New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-03

that beiieveth 1t is safe near the shore
but there You can toll all night and catch
nothing. The word of Christ to his dis
ciples is Launch out into the deep
The Compilation Of the Books of the Old
Testament.
beginning with the oldest books, aud con-
sidering these a nucleus, it will be interest
ing to examine the Old Testament canon as
book after book was added, until We Shall
arrive at the time when the Scriptures were
complete as we now have them.
his we shall find no easy task AT nearly
every step we shall be met with differences
of opinion by men equally honest and de-
voted TO Christ. But. fortunately, on mat
tiers necessary TO the int gritty of the sacred
word, as rule. there is unity of Judgment.
As far as my time would permit, l have
gone over the ground, and where there has
been difference of Judgment, l have
adopted what to me seemed the most rea
sonahle vicw-not, of course, pretending
but that further study might in some cases
change my view. In the main, however,
there need be no doubt rs to certainty.
God having given his word 10 man. has not
failed to preserve 1t.
Modern critics now generally accept the
view that job is the Oldest book in the
Bible. According to the Ussenau or Bible
chronology, which we will follow, it was
written in the year 1890 b. c., or u few
Years before the eyOdOaS of the Israeltes
from Egypt. 1t is more than probable that
it was written before the time of Abraham.
If this be so, then the people OF the world
have i'll all ages among some people had a
clear revelation of Gods character. Job
lived i'll the land Of u, country probably
located in Arabia Petrae. He wrote in
Arabic and his book, in some unknown
1 A. l., a. Il |,
hlm was traEslanted into the Hebrew and
preserved with the sacred book he wrote.
The books that rank next in age are
those compiled and written by doses.
and are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Num-
bcrs and Deuteronomy. Exactly when
each Was written we do not know. Moses
Cied liJl years before Christ, and most Of
what he wrote must have been written as
it was divinely given to him while leading
the children of Israel i'll the wilderness.
Portions OF the first books of Genesis in
dictate that a part OF that book was c,in-
piled from other and older documents or
records. This has led some to believe That
Genesis was mostly written before the
Exodus. Exodus. Leyiticus and Numbers
must have been written the events
TRANSFERRED. or else records kept OF the
events. and then atterward systematically
arranged. The book of Deuteronomy,
have been written toward the close OF the
wilderness bondage. or ut il. From
Deuteronomy, i. D. we learn that Moses
began TO write it III the plains OF Moab.
From Dcut., XXI. 2i-20, we learn that
when Moses had made an end of writing
the words of the law until it was finished,
he commanded the Lavites 10 place il i'll
the side OF the ark, tnat il might he Il WI
ness against them In the side of the ark
lt.,. t,n Al -,
place where we tiui any portion OF Gods
words placed for preservation.
TIE children OF Israel entered and settled
Canaan under Joshua, the successor Of
Moses. The records of these events. which
probably occupied seventeen years, were
kept by Joshua. and by him arr inged. with
whatever of revelations God made 10 his
people during that time. and, according to
Joshua. xxlv. 70, by him written In the
book OF the law of God.
After Joshua, followed the period of the
Judges, which lasted about 500 years. The
Judges ruled for life. but their authority
was not hereditary. They were the defend
ers Of the divine law the avengers Of
crimes, especially that of idolatry, which
WIS treason against Jehovah. The book
Of Judges gives the account of their rel IN;
it was probably written by Samuel, who
was the last Judge. The book of Judges
Eli and Samuel. The book may not have
been written until during the reign of Saul.
The book of Ruth is considered an APP
pendix to the book Of judges: most proba-
bly, written by Samuel. 1t relates with
equal beauty and simplicity the history of
&; Moabltlsh damsel who renowned idola-
try, and by marriage was ingrafted among
Ike Israeiites it has always been consd-
cred a part Of the Scriptures. David de
ti4,i Pr,tl oHn (.l ia
being ii converted heathenl was Il pre-in;l-
nation that the Gentics were to be add
u!ttes. into the church. The book also
gives All instance OF now Goo rewards the
righteous. The pious Rnth was raised from
state Of deepest adversely 10 that Of
highest prosperity.
Under Samuel the children of Israel de
sired {. king, and although protested against
bv God, still He granted their request and
prophet and priest under whom the change
OF government was made.
!. and Ii. Samuel give al account Of the
iuIgeabips OF Eli and Samuel, and of the
roigus OF Saul and DAVID period Of about
10 years. In the Jewish Scriptures the two
books We're considered one. The first TWEEN
ty-tour chapters of |. Samuel We're written
by Samuel. They carry events to the time
of his death. The remainder was written.
lived in the reigns OF David and Solomon.
1t was customary for prophets to write his
tories of their times. AS David was the
author of most of the Psalms, they were
mostly therefore written during this period,
but, as they were not compiled in their
present form until much later, we will pass
them until we reach that period.
1t Will be noticed that the books already
enumerated are not simple histories. They
contain divine precepts, prophecies. and
general Instructions. As they were written,
we learn, from [. Samuel, x. -, fhcv were
laid up before the Lord" that's, deposited
with the former books by the ark.
We have now reached the reign of Solo
mon, during which Israel rose to the greatest
power. Solomon wroie three hHoks-SOngs
of Solomon, Proverbs and Ecclesiastics.
These We're probably added by him to the
sacred list under divine inspiration. Solo
mon built the Temple, and in it the sacred
writings were deposited and sacredly
guarded. From this collection OF autograph
copies careful copies were made for the Use
ri the Scribes in instruct ing the people. In
the seventeenth chapter of Chronicles we
Jehosaphat, /, hundred years AFTER the build
ing of the FempIe (5i2}, sent ont Scibes
with the book of be law throughout all the