A. M. 3517 Jehoiakim high priest. 3536 Artaxerxes succeeds Darius. 3537 He stops the rebuilding of Jerusalem. 3540 Artaxerxes marries Esther. B. C. 483 3543 He sends Ezra to Jerusalem, with several priests and 457 Levites. 3627 Jonathan or John. 3659 Jaddua or Jaddus. 341 A.M. ROMAN DYNASTY. B. C. 3937 Pompey takes Jerusalem. Hyrcanus II. again. 3960 Antigonus. 3963 Idumæan king, Herod the Great. 4000 John the Baptist born six months before the birth of The birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ took PART II. A Table of the PRINCIPAL EVENTS recorded in the New Testament, from the Birth of Christ, to the Destruction of Jerusalem and the Completion of the Canon of the New Testament. **The true Date of the Birth of Christ is FOUR YEARS before the common Æra, or A.D. A. M. 4000 The nativity of Jesus Christ. The circumcision, purification, and presentation of Christ in the temple. Archelaus, Ethnarch of Judæa. 4012 Christ visits the temple. 4032 The ministry of John the Baptist. 4033 The baptism and temptation of Christ. FIRST PASSOVER.-Christ purges the temple, and John the Baptist beheaded. 4034 SECOND PASSOVER.-The twelve apostles sent forth. 34 4035 THIRD PASSOVER.-Seventy disciples sent forth. Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. 35 4036 FOURTH PASSOVER.-The crucifixion, death, resur- 36 rection, and ascension of Christ. Feast of Pentecost.-Descent of the Holy Spirit. 4037 The church increased. 4038 The church multiplied. 4039 The martyrdom of Stephen.-First Jewish persecution of the church. 4040 Conversion of Paul. The Hebrew Gospel of Matthew probably written about this time. 4044 Herod Agrippa, king of Judæa. 4047 Second Jewish persecution of the church. 4061 Paul imprisoned at Jerusalem. A. M. 4063 He is sent to Rome, and shipwrecked at Malta. The General Epistle of James, and the Greek Gospel 4065 Epistle of Paul to the Philippians. Epistles to the Colossians, Ephesians, and Philemon. Martyrdom of James the Less, bishop of Jerusalem. 4066 Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews, written from Italy soon after he was set at liberty. Luke writes his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles in Y. OF J. C. 64 65 66 4066 Epistle of Paul to Titus, and his first Epistle to Timothy. 66 Mark writes his Gospel about this time. 4067 Paul comes out of Italy into Judæa: visits the churches in Crete, Ephesus, Macedonia, and Greece. 67 Peter writes his first Epistle, probably, from Rome. 4068 Peter writes his second Epistle, probably, from Rome, about the beginning of this year. Several prodigies at Jerusalem, this year, during the passover. Paul goes to Rome the last time; is there put into Second Epistle of Paul to Timothy. The Epistle of Jude written in this or the following 4069 The martyrdom of Paul and Peter at Rome. Cestius Gallus governor of Syria comes to Jerusalem; Disturbances at Cæsarea, and at Jerusalem. The Jews rise, and kill the Roman garrison at Jeru- A massacre of the Jews of Cæsarea and Palestine. He besieges the temple of Jerusalem; retires; is de- The Christians of Jerusalem, seeing a war about to Vespasian appointed by Nero for the Jewish war. Vespasian sends his son Titus to Alexandria; comes 4070 Vespasian enters Judæa; subdues Galilee. Tiberias and Tarichea, which had revolted against The Zealots seize the temple, commit violence in Jeru- 68 69 70 A. M. 4071 Vespasian takes all the places of strength in Judæa Simon son of Gioras ravages Judæa and the south of In this or the following year John writes his three 4073 Titus marches against Jerusalem to besiege it. Comes down before Jerusalem some days before the The factions unite at first against the Romans, but The Romans take the first inclosure of Jerusalem; A Roman soldier sets the temple on fire, notwithstand- The Romans, being now masters of the city and temple, The last inclosure of the city taken. 4074 Titus demolishes the temple to its very foundation. He also demolishes the city, reserving the towers of Titus returns to Rome with his father Vespasian; they 4095 John banished to Patmos. 4100 John liberated from exile. John writes his Gospel and Revelation about this time. PROFESSOR FRANKE'S (OF HALLE) "THIS is the confession of the faith in which I live, the path on which I walk, the truth which I have learnt from the Holy Scriptures, and which is sealed in my heart by the Holy Spirit, the course in which I run, that I may be preserved from every false way, and obtain the prize of life. I acknowledge myself a poor and wretched worm, who, by original and actual sin had deserved God's wrath and displeasure, temporal death and eternal perdition. But Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has given himself for me, and reconciled me by his blood to his father, so that God does not impute my sins unto me, but imputes my faith in the name of his only-begotten Son to me for righteousness. By this faith I am really justified, and with this the Holy Spirit has filled my heart. In this justification, I have found peace with God, am a child of God, rejoice in his favour, and know assuredly that I shall not see nor taste death, but have eternal life, and that I have passed from death unto life. "God having therefore received me into his favour, by faith in his Son Jesus, I am not justified at one time and not another; but I am always and continually in the favour of God, and bear in my heart the witness of the adoption of God through the Holy Spirit. I do not esteem myself free from faults and imperfections, but know that those which God daily places before my eyes are innumerable, and believe assuredly that my hidden faults are still more numerous. But because I am in Christ Jesus, and he in me, such faults and infirmities are not imputed to me, but God bears with them and overlooks them, as a father acts towards his dear child. His grace, however, does not render me careless, but incites me daily to renew myself, more and more, in the spirit of my mind. For God, who works all that is good in us, causes a filial fear to dwell in my heart, and makes me feel a real awe in the presence of his sacred majesty, which preserves me from presuming upon grace. But he prunes me also like a branch, that I may yield so much the more fruit. I am truly clean through the word that Christ spake, and which I have believed. This is no vain imagination or false appropriation. Christ has really loved me, and washed me from my sins in his blood; and my salvation consists in the forgiveness of sins. God has caused me to feel my corruption, and granted me grace to know my natural inability, and afterwards shewed his mercy to me, and wrought faith in my heart. 66 "What I have in this manner seen, and heard, and learnt from spiritual experience, is more certain, in my estimation, than what my bodily eyes see, my ears hear, and my hands touch. God himself has taught me to distinguish between nature and grace, light and darkness, imagination and power. God is not only faithful to forgive us our sins, but likewise just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Hence also I confess my sin and |