compose a second course, and now to publish the two courses in a combined form. And in order to present something like a continuous history of the kings of Judah, he has inserted short sketches of those kings whose annals did not seem sufficiently striking to demand fuller treatment. How far he has succeeded in his design, and how far his estimates of character are correct, are points which he must leave to the judgment of the careful reader of the Bible, the reverent study of which he earnestly desires to encourage. Hence his advice that the perusal of each Lecture should go hand in hand with reference to the portions of Scripture upon which each biography is founded. If in any case he has appeared to pronounce too severely, he can only say that he has fallen far short of the sentence of the son of Sirach in his review-" All except David and Ezekias and Josias were defective: for they forsook the law of the Most High, even the kings of Juda failed." (Ecclus. xlix. 4.) And he has throughout endeavoured to keep before himself and his readers his own words in the Third Lecture. "Our object is not to pull down these men of old to our own level, but so to arrange, so to ponder the records which God has given us of them, as to be led to consider how our own ways, if at all like theirs, must appear in the eyes of the Omniscient." The original idea of his work was suggested partly by the very interesting "History of the Jews," by Dean Milman, and partly by the Contemplations" of Bishop Hall. He has derived much from the graceful summary of Scripture history supplied by the former, and from the devout, though occasionally quaint, moralizing supplied by the latter. Upon the difficulties, whether of chronology or of authorship, which are connected with the books of Kings and Chronicles, the writer has not thought it necessary to enter. He considers it will be sufficiently evident from the work itself, that he holds those books, whensoever written, or by whomsoever put together, to be part of the inspired word of God, and the difficulties to be by no means insuperable to the candid and patient student. He will be more than satisfied, if, through the Divine blessing, his work is found practically useful. 10, LEINSTER GARDENS, HYDE PARK, Easter, 1865. |