translations of the Bible were published in four years, towards the end of the reign of Henry the eighth.

In the tenth year of the reign of Elizabeth, Archbishop Parker published a translation of the Bible called "The Bishop's Bible."

When James the sixth of Scotland, and first of England, came to the throne of England, he issued a commission to certain divines of the Church of England, to make a new translation of the Bible. He gave to them directions to compare the former translations with the original Hebrew and Greek, to correct errors, and to improve the style. They followed these wise directions, and succeeded in producing the present authorized version.

We may now construct a table of these English translations, with their dates:

been proved by Archbishop Usher to be fatal to the doctrine of the infallibility of the Popes of Rome.

9. The Books of the Old Testament, or Covenant, are divided by the Jews into four classes :-1. The Law. 2. The Doctrinal Books. 3. The Historical Bookscalled also, The Hagriographa, or Sacred Writings. 4. The Prophetical Books. They contracted the first three classes into one class. Our Lord has called these three classes the Law-meaning-1. The Law. 2. The Historical Books. And 3. The Devotional Books. Or our Lord has made the first two classes into one class, called the Law; and the last two classes into one class, called the Prophets. "The Law and the Prophets were until John." The tabular list of the Books of the Old Testament may assist the memory:

I. THE LAW.

The Pentateuch or Five Volumes. The Work of Moses, finished by Joshua. I. Genesis. II. Exodus. III. Leviticus. IV. Numbers. V. Deuteronomy. II. THE HISTORICAL BOOKS.

...

1535.

1537.

...

I. Joshua (Jesus).

1539.

II. Judges.

...

1539.

III. Ruth.

We may thank the good providence of God for having raised up certain religious societies in our country during the last century and three-quarters, (now A.D. 1877). These societies, gradually increasing, stimulated each other to works of faith and to labours which proceed of love to God and to man. The result of this industry in spreading the truth of God in foreign countries is, the translation of the Bible into, and the publication of the translations in, most of the known languages. The work is proceeding; and we may hope that, by means of these christian efforts, all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

At Douay, or Doway, a town in France, the Roman Catholic English version of the Old Testament, called "The Douay Bible," was made and published, A.D. 1609-10.-L'aurence Killam, printer.-Translated from the Vulgate.

At Rheims, a town in France, the Roman Catholic English version of the New Testament, called "The Rhemish Testament," was made and published, A.D. 1582. John Fogny, printer.-This translation also was made from the Vulgate.

The old Italic version of the Old Testament was a literal translation of the Septuagint. St. Jerome, in the fourth century, made a new translation from the Hebrew. This edition, called the Vulgate, was received by the western church. Sixtus V., Pope, published A.D. 1590, a corrected edition of the Vulgate. Clement VIII., Pope, published A.D. 1592, another corrected edition of the Vulgate, which contained two thousand emendations of the text of Pope Sixtus V. A comparison of these two editions has

IV. 1st & 2nd Samuel. V. 1st & 2nd Kings.

VI. 1st & 2nd Chronicles. VII. Ezra.

VIII. Nehemiah

IX. Esther.

The Septuagint makes four books of Kings, thus : 1st & 2nd Samuel, they call 1st & 2nd Kings; and 1st & 2nd Kings, they make 3rd & 4th Kings.

IV. THE PROPHETS.

The Prophets are called Major, greater, or Minor, less, on account of the amount of their writings, but not on account of the value of their writings.

I. The Major Prophets.-1. Isaiah. 2. Jeremiah. 3. Ezekiel. 4. Daniel.

II. The Minor Prophets.-1. Hosea. 2. Joel. 3. Amos. 4. Obadiah. 3. Jonah. 6. Micah. 7. Nahum. 8. Habakkuk. 9. Zephaniah. 10. Haggai. 11. Zechariah. 12. Malachi.

These books may be arranged chronologically, thus:

"from Adam the fountain head. This one man was "Methuselah, for he was born two hundred and forty"three years before Adam's decease, so that he might sensibly converse with Adam during the space of "two hundred years, and he lived to the beginning "of that very year in which the world was drowned; "at which time Noah, his grandson, was six hundred "years old, so that he was capable of conversing "with him five hundred and sixty years."-Reading's Sermons, vol. i., p. 54-6. A.D. 1728.

Shem, the son of Noah, survived the deluge five hundred years. He conveyed the history of the past to Abraham. God's testimony to Abraham assures us of the safe preservation of these ancient records, that God knew Abraham, that he would faithfully teach his children and household after him all things which might dispose them to keep the ways of the Lord. In this manner of tradition, or of handing down from generation to generation, a preservation of some knowledge of past ages was secured. Moses, instructed in all the learning of the Egyptians, and in all the learning of his own people the Jews, was enabled, by the inspiration of God, to put in writing the history of facts and of revelations which is in the book of Genesis.

6. "The names of deities worshipped by those "nations who departed from the knowledge and "worship of the one living and true God, were given by "them to their heroes and benefactors. The countries "about Carthage, Tyre, and Sidon, these cities and "their colonies worshipped the sun, giving to the "sun the highest appellations their language would "afford, as Baal-Samen, Lord of heaven, Moloch, "and Melchom, King of heaven, and other titles ac"cording to the difference of the Phoenician, Persian, "Arabian, and other eastern languages. They dedi"cated altars and sacred fires and sacrifices even of "their own children to this imaginary deity-the sun. "The name of this deity, Baal, Bel or Belus (for it is "the same), is the name of an ancient king of Tyre. "Tis compounded in Ethbaal and Jezebel, and Han"nibal, Asdrubal, Adherbal, and other Phoenician "names which are met with in common history, "which shews how devoted they were to this idol." Reading's Sermons, vol. ii., p. 444.

The sacrifice to be consumed by fire from heaven, on Mount Carmel, proposed by Elijah, was to prove whether Baal (or the sun), whom Ähab and Jezebel had introduced into Israel as the national deity, could consume the sacrifice by fire in answer to the prayers of his priests and worshippers. There was no answer. Baal, or the sun, was no God. The God of Israel, who answered by fire, he was God. The sin of man has been a departure from the living God, manifested in a love for idolatry, or atheism. These sins of the human race are set before us in the New Testament as well as in the Old.

CHAPTER III.

The Books of the Old Testament contain records of the old world, from the creation to the commencement

I. Genesis.-The first book of the Old Testament has its name from the word, leveow, Genesis, used by the Septuagint or Greek translation of the scriptures by seventy persons. The word leveow, signifies generation, or production, or creation, and is given as a name to this book, because the book contains a history of the origin or beginning or creation of all things. The book named Genesis includes a period of 2369 years from the creation of the world to the death of Joseph.

II. Exodus.-Eĝodos.-This also is a Greek word which signifies going out or departure. This name is given to the book because it contains an account of the departure of the children of Israel from the land. of Egypt. Exodus begins where Genesis ends, at the death of Joseph, and ends with an account of the erection of the tabernacle in the wilderness of Arabia Petræa (called also in English stony or rocky Arabia) at the foot of Mount Sinai.

III. Leviticus.-The word Leviticus is formed from the word Levi, and is given as a name to the book because the book contains a history of the things which relate to the tribe of Levi. The Levites were devoted to the service of God in the tabernacle and in the temple. Aaron and his sons are described as having been consecrated to the priesthood, which service occupied eight days. The matters related in this book are supposed to have been performed in the space of one month.

IV. Numbers.-This book is named Numbers because it contains an account of the numbering of the Israelites when they left Egypt, and afterwards, when they had completed their wanderings in the wilderness. Laws and ceremonies-civil, moral, and ceremonial; sins and punishments; journeyings and conquests of the Jews, are also described in this book. It comprehends a period of forty years.

V. Deuteronomy.-The word Deuteronomy, the name of this book, is Greek (Aevтepovoμoo), and signifies The Second Law, or the Law Repeated. This book is so named, because it contains the address of Moses to the "children of Israel," in which Moses repeats and explains the law. He was engaged in this work during five weeks. This book contains an account of the death of Moses, which account was, probably, added by Joshua, so that the narrative is continued for thirty days after the death of Moses. This book, therefore, comprehends a period of five weeks and thirty days. These five books, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, were written by Moses, and have received the name Pentateuch, from the Greek (TEVTE) five, and τευχα (plural of τευχοσ from τευχω) books or volumes.

II. THE HISTORICAL BOOKS. VI. Joshua. The book of Joshua is supposed to have been written by Joshua himself, Eleazar and Samuel having added the accounts of things subsequent to the death of Joshua. This book contains a history comprehending a period of 24 years, from 1451 to 1417 B.C., the year in which Joshua died.

---

VII. Judges. This book receives its name from its contents the history of the Judges-and is supposed to have been written by Samuel, from records which had been preserved. The death of Samson is the last account in the book of any event when taken in the order of time. This book comprehends a period of 305 years, from 1425 to 1120 B.C. The facts related in the last five chapters of this book happened in the year 1406 B.C., or in the first twenty years of the Judges.

VIII. Ruth. This book contains the history of a family which gave origin to the line of the kings of Judah, the descendants of David. The facts recorded in this book are dated at the close of the first century of the history of the Judges, from 1322 to 1312 B.C., a period of ten years. This book was, no doubt, written by Samuel from the records which had been preserved. 1. Boaz became the husband of Ruth. Their son was-2. Obed. Obed's son was— 3. Jesse. Jesse's son was-4. Darid. Thus David's father was Jesse; David's grandfather was Obed; David's great grandfather was Boaz.

IX. 1st Samuel.-The first twenty-four chapters of this book are supposed to have been written by Samuel. They contain a continuation of the history of the Judges to the election and anointing of Saul, B.C., 1095, thus carrying the times of the extraordinary officers down to a period of twenty-five years later, and making the whole period of the times of the extraordinary officers-the Judges to be 330. years. Nathan the prophet, and Gad the seer, are supposed to have completed the books.-1st Chron., xxix. 29. This book comprehends a period of 115 years, from 1171 to 1056, B.C. It ends with the death of Saul, who reigned 40 years.

X. 2nd Samuel.-This book contains the history of the reign of David, a period of forty years. Nathan and Gad were, in all probability, the authors of this book.

XI. 1st Kings.-This book contains an account of the Jewish history, properly, down to the death of Ahab, 897 B.C. The succeeding verses of the last chapter (41-53) belong to the narrative contained in the second book of Kings, for they relate to the reigns of Jehoshophat and Ahaziah as being terminated, and these reigns are carried to a close in the second book of Kings. This book contains a period of 118 years, from 1015 to 897 B.C.

XII. 2nd Kings.-This book contains a continuation of the Jewish history to the time of the final captivity of the tribe of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. This book comprehends a period of 308 years, from 896 to 588 B.C. The last four verses of this book contain an account of the kindness shewn to Jehoichin, King of Judah, by Evilmerōdach,

king of Babylon. The king of Judah was taken from his dungeon, and seated at the royal table for the remainder of his life. He had been in the dungeon nearly thirty-seven years. He was released in the thirty-seventh year of his captivity.

XIII. 1st Chronicles.-This book contains several genealogical tables, in its first nine chapters, from the Creation, B.C. 4004, to the year 1200 B.C. There is in the fourth chapter one exception to the dreary waste of uninteresting narrative. The date is 1300, B.C. The words are in the 9th and 10th verses: "And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren; and his mother called his name Jabez (sorrowful), saying, 'Because I bare him with sorrow."" "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh! that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast; and that Thy hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldst keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!' And God granted him that which he requested."

The remainder of the book contains an account of the death of Saul, and of the reign of David to its close, 1015 B.C.

The word "Chronicles" is derived from a Greek word (Xpovoo) signifying time. The books of chronicles, called by the Septuaguit the (TapaderoμLEVOL) omitted words doyou (or books of words omitted), give a narrative of events according to the time in which the events have occurred.

XIV. 2nd Chronicles.-This book contains a history of the kings of Judah. It relates events nearly in the same manner in which they are recorded in the books of Kings. It is almost silent about the idolatrous kings of Israel. It commences with the reign of Solomon, and ends with the last captivity of the Jews in Babylon, 588 B.C. The last two verses contain an account of the decree of Cyrus (the Elder: Xenophon's Cyropedia contains an account of him) for the building of the temple in Jerusalem, B.C. 536.

XV. Ezra. This book was written by Ezra, whose name it bears. It contains an account of Jewish history from the decree of Cyrus, B.C. 536 to B.C. 456, a period of 80 years.

XVI. Nehemiah. This book was written by Nehemiah, whose name it bears. It contains a history of the Jews, from B.C. 446 to B.C. 434, a period of twelve years.

XVII. Esther.—This book contains an account of Esther, a Jewish captive, whose name it bears. The events related in this book happened between B.C. 521 and B.C. 495, a period of twenty-six years. Some have remarked that the word God is not found in the book.

III. THE DEVOTIONAL BOOKS.

XVIII. Job.-This book contains an account of the afflictions of Job, whose name it bears. Job is supposed to have written this history, and Moses is supposed to have copied the manuscript, whilst acting as a shepherd in the land of Midian; and afterwards to have added the book of Job to his own writings. Thus making six books, the founda

tion of the Old Testament scriptures.

The book of Job is supposed to have been the means of affording consolation to the Jews in the wilderness. Moses may have written the ninetieth Psalm for the purpose of consoling the Jews in their wanderings in the wilderness, when the Lord decreed the forty years' wanderings as a punishment on account of their belief in the false spies, and of their unbelief in Caleb and Joshua.

XIX. Psalms.-This book contains one hundred and fifty Psalms, of which the larger number are supposed to have been written by David. They are written in poetry in the original Hebrew. Even in our translation, which is prose, the sentiments and language impress us by their great beauty and sublimity. Every good man finds that the reading of this book is profitable to his understanding and to his heart.

XX. Proverbs.-This book was written by Solomon. The proverbs were spoken by himself principally. He may have collected all the proverbs spoken or recorded as having been spoken by wise men before and during his time. This book may, therefore, contain the collected wisdom of the ancient world, even to the time of Solomon, 1015 B.C. Some of the proverbs have dates B.C. 700, c. 25 to 30, inclusive. The last chapter may have been in Solomon's original collection. It bears date B.C. 1000. The chapter dated B.C. 700 contains proverbs collected by order of king Hezekiah from traditionary sayings of Solomon. And as the men of Hezekiah may mean Isaiah, Shebna, and other inspired men, we may consider these proverbs in c. 25-30 as of equal authority with the other proverbs of Solomon. Solomon may be considered as the author of all the proverbs.

XXI. Ecclesiastes (Greek)—means, the preacher. This book is supposed to have been written by Solomon after his conversion from the sins into which he had fallen. This supposition is the only ground of hope that he was converted. The book shews the vanity of this world, and of all the glory of this world.

XXII. Solomon's Song.-This poem was written by Solomon to celebrate his marriage with the daughter of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Some think that the poem is figurative, that it is an allegory, or continued figurative representation of Christ's love to his Church. Some doubt this latter opinion, and believe the first opinion.

IV. THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS.

He

XXIII. Isaiah.-The prophetical books were written by the prophets. Every prophet wrote his own prophecies, and gave his name to the book containing them. Isaiah prophesied in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. prophesied from B.C. 760 to 692, a period of 68 years. The first five chapters are supposed to have been written in the reign of Uzziah, the sixth chapter in the reign of Jotham, the seventh to the fifteenth in the reign of Ahaz, and all the remaining

chapters in the reign of Hezekiah. Isaiah has been called "the Evangelical Prophet," and "the Fifth Evangelist," on account of the clearness of his prophecies concerning the Messiah. Our blessed Lord referred to Isaiah's prophecies on His miracles, in answer to the question put to Him by John the Baptist's disciples, by the direction of the Baptist, who was then in prison. The Baptist ("The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight,") could easily understand the fulfilment of Isaiah's predictions in his own person, and of Isaiah's predictions respecting the Messiah's miracles, and doctrines, and character, and prophecies, as having their fulfilment in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

66

The prophecies of Isaiah are divided into two parts: The early and the later Isaiah." The first part contains thirty-seven chapters. The second part contains twenty-nine chapters-sixty-six in all.

In the end of the forty-fourth chapter, and in the commencement of the forty-fifth chapter, the name of Cyrus is found. Cyrus is called the Lord's shepherd, the Lord's anointed. Xenophon wrote his Cyropædia, or education of Cyrus, in honour of this great man, and as a means of instructing other rulers and governors. This Cyrus is called the elder Cyrus, or Cyrus the elder. Isaiah was sawn asunder by a wooden saw by the command of his nephew, Manasseh.

XXIV. Jeremiah was a priest of the tribe of Benjamin. He prophesied about seventy years after the death of Isaiah His prophesies were uttered between B.C. 629 and B.C. 588, a period of 41 years. He foretold the Babylonish captivity, and witnessed the fulfilment of his prophecies concerning it. His book of Prophecies, written by himself, is a history of his own times. He prophecies little concerning the

Messiah. He foretold the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity. The remnant of the Jews in Jerusalem would go down into Egypt. They feared the return of Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah warned them. He assured them that they should be safe if they remained in their own land, but that if they went into Egypt Nebuchadnezzar would invade Egypt, and overcome Egypt, and lead into captivity the Jewish remnant, and the vanquished Egyptians. The Jews disregarded these warnings. They went into Egypt. They brought Jeremiah with them. When they saw that Nebuchadnezzar was invading Egypt, they stoned to death Jeremiah, whose warning voice intended the safety of his nation.

XXV. Lamentations.-This book contains the lamentations which Jeremiah uttered over the ruins of his city and of his country. Nebuchadnezzar had Egypt for his wages. He had waged a war against Tyre for thirteen years. The Tyrians built a new city on an island very near to the mainland, and removed all their effects to it. They sent the remainder of their population and of their effects into their colonies on the shores of the Mediterranean sea. Nebuchadnezzar had no ships. The Tyrians were safe. Egypt was the reward assigned by Providence to Nebuchadnezzar.