of God developed by Time — Nothing Trivial in the Bible

Occasion of the Call of Abraham — His Character — Traditional

Evidence.........

Page 97

CHAPTER VII.

THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH.

Character of the Inhabitants — Their Doom — Date of this Event

Geological Confirmations — Probable Nature of the Phenomenon

- Exploration by Captain Lynch – His Testimony - Lot's Wife

– Why are not Similar Judgments now inflicted. - Divine Provi-

dence involves a Great Plan - Must be studied - Lessons from

this Event-Christianity demands Action........

112

CHAPTER VIII.

BIBLICAL REFERENCES TO EGYPT CONFIRMED BY MODERN

RESEARCHES.

Egypt: Situation, and Early Civilization-Obliteration of its History

-Monuments and Pictorial Descriptions recovered — References

to it in the Bible — Harmony of the two – Historical Coinci-

dences - Customs referred to in the Bible elucidated - Condition

of Women - Baskets of the Baker — Magicians Shaving —

Linen Garment and Necklace --- Ownership of Land — Embalm-

ing-Bricks with Straw - Departure of the Israelites — Various

Coincidences - Historical Basis of the Bible.

132

CHAPTER IX.

EARLY SCRIPTURE PROPHECIES, AND THEIR FULFILMENT.

Prophecy must be Superhuman - Origin of Prophecy — False

Prophets naturally arise - The Israelitish Prophets widely

known - Testimony of Cicero — Evidence of Early Prophecies

not mentioned in the Bible — General Expectation of the Messiah

Remarkable Heathen Prophecy - Character of Heathen Oracles

— Persecution of Jewish Prophets — Prophecy concerning the

Arabs — Testimony of Gibbon Of Sir William Jones Concern-

ing the Twelve Tribes in Order........

145

CHAPTER X.

THE MIRACLES OF THE EXODUS.

Great Plan of Jehovah in the Old Testament — Folly of the Notion

that Man was originally a Savage — His True Condition — Tend-

ency to Deterioration - Religious by Nature - Evils of Idolatry

- Necessity of Miracles Miracles of the Exodus necessary

Of no Benefit to the Egyptians — Why and how did the Magicians

succeed. - The Miracles in Order - Traditions............

Page 172

-

CHAPTER XI.

BEAUTY AND SCOPE OF THE LAWS OF MOSES.

The Israelites a Nation of Pupils, and afterward Teachers — Their

First Lesson is Holiness - Communicated by Symbol – Washings

-Clean and Unclean Beasts — The Decalogue – Whence learned

-Sacrifices — Types — The Theocracy - Originality and Object

of their Laws — Some Specific Enactments - Summary of the

Chapter...........

193

............

CHAPTER XII.

THE GREAT COMMISSION AND HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITES.

The Divine Command to destroy the Canaanites – Reasons for it

- The Destruction not designed to be Universal - Miracles –

Standing still of Sun and Moon - Prodigies of Elijah and Elisha

- Why so much of the Bible is Historical — Number and Har-

mony of the Writers — Apparent Contradictions — Language mod-

ified by History – Doctrines and History indissolubly connected

- Personal Application........

208

Destruction of Jerusalem, as related by Josephus — Captives to

be carried into Egypt by Ships — The Land smitten with Barren-

ness — Its Ancient Fertility — To be scattered among all Nations

Reflections........

Page 225

CHAPTER XIV.

BABYLON AND NINEVEH.

Situation of Babylon - Its Magnificence — Birs Nimroud — Other

Ruins - Nebuchadnezzar — Condition when Jeremiah lived –

His Predictions - Particularity of them - Fulfilment — Isaiah's

Predictions - Compared with Damascus — Nineveh — Layard's

Discoveries - Hezekiah Solomon - Divine Providence..... 243

CHAPTER XV.

SPECIFIC PREDICTIONS FULFILLED IN JESUS CHRIST.

Christ the great Subject of the Bible — Reasons for mingling

the Prophecies relating to Christ with other Instruction - The

Forerunner — Time of his coming — Place of his coming-Man-

ner of his Birth -His Humanity and Divinity – His Death — Mi-

nuteness of these Predictions - Sir William Jones's Testimony -

Recapitulation of Previous Chapters — Value of the Old Testa-

ment...

258

CHAPTER XVI.

PERSONAL CHARACTER OF OHRIST.

The Jews subsequent to Malachi — John the Baptist — History of

Jesus fully related and attested - The Evangelists — Their Un-

affected Simplicity - They never praise Christ - Apparent Con-

tradictions — Relate what appears Unfavourable — They are Mild

and . Dispassionate — The Gospels unparalleled — Christ was

Faultless, though tried - He exhibited every Virtue – His one

great Object to bless the World — Effect of obeying him - His

Death voluntary – His Life considered alone an Insoluble Mys-

tery – Folly of considering any Subject alone - The Bible as a

Whole.........

274

CHAPTER XVII.

THE OPENNESS OF THE FACTS OF CHRISTIANITY ILLUS-

TRATED BY THE LIFE OF. ST. PAUL.

Paul before Festus and Agrippa — The Koran, Shasters, and the

Mormon Book — Contrast between them and the Bible — Only

Reward of the Writers — No Pretensions to Secrecy - Lyttleton's

Life of Paul — Comparison of the Apostle with Lafayette -

Paul's Conversion - Did he seek Fame.- Did he seek Posthu-

mous Glory. – Was he a Hypocrite. — Was he insane. — A Com-

mon Charge — The Facts — This no Isolated Instance — Trophies

of Christianity - Its Triumph certain........

Page 289

CHAPTER XVIII.

GRAND PRACTICAL BENEFITS OF THE BIBLE.

Two Ways of examining a Subject, theoretical and practical — The

Problem submitted to an Angel — Fact below Theory, yet valua-

ble — Influence of the Bible on Morality – On Social Habits and

Enjoyments — On Government and Laws — These Influences

silent - The Garden without Sunlight — The Bible chiefly valua-

ble as teaching us how and whom to worship - The inevitable-

ness of Idolatry without the Bible, and why. – The great Topic

a Mediator, and the great Want of Man a Mediator — Chief Ad-

vantages of the Bible unseen and indescribable — Advantages of

a Written over a Traditional Revelation........

310

THE CREATION OF THE WORLD AS DESCRIBED BY MOSES.

The first subject presented in the Bible is one of the most incomprehensible, and consequently it is one upon which much has been written, and much dogmatism exhibited; for on no subjects are men so presumptuous, and intolerant toward difference of opinion, as upon those which cannot be brought to the test of actual experience. Humility and a confession of human ignorance are certainly graceful when considering the subject of creation.

Has there ever been a creation? This is the first question answered in the Bible. Without a revelation it would be impossible for man to prove either the negative or affirmative; yet