geologists have been misled in their understanding of the 1st Chap. of Genesis; and Christians ought to consider, that Christ himself said, that the children of this world are wiser in their own generation than the children of light; and also, that it appears to be the will of God, that even pious persons, who are în a heavenly state or condition, would be shaken out of some of their erroneous beliefs, "as of things that are made." See Hebrews xii. 20. There is another class of Christians who give somewhat of credit to the discoveries in Astronomy and Geology; and these suppose that the Chronology of the Septuagint is likely to be the true time, as it gives near 1500 years; or the exact difference, according to William Cuninghame, 1474 years, more than the Hebrew text; simply thinking that 1474 years more will better accord with the sciences of Astronomy and Geology; such as these, again, grasp at false computations, in order to support their wrong belief concerning the 1st Chapter of Genesis. Let any Christian who has as much courage, enter fearlessly into the investigation of truths, leaving truths to their own free course, without being stopped by the errors which have misled his understanding, by the prejudices of his education, or, it may be the interests that bind him to certain creeds, and proceed to calculate and investigate (if God has been pleased to have given him as much understanding as will enable him to do this,) by the evidences that God has given to him of the process of the present creation of material things, and he will find that 1474 years, added to the time given in the Hebrew text, will not account for the creation of the world, sun, moon, and stars. He will find evidence that will show him that 1,500,000 years will not account for the formation of the planet on which he stands, and the orbs that move about him in the immensity of space. Such an investigation will serve to show him how vast is the immensity of the past creation of God; and after he has investigated, to the utmost extent of the understanding which God has been pleased to give to him, he will find it necessary to conclude with the inspired writer to the Hebrews, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God." There have been Chronologists who were so nice in calculation and so weak in their understanding, as not only to mention the year, but also the season of the year when this globe was created, along with the sun, moon, and stars; such mistaken computations they have been led into, by their not observing that the 1st Chapter of Genesis was prophetic, not historical. I believe there is no data of calculation in existence, by which any calculator can arrive with certainty, even within a million of years, of the time when the foundation of this planet was laid. But I believe it is possible to ascertain the time when the human race were created; and this information is derived from the Bible, containing the Old Testament translated from the Hebrew, and the New Testament translated from the Greek. The author of this treatise, after having made a very careful examination, is fully satisfied that the historical time given in the Hebrew text is sufficiently proved to be correct, by the time given by its prophetical predictions; and that the Chronology and prophetical numbers in the Hebrew Bible and Greek Testament, agree with, and prove, each other in an extraordinary manner; that from the beginning of the creation of man to the present time, every chronological date and prophetic period recorded in the Bible, have been and shall be under the special and minute care and control of him who said, "Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away," and who is King of kings, Lord of lords, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the Almighty. A COMPENDIUM OF CHRONOLOGY, FROM THE ERA OF THE CREATION OF ADAM TO THE YEAR OF THE BEAST 666; OR THE YEAR THE APOSTLE JOHN WROTE THE REVELATION, BEING THE FIFTH OF DOMITIAN. From the Before Christ. Adam created.. Seth born when Adam was.....130 Enos born when Seth was. ..105 • ... 90 325 3644 395 3574 Cainan born when Enos was. Enoch translated aged .930 930 3039 .365 987 2982 From the creation of Adam. The end of the First day, and the be- Before Christ. Noah born when Lamech was....182 1056 2913 2969 ..912 1042 2927 ..905 1140 2829 ..910 1235 2734 895 1290 2679 .262 1422 2547 .777 1651 2318 Shem born when Noah was......500 1556 2413 Methuselah died aged 969 years. In the same year the flood came. His father Enoch, being a prophet, gave him such a name, as predicted that when his death did happen, the dart of destruction would come upon the world; for which see Purver's translation... Flood.... 1656 2313 1656 2313 Arphaxad born 2 years after the flood, when Shem was ....102 1658 2311 Salah born when Arphaxed was.. 35 1693 2276 Eber born when Salah was...... 30 1723 2246 Serug born when Reu was 32 Nahor born when Serug was.... 30 The end of the Second day, and beginning of the Third day, began in or about the 52nd year of Abraham; 122 of Terah; 181 of Serug; 213 of Reu; 277 of Eber; 307 of Salah ; 342 of Arphaxad; 444 of Shem; 944th year of Noah Noah died aged. ..950 2006 2000 1969 1963 The |