pare me for that will. Give me to love Thy law and Thy way, and then nothing shall offend. Enable me to do all in Thy spirit, and not in my own. Let me not be too much annoyed by the perversity of those constant misunderstandings on the part of my fellows to which I am exposed; and doing whatever I am called with more of patience and less of perturbation than I have done hitherto, in that patience may I possess my soul." Pp. 256, 257.

Here we must shut the volume. In these extracts we have had an object in view. They may in one respect be said to be miscellaneous, yet they are not made at random. They are drawn together for the purpose of bringing out the character and heart of the writer. They are not selected for their beauty, or their originality, but for the purpose of exhibiting Dr Chalmers himself. We have said that we specially prized the volume as unfolding his inner man, and we have endeavoured to make use of it for this end. We feel assured that our readers will not regret the space which we have occupied with these selections. We have found them full of interest and refreshment to ourselves. And it is with no small eagerness that we look for the remaining volumes of this work.

ART. II.-Ordo Saclorum: a Treatise on the Chronology of the Holy Scriptures; and the indications therein contained of a Divine plan of times and seasons, together with an Appendix, containing, I. A Compendium of the principal institutes of Chronology.-II. An Examination of Mr Greswell's Scripture Chronology and Hypothesis relative to the Julian Calendar.-III. Dissertations on the ancient Chronographies of Asia and Egypt.IV. Outlines of a Chronological Harmony of the Four Gospels. -V. An Essay on the Design and Structure of Prophecy. By HENRY BROWNE, M.A., Principal of the Diocesan College, Chichester: Canon of Waltham in the Cathedral Church, and Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of Chichester. London: John W. Parker. 1847.

THIS work deserves a place in the library of every biblical student, and once admitted, it will be frequently perused. It contains the best and fullest discussion with which we are acquainted, of the vexed subject of Scripture chronology. One great merit is the narrow limits within which the treatise is comprised, while at the same time the whole subject is searched to the foundation, and the data on which each several conclusion is formed, are submitted generally in the words of the original authors. Many original

and interesting views of history are given, and on some of the more perplexing questions, a light altogether new is thrown.

From the creation to the death of Joseph, there is in the Bible an uninterrupted series of dates. The Septuagint, indeed, gives one version of the chronology, and the Hebrew text another; and what is worse, it evidently appears that on one side or the other a systematic corruption of the text has taken place. Into this discussion, however, we shall not enter, except to notice the presumption with which a writer on the subject, in Kitto's Biblical Cyclopædia, coolly asserts that the Septuagint chronology is now preferred by all competent judges. In opposition to this dictum, it is sufficient to mention Greswell's Dissertations, and Clinton's Fasti Hellenici, in both of which, the Hebrew chronology is followed, besides the work before us, in which the same view is ably supported.

From the death of Joseph to the Exodus, we have no note of time furnished, but the chasm is bridged over by Exod. xii. 40, which informs us, that on the day when the children of Israel went out of Egypt, a period of 430 years was accomplished from the commencement of the sojourning of Israel; that is, as we understand it, their sojourning in Canaan, and not in Egypt alone, for on this point, also, there has been a controversy. For 47 years after the Exodus, we can again follow the clue, but after the division of the lands under Joshua, it fails us altogether. From the date, however, of the first servitude of Israel, recorded in the book of Judges, that under Cushan Rishathaim, down to the death of Samson, the time is accurately measured, while, on the other hand, from the death of Samson to the accession of David, the notes of time are very imperfect and disconnected. From this point down to the termination of the 70 years' captivity, there are sufficient data to enable us to determine the lapse of time with precision.

Thus, then, it appears that the interval between the settlement in Canaan and the accession of David, is the period which presents the greatest obstacle to a continuous chronological deduction of the history of the world from the creation. We shall devote a few pages to the elucidation of it.

It consists of a known period placed between two unknown, and therefore isolated from the preceding, as well as from the subsequent chronology. It is possible, however, to form some approximation to the length of the two unknown periods. The date from which the first of them commences is the division of the land among the tribes. This took place 45 years after Caleb had gone up to spy out the land, (Jos. xiv. 10,) or 47 years after the Exodus, (Deut. ii. 14.) After this the war against the Anakim

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took place, for they were not driven out at the time when Caleb received his possession. For this campaign, we may allow not more than a year, and then "the land had rest from war." This, then, occurred in the 8th year after the entry into Canaan, and the 48th after the Exodus. After this, we read of Joshua's death, at the advanced age of 110. If he was of the same age with Caleb, he would be 86 when the land rested from war, and his death must have happened 24 years after that event. The people served the Lord all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua: it was only when another generation arose which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel, that they lapsed into idolatry, and then the Lord gave them into the hands of their enemies. It is impossible to place this earlier than 20 years after Joshua's death, or 52 years after the entry into Canaan, Forty years after their entry, a new generation would be springing up, and some time must still be allowed to elapse, during which the people served idols, before their chastisement came upon them. In fact, a period of 30 years after Joshua's death is just as likely to have intervened as one of 20. Thus, then, the unknown period between the ceasing of war in Canaan and the first servitude, could not be less than 44, and might be as much as 54 years.

After this comes the period of the servitudes and the Judges. The whole interval (of which we shall hereafter give the particulars) between the commencement of the first servitude, (Judg. iii. 8,) and the death of Abdon. (Judg. xii. 15,) was 350 years. After this, there follows a servitude to the Philistines of 40 years, (Judg. xiii. 1.) On this latter portion, we shall introduce the remarks of Mr Browne

"The history of the Judges ends with a period of 40 years of Philistine oppression, during which Samson judged 20 years: xiii. 1, xv. 20. But in the First Book of Samuel, we find the Philistines still in the height of their superiority. No new invasion is mentioned: the Book of Judges spoke of a dire overthrow wich occurred at Samson's death; the Book of Samuel says nothing of this, and represents them as still masters. The Ark goes into captivity, and it is not until 20 years after its return that the power of the Philistines is broken. If these be separate periods, the Philistine servitude must have lasted 60 years at least, or else there were two servitudes separated by an interval of, perhaps, 40 years. Of course this is possible. But now let us observe the numbers. Twenty years of Samson, Judg. xv. 20, and twenty years after the restoration of the ark and before the prostration of the Philistine host at Mizpeh, 1 Sam. vii. 1, just make the forty years of servitude, Judg. xiii. 1. In this view, the 40 years of Eli, as they end at the capture of the Ark, must have begun 20 years before the servitude. Also, the Ark was taken about the time that Samson was in captivity: its restoration coincided

very nearly with the time of Samson's death. This explains how it was that Israel, for the last twenty years of the forty, was comparatively unmolested. The Philistines were weakened by the dire overthrow of all their lords' who perished with Samson; they had previously learned by that which befel their Dagon from the presence of the Ark, that none could stand against these mighty Gods. In this period of comparative quietude the work of reformation began under Samuel; and when at length the nation was ripe for mercy by penitence and prayer, God arose to thunder upon His enemies, and break them in pieces, and exalt the horn of His Anointed.

"The connexion between Judges and Samuel is of this kind. The former having brought down the narrative to the beginning of the Philistine invasion, xiii. 4, there drops the national history out of sight to relate the personal adventures of Samson, through a term of twenty years. Here the history contained in this book comes to a close, for the remaining chapters form an appendix belonging to a much earlier period. The Book of Samuel, in its opening chapters, goes back to the origines of the new order of things now about to commence. It begins with the birth of the Prophet like unto Moses,' who, while power and might,' supernaturally aided in the person of Samson, did what it could for Israel's deliverance, was growing up in silence beside the altar of Shiloh, to be the instrument by which the Spirit of the LORD of Hosts' would finish His salvation." Pp. cclvii. cclviii.

Thus the 20 years of Samson's exploits are coincident with the first 20 years of the Philistine servitude. But then it appears that he was born during a period of Philistine oppression, for his mother is told at the time of his birth that he "shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines." If this oppression was the 40 years' servitude which we have just noticed, then the 20 years during which Samson judged Israel must be coincident with the latter, and not with the former half of that servitude, for he must have been 20 years old at least before he began the exploits which have rendered his name so famous. But this view, again, is not consistent with the words of the angel, that he should begin to deliver Israel; for, according to it, he must have finished the deliverance. We must therefore place his birth at an earlier period; and on looking to the preceding narrative, we find that there was a joint oppression of the Philistines and Ammonites, (Judg. x. 7, 8,) which lasted 18 years, after which, Jephtha broke the power of the Ammonites in the east; and, as we may suppose, his successor, Ibzan of Bethlehem drove out the Philistines from the south and west. The commencement of Ibzan's rule lies 25 years before the 40 years' servitude, so that if Samson was born during the previous period of Philistine dominion, he would be about 30 years of age when that people again oppressed Israel. This statement, along with

Mr Browne, we hold to be correct. We see, also, from the extract which has now been given, that as Eli's death was nearly coincident with Samson's, and took place at the close of the first 20 years of the servitude, his 40 years of rule must have begun not long after Samson's birth. The remaining 20 years of Philistine oppression are the 20 years during which the ark remained at Kirjath-jearim, and they close at the memorable day of Mizpeh, when Israel solemnly turned unto the Lord, and immediately afterwards, under the direction of Samuel, gained a final victory over the Philistines. Thus we have 40 years to add to the 350 already noticed, making in all 390 years from the commencement of the first servitude to the day of Mizpeh.

The duration of the next period, from the day of Mizpeh to the accession of David, is, as we have already observed, uncertain. Yet there are some particulars which may help us to make an approximation to it. Samuel was born during the priesthood of Eli, and was still very young when commissioned to bear God's message to him. He could scarcely be above 20 at Eli's death, and in that case he would not be above 40 at the day of Mizpeh. But he was an old man when he appointed his sons to be judges in Israel, and their misconduct was the cause why the people asked a king, (1 Sam. viii. 1-3.) We cannot therefore allow less than 30 years between the day of Mizpeh and Saul's election, thus making Samuel 70 years of age at the latter event. Soon after the third year of Saul's reign, David was anointed, (1 Sam. xiii. 1; xvi. 1,) and four years more is sufficient for the events that occurred between that time and Saul's death. Indeed, by the common Jewish reckoning, Saul reigned 7 years; and although Josephus gives him 40 years, his chronology is on this point palpably erroneous. Thus the period between the day of Mizpeh and the accession of David cannot be much less than 40 years.

The result of this investigation is, that between the entry into Canaan and the division of the lands, is about 8 years.

Thence to the first servitude, 44 or 54
Thence to the day of Mizpeh,

390

Thence to David's accession, about 40

In all, from the Exodus to David's

accession,

}

482or 492 years.

Having thus approximated to the true account of this interval, we are at liberty to notice two other passages which bear upon the subject. In 1 Kings vi. 1, the interval between the Exodus and the 4th year of Solomon's reign, when he began to build the temple, is stated to be 480 years. From this sum, we