第49章

ThattheBookofJoshuawasalsowrittenlongafterthetimeofJoshuamaybegatheredoutofmanyplacesofthebookitself。JoshuahadsetuptwelvestonesinthemidstofJordan，foramonumentoftheirpassage；ofwhichthewritersaiththus，“Theyarethereuntothisday“；*foruntothisdayisaphrasethatsignifiethatimepast，beyondthememoryofman。Inlikemanner，uponthesayingoftheLordthatHehadrolledofffromthepeoplethereproachofEgypt，thewritersaith，“TheplaceiscalledGilgaluntothisday“；*(2)whichtohavesaidinthetimeofJoshuahadbeenimproper。SoalsothenameofthevalleyofAchor，fromthetroublethatAchanraisedinthecamp，thewritersaith，“remainethuntothisday“；*(3)whichmustneedsbethereforelongafterthetimeofJoshua。Argumentsofthiskindtherebemanyother；asJoshua，8。29，13。13，14。14，15。63。

ThesameismanifestbylikeargumentsoftheBookofJudges，1。21，26，4。24，10。4，15。19，18。6，andRuth，1。1，butespeciallyJudges，18。30。whereitsaidthatJonathan“andhissonswereprieststothetribeofDan，untilthedayofthecaptivityoftheland。“

ThattheBooksofSamuelwerealsowrittenafterhisowntime，therearethelikearguments，ISamuel，5。5，7。13，15，27。6，and30。

25，where，afterDavidhadadjudgedequalpartofthespoilstothemthatguardedtheammunition，withthemthatfought，thewritersaith，“HemadeitastatuteandanordinancetoIsraeltothisday。“Again，whenDavid(displeasedthattheLordhadslainUzzahforputtingouthishandtosustaintheArk)calledtheplacePerez-uzzah，thewritersaithitiscalledso“tothisday“：*thetimethereforeofthewritingofthatbookmustbelongafterthetimeofthefact；thatis，longafterthetimeofDavid。

AsforthetwoBooksoftheKings，andthetwoBooksoftheChronicles，besidestheplaceswhichmentionsuchmonuments，asthewritersaithremainedtillhisowndays；suchasareIKings，9。13，9。21，10。12，12。19；IIKings，2。22，10。27，14。7，16。6，17。

23，17。34，17。41，andIChronicles，4。41，5。26。ItisargumentsufficienttheywerewrittenafterthecaptivityinBabylonthatthehistoryofthemiscontinuedtillthattime。Forthefactsregisteredarealwaysmoreancientthantheregister；andmuchmoreancientthansuchbooksasmakementionofandquotetheregister；

asthesebooksdoindiverseplaces，referringthereadertothechroniclesoftheKingsofJudah，tothechroniclesoftheKingsofIsrael，tothebooksoftheprophetSamuel，oftheprophetNathan，oftheprophetAhijah；tothevisionofJehdo，tothebooksoftheprophetServeiah，andoftheprophetAddo。

TheBooksofEsdrasandNehemiahwerewrittencertainlyaftertheirreturnfromcaptivity；becausetheirreturn，there-edificationofthewallsandhousesofJerusalem，therenovationofthecovenant，andordinationoftheirpolicyarethereincontained。

ThehistoryofQueenEstherisofthetimeoftheCaptivity；andthereforethewritermusthavebeenofthesametime，orafterit。

TheBookofJobhathnomarkinitofthetimewhereinitwaswritten：andthoughitappearsufficientlythathewasnofeignedperson；*yetthebookitselfseemethnottobeahistory，butatreatiseconcerningaquestioninancienttimemuchdisputed：whywickedmenhaveoftenprosperedinthisworld，andgoodmenhavebeenafflicted；anditisthemoreprobable，becausefromthebeginningtothethirdverseofthethirdchapter，wherethecomplaintofJobbeginneth，theHebrewis(asSt。Jerometestifies)inprose；

andfromthencetothesixthverseofthelastchapterinhexameterverses；andtherestofthatchapteragaininprose。Sothatthedisputeisallinverse；andtheproseisadded，asaprefaceinthebeginningandanepilogueintheend。Butverseisnousualstyleofsuchaseitherarethemselvesingreatpain，asJob；orofsuchascometocomfortthem，ashisfriends；butinphilosophy，especiallymoralphilosophy，