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C. With pleasure I will do so, and hope to prove to you, that the very books which compose the Bible, are mixed up, in a manner, to confound many a reader, and sometimes I fancy that God has been pleased to have them placed so, on purpose that we should be more diligent in our search after truth, and be led to compare spiritual things with spiritual things. How strange, too, that the men who have searched the deepest into this mine of truth love the Bible most; remember, I mean those who have searched for the diamonds and coins, not those who have searched for the earth only, such men see not the valuables, discover not the riches, of such it may be truly said, "They have eyes, but they see not."

W.-Do you mean to say, that the books which compose the Bible are not placed in the order that they were written? C. They are not, and yet they are in order.

W.-I should like you to put me to rights on that point. C.--I have a copy of the order they were supposed to be written in, but it is impossible to say for a certainty whether it is positively right. I will read it to you, afterwards I will give you it on paper, that you may compare them.

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{Contains a period of the church's

history of about ... Contains a period of about...

{Has no reference to any period of

time, but is a book of laws.
Is chiefly of the numbering Israel,
in point of history: it contains a
period of about

So called because it is a new, or
second edition of the laws: it
only contains the history of a
month.

Contains the history of one man

about the time that the children
of Israel were first formed into a
nation. Job lived about
Contains a period of the church's
history of about..

YEARS.

2369

145

39

140

20

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YEARS E. C.

1050 2 SAMUEL

....

(Contains the history of King David, who reigned

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Were chiefly written by David, and therefore placed here.

YEARS.

40

Carries on the history of the church through a period of about ...... 120 These three books written by Solomon, are consequently placed after his reign.

Contained the history of the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel unto the time of the Assyrian captivity, and the latter part of this book takes up the history of Judah to the reign of Zedekiah, in whose reign the Chaldeans carried the Jews captive to Babylon; the whole containing a period of the church's history of about .... These two books are for the most part duplicates of the two books of the Kings. But they contain also a chronology of a period of about 3500 years from Adam to the end of the Babylonish captivity.

All these prophets lived and exercised their ministry at nearly the same period.

Lived about 50 years after Micah. Habakkuk, Jeremiah, and Zephaniah, lived nearly in the same period.

Prophesied in Chaldea at the same time Jeremiah prophesied in Jerusalem.

Prophesied in Babylon much about the same period.

This book is the recommencement of the church's history after the return from the Babylonish captivity, and contains a period of.. These prophets exercised their ministry together, at the time of Ezra.

340

80

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These calculations, the writer, Dr. R. HAWKER, observed were in round numbers chiefly, as it was almost impossible to ascertain clearly the exact number of years.

W.—I am very much obliged to you for the trouble you have taken on my account.

C.-Don't mention it, for it is a pleasure to me. I will now repeat to you a few of the Doctor's own words, in reference to his opinion of the Book of God. He says, "The Bible is the great charter of grace, and containeth the words of eternal life. Never would I lose sight, if possible, of this discriminating character, by which the sacred records are for ever distinguished from all other writings; that in them is revealed to the fallen race of men the covenant mercies of God, for our redemption, in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is contained all that is truly valuable or interesting for me to know. Here I find everything that, strictly and properly speaking, I am concerned to be instructed in, as it relates to my present peace or future happiness. In those sweet pages I learn to discover that plan of salvation which hath called forth the covenant word, and promises and oath of Jehovah, for the rescue of our fallen nature from sin and eternal death; and for opening a new and living way unto everlasting life. Here I learn respecting the person and operations of the Holy Ghost; from whose teachings and influence I acquire knowledge of the Father's love and the Redeemer's grace. Precious, precious book! be thou my study all the day; and may mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I may meditate in thy word!" Now, such are the meditations of Christians. Read the 119th Psalm, and you will find King David valued it much. At the 18th verse, he says, "Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." 34th verse, "Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law." 46th verse, "I will speak of thy

testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed." 97th verse, "O how I love thy law! it is my meditation all the day." 103rd verse, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" sings

"The glorious sun, the changing light,

And nights and days thy power confess;
But the bless'd volume thou hast writ,
Reveals thy justice and thy grace."

Another

I might go on to repeat what others have said for years, and then not have done, if their sayings might be collected together. But I must now try to explain some of the mysteries of God's providences as far as I can behold them. I observed to you before, that the Bible was full of Christ, his church, and his reign on earth, that it contains encouragements for the good and warnings for the wicked. It also shows that in this world they are mixed up together, and that God will separate them according to his promise in his own good time, for, "he knoweth them that are his." The spiritual church of God is figuratively represented in the Scriptures by the twelve tribes of Israel, and the world by the word Babylon. Really I have laughed at my own notion of the words Babylonish captivity.

W.-What notion is that?

C.-I consider the follies of this world in themselves babyish, and we get led captive by a loneish baby.

W. All follies are laughable, yours as well. Then you consider the providence of the Jews' captivity as a teaching, that we might learn to know that the church ultimately shall be separated from spiritual Babylon?

C. Certainly I do. The destruction of Jerusalem teaches the same thing, for every providence in Scripture has a much deeper meaning than the providence itself; it speaks, like as the blood of bulls and goats spoke; but there is a more valuable blood that speaketh. Every providence spoke of more things than one, hence we see the wisdom of God, and to make observations as we go on of what they did teach, is now my object this evening, so far, as I before said, as I could see into it. The commencement of the Jews, from Abraham to the time of Christ's crucifixion, appears to me, as a whole, a most beautiful representation of the church of God from the beginning to the end of time; also, the coming out of bondage in Egypt to the reign of Solomon, a beautiful representation of a child of God from the first opening of his eyes to see his state, until he rests in heaven, where there is no more war; and not only so, but we see Christ and the millennium,

God's love and God's wrath and warnings in his providences, as plain as when he speaks by the mouth of Moses or the prophets. I have so far been commenting on the Book of God generally, and answering your questions as you choose to put them. Let me now go on in a more regular way from the beginning of the Bible. It commences with the words, "In the beginning God created." I cannot pass these words without observing, that I have heard some men say that they did not believe in a beginning or end, that there was no God, it was only nature. I call them wise fools; they are not like the poet reflecting on the being of a God, who reasoned thus of the orbs and planets, "Much design is seen in all their motions and in all their makes." Design implies intelligence and art. Have they thought, judgment, or genius? It cannot be from themselves or man; therefore, a Godhead reigns. That God, how great! It has pleased God to give man a finite or bounded reason, that he shall not know how these things are done, but thanks be to him for allowing us to behold and enjoy his wisdom, power, and goodness in the creation. Having previously dwelt on that subject, I shall proceed to explain to you a little of what it appears was in the mind of God when he planted the Garden of Eden, especially the two trees, one called the tree of life, the other the tree of knowledge of good and evil; they were literally trees no doubt and bearing fruit; I believe there are plenty of the same kind at this time.

W.-What sort of trees do you suppose they were?

C. It is of no consequence what sort they were you may be sure. God looked beyond the trees themselves; you may also be sure that the fruit alone could not give life or knowledge any more than looking at the serpent in the wilderness would of itself heal; for life, knowledge, and healing come from God. I consider those trees represented men and mountains; for as much design is seen in the planets, we must expect to see a deep design in every providence, so that over every chapter in the Bible we might write, "The Lord intends more than the literal meaning here."

W.-Trees to represent men and mountains?

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C.-Yes; I behold Christ and Moses, also the Mounts Calvary and Sinai, grace and law, the old and new covenant, life and death; I see, in the midst of the garden, a Saviour, as well as the knowledge of good and evil; and when the man did that which he was forbidden to do, he became guilty; his eyes were at once opened to behold what sin was; before that he was as innocent as a babe, he did not know there was such a thing as sin, the knowledge of it came with the committing of the thing itself.

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