who were "left to prove them," and who became "thorns in their sides,” the many servitudes of this chosen people, to those nations whose false gods they had served; their deliverances by specially appointed leaders; all prove that the eye of the LORD was constantly over them. Yet notwithstanding all these evidences of Divine jurisdiction, they added to their former proofs of defection and ingratitude that of "asking a king." 1 Sam. viii. 6-8.; xii. 17-19. "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come; wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Cor. x. 11, 12.

FIFTH PERIOD.-TABLE V.

In the reigns of Saul and David, we have seen remarkably exemplified the opposite paths of worldly policy, of "doing evil that good may come," and of humble trust and confidence in the protection of God, and submissive obedience to his commands. Saul," when little in his own eyes," is exalted, (1 Sam. ix. 21.; x. 27.); when trusting in his own strength, is abased, (1 Sam. xv. 17-35.); when resisting and defying the will of God, is destroyed. 1 Chron. x. 13, 14. David, when little in his own eyes, is also promoted; tried in the same school of temptation as his predecessor, yet not failing like him, because "the law of the LORD was in his heart," and "his word was a lamp unto his feet, and a light unto his paths;" (see the whole of Ps. cxix.) falling occasionally, but recovered by chastisement, and that also arrested by that penitence, which recommends the sinner to the mercy of God. Isai. lv. 7; Jer. iii. 12-14. Joel ii. 12-14. The reign of Solomon furnishes an awful lesson against trusting to any human defence. WISDOM, ZEAL, KNOWLEDGE, BELIEF, all insufficient to supply the place of a constant reliance from day to day upon the guidance of that Power, by whom the very hairs of our head are num

bered, and without whose decree, not a sparrow shall fall to the ground! (See the Book of Ecclesiastes.)

SIXTH PERIOD.-TABLE VI.

.

By the division of the Jewish state into the separate kingdoms of Judah and Israel, we see the visible field of God's moral government extended. His justice rends from the son of Solomon a large portion of his power and authority, but his promise to his faithful servant David, preserves the sceptre in his family. Jeroboam made the instrument of God's chastisement, has the offer of the crown of Israel as a grant to his posterity, upon condition of his adhering to the laws and statutes of God. 1 Kings xi. 37, 38. These gracious promises are slighted, and through his idolatries, Israel is made to sin. The two Jewish kingdoms preserve a mutual enmity towards each other. Both, under the providence of God, have continual warnings against sin. Both are encouraged and chastised, according to their respective merits. During this period, the spirit of prophecy becomes an active minister of God's will. Elijah and Elisha instruct the Jews, confirming, by miracles, their Divine missions. Jonah is sent to preach against Nineveh, whose inhabitants avert, by penitence, the threatened destruction.

SEVENTH PERIOD-TABLE VII.

The instruments raised up by God to chastise his B. C. people, perform their allotted tasks; first Israel, (') (') and then Judah (2) is carried into captivity accord- 721 ing to the prediction of Jeremiah, xxv. 9-12; xxix. (2) 10; and "that the land may enjoy her Sabbaths." 605 2 Chron. xxxvi. 21; Lev. xxvi. 23-35. During this important period the prophets Amos, Hosea, Joel, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and Ezekiel, confirm all former revelations of God, extend into the latest futurity the predictions of His will, particularizing

Canaan's curse, (Gen. ix. 25.) in the punishment of the impious nations descending from him. (See Prophecy, 2d Period, C.) forming a sketch of that historical portrait which is afterwards furnished in the dreams and visions of Daniel. During the captivity, that school of adversity, the Providence of God still watches over his people. Daniel and Ezekiel teach, by precept and example, the Jews at Babylon; while Jeremiah supports, comforts, and admonishes those who for a time are left in Judea. The counsels of these holy men enlighten the heathen. The pious magnanimity of Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego, extort from Nebuchadnezzar the declaration that "God had sent his angel to deliver those that trusted in him," and that "no other God could deliver after this sort." (Dan. iii.) Through Daniel, he is exhorted to "break off his sins by righteousness, and his iniquities, by shewing mercy to the poor," as a means of "lengthening his tranquillity,” and averting the threatened chastisement of his pride. The lips of this heathen, bear testimony to the glorious attributes of God, His wisdom, His truth, His justice.. “ And 1 blessed (saith Nebuchadnezzar) the Most High, and praised and honoured Him that liveth for ever; whose dominion, is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will, in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him what doest thou. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol, and honour the king of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment; and those that walk in pride, he is able to abase." Dan. iv.

66

EIGHTH PERIOD.-TABLE VIII.

By the hand of Cyrus, his predestined instrument, (Isa. xliv. 28, xlv. 1-7. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 22-23.) God fulfills his word in the restoration of his people. By Cyrus too, the first

empire pointed out in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, (Dan. ii.) and the vision of the four Beasts, (Dan. vii.) is fully ended; the usurping race of Ham is forced to restore to that of Shem its original inheritance; the blessing of the God of Shem is manifested in the prosperity of the nations springing from him; and Canaan (the Babylonian empire) becomes "his servant, (Gen. ix. 26.) the Israelites are restored to their country, their religion, their laws; Zechariah and Haggai direct, exhort, support, and comfort them during the building of the second temple; Ezra and Nehemiah complete the appointments of God in the restoration of the civil and ecclesiastical polity of the Jewish state; Malachi, the last of the prophets, seals up prophecy with the promise of the coming of Elijah (John the Baptist,) who came in the spirit and power of Elias, (Matt. xvii. 10.) the harbinger of that "sun of righteousness which should arise with healing in his wings." Mal. iv.

NINTH PERIOD.-TABLE IX.

The history of the Jews is, during this and the following period, incorporated with that of the nations described in the visions of Daniel, and which seem by anticipation to have filled up the chasm in the Sacred writings, between the Old and New Testaments. To the times of comparative peace and tranquillity under the Persian government, succeed the turbulent ones in which the eastern world was agitated by the conquests of Alexander the Great. In him we see the "He goat," by which the "Ram" (Darius Codomannus) is "smitten to the ground, and stamped upon," (Dan. viii. 3-8) as also the "mighty king ruling with great dominion," and doing "according to his will." Dan. xi. 3. Yet against the evil consequences of this "will" to his people, God had provided by a vision, in which Alexander had seen the Jewish highpriest, who had encouraged him to undertake the Persian war, and at the same time impressed him with that awe and

reverence for the God of Israel which afterwards proved so useful to the Jews. (see page 173 of this work.) The horn of the "He-goat" being broken, "and his kingdom divided to the four winds," (Dan. viii, 4.) the kings of the north (Syria) and of the south, (Egypt) stand up (Dan. viii. 5.) and between them, the country of Judea experiences such shocks, as nothing but the special protection of God B. C. could support it under. In Egypt, Ptolemy Phi(3) lopater persecutes, and attempts to destroy the Jews, 216 (3) but is Divinely prevented. Antiochus Epiphanes,

is made the instrument of punishment and correction. Even the temple is abandoned to his fury. But though God in his anger occasionally hides himself from his creatures, they are never hid from him. His eyes are over the evil and the good, watching the operation of his chastisements. "Surely the wrath of man shall praise him, the remainder of wrath shall he restrain." The wrath of Antiochus Epiphanes was permitted to ravage the city, and profane the temple, and commit the most horrid barbarities upon those who refused to apostatise from the true worship; thus punishing the wicked, and "trying acceptable men in the furnace of adversity;" but the remainder of his wrath was restrained; it could not pass the limits which Almighty wisdom had assigned it. God raises up in his faithful servants, Mattathias and his sons, champions for his people, whose enemy (Antiochus) is cut off while meditating fresh outrages against them. 1 Macc. vi. 1-16 2 Macc. ix.

TENTH PERIOD.-TABLE X.

Under the Maccabees, we have seen the Jews successfully struggling against the tyranny of Syria; and Judas John, Eleazer, Jonathan, and Simon, successively falling in the defence of their country. With John Hyrcanus a degree of comparative prosperity succeeds, marked, however, by the rise of the sects of the Pharisees, and Sadducees,