ANALYSIS

OF

SACRED CHRONOLOGY.

FIRST PERIOD.

FROM THE CREATION TO THE DELUGE, 2256 YEARS.

The book of Genesis begins with an account of the Creation of the Earth, its elements, vegetable productions, and animals, in the course of six days. At the same time were created, we may presume, the sun, moon, planets and comets, which compose our Mundane System. See the process of Creation described in the Elements of Ancient Geography, Vol. I. p. 308, &c. The world was probably created in Spring, about the Vernal

• The probable Chronology of Cain's line is given in the fourth volume of this work. Section I.

p.

Equinox. See Elements of Technical Chronology, Vol. I. 33. And the year of the Creation, assumed as the basis of this system, is B.C. 5411, collected from the rectification of the Chronology of Josephus, and of Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, as stated, Vol. I. p. 302.

The primeval or sacred year, consisted of 360 days. See the article of years, Vol. I. p. 31. And in this genealogical table of Seth's line, six centuries are added to the generations of Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Malaleel, and Enoch, exhibited in the present Masorete Hebrew text; for the reasons assigned, Vol. I. p. 272, &c.

ADAM.

The first chapter of Genesis, closes the general account of the creation with that of Man, the last and noblest work of GOD: who were created separately, “male and female," "in the image and likeness of God," endued with reason, speech, and knowledge of their CREATOR, who graciously conversed with, and "blessed them," and gave them" dominion" over the earth, its elements, and its productions, vegetable and animal: and concluded with the institution of the sabbath on the seventh day, after the work of creation was all finished, which "God blessed” to be a day of" rest," (as the name implies) or repose from labour; "and sanctified," to be a day devoted to religious worship and instruction. Gen. i. 26-31; ii. 1-3.

The second chapter (which more correctly begins with "These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth," &c. ver. 4.) resumes the subject, and gives a particular account of the separate formation of Adam and Ere; of their first settlement in the garden of Eden, made for their accommodation, and furnished with "every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food;" of the first covenant which God made with them; and of their marriage. Gen. ii. 7-25.

According to this more circumstantial account, "THE LORD OF GODS formed the first man*, dust of the ground: and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living soul."

The original expression, DNA is doubly emphatic, and should be rendered, "the first Adam," or "the first man," as it is by St. Paul, alluding to this passage, 1 Cor. xv. 47. "The first man was of the ground, earthy, or dusty." (xolog.)

Human nature therefore, consisted of three parts, 1. the body, formed of the dust of the ground; 2. the breath of life, (or the "breath of the spirit of life," as more fully expressed in the original, Gen. vii. 22 ;) and 3. the living soul. And it is so explained by Josephus, Ant. I. 1.

"GOD formed the man, having taken dust of the ground; and put into him spirit and soul." The NEW TESTAMENT also represents the whole man as compounded of spirit, soul, and body, 1 Thess. v. 23, Heb. iv. 12.

Of these parts," the spirit," or "breath," Job xxxiv. 14, is the noblest, and the peculiar prerogative of man, as distinguished above the rest of the animal creation, Eccl. iii. 21, by which he is made an heir of immortality, Titus iii. 7; for," there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration [or breath] of THE ALMIGHTY giveth them understanding," Job xxxii. 8; "the dust [or body] shall return to the earth as it was; but the spirit shall return to GOD who gave it," Ecel. xii. 7. And it is remarkable, that when our blessed Lord began to regenerate his disciples after his resurrection, when " he was invested with all power in heaven and earth;" in allusion it seems, to the creation of Adam, originally, "he breathed on, or into them, (ɛveqvonoɛ) and said, Receive a holy spirit." (aßETE TVεvua ȧytov) John xx. 22. (λαβετε πνευμα

The spirit is also called in Scripture," the understanding," Ephes. i. 18, iv. 18; "the mind," Rom. vii. 25, or " the spirit of the mind," Ephes. iv. 23. Reason, Dan. iv. 36, Acts xviii. 14; and conscience, Rom. ii. 15, ix. 1. All these distinctions are found also in heathen philosophy, and in both, the spirit, reason, or conscience is represented as the governing principle of human nature, Rom. ii. 15, &c. This, according to the Mosaic account, is supposed to be seated in the head, as the sensorium.

The second part, or soul, is the principle of sensation, or mere animal life, which man shares in common with brutes. Hence it was called a “living soul." And the term ʊx, indiscriminately denotes both soul and life. This is supposed in Scripture to be seated in, or attached to the blood; "for the life of the flesh [or body] is in the blood," Gen. ix. 4, Levit. xvii. 11, Deut. xii. 23. And that excellent anatomist, Mr. John Hunter, from the result of many experiments, has confirmed the doctrine, that the principle of life is inherent in the blood*. Phil. Transact. vol. LXVI. p. 414.

* "Hunter's experiments, however, are not decisive of the doctrine of the vitality of

Because the soul is more intimately connected with the third and lowest part, the body, it is frequently styled in Scripture, the flesh, as contrasted with the spirit, Matt. xxvi. 41; and is opposed thereto," the spirit being inclined to good, the flesh, to evil,” Gal. v. 17; compare Rom. vii. 15, viii. 6, 7. Sometimes, however, the soul, by a popular use of the word, includes the spirit; as when it is contrasted with the body, Psal. xvi. 10, Matt. x. 28, Luke xii. 4; or with fleshly lusts, 1 Pet. ii. 11.

To the soul belong the appetites, affections and desires, Ephes. ii. 3; the passions and lusts, Rom. i. 26, Gal. v. 24. All these were wisely implanted in man, to excite and stimulate him to action; and are therefore good in themselves; they only become bad or mischievous by excess or abuse, 1 Cor. vii. 31. Like fire and water," they are good servants, but bad masters :" good, when restrained and controuled by reason or conscience; bad, when unrestrained *.

Human nature therefore, like all the other works of God's creation, was "good," in its kind, and " very good," for the purposes for which it was designed, Gen. i. 31; yet even in its original constitution it was imperfect, frail, and liable to evil, both natural and moral; as described by HIM who knew it best; "the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak!" Matt. xxvi. 41. And this is the uniform doctrine of Scripture throughout: "The first man knew not wisdom perfectly, neither shall the last find her out," Ecclus. xxiv. 28. Verily, every man, in his best estate, is altogether vanity," [or imperfection,] Psalm xxxix. 5. And this, by the divine appointment: "For the [human] creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by HIM who subjected [them thereto,"] Rom. viii. 20. This vanity, or natural imperfection, is styled by our Church, in her Article IX,

the blood, either in the body, or out of the body. The blood contains the principle of the increase and nourishment of the body; and distributes heat through every part of it. It is, indeed, the principle of life, so far as it is the vehicle of the living principle." This judicious remark is due to an esteemed friend, the Rev. T. Falconer, editor of Strabo, Bampton Lecturer, &c., the learned son of a learned father, and physician, Dr. W. Falconer, of Bath.

Bishop Butler, in his sermon on Resentment, has an excellent observation on this subject.

"We should learn to be cautious lest we charge God foolishly, by ascribing that to HIM, or the nature he has given us, which is owing wholly to an abuse of it. Men may speak of the degeneracy and corruption of the world, according to the experience they have had of it but human nature considered as the divine workmanship, should, methinks, be treated as sacred; for in the image of GOD made he man.”