A short view of the whole scripture history

Front matter

VV

SHORT VIEW

OP THE

Chap. I. The history of mankind before the flood

namely, of Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, Enoch, &c. . ib. Chap. II. Of Noah, Abraham, and their families after

Sect. 1. Of Noah and his Sons, .... ib.

Sect. 2. Of Abraham and Lot, Ishmael and Isaac, . 22 Sect. 3. Of Esau and Jacob, and their posterity, . 27 Chap. III. The deliverance of the Israelites from

Egypt, by Moses and Aaron, ... 31

Chap. IV. Of the Moral Law, ... 35

Chap. V. Of the Ceremonial Law of the Jews, . 38

Sect. 1. Of the Ceremonies of Purification, . ib.

Sect. 2. Of the holy persons, namely, Priests, Le-

vites, and Nazarites, ... .41

Sect. 3. Of the holy places, particularly the Tabernacle, ....... 43

Sect. 4. Of the holy things, namely, the ark, table, candlestick, altars, laver, holy garments, sacrifices, incense, ointment, water of purification, &c. . 44 Sect. 5. Of the holy times, feasts, and fasts, the sabbaths, the new moons, the passover, pentecost, feast of tabernacles, day of atonement, &c. . 52 Sect. 6. The use of the Jewish ceremonies both to the Jews and to Christians, .... 56 iv CONTENTS.

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Chap. VI. Of the political or judicial law of the Jews, namely, of their wars, marriages, food, raiment, cattle, sabbatical year, jubilee, &c. . . 59

Chap. VII. Of the sins and punishments of the Jews in the wilderness, 65

Chap. VIII. Of the Jews' entrance into Canaan, and their first government by judges, . . . 68

Sect. 1. Of their possession of Canaan, and destroying the old inhabitants, . . . ib.

Sect. 2. Of the government of the Jews by judges ; namely, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, Sampson, &c 73

Chai> &. Of the government of the Jews under their jpngs ; and first of Saul and David, . . 79

Chap. X. Of the reign of Solomon and Rehoboam over all Israel, and the division of the nation into two kingdoms, . . . . ... 88

Chap. XI. Of the kings of Israel, ... 92 Chap. XII. Of the kings of Judah, . . . 99

Chap. XIII. Of the return of the Jews from captivity, and the building the city Jerusalem and the temple, under the conduct of Ezra and Nehemiah, . 110 Chap. XIV. The history of Job, ... 118 Chap. XV. The history of Jonah, ... 120 Chap. XVI. The history of Jeremiah, . . 122 Chap. XVII. The history of Daniel, . .' . 128 Chap. XVIII. The history of Esther, . . 133

Chap. XIX. A continuation of the Jewish history from the end of the Old Testament to the time of Christ, 136

Sect. 1. Of Nehemiah's further reformation; of synagogues, targums, Samaritans, proselytes, &c. ib.

Sect. 2. Of the Jewish affairs under the Persian and Grecian monarchies, and particularly under Alexander the Great, 143

Sect. 3. The Jewish affairs under the Ptolemies, kings of Egypt. Of the great Synagogue, the

CONTENTS. v

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Mishnah and Talmud, and the Septuagint, or Greek translation of the Bible, . . ♦ 145

Sect. 4. Of the Jewish affairs under Antiochus the Great, Seleucus, and Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria, 151

Sect. 5. Of Mattathias the great reformer, the father of the Maccabees, . . . . . 155

Sect. 6. Of the Jewish .government under the Asmoneanr or Maccabees ; and first of the three brothers, Judas, Jonathan, and Simon, . . 159

Sect. 7. Of the posterity and successors of Simon, and of the several sects among the Jews, namely, Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Herodians, and Karaites, . 171

Sect. 8. Of the government of Herod the Great, and his posterity, . . . . . 185

Chap. XX. A prophetical connexion between the Old Testament and the New, by a view of the prophecies relating to Christ, and their accomplishment, 196

THE NEW TESTAMENT.

Chap. XXI. Of John the Baptist, . . . 211

Chap. XXII. Of the birth and childhood of Jesus

Chap. XXIII. Of the public life and ministry of Christ, 219

Introduction. His preparation for his public work, ib.

Sect. 1. Jesus Christ's appearance, with the characters of the Messiah, . . .' . . . 221

Sect. 2. Of the subjects of his preaching, his parables, disputes, &c, ..... 222

Sect. 3. Of the miracles of Christ, . . 228

Sect 4. The example of Christ, . ,. . . 230

Sect. 5. His calling the apostles, and instructing them, . . . ... 231

Sect. 6. His appointment or institution of the two sacraments, . ... . 233 vi CONTENTS.

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Sect. 7. Remarkable occurrences or transactions in the life of Christ, 235

Chap. XXIV. Of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, 239

Sect. 1. Of his sufferings, death, and burial, . ib.

Sect. 2. Of the resurrection of Christ, and his several appearances to his disciples, . . . 245

Sect. 3. Of his ascension to heaven, . . 247

Chap. XXV. Of the acts of the apostles, chiefly Peter and John, and the deacons Stephen and Philip, 248

Chap. XXVI. The acts of Paul the apostle, his travels and sufferings, his life and death, . . 257

The Destruction of Jerusalem : an absolute and irresistible proof of the divine origin of Christianity, 277

THE

PREFACE,

THE DESIGN OF SUCH A SHORT VIEW OF SCRIPTURE HISTORY, AND THE ADVANTAGES OF IT.

The Holy Scripture is divided into two books, which are commonly called the Old Testament and the New. And as each of these books contained several articles or propositions which God has revealed to men, for the direction of their faith and practice in the successive ages of the world ; so there are several histories contained in them, or narratives of the lives and deaths of men, of the aifairs of nations, and especially of the transactions of God with mankind.

Some knowledge of these historical matters is necessary and useful, in order to obtain a more clear and full acquaintance with the principles of our holy religion, as well as to assist and engage us in the practice of it by way of motive. It is the history all along introduces the peculiar doctrines and duties ; and all the latter revelations of the mind and will of God, relating to religion, have some connection with, and dependence upon the events which went before.

The very gospel of Christ consists partly in the history of his life and death; nor can the other part of it, namely, the doctrines and duties, be so well understood without some knowledge of the law of Moses, the ceremonies of the Jews, the religion of the patriarchs, and the transactions of God with Adam, the first father of all mankind.

The great and blessed God, at one single view, surveys all his own works and designs, from the beginning to the end of them ; and every part of his grand scheme stands in a delightful harmony with the rest. He ordained all his more early dealings with men in such a manner, as to let in divine light by several gradations upon a dark world, and to lay a happy foundation for his latest and best revelation made by his own Son, and his apostles ; and in many cases the former laws, ordinances, and transactions, are viii PREFACE.

evidently designed to prefigure and shadow out, as well as to introduce those which follow. Adam, our first father, by whom sin and death were brought into the world, was a type or figure of Jesus the second Adam, who brought in righteousness and life, Rom. v. 14. 1 Cor, xv. 21, 22, 45, 49. The law of Moses was a, shadow of the good things which were to come; but the body and substance of these blessings was given us by Christ our Saviour, Col. ii. 17. Heb. x. 1. And it is certain we may obtain a more extensive and complete knowledge of Christianity, by our acquaintance with the sacred affairs of Adam and Noah, of Abraham and Moses, and the sons of Israel.

Besides, it is the history of the Bible which hath conveyed down to us the knowledge of those miracles and divine wonders which have been wrought by the prophets, the immediate messengers of Heaven, to prove that they were sent of God : it is in this history we read those prophecies of things to come, together with the accomplishment of them, which stand in a beautiful connection from the beginning of the world to the days of the Messiah. All of them join to confirm our faith in the several revelations of religion which God has made to the sons of men ; and all concur to establish the last and noble scheme of»religion, that is, Christianity. Thus the very history of scripture may have a powerful and rational influence, by divine grace, to establish our belief of the gospel, and to make us christians upon solid and reasonable grounds.

I add yet further, that in the historical parts of scripture we read the holy laws of God, exemplified in the life and practice of good men in several ages of the world. And when we see the rules of religion copied out in the words and actions of our fellow-creatures, it renders the performance of them more practicable and more delightful to us. While the word of command stands in the law to require our obedience, the actual obedience of our fathers to those commands recorded in the history, invites our imitation, and makes the work more easy, and, at the same time, strips the slothful and disobedient of every excuse.

To conclude : we find not only the precept but the sanctions of the law of God exemplified in the narratives of scripture. How often do we read the promises of God fulfilled in the rewards of the righteous, and his threatenings executed against wilful transgressors ] These things set the government of God before our eyes in a stronger 'light; they show us that his words of promise and threatenings arc not empty sounds ; and make it appear with sensible conviction, that he will certainly reward, and that he will as certainly punish. The many wonderful instances of a divine

PREFACE. ix

providence which concerns itself in the affairs of men, and which are recorded in the word of God, have a natural tendency to awaken our fear of so great and glorious a being, and to encourage our hope and trust in him. In a word, the perfections of God, whereby he made and governs the world, are set before our eyes by the Scripture History in such divine colours, as give us a more awful and amiable idea of God himself, than any words of description could have done, without such an historical account of his works of nature, grace and providence.

Since then it appears, that some knowledge of the history of Scripture is necessary and useful to every one among us who would know and love God, and be a partaker of his favour, the next thing to be inquired is, how this knowledge may be best attained ? How shall persons, whose capacity is weak, or who have little time to employ on these subjects, be led in the shortest and easiest way to a competent acquaintance with the sacred history ] And how shall those who are young in years be trained up in the plainest and most alluring manner to some knowledge of these important affairs, till their growing age and further advantages shall give them a more extensive and capacious view of all the transactions between God and men recorded in Scripture 1

The Bible itself is a very large Book ; and though it ought to be read by persons of all characters and conditions, yet the reducing of the several things contained in it to a short and narrow view, by way of abridgment, is exceeding useful, at least for youth, and for persons who have fewer conveniences and advantages of knowledge. I have made this sufficiently evident with regard to the doctrines and duties of religion, in my discourse concerning the composition and use of Catechisms, to which I refer my reader : and the same argument will hold good with regard to the historical part of Scripture. There I have shown particularly, how needful it is to collect the great articles and rules of our religion, which lie scattered up and down in the Bible, into a shorter scheme for the use of younger understandings ; and I have given my reason, also, why the Catechetical method of question and answer is preferable to all other methods of instruction ; and I need not repeat the same things here with regard to sacred history.

It is proper the reader should know, that at the end of the history of the Old Testament I have inserted one chapter, wherein the Jewish affairs are continued from the time of Nehemiah, (where the sacred writers end) down to the time of Christ and the gospel. This is borrowed from the best ancient writings we x PREFACE.

have of these events, namely, the book of Maccabees in the Apocrypha, and the history of Josephus ; though I am greatly indebted also to Dr. Prideaux's historical connection of the Old and New Te»tament, wherein these narratives are so happily reduced to a Chronological order, and embellished and improved with many valuable hints from heathen historians.

And to render the work yet more useful in these days of infidelity, I have added another chapter, which I call a prophetical connection between the Old and New Testament, wherein the most eminent prophecies relating to our blessed Lord are set down in one view, together with their accomplishment; that younger minds may see how much this great Messiah, or anointed Saviour was foretold and expected through all ages, and may have their faith of Christ built early upon a solid foundation.

I have nothing more to add, but to acquaint the reader with the method I have taken in composing this work, and with the use he should make of it.

In framing this- book, I have observed the following rules, namely :

1. I have proceeded, for the most part, according to the order of things, as they lie in the books of Scripture ; but still endeavouring to maintain some connection throughout the whole history. Yet I cannot say I have always reduced things to that order in which they were transacted. For in several places I found that a strict observation of chronology, would have intermingled too many incidents of different kinds, would have broken the scheme of things I had proposed, or interrupted the narrative of some particular event, and rendered the history much more unconnected and disagreeable to those for whom I write.

2. Though I have not been solicitous to insert every incident, and the name of every person contained in the Old Testament, yet I have omitted scarcely any name or remarkable transaction which has been referred to or cited in the New, or has any connection with the gospel of Christ. It was not possible to insert all the particular narratives contained in the Scripture, without making another book almost as big as the bible itself: whereas my prime design was to give an abstract or short view of the sacred history, for the use of persons of such age, capacities, or conditions of life, as are not able to attend to much reading, nor gain a fuller and more accurate knowledge of the transactions of God with men.

3. I have added the chapter and verse of one or more texts of Scripture to every answer that it required, that the reader might be invited to search his bible, and there gain a larger and more

PREFACE. xi

particular acquaintance with those historical matters which I have briefly mentioned in a line or two. If young persons by this means are allured to grow familiar with the word of God, I am persuaded th§ advantages they may reap thereby, will richly compensate all their labours in reading this historical abridgment of Scripture, and all my pains in writing it.

4. It is all divided into chapters, and some chapters into sections, with a new title to each. This will, in some measure, give a comprehensive view of the method and order of the whole. It is evident that the catechetical form of question- and answer takes off the tiresomeness of reading from younger minds, and perpetually allures their inquiry and curiosity onward, by short answers, without the weariness which arises from many long continued pages of mere narrative : and in the same manner a proper distinction of the history into chapters and sections, under different titles, renders the work of reading much more delightful, by the frequent returning rests and pauses.

5. Since I originally intended it for persons of younger years, and ordinary attainments, I have studied generally to use such words and forms of speech as are most plain and easy to be understood.

6. Yet I have not so confined myself to the service of my unlearned readers, as to neglect all useful criticisms and occasional remarks to clear up difficulties; but have freely interspersed them throughout the whole book, so far as may inform the inquisitive, and give some hints to the more intelligent reader, for the further illustration of some passages of scripture, both in the Old Testament and the New.

Let me here speak a word or two more of the particular uses which may be made of this summary of sacred history.

It may not be an improper book to lie constantly in the nursery or parlour, to assist the instruction of children, or the conversation of grown persons. And if this and other useful books were suffered always to lie in the places appointed for servants, it might be an allurement to them to employ some of their leisure in a profitable manner. The placing it in any room of usual residence, may entice persons often to look into it, and lead them into an easy acquaintance with the various dealings of God with men from the beginning of the world.

Nor can I think it would be a vain or useless employment for persons who are not furnished with better advantages for scriptural knowledge, to read it over once in a year or two, in order to keep these sacred memoirs ever fresh in their minds. Half a xii PREFACE.

chapter in a week would be no heavy task, and this would finish it in one year's time.*

May the divine blessing attend this feeble endeavor to diffuse the knowledge of divine things among mankind, and to furnish families with useful matter for conversation, whereby they may be better secured against the temptations of loose and vicious writings, and vain discourse, which give an unhappy tincture to the imagination in early years, and tend to defile and destroy the soul.

* To these uses of the work, we may now add its great importance to scholars, teachers, and superintendents of Sunday Schools. Those who are engaged in Bible-class instruction, may also find it a valuable auxiliary.

A

SHORT VIEW

OF THE

WHOLE SCRIPTURE HISTORY.

THE HISTORY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

THE INTRODUCTION.

THERE is no history in the world so ancient as the Bible, nor is there any which gives us so early an account of things. The Old Testament begins at the creation of the world, brings us into acquaintance with Adam and Eve, our first parents, informs us of their state of innocence, their sin against God, and their being driven out of Paradise ; it recounts the first generations of men, and their multiplied iniquities, which provoked God to destroy them by a flood.

Then it treats of the character, circumstances, and conduct of Noah and Abraham, and of their families after the flood ; enlarging most upon the household of Jacob, or Israel the grandson of Abraham, who at the invitation of his son Joseph, went down with his family to dwell in Egypt, where they were enslaved by Pharaoh the king.

The history proceeds to the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage, by Moses and Aaron, and their being set apart to be a peculiar people to God. It rehearses the laws and statutes which were given them, together with their sins and punishments while they were in the wilderness, travelling to the land of Canaan, which God had promised them.

Then there follows an account of their conquest over the land of Canaan under the conduct of Joshua ; their government by judges several hundred years ; and after that there is a narrative of their first four kings, namely : Saul, David, Solomon, and Rehoboam. In his days the nation was divided into two kingdoms, which were called the kingdom of Israel, and the kingdom of Judah. ^

There are also particular records of the government of these two distinct kingdoms, under a long succession of their own kings, till they were both carried into captivity by the kings of Assyria. L

After this, the sacred history relates the return of many of them B 13

14 THE HISTORY OF MANKIND

(chiefly the tribes of Judah and Benjamin) into their own land, and their re-building the city of Jerusalem, and the temple of God, and the settlement of the affairs of the church and state by Ezra and Nehemiah, which is the end of the historical part of the Old Testament,

During all this time there is an account given of the several prophets and messengers which were sent from God on special occasions, to reveal his mind and will to men : And there is also a larger and more particular narrative of the lives or transactions of some extraordinary persons, several of which are much interwoven with the series of the history : but there are others which seem to stand separate and distinct; such are the affairs relating to Job, a rich man of the east; Jonah, a prophet in Israel; and Esther, the queen of Persia; to which I have added, some account of Jeremiah and Daniel the prophets, in distinct chapters.

At the end of these I have put in two chapters before the beginning of the New Testament, which contain a historical and prophetical connexion between the Old Testament and the New ; of which I have given an account in the Introduction to those particular chapters, as well as in the general Preface.

CHAPTER I. The History of Mankind before the Flood

1 Quest. HOW came this world into being]

Ans. In the beginning the great God created heaven and earth, and all things that are in them, Gen. i. 1. Exod. xx. 11.

2 Q. How did God create all things 1

A. By his powerful word ; for he commanded, and it was done, Gen. i. 5, 6, 9, &c. Heb. ix. 3. Psalm xxxiii. 9.

Note. We are also informed in the New Testament, that God created all things by his Son Jesus Christ, Eph. iii. 9, and that his name is The word of God, John i. 3. Rev. xix. 13.

3 Q. What time did God employ in making the world 1 A. God, who could have made all things at once by his

perfect wisdom and almighty power, chose rather to do it by degrees, and employed six days in making the world, with the creatures that are in it, Gen. i. 31. Exod. xx. 11.

4 Q. What was his work on the first day }

A. He made light, and divided it from the darkness, and the evening and the morning were the first day, Gen. i. 3, 5.

5 Q. What did God make the second day ?

BEFORE THE FLOOD. 15

A. The air, or the lower heavens, which are here called the firmament ; and the clouds, which are the waters above the firmament, ver. 6.

6 Q. What did he do on the third day]

A. He separated the earth from the sea, and made the trees and herbs to grow out of the ground, ver. 9 — 12.

7 Q. What was the work of the fourth day]

A. The sun, moon, and stars, which were appointed to give light upon the earth, and to make our days, our months, and our years, ver. 14, 19.

8 Q. What was the fifth day's work ]

A. The birds and the fishes, which were both made out of the water, ver. 20—23.

9 Q. And what was the sixth and last day's work?

A. Creeping things, beasts and man, which were all formed out of the earth, ver. 24 — 26 ; and God blessed his creatures and pronounced his works all very good, ver. 28, 31.

10 Q. What did God do the seventh day ?

A. God rested from his work of creation, and set apart the seventh day for a holy sabbath, or a day of rest, Gen. ii. 2, 3.

11 Q. Who was the first man and woman that God made?

A. Adam and Eve, Gen. v. 1, 2. 1 Cor. xv. 45. Gen. iii. 20.

12 Q. In what manner did God make Adam ?

A. He framed his body out of the dust of the ground, and then put a living soul within him, Gen. ii. 7.

13 Q. How did God make Eve?

A. He cast Adam into a deep sleep, and formed Eve out of one of his ribs, and then brought her to him to be his wife, Gen. ii. 20, 21, &c.

14 Q. In what state did God create them ?

A. God created them both in his own likeness, in a holy and happy state, which is called the state of innocence, Gen. i. 26.

15 Q. Where did God put Adam and Eve, when he had made them?

A. Into the garden of Eden, to keep it, and take care of it, that even in the state of innocence and happiness, they might have some work to be employed in, Gen. ii. 15.

16 Q. What was their food in that garden?

A. God gave them leave to eat any of the herbs, plants, or fruits that grew there, except the fruit of one tree, which he

16 THE HISTORY OF MANKIND

forbid them to taste of on pain of death, Gen. i. 29, and ch. ii. 16, 17.

17 Q. What was the name of that tree 1

A. It was called The tree of Knowledge of good and evil, because as soon as man eat of it, he would know evil to his sorrow, as well as he knew good before to his comfort, Gen. ii. 17, and ch. iii. 5.

18 Q. As there was one tree so dangerous, that it exposed him to death if he eat of it, was there not also a tree that would secure him from death 1

A. Yes, there was a tree called The tree of Life, placed in the midst of the garden, whose fruit was also able to have preserved him in life, if he had continued to obey God, Gen. ii. 9, and chap. iii. 22 ; and it is reasonably supposed to be designed as a pledge or seal of eternal life to him, if he had continued in his innocency.

19 Q. What was the religion of Adam in the state of innocency 1

A. The practice of all the duties towards God, and towards his creatures, which the light of nature or reason could teach him ;* together with his observance of this one positive precept, of abstaining from the fruit of The tree of Knowledge ; and this was given him as a special test or trial of his obedience to his Maker. This is called the dispensation of innocence.

20 Q. How did Adam behave himself in this time of his trial 1

A. He eat of the fruit of The tree of Knowledge, which God had forbid him on pain of death, Gen. ii. 17, and chap, iii. 6.

21. Q, How came Adam to disobey God, and eat of this forbidden tree 1

A. Eve was first persuaded to eat of that deadly fruit, and then she persuaded Adam to eat of it too, Gen. iii. 12.

22. Q. Who tempted Eve to eat of it?

A. The evil spirit, that is, the Devil, which lay hid in the serpent, Gen. iii. 1. 2 Cor. xi. 3; and for this reason he is called the old Serpent, Rev. xii. 9.

23 Q. What mischief followed from hence ?

* The Sabbath day was divinely appointed to commemorate the creation of all things by God, and therefore its observance was a part of man's duty from the first.

BEFORE THE FLOOD, 17

A. As Adam sinned against God, so he brought in sin and death among all mankind, who were his children ; and they have spread through all generations, Rom. v. 12.

24 Q. Then God did not put Adam and Eve to death as soon as they had sinned 1

A. No; but they were condemned to die, and become liable to sickness and death ; they were driven out of the garden of paradise, that they might not taste of the tree of Life, and they were appointed to labour hard for their food all their days, Gen. iii. 19, 23.

25 Q. Did God, who spared their life, show them any further pity?

A. Yes : he gave them a kind promise, and clothed them with the skins of beasts, because they were naked, Gen, iii. 15, 21.

26 Q. What was the kind promise that he gave them? A. That the seed of the woman should bruise the head of