The earthquake catalogue of the British a.s.sociation takes notice of, and records the occurrence of, over 6,000 that happened between 1606 B.C. and 1842 A.D. Some of these have been terrible in force, destruction, and extent, oftentimes changing the whole face of a country, its climate, and river courses. The great earthquake of 1783 in Calabria, probably caused the death of 100,000 people; it was felt over a great part of Europe.

The city of Lisbon was visited on the morning of November 1st, 1755, with an earthquake so severe that in a few minutes 60,000 persons perished, and most of the city was destroyed and buried beneath the water of the bay some 600 feet.

The country given to Abraham embraces all of what we call Syria. It is central, and specially adapted for the future purposes of G.o.d through Abraham's seed. Beginning with the North-west corner, the boundaries will be Mount Taurus, river Euphrates, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, River Nile, and Mediterranean, enclosing Syria, Arabia Deserts, Arabia Felix and Arabia Petra. Thus it will be seen that the Abrahamic inheritance is surrounded by water, except at two points-namely, the North-west land boundary, which is between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean Sea. The entrance is through the mountain range of Taurus, and forms a natural gate or mountain pa.s.s from Europe and Asia into Palestine. Here, when the Tribes are resettled in the land of Palestine, this gate will be in the allotment of Dan. Our Irish brethren will again be in the North-west, where they will have to fight and defend the land and the truth, as in days of old, for their brethren. The fact is, "Dan shall judge his people as one of the Tribes of Israel," said old Jacob.

The judge in olden times sat in the gate. So will Dan sit. Moses said that Dan was a lion's whelp. Among Israel it is customary to put lions as guards at gateways. The Southwest corner, between the Mediterranean and the Sea of Suez, forms the other land boundary. Through this gate will come the teeming millions of Africa. At this gate will be the Tribe of Gad-that is, a portion of the Scotch, the lowlanders. The Tribes will be hemmed in one by another so that they cannot enlarge their territory; but Gad can, for a vast country opens up beyond the gate. It is barren; still the desert is to blossom as a rose. Of Gad it was said by Moses, "Blessed be He that enlargeth Gad; he dwelleth as a lion and teareth the arm with the crown of the head. And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated."

You remember that Sinai is in this portion. What sight and foresight Jacob and Moses had! The land as thus bounded would be 600 miles broad from the Red Sea to the River Euphrates, and 1,390 between the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, and from the Mediterranean to the Arabian Sea, 1,600.

These boundaries you will glean by taking note of the several promises to Abraham and his seed, as recorded in Gen. xv. 10, and Exod. xxiii. 31, and Deut. xi. 24. The land so promised and given specially to Abraham and his seed, the descendants of Abraham never yet occupied, no, not half of it, even in the palmy days of King Solomon. Will it ever be? We answer, Yes, as sure as the seasons and night and day. He is faithful that has promised, and will do it.

This remarkable peninsula will be the theatre of the future glory of Israel and Judah. As finely described by the Rev. A. B. Grimaldi, it will be found to be most exactly and suitably placed to enable them to fulfil their high destiny to all nations, and become the centre of all lands, the praise and beauty of the whole earth. This land has, in fact, a central position for communication, commerce, and all other advantages of civilisation not enjoyed by any other portion of land in the whole world; while the peculiar geographical formation is such that it has an immense seaboard, and is therefore fitted for vaster commercial and naval operations than have ever yet been seen, commanding, as it does, the three most important seas and the two largest rivers of the whole world.

This land, as laid out by Ezekiel, will be divided into thirteen longitudinal strips, sixty miles long, and twenty broad. In the very centre will be a portion, some fifty miles square, which will be divided and apportioned to what is called the holy oblation-namely, in the very middle will be the temple, a mile square, or larger than ever the whole city of Jerusalem has yet been. Then the city will be ten miles square.

On one side will be a portion for the priests; on another, a portion for the Levites; and on the other two sides, the prince's or king's portion.

This portion, which will be on the East and West sides, will be sixty miles long by ten broad, or some 600 miles square. But it is clear he will need it, for he will not be supported by taxes. He will have to judge the land. He cannot take any more land. He will have to support his own family. No public grant to his children. He will have to be liberal with the temple. He will have sixty miles of sea coast to defend and sixty miles of land frontier to protect, and thus cover some of the weaker tribes. The city will have 720 square miles as a suburb, in which to raise supplies specially for itself. It will in reality be in two parts-one called by the prophets the profane; here will the commercial business be done. The other part will be sacred. Into it strangers will not enter; it will be holy-a quiet habitation. "There the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams, wherein shall go no gaily with oars, neither shall gallant ships pa.s.s thereby." The city proper will be some thirty miles North of the present city of Jerusalem.

NINETEEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SEVEN.

DISCOURSE XVI.

"SIGNS OF THE TIMES"-THE RETURN TO JERUSALEM-FORCES OF RUSSIA AND ENGLAND-PRESENT LOCALITY OF ANCIENT NATIONS-ORIGIN OF AMERICAN REPUBLICANISM-FEDERATION OF THE NATIONS COMING-EVOLUTION AND DEVOLUTION.

"Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days."-Daniel xii. 12.

So according to the prophet Daniel there is a time to come in which it will be blessed to live. The prophecies of Daniel are generally of a material character-that is, they have special reference to this world politically, and to this end he had direct and special reference to certain kingdoms in existence at the time of writing, as well as others that were to come into being. Of all the prophets he concerns himself the most with positive data of the rise and fall of nations. The figures of the data used, we freely confess, are difficult to understand and interpret. The Church and times are greatly in need of some man competent on this point. All prophetic students know the diversity and confusion in this department of theology. Of all the difficult departments of theology none exceed the numerical. The numerical symbolism of the Bible is as yet but little understood. True, indeed, we are improving. Aided by Providence, we are enabled to interpret some dates by data-that is, certain events occurring locate us and point out the prophetic period we are in. Like the captain who is unable by his certain and usual modes of calculating to find his whereabouts, does so by currents, the Gulf-stream, islands, colour of waters, &c., did we know the exact quant.i.ty of Daniel's two thousand and three hundred days, his times, time, and half a time, his seventy weeks, his thousand two hundred and ninety days, and the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days, then we could deal with the prophecies with a definitiveness to which as yet we are strangers.

The times, however, are peculiarly interesting from the very fact that the Church is waking up to the importance of prophetic study. "Coming events cast their shadows before," is a trite but true saying, and here as true as anywhere. Men feel in their fears and hopes the pressure of prophecy. The Church is remarkably anxious and unrest. Governments are suspicious and confused. The populace are restless and threatening.

Indeed, everything conspires in Church, State, and people, to forecast the future. A thunderstorm is felt before it is seen or heard. It shadows the mind, thrills the nerves, and pains the rheumatic limbs.

Many in 1858 felt war coming in our own country. Many were at a loss to interpret their fears. Some, however, interpreted the signs of the time and sounded an alarm.

The few years to come are pregnant with angry forces. Men are busy in Russia, Germany, France, England, and America, sowing the winds, and the harvest will surely be whirlwinds. But, beyond all, the sky is clear.

War ceases, commerce revives, the nations accept a settled peace, science and religion join hand in hand to prepare the wastes and woes of war.

The beast is overcome, Anti-Christ is slain, and the dragon is banished from the earth. Jerusalem again rises in splendour from the grave of desolation. Again Canaan will become the glory of all lands, and Jerusalem the glory of Canaan. Here, again, after centuries of wandering, shall the throne of David find rest, and on it one of David's seed, chosen and anointed of G.o.d, accepted of men, and served by the nations. Crowned and imperial Salem shall become the home of her long-captive sons and daughters. Israel and Judah shall meet together, and shall be one stick, one people, having one head, one throne, one city, one Lord, even Jesus. "Therefore, they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd; and their soul shall be as a watered garden, and they shall not sorrow any more at all" (Jeremiah x.x.xi. 12).

No one can read the prophecies that find their fulfilment after the battle of Armageddon-or, as the prophets have it, "after those days"-without being ravished with delight. Israel in her palmy days, and Judah in her glory! A nation called of G.o.d, and ruled by G.o.d through David or Solomon; how inviting! When Heaven was their Defence and Provider; when the fidelity of men to G.o.d was enough of defence, and the morality of a people was a rich manure giving an abundant harvest in field, stall, and orchard; then we see the true position of a nation, its grandeur and prosperity. I am convinced that morality has a more intimate relation with the forces and wealth of nature than we are in the habit of believing. G.o.d can give increased measure to the harvest, fruitfulness to the vine, plenty in the orchard, increase in the stall, and addition to the household. Time upon time are these blessings promised by the prophets to Israel and Judah in the latter day.

Take notice of a few statements of the prophets responding to those times-the times that will ensue after the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel and the Jews are again possessed of, and settled in, Palestine. Jeremiah, in the 30th chapter and 31st, refers to those times: "For lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of My people, Israel and Judah, saith the Lord; and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it"-referring to this time and the battle of Armageddon, in which Israel will be tested as we have before shown. "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it; it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." Now, we ask, why will it be specially a time of trouble? We answer, Because of the strength of the combined forces that will be arrayed against Israel-that is, England. The forces, as set forth in the Scriptures, are _thirteen on one side_, _led by Russia_, and _four on the other_, which will be _led by England_. The _thirteen_ are: 1st, Gog; 2nd, Magog; 3rd, Rosh; 4th, Meshech; 5th, Tubal; 6th, Persia; 7th, Ethiopia; 8th, Libya; 9th, Gomer; 10th, Togarmah; 11th, the Beast; 12th, the Dragon; and 13th, Anti-Christ. The _four_ are: 1st, Sheba; 2nd, Dedan; 3rd, Merchants of Tarshish with all their young lions; 4th, the Jews and Israelites settled in Palestine, that will not be led astray by Anti-Christ.

To understand the prophets when forecasting the future, we must keep in mind that in speaking of a nation's destiny in the future, they would speak of it by the name it had at that time, if such a nation had an existence at that time. But in course of time, such nations would change their name, and sometimes locality; in such a case they must be found.

For instance, if one desires to know the destiny of Turkey, he will find it set forth by the prophets under the name of Edom and Esau. Moab and Ammon are found in the Poles and Hungarians; they were the sons of Lot.

In all parts of the world the children of Abraham have an attachment for each other. Thus India was peopled at first by the descendants of Abraham; hence they will mix with, and accept English rule sooner than any other people. "But unto the sons of the concubines which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, Eastward, unto the East country" (Gen. xxv. 6). If we trace back the origin of a people to their head or founder, we will better understand their peculiarities and national idiosyncrasies. Study Ishmael to understand the Arabs, Esau to understand the Turks, Ammon and Moab to understand the Poles and Hungarians. Study the character and condition of Mana.s.seh in Egypt, as being brought up in a palace, and being the lawful heir, but deprived of his birthright by a Providence which he could not understand, and you have at once a key to the Pilgrim character, and the characteristics of a real American-why he hates t.i.tles, kings, and aristocracies. But he forgets not the place of his youth when he had the great seal made; for on the reverse of the great seal of the United States you will have the figure of a Pyramid crowned with the All-seeing eye. No Tribe but the Tribe of Mana.s.seh could say, or did say, "We are a great people." Yet so this Tribe said to Joshua (see Josh. xvii.). So we often say, "We are a great people."

Rachel and Leah, the two wives of Jacob, are the real source of the separation of the Ten Tribes of Israel from Judah. Each wife sought to have her son as a leader. Thus between Judah and Joseph began the spirit of rivalry. Ephraim took up the cause of Rachel. David and Saul's bitterness lies here. David stood for Leah, and Saul for Rachel. The descendants of the North of Ireland, being from the Tribe of Dan, have ever been distinct from the rest of the Irish in features, enterprise, spirit and religion; for the others are the Canaanites of old, the Philistines.

Who do the thirteen enemies stand for to-day? Let me answer you briefly.

Gog stands for the Caucasians or mountain tribes of Caucasus. Magog covers the inhabitants and country North of the Caucasian mountains, and they are known as Tartars. Rosh, or Roosh, means the real Russians.

Their ruler is called by the Prophet Ezekiel _Nasi Roosh_. We translate it the chief prince of Meshech. This portion, or people of Russia, are the old Babylonians, hence the hate and rivalry between England and that nation. Meshech means the Muscovites, who made Moscow what it is. Tubal is found in the Siberians. Meshech and Tubal are generally mentioned together in the Scriptures, and, strange to say, they are found together in history to-day. Moscow is the capital of Meshech, for though to the world St. Petersburgh seems to be, yet every imperial doc.u.ment is signed and dated Moscow. Tobolski is the capital of Tubal or Siberia. Persia still retains its ancient name, and will be easily recognised. Also the same with Ethiopia. Libya takes in a portion of the African race. Gomer stands for the Germans in part, for those who descended from Gomer. From this word Gomer is Gomeron, Gemren, and the country Germia, hence, Germany and Germans. Togarmah includes the people of Independent Tartary. The Dragon includes China. The Beast, the Jesuits and their followers, which will take in France, Spain, Italy, and South America; and at first divide even England, especially Ireland, and the United States. Anti-Christ will be chiefly sustained by the Jews, who will have been settled in Palestine.

The four opposing forces led by England: Sheba represents India, who is already training for this time of battle. Dedan embraces Arabia, especially that part occupied by the Sultan of Muscat. Merchants of Tarshish and all the young lions, means England and her colonies, in which is embraced the United States. Mana.s.seh will have to stretch out a helping hand to Jacob in the time of his trouble, for she cannot allow liberty to be enslaved, and freedom of worship and conscience to be trampled under foot. The plague will come here sooner than we think, by a civil and internal division among ourselves, which will force us to take part. The Jews that are not carried away with Anti-Christ will join with their brethren of Israel. The called, the chosen, and the faithful, will be one party, and they will be on the Lord's side.

If during the late Turkish war we could have had our despatches agreeable to ancient names of people and country, they would have sounded queer.

Instead of reading of the Russians pa.s.sing the Caucasus, and moving upon Erzeroum by way of Kars, we should have read: Rapid advance of the Babylonians under the chief prince of Meshech. Successful pa.s.sage of the Pison. The whole land of Havilah occupied. The men of Togarmah rally at Gihon. Fierce fighting in Eden. The invaders defeated in the mountains of Ararat. For according to ancient names of people and country, such was the fact. It is comforting to all G.o.d's people to know from His Word that there is a time of peace; that there is a golden age in the near future. Dr. McKay has the Christian idea in his poem:

"There is a good time coming, boys, Wait a little longer; Let us aid it all we can, Every woman, every man, The good time coming."

When will the 1,335 days of years, spoken of in the text, end? We answer, About the year 1957. And why that year? Because these days evidently date there, beginning from the time the daily sacrifice is taken away and the city trodden under foot. The little goat horn of Daniel viii. 9 stands, we have before shown you, for Turkey. "And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great toward the South, and toward the East, and toward the pleasant land." It stands for Mahommedanism, which was to overturn Christianity for a given period, a time, times, and a half time, or in figures, 1260. Now Mahommed was accepted and crowned at Mecca in the year 622. If we add 1260 and 622, we have 1882-a time that is very plainly pointed out in the Pyramid.

Daniel says, "Seventy weeks are determined upon Thy people and upon Thy holy city," Jerusalem. These weeks put into prophetic years make 490, which, of course, brings us to the time when Jerusalem was destroyed by t.i.tus. Daniel asked how long the vision concerning the daily sacrifice and transgression of desolation to give the sanctuary and people to be trodden down? The answer was, Unto 2,300 days, taking a day for a year.

Jerusalem was destroyed in the year 70. Take this from 490 and we have 420. Now these 420 years taken from 2,300 will bring 1880. Then the sanctuary is to be cleansed-that is, Jerusalem will be in the possession of England. She now is.

From about 1880, or 1882, England will possess Jerusalem. In the twelfth chapter of Daniel, eleventh verse, we find thirty days added to the 1,200, making 1,290; these added thirty years denote the time England will have to contend for her right to Palestine. It will finally be acknowledged, however, by all nations. In 1935 the battle of Armageddon will end, but Palestine will not be fully settled down to a peaceful possession till 1957. Then the government will be fully established and acknowledged all over the world. The kings and Gentile nations will have gone up to Jerusalem and given in their adherence. Then all the world will be federated to David's throne. The year 1957 I arrive at by the same rule as the other-1,335 when added to 622, makes 1,957. "Blessed,"

says Daniel, "are they who see that time."

The world is to undergo some marvellous changes these next few years-mechanically, politically, socially, and morally; the telephone, the phonograph, the microphone, the telemachole and coming improvements will transform our modes of labour and learning beyond our present conception. G.o.d times inventions and improvements to the advancement of His kingdom.

I do not regard inventions as mere accidents, but as the outcoming of a Divine intent through human agencies. Watts and Wesley both did good service for the Church and the world. Edison and others of kindred minds are scientific prophets. "The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof." All is made subservient to the progress of the kingdom of heaven. The doctrine of the evolution of man as taught by Darwin is neither complimentary to man or G.o.d; but the doctrine of devolution is.

Man is a developing creature; a creature who takes centuries to grow in.

The devolution of G.o.d is through man by means of all the increasing facilities and agencies that make man stronger, wiser, and better. The secret powers and forces of nature are revealed to man in the ratio of his ability to apply them, on the same scale as we instruct our children.

In the latter days, or the period spoken of by Daniel, nature will be Divinely prompted with an impulse of generosity not now known, for then men will be wise enough, strong enough, and good enough, to use the same and not abuse. The prophetic teachings glow with promises of regaling plenty, peace and good will in those days. "I will multiply upon you man and beasts; and they shall increase and bring fruit; and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings; and ye shall know that I am the Lord" (Ezek. x.x.xvi. 11).

Again: "I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye receive no more reproach of famine, among the heathen." I submit and believe that all this G.o.d will do by what men are pleased to call natural law. The Divine will not rudely break in upon His own established laws.

Sin impairs the energy and growth of man, and so infringes upon Nature.

As man frees himself from the bondage and sequences of sin, he will rise higher and higher in his command and authority over Nature's forces.

Three several times the earth has been cursed, which curse is gradually removed as man returns unto his G.o.d in loving and obedient service. "And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand. When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength" (Gen. iv. 11). The secret of a world's wealth and peace lies here, and it were well if reformers and agitators understood this. For they work best who work in harmony with G.o.d and His laws.

[Picture: Pyramid picture]

"In that day there shall be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord; and it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt."-Isaiah xix. 19.

THE STONE WITNESS. {159} DISCOURSE XVII.

THE GREAT PYRAMID-WHO JOB WAS-WHO BUILT THE PYRAMID-WHAT IT WAS BUILT FOR-AN EPITOME OF THE EARTH-THE HISTORY OF MAN CONTAINED IN IT, PAST AND FUTURE-SCIENCE AND THE BIBLE, ETC., ETC.

The wonderful discourses of the Rev. Dr. Wild, of Brooklyn, were continued last Sunday evening, before a thronged congregation in Elm Place Church. Under the organ gallery, behind the pulpit, was a representation of the Pyramid, or as the learned doctor terms it, "the stone Bible," its ma.s.sive rectangular dark stone foundation and some of the most interesting of its interior pa.s.sages, chambers, and mysteries.

All eyes were fastened in scrutiny upon it, well knowing that some revelation of unusual Christian interest would be made by the Doctor from it as soon as his lecture commenced. The preliminary exercises of singing by a well-trained choir and prayer were therefore impatiently listened to by many whose thoughts were concentrated on the wonders of the Pyramid and its astounding confirmation of the prophetic Scriptures.

Dr. Wild read a lesson from Job x.x.xviii., remarking that the author of that book was also the engineering director or architectural author of the Pyramid and identical with Shem and Melchisedec. The book of Job is the oldest book in the world by 200 or 300 years. Shem, or Job, was ninety-eight years old when he entered the ark, and he lived thirty years after Abraham, with whom therefore he shook hands, as well as with Methuselah, who shook hands with Adam. Only one man, therefore, stood between Adam and Shem, and only two, or not quite two, between Adam and Abraham. The book of Berosus, of Babylon, is the only one that compares with Job in antiquity. This was the age of tradition before Moses compiled the first portions of it. In the days of Abraham, Shem was the patriarch, or oldest, of his family; and it was therefore to him he did homage, according to the patriarchal custom, under the name of Melchisedec, when returning from the slaughter of the kings. Shem had brought with him from the days before the flood much of the knowledge and wisdom which had been acc.u.mulated in the earth during the 2,000 years previous to that event, and which was swept away when only eight persons were saved in the ark. We have been told that the human race has gradually improved, and that our ancestors in far off ages were monkeys, or something of that sort, but the remains of the ruins and knowledge of antiquity show everything the reverse of this to be the truth. Look at that Pyramid. We could not build it to-day, with all our boasted science. It will bear in every respect the closest scientific scrutiny.

Our greatest scientists are only beginning to comprehend the depths of its mysteries, yet it is over 4,000 years old. The capstone on top of it is a Pyramid in itself, in miniature, unlike anything of the kind or any other building on the earth. The reverend gentleman then continued to read from Job x.x.xviii., and shew that the writer of it was master of astronomical and geographical science and the builder of the Pyramid, which is a miniature of the measurement of the earth and indicates the history of the human race. After this preliminary dissertation he took for his text Isaiah xxviii. 29: "This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working."

The Bible is a growing book, being more read and better understood as the years pa.s.s by; and as men shall increase in knowledge and power, so the Bible will gain in influence and authority. Opposition to its teaching, and vaunting denial of its authority, shall be made subservient to its interests by goading on the Church to a wiser and more n.o.ble defence and exposition of the same. No theology can levy upon the well-defined facts of science in confirmation of the sublime teachings of inspiration. The Christian student need not hold himself in timid dread for fear the scientist will discover aught in the realms of nature that will contradict the Word of G.o.d: for as sure as G.o.d is the Author of both, so surely shall we find an agreement between revelation and science at every point truly understood-increased light means increased evidence. Nations and men, nature and Providence, are united witnesses for G.o.d, and the Scriptures, and the more we know of the past, the better shall we understand the present and forecast the future. Let us recognise the future. Let us recognise the important difference between the Bible subjectively and objectively-that is, between what the Bible really is and what men think it is. Let us be free enough, bold enough, and wise enough, to claim the Bible itself. Let us unyoke it from tradition, which claims to be superior, or even equal. Let us divorce it from councils, from creeds, from sects and denominations; let us lift it up out of the ecclesiastical rut of ages. Let us with a commendable pride count ourselves worthy and able to formulate our own creeds, make our own prayers and confessions, accounting that the liberties of our fathers have been bequeathed to their children, and that the same G.o.d who gave them liberty and power is no less gracious to us, their offsprings.

Traditions, councils, creeds, and degrees are worth much unto us as aids to a higher life, and a n.o.bler civilisation. The Christian fathers, the Luthers, Calvins, Knoxes, Wesleys, and others, were our servants, as we will be the servants of coming generations. They worked grandly, they wrought well, they procured for us a goodly heritage; to them we are indebted. Yet it was not their purpose nor the design of Providence to enslave us, or to stereotype the Church for the ages to come. Increased light is increased evidence, enabling us the better to understand the Word of G.o.d. When a publisher has stereotyped a book, he is naturally loath to make any change or correction; so Churches who have stereotyped the Bible are very unwilling to change, to receive light. Hence, they are sometimes found opposing the march of a better civilisation, proving and sustaining all manner of inst.i.tutions and tyrannies: the torturing and terrible Inquisition of Spain, the punishment and hanging of supposed witches by England and New England, the bondage and slavery of the South.

So, to prove their creeds and systems correct, they each have a mode of their own, Catholic, Episcopalian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist, &c. _So also_, theologians have often been impatient to reconcile the Scriptures with history, even to suggest mistakes in the sacred record.

Instance Daniel being made the THIRD RULER. _They supposed it meant second_, but later researches show that Babylon had two rulers at that time-namely, Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar-so Daniel was made a third.

See the remains of Borsippia, near Babylon (Dan. v. 29). Now we know that both Daniel and Berosus, the old Babylonian historians, were right, and the Bible was right in using the word third. G.o.d in His revelation has always been equal to man's need. Tradition-Abraham saw Shem, for Shem lived some thirty years after Abraham's death. Shem, and Melchisedek, and Job, are likely the same person. Certainly, Shem and Melchisedek are the same, and by Egyptian historians called Philitis.

This Philitis was the builder of the Great Pyramid. Now Shem saw Methuselah and Methuselah Adam. Thus, then, tradition would be sufficient. As tradition failed, the written Word began. There is little doubt now but that _Shem_, called also Melchisedek, was the builder of the Pyramid, being instructed of G.o.d, as his father Noah had been in building the ark, and as Moses with the tabernacle, and Solomon with the temple, as the prophet in the text and context shows that the wisdom of the man is often the gift of G.o.d. _See Moses also_. "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying: See, I have called by name Bezaleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the Tribe of Judah; and I have filled him with the Spirit of G.o.d, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship: to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in bra.s.s, and in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

And, behold, I have given him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the Tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom that they may make all that I have commanded thee" (Exodus x.x.xi. 16).