:

Professor of Natural Science in the University of Erlangen, Germany, says: "It is impossible for geological science at present to confute or disprove" "that the race of men has existed only about 8,000 years.'

The same writers say :— "We . . . express the conviction, founded on actual facts, that the more geology is studied and its facts ascertained, the closer does" the "approximation become" between "science and Scripture."

2

§ 629. Sir J. Wm. Dawson, C. M. G., LL. D., F. R. S., says: "The . . . four or five thousand years for the post-diluvian period, and two thousand, or a little more for the antediluvian period, will exhaust all the time that geology can allow for the possible existence of man.

§ 630. Fossil animals have been found, which it was believed "proved this earth of ours to be at least one million years old." "Agassiz "Agassiz. . . succeeded in discovering living specimens of" the same "marine animals."

Says an able lecturer: "If the world is eternal, whence the tradition of its beginning which has prevailed everywhere, among the barbarians as well as the civilized?" 4

§ 631. Charles Ernest Luthardt, Doctor and Professor of Theology says: "The better we become acquainted with geological investigations, the more do we stumble upon hypotheses, unsolved problems and discrepant views."

§ 632. Mr. Horner claimed thirteen thousand years for a piece of pottery found in the mud of the Delta, at the depth of thirty-nine feet. Sir J. Lubbock and Sir C. Lyell came to the conclusion that bricks and pottery in Egypt dated back twelve thousand to sixty thousand years. But Sir Robert Stephenson found in the Delta, at a greater depth than Mr. Horner, a brick bearing on it the stamp of Mohammed Ali.'

1 Age and Origin of Man, p. 24. 2P. 27.

3 Present Day Tracts, No. 42, p. 22.

4M. B. Collyer's Lectures, pp. 61, 62.

5 The Fundamental Truths of Christianity, p. 92. 6 Lubbock's Prehistoric Time, p. 395,

7 Southall's Recent Origin of Man,

P. 474.

§633. "Scholars are now virtually agreed that the earliest traces of Babylonian history date, at most, only in the year 2,500 before Christ.""

§ 634. Mr. Geo. Smith and Prof. Sayce think that “no contemporary monuments can be placed earlier than 2,300, and even this date may be too early for our oldest known monuments. Lenormant says the same.'

§ 635. Says Mr. Giekie: "Looked at, therefore, from every point of view, there seems now no ground for placing the appearance of mankind on the earth further back than the Bible has assigned; but, on the contrary, every reason for accepting its statements. The keenest critical investigation has decided with a wonderful unanimity that the history of our race, except in the case of Egypt, does not reach further back from the present day than about 4,500 years; while as to the antiquity of Egypt itself, scholars differ to the extent of no less than 3,000 years." He says the higher dates from Egypt "leave, according to many eminent chronologists, ample margin for all that is related in Genesis of an earlier date.”

§ 636. Thus it appears that true science and the Bible are perfectly harmonious. The true and "living God" is the author of both. Hence it is always safe to conclude, that whenever any professed scientist claims he has found something opposed to the Bible, that said scientist is in error himself, and should receive no support in his false assumption.

1 Southall's Recent Origin of Man, p. 153.

2 Smith's Babylonia, edited by Prof. Sayce, p. 54.

3 Lenormant, Manual d' Histoira Ancienne de l' Orient, Vol. II., p. 22. 4 Vol. I., pp. 155, 156.

CHAPTER XXIII.

§ 637. PROPHETIC SYMBOLS.

"There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets."-DAN. 2: 28.

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It will be readily admitted that man, unaided by divine inspiration, cannot read with certainty what is in the future; but the Lord says, when referring to coming events: "Before they spring forth I tell you of them." When speaking of the Lord's ways the prophet Amos says: "He revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.": Peter says: "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn."3 He also says: "The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Furthermore: "No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.' Prophecy holds a prominent place in the Sacred Scriptures, which shows that the Lord considers them of special importance. According to the statement of Peter, he who neglects the Bible prophecies must walk in darkness in relation to the significance of the events named by the prophets. He is like one "in a dark place" without any light, which would be extremely perilous.

Divine prophecy may be defined as history foretold; and history is a record of the prophecy fulfilled. There are two general divisions of prophecy; one may be called discursive; the other consecutive. The first relates to promiscuous statements about various things, which have no particular connection as to order of time. The second relates to a connected series 1Isa. 42 9. 2 Amos 3: 7. 32 Pet. 1: 19. 42 Pet. 2:21. 52 Pet. I:

20.

of events, given in chronological order, like a chain reaching between two specified points, such as is found in Daniel and Revelation. Attention to consecutive prophecy affords a continuous and unmistakable line of light, that grows brighter and brighter as we approach the point of termination, thus affording sure evidence of the divine origin of the prophetic Scriptures. The prophecies and their accurate fulfillment may be considered the Gibraltar of the Christian system of religion. It is quite evident that for some time they have been sadly neglected. Owing to their great importance, Satan has done all in his power to render them unpopular. This he has accomplished with much success, by leading some to make false applications of the prophecies, as to time and events, thus leading to mistakes which have caused many candid people to suppose that the whole system of interpretation was speculative, uncertain, and unprofitable.

§ 638. There appear to be three special reasons why the Lord has seen fit to give us prophecy: (1) To warn the people of approaching events, so that they may be prepared for them when they occur, as in the case of the flood, the destruction of Sodom and its neighboring cities; Babylon and Jerusalem, and many other events that might be named.

§ 639. (2) To show the divine origin of the Sacred Scriptures. For if it is made to appear that not a single predicted event among the hundreds in the Bible has failed to be accomplished up to the present time, it might be safely stated that the divine prophecies are infallible. But only an omnipotent and omniscient Being can utter infallible prophecy. Persons of limited power and knowledge may prophesy, but others having the same physical and mental ability might prevent the fulfillment of the prediction. In other words, equals may hinder, break up, and destroy each others' plans and purposes; but it remains to be shown that a single prophecy in the Bible has yet been broken.

$640. (3) Another important benefit to be derived from the study of prophecy is to inspire a strong hope in the prom

ises of God, and the entire Christian system. In short, it enables one to settle down with full weight upon the saying of Christ: "The Scripture cannot be broken."1 With these general thoughts before us, let us turn to a specimen of consecutive prophecy, found in the second chapter of Daniel.

§ 641. Twenty-four hundred years since, it was declared by the prophet Jeremiah, that the Israelites should be carried captive to Babylon, because of their disobedience to the commandments of God, and should remain in captivity seventy years; when they should be delivered from bondage. This captivity began in the first year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. In the second year of his reign he dreamed a dream which troubled him. A deep impression was made on his mind by it, but he could not recall it so as to make it known to his magicians, astrologers and sorcerers. He called them before him, and demanded that they should tell him what he saw in his dream. His professed wise men said: "O king, live for ever; tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation." But the king said: "The thing is gone from me; if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces. . . . But if ye show the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts, and rewards, and great honor." The only reply the wise men could make was: "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it." The king then accused them of trying to gain time by refusing to tell him his dream; and said: "Ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me till the time be changed." His wise men answered the king as foliows: "There is not a wise man upon the earth that can show the king's matter." They reminded him that "no king, lord, nor ruler" ever before "asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean." They went on to say, "It is a rare thing that the king requireth."

They were certainly correct in this last statement. It will be readily admitted that the request of the king was unreason1 John 10: 35. 2Dan. 2: 4.