obey the pre- 
 cepts of the Gospel, the blood of Christ will cleanse us 
 from all unrighteousness ; he condemns those \A'ho say 
 that they are guilty of no sin, and recommends confession 
 of sins id) ; he asserts the universality of Christ's propi- 
 tiation ; he states that the knowledge of God consists in 
 the observance of his commandments; he cautions the 
 Christian converts again.«t the love of this world, and 
 against false teachers (c) ; he points out the love of God for 
 
 (fc) C. 2, V. 18. (c) Matt. c. 24, v. 5. and 2i 
 
 (d) C. !. U) C. 2. 
 
344 FIRST GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN. [Part II. 
 
 mankind, and thence inculcates the duty of mutual love 
 among men {f) ; he urges farther cautions against false 
 teachers, and esjiecially against those who deny that Christ 
 is come in the flesh, that is, \vho deny the pre-existence 
 of Christ, and the incarnation of the Son of God {g), he 
 repeats his admonitions to mutual love (A), and to the ob- 
 servance of God's commandments; he pronounces that 
 " the whole world lieth in wickedness," and that " God has 
 given us eternal life through his Son (i)." 
 
 This Epistle has neither inscription in the beginning, 
 nor salutation or benediction at the end ; and indeed is has 
 so little of the epistolary form, that some persons consider 
 it as a treatise rather than a letter. 
 
 (/) C. 3. 
 
 {g) Some of these early heretics maintained that Christ 
 was not a real man, but a pliantom, and that he did not 
 really suffer death ; others, tliat the Son of God was united 
 with Jesus at ills baptism, and left him before his crucilixion. 
 
 {h) c. 4. (•; c. 5. 
 
Chap. 28.] SECOND genekal epistle of st. john. 34S 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-EIGHTH. 
 
 OF THE SECOND GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN. 
 
 I. GENUINENESS OF THIS EPI- 
 STLE. 
 II. TO WHOM IT WAS ADDRESS- 
 ED. 
 
 III. DESIGN AND SUBSTANCE OP 
 
 IT. 
 IV. ITS DATE. 
 
 I. This Epistle is quoted by Ivenaeus, Clement of Alex- 
 andria, Origen, and Dionysius of Alexandria ; and there- 
 fore its antiquity is unquestionable, although it was for- 
 merly doubted whether it was written by John the 
 Evangelist, or John the Presbyter of Ephesus ; but since 
 the fourth century, it has been allowed to be the genuine 
 Avork of St. John the Evangelist, and as such it is admitted 
 into the Canon. 
 
 H. In the inscription of this Epistle, St. John, without 
 mentioning his name, calls himself the Elder, which title 
 he probably adopted as being a term of honourable dis- 
 tinction in the primitive chm-ch. It is addressed, 'EkXckt/j 
 Kv()i(j, concerning the meaning of which words there has 
 ■beena varietyof opinions (a). Some, fancyingthat 'KicXficrp 
 is a proper name, have translated them, to the Lady Electa ; 
 others have taken K.v(>tq. to be a proper name, and have 
 
 (a) Vide Wolfii Prolegom. in Ep. Joan. 2^^"" and Benson's 
 Preface to the second and third Epistles of St. Joliii. 
 
346 SECOND GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN. [Part. II. 
 
 translated the words, to the elect Kyria, or Cyria; others 
 have thought that the Christian church in general, or that 
 some particular church, was meant, as of Philadelphia 
 or Jerusalem. Our translators have rendered the words. 
 To the Elect Lady, which is the common acceptation of 
 tlicm, and from which I see no reason for departing; I 
 therefore consider that this Epistle was written to some 
 liidy of eminence, styled elect on account of her distin- 
 guished piety. The place of her residence is not knowTi. 
 
 III. This Epistle consists of only thirteen verses ; and 
 Dr. liardner observes, that of these thirteen " eight may 
 be found in the first Epistle, either in sense or expres- 
 sion." The design of it was to caution the lady, to whom 
 it was addressed, against those false teachers who asserted 
 that Christ was not a real man, but only a man in appear- 
 ance ; and that he did not actually suffer what he seemed 
 to suffer. This doctrine the Apostle condemns in ver}' 
 severe terms, as being destmctive of the atonement of 
 Christ; and he recommends that no encouragement or 
 countenance should be given to those who maintain it ; 
 he inculcates also the necessity of obedience to the com- 
 mandments of God, and of mutual love and benevolence 
 among Christians. 
 
 IV. From the similarity between the sentiments and 
 expressions of this and the former Epistle, it is conjec- 
 turi'd that they were written at nearly the same time ; 
 iiad therefore we place the date of this Epistle also in the 
 year 69. 
 
Chap. 2*).] THIRD genkkal epistle of st. jjhn. 347 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-NINTH. 
 
 OF TlIK THIRD GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN. 
 
 1. GENVINENESS OF THIS EPI- 
 STLE. 
 11. ITS INSCRIPTION AND DATE. 
 U. DIJSIGN AND SUBSTANCE OF 
 
 IT. 
 
 IV. UBSERVATIONS UPON THIS 
 AND THE FOREGOING EPI- 
 STLE. 
 
 . Ignatius is supposeil to have referred to this Epistle, 
 ami it is mentioned by Origcn, Eusebius, Cyril, and 
 most of tlie later fathers. The same doubts were for- 
 merly entertained concerning it as concerning the preced- 
 ing Epistle, and they were removed at the same time. 
 II. This Epistle, in which also the Apostle calls him- 
 Sflf the Elder, is addressed to Caius ; but it is not known 
 who this Caius or Gaius was. Several persons of that 
 name are mentioned in the New Testament (a) ; and in 
 tlie ancient liistory of the church we meet with one Caius, 
 who was bishop of Ephesus ; a second, who was bishop 
 of Thessalonica ; and a third, who was bishop of Pergamus ; 
 all of whom are said to have been contemporaiy with 
 John. It is impossible to ascertain to which, or whether 
 to any, of these several persons this Epistle was addressed ; 
 but the commendation of the hospitality of Caius seems 
 
 (a) Acts, c. i'J, V. 29, c. 20, v. 4. 1 Cor. c. 1, v. 14. Rom. 
 c. 16. v. '23. 
 
348 THIRD GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN. [Part II. 
 
 to imply that he was in a private station, and that he was 
 possessed of some substance. It is supposed to have 
 been wTitten soon aftei* the two former, that is, about the 
 year 69. 
 
 III. The design of this short Epistle was to commend 
 Caius for having shown kindness to some Christians, as 
 they passed through the place where he resided ; to cen- 
 sure Diotrephes, who ha<l arrogantly assumed some au- 
 thority to himself; and to praise the good conduct of 
 Demetrius. It is not known who Diotrephes and Deme- 
 trius were. 
 
 IV. This, and the foregoing Epistle, are supposed to 
 have been written from Ephesus ; and it is probable that 
 the persons to whom they were addressed lived at no 
 great distance from that city, as St. John expresses a hope 
 of seeing them shortly. These Epistles are improperly 
 called catholic, as they are written to private persons; 
 which circumstance may account for their not being gene- 
 rally known in the primitive chm'ch. 
 
chap. 30. J GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JUDE. 
 
 34d 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE THIRTIETH. 
 
 OF THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JUDE. 
 
 t. HISTORY OF ST. JUDE. 
 IJ. GENUINENESS OF THIS EPI- 
 STLE. 
 
 III. ITS INSCRIPTION 
 DATE. 
 
 IV. SUBSTANCE OF IT. 
 
 I. Judas, or Jude, called also Lebbseus and Thaddseus 
 was ihe son of Alphseus or Cleophas, the brother of James 
 the Less, the cousin-gernian of our Saviour, and one of 
 the twelve Apostles (a). His call to be a disciple of Jesus 
 is not recorded ; and, except in the catalogues of the Apo- 
 stles, he is mentioned only once in the Gospels. After 
 Christ's interesting discourse to his disciples, not long be- 
 fore his crucifixion, " Judas saith unto him (not Iscariot,) 
 Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and 
 not to the world {b) ?" From which question it is inferred, 
 that at this time Judas had the common prejudice of the 
 Jews concerning the kingdom of the Messiah. Jude is 
 not mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, nor is a single 
 circumstance recorded of him in any ancient author, upon 
 which we can depend. He is generally reckoned among 
 those Apostles who did not suffer martyrdom. 
 
 (a) Luke, c. 6, v. 16. Acts, c. 1, v. 13. Matt. c. 10, v. 3, 
 Mark, c. 3, v. 18 Matt. c. 13, v. 55. Mark, c. 6, v. 3. 
 (6) John, c. 14, v. 22. 
 
a50 GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JUDE. [Part II. 
 
 II. This Epistle is quoted by Clement of Ale.xandria, 
 TertuUian, Origen, Dionysius of Alexandria, and most of 
 the later fathers. Jerome says, " Jude, brother of James 
 left a short Epistle, whicii is one of the seven called catho- 
 lic. But because of a quotation from a book of Enoch, 
 which is Apocr}^hal, it is rejected by many ; however at 
 length it has obtained authorit}', and is reckoned among 
 the sacred Scriptures (c)." Upon this subject it has been 
 rem{"*ked, that Jude does not in fact quote any book of 
 Enoch ; he only says that " Enoch prophesied," and that 
 ]3rophecy might have been traditional ((/). And, more- 
 over, the book of Enoch, mentioned by Origen, was pro- 
 babl}' not kno\\ii in the time of Jude, and it is believed 
 to have been a forgery of the second century. It is diffi- 
 cult to ascertain to what Jude does really refer ; but w hat- 
 cver it was, it does not afford a sufficient reason for setting 
 aside the Genuineness of this book, in ojiposition to the 
 authorities which were just now cited. 
 
 III. This Epistle is addressed, "To them that are 
 sanctified by God the Father, and presei-ved in Jesns 
 Christ, and called (e) ;" that is, to all Christians without 
 any distinction. From the following passage, " Remem- 
 ber ye the words which were spoken before of the Apo- 
 stles of our Lord Jesus Christ : Hoav that the}' told you 
 there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk 
 after their own ungodly lusts (f) ;" it is evident that this 
 Epistle was wTitten some time subsequent to St. Peter's 
 Epistles (ff), and St. Paul's Epistles to Timothy, in which 
 these prophecies aie contained ; and therefore we may 
 place its date, with most commentators, about the year 70. 
 
 (c) Dc Vir. III. cap. 4. 
 
 (d) The Arabians and the Indians have certainly preserved 
 the tradition. Vide Gibbon and Maurice. 
 
 ie) V. 1. 
 
 (/) Ver. 17 and 18. 
 
 ((/) There is great similarity between this Epistle and the 
 Becond chapter of St. Peter's second Epistle. 
 
Chap. 30.] (JENEKAL EPISTLE OF ST. JUDE. 351 
 
 IV. St. Jude, after saluting the Christian convert*, 
 and praying for divine blessings upon them, exhorts them 
 earnestly to contend for the genuine faith, as originally 
 delivered to the Saints, in opposition to the erroneous 
 doctrines taught by false teachers ; he reminds the Chris- 
 tians of the severity of God's judgments inflicted upon the 
 apostate angels and unrighteous men of former times; 
 from these examples he warns them against adopting the 
 seducing principles of those who were endeavouring to 
 pervert them from the truth, and denounces woe against 
 all persons of impious and profligate character j he reminds 
 them of the predictions of the Apostles concerning mock- 
 ers in the last days, and exhorts them to preserve them- 
 selves in the true faith and love of God, and to use their 
 best exertions for the preservation and recovery of others. 
 He concludes with an animated doxology, suited to the 
 >,eueral design of the Epistle. 
 
 The language of this Epistle is nervous, and the figures 
 and comparisons are bold, apt, and striking. 
 
362 THE REVELATION OF [Part II, 
 
 PART 11. 
 
 CHAPTER THE THIRTY-FIRST. 
 
 OF THE REVELATION OF JOHN THE DIVINE. 
 
 X. GENUINENESS OF THIS BOOK. I III. ITS CONTENTS. 
 II ITS DATE. I 
 
 I. The testimonies in favour of the book of the Reve- 
 lation being a genuine work of St. John the Evangelist, 
 are very full and satisfactory. Andrew, bishop of Ctesarea 
 in Cappadocia, in the fifth century, assures us that Papias 
 acknowledged the Revelation to he inspired. But the 
 earliest author now extant, who mentions this book, is 
 Justin Martyr, who lived about sixty years after it was 
 written, and he ascribes it to St. John. So does Irenaius, 
 whose evidence is alone sufficient upon this point ; for he 
 was the disciple of Polycarp, who was the disciple of John 
 himself; and he expressly tells us that he had the expla- 
 nation of a certain passage in this hook from those who 
 had conversed with St. John, the author (a). These two 
 fathers are followed by Clement of Alexandria, Theophilus 
 of Antioch, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian, Lactantius, 
 J irome, Athanasius, and many other ecclesiastical v\Titers, 
 all of whom concur in considering the Apostle John as 
 the author of the Revelation. Some few persons, however, 
 doubted the Genuineness of this book in the third and 
 
 (a) Lib. 3, cap. 3, lib. 4, cap. 7. 
 
Chap. 31.] JOHN THE DIVINE. 359 
 
 fourth centuries; l)ut since that time it has been very 
 generally acknowledged to be canonical ; and indeed, as 
 Mr. Lowman observes, " Hardly any one book has received 
 more early, more authentic, and more satisfactory attesta- 
 tions." The omission of this book in some of the early 
 catalogues of the Scriptures, was probably not owing to 
 any suspicion concerning its Authenticity or Genuineness, 
 but because its obsciu'ity and mysteriousness were thought 
 to render it less fit to be read publicly and generally. It 
 is called the Revelation of John the Divine; and this 
 appellation was first given to St. John by Eusebius, not to 
 distinguish him from any other person of the same name, 
 but as an honourable title, intimating that to him was 
 more fully revealed the system of divine counsels, than to 
 any other prophet of the Christian dispensation. 
 
 II. In the history of St. John it was shown that he was 
 banished to Patmos in the latter part of tl:e reign of 
 Domitian, and that he returned to I^phesus immediately 
 after the death of that emperor, which happened in the 
 year 96 ; and as the Apostle states that these visions ap- 
 peared to him while he was in that island, we may consider 
 this book as written in the year 95 or 96. In farther sup- 
 port of this date, I shall quote the following jiassage from 
 Beausobre and L'Enfant's preface to the Revelation. 
 After adducing Irenseus, Origen, Eusebius, and several 
 other ancient fathers, all of whom placed the banishment 
 of St. John to Patmos in the latter part of the reign of 
 Domitian, they proceed to make the following judicious 
 observations : " To this so constant a tradition we must 
 add other reasons, which prove farther that the Apocalypse 
 was not WTitten till after Claudius and Nero. It appears 
 from the book itself that churches had already been estab- 
 lished for a considerable time in Asia Minor, since St. John 
 reproaches them, in the name of Jesus Christ, with faults 
 which do not take place immediately ; he blames the church 
 
354 THE REVELATION OF [Part II. 
 
 at Ephesus, for having left its first love ; that at Sardis 
 for having a name that it lived, and was dead ; that at 
 Laodicea for having fallen into lukewarmness and indiffer- 
 ence. Now the churcli of Ephesus, fci example, was not 
 founded by St. Paul till the latter part of the reign of 
 Claudius ; and when he wrote to them from Rome in the 
 year 61 or 62, so far from reproaching them with any 
 defect of love, on the contrary, he commends their love 
 and their faith. It appears from the Revelation that the 
 Nicolaitans formed a sect when this book was written, 
 since they are exprei?sly named; instead of which tliey 
 were only foretold and described in general terms by 
 St. Peter in his second Epistle, which might be written in 
 the year 67, and by St. Jude, about the time of the de- 
 struction of Jerusalem under Vespasian. It is evident, 
 from divers passages of the Revelation, that there had 
 been then an open persecution in the provinces. St. John 
 himself had been baftished to Patmos for the testimony of 
 Jesus Christ. He praises the church of Ephesus, or its 
 bishop, for its constancy under affliction, which seems to 
 imply persecution. This is still more clear in the words 
 adih-essed to the church of Smyrna ; * I know thy works 
 and thy tribulation ;' for the word used in the original 
 almost always signifies persecution in the writings of the 
 New Testament, as it is exj)lained in the following verse. 
 In the 13th verse of this second chapter, mention is made 
 Bf a raart}T, named Antipas, ^^ho was put to death at 
 Pergamus. Although ancient ecclesiastical history fur- 
 nishes us ^^ ith no account of this Antipas, it is however 
 certain, according to all the rules of language, that ^^hat 
 is here said is to be understood literally, and not mysti- 
 cally, as some interpreters have done, contrary to all 
 probability : A martyr was put to death at Pergamus, 
 * where thou dwellest, even where Satan's scat is.' It 
 being tlius impossible to refer the persecution mentioned 
 
Chap. 31. J JOHN THE DIVINE. 355 
 
 in the first chapters of the Revelation to the time of Clau- 
 dius, who did not persecute the Christians, or to that of 
 Nero, whose persecution did not extend to the provinces, 
 we must necessarily refer it to Domitian, according to 
 ecclesiastical tradition." This internal evidence appears to 
 me a strong argument in favour of the date which has 
 been assigned to the Revelation. 
 
 III. In the first chapter, St. John asserts the divine 
 authority of the predictions which he is about to deliver ; 
 addresses himself to the churches of the Proconsular Asia ; 
 and describes the first vision, in which he is commanded 
 to wi-ite the things then revealed to him. The second and 
 third chapters contain seven Epistles to the seven churches 
 m Asia ; namelj% of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamus, Thyatu'a, 
 Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, which relate chiefly to 
 their then respective circumstances and situation (h). At 
 the fourth chapter the prophetic visions begin, and reach 
 to the end of the book. They contain a prediction of all 
 the most remarkable revolutions and events in the Chris- 
 tian church, from the time of the Apostle to the final 
 consummation of all things. An attempt to explain these 
 prophecies does not fall within the design of this work ; 
 and therefore I refer those, who are disposed to study this 
 sublime and mysterious book, to Mede, Daubuz, Sir Isaac 
 Newton, Lowman, Bishop Newton, Bishop Hurd, and 
 many other excellent commentators. These learned men 
 agree in their general principles concerning the interpre- 
 tation of this book, although they differ in some particular 
 points ; and it is not to be expected that thex*e should be a 
 perfect coincidence of opinion in the explanation of those 
 predictions which relate to still future times ; for as the in- 
 comparable Sir Isaac Newton observes, "God gave these and 
 
 (6) Some commentators have thought that these Epistles to 
 the seven Churches describe the character and fate of tlui 
 churches in the last days. 
 
356 THE REVELATION OF JOHN THE DIVINE. [Part II 
 
 the prophecies of the Old Testament, not to gratify men* 
 curiosity, by enabling them to foreknow things, but that 
 after they were fulfilled they might be interpreted by the 
 event, and his own providence, not that of the inteqireters, 
 be then manifested thei-eby to the world." — " To explain 
 this book," says Bishop Newton, " perfectly, is not the 
 work of one man, or of one age ; but probably it never 
 will be clearly imderstood till it is all fulfilled." It is 
 graciously designed that the gradual accomplishment of 
 these predictions should afford, in every succeeding period 
 of time, additional testimony to the divine origin of our 
 Hoiv Religion. 
 
Chap. 32.J NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED. SfiJ 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER THE THIRTY-SECOND. 
 
 THE NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED. 
 
 Jesus, called the Christ, having been conceived by the 
 power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of a virgin named 
 Mary, who had been betrothed to a person whose name 
 was Joseph, was born at Bethlehem, a city of Judaea, 
 when Herod the Great was king of the Jews, and Augus- 
 tus emperor of Rome. Joseph and Mary were both de- 
 scended from David; but, though of royal extraction, 
 they were persons in a low condition of life. The usual 
 place of their residence was Nazareth, in Galilee, and they 
 had gone to Bethlehem for the purpose of being enrolled, 
 in obedience to a decree of Augustus, that being the city 
 to which the family of David belonged : " And so it was, 
 that while they were there, the days were accomplished 
 that Mary should be delivered ; and she brought forth her 
 first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and 
 laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them 
 in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds 
 abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by 
 night ; and lo, the .angel of the Lord came upon them, 
 and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and 
 they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them. 
 Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy. 
 
358 THE NEW TESTAMENT [Part II. 
 
 which shall be to all people : for unto you is born thn 
 day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the 
 Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you ; yc shall find 
 the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. 
 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the 
 heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glor\- to God in 
 the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards 
 men («)." After the angel had departed, the shepherds 
 went in haste to Bethlehem, and " found Mary and Joseph, 
 and the babe lying in a manger. And the shepherds re- 
 turned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they 
 liad heard and seen {b)." On the eighth day Jesus was 
 circumcised, and being the first-born of his mother, he 
 was afterwards presented in the temple, and a sacrifice 
 oft'ered for him, as the law of Moses commanded (c). 
 Upon that occasion, Simeon and Anna, two devout and 
 aged iriiabitants of Jerusalem, were supernaturally di- 
 rected to go into the temple, and seeing the child Jesus, 
 they declared, in the spirit of prophecy, that he was the 
 promised Messiah {d). The birth of Jesus was more pub- 
 licly announced at Jerusalem by the arrival of wise men 
 from the East, who had " seen his star" in their own coun- 
 try, and had come, under a divine impulse, " to worship 
 him." The star conducted them to the place where Jesus 
 was, and they worshipped him, and, according to eastern 
 custom, presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, 
 and m)Trh (e). And thus was the birth of the Messiah, 
 the universal Saviour of mankind, communicated, by es- 
 pecial revelation, both to Jews and Gentiles ; and select 
 persons of each description acknowledged him as such 
 upon his first appearance in the world. 
 
 (a) Luke, c. 2, v. 6—14. 
 (6) Luke, c. 2, v. 16 and 20. 
 
 (c) Exod. c. L3, v. 2. Numb c. 18, v. 15. Lev. c 12, 
 V. 6 and 8. 
 id) Luke, c. 2, v. 25, &c. {e) Matt, c 2, v. 1, &c. 
 
Chap. 32.] HISTORY abridgkd. 359 
 
 All these wonderful occurrences Mere quickly made 
 known, and they could not but produce general astonish- 
 ment ; and in the mind of the jealous and profligate Herod 
 they occasioned great alarm. Thinking that Jesus, whose 
 birth was attended with these extraordinary circumstances, 
 might be the great temporal prince, who was now univer- 
 sally expected to arise in Judaea, or in some part of the 
 East, and fearing that he might deprive him or his family 
 of his kingdom, he endeavoured to destroy him, by order- 
 ing all the children of Bethlehem, under two years of age, 
 to be put to death. But God was pleased to frustrate 
 his design, by commanding Joseph and Maiy to carry Jesus 
 into Egypt ; and the death of Herod happening soon 
 after, they returned to Nazareth after a short absence (f). 
 
 It is said in general terms, that " Jesus increased in 
 wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man (</) ;" 
 but the only circumstance recorded of the early part of 
 Ins life is, that at the age of twelve years he went to Jeru- 
 salem, at the feast of the Passover, and was found in the 
 temple, " sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing 
 them and asking them questions ; and all that heard him 
 were astonished at his understanding and answers (A)." 
 He returned to Nazareth, and was subject to his parents (i). 
 
 A few months before the birth of Jesus, was born John, 
 called the Baptist, the son of Zacharias, a Jewish priest., 
 and of Elizabeth his wife, who was nearly related to Mary, 
 the mother of Jesus. In the fifteenth year of the reign 
 of Tiberius Ca;sar, emperor of Rome, Pontius Pdate being 
 governor of Judsea and Samaria, and Herod Antipas te- 
 trarch of Galilee, John apjjcared in the desert country 
 about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the 
 remission of sins. " And the same John had his raiment 
 of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, and 
 
 (/) Matt. c. 2, v 13, &c. (c/) Luke, c. 2, v. 52- 
 
 (h) Luke, c. 2, v 4G and 47. (») Luke, c. 2, v 5L 
 
360 THE NEW TESTAMENT [Tart II. 
 
 his meat was locusts and wild honey (A).'' He taught 
 that the kingdom of heaven was at hand ; admonished his 
 countrymen of the danger of continuing in their sins ; 
 bade them bring forth fruits meet for repentance, and not 
 depend upon national privileges for acceptance with God. 
 The extraordinary appearance of John, and the interesting 
 instructions which he delivered, excited, at this moment of 
 general expectation, great notice and attention : " There 
 went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaa, and all the 
 region round about Jordan, and were baj)tized of him in 
 Jordan, confessing their sins (/)." — " "While all men mused 
 in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ or 
 not (m)," the Jewish council sent priests and Levites from 
 Jerusalem to inquire who he was : he acknowledged that 
 he Avas not the Christ, but that he was his forerunner, 
 predicted by the prophets ; and he openly declared that 
 there was then among them a great Person, whom as yet 
 they knew not, far superior to himself, who would " bap- 
 tize them with the Holy Ghost and with fire." After 
 great numbers of people had been baptized, Jesus came 
 " from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him." 
 John, urging his own inferiority, at first refused, but upon 
 Jesus representing the necessity of his being baptized by 
 him, he complied. And immediately after the baptism of 
 Jesus, " the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost de- 
 scended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a 
 voice came from heaven, which said, this is my beloved 
 Son, in whom I am well pleased : and Jesus himself began 
 to be about thirty years of age («)." 
 
 Jesus being thus baptized, and having received this 
 testimony to his divine character, was, "led up of the 
 Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil (o)." 
 
 (A:) Matt, c 3, V. 4. (0 Matt. c. 3, v. 5 and 6. 
 
 (>w) Luke, c. 3, v. 15. 
 
 («) Matt. 0. 3, V. 16 and 17. Luke. c. 3, v. 21, &0. 
 
Chap. 32.] HISTORY abridged. 361 
 
 He there fasted fortj' days and forty nights, and under- 
 went a variety of temptations i^hich are reccirded by St. 
 Matthew and St. Luke; but at length the devil, being 
 unable to prevail, left him, and "behold, angels came 
 and ministered unto him (p)." 
 
 After the temptation, Jesus returned to Nazareth, and 
 began his ministry in Galilee : " He went about all the 
 cities and villages, teacnmg in their s}niagogues, and 
 jjreaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and heaUng every 
 sickness, and every disease among the people (7)." The 
 excellence of these instructions, joined to the authority 
 with which they were delivered, and accompanied by the 
 repeated performance of miracles, could not fail to con- 
 vince many people that he was a Teacher sent from God : 
 he was acknowledged to speak as " never man spake (/•)," 
 and to work such miracles " as had never been seen in 
 Israel (*)." His followers soon became numerous, and 
 he chose from them twelve persons, who were namerf 
 Apostles ; and who constantly attended him during his 
 ministry, except for a short period, when he sent them to 
 preach in Judaia and Galilee. He gave them peculiar 
 instructions for that purpose, and also enabled them to 
 perform miracles. And when they had executed their 
 commission, they "gathered themselves together unto 
 Jesus, and told him all things, both what the}- had done, 
 and what they had taught (t)." 
 
 The freedom with which John the Baptist had censured 
 the incestuous marriage of Herod Antipas with Herodias, 
 the wife of his brother Philip, provoked the r>sentment of 
 Herod, and induced him to apprehend and iiii])rison John. 
 Not long afterwards, Herod, being pleased uitli the dancing 
 of the daughter of Herodias, promised wit ;i ;i.i Duth to 
 
 (0) Matt. c. 4, v. 1. (p) MhU c. 4. v. 11. 
 
 (q) Matt. c. 9, v. 35. (r) J.lni c. 7, v. 16. 
 
 (5) Malt. c. 9, v. 33 (0 iSl.uk. 0. G \. 30 
 
362 THE NEW TESTAMENT [Part II. 
 
 give her whatsoever slie would ask ; ami she, being in- 
 structed by her mother, desired tliat the head of John 
 the Baptist might be presented to her. Herod expressed 
 great concern at this request, but pretending the obligation 
 of the oath which he had rashly sworn, he commanded 
 that John should be beheaded ; and " his head was given 
 to the damsel, and she brought it to her mother (?<)." 
 
 In tl'.e meantime Jesus continued his ministry. He de- 
 clai-ed that the general purpose of his coming into the 
 i\orld \ias to call sinners to repentance, that the w»rld 
 through him might be saved, and that whosoever believed 
 in him should not perish, but have everlasting life ; he in- 
 culcated the necessity of faith, humility, meekness, tem- 
 perance,, self-denial, devotion, and resignation to the Divine 
 will ; he cautioned his hearers against pride, censorious- 
 ness, covetousness, hatred, reviling, causeless anger, the 
 love of this world, and the indulgence of every irregular 
 appetite ; he taught that the two great branches of m.en's 
 duty ^^■ere to love God, and to love their neighbour; thatthey 
 were to worship God in spirit and in truth ; that they should 
 imitate their heavenly Father in mercy, forgiveness, and in 
 all goodness ; that they shoidd do to otliers as they would 
 that others should do to them ; that they ought to be pure 
 in heart as well as unblameable m outward actions ; that 
 they were not to pray, fast, or give alms merely that they 
 might be seen of men, but in all things to seek the appro- 
 bation of God, who not only sees the most private actions, 
 but is also acquainted with the inward thoughts of men : 
 he farther declared, in the most distinct and positive man- 
 ner, that there will be a future state of existence, and a 
 general judgment ; and that those who have acted well in 
 this world will be rewarded with eternal happiness, but 
 that the wicked will be consigned to everlasting misery. 
 
 {_u) Matt. 0. 14, T. 11. 
 
Chap. 32.] HISTORY abridged. 363 
 
 These precepts and these truths he delivered sometimes 
 phiinly, sometimes in parables ; and as a proof of his di- 
 vine mission, and of the divine authority of the doctrines 
 which he taught, he performed a great variety of miracles 
 in the most public manner, and in every part of Judaia 
 and Galilee : he turned water into wine ; he fed five thou- 
 sand persons with a few loaves and fishes ; he walked upon 
 tlie sea, and calmed the winds and waves ; he made the 
 blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk ; he 
 cured all sorts of diseases, " healed all that were oppressed 
 of the devil {x)," and restored the dead to life. Besides 
 these wonderful works, he manifested an exact knowledge 
 of the thoughts and designs of men ; he foretold his o«n 
 death, resurrection, and ascension; the descent of the 
 Holy Ghost ; the sufferings of the Apostles, and the suc- 
 cess of theii" preaching ; he predicted the destruction of 
 the city and temple of Jerusalem, the dispersion of the 
 Jewish ])eople, and the abolition of their national politv, 
 in the most clear and positive terms ; he prophesied con- 
 cerning times which are yet future, and declared that he 
 should come again to judge the world. 
 
 In the course of his ministiy, Jesus went up into a high 
 mountain with three of his Apostles, Peter, James, and 
 John, and was in their presence transfigured : " His face 
 did shiue as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light, 
 and a bright cloud overshadowed them j and behold a voice 
 out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in 
 whom I am well pleased; hear ye hira(?/)." 
 
 Christ not only lived without any external state and 
 splendour, but he seems not to have had any fixed habi- 
 tation after he began his ministry, except in the house of 
 Peter, one of his Apostles. Meek and condescending to 
 iiis disciples, and to all who resorted to him for instruction 
 
 (*) Acts, c. 10, V. 38. (y) Matt. c. 17, v. 2 and 5. 
 
3G4 THE NEW TESTAMENT [Part II. 
 
 or relief, he at the same time reproved their faults and 
 fniliugs with the impartiality and dignity helonging to his 
 divine character and office ; he inveighed with great se- 
 verity against the hypocris}', pride, covetousness, and vain 
 traditions of the Scribes and Pharisees, and chief men 
 among the Jews, and warned them of the danger to which 
 they exposed themselves by their wicked lives and un- 
 founded doctrines. 
 
 "\Mien Christ had fully taught and confirmed his reli- 
 gion, and in his o^vn conduct had exhibited a perfect ex- 
 ample of piety and virtue, he went up to Jerusalem, ac- 
 cording to the custom of the Jews, and according to his 
 own practice during his ministry (z), to keep the Passover 
 and while he was eating it in a room with his Apostles, 
 where it was prepared by his direction, he foretold that 
 one of them should betray him to the Jews. He then in- 
 stituted the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and after- 
 wards went with his disciples to the Mount of Olives ; he 
 there retired into a private jiart of a garden with Peter, 
 John, and James, and foreseeing that his death was near at 
 hand, he underwent a severe agony of mind ; he prayed 
 with great earnestness to be delivered from the suffei-ings 
 which awaited him, " if it were possible," consistently with 
 " the cause for which he came into the world," but at the 
 same time he expressed the most perfect resignation to the 
 will of his Almighty Father ; he declared to those who 
 were with him, the near approach of his traitorous Apostle ; 
 " and while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, 
 came, and with him a great multitude with swords and 
 staves from the chief priests and elders of the people («)." 
 — " Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come 
 
 (z) Many commentators think that this was the fourth 
 Passover at which our Saviour had been present since he 
 began his ministry, but I am inclined to think it was only th« 
 Uiird. Vide page 2i0 of this volume. 
 
 (u) Matt. c. '26, v. 47, 
 
Chap. 32.] HISTORY abridged. 365 
 
 upon him, went forth, and said unto them. Whom seek 
 ye ? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith 
 unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, 
 stood with them. As soon then as he had said imto them, 
 I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. Tlien 
 asked he them again. Whom seek ye ? and they said, Jesus 
 of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am 
 he : if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way ib)." 
 Then Peter, in a transport of zeal to defend his beloved 
 Master, drew his sword ; bvit Jesus said unto Peter, " Put 
 up thy sword into the sheath : the cup which my Father 
 hath given me, shall I not di'ink it ? Then the band, 
 and the captain, and officers of the Jews, took Jesus 
 and bound him (<?)," and carried him before the high 
 ])riest and Sanhedrim. He was there accused, examined, 
 and pronounced to be " guilty of death {d)" as a blas- 
 phemer," because he made himself the Son of God (e)." 
 He was treated with every mark of contempt and indig- 
 nity ; but the Jewish council, having no longer the power 
 of life and death, were undec the necessity of carrying 
 Jesus before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. Pilate 
 at first seemed desirous of releasing him ; but the chief 
 priests declared, that Jesus had forbidden the people to 
 ])ay tribute unto CfEsar, and had called himself the king of 
 the Jews ; and that therefore " if he let this man go, he 
 was not Caesar's friend." Thus at length they prevailed 
 upon Pilate to condemn Jesus to be crucified. This sen- 
 tence was carried into immediate execution. The morning 
 after he was betrayed, he was crucified between two male- 
 factors, the one on his right hand, and the other on his 
 left : " And they set up over his head his accusation, v\Tit- 
 ten. This is Jesus the king of the Jews {f)." At themo- 
 
 Vb) John, c. 18, V. 4—8. (c) John, c. 18, v. 11 and 12. 
 Id) Matt. c. 26, v. 66. (e) John, c. 19, v. 7, 
 
 (/) Matt. c. 27, V. 37. 
 
3G(i THE NEW TESTAMENT [P.ut II. 
 
 ment Jesus expired, " the veil of the temple was rent in 
 twain from the top to the bottom ; and the earth did 
 quake ; and the rocks rent ; and the graves were opened, 
 aud many bodies of the saints which slept arose. And it 
 was about the sixth hour, and there was daikness over all 
 the earth until the ninth hour {(/)." These extraordinary 
 circumstances compelled the Roman centurion and his 
 heathen companions to exclaim, " Truly this was the Son 
 of God (/a)." 
 
 Pilate, having received certain information tliat Christ 
 was dead, permitted Joseph of Arimathea, who had been 
 one of his disciples, to take the body from the cross, and 
 to bury it ; and by desire of the Jewish council, he ordered 
 the sepulchre to be secured by a guai'd of Roman soldiers, 
 " lest his disciples come by night and steal him awaj', and 
 say unto the people, lie is risen from the dead (i)." 
 
 On the third day afterj his crucifixion and burial, early 
 in the morning, Jesus arose, and showed himself alive, 
 " by manjr infallible proofs," to his Apostles, and to many 
 others to whom he had been known during his ministr\ . 
 He spake of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, 
 and gave his Apostles this express command to propagate 
 his religion : " Go ye, and teach all nations, baptizing 
 them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
 the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe whatsoever I 
 have commanded you ; and lo, I am Avith you alway, even 
 unto the end of the world (A)." He renewed to them the 
 promise of the Holy Ghost, and directed them to remain 
 at Jerusalem, till they were " endued with power from on 
 high. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he 
 lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to 
 
 C^) Matt. c. 27, V. 51 and 52. Luke, c. 23, v. 44. 
 
 (A) Matt. c. 27, v. 54. 
 
 (t) Matt. c. 27, v. 64. 
 
 ',k) Matt, c 28, V. 19 and 20. 
 
Chap. 32-1 HISTORY ABKIDGED. 36? 
 
 pass, while he blessed them, he was parted fiora them, and 
 was carried up into heaven (Z)." 
 
 The Apostles returned to Jerusalem, and being there 
 assembled with other disciples, to the number of about 
 one hundred and twenty, Peter proposed that some per- 
 son should be chosen an Apostle in the room of Judas 
 Tseariot, who had hanged himself when he saw Jesus con- 
 demned to death : " And they appointed two, JosepJi 
 called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias, 
 and they prayed, and said. Thou Lord, which knowest the 
 hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou has 
 chosen, that he may take part of the ministry and apostle- 
 ship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might 
 go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots ; and 
 the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the 
 eleven Apostles (m)." 
 
 At the feast of Pentecost, ten days after the ascension 
 of our Saviour, and fifty after his resurrection from the 
 dead, the Holy Ghost descended visibly upon the Ajjo- 
 stles : " There appeared unto them cloven tongues like as 
 of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all 
 filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other 
 tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance (n)." There 
 were at this time at Jerusalem Je^\■s by birth, and prose- 
 lytes to the Jewish religion, " out of every nation under 
 heaven," who had come thither for the purpose of cele- 
 brating the feast of Pentecost ; and when they heai-d the 
 Apostles, whom they knew to be Galileans of low con- 
 dition, speaking, in the languages of their respective 
 countries, the wonderful works of God, "they were all 
 amazed, and marvelled," and were utterly unable to ac- 
 count for so sudden and extraordinary a power. Petcfj 
 
 {I) Luke, c. 24, v. 49, &c. 
 (w) Acts, c. 1, v. 23, &c. 
 («) Acts, c. 2, v. 3, &c. 
 
368 THE NEW TESTAMENT [Part II. 
 
 taking advantage of the impression made upon the minds 
 of these men, explained to them that the gift which had 
 excited their surprise, had been predicted by the prophet 
 Joel; he then declared Jesus, whom the inhabitants of 
 Jerusalem had caused to be crucified, to be a teacher sent 
 from God ; and in proof of his divine mission he appealed 
 to the miracles which he had performed, and to his resur- 
 rection from the dead ; he asserted that Jesus was now 
 exalted at the right hand of God, and had sent the Holy 
 Ghost according to his promise, the effects of which they 
 had just witnessed ; and he concluded with this solemn 
 declaration, " Therefore let all the house of Israel know 
 assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye 
 have crucified, both Lord and Christ (o)." The effect of 
 this discourse, and of other exhortations which the Apo- 
 stles delivered, was, that three thousand persons imme- 
 diately professed their belief in Jesus as the Messiah, and 
 were baptized in his name. " Many wonders and signs 
 were done by the Apostles {p)," and the number of be- 
 lievers was daily increased. * The}' lived together in the 
 most perfect harmony : those who had possessions sold 
 them, and brought the money to the Apostles ; they had 
 all things in common, and there " was not any among them 
 that lacked (</)." But the disciples soon after became so 
 numerous, that the Apostles were unable to attend to the 
 concerns of the poor; and therefore, by their advice, 
 seven persons were selected, whom they appointed " over 
 this business," and who, from their office of " daily mi- 
 nistration," were called Deacons (r). The Apostles then 
 confined themselves to preaching and the performance of 
 miracles. 
 
 The members of the Sanhedrim, and other chief persons 
 among the Jew s, alarmed by the success which constantly 
 
 (o) Acts, c. 2, V. 36. ip) Acts, c. 2, v. 43. 
 
 ;S/) Acts, c. 1, v. 31. (?•) I'rom dioKovno, ministro. 
 
Chap. 32. j HISTORY abridged. • 36.9 
 
 attended the exertions of the Apostles, apprehended Peter 
 and John, who had lately restored to the use of his limbs 
 a man who had been lame from his mother's womb. They 
 examined them the next day before their council, and 
 Peter openly declared that they had performed the miracle 
 by the name of Jesus Christ, whom they had crucified. 
 The man who had been lame was present, and the fact of 
 this cure could not be controverted. They found them- 
 selves under the necessity of acknowledging the miracle ; 
 and as it aiforded no pretence for punishment, they could 
 only command Peter and John to speak no more to the 
 people in the name of Jesus. The two Apostles imme- 
 diaeely replied that they could not but speak the things 
 which they had seen and heard, in obedience to the com- 
 mands of God. The council added farther threats, and 
 then dismissed them. Upon the report of these proceed- 
 ings before the Sanhedrim, the disciples returned thanks 
 to Almighty God, and prayed fervently for the continuance 
 of his support : " And when they had prayed, the ])Iace 
 v/as shaken w here they had assembled together ; and they 
 were all filled with the Holy Ghost (.s)." This fresh ma- 
 nifestation of divine power encouraged the Apostles " to 
 speak the word of God with boldness ; and by their hands 
 were many signs and wonders wi'ought among the peojile. 
 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multi- 
 tudes both of men and women {t)." 
 
 The high priest and Sadducees, aware of the increased 
 zeal and success with which this new religion was jiro- 
 pagated, thought it necessary to make another attempt to 
 check its progress ; they seized the twelve Apostles, and 
 committed them to the common prison ; but in the night 
 the angel of the Lord opened the doors, and set them at 
 liberty, and commanded them to preach the Gospel in the 
 
 (s) Acts, c. 4, V. 31. (0 Acts, c. 5, V. 12 and U. 
 
 B B 
 
370 THE NEW TESTAMENT [Part II. 
 
 temple : " And when they heard that, they entered into 
 the temple early in the morning, and taught." In the 
 meantime the members of the Sanhedrim assembled, and 
 sent for the prisoners ; but they were informed that upon 
 opening the prison no one was found in it ; and soon after 
 they learnt that these men were then in the temple, teach- 
 ing the people. This account excited great astonishment 
 in the council ; it produced, however, no good effect upon 
 their minds, for they determined to send and apprehend 
 the A])ostles again. When they appeared before the 
 council, the high priest, addressing himself to Peter and 
 John, desired to know how they had dared, in direct op- 
 position to his former injunction, to preach in the name 
 of Jesus. The Apostles defended themselves by boldly 
 asserting that it was their duty to obey God rather than 
 man, and that they were divinely commissioned to bear 
 testimony to the religion of Jesus, whom the Jews had 
 crucified, and whom God had exalted to be a prince and 
 a Saviour, " to give repentance unto Israel, and forgiveness 
 of sins." This declaration so incensed the council, that 
 they would immediately have put the Apostles to death, 
 if they had not been dissuaded by Gamaliel, an eminent 
 doctor of the law, who advised them to be cautious in 
 what they did to these men ; for if the doctrine which 
 they preached were of divine origin, it must necessarily 
 prevail ; but if it had no other foundation than human 
 authority, it would, as in similar cases which had fallen 
 within their knowledge, soon sink into disregard. They 
 so far listened to this advice, that they released the Apo- 
 stles, having first beaten them, and commanded, " that 
 they should not speak in the name of Jesus {n)." So 
 little were the Apostles terrified by this ill treatment, 
 or influenced by this command, that they " ceased not to 
 
 («) Acts, c 5, v. 40. 
 
Chap. 32.] HISTORY ABKIDGED. 371 
 
 teach and preach Jesus Christ daily in the temple, and in 
 fcV3ry house (:r)." 
 
 Among the most zealous and distinguished of the dis- 
 ciples was Stephen, one of the seven deacons, who " was 
 full of faith and power, and did great wonders and miracles 
 among the people (y)." This man was seized and canied 
 before tlie council, and accused by witnesses, who were 
 suborned for that purpose, "of speaking blasphemous 
 words against Moses and against God (s)." Stephen vin- 
 dicated himself against this charge by asserting, at some 
 length and with great solemnity, the divine authority of 
 the Mosaic Law ; he inveighed against the ancient Jews 
 for persecuting the prophets who had predicted the coming 
 of the Messiah, and reproached the council, whom he was 
 then addressing, with betraying and murdering that Just 
 Out; who had been thus predicted : " When they heard 
 these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed 
 on him mth their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy 
 Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the 
 glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of 
 God, and said, behold, I see the heavens opened, and the 
 Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. They 
 then cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, 
 and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of 
 the city, and stoned him ; and the witnesses laid down 
 their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was 
 Saul; and they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and 
 saying. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit ; and he kneeled 
 down, and cried with a loud voice. Lord, lay not this sin to 
 their charge : and when he had said this, he fell asleep (a).'* 
 
 (.r) Acts, c. 5, V. 42. 
 
 Uj) Acts, c. 6, V. 8. {z) Acts, c. 6, v. 11. 
 
 (a) Acts, c. 7, V. 54, &c. This stoning of Stephen was an 
 irr<;gular tumultuous act, not done in consequence of a sen- 
 tence of the Sanhedrim, and does not prove that the Jews at 
 that time had the power of life and death. 
 
372 THE NEW TESTAMENT [Part II. 
 
 Stephen was the first martyr in the cause of the Gospel ; 
 and immetliately after his death there began a severe per- 
 cution of the whole church at Jerusalem. All the disciples, 
 except the twelve Apostles, left the city, and being " scat- 
 tered abroad, went everyAvhere, preaching the word (/>)." 
 Philii), the deacon, preached at Samaria ; and the inhabit- 
 ants of that city, seeing the miracles he performed, 
 believed the doctrines which he taught, and professed their 
 belief in Jesus as the Messiah. And when the Apostles, 
 who were at Jerusalem, heard that the Samaritans had 
 received the word of God, they sent thither Peter and 
 John, who, by laying their hands upon these new con- 
 verts, commimicated to them the gifts of the Holy Ghost. 
 The same success which Philip had at Samaria, attended 
 the other disciples in the different places to which thev 
 went ; and thus the persecution at Jerusalem was the 
 means of conveying the Gospel " throughout Jiulaea, Gali- 
 lee, and Samaria," and even " as far as Phoenice, Cyj)rus, 
 and Antioch (c)." 
 
 During the first eight years after the ascension of our 
 Saviom-, the j)reaching of the Apostles and others was 
 confined to the Jews. The call of Cornelius, the first 
 Gentile convert, and the miraculous conversion of St. Paul, 
 the gi'eat Apostle of the Gentiles, have been already no- 
 ticed. Subsequent to these important events, the Scrip- 
 ture History furnishes us with scarcely anj' information, 
 except some few particulars relative to St. Peter, and a 
 more detailed account of llie sufferings and exertions of 
 St. Paul. All these circumstances have been related in 
 the history of those Apostles ; and therefore it will be only 
 necessary to add, that we learn from the Acts of the 
 Apostles, and the Epistles, that within thirty years after 
 the ascension of our Saviour, Christian churches were 
 
 (q) Acts, c. 8, v. 4. (c) Acts, c. 11, v. 19 
 
Chap. 32.J Hlft TORY ABRIDGED. 373 
 
 founded in Cyprus, Crete, Greece, Italy, Syna, and many 
 countries of Asia Minor, which consisted both of Jewish 
 and Gentile converts. 
 
 Such is the History of the New Testament ; and that the 
 books which contain this history were written, and imme- 
 diately published, by persons contemporary with the events, 
 is fully pi'oved, as we have seen in the preceding chapters, 
 by the testimony of an unbroken series of authors, reach- 
 ing from the days of the Evangelists to the present times ; 
 by the concurrent belief of Christians of all denomina- 
 tions ; and by the unreserved confession of avowed ene- 
 mies to the Gospel. In this point of view the writings 
 of the ancient fathers of the Christian Church are in- 
 valuable. They contain not only frequent references and 
 allusions to the books of the New Testament, but also 
 such numerous professed quotations from them, that it is 
 demonstratively certain that these books existed in their pre- 
 sent state a few years after the appearance of Christ in the 
 world. No unbeliever in the apostolic age, in the age ini- 
 mediately subsequent to it, or indeed in any age whatever, 
 was ever able to disprove the facts recorded in these books ; 
 and it does not appear that in the early times any such at- 
 tempt was made. The facts therefore related in the New 
 Testament must be admitted to have really happened. But 
 if all the circumstances of the history of Jesus, that is, hi» 
 miraculous conception in the womb of the Virgin, the 
 time at which he was born, the place where he was born, 
 the family from which he was descended, the nature of the 
 doctrines which he preached, the meanness of his condi- 
 tion, his rejection, sufferings, death, burial, resurrection, and 
 ascension, with many other minute particulars ; if, I say, all 
 these varic-u.s circumstances in the history of Jesus exactly 
 
374 NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY ABRIDGED. [Part II. 
 
 accord with the predictions of the Old Testament relative 
 to the promised Messiah, in whom all the nations of the 
 earth were to be blessed, it follows that Jesus was that 
 Messiah. — And again, if Jesus really performed the mira- 
 cles as related in the Gospels, and was perfectly acquainted 
 with the thoughts and designs of men, his divine mission 
 cannot be doubted. — Lastly, if he really foretold his own 
 death and resurrection, the descent of the Holy Ghost, its 
 miraculous effects, the sufferings of the Apostles, the call 
 of the Gentiles, and the destruction of Jerusalem, it ne- 
 cessarily follows that he spake by the authority of God 
 himself. Tiiese and many other arguments founded in the 
 more than human character of Jesus, in the rapid propa- 
 gation of the Gospel, in the excellence of its precepts and 
 doctrines, and in the constancy, intrepidity, and fortitude 
 of its early professors, incontrovertibly establish the truth 
 and divine origin of the Christian religion, and afford to us, 
 who live in these Latter times, the most positive confirma- 
 tion of the promise of our Lord, that " the gates of hell 
 shall not prevail against it (rf)." 
 
 (d) Malt, c 16. V. IS. 
 
[ 575 1 
 
 THK PLACES AND TIMES OF WRITING THE liOOliS 
 OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 
 
 St. Mattliew . 
 
 . Judaea . . 
 
 A.D. 38. 
 
 St. Mark 
 
 . Rome 
 
 . 65 
 
 St. Luke 
 
 . Greece 
 
 . 63 
 
 St. John 
 
 . Asia Minor 
 
 . 97 
 
 Acts 
 
 . Greece 
 
 . 64 
 
 Romans 
 
 . Corinth 
 
 . 58 
 
 1 Corinthians 
 
 . Ephesus . 
 
 . 56 
 
 2 Corinthians 
 
 . Macedonia 
 
 . 57 
 
 Galatians 
 
 . Corinth or Macedonia 
 
 . 52 
 
 Ephesians 
 
 . Rome 
 
 . 61 
 
 PhiHppians . 
 
 . Rome 
 
 . 62 
 
 Colossians . 
 
 . Rome 
 
 . 62 
 
 1 Thessalonians 
 
 . Corinth 
 
 . 52 
 
 2 Thessalonians 
 
 . Corinth 
 
 . 52 
 
 1 Timothy . 
 
 . Macedonia 
 
 . 64 
 
 2 Timothy . 
 
 . Rome 
 
 . 65 
 
 Titus . 
 
 . Greece or Macedonia 
 
 . 64 
 
 Philemon 
 
 . Rome 
 
 . 62 
 
 Hehrews 
 
 . Rome 
 
 . 63 
 
 St. James 
 
 . Jerusalem 
 
 . 61 
 
 1 St. Peter . 
 
 . Rome 
 
 . 64 
 
 2 St. Peter . 
 
 . Rome 
 
 . 65 
 
 1 St. John . 
 
 . Judaea 
 
 . 69 
 
 2 St. John . 
 
 . Ephesus . 
 
 . 69 
 
 3 St. John . 
 
 . Ephesus . 
 
 . 69 
 
 St. Jude 
 
 . Unknown . 
 
 . . 70 
 
 ReTelation . 
 
 . Patmos 
 
 . 95 or 96 
 
f 376 1 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Aaron and his posterity's appointment to the priesthood ]'26 
 
 appointed to be Moses' spokesman.. .. .. 113 
 
 his death 130 
 
 Abraham's call .. .. .. .. .. .. 97 
 
 his sojourn in Egypt . . . . . . . . 97 
 
 God's promise to him of numerous descendants . . 98 
 
 trial of liis faith and obedience .. .. .. 100 
 
 Acts of the Apostles, contents of the book of . . 234 
 
 genuineness of this book. . . . . . . . 234 
 
 its date 235 
 
 importance of it . . . . . . . . . . 236 
 
 gives only a part of the nistory of St. Paul . . 256 
 
 Adam, sons of, mentioned in Scripture .. .. 94 
 
 Alexander's remarkable dream .. .. .. 148 
 
 dies, and Judaea falls to the sharS of Laomedon. . 148 
 
 Amos, contents of the book of .. .. .. .. 82 
 
 Antigonus seizes the government of Judaea and assumes 
 
 the title of King 153 
 
 Antiochus Epiphanes appoints Jason high priest .. 150 
 
 attempts to enter the holy place . . . . . . 150 
 
 — — plunders the Temple and slays the inhabitants of 
 
 Judaea .. .. .. .. .. .. 150 
 
 Apostles, effusion of the Holy Ghost iipon . . 367 
 Aristobulus, first of the Maccabees who assumed the 
 
 name of King .. .. .. .. .. 152 
 
 bribes the Roman general .. .. .. 152 
 
 Ark of the Covenant . . . . . . . . . . 125 
 
 Author, the earliest who mentions all the four Gospels, 
 
 Note (/) 188 
 
 Babel, building the Tower of, and God's displeasure with 
 
 the Work 95 
 
 Babylonian captivity foretold, and comes to pass .. 142 
 
 Balaam, commanded to bless instead of to curse .. 129 
 
 his descent . . . . . . . . . . .-. 129 
 
 Bible, meaning of the word .. .. .. .. 1 
 
 division and arrangement of the .. .. .. 2 
 
 Brothers and Sisters, sometimes the same name, Note {g) 325 
 
INDEX. 377 
 
 VAsa. 
 
 Cams, several of this name mentioned in the New Tes- 
 tament, Note (a) . . . . . . . . . . 347 
 
 Canaan, derivation of the name .. .. .. 164 
 
 description of .. .. .. ., .. 164 
 
 Canon of the New Testament .. .. .. 185 
 
 Catholic Epistles . . . . .■i22 
 
 Christians, name of, first given to the disciples . . '240 
 
 what previously called, Note (m) . . . . . . 240 
 
 Chronicles, different appellations were given to the books of 60 
 
 their contents . . : . . . . . . 60 
 
 Circumcision, rite of, instituted, A'b/e (^) .. .. 99 
 
 Colosse, by whom the church there was founded . . '286 
 
 doubtful whether St. Paul had been at . . '286 
 
 Colossians, Epistle to . . . . . . . . . . '285 
 
 substance of . . . . . . . . . . '287 
 
 Corinthians, First Epistle to . . . . . . . . 268 
 
 date and contents of it . . . . . . . . 269 
 
 state of the cliurch at Corinth when written . . ' 268 
 
 Second Epistle to . . . . . . . . 272 
 
 date and substance of it . . . . . . . . 273 
 
 Crassus plunders the temple .. .. .. .. 152 
 
 Creation of the world in six days . . . . . . 90 
 
 of man in God's image . . . . . . . . 91 
 
 Crete, when a Christian Church first planted . . . , 309 
 
 Cushan, King of Mesopotamia, defeated by Othniel 1.34 
 
 Cyrus, permits the Jews to return to Jerusalem . . 144 
 
 appoints Zerubbabel to be their governor . . 145 
 
 is succeeded by Darius, who also favours the Jews 145 
 
 Daniel, history of . . . . . . . . . . 79 
 
 contents of the book of . . . . . . . . 80 
 
 prophecies of, pointed out to Alexander . . 148 
 
 David secretly anointed as the successor of Saul . . 135 
 
 Decalogue, circumstances attending the giving of .. 122 
 
 Dedication, origin of the feast of .. .. .. 151 
 
 Deluge, account of the -. . . . . . . 94 
 
 Deuteronomy, import of its name . . . . . . 54 
 
 contents of the book of . . . . . . . . 55 
 
 Diatessaron, by whom first composed, A'^oie (/) .. 188 
 
 Ecclesiastes, account of the book of . . . . 70 
 
 Ephesians, Epistle to . . . . . . . . . . 279 
 
 date and circumstances connected with it . . 2S0 
 
 Essenes, when they existed . . . . . . . . 280 
 
 Esther, contents of the book of . . . . . . 62 
 
 — — why so named . . . . . . . . . . 6'2 
 
 ■ opinions concerning the author of it .. .. 62 
 
378 INDEX. 
 
 Eve, seduced by the Evil Spirit, eats of the forbidden fruit 9"i 
 
 Exodus, signification of its name . . . . . . 52 
 
 contents of the book of . . . . . . . . 53 
 
 Ezekiel, account of . . . . . . . . . . 77 
 
 prophecies of . . . . . . . . . . 78 
 
 Ezra, contents of the book of . . . . . . . . 61 
 
 made governor of the Jews . . . . . . 145 
 
 corrects the Canon of the Scriptures . . . . 145 
 
 Fall of Man and its consequences . . . . . . 93 
 
 Famine, commencement of the . . . . . . . . 106 
 
 First born, privileges of, Note {u) .. . . .. 10'2 
 
 Galatians, Epistle to, date of . . . . . . . . 275 
 
 design and substance of . . . . . . . • 276 
 
 Galileans, a turbulent and seditious sect . . . . 179 
 
 the leader of 179 
 
 Gedeliah made governor of the people . . . . 143 
 
 * treats them Avith kindness .. .. .. .. 143 
 
 is murdered by Ismael . . . . . . . . 144 
 
 Genesis, derivation of its name . . . . . • . . 53 
 
 contents of the book of . . . . . . . . 54 
 
 Habakkuk, predictions contf>iiied in the book of . . 86 
 
 Haggai, contents of the book of . . . . . . S7 
 
 Hebrew, derivation of the word .. .. .. .. 97 
 
 Hebrews, Epistle to the .. .. .. .. 314 
 
 arguments in favour of itjs authenticity .. .. 314 
 
 language in which it was originally written .. 317 
 
 its date .. ..318 
 
 to whom this Epistle was addressed.. . . . 318 
 
 design and substance .. 319 
 
 Herod, appointed king of Juda;a . . . . . . 153 
 
 takes Jerusalem and puts an end to the govern- 
 ment of the Maccabees. . . . . . . . 153 
 
 enlarges the kingdom of Judasa .. .. .. 153 
 
 orders all the cliildren of two years old and tmder 
 
 to be put to death , . . . . . . . . . 154 
 
 his death 154 
 
 sons of, not allowed to take the title of king . . 155 
 
 Herodians, supposed to belong to the sect of the Soddu- 
 
 cees .. .. .. .. .. .. ..178 
 
 Hosea, contents of the book of . . . . . . 81 
 
 Hymn, most ancient now extant. . .. .. ..118 
 
 Inspiration, definitions of .. .. .. .. 199 
 
 of the New Testament . . ... . . . . 20(i 
 
 nature and influence of .. .. .. .. 200 
 
 Isaac, difference between him and Ishniacl, Note {I) .. 99 
 
INDEX. 379 
 
 Isaac, his marriage and two sons . . .. .. 100 
 
 God's promise to him.. .. .. .. 100 
 
 Israelites, first called Jews . . . . . . . . 146 
 
 Isaiah, his descent, and lime when began to propiicsy .. 72 
 
 his character as a prophet . . . . . . 72 
 
 description of his prophecies . . . . . . 73 
 
 Jacob, with the assistance of his motiier, obtains the pa- 
 ternal blessing .. .. .. .. .. 102 
 
 • God's vision to, and covenant willi liini . . . . 103 
 
 name changed to Israel .. .. .. .. 103 
 
 his prophecy, death, and burial .. .. .. HO 
 
 Jaddua refuses supplies to Alexander . . . . 147 
 
 James, St., history of .. .. .. .. .. 324 
 
 genuineness of the Epistle of . . . . . . 326 
 
 date of it, and to whom addressed . . . . 328 
 
 design and substance of it . . . . . . . . 329 
 
 Jeconias sent to Babylon .. .... .. .. 142 
 
 Jeremiah, when called to the prophetic office . . . . 74 
 
 description of his prophecies . . . . . . . . 75 
 
 Jeroboam sets up two golden calves .. .. .. I'SH 
 
 ■ makes priests from the lowest of the people . . 139 
 
 Jerusalem, utter destruction of .. .. .. .. 157 
 
 Jesus Christ, parentage of . . . , . . . . 357 
 
 circumstances relative to his birth . . . . . . 358 
 
 his baptism and temptation. . . . . . . . 360 
 
 his ministry .. .. .. .. .. 361 
 
 institutes the ordinance of the Supper, . . . 364 
 
 trial of, before Pilate . , . . . . . . 365 
 
 his crucifixion and death . . . . . . 365 
 
 ■ ■ resurrection and ascension . . . . . . . . 366 
 
 Jethro appoints magistrates . . .. .. ,. 1J9 
 
 Jewish government, form of .. .. .. .. J60 
 
 Job, history of .. .. .. .. .. (;3 
 
 contents of the book of . . . . . . . . 63 
 
 opinions concerning the nature and author of this book 64 
 
 Joel, contents of the book of. . .. .. .. S2 
 
 his prophecies confined to the kingdom of Judaja, 8'2 
 
 John the Baptist, parentage and birth of . . . . 359 
 
 imprisonment and death of 
 
 John, St., history of 
 
 genuineness of the Gospel of 
 
 place of its publication 
 
 date of it .. .. ,. 
 
 design and substance of it 
 
 First Epistle of genuineness of the 
 
 to whom addressed .. .. 
 
 361 
 224 
 228 
 228 
 22" 
 230 
 342 
 342 
 
380 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 John, St., First Epistle of, scope and substance of it 
 
 — its date 
 
 Second Epistle of, genuineness of the . . 
 
 to whom addressed . . 
 
 design and substance of it . . 
 
 Third Epistle of, genuineness of the . . 
 
 inscription and date 
 
 design and substance of it . . 
 
 Jonah considered the most ancient of the prophets 
 
 contents of the book of 
 
 Jordan, the river becomes dry ground 
 Josepli, prophetic dreams of 
 
 is sold into Egypt 
 
 interprets Pharaoh's dreams 
 
 dies full of faith in the promises of God 
 
 Joshua, contents of the book of 
 
 leads the Israelites into Canaan 
 
 subdues thirty-one kings 
 
 the sun and the moon stand still at his command 
 
 divides the land among the people 
 
 his death . . . . . . . . 
 
 Joshua, son of Josedec 
 
 Judaea subject to the kings of Persia 
 
 reduced to the form of a Roman province 
 
 Judas Maccabfflus succeeds to the command of the army 
 
 is slain in battle and succeeded by his brother 
 
 Jonathan 
 Jude, St., an account of 
 
 genuineness of his Epistle 
 
 inscription and date of it 
 
 nature and design of it 
 
 Judges, contents of the book of 
 
 first of the 
 
 did not succeed each other in regular order 
 
 Karaites, the meaning of the name of 
 
 different appellations of the 
 
 places in which some of the sect of, now reside 
 
 Kingdom of Israel put an end to 
 
 Kings, contents of the two books of 
 
 Kings of Judah, all descendants of Rchoboam 
 
 their piety 
 
 Kings of Israel, their idolatry 
 
 Lamentations of Jeremiah, description of 
 Language, God's confusion of 
 uncertainty of the primitive 
 
 Urn a 
 
 342 
 343 
 34-1 
 , 345 
 346 
 346 
 347 
 348 
 348 
 84 
 84 
 131 
 104 
 104 
 106 
 110 
 55 
 131 
 132 
 132 
 133 
 133 
 145 
 147 
 156 
 151 
 
 151 
 349 
 350 
 350 
 351 
 56 
 134 
 134 
 
 183 
 184 
 184 
 140 
 59 
 1.39 
 141 
 141 
 
 76 
 95 
 90 
 
INDEX. 381 
 
 FAOI. 
 
 Language, HelJre^v or Syriac supposed to be most ancient 97 
 Law, second promulgation of .. .. .. 1^0 
 
 • deposited in the Tabernacle .. .. .. !30 
 
 books of, removed to the temple . . . . 4 
 
 read and explained by Ezra . . . . . . 5 
 
 Leviticus, contents of the book of . . . . . . 54 
 
 Linen, ancient Egyptians used to write on, Note (h) 5 
 
 Luke St., history of 219 
 
 the Gospel of, genuineness of .. .. .. '221 
 
 • its date and place of publication . . . . 221 
 
 observations on it . . . . . . . . 222 
 
 Malachi, contents of the book of 
 
 Man, creation of . . 
 
 Mark, St., history of 
 
 the Gospel of, genuineness of . . 
 
 its date, and to whom written 
 
 Marriage, institution of 
 
 Mattathias collects an army of six thousand men 
 'Matthew, St., history of 
 
 the Gospel of, the first that was written . . 
 
 writers in favour of the Greek Gospel of 
 
 — — name of the Fathers in favour of the Hebrew, 
 
 place of its publication 
 
 remarkable things found in it, and not found in 
 
 any other Gospel 
 Messiah, expectation of the 
 Micah, when he prophesied 
 
 predictions contained in the book of 
 
 Mosaic history, design and end of, Note {I) 
 Moses, birth and miraculous preservation of 
 
 flies into Midian 
 
 his call to deliver Israel . . . . • • 112 
 
 Nahum, the time of his prophesying uncertain . . ..85 
 
 Bishop Lowth's remarks on the book of.. .. 86 
 
 Nazarites, appellations of . . .. .. .. •• 177 
 
 laws concerning them .. .. •• •• 177 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar besieges and takes Jerusalem .. .. 142 
 
 slays the king of Egypt . . . . . • 144 
 
 Nehemiah, author of the book of . . . . . . 61 
 
 contents of it . . . . . • • • • • 12 
 
 Nero, in the reign of, the Jews revolt. . . . .... 157 
 
 New Testament History abridged 357 
 
 Nineveh, when destroyed, Note {t) .. .. . • 85 
 
 Numbers, contents of the book of .. .. .. 54 
 
 Obadiah, the age in which he lived .. .. .. 83 
 
 —^ con'entsof the book of .. .. .. .. 83 
 
 91 
 212 
 214 
 
 216 
 92 
 151 
 203 
 205 
 207 
 208 
 210 
 
 211 
 
 154 
 
 84 
 
 84 
 
 33 
 
 111 
 
 112 
 
382 INDEX. 
 
 rkan 
 
 Othniel appointed leader of the Israelites .. .. 134 
 
 Palestine, origin of the name.. .. .. .. 165 
 
 ■ divided into five provinces by the kings of Syria. . 149 
 
 Passover, institution and design of .. .. 115 
 Patriarchal form of government, derivation, and origin 
 
 o[,Note{t) 101 
 
 Paul, St. place of his birth .. .. .. .. 237 
 
 circuinstances relative to his conversion . . 238 
 
 his first apostolical journey . . . . . . 240 
 
 dispute with some Jewish Christians .. •• 241 
 
 goes up to Jerusalem to consult the elders concern- 
 
 -ingit • 242 
 
 reproves Peter for his dissimulation . . . . 243 
 
 his second apostolical journey . . . . . . 243 
 
 his third apostolical journey . . . . . . 246 
 
 success of his preaching . . . . . . . . 246 
 
 Jews of Asia excite a tumult against him . . 251 
 
 brought before the Jewish, council .. .. 252 
 
 sent to C^Bsarea, and afterwards imprisoned at Kome 266 
 
 history of, after his imprisonment . . . . . . 257 
 
 character of, and observations on his Epistles 258 
 
 ■ quotes profane authors, Note (k) . . . . . . 258 
 
 • genuineness and arrangement of the Epistles of 261 
 
 Epistle of, to the Romans, its date .. .. 264 
 
 design and substance of it . . . . . . . . 265 
 
 Pentateuch, derivation of. Note (h) . . . . . . 4 
 
 the Hebrew and Samaritan, Note (u) .. .. 10 
 
 writers in favour of the genuineness of . . 20 — 32 
 
 assertions of the sacred writers of its correctness 32 
 
 facts and inferences in proof of its authenticity . . 34 
 
 objections to the Divine authority of . . - . 47 
 
 Peter, St., history of . . . . . . . . . . 331 
 
 generally spake and replied in the names of the 
 
 Apostles . . . . . . . . . . 333 
 
 the first who preached to the Gentiles . . . . 334 
 
 considered as chief of the Apostles . . . . 335 
 
 nature of his death . . . . . . . . 335 
 
 First General Epistle of, genuineness of the . . 336 
 
 date of, and from whence written . . .. 337 
 
 design and substance of it. . . . . . 338 
 
 Second General Papistic of, genuineness of the . . 340 
 
 its design, date, and substance .. .. 340 
 
 Phiiraoh, a name common to all the Kings of Egypt, Notc(d) 97 
 
 refuses to let the Israelites leave Egypt .. .. 113 
 
 is drowned with his host in the lied Sea . . 118 
 
 Pharisees, derivation of the name .. .. .. 172 
 
38$ 
 
 rAOB. 
 
 Pharisees, their distinguishing dogma .. .. 172 
 
 to whom the title of, was appropriated . . , . 173 
 
 Philemon, Epistle to .. .. .. .. .. 311 
 
 • its date, and occasion of its being Avritten . . 312 
 
 nature of it .. .. .. .. .. 313 
 
 Philippians, Epistle to . . . , . . , . . . 283 
 
 its date, and occasion of being written . . 283 
 
 its design . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 
 
 Plagues of Egypt, description of .. .. ,. 114 
 
 removed through the prayers of Moses .. . . 115 
 
 Pompey besieges and takes Jerusalem .. .. 152 
 
 appoints Hyrcanus high priest .. .. .. 152 
 
 Proselytes, description of .. .. .. .. igj 
 
 of the Gate, derivation of the term . . . . 1 83 
 
 Proverbs, contents of the book of .. .. .. 59 
 
 Psalms, titles of the C6 
 
 account of the book of . . . . . . , , 55 
 
 Ptolemy Soter enters Jerusalem by stratagem .. I49 
 "i'tolemy Philadelphus commands the Jewish Scriptures 
 
 to be translated into Greek .. .. .. 149 
 
 Publicans, not a civil or religious sect . . . . 179 
 
 why so odious to the Jews .. . . . . 179 
 
 Redeemer, the original cause of the necessity of a . . 93 
 
 Red Sea, Avhy thus named, Ao<e (»i) ., .. ng 
 Rehoboam, folly of his conduct induces ten of the Tribes 
 
 to revolt .. .. .. .. .. .. 138 
 
 Revelation of John the Divine, genuineness of the . . 352 
 
 date of the . . . . . . . . . . 353 
 
 contents of the . . . . . . . . . . 355 
 
 Rome, introduction of the Gospel into . . . . 265 
 
 Ruth, contents of the book of . . . . . . . . 57 
 
 Sabbath changed from the first to seventh day, Note (/) 249 
 
 Sadducees, derivation of the name of . . . . 175 
 
 denied the resurrection of the dead, and the exist- 
 ence of angels and spirits . . . . . . 1 75 
 
 rejected all tradition .. .. .. ,. 176 
 
 Salmaneser puts an end to the kingdom of Israel . , 140 
 
 Samaritans impede the building of the temple . . 146 
 
 Samuel, contents of the two books of ., .. .. 58 
 
 Sanhedrim, origin and foundation of .. .. 127 
 
 the supreme power again lodged in . . , . . . 164 
 
 Saul anointed first king of Israel .. .. .. 135 
 
 Scribes mentioned very early in the sacred history . . 167 
 
 often perplexed and perverted the Law . . 169 
 
 consulted by Herod concerning the Messiah's birtli 170 
 
 their different appellations .. .. .. 170 
 
 Scriptural History ends .. .. .. .. ,. 147 
 
384 • INDEX. 
 
 ScriiHiires, signification of tlie word . . .... i 
 
 exclusively applied to the revealed will of God . . 1 
 
 consigned to the temple at Jerusalem . . . . -4 
 
 carried in triumph to Rome . . . . • • 8 
 
 laid up in tlje royal palace of Vesp.isian . . 8 
 
 agreement of the ancient copies now extant v.ilh 
 
 each other, and with our Bibles . . . . 9 
 coincidence of the present Hebrew copies of, with 
 
 the Septuagint Version of . . . . . . . . 9 
 
 Josephus's account of them .. .. .. H 
 
 proofs of the authenticity and inspiration of . . 13 
 
 Septuagint, Note {t) .. .. .• ■• • • ^ 
 
 Song of Solomon, account of the book, of .. .. 71 
 
 Stephen, circumstances relative to his death .. 371 
 
 Synagogue, the great, history of, Note (o) . . . . 6 
 
 Tabernacle and appendages of . . . . . . 125 
 
 Solomon chosen to build a house for u . . .. 136 
 
 Talmud, origin of the .. .. .. .• •• 1^9 
 
 Temple built by Solomon on Mount Moriah by ihe 
 
 command of God .. .. .. •• l^G 
 
 consecration of the . . . . . . . . • • 137 
 
 Testament, derivation of, Nofe (f^) .. .. .. 2 
 
 connection between the Old and New . . .. 158 
 
 Thessalonians, First Epistle to, occasion of being written 289 
 
 substance of it . . . . . . 280 
 
 Second Epistle to 291 
 
 design, date, and substance of . . . . 291 
 
 Tiglath Pileser carries away captive many of the Israelites 139 
 
 Timothy, First Epistle to 293 
 
 its date 294 
 
 design and substance of it . . . . . 300 
 
 Second Epistle to 302 
 
 its date and substance . . . . . . 305 
 
 Titus, history of . . . . . . . . . . 307 
 
 Epistle to, whence written . . . . . . 308 
 
 its date, design and substance . . . . . . 309 
 
 Urim and Thummim, account of, Note (i) .. .. 126 
 
 Vulgate, account of the different versions of. Note (h) 58 
 
 Woman, the formation of . . .. .. .. .. 92 
 
 Zechariah, contents of the book of .. .. SB 
 
 Zephaniah. contents of the book of .. .. .. 86 
 
 Zedekiah revolts from Nebuchadnezzar .. .. 143 
 
 is carried to Babylon .. .. .. ..143 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 EXPLANATION OF THE SECTS OR ORDERS OP 
 MEN, AND OTHER MATTERS MENTIONED IN 
 SCRIPTURE. 
 
 Ambassador — A messenger sent by a king. The apostles style 
 thenaselves ambassadors of Christ (2 Cor. v. 20). 
 
 Amoeites — A tribe of the Canaanites, sprung from Emor, the 
 fourth son of Canaan. 
 
 Apostle — One who is sent : a witness who had seen Christ (Acts. 
 i. 2-4, 21, 22 ; Matthew xxviii. 18, 19 ; 1 Cor. xv. 8). 
 
 Bishop — An overseer, pastor, or presbyter in spiritual things (Acts 
 XX. 17-28 ; Titus i. 5-7 ; 1 Pet. v, 1, 2 ; 1 Tim. iii. ; 1 Pe%. ii. 
 25). 
 
 CALKERS-^Carpenters who stop the chinks of ships (Ezek. xxvii. 
 9, 27). 
 
 C.UIAAXITE3 — The descendants of the youngest son of Ham. 
 
 Centurion — A captain over a hundred Roman soldiers (Matt, viii 
 
 5 ; Acts s. 1). 
 Chief — The principal person of a family, congregation, or tribe 
 
 (Num. iii. 30 ; Matt, xxiii. 6). 
 
 Children of the Prophets — Their scholars or adherents. 
 
 Council — A name given to the Divinely appointed Sanhedrim, 
 consisting of seventy-two elders, six from each tribe (Num. 
 si. 16, 24, 25 ; Luke'xxii. 66). 
 CC 
 
386 SECTS OP. OBDEBS OF UEN. 
 
 Deacons — Those chosen by the apostles to take care of the poor 
 
 aud distribute alms (Acts vi. 1-6 ; 1 Tim. iii. 8-12). 
 DispuTEES — Those who raised or settled questions out of the law. 
 
 Eldeks — Heads of leading families among the Israelites, noted 
 for wisdom and sagacity (Exod. iii. 16 ; Num. xi. 25). Ex- 
 pounders of the law (Matt. sv. 2). A title assumed by the 
 apostles (1 Pet. v. 1 ; 2 John i. 3). Some elders, whose office 
 is only to rule well in the Church, are expressly distinguished 
 from such as lahour in word and doctrine (1 Tim. v. 17). 
 
 Epicureans — A sensual sect of heathen philosophers, followers of 
 Epicurus, the Athenian, who lived three hundred years before 
 Christ. They maintained that the world was formed by a 
 fortuitous concourse of atoms, denied the immortality of the 
 soul, the existence of angels, and that God governed or inter- 
 fered in the world, 
 
 EssENES — A sect originally from Egypt: wore white, priestly 
 dresses, forsook all worldly pleasures, abstained from mar- 
 riage, luxuries, use of meat and wine, and devoted themselves 
 to praise, prayer, reading of Holy books, and to works of 
 benevolence and charity — page 180. 
 
 Evangelist — A preacher of the Gospel (Acts xxi. 8). 
 
 Exorcist — One who, in the name of God, adjures evil spirits, to 
 dislodge them from persons possessed (Acts xix, 13). 
 
 Galileans — The inhabitants of Galilee, a province of Canaan, 
 (1 Kings ix. 11), bordering on the sea of Gennesaret or Tiberias. 
 (John vi. 1). They were the first to rebel against the Eomana 
 and to resist the Roman tax. In Galilee our Saviour and 
 most of His disciples were educated, hence they were called 
 Galileans (John vii. 52\ 
 
 Gentiles — Heathen : all nations besides the Jews (Rom. i. 19-32 ; 
 1 Cor, vi. 9). 
 
 Grecians — Those Jews who resided in the cities of Greece or else- 
 where, who used the Greek language (Acts vi, 1 ; xi. 20), 
 
 Hebrews — Descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen. xl. 
 15). Those Jews who spoke the Hebrew language, in contra- 
 distinction to those who spoke the Greek (Acts vi. 1). 
 
SECTS OE ORDERS OF MEN. 387 
 
 Herstic— One who holds some fundamental error (Tit. iii. 10.) 
 
 Hebodiaxs — Political partisans of Herod Antipas, differing from 
 the Pharisees iu acknowledging the lawfulness of Eoman rule 
 over the Jews (Matt. xsii. IC). 
 
 Idolaters — Those v/ho worship anything in room of the true God 
 (1 John V. 21). 
 
 IsriDEL — A heathen who does not believe the revelations of God 
 in Scripture (2 Cor. vi. 15), 
 
 Israelites — The descendants from Jacob (Exod. ix. 7). After 
 the captivity of Judah in Babylon they were called Jews. 
 
 Jews — The Israelites; as distinguished from the Gentiles. Origin- 
 ally the men of Judah, to whom the name was applied, to 
 distinguish them from the ten tribes first mentioned (2 Kings 
 ' xvi. 6). 
 
 Judges — Persons appointed to try and determine causes, and 
 pronounce sentence (Exod. xviii. 13). The Judges of Israel 
 were inspired with special wisdom and sagacity to govern the 
 people from the time of Joshua to Saul. 
 
 Kixas — Chief rulers of tribc-s or nations. Nimrod of Babylon 
 was the first king we read of. The two books, containing the 
 history of the Hebrew kitigs for about four hundred and fifty- 
 six years, from the death oi! David to the release of Jehoia- 
 chin, seem to have been written or condensed by Jeremiah or 
 Ezra. 
 
 Lawi'er — An explainer of the Jewish law : they were generally 
 enemies of Christ (Matt. xxii. 35 ; Luke vii. 30). 
 
 LsTiTES — Were the tribe of Levi, the third son of Jacob by Leah. 
 Were appointed to officiate under the priests, in the service 
 of the tabernacle or temple. They had forty-eight cities, 
 with gardens and pasturage, to live in (Num. xxxv.); had 
 tithe of corn, fruit, and cattle, out of which they paid a tenth 
 to the priests. When emploj'ed in the temple they were 
 supplied from the stores there, and by the daily offerings 
 (Deut. xii. 18, 19). They sang, played on instruments, and 
 read the law ia the daily service. 
 
383 SECTS OR ORDERS OF MEN. 
 
 Libertines — Jews who were free citizens or burgesses of Rome, 
 and had a separate synagogue at Jerusalem (Acts. vi. 9). 
 
 MixsTRELS— Musicians or pipers (2 Kings iii. 15). Musical per- 
 formers at funerals (Matt. ix. 23). 
 
 MoxEY-cHANGERS — Wcro sucli as gave, at a certain rate of profit, 
 lesser pieces of money for greater, or greater for lesser, to 
 accommodate those who came to the solemn feasts at Jeru- 
 salem (Matt, xxi. 12). 
 
 Mourners — Persons, both men and women, employed at a death, 
 to mourn for and with the bereaved, and who could raise the 
 most doleful outcries and bowlings, to excite the grief of 
 those present (2 Chron. xxxv. 2j ; Amos v. IG). 
 
 Murderers— Persons who hired themselves out as assassins 
 (Acts xxi. 38). Under the Jewish law every murderer found, 
 without a city of refuge, was to be put to death (Num. xxxv. 
 26-34). 
 
 Nazarene — A name given by the Jews to the followers of Christ, 
 in sneering allusion to His having been brought up in Naza- 
 reth, a city about seventy-five miles from Jerusalem (Acts 
 xxiv. 5). 
 
 Nazarite — An Israelite devoted to the peculiar service of God, 
 for a given period or for life. They were to abstain from 
 strong drink, not to cut the hair, or attend a funeral, or enter 
 a house defiled by the dead (Num. vi. 2-20; Judges xiii. 5; 
 Amos ii. 12). 
 
 Nethinims — Sei'vants. chiefly captives, employed to perform the 
 
 subordinate work, such as cai-rying wood or water, in the 
 
 service of the temple and tabernacle (Ezra ii. 58 ; viii. 20 ; 
 1 Kings ix. 20, 21 ; Josh. ix. 21, 23). 
 
 Nicolaitanes — Outward professors of Christianity, whose practices 
 were immoral (ilev. ii. G-15), 
 
 Patriarch — One of the chief or principal fathers of mankind, 
 such as Abraham, Jacob and his sons, David, &c. (.\cts ii. 29 ; 
 Heb. vii. 4.) 
 
 Pharisees, or Separatists — "Were a sect among the Jews, origi- 
 
SECTS OR ORDERS Of HEN. 389 
 
 nating about one hundred and fifty years before Christ. They 
 were numerous and powerful ; they believed in the immor- 
 tality of the soul, and in a future state of rewards and punish- 
 ments, and the doctrine of predestination under the govern- 
 ment of an irreversible fatality ; but that which marked 
 them most was an extraordinary attachment to the cere- 
 monial law, frequent washings, fastings, and long prayers in 
 public places (the corners of streets), public almsgiving, 
 proselytising, scrupulous performance of trifling rites, osten- 
 tatious giving of tithes, affected gravity of dress, gesture, and 
 looks, building tombs for the pro^ihets, to mark their superior 
 righteousness, an ovei'-scrupulous outward observance of the 
 Sabbath to the exclusion of works of charity and mercy, while 
 at the same time they indulged in acts of cruelty, dishonesty, 
 and oppression. They hated aud opposed our Saviour, and 
 'preferred the traditions of the elders to the words of Christ 
 and His apostles (Matt. xv. 1-14 ; xxviii. 2-34 ; ix. 14, 34 ; 
 Luke v. 30-33 ; John vii. 45-49). 
 
 PiiESBYTEEX — An ecclesiastical court, for ordaining officers for the 
 Church, with the laying on of hands (1 Tim. iv. 14). 
 
 Presidents — Chief rulers under a king, and who govern and direct 
 subordinate rulers (Dan. vi. 2). 
 
 PiuEST — One who by virtue of a Divine appointment offers 
 sacrifices and intercedes for guilty men (Heb. v. 1 ; viii. 3 ; 
 X. 11). Before the consecration of Aaron, the head of every 
 family officiated as a priest. Under the ceremonial law tlisj 
 priesthood was restricted to the family of Aaron, of the tri' o 
 of Levi (Exod. xxviii. 1). They were to be without bodily 
 infirmity or blemish ; not to drink wine or strong drink when 
 about to officiate. Their sacred robes were a linen mitre, 
 coat, girdle, and breeches (Exod. xxviii. 39-43). The law was 
 strict as to marriage (Ezek. xliv. 21, 22 ; Lev. xxi, 7). After 
 being solemnly consecrated, their business was to take the 
 oversight of the tabernacle and temple, and all '.he furniture 
 thereof. They slew, burnt, and poured out the olood of the 
 sacrifices, put the shew-bread on the golden table, offered the 
 incense on the golden altar, blew the silver trumpets 
 (Num. X. 2), supplied with oil and lighted and snuffed tha 
 
390 SECTS OR ORDEKS OF MES. 
 
 sacred lamps, unreared and set up the taberuacle, as -^vas 
 proper (Num. xviii. 3, 5, 7). Being maintained by the saci^sd 
 revenues, they had the tenth part of the tithes from tho 
 Levites, and had the skin and flesh of all the sin and trespass 
 offerings for rulers and private persons, the shew-bread after 
 being removed from the golden table, and the right shoulder, 
 breast, cheeks, and maw of the peace offerings (Lev. 
 s. 12-16). They had part of the poll money, a share of 
 the first-fruits, and all restitutions where the true owner waa 
 not found, &c, (Lev. xxii. 10-16 ; Dent, xviii. 3, i ; 
 Num. xviii. 26-31.) They entered upon their duties about 
 twenty-five years of age, and were allowed to retire at the age 
 of fifty (Num. viii. 24, 25). 
 
 There were two orders of priests : the office of high priest, 
 belonging to Aaron and his familj', who were subject to the 
 like ceremonial restrictions, and blessed the people. 
 
 This office typified the Great High Priest, our Lord and 
 Saviour Jesus Christ (Heb. vii. 24-28), whose one great sacrifice 
 of Himself satisfied the justice of God, and is a full and 
 complete atonement for all who believe in Him as theii 
 Saviour ; therefore the priestly ofiice, so far as man ia 
 concerned in officiatiug and making atonement for others, is 
 entirely and for ever abolished. There is one God, and one 
 Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus 
 (1 Tim. ii. 5 ; Heb. x. 14). 
 
 Pr.oPHET — A messenger sent by God to declare His will, and 
 frequently to foretell future events (1 Sam. ix. 9 ; 1 Kings 
 xviii. 36). When the priests, about the time of Samuel, 
 neglected to instruct the people, schools of prophets were 
 formed, and the students were called sous of the prophets 
 (2 Kings ii.). 
 
 Peosklytes — Persons who renounced idolatry and embraced the 
 faith of the true God, and were admitted to the privileges of 
 the Jewish and Christian Church. There were two kinds — 
 Proselytes of tlie Gate, who without binding themselves to 
 perform any ceremony of the law, yet feared and worshipped 
 'the true God (2 Kings v.) ; &\sq Proselytes of Justice, who were 
 
dECIS OB OBDEKS OF I^IEN. 391 
 
 those ttat were converted to Judaism, and who engaged 
 themselves to observe the whole law of Moses. 
 
 Publican — An officer who collected the Koman taxes, often cruel 
 and oppressive. If convicted of oppression, the Koman law 
 ordered them to restore fourfold (Luka six. 1-10). 
 
 Eabbi — A Jewish teacher or master. 
 
 Rechabites : origin" ally Kenites — An ancient tribe, proselytes to 
 the Jewish religion, called after Kechab, whose sou tTonadab 
 commanded them neither to drink wine or strong drink, build 
 houses, or sow seed, but to dwell in tents and to feed cattle, 
 which they faithfully observed for over three hundred years — 
 an open reproof to the Israelites {Jer. xxxv. 6-19). 
 
 Saddccees — The disciples of Sadoc, a pupil of an eminent Jewish 
 doctor Antigoiius Socchceus, who lived about two hundred 
 and serenty years before Christ. They did not believe in the 
 resurrection of the dead, or in the existence of angels or 
 spirits, and rejected all the books of Scripture, except the five 
 books 01 iloses (Matt. xxii. 23 ; Acts xxiii. 8). 
 
 Samaritans — Inhabitants of the country of Samaria : they blended 
 the Jewish religion with their own idolatries (2 Kings xvii.). 
 The Jews had no dealings with them, and held them in 
 contempt (John iv. 9 ; viii. 48). 
 
 Saxhedeim — The Council of the Jews, ecclesiastical and civil, 
 consisting of priests, scribes, and elders, but in cases of life 
 and death, under the control of the Roman government. 
 
 ScBiBES — Transcribers of the Books of Scripture : writers, doctors, 
 and expounders of the law, generally Pharisees, They had a 
 seat in the Sanhedrim (Matt, xxiii. 2, 3 ; Mark xii. 28-iO). 
 
 Scythians — A savage people that dwelt about the east and north of 
 the Euxine and Caspian seas. 
 
 Stoics — A sect of heathen philosophers, founded by Zeno. They 
 taught that it is wisdom alone that renders men happy, and 
 that pain, poverty, and the like, are but fancied evils. They 
 affected much stiffness, patience, austerity, and insensibility, 
 and were popular in Athens at the time of Paul (Acts. xvii. IS). 
 
392 SECTS OR ORDERS OF HEX — COXIINUED, 
 
 Stxagogue — See paje 6. 
 
 Tetrarchs — Kings or princes* of a fourth part of a kingdom 
 (Matt. xiv. 1 ; Luke iii. 1). 
 
 TiKSHATHA — A governor or commissary appointed by the Persian 
 king to carry his order to a province, and see them put in 
 execution (Ezraii. 63 ; Neh. x. ]). 
 
 Wise Men — Astrologers, magicians, professing a knowledge of 
 futmity : counsellors (Gen. xli. 8 ; Exod. vii. 11). Those who 
 offered their adorations to Jesus came from eastern Arabia, 
 Persia, or Chaldssa (Matt. ii. 1-13). 
 
 MEASURES. 
 
 Scripture measures of length reduced to English measure. 
 
 Hand-breadth or Palm — The breadth of a man's baud, about four 
 inches (Exod. xxv. 25). 
 
 Span — A measure of three hand-breadths, or about eleven inches 
 (Exod. xxviii. 16). 
 
 Cubit — The measure between the point of a man's elbow and the 
 extreme point of his middle finger, about eighteen inches 
 (Gen. vi. 15, 16). 
 
 Pace — Five feet, or perhaps it signifies no more than a step 
 (2 Sam. vi. 13). 
 
 Faihoii — About six feet (Acts xxvii. 28). 
 
 Reed — About eleven feet, so called because made of reed 
 (Ezek. xl. 3). 
 
 FcRLoxG — About two hundred and sixty-six cubits (Luke xiiv. 13). 
 
 Sabbath-dai's Journey — One mile (Acts i. 12). 
 
 Mile — The Roman mile consisted of a thousand paces, or about 
 five thousand feet (Matt. v. 11). 
 
 A Day's Journey — Reckoned about sixteen or twenty miles 
 (Num. xi. 31). 
 
MEASURES — CONTINUKD. 393 
 
 Sc)-q)tnre measures of capacitij reduced to English measure. 
 
 Log — Nearly a pint, wine measure (Lev. xiv. 10). 
 
 Cab — About three pints. 
 
 HoMEK, OB Omee — The tenth part of an ephah : a measure of dry 
 things, about live and a half pints (Exod. xvi. 13, 36). 
 
 fiiN — A liquid measure, about one and a half gallons (Exod. 
 xxix. 40). 
 
 Ephah — A dry measure, nearly a bushel (Lev. xix. 3G. 
 
 Bath^A measure for liquids, about seven gallons and two quarts 
 (1 Kings vii. 26). 
 
 CoR, or HoaER — A liquid measure chiefly, of about seventy-five 
 gallons (Ezek, xlv. 14). 
 
 Fpukin- — A Grecian measure, about the size f the Hebrew bath 
 (John ii. 6). 
 
 MONEY AND WEIGHTS. 
 
 Jeivish coins ivere originally iceiglits. 
 
 Gerah — The twentieth part of a shekel (Exod. xxx. 13). It was 
 the least of the Jewish silver coins, a little more than a 
 penny. 
 
 Bekah — Half a shekel (Exod. xxxviii. 26), four pennyweights 
 thirteen grains, about one shilling and threepence in value — 
 silver coin. 
 
 MuE — Half a Eoman farthing (Mark xii. 42). This was the 
 smallest coin used by the Romans, Greeks, and Jews, in the 
 time of our Saviour. 
 
 Pauihing — A Eoman brass coin, called assarion, the tenth part oi 
 a Roman penny, value about three farthings English money 
 (Matt. X. 29). 
 
 Pi^.w" — A Roman coin, the eighth part of an ounce, about seven 
 penca halfpenny English money (Matt. xx. 2). 
 
394 MONET AND WEIGHTS — CONTINUED. 
 
 Piece of Silver — The Hebrew gerah (1 Sam. ii. 3G), about eleven 
 grains weight and about five farthings in value, English 
 money ; also the Greek drachma, equal in value to the Komau 
 penny (Luke xv. 3). 
 
 Teieute Money — A Roman coin, about one shilling and three- 
 pence (Matt. xvii. 24). 
 
 Piece op jMoney — A Grecian silver coin, half an ounce in weight, 
 about two shillings and sixpence in value, English money 
 (Matt. xvii. 27). 
 
 Shekel — A Hebrew silver coin, half an ounce in weight, and about 
 two shillings and fourpence English value (Gen. xxiii. Hi), 
 The gold shekel was £1 16s. 6d. in value (Gen. xxiv. 22). The 
 shekel of the sanctuary was twenty gerahs (Exod. xxx. 13). 
 
 Talent — A Hebrew weight of three thousand shekels, value in 
 silver about £342, and a talent of gold, about £,oil5 (Exod. 
 XXV. 39, xxxviii. 24, 25). 
 
 TIME. 
 
 Watches — The first watch, from 6 p.m. till 9 p.m.; the second 
 or middle watch, from 9 p.m. till midnight (Luke xii. 38) ; the 
 third watch, or cock-crowing, from midnight till 3 a.m. (Mark 
 xiii. 35) ; the fourth, or morning watch, from 3 a.m. till 6 a.m. 
 (Matt. xiv. 25.) 
 
 Day— Twelve hours, from G a.m. till 6 p.m. The Hebrews began 
 their day from the evening. 
 
 Day — New Testament — Third hour, 6 till 9 a.m. ; sixth hour, 9 till 
 12 midday ; ninth hour, 12 till 3 p.m. ; twelfth hour, 8 till 6 
 p.m. 
 
 Night — New Testament — First watch, evening, 6 till 9 p.m. ; second 
 watch, midnight, 9 till 12 p.m. ; third watch, cock-crow, 12 
 till 3 p.m. ; fourth watch, morning, 3 till G a.m. 
 
 "Week — Seven natural days. 
 
Months — The months of the Hebrews were lunar mouths, and 
 were divided as follows : — 
 
 HARVEST MONTHS. 
 
 Sacred Year. Civil. Year. 
 1st Month 7th Month— Nison or Abib 30 days, corresponding nearly to o;;r 
 
 Blarch (Exod. xii. 2). 
 2ud Month 8th Month— Zif or lyar 29 days, corresponding nearly to or.r 
 
 April (1 Kings vi. 1). 
 3rd Month 8th Month — Sivan 30 days, corresponding nearly to our 
 
 May (Est. viii. 9). 
 
 SUMMER MONTHS. 
 
 4th Month 10th Month— Tammuz 29 days, corresponding nearly to our 
 
 June (Ezek. viii. 14). 
 £tja Month 11th Month— Ab 30 days, corresponding nearly to our 
 
 July. 
 
 HOT SEASON. 
 
 6th Month 12th Month — Elul 29 days, corresponding nearly to our 
 
 Aug. (Neh. vi. 15). 
 7th Mouth 1st Month— Ethanim or Tisri 30 days, corresponding nearly to our 
 
 Sept. (1 Kings viii. 2). 
 
 SEED TIME. 
 
 8th Blonth 2nd Month — Bui 29 days, corresponiJing nearly to our 
 
 Oct. (1 Kings vi. 38). 
 9th Month Srd Month- Chisleii 30 days, corresponding nearly to our 
 
 Nov. (Zech. vii. 1). 
 10th Month 4th Month — Tebeth 29 days, corresponding nearly to our 
 
 Dec. (Est. ii. 10). 
 11th Month 5th Month— Scbat 30 days, coiTespoudirg nearly to our 
 
 Jan. (Zech. i. 7). 
 12th Month 6th Month— Adar 29 days, corrcsx)ouding nearly to our 
 
 Feb. (Est. iii. 7). 
 
 Year — The Jewish civil year commenced about our September (in 
 the autumnal equinox), to commemorate the creation, and 
 the ecclesiastical year about our March (in the spring equi- 
 nox), to commemorate their delivery from Egyptian bondage 
 (Exod. xii. 2). 
 
396 TIME — COHTIXUED. 
 
 The patriarchs before the flood appear to have divided their 
 year into twelve months, of thirty days each, and whether 
 they added five days to the last, or had an intercalary month 
 every fifth or sixth year, to exhaust the odd time of five days, 
 five hours, and forty-nine minutes, that were over in each, 
 year, is not known. 
 
 The Chaldean year about the time of Hezekiah was 
 reckoned by twelve months of three hundred and sixty-five 
 days. After various styles of reckoning by the Greeks and 
 Romans, it was finally fixed at three hundred and sixty-five 
 days, five hours, forty-eight minutes, forty-nine seconds, at 
 which it remains at the present time. 
 
 A TABLE OF ST. PAUL'S APOSTOLIC JOURNEYS. 
 
 The first Journey begins A.D. 44, and ends A.D. 48. 
 
 Antioch in Syria 
 
 Lystra 
 
 Attalia 
 
 Seleucia 
 
 Derbe 
 
 Antioch in Syria 
 
 Salamis 
 
 Lystra 
 
 Phoenicia 
 
 Paphos 
 
 Iconium 
 
 Samaria 
 
 Perga in Pamphylia 
 
 Pisidia 
 
 Jerusalem 
 
 Antioch in Pisidia 
 
 Perga 
 
 Antioch in Syria 
 
 Iconium 
 
 
 
 The xccond Journey begins A.D. 
 
 50, and cuds A.D. 54-. 
 
 Rest of Syria 
 
 Samothracia 
 
 Athens 
 
 Cilicia 
 
 Neapolis 
 
 Corinth 
 
 Derbe 
 
 Philippi 
 
 Cenchrea 
 
 Lystra 
 
 Amphipolis 
 
 Ephesus 
 
 Iconium 
 
 Apollonia 
 
 Ca3sarea 
 
 Phrygia 
 
 Thessalonica 
 
 Jerusalem 
 
 Galatia 
 
 Beroea 
 
 Antioch in Syr 
 
 Troas 
 
 
 
A TABLE OF ST. PACL'S APOSTOLIC JODKNEyS — CONTINUED. 
 
 397 
 
 The third Journey begins A.D. 54, and ends A.D. 53. 
 
 Galatia 
 
 Philippi 
 
 Coos island 
 
 Pbrygia 
 
 Troas 
 
 Ehodes island 
 
 Ephesus 
 
 Assos 
 
 Patara in Lycia 
 
 Troas 
 
 Mitylene island 
 
 Tyre 
 
 Macedonia 
 
 Chios island 
 
 Ptolemaig 
 
 Greece 
 
 Samos island 
 
 Csesarea 
 
 Corinth 
 
 Trogyllium 
 
 Jerusalem 
 
 Macedonia 
 
 Miletus in Asia 
 
 
 The fourth Journey beyins A.D. 60 
 
 , and ends A.D. 64. 
 
 Antipatris 
 
 Melita island 
 
 Rome 
 
 Cassarea 
 
 Syracuse 
 
 Italy 
 
 Sidon 
 
 Rhegium 
 
 Spain, only intended 
 
 Myra 
 
 Puteoli 
 
 Crete 
 
 Near Salmono 
 
 Appii Forum 
 
 Jerusalem 
 
 Pair Havens 
 
 Three Taverns 
 
 Antioch in Syria 
 
 The fifth Jam 
 
 •ney begins A.D, 64, 
 
 and ends A.D, 68. 
 
 Colosse 
 
 Corinth 
 
 Miletum in Crete 
 
 Philippi 
 
 Troas 
 
 Rome 
 
 Nicopolis in Epiru3 
 
 
 
 A CONCISE HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS. 
 
 1. Christ's divinity : John i. 1-5, 9-14, 
 
 2. Christ's hirth : Luke ii. 1-20. 
 
 3. Christ's pedigree both by father and mother: Matt. i. 1-17; 
 
 Luke iii. 23. 
 
 4. Christ's circumcision ; Mary's purification : Luke ii. 21-10. 
 
 6. John's ministry : Matt. iii. 1-12 ; Mark i. 1-18; Luke iii. 1-18 ; 
 John i. 6-8. 
 
 6. Christ baptized : Matt. iii. 13- 17 ; Mark i. 9-11 ; Luke iii. 21-23 ; 
 
 John i. 15-18. 
 
 7. Christ tempted: Matt, iv.1-11; Mark i, 12,13; Luke iv. 1-13. 
 
 8. John's testimony of Christ ; some disciples called : John i. 19. 
 
398 HABJIONT OF THE GOSPELS. 
 
 9. Christ's first miracle : John ii. 
 
 10. John imprisoned : Matt. xiv. 3-5 ; Mark vi. 17-20 ; Luke iii. 19-20, 
 
 11. Christ converts many Samaritans : John iv. 
 
 12. Christ preaches in GaUlee ; Matt. iv. 17 ; Mark i. Id. 15 ; 
 
 Luke iv. 14, 15; 
 
 13. Christ at Capernaum : Matt. iv. 13-16 ; viii. 5-17 ; Marki. 21-35. 
 
 Luke iv. 31-44 ; v. 12-lG. 
 
 14. Christ heals a man sick of the palsy : Matt. ix. 2-8 ; Mark 
 
 ii. 1-12 ; Luke v. 17-26. 
 
 15. Christ calls Peter, &c. : Matt. iv. 18-22; Mark i. lC-20; 
 
 Luke v. 1-10. 
 
 16. Christ calls Matthew, and eats with him : Matt. ix. 9, 10 ; 
 
 Mark ii. 13-22 ; Luke v. 27-32. 
 
 17. Christ asserts his Godhead : John v. 17-47. 
 
 18. The disciples pluck ears of corn : Matt, xii, 1-8 ; Mark ii. 23-28 ; 
 
 Luke vi. 1-5. 
 
 19. Christ heals many : Matt. xii. 9-16 ; Mark iii. 1-12 ; Luke vi. 6-11. 
 
 20. Christ chooses and ordains His apostles ; Mark iii. 13-21 ; 
 
 Luke vi. 12-19. 
 
 21. Christ's sermon on the mount : Matt. v. vi. vii. ; Luke vi. 20-49. 
 
 22. A widow's son raised : Luke vii. 11-17. 
 
 23. Chorazin and Bethsaida upbraided : Matt. xi. 20. 
 
 24. The centurion's servant healed : Matt. viii. 5-13 ; Luke vii. 
 
 1-10. 
 
 25. John's message to Christ : Matt. xi. 2-19 ; Luke vii. 18-35. 
 20. A woman anoints Christ : Luke vii. 36. 
 
 27. Of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost : Matt. xii. 31, 32 ; 
 
 Mark iii. 28, 29. 
 
 28. Christ's mother and brethren seek Him ; Matt. xii. 46-50; 
 
 Mark iii. 31-35 ; Luke viii. 19-21. 
 
 29. The parable of the sower, &c. : Matt. xii. 1-30 ; Mark iv. 1-34; 
 
 Luke viii. 4-18.; xiii. 18-21. 
 
 30. A scribe will follow Christ : Matt. viii. 18-22. 
 
 31. The disciples in a storm : Matt. viii. 23-27 ; Mark iv. 3G-41 ; 
 
 Luke viii. 22-25. 
 &2. Christ heals the possessed : Matt. viii. 28-34 ; Mark v. 1-20 ; 
 
 Luke viii. 26-39. 
 33. Jairus' daughter raised : Matt. ix. 23-26 ; Mark v. 21-43 ; 
 
 Luke viii. 40-56. 
 
HAEMONT OF THE GOSPELS. 39'J 
 
 34. Christ teachetli at Nazareth : Matt. xiii. £4-58 ; Mark vi. 1-6. 
 
 35. The Apostles sent out: Matt, x., xi. 1; Mark vi. 7-13; 
 
 Lulce ix. 1-6. 
 
 36. John beheaded : Matt. xiv. 6-12; Mark vi. 19-21. 
 
 37. Herod's opinion of Christ : Matt. xiv. 1-2 ; Mark iv. 14-16 ; 
 
 Luke ix. 7-9. 
 
 38. Five thousand fed; Matt. xiv. 13-21; Mark vi. 30-44; 
 
 Luke ix. 10-17 ; John vi. 1-13. 
 
 39. Christ walks on the sea : Matt. xiv. 22-36 ; Mark vi. 45-56 ; 
 
 John vi. 14-21. 
 
 40. Christ the bread of life : John vi. 31-65 ; viii. 1. 
 
 41. Impious traditions : Matt. xv. 1-20 ; Mark vii. 1-23. 
 
 42. The woman of Canaan's daughter healed : Matt, xv, 21-23 ; 
 
 Mark vii. 24-30. 
 
 43. A dumb man healed : Matt. xv. 29-31 ; Mark vii. 31, &c. 
 44'. Four thousand fed : Matt. xv. 32-39 ; Mark viii. 1-10. 
 
 45. The leaven of the Pharisees : Matt. xvi. 1-12 ; Mark viii. 11-21. 
 
 46. Peter's confession of Christ : Matt. xvi. 13-28 ; Mark 
 
 viii. 27-38, ix. 1 ; Luke ix. 18-27. 
 
 47. Christ's transfiguration : Matt. xvii. 1-13 ; Mark ix. 2-13 ; 
 
 Luke ix. 28-36, 
 
 48. Christ cures a lunatic child : Matt. xvii. 14-23 ; Mark ix, 14-32 ; 
 
 Luke ix. 37-45. 
 
 49. Humility taught: Matt, xviii. 1-9; Mark ix. 33-50; Luke 
 
 ix. 46-50. 
 
 50. The feast of tabernacles : John vii. 2-9. 
 
 51. Christ goes to Jerusalem : Luke ix. 51 ; John vii. 10« 
 
 52. The seventy disciples sent forth : Luke x. 1-6. 
 
 53. Christ at the feast of tabernacles : John vii, 11, &c. 
 
 54. Christ the good shepherd : John x. 1-21. 
 
 55. The seventy disciples return : Luke x, 17, 
 
 56. The efficacy of prayer : Luke xi. 1-13, 27, i3, 33, &c. 
 
 57. Against hypocrisy, carnal fear, covetousness, &c, : Luke sii, 
 
 58. An exhortation to repentance: Luke xiii. 1-17. 
 
 59. The feast of dedication : Luke xiii. 22 ; John x. 22. 
 
 60. The strait gate : Luke xiii. 23. 
 
 61. A dropsical man healed ; the wedding feast : Luke xiv. 
 
 62. The lost sheep ; the piece of silver ; and the lost son : Luke 
 
400 HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS. 
 
 63. The unjust steward ; rich man and Lazarus : Luke xvi. 
 
 64. The unjust judge and proud Pharisee : Luke xviii. 1-14. 
 
 65. Concerning divorce : Matt. xix. 1-12 ; Mark x. 1-12. 
 
 66. Little children brought to Christ, &c. : Matt. xix. 13-15; 
 
 Mark x. 13-31 ; Luke xviii. 15-30. * 
 
 67. Lazarus sick : John xi. 1-16. 
 
 68. Christ foretels His passion: Matt. xx. 17-19; Mark x. 32-34; 
 
 Luke xviii. 31-34. 
 
 69. The request of the sons of Zebedee : Matt. xx. 20-28 ; 
 
 Mark x. 35-45. 
 
 70. A blind man healed ; Zaccheus converted ; the parable of the 
 
 pounds : Matt. xx. 30 ; Mark x. 46 ; Luke xviii. 35-43 ; 
 xix. 1-27. 
 
 71. Lazarus raised : Johnxi. 17-45. 
 
 72. Mary anoints Christ : Matt. xxvi. 6-13 ; Mark xiv. 3-9 ; 
 
 John xii. 1-11. 
 
 73. Christ's kingly entrance into Jerusalem, and casting buyers 
 
 and sellers out of the temple : Matt. xxi. 1-16 : Mark xi. 
 1-11, 15-19 ; Luke xix. 28-38 ; John xii. 12-19. 
 
 74. Some Greeks desire to see Christ : John xii. 20, 21. 
 
 75. The fig-tree cursed : Mgtt. xxi. 17-22 ; Mark xi. 11-14. 
 
 76. Christ's authority questioned : Matt. xxi. 23-27 ; Mark xi. 
 
 27-33 ; Luke xx. 1-8. 
 
 77. The parable of the two sons : Matt. xxi. 28-32. 
 
 78. The vineyard let out : Matt. xxi. 33-46 ; Mark xii. 1-12 ; 
 
 Luke XX. 9-19. 
 
 79. The parable of the marriage feast : Matt. xxii. 1-14. 
 
 80. About paying tribute ; Christ confutes the Sadducees, and 
 
 puzzles the Scribes : Matt. xxii. 15-46 ; Mark xii. 13-37 ; 
 Luke XX. 20-44. 
 
 81. The Pharisees and Scribes taxed and threatened : Mark 
 
 xii. 38-40 ; Luke xx. 45-47. 
 
 82. The widow's two mites : Mark xii. 41-44 ; Luke xxi. 1-4. 
 
 83. Christ foretels the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish 
 
 state : Matt. xxiv. 1-51 ; Mark xiii. 1-37 ; Luke xxi. 5, 36. 
 
 84. The parable of the virgins and the talents ; the last judgment 
 
 described : Matt. xxv. 
 
 85. Christ washes Ilis disciples' feet ; John xiii. 
 
HARMONY OF THK GOSPELS. 401 
 
 86. The preparation for the passover : Matt. xxvi. 17-25 ; Marls 
 
 xiv. 10-16 ; Luke xxii. 1-13. 
 
 87. Christ institutes the sacrament of the Lord's supper : Matt. 
 
 xxvi. 20, 30 ; Mark xiv. 17-26 ; Luke xxii. 14-23. 
 
 88. Christ begins His consolatory discourse : John xiv. 
 
 89. Christ the true vine : John sv. 
 
 90. Christ comforts His disciples : John xvi. 
 
 91. Christ's mediatory prayer : John xvii. 
 
 92. Christ warns His disciples of their forsaking him : Matt. 
 
 xxvi. 31-35; Mark xiv. 27-31; Luke xxii. 22-39. 
 
 93. Christ's agony : Matt. xxvi. 36-46 ; Mark xiv. 32-42 ; Luke 
 
 xxii. 40-46. 
 
 94. Christ's apprehension : Matt. xxvi. 47-56 ; Mark xiv. 43-52 ; 
 
 Luke xxii. 47-53 ; John xviii. 3-11. 
 
 95. Christ's arraignment ; Matt. xxvi. 57-68 ; Mark xiv. 53-65 ; 
 ' Luke xxii. 54, 63-65 ; John xviii. 12-16, 19-24. 
 
 96. Peter's denial : Matt. xxvi. 69-75 ; Mark xiv. 66-72 ; Luke 
 
 xxii. 55-62 ; John xviii. 17, 18, 25-27. 
 
 97. Christ's arraignment before the Sanhedrim, Pilate and 
 
 Herod : Matt, xxvii. 1, 2, 11-14 ; Mark xv. 1-5 ; Luke xxii. 
 
 66-71, xxiii. 1-12 ; John xviii. 28-88. 
 93. Christ condemned by Pilate : Matt, xxvii. 15-23, and 26-30; 
 
 Mark xv. 6-19 ; Luke xxiii. 13-25 ; John xviii. 39, 40, xis. 
 
 1-3, 16. 
 99. Judas hangs himself : Matt, xxvii. 3-10. 
 
 100. Christ crucified : Matt, xxvii. 31-56 ; Mark xv. 20-41 ; Luke 
 
 xxiii. 26-46 ; John xix. 16-37. 
 
 101. Christ's burial : Matt, xxvii. 57-61 ; Mark xv. 42-47 ; Luke 
 
 xxiii. 50-56 ; John xix. 38-42. 
 
 102. Christ's resurrection :.Matt. xxviii. 1-8 ; Mark xvi. 1-9 ; Luke 
 
 xxiv. 1-12 ; John xx. 1-10. 
 
 103. Christ's appearing first to Mary Magdalene, then to others : 
 
 Matt, xxviii. 9-15 ; Mark xvi, 10, 11, 13, 14 ; Luke xxiv. 
 13-48; John XX. 11-.20. 
 
 104. Another appearance of Christ, and His discourse with Pettr : 
 
 John xxi. 
 
 105. Christ commissions His disciples, and afterwards ascends 
 
 into heaven : Matt, xxviii. 16-20 ; Mark xvi. 15-20 ; Luke 
 
 xxiv. 49-53. 
 
 D D 
 
4U2 
 
 IHE FABABLES OF JESCS. 
 
 THE PARABLES OF JESUS ARRANGED IN 
 CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. 
 
 PARABLE OF THE 
 Sower ►, ... 
 
 Tares 
 
 Seed springing up imperceptibly 
 
 Grain of mustard-seed 
 
 Leaven 
 
 Found treasure 
 
 Precious pearl 
 
 Net 
 
 Two debtors 
 
 Onmerciful servant 
 
 Samaritan 
 
 Richfool 
 
 Servants who waited for their 
 
 lord 
 
 Barren fiij-tree 
 
 Lost sheep 
 
 Lost piece of money 
 
 Prodigal son 
 
 Dishonest steward 
 
 Rich man and Lazarus 
 
 Unjust judge 
 
 Pharisee and publican 
 
 Labourers in the vineyard 
 
 Pounds 
 
 Two sons 
 
 Vineyard 
 
 Marriage-feast 
 
 Ten Virgins 
 
 Talents 
 
 Sheep and the goats 
 
 PLACES. 
 
 Capernaum. 
 Capernaum. 
 
 Capernaum. 
 
 Capernaum. 
 
 Capernaum. 
 
 Capernaum. 
 
 Capernaum. 
 
 Capernaum. 
 
 Capernaum. 
 
 Capernaum. 
 
 Near Jericho. 
 
 Galilee. 
 
 Galilee. 
 
 Galilee. 
 
 Galilee. 
 
 Galilee. 
 
 Galilee. 
 
 Galilee. 
 
 Galilee. 
 
 Persea. 
 
 Per£ea. 
 
 Peraja. 
 
 Jericho, 
 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 Matt. xiii. 1-23. 
 Matt. xiii. 24-30, 
 
 36-43. 
 Mark iv. 26-29. 
 Matt. xiii. 31, 32. 
 Matt, xiii. 33. 
 Matt. xiii. 44. 
 Matt. xiii. 45, 4C. 
 Matt. xiii. 47-50. 
 Luke vii. 3G-50. 
 Matt, xviii. 23-3o. 
 Luke X. 25-37. 
 Luke xii. 16-21. 
 
 Luke 
 Luke 
 Luke 
 Luke 
 Luke 
 Luke 
 Luke 
 Luke 
 Luke 
 Matt. 
 Luke 
 Matt. 
 Matt. 
 Matt. 
 Matt 
 Matt 
 Matt 
 
 xii. 35-18. 
 xiii. 6-9. 
 XV. 3-7. 
 XV. 8-10. 
 XV. 11-32. 
 xvi, 1-12. 
 xvi. 19-31. 
 xviii. 1-8. 
 xviii. 9-11, 
 XX. 1-10. 
 xix. 12-27. 
 xxi. 28-32. 
 xxi. 33-40. 
 xxii. 111. 
 . XXV. 1-13. 
 XXV. 14-30. 
 xsv. 31-4G. 
 
THE DISCODKSES OF JESUS. 
 
 403 
 
 THE DISCOURSES OF JESUS ARRANGED IN 
 CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. 
 
 PLACES. 
 
 Conversation with Nicodemus.. Jerusalem. John iii, 1-21. 
 
 Conversation with the woman 
 of Samaria Sychar. John iv. 1-42. 
 
 Discourse in the synagogue of 
 Nazareth Nazareth. Luke iv. 16-31. 
 
 Sermon upon the Mount Nazareth. Matt, v.-vii. 
 
 Instructions to the Apostles ... Galilee. Matt. x. 
 
 Denunciations against Chorazin, 
 ♦tc Galilee. Matt. xi. 20-24. 
 
 Discourse on occasion of healing 
 the infirm man at Bethesda.. Jerusalem. John v. 
 
 Discourse concerning the dis- 
 ciples plucking corn on the 
 Sabbath Judaea, Matt. sii. 1-8. 
 
 Refutation of His working 
 miracles by the agency of 
 Beelzebub Capernaum. Matt, xii. 22-87. 
 
 Discourse on the bread of life... Capernaum. John vi. 
 
 Discourse about eternal purity Capernaum. Matt, xv, 1.20, 
 
 Discourse against giving or tak- 
 ing offence, and concerning 
 forgiveness of injuries Capernaum. Matt, xviii. 
 
 Discourse at the feast of taber- 
 nacles Jerusalem. John vii. 
 
 Discourse on occasion of the 
 woman taken in adultery ... Jerusalem. John viii. 1-11, 
 
 Discourse concerning the Good 
 
 Shepherd Jerusalem. John x. 
 
 Denunciations against the 
 
 scribes and Pharisees Persea. Luke xi. 29-36. 
 
 Discourse concerning humility 
 
 and prudence ... ... .^ ... Galilee. Luke xiv. 7-14. 
 
404 
 
 THE DISCOUBSES OF JESUS — CONTINUED, 
 
 Matt. xis. lG-30, 
 
 Directions how to attain heaven PeriEa. 
 
 Discourse concerning His suffer- 
 ings Jerusalem. Matt, xx, 1719. 
 
 Denunciations against the 
 Pharisees _ Jerusalem. Matt, xxiii. 
 
 Prediction of the destruction of 
 Jerusalem Jerusalem. Matt. xxiv. 
 
 The consolatory discourse ... Jerusalem. John xiv.-xvii. 
 
 Discourse as He went to Geth- 
 semane Jerusalem. Matt. xxvi. 31-?6. 
 
 Discourse to the disciples be- 
 fore His ascension Jerusalem. Matt.xxviii.16-23. 
 
 THE MIRACLES OF JESUS ARRANGED IN 
 CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER; 
 
 JESUS 
 
 Turns water into wine 
 
 Cures the nobleman's son of 
 
 Capernaum 
 
 Causes a miraculous draught of 
 
 fishes 
 
 Cures a demoniac 
 
 Heals Peter's wife's mother of 
 
 a fever 
 
 Heals a leper 
 
 Heals the centurion's servant... 
 
 Raises the widow's son 
 
 Calms the tempest 
 
 Cures the demoniacs of Gadara 
 Cures a man of the palsy 
 Restores to life the daughter of 
 
 Jairus 
 
 Cures a woman deceased with a 
 
 Hux of blood 
 
 PLACES. 
 
 
 Cana. 
 
 John ii. 1-11. 
 
 Gana. 
 
 John iv. 40-54, 
 
 Sea of Galilee. Luke v. 1-11. 
 Capernaum. Mark i. 22-28. 
 
 Capernaum. Mark i. 30-31. 
 
 Capernaum. Mark i. 40 45. 
 
 C%pernaum. Matt. viii. 5 13. 
 
 Nain. Luke vii, 11-17. 
 Sea of Galilee. Matt. viii. 23-27. 
 
 Gadara. Matt. viii. 28-34. 
 
 Capernaum. Matt. ix. 1-8. 
 
 Capernaum Matt. ix. 18, 19, 
 
 23-2G. 
 Capernaum Luke viii. 43-48. 
 
THE MIRACLES OF JESUS. 
 
 40a 
 
 Restores to sight two blind men 
 Heals one possessed with a 
 
 dumb spirit 
 
 Cures an infirm man at Bethesda 
 Cures a man with a wither 3d 
 
 hand 
 
 Cures a demoniac 
 
 Feeds miraculously five thousand 
 Heals the woman of Canaan's 
 
 daughter 
 
 Heals a man who was dumb and 
 
 deaf 
 
 Feeds miraculously four thou- 
 sand 
 
 Gives sight to a blind man 
 Cures 0, boy possessed of a devil 
 Kestores to sight a man born 
 
 blind 
 
 Heals a woman under an in- 
 firmity 18 years 
 
 Cures a dropsy 
 
 Cleanses ten lepers 
 
 Raises Lazarus from the dead 
 Restores to sight two blind men 
 
 Blasts the fig-tree 
 
 Heals the ear of Malchus 
 Causes the miraculous draught 
 of fishes ». 
 
 Capernaum Slatt. ix. 27-31. 
 
 Capernaum 
 Jerusalem 
 
 Judea 
 
 Capernaum 
 
 Decapolis 
 
 near Tyre 
 
 Decapolis 
 
 Decapolis 
 Bethsaida 
 Tabor 
 
 Jerusalem 
 
 Galilee 
 
 Galilee 
 
 Samaria 
 
 Bethany 
 
 Jericho 
 
 Olivet 
 
 Gethsemane 
 
 Matt. ix. 32, 33. 
 John V. 1-9. 
 
 Matt, xii. 10-13, 
 Matt. xii. 22, 23. 
 Matt. xiv. 15-21. 
 
 Matt. XV. 22-28. 
 
 Mark vii. 31-37. 
 
 Matt. XV. 32-39. 
 Mark xiii. 22-26. 
 Matt. xvii. 14-21. 
 
 John ix. 
 
 Luke xiii. 11-17. 
 Luke xiv. 1-6. 
 Luke xvii. 11-19. 
 John xi. 
 Matt. XX. 30-34, 
 Matt, xxi. 18-22. 
 Luke xxii. 50, 51. 
 
 Sea of Galilee John xxi. 1-14. 
 
40(J 
 
 THE NAMES, TITLES, AND OFFICES OF CHRIST. 
 
 THE NAMES, TITLES, AND OFFICES OF CHRIST. 
 
 Aiiam, iheSccmid, 1 Cor. ?j. 45, 47. 
 Ati-nocatc, 1 John 2. 1. 
 Alpha and Omiia, Rev. J. 8 J 22. 13. 
 y)wf«, Kcv. 3. 14. 
 
 Aitithor and Finiihtr of our faith, 
 Heb. 13. 2. 
 
 Bf<;iiining of the creation of God, Rev. 
 
 ■i. 14. 
 Blessed and only Potentate, 1 Tim. C. 
 
 1.5. 
 Branch, Zech. 3. 8 ; 6. 12. 
 
 Captain of Salvation, H^jb. 2. 10. 
 Corner-stone, 1 Pet. 2. C. 
 
 i?<i7';V, Jer. 30. 9 ; Ezek. 34. 23; 37. 24 ; 
 
 Hos. 3. .5. 
 JJay-sprino, Luke 1. 78. 
 Delrz'erer, Rom. 11. 20. 
 Desire of all nations. Hag. 2. 7. 
 
 Emmanuel, Isa. 7. 14 ; Matt. 1. 23. 
 Everlasting Father, Isa. 9. 6. 
 
 Faithful witness. Rev. 1. 5 ; 3. 14. 
 First aftd Last, Rev. 1. 17. 
 First-begotten of the dead. Rev. 1. 5. 
 
 God, Isa. 40. 9 ; John 20. 28 ; 1 Jolin 
 
 5. 20. 
 Cod blessed for ever, Rom. 9. 5. 
 GoodShepherd, John 10. 11. 
 Gtn'crnnr, Matt. 2. (5. 
 Cieat High Priest, Heb. 4. 14. 
 
 y/p/y One, Luke 4. 34 ; Acts 3. 14 ; 
 
 Kev. :i. 7. 
 IJo7-n of Salvation, Luke 1, C9. 
 
 I AM, Ex. 3. 14, with John 8. 58. 
 Image oj God, 2 Cor. 4. 4. 
 
 Jcho^'nh, Isa. 20. 4. 
 
 Ilsus, Matt. 1. 21 : 1 Thess. 1. 10. 
 
 Just One, Acts 3. 14 ; 7. 52 ; 22. 14. 
 
 King everlasting, Luke 1. 33. 
 Kinz of Israel, Jolm 1. 49. 
 King of the Jews, Watt. 2. 2. 
 Kitig of kings, Rev. 17. 14 ; 19. 16. 
 
 Lamh nfCod, John 1. 29, 3G. 
 La-.>'givcr, Isa, 33. 22. 
 -Light of the -world, John 8. 12. 
 
 Li^ht, True, John 1. 8, 9 ; 3. 19 ; 8. 12; 
 
 9. 5 ; 12. 35, 40. 
 Lion of the tribe of fitdah. Rev. 5. 5. 
 Living stone, 1 Pet. 2. 4. 
 Lord, Matt. 3. 3 ; Mark 11. 3. 
 Lord God Almighty, Rev. 15. 3 ;— 
 
 of Holy Prophets, Rev. 22. 6. 
 Lord of all. Acts 10. 36. 
 Lord of Glory, 1 Cor. 3. 8. 
 Lord of lords. Rev. 17. 14 ; 19. 16. 
 Lord our Righteousness, Jer. 23, 6. 
 
 Malcer and Presenter of all things, 
 John 1. 3, 10 ; 1 Cor. 8. 6 ; Col. i. 
 16 ; Heb. 1. 2, 10 ; Rev. 4. 11. 
 
 Mediator, 1 Tim. 2. 5. 
 
 Mediator of t lie new covenant, Heb. 
 12, 24. 
 
 Messiah, Dan. 9. 25 ; John 1. 41. 
 
 Migtity One of Jacob, Isa. 60. 16. 
 
 Morning Star, Rev. 22. 10. 
 
 Nazarene, Matt. 2. 23. 
 
 Our Passoz'er 1 Cor. 5, 7. 
 
 Prince, Acts 5. 31. 
 
 Prince of Life, Acts 3, 15. 
 
 Prince of Peace, Isa. 9. 6. 
 
 Prince of the kings of the earth. Rev. 
 
 1.5. 
 Prophet, Deut. 18. 15 ; Luke 24. 19. 
 
 Redeemer, Job. 19. 25 ; Isa. m. 20. 
 Root and ojf spring of David, Rev. 22. 
 
 10. 
 Root ofDaz'id, Rev. 5. 5. 
 Ruler in Israel, Mic. 5. 2. 
 
 Saviour, Luke 2. 11 ; Acts 5. 31. 
 Shcflterdand Bisliop of souls, 1 Pet. 2. 
 
 25. 
 Shepherd in the laud, Zech. 11. IG. 
 Shepherd of the sheep, Great, Heb. 13. 
 
 20. 
 Shiloh, Gen. 49. 10. 
 Son of David, .Matt. 9. 27 ; 21. 9. 
 Son of God, Matt. 3. 17 ; 8. 29 ; Luke 1. 
 
 35. 
 Son of Man, Matt. 8.20; John 1.51; 
 
 Acts 7. 56. 
 Son of the Highest, Luke 1. .32. 
 Son, Only-bei^otten, John 1. 14, 13 ; 3. 
 
 16, 18. 
 Star and Sceptre, Num. 21. 17. 
 
THE NAMES, TITLES, AND OFFICES OF CHRIST — CONTINUED. 407 
 
 True Vine, John 15. 1. 
 
 li^iy. Truth, ami Life, John 14. 6. 
 Witness, faithful and true. Rev. 
 3.14. 
 
 Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, 
 
 Isa. 9. 6. 
 Word. John 1. 1. 
 Word of God, Rev. 19. 13. • 
 
 CHRONOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 
 
 B.C. 
 
 4004 
 2348 
 2:207 
 
 1998 
 1996, 
 1921 
 1910 
 
 1896 
 1872 
 1836 
 1728 
 1706 
 
 1689 
 1571 
 1531 
 1491 
 1451 
 1444 
 1338 
 1296 
 1291 
 1188 
 1156 
 1155 
 1116 
 1096 
 1064 
 1060 
 1056 
 
 1049 
 
 1025 
 1016 
 
 loie 
 
 The Creation, Fall of Man. 
 The Deluge. 
 
 Babel; dispersion of Noah's descend- 
 ants. 
 Death of Noah. 
 Birth of Acram. 
 Call of Abram. 
 Birth of Ishmael. 
 Birth of Isaac. 
 Sacrifice of Isaac. 
 Birth of Esau and Jacob. 
 Joseph sold into Egypt. 
 Jacob and his sons go down to 
 
 Egypt. 
 Death of Jacob. 
 Birth of Moses. 
 Moses' flight into Midian. 
 Moses at the burning bush. 
 Entrance into Canaan. 
 Allotment of Canaan. 
 Deborah and Barak. 
 Ruth's marriage to Boaz. 
 Gideon's victory over Midian. 
 Jephthah's vow. 
 Birth of Samson. 
 Birth of Samuel. 
 Death of Samson and Eli. 
 Saul anointed king. 
 David anointed king. 
 David's flight from Saul. 
 Saul's death. David made king of 
 
 Judah. 
 David made king of the whole 
 
 tribes ; takes Jerusalem. 
 Revolt of Absalom. 
 Rebellion of Adonijah. 
 Death of David. Accession of Solo- 
 
 B.C. 
 
 1004 
 976 
 
 Dedication of the temple. 
 
 Death of Solomon. Revolt of Ten 
 
 Tribes 
 Return of the Jews under Zenib- 
 babel. 
 
 Dedication of the second temple. 
 
 Ezra goes to Jerusalem ; collects 
 the Scriptures. 
 
 Completion of the wall of Jerusa- 
 lem, under Nehemiah. 
 
 The close of prophecy (Mai. iv.). 
 
 Alexander the Great visitsjcrusalem 
 
 Ptolemy Lagus takes Jerusalem. 
 
 Seleucas obtains Syria. 
 
 Simon the Just, High Priest. 
 
 LXX. version begun at Alexandria. 
 
 Ptolemy Philopater tries to enter 
 Holy of Holies. 
 
 Antiochus the Great obtains Pales- 
 tine. 
 
 Sect of Sadducees founded. 
 
 Antiochus Epiphanes takes Jerusa- 
 lem ; profanes the temple. 
 
 Judas Maccabasus purifies the 
 temple. 
 
 Sovereignty and Priesthood con* 
 ferred on Simon and his heirs. 
 
 The Pharisees. 
 
 Temple on Gerizirn destroyed. 
 
 Pompey reduces Syria to a Roman 
 Province. 
 
 Crassus plunders the temple. 
 
 Herod the Great takes Jerusalem. 
 
 Herod rebuilds Samaria. 
 
 Herod builds Csssarea. 
 
 Herod begins to rebuiUi the temple. 
 
 Birth of John the Baptist. 
 
 Birth of Jesus Christ. 
 
408 
 
 BOOKS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS. 
 
 THE NAMES AND ORDER OF ALL THE BOOKS OF 
 THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS, WITH THE 
 NUMBER OF THEIR CHAPTERS. 
 
 THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 
 
 
 CHAPS. 
 
 CHAPS. 
 
 
 CHAPS. 
 
 Geuesis 
 
 50^ g 
 
 II. Chronicles... 
 
 36 
 
 Daniel 
 
 .. 12 
 
 Exodus . . . 
 
 40 1 « 
 
 Ezra 
 
 10 
 
 Hosea 
 
 .. 14 
 
 Leviticus ... 
 
 27 VS' 
 
 Nehemiah 
 
 13 
 
 Joel 
 
 .. 3 
 
 Numbers ... 
 
 36 1 
 
 Esther 
 
 10 
 
 Amos 
 
 .. 9 
 
 Deuteronomy 
 
 34j 1 
 
 Job 
 
 42 
 
 Obadiah ... 
 
 .. 1 
 
 Joshua 
 
 24 g 
 
 Psalms 
 
 150 
 
 Jonah 
 
 .. 4 
 
 Judges 
 
 21 F 
 
 Proverbs 
 
 31 
 
 Micah 
 
 7 
 
 Euth 
 
 4 
 
 Ecclesiastes ... 
 
 12 
 
 Nahum ... 
 
 .. 3 
 
 L Samuel ... 
 
 31 
 
 Song of Solomon 
 
 8 
 
 Habakkuk 
 
 .. 3 
 
 IL Samuel.. 
 
 24 
 
 Isaiah 
 
 66 
 
 Zephaniah 
 
 .. 3 
 
 I. Kings ... 
 
 22 
 
 Jeremiah 
 
 52 
 
 Haggai ... 
 
 .. 2 
 
 IL Kings ... 
 
 25 
 
 Lamentations... 
 
 5 
 
 Zechariah 
 
 .. 14 
 
 I. Chronicles 
 
 29 
 
 Ezekiel 
 
 48 
 
 Malachi ... 
 
 ., 4 
 
 THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 
 
 CHAPS. 
 
 Matthew 28 
 
 CHAPS. 
 
 Ephesians ... 6 
 
 CHAPS. 
 
 Hebrews 13 
 
 Mark 
 
 16 
 
 Philippians ... 
 
 4 
 
 Epistle of James 5 
 
 Luke 
 
 24 
 
 Colossians 
 
 4 
 
 L Peter 5 
 
 John 
 
 21 
 
 I. Thessalonians 
 
 6 
 
 II. Peter 3 
 
 The Acts 
 
 28 
 
 II. Thessaloni- 
 
 
 I. John 5 
 
 Epistle to Kom- 
 
 
 ans 
 
 3 
 
 IL John 1 
 
 ans 
 
 16 
 
 I. Timothy ... 
 
 G 
 
 IIL John 1 
 
 1. Corinthians... 
 
 16 
 
 II. Timothy ... 
 
 4 
 
 Jude 1 
 
 II. Coiicthians.. 
 
 13 
 
 Titus 
 
 3 
 
 Kevelation ... 22 
 
 Galatiat.;-; 
 
 6 
 
 Philemon... .„ 
 
 1 
 
 
 b 
 

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