HISTORY OF THE BIBLE. Jews, by the remembrance of Sodom and Nineveh, and the queen of the South; and terrifies the uncharitable rich with the words of Abraham to Dives in hell: "They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them," Luke xvi. 29. St. Paul, as hath been before observed, says: "All these things were done to them for examples to us, that we should avoid those judgments GoD had afflicted them with for their fornication, idolatry, murmuring," &c. The last advantage we shall mention is, that, as the Old Testament had the honor to precede the New, so it gave witness to it as John the Baptist did to CHRIST; both he, Moses, and the prophets, going before him to prepare the way, "to give knowledge of salvation to his people, to give light to them that sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace." In confirmation of which, Moses and Elias appeared at the transfiguration of CHRIST on the Mount, bearing witness of him, and speaking of his departure, Luke ix. 31. Indeed, so great is the force of the gospel-truths, that comparing the transactions of our SAVIOUR'S life, with what was foretold of them, none can doubt of the completion of those predictions in him only. But none go so far in the eulogies of Moses and the law, as our "There is one that accuseth you, even Moses; had ye beblessed LORD himself. lieved on him, ye would have believed on me; for he wrote of me: but if ye not his writings, how shall ye believe my words, John v. 45, 46. believe Having said thus much of those incomparable histories and other excellent things contained in the Old Testament, it may not be improper to say something of the writers or compilers of them. And first of Moses. And here, considering the dignity of that great and excellent legislator, to whom GOD did the honor of speaking face to face, it may seem almost a presumption to attempt his character. We shall only say, that, for some thousands of years, the sun did not behold his equal. He was from his infancy brought up in a court, where he received all the advantages of a royal education. He was skilled in Egyptian learning, conversing at court till he was forty years old: at which time, being divinely inspired, he withdrew from the court of Pharoah, and, disdaining to be thought the son of Pharaoh's daughter, chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of GoD, than enjoy the pleasures of a sinful life. Being obliged to flee to Midian, he undertook the humble employment of feeding sheep. In which time GoD appeared to him in the bush, and gave him a commission to be ruler and leader of his people. But if we inquire more particularly into the character of this excellent person, we shall find him the most honored mortal that ever was born, till the Son of GOD appeared to bless the form in human shape. He was prophet, prince, and poet. For the first we have his own acknowledgment: "The LORD thy GOD shall raise up unto thee a prophet like unto me, from among thy brethren," Deut. xviii. 15. For the second, Gop himself invested him with royal power, when he gave him a commission to deliver and govern his people, Exod. iii. 10. That he was a poet appears from those eleven Psalms ascribed to him, from Psalm lxxxix. to Psalm c. Besides the many personal favors GoD bestowed upon this great man, he was pleased to honor him with his commendation, that he was the most faithful of his servants, to whom he would communicate his will by express words, Numb. xii. 7, 8. And indeed, if we consider the frequent interviews between GoD and Moses, the conveyance of the law by him, and his daily pleading for the people in the tabernacle, where GOD more immediately revealed himself, we may justly call him the secretary of the Divine wisdom. We shall not need to advance his character by enumerating his wondrous works in Egypt: his miraculous conduct of the Israelites through the Red sea; his furnishing them with food from heaven: his producing water by a miracle; and his vindicating God's honor and his own reputation from the calumnies of their enemies by a just execution on Korah and his associates. Whoever examines his administration, will find in it the most refined polity and most exact economy that ever adorned the character of the most illustrious legislator; for he had to do with a most obstinate rebellious people, and whom he governed with such dexterity, that he always brought them to a sense of their duty. Nor was his humility the least embellishment of his character; for though the Israelites had often provoked him by their reproaches, and apostacy, and sometimes threatened to stone him, unmoved he beheld their ingratitude, and, instead of revenging himself by threats and punishments, he humbly addressed himself to GOD in their behalf, to deprecate the judgments they deserved. And for this virtue GOD himself expressly distinguishes him with this eulogy, that "he was the meekest man upon earth." As to the other writers of the Old Testament, little need be said. The first catalogue of sacred books was made by the Jews, but by whom is not certainly known. It is highly probable, it was by Ezra, who collected all the sacred books of the Old Testament, and showing the collection to the Jews, it was received and approved by the whole nation. The five books written by Moses, contain the history of nearly three thousand years, from the creation till his death. The prophets who succeeded him, wrote in thirteen books, all that happened from his death to the reign of Artaxerxes. It is not certain whether Joshua wrote the book that goes by his name; but it is very probable it was written by his command, and soon after his death; for Moses had often, during his administration, ordered him to write the most remarkable occurrences in a book. It contained a history of about seventeen years. Some are of opinion, that every judge wrote what was transacted in his days; and that all these transactions were collected either by Samuel or Ezra. The book of Judges contains the history of three hundred years and upward, from the death of Joshua to the death of Samson. As for the story of Ruth, it is certain she lived in the time of the judges, probably under Shamgar. The four books that follow, contain the history of near six hundred years. The first book of Samuel to the twenty-fifth chapter, was written by Samuel himself; the prophets Gad and Nathan finished it, and wrote the second book of Samuel. The two books of Kings were written by Jeremiah or Ezra. The two books of Chronicles were written after the four former. It is generally believed they were composed by Ezra, who collected them partly out of the other books of the Bible, and partly out of the papers which were yet extant in his days, but since lost. Ezra wrote that book which is called by his name: and contains the history of eighty-two years, from the first year of Cyrus to the twentieth of Artaxerxes Longi manus. The book of Nehemiah was certainly written by himself, and contains the history of about thirty-one years, from the reign of Artaxerxes to the beginning of the reign of Darius. The time and author of the book of Esther are very uncertain. Some think it was written by Ezra, or Joachim the priest, the grandson of Jozedec. As to the story of Job, some have questioned the truth of it; but Job being mentioned in Holy Writ with so much applause, it would be criminal to doubt it. The time in which he lived is difficult to be ascertained, as well as the author. Some say, it was written by himself, others by Moses. These are but conjectures. It is generally believed that Job lived before Moses, and that his afflictions befell him when the children of Israel were in the wilderness. Some are of opinion, that he was descended of Nahor, Abraham's brother; others from Esau, which last is most probable. CHAPTER I. HAVING made these introductory observations, we begin with the first transaction that is recorded in history. It is the most awful and glorious that imagination can conceive, namely, THE CREATION OF THE WOrld. "To whom are the heavens above us, the world which we inhabit, and the various objects with which it is filled, indebted for their existence ?" A mild but majestic voice replies from the sacred oracle, "In the beginning, GOD created the heavens, and the earth, and all that is therein." Stupendous work! and worthy the amazing power of that Supreme Being by whom it was executed. The idea of creation is very sublime; but our familiarity with the term may have rendered us insensible of its magnificent character. It is, indeed, so vast, that many of the ancient philosophers denied the possibility of creation, and hence assigned the attribute of eternity to mattert making it, in this re See Ezekiel xiv. 14; James v. 11. We know, from the infallible testimony of GOD, that men and other animals which inhabit the earth, the seas, and the air; all the immense varieties of herbs and plants of which the vegetable kingdom con spect, "equal to GOD." But we have not so studied the history of the universe; and our readers, we trust, have learned a better lesson from the oracles of GOD. In the book of Genesis, the "beginning" of everything is ascribed to the creative power of GOD; and we are informed that over the formless and chaotic earth, darkness reigned, and “ that the Spirit of GoD moved" or brooded “upon the face of the waters," bringing order out of confusion, light out of darkness, and this beauteous earth into a fit condition for the residence of man, and the subsistence of animal and vegetable life. The Almighty architect said, "LET THERE BE LIGHT, AND THERE WAS LIGHT." With respect to this expression, Longinus, that great judge of the beautiful and sublime, says, "It is the most noble and lofty example of sublimity that imagination can conceive; it commands things into existence, speaks with the voice of supernatural authority, and is the language of God." "And GoD saw the light that it was good, and he divided the light from the darkness, calling the light day, and the darkness night; and the evening and the morning were the first day." Surprising display of OMNIPOTENCE to illuminate a whole system in so short a time, and appoint the proper portions of light and darkness to every part of the universe!* Who, with an intelligent mind and a sensitive heart, can look upon the glorious sists; the globe of the earth, the expanse of the ocean, and the wonders of the skies, were all produced by the power of the ETERNAL. Matter, however, under all the varieties of its form, the relative disposi tion of its parts, and the motions communicated to it, is but an inferior part of the works of creation. From the faculty of thought, and the powers of perception and reflection of which we are conscious, we feel assured that we are animated by a much higher and nobler principle than brute matter. THE CREATION OF LIGHT.-We were considerably affected in our younger days by the long-standing objection that Moses made light to exist before the creation of the sun; as books then usually taught, what some still fancy, that there could not have been light without this luminary. But not choosing, on such an important point, to attach our faith to any general assertion, we sought to find out if any investigator of the nature of light had perceived any distinction in its qualities or operation which made it a fluid, or matter independent of the sun. It was not easy, before the year 1790, to meet with the works of any student of nature on such a subject, as it had been little attended to; but we at length saw the fact asserted by Henckel, a German of the old school, of some value in his day; and soon afterward some experi. ments were announced in England, which confirmed the supposition. It has been a favorite point of attention with us ever since; and no truth in philosophy seems to be now more fully ascertained than that light has a distinct existence, separate and independent of the sun. This is a striking confirmation of the Mosaic record; for that expressly distinguishes the existence and operation of light from the solar action upon it, and from that radiation of it which is connected with his beams and presence. By Moses, an interval of three days is placed between the luminous creation and the appearance and position of the sun and moon. Light was therefore operating, by its own laws and agencies, without the sun, and independently of his peculiar agency, from the first day to the fourth of our terrestrial fabrication. But from the time that the sun was placed in his central position, and his rays were appointed to act on our earth, they have been always performing most beneficial operations, essential to the general course of things. They have also been ascertained by Dr. Herschel to have a power of heating distinct from their production of light and color-an interesting discovery, connected with more consequences and inferences than have yet been noticed. The glory of Sir Isaac Newton began by his discovering that light was not simple and homogeneous, but that it consisted of seven rays of different colors, and of different and invariable degrees of refrangibility. The same degree of this belonged always to the same color, and the same color to the same degree of refrangibility. Red, yellow, and blue, are the primary colors; white light their compound. An opposing theory to this has been gradually growing up from the time of Des Cartes, and is now maintained by several men of no small name and powers in science, which considers light to be an undulating vibration of an ethereal medium universally diffused, and not, as Newton thought, an emanation of particles direct from the sun. La Place preferred the opinion that "light is an emanation from a luminous body." But the newer system comes nearest to the Mosaic fact that light was a distinct production anterior to the sun; and appears to be gaining ground in philosophical minds. Perhaps some harmonizing combination of both theories may reconcile all the phenomena, and best explain the true nature and operation of light. It seems most probable that light is an ethereal fluid now universally diffused, and pervading all things, and not an emanation from the sun; but that this luminary has a direct and additional agency upon it, whose effects we daily see. It may not be impertinent to suggest that light seems, like heat, to have two states, active and latent. The active state causes its visible phenomena, and our sensation of daylight. When this subsides, by the sun's departure, into its latent state, our sense of darkness, or night, is produced. The solar rays again emerging on it, have the power of changing its latent state into its active visibility. Light has also the property of being absorbed by, and, we would add, of combining with, all substances; with some wholly, which are then black; with others, the most numerous cases, only in part; and then that portion of them which is not so absorbed emanates from the substance in the color which comes from them to the eye. After having for many years attended to the phenomena of light, we can not but consider it to be a universally-diffused fluid. Thus far the idea would accord with the undulatory theory; but many facts lead us also to conclude that it actually enters into the composition of all or most substances, and, like heat, becomes a latent part of them. From these it is extricable, with more or less rapidity, without the interference of the solar ray, as in the burning of all inflammable bodies, when it passes into its active and visible state. When the two liquids of nitrous gas and oil of turpentine burst into a flame on being mixed, without the approach of any fire, we think we see a striking instance of latent and combined light passing suddenly into the free and active state. So when that brilliant blaze occurs on dipping the iron wire into oxygen gas, it seems to be the latent light combined in the gas, evolving from it instantaneously into its visible form. The sun has nothing to do with these phenomena, nor with any of our artificial illuminations. All these may be deemed latent light, emerging from its combinations into free and active visibility. Yet most of the Newtonian principles and laws concerning it are confirmed by the phenomena which suggested them; and so is much of the new system by those facts which have been adduced in its support. Hence it is most probable that both theories have a foundation in truth, but require some further additions and modifications on each side to make them consistent with each other, and to remove the apparent contradictions which now keep them in the state of controversial hostility. scenes and objects around him, without emotion; and, if piety be an inmate of his bosom, without adoring reverence and filial love to Him who made them all? And yet it is most true that the beauties and sublimities of the natural world are exhibited in vain to the generality of mankind. Engaged in other pursuits, or degraded by evil passions, or besotted by self-indulgence, the most magnificent, and the most soothing scenes which mark the power or the goodness of GOD, are equally unnoticed and despised by many who ought to feel most interested in them. The waters being still dispersed over the face of chaos, the Almighty was pleased to separate them from each other, and restrain their current within proper bounds. He divided those above the firmament from those beneath, and parted the waters of the earth from the watery atmospheres. The firmament* formed on this occasion was called heaven, and, with the separation of the waters, completed the second day of the creation. Light being formed, and the waters separated from each other, the Almighty, on the third day, commanded that the waters beneath the firmament should be gathered together, and dry land appear. The waters, accordingly, fled into deep valleys, and recesses of the earth, the lofty mountains raised their towering heads, and the lesser hills displayed their pleasing summits. As the great Creator designed the earth for the future habitation of man and beast, it was no sooner separated from the waters, than he gave it a prolific virtue, and endowed it with the power of vege tation. The surface was immediately covered with grass for cattle, which was succeeded by herbs, plants, and fruit-trees, proper for the nourishment of man. All those were instantly in a state of perfection, that they might be ready for the use of those inhabitants for whom they were designed.† The Almighty Creator, having prepared such necessaries as he thought proper on earth, for the use of its intended inhabitants, on the fourth day formed those two great luminaries of heaven called the Sun and Moon! the former of which he appointed to rule the day, and the latter the night. He likewise formed the planets, fixed their gravitation and vicissitudes, and appointed their regular courses, that they might divide time and distinguish the seasons. By means of these luminaries the atmosphere was rarified, and by their influence on the planets, was promoted the office of vegetation. The creation of the first four days consisting of things inanimate, on the fifth GOD pronounced his omnipotent fiat, for the production of living creatures, saying, “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowlst that they may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven." He was pleased to form these creatures of different shapes and sizes; some very large,|| to show the wonders of his creating power, and others exceeding small, to display the goodness of his indulgent providence. After he had created them, he gave them his blessing, by bidding them, be fruitful and multiply; enduing them, at the same time, with a power to propagate, in a prolific manner, their respective species. And thus were completed the works of the fifth day. In the beginning of the sixth day GoD created the terrestrial animals, which the sacred historian has divided into three classes, namely, The Hebrew word which we translate firmament, signifies a curtain, or anything stretched out and extended. The term is not only applied to the sky, but to the atmosphere, and in this place seems particularly to refer to that extent of airy matter which encompasses the earth, and separates the clouds from the waters on the earth. + Though the first fruits of the earth were all produced without any seeds, by the bare command of God, yet, to perpetuate the same, each kind contained its own seed, which being sown in the earth, or falling, when ripe, from the plants themselves, should continue in succession to the end of the world. From this expression, some are of opinion that fowls derive their origin from the water as well as the fishes; while others, with equal reason, suppose them to have been made out of the earth, agreeably to the following passage in Gen. ii. 19: "Out of the ground God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air." But these two texts are easily reconciled, when we consider that neither denies what the other asserts. It is to be observed, that some fowls live mostly in the water, others partly on land and partly on water, while a third sort live altogether on land. This diversity countenances the opinion of many of the ancients, that they were made partly out of the water, or of both mixed together. The words in the text are, And God created great whales. But this expression must not be confined to the whale alone; it undoubtedly implies fish of an enormous size, of which there are various species, that differ both in their form and magnitude. HISTORY OF THE BIBLE. 1. Beasts, or wild creatures, such as lions, tigers, bears, wolves, &c. 2. Cattle, or domestic animals, for the use of men, such as bulls and cows, sheep, hogs, horses, asses, &c. 3. Creeping things, such as serpents, worms, and various kinds of insects. And, to show that The omnipotent Creator having made these abundant preparations, crowned his work with the formation of the grand object, MAN, for whose use they were designed. He said, Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness.* the creature he was now about to form should be the master-piece of the creation, and (under his auspices) have supremacy over the whole, he further says, and let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. In the formation of man's body, GoD made choice of the dust of the earth, after which, having infused into him an immortal spirit, or, as the text says, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, he became a living soul.t As soon as Adam began to feel a sense of his existence (having been by his great Creator invested with knowledge as well as power), he was greatly alarmed at the animals that he saw surround him; but the Almighty to ease his mind, assured him, that all the creatures on the earth should be subject to his authority, and to convince him of the great power with which he had invested him, appointed them to appear before him. This was accordingly done, upon which, as they passed, Adam readily gave them such appellations as distinguish their species, and were suitable to their natures.‡ Adam greatly admired the animals to whom he had given names; but, when he saw them all in couples, he was concerned that he alone was without a companion, whose society might contribute to his happiness. The Almighty, knowing his anxiety, threw him into a sound sleep, during which he took away one of his ribs, and, after closing up the orifice, formed it into the body of a woman, gave her breath, and, like Adam, she became a living soul. This was certainly the last act of the whole creation, which, by the almighty power of GOD, was made perfect in the space of six days; at the close of which the great Creator took a survey of the whole, and pronounced it good, or properly adapted to the uses for which it was intended. The next day (which was the seventh from the beginning of the creation) GOD set apart as a time of solemn rest from his labors. He blessed and sanctified it; and to impress mankind with a just sense of his infinite wisdom, power, and goodness, ordered it ever after to be kept sacred.** • What a noble and majestic expression was this, and how consistent with the nature of that Almighty Being by whom it was spoken! In the formation of other creatures, God says, Let the earth or the waters bring them forth; but here (as if man was to be made only a little lower than the angels) he says, Let us make him in our image- that is, let us make him like ourself; let us endue him with all those noble faculties that will raise him above the animal creation, and make him not only to bear our image in the lower world, but also qualify him for the enjoyment of those blessings that are to be found at our right hand, to the full extent of eternity. + Josephus says, that after God had created man, he called him Adam, which in the Hebrew signifies red, from the earth with which he was made being of that color. The great poet, Milton, on this occasion, expresses himself as follows: "As thus he spake, each bird and beast, behold I named them as they passed, and understood The general name for woman, in the Hebrew tongue, is Issa; but this woman, being the first, was (after the fall) called Eve, which signifies the mother of human kind. Though the sacred historian does not, in a particular manner, mention the formation of Eve till some time after that of Adam, yet it is not in the least to be doubted but they were both created on the same day. This, indeed, evidently appears from the relation of the works of the sixth day, Gen. ii. 27, where, after the words, God created man in his own image, are added, male and female created he them. It is not directly ascertained at what time or season of the year the world was made; but, from the trees being laden with fruit (of which history informs us our first parents did eat), it is most reasonable to suppose that it was at or near the autumnal equinox. Thus was the seventh day appointed by God, from the very beginning of the world, to be observed as a day of rest by mankind, in memory of the great benefits received in the formation of the universe. It has been a question, among the learned, whether any sabbath was observed before the promulgation of the law by Moses; but the most judicious commentators agree that Adam and Eve constantly observed the seventh day, and dedicated it in a peculiar manner to the service of the Almighty; and that the first Sabbath, which Philo (one of the most ancient writers) calls the birth-day of the world, was celebrated in Paradise itself; which pious custom, being transmitted from our first parents to their posterity, became in time so general, that the same Philo calls it the universal festival of mankind. |