3. Earlier writings are quoted by the authors of the old

Testament.

1. In the twenty-first chapter of Numbers, at verse 14, we find these words:

Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord, "What he did in the Red Sea, and in the brooks of Arnon, and at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab."

The note to this passage in the family Bible is as follows:

Some ancient record of those countries, to which Moses refers: or, more probably, the following account of the wars of the Israelites, given in the sacred history, by Moses, and other inspired writers. Pyle, Dr Wells.

We shall have occasion to recur to these verses hereafter at present I adduce them to show that the writer or writers of the Old Testament actually quoted earlier writings.

In the tenth chapter of Joshua is the account of Joshua's commanding the sun to stand still. At verse 13 we read:

And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

The book of Jasher is again mentioned in II Samuel, i, 17. 18:

And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son. Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of

the bow behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.

2. In the first book of Kings, xi, 41, we read:

And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the Acts of Solomon?

The note attached to this passage in the Family Bible, is taken from Bishop Patrick:

The kings of Israel were accustomed to maintain some wise persons,

who committed to writing all that passed in their reign. Perhaps this practice was begun by Solomon; for we read not of any book of the acts of David. Out of these annals, the sacred writer of this book took what he thought most useful, and omitted the rest, which he did not judge so necessary and instructive.

Bishop Patrick, when he wrote this, must have forgotten the following extract from I Chron. xxix, 29, where the Acts of David are said to have been recorded in the same manner as those of his predecessors:

Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Gad the

seer.

The Chronicles of King David are also referred to in I Chron. xxvii, 24, and were probably the same book as the "Acts:"

Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he finished not, because there fell wrath for it against Israel; neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David.

The second book of Chronicles, chap. ix, 29, takes notice of the Acts of Solomon, and names three writers who recorded them:

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophesy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

In the second book of Chronicles, chap. xii, v. 15, we have a new writer of Acts mentioned:

Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies?

II Chronicles, xiii, 22:

And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.

II Chronicles, xx, 34.

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they

are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.

II Chron. xxvi, 22.

Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.

II Chron. xxix, 30.

Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises unto the Lord with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer.

II Chron. xxxii, 32.

Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

2. Chron. xxxv, 25.

And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah, and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the Lamentations.

Besides these various books, the authors of which are named, we have the "Chronicles of the kings of Israel and Judah" referred to more than thirty times at least. Of the manner in which they are mentioned, the following is an example:

I Kings, xiv, 19. And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred, and how he reigned, behold they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

The book of the "chronicles of the kings of Israel" is mentioned altogether in 19 places: -I Kings, xiv, 19. xv, 31. xvi, 5. 14. 20. 27. xxii, 39. II Kings, i, 18. x, 34. xiii, 8. 12. xiv, 15. 28. xv, 11. 15. 21. 26. 31. 36.

The book of the "chronicles of the kings of Judah" is similarly mentioned in I Kings, xiv, 29. xv, 7. 23. xxii, 45. II Kings, viii, 23. xii, 19. xiv, 18. xv, 6. xvi, 19. xx. 20. xxi, 25. xxiii, 28.

These quotations are found in our present books of Kings; and in the Chronicles are quoted, in a similar manner, "the book of the kings of Judah," and "the book of the kings of Israel,"-or, unitedly, "the book of the kings of Judah and Israel" - they are mentioned in II Chronicles xvi, 11. xx, 34. xxv, 26. xxvii, 7. xxviii, 26. xxxii, 32. xxxiii, 18. xxxv, 27. xxxvi, 8.

In some of these places the subject admits the supposition that our existing books of Kings are referred to; but it also admits of the same view which has been taken above, namely, that earlier writings are quoted.

4. Different names of God.

An argument in favour of the theory that the Pentateuch is a compilation from earlier records has been founded on the variation of name given to the Supreme Being.

In the first chapter of Genesis, to the fourth verse of the second chapter, he is called Elohim, the Gods,' which occurs 35 times, and he is there called by no other name. But in the rest of chap. ii, and in chap. iii, (except by the serpent, who calls him also Elohim) he is otherwise named Jehovah Elohim, which we translate the "Lord God," and this name occurs twenty times.

For however

The use of these terms [says Mr Davies] as here described, is, I think, a peculiarity which could not well have happened, in the original and entire composition of one age, one country, and one man. the mysterious meaning of the terms themselves may be discriminated, yet Elohim in the first chapter, and Jehovah Elohim, in the second and third, are evidently used in a synonymous sense, and precisely the same operations are ascribed to them. CELTIC RESEARCHES, p. 41.

Other appellations, also, as Adonai and Shaddai, are found in various parts of the Old Testament, and all designate the Supreme Being, with equal propriety. They appear to be independent of one another, and neither by metaphor, etymology or periphrasis, can be reduced to one origin, as Deity and Divinity from Deus in Latin, the

Supreme Being, and other similar expressions, which are found in all the modern languages.

CHAPTER VI.

CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF JEWISH HISTORY.

The Hebrew Scriptures contain the most ancient accounts now existing of the world and of the human race. On this head they are strongly contrasted with the historical writings of the Greeks, the Romans, and all other ancient nations that we are now acquainted with. I do not speak of those stupendous monuments which cover the plains of Arabia, Asia, and the East, or of our own remains at Stonehenge, Avebury and elsewhere. These, if we could read. them, would probably tell us of events quite as ancient as those which are recorded in the Pentateuch; but the comparison, which we are instituting, concerns written records only, in which particular the Jews claim precedence over all other nations.